Twilight awoke with a jolt. She hadn’t dreamt of anything in particular, but her head hurt like a ton of bricks had been dropped onto it.
Fluttershy hadn’t noticed the unicorn’s sudden awakening, and was currently feeding a bedridden squirrel. The little animal seemed thankful while stuffing his mouth with nuts.
The lavender mare blinked blearily and sat up on the couch. Even without the headache, she didn’t feel too good. She figured she might have caught a cold.
“F…Fluttershy?” She sounded drowsier than she thought she would. The pegasus jumped and turned around.
“You’re awake, Twilight? How do you feel?” She fluttered over next to the unicorn.
“I’m sorry about falling asleep on you, and I’m alright. How long have I been out?” Twilight was a little embarrassed that she had actually fallen asleep in somepony else’s house; it felt like an intrusion.
“Oh no, it’s okay. You stayed up really late for me the other day, so, um, it’s not a problem or anything…” Her smile melted any doubt Twilight once had, “You’ve been asleep for only an hour, I think…”
“Really? I feel like I’ve been asleep for a long time.” Twilight stretched and yawned.
“Yes. Um…Twilight…?” The pegasus became timid once again. The lavender mare nodded her assent, holding a softened expression.
“I um, kind of have to go to Zecora’s for herbs, but it’s a little…scary by myself…” She looked up with a hopeful glint in her eyes. Twilight found the display rather cute.
“Actually, I need to see Zecora myself.” The unicorn supposed that the zebra would have some herbs to clear her head. Twilight knew from experience that when unicorns had headaches it often affected their ability to do magic. Maybe Zecora could even give her cold medicine if she still felt bad.
“Oh yes, thank you. We can go now; I just finished tending to the animals. If you’re ready, that is…” She scuffed her hooves.
“That sounds wonderful. We should hurry, though. You wouldn’t want to leave the animals for too long, and I probably should study today…” Twilight frowned. She had wanted to spend more time with Fluttershy, but they both had responsibilities. The pegasus seemed a little disappointed, though she quickly tried to hide it.
“I understand, Twilight.” They trotted out the door, careful not to wake any of the critters. The walk to the Everfree Forest was enjoyable, but the part where they were actually inside wasn’t. It was very creepy, and two thoughts were stuck in Twilight’s head. One, the creature could be anywhere. And two, the first thought was completely irrational.
“Twilight…Um…Do you think that…it…could come out at any moment?” Apparently Fluttershy had the same thoughts going through her head.
“Of course not!” She sounded a lot more confident than she actually felt. Seeing the pegasus afraid always stirred some sort of protective instinct within her. Twilight walked a little closer to Fluttershy to provide comfort and to show that she was there for her. “Don’t worry.”
Surprisingly, the rest of the walk to Zecora’s went by quickly and without a hitch. Before they knew it, they were already standing in front of her hut. Twilight knocked. The sound of hooves clopping on wood was heard before Zecora popped her head through the door.
“Hello, my friend! What have you come to comprehend?” She looked at Fluttershy with a knowing smirk.
“Um, hello Zecora. I was hoping you’d have some more herbs that will help with my friends’ recovery…” Fluttershy explained.
“And what about you? I should hope you didn’t come for Dragon’s Bane, too.” The zebra addressed Twilight. Fluttershy winced upon hearing ‘dragon,’ and glanced around uneasily.
“I was hoping you would have something to get rid of a headache. You see, Zecora, I woke up a little while ago with a really bad one.” Twilight clarified with a hoof to her head. Fluttershy looked over at her worriedly; probably a little upset that she hadn’t told her earlier.
Zecora nodded before opening her door wider. “Come. I will give you what you seek, and then some.” The two ponies trotted in; immediately spotting a large black cauldron in the center of the room.
The zebra went through her shelves to grab the necessary items. The unicorn felt a little dazed upon entry, and her attention was immediately drawn to the steaming potion. Curiosity was welling up within her, and she really wanted to know what it was.
Fluttershy poked Twilight and whispered into her ear, “Are you okay? You look a little pale…”
The unicorn snapped out of her reverie. “…I’m okay. It’s just a headache, that’s all.” Still not entirely aware of her surroundings (that cauldron looked mighty suspicious) and wanting to prove that she was alright, her horn lit up and a purple aura enveloped Fluttershy’s tail, lifting it. The pegasus squeaked in embarrassment at this, and a satisfied Twilight was just about to release the spell, when it felt like her head had exploded. Using magic worsened the headache tenfold.
“Oww,” she grumbled loudly, pressing a hoof to her head. It was pounding. Twilight wasn’t even sure when she fell back on her haunches.
“Oh my, are you alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy’s concerned expression filled the unicorn’s vision. The lavender mare didn’t get a chance to reply before a cup was pressed into her hooves.
“This may help to alleviate your sickness, but it will also slow your quickness.” Zecora pointed to her head meaningfully.
“Huh?” Twilight sputtered, immediately understanding what she meant, “Is this a depressant? I intended to study today, and to do so I would need to be able to understand the text and to remember the information, as well as write notes in technical terms, not in the vastly reduced vocabulary that a depressant can give to somepony!”
She was already keeping the cup as far away from her body as possible. Fluttershy took the cup gently from her marefriend’s hooves. “Come on, Twilight. It will make you feel better…” She looked pleadingly at her.
Twilight backpedaled until she hit the door. “Nonononono! I needed something to clear my mind, not befuddle it!”
Fluttershy took small steps towards the unicorn; fully in care-taker mode. “Please Twilight? Just a little bit?”
Twilight shook her head wildly despite the pain caused by the action. The last time she had a depressant was in Canterlot. Everypony always said that alcohol was really good, so the unicorn gave it a try. Not only did it embarrass her beyond belief, but it also led to Princess Celestia scolding her. Needless to say she never wanted to try it again, even in medicine.
Zecora watched, evidently amused. She trotted up to Fluttershy and whispered something into her ear. A blush immediately arose in the yellow pony’s features, and it only deepened as Zecora went on. Twilight couldn’t hear a word.
Eventually, the zebra backed away, saying that she had forgotten something (with a rhyme, of course) and headed to her bedroom to get it. Fluttershy was still blushing and she nervously shuffled her back feet. The pegasus’s wings flapped impatiently, looking as if they were beckoning their owner to do something.
She flew slowly towards Twilight, barely in the air. She was probably going at this pace to show that she wasn’t planning on force-feeding.
Twilight used magic to try and open the door behind her, but the spell backfired instead. Her head felt like it was getting beat by a hammer.
Fluttershy landed right in front of the bookworm. “Please take a sip…I really don’t like seeing you hurt…” She tried as a last resort.
“I act really weird when I have something like that in my system.” Twilight pointed a hoof accusingly at the offending green liquid.
The pegasus sighed lightly before placing the cup to the side. She hastily checked to see if Zecora was still gone before taking her next move. Fluttershy gathered up Twilight in her forelegs and hugged her tightly. “I really, really like you, Twilight.”
Twilight blushed from the sudden declaration, not really sure what she should be doing. The fact that she couldn’t think straight didn’t help, either.
The pegasus pulled away slightly to look into Twilight’s eyes. The lavender mare felt self-conscious at such a close-proximity, especially by somepony so beautiful. Her face turned even redder with that thought.
Fluttershy had a blush as well, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the unicorn’s. The yellow pony hesitated before capturing Twilight’s lips in a kiss. The unicorn was stunned at this self-assured action, especially when coming from somepony like Fluttershy, but did her best to kiss back. The pegasus rested her hooves on Twilight’s shoulders before lightly pushing so that the unicorn had her back on the door. When Twilight thought that Fluttershy couldn’t get any more confident, she felt the yellow pony’s tongue slip through her lips. Before Twilight really knew what was going on, they were Prench kissing.
She didn’t have any objection to it, however. It was quite welcome, as far as Twilight was concerned. She only worried that she wasn’t very good at it.
When Fluttershy did finally pull away, presumably for air, Twilight felt a little sad that it had ended so quickly. She was in a daze as she recalled the sensation.
She was so lost in the daydream that she didn’t notice the disgusting liquid being poured into her muzzle, nor the taste. What did bring her out of it, however, was the sound of chuckling. Twilight blinked, wondering what had just happened.
Fluttershy was a bright red, wings slightly erect, but what caught Twilight’s eye was the zebra off to the side. Zecora looked mischievously at Twilight, a familiar cup in her mouth. It was empty.
“Ack! No…This is going to be bad.” Twilight smacked a hoof into her head. She didn’t even have a headache anymore. “Oh Celestia, I hope I’m not a lightweight still…”
Fluttershy looked like she objected to what had just happened, but Zecora was still snickering. After she composed herself, the zebra grabbed a brown bag that she had collected while the two were making out. She gave it to the pegasus before speaking.
“Here are the herbs that you will need; the Dragon’s Bane will work with great speed.” Zecora looked at Twilight and smiled. “Please do not blame your special somepony for this. As I’m sure you know from experience, when left untreated a unicorn’s headache can be less than bliss.”
Twilight bit her lip and nodded. She was upset that the two of them had conspired together to make her drink the medicine, but knew that she couldn’t hold it against them. They only wanted to make her feel better, after all. If she couldn’t forgive her friends for something like this, then what was the point of learning the lessons of friendship?
“In a few minutes I think it’ll feel like I’m in bliss…” Twilight muttered, bracing herself. Zecora cracked a smile, looking like she was trying not to fall over laughing. Both Twilight and Fluttershy looked over at the zebra questioningly.
She gave in with a faint chuckle. “I’m afraid that I must admit that I was lying; the medicine I gave you was not Dragon’s Bane. Your mind will remain clear, and your head very much sane.”
The unicorn’s eyebrows rose, telling the zebra to explain.
“Are you aware that your friends Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie do pranks to everypony around town? Well, I, too, decided to try being a clown.” She said this as if it clarified the very reason ponies exist.
Twilight’s jaw dropped. So Pinkie and Rainbow had tricked Zecora before? But what surprised her even more was that the mysterious zebra had actually pulled a prank on her.
The unicorn’s blood boiled slightly. She mustered up the most polite smile she could before excusing herself. Twilight slipped out of the cottage; Fluttershy lagged behind, probably apologizing. Zecora watched as the yellow pony caught up with the purple one. “You will need to be sober for what problems face you. I just hope you are ready for them to brew…” She sighed before trotting back inside.
Fluttershy had to walk fast to keep up with Twilight. The unicorn was okay with them trying to help her, even if it would have made her seem drunk, but tricking her and causing her a great deal of worry was crossing the line.
“Twilight…Please don’t walk so fast…I didn’t know about it. Zecora only told me to try and get you to drink the medicine ‘my way.’ I’m sorry…” Fluttershy looked like she was about to cry. Twilight wanted to be angry, but the rational part of her mind forced her into a calm state. Maybe she was overreacting, but one thing was bothering her.
“Was that kiss unimportant to you? I don’t want to think that was just a part of the prank, too.” The unicorn tried to ignore the fact that she rhymed like Zecora. When around the zebra too much it seemed to have that affect on her.
“O-Of course not!” Fluttershy squeaked, looking a little hurt. “I did it because I really wanted to. If um, you know what I mean…” Apparently the yellow mare figured her statement had been too assertive, leading her to adding the second part.
“It was just Zecora, then? Well, okay. I believe you, Fluttershy.” She sighed. “Do you think I overreacted?”
Fluttershy replied, “Not really…Maybe a little. But Zecora should have known that would make you angry. Even so…an apology wouldn’t hurt…” The yellow mare concluded.
Twilight wasn’t too keen on this idea, especially so soon after being upset with the zebra. “I’ll…do that some other time.”
Fluttershy didn’t say anything to this, and simply walked next to Twilight in silence. The brown paper bag underneath the pegasus’s wing made noise every time she took a step. After awhile, Twilight forgot her annoyance and was truly happy. Maybe she’d go back tomorrow and apologize for rudely leaving like that. And then Zecora would say she was sorry too, and they’d talk.
“Say, Fluttershy…” The yellow pony perked her ears and looked at Twilight curiously. “I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing, but how did you get so confident back at Zecora’s? I was really surprised.”
Fluttershy’s face matched her mane. “U-Uh, um, I-I’m not sure…” She shrunk visibly before continuing, “At first I was trying to get you to drink the medicine, a-and then I felt the need to remind you how I felt, and after that I just…um…really wanted to kiss you.”
Twilight strained her ears to hear the last part, but, alas, she couldn’t. “What was that last part?”
The yellow pony winced, and the unicorn felt bad for putting her through the emotional trauma. “I just said that I reallywantedtokissyou.” She rushed. It was always interesting to see how she would handle certain subjects in conversation, even if Twilight brought them about without knowledge of her own amusement.
Twilight, too, became bashful with this next question. “How…was it?” Fluttershy blushed even more and her wings looked like they were pressing tightly into her side.
“It was…nice. I liked it. It was really fun to…um…never mind,” Fluttershy’s coat color was unrecognizable at this point. She was cowering on the ground with her hooves clamped over her eyes in what looked like embarrassment.
Twilight was really curious now. “What? What did you like? You can tell me.” The two ponies seemed to forget that they were in the Everfree Forest.
“I-I liked…um…It was fun to…you know…um…be in control.” She stuttered uncontrollably, peeking through her hooves at Twilight to see her reaction.
“R-Really?” The unicorn was a little surprised at this. Fluttershy nodded meekly. “Well, you know…” Twilight was as nervous as the other pony. “If you actually liked that…I don’t mind if you do it more often.”
Fluttershy shivered visibly. From what, Twilight could not name. She spoke from her spot on the ground, “U-Um…Twilight…Come here.” She looked so embarrassed and yet…happy. Twilight walked a little closer before following orders and lying down in front of her.
Their faces were close like before, and Twilight found herself admiring Fluttershy’s beauty again. Twilight wondered if she was doing the same thing.
Fluttershy leaned in for a kiss which Twilight gladly accepted. In this situation, the trees and the overall scenery of the Everfree Forest seemed to brighten up and even lost its ability to strike fear in Twilight’s heart. For the moment.
Fluttershy seemed to be more impatient than before as her tongue eagerly asked for entrance to the inside of Twilight’s muzzle. The unicorn let her and, as before, they were making out. Twilight kind of enjoyed being submissive. Usually she was the one that had to initiate the romantic gestures.
The pegasus was becoming increasingly aggressive. She was even starting to use her teeth. Twilight had blushed the first time, but she was enjoying it. When they heard rustling in the bushes, Twilight was reminded that they were still in a very dangerous place. Fluttershy heard it too, and they both pulled away.
Twilight felt a bit bothered, but knew that they couldn’t stay. Both ponies were breathless, and a little flustered. “W-We should be getting back before something attacks us.” Fluttershy was quick to agree with her and they both hurried out.
Since they were already close to the exit when they kissed, it didn’t take long until they were at Fluttershy’s cottage. After a drawn out goodbye, a long hug, and a promise to visit the next day Twilight was on her way to the library.
She mentally went over the events of the day to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. Of course she would have to go over to Zecora’s at some point to make sure that their friendship was still okay, but she wasn’t too worried about that. Usually the zebra was pretty good about that kind of thing. She was glad that they had gone to her place, anyway, as it lead to a fun experience, so there were no lingering feelings of resentment. Speaking of which, the kisses seemed really suggestive. (She had read some explicit material back at Canterlot in the past, and had some basic knowledge.) Twilight wondered what might’ve happened if the bushes hadn’t made noise.
As she mulled over that train of thought, she was already opening the door to the library. Twilight wondered if Spike was back or if he was hanging around Rarity. The unicorn realized that he hadn’t been in Fluttershy’s place when she woke up, so he must’ve gone somewhere. Twilight felt bad for not thinking about him sooner.
As the unicorn walked up the stairs, she heard something strange. Puzzled, she picked up the pace until she could tell what it was. Somepony was crying. Even more confused, Twilight pushed open the door to her room and saw who was sobbing. Her heart trembled in her chest.
“Spike?”