//------------------------------// // Olive // Story: A Deal With The Devil // by Legacy55 //------------------------------// “So… Rainbow showed up earlier…” Spike finally broke the awkward silence as he finished his ruby and sapphire pancake. “And what did she want?” Twilight questioned, a little annoyed at the mention of her so called ‘friend’. “She just wanted to see how you were feeling.” “Huh…” She lowered her eyes back to omelet in front of her. It was Spike’s very best dish, made from only the finest eggs, cheese and vegetables. Any other day she would have gobbled the whole thing down within a minute flat, but today her stomach was sitting uneasy. It wasn’t the hangover. It was the feeling that always seemed to be sitting in her stomach, the ever pressing loneliness that kept surrounding her, chocking her of any happiness and leaving her as a depressed, lonely shell. “Twilight. Are you sure you’re alright?” Spike asked with worry, noticing how little she had eaten. She looked back up to him, gazing into his light green eyes that seemed to sparkle like emeralds. He was the closest thing she had to family ever since her parents passed away tragically one year ago. The deeply concerned look on his face and the memory of her parents almost caused her to break out in tears right there, but she held them back and smiled. “Yes. I’m just not that hungry…” She took another small bite of her omelet to get him off her back. She defiantly was lying, he knew she wasn’t okay. She hadn’t ever since her parents had passed away, in fact that’s when they grew apart. From that moment Twilight had stopped talking about her feelings, instead she would remained isolated in her room ‘reading’ as she told him. He knew she wasn’t reading, he could always see how her red her eyes were once she came out. “So… Are you still going to Rarity’s for lunch?” Spike questioned, breaking another moment of silence. “Yeah… it is her and Reinaldo’s anniversary after all; she’d kill me if I didn’t.” “Yeah…” Spike growled, clenching his claw in a tight fist at the mention of the name. There was no pony he hated more than that accursed Reinaldo. He just didn’t know what Rarity saw in him! What with his thick foreign accent and charming good looks… “Well, I’m going to go lie down for a few hours…” Twilight announced a few minutes later, pushing the rest of her omelet away. “It was a good breakfast, thanks…” She smiled weakly at him before ascending the stairs to her bedroom. ------------------ “Ah, you’ve outdone yourself yet again mi amor.” “Oh Reinaldo, stop it!” Rarity giggled, blushing profoundly. Twilight sat across from the couple, silently munching on one of her friend’s delicious sandwiches. “No I mean it; you’re the finest cook in all of Equestria! It’s one of your many, many amazing qualities…” Reinaldo whispered into her ear, gently kissing at her neck. Rarity let out another series of giggles and playfully pushed the stallion away from her, “Not now, we have company…” She mumbled, motioning her head at Twilight. I don’t belong here… Not at all… She thought silently, watching the two with jealously. I wish I had a stallion to nibble on my neck and compliment my cooking… “I sure hope Fluttershy gets here soon, it wouldn’t be much of a lunch with just the three of us…” The pampered pony commented. “Why aren’t the others coming again?” “Oh well, Applejacks hard at work as usual. It’s been rough at the farm ever since Applebloom left remember? Pinkie Pie’s got some big order to fill at Sugarcube Corner and Rainbow Dash… is well, being Rainbow Dash…” While they all kept in contact with each other, their friendship was nothing like it had been years ago. They had grown apart, and instead spent most of their time working or with their lover. All of them expect Twilight that is. Almost as if knowing they were just talking about her, the door of the Boutique was pushed open and Fluttershy walked in. Following right behind her was a dark green earth pony, whose cutie mark was a brilliantly colored flower. “Fluttershy! Olive! We were just talking about you two!” Rarity jumped up from her seat and hurried over to her friend. “Oh, um… I’m ever so sorry we’re late, but Olive and I had to check on the bunnies before we left and as usual Angel didn’t make things easy…” Fluttershy squeaked, flipping her pink mane to the side. “Yes, that bunny can be quite the hooful.” Olive chuckled, “But I don’t know what we’d do without him.” Fluttershy smiled cutely at him before the two joined them at the table. Olive. Yet another stallion that she envied one of her friends for. Fluttershy was the last of her friends to have met somepony, only meeting the earth pony six months ago. She had been with her that day, and she was still angry with herself that she had acted the way she did. ----------------------- “Oh, can we please go to the garden now Twilight? We can finish the shopping later!” Fluttershy urged, trailing just behind the purple unicorn. “We have plenty of time here in Cantelot so just hold on to your wings! This should only take another thirty minutes.” Twilight told her sharply, observing a golden sundial that was set up at a booth. “Oh but please Twilight! I really think the animals will like me this time, this might be my only chance!” The Pegasus pleaded, looking at her friend with the cutest possible eyes. She sighed, “Fine… I can finish the shopping on my own, you head off the garden; I’ll meet you there when I’m done…” “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” Fluttershy yelled in excitement, getting a few embarrassing glares from the nearby ponies. Blushing, she hurried off to the royal garden. Finally, with her saddlebags full and her bits all gone Twilight entered the gardens. They were magnificent, more breath taking then she last remembered. Trees in all shapes and sizes grew around the area, scattering their multi colored leaves all across the garden. Flowers in every color of the rainbow were planted along the path, and she could hear voices as she moved further into the nature filled paradise. She moved around a hedge and found her friend, talking happily with a dark colored pony. He was amazingly handsome, with his dark brown hair and pearly white smile. He was gently petting a bunny as he talked to her. “And as you can see, the bunnies here in Canterlot have much longer ears then the ones you have in Ponyville.” Olive said as she approached. “I see! That’s quite remarkable really; all the animals here are so amazing!” Fluttershy replied, not even taking a single glance at the bunny. Instead she was much more interested in him, not taking her eyes off the handsome stallion. “Fluttershy! Who is this you’re talking to?” Twilight interrupted, and the two of them looked over at her in surprise. “Twilight, I thought you had shopping to finish?” Fluttershy said, she noticed her voice was a bit different, almost as if she was annoyed her friend had interrupted them. “I did… You’ve been here for around half an hour…” “Oh really? Time sure flies!” She laughed awkwardly. Suddenly remembering the stallion beside her she spoke up, “Oh I’m sorry! Twilight this is Olive! Olive, this is Twilight!” “It’s a pleasure to meet you; any friend of Fluttershy is a friend of mine.” Olive smiled at her, sending shivers down her spine. He really was attractive. “Um, how do you two know each other?” “Actually, we just met! I came to look at the garden when I found him here; we’ve been talking this whole time! We actually share a lot of interests, like animals!” “Oh really…” Twilight mumbled, growing slightly jealous of her friend and her newfound stallion. “Oh yes, I’ve always been a fan of animals. Kind of my life passion along with nature.” Olive grinned again before glancing up at the sky. “Well, I really should be going now, things to do…” Fluttershy frowned, “That’s too bad… But um, I’d really like if perhaps you would ever consider to maybe… have dinner at my house?…” Her voice grew very quiet until it was only a mere whisper, she could see the obvious rose red blush across her friends face. “I’d love to. How about tomorrow?” “That’d be wonderful!” The Pegasus grinned with obvious excitement. “Well, until then.” He grabbed her hoof and lightly kissed it. Before leaving he nodded at Twilight, and then disappeared behind a hedge. It looked like Flutteshy was going to faint, but suddenly she jumped into the air with joy. “Can you believe it Twilight? I think he likes me, I actually think he likes me! Isn’t it wonderful?” “Yes…wonderful…” ------------------- Had she just gone with her friend maybe she would have met him… Maybe Olive would have fallen in love with her, and she would be sitting beside him talking happily, not having a care in the world. After awhile they finished their meal and departed. Twilight was left walking home alone, even more depressed then when she had arrived. Seeing her friends with somepony made her felt awful, as she almost hated herself for being jealous of them. But how could she help it? All of her friends had lovers where as she was simply alone. Like always. After locking her door securely she collapsed on her bed, her eyes already starting to water. She couldn’t stop herself from crying, and these days it was the only way of expressing her sadness. She had no pony to talk to, no real friends. No pony understood her, as they all had their loves, they didn’t know what it was like to be alone. To struggle every morning to get out of bed, to try and find a reason to continue with their miserable life. Why can’t this just end? I’ve had enough of being alone; I’d do anything to stop this… Anything… She eventually cried herself to sleep, falling into a deep dream where she met the stallion of her dreams. That was the only place she was ever really happy, in her dreams…