//------------------------------// // Score Ten // Story: Troubles By The Score // by ADRNEL //------------------------------// "HOW COULD YOU CHEAT ON ME LIKE THAT?!" snarled an angry Thunderlane as he pinned Fluttershy up against a tree. "Please...Thunder...you're scaring me..." Fluttershy avoided eye-contact as much as she could, she was afraid of what will happen next. "HOW COULD YOU?!" he angrily yelled. "Please! I'm sorry!" she started to cry, she just wanted Thunderlane to leave her alone. The pegasus stallion just smacked her in the face with his forehoof. "You better be sorry! Some marefriend you are!" his deep seeded jealously and fear caused him to lash out. Fluttershy sobbed uncontrollably from the hitting and yelling. "Please understand Thunder...you're a great colt...but I just want us to be fri-" another smack from the stallion interrupted her. "YOU CHEATED ON ME!" angrily spat the stallion. "WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THAT MUSCULAR FREAK?!" "He treats me with more respect than you can ever imagine!" spat Fluttershy back, she was reaching her emotional breaking point. A punch hit her face hard, she fell to the ground. Fluttershy loudly sobbed. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...just stop..." "You WILL come back to me and you WILL do whatever I want, whenever I want!" he snarled, he picked the mare up so she can see his eyes. "You got that?" Fluttershy said nothing but spit blood at Thunderlane's face. "DAMN IT!" he exclaimed as he reflexively let the mare go and whipped his face. The yellow pegasus took the opportunity to sprint off and escape. But is stopped in her tracks when she felt something pull on her tail. Shy turned her head to see Thunderlane was biting her tail, growling. "SOME ONE HELP!" "NO ONE IS GOING TO HELP YOU, YOU SLUT!" snarled Thunderlane through his teeth, he continued to pull on her tail. Fluttershy spread her wings and flew off the ground, but she was quickly stopped in her tracks by the stallions continued hold on her tail. "LET! ME! GO!" the mare screamed with anger as she closed her eyes to concentrate on her escape. She suddenly heard a punch and felt her tail extension rip off, she was free. The mare opened her eyes and looked down to see Bulk Biceps who stood over an unconscious Thunderlane. "Bulk?" she gently landed back on the ground. "You okay Shy?" he asked with concern. The muscular pegasus took a good look at the mare. Her left eye was swollen shut and black, bruises on her face and a cut lip. "I-I-I'm fine now...thanks..." the mare was eternally grateful of Bulk for saving her. She looked at the unconscious Thunderlane, her tail extension in his mouth. Shy looked at her tail see it that it was back to its true length, but frayed at the end. She looked back at Bulk but was in awe. Bulk was a true stallion, the type of stallion she always dreamed of being with. Strong enough to protect her, but with a big and kind heart to love her. He was...perfect. "Come on, let me get some ice on that." pointed out Bulk as he escorted Fluttershy to his home. "Thank you so much for saving me back there...I greatly appreciate it...thank you." said the mare. "No problem...anything to help a fellow pony-" was quickly interrupted a peck in the cheek from the yellow mare. "Oh...sorry...I was just-" "I understand, and glad you think so." Bulk smiled. They both stopped in their tracks and looked into each other's eyes. "What?!" exclaimed Twilight. "What makes you imply such a thing about me?!" "Twilight! I am really worried about you...you need to stop hiding it." explained Cheerilee. "You like mares, so what." "I DO NOT! I LIKE STALLIONS!" defended Twilight, who was clearly in denial. "That's not what Octavia told me." The unicorn's eyes went wide. "Y-You...talked...to Octavia?" she was stunned. "I did...she still feels a little hurt that you went through all those lengths to cover-up your relationship with her." stated the teacher. Twilight felt guilty and ashamed. "I was just worried about what my family, my friends or Celestia would think...my brother and Cadance were the only ones that know about my true self." "It's not good to keep it bottled up inside, it will eat you alive." explained Cheerilee as she placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. The unicorn just wrapped Cheerilee in a hug and cried into her shoulder. "I am a horrible mare! I used and lied to so many ponies because I was in denial...I lost Octavia because of that...500 days of love, all made worthless because I wouldn't accept these feelings." "The first step is admitting that you have a problem...now we can begin the healing and by the end of it, you will fully embrace who you really are." comforted Cheerilee. "Why are you really helping me?" asked Twilight as she looked into the mare's eyes. "Because I am starting to have feelings for you Twi." answered Cheerille with sincerity. "Really?" "Really." she answered as she gently kissed Twilight on the lips. For the first time ever, Twilight felt free, no longer weighed down by the baggage she had been carrying. For once she finally started to accept who she really was, but she knew it was a long road ahead. "HOW COULD YA!" exclaimed Big Mac to his marefriend Pinkie. "How could ya use yer sister like that?!" "Because I thought it would make you guilty and force you to become intimate with me to ease it." explained Pinkie who was hurt from the yelling Mac was giving her. "That's a horrible and immature idea even by yer standards Pinkie!" "I really love you Mac!" explained the pink mare. "All I wanted was to finally show you how much you mean to me." "We could've talked this out!" "And you probably would still say no!" "BECAUSE AH DIDN'T WANT YA TO THINK THAT AH WAS USIN' YA JUST FOR SEX!" yelled Mac. Awkward silence fell between them. "W-what?" Mac took a deep breath. "Last thing ah wanted ya to think, was to think that ah was usin' ya as a sex toy...ah had too many mares think that already about me...and ah don't want ya to be one of them." Pinkie felt awful. She should have talked this out with him instead of taking advantage of her sisters crush on Mac. "The night after ya confessed yer feelin's for me...ah made a vow to myself that ah will wait until ah know this would last before ah even consider goin' that far with ya." he admitted. Little did both Mac and Pinkie knew, but Maude was listening in from upstairs. "I-I just wanted you to show me how much you cared...but I guess not being intimate with me really does mean you care." "And ah'm sorry...but that stunt made me loose all trust in ya." Mac said with reluctance. "Huh?" "Ya heard me...ah lost all trust in ya..ah'm sorry...but it's over." Mac sadly turned around to leave. "MAC! PLEASE NO! I'M SORRY!" yelled Pinkie. "Too late for that." and with that, Mac walked out the door and left. Pinkie fell to the floor, her mane was flat and she bawled her eyes out. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry...please come back!" Maude saw the whole thing and felt bad. Mac walked back to the farm alone. For the first time in a year, he was single again...and he had no idea what to do now.