Twilight sighed, horn lighting up to remove her safety goggles from her head. Purple eyes filled with exhaustion, she gazed at her pegasus friend.
“So you’re saying he’s gone? You didn’t see him at all?”
Fluttershy seemed horrified, one hoof near her mouth as she thought. “I-I, u-uh, I saw him e-earlier—”
Twilight quickly stepped forward and looped a gentle arm around her friend’s shoulders. “I’m not blaming you, ‘shy. I’m just . . . tired. I’m not angry.” She allowed a quick smirk onto her features. “Besides, I wired a tracker into his circuits a few weeks ago. On a whim, I can pull up his signal and follow it.”
Fluttershy wiped her eyes and sniffled. “Really? You—you aren’t mad at me for letting him leave?”
The unicorn shook her head, releasing Fluttershy from her grip. “No, of course not. You didn’t exactly let him leave, anyways. He must’ve snuck out when nopony was paying attention.” Twilight turned around, goggles once again on her head. Freddy sat grumpily on the work table. Bonnie and Chica were already in sleep mode, their minor damages fixed. They were leaning up against the walls, since the lab had only one table (Twilight vowed to add more). “We should probably just let him sulk for a bit. He seemed fairly miffed. I’m sure this whole situation is stressful for him.” Twilight purposely took a long time to fiddle with her blowtorch. “And . . . with all the going-ons lately, I think he might want to be alone.”
Fluttershy nodded, ears tilted backwards. Her eyes were focused on some little detail in the floor. “You’re probably right,” she said shakily.
“Look,” Twilight said, twisting around once more, “why don’t you go and get some sleep? You can use my bed.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t—”
“I insist. I’ll most likely be down here for a while.” Her violet eyes rolled.
The pegasus glanced away coyly. “If you’re really sure . . .”
“I am.” Twilight slid her goggles over her eyes. “Now, go and take a well-deserved break.” Fluttershy hesitated, part of her wanting to be of some use, but the other screaming at her to please go to bed, she was exhausted. She defiantly ignored it—this wasn’t the first—nor last—time she’d refrained from sleeping. Being a veterinarian was a fulltime job.
Finally, the pegasus turned around and walked slowly up the stairs.
Two brightly shining gold orbs floated over the dark field. No, not floating—they were attached to something. Someone, in fact.
Foxy’s insides felt like they were twisted into sailor’s knots. His anger burned brightly inside of him, causing his eyes to appear fiercer than average. His feet carried him far from the sleepy town of Ponyville, over the various fields stretched miles around the Everfree Forest.
Stupid. Stupid. Why these ponies have ta meddle in everythin’ is beyond me. Foxy hesitated in his next thought, a sadder frown etched across his face. Okay, so maybe I’m over-exaggeratin’ . . . it’s not like I don’t appreciate ‘em helpin’ me or repairin’ me, but . . .
You don’t want them to know your weaknesses?
Foxy sighed audibly, but then stopped in his tracks. Why had he sighed? Right, my problems with these ponies. He resumed his trek.
Oh, come now, Foxy, cling onto that anger! Don’t let it slip away into depression. That’s just no fun.
Why? Not like I care . . .
The voice made a sound of disinterest. I love watching angry rages! So much death~!
If ye are suggestin’ that I’m gonna go on a kill streak, then you’re mistakin’.
No, I’m not exactly suggesting that, but what I am saying is that it’s okay to be angry! Anyone in your position would be. I, for one, am absolutely appalled that they’d risk your safety to bring those monsters here! Are you going to let these deeds go unpunished?
I . . . I dunno. Foxy stopped, realizing he had wandered into the edges of the Everfree Forest. Great.
Come on, let’s get some anger flowing into you! Remember what Freddy did to you?
No, stop talkin’!
Listen to me. They’ve put everything you’ve done at risk by bringing those incompetent saps here. You’re recovering, right? So why put up with it?
Why am I listenin’ ta ye again?
Because I, in essence, am your voice of reason right now. I may not always be the nicest to you, but this time, it’d be in your best interests to do as I say.
Aye, voice ‘a reason, sure.
But it’s true, what I’m saying—you can’t deny it. I am always correct.
Foxy laughed, startling himself. He glanced around at the dank forest, blinking in confusion. What a joke! Ye aren’t anythin’ I need ta be associated with.
The voice chuckled darkly. But Foxy, that day in ’87, remember? The beating your so called “friend” Freddy gave you. If he truly cared about you, would he have done such a thing? Look at yourself—look at how broken you are.
No, no, T-Twilight fixed me—
No! Truly, truly, look. Look at yourself.
Foxy found himself ripped out of his thoughts with a sudden jolt. He couldn’t tell what was happening. Something compelled him to look down. The edges of his vision were blurry, nothing distinguishable, but his main center of vision was fairly sharp. His gaze roamed downwards and he came upon an unpleasant surprise. His endoskeleton shone silver through his red fur, the familiar black hole gaping in his chest. Foxy felt his bare legs, the various holes and rusted spots in his arms, his drooping eyelid; it seemed so real.
Something shifted in front of him.
Foxy lifted his head and saw two white dots staring back at him. The outline of Freddy’s ears and jaw and torso were silver from the moon’s pale light. Foxy gasped, a stab of fear rocketing through him. He flinched away, and a rough call reverberated in his skull:
Foxy, he’s coming to get you! Protect yourself!
A sudden wave of blistering anger raged inside the pirate’s head. His hand closed into a fist, and his arm shot forward. Freddy vanished in a puff of mist upon impact, and Foxy’s fist smashed right through him. His vision cleared up instantly.
Foxy grunted as pain lanced up his arm, leaving an aggravating tingling in his shoulder. Blinking several times in quick succession, the pirate noticed that his fist was planted firmly in the trunk of a tree. It was bent where he’d punched it, a sticky sap already creeping down its wooden stand. Foxy—with a bit of effort—extracted his fist from the trunk, and the upper half of it—above the impact point—fell forward. He swiftly sidestepped, nearly stumbling over the undergrowth. The shattered trunk collapsed less than a second later right where he’d standing.
Foxy sighed, eyes flickering shut a moment. The agony in his arm had already subsided to a dull throb, but he knew it’d be gone in a few minutes. Robots didn’t feel pain long, if at all. Foxy lifted his nearly deadweight arm, trying to twitch his fingers. They barely moved; he probably damaged the wires connecting them to the rest of his arm. The joints that held his fingers in place were dented severely, one bolt even missing; most likely stuck in the tree. Sap also coated some of his hand.
Arg . . . f*#k me. Foxy allowed his arm to drop back down to his side. But what came over me? I can’t seem ta remember . . .
Nothing stirred in the surrounding forest as Foxy gazed about.
Morning came too soon for Fluttershy. It crept up on her like a predator, determined to mess up her whole day. With a not-stifled-at-all whimper, the creamy coated pegasus opened her eyes . . . only to quickly shut them against the blinding sunlight. She growled silently and sat up in not-her-bed. She tossed the comforter away from her body and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her mane was mussed and her wings were in disarray. It would be a good idea to have a shower and preen herself today.
Fluttershy dropped onto all fours, stifling a yawn that came back a moment later to assert its dominance. She shuffled towards the stairs, checking to see if Twilight was possibly upstairs. She wasn’t. So Fluttershy traipsed in the direction of the bathroom. She had a quick shower and trotted downstairs, wanting to visit Twilight before she began to preen.
The pegasus pushed open the door to the laboratory. She couldn’t hear movement downstairs. With a glance around, she noticed the three animatronics—all in sleep mode—and a purple lump splayed across the wooden floor. Fluttershy felt a smile worm its way across her face as she heard the gentle snores of her unicorn friend.
As soon as Twilight was snuggled into her own bed, lab equipment disengaged, Fluttershy sat curled up in an armchair. A wing was being carefully attended to. This was a relaxing and necessary practice. Not only did it promote healthy wings, but it was a stress reliever. A bit after starting on her left wing, a low growl sounded from somewhere in the room. Fluttershy lifted her head up, worried. Eyes searching, the pegasus continued with her preening.
“God f*%king d*#mit,” came a clearer annunciation. The light blue capped head of Mike came into view as he sat up on the couch. Fluttershy spat out an errant feather, finished with her task. She’d nearly forgotten about the security guard nestled on the couch.
“Mike?” Fluttershy called softly, approaching him. Mike glanced over, eyes still blurry from sleep.
“Oh, hey, Fluttershy,” he replied, stretching. Several resounding pops echoed throughout the room as he cracked his back. His stomach grumbled a moment later. He smiled sheepishly at the pegasus.
“Hungry?” Fluttershy flashed him a quick smile. “I was going to make breakfast as soon as I was done preening. Come along, you can help me.” She padded towards the kitchen, Mike trailing hungrily behind her.
While preparing lunch, Fluttershy had learned several things about their situation:
1. Mike had a girlfriend named Doll, and he planned to marry her someday.
2. He very much hated his job.
3. He also despised vegetarian food.
Well, Fluttershy didn’t say they were exactly important. But the food part was unfortunate because all they had was vegetarian food—they were ponies, you know.
As of now, Fluttershy was serving up lunch—a cucumber sandwich for her and an egg sandwich for Mike. She set the plates down at the table and took her seat, mouth very practically watering. The two dined in silence for a little while before Mike casually started to make conversation.
“So, uh, any idea how long I’m going to be here?”
Fluttershy paused in her chewing. She swallowed a moment later and glanced up. “Sorry, I really don’t. You would have to ask the princesses for the answer.”
Mike nodded carefully. “And, uh, when am I going to, well, meet the princesses again?” Mike inquired.
“I’m sure it’ll be soon. It’s been—what, two days?—and the princesses wouldn’t just bring you here and abandon us.” Fluttershy took a sip of her tea. “Twilight will probably be getting a letter or perhaps even a random visit within the next day—maybe less. She doesn’t have Spike with her now, and he’s the one that receives the letters. Honestly, I’m not sure what to expect.”
“Yup, that’s helpful.” Mike let his head fall into his hands, where he kept it.
“Come now, it’ll all be fine. I don’t know if you were supposed to end up here anyways. Perhaps the princesses will send you back.”
“Ugh, hopefully.” Mike raised his head. “I don’t like it when Doll worries. I know her, and since she thinks—well, knows, technically—that I’ve been kidnapped, she’ll be either sitting in our bed crying, or trying to do something about it. I don’t want her to stress. She’s already got enough on her plate, what with my whole security job and all.”
Fluttershy nodded, understanding. “I see where you’re going.” She smiled. “Doll sounds like a lucky lady.”
Mike turned red, pulling at the collar of his work uniform with a finger. “Eh heh, thanks. I would disagree.”
“Why? You seem like a caring individual.” The pegasus tilted her head.
“Well, I’m not exactly, like, the easiest person to deal with, you might say . . .” He trailed off, adjusting the hat on his head in embarrassment of being put on the spot.
Deciding not to pry, Fluttershy nodded. “Alright.” Mike seemed relieved at that. “Do you want me to take your plate?”
Mike blinked, looking down at his empty platter. “No, no, I can do it. Why don’t I take yours instead?” He stood up, hand out.
Fluttershy hesitated. “You don’t have to . . .”
“No, I insist.” Mike reached down and took her dishes, walking over to the sink. He placed them in and walked back.
Fluttershy stood up. “So, what do you feel like doing?”
The security guard shrugged. “If I could take a shower, that’d be great.” He lifted up his arm, sniffing. “I could definitely use one.” He wrinkled his nose as he let his arm fall back down.
“Oh, okay! I can do that. Here, just follow me,” Fluttershy instructed, trotting towards the stairs. She led Mike up them and to the bathroom. “Alright, I doubt our showers are difficult to understand. Do you need instruction?”
“No, I’ve got it,” Mike said, eyes roving over the bathroom area.
“Good. I’ll be right downstairs if you need me.” She backed away. “The towels are in that closet there.” She pointed.
“Alright.” He was already unbuttoning his shirt. Fluttershy quickly stepped out and closed the door. She heard the water turn on as she began to fly downstairs. That’s when she stopped, realizing something.
He had clothes on. They looked more than a bit dirty. Maybe I should wash them for him . . .? But would he appreciate that? I don’t want to disturb his privacy . . .
Fluttershy turned back and rapped gently on the door. She stuck her head in, careful not to look up in case he hadn’t pulled the shower curtain closed. She saw his clothes in a pile near the wall.
“Mike, would you object to me washing your clothes?” Fluttershy called quietly. There was no answer, and she assumed he wasn’t listening. Deciding he would most likely appreciate the gesture (or at least when he was done he’d have something clean to wear), she reached out a hoof and tugged the articles of clothing towards her. Bunching them into a neat pile, she closed the door with a wing and flew off.
The first thing Mike noticed getting out of the shower was his clothes were gone. He looked around, confused. Resigning himself with a quiet sigh, he grabbed a towel, wrapped it around his waist, and walked downstairs. He could hear the pony singing in a different room. He followed the sound found her in the kitchen, washing clothes—his clothes—on a washboard.
“Uh, Fluttershy?” Mike inquired. The pegasus ‘eeped’ and nearly fell out of the air. She glanced up, blinking.
“O-oh, Mike,” she squeaked. A blush coated her face. “Sorry, I just wanted to wash your clothes so they’d be clean—”
Mike silenced her with a hand. “It’s fine. But I don’t exactly have anything besides those to wear.” He pointed at the light blue shirt she held in her hooves.
“R-right! I’ll hurry then.” She quickly got to work once again. “You can do whatever ‘til I’m done.”
Mike nodded, exiting the kitchen.
Once Mike was clothed, Fluttershy took a little bit of time to relax. The security guard was reading in the side room. A romantic thing, if she remembered correctly. He’d mentioned wedding plans or something along those lines.
That was when there came a thump from outside.
Fluttershy jolted from her spot on a shelf, wings splayed open. She managed to keep her balance, tottering on the edge. Her heart pounding, she glanced towards the door.
“Hello?” she called, flitting down to the floor. She kept her wings extended in case something dangerous was outside. The pegasus pulled open the door and was quite surprised.
Two police ponies stood outside, a shameful looking Foxy behind them.
“Uh, yes?” Fluttershy stammered, eyes wide.
“Ma’am, you’re the caretaker of this . . .” the mare officer started, “dog?”
“Not a dog,” Foxy growled.
Ignoring him, the pegasus nodded. “Y-yes, I am.”
The stallion officer seemed to inspect her from underneath his sunglasses. “Then you’re aware of leash laws?”
“Leash laws? There’s no leash laws in Ponyville,” Fluttershy retorted, almost upset.
“Uh huh.” The officers pushed Foxy forward. “Keep your pet under control. He was harassing some ponies in the marketplace earlier,” the stallion continued, seemingly oblivious to her reaction.
“Next time, there’ll be a fine,” his partner snapped. They turned, walking away. Fluttershy stared after them for a little longer, blinking. Foxy stood where he was, unsure of what to do.
“Come in,” the pegasus quickly said, breaking out of her trance. Foxy bent down, scooting inside. He held his injured hand away from her eyes as he did so. She cast one more glance at the officers before closing the door.
“Uh, lass, I can explain,” Foxy murmured, seeing the cold look on her face.
“You’re not in trouble,” Fluttershy said in reply, face switching expressions instantly. She blinked at him, eyes searching. “Harassing ponies?”
Foxy frowned. “More like walkin’ through, and ponies started screamin’.”
“It’s not like they haven’t seen you before.” She walked away.
“Where are ye goin’?” Foxy asked, turning his head towards her.
“I saw your hand,” was the reply. Her form ascended the stairs. She disappeared from sight, then a few moments later, he saw her at the top the staircase. “Twilight’s not awake yet, so you’ll have to wait.” She came to stand in front of him again. “Meanwhile, why don’t you tell me what was going on in your head before you left.”