It had been several days since Sprinter had been burned. I went to check on him every day from eight in the morning until closing. I only left to feed my critters twice a day like always, once at ten and again at six. I always stayed as long as I could, sometimes Sprinter would ask me to bring him things, cupcakes from Sugar Cube Corner, or a book from the library. We would talk all the while, how he was doing mostly. He even began to walk very soon, when the nurses came to bring him his food I would always ask for a doctor. When the doctor came I would ask how he was doing, the doctors would all say the same thing, 'He's recovering quite quickly'. I always smiled and thanked them.
It was the day before the concert and I was heading over to the hospital to see Sprinter, when I came through the doors I noticed a pony in a white lab coat and sunglasses leaving. I stopped to say hello, I was greeting ponies now that I'd met Sprinter, I was getting over a little of my shyness. But he took one look at me and bolted, I was confused at first but passed it off and continued to walk on. When I reached his room I saw him standing at the window, looking out at the beautiful morning sun. I greeted him as usual, he only grunted in response, this was unusual. He was usually ecstatic to see me.
"What's wrong?" I asked simply.
"Take a seat Fluttershy, I have to tell you something." He said, I could hear the concern in his voice. At this point I began to get nervous, was he going to break up with me? The day before the concert?
"Fluttershy," he started, "I haven't been completely honest with you..." he stopped, I urged him to go on. Was this his dark secret that I sensed?
"You see I didn't ask you out because I liked you," his words shocked me, I began to well up with tears.
"Well not at first," he spoke erratically now trying to cheer me up, "at first I thought you were too shy for me, but then I saw how you really were." His words touched my heart, "You understood me on a different level, the incident I told you about, I've never told anypony else about it."
I smiled but he still hadn't said everything, "Then why did you ask me?" I asked coldly.
He sighed as if thinking of where to begin, "It started when I burned the building with the phoenix," he began, "I didn't really run an adoption center, it was an animal testing facility." I gasped, "I was sent here to get you to sign some documents, releasing your animals into my care so that we could run experiments on them." I teared now, letting them drip freely, he seemed to look distraught as well. "That colt in the white coat was here to check on me, to see if I had been sucessful."
I glared at him, he was here only on a mission to sabotage my animals so that they could run medical testing?
"I told him I wasn't going to make you sign them." He told me, I was shocked, "you see that over there." He pointed his hoof at a shreaded pile of paper on the desk beside his bed.
"I ripped those up in front of him, I told him I would never allow them to take your animals, I know that you love them more than anything." I looked at him with tears in my eyes, he was truly sincere. "I couldn't possibly take them from you, I know you probably hate my guts right now." He looked out the window.
"So I'm leaving back to Haymill," He said, I hadn't said anything until now.
"You can't leave," I said. He looked at me astonished, "you came here to take my animals," I began his ears dropped and he put his head down, I leaned in closer, "but instead you gave me something I can never forget." I said softly, his ears pricked up and he looked at me meaningfully. "You showed me that even with bad intentions, somepony can put their hoof down and take a stand." He smiled at me and I smiled back.
"You've showed me something too Fluttershy." He said, leaning in closer to me, I blushed, "you showed me that just because a pony is shy on the outside, doesn't mean she can't be somepony that means a lot to you." He said, his muzzle came close to mine, I felt his breath as his lips touched mine.
This was only our second kiss, it was just like before, as his lips caressed mine the butterflys came to my stomach. I did a little flutter, apparently litterally because I was lifting off the ground. Our lips broke and he saw me hovering there, he laughed as I fluttered back down. I blushed again.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the concert." He said. I nodded.
I waited at my cottage for the colt to arrive, the concert wasn't until ten, but I was so excited I even canceled with Rarity on our weekly spa date. As I waited I fed my animals and talked with Angel, although he couldn't respond he always had a way of showing his appoval or disapproval of what I said. When I heard a knock on the door I bolted to it, it was Pinkie and her husband Binkie.
"Hey I heard you were going to Lyra's concert, mind if we cartpool?" Pinkie said smiling widely. If I hadn't known Pinkie I would have thought that Binkie was her colt twin. The two of them had the exact same hyperactivity. I nodded and the two of them immediately made themselves at home. We all waited for Sprinter to arrive, talking and playing board games.
Eventually Sprinter came to the door, he asked why Pinkie was here, I told him they wanted to cartpool with us. He laughed at the two hyper ponies.
"A double date it is then." we all climbed into the taxi he had brought.
As we arrived to the amphitheater I could hear introduction music emiting from it. Lyra and Octavia would be performing tonight. We entered and took our seats. The lights dimmed, the music began. Sprinter put his hoof over my shoulder, I snuggled in closer to him. I knew the song, it was called 'Tugging at the Heartstrings'.
We all listened as the music started soft, then became a little sad. It welled up emotions inside of you that went with the music. It could only be explained by experienceing. The song went on, feeling hopeful, climbing in its pitch, then back down, as emotions of a little sorrow struck in. But the song portrayed a hope, glimmering that someday something would come to take away all the sadness. I looked at the colt, was he the one to take away my sadness. He looked at me, and smiled. I didn't want this concert to end, well I guess it was this moment. I felt so happy here in Sprinters hooves. I felt as if all my troubles could wash away.
Lyra and Octavia played some more songs that night, even breaking into what I believe was an all out music war on stage. The crowd cheered at the end of the concert, they recieved a standing ovation.
After it was over, we dropped Pinkie and her husband off. Then the taxi took us to my cottage, we walked up to my door. It was that awkward silence again. I started to turn around to go inside but Sprinter stopped me.
"Shy wait," he said, I looked at him, wondering what else he could say that would make this night anymore perfect.
He looked at me, I gazed into his sparkling yellow eyes, he smiled. I began to feel my face getting hot as I blushed furiously. He leaned in close, but passed my muzzle and pressed his cheek against mine. I felt him nuzzle me, then he whispered into my ear something that made my butterflys flutter.
"I love you Shy." he said, he pulled away and looked me in the eyes. He was truly sincere, he really did love me.
I looked back at him, tears of happiness in my eyes.
"I love you too, Sprint."
Finally I had somepony who loved me for who I really was, and I loved him with all my heart.
The End
Written by: inuboy7
Edited by: TheXIIILightning
(Thanks for all the help Light)