//------------------------------//
// Rumors 
// Story: Rumors 
// by Nordryd 
//------------------------------//

Coppermane and Fluttershy stood outside the latter's house after a special date for their six-month anniversary.

“Coppermane… thank you so much,” Fluttershy said.  “I had a wonderful time.”

“Anything for you, babe,” Coppermane said, putting his hands on her waist.  “Happy six months.”

Fluttershy smiled as she lifted her head to kiss Coppermane.  Coppermane’s body filled with bliss as her lips met his.  He lifted one hand to brush her hair as she caressed his shoulders.

Fluttershy couldn’t believe that they’ve been together for six months.  They’ve been the happiest months of her life.  She’s been to heaven and back, as well as hell and back, with Coppermane, but through it all, she’s become so much closer to him.  It’s not like she wasn’t happy before she met Coppermane, but since she met him, he’s made her happier than she’s ever been in her entire life.

“Mmm!” Coppermane grunted, suddenly breaking the kiss.  “I almost forgot, I got you something.”

“Oh?”  Fluttershy cooed.  How could this night get any more wonderful?  Coppermane already pampered her enough tonight, what more could he possibly do?  Coppermane retreated to his car, and sifted around the backseat for a moment.  Fluttershy waited patiently to see what else he had for her.  Coppermane began walking back, and Fluttershy gasped when she saw a bouquet of white roses and cherry blossoms.

“Aww, Coppermane,” Fluttershy said, blushing.  “You shouldn’t have… ”

Coppermane blushed and chuckled bashfully.  “I mean, it’s not much, but—”

Suddenly, Coppermane’s arms started glowing, and streams of magic travelled down to the bouquet.  The white roses began glowing, and morphed into a beautiful five-petal white flower.  His arms ceased glowing, and particles began emanating from the middle of the flowers.  It was just like at the musical showcase.  Coppermane was still mystified by how this happened, but it was perfect for his princess.

Fluttershy was taken by the bouquet’s beauty.  She didn’t know how Coppermane made that happen, but she loved it.

“Almost as beautiful as you,” Coppermane said, handing the bouquet to Fluttershy.  She happily accepted it, smiling at his words.

“Thank you so much, Coppermane,” Fluttershy said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, huh?” Coppermane said.

“Mmmhmm!” Fluttershy said.  “Get plenty of sleep.  You know what tomorrow is, right?”

Coppermane looked confused.  “Um… Monday?”

Fluttershy giggled.  “No, silly.  The Friendship Games start tomorrow.”

Coppermane’s expression appeared to darken.  “Oh… ”

Fluttershy saw his somber expression, and grew worried.  “What’s wrong?”

“Oh… well… that means Crystal Prep is going to visit CHS tomorrow,” Coppermane said.  “And that means I’ll be running into some of my old bullies.”

Fluttershy had completely forgotten about that.  Crystal Prep is where Coppermane used to go to school, and where he was bullied on a daily basis by practically everyone.

“Well, maybe they’ve forgotten about you?” Fluttershy suggested.

“I doubt it,” Coppermane said.  “I was pretty well known.  And even if they have forgotten, they’ll remember the second they see me.  I guarantee it.”

Fluttershy pursed her lips.  She hated seeing Coppermane so worried.  She could only think of one thing to cheer him up.  She walked up to him, and lifted her head to give him a kiss.  Upon meeting his lips, she heard a relaxed groan from him, and she felt him cup her face, making her smile.  She pulled away to see a smile on his face, making her smile.

“Don’t worry, Coppermane.  You have all your friends… and you have me,” she said, taking his hand.  “We’ll be there for you the whole way.  We won’t let those Crystal Prep meanies pick on you.”

Coppermane could only smile at his adorable princess.  She was just the cutest thing.  She always knew just what to say to make him feel better.

“Thanks,” Coppermane said, squeezing her hand.  “I’m gonna help Pinkie Pie set things up in the morning for the party.  If I have any problems during the Games with the Crystal Prep jerks, I know just who to go to.”

Fluttershy gave Coppermane a big smile, and a kiss on the cheek.  “Good night, Coppermane.  I love you.”

Coppermane smiled, and cupped her face.  “Good night, Fluttershy.  Love you too,” he said, giving her one more peck before Fluttershy walked inside her house.  Coppermane walked back to his car with the biggest smile on his face.  Six months with the girl of his dreams.  He still couldn’t believe it.






THE NEXT DAY


Coppermane and Flash Sentry were soaked with sweat from helping set up for the Crystal Prep welcome party.  Something that nobody at CHS was really looking forward to, since the Crystal Prep students were usually pretty apathetic and condescending, but it was tradition, so they had to muscle through it.

“Coppermane, no offense, but couldn’t you have just used your keytar?” Flash asked.  Coppermane requested they move a grand piano from one of the practice rooms to the gymnasium.  Flash and Coppermane were planning on jamming out to some songs with Flash on acoustic, but Coppermane wanted to play on an actual piano for some reason.

“Well, I like my keytar, but I prefer playing on an authentic piano.  It feels better,” Coppermane said.

Pinkie Pie rushed up to the boys with a big smile on her face.

“Thank you so much for helping me, boys!” she said.

“No problem,” Flash and Coppermane said.  Flash began plucking some notes on his guitar as Coppermane started playing scales and chords on the piano, just messing around.

At that moment, the rest of the CHS students began filing into the gymnasium, with Rarity, Sunset, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash gathering around the piano where Coppermane, Flash, and Pinkie Pie were.

Coppermane’s eyes widened when he saw what Fluttershy was wearing.  Rarity, being the fashionista she was, had designed party dresses for the girls, and Fluttershy’s outfit was outright adorable.  She wore a sleeveless teal dress, bringing out her beautiful eyes with white butterflies along the skirt, and what appeared to be a slightly longer green dress underneath.  She wore a pink bow on her chest, and instead of boots, she wore pink heels with lime green butterflies.  Coppermane also noticed how short the dress was.  That, along with the small heels she wore showed off a lot of leg, which Coppermane didn’t mind one bit.  She seriously got prettier every time he looked at her.  Her beauty was absolutely breathtaking.

Fluttershy noticed Coppermane staring at her, and blushed profusely.  She held her hands in front of her bashfully as she approached her boyfriend.

“H-Hi, Coppermane,” she said, blushing.

Coppermane was blushing quite a bit himself.  “Hey.  Wow, y-you look gorgeous.”

Fluttershy played with her hair, flattered by his compliment.  They’ve been together for six months, yet he still had the power to make her knees weak.

“Aww, thank you,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.  Coppermane scooted over on the piano bench to allow her to sit next to him.

After a minute or two, the gymnasium doors opened again, and in walked a bunch of students in uniforms.  Uniforms which Coppermane recognized immediately.

“Oh no,” Coppermane said, shrinking in his seat, and ceasing his piano playing.

Fluttershy noticed the Crystal Prep students walking in, and embraced Coppermane, placing her hand on his heart to comfort him.

“It’s okay, Coppermane,” Fluttershy said.

“We’ve got your back,” Rainbow Dash said.

“We won’t let them bother you, darling,” Rarity said.  “There’s no need to worry.”

Coppermane looked around to see all his friends smiling back at him.

“Thanks guys,” Coppermane said.

“Ooh!  Sunset!”  Pinkie Pie said.

“What?” Sunset asked.

“I think I saw one of the Crystal Prep students looking at you!” Pinkie Pie said teasingly.

Sunset immediately looked behind her, and managed to catch a blue-skinned Crystal Prep student looking at her.  Upon being caught, the student immediately looked away.  He appeared to have short black hair in a similar style to Flash Sentry’s, and she could barely make out blue eyes.  Sunset immediately blushed, but didn’t think much of it.  Maybe it was just a coincidence.

With that, the group, minus Fluttershy and Coppermane separated throughout the gymnasium, splitting up into various units and mingling throughout the party.  Fluttershy and Coppermane remained at the piano as Coppermane began plucking some chords based a chord sheet pulled up on his phone.

Fluttershy could only smile as her boyfriend played his music.  She placed her hand on his leg.

“You’re so talented, Coppermane!” she said with a smile.

Coppermane blushed.  “Thanks, babe.  But trust me, there are much better pianists out there.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Fluttershy said.  “I wish I could play like you can.  Tambourine doesn’t seem nearly as hard as piano.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Coppermane said.  “You’ve caught me using your tambourine a few times, remember?  I can’t use that thing.  You have to shake your wrist while moving your elbow in such a way to hit it on your hand or another part of your body to create the beat.  It’s really weird.  I don’t know how you do it.”

Fluttershy blushed.  “I… I don’t know either.  But I can’t figure out when to play one note or another one on the piano.  There’s just so many keys… ” she said, unknowingly plucking an E.

“Well, I mean, we have some time right now.  Maybe I could give you a crash course in piano chords?” Coppermane suggested.

Fluttershy’s face lit up.  “R-Really?  Right now?  A-Are you sure?”

Coppermane nodded.  “Sure!  I mean, we’re supposed to avoid ponying up anyways, right?  This’ll help prevent that from happening since I won’t be playing any real songs, and I can show you some things.  The piano actually isn’t that intimidating once you break it down.”

Fluttershy pouted her bottom lip.  “Aww, but I like it when you pony up.”

Coppermane blushed.  “Believe me, I like it when you pony up too.  You look adorable with those wings and pony ears.”

Fluttershy blushed.  “Well, I love your long ponytail, and your adorable pony ears,” she said, brushing his hair.

Coppermane smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  “But we can’t have Crystal Prep think we’re cheaters, right?”

Fluttershy sighed.  “Yeah, I guess.”

“So, you ready for me to show you some stuff?” Coppermane asked.

Fluttershy beamed.  “Mmmhmm!”

Coppermane smiled and gave her a peck before scooting over so Fluttershy could sit in the middle of the keyboard.

“Okay, so this note right here,” Coppermane started, plucking the middle-most key, “Is a C, and if we travel up the white keys on the keyboard… ”






MEANWHILE


The Crystal Prep students were never too thrilled to visit Canterlot High.  They never usually thought much of any of the Canterlot High students since they’ve beaten them every year during the Games, and thus view them as lesser.  Though, to some of the more popular students at Crystal Prep, this visit might prove to be a little more interesting than previous ones.

Neon Lights, Lemon Zest, and Sunny Flare were in their own little social pod, talking amongst each other.

“Well, this is about as mundane as always,” Neon said.

“I still don’t know why they have to make the Games go on for a whole week now, rather than a day,” Sunny said.

“I heard someone say something like they want to give more preparation time in between events, but I don’t know,” Lemon said.

“Something tells me Principal Celestia did that so CHS might have a better chance of winning,” Sunny suggested, giggling.

Suddenly, Royal Pin butted in with a shocked look on his face.

“Hey, Royal.  Did something happen?” Neon asked.

“You’re not going to believe who goes to CHS now,” Royal said.

“Um… who?” Neon asked.

Royal gestured towards the grand piano that was in the gymnasium for some reason.  Neon, Lemon, and Sunny all turned, and their eyes went wide when they saw who was playing on the piano.

“Is that… Coppermane?” Sunny asked.

“Oh my gosh, it is,” Lemon said.

“That prick goes here now?  Serves him right,” Neon said, clenching his fists.

“Maybe this week won’t be so bad, huh Neon?” Royal said.  “We can pick on that loser again.”

“Oh, you know we are, especially after that asshole went ape-shit on me,” Neon said.  He remembered that day all too well.  The day Coppermane lost his composure and went berserk on Neon, beating him senseless.  He’s been waiting to get back at him ever since that day, and maybe he would finally get a chance this week.

“Well, why should we wait?” Neon said, cracking his knuckles.

“Hold up there, Neon,” Sunny said.  “There’s someone sitting next to him.  Look.”

The group looked to see a very pretty pink-haired girl sitting next to Coppermane.

“Is that loser really trying to talk to a pretty girl like that?” Royal asked incredulously.

“She’s way out of his league,” Lemon said, snickering to herself.  “I didn’t know he played piano though.”

“Sounds like he’s just playing chords,” Sunny said.  “Anyone can do that.”

“He seriously thinks he’ll impress her with that?” Neon said with an incredulous smile.

“Let’s see how long it takes for her to slap him and run,” Royal said, making the group snicker.

They watched for a few minutes, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.  But contrary to their preliminary assumptions, the girl seemed to be enjoying herself.  She had a smile on her face the entire time as Coppermane played.  They would’ve thought by now Coppermane would’ve done something to drive her away, but no.  She was still there, smiling.  Then, Coppermane made a move on her.  He put his arm around her, and pulled her close.  Surely, this would’ve scared her, right?  Nope.  In fact, the girl actually reciprocated.  She scooted closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, and placing her hand on his heart.

“He… He’s actually doing it,” Lemon said.

“How?!” Royal asked in disbelief.

Sunny and Neon were speechless.  Coppermane, that loser, was successfully courting a pretty girl, whom was way out of his league.

Shocking them even further, Coppermane used his other hand to lift the girl’s chin up.  Then, making their jaws hit the ground, he leaned in and kissed her.  Not just a peck either.  It was a passionate kiss that the girl reciprocated by bringing her hand up from his heart to cup his face, pulling him closer.  Coppermane and the girl pulled away, and they shared a loving embrace.

Neon, Royal, Lemon, and Sunny couldn’t believe their eyes.  Coppermane wasn’t trying to court this girl.  They were already together.

“No way,” Lemon said.

“He has a girlfriend?” Sunny asked incredulously.

“How?!  How does he of all people have a girl like that?” Royal asked, obviously not thrilled.

Neon didn’t even know what to say.  He couldn’t believe Coppermane of all people actually had a hot girlfriend.

It only got weirder from there.  Suddenly a group of girls, all wearing party dresses, and a guy with blue hair gathered around the piano.  Then, a girl in a black dress and big purple shades walked up with a camera, and took a picture of the group all around Coppermane and the pink-haired girl.

Neon, Royal, Lemon, and Sunny were shocked even more.  Coppermane not only had a girlfriend, but friends.  Judging by how they interacted with each other after the camera girl left, they were pretty close too.  Neon and Royal were shocked even more to see how many of Coppermane’s friends were girls.  Pretty girls at that.

These revelations have turned the four Crystal Prep students’ worlds upside-down.  Coppermane, a lowly loser, not only has a plethora of friends now, but also a girlfriend.  He may have been downgraded to CHS, but he seemed to be doing really well, much to the four’s disgust.

“This… but… what… it… arrgghh!” Royal exclaimed, clearly not amused.

“How is he doing so well?” Lemon said.

“If I were that girl, I would’ve left a long time ago,” Sunny said.

“Well, maybe this will work to our advantage,” Neon said.

“Huh?” the other three said.

Neon gestured for the pod to huddle together, and he explained what he was formulating.  If that pink-haired girl really was Coppermane’s girlfriend, then he’s found his weakness… 





Fluttershy rushed through the halls to get back to lunch after getting something from her locker.  By getting something from her locker, it was bringing her backpack, containing Angel, to her locker so she could feed him.  Before she could return though, she turned the corner, and ran face first into a random guy.  When Fluttershy recovered, she saw that the guy had bluish-gray skin, and spiky black hair.  She also noticed that she accidentally caused his sunglasses to fall off his face.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” Fluttershy said, bending over to pick his sunglasses up.

“No worries,” the guy said, accepting his sunglasses.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yep, I’m fine,” the guys said, wiping his sunglasses clean with his shirt.  Before he put his sunglasses back on, he eyed Fluttershy up and down.  “Hey, you’re kinda cute.”

Fluttershy was a little surprised by the sudden compliment.  It felt a little weird, but it was still flattering.

“Oh… um… th-thank you,” Fluttershy said, twirling her hair.

“What’s your name?” the guy asked.

“Um… it’s… F-Fluttershy… ” she said quietly, recoiling slightly.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” the guy asked.

“Um… F-Fluttershy… ” she said again, slightly squeaking towards the end, and hiding behind her long hair.

The guy chuckled a little.  “Nice to meet you, Fluttershy.  I’m Neon Lights,” he said, holding his hand out.  Fluttershy timidly shook his hand to be polite, but still hid behind her hair.  “Sorry for the sudden compliment earlier, but I think you’re pretty cute.”

Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure how to feel about him saying that.  It was sweet, but it felt weird not coming from Coppermane.  This guy was obviously hitting on her, and it was setting off alarms in her head.  Her heart belonged to Coppermane, and no amount of flirting would change that.

“Um… th-thank you, Neon.  But… I-I’m sorry… um… I-I have a boyfriend… ”

“Oh, you do?” Neon said.  “Sorry about that.  I didn’t know.”

“I-It’s fine,” Fluttershy said.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your boyfriend’s name?” Neon asked.

Fluttershy smiled at the thought of her loving boyfriend.  “Oh, his name is Coppermane.”

Neon rose an eyebrow.  “Coppermane, huh?”

“Mmmhmm!  And he’s just wonderful,” Fluttershy said with the biggest grin on her face.  Thinking about her prince always made her smile.

“Ooh… this is awkward,” Neon said.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Fluttershy said.  “Th-Thank you for the compliments, though.”

“Oh, it’s not that.  I just… well… m-maybe I shouldn’t tell you,” Neon said.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, I may or may not have heard some things about Coppermane earlier,” Neon said.

“Oh?  What things?” Fluttershy asked.  If it was about her Coppermane, she wanted to know.

“Well, I heard something about Coppermane saying he was gonna… break up with his girlfriend or something?” Neon said.

Fluttershy’s heart and stomach dropped, and her smile immediately turned to a look of horror.

“Wh-What?” she asked with an obvious look of fear.

“Yeah, he said he was going to do it at the end of the week or something,” Neon said.

Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  Coppermane was going to… dump her?  Was Neon telling the truth?  No… it couldn’t be… 

“Um… I… I need to go,” Fluttershy said, rushing away, feeling like she was going to be sick.

Neon grinned as Fluttershy ran away.  He could vaguely hear some crying from her as she gained distance.  Perfect… 

“Maybe next time you’ll think twice before messing with me, Coppermane,” Neon said, chuckling to himself.  His work was done here, so he started making his way to the cafeteria where the rest of the Crystal Prep students were.  It was very fortunate for him to run into Coppermane’s girlfriend so randomly like that, but it saved him the trouble of having to go out of his way to find her.  Now, Crystal Prep’s visit on Friday might be somewhat enjoyable when Coppermane’s relationship comes crashing down.

Boy, were Royal Pin, Lemon Zest, and Sunny Flare going to like this or what?





Fluttershy found herself walking aimlessly around the school.  Her mind was racing at the intel she just received.  Was Neon being serious?  Was Coppermane really going to dump her at the end of the week?  No… there was no way.  He seemed so happy this morning.

Right before Fluttershy turned the corner, she heard two familiar voices on the other side.  She immediately recognized the voices as none other than Coppermane and Flash Sentry.  Fluttershy was about to reveal herself to ask Coppermane if the rumors were true, but stopped herself.  Maybe she could listen in and gain some information this way.  It was a little uncharacteristic of her to do something like eavesdrop on her friends’ private conversations, but she had to know if the rumors were true.  Maybe Coppermane would say something about her when he thought she wasn’t around.  Fluttershy inched her way to the edge of the corner, and could clearly hear Coppermane and Flash Sentry talking to each other.

“So, are you really going to go through with it?” Flash asked.

Coppermane sighed.  “I think I am.”

Fluttershy gasped quietly to herself.  She had to listen a little more, though.  What they said was vague, and might not have been about her.

“She’s been fun, but I think it’s time for something new, y’know?” Coppermane said.

Fluttershy gasped again, this time more painfully.  She?  He was talking about her.  She felt a tear escape her eye as she continued to listen.

“There are better ones out there.  I think I can do a lot better than what I have now,” Coppermane said.

“I won’t argue with that,” Flash said.

Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  And Flash Sentry was agreeing with Coppermane?  Have they been plotting this?

“When are you going to do it?” Flash asked.

“I’m thinking Friday?  Yeah, that’ll be a good day,” Coppermane said.  “Friday after school.”

Fluttershy had to cover her mouth to prevent a pained squeak from being too loud.

“Well, good for you.  Hope it goes well,” Flash said.

“Thanks.  I mean, I don’t see why it won’t,” Coppermane said.  “It’ll be easy.  I’m not worried at all.”

Fluttershy couldn’t listen any longer.  It was too much.  Her heart couldn’t take it.  She just ran away, crying her eyes out.  She found a dark alcove in the hallways, and just stood there, sobbing at what she just heard.  Was this a bad dream?  Was this just a nightmare?  No… this was reality.  She didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was damning.  This Friday, her relationship with the most amazing guy in the world would come to an end.  Why?  Why was he doing this?  Her back hit the wall behind her, and she slowly slid down to the ground.  She buried her face in her knees as she practically drowned in her own tears.  Coppermane’s words echoed in her head over and over again.  His words… they cut through her like a knife.  But the sentence that resonated in her head more than any other was:

“There are better ones out there.  I think I can do a lot better than what I have now.”

Better ones out there?  Has Coppermane found someone else?  Some “better” than her?  Fluttershy thought she was going to be sick.  The thought of him with another girl… kissing her… holding her hand… loving her… Fluttershy’s heart couldn’t bear it.

“Coppermane… wh-what did I do wrong?” Fluttershy said shakily, sounding completely broken.

Fluttershy felt her heartstrings snapping by the second.  All she could do now was enjoy the last few days she had with her prince.  Soon, it would be all over.  Soon, he would be someone else’s prince.  What did she do wrong?  What did she do to make Coppermane search for someone else?  Has Fluttershy not done enough for him?  Did she not make him happy?  Did she not love him enough?

Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel a little angry as well.  His words were so insensitive, and inconsiderate of her feelings.  Did he really think breaking up with her wouldn’t be a huge deal?  That it would be easy?  Why hasn’t he talked to her about this?  They usually talked about everything, including their problems.  Fluttershy thought she and him had a nice understanding of each other’s feelings.  They were so open with each other.  Has Coppermane forgotten how sensitive she is?  And worst of all, Coppermane’s best friend wasn’t discouraging him from doing this.  No, in fact, he supported him.  Fluttershy has done so much for Coppermane.  She’s done her best to love him.  To show him he’s worth it, and make him happy.  She unconditionally loved him.  Was he just going to throw her away?  After everything she’s done for him?

Whatever his reasons were, it was too late.  She and Coppermane had an expiration date, and it was this Friday.

“But Coppermane… I… I love you,” Fluttershy cried to herself.  She’s never felt so heartbroken.  “What did I do wrong?  What did I do… ?”






THAT FRIDAY


This has by far been the worst week of Fluttershy’s life.  Arguably worse than the week before the musical showcase where they actually did break up.  She and Coppermane spent as much time together this week as they would’ve any other week, but every second she spent with him was a reminder of their expiration date.

In hopes of changing his mind, Fluttershy has done her best to pamper Coppermane this week.  She tried her best to help him with any homework, she’s cooked for him numerous times, and also reminded him many times about how much she loves him.  But as the week went on, Coppermane seemed more and more confused than anything, meaning she wasn’t getting through to him, implying that he hasn’t changed his mind.

Yesterday, she did her absolute best to make sure Coppermane knew how much she loved him, and how much he meant to her.  Coppermane ended up asking her if something was wrong, and Fluttershy found herself crying her eyes out with Coppermane trying to comfort her.  They didn’t say anything for the rest of the night.  Fluttershy could only assume her emotional outburst completely annulled all her efforts to save her relationship this week.

Today, she did her best to avoid him.  She only had one class with him today, and they were supposed to have a test in said class, so they wouldn’t be able to talk even if they wanted to.  Her logic for avoiding him was that if they didn’t talk about it, then he couldn’t break up with her.  Right?  It was a little low for Fluttershy to be doing this, but she was desperate.

Her friends have asked her all day today if something was wrong, but she didn’t want to talk about it.  She didn’t want to worry them, and she also didn’t want to alienate Coppermane from his friends again.

The day was over, and she was almost out of the school.  She made her way for the exit, and the main entrance was in her sights.  She was almost out… 

“There you are,” a familiar voice said from behind Fluttershy, making her freeze in her tracks.

Fluttershy turned around to see… 

“Oh… um… h-hi, Coppermane,” Fluttershy said nervously.  Normally she would be happy to see Coppermane, but this was the first time she looked at him and felt scared.

“Yeah, hi.  I’ve been looking for you all day,” Coppermane said.  “Listen, we need to talk.”

Fluttershy’s heart dropped.  This was it.

“Oh… um… I-I just remembered… I… I think Angel needs me.  M-Maybe s-some other time… ?” she said, turning around to leave.

“Fluttershy,” Coppermane said in a surprisingly stern voice, making Fluttershy jump and squeak.  She slowly turned around to see Coppermane with an unusually serious face.  “We need to talk, and we need to talk now.  Come here.”

Fluttershy was surprised by his voice.  He’s never used such a stern tone with her before.  Fluttershy sighed in defeat.  This was it, and she knew it.  She felt a tear escape her eye.  She held her hands in front of her protectively, and hid behind her hair as she approached her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.  She already felt the tsunami of tears building up behind her eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Coppermane said in a much softer tone.  The kind Fluttershy was more used to.  She didn’t speak at all.  She was actually a little shocked at his audacity.  As if he didn’t know?

“Look, I’m sorry for yelling at you, but you’ve been avoiding me all day, and I really need to talk to you,” Coppermane said.

Fluttershy pursed her lips.  Her heart was already imploding, and he hasn’t even said anything yet.  Why wasn’t he just getting to the point?  This was too much for her.

She looked up at him.  “Wh-What is it?” she asked, choking up.

Coppermane sighed.  “Well, I don’t know why, but you’ve been acting really weird this week.”

“Oh… I… I have?” Fluttershy asked, hiding behind her hair.

“Yeah.  This whole week, you’ve been unconditionally nice to me.  Like, more than you usually are.  Not that I don’t like that or anything, but it’s just a little odd.  Then there was yesterday when you broke down crying, and you wouldn’t tell me why.  Then today, you’ve been avoiding me.  This is the first time I’ve talked to you all day.  I’m not mad or anything; I just want to know why you’ve been acting like this.”

Fluttershy felt a lump in her throat.  Why was he doing this to her?  She already knew what was going to happen.  Why wasn’t he just getting it over with?  At this point, he was just toying with her.  Why did he have to play games?  Why was he being so cruel to her?  She felt a tear escape her eyes as she looked down at the ground, holding herself in her arms.

“Fluttershy?” Coppermane said, bringing her chin up to look at him.  “What’s wrong?”

Fluttershy bit her lip.  She felt another tear fall down her face as she looked into his brown eyes.  She already missed him.

“Fluttershy, don’t be scared,” Coppermane said.  “You can tell me anything.  You know that, right?”

Fluttershy’s breathing was shaky.  Her heart was crumbling by the second.  This was torture.

“C-Coppermane… ” Fluttershy said quietly, choking up.

“Yes?” Coppermane coaxed.

“C-Coppermane… ” Fluttershy brought one hand up and placed it on his heart.  She looked directly into his eyes as more tears escaped.  “D-Don’t leave me.”

Coppermane’s expression turned from worried to confusion.  “Huh?”

Fluttershy couldn’t take it anymore.  Her emotions couldn’t be held back anymore.  She lunged into Coppermane’s arms, holding onto him tight, as if to prevent him from leaving.  “Coppermane, don’t leave me.  Please.  I… I can’t bear the thought of losing you.  If I did… I… I don’t know what I would do.  You’re so important to me.  I’m sorry for whatever I did wrong.  I promise, I’ll do anything and everything to fix it.  I’ll do everything I can to show you how much I love you.  Just… don’t go.  Don’t leave me.  I love you so much.  You mean everything to me.  Please, Coppermane… don’t go.  Please… ” Fluttershy was beside herself.  Her emotions just exploded in a final, sad, desperate attempt to save the relationship she cherished so dearly.  She held Coppermane tight in her arms, bawling on his shirt.  Her breathing was hard, and her tears soaked his shirt.

Coppermane was silent for a moment before pushing Fluttershy away.  Fluttershy continued to hold him even as he pushed her off.  She didn’t want him to get away.  She felt a little hurt that he didn’t reciprocate her embrace.  She half-expected him to hold her in return, and comfort her, but not this time.  She looked into his eyes, and his face conveyed more confusion than sympathy.

“Fluttershy, what the hell are you talking about?” Coppermane asked.

Fluttershy was taken aback by the question.  As if he didn’t know?

“I… I heard from one of the Crystal Prep students that you were going to… d-dump me at the end of the week,” Fluttershy said, choking up.

“What?” Coppermane asked incredulously.

“I… I didn’t believe them at first, but then I overheard you say things, and—”

“Hold up,” Coppermane said, cutting her off.  “You eavesdropped on me?”

Fluttershy squeaked.  It felt like her heart was collapsing on itself.  “Coppermane, I’m sorry, but I had to know if the rumors were true,” she said as more tears escaped her eyes.

Coppermane sighed, looking conflicted.  “Well… what did you hear me say?” he asked.

Fluttershy tried to wipe her tears dry, only to have them replaced by more.  “I-I heard you say that… y-you can do better than what you have now, and there are better ones out there.  And… and… she’s been fun… but… i-it’s time for something new,” she said, letting out a painful squeak at the end.

“Wait, you mean my graphics card?” Coppermane asked.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and her mood changed from upset to perplexed.  “H-Huh?”

“Well, if you heard the conversation I think you heard, those things I said were about my new graphics card,” Coppermane said.

Fluttershy found herself completely mystified.  “G-Graphics card?”

“Yeah,” Coppermane said.  “Y’know, the component in my computer that makes all my games run so well?  I ordered a new one on Monday.  The one I have is good, but it’s time for something new.  I can do better than what I have now.  There are better ones out there.  I’m not worried about the change since I’ve swapped graphics cards before.  It should be easy.  It’s arriving at the computer store today for me to pick up.  And sometimes I refer to my computer and its components as ‘she’, kind of like how guys refer to their cars as girls.”

Fluttershy was completely dumbfounded.  Suddenly, her entire world was turned upside-down.  Did she really misinterpret everything she heard him say that day?

“Did you think I was talking about you?” Coppermane asked.

Fluttershy blushed, and hid behind her hair.  “I-I’m sorry, Coppermane.  I-It was right after they told me the rumor, and I was already thinking the worst.  I heard you say those things, and it sounded like you… you didn’t love me anymore,” she said, choking up at the end as more tears escaped her eyes.

“Wait wait, who’s ‘they’?” Coppermane asked.  “Who told you this?”

“Um… a Crystal Prep student named… um… N-Neon Lights,” Fluttershy said.

“Neon Lights?” Coppermane asked, going wide-eyed.

Fluttershy was a little taken by his reaction.  “Y-Yes.  I-Is something wrong?”

Coppermane brought his palm to his face, and sighed.  “I’m sorry.  I should’ve told you their names.”

“What?  Whose names?” Fluttershy asked.

Coppermane walked up to Fluttershy and put his hands on her waist.  “Neon Lights is one of my bullies from Crystal Prep.”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide.  “H-He is?”

“Not only that… he’s the Crystal Prep bully.  He’s the one I… um… b-beat up,” Coppermane said, biting his lip.

Fluttershy gasped.  “R-Really?”

Coppermane nodded.  “I knew he’d be waiting to get back at me.  Listen, I don’t know how he found out about us, or how he even ran into you, but if he ever tells you anything about me, don’t listen.  He, like Hoops and Score, will do everything to make my life miserable, and since you’re my girlfriend, they’re going to go after you too.  Keep your guard up, not just from Neon, but from any Crystal Prep student.  I was very well known there, and I don’t think anyone was too fond of me.  Chances are Neon has already told everyone about us, so now you’re a target too.  Just keep your guard up, okay?  I don’t want you to get hurt.  If they tell you anything, come talk to me about it, and we can sort things out.  I won’t let them ruin what we have, okay?  I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.  I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.  I guess I’ve let my guard down too since we beat Hoops and Score.”

Fluttershy pondered for a moment.  Since Hoops and Score were subdued, she had let her guard down to bullies.  She forgot that even though Coppermane was a great guy, not everyone saw him the way she did.  In fact, many people out there from Coppermane’s past enjoyed hurting him.  She had forgotten that by embarking on a relationship with Coppermane, she’d be making herself a target.  She forgot to keep her guard up, not just for her sake, but for her relationship’s sake.  But Coppermane saying these things meant the rumors were false, and if that was the case… 

“So… y-you’re not leaving me?” Fluttershy asked with hope in her eyes.

Coppermane smiled and pulled her closer.  “No, of course not.”

A smile grew on Fluttershy’s face as she brought her hands up to Coppermane’s shoulders.  “You… You still love me?”

Coppermane brought one hand up to cup her face.  “I never stopped.”

Fluttershy’s smile grew even bigger as her heart soared.  She let out a squeak from her excitement, and without even thinking, jumped into Coppermane’s arms, and gave him a big smooch.  Coppermane was a little surprised by her excitement, but nevertheless kept her elevated off the ground as she wrapped her legs around him.  Fluttershy has never been so happy and relieved, and she channeled it all through her lips as she kissed him.  She felt all her passion reflect back in his lips, filling her body with euphoria.

Fluttershy’s lust subsided after a few blissful moments, and immediately blushed when she noticed that she was off the ground, and Coppermane was holding her.  She blushed even harder when she noticed her legs were wrapped around him.  Coppermane gently lowered her onto the ground, and Fluttershy noticed that his face was bright red too.

“Um… s-sorry,” Fluttershy said.  She was actually quite impressed that Coppermane could hold her up.  He was a scrawny guy, but he was much stronger than he looked.

“N-No problem,” Coppermane said, chuckling a little.  “Um… Fluttershy?”

“Yes?” Fluttershy asked, taking one of Coppermane’s hands.

“C-Can I ask you something?” Coppermane asked.

“Of course, Coppermane.  Anything,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Well, sorry if this is a little narcissistic to ask, but you were practically on your knees a minute ago when you thought I was going to… well… dump you,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.  Fluttershy blushed, feeling a little embarrassed.  “Um… d-do I really mean that much to you?”

Fluttershy smiled, and brought her hands up to caress Coppermane’s shoulders.  “Coppermane, these last six months with you have been the most wonderful six months of my life.  I’m the happiest I’ve ever been because of you.  We’ve been through so much together, and now, I can’t imagine my life without you.  I still remember the week we broke up.  That was the hardest week of my life because I missed you so much.  I-I realized how much I need you.  I-I can’t lose you again.  The thought of you with another girl… i-it’s unbearable.  You’re so important to me, Coppermane.  You make me so happy, and… I love you.  I… I can’t bear the thought of letting you go… ” she said, breaking down again and crying.  This time, Coppermane didn’t push her away.  He pulled her into his arms, brushing her hair to comfort her.

“Hey, it’s okay.  Shh… it’s okay,” he said as Fluttershy cried on his chest.  He held her tight in his arms.  He hated seeing his princess cry.

Fluttershy eventually calmed down, but there was clear shame in her eyes.

“Coppermane, I’m so sorry about this week,” Fluttershy said.  “Y-You must think I’m crazy.”

Coppermane smiled.  “You know what?  Yeah, I kinda do.”

Fluttershy looked down in shame, but was surprised when Coppermane brought her chin up and gave her a tender kiss.  He pulled away, and there was nothing but adoration in his warm, brown eyes.

“And that’s one of the million reasons why I love you,” Coppermane said.

Fluttershy’s heart soared.  “Wh-What?”

“Fluttershy, you were willing to get down on your knees and beg just to save our relationship.  I know it sounds a little weird, but the fact that you’re willing to do that means the world to me.  That I mean that much to you.  Honestly, if I were in your position, I would’ve done the same thing,” he said, blushing slightly.

“R-Really?” Fluttershy asked, playing with her hair.

“Of course.  Fluttershy, because of you, I have an amazing life.  I’m no longer a loser.  You’ve given me everything.  You are my everything.  If I lost you… I don’t know what I’d do.  I-I need you, Fluttershy.  You make me feel complete.  I can’t imagine life without you.  You’re so important to me.”

Coppermane held both of Fluttershy’s hands as he praised her.  Fluttershy had tears streaming down her face.  His words were so beautiful and touching.

“Fluttershy, for everything you’ve given me, my heart is yours and only yours.  These last six months have been the best of my life, and I can’t wait to see what the next six have in store for us.  And no matter what, we’ll face it together.”

Fluttershy let out another excited squeak, and pulled Coppermane into a big, warm hug.  She felt Coppermane wrap his arms around her, making her feel warm and safe.

“I knew you would never leave me,” Fluttershy said, nuzzling his chest.

Coppermane gave her a kiss on the forehead, and squeezed her in his arms.  “I would never abandon my princess.”

Fluttershy smiled at his heartwarming words.  His warmth felt like his love radiating from his body.  She nuzzled his warm chest, and he began brushing her hair in response.

“I’m so sorry for avoiding you today, Coppermane,” Fluttershy said, squeezing him in her arms.  “It won’t happen again.  I promise.”

“It’s okay, babe.  Just take a breath, alright?  It’s the end of the week, and I’m still yours,” Coppermane said.  “There’s no need to worry.  It’s all over.  It’s okay now.”

Fluttershy smiled.  She’s never felt so relieved in her life.  There was also something about him calling her “babe” that she just loved.  She pulled back and moved her hands to his shoulders.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek.  “I love you.”

Coppermane lifted her hand to caress her face, and gave her a tender kiss.

“I love you too,” he said, making Fluttershy beam.  “Alright, I have to go pick up my new card from the computer store now.  Um… d-do you want to come with me?  I-I know computers aren’t really your thing, but… I’ve really missed you today.”

Fluttershy smiled, and caressed his shoulders.  “I’d love to go with you,” she said.  She really didn’t care what they did.  She just wanted to spend time with her Coppermane.  She really missed him today too.

“Maybe we can move our Saturday date night to tonight?  I think you’ve had a pretty rough week, so maybe I can treat you.  What do you think?  Dinner, then the cherry blossom grove?  Or whatever you want?” Coppermane suggested.  “I don’t know.  I just feel like treating you today, especially after pampering me all week.”

Fluttershy blushed, and played with her hair.  He always knew how to make her feel special.  She placed her hand on his heart.

“Th-Thank you, Coppermane.  I-I’d love that,” she said with a smile.

Coppermane smiled, and lifted his hands to cup her face.  Then, he pulled her into a passionate kiss, making Fluttershy melt.  She brought her hands up to his face to pull him closer, and she felt his hands move down to her waist.  Coppermane kissed her so tenderly and lovingly.  She would’ve melted onto the ground in total ecstasy if Coppermane weren’t holding her.  His kisses made her feel so good.  Fluttershy was so worried that today would be her last day with her prince, but now she had nothing to fret about.  The rumors were false.  The week was over, and Coppermane was still hers.  She could continue to be loved by him, and she could continue to love him in return.  She could continue to feel safe in his arms, and feel his sweet kisses.  Sure, it’s only been six months, but they’ve been through so much together that Fluttershy couldn’t imagine her life without her prince anymore.  And now, any worries she had this week were gone, and all was well as Coppermane kissed her.

Coppermane pulled away, leaving both of them panting slightly.  Fluttershy’s vision was obscured by her hair, but Coppermane took care of that by brushing it behind her ear, making her shudder in pleasure.  He lifted her chin with his hand, making her smile.

“You’re such a great kisser.  You know that, right?” Coppermane said.  Fluttershy blushed profusely.

“Y-You are too,” she said, making Coppermane’s face flush red as well.  Fluttershy giggled at his shyness, and lifted her head to kiss him again.  She felt him squeeze her in his arms as he took over leading the kiss.  Fluttershy didn’t mind one bit.  She lifted her hands to caress his shoulders as they kissed.  His kisses would never get old.  When Coppermane kissed her, she felt loved.  It felt like for just this moment, all was right in the world.

They pulled away, and Fluttershy beamed when she saw Coppermane’s blissful smile.  To Fluttershy, Coppermane’s smile was the most wonderful thing in the world.  She pulled him into a big, warm hug, and she felt him wrap his arms around her in response.  She always felt so cozy and safe in his arms.  Fluttershy still couldn’t fathom how she got such a loving and amazing guy like Coppermane, but it didn’t matter.  He was all hers, and Fluttershy couldn’t be happier.

“You ready to go?” Coppermane asked.

Fluttershy pulled back to look into Coppermane’s eyes.  His warm, chocolaty brown eyes.  She smiled and gave him a nod.  “Mmmhmm.”

Coppermane smiled and gave Fluttershy one more peck before letting go of her.  He offered his hand, which she gladly accepted.  They interlaced fingers, and headed out to Coppermane’s car.

Once they reached his car, Fluttershy got in, and rested her arm on the center console.  She felt Coppermane’s arm next to hers, making her blush.

After Coppermane started the car up, Fluttershy felt him take her hand, interlacing their fingers together, and making her smile.  She loved it when he held her hand.

Fluttershy glanced over at Coppermane, only to be met with his wonderful smile and adoring eyes, making her blush and look away bashfully.  Her other hand started playing with her hair.  Coppermane still had the ability to make her nervous just by his mere presence, but Fluttershy has also never felt closer to anyone in her life.  This week was rough, all because of a false rumor, but by the end of it, she and Coppermane were closer than ever.  These last six months have been the best of her life, and after today, one thing was perfectly clear.  Six more were ahead of them, and even more after that.  Fluttershy couldn’t wait to see what fate had in store for them.  Whatever it was, she knew it would be amazing, because her prince would be with her the whole way.

Fluttershy suddenly felt Coppermane kiss her cheek, making her shudder in pleasure.

“I love you,” Coppermane said in her ear.

Fluttershy’s heart melted at the gesture.  She looked over at him, and saw nothing but adoration in his eyes.  She couldn’t help herself.  She leaned over to kiss him too, but on the lips instead on the cheek.  She pulled away, and blushed when she saw his blissful smile and red cheeks.

“I love you too,” Fluttershy said, squeezing his hand.

Coppermane gave her a smile, making her blush even harder.  He let go of her hand briefly to back the car out, but immediately took it again once he was done.  And with that, they were off.

Coppermane and Fluttershy survived Hoops and Score, and now Neon Lights too.  Coppermane’s bullies have tried to ruin his life by separating him from his Fluttershy, but all have failed.  No matter how hard they tried, they could never take his princess away from him.  Nothing could tear them apart.  As long as they had each other, they were unstoppable.