//------------------------------// // Snuggles is the best Remedy // Story: Love Like Woe // by Spider8ite //------------------------------// Roxanne Candy, just Roxy to her closest friends, was the best underground fighter in Manehattan. Was. Well, that’s what she told herself when such a buck hit her face that it made her see stars and probably all the planets in the galaxy. The last thing she remembered was the referee’s voice announcing the winner by knockout and then a crowd cheering — not for her, but for Strong Stripes, the big earth pony mare who had knocked her out with a strong buck. Honestly, Roxy had thought she could go against that mare — but she was wrong, and now she felt sorry for mocking of Strong right to her face. She was pretty sure some of her teeth weren’t in her mouth anymore; they were on the ring’s floor together with the blood that came from her mouth. Roxy was sure she had lost fans that night. She was sure she would hurt so fucking much in the next morning, and that her mother wasn’t going to like that at all, and she hated to look useless in front of her mother. An important mob boss like Sugar Stone wanted Roxy to be prized and safe, even if she supported her, she was always worried about her and Roxy was sure Sugar would flip out. Roxy felt certain that ponies wouldn’t want to see her fight any more, and that word of her lost fight would be on everypony’s lips very soon. But right now, the morning after, she tried to not give a fuck about it. The left side of her face was hurting so much it was hard to open her eye, even slowly. She had no idea what had happened after she’d been knocked out. She was a little startled, but as soon as she recognized the ceiling she was looking at, she knew she was in good hooves. The ceiling was a dark shade of pink and Roxy had been in this room once before. It had been… something. She wasn’t expecting to be here really — maybe in her own room, maybe her mother had heard the news and gone to pick her up or something, but instead she was facing Loli Beats’ ceiling, with a fantastic (not really) pain in her face that was probably going to last even longer than the shame she would feel — and was already feeling. Loli Beats was a great friend and… Roxy and Loli already had something. Roxy didn’t like to get attached or admit she really wanted something more with Loli. Instead she stayed quiet; it was better for herself and Loli. Roxy tried to shift on the comfy bed she had been put in, but the sound of an opening door startled her, and she returned to the lying position. It was Loli, her bat pony friend, with an uncharacteristic half worried, half mad face. Her mane wasn’t in her classic twintails; it was messy and Roxy knew Loli would hate that, because she cares so much about manes; the fighter mare found it kinda adorable. “Hey, Loli,” she greeted her, but Loli sighed and sat beside the bed. “How’s it… ugh, going?” Roxy’s words came out as mumbles, because her mouth hurt so fucking much. She hoped Loli had come to cheer her up or something; she was the best at it. It turned out, Loli hadn’t. Loli scoffed, shaking her head. After a good time of what felt like a staring competition or something, Roxy had no idea what was going on. “Are you loco in the coco?!” the bat mare exclaimed. “I mean… what was that? I already told you that sport’s gonna… gonna get you killed.” Loli’s voice softened a little, and Roxy could tell she really meant it from her worried face. “C’mon, L, you know I…” —Roxy stopped to grunt — “I’m fine, just some broken teeth. But thanks for bringing me here.” She shrugged with difficulty, smiling as if nothing had happened. “Roxy, I know you love that stuff and you don’t wanna stop fighting and end up in an office job doing stupid paperwork, but last night… that was bad,” she sighed, putting a hoof on Roxy’s chest. “Dawn got so worried about you. He said he told you to not mess with that mare — she wasn’t even your size!” “I know, but…” Suddenly Loli hugged Roxy. It was kinda weird because she almost jumped on top of her in the bed, but she tried to not press against her too much, or else the bat mare could hurt her. Roxy blinked a few times and then sighed — she could tell that Loli really meant what she said. Loli let her go with a sad smile — something Roxy had never ever seen on her face. “You don’t need to stop, but… you will have to rest for a few weeks, alright?” Loli could see Roxy’s face turn into a frown — she didn’t want that. “I just… I got super-duper worried, okay? You’re my… friend, Roxy and I was afraid it could’ve been worse. You know that… if it were a little higher up on your head, it could’ve been… awful.” Loli didn’t even mind about the fact she was now in the bed, sharing it with Roxy, but neither did Roxy. Loli finished her sentence and to prove how much she cared. She snuggled her face against Roxy’s fluff chest, making the other mare smile. Roxy embraced her waist with her hooves, pulling her closer with some difficult and a little grunt. They stayed like that for some time before one of them spoke up. “I’m sorry,” Roxy sighed. “I just… I wanted to prove I was the best.” Loli snorted, lifting her head to look at the other mare. “You already are, silly!” She licked Roxy’s snout, which made her widen her eyes and blush a little, even if she tried to hide it. Loli snuggled against her a little more, rubbing her head between her neck, making her inhale her delicious strawberry scent, which Roxy wasn’t sure if it was a perfume or natural. “You are one of the best fighters I have ever seen! Even if I hate seeing fights, because, honestly, they are… I don’t know, I just don’t like them. But I won’t make you stop because of me.” She shrugged and gave Roxy a quick kiss on her cheek. Roxy messed with her already messy mane, smiling, then gave her a quick lick on her cheek before she got up. Roxy had forgotten how cute she looked when blushing. “Thanks for taking care of me, Loli,” she whispered. Loli turned to her, smiling. “Who would if I didn’t, silly?” she mocked. “Now just rest. I’ll do some… I dunno, I’ll manage to give you something. Hope you like bugs and red stuff,” Loli mocked before leaving Roxy with a dumb smile on her face. She had no idea what they had, but Loli was sure she loved her… friend? And the bat mare was also sure that one day Roxanne Candy would kill her with the worries she gave her. It was all worth it in the end.