Chapter 16 - Deja Vu
16.
Redheart went to bed early that night and woke up later the next day. She felt lethargic and slow and wasn’t sure why. It felt like she only managed to cook breakfast for herself, and even then she felt like she could hardly taste anything. Afterwards, Redheart felt bored and thought she should do something, but nothing looked interesting to her.
Redheart looked around at the apartment. The dishes were dirty, but she didn’t feel like cleaning right now; it was such a small mess she could put it off until later. She remembered the two books from the library, but she figured after nine weeks she would already be charged a rather large late fee for the books; one more day wouldn’t hurt.
A bath sounded good; Redheart figured it might have been a day or two since she’d taken one and she’d have to for work later that evening. Redheart went to the bathroom and turned on the faucet in the bathtub, adjusting it until it was nice and warm. She prepared her towel and soap as she thought about asking Doctor Stable for the day off but didn’t feel like going to the phone and calling him. Redheart shut off the water and lay down in the tub, letting herself soak in the warm water.
She wished she could call Caramel. Damn him having to go out of town at this point for a family affair! She closed her eyes and pictured herself lying in bed with him, what she imagined she would have been doing if he hadn’t left. Instead he was gone, likely not even anywhere remotely near Ponyville, and she was alone.
It was a terrible feeling, Redheart thought as she opened her eyes, to feel like she was on the verge of happiness only for it to fall away. That had been what she felt, wasn’t it? The feeling of being safe and loved with Caramel, thinking of the times they had been together with fondness… that had to have been happiness. This feeling, the absence of the feelings… it went further than loneliness.
Redheart lazily finished her bath and drained the soapy water out of the tub. The place was so quiet; the sounds of the towel ruffling and the low hum of an overhead fan were the only noises that could be heard. The ruffling ceased and Redheart’s footsteps were muffled by the carpet floors as she walked to the living room.
There was nothing to do; her bath hadn’t taken long and she still had a few hours since she had to go in to work. Sighing, Redheart picked up her saddlebags, packed up the library books, and left for the library itself.
The day outside was beautiful but stark. Fall was nearly over, the leaves she had seen during her hike with Caramel weeks before had now all fallen off or had been knocked off during the Running of the Leaves. The trees were stark and the ground was bare with the exception of small patches of grass here and there. The air was beginning to take on the bitter, biting winter’s cold and Redheart guessed they would be due for rain anytime soon.
The library was mostly silent. Redheart walked in to see a somewhat cheerful young stallion at the desk, not the familiar face of Twilight. It was Twilight who had helped her the last time. Redheart pulled out the books and put them on the desk.
“I came to return these,” Redheart said. “They’re extremely overdue, but I’ll pay if I have to.”
The pony nodded and scanned Redheart’s library card and all three books. “Alright, that’ll come out to… twenty-one bits, one bit per week per book.”
Redheart pulled out the amount of bits required and was just about to walk out when she turned around and headed back for the desk. “Excuse me, but do you think it’s possible that I could check out the red book again? I promise I’ll return it on time this time.”
Redheart watched as the pony looked over to a stack of papers and shuffled through them. “Well, I don’t see anyone waiting to borrow this particular book on my list here, so I suppose it won’t hurt.” He scanned Redheart’s card again and the book and gave it back to Redheart. “That’ll be due in two weeks.”
“Thank you,” Redheart said, then left the library and returned home.
Why? Why had she bought the book again? The question plagued Redheart’s mind for a while as she walked through town, not really returning home after a while but walking to give her mind time to think. What was it about that book that had struck such a chord with her? Twilight had seen her crying after reading it once, it was the only one of the books she had ever managed to complete, and now she had rechecked it out from the library when she wanted nothing more to do with it. Why hadn’t she just left it there at the library?
Perhaps there was something within the pages, Redheart thought. There was often talk of the fates that brought ponies together and took them apart, but was it possible that there was something that had brought her to the book at the time it did? Could it perhaps be…?
Redheart didn’t have time to think. She had been so lost in thought that she ended up running into somepony else. Redheart stumbled and tripped over the other pony’s foot and fell on the dirt road that ran through town with a grunt. She lifted herself up with a groan and started dusting herself off. “I’m so sorry,” she said, turning to face the other pony. “I didn’t mean to run into you like… like…”
Redheart’s eyes opened wide with shock. The earth pony standing opposite her had a light brown coat and a parted brown mane, and currently he was very red in the face. Next to him was an aquamarine unicorn with a skunk stripe in her mane.
“…Caramel!?”
Caramel chuckled nervously. “Um… hey, Redheart.”
Redheart looked from Caramel to Lyra and back to Caramel. “But… I thought you said… what about your…?”
Caramel rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, about that… me and Lyra have been talking at work lately and she wanted to spend some time together.”
Redheart stared at Caramel, mortified. “But… I thought we were…”
Caramel sighed. “I meant to tell you earlier. I just didn’t want you to get hurt again.”
“Again!?” Redheart shouted, feeling something burning in her despite the cold winds. “It wasn’t enough to hurt me once, you had to start this whole thing again? I thought you said you were done with that!”
Lyra smirked at Redheart. “Hey, I just talked to him,” she said. “It was his idea to go through with this.”
If Redheart was burning towards Caramel, she was absolutely flaming when she turned to face Lyra. “You little bitch! If it wasn’t for your interference and flirting with him these times before, I wouldn’t be so angry with him! None of this would have happened!” Redheart’s vision became blurry. “Has he ever told you about what happened before?”
Lyra went from smirking to confused. “Before…?”
“Redheart, please,” Caramel said, stepping between the nurse pony and Lyra. “I didn’t think it was going to work out because I thought that what happened before would prevent you from fully opening up to me.”
Redheart was still furious. “I won’t have any of your excuses!”
Lyra was back to smirking. “Look, lady, if you really wanted him, you should have let him know. He’s taken now, so if you would please move along that would be great.”
Redheart couldn’t take it anymore. Without waiting for approval from anyone, she lashed out and struck Lyra hard in the face. The mare was thrown backwards from the force of Redheart’s hoof and sprawled out on the ground.
Caramel tentatively walked over to Redheart. “…do you feel better now?”
Redheart turned and glared at Caramel. With almost equal ferocity she lashed out at Caramel and slapped him with her hoof so that he had fallen over. “Now I do.”
Caramel looked up towards Redheart with tears in his eyes.
“I suppose you two were meant for each other,” Redheart said quietly to the stallion. “She cheated on her last lover, and you cheated with me twice now. I knew I should have just stayed angry at you those weeks ago.”
Redheart took her saddlebags and walked off, leaving Caramel and Lyra in the middle of the street cuddling each other out of fear.
Stats
Page generated in 0.03 seconds
Total duration
654 users online
760,086 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
HA! FUCKING CALLED IT! ok, who was it that openly agreed with me on this on, cause i'm calling for a comment box hoof bump.
Finally! Happened a bit too suddenly, but it just shows Caramel's scumbaggery that he couldn't stallion up and talk out things with Redheart about possible problems in their relationship, or even break up with her. Instead he makes a horrible lie that gets instantly exposes the moment Redheart takes a walk through Ponyville. Genius.
Well, Caramel can go back to his bookstore life and enjoy the cheating he and Lyra will do to each other. Real nice pair those two. At least Redheart is free for Twilight now
I actually hope that there will be a new stallion for Redheart. Say for examples Blues, Goldengrape or Starburst.
3173071
1) Blues = Noteworthy, yes?
2) I have no idea who the other two are.
3173071 Highly unlikely, as the true pairing of this story was hinted at very blatantly in the description of the story.
Never mind me, as that link was apparently removed at some point, huh.
3173253
I wonder who that could have been...
derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTIvMDYvMTkvMjBfNTVfMzNfNzM0XzEwNDY2X19mbHV0dGVyc2h5X3NhZmVfc21pbGVfc2NyZWVuY2FwX2dyaW5fZmx1dHRlcmJpdGNoX2RldmlvdXMiXV0/10466__safe_fluttershy_screencap_smile_grin_flutterbitch_devious.png
3173084
The other two are pretty underrated background ponies. And Blues Noteworthy.
I'd love to see Blues and Redheart to get together to make Caramel jealous, but unintentionally.
okay, just what is it with caramel always made into a , i don´t have the vocabulary for that (i really don´t, is there an english word for what he is?).
i get that stallion being an asshole was needed here, but why always him?
Caramel, there really is no excuse for this. Maybe if things go badly with Lyra you'll finally learn your lesson.
After last chapter I can't say this came completely out of nowhere, but darn it, he was doing good!
3173972 I don't see Caramel in many stories, you I can't be sure what you're referring to. Might I ask?
........ dear lord i hate you so much for this. you just had to destroy the good thing going in this story. the ONLY reason im continuing this is the hope for this mess to be fixed.... if it isnt, i will hate this story. i wont thumbs down it, but i will hate it for all existence.
