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Part 16

“Oh, you should tell everypony, darlin’!” Granny Smith exclaimed from her rocking chair before Big Mac in the parlor room of the farmhouse.

“Hush, Granny!” Big Mac swiftly retorted in a sharp whisper after cupping a hoof over the old timer’s mouth. Angered, Granny Smith slapped his hoof away.

“Don’chu tell me to hush now!” She leaned back and chuckled while the stallion rubbed his hoof. “Oh mah’ stars! Mah’ own youngin’s got himself a little love interest!”

Not a soul in Ponyville was to know about it, but thanks to his own idiocy, Big Mac’s secret admirer letter, which he had left on a table in the parlor by mistake, put his whole future at stake. Now that Granny Smith, probably Equestria’s most untrustworthy source of information on love since the invention of the dating service, had a hold of it, he feared the word would reach all of Ponyville in a matter of days. The letter was literally just out of his reach with the old coot herself reading it over and over again before her dimly-colored eyes with a big grin on stretching from both sides of her wrinkly face.

“…Granny? Can we just—“

“Let tha’ family know that there’s gonna be another apple on the tree in a year er’ two? Well sure thing!”

“No, Granny! Ah’ wanna keep this secret-like!”

“Now why would ya’ wanna go an’ do that, honey? Ah’ don’t see Applejack puttin’ her eye on any stallions lately,” the old mare chuckled, nudging him on the shoulder. “Maybe you can git’ ahead in tha’ competition!”

“This ain’t no contest, Granny. This is serious!”

“Well of course it’s serious, darlin’! It’s about time somepony took an interest in ya’! Yer just wastin’ away in the orchards all day with barely a soul or two knowin’ ya’ still exist.”

Frustrated, Big Mac swiped the letter from Granny’s hooves and moved towards the front door.

“Where ya’ goin’, darling?”

“Ah’m goin’ for a walk,” Big Mac plainly replied.

“A walk, eh?” Granny Smith raised an eyebrow, smirking cheekily. “Oooh, ah’ see now! Off ta’ find tha’ lucky lady, right?”

“No. Just ta’…clear mah’ head is all,” Big Mac opened the door and slowly walked out.

“Be sure ta’ flaunt them strong legs of yours! Whoo we! All tha’ girls used ta’ love that when I was younger! Why, I remember doin’ it myself when I met this nice--”

Maybe if legs were the main attraction in the eyes of today’s mares, I just might understand, thought Big Mac as he closed the door behind him. He could still hear Granny Smith ramble on about her younger, more…awkward years. He rolled his eyes and strolled over to a metal trashcan nearby and lifted its lid, taking one last meaningful look at the letter before dropping it in.

The morning he awoke to just an hour earlier was as pleasant as always. He left for town with a lot on his mind. A lot to rejoice in…and regret.

“A storm’s a-brewin’…ah’ just know it.”

~~~

Snoring, snoring, and more snoring. Could a morning in a library be any lazier than this? What was strange about it was that it wasn’t coming from a certain resident dragon slumping down the stairs in his blue-spotted pajamas, but rather from an unconscious unicorn whose drooling, open mouth heaved like a snorting pig among a pile of messy books on her writing desk.

“Mornin’, Twi…” Spike yawned, stretching his arms and tail on his way to the kitchen. Receiving no reply, he turned and admired the state of his studious friend. When he saw that Twilight was out cold, he sighed, strolled over to her, and gave her as firm smack on the back of the head. “Twi! Wake up!”

“Gagh!” Twilight screamed, nearly leaping out of her seat in shock. “Wha? Huh? What is it?”

“Geez, sleep much, Twi?” Spike pointed to a puddle of icky saliva near the books. Alarmed, Twilight swiped her precious books with their irreplaceable pages of valuable text off her desk and set them aside. The sight of her own drool was nothing new to her, nor had it been since her early years as Celestia’s student, and cleaning it up over the years soon became a sort of routine chore for her.

“Uggh, what time is it…” Twilight groaned while she levitated a clean cloth out from one of the desk drawers and proceeded to wipe up the disgusting spittle.

“Err…afternoon…ish.”

“Perfect…just perfect,” Twilight tossed the now dirty rag aside and planted her forehead on the desktop.

Unsure of what to do himself, Spike’s stomach gave him the answer with a deep, gurgling growl. He turned and resumed his trek towards the kitchen.

“Uggh, I’m starving! I haven’t a thing to eat in…a little over an hour.”

“Help yourself, Spike,” Twilight lazily replied while rubbing her temples in frustration.

“I’m getting a ruby sundae. You want anything while I’m in the kitchen, Twi?”

Impossible, thought Twilight. It was impossible for such a commonplace subject to be this difficult to understand. Love was everywhere, literally! Quite so in fact, what with all the romantic adaptations of books, movies, poems, and even spells easily accessible by the general public. She even once considered using a spell to enhance her knowledge of love, but its effects would only be temporary, and whatever knowledge she gained from it wouldn’t remain with her forever like most of Equestria’s couples. Besides…she also considered it cheating, one of the few things in the world she despised with every part of her being. There was no hope for her, she feared. Not a single paragraph in any of her books could explain to her the identifiable cameos of love’s open source of knowledge. She couldn’t blame them though. Not even on her first date did anything feel natural.

“Wait…” Twilight murmured to herself, lifting her head as if she felt the potential onset of clarity coming into view. “Feel natural…natural…” Suddenly, she gasped, a moment of eureka striking her square in the brain. “That’s it! Spiiike!”

The little dragon was just inches away from the lid of a tub of cold, sugary ice cream when he was summoned by Twilight’s voice. Grumbling, he put the ice cream back in the kitchen freezer in annoyance and rushed back into the parlor.

“Yeah, Twi?” He replied unamusedly, but was then thrown to the floor by the impact of a roll of parchment and an ink well slamming him in the chest. He moaned with a tinge of pain when he rose up from the floor, rubbing the back of his head before sighing with dread when he saw and felt a quill pen delicately land on top of his head like the ends to so many comical climaxes.

“Take a letter, Spike,” Twilight smiled. “Address it to Royal Castle in Canterlot!”

“What for?” asked Spike, slowly unrolling the parchment and dipping the tip of his pen in the ink.

“Don’t you see, Spike? I’ve been missing something all along! Something that I can’t learn from all these books here in the library!”

“And that would be?” Spike asked, genuinely curious to know.

“Well…I’m not entirely sure what it is, but I definitely know how to find it!”

“Really? That’s great new, Twilight!” Spike smiled.

“Yes it is, Spike! What I’m looking for is right in the heart of the royal archives!”

“…say again?” Spike asked, bemused.

“In the Canterlot Royal Archives, Spike,” Twilight giggled. “What I’m looking for isn’t in any of the books we have here. If anywhere, the answer to all my problems has got to be over there!”

A scaly, ashamed palm landed on Spike’s forehead. He frowned and hung his head low, disappointed in his ever-so clueless pony friend.

“Twi, I know you’re dedicated to learning this stuff and all, but like I tried to say before nopony in Equestria can just study—!“

“Not now, Spike. I’m on the verge of a great discovery here! It just might alter the very structure of pony interaction itself! Who knows what I might uncover!”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…” Spike mumbled to himself while Twilight smiled herself silly.

“Ready, Spike?”

“As I’ll ever be…”

“Great! Let’s get started!” Twilight cleared her throat and began pacing from left to right to help straighten out her thought process. “Greetings Board of the Royal Equestrian Archives…actually, wait. Let me start over.”

~~~

Curious animals from all edges of the cottage gathered around a tall stack of cardboard boxes tucked away in a corner of the living room. A few of them remained open and emptied on the living room floor, where the smallest of Equestria’s furry critters scurried up, around, in and about them. The front door suddenly opens, catching their attention, and causing them to scurry away as a muscle-bound delivery pony carries in another hefty box, slamming it down on the floor next to the other ones.

“Oh my!” says Tenderheart, looking over the pile of boxes while Fluttershy signs a number of pages on a clipboard procured by the beefed-up stallion. “What is all this for?”

“Just the baby stuff we ordered,” You say, strolling into the living room after checking up on the resident animals outside.

“Baby stuff?” Tenderheart scans the pile from top to bottom. “Good heavens. There certainly is a lot of it.”

“We’ll be keeping it all down here for now until you can get back home. We just have to make sure none of the animals play around it or accidentally break anything until then.”

After Fluttershy signed the last of the papers, the delivery pony smiles and sends a subtle nod of thankfulness her way before taking his leave.

“I-I could just sleep down here if you want while you assemble everything in the baby’s room,” Tenderheart offers, catering to her daughter’s similarities with a worried frown.

“Oh, nonono!” Fluttershy speaks up in a hurry, stepping to her mother’s side, laying a hoof on her shoulder and giving her a warm smile. “That won’t do at all! You stay as long as you need. I’m not even…well, you know.”

“W-Well, if you insist…but surely there must be something I could--!”

“Mother, it’s fine,” Fluttershy glances over at you. “We can take care of everything.”

“Yeah! The only thing you have to do is relax for a few days until you get moved in at your new house. Simple!” You say with enthusiasm.

“Oh, dearie,” Tenderheart sat down, staring at Fluttershy. “I can’t just stay here under your kindness and generosity and not be expected to give anything back.”

“B-But…I learned it all from—“ Fluttershy starts.

“No buts, dearie,” Tenderheart interrupts, smiling. “I won’t stay if I can’t repay you for your hospitality, especially on the short notice I so impolitely arrived with. I’m your mother, dear. I can easily handle whatever needs to be done around here.”

“But…”

And thus, ‘The Stare’ was initiated, though in a much more toned down version direct from the birthmother of the champion herself. The grown mare’s eyes were not widened, and her facial features lacked the disturbing scowl of pure revulsion that was meant to drive any sort of animal, or even any sort of pony, to such otherworldly levels of drone-like obedience that made Fluttershy’s very thoughts command the unfortunate gazer and dictate their every move. However, it was a stern look nonetheless, perhaps the sternest in all of Equestria, leaving Fluttershy to finally take the hint and cease with her worrying. She hid her face behind her mane in a bid of minor shame, causing her mother to smile, break the stare, and pull her into a warm hug. She smiled back at her and hugged her back, breaking it when an unseen clock somewhere in the room began to chime loudly.

“Oh, it’s past lunch time!” Fluttershy gasps, referring to an important time of day with her senses alone. “Those poor animals. They still need to be fed!“

“You leave that up to me, dearie.” Tenderheart speaks up, already on her way to the kitchen. “I’m sure I can…figure something out. It’s just vegetables, isn’t it? Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Oh, w-wait! Some of them have specific diets and…uhh…oh pony feathers.” Fluttershy squeaks and shies away, turning to face you. “I’m…gonna go in there and give her a helping hoof. Would you mind going out and rounding up Angel and Remi? Angel’s in the garden if I remember right, and I think Remi may be somewhere nearby. Probably up in that tree he likes to climb so much. You remember the one, right?”

You nod in approval, smiling at her assuringly. “Of course,” you reply, nuzzling her on the cheek. She giggles softly, blushing while she returns your gesture with a dainty, but always-meaningful peck of her lips. You kiss her back and head for the front door, opening it and stepping through to the rays of the sun outside and the twitter of local songbirds.

“Now, where could those two rascals be?” You ask yourself, beginning your search of the cottage grounds.

~~~

Oh how tempting a simple mould of green-colored glass and decades-old craftsmanship could be when put to the awaiting lips of various crowds of ponies. Redheart idly fumbled around with a half-empty bottle of wine she kept in a locked drawer at the hospital front desk, but found its alluring presence to be nowhere near as satisfactory as she had hoped it would be. She figured she could swallow her sadness with a swig of fine wine, but something in her mind made her feel more degraded than she was already for having even considered such a lewd thought. Bits do not buy happiness. Sighing, she stowed the bottle in its drawer and locked it away, tossing the key aside and laying her head down on the desk top.

She had known no moment of peace ever since the news of her sister’s future plans for a pregnancy were broken to her by an anonymous letter she received that fateful morning. The magnitude of the news made her recall every detail. Partially crumbled and covered in what appeared to be a matted mixture of dirt and food stains, a poorly written note, mostly composed of erratic scribbles, foretold of her dear sister’s future plans to start a family and just how excited she was about her decision. What sealed the deal on its legitimacy was an attached picture of her dear sister and her signature at the bottom of the scrambled mess of a letter, which Redheart assumed was the fault of Ponyville’s resident delivery mare whose clumsiness had yet to find an equal. It was a proud, dedicated moment for the gentle pegasus, her sister, the sweetest in all of Equestria. How could she not be happy?

…well, she couldn’t be happy. Not for the life of her she could show even the slightest bit of excitement for her. As shown by her past outburst towards Fluttershy’s lover, Redheart was more fearful for her one and only sister than anything else in the world, though even she felt that she was overdoing it a little. Fluttershy had never been this happy in all her life. Things were going well for her, and as her sister it was just plain rude to not feel happy for her as a result.

She needed to know what happiness felt like again; otherwise she’ll only turn to be another dull statistic in the hidden world of weary souls. Her photo album was only a short reach away, and within it lays a memory; a special memory, forever frozen in a single stance on the face of a square sheet of photography paper. If there were anything in all the world that brought her more happiness other than the sight of her beloved sister, it was the memory in the middle of that aged sheet of white print. By the time she was convinced she could surpass her sorrowful phase, she was already flipping hastily through the spiral-bound book, eager, whilst managing a short smile, to be reminded of just how happy she once was, back when her position as a nurse meant more than just sorting files and…delivering babies.

However, when she reached the back of the album, her fragile emotional state was hit with a crushing, costly blow.

“It’s not here…” Redheart whispered, beginning to whimper out of shock. “No…nonono! It’s not here! It’s not here! No! Please no!”

The pages of the album turned as fast as her hooves could flip them. Time and time again she scoured the book’s innards, all the while denying that the loss of her only remaining memorial. Desperate after the fifth pass, she started to tear entire pages out, throwing them to the floor in a fit of rage and overwhelming sadness. She was hyperventilating out of shock throughout the entirety of the ordeal. But, no matter how many times she murmured prayers to Celestia under her breath, she was soon left to face the seemingly endless list of ill-fated facts.

“It’s gone…it’s really gone.”

Like the eye of a hurricane, Redheart fell calm as the unbearable winds inside her were reduced to a gentle breeze; a period where her mind was capable of producing reasonable thought. A more alien sensation than usual.

“Calm yourself, nursey. Calm yourself…” Redheart murmured, shivering while looking over the damage she had caused, eyeing page filled with past memories of her friends and the ones she so deeply cared for in her service. “M-Maybe you just misplaced it somewhere. You’ll find it…yes, you’ll surely find it soon. N-No need to panic…”

Redheart looked up at a nearby wall clock, noting the number of hours left in her shift and the common emptiness her day was usually left with where the hospital lobby was all but full of visitors. She could not recall there being any sort of scheduled appointments today either, which left her with some time to kill before she could clock out. Surely my manager wouldn’t mind if I took just a short walk through town to clear my head, she thought after leaving a note on her desk revealing her whereabouts and strolling out the medical center with an aim to retrieve her forgotten peace of mind.

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