The Equestrian Venture

by TheCrimsonDM

Chapter Thirty Three: Fluttershy’s Secret Revealed

The Equestrian Venture

Chapter Thirty Three: Fluttershy’s Secret Revealed

Written by TheCrimsonDM

The days went by as Rita worked on repairing the old windmill, with the help of her friends time flew by and the repairs were made quickly. Soon those days turned into weeks, and the old windmill was nearly finished. In fact she could probably have moved in and started living there already.

She was so close to seeing a new home for her, a place she could call her own, a place where she could safely make all of her crazy inventions without bothering anypony. She couldn’t wait to get to work and start introducing her inventions to this pony world.

There was a question left on her mind now that she was this close though, a question that plagued her for awhile now. What about Fluttershy? What would she do without me there, and what would I do without her? I hate being alone, and so does she. Is moving out completely really a good idea?

Standing on Fluttershy’s front porch and watching the sunset wasn’t doing much to help her answer the question. The sunset only made Rita feel lonely and lost. Both Fluttershy and Rarity are inside the house right now, so I’m not alone. But then why do I feel so lonely out here… what am I missing?

”Darling,” Rarity called from the doorway. “Are you coming in anytime soon?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there shortly.”

Rita looked up at the darkening sky. It’s been nearly two months since I first arrived here in this strange new world. I’ve already made a name for myself, and have a new role to play here. There is still something totally weird going on though.

It was already fairly late, it was time to go in. So Rita walked in the front door and found a place to sit next to Rarity. Fluttershy was sitting on the floor and facing away from Rita. Rarity looked uncomfortable. Well this is awkward.

“Hey,” Rita said, “So it’s pretty late outside, do you want me to walk you home?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow at Rita and asked, “Didn’t you know that I’m spending the night?”

“Uh, no not really. Fluttershy didn’t exactly clue me into that,” Rita admitted. Actually she hasn’t been talking to me very much today, period.

“It’s my turn to help Fluttershy with her condition,” Rarity said.

“What condition?” Rita asked.

Fluttershy scooted a little further from Rita. Rita might be dense, but even she knew something was strange about the way Fluttershy was acting. What’s going on here?

“Fluttershy, for shame,” Rarity said disapprovingly. “You haven’t told Rita about your monthly problem? She lives with you and deserves to know the truth.”

Monthly problem? I’m pretty sure that I know what that is, but I wouldn’t call it a condition… more of an annoyance really.

Fluttershy looked back at Rita, there was fear in her light blue eyes. Fluttershy licked her lips and flashed her teeth, and for a moment Rita saw two very sharp teeth in the Fluttershy’s mouth. With a rough voice Fluttershy said, “Would it be too much to ask you to explain it?”

Rarity rolled her eyes and said, “Fine, but you really should have done this yourself.”

“I know.”

After clearing her throat Rarity explained, “A long time ago our dear Fluttershy here was turned into a bat pony monster thanks to a spell that Twilight used making a mess of things. After we fixed it, or thought we fixed it, Fluttershy returned to the normal pegasus that we all know and love.

“For a long time Fluttershy was just fine, but then she started turning again. Not fully mind you, but partially into the old creature of the night. Once a month, during the full moon, she turns and becomes a bat pony. It changes her personality a little bit, and she becomes… different. We have taken shifts watching her during the full moon for a long time now, making sure that she has enough apples to eat, and doesn’t go out making a fuss for everypony.”

“Why not just tell Twilight she messed up?” Rita asked.

“Because Twilight has a tendency to make giant problems out of small ones. We’d rather just keep this all a secret from her and take care of Fluttershy ourselves. Tonight you get to help me,” Rarity said. When Rita raised a judgmental eyebrow, Rarity added, “Oh come now, it’ll be fun.”

Rita thought back to a month ago. Fluttershy had kicked her out of the house for the night, Rainbow Dash had stayed over, and the next morning she found the rainbow pony tied to a tree. Rita was beginning to regret not taking Rainbow Dash more seriously back then.

“So, what should I expect?” Rita questioned.

“The unexpected,” Rarity replied.

***

A couple of hours went by without much happening. Eventually Rita decided to check out the pantry and see if she couldn’t find anything to snack on, the rumbles in her stomach agreed. Once inside the kitchen she stopped, for on the table sat something rather simple, but delicious. A bright red apple, shiny and pristine, juicy and sweet, sat there staring at her, begging her to simply take it.

She picked it up, took a bite out of the apple and her mouth salivated at the flavor. It was simply divine. She took another bite, followed by two more, and before she even realized it over half of the apple was gone. Her stomach was feeling much better now, and she smiled.

Something soft smashed into the back of her head. She spun around and was blinded by something white before being hit in the head a second time. She stood there, shaking her head for a moment. Angle Bunny sat at the hallway, a proud smirk on his face. The two white pillows at her feet gave her an idea.

Angle Bunny hopped away as Rita reached over and grabbed the pillows one in each hand, and gave chase. She ran down the small corridor and swiftly caught up with the little scamp, she didn’t hesitate before slinging one of the pillows at the rabbit.

Angle Bunny did a back flip over the pillow, caught it with his paws mid air and landed. Now armed he faced Rita, and menacingly stared into her eyes.

They both charged and swung the pillows at each other. The pillow that hit Rita’s leg actually managed to knock her footing away and she fell, while the pillow that hit Angle Bunny sent the little guy hurtling into the wall.

They both lay on their sides staring at one another.

“You’re actually pretty good,” Rita complemented.

Angle Bunny’s nose twitched.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. It’s our job to keep Fluttershy safe, and you know what we stand a better chance at doing that if we work together, rather than fighting each other,” Rita said. She held out a hand. “Truce?”

Angle Bunny lifted his paw threateningly, and for a moment Rita believed that he was going to smack her hand away, his eyes softened and he touched his paw to Rita’s. Together they shook, and the deal was sealed.

That’s when Rita noticed the odd looking shadow that was being cast on the wall from behind them. Rita and Angle Bunny looked up at the same time to see Fluttershy staring down at them. Her eyes had become red, two fangs stuck out over her bottom lip, and her fur had grown long and fluffy.

“You two were fighting again?” Fluttershy asked coolly. Something about her stance, and her tone gave Rita the shivers.

Rita sat up and said, “Yeah, we were just fooling around. We’re friends now so it’s all good.”

“That’s nice, one less thing to be mad about I suppose,” Fluttershy said. She let the comment sink in for a moment before adding, “But I’m still wondering, who ate my apple?”

Rita tilted her head to the side. “You’re upset about that? It was just an apple, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. “Figures it would’ve been you. You’re always embarrassing or disappointing me somehow. Honestly, I’ve had much better pets then you.”

For a moment Rita stared in complete shock at Fluttershy’s comment. After a moment it sunk in and her initial surprise died down. Rita felt her heart throb painfully. For a little while Rita only sat there quietly, thinking about the comment, tears formed in the corner of her vision but she fought to keep them inside. It took a bit but the final part of what Fluttershy had said finally sunk in. She just called me a pet!

Rita looked up at Fluttershy and saw the pony still staring down at her with disappointment clear across her face. The pain was quickly overtaken by another feeling, a burning feeling, and Rita stood up. Anger began fueling her as she repeated the word in her mind; pet.

“Fluttershy,” Rita said in a low voice. “Do you actually think of me as your pet?”

So many things made since now. Fluttershy hadn’t thought of Rita as a friend, or a child, but rather as an animal to take care of. In Fluttershy’s mind, Rita couldn’t be sure if she was even considered a person anymore. All of that just made Rita’s anger burn brighter.

“Of course you’re my pet. You’re one of my favorite, and best one’s too. That’s why we make such good friends,” Fluttershy replied calmly. “And I really don’t think that you trying to go live on your own is a good idea. You should stay here, where I can take care of you.”

Rita shook violently. “Are you crazy?”

“What?” Fluttershy asked, shocked.

“I am a person. I’m not your pet, you can’t treat me like this. I’ve survived things you couldn’t even imagine, I’ve destroyed armies, I am a soldier. You cannot treat me like an animal,” Rita demanded.

Fluttershy shook her head and trotted back to the living room. “You’re so cute when you’re angry. Just try and keep that anger of yours in check, or else I might have to ground you.”

At this point Rita was fuming with rage, but the small little pats on the back of her leg from Angle Bunny helped her calm down. She crossed her arms and huffed. “At least I won’t have to be treated like this much longer.”

Angle Bunny hopped in the living room, he made a squeaking noise before disappearing. Rita wasn’t sure what it was supposed to mean, she didn’t exactly speak rabbit, but if she had to guess, it was something along the lines of, “Try not to cause any trouble.”

Rita stayed in the hallway silently for a few minutes, quietly fuming to herself. Finally she let out a sigh, and decided to join the others in the living room. Hopefully the night would be over quickly, and without any sort of trouble.

Back in the living room Rita found a place to sit against the wall, furthest from the couch that Fluttershy was currently occupying. Rarity was sitting next to her with a small mirror and a makeup bag by her side. Every now and then she would lower the mirror, take a look around the room, and then return to prettying herself.

Minutes turned over slowly, one by one, as the anger sat inside on a slow boil. Finally Rita slammed her hand down against the floor boards garnering everyone’s attention. They all looked at Rita with expectation, but whatever they were expecting wasn’t her concern.

“Why?” Rita asked. “Why didn’t you tell me what you thought about me sooner?”

Fluttershy bit into the apple in her hooves and sucked, within seconds the apple’s juices were sucked out leaving a dried out husk in her hooves. She tossed it into a bin next to the couch and sat up. “It should have been obvious.”

“Well it clearly wasn’t to me.” Rita said bitterly. “I thought that we were friends, sisters…” Something crawling in the back of her mind forced her to remember all those nights where she had been cuddled to sleep by the kind mare. “Maybe we were too close. I should have realized something was weird, and Pinkie even mentioned once that it was strange how close you and me were, especially after I started dating her.”

“I still think it’s weird that one of my pets is dating Pinkie pie, but I suppose if it makes you happy it’s okay,” Fluttershy said thoughtfully.

Rita shook, her anger was rising again. “I am not your pet.”

“Oh but, Rita, who took you in and nursed you back to health? Who was it that helped you integrate into our society? Face it, Rita, you are my pet,” Fluttershy said, her tone was stern, but held a hint of playfulness in it.

Rita balled her hand into a fist, her arm shaking with rage. “I am a person, damn it! Treat me like one.”

Fluttershy shot a cold look at Rita and hissed, “Language.”

“Screw language, and screw you.” Rita said, her anger built to a point that she couldn’t hold it in. She unleashed her furry against the hardwood floor. She slammed her fist down, once, twice, and then a third time for good measure. She pulled back to do it once more, when an outburst of pain shot through her hand. She cringed and hid her hand under her sleeve.

Rarity’s eyes were wide, her ears pinned back. Fluttershy stared calmly at Rita. Rita looked away from either of them, refusing to make eye contact.

Fluttershy leapt into the air, and soared a small distance, before landing in front of Rita. Rita pulled back and pressed herself against the wall. “What do you want?”

Fluttershy looked down at Rita’s hand. “Show me what you did.”

Rita tightened up. “No, I don’t want to.” She cringed as her fingers touched the inside of her sleeve.

“Show me now, or I won’t fix it for you,” Fluttershy threatened.

“It’s your fault in the first place, so why should I care if you fix it or not. Actually I don’t want you to fix it, I don’t want you to touch me at all,” Rita spat.

Fluttershy lifted a wing and swiftly brought it over to Rita’s face. Rita looked away and tried to pull herself further into the wall, but she was already pressed as flat against it as she possibly could. The feathery wing gently brushed against Rita’s face.

“Shh,” Fluttershy said. “I’m not angry with you. I must have done something wrong, and I apologize for it.”

“Wow,” Rarity commented. “Flutterbat never apologizes to anypony.”

Rita lifted her wounded hand and brushed the wing away, the mere contact caused a spike a pain that made Rita yelp. Fluttershy pulled away, but her red eyes stared intently at Rita’s hand. After a moment, Rita slid her sleeve down to look at her hand. When Rita saw her scarlet fingers her heart froze. Blood trickled down her fingers and around her palm before dripping onto the floor.

“Rita, stay calm,” Fluttershy said. “It’s just a little booboo.”

Rita’s breathing was speeding up. “What did I… I didn’t mean to do that.”

Fluttershy gave Rarity a look. “Get the first aid kit.”

Rarity didn’t argue, but for a moment she hesitated while looking at Rita’s hand.

“Now!” Fluttershy demanded loudly.

Rarity snapped to attention and quickly ran into the kitchen. Fluttershy looked back at Rita and sighed. “You know, I’m sorry that you got mad at me. Usually when I’m like this, Rainbow Dash pisses me off and I get into a fight with her. But now I never wanted you to get hurt.”

Rita shook her head. “I just want to be your equal, I don’t want to be your pet… your… toy.”

“Is it really so bad to be my pet? I can take good care of you, feed you, nurse you to full health, and even cuddle you at night. Is all of that really so bad?” Fluttershy said.

“No, that’s not the problem,” Rita said quietly. “You seeing me as a pet means that you think you own me, that you’re above me. I don’t want that.”

Fluttershy lowered her head. “Oh… I see.” She was quiet for a moment, and then to Rita’s surprise Fluttershy giggled. “You know I went through this with another pet I had a long time ago. His name was Gil… I guess I just didn’t want to lose you, so maybe… I turned you into a pet. I never meant to hurt you.”

Rita smiled and wrapped her uninjured arm around Fluttershy’s neck and pulled her down into a hug. “So long as you promise not to see me as a pet again, I swear never to leave you. I’ll be your friend forever, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy leaned in close to Rita’s face. There was a sparkle in her eyes, something that Rita recognized, and for a moment she couldn't fight against the irresistible pull of those eyes. Fluttershy’s hot breath brushed against Rita’s face, making her head swim. Rita was lost in the moment, and her body went limp.

When Rarity’s hooves sounded near the living room, Rita snapped out of it, and pulled away. Rita’s face was burning from embarrassment. That was... akward.

“Okay, I found the first aid kit,” Rarity said proudly.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded. Rita just looked away from everypony, but held her hand out to be fixed. As Fluttershy began wrapping bandages around Rita’s hand, she could only hope that the rest of the night wasn’t as awkward as this.

Ugh why do things always have to be so confusing?