Strawberry Feuds Forever
Chapter 17
Strawberry Feuds Forever
Upon arriving at the market, Fluttershy found herself feeling the all-too-familiar rush of anxiety spread throughout her entire body.
It didn’t matter how many times she had been here, or that she was a regular at the stalls that specialized in pet supplies, or even that everypony in town knew her kind, soft, gentle demeanor and that she was the go-to pony if their ‘little precious’ had come down with a case of the sniffles.
Those things didn’t matter to that scared little mesohippus side of her brain. No, what mattered was that she would have to interact with other ponies.
Animals were easy. Animals didn’t want terribly complex things: food, water, shelter, or a warm touch. Even if you only had something similar to what they wanted, they would most likely be satisfied with that.
‘Mostly,’ she thought, recalling Angel’s more picky moments.
Yes, ponies wanted all those things too, but sometimes they wanted other things. Things that required interaction. And then, if you didn’t have those things they wanted, the questioning full of judgements would begin...
‘Why don’t you have it?’, ‘You should have it.’, ‘You must not be very good at your job if you can’t-’
‘Just, Stop!’ Fluttershy mentally commanded herself. ‘Take a deep breath,’ she began. ‘Let it out…’ she slowly exhaled. ‘And remember who you’re doing this for.’
It was those happy little faces, with their twitching whiskers and noses as they joyfully bounded to her, eyes bright with the knowledge that their hungry bellies would soon be filled. This bright imagery gave the shy pegasus the strength to push her hooves forward.
Looking around and past several colourful faces, sandwiched between a couple of other stands, she spotted the carrot-themed sign that signaled her that it was sure to have the perfect treats for her Angel.
‘This won’t take long at all,’ she thought, making her way to the booth.
When she was nearly there, suddenly she was greeted with an unexpected and startling green surprize entering her field of vision!
“Burpless?” Exclaimed an enthusiastic voice.
Fluttershy found herself jumping back with a stammering 'eep', followed by a confused, sputtering ‘W-what?’ escaping her mouth.
“Burpless!” the voice once again exclaimed. Fluttershy finally looking up to see a green stallion, with a darker green mane and yellowish eyes attached to the hoof that was practically bestowing her with a vegetable that she was just now recognizing as a cucumber.
“Uhm, well...” Fluttershy began hesitantly.
“Or I got diva!” The sales pony said enthusiastically, before producing another example of his produce.
“That’s very nice but-”
“If that’s not your tastes,” the stallion began to rummage through his saddlebags. “I have telegraph!” he excitedly said bringing forth a long thin looking cucumber.
“Oh, w-well actually-”
“Not what you’re looking for?” He asked scratching the side of his head with the vegetable.
“No, what I’m really looking for is-”
“Never fear my dear! Here at Dill’s 'Pickles and Cucumbers Emporium', we have every variety!” he said, rushing over to his stand and pulling open a curtain to display his long emerald wares. “I’ve got munchers, straight eights, lemon, marketmore, cherkin, and new this season, the exotic suyo long!”
Finding herself starting to become overwhelmed by the overeagerness of this vendor, Fluttershy’s protests could only come out as small whimpers.
“I-I just really want-”
“I’m sorry miss, I didn’t mean to rush you! Take your time!” he said, zipping behind the counter of his stand and rap-a-tapping his hooves excitedly. “Just remember that I can’t have these cucs out all day and at these prices won’t last forever!”
“Dill Pickle!” The green stallion cowered at the near thundering voice from the next stand over.
Fluttershy turned to see who it was, and much to her relief, it was Golden Harvest. A set of green, angry-looking eyes almost covered by an orangish mane were glaring directly at the stallion.
“I’m just trying to give the filly what she obviously wanted...” Dill responded with a wide toothy grin.
“Actually,” Fluttershy began, an apologetic look in her eyes. “I am here to get carrots...” She gave him a soft conciliary smile to the quickly wilting vender. “I’m sorry.”
“Ah... right,” Dill replied, flushed with embarrassment while sulking to the safety that was under his counter. “Sorry to be a bother...”
“Oh,” Fluttershy repllied hesitant to say anything more, least this purveyor of pre-pickle produce proceed to prostolitize more of his product. “I-it’s alright, Maybe if I run across a Kappa or an animal that really likes cucumbers, I’ll be back...”
“Kappas, sure... like that will ever happen...” Dill muttered while slumping on his stand.
“Don’t mind him,” Golden Harvest said rolling her eyes before ducking behind the counter of her stall in order to have her freshest out for her best customer. “He makes one really good sale this late in the day and suddenly he’s the crunch in the carrot.”
“Cucumber!” Dill shouted from his stand. “Crunch in the cucumber!”
“Nooo...” Golden Harvest began, taking a deep breath in order to hide her irritation. “The saying goes ‘cool as a cucumber’.”
Dill humphed. “There’s nothing that says that it can’t be both. And that wasn’t just one really good sale!” he said holding his hooves up to make air quotes. “She bought two of everything I have! She might even make me her go-to pony for cucumbers if her pickles come out right!”
“Your usual dozen?” Golden Harvest asked a nodding Fluttershy. “I think she just said that because you were creeping her out.”
Dill frowned at his competition. “You’re just jealous because Heartbreak chose my cucumbers over your carrots!”
The mare beneath the carrot top themed sign sighed before dragging her hoof over her face in frustration.
“If you had been paying the slightest bit of attention,” Golden Harvest stated, picking up a bustle of lovely orange carrots by their leafy stems before putting them into a brown paper bag. “You would have heard her say that: A), she wasn’t in the mood for carrots, and that B), she prefers to be called-”
“H.B.?” Fluttershy quietly interjected before giving a signature ‘eeping’ at the thought that she could have interrupted the conversation.”Uhm, sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude...”
“It’s ok.” Golden Harvest replied, raising an eyebrow as she hoofed the sack to Fluttershy. “You know H.B.?”
Fluttershy nodded taking the sack and putting it into her saddlebags. “Yes, I’m taking care of her.” Just as she spoke those words, her wings stiffened and she realized what that could mean. “Wait,” she nervously gasped before quickly looking around. “Does that mean that she’s here?
“Well, seeing that she tasted my cucumber..” Dill said smiling. ”I would have to say that the answer is ‘yes.’”
Golden Harvest rolled her eyes and glared at Dill. “And you were wondering why I get more customers.” She practically growled taking the bits and turning her attention back to Fluttershy. “Taking care of her? Oh right, now that I think of it, she did mention about getting over a cold or something.”
“Oh..I-I suppose that you’re right.. “Fluttershy replied, deciding not to read into what Dill had just said, before turning her attention to her friend. “She is just getting over a really bad-” She paused, wondering if there was a better word she could use for what H.B. had been through. “-cold. But! There's still that last little bit that's clinging on. At least, that’s what she says. I just didn’t realize that she felt well enough to come outside, let alone go to the market.”
“Well, if you are worried about her,” Golden Harvest said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I think she said something about rooting through the fruit stands, I’m not really sure. A mom and her crying foal came by. Hard to hear over that noise.”
"Oh, thank you so very much!" Fluttershy replied smiling and turning towards the fruit stands.
Golden Harvest smirked at the sad looking Pickle. "And that is how you get return customers." She quipped.
"Pffft, whatever. I had more flare!" he snarked.
"I'm just trying to give you some friendly advice,” she retorted.
"Well I-"
Just then, a crotchety-looking old mare with large glasses and a tight bun in her mane nearly jumped out from behind her counter.
"Would you two foals keep it down?!" She shrieked. "Not only are you scaring away customers, but yer interrupting my stories!!"
"Y-yes, Mrs. Brussels," the two ponies stammered in unison.
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Fluttershy bit her lip upon entering the area designated to fruits in the 'fruits and vegetables' section of the market.
‘It feels a bit wrong leaving the two of them arguing like that,’ she thought as she stretched her neck to get a better view over the crowd of ponies just going about their daily shopping. ‘But I have to make sure that H.B. isn't pushing herself like she was when she first got sick!’
Just then, these concerned thoughts were interrupted with a familiar
exasperated groaning.
Turning to the exaggerated dissatisfied bemoaning, Fluttershy was able to catch glimpses of the back of a clearly flustered tan mare wearing a green military cap sat upon the ground in front of what looked to be two young vendors.
As she drew closer, the fragrant aroma of strawberries wafted to her nose, while the sound of argumentation reached her ears.
"I should be able to sell to her!" A filly's voice cried out. "I saw her first!"
"No! I saw her first!" The other filly exclaimed angrily. "Besides, she doesn't want any of your tiny sour berries!"
"It's called tartness!" The pink filly with freckled and an almost leafy looking mop of a mane retorted. "And my berries might be small, but they're full of flavor!" She decried, pointing out the advertising sign on her booth. "Unlike your big red water bags pretending to be berries!"
"Water bags!? Excuse me? My berries are juicy!" the reddish filly with a light pink fluffy mane countered, pointing at her own advertisement. "And they are loads sweeter than your so-called berries!"
Fluttershy found herself taken aback at the heated squabbling taking place.
Heartbreak's fore hooves covered her ears before exasperatedly dragging down the sides of her face. "I just wanted to buy some fetting strawberries..." she muttered.
"What happened?" Fluttershy asked Heartbreak, only to get a startled response from the mare. "Oh! I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you." She said apologetically.
Heartbreak momentarily held a hoof over her chest, her eyes wide before squinting and blinking a little as if she needed a moment to recognize who had just started talking to her.
"Fluttershy...I-It's alright." She squeaked out, blinking and calming herself down. "I just didn't expect to see you so-" she paused and winced at the high pitched shrieks coming from the strawberry booths. "-soon."
Fluttershy found herself also cowering back from the ruckus being produced. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Heartbreak gave her caretaker a confused look as her ears pinned themselves back in an attempt to block out the cacophonous bedlam before them. "What?"
Fluttershy gave the two fillies an uncomfortable glance before clearing her throat and attempting to project herself over the noise. Just like Rainbow Dash taught you.
"I said-"
"Hey! Let go!"
Fluttershy turned to the two ponies. "Uhm...excuse me..."
"No! You let go!"
"Uhm...girls?" But still no response. The pegasus steeled herself, she didn't want to do this, but-
"Girls!!" Fluttershy shouted, her wings unfurling as she practically stared down the two little fillies, who, with almost no hesitation, ceased their feud and slowly went back to their respective booths.
Heartbreak peered over Fluttershy's shoulder. "Oooo, Flutterstare." She quietly commented.
"Why are you fighting?" Fluttershy asked, watching the files cross their hooves and turn their backs to one another.
"Shakes started it!" The filly with the green mane proclaimed.
"Stop lying, Sweets! We all know that you're the one that started it!" Shakes countered.
"Well, you're the one getting in the way of my sale!" Sweets rebuffed.
"Your sale?!" Shakes exclaimed, indignity in her expression. "She's going to buy from me!"
"Oooor-" Heartbreak started after loudly clearing her throat. "I could buy from neither of you."
The two fillies faces dropped in unison.
"That's not fair!" They exclaimed.
Heartbreak shrugged. "Life's not fair." Fluttershy turned to the tan mare, giving her such a look. "What? I'm just saying..."
Fluttershy took a small sigh before looking up at the two. "Have you always been fighting?"
Sweets turned her head slightly, the adolescent filly biting on her hoof. "Nooo..." she finally admitted. "We used to do this thing together."
"What happened?"
"Well..." Shakes began before sighing. "Our moms said that cause we've turned fourteen that 'we're young mares now' and 'we ought to learn to be more independent.'" She said while rolling her eyes and making air quotes with her hooves.
Sweets rolled her eyes and quietly shook her head. "Doesn't help that our moms gave us 'Flowering Fields: A Filly's Guide' to read..."
"Oooh..." Fluttershy said, a flush of embarrassment going over her face. Obviously there could be more going on in these young fillies lives than just a mere squabble over who could still berries to whom. Just then, as if whispered into her ear, a rather wonderful idea came to her. "You girls don't like fighting all the time, do you?" She asked, the two of them shook their heads. "And you want to work together like when you were younger, right?"
"Of course I do!" Shakes nearly shouted throwing her hooves out exasperatedly. "I mean..." she paused and scratched her head, the gears turning to find the right word. "Of course I don't want to fight with my cousin and of course I want things to be like they were when we were younger."
Sweets turned and looked at her cousin with wide tear-laden eyes. "I want that too!" She exclaimed before the small smile on her youthful face was whisked away by an intruding thought. "But what about our moms?"
"Uhm, I have an idea," Fluttershy sheepishly interjected. "That is, if you want my advice..."
"If it means that we get to work together again, I'm willing to listen!" Shakes replied excitedly.
"Me too!" Sweets chimed.
"Well," Fluttershy began, tapping her chin. "If I were where you two were, maybe instead of competitors, you could become business partners?"
The two fillies looked at each other blankly, giving Fluttershy a moment's panic, which melted away once their eyes went wide and they smiled in delight.
"That's actually a great idea!" Sweets piped. "When our moms said that we had to be more independent, we both got pretty small stands, but if we became business partners-"
"-then we could combine our stands and share resources!" Sweets finished. "We could even share duties!"
Shakes tapped her chin. "I think I read something about this in the market guidebook..." she said before pulling it out of her saddlebags and flipping through it. "Something about... needing to... needing to-" she trailed off before slamming a hoof down to a seemingly important paragraph. "Yeah! Right here! 'Any new stand must have a name, this applies if two or more strands combine to make a new stand!'"
"You actually read that thing?" Sweets incredulously asked, her little nose wrinkling at the thought of reading so many words.
"I was bored..." Shakes replied shrugging. "But anyway, partner-" she playfully nudged Sweets. "-If we're going to be doing this, what should our new name be?"
"Don't look at me!" Sweets said pulling away, a look of concern on her face. "I'm terrible at that! I named my pet duck, 'Ducky McDuckface!'"
"Oh yeah..." Shakes reported, their attention turning to the two mares, that despite all reason, were still standing in front of the stands. "What do you think we should call it?"
"Oh," Upon being put on the spot, Fluttershy shrank away. "I-I don't know..." she stammered, her eyes darting frantically about. Just then. She remembered the creative pony standing next to her. "Uhm, H.B., what do you think?"
"Huh?" Heartbreak asked, her attention snapping back to the conversation that had unfolded before her. "W-what do I think of what, now?"
"What they should name their new stand?" Fluttershy replied.
Heartbreak looked taken aback. "Wait, they're no longer fighting?"
"Not anymore!" Sweets practically shouted. "Fluttershy reminded us of how much we loved working together and suggested that we become business partners!"
Shakes pounded a hoof on the counter of her stand. "So! You got any ideas?"
Heartbreak jumped back at the sudden noise, while her eyes darted back and forth. "Uhm..." She scratched the side of her head, before looking up at the signs that currently adorned the stands. "Well... Strawberry Sweets Strawberry Shack? Strawberry Shakes Sweet Shack?" She raised an eyebrow. "I don't know... with names like those, why not call it 'The Strawberry Sweet Shake Shack'?"
"Humph," Shakes muttered. "Not very original, kinda sounds like it was made up on the spot."
"Well, I like it! It's like us: cute and kinda catchy!" Sweets mused.
Heartbreak gave a halfhearted uncomfortable laugh. "That's because it was kinda made up on the spot." She muttered.
"What?" Shakes asked.
"Nothing," Heartbreak replied, sheepishly. "To be honest, I was distracted by Tropical Breeze’s fruit stand," she peered past the fillies. "It looks like she got a crate of mangoes..." she said, wiping her chin.
"Maaaangoes?!" Both Sweets and Shakes decried.
"Mangoes have huge a seed and barely any fruit! Strawberry seeds are tiny and crunchy! Plus the whole berry is fruit!" Sweets said looking up at her potential consumer.
"Why would you want one of those oversized red and green bird fruits?" Shakes asked frowning in disgust.
Heartbreak's expression soured. "You know, if you keep insulting my mangoes, well," she took a deep breath and sighed. "I still don't have to buy your strawberries..."
Sweets jumped up, gently pushing her cousin back and giving an apologetic smile. "You're going to have to excuse my partner here. It's been a long day..."
"You don't say..." Heartbreak replied exasperatedly.
"Tell you what... how about I give you a twenty-five percent discount for the soon to be grand opening of The Strawberry Sweet Shake Shack?" Sweets asked smiling while making her eyebrows bounce up and down.
"Ugh, deals, I don't know about-" Heartbreak started rubbing her fore leg.
Shakes nudged her way past her cousin's restraining hoof. "A hard sell, eh? How about another twenty-five percent?" She looked around and held her hoof up to the side of her face. "Along with a promise not to tell any pony about this whole mess..."
"Oh, believe me, I won't be needing to be telling any p-pony about this." Heartbreak could only roll her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh as the two fillies stared up at her expectantly. "I mean, how could I say no to an offer like that and, uhm, miss out on being the very first consumer of The Strawberry Sweet Shake Shack..." she said with only the barest wafting of enthusiasm to her voice.
"Great!" Sweets beamed before, once again, pushing Shakes back. "How many would you like, and would you like small and flavorful or big -and- juicy?"
Upon hearing another extended sigh leave Heartbreak's lips, Fluttershy could sense the intense desire that her charge had just left to leave the situation.
"Why not both?" She interjected, looking at Heartbreak with sympathetic eyes and a light touch to her shoulder.
Heartbreak glanced up and blinked, a small bemused smirk made its way to her face. "Why not both?" She repeated before nodding and turning back to the strawberry stand. "Yeah, why not both? Mix them together in one container... please."
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Walking back from the market, I could feel the awkwardness of what happened hanging in the air. Well, at least what I think was going.
'Fet. Locks. I keep doing this. Just wish I knew what to say in these situations!' I glare up at the trees and then down at my fucking hooves.’It doesn't help that the only ambient sound is coming from these useless things!’
Mentally, I take a breath. I know what to do, like physically, it's just a matter of actually doing it.
‘Well, you could start by-’
"Ehm," clearing the throat. It's both the classic way of starting a conversation and checking for phlegm build up!
Fluttershy jumps out of whatever contained her with a classic Fluttereep. I wonder if there's a counter for such things...
"Sooo, uhm," here we go.
"Yes?"
"Yeah", crap, that sounded irritated, was that irritated? No! Don't overthink it! Just keep going! "Thanks for helping me shop around and for carrying some of my groceries. They aren't too heavy are they?" Come on H.B., it's just-
"Oh no," she replies, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "It's just some bread." She pauses. "I'm sorry that Tropical Breezes was out of mangos."
"Eh," I reply, blowing a curly forelock that didn’t quite make it under my hat out of my face. "Neither of us could've predicted that the whole cart was a pre-order. Truth be told, I can't imagine what any p-pony would do with that many mangos....unless there's a bat pony hanging around that I'm unaware of."
"Thestral."
"Oh...well, thestral, yeah." Fetlocks, you're such a klutz. Whelp, better to learn that here and now with Fluttershy than later and somewhere important with a real thestral, right? "Anyway, if you couldn't tell, I'm terrible when it comes to situations like the marketplace."
I pause and adjust my hat. The heat and humidity are causing my mane, or at least that stupid little part in front to curl up more than usual.
"Just too many voices, too much noise, all at once, and all of it is trying to tell you something while changing the prices on you." Ugh! Got. To. Push. It. Under. The. Hat! There! Mane-slash-hair situation contained!
"Oh, I do know what that's like," she says, stopping beside me as I finish tapping my green military hat back into place.
"Oh yeah, cause there was like that one time-" Wait! Try to word this like you don't know exactly what happened! Also, all that movement must loosened something because fetting stupid saddlebag feels like it needs adjusting. "With the cherry and Rarity giving you some... interesting advice."
"It wasn't bad advice..." She says, her ears turning down and her eyes looking away from me.
Fet, turn down the snark, H.B. can't be bad mouthing Rarity in front of Fluttershy!
"I wasn’t saying that it was bad advice, just...interesting." Oh, yeah. Nice save. That needs a slow clap as a reward. "Well, uhm," gotta start this over. "What I was meaning to say was, if I haven't said it before was, thanks for showing up when you did and dealing with the situation. Back in the marketplace that is."
"Oh." She glances back at me before, once again looking at the trees with what might be a thoughtful expression. "It's alright, the two of them just needed a little reminder-"
"- that a little kindness goes a long way?" Her feathers are ruffling, fet, really rolling those natural twenties in charisma today, aren't we, H.B.? "I-I was paying attention," yup, sputter that out. "I just got distracted by those mangoes is all." Fetting fet, H.B., you've been wearing these stupid saddlebags for like what? Four-ish months? You’d think that you’d realize that you can’t adjust it like you could with a standard backpack! Rocking your... backside isn’t going to do anything!
She gives me a small smile. "It's ok." Then, as if she's sensing my discomfort with my saddlebags, she lifts a hoof and adjusts them a little.
"Uhm, thanks."
"You're welcome," she softly replies as we continue down the path. "I'm surprised that you felt up to going to the market at all, what with you still recovering."
"I guess that tea that what's her name-"
"Robin."
"Right. Robin gave me is working wonders." Aaaand cue a small pain in the back of my throat, followed by a hash clearing and the concerned Flutter glance! "I'm fine!" I manage to squeak out. "I'm fine." I really hope she buys that. "Truth be told, I'm surprised that I got out of the house too, seeing that Fighty and Bitey were practically flooding the front yard."
"Oh?" She asks with a small chuckle of bemusement. "They were?"
"Yeah, they almost sprayed me with the hose too!" I can feel a smirk practically claw its way out. But then a thought about something small that happened comes to mind that slams a metal cage around that little expression. "I guess I was also going a little stir crazy in that big, empty, lonely house," I chuckle. "So much so that I called out that I was leaving and said goodbye to the open air. Just in case the spiders were listening. "
"Really?" Fluttershy asks, a small quiver in her voice.
“Yeah,” I huff, after a small pause. “I mean, I might as well make them feel sorta welcome in my house if they’re going to be living there, right?” I roll my eyes at the awkwardness and slice-of-life-ness that this conversation has to it. “Course, I got no answer back. Not that I was expecting anything really... I’m guessing that they aren’t going to be coming out too often to chat. Which is a shame cause like I said, the house is pretty big, empty, and, well, lonely.” Great, you’re on repeat, H.B. “Plus, maybe they could, like, assist me with little things around the house... when you’re not there.”
Fluttershy puts a hoof over her mouth and she seems to be staring at the ground intently. I’m not sure how to interpret that. Did I say something wrong? Did I-
Fet, I’m just going to ask.
“I-I mean, I’m not trying to replace your kindness or anything, it’s just that I know that you have other things to do and well... yaknow...”
“Oh, I wasn’t thinking anything like that,” She nervously replies. Fet, ‘nervous’, is there any other setting on the spectrum of Flutter-emotes?
“Uuuh, you weren’t?” I ask, giving her a glance that I hope conveys the hint that I want her to tell me what the fet is going on in that yellow mellon of hers. “Then, what were you thinking about?”
"Well, I was thinking that maybe-" she looks away.
"Maybe what?"
She takes a deep breath and turns back, her eyes wide and pleading. "Maybe we could stop by my cottage and introduce you to some of my animal friends!"
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Heartbreak stopped dead in her tracks, a bewildered expression practically splattered on her face.
"Uhm," she began once her senses returned. "Fluttershy," she took a deep breath. "I don't have to point out w-why that is clearly a bad idea, do I?"
Fluttershy pensively dug the tip of her hoof into the ground. "Well...it's not a really bad idea..."
"Fluttershy..." Heartbreak once again, began through a harsh drawing of breath that once exhaled, came out as a lamentive sigh. "The animals hate me...they all hate me..." she quietly said her head drooping down.
"I wouldn't say that they hate you," Fluttershy said, craning her neck down in an attempt to regain her eye contact.
"Just that they really, really, really, really, really, really, really don't like me?" Heartbreak asked in a mock attempt to imitate Private Pansy.
"W-well, that's not entirely true. Some of them are more tolerant of you..." Fluttershy replied, trailing off towards the end.
"Great. They tolerate me." Heartbreak almost hissed, sarcasm nearly dripping off every word.
Fluttershy suddenly found herself at a conflicting crossroads.
Before her was what felt less like a pony and more like a wounded creature forced to wear a pony's skin.
‘Really, that is what she is...’ She thought moving to lift a comforting hoof to the tan mare's shoulder, only to jump back as they took a deep breath and muttered something under their breath.
Be honest with yourself, H.B. Isn't that what A.J. taught you? Heartbreak looked at Fluttershy out of the corner of her eye before looking down and shaking her head. "I apologize, Fluttershy. It's just...I guess...I'm scared." She finally admitted.
"Of the animals?" That much is obvious, maybe a little reassurance will help. Fluttershy thought to herself. "You don't have to be. As long as I'm there, they'll be on their best behavior."
"I-it's not just the animals." Heartbreak replied, shaking her head. She then snorted and rolled her eyes. "I've had interactions with animals before- Owlowiscous, Winona, even Angel-and... it's not the way that they brandished their talons or bared their teeth, a-and believe me," she said, shaking her hoof and staring at the ground. "Those are very strong deterrents."
"Then what is it?"
"I-It's the look in their eyes" Heartbreak finally said after a pregnant pause. "The way that-" she huffed. "I mean, we've been over this. They know I'm not from... here." Looking down, she kicked a small pebble near her front hoof. "It's that glare of rejection and this might sound melodramatic, but..." her eyes closed tightly, and a pained expression flickered over her face. "I don't believe in myself enough to think that I could face that again and again."
Sympathy pangs caused Fluttershy's feathers to twitch as she heard Heartbreak speak so earnestly.
After all, how many times had she been so unsure of herself? How many times had she been afraid to take any steps towards something? How often had she lacked the self confidence to overcome her fears?
‘But then, I had my friends to give me that gentle push of confidence that I needed…’ she thought holding a hoof over her mouth.
Heartbreak let out a small chuckle. "Hearing it said out loud? It sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it?"
"I-I believe in you..." Fluttershy said, the words exiting her mouth before she even had a chance to stop them. 'And by that blank expression, maybe I should have!' "I'm sorry!" She began, tumbling over herself as she entered apology mode. "Was it wrong of me to say that?"
"N-No!" Heartbreak replied after shaking herself out of what seemed like a momentary trance. "Not at all. I just wasn't expecting it is all."
"Are you sure that it wasn't bad?"
"No-I mean, yeah!" Heartbreak exclaimed. "It's just like I said, I wasn't expecting it." She paused and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I don't think any of you six have said that before. Least, not that I can recall."
"Really?" Fluttershy asked, her voice tainted with disbelief. "Given the situation, I would have thought that they would be more encouraging."
"W-Well, they have been encouraging in their own ways, " Heartbreak replied shrugging. "Twilight was like, 'Let's do this!' While Applejack pretty much told me the answer from the start. And Rarity?" She rubbed the back of her neck. "The less said about her way of teaching, the better."
"Oh? What happened? It wasn't bad was it?"
"N-No," Heartbreak replied nervously, realizing that she just stepped in a conversational pitfall she had been trying to avoid. "She was just trying to bond with me over subjects I had no interest in."
"Oh." Fluttershy sadly replied.
Heartbreak flinched at the shift in tone. "That's not to say that they were terrible teachers or didn't have any insight. I mean, I learned a lesson from each of them. So they have had to be doing something right." she said, looking away. "If I had anything to complain about, it would be that they were a bit pushy."
"Pushy?" Fluttershy's eyes went wide. "Uhm, I'm not being pushy, am I?"
Heartbreak's eyebrow raised as she looked at Fluttershy, clearly perplexed at the question. "What?" She nervously chuckled. "No, of course not."
"Because we can always do this tomorrow, it is getting late after all!" She exclaimed anxiously.
"Fluttershy, it's fine! Really! You're not pushy at all!”
“A-are you sure?” She asked, anxious twitches causing her flight feathers to flicker about.
"Yeah." Heartbreak paused and looked down at the two paths. A fly buzzed around her head before getting swatted away by an involuntary ear twitch. "You know what? Fet it. Ok."
"F-fet it?" Fluttershy repeated questioningly.
"Right, you’re going to have to excuse me, I was starting in the middle of a thought,” Heartbreak replied, dragging a hoof across the side of her face. "It’s a bad habit I got from my grandpa. What I meant was, 'Ok, let's do that thing you were suggesting.’ Let's go to your cottage and you can introduce me to your animal fffriends.”
Fluttershy's eyes widened and she practically pranced in place. "Really?"
Heartbreak gave the pegasus an uneasy chuckle and rolled her eyes. "Sure why not? I mean, you said that you believe in me and as long as you're by my side, the animals will be on their best behavior, right?"
Fluttershy nodded excitedly. "Oh yes, of course!"
"Then, ok," Heartbreak replied gesturing towards the cottage path. "Lead the way before I regain my sanity and change my mind."
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An update? What black magic is this?
9744311
And my patience have been awarded. Thank you for a glorious chapter pal
9850375
*stuffs evil robes into wardrobe*
And then Heatbrake was eaten by a bear.
:3
Congrats on another feature!
Always nice to read the a new chapter for this fic.
Thanks for the update!
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Heh... closet.
Nice to see an update so soon after the last one, I hope this is the start of a trend for you again, I feel that the plost is finally going somewhere this time. Keep it up.
I have to ask, when did they all make that assumption? Because HB is prevented from actually telling anyone what happened to her at all and I don't recall anyone piecing everything together from what meager clues there are.
HB is definetly skirting things to be nice. After all, they're friends with Fluttershy and she might get upset if she finds out they haven't actually taught HB anything. Applejack just didn't like HB and punished her with physical labor for not telling AJ what she wanted to hear. Rarity kept giving HB things and pushing her into situations she didn't want to be in because it was "generous" to do so, but Rarity didn't actually consider what HB wanted, thusly shaming HB into accepting what she viewed as being forced into Rarity's debt. Mark my works, she's going to come around one day wanting to be repaid for her "favors". Twilight ironically taught her by not trying to teach her. Not any particular lesson, but just being supportive and trying to get her out of the house.
Though I still think these "lessons" are a total farce, Celestia wanted to execute HB from the start and all her reasoning for both that and these "lessons" is bullshit.
Edit: and the fact nobody seems to question the Princess for her nonsensical sentance on someone who hasn't actually commited any real crimes itself makes no sense. I get she's a monarch, but just up and declaring HB evil and saying she needs to die makes no damn sense. Why not just blast her with the Elements of Harmony? The only real reason I can think of for these lessons is that Celestia intends to say HB fails and then have an excuse to kill her.
I have to ask, when did they all make that assumption? Because HB is prevented from actually telling anyone what happened to her at all and I don't recall anyone piecing everything together from what meager clues there are.
This is Fluttershy's assumption. All the ponies know is that she wasn't a pony. And any being that isn't a pony is a being
HB is definetly skirting things to be nice. After all, they're friends with Fluttershy and she might get upset if she finds out they haven't actually taught HB anything. Applejack just didn't like HB and punished her with physical labor for not telling AJ what she wanted to hear. Rarity kept giving HB things and pushing her into situations she didn't want to be in because it was "generous" to do so, but Rarity didn't actually consider what HB wanted, thusly shaming HB into accepting what she viewed as being forced into Rarity's debt. Mark my works, she's going to come around one day wanting to be repaid for her "favors". Twilight ironically taught her by not trying to teach her. Not any particular lesson, but just being supportive and trying to get her out of the house.
Though I still think these "lessons" are a total farce, Celestia wanted to execute HB from the start and all her reasoning for both that and these "lessons" is bullshit.
I hope these thoughts don't stop you from reading in the future...
I absolutely love this series!
Always great to see an update! And it seems we're getting to the point where HB meets the animals, which seems to be what the story's been building to, so far!
If heartbreak could be the next discord... would celestia be mad if her hour glass eventuly led to hearbreak acending to a alicorn princess of chaos with discord powers. probs not gonna happen but would be funny
Honestly I don't know if I've said this before but if I was in H.B.'s place I would ask celestia to just kill me if I fail because having everything I am erased is worse in my opinion
Glad to see this updating!
Damn I missed this. Glad I checked.