• Published 14th Nov 2014
  • 4,578 Views, 936 Comments

My Little Heartbreak: More With a Kind Word and a Hard Hoof - Jet_Black1980



When Heartbreak falls ill, Fluttershy takes it upon herself to not only make sure she gets better, but afterwards try to teach her a lesson about kindness! But things are easier said than done, especially with the animals giving H.B. an evil eye...

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Anything but 20/20

Chapter 19:

Anything but 20/20

“Sssooo... How about it, Angel?” Heartbreak asked with all the self-assurance of a newbie used-cart sales pony that had yet to be corrupted by shady business practices. She then proceeded to lift a hoof and stretched it out to less than a two hoof pace towards the terrifiedly transfixed little rabbit. “T-truce?”

Up until that moment, Angel had stood, frozen, his mouth agape, the smallest of trembling whimpers fighting their way out of his throat. However, after what to Heartbreak seemed like an olive branch being extended, did Angel come back to his senses and a loud squealing sound came emanating out of him.

As he turned in an attempt to flee from the invading appendage. However, the very ground and his own feet were conspiring against him in a bid to force him to say and bare witness to this ever darkening messenger of death!

But he would not go quietly. No!

He was Angel-Bunny! El-ahrairah Be Praised! And a few solid kicks showed the ground as he burst forward towards the safety of his burrow in the cottage! Everything would be fine!

But wait, it wasn’t, a voice in the back of his mind said.

What about the Yellow One?? What about his pony?! What about his Fluttershy!? He could not leave her with stuck a horrid ghast!

With a sharp turn and lightning fast reflexes, Angel made a u-turn and sped up behind Fluttershy’s tail, so fast, that she barely had time to even react with a startled eep!

“A-Angel?” She stammered, her light frame being pushed a full nine centimeters forward.

Heartbreak’s ears fell down and her eyes went wide and sad. “I-I’m not that scary am I?” She asked, her bottom lip looking as if it was fighting the urge to quiver.

Angel’s head slowly turned and he looked directly at Heartbreak, his eyes widening ever further, his limbs trembling and his ears limply draped on either side of his head. Stumbling once more, he could only reply with a high pitched scream before panicky scampering back towards the cottage. This time without any hesitation in his gait.

“I guess that would be rabbit speak for ‘yes’.” Heartbreak grumbled, defeat painted on her face as she slumped down.

“Ooooh,” Fluttershy began, her wings flickering anxiously. “That’s not good..”

Heartbreak rolled her eyes and silently sighed to herself. “Why would you ever say that, Fluttershy?” She asked, only putting the barest effort in covering up any sardonic overtones.

“Bunnies usually don’t scream like that,” Fluttershy replied, her hoof nervously hovering in the air as she seemed completely oblivious to Heartbreak’s use of sarcasm. “Well, not unless something has seriously hurt or terrified them.”

“And that something being me...” Heartbreak said, voice barely audible over the sound of her crumbling self-worth.

“What?”

Heartbreak’s face jolted and she forced a smile. “N-nothing,” She replied giving a small chuckle. “Nothing.”

Fluttershy covered her mouth with the bottom of her hoof and her eyes darted between her student and the cottage where her beloved Angel was. Most likely hiding beneath a table, no, a chair? No... Her bed! That would be the safest-

“I have to go and check on him!” She exclaimed, her feathers twitching and flickering about. “To make sure that he’s ok!” she started to walk forward only to stop mid-pace and turn back to look at Heartbreak. “B-but I don’t want to make you feel like you’re being abandoned...”

Heartbreak responded oddly with a small genuine smirk on her face. “It’s fine, Fluttershy. I-I don’t feel abandoned... by you, that is...” She added.

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked concernedly.

“Yeah, I mean, Angel is your pet and you love him and if he needs your comfort, then he needs your comfort...” Heartbreak replied before a confused look came over her face. “But...”

“But what?”

“Uhm, it’s just...” She paused, frustration forming as she searched for words. “S-should I go back to my house or-?”

“Uhm, well.. Only if you want to...” Fluttershy replied, her voice cracking with sadness.

Heartbreak looked at the ground contemplatively before taking a deep breath through her nose and letting it out through her mouth.

“Are you sure that there are animals here that can tolerate something like me?” She asked, fighting the tight lump of lachrymose that was trying its hardest to come out.


“Yes... I’m sure there are...” Fluttershy finally replied after a moment's contemplation of some very difficult emotions.

“Then... I’ll be fine waiting right here for when you’re done making sure that Angel is alright. And then you can introduce me to the rest of the Zoobilee-Zoo Crew...” Heartbreak replied, once more forcing out a smile.

“Uhm..”

Heartbreak shook her head when she saw Fluttershy’s baffled look. “Don’t worry about it, just an obscure reference from where I’m from. I... do that sometimes.”

“Oh... Okay...”

Heartbreak coughed awkwardly, “You should go check on Angel so we can do this thing...”

“Right!” Fluttershy replied, quickly trotting to her home. ‘If she’s willing to make small jokes, then there’s still hope. At least that’s what Pinkie would say, right?’

=========

Oh. My. Sweet Indigo Princess on a pogo stick! What the fet was I even thinking saying something like that?!

Zoobilee-Zoo-Crew!? Great. Gonna have that song stuck in my head for who knows how long...

But seriously, how was that even the slightest bit appropriate to the given situation?! I mean, did you see the look in that rabbit’s eyes?!

Sure, Nigel and Foxiekins were plenty spooked. But Angel?!

If that squeal wasn’t bad enough, the unexpected blood curdling, little foal-baby! Baby scream was downright terrifying...

Right now, the MI side of my brain is winning points in an argument with YU about whether or not I really should go or stay waiting for Fluttershy.

“No...” I muttered out loud, shutting my eyes tightly and taking another deep breath before slowly letting it out. “There’s no need to press the panic button just yet H.B.! She said that she believed in me and you wouldn’t want to disappoint her by not being here, right?”

“Right,” I replied to myself after taking yet another long drawn breath. “So... we’ll just wait right her-”

Suddenly, there’s a rustling of something up in the trees that causes me to flinch and my heart to quicken a beat.

‘Is it the wind? A breeze? Oh, how I long for the days in which I grew excited to see any sort of fauna of any sort, beast or animal of any kind in a tree!’ Says an irrational voice in my head.

“C-calm down, Heartbr-H-H.B.” I stumble both in my words and in steps.” T-There’s no reason to worry. After all, F-Fluttershy said that as long as she was here-”

Just then, there’s a crackling of the underbrush that makes me jump at least five feet away, causing my side to tumble into a nearby tree! “Gah!”

Pulling away to stabilize myself, I hear a hollow thudding sound on the ground. My eyes darted to the source of this new disturbance.

“Twas merely something falling from my saddleb-bags, only this and nothing more...” I assure myself; after all, I did buy a lot of cucumbers and Fluttershy did stuff my hat in there and-

Hoooot-Hoooooo...

“Ooo-Kay! That did not sound like it was coming from the trees!” Great assessment, Heartb-H.B.! H.B.! “Where did it come from...” Come on, H.B., be empirical, look around!

“Cause these stupid ears aren’t telling me anything!” I mutter to myself, starting to drift back towards the wooded area from which I came. “Cause, ya know, that seems like such a safe place...”

It did, at least until the moment that I turn around and see the glowing reflection of two yellow eyes peering right back at me. This is then followed by the sound of angry chittering and the glint of sharp teeth-no-fangs in the ever darkening wooded area!

“N-Nooope! I-I’ve seen more than enough ponies to know where this could go!” I hiss under my breath.

Just then, something brushes against my leg before jumping and letting out a loud spitting noise!

“F-Flutter-Shiiiy!!” I cry out, panic gripping at my chest, forcing out a series of horse-related sounds before causing me to involuntarily rear up!

My hooves come crashing down and there’s an unexpected sensation of... something... elastic? Organic? Under my foot-hoof-Whatever!

I heard a yowling scream, see a blur of black and white, and then there was a set of sharp, cold, needle-like stabbings right in the spot above my left front fetlock.

==========

Fluttershy looked back at Heartbreak one last time before entering her cottage.

She said she would be fine,’ She assured herself, gently dismissing the urge to turn around and peer out the window of her door.

Making her way to her bedroom, Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice how quiet it was. Normally, there would be some chittering, chirping, meowing, squeaking, or squawking to greet her. But this time, there was not even a peep.

I’ll make sure that Nigel and Foxiekins are safe after this too.’ She thought, approaching her bed. “A-Angel?” She asked, leaning her head down just far enough to peek under the sheet covering the gap between where she lay her head at night and the floor.

“Are you there?”

For a moment all that could be heard was the still quiet that was permeating the cottage.

“M-maybe he’s somewhere else?” Fluttershy asked herself. “Oh... I hope he didn’t runawa-”

Just as she was going to finish her terrifying thought, that’s when the almost inaudible sounds of small paws hopped out from under the bed, connected to which of course, there was the rest of her little white rabbit.

“Oh! There you are, Angel!” She said, her voice trembling over the thought of what harm, though unintentional, she had caused him.

Angel didn’t automatically respond, instead opting to stand high, his arms at the ready to bolt just in case she had had a lapse in judgement and brought it into the safety of their home.

Satisfied after a few sniffs of the air, and of course to make doubly sure, the bunny relaxed enough to hop over to his pony’s front leg and after a moment’s pause, embraced it, all the while making a series of worried grunts, squeaks and chuffing noises.

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry.” She finally said after attempting to search her brain for the right words. “I-I knew you were afraid of her, but I didn’t know that it was that bad!” She hugged her pet tightly, all the while he continued his wulflings.

She paused and tilted her head.

“What do you mean ‘How did I get away?’”

Angel let go of Fluttershy, and peered behind her out the bedroom door. From this vantage point he could just make out a sliver of golden hued light coming through the window, but not any sign of that horrid monstrosity.

“No, Angel,” Fluttershy calmly said, replying to the trembling voice. “She didn’t let me go.”

Angel hopped past the yellow pegasus and into the living room area. Rearing up, and once more sniffing at the air, whiskers a twitch, ears perked and alert, he began to draw closer to the door, muttering all the while.

Yes. She is still out there, Angel...” Fluttershy replied, in a firm, yet nervous tone as she made her way to place herself between the bunny and the door. “I promised her that she could meet some of the other animals that are...” She paused and took a small breath in while once again, she found herself failing to find the right words for this whole situation. ”less afraid of her.”

Angel grumbled at the implications that he was in anyway afraid! Even of some unearthly spawn like that!

With a decoration of bravery, he set out to prove himself by hopping onto a chair set near the window and peering out to face the beastie... from a distance..

“Angel! You really don’t have to-”

But it was far too late, for from this vantage point, the lapine’s eyes were once more transfixed on the nightmarish ghoul outside!

“Please, Angel! Come back here!” Fluttershy pleaded, not wanting to witness yet another screaming attack.

And though Angel wanted desperately to turn and hide from the slithering mess near the edge of the grove, a part of him spied a change in the behaviors of this thing that urged him to continue watching...

The chains that wrapped themselves around it were flashing yellow, its vile head was twitching about as if some unseen foe was in the trees.

It was afraid. But what could possibly terrify such a monster?

Just then, a low hooting came from the burrowing owl’s den. It sharply turned as if to make is way back to the darkness of the woods from which it came. Only then to be confronted by something else that had it quickly turning and tumbling, its side slamming into a tree!

Something green and long falling from its side!

Is that a- cucumber? Angel thought as he watched what transpired in but a few seconds.

The tux-cat then slunk out from the underbrush and then proceeded to rub past its leg, causing the Thing to rear up!

The unfortunate feline then was not spooked by the squirming black tendrils of the monsters’ leg, but by the fallen cucumber, causing him to hiss and jump back!

The cucumber might have been averted, however the falling black ‘hoof’ thing had not!


“Come here Angel!” Fluttershy exclaimed, scooping him up before he could witness what was to come. “I know you’re scared of me spending time with H.B., but just know I’ll never let you go!” She cried holding him in a way, that but for a moment made him forget about the demon outside.

But then, there was a distressed yowling followed up with a pain filled scream from outside that caused Angel’s world to go into a state of freefall. For as this happened, Fluttershy had literally let him go.

“That sounded like Mr. Tux-Cat and H.B.!” She exclaimed, racing outside, leaving the loud shutting of the door and the sound of his bunny rump hitting the floor to be the only things comforting poor Angel-Bunny.

Once the shock wore off, he rose to his little feet, a bitter sadness in the back of his throat over the returning feelings of abandonment by his pony watching over him.

Hopping back on the chair to look out the window, he beheld his ever gentle mare comforting the beast as it lay on the ground, what looked like a pained expression on its face as it held its hoof.

Concentrating, Angel could make out snippets of the conversation. Words of concern from Fluttershy, heavy denial of pain from the thing. This was then followed by the word ‘hospital’ uttered by his pony.

More denial from the monster as it struggled to stand up, only to make was what had to be an exaggerated tumble down to the ground. This was then followed by a strained moment between beauty and the beast. A moment that ended with it conceding to Fluttershy and allowing them to assist them in getting up.

As they began walking in the direction of the pony hospital, Angel swore he could see the twisted, barn-owl heart shaped face on the creatures’ flank wink and give a most satisfied grin before wrapping a long translucent tendril around his Fluttershy...

It was within that very moment he realized that it wasn’t just his pony’s compassion that was forcing her to help this ‘thing’, but a strange magic that this vile being extruded. Something that apparently none of the ponies were even aware of!

Angel-Bunny decided- right there and then - that he would do whatever it took to show the true nature of this thing to Fluttershy. To get her to see what he was seeing.

“No matter what...” he grunted.

=========

By the time the two ponies got to the hospital, the sun had finally completed its journey to the horizon and was showering Equestria in a golden twilight hue.

“Are you sure the hospital is open this late, Fluttershy?” Heartbreak asked, her voice noticeably squeaking as she stepped forward.

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy replied reassuringly. “Or it should be, after all it’s only seven-thirty.”

“How can you tell?” Heartbreak asked, hurpling forward.

“Around this time is when the fruit bats migrate from Applejack’s orchard,” she replied. And as if on cue, when she pointed towards Sweet Apple Acres, a swath of brightly coloured bats took to the skies, thankfully, Heartbreak noted, not coming towards them.

“That’s strange,” Fluttershy said.

“What is?” Heartbreak replied, grunting a little and bemoaning the presence of the hospital stairs before her.

“I’m pretty sure that there should be more bats!” Fluttershy replied, concern in her voice. “Why, there’s a whole blue-indigo hue missing.” She lifted her hoof to her mouth. “I hope nothing terrible happened to them..”

“Yeah!” Heartbreak repled, stifling another pained squeak as she forced herself up the stairs. “That would really be terrible!” She added through clenched teeth.

Fluttershy with the bats disappearing to wherever it was that they hunted, finally caught wind of her charges’ Sysfoalus like struggle.

“Oh! I’m sorry, H.B.!” She exclaimed, rushing to Heartbreak’s side. “It was just that-”

Heartbreak held up a hoof to stop her. “It’s fine, Flutters.” She said smirking. “I understand, after all, ‘nature is fascinating’.”

Fluttershy gasped a little at what felt like a familiar phrase, but then noticed that the part of Heartbreak’s leg where her canon bones would be was looking off.

“Oh dear! H.B., your leg is looking-”

“A little swollen?” Heartbreak asked, making the final step up. “Yeah, but it’s fine.” She grimaced walking to the hospital door. “It’s not like something like this hasn’t happened to me before, and besides-” She paused, the entryway making a familiar ‘ding!’ before sliding open with a ‘whoosh!’. “I’ve been on my... hooves... for most of the day. What I really need is just some time to sit down.”

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked, staying close to the clearly hobbling pony.

“Yes,” Heartbreak stubbornly replied. As they made their way to the front desk, a sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she spied the waiting seats. However, this relief was short lived as the chair at the front desk quickly turned around to reveal who other than Heartbreak’s most favorite of staff!

“Oh, it’s you," Heartbreak grumbled.

“Yes! It is I! Nurse Robin Goodfilly! Here for the graveyard shift!” The light gray mare with amber-yellow eyes exclaimed. This time her ebony black mane looked to be neatly tied up. Which would be an improvement in her appearance, or at least Heartbreak recalled would be an improvement if it weren’t for the vagueness of the memories from the first visit.

“Goodie, goodie, gumdrops... what, they run out of needles for you to play with?” Heartbreak sardonically replied.

“H.B....” Fluttershy gently nudged. “Be nice...” The tan mare shot back with a small apt irritated half glance causing the pegasus to cower back. “Oh! Sorry...”

Heartbreak took a deep sigh. “No, I should be the one apologizing. It’s just been a really long day...”

“It’s ok...” Fluttershy said with an empathetic smile.

That’s when there was a cough that realined the ponies attention back to the front desk.

“Right,” Nurse Goodfilly began. “I don’t mean to break up this... awkwardly touching moment, buuuut, there is a reason for your visit, yeah?”

“Oh! Yes,” Fluttershy replied, nodding her head. “I’m really sorry for coming back so soon, especially with what happened last time... But-”

“Hey! It wasn’t my fault that Dr. Bad-touch couldn’t keep his hooves to himself!” Heartbreak protested. “If you were to ask me, a light concussion and a kick to the face are a small price-”

Nurse Goodfilly raised a hoof in Heartbreak’s face to silence her momentarily. “M’haps allow your friend to finish before you go on a rant about how you assaulted the staff?”

Heartbreak could only reply with a stunned, nervous silence. “Oh... yeah... I-I guess that is what kinda also happened...”

"If we're being honest, he did deserve it, but try to explain that to the higher ups..." Nurse Goodfilly said before resting her head atop her hooves while looking up at Fluttershy. “Now my dear filly, what were you going to say?”

“I-it's ok, Robin,” Fluttershy replied. "She just felt the need to say something about what happened..."

Nurse Goodfilly scoffed a little."Hmm, that's still no reason to be rude. But, moving on, like I asked before, what exactly happened?"

“Well, there was an accident at my cottage and H.B. was bitten rather hard by the cutest little tux-cat.” Fluttershy said.

“With the sharpest little teeth...” Heartbreak interjected holding up a rather inflamed looking hoof.

“Right, I see...” Nurse GoodFilly replied making sympathetic pulls of air through her teeth before tapping sharply on the front desk. “We can definitely fit you in, even this late. There is however the matter of some paperwork.” She said, pulling out a clipboard that had at least ten or so sheets of documentation and setting it down in front of the grumpy looking mare.

“Of course there is...” Heartbreak bemoaned.

“It’s what happens when you kick a doctor in the face." Nurse Goodfilly replied, rolling her eyes and wagging her hooves in the air. "Even though, as I said, he's totally deserving of it. Now, why don’t you two read over all that, and I’ll see what doctors are still available, m’kay?”

“Yeah, ok, sure...” Heartbreak replied watching the nurse walk through a set of double doors before turning her attention to the paperwork before her.

Glaring at the documents, she blinked, cocked her head before rubbing her eyes. She squinted, before blinking rapidly and rubbing her eyes. She did this several times before finally craning her neck back and forth.

Fluttershy cautiously peered over at all the fuss that Heartbreak was putting into just reading what was before her. “Uhm, H.B.?” She began, sheepishly.

“Yes?” Heartbreak replied, a hint of irritation rumbling through her voice as she narrowed one eye and then the other.

Swallowing, Fluttershy gave her pupil a concerned look. “Are you alright?”

There was a moment or two before Heartbreak replied. “Yeah, fine. Peachy. Great. The print is just... too small.”

Fluttershy looked over the words written down on the paper and didn’t think that they were that small. Then again... She watched as Heartbreak once more repeated her actions of eye-rubbing, adjusting her neck and squinting. And just then something in her mind clicked and she realized what could be wrong.

“H.B...” She bit her lip, not knowing if she should chance facing more irritated glares in asking the new question that was now bubbling in her mind based on this behavior. “Are you sure that you’re alright?”

Heartbreak sighed and rolled her eyes before giving an exaggerated neck drop sighing all the while. “Yes, Fluttershy. I’m sure I’m alright. I just guess that reading to colts and fillies has spoiled my eyesight, because, like I’ve said before, they made this print too... small.”

What do I do? Oh! If I say something about it, she’s sure to get upset! And today has been stressful enough already! But if you don’t say anything about it, she’s just going to keep suffering! She’s such a stubborn pony... But it’s understandable given her situation; she’s been hurt so many tim-

No! No more holding back your words, Fluttershy! Just be strong and ask what you need to ask!

Fluttershy swallowed,took a deep and quiet breath through her nostrils,and steeled herself for the answer to her question. “H.B.?”

“Yeaaah?” Heartbreak asked, her eyes still focused on the document.

“Do you need glasses?!” Fluttershy asked as if she was ripping off a bandage.

“No!” Heartbreak exclaimed, jumping at the suddenness of the inquiry. She bit her lip, sighed before looking at the words typed up in legaleze, squinted yet again, sighed, yet again, and shrugged. “Maaaybe,” She replied, rubbing her eyes for what felt like the eighth or ninth time. “I don’t know, what I do know is that I’m quickly running out of steam and don’t want to deal with the hassle that comes with said glasses tonight.”

Fluttershy felt some relief wash over her. ‘That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!’

“What if... I read this to you, and afterwards we can look at the glasses they have, and maybe even try some of them on?” She asked in the softest voice she usually reserved for little colts, fillies and small animals.

Heartbreak sighed. “Yeeah, I guess that’d be okay.” She replied gruffly.

Fluttershy smiled and let out a small ‘Yay.’

Author's Note:

First chapter in the year! Wanted to do it before the new year but wanted it to also be good. Here's to my editors Psychopath and Robon!
ANd to the chapter artist of this chapter Peregrin!!! I commissioned this drawing from them FIVE years ago! And now it's finally here!
Chapter art link here