Portals: Paradox (Book 2 in the Portals Series)

by The Derpy Doctor

Ketchup

Kevin dressed in his room. He started by putting on a button-down shirt and a bowtie. He attempted to find pants, but failed. Apparently there were no pants in Equestria at this time. Perhaps not at all. Kevin searched his school closet for a jacket to make the outfit a tuxedo, but found none. As so, he looked towards friends for one. Although unlikely, there might have been a mixup in the laundry and his suit is possibly in a girl’s room. Even if it weren’t in a girl’s room, he wanted to see Fluttershy again before the dance. He wandered the halls to her room and knocked. A whining reply came telling him to let himself in.

Kevin opened the door and stepped hoof in the small bedroom. In the corner was the yellow pegasus half-dressed in her own dress. She didn’t appear to be sad, but her voice at the door was self-evident that that reality might not be so true.

“Hi there, Fluttershy,” Kevin said in a questioning tone, “I was just wondering if you had a suit… jacket,” He stumbled on the last syllables as he wondered to himself about how weird a question he had asked. It was worth a shot, though. She’d already said yes to going with him. What’s the worse that could happen?

“I have one.” Fluttershy said pointing her hoof at the closet a bit of worry coming into her already high-pitched voice.

“Is something wrong?” Kevin asked.

“No,”

“No,” Fluttershy attempted a lie.

“I know something’s wrong,” Kevin tried.

“It’s just… I don’t know what to wear.” Fluttershy ducked again under her hair and blushed from embarrassment.

Kevin dropped the conversation before hoof and brought himself over to the mare in the corner.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Fluttershy. It is easy to get concerned over Your clothes on a day like this,”

Fluttershy’s eyes tensed and confused. Kevin had only to tell her one thing.

“You wear whatever you think is best,” Kevin told, “It doesn’t matter that strongly. I know whatever you choose, you’ll wear it well enough.”

Kevin emphasized his confidence in her by smiling. At that time, Kevin went for the suit in the corner of the room in the closet.

Fluttershy still worried about him. Her school bullies were very cruel. Maybe there was one that had decidedly became friends with her so as to crush her spirit with betrayal. Kevin had proved himself above such a stunt, but it still remained the option that he was here to displease her.

“Kevin?” she started towards him.

“Yes?” Kevin asked.

Fluttershy, having realised what she was going to ask would make for a fight she did not want to happen, declined. “Nothing. Silly question.”

Kevin left the room telling the mare thanks and good luck.

The dance would start soon.

“It didn’t feel right,” said Hooves to Dumbbell.

“I know it didn’t. He could fly just like us. He could have been one of us,” Dumbbell responded.

“I know that.” He then hesitated to himself. “It’ll all be over soon, though. He won’t stick around after tonight. Especially during summer flight camp. We’ll be there, right?”

“Of course. You think we would stay away from that. We are so allowed here after the normal school year is over. We’ll be there.”

Kevin walked the halls in his best clothes. The floor that they said the dance would be on was a few feet ahead (if that were the correct measurement in Equestria. Maybe it was hooves) Kevin trudged forward and thought on his success. He had gotten by far the most beautiful character at the school to go with him. The chances of this happening to him on earth were a whopping: zero to none. Perhaps he was bringing his mind to wish and hope that this was going to show up. She was not fond of being around so many people in a room doing something like this. Kevin managed his way through the entrance to find that Fluttershy wasn’t there. But there was still time. He could wait. He believed in her she’d make it here by herself. She wouldn’t let him down.

The day dragged on and Kevin continued to stare at the entrance: hoping that she’d show up for him. That she’d be here and that he could heal her through a good night out. So he waited and waited.

Fluttershy was in her room: glaring at her reflection. Pretty? She supposed not. She didn’t want to be considered so. It would attract attention to her.Attention that she didn’t want. She gave it her best efforts. She had to try for Kevin. He was probably the only other pony to accept her. That was discluding her parents, but she could probably forget about them appreciating her after she got her cutie mark in taking care of defenseless animals. Kevin would accept her if she appeared to the dance in any clothing whatsoever. She wouldn’t Fluttershy attempted to open the door several times, but she stopped herself and sat down to examine herself. She was done, now. What else was there to do? She still couldn’t go. She sat under those conditions.

A knock echoed on the door. Fluttershy turned and guessed to herself that is would be Kevin.

“Come in.” Fluttershy moaned.
The door opened. Fluttershy’s eyes widened when she found the figure to be Rainbow Dash.

“What are you doing in here?” Rainbow questioned.

“Oh, I was…” Fluttershy muttered.

“You got to be out there. People want you to show up.” Rainbow explained.

“Really?” Fluttershy announced.

“Yeah. I’ve hear Kevin is waiting very anxiously for you. Even Dumbbell and Hooves are.”

Fluttershy was filled with warmth at the thought that Kevin was there for her. She liked him strong enough for this to be a scene for her, but the thought of the other two made her shake in fear. Perhaps they were anxious because they want to be her friend, but Fluttershy questioned those thoughts to the point that they were mostly silent.

“Come on, Fluttershy. It’ll be fun.” Rainbow explained.

Fluttershy got off her chair.

“What if they laugh at me?” Fluttershy complained.

“They won’t! You look beautiful,” Rainbow reassured her.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Fluttershy said below her voice so that Rainbow dash couldn’t hear her.

Kevin was just about ready to go ahead back to his room. Or maybe he’d just start dancing without her. He looked at himself and realised that he should probably just go to her room to help her out as friendly as he could.

He got up from his chair to go the door. Only to find that his date stood right there. He didn’t recognise her as quickly as he’d imagined. She had her hair laced up with several flowers that seemed to shine like the brightest of stars. Her mane pulled back and arched across her back before bending off to the side and flowing down the side of her neck. It dipped as to almost reach the ground. Her dress was white with several stitching patterns used to hold the front to the back. Each pattern was used differently. Most of them were used to draw out a colorful array of designs that made the dress all the more intricate. Her tail was tied back in the same way as her mane and her eyes shone with a bit of excitement and a bit of dread. Her entire expression was as if she were happy, but not happy on her own. As if she were just cheered up by a friend and that she longed the attention of only one individual that she knew cared about her more than any other.

Kevin’s impressions were all made in less than a heartbeat (which in his case was longer than most; He skipped one just looking at her). He walked the distance to be at her side. As doing so, he thought about what a short distance it were. That he would only have to walk this far to be with her. He would walk so much farther. He would walk for miles. Even so, he wished he could say the same thing about Twilight. She was worlds away. He might not see her again for until Summer flight camp is over. He had to be there for this pony above another. So Kevin walked across the gym. He walked and smiled about the short walk that he would walk over and over just to see her face again.

Twilight wasn’t worlds away. Just one. She stood at the end of the portal and prepared herself for a home that took place a long time ago.

Kevin held the mare’s hoof in one arm and held her shoulder in the other.

Fluttershy blushed at her partner. He was very experienced at this. Fluttershy had never been to one of these and felt awkward being here. Not to mention the matter that Kevin was very close to her and she was more than a little excited to be in his arms. She was also embarrassed. She was beautiful. Everyone took turns looking at her. She felt scared and ashamed. She almost forgot about her partner.

“Fluttershy?” Kevin asked when Fluttershy’s gaze failed to meet his.

Fluttershy looked back up at him: her eyes revealing her cautions. Her big eyes almost seemed to reach out and speak to him. As if to tell him what was wrong.

“Fluttershy, I won’t let you get embarrassed. If we fall over, it’s my fault, okay?” He hesitated before concluding. “I’ll lead. No one will judge you.”

Fluttershy was reluctant to believe his words. It was very difficult to not get judged at a social event. Kevin was one of the more likely people to judge her on paper. He was able to fly just fine. That alone was enough to make him a bully at the school. Not to mention, no matter how he tried, it was difficult to get friends. Fluttershy guessed that it was just that way for everyone nice. In any case, Fluttershy believed him. She could trust Kevin. She loved him.

Her thoughts almost made her giggle. “I don’t love him.” She lied to herself. The evidence was overwhelming and even so, the thought was held inside of her head in a subconscious state.

Fluttershy had essentially blacked-out on Kevin’s face and was thinking too much about her thoughts: thinking too much about how right now she was judging him and about her own thoughts and her own feelings about him. She had neglected to see that the stallion had already started counting down from three to begin dancing. She came back to reality as Kevin finished on “one.” With such an unexpected start, she stumbled and tripped in the first few seconds.

Kevin didn’t mind. He looked into the mare’s sweet eyes. They identified gentleness and hospitality. In them, Kevin saw himself. She was a lot like him. This was different, though. She was someone that he loved beyond reason. He loved each of the characters this way, but even much more with Fluttershy and even more so with Twilight. Kevin stopped leading when Fluttershy tripped a second time and he straightened her up.

“Are you okay?” Kevin asked in his most gentlecolt tone.

“I’m fine,” Fluttershy lied again. She was cluttered up with many thoughts her own values on her own life interfered with her opinions and what to do and Kevin was counting on her this very moment. Fluttershy looked back into Kevin’s eyes. She was not ready to dance. She had too much on her mind.

“Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy’ gaze hit his entire face as he spoke. She knew now: looking into his caring eyes that he cared. She could see the emotions bleeding through to concern in his face.

“You put your eyes on on mine and forget anything that you’re thinking about, okay? This seems weird, but you’ll get it. I know you will.”

Again, Fluttershy trusted Kevin and put her hooves back into position and prepared herself: thinking of nothing, just Kevin. And when Fluttershy looked down, she was dancing along with Kevin. That was the best part of the night. That she realised she could do this all night. That She was wanted by somepony.

Hours passed. Fluttershy thought those hours mere moments before the voice finally got over the speakers to do the announcements.

“Hello, Cloudsdale Students! Welcome to the student-only dance. We all came here for a good time, and because we are he here for that reason, Let’s announce the queen of tonight’s dance.”

Kevin held only one of Fluttershy’s hooves as each of them stared at the announcer: She was just a short mare that stood not far from the edge of the stage.

Kevin eyed the mare suspiciously. She didn’t look like she was up there for all of the right reasons.

The mare opened the envelope and read the paper aloud to the gym full of people.

“Fluttershy!” She shouted into the microphone. He teeth went over her bottom lip and her eyes flushed as if she had expected her to be the queen. The mare then got off of the stage bringing the crown with her. Kevin watched as the timid filly made her way up the stage to accept the award. She hardly moved. The whole way, she looked at the floor and made a short duck-face.

Being the best that he could be, Kevin escorted the mare to the stage and let her crawl the rest of the way onto it. Kevin waited at the bottom of the stairs.

Fluttershy made her way to the tip of the wooden stage and made a toe reach for the plastic crown. Something about the entire incident bringing deja-vu and curiosity into Kevin’s mind. He recognized the scene, but not enough to know what was about to happen.
It finally hit Kevin at the last second. Fluttershy had reached out her shaking hoof to grab the small prop and place it on her head when the bucket fell.

Kevin witnessed the filly’s expression go from shy to devastated.

A large dose of syrupy condiment was quickly flushed all over Fluttershy’s head. It ran down her back and all over her dress. Her beautiful hair was caught victim and when the entirety of the contents were emptied from the bucket, Fluttershy’s body was plainly covered in red ketchup. Her eyes burned with a combination of tears and red tomato.

Kevin ran to the stage. He knew that even if he were not part of the people that did it, he’d still get some distrust from Fluttershy.

Kevin was more of a poetic guy than a fighter. He knew he could do the littlest thing that would mean so much more than the big. He hugged the quaking mare: getting the condiment all over himself and all over his nice clothes. He whispered in Fluttershy’s ear as he did so. “It’s okay, Fluttershy, I’m here. They won’t hurt you.” Fluttershy’s tears streamed down her face and down her mane. The mane that she had worked so hard on. The night that she had worked so hard on was just destroyed. Kevin tore the microphone from the mare in the audience below and brought it to his face.

A few words can be of more meaning than anything. They can do more damage, they can bring more people up. The thing with short speeches, is the more small they are, the more meaning is packed into it. Kevin demonstrated his hate for this act, his defense against everything right that he would do and was doing, and all his love in single sentence. He demonstrated the right thing to do.

“It’s on me, too.” He examined before dropping the mic on the floor in front of the filly below the stage.

He turned to the silent mare that had already started making her way to the stairs at the edge of the stage. He reached his right hoof around her now red back and guided her back to her room.

Kevin himself was holding back tears. The matter that something like this happened was against every thought in his head. He recognized that the scene looked much like one from Pony.mov (hotdiggetydemon). That part wasn’t funny when it was fiction. Now the scene was completely below him.

Kevin walked her to the door to her room before taking his hoof away from her shoulder and giving her a sincere hug. The moment was unbearable. She quaked under the shock from a few moments ago. The thought of such a shy girl with such sensitive emotions being treated that way. The brutal tormenting of one of his greatest models was far below Kevin’s standards.
He took a few moments to complete the hug before pulling away and opening the door for her.

Fluttershy didn’t respond. She took her time walking into the room with a sad expression.

Kevin closed the door, gingerly wishing her a good night (stupid request given the circumstances).

As he did so, he slowly watched the silhouette of a slightly larger pony come into his line of view. The pony was a stallion with a sky-blue coat and a deep blue mane.