A Vicious Triangle

by EternalShadow54

Chapter 1

Allow me to set the mood. Love. What is love? I, for one, have many different perspectives of the word. A cruel mistress tugging at the heartstrings of a pure harp made of the very essence of a pony. A wonderful disaster, one that both calms the nerves, yet tears at the soul. A majestic longing that can never be comprehended, the feelings of both full warmth and joy, shot down by its counterparts of emptiness and sorrow. These feelings explain what I think of love. Sounds dreary right? Heh, then again, you don't know my story. I could be wrong. You could know, picture and imagine my story just by looking at me, just by what I've said. Go ahead, pull up a chair and let's see who was right. Let me explain the story of my life and the two mares that so willingly wrote that description of love into my heart's dictionary with ease...

---

The glistening sky shone with a bright audacity, grass from the fertile earth prickling softly against my coat as I lay there thinking about my move from the early settlement of Ponyville on the other side of the Everfree. This town, Mareietta, had become my new home. It was usually quiet around, the only things to dare bother and disturb the soothing solace of the outside world being the soft singing of the blue jays, the gentle hum of insects buzzing about around the flourish flowers that littered the plains, and the lofting, almost incoherent whisper of the weaving wind as it threaded through the air, carrying with it the light rays of the summer sunshine and filling the day with its magnificent and much needed warmth.

I'm a stallion, deep forest green with a solid black mane, eyes a bright, luminous emerald. My cutie mark is that of a crimson red triangle, hair and tail roughly kempt. I have a few scars from foalhood accidents under my left foreleg, and a faint mark on my back from a time with a manticore in the Everfree. I traveled here by hoof, hoping to escape the stale, lonely life I used to live in that pitiful, dirt poor town. I hear that they've discovered something called zap apples that turn into the most delicious of jams, but I can't imagine that it'll do them much good.

The day had been running slowly, having just moved there a few days ago. The ponies around didn't seem much for socializing, appearing to take extra caution to avoid me at any expense, and even when encountered, the only response I would receive usually was an "excuse me" or something in that manner. I knew I was an outsider, invading their turf and spoiling their way of life with my unorthodox ways. I could feel their distasteful glares at they set them upon me in my exploration of the town. It was there though, the very pasture which I laid, that she came along, tripping past my vision rather clumsily. She was sniffing the plantlife, taking no notice to my presence.

She was beautiful. Truly, in my perspective, a sight to behold by any mortal eye. Her blood red mane flowed elegantly in the hands of the wind, coat the cutest hue of pink. Catching a glimpse of her eyes, I could see that they were ruby red. The mark on her flank, her cutie mark, resembled a twisted rose, completely free of all thorns and petals perfectly placed in alignment to that of flawless. Her body was slim, sleek, and appealing to anypony that dared laid eyes upon it. Without knowing that I was there, I was able to see her smile. That naturally convincing smile that, if she were to just turn and grace you with it, you would feel like all the worries of the world had just disappeared, and that you could do anything, just as long as she kept that smile faced at you.

What could I do but to just stand and admire, to watch with a jealous heart at the magnificent mare before me. In what way would she want anything to do with me? And what was I thinking? She had probably had a stallion already, possibly engaged to somepony much more deserving than I, though I would later find that assumption to be rather misplaced. I had turned my head to start off, to leave her alone in that field to enjoy herself among her and her examination of the flowers that she took so much interest in when, suddenly, I heard a small gasp, a soft shriek from behind that could only mean one thing, that she had finally lifted her sight from the earth and all its wonders to see me walking away. I froze, my muscles contracted and tensed as I listened for her to speak, to say an accusation on account of my new coming, but nothing ever came. Instead, I heard hoofsteps in my direction, and I heard her voice, her heavenly, melodious voice, lightly ensnare my attention.

"Why hello there!" She spoke with a kind of tone that only the most talented singers of all Equestria could only wish to achieve. The actual hearing nearly melted me inside. I didn't move. I'm a shy pony as it is to start with, so having a perfect mare speaking to me didn't help my case of the silent. Within my peripheral vision, I could just barely see as she continued to step towards me, that almost unbelieveable smile staring me down with its aura of self confidence. "You're the new pony around town, aren't you?" she proceeded. "Leafy Summers?"

With hesitation, I turned to see the female equine before me, her body only mere hooves away. Staring into her glamorous and sophisticated gaze, I was at a loss of words, baffled by her beauty. Her elegance, her pure and unaltered magnificence, it struck me stunned and dumbfounded. Stammering and stuttering, I was eventually able to communicate my response to the mare.

"Y-yes," I replied, nervousness vivid in my speech. Her almost plastered smile never lifted, not for a single moment, as she spoke her reply.

"Come now, you don't have to be so nervous around me. I'm Rezzly, Rezzly Reed." Even her name came off as unique, much like her personality at this point. "Has anypony else given you a show of the town?" She asked like she had already known that nopony was bothering to associate with me, but had inquired just to make sure of her precise assumption.

"N-no, they haven't." My voice trembled and quivered, shaking to the core. I could tell I was a wreck the second I saw her smile grow that little inch bigger, and she apparently was eating this state of mine up with a joyful heart.

"Well, don't worry your silly little head over it. Most ponies here are pretty shy and aren't used to having new ponies coming about. Come, let me show you around." Rezzly began her advancement past me, the beaming aura about her automatically causing myself to step on the side and allow her to lead. In honesty, I didn't really want to follow her, but something pulled at me. An invisible rope hung around my ribs were being tugged at, my body close behind the mare. She was perfect in every way so far, by my standards at least, but even by how low they were, she exceeded them exponentially and with ease. She was far too good for me, so my initial thoughts were pushed from my mind, locked away to be mocked by myself come later days, and I continued to keep in and copy the general direction of her hoofsteps.

It had only taken a minute before we found ourselves at the edge of my new hometown, the tiny village with little bustle about it. It was a rather unyielding tour, the mare wanting to see every location she had considered the best, a lake on the edge one of her more favourites. It seemed like she was doing these things just to try and impress me, showing off the gorgeous scenery and asking about me and my past life every time we stopped. I never really spoke to ponies about my past, and she wasn’t an exception. I tend to try and forget things like that. Memories are always best left memories, though many I have met in my life disagree with that statement.

After a grueling hour, she finally stopped, to my mistaking for a break. The location, however, struck me perplexed. It was a two story building, almost like the design of a mansion without the illustrious extravagance of a sunrise behind it to glorify the full wonder of the establishment, though that was the only thing missing. Every other detail fit the ticket. A marble pond of an ancient design lay center of the yard, thirty hooves away from the sterling silver gates before us that halted our journey. The hedges were decorated with random, generic pony stances, and the roadway was of the smoothest limestone one could imagine. With no time lost at arriving, she spun around from her lead and said with a gleeful expression, "Welcome to my home!"

I was aghast, taken aback and flabbergasted at the statement. "T-this is w-where you live?" My melancholy tone dispersed in that statement, for I was truly in awe at that point. To think that the first pony in this town to speak to me would be one of the most important. Rezzly just giggled at my amazement with resolve.

"Why else would I bring you here?” If she had left it at that, I wouldn’t have been able to answer. Thankfully, she didn’t. “Come on inside! I want to show you around." The first house I'm invited into, and it had to be a mansion. I wasn't in the proper mindset entering in. I figured it must have looked silly and possibly have come off rude when I stepped into the main atrium, my jaw hanging from the hinges as I took in the sight before my eyes, my own vocabulary unable to express fully the glory of the view I saw.

A diamond encrusted statuette stood proudly as the centerpiece, a stairway to the second floor above wide at its base, and narrowed as it continued upward until hitting the back wall, in which it split in two and rounded the sides. A chandelier loomed overhead, grasping tightly to the roof above as it glittered with majestic sparkling like that of a starry sky in a winter night. The room itself was painted an oceanic blue pastel, conveying and portraying a few small encryptions of a foreign language all across the walls. The floor was mosaic, a burgundy red complemented with a coffee brown littered the floor in random arrangement, appealing to the sense with greater attention than that of all the other things.

She had been born into wealth, taking over the family estate upon her mother and father's recent decease. Though I would have never considered asking her about them, or any other family, two portraits of them were placed at each side of the front double doors, the mahogany texture silky to the touch and blended quite nicely with the surroundings. Rezzly never let up her smile as she proceeded with her 'grand tour' of her own establishment, showing me every room in the house. At one time, she even took me around back to catch a glance at her garden, which had once been her mother's. When the showing was over, she invited me to stay a bit longer and have dinner with her. My first thought was to say no and be on my way before I made an even bigger fool of myself, but she looked at me with those eyes, those big, round, puppy dog eyes that nopony with a caring heart would ever be able to resist saying yes to. Against my better judgement, I agreed.

The clock struck about five in the afternoon after I accepted her offer, the outside light starting to fade behind hills of green and the sky lighting up with a bright fiery orange that could only be described in 'oooh's and 'aaah's. Watching from inside her house, outside that window, I could almost convince myself that all the sun was doing was hiding behind that hill, waiting for somepony to say 'found you' before springing back into the darkening sky with a newfound pep in its step. That was only a thought though.

I had lost track of the time watching the day tick away, her clock striking six in what felt like only a few seconds. I heard her call from a distance, a far distance as the kitchen was a few rooms away, doors both shut and open throughout. I didn't need her call to know that the food was done. I could smell it, more easily than you could pick up a pencil. It was intoxicating indeed, my mouth watering and drooling from the unidentifiable aroma.

I traversed the rooms and hallways, trying my best to navigate my way through the maze of rooms to the one that held the only bit of importance to me. Following the strength of the smell, I was finally able to find myself at the door to the dining room. Opening the door, the room had little to no more affect on me than when I had first entered the establishment.

The decor was a unique sight indeed. A maple table, rounded at the ends and edged with sharp, three prong lines, gloriously set for a feast fit for a king, sat in the middle. The four chairs followed suit in the material, yet the design were of completely different standard. They nearly glowed a slightly different color by how diverse it was to the main furniture, the rounded leg rests and pointed backs, all so strangely smooth to the touch that one could hardly believe it. The walls were acrylic green, upon which were the makings of various plant life and inhabitants of said plant, an almost jungle feel with a hint of regular forest taking the mood of the area, a few real vines hanging from the roof and the corners. The whole floor was the same acrylic color, made from carpet that was softer than a baby kitten.

I respectively took my seat, waiting on my hostess to return from wherever it was she had run off to. Rezzly seemed nice enough, but everything had to come at a price. Her sweet, dreamy voice. The wealthy lifestyle. Her tender personality. It all had to have a catch, something to help deter my thoughts of this perfect mare.

I didn't have to wait long. Only a short time passed before she nearly crashed through the door, an elegant silver platter sat upon her back, presumably the main dish. I lifted a hoof to help, but she shot me a glance that gave clear indication that help was not needed, so I stayed my hoof and watched with slight guilt as the mare struggled tediously with the setup of the table. It was like I was her first guest in years.

"I hope I didn't take too long." I felt a bit bad for her for some reason. I barely knew her, yet I felt I already could tell all her problems.

"It's fine. I wasn't waiting too long." I immediately wish I had not said that when I did, because when the words left my mouth, she instantly perked up and turned that vicious, self convincing smile upon me.

"Oh thank goodness." She sounded like the mere mention that I wasn't affected had literally been a life or death situation. "Please, help yourself."

The night dragged on like any other would, the only exception that I was spending it with a mare I hardly understood, much less could hope to know on a personal level. Rezzly had told me plenty about herself that night, about her family, how she was an only child and how she had no nearby aunts or uncles. She also told me of why nopony ever came around her house, how she thinks that everypony is just trying to become her friend since she came into the money, and after her self examination on the life she currently lived, she had the unfortunate mistake of asking me about myself.

I told her what I told everypony else that would ask, that I didn't particularly like talking about myself. At first, she seemed disappointed, cocking her head as I tried in vain to express my reasoning. Sadly, she never quite could take the hint, and pressed the matter regardless. After a few times, I just started to ignore her. Not much else was said through the rest of the meal.

When dinner was finished by the both of us, it was around nine at night. She showed me to the door with overexpressed courtesy, explaining the history of her home to me along the way. The house had been here since even before the town's construction, becoming later the base headquarters and town hall for the city. Her grandfather however, bought the property for personal use, and turned the hall into a manner, adding and expanding to it as he saw fit, thus the whole second floor and bedrooms.

We finally reached the front doorway, her historical tour and my time there over. I reached for the front door, but she opened it for me, holding the pathway clear for my exit. I turned to her and thanked her for the lovely evening. I stepped outside, a soft chill running down my spine as I left the building. I only make it a hoofstep out the door before she called me back.

"Leafy!" She ran toward me, a rather embarrassed and faintly sheepish grin on her muzzle. I stood and waited, which it didn't take but only a moment considering I had just left the door. I was only able to reply with a simple 'what' before I felt her lips touch my cheek. "Do please come back..." She quickly turned away and dashed back into her house. I was left, standing in the slight cold, a wind breezing through my hair, and my mind a completely blank.

---

I nudged open the wooden door into my fairly acquainted home, having finally won the fight over myself to move from that spot outside her yard and trudging slowly in deep processing thought. The night air did little but to only stir and advance those renderings. I'll admit, I was confused, thrown into dismay's arena with ease, and so suddenly that I could hardly believe it, which I wouldn't have if I didn't live it. My whole trip back was spent entirely on what had taken place just little over an hour ago. Understanding was all that I lacked, the only piece I was missing from this puzzle, and I knew then I was never going to find that piece, but something inside drove me to continue staring at the puzzle, to wonder what it was that I knew I was without. I knew I should have left it alone, at least until I had the part I lacked, but I was never the best at making decisions in life, so I figured that this one wouldn't fare any different.

The housing was terribly under furnished, the only two objects to complement my hardwood drawer and rough cotton rug being an even more disappointing thing I called my bed. But I didn't care. It was something if anything. The lantern outside provided my only source of sight other than the gentle ray of the moonlit sky shining dimly on the side of the building that contained only one window. The home's tacky sandal wood walls and dirt soft floor contrasted nicely, a grassy patch of clovers springing new life in a corner.

I assumed that whatever pony who owned this place before me would have made a decent friend, his tasteless appeal similar to mine by the looks of things. My mind still racked over what happened, trying with all its capabilities to comprehend the situation. For a slow and easy going pony like me, it was all very fast. After a little time and much convincing to myself that it was nothing, just a sign of friendship, I was able to change the subject on my thoughts for a short time, long enough to sleep. It wasn't however until an hour or two later, my estimation around midnight or such, that I could lay my head down for the tireless night and fidgety slumber that would later come to plague me so...

Comments

[ambion]

Not bad

As a fan of going full OC myself (and well aware the perils therein!) I say it again. Not bad

Gets a bit prosey here and there, but I like that if others don't. The writing style is a tiny bit tough to chew in places, but all in all It's a fine start to a story.

[-Brutus]

How cute, love at first sigh for Rezzly Reed eh?