My Little Fortress: Dawnpick

by Paaaad

24: Stiletto's Old Cloths

Flux wanders around the trade depot, doing some window shopping and checking to see if anypony had mailed him anything. The various things the traders brought were either completely outside his price range or totally unfathomable, often times both. Just as he starts to think he should head off to do something else, he notices a large package in the mail pile. Curiosity getting the better of him, Flux takes a closer look and see it's something for Stiletto!
'Huh, I wonder who'd send her something like this? I might as well take it to her, I don't think she comes to the depot often.'
He carefully heft the box onto my back, relieved that it feels fairly light, and head to Stiletto's apartment. In just a few minutes, he finds himself knocking on her door.
"Stiletto? It's Flux! It looks like somepony mailed you something. Are you in?"

Stiletto was using a bucket to wash her self again, oh when will there be a well. She had just pored the water down her back when a knock came at the door
"Flux? I am in, let your self in please. I am drying my mane."
A blast of hot air magically erupted across Stilettos' back.

Flux carefully open the door.
"Ah, ok. Somepony left this... for... you...?"
He stands in the doorway, staring, as Stiletto's mane billows in the artificial wind and makes her look stunning. After a few moments, the thump of the package hitting the floor after sliding off my back snaps him out of it. Blushing furiously and keeping his eyes on anything but Stiletto, he enters and closes the door.
"Er, um... you got this, uh, package? I, uh, decided to... bring it here for you?"

Stilettos' eyes light up and smiles broadly
"That was so very thoughtful." *She brought her head down to Flux and kissed him on the cheek* "So, what is in it, did it say who it was from? Oh tell me please.... Flux?"

Flux nearly topples over in surprise at the peck on the cheek, but somehow manages to stay upright.
"Um, I-I couldn't t-tell who it's from. I c-could only make out your n-name on it."
'Settle down, Flux! She's your friend, stop worrying her!'

"Could not tell? Oh, is it in Highpony? That would mean it is from Deutschmienland."
Stiletto finally looks at the package itself. It was about the size of a bin, but light. She took the string and paper off of the bin with magical precision, placing it in a near by pile. Yup that's a bin alright. She removed the lid and looked inside.
"My dresses! My old uniforms! These are my close from home!"

Watching Stiletto happily dig through the bin helps Flux to relax some.
"Um, your old clothes? Who sent them?"

"It must have been my Uncle Harpsichord. Only he would remember me way out here."
Stiletto tried on each different outfit as it came out of the bin as she was talking. Magically putting on hats, dresses, long boots, and capes of fine cloth or leather.

Stiletto's happiness with her new, er, old clothes is too infectious, and Flux begins to smile. It starts small, but slowly widens as she keeps acting happy as a school filly.
"Oh wow, does everypony wear clothes like that where you come from?"

"Yes, cloths are so beautiful, and they are made for each pony on special order so they look as good on them as possible."
Then Stiletto pulls a fine red silk dress from the bin, if is far too small for her and there are no wing holes. Stiletto appears to be stunned by it's very presence
*Her eyes tearing up* "Why..."

"Oohh, that's a nice one," Said Flux, "It looks too small, though. Do you think you could return it for one that fits?"

Stiletto clenches her teeth so hard them might brake as she tries in vain to hold back the tears. She strikes the bin with the side of her foreleg, causing it to flip upside down.
*Closing her eyes as they flood over with tears* "wie bin ich immer noch so dumm?!"
She drops the dress and just stands there, too upset to move.

Flux jumps backwards when she kicks the bin, confused at what might make her so upset. Cautiously, he approachs her to put a hoof on her leg.
'Wie bin ich immer noch so dumm? Why is... something... so dumb? She's not dumb...'
"Stiletto?"

"mein Vater! mein Vater! mein Vater! mein Vater!"
Stiletto stomps the floor each time she says the phrase
"It is her dress! Hers! He knew what it meant! das gemeine, elend, Entschuldigung für einen Hengst! He would do this to me!? Even now!? So far away!? Why!? Does he still hate so much?! Always he his hate!? Ich wollte nur einmal für sein glücklich!"
Stiletto collapses onto the dress and blubbering sobs into it.

'Her... Vater? And... probably something unflattering about a relative. Wait, crying?!'
Shaking with nerves, Flux gently lays a foreleg over her withers.
"Are... are you alright, Stiletto? C-can you... can I help?"

"Brooks' dress." Stiletto almost wails "She... I... we..."
The giant Alicorn just can't seem to get hold of her self, so she get a hold on Flux instead. Pulling him to her neck and embracing him in her long forelegs
"I loved her, Flux." *tear drops fall like rain onto Flux as Stiletto speaks* "And she... I was too late."

Flux struggles for a moment before simply tensing up as Stiletto talks.
'Brook? Babbling Brook, the fisherpony?'
"I... I'm so sorry, Stiletto..."

Stiletto gulped in air as if she had been choking
"I am slow. If I was here sooner. Now, now she is gone," *She looks into Fluxs' eyes through a curtain of tears* "and there was nothing I could do."

Flux tears up as Stiletto keeps sobbing
"N-n-nopony can b-be everywhere, S-Stiletto. I... I wish I had s-started m-m-making traps sooner, then maybe... maybe..."

"But.. how can you?" *She gulped and sniffled* "How can you say such things?"
Stiletto rubs her neck against Fluxs' mane
"I am the o-one in the steel." *she closes her eyes once more trying to hold back the flood* "Der Knochen Brechen Monster."

Trembling, and with tears freely flowing, Flux reachs up to gently run a shaking hoof through her hair, trying to calm her.
"Y-you're not a m-monster, Stiletto."

Stiletto shudders but tries to encourage the gentle petting she is receiving.
"Do you.. Do you.. do you really think that?"

"I... I know it, Stiletto." Said Flux.

"When they called me monster, she made them stop."
Stiletto started to breath more regularly, while holding Flux like someone will take him away.

"I... I wish I had g-gotten to know her." Flux said, "She... she sounds l-like a great p-p-pony."

Stiletto bends her neck to whisper softly into Fluxs' ear
"She was kind, and beautiful, and determined. Things I wanted to be. You would have loved her too."

"She... she sounds a lot l-like you..." Flux replied.

Stiletto raised her head and looked into Fluxs' eyes deeply, then she moved in and kissed him the same way.

'I...what...Stiletto...?'
Fear, relief, happiness, unease, guilt, unworth and more wage war. It's all to much for Flux to handle, and he passes out with the sweet taste of Stiletto's lips still on his.

Stiletto pulls away slowly from Fluxs' passed out form, and then snuggles right up next to him and wraps him in a wing.
'So viel mehr als Art'
Stiletto lay her head down into Fluxs' mane and fell asleep just so.

Flux fidgets slightly in Stiletto's embrace as he dreams.
Dawnpick lay before him, idealized and safe. No need for traps, for walls, for moats. There are a few ponies in shining armor, sworn to protect and brave and strong, though there is little sign they would ever need to fight. He sat at an overlarge smelter, filling a giant crucible shaped like the one on his flanks. As he finishs and send it into the smelter, Stiletto approaches. She towers over Flux; tall, majestic and beautiful. And not alone. At her side is a blue mare with green hair, just as tall and regal as Stiletto. Everything she deserves.
'Mein klien hengst' says Stiletto, 'This is Brook, mien Love!'
They share a loving kiss and start to walk away. He tries to follow, but they gain distance no matter how fast he gallops. Stiletto glances over her shoulder and sees Flux running all out to try to follow her.
'Sorry, klien hengst. She is my Love, you are freund.'
With that, they begin to vanish from his sight, laughing and totally in love, not needing a simple smelter like Flux. Steel ingots rain down, forming a wall to finally rob him of seeing Stiletto. As the dream starts to fade into the darkness of deeper slumber, the last thing he sees is Stiletto; laughing with her true love.

Stiletto is shaken awake by Fluxs' movements. She strokes his mane with the side of her head and starts singing softly.

In deiner Schöpfung Himmel tat Dekret

Das in deinen Armen süßer Tod wohnen zu

tief stille vervollständigen

Schwarzer Samt Meer

Die Sirenen sind für mich ruft

Meine Seele gerettet denken "Dieses Lied ist eine Lüge"

Sand am Ufer ist so trocken,

tief stille vervollständigen

Schwarzer Samt Meer

Die Sirenen sind für mich ruft

Das Alter wird sagen: "Dieser Dichter Lügen"

Himmel nie berührt irdisches Gesicht

Das Alter wird sagen: "Diese Nacht gehörte uns"

Gesegnet mit der Deep

Die stille die vervollständigen

The quiet singing gently draws Flux back to consciousness and he opens one of his eyes as she draws the song to a close.
"St-Stiletto? What... was that song? It was so.. beautiful..."
He closes his eye and snuggle into her side, enjoying the warm softness of her wing and not quite aware that this isn't another dream.

"It is a song one sings to calm their Freundin as they sleep."
Stiletto nuzzles Fluxs' mane and kisses his head
"You are a good... pillow? is that the word?"

Drifting in a state of only slight-consciousness, Flux murmurs a response.
"Mmm, I think so... You're a good bed... and blanket... and pony..."

"Then rest on me, meine süße Art und Freundin."
Stiletto leans into to place a goodnight kiss on Flux.

Flux sleepily returns the kiss, murmuring a few last words before sleep claims him for the night.
"Mmm, better... than... last... dream..."

Stiletto places her head back down on Flux and close her eyes
"ja ... viel besser."

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