Anonymous has his heartbroken once again, leading to him becoming a recluse. The only time he ever leaves his home now is either for groceries, work, or alcohol. Mostly it's for alcohol. One night, he meets a bat pony mare who needs a place to stay.
W-What did you say, Anon?" Rainbow Dash said with the most shocked and dumbfounded look that you've seen. Maybe she was just caught off guard by your question? Yeah, she probably needs to hear you say it again,
"I love you Rainbow, I have for a long time now and I felt that since today is Hearts and Hooves day...It was the perfect time to ask you." You looked on at Rainbow, still wearing a look of massive confusion her face, then, her stunned and confused look shifted into anger and rage,
"Anon no, no way! That's so uncool, we're friends, why would I want to ruin our friendship like that?!" Her loud tone made you flinch, you had never seen her so pissed before. Hesitantly, you murmured out a respone
"So that's why?" She didn't yell this time, but her voice stern and cold,
"No Anon. It's not just that, it's the fact that you aren't,"
"A pony?"
"That and the fact you aren't even athletic. I need a stallion to keep up with me, somepony that I have things in common with. And the way I see it, we hardly even relate to each other. Sorry, Anon, but no just...no." There it was, the truth. Your mind and body were brimming with sadness as you contemplated ways you could hopefully change her mind, even though her mind is made up. Looking down at the ground on the brink of tears, you grab the shattered remnants of your heart, humility and pride and made your way out of her home,
"Anon wait, we can still be friends right?" She said wrapping her hoof around your left arm, upon feeling her soft fur make contact with your naked skin sent a shiver down your spine as you turned to her. As you looked down at her you became lost in her features, those big beautiful magenta eyes, her rainbow colored mane and tail, and that cute little nose. Mustering a fake smile you respond to her question,
"Y-Yeah of course, Rainbow Dash." When she heard your answer she gave a smile.
"Cool, and not to sound rude or anything but I have to get to go to work for a night shift, aaand I'm kinda running late." You nodded and opened the door to leave, during the short trip over to Twilight's hot air balloon, thoughts bounced around in your head,
"Why can't she see past the fact that I'm human? Am I really that repulsive to her? Will she ever love me?"
"Anon!" Twilight shouted waving, you took a seat as she began to feed the hot air balloon with the much needed fire.
"How'd it go? What'd she say?" Twi asked while tending to the balloon,
"She said no." This made Twilight's ears splay back as she turned around,
"I'm sorry, a-are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. But, can you drop me off at the bar instead, I could use a drink."
"Sure." The ride was about 5 minutes but the lingering thoughts that plagued you made it seem exponentially longer. Once you got to the bar, Twilight rested a hoof on your shoulder, "Take it easy, Anon."
"No problem." You said rather flately, as you step into the bar. The bar keep turns around when he hears you sit on the stool,
"What can I get ya?" He asked, cleaning out a cup with a magically manipulated cloth. The stallion had a forest green fur coat, gasoline green eyes and a yellow mane and tail. He had a jug with three x's on the label for his cutie mark.
"Whiskey'll be fine."
"Comin' right up." He says levitating a bottle of whiskey over to a shot glass.
"Leave the bottle,"
"Hm, sounds like somepony ain't just here for the occasional drink. You got something on your mind?
"Oh, trust me I do. How much would five bottles be?"
"Hey now. I'll sell you a bottle. I don't need you running up and down Ponyville, drunk off your flank. If you want to buy in bulk, we got some quality beer."
"What do you have?"
"Hold on, give me a minute." He ducked underneath the counter for a short moment before coming up with two different 20 packs of bottled beer, "Okay, I got "Dos Equus" or Buckweiser." Buckweiser looked good,
"2 packs of Buckweiser."
"40 bits."
You set down the bits, grabbed the packs of beer and made your way towards a dimly lit booth on the right side of the main entrance. You took out a bottle and slammed the top against the table's corner, but before you could indulge in it, you heard a certain tomboyish laugh that you had come to love.
"Soarin stop!" She said playfully, slugging Soarin with a hoof. From what Rainbow Dash told you, Soarin was a member of the Wonderbolts. After he rubbed the spot Dash punched, Soarin then proceeded to take his hoof, sliding it down her back to her plot, giving it a resounding slap. She reacted by turning her head with a lustful look in her eyes, then she kissed him on the lips. When they broke from each other's lip lock, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. "You better be this eager in the bed tonight, sexy."
"Oh, you think you're ready for it?"
"You know it, stud." You watched the...couple, take a seat and ask the bartender for their drinks, you stared at them, unmoving. Your eyes did not blink, nor did you want them to. The sadness you felt was overcome by hellish rage. You wanted to walk over there, beat the ever loving shit out that pie obsessed fuckwit and slap Rainbow for telling you a half-assed lie. Instead of doing so, you managed to curb some of your anger, grab your packs of beer and walk out. Once the door closed, you turned to see them one more time through the glass. Their mouths were moving, occasional nods and smiles came here and there. They seemed so, happy together. You wanted a little bit of that too,
"I hope you like him, Rainbow Dash." It was time to go, this thing you were doing became slightly stalkerish. You backed away from the door and begun the long trek home. Who accompanied you on this journey? Your anger and sadness, Luna's night and the cold winter breeze.
You burst through your front door and slam it shut. You were righteously pissed at what had just occurred at the bar,
"She lied, she fucking lied." You snarled. Every time you thought of her and Soarin your anger soared to newer heights. With the grace of a raging bull, you trudged towards the kitchen, nearly ripping the door off of the fridge as you placed one of the cases of beer inside. With one case still in your hand, you headed towards the couch. You collapsed into the soft cushions with a sharp grunt. You wrested a bottle from the case and opened it by hitting the cap on the table's edge. You took a big gulp and grumbled, "I'll have to drink damn near the whole case to get drunk." It still tasted pretty good, but you needed something with a higher proof.
After you put the second case of beer in the fridge and finished the bottle you opened, you grabbed your things and left the house. 'Can't go back to that bar, so I guess I'll grab the stuff I need from the convenience store.' You thought as you stepped down the road.
Then a certain laugh caught your attention, you stopped hard and looked for the origin of the voice. Sure enough, you saw the two ponies. Rainbow Dash's face was flushed red. You glared at her and Soarin. They didn't know of your presence until they were 10 feet away,
"O-Oh hey Anon." She said,
"Hey." You just stared at them, fists clenched in your jacket pockets. "So, that must have been a quick shift huh?"
"Wha-oh! Yeah, you know me, a few clouds ain't nothing for Rainbow Dash!" Your mind was screaming, 'No fucking way. She really thinks I'm that stupid, doesn't she?' You found yourself grinding your teeth,
"Yeah sure, whatever you say." You continued down the road, swimming in anger. It wasn't long before you reached the store, it's neon sign buzzing loudly over the door. A bell chimed as you pushed your way in. The cashier was a rose-colored unicorn mare with dark gray hair and amber eyes, her name was Burning Star. She greeted you as you approached,
"Oh hey, Anon. What can I get you?" You looked up at the counter of spirits behind her,
"Hey, Star. Let me get a bottle of spiced rum and a bottle of whiskey." She smiled and nodded,
"Sure." The items in question levitated off the shelf and onto the counter. She scanned them and told me my price before putting the bottles in a bag. "14 bits please." I nodded and grabbed my pouch, taking some time to count the gold coins inside. Finally, I handed her the amount,
"Thanks, Star. See ya."
"Night Anon." The bells rang once more as you walked back into the night.
Once you made it home, you set the alcohol down on the table in front of the couch. You grabbed a shot glass from the kitchen and sat down. You opened the bottle of rum and poured it into the shot glass. Then, you proceeded to knock back shot after shot. You had soon lost count of how many shots you had but you were hammered.
As you sat there in your inebriated state, harmful memories began to playback.
"What an ugly looking creature."
"Why can't the Princesses send him back where he came from?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't hire you. You'll just scare away all my customers."
Even though you were drunk you began to realize how separated you were from the other ponies in town. You still got those weird looks, your manager doesn't want any ponies to see you, and now...this. Slowly, you grabbed the bottle of rum and looked at your reflection in the brown bottle. With a heavy sigh, you let it clatter to the floor,
"I'm just a ghost." That summed it up perfectly. Warm tears streaked down your face, falling onto the couch. You grabbed the rum off the floor and put the bottle to your mouth. Your drank whatever was left inside and continued to wallow in self-pity. You pull out your phone and turned on the music app. Once you hit shuffle play, a certain song came on, "Perfect. Heh, that's perfect." You let your head fall on the back of the couch. The slow guitar riffs paired with Layne's vocals more than matched how you were feeling now.
Lower than low, less than nothing. You set the bottle of rum back on the table and grabbed the whiskey. Twisting off the cap, you took more gulps. Groaning as the liquid seared the back of your throat. Your mind went back to Soarin and Rainbow Dash, "It's better that way. Dash gets the stallion she wants." It still hurt like hell though, seeing them together and finding out she had lied certainly made things a lot more complicated. You'll most likely spend Heartwarming Eve alone again. Just like you did the year before.
Unfortunately, your body decided it was time to use the bathroom. You almost fell onto the table once you got up. Luckily, you steadied yourself just in time. Stumbling towards the bathroom you did your business.
You made it to the kitchen when a wave of nausea crashed into you. Your mouth was salivating, you were gonna throw up. There was no time to make the trip to the bathroom. The only choice you had was the kitchen sink. You all but crashed into the edge as you puked. You ended up staying longer as your stomach heaved another time, sending another volley of puke inside. After assuming you were finished, you hit the switch on the garbage disposal. Turning it off a few seconds later, you pushed yourself off the edge of the sink. You took about one or two steps before you fell on your back,
"I guess I'll just lie here for the night." Was the last thing you said before blacking out.
It had been a full month since the ordeal had happened and you tried your absolute hardest to avoid Rainbow Dash. As a matter of fact, you just avoided interaction with anypony in general.
The only times you dared to leave your house was to go to work, get food, or stock up on beer. Other than that, you stayed home often. Yesterday was your last day of work for the month since the snow had begun to fall and temperatures dropped.
Today is your first day of vacation, but how were you going to spend it? In the house of course, what else what you do? Instead of waking up from the annoying rays of the sun, you were stirred by the frigid air in the house. As you took in the room's surroundings, you saw that the sheets were away from your form. You must have kicked them off of you while you slept.
Grabbing them and wrapping yourself up, you huffed in annoyance when you noticed that sleep drifted farther away. After a few minutes passed, you threw the sheets off of you,
"Dammit." was the only thing you said as you sleepily trudge toward your bathroom. Opening the door and flicking on the lights, you faced the mirror to observe your features.
You had a full beard now, even though it was getting cold and a beard would play a great part in keeping your face warm, you just did not care much about your appearance anymore. Sure you'd do some grooming and cutting but you saw no need or no reason for cutting it all off. You managed to gain some weight too.
It wasn't a big amount, around 10 or 20 pounds, still, your body was noticeably more full than it had been before. Once you finished your business in the bathroom, you made your way to the kitchen. Pulling open the freezer door, you went over the available options of food,
"Sausages? No. Frozen waffles? Nope. Bacon? Yes." you say, yanking the boxes of bacon out of the freezer. Hm? It seems there is another ultimatum you must face. "Now, Black Pepper or Hickory?" This decision was a whole lot harder to make.
You promptly stood there, having an internal battle while the taste buds on your tongue took sides with each other, one half wanting the Black Pepper and the other, sweet and smoky Hickory, your stomach rushes your decision by rumbling,
"Hurry up and pick one man, my acid is reaching critical mass!" Deciding on Hickory, you toss the opposing box into the freezer and turn on the stove. Placing the frozen strips on the pan, you stood back, not wanting to be burned by the popping grease. Reaching back into the refrigerator, you pulled out a glass of beer. Checking on the bacon, you cautiously flip the strips over. Sadly, a few drops of hot grease still jumped onto your arm,
"Hoho shit that burns! Ow, fuck!" Before you can finish the stream of obscenities that were planning on leaving your mouth, a knock came through the door. Probably Derpy letting you know you had mail. You stood there waiting for an envelope to slide through the mail slot in your door. Nothing. Setting the stove to low and grabbing the bottle Buckweiser, you swing open your door to reveal Rainbow Dash, the last pony you'd wanted to see, at all,
"Anon! where have you been?! Barely anypony has seen you in so long!"
"Oh, I wonder why." you quipped, your words drenched in sarcasm,
"What do you mean?" There was no way she didn't know why you flew under the radar for so long. You didn't feel like explaining this to her, in fact, you were amazed that you had the patience to speak to her at all,
"You know what, I'm not dealing with this. Leave Rainbow, I don't want to speak to you right now." Rainbow recoiled, struck by your remark,
"What do you mean, "don't wanna speak to me? Is something wrong?" Oh, something was wrong alright,
"I meant what I said, now leave." You begin closing the door until she sticks her hoof in between, jamming the door,
"What is up with you," she says, raising an eyebrow, "...Wait you aren't still mad about what happened that night are you?" Once she asked that question, you just stopped moving and closed your eyes. Of course, it would take her this long to realize it. Nipping things at the bud, you place your hand on her chest, push her back and close the door, making sure to lock it.
Turning your attention back to the bacon, you had seen that it was ready to eat. plopping down onto your couch, you took a bite and moaned very loud.
"Damn, I'm good!" you screamed, tiny bits and pieces of bacon rocketing out of your mouth. As you shoveled down the strips of bacon, you heard a sound behind you,
*POOF!*
Slowing your rapid cow chewing down to a sophisticated closed mouth chew, you cautiously turned around to see Twilight. Like the dumbass you are, you hold up the plate and smile with bacon wedged in your teeth,
"Hey uh, you want a piece?" You could feel your brain practically kick your mouth, soliciting a giggle from the purple alicorn
"No, I'm fine, I just came to talk."
"About?"
"Well, Rainbow came to me just now-" Before you could even let her finish, you promptly get up and mosey on over to the door, unlocking and opening it,
"Get out of my house. Don't make me repeat it." You said the words with cold rage,
"Why? what's wrong? Whatever it is, we could get the girls and talk about it." Heh, good old Twilight, always trying to make things right,
"No, it isn't anything I want to talk about right now."
"...Are you...hiding from everypony because of what happened with Rainbow." There it is, on the money,
"..."
"That is it isn't it?"
"Twilight, just...please leave." Not wanting to upset you any further, she hung her head low and wandered out of the front door.
Now she'll tell the others and then they won't leave you be.
In the months that followed, drinking at the bar became your only pastime after your working hours. Once you were finished at work, you would come here, have a drink and leave. The bartender, Moonshine, was the best guy to speak with while you were consuming his stock at an immeasurable rate. You often talked about your work experiences, like weird friends that hang out a lot, yet, still don't know each other that well. Today, he retold the story about the time a stallion walked into the bar and came out so drunk he was saying that " Queen Chrysalis was hiding out in his attic and lived off of his love, also jelly donuts." Why jelly donuts? You had no clue, but the story random enough to make Moonshine nearly drop the glass mug while he told the tale. During your laughing fit, the bar door creaked open, only to reveal a pony. What really made her catch your attention, was the armour that graced her body, it possessed a color of midnight blue, equipped with a crescent moon gracing the helmet and shoulder plates.
"Hey there, Nightingale." Moonshine greeted, it seemed that he knew her.
"Hey, Moonshine." She said, returning the greeting. Walking up to a stool stationed next to you, Nightingale took a seat. Sliding her a full mug from across the table, Moonshine asked,
"How was work?" Nightingale sighed and took off her helmet, and let's just say that she was not the gruffy and tomboyish type. She had a visibly lustrous navy blue coat, it was easy to identify that her coat was more fluffy than that of a normal pony coat, her eyes had reptilian pupils. The color of her mane, tail, and eyes were defined by a magnificent sapphire. Last, but not least, her ears and mouth were especially different, her teeth, sharp and glistening and her ears sporting a knife like point at the tip. All in all, Nightingale was not like the others, but, will she... You shook your head vigorously to knock some sense into yourself. Seriously, what are you thinking? Here you are, saying that you won't let the same things happen to yourself ever again, but here you are already thinking about dating this mare, Good job Anonymous.
"I just got fired, I fell asleep during a 24 hour shift and my CO (Commanding Officer) caught wind of it and ejected me on the spot. Now I have no way to pay for my home, so I thought I could live with you until I get back on my hooves."
"Sorry, but I don't make enough bits to support two ponies, let alone, pay for this place. You haven't asked anypony here in Ponyville?"
"Of course I did, ponies are still scared of bat ponies, so "Can I live at your place" instantly translates to "Let me live with you so I can kill you in your sleep." Man she's got it rough. In a way she reminded you of yourself when you first arrived here, scaring everypony witless. Maybe you could let her crash at your place, just to help her out. But where was she gonna sleep? While you were pondering possible places she could reside in your home, you remembered a room door across from yours, strange as it may seem, you never really went in there. Before you could ask her if she would like to stay with you, she speaks to Moonshine, "Well, thanks for the drink, Shiny, see you later." She turned and hopped down from the barstool, you stopped her before she could leave,
"Wait! You could crash at my place just until you could get situated." After you finished your words, Nightingale turned to look at you with those luminescent sapphire gems,
"Really? You'd do that for me? But, I have no way to pay you."
"It's fine, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing you're out there in the cold with no shelter. Especially since Hearth's Warming Eve is in a few weeks." Slowly Nightingale's face shifted to a smile, a sharp and slightly intimidating smile, but a smile nonetheless.
"Thank you so much. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."
"No problem, it's getting late so we best get going before it becomes cold."
"I hear you loud and clear um, what's your name by the way?"
"Anonymous, Anon for short."
"Alright then, Anon, let's go." Walking up to the door, you pushed it open for her. Your actions elicited an,
"Oooh, what a gentlecolt." From Nightingale. During the walk to your home, you conversed with her about your interests and hobbies, the basics. Upon reaching your doorstep, your pull the keys out of your back pocket and unlock the front door.
"Follow me." You told her as you made your way over to room you never explored. After you got to the door, you wrapped your hand around the knob and opened the door to reveal a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a lamp. That was more than you bargained for, that's for sure.
"Hey, this is a nice room. Oh, could you show me to the bathroom. I need to take a shower."
"Of course, it's that last door down on the right end of the hallway."
"Awesome, and can I just say that not many ponies would do something like this for me, so what you've given me here really means a lot."
"It wasn't a problem. And let me just say that I know what you've been through. With ponies fearing your presence and all."
"Yep, that's for sure. But ponies have always been so reluctant to accept other species. I just thought that with Luna's return, things would change."
"Yeah I know how you feel."
"Anyway, I need to jump in the bathtub. This armor causes me to sweat so much." And with that, she turned around and the sound of bath water came into play. Well, you should start on dinner, she was probably hungry.
*30 Minutes Later*
You set down a serving of hay fries for Nightingale, while you put down a burger for yourself. You had bought your meat from griffons since you hated fruits and vegetables.
"Mmmm, is that a burger I smell?" Nightingale made her way into the kitchen and sat at her side of the table. "Anon, what is this?" You looked up at her,
"Hay fries?" Nightingale gave you a look of pure terror,
"Ugh, I hate fruits, vegetables and especially cheap imitations of good food."
"Well, I guess you'll just have to wait until tomorrow."
"Anon, look, you left the oven on." You looked at the oven to see that the coils weren't even close to orange. Turning around to face her, you quickly came to the realization that you've played yourself.
"Where's my burger?" Belching, she gave you an ear to ear grin,
"Wow, Anon. You sure do know how to cook." Hell, it may have cost you and your stomach a delicious burger, but that smile had enough calories to give you heart disease.
Today was a rough day of work for you and all you wanted was to get back home and sit on the couch. But that wasn't the only reason you wanted to get back to your abode so urgently, ever since she came to live with you, Nightingale greeted you at the door with a shimmering smile and a plate of cookies whenever you returned from work. After a few days, you grew to love and cherish her greeting and more importantly, Nightingale herself. Yes, it is true that you fell in love with her but, you suppressed your infatuation because you couldn't bear the thought of her turning you down or worse, her leaving you. Every time that particular thought came to your mind, you would feel a cold shiver consume you. Shaking the thoughts away, you see your home in the distance and as per usual, your face involuntarily evolves into a dopey grin. You hastily rip the keys out of your pocket and spastically open the door. Slowly, the door pans to the right and there she was,
"Hey Anon, how was work?" Nightingale greeted with an upbeat tone after you closed the door. You found yourself lost in her enchanting eyes. Those blue portals of beauty and serenity, beckoning you to look deeper into them and you did just that. Suddenly her silk voice came back into play, knocking you out of your trance, "Anon, you're doing it again."
"Huh, what. Oh, my bad I keep zoning out." She gives you a doubtful look.
"Mhm, so tell me all about your day at work." After telling her about your day, you ask,
"Did you find any jobs yet?" Hearing your sentence, she quickly loses her happy demeanor.
"Ugh, no. I asked Princess Twilight Sparkle but she hasn't gotten back to me yet."
"Take as much time as you need, I make enough bits to get us through this."
"I know and I'm grateful for that, but I just feel like I'm taking up too much of your space." She looked down at the floor with a shameful expression. You've never really seen Nightingale like this, she was usually radiating with happiness but now she just looks so miserable. Kneeling down to meet her height, you take your hand and place it under her chin, pulling her face up to meet yours,
"Nightingale, listen to me. Even if I was making 2 bits a day, I still wouldn't mind you staying here with me. To be honest, if you didn't come to the bar that night, I would be so miserable."
"Wait, what do you mean miserable, you're so laid-back and fun. I honestly can't see you as sad or depressed in any way."
"Oh, so I haven't told you huh? Well, after ponies started to get used to me being here, I got tired of Twilight and the others coming to me about their awesome coltfriends. So I gave dating a try, but mares always turned me down as soon as I had popped the question. Then I made a move on Rainbow, only to have her scold me for trying to "ruin our friendship". After she kind of tore my head off, I had Twilight drop me off at Moonshine's place. Once I found a nice booth to sit in, she came in with him. That slimy worm, Soarin. Rainbow lied to me just so she could make me fuck off."
"That's just so bucking uncool, why would ponies do that to you, especially Rainbow Dash."
"I guess ponies don't see humans as...compatible."
"I-I know how you feel, Anon. You see, before I became a night guard, I was actually working 2 jobs and when Princess Luna returned from her banishment, the ponies increased their torment, telling me things like,
"Luna's return would only put us all in danger. And you are nothing but a monster she created!"
At one point I thought that I wasn't going to-" Nightingale could not finish her story, for they reopened old wounds. Wounds that caused her to lose her composure and before you knew it, she was crying into your chest. Nightingale's warm tears soaking into your shirt, as her quivering body gripped you for comfort. You slowly picked her up and carried her to the couch, lying down as she latched onto your body. Gradually, her crying died down until her breathing steadied, looking up at her, you saw that she was asleep. And soon you followed suit, nodding off as well, but the cold air outside was beginning to lurk into the house. You didn't want her to be cold, so you gently shifted your body to where she was off of your chest and you slowly rose to your feet. Yet before you could move, Nightingale wrapped two hooves around your middle,
"Please don't leave me." You place your arm over Nightingale's hooves,
"I won't, I'm just going to grab some firewood. I'll be back, I promise." You walked through the house until you found a stack of logs, you grab two logs of wood, a blanket and pillow from your room, and a pack of matches from the kitchen. Making it back to the living room, you saw Nightingale sitting upright waiting patiently for you to return to her. After setting light to the chimney, you wander back to the couch and lie down, allowing her to crawl on your chest. Throwing the blanket over yourselves, Nightingale nuzzled under your chin,
"Feel better?"
"Yeah." Her voice was tired and quiet,
"Do you want me to get you some water or something to eat?"
"No, I just wanna lay here. With you." Your heart stopped when she spoke those words. They danced wildly in your head, but enough thinking, she needed you to be here for her,
"Sure, no problem."
"Thanks, Anon. You're my hero." And just like that, she dozed off.
"She just called me her hero...could sh-no! What's wrong with me?! There she is at her weakest moment and you just had to think that she was falling for you!" After you finished berating yourself, you glanced down at her sleeping form and kissed her head.
Sunlight destroyed the good sleep you were having.
“Mmmm, that brightness gonna have to go down to a 2.” You say groggily closing the blinds. “Now that is what I’m talking about. My day off is today and I’m not gonna let Celestia’s over-inflated ball of hydrogen ruin it.” Suddenly a tired feminine voice under your arm made itself present,
“Overinflated ball of what?”
“Oh Nightingale, I was just talking about the sun.” She sleepily giggled, and said,
“Yeah, it was too bright.” Before you could acknowledge her words with a response, your stomach suddenly became the third mouth in this conversation.
“Wanna eat?”
“I’d love to. I just need to get myself cleaned up real quick.” And just with those words, she rose up, making her way to the bathroom. The space she once occupied quickly grew cold. Bacon and sausages should give this morning the grease packed kick, you so desperately desired. Upon opening the freezer you pulled 2 packs of smoked bacon and maple sausages.
“God, I miss Farmer Johns.” You reached under the stove opening the cabinets that contained your cookware, pulling out 2 pans. Cranking the dial, the stove top sprung to life, exerting a blue flame. You pulled out a knife and cut open the plastic wrap on the box of bacon and sausages. Plopping the frozen foods on two separate pans, you got to work. When you were just about done, Nightingale sauntered into the kitchen,
“Oooh, Anon, bacon and sausages are my favorite morning meal.”
“...How did you know I was cooking bacon and sausages?”
“Anon, I’m a bat pony, we’re natural born experts when it comes to smelling meat and apples. But, I hardly eat fruit.”
“Understandable, anyway, here’s your plate.” You say shutting off the stove while turning your arm to give her the fully loaded plate. It was hastily torn from your hands. Picking up your plate you joined her at the table, only to see that, Nightingale was pigging out, you almost wanted to stop eating, almost.
“By Luna, these are awesome! I swear Anonymous, you are the best at cooking!”
“Aw, it ain’t nothing. So... Got any plans today?”
“I was actually going to head Princess Twilight’s castle to see about that job. Wanna tag along?” You stopped to ponder for a minute, did you want to go? I mean, you really didn't feel that now was the time to start talking to them.
“Sure, don’t see why not.”
“Awesome. Let’s head out after breakfast.” Nodding, you returned your attention back to the heavenly meal you so skillfully whipped up.
*1 hour later*
You and Nightingale were on the path to Twilight’s house, ponies greeted you as you passed by, usually, all they got from you was nothing. But, since you were in a bright mood today and said good morning back. Making it to Twilight’s Castle, you knocked on the door while Nightingale stayed behind. Soon after knocking on the door, the audible sound of hoofsteps grew closer. The gargantuan doors were opened by a purple aura, revealing Twilight Sparkle. There she stood, like a deer in headlights, the silence between the three of you quickly became uncomfortable. You were going to speak up, however, before you could say anything, Twilight flew into you like a train.
“Anon! You came back! We missed you so much and....” She lowered her speech volume, "We should have helped. Do you want to come in and talk?” Now it was your turn to retaliate, pulling her off of you, you set her down.
“No, now's not the time to talk maybe later. But we’re going off topic. Twilight, you’ve met Nightingale right?” You ask Twi, who was shocked by your response,
“Oh yeah, about your work question, I may have come across a job that is worthy of your skills. But the employer wanted to see you before she could make a decision on whether to accept you or not.” Nightingale was next to speak,
“Really? Thank you so much for your help.”
“It’s no problem, I just can’t sit idly by as somepony as sweet as you sleeps outside, in this cold weather.”
“Actually, Anonymous let me live at his place for the past month. If it wasn’t for him, I honestly don’t where I’d be.”
“Wow Anon, most ponies would be extremely reluctant to let bat ponies like Nightingale in their homes. But you clearly showed how much humility you have towards others.”
“It was really nothing, I saw somepony in need and I went to help them the best I could. Anyway, who’s the pony that’s supposed to employ Nightingale?”
“Applejack said she needs more ponies on Sweet Apple Acres, to help with bucking trees.”
“You hear that Nightingale?”
“Yeah I did, but what’s apple bucking?” Twilight began to inform her about the job,
“Well, apple bucking is when you kick a tree with both hind legs in an attempt to make apples fall.” Nightingale formed an “O” with her mouth to tell Twilight that she somewhat understood her short briefing on the subject. You spoke next,
“Since Nightingale is all situated, why don’t we see AJ?”
“Sounds, Like a plan. You ready Nightingale?” Twilight asked,
“Sure, let’s go.” And just like that, you all went on your way to Sweet Apple Acres. The walk was a bit strenuous due to the cold weather that accumulated during this time. Upon making it to the apple farm, the trees were already losing their leaves. Since Applejack nor Big Macintosh was outside, your best bet was to assume they were in the farmhouse. Reaching the humble home of the Apple Family, you knock on the door to hear a thick, feminine, southern accent call out from the other side.
“Hold on, I’m coming.” That was Applejack no doubt, the door opened and there she was. Aj’s blonde mane and tail shone elegantly, while her distinct freckles graced her facial features. Man, was she a looker.
“Anon? I can’t believe you’re back!” She exclaimed, flying into you. Of course you knew what she'd do and dodged her spear, only to have her latch onto you from behind. Why were they tackling you like a football player?
"Sorry, but I didn't come to make amends. I just came to see if you would hire Nightingale." You strained against Applejack’s death grip. Twilight clears her throat and says,
"Wait, you still don't wanna-"
“Applejack, you’re kind of strangling Anon.” She looked down to see you turn blue.
“Oh right, sorry bout’ that Anon. It’s just been awhile.” Applejack gets up and focuses her eyes on Nightingale, “So this is the pony you been talkin’ to me about?” Twilight nodded as AJ walked around to examine Nightingale. “Hmm. Her thighs and body are pretty toned and muscular.” She informs, poking her thighs with a hoof. “Now, her flanks are a little skinny but a month of hard work outta thicken em’ up a bit.” When Applejack mentioned Nightingale’s...rear, you felt strangely awkward. Don’t lewd her Anon, whatever you do, DO NOT LEWD HER! “Well alright, looks like your cut out for the job. But there won’t be much to do since apple harvest ended about a week back.” She shivered and said, “Sweet Celestia, it’s cold out here, y’all wanna come in? We got apple pie.”
“Um, I don’t know,” Twilight said,
You turned around to head back home. Nightingale ran to your side,
"Where are you going?"
"Home, go eat pie, you don't have to wait up." And like that, you left Nightingale with AJ and Twilight and continued on the trail. Applejack walks up to Twilight and asks,
You paced around the living room, staring at the fireplace while your thoughts run wild.
"Are they really sorry?" Was the question stuck on replay in your mind? We're they? You couldn't decide whether or not to give them a chance. You did admit to playing victim card a lot harder than you should have throughout this whole ordeal. During your brainstorm, a series of knocks came through the door. Getting up, you nonchalantly walk to the door and open it. You see a seemingly frustrated Nightingale, staring daggers at you as she made her way past. "Why are you staring at me like that?" You ask with a hint of worry in your voice,
"Because of what you did at Applejack's, Twilight and her friends clearly want to make peace. How could you just shut them down like that, even after the way Twilight and Applejack reacted to seeing you?"
"I don't know whether or not to forgive them yet." You say in a monotone,
"From what I heard from Twilight, it's been 3 months since the incident. Either you're just moving around every pony because you feel like they'll hurt you again or you just don't want anything to do with them."
"I-I just don't want to go through that night at the bar again."
"Why? What happened that night with you and Rainbow Dash?"
"I asked her out and she said no. That alone was a hard hit to take, so I went to the bar to drink it off. Then she popped up there with Soarin."
"What's so bad about that?" She asked with care and question,
"She told me she had to work "late" that night, but instead she was with Soarin, that was the last straw and everything else that happened afterward led up to us meeting each other."
"She lied to you?" Nodding in confirmation, you took a seat on the couch. Nightingale joined you, "Don't you at least want to try?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I still don't feel ready, you know." Nightingale hung her head down in defeat, a few seconds after, her face shoots up with newfound glee.
"I've got it, what if they spend Hearth's Warming Eve here?!" She exclaimed cheerfully. But you weren't so cheerful,
"What?!" You scream,
"I said what if we let Twilight and the others spend Hearth's Warming Eve with us? That way you could patch things up with each other and be friends again."
"No no no no. No way!"
"Awww, please. Give them a chance Anon, they deserve it."
"Nope, there's no way that's happening. I'm not ready for that yet Nightingale." The next words she'd say catch you off guard,
"If you keep avoiding them, you'll just be doing the same kind of wrong to them that they did to you Anonymous. You may not know it but you're hurting them, They miss you!"
"Oh please, the only reason that they want to apologize is that they finally know what they put me through. Plus, why should you care anyway, you didn't play in any part of this. Why are concerning yourself with my problems?"
"Because I care about you, okay! Every night I see you sitting on the couch with a bottle of whiskey in your hand while you stare into the fireplace. It isn't healthy, and I don't want you to hurt yourself with how much you've been drinking. Just, at least consider. For me." She said with tears in her eyes. Was it true? Were you really hurting them? Since you couldn't decide whether or not to go through with this, you thought it would be best to go to a certain pony you knew,
"I'll be back, I'm going to the bar, I'm not going to drink too much...I promise."
"O-Okay," Nightingale said in a shaky voice. You grabbed a coat and boots and headed towards the bar to go see Moonshine.
=================================
The bar was a little slow, but there were still some ponies inside playing cards. The bartender looked up to see you approaching,
"Anon! What can I get ya'?"
"Hey Moonshine, a mug of lager would be fine."
"Sure." Reaching under the table, he takes a mug and turns to one of the barrels. Pulling down the lever, the mug is filled with a bronze frothy lager. Taking a seat on one of the bar stools, you rub your head and groan, "What's the matter?"
"I don't know what to do Moonshine."
"About what?"
"Nightingale wants Twilight and her friends to spend Hearth's Warming Eve with us but I don't think I'll be able to do that."
"Why not?"
"I just don't feel ready yet, but Nightingale insisted on it. I even made her cry because of how I had been drinking, now I feel like scum."
"Why aren't you ready? Is it because of that Rainbow Dash mare?"
"...Yeah, I just can't bring myself to talk to her after how she lied."
"How long has it been since you had been hanging with Twilight and the others?"
"Three months."
"Holy Celestia! That's one hell of a grudge. And you're telling me you still aren't ready?"
"Yep, I don't know what it is but I just didn't want to be around them, especially Rainbow Dash. Can't you help me make a choice?"
"I can't give you that much help, given your current situation, but I can give you some words of advice."
"Lay it on me man, I'm all ears."
"If you really don't want to deal with something, don't do it, be wary though, because if you choose not to do anything, then you shouldn't expect things to change. In fact, avoiding your problem may even make it worse, but if you decide to go through with solving the issue, change, even if it is small, is guaranteed to happen. So Anonymous I ask this, what are you prepared to do?" You took his words and pondered them inside of your mind, what are you prepared to do? If you decide to say no, everything would stay the same or probably get worse,
"...I... I have no clue what I'm prepared to do."
"Then think bud, think real hard. And when you do I trust you'll make the right move." Getting up, you fish around your pockets for the bits. "No that's fine, now go on home."
"Thanks, Moonshine." As you walked out of the bar and back into the frigid weather, you replayed the last words of Moonshine's advice. "What am I prepared to do?"
Ponyville's streets were quiet, as per usual. Perfect for you to think about your current situation,
"Okay, so I got, say yes and have Rainbow Dash and the others come to my house. Which would most likely end up with me and her getting into an argument or I could say no and have Nightingale be mad at me for the whole of Hearth's Warming Eve." No matter what your response was, BOTH could potentially ruin the holiday for you and Nightingale. Putting it off would only delay the inevitable as well. There's only one way out of this, and it would result in you having to say yes.
Maybe if you and Rainbow grabbed some beers and talked it out in private, then there would be no drama!
You gave yourself a pat on the back as you congratulated your witty mind. You would have to go out and buy food to hold all 9 of you over until the snow lets up. Blizzards are a sure thing during winter in this town. You don't want everypony (including yourself) to be snowed in with no food. That could wait until tomorrow morning though, it was getting drastically colder. Thankfully, you weren't far off from your house, as a matter of fact, it was just up ahead. Walking up to the porch, you fished out the keys from your pocket and unlocked the door,
"Anon!" Before you could react, Nightingale is wrapped around your waist in a crushing hug. For a cute little bat mare, she was pretty damn strong,
"Hey, Nightingale."
"Soo..."
"Sooo..." She punches you in the arm,
"So what do you say? Yes or no?" Giving it one last thought, you decided,
"Yeah, I guess."
"You won't regret it, trust me it'll go well."
"I trust you, Nightingale. When do you want them to come over?"
"I was thinking tomorrow." If you were drinking anything, you would have done a HUGE spit take,
"What?! Why tomorrow?!" You exclaimed,
"Hey, calm down! The quicker you and Rainbow Dash fix this, the quicker you and she can become friends again. Plus, a blizzard is supposed to be rolling in on Wednesday." She assured,
"...Fine. It won't be that bad, I hope. Now, how big is this blizzard going to be?"
"Super bad from what I heard, so it's best that we get them to come here early. I don't want to be out there when it does get to Ponyville." You recline into the couch upon taking in the information,
"Shit. Uh, do I have to board up the windows?"
"Yeah, just to be safe." You nod in response,
"I'll go down to the hardware shop in the morning. Whew! Since that problem is taken care of, what do you want to eat?" Nightingale puts a hoof to her chin in a thinking matter before she responds,
"Something I haven't had before?" Something she hadn't had before eh? This was a tough one, so far Nightingale has tasted every single heart-stopping, high-calorie meal you've made. From your Extra-Cheesy Macaroni to your Super Bowl Nachos (Minus the Super Bowl party because ponies don't know what the hell a football is). Think Anon, think. What food didn't you make? You've got lots of bacon, 2 bags of burger patties, and 3 packs of jumbo franks.
...
!
And then like a grease bubble jumping out of the pan, it hits you! Bacon-Wrapped Burgers and Hot Dogs! You mentally punch yourself for forgetting such a delicacy,
"That's it! HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO BLIND?!" You scream, scaring the shit out of Nightingale,
"Why are you screaming?!" You grab her by the armpits and pick her up like she was a puppy,
"Nightingale, come with me to the kitchen and you shall witness perfection."
"Okay, can you put me down though?" You promptly ease her back down onto the floor and walk into the kitchen. Getting out the ingredients, you turn on the stove, "Anon, what are-"
"Sssssshhhh." Was all you said as you get out 6 burger patties, 8 hot dogs, an extra large cooking tray and five packs of bacon. You made sure to turn your back to her, you wanted this to be a surprise. You could tell how curious she was as her cobalt irises stared at you expectantly. You carefully wrapped up the burgers and hot dogs, placing them on the tray. Pulling down the oven's door, you slide the tray in slowly, and wind up your kitchen timer.
"Anon, you're freaking me out." You just held your smug grin as you waited for the food to cook.
Silence.
A deafening silence. A slience you could hear all throughout the house,
"You want some beer?" You asked, earning yourself a nod in response. You pulled a box of beer from the fridge and plopped it onto the table. Taking 2 out of the box, you hand her one,
"Anon, what are you cooking?" You give no reply other than,
"Just wait," Her muzzle scrunches up in confusion and her eyebrows raise. "It'll be good, I swear." Nightingale tilts her head up and takes a few long and hard sniffs,
"For what? All I smell is bacon and a little bit of burger meat." Her words only made you smile more at her unawareness. Giving your beard a few scratches, you glance over to the timer. Only a minute left. These Equestrian ovens cooked pretty fast, that's for sure. Looking back at Nightingale, she still had the same look of confusion as she sipped her beer.
You shut off the oven, opened it, and threw on your mitts. Pulling the tray out and setting it on the stovetop, you looked down to see Nightingale's blue mane. You pulled out the plates and buns as well,
"I-Is that what I think it is?" Leaning in closer, you could see her snout wrinkle and extend with every sniff, "Are those bacon-wrapped burgers and hot dogs?!" You nod, grab a hamburger bun, bacon Patty, and hand it to her. With a shaking hoof, Nightingale grabs and takes a bite. After the bite, she lets out a loud and very throaty moan,
"OOOOOOOOHHHHHH YES!"
"Okay. Gonna act like I didn't fucking hear that." You say in your head,
"These are bucking awesome!" She says as she hops up and wraps her arms around your neck. Your body goes rigid as she did so,
"Yeah I know," Okay Anon, don't let it get to your head now, "So. Ready to dig in?"
"Uuuuugh," you groan as you come to, "Wha-What happened last night?" You groggily ask, picking your head up to look around. You were at home in bed at least, that's good. The pounding headache you have is a clear sign that you were drinking last night as well. You feel a warmth on your chest as your blanket rose and fell. Huh, must be your dog. Anyway, time to go back to sleep,
...
REALIZATION
Your eyes shot open, remembering that you don't even have a damn pet. So, what the hell is on your chest? Oh,
"Oh god." Now this is bad, if...Nightingale was drunk and you were drunk last night, (and no one makes good decisions when they're intoxicated) what exactly did you and her DO in this bed?! You could feel your clothes, so there was a small moment of relief that you could enjoy. But still, knowing how much of an idiot you are while being drunk, you could have very well done the dirty deed with your clothes on. Slowly, you pulled the blanket up, and saw the mare of the hour. Nightingale was sprawled out on your chest, with an empty bottle of Buckweiser in her grasp.
She had a small smile while slept, along with a few bits of bacon peppering her muzzle. Wait, bacon? Slowly but surely, the events of last night came back to you. From the bacon fiesta, all the way to the drunk shenanigans you and her did around the house. You chuckled softly, which caused Nightingale to stir and rise up. However, she didn't remember that she was under your blanket. So when she sat up, she looked like a 5 year old kid using a blanket for a ghost costume for Halloween. You begin to laugh, causing her to turn her head in your direction,
"What the buck?" She asked tiredly,
"Here, let me help you." You say, pulling the covers off of her. She stared at you, as if she was looking for something. It was when Nightingale noticed where she'd been sitting that made her eyes widen,
"Um, Anon? What exactly did we do yesterday?" You didn't answer her immediately, you just looked at her for a moment. Gazing into her sapphire eyes,
"Don't worry, we didn't do anything last night." She sighed in relief,
"Good." She slides off your chest and lands onto the floor. Like a cat, she stretches...with her ass facing you. You look away, not wanting to be caught. You've hardly ever seen her angry, you sure as hell didn't want to deal with that. You get out of bed yourself and walk towards the kitchen.
You saw exactly what you had expected. Plates shattered and strewn about the kitchen floor, bits of food stuck to the wall, and empty Buckweiser bottles took up the dining table.
"Well, fuck me."
*30 Minutes Of Vigarous Cleaning Later*
You put your hands on your hips and admired you handywork. Now that's a clean kitchen! You flop on to the kitchen and sigh. You felt Nightingale land onto the couch with you,
"So what do you wanna do today?" She looked at you funny for a moment,
"Anonymous, did you forget what we talked about yesterday?"
"...Maybe." Nightingale responded by rolling her eyes,
"Twilight and the others are coming over today!"
"Oh! Oh yeah!"
"I'm going to head out and tell them."
"Alright, see ya later alligator." There was a long pause in the room before she spoke up again,
"Do you know what you have to do Anon?" You thought long and hard, you really did. But nothing came to mind other than,
"Wait for you to come...back?" You could see her eye twitch a few times,
"GO AND MAKE SURE WE DON'T DIE IN THE BUCKING BLIZZARD!!!"
"Right, right. I almost forgot about that." More like you completely forgot. Pushing yourself off of the couch, you walk over to the coat hanger, grab a jacket, put on some boots and walk to the market. Nightingale came out right after you and went in the direction of Twilight's castle.
The snow was really high, every step you took resulted in the snow coming up to your shins. Good thing you lived close to the market, you didn't want to imagine what this walk would be like for 15 to 20 minutes. Once you made it past the glass doors, you grabbed a grocery cart. The first thing you had to do was grab some firewood, planks, a hammer, and nails.
"Excuse me," you asked one of the clerks, "Do you know where I could find the hardware?" The mare pointed to your left,
"Sure, it's aisle 10 right past the canned foods."
"Thank you."
"Your welcome." You head on over to aisle 10 and grab one of the hammers and a pack of nails. Walking deeper into the aisle, you grabbed a big set of planks. Conviently, the firewood was up front when you came into the store. Now for the ponies' food. For this you just sped down each aisle grabbing a ton of pony food.
"Pony food. Heh." You pushed the heavy cart towards the checkout. Well, the easy part was done. Now for the hard part, carrying all this shit to your house. "Fuck."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, yeah?"
"That'll be 153 bits, sir." You pulled out your pouch of bits and set them down.
"There's 220 in there, just keep the change." The stallion gave you a huge smile,
"Thank you so much." You couldn't help but smile yourself,
"Hey, it's Hearth's Warming Eve ain't it? You have a good day now." You finally found a good hold on groceries. Not wanting to delay getting back home any further, you walked out of the market and into the cold, trudging through snow once more. You have to walk carefully so that the planks don't come loose and fall into the snow. While you walked, your mind began to wander.
"How is this gonna go? I mean I don't mind having Twilight and the others over, but how is Rainbow Dash going to react?" This was something you had to take account of, because if there was one mare who could fly off the handle quicker than most, it would be her. This made your beard itch something fierce. Damn it, now you really doubted the thought of patching things up with Rainbow Dash.
However, you should just focus on boarding up the windows when you got home. You could see your home in the distance, tightening your hold on the planks you began to move faster. Once you got the door open, you slung the groceries on the couch and dropped the planks. You took off your winter wear and grabbed three planks along with the hammer and nails.
*50 Minutes Of Anon The Builder Later*
You fixed yourself some burgers after you finished boarding up the house. You had a glass of fruit punch to go along with your food.
Then, you heard the door open,
Slowly, you turned around. Yep, that was them. They all had huge smiles on their faces. You walked out of the kitchen and made your way towards them,
"Uh, hey gu-" You were cut off when Twilight flew into you, wrapping her arms around your neck,
"Anon! I missed you so much! Oh, this is gonna be the best Hearth's Warming Eve!" While you tried to counter act Twilight swinging you around, the others got ready to swarm you, even Nightingale. You tried to run but Applejack grabbed your legs,
"We missed you so much darling!"
"We sure did, sugarcube."
"AnonImissedyousomuchIcan'twaitwe'retotallygonnafindoutwhatmadeyousadsowecouldmakesureitneverhappensagain!" And there was Pinkie, talking a mile a minute. After they got they're fair sure of strangl-ahem, hugging you, You got up and saw Fluttershy. She floated up to your height and hugged you gently, you returned the gesture.
"Hi Anon." She greeted, in her signature small voice,
"Hey Flutters."
"Well since most of us are here, how about we start with some eggnog?" Twilight asked, making a large bottle appear with her magic. While they conversated and drank, you grabbed a beer and went upstairs to you room. You slipped into some pajama pants and a white T-shirt. About halfway down the stairs, you heard the talking die down. Weird, if anything, Pinkie would have kept the mood going.
Once you made it down the staircase, you saw her. And She was giving you a damn good Luigi death stare,
You didn't say anything else, and neither did she. You both just stared at each other. She squinted at you like she was trying to see through your clothes. Everypony in the room stayed quiet, watching the both of you stare each other down. You glanced over to Nightingale, she had the biggest look of worry out of the others. Her blue slitted eyes were at their largest,
"Hey Anonymous." You could practically see the venom drip from her mouth as she said that. If you knew any better you'd say you were in a scene from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" and Rainbow was trying really hard to be The Bad,
"Hey," Pinkie tried to defuse the rising tension in futility,
"Can it Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash barked, Pinkie's hair deflated and her fur went pale,
"O-Okay." That was it. You've had your fill of this dumb shit. Two months of wallowing in your own self-pity, being a bitch, and playing the victim card. You were tired, tired of shirking your friends, tired of seeing Nightingale worry about you, tired of Rainbow Dash's bullshit. No more "woe is me" or "oh I'm gonna be lonely forever.
YOU ARE FUCKING DONE.
"Hey," you scream, slamming the glass bottle onto the table. The action made everyone in the room flinch, "I'm fed up with your shit! At this point, I could give a fuck about what you think or say about me! But Pinkie is your friend God fucking dammit! You are supposed to be the Element of Loyalty, all I see is some showboating mare who can't put the pieces together! ,DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I BEEN AVOIDING ALL OF YOU?! HUH?! HERE'S WHY!" you breathe in before you answer, Rainbow Dash assumed you were done,
"Yeah, I know why! You just can't get over the fact that I rejected you!" You were already fuming, but what she said just sent you over the edge. You grabbed the dinner table and threw it at the wall,
"YOU DUMB BITCH!" They all gasped, Rainbow Dash's stance got less aggressive,
"Anon! Stop!" Twilight yells, trying to calm you down,
"No! She has to hear this!" You shout back at her,
"Sugarcube, whatever yer' planning on sayin', don't do it."
"Just tell the truth, that's why isn't it! You couldn't cope with the fact that I dumped your sorry flank huh?!" she had a wicked grin on her face after she said that,
"AAAAARRGH! CAN YOU LET GO OF YOUR STUPID PRIDE FOR ONE MINUTE YOU, ARROGANT, SELF CENTERED RETARD?! YOU ARE SO WRAPPED IN YOURSELF THAT YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE THE TRUTH RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!" You walked closer to her while you verbally tore her head off. She shrunk down into the floor with every step you took,
"W-What are you talking about?" Your hands fly up into the air,
"I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT YOU DUMBASS, AT THE BAR! I WATCHED YOU AND SOARIN FEEL EACH OTHER UP! I HEARD EVERYTHING! YOU PUTRID LITTLE FUCKING LIAR!" Her eyes went wide like a deer in headlights, "YOU DIDN'T KNOW DID YOU?! OF COURSE, YOU DIDN'T! YOU WERE SO BUSY GETTING PLOWED BY SOARIN THAT YOU FAILED TO SEE!"
"Rainbow Dash, is he telling the truth?" Rarity asked, shocked at my words.
"I-I," Rarity gasped,
"It is isn't it?"
"..."
"Rainbow Dash, what in tarnation is wrong with you?!" AJ yelled, "Why, I oughta'-"
"Anon your hand!" Fluttershy squeaked, pointing at you left arm, you pulled your hand up to see a nasty cut in your finger. It didn't hurt, but it was bleeding badly. You shot one more glance at Rainbow, who was on the verge of tears. You turned around and went upstairs to your room.
You rip open the medical cabinet and pull out some bandages. You wrap a good amount around your finger. It didn't look like it needed stitches, but it was still pretty deep. You were about to go back downstairs, but for what? What would you do besides yell at her more? You just lied down on your bed and stared at your bandaged finger,
"So much for talking about it," You grimly chuckle. You heard a few knocks on the door, "Come in." The door creaked open to reveal Nightingale,
"Are you alright?"
"...I don't even know Nightingale." She walked up to you and rested her head on your chest,
"I'm sorry, this was all my fault. I should have just stayed quiet."
"No. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Good thing it happened now too. Any later, I would've lost control and hit her or something."
"Twilight and the others are talking to her. We-" Nightingale was interrupted by the sound of someone crying. Loudly. You could hear it all the way downstairs, "Is she-"
"I wouldn't be surprised." You say coldly,
"What do you mean?"
"Did you see her face when I was done?"
"Yeah. She looked scared when you got close."
"Man, I've never seen Pinkie do that before. Seeing somepony like her, as happy as she is getting so sad like that set me off."
"I saw that too. Listen, while they stay in the living room. How about I sleep in here with you, to keep you company." You look down at her and smile softly,
"Yeah, I'd like that." After hearing your confirmation, she jumped into bed and climbed onto your stomach. She was so beautiful, the way her sapphire mane and tail illuminated, her inviting eyes, and her soft and gentle voice. She caught you staring and rose up to look back at you,
"Anonymous, why do you always stare at me like that?" Shit, say something man!
"...What? Sorry, I was kinda lost in my thoughts there. What were you saying?" Good going Anon. There's no way she doesn't-
"I don't believe you, you're hiding something," Well, I'll go fuck myself, "And that something involves me, doesn't it? Now that I think about it, you always have been staring at me like that. So, what about me interests you so much?"
This was not good, she had you. You have to think of something fast,
"No, I'm just super tired from today. I had to carry all those planks from the market to the house and board up the windows, not to mention giving Rainbow Dash a pretty large piece of my mind. I've had an eventful day, Nightingale. Anyway, goodnight!" You almost yelled that last part as you turned off the lamp. You rub your forehead and quietly sigh, that was close. Now, time to go sleep an-
"Hey Anon, do you wanna hear a cool fact about bat ponies?"
"Sure, hit me."
"Did you know we can see in the dark?"
"..."
"So I just saw you wipe your forehead and sigh." Your eyes literally popped out of their sockets, "Anonymous, you're still not telling me what I want to know."
Meanwhile, In Anon's Brain
Brain cells were scattering to come up with something, but alas, they were not prepared for that,
"Shit! Initiate Protocol 63: Denial!"
"What do you mean? Listen, we've both had a long day alright? Now, how's about we go to sleep and talk about this later in the morning?" She turned the lamp back on, and you were met with her deep gaze,
"Listen Anon, one of the things we learned in the Lunar Guard was to tell if anypony was telling us lies. At first, I didn't apply those skills to you because I thought your body language was different. But it isn't, yours is exactly the same as ponies. So lie to me all you want, I'll still know. If you decide to tell me though, I'll leave you alone."
You have to tell her Anon, no more dodging the questions. But what would happen if you told her? What would happen? For a moment you considered trying to lie about it. But she's got that on lockdown.
Alright Anon, let er’ rip,
"Fine I...I'll tell you. But, you have to promise me that you won't get mad.”
“I promise I won't get mad Anon. I swear.” She smiled warmly at you, her way of giving you some assurance,
“Nightingale, ever since…”
“Mhmm?” You breathe in slowly and continue on,
“Ever since I saw you that night in the bar, I just couldn’t stop looking at you,” That sounded creepy, “The more we interacted, the more infatuated I became with you. At first, I was beating myself up because I thought that you were going to do nothing but reject my feelings like most mares did here. Hell, I was even gonna try and take that secret to the grave if you hadn't coaxed it outta me. You've done so much for me and I'm grateful for that. With you around, I feel happy and warm. I can't begin to think of how life would have been these few months without you here. Nightingale I-I’ve always-ah...Dammit. What I'm trying to say is, I love you." Upon dropping that love filled nuclear bomb, Nightingale raises her eyebrows and blushes. Huh, that was a semi-good sign? You didn't really know, mares on Equus are just as confusing as women on Earth,
"You like me? W-Why? I'm not anything special, just...me. I'm a batpony, I'm not beautiful and stunning like Rarity is. I-I've got fangs and I eat meat. Why would you like me?" It hurt you deep down to hear how she saw herself. But this also motivated you to continue your words,
"That's it. I like you, for you. I don't give a damn about you having fangs or eating meat, there's nothing wrong with that Nightingale. I connect with you the most on a planet where I'm the only member of my species. Ever since you came around, I've been a whole lot happier. At first, I hated myself for falling in love with you so quickly, especially after what happened with Rainbow Dash. When we spent more time together, I couldn't help but fall in love with you more. I know I'm not a stallion, but I know I can treat you right. All I'm asking for is a chance." You looked at her for a few minutes as she registered what you had just said. It wasn't long before her eyes began to glaze over, then the tears followed. She sniffled and sobbed lightly,
"Y-You m-m-mean that?" You picked Nightingale up and wrapped her in a hug,
"Course I do. Why would I ever lie to you? I do love you." Nightingale quivered and shook with every sob that wracked her body. Your chest grew wet with her warm tears.
After she finished crying, she pulled herself from your embrace, "I...I wanna try Anon." You smile and pulled her in tighter. She happily reciprocated and held you just as tight. Letting the hug dissolve, you gazed at her blue slitted eyes.
All you did was stare, as she did the same. Deafening silence overtook the atmosphere of the room. Your heart began to beat like a marching drum. Without any thought or restraint, your body drew closer and so did hers. Nightingale's eyes closed and her smile faded as she opened her lips. You met her soft lips for the first time, she moaned softly, sending waves of vibrations to yours.
You reveled in her taste, the sweet and tangy flavor that was based on her lips. You could feel her hooves press against your chest as the kiss ended. You were both gasping for air, but you never looked away from her. And neither did she. Instead, she had a hungry stare in her eyes as she bit her lip. And for the first time, Nightingale's blue reptilian eyes would strike a bit of fear into you.
This time, there was no subtle movement in this kiss. You practically slammed into each other's faces like two semi trucks in a head-on collision. She snuck her hooves under your shirt. You dug your fingers in her hair to get leverage.
This was no kiss, this was a fight for dominance.
You opened your mouth and stuck your tongue inside. She happily reciprocated by sending her tongue into the fray. It was like a symphony of spit with your tongues dancing and twirling around each other. Sadly, your bodies decided that it was time to breathe. You broke the kiss and pulled away from her,
"Holy buck, that was a lot more than what I bargained for," Nightingale spoke, gasping between words,
"Tell me about it," Once you both caught your breath, you asked her a question, "So I guess this means-"
"Yeah, looks like your my coltfriend now." A lock of her cobalt mane slunk over her eyes as she blushed. In a way, she kinda looked like Flutters. You lean down and peck her on the nose. The blush intensified, which was really surprising to witness, seeing as how much of a dark coat she had.
You were smiling like a complete dope right now. Nightingale just gave you a concerning stare,
"Umm, Anon." Your answer was as drawn out as a sloth going from point a to point b,
"Yeeeeeessss?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, I'm just thinking about how lucky of a guy I am right now." Nightingale chuckles and pecks you on the nose,
"And I'm the luckiest mare in the world." She smiled and nuzzled her head into your neck. She sighs with content as she closed her eyes. You slide your body down so that your head was on the pillow. You threw the cover over yourselves and shut off the lamp.
"Goodnight Nightingale."
"Night Anon." After a brief moment silence you respond again,
"...Guess what?"
"What?"
"I love you." You feel her chest bounce as she giggled
You awoke to the blaring sunlight. You try to roll over, but feel a small weight stop you from doing so. Cracking your eyes open slightly, you see the source of the weight.
Nightingale was snoozing away on your chest. Every breath she exhaled made a few strands of her hair dance. You place a hand on the side of her head and rub her cheek with your thumb.
She smiles and mumbles something. You tried to make out what she was saying, but it was too quiet for you to hear. You let your hand rest on her back.
You hoped you would wake up like this every morning with her until the end of time. 'Well since I'm already awake, I guess I should start breakfast.' You take both your hands and lift her up gently. When you stand up out of bed, you set her down.
You don't get far, however, because Nightingale leaped onto your back and wrapped her arms around your neck,
"Now where do you think you're going Anon?" She whispered into your ear, making you shudder slightly,
"Makin' breakfast?" You answer meekly,
"Hmm, Nah I don't think so. It's too cold for me to just lay here by myself. So I'm gonna give you two choices, you stay in here with me or you cook breakfast with me wrapped around your body. Your choice." She gave you a toothy grin, showing her fangs with pride. Okay then, time for you to play a game,
"I'm too hungry to just stay in here. If I do I might have to have you for breakfast." As the words left your mouth, her eyes went wide and even with her navy blue coat, you could see the redness of her cheeks. She attempted to speak but as soon as she opened her mouth, her muzzle scrunched. You laugh triumphantly as you make your way downstairs,
"Ok ok, you win."
The blizzard was merciful when it rolled through town, only leaving two feet of snow. You took some time shoveling out the walkway and went towards the grocery store. You were running low on some stuff at the house anyway. When you reached the front of the store, a revelation hit you like a brick covered in lemon juice,
"So I just boarded up the whole house for absolutely no reason? Fucks sake." You say out loud, uncaring as to who would hear your vulgar language. The snow was still falling, albeit there was a lot less when it started a few weeks back.
Grabbing a shopping cart, you head inside. You went from aisle to aisle, getting food to last you all another week. You also went through the trouble to grab some eggnog.
Pulling into the only checkout aisle that was open, you start placing the items on the belt. The beeping of the scanner was the only thing that could be heard throughout the whole store,
"How have you been Mr. Anonymous?"
"Pretty good Lucid, I know you're bored half to death though." The cream-colored teen shook her head,
"Not really, I don't mind getting paid for not having to do anything."
"Now that's something I can agree with."
"Hehe, yeah. That'll be 157 bits."
"Here's 200, keep the change. Gotta get yourself something for Hearth's Warming Eve."
"Whoa, thanks Anon!"
"No problem," You hefted the bags and walked out of the store. You had flecks of snow stuck in your thick beard, "You know what? I think I'll grow you some more." Here you are in 10-degree weather speaking to your beard. Maybe you should hold back on the drinking.
You chuckle lightly, causing a thick white mist of vapor to leave your mouth. You only had a few steps left until you made it home. Your boots thudded heavily on the porch steps. You set down the bag in your right hand and dug in your pocket, pulling out the keys,
"Hey guys, I'm back."
"Welcome back Anonymous." Rarity greeted, "Tell me Anon, do you need more clothing?"
"Now that I think of it, I could use some more loungewear and socks."
"Noted, I'll get right on that once I return home." You set the grocery bags down on the table.
"Yo Pinkie?"
"What's up Non-Non?" The bubblegum pink mare bounced her way into the kitchen with you,
"I got some cake mix from the grocery store, " You hand her three boxes of chocolate cake mix, "You think you could whip something up?"
"Oh, this is more than enough for everypony!" With those words, she zipped off into the kitchen. You reach into one of the bags and pull out a jug of eggnog,
"Alright guys, I got some eggnog. Anypony want some?"
"Ah'd like some."
"I haven't had eggnog in a while. Wouldn't mind trying it again." Twilight spoke out from her book,
"I'd love to try some darling." You turn to face Fluttershy and Rainbow,
"I would like to try some. If that's okay with you." The butter-yellow pegasus mare said meekly behind her mane,
"RD?" She looked like she was in another world. After a few seconds, she finally turned her head. Her mane was frizzy and greasy, while her eyes were puffy and red,
"Huh?"
"I asked if you wanted some eggnog."
"Oh, um...nah. I'm good."
"Alright," You head into the kitchen and open the cupboard, "Hey Pinkie, want some 'nog?"
"Yeah!" She had little spots of cake mix tattering her face,
"I'm gonna go grab Nightingale. Feel free to pour yourself some."
"Okie Dokie Lokie!" You leave the kitchen and head up to your bedroom. Once inside, you could hear somepony (presumably Nightingale) shutting off the water in the bathtub. You start shedding off your winter clothing.
You were taking off your boots when you could hear the bathroom door open,
"Hey Nightingale I got so-" Your words were cut short when you saw her drenched body. Her sapphire mane snaked its way down her neck and a few inches past her shoulder. Her sultry gaze made you especially uneasy too,
"Hey baby." Her breathless voice called out to you. You just stood there, frozen under her spell. She took a few steps forward. Slowly, like a predator stalking her prey,
"Nightingale, you're dripping water everywhere!"
"Really? Want me to dry myself off?"
"Yeah, I'd really appreciate that." She smiled sinisterly,
"Anything for you baby." Your eyes nearly flew out of their collective eye sockets when you processed the words.
"Nightingale, no!"
It was too late
She started shaking her body, peppering you and everything else in the room with water. Your clothes became heavier with each second that passed. Finally, the globs of water were reduced to the occasional droplet,
"There! All Dry!" You sigh heavily,
"You're lucky these aren't my lounge clothes. Now I gotta go change." You get to your feet and walk over to the drawer. Grabbing a fresh pair of undies, pajama pants, and a black tank top.
Once you closed the bathroom door, you stripped off the soaked clothing. Even your socks got wet! You grumble when they plopped to the floor. When you were in something dry, you took the wet stuff and hung it on top of the shower curtain. After you opened the bathroom door, the smell of cake wafted into your nose.
You didn't know how Pinkie could make a grocery store cake mix smell that good! With a little pep in your step, you make your way down the stairs. You glanced to the kitchen table to see a two-foot tall monster of a chocolate cake. It already had a few slices cut out.
There was a slice sitting next to it. You merely assumed it was yours. Taking hold of the eggnog, you poured a generous amount into a glass cup. Just before you could dig in, you noticed Rainbow Dash eating away from the others. Her chewing was slow and drawn out, almost as if she had been forced to eat it.
The girls were completely ignoring her. You looked to Nightingale, who was talking to Fluttershy. She shifted her attention to you. You stared at each other for a moment. 'She invited everypony down here so I can try make amends with Rainbow. I'm not letting her down.' You grab your dessert and walk over to the cyan pegasus,
"Hey, Dash? Come with me, I need to talk to you about something." She looked confused for a split second. But she rose up and followed you upstairs.
Inside your room, you gesture to the foot of the bed,
"Why'd you call me in here?" Her reply wasn't snarky or threatening. It was full of genuine confusion,
"Listen, I think it's time we ironed out this situation."
Rainbow Dash floated over to the bed and took a seat,
"So, what do you want to talk about?" You sit next to her and began eating,
"I wanna stop this stupid shit... I'm tired of walking into the kitchen and feeling like there's a bullseye on my forehead. " You sigh heavily as you continued, "I know you can understand where I'm coming from." She nodded slowly,
"I do, Anon. I never meant for things to get like this."
"Then why did you lie? Why did you lie to me Dash? I need to know." Her ears splayed back and she looked down for a moment, assessing thoughts before speaking again,
"I-I don't know! I just wanted you to leave before Soarin came so you wouldn't feel worse, but I did. I should have just told you the truth." Her voice wavered, teardrops growing in her eyes,"I let you down so hard that day. When you kicked me out of your house a few weeks ago, I was mad at you. I said a lot of hurtful things that I wish I could take back! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She broke down crying, digging her hooves into your bed. You hesitantly raise your hand, resting it on her back,
Her body shook and trembled with each sob that wracked her frame. When was the last time you interacted with her like this? Once she calmed down a little, you talked next,
"Now it's my turn to apologize, I'm sorry for playing the victim card as hard as I did. When I saw you and Soarin that night, I took a huge hit. I cared a lot less about my appearance. Not to mention that I put on a few pounds," you got the point across by pinching your belly, "I was gonna stay bitter too. Then Nightingale came in and made me happy again. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have invited you guys to stay for Hearths Warming Eve." She looked back up to you with pinkish eyes,
"Are we...friends again?" You shake your head,
"I never said I forgave you. I mean I'm giving you a chance. I'm not saying it's impossible to regain my trust, but I'm not saying it'll be easy either." You gave her a reassuring smile,
"Thank you for giving me a chance. Even though I don't...really deserve it."
"Bullshit, if I'm willing enough to give you a chance, then you deserve it." You push yourself up from the bed and stretch, "Now let's get back downstairs so I can make us something to eat. One single slice of cake isn't really enough for me."
Twilight welcomed you back,
"There you are. We were wondering what was taking you both so long." Nightingale trotted up to you. You got on one knee to meet her height and she leaned her head forward,
"Did you do it?" She asked with a noticeable tone of worry,
"Mhm." The thestral squealed girlishly and peppered your face with kisses,
"Mwah! Mwah! Mwah! Mwah! That's my Anon!" Everypony in the room went slack-jawed, all except for Pinkie. She just turned into pink dust as if Thanos had just used the Soul Stone and snapped his fingers,
"Oh...my."
"Well, ain't that somethin'?"
"Well, well, well! It seems Anon has been quite busy in his leave of absence." Rarity tittered,
"How long have you two been an item?" Twilight asked; albeit with a stunned look at her face,
"Anon told me his feelings last night" She nuzzles your chin and sighs, "I'm so glad I did."
"I'm going to go make something to eat for everyone," the mares answered with a collective "okay". You turn your attention back onto Nightingale, "What do you feel like having?" You asked her,
"I think I want some cheeseburgers with bacon."
"Read my mind." You rose back up and placed your attention on the others,
"I'm gonna go whip us up some dinner, anything in specific that you guys want to eat?"
"Do you think you can make some hayburgers and hayfries?" Rainbow Dash asked,
"I'm not really keen on cooking food with hay in it, think you can help me with it?"
"Buck yeah!" You walk into the kitchen, with Rainbow Dash floating slowly behind you, "Anon?"
"Yeah?"
"What's it like eating meat?" You raise your eyebrow,
"Why? Wanna taste?" Her face visibly turned green,
"Sweet Celestia no! I just always wondered why you eat it." You reach into the freezer and pull the food out. You get out the seasoning salt and sprinkle it into the ground beef while you handed her the hayburger mix,
"For one, it's a really good source of protein for humans. Even though we can eat vegetables, vegetables don't offer as much protein as meat. On my planet, I'm what you would call a meat lover. The reason I know so many recipes for meat is because of my dad. He'd always have a barbecue on Saturdays. He was the one who had taught me how to fill burger patties with cheese and bacon wrap hot dogs."
"You eat dogs?!"
"No, oh God no! They have that name because they're shaped like Weiner dogs." You decided to keep out the fact that some humans DO like to eat dogs,
"Oh okay, you had me going there." She chuckled nervously,
"Don't worry, I don't eat dogs." You laughed a bit before you continued cooking, "How's Scootaloo been?" You could visibly see Rainbow's mood brighten,
"Her wings finally grew to the right size and she started flying."
"No way!"
"Yeah, way! I said the same thing when she flew onto my back!"
"Oh man, that's awesome! With you there to train her, she'll probably be one of the fastest mares of her generation." Rainbow Dash scoffed,
"Pssh, one of the fastest? I think you mean, the fastest!" You shook your head and laughed, there's that boastful attitude,
"We'll see Dash, we'll see."
"Done with the hayburgers," she flew up to the cabinet and grabbed the plates, "See you in the living room, Anon."
"I won't be long," When she left the room, you sighed, "This is the best Hearths Warming Eve ever."
When the burgers were finished, you turned off the oven light. Before you left the kitchen, you noticed a bottle of whiskey on top of the fridge. You grab it by the neck and look at the brown liquid. You opened the cap and walked over to the sink,
"Don't need that anymore." You poured the alcoholic liquids into the drain and tossed the glass bottle into the garbage can.
Returning to the living room, you gave Nightingale her plate and sat next to her. She rested her head on your shoulder,
"Thank you, Nightingale."
"For what?" You kissed her ear,
"For making me happy again."
"Awwww." You got to your feet and pulled everypony into your arms,
"This has been the best Hearths Warming Eve I've ever had in my life. Thank you, all of you for not giving up on me, even when I had given up on myself. I'm sorry for taking so long to get out of my funk."
"We're just happy to have you back Anon," Twilight said,
"Glad to be back Twilight. And I promise to never leave again."
And with that, our story comes to a close. Some will say Fin, others may say that's all folks, but I shall say:
