2nd Person story starring You and Fluttershy stuck in Froggy Bottom Bog during a monster's hunt. Edited to Teen since I accidentally put in stuff that may be objectionable, but is more likely Everyone
Edited to Teen since I accidentally put in stuff that may be objectionable, but is more likely Everyone. also the situation may also warrant it.
You are Red Manege, and recently your fortunes have allowed you to stay in Ponyville for some time to get some money and more new experiences.
The reason you chose Ponyville? Simple, because your pen pal of some years you met through a mail dating service lives there and if nothing else you could meet a friend that can also help you get a good reputation in town.
The only problem? Your journey has brought you to Froggy Bottom Bog, and this yellow Pegasus refuses to let you enter the place, if only she'd actually talk to you so she could tell you why.
Dear Blue, I would be delighted to assist you when you arrive. I’m so excited I finally get to meet you after all this time. I hope we can be just as good friends in pony as we are through these letters. I also hope we can sort of be more than that ;) Since you’re coming around through Froggy Bottom Bog I’ll just go make sure everything is safe. I’ll tell you about it when I see you but let’s just say I didn’t have the safest of trips last time. If everything is okay I won’t send another mail and I’ll try to meet you where Ponyville meets the bog so I can show you around.
Looking forward to your stay,
XOXO Fluttershy.
You put down the letter and took a deep breath. Ah the smell of nature. Trees always had the best scent to them, you wish you had the skill to tell what smell was what. All you could tell was if a tree was a pine or not thanks to a few years helping at a Hearth’s Warming tree factory. But enough of that, you had to get going if you were going to make it to your reserved room at ponyville’s inn by nightfall. And with no second letter it was smooth sailing.
Stretching out your small wings and back till you hear and feel that satisfying pop that tells you everything is unknotted and ready to go, you get started on your trek. You really didn’t have much on you really. In fact most of your stuff fit in the small cart you were pulling that was nothing to you despite your smaller stature than normal for such work. It contained just a few things from each of your family members who had seen you off and a small bag of Apples for the trip, their skin a darker red than your own fur which was your favorite type, whichever they were. You hadn’t gotten to know the types of apples when you worked at Golden Delicious’ farm a few summers back. You made a mental note to do that with the part-time work you’d be getting at his cousin Applejack’s Farm. After all the more you know the better.
Your talent in, well nothing and yet everything was something you were proud of when you got to show it off but didn’t like to talk about. It was why you liked to fake that you had a normal cutie mark, but just like your body the mark was of an undecided nature. Jack of all trades, master of nothing you believe was the term. It left you with no true skill but it left you with the need for life experiences none the less. Even if your body wasn’t built for the task.
But that wasn’t the only reason you were looking forward to going to Ponyville. Sure getting bits so you could live on your own and afford to become a traveling part timer without having to return home was a small dream of yours, and something you could now realize with your little sister finally getting her own job so that you didn’t have to help support the family any longer, but there was a pony you wanted to meet that lived there. You’d never met her, heck you were not even a hundred percent sure the pony was even a she despite the fact you technically considered “her” a love interest.
It had all started back when you were a pretty horny teenager, and had a few extra bits from your odd jobs. Instead of what you would do from then on which was invest it in ads to get more work or save it in case of emergency, you had foolishly decided to pay for a dating service over the mail. You simply filled out a questionnaire, and they matched you up with someone. Whether it be by luck or, as a part of you thought, by the fact your “partner” was likely an ephebophile; you two became fast friends through letters and had been keeping in contact for so long it soon become clear “she” wasn’t really a pervert and you started to be more honest.
Where you drew the line, at least until you really met “her” however, was giving out what you really looked like and your real name. And you assumed the same was true of her. Because while you took an old picture of your unicorn dad from an angle where his mark wasn’t showing to send and used a false name which was the boy version of your sister’s name, “she” had obviously done the same. Seriously, a pony that loves to take care of animals and is so passionate about it would not have balloons as her cutie mark. You thought the made up name though, Fluttershy, was a nice touch. It was cute and let you use the picture for an imaginary date you were also dumb enough to send to her back then in detail.
In the back of your head, Fluttershy was still likely a boy who was messing around just like you were, but having made an actual friend and not wanting to confess to it for some reason you had decided to let it go and keep parts of yourself from “her” as well. There was more than just hiding as the reason you took your father’s picture, he looked normal.
Not to say you were ugly, in fact you had come to terms with your good and bad features long ago when you had actual dates during your visits to places for jobs. But there was also a reason you never really had a special somepony before either. Your mane covered this fact very nicely and your wings were small enough too so from a distance you didn’t seem too bad, just a small earth pony. But up close girls would get freaked out and aside from a drunken girl or two that still made out with you before you let your better half take her home and let her rest, you didn’t ever get very far with any pony. You were never sure if you told Fluttershy this but you recall “she” didn’t reply to your letter about one such encounter or any after until you finally asked her for tips when you had found a temp job replacing a mare at an animal shelter on maternity leave.
Just the thought that Fluttershy would actually be a girl that got jealous over such a thing made you smile every time you thought about it. But even if “she” turned out to be a guy the two of you had been having good conversations anyway so you at least could count on “her” as a friend that could help you out while you adjusted to working in Ponyville for a bit. Now you could be the better pony and say how the gender of a pony didn’t matter, but you were not a better pony, though you envied the ones who were though because they had a bigger lake to catch fish in than you did. But yours was big enough for you thank you very much.
All that daydreaming and remembering had helped pass the time as you continued to trot through the roads, occasionally taking a bite out of an apple from your bag. It really didn’t take as long as you had thought to get to the entrance to the bog. You scanned for a decent road to walk on where your cart wouldn’t sink. If you went around the bog you’d be going around a set of mountains too so through it was the fastest way by a long shot. Luckily, because most ponies hated going round mountains so much a small stone road was made in the bog a few years back. The stones themselves were covered in moss and green, but it would hold up your cart well enough.
However, as you took your first step you were instantly greeted by a loud voice calling out for you to stop. It was only once but your ears were ringing and you had to put your mossy hooves to your temples to rub them to quell the headache that you knew would likely follow. It was small so it didn’t take long to leave you, but when you opened your eyes again you could see a yellow pegasus in front of you.
She was cute, nothing spectacular bone structure wise but she had a charm that most mares had that she could use to her advantage to cover for her plain looks. Her coat however was quite beautiful, as was her mane. You flashed to your time as a spa worker and had the sudden urge to rub your hooves into her coat but thought better of it fast enough. While her mane was a glorious pink shade, it was also covered in branches and moss. It was very likely she had rushed over here seeing you and was taking deep breaths. Her tail at first made you think she had tail extensions, but having been an nurse for a month you were surprised to find it was indeed real as was everything about this pony. Perfect looks she may not have but she wasn’t going to be having a beauty enhancing surgery any time soon either.
The more pressing matter, you noted after a quick glance at the cute little butterfly cutie mark she had, was that she was now standing where you were about to be and blocking the way to that small road. You did the sensible thing and asked something first however. “Was that you screaming a second ago?” She stayed silent and a blush crawled up her adorable cheeks. “Cause if it was you’ve got a pretty good set of pipes to make it so loud. And you’re fast too if I didn’t even see you coming. The name is Red Manege.” You held out a hoof, “What’s your name?”
The girl shrank back at the sight of your hoof and whispered something inaudible. “Oh crap,” was your first thought, “did she see under my mane? No she isn’t that close. Maybe she’s freaked out by how small my wings are. She must’ve thought I was an earth pony. Better just get her to back off the trail and move on then.” So you move forward, but she doesn’t back up, oh she’s shaking visibly but she isn’t budging and inch.
“Okay,” you say now that it seems she isn’t going to move. You back up a moment and cough, “Let’s try this again then. Sorry to have spooked you, you already know my name. So what is yours?” Again her reply is too small to hear. “Sorry, could you speak up? I really don’t have the kind of time for this.” This time you could tell she was scared and trying to say her name, but you still couldn’t make it out.
You looked up, it was going to get late soon at this rate. You’d be stuck in the middle of the bog at night if you didn’t get going soon. And even if you headed back you didn’t have the money or the food supply to camp or return to the last inn you stayed at. You had to get moving. The girl was a pegasus after all really. She could just fly out of the way. And lucky for you she didn’t see under your bushy mane yet so she wouldn’t be expecting what you were about to do.
You focused your mind on your forehead. Lifting a full groan mare wasn’t too hard, you’d done so plenty of times with fighting your sister even the day before you left, but that was going to take a lot out of you if you did more than just send her in one direction. You got the spell ready and opened your eyes. The poor girl was now transfixed and obviously confused by the pale light coming from your mane. “My apologies miss. But my wings are not strong enough to lift my cart and I really must be going. So feel free to fly off at any time.” And with that you used your magic and flung the girl into the air high enough so that she landed behind you and into your cart. At which point you started to gallop down the path. She was perfectly free to fly off the cart at any time really, but not wanting to throw her into the muddy waters and your magic not being strong enough to really take her that far away from you forced you to use what you had.
The ground was slippery, but you suspected that and half skated when you could at some points. You couldn’t run though this bog sure but this was still faster than a trot. Things were going good until once again you heard a loud shout. “NO!”
Something slammed into your back and you felt your face hit the floor as your cart flipped over. The contents spilling out into the muddy water and to your horror as you gained your bearings again, all of the stuff your family had given you had sunk into the water. Frantic, you jumped into the left side of the road to go after the heavier of the items. Your wings may not be able to handle more than your own weight but they are excellent for swimming. That is they would be if the hooves holding on to your hind legs would let go.
Running out of air you fly yourself out of the surface of the water and back onto the road. Gasping for air, you look down at the yellow mare who is looking from you to back to the start of the road. She obviously wanted to go back there but didn’t want to leave you here either. You however, could only wish the worst on her right now.
“What was that about?” you cried. The mare staggered again as you got to your hooves. You were about the same height but her cringing made her look shorter. “Oh come off it,” you yelled. “It was you who called out for me to stop back there wasn’t it?” Slowly she nodded. “Well great, then care to tell me why?” She bit her lip. “Well fine then, this day is just going swimmingly isn’t it? I was expecting to just have a slightly creepy trot to Ponyville so I could do business there with the things in my cart. And now not only can’t I move on now, but I’ve lost all my stuff. Including, may I add, a very important gift from a family member, all because of you. So do you have anything to say for yourself?”
The girl squeaked, but slowly you did hear something. “I’m sorry.”
Normally you’d have turned that into a starting point. She was finally talking to you after all. But you were still far too angry at her. Sure you had just lied a bit about your business in Ponyville, but that she didn’t need to know and your talent was embarrassing enough as it was without a meek Pegasus using it to feel any better about what she just did to you. You even felt a slight sting. Your nose was bruising. Perfect. “’I’m sorry’ isn’t going to cut it with me missy. Care to tell me WHY you were so focused on making sure I didn’t come into this bog?” You couldn’t help but keep looking into the bubbling waters where your stuff had sunk. You’d be here all night if you got everything back while the daylight did what little help it could and you continued. But first you had to get this girl out of your mane so you could go after them. Your magic wasn’t going to work this time since she’d expect it and it would take too long. That’s when it finally hit you.
“Okay so what’s the danger,” you said now that you were a tad calmer. You had guessed right it seems when she reacted as she did but she quickly tried to cover it up. You stepped closer but with that way now going to the entrance she was backing away again. This was getting old. So without bothering this time you slid up to her getting her to back up more, only to use the skating trick a friend had taught you to slide right into the bog and immediately make a bee line for the area where the first and most important of your items had sunk. This mare wasn’t about to follow you into the water now if she was afraid of touching you so it was for the best.
It was too murky to keep your eyes open so you kept them closed and felt around. Feeling a box that likely at least contained something of yours you used your wings to propel you out of the water and place the box back on the road. Shaking yourself you looked back at the girl who looked like she was about to have a heart attack. “Gotcha,” you chuckled as you wiped some muck out of your eyes and stared down at the box. Yep, it was one of yours. “One down, five to go.”
“You can’t,” called the girl as you dived in again. At least she was talking to you normally now. Feeling again for another box you found the target and started to swim back up. Only this time something caught one of your hooves. Air released quickly from you in surprise as you opened your eyes in a panic. Before the green moss covered your sight completely you saw several bright pairs of green eyes stare out to you. If you had any more air you’d swallow, but you didn’t so panicking as you drowned was all you really had.
How is it going lately? Sorry for only now replying to your letter. I was out replacing another mare on maternity leave at a hospital in Trottingham. It seems you really must be something if you are who you say you are though. My family just got wind of the whole Crystal Empire returning and how you were apparently there to assist. When I mentioned how I was your pen pal though my mom just laughed and said if that were the case she’d need to deck me for not attempting to ask you out for real. She can be so embarrassing about that kind of thing. I ended up agreeing with her so if you are the same Fluttershy I guess I need to sort of apologize for lying to my mom.
Anyway, I read your letter and it looks like everything is going well for you. After my little nursing job I’m pretty set up myself and can finish paying off my sister’s schooling bills. Maybe I can even come by to meet you finally if I do. Remember that rock farm I had to work for a while back but ended up losing my job in two days? Well I’m still on good terms with the head of the family and he said he could get his daughter to look into finding me a decent position with my skills. I wonder if you’ll be okay with that so please reply if you are. I still have to take you on that boat ride in that lake you told me about like I promised lol.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Blue Magus
You spluttered. This wasn’t the first time you were coughing up water, but it was the first time you had regained consciousness doing so. It took you a bit before you had gotten recovered enough to breath normally. You tried opening your eyes, they stung like crazy and you shut them again. Just peachy you were blind for a bit now as you tried desperately to get any of the moss out of your eyes with our magic. You felt a pair of hooves assist you with a picking out some of it when they could and finally blinked yourself some vision at least.
Before you was the girl, now completely soaked and looking exhausted. Moss clung to her fur and she was shivering, and you found yourself doing the same as the wind hit you. Because you had just recovered from drowning it had not been that long since you had gone under and saw those bright green hungry eyes, but physically the both of you look like you just spent a day galloping miles.
“Th-thank you,” you barely managed coughing again. Trying to lighten the mood a little you chuckled, coughed and said, “Guess I should have known there was a real reason you were trying to stop me eh?”
The pink maned girl did not look amused. What came out of her mouth was so loud and powerful it shook you to your core. “YOU GUESS?! FOR CELESTIA’S SAKE YOU ALMOST DIED BECAUSE YOU WOULDN’T STOP AND LISTEN TO ME! MAYBE NEXT TIME SOMEPONY IS TRYING TO WARN YOU ABOUT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY INSTEAD OF JUST MOVING ONE!”
“In my defense,” you claimed as she calmed down, “you were not actually speaking up and I gave you a few chances to tell me.”
There was silence before the girl spoke again in a normal tone for once. “Yes, well most ponies encourage me to speak up till I do. I don’t know why you didn’t.”
That didn’t set off your anger switch, but it came close. “So most ponies you’ve met have had the patience to wait for you to speak up and not just ignore you even if it’s eating into their day? Well maybe in Ponyville that works out, but I’m normally a busy guy and today especially I was in need to get to Ponyville before nightfall. Now it looks like I’ve got no choice but too starve and camp outside the bog hoping whatever that green eyed thing you saved me from doesn’t come after me.”
“Oh he won’t,” commented the girl. “I can’t believe I had to use more than the stare to get my point across, but he won’t be bothering anyone for a while. Besides, the Hydra wasn’t what I was trying to warn you about.”
You were dumbstruck. This girl took on a Hydra and saved your life and that wasn’t even the dangerous reason she had for stopping you from going in the bog? You found yourself gulping and looking down at the two boxes on the road next to you and the girl, wait two? Had she also grabbed the one you were holding when she went after you? That took some serious strength, meaning this girl could easily out muscle you. It was a good thing you were trying to be gentlecoltly about getting around her then.
“Well then,” you finally said getting to your hooves, “I shall have to thank you once I have the money do so one day. But as it stands, all my money is now property of the bog and likely I’m not getting it back if there is something worse than the Hydra in there.” You trotted over to your two boxes and found that indeed they were the two more important. A small grace at least.
The other four were things you were going to decorate your inn room with to make it more homely during your stay. After your sister had found her calling she had taken it on herself to make some great pieces for you and all of it matched surprisingly despite the little material you could buy for her to do so and practice with. She’d be mad you lost some of them, but not too much when you explained what happened. The two boxes in front of you however were your most dear even if they didn’t having anything from your family in them. One contained your recommendations and referrals you used to get hired so quickly by other ponies. You were still young , but losing this would have been a huge inconveniences in your line of odd jobs if you needed either more pay or to get a steady job despite only above par skill in something.
The final box contained your personals and was the heaviest of them. It had a few letters from Fluttershy, a blanket you kept with you everywhere out of tradition, and your family album with a copy of a few photos in case your trip turned into a long one where you wouldn’t see your family for months or even years. Thank goodness this was safe as well.
Your momentary happiness however was cut short by a roar in the distance. Now that was odd, you’d never heard a cry like that in your travels. Granted you did avoid dangerous areas but this was a public road. A quick glance at the yellow mare confirmed your suspicions that this was what she was trying to warn you about.
She obviously looked distressed but kept looking back at the entrance to the bog. You were compelled to try and gallop with her out of the place and just leave your stuff and hope for the best, but your body wasn’t going to listen for much longer. This was the final issue your body had, but you couldn’t linger on it just yet. Ignoring the pains that were raising you called out to her. “What are you waiting for? We have to get moving before whatever that is gets over here.”
“But um,” she starts to say looking back and forth between you and the entrance again, “I’m expecting somepony to show up here. I can’t let him enter either.” That would explain why she was here in the first place at least. She didn’t seem like the type to go and live in the bog so she must be from the Ponyville side of the thing. You made a note to ask her if she knew Fluttershy after you got out of this.
“That’s fine and all,” you say, “but if we don’t get moving whatever that is will be after us. I’m sure if this pony is coming they are using the same road I did now let’s go.” Before your words had time to sink in and the girl was able to start moving something odd happened. The entrance to the bog was closing up. Vines were starting to spread over the trees near the road opening and they seemed to be coming from both directions until you got to the mountainous part at the edges.
Just peachy, you didn’t have the wing power to support yourself if it cut you off and the roaring was what seemed to be causing all this. “Come on the thing is closing up. You fly out of here, I’ll follow.” It was a lie again, but you had to at least make sure she was okay before your body zoned out on you and you were unable to move.
The girl starts to listen to you, but she suddenly spasms and falls over. You rush over two her. A quick look showed she had sprained her wing. Again just peachy, she would have to tell you how that happened later. Draping her over your body with your magic, giving yourself an intense head ache at such a use in the process, you continue to skate/trot back to the entrance. But it was too late. You’re met with deep vines and can’t punch through them as you try. Too high to jump, the roaring is getting closer too.
The girl on your back is starting to panic now that she realizes the situation. And you’re starting to lose it too. It was hopeless, you had nothing left and your body was going to fall apart on listening to you at any moment.
“That tree,” said the girl pointing to a larger tree in the bog waters. A large hole big enough for the two of you was there. You didn’t need to be told what to do. You flew as best you could over to the tree with the girl still on your back. Your wings cried in painful protest but you ignored it since the girl needed to be set first. Once she was in the tree hole you tried to fly again for the boxes but you were stopped simultaneously by the girl pulling you back and your left wing shooting in pain, you’d used up all you could just getting in the tree. You couldn’t even swim with it now until you got to a doctor. “What are you crazy!” the girl spat, “look at yourself. You’re in no condition to go back out there for some stupid boxes.”
“You’re right,” you say giving in and resting on the hard wood. Your body wasn’t listening to you now it was getting numb in your wings and you had a splitting headache. “So do you know what just happened with the vines over there?”
The girl repositioned herself to look at the entrance, which do to the small space had put her in physical contact with you now since you couldn’t move away. She didn’t seem to notice as she looked out into the bog. “I’m not sure. I didn’t get all the information before I rushed over here. I just hope my friend Blue is alright. Thank goodness he didn’t come in before it closed off. I don’t know what I would do if I was stuck in the bog with him.”
You blinked at this news. “Wait…you're Fluttershy?” The words came out of your mouth before you could really consider them. Your pen pal, the pony you kept telling yourself was likely a boy playing just as much a trick on you as you were on him…was actually a real girl your age. Not only that but she was decently attractive, and suddenly everything she had said to you before may have been true. Your brain was reeling.
“Of course,” she said calming down and still not noticing how close she was to you. “I told you already. And as I said you wouldn’t listen to me. Though I guess I have to admit it was my fault for not speaking up sooner. Why do you sound so sur…” she trailed off as she realized. “Blue?”
You nodded weakly at Fluttshy still in a bit of awe that you were in fact talking to a hero of Equestria, the element of kindness. “At your service,” you tried to say in a knightly tone but came out more as the nervous teenager you used to be when you tried talking you a girl you had a crush on, the great topping to an otherwise cruddy day.
I just got your photo and thought it was pretty good. But are you being deliberate here? You didn’t take a picture of your cutie mark and you won’t write what it is either. It is really that embarrassing? If so then I guess I’ll listen to my friend Rarity and keep my own cutie mark hidden too.
Oh yes that does remind me. My friend Rarity found me in the middle of reading your last letter. Lucky for me it was her and not one of my other friends, Rarity is mature enough not to come up with wild theories and to give advice on writing to you. So it is with her encouragement that I ask if you could come by Ponyville one of these days. I laughed when Rarity said she wanted to “Size you up” but I still think it is a good idea. We’ve been pen pals for over four years now and I’m surprised how long it’s taken to even exchange photos of each other. I’d love to grow closer to you by meeting you in pony if that is alright. Enclosed is my own photo picked out by Rarity and the next move in our little chess game, as well as my next two moves depending on what moves you make. Let’s see if you can best me with that much of a handicap now lol.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Fluttershy.
The tension in the air was maddening now. The two of you had not spoken a word after finding out the other’s true self. For your part, it was because you were awestruck and a little embarrassed about the entire thing. Good thing your coat could hide the heat in your face from it all. Before you was what many a stallion would really say was one of the most desired mares in all of Equestria, a mare who had a brief modeling career and the only reason she wasn’t a big celebrity was that the princesses had ordered no real news casting in the area and no pony was going to bad mouth them in the media. And she was your pen pal for well over eight years. A pen pal you had, due to both assuming she was likely a boy or older than you, basically been hitting on for all the time as well. You had both done it in joking manner of course, but for it to have gone on for so long and she was in fact a girl who befriended you through a dating service, it messed with your emotions.
Now you understood why you felt the need to hold on to the letters. You had originally rationalized it that you’d have a good laugh with your Ponyville friend when the time came for you both to be completely honest so you could get to know each other better and see where one was lying and whatnot. But another part of you, a part you pushed to the side, was telling you to hold on to them for some other reason. And now you can’t even talk to her.
Fluttershy had moved as far away from you as she could after this revelation which didn’t help this feeling that you had really wronged her. This still meant both your back hooves were crossing a little but other than that she could have been a mile away right now. She was covering herself and looking away, you were still unsure on why though. She had been perfectly honest outside using some other mare’s picture. While you didn’t even bring up the fact you had a different coat color and name, let alone the fact you were a walking birth defect of sorts.
The numbness in your back and wings were likely keeping you comfortable so you didn’t try to shift over to Fluttershy, not that she’d likely want you to right now. Since now you were the only one who could see well outside the hole in the tree you started looking out. Rain was starting to fall in the bog. But with all the croaking of the frogs now, you’d be hard pressed to get any weather pegasi to here you even if you could get the yellow mare across from you to help with her booming voice. It was starting to come down pretty hard. Good thing you had made your boxes air tight so that they’d still be dry for now.
It was still longer and you had decided to attempt sleep when you heard the voice that was now starting to sound a lot different in tone. It was still soft, but it had a edge to it that felt like a knife cutting into your fur. “Can you answer me something, if you want to that is?” You looked up, most of the moss had dried on the both of you and but Fluttershy’s face was still able to be just as bright only with a fake smile this time. You half wondered if you’d get to see a real smile out of her before you eventually left the tree and never spoke to her again. That idea however flew by the instant she continued with asking, “Why did you lie to me all this time? How much of what we wrote about was you lying exactly?”
Your body tensed, she was looking at you seriously and her emotions were blank as far as you could see. Lightning started to crack outside. She was no longer scared of you. Perhaps learning that you were in fact someone she knew, or thought she knew, was giving her the confidence to talk to you now.
“Well,” you answered. “I may have embellished a little bit. But it was mostly a bunch of white lies. I figured you were doing the same.” Her eyes focused on you with a fire. “But I see now that isn’t the case. But hey you lied to me too sometimes.”
That was where for a moment her stern face cracked and you noticed now how her eyes when not shrunken and set to stare you down were actually quite enchanting. But the stare soon returned and she replied, “N-no I didn’t.”
You raised an eyebrow. Was she really trying to defend herself and say she was always truthful with you? “Yes you did. You look nothing like that picture you sent of yourself. I’m not sure what else you did but you at least matched me in a complete lie there.”
“But I did send you a picture of me,” Fluttershy defended.
“Your coat isn’t pink, and your cutie mark doesn’t have balloons on them,” you countered. She was not trying to pull this on you. Being mad that you were lying was one thing, but to say she didn’t lie at all? That was just foolish even if it was true. Heck she didn’t know at first if you weren’t some guy who wanted to cut and run. Being all honest from the start would have been far naïve for anypony who was out of foalhood.
“That’s my friend Pinkie Pie, I was the one in the shot waving with only my head and one hoof,” she explained. Fluttershy then proceeded to do a mock up of what you would assume was the way she was saying she looked in the picture.
You could only deadpan. There was no way this girl was this ditzy about such simple stuff right? There wasn’t another mare in the photo. Did she really think you were a fool? But you played along. “Why in the world would I assume that was you when you were not the focus of the picture? That’s like if I wrote a paper on the frogs here for school but most of it was about the snakes out to eat them.”
“It was the best I had I don’t like the flashes pictures make. Besides Rarity said it was the perfect picture to send. Something about how you’d be able to tell who I was in the picture. She even volunteered to mail it.”
Seriously? You could certainly see that, especially with the comments you remembered your friends saying about her. And that a friend of hers mailed that particular letter. It was obvious this Rarity was far smarter about this kind of thing that Fluttershy was, or at least not a trusting. Now you felt like a big old mule. Then you felt bad for using so an old term when one of your friends was a mule. You could even imagine him just shrugging it off like it was nothing. “Well then….I guess I’m a dunderhead then. Sorry.”
“Well you do have a point about the picture. I just don’t understand why you felt the need to lie to me is all. I thought we were friends.” The disappointment in her voice was evident. You were likely killing little dreams she had with every word you said.
“I thought you were my friend too and that’s why I couldn’t tell you.” Again you had let your mouth move before your brain could reel it in. You must be more tired than you originally thought if you were suddenly saying stuff like this.
“What?” She was genuinely confused by what you just said. You could feel the concern in that one word too. That was what you didn’t want. Of all things, you didn’t need that from her of all ponies. Especially with your current situation.
You took a deep breath and elaborated. “You do care for animals right? Well my ‘extras’ are more like mutation and birth defect your animals have than an actual thing like the princesses have. Like a three legged frog or a two-headed rabbit.”
She shifted in place with a wince, “oh but you can use magic and fly perfectly fine right? With everything that just happened. I always thought you were a normal unicorn because you never said anything about it in your letters.” Which was true, you didn’t want to come off a winey or have a friend pity you so you never wrote anything. But she had said the trigger word, normal. It wasn’t normal to have a body like yours was. Your face must have shown your distaste for the word because Fluttershy immediately waves her hooves between you and saying, “Oh no, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, outside the princesses I never actually met an Alicorn before.”
“There’s a good reason,” you state bluntly. It was time to pull this bandage off now before you have another dumb outburst. “Alicorns usually die by the time they are fully grown, at least ones that have a normal wings and horns anyway. Your body normally can only handle the one type. Earth pony’s natural physical stamina and knowledge, Unicorn’s magic, and a Pegasus flying and weather abilities. Alicorns are a combination of all three and get all three natural abilities at the cost of life longevity. I managed to luck out because I’m not really any of them. I’m too small and naturally weak to be an earth pony so I need to work out just to keep myself able to do the work any normal one can. My wings as you can see are small as well. I can barely keep myself afloat for long.”
Your explanation was relatively quick because you had said it many a time and even practiced it in case it needed to be told to your employers. Your mother had to explain this to you early on after you had passed out during recess as a foal. Though you had to admit, at least it meant you understood yourself enough to get your cutie mark first among your class.
“Oh but,” piped Fluttershy. “I know a Pegasus with wings just as small and he does things perfectly fine.”
“He’s likely got a lot of muscle all around to make up for it,” you countered. “Flying takes way more out of me that trotting so I never bothered to try working it out much. Just enough so that I could keep myself in the air for emergencies like today and the occasional help getting to high places. Heck I’d likely need so much muscle I’d look like a weight lifter to even be as good as normal pegasus.” Fluttershy seemed to cringe are the thought of that. “But finally is the most annoying part of my life. My magic, I tried developing it but it just doesn’t work, mostly because I don’t even have a full horn in here.” You tapped your skull for emphasis. “Things more like a lump and it gives me a headache every time I use it past my natural limits. Which as you saw, wasn’t much apparently. I’m so useless.
“Most ponies pity me when they find out I’m an Alicorn, I didn’t want you to think less of me if you thought I’d die on you or I told you the entire truth and that I’m physically challenged. I’ve seen it far too much from others to want to see if from you since even if you were just a pen pal I never met you are still one of my oldest friends. Heck I even let my mane grow out a little more to make sure you never saw my horn and I was just going to pretend to be a malformed pegasus since at least they can manipulate weather while I can barely stand on a cloud in the first place.”
It was quite again for some time. The sound of rain was getting harder. With your talking done you wanted to just lay back and wait out the rest of this storm now that she understood. You would be fine with her not staying quiet now and would need to cancel your plans for the job in Ponyville so it wouldn’t be awkward. But no matter what her reaction you could still see her as a friend and would respect her as such. “Can I see it?” You knew what she was talking about. No sense beating around the bush there when you needed to get some sleep anyway. Placing your hoof up to your face you lifted your mane a bit to show the area that from a distance would look like a bald spot. Fluttershy got up to get a closer look at it.
This was indeed a different approach. Before, girls would find out about this and leave you for one of two reasons. The serious girls didn’t get to know you yet and didn’t want a birth defective child if they continued to date you. The not so serious ones thought it was gross but interested, thinking it would be a decent thing to experiment with. That didn’t sit well with you at all so you would just leave, this meant you didn’t have any female friends outside ones from your sister by proxy. But what could you do?
“It’s so cute.” You blinked. She didn’t just say that did she? You must have misheard something here. There was no way she thought a deformed horn was cute. The thing barely came out enough to be seen and it was at an odd angle. No mare in their right mind would think that it was cute. Heck even your own mother and sister would tell you how the best you’d hope for is a girl who could tolerate it or think it would be a good secret to keep as a bonding thing. But cute? That reaction to your horn was never something you ever considered. Suddenly you were even more embarrassed and you magic went off on its own to push her away and you covered your horn again.
“Sorry,” you said covering your horn again. “Never heard that before, but you don’t need to humor me. I know it’s a bit odd, but I’m glad it isn’t any bigger. If it were I’d never be able to get a decent job, the entire low stamina thing is pretty common knowledge in most parts of Equestria.”
Fluttershy looked at you and stayed quite again for some time considering her words before piping up again. “Maybe you need some rest then. You did just use a lot of magic and fly me over here. You must be exhausted if what you said is true.” Even if she was a bit nicer that last word had an edge to it again that cut you again.
“Not really,” you say feeling your back start to come back to normal. “I’m used to moving around this much and I’m pretty fit now. Otherwise I’d never have risked swimming for the boxes. But up until just now my back was numb and wasn’t going to listen to me at all so even if I do have the energy I can’t move much till it’s at full capacity again. Besides in this weather and with how wet we’re getting if we went to sleep now we’d either get very sick or even die and I’m not about to let that happen. Luckily we aren’t in the bog or a snow cave so it won’t get any colder in here but it’s gonna be some time till we can leave at this rate.”
As if the emphasize your point the rain water started mixing with the wind so that you where hit even harder with the stray drops for a moment. Fluttershy didn’t say anything after that, and again you couldn’t tell what she was thinking. But on the plus side while your wings were still numb, your back was finally workable and you could now sit up and look outside. It wasn’t like getting any wetter was going to make a difference now.
That’s when it happened, she cringed again. But this time you finally noticed. She wasn’t cringing out of disgust that entire time. Her sprained wing was paining her. You had nearly forgotten all about that. While yours needed a doctor, hers was a more immediate fix and far more painful since you were used to your wings being muscle torn now and then while she obviously wasn’t used to hurting them internally. You could tell only internally because you saw a scar on one wing, likely from working with the animals she loved so much. She needed a first aid kit, which was in the important box.
You looked outside, what little light was coming through the grey clouds was getting darker. It was only going to get worse before it got better and when the clouds were completely dark you’d be unable to see anything. You needed one of your boxes, the heavier one was large enough to work if you could get to it, and the contents would help you both through the night at least. But you didn’t know how well you’d be able to work without your wings and you were not sure Fluttershy would let you leave the tree. “I got some things in one of the boxes we pulled up than can help,” you explained.
“Is that another lie just so you don’t have to talk to me?” This sentence was small, and it struck you hard. But that wasn’t something you could reply to without sounding like a lie again, you did want to just get away from her. She was just going to hate you more as she got to see who you really were anyway. She was only trying to make the best of her situation and trying to keep you from leaving since it would be best for the two of you to stay together tonight.
But if that was the case, then you could fake it too. You did have to help one of your cousins one time who was a stage hand for a major play. You at least could act enough to fool this girl. You winked at her and snorted, “Wish me luck.” Galloping down the tree and jumping to the road wasn’t too bad really. Granted you nearly slipped but it all worked out and you were soon able to get to your box soon enough.
Looking back you could see Fluttershy was watching you. Outside that you couldn’t tell anything because of all the rain. Even the faint light you were calling with your magic was only making you able to see only about another leg length forward. With that in mind you made your way to the box with resolve before a headache would start again. It really didn’t take very long at all to get to the box.
A stone paw however, was on the box as a low growl came from that same direction. Your magic illuminated slightly with its pathetic glow to give you a better look. You wish it hadn’t. The ivory teeth of the Mountain Lion gleamed back at you, its bright yellow eyes looking at you hungrily. You couldn’t help yourself now. You laughed. “Well hello there,” you found yourself saying in a scared fit with a fake smile trying to give you courage, “fancy meeting you here.”
Sorry but I think I need to vent a bit on you this time. Life’s been pretty hard on me lately. I was actually surprised you remembered last week was my birthday and sent over that wonderful cake. It really was the only thing I could enjoy about the day since my mother was mad at me for not coming home to see her and the rest of the family for it. Heck she even guessed right that I’m going to be working through next month to avoid being home for my dad’s birthday too.
She really just doesn’t get it does she? I’ve been working all this time to support the family since dad isn’t around anymore, and she wants me to be reminded he’s gone? I mean geez it took forever just to convince my sister it wasn’t her fault he died. As if you can die from caring for your family too much. Granted she is a, well never mind that. I mean is really shouldn’t make a difference really so I won’t go ranting on that too now.
I guess I just don’t understand her anymore is all. If it wasn’t for my cousin giving me my first job at the time I think we would have starved, and she wants me to remember all that for an entire day? Saying stuff about how I need to just let go and cry about it for once? Well I know you may agree with her but crying isn’t going to keep bread on the table. I’m already over dad, and I want them to be too and to stop trying to bring it up with me. Lucky for me this new apple bucking job is letting me get rid of my stress from all this physically, but I just had to get rid of it all mentally too.
Sorry if this letter showed a side of me you don’t like. But I just couldn’t find anypony else to talk to that wouldn’t just tell my mom what I said and get me another lecture. I can at least trust to where even if you agree with her you won’t try writing too her and I thank you for that.
Hoping to be in a better mood next time,
Blue
Frozen. None of your limbs would listen to you. You cried out to them mentally to move. Everything in your being was telling you to run, nothing, not a twitch from any of your legs. Only your mind seemed to be moving at that moment as not even the great creature in front of you seemed to move. It was just as immobile as you were, but for a very different reason.
Finally after what seem like an eon, the creature before you seemed to have a smile crawl on its stony face. It opened its maw, which your brain also registered was large enough take your head and most of your torso in one bite, no chewing. The breath of the creature was visible, the red cloud gliding for you through the faint light in your horn. The slowly rubble in its throat was made even more gravelly by the rattling pebbles it was made out of. The maw grew ever closer and your legs still did nothing.
That was when a lot happened at the same time. First you heard a snap as a yellow and pink streak rushed the Mountain Lion’s head with such force it popped right off its neck. The red mist of the breath seemed to go away as you felt yourself get lifted off your hooves. Only when your senses fully returned did you notice the streak was Fluttershy, only with a pained expression on her face as the two of you slide on the mossy floor.
By the time you could look down at Fluttershy, she was shivering. You dared a glance at her wing. It wasn’t bleeding but it looked like a total mess. It must have cushioned her ramming into the lion and she had broken her wing now. It was even more pressing that you get your first aid kit now since unlike everything else that would likely just make her sick, this would outright kill her if you didn’t at least set the bone soon. The cold and pain in her wing were all trying to force Fluttershy to fall asleep. This wasn’t good. If she was unconscious for too long who knows how long it would take for her to come out of it. Let alone if she’d come out of it at all. She was fighting back the urge though. It was in her face. She was repeating the same line again and again in a small tone to keep herself awake. The rain hitting the bog surface around you it making it hard to hear but you can just make it out with your faces been so close together. “Have to protect him.”
You had only felt this scared for somepony else once before. It was the day you thought you sister had been sentenced to death. Guards had taken her while you were away. They had found out what she was and had taken her and brought you in for questioning. It had cost you your job, but that didn’t matter. If it wasn’t for Princess Cadence’s order, Bloo would likely have been gone forever, and you’d have gotten far worse than a night in jail and the hospital following that.
Fluttershy still just repeats stuff again, but this time you picked up the other line, “Can’t let him hurt it.” Well that solved everything. Your eyebrow twitched in anger a bit as you suddenly were no longer afraid of what was going to happen with that lion. Heck until now you forgot it was even there because of this mare.
“There we go,” you think struggling to slip out from under the mare. She was heavier than you thought, but soon enough she was safely placed while you stood in a way to protect her from the beast. “Here I was thinking she was worried about me for a second. Then again it makes far more sense that you came to make sure the lion wasn’t hurt since it is in a place it shouldn’t be.” You’d almost feel sorry for the thing, if it didn’t just try to eat you. Before turning your attention completely back to the creature, since you know what the issue was now, you lowered your head and whispered what little comfort you could. “I won’t hurt it, well not much. Stay focused on staying awake until I get you all patched up.”
Your limp light of a horn was allowing you to still see the box behind the body of the large Mountain Lion. You even got to see as its head reformed out of other parts of its body. A set of stones shifted off it’s back and limbs to make a head, leaving the body a bit thinner but still very sturdy overall. It looked back at you with a certain face that was more focused on Fluttershy than it was you. And you braced yourself for what you needed to do.
In your time being pen pals, Fluttershy had explained some of her favorite animals and some she was sort of afraid up. However one she seemed really interest in since you traveled and she never saw any was in fact the Mountain Lion. The only read difference besides their usually more docile nature compared to its magical sister the Timber Wolf, was the fact that it couldn’t replace lost stones of itself as fast. It needed heavy amounts of energy and thus usually only could do so once a year or so to repair the damage it normally took and grow bigger till it was too old to do so and then aged like any other creature.
Fluttershy had been mixed on this because she wanted to meet some, but she claimed how it would take too much time away from the animals that needed her care as Mountain Lions were also known to eat any other creature it came across that was made of flesh. That is until you met one a few years back.
True you didn’t take to terrain that would have them, but one who travels cannot avoid mountains for too long and the lions were always going to keep to paths a bit. Lucky for you, you had guides and learned a lot from them as you traveled to the point. One of which was that Mountain Lions had a respect and honor code that kept it from eating food that it thought beat them. You only didn’t decide to take a guide job despite this because, much like being a full on prison guard, it required much more skill in the craft if you had to help others besides yourself constantly. You didn’t have the ability to get such muscle or magic needed to best every Lion in the mountain.
You were not sure how the Lion felt but you knew at least one thing: you had not bested it. Meaning even if it somehow wasn’t mad at Fluttershy, which any normal creature would be so you couldn’t rule it out, you were still fair food. Also there was the fact even if she was likely going for you and only hit the lion by accident; she had hit it from behind. Most honor codes said that was a no-no where you read up on them. Either way you’d be facing this thing down now.
Taking a deep breath and with a new resolve you stared down into the beasts own eyes. Your body was starting to strain again. Sure your training had made you as powerful as a normal earth pony, but that was an untrained average one at best. Any normal pony earth or not was not going to be able to stand the cold, the strain on muscle and the fact you still had not rested enough from drowning. Something was going to give soon but you couldn’t give up just yet. You had a friend to protect first and foremost. And you were not about to go down here after everything that happened.
I won’t push it, but I really think you should make an effort to go see your family for your father’s birthday. I know how you feel, I had the same issue with my own family when I first moved down to Ponyville when everypony else loved Cloudsdale so much. Still when it came time to see my family again I eventually learned is that it always a good idea to go to such things if you bring no ill will. Otherwise, you’ll end up missing out of what could be some of your best memories.
I’m sure you know I’m not a very good flyer right? I even needed my friend Rainbow Dash to help me get home the first few times. And even when I was up there it took a long time to get over my fear of falling. But I did it because I could see all my family members again and they helped me through it.
It isn’t my place to help you with what I can tell you have an issue with when it comes to your father. But please, if you at least do one thing, make it seeing your family regularly again. You don’t want to regret something you didn’t do than something you did, trust me on this one. And if you really ever want to talk about your dad in more detail, I’m all ears. Lol, I mean eyes.
Forever your friend,
Fluttershy
It didn’t take long at all. The lion was faster and stronger than you, something you already knew so you didn’t really move so much as focus on a counter to the incoming pounce. You had a decent muscle memory in terms of beginners Judo. You had never gone further than beginner because aside from weightless dummies you could never actually do any Nage Waza. Ponies were too heavy for your muscles to even lift, and you couldn’t get the concept of using their own weight against them in a throw.
Lucky for you, your teacher had realized you wanted to learn it for practical purposes as well as sport. So he had taught you Atemi-waza, which was useless on a stone creature. Not sure why your brain even brought that up but hey you were on the subject. No what you really had to use was the only type you needed for this: Katame-waza.
This grapple type was all you needed, since the creature couldn’t risk a long dive of a pounce because it could land in the water with a slip and that would injure it more than anything. Something you could use to your advantage. When it had gotten close enough you did your own pouncing, which caught it off guard since you acted like you were going to cover Fluttershy the entire time. You went for one front ankle, it took both hooves but the twist was enough to catch the creature off balance as you put all your weight into the one move and it tumbled quickly.
Half the creature’s face was in the bog water, which caused it to cry in pain as you mounted and put a hoof to its neck and pinned it. It tried to fight back, and you could feel hot liquid running from somewhere on your body but you had to ignore it for now and continue to press.
“I win,” you said breathing heavily. “Now stay put when I get up or I’ll really let you have it.” That was a total bluff, but whether the lion knew or not didn’t matter as it still relaxed and listened to your command, sitting up as you backed away to the box with your first aid kit.
It didn’t take long to set the bone in Fluttershy’s wing. She grunted as you finished and finally fell into sleep. For a moment you thought you saw her smile, but that wasn’t possible since she was in too much pain to allow that. Still after another look over you were satisfied and your horn dimmed out with its need gone. Your head felt like a crack had split your skull, but it was manageable. You’d often used it to such an extent because of your sister’s adventurous nature as a foal.
All seemed to be going pretty well, that was until you heard the rippling as something broke the water. You cocked your head back to see many sets of familiar eyes looming down on you, the Hydra’s cry ringing in your ears. Head splitting, legs like jelly, and the mare that scared it off before out for the count while the stone lion was basically only the size of its foot to its knee if that. “Yep, that seems about right.”
When did everything get so dark? You can’t really remember how the light in front of you went out, or how you were suddenly on your back, on a soft cloud with a mattress under it. Something was very wrong here. Where was the lion? Where was all the cold that was crawling around your body? And why was your head not killing you, nor were any of your limbs?
You tried to get up, but it felt much harder than it used to. It was as if you had been teleported back to your foalhood where you were barely able to gallop far without needing to collapse on the ground. The only difference was that it felt even easier in comparison. You were not sure exactly how until you realized two things: the first being it was dark because you didn’t open your eyes, and the other being the smell of tobacco in the air. That told you where you were in a second.
Forcing yourself up from your bed you looked over to the first sign of light. Before you was a mare who some would describe as that fine line of attractive enough to entice any male, but not enough to be a model or movie star without a serious make over which she obviously wasn’t going to do. She even had the longer refined face few ponies in Equestra outside Celestia had, a testament to her Saddle Arabian Father. In her mouth was the source of that smell that was half disgusting, but something you were used to since the time you had to sell some door to door. This brand was a type picked for being especially smelly. You kept your slightly annoyed tone as you said, “You know that smoking is bad for you right White? I’d think a doctor out of all ponies wouldn’t bother with a habit that causes health problems.”
The pale pink mare snored and took the cigar out of her mouth with her magic before blowing the smoke out of the open window. She put out her smelly stick as she tied her long snow white hair back behind her head. “I see you’re back in full again cuz. And I enjoy my vices very much thank you. Plus I already came up with a spell that gets rid of the side effects, besides only newbies actually take this stuff into their lungs. Also before you even ask, I’ll tell you why I’m here. Long story short before you ask again is that since I’m the only Alicorn medical specialist in Equestria as well as your personal doctor, they needed me to make sure they were not going to do anything wrong in surgery.”
“Surgery?” you asked both confused and frightened. You looked down onto your chest and found nothing. Your cousin laughed out loud at your reaction and you quickly pulled your covers back over yourself.
“Oh come now, as if you’d need surgery. All your cuts healed while you were in your coma.”
“C-coma?” She burst out with another laugh at your expense again. Despite how embarrassed you were at being fooled twice you couldn’t help having her laugh infect you and started a round yourself. It felt good to laugh, it got to your lungs a bit, but it still felt very good to not be as tense around your cousin. “For a second there I thought you’d come here because I was seriously hurt.”
White wore a more serious face for her discussion now as she rolled her chair to your bed. “Well more me having to medically induce you to sleep it off to ensure you didn’t have any internal damage, basically a still a coma. You don’t have the quick healing powers most ponies have because of your condition so I had to make do with helping it along for you. Don’t ya remember what happened to you two days ago?”
“Two days?” You thought about it, and it did start coming back to you. “No wonder I feel so stiff. I guess even missing training and not moving around really does a number on me faster than I’d figured. There go my relaxing retirement ideas.”
White nodded, “Yes, which is why I told you to be careful. Cause if what that mare you got admitted with told me was true, it means you basically went and did something stupid like take on a Mountain Lion.” She got face to face with you at this point, luckily she was family or you’d be shrinking more than you already were at your ten years senior cousin staring down at you. A frog caught in your throat as you tried to say something but she cut you off. “No lies this time cuz, I have a witness and your body was plenty of evidence. So spill exactly what happened so I can tell if I should be letting you out anytime soon with only your usual medicine.”
You swallowed. White was always far scarier to you than your own mother. And so you went into it, everything that led up to you challenging the Mountain Lion to protect Fluttershy. You still couldn’t really remember what happened after seeing the green eyes of the Hydra again but you decided it best not to try to remember right now.
The last thing you needed was your cousin deciding to give you a longer or even worse, more of that medicine. It worked and it kept your body working will, heck it was the reason she was rich and had helped keep other Alicorns alive longer. But it tasted cruddy and it was expensive as hell, even with White giving you a family discount it away put you in the Red when you had to take it and was mostly the reason you were not able to get out of your house sooner. Just the usual would mean you’d be stuck with your mother again for another year. Your luck just sucks.
While you were telling the bog story minus the hydra your cousin did what she always did whenever the two of you had a long talk. She did a physical check-up. It was a bit annoying, but it was something she liked to do and you were used to it after having to do it for as long as you can remember. You even turned your head and stretched out your wings on instinct and timing rather than when she gave any signs of where to move. It was just that regular to you.
The bruising on the back of her neck was somewhat different than the placement the last time which must have meant she had another run in with a stallion who took her examination the wrong way. That was the curse your unicorn cousin had. Her beauty and natural speaking voice were all things that would send stallions wild. It was the reason she had taken to talking less proper with a bad accent when in business mode and indulged in some unladylike, but not altogether pure tomboyish, actions despite being raised in Canterlot.
“Oh my,” came your cousins voice dropping back you her natural speak. You were at the point about threatening to slam the Lion into the bog waters. “That must be quite the sight for you, my apologies. I still have not thanked you either for helping somepony very important to me.”
You turned you head to see what she was looking at. There in the doorway to your room stood Fluttershy with perhaps the most expression outside anger you had seen from her. It was a look of pure shock. Only then did you notice why your cousin was talking to Fluttershy in such a way, yet she didn’t seem to notice the problem with it like you started to. The two of you had been so caught up in the usual you had not noticed that her own examination of the back of your neck looked like she was hugging you and your face had blocked where her own was until she had noticed Fluttershy.
You suspected Fluttershy was letting her mind go wild on this scene, especially since you were had not gotten to the part about helping the Lion escape the bog. “Why do you feel the need to keep making things more complicated with this mare than it needs to be Celestia?”
“Well then,” said Fluttershy with a small chuckle. She lowered her head and he face became covered by her mane. “I think I’ll leave you two alone for a bit.” With that the door shut quickly and you heard her quickly gallop down the hall to leave you alone.
“Ugg,” you grumbled, “You can’t really beat my usual luck, for by the end of the day my life always sucks.”
“My my,” chuckled your cousin, “isn’t that what your father always said every time he had a fight with your mother?” You blushed a bit and shook your head to let the symbolism in that die out and got up. You had to have a long talk with the yellow pegasus now, before either of you decided it best to just not talk again and of all things you didn’t want that most of all. A letter struck your mind as you got to the door. “You don’t want to regret something you didn’t do than something you did, trust me on this one.” With a certain determination you went after the mare to finally get things settled with your long time friend.
I do hope I have this name right. I’m not really sure how to start these kinds of conversations. I’m not even sure if this was a good idea to be honest. I’m kinda nervous about this entire dating service thing. This is my first time after all. So do you have any suggestions?
If not than please feel free to ignore this letter and don’t bother replying. I’m going to be moving soon however because my dad feels it is a better thing for my new little sister. I don’t know the new address yet so if you do reply please don’t think I won’t as it does take longer to be forwarded over. So um yeah, hello.
Hope to hear from you,
Blue
It really didn’t take long to find Fluttershy. Unlike her, you were used to hospitals and even if she was awake longer you knew where she would run off too. Many ponies had pets of some sort, and so most hospitals had a visiting area for any that were allowed to see them. This same area was also normally used for any treatments that animals could help so even just domesticated animals without owners would stay there. Fluttershy had gone on and on about how she loved to looks on ponies faces when they came by her cabin for such a reason. The Ponyville hospital was far too small to have its own animal area so being the caretaker of the next best thing was how Fluttershy made some bits to support herself pretty well.
And so you found the place, the automatic doors going off with a ding as you trotted inside and spotted the yellow mare on a marble bench away from some of the other visitors that were playing with the various creatures. Despite being there only moments before you she had a bird perched on her head and a bunny was brushing against a hoof she was dangling off the branch. A testament to just how much animals like her it would seem.
You decided against started the conversation yourself. You really didn’t know what to say exactly since it was still pretty foggy what happened that got you out of the Hydra issue.
You remembered only that you had called out to the Mountain Lion for help and that it was the one that had gotten Fluttershy to safety. You also recalled the fact you helped it escape the bog, which also got the vines lowered and its roar was loud enough that some ponies likely found you as you finally went under. And Fluttershy wasn’t exactly even away to see you do any of this. In fact, she may not have even been coherent and likely thought you had taken action in killing the lion. It would make sense then why she wanted to speak with you when you got up, to finally get some closer. You were both adults, it was best to just make things clear. Still you waited, she’d never reply to you until she was ready anyway.
Time seemed to pass, but for you it was taking forever. That bunny that nuzzled Fluttershy kept looking at you and you stared back at it as you waited. The girl on the bench shook with some vigor over something. Finally with a smile, the bunny started to hop to you. Quick as a flash however, Fluttershy scooped up the bunny and held it away from you. Part of you was really hurt by that. Did she really think you’d go so far as to hurt a bunny for no reason?
“No Mr. Bunny,” came her voice quietly. “I need to be the first on this one.”
“The first,” you thought, “The first to what-“ Your thoughts were cut off as you felt something warm on your cheek. Your eyes freaked out and you were unable to focus as the bunny also hopped up to you and pecked your other cheek happily and rubbed up against you.
“I figured he’d be a good judge,” Fluttershy giggled. “I couldn’t think of any other way to thank you since you travel so much and would leave before I could sew you something. I’m sorry if it wasn’t any good.” Any good? Your body was still trying to figure out exactly what it really meant. Fluttershy however seems to not be helping. “I’m sorry, I know you were just talking with your girlfriend back there so I thought she’d be a bit jealous and I had nothing else I could think of before I left for home.”
“Really,” you blew out a breath and answered. “You could have just gotten me something to eat or promised to find me the perfect pet for free or something.” You could see Fluttershy mentally bashing herself for not thinking of that and chuckled. “But don’t worry about it, that wasn’t my girlfriend. Contrary to how you may think I’ve been lying about that a little, I really never had one. That was my cousin White.” Something in Fluttershy’s face brightened a bit but you ignored it. “She’s my personal doctor, and the only Alicorn care specialist in all of Equestria. Since I never told you about my condition I couldn’t really talk about her before with you. Until my sister was adopted in, she was basically my sister and kinda still is I guess. Heck, I don’t even hate the fact I have this weird body because if it wasn’t for it, she’d never have found her own calling. It was sort of a tradeoff I was okay with.”
“I see,” said Fluttershy putting a hoof to her mouth, “guess I did jump to conclusions a bit didn’t I?” She was cute when she made a face like that without any sadness behind it.
“A bit,” you agreed. “But if I could ask you something then, if you don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” she said with a smile. “What is it?”
“Well how about we take an actual afternoon to get to know each other better. We can have lunch at the hospital’s cafeteria and talk before you go. Even if you were honest with me you never did tell me about your little adventures for the princesses, and I’d like here it.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “But only if you agree to be completely honest with me. Agreed?” You nodded back and the two of you walked off into the Cafeteria. You were not sure what to do really. Your life was going back mostly to what you were used to again. Back to the same nagging mother, same out there little sister, and a visit from your other cousin that never fails to get some kind of emotion out of you.
This time however something was different. You were not sure what, but as you looked at the yellow mare beside you who was trotting happily along you decided that no matter what it was, it would be an experience you’d never forget. I was your lot in life. You may never be great at anything, but you got to experience many things, and you were just fine with that.
Dear Blue,
I can’t say I’m any better myself. This is my first time even doing something like this and it was because a friend of mine won a bet. So I think maybe we should just try telling each other what we can first and be friends.
So allow me to go first. My name is Fluttershy, I’m normally kinda quiet but this format lets me think about what I say so I don’t have to be so nervous. I’m fifteen years old and I’ve lived where I am now since I was eight. My dad is a weather pony who makes rainbows and my mother is the Wonderbolt’s head trainer, though if you tell my friend I made the bet with I’ll deny it since she’d be hounding me all day if she found out about that.
You looked over your now pretty run down cart. It was going to need some repairs to work properly. The only saving grace was that White had hired some ponies to fish out the rest of your boxes, and thanks to them being air tight nothing was damaged. Even with White doing what she did for free as usual for you, that still meant you had to pay most of the fees for the repair job and the supply of medicine you had to get.
Paying the pharmacist the last of your bits and grumbling about Celestia needing to institute free health care you take a cup full of the brown liquid. It tasted like mud and it felt ice cold running down your throat. Placing the cork back on the bottle you set it in a box you had cleared out so you could put the medicine and the ice block in with it.
“So are you really going home now?” asked Fluttershy who had decided to accompany you as you on your errands after White had bid you farewell. She had already gotten behind making sure you were okay and had many more cases and studies to get back to. Promising you’d visit her for her birthday you had left on good terms and so had nothing better to do than make sure everything was settled here with Fluttershy hot on your trail.
“Yeah,” you replied. “Even if I go to Ponyville now I can’t afford to stay there long. I was planning on using my pay from helping Applejack to keep up living there until I could get a steadier job. But with these new expenses and no way to pay it off I’m just gonna have to get something closer to home since it’s free rent.
“Well if rent is the problem,” Fluttershy had started to say something but her hooves had covered up her mouth.
“No thank you,” you said petting her head a bit to calm her down. “I already owe my family so much. I don’t wanna be in debt to you as well. Giving bits to a friend should only be to those really in need. I’m not going to be homeless so don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”
Biting her lip the mare finally jumps in front of you and stutters out, “y-y-you ca-ca-can always just s-s-s-stay at my h-h-h-house.” She shut her eyes and hit behind her mane. You scratched the back of your head. She was offering help as a friend, but it was obvious she wasn’t very comfortable with the idea either.
“No,” you replied, “I said I’m fine after all. I don’t want to impose on you anyway. I’ll see you again sometime when I have the money is all.” You looked up to the sky, the sun was bright and telling you it was about three in the afternoon. It was time you got going before it got dark, you didn’t really have enough supplies to last till you got home but you wanted to make sure you were not starving by that point from eating only berries anyway.
“No it isn’t!” she yells out again. Your taken aback and she covers her mouth again. It’s about a minute till she continues. “I mean, it’s not imposing on me at all. I do have a guest room from when family stays over and I’m friends with Applejack so I can always talk to her about keeping you around after harvest time if you need it. Plus I think my house is way closer anyway, so if it doesn’t work out you can at least use the money you get to restock and then go home.”
You thought about it, her logic was sound. “Alright if you say it’s okay,” you replied. “But I’m not sure your animal friends are going to like me very much. If I recall you have a particular pet who likely wouldn’t want me around.”
“Oh I’m sure Angel will be fine after he gets to know you,” she saids more confidently now that everything is settled. She looked up at the sky and noticed the time too. “Oh it is getting late. We’d better go now then.” You nodded your agreement and decided to mail your family about your new situation when you got settled. You could almost hear your mother’s jaw hit the floor when she reads is along with the cackle of your sister, and you wished you could see those reactions. But for now you’re with a friend, and now temporary roommate and you have to focus on paying off your debts. Hopefully living with Fluttershy isn’t too bad. It can’t get any worse that a rooster crow in the morning when you need to get up anyway right?
