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Spitfire Thread (Discontinued)

By Bluebirdd065
Created: 2024-03-17 23:17:44
Updated: 2024-03-17 23:26:23
Expiry: Never
anonromanceslice of lifensfwunfinished

  1. >So, the Wonderbolts.
  2. >You've heard about their acrobatic skills being amazing, and how well received all of their shows were.
  3. >You took that as the perfect opportunity to repay Dash for all those rounds of cider she's bought your drunk ass.
  4. >Mostly because whenever SHE was drunk, that's all she'd fucking talk about.
  5. >She'd talk about her dreams of flying with them, all her adventures in their recruit-training camp thing, and how much she looked up to the Captain of the team, Spitfire.
  6. >Which is why you also paid in advance for some backstage passes.
  7. >The shit pretty much took every last bit of the retirement money you decided to save for this place.
  8. >...Actually, it DID take every last bit.
  9. >You wasted every goddamn cent.
  10. >But, you guessed that you'd probably never get a chance to retire, anyways.
  11. >Knowing the Elements of Harmony really made sure it was impossible to be bored here.
  12. >"Come on, come on, let's get the good seats while we can! You walk sooo SLOW!!"
  13. "Then just fly over and grab us a seat! I'm sure I'd be able to spot you from a mile away."
  14. >You brush a lock of her mane with a smile.
  15. >She scrunches and slaps your hand away.
  16. >"Whatever."
  17. >She darts off.
  18. >You get the general area she's going to, and start walking.
  19. >Since you're grounded, you're stuck with all the old ponies and non-Pegasi ponies.
  20. >And though there's a fuckton of people, nobody's getting pushed or trampled, which is a wonderful plus in your book.
  21. >You thought for a second that these ponies would go apeshit for a good seat to this show, from everything you heard about it.
  22. >You figured it'd be the equivalent of a seventy two inch being on sale for two hundred bucks.
  23. >But you've, so far, been pleasantly surprised.
  24. >You finally worm your way out of the crowd and spot Rainbow looking around, trying to spot you first.
  25. >Then she sees you, probably just as quickly as you did, her.
  26. >Because being six fuckin' feet tall really makes you stand out in this place.
  27.  
  28. >Hell, some ponies even went so far as to think you were some kind of god, just because nobody had a fucking clue what you were.
  29. >You walk down the steps of the huge-ass cloud stadium to the row where Rainbow's at, being rushed and stared at the whole time.
  30. >"Sheesh, could you go any SLOWER?!"
  31. "Yes, actually, so don't test me."
  32. >"Just hurry up! These are really great seats!"
  33. >You look at the stairs, seeing how horribly huge the distance from the bottom to the top is.
  34. >You curiously take a quick peek over the edge of the stadium, seeing a huge fucking drop to the floor, guarded only by a flimsy metal bar.
  35. >Well, as long as you didn't trip, you probably wouldn't fall over it.
  36. >But that doesn't change how fucking scary it is.
  37. >You sit down beside Rainbow, eyes never leaving the enormous drop into the ground mere inches from your current position.
  38. "If I fucking die, I'm hoping they write that it's all your fault on my grave."
  39. >Rainbow rolls her eyes.
  40. >"Stop being such a wimp! You're not even that close to the edge!"
  41. "Says the one who's half my size. You also have wings, so you don't HAVE a reason to be paranoid about this shit."
  42. >"Whatever."
  43. >You sit back in your seat and continue staring at the gaping pit below.
  44. >After a minute, you hear a soft crackle over the stadium's speakers.
  45. >"THE SHOW WILL START IN ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES!"
  46. >You sigh.
  47. "Wish I had some bits on me... I could be eating a damn pretzel, right now."
  48. >"...Sucks to be you!"
  49. "You know what, it DOES suck to be me! I don't even have a future anymore, because it went all to this!"
  50. >She simply shrugs.
  51. >"I say it's money well spent."
  52. "Easy for YOU to say... But it better be true, or I'll regret the shit out of this day when I'm dumpster diving behind Sugarcube Corner."
  53. >You sigh again and watch all these ponies settling into their seats.
  54. >There's a fucking lot of them, to say the least.
  55. >"Trust me, this'll be the best day of your LIFE!"
  56. >You blankly nod.
  57. "Followed by the worst, if I were to guess."
  58.  
  59. >"Oh, stop being such a DRAMAQUEEN! Not even Rarity complains as much as you do!"
  60. "Because she doesn't complain- she WHINES about everything."
  61. >Too much, you'd like to add.
  62. >Like, hell, while the Elements had so many likeable qualities in them, they also had a few bad ones that only made it possible to enjoy them all in small doses.
  63. >Except Applejack, honestly.
  64. >She had her fair share of shit, but her honesty didn't really make it that bad.
  65. >Instead of crying and disregarding everyone and everything, she'd just accept that she's sad and try to fix it.
  66. >But you think that maybe she cries on the inside a little bit more.
  67. >Maybe she seems fine because she blocks everything bad to the back of her mind?
  68. >You mentally shrug.
  69. >Or maybe you're just overthinking this shit, like you usually do with everything.
  70. >"THE SHOW WILL START IN FIVE MINUTES!"
  71. >You groan.
  72. >It's only been ten fucking minutes?
  73. >It feels like you've just sat through the Indy 500 without any breaks or interruptions.
  74. >You're even being more impatient than Rainbow here.
  75. >And she's REALLY impatient.
  76. >Hell, the first time she came to invite you to a bar, she left because you took thirty seconds in the bathroom.
  77. >But here you are, wishing on every deity this place has to make these last five minutes hurry the fuck up.
  78. >You turn and see Rainbow just patiently sitting down, looking over the show's schedule with a completely calm demeanor.
  79. >And you're trying to figure out how you've kept yourself from just clawing your fucking eyes out.
  80. >"EVERYPONY ATTENDING THE SHOW PLEASE BEGIN MAKING YOUR WAY TO A SEAT!"
  81. >Thank fucking Christ.
  82.  
  83. >You start to feel a lot less bored once you notice the amount of un-seated ponies gradually decreasing.
  84. >Then finally, when the last few ponies in your line of sight sit down, you hear another voice through the speakers.
  85. >"So, Equestria... Are you all ready for a SHOW?!"
  86. >Rainbow squees and giddily shakes your shoulder.
  87. >"T-that's Spitfire talking!"
  88. >The audience stomps and cheers in response to the speaker chatter.
  89. >"That's what I like to hear! So, then, without further ado, I present to you... the WONDERBOLTS!"
  90. >Right on cue, a few streaks of smoke glide out from under the stadium and twirl into a small bunch, before flying a good ways and breaking off into a bunch of other directions, like some kind of firework.
  91. >Rainbow gasps and roughly shakes your shoulder again.
  92. >"I can't believe I'm actually SEEING this!!"
  93. >The excitement in her voice is definitely noticeable.
  94. >It almost makes wasting your future life-savings worth it.
  95. >...Almost.
  96. >"So, do WE have a show for YOU! As well as the old favorite moves, we'll be throwing in a few practices from our up-coming performance, representing Cloudsdale in the first annual Equestria Games!"
  97. >Everyone cheers in response.
  98. >"So, let's get this show on the ROAD!"
  99. >
  100.  
  101. >...That.
  102. >That was fucking boring.
  103. >You actually blanked out during that shit.
  104. >Hell, it was exciting and cool the first few loops, but after that, it kinda was just the same stuff you'd see from the Blue Angels back home.
  105. >It just seemed like a regular, routine thing.
  106. >Like something that's been done and rehearsed a million times.
  107. >It may be cool in person, but it's nothing original.
  108. >And you've never even SEEN any of their shows before.
  109. >You were just expecting some more... excitement.
  110. >Like some crazy-ass stunts that make you freak the fuck out, thinking that the person doing them would just explode if an inch off.
  111. >But no.
  112. >You got some boring-looking circus act.
  113.  
  114. >You mean, the show was good, but with all the goddamn money, all the years you just sent yourself back for in order to see this, you feel kinda cheated.
  115. >You sigh for about the thirtieth time today.
  116. >Well this fucking sucks.
  117. >"Didn't you say that these are backstage passes?"
  118. >...Oh, right.
  119. >You forgot about that.
  120. >Well, if there's any wonder why the goddamn tickets are so expensive, there's your reminder.
  121. "Yeah."
  122. >"-W-well then, what are we doing HERE?! LET'S GO!"
  123. >She darts into the air.
  124. >You watch her small rainbow trail land on the top part of the stadium.
  125. >...On the other fucking side.
  126. >You sigh.
  127. >You wish you had some goddamn wings.
  128. >You start slowly making your way through the seats.
  129. >
  130. >After about half an hour, you finally make it to the booth where Rainbow Dash was.
  131. >The bodyguard stallion guy looks up at you blankly.
  132. >"Pass?"
  133. >You flash your VIP badge, and he scoots to the side, pulling a curtain back and allowing you to enter.
  134. >Immediately, you see Rainbow just chatting up the members of the flight team.
  135. >She's stuttering an awful lot.
  136. >And a quick look around the room tells you that you're apparently the only one that was retarded enough to pay the ridiculous VIP fee.
  137. >Everyone in the room pauses and looks at you.
  138. >Rainbow grins.
  139. >"Oh, see! That's Anon!"
  140. >You shyly walk up to the group and wave.
  141. >The one closest to you, a yellow mare with a fiery mane, pulls her sunglasses down with an incredibly shocked expression.
  142. >"Jeez, Rainbow, I know you said he's tall, but WOW! He might even be taller than Celestia!"
  143. >The light blue stallion in the group just slowly nods.
  144. "Uh, yeah, I've gotten that a lot..."
  145. >The yellow one walks a bit closer to you.
  146. >"So... Anon, huh?"
  147. >You merely nod.
  148. >She holds a hoof up to you.
  149. >"I'm Spitfire, the Captain of this team!"
  150. >You nod again and offer a small smile.
  151.  
  152. >You shake while keeping that smile.
  153. >You know how shit you are at acting, but you're hoping that you won't seem as uninterested about all of this as you actually are.
  154. >Spitfire puts her glasses back on her face and gives this cocky grin.
  155. >"So, then, how'd you like the show?"
  156. >She strikes a heroic pose.
  157. >You bite your lip.
  158. >Though you feel the need to act here, she DID ask for your opinion...
  159. >You instinctively shrug.
  160. "Eh, it was alright."
  161. >Spitfire's glasses fall off.
  162. >All the other members just look at you like you told them you eat babies.
  163. >Rainbow is shocked to all hell as well.
  164. >As if she saw you spit in Celestia's face.
  165. >"W...what? Really?"
  166. >You look back at Spitfire.
  167. "Well... yeah. I was just expecting more cool stuff to happen, I guess."
  168. >She takes her sunglasses, folds them, then puts them on a table.
  169. >Then she seems to just stare through you for a moment.
  170. >"You know... in my entire career as a Wonderbolt, not ONCE have I EVER had a fan come in through those doors and say our performance was just... 'ALRIGHT'."
  171. >She glares at you.
  172. >...Oh shit, you didn't really piss her off, did you?
  173. >Hell, it was just your opinion- you didn't mean to get kicked out or some shit!
  174. >Will they at least give you a fucking refund for this?
  175. >"...Have you been to any of our other performances?"
  176. >You blink, then shake your head.
  177. >Spitfire just looks off to the side.
  178. >"...Huh..."
  179. >Rainbow Dash growls to get your attention, then waves you over to talk in private.
  180. >You move over to a corner of the place, all while the other team members just continue talking, or looking at you.
  181. >"W-what are you DOING?!"
  182. "What?"
  183. >"You can't just come into here and say something like, THAT!"
  184. "Well, they DID ask for my opinion... I wasn't trying to be rude, but I wasn't gonna lie about it, either- it's not like we'll see these guys everyday."
  185. >"S-still! You just... SAID that! To SPITFIRE!"
  186. >You shrug.
  187. >She just groans.
  188. >"Celestia, Anon, just... DON'T ruin this for me, okay?"
  189.  
  190. >You shrug again.
  191. "Alright, jeez, I didn't know my opinion was so unwanted here."
  192. >You're interrupted by Spitfire walking up to you.
  193. >"...You said that you were expecting more 'cool' things to happen... right?"
  194. >You glance at Rainbow.
  195. >She's glaring so fucking hard right now you're scared your face will melt.
  196. "Uhh... umm..."
  197. >"Cool things like what?"
  198. >You turn back to her and think.
  199. >Well, if you're just talking about cool things, you should be fine... right?
  200. >Rainbow keeps glaring.
  201. >Well, this Spitfire pony genuinely looks interested in your opinion...
  202. >It can't hurt, right?
  203. >You shrug.
  204. "Well, guess I was expecting more daredevil-type stuff to go down- more sharp turns, flies by the crowd, split-second saves... I dunno."
  205. >She seems to process your words for a moment.
  206. >"Well... good to know..."
  207. >She simply walks away.
  208. >Alrighty, then.
  209. >You look up and see Rainbow glaring once again.
  210. >"S-SERIOUSLY?!"
  211. >You raise your hands defensively.
  212. "She didn't seem pissed off about it, so what's the big deal?"
  213. >She just groans, then walks over to the team to 'apologize' for your behavior.
  214. >You just put your hands in your pockets and internally shrug.
  215. >Well, she fucking ASKED for your opinion...
  216.  
  217. >You roll your eyes and walk over to a table filled with snacks and drinks.
  218. >You simply grab a water and some crackers.
  219. >The second you throw one in your mouth, you scope in and hear Rainbow calling you a 'careless monkey that doesn't know what he's doing'.
  220. >You huff.
  221. >Let's see who wastes anymore money on YOU now, missy.
  222. >You angrily throw another cracker in your mouth and start chewing.
  223. >The light blue stallion walks up to you and pulls his goggles up.
  224. >"Hey."
  225. >You tip an invisible hat and try your damndest to swallow the crackers.
  226. >They're really fucking salty.
  227. >They're drying the shit out of your mouth.
  228. >"...So... 'alright', huh?"
  229. >You take a quick swig of water and clear your throat.
  230. "Look, just to be clear, I didn't mean to offend any of you guys. I just-"
  231. >"-We're WORSE than alright."
  232. >You pause.
  233. "Uh... what?"
  234. >He moves to your side and stares at the floor with a sigh.
  235. >"Look, just between you and me... the Wonderbolts are dying, man."
  236. >He looks up at you with a saddened look.
  237. >"I think the majority of us have known, but just haven't said, or done, anything about it."
  238. >His eyes trail over to the other members of the team and Dash.
  239. >"I guess you just, finally said what was on everypony's mind, here."
  240. >You just stay silent.
  241. >You're not even sure how to respond.
  242. >You're just some guy who paid for backstage passes with his future, and this guy's talking to you like he's known you since high school.
  243. >"I'm Soarin', by the way."
  244. >He turns and lifts his hoof up to you.
  245. >You shake it and nod.
  246. "Anon."
  247. >He just nods in return.
  248. >"...You know, you're not like everypony else."
  249. >You look down at your six foot tall, fleshy alien self.
  250. "Only by a bit."
  251. >He notices the sarcasm in your voice and just smiles.
  252. >"Not like that."
  253. "Like what, then?"
  254. >He nods at Rainbow Dash.
  255. >"Well for starters, you're not as enthusiastic as most ponies in your position would be. You don't seem to care that we're celebrities here."
  256.  
  257. >You shrug.
  258. "I only ever heard about you guys from Dash."
  259. >He nods.
  260. >"That, too. When Spitfire walked up to you and asked about the performance, you didn't even resistate to tell her what you thought. You just, told her immediately."
  261. >He stops, then softly laughs.
  262. >"Hay, not even I would ever have the courage to say that to Spitfire. She can be pretty scary."
  263. >You look over at the mare in question.
  264. >...Yeah, you can see some pretty big hints of scary.
  265. >By pony standards, at least.
  266. >"But she's the one I worry about the most, in all of this. You told her what everyone in the team was thinking, but the only reason we never talked about it was because of her."
  267. >You watch her, faking a laugh at something Dash said.
  268. >Dash makes the worst jokes.
  269. >"The Wonderbolts is her LIFE... I mean, day in and day out, she puts countless hours into the team. If she's not out training new recruits, signing them up, taking care of us, setting up gigs, making flight plans, practicing, or doing loads of paperwork for the team, then she's asleep... And the only reason she DOES sleep, is because she doesn't want to risk getting dizzy, and possibly hurting one of us."
  270. >His eyes simply trail over to the floor.
  271. >"We're all just worried that she won't know what to do once the team's gone for good... And, with you two being the ONLY VIPs this time around here, I'm thinking that we're losing business a lot quicker than I thought before."
  272. >A small silence crawls between you two.
  273. >You silently stuff a cracker in your mouth and start crunching.
  274. "That, uh... sucks."
  275. >He nods.
  276. >"You're darn right it sucks. While Spitfire's our Captain, I've spent nearly half my life with this team. Just, seeing it all go down the drain is the worst feeling I've ever experienced in my whole life. These guys are like my second family, and though I have a back-up plan, it sucks knowing that every single bit of time I've spent with them will be all... for nothing..."
  277.  
  278. "Well, not necessarily."
  279. >His ears perk up at your words.
  280. "If you truly believe them all to be your second family, do you really think that you'd all just, lose contact?"
  281. >He puts a hoof to his muzzle in thought.
  282. "And, knowing exactly how losing family feels, I can tell you right now, that you're being really negative about it."
  283. >He stops, and looks at you.
  284. "-Look. Does losing someone close to you hurt? You're goddamn right it does. But, that still doesn't mean you need to make it hurt anymore than it should. Instead of thinking about the ones you've lost, you're supposed to remember the things you've done."
  285. >He completely faces you, looking up at you curiously.
  286. "You've heard the saying that misery loves company, right?"
  287. >He nods.
  288. "Well, it's because it's much easier to keep yourself down than it is up. You're focusing more on what you're feeling now, than the times you weren't. You're supposed to cherish the good times you've had, the struggles you've all overcome, and how you felt during those times... Choosing what to remember about the ones you've lost is the difference between horrible depression, and a quick recovery. I should know."
  289. >He softly snorts.
  290. >"What do you know about losing family?"
  291. >You just stare at him.
  292. "...Have you ever seen another being that looks like me? Ever? In your LIFE?"
  293. >He opens his mouth to speak, then slowly shakes his head.
  294. >You nod.
  295. "Yeah, you wouldn't; I'm the only one of my species on this entire planet, I'm sure. But, before I, well... 'showed up' here, I had a family, I had friends, and hell, I even had a job that I thoroughly enjoyed. But now, it's all gone, and all I have left with me after four years in Equestria, are the good memories I can recall, and the occasional dream every now and then. That's what's kept me going."
  296. >He puts a hoof to his muzzle again, mulling over your words.
  297. >He finally manages a soft smile, then glances over at the other Wonderbolts.
  298. >"Yeah... yeah, I guess you have a point, there..."
  299.  
  300. >His smile grows a bit.
  301. >"...A really good point."
  302. >He glances over at the others.
  303. >His smile widens.
  304. >He looks up at you, now with a small hint of water in his eyes.
  305. >"Thanks, Anon... I've, well, never actually thought about what you've said, before. I'm just... I guess I'm glad that I heard it now, and not after everything went down the toilet, you know?"
  306. >You nod.
  307. >You just wished you would have, four years ago.
  308. >Soarin' just beams, having found a new reason to smile.
  309. >"Look, after this, we're all planning on heading over to a bar... I think that Spitfire could actually use more than a few of your words. Especially now."
  310. >You both turn to the mare in question, smiling and laughing with the other members of the team.
  311. >"...I know her way too well, and though you probably can't tell... I think your words hit a lot closer to home than you think."
  312. >You frown and scan her, trying to find any sign that what Soarin's saying is true.
  313. >"-Even though I'm probably the only one who's seen her scary side and lived to talk about it, I'll tell you right now that she's not heartless. Spitfire, surprisingly, has feelings, and they're actually pretty easy to spot."
  314. >He scoots a little closer and nudges you.
  315. >"Watch for the little things... See how she messes with her mane and glances at her hooves every once and a while?"
  316. >A minute after after he says that, you see Spitfire slightly blow at her hair, then look at her hooves, just before straightening out and keeping her spot in the conversation.
  317. "Yeah."
  318. >He nods.
  319. >"That means something's really bothering her. And you can take a wild guess as to what that something is."
  320. >You feel a quick pang of guilt.
  321. >...You didn't expect your words to have such a big impact on her, or anyone else, on this team.
  322. >And now it's difficult to NOT feel like complete shit.
  323. >Soarin' notices, and nudges you again.
  324. >"Look, don't feel that bad about it, okay? You only said what we've ALL had on our minds for the past few months..."
  325.  
  326. "Not like I had to, though..."
  327. >"-Yes, you did. If you haven't got her thinking about the future already, then she never will. It's good that she's heard it from somepony else now, instead of putting the pieces together later."
  328. >You nod, but still feel like shit.
  329. >"I just hope that Spitfire will come to terms with it before it happens..."
  330. >You slowly nod again, then pop another cracker into your mouth.
  331. >In the corner of your eye, you see a stallion peeking his head through the door.
  332. >"Guys, it's nine. Start packing it up."
  333. >All the conversations stop, and goodbyes start being shared with Rainbow.
  334. >Once she's had a chance to hug as many of the team members as she can, she slowly starts making her way to you.
  335. >Soarin' nudges you again.
  336. >"You're coming with us to the bar, right, Anon?"
  337. >You rub the back of your neck.
  338. "Would I be able to bring a guest?"
  339. >You turn to Dash, and he follows your eyes.
  340. >"Oh, yeah, that's cool. She can come."
  341. >You just nod and smile.
  342. "Thanks."
  343. >He returns another nod and walks over to regroup with the others.
  344. >"What was with all the nodding?"
  345. >You take a quick sip of water while Rainbow walks up to you.
  346. "Me and Soarin' were just talking."
  347. >Her ears perk up.
  348. >"Really? About what?"
  349. >You pause.
  350. "...Ah, you know, guy stuff. Morning wood and everything."
  351. >She scrunches.
  352. >"Didn't need to know about that."
  353. >You just shrug in return.
  354. "You asked."
  355. >She rolls her eyes, then starts walking for the entrance.
  356. >She pauses and sees you at the table, just standing there.
  357. >"Uh, aren't you coming?"
  358. >You shake your head and finish off your water.
  359. "We're going to a bar with them."
  360. >She flies over to your side with a hopeful grin on her face.
  361. >"R-really?! W-with th-the WONDERBOLTS?!"
  362. >Everyone stops and stares at her.
  363. >You just nod.
  364. >She beams.
  365. >"-OMIGOSH, YEEESSS!"
  366. >She wraps her hooves around your waist and crushes you with a hug.
  367. >"BEST. DAY. EVER!"
  368.  
  369. >You kind of just awkwardly stand there while she hugs you.
  370. >Soarin' just watches with an amused smile.
  371. "...So... shouldn't we get going?"
  372. >"Oh, aheheh, yeah..."
  373. >She breaks the hug and steps away, blushing lightly.
  374. >"Alright, the carriage is here!"
  375. >You turn and see Soarin' peeking out of the window.
  376. >He waves you over, then walks outside with the others.
  377. >You follow, and immediately see a carriage manned by four Pegasi stallions, floating a few feet from the ground.
  378. >You're not even on a road, but you guess that's the convenience of having wings.
  379. >"Yo, come on, Anon!"
  380. >Soarin' just watches Dash fly in, then waits for you.
  381. >You kind of just try climbing into the thing.
  382. >The minute you latch on, the whole carriage tilts towards you.
  383. >You can hear a few yelps from inside.
  384. >"WOAH, WOAH, JEEZ!"
  385. >Soarin' quickly flies over and helps you into it.
  386. >Everyone on the inside just glares at you.
  387. "S-sorry. No wings..."
  388. >A light blue pony just rolls her eyes.
  389. >You quickly take a seat and just stay still, pretending that you don't notice all the angry looks trying to crush your soul at the moment.
  390. >Soarin comes back in and sits beside you.
  391. >"-Hey Soarin, why'd you have to invite THIS guy? I mean, first he mocks our performance, then he nearly wrecks the carriage! You know that the VIP treatment doesn't include taking ponies with us wherever we go!"
  392. >Jesus, this one sure isn't subtle about hating your guts at ALL.
  393. >"Sheesh, Fleetfoot, give the guy a chance! He's pretty cool! Right, Anon?"
  394. "...Uh, I-"
  395. >The carriage jerks forward and starts moving.
  396. >You get flung forwards and smash your face in the seat, right between Fleetfoot and Spitfire.
  397. >Fleetfoot starts giggling.
  398. >You just feel like disappearing right now.
  399. "Y-yeah, I'm super cool..."
  400.  
  401. >Spitfire helps you up and to your seat.
  402. >But she just has this blank look on her while doing so.
  403. "Th-thanks."
  404. >She simply nods, then looks to the side, enjoying the view from the sky.
  405. >You sigh and just stare at the floor.
  406. >Conversation quickly erupts between the others, and Dash is trying her hardest to be apart of it.
  407. >Soarin' hops into it as well, and you're really just left staring at the floor of the carriage, half because you feel you don't belong, and half because you want to stay acquainted with the ground, instead of seeing yourself move through the air without a harness or seatbelt.
  408. >After a few moments, Soarin' softly nudges you with a hoof and looks over at Spitfire.
  409. >You follow his eyes and just see the mare in question staring out into the clouds, propping herself up with a hoof.
  410. >And unlike the others, she still has that skin-tight uniform thing on.
  411. >You can only imagine how uncomfortable and hot that thing probably is.
  412. >But she doesn't seem to notice.
  413. >Or care.
  414. >Soarin' nudges you again.
  415. >He obviously wants you to talk to her.
  416. >You sigh.
  417. >How did you get roped in as a psychiatrist for an entire team of elite flyers?
  418. >And why couldn't you get business like this back home?
  419. >There's plenty of damn crazy people needing help there, for sure.
  420.  
  421. >You look back up at her.
  422. >She's got her eyes closed, mind most likely occupied with other things than the view.
  423. >You don't really have any experience in psychiatry, either.
  424. >You just helped your dad out at his place, being the REAL psychiatrist.
  425. >Though he tried to teach you a few things...
  426. >Things that your GPA obviously didn't give a shit about.
  427. >You hop to the other seat, thankfully not needing to squeeze in, on account of Fleetfoot and some other yellow pony having a hoof-wrestling contest towards the other end.
  428. >Soarin' gives you a quick nod, then gets in on the action.
  429. >Spitfire's obviously aware of your existence, and is waiting for you to say something, if her perked ears are anything.
  430. "...Is everything alright?"
  431. >She turns to you, with that blank look on her face, slowly becoming irritated.
  432. >"Yes."
  433. >You just pause.
  434. >Alright, come on, Anon, think, THINK!
  435. >Use that second-hand knowledge to good use!
  436. "...Are you sure?"
  437. >"Yes."
  438. >Damn.
  439. >Well, it was worth a shot.
  440. >"Hey, we're here!"
  441. >You feel the carriage touch the ground and stop.
  442. >Everyone flies out, and you're left to just cautiously get off.
  443. >They all flew off really fucking quickly.
  444. >You sigh and touch the ground.
  445. >Then, well, you realize that you're on the ground.
  446. >With being in a floating cloud city, you really thought your stop was going to be a floating cloud bar.
  447. >And even better, the bar was the one you always went to here in Ponyville.
  448. >The adeptly named, 'Ponyville Bar'.
  449. >You watch everyone practically run in, then slowly catch up to them.
  450. >You push the door open and smile, that lovely scent of cider and crushed dreams washing over you like a beautiful blanket.
  451. >Everyone quickly moves and makes their way over to the huge booth in the corner.
  452. >Everyone except Spitfire.
  453. >She sits at the bar, waiting for the bartender to finish serving a few other drinks.
  454. >Once you start walking over, the bartender comes by and looks at her.
  455. >"Scotch, neat."
  456. >You lift a finger.
  457. "Make it two."
  458. >Then you sit.
  459.  
  460. >Holy shit, that was pretty cool.
  461. >You walked in at the perfect moment.
  462. >It was like a fucking dramatic movie scene, just coming in the second she had asked about the drin-
  463. >"-What do you want?"
  464. >You pause, then shake your head.
  465. "Just ordering a drink. This IS my go-to bar, after all."
  466. >Cherry Berry smiles and nods while picking out two glasses.
  467. >"Anon here holds his liquor like a CHAMP!"
  468. >A small smile forms on your face.
  469. >Of course you took these drinks like a champ- they had hardly any alcohol in them.
  470. >Hell, the only reason Rainbow ever paid for your drinks was because she'd fruitlessly try and try again to beat you in a drinking contest.
  471. >Then, she'd always pass out, leaving you to carry her to another friend's home, or just take your bed while you grabbed the couch.
  472. >And Cherry Berry oversaw every single contest.
  473. >Spitfire just grunts in response, then stares forward.
  474. >Not soon after, Cherry slides the glasses over to you.
  475. >You take yours and casually sip it.
  476. >And, of course, there's no burn or anything.
  477. >You just enjoy the flavor of it, really.
  478. >Spitfire takes a larger gulp, then sets it down with a sigh.
  479. >There's long silence between you both.
  480. >It's a big change from the rowdy booth in the corner of the place.
  481. >You casually take another sip.
  482. >She downs the rest of the drink and practically slams the thing down.
  483. >You wave Cherry back over for another drink.
  484. >Pretty much instantly, another full glass is slided over to you.
  485. >You nudge it closer to her, and she pushes it away.
  486. >"I can pay for my own drinks."
  487.  
  488. "So can I. You turning down a free drink?"
  489. >She shakes her head and glares at you.
  490. >"I'm turning down a drink from YOU."
  491. >...Ouch.
  492. >You just turn back to your drinks and down the extra one.
  493. >You honestly don't know how you're going to pay for this shit.
  494. >Hell, it was only your retirement fund, but now you feel like you have this huge hole in your wallet, and have to start saving to feel whole again.
  495. >You sigh and down the other drink.
  496. >Screw this, then.
  497. >You're at a bar, why not drink your wallet and sorrows away?
  498. "Ey, Cherry, you don't have anything stronger, do you? One hundred proof, or something?"
  499. >She drops the glass she was cleaning and just stares at you.
  500. >"O-one HUNDRED proof?!"
  501. >You just nod.
  502. "I'd actually like to drink to forget, this time around."
  503. >She crouches and starts picking up the pieces.
  504. >"I-I've never heard of any drink as strong as THAT before!"
  505. >You sigh.
  506. >Figures.
  507. "What's the strongest you've got, then?"
  508. >"W-well, that would be ten proof, in shots..."
  509. >You nod.
  510. "Just get five shots and throw them into a glass, please."
  511. >She looks at you like you're crazy.
  512. >"A-are you SURE? I-I know you're not a pony, but th-that could send you to the hospital!"
  513. >You nod.
  514. >She drops the shattered pieces into the trash and just looks at you.
  515. >"Well, alright, Anon..."
  516. >You just watch as she takes an orange-colored bottle and pours it into one small glass, then into a larger one.
  517. >She does this five times, then slowly drags it across the bar, over to you.
  518. >"I-if you start feeling bad, j-just tell me. I don't want you to get hurt, Anon..."
  519. >You nod.
  520. "Appreciate the concern, Cherry."
  521. >You just take the drink and down it in a second.
  522. >You're barely feeling it.
  523. >Cherry stares at you, scared out of her mind.
  524. >Out of your peripherals, you can see Spitfire just glancing at you.
  525. "Could I get another?"
  526. >Cherry just continues staring, dumbfounded.
  527. >"H-how d-did you... h-how did you DO that?"
  528.  
  529. >You just shrug.
  530. "Soo... could I?"
  531. >She closes her mouth and slowly nods.
  532. >In a minute, another glass is slided over to you.
  533. >"P-PLEASE don't hurt yourself, Anon... Y-you know your limits, right?"
  534. >You nod.
  535. "It's probably much more than what you serve, for sure."
  536. >You sigh and down the drink again.
  537. >You're getting a very, VERY faint buzz, now.
  538. >It's the closest you've ever gotten to being drunk, here.
  539. "Just, ah, keep 'em coming, would you, Cherry?"
  540. >"-U-uh, s-sure, Anon..."
  541. >You just nod again and start staring at all the bottles laid in the back.
  542. >After a second, you notice that Spitfire's still glancing at you every once and a while.
  543. >You don't turn to look at her, and another glass comes sliding your way.
  544. >You hold it up to your mouth, then stop.
  545. "You know, I can see you looking at me. If you've got something to say, say it already."
  546. >The tone in your voice is much colder than you thought it would be.
  547. >She gets taken back a bit, but stays silent.
  548. >You simply sigh again, for about the thirtieth time today.
  549. >You down the drink again.
  550. >It's like juice, but with a bit of alcohol in it.
  551. >It's really not cutting it for you.
  552. >But, it's also the best you've got, here.
  553. >There's a round of laughter coming from the back booth.
  554. >Spitfire finally asks for another drink, and one is taken over to her.
  555. "Why aren't you over there with your Wonderbolt buddies, anyways? I thought you were the Captain."
  556. >She remains silent.
  557. >You grab your sixth drink today and take a long sip, trying this time to savor the taste.
  558. >"Well, why aren't you with Rainbow Dash? I thought you were her coltfriend-"
  559. >You spit your drink and catch yourself with your hands.
  560. >It gets all over your suit and slacks.
  561. "Oh, fuck me."
  562. >Cherry rushes over with a dickload of napkins and hoofs them to you.
  563.  
  564. >You start wiping them down, shaking your head.
  565. "I've been friends with Rainbow for four years. We're not a 'thing', and we never will be; I've already thought about it, and I'm just not into mares."
  566. >Spitfire nods, watching you dry yourself.
  567. >"...So, you like stallions, then?"
  568. >You snap to her like a fucking meerkat.
  569. "No, I'm not gay! I just..."
  570. >You sigh and set the napkins on the bar.
  571. "I still like human women the most. Even if there aren't any left..."
  572. >Her ears perk up a bit, and she takes a small sip of her drink.
  573. >"...Aren't any left?"
  574. >You straighten yourself in your seat and just look at her.
  575. "Do I look like a dragon to you? Or a minotaur? Griffon? I'm the only one of my species, here. Human women are nowhere to be seen on this planet."
  576. >"So, are you some kind of alien, then?"
  577. "Well, seeing as how my planet had seven billion of us, as well as horses that didn't talk, I'd say yes, I AM an alien."
  578. >"-How'd you get here?"
  579. >You shrug.
  580. "I just remember being in a car crash, then ending up here. If this is some kind of afterlife, or evidence that the multiverse theory is actually a thing, I'm still not sure."
  581. >She just stares at you, confused.
  582. "...I'm pretty sure I died on my planet, then ended up here."
  583. >She nods, fidgeting around with her glass.
  584. >You get another one given to you.
  585. >You simply take a sip, then continue staring at the back of the bar.
  586. >"...I'm sorry."
  587. >Your train of thought comes crashing down.
  588. >You blink and turn to Spitfire.
  589. "What?"
  590. >"For, uh, being... rude, earlier... I'm sorry. I know I've got a bit of a temper on me."
  591. >You wave your hand dismissively.
  592. "You haven't seen me."
  593. >She raises a brow.
  594. >"Really? YOU'VE got a temper? That's a bit hard to believe."
  595. >You smirk and sip your drink.
  596. "That's what everyone says, until they see it. A small amount of things set me off instantly, but a few little things do, too."
  597. >"Huh... And here I was, thinking you were just some other fan, trying to kiss up to me..."
  598.  
  599. >"...You're NOT like most ponies, are you?"
  600. >You snort.
  601. "Well, since I'm not a pony, I'd like to think so."
  602. >You finish off your seventh drink.
  603. >At this point, Cherry isn't worried about you anymore, and just really impressed.
  604. >Spitfire just rolls her eyes and smirks.
  605. >"I'm talking more Rainbow's speed; the starstruck, peppy attitude and all. You, on the other hoof, just talk to me like I'm some random pony."
  606. "...Well, looking at it from my point of view, you still ARE a random pony. I only ever heard about you from Dash."
  607. >She nods, then takes another sip of her drink, just as an eighth one slides over.
  608. >She sighs, then leans over the bar.
  609. >"It's kinda nice..."
  610. "What is?"
  611. >She takes a larger gulp and finishes off her drink.
  612. >"Being treated like everypony else. No autographs, no pictures, no hugs... just... talking... I miss it."
  613. "Well, doesn't the rest of your team talk to you normally?"
  614. >She shakes her head.
  615. >"It's always 'ma'am this' and 'ma'am that' with them... I think ponies are scared of me."
  616. >You take another sip.
  617. "Why's that?"
  618. >She shrugs.
  619. >"Might be my temper, or my position, but I'm either somepony's idol, or just their captain."
  620. "...Well, that's pretty much me, but instead, either ponies are scared of me, or they pretend to like me... I think Dash is the rare exception, but even after four years, I'm still not too sure."
  621. >"That bad, huh?"
  622. >You simply nod, then finish your drink again.
  623. >Another one comes by.
  624. >You lift it in the air.
  625. "Well, then, to strangers."
  626. >Spitfire smiles, then clinks her glass to yours.
  627. >"To strangers."
  628. >You both chug your drinks and set the glasses down.
  629. >She just looks at you, then the glasses you have piled up.
  630. >"Are you even feeling a LITTLE tipsy?"
  631. >You shrug.
  632. "Just a very tiny bit. Alcohol isn't as strong here as it was back home."
  633. >"Wow. You must have a pretty high tolerance, then."
  634. >You shrug again.
  635. "I was only really a social drinker back home. Otherwise, I usually didn't at all."
  636. >She just nods.
  637.  
  638. >Your ninth glass is given to you.
  639. >Spitfire's just eying it.
  640. "...What, did you want to try it?"
  641. >She takes a deep breath, then just grabs and starts chugging it.
  642. >Well, if anything happens, you know CPR, thankfully.
  643. >Not sure how well that'd work on ponies, though.
  644. >You'd probably end up breaking a few ribs on accident.
  645. >And you don't even lift.
  646. >She finishes off the glass and slams it on the counter.
  647. >"W-woah, Celestia, sheesh..."
  648. >She hiccups, then just stares at the glass.
  649. "...Are you alright, there?"
  650. >She winces.
  651. >"Y-yeah, just... h-how strong are your drinks?"
  652. "Back home?"
  653. >She nods.
  654. "Well, the most I've seen is like, one fifty proof. That drink you just had is pretty much the equivalent of five beers back home. Though I don't think proofs work the same here as they do back home anymore, because I'm pretty sure I'd be drunk right now if they were."
  655.  
  656. >She just nods.
  657. >She looks incredibly drunk already.
  658. >You watch her struggling to keep her balance on her stool.
  659. "Are you alright? How drunk are you, on a scale of one to ten?"
  660. >She hiccups and looks at you with a dopey smile.
  661. >"Maybe eight."
  662. >...Maybe?
  663. >This horse is starting to spin in her stool.
  664. >She's obviously a happy drunk.
  665. >She grins at you.
  666. >Her cheeks are so red right now.
  667. >"So, what was home like? Wh-HIC-what did YOU have for entertainment? Any air shows like Cloudsdale?"
  668. >You nod.
  669. >You're actually starting to feel drunk.
  670. >Really quickly, too.
  671. >You blink for a moment, then catch yourself almost faceplanting off your seat.
  672. >You lean on the counter and hiccup.
  673. "Oh, yeah, we had airshows- but they weren't about flying ponies. Do you have airplanes, here?"
  674. >She looks off to the side, deep in thought.
  675. >"...'Air-plains'?
  676. "Okay, so I'll take that as a no. Well, airplanes are like, these machines that people can fly and go really fast in, without having wings of their own."
  677. >She just looks at you like you told her the sun was purple.
  678. >"...How... how is that even possible?"
  679. >You shrug.
  680. "I never studied the things, but I know that they use fuel and take off after moving on the ground a bit."
  681. >"How?"
  682. >You scoot your chair closer to the counter, and watch her do the same.
  683. >You set your hand face down on it, pretending it to be the airplane.
  684. "So, look, first, you give that stuff gas, and it propels it really fast down a strip of land. This thing has wings on both sides of it, so after a while, the air just blows by so fast that it picks it up, so these heavy things are able to move around and glide and stuff."
  685. >She just stares at you, fascinated.
  686. >"That's impressive."
  687. >You simply nod.
  688. "And air shows will usually consist of people being in some of the fastest planes, then doing tricks, nearly smashing into each other, and so on."
  689. >"Wow..."
  690. "Mhmm, mhmm. Earth is pretty neat when talking science and stuff. But it's a lot."
  691.  
  692. >You feel a hoof tap your shoulder and jump.
  693. >Soarin' is now beside you and Spitfire, slightly wobbly.
  694. >"You guys, it's pretty late, now.'
  695. >He looks at Spitfire.
  696. >"Are you good to fly, Captain?"
  697. >She nods her head, then loses her balance on her seat and nearly falls.
  698. >Soarin' just shakes his head.
  699. >"You can't fly tonight. Think about a hotel or something."
  700. >You raise your hand.
  701. "My house is pretty close, actually. I usually would take Rainbow there to spend the night, 'cause the couch is comfy enough for me."
  702. >Spitfire just yawns.
  703. >"How close is it?"
  704. "It's pretty close. Close enough to warrant this being the only bar I go to."
  705. >She puts a hoof to her muzzle for a few moments.
  706. >"...Just for tonight?"
  707. "Well, yeah, unless you plan on staying longer."
  708. >She pauses again, lost in thought.
  709. >"...Alright. Lead the way, I guess. I don't plan on getting anything more."
  710. >You nod and fish into your pockets for bits.
  711. >Cherry looks at you and waves her hoof dismissively.
  712. >"You don't owe me anything, Anon. I oughta pay YOU for finally finishing that bottle for me, after four years of it just sitting there."
  713. "...Are you sure, Cherry?"
  714. >She nods.
  715. >"Anything for my favorite customer."
  716. >You can't help but smile.
  717. "Wow, thank you, Cherry."
  718. >She nods again, and picks up both yours and Spitfire's glasses.
  719. >"Just come back, you hear?"
  720. "Of course!"
  721. >You hop off your stool and unconsciously help Spitfire off hers, grabbing and carrying her to the floor.
  722. >You forget to say goodbye to the others and stumble out with Spitfire.
  723. >She slightly leans against you, trying not to fall.
  724. >You point a little ways at your house in the distance.
  725. "See, my home's just right there. Not far at all."
  726. >"Huh. You weren't-HIC-kidding."
  727. >You simply nod, then continue walking.
  728. >You shove your hands into your pockets, trying your best to warm up.
  729. >Spitfire doesn't even shiver a little bit.
  730. >Having that coat of fur of hers must be nice.
  731. >A thought passes your mind.
  732. >You forgot, Ponyville homes don't have heaters.
  733.  
  734. >And in fact, it's BECAUSE of their coats.
  735. >Even in snow, they all have no need to have heaters.
  736. >So you get to freeze because you haven't evolved above having jackets, and don't have one.
  737. >It's your only complaint about this place.
  738. >You feel so left out, freezing as much as you do.
  739. >And you already feel extremely left out as it is.
  740. >You walk onto the front yard of your house and walk up to the door.
  741. >A quick unlock later, and you notice that it's probably only a degree warmer than the outside.
  742. >And you're fucking freezing.
  743. "Whelp, m-mi casa, es s-su c-casa!"
  744. >You hug yourself and shiver.
  745. >"What does that mean?"
  746. "M-my house, is your h-house!"
  747. >She finally notices your shivering.
  748. >"You're cold?"
  749. >You viciously nod.
  750. "I'm pretty much hairless. I c-can't k-keep warm anywhere."
  751. >You swear, her face is getting a lot redder than it was before.
  752. >"W-well, stick c-close to me. I could keep you w-warm..."
  753. >You simply nod, and smile.
  754. "Thanks. That'd probably help out a bunch."
  755. >She nods in return, and you turn to her.
  756. "So, did you want or need anything? A drink? Food?"
  757. >"A water would be nice."
  758. "Alrighty. Just make yourself comfortable, then."
  759. >She nods, then walks into the house.
  760. >You shut the door, then make your way over to the kitchen.
  761. >You just think it's a bit weird how they have refrigerators, which keep things cool, but can't make heaters.
  762. >Thought you're sure that it's still because of their coats, you still don't understand why it's not an option to have one.
  763. >You sigh and grab two bottles of water from the fridge.
  764. >Though, since the ponies have barely started getting the hang of plastic, the less expensive ones are glass.
  765. >You mentally shrug and just bring them both over to the living room, seeing Spitfire making herself comfortable on your favorite chair.
  766. >Her wings are also stiff as all hell.
  767. "You get a wing cramp or something?"
  768. >Her face gets a bit redder for some reason, and she nods.
  769. >"Y-yeah. I-I was going to preen my wings, b-but they cramped up."
  770.  
  771. >She winces a bit.
  772. >You don't know how sensitive wings are, but she looks like she's in a lot of pain.
  773. "Well, maybe I could help preen your wings. Help out a bit?"
  774. >She gets even redder, most likely embarrassed at the idea of needing help.
  775. >You feel her pain.
  776. "It'll just be between us. I'm pretty sure you don't like asking for help, huh?"
  777. >She pauses for a moment, then nods.
  778. >You wave a hand.
  779. "I'm exactly the same way. So if you do need help, I'd just keep it a secret from others. But, you know, it's up to you."
  780. >She seems to think about it for a long time.
  781. >Meanwhile, you just set the water beside her, and open your own.
  782. >The second you take a sip, she speaks.
  783. >"O-okay... B-but just this once!"
  784. >You nod, then scoot your chair a little closer to hers.
  785. >You just stare at her wings for a moment.
  786. "Alright, so, what IS preening, exactly? And how do I do this?"
  787. >"Y-you don't know what preening is?"
  788. >You shake your head.
  789. "Heard it a few times from Rainbow, but I still don't know what it is."
  790. >"It's, u-um, when you fix your wings up. You reposition them and, uh, and fix the bent ones..."
  791. "Huh, that's it?"
  792. >She nods, and stretches her wings a bit, then presents one to her.
  793. "So, do I just, what, feel the feather for bends, or something?"
  794. >She nods.
  795. >"I-it's better to stroke them, to f-feel for anything wrong with them..."
  796. "Oh, alright. So, like this?"
  797. >You start from the base of one feather, then stroke upwards.
  798. >She gasps, and you throw your hands in the air.
  799. "-Shit, did I hurt you or something?"
  800. >She quickly shakes her head.
  801. >"Y-your hands are just, um, cold."
  802. "Oh, sorry."
  803. >You cup your hands and breathe in them to warm up.
  804. >Once they're considerably warmer, you go for the same feather and stoke it again, slower this time.
  805. >Spitfire gasps again, still probably a bit cold from your touch.
  806. >You can't find much to-
  807. >"H-hang on, let me take my flight suit off."
  808. >You move your hands away, and she bites on one of her hooves, trying fruitlessly to take the thing off.
  809.  
  810. >You just watch for a few seconds.
  811. "...You, uh, need help there, too?"
  812. >She shakes her head, growing a deeper red again.
  813. >"I got this."
  814. >She tries again to pull the thing off, to no avail.
  815. >"I-I think I left it on too long. It won't come off..."
  816. "...So you DO need help?"
  817. >She starts viciously gnawing at the suit, before sighing.
  818. >"Y-yes, please..."
  819. >You nod and kneel beside her seat.
  820. >You grab the part on her hoof, and pull.
  821. >She frees one hoof, then tries, once again fruitlessly, to wiggle her other hoof free.
  822. >You just repeat the process, and both front hooves come free.
  823. >She unzips the rest towards her belly, where the zipper ends.
  824. >Then she flips on her back and tries to kick it off.
  825. >It doesn't budge.
  826. "...You need help with the rest?"
  827. >"N-no!! I-I've got this!"
  828. >You just watch her kick the air, trying her hardest to take the thing off.
  829. >It still doesn't move.
  830. "...I think you need more help. And hell, I've already helped with the front, so..."
  831. >She sighs, then nods.
  832. >You move over to your seat and lean on the armrest, just in front of her hind legs, then grab on the suit.
  833. >In this moment, you have to admit that she looks adorable on her back like that.
  834. >She's scrunching, and you can see some chest fluff popping out.
  835. >You pull on the suit, and she starts lightly kicking them away.
  836. >And just as they slowly start coming off, she accidentally kicks you in the face, and knocks your ass onto your seat.
  837. >You instinctively cover your face and groan.
  838. "-Fucking shit! Ooh, oh man."
  839. >She hops over to your seat, an extremely worried expression on her face.
  840. >"A-Anon! A-are you okay?! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean t-to-"
  841. >You wave a hand.
  842. "Nah, it's alright. I'm too drunk to feel most of it, anyways."
  843. >Her look softens, but she still looks worried.
  844. "Is my nose bleeding, though?"
  845. >You move your hands away, and she gasps.
  846. >You just cover your nose again.
  847. "...Is it that bad?"
  848. >"Ooh, I'm so sorry, Anon! I'm sorry!"
  849. "-It's fine, Spitfire. And I don't think it's broken."
  850.  
  851. >"B-but what if it is?!"
  852. "Pft, I've had to set my nose back a few times. I can deal with it."
  853. >You put a hand under your nose and look at it.
  854. >And of course, it's really bloody.
  855. "I should probably wash this off, though..."
  856. >She hops away from you and takes the small bit of her suit off, while you get off your seat.
  857. >You make your way to the bathroom and flip on the light.
  858. >Immediately, you see your reflection, and its easily broken nose.
  859. "Oh, daaamn, well, maybe it's a LITTLE broken."
  860. >Spitfire comes into the bathroom and just looks at you in the mirror.
  861. "Well, this shouldn't hurt that much, then."
  862. >You set your hands on the sides of the bridge of your nose, then slowly move it all to the middle.
  863. >You hear a small cracking noise, and some more blood starts pouring out.
  864. >"Oh Celestia! Sh-should we go to a hospital?!"
  865. >You shake your head.
  866. "Like I said, I've dealt with a lot of broken noses before in my life. It'll just take a bit to clean this up."
  867. >She just continues watching you.
  868. >You point at the shower nearby.
  869. "You know, if your wings are still feeling cramped, a little warm water might help you out. You can use that shower if you want. Ponies ARE usually without clothes, right?"
  870. >She nods, then stretches her wings a bit.
  871. >"I guess a small shower COULD help a bit..."
  872. >You nod and put a few pieces of toilet paper on your nose.
  873. "There's some clean towels in that hamper right there. I guess if you do just want to have a full-fledged shower, there's some stuff for you to use, there. Things for guys seem to be much more expensive."
  874. >She nods, then smiles.
  875. >"Th-thank you, Anon."
  876. "Mhmm."
  877. >She walks past you, then grabs a yellow towel.
  878. >Of course.
  879. >And as you continue, you start to think about the pony who now just started her shower.
  880. >Compared to how she was when you first talked to her, she's much more... comfortable, now.
  881. >Hell, she didn't want anything to do with you earlier, and now she's using your shower and asking you to help her.
  882. >It's nice.
  883.  
  884. >Another thought hits you, and you remember what your mission was, in the first place.
  885. >You pretty much have to have her accept the end of the Wonderbolts.
  886. >But she's so calm and nice to you right now...
  887. >You kind of don't want to jeopardize that...
  888. >But, you guess what Soarin' said is right.
  889. >It'd be better if she came to terms with it as soon as possible, as to avoid being hurt more when it actually happens.
  890. >You sigh.
  891. >It's gonna be a bit troublesome bringing that up when you have to.
  892. >"-Anon?"
  893. >You shake your head out of your stupor.
  894. "Huh? Yes?"
  895. >"Do you have a back brush?"
  896. >...A back brush?
  897. >The fuck is that?
  898. "Uh, I don't think so. What is that?"
  899. >"It's the brush with the long handle. For your back."
  900. >You shake your head, though you know she can't see.
  901. "Nope, I don't have that."
  902. >"O-oh..."
  903. >There's a small moment of silence.
  904. >"C-could you... help me out, then?"
  905. >Help out, in the shower?
  906. >Well, back home, something like that would really get you excited.
  907. >But if Spitfire, someone who hasn't even known you for a day, is asking for you to hop in, then obviously it's just another weird pony thing.
  908. >Because ponies really are weird.
  909. >And even after four years of living in this place, you're still learning about them.
  910. >Hell, you only recently found out about bird ponies.
  911. >A whole flock of the things followed you home because you decided to enjoy the day and eat your lunch outside.
  912. >...Never doing that again.
  913. "Uh, sure. What did you need?"
  914. >"I-I just need somepony to reach my back. I can't."
  915. >Huh.
  916. >Makes sense, not having that back brush or whatever the hell.
  917. >You tend to be an intellectual kind of drunk.
  918. >Or philosophical.
  919. >One of those fucking words.
  920. >...You think.
  921. >But you just, well, think a lot when you're drunk.
  922. >But you forget basic things in the process.
  923. >For example, you just forgot about Spitfire needing help, because you started explaining to yourself how much you think when you're drunk.
  924.  
  925. >-Oh shit, right!
  926. >You walk your ass over to the shower curtain and just pull it back.
  927. >Spitfire's got a bottle of shampoo in her mouth, and struggling to actually get some on her hair.
  928. >You simply push the shower head a little bit away, to avoid spilling shit all over the floor, then take the bottle from her mouth.
  929. "Might as well speed up the process while I'm at it, right?"
  930. >She looks at you for a moment, then nods.
  931. >Right before you put some in your hands, you think of something.
  932. >You take your coat off and just place it on the nearby towel rack, then roll up the sleeves of your shirt.
  933. >You squirt some of that flowery scented stuff on your hands and lather them up.
  934. >Seriously, why all the manly scents are so fucking expensive will forever be a myste-
  935. >-Actually, they're fucking expensive because guys are outnumbered as shit here.
  936. >And you hate that.
  937. >Since guys are the minority, the majority, being mares, don't give a shit about the prices we have to pay, just because it doesn't affect them.
  938. >It's a cruel, cruel world.
  939. >Though, the time during estrus is pretty fucking cool.
  940. >Because all the women hide out in their homes and, well, do their thing, all the guys come outside and can enjoy the sunshine.
  941. >Then, for the entire season, it's just guys hanging out everywhere, doing cool shit without the nagging and complaining of any mares.
  942. >...Though, it's usually the other way around.
  943. >But the things YOU do are manly.
  944. >...Even though it just means going to the bar.
  945. >Which is what you do practically all the time.
  946. >So nothing really changes.
  947. >...Whatever.
  948. >It's the thought that's so cool.
  949. >Hell, one time Rainbow even came to visit during that time.
  950. >She was still determined to drink more than you, even when in heat.
  951. >She failed miserably.
  952. >She also grinded on the stool she was on.
  953. >You never lived that down.
  954. >-Shit, right, cleaning!
  955. >Spitfire just scoots a little closer to you, and you start shampooing her mane.
  956.  
  957. >See, when she first asked you to help her out, the first thing that came to mind was actually helping out IN the shower.
  958. >You guess that's not the case, then, because she doesn't seem to be saying anyth-
  959. >"C-can you just hop in here, instead? This is... weird."
  960. >-Nevermind.
  961. "You mean, like, in there? Like... IN the shower?"
  962. >She nods.
  963. >Oh, shit.
  964. "Uh, sure."
  965. >Just remember, Anon, it's not a weird thing in ponyland.
  966. >Still though, you ain't doing that.
  967. >Or at least, not completely.
  968. >You dry your hands on a towel and unbutton your shirt.
  969. >You take off the undershirt and your slacks, as well as shoes and socks.
  970. >Then you're just left in boxers.
  971. >Spitfire's staring at them, growing a deeper shade of red rather quickly.
  972. >She's probably getting impatient.
  973. >Hell, you know you wouldn't like, just, having soap sitting in your hair like that, either.
  974. >You set your clothes neatly to the side and hop in with your boxers.
  975. >Spitfire looks at you, then your boxers, slightly annoyed.
  976. >You probably took too long.
  977. >But shit, you had to make sure that your beloved suit wasn't going to get wet or wrinkled during this.
  978. >"Why are you still wearing those?"
  979. "Well, because they're the only pair that I have, and they're pretty comfortab-"
  980. >"-No, why are you wearing th-them HERE? They're g-going to get wet..."
  981. "Oh, yeah, I know. It's just, uh, not wearing clothes around other people is a big thing back home. Usually don't do it unless you're with, like, a significant other, or something."
  982. >She huffs, and you just start lathering up her mane.
  983. >She's got crazy amounts of hair, and now seeing it all wet and not spiky is weird.
  984. >She keeps having to to push her mane away from her face.
  985. >She just closes her eyes, as to not get any soap in them, and lets you do your thing.
  986. >Then something comes to mind.
  987. "S-so... uh, I noticed that me and Dash were the only ones in the VIP place... How come?"
  988. >She immediately tenses up, then opens her eyes.
  989. >"What do you mean?"
  990.  
  991. "Well, I mean, I know that the tickets are pretty expensive, but how come there weren't anymore people? I figured that everyone would want to see you guys backstage if they could."
  992. >She closes her eyes again and softly sighs.
  993. >There's a long moment of silence.
  994. >"...Th-they did..."
  995. "What?"
  996. >"Ponies DID always want to see us backstage... We used to have full houses every performance, and more."
  997. "...Used to? What happened to that?"
  998. >She stays silent again.
  999. >The only thing that's making noise is the water hitting the both of you while she stands there.
  1000. >You aren't cleaning her mane anymore.
  1001. >Her muzzle slightly scrunches, and she tightens the close on her eyes.
  1002. >"...I...I... ruined it..."
  1003. >What?
  1004. "What?"
  1005. >She opens her eyes, and you see something from them mixing in with the water.
  1006. >Tears.
  1007. >"I ruined it! I-I lost my balance in THREE of the biggest performances in my career, j-just because I couldn't finish all the paperwork and s-sleep in time!! Everypony stopped coming because of ME!"
  1008. >You pause for a moment.
  1009. >You're an INTELLECTUAL drunk, you don't do well with emotions.
  1010. >And you knew this BEFORE you even realized how many thoughts ran through your head.
  1011. "Well, I doubt that they'd all stop because of JUST you-"
  1012. >"-N-no! Y-you don't GET IT! I DID THIS! I RUINED THEM! THE WONDERBOLTS ARE DYING, A-AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"
  1013. >She hops out of the shower and takes the curtain down, then sprints out of the bathroom.
  1014. "Spitfire!"
  1015. >Fuck.
  1016. >You hop out after her and immediately slip on your ass.
  1017. >Literally.
  1018. >But it seems like the least of your worries.
  1019. >You look over to the front door and see her quickly shaking herself of water, wings now preparing to fly.
  1020. >You quickly stand up without slipping again, then run over to her.
  1021. >She starts fumbling around with the doorknob of your house, then swings it open.
  1022. >Just as her wings spread, you catch and hold her.
  1023. >You know she could seriously get hurt, not only flying while wet, but while drunk.
  1024.  
  1025. >And even if your fuck-up brought down what little bonding you've had, you know that this'd all be on your head if she flew and DID get hurt.
  1026. >"N-no! L-let me go!"
  1027. >She punches you in the face, and re-breaks your nose.
  1028. "Spitfire, calm down! Calm DOWN!"
  1029. >She hits you in the chest and knocks the wind out of you.
  1030. >But you don't loosen your grip.
  1031. >She flails for a little bit more, then just gives up and starts crying.
  1032. >And it's not just any cry.
  1033. >But it's easy to tell how long she's wanted to.
  1034. >She wraps her hooves around you like you're going to disappear at any moment.
  1035. >"I-I TRIED, ANON! I-I'M JUST A WASHED UP OLD MARE! I CAN'T FLY, ANYMORE!"
  1036. >Funny, considering she's pretty much Dash's age.
  1037. >And Dash is a young adult.
  1038. "That's not true."
  1039. >You stop talking, because of how retarded you realized you sound.
  1040. >You sound like you're just, horribly congested or something.
  1041. >"I-I'm NOTHING, now..."
  1042. >You simply shake your head, not bothering with any kind of vocal input in your state.
  1043. >She continues crying.
  1044. >She keeps heaving in air with these shallow, ragged breaths.
  1045. >She's shaking like a leaf in your arms.
  1046. >Her tears are just piling on your shoulder.
  1047. >And you're trying to catch your nose and not bleed all over her.
  1048. >She doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon, and neither does your nose.
  1049. >You pull your hands over and set them up beside your nose again.
  1050. >It pops back into place, and then starts pouring down your arms.
  1051. >Spitfire notices, then backs away.
  1052. >"A-ANON! Y-YOU'RE BLEEDING!"
  1053. >You simply nod, still trying to stop it.
  1054. >She pauses, then starts crying again, wrapping you in another hug that knocks you on your back.
  1055. >And onto the hardwood floor.
  1056. >You're definitely waking up with a fucking headache tomorrow.
  1057. >"I-I'M S-SO S-S-SORRY!!!"
  1058. "It's fine."
  1059. >She starts crying into your chest.
  1060. >And now there's blood mixed in with the water and tears that were already on your floor.
  1061. >Great.
  1062.  
  1063. >You're not even sure what to do at this point.
  1064. >So you just lie there, bleeding all over the place while Spitfire cries into you.
  1065. >Hell, this doesn't even seem like the Spitfire you first saw at that VIP place.
  1066. >-Well, what the fuck are you saying, of COURSE it isn't.
  1067. >This one here is obviously a very emotional drunk.
  1068. >And you just show less emotions than you already don't, when you're drunk.
  1069. >It's odd.
  1070. >Though, in the four years you've been here, you've noticed how emotional all these ponies are.
  1071. >Even their eyes show dick loads of emotion, whereas yours are just the same as they were back on Earth, minus the bloodshot look from staring at computer screens for hours on end.
  1072. >"I-I'm so sorry, Anon... I'm sorry."
  1073. "It's fine."
  1074. >"I-I'm sorry..."
  1075. "Well, it's still fine, so you don't really have to be."
  1076. >Her sobbing slows a bit.
  1077. >You softly sigh.
  1078. "...Look, Spitfire, you're not old, okay? You got behind on paperwork because you don't want to ask for help- I understand that. But people make mistakes, and even if less ponies are coming to your shows, it's not your fault."
  1079. >She just looks at you with those big, bronze eyes of hers, all red and puffy from th-
  1080. "-MPHM!"
  1081. >...Brain.exe has stopped working
  1082. >Windows can check online for a solution to the problem.
  1083. >Close the program
  1084. >Your eyes instinctively shut.
  1085. >You feel a hoof from behind your head push you closer.
  1086. >You both share a breath.
  1087. >Her tongue brushes against yours.
  1088. >You can't think.
  1089. >You feel your face quickly starting to burn.
  1090. >Her other hoof slowly brushes across your cheek, the soft hairs tickling you as they glide past.
  1091. >Then she breathes deeply, and pulls away, panting lightly.
  1092. >She's also got blood on her cheek, from your still-dripping nose.
  1093. >You don't know what to say.
  1094. >You don't know what to DO.
  1095. >And you don't know what to think.
  1096. >But one thing was on your mind.
  1097. >A pony kissed you.
  1098. >...And...
  1099. >You actually enjoyed it.
  1100. >...What the hell is happening to you?
  1101.  
  1102. >Wait.
  1103. >A PONY kissed you.
  1104. >OH GOD.
  1105. >THIS IS WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS
  1106. >She's blushing furiously and avoiding eye contact.
  1107. >"S-sorry..."
  1108. "-HeyIgottagocleanmynosecoolyeahcool."
  1109. >You slip out from under her and bolt to the bathroom.
  1110. >You make sure to close and lock the door while you're at it, too.
  1111. >You just stare at your reflection in the mirror.
  1112. >You look fucking spooked.
  1113. >Hell, you're FEELING spooked.
  1114. >What the flying fuck just happened back there?!
  1115. >Being forced to feel emotions during this state is very, VERY troubling to your brain.
  1116. >He's in a fucking corner surrounded by niggers, and he has no idea what's going on.
  1117. >There's a knock on the door that makes you jump.
  1118. >"Anon? A-are you alright in there?"
  1119. "Y-yeah, peachy! I've just got loads of blood everywhere, nothing to worry about!"
  1120. >Wait, what you just fucking said IS something to worry about.
  1121. >SHIT.
  1122. >"W-what?! Is it getting worse?! Should I get a doctor?!"
  1123. "-No! I'm just, uh... I've... I've got my dick out, and, uh, I don't want you to see!"
  1124. >-WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF AN EXCUSE IS THAT?
  1125. >BRAIN, START FUCKING WORKING.
  1126. >"O-oh..."
  1127. >You sigh and splash some water on your face.
  1128. >It mixes with all the blood your nose is spewing out.
  1129. >You just take a dick load of toilet paper and start wiping the blood away from it.
  1130. >After about a second, you look at yourself in the mirror.
  1131. >Shirtless, covered in blood and water...
  1132. >You look like shit.
  1133. >Pure, unadulterated shit.
  1134. >-Thanks for clearing that up, brain.
  1135. >-Anytime, Anon.
  1136. >You sigh, and REALLY look at yourself.
  1137. >And the toll that countless years of loneliness has done to you.
  1138. >You shake your head and finish cleaning yourself up.
  1139. >You then throw your clothes on, and grab a towel.
  1140. >You open the door, and Spitfire's just sitting down, now looking up at you.
  1141. >You throw the towel over her back and continue walking.
  1142. "We need to talk. I'll be in the living room."
  1143.  
  1144. >You walk over and flop onto the couch.
  1145. >Spitfire just follows after you, still a bit wet.
  1146. >She looks so different with her mane down like that.
  1147. >She hops on the seat next to you, just waiting for you to say something.
  1148. >You sit straight and sigh.
  1149. >You take a simple moment to collect your thoughts.
  1150. >But your mouth has other ideas.
  1151. "Alright. So... what was THAT."
  1152. >She fakes a confused glance and blushes.
  1153. >"W-what was what?"
  1154. "...You know exactly what I'm talking about. What was..."
  1155. >You sigh.
  1156. "-You're just... holy shit, you're really drunk, and I'M really drunk, but what the hell were you thinking just now?"
  1157. >She scrunches, avoiding eye contact with you.
  1158. >"I...I-umm..."
  1159. >You internally sigh.
  1160. >You're kind of wishing you could just deal with the strong, confident Spitfire you had, just a few hours ago.
  1161. >Because all this guessing, all these emotions, are really hurting your head.
  1162. >-That, or it's the fucking floor you finished hitting a few minutes ago.
  1163. >...Probably both.
  1164. >...Definitely both.
  1165. >But it's really making it harder to think.
  1166. >"I-I don't know. I-I just, I think I like you, a-and-"
  1167. "-Woah, woah, hang on a bit. You... LIKE me? You barely KNOW me!"
  1168. >She shrinks a bit.
  1169. >"I-I just, y-you d-don't see me differently, and you're the only pony w-who's ever just seen... me."
  1170. >You stay silent.
  1171. >"I just, I-I get tired, of being this pony th-that I can't even keep UP with anymore, a-and, with you, I... I feel like I have a chance, to just be able to be... Spitfire, again."
  1172. >She flies over to you.
  1173. >"I-I know how emotional I get when I'm drunk, a-and I know that I AM drunk... b-but I know what I want..."
  1174. >She gets a bit closer to you.
  1175. >You stop her with a hand.
  1176.  
  1177. "-I'm gonna have to stop you right there. Look, I... shit, I told you from the very beginning that I'm not into ponies, and there's always plenty of fish in the sea."
  1178. >"B-but, I-"
  1179. "-And your team is worried about you."
  1180. >She pauses, then backs away from your hand.
  1181. >"...What?"
  1182. "I... look, when I was talking to Soarin' earlier, at the VIP booth, he started telling me about you- how much you overworked yourself, how much you thought about them all and the lengths that you'd go through for them."
  1183. >She remains silent.
  1184. "...Then, he told me exactly about what you told me. About the Wonderbolts dying."
  1185. >She winces.
  1186. "And, that he, and the rest of your team, were worried that you'd been denying that. They were worried about what you were going to do- your future, and when you'd come to accept what was happening and let go of the team."
  1187. >She just mulls over your words.
  1188. "And I can tell you right now, that I most certainly do NOT belong in that future. I'm not cut out for that, I've never been in a relationship, and-"
  1189. >She moves past your hand and gets closer again.
  1190. >"I-I can have my future with YOU."
  1191. >Jesus, this mare's really persistent.
  1192. "N-no, I-"
  1193. >"-Ever since I noticed the signs, SAW how much popularity we were losing, I-I got scared. I DID think about my future..."
  1194. >She takes a step up your leg.
  1195. >You slowly back up.
  1196. >"M-my mom always had me do that. Sh-she'd tell me that it wasn't good to enjoy the high-life forever, b-because all good things would have to end eventually..."
  1197. >"She told me to start thinking about family, s-somepony to settle down with, and that once I met them, I'd know exactly that they were meant for me..."
  1198. >You back up again.
  1199. >She just takes another step.
  1200. >"I've tried dating... Every stallion I've seen was just there, either for the money, the looks, or the fame... but not you."
  1201. >You feel a small lump form in your throat.
  1202. >"You treat me like a regular pony. You aren't after anything of mine..."
  1203. >She takes another step.
  1204.  
  1205. >"-You don't see me as a celebrity, o-or a Captain, or an idol... You're the most genuine pony I know, and... it's you."
  1206. >She takes a deep breath.
  1207. >"You're my special somepony; the one my mom talked about. Even if you don't see it yourself, yet..."
  1208. >She takes another step.
  1209. >"I've never felt this way with anypony before, and even though you say you don't like mares..."
  1210. >She puts a hoof on your chest and leans into your ear.
  1211. >"I'd just like to see that as a challenge..."
  1212. >She flips around and sits on your chest, moving her tail out of the way to give you a view of her-
  1213. >You close your eyes.
  1214. "-SPITFIRE, YOU'RE DRUNK!"
  1215. >You reach out, grab her, then put her on the ground.
  1216. >You quickly stand up, watching a pair of bedroom eyes just locked onto yours.
  1217. "Look, you're obviously really, REALLY drunk, and... Jesus, I'm at least sober enough to know that you'll probably regret everything you've said and done tonight!"
  1218. >She brushes away her mane with a hoof and just smiles at you.
  1219. >"Well, I'm sober enough to know that you're the one for me..."
  1220. >She slowly starts walking around you.
  1221. >"Kind, but not a doormat. Assertive, but not pushy. Persistent, competitive, honest..."
  1222. >She brushes your legs with her tail.
  1223. >"And cute..."
  1224. >You just stare at her with a blank look on your face.
  1225. >She pouts.
  1226. >-And even though it's forced, it's still really damn cute.
  1227. >She has the bottom lip quiver, the puppy-eyes, and the begging position all perfectly executed.
  1228. >You sigh.
  1229. "Look... If you truly mean what you're saying, then we'll talk about this tomorrow. That's all I'm going to do for you."
  1230. >She beams.
  1231. >She just stands up with this huge smile on her face- half triumphant, and half... relieved.
  1232. >"Thank you, Anon."
  1233. >You sigh, then nod.
  1234. "Now, did you want to sleep now or-"
  1235. >"-SHOWER."
  1236. "-Of course..."
  1237. >You close your eyes and sigh.
  1238. >And she's going to ask for you to-
  1239. >"But you'll still help me... right?"
  1240. >-OF COURSE.
  1241. >You slowly open your eyes and see her giving you another pouty look.
  1242. >Damn.
  1243.  
  1244. >You just watch as she happily trots over to the bathroom.
  1245. >And to think, just a few minutes ago, she broke your nose twice, then drenched you in water and tears.
  1246. >...She really is an emotional drunk.
  1247. >You sigh.
  1248. >Hopefully you won't remember any of this, tomorrow.
  1249. >But you know that you will, anyways.
  1250. >You slowly walk over to the bathroom and see that Spitfire's already but the curtain back where it's supposed to be in the first place.
  1251. >She just hops in and patiently waits for you.
  1252. >Hell, with all the dried blood and shit you've got on you, you feel that you need a shower, anyways.
  1253. >Might as well enjoy it the best you can.
  1254. >Besides, with your savings being completely obliterated like it is, you'll probably want to start saving water.
  1255. >You take everything off but your boxers once again, and hop into the shower.
  1256. >After neatly folding and putting away all your clothes, of course.
  1257. >She starts up the water, and you step back inside.
  1258. >The minute you do, the water turns a shade of pink.
  1259. >Jesus.
  1260. >You feel your nose and make sure that it's not crooked.
  1261. >Spitfire, meanwhile, is just dousing herself in water.
  1262. >She stands right under the showerhead and happily sighs.
  1263. >Her mane drapes over her face, and she just smiles, leaning her head back to have the water push it behind her.
  1264. >It's kinda cute.
  1265. >...Not that you'd ever admit that.
  1266. >She opens one eye and looks at you.
  1267. >"Well don't let me use ALL the water- get in here!"
  1268. >She pushes you towards her with a hoof and giggles.
  1269. >Then she pauses and looks away from you.
  1270. >"A-also... if you can..."
  1271. >She spreads her left wing out to you.
  1272. >Oh.
  1273. >Right.
  1274. >Well, at least this isn't anything too lewd or dirty.
  1275. >You see birds do the shit all the time.
  1276. >You rub the largest feather that's there, checking for any small bends in it.
  1277. >When you get to the bottom, she shifts a little bit.
  1278. >The next one gets pretty much the same reaction.
  1279. >Is it hurting, or what?
  1280.  
  1281. >You move down to the... secondary feathers, you think they're called.
  1282. >You feel the biggest one, getting a small sigh in response.
  1283. >Her feathers are really weird feeling, you've noticed.
  1284. >Or just Pegasus feathers in general, you're sure.
  1285. >Like, they're definitely feathers, but they're much thicker.
  1286. >You're not really sure how to explain it, really, because you don't know much about it yourself.
  1287. >But they're really soft.
  1288. >You move onto the second biggest feather and slowly feel it from the top to bottom.
  1289. >She fidgets again.
  1290. >What is WITH that spot?
  1291. >Is it really sensitive enough to hurt when you touch it?
  1292. >With the last one, you're really slow about your movements, in order to avoid that spot.
  1293. >You see her leg twitch, and she shuts her eyes and mouth in pain.
  1294. >Fuck, you didn't even TOUCH the bottom that time!
  1295. >Well... maybe she hurt her wing before, or something?
  1296. >You mentally shrug, and Spitfire moves over to give you her right wing.
  1297. >She looks away with this one, too.
  1298. >You never expected this to be such an uncomfortable experience for Pegasi...
  1299. >Or maybe you're doing to wrong?
  1300. >She'd tell you if you were doing it wrong, right?
  1301. >Unless she's just trying to be strong for you, or something...
  1302. >You stroke the largest feather again, touching it as lightly as you can.
  1303. >"Y-you h-have to put more p-pressure than that, A-Anon..."
  1304. >Fuck, okay.
  1305. >You stroke the feather with your thumb, a little harder this time.
  1306. >She winces and gasps.
  1307. >"J-just k-keep g-going, please..."
  1308. >You nod and work on the second primary.
  1309. >That IS what they're called, right?
  1310. >Eh, fuck it.
  1311. >You try to put as much pressure as the last feather, but at a gentler pace.
  1312. >She makes a small whining noise.
  1313. "Sorry, I'm trying not to hurt you."
  1314. >"Y-you're d-doing great, A-Anon..."
  1315. >You move to the smallest one and do the same thing.
  1316. >Her tail flicks at you.
  1317. >Probably another sign that you're putting too much pressure.
  1318. "Sorry."
  1319. >You move over to the secondaries and stroke the first one.
  1320.  
  1321. >She stifles a groan.
  1322. "Shit, sorry!"
  1323. >"Y-y-you're fine, Anon..."
  1324. >She shifts in place again.
  1325. >You start on the second and just quickly brush past it, trying to get it over with.
  1326. >She gasps.
  1327. >You quickly finish scanning the last one with your fingers and throw your hands up.
  1328. "I'm done, now."
  1329. >She seems to be... panting, now.
  1330. >"C-can you get the base? M-my wings are r-really s-sore..."
  1331. "Uh, sure. I'll try not to hurt you."
  1332. >"O-okay."
  1333. >You hold the bottom half of her wing up with your palm.
  1334. "It's this part, right?"
  1335. >"Y-yeah."
  1336. >She still hasn't looked at you.
  1337. "Okay. Well, here goes nothing, I guess."
  1338. >You use your thumbs to slowly knead the muscles underneath.
  1339. >-Do birds HAVE muscles in their wings?
  1340. >Maybe that's what's different...
  1341. >You shrug it off and continue.
  1342. >"A-aah, j-jeez..."
  1343. >Must be really sore, then...
  1344. >You put a little more pressure and massage the part of her wing.
  1345. >"A-and I think this feather's a l-little s-sore, too..."
  1346. >She points at her primary.
  1347. >Or, the biggest feather in that wing.
  1348. "Alright, then."
  1349. >You use your left hand to massage the base of her wing, and the right one to stroke the feather.
  1350. >She grunts, and her tail flicks at you again.
  1351. >You notice her breathing getting quicker.
  1352. >You simply use your thumbs the whole process, just rubbing and putting pressure wherever you can.
  1353. >"Yeah, k-keep going."
  1354. >You do so, and you can actually start to feel her heartbeat in the wing.
  1355. >It's like, pulsating.
  1356. >It's really weird.
  1357. >You just continue at your pace, getting a small grunt or groan every few seconds.
  1358. >"Mmph, yes, that's it..."
  1359. >Man, your fingers really do the trick.
  1360. >Maybe you could start a massage parlor or something?
  1361. >You rub a bit harder, but slower.
  1362. >"A-ahh, y-yes!"
  1363. >You stay near the bottom of the primary, in order to lessen its tension.
  1364. >"Mmm, Anon!"
  1365. "-What? Did I hurt y-"
  1366. >"-NO KEEP GOING!"
  1367.  
  1368. "Uh, okay."
  1369. >And you do so.
  1370. >"Oooh, yessss..."
  1371. >You know, it's a bit weird that she's making those noises.
  1372. >You understand that massages are good, but it seems a little... extreme.
  1373. >"Oh, keep going! I-I'mmm..."
  1374. >You just keep going.
  1375. >You can actually feel her wings getting MORE tense.
  1376. >Goddamn, Pegasi wings are weird...
  1377. >You just put more pressure into it.
  1378. >"AAH, Y-YES!"
  1379. >...This is getting a little bit weird, now...
  1380. >Her breathing gets ridiculously fast.
  1381. >Her tongue lolls out of her mouth.
  1382. >Wow, you REALLY need to start a massage parlor.
  1383. >...Heh, maybe it's your special talent?
  1384. >You'd be the best damn masseuse.
  1385. >One of her hind legs kick.
  1386. >Her breathing is so heavy that she can't even keep her mouth closed for it.
  1387. >So she's just panting really loudly.
  1388. >"OH, ANON!!"
  1389. >She suddenly tenses up, and her wings get extremely stiff.
  1390. >She groans, then suddenly relaxes.
  1391. >She looks over at you, still panting, tongue lolling out of her mouth, and...
  1392. >...Blushing...
  1393. >You look down.
  1394. >One of your legs is covered in weird, not-watery substance.
  1395. >You quickly put two and two together.
  1396. "AH WHAT THE FUCK?!"
  1397. >Spitfire just smiles, her whole body quivering a bit.
  1398. >"Mmm, th-thanks for that, Anon..."
  1399. >HOLY SHIT YOU JUST JERKED OFF HER WINGS.
  1400. >You frown and quickly try washing your leg.
  1401. >Spitfire just looks up at you with some crazy-looking bedroom eyes.
  1402. >She glances quickly at your boxers.
  1403. >"Want me to, ah... 'return' the favor?"
  1404. >You quickly shake your head and resume viciously scrubbing.
  1405. >"You suuure?"
  1406. >Her tail flicks at you.
  1407. "Yes, I'm SURE."
  1408. >Sweet Jesus.
  1409. >You feel so...
  1410. >Wrong...
  1411.  
  1412. >How in the hell didn't you catch on earlier?
  1413. >Sweet Jesus...
  1414. >You just stand there, contemplating your life, while she just continues soaking in the water, like nothing even happened.
  1415. >She pauses, and looks up at you.
  1416. >"Can you help me with my back, Anon?"
  1417. >You just glare at her.
  1418. >She takes a seat.
  1419. >Oh fuck, she's not-
  1420. >"Please?"
  1421. >-She's using that begging look of hers.
  1422. >You curse yourself and sigh.
  1423. "If I see even a TINY hint of something else going on, I'm hosing you down, instead."
  1424. >She brightens up and quickly nods.
  1425. >You sigh again, then step over to her.
  1426. >She grabs the blue loofah from the side of the bath and spits it into your hand.
  1427. >You grab some more flowery-scented body wash and just lather that all up.
  1428. >Once it's good enough for you, you slowly put it on her back, and keep it there.
  1429. >She turns to you with a curious glance.
  1430. >You put on a cautious one.
  1431. >She rolls her eyes and sighs.
  1432. >"It's nothing BAD, Anon."
  1433. >Her eyes close half-way.
  1434. >"Unless... you WANT it to be..."
  1435. >You shoot her a glare, and she just giggles.
  1436. >Christ, this mare.
  1437. >You slowly start scrubbing her back, looking for any hints that she's enjoying it a little bit TOO much.
  1438. >You don't find anything, thankfully.
  1439. >So you pick up the pace to a normal one.
  1440. >She doesn't fidget or say anything, and just watches your hand move.
  1441. >"...Can you go any slower?"
  1442. >Jesus, it's like dealing with a second Dash.
  1443. >You pick up the pace and just viciously scrub her.
  1444. >She twitches a bit, and you pause, glare intensifying.
  1445. >"H-hey, YOU hit my wing! It's involuntary!"
  1446. >Your look softens.
  1447. >But only by a bit.
  1448. >You'll let it slide THIS time.
  1449. >You finish up, and she bites down and takes the loofah away from you.
  1450. >Then she spits it out and starts rinsing her tongue with water.
  1451. >"Why dith you cother the WHOLE thinth in thoap?!"
  1452. "...What?"
  1453. >She rubs her tongue with her hooves and spits into the drain.
  1454. >"You put soap all over that thing! I can't wash with THAT!"
  1455.  
  1456. "What? Of course you can."
  1457. >She glares at you.
  1458. >Then, a thought seems to hit the both of you.
  1459. >She just looks at you with a hopeful smile.
  1460. "...No."
  1461. >"Why not?"
  1462. "Not after the wing thing!"
  1463. >She returns your glare.
  1464. >"It's YOUR fault that the thing's got soap all over it! YOU should help me out!!"
  1465. "Well why not just rinse the thing and try again?"
  1466. >"Because it'll still taste like SOAP, Anon!"
  1467. "Well, I ain't helping out, this time!"
  1468. >She sits-
  1469. >-NO-
  1470. >-Pouty face.
  1471. "FINE."
  1472. >She beams, and you pick the loofah back up with a sigh.
  1473. >It's like you ENJOY putting yourself into these positions...
  1474. >She turns and faces you, then puffs her chest out.
  1475. >-Well, not her chest, but there's a bunch of fluff that sticks out.
  1476. >You sigh again and kneel, then start scrubb-
  1477. >-Fuck it, kneeling is already extremely uncomfortable for you.
  1478. "Just sit down."
  1479. >She nods and does do without hesitation.
  1480. >You just sit down cross-legged, and-
  1481. >-It's still really uncomfortable.
  1482. >Well, more painful, really.
  1483. >The lack of clothes and the size of the damn tub really doesn't help at all.
  1484. >You sigh, then sit at the edge of it.
  1485. >Spitfire wastes no time to hop on you.
  1486. >And she actually DOES hop on you.
  1487. >You land on your back, and she just casually sits on your chest, tail wrapped around her and everything, like a cat.
  1488. >It's surprisingly much more comfortable, though.
  1489. >Mostly because you now have something to support your back with.
  1490. >Even if it is just the floor.
  1491. >You just get to scrubbing Spitfire's chest fluff, much to her pleasure.
  1492. >Thankfully, though, she doesn't seem to be enjoying it TOO much.
  1493. >You move over to her right side, and she spreads her wing out of the way.
  1494. >You brush and scrub that shit, then move over to the other side.
  1495. >It's kind of like washing a dog.
  1496. >A very obedient, bright yellow-colored dog.
  1497.  
  1498. >Once you finish with that part, she extends her right hoof over to you.
  1499. >For a moment you have no idea what she's doing, then it clicks into your mind, and you hold it with your left while you scrub that, too.
  1500. >First you do the front, then the back, and sides, and then the spot at the bottom-
  1501. >She starts giggling.
  1502. >"Anon, that tickles!"
  1503. >You finish quickly, then move onto the other hoof, with the same process.
  1504. >She giggles again when you clean the bottom.
  1505. >So, it's obviously a sensitive spot, then.
  1506. >Just, you know, thankfully not in THAT sense.
  1507. "Alright, sit up straight, I need to get your stomach."
  1508. >She, once again, complies without question.
  1509. >You scrub that spot, and she starts giggling again.
  1510. >-Okay, ANOTHER sensitive spot.
  1511. >You just do a few circles, then call it done.
  1512. >Alright, now, all you need left is...
  1513. >...Is...
  1514. >She reads your mind and puts on a sultry smile.
  1515. >"Here, I can help you reach back there..."
  1516. >She flips over and plants her rump on your chest.
  1517. "-FUCK!"
  1518. >You cover your eyes.
  1519. "Spitfire, I'm NOT going to do that!"
  1520. >"Aw, come on? You're just going to leave my other half... dirty?"
  1521. "-YES."
  1522. >"Oh, don't be like that, Anon..."
  1523. >She backs up, putting her rump closer to your face.
  1524. >You continue keeping your eyes closed, and just turn your head to the side.
  1525. "SWEET JESUS, SPITFIRE, I'M NOT DOING THAT."
  1526. >"Oh, come on, Anon. You KNOW you want to..."
  1527. >She slowly grinds on you.
  1528. >You can't help but notice how considerably large her rump is.
  1529. >It's got a lot more weight down on you.
  1530. "DON'T MAKE ME THROW YOU OFF, AGAIN!"
  1531. >She just wiggles a bit in response.
  1532. >Your face is pressed against the tub's floor.
  1533. >You try to move your arms, then realize that your left one is trapped underneath her.
  1534. >The pressure's getting to be a bit too much for you to deal with.
  1535. "-FUCK, FINE! I'LL DO IT!"
  1536. >You can hear her squee in response.
  1537. >"-Then get to it!"
  1538.  
  1539. >There's a moment of silence.
  1540. >Being in the position you're in is starting to get painful really quickly.
  1541. "Well, GET OFF!"
  1542. >"Oh, right!"
  1543. >The second she moves, you slip free and stand up.
  1544. >"-HEY!"
  1545. >You just glare at her and brush yourself off.
  1546. "I TOLD you I wasn't going to do it. Now, I think your shower time's up, missy!"
  1547. >She huffs, rinses herself off, then steps out of the tub.
  1548. >You hand her a towel, and she angrily bites it.
  1549. "Alright, now go dry up. I have to take my own shower."
  1550. >Her ears perk up, and she glances at your boxers.
  1551. "-NO. You're staying outside, UNTIL I'm done... got it?"
  1552. >She huffs again, then slowly nods.
  1553. "Good."
  1554. >You step out of the shower and help her on out of the bathroom.
  1555. >And by 'help', you really just lightly push her out.
  1556. "You get hungry, there's some stuff in the fridge... Just don't touch my bologna."
  1557. >Before she can reply, you slowly close the door, then lock it.
  1558. >You walk back, take off them boxers, then start off with a shower of your own.
  1559. >Starting with your hands, because you feel REALLY unclean after the whole wing incident.
  1560. >
  1561.  
  1562. >You turn off the shower, then step out.
  1563. >You wrap a towel around your waist and dry your hair off with a much smaller one.
  1564. >You pick your clothes up and start unfolding them.
  1565. >Once you get pretty dry, you take the towels off and-
  1566. >Your boxers are REALLY wet.
  1567. >That's not to say that they weren't wet before, but at least they had a while to dry off.
  1568. >Those are just soaking wet.
  1569. >Shit.
  1570. >Well, you're going commando, then.
  1571. >You toss the boxers in and silently curse yourself for not pushing for more boxers.
  1572. >You wonder if pony sizes would fit...
  1573. >You shrug, then dust your clothes off a bit.
  1574. >You take a deep breath, then step out of the bathroom.
  1575. >Immediately, you smell something.
  1576. >Is that...
  1577. >Spaghetti?
  1578.  
  1579. >You walk over to the kitchen and there's Spitfire, putting a flower in a centerpiece of your table.
  1580. >There's also two plates of spaghetti and two glasses of wine beside each other.
  1581. >That's the weird thing, though.
  1582. >They're not on each end.
  1583. >They're NEXT to each other.
  1584. >She looks over to you and smiles.
  1585. >"Oh, look, you're already dressed for the occasion!"
  1586. "Uh... what's all this?"
  1587. >"Spaghetti! I made it for us both!"
  1588. >You slowly nod.
  1589. "...You know when I told you about the stuff in the fridge, I meant something SMALL, right?"
  1590. >She waves a hoof.
  1591. >"Details, details!"
  1592. >You glance at one of the clocks hanging on your wall.
  1593. "...You also know it's like, three in the morning, right?"
  1594. >She follows your eyes, then simply waves her hoof again.
  1595. >"Who cares?"
  1596. >You stare at the spaghetti before you.
  1597. "...There's also no sauce on mine-"
  1598. >"-Shut up and sit down, will you?!"
  1599. >You shrug and do so.
  1600. >You actually WERE feeling kinda hungry...
  1601. >She squeaks and sits down beside you.
  1602. >That's when you notice that she's got her mane done up differently.
  1603. >It's now up in a little pony tail.
  1604. >...No pun intended.
  1605. >She just stares at you and waits for you to take a bite.
  1606. >You pause.
  1607. "...This shit isn't drugged, right? No viagra or roofies or anything?"
  1608. >She shakes her head.
  1609. >You pause again.
  1610. "Are you SURE?"
  1611. >She grunts, then nods.
  1612. >You pause a third time.
  1613. "Eat some of it, then."
  1614. >She complies, then laps up a small bit of noodles with her tongue, before slurping them up.
  1615. >...This shit better not be drugged.
  1616.  
  1617. >You just stare at the spaghetti before you for a moment.
  1618. >...Fuck it, you're hungry.
  1619. >You grab your fork and twirl that shit.
  1620. >You just pop that into your mouth, much to Spitfire's disappointment.
  1621. >You choose not to mention it, but it kind of worries you.
  1622. >You casually grab another bite.
  1623. >She just seems even MORE disappointed.
  1624. >Do you keep missing the roofie that she put in there, or what?
  1625. >Instead of twirling, you fish around for any pill-shaped objects, then scoop some with your fork.
  1626. >You're not even sure where she'd be able to get drugs, in this time or place, but it never hurts to check.
  1627. >Once everything looks good, you bring the fork up to your mouth, spaghetti just spilling over the edges of it.
  1628. >As soon as it goes in your mouth, she hops over and slurps the other end of the noodles into her mouth and moves up to your mouth.
  1629. >You bite down on it and instinctively cover your mouth with your hands.
  1630. >...Did she just try that?
  1631. >Did she just try some Lady and the Tramp shit?
  1632. >-No fucking wonder she got disappointed when you twirled it with your fork.
  1633. >Because she couldn't hop in and try that.
  1634. >You grin, mouth still full of noodles.
  1635. "Aha, couthnth pull THAT oth, coulth you?"
  1636. >"Shuth uth!"
  1637. >She swallows and huffs, then starts eating from her plate, an annoyed look plastered across her face.
  1638. >You finish your mouthful and grab your fork.
  1639. "...This is some tasty-ass spaghetti, though. What'd you do with it?"
  1640. >She turns over to you.
  1641. >"I cooked it."
  1642. >You give her a deadpan look.
  1643. >She lightly giggles.
  1644. >"I didn't do anything special to it, though."
  1645. >Huh.
  1646. >...Maybe you're just hungry.
  1647. >You look down at your plate.
  1648. >Yeah, you're hungry.
  1649.  
  1650. >You practically destroy your plate, then start hiccuping.
  1651. >You really ate too fast.
  1652. >Spitfire just watches, amused, while she takes a pretty big gulp of her wine.
  1653. >You do the same, and quickly regain your composure.
  1654. >After a quick breath, you confirm that you're no longer hiccuping.
  1655. >But something else comes to mind.
  1656. >You look at the glass you practically already finished, then the glass that Spitfire is in the process of finishing.
  1657. >Your eyes go wide.
  1658. "SPITFIRE."
  1659. >She puts the glass down and smiles.
  1660. >"Yeah?"
  1661. "PLEASE tell me you somehow picked up another wine from the store, and this isn't mine."
  1662. >She shakes her head.
  1663. >"I got this thing from under the cabinets..."
  1664. >She just stares off into space, then nearly falls off her chair.
  1665. >"Oh, hay, that's some... RRREALLY strong stuff therrre..."
  1666. >She hiccups.
  1667. >Of course she had to get your special wine.
  1668. >Not only the wine that came straight from the Griffon Kingdom, but also the wine that is just as strong, if not STRONGER, than the average wines you've tried back home.
  1669. >She looks at her plate and just faceplants into it.
  1670. >Then starts lazily chewing on it.
  1671. >Great.
  1672. >As if her being a regular kind of drunk wasn't bad enough...
  1673. >"Thith ith really good spagethi."
  1674. >You sigh.
  1675. >So much for sleep, then.
  1676. >You start working on your own plate, staring at the clock sitting on your wall.
  1677. >Spitfire nudges you.
  1678. >"So, are we going to go upsthairths and do it, or whath?"
  1679. "No, Spitfire."
  1680. >"Aww, why noth?"
  1681. >You sigh and just continue grazing on your spaghetti.
  1682. >You start to feel a little wobbly.
  1683. >-She obviously grabbed the wine you were going to use on your birthday.
  1684. >Hell, you were originally going to go for the whiskey, but those damn griffons use the shape of the bottle as a perfect reason to up the prices.
  1685. >They're worse than Jews.
  1686. >And that's saying something.
  1687. >You've had a roommate that was a Jew.
  1688. >He actually collected pennies and everything- kept them in a jar and never even did anything with them.
  1689.  
  1690. >You think he just liked having the coins there, or something.
  1691. >He was a weird guy.
  1692. >Fun at parties, though.
  1693. >-Damn it, why are you thinking about this?
  1694. >Jesus, you're drunk, now.
  1695. >You think the Equestrian stuff really softened you up.
  1696. >Because you should NOT be feeling this drunk from one glass.
  1697. >You finish off your spaghetti and look over at Spitfire.
  1698. >She's still lying in the spaghetti, eyes closed and just lazily chewing away.
  1699. >Jesus.
  1700. >You walk over to the sink and grab a napkin, then turn back.
  1701. >Spitfire's now asleep.
  1702. >On a plate of spaghetti.
  1703. >You turn back around and grab a handful of napkins.
  1704. >You poke her cheek.
  1705. >She snores.
  1706. >You move the plate away and gently clean her face, then throw said plates into the sink.
  1707. >You do the same with the glasses, then pick her up in your arms, stomach and hooves facing up.
  1708. >You catch yourself nearly falling, and carefully walk to the stairs.
  1709. >You lean on the side of the railing and slowly walk up to your room.
  1710. >After pushing the door open, you walk over to your bed and gently put her down on it.
  1711. >You cover and tuck her in, enjoying the sight of the Pegasus all snuggled up and warm in your bed.
  1712. >You smile, then walk out of the room, closing the door on your way out.
  1713. >You wonder if she'll even remember what you said earlier, about discussing everything tomorrow.
  1714. >Hell, you barely can.
  1715. >Once you reach the bottom of the steps, you flip off the living room lights, then walk over and plop on your couch.
  1716. >Tonight has been unreasonably exhausting.
  1717. >You grab a pillow from one of the other couches and lie your head on it.
  1718. >A quick yawn later, and you're just staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take you.
  1719. >Though you probably have other things to think about, the only thing really calling to you is the couch.
  1720. >And a few stray thoughts.
  1721. >One says, 'Wow, even Dash isn't as much work as this one was tonight.'
  1722. >The other says, 'You threw a completely good plate of spaghetti in the sink tonight.'
  1723. >You close your eyes.
  1724.  
  1725. >You wake up mid snore and blink.
  1726. >Immediately, you're met with a horrible throbbing in your head, and a cheek covered in drool.
  1727. "Ugh, fuck me..."
  1728. >You wished you had some damn water before sleeping yesterday.
  1729. >You get off the couch and walk over to the kitchen, thankful that you never had any reason to leave the window blinds open.
  1730. >You yawn and instinctively start making some coffee.
  1731. >And though it's painful to, you remember practically everything about yesterday.
  1732. >...Well, bits and pieces, more like.
  1733. >But the most important parts are there, which is what counts.
  1734. >You press a button and start watching the beautiful caffeine drink pouring into the pot below.
  1735. >It's actually quite soothing to watch.
  1736. >And because of that, you just stare at it for a few minutes.
  1737. >Man, you can't wait until Equestria develops the technology for Keurig machines...
  1738. >Or hell, if it takes too long, you always could.
  1739. >You yawn and fill two mugs full of coffee.
  1740. >You leave yours there and-
  1741. >-Oh, here she comes.
  1742. >Spitfire walks down the stairs and just starts walking over to you.
  1743. >She looks tired as fuck.
  1744. >And in pain.
  1745. >You set her mug on the table and watch her slowly take a seat.
  1746. "Creamer?"
  1747. >Not even looking at you, she just shakes her head and takes a sip.
  1748. >You sit down at the chair beside her and blankly stare at the wall.
  1749. >The only thing breaking the silence is the sound of you both taking small sips of your horribly bitter coffee.
  1750. >Christ, you fucking hate mornings.
  1751. >And hangovers.
  1752. >And you've only had two, this one included.
  1753. >The last was Christmas.
  1754. >The same day that you ended up here, actually.
  1755. >You hear Spitfire clearing her throat, and turn to her.
  1756. >...But she's just, well, clearing her throat.
  1757. >Does she even remember ANYTHING?
  1758.  
  1759. >The silence just continues.
  1760. >You sip on your coffee.
  1761. >You glance at her every so often, watching her just stare blankly at the wall.
  1762. >After about the third glance, she catches you.
  1763. >She just glares slightly.
  1764. >"Why don't you take a picture- it'll last longer."
  1765. >You're taken back a bit.
  1766. >You think you've actually spent more time with her while she's drunk, and the change in, well, EVERYTHING, is already throwing you off.
  1767. >She seems really... stiff.
  1768. >You're not sure how to explain it.
  1769. >Though you're sure this is all just grumpiness following a horrible hangover.
  1770. >God knows you're feeling like shit.
  1771. >Times ten.
  1772. >You simply sigh, then finish off your mug, the exact same time she does.
  1773. >You take both the mugs and put them in the sink before getting two glasses of water.
  1774. >You simply get tap it from the tap, and slide one over to her.
  1775. >She doesn't even thank you or anything, and just chugs the thing down in one sitting.
  1776. >And it's a pretty big cup, for her.
  1777. >She softly sighs, and you just start sipping your water.
  1778. >"...So are we going to talk about us, or what?"
  1779. >You spit and accidentally spray water all over yourself.
  1780. >She just looks at you.
  1781. >"Thought I'd forget, huh?"
  1782. >You simply stare at her, unable to say anything.
  1783. >She was drunk as fuck.
  1784. >How did...?
  1785. >What the hell.
  1786. >"...So?"
  1787. >You quickly get up from your seat and start wiping your coat dry.
  1788. "How much you yesterday do you REMEMBER?"
  1789. >She simply looks at you, unamused.
  1790. >"...Enough. Now, you said we'd talk about it, so we're going to talk about it."
  1791. >You give yourself more water and sit down.
  1792. "Uh, o-okay."
  1793. >You wish you were drunk enough to deal with this.
  1794. >Now you can't help but feel ready to spill spaghetti.
  1795. >-Funny.
  1796. >You remember something about spaghetti from yesterday...
  1797.  
  1798. >You're not sure if you ate it, or thought about it, but spaghetti's definitely there.
  1799. >You mentally shrug.
  1800. >"So. You need to find out what restaurant you're taking me to, and what you're going to wear, because if you always use that suit, I don't want to be seen with you in it."
  1801. "-What? Are you just... FORCING me into a date?"
  1802. >She just looks at you, then shakes her head.
  1803. >"I'm not 'forcing' you into anything... I'm just giving you what you don't know you want."
  1804. "...But I don't WANT anything! I'm perfectly fine, simply being lazy and alone-"
  1805. >"-No, you aren't."
  1806. >You open your mouth to speak, and she stops you with a hoof.
  1807. >"Today, six PM sharp. Wear something nice."
  1808. "B-but, I-"
  1809. >"If you're not here waiting by six, I'm going to keep coming everyday until you get it right."
  1810. >She practically growls the last part at you.
  1811. >You just stay silent.
  1812. >She looks up at you, and her face softens.
  1813. >"Thanks for the coffee."
  1814. >She glances at the wallclock.
  1815. >"And you've got six hours to get ready. I'll be expecting you."
  1816. >She flies up to your face, then plants a kiss on your cheek.
  1817. >"-S-see you, then."
  1818. >You just watch her zip out of the house, leaving a small, yellow trail of light behind her.
  1819. >...Well, that just happened.
  1820. >You just sit there and stare at the wall, head still throbbing.
  1821. >She literally just forced you into a date with her.
  1822. >And she hasn't even known you for a full day.
  1823. >But the biggest thing, the only thing that confuses you, is that...
  1824. >You're actually kind of looking forward to it.
  1825. >The whole idea seems, you don't know, exciting, in some weird way.
  1826. >You catch yourself smiling, then force a frown.
  1827.  
  1828. >You can't enjoy this.
  1829. >Why should you, anyways?
  1830. >She's...
  1831. >Well...
  1832. >She's actually pretty cool...
  1833. >-Not when drunk, however, but you guess you just enjoy the thought of what you might find out about her.
  1834. >-Yeah, that's it...
  1835. >It's not HER you're excited about, it's just the change in routine.
  1836. >Nothing more.
  1837. >Your eyes trail over to the wallclock.
  1838. >Well, six hours...
  1839. >How the fuck are you going to get brand new clothes in just six hours?
  1840. >A thought hits you.
  1841. >You glance at one of your windows, wincing at all the sunlight peering through.
  1842. >Better take sunglasses.
  1843. >You finish up your water and walk back to the living room.
  1844. >You spot Spitfire's flightsuit just sitting on one of the couches.
  1845. >...She really is a persistent one.
  1846. >
  1847. >You sigh and readjust your hat.
  1848. >You knock on the door before you, and just stand there.
  1849. >You put your hands in your pockets and stare at the floor.
  1850. >"-There's no need to knock, dear, the Boutique's not clos-"
  1851. >The pony stops and looks at you.
  1852. >"-Oh, Anonymous! This is... ah, please, come in, come in!"
  1853. >You offer a small smile and walk inside.
  1854. >Then you're suddenly reminded why you've never stepped foot into this place before.
  1855. >It's really gay.
  1856. >-Kinda what you'd expect from someone so obsessed with fashion, but still.
  1857. >Pinks and purples galore.
  1858. >But it's still hard to believe that this is the first time in four years you've been in here.
  1859. >And, hell, you barely even know Rarity here.
  1860. >Your knowledge of her is purely from very small exchanges, and the countless stories of 'torture' that Dash had told to you over and over again.
  1861. >"So, what brings you in here, Anonymous?"
  1862. >You sigh and rub your face with your hands.
  1863. "Alright, well, first off, I'm hungover, so if I'm snappy at all, it's not my fault. Second... well, the first reason kind of ties in with the second one."
  1864. >She just watches you curiously, waiting for you to continue.
  1865. "Just, look, do you think you could make an outfit for me? Something fancy... I guess?"
  1866. >She brightens up.
  1867.  
  1868. >"What's the occasion, if I may ask?"
  1869. >You rub the back of your neck with your hand and sigh.
  1870. "Well, uh... simply put, it's a, uh, date..."
  1871. >She beams.
  1872. >"-Oh, Anonymous! It's about time you've started mingling around for that very special somepony! Who is it? Is it somepony here in town?"
  1873. >You simply shake your head, and she magics a couch over, lying down and smiling up at you from it.
  1874. >"Oh, do tell, Anonymous! I'm DYING to know!"
  1875. >...You can tell she is.
  1876. >Though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, this pony here looked like the type to spill every single deep dark secret of yours at your own funeral.
  1877. >You look around and spot a clock of hers just hanging on the wall.
  1878. "-Actually, do you think we could just start this, like... now?"
  1879. >She huffs and frowns.
  1880. >"Well, why such the rush, Anonymous?"
  1881. >You point at the clock.
  1882. "She, uh, expects me to be there in around six hours."
  1883. >She gasps and hops off her seat.
  1884. >"Then we MUSTN'T waste time!"
  1885. >Before you can say anything, the couch is dragged off, and you're pushed towards a scale, and a table full of measuring things.
  1886. >You're already hating this.
  1887. >
  1888. >You hate this.
  1889. "Is it almost done?"
  1890. >You glance over at the clock again.
  1891. >It's about half an hour 'till.
  1892. >You ACTUALLY just spent like, five hours, standing in the exact same spot.
  1893. >Your mind just completely drifted during that time.
  1894. >You felt like you were lucid dreaming while awake.
  1895. >That's the length your mind had to go to in order to keep you from going insane from boredom.
  1896. >Though, you were pretty much just playing games in the dark recesses of your mind.
  1897. >You hopped back to the beginning of your three thousand hour Skyrim journey, and went from there.
  1898. >You also just finished getting fucked by a dragon.
  1899. >And you didn't save.
  1900. >For an hour.
  1901. >"Aaand, done!"
  1902. >You stand perfectly still.
  1903. >"...That means you can move, now.'
  1904. "THANK JESUS."
  1905. >You take a quick step forward and grin, as if you just regained the ability to walk, after eight years of being paralyzed.
  1906.  
  1907. >After a quick sigh, a mirror is rolled over in front of you.
  1908. >Well shit, even if it's just pretty much a color change, you look fuckin' nice.
  1909. >And now, instead of your usual black suit, white shirt and red tie combo, you've got a...
  1910. >Well, really, everything's just inverted.
  1911. >And now you've got a white suit, a black shirt, and a blue tie.
  1912. >Oh, and a little front pocket with a handkerchief in it.
  1913. >It's pretty neat.
  1914. >Though, you can't help but admire how much softer everything is.
  1915. >You still didn't see the reason of having you stand there for so fucking long to duplicate everything, though.
  1916. >Hell, even when she was just sewing, she started flipping shit when you moved.
  1917. >It's like she gets a kick out of that.
  1918. >HELL, she didn't even let you CHANGE into the new clothes!
  1919. >She just did some magic crap, planted a few spells, then out of nowhere, you were wearing new stuff.
  1920. >You didn't even feel anything getting taken off.
  1921. >You smile at your own reflection, and Rarity walks over, with some juice or some shit in her magical grasp.
  1922. >Then she throws it on your suit.
  1923. "-THE FUCK, WHY?"
  1924. >She just stares at it for a moment, then smiles.
  1925. >"It worked!"
  1926. "-Worked? What worke-"
  1927. >You look at the mirror.
  1928. >You're spotless.
  1929. "What the heeell?"
  1930. >She pours a bit more on your pants.
  1931. >It just slides right off.
  1932. "That's fucking awesome."
  1933. >You glance over at the clock again.
  1934. >Twenty minutes.
  1935. "Oh damn. Does this thing stop sweat, too?"
  1936. >She nods, a prideful smile plastered on her face.
  1937. >You fish into your pockets and grab practically the last remaining bits you have.
  1938. >She stops you.
  1939. >"That won't be necessary, Anonymous. Consider it a good luck gift from a new friend."
  1940. >She smiles.
  1941. "Really? Damn, thanks!"
  1942. >She nods.
  1943. >"Now, then, I'd hurry along, if I were you! It's very rude to keep a lady waiting."
  1944. >You nod, grab your clothes, then fuck off quickly towards your house.
  1945.  
  1946. >Barely a minute running, and Rainbow starts flying beside you.
  1947. >"Hey, Anon, where ya running off to?"
  1948. "MY HOUSE."
  1949. >"Uh... and why are you RUNNING there? And what's with the new suit?"
  1950. "NO TIME TO EXPLAIN!"
  1951. >"What? There's ALWAYS time to explain! Now, what are you hiding?"
  1952. "WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW SO BADLY?"
  1953. >Holy shit, you're really out of shape.
  1954. >Only a few minutes, and you're practically wheezing already.
  1955. >"W-well, no reason! I-is it BAD to ask somepony what they're doing?"
  1956. "RIGHT NOW IT IS!"
  1957. >She huffs and folds her hooves, then starts flying away.
  1958. "-WAIT!"
  1959. >You take a moment to breathe, and Dash just stares, waiting for you to continue.
  1960. "Think you could fly me back?"
  1961. >She raises an eyebrow.
  1962. >"What's in it for ME?"
  1963. >You think for a moment.
  1964. "...My undying gratitude...?"
  1965. >She rolls her eyes.
  1966. "-Come on, Dash, I just really, REALLY gotta be back home right now. Can you help, just this once?"
  1967. >She thinks for a second, then sighs.
  1968. >"You're LUCKY I'm the Element of Loyalty."
  1969. >You smile, and before you can ask how everything's gonna work, she wraps her hooves under your shoulders, and lifts you up.
  1970. >REALLY quickly.
  1971. "-D-DASH, DON'T GO SO HIGH! I FUCKING HATE HEIGHTS!"
  1972. >"...DO you, now?"
  1973. >You can practically hear her smirking.
  1974. "D-DON'T DO ANYTHING! IF I DIE, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
  1975. >And who knows where you'd end up, this time around?
  1976. >You die and end up here, but what happens if you die HERE, too?
  1977. >"Oh, WOOOAAAH, you're so heavy!"
  1978. >She folds her wings and starts dropping.
  1979. >It's only a few feet, but it felt like you fell off a damn skyscraper.
  1980. >Her wings come back out, and she grunts.
  1981. >"-Sheesh, you really ARE heavy!"
  1982. "JUST TAKE ME HOME!"
  1983.  
  1984. >"Whatever."
  1985. >You shut your eyes and just imagine yourself walking on the ground.
  1986. >-You can feel the wind brushing past, the cool breeze hitting your face...
  1987. >It just serves as a horrible reminder that you're probably a hundred feet in the air, being carried by someone half your size, who could easily drop you at any moment.
  1988. >Your heart hits mach one, and your eyes shoot open.
  1989. >-BAD IDEA.
  1990. "DON'T LET ME DIE, DASH!"
  1991. >"-Oh, quit your whining! You're worse than Rarity!"
  1992. >You spot your house in the distance.
  1993. >Oh sweet Jesus, you're finally almost off the ride.
  1994. >"-You know, you really need to lose weight!"
  1995. "I'M THE AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR MY SIZE!"
  1996. >"-Just saying."
  1997. >You spot your house just a few hundred feet away and smile.
  1998. >"-CELESTIA, you're heavy!"
  1999. >She grunts again.
  2000. >Oh god, she's going to drop you.
  2001. >You can feel her hooves starting to shake.
  2002. "DASH?"
  2003. >She just grunts in response.
  2004. "DASH DON'T DROP ME."
  2005. >"I'm... TRYING!"
  2006. "DASH!"
  2007. >You're so close to your house.
  2008. >Her hooves are now shaking really badly.
  2009. "DASH DON'T-"
  2010. >Your arm slips from one of her shoulders.
  2011. "OH MY GOD I'M FUCKED!"
  2012. >Dash tries her damnedest to keep her grip on you, but you can feel it quickly slipping.
  2013. "IF I BECOME A VEGETABLE JUST PULL THE PLUG!"
  2014. >She tries to hoist you up-
  2015. >And you slip.
  2016. >Now you're falling.
  2017. "OH FUUUUCK GRAB ME GRAB ME GRAB ME! FUCK MEEEE!!"
  2018. >Yep, you're fucking dead.
  2019. >You just hope that Rainbow pays for your funeral.
  2020. >It's the LEAST she could do, because that drop-scare was fucked up.
  2021. >You just wish you could think enough to come up with some cool last words.
  2022. >You had a few things planned out, actually, but none of it followed a drop from a hundred or more so feet from the ground.
  2023.  
  2024. >You continue mindlessly screaming and flailing your arms, then land on something moving.
  2025. >You instinctively latch onto it, eyes shut.
  2026. >It giggles.
  2027. >"Jeez, Anonymous, we haven't even gotten dinner, yet."
  2028. >Your eyes snap open to none other than Spitfire, smiling at you while you hug her neck.
  2029. "Oh my sweet Jesus, THANK you."
  2030. >"Mhmm."
  2031. >You're quickly taken to the front of your house, where you happily get off.
  2032. >Rainbow quickly flies beside you.
  2033. >"Anonymous, are you oka-"
  2034. >She turns to your savior.
  2035. >"S-Spitfire?! W-what are you doing here in P-P-Ponyville again?"
  2036. >An enormous smile breaks from Dash's face, and she just stands there, starstruck.
  2037. "And what TIME is it?"
  2038. >She looks at a small, golden watch wrapped around her left hoof.
  2039. >"Eh, it's not TOO early from six. Now come on, let's go."
  2040. >Dash just takes a moment to look between you both.
  2041. >And while she does, you take a moment to look at Spitfire's current ensemble.
  2042. >And even though it's on Spitfire, 'tough and commanding' pony extraordinaire, you have to admit, she looks really nice in it.
  2043. >She's in a simple red, sparkling dress that covers her whole chest and part of her hooves, with a back that flows over her tail and hind legs.
  2044. >She's wearing her mane down, and has a little pin that's a lightning bolt with wings, sitting just beside her left ear and holding the rest of her mane from flowing in her face.
  2045. >And, even though you NEVER saw her the type to, she's wearing a very light red eyeliner on top of it, as well as some lipstick of the same color, and some mascara.
  2046. >Personally, back on Earth, makeup scared you, because you never knew what kind of horrifying beast laid behind all those layers, but HERE...
  2047. >Hoooly shit, it just made her look way better-
  2048. >-NO, stop thinking that way!
  2049. >You're STILL not into ponies, remember?
  2050. >You're just going to get this date thing over with, then you'll never have to do it again.
  2051. >That's the plan, goddamn it.
  2052. >"Y-you're, y-you two, y-you're..."
  2053.  
  2054. >You turn to Dash.
  2055. >She looks like she just short a fuse in her brain.
  2056. >"Yes, Rainbow Dash, we're going out. Now, Anonymous,"
  2057. >She turns to you.
  2058. >"Come on, we're going out."
  2059. >You internally sigh and start walking forward.
  2060. >You turn to Dash while you do.
  2061. "Thanks for flying me here... Take care, Dash."
  2062. >You pat her head.
  2063. >She doesn't react, and just stares at you, eye twitching.
  2064. >-Okay, that's your cue to leave.
  2065. >You walk up to Spitfire, then glance back.
  2066. >Dash is now just staring at the spot you were in a few seconds ago.
  2067. >Creepy...
  2068. >"-So, Anonymous, where are we headed?"
  2069. >Her words take a twelve gauge to your memory.
  2070. >You didn't fucking think of where to go.
  2071. >And, if you don't do TONIGHT right, she'll just be back to bother you AGAIN tomorrow.
  2072. >FUCK.
  2073. "Ah, uh, well..."
  2074. >She just slowly turns to you and raises an eyebrow.
  2075. >SHE KNOWS.
  2076. "It's a... a surprise!"
  2077. >She lowers her brow.
  2078. >"Nice save, Anonymous. Now think about where we're going."
  2079. >Fuck, okay, kick this shit into high gear.
  2080. >Where would a pony like Spitfire enjoy eating?
  2081. >-Well fuck if you know, you barely know her yourself.
  2082. >-Then on that note, where would YOU like to go?
  2083. >...OTHER than home?
  2084. >You think for a moment.
  2085. >You think REALLY hard for a moment.
  2086. >...You have no goddamn clue.
  2087. >Then, you have a wonderful idea.
  2088. "You got anything sharp?"
  2089. >She shakes her head.
  2090. >Shit.
  2091. >Okay, you got this.
  2092. >You take a bit out of your pocket and kneel to the floor.
  2093. >"Anonymous, what are you doing?"
  2094. "Don't worry, I got this."
  2095.  
  2096. >You grab a rock and start scraping the bit with it.
  2097. >Once it's got a good looking mark on it, you stand up.
  2098. >Spitfire just watches you curiously.
  2099. >You also notice way more than a few ponies pointing you and Spitfire out.
  2100. >Either they're weirded out by your new suit, or Spitfire really IS a famous pony.
  2101. >Or maybe they're all surprised you're even near a mare other than Rainbow.
  2102. >...Fuck 'em.
  2103. >Alright, scratched mark is heads, clean is tails.
  2104. >You turn to Spitfire.
  2105. "Think of a number from one to ten."
  2106. >"-Seven."
  2107. >Jesus, that was quick.
  2108. >Alright.
  2109. >Heads means left, tails means right.
  2110. >You flip the coin.
  2111. >It lands on the scratched mark.
  2112. "Alright, let's keep going."
  2113. >She just follows you, and soon enough, you both end up at a turn.
  2114. >Left it is.
  2115. >You walk past some houses and stop at the turn up ahead.
  2116. >You flip the coin again.
  2117. >Right.
  2118. >You keep going, now walking into the market-area of the town.
  2119. >Ponies are making it REALLY noticeable that they're staring at you both.
  2120. >You make it to another turn and stop.
  2121. >Before you flip the coin, a filly comes running over to Spitfire, holding up a pair of goggles to her.
  2122. >"Mrs. Spitfire, can I get an autograph?"
  2123. >She smiles, then fishes around in a dress pocket you didn't even notice she had, then pulls out a marker.
  2124. >Fuck, you should've asked about a marker first, instead of ruining a bit...
  2125. >She signs the goggles, and the little one squees in excitement, before hugging her and running off, giggling.
  2126. >Spitfire just watches the kid go, with a little smile on her face.
  2127. >"MRS. Spitfire... I like that."
  2128. >She grins at you.
  2129. "-Just a DATE."
  2130. >She giggles.
  2131. >Damn, that's adora-
  2132. >SHUT THE FUCK UP.
  2133. >...Okay, back to the matter at hand.
  2134. >You flip the bit.
  2135. >Left.
  2136. >You're now near the center of the marketplace.
  2137. >This flipping thing seems promising, so far.
  2138. >...SO FAR.
  2139.  
  2140. >You end up at another turn, ignoring the small bit of ponies actually FOLLOWING you both.
  2141. >Left.
  2142. >Alright, now you're LEAVING the marketplace.
  2143. >Right.
  2144. >Now you're just next to a bunch of houses, with a restaurant or store every once and a while.
  2145. >Left.
  2146. >Now, you have no idea where the fuck you are.
  2147. >This looks like the equivalent of the shanties, even though all the houses here are still exactly the same as every other one.
  2148. >There's just, you know, less ponies walking around.
  2149. >Though there's still a bit that are following you.
  2150. >And they're all couples.
  2151. >You guess they're just following, hoping that you're leading them to some beautiful, hidden restaurant somewhere.
  2152. >You end up at the edge of the street and hold the coin in your hand.
  2153. >This is also the closest you've ever been to that forest, nearby.
  2154. >It's still not THAT close, but it looks spooky as fuck in there.
  2155. >You flip the coin, hoping by some amazing chance that you land a nice-ass restaurant hiding behind the corner.
  2156. >Though you also kind of don't, because you're paying for the shit, but still, you'd hate to see all this dressing up done for nothing.
  2157. >Because if it truly WAS your choice, you'd be at that Hayburger nearby your house.
  2158. >You sigh, then catch the coin.
  2159. >Left.
  2160. >Practically the corner of the town, in the area where nothing living or dead, resides.
  2161. >Shit.
  2162. >You done fucked up, Anon.
  2163. >Fucking gay dating tricks and shit.
  2164. >You should've just gone to that fucking Hayburger.
  2165. >You continue walking, then stop at the edge of the street.
  2166. >At the corner of it, is this shitty-looking place with a crooked, lit-up sign saying, 'OPEN' behind the window.
  2167. >-Well, it actually says O'EN, but still.
  2168. >The place doesn't even have a name.
  2169. >You both slowly walk up to it, starting to hear a lot of noise coming from the inside.
  2170. >You have the sudden feeling of dread in the back of your mind.
  2171. >You're probably going to get stabbed, or something.
  2172. >Even the couples behind you look freaked the fuck out.
  2173.  
  2174. >One of the mares following pipes up.
  2175. >"W-where are we?"
  2176. >You turn to her and shrug.
  2177. "I've never BEEN in this part of town, before."
  2178. >Well, fuck, here goes nothing...
  2179. >You hold your breath, then open the door.
  2180. >You unconsciously go in first in order to get the knife in your ribs, so Spitfire won't.
  2181. >The minute you do, everything stops.
  2182. >There's griffons everywhere.
  2183. >They all look at you.
  2184. >Your eyes trail over to-
  2185. >-Is that a bar?
  2186. >Then you look at a couple of them, sitting around a table.
  2187. >-ARE THOSE BURGERS?
  2188. >REAL, JUICY, ONCE ALIVE BURGERS?
  2189. >In your excitement, you beam and just look at the griffon closest to you.
  2190. "YOU GUYS HAVE BEEF HERE?"
  2191. >She slowly nods.
  2192. >You throw your hands up, ignoring all of the griffons just staring at you.
  2193. "FUCK YEEAAH, BURRGERRS!"
  2194. >Then all the griffons yell and cheer in unison, before going back to what they were doing before.
  2195. >Spitfire walks in and just stands before you.
  2196. >A couple stands by the door, trying to peek over you.
  2197. >You turn to them, still beaming with a retarded, toothy smile on your face.
  2198. "They sell MEAT here, guys!!"
  2199. >The mare shrinks, and the guy immediately throws up outside.
  2200. >Everyone behind you screams and clears out.
  2201. >OH MAN, THEY SELL FUCKING MEAT, HERE!
  2202. >The lady-griffon looks at you, then you realize that she's a waitress.
  2203. >She holds the menus under a wing.
  2204. >"Table for two?"
  2205. >You vigorously nod, then follow her through the place.
  2206. >You get tons of curious looks from the griffons as you walk past all the tables.
  2207. >Though the majority aren't looking at YOU.
  2208. >-Oh shit, Spitfire!
  2209. >You look back and see her just, lagging behind, slowly walking past and looking at all the griffons uneasily.
  2210. >You pause and let her catch up, pure excitement just radiating off all over you.
  2211. >You wrap an arm around her and squeeze, and she blushes.
  2212. >Your face is really starting to fucking hurt from smiling like this.
  2213.  
  2214. >You get Spitfire to quicken her pace with the waitress, and soon enough, you're both seated at a table.
  2215. >The griffon lights this little candle in the middle of it, then hands you your menus.
  2216. >"So, my name's Linda, and I'll be your server today. To start off, may I get you two something to drink?"
  2217. >You look at the back of the menu.
  2218. >Aw yiss, based Hay-Cola.
  2219. >This place just gets fucking better and better.
  2220. "Hay-Cola, please!"
  2221. >"Okay. And for the missus?"
  2222. >Spitfire just looks at you, then the bar behind the waitress.
  2223. >"Got any scotch?"
  2224. >She nods.
  2225. >"I'll take that, fine."
  2226. >The griffon nods again.
  2227. >"Okay, I'll give you a few minutes to decide on what you want, and I'll be back soon- if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!"
  2228. >You and Spitfire nod, then-
  2229. >-Wait, did she just order an alcoholic drink?
  2230. >You don't know why, but the thought of her being drunk really scares you.
  2231. >You barely remember anything from yesterday, though.
  2232. >And you know you remembered a lot about it, but kind of like a dream, it all just faded away after a while.
  2233. >You turn to her, an uneasy look still plastered on her face.
  2234. >Her eyes slowly trail to you, and she fakes a smile.
  2235. >...Well...
  2236. >Fuck it, you took her to some shantytown burger bar filled with griffons.
  2237. >The least you can do is let her have a drink...
  2238. >She looks at her unopened menu.
  2239. >"Soo... meat, huh?"
  2240. >Your mind replays the outburst you just made a few minutes ago, and you blush.
  2241. "Yeah, sorry about getting so excited. Meat was a BIIIG part of my life, back home."
  2242. >She nods.
  2243. >God, she looks kinda miserable.
  2244. >It's making you sad.
  2245. >N-not that you care about how she's feeling or anything, but you don't want her to r-ruin your mood, too...
  2246. "We can always go and find another place, if you want."
  2247. >She shakes her head and fakes a bigger smile.
  2248. >"N-no, it's fine, really."
  2249. "-Wow, you are incredibly bad at hiding your emotions."
  2250. >Maybe even worse than YOU.
  2251. >And that's saying something.
  2252.  
  2253. >She sighs.
  2254. >"That obvious, huh?"
  2255. >You nod.
  2256. >"I-I don't know. J-just, the thought of eating another, LIVING creature..."
  2257. >She cringes.
  2258. >You shrug.
  2259. "Best thing to do is just remember that animals do it all the time. Food chain stuff right there. Also, don't think about what it's MADE of, and just eat it. That's how I survived eating cow brains."
  2260. >She gasps and suddenly has the most horrified look you've ever seen, ever.
  2261. >"Y-you ate C-COW BRAINS?!"
  2262. >You nod.
  2263. "-Though, cows back home aren't as smart here as they were there. They were really damn stupid."
  2264. >...Or, maybe they had some kind of telepathic communication between each other and had ascended a higher plane of existence, only acting stupid for the sole reason of our own understanding?
  2265. >...Nah.
  2266. >They're just stupid and delicious.
  2267. >Spitfire calms a bit, but still looks spooked.
  2268. "Hey, you should've seen MY reaction when I found out they were cow brains. Usually, I just don't question what stuff's made out of and eat it if it's good, but that was much, MUCH different."
  2269. >"W-what happened?"
  2270. >You wave a hand.
  2271. "Oh, I just threw up all over the table and fainted."
  2272. >-And pissed yourself a bit, but she doesn't need to know that.
  2273. >You were also four, so you were young enough for it to be horrible, but old enough for it to be funny later on in life.
  2274. >Your dad never let that shit go.
  2275. >Spitfire giggles.
  2276. "But see, I don't NEED meat to live or anything, hence the sharpened, AND flat teeth."
  2277. >You show your teeth off.
  2278. "It's just nice to have. Real blast from the past type stuff, you know?"
  2279. >She nods, loads calmer, now.
  2280. "And burgers really take me back, to the times when I'd go to this place with my friends all the time."
  2281. >She stays silent, waiting for you to continue.
  2282. "It was actually a bar, too, but I think it only served beer- I'm not exactly sure. We'd all buy burgers, sit at the bar, and watch football."
  2283. >And you'd pretend to actually give a shit about the game, just to have some kind of human interaction for once.
  2284.  
  2285. >Though your kind of interaction spanned mostly to primitive cheers of victory and slurred chatter over 'relationship issues'.
  2286. >...It makes you kind of glad to be here.
  2287. >To have someone to ACTUALLY talk to, instead of just drinking and watching shit with them.
  2288. >Hell, even here in Equestria, that's basically what Dash is.
  2289. >Really no chatter between you both, and just something that you both do.
  2290. >It's like some kind of symbiotic relationship, more than a friendship.
  2291. >...That makes you kinda sad.
  2292. >And Spitfire immediately picks up on it.
  2293. >"Something wrong?"
  2294. >You instinctively shake your head.
  2295. "N-no..."
  2296. >"-Wow, you are incredibly bad at hiding your emotions."
  2297. >You frown.
  2298. >She just giggles.
  2299. >"Really, though, what's wrong, Anonymous?"
  2300. >You sigh, then look at those sparkling bronze eyes of hers, gazing into-
  2301. >-GODDAMN IT.
  2302. >You clear your throat, and shake your head, unconsciously twiddling your thumbs together.
  2303. "It's nothing."
  2304. >She slowly puts a hoof on your hands, a small, comforting smile on her face.
  2305. >"You just finished telling me you ate a cow's brain. I'm pretty sure nothing can be worse than that."
  2306. >...Well, she IS right, in that regard.
  2307. >Still though, you're not a fan of talking emotional shit with ANYONE.
  2308. >Unless it's people on the internet that can't make fun of or see you, of course.
  2309. >Hell, you never even talked to your own father about your feelings and shit, and he's the psychiatrist.
  2310. >You shake your head.
  2311. "Maybe if I ever get high or something, I'll tell you."
  2312. >She just brings her other hoof over and continues rubbing your hands.
  2313. >You get this weird, very small warm feeling while she does.
  2314. >It's like she hit some kind of nerve in your hand or something.
  2315. >You don't like it very much.
  2316. >"You can tell me anything, Anon."
  2317. >The second she says that, a little thing pops into your mind.
  2318. >You suddenly remember a bit from yesterday.
  2319. >You just remember being almost completely naked, sitting on the floor while she cried in your arms.
  2320. >...Probably a dream.
  2321.  
  2322. >There's no way something like THAT could've ever happened.
  2323. >A weird fucking dream, though.
  2324. >But... something in the back of your mind is telling you that it actually happened...
  2325. >-Well, that back of your mind is obviously retarded, then.
  2326. >Weak or not, the alcohol here obviously did a number on your head.
  2327. >The griffon comes by with the drinks, and she just smiles at you two.
  2328. >"You two look happy together."
  2329. >You frown.
  2330. "Oh, uh, we're not together."
  2331. >"...Mhmm, okay, sure."
  2332. "We're NOT!"
  2333. >She just smiles at you.
  2334. >"So, then, did you guys decide on what you want?"
  2335. >-Oh shit, you forgot to check the fuckin' menu!
  2336. >Spitfire did, too.
  2337. "I, uh, think we'll need a few more minutes."
  2338. >She nods and looks at you.
  2339. >"Well, it'd probably help if you looked at the menu, instead of staring into each other's eyes like that."
  2340. >You huff and roll your eyes.
  2341. >The waitress laughs, then walks away.
  2342. >Nigger.
  2343. >You instinctively pick up your menu, and Spitfire fumbles around with hers for a moment, before opening it up, obviously lost somewhere.
  2344. >Oh, man, the list is glorious.
  2345. >Though, because you've spent so much time staring at menus with meat things, you don't feel excited.
  2346. >It's like you're back home, and this is just a casual dinner out somewhere.
  2347. >You enjoy the familiar feeling.
  2348. >Another griffon waitress walks by, and you sigh.
  2349. >You miss Earth.
  2350. >Even though it's been four years, and you've pretty much gotten over it, it's still a big enough deal to make you wish you were there.
  2351. >And being here just brushed you up on something you never thought of, before.
  2352. >It's like selling a couch, then after four years, staring at your keys and realizing that you had left the original pair of keys INSIDE the fucking thing.
  2353. >Which you've had happen before, actually.
  2354. >It fucking sucks.
  2355.  
  2356. >You bring your focus back the the menu before you.
  2357. >-HOLY SHIT IS THAT STEAK?!
  2358. >You accidentally squeak in excitement.
  2359. >...You hope Spitfire didn't hear that.
  2360. >You casually glance across the menu, and see her just smiling at you.
  2361. >-FUCK, SHE DID.
  2362. >You slowly hide your face with your menu and just resume browsing.
  2363. >Okay, so, steak is now definitely an option.
  2364. >This is all just a matter of what you want to remember first.
  2365. >Ribs, burgers...
  2366. >Daaamn, even lamb!
  2367. >Fuckin' NICE!
  2368. >You scan and filter out the shit you don't want into three beautiful choices.
  2369. >Aged ribeye steak with a baked potato and corn, a whole rack of ribs drenched in barbecue sauce and sided with mashed potatoes, or a bleu cheese mushroom burger with fries...
  2370. >Damn...
  2371. >This is probably the toughest choice you've ever had to make in your LIFE.
  2372. >You rub your face with a hand in thought.
  2373. >-Oh shit, here comes the waitress!
  2374. >-Oh shit, here comes the waitress...
  2375. >Bitch.
  2376. >You instantly frown.
  2377. >It's not a rude frown, though, just because you don't want to have your food spat in, but it's enough to give her the message that you're still sour about earlier.
  2378. >She sees your frown, and the smile on her face just grows.
  2379. >"So, what can I get you two lovebirds today?"
  2380. >-FUCKING-
  2381. >You stop yourself from cursing and take a very deep breath as a result.
  2382. >She just laughs.
  2383. >Your eye twitches.
  2384. >You just blink and angrily stare at the menu before you.
  2385. >And because of that, she turns to Spitfire first.
  2386. >"What would YOU like?"
  2387. >"...I'll get a garden salad, please."
  2388. >The griffon nods, then puts this shit-eating grin on her face before turning to you.
  2389. >"And you, dear sir?"
  2390. >You drop the menu and immediately notice Spitfire looking elsewhere.
  2391. >More importantly, at the people eating.
  2392. >And more importantly importantly, at WHAT they're eating.
  2393. >She looks kind of... disturbed.
  2394. >You internally sigh.
  2395. >The carnivore in you is pissed off now.
  2396. "Make that two salads."
  2397.  
  2398. >Spitfire's ears perk up, and she just turns to you.
  2399. >Even the waitress looks surprised.
  2400. >"You sure?"
  2401. >You nod, then give Spitfire a small smile while she just looks at you with a confused look.
  2402. >The waitress, of course, notices, while she takes the menus.
  2403. >She just looks between you both, then smiles at you, again.
  2404. >"Pft, and you say you're not a couple."
  2405. >Before you can say anything, she laughs and walks away.
  2406. >So you settle on flipping her off, instead.
  2407. >You turn back and Spitfire's still just staring at you, shocked.
  2408. >"...How come you didn't get any meat things?"
  2409. >You shrug.
  2410. "Wouldn't be fair to enjoy something like that while you just have a salad."
  2411. >She pauses, then a smile slowly graces her face.
  2412. >It makes you smile.
  2413. >Then you blink and will it into a blank look.
  2414. >Her smile widens, and she just rolls her eyes.
  2415. >And now with nothing to look at, your eyes trail to your drink.
  2416. >-Oh shit, it's probably all watered down, now...
  2417. >You take a sip and internally shrug.
  2418. >It's still bearable.
  2419. >You take a bigger sip, and see Spitfire glancing at her drink, now.
  2420. >Reminds you of that thing your dad told you about.
  2421. >The sudden impulse of eating or drinking when you see someone else doing it.
  2422. >It's obviously not just a human thing.
  2423. >She takes her glance and downs half the thing.
  2424. >She clears her throat, then just takes your drink while you're in the process of sipping on it.
  2425. >You're just left with the straw in your mouth while she takes a big sip herself.
  2426. >You just stare at her, and after a moment, she slides the drink under the straw again.
  2427. >"S-sorry about that. This drink is REALLY strong..."
  2428. >You raise an eyebrow and grab the drink.
  2429. >The smell alone is pretty strong.
  2430. >You take an extremely small sip.
  2431. >And it still burns your throat on the way down.
  2432. >Holy shit, that's some pretty potent stuff.
  2433.  
  2434. >This oughta be your go-to place, instead!
  2435. >Meat, better drinks, scary griffons...
  2436. >What more could someone want?
  2437. >You turn back to Spitfire, now extremely impressed at the half of the drink she downed.
  2438. >-HOLY SHIT SHE DOWNED HALF OF IT.
  2439. >You remember the tolerance levels of ponies perfectly clear, and Spitfire just drank probably five times past that limit.
  2440. >Holy hell.
  2441. >Either she's going to pass out, or be EXTREMELY drunk.
  2442. >She hiccups.
  2443. >That means extremely drunk.
  2444. >-Oh shit, and she hasn't even EATEN anything, yet!
  2445. >That means it's going to be WORSE.
  2446. >You flag down a guy griffon, and he walks up to you both.
  2447. >"Anything you need?"
  2448. "Could you swap out her drink for a Hay-Cola like mine?"
  2449. >Spitfire dumbly nods, then hiccups.
  2450. >He looks back at you.
  2451. >"So, she's done with it?"
  2452. >You nod.
  2453. >Before you can say anything else, he takes the glass and just empties it into his mouth.
  2454. >He sighs, then pats your shoulder.
  2455. >"...Finish school, man."
  2456. >He walks away.
  2457. >...What the fuck.
  2458. >You turn back to Spitfire, who just hiccups again, then smiles at you.
  2459. >"Anon, I am REEEAAALLLY drunk right now."
  2460. >You simply nod.
  2461. "I can tell."
  2462. >She giggles, then hiccups midway through.
  2463. >You feel a sudden twinge of panic in your gut.
  2464. >Not sure why, exactly.
  2465. >Though it's definitely there.
  2466. >You also feel a bit... excited?
  2467. >So you're pretty much apprehensive, then.
  2468. >Still not sure why, though.
  2469. >But you guess you'll find out, soon enough.
  2470. >Then you see the griffon come back to the table with a glass full of soda.
  2471. >He places it before Spitfire, and-
  2472. >She's looking at you.
  2473. >She's got her head propped up on her hooves, looking at you dreamily with a pair of half-lidded eyes.
  2474. >She doesn't even glance at the drink.
  2475. >She's just staring into your eyes.
  2476.  
  2477. "...Uh, you okay, Spitfire?"
  2478. >She nods, hiccups, then smiles.
  2479. >"Never been better, Anon..."
  2480. >You simply nod in response, then take a sip of your drink.
  2481. >You pause when you feel something under the table.
  2482. >She's brushing you with one of her hind legs.
  2483. "Uh... what are you doing?"
  2484. >"Nooothing~"
  2485. >You click your tongue.
  2486. "Well, it doesn't really FEEL like nothing..."
  2487. >You take a sip of your drink.
  2488. >A seductive smile crosses her face.
  2489. >"Want it to BE something?"
  2490. >You choke on your soda, and it spills all over your suit.
  2491. >-It just slides off and stays on the seat.
  2492. >You don't even FEEL it being wet.
  2493. >Awesome.
  2494. >You wipe that shit down with a napkin and smile.
  2495. >Man, your suit would be FUCKED if it weren't for that spell thing.
  2496. >Thank Jesus.
  2497. >-Well, thank Rarity, actually.
  2498. >The two should not be compared to each other.
  2499. >You look back up, still feeling her brushing your leg.
  2500. >She bites her lip.
  2501. >"Sooo... What do you say we go to the bathroom, do a little 'waiting' in there until our salads come?"
  2502. >Your eyes widen.
  2503. >Did she...
  2504. >Did she just say that?
  2505. >Another memory from yesterday.
  2506. >-Actually, EVERYTHING hits you.
  2507. >You remember something about a shower, a spaghetti dinner at three in the morning, and being pinned on the couch by her.
  2508. >Oh, Jesus.
  2509. >That's where the feeling in your stomach came from.
  2510. >But... excitement?
  2511. >That's... just, no!
  2512. >The excited part of your apprehensiveness was obviously from something else.
  2513. >OBVIOUSLY.
  2514. >And that's final.
  2515. >You feel her leg move upwards.
  2516. >"Weeell?"
  2517. >You quickly shake your head.
  2518. >She pouts-
  2519. >-GOD, YOU REMEMBER THIS, TOO!
  2520. >You try shielding your eyes, but she hits you with a full blown lip-quiver-big-eyed-look-in-a-begging-stance pout.
  2521.  
  2522. >And as much as you wouldn't like to admit it, that pout of hers is REALLY potent.
  2523. >She looks incredibly adorable like that.
  2524. >It'd be difficult to say no to her for ANYTHING.
  2525. >But still, you won't do... THAT, no matter how many times she pouted.
  2526. >You hesitate, but simply shake your head.
  2527. >"...W-why not? D-d-do you... do you not like me?"
  2528. >Her fake pouting actually becomes genuine.
  2529. >Just with waterier eyes.
  2530. "N-no, it's not that! But, if we both leave, then they'll think we left and clear the table for someone else!"
  2531. >-Nice save, Anon.
  2532. >"O-oh... right..."
  2533. >The leg rubbing stops, and her eyes trail to the table.
  2534. >You feel the horribly confusing need to comfort her.
  2535. >-Well, it's not THAT confusing.
  2536. >It's just wanting to cheer up an acquaintance.
  2537. >...Though for some reason, your mind is completely unsatisfied with that explanation.
  2538. >...Well fuck you too, mind.
  2539. >Before you can think, you put your hand on one of her hooves.
  2540. >Ohshitniggerwhatthefuckareyoudoing.jpg
  2541. >It's like you're not even in any goddamn control right now.
  2542. "Look, we don't need to do any of... THAT, to make this night enjoyable, right?"
  2543. >She looks up at you, then slightly smiles and nods.
  2544. >You quickly retract your hand and stare at the traitorous appendage in anger.
  2545. >Fuckin' hands.
  2546. >She takes a sip of her drink, and instinctively, you do the same.
  2547. >You catch yourself and smile.
  2548. >Then frown.
  2549. >Man, you really miss your family...
  2550. >You'd all go to Applebee's every Friday, and just, well, BEING here, reminds you of that too.
  2551. >You softly sigh.
  2552. >"What's wrong, Anon?"
  2553. >You look up and see Spitfire just staring at you with a concerned expression, a drunken blush covering both her cheeks.
  2554.  
  2555. >You wave your hand.
  2556. "It's nothing."
  2557. >She narrows her eyes and glares, then her look fades into another one of concern.
  2558. >"Why won't you talk to me, Anon?"
  2559. >She puts her hoof on your hand again.
  2560. >"You can always talk to me, Anon. It's what I'm here for..."
  2561. >-Funny.
  2562. >And here you were, thinking she was just here to force you on dates and eat up your time.
  2563. >Silly Anonymous.
  2564. >...Though, she IS really pleasant to be with...
  2565. >-FUCK YOU, BRAIN.
  2566. >There's...
  2567. >Ah...
  2568. >Who are you kidding?
  2569. >She IS pleasant to be with.
  2570. >But only pleasant out of all the ponies you've talked with since you've been here.
  2571. >Which is like... less than ten.
  2572. >-But it's not HER that's pleasant.
  2573. >It's just the company- being something LIVING to talk to, that's pleasant.
  2574. >"...Anon?"
  2575. >You blink and see her, eyes starting to water.
  2576. "S-sorry. I just... I don't like talking about my emotions with anyone."
  2577. >"W-why?"
  2578. >You shrug.
  2579. "A lot of reasons, but no major one. I never even talked to my own family about my feelings."
  2580. >She nods and just rubs your hand.
  2581. >"Well, I'm not your family. You can tell me whatever you want to."
  2582. >-Never happening.
  2583. >Ever.
  2584. "Thanks."
  2585. >She nods, continuing to rub your hand comfortingly.
  2586. >You'd move, but you just don't want to be rude.
  2587. >But you don't like it.
  2588. >At all.
  2589. >You're just not a rude person.
  2590. >It's like someone opening a door for you, then you just giving them the finger and walking through the closed one next to them.
  2591. >You just don't do it.
  2592. >Out of your peripherals, you see the waitress coming by with your plates.
  2593. >You yank your hand back with tremendous speed.
  2594.  
  2595. >She comes up to your table with two salads and one of those crankable cheese grater things on a tray.
  2596. >She just smiles while she places a salad in front of Spitfire.
  2597. >...Maybe she didn't see anything?
  2598. >"Cheese?"
  2599. >"-Oh, yes, please."
  2600. >The waitress starts grating.
  2601. >-Oh shit, maybe she DIDN'T see it!
  2602. >Spitfire asks her to stop, and the waitress moves over to you, leaving her with a small blanket of cheese over her salad.
  2603. >She looks at you.
  2604. >"Cheese?"
  2605. "Yes, please."
  2606. >...Cool.
  2607. >She didn't see anything-
  2608. >"-I saw you holding her hoof, by the way."
  2609. >Spitfire drunkenly giggles.
  2610. >You feel your face heat up.
  2611. "I-I wasn't HOLDING her hoof! Sh-she just had her hoof on my hand! She was comforting me, as a FRIEND."
  2612. >She clicks her tongue.
  2613. >"Yeah, well, you seem to be getting AWFULLY friendly with her, too."
  2614. >Spitfire giggles again.
  2615. >You huff and fold your arms.
  2616. "Whatever. Just cheese the salad, already..."
  2617. >She gives a mock salute, then starts grinding cheese onto your plate.
  2618. >"Just tell me when to stop."
  2619. >You watch your plate as cheese is just slowly piled up on it.
  2620. >After a while, it just becomes cheese topped with cheese.
  2621. >She looks at you, still grating.
  2622. >"You know... whenever you don't want cheese, just say something."
  2623. >You nod.
  2624. >You just keep watching the cheese.
  2625. >It starts piling up.
  2626. >You stare blankly at it.
  2627. >"...Any day, now..."
  2628. "Keep going."
  2629. >You stare coldly at her, then the cheese.
  2630. >She just nods.
  2631. >The cheese continues to pile up, now making a small mound on your plate.
  2632. >"Are you just going to use all the cheese-"
  2633. "-I'll tell you when to stop."
  2634. >She continues grating, and eventually, it just finishes.
  2635. >There's now a small mountain of mozzarella on your plate.
  2636. >You can't even see the salad anymore.
  2637. >She just stares at your plate for a moment.
  2638. >"...Well, now you got some extra cheese for your marefriend, right?"
  2639. >Your eye twitches.
  2640. >She laughs and walks away.
  2641. >Dirty Jew bird.
  2642.  
  2643. >Spitfire stares at your plate.
  2644. >"A-are you actually going to eat THAT?"
  2645. >You shrug and smile.
  2646. "Well, I always WAS curious as to where I'd end up next if I died here."
  2647. >She stiffens, and her face quickly turns into one of pure worry and shock.
  2648. >Her eyes start to water, and her ears fall so her sides.
  2649. >"P-please d-don't, Anon... D-don't l-leave me..."
  2650. >You raise your hands up.
  2651. >You see a tear fall down her cheek.
  2652. "-W-what? No, Spitfire, it was just a joke. I'm not ACTUALLY going to eat cheese until I die."
  2653. >She sniffles.
  2654. >"W-what?"
  2655. "It was a joke. I'm not stupid enough to cheese myself to death."
  2656. >-You could definitely eat meat until you died, though.
  2657. >You'd happily do the shit out of that anyday.
  2658. >She wipes her eyes and sniffles again.
  2659. >"O-oh..."
  2660. >You just smile.
  2661. "It's nice to know that you worry so much, though."
  2662. >It's definitely not something you ever saw your other friends do.
  2663. >Hell, those niggers didn't even visit you in the hospital...
  2664. >She just nods, then starts slowly eating her salad, eyes only a bit redder.
  2665. >It's making you sad really quickly.
  2666. "Y-yeah, so, sorry, about that... Shouldn't of made a joke like that."
  2667. >She gives you a small smile in response.
  2668. >"It's okay, Anonymous... I-I just really don't like the thought of anything bad happening to you..."
  2669. >You simply smile and nod.
  2670. >...Man, she is a LOT more emotional drunk than she is sober.
  2671. >And you're pretty much the complete opposite of that.
  2672. >-She still looks really sad, though...
  2673. >Gotta diffuse this.
  2674. "So, then... how'd you become a Wonderbolt, exactly?"
  2675. >Her ears perk up, and she just looks at you.
  2676. >"You want to know?"
  2677. >You nod.
  2678. "Well yeah, of course. I barely know anything about you."
  2679. >A small smile forms on her face, and she mindlessly grabs a bite of her salad.
  2680. >"W-well, it all started when I was a little filly..."
  2681.  
  2682. >You scoot a bit closer in your seat and take a sip of your drink, then grab a handful of cheese and chew on that.
  2683. >"I remember being in flight camp at the time..."
  2684. >You just listen closely.
  2685. >"It was all during my final year there, actually. The Wonderbolts themselves had been routinely coming around the camp for future recruit material. They were there for about a week, and that day was the last one they were there for."
  2686. >Her smile widens.
  2687. >"I hadn't gotten the chance to see them earlier or strut my stuff, so when one of the team showed up, I was so excited..."
  2688. >She looks off into the distance a bit.
  2689. >"We were going to just do a simple team exercise, and Light Speed HIMSELF had showed up. He was my favorite of all the Wonderbolts, and I asked for an autograph and told him my dream of being a Wonderbolt, the second I saw him."
  2690. >She takes a sip of her drink, still smiling.
  2691. >"I'll never forget that moment... He had told me that he didn't have a pen or marker on him, so he just gave me his flight goggles, instead... It was one of the greatest moments in my life."
  2692. >She looks up at you.
  2693. >"-I still have them too, actually. His name was engraved on the side of it."
  2694. "Huh. Neat."
  2695. >She nods.
  2696. >"I wore them as soon as I got them, and went over to the other fillies and colts for the exercise. I remember being so proud that I had those goggles, even though they were just given to me."
  2697. >"I remember the exercise was just a small obstacle course, and everypony was split into four teams for it. The fastest team to all arrive at the finish line first, won."
  2698. >"...But, of course, nopony was able to keep up with me."
  2699. >She laughs.
  2700. >"I went through that course like I had rehearsed it a thousand times- that's how easy it was."
  2701. >"...But the second I looked back at the others in my team, there was this huge explosion from behind me, over on the other side of the camp. I remember it being really loud, and there was this weird rainbow that came out of it."
  2702. >You simply nod.
  2703.  
  2704. >You coulda sworn you've heard something about a rainbow explosion from Dash...
  2705. >You can't remember for shit, though.
  2706. >"The explosion blinded everypony but me, only because I was looking away from it. Once I had seen that the ponies on my team were blinded and all disoriented, I flew over and helped them out... Dealing with eight ponies who couldn't see or fly right was a big challenge for me."
  2707. >She takes another bite of her salad, then just drowns it with her drink.
  2708. >"I somehow helped and guided everypony back to the main camp's cloud, then I had this Cutie Mark appear on my flank. About half way, Light Speed had seen me helping the others, and told me that I looked like a natural born leader, and would be perfect for the Wonderbolts. He gave me a pamphlet for the recruitment camps, and once I was able to, I signed up, and the rest is history."
  2709. >She finishes off with a smile, then takes another bite of her salad.
  2710. "Wow. That's probably more interesting than the sum of my entire life to date..."
  2711. >She waves a hoof.
  2712. >"Oh, please, there has to be at least ONE thing in your life that was exciting!"
  2713. >You pause and think for a moment.
  2714. >You shake your head.
  2715. "I mean, there was one time I was attacked by a giraffe at the zoo, but that was more terrifying than exciting, really..."
  2716. >"So... there isn't a SINGLE thing in your life that you thought was exciting? Nothing?"
  2717. >You shake your head.
  2718. "If anything in my life was exciting, it's obviously not exciting enough for me to remember it."
  2719. >"...What about good moments, then? What's the best thing that's ever happened to you in your life?"
  2720. >You think for a moment, then shrug again.
  2721. >She gasps.
  2722. >"Y-you can't be serious!"
  2723. "Yeah. I just, I... can't really think of anything memorable that's happened in my life..."
  2724. >You twirl the straw in your drink for a moment.
  2725. "The most exciting thing for me was just ending up here, but I can't really think of any happy moments I've had."
  2726.  
  2727. Spitfire just stares at you, slack-jawed.
  2728. >You shrug.
  2729. "I may be an alien from another planet, but on that planet, I was pretty boring, by their standards."
  2730. >But you were happy with it.
  2731. >"W-well... what did you do for a living? What was your job?"
  2732. "Eh, I was pretty much just a desk jockey for my dad."
  2733. >"...A 'desk jockey'? What's that?"
  2734. "Just some guy who sits at a desk and does work from it. I handled appointments and stuff."
  2735. >"...Appointments for what?"
  2736. "Therapy sessions. My dad was a psychiatrist."
  2737. >"Oh, that's neat! What about your mom?"
  2738. "Oh, uh, she just... s-stayed home."
  2739. >"...Oh."
  2740. >You can tell by the look in her face that she's just hit a stump.
  2741. >She's now got nowhere else to go with the conversation.
  2742. "...Sorry, I'm just, ah, not that exciting a person, honestly. Not many exciting things to remember in my life."
  2743. >She softly smiles, then puts her hoof on your hand again.
  2744. >"Well... We've still got plenty of time to make some exciting memories of our own."
  2745. >...We.
  2746. >As much as you'd like to disagree with yourself...
  2747. >You like the sound of that.
  2748. >-Just, uh, you know, with human women, instead...
  2749. >Yeah, can't disagree with THAT.
  2750. >You look down at your hand.
  2751. >There's been an awful lot of hoof-hand stuff going on tonight, hasn't there?
  2752. >-Purely platonic, though.
  2753. >It's no big deal.
  2754. >You slowly move your hand away and look back to your salad, trying to find the actual salad part of it, buried underneath all that cheese.
  2755. >Your devious plan was just to have the waitress suffer through grinding cheese almost indefinitely, but holy shit, she had really mauled that fucking block...
  2756. >So you kind of suffered from that.
  2757. >You internally shrug and grab a handful of cheese, snacking on it like popcorn, bit by bit.
  2758.  
  2759. >Spitfire's words click into your mind.
  2760. >She didn't even hesitate when she said that.
  2761. >It's like she already knows that you'll fall for her.
  2762. >-Well, knows that there's the POSSIBILITY.
  2763. >But you're strong.
  2764. >You won't give into this.
  2765. >No body- or pony, can just force you to like them like that.
  2766. >You haven't been interested in ponies, and you sure as hell won't start.
  2767. >Your dad, even while being in another world, would surely frown at you for that.
  2768. >-Well, not really, actually.
  2769. >In fact, your dad would probably defend the shit out of you, even if you told him you got off to tables, or some shit like that.
  2770. >...Your dad was a cool guy.
  2771. >He made a kid bullying you in your high school cry once by making him question his very existence.
  2772. >That shit was awesome.
  2773. >Though you never saw him after that day...
  2774. >...Meh.
  2775. >He was a dick.
  2776. >Who cares if you like wearing sweaters during the summer?
  2777. >Is having sun protection and extra pockets in the heat REALLY that bad a thing?
  2778. >...Dick.
  2779. >In your stupor, you notice Spitfire staring off into space before you.
  2780. >You wave your hand.
  2781. "Something on your mind?"
  2782. >She shakes her head.
  2783. >"Not much... besides you."
  2784. >She flashes a smile.
  2785. "Well it's probably not normal to think about someone that much."
  2786. >"It can be whatever you want it to be."
  2787. >She bats her eyelashes.
  2788. >Why does this one always make things so... lewd?
  2789. >And how is she so GOOD at it?
  2790. >...You're just thankful it's not doing anything to you- you know... down there.
  2791. >The shame would be overwhelming.
  2792. >...And probably the confusion.
  2793. >Hell, have you thought about being in a relationship with a pony?
  2794. >Of-fucking-course.
  2795. >Being the only one on the entire planet kind of forces you to do that, but you still aren't fond of the idea.
  2796. >And... you just don't get how... THAT, would work.
  2797. >Like, these ponies are three and a half feet on all fours, and you're six feet.
  2798. >The height difference would just...
  2799. >-And why the hell are you thinking about this?!
  2800. >You're not going to DO Spitfire here.
  2801.  
  2802. >Your words bring a small shade of red with them.
  2803. >Spitfire's ears fold slightly, and she gives you another sultry grin.
  2804. >"Hmm... What are YOU thinking about? Something... fun?"
  2805. >You feel your face get even warmer.
  2806. "W-what?! N-no! Why would I ever think of something like that?!"
  2807. >"Oh, I don't know..."
  2808. >She starts brushing your leg again.
  2809. >You try to pretend you don't feel it.
  2810. >You just start sipping your drink and admiring the scenery around you.
  2811. >This place pretty much IS Applebee's.
  2812. >There's all this sports and old school memorabilia stuff hung up everywhere.
  2813. >Black and white photos of who you're assuming are famous ponies and griffons.
  2814. >Carriage license plates, sports equipment, big, cartoon drawings...
  2815. >-And that guy even looks like the ponified version of Walt Disney!
  2816. >You feel a hoof on your thigh.
  2817. >You look over and see her reaching under the tab-
  2818. "-JESUS!"
  2819. >You immediately scoot back a little bit.
  2820. >"...What? You already got me dinner..."
  2821. >She just giggles.
  2822. >My god, this pony...
  2823. >It's only the first date.
  2824. >It just makes you wonder how much of the alcohol is talking.
  2825. >...Though, they don't call it 'liquid courage' for nothing.
  2826. >And, as they say, a drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts.
  2827. >-Or, a drunk MARE's thoughts.
  2828. >You shake your head and slowly scoot up, eying Spitfire.
  2829. >And you get that a distance like this is acceptable for ponies, but how close to her you are is kinda ridiculous.
  2830. >Or simply put, if two humans were here, you'd be fighting for leg room under the table.
  2831. >It's just not a big table for you.
  2832. >But since Spitfire's legs don't even work in a way to interfere with yours, you've got the whole bottom part to yourself.
  2833. >Which is probably why she's taking advantage of it so much.
  2834. >You're practically doing this to yourself.
  2835. >It's like driving into a black neighborhood with a BMW.
  2836. >Something can, and probably will happen.
  2837.  
  2838. >You look down at your salad.
  2839. >You still haven't even gotten past the cheese.
  2840. >You've reduced it to a small mound, but it's still enough to cover all the salad.
  2841. >You sigh, then just grab as much as the stuff as you can.
  2842. >You drop it onto a napkin, then just stare at the salad.
  2843. >It's looks like there's a lot more of it now than there was, before.
  2844. >All that damn cheese has gotten you pretty full...
  2845. >But you paid for this shit.
  2846. >And you know that if you throw this in your fridge, you won't eat it.
  2847. >It cools stuff down, but it also makes it weirdly unappetizing.
  2848. >Your dad told you it was another psychological thing.
  2849. >-In fact, he told you that a lot.
  2850. >He even told you that the position of your couch was a psychological thing.
  2851. >And you always believed the hell out of him of everything, just because of the degree he had.
  2852. >Though looking back at it, now, some things might not have been entirely true.
  2853. >You just don't get how cleaning the house 'decreased your chances of getting Alzheimer's'.
  2854. >Hell, you didn't even KNOW what Alzheimer's was at the time.
  2855. >"Soo..."
  2856. >You look up at Spitfire, who's tapping her hooves together, looking off to the side with a nervous smile on her face.
  2857. >"D-do you, uh, need help finishing your salad?"
  2858. >...Help?
  2859. >Who asks if someone needs 'help' finishing something?
  2860. >If you're hungry, you just say, 'you gonna eat that?'.
  2861. >"-B-because, y-you know, if you want... we could share that..."
  2862. >-Oh.
  2863. >Well that makes a lot more sense, n-
  2864. >-Wait.
  2865. >...SHARE?
  2866. "Uhh..."
  2867. >"Just, y-you know, if you want to..."
  2868. >Well...
  2869. >You really don't want to see this salad go to waste...
  2870. >You sigh.
  2871. "J-just this once."
  2872. >She beams and flies over into your lap, getting comfy on your chest.
  2873. >She just looks up at you and smiles.
  2874. "-Uh... w-what are you doing?"
  2875. >"Well, aren't we gonna share?"
  2876.  
  2877. "Yeah, but, I didn't mean we'd share a chair-"
  2878. >"-Too late, I'm already here! Now feed me!"
  2879. "-What?"
  2880. >"I can't eat with forks, Anon!"
  2881. >And you were just about to ask yourself why Spitfire seemed so caring of what you wanted right now.
  2882. "But didn't you just eat your salad with your mouth?"
  2883. >"Yeah, but then how would we share it?"
  2884. >You open your mouth to speak, then pause.
  2885. >Well, that's kinda true.
  2886. >That would be weird.
  2887. >And you'd probably get pony spit all over the salad.
  2888. >And you don't want that.
  2889. >You sigh and pick up your fork.
  2890. >She squeaks and beams in response.
  2891. >You get some of the salad and just bring it up to her.
  2892. >She snaps at it like a turtle and smiles.
  2893. >You scoot a little bit closer.
  2894. "Couldn't you just bring your chair-"
  2895. >"-Too LATE, Anon! I'm not moving!"
  2896. "-Well, I could probably-"
  2897. >"-Feed me!"
  2898. >You pause, then sigh.
  2899. >You stab some more lettuce with your fork and bring it up to her.
  2900. >This time, she doesn't snap at it.
  2901. >Her tongue swirls around the fork, brushing and polishing the base and its handle.
  2902. >She holds it still with both of her hooves, then rolls over the prongs very slowly.
  2903. >She keeps it in her mouth and starts gently sucking on it, before pulling slightly away and taking it back in.
  2904. >Then she starts making these wet, sloppy noises while doing so.
  2905. >She takes up a faster pace and covers the whole thing in saliva, which just drips and slides off your slacks.
  2906. >She looks into your eyes.
  2907. >Her eyelids partially close, and she slows the speed of her mouth.
  2908. >She moves her rump to sit just above Anon Jr.
  2909. >Finally, she gives a soft, long moan, and does a stroking motion over the fork handle with her hooves.
  2910. >She pulls away and continues staring at you, then swallows.
  2911. >You just stare at her.
  2912. "Spitfire?"
  2913. >"-Yes, Anon?"
  2914. "...What the hell was that?"
  2915.  
  2916. >"Nooothing..."
  2917. >...You're not really even sure how to really respond to what just happened.
  2918. >She just...
  2919. >Damn, you just hope nobody else saw that.
  2920. >You're pretty sure that was lewd enough to justify you both getting kicked out.
  2921. >You look at your fork, covered in slobber and violated to the nth degree.
  2922. >-Fuck this, you'll use your hands.
  2923. >You put the fork down and grab a small piece of lettuce.
  2924. >Spitfire just watches you curiously as you eat it.
  2925. >"Y-you aren't going to use the fork, Anon?"
  2926. >You look down at the thing, just lying in a puddle of spit on the table.
  2927. "I'd rather not, honestly."
  2928. >She pouts.
  2929. "-You know, pouting or not, there's a certain line that my very BEING would not allow me to cross."
  2930. >You point at the fork.
  2931. "And I'm pretty sure that thing is like, thirty times over it."
  2932. >She huffs and crosses her hooves.
  2933. "And, you're still sitting ON me. Lap is okay, but this I'm not a fan of."
  2934. >"Why not?"
  2935. >She does a circular motion with her rump on you.
  2936. >She basically just grinded you.
  2937. "-Because it's only the first time we've been out, and you're also horribly drunk."
  2938. >She hiccups and giggles.
  2939. "Case and point."
  2940. >"Oh come ooonnn, Anon! I'm not THAT drunk."
  2941. >You move yourself to the side and gently push her with your finger.
  2942. >She immediately starts losing her balance, and you grab her before she falls.
  2943. >She just scrunches at you.
  2944. >You sigh.
  2945. "You know, at this point, I've seen you drunk longer than I've seen you sober."
  2946. >She stays silent.
  2947. >You look at her.
  2948. >She suddenly looks sad.
  2949.  
  2950.  
  2951.  
  2952. >You wave a hand in front of her face.
  2953. "Something on your mind?"
  2954. >She pauses, then looks at you.
  2955. >Her eyes trail over to the floor, and she nods.
  2956. >"...I'm not a very exciting pony, either, Anon."
  2957. >She moves to sit on your lap and just sighs.
  2958. >"I mean, I have the Wonderbolts, but when I'm not working, I'm just... there. Nothing to do, nowhere to be..."
  2959. >She drifts off.
  2960. >You just stay silent.
  2961. >What she's saying is essentially what you went through back home.
  2962. >The times your dad's buddies couldn't head to Applebee's, you'd always just, busy yourself with mindless paperwork.
  2963. >You'd do anything you could find- taxes, schedules, business plans...
  2964. >Simply because you didn't want others to see that you had no place to be.
  2965. >Though, you're pretty sure your dad saw right through you on that one.
  2966. >He just never directly approached you about it.
  2967. >-Hell, one day he had even caught you up and working at three in the morning, because he had forgotten something in his office.
  2968. >To say that he was shocked would probably be an understatement.
  2969. >But in short, you just did what you did, because...
  2970. >You look at her.
  2971. >...You were lonely...
  2972. >"-I... I just thought that by being drunk, that m-maybe I'd be a more interesting pony to be around, a-and that you'd l-like me..."
  2973. >You can see her quickly starting to tear up.
  2974. "-Spitfire, you don't need to be drunk to be interesting. You're fine just the way you are, now."
  2975. >She just looks up at you.
  2976. >"...R-really? Y-you think so?"
  2977. >You simply nod.
  2978. >A small smile touches her lips.
  2979. >"I... I know it sounds stupid... but that really means a lot to me, Anon..."
  2980. >She hiccups.
  2981. "Well, if you remember it, that is."
  2982. >She giggles, then looks over at your salad.
  2983. >"Sooo... Are we going to finish that?"
  2984. "...I'm still not using that fork, though."
  2985.  
  2986. >You grab another piece of lettuce and a tomato, then start munching away.
  2987. >You also clean the shit out of the fork and then use it to feed her.
  2988. >You both ate mostly in silence.
  2989. >But it wasn't an awkward silence.
  2990. >It was just one where you both had nothing left to say, and were both content with what you did say.
  2991. >It was nice.
  2992. >-In fact, you almost forgot where you even were, until you spotted that damn waitress on her way towards the table.
  2993. "-SHIT! Spitfire, go back to your se-"
  2994. >"-Well now, THIS is an INTERESTING development."
  2995. >She clicks her tongue and smiles at Spitfire, then looks at you.
  2996. "-H-her seat was, uh, crooked..."
  2997. >She looks at Spitfire's seat for a second, then just nods.
  2998. >"Yep, yep, I'm sure it was."
  2999. >She walks over and grabs both of the plates, that damn grin on her face the whole time.
  3000. >"So, you having any dessert? A sundae with two spoons, perhaps?"
  3001. >She waggles her eyebrows at you for the last part, then hands a menu over.
  3002. >You snatch it, and she just laughs.
  3003. >"I'll give you both a minute to look it over."
  3004. >She grins at you.
  3005. >"And TRY to look at the MENU this time, and not just each other?"
  3006. "-Oh my god, we weren't-"
  3007. >"-Juuust saying."
  3008. >She walks away.
  3009. >Goddamn it.
  3010. >You see Spitfire already browsing the dessert menu.
  3011. >And, honestly, dessert sounds pretty good right now, despite all the damn cheese you ate earlier.
  3012. >But there's ALWAYS room for dessert.
  3013. >Always.
  3014. >You glance at the menu and-
  3015. >-Holy shit, this really IS Griffon Applebee's.
  3016. >You remember that menu more than your do your own parent's faces.
  3017. >And that's pretty sad, in more ways than one.
  3018. >You watch her curiously.
  3019. >This is the biggest test, if any.
  3020. >The one that will decide her very own fate.
  3021. >-Well, not really, obviously, but dessert is pretty damn important, if you do say so yourself.
  3022. >She finally points at the menu.
  3023. >You look over-
  3024. >-PASSED WITH FLYING FUCKING COLORS.
  3025. >Apples and brownies are good, but nothing will EVER best the triple chocolate cake.
  3026.  
  3027. >She looks at you for approval, and you just grin like a retard.
  3028. "You have EXCELLENT taste in desserts, madame!"
  3029. >She smiles.
  3030. >Now, for a big question, though...
  3031. >Should you actually get just one?
  3032. >Because you know that they usually serve you quite a bit per plate.
  3033. >But...
  3034. >You mull over the idea for a moment.
  3035. "Hey Spitfire?"
  3036. >She looks up at you.
  3037. "Would you prefer your own plate? O-or..."
  3038. >She slowly smiles.
  3039. "W-would, you, uh... you know..."
  3040. >Jesus, why the hell is this so hard to ask?
  3041. >It's just sharing a damn plate.
  3042. >Your cheeks are burning.
  3043. "-Would you like to... ah..."
  3044. >She stops you, then beams.
  3045. >"I'd like nothing more, Anon."
  3046. >You feel yourself copying her smile, then stop.
  3047. "O-okay, good! J-just, you know, 'cause it'd cost less... you know?"
  3048. >She nods.
  3049. >-WHY ARE YOU BLUSHING SO MUCH, JESUS?!
  3050. >You ONLY asked about getting one plate, instead of two!
  3051. >-Shit, it's like your mind is on the fritz or something!
  3052. >You grab your drink and put it on your cheek.
  3053. >Aside from being really cold, it doesn't do much to make your face any less red.
  3054. >"What are you doing, Anon?"
  3055. >You look and just see Spitfire watching you curiously.
  3056. "Uh... I'm checking the temperature..."
  3057. >-Well, you kind of are.
  3058. >But you've long since determined that the glass in your hand is, indeed, very cold.
  3059. >You reach over and take a sip.
  3060. >-And horribly watered down.
  3061. >You need a new drink, now.
  3062. >This shit won't do.
  3063. >Spitfire just keeps watching, amused.
  3064. >Like she's looking at some kind of monkey doing tricks for her.
  3065. >Damn cheeks.
  3066.  
  3067. >You flag down another Griffon.
  3068. >"Yes, uh, may I help you?"
  3069. >You wave the drink around a bit.
  3070. "Think I could get another? This one got flat."
  3071. >"Absolutely, sir."
  3072. >He grabs your glass and starts walking away.
  3073. >Then he pauses, and turns to you.
  3074. >"...May I ask you something?"
  3075. "Uuuh... suuure?"
  3076. >"-What in the SWEET name of King Grover ARE you?"
  3077. "...I'm a human."
  3078. >"A what?"
  3079. "A human. I'm from another planet, actually."
  3080. >He just blinks for a second, then walks away.
  3081. >Well, that was fucking weird.
  3082. >But then, you finally notice all the eyes that are on you.
  3083. >Practically everyone in the entire restaurant is glancing and gesturing towards you.
  3084. >But you're not exactly sure if it's YOU, or Spitfire being ON you.
  3085. >And you're not a fan of it.
  3086. >You're used to just, hanging back in the crowd, pretty much solving your loneliness by isolating yourself further.
  3087. >...And now that you think about it, that may have exactly been why you were lonely in the first place.
  3088. >Like fighting fire with gasoline.
  3089. >...Huh.
  3090. >-But the looks you're getting are not pleasant.
  3091. >Ponies you'd be able to deal with- because you have plenty times before- but Griffons are a whole new level.
  3092. >They're pretty much eagle-lions.
  3093. >-Actually, they ARE eagle-lions.
  3094. >And though absolutely none of the stares you're getting are hostile, you can't help but feel vulnerable as shit.
  3095. "-Uh, S-Spitfire, d-do you think you could head back to your s-seat?"
  3096. >She looks up at you, genuinely concerned.
  3097. >"What? Why?"
  3098. "I-I just think it'd be b-better."
  3099. >She notices your eyes darting around and notices all the Griffons.
  3100. >"Oh pft, Anon, they're just Griffons! You can't really let a bunch of cat-birds scare you!"
  3101. "N-no, I-I just think-"
  3102. >Before you can say anything else, she pulls you in for a kiss.
  3103. >On the lips.
  3104. >In public.
  3105.  
  3106. >You don't even say or do anything.
  3107. >Your brain doesn't even work.
  3108. >But in the little signals it's giving out, it's telling you that this has happened before.
  3109. >You're stiff as a rock.
  3110. >-NOT DOWN THERE.
  3111. >You don't move.
  3112. >You don't say anything.
  3113. >You don't even close your eyes.
  3114. >You're just hoping that by staying completely still, you'll disappear.
  3115. >Her tongue is just all up in your mouth, like an unwanted guest that thinks they own the place.
  3116. >But this time around, that guest has a bag full of fucking fire crackers, and just unleashed them in the bedrooms of everyone there at three in the morning.
  3117. >She runs out of air and just breathes heavily into you.
  3118. >It's like she's trying to eat your face.
  3119. >A few seconds later, she pulls away, panting and tongue hanging, her face developing an entirely new shade of red.
  3120. >You just sit there, shocked out of your mind.
  3121. >You don't even blink.
  3122. >You notice practically all the Griffons starting to smile.
  3123. >Like, the kinda smiles people would have if they just saw someone proposing-
  3124. >-GAH, YOU'RE NOT PROPOSING!
  3125. "-I-I need t-to go to the b-bathroom!"
  3126. >"W-what? Why? What's wrong?"
  3127. "N-n-nothing, I-I just need to go!"
  3128. >You spring up from her seat, and she hops off.
  3129. >"A-Anon?"
  3130. >You fuck off and run towards the area you believe the bathroom is.
  3131.  
  3132. >You jump inside.
  3133. >You head over to the sink and splash your face with water.
  3134. >-What the fuck just happened?
  3135. >That- what WAS that?
  3136. >She just...
  3137. >You touch your lips and just stare at your reflection.
  3138. >She just...
  3139. >But she's...
  3140. >You notice an unusually warm feeling in your... everything.
  3141. >You... you can't SERIOUSLY be considering...
  3142. >-She's a pony, for crying out loud!
  3143. >The ones that are taken to kids birthdays to be petted and ridden!
  3144. >-Ridden...
  3145. >-STOP, DON'T THINK OF THAT!
  3146. >Christ, what's HAPPENING to you?!
  3147. >You sigh and stare at yourself.
  3148. >Okay, she's a pony.
  3149. >...An animal.
  3150. >...But not here.
  3151. >Here, she's just as smart- if not smarter, than a human.
  3152. >But, still, the hooves, a-and...
  3153. >You sigh and splash your face again.
  3154. >You're in a COMPLETELY different world, now...
  3155. >And in this world, Spitfire's not an animal-
  3156. >-Well technically, even HUMANS are animals-
  3157. >-NOT the point!
  3158. >You splash more water on your face.
  3159. >Okay, let's backtrack, here.
  3160. >Do...
  3161. >Do you like her?
  3162.  
  3163. >You pause and think back at the short time you've been with her.
  3164. >How you felt today when you saw her in that dress...
  3165. >That adorable giggle of hers...
  3166. >Her cute smile...
  3167. >You feel something weird in your stomach.
  3168. >Like...
  3169. >Butterfl-
  3170. >-Hornets.
  3171. >...Yeah, more like hornets.
  3172. >Like you left what was originally a bunch of butterflies alone, and some Gremlins shit happened, and they became hornets, instead.
  3173. >...But it still feels great.
  3174. >...Maybe... maybe the waitress was onto something...
  3175. >-Even though she's a nigger.
  3176. >-But, the sharing food, the sharing a SEAT- hell, just the fact that you're on a DATE-
  3177. >...That Spitfire forced you on...
  3178. >...But you can't hide how excited you felt for it.
  3179. >You were practically counting the seconds.
  3180. >You splash your face a fourth time.
  3181. >-Okay, do you like Spitfire?
  3182. >-Yes.
  3183. >Do you...
  3184. >...Do you LOVE her?
  3185. >...That's...
  3186. >That's a strong word.
  3187. >But she makes you happy.
  3188. >Makes you smile.
  3189. >Makes you FEEL whatever she does, at the moment.
  3190. >-Except when you're drunk.
  3191. >You basically go all robot mode when THAT happens-
  3192. >-Not the point.
  3193. >...Could you wake up every morning to see her face?
  3194. >Her beautiful, smiling face...
  3195. >Her messy, fiery mane bathing in the glow of the morning sunlight...
  3196. >Your heart quickens.
  3197. >...Yes.
  3198. >Yes, you could.
  3199. >So... you guess...
  3200. >...You...
  3201. >...Love her.
  3202. >You love Spitfire.
  3203. >Your whole body relaxes in an instant.
  3204. >Like it was all on edge about something.
  3205. >Like you got something huge off your chest.
  3206. >And you now made way for somethi-someone-somePONY else...
  3207. >You smile.
  3208. >You look at yourself in the mirror.
  3209. >This is the happiest you've ever seen yourself.
  3210. >And before this, that was the day you went to the San Diego Zoo.
  3211. >And THAT was also before you got attacked by that fucking giraffe.
  3212. >Those long necked bastards...
  3213. >You take a deep breath and beam.
  3214. >You can't help but just feel...
  3215. >Complete.
  3216. >Whole.
  3217. >...Excited.
  3218.  
  3219. >You splash your face again and straighten yourself out.
  3220. >You take a few breaths, then hop outside of the bathroom.
  3221. >You got this, Anon.
  3222. >YOU GOT DIS.
  3223. >You laugh at your own excitement.
  3224. >You feel like you can laugh off the entire end of the world.
  3225. >As long as Spitfire's with you...
  3226. >You're untouchable.
  3227. >-Unless you're surrounded by black people.
  3228. >You laugh again.
  3229. >You walk back out, and-
  3230. >-Where's Spitfire?
  3231. >You notice all the Griffons now giving you dirty looks.
  3232. >More specifically, all the girls.
  3233. >But the guys are just the same.
  3234. >You see the waitress there, picking up Spitfire's glass.
  3235. >You run up to her.
  3236. >She turns and just glares at you.
  3237. >"-I was only messing with you. You didn't need to break the girl's heart for it."
  3238. "-W-what?"
  3239. >"So, did you still want dessert? A single serve anything? Because that's what you'll be getting for the rest of your life, buddy."
  3240. "I-I don't understand. What happened? Where's Spitfire?"
  3241. >She growls.
  3242. >"Oh, so you DIDN'T hear her crying uncontrollably just now? Because she did that for quite a bit."
  3243. "N-no, I-I-"
  3244. >"-She wouldn't listen to any of us. She was just, crying her eyes out because of you, and you know-"
  3245. >She grabs you and puts a talon on your chest.
  3246. >"-If I wasn't working right now, I'd have half the mind to knock you out where you stand."
  3247. "-D-did she leave?"
  3248. >"-'Course she left! Who in their right MIND would wanna stay around here for a scumbag like YOU?"
  3249. >You simply dig into your pocket and grab a bag of fifty bits.
  3250. >You toss them on the table and run out towards the entrance.
  3251.  
  3252. >You practically take the damn door down and immediately look around.
  3253. >There's no sign of her.
  3254. "Spitfire!!"
  3255. >You run out into the street and cup your hands.
  3256. "SPITFIRE!"
  3257. >Nothing.
  3258. >...Why did you even bother calling?
  3259. >She wouldn't just come out and say hi.
  3260. >...She wouldn't...
  3261. >You look up at the sky.
  3262. >Immediately, a yellow streak darts through the sky and quickly disappears.
  3263. >A single small raincloud is left behind, slowly drifting away in the now dark night sky.
  3264. "S-Spitfire..."
  3265. >You take a quick look back at the restaurant, then put your hands in your pockets and begin walking back towards the direction of your house.
  3266.  
  3267. >
  3268. >You're horribly lost.
  3269. >You have no idea where you are.
  3270. >But you don't care.
  3271. >You're pretty sure it's midnight, right now.
  3272. >You spent a good two hours mindlessly walking around, thinking about how much you messed up.
  3273. >You thought about what you had told Soarin' yesterday.
  3274. >About only looking at the bright side of things about the ones you've lost.
  3275. >...But you can't.
  3276. >You can't help but think of how great you had it, then how quickly you made it all come crashing down.
  3277. >You start kicking a rock around.
  3278. >YOU ruined it.
  3279. >Spitfire poured her heart out to you, took a daring leap forward, and you just walked away.
  3280. >It's YOUR fault.
  3281. >...This is why you're glad you spent so many days doing paperwork.
  3282. >You aren't cut out for this.
  3283. >Your loneliness will extend, even throughout different universes.
  3284. >You look around at your surroundings.
  3285. >Nothing but houses, in a neighborhood you don't even recognize.
  3286. >But you do notice something familiar, a little ways from you.
  3287. >The Ponyville Bar.
  3288.  
  3289. >You mindlessly start walking towards it, doing nothing to keep yourself warm in the freezing night temperature.
  3290. >You take your tie off and throw it into your pocket, then walk into the place.
  3291. >It's completely empty, save for Cherry Berry, who's cleaning the bar with a rag.
  3292. >"Anon? What are you doing here so late? We close in five minutes..."
  3293. >You sit in a stool and grab the last of your bits.
  3294. >You put it on the counter.
  3295. "This is fifty bits. Give me the strongest anything you have."
  3296. >She just looks at you with a concerned expression on her face.
  3297. >"...Is something wrong, Anon? You know you can talk to me, if you wan-"
  3298. "-Could I just have the drink, please?"
  3299. >She pauses, then slowly nods.
  3300. >She pokes under the bar and bites the neck of a big, unopened bottle filled with an orange liquid.
  3301. >She slowly sets it down on the counter, then just looks at you.
  3302. >"I-it's not as strong as the one you had yesterday, but-"
  3303. "-Sold."
  3304. >You push the bits closer to her.
  3305. >"B-but Anon, this was only thirty five bits-"
  3306. >You grab the bottle and put the bits on her hoof.
  3307. >"A-Anon, wait-"
  3308. >You leave the bar.
  3309.  
  3310. >You remember your way from the bar.
  3311. >The second you step out the door, you open the bottle and start heading towards your house.
  3312. >You feel like some kind of homeless person, carrying around a drink wrapped in a brown bag.
  3313. >But nobody's really awake right now.
  3314. >You take a swig from the drink.
  3315. >And of course, there's a very little burn to it.
  3316. >But it's there.
  3317. >You spot your house in the distance and just take another big gulp.
  3318. >Your house looks just as boring as everyone else's, if not worse.
  3319. >You had actually wanted to paint it a different color or something, but your cash quickly went elsewhere.
  3320. >But it was still a great gift.
  3321. >Well, it was more like a donation, really.
  3322. >But Twilight had gotten some really damn good benefits when she got those wings of hers.
  3323. >You walk up to the door and fish around for your keys.
  3324. >You miss the lock part and drop them.
  3325. "Fuck me."
  3326. >And you're not even BUZZED, yet.
  3327. >You kneel down to pick up the keys, then retardedly forget that the bottle's open.
  3328. >Quite a bit of it pours out.
  3329. >You simply groan, then take a long, single gulp.
  3330. >When you stop, you actually feel a pretty damn good burn in your throat.
  3331. >You get your keys in and unlock that shit, then walk inside.
  3332. >Now you notice yourself a little bit buzzed.
  3333. >You shut the door and throw the keys on the living room table closest to you.
  3334. >You throw your tie on a chair and walk over to the kitchen.
  3335. >You notice pretty much about half of the bottle left.
  3336. >You take another huge drink and cut that half in half.
  3337. >Now, only about a quarter is left.
  3338. >You also notice that you are now indeed, drunk, if a little.
  3339. >Once you head into the kitchen, you immediately spot a tall, dark red bottle.
  3340. >Your imported stuff.
  3341. >You take a breath, then finish off the bottle you currently have.
  3342. >-Yup, now you're drunk.
  3343. >You throw the bottle in the trash and sigh, before grabbing the wine and popping it open.
  3344. >It's a little stale- or flat- or whatever the term is, but it's fine.
  3345. >You don't really care.
  3346.  
  3347. >You don't bother with a glass, and you don't bother trying to limit yourself.
  3348. >Your liver hated you back home, and it'll hate you here too, if you have anything to say about it.
  3349. >You catch yourself slowly moving to one side, and just grab the bottle.
  3350. >You take it over to a couch, and sit down.
  3351. >The first thing you see is Spitfire's flight suit, just sitting there.
  3352. >There's a pain in your chest that lasts a second, then allows you to continue drinking.
  3353. >You read up somewhere that wine was good for the heart, anyways.
  3354. >Or some shit like that.
  3355. >Who cares?
  3356. >You sure as hell don't.
  3357. >It could be the damn end of the world right now, but as long as you've got a bottle of SOMETHING with you, you're golden.
  3358. >You take another swig and just stare at the wall.
  3359. >...Christ.
  3360. >Funny how quickly things can turn for the worse, huh?
  3361. >Like, one minute you're in a humvee, and the next you're being riddled with bullets.
  3362. >-Or you're calmly driving towards your house in one, and in the other, you're smashed into by some other guy too stupid to know what a stop sign is.
  3363. >You just grunt, then take another big gulp.
  3364. >-Jesus, you're getting drunk quick.
  3365. >You really ARE a lightweight.
  3366. >You're fuckin' weak.
  3367. >You lie your head down on a pillow and continue drinking.
  3368. >
  3369. >You peel your eyes open and groan.
  3370. >You grunt in pain and immediately clutch your head.
  3371. >You turn to the side and see an empty bottle, a few drops having escaped on your carpet.
  3372. >You don't really give a shit, though.
  3373. >White or not, it's just a damn carpet.
  3374. >It won't kill you.
  3375. >You sit up on the couch, noticing your shoes and coat, which was just carelessly thrown away from you.
  3376. >Leaving you with only a button up shirt, slacks, and socks on you.
  3377. >You immediately hear a vicious knocking at your door.
  3378. >You feel excited for a split-second, until your mind kicks in.
  3379. "Who is it?"
  3380. >"Uh, DUUH, it's Rainbow Dash! Hurry up and open the stupid door, already! It's two in the afternoon!"
  3381. >You sigh, slowly stand up, then walk over.
  3382.  
  3383. >You open the door and immediately get blinded by the outside light.
  3384. >You shield your eyes and take a step back.
  3385. >Dash takes one look at you and cringes.
  3386. >"Woah, jeez, what happened to YOU?"
  3387. >You look down at yourself.
  3388. >You can't see anything out of the ordinary, here.
  3389. >But you FEEL out of the ordinary.
  3390. "Hangover."
  3391. >"Well sheesh, how MUCH did you drink??"
  3392. >You look back at the bottle on your carpet.
  3393. "...A lot."
  3394. >"Yeah, I'LL say! Now come on, it's Saturday! You have to see my routines!"
  3395. >You rub your face.
  3396. >The last time you shaved was probably four days ago.
  3397. >But the scruff on your face really seemed to grow from just last night.
  3398. >You have no idea why.
  3399. >You groan.
  3400. "Dash, while normally I'd say yes, I'm hungover to hell, and everything hurts. I'm pretty sure one of your Element buddies can fit some time out of their schedule to see you. I'm sorry."
  3401. >You start closing the door, and she stops it with a hoof.
  3402. >"Woah, woah! I was planning on doing the Buccaneer Blaze today! You can't just miss something like THAT! And I still need to know about yesterday!"
  3403. >You merely shake your head.
  3404. "I'm real sorry Dash, but I feel like shit, physically AND mentally. But I'll find some way to make it up to you, I'm sure."
  3405. >She takes a moment, then huffs and slowly crosses her hooves.
  3406. >"Whatever."
  3407. >You just lazily wave, then close the door.
  3408. >Immediately, you feel like shit for blowing her off like that.
  3409. >But you'd need some crazy pair of sunglasses or some kind of instant hangover cure in order to even THINK of going outside in this condition.
  3410. >You walk back to your glorious couch and plop down on it.
  3411. >The second you do, you notice a pair of magenta eyes peeking at you from behind your window.
  3412. >She taps on it and gestures you to open it.
  3413. >You groan, walk over, and do so.
  3414. "Couldn't you have just used the front door?"
  3415. >"Are you feeling alright? Sure, I've seen you hungover plenty of times, but you seem a little... off."
  3416. >Huh, RAINBOW asking about you?
  3417. >That's weird.
  3418.  
  3419. "I'm fine."
  3420. >"...You sure about that? You don't LOOK fine to me. Something happen?"
  3421. >Why in god's name is she suddenly so worried about how you're feeling?
  3422. >She didn't seem to give a shit at any OTHER point in the entire four years you've been here.
  3423. "No Dash, I'm fine."
  3424. >She just hovers before you, crossing her hooves.
  3425. >She narrows her eyes.
  3426. "...I SAID I'm fine. Now can you just let me rest?"
  3427. >She continues staring for a moment, then just slowly nods.
  3428. >"Yeah, see you, then."
  3429. >She flies off.
  3430. >You sigh and shut the window, then head back over to the couch.
  3431. >You just sit there for a moment, staring at the red stain on your carpet.
  3432. >You take a good few minutes just doing so, mind completely blank.
  3433. >Finally, you lie down and shut your eyes.
  3434. >
  3435. >Well, it took you a while, but you finally had gone to sleep.
  3436. >But what just finished waking you up was a few knocks on your door.
  3437. >And you're now in a state where you've slept too much, but your body tells you to sleep MORE.
  3438. >It's a weird, horrible feeling, to say the least.
  3439. >You instinctively grunt something that sounds like a call you'd hear on Animal Planet.
  3440. "Uh-whosit?"
  3441. >"It's, uh, Dash again."
  3442. >You look over at the clock hanging on your wall.
  3443. >It's only been like, three hours since she came by earlier.
  3444. >You groan and turn to sit on your seat.
  3445. >You simply hold your head in your hands for a second, then sigh.
  3446. >You walk over to the door and open it.
  3447. >You get blasted in the fucking face with confetti.
  3448. >"SURPRIISE!"
  3449. >-Oh sweet Jesus, please don't-
  3450. >"HI, ANON!"
  3451. >-It's fucking Pinkie Pie.
  3452. >And everyone else.
  3453. >And by everyone else, you mean all the Elements of Harmony.
  3454. >Though you still really don't even know them.
  3455. >You did a few adventures and shit when you first came here, but once you got a house, you just decided to sit back and not give a shit.
  3456. >Dash just walks past you, and everyone follows.
  3457. >Rarity pipes up.
  3458. >"I'm terribly sorry if we woke you, Anonymous. Dash has been telling us that you've been rather down today."
  3459.  
  3460. "And barging into my house was your solution to that?"
  3461. >She awkwardly laughs.
  3462. >"Well, it was mostly Pinkie's idea..."
  3463. >You just nod.
  3464. >You motion inside the house.
  3465. "Well, come in and make yourself comfortable. Everyone else seems to be doing so."
  3466. >She just forces a smile and walks inside.
  3467. >And now you've got six ponies in your house.
  3468. >You sigh and close the door, then walk back over to the living room, seeing everyone surveying the place.
  3469. >Pinkie's throwing decorations and shit around.
  3470. >You hear Dash squeak.
  3471. >You look over and see her slightly blushing, looking at you.
  3472. >"I-is th-this SPITFIRE'S flight suit?!"
  3473. >You feel another sharp pain in your chest.
  3474. >And it's quickly replaced with frustration.
  3475. "Yes, now put it down."
  3476. >You practically growl at her.
  3477. >She recoils, but does as she's told.
  3478. "So then, what the hell is all of this? Why did you bring everyone here?"
  3479. >"-THIS IS YOUR 'DASH THINKS YOU'RE SAD AND NEED TO CHEER UP' PARTY!"
  3480. >-Jesus Christ, your ears.
  3481. "Well, good to know. Except I'm not sad, so this party isn't needed."
  3482. >At the exact time, everyone just looks at you, deadpan expressions on all their faces.
  3483. >...Goddamn it, are you REALLY that easy to read?
  3484. >Flutter... something, flies up to you and puts a hoof on your shoulder.
  3485. >"Anon, you don't need to feel threatened- we're your friends, you can tell us anything."
  3486. >>"...Well, I'm not your family. You can tell me whatever you want to..."
  3487. >You feel another stab at your heart.
  3488. >You quickly shake your head.
  3489. "I don't HAVE anything to say!"
  3490. >Dash just looks at you.
  3491. >"When somepony says nothing's wrong, USUALLY there's something wrong."
  3492. >You stay silent.
  3493. >She doesn't say anything either.
  3494. >She just waits for you to say something, and the others just wait for SOMEONE to say something.
  3495. >You quickly glance at the flight suit behind her.
  3496. >And despite doing so in like, a millisecond, she catches you and looks behind her.
  3497. >Something clicks, and her expression softens a bit.
  3498. >"...What happened?"
  3499.  
  3500. >You pause for a moment, drifting off a bit.
  3501. >You quickly shake your head.
  3502. "N-NOTHING happened!"
  3503. >"Spitfire? Why, whatever does SHE have to do with our dear Anonymous, here?"
  3504. >"They were going on a DATE!"
  3505. >"-OOH, ANON'S GOTTA SPECIAL SOMEPONY-"
  3506. >"Uh, girls, if that's what it is, I don't think we should be prying. If Anon doesn't want to talk about it, we shouldn't force him."
  3507. >You turn to Twilight.
  3508. "THANK you."
  3509. >"B-but he won't get better if he doesn't talk!"
  3510. >"Ah don't know, Ah agree with Twilight on this one. There's just some things that fellas like Anon have to solve by themselves."
  3511. >"Well LOOK at him! Does he look like he's solving ANYTHING? He looks like TRASH!"
  3512. "-Fuck you-"
  3513. >"Ah'm just sayin'. This is a whole 'nother thing than friendship we're talking about."
  3514. >"Applejack is right-"
  3515. >"-Oh, what do YOU know about relationships, Twilight? You know books don't count, right?"
  3516. >"-H-HEY! I-I could get a stallion if I w-wanted to!"
  3517. >"Uh huh. I'm just saying that SPITFIRE might need somepony to talk to her, or something!"
  3518. >"-We're talkin' about Anon, Sugarcube."
  3519. >"-Yeah! That's what I meant!"
  3520. >They all continue their conversation, and you slip away from the room and head up to yours.
  3521. >You lock the door and rub your eyes.
  3522. >Your room is dark as hell, on account of the closed blinds.
  3523. >Your eyes adjust, and you simply walk over to your bed and crawl into it.
  3524. >You sigh and just close your eyes.
  3525. >Then someone knocks on your door.
  3526. >"Sugarcube? You in here?"
  3527. "Can't you guys just have your party and let me rest?"
  3528. >"Well, first off, that party's for you, and second, even if you don't wanna talk about this Spitfire business or whatever, you still need some cheerin' up. We can't just leave you like this."
  3529. "Yes you can, actually. It's quite easy-"
  3530. >"-Don't play smart with me, Anon."
  3531. >She sighs.
  3532. >"...Look, Ah'll tell them that you're just thinkin' things over, but if you do need somethin' to let off your chest, we ARE your friends."
  3533. >You simply huff.
  3534. >"Rest well, Anon."
  3535.  
  3536. >You hear her walk away from the door, and find yourself just staring at the ceiling.
  3537. >...Friends...
  3538. >You've never had friends.
  3539. >-Not REAL friends, at least.
  3540. >You've never had anyone's shoulder to lean on, anyone to always trust...
  3541. >You only have acquaintances with similar interests.
  3542. >People that just stick around longer than complete strangers.
  3543. >That's exactly what your dad's buddies were.
  3544. >You just managed to slip into the crowd, well, BECAUSE of your dad.
  3545. >He was always the one there to keep you from going overboard on the drinking.
  3546. >...You don't even think he liked sports.
  3547. >You went for the interaction- the something different to do, and once your dad saw how much you drank, he went every other time to make sure you didn't pass out or do something stupid.
  3548. >-Which, you did anyways.
  3549. >...It's how you ended up here.
  3550. >You look back at that day.
  3551. >...Dad had just gotten admitted into the hospital, and his friends all had a get-together to wish him well, talk about him, reminisce.
  3552. >That was the first time he hadn't been with you.
  3553. >You even remember actually having a good conversation with those guys.
  3554. >Because you were his son, you pretty much were the main point of that night.
  3555. >...You actually remember feeling somewhat... accepted, because of it.
  3556. >It was the first time you felt you belonged in something.
  3557. >...Even if it was because of your sick father.
  3558. >You got drunk as shit, stayed even after everyone else left, telling everyone you just needed to think.
  3559. >Then the place closed, and you didn't ask about any cabs.
  3560. >...You remember being on the way to see him.
  3561. >How close you were to the hospital.
  3562. >...But it obviously wasn't close enough.
  3563. >A small shiver crawls down your back, and you just continue staring at the ceiling.
  3564. >You start thinking of Dad.
  3565. >You can't even conjure up any good memories on the fly, it having been so long.
  3566. >But the fact that you remembered his face was enough.
  3567. >It reminded you of the good he's done by you, instead of the times he did.
  3568.  
  3569. >You feel a familiar pressure in your nose.
  3570. >A lump forms in your throat.
  3571. >You softly gasp, letting your first tear roll down your cheek.
  3572. >You miss your dad.
  3573. >Thinking of the good is fine.
  3574. >...But you'd rather have your father back.
  3575. >And now you regret all the time you didn't spend with him.
  3576. >You should have finished and gotten that fucking degree.
  3577. >You didn't fulfill your part of the plan.
  3578. >He was going to be the psychiatrist, you were going to be the neurologist.
  3579. >You were going to work beside each other.
  3580. >You were going to have your own office.
  3581. >Work right alongside him.
  3582. >...You would have been able to help him, when he...
  3583. >You turn to your side and stare at the alarm clock on your nightstand, sobbing.
  3584. >You could have helped him.
  3585. >If you would've kept up with your damn studies, you COULD'VE helped him!!
  3586. >You remember what all his friends said.
  3587. >>"None of us saw it coming."
  3588. >>"There wasn't anything you could've done to prevent it."
  3589. >...But there was.
  3590. >And you just didn't do it- or anything, to.
  3591. >You feel yourself shaking.
  3592. >You're crying like a little kid.
  3593. >You're sniffling and shakily breathing and just being plain pathetic.
  3594. >And really, that's all you are, huh?
  3595. >Not even man enough to come to terms with your own feelings.
  3596. >-Until it's too late.
  3597. >Ruined everything good that came by you, every opportunity you've had to fix things.
  3598. >You've been given enough chances.
  3599. >-Hell, this place- Equestria, IS a chance?
  3600. >And what do you do?
  3601. >Drink things off and hide in your home.
  3602. >You do exactly what you did back on Earth, but with less paperwork.
  3603. >THIS time around, you're just being a lazy sack of shit.
  3604. >And you sure as hell don't deserve what you have, here.
  3605. >You look up at the window beside you.
  3606. >...You need some fucking air, right now.
  3607. >These girls can't help you.
  3608. >You don't even DESERVE their help.
  3609. >You slowly stand up from your bed and wipe your eyes.
  3610. >You walk over and pick up your hat.
  3611. >Your ONLY hat.
  3612. >...Your father's favorite.
  3613. >You throw it on your head.
  3614.  
  3615. >You walk over and open your window.
  3616. >You feel like some kind of rebellious teenager for this, but you know that the second you go out the door, you'll be bombarded with questions and not left alone.
  3617. >And that's exactly what you DON'T want, now.
  3618. >You hop out and, despite it being a second story building, land perfectly fine.
  3619. >Ponies didn't usually have any reason for high ceilings.
  3620. >Though you were still given plenty of room in your home, despite it not even being specially made or anything.
  3621. >The distance from the floor to the ceiling was eight feet, if you remember correctly.
  3622. >You refocus on the ground before you.
  3623. >You believe you remember where the park is from here.
  3624. >The sun makes your headache worse.
  3625. >And though you got your hat to avoid it, you really didn't give a shit how much it did.
  3626. >You walk from the side of your house over to the street and start walking from there.
  3627. >As per usual, the ponies there usually don't even look at you, and cringe or gasp when they do.
  3628. >You don't even bother to say or do anything about it.
  3629. >You're just used to it at this point.
  3630. >You'd figure after being here for four years though, that they'd just not give a damn, or finally come to terms with you being here.
  3631. >But you're pretty sure your presence here has sparked some kind of pony KKK to conspire against you in their basements.
  3632. >You sigh, then throw your hands into your pockets.
  3633. >You keep your eyes mostly on the ground, but high enough to see where you're going.
  3634. >You spot a sign pointing over to the park pretty quickly.
  3635. >You take a right and immediately see the park.
  3636. >Your house was practically on the edge of the town, furthest away from the Everfree and closer to Sweet Apple Acres.
  3637. >That made it a nice place to have a park.
  3638. >And the lower number of ponies made sure you weren't going to get stabbed anytime soon.
  3639. >Though probably soon enough.
  3640.  
  3641. >You continue towards the park.
  3642. >You think Ponyville had about five of them in this place.
  3643. >This one was the smallest, but it was the most peaceful.
  3644. >You simply had a birdbath, some benches, and trees.
  3645. >The other ones had these little playgrounds and stuff for the kids.
  3646. >-Which is probably why THIS one is so quiet.
  3647. >Kids would completely ruin that, if given the chance.
  3648. >Out of the three benches there, only one isn't occupied by an elderly couple.
  3649. >But it does have this weird blue pony there.
  3650. >You know that ponies have some pretty ridiculous colors, but this one is a mess of them.
  3651. >Orange stripe, white underside, black hooves, silvery tail.
  3652. >Looked like some kind of bird, honestly.
  3653. >You sigh and sit down beside her.
  3654. >She just continues staring at the birdbath a little ways from you.
  3655. >After about a minute, she turns to you.
  3656. >"...You don't happen to have a sandwich or something on you, would ya?"
  3657. >You softly shake your head, then just turn to stare at the ground.
  3658. >"Damnit."
  3659. >She flies away.
  3660. >...Did that pony just...?
  3661. >...Nah.
  3662. >You resume your staring, enjoying the soothing sound of birds and rushing water nearby.
  3663. >It does wonders to calm you down, but it doesn't help you out, much.
  3664. >You relax in your seat then stretch out, crossing your arms while you begin staring at the bird bath.
  3665. >...What did you even come out here to think about?
  3666. >What IS there to think about?
  3667. >You already covered how horrible a person you are, cried a bit-
  3668. >-What else is there to cover?
  3669. >You sigh.
  3670. >You guess it's just nice to be somewhere else, not being surrounded by ponies you barely even know, trying to ask about your personal life and shit.
  3671. >You hear hooves slowly approaching you, and turn.
  3672. >It's just an old mare.
  3673. >"You don't mind if I take a seat beside you, do you?"
  3674. >You sigh again, then nod.
  3675. >You're not sure what you were expecting to see.
  3676. >"Thank you, dearie."
  3677. >She walks over and just sits beside you.
  3678. >She doesn't even flinch, or freak out, or anything.
  3679.  
  3680. >You guess she's just too old to give a shit, or has seen everything, already.
  3681. >So you simply sit in silence.
  3682. >She sighs, then stares at the birdbath you are.
  3683. >She doesn't move, or talk, or anything.
  3684. >She just sits there, watching the birdbath.
  3685. >You glance at all the other old couples.
  3686. "...If you don't mind me asking, don't you have a husband or something?"
  3687. >Despite the shortage of guys in this place, old mares almost always had a husband or some kind of family with them.
  3688. >There weren't homes and shit like there were back home.
  3689. >She slowly turns to you.
  3690. >"Oh, my husband died three years ago."
  3691. >You suddenly feel retarded, and guilty.
  3692. >Why did you even ask something like that?
  3693. >How could you be so insensitive?
  3694. >The poor mare is-
  3695. >"-Oh, don't fret none, dear. Me and him had plenty of years to enjoy."
  3696. >You nod.
  3697. "Sorry, though."
  3698. >She shakes her head.
  3699. >"It's no bother. I like thinking about him."
  3700. >You simply nod, then turn back to the birdbath.
  3701. >There's another string of silence.
  3702. >"...Where's your marefriend? I don't see why a fellow as handsome as yourself would be without one."
  3703. >You feel yourself frown.
  3704. >Your eyes trail over to the ground.
  3705. "Well... I'm not exactly a stallion."
  3706. >She shakes her head.
  3707. >"That doesn't matter, dear- you're just as proper and well mannered as any stallion I've ever seen."
  3708. >You stay silent.
  3709. >"And true love doesn't care what you look like- it's what's inside, that counts. When a mare sees past that, it's how you know you've found the one."
  3710. >She laughs.
  3711. >"Hay, my husband was the ugliest stallion in the whole town when I met him- but it wasn't looks or special talents I was after. It was him- his charming personality, his way with words, the funny noises he'd make when he laughed... That's what made him special."
  3712. >You simply nod.
  3713. "Yeah, well, my love life's a bit complicated, I guess."
  3714. >God, you really DO sound like a teenager.
  3715. >She laughs.
  3716. >"You young folks wouldn't know complicated unless it came stomping through the town!"
  3717.  
  3718. >She continues laughing for a moment, then pats your shoulder with a hoof.
  3719. >"Love IS out there, dear. You just have to go out and find it."
  3720. >You stay silent.
  3721. >She sits back and relaxes again.
  3722. >You mull over her words.
  3723. >...You think of something.
  3724. >...Sweet Jesus, you can't believe you're about to do this.
  3725. "...What if... what if you already found love, but something happened before you did anything with it?"
  3726. >She pauses, then turns to you.
  3727. >"Well unless that love passed away in some crazy accident, you go after them! Troubles are a part of any relationship, even if you're already with the only pony you've ever dreamed of having. If it's true, then you'll be able to overcome anything, no matter how bad it may seem... And when you do overcome them, it makes the bond between you two that much stronger."
  3728. >She laughs.
  3729. >"There's some good granny wisdom for you- don't spend it all at once!"
  3730. >You smile and nod, then continue thinking.
  3731. >You give her words plenty of thought.
  3732. >You even catch yourself with your fist under your chin in a thoughtful stance.
  3733. >You suddenly feel something in yourself.
  3734. >Something... burning.
  3735. >-And it's thankfully not your heart.
  3736. >-You made a joke!
  3737. >That's a good sign.
  3738. >The feeling just grows stronger and stronger.
  3739. >...Determination.
  3740. >-And you didn't get it by staring at some shitty flowers in some shitty game.
  3741. >You feel yourself smiling.
  3742. >You turn to the mare and grin.
  3743. "Thank you so much."
  3744. >You hug her, and she just laughs again.
  3745. >"I knew there was a reason you were out here all alone. Now go and git her!"
  3746. >You nod, then get the fuck out of the park.
  3747. >You start pulling off a Usain Bolt back to your home.
  3748. >You can't help but smile like a retard the whole time.
  3749. >Your heart swells in excitement, and you suddenly can't even feel your horrible hangover anymore.
  3750. >-Though, it HAS been a few hours, so that's probably why.
  3751. >But you'd like to think that it's your change of heart, anyways.
  3752.  
  3753. >You dart around a corner and quickly remember how out of shape you still are.
  3754. >And also how every single pony on the street is just watching you run.
  3755. >-Fuck them.
  3756. >You're running for YOU-
  3757. >-Actually, no, not YOU.
  3758. >Spitfire.
  3759. >Just thinking of the name sends a jolt through you.
  3760. >There's no heart pain or shit involved in it.
  3761. >Your smile grows wider, and you spot your house.
  3762. >Thankfully, you don't remember locking the front door.
  3763. >You stop in front of it and immediately throw it open.
  3764. "-WHO CAN TAKE ME TO CLOUDSDALE?!"
  3765. >Everyone jumps and yelps.
  3766. >They were all waiting at the bottom of the stairs, minus Applejack, who was up there, knocking on your door.
  3767. >Applejack hops down.
  3768. >"Anon? How'd ya get out THERE?"
  3769. "I JUMPED THROUGH THE WINDOW, BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT!"
  3770. >"Sheesh, what's gotten YOU so worked up?"
  3771. "I'm going to go see Spitfire! Now someone take me to where she lives!"
  3772. >Twilight immediately snaps at attention and runs towards the door.
  3773. >"I'll call a carriage!"
  3774. >She hops out, spreads her wings, then darts off.
  3775. >Pinkie beams.
  3776. >"I'll start working on an 'Anon is happy now' party!"
  3777. >Applejack just walks over to you.
  3778. >"So... what's with the sudden change of heart?"
  3779. "Well mostly it was some random old lady talking to me- but I realized that what I had with Spitfire is the greatest thing to happen to me, and that I'm not just going to sit by and let it crumble apart."
  3780. >She manages a small smile.
  3781. >"That's real good thinkin', Anon."
  3782. >You simply nod.
  3783. >She slowly frowns.
  3784. >"-If that's your plan though, you really oughta think about cleaning up."
  3785. >Everyone nods.
  3786. >You look down at your shirt and notice all the sweat on it.
  3787. >Jesus Christ, it looks like you just spent an entire DAY running out in summer weather.
  3788. >-Fuckin' Equestria, man.
  3789. >You run over and immediately hop into the bathroom.
  3790. >You strip down and shit, then hop into the shower.
  3791. >You see your clothes get wrapped in a blue glow, then slide under the door.
  3792. >"I'll have these ready when you get out!"
  3793.  
  3794. >
  3795. >You hop out of the tub and sigh.
  3796. >You feel a lot better, now.
  3797. >And you're not covered in sweat anymore, which is a huge plus in your book.
  3798. >You wrap yourself with a towel and open the bathroom door.
  3799. >On the floor, now clean and neatly folded, are your clothes.
  3800. >Just the ones you started wearing, though.
  3801. >The rest are just hanging over on the couch.
  3802. >You grab the garments and hide back inside again.
  3803. >After a quick pat-drying, you jump into your white shirt and black slacks combo again.
  3804. >You slip your shoes on and walk out, feeling refreshed as dicks-
  3805. >-FUCK, you need to shave!
  3806. >You walk back in and grab your razor.
  3807. >They're the old school ones, too.
  3808. >It's literally just a blade.
  3809. >They have more modern ones, but they're all expensive as shit.
  3810. >And you still spent your entire life savings on a show, so...
  3811. >Yeah.
  3812. >You can't afford that shit.
  3813. >You dab shaving cream all over your face and go to town on that scruff.
  3814. >In practically three minutes, you're already done.
  3815. >You wash and wipe your face clean.
  3816. >And it's silky fuckin' smooth.
  3817. >You grin, go outside, and immediately get greeted by Twilight.
  3818. >"Quickly, the carriage is outside!"
  3819. "Do the ones flying know where they're going?"
  3820. >She nods, then smiles.
  3821. >You mirror it, then quickly hug her.
  3822. >You head on outside of the house.
  3823. >"Good luck, Anon!"
  3824. "-Won't need it!"
  3825. >...You hope.
  3826. >You walk outside your home and immediately see this open carriage thing, with two armored guys in front of it.
  3827. >-Damn, the Princess doesn't mess around.
  3828. >It looks royal as shit.
  3829. >You climb aboard, and immediately, they start moving.
  3830. >You practically get thrown out of the fucking thing, but manage to catch the sides.
  3831. >They're fucking hauling ass.
  3832. >They have you in this weird slanted angle that just scares you even more than it should.
  3833. >You spot Cloudsdale in the distance.
  3834. >From what you've heard, the place kinda just orbits Canterlot, and is pushed around it by wind and shit.
  3835. >But it's a mystery how it doesn't just fly the fuck away.
  3836.  
  3837. >But as of now, it's right next to Ponyville.
  3838. >Like RIGHT next to it.
  3839. >Just next to the train station.
  3840. >And you already live pretty close to the train station.
  3841. >You're just glad the thing doesn't whistle so much.
  3842. >You wouldn't be able to stand that crap.
  3843. >Soon enough, you're up in the city, and the stallions slow down.
  3844. >Ponies are flying to and fro, and it looks like they have some sort of traffic system going on in here.
  3845. >You look at the city for a second, then shrink down once you see the ground below.
  3846. >God you fucking hate heights.
  3847. >You stay at the bottom of the seat, just watching the sky above and a few ponies or buildings pass by.
  3848. >The damn ride seems to take an hour, and you're shocked when it finally just stops.
  3849. >You peek your head out and see a big cloud mansion thing in front of you.
  3850. >Holy shit, Spitfire lives HERE?
  3851. >This thing could fit your house like, eight times inside of it.
  3852. >She really wasn't kidding when she said she was well off.
  3853. >You look at the cloud before you and frown.
  3854. >You put one leg out and test the cloud.
  3855. >Jesus, this thing doesn't seem sturdy at all...
  3856. "I-is this thing safe to step on?"
  3857. >One of the guards shakes his head.
  3858. >"You'll fall right through that."
  3859. "...Then what the fuck am I supposed to do, here? Stare at the fucking thing?"
  3860. >The other guard groans, then tilts the thing back, making you fall in.
  3861. >They both fly over to the front door, and you just look around for something to step on.
  3862. "Jesus, is there ANYWHERE I can fucking step without falling and dying?"
  3863. >One shrugs.
  3864. >"The inside is the only place safe enough for a non-Pegasus pony."
  3865. "-Well that's a load of shit! Why can't they put like, a damn sidewalk or something on the outside?"
  3866. >And have less pillars.
  3867. >-Seriously, why the hell is that a thing, here?
  3868. >It's like fucking Rome.
  3869. >Then you spot a very small, solid looking part in front of the door.
  3870. >Pretty much like a welcome mat type thing.
  3871. >You reach over and tap it.
  3872. >It seems solid.
  3873. >You put more pressure.
  3874. >Good.
  3875.  
  3876. >You test the waters again with your leg.
  3877. >Goddamn it, this better work.
  3878. "This thing IS solid, right?"
  3879. >Both guards shrug.
  3880. >Goddamn it.
  3881. >Okay, okay, you can do this.
  3882. >You put as much pressure with your leg as your can.
  3883. >It still appears to be good.
  3884. >You take a deep breath, then hop out onto it.
  3885. >You scream and shield your eyes.
  3886. >...Then you notice you're not moving.
  3887. >You look around and grin.
  3888. >The thing IS solid.
  3889. >Good to fucking know.
  3890. >"Not going to lie, but I kind of thought he was going to to fall."
  3891. >"Yeah, me too."
  3892. >You just glare at them.
  3893. >"-Hey, it's not like we weren't ready to catch you."
  3894. >You simply sigh, then slowly stand up.
  3895. >You turn and face the door, which just has a single, small, golden "S" on it.
  3896. >You feel that jolt inside of you again, and you suddenly only have one thing on your mind.
  3897. >-Or one pony, rather.
  3898. >You spot a small dot next to the door and press it.
  3899. >"...Nngh, whosit?"
  3900. >You smile, and the door opens.
  3901. >You look down, and in front of you is none other than Spitfire.
  3902. >-And holy SHIT, does she look bad.
  3903. >Her mane is down and frizzled, her eyes have bags under them and are bloodshot, a few feathers on her right wing are bent, and she has a bandaid on her left cheek.
  3904. >...But she's still as beautiful as ever.
  3905. >She looks up at you, and her eyes go wide.
  3906. >"A-Anonymous? What ar-"
  3907. >You hug and pull her in for a kiss, left arm supporting her rump, and your right holding her back.
  3908. >She instinctively pushes your chest with a hoof, then relaxes and slowly wraps all her hooves around you.
  3909. >Front hooves around your neck, hind legs around your waist.
  3910. >And because you're by no means an experienced kisser, you merely replicate what Spitfire had done to you yesterday.
  3911. >You brush your tongue against hers, and she returns it full force.
  3912. >She pulls you in as much as she can, then lets out a small moan.
  3913. >She uses her weight to push you against the doorframe and moans again.
  3914. >Seconds later, you both pull away, now out of breath.
  3915.  
  3916. >Her face is horribly red, and her tongue is now hanging out.
  3917. >Out of your peripherals, you can see the looks on the two guards holding the carriage.
  3918. >One is just completely shocked, and the other one looks stupidly jealous.
  3919. >Spitfire just smiles.
  3920. >"W-wh-I..."
  3921. "-Yesterday when I ran off, I did a lot of thinking in a short time, and I realized, that if there's anyone I'd ever want to call my special somepony, it'd be you."
  3922. >Her smile widens.
  3923. >The amount of joy you feel just from seeing her lips curl upwards is indescribable.
  3924. >"I... I remembered how well things were going before... With the way you ran off, I... I thought I had just ruined all of that..."
  3925. >She awkwardly laughs.
  3926. >"In fact, that's really ALL I remember. That, and getting the taxi over here."
  3927. "...Taxi?"
  3928. >She just nods.
  3929. >"I really shouldn't have flown that night. Crashed into a tree almost immediately, and I had to go walking around to find a cab that could take me up here."
  3930. "Ouch."
  3931. >She simply nods again.
  3932. >There's a small silence between the two of you.
  3933. >You awkwardly rub the back of your neck.
  3934. "So, uh... it IS okay between the two of us, right?"
  3935. >She just gives you a deadpan look.
  3936. >"Anon, we just finished making out in front of two Royal Guards. What do you think?"
  3937. "...Maybe?"
  3938. >She giggles and pushes you against the doorframe again.
  3939. >She leans into your ear with a whisper.
  3940. >"Well then... maybe you just need a bit more... convincing."
  3941. >You push yourself off the wall and pin her on the opposite side.
  3942. "I'm liking the sound of that."
  3943. >She giggles.
  3944. >"-Takin' charge, huh? I like it~"
  3945. >"-U-uh, Mr. Anonymous? We, ah, kind of have to go in a little bit..."
  3946. >-Fuck.
  3947. >You actually forgot those guys were even there...
  3948. "So then... second date?"
  3949. >She puts a hoof to her chin, pretending to be deep in thought.
  3950. >"...Well, I MIGHT be able to pencil you in somewhere."
  3951. >And now it's your turn to give a deadpan expression.
  3952. >"How does right now sound? ...Good?"
  3953. >You nod and smile.
  3954. >She mirrors it.
  3955. >"Great."
  3956.  
  3957. >You cradle her in your arms and walk outside of the house, onto the little platform.
  3958. >You close her door, then lean over and put her in the carriage.
  3959. >Then you go in afterwards, trying your damndest not to think about the huge fucking plunge into certain doom below.
  3960. >You hop in and sit, then Spitfire snuggles close to you.
  3961. "You're awfully mushy right now. Are you drunk?"
  3962. >She nods.
  3963. >"Just a little... I'm just... happy, right now. I'm glad you came back for me..."
  3964. >You smile and wrap an arm around her.
  3965. "Yeah, me too."
  3966. >There's a nice silence between the both of you as the carriage takes to the air.
  3967. >The only thing on your mind at the moment is just how... complete you feel, now.
  3968. >And to think that just a few hours ago, you thought that the bottom end of a bottle made you complete.
  3969. >You feel like everything is now right with the world.
  3970. >It's a feeling you can't really describe that well.
  3971. >The best way you can try to, is to say that you're happy as shit, and in turn, everything you think about makes you happy as shit.
  3972. >Your dad is one thing, for example.
  3973. >You now only find yourself thinking about all the good times you've had with him, even if a few.
  3974. >How much you enjoyed his company, and how much you enjoyed working IN his company.
  3975. >You smile.
  3976. >Thank Christ for wise old people.
  3977. >"So then, Anon... Where are we going for this date? And how the hay did you get the Royal Guard to pull us around?"
  3978. >You blink and continue watching the sky beside her.
  3979. "Well, Dash decided to bring all her friends around when she saw how sad I looked, and, well, Twilight's a Princess."
  3980. >"Wait, Twilight? You mean that purple unicorn friend of hers?"
  3981. >You nod.
  3982. >"Huh. That's something."
  3983. >You nod again.
  3984. "And as for where we're going... I have no idea, but wherever forty bits can feed us, because I'm pretty much broke."
  3985. >"What? Why?"
  3986. "Well last night, I really didn't bother looking at the bill, and kinda just threw fifty bits on the table, and the OTHER fifty bits went to a bar..."
  3987.  
  3988. >You laugh.
  3989. "And my entire life's savings went to seeing you backstage."
  3990. >"What? Seriously?"
  3991. >You nod.
  3992. "Every. Last. Bit."
  3993. >She pauses, then just nods.
  3994. >"-Yeah, I can see that. We were just used to having rich Canterlot ponies around..."
  3995. "I can tell..."
  3996. >You smile.
  3997. "At least I got something even better out of it, though."
  3998. >You ruffle her mane.
  3999. >She giggles.
  4000. >-God, that's so fucking cute.
  4001. >You'll never get enough of that shit.
  4002. >"Well then I'll pay, this time. We'll go somewhere NICE, this time."
  4003. "-Hey, that Griffon place was pretty nice!"
  4004. >"For a meat-eater like YOU, maybe!"
  4005. "Hey, I don't HAVE to eat meat, remember? It just reminded me of a place back home. It was nice."
  4006. >She nods.
  4007. >"But we're going someplace even BETTER. It's this restaurant in Ponyville that supposedly has really great food."
  4008. "-Supposedly."
  4009. >"Supposedly."
  4010. "...Well, is it a high end, fancy place?"
  4011. >She shrugs.
  4012. >"All I chose to hear was 'good food'."
  4013. >You laugh.
  4014. "-Yup, I definitely made the right choice here."
  4015. >You pull her closer and start petting her chest fluff.
  4016. >She blushes madly.
  4017. >One of the guards looks back and sees you just casually petting her.
  4018. >He gasps and just stares straight forward.
  4019. >...Is there really something you're not getting here?
  4020. >-Oh god, is this like the wing thing?!
  4021. >Wait...
  4022. >...Is this like the wing thing?
  4023. >-Speaking of wings...
  4024. >You glance over at hers.
  4025. >You feel kinda bad thinking that she had crashed yesterday...
  4026. >...But it's nothing you can't... fix.
  4027. >With your right arm- or the one wrapped around her, you reach over and start massaging her wing.
  4028. >She gasps, and her blushing intensifies.
  4029. >"A-Anon, are you-"
  4030. "I know exactly what I'm doing. Just relax.
  4031.  
  4032. >She tries to relax, but her wings go stiff.
  4033. >Alright, time to put that natural human dexterity to work!
  4034. >You stroke a feather, and she gasps.
  4035. >You grin.
  4036. "So then... you gonna tell me which places are the most sensitive here, or am I going to find that out for myself?"
  4037. >You rub the base of her wing.
  4038. >"-Mmph..."
  4039. >She instinctively leans over you, giving better access to them.
  4040. >"-A-Anon, w-we shouldn't- not here-"
  4041. "-Worried about the guards?"
  4042. >You lean into her ear.
  4043. "...It's okay. Let them watch..."
  4044. >Her face grows stupidly red.
  4045. >-Man, this lewd talking business is actually pretty fun.
  4046. >No wonder she does it so much.
  4047. >You spot the bent feathers.
  4048. "Ooh crap. Before anything, those feathers have to come out, don't they?"
  4049. >She looks at her wing, then nods.
  4050. >You should probably do that, then.
  4051. >"I should probably do it soon, too, before-"
  4052. >You pull all the broken ones out, then toss them out of the carriage.
  4053. >-Oh good, you were right about it not hurting.
  4054. >So that means that the spots holding feathers are sensitive, and not the actual feathers themselves.
  4055. >...Duh.
  4056. >Why'd you think different?
  4057. >Well, it's good to know, for the future.
  4058. >She just looks at you.
  4059. >"Wow, that was really fast. How'd you do that?"
  4060. >You just wiggle your fingers and smile.
  4061. "...You wanna see what else they can do?"
  4062. >She doesn't even think, and just viciously nods, blush deepening once again.
  4063. >-Jesus, what a lewd pony.
  4064. >You go back to the base of her wing and massage it again.
  4065. >She bites her lip and glances up at you for a second.
  4066. >"You better not stop."
  4067. "Yes, ma'am."
  4068. >You grab her right wing with both hands and slowly start pushing in with your thumbs.
  4069. >It's a bit like kneading dough, but instead you're using your thumbs over everything else.
  4070. >...Though, you're pretty sure dough doesn't get aroused, or make noises when you mess with it.
  4071. >You move up the base, trying to find anymore sensitive spots.
  4072.  
  4073. >You go over the actual beginning of her wings, and she jerks a bit.
  4074. >It's the part where her wings are connected, so to speak.
  4075. >You're not familiar with bird terminology.
  4076. >You slowly rub it with your thumbs, and she squeaks.
  4077. >"Y-yeah, r-right there."
  4078. >One of the guards looks back and gasps.
  4079. >The expression on his face is priceless.
  4080. >He looks like he just walked in on his grandma giving head or some shit.
  4081. >-Oh dear god, now you have that image stuck in your head.
  4082. >You internally cringe into the nth dimension.
  4083. >You focus back on the adorable pony in your arms, and mindlessly continue rubbing.
  4084. >You see one of her hind legs twitch.
  4085. "-Spitfire, have I ever told you how adorable you are?"
  4086. >Before she can say anything, you move your left arm over and start petting her belly.
  4087. >She sighs, then shifts her head to lie right under your chin.
  4088. >You kiss the top of her head, getting a small giggle in response.
  4089. >Then you continue rubbing her wings.
  4090. >Her giggle quickly turns into a stifled moan.
  4091. >God, she's like putty in your hands.
  4092. >You pick up the pace and just start vigorously massaging them.
  4093. >You made sure it's not hard enough to hurt, but definitely enough to feel.
  4094. >-Though, you can't really tell, because, you know, no wings.
  4095. >But the point still stands.
  4096. >"Mmmf, yes, keep doing that!"
  4097. >You move your left arm and start multi-tasking shit, doing both wings at the same time.
  4098. >"-Hahh~"
  4099. >The other guard turns and gives you the most disturbed look you've ever seen in your entire life.
  4100. >It's fucking hilarious.
  4101. >You just grin, then continue your wing-job.
  4102. >-That's pretty much what it is, right?
  4103. >You mentally shrug, then continue your stroking.
  4104. >One of her hind legs kicks again.
  4105.  
  4106. >You can feel her heartbeat quickening.
  4107. >She starts softly panting.
  4108. >"D-d-don't stop..."
  4109. >Her tail swishes from side to side.
  4110. >It flicks at you.
  4111. >-Why does it always do that?
  4112. >It's like a damn whip to your face.
  4113. "Ow."
  4114. >Spitfire doesn't even say or do anything.
  4115. >-Well, besides pant, of course.
  4116. >She's doing plenty of that.
  4117. >You look to the sky and see how close you are to your house.
  4118. >Oh shit, kick it into high gear!
  4119. >Along with the kneading, you throw in a little circular movement, like you're using a screwdriver or something.
  4120. >Her leg starts kicking.
  4121. >It's like something akin to a dog.
  4122. >A VERY excited, bright yellow dog.
  4123. >-Huh, you're pretty sure you've already used that analogy before...
  4124. >She pushes herself against you and just rests her back on your chest.
  4125. >She's starting to get really fidgety.
  4126. >"Mmm... ohhh jeez..."
  4127. >Her back arches slightly, and her panting just becomes heavy breathing with a few whining noises thrown in.
  4128. >The guards share awkward glances and continue staring forward.
  4129. >You see your home in the distance.
  4130. >She pushes herself against you further, then wraps a hoof around your neck to hold onto you.
  4131. >She's pretty much got you locked in an RKO position, her head resting on your left shoulder, and her right hoof holding you.
  4132. >"Aah, oh, A-Anon~"
  4133. >She just closes her eyes and continues softly whispering your name for a few seconds.
  4134. >-Fuck, the house is right there-
  4135. >"Ahh, A-Anon!!"
  4136. >She tenses up.
  4137. >You can feel your pants get soaked.
  4138. >-Oh shit, you're not wearing the stain resistant ones Rarity made you!
  4139. >...Fuck.
  4140. >Spitfire relaxes and sighs, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she pants and tries recovering.
  4141. >"That... that was amazing..."
  4142. >-Well, now that you knew what the hell you were doing, you'd imagine.
  4143. >The guards land and just stare ahead.
  4144. >"Y-you can go, now..."
  4145.  
  4146. >You try to stand and notice that she's not budging.
  4147. >She lazily holds her hooves up.
  4148. >"Carry me."
  4149. >You sigh and grin.
  4150. "Only because it's you."
  4151. >She wraps her hooves around your neck, and you cradle her in your arms.
  4152. >You look at a guard, who's merely looking at you through his peripherals.
  4153. "Thanks for the ride."
  4154. >He just nods, and you step off with Spitfire.
  4155. >They immediately haul ass away from you both, blushing furiously and sweating a bit.
  4156. >You feel a hoof softly rubbing your neck.
  4157. >"So... want me to return the favor?"
  4158. >Your eyes widen, and you viciously nod.
  4159. >Weird how just yesterday you'd of completely dropped the idea.
  4160. >Now, you can't deny how much Anon Jr. approves of it.
  4161. >She grins and adjusts herself in your arms again, hind legs hanging just below your waist and front hooves still hanging around your neck.
  4162. >On your stomach, just below your belly button, you can feel a little wet spot.
  4163. >Something seeping into your clothing.
  4164. >Looks like she approves, too.
  4165. >You adjust her in your arms again, holding an arm under her rump with your left.
  4166. >You feel your heart starting to race.
  4167. >Oh shit, this is it.
  4168. >Y-you...
  4169. >You're actually gonna...
  4170. >You're gonna do... THAT.
  4171. >You can't even hide how inexperienced you are about the whole thing.
  4172. >Sure, you've seen videos- PLENTY of videos, but you don't actually KNOW anything about...
  4173. >-Well, maybe she didn't mean THAT, exactly?
  4174. >She whines and slightly grinds against you.
  4175. >-No, she did.
  4176. >-And now you're just feeling horribly inadequate.
  4177. >Yesterday, you said you couldn't even SEE yourself doing this ever, in your entire life, and literally a day later, you're about to.
  4178. >-What if you fuck it up somehow?
  4179. >-Why did you even say YES?!
  4180. >You don't know how to do this crap!
  4181. "S-Spitfire?"
  4182. >"Hmm?"
  4183. "I'm gonna be honest... I don't know the first thing about doing... you know..."
  4184. >She smiles.
  4185. >"Me neither. So..."
  4186. >She leans into your ear.
  4187. >"-Let's figure it out together."
  4188. >-Jesus Christ, your face is on fucking fire.
  4189. "O-okay..."
  4190.  
  4191. >She grinds against you again.
  4192. >Your heart is going fast enough to break the sound barrier.
  4193. >You slowly walk over to the door, and she pulls you in for a kiss.
  4194. >You feel some kind of primal urge kicking in.
  4195. >The kinda shit you've heard about in stories and such.
  4196. >It's a very strong feeling.
  4197. >Like you're unable to focus on anything but the pony in your arms.
  4198. >Just, pure lust.
  4199. >The kiss is wet and sloppy as hell.
  4200. >Your tongues are pretty much having a thumb war, just, uh, minus the thumbs.
  4201. >You both turn the thing into a little game, trying to pin the other's tongue down.
  4202. >Hers is a lot longer than yours, actually.
  4203. >Not retardedly long, but you're pretty sure long enough to touch the top of her nose.
  4204. >You push her against the front door of your house, using both arms to hold yourself away from it.
  4205. >Her hind legs don't wrap around your waist anymore, and just sit there while she continues kissing you, heart racing just as quickly as yours.
  4206. >Your left arm instinctively leaves the door and moves under her rump, squeezing just a bit.
  4207. >She breaks the kiss, still touching her muzzle to your face.
  4208. >You both pant, sharing a few deep breaths and a quick peck every few seconds.
  4209. >You don't care what you do or don't know.
  4210. >Even if you do it right here on this door.
  4211. >You want her- no, you NEED her, right here, right now.
  4212. >You pull her into another long, passionate kiss.
  4213. >You squeeze her rump just a bit more, getting an adorable squeak in response.
  4214. >No more waiting, now.
  4215. >It's time to make this happen.
  4216. >You take her off the door, never pausing the kiss, and open your front door.
  4217. >You step inside and move slowly in the darkness towards the stairs-
  4218. >"-SURPRISE!"
  4219. >-OH FUCK WHAT?!
  4220. >A light flips on and all the blinds are opened, revealing the Elements of Harmony, which were still in your house.
  4221. >You completely forgot that they even EXISTED, honestly.
  4222. >And now they were all here in your house.
  4223. >You and Spitfire quickly break and just freeze.
  4224. >Nobody moves.
  4225.  
  4226. >They all just stare.
  4227. >You stare at them staring.
  4228. >Flutter-something faints.
  4229. >Then you notice that your left leg and stomach is just soaked.
  4230. "Uuuh... I, uh... forgot that you guys were here..."
  4231. >"...Ah'll say."
  4232. >You gently place Spitfire on the ground beside you.
  4233. >She gives an awkward wave.
  4234. >"H-hi, everypony. U-um... Princess Twilight..."
  4235. >She bows.
  4236. >Twilight just rubs her neck with a hoof and forces a smile.
  4237. >"Sooo... you're Captain Spitfire?"
  4238. >She shuffles a bit, then slowly nods, forced smiles all around.
  4239. >"Uh huh... That's... that's me..."
  4240. >You notice all the balloons and decorations hung around the house.
  4241. "...Heh, these are, uh... nice..."
  4242. >Pinkie slowly nods, cheeks flushed to all hell.
  4243. >There's a long moment of silence.
  4244. >There's some small shuffling between everyone.
  4245. >You sigh.
  4246. "Okay, screw this. We're all adults here, and we all know what just happened. Let's just put this behind us, now? Happy times?"
  4247. >Rarity points at you.
  4248. >-Or more specifically, your pants.
  4249. "-BEHIND us."
  4250. >She just slowly nods.
  4251. >Twilight nods, then looks at everyone else.
  4252. >"Y-yes, Anon's right. We're all adults here, and we should just move past... that..."
  4253. >Everyone slowly starts moving, shaking off the awkwardness of the situation.
  4254. >"Yeah, Ah'll just pretend I didn't see all that."
  4255. >"The most important part is that Anon's happy now, no?"
  4256. >Rarity turns to you.
  4257. >You just smile.
  4258. >"Y-yeah, maybe a bit TOO happy."
  4259. >Rainbow just glances at Anon Jr. then walks over to the kitchen.
  4260. >You slowly move your hands over in embarrassment.
  4261. >Flutter is still passed out.
  4262. >"W-we still have cake!"
  4263. >Pinkie hops over into the kitchen with Dash.
  4264. >"Cake, everypony!"
  4265. >Everyone takes a moment, then recovers and heads over to the kitchen.
  4266. >Except for Flutter.
  4267. >...Flutter... butter.
  4268. >-Who cares?
  4269. >You sigh and turn to Spitfire.
  4270. >You were just cockblocked by Dash's friends.
  4271. >She looks up at you and winks.
  4272. >"We'll definitely have to make that up sometime."
  4273. >You smile, then nod.
  4274. >You're still shaken up.
  4275.  
  4276. >You were hoping your words would just got the six off your back, but you can't believe that just happened.
  4277. >Seriously, how the hell did you forget about the SIX in your own HOUSE?
  4278. >And you were so close to...
  4279. >...Goddamn...
  4280. >Well, you're pretty sure that'll stay with you for the rest of your life.
  4281. >You're also pretty sure that Dash will try making it a joke while it's still awkward for everyone.
  4282. >"-Anon, you coming?"
  4283. >...Horrible choice of words...
  4284. >You look up at Spitfire, then slowly nod.
  4285. "Y-yeah, I'm coming."
  4286. >You cringe.
  4287. >You walk over to the kitchen and see the cake on the table.
  4288. >It's got Spitfire's color scheme, and is chocolate.
  4289. >Neat.
  4290. >A big, yellow rectangle, with orange icing.
  4291. >...You wonder what would have happened, had you come back alone...
  4292. >This all would have crushed you.
  4293. >-Hell, just thinking about something crushing you is crushing you.
  4294. >Poor alternative universe Anon...
  4295. >You blink when a plate is levitated in front of your face.
  4296. "Thanks, Twilight."
  4297. >She nods, and walks over to you.
  4298. >"So... did YOU want a quick memory-wiping spell, too?"
  4299. >You instinctively shake your head, confused.
  4300. >She knows how to wipe memories?
  4301. >...That's kinda... weird.
  4302. >And scary.
  4303. >"-Oh, don't worry, Anon. It only works if the pony getting it is willing to."
  4304. >And you guess that showed on you.
  4305. >You slowly nod, then look over at everyone.
  4306. >They're all chatting and smiling now like nothing's happened.
  4307. >-Well, because technically nothing HAD happened, in their minds.
  4308. "...Where did you even learn to do that?"
  4309. >She shrugs.
  4310. >"I don't know. But I did."
  4311. >-Of course she wouldn't remember.
  4312. >"But the only ones that haven't gotten it is obviously you, Captain Spitfire, and Rainbow."
  4313. >-Rainbow.
  4314. >That...
  4315. >Jesus Christ, she'll never let that down...
  4316.  
  4317. >"-Oh, and me, obviously. So if your answer's no, you won't be able to ask later, because I won't remember this."
  4318. >You just nod.
  4319. >A memory spell...
  4320. >Can't say how many times that would have been useful back home.
  4321. >Especially on your twenty first birthday.
  4322. "I'm good, Twilight."
  4323. >"Oookay."
  4324. >She just stares at the wall, and her horn lights up for a split second.
  4325. >Then she looks up at you and smiles.
  4326. >"Enjoying the party, Anon?"
  4327. >You awkwardly smile.
  4328. >-Damn, that spell IS quick.
  4329. >Did she seriously do that to the three of her friends when you had blanked out earlier?
  4330. >"-That's good!"
  4331. >You nod.
  4332. >She levitates a plate over to you, then stops when she sees the one already in your hands.
  4333. >"Oh..."
  4334. >Pinkie hops over to you, while Twilight just stares at the plate in your possession with a confused look.
  4335. >"So how you likin' the party, 'Nonny?"
  4336. >You force a smile.
  4337. >This is too weird.
  4338. >Did they seriously just forget what transpired a minute ago?
  4339. >Just like that?
  4340. "It's, uh, great, Pinkie!"
  4341. >She gasps.
  4342. >"-EVERYPONY, 'NONNY'S STILL SAD!"
  4343. >They all snap to you.
  4344. "-W-what? No, I'm fine!"
  4345. >"NO YOU AREN'T, YOU'RE HORRIBLE AT LYING!"
  4346. >...Well, shit.
  4347. >They really DID have all their minds wiped.
  4348. >...How would you even explain to them that what they forgot is what's currently bothering you the most?
  4349. "Uhh, I, uh..."
  4350. >"-SPILL THE BEANS, ANON!"
  4351. >"-Pinkie! Trying to force him to talk like that will make him NOT want to talk to us at all!"
  4352. >You look over at Spitfire.
  4353. >She shrugs, chewing on her piece of cake.
  4354. >Rarity gasps.
  4355. >"What is all THAT? I just finished washing those perfectly!"
  4356. >She points at the wet spots on your leg and stomach.
  4357. "I-I-I uh..."
  4358. >Now Spitfire looks worried.
  4359. >"-Oh, uh, it was, uh... air sickness! Yeah, he threw up all over himself the way here."
  4360. >You frown.
  4361. >She just shrugs again.
  4362. >...Well, it's better than anything you could have come up with.
  4363. >But goddamn, she's just as bad at this as you apparently are.
  4364.  
  4365. "Y-yeah, I threw up everywhere. That's why I'm sad."
  4366. >You finish it off by hanging your head and staring at the floor, trying to hide your face from them.
  4367. >"-Then what are you even doing HERE? Go clean up, dear!"
  4368. >You look up and see everyone donning looks of sympathy.
  4369. >-Everyone besides Spitfire, obviously, and Rainbow, who is just currently snickering, enjoying your suffering.
  4370. >-Damn it, Rainbow.
  4371. "Y-yeah, s-sorry..."
  4372. >You quickly fuck off into the bathroom.
  4373. >-Well, it looks like memory spells don't mean shit, anymore...
  4374. >You sigh and drop the cake you forgot you had beside the sink.
  4375. >Then you hop into the suit Rarity made.
  4376. >Thankfully, it had been cleaned and hung by her.
  4377. >You grab your plate of cake.
  4378. >When you leave the bathroom, you see a worried Twilight.
  4379. >-Oh shit, does this actually have something to do with-
  4380. >"Feeling any better, Anon? I probably understand air sickness better than everypony else here..."
  4381. >She awkwardly laughs.
  4382. "...U-uh, y-yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Twilight."
  4383. >Goddamn it, why do you stutter when lying so much?
  4384. >She nods and smiles.
  4385. >-Wait, did you actually lie about how you're feeling?
  4386. >And SUCCEED?
  4387. >...Holy shit, you did!
  4388. >They actually all just think you're sick!
  4389. >-Though they are right.
  4390. >You're just not sick in the way THEY'RE thinking...
  4391. >You shudder.
  4392. >You still can't believe that happened...
  4393. >God, and you were just so...
  4394. >-Just, that horrible urge, a-and...
  4395. >...Sweet Jesus...
  4396. >Your thoughts are interrupted when you see Spitfire being pushed towards the front door by Rarity.
  4397. >"I simply CANNOT allow you to go without the proper wear, dear! I'll have you fixed up in no time!"
  4398. >She shoots you a confused look.
  4399. >"-Ooh, maybe we can squeeze in a spa treatment!"
  4400. >Then they both leave.
  4401. >...A spa treatment actually sounds like it'd be nice.
  4402. >You'll seriously have to pay Rarity back, somehow.
  4403. >She's too generous.
  4404. >You walk back into the kitchen.
  4405.  
  4406. >The minute you walk into the kitchen, you notice that the cake is half gone, now.
  4407. >And you're pretty sure Pinkie's going to get diabeetus from eating the way she does.
  4408. >You finally fork a piece of cake into your mouth.
  4409. >Holy fucking shit, this is good.
  4410. >"So Anon, how'd you get a pony like SPITFIRE to take a likin' to you?"
  4411. >You turn to Applejack.
  4412. "I meth her ath a thow."
  4413. >"...Pardon?"
  4414. >You finish the cake and smile.
  4415. "Met her at a show. I had backstage passes. Rainbow was there."
  4416. >The mare in question springs up and beams.
  4417. >"IT. WAS. AWESOME!"
  4418. "-Not for my retirement fund."
  4419. >Twilight gets into the conversation.
  4420. >"You met at one of her shows?"
  4421. >You nod.
  4422. "-Seriously though, I'm not lying when I say it costed my entire savi-"
  4423. >"-What'd you talk about?"
  4424. >"How DID you start talking?"
  4425. >Jesus, one question at a time...
  4426. "...Well, uh, she had just asked her what I thought about the show, and I said it was alright, then Rainbow got all pissed because I wasn't hyped up and giddy like she was-"
  4427. >"HEY."
  4428. "-Hey yourself, it's true! And seriously though, my WHOLE RETIRE-"
  4429. >"-And after that?"
  4430. >-Jesus Christ.
  4431. >Guess these ponies don't care much for your future.
  4432. >You gonna be homeless at this rate.
  4433. >...Maybe Pinkie would be willing to throw some 'Anon's a deadbeat and needs food' parties?
  4434. "Well, after I told her that, this Soarin' guy comes by and-"
  4435. >"-You met SOARIN', too?!"
  4436. >-Sweet Jesus, calm down Twilight.
  4437. >Seriously, she seemed perfectly fine when Spitfire was here.
  4438. >Now she just looks ready to spill spaghetti everywhere.
  4439. "Yes, I met and talked to him, then he invited me to go to a bar with them."
  4440. >Twilight sits down and just beams, hanging onto your every word.
  4441. >Seriously, where's this coming from?
  4442.  
  4443. "And at the bar, Dash went with everyone else, and I was on the stools with Spitfire."
  4444. >Pinkie hops over and mimics Twilight.
  4445. >-Like, perfectly.
  4446. >When Twilight rubs her muzzle, Pinkie does the exact same thing perfectly.
  4447. >It's freaky.
  4448. "So we barely talked, I had a buncha drinks, she got drunk, and I offered that she stay at my house..."
  4449. >You drift off at the last part.
  4450. >...That was a really busy night...
  4451. >Spaghetti, getting your nose broken, wing jobs...
  4452. >-Definitely more exciting than anything else you've ever done drunk.
  4453. >Except that one time you broke into that abandoned mall in college.
  4454. >But, well, that turned sour really quickly.
  4455. >Needless to say, that was the last time you drank in college.
  4456. >...That was also the last time you were able to call yourself a PART of a college.
  4457. >You softly sigh.
  4458. >"And what happened there?"
  4459. >You shrug.
  4460. "Most of it was a blur, but the next day I had a date with her."
  4461. >An extremely vivid blur.
  4462. >Twilight just nods, slightly disappointed.
  4463. >...You're guessing she was expecting more action or some shit.
  4464. >More movie-type stuff, with car chases and gunfights and shit.
  4465. >But despite, you know, being the big celebrity she is, Spitfire is pretty fucking laid back.
  4466. >...Or, from what you've seen.
  4467. >You know, it's still only been what, three, four days?
  4468. >-Man, so much has happened in these few days, though.
  4469. >Nothing compared to the crazy-ass 'friendship quests' these six would go on, but still.
  4470. >And to think that the ones you've gone on, you hadn't even talked to these six that much.
  4471. >You felt like some kind of mascot or some shit, or some kind of background character, maybe giving a few words or wisdom or getting trapped in some shit, but otherwise silent.
  4472. >...But really, they were the ones always needing help.
  4473. >And it's not your fault you're resistant to magic.
  4474. >-Oh shit, you ARE resistant to magic!
  4475. >...Good thing you didn't get any cloud-walking spells beforehand.
  4476.  
  4477. >"So..."
  4478. >Pinkie crawls over to you.
  4479. >-Like, seriously, crawls.
  4480. >It's fucking creepy.
  4481. >She climbs up your shoulder and leans into your ear.
  4482. >"Have you done... the naughty stuff?"
  4483. "U-uh, n-no..."
  4484. >You're pretty sure wings count, though...
  4485. >...PREEETTY sure.
  4486. >"Are you suuure?"
  4487. >She flashes a sultry grin.
  4488. >Jesus.
  4489. "Even if I did, why do you want to know so badly?"
  4490. >Her expression instantly changes.
  4491. >-And you REALLY mean instantly.
  4492. >It's like an animation missing ten frames in between faces.
  4493. >Weird.
  4494. >"So I can update your file, silly!"
  4495. >She pulls a folder out of her mane.
  4496. >It has your driver's license photo clipped on it, and your full name on the little tab in black marker.
  4497. >-What the fuc-
  4498. >She stuffs it back into her hair.
  4499. >It's practically eaten up.
  4500. >...You really want to limit the amount of time you spend with this one, now.
  4501. "Well, w-we haven't done anything..."
  4502. >"-You're lying- that's a yes!"
  4503. >She hops away.
  4504. >You just frown.
  4505. >...Damn it.
  4506. >You need a drink.
  4507. >Twilight's just sitting in the same position, staring at the floor with a hoof on her muzzle in thought.
  4508. >Dash is just loitering on your counter, acting cool.
  4509. >Applejack's just inspecting your house, cringing at all the non-apple related decorations you have.
  4510. >And Flutterbutter is still passed out.
  4511. >...Yeah, a drink would be great.
  4512. >You walk over to one of your cabinets and bust out a bottle of cider.
  4513. >...Man, you're practically an alcoholic.
  4514. >You've got more alcohol than you do regular food.
  4515. >That's when you notice you still have cake.
  4516. >You shovel it into your mouth, then turn around and see Pinkie inhale the entire rest of the cake.
  4517. >-Disregarding that, you're pretty hungry.
  4518.  
  4519. "Anyone want a water, or something? Food?"
  4520. >Dash turns and just gasps.
  4521. >"I-is that CIDER?"
  4522. >You look down at the bottle in your hands.
  4523. >More Griffon Kingdom stuff.
  4524. "Yeah, but I think this is way too strong for-"
  4525. >"-GIMMIEGIMMIEGIMMIE!"
  4526. >She flies over and practically tackles you, trying to grab the drink.
  4527. "Dash, this shit's glass! Goddamn it!"
  4528. >You put the bottle behind you.
  4529. "Dash, this shit's imported from the Griffon Kingdom, so it's WAAAY stronger than the shit you usually get. You won't be able to handle it."
  4530. >She glares.
  4531. >"Oh, YEAH?"
  4532. "...Uh... yeah?"
  4533. >"-Pour me a glass!"
  4534. >You pause.
  4535. "...Just a VERY little bit, alright?"
  4536. >She fis-hoof pumps, and takes a seat on your counter.
  4537. >You turn to the others.
  4538. "Did you guys want something, too? Think I have enough for a few salads."
  4539. >Pinkie shakes her head, looking satisfied as shit.
  4540. >Applejack shakes her head, staring at a bunch of paintings you have hung up.
  4541. >Twilight's ears perk up, and she shakes her head with a smile.
  4542. >She's also slightly red.
  4543. >...Not going to question that.
  4544. >You take out two glasses, then bring your bottle towards yours.
  4545. >-Wait.
  4546. >...Is being drunk on a date with Spitfire really a good idea?
  4547. >...Okay, just a little bit.
  4548. >Enough to relax.
  4549. >Maybe a buzz.
  4550. >You pour a small amount into your glass, then drop like, a caps worth into Dash's.
  4551. >"What, that's it?"
  4552. >You nod.
  4553. "You haven't tried this, yet, and if you haven't been able to beat me at drinking, you won't handle this- HEY!"
  4554. >She grabbed the bottle in her mouth and poured an entire glass' worth.
  4555.  
  4556. "HOLY SHIT RAINBOW DON'T DO THAT."
  4557. >"Why not? I can take it!"
  4558. >You quickly shake your head.
  4559. "Spitfire got completely wasted off a glass of wine HALF as strong as that!"
  4560. >"-When did THAT happen? I thought you said everything was a blur!"
  4561. "BECAUSE of that wine! That damn cider is easily twenty times stronger than the cider served here, and I've seen what a single CUP does to you! That shit could hurt!"
  4562. >She just stares at the glass in her hooves, now a little unsure.
  4563. "I'm telling you, Rainbow, you can't handle that much alcohol."
  4564. >She glares.
  4565. >"Pft, we'll see!"
  4566. >She downs the whole glass.
  4567. >Everyone gasps.
  4568. >You just stare.
  4569. >Rainbow takes a moment, then smiles.
  4570. >"...See? I can tak-HIC!"
  4571. >You sigh.
  4572. >"O-okay, maybe that WAS a little mu-HIC-uch..."
  4573. >She passes out.
  4574. >...Whelp.
  4575. >You fuckin' warned her...
  4576. >Twilight slowly walks up to her, then sighs.
  4577. >"...I'll take her to a doctor."
  4578. >She magics Dash over her back and just starts walking away.
  4579. >"Guess that's our queue too, Pinkie. Let's get Fluttershy and take her home."
  4580. >-FLUTTERSHY.
  4581. >That was her fucking name.
  4582. >...Well, you'd say good to know, but you'll probably forget that at some point today.
  4583. >Pinkie nods and literally rolls over to Applejack, who walks over to Fluttershy.
  4584. >You just set the glass down and go to see them out.
  4585. >Applejack drags Fluttershy by her tail towards the door.
  4586. >Twilight opens it and walks out.
  4587. >"Goodbye, Anon! Good luck on your date today!"
  4588. >"-Yeah, hope you two have fun."
  4589. >"-The naaaughty kind of fun!"
  4590. >You just blink.
  4591. >...You're going to pretend you didn't just hear that.
  4592.  
  4593. >Everyone just piles out, and you close the door when they're gone.
  4594. >Well, that was a short-ass 'party'.
  4595. >You don't even think that lasted an hour.
  4596. >You turn back and sigh.
  4597. >And now you have all these decorations left behind to clean.
  4598. >Streamers, balloons, confetti, table things.
  4599. >Uuugh.
  4600. >Damn it, Pinkie.
  4601. >You walk over and tear down one of the streamers.
  4602. >For some reason, you feel a song coming on.
  4603. >One of Equestria's weird things where everyone within a five mile radius just has to join someone that's singing.
  4604. >And they'll somehow know all the lyrics.
  4605. >The last time that happened, you were in the shower and a pony stuck her head in through your window for a duet.
  4606. >You screamed, knocked the shower curtain down, and after that, nobody in the town wanted to sing with you.
  4607. >...Kinda sad.
  4608. >You feel yourself moving a bit to the groove.
  4609. >Yup, this is really happening.
  4610. >How long was that singing incident, anyways?
  4611. >You can't remember.
  4612. >You start whistling the tune.
  4613. >You barely even remember this song, but because of pony magic, usually you'll just know all the lyrics.
  4614. >You feel the urge bubbling up as you clean the remains of the cake.
  4615.  
  4616. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTL59_kHfCk [Embed]
  4617. "Life could be a dream, life could be a dreeeam, doo-doo-doo doo doo, sh-boom!"
  4618. "Life could be a dream, if I could take you up in paradise above, if you would tell me that I'm the only one that you love- life could be a dream, sweetheart hello, hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again boom!"
  4619. "Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alanga- oh woah woah dip, a dibba dobba dib, woah,"
  4620. "Oh, life could be a dream, if only all my precious plans would come true,"
  4621. "If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you, life could be a dream, sweetheaaart,"
  4622. "Every time I look at you, something is on my mind,"
  4623. "If you do what I want you to, baby, we'd be so fiiiiine!"
  4624. "Oooh, life could be a dream, sh-boom- if I could take you up in paradise up above, sh-boom, if you would tell me darlin' I'm the only one that you love, life could be a dream, sweetheart hello, hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again boom!"
  4625. "Hey nonny ding dong, alangala alangala alangala langala- woah woah dip, a dibba dobba dib, woah,"
  4626. "Life could be a dream, life could be a dream, sweetheart!"
  4627. >You start humming, embarrassing yourself with your happy head bobbing.
  4628. >You're pretty sure you can hear instruments somewhere, but you're not playing anything.
  4629. >It's really damn weird, but your happy in-tune self doesn't give a shit.
  4630. >It's like you're drunk on music.
  4631. "Oooh, life could be a dream, sh-boom- if I could take you up in paradise up above, sh-boom, if you would tell me darlin' I'm the only one that you love, life could be a dream, sweetheart hello, hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again boom!"
  4632. "Hey nonny ding dong, alangala alangala alangala- woah woah dip, a dibba dobba dib, woah,"
  4633. "Life could be a dream, life could be a dream, doo, doo-doo-doo, sh-boooooom!"
  4634.  
  4635. >You finish off the last bit with a little spin and jazz hands.
  4636. >That part was actually all you, and you probably looked a little gay doing it, but whatever.
  4637. >You're the type of guy that shies away from anything that brings attention to you, but if you're enjoying what you're doing, you don't really give a shit.
  4638. >...Even if it's horribly embarrassing.
  4639. >-Just, you know, nothing TOO embarrassing.
  4640. >You look around the house.
  4641. >-Wow, you cleaned up pretty fast.
  4642. >Guess song cleaning's really the way to go.
  4643. >You smile and straighten your clothes out.
  4644. >And just stand there.
  4645. "Sooo... now what..."
  4646. >Something clicks in your mind.
  4647. "Oh, right, drink!"
  4648. >You walk over and take a small sip.
  4649. >Ahh, apple cider...
  4650. >Nothing like it.
  4651.  
  4652. >You finish your cider pretty quickly, then sigh.
  4653. >A sigh because it was good, but also because there wasn't enough.
  4654. >But showing up drunk to a date wouldn't be a good idea.
  4655. >Spitfire's GOTTEN drunk on a date, but hasn't come to one like that.
  4656. >-Though, you know, you've only HAD one date.
  4657. >But still.
  4658. >You walk back over to your couch and yawn.
  4659. >Her flight suit is still on your couch.
  4660. >It's starting to seem less like she's forgetting it, and more like she's using it to mark her territory or something.
  4661. >You shrug and kick your shoes off, then get comfy on your couch.
  4662. >You adjust the pillow under your head, then turn towards the door and start closing your eyes.
  4663. >Juuust a quick nap 'till Spitfire gets back...
  4664. >
  4665. >"You're a good kid, Anon. I hope you remember that."
  4666. >You simply nod.
  4667. >"Yeah, I wish MY kid was just as good as you, but instead he's just stuck on that computer of his all day."
  4668. >"Take care, Anon."
  4669. >You give a quick, friendly hug to everyone, then watch them leave.
  4670. >You can't leave.
  4671. >-Or, you don't WANT to leave.
  4672. >"Sir, we close in five minutes."
  4673. >You nod.
  4674. "Could I just get a quick drink before?"
  4675. >The bartender pauses, then nods.
  4676. >Soon enough, a beer is slid over to you.
  4677. "Thanks."
  4678. >She nods herself, then resumes cleaning up.
  4679. >Obviously didn't want to give you another glass to clean up.
  4680. >...Wonder if it's too late to ask for a burger...
  4681. >You mentally shrug, then take a swig from the bottle.
  4682. >Your eyes trail over to the TV.
  4683. >Just some afternoon news about bombings or some shit.
  4684. >But if it ain't in your neighborhood, it ain't your concern.
  4685. >You take another big gulp.
  4686. >Your mind wanders as your eyes stay on the screen.
  4687. >You try your damndest to not think of Dad, but, well, being such a recent thing, it's a bit hard to.
  4688. >Those last few closing minutes fly past.
  4689.  
  4690. >"...Alright sir, the restaurant is closing. Do you need me to call a cab?"
  4691. >You shake your head.
  4692. >Taxis are too damn expensive, and you're good enough to drive.
  4693. >You know your limits.
  4694. "I've got a ride."
  4695. >"Okay."
  4696. >She turns off the TV, then collects and puts everything away.
  4697. >You get up from your stool and stumble a bit.
  4698. >Must be something on the floor.
  4699. >You look down.
  4700. >Nothing.
  4701. >...You simply lost your footing.
  4702. >The bartender comes around and starts putting the stools on the bar.
  4703. >"Have a nice night, sir."
  4704. >You nod.
  4705. "Y-you too..."
  4706. >You chug the last half of your beer and walk outside, throwing the bottle away in the trash by the entrance.
  4707. >"Bye sir, thanks for coming to Applebee's."
  4708. >You nod again, then walk over to your car.
  4709. >After fumbling around with your keys, you unlock and step inside.
  4710. >You stare past the dashboard for a moment.
  4711. >You let out a sigh.
  4712. >You slowly rest your head on the steering wheel a moment.
  4713. >Immediately, you think of Dad.
  4714. >...You could have prevented all of this.
  4715. >You feel a sharp pain in your heart.
  4716. >...You can't lose your other parent.
  4717. >Not this soon...
  4718. >You sigh again and turn the ignition.
  4719. >Your car stutters to life, and you keep your foot on the brakes for a moment.
  4720. >...Maybe you could see him again.
  4721. >The hospital allows visits right now, right?
  4722. >...Well, it doesn't hurt to try.
  4723. >You just need to see him.
  4724. >You pull out of the parking lot and head onto the street.
  4725. >You throw the radio on simply for the noise.
  4726. >You turn the volume up.
  4727. >It helps keep you from thinking.
  4728. >Thinking of what you could've done.
  4729. >Thinking of what will happen.
  4730. >And thinking of where you'll go- what you'll do.
  4731. >You're out of the job without your father.
  4732. >What will you do, then?
  4733.  
  4734. >You turn the volume even higher, hating the loud static sounds coming from your blown speakers.
  4735. >Hell, you didn't even do it- you bought the damn thing like this.
  4736. >If you didn't spend so much money practically drowning your sorrows in liquor, video games and office supplies to keep you busy, you'd probably have a much better car.
  4737. >You know Dad made sure of that.
  4738. >You stop at a red light and just think.
  4739. >All the streets are pretty much dead, save for a few cars.
  4740. >-And it's not even that late.
  4741. >Everyone's out celebrating the holidays, warming up...
  4742. >And what are you doing?
  4743. >Out driving your ass to see your sick father.
  4744. >You put your head on the steering wheel again, noticing a soft green glow out of the corner of your eye.
  4745. >You touch the gas and start going.
  4746. >About a few feet in, you look up and notice a red light.
  4747. >-Wait, RED?
  4748. >You turn to your right and see green.
  4749. >-It was for the other people.
  4750. >Your heart sinks.
  4751. >You quickly snap to the left.
  4752. >You can see the glow of headlights in front of your face.
  4753. >A loud honk bleeds over the radio.
  4754. "OH SHI-"
  4755. >
  4756. >*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
  4757. "-FUCK!!"
  4758. >You jump up, gasping and clutching your chest.
  4759. >Your heart is racing.
  4760. >You feel a small bit of sweat crawling down your face.
  4761. >And a tear along with it.
  4762. >You quickly wipe your face and scan your surroundings.
  4763. >Once you spot a familiar-looking flight suit on the other couch, you remember where you are.
  4764. >You turn and sit on the couch, hand still over your heart.
  4765. >You hate that fucking dream.
  4766. >You shake yourself awake and stand up.
  4767. >You look to your left and see the sun beginning to set.
  4768. >You throw your shoes on, then head over to the door with a yawn.
  4769. >You open it, and just pause.
  4770. >...H-holy shit.
  4771.  
  4772. >Before you is Spitfire, all done up and smiling.
  4773. >"Sorry it took so long... Ready to go?"
  4774. >You just stare.
  4775. >She looks...
  4776. >Well, you'd have to ask Pinkie to make up a new word for it.
  4777. >Her mane is done up in a ponytail, her bangs only slightly covering her left eye.
  4778. >This time she's got a silky blue dress, which flows into lighter colors when touching her back hooves.
  4779. >This one's got no sleeves, but has these straps that cross her chest to reach the other side.
  4780. >She has a golden necklace with the same lighting bolt with wings you saw yesterday.
  4781. >She's also wearing these clear blue slippers, some simple pink-tannish lipstick, and a little more mascara- though a bit less than last time.
  4782. >She just looks...
  4783. >...Holy shit.
  4784. >She waves a hoof in front of your face.
  4785. >You snap back into reality.
  4786. "-Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm ready."
  4787. >She giggles.
  4788. >"I'm guessing you like it?"
  4789. >You dumbly nod.
  4790. "I can't even begin to describe how great you look."
  4791. >"Well, I DO look good in everything, so I can understand that."
  4792. >You roll your eyes and smile.
  4793. >What did you ever do to deserve being this lucky?
  4794. >You step outside and close the door.
  4795. "Let's go, then! Time's a wastin'!"
  4796. >She nods, and you both start walking into the town.
  4797. "So then, where's the place you were talking about AT, anyways?"
  4798. >"Over in the marketplace, I heard. It has some Prench name to it."
  4799. >Prench...
  4800. >-Horse puns, man.
  4801. "So it IS a fancy restaurant?"
  4802. >"...I hope not. I may be dressed fancy, but those restaurants are not for me. I want to EAT."
  4803. >You nod.
  4804. "When you say fancy, how fancy are we talking? Like, nice restaurants, or those ones that serve those small-ass portions?"
  4805. >"-Those. I hate those."
  4806. >...Noted.
  4807. >Though, you've never even been to one of those kinds of restaurants before.
  4808. >But, you definitely would rather have twenty burgers to stuff your face with, than a goddamn appetizer with a leaf on it.
  4809. >You continue walking through the town.
  4810.  
  4811. >Being so close to the train station, you were also closest to the marketplace.
  4812. >And though not many people lived around the area, the marketplace was always bustling.
  4813. >Guess ponies really do enjoy the peace and quiet over conveniency.
  4814. >Though, because of the numbers in your area, you get both.
  4815. >It's a really great place to live in.
  4816. >-Just, you know, when niggers aren't hauling in here by the dozens to see Princess Twilight.
  4817. >You turn a corner and end up in the marketplace.
  4818. >You don't think there's actually a beginning to the place, but the stalls that are starting to pop up are a pretty good sign.
  4819. >And sure enough, there's still bunches of ponies out and about.
  4820. >Some doing last minute shopping, others barely opening up, restaurants with ponies piling in.
  4821. >It's a bit weird to see how this place has evolved in the four years you've been here.
  4822. >In fact, you're pretty sure Twilight becoming a Princess was what made the town grow.
  4823. >...Actually, you're CERTAIN it was Twilight.
  4824. >It's only been two years since then, and this place has practically doubled in size.
  4825. >There was no tearing down of the Everfree, but things became more compact.
  4826. >Where only a few houses would be standing before, pretty much became some crazy city neighborhoods.
  4827. >Though this place is no Manehattan.
  4828. >...God, those horse puns, man.
  4829. >You feel a nudge.
  4830. >"I, uh, think I found the restaurant..."
  4831. >You look to the side and deflate.
  4832. >Son of a bitch.
  4833. >That is a LONG fucking line.
  4834. >You look up at the huge LED sign hanging above.
  4835. >'Baiser Prançais'
  4836. >...You're not even going to try deciphering that crap.
  4837. >Though you're pretty sure that second word just says 'Prench'.
  4838. >...Damn horse puns.
  4839. >That line is ridiculous, though.
  4840. >It goes way past just being outside the place.
  4841. >It's literally got a line wrapping around the entire restaurant twice.
  4842. >You look at the top and see this VIP-looking thing.
  4843. >It's like, a balcony, and there's tables up there.
  4844. >Mostly empty, but probably for a good reason.
  4845.  
  4846. >If you were to guess, those damn seats up there would cost TWO retirement funds, or some shit like that.
  4847. >-Though, if there's such a long line, the food's GOT to be good.
  4848. >You and Spitfire share a quick unsure glance, but both unconsciously agree to go in and see what it's about.
  4849. >You both walk past the line and go inside.
  4850. >Practically everybody there just gasps and watches Spitfire.
  4851. >One guy whistles-
  4852. >-Oh HEEELL NAW.
  4853. >You turn to him, and immediately, he shrinks a bit.
  4854. >Though average you may be, your height is definitely enough to frighten ponies, here.
  4855. >You pretend to lunge at him, and he flinches.
  4856. "Yeah, back off, nigger."
  4857. >He shrinks further and nods.
  4858. >You just walk away.
  4859. >...Oh my god, that felt so COOL!
  4860. >You were like, all up on that dude!
  4861. >And he was fucking TERRIFIED!
  4862. >The height was one thing, but dayum.
  4863. >You feel like a champ.
  4864. >You follow in after Spitfire, then end up at the counter.
  4865. >The waiters all look stressed and busy as hell.
  4866. >It's really sad to see, especially knowing how hell waiting busy restaurants is, for the few months you did it.
  4867. >-Which is why you were only there for a few months.
  4868. >Thank Christ you started working with...
  4869. >...Dad...
  4870. >"-Table for twoooooo..."
  4871. >You clear your mind and look at the waitress just staring at Spitfire.
  4872. >"Uh... yeah, a table would be nice."
  4873. >The pony drops the menus in her hooves and beams.
  4874. >"A-are y-you S-SPITFIRE?!"
  4875. >She simply nods.
  4876. >The mare squeaks in excitement and pulls out a little notepad.
  4877. >"C-could you s-sign th-this for m-me?"
  4878. >God, this mare's literally shaking with excitement.
  4879. >Spitfire takes the pen from the waitress and casually signs it.
  4880. >"O-oh my g-gosh, I-I can't b-believe it's... IT'S REALLY YOU, AHAHAHA!"
  4881. >She starts flapping her wings happily.
  4882. >"W-wow, I've been like, a-a HUUUGE fan of yours! Y-you're like, th-the bestest Wonderbolt EVER!"
  4883. >She quickly grabs the menus from the floor and puts two back.
  4884. >"C-come with me!"
  4885. >"-Hey! We were next in line!-"
  4886. >"-SHUT UP!"
  4887.  
  4888. >You and Spitfire just share a shocked look.
  4889. >The waitress stops glaring at the guy, then gives you both a cute smile.
  4890. >"Right this way, please!"
  4891. >You both instinctively follow her, and she climbs up a stairs to that balcony-table thing on the roof.
  4892. >And it's cold.
  4893. >-Well, it's just as cold as it was earlier, but now that you actually have to SIT out here, you can complain about the temperature.
  4894. >"Alrighty weird thing, Spitfire, my name is Sunlit Skies, and I'll be your server today! So, what did you guys want to drink? We got some specials on wine."
  4895. >You and Spitfire share another look.
  4896. "No, I think we'll just get the regular stuff."
  4897. >Spitfire nods in agreement.
  4898. >...But the waitress doesn't do anything.
  4899. >She's not even looking at you.
  4900. >Her eyes are completely locked on Spitfire's.
  4901. >She just shifts in her seat.
  4902. >"Uh, we'll just get the regular drinks."
  4903. >"-Okie dokie! And whaddaya want?"
  4904. >Spitfire flips the menu and looks at it for a second.
  4905. >The waitress just stares.
  4906. >And stares.
  4907. >She doesn't blink.
  4908. >It's damn creepy.
  4909. >"I'll uh, get the cucumber water-"
  4910. >"-Cucumber water!"
  4911. >She turns to you.
  4912. >And sighs.
  4913. >"And what do YOU want."
  4914. >The way she said that didn't even sound like a question.
  4915. >She just spat the words at you.
  4916. "I'll, uh, just get the same."
  4917. >"Two cucumber waters."
  4918. >She grins at Spitfire.
  4919. >"Comin' right up!"
  4920. >She flies away.
  4921. >You both just watch her dart inside.
  4922. >Then look at each other again.
  4923. "Well, that pony really likes you."
  4924. >She simply nods.
  4925.  
  4926. >"I rarely get fans like that, actually... Reminds me that I'm still doing SOMETHING right."
  4927. "Are there really things you DON'T do right?"
  4928. >"Very few."
  4929. >She gives you a small, sultry smile.
  4930. >"VERY few~"
  4931. >She brushes your leg with a hoof.
  4932. >Your face heats up almost instantly.
  4933. >She giggles.
  4934. >"Aww, you should see your face! It's so red!"
  4935. >You frown, then pull up the menu to your face.
  4936. >-Oh.
  4937. >You actually forgot about the menu for a second.
  4938. >"-Oh, right!"
  4939. >She follows your lead and starts browsing.
  4940. >...You can't understand this shit.
  4941. >Well, you can, but very little.
  4942. >One thing catches your eye though.
  4943. "...They serve FISH here?"
  4944. >Spitfire lowers her menu and nods.
  4945. >"Only tried it a few times myself, but it's pretty good!"
  4946. "...So you all eat fish, but you don't eat meat?"
  4947. >She nods.
  4948. >"Fish can't TALK, Anon..."
  4949. >Huh.
  4950. >For some reason, you were expecting them to.
  4951. >Though you've seen very few fish in your life here.
  4952. >Damn, so you'll definitely be having that.
  4953. >Fish was the one thing the Griffons never seemed to have.
  4954. >And you FIGURED, not only being a cat, but also a bird, that they would.
  4955. >But what would be the point if selling imported fish if they did here?
  4956. >-Well, unless they have different species fish over there, which they probably do.
  4957. >Maybe you just need to ask about it.
  4958. >You snap back into reality and check the menu again.
  4959. >Ooh, you'll definitely get that 'truite aux amandes' thing, then.
  4960. >You have no goddamn idea what that translates into, but you see 'pan seared trout' on it, so you're getting that.
  4961. >You don't even think you've HAD trout before.
  4962.  
  4963. >...Have you?
  4964. >...Who cares, you WILL, now!
  4965. >Aw yiss.
  4966. >Gonna get that fish, son!
  4967. >"...So, Anon."
  4968. "-Hmm?"
  4969. >"What was your world like, anyways? You never told me much about it.
  4970. "...You mean like, technology-wise? 'Cause besides that, we were pretty much the same; we also had green grass, blue skies and such."
  4971. >"Technology? What did you have?"
  4972. "Woo, the better question is what DIDN'T we have. We had space telescopes, guns, cars, helicopters, planes..."
  4973. >She just stares at you.
  4974. "...Oh, right, you don't know what those are..."
  4975. >Obviously.
  4976. >Retard strike one, Anon.
  4977. >"Well, what's a 'space telescope'?"
  4978. "...Simply put, they were these huge-ass telescopes that saw into outer space."
  4979. >"You were able to see THAT far?"
  4980. >You nod.
  4981. "We could see different planets, galaxies, stars- it literally WAS just a huge telescope, which magnified what we were able to see through regular ones."
  4982. >She just gazes up at the sky.
  4983. >"That's pretty neat."
  4984. >You nod.
  4985. >"...So, what about those, what, 'guns'? What are they?"
  4986. >You pause for a moment.
  4987. "A gun is a kind of weapon, used for both personal defense, and, well, killing things."
  4988. >"...K-killing?"
  4989. >You nod.
  4990. "Lots and lots of things. Bears, birds, deer, tigers, zebras, people- you name it. Guns are pretty crazy like that."
  4991. >"...Why would anypony WANT something like that?"
  4992. "Well, people want them because they think they're fun- hell, I think they're fun, but they were originally created for self defense, then were made for war."
  4993. >"-W-why would you think killing things is FUN?"
  4994. "-Nonono, I don't like the KILLING part- well, I DO, but not in real life!"
  4995. >She just stares at you with a mix of anger and confusion.
  4996. "Okay, so I'll have to bring up computers, then..."
  4997.  
  4998. >She just waits for you to continue.
  4999. "Computers are these things that..."
  5000. >...Jesus, how do you explain this?
  5001. "...A computer is pretty much- imagine it a boat, and there's a huge virtual sea. Virtual means artificial, or created, and this computer sails around, finding different locations and things that people have created in that sea."
  5002. >She pauses for a moment, then nods, slightly calmer now.
  5003. "People, as well as using that boat, can make things with it. It takes time, of course, but practically EVERYTHING is possible. The killing I talk about takes place in video games-"
  5004. >"-Video games? Like, the arcade machine ones?"
  5005. >You pause, then nod.
  5006. "...How do you have arcade machines if you don't have computers?"
  5007. >She shrugs.
  5008. >"I don't know what they're made of. But I haven't seen any games that made you kill things..."
  5009. "Yeah, when that kind of stuff first came out, people hated it, and they thought that it caused violence and stuff in regular games. As time progressed, more of them came out, so people kind of just starting realizing that none of it was real, and stopped caring how violent they were. And, the best part is that our games were slowly becoming very realistic, really quickly, and when I was there, we were actually working on virtual reality things, meaning we were working on ways to merge both the virtual AND the real world into one."
  5010. >She pauses for a moment.
  5011. >...And now she just looks confused again.
  5012. >And, you just noticed how excited you are to explain your knowledge of countless years wasted in gaming.
  5013. >...It's a bit sad.
  5014. >Well, for Spitfire, you can see that the idea is crazy interesting to her, but any other human being would just pity you and your wasted years.
  5015. "It just wasn't anything that crazy, though. We had goggles that would project the game separately to both your eyes, so it'd look like you were actually there."
  5016. >She stares off for a moment, then nods again.
  5017. >Jesus, you're really getting off track, here.
  5018.  
  5019. "-Okay, okay, so, these games, being so realistic and such, made the idea of killing things pretty fun, with all the realism it had. You pretty much had the thrill of doing it, but no guilt or repercussions."
  5020. >"...I-I still don't understand why anypony would want that..."
  5021. "Well, it kinda just ADDS to the realism, I guess. I would play some games that would include other people though, and killing in that was pretty much just for fun, competitive purposes."
  5022. >Though they fucking pissed you off every time.
  5023. >Seriously, how much of a dick move is it to be like, level eleven million, going against a bunch of new players?
  5024. >And christ, the squeakers...
  5025. >One of the many reasons you left consoles.
  5026. >Those poor plebs.
  5027. >"...I guess I understand that."
  5028. >You shrug.
  5029. "I'm not a violent person, though. The video game stuff is pretty much pretend, but in a virtual world, it doesn't HAVE to look pretend. It's cool."
  5030. >She just nods.
  5031. "Trust me, if I had SOME way of showing these to you, you'd quickly find yourself enjoying them."
  5032. >And probably disregard life, in a completely hopeless attempt to collect every single hat in an entire game.
  5033. >God knows you did...
  5034. >You stare off for a while.
  5035. >Spitfire notices, and after a minute, waves a hoof in front of your face.
  5036. >"Something on your mind?"
  5037. >You snap back, then blink.
  5038. >When you look at her, you suddenly don't feel the need to be so secretive about yourself.
  5039. >You feel like, well, you can tell her anything.
  5040. >Even though she's told you that, before.
  5041. >You sigh.
  5042. "...Yeah, I guess all the talk about games kinda made me realize how much time I've wasted playing them..."
  5043. >When you weren't working, of course.
  5044. >Your dad even offered to pay overtime, which you had declined.
  5045. >It'dve just gone to more games, anyways.
  5046. >You felt it was better to waste your life being productive, as opposed to just shooting people up on your computer chair.
  5047. >But that didn't mean you DIDN'T waste over five hundred hours in Skyrim, and twice in Fallout.
  5048.  
  5049. >...Damn Bethesda, stealing your money AND your life with their beautiful games.
  5050. >You're interrupted by the waitress coming by again.
  5051. >"Yo yo yo, you know what you want?"
  5052. >And of course, she completely ignores you and just looks at Spitfire.
  5053. >"Oh, uh, sure...?"
  5054. >She turns to you, and you simply nod.
  5055. >"Yeah, we're ready."
  5056. >Damn, how long's it been, though?
  5057. >You're pretty sure it's only been like, ten minutes.
  5058. >"Awesome! Now whatchu want? I'll ask everypony to make it super good!"
  5059. >"Oh, uh, I'll get the ratatouille, please?"
  5060. >...It's also sad that all you can think of is a damn kids movie when talking about a dish.
  5061. >Suddenly, the waitress dons an annoyed and uninterested look.
  5062. >"And what do you want."
  5063. "I-I'll get the... true-it... aux... a-man-deez...?"
  5064. >She just stares at you like you're some kind of retard.
  5065. >"The WHAT?"
  5066. >You clear your throat.
  5067. "It's uh, the trueit... auz... amandes...?"
  5068. >She groans really loudly, then yanks the menu out of your hands and practically throws the thing on the table.
  5069. >You can't help but feel kind of scared.
  5070. >Seriously, what did you do to this horse to make her so hostile?
  5071. >Is your existence just that aggravating, or what?
  5072. >"Point at it."
  5073. >You shakily point at the trout dish thing.
  5074. >"The trueit auz amandes? Why didn't you just say that the FIRST time? Or say 'trout with almonds'?"
  5075. "Well, I-I didn't know-"
  5076. >"-Whatever, I'll bring the bread out, now."
  5077. >She takes the menus and starts walking away.
  5078. >"Stupid monkey thing..."
  5079. >Jeez, what a bitch...
  5080. >She's worse than the damn Griffon waitress.
  5081. >Spitfire's just looking at you, shocked.
  5082. >"Wow, that pony REEEALLY doesn't like you for some reason."
  5083. >You just nod.
  5084. "I noticed."
  5085. >That nigger should be glad you ain't paying.
  5086. >She don't deserve a tip.
  5087.  
  5088. >A minute later, there's a loaf of bread gently placed in front of Spitfire.
  5089. >The waitress gives her a small smile, then heads off.
  5090. "Wow, that pony really likes YOU."
  5091. >She just nods.
  5092. >Then she slowly puts a hoof over your hand.
  5093. >"...But I really like you."
  5094. >You immediately counter that hoof with your other hand on it.
  5095. "...Yeah, I really like me, too."
  5096. >She scrunches.
  5097. >You just giggle like a little girl.
  5098. "Oh, I'm kidding. I could never compare myself to you, mostly because I'm not a pony."
  5099. >You pause.
  5100. "But... I really like you, too..."
  5101. >Her ears perk up.
  5102. "...Hell, maybe you could even say that I... well... I lo-"
  5103. >"-Ratatouille for the lovely Miss Spitfire!"
  5104. >A plate is put in front of her.
  5105. >-What the hell, already?
  5106. >It hasn't even been five minutes!
  5107. >"H-how did you-"
  5108. >"-I took it from the cook! ANYTHING for my hero!"
  5109. >She beams.
  5110. >"Oh. Well, uh, thanks?"
  5111. >"No problem!"
  5112. >She turns to you.
  5113. >"And YOUR plate will probably be out in, eh, two hours?"
  5114. "Two HOURS?"
  5115. >"Yeah, did I stutter?"
  5116. >You pause, then remain silent.
  5117. >You don't even know what to say.
  5118. >This pony is just retardedly rude.
  5119. >-And for no reason.
  5120. >"...So that's a no, then! Well, enjoy your meal, Spitfire!"
  5121. >She flies off.
  5122. >You just sit there.
  5123. >...Wow.
  5124. >What.
  5125. >A.
  5126. >Bitch.
  5127. >You stare at the spot she was in just a second ago.
  5128. >Then you feel something warm in your lap.
  5129. >You look down and see Spitfire making herself comfortable.
  5130. >She puts her plate in front of you and smiles.
  5131. >"We can just share, right?"
  5132. >You nod and smile in return.
  5133. >"Good."
  5134.  
  5135. >She stretches her wings out, then folds them back and lies against you.
  5136. >Even through the dress, she warms you up almost instantly.
  5137. >You instinctively wrap your arms around her and squeeze.
  5138. >She giggles.
  5139. >-And now she just warmed your heart.
  5140. >...Or made you one step closer to involuntarily finding out what a heart attack feels like.
  5141. >She shifts a bit and squeaks.
  5142. >-Fuck it, you'll gladly take a heart attack.
  5143. >"So... what were you saying, earlier?"
  5144. >You completely freeze.
  5145. >Suddenly, you remember what you were about to say before she came over here.
  5146. >You were going to tell her that you...
  5147. >...Jesus, not even in your head can you say it.
  5148. >But you've ALREADY said it in your head.
  5149. >But you weren't near her at the time.
  5150. >...You feel as if she can read your thoughts.
  5151. >That she'll read them, not like what she hears, then leave you.
  5152. >You feel a shiver run down your back.
  5153. "O-oh, it was, uh, nothing."
  5154. >"...Anon, you really ARE horrible at lying. Now come on, what is it? You know you can tell me anything."
  5155. >You've kept yourself emotionally locked up your whole adult life.
  5156. >You've been miserable, lonely, and, well, you DIED.
  5157. >But Spitfire here, in just three days, made you the happiest guy ever.
  5158.  
  5159. >She's the only one who you've actually TALKED to, and she's been right where you have...
  5160. >...So, why can't you say it?
  5161. >Is it really TOO early to?
  5162. "I...I, uh..."
  5163. >It's just three words.
  5164. >Three, VERY simple words.
  5165. >...Words that could change everything.
  5166. >Words that she may not say in return.
  5167. >Words that you've only said to your family a few times...
  5168. >You stay silent.
  5169. >-Damn it, don't be such a pansy, Anon!
  5170. >It's JUST three words!
  5171. >You can just say it, then change the subject and forget it happened!
  5172. >-No, that's a retarded idea!
  5173. >Anon, stop being retarded!
  5174. >...Christ, it's NOT THAT HARD!
  5175. >SO WHY IS IT SO HARD.
  5176. >-THAT MAKES ZERO SENSE.
  5177. "...I...I..."
  5178. >...Fuck it, you can't say it.
  5179. >No matter HOW much you've both clicked, those words can bring everything crumbling down.
  5180. >And you don't want to risk that.
  5181. "It's, ah, nothing..."
  5182. >"Oh... Okay..."
  5183. >Her ears fall.
  5184. >Damn, now she's sad that you didn't talk to her.
  5185. >Nice job, Anon, you fucked up anyways.
  5186.  
  5187. >There's a bit of silence.
  5188. >And now you feel kinda shitty.
  5189. >-Okay, a LOT shitty.
  5190. >Seeing Spitfire even a LITTLE sad is like being forced to watch puppies run off a cliff.
  5191. >Nobody would enjoy that shit.
  5192. >-Well, okay, SOME sick fucks would, but that's not the point.
  5193. >The point is, she's sad, that's making you sad, and it's making everything around you sad.
  5194. >-Also, that waitress is a cunt, on a purely unrelated note.
  5195. >But it's time to un-sad things here.
  5196. >Even if it will start off a bit awkwardly.
  5197. "So, ah, that food looks good."
  5198. >-A LOT awkwardly.
  5199. >Okay, that's okay.
  5200. >It's progress.
  5201. >"...Yeah."
  5202. "...Want to eat it?"
  5203. >Holy shit, spaghetti is overflowing fucking everywhere.
  5204. >It's like Titanic with less icebergs and more noodles.
  5205. >Nobody survives.
  5206. >"...S-sure..."
  5207. >'SPAGHETTI'S FLOWING INTO THE MAIN ROOMS, SIR!'
  5208. "O-okay..."
  5209. >'SIR, IT'S EVERYWHE-AAUUGH'
  5210. >'NOOOO-'
  5211. >You pick up the fork provided to you on the table, and stab a little bit.
  5212. "You know, this dish reminds me of a movie from home."
  5213. >"...A movie? What was it about?"
  5214. "It was this animated movie about a rat who knew how to cook. He had dreams of becoming this amazing chef in Paris, and found some guy that had the same dream."
  5215. >"That sounds... weird."
  5216. >You shrug.
  5217. "I thought so, too, but the way they animated everything made the whole world look adorable."
  5218. >"How did it end?"
  5219. "Well, during the movie, the rat and the guy figured out how to work together, and with the guy, well, being human, and the rat being able to cook, they opened up this awesome fancy restaurant called Ratatouille and got what they always wanted."
  5220. >"That sounds nice."
  5221. "Mhmm. For a kid's movie, it was pretty darn good, I must say."
  5222. >...Okay, spaghetti levels seem to have lowered to a reasonable rate.
  5223. >Pixar saved your ass.
  5224. >You bring the fork to Spitfire, and she gladly eats the piece of the dish.
  5225. >Perfect.
  5226. >You have officially recovered from the spaghetti overload, with some survivors.
  5227. >Great work, Anon.
  5228.  
  5229. >You continue in silence, then quickly notice how uncomfortable it started making you.
  5230. >What if Spitfire is just silently judging you?
  5231. >Is that why she's silent?
  5232. >You feed her again, and notice that she has a smile on her face.
  5233. >Though you still don't feel completely safe.
  5234. >What if she stays on you about telling her what you said earlier?
  5235. >And why the hell can't you?
  5236. >What's the worst that could happen?
  5237. >...Okay, there's a lot of things, actually.
  5238. >But what's the best scenario, here?
  5239. >Well, she feels the same, and you pretty much seal the deal of having a pony girlfriend.
  5240. >And what's one of the WORST things?
  5241. >Well, she doesn't feel the same, leaves you here, and you drink yourself to death.
  5242. >...Damn.
  5243. >You look down at her, and she just notices.
  5244. >...She's so goddamn cute.
  5245. >She could probably give a kitten cancer if she wanted to.
  5246. >...You feel a strong need to say something.
  5247. >You HAVE to say it.
  5248. >You have to tell her.
  5249. "Hey, Spitfire?"
  5250. >"Hmm?"
  5251. "I..."
  5252. >The words die in your throat.
  5253. >Shit.
  5254. "I, uh..."
  5255. >How do you say this?
  5256. >You don't remember how words work.
  5257. "I... think..."
  5258. >You pause for a moment and just look at her.
  5259. >Those adorably big bronze eyes of hers.
  5260. >-Well shit, here goes nothing.
  5261. "I love you."
  5262. >She completely freezes.
  5263. >You freeze because she freezes.
  5264. >That's not a good sign.
  5265. >Yep, you're screwed.
  5266. >She's going to leave, and your world's going to come crashing down.
  5267. >You're going to lose the last of your money on drinks, then just end up homeless or some shit.
  5268. >Somehow.
  5269. >You internally sigh and close your eyes, waiting for the worst.
  5270. >She nuzzles your cheek and gives you a quick peck on your cheek.
  5271. >You open an eye.
  5272. >She's just smiling.
  5273. >"I was hoping you were trying to say that."
  5274. >She hugs your shit.
  5275. >What?
  5276. "R-really?"
  5277. >She nods and squeezes you.
  5278. >You squeeze her back.
  5279. >...Wow.
  5280. >Why'd you think something else was going to happen?
  5281. >You let out a sigh and smile.
  5282. "I'm happy to hear that."
  5283.  
  5284. >You wrap your arms around her and rest your chin on her head.
  5285. >She contentedly sighs.
  5286. >...That means it's official now, right?
  5287. >She's now officially, what was it...
  5288. >Your special somepony?
  5289. >-Yeah, that's it.
  5290. >She's your special somepony.
  5291. >You kiss her on the head and get a small giggle in response.
  5292. "...Spitfire, one of these days I swear I'm just going to get killed by your cuteness."
  5293. >She blushes, but frowns.
  5294. >"Don't say things like that."
  5295. >You simply smile and grab a bite of the dish in front of you.
  5296. >It's pretty damn good, honestly.
  5297. >You're not sure what this thing's MADE of, but it's very tasty.
  5298. >And being with the one you love just makes it taste even better.
  5299. >She relaxes against you and closes her eyes.
  5300. >"I love you too, Anonymous..."
  5301. >You feel something bubble up inside you.
  5302. >And if you haven't felt it before, you'd of sworn that it was indigestion, or heartburn or something.
  5303. >It makes you feel...
  5304. >Complete.
  5305. >An equivalent to the feeling you had when you came to terms with all of this.
  5306. >When you finally stopped being tsundere.
  5307. >-Which, looking back at it, is something you did plenty of, at that time.
  5308. >But you feel great.
  5309. >In fact, it's the best you've felt, well, ever.
  5310. >Never back on Earth, even when you were relatively happy, did you smile this much in one day.
  5311. >Now it's kinda like you can't even stop.
  5312. >Your face hurts because of it.
  5313. >The cold night air now barely even bothers you.
  5314. >Where you'd be freezing your dick off with a huge jacket, you've now got an extremely warm, giggling pillow by your side.
  5315. >And you wouldn't have it any other way.
  5316. >...Okay, being inside instead of here WOULD be nice, so nevermind on that.
  5317. >But the point still stands!
  5318.  
  5319. >You close your eyes and just stay silent.
  5320. >"-Hey Spitfire, you enjoying the mea- woah, what the hay is this?"
  5321. >You look to the side and see the waitress.
  5322. >She looks frustrated and confused.
  5323. "-Uuuh..."
  5324. >Oh man, you don't know what you did, but she totally looks like she's going to spit in your food.
  5325. >Or just not even give it to you.
  5326. >"Ew, jeez, so you ARE with this monkey thing..."
  5327. >She just scans you and shudders.
  5328. "-Hey, it's not like I have a damn tail or anything!"
  5329. >She just rolls her eyes.
  5330. >You know, this pony's now starting to get really annoying, really quickly.
  5331. >And that's only because she ruined a perfect moment.
  5332. "Hey, do you a manager I can speak to? I think I need to talk with them."
  5333. >She glares at you and snorts.
  5334. >"I AM the manager."
  5335. >...Oh.
  5336. >...Shit.
  5337. >Wasn't expecting THAT.
  5338. >"So anything you need to say, you can say to ME."
  5339. >You pause.
  5340. "...This food is really good!"
  5341. >"That's what I thought."
  5342. >Damn it, you so want to tell this pony off-
  5343. >"-You know, I get that you're a fan and all, but I don't appreciate you talking to my coltfriend that way."
  5344. >-Woah, what?
  5345. >...Also, COLTfriend?
  5346. >That's weird.
  5347. >The waitre-manager shakes her head.
  5348. >"I'm sorry, what was that?"
  5349. >Spitfire tenses up.
  5350. >"I don't like how you're talking to Anon, here. What's your problem?"
  5351. >She blinks.
  5352. >"...Problem? You think I have a PROBLEM?"
  5353. >She waves a hoof at you.
  5354. >"My PROBLEM is that monkey thing right there! It's horrible to look at, and I'm just surprised that a pony such as you would even THINK to keep him around!"
  5355. >...She's talking about you like you're not even here.
  5356. >Or like you can't understand.
  5357. >Like some kind of retarded animal.
  5358. >Spitfire moves a little bit.
  5359. >"You take that back!"
  5360. >The pony gets taken back.
  5361.  
  5362. >"...Wait, this thing actually IS your coltfriend?! What are you thinking? I mean- just look at it!"
  5363. >Your eyes instinctively trail to the ground.
  5364. >Damn, you know you're no Calvin Klein model, but that shit hurts.
  5365. >"I'm telling you right now- you BETTER take that back!"
  5366. >"I-I just... you're my HERO! You're all crazy fast and cool and everything... I just don't get why ANYPONY would want this... THING, to be around them. You can do so much better, I'm sure."
  5367. >Spitfire's wings twitch, like she's about to take off.
  5368. >-Oh damn, is shit about to go down?
  5369. >Are you going to have to start yelling "Worldstar" in a moment?
  5370. >You hold Spitfire closer to you.
  5371. "Don't do anything."
  5372. >It doesn't even seem like she heard you.
  5373. >It's like having two dogs on a leash, trying to kill each other.
  5374. >They just resort to staring down the other when they can't fight.
  5375. >There's a silence between the three of you.
  5376. >The manager clears her throat.
  5377. >"Well, anyways, I came here to ask for him to leave. Multiple ponies already complained about him, and now knowing that you're going out with this thing is making me si-"
  5378. >Spitfire leaps out of your arms and punches the pony in the face.
  5379. >...Holy shit.
  5380. >You just sit there.
  5381. >You thought you had a pretty good grip on her, too.
  5382. >And now, the manager's just knocked out on the ground.
  5383. >Spitfire throws a bag of bits on the table and looks at you.
  5384. >"...Come on, let's go."
  5385. "...Where?"
  5386. >"Anywhere but here."
  5387. >You nod.
  5388. >You appreciated the help, and the manager's words hurt, but it wasn't anything you couldn't take.
  5389. >And that was a huge fan of Spitfire's...
  5390. >How's that going to look on her?
  5391. >With someone as famous as her, that's bound to be on a few papers...
  5392. >Everyone will only see the big picture, that Spitfire knocked out one of her fans, and details won't make it in there...
  5393. >As it always did, back home.
  5394. >You can see that she suddenly thought of that, too.
  5395. >She sighs, and you get up from your seat.
  5396.  
  5397. >You walk over and hug her.
  5398. "Whatever happens, I'll still be here with you."
  5399. >She takes a minute, then relaxes.
  5400. >She hugs you back.
  5401. >"Thank you, Anon..."
  5402. >You walk down the stairs with her in your arms.
  5403. >And now that you have nobody to follow, you start noticing all the ponies that are looking at you.
  5404. >They all look... disgusted.
  5405. >You try to just keep your eyes on the exit, but you can't help but see how many are giving you the same look.
  5406. >...Did ponies really complain about you?
  5407. >You've had the occasional scared and disturbed ponies and such before, but...
  5408. >Do they all really think you're just, some kind of monster?
  5409. >Some two-legged freak?
  5410. >...And what do they think of Spitfire because of it?
  5411. >...Are you...
  5412. >Are you ruining her career?
  5413. >...If you hadn't acted the way you did at that Griffon place, she wouldn't have flied off, and she wouldn'tve lost those few feathers.
  5414. >...If she had been out with a stallion, instead of you, she wouldn't have just punched that pony.
  5415. >And hell, you're sure that stallion wouldn't be getting these looks.
  5416. >She's told you how she feels about the Wonderbolts dying.
  5417. >And you're just, speeding up the process.
  5418. >...Damn.
  5419. >Now you feel like shit.
  5420. >Like some kind of burden.
  5421. >Her life's work is taking a fall because of you.
  5422. >You exit the restaurant, ignoring the dozens of eyes locked on you from the line outside.
  5423. >And though you have Spitfire close to you, the night suddenly seems chillier.
  5424. >You both walk into the dark Ponyville streets.
  5425. >You don't even think it's been more than an hour since you got here, and the sun was already down.
  5426. >You feel a drop of water.
  5427. >-Oh.
  5428. >THAT'S why it's so dark.
  5429. >The rain quickly picks up.
  5430.  
  5431. >The cold night air and the light sprinkling makes for a tense atmosphere.
  5432. >And though you’re impressed at the complete perfect timing of it, the rain really sucks.
  5433. >It makes you feel like you’re in some kind of cliché movie scene.
  5434. >Or a character in some boring, shitty story.
  5435. >You look over at all the restaurants around you.
  5436. >...You don’t really feel like eating anymore.
  5437. >Going home at this point sounds like a much better thing to do.
  5438. >You hold Spitfire inside of your jacket to protect her from the rain.
  5439. >It picks up and just starts soaking your suit.
  5440. >-Or, it WOULD, if it wasn’t the suit that Rarity made you.
  5441. >All the water just slides off your suit.
  5442. >Though it still hits your head.
  5443. >But all you really care about is keeping Spitfire dry.
  5444. >You silently trudge through the streets, wondering how that whole line of ponies at the restaurant avoided the rain.
  5445. >You start to think about earlier.
  5446. >Obviously.
  5447. >It’s a pretty big deal.
  5448. >…Though you start to think how you could’ve avoided it.
  5449. >A manager of a fancy restaurant, knocked out by her hero, in defense of an alien creature nobody knows anything about.
  5450. >It all just sounds worse, the more you think about it…
  5451. >Damn.
  5452. >You really feel like shit.
  5453. >-And you really say that a lot.
  5454. >…You really feel like shit a lot.
  5455. >Your sigh is completely drowned out by the rain.
  5456. >Spitfire peeks her head out.
  5457. >”So, where are we going?”
  5458. “Home.”
  5459. >She just nods, then hides again.
  5460. >It sounds like that’s all the talking you’re going to get out here.
  5461. >You figured that your first day out in the rain would be some Notebook kind of shit.
  5462. >You never really saw the movie, but you knew about that rain scene.
  5463. >Hell, EVERYONE knew about that part.
  5464. >But instead you’re outside, just getting water all in your face.
  5465.  
  5466. >You spot the house and start running over to it, holding Spitfire.
  5467. >The second you’re on the porch, you fish around for your keys and go inside.
  5468. >All the rain slides onto the floor.
  5469. >Fuck.
  5470. >You let Spitfire hop out from your coat and close the door.
  5471. >And just from looking at her, you feel a strong pang of guilt.
  5472. >You could have prevented this.
  5473. >…Just like with Dad.
  5474. >Two completely different things, yet you’ve still managed to fuck both of them up.
  5475. >You stare off a bit, then realize that your eyes are on her.
  5476. >Her look turns into one of concern.
  5477. >”…Are you alright?”
  5478. >You slowly force a smile and nod.
  5479. >She sees straight through it, as everyone else on the entire planet does.
  5480. >She just walks up to you and sits down, then grabs a hand with her hooves.
  5481. >”Hey, don’t let what happened earlier get to you, alright?”
  5482. >You just nod again, not bothering to hide the horribly saddened look on your face this time around.
  5483. >The way she said that completely avoided what was on both of your minds.
  5484. >You don’t care that you got shit-talked by a pony.
  5485. >You care that you just ruined the life of the only one who’s ever made you happy.
  5486. >She probably knows that.
  5487. >You don’t force a smile, but just curl your lips.
  5488. >It’s pretty much a smile, but without any emotion.
  5489. >You rub her hoof for a moment, then slowly walk over to the living room.
  5490. >Naturally, she follows you, and sits on the couch.
  5491. >You just grab a towel from the closet nearby and head over to soak up all the water from the entrance.
  5492. >You simply throw the thing over the puddle and walk back.
  5493. >You sit down a little ways from Spitfire and sigh.
  5494.  
  5495. >She moves over and rests her head on your shoulder.
  5496. >...It doesn’t feel right, this time around.
  5497. >Her being next to you does nothing but make you feel worse.
  5498. >Like you don’t deserve to have her.
  5499. >…And really, you don’t.
  5500. >You’ve done nothing but make countless mistakes, all of which affected someone in a negative way.
  5501. >When’s the last time you did something nice for someone?
  5502. >Hell, you thought that scaring a damn stallion near to tears was EXHILARATING.
  5503. >-And though the thing that hit you was a damn semi back home, imagine how much your drunk ass scared the guy that was driving it?
  5504. >…You really DON’T deserve Spitfire.
  5505. >You don’t deserve this whole second chance thing, either.
  5506. >Your eyes trail over to the floor.
  5507. >You suddenly feel…
  5508. >Empty.
  5509. >Like a husk of your once-happy self.
  5510. >…Funny, how quickly things can change.
  5511. >From bad to good, to worse in just a minute.
  5512. >…And you don’t think any old ladies at the park will be able to bail you out on this one.
  5513. >You dryly laugh at your own joke.
  5514. >”What, Anon?”
  5515. >You shake your head.
  5516. “It’s nothing.”
  5517. >Rainbow’s words ring in your ears.
  5518. >>"When somepony says nothing's wrong, USUALLY there's something wrong."
  5519. >You sigh.
  5520. >Spitfire nudges you.
  5521. >”Hey, didn’t I tell you not to worry? Or does something else have you down? You’re starting to worry ME.”
  5522. >Your shoulders sag, and you instinctively shake your head.
  5523. >…You really don’t deserve her.
  5524. >You don’t deserve to have someone so caring.
  5525. >So relatable.
  5526. >So, well, amazing.
  5527. >You continue staring at the floor, and Spitfire hops off your couch.
  5528. >”Well, I’m going to go take a shower.”
  5529. >She looks at you and flashes a small, seductive grin.
  5530. >”…Wanna join?”
  5531. >You shake your head again and smile.
  5532. “I’m good.”
  5533.  
  5534. >Her ears fall, and she just nods.
  5535. >Then she walks off.
  5536. >…Great, your shitty attitude just made things worse.
  5537. >You are just on a roll here, aren’t you, Anon?
  5538. >She’s probably already torn about the Wonderbolts thing, and you just made that worse.
  5539. >She cares for you when you aren’t really caring for yourself, and that’s not improving things.
  5540. >…Really, the only way you’d be able to avoid shitting things up would be to, well simply put, not be here.
  5541. >She doesn’t need any more problems created by you.
  5542. >…And that’s pretty much all you’re doing, here.
  5543. >You haven’t done a single good thing here, either.
  5544. >You made her cry, made her pay for a meal, punch a pony in the face, and now you just made her sad.
  5545. >Goddamn it, Anon…
  5546. >If you could just, NOT mess up for a whole day, you’d be golden.
  5547. >Things would improve so much.
  5548. >You stand up and walk over to turn off the living room light, then hop on your couch.
  5549. >You don’t make yourself comfortable, and just stare at the ceiling.
  5550. >You don’t really focus on one thing, and just repeat all your previous thoughts, like some kind of mantra.
  5551. >Soon you notice yourself quickly growing tired.
  5552. >Really... tired…
  5553. >
  5554.  
  5555. >You open your eyes and immediately feel really warm.
  5556. >You look down and see Spitfire, now without her clothes and makeup, just hugging your chest.
  5557. >The only thing that worries you now is what this morning gave you.
  5558. >…What EVERY morning does.
  5559. “Oh goddamn it…”
  5560. >Despite being extremely silent in your self-cursing, Spitfire slowly starts to shift awake.
  5561. >She stretches her hooves like a cat and yawns.
  5562. >Then she looks at you with a small smile.
  5563. >”Mornin’ Anon. Hope you don’t mind, but you looked like a pretty comfy thing to lie on last night.”
  5564. >You don’t respond, and a hind leg brushes up against Jr.
  5565. >She softly gasps, then smiles.
  5566. >"Feeling better already, huh? Want me to, ah, 'wake you up,' then?"
  5567.  
  5568. >You quickly shake your head and slip out from underneath her.
  5569. "I-I'm fine, Spitfire."
  5570. >She frowns, then develops a worried look.
  5571. >"...Talk to me, Anon... What's wrong?"
  5572. >Before you can respond, there's a knock on the door.
  5573. >You practically fly over to it, thankful for the distraction.
  5574. >Who could it be, though?
  5575. >You open the door.
  5576. >...Nobody's there.
  5577. >You look down, and what's left of your heart sinks.
  5578. >You stare at the paper before you.
  5579. >"CAPTAIN OF THE WONDERBOLTS BEATS UP FAN FOR LOCAL ALIEN"
  5580. >'Local alien'.
  5581. >You crouch and pick up the paper.
  5582. >Of course, not only is this front page, but it also has a picture of you holding Spitfire in your arms.
  5583. >Fucking Sunday paper.
  5584. >...How did they even make this story this fast?
  5585. >...How...
  5586. >You take to just sitting on the door frame, staring at the paper in your hands.
  5587. >You were right.
  5588. >Horribly, horribly right.
  5589. >...You ruined her career.
  5590. >You ruined her LIFE.
  5591. >You drop the paper and sigh.
  5592. >>"Troubles are a part of any relationship, even if you're already with the only pony you've ever dreamed of having. If it's true, then you'll be able to overcome anything, no matter how bad it may seem... And when you do overcome them, it makes the bond between you two that much stronger."
  5593. >You mull over the words, then hold your head in your hands.
  5594. >You hear hoofsteps approaching.
  5595. >"Anon? What's wrong?"
  5596. >She stops just next to you, and you feel her eyes leave you.
  5597. >"...Oh."
  5598. >She walks over and grabs the paper, retreating a bit to read it.
  5599. >After a moment, she softly laughs.
  5600. >"Well, I DO have a temper..."
  5601. >She shuffles over and sits beside you.
  5602. >There's a long moment of silence.
  5603. "...I did this. I'm sorry."
  5604. >She looks over at you.
  5605. >"What was that?"
  5606. >You sigh.
  5607. "I ruined your career. It's all my fault..."
  5608.  
  5609. >You just stay silent and stare at the ground.
  5610. >She leans over on you.
  5611. >"Anon... you know, I didn't NEED to punch that pony in the face..."
  5612. >You look up.
  5613. >...Where's she going with this?
  5614. >"...But you know what? I did. And I did, for you."
  5615. >You slowly turn to her.
  5616. >"...I know I'm done for, Anon. I know my career's over, and if I really didn't know that, then I would be up in Cloudsdale right now."
  5617. >Oh, so you're keeping her from work, too.
  5618. >Nice job, Anon.
  5619. >"...I've never told anypony I've loved them before... And I never knew what it truly felt like... until I met you."
  5620. >She kisses you on the cheek and hugs you.
  5621. >You freeze for a moment, then gladly hug her.
  5622. >...Though you only feel a bit better.
  5623. >When her career truly ends, what will she do?
  5624. >You certainly have no trouble helping her out in any way you can, but you aren't necessarily well off...
  5625. >Your whole life savings was blown off, and the only income you have is based solely off the generosity of the Princess...
  5626. >You sigh.
  5627. >She breaks the hug and puts her hooves on your face.
  5628. >"Whatever happens... we'll get through it together, alright?"
  5629. >You nod.
  5630. >You sure hope so...
  5631. >She gives you a quick kiss on the lips and smiles.
  5632. >"Now, I'm hungry. Let's have breakfast."
  5633. >You smile and softly laugh.
  5634. "I so made the right choice going to that show."
  5635. >She smiles in return.
  5636. >"You're darn right, you did. You got the best of the best, here."
  5637. >You nod, tear up the newspaper, then head back inside with Spitfire.
  5638. >...From bad to good, to worse and okay again.
  5639. >Though you still feel unsure, you know that you should try to be less of a bitch, simply put.
  5640. >Spitfire won't be able to bail you out of everything...
  5641. >You close the door and head over to the kitchen.
  5642. >Screw going out- you can make a perfect breakfast.
  5643. >Hell, maybe you could take a shot at making what Dad always would.
  5644. >...Dad...
  5645. >You blink a few times.
  5646. >You have to stop blaming yourself at SOME point, Anon...
  5647.  
  5648. >You start grabbing cooking things and ingredients.
  5649. >As you do, you continue to think.
  5650. >...Did she really mean what she said?
  5651. >...Did she actually...
  5652. >Love you?
  5653. >You just think for a moment.
  5654. >...Well, really, why would she?
  5655. >She probably just said it to calm you down...
  5656. >There's no way she actually could have feelings for you.
  5657. >You're...
  5658. >Well, you.
  5659. >Plenty of other ponies hate you, just for being you.
  5660. >Why would Spitfire be any different?
  5661. >You pause for a moment.
  5662. >You feel horribly conflicted.
  5663. >Like some kind of damn teenager, hormones raging all over the place.
  5664. >It's a feeling you're not a big fan of...
  5665. >You focus on the pan in your hands.
  5666. >Spitfire comes over and nudges you.
  5667. >"So, after breakfast, are we gonna, you know..."
  5668. >She rubs against your leg.
  5669. >"Continue where we left off, earlier?~"
  5670. >You think for a moment.
  5671. >Honestly, you don't feel like it.
  5672. >You don't understand why, but you just don't... want to.
  5673. >And to think that just yesterday you were caught in front of the six with her.
  5674. >What has changed, though?
  5675. >Spitfire told you not to worry- she chose you over the paper.
  5676. >So why do you still feel so bad?
  5677. >So... worthless?
  5678. >What in god's name is wrong wi-
  5679. >You pause.
  5680. >You recognize this shit.
  5681. >The most common thing your dad had to deal with back home.
  5682. >Depression.
  5683. >...Wonderful.
  5684. >You're getting depressed.
  5685. >But by WHAT?
  5686. >You feel like you have some kind of damn disease, more than a condition you can get rid of.
  5687. >It's like your mind is just being plagued.
  5688. >Like every single thought that runs past your mind is altered somehow.
  5689. >You hate it.
  5690. >And you don't know the first thing to do about it.
  5691.  
  5692. >Well, alright, how would you get rid of this?
  5693. >Your dad would always treat depression like it was a damn cold.
  5694. >He said it was common to feel a bit sad when dealing with sad people almost twenty-four seven.
  5695. >Alright Anon, think...
  5696. >What would Dad do?
  5697. >...Well, the last time he said he felt that way, it turned out to be MORE than just depressio-
  5698. >-Alright, the first step would be to not think about that.
  5699. >You look down at Spitfire, who's still giving you a seductive grin.
  5700. >...And while you won't do what she's asking, having someone nearby should definitely help things.
  5701. >...Hopefully.
  5702. >You drop down and pick her up, getting a small squeak in response.
  5703. >Then you hug the hell out of her.
  5704. >...Yup.
  5705. >You're already feeling a bit better.
  5706. >"Woah, you're really huggy today, Anon."
  5707. >You respond with a little squeeze.
  5708. >Christ, she's so soft.
  5709. >...It's like hugging a big yellow kitten.
  5710. >She sighs and relaxes her head on your shoulder.
  5711. >"Well, wake me up when breakfast is ready."
  5712. >She wraps all her hooves around you and sighs again.
  5713. >You're left just supporting her rump in the same way you had when the six caught you.
  5714. >Her wings stretch for a second, then fold back.
  5715. >...You think she's being serious.
  5716. >Is she being serious?
  5717. >You look to your side and just see her on your shoulder, eyes closed.
  5718. >-Yup, she was serious.
  5719. >...Well, at least she's helping you out, a bit.
  5720. >Being this close to her is very therapeutic.
  5721. >You mentally double-take.
  5722. >...Close...
  5723. >You think back to yesterday.
  5724. >How much you wanted to...
  5725. >...Well, the only way to beat depression you'd think, would be to do everything it makes you not want to do.
  5726. >...And one thing you've been hesitant on is, well, uh...
  5727. >The private stuff.
  5728. >The bedroom kind of private stuff...
  5729. >...Would...
  5730. >Would that actually help?
  5731. >...But, you've never done that before.
  5732. >Though, you HAVE read up on the benefits, before...
  5733. >N-not out of personal interest, but you had overheard your dad mention that a few times...
  5734. >Your heart races.
  5735.  
  5736. >Alright, well either way, you should just focus on breakfast for now...
  5737. >You grab a spatula and just stare at what you have.
  5738. >Pancake batter, milk, eggs, meat for you...
  5739. >...You feel like you're forgetting something.
  5740. >-Right, cheese!
  5741. >'Cause you can't live life if you can't eat cheese.
  5742. >You grab the block from your fridge and throw it with everything else.
  5743. >Then you just stare off into space.
  5744. >...How the hell are you going to cook with just one hand?
  5745. "...Shit."
  5746. >You look over your side again.
  5747. >Sweet Jesus, she ACTUALLY fell asleep.
  5748. >It hasn't even been ten minutes.
  5749. >You must be really comfy.
  5750. >You just smile and get to work.
  5751. >Hopefully this breakfast doesn't just all go down the shitter.
  5752. >
  5753. >Fucking Christ, you're FINALLY DONE.
  5754. >The process was extremely repetitive, painful, and very boring.
  5755. >You actually blanked out during it, and ended up with burnt eggs at one point.
  5756. >You've NEVER burnt eggs before.
  5757. >And Spitfire slept through all of it.
  5758. >She kicked you in your sleep and drooled all over you.
  5759. >You don't understand how she didn't wake up from your hisses of agony earlier.
  5760. >But damn, you finally finished.
  5761. >And it only took...
  5762. >Three hours.
  5763. >And what you made wasn't even that difficult to do.
  5764. >It was literally just a pancake breakfast sandwich.
  5765. >But you substitute bread for pancakes.
  5766. >You just managed to flip the pancake out of the pan multiple times, as well as start a small kitchen fire.
  5767. >And fire extinguishers are NOT meant to be used with just one hand.
  5768. >Though you forgot that Spitfire was a living thing on you for a moment.
  5769. >You're pretty sure just setting her down for a single emergency, such as your whole house being torched, would have been alright to her, but after about the first half hour, you kind of just accepted her as some kind of armor or something.
  5770. >Though she was a heavy sleeper, she was definitely silent.
  5771. >Even if she DID drool and kick you.
  5772. >Multiple times.
  5773.  
  5774. >And with that, you hold a bit more pride in yourself.
  5775. >These sandwich things are like porn.
  5776. >Food porn.
  5777. >You even topped yours with delicious bologna and ham.
  5778. >Because even though you frequently skip the necessities here, meat is always a top priority.
  5779. >-Well, meat and booze.
  5780. >Preferably combined in some kind of way.
  5781. >Like shots, but with a slice of ham in it.
  5782. >You smile and walk over to get napkins.
  5783. >Once you throw them down, you lightly nudge Spitfire.
  5784. >"-WHOHUHWHAT?!"
  5785. >She flails her limbs for a moment, then processes her surroundings.
  5786. >...How the fuck did a fire extinguisher, a pan falling, and all that sizzling get by her, when a simple nudge freaks her out?
  5787. >...You just shove that thought to the back of your mind.
  5788. >That's a question for another day.
  5789. >She looks at you and just smiles.
  5790. >"Breakfast ready?"
  5791. >You nod, and she happily hops off.
  5792. >She yawns.
  5793. >"How long was I out? Five minutes?"
  5794. "...Three hours."
  5795. >"-What? Really?"
  5796. >You simply nod.
  5797. >She glances over the plates on the table.
  5798. >"Wow. You need to work on your cooking skills, then."
  5799. >You just frown.
  5800. >You DO need to work on your cooking skills, but what's bad about the breakfast?
  5801. >It looks fucking awesome.
  5802. >She reads your face like a goddamn book for autistic children.
  5803. >"That doesn't look like it took three hours, and I can smell burnt stuff."
  5804. >You glance over at the trash.
  5805. >It's practically filled with burned shit.
  5806. >...Oh.
  5807. >"Point proven."
  5808. >You sigh and walk over to your seat.
  5809. >She just yawns again, then does the same in a seat across from you.
  5810. "...So, did you not wake up during any of that?"
  5811. >"Oh, I saw the kitchen on fire."
  5812. >You pause and just look at her.
  5813. "And you didn't think to HELP?"
  5814. >She shrugs and yawns again.
  5815. >"You looked like you had it covered."
  5816. >...Yeah, except you were practically shitting yourself.
  5817. >You were already thinking of what you'd say to Twilight in order to let you move in with her again.
  5818. >You shudder.
  5819. >Spike ruined that whole castle for you.
  5820.  
  5821. "Well, help would've been much appreciated."
  5822. >"You coulda just asked."
  5823. >...Well, that's true.
  5824. >And you literally did just finish asking yourself about that.
  5825. >Shame on you, Anon.
  5826. >Common sense really has gone out the damn window these past few days.
  5827. >You notice the fork that you don't have on your table, then just decide on going caveman style.
  5828. >And though Dad was no five star chef, he knew what was up.
  5829. >Pancake breakfast sandwiches are the greatest fucking thing.
  5830. >And he always made sure to make the eggs sunny-side up, too, so that way the yolk would just get soaked into the pancakes and shit.
  5831. >Your thoughts drift to him again.
  5832. >...Though, you notice that they're not nearly as sad as they were, earlier.
  5833. >...It's like, somehow, carrying Spitfire around really DID improve things.
  5834. >You knew that there were like, therapeutic puppies and kittens and shit that would help out, but damn, you didn't think that her being there would work so quickly.
  5835. >Huh.
  5836. >You smile.
  5837. >And it seems much easier to.
  5838. >So, does that mean you SHOULDN'T... you know?
  5839. >God, you're thinking about this like a little kid.
  5840. >Though, you really have zero experience on the subject.
  5841. >You saw all those porn videos when you were like, ten.
  5842. >You never whacked it or anything, but you just really didn't get the appeal of it.
  5843. >People were screaming, some shit looked like it hurt, and a lot of disgusting crap was going on in those.
  5844. >And it was all vanilla.
  5845. >It just looked...
  5846. >Weird.
  5847. >And though immature, you pretty much kept that mentality.
  5848. >-Not about doing it being weird, but just in the sense that you wouldn't go out of your way to do that.
  5849. >A bit hard to explain.
  5850. >...You're a weird person.
  5851. >But then again, you're sure normal people aren't usually sent to worlds filled with sentient, talking ponies.
  5852. >-But then again AGAIN, how would you know?
  5853. >-A hoof is waved in front of your face.
  5854. >"You there, Anon?"
  5855. >You blink, then nod.
  5856. "Sorry."
  5857. >"...You seemed pretty out of it. What were you thinking about?"
  5858.  
  5859. >You blank out again.
  5860. >Should you actually tell her?
  5861. >It might upset her if you don't.
  5862. "Uuuhhh..."
  5863. >She raises an eyebrow.
  5864. "Thinking about af…"
  5865. >You mumble the last part.
  5866. >You just rub the back of your neck.
  5867. >"…Anon! Out with it!"
  5868. "...I was thinking about after br…"
  5869. >She just watches you intently.
  5870. "Thinking about… after breakfast…"
  5871. >She suddenly turns red and sits back in her seat.
  5872. >"O-oh…"
  5873. >She looks up at you.
  5874. >"D-do you really want to…?"
  5875. >You rub your face.
  5876. "Well, it's up to you…"
  5877. >She nods.
  5878. >"I just… didn't expect you to actually jump on the offer like that…"
  5879. >So, she was teasing you, just to get a reaction?
  5880. >…That's cruel.
  5881. >You just nod.
  5882. >Okay, so that means she DOESN'T want to-
  5883. >"-You want to?"
  5884. >Your train of thought hits the brakes and crashes into a bus.
  5885. >There are no survivors.
  5886. "W-what?"
  5887. >She's nervously tapping her hooves together.
  5888. >"Do you WANT to do… that?"
  5889. >You shrug.
  5890. "Do YOU?"
  5891. >You know, you don't remember making a side of spaghetti with your breakfast.
  5892. >But you made a lot of it.
  5893. >In all the movies and stuff you've seen, usually they don't spend five minutes asking about it.
  5894. >They kinda just look at each other for a second, start making out, then, well… yeah.
  5895. >You're pretty sure this isn't how it goes.
  5896. >She blows her hair away and just stares at her hooves.
  5897. >"…Y-yes…"
  5898. >She looks up at you again.
  5899. >"D-do you?"
  5900. >You scratch your face.
  5901. "Well, uh… k-kinda, yeah…"
  5902. >She nods and gives you a small smile.
  5903. >"O-okay."
  5904. >Jeez, it's weird how nervous she seems about all of this.
  5905. >With anything else, she's been perfectly fine.
  5906. >-But hell, you're nervous, too.
  5907. >You're just, ah, not sure how well you'll be able to… uh… 'preform'.
  5908.  
  5909. >You can only explain this as a huge ass roller coaster.
  5910. >It looks fun as hell, and everyone's doing it, but the first time around, you're really scared.
  5911. >Though, you feel kinda better that Spitfire's in the same boat as you, and that you'll both be going on the same roller coaster together.
  5912. >…It actually doesn't sound that bad when you think about it that way.
  5913. >-Well, it doesn't SOUND bad, but it IS.
  5914. >-WELL, not BAD, but it's an adult thing, and because you're ALREADY an adult, and it IS an adult thing, it's normal.
  5915. >You pause, then sigh.
  5916. >You're probably thinking about this too much.
  5917. >You look over and notice Spitfire staring off as you are.
  5918. >She notices you noticing.
  5919. >You notice her noticing you noticing.
  5920. >And you both smile.
  5921. >It's a bit of like a small, awkward smile, when you're both doing something embarrassing, but you're both doing it, so you smile because you're not alone.
  5922. >Or just a smile to not look creepy.
  5923. >...Eh, pretty much both.
  5924. >You blink and bring your attention back to your glorious breakfast.
  5925. >Honestly, you don't understand how your dad came up with the idea.
  5926. >A pancake breakfast sandwich sounds like the weirdest thing ever, but once you have it...
  5927. >Hoooh, man...
  5928. >You blink again and just grab the thing.
  5929. >Before you'd just use a fork, but after realizing that it's literally JUST a sandwich, you just used your hands.
  5930. >You take a bite.
  5931. >It's like Jesus just came into your mouth.
  5932. >Wait, FUCK, NO, not like THAT!
  5933. >You mean he ARRIVED in your mouth!
  5934. >-NO, not THAT single part, you mean, like, his whole BODY-
  5935. >-Alright, just stop thinking.
  5936. >You pause.
  5937. >…Okay.
  5938.  
  5939. >But anyways, the sandwich thing is good.
  5940. >The pancakes and the eggs themselves are perfectly buttery, and are amazing.
  5941. >And as well as having the cheese, the meat really brings you back.
  5942. >And even though the meat didn't have chemicals and lost souls or whatever the hell the internet claimed it had, it was tasty as all hell.
  5943. >You slowly chew to savor the thing like it's your last meal.
  5944. >You took three hours to make it- so hell if it's going to be finished in just ten minutes.
  5945. >You close your eyes in bliss, and a smile spreads across your face.
  5946. >You catch yourself moaning, then freeze.
  5947. >Your eyes snap open, and you slowly glance over at Spitfire, who just smiles in return.
  5948. >"You enjoying yourself?"
  5949. >Then she giggles.
  5950. >You try your damnedest to hide your face with your food.
  5951. >But you can't hide your smile.
  5952. >That giggle is too cute.
  5953. >But you notice that she hasn't even touched her sandwich.
  5954. >Did you accidentally put meat in it?
  5955. >Shit, you hope not.
  5956. "How come YOU aren't enjoying yourself?"
  5957. >There's no way your breakfast is an acquired taste or anything.
  5958. >It's literally just regular breakfast stuff, but made differently.
  5959. >She looks down at her plate, then you.
  5960. >"What IS it, anyways?"
  5961. "It's a breakfast sandwich! Pancakes, cheese, and eggs!"
  5962. >She scans it.
  5963. >"That's a… weird combination."
  5964. >You nod.
  5965. "Really good, though."
  5966. >She turns back to her plate and fumbles around with it for a moment, trying to pick the sandwich up with her hooves.
  5967. >...It doesn't look like it's going too well.
  5968. >She stops, and instead leans over to bite it-
  5969. "-You'll get pretty messy if you do that."
  5970. >She pauses, then frowns.
  5971. >"Then how do I EAT it?"
  5972.  
  5973. >…You didn't much about that, actually.
  5974. >And all your cutlery is currently in need of washing.
  5975. >And you're too lazy for that shit.
  5976. >You both pause and look at each other.
  5977. >You can tell you're both thinking of the same thing.
  5978. >Immediately, she just flies over and sits with you.
  5979. >And by 'with', you of course mean ON.
  5980. >...How many times have you done this, already?
  5981. >It doesn't even seem weird anymore.
  5982. >-Sure, you'd still prefer a second chair or something instead of ACTUALLY being on you, but whatever.
  5983. >You aren't complaining much.
  5984. >You lean over and slide her plate over, and she smiles.
  5985. >She kinda spreads her wings a bit, then gets nestled on you.
  5986. >She closes her eyes and sighs.
  5987. "...You enjoying yourself?"
  5988. >Her eyes instantly open, and she scrunches at you.
  5989. >"Oh, shut up."
  5990. >You let out a tiny giggle, enjoying how red her face is at the moment.
  5991. >It's so adorable.
  5992. >You reach over and tear a piece from her sandwich, then feed it to her.
  5993. >-Well actually, you HANDED it to her, because you thought the piece was too big, but she ate it like it was nothing.
  5994. >Like a seal being given fish.
  5995. >She smiles.
  5996. >"Woah, that IS pretty good."
  5997. >You grin.
  5998. "Told ya."
  5999.  
  6000. >You wrap your left arm around her and get a little squeak in response, then grab your sandwich with another.
  6001. >…Though, sandwich REALLY doesn't sound like the right term.
  6002. >-Technically, it IS, but you feel you should have a name for it or something.
  6003. >Back home it was just, 'Dad's Special Breakfast'.
  6004. >But, well, you don't have a dad, here.
  6005. >-Just like everyone in Compton.
  6006. >You smile.
  6007. >-Seriously, it sucks though.
  6008. >You take a bite of yours and hum with delight.
  6009. >Spitfire just sniffs at it like a Bloodhound.
  6010. >"Yours smells different… what's in it?"
  6011. >You stop chewing and freeze.
  6012. >"Ummm…"
  6013. >You remember how she reacted to meat at Griffon Applebee's two days ago.
  6014. >…It WAS two days ago, right?
  6015. >…Goddamn, this's been a crazy-ass week, for sure.
  6016. >But you know she doesn't like the idea of it.
  6017. "Uhhh… it's a secret sauce…"
  6018. >You try to straighten your face as much as possible.
  6019. >You're sure it just looks like you're having a stroke.
  6020. >"What is it?"
  6021. "…Weeell, it's not really what it IS, but what it tastes like, for me."
  6022. >"Then can I try it?"
  6023. >You just stare at her.
  6024. "…Not sure that's a good idea."
  6025. >"Why?"
  6026. >-JESUS SPITFIRE JUST GIVE UP.
  6027. "Because I'm not so sure how well you'll be able to take it. It might irritate your stomach or something horrible like that."
  6028. >She glares at you.
  6029. >"If I can drink as much as you, I can eat what you can!"
  6030. >You shake your head.
  6031. >She pout-
  6032. >-SWEET GODS, NO!
  6033. >You sigh.
  6034. "Fiiine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
  6035. >Before you can say anything else, she beams and takes a small bite of your sandwich thing.
  6036. >You just stare.
  6037.  
  6038. >She chews on it for a moment.
  6039. >You can feel your humanity just slowly draining away.
  6040. >For a small bite, that was still a BIG bite.
  6041. >...This is horrible.
  6042. >This is like, feeding chicken nuggets to a pet chicken.
  6043. >It's cruel.
  6044. >You're sure the next time you die, it won't be a pleasant place.
  6045. >Sweet Jesus, what's she gonna think when she finds out what it is?
  6046. >-WHY did you even let her?
  6047. >Why are those damn pouts of hers so effective?
  6048. >Holy shit, one way or another, nothing good will come of this.
  6049. >She swallows, then looks at you.
  6050. >-Oh god she knows.
  6051. >You knew it, she can read minds.
  6052. >And she's reading your mind about believing she can read minds.
  6053. >Oh sweet Satan.
  6054. >She smiles.
  6055. >"That's pretty good!"
  6056. >Your jaw drops.
  6057. >"R-really?"
  6058. >Your voice cracked.
  6059. >You clear your throat, and she just nods, that innocent smile on her face.
  6060. >Fucking hell you just accidentally destroyed that innocence of hers.
  6061. >Everything down the shitter like some washed up celebrity.
  6062. >"So... what was that?"
  6063. >You involuntarily tense up.
  6064. >What the fuck do you say?
  6065. >You can't lie for shit!
  6066. >-Hell, shit COULD lie better than you!
  6067. >Oh god, look at that smile on her face.
  6068. >She looks like a kid who just got the toy they've wanted for thirty years.
  6069. >And that's just her NORMAL smiling.
  6070. >And now, you've gotta come up to her and say that her toy's gotta be sold in order to pay for the fucking water bill!
  6071. "I...uh..."
  6072. >You can't lie!
  6073. >So just say the truth in a weird way!
  6074. >Use some scientific terms!
  6075. "-It's bologna."
  6076. >WHAT THE HELL THAT'S NOT SCIENTIFIC!
  6077. >She cocks her head to the side.
  6078. >"What's that?"
  6079. >You instinctively shrug.
  6080. >"I dunno."
  6081. >Well, technically you DON'T know, so you should be good... right?
  6082. >She scans you for any kind of hint that what you're saying is bullshit.
  6083. >All you know is that bologna's got meat mixed in.
  6084. >She finally smiles.
  6085.  
  6086. >"Well, it's tasty!"
  6087. >She pauses.
  6088. >"-Wait, if you don't know what it's made of, then how do you know it'll hurt me?"
  6089. >OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE SEVENTH LAYER OF HELL
  6090. "Uhhh..."
  6091. >She raises an eyebrow.
  6092. >You instinctively shrug again.
  6093. "I-I don't..."
  6094. >You try to maintain your look, hoping she won't see how fucking scared you actually are through your eyes.
  6095. >-Luckily, again, you DON'T really know.
  6096. >You have a sneaking suspicion, and you think you heard something about meat doing that to herbivorous creatures, but you don't actually KNOW.
  6097. >...Wow, you're finding loopholes in yourself!
  6098. >She glares.
  6099. >"So then, you just said all that so you wouldn't have to share?"
  6100. >You just stay silent.
  6101. >"That is cruel, Anon. Real low stuff."
  6102. "...I-I just didn't think you'd l-like it."
  6103. >"Coulda just had me try it, earlier."
  6104. >You nod and shakily rub the back of your neck.
  6105. "Y-yeah, sorry..."
  6106. >Crisis averted.
  6107. >...Fuck, you just know this'll bite you in the ass later, somehow.
  6108. >"...So, then? Come on, get me some!"
  6109. >You blink, then slowly nod.
  6110. >Jesus Christ.
  6111. >You gave her meat.
  6112. >MEAT.
  6113. >A TALKING, LIVING CREATURE.
  6114. >-Well, once living, but-
  6115. >-TALKING, SAPIENT BEINGS.
  6116. >And she LIKED IT.
  6117. >...Actually, that's pretty fucking cool, but NOT FROM HER POSITION.
  6118. >-Hell, even YOU should feel bad for eating this shit!
  6119. >This could literally be some mish-mash of a cattle-family reunion you're eating!
  6120. >Animals that can talk, and think, a-and...
  6121. >...Ah, who are you kidding?
  6122. >This shit's delicious, even if the ones it's made out of COULD talk.
  6123. >It's not like YOU killed them.
  6124. >So you've got no reason to really feel that sad.
  6125. >...Damn, Anon, you are one cold motherfucker when you want to be.
  6126.  
  6127. >You walk over to the fridge and grab the last slice of bologna you have.
  6128. >She just watches you with that still innocent smile of hers, and you put it into her sandwich.
  6129. >This all really feels wrong.
  6130. >…But, you guess if she likes it, then it should be fine...
  6131. >It kinda puts you at ease, but not entirely.
  6132. >Though, there are plenty of things you used to routinely enjoy, until you found out what they were.
  6133. >Like that chicken on a stick at that Chinese restaurant actually being frog.
  6134. >...And you had gotten that shit for two years…
  6135. >After staring off for a moment, you shake your head and feed Spitfire.
  6136. >She hums with delight.
  6137. >"Mmm, now I know why you were enjoying your food so much! This is great!"
  6138. >You slowly nod.
  6139. >There goes all your good boy points from this universe…
  6140. >
  6141.  
  6142. >You stare at Spitfire.
  6143. >…She finished everything before you did.
  6144. >After the third bite, she insisted on just handing the whole sandwich to her.
  6145. >And she got yolk all over herself, and your thankfully still spill-resistant suit.
  6146. >You don't even know why you're still wearing the thing.
  6147. >But a six foot alien trying to find clothes in a small world is near impossible.
  6148. >-Though, you DID manage to get a regular t-shirt, you really don't have pants to match.
  6149. >They have fat ponies for the shirts, but they don't have freakishly tall ones for pants.
  6150. >And you're not about to sit through another five hours of hell for Rarity to make you some new clothing.
  6151. >You sigh and quickly finish what you had left.
  6152. >And that is achieved by stuffing the rest of it in your mouth and trying to chew it all at once.
  6153.  
  6154. >You move from your seat with the two plates in tow and have Spitfire just sit on her chair while you go to clean yours up.
  6155. >Once you procrastinate and throw the plates in the sink for later, you grab a few napkins and take them over to your seat.
  6156. >Spitfire, meanwhile, is fruitlessly trying to clean the yolk from her coat with her tongue.
  6157. >Like a cat.
  6158. >It's cute.
  6159. >She licks one of her front hooves and freezes when she sees you looking at her.
  6160. >She scrunches.
  6161. >"It won't come off, okay?!"
  6162. >You let out a schoolgirl-like giggle and nod.
  6163. >[embarrassed scrunching intensifies]
  6164. >You turn back to the chair and quickly wipe that shit down before anything hardens.
  6165. >After throwing the napkins away, you turn back to Spitfire.
  6166. >She's still struggling.
  6167. >It's in part of her mane and tail, too.
  6168. "You're probably just going to have to shower for that."
  6169. >She huffs and keeps licking.
  6170. "...Told you it'd get messy."
  6171. >You smile and leave to go grab her a towel.
  6172. >Once you go into the bathroom, you spot your beautiful black suit, hanging up on the towel rack like the sexy motherfucker he is.
  6173. >Though you're pretty sure it wasn't cleaned when you left it.
  6174. >-Oh right, it was soaked in...
  6175. >…Yeah.
  6176. >You inspect it for any stains or anything.
  6177. >It's perfectly clean, actually, just wrapped up and hung like it's nobody's business.
  6178. >It's not dry-cleaned, but you liked having it nice and tidy in these zipper things.
  6179. >You've never actually dry cleaned anyways, so you don't know how that shit goes.
  6180. >You shrug it off and grab a red towel.
  6181. >You pretty much have the full damn rainbow in here.
  6182. >…Hmm.
  6183. >You wonder how she's doing.
  6184. >…Oh, man.
  6185. >You probably should've visited her.
  6186. >No doubt she's at the hospital.
  6187. >-Alright, well, now you know what you're doing after this.
  6188.  
  6189. >You leave the bathroom and see Spitfire still furiously licking her coat.
  6190. >She looks extremely frustrated.
  6191. "Got the towel, Spitfire!"
  6192. >She angrily bites her own hoof and winces.
  6193. >She grunts and hops off her chair.
  6194. >"Anything to get this stuff out…"
  6195. "Oh, and when you're done, we're going to go visit Rainbow, who's most likely at the hospital right now."
  6196. >Her ears perk up, and she freezes.
  6197. >"The hospital? What's she doing there?"
  6198. "She drank an entire glass of hard apple cider."
  6199. >"…That's it?"
  6200. "IMPORTED hard apple cider."
  6201. >"…Oh."
  6202. >She winces.
  6203. >"Ooohhh… ouch."
  6204. >You nod.
  6205. "You two reeeaaally don't understand what 'no' means."
  6206. >She glares at you for a second, then shrugs and nods.
  6207. >"I can't argue that."
  6208. >You shake your head with a small tsk-ing noise, then hand the towel over to her.
  6209. >She rolls her eyes, takes it, and hops into the bathroom.
  6210. >Something immediately clicks into your mind.
  6211. "Daaamn, you know, I still don't have any of those brushes you guys use..."
  6212. >She pauses and cocks her head to the side a bit.
  6213. >...She looks like she's remembering something.
  6214. >She drops the towel on the toilet seat.
  6215. >She glances at you and nervously rubs her leg.
  6216. >"…Th-think you... c-could you help me out, then?"
  6217. >You nod.
  6218. >Though you're sure that this time around, she won't try to pin you down and force you to clean her.
  6219. >You wonder if she even remembers that.
  6220. >Your cheeks warm up a little in response.
  6221. >...Well, the great thing here is that you've got a suit that can't get wet or dirty!
  6222. >That's really the only reason why you were so quick to answer.
  6223. >No spaghetti shall be spilled TODAY!
  6224.  
  6225. >You see her smile, then hop into the shower.
  6226. >You follow suit with, well, your suit.
  6227. >Shoes and everything.
  6228. >Spitfire looks at you like you're some kind of retard.
  6229. >"Aren't you going to take that off?"
  6230. >You shake your head and smile.
  6231. "This thing's completely waterproof."
  6232. >Her ears fall a bit.
  6233. >"Oookay."
  6234. >She flips the shower on, and she watches as all the droplets just bounce off your suit.
  6235. "Preeetty neat, eh? Saved me from the rain last night."
  6236. >She just nods.
  6237. >She doesn't seem all that impressed for some reason.
  6238. >Probably seen it before, then.
  6239. >You reach past her and grab that loufa thing.
  6240. >-Still not sure how that shit's spelled.
  6241. >You think people should just stop arguing about the damn name and call it a shower sponge or whatever the hell.
  6242. >Spitfire closes her eyes and soaks her mane.
  6243. >Naturally, it pretty much covers her whole face.
  6244. >Like a sheepdog.
  6245. >You look down at yourself and suddenly just feel... dirty.
  6246. >Not dirty in like, THAT kinda way, but you're kind of feeling unclean right now, just seeing her wash up.
  6247. >-Also, just watching her is not something you want to do.
  6248. >One, because that's creepy, and two, because that also sounds boring as hell.
  6249. >...Well, at least you can wash your head, too.
  6250. >Might as well, instead of just standing here.
  6251. >You grab a bottle of shampoo and pour some into your hands.
  6252. >Spitfire, peeking one eye from her mane, holds a hoof to you.
  6253. >You instinctively pour her some, and she starts lathering it up in her mane.
  6254. >You throw the glob on your head and just start massaging yourself.
  6255. >It feels pretty nice.
  6256. >You pause, roll up the sleeves of your suit, then continue.
  6257. >It's kinda awkward otherwise.
  6258. >And though the SUIT is waterproof, you're not, so the water seeping through everything is a weird feeling.
  6259. >Hell, you might as well not even WEAR the suit.
  6260.  
  6261. >You pause.
  6262. >Well, that IS an option.
  6263. >...
  6264. >Screw it, you think better when you're drunk, and you had no problem with it.
  6265. >...But, that's also because you were drunk.
  6266. >You pretty much don't FEEL anything.
  6267. >You can't feel embarrassed when you're drunk.
  6268. >Because you DON'T feel when you are.
  6269. >...Well, most of the time.
  6270. >Depends on HOW drunk you are.
  6271. >There's that certain line that you've got, and you've been told that once it's been crossed, you become the most emotional person ever.
  6272. >Found that out in college.
  6273. >You apparently cried uncontrollably when one of those fucking commercials for those animal shelters came on.
  6274. >Then you threw up and fell asleep.
  6275. >...Supposedly.
  6276. >It's not like you had any proof.
  6277. >And it's not like you got a chance to stay in college for very long.
  6278. >...That's what you get for leaving your comfort zone.
  6279. >You glance at Spitfire, who's just washing her mane with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.
  6280. >Well...
  6281. >How much more comfortable can it get, here?
  6282. >-Though you're still leaving your boxers on, again.
  6283. >Not for comfort, but instinct.
  6284. >The last thing you need is another pony jumping through your window to sing a song with you.
  6285. >...God, that shit scared the shit out of you.
  6286. >And thankfully not literally.
  6287. >You take your coat off, then start undoing the buttons of your shirt.
  6288. >Spitfire doesn't even seem to realize you exist anymore, with how much she's enjoying herself.
  6289. >It instantly brings a smile to your face.
  6290. >You finish off with the shirt, then struggle into the nth dimension with your shoes.
  6291. >But eventually, you take them and your slacks off, socks obviously included.
  6292. >But they weren't fucking waterproof, so you really screwed yourself there.
  6293. >And now you stand in your only pair of purple boxers.
  6294. >-Well, only pair of boxers, period.
  6295. >And they immediately get soaked.
  6296. >Shit.
  6297. >You just look down at yourself.
  6298. >...The thought of just having re-used boxers on quickly gets to your head.
  6299.  
  6300. >But where the hell else are you supposed to get boxers?
  6301. >You're not sure you feel comfortable enough with Rarity being near Jr. with sharp things.
  6302. >The thought alone pains you.
  6303. >You close the curtain again and just grab some body wash stuff.
  6304. >Spitfire just seems to be lost in her own little world, meanwhile, humming a little tune to herself while her eyes remain closed.
  6305. >And you haven't exactly made much noise to make your presence all that noticeable.
  6306. >And she already finished cleaning her mane, now going back to just enjoying the water on her face.
  6307. >You expertly lean over and grab the sponge thing around her.
  6308. >She hasn't even glanced your way or moved.
  6309. >You mentally shrug and just start cleaning yourself.
  6310. >First arms, then body, legs, and back.
  6311. >Thankfully you were always flexible enough to actually REACH your back.
  6312. >Which is why you didn't need those brush things in the first place.
  6313. >You didn't know it was a necessity amongst ponies- you kinda just thought it was another thing that could be gotten, but didn't need to be.
  6314. >And, well, it's not like you have ponies over at your house besides Rainbow, and now Spitfire, really.
  6315. >And Rainbow usually just crashed on your bed the minute she walked through that door.
  6316. >You finish cleaning and look down again.
  6317. >Well, only one place left to clean.
  6318.  
  6319. >Though you kinda don't want to.
  6320. >-Not because you LIKE being unclean or anything, but that'll be pretty horrible, because you're using the sponge to scrub around and down there, then you're using the exact same sponge to help clean Spitfire.
  6321. >...And that's fucking disgusting.
  6322. >That thought always hit you every once and a while during a shower.
  6323. >Then you'd spend a few minutes viciously washing your hands once you got out.
  6324. >You gather some excess soap, then set the sponge/loofah/whocares back where you got it.
  6325. >Then you kinda just reach down and-
  6326. >You suddenly get the feeling of being watched and look up.
  6327. >And of course, Spitfire chose this time out of the entire nine year window you had, to turn to you.
  6328. >There's a bit of a silence between you both.
  6329. >You've got one hand in your boxers, and another just resting on your side.
  6330. >She's still got a bunch of hair in her face, but you can see about half of her other eye.
  6331. >Her cheeks quickly grow red.
  6332. >She looks at you for the most part, but takes small glances at your currently occupied hand a few times.
  6333. >She bites her lip.
  6334. "I-I uh, w-was just... uh..."
  6335. >You see her tail flick.
  6336. >Her wings unfurl slightly.
  6337. >"Looks like you had the same idea..."
  6338. >She slowly walks up and places a hoof on your leg, looking into your eyes.
  6339. >"L-let's pick up where we left off yesterday..."
  6340. >Before you can say anything, she hops on you and knocks you on your ass.
  6341. >And before you can comment on how much that fucking hurt, she pulls you into a kiss, and her wings spring open.
  6342. >You can feel her heart racing against yours.
  6343. >...She MUST have been thinking about this already.
  6344. >Your eyes close.
  6345. >You wrap your arms below her wings, just above her rump.
  6346. >Her tongue gently pushes against yours, brushing it.
  6347. >You respond by doing the same thing, though a bit rougher.
  6348. >She readjusts her hind legs to rest at your sides, then relaxes on your chest.
  6349.  
  6350. >You respond with a small squeeze, which is close enough to her rump to emit a surprised squeak from her.
  6351. >She slightly moves her hips against you, letting out a small moan in the process.
  6352. >She pushes herself a little, setting herself to sit just above Jr.
  6353. >Just like yesterday.
  6354. >Then she finally breaks the kiss, tongue hanging out of her mouth in a pant.
  6355. >She gives you a quick peck on the lips, then moves away, trying to take your boxers off.
  6356. >You're too caught up in everything to think very well.
  6357. >Using your hands, you just quickly help Spitfire and take them off.
  6358. >You throw them out of the shower.
  6359. >She flies back onto your chest and gives you a quick kiss.
  6360. >Oh shit, this is actually happening.
  6361. >You're already miles ahead of where you were yesterday.
  6362. >You can feel a bit of nervousness bubbling inside of you.
  6363. >Though it's not difficult to keep your focus on the panting, wet yellow pony on you, instead.
  6364. >The sound of the shower is the only thing breaking the silence between you both.
  6365. >And Spitfire's breathing, of course.
  6366. >You gently rub her back with your hands, and she goes in for another kiss.
  6367. >...You can taste bologna.
  6368. >...Christ.
  6369. >She throws her hooves around your neck and pulls you closer to her.
  6370. >Your nose is against hers, scrunching it in the process.
  6371. >-Man, even when she's all hot and bothered, she's adorable.
  6372. >You open your eyes for a second and move your hand over to rub her ears.
  6373. >You've learned from Rainbow how powerful of a move that is.
  6374. >She swishes her tongue around in your mouth for a moment, then breaks and leans into your hand while you rub.
  6375. >She coos, and one of her legs twitches against you.
  6376. >It's heart attack worthy, honestly.
  6377. >She closes her eyes and sighs with a smile, taking to just resting her chin on your chest for a moment.
  6378. >She happily hums for a second.
  6379. >Then she shifts a little bit, looking a tad bothered.
  6380. >You can feel her tail flick.
  6381. >She lets out a small whine and bites her lip.
  6382. >"O-okay, j-just hurry up and do me already!"
  6383.  
  6384. >Before you can say anything, she moves her hips a little lower, sitting just beside Jr.
  6385. >She whines again, and goes a little further back.
  6386. >Now you can feel her... there.
  6387. >Whether it's the water or just her, you're not sure, but it's really wet.
  6388. >And warm.
  6389. >Just that feeling in itself is really enjoyable.
  6390. >But it leaves you wanting more.
  6391. >Wings still outstretched, she tries to look back and position herself.
  6392. >And you get a pretty nice view of her backside from here.
  6393. >You just don't understand how someone can be so slim, yet have such a big, pillowy rump.
  6394. >It shouldn't be possible.
  6395. >But it is, and you've never really taken any time to admire it before.
  6396. >But now...
  6397. >You feel yourself getting excited.
  6398. >You can do MORE than just admire it...
  6399. >Spitfire sets herself right above Jr., then looks at you for any objections.
  6400. >You have none whatsoever.
  6401. >You can feel your heart beating ridiculously fast.
  6402. >Same with hers.
  6403. >Some other force takes over, and you rest your palms over her Cutie Marks.
  6404. >-Well, she only HAS one, but it being on both flanks, you mean.
  6405. >You blink and slowly rub with your right hand.
  6406. >She shifts one more time, then pauses.
  6407. >...This is it.
  6408. >Point of no return.
  6409. >You bring your legs closer in a more comfortable position, then turn back to her.
  6410. >You can read her instantly.
  6411. >She only has one thing on her mind, as you do.
  6412. >There's no trace of anything in her face besides lust.
  6413. >Her breaths are short and heavy.
  6414. >Her eyes are half closed.
  6415. >You notice how deep YOUR breaths are.
  6416. >She closes her eyes and puckers her lips, then turns a bit to the side as she leans in.
  6417. >You follow in after her and meet halfway.
  6418. >Both of you lock lips together for a slow, passionate kiss.
  6419. >It's not as erratic and hungry as the other ones.
  6420. >And the second your tongues meet, she pushes her backside down onto you.
  6421.  
  6422. >She softly moans into your mouth, and you're wrapped in the warm embrace of her marehood.
  6423. >It fits your member very snug, and is slick enough to not feel uncomfortable.
  6424. >It's perfect.
  6425. >-SHE'S perfect.
  6426. >...And she's yours.
  6427. >The one mare that gave you a chance at happiness.
  6428. >The one that picks you up when you're down, and stands by you when she can't.
  6429. >And the one who feels and sees everything, just as you do.
  6430. >...Your other half.
  6431. >She brings you all the way into her, to a point where both of your stomachs are touching.
  6432. >She lets out a small whine.
  6433. >You feel a wave of warmth wash over your face, and your mind becomes clouded.
  6434. >You can now only focus on the best thing to happen in your life while you both share breaths with each other.
  6435. >You push her rump as far down on you as humanly possible, still rubbing her flanks.
  6436. >Her heart races even quicker, and she does a small circular motion with her hips, taking you along with her.
  6437. >She gently wraps her tongue around yours, once again proving how much longer hers is.
  6438. >Along with the bologna, you can taste a hint of something sweet.
  6439. >You don't know if it's actually something she had, or Equestria at work, but it's very pleasant.
  6440. >You brush her wet body gently, enjoying its silky touch.
  6441. >She lifts her rump up, then slowly allows you inside her again.
  6442. >You're feeling so many things at once that you feel your senses being overloaded with pleasure.
  6443. >She tightens around you, and you stifle a moan.
  6444. >You bring her in for another kiss, now being a bit rougher.
  6445. >You have a small battle for dominance, and she pulls herself up again.
  6446. >Your body shudders in anticipation.
  6447. >Still slick with her fluids, you're taken in easily.
  6448. >She moans.
  6449. >Your hips involuntarily jerk into her, and she squeaks in surprise.
  6450. >You both break the kiss, and one thing immediately slips out of your mouth.
  6451. "I love you."
  6452. >"-I love you too."
  6453.  
  6454. >She gets up again, but before she's able to do anything, you force her back down with your hands.
  6455. >A jolt of pleasure shoots up your spine, and she squeaks again.
  6456. >You decide to take charge and pull her off of you, before coming down with a small slapping noise.
  6457. >"A-ahh~"
  6458. >You repeat, but bring her down harder this time.
  6459. >She tightens up around you and moves her hips back and forth.
  6460. >You bite your lip and jerk against her again.
  6461. >"-Mmm..."
  6462. >You can feel something pulsating inside her, gently brushing up against your lower region.
  6463. >A wave of fluids splashes freely and coats your crotch.
  6464. >Her tongue lolls out of her mouth, and her eyes roll up in bliss.
  6465. >Her insides clutch you tightly for a moment, not allowing you to move.
  6466. >Though you try anyways.
  6467. >You try to push further into her, feeling another jolt of pleasure.
  6468. >Spitfire whines.
  6469. >It's hands down the cutest, as well as the hottest thing ever.
  6470. >You pull out and force your way into her folds, accompanied by a loud smacking sound.
  6471. >"-OH!"
  6472. >Her right hind leg kicks.
  6473. >Her breathing gets a little bit heavier.
  6474. >You can see a bit of drool hanging from her mouth.
  6475. >You take the opportunity to bring her in for another kiss.
  6476. >Completely paralyzed with pleasure, she takes to just continuing to breathe with her eyes closed, leaving you able to explore every inch of her mouth with your tongue.
  6477. >You pull out and thrust again.
  6478. >She replies with another squeak.
  6479. >Her beautifully curved rump is like a pillow for you.
  6480. >It's soft, plump, and plush.
  6481. >You pull and slam right back in, feeling her backside jiggle slightly in your hands.
  6482. >She breaks the kiss, a small line of saliva connecting you both.
  6483. >She rests her head on your shoulder and grinds her hips against you.
  6484. >"I-I love you, A-Anon."
  6485. "I love y-you too, Fire."
  6486. >Though all the bliss and primal urges, she offers a small, genuine smile.
  6487. >You return the gesture, then slowly thrust again.
  6488. >"Oh, I love you..."
  6489.  
  6490. >She's practically whispering.
  6491. >You start a slow, but steady pace of coming out and entering her.
  6492. >"Ohhh, I l-looove yooou..."
  6493. >She closes her eyes and repeats those words continuously, too lost in ecstasy to say or think of anything else.
  6494. >Her tail moves over and brushes against your left leg.
  6495. >You gently squeeze her Cutie Mark with your right hand.
  6496. >The thrusting takes no thought, your animalistic nature having kicked in a while ago.
  6497. >Every contraction, every inch of your member that her walls caress feels like pure heaven.
  6498. >You feel complete.
  6499. >You feel like the luckiest person in the world.
  6500. >To be able to do something like this, to be able to give the purest form of love to your soulmate, is hands down the greatest feeling you've ever experienced in your whole life, and then some.
  6501. >You feel something inside her brushing against you again.
  6502. >Like it's peeking out, then returning.
  6503. >You have no clue what it is, but it only adds to the immense amounts of pleasure you're feeling.
  6504. >You move your hands past her Cutie Marks and squish her cheeks against you.
  6505. >It only makes it more difficult to go inside her.
  6506. >And you love it.
  6507. >Her marehood clamps around and traps your shaft, trying its best to finish and take you.
  6508. >But you've still got a little left to go.
  6509. >Spitfire lets out long, soft moan, and hugs your shoulder tighter.
  6510. >Another wave of fluids squirt and rush down, leaking onto you.
  6511. >"Ohhh...~"
  6512. >She relaxes her whole body against you.
  6513. >Her hind legs lazily slide further apart.
  6514. >Though her tail stays over to the side.
  6515. >One of her ears flicks, and you bring your legs and knees closer, now touching hers.
  6516.  
  6517. >You start moving at a slightly quicker, though still slow pace, sliding in and out of her slick, pleasantly hot folds.
  6518. >She rubs and leans her head against your neck, going back to softly confessing her love to you in between breaths.
  6519. >Her ears tickle your neck as you watch her rump, rhythmically and hypnotizingly bobbing over your manhood.
  6520. >You feel a little warmer in your cheeks, and suddenly a feeling starts to build up inside of you.
  6521. >Your breath becomes deep and quick, and you start to feel a small pressure in your crotch.
  6522. >You continue with your thrusts, and suddenly, every single feeling becomes powerfully vivid.
  6523. >The silkiness of her flanks against your palms.
  6524. >The soft feeling of her tail brushing your legs.
  6525. >The tickling of her ear and mane on your neck.
  6526. >Her heartbeat and breathing.
  6527. >Her hind legs touching yours.
  6528. >The fluids she left over you.
  6529. >The feeling of her fur against your chest and stomach.
  6530. >That part of her that's brushing against you.
  6531. >The warm feeling of her sex caressing and wrapping around yours.
  6532. >It's just too much.
  6533. >The pressure builds at a fast pace.
  6534. >Your breathing becomes extremely heavy, and you do so with your mouth open, feeling that you can't suck in enough air.
  6535. "Oh m-man..."
  6536. >You involuntarily moan, and you bring her legs closer.
  6537. >"Mmm~"
  6538. >Her breathing becomes as heavy as yours, and she moans alongside you, mouth open.
  6539. "I love you Spitfire~"
  6540. >"I love you too Anonymous!~"
  6541. >You both repeat that constantly.
  6542. >You feel the tide rising.
  6543. >Her breathing is so loud and high pitched that it's drowning out the sound of the shower nearby.
  6544. >"OHHH, Y-YES!"
  6545. >You pick up speed and start drilling into her.
  6546. >"YES! ANON, YES!"
  6547. "F-fuck, Spits, I-I-"
  6548. >"DO IT!"
  6549.  
  6550. >She grinds you in circles, desperately trying to push you over the age.
  6551. >Her hooves tighten around you.
  6552. >You watch her grinding and riding you.
  6553. >This is it.
  6554. >You can't take anymore.
  6555. "-S-Spitfire!"
  6556. >"-ANON!"
  6557. >You hilt inside of her and force her onto you with your hands, feeling more than four years of pent up desire spurting into Spitfire.
  6558. >You can only stare at the walls of the shower as your eyes roll back in pure bliss.
  6559. >Spitfire's back arches, and her breath gets caught in her throat.
  6560. >You can feel your seed filling and overflowing inside of her, making everything even warmer, and much, much stickier.
  6561. >She lets out a final moan and just goes completely limp against you, unable to move anything.
  6562. >You slowly relax and let your legs stretch across the tub, water gently pouring over them.
  6563. >Her wings droop, then slowly fold to her sides.
  6564. >You bring your hands up and lazily hug her.
  6565. >You lean your head to the side and move towards her ear.
  6566. "...I love you."
  6567. >"I love you, too..."
  6568. >She snuggles and slightly shifts over you to get comfortable.
  6569. >She smiles and closes her eyes against you, breathing quickly slowing.
  6570. >You can feel her heartbeat starting to rest against yours.
  6571. >You suddenly feel very, very tired.
  6572. >The soothing feel and sound of the shower, along with Spitfire's heartbeat and the feeling of her chest rising and falling relaxes you further.
  6573. >You continue staring at the wall of the shower, basking in the pure, calm feeling you're left experiencing.
  6574. >Your eyes slowly start to close, and you rest your head against hers.
  6575. >That was the best thing you've ever done in your entire life.
  6576. >A genuinely content smile spreads across your face, and sleep seems eager to take over.
  6577. >...A minute won't hurt.
  6578.  
  6579. >
  6580. >Your eyes slowly flutter op-
  6581. >-JESUS THAT WATER'S COLD!
  6582. >You quickly pull your legs back.
  6583. >You look around the shower for a moment.
  6584. >…Fuck, what time is it?
  6585. >…What DAY is it?
  6586. >You feel like you just slept for a damn week!
  6587. >A damn NICE week.
  6588. >That's literally the best sleep you've ever gotten.
  6589. >You look off to the side a bit and smile.
  6590. >Spitfire's completely knocked out.
  6591. >She has her mouth slightly open, sleeping soundly.
  6592. >You run a hand through her mane, soothed by the feeling of her breathing on top of you.
  6593. >…And to think that just two days ago, you said you'd never find yourself with her in such an… intimate situation.
  6594. >And holy shit, were you wrong.
  6595. >Hell, you're still, well… INSIDE her.
  6596. >It's still nice and warm.
  6597. >You turn to your left and slightly pull back the shower curtain.
  6598. >One quick glance out of the window later, you're pretty sure it's safe to say that it's night, if the moon in the sky is anything to go by.
  6599. >Though you still feel tired.
  6600. >-Well, not TIRED, but you could definitely sleep more.
  6601. >You smile and just watch the moon.
  6602. >After a moment, your smile starts to fade.
  6603. >You just wasted like, more than eight hours worth of running water.
  6604. >-Hell, you didn't even finish your shower.
  6605. >You peek under Spitfire and see the horribly sticky mess left between the two of you.
  6606. >…And you'll probably need to re-wash a few things.
  6607. >Another thought hits you.
  6608. >It's NIGHT.
  6609. >And you never even visited Rainbow.
  6610. >…Shit…
  6611. >You completely ditched the Element of Loyalty to sleep in a damn bathtub.
  6612. >Jesus Christ…
  6613. >Spitfire slowly stirs awake and smiles at you.
  6614. >"Mmm, hey, stud."
  6615. >You feel slightly more at ease just at the sight of her smile.
  6616. "Hey, uh... cutie."
  6617. >-God, you feel like some kind of Jersey Shore douchebag for saying that shit.
  6618.  
  6619. >She softly giggles, then gives you hug.
  6620. >Man, she's so soft…
  6621. >You could stay like this for hours.
  6622. >…Well, MORE hours.
  6623. >Though you probably shouldn't.
  6624. >A sudden realization hits you.
  6625. "...I'm hungry."
  6626. >Spitfire nods.
  6627. >"I was just about to say that."
  6628. >She gets off of you-
  6629. >-Holy shit, you're covered in… you know.
  6630. >Everything.
  6631. >Spitfire's fur is all matted down on her stomach and around her down south areas.
  6632. >She looks at herself.
  6633. >"…Okay, food AFTER a shower…"
  6634. >She walks under the icy cold water and immediately yelps, skittering and falling back towards you.
  6635. >You catch her and smile.
  6636. "Yeah, the water's pretty cold, now."
  6637. >She looks up at you, confused.
  6638. >"What? What time is it?"
  6639. >You shrug.
  6640. "The moon's out, though."
  6641. >You point at the nearby window, and her eyes follow your finger.
  6642. >"...Jeez."
  6643. >You nod.
  6644. "We'll probably just have to come back here when everything warms up... Unless you want to use cold water."
  6645. >She looks over at the water like it's some kind of terrifying creature.
  6646. >"...I'd rather wait."
  6647. >You nod again, then reach around and turn the water off.
  6648. >-Alright, well, time for reclothing.
  6649. >At least you can say that you got pretty much everything of yours cleaned.
  6650. >Spitfire hops out of the shower, and this time around, you instinctively glance at her flanks.
  6651. >...Glorious.
  6652. >...Man, Anon from two days ago would fucking rape you for doing that.
  6653. >Though you guess that you see SPITFIRE as attractive, as in her whole being, but now that you've gotten comfortable with her physical side, you can enjoy that, too.
  6654. >You can't explain it.
  6655.  
  6656. >…Actually, you're just shit at explaining things.
  6657. >You step out of the shower and see your boxers on the floor, soaked to all hell.
  6658. >Whelp, looks like you're going commando, then.
  6659. >You grab your suit from the towel rack, then grab the towel from the toilet.
  6660. >With you being on the bottom earlier…
  6661. >...Well, you're definitely not leaving here without doing SOMETHING about it.
  6662. >You kinda just rub and clean yourself down, then hop into your suit.
  6663. >Spitfire looks at you, blushing.
  6664. >"Hey, uh, Anon… think you could help me with the towel, too?"
  6665. >You look down and dust your slacks for a second.
  6666. >…What does she even mean by helping her with the-
  6667. >-WOOAAH, alright.
  6668. >THAT'S what she meant.
  6669. "Uh, ah, sure."
  6670. >She's, uh… 'presenting' herself to you.
  6671. >And though you don't want to stare, you're a bit intrigued by that pink thing there.
  6672. >You don't know what it is, but it's like… coming in and out.
  6673. >…That's really weird.
  6674. >REALLY weird.
  6675. >-And slightly arousing-
  6676. >-But that's not the point.
  6677. >You grab the towel and just use the other folded half that you didn't touch.
  6678. >You then gently rub it around her.
  6679. >She bites her lip and just looks off to the side while you do.
  6680. >Then you move over to the matted fur on her stomach.
  6681. >It requires you to move a little closer.
  6682. >…And that thing just keeps peeking out.
  6683. >…Seriously, it's weird.
  6684. >It's like, blinking at you or some shit.
  6685. >After a moment, you finish, then kind of just admire your work.
  6686. >…You actually forget for a second that you're helping out another living being, here.
  6687. >You cleaned and inspected her like she was some sort of car or something.
  6688. "Alright, you're good."
  6689. >She looks back at you and just nods, and you watch her leave the bathroom, then take a sharp right.
  6690. >You're standing like some kind of mechanic watching a happy customer leave his shop.
  6691. >-Wait, why'd she go to the right?
  6692. >The only place that way is your room.
  6693.  
  6694. >…Oh, well duh, it's not like her dress from yesterday just magically disappeared- she must have left it up there.
  6695. >…You don't know why, but you thought for a second that she was heading for your room because she had more clothes in there.
  6696. >Like she's slowly trying to integrate and move into your home.
  6697. >Out of the doorframe, you see her flight suit still sitting on your couch.
  6698. >…Not that you think she'd be very subtle about it.
  6699. >You stretch out a bit, then turn everything off and head outside.
  6700. >Literally the second you do, Spitfire lands next to you, now wearing a blue and yellow hoodie.
  6701. >-Wait, a hoodie?
  6702. >Where in god's name did THAT come from?
  6703. >You know you don't have any of those here, and that thing is way too snug of a fit to be yours.
  6704. >"So, where we headed?"
  6705. "…Where'd that hoodie come from?"
  6706. >She looks down at herself like she has no idea what she's wearing.
  6707. >"Oh! Yeah, I brought it here yesterday. Gotta keep warm in this weather, you know?"
  6708. >You slowly nod.
  6709. >…Well, you were right.
  6710. >She's NOT subtle about it.
  6711. >And hell, you're alright with the idea of her moving in, but your house isn't very fancy.
  6712. >Or stable.
  6713. >In fact, you're sure that the crew that built this place left out a few essentials, simply because it was made under orders of Celestia, and not actually paid for.
  6714. >…Those dicks.
  6715. >You should ask Twilight to hunt those guys down and vaporize them.
  6716. >…For friendship reasons, of course.
  6717. >You grin and bring your mind back to Spitfire.
  6718. >You think for a moment.
  6719. "I think I've gotta place in mind…"
  6720. >You just hope you remember where the damn place IS.
  6721. >It's been a while since the last time you were there.
  6722. >
  6723.  
  6724. >-And by a while, you mean like, two days.
  6725. >"…We're back HERE?"
  6726. >You nod.
  6727. "I'm pretty sure you didn't have your hood up the whole way here because of it being cold. I figured a place without ponies would be nice."
  6728. >And, you might be able to convince her to willingly eat meat, so the bologna incident won't kill you so much.
  6729. >She nods.
  6730. >"If any magazines get me, I'll never hear the end of it…"
  6731. >A smile spreads across her face.
  6732. >"Thanks, Anon."
  6733. "Mhmm."
  6734. >You walk inside and immediately see a 'friendly' face.
  6735. >That goddamn waitress.
  6736. >You don't even remember her name.
  6737. >It's literally just 'the waitress' to you.
  6738. >She turns to you with a calm smile, then glares when she has to look up and see your face.
  6739. >"Oh, it's YOU."
  6740. >She practically spat the words out.
  6741. >Christ.
  6742. >You look around at all the other Griffons glaring you down.
  6743. >Even ones that you don't recognize.
  6744. >…And, now that you're looking at it differently, you can't understand why the hell these complete strangers are so invested in your love life, anyways.
  6745. >Why the shit should they care?
  6746. >-Well, other than the fact that there's an inter-species thing going on here.
  6747. >-And that Spitfire's probably the only pony who's willingly walked into this place.
  6748. >-AND that Spitfire's pretty much a world-renown celebrity.
  6749. >And you made her cry- AND ran away…
  6750. >…Alright, you can kinda see it, now.
  6751. >…You just know how nosy ponies in this town are, which is why you figured this'd be a welcome change.
  6752. >But still, you guess you can kinda see this as one of those proposing stunts you see in videos and shit.
  6753. >Those few that end in the girl saying 'no' is a bit fucked up, depending on how they do it.
  6754. >But it's sad to see, and hard not to feel for the guy every time.
  6755. >You stand by the door and let Spitfire walk in with a smile on your face.
  6756. >The waitress looks shocked, to say the least.
  6757. >Your smile widens.
  6758.  
  6759. "Nothing a talk couldn't fix."
  6760. >Though it sure as hell didn't feel like it at the time.
  6761. >You felt hopeless as shit.
  6762. >You kinda see yourself as the strong, independent black woman type, but with Spitfire being pretty much exactly the same, it's like you both change that when you're around one another.
  6763. >You feel safe with each other.
  6764. >…Which kinda makes sense.
  6765. >-Actually, it makes LOADS of sense.
  6766. >You've literally never shared your feelings with anyone but Spitfire, here.
  6767. >Though you are an emotional person.
  6768. >...Huh.
  6769. >You wonder if she's the same?
  6770. >...That would actually explain her reaction the last time you were here.
  6771. >If she let down all these emotional barriers for the first time talking to you, you can't imagine how much you running off had hurt.
  6772. >...Damn, that makes you feel like shit.
  6773. >No wonder why these niggers saw you as the bad guy.
  6774. >...That'd also explain why she was so quick to forgive you.
  6775. >Of course you didn't question that shit earlier, only because you were just happy that she did, but hell...
  6776. >...You must really be one of a kind to her...
  6777. >You notice the even brighter smile on your face.
  6778. "For two, please."
  6779. >She shakes her head out of her trance and nods.
  6780. >"Yeah, uh, right this way."
  6781. >She grabs two menus and walks you and Spitfire over to a booth.
  6782. >You both hop in, and she passes the menus.
  6783. >"So, my name's Linda, and I'll be your server today- can I get you guys anything to drink?"
  6784. "Hay-Cola."
  6785. >"-Two."
  6786. >Linda nods and starts to walk.
  6787. >She pauses, then turns back to you two.
  6788. >"...It's good to see that you two've made up. That night was pretty bad."
  6789. >You and Spitfire both nod, then catch each other.
  6790. >You both smile.
  6791. >It quickly reaches Linda.
  6792. >She simply nods and walks away, smile now on her face.
  6793. "Yeah... that was a pretty bad night, huh?"
  6794. >Spitfire slowly nods, then offers a small smirk.
  6795. >"But we can make up for it, right?"
  6796. >You nod.
  6797. "Of course."
  6798.  
  6799. >You look around at all the Griffons, who seem to be pleased with how you and Spitfire are doing.
  6800. >It pleases you in turn.
  6801. >And for some reason, it makes you appreciate the mare sitting across from you even more.
  6802. >…If that's possible, of course.
  6803. >…Christ, why are even your own THOUGHTS sappy as shit?
  6804. >You need to man yourself up, somehow…
  6805. >Build some monster trucks or something.
  6806. >-Or hey, you could finally build that plane you've wanted to!
  6807. >Sure you have no goddamn idea how they work, or WHY they work, but why the hell not?
  6808. >Then you could finally show Dash who's b-
  6809. >-Ohhh…
  6810. >-Well, you'll visit her tomorrow for sure.
  6811. >As soon as you get up.
  6812. >…Damn, it's like you're putting off a damn thesis paper or something…
  6813. >What if she's not even there, anymore?
  6814. >Maybe Twilight magic-ed her healthy.
  6815. >…Well, you should still ask and look around.
  6816. >A drink is put in front of you, snapping you out of your stupor.
  6817. >"You two know what you want?"
  6818. >-Fuck, you didn't check the menu again.
  6819. "Ahh, uhh…"
  6820. >"A few more minutes, please."
  6821. >Linda nods.
  6822. >"Sure thing."
  6823. >She walks away.
  6824. >You open up the menu in front of your face.
  6825. >Spitfire does the same.
  6826. "…Sooo… thinking of getting anything, uh, different, this time around? Something meaty?"
  6827. >She immediately looks at you like you just told her you eat shit for breakfast.
  6828. >Or in other words, she looks disgusted.
  6829. >"N-no, I think I'm good."
  6830.  
  6831. "…How about I get something, and you just try a LITTLE bit?"
  6832. >-Jesus please say yes.
  6833. >This guilt of this morning is absolutely killing you.
  6834. >She looks conflicted.
  6835. >You steel yourself and take a deep breath.
  6836. >Alright, let's do this.
  6837. >You make your bottom lip quiver, then give your best puppy dog eyes.
  6838. >You are now giving your best pout.
  6839. >…And it looks like it's working.
  6840. >Spitfire just stares at you.
  6841. >…Then she slowly smiles.
  6842. >And giggles.
  6843. >"Anon, you're not very good at pouting."
  6844. >You instinctively frown.
  6845. >She continues for a moment while you just sit there.
  6846. >You thought you did a pretty good pout…
  6847. >She stops and just looks at you with a thoughtful, smiling expression on her face.
  6848. >"But… fine… JUST a little bit. A VERY little bit…"
  6849. >You smile and nod.
  6850. >She still looks a bit disgusted, though.
  6851. "Look, just don't think about where it's from, and you should be fine. If I thought about where half of the meat I ate came from, I'd probably be vegan."
  6852. >She nods, still a bit conflicted.
  6853. "And remember, you could always just say no at any point."
  6854. >She nods again, now a bit calmer.
  6855. >You pat the part of the seat beside you and gesture her over to you.
  6856. >She happily flies over and slides her drink next to yours.
  6857. >You grab her menu and bring it over, then open yours.
  6858. >-Sweet Satan, everything here looks even better now that you can get it.
  6859. >Burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, barbecue ribs, steaks...
  6860. >Christ, your mouth is ACTUALLY watering.
  6861.  
  6862. >Then you spot something.
  6863. >…Oh sweet lord Jesus, yeeesss.
  6864. >A burger with practically everything pig in it.
  6865. >Minus pork chops.
  6866. >…Pigs don't talk in this world, do they?
  6867. >You've seen cows and sheep walking around, but never pigs.
  6868. >…And now that you think about it, if they're all sentient, then Applejack is technically a slave owner.
  6869. >…Huh.
  6870. >No wonder why she's so southern-ish.
  6871. >-But if pigs aren't intelligent here too, you won't feel so bad eating them!
  6872. >-Unless like, the pigs here are smart enough to understand stuff, but not to talk.
  6873. >…Fuck.
  6874. >Then it'll be like eating a bunch of retarded people.
  6875. >-You know what?
  6876. >Who cares?
  6877. >You haven't had burgers for four years, so you're goddamn going to, now.
  6878. >You take a sip from your drink.
  6879. >-Christ, that's cold.
  6880. >You take another sip.
  6881. >You set your menu down, and Spitfire just looks at you.
  6882. >You just realized that she flew over to look at the menu, and you didn't let her see anything.
  6883. >Commence minimal damage control!
  6884. "Figured at the last second that I'd keep it a surprise. Besides,"
  6885. >You wrap an arm around and bring her near you.
  6886. "I want you to be closer to me."
  6887. >You finish off with a smile.
  6888. >She immediately returns it and hugs your chest.
  6889. >-Nice, so now you don't seem retarded for asking her to see a menu you didn't show her.
  6890. >You take another sip of your drink and smoothly offer her some.
  6891. >She slurps some up, then rests her head on you with a smile.
  6892. >Out of your peripherals, you spot the waitr- Linda, coming by.
  6893. >And you realize that the only real thing that sets her apart from all the other Griffons are the two brown feathers on her head.
  6894. >Otherwise, she's pretty much eagle colored.
  6895. >...An eaglecat.
  6896. >A ceagle.
  6897.  
  6898. >She looks at you both and softly smiles.
  6899. >"You two know what you want?"
  6900. >You and Spitfire nod.
  6901. >"I'll get a Caesar salad."
  6902. "-And I'll get 'the whole hog'."
  6903. >Linda looks up at you, then back at her notepad and scratches something off.
  6904. >"...Well alright then, it'll be right out in a moment. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you two?"
  6905. >You and Spitfire share a look.
  6906. "…Nope, think we're good."
  6907. >Linda nods and smiles, then takes your menus and walks off.
  6908. >Spitfire resumes resting her head on your chest, and you kind of just start drifting off.
  6909. >You both seem to be at the point where you're comfortable enough to enjoy silence between each other.
  6910. >And with that silence, your eyes trail over to her hoodie.
  6911. >Her Wonderbolts hoodie.
  6912. >-Or you're GUESSING it's a Wonderbolts hoodie.
  6913. >It could always be some kind of fast food restaurant souvenir with an extremely similar color and pattern of something famous in order to sell more.
  6914. >But Wonderbolts seems more like it.
  6915. >…You think of yesterday.
  6916. >And though that waitress kinda had it coming, it doesn't change how much that probably all hurt her reputation.
  6917. >And you can't just stand by and let it fester.
  6918. >You're going to help out in any damn way you can, even if it kills you.
  6919. >…Though, knowing Equestria, it might.
  6920. >These ponies have been blessed with marshmallow-istic properties that you don't have, unfortunately.
  6921. >And you're tall enough to end up walking into a unicorn and end up with a hole in your liver.
  6922. >-But that's besides the point.
  6923. >...To save a career, what can you do?
  6924. >What SHOULD you do?
  6925. >...Well, as shit as it is, you know for a fact that you're a pretty big hit to her status.
  6926. >...So maybe you could prove yourself to not be some scary disgusting alien creature?
  6927. >-Well, the disgusting part can't be fixed.
  6928. >Unless you have some kind of freaky surgery to make you look like a pony.
  6929. >Or have Twilight turn you into a filly or some shit...
  6930.  
  6931. >But maybe you could do some shit for the town?
  6932. >Volunteer work?
  6933. >Charity events?
  6934. >…Kiss up to the Mayor and hope that she has your back?
  6935. >"What are you thinking about, Anon?"
  6936. >You blink a few times.
  6937. "Say what?"
  6938. >She smiles.
  6939. >"You seemed really out of it right now. What's on your mind?"
  6940. >You pause for a moment.
  6941. "Well simply put, I'm trying to think of a way to save your career."
  6942. >Her smile fades a bit, but she presses on.
  6943. >"Hey, don't worry about that, alright? I'll find some way to fix it."
  6944. >You pause and sigh.
  6945. >You slowly nod.
  6946. >A smile spreads across her face, but there seems to be no real reason behind it.
  6947. >Like it's only there for you to drop the subject.
  6948. >And it's extremely easy for you to recognize it.
  6949. >Instead of saying anything in response, you bring her a little bit closer to you and rest the side of your head on hers.
  6950. >Her mane is soft on your cheek, and her heartbeat seems to slow down a bit.
  6951. >Her hooves try their hardest to wrap around your sides, and you gently rub her back with a hand.
  6952. >Nothing needed to be said, but you were sure that she knew you saw right through her smile.
  6953. >And you remember her telling you yesterday that whatever happened, it'd be alright as long as you were both together.
  6954. >But that doesn't mean it doesn't suck.
  6955. >That was essentially college for you.
  6956. >You could've just gone to another school after your unfortunate expulsion.
  6957. >You had a full ride, loads of scholarships, and you hadn't even spent that much time there.
  6958. >And plenty of other schools were willing to give you the same.
  6959. >...Yet you stayed out.
  6960. >You let the whole thing crush you, and instead settled for working as a desk jockey for your dad.
  6961. >And, he always told you, that it didn't matter if you didn't get the degree and the position you wanted...
  6962. >...Because you'd still both be together.
  6963. >A wave of sadness washes over you.
  6964. >It's nowhere near enough to start throwing you into a spiralling depression, but it's enough to hurt.
  6965.  
  6966. >You believe you've accepted his fate, but it's still difficult not to think of the what if, or the why of things.
  6967. >And the fact that you'll never truly find closure...
  6968. >You feel something fall from your eye.
  6969. >Your vision blurs, and soon, you find yourself silently letting out a few tears.
  6970. >Breathing becomes a tad shaky, and you shiver slightly.
  6971. >And though you can't see her, you can feel and hear Spitfire doing the exact same thing.
  6972. >You move your head over to her side and give her a comforting squeeze.
  6973. >A quick glance later, and she's replying with a squeeze of her own, softly crying into your shoulder.
  6974. >And her problem is fairly new.
  6975. >You feel that with you having more than four years to cry over your life on Earth, that you would have truly forgotten about it by now.
  6976. >But again and again, you see that it's not the case.
  6977. >You feel that your sadness isn't allowed anymore- like you've already had your share of it.
  6978. >...Like it's time to move on.
  6979. >Yet you can't seem to.
  6980. >You can choose to remember it differently, but without closure, it'll all just continue to hurt.
  6981. >And unless you magically end up somewhere back on Earth, you won't be able to HAVE closure.
  6982. >A soft sigh escapes you.
  6983. >...Having Spitfire here is doing wonders for you.
  6984. >Just having her warmth, her presence, is enough to calm you.
  6985. >Soon enough, your breathing returns to normal.
  6986. >You blink your tears away, and you both break the hug.
  6987. >Her eyes are red and puffy, but she has a small smile on her face.
  6988. >You notice the one developing on yours.
  6989. >Before, you've never thought of how much better it is to have a shoulder to cry on.
  6990. >But you're glad that you now have one.
  6991. >And the small, calm and relieved look on her face tells you that she feels the same.
  6992. >As she's felt the same with everything else.
  6993. >She wipes her eyes, then silently moves over to rest her head on your chest.
  6994. >"...I'm glad I met you, Anon."
  6995. "...I'm glad I met me, too."
  6996.  
  6997. >As soon as you see Spitfire angrily scrunch at you, two plates are set in front of you.
  6998. >Holy shit, that was pretty quick.
  6999. >Linda smiles, then leaves you both without a word, obviously noticing the short crying session you both just had.
  7000. >...Man, that sounds really gay.
  7001. >You need something manly in you.
  7002. >-And not in the gay way.
  7003. >Because that's gay.
  7004. >Instead of admiring and scanning the beautiful burger thing before you, you just grab it and immediately take a bite.
  7005. >-Oh, fuuuck yeah.
  7006. "Ohh, mmmhmmm..."
  7007. >A stupid smile spreads across your face.
  7008. >It's been four years.
  7009. >FOUR YEARS, since you've had a burger last.
  7010. >You don't even know how to describe this feeling right now.
  7011. >But it's on par- if not BETTER, than what happened in the shower earlier.
  7012. >You feel like your life is truly complete again.
  7013. >Like you're officially satisfied with your experience in this universe.
  7014. >You can die happy, now.
  7015. >Though, you're pretty sure it'll be a long time until that happens, on account of the semis that don't exist here.
  7016. >But you feel that you'd be alright with it, now.
  7017. >You close your eyes and now choose to savor the taste of the deliciously perfect sandwich in your mouth.
  7018. >This beats the fucking breakfast you had.
  7019. >And you've had burgers plenty of times.
  7020. >"...Th-that good, huh?"
  7021. >You open your eyes and notice that Spitfire had moved a little bit away from you.
  7022. >She looks unsure, and a little bit concerned.
  7023. >But you're too busy getting hard over your food to notice.
  7024. >You look down.
  7025. >-Okay, you're not actually hard.
  7026. >...Yet.
  7027. >You swallow the bit in your mouth and happily sigh.
  7028. "I've gone four years without having meat that I used to on almost a daily basis. This stuff is absolutely amazing."
  7029. >She slowly nods.
  7030. >You tear off a small piece and hand it over to her.
  7031. >She recoils slightly, like you just finished licking your hand and tried to touch her face.
  7032. >...You always hated when fuckers tried that in elementary.
  7033. >Even if they WERE your friends.
  7034.  
  7035. >She sniffs at it slightly, inspecting it from every angle she can.
  7036. "Just don't over think things. It's just food in the end."
  7037. >She looks up at you with another unsure expression on her face.
  7038. >After a second, she opens her mouth slightly, and you feed the piece to her.
  7039. >The second she bites on it, you hear a gasp.
  7040. >You look behind you and see all these Griffons just watching Spitfire eating meat in astonishment.
  7041. >She chews slowly, looking at the table while her mouth tries to comprehend what was just given to her.
  7042. >All the Griffons watching are just silent, aside from the few that are trying to grab the attention of all the others.
  7043. >You don't even think Spitfire notices them.
  7044. >You simply stare.
  7045. >What seems like a lifetime passes, and she finally swallows.
  7046. >She slowly turns to you.
  7047. >Then nods in approval.
  7048. >"Not bad, honestly."
  7049. >You instinctively smile.
  7050. >You look around and see how completely shocked the Griffons look.
  7051. >They look just as surprised as you do.
  7052. >And you watched her eat meat this morning.
  7053. >A small part of you was expecting to see her throw up all over the table or something dramatic like that.
  7054. >But she's completely cool about it.
  7055. >She's eying your burger now, though.
  7056. >She taps her hooves together a bit.
  7057. >"...You, uh... think I could have another piece?"
  7058. >You blink.
  7059. "U-uh... say what?"
  7060. >Is she being serious?
  7061. >The bologna was fine, but an entire meat thing can't be healthy for her in large quantities...
  7062. >"Could I have more?"
  7063. >You look at your burger like you don't even know what it is anymore.
  7064. >Spitfire's tail wags eagerly.
  7065. "...U-uh, I-I gues-"
  7066. >She leans over and takes a huge bite.
  7067. >You just stare.
  7068. >You look over at her.
  7069. >She's chewing her mouth full of beef and pork happily.
  7070. >She hums while she does so.
  7071. >...This is worse than this morning.
  7072. >Why did you think this was a good idea?
  7073. >You just continue staring at her blankly.
  7074. >Wh-what...
  7075. >What have you done?
  7076.  
  7077. >You don't even know what to say.
  7078. >So you just stare.
  7079. >The Griffons now look shocked to all hell.
  7080. >...It's a good thing no other ponies are here.
  7081. >Griffons don't seem to give a shit about pony news, and if any of them found out she ate meat...
  7082. >...Well, let's not think about that.
  7083. >But being with a mysterious alien, eating meat and punching a huge fan in the face at a fancy restaurant doesn't exactly look good.
  7084. >And how many of those things did you cause?
  7085. >...Oh.
  7086. >All of them.
  7087. >Shit.
  7088. >If you're planning on saving her career, you've either gotta start working for some brownie points, or how to disappear completely.
  7089. >Because the only ponies that could vouch for you now is Cherry Berry and Rainbow.
  7090. >You don't think that Twilight would really vouch for anything more than how much you mooch off Celestia.
  7091. >But being the only one of your species kind of entitles you to some benefit.
  7092. >Though you don't think Twilight would ever actually say anything.
  7093. >You're pretty sure she's still scared of you.
  7094. >Your mind comes back when you see Spitfire eyeing your burger again.
  7095. >You push the plate away and put a hand on her chest.
  7096. "-Leeet's stick to food meant for your system, yeah?"
  7097. >She looks at your hand and huffs.
  7098. >"Fine, whatever."
  7099. >...Jesus.
  7100. >She actually looks kinda pissed off.
  7101. >Does meat make ponies aggressive, here?
  7102. >You think you remember reading some shit about that, when one of your uncles said he saw his horse kill and eat a bird, but you're not sure.
  7103. >The thought kinda scares you.
  7104. >...What if she tries eating YOU, next?
  7105. >...Nah, that's stupid.
  7106. >You glance at her.
  7107. >...R-right?
  7108. >You gulp slightly.
  7109. >She's still looking at your plate.
  7110. >Maybe ordering this wasn't a very good idea...
  7111. >You grab it and stuff as much meat as you can into your mouth.
  7112. >Practically half the burger.
  7113. >You can't enjoy it, because you're too worried about the mare looking ready to pounce on you and your food.
  7114. >Like a lioness.
  7115. >You wash the stuff down with your drink while she eyes you.
  7116.  
  7117. >Immediately, you grab the rest of your burger and frantically shove it into your mouth.
  7118. >Spitfire glares at you.
  7119. >"Coulda just said you didn't want to share."
  7120. >You frown and struggle to swallow everything.
  7121. >You pretty much already did, and she looked ready to just take the damn plate from you.
  7122. >You take another large gulp of soda with everything and sigh.
  7123. "-I remembered reading something about horses getting aggressive when they eat meat. I didn't want to get attacked or anything."
  7124. >Her glare intensifies.
  7125. >"…A-a HORSE? Do I LOOK like I'm from Saddle Arabia?"
  7126. >SADDLE Arabia?
  7127. >…These puns, man.
  7128. "W-what, n-no! The term horse is just interchangeable where I'm from!"
  7129. >"-But you're living HERE, now! You KNOW that we're all PONIES."
  7130. >Jesus, all those emphases.
  7131. "Y-yeah, but-"
  7132. >"-But NOTHING! You think I look like a HORSE!"
  7133. "-Ponies are literally just mini-horses back home!"
  7134. >"-S-so, we ALL look like horses?! Is THAT what you're trying to say?!"
  7135. >Jesus, what does she have against horses?
  7136. "-No! Look, let's just calm down, alright? It was my mistake, and I'm sorry."
  7137. >You hold your hands up in what you hope is a disarming stance.
  7138. >Her feathers ruffle up.
  7139. >…Dear god, meat really DOES make her aggressive, doesn't it?
  7140. >You think back to this morning.
  7141. >-More specifically, when she got so frustrated with cleaning herself that she bit her own hoof.
  7142. >…Alright, no more meat for this pony.
  7143. >Like, EVER.
  7144. >You focus back on her.
  7145. >She looks fucking PISSED.
  7146. >-Like, scary pissed.
  7147. >-REALLY scary pissed.
  7148. >You try to hide how nervous you're feeling, then quickly lean forward, peck her on the cheek, and recoil as quickly as humanly possible.
  7149. >Like a snake.
  7150. >And when you do so, you involuntarily throw your hands up to shield yourself.
  7151. >Through your fingers, you see her kind of start staring through you.
  7152. >Then notice your defensive stance.
  7153.  
  7154. >You pause for a moment, hoping that you disarmed her yourself.
  7155. >And for the following moment, you're pretty sure you fucked up.
  7156. >...Then, a worried look crosses her face, and her wings gently fold back to her sides.
  7157. >She sits back down from the aggressive pose she didn't know she was in, and looks at the ground.
  7158. >She chokes.
  7159. >"...I... I'm s-sorry, Anon…"
  7160. >All your concerns of being brutally murdered by your significant other completely fade when you see her being all sad.
  7161. >"I'm so sorry..."
  7162. >-This simply will NOT do!
  7163. >You scoot closer and bring her in for a hug.
  7164. >She looks up at you with those big bronze eyes of hers, gleaming with a faint hint of tears.
  7165. >You then offer what you hope is a reassuring smile.
  7166. >You soothingly rub her back.
  7167. "It's alright, Spitfire."
  7168. >She wraps her hooves around you and buries her head in your chest.
  7169. >"I-I just don't know what to do... I've b-been a Wonderbolt all my life..."
  7170. >-Hang on, what?
  7171. >...Oh.
  7172. >That helps explain the sudden anger as well.
  7173. >She looks up at you.
  7174. >"W-what will m-my team think of me? My f-family?"
  7175. >A single tear rolls down cheek.
  7176. >You kick it into comfort mode and hug her tighter.
  7177. "Your team is only worried about you, Spitfire. They care about you."
  7178. >"H-how would you know?"
  7179. "'Cause Soarin' told me so."
  7180. >A bit of confusion mixes in with her expression.
  7181. "He told me about the situation of the team, and told me how worried they all were about you. They said they knew about how much you overworked yourself, and hoped you wouldn't take the fall of the team so hard."
  7182. >Another tear rolls by, and she seems to just process your words for a minute.
  7183. >"But... wh-what will I do? J-just, roll over, a-and accept it?"
  7184. >You slowly shake your head, then start brushing her mane.
  7185. "If we can't figure something out, we'll roll over together."
  7186. >-That sounds retarded.
  7187. >But it seems to get the intended effect.
  7188.  
  7189. >She breaks away and just looks at you.
  7190. >"…Y-you really would? …You'll stick w-with me, even when I'm not famous?"
  7191. >You just stare at her.
  7192. "Spitfire, I'm not some gold-digging trophy wife- I don't care how famous you are. Hell, I'm still not even sure HOW famous you are, really. But fame will never be an issue in my book."
  7193. >Her lips slowly curl into a soft smile.
  7194. "Not to mention, you're literally the only BEING, across two completely different universes, that I've felt safe talking to."
  7195. >You glance at your plate.
  7196. >-Well...
  7197. >MOST of the time, anyways.
  7198. >You bring yourself from your thoughts and kiss her on the forehead.
  7199. "Look, I love you, alright? And very, VERY few people can say that I've ever told them that and meant it. And only family belongs to that list."
  7200. >You smile.
  7201. "Well, until recently, of course."
  7202. >She brightens up and hops into your lap.
  7203. >"I've only ever told two ponies that, before you came along... And those two made me."
  7204. >She wraps you up in a hug again, relaxing against you like you're not in a public place.
  7205. >-Not that you really give a shit, though.
  7206. >As long as it doesn't pop up in a magazine, you're okay with it.
  7207. >You soothingly rub her back, and you can see her tail swishing around every so often.
  7208. >It's cute.
  7209. >-Just, everything she DOES is cute.
  7210. >And that's mostly because anything ANY pony does is cute.
  7211. >Which helps explain why it sucks so much to see her sad.
  7212. >Other than her being your pony other half, of course.
  7213. >She looks up and gives you a quick kiss.
  7214. >And it's still new enough gesture to give you a nice warm feeling in your stomach.
  7215. >Something akin to what alcohol does.
  7216. >She contentedly sighs.
  7217. >"...I love you Anon. I really, truly do."
  7218. >She closes her eyes, smiles, and rests her head against your chest.
  7219. "Love you too, Spitfire."
  7220. >You kinda just sit there while she continues to lie on you.
  7221. >A few minutes of calm silence follow.
  7222. >You catch yourself watching her with a smile when Linda comes by, forcing you to look at her.
  7223.  
  7224. >She pauses, then gently smiles at the Pegasus lying on you.
  7225. >She gestures at your almost empty plate.
  7226. >And it would be completely empty, had you just eaten everything, but all that was really left from your frantic face-stuffing was the bread, lettuce, tomatoes- that sort of stuff.
  7227. >Just everything but the meat.
  7228. >You simply nod, and she picks it from the table.
  7229. >She glances at Spitfire, then points at her plate of salad.
  7230. >Though you don't understand why she's sticking with the gestures for everything.
  7231. >It's not like-
  7232. >-Oh.
  7233. >Of course.
  7234. >Spitfire fell asleep on you.
  7235. >Like, she looks knocked out.
  7236. >Seriously, how the hell is she able to fall asleep so quickly?
  7237. >And why is it always on YOU?
  7238. >You sigh and turn back to Linda.
  7239. >You do some mime shit and try to tell her you're taking it to-go.
  7240. >She doesn't seem to follow.
  7241. >At all.
  7242. >She pulls out her notepad and a pen, and just hands it over to you.
  7243. >You're really not even sure why you're both being so silent.
  7244. >The place is pretty noisy as it is.
  7245. >There's no TV like in a real Applebee's, but there's plenty of conversation going on.
  7246. >And a faint hint of music.
  7247. >But it's just completely drowned out by all the catbirds here.
  7248. >You write out that you want to take the salad stuff to go.
  7249. >You know Spitfire will be hungry when she gets up, for sure.
  7250. >…IF she gets up.
  7251. >She looks pretty damn comfortable where she is now.
  7252. >And you both have pretty much already slept this entire day off.
  7253. >Linda simply nods, then goes off with your plate.
  7254. >You grab a quick sip of your drink and set it back down.
  7255. >Your focus keeps being drawn back to the mare in your arms.
  7256. >You just don't understand how you got so lucky, really.
  7257. >You're nobody special.
  7258.  
  7259. >You're a wallflower kinda guy.
  7260. >Ambition's in your blood, but it doesn't seem to really do you any good.
  7261. >If you can't do something, you don't really continue doing it, unless it's something important.
  7262. >…Though, you're pretty sure that's everyone.
  7263. >…See?
  7264. >Nobody special.
  7265. >So…
  7266. >Why did Spitfire fall for YOU?
  7267. >Was is simply because you treated her like a regular pony?
  7268. >…If some random stallion did the same, would she have fallen for him, instead?
  7269. >-Not that you're not glad she's with you, but you don't exactly feel on her level.
  7270. >And money-wise, you're know you really aren't.
  7271. >…You're overthinking all of this, aren't you?
  7272. >As you always do.
  7273. >Well, as you always do, when you don't think you are.
  7274. >You look down at her.
  7275. >She doesn't look the sinister type at all.
  7276. >…But really, what would she have to gain, being here with you?
  7277. >What drives her to being here with you, when her job, and pretty much her entire future, is at stake?
  7278. >What brings you apart from the rest of the ponies on this planet?
  7279. >-Apart from you NOT being a pony, of course.
  7280. >And as a human, you could really be labeled meh-tier at best.
  7281. >A bit sad, but true.
  7282. >Needless to say, a lot of people swiped left when they saw you show up on their phone.
  7283. >And you didn't even put yourself there.
  7284. >You softly sigh and brush a lock of her mane away from her face.
  7285. >…Well, whatever her reasons may be, you're going to try your damndest to enjoy your time with her.
  7286. >-'Cause you'd like to think of yourself as no real pessimist, but you've heard countless times how horribly first relationships end for people.
  7287. >…However good they may seem.
  7288.  
  7289. >Another sigh escapes you, and you decide to lean your head back a bit.
  7290. >You close your eyes and focus on the heartbeat of the mare in your arms.
  7291. >And, naturally, it's slower than yours.
  7292. >Half because she's sleeping, and half because she's a lot more athletic than you.
  7293. >Which just seems to make you think of everything more.
  7294. >She's like the hot head cheerleader of the school, with straight A's and all this crap, and you're just the guy that decided the welfare life was right for you while you were hanging around in the corner of the cafeteria.
  7295. >But somehow, she fell for you.
  7296. >Little old, hairless monkey Anon.
  7297. >…Maybe you guys really were destined for each other, somehow?
  7298. >You mean, what are the odds that she'd share so many qualities with you?
  7299. >That the VIP section just HAD to be empty that day?
  7300. >That they all went to your only go-to bar in the whole town?
  7301. >Your eyes open when the sound of styrofoam is present before you.
  7302. >-Right.
  7303. >You almost forgot you were in a restaurant.
  7304. >You look at Linda with a confused expression on your face.
  7305. >She slides the notepad over to you.
  7306. 'Where's the bill?'
  7307. >She glances at it and starts scribbling.
  7308. >'You covered it the last time you left.'
  7309. >…The last time that you left?
  7310. >…Ohh.
  7311. >Right.
  7312. >You threw bits on the table and kinda just left.
  7313. >Well, that's good, because you really didn't want to write any I.O.U's today.
  7314. >Makes you look cheap.
  7315. >And making Spitfire pay would be cruel.
  7316. >At least in this state.
  7317. >Waking someone up to pay for shit is absolutely messed up.
  7318. >And you should know.
  7319. >Your dorm-mates were always fucking doing that.
  7320. >Asking you for cash to go grab chips at two in the morning because they spent all these hours before just getting high.
  7321. >And they never even paid you back.
  7322. >…Assholes.
  7323.  
  7324. >You simply smile at Linda, and she quickly returns the gesture, then leaves.
  7325. >…And now you've got a sleeping pony and a salad to carry back home.
  7326. >Not that it's difficult, though.
  7327. >Just a weird predicament- something to reminisce on at a later date.
  7328. >-Or tomorrow, just to poke fun.
  7329. >You smile and grab the styrofoam box with one hand, then continue holding Spitfire with the other.
  7330. >You slowly get out of the booth, then lean over the table and take a long sip of your drink.
  7331. >You paid for it- might as well.
  7332. >Once you start walking through the restaurant, you notice, once again, all the eyes on you.
  7333. >And after saying a few goodbyes to random strangers that stared at you for too long, you open the doors to the restaurant and step outside into the cool night ai-
  7334. >-AHH GOD IT'S TOO COOL!
  7335. >It's cold enough for you to see your own breath while you viciously shiver.
  7336. >Spitfire seems completely fine, however.
  7337. >And the most she's doing is warming up your arms and a bit of your chest.
  7338. >The rest is cold as shit.
  7339. >It's all cutting through your clothes like it's goddamn tissue paper.
  7340. >It's piercing into your eyes and drying them out.
  7341. >And it's making poor Jr. shrink and flee inside for warmth.
  7342. >Clutching Spitfire and the salad just a little tighter, you start trudging through the night towards your house.
  7343. >The only thing on your mind is the promise of hot cocoa and a warm nap by the fireplace when you get home.
  7344. >-Until you remember that you don't have those things.
  7345. >But, you've got blankets and hard apple cider, and that's pretty much the same thing.
  7346. >…The only thing on your mind is the promise of cider and a warm nap wrapped up in a flurry of blankets.
  7347. >With Spitfire, of course.
  7348. >Though she may not actually start fires, she's really warm.
  7349. >The hoodie she has on just blocks a lot of that heat.
  7350. >As do YOUR clothes.
  7351. >…That's lewd.
  7352.  
  7353. >A quick crick of your neck later, and you continue onwards.
  7354. >And holy shit, this place really DOES feel like a ghetto,
  7355. >Being so far away from the main part of town, it's almost completely silent, save for a few dogs around the place, either chained up or held back by a chain link fence in the front yards of a few houses.
  7356. >And chain link fences aren't usually seen around your neighborhood.
  7357. >It's all friendly smiles and white picket fences over there.
  7358. >The sidewalks are cracked and abused to hell, signs, signatures and some kind of pony graffiti plastered on every few blocks of concrete.
  7359. >There's broken, run down houses every so often, littered with broken windows and rotting wood.
  7360. >…Actually, you don't think you've been down this block, before.
  7361. >Sure, it FELT like a ghetto the last time you walked back from the restaurant, but it didn't actually LOOK like one.
  7362. >And now you can't help but feel like you're going to get shanked somewhere.
  7363. >But really, it's hard to feel ANYTHING in these freezing temperatures.
  7364. >You find yourself clutching Spitfire closer to you like you would a purse.
  7365. >Can't be too careful in a place like this.
  7366. >Though, you're curious to the actual extent of what a gang would be, here.
  7367. >How criminal could criminals actually BE, in marshmallow pony land?
  7368. >The minute the thought crosses your mind, a figure swoops in and lands in front of you.
  7369. >…Fuck.
  7370. >You can hear two more land behind you.
  7371. >More specifically, you hear their talons land.
  7372. >Fucking catbirds.
  7373. >You've heard of them being greedy and aggressive before, but if they're really here to mug you…
  7374. >Someone's gonna die.
  7375. >-Hopefully, not you, though.
  7376. >The guy in front walks into view with a smile on his face.
  7377. >He's a chocolate brown color, and he's got sunglasses on.
  7378. >He opens his mouth to spe-
  7379. "-It's the middle of the night, why the fuck are you wearing sunglasses?"
  7380. >He gets a bit taken back.
  7381.  
  7382. >…Now that you think about it, there is one thing that pulls you apart from everyone else.
  7383. >You've been told it's a quality you got from your mother.
  7384. >Apart from being very patient, whenever said patience is pushed past it's limits, you find yourself changing a bit.
  7385. >Normally being your reserved, somewhat optimistic self, when people piss you off, they REALLY piss you off.
  7386. >Similar to a gauge of a reactor or something.
  7387. >Every notch gradually gets bad, but nothing really happens until you hit the very, VERY end.
  7388. >That's when shit explodes.
  7389. >You're not the kind that slowly gets angry- when you're pissed, you are absolutely and completely furious.
  7390. >Though these guys haven't hit that, yet.
  7391. >You're mostly just annoyed that you can't continue your journey to your lovely, warm house.
  7392. >But annoyed connects directly to being pissed, in your case.
  7393. >"You got quite a mouth on you for someone trespassing on OUR turf. …What are you, anyways? Some kind of monkey?"
  7394. >The three laugh.
  7395. >…Spitfire's still sleeping.
  7396. >But you suppose that if she was able to sleep in the restaurant, she'd be able to sleep here.
  7397. "...Are you TRYING to piss me off, guy?"
  7398. >The sunglasses one just laughs harder.
  7399. >"Pfft, what could YOU do to US? You've already got your claws full!"
  7400. >You look down at yourself.
  7401. "...These are hands, nigger. Not claws."
  7402. >The insult doesn't seem to register, and he just flashes his claw-talon-thing.
  7403. >"Then you've just made things easier for us."
  7404. >He clicks his tongue and scans you.
  7405. >"And those clothes of yours look preeetty expensive."
  7406. >His eyes fall on Spitfire.
  7407. >"Gotta pretty mare, too."
  7408. >The second his words register, you feel your heart start racing.
  7409. >Your salad-holding hand clenches, and you accidentally crush part of the styrofoam.
  7410. >You instinctively stand a bit taller and puff your chest out.
  7411.  
  7412. "...If you fucking try ANYTHING, I'll send you straight to hell MYSELF!"
  7413. >Your voice is a lot rougher and deep than it usually would be.
  7414. >And in your careless and unrelenting anger, Spitfire jumps awake.
  7415. >In an instant, you lose it all and flash her an apologetic look.
  7416. >"W-what's going on, Anon?"
  7417. >A quick look up tells her everything.
  7418. >"Hey, she's awake, guys! Looks like we've got TWO to play with, now!"
  7419. >She doesn't ask anymore questions, and hops out of your arms and onto the ground.
  7420. >For a second, you think she's going to bolt, but she stands her ground and takes an aggressive stance.
  7421. >She flips her hair and spins around towards the two behind you.
  7422. >Then yawns.
  7423. >"Okay boys, I'm tired, and I'm hungry, so let's make this quick, alright?"
  7424. >Gently setting the salad down, you pop your knuckles in front of the Griffon.
  7425. >You're hoping for more of an intimidation thing, only because you don't find yourself angry anymore.
  7426. >And when adrenaline isn't coursing through you, you actually start to think about your odds here- your choices other than fight and get cut up a few times.
  7427. >Pretty much like the Hulk or something.
  7428. >Just, ah, not necessarily.
  7429. >More in spirit, really.
  7430. >"Oooh, pretty boy getting ready to fight, huh?"
  7431. "You think I'm pretty? That's an awfully gay thing to say."
  7432. >Spitfire giggles.
  7433. >The guy snorts and growls at you.
  7434. >"And to think I was just going to let you off with a warning."
  7435. >His glasses raise slightly.
  7436. >He's looking behind you.
  7437. >"...Get 'em, guys."
  7438. >Oh shit, it's on no-
  7439. >-The second you turn around, you get a fist right into the side of your face.
  7440. >It sends you spinning a bit.
  7441. >You've never really been in a fight before, but you're pretty sure human fists wouldn't hurt this much.
  7442. >It's like getting hit with concrete.
  7443. >But instead of doing any real damage...
  7444. >It just pisses you off.
  7445.  
  7446. >You catch yourself quickly and watch the Griffon headed straight towards you.
  7447. >A quick hop to the side, and you're out of his grasp.
  7448. >You barely missed him.
  7449. >Instinctively, you push him to the ground and grab one of his wings.
  7450. >These are sensitive to ponies.
  7451. >…Wonder if they are to Griffons?
  7452. >He starts freaking out and wildly flapping them.
  7453. >But not before you're able to grab hold of one and start pulling.
  7454. >You're pretty sure this'd be considered cheating somehow, even if these guys ARE trying to kick your ass, but it's not your fault you don't have wings.
  7455. >After a second, you've got a handful of feathers and a screaming Griffon under you.
  7456. >You see feathers as kind of like an apple tree.
  7457. >When they're ready to fall, they do so painlessly.
  7458. >And if pulled too soon, no more apples can grow on that branch, and you've hurt the tree.
  7459. >-Though, you don't have much sympathy for this tree.
  7460. >The guy flips around and throws you off of him, then charges and pins you down against the ground.
  7461. >His talons are pinning both of your shoulders and digging into both of them.
  7462. >He hisses at you.
  7463. >But being so tall, you're able to bring up your knee.
  7464. >And you do so.
  7465. >-Right into his nest eggs.
  7466. >He winces and lessens his grip.
  7467. >You use what little movement you have in your left arm to push the claw pinning your right, then uppercut his ass.
  7468. >Then you use both hands to slip under his right arm and grab his side, throwing him off.
  7469. >Though he manages to quickly recover, and ruffles his feathers, including what little ones he has on his left wing.
  7470. >You growl.
  7471. "Bring it, asshole!"
  7472.  
  7473. >Out of the corner of your eye, you see the sunglasses guy charge you from the left.
  7474. >Before you can react, you get a claw right on the side of your face.
  7475. >Then the other guy takes the opportunity to charge and hit you in the stomach.
  7476. >Falling to your knees, he kicks your side and knocks you to the ground.
  7477. >Sunglasses tries jumping on you, but you roll out of the way and try to kick the other Griffon.
  7478. >-Instead, he catches your leg and tries to lift off.
  7479. >He only manages to get a few feet off before you kick yourself free and land on your back.
  7480. >It immediately knocks the wind out of you.
  7481. >And before you can catch your breath, a claw is put at your throat.
  7482. >Expecting some kind of villainous monologue, your heart sinks when he immediately starts putting pressure on it, trying to crush your trachea.
  7483. >-This guy might actually be able to kill you right here.
  7484. >And you'll... well, be dead.
  7485. >AGAIN.
  7486. >You slip into panic mode and start struggling.
  7487. >That other bastard is holding down your legs.
  7488. "Mother... fucker!"
  7489. >All you can see is the reflection of the moon shining on his sunglasses, as well as the cocky grin on his face.
  7490. >Using what little strength you've got, you bring your hands to his arm and try to move him.
  7491. >Nothing.
  7492. >Yet you frantically continue, and start trying to pinch the guy in a last ditch effort.
  7493. >It hurts him, you can tell, but not enough to stop him.
  7494. >There's no real pain in your neck.
  7495. >It's doubled over with this tingly, lightheaded feeling.
  7496. >Trying again to push him off, the restriction of movement is quickly starting to scare you in ways you've never thought possible.
  7497. >Everything in your mind is scrambled, and only survival is on your mind.
  7498. >You instinctively gasp.
  7499. >He just pushes down harder.
  7500. >You feel a sharp pain in your throat, and suddenly, all you can focus on is the sky above everything, trying not to move.
  7501. >There's no more air coming into your lungs anymore.
  7502.  
  7503. >All you can do is lie there, wheezing, desperately trying to suck in air that just won't go into your lungs.
  7504. >Trying once again to move his arm, you are met with nothing but bitter disappointment.
  7505. >He moves his claw upwards, just below your chin.
  7506. >He's trying to knock you out.
  7507. >All the noise around you seems to fade into some sort of static.
  7508. >Your mind is focusing so much on trying to stay alive that you can't seem to hear very well.
  7509. >Every last bit of adrenaline in your system has since then disappeared.
  7510. >It's now only left with desperation and a bit of deja vu.
  7511. >You had a second chance, here.
  7512. >And you blew it.
  7513. >It's only been four years.
  7514. >Your eyes are directed right on the guy's sunglasses, where his eyes would be, but you can't focus on him.
  7515. >A light headed feeling slowly starts to overtake you.
  7516. >Without your permission, your arms try to push the guy off,
  7517. >They, of course, fail.
  7518. >You're frantically wheezing and gasping, but no sound escapes you, and no air comes in.
  7519. >What you're sure has only been a minute seems to drag on for a lifetime.
  7520. >Just enough time to silently replay every event in your life.
  7521. >Like a slideshow.
  7522. >Everything buzzes past, and you're unable to focus on any one moment from it.
  7523. >The cold night air seems to numb around you.
  7524. >Your eyes stare forward, past the guy's glasses and onto the sky behind him.
  7525. >There's no feeling of peace.
  7526. >No warmth or bright light to send you anywhere.
  7527. >You're dead, and it's final, this time.
  7528. >...No more chances.
  7529. >Your vision seems to get clouded with more darkness.
  7530. >The noise around you slows into a quiet peep.
  7531. >You instinctively continue to gasp and wheeze, though you know that it won't do anything.
  7532. >And suddenly, you find yourself able to rest the side of your head on the ground, trying to breathe like a fish out of water,
  7533. >There's a ringing in your ears, but you can't distinguish any of it.
  7534. >Staring out onto the street, you feel that it's a good time to nap.
  7535. >As good a time as any.
  7536.  
  7537. >
  7538. >Your eyes shoot open.
  7539. >Slowly starting up, your brain chooses to remember what just finished happening, instead of where you are.
  7540. >...Did you die, again?
  7541. >Is this another world?
  7542. >Blinking, you try to wipe the crust from your eyes.
  7543. >And you notice something prick you while you do so.
  7544. >But only on your left arm.
  7545. >Looking down, you notice that you've got an IV stuck in yo-
  7546. >"-ANON!"
  7547. >You feel a sudden pressure in your chest and a pain in your throat.
  7548. >It's like something is lodged in there and scratching at you, but not blocking anything.
  7549. >Slowly turning your head, you're met with Spitfire.
  7550. >Though she has gauze wrapped around her head and a bruise on her cheek, as well as treated scratches in various areas.
  7551. >But she looks as happy as ever.
  7552. >Her eyes glisten with the start of a few joyful tears.
  7553. >And before you can say or continue processing things, she practically pounces on you, pulling you into a big hug.
  7554. >The scratching and soreness in your throat is uncomfortable, to say the least.
  7555. >But you know that as long as you're with her, you're good.
  7556. >Even if you don't know WHERE exactly you're with her at.
  7557. >Though the hospital setting seems more clear while you silently brush her mane.
  7558. >Small brown nightstand with a lamp by your bedside.
  7559. >Light shining through the blinds.
  7560. >A machine sitting beside you, somehow showing your vitals.
  7561. >And the iv bag, hanging just above your left arm.
  7562. >And someone you really weren't expecting to see.
  7563. >The waitress.
  7564. >-Or more specifically, Linda.
  7565. >She smiles and offers a meek wave.
  7566. >"Hi, Anon."
  7567. >Offering a small wave in return, you use what little movement in your arms you have, on account of Spitfire restraining you in a hug.
  7568. >You turn back to her and continue brushing her mane.
  7569. >And for some reason, it seems to calm you down.
  7570. >It's very therapeutic, it seems.
  7571. "...So, uh... what happened?"
  7572. >Your own voice shocks you.
  7573. >It's weak, and practically a whisper.
  7574. "W-what happened to my voice?"
  7575.  
  7576. >You sound like some kind of asthmatic old man who's lost his voice.
  7577. >-Shit, you won't sound like this forever, will you?
  7578. >Panic slowly starts to overtake you, and your heart speeds up.
  7579. >What happened?
  7580. >Do you have some kind of device in your throat?
  7581. >Are you going to need a machine to breathe?
  7582. >ARE you using a machine to breathe?!
  7583. >Frantically searching around your bedside, you fail to find any kind of breathing machine you're hooked up to.
  7584. >And a quick feel by your throat shows that you're not cut open or using a hole to breathe.
  7585. >But there's definitely something in there.
  7586. >And you don't like it.
  7587. >"Anon, calm down, you're fine. Your throat's just numb from a spell."
  7588. >Spitfire brings your face to hers, wearing a reassuring smile.
  7589. >But right past it, she doesn't look like she's slept, and she's obviously cried for longer than a while...
  7590. >She's bruised, cut up, and tired.
  7591. >...Yet, she still stayed by your side.
  7592. >A smile slowly climbs up your face, and you bring her in for another hug.
  7593. >She softly sighs and relaxes against you.
  7594. >"I'm glad you're okay, Anon..."
  7595. >-Yeah, so are you.
  7596. "I'm glad you're okay, Spitfire."
  7597. >Though the injuries worry you.
  7598. >They may not look life threatening, but any hint of her being hurt, hurts you in return.
  7599. >And she's got plenty of hints.
  7600. >-Also, you really hate your old man voice.
  7601. >Linda walks closer to you both, a smile hinted with worry crossing her face.
  7602. >"So... how you feeling?"
  7603. "...I've felt better."
  7604. >-Christ, you feel like a grandpa, now.
  7605. "What happened last night?"
  7606. >...It WAS last night, right?
  7607. >In your mind, the fight led directly into being here, like nothing even happened in the middle.
  7608. >Though, you can feel that time has past.
  7609. >Spitfire brings her head up and softly smiles at Linda.
  7610. >"Linda had come by and got help for us."
  7611.  
  7612. >Your eyes trail over to said Griffon, and she just nods.
  7613. >"My shift had ended just minutes after you both left, and as I was flying home, I saw you both standing there with those guys, so I went back and got help."
  7614. >...Too bad it didn't show up sooner.
  7615. >A LOT sooner.
  7616. >Linda continues.
  7617. >"Though, when we got there, we were only there to take you to the hospital."
  7618. >Her eyes slowly trail to Spitfire.
  7619. >What does she mean by that?
  7620. >The mare in question just smiles cutely.
  7621. >"I broke all their wings and beat up the Griffon with the sunglasses."
  7622. >Linda takes a small step back and softly nods.
  7623. >"And with the extent of your injuries, it was labeled self defense."
  7624. >...Self defense?
  7625. >Sounds more like self revenge.
  7626. >-Not that you're complaining or anything, though.
  7627. >You'd of done it if she didn't.
  7628. >And you're happy as hell that she did.
  7629. >Hell, who says revenge isn't satisfying?
  7630. >Even if it wasn't YOU who did it.
  7631. >It's still good knowing that those bastards got SOMETHING back on them.
  7632. >Another grin crosses your face, and you pull Spitfire into yet another hug.
  7633. >She squeaks in surprise, then makes herself comfortable again.
  7634. >There's a knock at the door.
  7635. >You all instinctively turn, and in comes a light blue stallion.
  7636. >Better known as Soarin.
  7637. >He looks worried.
  7638. >-And immediately, it's all replaced with confusion and shock.
  7639. >He simply takes to standing there at the doorway, staring at you all with wide eyes.
  7640. >"...Well, the magazines got THAT right."
  7641. >Walking over, Spitfire just remains on you, showing no signs of leaving anytime soon.
  7642. >His eyes simply turn to you.
  7643. >"Well, you two sure have gotten friendly since I saw you last."
  7644. >He chuckles.
  7645. >"I read the magazines, but wasn't expecting this."
  7646. >He offers a friendly smile and nudges your shoulder.
  7647. >"You doing alright, there?"
  7648. >You simply nod.
  7649. >"What are you doing here, Soarin'? I thought practice was today?"
  7650. >He nods.
  7651. >"But we don't have a Captain there."
  7652.  
  7653. =======================================================================================================================================
  7654. UPDATE THING
  7655.  
  7656. Aight, so, after doing some old reminiscing and shit, I've come to the conclusion, that holy fucking shit, I had no real idea where I was going with my story earlier, and I've decided to come all the way back and pull off some major damage control shit, and delete them 20,000+ words I had, going aaall the way back to when the story first started becoming shit.
  7657.  
  7658. The hospital thang.
  7659.  
  7660. So, fuck that noise, and since ya'll are probably never gon see this until/if a new thread comes up, AAAND can't call me a massive faggot through this website, I'm doing it anyways!
  7661.  
  7662. So, for those some, maybe three people who stumbled upon this story and decided to read the shit out of this shit, you're getting some shit over the really shitty shit that this shit had continued off of.
  7663.  
  7664. Also, fuck the Anon that called me rubbish, that's rood, ya dirty Brit.
  7665.  
  7666. Also also, I play Insurgency, but not damn near as much as you niggers think I do. Most times I didn't write was because I had no fucking CLUE where I was going, and had no motivation because of it.
  7667.  
  7668. Now enjoy this shit or don't, you three people.
  7669.  
  7670. Carry on.
  7671. =======================================================================================================================================
  7672.  
  7673. >Spitfire scrunches a bit in response.
  7674. >Oh, right.
  7675. >You kinda forgot that she was the Wonderbolts Captain.
  7676. >As in, the one in charge of the whole team.
  7677. >That IS what the captain does, right?
  7678. >-Or maybe there's a general, too?
  7679. >...Generals are higher ranking than captains, right?
  7680. >...It's been too long since you've played a first person shooter to really remember.
  7681. >He just smiles and waves a hoof.
  7682. >"It's not like I'm complaining, though. More me time is something I'll gladly take any day."
  7683. >"More like LAZY time, to me."
  7684. >"-If it involves things I enjoy, it's me time."
  7685. >She rolls her eyes.
  7686. >Then scrunches a bit harder, now looking between you and Soarin'.
  7687. >"...I HAVE spent a bit of time away from the Academy, though. Maybe a bit too much time..."
  7688. >Her eyes settle on you.
  7689. >"But..."
  7690. >It doesn't take long to figure out what kind of internal struggle she's facing, right now.
  7691. >You give her your best comforting smile.
  7692. >You shouldn't be getting in the way of her job anymore than you already have.
  7693. >With, well, the magazines and stuff, you think her going back to the team for a bit would help out tremendously, anyways.
  7694. "It's alright, I can take care of myself just fine, Spitfire. You don't have to stay here with me."
  7695. >Though, sounding like a damn old man ready to break every bone in his body from a single step, really doesn't make your words sound that convincing.
  7696. >"But... I WANT to stay with you..."
  7697. >She nuzzles your neck.
  7698. >And through the short bursts of absolutely tremendous pain she's causing, you manage a smile.
  7699. >Then you pause.
  7700. >An idea clicks into your mind.
  7701. >A brilliant, wonderful, and scary fucking idea.
  7702. "Well... why don't I just go with you, then?"
  7703. >Her ears perk up at the idea.
  7704. >Soarin' just seems to be hanging around, now kind of like the awkward third wheel guy.
  7705. >Looking around the room and such while you're both talking.
  7706. >"-That's an amazing idea, Anon!"
  7707. >She turns back to Soarin', who just blinks while he suddenly remembers where he is.
  7708. >"Do you think you could grab a carriage for Anon?"
  7709. >He stops halfway through a slow nod and looks at you, scanning you like some kind of machine.
  7710. >"...Should Anon really be moving around in this condition, though?"
  7711.  
  7712. >You frown.
  7713. "If I can talk, I can walk, damn it!"
  7714. >From your right, you can hear a soft knocking at your door.
  7715. >Then in comes a cream horse in a doctor's coat, and some white mare with a nurse's cap, wheeling in some cart filled with supplies.
  7716. >"Ah, Anon, you're awake! And Ms. Spitfire, you seem to be doing... uh, well."
  7717. >For a second, you wonder why the hell the doctor's acting so weird, then remember that Spitfire's still snuggling your shit.
  7718. >Which could easily look like... something else...
  7719. >Which would also make Soarin' a dirty cuck.
  7720. >You smile.
  7721. >The nurse just walks up to her like she's not in any suggestive position on top of you.
  7722. >"If you may climb off of Mr. Anonymous, I can clean your wounds."
  7723. >Spitfire shoots you a look, as if to tell you she's sorry for climbing off, and, well, climbs off, then sitting in a seat while the nurse does her thing.
  7724. >The doctor guy walks over to the front of your bed, while Soarin' just seems to resume staring off into space, like he just took a few tabs of something.
  7725. >"So then, Anonymous, if you don't mind, I'd like to do some bloodwork on you, in order to see how well your body's reacting to the magic we gave you."
  7726. >-Woah, wait, what?
  7727. "...You gave me magic?"
  7728. >He simply nods.
  7729. >"We gave you a small dose of a painkiller spell to see how you'd react to it. So far, are you seeing or feeling any side effects? Anything different?"
  7730. >You think about it, then slowly shake your head.
  7731. "My insides still haven't melted, as far as I know."
  7732. >He simply nods again, and the nurse comes over with a needle.
  7733. >A BIG NEEDLE.
  7734. "OH HELL NO, YOU AIN'T STABBING ME!"
  7735. >Not that you're afraid of them or anything, but that needle is comically huge.
  7736. >It looks like they're going to extract fucking bone marrow instead of doing blood work.
  7737. >Your poor veins wouldn't survive a huge thing like that.
  7738. "I MEAN FUCK, CAN'T YOU JUST DO A BLOOD WORK SPELL OR SOME SHIT?"
  7739. >The doctor shakes his head.
  7740. >"We do not have that advanced kind of magic available in this hospital."
  7741. >Spitfire flies on top of you again, now bandaged and patched up while she tries her best to comfort you.
  7742. >"It's alright Anon, it'll only last for a bit."
  7743. "That thing looks like it'll leave permanent fucking damage! I don't believe that!"
  7744. >Then the doctor sighs, and his horn lights up.
  7745. >And you suddenly feel really sleepy.

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