>Being Anon's best friend was wonderful!
>Ever since you and Anon joined in blissful, alcoholic union, you've felt so much closer to him
>Even if you find yourself staring at him more than usual
>At least you've learned to keep a pint of cider on hoof
>Or, more specifically, your neat-fashionable saddlebag!
>Rarity no longer lets you into her boutique but you found it at a smaller clothing store so it's just as good
>It's a little raggedy but you think it goes beautifully with your hoodie
>Between the animals and your emergency touching times, it is getting a little worn down anyway
>But Anon likes it!
>He's actually really comfortable around you
>Yesterday he even hugged you
>It just took you asking him a few times
>You land outside of his home, quiet as a mouse
>You know he's home today because you know his work schedule
>He's even told you more about his yogurt operation!
>You giggle to yourself
>Oh Fluttershy, how could you have ever compared his yogurt to his cream?
>Even you used to be a silly filly
>You knock a few times on his door and let yourself in
>You smile at the sight of a few stray feathers that have been collecting on a blanket played out on the floor
>Both you and Rainbow Dash have been sleeping over on game nights to play more O&O
>Except Rainbow Dash usually follows Anon to bed
>You would be a terribly inconsiderate friend if you didn't make sure you were around to help
>So you usually snuck out of the house and watched them from a window
>Of course, Anon is a terrible beast...
>So much so that by the time they're done, you're just as exhausted!
>Thankfully you do wipe yourself down before going to sleep on your blanket
>And it is your blanket
>After picking it up and giving it a whiff, he quickly assured you that it was yours now
"Oh Anon I'm ready to help out with today's yogurt!"
>You were so wrapped up in your thoughts that you didn't notice that he wasn't... anywhere
>He wasn't in the kitchen, in either of the two bathrooms, in the back yard...
>There was only one place you haven't checked
>His bedroom
>You may be a bit of a nosy mare but even you have your respect for personal privacy!
>But... if he isn't here...
>You mean, you need to make sure he isn't in there
>Of course
"Anon...?"
>You poke your head into the doorway
>His room is sparsely populated but even if it wasn't, it's huge!
>Huge like the rest of his house, of course
>You almost back away but you see a giant blanket shift and move
>"Shy...?"
>He sounds tired
>Or, maybe exhausted is the right word for it
>You step in, proud to be the cure of whatever ails him!
>Nurse Fluttershy's on the job!
"Yes, it is! I know you have today off so I would feel honored to help my bestest non-pony friend in all of Ponyville and spend the day with you!"
>You trot up to the side of his bed and smile as widely as you can
>By Celestia, his scent is everywhere in this room and his bed smells so heavenly
>Not right now, Fluttershy
>Not yet
>Anon finally opens his blanket and a fresh scent of Anonymous hits you like an ursa major
>You're ready to fly at him and give him what for, for teasing a mare like you for so long
>But
>He looks sad
>No, that's not correct
>He looks like he's been torn to bits!
>You gasp and prop your front hooves on the side of the bed, your pure, natural urges all but forgotten
"Anonymous! What happened?"
>He sniffles, his voice sounding far deeper than usual
>You would be lying if it wasn't attractive that his grumbling wasn't awakening all of your eggs at once
>"Fuckin' Dash, man... I didn't know what to expect. I guess I should've kept my guard up more."
>What in the world happened?
"Kept your guard up about what, Anon? What did she do?"
>Now, you aren't one to throw a friend under a wagon in favor of another
>But Rainbow Dash obviously was in the wrong to hurt Anon like this!
>She had to be!
>YOU would never do something so heart-wrenchingly awful!
>"It's her stu... well, no, it's not stupid."
>Anon's head drops on his pillow
>It's as big as you
>You would make a better pillow in a situation like this
>"It's her Wonderbolts thing. She went off about having tried to impress the team, group, whatever the hell they are, and she said she messed up."
>The dots aren't connecting for you
"Well that's a terrible thing for her... but what does that have to do with you? Were you there when it happened?"
>He shakes his head, sighing
>It's a sigh that tells you that his heart is weighed down by a Rainbow Dash-shaped statue the size of Equestria
>"No. But she blamed me for her having failed it. She claimed that I wasn't only taking up her time, but that I was making her too 'weak and squishy'. As if I had any control over that!"
>He sounds so defeated
>"I get that she has her goals and shit... I do too. I guess. But I never asked her to hang out with me. I never saw any issue with just being around her and doing stuff together. That's kinda how it's supposed to go, right? If you like someone, you spend time with them and... what happens, just happens. And that's supposed to mean something."
>You understand Rainbow Dash's side of the situation
>You truly do
>But you also know that she does sometimes say things the wrong way, even with the best of intentions
>You would never let Anon stop you from playing with and taking care of animals
>But you would invite him to help out too!
>This is all too much for restraint, Fluttershy!
>You hop onto his bed with a flap of the wings for assistance
>You curl up near him and rest your head on his shoulder
>He looks at you
>You look at him
"As your second bestest friend in all of Equestria, I can't let you be alone during this time. Whatever you're going through, let me help you. Please."
>The words sit in his head until he lurches out!
>He hugs you with all of his strength, turning you into a yellow, feathered plushdoll
>With a squeeze so hard you squeak and poke your tongue out, he exhales
>"Thank you, Fluttershy. I wouldn't know what I'd do if you weren't around."
>His words
>His tone
>His hug
>Being in his home
>In his room
>On his bed
>What if...
>What if he doesn't need Rainbow Dash anymore?
>What if you are all he really needs?
>You certainly wouldn't ever push him away
>A smile creeps on your face
>Maybe this is simply a growing pain
>A path to something greater
>Oh Fluttershy...
>You absolute femme-fatale
>You nuzzle what you can of Anon's massive body
>"There there...I promise I'll make it all better for you..."
>Anon is in a critical spot
>You would be a terrible friend if you didn't try to help him
>And make him feel good
>Maybe it's finally time for...
>Operation Rebound

>To be perfectly honest, you expected your first time in bed with Anon to be more...
>Positive
>Though you've formed your body to hug against his chest like a cat, he really doesn't seem to cheer up any
>You've oh so cleverly stretched out too, so it's not like any part of you isn't touching him in some way
>But he doesn't even react to you
>Not a twitch
"Anon... is there anything you'd like to talk about?"
>With your head level to his collar bone, you look up at him
>He's just staring at the wall, dead ahead
>"No... not really."
>You can't help but deflate
>He's so energetic usually
"Oh, oh! I know!"
>You begin to knead your hooves against his chest
"To shave our brother... Firth... from... uh... any..."
>You try to try to remember the silly little tune he and Rainbow Dash used to screech out all the time
>It's hard to remember the lyrics because every time they do it, they always change the words
>You don't even think they rehearse it
>A glance upward shows that he doesn't go for it
>He doesn't even correct you
>Your kneading stops and you fall silent
>Think, Fluttershy!
>Think!
>If only he could feel as good as you did when you tasted his-
>His yogurt!
>Your ears perk up and you smile at him
"Anon! Would you like me to get some of your yummiest yogurt in Equestria?"
>You feel like he didn't even hear you until he nods, like a statue with it's head teetering on it's edge
>"Yes please. Spoons are near the fridge. Any jar in there is cooled off and already done."
"Oh my, you're such a chef! I bet if you wanted to, you could really change Ponyville for the better!"
>You actively strain to reach up, just barely kissing under his chin
>Maybe you shouldn't be such a glutton for love
"Don't leave this spot!"
>You roll out of the bed like a log and land on your hooves, prancing toward the kitchen
>You've been inside Anon's home so much now that you know everywhere and everything like the back of your hoof!
>Your very special hoof for very special times
>Because Anon's home is a very special place
>And Anon is a very special somepony
>Except he isn't a pony
>The idea of him being something like a talking animal does make you exceptionally happy too
>It's so...
>Natural
>Upon entering Anon's kitchen, you can tell that it has the distinct smell of Rainbow Dash
>She probably ate more than her fair share of Anon's yogurt
>She probably made a big mess of it all and got it all over her face, her hooves, and even her mane
>...maybe Anon likes hooves...
>How would you even go to test that out?
>Your initial prodding didn't work
>You finally get around to picking out a jar full of whipped off-white goodness but nearly drop it when you see him
"M-Mr. Iguana! You're here!"
>You manage to catch the jar with your wing, letting it roll down your feathers onto the ground
>The iguana is on the countertop, near the kitchen window
>With a curious little bag around it's neck
"W... what's that?"
>Mr. Iguana glares at you
>Sorta
>One of it's eyes is wandering a little
>When both of his eyes focus on you, you flinch
>You were offering to pay Mr. Iguana to monitor Anon, but after he got a face full of yogurt and more, he was...
>Not pleased
"Are... are you doing well?"
>He looks at you like he's judging you
"I... I'm doing well... thank you."
>You feel like he's judging you even harder
"Listen, Anon needs a friend right now. And... and I'm the best friend for him."
>You step away from the jar and take a step towards him
"Would you like to help him with me?"
>As a response, Mr. Iguana hisses!
>Or maybe he's retching up something?
>It kinda looks like it could be either
>You back away immediately
>You can't let him scare you away from Anon like this!
"M-Mister Iguana... I..."
>He scampers off the counter toward you!
>You scream and fly up, clearly out of his reach
>He lands with a soft splat
>Berries of all sorts fly out from his necklace-bag!
>You want to ask him where he found all of those but he doesn't stop there
>He continues scampering at full force, nails clacking against wood
"Mr. Iguana, please wait I-"
>He skates out of the kitchen
>Toward...
>Toward Anon?!
>Princess Celestia bless you, Mr. Iguana has gone mad and wishes to harm Anonymous!
>Worse, because of what you had him do, he must be full of resentment!
>You fly after him into Anon's room
"Anon, watch out! Mr. Iguana is gonna..."
>You expect horror
>You expect a masculine battle
>A war between man and beast
>A naked, bloodied Anon holding the head of a dragon!
>Oh my
>You didn't mean anything by that, Spike
>Instead, you see Mr. Iguana on the bed
>On Anon's side
>"Oh... hey there, guy. How's it been going out there?"
>He's... petting Mr. Iguana
"Anon... d-do you know this kind creature?"
>He sounds relieved
>"Yeah... he's my buddy. One of my first yogurt tasters. Turns out he'd keep coming around here so I just kept feeding him stuff. He's a real cool guy, you know?"
>Well that is a relief
>But
>You want to be alone with Anon
>And you're afraid he may tell Anon something you would very much like to keep a secret
"Oh yes, I understand fully! And I'm so happy you made an animal friend!"
>You take a few cautious steps toward the bed
>Mr. Iguana whips his head toward you and exhales again
>You know it doesn't sound like a lot but it technically falls under the category of an irritated hiss
>You whimper at the disavow of your past actions
>He's wrong!
>Anon lazily slaps his hand on the scaly creature's head, stopping the noise
>"Easy, my fly guy that eats guy flies. She's an alright one."
>The hiss degrades into a series of snorts and a grumble
>"Mmmmmyeahhhh yeah yup yup yup... you're fine. She's fine."
>Anon meets every growl and grumble with another 'yup' until it stops
>He seems like a natural!
"Oh... may I ask what his name is, Anon? He seems like he trusts you."
>"Yup. I call my bud Lizzie. Lizzie McGuire."

>You weren't sure what to do with yourself
>You didn't know who you could talk to
>Thankfully, there was always Rarity!
>She really did pull through to help you out a lot when it came to Anon
"Come on, let me in!"
>"RAINBOW DASH, NO!"
"I mean it! I need someone to talk to!"
>"DARLING, GO TO APPLEJACK ABOUT THIS."
"SHE'S NOT GOOD WITH GUYS, I NEED A MATURE MARE FOR THIS!"
>You've spent entire minutes trying to push into Rarity's boutique
>Only now did she stop resisting with her magic
>Cheater
>"...this is serious, isn't it."
>As angry as you've been for the last... however long
>You can't be angry with her now
"Please let me in Rarity... I messed up."
>You feel your stomach drop when those words come out of your mouth, in your voice
>Rarity let you in, after another long minute of consideration
>After she fixed some tea, you began to tell her everything
>Of how you had a routine to fly to impress the Wonderbolts
>Of how you actually did really well on it
>But ended the exhibition with a chant
>A sort of chant that you used to do with Anon
"People said I wasn't good enough and I'll have you know they lied, now show me your headquarters so I can come inside! I'm hard and rigid, ready to go, let's celebrate with some pie! MVP is I!"
>You repeat the chant to Rarity, full of gusto and confidence in your words
>Rarity spurted out the tea that was in her mouth
>But she had a remarkable poker face
>"...d... did Anon help you with those lyrics?"
>You give her your most confident smile
"No way! I came up with that one on. My. Own."
>She glances away
>If you didn't know better, it looked like she had almost a pitiful look on her face
>"Dear Celestia, she's getting worse..."
"What's getting worse?"
>She gives you an awkward smile
>"Nothing, dear. So... you mentioned that you got mad at Anon for this, because...?"
"Because he!"
>You deflate
"He..."
>It really hits you just how harshly you ambushed him and told him off, all out of the blue
>You blamed him for not impressing them enough
>You accused him of making you get rusty and out of practice
>Even though you sought every chance to be around him
>And forsook practice to cuddle up to him
>To spend your days playing around and having little in-jokes that other ponies laughed along with just to be nice
>To...
>Love?
"Because he didn't do anything wrong... and I did."
>You sigh
>It's heavy
>It makes you feel like you've become a lead weight that can't even glide
"And I think I really hurt him. I know I did. And I don't know what to do."
>Rarity pours herself another cup of tea
>She seems really calm with this sort of news
>You knew she was the best with guys
>Even if you never actually saw her with a male friend
>"So... do you want to make up with him?"
"Do I want to...? Of course I do! I gotta make this right, Rarity! And I gotta do it NOW!"
>"Right now-now?"
>You visibly falter
"I... I don't know if he wants to see me right now-now..."
>"I see... well. I suppose I'm this deep in it now, aren't I..."
>She mumbles to herself, gulping down the rest of her tea like it was her last drink
>"Come come, Rainbow Dash. We have work to do."
>What did she mean by that?
"W-what? Work where?"
>"We're going to make Anon a present. A make-up present. A present any man would be happy to get."
>She spoke so matter-of-factly about it
"Like... a birthday present? Rarity, I'm all hooves when it comes to making junk."
>You hold up your hooves as if to prove your point
>She narrows her eyes at you
>Slowly
>Very slowly
>Her two front hooves rise up to near her face
>"We're both all hooves, darling..."
"Y-yeah, well..."
>Crap
>You forgot that you weren't talking to Anon for a moment there
"A-Anon hands... has..."
>You shake your head, trying to reiterate
"Anon's junk..."
>You stutter out another correction
"ANON HAS HANDS AND JUNK."
>Rarity looks at you with a blank expression
>You try to smile but even you feel awkward from this
>Anon usually makes a joke about his junk
>He probably would make one at this point
>You hope he misses your hooves
>As if she could read your mind, Rarity's expression turns to a slow grimace
>With just a hint of disgust
>"...let's go, Rainbow Dash. While I can still keep my tea down."
>She gets up and makes her way up stairs
>Even when she's helping you out, she just has to keep the saunter and high class look going
"...thanks."
>Not even five steps in, you sway your hips back and forth
>Look at you
>You're a frou-frou unicorn that thinks she's so awesome
>Maybe you can use your magical toothpick horn and sword fight with a human named Anon
>Rarity looks behind her, to you
>You freeze in mid-sway
>Your wide eyes meet her tired, judgmental gaze
>You try to give her a wide smile
>She refuses to ease up on the gaze
>Your hind end slides back into place, until you're standing normally
>The gaze continues to bore into you
>You smile even wider until a small squee creeps out
>"...I'm billing Anon for this one."
"That's completely fine!"
>You hurry upstairs with her
>No matter what it takes, you're going to make it up to him one way or another!

>Between Lizzie and Fluttershy, you were starting to feel a little better
>A little
>Fluttershy set down her saddlebags in the living room but was quick to come back
>She kept asking if you were thirsty
>Which is cool, but you've been waiting until near death to sustain yourself
>With a glance and a point, Lizzie croaks and skitters off of you
>It's kinda funny seeing a big-ass lizard like that scampering around
>Just walk normal, dork
>"Are you ready to get up now? We have such a full, wonderful day ahead of us!"
>Fluttershy's soft, gentle voice was full of quivering excitement
>Honestly you always thought her voice was just an act but she really does seem to stick to it
>You shouldn't be surprised
>Rai-
"No... not gonna do that..."
>You mutter to yourself
>You can't even imagine her name
>"Not going to do what? You can't rest in bed alone, silly!"
>Fluttershy beamed at you
>"Unless you need an extra feathery blanket?"
"Ah... nah that's alright... I'm up."
>You say that
>But you spend another laying in bed
>Fluttershy watches you like a statue
>Another minute passes before her nose twitches
>"...do you need help, Anon?"
"No... nah, I'm fine. I'm just... you know."
>"I know?"
"It's a process."
>"Oh... I know..."
>You nod at her understanding
>Another minute or two passes by
>She keeps watching you
>The way her eyes move, it's like she's doing more than merely watching you
>You get the distinct idea that she's hungry
>You can't tell why
>But you can feel it
>It's causing you enough discomfort that you actually do get up
>If you control the flows of things, she's usually a lot less... overbearing?
"So... remind me why you stopped by?"
>The yellow and pink pegasus hops in place, her head bobbing back and forth
>"Anything and everything! I want to hang out with my best friend and cheer him up!"
>Sitting in bed, your eye feels drawn to a stray blue feather on the floor
"Yeah... I guess that is what friends do, right?"
>"It is!"
>You sit there for another minute
>It's half that you feel paralyzed
>Half that you just don't feel like it's worth the effort
>At least Fluttershy acts like she's still happy to wait
>"You got it, Anon! Ra ra, rise up!"
>She wags her flank from side to side, the opposite wing spreading in rhythm
>You finally make it to your feet
>Feeling a newfound surge of power, you spread your arms and roar in celebration of such an achivement!
>It comes out as an autistic half-yawn, half-scream that causes Lizzie to scamper out of your room at the speed of warm syrup
>The countless clicking and clacking noises do make you smile
"Alright... I'm up."
>"Yay! Yay Anon, you did it! That deserves a victory hug!"
>Before you can ask her what that consists of, you feel her swooce up to your leg
>She wraps her front legs and wings around your bare leg
>The warmth of the hug
>It hurts to think too deeply on it
>But you've missed that warmth
>Even if it's only been a few days since...
>Whatever
"Thanks. I mean it."
>You step forward
>Or tried to
>She's not letting go
"...Fluttershy?"
>"Shh... it's ok Anon."
>She nuzzles her face against your knee
"I'm... I'm gonna walk now."
>You take a few steps and, despite her dragging behind you, arrive in the living room
>You can't even remember what you have in your kitchen at the moment
>It probably isn't a big deal to anyone keeping track
>Your eye wanders
>Nothing honestly comes to mind
>Against your better judgment, maybe your time is best spent outside
"Wanna go out for a walk or something?"
>It sounds awkward to even think such a thing, nevermind say it
>Fluttershy lets go of your leg and flaps into the air, stopping inches from your face
>"Oh my, yes! We can go to my house! I can show you my little pet bunny, Angel! And the birds too! Oh, and the swans, and some nice squirrels. And on top of that, inside of my house! I bet I have a more comfortable bed than yours! I'm a pegasus of high prestige, and I only sleep on the most comfiest marshmallows found only in the most popular-"
"Right on, bird booty. Lead the way."
>You are already halfway out the door by the time she stops
>You really don't mean to be mad to her
>You don't want to be a drag on her good mood either
>But you just...
>You need fresh air
>You need to get out of the house
>Maybe this will help
>You aren't completely dressed but you doubt anyone will mind
>When you first popped up, they didn't expect you to have anything anyway
>Kinda kills the idea of going streaking
>Would ponies even get offended if you wagged your junk around?
>Would they even know what was going on?
>A quartet of hooves land on your shoulder
>All on the same spot
>What's kinda odd is that you don't even feel any weight from them
>"Follow the road, and then look for the yellow sign that heads out of town, please! I'll show you where I love!"
>The parrot-perched pegasus finally snapped you out of your daze
"Where you love?"
>"Y-yes! Where I... I love all of my animals! Onward, to adventure and love!"
"Yaaaay, adventure."
>You waggle your hands at the side
>"Raise those hands, mister! I said, we're going to adventure!"
>You raise your hands up to your chest and give her a pair of jazz hands
>The ol' razzle dazzle doesn't seem to convince her
>"Raise those hands higher! Adventure!"
>You sigh and stop in your tracks
>You knew this day would come
>You just didn't know it would come so quickly
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"
>You flail around, your arms shooting up and waving around like 1.21 gigawatts went through your body
>Your kermitment to the master of excitement has finally paid off
>When you finish, you noticed that Fluttershy left your shoulder
>More than that, you flung her off so well that she was planted well into the dirt near your path
"...oh. Shit. Too much excitement?"
>You squat down and plug her head up by her mane
>She looks just a little more dirty
>But happy
>A little too happy, for having been thrown down into the dirt like a winged worm
>"Yaaay~"
>She met your explosive 'yay' with one of her own
>You can't help but get the idea that she enjoyed the sudden roughness
>You don't get these freaking she-ponies at all
>Maybe once this is all over you can go ask Rarity about it or something