>"You need your rest!" ordered Fluttershy, pushing you by your waist into your bedroom. >You push back. "My legs aren't broken! I can still walk around if I want!" >"That's just your mild concussion talking!" >She pushed harder. >You were holding on to the door frame just to keep from being forced into your room. >Considering her size and kind nature, she can be quite the brute when she wants to be. "I told you, I'm fine!" >You use the door frame as leverage to help push against Fluttershy. >You were both straining against each other as hard as you could. >"It's only been two days! You are so, uhn, not fine!" "This is orppression! I have a right to go for a run!" >"I said," she let pressure off of you and backed away a bit. "NO!" >She flew at you and tackled you through the doorway. >You lose all the breath in your lungs from the hit. >You stagger backwards and trip over the foot of the bed. >You bounce up from the bed and knock the still forward-flying Fluttershy up and into the wall behind the bed. >She hits the wall and safely falls to the pillows below. -- >You sit up and spot the clear doorway to your salvation. >You leap from the bed and bolt for the door. "Freedom!" >Running, running, BAM! >Face full of door. >Fluttershy had raced around you at lightning speed and slammed the door shut, right in your face. >You shout and grip your face, staggering back and tripping over the bed again. "Ah-haha-how!" >"Ohmigosh, I'm so sorry!" cried Fluttershy, rushing over to you and feeling your forehead. "Alright," you mumble through your hands. "You win. I'll stay in bed." >Fluttershy squeed with a victorious smile. >"You see? I told you you were going to hurt yourself. It's a dangerous world out there." >You remove your hands from your face and glare at Fluttershy, who returned your gaze with an innocent smile. >She's been trying to come up with every excuse to keep you bed-ridden. >Swear to God, if it boils down to her smashing your knee caps with a mallet, you're not gonna be too happy about it. -- >"Let me get you something for your head." >Fluttershy kissed your forehead before leaving the room to go downstairs. >Come to think of it, that actually made your head feel a little better. >Fluttershy is such a good pony. >You've told yourself, and her as well, so many times before. >And it never gets old. >Normally, you wouldn't mind lying in bed all day. >You're lazy enough to enjoy it for the most part. >But the simple fact that you're forced to be here brings out the rebellious side in you. >You hear a knock on the door and Fluttershy call out to the visitors. >You can't hear the conversation as your bedroom door is muffling the voices. >Then, hooves on the staircase. >Oh boy, visitors... >In walks in Fluttershy with Rarity in tow. >Oh boy, Rarity! >"Oh my! He really does look as horrible as you said!" said Rarity. >You give a deadpan stare at Fluttershy who looks away, embarassed. "Gee, thanks. It's always nice to know how others really feel." >"Oh, come now, darling. I didn't mean it like that," said Rarity. "Heheh. Yeah, I know. I'm just playin'." >"Hmm, quite." >Rarity was not amused. -- >"So, Anonymous." said Rarity. "What." >"I was talking to Fluttershy here about going on our little spa day today, but from what I see, she can't possibly leave you here alone!" >You roll your eyes. "Why does everypony think I'm totally incapable of taking care of myself?" >"Because you're hurt, darling. Is it not obvious?" "I'm totally mobile! So I had a slight concussion, big whoop." >You wave your hands in front of you to emphasize your point. >"Well, be that as it may, we will not be going to the spa today." "Uh... okay?" >"Instead, I will be staying here to help Fluttershy in taking care of you!" "Wait, what?!" >This is just freakin perfect. >If Fluttershy treating you like a baby wasn't bad enough, now you got Rarity here also! >The chatty, gossipy, OCD, fashionista pony. >"Oh, darling, we're going to have so much fun!" exclaimed Rarity, clopping her forehooves together. "Great..." -- >As much as you love Rarity and all she's done for you and Fluttershy, she can become quite an annoyance after being around her for an extended period of time. >Not to mention that when she's together with Fluttershy, they become an unstoppable gossip machine. >Fluttershy will spill all of her feelings about you to Rarity and many other things you would prefer to keep quiet. >One time, Fluttershy almost revealed your secret fetish to Rarity. >Luckily, you happened to saunter into the room just before she could. >"I'm going to go make your breakfast," said Fluttershy. >She left Rarity with you. >Rarity looked about your room. >Your messy, messy room. >"Darling, I... this is just..." >Your bed is unmade. >The wall decor is askew. >And the carpet is a little dirty. >But worst of all... >Oh sweet Celestia... >Your dirty laundry is on the floor. >You can swear Rarity's eye twitched a little as she spotted your dirty socks hanging from a dresser drawer. >Your shirt tossed across the room. >And your pants were lying next to the bed. "What?" >"Anonymous, how can you live like this!" >You look around the room, trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about. >So you had few clothes on the ground. >You fail to notice anything that would require the city to condemn your home. "Uhh... what?" >"This..." Rarity levitates your discarded shirt. "This filth!" >You raise an eyebrow, still unable to comprehend what she was so upset about. -- >"I simply refuse to allow this!" "What?" >She begins to clean your room. >First beginning with your laundry. >Folding them neatly and stacking them in the hamper. >You fail to see the reasoning behind this. >Next, she moves on to the wall pictures frames and other wall hangings. >They looked straight to you. >You couldn't even see if she even moved them or not. >But after a few minutes at each one, she seemed satisfied. >Lastly, she cleaned your carpet. >You thought a good sweeping was good enough, but apparently not for Rarity. >With great concentration, she lifted the invisible specks of dirt from your carpet, balled them up, and launched them out the window. >When she finished with that, she began running about your bedroom, aligning all the furniture to look neater. >When she finished, she double checked her handiwork. >Everything was perfect. >"Now that's much better," she turned too look at you. "Wouldn't you ag-" >That bed. >That messy, unmade bed. >The untucked sheets, the unfluffed pillows. >She began walking towards you, horn glowing "Rarity, what are you- HNNG!" >She magicks the sheets tight and snug against the matress. >The comforter as well, which you were under. "Too tight!" you squeak out. >You manage to free your arms and begin wildly thrashing on the bed, trying to loosen the covers. >You finally mess the bed enough that you can get free and stand up. >You clutch your chest, breathing hard. >"Now why did you go and do that, Anonymous?" >Rarity remade the bed and you lied back down, on top of the covers this time. >It was a little too hot to be under the blankets anyways. -- >Fluttershy walked in with a tray on her back. >It smelled delicious. >"Oh, I see Rarity made the bed for you?" wondered Fluttershy. "Yeah." >"That was nice of you," Fluttershy said to Rarity. >"It was no trouble at all," Rarity replied. >Fluttershy walked over to the bed. >You sat up and Rarity moved the tray into your lap. >Bacon, egg, and cheese on buttered toast. >Fluttershy knows you so well. "Thanks Flutters." >Rarity looks at Fluttershy and raises an eyebrow, pointing a hoof at you. >Fluttershy blushed. >You grab the sandwich and eat, staring at your plate. >Rarity and Fluttershy trade glances. >"Is- is everything alright, Anon?" asked Rarity. >You look up and look back and forth between the two. >You swallow. "Yeah, why?" >"Oh, nothing deary. It's just... you seem so... down." >You look to Fluttershy who looks just as worried as Rarity. "Uh... I'm fine, thanks." >You continue eating. >"You're not mad at me, are you?" asked Fluttershy. >You choked on your food before finally swallowing it. "What? Why would I be mad?" >"For making you stay in bed." "No, Fluttershy. I'm not mad. Just... meh." >"Oh, okay. I'm sorry." -- >A knocking at the door takes Fluttershy downstairs again. >You tossed a pillow to Rarity and she used it for a cushion to sit. >"So..." said Rarity. "So..." >You have finished your breakfast and throw the covers off to stand. >"Oh! I'll take care of that, darling!" >Rarity tried to levitate the tray from your hands, but you held onto it. "Nah, it's cool. I got it." >You pulled the tray back close. >"Oh, but I insist!" >Rarity increased her influence over the tray. "No, really. I can do it." >"Please, Anon. Just stay in bed like you're supposed to." >You sigh and release the tray. >You climb back into bed as Rarity takes the tray away. >Rarity just gets to the door when it flies open and nails her in the face, the crumbs from your plate clinging to her coat. >"ANONYMOUS!!!" "Oh nonono wait!" >You hold out both hands, only to be tackled by the three most adorable fillies you've ever met. >Adorable, yes. >Situationally aware, no. >They failed to notice your bandages and various bruises. >Thankfully, Rarity was quick to respond by levitating the three of them off of you. >You breathe in deeply before letting out a long, drawn-out sigh of muffled pain. >You curl into a loose fetal position. >Your head, your chest, and your everything. >Pain once more. -- >"Girls, please! You're hurting him!" cried Rarity. >The Crusaders, who were laughing and struggling against Rarity's influence, stopped and stared at your injured form. >Now it finally sinks in. >"Oh,we- uh..." >They stutter, but can't seem to form a coherent sentence. >Rarity sets them on the floor and they walk up to the side of the bed. >They raise their forehooves up and rest their cute little heads on their legs. >There's a sadness in their eyes that would break your heart had you payed attention to them. >Applejack and Fluttershy come up the stairs and enter the room. >You look up to see who it is. >You drop your head back down. "Shouldn't you girls be in school?" you ask the Crusaders. >"Actually, Anon," Applejack stepped forward. "Ah done picked 'em up from school to come visit ya!" >You slide up the bed and sit up against the headboard. "Well that was cool of you, Applejack." >"No problem, Anon!" said Applejack, crossing her legs and striking a pose. >You turn to the girls. "So, what did the three of you come out here for?" >"Well," started Applebloom. "We heard you got hurt." >"So we decided to come and see if you were okay!" finished Scootaloo. >"We thought you could use the excitement, seeing as you're stuck in bed all day," said Sweetie Belle. >You reach out and pat Applebloom's head, as she is the closest. "Thank you for the thought girls. Sorry I couldn't walk you to school this morning." >Fluttershy dropped her head. -- >"That's okay, Anonymous," said Applebloom. "We know how you saved Fluttershy from the bad pony." >"Yeah!" said Scootaloo. "That was awesome! I wish we could've seen it!" >No. >No they don't. >They had no idea, their innocent minds unable to process that kind of horror. >"I think it was very brave of you," said Sweetie Belle. "Rarity said it was the most honorable and roman-" >Rarity wrapped a leg around Sweetie Belle's mouth. >"Okay!" blurted out Rarity. "Well then, this was a nice visit wasn't it?" >"But what about what you-" said Sweetie Belle. >"Come now, girls! I think it's time you get back to school!" >Rarity had an unnervingly large smile on her face. >"Awww..." they all pouted. >"Heheh. Come on, y'all. Ah'll take ya back. Ah gotta get back to the farm anyhow." >"Awww..." they pouted again. >"Thanks for coming," said Fluttershy. "Yeah, thanks for coming girls." >You waved goodbye to them. >"Bye Anonymous!" they waved back and ran downstairs. >"Ah better get after 'em to make sure they don't bust nothin'," said Applejack, walking out. "It's great to see you're okay Anon." "You too Applejack." -- >As Applejack left, you heard a crashing come from downstairs. >"Oh darn it!" yelled Applejack, rushing downstairs. >As soon as Applejack leaves your bedroom, she is blasted back through the door in a shower of confetti and streamers. >You manage to catch her before she hits the wall behind you. >Dear God, that hurt worse than the Crusader's ambush... >"Woo wee! Thanks a bunch for that, Anon!" "No problem," you whisper, your chest in too much pain for much else. >"Get well soon, Anonymous!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she bounded into your room. >At second glance, you see Rainbow Dash walking up the stairs behind her. >Pinkie Pie sees Applejack sitting in your lap. >"Ooh! Pony Clause! Me next! Me next!" >Pinkie jumped over the bed, landing in your lap and knocking Applejack to the floor. >"I want me a barrel of floss, and two balls of glue, to be my friends! And I want-" >Two minutes later. >"-and a chair made of cheese, and a table made of cheese, and-" >"Um, Pinkie Pie?" asked Fluttershy. >"Yeah?" >"Could you, um, please get down?" >"Okie dokie lokie!" >Pinkie Pie hopped off the bed. >You were clutching your chest with one hand, the other clenched tightly into a fist and shaking violently. >Thank you Fluttershy. >Rainbow Dash was chuckling at your obvious pain. >Somehow, Pinkie Pie failed to notice EVERYTHING. >"So Anonymous, how's it feel to be the 'Hero of Ponyville'!" >What. -- >You relax your arms. "Say what now?" >"The whole town is calling you a hero for saving Fluttershy from that creep!" exclaimed Pinkie. >You shake your head. "I'm not the 'Hero of Ponyville'. That creep was going to... hurt Fluttershy." >You clench your fists again. "I can't let that happen." >"Well regardless, we need to throw you a 'Get Well Soon/Hero' party!" "I'm not a hero." >"Aw shucks, Anon," said Applejack. "You don't need to undermind yourself like that. We all think you're a hero." >"Yes, quite," said Rarity. "I would do anything for a stallion as brave as you, Anon. Fluttershy really scored big with you." >Everyone slowly turned their heads towards Rarity. >"What?" asked Rarity. >"Nothing," said everypony. >"Uh... Hello?" >Everypony turned to the door to see Twilight standing there with a saddlebag. >Why the hell is everypony in your house? >Your bedroom at that. "Hey." >"Hello," answered everypony else. -- "What are you doing here?" you ask Twilight. >"Oh I brought wonderful news!" exclaimed Twilight. "No. I mean, what are you doing HERE." >"Oh... The front door was open, so I got a little worried that your house was broken into again." >Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. >"And I didn't expect everypony to be here as well." "Neither did I." you mutter under your breath. >"So what's the good news Twilight?" asked Applejack. >"It's not just good news," answered Twilight matter-of-factly. >"Well, what is it, darling?" asked Rarity. >Twilight levitated 7 golden tickets from her saddlebag. >All the ponies' faces lit up with huge smiles. "I don't get it. You going to a chocolate factory or something?" >Everypony looked at you and gasped, mouth agape. >All except Pinkie who gasped, mouth agape, at the wonderful idea you just gave. >"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" asked everypony in unison. >Pinkie's was excitement. "I honestly haven't a clue." >"Anonymous, these are tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!" said Twilight. >"It's only the most wonderful occasions in Equestria!" said Rarity. >"And also the best party of all time!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. >"Heh, even though last time was a total disaster," said Applejack. >Everypony looked at Applejak and nodded. >"Yeah," they agreed. "Hahaha! What? What happened? Did the cops come bust it up or something?" -- >"Not exactly," said Twilight. "The night was nothing like we imagined it would be." "So then why are you all excited about some lame party?" >"Because we know what we did wrong!" said Twilight with a smile. "Hold on a second. You're not all going to try the same things as last time, are you?" >"Well, of course we are," said Applejack. "We still have our reasons for going." "What reasons?" you ask, getting a little irritated. >"It's really nothing to worry about, darling," said Rarity. "We have it all figured out." "Wait. So you've been planning this for while then, haven't you?" >"Yes, actually," said Twilight. "And the tickets aren't even the best news." "No?" >You have a bad feeling about this. >Twilight shakes her head. >"It turns out, Spike doesn't want his ticket because of last year. I tried to tell him it would be different this year, but he wouldn't hear it." >At least Spike has some sense. >"So then I thought," continued Twilight. "Why not give you Spike's ticket!" >Fuck. -- "Thanks, but I don't think-" >"Oh, Twilight, that is just wonderful!" said Fluttershy. "That is very thoughtful of you." >"Well, I know how Anon hasn't participated in any of our festivals or ceremonies. I figured that the Grand Galloping Gala would be the best first thing we all do together." >"Oh Anon, we could walk the gardens together." >Fluttershy gasped. >"We can look at all the cute animals together!" >"Heheh, yeah. Maybe he can spend some time with his monkey family!" said Rainbow. >Everypony turned and glared at her. >"What?" she asks. >Then they all turn back to you, confused, when they hear your soft laughter. "What?" you ask. >They all trade glances and shrugs with each other. >What can you say? >She got you good on that one. >And Fluttershy walked right into it. >You raise your hand. "I gotta question." >"What?" asks Twilight. "When exactly IS this gala?" >"This coming Saturday. Why?" >You drop your hand and give her a deadpan stare. >Four fucking days. "How can I show up when my face is swollen?" >"That's the trick," said Twilight. "Princess Celestia dreads the gala every year. She says it's always so boring." >"So she asked us to come up with a theme this year!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "Oh yeah? And what would that be?" -- >"It's a really fun idea!" said Pinkie. >"And a fashionable one at that," said Rarity. "What is it?" >"If not a little creepy," said Rainbow. "What is it?" >"Aw, come on, Rainbow. It ain't that bad," said Applejack. "Hey." >"I agree with Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy. "It can be a little... unnerving." "Are you even listening to me?" >"There's no need to fret, darling," said Rarity. "You should see the one I have planned for you." >"Oh, okay," said Fluttershy. "HEY!" >Everypony turned to look at you. >"There's no need to be rude, Anonymous," scolded Rarity. >"Hey now, Anonymous. If y'all wanted somethin', ya shoulda spoken up!" said Applejack. >"Hahaha. Yeah Anonymous. What gives?" poked Rainbow. >You give them all a deadpan stare. >Your eye twitches a little bit. >"Well, what did you want, Anonymous?" asked Twilight. "What. Is. The. Gala. About." -- "Oh, that?" asked Twilight. "Well, it's an annual event where-" "No, damn it. I meant, what was the theme this year?" >"Oh... Well why didn't you just say so? asked Twilight, a little offended at your language. >"Why are you being so rude today, Anonymous?" asked Rarity. "I- ... Uh... Hmm..." >You put your hand to your chin. >Yeah, why are you being such an asshole today? >Granted, you're not allowed to leave your bed, but still. >Maybe you're just upset that that pegasus kicked you- >Hey, wait a minute! >This isn't about you! >You shake your head and break your train of thought. "Nothing. Sorry. Can you just tell me already?" >"Not with that attitude, mister." "Please?" >"Oh, okay then. It's-" >"It's a super fun idea that-" "Pinkie!" >She stopped talking, sat down, and motioned to zip her lips. "Rarity?" >"It's a masquerade ball." -- "Oh..." >Aw crap... >Well actually, that's not as bad as what you were originally thinking. >And Twilight was right about one thing. >The fact that your face would be covered would conceal you injuries pretty well. >But really? >A masquerade ball? >"What's wrong, Anon?" asked Twilight. >You snap out of your train of thought. "Huh? What?" >"What's wrong?" she asks again. "Oh, nothing. "But I do have a question." >"What's that?" "I don't have a mask. Where would I even get one?" >Rarity cleared her throat. >"Do you really need to ask?" she asked. "Oh yeah... Right..." >You feel like an idiot. -- "So," you clap our hands. "Can everypony please leave so I can get some rest? I'm still hurting from all the these shenanigans this morning." >You hold a hand to your chest and wince. >"Okie dokie lokie!" said Pinkie, bounding over to you. >She wrapped you in a tight hug, putting you in more pain. >Everypony else, except for Rainbow, joined her. >The pain... >Just hang in there... >It'll all be over in a few seconds... >"We'll see you later, Anon! Okay?" asked Pinkie. "Okay," you whisper out. >They break the hug and you let out a deep sigh of relief. >It takes a few minutes longer, but everypony says their goodbyes and Fluttershy manages to push them all out the front door. >She comes back upstairs to find you already curled beneath the comforter. >"Anon?" >She walks over to the side of the bed and nudges you with a hoof. >You were out. >"He really was tired," she whispered to herself. >She tucked you in nice and cozy. >"Sweet dreams, Anon." >She planted a soft kiss on your forehead before she trotted out of the room. -- >When you woke up, it was dark out. >The curtain was closed, so there was no moonlight coming into the room. >It was pitch black. >A leg around your neck and slow breathing down the back of your neck confirmed that Fluttershy was asleep next to you. >You squeeze your eyelids shut and bring both hands to your head. >God damn this fucking headache. >After a few minutes of just holding your head, you throw off the covers and lie there for a few more minutes. >So hot... >You need to open a window. >You slowly rise to a sitting position, your feet hanging off the side of the bed. "What the hell..." you whisper to yourself. >Sweat was pouring off of your face and you could not sit still for the life of you. >Your splitting headache and this heat... >Holy crap this heat... >You shamble over to the window, feeling with your hands and testing the floor with your feet for anything you could bump into. >You make it safely to the window. >You throw the curtain open and begin to fumble with the lock in the dimly-lit room. >You finally get it undone and throw the window open. >The rush of cold air gives you instant goosebumps. -- >You wrap your naked torso with your arms and shiver. >But this cold air is doing nothing for you. >You are still sweating profusely, and your skin is now as cold as ice from the breeze blowing through the window. >You slowly walk over ot your bed. >You don't get in, but just look down and stare at it for a minute. >Your throat feels dry and hurts to swallow. >Still holding yourself, you slowly walk towards the door, swaying side to side with each step. >You slide one hand up and down the door until you finally bump the knob. >Turning it slowly as not to wake Fluttershy, you open the door and step out. >Carefully descending into the darkness below, you hold both rails with your hands and take one step at a time. >You take a blind step, and it doesn't fall down. >You've reached the bottom. >You shamble your way over to the bathroom door. >You slide your hand up and down, and all over the wall, trying to find the lightswitch. >You finally run your hand over it and accidentally throw it on. "Ah!" >You duck your head and cover you eyes with your hands. >You were not ready for the bright light just yet. -- >You held your hands tightly against your face, face pointed to the floor. >You crack your hands to let a little light in, but it's so bright, you immediately close them again. >You stand there for at least 5 minutes, cracking your hands and closing them again. >Eventually, you settle for just squeezing your eyelids shut, ocassionally opening and closing them. >Through the brief flashes of light, you slowly make your way to the toilet to relieve yourself. >Your eyes are closed, but the sounds of the water splashing let you know you're doing good so far. >You finish and feel your way to the sink. >To hell with a glass, you turn on the cold water and drink through a cupped hand. >You stand over the sink, your head drooping down and water dripping from your face. >You look to the door with squinted eyes and spot Fluttershy watching you. >She had an expressionless face. >She walked over and floated up towards you. >Taking your head with both hooves, she turns it side to side, examining you. >She stares deep into your eyes. >With a soft voice she tells you, >"Go back to sleep. I will be there in a little while." >You nod and make your way upstairs, with help from Fluttershy, and back into bed. >Fluttershy doesn't join you. -- >You are asleep within a minute. >Morning comes and the sun shines brightly through your window. >You haven't woken up like this in a while, and boy do you hate it. >The bright light is not helping your headache at all. >You roll over and throw the comforter over your head. >But now your too hot. >You throw it down to your waste. >But now your too cold. >What the hell! >You bring it up over you shoulders and decide to just deal with it. >Fluttershy walks into the room, a brown paper bag in her mouth. >The first thing she does is walk to the window and closes the curtains. >With the sunlight gone, you woll onto your back once more. >Fluttershy walks over to the bed and nudges you. >You grunt in acknowledgement. >She nods. >"Sorry," she whispers. >She goes downstairs, returning minutes later with a tray and a glass of a sweet-smelling, hot drink. -- >"Anon," whispers Fluttershy. >No response. >"Anon." she nudges you with a hoof. >You grunt in response to being moved. >"Anon, please sit up." >You groan and iver the course of a minute or two, work and slide your way into a seating position, supported by the headboard. >Your head sags low. >So tired. >You're fighting just to stay sitting up. >Fluttershy holds the cup between her hooves and lifts it to your mouth. >You sip very, very slowly. >It's so hot, yet so good. >"Okay, that's enough," said Fluttershy, lowering the cup from your lips. >You reach out for more, but Fluttershy lightly takes hold of your hands with her hooves and sets them in your lap. >She helps you slide back down into bed and under the covers. >She sets the cup down on the end table. >She gives you another kiss on the forehead and leaves you to rest. -- >"Anon," whispered Fluttershy, nuzzling the back of your neck. "Hmm?" you grunt. >"Are you hungry?" "No," you say into your pillow. >"Oh. Well, would you please eat something?" "No." >"Please? You've been asleep all day. At least have something for dinner." >It was dinner already? >You wasted away an entire day. >You can't remember the last time you did that, if at all. >But after all this sleep, you are still so tired. >You roll over and look at the window. >You can barely see the sunlight coming through from behind the curtain. >It must be sunset. >You let out a long, hard yawn and stretch your arms and legs. >You rewrap yourself in the blankets and look at Fluttershy. >On the tray she was carrying, was a bowl of soup. >Vegetable soup by the looks of it. >That doesn't sound so bad right now, but you aren't hungry. -- >"Please sit up?" asks Fluttershy. >You scoot up to the head of the bed, your back supported by the headboard. >Fluttershy places the tray in your lap and even goes as far as to hold the spoon for you. "I got it, Fluttershy. Thanks." >You take the spoon from her mouth and she nods. >You stick it in the soup, but just stare at it. >Fluttershy looks back and forth from you and the bowl, confused. >"Is... is something wrong, Anon?" >There is a genuine worry in her voice. "What?" you ask through half-lidded eyes. "Oh. Nothing, nothing. Just... not hungry right now." >"Can you please eat something?" >It almost sounds like she's about to cry. >"You don't have to eat it all." >You nod slowly, and slowly raise the spoon to your mouth. >A soft blow to cool it down, and then a sip to get it in your mouth. >Delicious, but you're just not feeling well enough to fully enjoy it. >Fluttershy sits in silence next to the bed as you take you sweet time bring spoonful after spoonful of the bowl's contents to your mouth. >Before you know it, your already bringing the bowl to your mouth to drink what's left of the broth. >Fluttershy smiles when she sees you down the last of the bowl's contents. >You set the bowl back on the tray and Fluttershy moves it aside. >"I'm going to have Twilight bring some books over tomorrow and see if we can't figure out what's wrong, okay?" "Sure." >Fluttershy helps you lay back down and softly tucks you in. >"I'll be back in a minute to join you," she whispers. >Your eyes close and you're asleep before she even makes it back. -- >Fluttershy wakes you the next morning to see how you're doing. >Better, actually. >Whatever was in that tea she gave you yesterday morning, you feel a lot better. >You still feel like crap, but at least you're not completely useless like you were yesterday. >Fluttershy stays in the bed, watching you as you stretch and slowly sit up on the edge of the bed. >Your back hurts. >Lying down these last couple days can do that. >"You okay?" >You twist your spine and it pops several times. "Meh..." you shrug. >You stare at the floor in front of you. >"Would you like to go downstairs for breakfast? Or would you rather have me bring you something?" >You're not really hungry though. "I... I guess I'll go downstairs." >"Would you like some help?" "Nah," you shake your head. "I got it. I'll be down in a few." >Fluttershy moved across the bed and gave you a kiss on the cheek. >"Okay." >She hopped off the bed and left the room. >You decided to lie down for a few minutes longer, and then you'll go to breakfast. -- >Fluttershy pokes you in the side, to which you respond by nearly jumping out of bed. >One, you just realized you had fallen asleep. >Two, you think you just missed breakfast with Fluttershy. >Three, that kinda tickled. "Oh, crap! Please tell me I didn't miss breakfast?" >Fluttershy giggled. >"No, you didn't. I just came up to tell you that it was ready if you want to come down." >You sigh in relief. "Yeah, just give me a minute." >Fluttershy just stands there, watching, making sure you don't go back to sleep. >You stare at each other for the better part of a minute before you decide to get off your lazy ass. >The first thing you realize is that you fucking stink. >When was the last time you had a shower? >Fluttershy sees your look of disgust on your face. >"You can shower after you eat." "Yeah, good idea." >You finally get up and slowly hobble your way downstairs. >You barely touched your breakfast, but at least you ate. >Fluttershy helped you with your shower. >The warm water was felt damn good. >You feel rejuvinated. >Your headache has subsided for now. >Shave, brush teeth, get dressed; the usual routine. -- >Twilight had arrived sometime before lunch. >You and Fluttershy were lying down on the couch when she knocked on the door. >You just yelled for her to come in, not wanting either of you to get up. >She enters, wearing a saddle bag. >Inside said saddle bag are a large amount of books. >She greets the two of you, but then blushes and turns away when she rounds the couch. >Neither of you had noticed, but you were lying together in a rather suggestive position. >Well, to somepony elses eyes you were. >The two of you couldn't find anything wrong with it. >Fluttershy hopped off of you and greeted Twilight. >The two of them begin searching through various veterinary texts, trying to diagnose your unknown sickness. >You open your mouth to speak several times, but they tell you to shush while they discuss what could possibly be wrong with you. >You go to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. >Boy, were you thirsty. >Dehydration is probably not helping you get any better. >You return to the living room and lie back down, watching the two ponies sift through the massive stacks of books. >"How about this one?" asks Twilight. "Symptoms include fever, fatigue, and sore..." >She blushes. >"Oh... nevermind." >What the hell kind of disease was that? >You already know what's wrong, but they refuse to listen. >"Maybe it's- No, that's not right..." said Fluttershy. >Their first mistake is that they're looking through medical texts for ponies. >Their second mistake was that they didn't even bother to ask you about it. >You also make a note of the books on apes in the stack. >You are not a God damned monkey... -- >"This is awful!" cried Fluttershy. "How can we go to the gala together if he's sick like this?" >"We can do it, Fluttershy," assured Twilight. "We still have 2 days." >Even that might not be enough time. >But seeing as how you're already feeling better, it would only be a minor annoyance more than anything. >If anything, you should be grateful that you haven't keeled over yet. >Or the ponies of Ponyville for that matter. >What with all the exotic diseases you brought with you, and the one's you face in Equestria make it nothing short of a miracle. >Or just dumb luck. "Hey." >No response. >"But what if he doesn't get better?" asked Fluttershy. "I don't think I can go to the gala without him." >"If we can't figure it out, I'm sure a doctor from Ponyville Mercy Hospital could take a look," suggested Twilight. >"Yeah, I guess so." >You clear your throat. >They both finally take notice of you. "I'll be fine." >"How can you say that?" asked Twilight. "Fluttershy told me about what was wrong with you yesterday and the night before." >"Yeah, Anonymous," said Fluttershy. "I saw you with my own eyes. Even this morning. You are anything but okay." "I told you I was feeling better." >"I- ..." she stopped and thought. >This was true. >But you were still not in the best condition today. -- >Twilight was growing ever more intrigued with you. >She walked up to you and stared into your eyes, studying you. "Can I help you?" >"Huh? Oh, sorry." >She took a step back. >"I was just curious at how you are recovering so quickly from such a horrible illness. It's only been one night." >You shrug. "That's just how it is, I suppose." >She wasn't satisfied with that answer. >"That may be, but there's more to it than that." >Her horn begins to glow. >Whatever she was trying to do wasn't working in the slightest. >Your headache came back, about as bad as it was the night before. >Twilight lowered her head and backed away. >"Heheh, whoops. Sorry." >Hold on just a God damned second. >Did she just hurt you with magic? >Since when are you able to even be touched by magic this bad? >Okay, now you're interested also. >If Twlight doesn't notice this as well, you're going to have to bring it up to her later. >However, this is magic you're talking about. >She is sure to notice. >Perhaps you should experiment some more... >But no fire spells this time... >Fluttershy and Twilight discusses your status a little while longer before Twilight said her goodbyes. >She left a few books for Fluttershy in case she needed them. >She wouldn't need them. >As you've tried to tell them already, you're fine. >But it was Fluttershy's motherly nature that seemed to make her oblivious to the fact that you knew what you were talking about. >It could be your history of saying you're fine, when in fact, you are not. >You just shrug it off. >As long as she doesn't try to feed you anything too crazy, it shouldn't be that bad.