- >Home is so far away, just another blip in the sky.
- >Each one could be yours, but you’ll never know.
- >How could you know?
- >”They want to keep you here.”
- >Who doesn’t? You’re such a likeable guy.
- >”Your friends do not want to go home because they already are.”
- >They grew to love this place, and you can see why.
- >This place is at peace, the p0nies are kind, could use more meat though.
- >”Keep trying to find a way home Anon. Your friends know.”
- >As good as an idea that sounds, fuck you subconscious.
- >”What?”
- >When I find my way home I’ll make it, but my friends are innocent. So piss off.
- >Ponyville, Equestria.
- >End of the first month.
- >Things… well they’re good.
- >Good. Ha, they’re better than that.
- >It almost pains me how ignorant I used to be, how blind I seemed.
- >While I haven’t gotten a job I’ve gained something better, friends.
- >And I’m not talking about just Duff, Anonymous, Mickey and Mous.
- >Rainbow Dash, AJ, Pinkie, all of them.
- >And then there’s Fluttershy.
- >She’s one of a kind to be sure, but these feelings don’t work for me.
- >She’s not even human yet… I don’t know.
- >But I do know is that she’s close, closer than any of the people I was with back on Earth.
- >She’s just special I guess.
- >End of Entry.
- >”Can you pass the gravy Anon?”
- “Sure,” you say handing him the bowl.
- >Anonymous pours it generously over his biscuit and roast potatoes.
- >That jacket didn’t seem to fit him before, but now he’s definitely grown into it.
- >He bulked up more so than you’d care to say since he got here. No doubt thanks to Dash.
- >You’re not looking so bad yourself, though he spends more time with her than you.
- >Mickey doesn’t pester him as much anymore, but even you can feel the tension between the two of them.
- >It’s not as intense as you remember which is a good sign.
- >You finish off the last of your nachos, it’s brunch after all.
- >”Any big plans today? Duff asks sipping at his milk.
- “Nope. Oh the joys of the unemployed.”
- >”Glad to see you’re losing that uptight attitude.”
- >You shrug off the cloaked insult as the waitress comes over.
- >”So how was everything today gentlemen?”
- >”Fantastic like usual Drop,” Mickey says.
- >”Glad to hear it,” she drops off the check and manage to grab it first.
- >Mous smirks, “Finally pitching in are you?”
- “I don’t spend my money on gifts for a certain p0ny all the time Mous.”
- >”You know damn well she needs those supplies,” he snaps, but you see right through his act.
- “I’m sure you’re just looking for her to supply something for you.”
- >This catches him off-guard, “I never-“ He huffs in defeat, “Touche.”
- >”Speaking of certain p0nies,” Anonymous changing the flow of conversation, “I’ve seen you with a certain yellow Pegasus lately.”
- “Really? I thought you were so far up Rainbow’s flank all you could see was shit and ass.”
- >Direct hit number two.
- >One more and that’s a turkey.
- >You fish out your bits, Anonymous’s face truly priceless.
- “And yes, I have been spending time with the nicest p0ny in P0nyville, thank you very much.”
- >”If you have no plans, then where are you off to in such a hurry?”
- “Never said ‘no.’ I just didn’t have big plans.”
- >They gawk at your use of logic, “So where are you going?”
- “I’m taking Fluttershy to the salon. She’s been busy lately so this is an opportunity for her to relax.”
- >Duff makes a whipping noise and flicks his wrist, earning snickers from the others.
- “Make all the jokes you want, I still can’t hear you over there in the friend-zone.”
- >You do a jig and moonwalk away as he sits there perplexed.
- >And another one bites the dust.
- >You follow your memory back to the spa, Lotus working the counter.
- >”Ah Anon, it’s good to see you again.”
- “Hello Lotus, just checking in to see if everything’s ready.”
- >”Of course, we’re just waiting for our esteemed guest.”
- >You sigh in relief. You want this to be flawless, Fluttershy deserves as much.
- >”You spent quite a lot on this appointment. Are you sure you can afford it?”
- “I’ll be scrapping the bottom of the barrel, but I’ve got it.”
- >She nods and hums to herself, “I’ll take your word on that.”
- >The door chimes as the guest of honor walks in.
- >Damn she’s worth it.
- >”Hi Anon,” she says quietly walking towards the counter.
- “Fluttershy, you’re as beautiful as ever.”
- >She blushes, Lotus cutting in, “Let’s see if we can’t make you even better.”
- “I don’t know that’ll be a good trick if you can pull it off.”
- >”Anon…” she squeaks in embarrassment, her cheeks a shade of scarlet unknown to the world.
- >You scratch behind her ear, Aloe opening the door.
- >”Fluttershy? If you’d follow me, we can begin.”
- >She fidgets around, “Could you- come with me maybe?”
- >You look to Aloe to see if it’s alright and she nods.
- “Sure, just don’t expect me to join. I still have a reputation to uphold.”
- >She grins, “You sound like Rainbow Dash.”
- “Then she knows what she’s talking about.”
- >You walk on through the doors and into the main area of the spa.
- >You’ve only been here once and that was only for a few seconds.
- >Lotus gave you the tour when you starting asking about what services they performed.
- >She kept trying to suggest more human-esque services for you, but you made it abundantly clear that you were there for Fluttershy.
- >They start off with the Seaweed bath and you still have no clue what that even means.
- >Lotus explained it four-odd times to you and you’re still certain she was talking out of her flank.
- >You see the seaweed. You see the bath. You have no idea what the correlation between the two is.
- >It must be magic.
- >There doesn’t seem to be a logical reason.
- >You win this day magical seaweed.
- >At least Fluttershy seems to be enjoying herself.
- >After that is a trip to the steam room, and boy how fun that is.
- >They seem to be used to it, but the humidity was killer.
- >You were coughing more than a chain smoker on his sixth pack that hour.
- >Fluttershy offered to opt out but you weren’t going to have a word of it.
- >She deserved ever bit of the treatment and you’re going to make sure she gets it.
- >It’s done before you know it and they move on to the hooficure.
- >It’s like a pedicure, which you know only by name, but with hooves.
- >You watch in confusion as they do some-such thing.
- >If only they had a pamphlet you could read that would help make sense of this.
- >”Alright that about wraps this up, now onto the massage.”
- “I know that is!” you cheer, immediately recognizing that you spoke aloud.
- >The spa attendants giggle at your embarrassment, but try to stay professional nonetheless.
- >Fluttershy hops the table and rests her head as Lotus presses lightly on her back.
- >Okay, that looks pretty damn nice.
- >Fluttershy picks up on this rather quickly, “Do you want to join me?”
- “As good as that sounds I only covered you.”
- >”Don’t be ridiculous, take a seat and we can take care of you too. Free of charge.”
- “If you insist,” you reply slipping out of your short-sleeved shirt and climbing atop the table thing.
- >”Lotus,” she calls out, “Care to give Mr. Anon a hoof?”
- >You see Lotus step out from the front and stroll up beside you.
- >”So he wanted a little something after all huh?”
- >”Just a standard massage.”
- >Fluttershy peeps, “He’s been kinda stressed lately.”
- >Lotus nods and rests her hoof on your back, “I get why.”
- >You suppress your groan as her hoof grinds into your back just beside your spine.
- >”She wasn’t kidding, you’ve got knots for days.”
- >Her hoof circles and presses deeper on your back, and by the sound of it Fluttershy’s enjoying it just as much.
- “Well I’ve been- Ooh, planning this for a while.”
- >She steps atop your back, your large back able to keep her up easily.
- >”Well just lay there and enjoy.”
- >You smile at Fluttershy and she returns with her own.
- “It’s hard not to.”
- >You might have to come back for this…
- >”Alright so your total comes to about…” she slides a sheet before you.
- >Your eyes pop at the balance, but you were expecting that.
- >You pull out your bag of bits before Fluttershy finishes up and sees you.
- >You feel about ten pounds lighter after the transaction and it leaves you with about…
- >Five bits.
- >Just after you’d given Mous shit for spending all his money on gifts.
- >Welp, worth it.
- >The door eases open as Lotus counts your payment, Fluttershy stepping out.
- “Wow.”
- >She’s… words don’t do her justice.
- >”You’re about four bits short.”
- >Lotus drags you back to reality and you apologize for the miscount, handing over the remaining balance.
- >One bit. Well thankfully there’s leftovers back home.
- >”You didn’t have to spend all that money on me,” Fluttershy protests slyly.
- “It’s fine. I wanted to.”
- >”But you said how short you are on money, I could’ve-“
- >You put a hand on her neck calmly, silencing her.
- “I wanted to do something special for you so I saved up.”
- >”But, but-“
- “Don’t worry about me Fluttershy. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
- >She nudges you, “You don’t need to bring me to a spa to make me happy.”
- >”That doesn’t mean don’t bring her.“ Lotus adds like a good salesmare.
- >”I’m happy just to be with you Anon.”
- >You rub your head and cover your mouth as you stifle your laughter.
- “I wish you’d told me that before I blew away all my cash,” you joke.
- >She leans into you as you walk out the spa, both relaxed and strapped for cash.
- >At least you got a massage out of it.
- >”So what else are you doing today, you know, if you want to tell me?”
- “I was thinking about heading up to Sweet Apple Acres, earn some of my cash back.”
- >”I- I could pay you.”
- “I’m not going to take your money Fluttershy. It doesn’t feel right.”
- >”Okay…”
- >She lowers her head a bit.
- “Were you offering me a job?”
- >”There’s so many animals, I don’t have the time. I thought you might want to help.”
- >You look at her with suspicion.
- “I wouldn’t classify that as a job.”
- >”It’s okay…”
- >You hush her by holding her tight.
- “I’d be enjoying myself too much for it to be work.”
- >There’s that smile you love.
- >Did you just say love? Yep you did.
- >At least you used it in the right context.
- >You stroll through P0nyville and then to Fluttershy’s cottage.
- >She thanks you for the spa appointment.
- “It was my pleasure Fluttershy.”
- >She sits there just looking at you, her wings twitching occasionally.
- “I probably should be heading home,” you turn before looking back to her, “My friend-“
- >A pressure hits your face with a warmth upon your lips.
- >It takes a second to register that Fluttershy is that much closer and standing upright.
- >You blink plainly, your mind a pile of mush.
- >She finally retracts herself from you and sees your stunned form.
- >”Oh fiddle. Please don’t hate me Anon it’s just... you’ve been so nice and… aww shoot.”
- >Did she- No. She’s so shy there’s no way. That’s crazy talk.
- >You finally muster the will to look at her moist eyes dripping with sadness.
- >”I’m sorry,” she cries and reaches for the handle.
- >You wrap your arms around her and return the favor, yours a bit more forceful.
- >It’s her turn to be petrified, but she melts in your warm embrace.
- >The two of you sit there, locked together, hearts fluttering.
- >When you finally pull away you leave Fluttershy panting for air, “Wow.”
- “You can say that again.”
- >You regain your composure and rub the back of your neck.
- >”I thought… I thought you weren’t into mares.”
- “So did I.”
- >Damn, you’re starting to go soft.
- >She rubs her eyes, “So what now?”
- “I wish I knew.”
- >”If you want to talk about it, I’ll be here.”
- >You nod, you have to get some time alone.
- “Sure uh, I’ll see you later Fluttershy.”
- >Your exit was awkward, but in no way a bad decision.
- >This wasn’t just some thing that occurred and you can move past.
- >This shit’s a big deal.
- >You can’t just expect to kiss a p0ny and forget about it.
- >Did the others feel this way when it happened to them?
- >Were they scared? Angry? Sad?
- >Fluttershy opened your mind to a whole new realm of thinking.
- >Now it’s your job to explore it before making any brash decisions.
- >And there’s one thing that helps you think clearly.
- >Booze.
- >You find The Broken Record and slip inside while things are still slow.
- >Duff’s taking the day off so you can’t mooch off him this time.
- >Thankfully his marefriend Vinyl is working.
- >She puts on a new record and joins you at the bar.
- >”What’s your poison?”
- “A Hard Hinney if you don’t mind.”
- >”That’s some tough stuff, rough day?”
- >The barkeep pours you the shot and you take the acidic draft down your throat.
- “Let’s call it interesting.”
- >”Oh do tell,” she says leaning in.
- >You tell her about the spa and how she enjoyed herself tremendously.
- >”She’s one lucky mare, Duff never took me there,” she says with a hint of jealousy.
- “It costs an arm and a leg let me tell ya.”
- >You sling back two more.
- “And when I was walking Fluttershy back home… I don’t know how it happened.”
- >You set down your glass and fight back against the booze seeping into you.
- “We… We kissed.”
- >”Awww shit!” someone says behind you.
- >The marine’s grin’s as wide as the grand canyon.
- “How long have you been listening in?”
- >”Long enough to know someone’s a bit of a hypocrite”
- >Vinyl gives him a flustered look, “I give you the night off and you still come into work?”
- >”I can’t stay away.”
- >He sits next to you and orders his usual.
- >”I’ll leave you two alone now, get back to the guests,” Vinyl says as she heads towards the stage.
- >”So you weren’t all that serious about the whole ‘species’ thing huh?”
- “It happened so fast, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
- >”You better not have told her that!”
- “Of course not. I didn’t want to destroy what we had, but… Is this normal? To feel this- happy, with a p0ny.”
- >”Anon, if you had asked me that question back when I was in training, you would’ve been on the first trip to the hospital.”
- “Remind me never to meet you in the past.”
- >”But you’re damn lucky to have what you do. I wish I could connect with Vinyl the same way you do with Fluttershy.”
- “But we’re not even the same species. This isn’t natural.”
- >”Love is blind. It sees not sex, nor race, nor species. For love is blind, and lovers too.”
- “Shakespeare?”
- >”Nope, Duff.”
- >He rests a hand on your shoulder, “If I were you, take it slow. The last thing you want to do is rush into this.”
- “Doesn’t that ignore every instinct men have regarding relationships?”
- >”Yeah, for fleeting relationships. What you have is real, don’t forget that.”
- “You’re right Duff. You’re always right.”
- >”Just whenever I feel like it,” he jokes, “Now get outta here, you’re cramping my style.”
- “Gonna pull out all the stops?”
- >”Anon, I am the stops.”
- >You fail to stop yourself from laughing at the absurdity of his statement.
- “I’ll see you later dude, try not to wear yourself out.”
- >You hit the road and take a walk in the dark.
- >You see Twilight’s house, her shadow cast off by the fireplace as she reads with her assistant Spike.
- >Rarity’s boutique lies dormant save for her graceful whinnies of slumber.
- >You overhear the dinging and clashing of pans within Sugarcube Corner, Mous and Pinkie up making some concoction.
- >You spot Applejack with her brother and sister closing up shop, their ties close.
- >Mickey and Anonymous chase after a cyan blip in the sky, their tension vanished into the night’s sky.
- >They all have someone, somep0ny to be beside them.
- >You weren’t short of friends on earth, but they were just… there.
- >It was as if they were just numbers, a cold fact in your life that never truly mattered.
- >You look up from your feet and to the picket fence that runs across her house.
- >She was different.
- >She isn’t just another thing that lies about, she’s a warm body amongst the icy tundra.
- >Oh god you’re spouting metaphors. It comes with the mood you reckon.
- >You start up to her house at a steady pace.
- >She’s probably asleep, all the lights are out.
- >You’ll just quickly knock and if she doesn’t answer you’ll head right on back.
- >Damn it Anon you’re wasting your time.
- >You tap on the door. You should’ve just went home and-
- >Fluttershy looks to your through the open door, “Anon.”
- “Fluttershy…”
- >You step through and hug the little Pegasus before you change your mind.
- >You don’t care anymore. You love Fluttershy from the tips of her wings to the soles of her hooves.
- >”Please don’t leave again.”
- >You close your eyes and keep her close.
- “I wouldn’t dare.”
- >Meanwhile in Canterlot…
- >You hum blissfully as you stitch the wound closed ignoring his muffled screams.
- “The results are going to be just spectacular. I always wanted to witness the creation of life.”
- >You tap his forehead with the hilt of your knife.
- “I’m sure you wouldn’t agree with me given your situation, but oh how fun it will be.”
- >He twists and turns in his chains but you’ve got him locked up nice and tight.
- “Parasprite eggs are rare, but oooh were they worth the effort. They tend to ignore the more bloody food groups, but I think they’ll develop a taste for it.”
- >”Anon, what are you doing down here?”
- >Ooh so she’s decided to come down and visit you. How kind.
- “Just showing some kindness to my guests. Do come and join us.”
- >She steps into the dim recesses of your chamber, her eyes open wide in the glow of your achievement.
- >”What in Celestia’s name…”
- >You try to wipe the blood off your nose, only getting more spread over your face.
- “Like it? I call them, Stages of Madness.”
- “First, they try to keep calm, but that never lasts long. Then you have anger, and I love ‘em feisty. But then-“
- >”Anon!”
- “Yes my shining star?”
- >”What are you doing to these people?”
- >You laugh maniacally. Just what aren’t you doing?
- “I’ve got an acid transfusion, slow roast, bug breeders, you name it. I don’t know how I stopped for so long.”
- >She stares at you for a time, “Look- I’ve got another task for you.”
- >Your very soul bursts into joy at the idea.
- >”This one is serious, no funny business.”
- “Oh Luna, I was looking forward to another guest. Who’s the target?”
- >”He’s a foreigner. He’s gained evidence of my connection to some of our allies and he needs to be eliminated. He’ll be here soon enough.”
- “And why can’t your allies take care of him?”
- >”He’s not some p0ny, he’s a human like you, known as Flash.”
- >What luck! To finally hunt your own once more.
- “I can’t wait for the reunion.”
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The Anons of Equestria: Chapter 4 (To Be With Her)
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