Then and Now Pt. 7

>Fluttershy stares at you for a little bit
>”Talk…? About what?” she asks. “About h-how you’ve managed to change so suddenly?”
We can talk about that too. After. Please, Fluttershy, you know what I want to talk about.
>There’s more silence. She’s looking down to the ground. Yeah, she knows
>The cold wind starts to bleed through your jacket
Fluttershy, would it be alright if I came in? Would you mind?
>She looks up to you
>”O-oh, not at all! Please, come in!”
>She opens the door for you
>You briskly walk in, to shake the cold off, and walk in to the familiar house
>It hasn’t changed much at all. Though it looks like some simple household chores have been neglected
>Suddenly, the sound of locks turning scrapes against your eardrums
>You spin around to see Fluttershy doing up a plethora of them. Must be 6 or so
>Don’t think much of it. She had them like that before…
>You walk over to her couch and take a seat, folding your hands over each other
>After tending to the door, the yellow mare approaches the couch as well, hopping up and laying down on her belly across
>The air is still, and neither of you say a word for a bit
>You take a deep breath
Fluttershy… again, you know why I’m here.
>Her ears perk up to listen
It’s an… awkward subject for me. But… what happened, all those years ago…
>She puts on a face of slight confusion
>You let out a single breathy laugh. Why do you keep forgetting?
I mean, months… for you, anyway… all those months ago…
>Man, this is harder than you thought
>You lean back into the couch a little more to get slightly more comfortable
>Breathe in, breathe out
>…maybe start with a simple question?
…well, can I ask? Why did you do it?
>She tilts her head at you
>”Umm… what are we talking about again?”
>Ugh, she’s making this harder than it needs to be
The day I left. And, well, the night before it too. Why…
>You run your hand through your hair
>Years of being a fairly “dominant” guy, for lack of better words, has made any situation where you were overpowered in such a way embarrassing
…why did you tie me up? Why were you kissing me that night? Why were you going to…
>You stop yourself
>Do you dare use that word?
Why were you going to…
>”Show you my love?”
>You turn your head to her quickly
>You feel a quick flash of anger
>How can she think of it like that!?
>But it quickly passes
>This is awkward enough already. Just… roll with it
Sure, let’s go with that. Why were you going to “show me your love”?
>”Well… because I… loved you, Anon. Or…
>She mumbles something
What?
>”Or… *love * you… Anon…”
>She meekly turns away
>”Even if you look different now… even if you’re older…”
>You grab the basketball next to you and dig your fingers into it
>Does she really think this?
Fluttershy… that’s not showing your love…
>She looks up to you once more
That was… that was going to be…
>Drop the bomb?
>Sure…
…rape.
>It’s almost therapeutic to get that word out
On a KID, no less…
>You weren’t looking at her as you said these words
>So you glance over to her
>She’s looking at you in shock
>”B-But… I wasn’t… that wasn’t what I…”
But it was.
>You look away once again and gaze out her window
>What a beautifully solemn winter night
>”That’s what the other girls were saying too…”
Well… because it’s true.
>You turn back to her
I said no. You can’t take that choice from a person.
>”But… I wasn’t…”
>She gazes down at her folded feet
>And here you thought you might be making progress
>You internally groan, and stand up
Fluttershy, I can’t be talking to a brick wall like this. You have to try to see things my way.
>She also stands up and hops off the couch
>She looks up at you
>Funny…
>8 years ago, you were only maybe half a foot taller than these p0nies. Now, you’re over two
>”Maybe… maybe it’s you who needs to see things MY way, Anon…”
>Oh... shit?
>Was that a threat of some kind?
>”Y-You’re here now… I thought I lost you forever…
>She turns away from you
>”I was so sad… so lost…”
>She jerks her head back to you
>”But now… you’re back! I’ve been granted a second chance!”
>What’s she going on about…?
>You stuff your hands in your pockets and start averting your eyes
>”Anon… please, let me show you my love…”
>It’s like an icy stab of shock to your heart
>It radiates throughout your entire body
>Keep calm, Anon
>She can’t do anything
Fluttershy… no. You can’t. I can’t. I don’t see you that way.
>You walk over and pick up your basketball
Plus… I already have someone to love…
>You think back to the one you left behind
>You breathe in deeply, then let out a relaxing sigh
>”Back where you came from?” she asks, trotting over to you slightly
Yeah. Back on Earth.
>For the first time since arriving back, you’re actually thinking about Tiff
>All that planning, all that mentally psyching up
>Could have been for nothing…
>”Well…” says Fluttershy, resting a hoof on your lower back
>”Who knows how long it’ll be til you see her again…”
>Your eyes widen a little
>Those words dig deep into you
>But you don’t show it, not to her
>”…or if you even will at all.”
>Burrowing deeper and deeper
>A mixture of sorrow and rage is fermenting inside you
>You try to quell it, but this odd, foreign emotion may take hold
>You better nip this in the bud, if you can
>You bounce your ball once or twice
Fluttershy… I think we’re done talking. For now.
>You refuse eye contact, and begin to walk toward the door
>You better leave, before you do something you may regret
>Or she
>Suddenly, you feel a weight smash against you, knocking you over flat on your face
>Fluttershy rests on your back, sitting
>”You can’t leave yet, Anon! Not now that I have my chance! Not now that I have…”
>Your ball rolls slowly away from you
>”…you.”
Fluttershy…
>”No!” she shouts
>Whoa, where did that come from?
>”You listen to me, buster. You let me show you. I’ve waited too long for this. I thought I’d never get the chance. I’m not letting you go.”
>You sigh
>Who does she think she is?
>You press your hands on the ground and push yourself up
>Easily taking Fluttershy up with you
>For the brief moment it takes you to do your push up, Fluttershy shows signs of quick bewilderment
>A little added weight on your pushup is virtually nothing to you
>You tilt your body over, dropping her off
>And get up on your feet
>Fluttershy’s wide eyed
>You don’t think she knew what you were capable of
>Not like you needed to be a college athlete to move someone as light as her
>You walk over and pick her up with ease
>”H-hey! What are you doing?”
Putting you to bed.
>”N-Not without you, you’re not!”
Fluttershy…
>That feeling of rageful sorrow seems to have subsided
>You begin, finding it hard to stifle your laugh
Just… can it.
>She gasps a little
I’m not the same boy I was when you last saw me. I’m a grown man. There’s nothing you can do I can’t overcome.
>You think back to your final day in Equestria
I could probably break out of those bindings you had me in all that time ago by myself, at this point.
>She’s trying to find words to say
>You don’t think she has any idea how to trump you
>You’re up the stairs now
>You walk down the hall and turn into her room
>And place her down onto her bed
Now get some rest, okay? We’ll talk later. You’re obviously not ready for this yet.
>Her eyes squint up in mild anger
>.”…no! You listen to me!”
>She begins
>”umm… please?”
>You sigh
Please, just… give it up.
>There’s no way she can force you down, tie you up, or anything
>You’re bulletproof
We’ll talk later. Alright? At least this was a start.
>She’s not looking at you. Her eyes are focused at her feet
>Deep focus
>…what’s she thinking about?
>She breathes in deeply
>Then, her pupils look up to you
>And lock with yours
>…holy shit
>Her whole head looks up to meet yours
>…
>And just like that…
>Your brain was scrambling
>You could feel your muscles start to lock up
>You tighten your focus and snap your muscles to your attention
>You try to break eye-contact, but…
>You…can’t!
>Your brain is a mess
>Your mind is straining at max capacity
>You actually drop a knee
>You were ready for anything physical, but…
>You never thought she was capable of anything like this
>Anything… psychological
>What the hell is she doing!?
>She steps forward a little on the bed, keeping her stare centered on you
>You place a hand on the ground for added balance
>You’re gritting your teeth
>It’s like that episode of Dragonball Z you watched as a kid
>Cell is firing his Kamehameha wave at Gohan, and he’s barely countering with his own, struggling with his whole being just to hold on, leaving all he has on that battlefield
>You’re Gohan in this situation. You’re Gohan and she’s Perfect Cell
>This was a trained gaze
>You start to grunt slightly
>As you would if you were working out
Fl-Fluttershy…
>This is exhausting
What are you… what are you d-doing?
>”If I can’t get you to stay with my own strength…”
>She says, stepping off the bed and closer to you
>”I’ll keep you here with my mind!”
>Her mind…?
>”With The Stare!”
>She beams another blast of focus at you
>You visibly wince at this
>Sweat is beading at the top of your forehead, some traveling down your face
>She’s really close now
>You gotta find a way out of this, or she may end up finishing the job she started eight years ago
>And nobody will be showing up looking for you this time
>Quick, you need to think of something to do
>Agh! But every fiber of your conscious mind is focused on resisting this gaze of hers!
>You should have listened to Twilight
>Coming to her cottage alone to talk was a bad idea
>You even led yourself right into her room
>What on God’s green Earth were you thinking?
>Well, there’s your problem
>This isn’t God’s green Earth at all
Fluttersh-shy…
>You manage to get out
I’ll… I’ll do it…
>What are you even saying?
>You literally have no idea
>You’re too focused on resisting
>Whatever you said didn’t seem to work
I’ll do it… let me… let me work on you…
>You caught a little of that
>Did you just say…?
I can… you can’t… like this, I’ll be… useless…
>”What are you saying?” she asks
>You can feel the stare lighten just a little
I have… hands. I could, you know… help you out?
>The glare is backing off
>Your head is clearing
>You think you know where you’re going with this
If you incapacitate me, what fun would that be?
>Fluttershy’s eyes turn almost completely off
>Now, she’s more just glaring at you
>Your mind feels like it’s doing a hard reboot
>You get your thoughts together and continue
>You’re breathing heavily
Why not let me work my magic on you? Work my fingers, you know?
>Her eyes lighten up, her eyebrows uncurl, and her mouth begins to smile a little
>”Oh Anon… I knew you’d come around…~”
>You let out a nervous laugh
Yeah…
>Shit, what are you doing?
Well, go on… on the bed…
>You point
>God, plan ahead, Anon! You can’t wing this forever!
>What happens if…!
>She hops up on the bed and lays on her back
>She spreads her legs
>Oh Lord…
>It’s so… glistening and… wet…
>Is it…winking at you?
>”Well don’t keep me waiting~”
>You step over to the bed and sit down on the edge
>You look up to her needy, greedy eyes
>Then her body
>You sigh internally
>You lift up your hand, and place it
>Directly on
>Her stomach
>And start scratching and rubbing
>Initially, she shows a sign of shock and confusion
>And realization of devious trickery
>But soon, she melts into the motion of your hand
>Her eyes roll back a little
>Oh… oh my~”
>Holy fuck, how did you manage this?
>You’re keeping her at bay, but you better keep it up
>She’s expecting more
>She’s probably expecting… everything
>She wants to ride the pony snake all the way to tuna town
>Or the… human snake…
>Think quick!
>Your other hand reaches around her head and starts scratching behind her ear
>She lets out a small “eep!” and melts into the bed
>She’s starting to seep down her legs
>Holy shit, these p0nies get way wetter than any girl you’ve ever been with
>Wait…
>Could that have been why…?
>”Anon…”
>She says, still mesmerized by your handiwork
>”P-Put it in…”
>Hard shock pangs against your core
>Think fast, man! You gotta get out of this!
Actually, I…
>Faster!
Twilight should be here any second, and…
>”Twilight!?” she exclaims, knocking herself out of your trance
>You dart your hands back
Yeah!
>You yell, rolling with it
She said she’d be checking up on me if I took too long, and, well, I was here way longer than I said I would…
>She thinks for a second, then kind of closes her legs
>Really? Just like that?
>What’s the reasoning behind that…?
…You want Twilight’s forgiveness, don’t you?
>You ask
>She turns away, and meekly nods
Well… she won’t get that if she sees what you’re doing…
>She turns back
>”But… but you wanted to!”
>Shit
>You get up off the bed and turn your back
Well Fluttershy… no, I didn’t really.
>What are you saying!?
>You’re squandering your efforts here!
I did that to… get that stare off of me.
>Damnit Anon, you better know what you’re doing
>Lest she starts that shit again
>You’re not looking at her
>For more than one reason
I told you… I have someone to love already. I just… can’t.
>You hear her sigh
Plus… I… I just don’t see p0nies that way. I’m a human, we’re different.
>You hear her hop off the bed, followed by her beating wings
>”Anon! But you said…”
I said a lot of things, Fluttershy.
>You start walking to the door
I want this talk to happen still. But I want it to happen in public, okay?
>You sit, waiting for an answer
>You only hear her beating wings
We’ll cover tonight as well. I need to get through to you on this.
>”And I…” she starts
>”…I need to get through to you, too. On… this.”
>You feel a tongue drag up from the base of your neck
>You stumble forward in surprise
>You turn to look at her
>She’s not using The Stare
>”I want those hands again, Anon,” she states
>”But it’s not the only thing I want. And if I have to sacrifice those hands with The Stare to get that…”
>Instinctively, you turn away
>”I will.”
>You put your hands in your coat pockets and gaze at the ground
What about Twilight? What about her forgiveness?
>You state
>It’s like the topic was gone from her mind already
>You only hear her beating wings again
>”I’ll… I’ll think of something…”
>You sigh
>It’s time to bail while you can
I better leave before Twilight shows.
>You bluff again
We’ll schedule that talk for another time, alright?
>Why are you even bothering?
>Honestly?
>”We may be meeting sooner than you think… m-mister…”
>Her words send a chill down your spine
>”And… d-don’t even think about telling Twilight about this…”
>A weak attempt at a threat
>But it still resides with you…
>It’s obvious who has the leverage now
>But still, you’ll put on your act
Goodbye, Fluttershy.
>You take your first steps out the door
>”Goodbye… sweetie.” She says
>The word is like a dagger
>You ignore her
>Descending the stairs, you grab your basketball, undo the locks, and head outside
>You take long strides away from the cottage
>When it’s a fair bit behind you… you drop your composure
>Tears start flowing from your eyes
>Your legs wobble, and almost give
>You sob a little
>What a terrible… horrifying experience
>You were almost raped yet again
>And your mind was pushed to its absolute limits
>And you’re STILL going to talk with her!
>You IDIOT!
>This mare can immobilize you any time she wants!
>You were fucking lucky to get out of that house unscathed!
>She could have just as easily kept you there!
>And you’re
>Still!
>Going!
>To see her!
>AGAIN!
>…
>You’re crouching on the path now, hands to your face
>You let out a single sob
>Come on, man
>Breathe in
>Breathe out
>You wipe your eyes
>One more time
>Breathe in
>Breathe out
>Stand up straight
>Exhale
>You’re alright, man, just play it cool
>You bounce your basketball a couple of times
>It’s a problem, but… try not to dwell on it now
>You begin your walk again
>It must be around midnight now as you stroll into P0nyville
>It’s like a ghost town at night, everyone tucked comfortably and warmly in their beds, sawing logs to prepare for the next day
>What are you going to do the next day, Anon?
>You exhale a nasal sigh
>And bounce your ball a couple of times
>You approach the treehouse library
>The lights are off, Twilight must have gone to bed already
>Figured you could handle Fluttershy on your own
>…man, you were both wrong
>You look over to the snow-cleared area under your basketball net
>…you need to relieve some stress anyway
>You walk over, the ball echoing throughout the town
>You’re not concerned wholly about waking anyone
>You don’t remember it being a problem as a kid when you played
>Standing approximately where a freethrow line would be, you take a shot
>Swish
>The ball bumps off the tree and rolls back to you
>You pick it up again
>Bounce it two or three times
>Shoot again
>Bumps off the backboard, into the net
>Two for two, Anon
>The ball rolls again to you, and you grip it between your fingers
>Then, the sound of a basketball is heard
>Puzzled, you look down at yours
>”So, it’s really true, huh?” you hear from your right
>The voice is familiar
>”You are back.”
>You glance over to the voice
>A blue mare with a rainbow mane is standing at the edge of the cleared snow, bouncing a basketball with her wing
>Your favorite ball, the one you lost eight years ago
>You had a hunch it was here in Equestria
>She folds her wings with the ball behind her back, and takes a shot with her wings
>The ball swishes
>You look back over to her
That’s a three pointer there, Ms. Dash.
>She walks over, grabbing her basketball along the way
>”I’ve been practicing.” She says with a smile
>”...and I told you not to call me that!” She mocks, bumping your leg with her own
>Your eyes meet as you gaze down at her
>A brief pause
>Then almost instantly, she takes to the air and flings her front hooves around you
>”…I missed you, squirt,” she says, hugging you tighter
>You return the hug, patting her on the back
I missed you too, Rainbow Dash. I really did.
>She breaks the hug, hovering in front of you with a smile
>You grip the ball between your fingers once more
>”You’ve probably told it a million times, but I’ll need to hear the story of the human who grew twice as big in six months,” she says with a grin
>You smile back at her
Sure, I’ll tell you all about it. But…
>You look over to the basketball net
Well, now that you’ve been practicing your shots…
>You say, taking a shot of your own
>Sinking the three pointer
How about I teach you how to play one-on-one?
>She lands back on the ground and starts dribbling her own ball
>She takes a shot
>Off the backboard, in the net
>”…you’re on, Anon.”

End of Part 7