Trowel (Garden Anon) Pt. 9 (Epilogue)

>It’s May.
>You wake up in Twilight’s bed in her home. It’s nice to be back in your regular groove of things.
>Through your hazy morning vision, you peer next to you to see your purple lover sleeping peacefully next to you.
>Her scars are slowly healing. She seems to have healed at a steady pace since she was allowed to return home with you.
>The two of you stay inside and read to one another and tell stories of your lives.
>It’s been great to get to know more about her…to catch up on lost time.
>Once Twilight was conscious after Fluttershy’s execution, you had little choice but to tell her.
>Well, it wasn’t just you.
>The day after you fell asleep in her hospital bed with her, Nurse Redheart delivered a letter addressed to Twilight from Princess Celestia.
>When Twilight awoke, she eagerly read the imprinted words from her mentor, expecting a heartfelt “get well soon” card.
>As she read it, you had to suffer inside as she her face faded to a disappointed shock.
>The room was silent. The beeping machines didn’t even cut the tension in the air.
>She just looked up at you and wept.
>You knew you shouldn’t have gone, but it was already done.
>It was then that the door opened.
>Amidst Twilight’s cries and you trying to calm her down, you notice a surge of green magic surrounding a tissue floating towards Twilight’s face.
>”I came to make sure he didn’t screw this up. Do I need to kick his ass, Twilight?”
>Lyra wipes Twilight’s eyes with the tissue. It seems her joke has saved the day.
>Twilight smiles at her, “not this time…I think we’ve both been through enough.”
>Lyra winks at you,
>”I’ll do it when she isn’t looking then.”
>You let out a fake wimper.
>Twilight and Lyra both laugh at you.
>It diffuses some tension in the air.
>As their laughter dies down, Lyra puts on her serious face as she sits on your chair next to Twilight.
>Vertically, of course.
>”Twilight…Anon did everything he could. He rushed you to the hospital when you were near death…he went to the Caterlot dungeon and stood in front of Celestia and told her that she wrongfully accused him, that he would never harm you…because he loves you.”
>You see Twilight blush and wipe her tears.
>”Yes…Fluttershy is dead, but the only reason Anon went was to have closure; to know for sure that he could keep you safe. It’s not like he liked it…I mean jeeze, Anon, you cried like a little baby.”
>Lyra laughs, but you feel a little irritation boil inside you.
>Twilight looked at you. It was the look that you knew meant something important was to follow.
>”Anon…is that true? Is that why you went? To make sure I would be safe?”
>Is it? You ask yourself. But…maybe it is.
>Lyra knows you better than yourself.
Yes, Twilight. I couldn’t give you my full attention without knowing you could be safe in my arms forever.
>She smiles despite the grave news.
>Twilight rustles in the bed next to you.
>She stretches as she starts to peek her eyes open.
>”Morning, Anon.”
Good morning, sleepy.
>She looks at you in between her eye rubs.
>”Is today the day?”
>You look at the calendar.
Yeah. Today’s the day.
>You kiss Twilight and help her climb out of bed.
>You slowly walk her downstairs and help her onto the couch with her stack of books.
>”Thanks, Anon. I’ll be here when you get ba-“
>The front door is pounded on furiously.
COMING!
>You walk over and fling the door open.
>”Holy crap, Anon, about time! But if you want to pay me for standing around, that’s fine with me.”
Very funny, Lyra.
>Since Twilight has returned home, you’ve employed Lyra to assist you in gardening so you can be with your girlfriend more often.
>It’s been nice. Her sarcasm gets a little annoying, but the two of you have been around each other more and she’s grown on you.
>Like a good friend.
>Twilight turns around and stares at you over the couch.
I’ll be back soon this time, I promise.
>You and Lyra walk towards the edge of town towards your now for sale home.
>Why keep paying rent when you don’t need the house?
>You’d rather live with Twilight anyways. She’s your life now.
>It was time to move on and shed the past.
>”So…after this, do we need to prune some of the apple trees at Sweet Apple Acres?”
>You look down at your notepad. Lyra borrows it sometimes when she works alone and draws doodles of your hands in the margins.
Uhh…yes, I believe so.
>The two of your reach your home.
>The sun is starting to really beat down. Celestia really did intend for a hot summer. You really miss the rain now.
I’ll just head inside and grab my work shoes and then I’ll meet you out back.
>It’s been pure hell on your feet working in your dress shoes. Pretty soon you’ll have to have Rarity make a new pair for you.
>Lyra heads to the shed and fetches the rest of your tools.
>You never got a chance to get them all before…
>The Fluttershy incident.
>The door creaks loudly in the empty cottage.
>It’s still and tranquil inside; aside from Lyra angrily rummaging in the shed.
>She’s a little too impatient to be a gardener.
>The shoes are near the door. You trade them with your current ones.
>As you bend down to tie them, something on the floor catches your eye.
>It’s under your counter, wedged between it and the wall.
>You reach for a crumpled piece of paper and unwrap it.
>The frail paper with the quickly-scribed message brings back memories.
>You slowly read it to yourself.
>”Dear Anonymous, I would really like it if you could come trim my hedges again one last time. If that’s not too much trouble… -Fluttershy.”
>It’s only now that you realize that the red marks on the note weren’t Twilight’s blood, but Fluttershy’s own.
>Once word got out that Fluttershy was the culprit behind Twilight’s injuries, her very own brother went on an unauthorized hunt out for the pegasus’ blood.
>You heard the story a dozen times from people checking up on Twilight while the two of you have been staying at her home.
>They make it sound like he was brave; avenging his sister.
>In reality, it made the both of you feel uneasy.
>Shining Armor savagely beat Fluttershy within an inch of her life. That explained the bruises on her when you visited her in the dungeon.
>Of course after he brought her into custody, his deeds were overlooked.
>Every time he came to visit Twilight, the two of you were on edge and uneasy.
>He was touted as a hero in Ponyville nevertheless.
>You go to tear up the note, but Lyra comes through the door. You barely have enough time to stash the paper in your pocket.
>”Jeeze! I’ll just take these tools to town while you kneel before me.”
>Lyra walks off, giggling all the way.
>It used to bother you, now you just roll your eyes.
>You tie your shoes and take one last look around your empty home before closing the door for the last time.
>Lyra is at the bottom of the hill. You chase after her.
Hey, Lyra…you go ahead. I’ve got something I need to do.
>She looks at you.
>”Like always. No, it’s okay…I’ll just mow all the grass in Ponyville alone and take over the business.”
You couldn’t handle the pressure.
>She looks firmly at you.
>”Oh trust me, Anon…I can handle it all…”
>Lyra licks her lips and winks at you seductively before trotting off with her bags filled with your gardening tools.
>You trace your finger over the crumpled paper in your pocket.
Lyra, wait! I need my shears.
>She halts, and then floats the sheers over to your grasp.
>”Don’t poke your eye out, wonder boy.”
>You start to walk away from your house with your sheers.
>And then you keep walking.
>And walk some more.
>Toward a direction you haven’t ventured in a long time.
>In the gentle breeze, you see the words “Police Line Do Not Cross” emblazoned on the yellow tape surrounding Fluttershy’s house.
>It’s like staring the devil in the face.
>You squeeze the paper through your pants.
>You take a breath and walk to side of the cottage in silence.
>The oblong hedge towers over you.
>You sigh and separate the handles of the shears.
>In a few seconds, you start snipping away; shedding away the overgrowth and creating a new future for the plant.
It’s funny…I never thought I’d be here again…ever…
>You trim more hedge.
Fluttershy…I’m sorry things ended up this way.
>Making the bush more polygonal.
Maybe in another life we can be friends again…and do things right.
>You trim the top to reveal the window once hidden by the bush.
>Her house is cleaned out and empty. A large sheet covers where the bloody crime scene was. You try not to look at it for too long.
I guess I came here just to talk to you one last time…to say some things.
>The ground is littered with the trimmings now.
I’m sorry I lied about not being there. I’m sorry I led you on. I didn’t mean to show you up at your birthday party. I’m sorry I flirted with Twilight in front of you.
>Almost finished.
I could have been nicer. Maybe you’d still be here. Things just work out like that I guess.
>You take a step back and admire the perfectly proportioned shrubbery.
I remember what you asked me…before you died.
>You look at the gleaming metal of the blades.
>You can see your eyes and smile.
>You know you are free now.
>You start to walk away….
>But turn around and talk to the bush, and Fluttershy’s cottage.
It’s gardening. My fetish is gardening.