The Unwanted One

It wasn’t a long run ‘till the market, but even during that short way that didn’t take a lot of time, I’ve discovered one thing: “Me with someone” and “me alone” in the locals’ eyes — are very different creatures. Despite the fact that I don’t scare someone on purpose now, brave ones were getting round my lone figure by a lot wider arc, and the numbers of such brave ones was reduced in the same way. Result — if I didn’t catch the market during a total closing, then it would be a massive pack up. Not only a big chunk of costumers decided to run, but a few sellers decided to end their shift earlier, seeing me coming. Those, who decided to stay, stopped to loudly drum up customers and barter aloud, giving me nervous gazes from time to time. It was interesting to see how swiftly this market died out and silenced, it was like a class with students, which the teacher decided to leave, and then, when she returns ten minutes later, asks gloomily about the reason, why some strange noise and yelling from the class was heard even at a different floor. Laughing at the comparison, I, accompanied by a sweepingly thickening silence, entered the market. It wasn’t that big: a relatively small area, on which a dozen of concessions take place in some disorder. On the concessions were nature’s gifts mainly. Carrot and other vegetables, berries, flowers, nuts… Oh, that’s a big one! I paid attention to the nuts’ seller. It’s not a pegasus, it’s THE pegasus, God damn it! This tall, as a tower, white winged stallion behind the concession with a mohawk of strawberry blond on the head could, if I’m right, see my eyes even without lifting his head. Balls of powerful muscles under the skin of this “Herculean horse” finish his character; a relative small, by the local standards, pair of red eyes and straightforwardly sketchy, for such a juggernaut, wings. I remembered who he is! Bulk Biceps, if I’m right, this comrade’s name. It took some time to recognize him — he was too grotesque in the canon… THE pegasus paid attention to me and met my gaze, laying down his ears and shrinking into himself behind his concession, as if he was trying to be smaller and ending this impression instantly. At least he didn’t run away… It could’ve been funny, though… I didn’t find something eligible on the concessions: the only one who does trade something instead of food, was ragman or something like that. There were pots, a few irons like “coal cast-iron, a museum piece”, massive clocks with an owl and similar things: who needs it and why is a millennial-old question. However, this market is not only about concessions: there was a bunch of different stores around the market area, right before my eyes were signs of stores about books, sports, two were about garden things… But none of them were a jewelry one. It seems I have to ask locals about its whereabouts… Fortunately, even though the market is a bit of an empty place, but there was still enough of potential informers. The same ragman, sweeping lazily an indifferent gaze across me and then again starting to read his newspaper, or a pair over there, made up of a yellow pony-customer and a brown stallion with a week-old scrub on the muzzle, so busy about trading berries, that they didn’t even pay attention to me. Thinking briefly, I moved to the pair: they’re closer. “…The most delicious, but also the freshest one on the market! So either you give me twelve bits or you go away — that’s my last word!” The stallion struck the table and smiled boldly, watching the downhearted customer with supremacy. Yea-ah, I like him already… However, when the fence lifted his gaze at me, his smile on this harry mug disappeared immediately, and he shrank his head into the shoulders, swallowing fitfully. His customer, which held tongue all the time gloomily, saw what happened to the brash trader and turned around. Here we go… “Oh!” Fluttershy gasped out frighteningly; I didn’t recognize her because of the bags, covering the wings, and unusual stray, rough mane. “Mother…” She tried to step back, bumped into the table and, whining quietly, surprisingly, went limp, rolling her eyes and dropping down under my feet. I followed the falling body with a thoughtless gaze slowly. She knows me throughly — and such a reaction… That… That touched me on a sore place. “What she wanted to buy?” I asked the seller evilly, which was looking with marked fear at me and at the poor pegasus by turn. “A-a?” He twitched. “C… Cherry, my lady. H-here, t-the last one.” He nodded at a small kite with berries, about a hundred or two grams visually. “I’ll take it, for one coin.” I nailed it, taking one roundel out from my bag onto the table. “Any objections?” The fence started to frequently shake his head. “That’s great.” I put the kite into my bag. “And yes, my dear… If you raise the price.” I nodded at Flutty. “For her once again — I’ll break your legs. Every single one of them.” The stallion, swallowing fitfully, stepped back, gazing me with a haunted look. “Is it clear?” I elevated my voice. “Y-yes…” The fence panted, nodding repeatedly. “I hope so. Good day to you, dear.” I turned back from the running away stallion. A breathless silence appeared on the area, the market, as it seems, was eying our conversation, and after its ending, the market lost at least another half. However, I didn’t care about that at all. I put legs astride for the fixity and put magic in the horn, wrapping the pegasus with a field of telekinesis. Oh, damn it! Levitating fifty coins still was harder, but there wasn’t a task to bring them somewhere. I’ll not make it until her house. But… Why do I have the back then? I turned my head to see my own back, and felt, how my neck joints are cracking from the strain and how the horn starts to glow evilly, I put Fluttershy onto myself. The head of the passed out pegasus settled pleasantly on my neck, tickling it with its fuzz mane a bit, the legs hung down the sides. I lifted my wings to not allow Fluttershy to crawl aside, and tried to walk. More or less. Not dust, but I’ll be able to carry it for a long time. If only the side doesn’t hurt again… However, the cream is still working. Fine. How Rarity said? Leave the market towards a blue house with a frontage, then go left on the crossroads… Rearranging Fluttershy on the back, I, followed with crazy gazes of a few pony that stayed, moved towards marked way at the trot.

…

There’s the cottage. We’ve made it. I sighed with relief and looked back, rearranging the crawled mare back, which is still unconscious. The first thing I saw when I opened the door was a white bunny, standing pointedly with its back towards the entrance and stomping the floor disdainfully. Angel, I see. His behavior was annoying for me even in the cartoon. Honestly, even considering what I’ve seen in this world, I didn’t except that wild animals will be… Like that. He’s clearly not as stupid as his earth analog. And this is why I hate him even more. “Bunny — it’s not only the valuable fur, but also three hundred grams of dietetic meat. “ I remembered a quote. It’s clear as day that he waited for Fluttershy — this is why he’s playing pretend… Meanwhile, the long-eared one understood, that something is wrong, and turned around, seeing my gentle grin. I didn’t even have time to say something ambitious — this bastard was literally blown away, and so fast, that I didn’t even understand where. And a question raises: why does Flutty suffer this misfit? He could have been more useful in an oven. Fine, hell with that bunny — I should find a sofa while my legs can keep me straight… I sighed and cringed at the same time — the smell in the veterinary’s house was like in a zoo. I’m not saying that there’s no air to breathe, but it’s still barely pleasant. By itself, the comparison between the lair of the shy pegasus and a zoo was calling for a lot of reasons: drooping boards and bird tables, some wooden boxes with holes as an enter, baskets with pillows, a wonderful net in a corner… By the way, its owner, when I’ve entered, hastened to go away as far as eye can see with others. If locals spiders are relatively intelligent — why don’t I get one? They’re funny, and they will fit my image flawlessly… Oh, here it is — I stopped my space thoughts, finally finding a sofa, that was hidden in a far corner. I came closer and carefully put the winged pony onto it — she’s still unconscious — and sighed with relief. Oh, God damn it… I almost failed, but I made it. If her house were half a kilometer further — they would have to carry me: the bruise on the side isn’t fully healed and started to remind about itself with dull pain. Taking off the pegasus’ bags, I put them onto the floor and borrowed a nearly lying folded shepherd’s plaid, covering her. I gazed at the peacefully sleeping pony with a long stare, moved aside and sat right onto the floor. Well… What next? Of course, I can just leave and attend her on a different occasion, but leaving Flutty in such a condition feels wrong. From the other side, this condition appeared because of me… It was a little bit sad, if to be honest. She fought the Nightmare’s croup as the others, she’s the only one after the fight who found courage to say something in the Mare in the Moon’s defense — and, if I’d trust Celestia, her words were the deciding ones… Meetings with other keepers of the elements went… Well, not smoothly, but at least they didn’t fear me that much. Were a little afraid, careful, nervous… But didn’t run away in panic, let alone passing out from my presence. I think I’ve been anticipating something like this from Fluttershy as well, but she… “Well, I don’t know about the others, but this particular one should not fear me!” I brought my thoughts to a close. I stay. I’ll try to talk with her when she’s conscious. Standing up, I moved to examine the house. The first thing was the bathroom. Sweeping a sad look across my stray mane in the mirror above the sink and screwing up my face, I went to another doorway, behind which a kitchen was situated. From interesting things there were a bunch of bird-tables on the walls, the same amount of bowls for animals, and a magic furnace and a refrigerator. By the way, about the refrigerator… I took out the kite with cherries from my bag and put it onto a free shelf of a miracle, made by the local magic engineering. For my taste — it’s small, but, when compared to the earth electric counterparts, there’s no hum. It’s cool. I gave a short look at its content, which was quite small. Some vegetables, a bottle of milk on tap and a pair of eggs. It’s unsurprising that there were no meat or fish. Shutting down the door of all humans’ friend… And not only humans, I looked around again, spotting a newspaper, unnoticed before on a stool. Well… I sat down on a neighboring place and took print media. Haven’t seen these newspaper in a while… Generally, the local example isn’t that different from an old earth one — thin paper, inexpressive paints on colored photos, except that the size of the newspaper itself was a lot smaller. Front page of “Canterlot news” impressed with the title: “Princess Luna is officially shown to the public!” and a photo with happy Celestia with full fig and some lost Luna nearby. Blue alicorn looked completely undangerous and somewhere even cute, which was accompanied by a bright blue mane, like a normal one, which I have as well. If I didn’t know what a scumbag is hiding behind this harmless face — I’d believe it for sure. It’s okay, just wait for me to get used to the body and I’ll think about your skin as a carpet in my living room, piece of shit… Feeling a growing anger starting to burn inside, I clenched my teeth and narrowed eyes, hastening to turn over the page. It’s not the time to think about it, luckily, I have an eternity ahead, so I can take my time. She would get her deserts, she would for sure. Sooner or later. After this, as you can expect from a newspaper with such name, were news about Canterlot, not interesting in itself, but I read them just to practice language, breaching through changed orthography and terminology was still not an easy task. Some moments were not even understood by me: if I don’t forget — I’ll ask someone about it… Immediately after were short news from all over Equestria and opinion pieces, amidst which I surprisingly saw one about me — about Nightmare Moon. The author, if we’d toss away his plethora of words, was suggesting a thinking about Mare in the Moon being an evil ghost and put some arguments against it. Conclusion about who Nightmare Moon really is wasn’t written and was left to readers’ choice. I have a funny feeling that this opinion is written by no other than Princess Celestia — I doubt its existence with someone else at the place of the author. Except… Luna is back, maybe she could remember about Nightmare to celebrate this event. But the tone of the opinion, as it seems to me, is too friendly for those, who since childhood think of me as a demon. Well, if Tia, as she promised, started to plane my reputation — my respect to her for that. The only thing that makes me nervous is pony, being cured from the fear of me at all — it wouldn’t that good… Are they going to hang around my neck and request autographs? Who needs this shit even a bit. My thoughts were interrupted by a silent moan from the neighboring room and sounds of fuss. Oh, Flutty has finally awoken. The idea of how to behave was born immediately: I talk to her through the wall until she won’t come here. If I put the emphasis on being friendly, then, I guess, she won’t be scared of me that much as she was. “Have you awoken, Fluttershy? How do you feel?” I asked, elevating my voice. “Oh!” I barely heard a silent exclamation. My mind immediately painted a pegasus, hiding her head under a pillow and now lying on the sofa and twitching. A smile appeared on my face by itself. “You’ve lost consciousness on the market. I’ve brought you home. Are you alright here?” “…” She said something silently and, judging by the sounds, stood up from the sofa and moved to here. I swiftly moved to the furtherest edge of the table from the doorway and used the unfolded newspaper as a cover: I don’t need her passing out just entering the kitchen! I hope that my horn above the edge isn’t enough for her to do so… “I’ve bought the cherry for you. In the refrigerator.” I continued to sit, when the steps were closing in to the doorway. “T-thanks…” Mare said it, entering the room, stopping hesitantly to figure out, who’s behind the newspaper. “You’re always welcome, Fluttershy. Thanks to you.” “T-to me?!” Pegasus’ voice soughed this almost shockingly. “Ehm… But… For what?” “If not you — I wouldn’t be here, Kindness.” Come on, come on, make the conclusion. I’ve given you all the hints you needed. “But… Ehm… No one was…” The mare hesitated. “No one you say?” Demonstrating my eyes, I put down the newspaper. “O-oh!” Whining, the pegasus started to step back. “Hello, Fluttershy.” I hoped she wouldn’t react in such a way… But she didn’t pass out where she stood — that’s a go. “You didn’t answer: how do you feel?” “F-fine.” She said it almost inaudibly and bumped against the edge of the doorway with her croup, closing eyes and awaiting the coming death. “It’s good.” I rose from the table, putting away the newspaper. “Are you sure that is not going to happen once again? Maybe you should visit a doctor after all?” I came closer to the shivering pegasus and stroke her with an edge of a wing, causing her attempt to become intangible and a short mournful squeak. It was… Cute. “N-no-no, ev-verything is f-fine.” The mare said almost inaudibly after a few seconds. It is good that she’s speaking, otherwise I don’t know what I would have to do with her. “Are you sure, Fluttershy?” I added a little bit of sympathy and unrest in the voice. “You’ve lost consciousness on the market so suddenly… What if it something serious?” “Everything is f-fine, really.” She hastened to assure me quietly. Her eyes were still closed, but Flutty has stopped to straightly shiver. “What if not?” Laughing inside, I kept pressing the pegasus. “Please, let me bring you to the hospital. I’m sure that you’ll get help there!” I turned aside, because if she opens her eyes, she will see this huge smile all across my face. Don’t laugh, do not laugh! “N-no, I won’t!” It was filled with shadows of panic. I, making a doomed expression, turned to the pegasus. She had, in fact, opened her eyes and now her gaze is running around the kitchen, and her cheeks, as it seems, started to blush. It seems that for her, admitting her pass out because of fear, was… scary, and not admitting — shameful. “Why… You won’t?” I made a huge effort for my voice to be lost and sad. “Is there nothing to help you with at all?!” “O-oh… I… Well…” Mare hesitated, filling herself with blush slowly and throughly examining the floor beneath her feet. “I just… I… Ehm… Was scared a little… And…” She said barely audible and closed her eyes again. “Scared of me? Why?” “…” Flutty squeaked, trying to be smaller at all costs. I, snapping with a catch lock, got rid of my right fore shoe, scaring the pegasus with it once again. “Fluttershy, of all ponies, you shouldn’t fear me at all.” I booped the pegasus on her nose with a smile. She squeaked cutely and opened wide her eyes from surprise. “Thank you.” I nodded thankfully to her. “…” The pony whispered, hiding behind the mane. Well, it’s time to round up: there was enough for the first meeting. As the saying goes: let’s not overstay our welcome. I’ll let her to recover herself. “Fine, Fluttershy. I’m happy that you’re alright. I think I’ll go.” I snapped the detached shoe back and moved towards the exit, after a few moments hearing not only my steps, but also house owner’s ones. “Farewell, the Element of Kindness.” Saying goodbyes ceremoniously, I smiled to her before leaving. “Thanks again. Call me if someone thinks that he can bully you, like this idiot on the market. And yes, do not forget: cherry is in the refrigerator.” Waiting for a shy whine in answer, maybe a farewell, I turned around and moved towards a bridge across a small river. Yeah… I don’t know what I had anticipated, but not his… This shyness was so not eager to contact with me, twitching, as it seemed, from every word… Rarity didn’t lie to me. I have little interest in others’ thoughts about me… But when I think that Fluttershy fears me — and maybe will regret that she defended me sometime ago — I get a nasty feeling in my soul.