"Are we almost there? I don't like being out at night.." Cecil asked.

"Yes, patience." I said, pushing his wheel chair down the path, seeing the restaurant in the distance. I saw him hold his hand out, pulling his sleeve up. I watched his arm turn into it's skeletal form. He looked up at me, the shade from the cloak protecting his face from the light.

"It'll be fine." I said, pulling his sleeve down. "Stop worrying. Who cares what people think? And that's if they even see you."

"There were a lot of people at that party.. They all saw me transform." He said emotionlessly.

"Stop fussing." I said, playfully shoving him. We walked inside, getting a few looks from people as we made our way to the table. I could see Twilight already sitting down with the mystery guest.

"Hey Twilight!" I said, rushing over to the table. I sat down on the opposite side as Cecil wheeled his way over here.

"Hey Cecil." Twilight said with a smile.

"Hey Twilight. Who's your friend?" Cecil asked.

"Hello Cecil.." He said, extending his hand to shake. Cecil stared at his hand for a moment before reaching out and accepting it.

"Hello Nicholas." Cecil said.

"You two know each other?" Twilight said surprised.

"Yeah we're old friends.. Really old friends.." Nicholas said, never losing eye contact with Cecil.

"I'll tell you about it later." Cecil said as we picked up the menus to order. It is a bit strange.. I thought Cecil was secluded, how could he know this guy? About ten minutes passed before our food arrived.

"So Cecil.." Twilight said, "What do you uh.. Do?"

"I'm an inventor.." Cecil said, taking a bite of his steak.

"Really?" I asked surprised, "I didn't know that... Why don't you ever talk about it?"

"Maybe because he hasn't invented anything useful in awhile." Nicholas said bluntly. The clanking of Cecil's fork and knife stopped as he paused a moment, then continued eating.

"I have to go to the bathroom. Do you mind?" Cecil asked.

"Not at all." I said, standing up to push him to the restroom.

"Allow me." Nicholas said, "We have a lot of catching up to do anyways."

"Alright.. We will be here when you get back." Twilight said with a chuckle.

"I have to pee too.." I said, standing up and following them to the restroom. They walked into the men's, and I walked into the women's. I walked in and was about to sit down when..

"What the hell do you want Nicholas." I heard Cecil say. I looked up to see a vent. It must connect to both rooms..

"Come now... Let's not fight big brother.. You know why I am here." Nicholas said.

"Brother?!" I said to myself, listening closely.

"You broke the rules." Nicholas said.

"I don't care. I love her, and you can't stop me from being with her." Cecil said.

"Brother... You're breaking my heart.." Nicholas said sarcastically.

"If you have come to kill me, then do it.." Cecil said.

"Oh but where would the fun in that be." Nicholas replied.

"I AM SICK OF YOUR GAMES!" Cecil yelled, "WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU ALREADY TURNED ME INTO THIS MONSTER!"

"Because you are everything I despise. After everything you have done to me.. After everything you have TAKEN FROM ME!" Nicholas yelled back. "I will make you suffer.. Slowly."

"Heh... You didn't deserve her." Cecil said.

"SHUT UP!" Nicholas yelled, a loud banging from him hitting the wall. "She was the only woman I loved, but no.. You were the knight in shining armor.. Always the hero. YOU STOLE HER FROM ME!"

"SO YOU HAD TO KILL HER!" Cecil yelled. There was a pause.

"You know... She's pretty." Nicholas said calmly.

"You wouldn't dare.." Cecil said.

"Oh I don't know.. 'I' wouldn't do anything to hurt her... But there was an awful storm a few days ago..." Nicholas said.

"What are you babbling about?" Cecil said.

"Didn't you hear? A woman was struck by lightning. I think her name was Rainbow Dash?" Nicholas said.

"What... What are you getting at?" Cecil stammered.

"People say it was a freak storm... It shouldn't have happened. But the clouds just... 'Mysteriously' appeared. Now don't you find that strange?" Nicholas said, a cold tone in his voice I hadn't noticed before.

"I..I don't.." Cecil muttered.

"And don't you find it strange.. In that entire storm, there was only a single bolt of lightning recorded." Nicholas said. There was another pause.

"You caused the storm.." Cecil said bewildered.

"Yes." Nicholas said.

"But... Why Rainbow Dash?" Cecil demanded.

"To prove a point." Nicholas said bluntly.

"What point?!" Cecil asked angrily.

"That if you continue down this path... Well... I think you know." Nicholas said. I heard footsteps, and the door to the men's restroom, hearing one of them about to leave.

"Oh, and by the way..." Nicholas said, "I heard lightning never strikes twice in the same place... So I wouldn't worry about it." He said with a chuckle before leaving the restroom. There was a long pause before I heard Cecil scream, hitting the walls with his fists. I couldn't move... I was trying to process everything I just heard. Nicholas... He must have been the one I bumped into.. Who dropped the envelope. He is the one that made the storm... He put Rainbow Dash into the coma... But.. How?

"Fluttershy? You okay?" I heard Twilight say through the door.

"Y...Yes! Just a moment!" I said hesitantly. I got up, moving out of the stall and quickly back to the table. Cecil and Nicholas had already taken a seat. I sat down next to Cecil. A blank expression on my face. Everything was silent.. All I could hear were my own thoughts and what horrors Nicholas could be planning.

"What do you do?"

"Huh?!" I said, snapping back to reality.

"What. Do. You. Do?" Nicholas asked.

"Um.. I..." I stuttered, refusing to make eye contact.

"She cares for animals. I guess you could say she is a Veterinarian but.. She does a lot more than that." Twilight said.

"How kind of you. She's a keeper!" Nicholas said, glancing at Cecil. Cecil put his silverware down and rolled backwards.

"I think it's time to go Fluttershy. It's been nice talking to you Nicholas." Cecil said.

"Yes I am getting tired.." I said quickly.

"It was nice chatting. I hope to talk again... Soon." Nicholas said with a smile. I hurried out with Cecil, waving goodbye to Twilight.

----------------------------------
FIVE MINUTES LATER:

"Cecil.." I said.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"I heard everything." I said. Cecil stopped, his chair going still. A moment of silence passed before he started moving again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"Because of the letter." He said.

"The blank one?" I asked.

"You... saw it?" He asked surprised.

"I saw both of them. What rules?" I asked with both curiosity and a growing dread.

"Nicholas... Put this curse on me. He holds grudges, and never forgets them. When he placed the curse on me, he made rules. And if I were to break them, he would have to intervine." He said.

"What rules?" I asked.

"Well.. A long time ago I.. Stole the woman he loved." He said, sadness filling his voice.

"What happened?" I asked, looking down at him.

"He got jealous. He couldn't stand to see the woman he loved slip away from him. So if he couldn't have her.. Well... You know." He said.

"So he turned you into..." I started,

"A monster? Yeah." He finished.

"That's not what I was going to say.." I said to him, a concerned look on my face.

"I know.." He said, stopping his wheels. "I hate.. This god damn chair!" He yelled, standing up, a spike of pain shooting through him.

"Cecil!" I said, grabbing him.

"No... Let me go." He said, pulling away. He stood up straight, taking a deep breath in, then out. He took the cloak off, the moonlight radiating on him as his skin faded. Along with it, the wound.

"Let's walk together, please?" Cecil said, holding out his hand. I smiled, taking it as we walked home.

---------------------------------

"Alright, we're home. I hope you can stay over. I wouldn't want you sleeping alone tonight.." I said.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Fluttershy said with a smile. We approached the tower and opened the door. As I entered, I stepped out of the moonlight and my skin returned.

"AGH.." I screamed, falling to a knee, clutching my stomach.

"Cecil!" She said, rushing to help me.

"I'm fine... I might be fine in the moonlight, but as soon as its gone, my wounds return." I said as she helped me up stairs into our room. I sat down, reclining back, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Let's just lie together.." Fluttershy said, resting her head on my chest. I sat there, feeling comfort in knowing she is safe... At least for now.

"So.. You're an inventor?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah.. But I haven't made anything in.. awhile." I said.

"Well you have to show me some things you have made. Better yet, make something new." She said.

"I don't know.. It's been so long.." I said.

"Please? It would make me happy.." She said with a smile, looking up at me.

"Alright.. I'll show you some things I made.. They might be a bit dusty though." I said grudgingly. "So long as you promise to do something for me.."

"Anything." She said.

"Promise?" I said, raising an eyebrow, a grin on my face.

"Cross my heart and hope fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She said with a giggle.

"What??" I asked confused.

"I'll tell you in the morning." She said, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Author's Notes:

The plot thickens!