Author's Notes:

This chapter is totally skippable. Not much to see here. (Based on a bad dream)

Fluttershy takes a step onto your front porch. She pauses, taking a deep breath and steeling herself for today.

'Alright. Today's guess is being tied up. You can do this, Fluttershy. Be assertive.'

She raises her hoof to the door and knocks once, twice-

The door to your home pushes open at her force. Fluttershy pauses, shocked.

"Anon?" she calls through the house.

She waits, glancing inside your home. Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she takes one step, two steps, three steps inside.

"Anon? Are you here?"

'This is odd," Fluttershy thought to herself. 'Anon is almost always home. Is everything alright?'

She glances around at the desolate living room, pausing to inspect the unwatered flowers, the dirty dishes, the empty bottle of moonshine on the floor. Fluttershy trots her way into your kitchen, her expression straightening into lines of worry.

"Anon?" she calls.

She opens the door to the empty refrigerator, where the spinach on the bottom shelf has grown dark green, wilted, and leaked a putrid yellow liquid. Closing the door in disgust, she moves to your kitchen table, where a piece of paper rests quietly. She stops in front of the table and picks up the note with a hoof. Quietly, she mutters the words aloud to herself.

"Hello, my friends. If you're reading this, that means my time has come and gone. I don't belong in this world, and my further existence in it just pushes me further and further to the inevitable."

Fluttershy's eyes widen as she tosses the paper down.

"ANON!" she calls to the house, breaking to a sprint.

She leaps up the steps three at a time. Throwing open a closet, she finds it empty. Flying down the hall, she pushes her way into your bathroom. An empty orange container that she's never seen in Equestria before sits on the counter. Ripping open the shower curtain, she finds your bathtub empty.

Running into the hallway, Fluttershy kicks open the door to your bedroom. You stand upon a chair, rope tied firmly to your ceiling. You close your eyes. You pull the rope over your head.

"ANON!" Fluttershy screams, flying into the room.

The chair leans back. Your feet find only air. Then solid ground. You stand firmly atop a yellow pegasus, who strains under your body weight.

"Fluttershy... just go," you choke, tears in your eyes.

"No! I can't!"

You weigh heavily on the little pony's back. She spreads her wings and flaps, trying to muster all the force she can to keep you aloft.

"Just... just let me do this... please."

Fluttershy feels the muscles in her body tighten and strain as she grits her teeth.

"No! You come down... right now. And we can talk this through..."

Tears form in your eyes as you look to the chair, lying on the floor, motionless.

"What's there to talk about? I don't belong here. I'm a human in a world of horses. I can't have a family. I don't have a talent that a pony can't do better than me. The world is stacked against me. I have nothing left."

Tears form in Fluttershy's eyes as one of her hooves slip across the wooden floor.

"You have me," she says. "You've always had me."

You shake your head.

"You don't really want me... The pathetic sod I am. You can do better. You deserve better."

"I don't want better, Anon. I want you."

Fluttershy looks across the room and spots a knife on the bedside table. She takes a deep breath and flaps her wings. One inch at a time, she lets you down. The rope closes in around your neck. Once the pressure is mostly off of her, she dashes forward.

The air leaves your lungs as you jerk in mid-air. She snags the knife on the bedside table and saws at the rope above you. You close your eyes, a tear running down your cheek. The rope snaps. Your feet touch the ground, but you choose to collapse to the floor, pulling your knees into your chest, feeling the new brown necktie around you loosen.

You breathe in careful breaths, and sob. Fluttershy trots over to you, and reaches out a hoof to you. She lays down beside you, looking over you carefully. Her wings unfold and she wraps them around you. She rests her head on your shoulder.

"What's wrong with me, Fluttershy?" you ask.

"Nothing's wrong with you, Anon," she coos in your ear. "Things are just really hard right now, but they'll get better. You just have to believe me."

You close your eyes, feeling the warmth of her body press against you.

"Why do you come see me every day?"

"Because... I want to make you happy," she says.

You sniff.

"Heh. I wish it was working."

Fluttershy sighs.

"Why isn't it, Anon?" she asks.

You turn to her and blink. When you open your eyes, you stare at the ceiling of your room. My Little Pony dolls line a dresser on your right. Your alarm clock screams, alerting you that you're late for work. Again. Closing your eyes, you wipe a dampness from your cheek.

"Because you aren't real, and never will be."