Chapters Day and Rime
The dark night was all but silent. Hoofsteps echoed around the forest as a small pony ran for his life. He dodged rocks and sidestepped around trees. His legs and hooves were sore and heavy with fatigue, but he kept pushing it. If he slipped up for just a second, the flame of his life could be extinguished in the blink of an eye. He looked back, hoping to see that he had lost his pursuer. It was nowhere to be seen. The young colt slowed his pace, but didn’t completely stop. He strained his ears through the darkness, trying to hear the faintest sound. He didn’t hear a thing.
“I didn’t lose it”, he said in between heavy breaths. “Where is it?”
He continued to jog through the black forest until a blood freezing howl broke the silence. The colt didn’t waste another second. He took off in a dead sprint. That howl was way too close for comfort. Not long after he began to run again, did he hear heavy panting and thunderous steps booming behind him. Another rush of adrenaline further quickened his pace. But it was useless, the monster was too fast.
The creature was right on his tail, almost within reach. It swung a massive arm at its prey. The attack landed on the pony’s right flank. The colt yelped in pain and spun out of control. His hooves slipped from under him and he came to a crashing stop against a tree. The stunned pony struggled to move, but the pain planted him to the spot. He picked his head up just enough to see the predator slowly creeping its way towards him. It licked its lips hungrily. He gulped; his fate had been sealed. He tried to move his legs again, only to find them petrified and useless. He could only gulp again as he saw his reflection in the beast’s red eyes.
“RRRAAARRR!” It bellowed. It lunged with bared fangs.
“AAAAAAHHHHHH!”
The scream echoed throughout the valley, scaring a few Phoenixes from their nests. The pony behind the outburst shot out of his sleep. He looked around him, taking in his bearings. He tried to slow his breathing, but a brief flash of the nightmare sped it back up. His cold sweat dripped to the ground, along with his tears.
He glanced at the calendar he nailed to the nearest tree. Twenty-five “X”’s crossed out the month’s days. He sighed upon seeing the date. “It’s not time yet”, he sighed. “Not yet…”
The sky started to turn away from its dark purple color to a light gray. Princess Celestia was raising the sun for another glorious day in Equestria. “Sunlight”, the young colt whispered, “My only friend. Welcome back.” He relaxed completely at the sight of the new day. The purity of the sun washed his fears away. He gazed at his tiny camp of two items. The saddlebag he had used as a pillow bore the name “Daylight”. He stooped and slid it onto his back, ready to travel another day. He took the calendar down and stuffed it into his bag. With a deep sigh, he set off into the sunrise.
“You shouldn’t be so quick to disown your friends”, said a voice from his saddlebag. “The sun isn’t your only comrade.”
“I could never disown you, Rime”, said Daylight. “The world wouldn’t be able to handle how annoying you are.”
“I resent that!” A small, ice blue, two-tailed fox jumped out of his pocket on the saddlebag and landed on Day’s head.
“Calm down, it was just a joke”, Day said flatly.
“Oh, I forgot you don’t joke”, Rime said. “Or smile much.”
“Only around you.”
“Where are we headed now?” The kitsune asked.
“You ask that question every morning.” Day kept walking without answering his friend’s question.
“Yeah, so?” Rime whined, “Where are we going?”
“We’re running out of food, so we’re going to the nearest town to pick some up.”
“Do we even have any money?” Rime flopped down on his back, and started rummaging through Day’s saddlebag.
“We should. If not, I can always make some”, Day replied. “There’s bound to be somepony that needs help with something somewhere.”
Rime looked into the last pocket and found it to be as empty as the valley they were walking through. “Captain”, he said nervously.
“What is it, Rime?”
“We’re broke.”
Day snapped his head around to see that the fox had a serious expression molded to his face. “No joke?”
“I swear it”, Rime replied, “No money whatsoever.”
“Perfect. We must have lost what we had left. I could have bet my tail we had at least twenty-four bits. Did you check the back pocket?”
“I checked’em all.”
“Looks like you’ll have to wait for your midday snack”, Day observed. “At least until we have ten bits in our hooves and paws.”
“Awwww!” Rime complained. “I can’t survive a single day without my cakes!”
“You’ll live”, Day complained right back.
Despite what Day said, Rime decided to go for the dramatic approach. He stood on his hind legs and started to fake a slow death. “Limbs going weak, vision fading, can’t go on. Tell my wife…I love her!” With that, he fell over on his back with his tongue hanging out.
Day chuckled. “Will a sponge-cake bring you back to the living?”
Rime opened an eye. “What flavor?”
Day smiled as widely as he could. “Strawberry.”
“Ewww!” Rime gagged, “Nope, I think I’ma stay dead.”
“Works for me”, Day said, “At least I won’t have to listen to you.”
Rime played dead for about another two minutes. Then, he just couldn’t take it anymore. “Ugh! Being dead is boring! Day, entertain me!”
The Earth Pony shook his head with a roll of his eyes. “Okay…I’m thinking of something blue…” Day started, bringing on his best friend’s favorite game.
“The sky!” Rime screamed.
“Nope.”
“The pond water!”
“Not even close.” Day loved to play this joke on the kitsune. It never got old.
“Your saddlebag!”
“Negative.”
“That bird!” Rime jumped on Day’s head, and pointed to a blue jay that was flying above them.
“Would you like a hint?” Day asked with a smirk.
“Please!”
“It has four feet”, Day stated.
Rime considered the clue. “Hmmm…Is it an Ice Kitsune?”
“Yes, but I’m thinking of one specifically.”
“Yeah, but how many of those do we know?” Rime asked honestly.
“I can think of one.”
Rime strained his thoughts trying to think of one. “Oh, I give up!”
“It’s you”, laughed Day.
Instantly, Rime became annoyed. In retaliation to Day’s laughing, the fox used his shape shifting ability and transformed into an almost exact replica of the pony. He hopped down in front of his friend.
“Hahahahahaha!” Rime laughed in a high pitched tone.
“You got my tail wrong again”, Day snickered.
The Day-shaped Rime looked at his flank and saw that instead of a yellow and red short tail, he had messed up and forgot to form Day’s tail at all. He still had his dual, blue fox tails. “Oh, charcoal!” he cursed. Instead of correcting his mistake, Rime just reverted back to his old self.
“Hop on, I wouldn’t want you to get lost”, Day said.
Rime grumbled, but did as he was told. He knew better than to disobey Daylight.
The fox’s sadness made Day feel bad. He knew this time Rime was brought down by the lack of sweets, instead of the shifting mistake. “Don’t worry, Rime. I promise I’ll get you a chocolate cake when I get the bits for it”, Day said in an attempt to cheer his companion up.
“Really!?” Rime asked ecstatically.
“Of course! You know I don’t break a promise”, Day reassured.
“Wooohooo!” Rime cheered.
“Okay, settle down, we’re almost there.” Day smiled. The little kitsune was like a brother to him, and Day hated to see him sad.
“But where are we going?”
“Our next destination is a small town. We’ll be there in a few minutes”, Day answered.
“What’s the name of this so-called ‘town’?” Rime asked suspiciously.
Day chuckled at Rime’s childishness. He looked back at the Kitsune, and then turned his eyes to the sky.
“Ponyville. The town’s name is Ponyville.”
Author's Note
The fifth trial begins.
Welcome to Ponyville!
“Look Rime! There it is!” Daylight cheered to excite the Kitsune. They were at the top of a high hill overlooking the small town. By now the sun had been out for a few hours and Day was no longer suffering from morning fatigue.
Rime stood on his hind legs on top of Day’s head to get a better look. “Yep, it sure is there!” exclaimed the kitsune.
Day stopped his excitement and dropped down into his alter ego, something Rime calls a “self-defense mode”. “Let’s go”, he sighed. He walked down the small path that ran down the hill.
“Can’t you at least be happy for a while? We found it! Smile, laugh, do something!” Rime cried.
“You know why I can’t do that, Rime”, Day reasoned, “At least not when somepony could be around.”
“Oh, right…” Rime sighed, “I’m sorry, Daylight…”
“Cheer up, Rime. It’s not your fault”, Day said, “We both know there has to be a cure out there somewhere. And because there is, I won’t always be like this.”
“I know…”
“If you don’t cheer up, I’ll eat your cake”, Day teased.
Rime panicked. “I’m happy! See? Hahahaha!” he laughed nervously.
Day chuckled to himself, “That’s better.”
“So, do you think we’ll make any friends while we stay here?” Rime sat on his master’s head, wagging his tails.
“You might. You know I don’t have luck with that sort of thing.” Day thought back to how closed up he always was around everypony but Rime. There was a time when he used to have friends, but that was long before his…well, disorder.
Rime rolled over on his back. A small, mischievous smile spread under his nose. “Hey, Day?”
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever kissed a mare before?”
The pale yellow pony blushed. “H-how did you even get on that subject?!” Then he thought about the kitsune’s natural mischievous behavior. “Oh, wait, never mind.”
“Answer the question!” Rime commanded immaturely.
“For your information: I haven’t”, Day answered. He was a terrible liar anyways, so it didn’t matter whether he was honest or not. Rime would have known regardless of his answer.
Rime knew better than to push Day’s buttons too much. His temper was a force to be reckoned with, even though Rime had never seen it that much. But since Day wasn’t there yet, he decided to go further. “Then I’m going to help you get a kiss while we stay in Ponyville. The first mare you ogle at, I’m gonna get you to kiss her!”
“I guess I’ll just wear a blindfold then”, Day countered. Rime was dancing on his nerves, and he fought to control his anger.
“Suuuuuure”, Rime said, elongating the word. He decided to offer a wager. “And if I can’t, I won’t eat a single cake for an entire week!”
“That would be something to see”, Day snickered, “Okay, you’re on!”
“But you can’t just outright refuse it”, Rime added, “If you get in the moment, you have to take it!”
“Deal, and you can’t shape shift into a mistletoe”, Day replied, setting his own rule.
“There goes Plan A”, Rime growled sarcastically.
Day half smiled, but quickly dropped it. They were now just walking over the entrance bridge to Ponyville. “Oh, look. We’re here.”
“Good! Now go find a job so I can have some sweets!”
Day rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. Do you see any help wanted signs anywhere?”
“I see a bulletin board over by that building.” Rime extended his paw out far enough so that Day could see where he was pointing.
“Good eye, Rime.” Day walked the short distance to the town hall, ignoring all of the ponies that passed him.
Five paces away from the board, Rime jumped down and ran the rest of the way to it. He eyed each notice carefully. “W-wo- want-ed”, he read clumsily, “New pl-ow. Will pay.” He moved on to the next one, unknowing that Day was just inches behind him. “He-lp want-ed. Help wanted! Day, this is it!”
“Okay, now read the rest of it”, Day coaxed.
Rime turned back to the poster. “Th-itreen? Bits an hower?” The kitsune shook his head in frustration. “Day! This is too hard!”
“I’ll read the rest, but first I’ll point out your mistakes”, Day replied. He pointed to the word “thirteen”. “In this word, the ‘r’ sound comes before the ‘t’, so it’s ‘thirteen’ and not ‘thitreen’.”
Rime nodded, “Oh. That sounds better.”
Day pointed to his next error. “This word has a silent ‘h’. It doesn’t make the ‘huh’ sound. So you have to pronounce it like ‘our’. Get it?”
“Silent ‘h’. Got it.” Rime crossed his paws and reflected his mishaps. When he had it down, he went on. “Okay, now what’s the whole thing say?”
“It says ‘Help wanted: Thirteen bits an hour. Must be able to care for animals.’”
“Thirteen bits? That seems like a lot of money for one hour…” Rime pondered to himself.
“It must be a tough job”, Day assumed. “You want to do this?”
“Yeah! We’ll be able to get lots of cakes easy with that kind of pay!” Rime shouted.
“And afford a decent hotel. Let’s find this place. It’ll probably be a veterinarian clinic or something”, Day said.
Rime hopped on Day’s back. “I’ll keep a look out for you.”
Daylight walked in a random direction, hoping he would stumble upon the correct building. The flyer didn’t have any directions, or even an address, so they were pretty much blind. Both of them searched the signs for anything that could point out their destination. A while later, they happened across Ponyville’s exact center. Rime’s whiskers twitched as he saw what stood not even three yards away from them. Day was too absorbed in walking to notice it.
“Hey look Day! A map!”
Day looked around and settled his gaze on it. “Finally we’re getting somewhere!” The pony searched the map key for what they were looking for. “Let’s see, library, apple farm, town hall, prank shop…I don’t see any vets.”
“Maybe we should just get the notice and show it to somepony. They could probably tell us”, Rime suggested.
“We have no choice”, Day sighed. Oh, Celestia he wasn’t going to like it. It was bad enough he already had to face an employer. He walked back to the notice board, where a blue unicorn and a bouncing pink pony stood in front of it. He stopped.
Rime almost fell off Day at the sudden halt. That was one thing that just agitated him. “Hey! What gives!?” Rime yelled, “Why’d you stop?!”
Day didn’t respond immediately. He took a deep breath. “Rime…just let them leave first”, Day said.
The kitsune grumbled, but sat still. He hated to wait for anything. Day stood still until the unicorn said something to the pink pony. She suddenly started to cheer, and then took off in the opposite direction of Day and Rime. The unicorn ran after her with a sarcastic shake of his head. Day looked around to make sure the coast was clear before approaching the board. He snatched the paper down and gave it to Rime. The ice blue fox rolled it up and sat on top of it for safe keeping.
Remembering where the library was, he turned around and walked straight. He thought that it would be the perfect place for directions. Not too crowded and almost completely silent. And nothing to make him smile. It didn’t take long before they came upon the giant tree that held the library. Day hesitated before opening the door.
“Come on, Day!” Rime whined, “I’m not getting any younger here!”
“Fine.” Day reached out, pushed open the door, and walked in, hoping that it was nearly empty.
A gray blue Pegasus approached him. “Welcome to the Golden Oaks library, where knowledge is just a page away! I’m Dream Runner, the assistant librarian. Twilight Sparkle has stepped out for the time being, sorry for any inconveniences. ”
“Um…hello…” Day said awkwardly, “I’m just here for directions.”
“Okay, exactly where are you headed?”
“Rime”, Day instructed.
The kitsune unrolled the paper and hopped on Day’s head again. He held it outward to Dream.
“We’re looking for wherever it is we can find this job”, Day explained.
Dream Runner read the sign. He immediately recognized the hoofwriting, and answered, “Oh! You should look for Fluttershy. She lives in a cottage just outside the busiest part of town. I can take you there if you like.”
“No, thank you”, Day quickly replied, “Just directions.”
Dream Runner thought Day’s response was odd, but continued anyway. “Just walk west of here until you pass under the welcome sign. You can’t miss the cottage. It’ll be the only one around.”
“Okay, thank you”, Day said. He turned and left, leaving the Pegasus confused and suspicious.
“He didn’t ask what I was. That’s a first”, Rime said. He quickly placed the rolled up flier into one of the saddlebag’s pockets.
“Maybe he just thought you were just a normal arctic fox”, Day presumed.
“Maybe…”
They both remained silent as Day walked through the street. He looked around, trying to avoid meeting anypony’s eye.
That proved to be a tough task, however. It seemed as if everypony was staring right at him! It was making him nervous.
“Rime, could you make us disappear?” he asked.
“Sorry, Day, they already see us. It would just cause panic.”
“Oh, yeah, I would guess so…”
Some of the tension was soon relieved. As Day walked further from the library, the crowd continued to thin. After a while, it was just the two friends.
“Happy now?” Rime jumped down and walked beside Day to relieve some of the boredom.
“Yep”, Day replied plainly. He looked around. “Do you see the cottage?”
Rime shook his head. “No. Did you go the wrong way?”
“I don’t think so.” Day stopped and took in the surroundings. They were just outside the town. “Maybe we didn’t walk far enough.”
“Want me to check?” Rime started to shift his shape. His fore legs transformed into wings and his back legs into bird legs. Patches of his fur turned into feathers.
“No, we both know you can’t fly in any form”, Day said.
“Oh, fine!” Rime snapped. He canceled the morph and returned to his normal self. “Killjoy”, he mumbled.
Day returned to walking west. Rime followed right along closely. They both listened as the wind blew over them. A few birds chirped here and there, but other than that, nothing broke the peace. Day could feel the ease that the day radiated. Even Rime seemed to be enjoying it. The kitsune hadn’t said a word since he reverted back to his normal form. Day’s mind drifted off. Thoughts of his early past started to come back to him, something of which didn’t happen very often. Not a single, offending thought came into his mind. He was so absorbed in the peace that he didn’t hear Rime yelling at him until the kitsune jumped up and landed on his head.
“Pay attention to me!” he screamed. “DAY!”
“Okay, okay, what did you want to tell me, Rime”, Day asked without even a hint of agitation.
“We’re almost there”, Rime replied calmly.
“What?”
“Mmmhmm. Look.” Rime pointed down the hill Day wasn’t aware they had climbed.
He followed Rime’s paw to a hollowed tree. It was perfectly crafted. The only things added on to the actual tree were the windows and the door. It was beautiful! There was absolutely nothing to upset the scenery! Around the house was full of burrows, bird houses, nests, and so many other such things. There were nests in the trees and a small bridge ran over a stream in the yard. As he walked through the yard, none of the animals scurried away. A few squirrels even scampered up to investigate them. Rime was astonished by the attention they were getting. He was used to animals running away from him.
“This is weirding me out”, he said uneasily.
“Oh, come on, Rime, they’re just fluffy little creatures”, Day snickered.
Rime shifted his weight. “Whatever, still creepy.”
Before he knew it, Day was at the front door of the cottage. He paused.
“Let’s go, Day, move it or lose it!” Rime called.
The Earth Pony gulped. Shakily, he gave the door a few raps. A few seconds passed. If it wasn’t for Rime’s nagging, he would have left. Instead, he knocked again. This time he got a reply.
“Coming”, called a voice softly.
The seconds ticked by. With each of them, Day found himself becoming more and more nervous. He was already breathing heavily and the door hadn’t even opened yet.
They waited for a few more seconds. Then, the door creaked open.
Author's Note
You'll find in this chapter that Day and Rime's personalities change and adapt to the situations. And don't jump to conclusions; Dream Runner is not a replacement for Spike.
Fluttershy
Daylight’s breathing didn’t only just slow when the door opened. It ceased completely. But what exactly could have supercharged his anxiety? How about the most beautiful pair of pale emerald eyes he had ever seen. His mouth could only hang open as his mind was left with a blank. His mental pause didn’t last long, to his satisfaction as well as his dissatisfaction.
“Yes? May I help you?” Fluttershy asked softly. She didn’t open the door much wider. She barely even had her head poked out.
Her words could barely be heard, but they still snapped Day back to semi-awareness. His mouth had yet to come back all the way, so his answer was a tad bit clumsy. “U-uh…job here I the am for.”
Rime facepawed so hard that it caused Fluttershy to flinch. Day apparently was going to be broken for a while, so he had to do the talking. He grabbed the job notice and hopped down off the still stuttering stallion. Fluttershy looked down at him. Rime sighed heavily at his friend’s panicky behavior. “Never mind him. We’re here for the job.” He unrolled the paper again. “We were told it was you who was offering it.”
Fluttershy lingered on in silence. Her expression was hard for Rime to read. “You are Fluttershy, aren’t you?”
The mare replied, “I am. Please forgive me for being so surprised, but it has been a while since I’ve seen a kitsune.”
Instantly, Rime forgot all about the job and even cakes. “Really!? There’s another pony in Equestria that knows about us?!”
His sudden excitement didn’t upset Fluttershy in the least. It was quite understandable to be thrilled to hear that you weren’t the only one of your kind. “Yes, I’ve actually read about them too. Did you know that an Elemental Kitsune such as yourself can survive in whatever element they represent no matter how harsh?”
“No. I didn’t”, Rime replied. He thought it was funny: hearing facts about himself that he didn’t even know.
A sudden twitch from Daylight caught Fluttershy’s attention. “Is he…?”
“Huh?” Rime turned around to see Daylight still freaking out. “Oh, yeah. Just as sec.” Rime crouched down as low as he would go. Focusing all of his energy into his legs, he jumped as high as he could and came crashing down upon Day’s head. He landed so hard that his feet stung.
Day instantaneously recovered from his shock. He shook his head and looked around to make sure Rime hadn’t severely damaged any of his mental functions. It was the first time Rime had stomped on the ponies head so hard. He settled his eyes on Fluttershy. Again, he froze, but this time Rime had it covered. He lightly clamped his jaws down on Daylight’s right ear.
It didn’t hurt, but it sure kept Day from locking up a second time. The kitsune hopped down, pleased with his work. Day hurriedly apologized. “Sorry for that. I get nervous around other ponies. Like Rime was saying: We’re here for the job.”
Fluttershy blinked at what had just happened, but replied, “Yes, I am looking for help. I didn’t expect strangers would be interested though.”
“We do need the work”, Day replied, “If you could hire us, it would be appreciated. We’ll even work twice as hard. I promise we won’t be a bother.”
Rime added his own touch to the persuasion. “And when Daylight makes a promise, he keeps it!”
Fluttershy mulled over the situation. Making new friends was certainly great, especially if they had a mythological creature as a pet. However, they were strangers to her, and this new pony was very strange. Then again, so was just about everypony in Ponyville.
“If it’s a problem”, Day stated, seeing her mixed expressions, “We can find work elsewhere…”
“But Day!” moaned Rime, “She knows what I am. And what I can do!”
“I know but—”
Day didn’t get to finish. Rime’s outburst had pushed Fluttershy to a decision and a response. “You’re hired”, she declared softly.
Day and Rime could only stare at the Pegasus. A million thoughts forced their ways into the friends’ heads. Rime spoke first. “Just like that?” he asked. “No questions asked?”
“Yes”, Fluttershy answered, “I can’t just turn down those in need.”
“And you’re sure it’s okay to employ two complete strangers?” Day inquired.
She nodded. “If you promise to work honestly, then I see no reason why you can’t have the job.”
Day and Rime exchanged glances. They both looked back at Fluttershy. In perfect unison, they both said, “Where do we sign?”
Fluttershy giggled silently. They must have been together for a long time to accomplish that. Never-ending friendship always delighted her. She stepped aside and waved them in. “Come in. I have tea and sweets inside.”
Fluttershy had Rime at “sweets”. He bounced inside, completely overjoyed. Day faltered slightly, but walked in regardless. He would have hated it if Rime destroyed something in the first few minutes of employment.
The inside of the cottage was just as animal friendly as the yard. There were burrows, bird houses, and perches everywhere Day looked. Small stair cases led up to different places for the squirrels and chipmunks. A tea kettle whistled on a wood stove against the wall adjacent to the front door. It was perhaps the most peaceful home he had ever set hoof in.
“Hey, Day!” Rime called.
Day looked above him, where Rime had settled himself down on one of the elevated walkways.
“This place is awesome! There’s all kinds of hidey holes and stairs and…uh, hidey holes!”
“That’s great”, said Day emotionlessly. “Just don’t break anything.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s just excited”, Fluttershy said. Her sudden appearance made Day jump, but she didn’t notice. “After all, kitsunes love to run around and play.”
“Yeah”, Day agreed.
“Yeah, so lighten up Daylight!”
Day’s expression turned into a strict, scolding glare as he looked back up at the kitsune. Rime gulped, and backed down. He had almost crossed the line. Day decided to let the display of disrespect go since Rime was truly excited.
He turned his attention back to Fluttershy. She motioned him into the next room. “Just wait in there and I will be right in with the tea.”
“Thank, you.” Day turned. “Rime.”
The kitsune hopped along the walkway above Day. There was a small hole above the door frame so he could stay on the path while he followed Day. This room didn’t hold as many walkways or burrows. Fluttershy must use this room as the living room. It made sense. There was more pony-sized furniture. A red, diamond shaped space rug was spread across the floor. “It’s definitely cozier…” Day pondered to himself.
He felt something hit him lightly in the back. “Bored already?” he asked Rime.
“Nope! I’m just waiting on those sweets!”
“That figures”, Day replied.
The pair sat down on the couch against the far wall. Rime stretched out on the arm and rolled over on his back. Day reached out and rubbed the fox’s belly. Rime smiled in pleasure. He squirmed in place, enjoying the massage Day was giving him. Day inwardly smiled. He let his hoof roam over to Rime’s side.
“Day!” he giggled, “That tickles!”
“I know”, Day replied slyly. He pushed his hoof a little harder into Rime’s ribcage.
“Heehee! Stop!” Rime tried pushing the attacking hoof away. Day only pushed deeper. “Help!” he cried, “Help!”
Fluttershy walked in carrying a small tray. The heartwarming moment brought a small smile to her face. It didn’t last too much longer. Day spotted her and quickly withdrew his hoof. Rime calmed down. He breathed in a few deep breaths.
“Phew…” he sighed. He opened his eyes to see Fluttershy, upside down, carrying the tray towards them. His eyes immediately flew to the three cupcakes that sat near the kettle of tea. “Food!” He quickly rolled over and crouched low. He would have pounced if Day hadn’t put a hoof on his tails. The look he gave Rime planted the kitsune to his seat.
“Please forgive me, but the tea wasn’t quite ready yet.” She placed the tray on the table in front of the couch and sat in the chair next to it.
The two ponies in the room didn’t make a sound. Neither was willing to bring attention to his or herself.
After a few embarrassing seconds of silence, Rime stood up. “I’m guessing we should formally introduce ourselves now”, he said. “I’m Rime, Day’s Ice Kitsune brother.”
Fluttershy glanced towards the fox. “Brother?”
“Yep, a long time ago, I saved this little guy’s life”, Day explained. “Ever since then, we’ve become so close we’re family.”
Rime smiled, showing his fang slightly.
“That’s amazing”, Fluttershy said. She didn’t ask about the details because she didn’t think it was the right time yet.
“Anyway, I’m Daylight, but Day works too”, Day continued.
“I’m Fluttershy”, the mare said quietly. “I care for many of the animals in Ponyville. That’s sort of why I was looking for help. I bit off a little more than I could chew when I offered to help some of my friends…”
“Hey, Ms. Fluttershy?” Rime was practically drooling. He could smell those cupcakes and it was driving him nuts!
“Yes, Rime?”
“Can I have a cupcake?”
“Oh, yes. Help yourselves”, Fluttershy replied happily.
“You can have mine too, Rime. I’m not in a snacking mood”, Day said.
“Woohoo!” In a split second, Rime had dashed to the tray and back with the two cupcakes.
“Ms. Fluttershy?”
“Please just call me Fluttershy, Day.”
“Fluttershy…I would really like to know the finer points of what we will be doing”, he asked over the sounds of a cupcake being mutilated.
“Oh. It really depends on what I need immediate help with. You may have to feed some of the animals, or you might have to clean them. It’s nothing too hard…”
“That’ll be easy!” Rime boasted. He licked some of the frosting from his lips. “Me and Day loves us some animals!”
The voice Rime used almost made Day roll over in laughter. He kept his posture in check, however. Nothing could break his bearing.
“Really?” Fluttershy asked, “The last kitsune I met wasn’t very friendly towards other animals. He even tried to eat Angel, my pet rabbit.”
“You don’t have to worry about that”, assured Day, “Rime’s a vegetarian.”
The look of surprise that shown on Fluttershy’s face caused the said kitsune to speak. “Yep. That’s right! I only eat vegetables! And fruits. And cakes. And candy…” Rime grew more and more quiet as he listed off the other things that he loved to eat.
Day went on, “When do we start?”
“Right now, there isn’t much to do. I do need to pick up some feed for the squirrels and chickens…I guess you could do that…I mean, if you really want to…” She blushed a slight shade of pink over the request.
Day stood. “Consider it done.”
“You don’t have to go now”, Fluttershy objected gently.
“But don’t you think it’s best to finish a job early?”
“Day!” Rime shouted, “Not yet! I’m still tired!”
The yellow pony shrugged, “Well, if you both insist I’ll stay for now.” He sat back down next to Rime, who had just licked what little cupcake was left on the arm of the couch.
“Oh, wonderful!” Fluttershy cheered through a whisper.
“But what am I going to do until then?”
The Pegasus thought about it. “I could show you around…”
“That’ll work”, Day replied, “It’ll keep me from getting lost.”
“No it won’t”, Rime snickered. He jumped onto the table and looked at Fluttershy. “If there’s one thing Daylight doesn’t have, it’s a sense of direction.”
The yellow mare smiled, and even giggled slightly.
Day flinched at the sound without the slightest clue why. Unfortunately, Rime saw him. A devilish smile spread under his muzzle. Day only frowned indifferently. “Rime’s got me on that one. No matter where we go, it’s usually the wrong place.”
“I get lost a lot too…” Fluttershy’s attempt to make her guest feel better wasn’t really needed, and it didn’t seem to work. Day didn’t even smile.
She sighed to herself when he spoke up. “I told Rime that I’m not the only pony that gets lost.” Day shot the kitsune a victorious glance, without the smile of course. Rime just rolled his eyes. “Told you so”, Day added. This earned him what he was looking for. Rime gave Day an annoyed growl. The Earth Pony nearly smiled in satisfaction.
Rime hurried to think of a comeback. The evil grin returned to his face. “That’s okay, Day”, he said in his childish tone. Day automatically knew Rime had something plan. “The bet’s already in my favor.”
Day seized up. A blush quickly spread across his cheeks and nose. He almost started shuddering and babbling with mixed up sentences again.
Fluttershy watched how his nervousness only got worse when he glanced at her and quickly looked away. Rime was snickering to himself. Finally, she decided to ask, “What bet?”
Her curiosity put Day’s blush into overdrive. It was so deep that a tomato would have disappeared if it were placed in front of it. “U-uh…nothing…Rime’s just trying to…yank…yank my chains.” He deepened his breaths and closed his eyes. Slowly, the blush faded and the yellow came back to Day’s face.
Rime might like to tease, but if he answered Fluttershy, it would have compromised the bet. The little stunt did gain him some insurance. Day would think twice before teasing him again. The Ice Kitsune huffed in triumph.
“Oh, okay”, Fluttershy said. She could see in their eyes that they were both hiding something. It wasn’t something bad, but it was definitely something worth figuring out. You see, Fluttershy was hiding something of her own. She may not have told anypony else, but she loved mysteries. It’s time to get to the bottom of this… she thought to herself. Just thinking that phrase made her giddy on the inside. It would be her first ever real time she could put her detective skills to the test. Maybe all those mystery novels she read would pay off after all. Even if it was just finding out what a simple bet was.
To kick off the investigation, she stood.
“Daylight, Rime”, she called softly, “Would you like to come with me and explore Ponyville?”
They nodded their heads. The investigation was officially kicked off.
Author's Note
And that is it for the fourth trial. A lot of filler, I know, but trust me, it's all important later on.
Starting the Day Off
As the three left Fluttershy's cottage, they found themselves engulfed in the sunshine of the day. Day lifted a hoof to shield his face from the blast of heat that hit them after leaving the cool inside of the house.
"Yow!" Rime shouted. "That's hot! I'm gonna melt! Day, save me!"
"Go to your room and go into Cocoon Mode until I say you can come back out", Day instructed.
Rime immediately did as he was told. He hopped into the saddlebag's biggest pocket. Fluttershy saw the outside of the pocket cake over with frost and ice crystals.
"I didn't expect it to get so hot so fast", Day explained to Fluttershy. "Rime can't handle the heat for long being an Ice Kitsune."
She nodded in understanding. "I've never met an Ice Kitsune before, but I have read many books about them."
"Me too." Day replied. "And most of them are wrong. At least with Rime" He turned in an attempt to get off the subject. "Where are we going first?"
"If it's okay with you, how about to visit some of my friends? It might be a good thing if you're going to be staying for a while."
Day paused nervously. "I guess it couldn't hurt…"
"Oh, great! I know the perfect pony to meet first!" Fluttershy cheer-whispered.
Daylight let Fluttershy lead the way and followed behind. He didn't like the idea of meeting any more ponies, but for the sake of retaining his manners, he had no choice. The two walked silently along for a while. Day watched as different ponies passed them by. He grumbled. More stares. He did his best to ignore them. His attention was mostly occupied on where it was Fluttershy was taking him. His hopes were set on a very calm place. Along the way, he made sure he was keeping his composure at its best. The last thing he needed was to make a scene and draw attention to himself.
"When did you and Rime arrive in Ponyville?" Fluttershy asked.
"This morning", Day replied. Then to keep from being rude, he added, "We were camping out in a valley outside of town."
"I don't know if I could ever travel like that", Fluttershy admitted. "So many things can happen…"
"…Not many ponies can." Day looked up to the sky, "It's hard for us."
"Hard for you maybe!" Rime called from his pocket.
"Rime's just in it for the ride", Day explained.
"Am not!" Rime shouted, "I like the cakes too!"
Fluttershy laughed quietly to herself. She was about to say something, but Daylight was a second faster.
"About how long will we have to work a day", he asked to avoid any personal questions.
"Oh, well…" Fluttershy began, "I'll only need help from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. I was thinking that would be plenty of time to take care of most of the animals. I can take care of everything else after that."
"What about days off?" Rime called.
"Rime, hush." Daylight called back.
"I don't know", said Fluttershy, "What days would you like to have off?"
"Personally", Day answered, "I'll work twenty-four seven. I don't have a single problem with it. It's only Rime that needs the break. He can't handle a lot of work."
"Yes I can!"
Day ignored him. "He'll need at least every other third day to rest."
"That's fine with me", Fluttershy said with a smile. "And if you ever need a day off, Day, and I'll be fine with giving you whichever day you need for a break."
"I'll keep that in mind. A low grumble came from his stomach. Daylight chose to disregard it.
However, it brought major concern to the yellow Pegasus. Almost immediately, she asked, "Daylight, are you hungry?"
"I'll be fine", Day replied, trying to dismiss it as nothing. Then he whispered to himself, "I've starved before…"
"I don't think so."
Her tone startled the Earth Pony into stopping. It was very authoritative, yet almost as soft as usual. Before he could even open his mouth, she continued.
"No pony will go hungry on my watch", she said sternly.
Where is this coming from? He asked in his head. She seemed so delicate. Then again, he had only just met her.
"Well, since you insist, I guess I could go for something to eat", he said in semi-bewilderment.
She smiled. "What would you like to eat?"
"CAKE!" The saddlebag's pocket rustled fiercely.
Day rolled his eyes. "I'm okay with anything." He shrugged. "I'm not very picky."
"I know just the place", Fluttershy said, changing direction to one of her favorite restaurants.
Day followed without question. The less he talked, the better.
Day couldn't help but feel out of place as he sat in the booth against the back wall of wherever it was Fluttershy had brought them. It had been several years at least before he was in a public eatery. Normally he would have objected to it, but he just didn't want to say "no" to Fluttershy. He wasn't exactly sure what it was about her, but he thought it had something to do with the fact that she might be a pretty scary pony when angry.
"Day, can I come out now?" Rime moaned annoyingly.
He tested the air. "Yeah, Rime, you'll be alright in here."
"Yahoo!" The kitsune practically flew from out of the pocket and to the top of Day's head. "I smell breadsticks!"
Day sniffed the air. "And lavender."
"Ewwww, keep your nasty flowers. I just want cake." Rime rubbed his belly. A drop of drool formed at the corner of his mouth and fell into Day's mane.
"Hey!" he growled, "Manners! We are in a public restaurant and as guests of Fluttershy!"
"Oh, speaking of her", the blue fox said, "Where is she?"
"Bathroom, ordering, you got me", he answered bluntly. "She just said she'd be right back. Weren't you paying attention?"
Rime ignored the rhetorical question. "Okay, good!"
"Why is that good?"
He hopped down to the table. He was grinning widely. "Now we can talk about getting that kiss from—"
With a blush and wide eyes, Day clamped a hoof over Rime's muzzle. "Not here, furball! Better yet, not ever."
Fluttershy was flying back with the three meals she ordered for the group. She hadn't expected the food to take so long, but the delay worked to her advantage. She was just in earshot of Rime when he told Day it wouldn't be much longer until the bet was over. Whatever it was, she supposed it wasn't very important. She didn't get to eavesdrop anymore before Rime spotted her.
"Food!" He ran to the edge of the table to be the first to see what was on the menu.
"I'm so sorry it took so long, but they were backed up", she apologized.
"It's fine, Fluttershy, we're in no rush." Day replied.
"Says you!" yelled Rime. "I'm starved!"
"Well", Fluttershy told him happily, "It's a good thing I ordered a whole fruit salad just for you!"
Rime's eyes lit up like fireworks as she set the plate at the other end of the table for him to follow. "Thank you, Fluttershy!" He helped himself, aiming to devour every piece of fruit on the plate. The sweet flavor may not have been from a cake, but fruits were a close second.
"You're welcome, Rime", she giggled warmly.
Day flinched at the giggle. Luckily, Rime didn't see. The clank of a plate set down in front of him caused him to look up.
"I hope you like lavender." Fluttershy moved to sit opposite of the two boys. "It makes a great breakfast."
Day didn't even show the smallest hint of a smile. "It does…Thank you, Fluttershy."
"Oh, think nothing of it", she replied, "It's my pleasure."
Day looked down at his plate in thought. It sure was weird. Fluttershy had known them just short of two hours and she just bought them breakfast. Is this a dream, he wondered. He took a bite of his meal. The lavender's tangy flavor filled his mouth. Nope, he thought, It's real. How could somepony just buy us breakfast like this? It doesn't seem natural…
Fluttershy watched the two eat in between bites of her daffodil sandwich. She took note of how different they were. How energetic and happy Rime was. And how distant and dreary Day seemed. Day's personality worried her. Why would somepony be so sad? She thought back to the cottage when Day was tickling Rime. He wasn't smiling, but there was something in his eyes then…something that wasn't misery… And why did he stop so suddenly when she walked in? If you asked her, it was as if he didn't want her to see that. To her it was something that might be worth looking into.
Rime had finished his salad and was now standing in front of Fluttershy's plate hopefully. "Fluttershy?"
She jumped, her thoughts interrupted. "Yes, Rime?"
"Can I maybe have a slice of cake?" He gave her his best begging face.
Day looked up. "Rime…" He knew Rime wasn't being spoiled, but he hated how Rime seemed so comfortable about asking for things sometimes.
"Don't worry, Daylight, I don't mind buying Rime a slice." An idea hit her. She held out her hoof. "Day, you won't mind if I take Rime to pick out the flavor do you?"
He sighed. He already didn't feel right for letting Fluttershy buy them breakfast. A look into Fluttershy's eyes changed her mind. For some reason his head nodded on its own. Something about her eyes made him feel at peace, like all of his problems never existed. He stopped thinking about it when she walked away with Rime on her shoulder. He sighed and returned to his breakfast. At least he would have some time to think without Rime dancing on his nerves.
"So, Rime, how long have you and Day been traveling together?" Fluttershy asked on the way to the cake counter. They were by now out of earshot of Day, which was good for her investigation.
"I've been with Day for three years, but he's been traveling for six", Rime answered happily. He barely thought about what he said, the only thing on his mind was the scent of chocolate.
And that was just what Fluttershy had planned. "Three years is a long time to be real close friends, huh?"
"Yup! We're the best!" He scampered to the top of Fluttershy's head. The smell was getting stronger and was driving him crazy!
Fluttershy picked her questions out carefully. She didn't want Rime to catch onto what she was doing. She was no fool. Rime was at least two thousand years old despite his child like demeanor. If she wasn't careful, she could blow the whole investigation. "Do you have fun traveling?"
"You bet!"
"What do you do for fun?" Fluttershy asked as he scampered from her head to the cake case.
He was no longer interested in answering anymore of Fluttershy's questions. His mind was now stuck in trying to make the decision of what kind of cake he wanted. He pressed his face into the glass, looking over the different pastries with drool flowing from his mouth. He rolled his gaze over the cakes until it fell on a dark chocolate icing cake with fudge syrup crisscrossing the top. It was sprinkled with chocolate chips and fudge shavings.
"That one!" He screamed tapping on the glass.
Daylight sat quietly back in the booth. To be honest he would prefer work over the crowded diner. He watched pony after pony pass by him. He had finished his breakfast shortly after Fluttershy and Rime left for cake, so now there was nothing left to do but embrace boredom. He yawned. Oh, Celestia was he tired. He put his head down on the table. The cool surface gave him a jolt of energy, but not enough to wake him up completely. If he had to jump off a cliff to get a decent night's sleep, hesitation would be no object in his decision. He looked up in time to see Fluttershy returning with a cake-covered Rime on her shoulder. He was busy licking himself clean.
He rolled his eyes. "How's the cake, Rime?"
The kitsune only responded with, "MMM!"
"He just couldn't help himself." Fluttershy set Rime down. "He certainly loves his sweets."
"Time to go?" Day scooted to the edge of his seat hopefully.
Since Fluttershy had already eaten enough to fill her up, she nodded. Day sighed in relief. He grabbed his saddlebag. Rime hopped to the top of Day's head. The Earth Pony cringed at the saliva and chocolate covered kitsune. "I'm going to need a bath later", he mumbled to himself.
Fluttershy led them outside and to Day it looked like she was still going to introduce them to her friend. Thinking fast, he said, "Fluttershy, isn't it time to get that food and start work for the day."
"But Day", Rime whine.
"No buts, Rime."
Fluttershy looked up to see that the sun was almost directly above Ponyville. "Oh, we'll be very behind if we don't get started on our chores", she said. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to visit my friends another time…"
"That's fine with me", said Day with a silent sigh in relief.
"Mmmmrrrr…" Rime grumbled. Boy did he hate to work.
The walk back to Fluttershy's home seemed longer to Day than when they had walked to the diner. It was probably because he was so eager to get out of everypony's line of sight. The sun was still beating down, so Rime had found himself once again in Cocoon Mode in his pocket of Day's saddlebag. Fluttershy guided them in a different direction than Day remembered travelling to her cottage. It was then he realized his mistake. He forgot that they needed to go pick up the feed from a store somewhere. He followed Fluttershy through the town, wondering just how much longer it would be before heading back to the least crowded place in Ponyville.
Fluttershy was having her own problems. The urge to question Day was largely present in her mind. She wanted desperately to solve her first case, no matter how small it was. She couldn't figure out what to ask to get any closer to the answer. Maybe not all cases were solved so easily, especially for a beginner like her. All she needed was more time.
Fluttershy glanced around to see that the yellow Earth Pony was lost in his thoughts. A light blush crossed her face when he saw how innocently curious he looked.
Just more time is what she needed with him…
We finally have a kickoff! Many surprises to come, and maybe a mystery or two too.
Author's Note
Continued at last!
As the Day Goes By
Daylight remained silent as he carried the bag of feed back to Fluttershy's cottage. He and Rime were alone now as they walked back. Fluttershy gave him the directions and instructed him that all he needed to do until he got back was feed the animals. He would have been okay with that job if he wasn't walking alone in the busiest part of the day. He stared at the ground as he carried the bag on his back. He did NOT want to meet anypony's eye.
"How much farther?!" Rime complained.
"I don't know. Just pipe down", Daylight replied.
"But I CAN'T. It's my natural born instinct to annoy you!"
Day nearly laughed, "I believe that completely."
"Oh, you're no fun!" Rime sat with a huff on top of the bag of feed. The heat of the day was no longer an issue for the kitsune. Fluttershy had bought him some ice to snack on and keep him cool. It was something Day had never thought of, and it actually worked.
"Life's easier without fun", Day stated, choosing not to include his usual explanation about not ever smiling.
"Says you!" Rime hopped down and changed into a senile version of the yellow pony. "You're going to grow up to be an old grouch!"
Day rolled his eyes. "At least I'll be a happy grouch."
"How can you be happy without friends?" Rime challenged.
"Very carefully." Day ignored the painful truth, knowing Rime had no bad intentions. "I'll get friends sooner or later." He didn't know it, but by saying that he just opened himself up for an onslaught led by General Rime.
The little fox concentrated and transformed into a yellow Pegasus. "Friends like me?" Rime said in Fluttershy's voice. He batted the illusion's eyelashes flirtatiously.
Day looked away, blushing. "Stop that."
"Why?" the miniature Fluttershy moved into his field of view. "Are you nervous to look at such a pretty girl?"
Day's blush spread from his cheeks to his ears. "Rime, knock it off", he begged quietly.
Rime was enjoying himself, so now he brought out the big guns. "Aaaaawwww, you're cute when you blush."
Irritated, Day finally had his fill. "Modoso", he chanted. The spell forced Rime to change back into his kitsune form.
He was still smiling despite Day using the spell on him. "Mad much?"
Day ignored him. He continued on the path that was supposed to lead to Fluttershy's cottage. "That wasn't funny."
Rime almost laughed himself to pieces. "You should see the look on your face! I've never seen you so red!"
Day stopped, confused. He looked around. "I think we've been here before."
Rime rose up on his hind legs and gave the air a sniff. "I don't think so."
"Let the professional give it a try", Day said. He stuck his nose up and breathed in. "Yeah. And that means we're lost. Charcoal and it's a busy day…"
"Be lucky they're not staring at you", Rime said optimistically.
"True", he agreed, "But what are we supposed to do? I don't know how to get back to the western gate from here. Or the library"
"Then just walk outta town until and go around until you see it."
"You say that like it's obvious."
"It is!"
Day huffed. "Fine." Rime hopped to the top of his head as he turned. It was then he realized what horrible luck he had. He had made eye contact with the assistant librarian from earlier.
"Hello", Dream Runner said, "I see you've gotten the job."
"…Yeah."
"Need any help?"
Day quickly shook his head.
"He's lost", Rime put bluntly.
"Rime."
Dream saw that the yellow pony wasn't very sociable, so he decided to spare him the awkwardness. "From here head north until you get to the prank shop, then just like before go west."
"Thanks."
The two immediately parted ways. Day walked away as briskly as he could.
"Go faster, Day, I'm barely getting a breeze!" Rime shouted in between bites of ice.
"I'm not a fair ride, Rime." Day was barely looking where he was going. His field of vision was high enough to give him just enough heads up to keep from running into something.
"I can't wait until night. You're so much more fun, then." Rime crossed his paws when he didn't get a reply.
Day picked up his hooves a little more and began a slow gallop. He wasn't going to completely take the fun out of Rime's life.
"Woooo! That's more like it!" Rime stood up and leaned into the wind. "Faster!"
Day picked up the pace as quickly as he could. The bag of feed on his back was starting to get heavy. He hoped he wouldn't have to stop to rest before getting to Fluttershy's. The ponies were whizzing by, bringing relief to Day, as he wouldn't have to face them while running. He ran and ran, ignoring Rime's outbursts. He eventually closed his eyes to heighten his sense of ignorance to the crowded town. He didn't know it, but his hooves moved faster on their own, leaving some ponies to cringe at how close he ran to them at such speed.
"DAY!" Rime screamed.
The Earth Pony flinched and stumbled forward. He forgot about the bag on his back and wasn't able to adjust for the imbalance. He fell to the ground, leaving the bag to burst into a thousand kibbles upon exploding against the ground. "Ugh…Rime…why'd you do that?"
"You were Blind Running again", explained the Ice Kitsune. He climbed to the top of Day's chest and looked him in the face.
"Celestia, I was?" He pushed himself up and inspected the damage. The pellets of food lay scattered all over the ground. He groaned, "Oh, come on!"
"Good news!" Rime cheered. "We made it!"
Day looked around. Somehow, he managed to run into Fluttershy's yard, leaving him amazed at either how fast or how long he was running before Rime shouted. He was just about to have Rime help him clean up his mess, but another pony spoke first.
"Oh, my, what happened?" Fluttershy asked.
Day felt his body tense up. He didn't reply. He knew Rime would talk for him. All he needed to do was apologize. After what Rime did, he couldn't look Fluttershy in the face.
"Daylight tripped and the bag went like sssshhhhhbackooom!" Rime threw his paws in the air to simulate the exaggerated explosion.
"Sorry, Fluttershy." Day stood up, refusing to look at her. "I'll get it cleaned up." He stood up and began using his hooves to sweep the mess into a big pile.
"Yeah, he'll get it cleaned up", Rime said. He wouldn't have cleaned even if he wanted to. Day would take responsibility and refuse to let him clean up with him.
"I'll help you", Fluttershy declared. "Rime, there are a few bowls right inside the front door. Could you bring them here please?"
The kitsune took off for the cottage before she changed her mind.
"Are you sure?" asked Day, "I mean, it's my fault there's a mess in the first place."
"It's okay." Fluttershy smiled, "I'm sure it wasn't on purpose."
Day nodded, but kept his gaze on the ground. He wasn't going to look up until he was finished. He didn't want to look at her for fear of blushing again. Fluttershy used her tail and wings to help sweep up. With the combined effort—most of it coming from Fluttershy's ability to sweep up twice as more—they were done right after they had started. To Day's dismay, it left them alone as they waited on Rime to get back.
Fluttershy found that it was a perfect opportunity to get on with the investigation. She had Day cornered, not that she knew he was avoiding her questions. They sat awkwardly until Fluttershy decided it was time to break the silence. "Rime told me you have been traveling for six years."
Darn it Rime! He nodded. "That's right."
"You don't get lonely do you?"
"Not since I met Rime", Daylight replied.
"Doesn't he ever—"
"I'm back!" Rime came running with the bowls all stacked on his back. They were huge compared to him, but it didn't stop him from running at full speed.
Day sighed in relief. Fluttershy was prying where he didn't want her to. He would have to deal with it later. He couldn't risk letting anything about his past slip. It would only bring turmoil. He remained silent, glad that Rime was keeping Fluttershy busy with his hyperactive mouth. With the three working together, it didn't take very long to get the mess cleaned up. Day grabbed the empty, torn bag and followed the two to the cottage. He walked slower than Fluttershy. She was so absorbed in Rime that she didn't notice. It wasn't long before the cottage's wildlife once again crowded him. The animals were bolder now, and a white rabbit jumped on his back.
"Huh?" Day turned his head to see the furry creature eyeing him suspiciously. The yellow pony didn't immediately know what to do. The rabbit crossed his paws. Oh, great, Day thought, A rabbit with an attitude. He attempted to shake Angel off, but he held on tight. "Go on, get off."
The rabbit shook his head stubbornly. He began to tap his rear foot against Day's saddlebag. Daylight shook a little harder and was just short of bucking before Fluttershy intervened.
"Angel, you know better than to tease ponies." She held out her wing and the rabbit happily hopped ponies. "I'm sorry, Day, but Angel gets a little antsy around strangers." She gave him a pat. "When he gets to know you, though, you'll see he can be the sweetest thing in the world."
Day wasn't convinced with the way Angel kept glaring at him. He just arrived in Ponyville and already some small furry creature hates his very existence. He shrugged, at least Equestria's consistent. It was then he noticed that Rime had disappeared. He looked around; there was no kitsune anywhere. Come on, Rime! Now Day had to stay frosty, or risk becoming frosty. He knew Fluttershy was safe. Rime knew exactly what would happen if he attacked the yellow Pegasus. Day couldn't even think of a punishment that would be sufficient enough for an offense so bad.
So, with that knowledge, Day knew he was the priority target, which wasn't so bad considering Rime had been doing it for so long that it rarely caught the colt by surprise. He looked around, but figured it wasn't worth getting paranoid. So, he just focused on getting to the cottage. Fluttershy had already gone back scolding Angel, and forgot about Day altogether, which was a plus for him. The less time he talked to the mare, the better. The thought of her made him wonder what was left on the day's to-do list. He really wanted to get some more work out of the way to prove his work ethic, but more importantly, make sure he had less free time. He hesitated as he reached the bottom step. If he went inside, he would be alone with Fluttershy, which was not good for him.
"Nadare!"
By the time Day figured out what had happened, a small mountain of snow buried him alive. He resisted the shock of the cold and dug his way out of the snow. On the outside, he spotted Fluttershy, wide eyed and covering her mouth, and Rime sitting on top of the hill smiling down at him. "Like my new trick?"
Day glared at him. "Do it again, and I'll turn you pink."
Rime faked a gasp. "Oh, no! Good thing I figured out a way around that."
Day climbed out and, as if nothing had happened, asked Fluttershy, "What's there to do now?"
Sometime passed since the incident with the busted bag of feed, and now Day found himself with a bucket of corn in his mouth feeding Fluttershy's chickens. He waved the bucket from side to side, careful not to step on the clucking birds as they happily pecked at the ground. Day glanced over to where Rime was climbing the trees to get food to the squirrel nests. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Fluttershy feeding the fish. No eyes on him. Good. He continued with his feeding until there was no more corn in his bucket. He hung the bucket on a rusting nail, and pushed his way out of through the gate. He wasn't sure what to do now, so he left to go help Rime.
Fluttershy kept watching the Earth Pony out of her peripheral vision. She wanted very badly to keep the investigation up, but didn't know exactly what to ask him. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "Maybe I'm just not good at investigating", she told one of the salmon in the small stream. It didn't discourage her much; she was still determined to solve her first case, even if it meant it had to be her last. But how could she improve her skills even just a little? "I could read another mystery novel", she pondered. That thought gave her a brilliant idea. "Or…I can go to the library to see if Twilight has any how-to books!"
"How to do what?" Rime asked just behind her.
She nearly jumped out of her skin. "Oh, um, how to fix up, um…"
"The broken birdhouse out front?"
"Yes, that's it Rime! A few of the blue jays are really upset that they can't use it right now", she said nervously. "I'll be back in a bit. You and Day can take the rest of the afternoon off."
"Okay! I'll go tell Day!" Rime bounded off in search of the pony.
Fluttershy sighed. She didn't get caught. Slipping away, Fluttershy quickly flew into the heart of Ponyville, where she would finally get the edge she needed to solve her case. Behind her, she could still hear Rime excitedly yelling about having free time. Once she had a good altitude, Fluttershy opened her wings and glided down to just over the buildings. The library wasn't a long flight, so it wasn't much longer before her hooves touched down right on the welcome mat. The library was open for the day, letting her know a knock wasn't needed. She walked in, and the bell rang with the opening door.
"Hey, Fluttershy!" Twilight left her podium in the back of the room to greet her fellow Element.
"Hi, Twilight." Fluttershy gave her a quick hug. "I need a little help with something."
"For the last time, we aren't lost."
"Then tell me how to get back from here!"
Day growled. He just had to take Rime with him on a walk through the forest. He alone was enough to drive him crazy, and it didn't help that he was becoming increasingly stressed out. I need a vacation…
"I heard that!"
Day stopped. "What have I told you about mind-reading?!"
"Does it look like I ever do what you say?" Rime crossed his paws. "I don't have to do anything!"
"Oh, yeah", Day asked challengingly. "Then I guess you don't need me to buy your cakes anymore."
Adrenaline pumped through Rime's body. "Hey, I was just kidding! Let' not do anything we'll regret!"
"Oh, no, I won't regret it." Day smiled for the first time since walking into Everfree Forest.
"Yes you will, cuz I'll die and then you'll live with the guilt of my death on your conscience!"
Day laughed, "Ha! If worse comes to worst, then I'll just be cursed with being haunted by you!"
"That means I get cakes and you don't get haunted!"
"Deal." Day chuckled. He loved his arguments with Rime. They never ceased to amuse him.
Rime's attention got pulled away and to the surrounding woods. "Jeez, this place is deep."
"That's good", Day said happily. "We can stay longer than usual."
"Really?" Rime jumped down and looked up at Day hopefully.
He nodded. "If things keep going the way they are, then we might stay for a week or two."
"Yes!" Rime jumped back on top of Day. "We can stock up on a lot of cakes with that much time!"
"And money." Daylight broke into a medium trot. "With what Fluttershy's paying us, we'll be set for months by the time we leave."
Rime fell over. "This is awesome…"
A gentle breeze fell over the two travelers. Both remained quiet to preserve the peace. Rime managed to calm down so much that he was soon snoozing on Day's back. The Earth Pony figured he had passed out from the excitement of gaining a few ounces by devouring sweets. The forest around them was very appealing to him. There was no wildlife, and more importantly, no ponies around. Perfect.
"Thanks, Twilight!" Fluttershy called for the last time before flying back home.
Twilight waved her goodbye and closed the library door. The two books she gave Fluttershy had the Pegasus so excited Twilight was afraid that she would hurt herself. She had no idea why Fluttershy would want two investigator's guides, but shrugged it off as not important.
When Fluttershy got back, she noticed that the window of the guest bedroom she offered Rime and Day was illuminated. She almost flew up to it to eavesdrop on the two, but thought it was best to read her books first. Instead, she flew in her front door and started on dinner for them. They were going to be staying with her for a while, so it stood to reason that she was going to take care of them.
And, who knows, maybe she could get Day to smile in that time. She pictured the colt with a small grin, and giggled. "He sure would look cute if he smiled." She froze in the middle of grabbing a pot from a cabinet. "Did I just say that?" She hastily looked around to see if anypony had heard her. She sighed, she was alone.
That was, after a certain white rabbit hopped away after hearing what she had said.
Dat cuteness! This was quite hard to write with all of the delays I kept getting. I almost had to reschedule the update! Could you imagine if I was late on an update!? Anyways, I wonder just what Angel is up to, and why exactly he has a problem with Daylight…
**Poll Alert**
I have put a new poll up on my profile and I encourage all of my readers to cast a vote. It is very important that you do!
Chapter Trivia:
Since kitsunes appear in Japanese mythology, I decided to add a few Japanese words to act as spells for Day to use on Rime and for Rime to use on Day. The word "modoso" means "revert" , so Day had chanted that to get Rime to change back. And funny enough, the word "nadare" means "avalanche", so you see exactly what Rime did there.
I originally intended for Fluttershy to hold off on the investigation about midway through this chapter, but figured that a little alone time would do them both some good and deepen the plot slightly. Instead of Fluttershy going to get those books, I had her egg Day on and get him to blush a lot because she thought it was cute. I decided that it was too early on for it and went with the revision you can see now.
Day's dismal side actually comes from my old personality. I used to be very straightforward and quiet, unlike my cheery and drawn-out self today, so it's quite easy for me to characterize him.
Update in twelve days!
Evidences
Everfree Forest held a spooky peace about it. The fog gently rolled over the grass and downed trees and branches. Moonlight filtered in from the canopy of trees above, littering the atmosphere with a dull, glowing lightshow.
A single pony walked deeper and deeper into the danger filled wilderness. He walked briskly, hurrying to get away from the outskirts of the forest as possible. Dead leaves crunched under his sore hooves. Daylight paused to take a look around. "I'm still not deep enough. Charcoal, it'll be midnight by the time I get far enough from Ponyville", he said bitterly, "I should've left earlier!" He growled, picked up his hooves and moved faster, trying to keep low so he didn't attract any unwanted attention. He stumbled over a log and flipped over on his back, luckily, on a patch of soft moss. From somewhere deeper in the forest, something roared. He felt his heart stop dead. Eventually he shook his head. "I have to keep moving."
The walk he took with Rime was only to discover how thick the forest was. Now he was on an excursion to see if its depth suited his needs. Fortunately, it was so far so good. He pushed his way through more branches, keeping a watchful eye on the bright, full moon. "Is this far enough?" he wondered. A quick sniff told him that he hadn't gone much further. "I can still smell Ponyville. Not far enough." He took another step, right into a giant paw print in the ground. He ignored it. It was weeks old from what he could tell. He kept moving until he came to a large grove of blue flowers. He was just about to enter the sea of blue, but a voice called out to him, making him freeze.
Zecora's midnight stroll was cut short when a yellow pony tore past her path so fast that the tailwind ruffled her cloak. Wondering just what in the hay had happened, she followed and observed him run at a distance. He was fast for somepony his size, leaving her to run her best just to keep him in view.
She trailed him through the forest, eventually wondering if he was ever going to stop. It looked like he was fleeing from something, but it was evident he wasn't when he slowed to a walk. He kept going deeper into the forest. It didn't look like he knew where he was going. She watched him stumble and trip, stopping right before rolling into a patch of poison joke. He stood, sniffed the air, mumbled to himself, and was just about to go on until she yelled, "You there, beware!"
Day turned to see a hooded mare making her way to him. He looked up. The moon was a quarter of the way into the sky. It's getting later, I don't have time for this!
"Those who step hoof in the flowers of blue will soon find heinous jokes will come true", Zecora told him.
"Poison joke", Day muttered. He had his share of those, and couldn't believe he almost stepped in another patch of it. A slight chill ran down his back at the thoughts of what happened to him and Rime when they walked through a field of the stuff. It took a week for his fur to stop changing colors, and even longer another time when his hooves became as heavy cinderblocks.
"You are a stranger to these parts, for everypony knows that this place strikes fear into all hearts."
"I'm exploring", Day lied. "Trying to find the deepest part."
There was something very wrong with this pony, but Zecora couldn't tell what. The zebra lowered her hood. She stared right into the colt's eyes. She gave the air near him a sniff, and the foulest of all odors made her recoil with terror. "You are…"
"Don't say it", Day nearly ordered, "I know what I am. I don't want to be reminded."
"Come with me." She turned in the direction of her home. "There is much I would like to see."
Finally, maybe I'll get some help , he thought hopefully. He wasn't surprised that this zebra knew what he was. He was well aware that their strange magic and knowledge led to many advances in detecting supernatural anomalies. He decided to follow her since zebras in the past had treated him with kindness despite his curse. He still made sure that he was going to leave before it got too late. She led him through the trees to a small hut. The inside was lit by a fire, radiating much unneeded warmth. Day sighed.
Zecora guided him to a small table in the back. A crystal ball sat on top. "Please, have a seat. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
He shook his head. "Why did you bring me here?"
"Whether or not you believe me, Daylight, I have been awaiting this very night."
He nodded. "I believe it." He kept his voice emotionless. He couldn't reveal anything about himself. Not even his personality.
"Do not worry with that frown, I am not among those who wish to hunt you down."
"I figured."
She cleared her throat. "You are a very unique pony, to have hidden your mark so well, may I take a looksee?"
He held out his right hoof, knowing that it wouldn't do any good to resist. Zecora took his hoof and erased the yellow dye he stained it with. A small scar bored into the middle. It was in the shape of a cat eye. "This mark is clearly defined, how have you coped with such a sign?"
"By fighting it my whole life", he replied, taking his hoof back and holding it close. "I'm starting to control it. Every time it comes, I can delay it a little longer. I've been able to keep it from hurting anything, but it still has bloodlust."
"An admirable act, though even you know controlling it isn't a fact."
"I know."
"How long have you been running, for it takes a very stubborn pony to battle something so cunning."
Daylight stood, no longer wishing to discuss his past. "If you want to help, you already know you can't. Unless you—"
"Have a cure? I am sorry, but there are none, that I am sure."
"Then why are you keeping me in here?"
"A cure there is not, but if you want to reverse it, you definitely have a shot." Zecora placed her hooves on the ball.
She officially had Daylight hooked. He was now leaning halfway across the table. "How? Tell me!"
"Patience, my friend, soon you will know what it takes for your curse to end." She rubbed her ball, and it started glowing. "In my family we have seen this problem a lot, and a way to stop it has been given much thought."
Day settled down into the chair and listened intently. He relaxed a little too. The light from the ball got brighter, but he didn't look into it. That was her job to see the future. He wasn't about to risk seeing something he didn't want to see.
"We have come to find, that the way is to find purity for one's heart and mind."
"How? No pony can be pure." The colt was beginning to get skeptical. What she was saying didn't make any sense.
"It is hard to achieve, yes it's true, but before you tire, you must first find your deepest desire."
Deepest desire? "The only thing I want in this world is to be cured and go back to my old life", Day snapped.
Zecora ignored his reasonable outburst. "But this desire is not all you need. You have to accept it and let it grow like a seed."
When she didn't say anything else, Day stood to leave. He hardly thought she was helpful, but thought it might do him some good to keep it in mind for later. "Thanks…I have to go, I've wasted enough time."
The zebra waved him goodbye. If only he would have looked into the crystal ball. "That colt thinks have told a lie…" She gazed into the ball, where she saw a pony asleep in bed. "But that is not true is it, Fluttershy?"
Outside, Day frantically sprinted through the forest. He jumped over low vines and slid under fallen trees to make up for the lost time. He kept running faster and faster until finally he came to a clearing. "I…can't smell Ponyville anymore. This is far enough", he panted. He looked up. The moon was directly overhead. "Time to get back. I'll be lucky to get any sleep tonight."
He turned on his hooves and walked straight back. He traced his scent through the trees. Now he had a game plan. He had found someplace to lay low. "I still can't risk staying here", he said sadly. "No matter what, I have to move on eventually." A brisk picture of Fluttershy flashed in his mind. "She'll have to find a new helping hoof when that time comes."
Since he didn't have the energy to do anything beyond walking, he figured it would be dawn by the time he got back to Fluttershy's. He would have to deal with working through the day on no sleep. He walked on, ignoring the many spooky and dangerous sounding creatures Everfree Forest had to offer. He no longer kept his eyes on the moon, just on the path ahead. Eventually, Celestia's sun took over the sky, dimly illuminating the sky with a dull gray.
Fluttershy awoke with the crack of dawn. She didn't hesitate in rolling out of bed and quickly starting the day off. There was much to do now that Day and Rime were living in her guest bedroom. "First, I'll make them breakfast", she said cheerfully on her way down to the kitchen. "Then, we can make the duty schedule."
The new help relieved so much stress she had brought down upon herself. Ever since she agreed to become Ponyville's chief pet sitter, tons of animals had arrived at least once a day. Day and Rime alone had already taken care of many of the things she hadn't been able to get to, and she decided they deserved a real, warm Ponyville welcome.
Angel had already made it to the table when she got there, and was impatiently tapping his paw against the hard wood. Needless to say he wasn't very happy with how she was two minutes late. Fluttershy offered him a meek smile before fetching him a carrot to hold him over until breakfast. "I'm so sorry Angel, I hope you aren't too mad at me."
The rabbit forgave her after a bite of the orange vegetable. He happily munched away as she gather the necessary materials for Rime and Day's breakfast. She was sure they would like to wake up to breakfast in bed, so she grabbed two trays so they could do just that. Angel watched her behind his chewing and wondered what had gotten into the yellow Pegasus. She was never that excited or giddy when she was making him breakfast. He saw nothing special about the two arrivals and was starting to wonder what was going on.
To save time, Fluttershy made small breakfast of orange juice, assorted berries, and flowers she picked from her tulip garden. She made her jealous pet his favorite meal of a Variety Salad, consisting of carrots, blueberries, cherries, assorted leafy vegetables, and whipped cream. The sun was barely up when she climbed the stairs to deliver the trays to the boys. She balanced the trays carefully on her back to free her hooves and wings. She wished she had something baked for Rime, but her trip to Sugarcube Corner had been delayed this week. She would have to just surprise him at lunch time. For now, she focused on feeding Day and Rime.
Day lay awake in the bed Fluttershy generously allowed him to use until he got a hotel room. He had just climbed back through the window of the two story room from the long walk back from Everfree forest. He rubbed his hooves together. They briefly stung before the sensitivity eased. In order to get back earlier, he walked through a large patch of thorns. The scratches rose from the bottom of his hooves to as far as his shoulders. A sigh escaped his mouth. He sure was going to have a blast coming up with an explanation for them.
"Why?" he asked himself, examining his scratches. "Why does this have to happen?" He blinked away the tears that threatened to flow down his face. "Come on, Day. You don't cry anymore."
"ZZZzzzZZZcccaaaackckck!" Rime snored loudly. He was curled up into a tight ball on one of the pillows.
Day smiled and gently closed the kitsune's drooling mouth. "I guess there is still something I do all this for." He stretched.
Just as he yawned, a soft knock came through the door. Day panicked and hurriedly climbed under the blanket, ignoring the friction on his scrapes. He cleared his throat. "Come in", he called groggily.
The door opened just enough for Fluttershy to poke her head through. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"
He shook his head. "I was about to get up anyway."
"I'm sorry", Fluttershy apologized, "I woke up early and I wanted to bring you and Rime breakfast. You don't have to eat it right now if you aren't awake…"
Daylight stared at her. She was treating them like royalty. He knew it wasn't right and had to put a stop to it. "Umm…you don't have to do all of these special favors for us. We only work for you, we're not exactly—"
"Oh, I don't mind", Fluttershy interrupted. She frowned. "But if it bothers you, I can stop." She looked away, in Day's opinion, shamefully. She walked in a little further, revealing that she was carrying two trays on her back.
What's going on? Why does she get so sad so fast? "It's okay, Fluttershy. It's just that I don't think that we deserve it."
"Of course you do", Fluttershy responded. "You and Rime are the hardest workers I have ever seen!"
Day blushed. Scratching the back of his head, he modestly said, "Not really…we just do what we're paid too."
Fluttershy almost dropped the trays in shock. "I-I'm so sorry, Day, I forgot to pay you yesterday!"
"It's fine, Fluttershy." He used his mouth to pull the blanket closer to his face. "I can wait on the bits."
Apparently she didn't hear him. She set the trays down on the bed and quickly left without saying a word.
Day almost chased after her to calm her down, but forced himself to stay. "Don't get attached, Day", he told himself. "Doesn't make it any easier to leave."
"We're still leaving?"
Day emerged from the blanket to see Rime standing over his face. He nodded. "Sorry, Rime. You know the rules."
"Ugh, this smells like you after a week!" Rime shouted.
"You say that every time", Day pointed out. He sat up.
The kitsune huffed. He bounced across the bed to one of the trays. "Fluttershy's real nice."
Day didn't comment. The last thing he wanted to do was agree and move the bet into Rime's favor. Instead, he yanked the blanket, sending Rime into the air.
"Aaaah!" he screamed on the trip up and back down. He hit the bed with a small yelp. He looked up to see the Earth Pony almost cracking a half smile. He growled in irritation. "You did that on purpose!"
"Of course I did", Day replied with a hint of "duh" in his voice.
Rime stood up and held out his paws. "Yuki-dama!" Nothing happened. "Oh, come on! Yuki-dama!"
"Next time try pelting me with a snowball when you're not tired." Day gave Rime a smug pat on the head.
"I'm not tired, I'm hungry!"
"That doesn't surprise me."
Rime ignored him and rushed the trays again. He managed to get to them this time since Day decided not to flip him into the air again. He first went for the blueberries. He shoved five in at a time and ate noisily to annoy Day. The yellow pony rolled his eyes. He got down from the bed and rummaged through his saddle bag he had set in a chair in the corner of the room. From one of the bigger pockets, he withdrew a container of yellow dye. It was the exact same shade as his coat. He popped the lid and dabbed his left hoof into the half empty jar of paste. In stroking motions, he applied a thin layer to the surface of his right hoof. The red cat eye disappeared.
Rime, who was watching him, asked, "What's with all the scratches?"
"Thorns", Day replied. "But they're already starting to heal."
"What're you gonna tell Fluttershy?"
"I went for a walk and tripped."
"Not even I believe that." Rime swallowed the now semi-digested berries.
"It'll work", Day sighed.
"You need a backup plan."
"You need to stop talking with your mouth full."
"Oh, my mouth's not full." Rime stuffed his face with as much food as he could. "Noh iths fol!"
Day snapped the lid back on the jar. "Good luck swallowing all that." He put the jar back in the bag, unaware that some dripped onto the floor. He turned back to the bed to see that Rime had already devoured his breakfast and was eying the food on the other tray. "Don't even think about it furball. I'm still starving."
"Awww, but you'll live!" Rime rubbed his stomach. "I'm skinny and malnourished!"
Day looked down at him. "I'll make you a deal."
"What?"
"If you don't eat my breakfast, I'll buy you a cake for dinner."
"Cake for dinner?!" Rime repeated ecstatically. He narrowed his eyes. "Wait, this isn't a trick is it?"
Day shook his head. "I mean it."
"Woohoo!"
Day sat next to the celebrating kitsune to eat. Upon the first bite, the Earth Pony had a feeling that the day ahead was going to be a good one.
Nearly in tears, Fluttershy frenetically searched around her room for her emergency stash of bits. The First Bank of Ponyville wasn't open yet and the guilt of forgetting to pay Day was eating at the poor mare's conscience. It had been so long since she had last needed to use the reserve cash, so the whereabouts were practically unknown. She ran from one wall to another, knocking books from her tables and nearly trampling Angel, who managed to hop out of her path just as her hoof clopped to the ground where he was watching her rummage around. She opened her closet. At the very top in plain view sat a large sack of bits. She sighed in relief and brought it down to the floor. She opened it and dished out the right amount into a small bag she flew around the room with in her mouth.
Fluttershy calmed down when the last bit landed in the pile. She turned to see her destroyed room. "Oh, my…Was that me?"
Angel nodded. He hopped to Fluttershy's back now that she wasn't running around like a madmare. She put the bigger bag of bits back in its original place. Making a mental note to clean up her room later, she carried Angel to the living room. She dropped the bag of bits for Day on the table. Pacing followed as she began to wonder whether or not day would want to work for her anymore. Or even talk to her anymore.
She only managed to put a shallow rut in the floor before Day and Rime came down for the day. She immediately snatched the bits from the table and thrust them into his hooves, causing him to drop the two trays he carried from the bedroom.
"I'm sorry, Day!" she cried. "I'll pay you on time for now on I promise!"
The Earth Pony stared at her. "I told you, Fluttershy: We can wait. I know you will pay us."
"Yeah! You're acting crazy!" Rime added, which earned him a well-earned smack in the head. "Hey! What was that for!?"
"Manners", Day growled in response.
Fluttershy blinked. She WAS acting crazy. Looking back, decimating her room and taking bits from her stash that was for emergencies only wasn't like her at all. So…why did she do it? She knew she had to apologize before trying to figure that out. "I'm sorry, Day. I don't know what happened…"
There she goes with the apologies again… Day mentally facehoofed. "It's fine, Fluttershy."
"What are we doing today?!" Rime asked off-topically.
Fluttershy regained her composure. "First we're going to make a duty chart, so that everypony has something specific to do during the day. I think it's the best way we can do it."
"Works for me", Day said indifferently.
"I wanna feed the chickens!" Rime shouted.
Fluttershy giggled at his silliness. Unfortunately, Angel saw Day jump at the slight sound. The rabbit smiled smugly. He bounced away, unnoticed.
"Okay, Day, would you and Rime mind taking care of the morning feedings? If you do, then I can take care of cleaning up the morning messes and clean the inside burrows and nests."
"After that?" Day asked.
"When you finish feeding the animals", Fluttershy said, "I should be done inside. Then I can come out to help you clean the pens."
"Then lunchtime!" Rime added.
"Yes, Rime, then we can have lunch." Fluttershy turned to Day. "After that we'll check on the rest of the animal and make sure they are all doing well."
"Let's get to it then", Day said as soon as she finished. He placed the bits on the table. And picked up the trays. From the corner of his mouth, he said, "I'll go ahead and get these in the kitchen." With Rime now on his back, he left the room. Fluttershy's tour the day before was extremely helpful. He already had the pattern he wanted to use for his chores picked out. He left the trays on the kitchen table on his way out the back door. From there he and Rime got a healthy wave of warm air. It wasn't as hot as the day before, so Rime didn't need ice to chew on.
From the kitchen door, Day made his way to the chickens. Rime hopped down and bounced ahead. He hopped the small gate. Day followed, grabbing a pail from the post near the feed storage. He filled his bucket and began his chore. The chickens swarmed the area around him. He swayed from side to side, making sure to spill the corn evenly so the birds didn't fight over piles.
Fluttershy had just finished making her bed when she noticed that she had knocked one of Twilight's books to the floor. She inspected it to find that there wasn't any damage. The page she left off on was still marked. The night before, she fell asleep reading the chapter about evidence collecting and suspicious behavior. Thoughts about raiding Day's room for anything to point out what his and Rime's bet was about passed in and out of her head. She respected ponies' privacies and wouldn't dream about entering their personal space like that. The bad thing was she couldn't even dream up what their bet was about. The two thoughts battled it out in her head.
Once Fluttershy was done with her room, she moved onto the living room. The only work to be done was fluffing the pillows on her couch. She was about to skip over the chore, but then noticed Day's sack of bits still on the table. Knowing that it couldn't stay there, she grabbed it up and flew it upstairs. The Pegasus was a bit surprised when she opened the door to that the hard workers she hired were a bit lazy. The bed was a mess! The blankets and sheets were in total disarray and one of the pillows was MIA.
Knowing that Day and Rime would be working outside all day, she decided to make their bed for them. She set the bits down on the dresser near the door. She stripped the queen size and started from the beginning by replacing the sheets. Next was a poufy blanket she found was very comfortable if laid underneath a third sheet. Fluttershy stretched the final fitted sheet over the bed. Once it was tucked in, she moved on to the blanket. She took both ends of the long side and flew over the bed. She pulled the blanket from the foot of the bed and gently smoothed it over the top. She found the pillow that was missing beside the bed on the opposite side.
She picked it up, but stopped after noticing something odd on the floor. A small drop of yellow liquid shone in the light. Fluttershy curiously scooped it up. It left a smear trail behind her hoof. It didn't have a smell. When she rubbed her hooves together, she found it stained her fur a richer yellow. Attempts to rub it away were futile. Whatever it was, it was going to be staying for a while. "Why is this on the floor in the first place?" she asked herself. It was strange; there was no sign of the yellow substance anywhere else in the room. The smear on the floor gave her an idea. She remembered in one of her mystery books that the main detective had found something he couldn't identify, so he collected it for lab testing.
In a rush of excitement, Fluttershy flew down to the cupboard next to her staircase. She grabbed the most professional-looking cup she had. It wasn't a test tube, but she could still have somepony analyze it. That thought made her tingle. She was just like Inspector Lestrein! Knowing that the bigger the sample she had the easier it was to identify it, she brought a rubber spatula and a dropper back to Day's room. She carefully scraped it into a small puddle and soaked it up with the dropper. She kept making puddles of what the dropper didn't suck up until there wasn't a molecule of the stuff left. When she finished, only the bottom of her cup had been barely covered. "This still should be enough", she hypothesized. "Inspector Lestrein usually found less…"
With her supplies in hoof, Fluttershy left the now-fully-tidy bedroom. The spatula and dropper settled in the sink, but the cup found a home atop Fluttershy's refrigerator. "I'll get you to the lab as soon as I can", she said with a huge smile. It felt so neat to be a detective!
The kitchen wasn't very messy with the exception the breakfast dishes. Those could wait until lunch when there would be a need, so she simply set the trays in the sink. Most of the animals were outside enjoying the day, leaving the house virtually empty. A few mice scampered about in games of tag and hide-and-seek. She checked around for any nests that needed to be cleaned up. One or two nests here and there needed a couple twig replacements, but other than that, they were all clean.
Fluttershy felt a bit guilty that she sent Day and Rime out in the heat while she did the little work in the cool cottage. She left the room for the backyard, where she would hopefully find the two. She made her way to the chicken pen to discover that they were pecking at the few remaining kernels Day and Rime had scattered around for them. The feeding pail swayed on its nail in the breeze.
Taking to the sky, Fluttershy set out in search for the duo. She didn't have to look for long; Day and Rime were feeding the fish in the stream. Day supervised Rime as the kitsune sprinkled the flakes of food into the water. They both watched the flakes disappear with every peck from the salmon and trout. She landed a few feet behind them. The two were talking about something, so she crept closer to eavesdrop.
"Fish are cool!" Rime shouted.
Day didn't respond. He rubbed his hooves together. The scratches on his hooves were nearly gone, leaving only the memory of the painful scrapes. His ear twitched. Somepony was behind them. They were upwind of whomever it was, but Day didn't need a scent to know who. "Sorry, Fluttershy, we got a little behind looking for the fish food."
The mare jumped. How did he know she was there? To avoid being suspicious, she replied as clearly as she could, "It's okay, Day. I was just coming out to help you."
"The only thing left to do is clean the pens", Day stated. He finally turned around.
"You already fed all of the animals?" she asked in disbelief.
He nodded. "We don't like to waste time", he reminded her, "We also checked the burrows and nests around the yards. Everything seemed—"
"A-Okay!" Rime finished loudly.
If Fluttershy was impressed yesterday, there were no words to describe her amazement. In just one hour, they had done nearly everything it took her to do in a day! She stared at them, lost for words.
Daylight found that she was mainly staring at him. Nervousness crept in through the backdoor of his mind and made itself at home across his nose in the form of a blush. He cleared his throat in an attempt to make it go away. "Let's get the pens cleaned now. Umm…how do you usually do that?"
Her voice finally returning, she said, "There is a water hose I use to spray the pens out next to the pigs. It's long enough to reach all the way around the house."
"We'll get started on it."
"Day!" Rime whined, "You're working way too hard! Take a break, go slower, stop dragging me with you!"
The colt sighed. "We're almost done, Rime."
"If it's okay", Fluttershy interjected, "Rime can come with me to gather the chicken eggs before we clean it."
"Fine by me."
"Yay! Eggs!"
Day left the two for the backyard. The separation was an instant relaxer for his nerves. Between Rime and the work, he was easily worked up on the inside. He could now focus on calming down and not exploding in a fiery rage of venting his anger. As he walked by the fence of the pen, the pigs gathered up to follow him, hoping he was bringing more food for them. Taking a look at them he saw that they were crusty with drying mud. Their puddle of mud looked more like a shallow bowl of dust. Day spotted the hose coiled near a small shed he assumed held the well.
He grabbed the brass head and wedged it in the fence aimed at where the mud used to be. With a swift kick to the handle, the faucet unleashed a thin torrent of water. The force dislodged the hose from fence. Like a snake it whipped back and forth, spraying water in all directions. Day decided to cut the water after his third failed attempt to catch the runaway rubber gardening tool and getting blasted in the face by freezing water. He shook himself dry.
The pigs squealed in delight at their revived mud hole. They were no longer interested in Day now that they were wallowing in the cool mud. He watched them for a few seconds before coiling the hose back into its original place. The last few inches of it fell into place in exactly the same place he found it. Except now it was yellow. He looked around to see yellow hoof prints staining the ground. He growled. The water washed away the dye! He checked his hoof. The cat eye was still covered. He blew on the wet dye. Once it was dry he dragged his left hoof across grass. The dye faded with every pass. He left once it was all smeared into the ground.
"Here's one, Fluttershy!" Rime grabbed the egg he found in the nest situated against the far wall.
"Good job, Rime!" she congratulated. He opened his jaws and released the egg into her basket. "Is that the last one?"
He nodded vigorously. "Yup!"
She set the basket on top of the chicken coop. "Now we have to move the nests so that the chickens won't have to build them again."
"Got it!"
Fluttershy left Rime to collect Day and the water hose. She could hear her pigs squealing in the backyard. It sounded like they were splashing in the mud. Day must have already cleaned out their pen. She looked around for him, but he had since left. She found the hose tightly wound up next to the shed. She reached for it, but stopped. There was that yellow stuff again. The sun had dried it to a crust on the brass nozzle. "I definitely need to get that sample to the lab." Her insides cheered.
"Fluttershy! Fluttershy!"
She turned to see Rime bouncing up to her. "I got the nests moved! We can clean the coop now!"
Fluttershy picked up the hose and draped it over her shoulder. "Let's go get it cleaned up."
"Alright! Operation chicken coop cleanup is a go!"
"Rime, you're so silly!"
"No, I'm cool!" He blew a small puff of crystalized vapor into the air. "Oh, yeah!"
She giggled. Instead of leading her back to the chicken coop, Rime climbed to the top of her head. "Hey, Fluttershy, your mane is like a waterfall!" He hid in the curve. "It's so cool!"
"Thank you, Rime."
"Welcome!"
They went back to the chicken coop. The chickens scratching around paid the two no mind as they scratched around for worms and crickets. Rime had gathered the nests and put them all on the top of the henhouse. The vacant inside was ready for a thorough spraying. Fluttershy had forgotten one thing, though. With a blush, Fluttershy asked, "Rime, could you go turn the water on for me?"
"You betcha!" In a flash, Rime was running atop the hose on his way back.
He giggled everytime he fell off the rubber tube. He bounced along the green hose until he found where it stopped. It took a little muscle, but he managed to push the handle loose. The water whined as it snaked its way through the hose. "Woo! I did it!" The kitsune screamed to the sky.
He was just about to leave when something caught his attention.
"Psst!"
Rime's head shot around. He didn't see anything. That was, until a white rabbit poked his head out from his hiding spot behind the shed. "Pssss-sst!" He waved him over.
"Oh, hey, you're that rabbit!" He playfully frolicked over.
Angel withdrew a few feet to give Rime enough room to hide with him. The rabbit didn't hesitate. Before Rime could compliment the excellent place to hang out, Angel opened his mouth first. "You're friend…I know what he is!"
The kitsune stared in the face of a ghost. "W-what?"
Making Things Complicated
Making Things Complicated (Stupid Feelings)
"That's right", Angel confirmed solidly. "Day's crushing on Fluttershy."
Rime stared back at the snow white rabbit in relief. "Oh, well, duh!" he chuckled nervously. "It took you this long to see that!? I knew it the whole time!"
"Sorry I didn't get the memo", Angel retorted in a huff. "Anyways, I have a feeling that Fluttershy is kinda crushing back."
"Really?"
He nodded. "I know Fluttershy better than anypony. She's definitely acting weird around him."
"Okay…" Rime rubbed his head. "Why are you telling me?"
"Don't you want to see them happy together?"
Rime frowned. "I just wanted to win that bet I have with him."
"Well, I for one think they would be really cute together", Angel said honestly. "And Fluttershy's too meek to do it on her own, and by the looks of it, Day doesn't realize his feelings yet. They'd make the perfect couple."
Figuring it would be wise not to question the rabbit's gender, Rime shrugged. "Okay, why not? Let's play matchmaker!"
Daylight looked around the rabbit pens one last time. They seemed pretty happy with the new hay treat he left for them. That settled his thoughts on one problem. Now that their pen was clean, there was nothing left to do. "Ah, charcoal", he said to himself, "Maybe Rime was right. I should take it slower. Fluttershy can't pay us for eight hours if we finish in one."
He sighed in slight frustration, then yawned deeply. If lack of sleep was a new condition for him, Day would probably have complained about it. "I should go let Fluttershy know that I'm finished. Maybe I can take the rest of the day to rest before…" His voice trailed off. Refusing to remind himself of what was bothering him, he left for the chicken coop to find his kitsune and his employer.
Hopefully Rime wasn't annoying her too much. The last thing he needed was the kitsune to get them fired. The walk wasn't long, but it sure felt that way on his still-healing hooves. The scars were only just present to still cause him pain, but no pony would be able to tell there were ever scratches in the first place. A sigh escaped his mouth as he yawned again. Around the bend of the cottage, neither Fluttershy nor Rime could be found. The chickens happily clucked in their pen, leaving Day to wonder just where the two had gone. One of the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, but he ignored it. Had he been a little more paranoid, he would already be tearing through the cottage looking for the kitsune. But Rime wasn't so careless anymore. He learned through the years to keep their lives secret at whatever cost.
Day didn't know he wouldn't find Fluttershy. The mare was too busy collecting her second sample of the mysterious yellow goo that covered the last few inches of her garden hose. The two very different places she found it further added to her questions. "First, in Day's room, and now, outside…"
The squealing pigs behind her gave her mind something to think about. Day did fill the pig pen with mud. Maybe he saw it too...there had to be a connection. She used her dropper to place it with the first collection. The Pegasus left to go find the yellow Earth Pony and his kitsune companion. Rime never came back after turning the hose on. She shrugged it off as the two-tailed fox's short attention span probably had him chasing butterflies around the yards. Day would be easier to find, so she set off in look for the bigger target.
Along the way, she checked off the day's chores as she passed the cleaned pens and fed animals. "I never knew how fast everything could get finished with help. I should have started hiring a long time ago…" She looked up to the sky to collect her thoughts. The vast clear blue abyss helped clear her mind of all of the confusion and stress the morning and her mystery had already brought her. Using the gentle breeze, she took to the air. It wasn't long before she found Day poking around the blueberry bushes next to the front porch. Before flying down to talk to him, Fluttershy stayed behind to watch him dig through the shrubs. She had no idea what he was doing, but whatever it was, he was doing it adorably. Just like a puppy looking for a lost toy. She giggled silently to herself while she watched.
"Rime!" she heard him call, "Where are you!?"
Day's nose was too focused on the ground to catch Fluttershy's scent behind him. He dug farther into the hedge in hopes of picking up kitsune on his nasal radar. "When I find him…"
Fluttershy cleared her throat politely. It was just barely audible, but Day's ears picked it up like a volcano eruption. He jumped into the air and spun around to see her standing just feet behind him. Why didn't I hear her earlier?!
"Sorry", she quickly apologized, "I didn't mean to scare you."
He shook the terror out of his face. "No, it's fine. I thought you were Rime trying to avalanche me again."
"I was wondering", Fluttershy said to change the subject, "If you know what this is?" Fluttershy studied his face as she brought out her small jar of yellow dye.
He shook his head, "No." His face held no signs that he was lying.
"I thought you might. I found some next to your bed and on my garden hose. I thought you would have at least seen it."
"Sorry, but no, Fluttershy", he repeated.
"Hmm…Maybe Rime will know."
It was a good thing she didn't see his eyes widen. If she did she would have had a sure sign that he was worried. Rime couldn't lie to save his cakes. He had to discourage her from going to him. "Good luck finding him. I've been looking all over the cottage."
"Oh, I'm sure I can find him", she assured. She turned to start leave but looked back. "There are no more chores to do, so you can have the rest of the day off. I'll still pay you for a whole day's work."
Despite wanting to tell her that it wasn't necessary, he nodded. "Okay, Fluttershy." The second her back was turned, he put his nose to the ground and quickly began to determine which of the many smells matched Rime's. Like a bloodhound, he set out to track the kitsune down. He knew it would be tough since Rime always caught a ride on him. The whenever he would get a whiff of the scent he wanted, the smell of his own tail would throw him off. Regardless of the difficulties he was experiencing, Day had faith that he would find Rime before Fluttershy did.
Fluttershy had absolutely no intentions to look for Rime. The small encounter with her employee motivated her to get to know him even better. She liked it when he talked and if she could pry open his shell a little more, he might just have a conversation with her. The only problem was that he was being incredibly sneaky about not talking to her. She knew of a way, however, to get that colt face to face with her whether he liked it or not. No pony could resist a little Fluttershy charm.
She grabbed a sunhat from the coat rack by her door and her small flower purse. The jar of dye, she set on her living room table. She could get it to Twilight for tests later. The mystery was officially on hold for now. All that plagued her mind was the yellow Earth Pony. She hadn't thought about it much, but was beginning to think that she was starting to… "Like him?" she asked herself. She smiled a little. "Maybe…"
There was only one way to confirm it, and that was to get closer to the unsocial pony. What better way to do that other than taking him out to lunch. The sun was almost at the highest point in the sky when she reemerged from her home. The sounds of peace were occasionally interrupted by Day yelling out to Rime somewhere in the back yard. To her that sounded like a good place to go pick him up.
"And you're sure you hid your scent well enough?" Angel asked for the third time.
"Ugh, yes already!" Rime sighed. "I transformed into you and hopped around a little bit. There is absolutely, positively, no way he's going to find us."
"Fine. And Fluttershy doesn't know about this place, so we're completely safe", Angel explained.
"So, what's the plan, Ears?" Rime teased.
"Call me that again and it'll be my foot in your face", the rabbit threatened.
Rime stood up on the offensive. "You wanna go? I'll have you frozen before your nose twitches again!"
Angel took a deep breath. "Let's come up with a plan before we tear each other apart", he suggested.
"Deal!" Rime plopped back down on his hindquarters. He sighed seriously. "Okay, Day already knows I'm going to try to get them to kiss, so he's already onto me."
"That's why we're not going to get them to kiss", Angel replied. "We're going to make them fall in love."
Something in the deep regions of Rime's memories clicked. He couldn't exactly remember what it was, but it made him feel really uneasy. "I don't know about that…" He put a paw to his head in concentration. "As much as I hate to say it, we can't stay for very long…we're just passing through…"
"Don't worry. I can help you two get a place to live here in Ponyville. Not a problem."
"It's not that it's—" Rime flinched. He almost created a disaster.
"If you don't have the bits that doesn't matter. I can still help you." Angel saw that Rime was still unconvinced. "And besides, once Day falls in love, he'll want to stay anyway."
Rime's mouth disobeyed everything his brain was telling it to do. Knowing every possible risk and danger, he answered, "Okay, let's do it."
From outside the hollowed tree, they heard Daylight calling out. "Rime! Rime where are you!? I need you here, now!"
Angel nodded to the hole, "Go ahead before he gets suspicious. Just be back right after sunset."
Rime nodded and dove out of the hole. Just before hitting the ground, he transformed into a leaf, drifted gently to the trees roots, and hopped back up unscathed. He frolicked toward Day, who had turned away just as Rime hit the ground. "I'm right here! Sheesh, stop yelling!"
Day snapped back around to sternly look into the kitsune's face. "Fluttershy found some of my dye. If she asks you about it, fake ignorance and don't you dare say a single word!"
Rime stepped back in fear. "O-okay, Day. L-let's calm down now…" He watched as Day let out a few heavy sighs. "Better?"
Day nodded. "Sorry, Rime. I, uh…" his voice trailed off while his composure struggled to regain itself.
"Lost it again…"
The Earth Pony met Rime's eyes in silent agreement. Day held out his hoof to the kitsune. Rime climbed to the top of his head and together they set off quietly and aimlessly for the cottage. The breeze offered the only solution for the silence. Day kept his eyes on the grass as his hooves delivered the two of them to Fluttershy's kitchen. As if Day's bad luck would have it, the yellow Pegasus had just walked in from the opposite side. Immediately, the Earth Pony diverted his eyes to Fluttershy's collection of expensive china on display near the pantry.
Rime hopped from his pony transport to the table. "Hey, Fluttershy!"
"Hello, Rime", she returned happily.
Rime scanned her face for any signs of the impending questions Day feared. Fortunately, she only looked like she wanted to watch Day study her plates. Rime switched his gaze back and forth between them with a grin. He watched the way Fluttershy stared at his partner. Whoa, that Angel rabbit was right…
Attempting to get Day's attention, Fluttershy cleared her throat. It came out as a squeak that not even Rime's sensitive ears could pick up. She tried again with a little more loudness and got a better result.
Day jumped in surprise. "Sorry, Fluttershy, did I forget to do something?"
"Oh, no", Fluttershy quickly replied, "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go someplace for lunch, since we have no more chores to do for the day. It's okay if you don't want to…"
I know I shouldn't…but how can I say no to her? Day stood dumbfounded. His instincts, better judgment, and some other third thing in his mind made it difficult to come to an answer. Then, for some crazy reason, he turned his attention to Rime for help. The kitsune nodded in comprehension and secret intention.
"Yeah, he'll go!" Rime exclaimed. "He'd love to spend a little time away from work! I'm not that hungry, so I'll stay here and play with Angel for a while."
If looks could kill, Daylight would be soon burying the obnoxious kitsune without a second thought. His glare pierced Rime with all of its might, but had no effect. He still stood with the widest smile on his face.
The near-deadly standoff was interrupted by Fluttershy, who forgot to ask if that's what Day really wanted. "Oh, that's fantastic!" she cheered with a decimal peak of about forty-five.
The stallion looked at Rime in a way that suggested he was internally screaming, "What have you done!?"
Despite the threatening glances, Day's partner was very satisfied. He now couldn't wait to tell Angel what he just did. They didn't even have to come up with much of a plan now. Everything would fall into place by itself now.
On the outside of her home, Fluttershy smiled at how easy it was to get Day out and about with her. She didn't even have to do that one trick that Rarity had taught her in the event of a colt playing hard-to-get. Maybe things would go her way during the rest of their time out.
Day figured he must be holding an unofficial record. Ponyville Park was packed with picnickers enjoying the beautiful day. He waited at the table he and Fluttershy were "lucky" enough to get. His mind was practically shut down with his lack of sleep, but that didn't stop it from trying to figure out just why he didn't come up with some excuse to get out of lunch. Everytime he got close, something would shove a very detailed image of Fluttershy's eyes over the environment. I'm not stupid…I know why…
He sighed heavily. "This is just great…"
"What's great, Day", asked Fluttershy on her way back from the sandwich stand rolling around the park. She set two sandwiches on the table.
"Oh", Day lifted his head up. "You know, the weather…its real sunny today."
He bashfully turned his attention to the sky. Fluttershy smiled at how adorable he looked. "Do you like the sun?" she attempted for conversation.
He nodded. "It's where I got my name…and my Cutie Mark…" Everything Day used for his years of shutting himself out from the world, every little safeguard, disappeared when he stood up to show her the image on his flank. It was two mountains opposite the sun, which was high above them in the direct center casting golden light down on a valley. "It changes as the sun moves across the sky, so in a few minutes the sun won't be where it is now." Day's heart froze over in fear when he fully realized what he had just done. What's happening to me? I've never had a reaction like this!
"That's amazing", Fluttershy commented, "I've never heard of a pony having a moving Cutie Mark."
"I'm the only one I know", Day said before he could stop himself. At that point he realized that being unsociable wasn't going to happen and focused on safeguarding himself from slipups that might give away his past. He took a deep breath and concentrated on keeping his smiles at bay and blocking anything from his mind about his life outside what was presently going on.
"I wish my Cutie Mark could move." Fluttershy smiled shyly at what she said. It was a somewhat pitiful attempt to compliment him more, but it seemed to work. Day looked away again. This time, it looked like his cheeks were slightly pink. She strained her eyes to see, but when he cut his eyes in her direction, she quickly looked away.
"It's nothing that special, really", he said just above a whisper, "…Not many ponies can even tell…"
Fluttershy was beside herself with excitement. The once shy and closed up Day was beginning to open up to her! When she glanced at him again, she saw what color his eyes were for the first time. They were the deepest color of spring green she had ever seen. She studied them in detail for as long as she could, which was until Day looked down at the sandwiches she had bought for them.
"…What kinds", he mumbled embarrassingly.
"Just plain daisy sandwiches", she answered while her blush slowly faded away. She pushed his across to him. "I hope you like it; I should have asked you before ordering…"
He unwrapped it. "…It's fine."
Fluttershy let him go ahead and have his first bite while she worked on more conversation material. She was getting the hang of talking to him more and more as time went by, but the only problem was finding things to talk to him about. He seemed pretty closed off about himself, so that seemed to be the best thing for her to press. "So, um, where did you and Rime stay before coming to Ponyville."
"Like I said yesterday", he said between bites, "We were camping in a little valley west of Ponyville. I think my map said its name was Daffodil Dell…"
"What was the last town you visited?" Fluttershy finally got hers unwrapped and was just taking a bite when he answered.
"…A small town named Petalburg. We didn't stay long…"
"Why is that?"
Day didn't respond. Instead, he pretended he didn't hear her over his chewing. Determined to keep him talking, Fluttershy let it slide and changed the subject. "Where are you from, Day?"
The Earth Pony found her question to be the opposite of intrusive. It actually kick started his heart with a little happiness. "One of the western Japonies islands", he replied. "Ambleshima, meaning "peace among spirits."
"Do you miss it?"
He shook his head. "Not much…I hardly remember it…"
"You poor thing." Fluttershy almost placed her hoof on his, but refrained. He probably wouldn't like being touched. "You've been traveling for that long?"
For the first time in his life, Day saw another pony genuinely sympathizing him. He almost didn't know how to react, but luckily he wasn't that foalish. "It hasn't been a problem for us", Day stated before mumbling, "Unless you consider the countless times we nearly died…"
"That doesn't matter", Fluttershy nearly exclaimed, "No pony should have to be so far away from their family and home for so long…"
"Trust me when I say it's best for everypony that I stay gone and on the road." He took the final bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly.
Fluttershy retreated to her sandwich to mull over more conversation ideas. She didn't know it, but the way she was staring at Day was making him feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. His face began to burn, but that wasn't what he was presently worried about. The feeling was on a conquest to outwardly show itself to the mare, which started by making his tail quiver. He fought to keep the yellow-tipped red limb still, but he was losing the battle. Attempting to keep his expressions as calm as possible, he maneuvered himself on top of it. It was still moving, but no pony would be able to tell now. He watched with a blush as Fluttershy finished her sandwich. The silence was killing him, so he broke it, deciding to save the self-scoldings for later. "You're probably from Cloudsdale, right?"
"I am, but I like it down here on the ground better. It's where all of my animal friends live." On the outside, she was the same Fluttershy, but on the inside, she was cheering louder than a sugar-rushing Pinkie Pie. Whatever she was doing to get Day to open his hard outer shell, it was working like a charm.
Day was lucky she didn't know what it was, because she could have surely taken advantage of it. With another glance at her, he thought, Why does she have to be so beautiful? This is going to make it so much harder to leave…
Their lunch conversation lasted about an hour and consisted mainly of questions about their lives. Day took extra care not to give away too much about himself. It wasn't very hard; Fluttershy let every bit of his obvious secrecy slide. The two learned a lot about each other in that time. Day learned that Fluttershy wasn't the strongest of flyers amongst her Pegasi friends and Fluttershy learned that Day was very fluent in Japonies and even sang her a short song he remembered from his childhood.
To Fluttershy's dismay, no matter what she did she couldn't bring a smile to the Earth Ponies face. She could've sworn she got close once or twice, but aside from that there seemed to be no hope. The jokes she told wouldn't have even made a school filly laugh, which helped her decide to recruit Pinkie Pie in the effort. In the Pegasus's opinion, the pink mare told the best jokes around. She could almost positively get Day to at least grin.
Day kept the walk back relatively quiet. The adrenaline rush from his-soon-to-be-called-date by Rime finally diluted into his blood, leaving him once again drained of all energy. He dragged himself alongside Fluttershy, trying his best to keep his form in check to avoid questions. He managed to keep everything but his tail from dragging the ground, so he just left it behind him.
Fluttershy sneaked a peak at the stallion's Cutie Mark. He wasn't lying when he said it copied the sun. They were both now showing one on the dot. Day picked his head up from the ground just enough to see that some of the ponies pass along whispers as they walked by. He sighed heavily. Great…rumors…
He was about to pick up his speed when Fluttershy walked ahead. It seemed she wasn't enjoying the attention either. What started as Day catching up to Fluttershy became a frantic race to find out who would get to the cottage first. Fluttershy proved faster at first, especially since she took to the sky for more speed. Day galloped faster and faster until he was a yellow blur moving across the paths of Ponyville. He moved faster and faster until he was at the point of showing off. He flew past pony after pony until he cleared Ponyville's main sectors. It was as if his spirit was set free; all he wanted to do was run, never to stop. Unfortunately for him, life had its own emergency brakes.
Day's left forehoof hit the highest root the willows of Fluttershy's yard had to offer and stopped right abruptly while the rest of him shot through the air to land in a rolling, aching heap at the bottom of the shallow stream. He moaned in pain. "Come on…any day but today…"
"Oh my gosh, Day are you okay!?"
The words echoed through his head like the chimes of a bell in a belfry. They only barely registered as he tried to push himself out of the cold and wet moat. He got nowhere fast, prompting the Element of Kindness to offer her special helping hoof. It occurred to Day that she wasn't just going to offer it to him. She got into the creek with him and pulled him upright. Fluttershy watched as he attempted to divide his weight among his four hooves and slightly stumble upon making ground contact with the injured hoof. Then, without asking, she took him under that hoof and guided him silently to the living room inside.
Along the way Day experienced the all-too familiar burning sensation in his face that Fluttershy had been solely responsible for since he came into Ponyville. He sighed silently to himself while he waited on the couch for her to get back. His heart beats came in irregular fluttery sensations. No pony before could get him to feel so different inside. He had no idea what he wanted to focus on anymore. Day had never before had a factor like Fluttershy come into his life. The time he had to process it came to a halt as the very mare herself walked in with a small first aid box and a towel.
"Sorry I took so long", she apologized, "I looked as fast as I could."
"You didn't take more than a few minutes", he said to make her feel better.
She smiled shyly and draped the towel over the soaked stallion. He pressed it into his wet fur while she examined his left hoof. He managed to give it a pretty good bruise and swelling, so it was probably sprained. She wrapped it firmly in bandages, ignoring the fact that he was watching her the whole time. It wasn't until she finished before one of them spoke.
"Thanks Fluttershy." Day looked at his hoof. Even though it would be fully healed by morning, he still appreciated she would take the time to fix him up.
"You're welcome."
He yawned and rubbed his eyes. The day had finally taken its final toll on the colt. "I'm going to take a nap, Fluttershy."
"Oh, let me help you to your room."
Day let her carry part of his weight without protest. Her touch felt too nice to push away. They climbed the stairs to his freshly tidied room. Day was silent for the sole reason of that he couldn't find anything to say. Fluttershy was just too embarrassed to draw any more attention on herself. Upon entering his room, Fluttershy whispered something about waking him before supper then left him to his nap.
He flopped onto the bed. "I wish a nap would even help", he sighed. He smiled to himself. His heart was still beating in that funny way. And he knew exactly why.
"What's with that smile", asked Rime from the window, somewhat teasingly.
"Rime", Day replied, "Against everything I have ever learned in my life I have broken rule number three." He closed his eyes and pictured the thing that forced his lips into the smile.
Rime furrowed his brow in concentrated thought. "What was that rule again?"
Day sighed in content. "I think I just fell in love with Fluttershy."
The Nightmare Begins
"Why do I even bother running", Daylight asked himself over the howling in his nightmare. "You can't hurt me here." The rustling in the distance came closer, but wasn't aimed toward him. He figured that his stalker was going to circle him a few times before attacking. That was, until it ran past through the bushes. He frowned in confusion. "Where are you going?"
He decided to follow it, wondering just what it could be doing in the first nightmare that didn't frighten him. Kicking up his speed, Day dashed through the woods. What he was chasing was way faster than he was, so he lost it almost as soon as he went after it. "Tough chase. Charcoal where did you go?"
"Day?"
He whipped around to see Fluttershy looking up at him. He saw that she was picking flowers, which was odd since the little patch she sat in was the only thing around that wasn't black thorns and rocks. "Fluttershy…this is bad…" Day got low in a defensive stance. He folded his ears back for intimidation, knowing that it wouldn't work. "Even in a dream, I won't let that thing get near you", he growled.
"Daylight, what's—" Fluttershy was interrupted by a low growl coming from the thorny bushes ahead of them.
"Stay behind me, Fluttershy", Day instructed, "And when I say fly, get out of here."
In the real world, Day mumbled in his sleep. Rime heard him from the window frame and almost panicked. Fluttershy was still awake, and if Day was having the nightmare again, it could spell trouble for both of them. He looked around, but saw nothing that could help keep the sleeping pony quiet as he endured the night terrors. The more time he wasted, the more anxious Day became. The colt was now running on his side and making crazy facial expressions.
Back in the dream, a horribly injured Day tried his best to defend Fluttershy, who refused to leave him there. "I forgot I can actually feel pain in my dreams…" he gasped. He kept his guard up, proving to their attacker that he wasn't going to show any weakness. "Fluttershy, you have to go now. I promise I'll run too."
She merely whimpered, too paralyzed with fear to move even an inch. The nightmare took a turn for the worse when Day turned to face the giant predator and was met with a hard paw to his side. He was sent reeling away from Fluttershy, who seemed to be its target. It lunged at her. Day watched helplessly as its outstretched arms finally got to her.
"MMMMMMMMMMMM!" Day flailed around as he was jerked out of his sleep to find that his mouth was tightly bound with a scarf.
"Hey, calm down, partner", Rime said gently.
Day looked to his right to find that half of Rime had turned into the scarf and was keeping his screams at minimum volumes. He stopped, then with a sigh, relaxed into his pillows. His breathing was still heavy, but he wasn't trying to let Ponyville know he was having a nightmare anymore, so Rime reverted his back legs into their normal shape. "Figured it would be best if you didn't let Fluttershy know you scream like a girl in your sleep…"
"Thanks", Day gasped. He attempted to get his breathing under control, and succeeded in a matter of moments.
"The usual nightmare?"
Day shook his head. "Worse. Fluttershy was in it this time", he replied.
"I see. I hate to give you even more bad news…but you need to get going to wherever it is you plan to hide. The moon rose thirty minutes ago…"
Day scrambled off the bed and on his hooves. "Why didn't you wake me up?! Never mind, if Fluttershy comes in, tell her I'm off for a walk. I'll see you in the morning."
"Later, Day. Good luck…" Rime called after Day's tail as it disappeared out of the window.
Day hit the ground with a roll, and used the momentum of his landing to spring into a sprint for Everfree Forest. He traced his scent trail through the trees, occasionally jumping over bushes and boulders. The woods around him looked just like they did when he first memorized the layout of the path he took the previous night. The only problem was that he had less than ten minutes before everything went haywire. His hooves refused to go faster than what he was pushing for, which put him even further behind time.
He slid to a stop. "Argh! I'll hafta hold it here!" He took a deep breath and focused his energy into remaining as perfectly still as possible. He looked up to check on the moon. The white crescent shape had drifted from the top of the horizon to the highest point in the sky. He shook his head in frustration. "I hate this time of year…"
As the last word left his mouth, he felt the all-too familiar tingle in the tip of his tail. He fought to keep it from spreading to the rest of his body and ruining his concentration. If he was going to defend Ponyville, he had to keep his head on for as long as he could. From far off in the forest, Day heard something roar. The tingly feeling spiked from his tail to his flank and hind legs. He slowed his breathing to a meditation-like rate. At this point he couldn't stop the feeling from moving up his body, but he did manage to slow it to a sluggish crawl.
Whatever had roared sounded closer the second time and not long after the echo died did Day hear trees falling. Birds, rabbits, foxes, and practically every other living thing ran past him as they hurried to get away from what was hunting them down. Day stood his ground. Moving would only speed up the process of the progressing feeling within him. Now it was at his shoulders. All fell quiet for a few minutes before he could hear a prowling predator growling in the forest ahead of him. He narrowed his eyes. "Bring it on." He stopped fighting and the sensation over took over his body. Day's conscience was shoved into the deepest reaches of his mind as he lost control of his body.
D
"La la la la laaaa", sang a mint pony as she passed through the Everfree Forest. "I sure hope my Midnight Lilies are in bloom. It's a shame that they only grow in the Everfree Forest." She kept trotting farther into the trees until a large patch of dark violet flowers came into view through the many trees. She kept her eyes and ears peeled for any signs of danger before leaving the cover of the brush for the largely exposed field of flowers. She quietly set her gardening equipment down to get a better look at the results of her weeks of hard work. "Ah, they are in bloom!"
She emptied her basket of supplies to pick the nearly black plants from the soil. She made haste in picking as many flowers as her basket would hold. The less time she spent in the open the better. "Twenty-four, twenty-five, and twe—"
"Aaarrrroooooooooooooooo!"
The howl caused fear to freeze the mare's very blood. Adrenaline pumped into her system, but she didn't know what to do with it except to remain as motionless as she could. The spine chilling sound echoed all over the forest. She backed away from the flower patch with as little movement as possible. The second she saw a shadow move beyond her garden was the second found herself sprinting for her life through the forest.
The sudden movement caught the attention of the predator. It bounded after. In seconds it was only inches from her tail. She dared to look back and caught a horrifying glimpse of its red eyes. She scooped up a hooffull of dirt and flung it into its face. The blast of sediments slowed the beast down long enough for her to get a short distance ahead, but she mainly just made it angry. The second time she looked back it was too late for another countermeasure.
"IIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!"
D
Fluttershy awoke with a start when morning came around. Something about the dream she had left her feeling uneasy, but she couldn't remember the majority of it, so she simply yawned a greeting to the rays of sunshine coming through her bedroom windows. She hopped up happily and left for her kitchen. She liked making breakfast for Day and Rime the previous morning and really hoped they wouldn't mind her doing it again. With a breakfast salad in mind, she opened her refrigerator and found all of the ingredients except for two. It wouldn't have been a problem if she didn't need those two the most.
"I can't make a salad without lettuce and morning glory", Fluttershy said to herself. "Day will probably want to sleep in after yesterday. I should be able to get some before he wakes up." She returned the items she pulled from the fridge then left for Ponyville's marketplace, where she would be first in line to buy the things she needed.
The day outside was much cooler than the day before, which was a sure sign that the work later wouldn't be hard. The birds were out and about, accompanying her to her destination with a bright song for the morning. "Thank you, my friends. Are you enjoying the morning too?"
Two of the blue jays replied with excited chirps, then left her and the robins to go do whatever it was blue jays do on a Thursday morning. She giggled and continued on with the singing robins. Ponyville was as quiet as it always was at seven a.m., except it was a little more crowded than usual. She thought nothing of it until she saw more and more ponies converging into a large crowd. She did her best to ignore it but soon drifted closer in an attempt to hear what was going on without having to become one of the gathering ponies herself.
It didn't take much longer before she was flying over the crowd. It looked like some kind of accident. Paramedics were pushing their way through the curious ponies. On the stretcher in between them lay a badly hurt Lyra. Fluttershy immediately flew down to see what happened to her friend.
"Miss, I'm afraid you'll have to stay back", said the lead medic.
"N-no, she n-needs to stay", Lyra coughed.
"What happened?"
"Wolf", Lyra whispered. She pulled Fluttershy uncomfortably close. "Huge wolf…"
"What kind of wolf", asked one of the medics. "Timbers?"
Lyra took a deep, pain-filled breath. "Two legs…silver fur…found hunting grounds…it'll be back, Fluttershy…save Ponyville!"
Lyra fell silent as the last of her energy faded. The strain on her body was way too much for her to handle, leaving the mare unconscious on the stretcher. Fluttershy's body became stiff. Everything was so sudden. The warning, the attack, nothing made any sense!
One thing did stick out though: Lyra's warning suggested her attack was more than a mauling out of crossing a hungry predator, but couldn't figure out what with the little evidence she just heard. She shook her head of the horrible thoughts her paranoia generated. Instead of dwelling on what she thought was going to happen to everypony that lived in Ponyville, she took flight and headed for the library. Maybe Twilight could make better sense of it all.
D
The librarian had only just gotten out of bed when Fluttershy burst through the library door. "Twilight! Twilight!"
The unicorn took immediate notice of the distressed Pegasus downstairs. She jumped to the first floor. "Fluttershy, what's wrong!?"
"Lyra was attacked by a wolf!"
"Oh, my gosh, is she okay!?"
"She was very hurt, but it looked like she will make a full recover."
"I should go pay her a visit", Twilight suggested. "One of Dream's healing potions will fix her right up."
Fluttershy blocked the doorway. "Wait Twilight."
The look in Fluttershy's eyes stopped the exiting mare cold. She waited for Fluttershy to go on. Something didn't seem right. There was something more going on with the current situation that what shone on the surface.
Fluttershy swallowed the lump that settled in her throat. "She said a few things I think you should hear." The recollection was short, but from what she told Twilight, the Element of Magic knew they had a huge problem on their hooves.
She quickly wrote two letters as quickly as she could. She gave one of them to Fluttershy. "Give this to Mayor Mare. This is serious business, Fluttershy. We don't have much time before the next attack."
Fluttershy looked at the scroll of parchment, then back to her friend. "Twilight, what does all of this mean?"
"I don't know how", she replied, sending her letter off with a transportation spell, "But there's a werewolf in Ponyville."
Staying to Fight
Daylight awoke not far outside of the little clearing he found on his first night in Everfree Forest. Judging by his Cutie Mark, the sun had only risen about two hours ago. "If I'm lucky", he yawned, "Fluttershy's still asleep." Ignoring the usual morning sickness, Day followed his scent back through the forest, though he really didn't need to. In broad daylight, he could tell where he had been the previous night. He found that the forest was quite different in the early hours of sunlight than at night. "Most of the creatures are probably nocturnal", he yawned in explanation to himself. "Looks like I went far enough in. I think we can stay in Ponyville for as long as we need."
As he trotted along, Day noticed the way his breath smelled. He stopped to check it better. A few sniffs later still left him confused about the sour aroma in his mouth. "Is this wolfsbane? Can't be, that only grows on Kiba no Shima. But it smells just alike…hmm…"
Nothing further other than the added note to brush his teeth crossed his mind about it. If he lost any more time, Fluttershy would probably get worried about him. He made up the lost distance by quickening into a jog. The creatures around him scurried about back to their homes until the interruption to their foraging passed by. "My guidebook said that this was supposed to be a dangerous forest. I wonder why I haven't seen much danger. In the past I've encountered predators despite the problem…"
Again, he just left well enough alone to focus on getting back to the cottage before he was missed. It wasn't much of a trek for him, considering he had been through worse before. The worst part of it all was probably the sharp rock puncturing his hoof. It hindered his ability to jog, but it didn't stop him completely. He kept walking, enjoying the rays of sunlight shining down on him from the trees above.
D
Rime woke up groggily at the sound of frantic knocking at the door of his room. Seeing as how Day wasn't back yet, he quickly shook himself awake just in time to have Fluttershy burst in. She immediately noticed Day's absence. "Rime! Where's Day!?"
"He got up early and went for a walk. I think to the park", he replied shakily, "Why, what's going on?"
"There's a werewolf in Ponyville! Twilight told me to start warning everypony not to go out after dark!" Fluttershy breathed in deeply. "Make sure to tell him, I have more ponies to tell!"
Rime waited for her to take off again before letting the panic show on the outside. "Oh, no. Oh, no. Not good…"
The sound of the window creaking open behind him made him turn to see Day straining to get a grip on the inside of the room. Rime jumped over and grabbed the Earth Pony's ear and pulled with all of his might. With the combined effort, most of it coming from the pony with the sore ear, they managed to get Daylight in the window. "Thanks, Rime", Day said sarcastically, rubbing the bite-shaped ring of pain from his ear.
"We have a problem", Rime said seriously.
"Yeah, we do", Day agreed, "Fluttershy doesn't have a ladder that reaches the window. Phew!"
"No not that you dummy!" Rime screamed.
The tone of the situation finally got to Day, who straightened up to hear what the kitsune had to say. "What's going on, Rime?"
He took a deep breath. "It got through, Day. Fluttershy's warning Ponyville about it…"
The sudden news knocked the wind out of Day. "Got through?" he repeated hoarsely. "No, I-I led it far into the forest…how…"
Rime shook his head in an "I don't know" fashion. "I read her mind, but didn't see anything but a pretty beat up unicorn…"
"Somepony got hurt!?" Day choked.
"I didn't see anything other than scratches", Rime said, using what he saw from Fluttershy's memory, "She'll be okay."
"It doesn't matter." Day doubled over nauseously. "Do you know what this means for us?"
Rime nodded. "We hafta take off, don't we?"
"No." The pony stood up suddenly. "That would be too suspicious. Besides, I'm not leaving Fluttershy just like that."
"Ooh! Does this mean I win the bet?"
"Focus!"
Rime yipped and shut his mouth.
"I'm going to the library to pick up some books. If Fluttershy comes back before I do, tell her that's where I am."
"I don't get it", Rime said with a tilt of his head, "What are books going to do?"
"Help us out." Day slipped his saddlebag on. "I've had it with running. From this moment on, Rime, we stay and fight. I'll come back with a plan ready."
Rime stood on his hind legs and rendered a salute. "Yes, sir!"
The stairs of the cottage weren't even touched on Day's decent. The yellow pony kept himself as low to the ground as he could to increase his speed as he attempted to rip the grass up with his hooves. The Golden Oaks Library came into view faster than he thought it would, but he didn't have time to think about it when he saw the two armor-clad guards standing right outside the door. Common sense told him that Princess Celestia was for some reason on the inside and that he wasn't going to be admitted until she left. He pretended to be passing by, putting the guards at ease while he made his way around to the back. When out of sight, he sniffed along the ground until he found what he was looking for: a basement window.
To his satisfaction, it was unlocked. Before squeezing his small frame through the window, Day took a good look around for any patrolling guards. The coast was clear, but he still made haste in pushing his saddle bag through the window before crawling in. He misjudged the height of the window from the floor and crashed to the ground. Luckily no pony heard him. The door to the attic was open, and when he saw the many book cases towering to the ceiling, he knew why. "A section of the library down here?"
Hoofsteps above moved about frantically. Deciding that he should get what he came for and skedaddle, Day put his saddlebag back on and began searching. Having no idea how books were arranged in a library, he scanned through the "W"s. "Nope, nope, no…aha!" Day grabbed every book in that category and filled the biggest pockets of his saddlebag with them. He was on his way back out when he caught part of the conversation upstairs. He curiously crept up to the last step until he could hear well.
"…is very concerning", he heard a mare say. "I will assign several guards to Ponyville and include a team of elite trackers to help find the wolf."
"Thank you, Princess", a younger mare replied, "Is there anything you want me and the Elements of Harmony to do?"
"Stay vigilant, Twilight", she replied, "The shipment of books I had sent from the archives should contain books about werewolves. Do you still have them?"
"Yes, they are down in the basement with the rest."
Hoofsteps moving to the basement door were Day's cue to take off. Unfortunately, he forgot about the stairs and upon the first step, tripped and tumbled down with a racket of noise. The excitement dulled the pain, but not the sounds of his landing.
"Prowler!" a guard shouted.
Day shot for the window, smashing it out with his well-aimed saddlebag. He dove through it just as the guards made the bottom step. He got caught half-way, but managed to squirm his way through before the guards could pull him back in. Scooping up his spoils, Day kicked in the morning energy to get a full sprint back to Fluttershy's.
"Halt!"
Day looked behind him to see a Pegasus guard swooping down on him. Thinking quickly, he turned a tight corner, barely missing being grabbed. He saw a porch with a gap under it and slid underneath, out of sight. Guards galloped by, screaming various orders and statuses. The Pegasus was still in the air, scoping out the surrounding areas for him. From what the fleeing Earth Pony saw, the house under which he was hiding was elevated above the ground. He crawled over the moist foundation, ignoring the mud and the mice scurrying away from their nests as he got closer to the rear of the house. He hoped that it was high enough to still hide him from the flying guard because in a not-so-well-thought-out dash, he continued his previous sprint. Nothing came from the Pegasus, so he figured he was making a clean getaway.
It turned out to be true when most of Ponyville was behind him. The solitude didn't slow him down; as a matter of fact he didn't stop until he reached Fluttershy's cottage. Fluttershy still hadn't gone back from making panic in Ponyville with her warnings, so he was relieved to finally be able to take in a relaxed breath. "I hope they didn't get a good look at me", he said on his way upstairs. "That would really be a problem."
Day found Rime asleep on the bed when he opened the door to his room. Disturbing the kitsune didn't cross his mind. He could do his research without him. The five books he collected from the library fell from his saddlebag as he shook it upside down on the bed. "I've seen two of these before, but haven't read them…"
"Books haven't helped before, Day", Rime yawned, climbing up on Day's head.
"I think I have a lead this time." Day opened the first tome. "I met a zebra the night I left to scope out Everfree Forest. She said that I need to find my deepest desire, accept it and let it grow…whatever that means. I'm going to search these books for anything along those lines."
"I don't follow", Rime said.
"I don't either for once", Day replied. "So I'm just going to look into it."
"No, I mean, why are you doing this?"
Day sighed, "Because for the first time in my life I'm tired of running. I met and fell in love with Fluttershy by fate. I can't just pass this chance up."
"Now you're making less sense than me in a sugar coma!"
"I know. Let me put it like this: I think I have a shot to stop this, and I'm taking it because Fluttershy is the prettiest and sweetest pony I've ever met."
"But, but", Rime sputtered, "You're breaking rules five, nine, and twelve!"
"I know what I'm doing." Day flipped through a few of the pages, cringing at a few of the illustrations.
"What if it gets by you again?" Rime asked, jumping onto the book. "What if somepony else gets hurt?"
A hoof swiped the ice creature aside. "You know I can keep it from getting too bad. It might be a little selfish, but I'm not going anywhere."
"I don't like this at all…"
"And you're really going to love how I had to steal these books to keep from getting caught by guards", Day flat-toned.
"And the life of crime begins."
Day rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Rime."
The fox huffed. "I'm going outside to play", he growled.
"It's your day off anyways", Day called after him, "Behave or no cakes!"
On the way down to meet up with Angel downstairs, Rime passed Fluttershy, who didn't see him on the way down. He didn't have enough time to go back and warn his friend, but the closed door he left behind should provide an adequate barrier for the yellow pony.
"Okay, let's see", Day said to the book he had opened. He didn't get to read many words before Fluttershy's gentle knock came from the door. He quickly shoved the books under the bed and jumped down to answer it. Knowing who it was almost made him smile upon opening it, but he refrained with all of his might.
"Good morning, Day", Fluttershy said. She seemed rather calm considering she just found out about a werewolf in Ponyville.
Day studied her face when he returned her greeting, wondering just how the timid mare could be so calm. He was so engrossed in her beautiful face that he didn't notice he was staring until she pointed out how dirty he was. "Oh, yeah", he said, finally noticing the mud staining his fur and tail, "I slipped on some mud during my walk this morning.
"I see", she replied, "You weren't out before sunrise, were you?"
"No why?"
Seeing as how Rime wasn't in the room, Fluttershy assumed Day wasn't informed of the events of the previous night. "There's a werewolf somewhere in Ponyville."
Day put on the best surprised expression he could muster. "R-really?"
She nodded in confirmation. "Yes…I warned much of Ponyville, and the mayor will tell everypony else. I didn't know how early you had gone out, I was worried that something might have happened to you."
Day's heart jumped at that last part. No other living being with the exception of Rime had ever shown him any kind of concern like the way she did. He scratched the back of his head to help quell his desire to bring his lips into a smile. "Uh…no, I didn't see anything. I actually just walked out to wake up before starting work today. Speaking of which, what is there to get done today?"
"Well", Fluttershy replied, taking the bait to get off subject, "We mainly just have to feed the animals today."
"I'll get it done before lunch", Day declared. He stretched, then headed out to begin today's chores.
"Shouldn't you have breakfast first?" Fluttershy asked.
"Not hungry", he lied.
"Oh, okay." She watched him leave the room. When she was sure that he was gone, Fluttershy slumped to the floor. There was just so much going on in Ponyville she wasn't sure what to do anymore. With the new threat lurking very near her, she would have to put so much on hold. And that meant trying to figure out Day and Rime's bet. The only bright side was that now she had a real mystery to solve, just like the ones in her books.
The Pegasus put her stressed energy into making Day's bed again. It wasn't as untidy as the previous morning, but she didn't question it. Her flank bumped Day's saddlebag, sending it to the floor. She quickly picked it back up and positioned it on the chair. His name on the side reminded her of the lunch they shared the previous morning. She smiled when she remembered how Day blushed.
"I wonder", she said to herself, "If Day will go out with me for dinner tonight…"
