Fluttershy's Reunion

Fluttershy peered at the box, confused.

She didn't understand. She didn't order anything. Unless it was an entire box-full of free pet food, she didn't know what it was!

Fluttershy suddenly noticed a tag taped to the front-left corner. Raising an eyebrow, Fluttershy read it;

My dearest niece,

I know it's been a while. I have been qute quite sick lately, so I haven't been able to see you.

I fond found this fella' behind my fridge. I bet you'll recognise him. I hope yo'l you'll take him back, and embrace him with your care and love. Must have been trapped behind there for ages, poor thing. I hp hope he's ok.

Well, I'll be cein seeing you. I'm being taken to a hospital. I don't know why. I'm fit as a fiddle now!

Grandpa Eagle Eye

"Grandpa Eagle Eye?"

Fluttershy knew that her grandpa had been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Her mother had told her about it. She still had the letter tucked in her drawer;

My dearest Fluttershy,

I hope that you can forgive me for writing this letter at such a time. I know you've been more busy than usual with your little 'zoo'. I'd better get this done quickly;

It's about your Grandpa Eagle Eye...

I did write to you a while back that he had a fatal case of the flu, didn't I? You wrote back saying how worried you were, right?

Well, he's recovered!

However, now we have MORE bad news to take in...

The doctors have recently found another problem...

Grandpa Eagle Eye has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

I know you might be very worried about him. Don't worry. He's felt OK, and he doesn't know about this. I'll be sure to tell him soon.

I just hope he can take it in alright...

Stay hopeful!

Your faithful mother,

Dream Wing

Fluttershy lifted up the box. She gave it an extremely small shake...

Jingle...

Jingle...

Fluttershy was sure that it was a bell of some sort. Ever so slowly, she lifted the flaps...

"OH MY CELESTIA!"

A lot of the animals in the room fled, because of the loud outburst from Fluttershy. Rarely would she ever raise her voice, and thank heavens for that!

Fluttershy lifted a stone-hard creature from the box. It had two black front-paws and the rest of it was light grey. It had a green collar tied around it's neck, complete with a bell pendant. It's mouth was fixed into a straight face, it's eyes blank and empty.

"Smokey! It's you! IT'S REALLY YOU!"

Fluttershy held her old, stone-cold companion tight, tears of joy in her eyes.

As you might of guessed, Smokey was a dog, and an old companion of Fluttershys. She loved him and rescued him from a hole. However, one day the poor creature just vanished. Nopony knew where he went. He just disappeared. Fluttershy was heart-broken, and never found out where he went off too.

Well now, she finally had an answer.

Fluttershy looked inside the box again, and found a green, chewed-up ball. It was collecting dust in the corner and looked pretty jagged. Fluttershy picked it up, alarmed at the state of it.

"Don't worry, Smokey!" Fluttershy set her lifeless buddy next to her, "I can get you some new toys! Until then, why don't you say we go and show you to my friends?"

Of course, there was no answer or even an expression on the dog's grey face.

"Great!"

Fluttershy attached a rope to Smokey's dusty collar and dragged him outside. He didn't get on his feet, mostly because he had no control of them anymore.

"Guys, I want to show you something." Fluttershy smiled as her friends looked at her.

"Well, what in the hay is it?" Applejack asked.

Fluttershy had gathered her friends up in Sugarcube Corner. They were set around a table, milkshakes in front of them.

"Well... I hope you really like it. I just got him from my grandpa. I wanted to show it to you, but... now I'm-"

"For fuck's sake!" Rainbow Dash shouted, her friends gasping at her choice of language, "Just show us! I'm getting bored and I have some workouts to do!"

Fluttershy was speechless.

"I-I-"

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout at you, Flutters. Can you just show us though?" Rainbow Dash asked, laying her front hooves on the table.

"W-Well... OK. Guys, I'd like you to meet, Smokey!"

Fluttershy grabbed the cold, hard canine hidden under her chair, and set him on the pink table. Fluttershy's friends gasped, Rarity falling off her chair and fainting.

"Ooo... umm... Fluttershy... that's a dead dog..." A shocked Twilight said, barely able to squeak out the sentence.

"You mean dead cute?" Fluttershy asked, smiling hopefully.

"Um... no. Dead as in... dead dead." Twilight gave a tiny, nervous laugh.

Fluttershy once again, looked speechless. She clutched her canine friend tight, tears welling up in her eyes.

"HE ISN'T DEAD! J-JUST LOOK AT HIM!"

The crying yellow pegasus pressed the dog to Twilight's face, making her scream.

"FLUTTERSHY!" Rainbow Dash snatched the dog out of her friend's grasp, and flew up in the air.

"Smokey! Please Rainbow! Let him down! He's scared of heights!" Fluttershy pleaded.

"Fluttershy! Look at him! He's not moving, he's not breathing and look at this!"

Rainbow Dash let go of the poor creature. He dropped onto the floor, not even cracking. He was that stone-hard.

Fluttershy screamed.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Fluttershy grabbed the dog and sped out of Sugarcube Corner, spilling her drink as her side hit the table.

"I'll show them, Smokey! Your not dead..."

"You can't be dead."