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."
Fluttershy set her fossilised pet onto the sofa, tears in her eyes. She curled up next to him and clutched him, fresh tears now spilling onto the seat.
"Smokey. Your not dead. You can't be dead! You are my best friend and I love you! They can't talk to you like that! I'm going to prove them wrong!"
Fluttershy looked up and peered at her other animals. They were all staring at their master, confused looks on their faces. Angel bounded up onto the sofa, and began stroking Fluttershy's pink mane comfortingly.
"T-Thank you, Angel. H-Have you met Smokey?"
Fluttershy showed the dog to Angel. The poor white bunny screamed and tried to hop away.
"Angel! Where are your manners?" Fluttershy asked, pulling her little friend back, "Say hi!
Angel began shaking, but just managed a squeak, much to Fluttershy's satisfaction.
"Now, everyone, I'd like you to meet- guys? Little friends? Where have you gone?"
The room was now empty of animals, except from Angel Bunny and the deceased Smokey.
"Well, me and Smokey do have things that need doing. Why don't you go and play An-"
Before Fluttershy could finish, the bunny was out of the room in a flash, leaving a trail of brown smoke behind him.
"Huh. C'mon, Smokey! Let's play fetch!"
Fluttershy reached into the box and pulled out the worn, plastic ball. She thrust it across the room, in hopes that her old friend would go after it...
Of course he didn't.
Fluttershy began to shiver.
What if her friends were...
NO.
"C'mon, little friend! Fetch! You need to get your strength up! All that time stuck must of taken a toll on you!"
Fluttershy grinned hopefully. The fossilised creature just tipped over, sliding off the sofa.
"AHHHH! Don't worry Smokey! I'll fix it!"
Fluttershy was panting. Quickly, she ran upstairs and came back down with a bandage roll. She wrapped it around her pet, so only his blank eyes could be seen.
"T-There we go, buddy! N-Now fetch!"
The mummified canine remained still. Fluttershy began panting even quicker.
"WATER! YOUR THIRSTY, RIGHT SMOKEY?!"
Fluttershy ran out of the room again and came back with a bucket of water. She tipped it over Smokey, so him and the sofa became soaking.
"S-Shit, boy. I-Is it hot in here or is this just m-me? DON'T WORRY! I CAN FIX IT!" Fluttershy screeched. She ran into yet another room and came back with a bag of ice-cubes. She tipped some over herself and most onto her old doggy friend.
He remained still.
"N-NO, SMOKEY! I WON'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY! YOU ARE ALIVE, DAMNIT! YOU ARE! YOU FUCKING ARE!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy collapsed onto the floor, catching her breath. She could hold back tears no longer, as they drifted down her face.
"Fluttershy! Are you ok?" A familiar voice asked.
Fluttershy didn't move. Her breathing slowed down, as she squeaked, "Yes! I-I'm fine! I *sniff* don't know what your talking about, Twilight! Smokey's doing just fine...
Yeah... just fine... Fluttershy thought, as Twilight levitated the front door open.
"Fluttershy! What happened?"
Fluttershy sobbed, as her friend slid off the sofa again.
"Oh, Fluttershy..."
Twilight levitated her friend off the ground and drew her into a squeeze.
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. But... Smokey is-"
"But, he can't be! I-I LOVE HIM!" Fluttershy buried her face into her friend's front leg. It became soaking in seconds.
"C'mon, Fluttershy. We can get through this. I had a pet when I was younger."
"R-Really?" Fluttershy asked.
Twilight told Fluttershy about her cat, Sardine. Twilight brought her from a pet shop. She took amazing care of her, loved her, fed her...
One day, the cat's heart stopped beating. She had lived her life, and it was time for her to go.
"The point is, Fluttershy, sometimes you just have to let it go..."
Fluttershy wiped her eyes. It took her a while, but she finally said;
"Yeah. It's time to let my friend rest in peace."
Fluttershy, with the help of Twilight, got the bandages off Smokey. They didn't bother drying him, since the water slid off his rock-hard body on it's own. They put him back in the box and Fluttershy picked some flowers from the garden. She sprinkled them into the box, her eyes over-flowing with tears.
Finally, Twilight dug a hole in Fluttershy's garden and placed the now sealed box inside.
"Goodbye, my friend..." Fluttershy wept, as Twilight filled up the hole. She embraced her friend, who was now sobbing uncontrollably.
"You did the right thing, Fluttershy. Do you want me to leave you in peace?"
"NO." Fluttershy clutched onto her friend tighter, "You need to stay."
Twilight smiled, and hugged her friend tighter.
"Sometimes you just have to let it go..."
