**Derek**

Some days you can only read so much. I stood up shakily. Once I got into motion it was easier to keep my balance, like riding a bike. The problem came when I thought about what I was doing too much...or if I tried to change directions quickly...or at all...or if I tried to stop; but going in a straight line at a constant speed was becoming pretty easy.

I resolved to practice walking. Exploring the library would keep my mind off of the mechanics of walking, so I opened the door Twilight took my laundry through. I was right, it was a kind of mud room. There was a washing tub against one wall and several cabinets hanging over it. There was a rug on the floor lined with several different styles of - are they called shoes for ponies? Horse shoes? Pony shoes? - end of the leg-covering devices… It was a bit odd seeing two pairs for each set, but it makes sense.

The room was a dead end, so I hobbled back into the main room of the library. Let’s see, that arch leads to the kitchen, the stairs lead up to the bedroom, and that one is the front door so...where does that door lead?

I walked over to the last door and gave the knob a turn. The door swung open revealing a staircase leading down. Stairs, we meet again. I understand why ponies don’t have handrails, but that doesn't mean I can’t wish they did.

I pressed my one hand against the wall and looked around the edge of the door. It’s too dark. I felt the wall but couldn’t find any kind of light switch. Why would they put the light switch at the bottom of the stairs? I guess practicing stairs is an important part of walking...

With one hand against the wall and the other extended for balance, I lowered my first hoof down to rest on the first step. Okay, so far so good. I slowly rocked my weight onto my front leg but overbalanced forwards. I made a grab for the door frame but…

Well that was about as graceful as a fish on a trampoline...

I picked myself up from the floor, using the stairs to help me reach a standing position. I groped along the wall for a light switch or something. How does she see down here? There has to be some kind of light source, right?

I groped further along the wall, searching for the switch. Soon my eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from the top of the stairs and I gave up. There seemed to be strange boxes down here. Some had knobs and dials all over them and one looked like it had shackles on it. There was also a spare bed and another doorway.

I headed over to the bed to rest. I inspected where I had banged my legs and arms on the way down the stairs; it seemed I’d managed to get a small cut. I looked around for a band-aid, but then realized that band-aids wouldn’t be useful if you’re covered in fur. I looked around while massaging my sore legs and arms. There was a work bench near the bed, I slid over to take a look.

The shapes on the counter were hard to make out in the dark. It seemed like there was a small pile of...somethings, a pair of scissors, a funnel and the syrup bottle? OH! This must be where Twilight was making that great syrup from before. I wonder why she didn’t mention that she made it. She just said it was a new flavor...maybe she didn’t want me to worry about hurting her feelings incase I didn’t like it.

I wonder what that pile is… It’s probably whatever she used to make the syrup. I reached over and grabbed one of the items from the pile. It felt...slick, almost slippery. It was knotted at one end, and the other end appeared to have been cut at the end. My curiosity turned to horror as I raised it to the light from the top of the stairs.

**Applejack**

“Wheeweyy.” It’s sure been a busy day so far. I wiped some sweat from my brow and readjusted my hat.

I looked over to my cart of apples. I had sold most of them but there was still a few hours left before the end of the day.

“How much for a bushel of apples?” somepony asked.

I spun back around to face them. “Three bits for a bushel,” I replied.

“These are some mighty fine apples you have here, but I can’t part with three bits for a single bushel. I could see clear to pay two…” the white unicorn stallion ventured.

“Two will get your this bushel,” I indicated a slightly less brimming basket of apples, “but three will get you this one.” I slid forward an overflowing basket with the shiniest apples you’ve ever seen.

He appeared to consider the bushels as he rubbed his chin. “Three bits it is then. You always do have a way of making your apples irresistible,” he said as he floated the bits to me and the bushel onto his back.

“Mighty nice of you to say sir.” I hoofed the bits into a small bag under the counter as he walked away.

Wow, a whole bushel just like that. At this rate I may have to have Big Mac bring a second cart tomorrow.

“Best apples in Equestria!” I shouted trying to gain the attention of passing ponies. I looked up and down the street for prospective apple buyers when something strange caught my eye.

Gasps and shouts grew from the down the street. I could hear the tide of gasps and inarticulate shouts get louder as I watched ponies part, leaving a clear path down the center of the street. In the brief window between bodies I was able to glimpse a strange looking creature. It almost looked like a minotaur but was much smaller and had a very...mobile...chest.

I’ve never seen a female minotaur before. I wonder what it’s doing in Ponyville? ...Stumbling down the street?... Crying?

**Fluttershy**

I’ve never seen a bush cry before. I wonder why it’s sad. Though, I don’t really know what makes bushes happy other than sunlight and water. This one seems to be getting plenty of both.

“There there. Everything is going to be okay,” I tried as I moved closer. How are you supposed to comfort a bush? I sat next to it and thought about wrapping a wing around it, but that would block its light. “I’m sure whatever it is that is making you sad can be made right. So just tell Fluttershy what’s wrong,” I said as I stroked a leaf.

“This isn’t right.”

IT SPOKE! Wow, this is so amazing. I’ve never met a talking bush before! Are all bushes sad and just can’t tell me? That would be so sad! Maybe this bush can help me cheer up the other bushes…

“I’m not supposed to be like this. I don’t belong here, why can’t I just go home?” The bush seemed to be talking to itself as much as answering my question. The bush shook gently from its grief, so I leaned into it a bit to try to lend it comfort.

“Um, I might be able to help,” I ventured, “maybe if you tell me what you don’t like about this place I can do something about it.”

“This place is full of ponies. I belong with my own kind, not talking ponies. I can’t even walk anymore!”

“It’s not all bad. You can still talk. There sure aren’t a lot of your kind that can do that?”

“What?”

“Um, I haven't met any talking bushes before anyway…” Oh, maybe I made it upset. Maybe all bushes can talk and I’ve been too careless to notice. Maybe bushes have been talking to me and I’ve just been ignoring them. Or maybe they’re shy and are too afraid to speak to me. Think of all the little bushes I’ve been scaring!

A head poked out of the bush that looked like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It had sparse fur on its head, small eyes, and its face was surprisingly flat, no muzzle at all, and it had obviously been crying. I could see the puffy eyes and the tear trails down its smooth face, but I couldn’t read its expression.

“Oh, I’m sorry for calling you a bush...that was kind of silly of me… My name is Fluttershy. Why were you crying?”

**Derek**

I wasn’t sure how far I ran before hiding in the bush, but I wasn’t about to go back to Twilight’s. What do I tell Fluttershy? She is obviously trying to be nice and helpful, I probably shouldn’t try to overload her with what really happened. But I don’t like the idea of lying to her either. Maybe I can be vague…

“Um… well, I’m kind of new to being a minotaur, and I don’t really know where I am or anyone around here.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Fluttershy comforted me “It can be terrifying to be lost and alone somewhere new.” She stood up and offered me a hoof.

I took it and she helped me to my feet...hooves. Wow she’s strong. I rested a hand on her back for stability, which made her gasp. She wriggled under my hand for a second until it rested slightly higher, near her shoulders. Together we started down a nearby path.

“How did you end up a in Ponyville,” She asked.

“I...don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Oh, okay…”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“Would you like to talk about why you were crying?”

I guess that’s safe enough. “Somebody was mean to me.”

I noticed she turned her head to look up to me when I said that. She had a confused look on her face.

“Somebody?” she said, seemingly to herself “Well, I guess you’re not a pony…”

I looked forward and noticed the path went over a very small bridge and lead up to a tree that had been fashioned into a house, just like Twilight’s place.

“This is where I live,” she said.

Went went inside and she disappeared into the kitchen.

“Make yourself at home. I’m just going to put some nice relaxing tea on.”

I heard her fumble with something in the other room. It must be hard without hands… I’m really not looking forward to that part. I looked down at my hands and flexed my fingers.

I felt awkward standing in the middle of the room so I followed Fluttershy into the kitchen just in time to see her lean forward and turns a knob on the stove with her mouth.

“There, tea should be ready shortly...um... I’m sorry, I’ve already forgotten your name.”

Which name do I tell her? Derek is too weird and would lead to some questions I’m really not ready to answer right now.

“You can call me Dawn.”

“Oh, that’s such a lovely name. Hello Dawn. Please excuse the mess, my animal friends sometimes don’t clean up after themselves very well.”

I looked around at the quaint little cottage. Everything was in perfect order. It was almost off putting how tidy everything was. It looked like one of those showrooms at furniture stores.

“So, um, what do you want to talk about? Do you want to talk about the meany?”

“I don’t want to go into too much detail. But I thought I had a freind, well someone who had my back anyway. But they took advantage of that trust and did something awful.”

“Oh, that is awful. I can’t imagine how I would feel if one of my friends were to take advantage of me.”

Soon the pot on the stove interrupted with its loud whistling. Fluttershy poured two steaming cups of tea. She set them on her back and walked over to the table. She slid one over to me as she sat down.

“So what did you mean when you said that you were new to being a minotaur?”

“Um, that’s kind of a long story. Minotaurs from where I’m from are half one creature and half cow. I used to be fully the first creature. Now I’m halfway turned into a pony, so I kind of resemble a minotaur…”

“Wow, how did that happen?”

“I don’t really want to talk about that right now. I’m still kind of worked up, maybe later.” I took a sip of the tea. It sure tastes different than the tea I’m used to.

“What kind of tea is this?” I asked, to change the subject.

“Oh, you don’t like it like it? It’s a mix of carnation and daffodils. I can make you something else,” she said, as she stood up.

Flowers? Whatever, this tea is pretty good.

“I do like it. Thank you Fluttershy, you’ve been very kind.”

We chatted for some time about her animal friends and what she does here at the edge of town. She told me she lives at the edge of this dark scary forest, and about how she tends and takes care of some of the animals in the area. I started to get a feel for her personality the way she spoke about the times she helped nurse the odd creatures in the area back to health. I did get a weird vibe that I was the newest in her long list of strange creatures with problems she would try to fix, but truth be told, I DID need the help.

The day passed and the sun slowly lowered. She asked me to stay the night with her, and showed me to her guest room. I lay down on the bed atop the covers.

Today was one heck of a day. A lot has changed for me in the last week… without Twilight, how am I supposed to get home? I know Twilight wronged me, but going to Princess Celestia about it seemed wrong too. I know she was just trying to help, even if the methods were...delicious...I MEAN DISGUSTING!

What do I do now?

Author's Note

I've never really added an author's note to a story before. I find, when I read other people fics, that most author's notes are apologizing for taking so long to write a new chapter. Though I do take a long time between each chapter, I won't apologize in each note. That gets annoying fast.

Instead I will ask for some feedback. Comments, likes, and messages are what will get more chapters out of me. I'm not trying to pose some kind of price for my story or anything, I just feel more appreciated and am more likely to write if that's the case.

In closing, I'd really like to make this a long arcing story. I have several things in mind I would like to have happen including the end. However, I really would like to bounce my ideas off of someone and improve as a writer. So someone who could hop on skype or gdocs and discuss plot points, motivations, and general direction for the story would greatly help.

Thanks for reading.