Chapter 1View OnlineWhen I Met FluttershyChapter 1Artie's POV: Well, everypony, I've finally gone and done it.I moved outta my mom's place. And yeah, you could say whatever you want. You could say I'm a loser or whatever, considering I'm a full-fledged stallion. I wouldn't care, though. I don't let anypony get me down. Anyway, I moved out. I searched for the longest time trying to find the perfect place. Then, I came across this little town called Ponyville. "Hm. Not a bad lookin' town." I said to myself. While I was flying over this bustling town, I noticed a house that had a "For Sale" sign on the outskirts And just to clear things up, I'm not a very shy pony. Back in Idahoof, I've had lots of friends. I lived close to the edge of the city there too. I didn't mind though, considering I've been one of the only pegasi in Idahoof to live on the ground. With his mom, no less. So, I was checkin' out this house and I noticed I had enough bits to pay for it. After I realized I had enough bits, I grabbed the "For Sale" sign and wrote a letter to the previous owner. When he wrote back, saying thanks fo rbying the place and that he thought of moving to a retirement home in Canterlot. Must be a pretty old stallion I thought. So, I packed my things, went to a moving chariot company, made a deal with them to move my things to Ponyville and said goodbye to my friends and family. I told them I'd write and come visit as much as possible. When I'm not busy with my drawings and things. (And since I forgot to tell you my name, it's Artie. I have a deep blue coat and wings, my mane and tail are blonde. My cutie mark is a paint palate with six primary colors (purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red) with a pencil underneath. And behind my glasses are eyes of a deep green.) Now, back to me moving to Ponyville. It took the moving ponies and I about a day or so to get there. Since we were tired alot of the way, we crashed at a hotel for a night. After we paid for our rooms, the moving ponies, which were of course pegasi, strapped themselves in the reigns of teh moving chariot while I few beside them. After another hour or so, we finally made it to my cozy little new home in Ponyville. It's kind of a domed shape with an iron chimney and a wood/straw roof. it had a brownish color on the panclling surrounding the outside of the house and it had a burghandy door with a rusty brass handle and knocker. After I got done admiring the exterior of the house and helping the moving stallions with the rest of my stuff inside, I paid them with a good sum, and walked into my new home. I went to bed, fell asleep, and wondered what the next day would bring. ... When I woke up the next morning to the soundsof various animals and a beautiful singing voice of a mare. "Sounds like she must live next door," -I thought- "she must be as pretty as her voice." I quickly but quietly flew to my bathroom to comb my mane and tail. Hey, if she was as gourgeus as I hped, I didn't want her to hear me fumbling around my new place like an idiot. so, I kept calm, took a quick shower, had some breakfast, I brushed my teeth and made sure I was as presentable as ever. I walked outside to see if the mare was still in her yard. Sure enough, she was. And she was pretty cute. Long flowing pink mane and tail, and a bright yellow coat with three pink butterflies as her cutie mark. While walkin' up to her, I was thinkin' of what to say. Before I thought about what I was doin', I walked up and said: "Hey, I'm your new neighbor," rather out of the blue. She let out a squeal of surprise as she turned around. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to scare ya." I said apologetically. "Oh, it's okay." she said. She's very quiet when she's not singing I thought. "Well, uh, I just moved in next door last night. i just wanted to drop by and say 'hello'." "Oh. Okay. Hello." said the yellow pegasus mare. "Oh, I've forgot to ask you your name." I said. She muttered something that was almost inaudible. "What?" I asked. "My name is Fluttershy." she said a little louder. "Fluttershy?" I asked. She nodded, scrapin' th eground with a forehoof. "Well, my name's Artie." I said. "Nice to meet you Fluttershy." Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane. Heck, I though. She sure lives up to her name. That's when I noticed her eyes. They were a kind of a light sky blue color, with a hint of aquamarine and some light green. Just then, I was taken by a flurry of fluffy pinkness. "GAH!!" I screamed as a hyperactive pink mare was standing over me. "I saw you talking to Fluttershy, and I thought 'Hey, I never saw that stallion before!' and I thought I should throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!!" The pink mare said non-stop as she bounced around. I groaned in pain as my back acted up again. Fluttershy trotted over to help me up onto my hooves. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?" she asked. "I guess so," I said as I realigned my back and thanked Celestia my wings still worked. "What was that about?" I asked Fluttershy. "Oh, that's Pinkie Pie," -she said- "she's the party pony around here. When somepony new moves in, she throws them a welcome party." "Huh," -I said- "that's nice of her." "I guess so." said Fluttershy timidly. "Even though she came outta nowhere and tackled me, she doesn't seem too bad." I said. "Oh my gosh!" said Pinkie, suddenly. "I gotta get stuff ready for the party!! Bye guys!!" Then Pinkie sped off. "Um..." I heard from behind me. "Oh!" I said. I almost forgot about Fluttershy. Stupid stallion, I thought to myself. "Yes Fluttershy?" I asked as I turned around to face her again. "Um... I was wondering. Are you really gonna go?" She asked. "Why not?" I asked. "First day in a new town and I"m already makin' new friends." I smiled at the thought. I gotta admit, I am pretty likeable. "You want to be friends?" Fluttershy asked. "With me?" That's weird, she seemed surprised. "Sure." I said. "Why not? You seem really nice." "Oh, uh... thank you." She said as she turned away and blushed. "You're welcome." I said. Then I remembered something. "Uh... I don't know when or where the party is." I confessed to Fluttershy. "Oh." She said. "They're usually held at six p.m. over at Sugar Cube Corner, the same night when Pinkie meets the new pony." "Okay." I said. Then I added, "Wait, where's Sugar Cube Corner? I still don't know my way around here. Would you mind helpin' me get there when it's time?" "Oh. Um... Okay." Said Fluttershy. "Okay, see ya later then." I said as I walked back to my place. "See you later." She said, man, she's quiet, I thought.
Chapter 2View OnlineWhen I Met FluttershyChapter 2Later that night, I was all ready by 5:45. I then went to Fluttershy's and knocked on her little cottage door. I heard a little fumbling before the door opened. "Hello?" asked Fluttershy as she peeked through a crack in her door. "It's me, Artie. Your neighbor." I told her. "Oh! I almost forgot!" she exclaimed. She called behind her saying, "Angel Bunny, Mama's going out. Can you watch the rest of the animals until I get back?" Mama? I thought. Crap. Then, a little white bunny hopped up to her. Oh, I guess that's Angel, I thought. The bunny gave a little salute. "Thank you, Angel." Fluttershy said as she nuzzled the bunny. Then, Angel looked at me and did the "I got my eyes on you" gesture and hopped away. When we finally got to walking, I decided to strike up a conversation with Fluttershy. "So, I take it you like animals?" I asked. "Oh, yes." she said, smiling. "There are so many different kinds, and I like them all." "Hey, that's somethin'." I said. "Like animals, too. Seems like we have somethin' in common." "Oh, that's nice." she said. "And I think we arrived." We stopped walking to see a building known as the bakery called Sugar Cube Corner. I opened the door. That's weird, I thought. Why is it so dark? "SURPRISE!!!" a lot of ponies shouted as the lights came on and I tumbled backwards. Was everypony in Ponyville here?? Jeez, this Pinkie character really goes all out. There were balloons and streamers everywhere and cake and ice cream on a nearby table. "Wow, I was probably sorta popular back in Idahoof, but, this really takes the cake." I said. "Speaking of cake, do you want some??" asked Pinkie, who again, came outta nowhere. "Oh! Uh.... Sure." I said. "Artie?" asked Fluttershy. "Yeah? I asked. "I was wanting you to m-meet my friends i-if that's ok." she stammered. "Ok. I'll be glad to." I said. She and I walked over to where her friends were. "Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle." said a purple unicorn mare. "Hi, name's Artie. Nice to meet you, Twilight." I said as I thrust out my hoof to shake hers. She accepted the offer. "Yes, I run the local library here." she said, very upbeat. "Oh, that's cool." I replied. I wondered if my buddy in Idahoof would like this mare? The next pony I came across was another pegasus. She had a rainbow-colored mane and tail and her coat and feathers were a cyan blue. Her eyes were a deep magenta. "Hey! Name's Rainbow Dash! Fastest flyer in Equestria!" she boasted. "Nice to meet ya." I said. Then, there was a pure white unicorn with a wavy purple mane and tail. "Hello there, darling." she said in a slight Trottingham accent. Darling? Does she call everypony that? "My name is Rarity." she continued. I am the owner of the Carousel Boutique. Where everything is chique, unique, and magnifique." "Oh, lovely to meet you." I said. "Oh!" exclaimed Rarity. "There are Hoity Toity and Photo Finish! I must talk to them about my latest dress design! Ta-ta, dear." Then Rarity trotted off. That's when I saw the next mare. She had an orange coat, a blonde mane and tail and a Stetson hat. "Howdy there, sir." she said as she shook my hoof vigorously. "Name's Applejack. I run an apple orchard called Sweet Apple Acres with mah family. If y'all need any caterin', just ask for me." "Ok, I'll make a note of that." I said. "Good to meet ya." "You too." said Applejack. "Hi again!" said Pinkie Pie as she jumped in from outta nowhere. "How do you like my party so far??" she asked. "I like it." I said. "It's pretty cool." "Yay!!" Pinkie squealed with glee as she bounced away. Hey, where'd Fluttershy go? I thought. I finally noticed her all alone at the punch bowl. "Hey, Fluttershy." I said as I walked over to her. "Why are ya over here by yourself?" I could barely hear what she said next. "Oh. I'm not a very social pony". she said. "What do ya mean? Looks like you got quite a few friends." I said. "Oh yes." Fluttershy said. "They're really most of my only friends." "Would it be cool if we're friends?" I asked. "Ok." said Fluttershy. "That would be nice." Just then, somepony tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned around, I noticed it wasn't a pony at all. It was a baby dragon! He was short, had light purple scales, and had a line of light green spikes going from the top of his head, down his back, to the end of his tail. "Hi. The name's Spike. Oh. Sorry. An I interrupting you guys?" he said. Then I looked back at Fluttershy. "Oh, my bad." said Spike as he walked over towards Twilight. "So, Fluttershy?" I asked as Fluttershy perked up at the sound of her name. "Yes?" she asked. "How do ya like Pinkie's parties?" I wondered. "Oh, I don't mind them at all, really." she said. "Neither do I, considering this is my first one." I said, chuckling. Fluttershy gighled and blushed a little. The yellow pegasus and I talked all the way 'til the party was over and everyone started heading out. "Gosh," I said. "Is it that time already?" "Oh! Um.... I guess it is." said Fluttershy. She looked out the window and saw it as pretty dark. "Um.. I'm a bit afraid of the dark." she said. "I was wondering if you can walk me home? If that's ok with y-you." she added. "Sure. No problem." I said. "Thank you." said the yellow mare. "You're welcome." I said. She wasn't very talkative on the way back to our houses. When we got to her cottage, Fluttershy said, "Thank you for walking me home." "You're welcome." I replied. "Would it be cool if we learned more about each other tomorrow?" "That would be nice." she said. "Noon sound ok?" I asked. "Oh, yes. I'd like that." "Ok, see ya tomorrow." I said. "Good night." she said. (Fluttershy POV): As I shut the door behind me, Angel hopped up and asked if Artie was a nice stallion. "Oh, he's very sweet, Angel." I said. "I made a new friend today Author's Note In case anyone was wondering, Idahoof is the pony version of Idaho that I made up
Chapter 3View OnlineWhen I Met FluttershyChapter 3I once again woke up to the sound of Fluttershy singing and tendin' to her animals. Holy Celestia, that voice, I thought, smiling. So, I got outta bed and did the normal morning routine. I showered, combed my mane and tail, had breakfast and brushed my teeth. Since I got done around 10:30 or so, I decided to work on a special drawing. When noon finally came around, I walked over to Fluttershy's and knocked on the door. When Fluttershy opened it, she smiled and said, "Oh, hello Artie. So, what would like to help with?" "Guess I hadn't thought o' that." I said, scratchin' the back o' my head. "Hmm," said Fluttershy as she put a forehoof on her chin, deep in thought. "What is it?" I asked. "You can help Angel with his lunch." she finally said. "He's picky sometimes." "Sure thing! I love helpin' animals." I said, smiling. I walked in Fluttershy's cottage seein' a white bunny who I assumed would be Angel sittin' in front of a dish piled high with fruits and vegetables. "He's mad because I forgot the cherry." the yellow mare explained. "Again." she added. "Hmm..." I said, looking at Angel. When I got my chance, I crouched low to the ground and started actin' like a bunny. I squeaked and chittered. I hopped around and sniffed his food. For some odd reason, Angel could understand me. Fluttershy giggled at my antics. She was then surprised when Angel started eating his food. "How did...?" Fluttershy asked, stunned. "No idea." I chuckled. "All I know is, it works." "You're amazing." she said, givin' me a hug. I was kinda surprised at her gesture. "Umm..." I said, after about a minute or so. "Oh! Sorry." said Fluttershy as she backed away. "No, you don't have to apologize. I'm glad to help out." I told her. "So, um.... y-you didn't mind that?" the yellow mare asked. "Of course not." I said. "No harm done." "Ok." said Fluttershy. Then, somepony knocked on the door. "Oh! Why don't you wait here, ok?" Fluttershy told me as she walked to the door, slightly blushing. When she answered the door, it was none other than that pink pony that annoyed me so much. "Fluttershy!! Fluttershy!! There's a new stallion in town!" she beamed as she bounced up and down. "Umm... don't we know him already?" Fluttershy asked as she turned her head towards me. "No, not him! I mean the one that just moved in this morning!" Pinkie said with a LOT of enthusiasm. Pinkie continued saying, "He has a red mane and tail, an orange coat, glasses and his cutie mark looks like a tiny pot with a GIANT feather in it! I think he's an earth pony. I saw him walk by Sugarcube Corner!" Pinkie Pie said, finally finishing. "Wait a minute." I said, walking towards the door. "He sounds familiar." "Oh, hi Artie!" said Pinkie. "Yeah, I think he moved close to the library." "Hey, Fluttershy?" I asked, turnin' towards the pink-haired pegasus. "Yes?" she asked. "Can I meet up with you later? I need to find somethin' out." I said. "Oh, um... ok." said Fluttershy. "K, see ya later." I said. "Bye." she said as I took off to the sky. When I got by the library, I looked around for a house this stallion might be stayin' in, since I might know who he is. I then saw the mailbox with the name I was lookin' for. I landed in front of the door and knocked. The door immediately opened and somepony hit me in the head with a frying pan! "Ow!" I screamed on contact, my glasses a little askew on my muzzle. "Artie??" said the stallion as he opened the door. "Dude! Inkwell! I thought that was you!" "Gee, sorry about that. I've been kinda edgy." said Inkwell. "About what??" I questioned, rubbing my face where the pan hit. "I've seen this crazy pink mare bouncing around, following me everywhere and saying something about parties." he said. "Oh, that must've been Pinkie." I said. "Crap. You know her? I'm screwed." Inkwell said worriedly. "Chill out, bud. I don't think she's too bad." I said. "Yeah, neither's rabies." said Inkwell sarcastically. I looked at him and thought for a little bit. "Hey, I got an idea." I said. "Uh-oh." he said. "You know, I made some new friends here." I said. "You're not trying to set me up with anypony, are you?" Inkwell asked. "No," I lied. "I just want you to meet somepony." "Ok, fine. I'm coming." groaned Inkwell as he came outside and locked the door. "She's at the library." I said as we started walkin'. "Yup. I knew it." Inkwell said as he stopped in his tracks. "Come on, Inks. It seems you two have a lot in common." I said. "How so?" asked Inkwell. "Well, you like to write and she owns a library." I told him. "Oh, alright." groaned Inkwell. "This better be good." As we got to the library, I opened the door slightly. "Twilight?" I called. "Ya here?" "Come in!" she called from upstairs. I walked in as Inkwell followed slowly, inch by inch. As he closed the door behind him, Twilight Sparkle came downstairs. She gasped as Inkwell turned around. "What?" Inkwell asked as he looked into Twilight's lavender eyes as she looked into his golden ones. "Y-you're Inkwell." Twilight stuttered. "Uhh... How did you know that?" asked Inkwell, confused. "Well, I happen to be your biggest fan." Twilight said, walkin' over to him. "Huh?" an uncomfortable, yet confused Inkwell asked. Then, I interrupted. "Uh, Inkwell, what's she talkin' about?" "You write such amazing stories." Twilight told Inkwell as she inched dangerously closer. You know, I knew Inkwell was a good writer and all. But, I didn't know he was popular enough to have a fanmare. I decided to interrupt again. "Hey, Twilight, can I talk to Inkwell for a minute?" I asked. "Sure." she said as she still stared dreamily at my best friend. Inkwell and I walked into another room. "Ok, what was that about?" I asked him. "Well, when I left Idahoof, I moved around a few times." he said. "Go on." I said. "One time, Ioved to Canterlot to make a decent living. I decided to publish my many stories to the public." he continued. "Hey, congrats, Inks." I said. "Thanks. Anyway, I didn't want to get too much attention. So, I told my editor and printer ponies to make at least 10,000 copies. Bad news is, they misread my hoofwriting." "What else is new?" I joked. "Har har." groaned Inkwell sarcastically. Anyways, the bad news is, they printed ten MILLION instead of ten thousand. But, luckily or unluckily, I managed to sell every single one of them." "What's wrong with that? Doesn't that pretty much make you a celebrity?" I asked. "Well, yeah, said Inkwell, "But, I wanted to keep somewhat of a low profile. You know me, Artie. I wouldn't want countless fanmares chasing after me and not to mention marriage proposals." he said with a shudder. "Yeah, I know." I said. "And I remember when you told me you wouldn't be lookin' for a special somepony anytime soon. That was a few years ago. This is now, bud. I mean, look at her." I said as we looked around the corner to see Twilight doin' back hoof-springs and somersaults squealin' with happiness. Spike was standing there, scratching his head in confusion. "Hm. Impressive." said Inkwell. "Wait, is that a baby dragon?" he asked. "Oh, yeah. That's Spike." I told him. "Interesting." he said. Then I almost forgot about Fluttershy! "Crap!" I said. "What now?" Inkwell asked, somewhat annoyed. "I need to back and talk to a friend at her place real quick. I won't be long." "I hope you won't be. I don't want her to give me a love potion or something. I'll be doomed." said Inkwell in a worried tone. "Don't worry, Inks. Try to get the dragon to notice ya. He might be able to think up somethin'." I said. "I hope so." said Inkwell, as he sat down on his haunches. "Good luck." I told him as I flew out an open window. "You don't know how much I'll need it." I heard him say.