WAY Out of place

He made his way up toward the side of her house where she tended to each of the pens. She carried a large bag of feed in her mouth, scooping out what she could with her hoof and tossing it out to the chickens. It boggled him just how she could carry a bag roughly twice her size and weight. He walked around the fencing to the gate and walked in. "Uh, hey."

"Oh, um... hello." She said softly, turning to see him. "You're Twilight's friend's brother, er, right?"

"Yeah, My name's Kian." He said walking over to her.

"Well it's nice to get to meet you Kian. Oh, uh, my name is-"

"Fluttershy." He said finishing her sentence. "I saw you at the party."

Her eyes began looking along the ground.

He couldn't figure out why. Trying to keep up a conversation of sorts he turned his attention toward the animals. "These are some very nice chickens."

"Oh, why thank you." She said donning a smile. "I was just feeding them and all my other animal friends. Do you know anything taking care of animals?"

"Yeah, I've worked with animals before. I uh, volunteered at the animal shelters."

"Ooh, how lovely. And lots of ponies help the little animals?" She asked with peaked interest.

"Oh yeah. They adopt pets and help out local animals. All sorts."

"Do you think...if you don't mind, that is, you could...possibly help with the animal friends?" She asked making a cute smile and a disembodied 'squee'.

"Woah, what was that?" He asked looking around.

"That just happens sometimes." She explained.

"Okay." He said slowly.

"Here, you can take this bag, if you want, and feed all the birdies." She said pulling it over with her teeth it over.

"Alright, what are you gonna do?" He asked trying to drag it.

"I'll go back inside and get the food for the bunny rabbits." She said fluttering off.

He watched as she left. Her flight was smooth and graceful, almost relaxing to watch. There was something to her that seemed so different to anyone else he'd yet to meet. An innocence, a purity, as if nothing bad could ever happen. He felt at peace at that moment, taking on one of the few smiles that really meant something. He dragged the heavy bag along, scooping out hoof-fulls of seeds and tossing them out to the gathering birds. Things like birds were a minority at the more urban animal shelters. The only birds he'd dealt with was the occasional parrot at the shelter and lots of pigeons everywhere else.

The colorful birds pecked hungrily at the seeds as they lied about the grass and dirt. They were all different. In size, in shape, in color. Small finches and jays, colorful larks and maybe a cardinal or two. They all fluttered and hopped around him for seed. He walked on and scooped out another hoof-full, scattering it along the ground. Some of the birds followed over to it and began pecking at the seed. The ones who hadn't gotten enough. Another few feet and another hoof-full to be tossed around to him. All the birds were along the spans of about twelve or so feet, mixed together, chirping and singing.

Fluttershy walked back around the cottage with a large bowl of flowers and vegetables. She looked over at him to see the mass of birds all around him that were happily eating away. He noticed and they made eye contact, sharing a smile. She fluttered over to the gathering rabbits and set the bowl down on the grass. The small rabbits hopped over to her, taking leaves of lettuce and carrots from it before munching down on them. Kian sneaked his way around the birds, trying not to disturb them. It was a lot more precarious now that he had four legs rather than two. He stretched out, easing his hooves onto open spots. A chickadee hopped between his front legs as he lifted one, one of his hind legs was extended out as a jay pecked at the ground below.

He tensed in place as the small birds moved around and under him. A finch pecked at a seed beside his hoof, missing it and touching the fetlocks around his hoof. It moved it's beak around in the outer layer of fur before nuzzling in her against his hoof. The soft, downy feathers of it's head felt warm and comforting to the touch.

"H-hey, knock it off. That, that, th-that, that tickles." He laughed teetering back and forth. "Please, shoo." He said moving his hoof around. It brushed against the small birds and it lovingly moved against it, enjoying the rub. "Stop it, that really tickles." He pleaded.

Fluttershy giggled watching him fuss over it. The birds really liked him and he seemed like a nice colt. Well, he wasn't really a colt, but he was young. She had to have been a good five or six years older than him. Her thoughts were cut short as he tumbled down with a yelping "Crap!", birds around him scattered. He hit the grass with a soft thud on his side, the birds fluttering back around him and atop him. She trotted over to him hurriedly.

"Oh my, are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He sighed. "Are the birds alright?" He asked craning his neck to look around himself.

She smiled at his sincerity. He was very different from other young stallions. More down to earth. "All the little birdies look fine." She said looking around him.

"Great, I don't need hurting a bird on my conscience." He grunted as he rolled back to his front. The birds atop him hopped down to the ground and continued peck at the seeds. They moved around between him and her. He stood up from the grass shaking off the seeds now stuck to his coat.

"Here, let me help, if that's alright?" She offered.

"Sure." He said looking around awkwardly.

She brushed her hoof along his side, knocking off the seeds that clung to his coat.

"Um thanks." He said with a smile, avoiding eye contact. It felt strange having her touch him. Almost tingly. He felt a fuzzy warmth spread over himself, but he dismissed it as friendliness from a bird he couldn't see.

"Your, uh, your welcome." She said softly looking off. It felt similar to her. A tingle almost from it. She felt a warmth come over her, much residing on her cheeks.