The Guardian's Angel

And so, the routine went on as if the talk with Archangel had never even happened. For a moment there, the six ponies had almost accepted the thought that he would remain a stranger to them until their very last day... but it would seem that fate had different plans in mind.

"Angel!" Fluttershy called out to her pet bunny. "You get back here, this instant! You know how much I don't like it when you go wandering outside the cottage so late in the evening!" Putting on her assertive face, she flew after her elusive pet. "Angel!" she called out again. "Where are you going?" she asked and gasped loudly as her question answered itself. "Angel, no!" she shouted to no avail as she witnessed the pesky rodent running straight into the Everfree Forest. Her eyes became devoid of their former bravery as she landed near the edge of the forest. She stood there trembling for a while, but eventually mustered what little courage she had and took a deep, long breath to help herself remain calm. "I swear to Celestia, Angel, if anything happens to you..." Darkness engulfed her as she passed the fringe trees. Various noises coming from unidentified sources instantly came with it. "Or me..." She gulped loudly as she pressed on at a much slower pace.

"Aah!" she gasped at the sound of a cracking branch not far from her. Along the way, she couldn't help but get frightened by every single noise coming from the forest, be it a wicked howl or just a gust of wind. "Angel!" the pegasus suddenly shouted as she spotted the reason she was here for. She ran towards the rabbit as fast as she could, but as she got closer, her face suddenly turned pale and she pressed her forelegs firmly against the ground to help herself stop running, still sliding a few steps forward before finally stopping dead in her tracks. "A-A-Angel..." Fluttershy stuttered as her face met with the dreaded gaze and sharp teeth glaring right at her and her pet from the darkness. "Angel," she called her pet and started slowly backing away. "Back away. Now!"

Not requiring any further motivation, Angel bunny tucked his tail and ran away. "Angel!" Fluttershy shouted again. She was about to follow after him, but a malicious growl coming from behind her turned her body stiff. "A-A-Angel?" Gazing around herself, she realized that her pet was nowhere in sight anymore. All she saw was a pack of timberwolves coming at her from every side with hungry looks on their faces. Backing away would have no point, nor could she do so, even if she wanted to. The fear of her imminent demise had left her paralyzed... Not even her pet was nearby to give her the courage she needed. With one of the wolves already breathing in her face, and another's paw pressing her tail against the ground, she did the only the she could think of.

"Archang--" she closed her eyes and yelled at the top of her lungs. "El?" Before she could even finish screaming out the name, her savior had already arrived and turned her assailants into a pile of firewood at the blink of an eye. "Wait!" she exclaimed and extended her foreleg towards the guardian. "Please! Don't--" Just as quickly as he arrived, he disappeared, leaving only the breeze in Fluttershy's mane as her only companion. "Leave..." She hung her head in sorrow.

With her eyes set on the ground in front of her legs, she began recalling everything she had heard him say that one time they talked... She felt so sorry for him, and at the same time, she felt so pathetic knowing that the best way she can help him is by not doing anything at all... but... he just saved her life... and that wasn't even the first time, nor was it only her that he had ever saved... The feeling was tearing her apart. Were it not for Archangel, she would have just met a gruesome and extremely painful end. How could she possibly just ignore that? No! She wasn't about to stand for this! She shut her eyes tightly and started running back the way she came, barely managing to hold back a prolonged cry... It was high time someone showed Archangel a bit of kindness.

***

By the time Fluttershy reached Archangel, she had already given in to the pain in her heart and had begun to cry it all out. As she reached him, she didn't hesitate to throw her forelegs around him in a warm embrace.

No... why her? he asked himself. Of all the ponies here, why did it have to be her? "What seems to be the problem?" Archangel asked the wailing mare in his usual apathetic tone without even glancing in her direction.

"You saved me," she cried out.

"You make it sound like it was wrong of me to do so."

"Thank you..." Fluttershy whispered while still crying and nuzzling her savior. "Thank you so much!"

"As always, you are welcome."

After some time spent crying, Fluttershy wiped away the remainder of her tears and gazed upwards at Archangel's hooded head.

"Is there something else you wanted to say?" he asked after gazing into her heartbroken eyes.

"I just can't let you go on like this!" she shouted so gently that it sounded like a whisper to Archangel. "It breaks my heart to see you this way. All I want is to repay you somehow." She pressed her cheek against him again.

"As I already said." He turned his head away from her. "There isn't anything you can do for me."

"At least let me try!" she exclaimed in a desperate voice. "Please! I just want to see you happy... It's not fair how they all treated you back on your world! It doesn't have to be that way anymore! You deserve to be shown kindness, more than anyone!" With a new set of tears already forming under her eyes, she kept staring upwards until the guardian finally turned his head towards her again. "Please... I know there isn't much I can do, but if you would just give me a chance..."

No... Archangel told himself. You know there's only one way this can end. Send her away... she's no different from the others.

"Please..." she slowly repeated.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked in a tone much less impassive than before.

Delighted about the response, Fluttershy released her hold on Archangel and smiled at him with eyes no longer full of tears. "I know it's late, but maybe you would like to come over for some tea?" she kindly offered and then immediately turned her head sideways and let her mane cover her eyes. "That is, umm, only if you want to," she added while scuffing her hoof on the ground.

No. he told himself in his thoughts. No, you idiot! Send her away! You know this won't end well! Spare yourself from the unnecessary pain and-- "I would love to," he gave a warm reply and stood up.

Overjoyed about the way things turned out, Fluttershy let out an excited squee before leading the way. "Right this way," she instructed and started flying back towards her cottage.

***

Back at her cottage, Fluttershy's pet bunny had begun to grow nervous and was holding the door open to see if his owner was on her way back. He seemed overjoyed after noticing her coming back towards the cottage, but he immediately shut the door with a terrified expression and ran inside after seeing the companion following her.

"Now, Angel," Fluttershy addressed the cowering rodent after coming inside. "Don't be rude to our guest." She flew past him and her other frightened pets to start preparing some tea for herself and the visitor. "Archangel is just going to join me for a little tea party. There's nothing to be afraid of. In fact, he just saved me from some horrifying timberwolves. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here!" she explained while setting the table for the evening tea party. Her animals seemed to have calmed their anxiety and were now just staring at the cottage entrance with faces full of curiosity. "Why don't you come and..." Fluttershy lost her voice as soon as she realized that her guest of honor was much too large to simply walk into the cottage. "Oh dear..." she whispered and covered her mouth. "I-I-I'm so sorry! Please... give me a minute. I'll find a--"

"It's quite all right," Archangel calmly replied and took a long breath. All of a sudden, a bright flash of light came from his direction, forcing Fluttershy and all her animals to cover their eyes.

Fluttershy covered her mouth and gasped loudly after regaining her sight. After the bright surge of light had faded, Archangel was nowhere in sight, but in his stead, there stood a creature of similar origins, only much smaller and nowhere near as fearsome or majestic. He had no wings, and instead of shining armor, his entire body was covered by black clothes.

"It has been a very long time since I've let anyone see me like this," the mysterious creature said as it walked inside and headed towards the table where Fluttershy was at. His boots had a spur on the back, so they made a small, metallic noise on his every step. As he walked up to Fluttershy, he raised the front edge of his hat and let her gaze into his actual eyes for the first time since his arrival here.

"Wh-w... what?" The confused mare was at a loss of words.

"This is me in my human form," the visitor explained. "This is the image that enabled me to live amongst my own people without attracting too much unwanted attention. This is how I used to look before I became the way I was when you first saw me." Having explained himself, he gave her some time to ponder on the sudden revelation and went to take a seat at the table. "Care to join me?" he asked while staring at her with a sly smile on his face.

"Oh!" Fluttershy exclaimed after snapping out of her state of trance. "Yes, of course!" She flew over to the table and grabbed the teapot to pour them both some tea. "I'm sorry, it's just--"

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he interrupted and picked up the cup that Fluttershy had just filled for him. "I should have warned you about what was going to happen."

Having poured the tea, Fluttershy took a seat and picked up her own teacup. She watched and waited for her guest to be the first one to take a sip, but all he did was hold the cup close to his face and stare inside it. "Is everything all right?" she asked in concern for his well-being.

Archangel gave his reply after a short pause, "It has been so long since I've last enjoyed any of the small things in life..." he said in a tranquil tone. "The scent of flavored tea has become all but new to me." He closed his eyes and inhaled the pleasant fragrance emitting from his cup. "I can't even tell what flavor is it."

"It's a special recipe of mine," Fluttershy replied with a modest smile. "Just try it." Archangel didn't hesitate to do just as the pony suggested. Just a tiny sip made the smile on his lips even more firm. "Do you like it?" she asked and took a sip from her own cup.

"It's amazing," he turned his smile towards her and answered. The two of them relished the moment while it lasted. After a few more sips, both their cups had been emptied out and Fluttershy got up to pour another round for each of them. As they engaged further in their little meeting, Fluttershy's animals couldn't help but curiously stare at them from behind the corner.

"Soo... what was your life like before you became who you are now?" Fluttershy inquired while pouring the tea. "I take it you used to live on a farm, somewhere far away from the big cities."

Archangel let out a quiet laugh upon hearing such a cunning remark. "I guess the clothes really do leave that impression, don't they?" he counter questioned. "Nay. I didn't have that privilege. I was raised in the heart of a big city, same as most folk... but even though my body was always there, my heart loved to always dwell somewhere far away from the fetid city air and cluttered streets. Every so often even on a farm."

"I bet you and Applejack would have a lot in common," Fluttershy added, making her conversation partner let out a warm laugh again.

"Perhaps I would," he replied and took a sip from the next batch of tea. "But, to be honest, I consider your way of life to be much more appealing."

"Oh!" The timid mare turned her head away from him and blushed. "T-thank you for saying that, but I'm sure you'd find my friends to be much more exciting to hang out with than me! You could soar the skies every day with Rainbow Dash. You could always be having a fun party with Pinkie Pie, and Twilight could teach you so much about magic!"

Archangel chuckled. "I've seen enough excitement for no less than ten lifetimes... A little bit of peace and quiet at the very heart of nature is all I need right now."

Those words made Fluttershy feel much warmer inside... She knew she wasn't among the most interesting or entertaining ponies in Ponyville, but she had hopes that she could at least convince Archangel to give a chance to all of her friends, as well... Against all odds, she actually managed to cheer him up all by herself. "I'm very glad to hear that," she said after a sigh of relief. "I was worried that you would consider me boring and wouldn't want to spend any time with me."

"How could you possibly think that?" Archangel immediately asked and leaned towards her, staring deeply into her eyes. "In all of my three thousand years spent on my own planet, I've never met anyone quite as kind, gentle and just plain amazing as you!" Well... apart from one other, that is, he reminded himself in his thoughts. "You are everything that my world was missing!"

Archangel's sudden confession took Fluttershy by surprise. She spent the first few seconds staring at him in slight shock, but her face quickly turned into a modest smile, accompanied with a strong shade of red on her cheeks. "Oh, you're just saying that," she turned her face away from him and waved her hoof at him. "I'm just a shy, boring, little--"

"You need to give yourself more credit, Fluttershy," he interrupted. "There are multitudes of ways in which one can seem appealing, and you are, without a doubt, a queen in your own field." Realizing that he was starting to take it too far -- mostly because of the fact that Fluttershy was now covering her entire face with her hooves in a desperate attempt to hide her vehement blush -- Archangel stood up and decided to take his leave. "I would love to stick around for another round of tea, but I fear that I may be keeping you up too long into the night," he said while heading towards the door. "I may not require any sleep myself, but that doesn't mean that I should also deprive you of yours."

"Wait!" Fluttershy called out before her guest could leave. "Would you like to do this again sometime? I really enjoyed our little talk," she admitted with her cheeks still a bit red.

This has gone on for long enough! Archangel's inner thoughts scolded him. It is not yet too late to set things right. Just leave now and you still might not feel anything on the day you bury her. Stop, before it's too late! There's no need for you to keep torturing yourself! Just say-- "Gladly," Archangel replied and walked outside.

Fluttershy immediately followed him and reached the door just in time to see him transform back to his immortal form and fly away. She and her animals all waved goodbye to him. After closing the door and going back inside, she sighed with joy after a job well done. Who would have ever thought that a few cups of tea was all that was needed to remind a three thousand year old immortal that there's much more to life than just feeling comfortable while reclining against a tree?

Fluttershy's attention was suddenly drawn towards Angel bunny, who was impatiently tapping his foot on the floor. "Oh! I'm sorry I've been neglecting you for so long, Angel. You're not hungry, are you? It's already past bedtime," she declared. Angel shook his head in disapproval. "Are you mad at me for keeping you waiting this long?" she asked and received another head shake of disapproval as a response, after which Angel pointed towards the door through which the guest had just left. "Archangel?" Fluttershy asked, confused about where this was going. "What about him?"

While still pointing one paw at the door, Angel pointed his other paw at Fluttershy, after which he drew his paws together around himself and warmly embraced himself.

"Yes, we're friends with him, and he's going to come visit us again sometime... At least, I hope he considers me his friend..." Angel shook his head again, after which he pointed towards the table with the tea set on it. "Well, I wanted him to feel at home and enjoy himself. That's what friends do for each other." Again, Angel only shook his head, afterwards beginning to imitate some of Fluttershy's actions and expressions during the moment she was blushing while Archangel said all the nice things about her.

"Oh!" Fluttershy exclaimed after finally realizing what Angel was insinuating. The former blush returned to her cheeks right away. "I-it's not like that at all! He was just being really kind to me and I'm really not used to such compliments. I'm sure it was just a simple friendly gesture," she explained herself, but Angel didn't seem too convinced. He simply crossed his paws and directed a sly grin towards her.

With eyes full of shock, Fluttershy inhaled as much air as she could take in with a single breath. "Are you saying that I... No!" She shook her head. "I... that's not the way I feel about him! He's a friend!" She broke eye contact with the bunny for a moment as her expression lost some confidence. "He did save my life more than once, so I guess I consider him to be more than just a friend... but he's not even the same race as me!" she suddenly retorted while pointing her hoof at Angel. "How could I possibly feel that way about him?"

Not willing to back down, the rabbit simply kept mocking his owner with the same cocky smile on his face. Fluttershy's cheeks were simply too red to believe a word she was saying.

"Now, Angel, I don't know what gave you the idea, but I assure you, Archangel is just a friend," she replied as calmly as possible and started walking away from Angel. "Besides, even if I did feel that way about him, there's no way that Arch could ever feel the same way about me."