I glanced up as I heard the rain. I knew I couldn't hear it sometimes from back in my apartment. Curious to see if it was raining badly or not, I got up and walked to my front door. I couldn't well easily glance out my windows since I'd covered them all to block the light. Opening the door, my eyes widened in shock as there, in a pool of light, looking startled beyond measure, was a yellow pegasus with pink mane, looking like she was just debating knocking on the door.
"Woah!" I exclaimed, surprised, for I knew this mare. But how was she here? This world isn't her own!
The startled mare squeaked, her wings spreading in alarm, crouched low to the ground in fear, trembling from a combination of cold and trepidation.
"Hey, hey, it's ok." I soothed, "Are you ok? You look cold. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Let's get you out of the rain, ok?"
I reached out to pick her up, but she tensed further, leaning back. I stopped and said, "I won't hurt you, I promise. Let's just get you inside so we can dry you off and get you warmed up, ok? I only want to help."
I held my hand forward, like I would to a skittish cat, palm open and inviting. I think the familiar gesture maybe helped more than anything, as she hesitated, before leaning ever slightly forward to nuzzle my hand.
"That's it. Don't be afraid. I just want to help." I carefully leaned forwad and brushed my hand through her mane, and she seemed to relax slightly, though she was still shivering.
I clucked my tongue in sympathy. "You poor thing. Let's get you out of the rain, before you catch a cold."
I leaned forward again, slowly, and wrapped one arm around her barrel and the other just below her legs. She squeaked again and her wings gave a small flap to keep her balance, but she didn't try to get away, thankfully.
Carrying her inside, ignoring how the front of my shirt was beginning to get soaked, since coaxing her inside had left me partly in the rain as well so I barely noticed anyway, I carried her through my living room and into my room and straight to my towel closet.
Pulling out one of my biggest fluffiest towels available that wasn't sitting in the dirty laundry, plus a few more besides, I went back out to the living room and sat down, setting a towel in my lap before setting her down on top of it, and carefully, gently rubbing her fur dry, careful not to go against the grain of her fur, since it was short like a cat's and I know how much rubbing against the direction cat fur lays just aggravates them.
Once she was mostly dry, I began patting down her hair and dried her face. Once uncovered, I grinned at her. "See? All dry."
Fluttershy smiled back tenatively. "Thank you..." she whispered.
"It's no trouble. I'm just glad you're ok." I said, my eyes sweeping her form again to see if I missed anything. My eyes settled on her mane, which looked a mess and I lifted a lock or two gently.
Nodding to myself, I lifted her up and set her to the side, causing her to squeak again rather adorably.
"Wait here, ok? I'll be right back with a comb and brush so we can take care of your coat and mane, ok?"
Fluttershy gave a small hesitant smile, and I gave her a reassuring smile before going to get my comb and brush from off the counter of my sink. Coming back, I sat down, and lifted Fluttershy back onto my lap, and began to comb her mane, starting at the ends and doing my best to be gentle, especially on any snags I hit.
Fluttershy sighed gently, so soft I could barely hear it, and the minutes passed in silence, with me just combing, then brushing her mane, then her tail, though avoiding going too high just in case, then took the brush to her coat, going around her wings and just running it through her fur, using my hand to smooth it afterwards until it began to shine.
By this point, Fluttershy seemed a bit more comfortable, and took to slowly looking around my living room. She took it all in, pausing occasionally at the sight of my TV and the game systems next to it. At one point, she paused and seemed to stiffen.
"What is it?" I asked, even as I followed her gaze. Her eyes had settled on a poster I'd printed out of one of the older LDB banners. One that just happened to feature Fluttershy and a quote from the articles of Faith. 'If anything is virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy... we seek after these things.'
"Curious about that poster?" I asked, gently.
"You- you have a picture of me?" she asked.
I nodded. "I have pictures of other ponies too, but to be honest, you're one of my favorites. You and your friends are kinda famous around here." I snorted at myself in my head. 'around' here just happening to encompass the entire planet and neatly avoided the fact that Equestria doesn't happen to be on it as far as I'm aware.
"Speaking of, how did you get all the way out here? And stuck out in the rain, no less?" I asked.
"I... I got lost," Fluttershy admitted quietly. "I was just heading back from a friend who lives deep in the forest when this storm blew up, then something s-scared me and I got lost... I tried to find my way back, but ended up walking out of the woods near here and trying to find out where I am, when... well... you know the rest..." she finished quietly.
I bit my lip. This isn't good. I'm pretty sure she's talking about Everfree, and if it dropped her off here, there's no telling if the portal will still be here when the rain lets up. Plus, I'd already figured from thinking about it, that it would be particularly bad if a pony got stuck on this world anyway.
"Do you think you could show me?" I asked.
Fluttershy blinked, and looked up at me, surprised. "Now?" she asked.
I nodded, "Perhaps I could help you find your way home again. And don't worry, I can keep the rain off us." I said, getting up and going towards the front door.
O-ok..." Fluttershy said quietly, tucked under my arm and held to my chest, with her back legs just held up by the crook of my elbow. She's just slightly larger than a cat, so it's not the easiest hold, but I need one arm free.
Grabbing my umbrella from around the corner, I opened the front door, grimacing at the rain still coming down. I closed the door behind me and locked it before popping open the umbrella, eliciting a startled squeak from Fluttershy.
"O-oh my," I heard her say softly.
I put the umbrella above my head, glad that I had gotten a large one since I'm a tall guy, and it protected us both well enough.
"Which way?" I asked.
I don't know if she answered or not, since I couldn't hear her over the rain now that we were out from the cover of my porch, but she did point, so I followed where she pointed.
Eventually we ended up walking onto the college campus nearby, and I followed Fluttershy's pointing till we ended up in front of a small copse of trees. From this angle it looked to stretch on, but from what I saw coming up, it wasn't very thick at all.
Still, Fluttershy pointed, and I trudge on into the plant life, stepping over and around low branches. A couple minutes of this passed by before I paused and realized there's no way that particular bit of plantlife was this thick. We must've passed through the portal then.
Continuing on, we kept going for a few minutes, until Fluttershy gasped and her wings twitched excitedly. "I recognize this place! We're not far from the path!"
I glanced back. There's no way I'd be able to find my way back like this. I bit back a sigh, and turned forward. "Come on! I'll get you home! Keep pointing the way for me?!" I called over the rain so she could hear.
Fluttershy nodded and continued to point. Eventually we did end up on a path, and I kept using my umbrella to push aside branches and leaves and shrubbery. We were both slightly wet again, but no where near as bad thanks to said umbrella.
Finally the trees began to thin out, and the path winded through a small meadow before branching off, one path leading further away and around a bend of a hill, the other crossing a small stream and leading up to what I recognized as Fluttershy's cottage, even in the dark.
Stepping up to the door, Fluttershy reached over and let us in. As we stepped inside, me closing the umbrella with one hand with a bit of tricky maneuvering.
"Um..." Fluttershy said softly, once I'd closed the door and set the umbrella aside.
"Hm?" I asked, looking down at her.
"Y-you can put me down now... if you want..." Fluttershy meekly offered.
"Oh! Oh right, sorry. Here." I said, gently setting her down.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky outside, followed by thunder and I grimaced, while Fluttershy startled and pressed against me, not having moved very far.
"Y-you should stay for a bit, maybe? T-this storm isn't going to let up anytime soon, and- and... I mean... oh dear..."
I looked at Fluttershy who'd shrank into herself slightly.
"What?" I asked.
"I-I'll get some towels. Wait right here? That is, if you don't mind..."
I looked down and realized that in the rush to dry Fluttershy off, and then getting back in the rain to get her back home and away from Earth, I actually hadn't dried myself off earlier, and between that and walking here in the rain, umbrella or no, I was pretty wet now, and Fluttershy had gotten a bit wet as well.
"I can wait. Thanks."
Fluttershy gave a small smile and nodded, before trotting up the stairs and out of sight. She wasn't gone long and she soon had the towels back, this time floating down the stairs. Before I could say a word, Fluttershy was returning the earlier favor and drying me off without my prompting.
I stayed quiet as she worked, as she hummed and mumbled to herself, before plucking at my shirt.
"Could you take this off?" she asked, and I blinked.
Fluttershy seemed to realize how assertive that was, and visibly shrank. "I- I mean, that is... you're still wet, and the clothing isn't drying... y-you don't have to, but I could set it out to dry faster and you could dry faster, i-if you want to, that is."
I shrugged and took off the shirt. Fluttershy hummed and resumed patting me dry, before taking my shirt and taking it through a door and laying it over the back of a chair I could just see. From the counter top and table I could just see through the doorway, I'm guessing it's her kitchen.
She soon came back, and finished patting me dry before wrapping me in another one. She started flying back to the kitchen, but I called out, "Hang on a sec," Fluttershy turned back, a question on her face.
"Come here." I beckoned. She came over, still curious, and I took the towel gently from her hooves and began to dry her in return. Fluttershy blushed.
Once I finished, she took the towel back. "Th-thank you. W-would you like something to drink, while we wait for the storm to pass? I-I could make some tea..."
"Ah," I said, scratching the back of my head. "I don't drink tea, actually, but if you had some cocoa, I'd appreciate it. If not, a glass of water is fine."
Fluttershy nodded, "Ok." And flew towards the kitchen. I saw her drape the towel over another chair and proceed to flit about the kitchen. While she did that, I glanced around, taking in the muted animal smells and smell of flowers that seemed to cover it. Air freshener maybe? Or just the result of her cleaning.
I glanced towards the couch beneath the window and shuffled awkwardly, mindful of my slightly wet, but mostly dry pants.
"Do you mind if I sit down?" I called towards the kitchen.
"No, not at all! Sit anywhere you like!" Fluttershy called back, somehow achieving making her call sound quiet from the kitchen.
I took the towel draped around my shoulders, still dry thankfully, and set it on the cushion before sitting down on top of it and leaning back, sighing.
Fluttershy came back into the room with two steaming cups and set them on the small table in front of the couch, then flew over to another door on this level and opened it, revealing several blankets and such, but no towels.
She pulled out the blanket, and settled down next to me while I'd picked up one of the mugs, smiling at the swirl of cocoa inside.
"Careful, it's hot," Fluttershy said quietly as she draped the blanket around me and taking a seat next to me on the couch.
We lapsed into comfortable silence, punctuated only by the sound of the rain on the window and me blowing on the cup to cool it off. Fluttershy hadn't picked her cup up yet and was probably waiting for it to cool on it's own.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and a boom of thunder to roll out. Fluttershy jumped, making an adorable 'eep!' sound, before abruptly I found a shivering pegasus tucked under my arm beneath the blanket.
I smiled gently and gave her a squeeze, just holding her until she calmed down.
"U-um... thank you..." I heard her mumble quietly. She didn't make to move though. Tremors still wracked her form when thunder rolled about, but they came less and less.
Suddenly a white bunny hopped up and landed on the blanket in front of Fluttershy, glancing at me with a stare that felt like he was trying to X-ray me, before patting the blanket where Fluttershy's hoof was.
Carefully she tucked her head out from the blanket and looked down. "Oh, hello Angel."
A look of concern crossed the bunny's face.
"I'm ok," Fluttershy answered.
Angel pointedly looked at me, then back to Fluttershy, the concerned look still on his face.
"Oh, he's ok. It'll be alright, Angel."
Angel seemed to scrutinize me from a moment more, before burrowing under the blanket himself and the lump that is Angel bunny settling between Fluttershy's hooves.
All was quiet once more. I couldn't help but wonder what I'd do now. What if the portal's not there when the rain ends? What if it is? Should I stay here? Should I leave? So many questions, and no answers.
Well, at least Fluttershy isn't stuck on Earth. No danger of her getting captured by the evil minority who would want to dissect her or destroy her for being an 'abomination against god' or something stupid like that.
Sighing, I started as I realized that Fluttershy had drifted off against my side. Settling back, I made myself comfortable. Whatever comes, will come, but it won't happen till the morning. That's what I figured as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, drifting off myself.
