Keeper of Harmony

Raymond squandered around in the garage reading a dusty journal entitled 'My Dear Shy'.  To his understanding what's written in the diary is something which relates to a fanfictional story of his favorite: My Little Dashie.

But a young man such as him isn't quick to judge a book by it's name, instead he chose to skim through some pages and thus started reading this segment of the journal...

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A Nightmare Before Christmas

Soon another year was about to loop, and Fluttershy is about to have yet another Christmas here on Earth.  Her second, actually.  It's strange how I've let a small pegasus such as her into my life; from the night I've found her then the next thing you know I'm raising her like a daughter I never believe I would have.  It's ever since that night when she whispered those words, "I love you, Daddy", something inside me sparked.  This cold, shallow shell has finally cracked and allowed love to spread, enveloping me with senses of love & compassion.

Last Christmas before this upcoming one, I never had told Fluttershy about Santa Claus.  Of course I didn't believe in all that nonsense and as of now I still don't believe it, after all, it is a marketing scheme to convince people into buying their merchandise.  Still, I shouldn't let that be the reason I shouldn't tell Fluttershy.  She's very young and also naive, but those are the other reasons I love her so; she reminds me of myself when I was her age.  Though there isn't enough time to go back on reminiscing, I should focus on getting prepared for the Christmas Holiday.

It became December 23rd and the Christmas Tree was set up with simple ornaments: streams of white lights from the top spiral around until it reaches the bottom, and red and green bulbs decorated onto any branch sticking out.  This tree was quite beautiful, even Fluttershy is astounded how bright and colorful it was.

We both stand before the tree, admiring it's shining beauty, "What do you think, Fluttershy?" I ask staring down at her.

"It's amazing," she smiled.

Although her sweet smile diminished into a slight frown.  I noticed and knelt down gently rubbing her back asking, "What's the matter?  Don't you like it?"

She quickly looks to me and says, "Oh absolutely!  I just..." she then lowers her head and stares down at the floor.

"Just what?  Come on, you can tell me."

"I just wish I could've helped you with the decorating." she depressingly said.

I brought out a soft smile and lifted her chin up using a thumb.

"My dear Shy, you don't have to be sad that you couldn't help.  But it's not too late, as you can see," I pointed another hand at the tip of the tree," I haven't placed the star up yet.  So, why not you put it there for me?  It's the most important job of all."

Her pupils enlarged, gleaming ecstatically, "You mean it?!"

"Of course," I nodded, "now let me bring it on over and I'll hoist you up there."

I scurried to my living room closet and rummaged through and found a very antique-like star covered in glitter.  It's nothing out of the ordinary.  Just a plain star whose purpose is to stand at the tip of a tree.  I'll at least give my foster parents courtesy for giving me some stuff they might've thrown away, such as this star for one example, even though I despise them with a passion.

I return with the said object and handed it to Fluttershy.

"Hold it very tight," I heeded before I lifted her up.  "Just carefully place it there..."

She held on to it like it was her life.  To her this kind of thing was very special.  Well, I did say it was the most important part of decorating.

Once she has gotten the star on the tip I pull her closer to me, letting her admire the scenery while I held her.

At last, everything was complete.  The tree, the ornaments, the star, all there's left to do is wrap a few presents and put them underneath the tree.  Rather a good thing I bought a couple on my way to work before tomorrow of December, I'd hate to go through the trouble of traffic or wait at long lines in a store.

Fluttershy looked up glancing at me with a very bright smile, "It's beautiful." she awed.

"Indeed, but not as beautiful as you are," I said, then I hugged her closer whilst smothering my face against her mane.  "Alright, then, how about we go bake some Christmas cookies?"

"Can I help stir the batter?" asked Fluttershy.

"Hm, hm," I half-chuckled, "Sure, why not."

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"D'aawwww," Raymond moans in a softy, type of way.  "I've got to show this to Andrew."

He quickly stood up from the garage's concrete and sprinted out closing the door from behind, then he entered the living room where Andrew remains seated on the couch who's constantly changing channels on Lyn's television.

Raymond hopped over from the back of the couch and landed right beside his friend, holding the book out to his friend.

"Andrew, you've got to read this!" exclaimed Raymond.

However, Andrew was far busy focusing on the television and didn't pay any attention to his excited comrade.

"Andrew!" Raymond exclaims once more.

"There's not even any Girls Gone Wild!" he finally responded, "And what do you want, Raymond?"

"You have to check this out," said Raymond holding out the diary.  "Go on, take it."

Andrew reached and swiped it from him, then he began scanning the pages thoroughly.

"There's..." he began.

"Yeesssss, go on,"

"There's nothing written here."

Raymond's eyes widened with absolute shock, but gave out a tiny smirk knowing about his friends' habit of pranks.

"Yeah right, Andrew.  You must be trolling me.  I read it myself and I say that you are high as a kite."

"I'm not kidding," Andrew sincerely replied, "I can't see anything on these pages.  It's all BLANK."

He much sounded like he wasn't joking at all.  Raymond could tell his friend's serious tone and stern expression meant he's speaking the truth.  Raymond deeply enters his mind, boggled, thinking as to how this is possible; a strange mystery he could not solve.

"Are you sure you haven't gone full retard on me?"

"No, have you?" Andrew returns the remark.

Raymond quietly grumbles to himself and took the book into the kitchen so that he can read peacefully without the TV interfering his focus.

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And so December 24th has arrived.  Fluttershy has been pretty eager for Christmas, especially when she knows about the presents under the tree.  Yet, should I have told her the story of Santa Claus?  Perhaps it'd be best she wouldn't know at all.  Besides, she'll later discover he's just a fictional character like many others.  This, however, excludes Fluttershy.  Sure she may be from a cartoon show of fictional ponies, but she exists; here in reality, I can actually touch her, feel her, even love her.  Despite what other people can call me, I believe there are many worlds alike out there.  It's a shame we haven't created dimension-travelling technologies.

Anyway, it's a mere few hours before 9:00PM and it'll be a matter of time when "it" happens.  Those who'll wonder what I'm planning, you'll soon see.  Just you wait and see.

After those 'few hours' had gone by it was the moment where Fluttershy and I slept under our warm sheets of my bed.  She still keeps her blanket close to her for protective reasons, probably.  And after a couple more hours, Fluttershy awoke drowsily and shifted to the right trying to cuddle with me, but... she begun noticing I wasn't there- in fact, I wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Daddy?" Fluttershy inaudibly yelped, "Daddy!"

Only the eerie hoots of owls and chirping crickets were her answer.  Nothing else.

She started breathing erratically, anxiously, and stayed under the sheets hoping I would return sooner or later.  But moments afterward, I never showed up.  Fluttershy sniffled, crying in fear that she was abandoned all to herself with nobody there to comfort her.  The scared, little pegasus then heard tiny thumping noises coming clear out from the living room.  In desperation, she got out of bed and haste towards where the sounds emanated from, readying herself to spring into my arms if she could.  Although, when she approached the parlor, I'am yet to have been found.

Sounds still kept being heard, and Fluttershy glanced to where they came from.  To her absolute shock, there was a shadowy figure standing at the tree.  The Christmas lights shine so brightly revealing a man with a long, white puffy beard while wearing a solid red suit and a black, thick, and leathery belt strapped around his waist to keep his breeches from falling.

Fluttershy froze in place, quivering by this stranger she knows not of; a stranger who dares to invade her father's peaceful home.  Is his clothes some sort of disguise to ensure his identity is hidden?  Is he a burglar planning to steal Fluttershy's presents?

Fluttershy wasn't sure what his intentions were, but the bearded man has sensed her presence after she gave off a fearful squeak.

He gave off a jolly laugh, "Ho ho ho!  What do we have here?  It seems one of my toys must've accidentally fell out of my sack." he then reached down with his big hand and grabbed hold of Fluttershy who desperately squirmed to break free.

"No.  Let me go!  Please, Daddy, help me.  Help-" Fluttershy's cries were muffled once she was thrown into a large sack filled with various toys.

She did her best climbing out while her escape was still opened, but soon it slowly closes and no matter how hard Fluttershy tried it seemed she was getting nowhere.  Her only way out finally shuts and all there is to see is pure darkness.

"Noooooo!" Fluttershy loudly cried until her eyelids open up.

I abruptly woke up by her screech asking her, "What happened?!"

Soon as she heard my voice, Fluttershy dug her face into my chest weeping, "Daddy!  I had an awful nightmare.  You were gone, and there was this man in red, he took me away, and I tried calling you but you wouldn't come.  I was so scared, Daddy!"

"Whoa, whoa.  Just calm down.  It was only a dream." I assured her.

She still held on to me tightly, not letting go at the slightest.

"But it felt so real."

"Sshhh, it's okay, I won't let anything bad happen to you.  I promise that I'll always be right here protecting you, no matter what.  That, I can assure you"

She stared up to my eyes, wiping her tears away as she choked between sobs, "Y-you sure?"

Without a second, I answered instantly, "I won't just say I'm sure- I PROMISE I will be there for you, always!"

A content smile then appeared on her face as she said "Thank you, Daddy.", and afterwards she fell back asleep.

Meanwhile, I was thinking about the dream she had.  To be honest, I was going to dress up as Santa Claus and give her presents, but I guess after that dream she'll forever be scared of men dressed in red.  Well, there goes that idea.  Second, I have such an unwelcoming feeling about my promise to her...

I know in my heart I can't fulfill that promise.  It'll be only a matter of time when that'll occur.  For as long as she's here, I can at least somewhat keep the promise.

Later I too went back to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That was a bit touching." Raymond judged, "But, I'm very curious as to why Andrew couldn't read it..."

Suddenly, he saw Andrew coming into the kitchen, "Yo, Raymond, I got to go take a bath because my balls smell."

With that said, we will halt here and stay tune for the next episode of Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures!