Being Brave Part I

"How's Cory holding up Fluttershy?" asked Twilight

"He's in a critical, but very stable condition now." Answered Fluttershy. "Angel and I were very lucky to find him. I think if we waited any longer, he would have been dead."

"So, he gonna be alright?" Asked Applejack

"He'll be just fine. He just needs plenty of rest, food and love, and he'll be all better within a week. We were even able to stitch up that nasty gash on his right leg."

"We'll that is a relief." Said Rarity. "I was beginning to think this search was a lost cause."

"Now I'm going to check on how he's doing." Said Fluttershy. " In the meantime I think you all should let him have his space."

The other five promptly left while the yellow Pegusi went back to her new patient.

Cory opened his right, puffy eyelid in a daze and found himself in the middle of what resembled the bedroom of a fairy tale cottage. The aroma that enveloped the room was a combination between cinnamon, spices and flowers. Surrounding him we're what looked like several woodland critters attending to his body, each one assigned to a different task. It was almost like he fell into the world of Snow White. To his right was a small dresser with a first aid kit on top, complete with bandages, medicine and a thermometer. Cory tried to get up, but was so weak he could barely even move. He turned his head to the left and looked at his reflection in a mirror. He resembled that of a skeleton with frizzy hair. Was I really out in the woods that long? he thought to himself. How am I even alive? Suddenly, in came the yellow pegusi with the pink mane from before.

"Good Morning Cory." she said softly "How are you doing?"

"Where...am...I?" Cory mumbled through his parched mouth.

"You're in the guest bedroom of my cottage. It's been two days since my bunny Angel and I found you stranded in the middle of the woods, and as far as I know you're very lucky to be alive."

"Who..Are..You?" He asked as he tried to force the words out of his mouth.

"My name is Fluttershy. My friends and I told me all about you and I'm very interested to know about you humans. After all, critters great and small are my specialty, except of course dragons."

Cory opened his mouth as if about to say something, but was too weak and dazed to think of something.

"Now hold still." she said while opening the first aid kit. "This might hurt for just a second."

She took out a cleaning cloth and just like Applejack, opened up one of his swollen eyelids with the gentle squeeze of her hoof. The clotted blood dripped down his cheek and chin and she quickly wiped it away with the cloth. He could see much more easily.

"Oh. By the way." Said Fluttershy as she put the cloth away. "Since your awake, I thought you might like something to pass the time. A playmate." She reached into the front pocket of her satchel and brought out what looked like a little baby bat with small ears.

"What..Is..That?" mumbled Cory.

"It's a little fruit bat. I called him Cody. giggle, almost like your name. I found him just wandering around my vegetable garden the other day. Turns out he was made fun of by his own brethren for not having big enough ears. But he's a really good flyer, and he can even climb higher than most bats his age."

As she said this, the little bat flew over to Cory's right hand which was dangling on the side of the bed and rested on one of his bony fingers.

"Awww." She said. "I think he likes you. You know, funny thing. I've recently grown an attachment to bats."

Cory turned to his side and looked dreamily at the fragile little animal. The creature's body was filled with so much potential, so much possibility, so much energy for the world around him.

"Now you two get acquainted while I get you something for your tummy." She said as she promptly left the room.

Hey little guy, thought Cory with his eyes still fixed on the baby bat. You're pretty happy for a kid who's been bullied. I wish I could tell you things we're gonna be alright. But what do I know. I'm just a worthless hunk of shit. You've got more chance succeeding than I ever will. After a few minutes petting his new friend with his thumb, Fluttershy entered with a hot bowl of soup.

"Soups on." she said as she placed the bowl on the table. "You're gonna all the food you can get if you want your strength back." She picked the spoon up with her mouth and placed it into Cory's. Bite after bite, slurp after slurp, he began to regain his balance. Suddenly, he grabbed the bowl and gulped it down his throat down to the last bit. He didn't care if he looked like a pig. He just needed something in his stomach.

"Boy, you were hungry." Commented Fluttershy.

"Sorry." he said quietly as he wiped his mouth.

"Oh, no need to apologize. So tell me about yourself. It must feel weird being the only human in Equestria."

Cory's eyes were still fixed on the baby bat as it climbed up to his shoulder.

"How do you tell other animals what to do?" he asked softly.

"Oh, it's just something I've been very talented with since I was a filly."

"I wish I was that talented."

"But you are talented Cory."

"No I'm not. At least not as much as you."

Fluttershy had a concerned look on her as she gazed at his lifeless face

"You just stay there while I fix you up something else to eat."

As the days rolled on, Cory became more acquainted with his new bat friend Cody. He felt like he had a connection with him and could identify with his predicament. Soon, as he started to walk again, they both played the occasional game of tag and hide and seek. Cory grew so attached to him that he hesitated to say goodbye when it was time for Cody to go back to his family. It was like losing his friends all over again as he desperately tried to hold back his tears.

But Cory seemed to be more fascinated by Fluttershy and her open hearted kindness to all creatures. Despite his quiet responses to her and negligence to speak up, she didn't seem to mind this con of his. He was amazed at how she tamed even a giant, short tempered bear without even breaking a sweat. She even reminded him of another one of his friends: Katie Aldrich. Katie was a very shy but very determined individual. She was what some considered the Eco-kid. She always recycled everything she used, planted a tree every month, used environmentally friendly products and would never even dare to step on an anthill. There were many times when a person with a pet or a stray animal would stop by her door and she would tend to it right away, fixing it up overnight. She knew almost every kind of species of animals and would hold discussion groups as to how to protect the environment. This sensitivity to plants and animals made her the laughing stock of the school and a social outcast, which made her fit right in with Cory's group.

A week had now gone by since his rescue, and Twilight and her friends were now incredibly concerned about his solitary behavior. So one morning, Fluttershy came in to her cottage to see how he was doing.

"Cory." she said. "My friends and I are having a little get together. Would you like to join?"

Cory nodded his head and was escorted to the back side of the cottage. Twilight, her four other friends, Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were found sitting on top of a neatly pressed blanket. They had worrisome looks as Cory approached the scene.

"Cory." said Twilight. "We need to talk."

"What happened?" he asked as he sat on a tree stump.

"We're just a little concerned about the way you've been acting." Said Rarity.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"Honey." Said Applejack. "You toss and turn every night in your sleep."

"You hesitate to stand up for yourself." Said Rarity

"You get fidgety all the time." Said Pinkie Pie

"You freak out every time somepony gets into an argument." Said Rainbow Dash

"And you talk really quietly." Said Fluttershy.

"And when you do." Spike added. "You bow your head down as if you're ashamed to talk."

"Plus when we found you, you were all bruised and bleedin." Said Applebloom

"Your clothes were all torn up." Added Sweetie Belle

"And your'e not really the most athletic of species." Said Scootaloo. The other two jabbed her to the side and gave her a shoosh.

"Come and tell us what's wrong." Said Twilight affectionately.

"If I tell you, I'm going to be all sorry for myself." He responded

"Who told ya that?" Asked Applejack

"If I tell you that, I'll also be sorry for myself."

"Look Cory." Said Twilight as she approached him. "You know us, and we know you. Whoever told you that nonsense is wrong. You can totally trust us, and if there's one thing that really helps us solve problems, it's talking them over with good friends."

Cory looked at the ponies with a blank face.

"You won't get angry at me?" he asked worriedly.

"We won't get angry at you." Pinkie Pie responded.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." They all said in Unison.

Cory thought for a moment.

"OK." he responded. "Where do I start."

"Just start at the beginning." Said Rarity. "What family did you come from?"

"OK." he took a deep breath and started his story.