There was something calming about Fluttershy’s cottage, like an air of mystery that hung over the place, inviting one in, imploring one to delve deeper to discover its mysteries.

Somewhere between the babbling of the crystalline brook and the meandering tingle, and tinkling of the wind chimes above—wrapped together with the scurry of critters and chirping of birds unseen It was like a sanctuary all of its own, her own little garden of Eden cloistered away from the rest of pony-kind.

I could easily see why somepony would want to live out here. Added to that are the scurry of squirrels I was sure were watching me and the calming, yet inviting warmth of the early morning sun through the thick canopy of the Everfree trees, if I were here I’d dare say I might never want to leave.

A gust of wind rustled through the wrinkled old willow trees all around me, adding its own song to the scrambling of the leaves, and I stood still for a moment. My eyes drifted closed and I took in a deep breath, letting in the cool air, the scent of dewdrops and the din of nature enveloping me.

But for a moment, I was alone. The worries and pains, the weights of the world, all but the weight of the satchel over my shoulder were a distant memory and my mind flickered back to those autumn days back on Earth, where I would take a walk through the countryside to clear my head. Our family farm had the exact same trees, willows that seemed to stretch on forever as they dotted the line all across the river.

It was a difficult feat not to stay here forever, dwelling on the past, of days long past, but, sadly, it couldn’t be. I begrudgingly opened my eyes again, casting one last glance over the small glade of Fluttershy’s garden.

The river below, bubbling and sparkling as it passed beneath the tiny stepping bridge, gave my heart a yearning to be back in the old times, but I couldn’t let it consume me. After all, I had an errand to run, a job to do, and a life to get back to.

Breathing in one last time, I straightened my back, readjusted the strap over my shoulder, and patted the brown sack hanging at my side, and turned to face the cottage, and the front door of Fluttershy's place.

I ascended the last three steps and sat myself on the front porch, then reached out to knock; three times, quick and hard.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

The hollow thumping of my knuckles sent a ripple through the silence, shattering the harmony around me with a loud, and foreboding crack, echoing all around me, like somepony had struck a rock with a stick.

“Eeep!” Somepony squealed from inside, but before I even had a moment to react, the world exploded into a din of violent screeching. Feathers and claws, sharp beaks and loud caws assaulted my senses and I was flung back, gaping in horror as the trees themselves seemed to change shape, explode, and swirl with a cacophony of colours.

I screamed, fell back against the door with my forearms raised to protect me, moments before the wave hit—I squeezed my eyes shut—Shit, is this really how I was going to go? Pecked to death by a billion rabid budgies!?

The birds swarmed. The noise got louder, into a thunderous roar of wings, and I felt the wind on my face as they all swooped over me, and my entire body tensed, awaiting the inevitable pecking and scratching—but then nothing came.

The noises continued, a terrifying whirlwind of wings flapping and repeated chirping, but as the storm went on, I felt them growing more distant, slowly fading into a synchronised hum of movement all around me.

Hesitantly, I opened one eye, then the other, and slowly lowered my arms, looking up at the surrounding mass of birds.

It was like an ocean of blues, swirling all around the cottage—like some magical display of nature. The swarm twisted and turned, swooped over itself, forming a common collective as they danced through the air above.

It felt like minutes, hours maybe, as I watched, horrified, and yet mesmerised by the display. Every nerve on my body was on fire, screaming, my instincts racing, and my heart beating a rhythm against my ribs that would give any doctor back home heart palpitations, and yet I couldn’t move, couldn’t stop staring. My mouth was dry and I realised I was gaping—then licking my lips; I closed my mouth and swallowed.

At length, the swarm of birds cleared the air, filtering out to the open skies through gaps in the treetops, and I was again left alone, with nothing but the nature around me, and the babbling brook below.

“Wow...” I mouthed in silence. ‘Wow’ was the least I could do to describe it.

There was a metallic clink above me, of a chain being moved out of place and a roller being jutted aside. The wall I had my back slumped against shuddered, and then inched backwards, causing me to slump lower against the opening door.

A pink mane and then the yellow fur of a pegasus peeked through the gap, confused at first. I looked up, staring into her eyes as she looked past me, glancing over the abandoned glade with a look of worry etched into her brow. “Oh no, Mr Blue Jay, did somepony—” She glanced down then, and let out a tiny gasp.

My heart almost melted on the spot.

Fluttershy covered her mouth as she whispered. “O-oh my.”

~ ~ ~

I was leaned against the doorframe—now opened wide—whilst Fluttershy crouched at my side. She was biting her lip, trying not to cry I was sure, as she looked over my wounds for the millionth time. The bandages on my hand were starting to itch, but I couldn’t touch them without Fluttershy hurrying off to get another ointment, so instead I simply remained still, tried not to worry her, and assured her all I could.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked for the millionth time. Her eyes were shimmering and teary as she doted over my like a mother hen. She pressed a hoof to my forehead to check my temperature as she whispered: “Mr. Blue Jay and his friends didn’t hurt you or anything, did they? I keep telling them they should stop playing their pranks—I really thought they’d learned their lesson after the last time with Rainbow Dash. I just don’t know what could cause them to—”

The wind picked up that moment, and through the rustling of the trees, I could have sworn I heard a filly’s giggling—that gave me a chill, and I shivered, my muscles stiffening slightly.

Though however much I tried, there was nothing I could do to hide my reaction from Fluttershy. She went silent, looking up at the trees for a moment. Following my gaze, she said, “I’m going to have a strong talk with Mr Blue Jay”—She turned her gaze back to me, setting a hoof on my shoulder as she leaned in to inspect my face. “But please...” she said.

I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe. Somehow, despite her tiny stature, she was well past my shoulders, towering over me as I was gifted the honour of coming face-to-face with her adorable muzzle; though turned down into a worried frown, it only served to make her all the cuter, sweeter, and more precious.

“Please,” she repeated. Her voice was lower than the snoring of a field mouse. Her eyes were watering and I couldn’t focus on anything other than the sparkling of tears at the corners of her vision. “Please tell me you’re okay?”

Oh mother of Celestia, Luna, whatever gods were out there. Why did she have to be this cute? If it wasn’t bad the other day, now she had to be—My eyes widened as I realised she was within booping distance and my hand almost moved of its very own accord.

I pressed my back against the doorframe, putting a little distance between us even as Fluttershy stepped closer. My left hand went to her wither and my right fingered hovered for a moment, before finally, taking a deep breath, I nudged her gently aside to sit next to me.

“I-I’m fine,” I spluttered out, though as softly as I could. I let my hand rest on her shoulder a moment longer, letting the sensation of her warm fur linger. “Really, I’m okay. It was only a scratch,”—I pushed the itching under my bandage aside in my mind, instinctively stretching my right hand. It really was just a scratch, nothing worth justifying the multiple coils of gauze Fluttershy had wound over my wrist, but what could I honestly do to stop her? Anything I said was just going to worry her more. I smiled at myself, and then looked up into the canopy of trees. “Actually... I kind of liked it,” I said. “This place, your home, is beautiful, Fluttershy.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy shivered. It was almost like seeing her sneeze—adorable couldn’t even describe it—and her face shone with an embarrassed grin. She giggled under her hoof as her cheeks began to burn. “Y-You really think so? Nopony has ever...”

“Are you kidding!?” My own cheeks were starting to tingle, and realising our position, I withdrew my hand from her shoulder, retreating back to myself. I positioned my hand over my lap, avoiding eye-contact with the pegasus. “I-I mean—” I coughed. “It’s a perfect fit for a pony like you,” I said. Trying as I might to keep my voice level, the faintest hint of a squeak still made its way in when I whispered. “Where better for a Nature Enthusiast such as yourself than to be surrounded by... nature?”

The giggling stopped suddenly and Fluttershy’s eyes went wide. Her ears perked fully, darting left and right as her eyes did a take in of our surroundings, and then she leaned into my side, her cheeks flushing red once again. “You didn’t...” Closer, she pulled, tugging on my shirt with her right hoof. Her voice dropped to an even more hushed tone as she trained her eyes onto mine. “...tell anypony, did you?”

“What?” I raised my hands, pulling my shirt free from her grasp. “No. Why?” It had never come up, I was sure. It’s not like it was anything very embarrassing, right? “N-No! Of course not!” I feigned a shrug. “I didn’t tell anyo-anypony.”

She looked at me critically for a moment, sceptically, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. Her gaze was unusually harsh, like it was cutting into my very soul. Did it really matter that much that nopony knew she was into horticulture? Was she really that shy?

At length, she relaxed. “...good,” she said. Seemingly satisfied by my response, the air cleared and the calming atmosphere of Fluttershy’s glade returned to wash over us. I was really going to miss this place. Maybe she’d let me visit here again...

“Now,” she said. Her tone was relaxed and subdued, though her cheeks hadn’t gotten any less red—maybe even more so as she turned her body to face me, leaning close so her whispers might carry. “Did you bring the photo I asked for?” she asked.

“Photos,” I corrected, and reached for the satchel at my side—In all the excitement, I’d completely forgotten that it was even there—and pulled out the brown envelope, stretched and creased by the stack of images contained within. “And yes,” I admitted, shamefully as I held out the parcel for her to grasp, “I know it’s not a lot, but—“

“Not a lot!? Fluttershy gasped and snatched the envelope out of my grasp.

I jolted back, pulling my hand clear of her teeth as she quickly turned to inspecting the thin brown paper, trying as she might to feel the contents, and guess the contents. Her wings were starting to flare and she was practically drooling as she said. “How many did you get!?”

I blinked, looked at my hand, counting the fingers remaining, and looked back at her. “Uhm... Two or three?” I guessed. “I got a few more on the ride up here, but they’re not developed yet so...”

“Two or three...” Fluttershy repeated, not really to me, but to herself. She was starting to look faint, and her wings had flared to their full length. She licked her lips, sweating a little as she whispered something else under her breath I couldn’t make out.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“’Not a lot’.” Fluttershy’s gaze unglazed, replaced with a look of unrelenting joy. She was grinning from ear to ear, almost tearing up as she smiled at me. “I didn’t expect you to get so many!” She threw herself against me and the air was crushed out of my lungs by the vice of a hug she squeezed through me. “Oh thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me, Mr...”

“Hrnk—” My eyes crossed and I could have sworn I heard a rib popping as my vision began to blur.

Moments before the world was about to go dark, Fluttershy finally loosened her grip. I gasped as the fresh air flooded into my lungs, and I stifled a cough, heaving between gulps of precious oxygen, I said. “You...” I breathed. “You really love those... photos, don’t you?”

“Of course!” She looked at me sincerely, like I’d grown a horn. “They’re so hard to find. I can’t normally get these and...”

She went silent for a moment, as if thinking of something. Her eyelids lowered. “Say...” she said, wetting her lips. Her wings remained erect as she rolled back over onto my lap, giving me a seductive look. Her smile turned up against the dimples of her red cheeks as she leaked against my chest and whispered, more of her shy self: “You don’t want to come inside and we can...” I caught the flicker of motion behind her as her tail flicked, and I could have sworn it was getting hot out here. “...’enjoy’ these photos, together, don’t you?”

My skin chilled with goose bumps where her hoof brushed against my outer leg. Memories from long ago, a previous chapter of my life, jolted through me giving me this sense of déjà vu. I shuddered and pulled myself out from under her, stumbling to my feet and clutching the strap of the satchel in my hand.

“S-Sorry—” I yelped. “I didn’t mean to stay—I mean I can’t stay. I-I have work at Sugar Cube corner in a few minutes: I really have to go.”

“Oh...” Fluttershy’s ears and her wings wilted. She looked up at me from the ground. Though her smile remained, her eyebrows raised. “You’re working with Pinkie Pie?”

I halted my retreat at the bottom of the first step—my heart sunk. “I guess?” I rubbed the back of my neck, a gesture that quickly turned to scratching. “We work separate shifts,” I explained, “so I don’t get to see her that often...”

“I see...”

There was a moment of awkward silence, before Fluttershy shifted in her position, and rose to her hooves. She trotted to the edge of the top step, reared up on her hind legs to bring her eyes level with mine, and smiled.

She used me for support and my hands went instinctively to holding her hooves, to keep her from falling—I told myself, and she laid a gentle peck on my cheek.

“I won’t keep you,” she said, then made a slight shooing motion with her hooves. “Go on, shoo. And say hello to Pinkie for me...”

I held on, standing strong. The inklings of regret were starting to sink in, and the longer I stayed, the less I wanted to leave. What might have happened if I’d chosen to stay, I wondered. “Will I see you again?” I asked, on a whim.

This caused her smile to grow, to radiate with the sweetness I’d grown to love. The ever so slightest hints of a blush touched her cheeks.

Fluttershy pushed her mane out of her eyes and nodded. “You will always be welcome here.”

~ ~ ~

As I was leaving Fluttershy’s cottage, I couldn’t help but think back to what had just happened. It was strange. I had all kinds of new questions. Could she really be...?

I paused at the outside gate, turned back to glance over my shoulder at the cottage on the hill. Fluttershy had locked herself away inside and the curtains were drawn. I could only imagine what she was doing in there, all alone.

Alone

What if she was a...

I opened the gate, went to grasp my bicycle, and as my hands wrapped around the handles, the cool, twisted metal creaked against my hold. I pulled to straighten it in front of me and the handlebars snapped clean off, brakes and all.

“OH FOR FUCK’S SA—”

Author's Note

I didn't plan for there to be shipping in this chapter. It just kind of... happened.

And hey! Looks like somepony might be following our boy~ OoOooOooo~