Fluttershy Hugs a Chicken
Fluttershy woke to the sound of the rooster’s crow, with the sounds of nature filling her ears. She slowly lifted herself and looked out the window at the sunrise. Light slowly began to fill her room completely, before she climbed out of her bed and arranged the blankets neatly.
She trotted down the stairs humming an all too familiar tune, and the smell of pancakes filled her nose as she entered the cottage’s kitchen.
“Good morning, Angel!” She said to the small rabbit that stood on a stool, flipping a pancake into the air and catching it. The small creature turned to the butter colored Pegasus and saluted. She smiled warmly back at him and trotted to the door, “I’m going to go feed the chickens, okay, Angel?” Angel gave her a thumbs up.
Fluttershy trotted outside, closing the door behind her, and took in the scents of morning. She proceeded to the chicken coop, where the hens and rooster now explored, pecking at the ground like it was made of chocolate.
“Good morning girls!” She said, “And good morning to you, Mr. Pufferpants!” She said to the Rooster. She opened the gate and walked in, the chickens beginning to surround her, and closed the gate behind her, in the case they tried to escape, “Hello girls! Did you all have a good night?”
The chickens replied with quick pecks around her hooves, searching to see if she had any food to feed their endless need for food, despite not being hungry.
"I don't have anything yet, girls, but I'm working on it!" Fluttershy told them, even though she knew they probably couldn't understand what she was saying. But it comforted them with her soft voice, and made her feel like she was with 'intelligent' creatures, like Angel. But chickens did not have the brain complexity to understand her, or take vocal orders...
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Elizabeak followed Fluttershy as she trotted into the small shed inside the pen, and waited as Fluttershy took the time to unlock the door.
Elizabeak was especially close to Fluttershy, as she had once left the pen, and was saved by her dear caretaker. She had only wondered what lie beyond her small, courtyard, home, and wanted to know. Fluttershy had been the one to free her from stone.
The other chickens only wanted the food. Elizabeak was there to see Fluttershy, and could care less about the food. Fluttershy opened the door, and walked in slightly, several chickens trying to enter the small shed.
"Uh, uh!" She said, smiling to the small, feathery creatures, "Stay out here!" She pushed a few back with her hoof, and held it there as they tried to re-enter the shed. They were, of course, stopped by this un-movable, un-get around-able, obstruction. Elizabeak waited calmly, as her sisters began to lose interest in the room.
When they walked away, Fluttershy moved inside to get their daily feed...
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"Here you go, girls!" Fluttershy said through clenched teeth, as she carried a bucket, filled to the brim with nutrients and belly-fillers. She set the bucket on the ground next to their house, and they immediately began pecking at it, pushing each other out of the way, jumping on top of each other, just to eat something they did not even know what it was.
All except Elizabeak, who stood next to her, staring into her face.
"What's wrong, Elizabeak? Aren't you hungry?" Fluttershy said, becoming concerned about the chicken.
The chicken shifted it's feet, but did nothing else, except stare into Fluttershy's yellow face, and shiny blue eyes.
Fluttershy was quickly growing worried, Was she sick? She wasn't that old, so it couldn't be age. Fluttershy picked her up in her hooves, and carried her over to the food bowl. The chicken did not struggle, and Fluttershy set her down next to it, causing the others to run away in panic.
The chicken looked toward the bucket, then back to Fluttershy, then at the bucket. She pecked a few times, then returned to staring at Fluttershy. The others came back to their food source, and continued to fill their bottomless pits of stomachs.
"What's wrong, Elizabeak? Why won't you eat?"...
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Elizabeak could understand what she said. She could understand because she learned. She learned because she paid attention. She loved her caretaker. She knew that no matter what sort of trouble she was in, Fluttershy would be there to save her.
But she didn't eat because she wasn't hungry. She would end up joining the others in their mindless rampage. But when Fluttershy is there, she feels like she is loved. And it felt good being loved. Elizabeak moved closer to Fluttershy, and circled her leg, as if she was a cat. She knew Fluttershy enjoyed it when a chicken's feathers brushed against her leg.
Fluttershy smiled in delight, beginning to understand. Elizabeak was happy her caretaker finally understood-
"I'm sorry, but I can't give you any feed just for you! You need to share with the others."
That was not the message she wanted to give. Elizabeak slowly walked to the bucket of food in depression, and began to eat.
"Good girl!"
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Fluttershy was finally confident that her chicken was healthy and sane. She continued to watch them eat, a few walked to the water bowl on the left, and began to drink. The chickens had the easy life. Wake up, eat, drink, sleep, wake up, lay an egg, eat, drink, sleep, repeat. They had no idea about the horrors of reality. Going to school, getting a job, saving Equestria.
The birds had no idea how much she had done for them. She'd saved Equestria TWICE now, and they didn't even know it.
She fed them, and took care of them since they were born, and they still don't know everything she's done for them.
But despite that, she still cared about them. She loved them, and every other animal, like a mother and her child. She knew that they loved her too, but to a much lesser extent. They loved her for her feeding and watering, not the love and care.
Fluttershy glanced at Elizabeak, who had now moved on to the water bowl. Fluttershy couldn't help but smile at the adorableness of the birds as they simply dunked their beaks in the water bowl, and came back up with their beaks clicking against themselves, and the others pecking randomly at the food bucket. Some of the food had fallen out, out of the carelessness of the rampaging chickens.
She couldn't resist any longer. Fluttershy walked slowly to the water bowl, and kneeled down behind the chickens. She tentatively reached her hoof out, then quickly pulled a chicken back toward her, and held it there, despite the fear in its eyes, as its pupils shrank to pinpricks.
"I love you girls," She said, rubbing her hoof lightly on the chicken's soft, feathery, breast, "I love you so much, and you don't even know."...
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But Elizabeak knew. She understood her caretaker, as her breast was gently stroked. Her eyes returned to their original size, and she allowed Fluttershy to feel her soft feathers. She loved her too.
Suddenly, Elizabeak was pulled further back, and into the chest of Fluttershy, in a tight hug, regaining Elizabeak's fear.
"I love you girls so much. You mean more than you know." She continued to squeeze the poor chicken who had grown to love her.
Flutteshy loosened her grip, and Elizabeak regained her breath. Fluttershy let go of the chicken, who stood for a moment, trying to recall what not being hugged felt like, and walked away slowly.
"I love you girls. I know I've said it already, but I really do." And with that, Fluttershy left the chicken pen, and trotted back inside her cottage, leaving the chickens to enjoy their meal.
Elizabeak watched as she left. The embrace left an imprint in her heart, finally knowing for sure, that Fluttershy loved her.
'I love you too.' She wished she could say, 'I love you more than you realize.'...
