Forest Through The Trees

"Are you sure you have everything figured out, Mrs. Gentle Care?"

"Of course, dearie," Mrs. Gentle Care assured Fluttershy, "You have nothing to worry about."

Fluttershy still wasn't certain, herself. "Did you-"

"Yes," she answered.

"What about-"

"I've got it covered."

"Hm," Fluttershy brought a thoughtful hoof to her chin, then gasped and spoke, "You didn't forget to-"

"I didn't."

"Oh. Well, in that case, I guess you do have things figured out." Fluttershy gave a bashful grin as she rubbed one of her forelegs against the other.

"Like I said, dear, you have nothing to worry about." She smiled back, "You can go now. It will be feeding time soon and I don't want you to stress."

"You're right. Thank you so much." Fluttershy gave Mrs. Gentle Care a warm hug and made her way out the front door to head down the trail before breaking off toward the meadows.

A few times a summer, Fluttershy always came out into nature to admire it's peak beauty in the sun's rays and paint it onto a canvas so she could hang it up at home. While her cutie mark wasn't for artistry, it never hindered her from developing such skills through annual practice. She gaited her way through the grassy fields until reaching a small cliff viewing the forest ahead with a couple mountains visibly in the distance.

"Alright. I think this is the perfect spot." Fluttershy set her bags down and began to unpack them. First came her easel by which she opened up to set down securely on the ground before pulling out a medium canvas to set onto the easel. She then pulled out a small stool for her to sit on along with a container holding her palette, brushes and paints. She opened and pulled them out, setting her paints on the ground upright and squeezed a few drops of each with her mouth before setting them back down, picking up a brush afterward. She began eyeing the landscape in front of her with great attention. After a moment passed, she made an audible hum, dipping her brush briefly into some paint, and stroking the canvas with her brush.

Fluttershy was just placing the finishing touches on the painting, looking to and from the canvas and the actual landscape, when she noticed a stallion of blue laying in the grass a few feet to the right of her. It didn't startle her to see him, but it was certainly a surprise anypony else came out here all alone. She went along with finishing her painting before placing her brush down and admiring her latest masterpiece.

"Hah..." She sighed satisfyingly. By now, her artistic skills had reached a beauty that could leave an interpreter in tears. After taking in her art a bit longer, she looked back over to the stallion in the grass and noticed he was reading a book he levitated in his magic. Of course, she wouldn't want to bother him. She thought to herself what he must be reading. It must be a good read to leave him laying in the sun for so long. Just then, his ears perked up and he looked towards her. A slight expression of shock filled her face as he did.

"Did I say that aloud?" She wondered to herself with worry. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized, "I-I didn't mean to take you out of your book."

The stallion gave a quick chuckle and assured her in a casual tone, "It's alright. I don't mind talking to others." He sat up and started getting onto his hooves before making his way towards her.

That didn't help her, she was starting to blush from embarrassment, "That's not what I meant. I mean-," she was cut off by his hoof over her mouth.

"You're fine," he gave a sincere smile and his eyes looked back at hers with genuine care before seeming to awkwardly look away. Did she have something on her face?

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing," he seemed to recover himself, but it only made her worry more.

She grabbed a mirror from one of her bags and placed it on her stool to look into it. No, nothing wrong with her face.

"What're you doing?" He asked a bit confused.

"You looked away so quickly. I thought there was something on me."

"Sorry," he apologized.

She was taken a bit by surprise by that. He didn't do anything wrong of the sort, "No, I'm sorry. I tend to be worried a lot. Um, I'm Fluttershy."

"Bandwidth," he replied. He picked up his book from the ground with his magic before placing it into one of his blue hoodie's front pockets then leaned his head down to lightly brush his blue-ended black mane with his magic. His glasses fell down his snout somewhat as he did so, to which he lifted them back up, adjusting them with his hoof.

"It was nice meeting you, Bandwidth," she said, "I have to head back and frame this."

Bandwidth had only just noticed the painting, "Wow. That's really good."

"Oh. Thank you."

"Where do you get your paint from?"

"I just go over to the Ponyville arts and crafts store."

He squinted at the painting, "That would explain the tiny clumps."

Fluttershy shrank in shame to the dismissive comment, but it didn't go unnoticed.

"N-no," he corrected, it's not your skill that causes it. Besides, the painting is amazing even with the subtle clumps." He wasn't doing good at recovering this time, he only started to fall into deeper anxious outbursts of explanations before Fluttershy started smiling at him. She didn't know what made her smile, but something about how much he cared seemed funny to her. It felt comforting in a way, too, but maybe that was the point of it. Either way, she giggled and he stopped trying every way to be understood.

"I'm sorry..." He sighed with exhaustion.

"Where do you think I should get my paint, then?" Fluttershy asked, still smiling as she cocked her head slightly to the side.

It grabbed his attention with ease, "Oh! I would suggest you head over to the Paints, Brushes, and More store. They're on the other side of town, but it's worth the walk."

"Thank you. Do you live in Ponyville?"

"I moved here a couple weeks ago. Still settling in."

"Would you like me to show you around town?"

Bandwidth seemed surprised about the offer. Perhaps he lived somewhere less friendly before. "Sure. Lemme just grab my letter collector."

"You're what?"

"It's a name I came up for something I made." He picked up out of the grass something the size of an ice cream rectangular sandwich and continued to explain, "It's a digital machine that can send and receive letters, but the letters are written through your voice. You just-" He noticed the astounding look Fluttershy was making, "I can share more another time."

"Alright," she was thankful for that. Her head was just about to burst before he stopped. They both shared a mutual chuckle and laugh then went on their way toward Ponyville. Bandwidth was different from anypony Fluttershy had ever met before. She'd never seen another pony apologize to anyone as much as he did unless Rarity was the one they were apologizing to.

It felt nice, though, which also seemed odd to her. Maybe it was just that sure smile of his and the way he looked at others and things with seeming admiration. She couldn't be sure just yet.