Finding Fluttershy

Chapters

Nov. 9 - Evening
November 10th
November 11th
November 14th
November 18th
November 19th
Thanksgiving
December 5th
December 6th
December 24th
December 25th
January 6th
A Message From the Author
November 9th

Nov. 9 - Evening

The ritual was so familiar to me, I could do it with my eyes closed. I reached into my pocket feeling around for the carabiner that I used as a keychain. Finding it, I hooked my index finger around it and flipped it into the air. I caught it by the one key that I needed, the one to the deadbolt. I unlocked the oak door and stepped inside.

Fluttershy followed me into the foyer, and I gave her a quick tour of the house. From the entryway the living room was to the left and the kitchen to the right. Tucked in next to the kitchen was the dining room, and through its sliding doors the back yard. Behind the living room the hallway led to the office, a bathroom, the master bed, and at the end of the hall a guest room.

The guest room was a simple room that had been used to store objects I either no longer had any use for, or things I was too lazy to look for. I moved boxes and various odds and ends around, doing my best to make a living space for this pony. As I cleaned the room I was glad that this room was going to serve a much nicer purpose.

"This will be your room," I explained, "Of course, the rest of the house is at your disposal, and I'll leave my door open in case you need me."

"Why are you doing all this?"

"I... Uh... I'd like to think of it as returning happiness."

She looked at me curiously.

"Hey," I said turning to the kitchen, "I'm hungry, are you hungry?"

I made a beeline to the kitchen. I was mildly relieved to have avoided answering her question directly, yet I also felt dirty for having to do so. I dug through the fridge, remembering as much as I could about ponies' diets. I pulled out various vegetables lettuce, carrots and celery, and took them to the sink.

I'm not normally a patient man, especially I'm hungry. I much prefer microwave meals to taking the time to prepare something. Yet, for some reason, it was easy to set aside my impatience this time. I was in the middle of peeling the carrots when I realized Fluttershy was watching me from the foyer.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, … um, I don't want to be any trouble... " she whispered.

I stopped and looked straight into her cyan eyes and said, "Fluttershy, you would never be any trouble to anyone, now what do you need?"

"Oh, no... I don't need anything, but you look like you need someone to talk to."

Ever the element of kindness, I thought. I was about ready to tell her she was wrong, I wanted to say that I was fine. In reality, I had too much going on, my head was filled with more worries than I could keep track of. Even though she was right, I needed someone to talk to, I didn't want to talk about my problems with her. So, I decided it would be best to let her lead the conversation, hoping she would drop it.

"Like what?"

She hesitated, looking at me. No, at something on me. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was Fluttershy wanted from me, until I looked down. With a clatter my shades fell to the ground. I picked them up and examined them, looking for damage.

Then I looked back at her. My father told me that I can be really dense sometimes. I finally realized how right he was.

"My shades?" I asked, "You want to know why, even on a cold, dim evening like this that I would pull them over my eyes?"

"Y-yes."

I went back to preparing the vegetables.

"I've had bad experiences with bullies. They would pick on me all the time in school, Dad said it was because I reacted so well. I suppose he was right... Because on my first day of highschool, he shoved a pair of shades in my hand, and said 'Don't let them see you cry'. I didn't know what else to do so I wore those shades all day."

"What happened?"

"The bullies still picked on me, heck they picked on me for wearing sunglasses indoors, they teased and jeered, but eventually they gave up. It still hurt, but because they couldn't see it, it was no longer any fun. Over the years I just got used to always having a pair of shades within reach. I tell people that I only show my eyes to friends, but really, it's just a cover for a cover, I still don't want any to see me cry."

"Oh..."

I looked at her, and her ears were folded back. I caught myself wondering how long they had been like that. When you tell a pony a sad story, I thought. I put the last finishing touches on the salads I had made and set them on the table.

"Dinner is served," I said in the cheesiest way I could, complete with a big goofy smile.

Fluttershy giggled, her ears instantly perking up. I moved the chair aside as she walked up to the table. Luckily for her the table was low enough for her to reach it without a chair. I hadn't thought of chairs for ponies before, but I was pretty sure that a normal-sized human chair wouldn't have fit a three-foot pony.

"What's that?" she asked, noticing the dressing I was washing my salad down with.

"It... It's a type of seasoning... I guess," I said, trying to make it sound bland, "changes the flavor of the salad."

It didn't work. I didn't expect Fluttershy to be so bold about trying some new food. Yet her eyes sparkled at the mere suggestion that this new flavor was more appetizing than a simple garden salad.

"I'm not sure how healthy it would be for ponies," I said.

She dropped her eyes and lowered her head so that her mane was covering a part her face. My heart went out to her. Smart pony, I thought, she must have learned from Rarity. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. I couldn't bear to see her appear so defeated, so I gave in.

"I guess a little bit couldn't hurt."

She was delighted. Her eyes grew as I poured a little dressing onto a lettuce leaf. She immediately put some carrots and celery in it, and tried it out. I can't begin to describe the look of ecstasy on her face. I imagine that ponies tasted things just like humans, and after years of eating oats and apples something like ranch dressing would taste amazing to anyone.

I shook my head when she asked for more, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy... I don't feel comfortable giving you more. Like I said: I don't know how healthy it would be for you. This much isn't really all that healthy for me."

Once again she pouted, tugging at my heartstrings. It had worked once before, but this time I stood firm. Or at least I did my best.
I managed to stammer out, "I-if ... if you feel ... I mean... can we... j-just wait and see... please?"

"... Okay" she sighed.

There had been an argument on the internet about ponies' diets. No one could cite solid evidence on whether or not ponies were vegetarian or not. Because of this, I wasn't about to risk Fluttershy to getting sick. I took the bottle of dressing and put it away, thinking it would be best to take the temptation away.

"What about you?" I said sitting back down at the table, "How did you get here?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Well, what do you remember?"

"Well... I was taking care of my animal friends when a brown pony came running up to my cottage. He was yelling something about Angel crying. Next thing I knew I was looking at that strange building. Oh ! What about Angel? What if he's in serious trouble? I cant imagine what kind of trouble would make him cry... And what about the other animals?"

"I"m sure Twilight would think of something."

"Y-yeah, maybe... " She said.

I saw her relax, confident that her friends would have everything resolved. As her mind eased I saw another thought surface in her eyes.

"You know Twilight Sparkle?"

"C'mon ... I believe I promised you an explanation"

The salads now completely forgotten, she followed me out of the kitchen. I led her up the hall to my office. There I swept days worth of soda and beer cans off of my desk into the wastebasket. I smiled with embarrassment, and with a smile she shook her head. My computer sprang to life as I pressed its power button.

"What is that thing?"

"Oh! Right," I said, "It's been such a part of my life I don't think about it anymore... This is called a 'computer'. It's purpose is to store and process large amounts of information. You can think of it as a machine that has Twilight and her library in it, except it's about as creative as a stone."

By now everything was running, and waiting for me. I cringed a little as I brought up my iTunes account. I did not like the idea of having the program on my computer, but then it's the most cost-effective way of getting what little TV I watch. If Fluttershy noticed my reaction, she didn't say anything.

"This machine can store books, pictures, music, and," I took a breath letting a hint of pride sneak into my voice, "video!"

"Video?"

"It's like a moving picture... Um... Instead of standing still the characters move, and make sound. It's a different way of telling, of showing a story. Instead of describing the events in the story as they happen, your audience can see it for themselves."

I found the file I had been looking for. I opened it and leaned back, allowing Fluttershy an unobstructed view of the screen. The episode I choose, "Dragonshy" started playing.

Fluttershy's house faded into view with it's musical cue, and beside me the yellow pony's eyes grew wide. She watched herself jump down into the brook flowing in front of her house and walk to the den her ferret friends were living in. As I watched her I could see the first couple of jump-cuts threaten to pull her out of her viewing. She stuck with it until the first line. When her own voice came out of the speakers she lost it.

"H-how is this p-p-possible?"

I paused the episode.

"I would like to believe that everything that anyone has ever imagined exists somewhere in this crazy, mixed up universe. That doesn't make any of it any less real... just out of reach... normally."

She just stared at me. I knew she thought I was crazy, even though the evidence was sitting right in front of her. Angel bunny with a disapproving look on his face was looking right back at the poor, confused pony.

"I know you, because here, there's a televis-... there is a series of stories, in this format, about you and your friends. People here watch series of stories like this for entertainment."

My heart sank as I saw the horror creep into her eyes. Before I could react I heard the door at the end of the hall slam shut. I closed the episode, and gave the computer the command to shut down. I grimaced when I heard the tune 'Goodnight Until Tomorrow' play as my shutdown noise. How could such a normally sweet tune sound so sour?

November 10th

"I'm sorry, I can't come into work today," I said into my phone, "something has come up that I need to take care of."

"Some sort of fam'ly 'mergency?" said the gruff voice from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

"You guess!?"

"Look, call it a family emergency, a mental-health day... call it a vacation for all I care. Just don't count on me being there!"

There was a pause. For a moment I was convinced that I was going to have to find another place to work. The moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity as I listened for a response.

"I'll expect to see ya bright an' early on Monday."

"Monday morning, yes Mr. Monatoli! I'll be there!"

He did not even bother with a 'goodbye' when he hung up. I set my phone down and picked my head up. I have a tendency to wander while I talk, and this time I wound up in the kitchen.

I was unsure how to deal with the yellow pony in the guest room, but I knew what would cheer me up. I grabbed a bowl, and the last of the vegetables from my fridge. I made a mental note to go shopping later, as I cut up the last of the lettuce. I added radish and some cut up apples before grabbing the bottle of ranch and heading to Fluttershy's room.

"Flutter... Fluttershy?" I called through the door as I knocked.

I put my ear to the door and listened for signs of life. A lump started forming in my throat as I listened to silence. I was about to panic when the faintest sniffle caught my ear. I felt like an idiot, who had been hit by a train while deciding whether or not to get out of the way.

"Fluttershy, I know you're scared, I'm scared, too. I'm scared for you. You've been in there since last night, and I just want to come in and check on you."

Further silence. I opened the door a crack and peeked in, looking for the yellow pegasus. What I saw was a pony-sized lump under the blankets.

"I'm coming in," I announced, keeping my voice as even as I could.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, and Fluttershy immediately scooted away from me.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have shown you that"

"N-No," said her muffled voice, "I miss my friends."

I was in disbelief. My first instinct was to point out that she hadn't been away from them for more than a day. I took a deep breath and crushed that train of thought. I knew what it was like to have a large distance between you and your family, how hard it made it. How far would Equestria be from here?

"When I showed you that," I said, "You realized how far they were?"

"Y-yes."

"I can imagine how it must feel, I've been there before. Well, not to another world..."

I was stumbling over my words. Unable to think of the right thing to say, I wanted to calm this pony down, to reassure her and let her know that everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately, I was not sure, myself, if everything was going to be alright.

"I remember when I was a kid, getting lost at the mall. I was scared, confused, and I felt like I'd never see my mom again. I cried and cried."

I thought back, remembering that incident. I had wandered away looking at something. I don't even remember what caught my eye anymore. I looked up from my distraction and realized I did not know where I was, nor did I know where Mom was. That kind of separation can be pretty traumatizing to a four-year old.

"Wha-What happened?" Flutteshy's voice snapped me back to the present.

"Hunh? Oh! Eventually Mom found me. She was just as worried as I was, and started looking the instant she realized I'd gone missing."

"Oh..."

Just then, something clicked in my mind. I knew I was on the right path, even though I didn't know how I got there. I knew what to say next.

"I'm sure Twilight and your friends are doing the same. They're probably looking for you right now, and Twilight's smart, she'd figure it out, figure out where you are. So, why don't you eat something so you can keep up your strength for when your friends find you?"

She peeked from the covers, and I offered her the bowl of salad. She took it in her hooves and set it in front of her. When she looked up I held out the bottle of ranch dressing. It warmed my heart to see her face light up. She took the bottle and delicately squeezed it between her hooves, spreading the dressing on her salad.

I smiled, impressed. I was impressed that I was capable of talking to her, of reassuring her. I was also impressed with her dexterity, how she could just simply take the bottle and squeeze it out, not spilling a drop, with hooves instead of hands.

I stood up and started to walk out of the room. I barely made it to the door when I herd her voice.

"D-do you really believe I will get back home?"

I smiled at her and said, "There has to be a way, I refuse to believe the universe would be so poorly designed."

Her smile brought me pain. I turned away, reminded of my own doubts. On one hand I would love to keep her forever. On the other she deserves to get home, but I had no idea of how to get her there.

Eventually she came out, carrying the empty bowl in her mouth, and the bottle of dressing inside. I saw her walk by my office. At first glance I wondered if she had already cleaned the bowl. Then, I realized that she really liked the flavor of ranch dressing. She must have licked the bowl clean.

I stood and followed her to the kitchen.

"Y'know... " I started to say.

She yelped, sending the bowl and dressing through the air. I reacted as best I could, stretching and contorting myself out into a very ungraceful pose as I reached for the bowl. I knocked it out of the air and it thumped me on the head before my other hand barely got hold of the pony propelled piece of porcelain pain. I turned just in time to see the bottle bounce off of the tiled floor of the foyer, skip once on the living room's hard wood floor, and slide under the couch.

"I-I'm sorry."

I turned to see Fluttershy apologizing for the chain of events. I smiled as I rubbed the bump on my head.

"For me startling you? I'm the one who should apologize, I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just wanted to be a good host, and offer to take the bowl for you."

I put the bowl in the sink, and turned to retrieve the errant bottle. As soon as I was out of the kitchen I heard the water come on. To my surprise she had taken it upon herself to wash the bowl, and was doing remarkably well with hooves.

Thinking about it I realized I shouldn't have been too surprised for either reason. She did, after all have her own home that she took care of with the help of Angel. Given that Angel is just a bunny, it made sense that Fluttershy handled most of the chores. She was also the element of kindness, and as such would never miss an opportunity to be kind and helpful.

I returned to the kitchen, having retrieved the bottle.

"Thank you," I said, putting what was left of the ranch dressing away, "Y'know, you really didn't have to do that."

"Oh... but I wanted to help."

"I'm grateful for that, I hardly ever get my friends to help out when they come over. I guess I had just gotten used to it. So, thank you."

I saw her eyes well up at the mention of 'friends'. Normally she'd be with her five best friends. I only had three that I could call my best friends. Still, I had more than her right now.

"Hey, you do have a friend here... That is, if I can be your friend."

I didn't mean to mimic her, I really didn't. Yet, this time she didn't react to it. I can only guess that she had gotten used to my knowledge of her. Either that, or she was already too upset to notice.

"T-Thank you, I'd like that. Um... Is there anything else I could do?"

I looked at the house. Most everything that needed to be done had already been done. Anything else would be cleaned up before I went to bed. I turned to respond do her when I realized that she was bored.

At home she would've been tending to her animals, of which I had none. Or, she could be hanging out with her friends, who were not here. In my world there was nothing for her to do, except sit and wait.

Again my mind drifted back. This time it was the 'summer break' I gave myself. Before I found my job I would sign up for summer courses. I didn't actually need the classes, but I was happy to be in school all the same. Letty never understood this, so one summer he finally convinced me to try and enjoy summer break.

I hated it. I wasn't out of class for more than a month when I started to go stir-crazy. Sure, the first couple of weeks had been fine, even fun. I could hang with my friends all I wanted, and get caught up on the latest video games, but it didn't last. What would've been the summer semester started without me, and I was bored out of my mind.

I looked at Fluttershy, and knew exactly what was going through her mind. She needed something to do, some purpose in this new world. I couldn't give her such purpose, not right away. I would have to find something she could do without drawing too much attention.

When I snapped back to reality, I noticed that she was looking very worried.

"Heh, sorry... sometimes I stop to think, and forget to start again."

Her worried expression did not change in the slightest. She sat down, and I realized that if she was the slightest bit worried about me, it was gone now. She knew the conclusion I had come to: She was a pony without a purpose in a world that wasn't meant for her.

"Hey!" I said, as cheerfully as I could muster "Want to know what I do when I'm down?"

I deserved every bit of the look she gave me. I am no Pinkie Pie, the best I could manage was to sound like that creepy children's show host who pretends to be a kid. Still, I knew I had to distract her, so I went to my DVD library and took out a disk.

"This is a television," I explained as I went along, "It's not as complex as the computer, but it can show video. Just gotta turn it on... put a disk in the player... find the 'play' button... and ..."

The video came up on the screen and started playing. There was always something soothing about a thirty-year old Don Bluth movie, something familiar, and safe. She turned to the television, as the opening narration by Nicodemus started.

"The Secret of NIMH," I said as the title burned its way onto the screen, "It gets sad and scary at parts. It was made by a man who believed that..."

She shushed me. This took me completely by surprise, as I didn't expect the kind Fluttershy to shush anyone. But maybe, I thought remembering her behavior at the Grand Galloping Gala, and the nickname that had earned her in the fandom: 'Flutterrage'. I flopped down on the couch and watched the movie over her shoulder.

It was cute seeing her react to the movie. It reminded me of the feelings I had when I had first watched the movie. Her reactions mirrored them perfectly, giving form to my thoughts. She yelped when the cat, who was appropriately named 'Dragon', showed up and chased Jeremy the crow and Mrs. Brisby the field mouse up a tree. She cried when Mrs. Brisby lost Timmy's medicine, and let out a muted 'yay' when Jeremy handed the envelope with the medicine back to her. The meeting with the Great Owl saw Fluttershy peeking out from behind the couch, and she shook as Brisby entered the rats' lair. In the end, when Brisby saved her family, she cheered. I imagine that her screaming was about as loud as she was when Rainbow performed the Sonic Rainboom in the Cloudsdale Cloudseum.

"That was fun, can we watch another one?"

November 11th

This story can also be found on GoogleDocs

I am no Rarity. That is to say, I know nothing about fashion or clothing alteration. I didn't even have half the resources. Instead, I had a travel sewing kit, and a dining room table. That being said, I was impressed with what we were able to accomplish. She knew things about hems and seams that I would never have considered. I could see why Applejack called Fluttershy's knowledge freaky.

"A year ago, Christmas," I said, "My mom got me this sewing kit. I wouldn't believe her when she tried to tell me that I might need it one day. All the same she told me to keep it 'Just in case'. I'm glad I did."

"Christmas?"

"It's a holiday here. A celebration of friendship and the spirit of giving."

"Oh! Kind of like Hearth's Warming Eve!"

"Say what now?"

"It's a holiday ... back ... home"

I started to panic as the sadness in her voice reached my ears. I stuck the needle into the fabric and picked my head up.

"Flutter! Flutter? Are you going to be okay?"

"I miss them so much."

"Yeah, I know," I said, "I would too. I just ... when you're sad it makes me sad."

"I-I'm sorry."

"No... Don't be, you don't need to be... I- I just worry too much."

She wiped her eyes, and managed a weak smile. I returned her smile before picking the needle back up. I went back to work finishing the last stitches.

"Well, that's about all I can do, why don't you try it on?"

I held out the hoodie. Under Fluttershy's instruction I added holes for her wings. I had thought it would be as simple as just cutting a pair of holes in the right places, but she taught me the correct way to go about it.

She slipped into the hoodie, and to my relief, her wings found their openings easily. She stretched them and gave a few experimental flaps. When she folded her wings back against her sides I knew she was as happy about it as I was.

The feeling was lost when the doorbell rang. Swallowing my fear, I stood up from the table and headed for the door. Fluttershy squeaked as I moved away from her. I held my finger to my lips, she understood and agreed to stay put and stay quiet.

What I found on the other side of the door shocked me.

"A-Alex?" I stammered, "Wh-what brings you here?"

"Hmph," she looked unimpressed, "You don't look or sound ill."

"Wh-what?"

"My brother visits me with a cooler of all his favorite foods, saying he's gone completely vegan, what am I supposed to think?"

I brought my hand to my face. Of course she'd know something was up. I quickly dove into my memories, searching for some way to extract myself from this conversation.

"Remember when Star Wars came out and Cody and I were convinced the force was real?"

"You were seven."

"Yeah, but... what about..."

"You play videogames whenever you have spare time, or when you're not playing them you're writing them! Your ability to tell reality from fiction is not, by any stretch of the imagination, in jeopardy! Now, stop lying to me and tell me: What's ... going ... on?"

I was defeated. However she does it, my sister is the best lie detector in the world. The moment she accused me of trying to lie I was trapped, and nothing I could do or say from that moment on could keep her from hearing the truth. The best I could do is introduce her to Fluttershy before the situation deteriorated into a complete mess.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?"

With this she raised an eyebrow. I led my sister into the house and set her on the living room couch.

"Please, wait here... I- I have to talk to her about this-"

"Her?"

"Just- just wait, please! I don't want to scare her ... or you."

I returned to the dining room to find it empty. I looked around hoping I wasn't loosing my mind, she was real, wasn't she? I heard a whisper and turned to find the sliding glass door open. I stepped out to find Fluttershy, still in her hoodie, on the roof.

"What are you doing up there?"

"Oh, I thought I was hiding?"

I smiled, "You did a good job. If you had closed the door I wouldn't have found you. I have to ask you an important question."

She jumped off the roof and landed softly before me.

"What kind of question?"

"My sister is in the living room, and I want to introduce you."

"Oh, is she nice?" she asked, her voice carried hints of excitement.

I was at a loss for words. I was ready to have a long discussion with Fluttershy. I expected to have to convince her that this would be a good idea. Instead, she seemed eager to meet someone new.

"Y-you want to meet her?"

"Oh, shouldn't I?"

"No!imeanYes!imean... " I took a breath, "You should meet her, before I make things any more complicated. I'm just surprised that you're willing to do so."

"Why shouldn't I be? You've been so nice and kind, and you wouldn't introduce me to your sister if she wasn't nice too, would you?"

"You're right, I shouldn't have doubted."

"I'm used to it."

"I didn't say I doubted you..."

I stepped into the living room followed by Fluttershy. I saw my sisters eyes grow wide in disbelief. In spite of the hoodie, she obviously recognized the yellow and pink pony as well. Whether it was over my shoulder while I watched a few episodes, lounging on her couch, or if she took my advice and started watching the series herself, I did not know.

"Fluttershy, this is my big sister, Alex," I said, motioning to each of them, "Alex ..."

"Fluttershy," Alex, said interrupting me, "I'm a big fan!"

The sound of my palm impacting my head caught both girls' attention. Peeking through my fingers I noticed that not only was Alex surprised at my display, Fluttershy was too. I had expected the timid pony to have freaked out again. She had not, instead she seemed more concerned about me than Alex's words.

"Sorry..." I said, drawing a breath, "It's just that... well, this isn't the Fluttershy from the show... I mean she is, but she isn't? ... She ... "

"I had no idea there were stories about my friends and me in this world."

"Y- Yeah, what she said."

Alex gave me a look like I was trying to describe some alien being from out of Star Trek. To her credit, that was kinda true. Depending on how one looked at the situation, I was harboring an alien from a different world.

"I don't know how, or why, or even what... but this Fluttershy is from the real Equestria, wherever that might be... "

I saw my sisters eyes glaze over, so I tried to change the subject, "Okay, it doesn't matter, what does matter is that she's here now, and staying in my guest bedroom until her friends show up to take her home."

Finally, I could see the spark of understanding flash through Alex's eyes. I could try to explain why Fluttershy didn't know about the TV show later. Right now, my sister knew that I was the only friend this pony had in the world, until today.

I quickly recapped the events of the last couple of days. I explained to Alex how I found Fluttershy lost and disoriented downtown, why she now owns a hoodie and a skirt, and how I managed to get her to the bus. Alex listened as I told her about showing Fluttershy the show, her hiding away in her room in response, and how I was able to coax her out. I finished by explaining the new wing holes in her hoodie, how we hoped it could serve as an easy disguise while still letting her fly, and that we were about ready to head for the park that was just down the road.

Soon enough all three of us were walking down the street. I had never been happier about how quiet the neighborhood was, everyone was either out taking care of their daily routines or sleeping off their night. No one was out to notice us. Even Fluttershy was on all four hooves walking between my sister and me.

"Y'know, Alex," I said as we walked, "You're awfully accepting of this."

"Well, aren't you, too?" she repied.

I smiled, realizing that I had been rather accepting of the situation. I should've completely freaked out, acting like I've seen a ghost. Or I could've started doubting my own sanity at first sight of Fluttershy standing on the street corner. Instead, I showed her the same kindness she would've shown anyone, and offered her a place to stay.

"Yeah," I said, "I guess I am, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

The park was perfect, tennis courts stood between the soccer field and the nearby street. Beyond the field, was the playground. It was never busy at all, and when people did show up, it was usually just a few children with an adult or two supervising. The park was lined with trees, giving Fluttershy plenty of places to hide if she needed to.

"Here we are. I thought that if you ever got bored hanging out at home you could come here," I said, "I know it's not much to look at, but at least it's different."

"It's wonderful," said Fluttershy.

"Now that you know where it is, you can fly here, can't you?"

I opened my mouth to object, but Alex had a point. It probably would be a good idea if Fluttershy flew back and fourth from the park. She could approach the park from a different angle, and she wouldn't be spotted as easily, assuming...

"Just don't fly to high," I added.

"Why not?" asked both.

I looked up and said, "This town has an air base, remember? I'd rather not think of what the air force would have to say about an unidentified pony invading their airspace."

I heard a familiar squeak come from my right.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean to be so blunt about it."

"He is right," Alex chimed in, "You don't want to get caught by those kind of people, and you don't want us to endanger you by being dishonest."

Upon hearing this, Fluttershy picked herself up. She looked much more calm. I don't know how Alex did it, but I was grateful she was there.

We had a wonderful time exploring the park. I didn't realize that even in the middle of winter such a small park could hold so many wonders. We spent a couple of hours wandering around enjoying what the park had to offer.

That evening I went downtown under the pretense of some unfinished errands. Alex was happy to stay with Fluttershy. She probably didn't need it, but it gave the two time to get acquainted. In addition it let Alex know that, like it or not, she was now a part of helping keep Fluttershy safe for her friends.

On my way I stopped by a home improvement store and purchased three cans of spray paint, and a couple of masks. Waiting for the bus, I opened my bag, took out a sheet of paper, and scribbled a note on it. I slipped the note into my pocket before retrieving another piece of paper. I compared the colors with the cans of paint I bought; pink, blue, and white.

I reminisced as I followed the path back from the bus stop to where Fluttershy and I first met. Soon I was back in front of the re-purposed garage. I looked around and found wall that was coated with so many layers of graffiti that the original paint could not be seen. I took out the cans, put on the mask, and started on my own "street art".

I figured an experienced person could have done the same in about ten seconds flat, but I took about ten minutes. Still, I was relieved when it was done. I looked around and stuck the note in a convenient crack in the wall, hoping it would be found by it's proper recipient.

Standing back I admired the newest layer of graffiti one last time: Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark, with a slight alteration. Fluttershy's mark replaced the star that was closest to the crack in the wall.

November 14th

This story can also be found on GoogleDocs

I stepped off the bus, bleary-eyed from a database lecture in which I spent more time worrying about my house-guest than code. This was the first time since she had arrived that she had the house to herself for so long. I knew Fluttershy wouldn't get herself into trouble, but I still couldn't help but worry.

Alex was kind enough to stay with her while I worked myself to the bone on Monday. Now it was the next day, and Alex had a meeting with her publisher.

I put one foot in front of the other as I slowly made my way home. As I navigated the residential roads I looked up. What I saw lifted the fog from my mind. Fluttershy was skimming the rooftops heading for the park. The thought of meeting her at the park sounded like the perfect way to end the day. So I changed my course.

As I got closer the my destination something seemed off. At first I did not see Fluttershy. I looked around until a child crying drew my attention to the playground. Cautiously, I approached, and as I drew closer I saw the child under the care of someone; a hooded figure with yellow wings.

I walked around the scene, careful to not startle anybody, or anypony. As I did I caught sight of the little girl's scraped knee. Fluttershy had apparently done a fine job of applying a bandage to it. I finally stepped in front of the yellow pony and saw that she had my first-aid kit in-between her and her patient.

"There you go, all patched up," said the unmistakable voice of Fluttershy.

I stood there dumbstruck. I knew that Fluttershy couldn't resist helping the girl, but at the same time I was terrified. I didn't want this event to come back and hurt us later.

I could see the girl, running back to her parents and telling them of the kind pony who helped her. Her parents would not believe her, at first, but the girls insistence would prompt an investigation. They would eventually find out about Fluttershy.

That would just be the beginning.

They would spread the word, and soon everyone who cared would come knocking on my door. The kind, gentile pony would find herself surrounded by fans, and I would be helpless to assist her. I'd probably make a few enemies on the way, by trying to stand in between the star and her adoring fans.

Ultimately the armed forces would get involved, hunting for an "illegal alien". They would take Fluttershy and try to discover how she arrived on this planet. This would be an impossible task, of course, but there's a reason some of us consider 'military intelligence' an oxymoron.

A little voice brought me back to reality.

"Thank you, Miss!" said the girl, as she drew her legs under her and stood.

"Remember," said Fluttershy.

The girl held her finger to her lips, a child's promise to keep a secret.

After what felt like an eternity, I found my voice, "That was a really nice thing to do,"

"Oh!" She yelped, "I didn't see you there"

"Here, let me help you with that," I said, starting to pick up the disposables, "How did you manage to apply her bandage so well?"

"I've had practice ... caring for my animal friends."

"Well, yeah, but it's not like you've got hands and fingers."

"After I calmed her down a bit, she helped me with it."

"Are you sure that was the right thing to do?"

As soon as the words came out I bit my tongue. She gave me a hurt look that nearly caused me to choke on my own heart.

"But, she's just a child... What could a child do?"

I thought about this. The question she asked stopped me completely, because I knew, deep down, that she was right. The girl had promised not to tell. Even if she did tell her parents, would they really believe that a talking, yellow and pink pony from a cartoon show had descended from the sky to tend to their daughter's wound? She didn't even refer to Fluttershy by name, perhaps she didn't even recognize the pony.

"Whats wrong?"

I barely heard her question.

"Excuse me?"

"You're so scared," Fluttershy whimpered, "Why?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, in an attempt to center myself.

"I don't have the words to name this paranoia, only to describe it. I have learned that fear can be my greatest ally. It keeps me from making mistakes, and from getting myself into trouble, but sometimes it gets the better of me. Sometimes, I need a friend to tell me to get my head on straight."

For a brief moment I saw my sister reflected in Fluttershy's face. The look she gave me was that same knowing look a knowing look of "I've been there," that only exists between siblings. Except, neither of us have completely grown past it.

"I- Is the world really as scary as you see it?"

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. You're the most gentile, caring pony ever. But, this world... Not everyone's like you, or that little girl. Some people just want to watch the world burn... and it kinda ruins it for the rest of us. I hope you never meet any people like that."

"Like your bullies?"

"Yeah," I said, as I lowered my gaze to the first aid kit.

I know she knew better. She knew that I was talking about people far worse than schoolyard bullies, how could she not? If it showed on her face, I didn't see it, I was looking away. Instead, we finished repacking the medical supplies in silence.

By the time we had finished I could finally bring myself to look her in the eyes again.

I broke the silence by saying, "Ready for dinner? I was thinking of making a stew."

With a sparkle in her eyes she asked, "With beets?"

"Sure, why not?"

Dinner was a lot quieter than I had grown used to. Normally I'd talk all through dinner, answering various questions Fluttershy had about this world. I explained my thankless job working as a part-time dishwasher, described the various types of media in the world, I even attempted to detail the intricacies of how a computer worked; as it turns out no one is cute with a glazed-over look in their eyes. Any question she had I would make a valiant attempt to answer.

This night the questions were few and far in-between, and I gave simple answers. I knew she was still thinking about the events from the park. A part of me wanted to talk to her about it, but I could find no easy way to bring it up. Another part of me was happy to let it drop, if she needed to talk about it, she could bring it up on her own.

After dinner was all cleaned up I retired to my office. It had been a while since I had the urge to just watch a show. I had to help Fluttershy with the DVD player, considering her hooves were a little too big to press the buttons, and we saw a lot of nostalgic movies and TV shows. Somehow, she decided my collection of Ducktales was one of the greatest things ever, even though something about Darkwing Duck seemed to make her uncomfortable. Either way, that meant I never got to watch my most recent addictions.

Even this morning we watched about four episodes of Ducktales before I gave up and insisted that we should watch something else. To my chagrin she delicately pulled out the box for The Secret of NIMH. After watching it so many times, I had started to feel sick of what was one of my favorite films. Soon enough, however I would run out the door and head for class. She knew this, and she knew that without fingers, she had little hope of successfully playing the DVD.

I opened up iTunes, and fiddled around with the market before I came across something that interested me. I still had a gift card or two left over from my birthday. So I used them, and soon enough I was watching the episodes download to my computer.

I still remember the first episode of Doctor Who I ever saw. It was called 'Forest of the Dead', and was part two of River Song's first appearance. Yet, even though I started part of the way through a 'part two' I stuck around for the next couple of episodes. Ever since I've been addicted, so as soon as the first episode of my new purchase finished, I opened it.

'Blink'

I knew Fluttershy's story sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Suddenly, the answer was in front of my face, covering its own. The brown pony she encountered before she appeared in front of Free Radicals wasn't talking about her pet bunny. The Doctor had tried to warn her about a Weeping Angel.

November 18th

This story can also be found on GoogleDocs

Those large, cyan eyes watched as I lifted, slid and occasionally, threw box after box of my past out of her room. What had once been a wall of boxes vanished down the hall and into the living room. Eventually I revealed the closet, set into the wall separating the room from the bathroom. I remember thinking something along the lines of, "Oh, horsefeathers! How long has that been there?"

"Is this all really necessary?" Fluttershy asked, "I mean... "

She let out a whimper, bringing me to a complete halt. I slowly set down the box I was carrying and walked back to her. She had dropped her gaze and hid behind her mane.

"What's wrong?"

"Um... All this work? For me?"

"It needed to be done anyway. Besides, you deserve better than sleeping amongst dusty boxes of forgotten relics."

"But... " She said, and paused.

I assume she was expecting me to no longer be listening to her, instead she had my full attention. Which, in addition to being unwarranted, may have been a just a little unwanted.

"Please, tell me."

"But I ..."

She paused again. I grew impatient waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"Flutter, tell me."

"I shouldn't ... "

"Please?"

"Couldn't ..."

I waited as she let her insecurities hold her back. The moment stretched on into an eternity, as I grew ever more impatient for the next word from Fluttershy.

"Flutter, please," I said, "If you don't tell me what's wrong, I'll worry myself to pieces."

"But I just want to go home," she said.

The defeat in her voice was unbearable. If ever I could feel a knife in my chest without actually touching steel, this had to be it. Worse was the pain I saw in her eyes. If I had a knife in my chest, she had one in hers too, and I could see that my hand was responsible for putting it there.

"And I'm making it feel permanent, aren't I?"

She nodded, her soft eyes almost buried in her sad, scrunched face. I immediately knew I should say something, but didn't know what. Ever since she appeared on that street corner, I all but stopped spouting the first thoughts that came to mind. This did not necessarily mean what I eventually came up with was any better, but at least I was thinking about my words.

"Fluttershy," I said before stopping, carefully processing what I wanted to say, "Fluttershy, I admit I don't know how or when you will get home, and I don't know what I can do to help that. But, I can try to make sure you're comfortable and happy until then."

"Either way, these boxes still need to be moved," I continued, "needed to be moved for a long time. I apologize for using you as an excuse for starting this project, and would be happy if you would be willing to help me."

"You would trust me with your things?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"You didn't trust me the park," she whimpered.

The sudden weight of realization came crashing down on my head. I winced, squeezing my eyes tightly shut, just because I had been too harsh, and I was willing to blind myself to it. I took another deep breath, forcing the air through my lungs to calm myself.

"You're right, and I was wrong," I said, "I shouldn't have said anything more than 'Good work'. But, I did, and I'm sorry."

A smile, I returned it knowing that even though she will never forget that incident, she had forgiven.

The next couple of hours were spent going through the multitude of boxes that had been dragged out of that back bedroom. Most of it was junk that had piled up over the years: magazines from all the major game critics, graded homework from classes I passed ages ago, and issues of the local free tabloids containing long-forgotten articles.

Other discoveries included tools and kitchen devices that were purchased with a specific purpose in mind, yet, over the years, buried in the ever-growing pile of boxes. The rest were personal belongings: various toys and collections that defined my childhood.

We made piles to organize the various treasures and trash we uncovered. I took the lead opening a box of ancient school papers that no longer held any emotional attachment at all, this box went in one corner of the room, establishing the location of the 'recycle' pile. Fluttershy discovered a box with a collection of various woodworking tools, including some that were handed down from my grandfather. Pointing to one side of the large bay door that separated the living room from the foyer I suggested that it would be a good place to start a pile destined for the garage. I reached in a box and pulled out a sketchbook, filled with drawings I had poured hours into, including a fully-colored picture of a character I had long forgotten the name of. Even without her name, my nostalgia demanded that I keep it. I set up another pile next to the door on the opposite corner of the 'garage' pile for objects that would find a home somewhere else within the house.

Box by box we worked our way through the collection, until she opened a box with something that caught her eye. From it she gently pulled out a stuffed doll in the shape of a dinosaur, made out of denim with multicolored dinosaurs printed on it. She examined the tiny tyrannosaurus, with it's googly eyes that would never move again, at least not without serious restoration work, and the patch of darker blue sewn into its sholder.

"Oooh, it's so cute!"

I couldn't move, paralyzed by the rush of emotions that were flooding my mind. The pony was holding my doll, my childhood companion, my Deeno. I could feel something inside me twist and threaten to tear free, to direct me into action, to an action I know I would regret.

Then, I saw it. Something was familiar about how Fluttershy looked at the doll. The way she gently held it before her was heartwarming. This was exactly what I needed to see to bring a smile to my face.

"I haven't seen Deeno in a long time. He's almost as old as I am... well I mean... I got him when I was three, and held onto him ever since."

"Oh, um... you probably want him back, then." Fluttershy said as she offered Deeno to me.

I gently took the doll, the pain of nostalgia gripping my heart. For the first time in my life I understood why some people tried to avoid their nostalgia. It can be a painful thing, especially when there's substantial guilt associated with it. The thought that Deeno had spent the last four years stuck in a box like this, ignored and all but forgotten was enough guilt to bring me to tears.

"Y'know," I said, my voice cracking, "He deserves someone who will care for him and treat him with gentle kindness."

"Oh, no... I couldn't... he's your doll. You've had him for so long."

I smiled at her, "It would make me happy to see you two take care of each other. Besides, I ... I can trust you to keep him safe until you go home."

Whatever I was expecting to happen, I should have expected differently. Of course she would act like a child, even though she was full-grown she had to be a child at heart. Now, she was a child with a new friend, imaginary perhaps, but she was still excited about him. Again, I saw something that made me think of Alex, something nearly intangible, fleeting as I tried to put my finger on it.

By the time we had opened all the boxes, and sorted their contents into their respective piles noon had come and gone. About a quarter of the pile was moved into the 'recycle' territory. Another pile had formed out of unwanted, or unusable junk that just could not be recycled, and yet another from antiques that I had no use for, but could find a home with someone else. Even Fluttershy had a pile, from the top of hers, a little stuffed dinosaur looked at me, and for the first time in a long time I believed I could see him smile.

After surveying the progress we had made, I turned to her and announced, "Lunch sounds like a good idea right about now, what do you think?"

Right on cue her stomach growled out for some food. The sound was like a manticore snarling from the open mouth of a cave; deep, menacing and LOUD. I nearly burst, holding back laughter as Fluttershy blushed and attempted to regain her composure.

"O-oh, yes. Lunch sounds ... lovely."

As quickly as I could I stifled my laughter and set to work in the kitchen.

After lunch our attention turned to the guest room. Surveying the damage the boxes did I realized how grateful I was that this town gets very little moisture. Very little, if any mold had a chance to form in the room. That did not, however, dissuade me from bringing a bucket of bleach.
Fluttershy insisted on helping, so, after opening the window I offered her a mask and a sponge. She had to stop a couple of times to catch a breath of fresh air, but that was expected, and if I had anything to say about it, encouraged. In spite of her occasional breaks, it was nice to have someone to reach the tops of the wall and the ceiling.

Once the room was cleaned we started moving the piles in the living room. We started by hauling everything that was going to the garage, out there. I never really used the garage for my hand-me-down hunk of junk from the 1980's, so space was not an issue. Everything was piled, carefully and neatly, in a corner, to be sorted later.
Next was the kitchenware. A lot found a home right away, the few things that didn't were returned to the living room, and placed in the 'Donate' pile. Fluttershy proved to be a wonderful helper, capable of re-arranging entire shelves without a ladder, or pulling everything down. I dreamed about being able to see the world from the sky, and even envied her for being able to see my own kitchen from a different angle.

The next pile to move was my 'Keep' pile. Nearly a third of it found a home somewhere in the living room, consisting mostly of ancient VHS tapes that I refused to let go of, as well as a couple of DVD collections that I forgot I had, or how they came into my possession. Other things, such as my old sketchbook and an assortment of science fiction collectables made their way into my office. The rest went into my bedroom.

Before finally stopping for dinner, we moved the 'Junk' pile. Even being a much smaller pile than I expected it to be, it was still respectable. I was amazed that most of it fit into a single garbage can, leaving the larger objects on the curb.

Fluttershy was, once again, invaluable. She flew a route back and fourth through the kitchen, picking up junk from the living room, and depositing it at the door attaching the laundry room to the garage. From there I would take it to the garbage can. I struggled to work fast, as for a moment it seemed that the stream of stuff to toss was unending.

Dinner once again saw Fluttershy barraging me with questions about this world. In-between bites of beans, steamed carrots, and sliced apples, the conversation did not stop.

"What were those little black boxes you had?"

"Wha- Oh, you mean the ones that were flat, about yay long, and so thick?" I said as I demonstrated the size of the object with my hands and fingers.

She nodded.

"Those are called 'tapes', well VHS ... but that's just their format. They store video like the disks we use, but the disks are much newer, and they don't record."

"Record?" She echoed.

"Put a video onto it," I explained, "With a DVD you're stuck with the first thing you put onto it, which usually isn't much of a problem... but with a tape, you can record something new and it will erase whatever was on it before. It was very useful for watching TV shows that were shown when I wasn't home."

"What kind of videos do you have on those tapes?"

"I don't remember all of them, some of them have TV shows that ended recently. I know I've got the last episode of Voyager somewhere ... Others, who knows? Maybe some cartoons from the '80s?"

"Like the 'Rescue Rangers' one?"

"No, I don't think I recorded any of those..."

"Oh..."

She hesitated, and I seized the moment. Even when our words were few, she asked the majority of the questions. I always wanted to know what she knew about Equestria, she obviously knew things that hadn't been in the show yet. I decided that it was my turn to ask instead of answer. So, before she got her next question in I asked one of my own.

"You really seem to like those stories, what kind of stories are you used to?"

"Well, I like fairy tales like, The Tortoise and the Hare. Umm... Twilight has a collection of books about an adventurer called 'Daring-Do'. I never read it, but Rainbow..." she said before trailing off.

"I'm sorry, Flutter, I didn't mean to bring it up."

"Oh, no... It's okay. I miss them so much, but I can manage as long as I know that I'll see them again some day."

I smiled, even though my heart ached. I could only imagine what she was going through, separated from her family and friends. I did my best to keep her happy, but even the best laid schemes suffered from the old cliche.

After dinner we returned to the guest room. The bleach fumes were long gone, drawn out of the open window by the gentle caress of the passing breeze. Furniture was moved, opening the room up into a much more inviting place.

Then, everything from Fluttershy's pile was brought into the room. After a little coaxing, she was willing to direct as I moved objects to where she wanted them. Everything found a home: an old push-button lamp on her bedside, her skirt and hoodie in the uncovered closet, even an empty pot was given a space on a table. I promised her that I would find a plant to put in that pot.

Ultimately, she was happy about the room, her room. That, in turn made me happy, as I felt that every second I spent on this project had been validated.

I let out a yawn, and she followed suit. We exchanged our "Good-night's" and moved for our respective beds. As I usual I left my door open just a crack, and before I could turn on my white-noise machine I heard the faintest snoring coming from the other room. I smiled and let out a tear, envisioning the yellow pony wrapped up in her blankets, with a stuffed dinosaur in her hooves.

The remaining piles would wait until tomorrow. Letty and the others would show up in his truck, and between us it would take us no more than three trips to deal with the 'Recycle' and 'Donate' piles. Sure, they would be a little upset with me, delaying our regular Sunday lunch so we could do this. Fluttershy, in the meantime, would likely be at the park. There was nothing that could possibly go wrong.

November 19th

This story can also be found on GoogleDocs

The walls were made of cold, gray concrete. Every so often there would be a glass door leading into another dissection lab. So far they had all been devoid of any 'projects', instead filled with arrays of shiny and exceptionally clean instruments. I, however, was expecting to find something very different very soon.

There I was, sneaking through the bowels of some nameless military base with only my trusty pistol by my side. It didn't matter how deep I would have to go, I would find her, and I would bring her back home.

Pressed against a wall I made my way towards the next corner, and peeked around. The corridor was clear of hostiles, so I turned the corner and continued on. As I did the scenery changed from labs to holding cells. Clear glass doors with operating tables behind them became doors of nearly indestructible wire-glass with spartan cots behind them.

Around the next corner I found my goal. Two guards were forcing a beaten and battered Fluttershy out of her cell at gunpoint. Presumably they were going to escort her to the labs. These two would be the first to pay for the world of pain they've caused. I raised the gun, and took aim. When I squeezed the trigger an alarm started blaring in my ear.

I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. I sat up and grabbed the offending device from my bedside table and opened it. I briefly glanced at the caller ID before bringing the phone to my ear.

"Letty?" I yawned, "What's up?"

"Oh, did I wake you? Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I groaned in frustration, "I needed to be woken."

"M'kay. We're heading up your street now."

My eyes shot open and I leaped out of the bed. Memories started flowing as the feeling of being awake began to settle in. I had asked my friends to show up early, in hopes that we could tackle the remnants of yesterday's cleaning before lunch. I quickly crossed my room in search of clothing and cleanliness.

"Right. Ring the bell when you get here," I said before hanging up on him.

It was a matter of minutes before they showed up. I thanked the eternally long stoplight a half-block away for the little time it afforded me. I was ready, or at least presentable, by the time my doorbell rang. As I walked down the hall, I couldn't help but feeling like I had forgotten something important. However, that latent memory was pushed aside as I opened the door and was greeted by my trio of friends.

Letty was first, offering a simple "Hello" as he entered. Mike followed, clapping me on the back. He had just passed when I felt Sky tap on my shoulder. I can only assume that she had snuck past while I was greeting the other two.

"Thanks for agreeing to help my with my 'Spring Cleaning'."

"Hmph! 'Spring Cleaning'? Sounds like you need your clock cleaned," Sky said mockingly, "It's the middle of winter."

I cracked a smile and said, "Oh! Well... Better late than never right?"

Letty and Mike got it right away. They chuckled as Sky just looked at me like I had spoken some alien language. Upon seeing that Sky was missing out on the joke Mike offered her a single word explanation.

"Ponies."

At that one word she threw her hands up in disgust. It was always amusing to us that out of our entire group, it would be the one young woman who never watched a single episode. I was convinced that she knew she would love it, and thus avoided it like the plague.

We set to work moving loads of junk. I let my friends know that if there was anything they wanted out of the 'donate' pile, they should take it. I would be happier knowing that these things are going to my friends rather than to someone I did not know.

At some point during the project Sky vanished, as she does ever so often. I thought that perhaps she had to visit the restroom, or possibly she was sneaking up on one of us. Either way I believed I had nothing to worry about, except that nagging feeling that I had forgotten something returned. This was turned into a sharp realization when I heard a pair of panicked voices cry out in surprise.

Since inviting Fluttershy to live here, I had put a lot of effort into curbing my language. Even though she usually looked at me with naive innocence when ever I let some profanity slip, I tried my best not to let such colorful language into my vocabulary. All that went away as I realized who Sky just met.

All three of us bolted down the hall, my friends following me despite my protest. We found Sky standing in the doorway to Fluttershy's room. Shock and awe adorned her face as she vainly tried to make sense of what she saw. I insisted that the two behind me go no further, using the promise of a full explanation later to placate them for the time being. Once they were back in the living room, I led Sky into Fluttershy's room.

Upon closing the door I scanned the room. Nothing was damaged and nothing seemed to suggest the presence of the yellow pony. I looked back at Sky, and was amazed at her quick recovery from the initial shock. She nodded towards the bed, and I followed her line of sight.

On the ground was the skirt I bought for Fluttershy when we first met. A corner of her sheets had fallen on to edge of the skirt. I continued to trace this most subtle disturbance when my eyes settled on her shaking form under the covers of her bed.

I motioned to Sky my request for her silence. She nodded, knowing that no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she had stumbled upon something she couldn't react to. I slowly made my way to the bed, softly calling out to it's occupant, as to not startle her.

"Fluttershy," she stopped shaking.

"Fluttershy... are you okay?" slowly her head emerged from under the blankets.

By the time I was standing next to the bed she had worked her eyes free. Seeing those large cyan eyes looking up at me from her partially covered head was enough to bring me to my knees.

"It's okay, Sky is a friend" I said, before my tone turned cynical, "A friend who snooped around where she shouldn't have, but a friend none the less."

I stood and turned to Sky, saying "I had hoped ... well ... honestly, I had hoped Fluttershy would be safely on her way back home before this got any more complicated. Baring that, I had hoped to find a much more subtle way to introduce you all..."

"Perhaps it is better that you discovered the truth this way... Sky Bellatrix, meet Fluttershy."

On cue Fluttershy slipped from the bed, and sat down behind my legs. I turned as I felt her brush against me and saw that she had been wearing her sweater the whole time. I don't know how she could stand it. Between her natural coat, the sweater, and hiding underneath bed-covers, she must have been baking.

"What... is she?" asked Sky.

"As Mike said... 'Ponies'. She's a real, live pony."

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

I shrugged and said, "Ask her."

Sky glared at me. I knew she thought I was trying to make a fool out of her. I expected her to explode, right then and there, to lay into me and to say things that would hurt everyone's feelings. I did not expect for her to humor me.

Sky knelt down so she was eye level with Fluttershy, and spoke.

"So, you're from this show everyone's watching?"

"Oh, no... I didn't even know there was such a thing until I came here. I'm not very good at explaining it... but there's a real world Equestria somewhere out there that's like those moving picture shows, and that's where I'm from."

The look on Sky's face was priceless. I expected her eyes to jump right out of her head and her jaw to fall through the floor. As she stood, even her sable ponytail seemed unsure of what to do with itself as it fell down in front of her shoulder. I only had one thing to say.

"Told ya"

"Okay, how'd you do that?"

"I didn't do anything! ... Well, with the exception of stumbling upon a lost and confused pony downtown in front of Free Radicals."

"You just stumbled upon it?"

"'She' ... I was on my way home from SQL, when she appeared in what Radicals calls a 'parking lot'."

"Just appeared? No flash of light? No electric feeling? No noise? Not even the smell of fudge? Just appeared?"

"Fudge? ... Nevermind, I don't want to know. But, to answer your question: Yes, she just appeared, one second there was nothing, and the next she was just standing there... I find her side of the story-"

"Enough! I get it. So what now?"

I turned to Fluttershy, who looked worried about Sky's dismissive attitude. I gave her a half-smile to show her that I was uninjured, and in fact, used to it. She caught on, and returned the smile.

"What do you want to do, Flutter?" I asked, "You've meet the (ahem) least friendly of our group, are you ready to meet the others?"

She looked at Sky, and then back to me. Something flashed through her eyes when she looked at Sky, but it was gone before I could identify it. Instead, she looked at me with a bit of apprehension, unsure of what to expect from my friends.

"It will be alright, I promise."

With those words her apprehension began to fade. She stood up and walked out from behind my legs and stood in front of Sky and myself. She gave Sky a small, friendly smile. It took a moment, but Fluttershy's smile was reciprocated, at which point she let us know that she was ready to meet the rest of the group.

Thanksgiving

This story can also be found on GoogleDocs

"What's 'Thanksgiving'?"

I stopped midway through draping a light coat over my shoulders. I hadn't considered that question in a very long time. Thanksgiving was just Thanksgiving.

"Well," I said, "I guess it can be described as a celebration of everything we have to be grateful for. Usually we just sit around, eat a large meal and talk about everything that happened since last year."

"That sounds wonderful!"

"I thought you'd like it," I said, "So I asked around and made sure it's okay for me and Alex to leave early."

"Leave early?" she asked, "Why would you want to do that?"

"To attend a Thanksgiving with a very special friend... you"

At first her face held a look of disbelief. I swear I heard a squeak come from her as she blinked her eyes wide. Her mouth shrank into nothingness, as she processed what I had just said.

"Oh, you didn't really have to do that for me," she said.

"Of course I did, no one should be alone during the holidays. Besides, I would have done the same for Alex."

She looked straight at me, a smile slowly crawling up her face. Not a large smile, but just enough to excuse having her mouth slightly agape. Those large cyan eyes shone with a light of wonder as her pink mane curled down in front of her face.

From the amber hillside I could see out over the golf course that my grandfather had played every day. Next to it was the high school that my sister and I graduated from, my parents knew how much I loved learning, even though I hated going to that school. There they stood, Mom weeping her eyes out, and Dad holding her with that calm demeanor that got him through all of life's challenges. Even Alex and Fluttershy were there. Hiding behind my sister, Flutter was a complete wreck, as she blamed herself for what happened. Alex's expression was more one of bemusement, as she read the epitaph:

Here lies Robert
Dead of an unexpected heart failure
May he rest in peace

Fluttershy's hug brought me back to reality. I squirmed under her hooves and she quickly retreated, apologizing for being too excited. I found it surprising that she didn't seem to notice me completely spacing out.

Alex and I toured the beautiful adobe house, making our presence known to the more than twenty bodies in attendance. We made sure to at least say 'hi' to every one of our aunt's guests. Occasionally one of us would get pulled aside, I to discuss my latest coding project; Alex to talk about her most recent artistic work. Soon enough we finished our rounds, but before we could make it to the door, Mom stopped us.

"So, when do I get to meet this mysterious new friend?"

This was only her latest attempt to get the truth out of us. I had found myself shocked at how easily Alex agreed that, at least for the time being, Mom and Dad didn't need to know about Fluttershy. To further muddy the issue we agreed to not waste any time if we needed to get our story straight. We had withheld information from our parents before like this, and while it did raise suspicions, the truth had always been on our terms.

We turned to each other, and quickly hammered out a story to tell Mom.

"Well, we're not sure how long she's staying," I started.

"She is not fond of large crowds such as this, as well," Alex added.

"But, if she's still around..."

"We may introduce you and Dad in about a week's time."

I could see Mom attempting to count up exactly just how many gallons of manure we had tried to feed her. Instead of calling us on it, however, she made absolute sure we were to hold up the promise we made to her. With a hug, and hasty 'goodbye' we were off and running, to make one pony's Thanksgiving.

I pulled into the driveway, and Sky immediately jumped out of the car, followed by Mike. I climbed out, and looked to see Alex letting Letty out of her station wagon. Everyone was here, and with a tray of food each we were ready to give Fluttershy the best Thanksgiving we could.

We entered to find the guest of honor in front of the Television, watching "Fly Away Home". She was absolutely ecstatic when Mike showed up with a "Button Wand" for her. Such a simple device: a wooden handle, that tapered down to a point just about half the size of a dime, and yet it opened the world to her.

Setting up dinner was easy, as the dishes everyone had brought were still at temperature from the stores they were purchased from. Fluttershy insisted on helping with the place settings, and carefully set plates and utensils for everyone. In the meantime Sky 'helped' by watching the end of the movie.

Dinner was set around a large vegetable pot pie, accompanied by a sourdough and pine nut stuffing, and the traditional can of cranberry sauce. Beyond that we had a green chili tortilla soup and a mixed green salad with apples and carrots. Fluttershy graciously accepted helpings of everything, as plates were passed around and filled from each of the entrees.

She was still shy at first. She sat there, ears folded back, quietly observing, barely touching the food on her plate as the rest of us chatted up a storm. I understood that she was unsure, having never experienced this holiday before. To her benefit, it didn't take her long to get the idea, relax, and join in.

"... And that's when I realized that I really did appreciate Mom," declared Mike.

"So... Wait, she had to mangle a street sign first?" asked Sky.

"Well, maybe the sign had it coming," added Letty, "After all, it could've been a rogue stop sign bent on world domination!"

"Well," said Sky, "It's certainly bent now!"

Alex groaned, as Letty and Mike giggled. Fluttershy looked at me, ready to ask if such a thing really existed. I smiled and shook my head.

"Your imagination is completely out of this world, Letty." I said.

True to form, he turned, raising a fist in jest of one of our favorite comedians and delivered what had become a cliched line, "OF COURSE!"

Alex rolled her eyes, as the four of us burst out laughing. I had to promise Fluttershy that I would explain all this after dinner.

"Hey, Fluttershy, what about Angel?" Asked Mike.

"Oh, ummm... What about him?"

I looked at her, expecting to see her starting to break down in homesickness. To my surprise she was doing fine, a little timid, perhaps, but nothing more. I turned my attention to Letty as he followed up on Mike's question.

"Well, have you ever given Angel the stare?"

"Only when he really needs it, he can be a little spoiled, but its nothing I can't handle. Surely you know someone like that."

Everyone present went silent and looked at Sky. Resting her head on her hand she was in the middle of shoving a bite of vegetable pie in her mouth when she realized all the attention was focused on her. She picked her head up and looked at us.

"What?" she demanded, speaking around the fork still in her mouth.

Whatever one would call it, group mentality or something else, on cue, everyone, including Fluttershy said, "Nothing~"

"I've got a question," Mike announced, looking at me, "Why do you call her 'Flutter'? Isn't her accepted nickname 'Shy'?"

"Well..." I turned to Fluttershy, "Aren't you okay with being called 'Flutter'?"

"Um... I got used to it... I do like it, now."

"Sorry, I didn't know. I just... Y'know, I don't need to call you 'Shy' all the time, it doesn't sit as well with me, personally."

"It's alright... Like I said, I got used to it, and I'm okay with it now."

"You sure?"

She smiled and nodded at me, setting my mind at ease.

"Well," I continued, "I actually don't like calling her 'Shy', it feels like reminding her of that one part of who she is, when she's much more than that. The nickname 'Flutter' is just as unique, and much more... how do I put it? Well... It's not a comment on her personally."

"You're just full of hearts and rainbows... " Sky said sarcastically.

"Have been for a while now," I said, "I'd invite you to check to be sure, but I'm afraid you'd actually take me up on the offer."

"You know me too well."

Fluttershy, who at the time had brought her bowl to her mouth, swallowed a large gulp of the chili laden soup in surprise. It did not take more than an instant before she realized her mistake, and she scrambled for a glass of water.

"Only a dumb little horse would do such a thing," Sky said.

Having chased the soup with water, and a large bite of pie, Fluttershy gasped out a response.

"Only a dumb little girl would confuse me for a horse."

Sky looked completely stunned, but then I imagine I had the same look on my face. I turned to Fluttershy, and she cringed, afraid that she had completely overstepped her bounds. Looking back at Sky, I saw the slightest smirk form. Before Fluttershy had worked up the courage to apologize, Sky spoke.

"Shy, you're alright."

We carried on like that for an hour. Telling stories, making jokes, and making fun of ourselves and each other. Fluttershy played along, working from our own self-depricating humor, and, without being too much of a brute about it, occasionally turned our words against us.

After dinner we lounged around watching "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and sharing stories of what we had to be grateful for. Mike went first, retelling his story of his mother driving her Volkswagen over a stop sign, and how he's thankful to still be alive, and to have arrived at work on time. Alex was grateful to her publisher, and editor, whom together were doing their best to guarantee her next book was going to be on the market. Letty was grateful for all the donations he received in the way of parts for his favorite PDA.

"My turn?" Sky snipped.

She always made as if she hated taking part in sappy rituals such as this. Everyone knew better, as no matter her protests, she was fully capable of being just as heartwarming as anyone. This night would be no exception.

"Yeah, I'm grateful for all of you, old buds and new. You all put up with me, even when I don't really deserve it. And I NEVER let you know how much I need that."

Perhaps it was her friendship with Dash, but even Fluttershy understood that Sky's last line was more of an order than a statement. I was about to say my piece when the doorbell rang. I slowly rose to my feet, and felt all the eyes in the room settle on me. My head was swimming with scenarios. I pushed them all away, knowing that whatever was on the other side of the door, it was not going to be anything I could predict.

I slowly opened the door, just wide enough to see that I was right. There was no way I would have expected a sixteen year-old boy in khakis and a polo shirt to exist anywhere in this city, let alone be standing on my front porch. He regarded me with the same surprise, a grown man in jeans and a loose-fitting green tee with the triforce on it.

"Um... Is this where the secret fan-club meets?"

"What secret fanclub?"

"Uh... umm..." He stammered, voice as shaky as could be, "M-my ... Little ... P-p-pony?"

I looked over my shoulder, thinking of the pony inside. I was intrigued with the idea that there might be a secret club in the neighborhood. Perhaps, I thought, Bronies weren't as uncommon as this town would lead one to believe.

"Pretty sure you've got the wrong house," I said.

"But... this paper," he pulled out a folded piece of paper, and my heart sank.

"Where did you get that?"

"The cutie mark puzzle downtown... Isn't it for a secret fan-club?"

Again I stopped and looked over my shoulder. I hated myself for what I was about to do, but I didn't know this guy, and my paranoia was starting to get the best of me. I stepped out and closed the door.

"That message wasn't meant for you," I said holding my hand out for the note.

"Then, who was it for?" He asked, handing the paper over.

I looked around for the vehicle that he would've arrived in and caught sight of his mother, waiting to see if her son would be let into this club. I was about to make two people very unhappy with me, but I couldn't conceive of any other way to handle this.

"No one, sorry," I said as I started walking towards the car.

"You left a message for no one?"

"Would you rather believe aliens?"

"Why would aliens be interested in Twilight's cutie mark?"

"Well... Maybe Twi is an alien, maybe they all are... or maybe I'm just a crazy guy who likes to leave directions to his home at places where people make pony graffiti."

By this time we were at the car, and the mom was rolling down her window.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. You were misled here, there is no fan club. I'll tell you what, though, if you decide to start a fan club for Ponies, I'll join yours."

I opened the door to the sounds of laughter, and conversation once more. It seems that Alex and Letty had teamed up and started telling an improvised story. Alex keeping everything on track while Letty added his warped sense of humor for plot twists and comedic relief. Mike and Fluttershy had quickly joined in, adding their imagination to the amazing story of some man from a world in which dragons and wolves walked amongst humans. This man apparently built a robotic version of Rainbow, and called her 'Blade'.

Storytime stopped as soon as I entered the room, and Letty immediately asked me about the person at the door.

"Just a guy and his mom, asking for directions," I answered.

By the time I got back home from dropping Mike and Sky at their respective homes, Fluttershy had already gone to bed. I sat in the living room, in quiet contemplation of the encounter I had. There had to be some way to create a message for Twilight and company without getting random people from the streets showing up at my front door. I thought about it as long as I could, but ultimately sleep overtook me, and for the first time in a long time, I fell asleep on the couch.

December 5th

Even though I was well known and accepted in the school’s computer lab, this was not where I wanted to be. Bathed in the glow of computer screens, and artificial light, I sighed a heavy, pensive sigh. On a normal day I would have been home already.

I considered that word, "normal". It way usually my policy to be anything but. It's not that mainstream was too mainstream for me, more just that I enjoyed looking at the universe from a different point of view. Ever since Fluttershy showed up, however, what had been 'normal' or 'average' or 'usual' for me had taken on still different meaning. Ever since Thanksgiving she had been acting depressed. She wouldn't tell anyone why, but no one had pressured her for an answer, either.

I looked at the clock in the lab, just as it read fifteen past five. Mike had asked me to stay late to see a project he had been working on. I was about to refuse him when he said that it was a gift for my 'house-guest'. So, there I sat, staring blankly at code for a bubble-sort routine, pretending that it was much more interesting.

Mike pulled me from my bored trance soon enough. He held an object out in front of me. It was an odd looking piece of hardware, with sliders and oversized buttons. It almost looked like it belonged in someone's sound studio.

"What is this?"

"Duh! Don't you know a keyboard when you see one?"

I gave the object a second look. This time I saw it. Each of the sliders, ran from the top of the board to one the buttons that lined the bottom. Twelve sliders, twelve related buttons. Two more columns of buttons lined the side of the board, and were labeled for their unique functions. It was bigger than any normal keyboard, but about the right size for a pony with 8-inch hooves and a very soft touch.

"See? You're already starting to figure out how it works!"

"Yeah! ... Mike you're a GENIOUS!"

The entire lab reacted to my outburst. Embarrassed, I apologized to the room, logged out, and left, with Mike in tow. I was amazed, even though he had not known about Fluttershy for more than a couple of weeks, he designed and built an entire keyboard for her. He got away with using school resources, too submitting it as his project for electronic engineering. We continued discussing this new keyboard until it was time for us to part ways.

I was a little apprehensive about letting Fluttershy onto the internet by herself. I had given her a guided tour and shown her all the sites that I thought would interest her. Some of them we had started visiting regularly, but I had always been there running the keyboard. I had installed some parental control software on that computer, just in case. Even so, the idea of innocent Fluttershy being on the world wide web by herself did not sit easy.

On the other hand, I was excited. I imagined how grateful she would be to have access to that computer without relying on me. Perhaps this would bring her out of her funk. This gift might help her open up about what's been bothering her, or rather help me feel more comfortable asking her about it.

"Flutter, I'm home, and I have a gift for you!" I announced.

On cue she appeared from the living room. I set my backpack on the ground, and extracted the keyboard that was sticking out of it. She looked at it curiously, before asking the obvious question.

"What is it?"

"This is a keyboard, like the one I've got attached to the computer," as I started to explain, a smile consumed my face, "Mike designed it specifically for you. See, you slide these to the letter you want, and when you push the button it sends the letter to the computer."

"Oh, that's ... nice."

"Flutter, what's wrong? You've been down for a while, now."

"I... I don't want to offend-"

"Fluttershy, there's nothing you could say to offend me, please just tell me."

She sighed, before looking up at me with forlorn eyes. I held my breath, not wanting to interrupt, or discourage. To my relief, she did her best to explain.

"Well, I spend a lot of time alone here... and I understand that everypony has their own work ... everypony, except me. At home I'd be taking care of my animals."

She shuddered, presumably worrying about the critters at her cottage. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. To no one but herself she said, "My friends know how important they are, and will take care of them for me."

I took the opportunity to lower myself to my knees to make sure she knew that I was there for her, and so that I could listen to her at eye level. She recovered, opened her eyes and continued talking.

"My friends are doing extra work for me, and I'm here playing in the park. What good am I doing? How am I helping?"

I was at a loss for words. I knew this would come up, but only felt like a bigger idiot for not having done anything about it. I looked towards the door behind me, thinking about the lawn. It was but an instant before I realized how stupid that sounded. Even in a neighborhood like this; so quiet that no one would notice a bright yellow pony mowing the lawn, Fluttershy would get no fulfillment from such a poor excuse of a job.

"So," came a voice from the living room, "you've done so much for her already, why don't you go and find a real job for her to do?"

"Sky?" I gasped, "Please tell me Flutter let you in."

"Um... I did, I'm sorry," said Fluttershy.

I smiled at Fluttershy, saying, "No, it's okay... just as long as I know that."

She returned my smile, and I turned my attention to Sky. She always seemed to show up when I least expected her. She had followed me inside without my knowledge before, but somehow this was different.

"So? How about it?" She said, "Let's go sign this pony up!"

I grimaced. Now I was the one who needed a deep breath to center myself. I looked at her, doing my best to keep the anger out of my face, and my voice.

"I'm assuming you have a plan of sorts."

"You know I don't normally plan things out. But, I do have an idea... The library a couple blocks from here is looking to start a children's program."

It took all my strength to keep from exploding, right then and there. I had to keep reminding myself that Fluttershy was right there, and I didn't want to do anything to scare her. I gulped down another breath of air.

"Okay, how do you think a brightly-colored pony could possibly work at a public library without drawing unwanted attention?"

Sky's smile always sent a chill right through me. No matter what the context, whenever those cold, green eyes hovered over that large grin, a pit of fear would form deep within my soul. This time was no exception, the world was all but lost to me as I worried about what I had gotten myself into.

"Shy, dearie," Sky said mockingly, "run along and put on one of your outfits."

Fluttershy looked right at Sky. Something about this girl had caught the attention of the meek pegasus. I began to wonder if Sky scared Fluttershy as she scared me.

After her moment of contemplation Fluttershy left. As I stood, I remembered the keyboard in my hands. I crossed the living room to the couch sky was sprawled across. Looking down at her I set aside the forgotten keyboard, and gave voice to the thought on my mind.

"For someone who doesn't plan things out, you sure sound like you have something."

"Okay," said Sky, "Maybe I outline things a little. Doesn't stop me from making things up as I go."

I glared at her, testing my will against her mischievous smile. This fight would rage on for centuries if allowed. The few minutes it took Fluttershy to return was not nearly enough time. I was mildly disappointed, but was ready to hear the rest of Sky's 'idea'.

"Your choice of disguise was perfect," Sky stated, "Look at her. She's a person in a pony suit."

I turned to look at Fluttershy. I did not wish to admit it, but Sky was right. Even I could not deny that from across the room I could see Fluttershy's own face as a part of a costume.

"You can read, can't you Shy?"

"O-of course!" said Fluttershy.

"And in a library, even your quiet voice will be enough," quipped Sky, "You'll make a great reader."

"Wait," I said, "If she's going to be that close to the children, wouldn't someone notice? What about the interview for that matter?"

"The children will be fine, they're allowed to believe in a little magic. They get to believe that a pony from a TV show came to read to them and no one else would suspect that they're right. As for the interview, leave that to me."

"You can't be serious."

"As a heart attack."

"Are you sure this will work?"

"No," Sky admitted, "But that's never stopped me."

There it was again, that sinking feeling that froze me to my core. I was convinced that this had to be some cruel joke at Fluttershy's expense. Before I could complain, however the timid pony had crossed the room and addressed Sky.

"What if it doesn't work? What if ... what if someone gets hurt?"

"Well, Shy, that's just a risk," Sky said, "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Fluttershy backed away, shaking her head. Sky's answer was not one that anyone would have approved of, anyone except Sky herself. I did not have to react, as the yellow pegasus was about to address the problem herself.

"No! Not unless you can promise that no one will get hurt!"

"She's right, Sky," I said, "It's her choice."

"Fine, I promise that if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Nobody will suffer."

Fluttershy thought about the opportunity Sky had offered her. For a moment I imagined Angel running the wheel in her head. Looking away I did my best to stifle that thought, and bring my own head back on topic.

"I really do want something to do..."

"Then it's settled!" Sky announced, "I'll be by tomorrow!"

With that she picked herself up from the couch and headed straight for the door, leaving Fluttershy and myself stunned and confused in her wake.

"What just happened?" asked Fluttershy.

"Sky is Sky... She's random and a little psychotic, if she was nicer I'd ask if she reminded you of anyone."

"Pinkie!" Fluttershy offered, without any hesitation at all.

I smiled, "I imagine that she'd be easier to put up with."

"Then, why do you put up with Sky?"

"I don't know."

December 6th

Friday morning saw me wandering around the house as I talked on the phone, again. Fluttershy and Sky waited patiently in the living room for me to finish. I found it surprising that they so quickly were able to form a friendship. I thought back to that day Fluttershy appeared and rationalized to myself that perhaps it was just in the kind pony's nature.

Soon enough I finished the phone call and returned to the living room to find the two sitting on the couch talking. The subject of their conversation escaped me, as my approach interrupted them. I thought to ask, but decided it was better that I not know.

"Another Friday off, and I'm running outta things to tell Mr. Monatoli," I said, "I'm afraid that he may decide to do something drastic."

"He won't," Sky said.

I marveled at the certainty in her voice. It was in her nature to state fact where I would only claim possibilities. For her to sound so certain of someone whom I believed she never met, however, was enough to cause me to pause.

"How would you know?" I asked.

"Doesn't matter," came the reply, "This is about Shy."

"Fine," I said, before looking to the yellow pony, "Flutter? You ready to go?"

She nodded her acknowledgment, and within moments we were in my car and pulling out of the driveway.

"Why am I in the back seat?" whined Sky.

"I thought you could use the space to think about this idea of yours," I said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, good. For a moment I was afraid you'd gone soft," Sky snipped.

I pulled the car into the parking lot of the Library. It was a beautiful building, if small for a library. It's short, brown roof watched over an amazing rose garden. The glass walls of the building used to offer the view to visitors. However, for added security and additional wall space, brick walls were built on the other side of the glass .

I expected Fluttershy to be enjoying the beauty of the gardens. Instead, as I got out I noticed she was looking at a little girl, being lead by her mother into the library. The little one didn't look pleased at all, begging her mother to let her go back home to watch cartoons.

"I'm not so sure about this," whimpered Fluttershy.

"Oh, please," said Sky, "You were willing earlier."

"I know... but-"

"It's not like you can fail."

"B-but... it's my interview, isn't it?"

Sky shrugged and said flatly, "I don't need you."

I started moving in Sky's direction, heading around the tail of the car. The last thing I wanted was to cause a scene in the middle of the parking lot, but I wasn't about to forgive Sky's harsh words. Just as I stepped around the tail light directly behind Sky, I heard Fluttershy's voice again.

"No, this is my interview, and I won't be pushed around by a bully like you. You said I look like I could be a-a Human in disguise, and then you push me around just to make sure everything works the way you think it should? I'm putting my hoof down here, I want to participate in my own interview."

Sky shrugged, completely unfazed by Fluttershy's words, "Fine, why don't you two head in?"

Flutteshy nodded then asked for my assistance helping her to stand on two legs. I smiled, remembering that first day once more. As I helped the pegasus up, something nagged at me. I looked around and saw that Sky had gone. Fluttershy and I headed into the library, while something in the back of my mind started screaming that Sky had done all that on purpose.

On the inside, the library was open and welcoming. A desk separated the staff area from the rest of the library. To one side of the center was a moderate collection of shelves that housed books representing the core of every genre. Directly opposite that was the children's section. Somehow I always found the children's collection much more impressive. Everything from picture books, to teenage novels, and even some manga that was found acceptable for a younger audience could be seen from the desk. Opposite the desk was the technology section, which included film readers from antiquity side by side with the latest internet machines the city could afford.

We made our way to the desk and let the person there know that we were there for an interview. He was a little taken back by the pony who greeted him, but directed us to the back anyway.

I had not been behind the scenes of a public library before. As exciting as it was, it was rather unimpressive. It was everything one would expect from a collection of offices.

"Libraries work a little different here, don't they?"

"Different from Twi's library," I said, "Everyone here is a city employee, or a volunteer."

Fluttershy did not get a chance to ask any further questions as we had found the office of the woman she was supposed to meet. Somehow Sky was there already, chatting with the interviewer. As we entered the Sky introduced Miss. Lola Sanchez, and then introduced us.

"Lola, this is Robert, and his little sister Emile."

Instantly I found myself in a state of shock, going over the events of the past couple of months. I recalled times in which I saw Fluttershy as if she were my sister. I remembered all the worry, and all that I willingly went out of my way to accomplish for the shy little pony. I snapped out of it just in time to hear Miss. Sanchez calling my name a second time.

"I'm sorry, I spaced out."

"I asked you to kindly wait outside, while I ask Emile here some questions."

I must of looked really nervous as she added after a brief pause, "Don't worry, they're pretty routine, and I don't foresee any problems."

For what felt like an eternity I wandered around the library, looking at various shelves of books. There was quite a lot to catch anyone's eye. From local writers to well-known authors the shelves held a little bit of everything. I found published journals on just about every realm of science from math and chemistry, to history and philosophy. There were how-to guides on various arts and crafts projects, and a shelf dedicated to cookbooks. I found classics like 'Gone With the Wind' and 'The Milagro Beanfield War'. On discovering a modest collection of Ian Flemming's James Bond books I smiled.

I was shocked to find that even some of my favorite actors, whom I could not really see doing much else, had written books of their own. Unfortunately I could only spend so much time thinking about reading a book written by William Shatner in his 'Kirk voice' before I gave myself a headache. Obviously, it would not be punctuated the way he spoke, but ... what if? It ... was?

Eventually I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find myself face-to-face with Sky. Once again that grin sent chills down my spine before she stepped aside, revealing a very pleased Fluttershy. In the quiet of the library, the energy behind her voice seemed deafening, as she excitedly announced that the job was hers.

I tried to ask Fluttershy about the interview, but Sky interrupted saying, "Don't worry about it."

I looked to Fluttershy who just shook her head. Somehow they had come to the agreement not to tell me how this little pony succeeded where so many others had failed. This thought only served to cause me much more worry.

Everyone happily piled into the car, and we were soon on our way back home. Even though I was keeping an eye out for the homicidal drivers that occupy the city, I had one question on my mind. I looked in the mirror at Sky and asked, "Sister?"

"Of course," she replied, "I had to say something, and you two are so cute together."

"I'm okay with it if you are," Fluttershy offered.

After a moment to mill it over in my mind one more time, I said, ""You know what? Yeah, I'm okay with this."

It was kind of strange, yet somehow natural to think of Fluttershy as a sister. Even in the short time she had been around the relationship seemed to fit. My contemplations were cut short, however as Fluttershy's voice pierced the air with her screaming "STOP!"

I hit the breaks and swerved to avoid a brown and white lump in the middle of the road. Fluttershy was out of the car as soon as we were at a complete stop. I had never personally seen the pegasus move so quickly before. Yet, before I could blink she had scooped up what looked to me like a matted and mangled toupee.

"Oh, you poor dear," she said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you'll get the care you need."

I looked closer at the ball she held in her hooves. I couldn't make out what it was. A moment before I didn't even think that it could have been anything living. Then it turned and looked back at me with large yellow eyes.

She returned to the car, and placed on the seat a rather sorry-looking, starving, lump of fur in the shape of a cat. As it shook itself off my heart leaped up into my throat. I almost hit this critter. If it hadn't been for Fluttershy, I would have. I gasped for air and said the only word I could think of: "Wow."

It took us a while to get back home. After the near-miss I was not about to risk something like that happening again. I crawled the car home as Fluttershy fussed with her new charge, and Sky complained every time the cat put a new dirty pawprint on her favorite grey shirt. As we piled out of the Ford something occurred to me.

"I can't afford to take care of a pony, AND her pet cat."

"You don't have to," Sky said as she tried to brush a pawprint out of her shirt.

I felt like a complete jerk for saying that out loud. I looked towards Fluttershy hoping I didn't offend my new little sister. She just nodded in agreement with Sky's words. By this time I had begun to process what I had been told, and asked for clarification.

"Lola agreed to make it a payed position," Sky told me.

"How... ?" I started to ask, but thought better of it. I decided that I didn't really want to know how such a thing could possibly have been arranged by Sky. As if she could read my mind, no sooner had I arrived at decision, than Sky's grin pierced my soul once again.

December 24th

I woke to the pitter-patter of small feet walking across my face. I groaned and rolled over. Pulling the blanket over my head, I somehow left my back exposed.

"GAH!" I jumped as a rough tongue lapped at my spine.

I rolled onto my back and found myself looking into a golden pair of eyes.

"Fluttershy," I groaned, "Could you please do something with your cat?"

"But.. Rainbow is SO excited about Christmas!"

Not expecting such an immediate answer, I pushed myself up and saw Fluttershy floating over the foot of my bed. Through bleary eyes I did my best to glare at the yellow pegasus, but I'm sure all I managed was a awkward looking squint. In the meantime the calico leapt off the bed and scampered away.

"You're confusing 'Rainbow' with 'Fluttershy' again," I grumbled before collapsing onto my pillow.

"Oh," she said in disappointment.

I winced, realizing my mistake. I hurried to clear the fog from my mind, and forced myself to think clearly. I struggled to sit up again in the hopes of fixing my error.

"Because..." I said, pretending to continue my thought, "If Fluttershy wanted to rouse me this early on a Sunday, who am I to argue?"

In spite of my lazy recovery, she smiled and accepted it. Quietly she floated out the door, softly closing it behind her.

As I prepared to face the day I let my mind wander a bit. I still did not understand why the pony, who was lost in my world and separated from her friends in ways that no one could begin to measure, named her cat 'Rainbow'. I thought that maybe the name served as a connection back to her world, signifying that her hope would never die. On the other hand, I was afraid that maybe she had given up, and starting with this cat would slowly replace her lost friends. In that scenario I would be terrified to meet a person named 'Angel'.

I dismissed my musings as idle conjecture and decided that the best thing to do would be to simply ask her. I knew she had her reason, I just did not know what it was. With an answer my mind would be at ease, and I wouldn't ever have to ask again.

I was still pulling a shirt over my head as I approached the kitchen. On the table I discovered that Fluttershy had already laid out breakfast. There were two bowls of oatmeal, each accompanied by a full glass of orange juice. Entered the kitchen in time to see Fluttershy putting two plates of apples on the table.

"You know..." I started.

I paused, waiting for her to leap in surprise as she had done so many times before. She jumped a little, but gave no further indication of being startled. Instead, she looked in my direction expecting me to finish my sentence.

"It's not your turn to fix breakfast."

"Oh, I know," she said with a smile, "I wanted to hear more about Christmas."

"It really isn't that different from Hearths Warming Eve," I said, reading from the script in my head, "We saw that episode together, remember? You pointed out all the 'artistic license' the writers here took to make it a more interesting story."

She shook her head, and said, "No, I want to hear what Christmas means to you."

I hesitated, as all my memories of Christmas days past came flooding back. Good and bad, I was reliving them all. Throughout my life there was always a single thread that was constant from one Christmas to the next.

I took a breath to try and steady myself. I could already feel the tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes. I did my best to put on a brave face, but I'm sure Fluttershy saw through it.

"Well... It was the time that our entire family would get together. Everyone would gather at our grandparent's house..."

During my pause Fluttershy had time to ask, "What's wrong?"

"I miss Grandma."

"What about your grandfather?"

I wiped my eyes and tried to think, "Has it been four years? No, it's been five since he passed away."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

I shook my head, "You didn't know."

For the first time since she arrived, Fluttershy gave me a stern look. She set her jaw, her coat puffed out, and even the feathers on her wings seemed to get ruffled. Her disposition changed, and she stared right into my eyes.

"Look here! You may be used to brushing your friends off, I'm used to being brushed off. But you are in pain over this! So you don't get to shrug me off when I want to tell you that I'm genuinely sorry about your loss. You got that?"

I was ready to argue with her, to say that she didn't get to talk like that to me. I was actually ready to get angry at my favorite little pony. Then I remembered exactly why this kind and gentle pony was my favorite. I realized that she was right, that if she wanted to be sympathetic to my loss, maybe that was what I needed. I also realized that there was more than one way for one to be kind to another.

"Thank you," I said, "Thank you for everything."

She smiled, looking again like the kind and cute Fluttershy that I decided was my favorite of the mane six.

"So what are you going to do for this Christmas?" she asked.

"I'm not the only one who misses Grandma and Grandpa... it seems like our family is kinda lost without them. Instead of the extended family getting together, everyone is celebrating by themselves."

"But, you said everyone got together during Thanksgiving?"

I scratched my head, remembering that party.

"Yeah, I don't know... Family can be weird. If I were to guess, I'd say that very few realized how much they missed Grandma then, but not having her at Thanksgiving changed that."

"Oh... Then, what are you going to do for Christmas?"

"Well... Mom and dad invited me to celebrate with them..."

"You should go."

I shook my head, and said, "No, we should go."

I didn't have to say another word, she was all set to follow me to Mom and Dad's house to celebrate Christmas with them. I thought about the broken promise I made during Thanksgiving, and decided that perhaps introducing Mom, Dad and Fluttershy wouldn't be too bad. If nothing else they would understand why I wanted to keep her a secret.

It was about four before we were out the door and heading for the car. Soon enough we were both strapped in and comfortable. I could feel the excitement threatening to break her quiet, reserved shell. I couldn't help teasing her about it.

"You ready for your first Christmas?"

"Oh, I'm so excited, I feel like shouting!"

I braced myself as she drew in a deep breath. What came from her was the most gentle and soft declaration of her happiness.

"Woo-Hoo~"

I felt as if my head would pop off from stifling my laughter. I should have expected as much from the little yellow pony. Between silent giggles I had to apologize to her, saying, "I - I'm sorry! I'm not ... I don't mean ... to laugh at you ... I just ... LOVE ... your reaction."

As soon as I was in control of myself again I pulled the car out of the driveway and we were on our way.

I pulled the car in behind Alex's station wagon in front of our parent's house. Fluttershy's eyes grew wide when she saw the lights adorning the tree out in front. I was tempted to take a candid photo of the cute in the passenger seat, but that didn't go over too well the last time. Even the flash of my phone's pathetic little camera was enough to startle her.

Once inside we were greeted by the miniature poodle and white schnauzer that Mom kept. After years of dealing with the dastardly duo, I thought I had developed a technique for dealing with them. Instead, Fluttershy showed that her way with animals really was beyond compare. It only took her a moment to calm the pair, and we could hear each other again.

The house itself was beautiful, especially after the remodelling Mom had done. Just to the right of the front door the entire house opened up into a huge room that was part dining room, part lounge. The only thing separating it from the kitchen was a giant, polished granite island that was big enough to have a full working stove on it, and seating for four. To the right of that was the living room, which with the bedroom straddled the small courtyard we had entered from. While being of good size itself, the living room was still humbled by the combined Kitchen/Dining area.

Dad was laying across his favorite chair in the living room. I looked over at him in time to watch him let the schnauzer up into his lap. Mom, on the other hand was working in the kitchen.

With the dogs settled I announced, "We're here!"

"Well," Dad scoffed, "So you are! I hope you remembered your stomach; your Mom's got a lot of good stuff."

"Don't worry," I said.

"Didja year that?" joked Dad, "The kid says he's hungry!"

"Did he, now? I'm sure we could fix that." Mom responded.

Mom finished stirring one of the three pots she had on the stove, and covered it. She walked around the island to greet me. "Well, now who's this?" She asked seeing the hooded figure on my shoulder.

"Well..." I said, still hesitant to share the secret of Fluttershy's existence.

Alex, who had been sitting at the kitchen counter the whole time, joined in.

"Mom, this is Robert's house guest, the one who has nowhere else to go."

"This is Fluttershy," I said.

On cue the pony pulled down her hood and looked at our mother. Mom looked at the pony and smiled, recognizing the children's reader from the local library. Then shock took over her face as I felt a gentle breeze and the weight of Fluttershy's hoof left my shoulder. I did not have to look to know exactly what to say next.

"She can fly, too."

Mom was completely stunned as Fluttershy lowered herself to the floor. I looked at Alex, who was also surprised, but looking at something different. I turned around to see our father, who for the first time in our lives could not find anything to say.

Finally, after a few moments, Dad muttered to himself, "Must be a dream," and went right back to the couch to fall asleep again.

A subtle little shudder passed through the pegasus. I kneeled and put my hand on her shoulder. She didn't even turn her head to look at me, confirming what I did not wish to be true. Dad's reaction to Fluttershy had upset the gentle pony.

"Hey, it'll be alright," I said.

Fluttershy showed no sign of improvement. I was in the middle of thinking of some way of reassuring her when Mom approached. She too knelt down, and offered a friendly hand.

"I'm Jessica," she said, "What did you say name was?"

A simple act of acceptance, but it settled Fluttershy down. Gently she wiped her eyes, and then placed her hoof in Mom's hand. Her response was a snowflake caught in the breeze, soft and delicate to the touch.

"Fl-Flutter-shy."

"That's what I thought you said."

Dinner was amazing. Apparently, Alex had planned ahead and requested that Mom made quite a few vegetable dishes for Fluttershy. It also seemed that in spite of their initial reactions to one another, Fluttershy and Dad got along well. He still didn't quite believe that he was talking to a bright yellow winged equine with pink mane and tail, but he managed. Upon discovering that she was a fan of wordplay, Dad said "What'ya know? The bright yellow pony is also bright and yellow."

Alex was the first to respond, exclaiming, "Da-ad!"

It took me a little longer to get what he just said. I shot him a look, and then glanced at Fluttershy hoping she didn't put it together. Between her dropped ears and the upset look on her face I knew that she got it just as quickly as Alex did. She may have been accustomed to the quick, snappy, deprecating humor we shared with Letty and Mike, but Dad's deadpan humor was just a little much for her.

"I'm sorry," Dad said, "That was mean. Tell you what: I promise not to 'pun-ish' you any more."

To this Fluttershy giggled, however she did not seem to be completely reassured. She appeared to be vulnerable, removed from the comfort of our home. Mom noticed this and did her best to lift the yellow pony's confidence.

"I see you at the library reading to the children. How is that?"

"It's wonderful! I love seeing their little faces brighten up with a good story!"

"And what do you do in your spare time?"

"Well... I take care of the cat-"

Mom looked straight at me, slightly surprised, "Cat?"

"A new acquisition," I said.

"Just how did you 'acquire' this cat?"

"Well... " I said, trying to come up with a nicer way to put it, "I uh... um... well, Fluttershy saved it... from... being ... run over? Did I mention she was a stray? The cat, I mean."

Mom gave me a look that said she knew there was more to the story. She was about to ask who's car would have run over the cat when Fluttershy coughed. Mom turned back to the pegasus, and continued to make conversation with her.

"So what's the kitty's name?"

"Rainbow"

Once again Mom glanced at me asking "Didn't I hear that name before?"

Fluttershy chimed in, saying, "Oh, you must be thinking of Rainbow Dash. She's one of my friends; another pegasus like me."

"Oh, is she around too?"

Fluttershy sighed, "No, she's back ... home."

December 25th

Mom and dad retired first, heading down the long hallway opposite the dining area. It was not too long after that Alex followed suit. She walked down the hall to the guest room across the hall from the master bedroom. Fluttershy followed, invited to share the room by Alex.

I found the bedding Mom left out and began the task of making the couch comfortable. I was reaching for a stray pillow when a yellow coat caught my eye.

"Flutter? What's wrong?"

"You're going to sleep all the way out here? All by your self?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, I usually do. Weren't you going to share Alex's room?"

"Oh... No. I couldn't."

"Why not?"

Fluttershy's answer was candid and to the point: "I'm not used to sleeping on the floor."

Part of me wanted to laugh, but I held back afraid of waking my family. Another part of me wanted to hug Fluttershy's wings right off. I would've called my sister an idiot, but she hadn't spent the last couple of months living with the poor pony, and sometimes we all need to be shown a little kindness. In the end I simply offered the couch to Fluttershy.

"Are you sure? I don't mean-"

"It's fine. Besides, it gives me a legitimate reason to sleep in my favorite chair."

The chair in question was made of a single, ergonomic curve. I envied my parents for keeping that chair to themselves. Then again, I was not too sure that I could care for that leather properly.

I helped Fluttershy get comfortable on the couch, then took a couple extra blankets from the linen closet for myself. It did not take me long to settle into the chair, wrapped in comfortable bedding. From my toes to my shoulders every muscle in my body relaxed into that chair.

My mind was a different story, however. Usually I would push these concerns aside with a good book. Reading was the quickest way for me to relax my mind and send me into dreamland. Even if it was a chapter out of a programming textbook, it would provide me enough distraction to easily find sleep.

I found myself thinking about everything. I reminisced about the time Fluttershy and I had spent together, and I worried about what the future would bring. I wondered whether or not she would ever get home, and I thought out scenarios for both situations. As I sat there, a tune reached my ears.

I will pursue this dream
'cause I know it's expected that I be serene

"That tune's lovely. What is it?"

Even in the dark of the night I sensed Fluttershy jump in surprise.

"Oh, it's ... don't you know?"

I allowed myself an unseen smirk and answered, "Yes I do... 'Again' originally by Japanese artist Yui, dubbed into English by a fan known as 'Geekymcgeekstein'. What I don't know is how you know about it."

"I found it... on your computer. I-I was kinda lost when I caused it to sing back. After that I learned how to find it again... and again."

"Yeah, it's a fun song, but why that one? Surely you found the rest of the library?"

"Oh! Umm... I guess I never really considered going through the rest of your music."

"That was kind of you," I said, "If it makes you feel better you have my permission to listen to whatever music you find on that computer, and/or criticise my music choices."

The empty silence let me know that there was more that Fluttershy was not saying. In the space my mind filled itself once more with concerns, and regrets. Fallacies that no longer concerned anyone but me paraded through my thoughts.

"Um... Do you think I'll ever get to go home?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I- Oh... I- (mumble)"

"It's okay I'll wait until you're ready to talk about it."

She drew in a breath and said, "It's starting to feel permanent, again."

"Just like cleaning your room?"

A muted two-toned acknowledgement barely reached my ears.

"Do you remember what I said then?"

"Yes, but... W-what about now?"

"Now?" I said, doing my best to organize my thoughts into a meaningful pile of drivel, "Now... I- Well I would be lying if I said I didn't want to hold on to you forever. At the same time I believe you should get whatever you wish. You want to go back to your friends and family, and you should. I could be okay missing you as long as I knew you were happy. But, sending you back is not a wish that I have the power to grant. At least not right now. So, instead, I do my best to make you as happy as possible in this world."

"I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"For not being happier."

"Fluttershy, it's okay. As I said, I do my best. No one can force you to be happy."

A contented sigh, no louder than a drop of water, pierced the air. The melancholy of the evening dispersed, replaced by the cool calm of a winter's night. It didn't take long for her humming to resume. It was a different tune, but I knew this one just as well.

Casting it's spell that I am now under
Squirrels in the trees and the cute little bunnies

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," I said when the humming stopped.

"I keep forgetting how much you know. It's kinda scary at times."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't know everything."

"Oh?"

"Like why did you name the cat 'Rainbow'?"

"Oh... Because she's so pretty, and she has so many colors, she looks like a real rainbow!"

Now it was my turn to feel like there was more to the story. I was grateful for the darkness, because I did not want Fluttershy to see that look on my face. I dropped it, unsatisfied, but unwilling to pursue.

My name is Berry B.
And I am here to say
I'm gonna make you smile, and I will brighten up your day!~

A giggle came from the direction of the couch.

"You like that?"

"You only got about three notes right."

"At least I know what my special talent isn't"

It was a beautiful day in Ponyville, the sun shined through the scattered cloud cover and everypony was out and about. I happily trotted down the main street, offering friendly greetings to all the ponies I passed. Twilight had done a wonderful job with the transformation spell, turning me into a pale cream pony with light brown mane and tail.

I ran into Applejack and Rarity engaged in yet another of their arguments. This one involving oatmeal, I could only assume that the crusaders were responsible somehow. The two noticed my approach and decided to table the discussion for the time being.

"Howdy, partner! What'cha up to?"

"Nothing much," I answered, "Just on my way to pay Flutter a visit."

"Oh!," Rarity said, "Could you be a dear, and take this with you?"

A pouch with three pink butterflies floated towards me, held in a pale blue magic field. I rolled my eyes in time to see Rainbow Dash playing amongst the clouds. Returning my vision to the Blue-eyed unicorn I nodded in acceptance.

"Wonderful!" She chirped, "I meant to return it to Fluttershy yesterday, but I got so caught up in my newest design... You're such a wonderful friend."

The bag delicately floated into the saddlebags I had with me, and I was on my way. I looked up to find that Dash was nowhere to be found. It was so nice to see her be truly carefree, instead of worrying about the image she displayed for everypony. I shrugged telling myself that a pegasus with that kind of speed could vanish in the blink of an eye.

I did not make it too much farther before I caught sight of a familiar pink party pony. Instead of hopping along happily however, she was dragging her hooves as she crossed the street. Upon seeing me she froze where she was, locking her eyes on mine. I cautiously took a couple steps forward. She turned her back to me and started walking away.

"Pink? Uh... Pinkie?"

She sat down and slowly turned her head around to look at me, uttering two lonely words:

"Wake up."

I sat there, wide-eyed, in the chair I had been sleeping in. It took some time for me to unravel the real world from the dream. After a couple of minutes of doing nothing, I heard the softest sigh. Looking over I was happy to see Fluttershy sprawled out on the couch, sleeping serenely.

Every muscle in her body was completely relaxed. Even one of her wings had unfurled and was reaching for the floor. She held the pillow in her hooves and had laid her head on it at the slightest angle, giving her mouth room to fall open. I was jealous; I had never been that comfortable on that couch.

The scene was short-lived as the dogs came barreling down the hall barking their little heads off. Fluttershy woke with a start, hovering a good yard above the couch. It only took her a moment to recall where she was, and then she descended to calm the yipping maniacs.

"Oh, did they wake you? Sorry," said Mom.

"It's quite alright," Fluttershy answered, "They didn't mean any harm."

"As long as you're up, you ready for breakfast?"

"I am!" I chimed in.

Before she could speak, a growl came from Fluttershy's stomach. I snickered causing her to blush in embarrassment. Calling out to the kitchen I added, "Fluttershy says she's hungry, too."

After breakfast everyone returned to the livingroom, and presents were handed out. Fluttershy wound up with a trio of boxes with her name on it. She was surprised at this, but happy to participate. We each took turns opening our gifts, showing them off, and thanking whomever they were from.

The smallest of Fluttershy's gifts came from Letty. He had handed me the gift about a week before, and asked me to put it under my tree for Fluttershy. When she convinced me to spend christmas with our parents, I smuggled Letty's gift in, too. I had no idea what it was, and was surprised to see her pull out a hand-crafted necklace with a pink stained-glass butterfly. I smiled, Letty and his art would never cease to amaze me.

The next gift Fluttershy opened was from Alex. I cringed when I recognized the face on the signed photograph. Alex's sense of irony not withstanding, I couldn't help but wonder why she thought it was a good idea to give Fluttershy a signed picture of Andrea Libman. When she asked I explained that this was the human who sounded exactly like her.

Finally it was time for the timid pegasus to open the gift I got for her. She skillfully worked the box free from the ribbon and tore the paper off. I had thought I would have to help her with it when I wrapped it, but after seeing her open the previous two presents, I sat back and enjoyed the show. The lid was off in a flash, and sitting in her hooves was a reversible picture frame. On one side was a picture that took me forever surfing the web to find. It was amazing how hard a simple, natural picture of the mane six was to find, but there it was, just them relaxing in Twilight's library talking amongst each other, oblivious to the world around. On the other side of the frame was a picture that was taken during Thanksgiving. All of us Letty, Mike, Sky, Alex, Fluttershy and myself talking in the livingroom. Somehow, Sky being in the picture that she took didn't seem all that strange to me.

Hugs and thanks were passed all around, and good feelings were had by all. Then I noticed one last gift sitting on the coffee table. I examined it, and it was addressed to me, from Fluttershy. I looked at the pegasus who smiled, patiently waiting for me to open it. When I did I was amazed. It was Deeno, but he was fully restored. The worn fabric on his leg was whole, his googly eyes were no longer compressed and damaged, even some of the worn seams were re-stitched.

Gently I set him down on the table, and through streams of tears I said, "Fluttershy, Thank you!"

January 6th

I never would have expected Fluttershy to enjoy video games, let alone anything like the Legend of Zelda. Yet there she was watching me run through Windwaker, and enjoying herself every step of the way. For a moment I was afraid that I may be corrupting the poor pegasus, but that thought was easily dismissed.

For Christmas Skye had got me the complete Legend of Zelda TV series on DVD, all thirteen episodes. They were simpler and more absurd than I remember, but it was still nostalgic. I wasted no time in watching the DVD, and to my surprise Fluttershy joined in. I think what interested her the most was Ganon's evil jar. Instead of simply vanishing or … dying, the enemies were sent back to the evil jar from which they were summoned. Even Ganon found himself trapped inside the jar in one episode.

It wasn't long after watching the series that Fluttershy noticed the collection of Zelda games sitting on the shelf near my television. She wanted to see more of Link, Zelda, and Ganon. So I pulled out Windwaker, and showed her what it was like. At first she was a little disappointed that these characters seemed to be different than the ones in the show, but she followed along anyway. In spite of this, she held onto the idea that the enemies I was defeating would be sent back to Ganon's evil jar, none the worse for wear, and I was not about to take that away from her.

It soon became a part of our weekend ritual. Saturday afternoons would see the two of us on the couch, playing Legend of Zelda. Fluttershy never showed an interest in actually controlling Link, and even politely refused every time I offered to get a controller she could use. Instead, I would operate the controller, and she would suggest a course of action, which I would do my best to follow. Between us we ended up making two halves of a decent gamer. If Fluttershy said "Run", I would run, if she said "Fight", I would send the baddies back to the jar. The puzzles were all her, and she even directed me to secrets I never knew about. It was like seeing the game for the first time through fresh eyes.

We had gone through a good deal of the storyline, and even reformed the triforce of courage for Link. To delay reaching the end of the game I suggested we do some more sidequests. This day we were working on the trading quest of the game, which meant a lot of travelling across the seemingly endless oceans. We had traded for the first couple of flowers and were looking for the merchant whom held the next trade when Fluttershy spoke up.

"Um... I have a question."

"What kind of question?" I asked.

"Oh, well... If Link is supposed to represent courage..."

Fluttershy trailed off. I should have been able to guess what she was getting at, but I did not. Instead I gave her a friendly verbal nudge.

"What about it?" I asked.

"Um, well... A lot of the scary things in this game... Well, they scare him, too."

I still didn't quite get it. Somehow, I kept missing the point Fluttershy was trying to make. I asked again.

"What's wrong, Flutter?"

"How can courage be scared?"

Finally it clicked in my mind. I wanted to laugh, but knew how much of a mistake that would have been. Instead I offered the poor pegasus a simple smile.

"Courage is not the same as fearlessness," I said.

Surprise echoed in her voice as she asked, "It's not?"

"Courage is about being afraid, and doing what's right anyway."

There was a brief pause. I don't think Fluttershy had considered such an idea before. After a moment I continued.

"That being said, I think poor, timid Fluttershy is the most courageous pony. "

She smiled and blushed. I knew she did not believe me, and I could care less. Instead, I choose to derail the conversation.

Pausing the game, I said, "I'm hungry, are you hungry? "

Fluttershy stared straight at me, a strange combination of upset and shock on her face. She knew I was trying to change the subject, but after a moment gave up and let me get away with it. She smiled and nodded. I saved the game, turned off the console, and led the way into the kitchen.

We were in the middle of making a broccoli and noodle casserole when I heard a strange wheezing, grinding sound. It came from the front yard, but I knew that just could not be. I had recognized the sound of the universe, but could not recognize the truth.

I set the timer on the oven as I asked, "Hey, Flutter, did you leave the computer on again?"

She shook her head, "No, I never touched it today. Did you?"

We were both startled by the ringing of the doorbell. Fluttershy vanished in an instant, leaving me to recover on my own. The bell rang again, and I crossed the kitchen to reach the foyer.

Once again, I remember being really confused. I opened the door to a man that should not have been standing there. From his faux-hawk to his pinstripe suit covered by his long, brown coat every detail was perfect, or very nearly perfect. His face appeared exaggerated: taller, thinner, and more angular. Then I saw them; his eyes, those ancient eyes that beheld the turn of the universe. At that moment I knew that this could be no actor, no impersonator, not even a really good cosplayer, this was The Doctor.

"Oh! 'Ello," he said in his cheery tone, "So, this must be your home?"

"Y-yes, um... I'm Robert," I managed, offering a hand in greeting.

"Hello, Robert," He said, taking my hand, "I'm-"

"The Doctor," I interrupted.

His cheer faded, replaced by a much more serious demeanor. The look on his face as he stared into my soul gave me chills. Slowly he opened his mouth to present his next query.

"You know who I am?" he asked quietly.

I wanted to deny it. I wanted to slam the door in his face. I wanted to tell him to climb back into that box of his and fly into the nearest black hole.

I opened my mouth and the word "Yes," escaped.

His stern expression did not change, as he said, "Then you know why I'm here."

"No, but... you're just a television character! You can't be real!"

"What about her?" He asked, "Is she not real?"

I paused, for he caught me. He knew that I was trying to hide Fluttershy from him, knew that I wouldn't have reacted that way if she wasn't here. Perhaps, I thought, he had seen this all before.

"Must you take her away?"

His expression changed, his face softened and I could see his sadness. A sadness that was tempered by centuries of loss and loneliness. He knew what it was like to lose a dear friend, and showed me that he knew the pain I felt, or would feel.

"Yes, I must."

Quiet invaded the room. Neither of us wanted to speak, maybe none could. I know that I couldn't find any words. A small eternity passed us by as we sat there, frozen in thought. Finally the oven timer shattered the silence.

"Well," I sighed in defeat, "There's dinner."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said The Doctor, "Don't let me keep you. Go on, then."

I wasted no time turning my back to him, walking straight for the kitchen. I had pulled the casserole out of the oven and placed it on a rack to cool before I went back to the foyer.

"Won't you join us?"

"I thought you would never ask," The Doctor answered.

"Flutter?" I called, as I led him in, "Fluttershy, it's okay, he's..."

I paused, trying to think of an appropriate word; one word to describe The Doctor, to sum up what he and his presence ment in this context.

"He... he knows."

Cautiously she came around the corner and looked at the man in the long, brown coat. I took the opportunity to try to introduce them.

"Doctor, you've met Fluttershy, haven't you? Flutter, this would be-"

"Time turner," the Doctor said offering a friendly hand, "I'm not sure we were ever formally introduced."

I was surprised by the Doctor's interruption, and by his alias. However, what surprised me the most was the look of realization on Fluttershy's face. She knew 'Time Turner', or at least she knew of the pony by that name.

"T-Time Turner? How can you ... you're not a-"

"Not a pony, I know," the Doctor's response was flat, as he withdrew his hand, "The princess... she did it. I had fallen through time and space to land in your dimension... on your world. Such peace and beauty I had only seen ... once before."

"Celestia?" Fluttershy asked.

The Doctor nodded, "I was so tired of running, I just wanted to stop. I wanted to find a place again, a place where I could belong, and Celestia offered that to me, she disguised me as a pony, a brown earth pony; on one condition: That if she ever needed me for any reason that I would be there."

"Were you happy?" Fluttershy asked.

He smiled at her, "Yeah, I was, well for a little while. I got bored, and started roaming around your universe, seeing all the strange, strange creatures. There is so much to be seen! Oh, you should have seen it! ... But then, you vanished."

"Weeping angel," I said.

"That's right... a weeping angel, the only predator in the universe kind enough to let you live to death. They become a stone statue when seen. Normally they send their victims through time, so they can feed on all the things that person, or pony never did. But this one! It sent you into a different universe. Celestia called upon me to return you home."

Fluttershy asked, "How could she know?"

"I'd like to ask her the same thing," The Doctor mused, "Her missive reached me seconds after you vanished."

"And the statue?" I asked.

"Oh, I delivered it to an uninhabited planet... with a little help."

Both Fluttershy and I noticed that he looked lonely when he mentioned of his help. I knew The Doctor did not usually travel for long without picking up a companion. Perhaps, I thought, he had found an Equestrian companion.

"How could a weeping angel appear in Equestria?"

"I got careless," he said, "My travelling attracted it. You see: The TARDIS punches a hole in the universe to reach the time vortex, and a door once opened may be stepped through in either direction."

"Now," he said, "The task at hand?"

"Why now?"

Her question caught me off-guard, because I was thinking the same thing. Fluttershy beat me to the question I wanted to ask. I focused on The Doctor, listening for the answer.

"Doctor?" I asked, hearing no answer, "You could have arrived two months ago, or two months later... so why now?"

"I don't always arrive when and where I want to, but I always arrive when and where I should."

I had heard this explanation before. I didn't want to hear it, but I could not help but understand. Fluttershy also did not approve of such an answer, but also accepted it. I could see she did not understand why, but maybe when she saw that I understood, that was enough for her.

Over dinner we told The Doctor our story of those first days. Together we explained our mutual apprehension and how simple kindness was able to win the day.

"Hang on; you said 'Thursday'?"

"That's right," I answered The Doctor.

"November 9th?"

I nodded again.

"Thursday, November 9th, 2011?"

"Yeah, what about it?" I asked.

I knew enough about The Doctor to be getting a little worried about his interest in the date. Those worries, however, were gradually pushed aside as we continued our story. Once again The Doctor interrupted when we told him about the television show.

"Cross-dimensional cognition," The Doctor mused, "Ideas don't have mass, and thus can easily cross the dimensional barriers ready to find people who are particularly sensitive to them, or are predisposed to think similarly. I can be real in one universe, and a work of fiction in the next."

This explanation appeared to sit well with Fluttershy. It was similar to the one I had tried to give her during the incident, but somehow, coming from The Doctor it seemed to carry much more weight.

We continued our story, on through Thanksgiving. We told The Doctor about Fluttershy's job, and despite my insistence, she still wouldn't tell me how Sky arranged it, only that she had promised not to tell. Christmas sparked the discussion about Fluttershy's custom keyboard, to which The Doctor said he would have liked something similar in his TARDIS when exploring Equestria.

"I'm sure you could use it now," Fluttershy offered.

She was interrupted by The Doctor, who sadly said, "I'm not going back... Well, not to stay."

Fluttershy gasped, "You're not coming back? But what about your friends?"

"I'm so sorry. I can't, taking you home will be my last equestrian journey."

"Then...," I began.

"No, I'm sorry," he said, anticipating my question, "You no more belong in her world than she in yours. Think about it: Where would your family be, your friends? I wouldn't be there, either. I have to close the door, to save equestria."

Again there was silence as The Doctor's words sunk in. I could feel the sadness coming from Fluttershy, because it was in me too. Even though I had only just met The Doctor, the thought of all three of us going our separate ways hurt.

"Beyond that... do you remember when Thanksgiving was?"

I was stunned. At first I wanted to ask The Doctor what relevance it had with anything, but as I thought about it I realized he was right. I could not wrap my head around which day of the month Thanksgiving had taken place.

"Your world is in trouble, time is... wrong here. November 9th wasn't supposed to be a Thursday."

I watched from the porch as the blue box vanished making its awful grinding noise. I understood why The Doctor had to take her, but it still hurt. He explained that her presence is what affected time, and as soon as Fluttershy was home everything would get back on track. Still, I swore that I would only know that noise as the sound of my little sister leaving. As soon as the displaced air settled down I turned my back, and returned to the office where I pulled out a green notebook. Without thinking I opened it and started writing.

I wrote down everything, every last detail I could remember. I didn't know if I would keep the memories or not, but I hoped that even if the memories would fade, that a simple notebook could contain them. I would give the notebook to Alexis, I thought. Maybe, as a writer, she could preserve the story, turn it into an idea, and keep it, even if I could not.

A Message From the Author

First off, I would like to thank all of you, every last one who read this story. I especially thank those who stuck with it during the long hiatus(-es). I also would like to thank you for reading this, my message to you. This has so far been my BIGGEST writing project, and at times more than I was ready to tackle. I usually work in what is known as Flash Fiction, which is typically a story of three hundred to one thousand words. Not only is every chapter of this more than a thousand, but most of them are close to two thousand words, so I was FAR outside my comfort zone.

And you read it!

For me, that is a stunning success: That I was capable of creating something so far out of my normal limits, and have it bring joy to people.

This story started out as a Critique of My Little Dashie, which despite my complaints, should be REQUIRED reading for any brony. For those who wanted to know what I didn't like about Rob's story:

The main character had no family or friends
Yes, I can acknowledge that this was likely done to make the story easier for him write, but how many of us are really that alone in the world?
As such not only did my story show the character's Mom & Dad, but Sister, and a couple friends.
He got lucky
Okay... minor nitpick of a complaint, because there are people who DO win at casinos, or in the lottery, some even make meager profits every time they gamble, and use it to supplement their income.
I simply went a different route, having my character (mostly) financially secure, which may have been no better, or even some might consider worse, but it made it easier for me to write.
Dash's job of mowing the lawn
Do you REALLY think Dash would have been satisfied with mowing the lawn? I do not. Now thinking of a job that would be satisfying for her would be difficult, admittedly. Especially when considering that she's meant to be unknown to the rest of the world. It's important to feel useful, but how useful would one feel when all that one can do is mow the lawn?
I like to think I played this one at a clever angle, passing Fluttershy's appearance off as being a costume, so that she could educate children.
Cliche of Twlight Botching a spell
I never liked this, and I think validation came in the way of a FIMfiction Journal Entry about writing crossovers. The argument boiled down to Twilight being too careful and meticulous to let her magic get that out of control. Granted, Rob gave an extraordinary situation that made it reasonable, but I still wanted to find my own path.
This unfortunately left me with a dilemma: HOW did Fluttershy arrive at our hero's door, and how, for that matter to get her back home? The solution came to me early on: The Doctor. I'm a fan of the new Doctor Who episodes, and of course there's Mister Time Turner in the show, who looks like a ponified David Tennant.
Nameless main character
This one doesn't hit you until you think about it. What was the name of the character in "My Little Dashie"? This, I commend Rob for, I don't think I could write a story like that, especially as well as Rob did. To be fair, I don't think I really could write as well as Rob, but I can find his plotholes.
Fifteen years later... AND NO VISITORS?!
This is the big one, the one that actually started me on the story, and that I changed as early as Chapter 3. Near the end of "My Little Dashie" the doorbell rings, and it turns out to be Celestia and the rest of the mane 6. Daddy and Dash PANIC, because in all of the time that they've been together, neither one even THOUGHT of what to do if a visitor shows up.
May I remind you that by this point in Rob's story it has been FIFTEEN YEARS?!
... I really don't know what else to say here...

So that... covers, I guess, my mini-critique of "My Little Dashie" and reasoning behind the flow of my story. I know there are problems with mine, and I do invite constructive criticism. I am happy for the joy I could spread, and the joy my readers have given me.
I thank you again.
-Samantha Faith

November 9th

This story can also be found on GoogleDocs

I remember being really confused. What I saw shouldn't be possible, yet there she was, standing there with her back to me. She was bigger than I imagined she would be. I could see her cute pink mane hanging down around her head, perfectly matching her pink tail.

I had seen Fluttershy before, of course. I loved the show. I was enchanted by the innocence of it, and amused by the humor in the writing. Like any brony, I had my favorite pony. I did not, however, expect to see her standing on a sidewalk, half a block from campus.

My mind reeled. I had to approach her. I racked my brain trying to find something to say to her. She looked like she was in shock, a stranger in a strange land. I had to protect her. What could I say that wouldn't scare her away? I had to get her to trust me.

Finally, something came to mind. I had been trained to sing in a choir, but I was dreadfully out of practice. I couldn't even hold a note in the shower. I believe bathroom tiles had jumped off the wall, committing suicide to get away from my voice. Yet, I called on all the training I could remember, and I sang to her.

Hush now, quiet now~

Her ears perked up and she looked at me. The expression on her face was completely blank. I couldn't continue the song. Her lullaby? It was just wrong. I felt as if I had just wiped my feet on someone's tombstone. I called myself an idiot and thought about it some more.

You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep

"Um... Excuse me... That song, it's lovely. What is it?"

"It's called 'Fireflies'," I answered slowly, in the friendliest voice I could muster, "It's by a... well I guess you could call it a band, named 'Owl City'. My name is Robert, what's yours?"

Her voice became a whisper too quiet to understand. "Um... I'm (whisper)"

I knew exactly what she said, but something in me decided to play the scene, "Sorry, what was that?"

"Uh... My name is (whisper)"

"Fluttershy, was it? You look like you could use a place to stay"

She looked around, as if seeing the city she was in for the first time. Her eyes widened, and I could see that she was on the edge of freaking out. My heart went out to her, I had to do something to calm her. So I grabbed her and gave her as big a hug as I could, pressing myself against her side.

Fluttershy froze. I saw it in her face, she was absolutely mortified. I held tight, so she couldn't run away. I closed my eyes, and thought of my mother's embrace. It always made me feel so safe. On cold days she would wrap me up in a blanket and place a mug of hot coca in my hands. The warmth of the mug would seep into my hands and penetrate my bones, warming me from inside out.

I felt her relax, the tension in her muscles evaporated as I held on. As she sat down, I felt her back drop underneath my left arm. Then I felt something soft wipe the tears away from my eyes. I opened my eyes to see Fluttershy with a smile on her face. She was using her tail to wipe my face. I didn't even know I was crying.

"I-I'm sorry," the words stumbled out of my mouth.

I let go and turned away. I knelt down, sitting on my heels. I thought about what had just happened, and tried to make sense of it. Before I could get anywhere, I felt a hoof rest on my back. I turned slowly to look at her. She looked unsure of herself, but spoke anyway.

"Um... Mister Robert? ... I don't really know where I am, and well... you are the only friend I have here, and you ... you did offer ... "

"... a place to stay," I said, cutting her off, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're safe, that is ... if you want."

I couldn't help smiling, but she seemed to take offense. No, it wasn't that, she was disturbed. How could I know her mannerisms so well? How is it that I seemed so familiar with her when we had only just met?

"I'm sorry," I said again, "J-just ... "

I stopped, suddenly acutely aware of the people who were looking at me, at *us*. I hadn't thought of it before, but the sudden appearance of a cartoon character on a busy street would not go unnoticed. I froze as a deep pit in my stomach formed and started spitting out butterflies. I desperately clawed at a way to extract the two of us from this situation. I looked around at the forming crowd, my own panic grew. I looked and saw a pack of schoolchildren being herded in our direction, I knew that was going to mean trouble.

I know it's cliche, but I said it, out loud for everyone to hear: "This can't get any worse."

She did not belong in this world, and for every person who knew of her existence the danger to her grew. Not just physically, either. She was a sensitive enough pony, and this was not the nicest city in the world. Even the rare cynical side of me that had said "This city is unique in having it's dark underbelly exposed" was quickly packed up and pushed aside.

Luckily for me, life is not governed by the same laws of comedy cartoons are. I turned and realized that we were standing just outside a clothing store. I had always intended to look through this store to see if they had anything different, but never did. Today's just as good a day as any, I thought.

"Fluttershy, do you trust me?" I whispered into her ear, "I have a plan but, you'll have to pretend you're someone else for just a little bit."

She gulped, and for a second I could see the doubt in her eyes, but she nodded. I smiled and turned to the gathering crowd.

"Sorry, folks," I said, "But, that's all for today. My friend, here... and I are tired and we need to quit now... Ummm... but before I ... -WE- go, why don't you check out Free Radicals here?"

By the end of my speech I felt like I was sweating bullets. I know I looked flushed, but with the heat rising in my face I believed I was glowing a bright crimson. I doubt my lie could've been any more obvious. Yet, somehow, the crowd seemed to buy it.

"Follow me into the store," I whispered, before leading Fluttershy into the refurbished garage.

To my disappointment they did not have any trench-coats, or any other single article of clothing capable of covering an entire pony standing three feet at the shoulder. So I improvised, buying as long a skirt I could find and a large hoodie. I quickly covered Fluttershy in the clothing and stood her up on her hind legs.

"I know this's going to be hard for you but we only have to make it to the bus," I said, "I've got you, and I won't let you fall."

"W-Why?" She squeaked.

"This world doesn't have bright colored ponies like you, and," I hesitated afraid to finish my thought.

"And?"

Arrow to the heart, I could not refuse to answer her question. I had set her up to ask, but I never expected her to. I really did not wish to scare her, especially with the trust she was placing on me. Yet, that same trust forced me to answer.

"And ... I don't want you to get hurt," I explained, "People can be weird here, especially in this town."

To my surprise, she tightened her grip on my shoulder. What I had said had scared her, but it did not seem to shake what little trust I had earned. So we continued, clumsily making our way down the street towards the nearest bus stop.

This was not how I had planned to send my time after class. My Thursday evening was going to be playing video games, or making pony memes. Tomorrow would be the perfect day to come home after work and do homework.

"Go ahead and sit on the bench," I said, carefully letting her down on all fours, "The bus should be here, soon."

I looked down the street, as any regular bus traveler would. When I turned back she was lying on the bench, looking just about as natural as could be. I had to give her a second look to make sure she hadn't, somehow turned human. However it was that the skirt covered her, it made her look like a normal woman, just curled up on the bench.

She yelped, instantly drawing me to her.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to worry you."

"Your being here worries me," I said, regretting it the moment it came out, "Sorry... I mean, please tell me."

"My legs hurt"

"Your back legs aren't designed to support you like that, I know. Don't worry, we only have to do that two more times."

"Two more?" Her eyes grew wide.

"It will be much shorter, I promise. Just getting on and off the bus. My neighborhood is relatively quiet, and you should be able to walk normally when we get there."

"Um... okay," she said, hesitantly, "Uh, what's a 'bus'?"

Something in my mind clicked. I began remembering the world she came from. Equestria did not have the same technology. Some said it seemed medieval, however I thought it was just a little more than that. Where certain devices and pieces of technology would develop, others would seem to be held back, as they would not be as important to a race of intelligent equines.

"Uh, Mister Robert?"

I snapped out of my musings and, looked around.

"That," I said pointing at the large vehicle lumbering down the street.

I sat next to her and we both watch the bus pull up to the stop. She seemed to be shivering at the metal monstrosity that just stopped and opened it's doors. I placed my hand on her back and looked straight into her eyes. Her fear faded, and I helped her onto her back hooves and onto the bus.

During the trip home, we traveled without a word, her laying across a couple of seats, and I standing nearby. I thought about what had happened. I was absolutely amazed that it had all worked out. I convinced a crowd of people that we were street performers... I think. I never intended to keep this pony to myself. I just wanted to make sure she was out of harm's way, and I had a bad habit of always playing the hero.

It wasn’t until we neared our destination that I finally asked, "How're your legs?

She jumped, surprised to suddenly hear my voice. I can only imagine that she was lost in her own thoughts. Was she worrying about her current situation? Or maybe it was the kind stranger watching over her that she was unsure of.

"Oh!... Um, my legs still hurt... but they are feeling better."

I could barely hear her soft voice over the roar of the bus engine. I nodded my acknowledgment and pulled the cord. The familiar 'Stop requested' voice sounded over the PA speakers.

As we disembarked from the vehicle, Fluttershy seemed much more comfortable walking on her hind legs. As I held her up I wondered why. She could just be getting used to me. No, I thought, she's just a smart pony, and I have to believe that.

After the bus pulled away I eased her down, back onto all four hooves again. Even though we were on the sidewalk just outside a Burger King, I was not worried. People rarely payed attention to those walking just outside. Still, I pointed in the direction of the alley I would always cut through to get home.

She seemed grateful for the chance to walk on four legs again. She followed as I led her through the alley and across the next street into the neighborhood. Once the other side of the street we turned left, away from the main street that passed nearby. At the corner we turned right, and were completely alone.

I always loved how quiet the neighborhood was, but now I was very thankful.

"It's okay now, you don't have to wear that anymore." I said, "In fact, if you want you could fly the rest of the way, but I don't recommend going too high."

"No, that's okay," she said, "I- I think I'll keep this on for a little longer... It's cold."

I hadn't thought of it, but she was right. The middle of November was not the best time for a lone pony to spontaneously appear. This city was seeing it's first good cold spell in a long time. Perhaps, I thought, we might get a white Christmas. It would be the first one without... Grandma.

I stopped, my heart sinking as it always did when I remembered Grandma. We always had the best of times. Even if it wasn't easy those last couple of years, I still missed her.

"Mister Robert?" Fluttershy asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, Flutter... I just," I couldn't get anything to come out right, "I ... I, I'll be fine, just give me a minute..."

I reached up and grabbed my shades off the top of my head and put them over my eyes.

"Um... if you don't mind my asking, what are those for?"

"Sunglasses?"

"No... I mean, yes I know what they are... but why?"

I forced a smile, "To hide my eyes."

It wasn't a complete lie, I rationalized. She, however, still looked worried. I looked away, and glanced across the neighborhood. Between the fading twilight of the evening, and my shades, it took a little bit for my eyes to adjust. I pointed myself towards our destination and put one foot in front of the other.

"C'mon... let's keep going, it's not far now."

"Um... Mister Robert?"

"Please, just call me Robert."

"Okay... Uhm ... Robert? How do you know me?"

"That's... complicated. I think it would be easier if I showed you, which I can do once we get home."

I know that was far from the answer she wanted to hear. Without looking at her I could feel her insecurity grow, but there was nothing I could do about it. It was going to get far, far worse before things could get better for her.