It had been an eventful Summer Sun Celebration Day in Ponyville for the local animal custodian known as Fluttershy so far. And she hadn’t even reached the Town Hall yet.

It all began whilst she trained her beloved birdies to perform at the ceremony later, and one of the starlings happened to sing slightly off-key. While gently chiding him for his minor musical mistake, an exhausted purplish unicorn mare with panicky eyes and ruffled fur happened to stagger onto the scene, and more-or-less frightened the everloving bejeezus out of her.

Which, if she was to be perfectly honest, wasn’t all that unusual.

Her initial shock soon gave way to nothing but compassion and sympathy however, as soon as she witnessed the distressed pony suffer an almost complete emotional breakdown in front of her. The poor dear, she could remember lamenting, even though this troubled unicorn is a total stranger, I just can’t leave her out here alone in this state.

That’s why the empathic pegasus had taken the unprecedented step of inviting the ‘guest’ back to her quaint cottage, and even learning of a pending warrant for the unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle’s arrest didn’t sway her initial decision one jot. It must all just be a tragic case of mistaken identity, Fluttershy had reassured herself at the time, relying more on her innate sense of intuition than any established facts.

Once her latest patient was inside and settled into a light sleep on her favourite chair though, that’s when things really started getting interesting. She was mumbling in her sleep about protecting her mother and somepony called Daisy from… I don’t know? Whoever it was, sounded like they’d put them through an awful amount of trauma… I’d love to help but I don’t want to pry into her private affairs.

So concerned was Fluttershy for her anxious new arrival, she was even on the verge of cancelling her much-hyped appearance featuring her avian choir at the festival to take care of the unicorn. Eventually though, as a compromise, they’d agreed to go together so the pegasus could keep an eye on her, and everything seemed like it was going to plan…

That was until Pinkie Pie decided to pay the cottage an unexpected visit to invite Fluttershy to a housewarming party for the new mare in town, little knowing of course that the most hunted ‘criminal’ in Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle were one and the same pony. Naturally, Pinkie freaked out as per usual, tried to get the unicorn arrested there and then before an adorable baby dragon turned up to rescue Twilight and… this is already getting far too complicated.

Needless to say, the ‘Dastardly Duo’ (a nickname for the pursued pair which had quickly caught on around town) were currently being chased by Ponyville’s finest, with Fluttershy left behind to pony the fort with a decidedly irked Rarity. The vengeful fashionista has spent the intervening time alternating between subtly criticising the smell and homespun ‘charms’ of the pegasus’s humble dwelling, and lambasting the on-the-run pair in as harsh a language as a lady would allow.

“Those scoundrels! Degenerates! Good-for-nothing wretches!! You should’ve seen what they did to my perfect little shop, darling. It’s been simply ruined. Destroyed. Beyond repair. I hope the judge throws the book at them. Swallows the key. Stale bread and dirty water for life! Oh, I can’t wait ‘til they’re convicted of their numerous misdemeanours. I’ll be there in the public gallery to see those vicious brutes sent down, front and centre. It’s something I’d look forward to more than a personal invite to the Galloping Gala, and knowing how much I simply adore Prince Blueblood, that’s saying a lot.”

“E-Erm, actually I didn’t know that, Miss Rarity. At all. You see, we’ve never really spoken much before today. I might’ve said ‘Good Morning’ to you a few times in town on my way to buy animal food for my pets, but I don’t recall ever…”

“Well, there's a first time for everything, dear! Now that we’ve hit it off so famously, I’m sure there'll be lots more little chats and chinwags and rendezvouses in the future. After all, I can help you out so much in ways you haven’t even dreamt of yet… starting with the ‘unique’ interior and ‘specific’ aroma emitting from this building. It’s so… so… how can I put this without sounding like a drudge?”

“Also, u-um… this might not be my place to comment, but in regards to that flood at Carousel Boutique, it sounds to me like if you hadn’t cried a lot the place wouldn’t have been in such a mess, s-so you could take some responsibility for that… also, it seems to me that after a quick mop the store was more-or-less spick and span anyway… plus, you told me were fully insured…”

“...This home. It’s… so you.” Ignoring, or perhaps not fully processing Fluttershy’s softly-spoken plea for the fashionista to take at least some of the blame for her waterlogged place of business, the proud unicorn finally thought she’d stumbled across the ideal phrasing to tell the notoriously delicate pegasus her home was a complete tip without offending her fragile sensibilities.

“U-Um… thanks, I think? Anyway, getting back to Twilight Sparkle and Spike, as I believe was his name. Don’t you think everypony is overreacting a bit? I mean, I know Twilight might come across a bit… odd at first, but she’s got a good heart, I’m sure of it. And Spike… I know he said he was going to set my house alight, but he had no real intent on making good his threat. He was just worried about his friend, so if there’s the option of dropping any charges, that’s what I’d like to do.”

“Are you, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, alright Fluttershy? I’m starting to think, living so isolated from the other residents in town has done something to you. You can’t go around trusting everypony, or one day you may learn to regret it. Didn’t you see what else she got up to, both here and all the way over in Canterlot? The pony’s a global menace on an unparalleled scale, and the sooner she’s behind bars the better! And that hot-latte-spilling skin-burning baby dragon can be placed in juvie, too. Hopefully, once clear of her destructive tentacles of influence, he can grow up to become a much more productive member of society, and…”

“E-Erm… would you like some more coffee?” This spirited conversation was becoming just a tad too heated for the distinctly non-confrontational Fluttershy, and she felt that both of them would benefit from having a brief breather.

“Yes, if you would, darling. Just don’t be clumsy with it, like you-know-who. Also, if it’s not too much to ask … could you bring me a clean mug this time?”

“B-But the one I gave you was… yes, yes, of course.”

“And bring in some more of those simply scrumptious daffodil and burdock cakes, if you would. I’m warning you though, dear. If my dietician starts charging me more for his services, I’ll be sending you the full bill!”

“Oh, right. Okay.” Clearly Rarity had meant that last line as a joke, but in the downbeat mood Fluttershy was in, she took it in all seriousness.

I wish I was slightly more assertive. Just a bit. Then I might be able to get my point across properly… a very frustrated Fluttershy deplored internally, as she scanned her cupboard for a spotless mug even the famously fussy Rarity might approve of. As things stand, I’m expected to just take her rude dismissal of my lifestyle and blatant mischaracterisation of Twilight and Spike with a smile on my face. I’m starting to think my name might be prophetic of my personality forever. What if I'd been called ‘Flutterbrave’? Or ‘Fluttertough’ ? I guess I’ll never know…

KNOCK KNOCK.

Fluttershy’s exasperated soliloquy and hunt for a flawless hot beverage receptacle were suddenly halted by a slight tapping on her back door. Puzzled as to who could be bothering her at this late hour and also why they didn’t just try the front entrance first, she briefly checked behind her to see an occupied Rarity eye the many strands of straw on the floor with tuts of disapproval, before tip-hoofing over to see who it was.

“Why, if it isn’t Twilight! And Spike! What are you doing here? N-Not that it’s not good to see you, but I have company. And I don’t think she’d be as hospitable as I am…”

“I know, we saw Rarity through the window. That’s why we’re using the side entrance, and that’s why we’re keeping our voices down too.”

“Well, it’s good you’re taking precautions Twilight, but I still don’t want you to take any unnecessary risks with the whole town looking for you. Anyway, is there anything I can help you with? As soon as I’m alone again, you’re more than welcome to come in and…”

“Sorry Fluttershy, this is something that can’t wait. One of your besties needs you desperately, and the longer we leave it, the worse she’s probably going to get. Look up there, and I think you’ll see what I mean.”

Getting more and more confused by the minute, Fluttershy followed Spike’s clawed finger to see an unmistakable cerulean figure perched atop her thatched roof…

Only the equine speedster in question was behaving in a way that she’d never witnessed before in all the long years that they’d known each other.

“R-Rainbow Dash? Is that really you?!”

“1-2-3… gosh, how many windows does this place have? These holes are called ‘windows’, aren’t they? That just came to me. Amazing. I don’t know what these strange small creatures with wings but no hooves are called flying around me, though. Can I make up a word to describe them as well? Whoopee! I’m a genius. What about ‘burps’? Or ‘berks’? Come on, don’t just stand there you three… I need some quality input here!”

Author's Note

Told you I knew what I was putting in the next chapter... and now I have the next five all planned out. Not bad, eh?

As to when I'll get chance to write them... soon. Real soon. Maybe not quite as quick as this update, but who knows...?