Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom

Sun had been raised. Fluttershy would have understood if it hadn't wanted to come anywhere near the horizon after that racket, but the noise had stopped about an hour prior to a half-deaf Moon being guided out of the area.

Fluttershy had gone outside and found the kākāpō asleep in his soil bowl. He'd been exhausted. Which, when compared to what the rest of the cottage had gone through, clearly meant he hadn't suffered enough --

-- natural behavior. It was just natural --

-- what was the purpose of it? Sapients could lie themselves into endless false motivations for being stupid, but animals didn't act in a given way without a reason! That had been a mating display, most likely a courtship ritual of some sort. And Fluttershy could accept that kākāpōs went through the routines known as leks, even if they were the first parrots she'd ever heard of doing so. But a lek only worked if it led to mating. So that sound had to be capable of luring in females. Just not any of the ones who lived in Equestria. And with the only viable candidates still in transit...

She gently brought the parrot inside. Made sure he sleepily ate and drank, because making so much noise for -- hours... had taken so much of his strength. Tucked him back into the cleaned cage, mostly for his own safety. And then...

...any other pony might have tried for sleep. Even Applejack could have theoretically called down 'Bad night!' to the rest of the family, rolled over, and closed her eyes in an attempt to find that precious extra hour: after all, she would do the same when those she loved were truly tired.

Fluttershy, as the only mare on the property, with triple digits of dependents to look after and nopony else to take on a tenth-bit of it -- sighed, took the coldest wake-up shower she could risk on a fall day, and went to work.

Most of the awake portion of the cottage was grouchy. The daywalkers hadn't been able to get any real rest -- Fluttershy understood the feeling -- and the nocturnals had found their routines completely disrupted by blasts of sound. Some had attempted to flee from the noise and charged directly into the nearest wall: all resulting minor injuries were carefully treated. There were signs of a few fights: little conflicts which she hadn't found in time, like scratches at the entrances to the most sound-resistant holes. The pegasus was finding sleeping animals in the strangest places, and briefly gave up on asking for explanations after discovering the otters snoozing in a cistern.

In fact, a lot of things were turning up in the wrong spots.

Fluttershy, upon finding a bit in the streets of Ponyville, would dutifully carry it to the police station and turn it over to the authorities. She didn't want to cause any problems for others by claiming their lost money. Besides, if nopony came looking for it after two weeks, then it was probably safe to call that coin her own. But if the impacted party had an emergency after that, she could always make arrangements for payback...

Regardless, she had no intention of turning in the spine-high slumping group of animal feed bags she'd just found barely within sight from the far end of the bridge, largely because she was certain that she'd already paid for them. It was just that when it came to her deliveries, she tended to find such hastily-dumped piles next to her front door.

Deliveryponies in a hurry, thought the weary mare, because no better explanation had the strength for coming to mind. Probably somepony new and running late. Cut corners through not bothering to round the corners. Just dump and go. Oh, dear...

Filing complaints was a lot of trouble and the bags were all there, so she wearily wrestled them inside, one jaw grip at a time. A lot of water washed the residue of canvas from her tongue, and then Fluttershy went back to sorting out a typical cottage day.

Sun had been raised. There were residents to feed, patients who needed to be monitored, and if she didn't catch up with the morning duties soon, she would still be trying to get the grounds settled when her first client came over the bridge...

It had been a surprisingly quiet day. The 'credit' for some of this could be laid at the kākāpō's talons, because you almost never got the entire cottage on the same schedule. Having every resident unexpectedly knocked into a waking cycle of Activity Is When That Sound Is Not meant just about everyone was getting some sleep and when it came to animal residents, the grounds were near-silent and still.

Pony visitors, however, tended to break into spontaneous cooing.

Fluttershy had the usual scope of appointments to deal with: some vet duties, a few basic checkups, scattered grooming added to some ponies dropping by to reclaim their companions from kennel services. And because she'd gone and left the parrot's cage in the sitting room, anypony coming in to see her would typically see him first. With a nice clear view, because the cage wasn't that tall and the bars were a lot thinner at the top.

Not that the sleeping kākāpō was causing any problems on sight. Because ponies were skittish, especially around new things -- but they also knew 'adorable' when they saw it and in the event that there could potentially be an issue, the confining cage was already there. They cooed, and awwwwed, and asked Fluttershy many questions -- just about none of which she could answer, and she kept checking for signs of Twilight sending anything back because the personal ignorance was getting embarrassing.

Everypony kept asking about the hat. She explained what she'd been told. The word 'trust' usually had to be repeated a few times, followed by 'not yet'.

She was also stumbling around the cottage. Just a little.

It wasn't exactly unexpected. The caretaker's talent did its best to help with every aspect of her duties, and a mare who needed to spend time with the resident nocturnals required much less sleep than the typical pony: about four hours per night. But she hadn't had any, and that took a toll.

She had to be careful. Fluttershy could manage all of her duties at this level for lack of rest, even the veterinary ones: she just moved cautiously and double-checked every decision. But two nights with no sleep... that would extract an increasing toll, most of which always seemed to be taken from a steadily-shortening temper. It wouldn't take all that long beyond that to reach the point where she couldn't trust her medical judgment --

-- somepony knocked on the front door, and Fluttershy instantly knew who was outside. It was a rather precise sort of signature knock. It had Beats. There was a little more force than might have been strictly necessary. It counted off a precise amount of time between impacts, and then it delivered another one because the pony who was outside had a lot of stress and in the absence of being allowed to scream in public, she had to kick something.

Only one mare knocks on a door like that.
Why is she here?

Although Fluttershy suspected she knew the answer to that one --

-- no. If there had been any real complaints, then the knocking mare would have been younger and, physically, weaker. Also much more Authoritative and Official about the knocks, which would be accompanied by a backbeat of We Both Understand I'm Coming In Anyway. This wasn't Ponyville's police chief.

The pegasus hesitated in her current grooming maneuver, then deposited the jaw-held scissors to the workbench, asked the dachshund to wait, and went to open the front door.

The older mare carefully lowered her right foreleg. Raffia-toned fur, which was usually just enough out of grain to notice the errors, failed to settle back into place. Dark blue eyes carefully peered through half-lenses.

"Do you have a moment?" the mayor politely (if pointedly) asked. "I know there are very few good times for just 'dropping by'. Not with all you have to do."

"...it's just some grooming right now," Fluttershy softly answered. "I have to clean out some impacted anal glands in about an hour --" and saw the earth pony's expression. "-- it's a cat thing. This time, anyway. A little messy, but they feel better after. Right now isn't anything which can't wait, Mayor." Especially because the politician didn't exactly turn up without cause.

The older mare nodded, and the forward tip of the dyed mane executed a two-toned bob.

"According to the reports which reached my desk," the mayor began, "you had a feed delivery last night."

Very carefully, "...I didn't think Town Hall kept a schedule for my cart rounds..."

"We don't," Mayor Mare stated. "Until last night, I suspect the only ponies who knew about your delivery were yourself and the hauling pony. I just tend to receive interesting pass-alongs from the rest of the town."

"...pass-alongs..." was mostly being used to get that much closer to the incoming Issue.

"Like police reports," the mayor offhoofedly mentioned.

Several animals were gathering behind Fluttershy now. Angel was getting both back paws ready to thump. It wouldn't help.

"...I think," Fluttershy valiantly tried to intercept, "I may be able to explain --"

"The short version," utterly-faked neutrality cut in, "would be that your deliverypony had been picking up on what he'd felt were some unusual noises. However, it wasn't his first time hearing strange things near the cottage, as some of yours do become rather vocal in their seasons and of course, you get the occasional special guest. So he marshaled himself and pushed on. Continuing to do so until shortly before crossing the last bridge. Which was when he heard, and I quote, 'A worldbreaking monster which clawed its way out of Tartarus to destroy the planet'." She paused. "'And sanity'."

"...um..." didn't actually help.

"'And also eardrums'," Marigold Mare finished. "So he dumped his cargo. On instinct. He's not even sure why he did that. His best guess is that the monster might lose time tripping over it. And when the remainder of the panic reaction started to wear off, he found himself back in town -- where he immediately headed for the police station and begged them to dispatch an officer, because he was convinced he'd just left you to die."

"...um..." hadn't improved its skills with experience.

"He actually feels very bad about the whole thing," the older mare added. "Extremely guilty regarding your welfare."

"...that's... nice..."

"Tell him so yourself when you next see him," Marigold suggested. "It might help with the crying. In any case, Miranda sent out ponies -- who spotted you before reaching the cottage. Flying over the grounds, putting some of your residents to bed. There were no signs of monsters, much less sounds. So as you were clearly well, the decision was made to leave you alone and simply return to the station. Further details could wait for morning."

Fluttershy's most fundamental nature reluctantly signaled for her attention, then tentatively proposed a response.

"...I'm sorry for making everypony worry...?"

Raffia ears rotated. Checking the air.

"The cottage is quiet now," the mayor observed. "It wasn't last night. The end of a single performance does not drop the curtain against all future stagings, and your current half-expression more than suggests you know exactly what took place. Explain."

It was easiest to do so while she was grooming the dachie. Admittedly, it meant a lot of stops and starts to her sentences because her mouth was managing grooming implements most of the time -- but with Fluttershy, hesitations were going to happen anyway. The mayor steadily, quietly listened from the other side of the workstation table. The dog was mostly waiting for the 'treats' portion to kick in.

She made sure to use academic terms and in the name of keeping it that way, carefully failed to fully translate from the VHNOOOOOM.

"His reproductive cycle," Marigold finally said. "Estrus, or 'heat'. And that is what led to the -- 'sound'."

"...it's what's best for him," Fluttershy helplessly tried. "To indulge in his natural behaviors! He needs to be outside --"

"-- I will take your word for that," the mayor cut in. "And we have a rare instance of good fortune, Ms. Phylia."

"...we do?"

"In that we now have a very good idea of just how far that sound travels," the earth pony told her. "And the answer is 'nowhere close to any of your neighbors'. Not that you have anypony living all that close, of course: part of that is your proximity to the Everfree, and at least some of the rest is because the sounds from the property can already be disconcerting. But nopony from the Acres tried to check on you."

"...that's a very good way to measure," Fluttershy pondered, and did so a split-second before the guilt over nearly having woken Applejack kicked in. "I couldn't exactly try to leave the grounds and find out..."

"Rather directly," the mayor wrapped up, "it means nopony lives within range to be disturbed at night, and the bird sleeps during the day. As such, unless the situation radically changes -- and I am counting on you to tell me about that -- I don't see him as a threat to Ponyville. Simply post signs at the standard entrances to your property and have them lit to be read at night. Telling ponies that you have an unusual, rather loud, but harmless visitor. And all should be well." Followed by a minor leftward head tilt and a question which, technically, wasn't one. Not the kind which had more than one permitted response. "You'll do that?"

But Fluttershy was too relieved to care. "...yes, mayor." With a smile, "I can do that."

Still... harmless. The deliverpony had said that. Harmless, but disruptive...

"And anchor one to a cloud," the earth pony reminded her. "You do get deliveries coming in high."

"...yes."

"And that -- hat?"

"...not yet. But I'll wait for it. To... know when he trusts me." The smile became stronger. "That first moment of real connection. It'll be worth it..."

Warm sunlight streamed through the windows, with all of autumn's chill held at bay.

They stood together within the beams for a few seconds. Simply basking their fur. And then the older mare took a slow, weary breath.

"No threat to Ponyville at this time," Marigold said. "But when it comes to the more immediate and local concern --"

"...I'm fine," Fluttershy tried. "Everyone at the cottage is fine, Mayor. We're just... a little more tired than usual..."

"Yes, you are," the earth pony sharply said. "To the point where, with you, the weariness is visible. And I'm aware of how much it takes to produce that."

"...right..." the pegasus winced as her body involuted somewhat around the withers.

"Along with what tends to follow it."

"...I've almost got the last of that settlement paid --"

"-- we," Marigold tensely declared, "do not need any more Little Incidents, Miss Phylia. Nopony does."

Neither mare moved. The dog, becoming impatient for a treat, wriggled.

So much more softly, as the older mare's grey streaks shimmered in the sunlight, "Do you need any help?"

"...I think I'll be okay..."

Gently, "Is there anything Town Hall, or Ponyville, can do to keep this from going out of all control?"

"...I'm... still waiting to learn what I should be doing," hurt to say. "But at least I have some idea, Mayor. Somepony just -- trying things... could make him sick. It has to be me..."

"If you need it," was just above a whisper, "will you ask for help?"

The younger mare's single visible eye silently looked through well-polished glasses until it met the tired gaze of the elder. And they both waited until the final echoes of the silence had faded away.

"Let the record show the question was asked, I suppose," Marigold sighed. "Again --"

-- and the sunlit air over the table began to brighten. Something which initially happened in small, random patches, but then began to connect into swirls of luminescent motion.

There was a flash --

The mayor had been very nice about it.

She'd waited on everything else. For example, "I'll leave you to your reading, then," had been pushed off until she was just about out the door. Because there could be little side effects from having Spike relay information to the cottage. One of them was that you got some letters very quickly, and another was having visiting animals respond to a sudden burst of heatless flame through totally freaking out.

They'd both gotten the dachie corralled. Fluttershy had made sure none of the scrolls were damaged -- and they were scrolls. She recognized Spike's clawwriting, even when it was so much more jagged than usual. She'd also seen the word kākāpō prominently featured on the exterior seal.

He and Twilight had wanted her to see that it wasn't a mission summons immediately, and that had helped. But at the same time...

The little dragon's trick wasn't always reliable with books. Sending bound texts via flame risked damage. But he'd wanted her to have the information in a true hurry, and he'd -- copied everything out. By hand.

His writing is so shaky.

Was he upset? Crying? The kākāpō being critically endangered... it distressed him that much?

It spoke well of Spike, that his empathy had struck so deep. It also meant Fluttershy knew the scrolls would be a rough read for her. So she steadied herself, dealt with the next two appointments plus a drop-in, wrapped her soul in armor of dread, and waited until she was truly clear before reviewing what she'd been sent.

The second scroll was about kākāpō care.

The first concerned their reproductive habits.

And the boy, who possessed all of the humor and restraint inherent to his gender and age, in copying out every word, had been laughing the whole time.