Fluttershy and the Shyest Beast in the Forest
Fluttershy trotted through Whitetail wood with Angel Bunny at her side. Angel wanted to play but it wasn't her friend's designated pet play date. So Fluttershy brought him to a place with lots of room to skip around. Winter Wrap-Up had just finished and spring was in bloom. All the plants were flowering, vibrant and fresh. Smiling brightly at the natural beauty, Fluttershy flew from the trees tops, to the vines, and back to the ground just to get as much of the lovely fragrance in her nose as she could.
"Oh Angel! Isn't this wonderful?" She cooed. "Angel?" Fluttershy's head darted about, but there was no sign of her friend. "Angel?! Where are you?" She called out. Fluttershy landed and began to look through several bushes, check several holes, and turn over several stones. Angel was no where to be found. Fluttershy began to panic as she flew through the trees. "Angel! Where are you?!" She cried.
At last, Fluttershy found him standing by a mulberry bush. She swooped up behind him and up scooped him up into a hug. "Oh Angel I was so worried!" She exclaimed happily while the bunny tried to escape his owner's embrace. She let him back on the ground and took on a more serious tone. "Don't ever scare me like that little mister!" Angel pouted and Fluttershy's tone softened. "Please don't be like that Angel. I was just scared that you would get hurt. A branch could fall on you, or you could stumble into a river." As Fluttershy went on Angel frantically pointed behind her. "What is it Angel?" He stuck his ears out to the side, scuffed the ground, and snorted. "You ... want to go gardening?" She guessed. Angel facepawed and then opted to jump on Fluttershy and turn her head behind her. What she saw filled her with dread.
He was . . . big to say the least. Easily dwarfing the tiny mare three times over. His hooves were cloven and very wide. He had chestnut brown fur that thickened into a bushy mane around his chest and neck. Lastly he had an impressive set of antlers. Fluttershy turned around abruptly and stared in terror at this new company. Strangely though, the massive creature seemed to be reacting much the same way at now being noticed. "Sorry!" He quickly apologized for nothing in a nervous but deep and otherwise powerful voice. "I'm Elbert. I'm a moose . . . " He tried to introduce himself as he stuck out his hoof. Fluttershy returned the gesture.
"I . . . I'm Fluttershy. That's Angel. He's a bunny . . ." Said rabbit was cowering behind his pony friend. "Oh that's . . . nice. He can . . . have some if he wants." Fluttershy wasn't sure how to respond. "Have some of what?"
"My mulberries. They're not really mine, but I like to come here sometimes." The Moose indicated the grove around him. "They're my favorite, and this is such a nice spot in the forest. Where I can be alone . . . not that I'm asking you to leave! I'm just shy is all." Elbert rubbed one of his legs absentmindedly. "That's fine, we were just leaving . . ." Fluttershy began to back out of the grove with Angel Bunny in tow. "It was nice meeting you!" She said as she turned to leave. "You too Fluttershy." Said the moose.
Just when Fluttershy left the vicinity, a thought struck her. Turning back around, she addressed the moose. "Elbert . . ." He turned to her, not as shy as before, but still reserved. "Don't you ever get . . . lonely?" Elbert pressed his ears to his head. "Sometimes. I do like it alone, but it would be nice to have somepony to talk to." Fluttershy flew up to talk to Elbert at eye level. "Don't you have any friends?" Elbert shook his head. "Oh dear! You poor thing!" Fluttershy's kindness instinct started firing on all cylinders. "Would you like to come to Ponyville with me? I'm sure you could make some friends there!"
"That's really nice of you Fluttershy, but I'm just too shy to talk to anypony." Elbert looked to his hooves with a frown. "I was once the same way. Now I have many wonderful friends!" That caught his attention. "Really? What happened?"
"Oh we ummm . . . saved the world together." Fluttershy bashfully admitted. "Oh . . . I won't have to do that, just to make friends, will I?"
"No no. Just follow me and I'll take you to meet them. I'm sure they'll love you."
Scooping up Angel Bunny, Fluttershy lead the tentative giant to her hometown.
