Chapter 1: A Change of Scenery
"It's alright, little guy. Don't be afraid," Fluttershy crooned, peering down into the dark hole. The only response she got was a loud whine. She stuck her head inside the pit and tried to smile reassuringly at the injured manticore sitting at the bottom. He refused to move, but who could blame the poor thing, with his wing all busted up like that? "The princesses ought to do something about this," she said to her companion. "These ruins are far too hazardous. The roofs of these underground chambers seem to be caving in a lot lately."
Angel nodded in agreement.
There was only one thing that would bring the shy pegasus to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters in the Everfree Forest with only her bunny to help: an animal in distress. Angel, her valiant protector, jumped up on her back and pointed down into the hole. Fluttershy nodded. Taking the basket of first aid supplies in her mouth, she flew down to the bottom of the pit where her patient was waiting.
The manticore bared his teeth as she approached.
She smiled at him gently.
The animal cocked its head and looked at her for a while, before lying down with a groan and allowing her to inspect his injuries.
She hissed in sympathy as she noticed that he had managed to hurt his rear leg as well in the fall. "Poor baby," she crooned, getting to work on disinfecting and wrapping the leg. The wing had to be splinted, so she used some long, straight tree roots to hold it in place as it healed. Patting the beast reassuringly, she helped him get to his feet. He gave her a lick, and she giggled. "Come on," she told him. "We need to find another way out of here."
She had forgotten how creepy the ruins were. Even though daylight still filtered in through a few holes in the ceiling, it was very dark. Now that the adrenaline surge from her rush to help the manticore had worn off, Fluttershy was shivering, squeaking at every shadow. Only the stoic presence of the rabbit on her back and the trusting stare of the injured manticore kept her from launching into a full blown panic attack. Even so, when Angel prodded her in the back, she shot into the air, banging her head against the ceiling.
"Ohh," she moaned.
The manticore nuzzled her and whined.
"I'm okay," she said, patting his nose. She looked over at the scowling bunny who was brushing the dirt out of his coat and glaring at her. Clearly he hadn't enjoyed his launch off her back and into the tunnel wall. "I'm sorry, Angel, you just surprised me. Is something wrong?"
The rabbit crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air.
"Please tell me," Fluttershy pleaded.
Angel shook his head.
"I really am sorry. I promise, I'll make you your favorite dinner to make up for it."
The rabbit nodded and pointed down a side tunnel they had just passed.
Fluttershy peered down the tunnel and gasped. "Oh my!" she said, staring in awe at the large structure at the end of the short passageway. She approached it carefully, gazing at the figures carved into its surface. The artifact was a huge stone disk with intricately carved animals chasing each other's tails, forming a wide circle. There was a little mouse, a cow, a big stripy lioness, a bunny, a skinny dragon, a snake, a pony, a fluffy sheep, a weird creature with long arms and a tail, a rooster, a dog, and a pig with tusks. Each was carved with a striking degree of anatomical accuracy. Their eyes were made from a variety of gemstones and glittered in the dim light.
As she got closer, Fluttershy noticed a smaller figure in the center of the circle. Squinting, she noticed it was a little cat. Unlike the other majestic looking figures, this one was more roughly wrought, with a hunched position and its eyes shut. "Poor thing, it looks so sad and lonely." Fluttershy gently brushed her hoof across it.
The cat's eyes sprang open.
The eyes of all of the animal figures began to glow, growing brighter by the second. Fluttershy screamed and backed away, tripping over her hooves in her haste.
..........
Angel ran towards the main tunnel, instincts screaming in fear. The manticore was waiting for him—the beast had been too big and fat to fit in the smaller side tunnel. The lion-like beast looked down at him with a confused expression. Apparently the dumb brute hadn't noticed the cause of the commotion yet. Angel froze as he noticed that his mistress was not beside him. He whirled around, ready to rush to her aid. Just then, the light in the tunnel flared unbearably bright, forcing the rabbit to cover his eyes.
The light vanished. Angel rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the spots form his vision. When he finally looked in the tunnel, his heart fell all the way to his tail. It was empty. His mistress was gone. Ignoring the blinded manticore that was stumbling about in a daze, bumping into the tunnel walls, Angel sunk to his knees, gaze fixed on the spot the pegasus had occupied a mere moment before. As he watched, a single yellow feather floated to the ground.
It was soon followed by the tears of a heartbroken bunny.
Her wings hurt.
That was the first thing that came to mind as Fluttershy tried to return to reality from her state of unconsciousness. Pegasi were not designed to sleep on their backs. Having her wings pinned under her was very uncomfortable. From the feel of it, she was lying on her back, wrapped in a sheet. Still half-asleep, she rolled over, only to gasp as a sharp pain ran through her chest. The yellow pony gritted her teeth and whimpered.
"Angel, would you make me some willow tea, please?" she called quietly.
There was no response.
"Angel?" she called again, just a tiny bit louder.
Still nothing. The mare squirmed. Despite his temperamental attitude, Angel was always by her side when Fluttershy was feeling sick. The pegasus opened her eyes and looked around. Seconds later she was cowering under the covers, shaking uncontrollably.
She wasn't in her cottage.
This room was far too big and airy, with a huge bed. Fluttershy froze as she heard voices nearby.
"What's the big idea!" somepony yelled loudly from just outside the room. The stallion sounded very angry.
"Keep it down," responded a softer voice flatly. This one was also male; his tone was cold.
"Please, Kyo. You're going to wake it up." This last voice was gentle; a young mare from the sound of it.
"We don't even know what it is. We should have called animal control or something, not put it in your bed!" The first speaker had lowered his voice considerably, but was still far too loud and aggressive for Fluttershy's taste.
She heard the door open.
"I think its awake," the unseen mare said.
Hoofsteps approached.
Something swung into view, peering at her under the covers. The... whatever it was had a flat, pale face and a brown mane. It bared its teeth at her. "Hi there!" it said.
With a shriek, Fluttershy launched out of bed, flailing against the sheet she was now tangled in. She made a blind dash for the door, blanket obscuring her vision. She collided with somepony, who grunted in surprise. There was a popping noise and a cloud of smoke. Fluttershy looked down at a pair of startled animals—a grey mouse and an orange cat.
Author's Note
Not sure if the whole "no new human fanfics on the site" was true or not, so I figured I ought to get this story out just in case. Regardless, behold, my third crossover. "Fruits Basket" is a favorite of mine, particularly the manga. I watched the anime, and while I loved most of it, I didn't like the way it portrayed Tohru in the last episodes. They took an amazing angel and turned her into a wimp.
Fluttershy will remain her normal, adorable pony self throughout.
This story may contain light romantic elements and warm fuzzy feelings in future chapters. You have been warned.
Chapter 2: A Strange New World
Without a second thought, Fluttershy scooped up the two animals and ran as fast as she could away from the strange monster behind them. She noticed an open window nearby and propelled herself through it and came to rest in a tall tree. With the branches shielding her from view she finally paused to take a breath. She set the two animals on the branch in front of her and looked at them carefully, checking for injuries. They were both staring at her with very odd expressions, like they'd never seen a pegasus before or something.
"What the heck... it flies. What's going on?" the cat demanded angrily.
The poor thing was delirious. It must still have had some residual mental scarring from being held captive by that thing with the flat face. She scooped the tomcat up in her arms and began stroking him. "Shh... It's alright. We're safe now. It can't get you anymore." Fluttershy tried to sound brave for him, but the tips of her wings were quivering. The cat struggled for a moment and then its face relaxed, its body going limp. Eyes half-lidded, the cat began to purr. "There. That's better," she said as she continued to stroke him. She looked down at the rat, who was watching the cat with a flummoxed expression. "Are you alright little one? That thing didn't hurt you did it?" she asked him.
The rodent blinked and looked up at her. "I-I'm sorry... Miss... I don't understand. What 'thing'?"
"That weird thing with the flat, hairless face!" Fluttershy shuddered. "I've never seen a creature like it before." Just then, she heard that loud voice again. Peering out through the leaves, she saw the creature wandering around below. "Oh, no..." She clutched the cat tighter to her chest and pressed herself up against the tree's bark.
A soft touch on her foreleg made her look down at the rat. She noticed for the first time that he had purple eyes. It was very odd, but they did make him look quite lovely. "Miss, Honda-san means you no harm. If you'd just take the time to talk to her, I'm sure you'll see how kind she is."
"B-but..." Fluttershy slumped, sliding down along the tree trunk. "I'm scared..." she whispered.
The rat climbed up onto the top of her head and patted her reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll be here to help you."
Fluttershy thought about it for a moment. She smiled. "Alright," she said, "Hold on tight, little one." She felt the rodent take hold of her mane, and she pushed the branches concealing them aside. Gliding down to the ground, she came to a stop a few feet away from the hondasan. Despite the rat's reassurances, the pegasus was still shaking; she kept her wings limber, ready to fly off at any second.
"There you all are. I was so worried. I'm glad you're alright," the hondasan said with a wide smile. The smile faded away and the creature looked so sad that Fluttershy found herself desperately wanting to comfort it. "I'm sorry I scared you."
The rat hopped down from the pony's head and stood beside her. "It seems there was a bit of a misunderstanding. Apparently our flying friend has never seen a human before. She's really nervous about meeting you. Maybe you should start over with introductions."
The being's smile returned full force. "Of course. My name is Tohru Honda. It's a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for earlier." The thing—human, Fluttershy corrected herself—bent over in the middle until her top half was parallel with the ground.
"I'm...umm... Fluttershy," the pegasus mumbled hiding in her mane.
"It's nice to meet you, Fluttershy," the rat said pleasantly. "I'm Yuki Soma." He looked at the zoned-out cat with an annoyed expression. "That stupid cat is Kyo. Don't let his temper scare you."
Fluttershy smiled at the cat in her arms. "Oh no, you shouldn't call him names like that. He seems very nice."
The rat smirked. "Yes... unusually so. It's a nice change."
Fluttershy looked over at Tohru. She was still bent in half. "I'm sorry... but is she alright? If you don't mind my asking."
Yuki nodded. "Honda-san likes to be polite." He turned to the human and called, "Honda-san?"
She stood up straight and smiled. "Oh, right! It's nice to meet you, Flutter-chan."
The pegasus wrinkled her forehead. Humans seemed to like odd nicknames even more than Pinkie Pie. Oh well. At least she seemed nice. She sure smiled a lot. Fluttershy wondered if, like her energetic pony friend, Tohru hopped around everywhere she went. "H-Hello, Miss Tohru. I'm sorry for running off like that. It was really rude of me. Please forgive me."
"Don't worry. I shouldn't have sneaked up on you like that," Tohru said.
"Yes, but I still should have shown more gratitude for you taking care of me..."
"It was my pleasure, really."
"But—"
Yuki interrupted their exchange of apologies. "I don't think anyone is to blame here. It was all a misunderstanding."
Fluttershy smiled at him. "I suppose so... Thank you for helping m—"
"POOF!" A cloud of colored smoke enveloped them.
The pegasus squeaked and jumped backwards while trying to hide her face with her wings. She ended up dropping the tomcat in the process. Peering through her pinions as the smoke cleared, her heart nearly exploded. Her dear little rodent friend was gone, and another human had appeared out of nowhere. Fluttershy's body seized up, she gave a frightened bleat, and fainted dead away.
Fluttershy's eyes opened slowly. Looking around, she was struck with a strong sense of déjà vu. She was lying in the same position she had fled from shortly before. This time Miss Honda was standing at a more respectable distance. She wasn't alone. Two more humans were standing next to her. One had a grey mane and was watching her with a mildly sheepish expression. The other one had an orange mane and was standing as far from the bed as possible while avoiding eye contact. Pulling the blanket up over her snout, Fluttershy peered cautiously at the newcomers.
"Oh good, you're awake. I was worried about you," Tohru said with a gentle smile.
Fluttershy lowered the covers enough to offer her own small smile in return. "I'm sorry. I must be feeling a little off. I had the oddest dream about disappearing rats..."
"Pardon me, miss. I'm afraid that wasn't a dream," a familiar voice cut in. It sounded like her new rat friend, but it was coming out of the mouth of one of the humans.
Fluttershy's eyes widened. She squeaked and hid under the covers, the sound of her own panting filling her ears. Something touched her on the back. It was very gentle and hesitant. Peering out from her hideaway, she looked into a pair of purple eyes. Those eyes... it was so odd to be looking up at them now, when a short time before their roles had been reversed. She gasped. "Y-yuki?"
He nodded.
"B-but how?"
The figure sighed. "It's a long story."
Fluttershy sat up, holding the blanket around her like a shawl. "I would like to hear it... if you don't mind telling me that is."
"I guess it's time you learned about the Soma family curse..."
The yellow pegasus stared down into the cup of tea she had clasped in her hooves as she processed what Yuki had told her. "I see. It makes sense," she said.
"What about it makes sense?" Kyo grumbled. When she glanced at him he froze and edged away from her again, leaving her wondering what she had done to upset him.
"Well, Twilight always says that magic can work in mysterious ways."
"Magic?" Tohru asked. She froze in the middle of offering tea to Yuki.
Fluttershy frowned. "Of course. How else do you think the clouds move, the plants grow, or the sun stays in the sky?" she asked matter of factly.
Yuki took the cup from Tohru and put it down on the table in front of him. "Miss, those things move on their own. It's been scientifically proven."
Fluttershy blinked. "Wait... are you." The mare started hyperventilating. "A-are you telling me this whole place is like the Everfree?"
The young man frowned. "Maybe?"
The pony shut her eyes and curled into a ball. "This has to be a dream..." she muttered. She felt something rubbing her shoulders. Tohru smiled down at her and petted her much in the same way she did for her own animals. It was very surreal. She straightened up and sighed, trying to hide the shaking in her limbs. Any normal pony would tell immediately that something was off, but the humans didn't seem to be adept at reading equine body language. "I'm sorry for troubling you so much. It's just a shock to me. Magic takes care of everything where I'm from."
Tohru's eyes sparkled. "Really? Like what?" As Fluttershy told the young girl about how Equestria worked, her smile grew wider and wider. The girl clapped her hands excitedly. "Wow! Walking on clouds and casting magic spells... it sounds so exciting!"
"It's scary sometimes. There are a lot of dangerous things out there. Like in the Everfree Forest. There are cockatrices, changelings, hydras, and... " Fluttershy shuddered, "d-dragons."
Yuki hummed thoughtfully. "It's no wonder you were frightened by it then. To think there's a world out there where all those mythical tales are true." The boy smiled. "I can see now why a person turning into an animal doesn't surprise you all that much."
"Well, it does sound a bit inconvenient, but I thought you were very cute." Fluttershy gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh dear, I'm sorry." The pony internally berated herself for having a big mouth.
"It's alright. I don't mind the complement," Yuki replied. His cheeks were slightly red.
"Ugh... I'm tired of this," Kyo said as he got to his feet and left the room.
"Oh, Kyo! Don't go too far. Dinner's in an hour!" Tohru called after him.
He waved absently. "Yeah. I'm just going to the roof." The orange-haired boy shut the sliding door behind him.
After a minute, Tohru got to her feet and began clearing away the empty teacups. "Well, I better get dinner started," she said. She looked at Fluttershy. "Do you like miso soup?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know what that is," the pony responded.
Tohru grinned. "Well then, I hope you don't mind trying something new."
"Honda-san," Yuki called as she headed towards the kitchen. He walked over and whispered something in her ear.
The girl's eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh! I hadn't thought of that. I guess that changes the menu a little." Nodding to Fluttershy, Tohru left the room.
For a while the room's two remaining occupants sat in silence. After a few minutes, Yuki cleared his throat. "So, how are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm fine. Thank you for taking care of me. I'm sorry to be a bother." Fluttershy glanced towards the sliding door. "I just... never mind."
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's nothing, don't worry." The pegasus looked at the table, running her hoof across the wood.
"You can tell me," Yuki said gently. "I did promise to help, remember?"
"Well... I was just wondering why Kyo seemed so mad at me." When she noticed the boy's puzzled expression, she continued. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked such a question. It was rude of me."
"No, it's alright. You just surprised me. That stupid cat has no manners." Yuki frowned, but his expression softened when he noticed the concerned look the pony was giving him. "I don't think he's really angry. I think you surprised him earlier." He smirked. "It surprised me too. I didn't think there was anything in the world that could calm that hot-head down so quickly."
"Well, taking care of animals is my special talent," she replied humbly.
"Special talent?" Yuki asked.
"Sure, everypony has one. Just look at my cutie mark." Fluttershy pointed to the trio of butterflies on her flank.
Yuki rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I thought that was a tattoo of some kind."
The pegasus blushed. "Oh Celestia, no! I'm... not that kind of mare."
He smiled at her. "I didn't think you were."
She smiled back at him. "Thank you. I'm glad that I ended up with such nice people."
The sliding door slammed open and a loud, unknown voice filled the room. "I'M HOME!"
Fluttershy's wings buzzed and she slammed into the ceiling. Instead of returning to the floor she chose to continue clinging there, shivering in fear, wings flapping to hold her aloft.
"Way to go, Shigure, you scared her," Yuki said flatly.
Author's Note
In case you were wondering, Yuki told Tohru that Fluttershy, being a pony, probably doesn't eat meat. Miss Honda can be a little clueless at times and I thought this course of action would be better than subjecting poor Fluttershy to a meal of roasted animal. The poor mare has fainted enough.
Thanks again to SirFrancisBacon and Peregrine Caged for making this story possible.
