An Unexpected Friendby White_CloudChaptersChapter 1: An Unexpected SurpriseChapter 2: A Strange New WorldChapter 3: To Comfort a FluttershyChapter 1: An Unexpected SurpriseMy name is Sam Canton. No, I don’t expect you to know my name. I am really nobody important. I have no big accomplishments and my life is rather quiet, but I like it this way. It is simple and peaceful…or so it used to be. You know how people often say that there is one moment in your life that changes your entire perspective of the universe? I had never really put much faith in that statement. Up to that point, I was like every other person on the face of the Earth. I got up, ate breakfast, went to work, came home, and went to bed. The same constant grind day in and day out for 5 days a week. My weekends were filled with junk food and videogames, and then a jog around the city would be thrown in somewhere in there. My job kept me pretty busy, seeing as I was a Lead Programmer for a well-known videogame company. I loved my job; making videogames that would be played by thousands was so rewarding to me. Most people would never know who I really was, but that didn’t matter. I was not one to bask in the spotlight. I preferred to just sit in the background and allow others to take that responsibility. I was a quiet person, not really one for chit-chat and small talk. I preferred the quiet of my work. My bosses were always impressed with the quality of my finished tasks. “Sam,” they would always start, “you are really going to go places in this industry. Why one day you could end up owning this company!” I would blush a little at this praise. I knew I did good work, but I hated when people pointed it out. I preferred to just fly under the radar, and I liked it there. But not too long ago, something happened that made me question my entire being. It was a moment in time that I would never forget about. One that that I would tell my children and grand-children about until the day I left this place. You know how people often say that there is one moment in your life that changes your entire perspective of the universe? Boy, are those people right. ...... The day that changed everything began just like any normal Saturday. I would wake up around 2:00pm after a long night of gaming. I would slowly make my way into the kitchen and grab myself a cup of black coffee before sitting in my favorite chair and flipping on the TV. I was not a big TV person, I preferred movies and videogames. Every once in a while I would stumble upon something interesting, however today was not one of those days. I heard a snippet of a news reporter talking about some new discovery that scientists had made in the field of wormholes, but I turned off the tube before the segment ended, not really caring. I had nothing planned for today other than playing more games, but I saw that it really was a beautiful day outside. I didn’t really feel like gaming right then so I got dressed and headed outside for a walk. I just kind of wandered along the streets, not really caring where I was going. The noise of the city was always a pleasant sound to my ears. The honking horns and yelling people always brought a smile to my face. Not many people would be comfortable here, but this was my home. I was so happy today. The warmth of the sun felt good on my bare skin as I continued to make my way aimlessly. There were a lot of people out, walking their pets or pushing their little ones around in strollers. Kids with balloons in hand walked past with their parents, smiling up at me as they walked by. I would smile back at them as I continued my wandering. I always liked kids; they seemed to always be so happy and full of life. It would bring back memories of my childhood. I would go to the park with my parents, go fishing with my father, and even go to the zoo with my mother. Those were some of the best memories I had of them. They had passed away about 10 years ago, but I would never forget them. Every once in a while I would think about them and wish they were still here. I broke my train of thought as I noticed that I was by one of my favorite parks to go to when I was a kid. I always liked this park over all the other because this one had a lake in the middle of it. I always wanted to feed the ducks and swans that swam around, always liking the pretty colors that they had. Oh, I drug my parents here so many times. We would always start out with feeding the birds, and then we would stop by the ice cream vendor and get an ice cream cone. My parents would always get pistachio ice-cream and I always got chocolate. Then we would go sit by the lake and watch everyone playing in the park. I felt a little tear start to well up in my eye, and I quickly wiped it away. I thought to myself, your games can wait. Why not take advantage of this day and just go relax by the lake like you always wanted to do as a kid? I quickly changed my direction and began to head into the park. It was not a long walk to the lake, and the park seemed even busier than I had remembered. It was full of families having picnics, couples on dates, dogs chasing balls and Frisbees, and Grandparents just walking along enjoying life. I smiled as I thought of all of the good times that I had here as a kid. I suddenly stopped in my tracks as I heard a familiar sound. It was faint, but the sound was unmistakable. I quickened my walk across the grass and reached the top of a small hill. There in the middle of a large roundabout was the very same ice-cream vendor that had been there when I was a kid. I broke out into a huge grin as made my way down towards the now much older man serving a line of customers, all yelling out their orders. I stepped in line, and it wasn’t long before the last kid in front of me was served. Her mother put down the money and they both wandered off towards the playground. “Well hello there sonny!” said the grizzled old man. He wore a huge grin on his face as he looked at me from under a couple of big, bushy eyebrows. “What can I get you?” I thought for a moment, and then answered, “I would like a double scoop of chocolate ice cream please!” The old man’s smile grew even bigger as he grabbed a cone and began to scoop the chocolaty goodness onto the cone. I was so happy inside as he put the second scoop on top and handed it to me. “That’ll be two dollars, sonny.” Said the old man as he stretched out a wrinkled, shaking hand towards me. I dug into my pocket, pulling out my wallet, and handed the man two one dollar bills. The old man continued to smile at me as he put the money away and said, “Have a great day!” I thanked him and then quickly moved aside as a couple anxious boys rushed up to the cart. I heard the old man say, “Now, what can I do for you boys?” as I slowly made my way out of earshot. I slowly began to lick the chocolate treat I had in my hands as I once again made my way along the concrete path towards the lake. The ice cream was just as good as I had remembered it as I finally reached the edge of the lake and sat down on one of the benches that were scattered around. I sat eating my cold treat and watched everyone taking advantage of this gorgeous day. There were people swimming in the water, paddling around in boats, or just sitting and watching like me. After a few minutes, I finished my cone and decided it was time to head home. As I began to make my way along one of the many paths, I heard a faint whimpering sound coming from a group of bushes. I figured it was just a couple of kids trying to scare people as the passed by, but then I heard it again. It sounded like crying. I slowly made my way over to the bushes, crouched down, and slowly pushed a branch aside. I lept backwards, falling on my butt as my mind tried to wrap itself around what I had just seen. No…I must be imagining things, there is no way… I slowly got on my knees and crawled back over towards the bushes. I took a moment to take a deep breath, and then slowly pushed the branch aside. The creature inside gasped and tried to push itself farther into the group, but it seemed to be stuck. Its pink hair and tail were all tangled up in the branches. It was shaking fiercely and tears were rolling down its cheeks as it continued to try and push itself away from me. I sat there in shock, trying to think of what I should do. Should I call the police? Maybe Animal Control? But as I sat there looking at this pathetic creature, I felt a longing to try and help this poor animal out. I began to slowly inch my hand forward as I started to talk softly to it. “It’s ok, I won’t hurt you. I just want to help you. See? I'm not a bad man. I just want to help get you out.” I was only a foot away from the creature as she renewed her efforts to try and back away, but the branches were so tangled around her now that there was no way she was going anywhere. Not without my help at least. Its whimpering grew louder as I was only half a foot away from it. “It’s ok, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help you.” I continued to try and sooth it as I was mere inches away from its head. The creature stopped struggling and sat there shaking like a leaf as I made my first contact. Its body was soft! It felt like the fur on a teddy bear! It felt so smooth and warm as I just left my hand on its head, not daring to move it for fear I might frighten it further. The tears continued to flow down its cheeks as I began to slowly untangle the first branch from its light pink hair. I had never seen an animal like this around here. It had yellow fur and bright pink hair and tail, and it looked almost like a very small horse. As I got each branch untangled from its hair, I continued to marvel at this magnificent creature. She was so beautiful! I had never seen a more beautiful animal! I finally got the last branch removed from her hair and started to make my way down her body to work on its tail. But I had only gotten a foot down when I was surprised yet again! For there on either side of its body was what appeared to be a set of wings! I didn’t know what to think! My first thought was, this is the strangest bird I have ever seen. I could feel the creature continuing to shake fiercely as I continued to make my way down her body to her tail. It was the same color as its hair, and just as beautiful. I started to untangle the branches until I had finally removed the last one. “There you go, good as new!” I said to the creature. It looked at me, and then bolted out of the bush. I started after her, and then stopped as I saw it lying on the ground. It was trying to spread its wings, but it appeared one of them was hurt. It was also trying to stand, but one of her legs also appeared to be hurt. I felt sad at seeing this creature like this and I knew I had to do something. I slowly walked over to it and picked it up in my arms. She felt so warm and strong, but she was continuing to shake and cry. It tried to squirm its way out of my arms, but I held it tight. “It’s ok; I will take care of you! Please, stop moving! You might hurt yourself more!” After a moment, she seemed to settle down, though the shaking increased. “I am going to take you to my house. We can get you fixed up there.” I made my way out of the park, trying to avoid as many people as possible. I heard one little girl yell out, “Mommy, that man has a little pony! Look mommy, look!” I began to walk faster back towards my house, taking side streets and alleyways to avoid people staring at me and my strange cargo. I finally got back home, got in through the door, and quickly shut it behind me. I let out a loud sigh as I finally could breathe easier. I slowly took the creature in my arms and laid her on my couch in my living room. It tried to immediately get down, but I held her there. “Just stay here, let me go get my first aid kit. I can help you feel better.” I once again touched its head, trying to reassure it that I meant it no harm. I smiled as I slowly got up and walked to my bathroom. What have I gotten myself into this time? I searched the bathroom cupboard for the kit, grabbed it, and then slowly made my way back into the living room. My heart skipped a beat as I stopped midstride and looked at the creature on my couch. It was fast asleep, with its head resting on its front legs. Its pink hair cascaded along the side of the couch like a pink waterfall. It looked so peaceful, and I almost forgot about it being hurt. As I began to bandage up its wing and set her leg, I couldn’t help but try and guess as to what this creature was. It was certainly no bird like I had ever seen. After I got it taken care of, I walked over to my computer and began to type in characteristics that this creature had. It looks like a pony, it has wings, and it looks like nothing I have ever seen before. I typed in pony and wings into a search engine and hit enter. Immediately I was bombarded by page after page of Greek mythology and legends. I clicked on the first one and began to read: Pegasus is one of the best known mythological creatures in Greek Mythology. It is a winged horse usually depicted as white in color. In the 20th and 21st century, it appeared in movies, in fantasy, in video games and in role playing, where by extension, the term Pegasus is often used to refer to any winged horse. Hmmm…so it is a Pegasus! But they are suppost to just be myth! Could they really exist and no one knows about them? I turned around and stared at the Pegasus on my couch. Of course! How could I have missed it? With all of the video games I play, how could it have slipped my mind? But as I continued to stare at this creature that should not exsist, I couldn’t help but start to worry. What do I do now? Chapter 2: A Strange New WorldFluttershy was having the most wonderful dream. She dreamed she was in her cottage, laying on her couch with Angel reading his favorite story to him. All of her other animal friends were gathered around as she continued to read the tale. Suddenly, she smelled something delicious coming from her kitchen. At first she couldn’t make out the intoxicating scent, but as the smell got stronger, it finally came to her mind. “MMM…blueberry muffins!” she said with a huge grin on her face. “I just love blueberry muffins!” She lifted Angel off of the couch and onto the floor as she tried to stretch out her wings to get the kinks out. But her wings appeared to be stuck to her body. She looked behind her and saw that there was nothing holding them in place, but she could not make them move. Panic began to set in as she strained to get them to stretch out, but no matter how much she tried they would not budge. Suddenly a bright white light surrounded her and a scream seemed to echo all around her. She couldn’t see where the scream was coming from, and then she realized she was the one screaming. Struggling to get her wings open, she began to fall. Faster and faster she fell as the scream continued to pierce the vast empty place she was falling through. Suddenly she hit something hard, and the real nightmare began. Fluttershy hadn’t realized that she had squeezed her eyes shut as she was falling, so she began to slowly open them and then immediately clenched them shut again. Wh-wh-where am I-I? This place she was in frightened her to no end. Nothing looked familiar. She tried to open her wings, but a sudden stab of pain shot through the wing all the way into her body. She grimaced and let out a soft groan as she slowly opened her eyes and looked back. Her wing was tied in place with what appeared to be a bandage. She realized that she had somehow hurt her wing, but she couldn’t remember how. Fluttershy began to take in her surroundings. It appeared she was lying on a long red couch. The material felt coarse, not soft and inviting like the couch in her cottage. She continued to survey the large room. There was a large rug on the floor, and a table on top of that littered with books and other strange things she had never seen before. Oh Celestia…w-w-where am I? She began to shake fiercely as thoughts raced through her mind. I-I have t-to get out of h-here. Fluttershy began to stand, and then immediately fell back down as she felt another sharp pain rocket up her hind leg. Looking back she noticed that her leg was also bandaged up. Panic set in even deeper as she realized she was going nowhere. Celestia, if you can hear me, please help me… …… Sam was in the kitchen baking a batch of blueberry muffins. It was an odd habit of his, but whenever he was stressed he would bake. It always seemed to help calm him down and give his mind some clarity, and boy did he need it. Laying in his living room was a real Pegasus! How many people could say they had ever seen a Pegasus, let alone had one in their house? As Sam set the muffins on the counter to cool, he took off his oven mitts and looked out the kitchen window. Yes, it’s a Pegasus. But it’s hurt. You don’t know anything about Pegasi anatomy. How can you take care of an injured Pegasus? He glanced at the doorway that led to the living room and sighed. Maybe it isn’t real. Maybe this whole thing is a dream. He quickly pinched his arm and felt the pain travel along the length. No, you are definitely awake. He needed a drink. Sam was not much of a drinker, but at times his job got so stressful that it helped to relax him when he got back home. Walking over to a cupboard and pulling out a tall bottle of whiskey and a shot glass, he poured some of the brown liquid into the glass and quickly downed it. The burning sensation that went down his throat was a welcome escape, even if it was just for a moment. He quickly poured another shot and downed that one just as quickly. Sam could feel the alcohol starting to take the desired effect as he slowly put the bottle back into the cupboard. What am I going to do? It can’t stay here. …… Fluttershy heard a sound coming from what she could only guess was the kitchen. The smell of muffins was unmistakable, as was the random noises one usually heard coming from a kitchen. Somepony was in there. Fluttershy started to panic once again and attempted to jump off the couch. But her bandaged leg prevented her from moving too far, the pain was unbearable. Fluttershy let out a soft whimper as tears began to roll down her face. I w-want to g-go home! She laid her head on the couch and covered it with her hooves. I just w-want to go h-home. Suddenly, the room became silent; no more noises were coming from the kitchen. Fluttershy slowly lifted her head, and then quickly covered it again as she saw a strange creature standing in the room and staring at her. She began to shake as she clenched her eyes shut and the tears began to flow faster. I want to go home! I want to go home! …… Sam decided he had avoided the Pegasus for long enough. Its wounds were pretty bad and he didn’t want to leave it alone for too long, especially if it woke up. No telling what it might do. Sam took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the living room. It appeared the Pegasus was still sleeping, but then he saw it move its head from under its hooves, look at him briefly, and then quickly put it back under. He could see that it was shaking fiercely, and Sam felt a pang of sadness enter into his heart. He really felt for this creature, being in a strange place with no one you know. He had felt the same way when he had first moved here. It was quite the adjustment and it took a long time for him to really feel like this was home. Sam just stood in the room and stared at this poor, lost Pegasus. Finally, after a few moments, he decided to try and calm it down. “Ummm…hi there.” He started, shakily. “My name is Sam. I’m the one who helped you out of that bush in the park. I brought you here to take care of your wing and leg. They were pretty banged up. Oh, what am I doing? I don’t even know if you can understand me. Oh, this is stupid!” Sam flopped down into his desk chair and just stared at the yellow and pink Pegasus cowering on his couch. “I…I wish you could understand me. I just want to help you. I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t know what to say.” Sam turned the chair and laid his head down onto the desk. “This is useless…” Suddenly, the Pegasus peeked out from under one hoof. It stared at him for a minute, and then it lifted the other hoof. It was still shaking, but at least it seemed to have slowed its crying. Sam lifted his head in wonder as the creature slowly put its hooves on either side of its head and stared at him. It still had tears rolling down its face, and it seemed very scared. “I am not going to hurt you.” Sam said softly. “I only wanted to help you.” Sam slowly stood up, but then the Pegasus put its hooves back over its head. “All right, all right. I’ll stay right here.” He slowly lowered himself back into the chair. The Pegasus once again removed its hooves from its head and stared at him. “I have no idea what to do here. This, this is all so…overwhelming. I mean, a real live Pegasus is in my house!” Sam heard a noise coming from the Pegasus, and he realized it must be its stomach. In all the excitement and wonder, he hadn’t thought about it being hungry. “Let me get you something to eat. I’ll be right back.” Sam once again slowly got up and walked into the kitchen. Now, what would a Pegasus eat? Maybe some vegetables. I know on TV they always show horses eating carrots and other vegetables. Maybe some oats? I have some in the cupboard here for oatmeal. Sam began to quickly gather the food together and then took it back out into the living room. Moving very slowly so that he didn’t scare it, he softly placed a bowl of oats and a plate of vegetables onto the coffee table. Slowly sliding them towards it, he then backed off and sat in the desk chair. The Pegasus cautiously lifted its head and stared at the food. “It’s oats and vegetables. I wasn’t sure what you would like, and it seemed like you were hungry from the way your stomach growled. I just grabbed what I could find. I know it’s not much.” The Pegasus stared at the food for a minute, and then quickly bent down and grabbed a carrot into its mouth. Chewing and swallowing the carrot faster than humanly possible, it quickly grabbed another, and then another until the entire plate was empty. “You must have been starving. I’ve never seen anyone eat so fast.” Once again, Sam got up to clear the plates, but the Pegasus hid again. “Ok, I will still sit here.” They both stared at each other for a long while, Sam unsure of what to say, the Pegasus, silent and scared. “This is pointless.” He said quietly. “You can’t talk and I have no idea how to take care of a Pegasus. Your supposed to be a mythical creature! How do you care for a mythical creature? You know, I can’t just keep calling you ‘It’ all the time. I don’t even know if you‘re a male or female. Oh, who am I kidding. This is a huge disaster.” Sam once again laid his head on the desk and groaned loudly. Suddenly, he heard a small noise. He slowly raised his head and stared at the Pegasus. “No, it can’t be. I must be hearing things. Must be the alcohol messing with my head.” But then he saw the Pegasus’s mouth move and quiet sounds coming out of it. “Are…are you…? No…no…” It happened once again, but this time it was slightly louder. “My name is Fluttershy…” Sam, in utter disbelief, slowly leaned in closer. “Are you…talking?” Once again the Pegasus moved its mouth. Unmistakable this time, he could understand a few of the words. “My name is Fluttershy.” Sam jumped out of his seat and began to back away as the Pegasus let out a small squeal and once again hid its head. “No…it’s impossible. Pegasi don’t talk. Pegasi don’t exist! No, I must be going crazy. I’m starting to see and hear things that aren’t really there. You don’t exist! You can’t exist! Oh man, I am losing it!” Sam continued to back away until he finally hit a wall and then slid down it. “This is a nightmare. This whole thing is my head conjuring up some twisted joke of a nightmare.” Sam sat there and quietly giggled to himself. “You’re not real. None of this is real. I have to be dreaming.” But the Pegasus raised its head once more and began to softly talk again. “I-I think I’m real.” Sam began to calm down as he stared at this fascinating creature sitting on his couch. “Oh man, this is almost too much to handle.” Sam slowly began to get up and then walked back over to the chair. Gently lowering himself into the seat, he stared at the Pegasus in wide-eyed amazement. “Who are you?” “My name is…Fluttershy.” Chapter 3: To Comfort a FluttershySam couldn’t remember the next several days very well as his head attempted to wrap itself around the idea of a mythical creature sitting on his couch. Every time he walked past the Pegasus, who he now knew was called Fluttershy, he had to rub his eyes and look once more at her to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Sam didn’t try to press her to talk, though he had a million questions buzzing around inside of his head. The biggest question that was forefront in his mind was where she came from and how she got here. On the third day, he checked her bandages to see if her wings and leg were healing properly. He was very gentle around her since she seemed to be so frightened of her new surroundings. Every day, he would quietly ask her if she felt better, and she would softly answer “Yes”. He brought her vegetable soup and water for her meals, since he didn’t really know what she would eat. From his limited knowledge of horses, he knew they didn’t eat meat, so he assumed that Fluttershy would be no different. He continued to keep his questions bottled up inside, though they were soon going to burst from him like floodwaters from a dam. After a week of caring for the Pegasus, he was checking her bandaged wings to see how they were faring. “Do you think your wings might be healed by now?” He had no idea about the anatomy of Pegasi, so asking Fluttershy seemed the only option. She winced a little as she shifted on the couch. “I-I don’t know. They feel better.” Sam thought for a moment, and then came up with an idea. “I’m going to take the bandages off, but please be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt again.” Sam slowly grabbed the end of the bandage and began to unwrap her wing. He could feel the softness of her feathers as he gently removed each layer until the last bandage was removed from her body. Taking a step back, he nodded to Fluttershy. She winced one more as she began to extend her wings slowly. She looked like she still had some pain, but soon her wings reached their full extension. They stretched from one end of the couch to the other, and were made of beautiful yellow feathers. She began to gently move them up and down, testing them to see how they had healed. After a moment, she folded them back to her body and smiled at Sam. “Thank you. I think they’re going to be fine.” She lowered her head as Sam noticed her cheeks beginning to turn a rosy shade of red. Is she blushing? Pegasi can blush? Sam felt a little uncomfortable as he stood there looking at her. “Heh, it was no problem. I’m glad there was no permanent damage.” She raised her head again, but her eyes were beginning to water as a tear rolled down her face. “I want to go home Sam. I’m scared.” Sam immediately felt a twinge of sadness in his chest as he slowly came over sat down next to Fluttershy. “I don’t know how to get you home. I don’t even know where you came from.” Sam looked at the floor as he felt guilty. She doesn’t belong here, but I have no idea how to even begin to think about getting her back where she came from. Fluttershy also looked at the floor as the tears began to flow faster. “I-I’m stuck here, aren’t I.” Sam looked over at her. “I’m afraid so. For now at least. But you can stay with me. My place is big enough for both of us. Maybe together we can figure out a way to get you back home.” At this point, his questions were not going to wait any longer. “Can I ask you a few questions?” Fluttershy looked at Sam and slowly nodded. “Ok, to start with, where did you come from?” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “The name of where I came from is Equestria.” Sam pondered this answer for a minute. Equestria… She continued, “It’s ruled by two sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. There are many cities in Equestria, but I live in the town of Ponyville.” Sam chuckled a little at that name. Ponyville…what kind of name is that? But he was intrigued. “What do you do there? You do have jobs, right?” Fluttershy smiled as she answered. “I take care of animals. All of them, big and small, they come to me and I help them.” “So, you’re like a veterinarian?” A puzzled look came over Fluttershy’s face. “What’s a vetarinian?” Sam smiled as she mispronounced the word. “A veterinarian here takes care of sick and injured animals. People bring their pets to them and the vets make them all better.” Fluttershy smiled as a twinkle came into her eye. “I guess I could be called a veterinarian. But, they are more than just pets, they're my friends.” Suddenly a sad look came over her face. “If I’m not there, who is going to take care of all my animal friends?” Sam put his arm around her and gently hugged her. “I’m sure they’re going to be all right.” Fluttershy began to cry once again. “Why did this happen to me Sam? Why did this happen to me?” She turned her head and buried her muzzle into the front of his shirt. He could feel the tears soaking through the fabric, but he didn’t care. Sam just sat and held her as she continued to cry. They sat like this for about an hour until she final went quiet. Her steady breathing told him that she had cried herself to sleep. As gently as possible, he laid her down on the couch and grabbed a blanket to put over her. As he got up and went into the kitchen, a thought kept running through his head. I need to get her back home. She doesn’t belong here. This is no place for a Pegasus. If anyone found out about her… I don’t even want to think about what would happen to her. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, downing the entire thing in a few seconds. He went and stood in the doorway and stared at the sleeping yellow Pegasus. She looked so peaceful lying there, but Sam knew how she must be feeling. “I will get you home Fluttershy, I promise.” …… The next day, Fluttershy seemed a little happier. Sam still saw some fear in her eyes, but she seemed to be slowly warming up to him. After a breakfast of soup, Sam suggested that Fluttershy try and move her leg a little and see how it was healing. Fluttershy seemed reluctant at first, but with a little prompting from Sam, Fluttershy decided to give it a go. Fluttershy winced a little as she swung her hind legs over the edge of the couch and gently placed her hooves on the floor. Sam quickly rushed over and was ready to catch her if she began to fall. Placing a little pressure on her legs, and using the couch for support, she slowly slid her front legs off and onto the floor. She seemed to still have some pain and was very unsteady on her hooves, but she was standing. Fluttershy gingerly put a hoof out and began to gently trot around. She limped a little, but she seemed to be strong enough to get around. “That’s amazing Fluttershy. Pegasi must be able to heal faster than humans.” Fluttershy looked over at him and smiled. “It helps that you did a good job fixing me.” She continued to slowly trot around the living room until Sam suggested she sit back down on the couch. “No need to push yourself too hard. You don’t want to hurt yourself so soon after getting better.” Fluttershy agreed as she crawled back up onto the couch. She situated herself on the cushions and looked at Sam once again. “Sam, can I ask you something?” Sam was taken aback by this. He never thought that Fluttershy would have questions for him. Sam nodded slowly. “Why did you help me? You could have just left me there in the bushes. You had never seen something like me, so why did you help me?” Sam thought for a moment before he answered. “I guess it was because I saw the pain in your eyes and saw how frightened you were. Something inside of my head told me that I couldn’t just leave you there. I had to help you, there is no better way to say it. I guess that’s a part of me that I never really thought about. I mean, I like to help people. It makes me happy when I can help someone else out. And when I saw you there, I knew there was only one choice.” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I…I just wanted to say thank you. You have been so kind to me, and I don’t know what I would have done of you hadn’t shown up.” A tear welled up in my eye as a feeling of pride crept into my head. “You’re welcome Fluttershy. It is my pleasure.” It was then that Sam noticed the time. It was past midnight and he had to work the next day. “I need to head to bed. Is there anything that I can get you before I leave?” “I don’t think so Sam.” Fluttershy laid her head down and closed her eyes. “Good night Fluttershy.” Sam said quietly. But he could tell from the steady rise and fall of her chest that she was already fast asleep. He quietly made his way into his bedroom and began to undress and put on his pajamas. After brushing his teeth, he pulled the covers on his bed back and crawled in. Bringing the covers up to his chin, he closed his eyes as sleep quickly overtook him. …… “Sam?” He felt something hard poking him. “Sam?” He moaned a little as he slowly began to come awake. Sam rolled over to see what was poking him in the back. As he completed his roll, he saw a large yellow face right next to his. Sam slammed on the light as he let out a yell, and the yellow face quickly ducked down and was covered by two yellow legs. “Fluttershy?” He asked as he finally was able to get his eyes to focus on the yellow Pegasus. “Oh Fluttershy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” The legs began to slowly remove themselves from the yellow head as two wide eyes looked up at Sam. “You startled me is all. Did you need something?” She slowly got up onto her legs and blushed. “I-I, ummm, had a bad dream. And, well, it’s lonely out there by myself.” She seemed hesitant to continue. “What is it? Do you want to sleep in here tonight?” He felt a little awkward asking her that, but after everything she had been through, it might be what she needs. She looked up at Sam and nodded. Slowly getting back under the covers, he pulled back the covers on the other side of the bed. Fluttershy trotted around and crawled up onto the mattress. Using her mouth to grab the covers she pulled them up over herself. Sam turned the light back out and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt Fluttershy shift and a furry leg was laid over his chest. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but then he heard her softly whisper into his ear. “Thank you Sam.” Fluttershy said sleepily. Sam smiled as sleep once again took a hold of him and he drifted off into his dreams.
Chapter 1: An Unexpected SurpriseMy name is Sam Canton. No, I don’t expect you to know my name. I am really nobody important. I have no big accomplishments and my life is rather quiet, but I like it this way. It is simple and peaceful…or so it used to be. You know how people often say that there is one moment in your life that changes your entire perspective of the universe? I had never really put much faith in that statement. Up to that point, I was like every other person on the face of the Earth. I got up, ate breakfast, went to work, came home, and went to bed. The same constant grind day in and day out for 5 days a week. My weekends were filled with junk food and videogames, and then a jog around the city would be thrown in somewhere in there. My job kept me pretty busy, seeing as I was a Lead Programmer for a well-known videogame company. I loved my job; making videogames that would be played by thousands was so rewarding to me. Most people would never know who I really was, but that didn’t matter. I was not one to bask in the spotlight. I preferred to just sit in the background and allow others to take that responsibility. I was a quiet person, not really one for chit-chat and small talk. I preferred the quiet of my work. My bosses were always impressed with the quality of my finished tasks. “Sam,” they would always start, “you are really going to go places in this industry. Why one day you could end up owning this company!” I would blush a little at this praise. I knew I did good work, but I hated when people pointed it out. I preferred to just fly under the radar, and I liked it there. But not too long ago, something happened that made me question my entire being. It was a moment in time that I would never forget about. One that that I would tell my children and grand-children about until the day I left this place. You know how people often say that there is one moment in your life that changes your entire perspective of the universe? Boy, are those people right. ...... The day that changed everything began just like any normal Saturday. I would wake up around 2:00pm after a long night of gaming. I would slowly make my way into the kitchen and grab myself a cup of black coffee before sitting in my favorite chair and flipping on the TV. I was not a big TV person, I preferred movies and videogames. Every once in a while I would stumble upon something interesting, however today was not one of those days. I heard a snippet of a news reporter talking about some new discovery that scientists had made in the field of wormholes, but I turned off the tube before the segment ended, not really caring. I had nothing planned for today other than playing more games, but I saw that it really was a beautiful day outside. I didn’t really feel like gaming right then so I got dressed and headed outside for a walk. I just kind of wandered along the streets, not really caring where I was going. The noise of the city was always a pleasant sound to my ears. The honking horns and yelling people always brought a smile to my face. Not many people would be comfortable here, but this was my home. I was so happy today. The warmth of the sun felt good on my bare skin as I continued to make my way aimlessly. There were a lot of people out, walking their pets or pushing their little ones around in strollers. Kids with balloons in hand walked past with their parents, smiling up at me as they walked by. I would smile back at them as I continued my wandering. I always liked kids; they seemed to always be so happy and full of life. It would bring back memories of my childhood. I would go to the park with my parents, go fishing with my father, and even go to the zoo with my mother. Those were some of the best memories I had of them. They had passed away about 10 years ago, but I would never forget them. Every once in a while I would think about them and wish they were still here. I broke my train of thought as I noticed that I was by one of my favorite parks to go to when I was a kid. I always liked this park over all the other because this one had a lake in the middle of it. I always wanted to feed the ducks and swans that swam around, always liking the pretty colors that they had. Oh, I drug my parents here so many times. We would always start out with feeding the birds, and then we would stop by the ice cream vendor and get an ice cream cone. My parents would always get pistachio ice-cream and I always got chocolate. Then we would go sit by the lake and watch everyone playing in the park. I felt a little tear start to well up in my eye, and I quickly wiped it away. I thought to myself, your games can wait. Why not take advantage of this day and just go relax by the lake like you always wanted to do as a kid? I quickly changed my direction and began to head into the park. It was not a long walk to the lake, and the park seemed even busier than I had remembered. It was full of families having picnics, couples on dates, dogs chasing balls and Frisbees, and Grandparents just walking along enjoying life. I smiled as I thought of all of the good times that I had here as a kid. I suddenly stopped in my tracks as I heard a familiar sound. It was faint, but the sound was unmistakable. I quickened my walk across the grass and reached the top of a small hill. There in the middle of a large roundabout was the very same ice-cream vendor that had been there when I was a kid. I broke out into a huge grin as made my way down towards the now much older man serving a line of customers, all yelling out their orders. I stepped in line, and it wasn’t long before the last kid in front of me was served. Her mother put down the money and they both wandered off towards the playground. “Well hello there sonny!” said the grizzled old man. He wore a huge grin on his face as he looked at me from under a couple of big, bushy eyebrows. “What can I get you?” I thought for a moment, and then answered, “I would like a double scoop of chocolate ice cream please!” The old man’s smile grew even bigger as he grabbed a cone and began to scoop the chocolaty goodness onto the cone. I was so happy inside as he put the second scoop on top and handed it to me. “That’ll be two dollars, sonny.” Said the old man as he stretched out a wrinkled, shaking hand towards me. I dug into my pocket, pulling out my wallet, and handed the man two one dollar bills. The old man continued to smile at me as he put the money away and said, “Have a great day!” I thanked him and then quickly moved aside as a couple anxious boys rushed up to the cart. I heard the old man say, “Now, what can I do for you boys?” as I slowly made my way out of earshot. I slowly began to lick the chocolate treat I had in my hands as I once again made my way along the concrete path towards the lake. The ice cream was just as good as I had remembered it as I finally reached the edge of the lake and sat down on one of the benches that were scattered around. I sat eating my cold treat and watched everyone taking advantage of this gorgeous day. There were people swimming in the water, paddling around in boats, or just sitting and watching like me. After a few minutes, I finished my cone and decided it was time to head home. As I began to make my way along one of the many paths, I heard a faint whimpering sound coming from a group of bushes. I figured it was just a couple of kids trying to scare people as the passed by, but then I heard it again. It sounded like crying. I slowly made my way over to the bushes, crouched down, and slowly pushed a branch aside. I lept backwards, falling on my butt as my mind tried to wrap itself around what I had just seen. No…I must be imagining things, there is no way… I slowly got on my knees and crawled back over towards the bushes. I took a moment to take a deep breath, and then slowly pushed the branch aside. The creature inside gasped and tried to push itself farther into the group, but it seemed to be stuck. Its pink hair and tail were all tangled up in the branches. It was shaking fiercely and tears were rolling down its cheeks as it continued to try and push itself away from me. I sat there in shock, trying to think of what I should do. Should I call the police? Maybe Animal Control? But as I sat there looking at this pathetic creature, I felt a longing to try and help this poor animal out. I began to slowly inch my hand forward as I started to talk softly to it. “It’s ok, I won’t hurt you. I just want to help you. See? I'm not a bad man. I just want to help get you out.” I was only a foot away from the creature as she renewed her efforts to try and back away, but the branches were so tangled around her now that there was no way she was going anywhere. Not without my help at least. Its whimpering grew louder as I was only half a foot away from it. “It’s ok, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help you.” I continued to try and sooth it as I was mere inches away from its head. The creature stopped struggling and sat there shaking like a leaf as I made my first contact. Its body was soft! It felt like the fur on a teddy bear! It felt so smooth and warm as I just left my hand on its head, not daring to move it for fear I might frighten it further. The tears continued to flow down its cheeks as I began to slowly untangle the first branch from its light pink hair. I had never seen an animal like this around here. It had yellow fur and bright pink hair and tail, and it looked almost like a very small horse. As I got each branch untangled from its hair, I continued to marvel at this magnificent creature. She was so beautiful! I had never seen a more beautiful animal! I finally got the last branch removed from her hair and started to make my way down her body to work on its tail. But I had only gotten a foot down when I was surprised yet again! For there on either side of its body was what appeared to be a set of wings! I didn’t know what to think! My first thought was, this is the strangest bird I have ever seen. I could feel the creature continuing to shake fiercely as I continued to make my way down her body to her tail. It was the same color as its hair, and just as beautiful. I started to untangle the branches until I had finally removed the last one. “There you go, good as new!” I said to the creature. It looked at me, and then bolted out of the bush. I started after her, and then stopped as I saw it lying on the ground. It was trying to spread its wings, but it appeared one of them was hurt. It was also trying to stand, but one of her legs also appeared to be hurt. I felt sad at seeing this creature like this and I knew I had to do something. I slowly walked over to it and picked it up in my arms. She felt so warm and strong, but she was continuing to shake and cry. It tried to squirm its way out of my arms, but I held it tight. “It’s ok; I will take care of you! Please, stop moving! You might hurt yourself more!” After a moment, she seemed to settle down, though the shaking increased. “I am going to take you to my house. We can get you fixed up there.” I made my way out of the park, trying to avoid as many people as possible. I heard one little girl yell out, “Mommy, that man has a little pony! Look mommy, look!” I began to walk faster back towards my house, taking side streets and alleyways to avoid people staring at me and my strange cargo. I finally got back home, got in through the door, and quickly shut it behind me. I let out a loud sigh as I finally could breathe easier. I slowly took the creature in my arms and laid her on my couch in my living room. It tried to immediately get down, but I held her there. “Just stay here, let me go get my first aid kit. I can help you feel better.” I once again touched its head, trying to reassure it that I meant it no harm. I smiled as I slowly got up and walked to my bathroom. What have I gotten myself into this time? I searched the bathroom cupboard for the kit, grabbed it, and then slowly made my way back into the living room. My heart skipped a beat as I stopped midstride and looked at the creature on my couch. It was fast asleep, with its head resting on its front legs. Its pink hair cascaded along the side of the couch like a pink waterfall. It looked so peaceful, and I almost forgot about it being hurt. As I began to bandage up its wing and set her leg, I couldn’t help but try and guess as to what this creature was. It was certainly no bird like I had ever seen. After I got it taken care of, I walked over to my computer and began to type in characteristics that this creature had. It looks like a pony, it has wings, and it looks like nothing I have ever seen before. I typed in pony and wings into a search engine and hit enter. Immediately I was bombarded by page after page of Greek mythology and legends. I clicked on the first one and began to read: Pegasus is one of the best known mythological creatures in Greek Mythology. It is a winged horse usually depicted as white in color. In the 20th and 21st century, it appeared in movies, in fantasy, in video games and in role playing, where by extension, the term Pegasus is often used to refer to any winged horse. Hmmm…so it is a Pegasus! But they are suppost to just be myth! Could they really exist and no one knows about them? I turned around and stared at the Pegasus on my couch. Of course! How could I have missed it? With all of the video games I play, how could it have slipped my mind? But as I continued to stare at this creature that should not exsist, I couldn’t help but start to worry. What do I do now?
Chapter 2: A Strange New WorldFluttershy was having the most wonderful dream. She dreamed she was in her cottage, laying on her couch with Angel reading his favorite story to him. All of her other animal friends were gathered around as she continued to read the tale. Suddenly, she smelled something delicious coming from her kitchen. At first she couldn’t make out the intoxicating scent, but as the smell got stronger, it finally came to her mind. “MMM…blueberry muffins!” she said with a huge grin on her face. “I just love blueberry muffins!” She lifted Angel off of the couch and onto the floor as she tried to stretch out her wings to get the kinks out. But her wings appeared to be stuck to her body. She looked behind her and saw that there was nothing holding them in place, but she could not make them move. Panic began to set in as she strained to get them to stretch out, but no matter how much she tried they would not budge. Suddenly a bright white light surrounded her and a scream seemed to echo all around her. She couldn’t see where the scream was coming from, and then she realized she was the one screaming. Struggling to get her wings open, she began to fall. Faster and faster she fell as the scream continued to pierce the vast empty place she was falling through. Suddenly she hit something hard, and the real nightmare began. Fluttershy hadn’t realized that she had squeezed her eyes shut as she was falling, so she began to slowly open them and then immediately clenched them shut again. Wh-wh-where am I-I? This place she was in frightened her to no end. Nothing looked familiar. She tried to open her wings, but a sudden stab of pain shot through the wing all the way into her body. She grimaced and let out a soft groan as she slowly opened her eyes and looked back. Her wing was tied in place with what appeared to be a bandage. She realized that she had somehow hurt her wing, but she couldn’t remember how. Fluttershy began to take in her surroundings. It appeared she was lying on a long red couch. The material felt coarse, not soft and inviting like the couch in her cottage. She continued to survey the large room. There was a large rug on the floor, and a table on top of that littered with books and other strange things she had never seen before. Oh Celestia…w-w-where am I? She began to shake fiercely as thoughts raced through her mind. I-I have t-to get out of h-here. Fluttershy began to stand, and then immediately fell back down as she felt another sharp pain rocket up her hind leg. Looking back she noticed that her leg was also bandaged up. Panic set in even deeper as she realized she was going nowhere. Celestia, if you can hear me, please help me… …… Sam was in the kitchen baking a batch of blueberry muffins. It was an odd habit of his, but whenever he was stressed he would bake. It always seemed to help calm him down and give his mind some clarity, and boy did he need it. Laying in his living room was a real Pegasus! How many people could say they had ever seen a Pegasus, let alone had one in their house? As Sam set the muffins on the counter to cool, he took off his oven mitts and looked out the kitchen window. Yes, it’s a Pegasus. But it’s hurt. You don’t know anything about Pegasi anatomy. How can you take care of an injured Pegasus? He glanced at the doorway that led to the living room and sighed. Maybe it isn’t real. Maybe this whole thing is a dream. He quickly pinched his arm and felt the pain travel along the length. No, you are definitely awake. He needed a drink. Sam was not much of a drinker, but at times his job got so stressful that it helped to relax him when he got back home. Walking over to a cupboard and pulling out a tall bottle of whiskey and a shot glass, he poured some of the brown liquid into the glass and quickly downed it. The burning sensation that went down his throat was a welcome escape, even if it was just for a moment. He quickly poured another shot and downed that one just as quickly. Sam could feel the alcohol starting to take the desired effect as he slowly put the bottle back into the cupboard. What am I going to do? It can’t stay here. …… Fluttershy heard a sound coming from what she could only guess was the kitchen. The smell of muffins was unmistakable, as was the random noises one usually heard coming from a kitchen. Somepony was in there. Fluttershy started to panic once again and attempted to jump off the couch. But her bandaged leg prevented her from moving too far, the pain was unbearable. Fluttershy let out a soft whimper as tears began to roll down her face. I w-want to g-go home! She laid her head on the couch and covered it with her hooves. I just w-want to go h-home. Suddenly, the room became silent; no more noises were coming from the kitchen. Fluttershy slowly lifted her head, and then quickly covered it again as she saw a strange creature standing in the room and staring at her. She began to shake as she clenched her eyes shut and the tears began to flow faster. I want to go home! I want to go home! …… Sam decided he had avoided the Pegasus for long enough. Its wounds were pretty bad and he didn’t want to leave it alone for too long, especially if it woke up. No telling what it might do. Sam took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the living room. It appeared the Pegasus was still sleeping, but then he saw it move its head from under its hooves, look at him briefly, and then quickly put it back under. He could see that it was shaking fiercely, and Sam felt a pang of sadness enter into his heart. He really felt for this creature, being in a strange place with no one you know. He had felt the same way when he had first moved here. It was quite the adjustment and it took a long time for him to really feel like this was home. Sam just stood in the room and stared at this poor, lost Pegasus. Finally, after a few moments, he decided to try and calm it down. “Ummm…hi there.” He started, shakily. “My name is Sam. I’m the one who helped you out of that bush in the park. I brought you here to take care of your wing and leg. They were pretty banged up. Oh, what am I doing? I don’t even know if you can understand me. Oh, this is stupid!” Sam flopped down into his desk chair and just stared at the yellow and pink Pegasus cowering on his couch. “I…I wish you could understand me. I just want to help you. I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t know what to say.” Sam turned the chair and laid his head down onto the desk. “This is useless…” Suddenly, the Pegasus peeked out from under one hoof. It stared at him for a minute, and then it lifted the other hoof. It was still shaking, but at least it seemed to have slowed its crying. Sam lifted his head in wonder as the creature slowly put its hooves on either side of its head and stared at him. It still had tears rolling down its face, and it seemed very scared. “I am not going to hurt you.” Sam said softly. “I only wanted to help you.” Sam slowly stood up, but then the Pegasus put its hooves back over its head. “All right, all right. I’ll stay right here.” He slowly lowered himself back into the chair. The Pegasus once again removed its hooves from its head and stared at him. “I have no idea what to do here. This, this is all so…overwhelming. I mean, a real live Pegasus is in my house!” Sam heard a noise coming from the Pegasus, and he realized it must be its stomach. In all the excitement and wonder, he hadn’t thought about it being hungry. “Let me get you something to eat. I’ll be right back.” Sam once again slowly got up and walked into the kitchen. Now, what would a Pegasus eat? Maybe some vegetables. I know on TV they always show horses eating carrots and other vegetables. Maybe some oats? I have some in the cupboard here for oatmeal. Sam began to quickly gather the food together and then took it back out into the living room. Moving very slowly so that he didn’t scare it, he softly placed a bowl of oats and a plate of vegetables onto the coffee table. Slowly sliding them towards it, he then backed off and sat in the desk chair. The Pegasus cautiously lifted its head and stared at the food. “It’s oats and vegetables. I wasn’t sure what you would like, and it seemed like you were hungry from the way your stomach growled. I just grabbed what I could find. I know it’s not much.” The Pegasus stared at the food for a minute, and then quickly bent down and grabbed a carrot into its mouth. Chewing and swallowing the carrot faster than humanly possible, it quickly grabbed another, and then another until the entire plate was empty. “You must have been starving. I’ve never seen anyone eat so fast.” Once again, Sam got up to clear the plates, but the Pegasus hid again. “Ok, I will still sit here.” They both stared at each other for a long while, Sam unsure of what to say, the Pegasus, silent and scared. “This is pointless.” He said quietly. “You can’t talk and I have no idea how to take care of a Pegasus. Your supposed to be a mythical creature! How do you care for a mythical creature? You know, I can’t just keep calling you ‘It’ all the time. I don’t even know if you‘re a male or female. Oh, who am I kidding. This is a huge disaster.” Sam once again laid his head on the desk and groaned loudly. Suddenly, he heard a small noise. He slowly raised his head and stared at the Pegasus. “No, it can’t be. I must be hearing things. Must be the alcohol messing with my head.” But then he saw the Pegasus’s mouth move and quiet sounds coming out of it. “Are…are you…? No…no…” It happened once again, but this time it was slightly louder. “My name is Fluttershy…” Sam, in utter disbelief, slowly leaned in closer. “Are you…talking?” Once again the Pegasus moved its mouth. Unmistakable this time, he could understand a few of the words. “My name is Fluttershy.” Sam jumped out of his seat and began to back away as the Pegasus let out a small squeal and once again hid its head. “No…it’s impossible. Pegasi don’t talk. Pegasi don’t exist! No, I must be going crazy. I’m starting to see and hear things that aren’t really there. You don’t exist! You can’t exist! Oh man, I am losing it!” Sam continued to back away until he finally hit a wall and then slid down it. “This is a nightmare. This whole thing is my head conjuring up some twisted joke of a nightmare.” Sam sat there and quietly giggled to himself. “You’re not real. None of this is real. I have to be dreaming.” But the Pegasus raised its head once more and began to softly talk again. “I-I think I’m real.” Sam began to calm down as he stared at this fascinating creature sitting on his couch. “Oh man, this is almost too much to handle.” Sam slowly began to get up and then walked back over to the chair. Gently lowering himself into the seat, he stared at the Pegasus in wide-eyed amazement. “Who are you?” “My name is…Fluttershy.”
Chapter 3: To Comfort a FluttershySam couldn’t remember the next several days very well as his head attempted to wrap itself around the idea of a mythical creature sitting on his couch. Every time he walked past the Pegasus, who he now knew was called Fluttershy, he had to rub his eyes and look once more at her to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Sam didn’t try to press her to talk, though he had a million questions buzzing around inside of his head. The biggest question that was forefront in his mind was where she came from and how she got here. On the third day, he checked her bandages to see if her wings and leg were healing properly. He was very gentle around her since she seemed to be so frightened of her new surroundings. Every day, he would quietly ask her if she felt better, and she would softly answer “Yes”. He brought her vegetable soup and water for her meals, since he didn’t really know what she would eat. From his limited knowledge of horses, he knew they didn’t eat meat, so he assumed that Fluttershy would be no different. He continued to keep his questions bottled up inside, though they were soon going to burst from him like floodwaters from a dam. After a week of caring for the Pegasus, he was checking her bandaged wings to see how they were faring. “Do you think your wings might be healed by now?” He had no idea about the anatomy of Pegasi, so asking Fluttershy seemed the only option. She winced a little as she shifted on the couch. “I-I don’t know. They feel better.” Sam thought for a moment, and then came up with an idea. “I’m going to take the bandages off, but please be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt again.” Sam slowly grabbed the end of the bandage and began to unwrap her wing. He could feel the softness of her feathers as he gently removed each layer until the last bandage was removed from her body. Taking a step back, he nodded to Fluttershy. She winced one more as she began to extend her wings slowly. She looked like she still had some pain, but soon her wings reached their full extension. They stretched from one end of the couch to the other, and were made of beautiful yellow feathers. She began to gently move them up and down, testing them to see how they had healed. After a moment, she folded them back to her body and smiled at Sam. “Thank you. I think they’re going to be fine.” She lowered her head as Sam noticed her cheeks beginning to turn a rosy shade of red. Is she blushing? Pegasi can blush? Sam felt a little uncomfortable as he stood there looking at her. “Heh, it was no problem. I’m glad there was no permanent damage.” She raised her head again, but her eyes were beginning to water as a tear rolled down her face. “I want to go home Sam. I’m scared.” Sam immediately felt a twinge of sadness in his chest as he slowly came over sat down next to Fluttershy. “I don’t know how to get you home. I don’t even know where you came from.” Sam looked at the floor as he felt guilty. She doesn’t belong here, but I have no idea how to even begin to think about getting her back where she came from. Fluttershy also looked at the floor as the tears began to flow faster. “I-I’m stuck here, aren’t I.” Sam looked over at her. “I’m afraid so. For now at least. But you can stay with me. My place is big enough for both of us. Maybe together we can figure out a way to get you back home.” At this point, his questions were not going to wait any longer. “Can I ask you a few questions?” Fluttershy looked at Sam and slowly nodded. “Ok, to start with, where did you come from?” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “The name of where I came from is Equestria.” Sam pondered this answer for a minute. Equestria… She continued, “It’s ruled by two sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. There are many cities in Equestria, but I live in the town of Ponyville.” Sam chuckled a little at that name. Ponyville…what kind of name is that? But he was intrigued. “What do you do there? You do have jobs, right?” Fluttershy smiled as she answered. “I take care of animals. All of them, big and small, they come to me and I help them.” “So, you’re like a veterinarian?” A puzzled look came over Fluttershy’s face. “What’s a vetarinian?” Sam smiled as she mispronounced the word. “A veterinarian here takes care of sick and injured animals. People bring their pets to them and the vets make them all better.” Fluttershy smiled as a twinkle came into her eye. “I guess I could be called a veterinarian. But, they are more than just pets, they're my friends.” Suddenly a sad look came over her face. “If I’m not there, who is going to take care of all my animal friends?” Sam put his arm around her and gently hugged her. “I’m sure they’re going to be all right.” Fluttershy began to cry once again. “Why did this happen to me Sam? Why did this happen to me?” She turned her head and buried her muzzle into the front of his shirt. He could feel the tears soaking through the fabric, but he didn’t care. Sam just sat and held her as she continued to cry. They sat like this for about an hour until she final went quiet. Her steady breathing told him that she had cried herself to sleep. As gently as possible, he laid her down on the couch and grabbed a blanket to put over her. As he got up and went into the kitchen, a thought kept running through his head. I need to get her back home. She doesn’t belong here. This is no place for a Pegasus. If anyone found out about her… I don’t even want to think about what would happen to her. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, downing the entire thing in a few seconds. He went and stood in the doorway and stared at the sleeping yellow Pegasus. She looked so peaceful lying there, but Sam knew how she must be feeling. “I will get you home Fluttershy, I promise.” …… The next day, Fluttershy seemed a little happier. Sam still saw some fear in her eyes, but she seemed to be slowly warming up to him. After a breakfast of soup, Sam suggested that Fluttershy try and move her leg a little and see how it was healing. Fluttershy seemed reluctant at first, but with a little prompting from Sam, Fluttershy decided to give it a go. Fluttershy winced a little as she swung her hind legs over the edge of the couch and gently placed her hooves on the floor. Sam quickly rushed over and was ready to catch her if she began to fall. Placing a little pressure on her legs, and using the couch for support, she slowly slid her front legs off and onto the floor. She seemed to still have some pain and was very unsteady on her hooves, but she was standing. Fluttershy gingerly put a hoof out and began to gently trot around. She limped a little, but she seemed to be strong enough to get around. “That’s amazing Fluttershy. Pegasi must be able to heal faster than humans.” Fluttershy looked over at him and smiled. “It helps that you did a good job fixing me.” She continued to slowly trot around the living room until Sam suggested she sit back down on the couch. “No need to push yourself too hard. You don’t want to hurt yourself so soon after getting better.” Fluttershy agreed as she crawled back up onto the couch. She situated herself on the cushions and looked at Sam once again. “Sam, can I ask you something?” Sam was taken aback by this. He never thought that Fluttershy would have questions for him. Sam nodded slowly. “Why did you help me? You could have just left me there in the bushes. You had never seen something like me, so why did you help me?” Sam thought for a moment before he answered. “I guess it was because I saw the pain in your eyes and saw how frightened you were. Something inside of my head told me that I couldn’t just leave you there. I had to help you, there is no better way to say it. I guess that’s a part of me that I never really thought about. I mean, I like to help people. It makes me happy when I can help someone else out. And when I saw you there, I knew there was only one choice.” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I…I just wanted to say thank you. You have been so kind to me, and I don’t know what I would have done of you hadn’t shown up.” A tear welled up in my eye as a feeling of pride crept into my head. “You’re welcome Fluttershy. It is my pleasure.” It was then that Sam noticed the time. It was past midnight and he had to work the next day. “I need to head to bed. Is there anything that I can get you before I leave?” “I don’t think so Sam.” Fluttershy laid her head down and closed her eyes. “Good night Fluttershy.” Sam said quietly. But he could tell from the steady rise and fall of her chest that she was already fast asleep. He quietly made his way into his bedroom and began to undress and put on his pajamas. After brushing his teeth, he pulled the covers on his bed back and crawled in. Bringing the covers up to his chin, he closed his eyes as sleep quickly overtook him. …… “Sam?” He felt something hard poking him. “Sam?” He moaned a little as he slowly began to come awake. Sam rolled over to see what was poking him in the back. As he completed his roll, he saw a large yellow face right next to his. Sam slammed on the light as he let out a yell, and the yellow face quickly ducked down and was covered by two yellow legs. “Fluttershy?” He asked as he finally was able to get his eyes to focus on the yellow Pegasus. “Oh Fluttershy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” The legs began to slowly remove themselves from the yellow head as two wide eyes looked up at Sam. “You startled me is all. Did you need something?” She slowly got up onto her legs and blushed. “I-I, ummm, had a bad dream. And, well, it’s lonely out there by myself.” She seemed hesitant to continue. “What is it? Do you want to sleep in here tonight?” He felt a little awkward asking her that, but after everything she had been through, it might be what she needs. She looked up at Sam and nodded. Slowly getting back under the covers, he pulled back the covers on the other side of the bed. Fluttershy trotted around and crawled up onto the mattress. Using her mouth to grab the covers she pulled them up over herself. Sam turned the light back out and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt Fluttershy shift and a furry leg was laid over his chest. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but then he heard her softly whisper into his ear. “Thank you Sam.” Fluttershy said sleepily. Sam smiled as sleep once again took a hold of him and he drifted off into his dreams.
