Thank You, Miss Fluttershyby TheDorkside99ChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1“Lemme tell ya somethin’, boy. Don’t eva lemme catch ya sayin’ thank you to nopony. Don’t eva say thank you to nopony when I ain’t around. Why you gotta be thankin’ them for? Look at me when I’m talkin’ to ya. Why ya gotta be thankin’ ‘em for? Cuz they open a door for ya? Cuz they cut ya a check every two weeks for workin’ ya plot off? Cuz they smile at ya? That’s what they s’pose to be doin’, boy. It ain’t no thang to be doin’ easy stuff like that. You know who ya should be thankin’? Me, cuz I brought ya into this world, and ain’t nopony gonna care for ya as much as I do. You hear me, boy? Nopony. So don’ be thankin’ nopony that ain’t yo mama cuz ain’t nopony gonna care for ya like I do.” Cell Block D knew no criminal but the worst of the worst. The white walls testified to the most colorful assortment of murderers, thieves, attackers, and repeat offenders Equestria had to offer. It sat among the twenty five other cell blocks of the Fillydelphia Solitary Confinement Grounds in low flickering light during the day and deafening silence at night. Inmates were no strangers to the rumors that spread across the black linoleum floors about Cell Block D. The cell that experienced the most repaint jobs was known among the secretive note-passing inmates of FSCG as “Cell Block Dead Officer.” Nopony left the temporary holding place to live another day and officers with wooden batons hanging on their sides dubbed the cell “Cell Block Dead Pony Walking.” It was ten in the morning, the rays of the sun’s light squeezing through crevices dug by desperate inmates. A group of five officers approached Cell Block D and slid open a small space on the door by a metallic handle. “Hooves out,” said a gruff voice. Within seconds, a pair of large, tattered hooves stuck out into the officer’s view. Another officer pulled out a pair of heavy duty cuffs specially designed to limit leg movement and placed them on tightly. “Back in,” said the officer. The hooves disappeared into the infamous cell and the officer put a hoof on the knob of the cell door. He signaled the other four officers then slowly opened the cell door allowing them to enter quickly and apprehend the highly dangerous inmate. “It’s your lucky day, 7410. You gotta visitor that might change your life.” Not a single word escaped the lips of inmate number 7410. He gave the officer a cold stare and proceeded to walk as the routine baton swipe to his flank signaled him to. Slowly the troupe of five uniformed ponies led the pony in a one piece orange jumper down the lonely corridor towards the interrogation room. His booming steps masked the light clops of the officers. When they arrived at the office, the lead officer placed a hoof on the door knob. “Now you listen here. This is a mighty fine opportunity you got coming to you from the Princess herself. You ought to thank her for it.” The inmate scowled at the old officer and jerked his head violently towards him. Immediately the inmate was slammed into the cold wall face first. “Cool it, 7410, or you can kiss this idea goodbye,” yelled one of the officers. The burly prisoner relented and allowed the officers to pull him off the wall and into the ten by ten interrogation room. Inside, a young purple pony wearing an identification badge stood to her hooves and flashed a friendly smile to the officers and their prisoner. “Well here you go, Miss. We’ll have two officers here on guard for your protection.” “Thank you, officer,” she replied. The lead officer and two of his subordinates exited the office while the two appointed officers stood by the door assuming a vigilant position. The young pony took a seat and turned her attention to the inmate. “Please, take a seat,” she said, pointing at a chair. The inmate took his seat and stared at the opposite wall. “Alright, let’s get started. My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m here to propose something to you.” Twilight searched through her papers as she talked to the invited inmate. When she found the right document, she placed her glasses on her face and read intently. “Okay, mister…7410?” She looked up at the stallion. He simply shrugged and continued to face the wall. “Anyways, as the head researcher of ‘Finding Redemptive and Effective Education’ or FREE for short, I am pleased to extend to you the offer of being the first to undergo trials of our devised plan to rectify and redeem future felonious convicts through groundbreaking methods so they can function appropriately in regular society. Given your history, I believe you to be the ideal candidate for this endeavor.” The stallion continued to stare at the wall. Twilight continued. “What this will look like is essentially, you will be relocated to a more intimate setting where one pony has agreed to monitor you on a daily basis and teach you from a carefully structured curriculum comprised of the latest psychological and educational research readily available.” Twilight handed the inmate a sheet of paper with loads of information on both sides. “Here is a copy of a brief synopsis of the entire experiment. Should you decide to continue with this initiative, simply mark your hoof on the dotted line and we can start the proceedings immediately.” The inmate stared blankly at the sheet hoofed to him for several moments. Twilight rapidly tapped a hoof on the floor as she waited for any kind of response. The guards waiting by the door mumbled something between themselves which made Twilight all the more nervous. “Um, did you understand everything I said about our plans?” The stallion didn’t move his focus from the sheet. Twilight sighed. “Well, I guess I could explain it again. So, what we…” “S-So, I’se gets tah be wit otha pony and, n-not be here?” asked the inmate. Twilight smiled with delight. “Precisely! Of course, you will not be spending nights with your host for safety concerns. You will be going through a series of social reconstruction therapy throughout the day and spend nights in your own sleeping quarters. You will never have to set hoof in this building again.” The last sentence that came out of the unicorn’s mouth caused the guards to shuffle their hooves uncomfortably. They looked nervously at the burly inmate who bore a grin on his face. “So, Mr. 7410. Are you ready to try this?” He nodded slowly. Twilight and the inmate walked side by side out of the interrogation room towards the front desk to finalize the details of his departure. The two guards followed closely behind still mumbling under their breaths afraid that the intelligent pony may pick up on their discussion. As the four approached their destination, the lead officer stepped out sipping coffee from his mug. “Oh, pardon me. Didn’t see ya there! So, what’s the verdict?” Twilight smiled. “Well officer, Mr. 7410 has agreed to the terms of the experiment so we are on our way to the front desk to finalize his departure.” The officer spit his coffee to the side and looked shocked. “Oh, well, um, congratulations 7410, I guess.” The prisoner didn’t say a word and followed Twilight out to the front desk. When they were far from hearing distance, a young officer yanked the lead towards him, making him spill some coffee. “Boss, you can’t be serious about this. Are you really gonna let him out of here?” “Son, I have no control over this matter. The Princess herself has commissioned this plan and we have to facilitate.” “Yeah, but this guy is no good.” “I have my reservations about this too, son. But rules are rules.” “So we’re gonna let this brute from Cell Block Dead Pony Walking go free because some four eyed egg head said so?” “Ahem,” said a voice from behind the young officer. “M-Ma’am. I-I didn’t see you there.” “Of course,” she replied with a flat tone. “Mr. 7410 has been cleared to leave these premises to begin the initiative immediately. I need for you to retrieve any personal belongings from his cell. That is if you don’t mind helping a four eyed egg head and her brute.” “Well,” said the lead officer. “You heard the lady. Now get.” The young officer frowned and stormed off in a fast trot towards the cells. “I do apologize for Timmy there Miss Twilight. He’s got some concerns about this whole initiative thing.” “And I understand that,” she replied. “But I can assure you that years of diligent research went into this plan. In fact, I am so confident in this initiative, that I can guarantee Mr. 7410’s full restoration to society and the implementation of this brilliant plan across the Equestrian legal system.” “That’s a mighty bright outlook you got there, miss,” said the lead officer. “Wish I had that faith in this here thing like you.” “You doubt me as well, officer.” “Not you,” he replied. He cast an uneasy glance at the inmate. Before Twilight could respond, Timmy arrived with a small suitcase in his mouth. “Just place it next to Mr. 7410. He can carry it the rest of the way out,” said Twilight. The young officer walked over to the inmate and carefully set it next to his hooves. The corners of his grainy mouth curved at the corners and his yellow teeth sent chills down Timmy’s spine. “Well, gentlecolts. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Twilight motioned to the released inmate to follow her out into the drizzling outdoors. “I can’t believe this,” said Timmy. “That’s gotta be two of the stupidest ponies I’ve ever met. Does she have any idea what she’s doing?” “Well son,” said the lead officer. “We gotta let fate have a turn. But I tell you what, that there might be the first time two dead ponies walk outta Cell Block D.” “So that basically wraps up what will happen at the first meeting today, okay?” asked Twilight. 7410 continued to stare out the window of the carriage hardly paying attention to Twilight Sparkle. He marveled at the way the rain covered every square inch of the ground and how he could see everything in his way, though the sun hid behind the clouds. He pressed his muzzle on the window and delighted at the sensation of natural cold as opposed to the air conditioning he was accustomed to. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” asked Twilight. The mesmerized inmate finally turned to look at Twilight. “Rain was always my favorite kind of weather. Something about how the rain washes away any impurity from the sky and nourishes the natural world always gives me a sense of hope and renewal.” 7410 nodded and returned to looking outside the window. “So, just a quick reminder. Today I’m going to introduce you to your mentor then go over any details pertinent to the few months of the experiment. Then I’ll show you to your temporary housing where you can get settled in. Tomorrow, I’ll meet you at your house to walk you through the process of a typical day.” The stallion didn’t respond. “Did you hear me, Mr. 7410?” “M-hmm.” Moments later the carriage pulled up to a bridge that rose above a moat adorning the front yard. As they made their way across the cobblestone bridge, several wild animals peeked out from their hiding places to view the new visitors. Twilight knocked on the front door and smiled at the inmate. “You’re going to love your new mentor. She’s the absolute sweetest pony in Ponyville and is really good with animals.” The large stallion stared at the crotched heart garnishing the wooden door and made a slight grimace. “Did I mention she’s pretty good at…crocheting?” The beautified door cracked open slowly as a pink tuft of mane fluttered in the light wind. A pair of large blue eyes met the lavender pony with a flair of caution then a spark of genuine enthusiasm. The cute pegasus tapped the door to get a full view of her expected company. “Oh, hi Twilight! I’m so glad you’re here. So where’s the little…oh my.” Chapter 2“Okay, shall we get started?” asked Twilight. Fluttershy nervously nodded at Twilight. Outside, the rain had stopped leaving behind a glorious chill that wrapped itself around the night sky. Inside, a storm of tension grew inside a shy yellow pegasus as she couldn’t help but stare at the relaxed ex-con taking up the entire sofa just two meters in front of her. “Very well. Why don’t we start with some introductions? Fluttershy, you start.” Fluttershy swallowed loudly and faced 7410. His gruff beard matched his narrowed stare and his massive body was easily three times the size of the humble animal lover. With one step of a mighty hoof the beast of a pony could crush the face of the beautiful pegasus like a sand castle. Fluttershy finally regained her composure and smiled weakly. “Um, my name is Fluttershy.” 7410 did not react to Fluttershy’s inaudible whispers. “I don’t think he heard you, Fluttershy,” said Twilight. Fluttershy lowered her head causing her soft pink mane to hide the top corners of her face. “Um, I said my name is Fluttershy.” 7410 still did not respond and his gaze glazed over the struggling pegasus with disinterest. “I don’t think he quite caught that, Fluttershy,” mumbled Twilight. Fluttershy lowered her gaze altogether to the floor and, only able to mutter high pitched squeaks, she curled up into a ball on the loveseat. Twilight sighed. “Okay, let’s forget about the introductions and get right to business. Now Fluttershy, did you look over the ten chapters of the curriculum I sent you last week?” “Yes, Twilight,” answered Fluttershy. She reached under the decorative coffee table and pulled out the heavy five inch binder bursting at the zipper line with pages of information. “Good,” said Twilight. She pulled out an equally heavy binder from her rolling briefcase and slammed it on the table. “Because here’s the next ten chapters.” Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide as planets as Twilight kept piling on the papers from her bottomless briefcase. “And before I forget, these are the forms you need to fill out every day detailing the lessons gone over with transcriptions of the activities. Here are some additional forms you need to read regarding the legal implications and parameters concerning the activities. Here are three short booklets on developmental psychology and victims of extended social isolation. And finally, a list of community resources.” The stack of important information tipped the ceiling from Fluttershy’s poor little table. The yellow pony’s jaw dropped to the floor as she witnessed the tower lean ever so slightly both ways. The inmate looked up at the papers and shrugged, then he raised his shoulders, tilted his head, and let out a rumbling sneeze. The sneeze caused every single paper and booklet to avalanche on top of Fluttershy burying her underneath a white hill of pertinent documents. “Gesundheit,” said Twilight. “Now Fluttershy, my hope is that you will have all of this information read by tonight.” “Tonight?” said Fluttershy, her head popping out from the pile of papers. “Well, yes. We do start the lessons first thing tomorrow after all.” “Tomorrow?” “And you will need to be fully studied for the twenty weeks of this intervention plan.” “Twenty weeks!?” Fluttershy immediately jumped up from her seat and began to hyperventilate. “Yesiree! So, it looks like you got some night cramming to do for tomorrow,” chuckled Twilight. She stood to her hooves and made her way to the door with her rolling briefcase. “I’ll leave you to that. Come on, 7410.” The loaded inmate wedged himself out of Fluttershy’s tiny sofa and followed Twilight out the door. His overwhelming strength slammed Fluttershy’s door so hard it snapped the frightened pegasus out of her respiratory attack back into coherence. “Wha-Wha-What? Are they gone?” Fluttershy looked around her once neat living room and frowned. There were papers with big words littered all over the floor. Her beautifully fixed sofa was now a half pipe and several decorations and pictures that hung on the wall lay all over the floor, some shattered. A few moments later, Angel walked in from the backyard chewing on a carrot stick. Not looking where he was going, he nearly stepped on a piece of shard glass from a portrait of him and Fluttershy. “Angel, look out!” The blunt bunny stopped in midstep and looked down at his feet. He picked up the piece of glass that nearly sliced his foot and examined it carefully. He suddenly noticed the catastrophic mess that ransacked the once neat living room and a piece of carrot fell out of his mouth. “Oh Angel. I know it looks bad, but I think the meeting went very well.” Angel gave the pegasus a look that said Were you expecting a meeting with the circus or something? Fluttershy grinned nervously. “W-Well, I guess my, uh, mentee was a little bit bigger than I would’ve hoped. But Twilight thinks I would make a great mentor for him and really believes in me, and that’s what matters…right?” Angel picked up the picture that flew out of the broken glass portrait and narrowed his beady black eyes in a way that said Did he really have to destroy the one good picture of me? Before Fluttershy could respond, there was a knock on the door. “Well, who could that be? I was only expecting Twilight and the little, I mean, extremely hauntingly huge colt.” Fluttershy slowly opened the door and gasped at the sight of Twilight and 7410. “Oh Fluttershy,” began Twilight. “I am so sorry about all of this. I really should apologize…” Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, it’s alright. I’m sure you two didn’t mean to turn my living room upside down the way you did.” “Huh?” said Twilight. “But that is okay, I forgive you. And rest assured that I will do everything in my power to do what I need to do to get Mr. 7410 into society.” Twilight grinned. “Well, that’s great, ‘cause he’s spending the night!” “What!?” Fluttershy screamed before she fainted. “Well, luckily all of 7410’s stuff is in this one briefcase so that makes settling in a cinch. Well, there’s also all of his weight training gear and bottles of protein power shakes that took up half of your kitchen, but it’s really not much!” Twilight set the suitcase next to the sofa where Fluttershy was laid after she fainted. Sitting up, Fluttershy sat trembling, wide eyes following every move the inmate made into her kitchen as he set down one hundred pound weight after one hundred pound weight. “And don’t you worry about your safety, Fluttershy. Two guards have been appointed to guard the door to your room around the clock as you sleep. So there will always be at least two strong deadly stallions just outside your door.” Fluttershy gripped one of her sofa pillows tightly around her chest as the rapid respirations started to come back. As 7410 placed the last weight on the kitchen floor, Angel popped out from behind one of them and attempted to balance on it. The much larger pony lowered his head to Angel’s level and glared fiercely at the acrobatic bunny. Angel simply returned the gesture with a confident gaze that said I’m the boss around here, jailbait! “Hey 7410, can you come here for a sec?” yelled Twilight from the living room. The inmate turned to make his way into the living, pushing Angel off balance in the process. The bunny simply watched the stallion trot away and pointed two little fingers to his eyes. “Okay. So, you are going to be sleeping here on the sofa for the next few days while I contact some construction ponies to fix the numerous leaks in the roof of your temporary housing. There are two guards on watch at all times, so be aware of that. I will be here at seven in the morning to start the program. Does that sound like a plan?” The inmate stole a quick glance at Fluttershy and shrugged his shoulders at Twilight. “Great! And don’t worry about Fluttershy. I’ll talk to her.” The inmate nodded and walked back into the kitchen. Twilight turned her attention to Fluttershy who was breathing into a brown paper bag while still clutching the sofa pillow. “Oh, Fluttershy. You know that old trick doesn’t work.” The unicorn ripped the bag out of Fluttershy’s hooves, but she was still going through the motions. “Fluttershy, get a hold of yourself!” Twilight shook the mesmerized pony violently until she came around to her senses. Fluttershy shook her head and pleaded Twilight with her large blue eyes. “Oh Twilight, are you sure he, I mean, Mr. 7410 has to stay here.” “I’m really sorry about the inconvenience, Fluttershy. But until they fix the leaks on his roof, he has nowhere else to go.” “Couldn’t he stay at a hotel or something. I mean, if that’s okay with him of course. He may be much more comfortable there.” “Trying to convince a place of tourism to allow an ex-con to stay isn’t an easy thing to do.” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Well, what about you’re place. Not that I’m trying to make you feel responsible or anything.” Twilight laughed. “And how do you think I’d feel about letting my subject into the same place I do all my important research? That could compromise the whole experiment!” “Oh.” Fluttershy frowned and stared at her knees as she curled into a tight ball. “Fluttershy, are you alright? Is there something bothering you?” “Well, it’s just that…I don’t think this is such a good idea.” “Do you not feel safe?” asked Twilight. “I could appoint more guards for you.” “No it’s not that.” Fluttershy sighed. “Twilight, I honestly thought Mr. 7410 would be a little more, well, little. I didn’t know I would be dealing with somepony with, like, ten life sentences.” “Actually, you mean twelve,” Twilight corrected. Fluttershy sighed again. “See? I just think…no. I know that I’m not the right pony for this. It’s too much. I’m afraid I might fail you. Fail Mr. 7410. Fail Ponyville.” A pause of silence seized the room in a tense grip as Fluttershy began to weep softly. Twilight Sparkle neared to her friend and placed a hoof on her head. “Fluttershy, I didn’t know you’d be having such a difficult time with this. I just thought out of all my closest friends, you would the perfect pony for this job.” Fluttershy looked up. “How?” Twilight thought. “Well, Applejack may be friendly, but also impatient. Rainbow Dash is too busy trying to impress the Wonderbolts to care. Rarity is an obvious no, and Pinkie Pie would be too preoccupied with throwing parties every day for him and failing her responsibilities to the great task at hoof.” Fluttershy peeped as the words “great task” came out of Twilight’s lips. Twilight knelt to Fluttershy’s level and placed both hooves on her friends face. “Don’t you see Fluttershy, I trust you the most with this challenging task because I believe you are the best one for the job. You’re smart, kind, patient, and responsible. Nopony is better for the job than you.” Fluttershy wiped her eyes. “You really think so, Twilight?” “I know so” Twilight stood to her hooves and smiled. “Besides, you also taught a dragon and a cockatrice a thing or two. Not everypony can do that!” A smile broke out of Fluttershy’s quivering lips as she straightened up on the couch. “Okay then Twilight. You can count on me.” “Great! Then I’ll see you tomorrow at seven, bright and early!” Twilight grabbed her briefcase and walked out the door. As the door shut, fear once again seized the humble pony’s heart. She took several deep breaths and placed a hoof over her fluttering heart. “It’s okay. I can do this.” It was one in the morning and the full moon’s brilliance broke through the living room window and showered the floor with its gentle light. On the sofa, a restless ex-con tossed and turned as he searched for a comfortable spot on a couch obviously designed for a pony half his size. With his hooves propped above and beyond the arm rest, the stallion finally sat up and rubbed his eyes. After clearing his vision, he was taken aback to see a shy pegasus in front of him holding a mug with vapor rising from the top. “Oh, um, I hope I’m not interrupting, but I couldn’t help but notice you were having some trouble sleeping. Actually, I was having trouble too, since I have so much to read and such.” The inmate stared blankly at Fluttershy then looked at the mug she held in her hoof. “S-So I took the liberty of making you a nice hot tea. I-I’ll just set it here on the table for you if you want it. Well, goodnight.” Fluttershy placed the mug on a corner of the table and walked gently up the stairs to her room. As soon as the door shut, the inmate peeked over the table into the mug. The orange-reddish liquid soothed his nostrils with a sweet and tangy aroma. He grabbed the mug and brought it up to his lips and took a small sip. Immediately the large stallion reacted to the familiar taste as the words of his mother came into mind. M-Mmm, I love me some hot orange tea. You know why, boy? Cuz it helps ya sleep. Know how? Well, when you give it a little taste, you realize how good it is. Then when you give it a good sippin’, you start thinkin’ to yourself about oranges and how good they are with a little salt on the top. A few more sips later then you start askin’ yaself, “What in the world rhymes with orange?” Let’s see…orange…corange…sorange…borange…gorange…zorange… The large stallion fell asleep in a sitting position with the empty mug of orange tea slipping through his hooves. Eventually, his body snuggled into a more orthodox sleeping position on the tiny couch and snores filled the room. The moon continued to glow through, painting the sofa, the chairs, and walls with Luna’s relaxing night. Chapter 3The next morning, 7410 opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he adjusted his sight to the brightness that filtered through the window. He sat up on the couch and stretched his large hooves up in the air, touching the tip of the ceiling with ease. Still bobbing from side to side, the groggy stallion stumbled to his hooves and stepped forward. A loud crack broke the silence of the morning waking the stallion from his trance. He looked down at his hoof and found the coffee table broken in two. “Oh dear, what was that?” asked a soft voice from the kitchen. 7410 shot several looks down at his hoof and up towards the kitchen. He tried to stick the two end pieces back together in hopes the fibers that stuck out would hold the table together. Right as he managed to reunite the table into one with his front hooves, he realized he had been caught. Standing at the doorway, Angel tapped his foot and shook his said as if to say You’d be sleeping on the streets if it were up to me! “Is everything okay?” Fluttershy walked in the living room wiping her hooves on her pink apron. When she looked up, she was surprised to see the inmate standing with his front hooves awkwardly spread out over her coffee table. The discomfort of such a position produced a clenching of teeth foolishly masked as a grin on his face. “Oh my, that looks uncomfortable,” said Fluttershy. 7410 played it off with a rapid nod. He straightened his legs and applied pressure to the two pieces of the table together as his grip kept giving way to the slippery wooden floor of Fluttershy’s cottage. “Well, I made you some breakfast. You can come sit at the table to eat whenever you’re ready, okay?” Again the inmate responded with rapid nods. Fluttershy just turned to walk back into the kitchen when a loud crash broke the light hum of the room. She turned around and gasped as she saw 7410 sprawled on the floor between the broken pieces of the table. Standing with his furry arms crossed on the stallion’s back was Angel, shooting an unamused grin at the pegasus that stated Did I not tell you this stallion was trouble? Fluttershy brought a hoof to her lips and stifled a giggle. “Oh my! I guess I should’ve moved that table out of your way. It’s okay, I was going to purchase a new one next week anyway.” Angel peeled his eyes in disbelief with a face that said Since when do you buy stuff without letting me know, mare!? Fluttershy walked back into the kitchen. 7410 lifted himself from the wreckage and shook his head free of the dizziness he incurred with the fall. Turning his head around, Angel tapped his foot and twisted his fuzzy face into a menacing scowl. The stallion returned the gesture with a mischievous grin as he lifted a hoof up to Angel’s furry behind and, with a flick of the wrist, sent the bunny airborne. The stallion lifted his head and trotted victoriously into the kitchen, leaving Angel upended and fuming in his basket. “Take a seat right there, if you want.” 7410 let his weight drop on the chair that surprisingly supported his burly frame. “I-I hope you don’t mind oatmeal and eggs for breakfast this morning.” Fluttershy scooped a healthy portion of oatmeal and glopped it onto the white plate sitting in front of the wide eyed inmate. Fluttershy went back to the stove to retreat a pan of hot, fresh scrambled eggs. Fluttershy turned back and gasped to find an empty platter. “Oh my, you were hungry this morning! Have some eggs.” Before Fluttershy could scoop the large serving spoon, the pan vanished from her hooves and suspended in mid- air as 7410 scraped every bite into his overstuffed muzzle. “O-Okay. I hope you enjoyed your meal.” The only response she received for her delicious cooking was a slimy belch. The shocked cook gathered her satisfied client’s dirty plates and made her way to the sink. As she washed the plates, she cast an empathetic glance at the inmate, who picked egg out of his teeth. “I-I guess you didn’t eat too well at prison, right?” she asked. The ex-con paused to think for a moment and solemnly nodded. “Well, you can rest assured you will always eat to your heart’s content here with Fluttershy!” She flashed a pleasant grin which was returned with a blank stare. Fluttershy cringed uneasily as she placed the last dirty plate into the drying rack. The inmate stood up to leave. “Oh wait,” said Fluttershy. “I mean, um, I have to tell you something.” He slowly turned his large body and returned to his seat. “Um, take a seat please…I mean, thank you.” Fluttershy took her seat across from her guest and fiddled her hooves. “W-Well, you’re probably w-wondering why, I mean, what I need-need to tell you.” She looked over for a response, but only got an indifferent stare. “I got a letter from Twilight earlier this morning. And she said, um, that she wouldn’t be able to make it. Something about leaving on a much needed trip to Canterlot or something.” Fluttershy uncomfortably flipped her mane behind her head and continued. “S-So that means, I guess, we’ll have to start without her. But don’t worry, we’ll have the same fun just y-you and I, right?” Fluttershy ducked under the table and pulled out a large blue box and place it on the table. The inmate watched intently as Fluttershy unfastened the simple locks on either side and flipped open the box. She reached inside and pulled out two pieces of construction paper and a box of crayons. “Well, when Twilight said you were coming, I thought you were a colt. So, I thought of having you color a picture of your family for the first exercise.” The inmate’s head dropped in disbelief at the pegasus’s idea. “I mean, I know coloring is usually considered a child’s thing, but I still enjoy it from time to time. It’s very relaxing, and there’s nothing more exciting than to see something go from nothing to wonderful with just a little color, right?” This time Fluttershy’s smile was met with the sound of a chair sliding back and hooves leaving the kitchen. “Yeah,” Fluttershy sighed. Moments later, Fluttershy lifted her head from the table in the kitchen and made her way into the living room. She spotted the coffee table that was broken in two and gave a light gasp. As she slowly walked closer to inspect the damage, she noticed something small that sat on the table also broke under the weight of the inmate’s hoof. She knelt on all fours and gazed longingly at a broken picture frame. “M-My picture. But, this was sitting upon the fireplace. How did it get here?” At that moment, 7410 walked into the kitchen from the restroom and paused with Fluttershy at his hooves looking up at him. “D-Do you know how my picture got broken?” she asked with teary eyes. 7410 looked up at the front door which was closed and locked securely with two guards standing out front. He faced Fluttershy again and simply shook his head and stepped over her on his way to the window, ignoring her soft cries. “Okay,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I-I’m sure whoever did it is really sorry and will remember to be careful next time.” At that moment, Angel burst through the door and rammed into the inmate’s strong leg. After he shook off the impact, Angel looked at the table where Fluttershy still knelt then back up at 7410. His eyes narrowed and scorned the inmate who dismissed the visual scolding with a nonchalant huff. The bunny hopped onto the ground and on top of Fluttershy’s head. “Angel, what is it honey?” she asked. The bunny expertly flipped through the air and landed perfectly on his hind legs. He rapidly pointed to his wrist. “Oh, um, are you late for something?” The bunny facepalmed and pointed at her. “Oh, I’m late for something?” The bunny nodded then went into his next charade by placing his tiny fists on his hips and flapped his bent arms back and forth. Fluttershy cocked her head. “Um, is it time to do the chicken dance?” Once again, Angel expressed his frustration with a facepalm and dashed to the window. Ignoring the sturdy stallion that stood in his way, the bunny climbed over him and stopped at the top of his head. The ecstatic bunny hopped madly and pointed a paw out the window to Fluttershy’s chicken coop. “Oh, I see what you’re saying,” said Fluttershy standing behind 7410 looking outside. “You mean it’s time to do the chicken dance with the chickens in their coop.” This time, Angel hopped from one pony head to the other, and twisted Fluttershy’s neck to a side of the room where a bag of chicken feed came into her view. “Oh, now I see it. I’m late to feed my chickens, which I usually feed at six in the morning, and not eight which it is now, right?” Angel sighed and nodded. As if hit with a ton of chicken feed, Fluttershy gasped. “Oh my, my chickens! They must be starving, the poor things!” Fluttershy bolted across the living room, leaving a stallion spinning in her wake, and grabbed several bags of feed in her arms. “I have to feed them. Now! Or, they’ll starve! Die even! No! We can’t let that happen!” Fluttershy bolted to the door and rattled the knob until the door opened. Before she walked out, she turned to 7410, who sat on the ground with a hoof to his head recovering from the dizziness. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I need to feed my chickens. Um, I’ll be right back, okay?” Without waiting for him to acknowledge her statement, the preoccupied pegasus brisked across her front yard mumbling to herself. “Oh my, poor babies. Felicity must be starving, and she’s close to laying her eggs anytime soon! And I know how feisty Trisha can get if she’s not fed.” Fluttershy was about to open the gate to her chicken coop when she noticed a pair of larger hooves behind her. She looked up and was shocked to find 7410 standing there, waiting for her to let him in. “Um, hi?” Fluttershy fumbled with a bag of chicken feed and failed to keep it from falling on the grass. As she bent down to pick it up, a large hoof reached down and grabbed the bag before her. The inmate flipped the bag over his shoulder and gave the bewildered pegasus a slight grin. After a brief moment of silence, Fluttershy smiled and unlocked the gate. “So, you wanna come help me feed my chickens?” The stallion who dedicated his life to crime brought his shoulder blades over his ears and bashfully opened his mouth. "My-My momma use ta have chickens at-at home." Fluttershy's eyes grew wide as her smile at the sound of his voice. She couldn't help but place a gentle hoof on his shoulder, though she had to reach above her eye level to do so. "Really? That is just so wonderful! I would love to hear everything about it, if you don't mind, uh..." Fluttershy paused a moment as she decided how to address him. "Hey, what is your name?" "Sev, I mean, Seventy four, t-ten," he replied lowering his head. Fluttershy cocked her head and grinned. "I don't think so. What's your real name?" "Why you wanna know?" "Everypony has a name." The ex-con lifted his head and sighed. "Grace." "I love it," she replied. "It's a beautiful name, Grace." The inmate gave Fluttershy a weak smile, but nothing more as they made their way into the coop. You know why I gave you that name? Was it 'cause I thought you was a girl? Hell no, boy! I call you that 'cause only by Celestia's grace did she give me you. By her sweet Grace.
Chapter 1“Lemme tell ya somethin’, boy. Don’t eva lemme catch ya sayin’ thank you to nopony. Don’t eva say thank you to nopony when I ain’t around. Why you gotta be thankin’ them for? Look at me when I’m talkin’ to ya. Why ya gotta be thankin’ ‘em for? Cuz they open a door for ya? Cuz they cut ya a check every two weeks for workin’ ya plot off? Cuz they smile at ya? That’s what they s’pose to be doin’, boy. It ain’t no thang to be doin’ easy stuff like that. You know who ya should be thankin’? Me, cuz I brought ya into this world, and ain’t nopony gonna care for ya as much as I do. You hear me, boy? Nopony. So don’ be thankin’ nopony that ain’t yo mama cuz ain’t nopony gonna care for ya like I do.” Cell Block D knew no criminal but the worst of the worst. The white walls testified to the most colorful assortment of murderers, thieves, attackers, and repeat offenders Equestria had to offer. It sat among the twenty five other cell blocks of the Fillydelphia Solitary Confinement Grounds in low flickering light during the day and deafening silence at night. Inmates were no strangers to the rumors that spread across the black linoleum floors about Cell Block D. The cell that experienced the most repaint jobs was known among the secretive note-passing inmates of FSCG as “Cell Block Dead Officer.” Nopony left the temporary holding place to live another day and officers with wooden batons hanging on their sides dubbed the cell “Cell Block Dead Pony Walking.” It was ten in the morning, the rays of the sun’s light squeezing through crevices dug by desperate inmates. A group of five officers approached Cell Block D and slid open a small space on the door by a metallic handle. “Hooves out,” said a gruff voice. Within seconds, a pair of large, tattered hooves stuck out into the officer’s view. Another officer pulled out a pair of heavy duty cuffs specially designed to limit leg movement and placed them on tightly. “Back in,” said the officer. The hooves disappeared into the infamous cell and the officer put a hoof on the knob of the cell door. He signaled the other four officers then slowly opened the cell door allowing them to enter quickly and apprehend the highly dangerous inmate. “It’s your lucky day, 7410. You gotta visitor that might change your life.” Not a single word escaped the lips of inmate number 7410. He gave the officer a cold stare and proceeded to walk as the routine baton swipe to his flank signaled him to. Slowly the troupe of five uniformed ponies led the pony in a one piece orange jumper down the lonely corridor towards the interrogation room. His booming steps masked the light clops of the officers. When they arrived at the office, the lead officer placed a hoof on the door knob. “Now you listen here. This is a mighty fine opportunity you got coming to you from the Princess herself. You ought to thank her for it.” The inmate scowled at the old officer and jerked his head violently towards him. Immediately the inmate was slammed into the cold wall face first. “Cool it, 7410, or you can kiss this idea goodbye,” yelled one of the officers. The burly prisoner relented and allowed the officers to pull him off the wall and into the ten by ten interrogation room. Inside, a young purple pony wearing an identification badge stood to her hooves and flashed a friendly smile to the officers and their prisoner. “Well here you go, Miss. We’ll have two officers here on guard for your protection.” “Thank you, officer,” she replied. The lead officer and two of his subordinates exited the office while the two appointed officers stood by the door assuming a vigilant position. The young pony took a seat and turned her attention to the inmate. “Please, take a seat,” she said, pointing at a chair. The inmate took his seat and stared at the opposite wall. “Alright, let’s get started. My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m here to propose something to you.” Twilight searched through her papers as she talked to the invited inmate. When she found the right document, she placed her glasses on her face and read intently. “Okay, mister…7410?” She looked up at the stallion. He simply shrugged and continued to face the wall. “Anyways, as the head researcher of ‘Finding Redemptive and Effective Education’ or FREE for short, I am pleased to extend to you the offer of being the first to undergo trials of our devised plan to rectify and redeem future felonious convicts through groundbreaking methods so they can function appropriately in regular society. Given your history, I believe you to be the ideal candidate for this endeavor.” The stallion continued to stare at the wall. Twilight continued. “What this will look like is essentially, you will be relocated to a more intimate setting where one pony has agreed to monitor you on a daily basis and teach you from a carefully structured curriculum comprised of the latest psychological and educational research readily available.” Twilight handed the inmate a sheet of paper with loads of information on both sides. “Here is a copy of a brief synopsis of the entire experiment. Should you decide to continue with this initiative, simply mark your hoof on the dotted line and we can start the proceedings immediately.” The inmate stared blankly at the sheet hoofed to him for several moments. Twilight rapidly tapped a hoof on the floor as she waited for any kind of response. The guards waiting by the door mumbled something between themselves which made Twilight all the more nervous. “Um, did you understand everything I said about our plans?” The stallion didn’t move his focus from the sheet. Twilight sighed. “Well, I guess I could explain it again. So, what we…” “S-So, I’se gets tah be wit otha pony and, n-not be here?” asked the inmate. Twilight smiled with delight. “Precisely! Of course, you will not be spending nights with your host for safety concerns. You will be going through a series of social reconstruction therapy throughout the day and spend nights in your own sleeping quarters. You will never have to set hoof in this building again.” The last sentence that came out of the unicorn’s mouth caused the guards to shuffle their hooves uncomfortably. They looked nervously at the burly inmate who bore a grin on his face. “So, Mr. 7410. Are you ready to try this?” He nodded slowly. Twilight and the inmate walked side by side out of the interrogation room towards the front desk to finalize the details of his departure. The two guards followed closely behind still mumbling under their breaths afraid that the intelligent pony may pick up on their discussion. As the four approached their destination, the lead officer stepped out sipping coffee from his mug. “Oh, pardon me. Didn’t see ya there! So, what’s the verdict?” Twilight smiled. “Well officer, Mr. 7410 has agreed to the terms of the experiment so we are on our way to the front desk to finalize his departure.” The officer spit his coffee to the side and looked shocked. “Oh, well, um, congratulations 7410, I guess.” The prisoner didn’t say a word and followed Twilight out to the front desk. When they were far from hearing distance, a young officer yanked the lead towards him, making him spill some coffee. “Boss, you can’t be serious about this. Are you really gonna let him out of here?” “Son, I have no control over this matter. The Princess herself has commissioned this plan and we have to facilitate.” “Yeah, but this guy is no good.” “I have my reservations about this too, son. But rules are rules.” “So we’re gonna let this brute from Cell Block Dead Pony Walking go free because some four eyed egg head said so?” “Ahem,” said a voice from behind the young officer. “M-Ma’am. I-I didn’t see you there.” “Of course,” she replied with a flat tone. “Mr. 7410 has been cleared to leave these premises to begin the initiative immediately. I need for you to retrieve any personal belongings from his cell. That is if you don’t mind helping a four eyed egg head and her brute.” “Well,” said the lead officer. “You heard the lady. Now get.” The young officer frowned and stormed off in a fast trot towards the cells. “I do apologize for Timmy there Miss Twilight. He’s got some concerns about this whole initiative thing.” “And I understand that,” she replied. “But I can assure you that years of diligent research went into this plan. In fact, I am so confident in this initiative, that I can guarantee Mr. 7410’s full restoration to society and the implementation of this brilliant plan across the Equestrian legal system.” “That’s a mighty bright outlook you got there, miss,” said the lead officer. “Wish I had that faith in this here thing like you.” “You doubt me as well, officer.” “Not you,” he replied. He cast an uneasy glance at the inmate. Before Twilight could respond, Timmy arrived with a small suitcase in his mouth. “Just place it next to Mr. 7410. He can carry it the rest of the way out,” said Twilight. The young officer walked over to the inmate and carefully set it next to his hooves. The corners of his grainy mouth curved at the corners and his yellow teeth sent chills down Timmy’s spine. “Well, gentlecolts. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Twilight motioned to the released inmate to follow her out into the drizzling outdoors. “I can’t believe this,” said Timmy. “That’s gotta be two of the stupidest ponies I’ve ever met. Does she have any idea what she’s doing?” “Well son,” said the lead officer. “We gotta let fate have a turn. But I tell you what, that there might be the first time two dead ponies walk outta Cell Block D.” “So that basically wraps up what will happen at the first meeting today, okay?” asked Twilight. 7410 continued to stare out the window of the carriage hardly paying attention to Twilight Sparkle. He marveled at the way the rain covered every square inch of the ground and how he could see everything in his way, though the sun hid behind the clouds. He pressed his muzzle on the window and delighted at the sensation of natural cold as opposed to the air conditioning he was accustomed to. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” asked Twilight. The mesmerized inmate finally turned to look at Twilight. “Rain was always my favorite kind of weather. Something about how the rain washes away any impurity from the sky and nourishes the natural world always gives me a sense of hope and renewal.” 7410 nodded and returned to looking outside the window. “So, just a quick reminder. Today I’m going to introduce you to your mentor then go over any details pertinent to the few months of the experiment. Then I’ll show you to your temporary housing where you can get settled in. Tomorrow, I’ll meet you at your house to walk you through the process of a typical day.” The stallion didn’t respond. “Did you hear me, Mr. 7410?” “M-hmm.” Moments later the carriage pulled up to a bridge that rose above a moat adorning the front yard. As they made their way across the cobblestone bridge, several wild animals peeked out from their hiding places to view the new visitors. Twilight knocked on the front door and smiled at the inmate. “You’re going to love your new mentor. She’s the absolute sweetest pony in Ponyville and is really good with animals.” The large stallion stared at the crotched heart garnishing the wooden door and made a slight grimace. “Did I mention she’s pretty good at…crocheting?” The beautified door cracked open slowly as a pink tuft of mane fluttered in the light wind. A pair of large blue eyes met the lavender pony with a flair of caution then a spark of genuine enthusiasm. The cute pegasus tapped the door to get a full view of her expected company. “Oh, hi Twilight! I’m so glad you’re here. So where’s the little…oh my.”
Chapter 2“Okay, shall we get started?” asked Twilight. Fluttershy nervously nodded at Twilight. Outside, the rain had stopped leaving behind a glorious chill that wrapped itself around the night sky. Inside, a storm of tension grew inside a shy yellow pegasus as she couldn’t help but stare at the relaxed ex-con taking up the entire sofa just two meters in front of her. “Very well. Why don’t we start with some introductions? Fluttershy, you start.” Fluttershy swallowed loudly and faced 7410. His gruff beard matched his narrowed stare and his massive body was easily three times the size of the humble animal lover. With one step of a mighty hoof the beast of a pony could crush the face of the beautiful pegasus like a sand castle. Fluttershy finally regained her composure and smiled weakly. “Um, my name is Fluttershy.” 7410 did not react to Fluttershy’s inaudible whispers. “I don’t think he heard you, Fluttershy,” said Twilight. Fluttershy lowered her head causing her soft pink mane to hide the top corners of her face. “Um, I said my name is Fluttershy.” 7410 still did not respond and his gaze glazed over the struggling pegasus with disinterest. “I don’t think he quite caught that, Fluttershy,” mumbled Twilight. Fluttershy lowered her gaze altogether to the floor and, only able to mutter high pitched squeaks, she curled up into a ball on the loveseat. Twilight sighed. “Okay, let’s forget about the introductions and get right to business. Now Fluttershy, did you look over the ten chapters of the curriculum I sent you last week?” “Yes, Twilight,” answered Fluttershy. She reached under the decorative coffee table and pulled out the heavy five inch binder bursting at the zipper line with pages of information. “Good,” said Twilight. She pulled out an equally heavy binder from her rolling briefcase and slammed it on the table. “Because here’s the next ten chapters.” Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide as planets as Twilight kept piling on the papers from her bottomless briefcase. “And before I forget, these are the forms you need to fill out every day detailing the lessons gone over with transcriptions of the activities. Here are some additional forms you need to read regarding the legal implications and parameters concerning the activities. Here are three short booklets on developmental psychology and victims of extended social isolation. And finally, a list of community resources.” The stack of important information tipped the ceiling from Fluttershy’s poor little table. The yellow pony’s jaw dropped to the floor as she witnessed the tower lean ever so slightly both ways. The inmate looked up at the papers and shrugged, then he raised his shoulders, tilted his head, and let out a rumbling sneeze. The sneeze caused every single paper and booklet to avalanche on top of Fluttershy burying her underneath a white hill of pertinent documents. “Gesundheit,” said Twilight. “Now Fluttershy, my hope is that you will have all of this information read by tonight.” “Tonight?” said Fluttershy, her head popping out from the pile of papers. “Well, yes. We do start the lessons first thing tomorrow after all.” “Tomorrow?” “And you will need to be fully studied for the twenty weeks of this intervention plan.” “Twenty weeks!?” Fluttershy immediately jumped up from her seat and began to hyperventilate. “Yesiree! So, it looks like you got some night cramming to do for tomorrow,” chuckled Twilight. She stood to her hooves and made her way to the door with her rolling briefcase. “I’ll leave you to that. Come on, 7410.” The loaded inmate wedged himself out of Fluttershy’s tiny sofa and followed Twilight out the door. His overwhelming strength slammed Fluttershy’s door so hard it snapped the frightened pegasus out of her respiratory attack back into coherence. “Wha-Wha-What? Are they gone?” Fluttershy looked around her once neat living room and frowned. There were papers with big words littered all over the floor. Her beautifully fixed sofa was now a half pipe and several decorations and pictures that hung on the wall lay all over the floor, some shattered. A few moments later, Angel walked in from the backyard chewing on a carrot stick. Not looking where he was going, he nearly stepped on a piece of shard glass from a portrait of him and Fluttershy. “Angel, look out!” The blunt bunny stopped in midstep and looked down at his feet. He picked up the piece of glass that nearly sliced his foot and examined it carefully. He suddenly noticed the catastrophic mess that ransacked the once neat living room and a piece of carrot fell out of his mouth. “Oh Angel. I know it looks bad, but I think the meeting went very well.” Angel gave the pegasus a look that said Were you expecting a meeting with the circus or something? Fluttershy grinned nervously. “W-Well, I guess my, uh, mentee was a little bit bigger than I would’ve hoped. But Twilight thinks I would make a great mentor for him and really believes in me, and that’s what matters…right?” Angel picked up the picture that flew out of the broken glass portrait and narrowed his beady black eyes in a way that said Did he really have to destroy the one good picture of me? Before Fluttershy could respond, there was a knock on the door. “Well, who could that be? I was only expecting Twilight and the little, I mean, extremely hauntingly huge colt.” Fluttershy slowly opened the door and gasped at the sight of Twilight and 7410. “Oh Fluttershy,” began Twilight. “I am so sorry about all of this. I really should apologize…” Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, it’s alright. I’m sure you two didn’t mean to turn my living room upside down the way you did.” “Huh?” said Twilight. “But that is okay, I forgive you. And rest assured that I will do everything in my power to do what I need to do to get Mr. 7410 into society.” Twilight grinned. “Well, that’s great, ‘cause he’s spending the night!” “What!?” Fluttershy screamed before she fainted. “Well, luckily all of 7410’s stuff is in this one briefcase so that makes settling in a cinch. Well, there’s also all of his weight training gear and bottles of protein power shakes that took up half of your kitchen, but it’s really not much!” Twilight set the suitcase next to the sofa where Fluttershy was laid after she fainted. Sitting up, Fluttershy sat trembling, wide eyes following every move the inmate made into her kitchen as he set down one hundred pound weight after one hundred pound weight. “And don’t you worry about your safety, Fluttershy. Two guards have been appointed to guard the door to your room around the clock as you sleep. So there will always be at least two strong deadly stallions just outside your door.” Fluttershy gripped one of her sofa pillows tightly around her chest as the rapid respirations started to come back. As 7410 placed the last weight on the kitchen floor, Angel popped out from behind one of them and attempted to balance on it. The much larger pony lowered his head to Angel’s level and glared fiercely at the acrobatic bunny. Angel simply returned the gesture with a confident gaze that said I’m the boss around here, jailbait! “Hey 7410, can you come here for a sec?” yelled Twilight from the living room. The inmate turned to make his way into the living, pushing Angel off balance in the process. The bunny simply watched the stallion trot away and pointed two little fingers to his eyes. “Okay. So, you are going to be sleeping here on the sofa for the next few days while I contact some construction ponies to fix the numerous leaks in the roof of your temporary housing. There are two guards on watch at all times, so be aware of that. I will be here at seven in the morning to start the program. Does that sound like a plan?” The inmate stole a quick glance at Fluttershy and shrugged his shoulders at Twilight. “Great! And don’t worry about Fluttershy. I’ll talk to her.” The inmate nodded and walked back into the kitchen. Twilight turned her attention to Fluttershy who was breathing into a brown paper bag while still clutching the sofa pillow. “Oh, Fluttershy. You know that old trick doesn’t work.” The unicorn ripped the bag out of Fluttershy’s hooves, but she was still going through the motions. “Fluttershy, get a hold of yourself!” Twilight shook the mesmerized pony violently until she came around to her senses. Fluttershy shook her head and pleaded Twilight with her large blue eyes. “Oh Twilight, are you sure he, I mean, Mr. 7410 has to stay here.” “I’m really sorry about the inconvenience, Fluttershy. But until they fix the leaks on his roof, he has nowhere else to go.” “Couldn’t he stay at a hotel or something. I mean, if that’s okay with him of course. He may be much more comfortable there.” “Trying to convince a place of tourism to allow an ex-con to stay isn’t an easy thing to do.” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Well, what about you’re place. Not that I’m trying to make you feel responsible or anything.” Twilight laughed. “And how do you think I’d feel about letting my subject into the same place I do all my important research? That could compromise the whole experiment!” “Oh.” Fluttershy frowned and stared at her knees as she curled into a tight ball. “Fluttershy, are you alright? Is there something bothering you?” “Well, it’s just that…I don’t think this is such a good idea.” “Do you not feel safe?” asked Twilight. “I could appoint more guards for you.” “No it’s not that.” Fluttershy sighed. “Twilight, I honestly thought Mr. 7410 would be a little more, well, little. I didn’t know I would be dealing with somepony with, like, ten life sentences.” “Actually, you mean twelve,” Twilight corrected. Fluttershy sighed again. “See? I just think…no. I know that I’m not the right pony for this. It’s too much. I’m afraid I might fail you. Fail Mr. 7410. Fail Ponyville.” A pause of silence seized the room in a tense grip as Fluttershy began to weep softly. Twilight Sparkle neared to her friend and placed a hoof on her head. “Fluttershy, I didn’t know you’d be having such a difficult time with this. I just thought out of all my closest friends, you would the perfect pony for this job.” Fluttershy looked up. “How?” Twilight thought. “Well, Applejack may be friendly, but also impatient. Rainbow Dash is too busy trying to impress the Wonderbolts to care. Rarity is an obvious no, and Pinkie Pie would be too preoccupied with throwing parties every day for him and failing her responsibilities to the great task at hoof.” Fluttershy peeped as the words “great task” came out of Twilight’s lips. Twilight knelt to Fluttershy’s level and placed both hooves on her friends face. “Don’t you see Fluttershy, I trust you the most with this challenging task because I believe you are the best one for the job. You’re smart, kind, patient, and responsible. Nopony is better for the job than you.” Fluttershy wiped her eyes. “You really think so, Twilight?” “I know so” Twilight stood to her hooves and smiled. “Besides, you also taught a dragon and a cockatrice a thing or two. Not everypony can do that!” A smile broke out of Fluttershy’s quivering lips as she straightened up on the couch. “Okay then Twilight. You can count on me.” “Great! Then I’ll see you tomorrow at seven, bright and early!” Twilight grabbed her briefcase and walked out the door. As the door shut, fear once again seized the humble pony’s heart. She took several deep breaths and placed a hoof over her fluttering heart. “It’s okay. I can do this.” It was one in the morning and the full moon’s brilliance broke through the living room window and showered the floor with its gentle light. On the sofa, a restless ex-con tossed and turned as he searched for a comfortable spot on a couch obviously designed for a pony half his size. With his hooves propped above and beyond the arm rest, the stallion finally sat up and rubbed his eyes. After clearing his vision, he was taken aback to see a shy pegasus in front of him holding a mug with vapor rising from the top. “Oh, um, I hope I’m not interrupting, but I couldn’t help but notice you were having some trouble sleeping. Actually, I was having trouble too, since I have so much to read and such.” The inmate stared blankly at Fluttershy then looked at the mug she held in her hoof. “S-So I took the liberty of making you a nice hot tea. I-I’ll just set it here on the table for you if you want it. Well, goodnight.” Fluttershy placed the mug on a corner of the table and walked gently up the stairs to her room. As soon as the door shut, the inmate peeked over the table into the mug. The orange-reddish liquid soothed his nostrils with a sweet and tangy aroma. He grabbed the mug and brought it up to his lips and took a small sip. Immediately the large stallion reacted to the familiar taste as the words of his mother came into mind. M-Mmm, I love me some hot orange tea. You know why, boy? Cuz it helps ya sleep. Know how? Well, when you give it a little taste, you realize how good it is. Then when you give it a good sippin’, you start thinkin’ to yourself about oranges and how good they are with a little salt on the top. A few more sips later then you start askin’ yaself, “What in the world rhymes with orange?” Let’s see…orange…corange…sorange…borange…gorange…zorange… The large stallion fell asleep in a sitting position with the empty mug of orange tea slipping through his hooves. Eventually, his body snuggled into a more orthodox sleeping position on the tiny couch and snores filled the room. The moon continued to glow through, painting the sofa, the chairs, and walls with Luna’s relaxing night.
Chapter 3The next morning, 7410 opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he adjusted his sight to the brightness that filtered through the window. He sat up on the couch and stretched his large hooves up in the air, touching the tip of the ceiling with ease. Still bobbing from side to side, the groggy stallion stumbled to his hooves and stepped forward. A loud crack broke the silence of the morning waking the stallion from his trance. He looked down at his hoof and found the coffee table broken in two. “Oh dear, what was that?” asked a soft voice from the kitchen. 7410 shot several looks down at his hoof and up towards the kitchen. He tried to stick the two end pieces back together in hopes the fibers that stuck out would hold the table together. Right as he managed to reunite the table into one with his front hooves, he realized he had been caught. Standing at the doorway, Angel tapped his foot and shook his said as if to say You’d be sleeping on the streets if it were up to me! “Is everything okay?” Fluttershy walked in the living room wiping her hooves on her pink apron. When she looked up, she was surprised to see the inmate standing with his front hooves awkwardly spread out over her coffee table. The discomfort of such a position produced a clenching of teeth foolishly masked as a grin on his face. “Oh my, that looks uncomfortable,” said Fluttershy. 7410 played it off with a rapid nod. He straightened his legs and applied pressure to the two pieces of the table together as his grip kept giving way to the slippery wooden floor of Fluttershy’s cottage. “Well, I made you some breakfast. You can come sit at the table to eat whenever you’re ready, okay?” Again the inmate responded with rapid nods. Fluttershy just turned to walk back into the kitchen when a loud crash broke the light hum of the room. She turned around and gasped as she saw 7410 sprawled on the floor between the broken pieces of the table. Standing with his furry arms crossed on the stallion’s back was Angel, shooting an unamused grin at the pegasus that stated Did I not tell you this stallion was trouble? Fluttershy brought a hoof to her lips and stifled a giggle. “Oh my! I guess I should’ve moved that table out of your way. It’s okay, I was going to purchase a new one next week anyway.” Angel peeled his eyes in disbelief with a face that said Since when do you buy stuff without letting me know, mare!? Fluttershy walked back into the kitchen. 7410 lifted himself from the wreckage and shook his head free of the dizziness he incurred with the fall. Turning his head around, Angel tapped his foot and twisted his fuzzy face into a menacing scowl. The stallion returned the gesture with a mischievous grin as he lifted a hoof up to Angel’s furry behind and, with a flick of the wrist, sent the bunny airborne. The stallion lifted his head and trotted victoriously into the kitchen, leaving Angel upended and fuming in his basket. “Take a seat right there, if you want.” 7410 let his weight drop on the chair that surprisingly supported his burly frame. “I-I hope you don’t mind oatmeal and eggs for breakfast this morning.” Fluttershy scooped a healthy portion of oatmeal and glopped it onto the white plate sitting in front of the wide eyed inmate. Fluttershy went back to the stove to retreat a pan of hot, fresh scrambled eggs. Fluttershy turned back and gasped to find an empty platter. “Oh my, you were hungry this morning! Have some eggs.” Before Fluttershy could scoop the large serving spoon, the pan vanished from her hooves and suspended in mid- air as 7410 scraped every bite into his overstuffed muzzle. “O-Okay. I hope you enjoyed your meal.” The only response she received for her delicious cooking was a slimy belch. The shocked cook gathered her satisfied client’s dirty plates and made her way to the sink. As she washed the plates, she cast an empathetic glance at the inmate, who picked egg out of his teeth. “I-I guess you didn’t eat too well at prison, right?” she asked. The ex-con paused to think for a moment and solemnly nodded. “Well, you can rest assured you will always eat to your heart’s content here with Fluttershy!” She flashed a pleasant grin which was returned with a blank stare. Fluttershy cringed uneasily as she placed the last dirty plate into the drying rack. The inmate stood up to leave. “Oh wait,” said Fluttershy. “I mean, um, I have to tell you something.” He slowly turned his large body and returned to his seat. “Um, take a seat please…I mean, thank you.” Fluttershy took her seat across from her guest and fiddled her hooves. “W-Well, you’re probably w-wondering why, I mean, what I need-need to tell you.” She looked over for a response, but only got an indifferent stare. “I got a letter from Twilight earlier this morning. And she said, um, that she wouldn’t be able to make it. Something about leaving on a much needed trip to Canterlot or something.” Fluttershy uncomfortably flipped her mane behind her head and continued. “S-So that means, I guess, we’ll have to start without her. But don’t worry, we’ll have the same fun just y-you and I, right?” Fluttershy ducked under the table and pulled out a large blue box and place it on the table. The inmate watched intently as Fluttershy unfastened the simple locks on either side and flipped open the box. She reached inside and pulled out two pieces of construction paper and a box of crayons. “Well, when Twilight said you were coming, I thought you were a colt. So, I thought of having you color a picture of your family for the first exercise.” The inmate’s head dropped in disbelief at the pegasus’s idea. “I mean, I know coloring is usually considered a child’s thing, but I still enjoy it from time to time. It’s very relaxing, and there’s nothing more exciting than to see something go from nothing to wonderful with just a little color, right?” This time Fluttershy’s smile was met with the sound of a chair sliding back and hooves leaving the kitchen. “Yeah,” Fluttershy sighed. Moments later, Fluttershy lifted her head from the table in the kitchen and made her way into the living room. She spotted the coffee table that was broken in two and gave a light gasp. As she slowly walked closer to inspect the damage, she noticed something small that sat on the table also broke under the weight of the inmate’s hoof. She knelt on all fours and gazed longingly at a broken picture frame. “M-My picture. But, this was sitting upon the fireplace. How did it get here?” At that moment, 7410 walked into the kitchen from the restroom and paused with Fluttershy at his hooves looking up at him. “D-Do you know how my picture got broken?” she asked with teary eyes. 7410 looked up at the front door which was closed and locked securely with two guards standing out front. He faced Fluttershy again and simply shook his head and stepped over her on his way to the window, ignoring her soft cries. “Okay,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I-I’m sure whoever did it is really sorry and will remember to be careful next time.” At that moment, Angel burst through the door and rammed into the inmate’s strong leg. After he shook off the impact, Angel looked at the table where Fluttershy still knelt then back up at 7410. His eyes narrowed and scorned the inmate who dismissed the visual scolding with a nonchalant huff. The bunny hopped onto the ground and on top of Fluttershy’s head. “Angel, what is it honey?” she asked. The bunny expertly flipped through the air and landed perfectly on his hind legs. He rapidly pointed to his wrist. “Oh, um, are you late for something?” The bunny facepalmed and pointed at her. “Oh, I’m late for something?” The bunny nodded then went into his next charade by placing his tiny fists on his hips and flapped his bent arms back and forth. Fluttershy cocked her head. “Um, is it time to do the chicken dance?” Once again, Angel expressed his frustration with a facepalm and dashed to the window. Ignoring the sturdy stallion that stood in his way, the bunny climbed over him and stopped at the top of his head. The ecstatic bunny hopped madly and pointed a paw out the window to Fluttershy’s chicken coop. “Oh, I see what you’re saying,” said Fluttershy standing behind 7410 looking outside. “You mean it’s time to do the chicken dance with the chickens in their coop.” This time, Angel hopped from one pony head to the other, and twisted Fluttershy’s neck to a side of the room where a bag of chicken feed came into her view. “Oh, now I see it. I’m late to feed my chickens, which I usually feed at six in the morning, and not eight which it is now, right?” Angel sighed and nodded. As if hit with a ton of chicken feed, Fluttershy gasped. “Oh my, my chickens! They must be starving, the poor things!” Fluttershy bolted across the living room, leaving a stallion spinning in her wake, and grabbed several bags of feed in her arms. “I have to feed them. Now! Or, they’ll starve! Die even! No! We can’t let that happen!” Fluttershy bolted to the door and rattled the knob until the door opened. Before she walked out, she turned to 7410, who sat on the ground with a hoof to his head recovering from the dizziness. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I need to feed my chickens. Um, I’ll be right back, okay?” Without waiting for him to acknowledge her statement, the preoccupied pegasus brisked across her front yard mumbling to herself. “Oh my, poor babies. Felicity must be starving, and she’s close to laying her eggs anytime soon! And I know how feisty Trisha can get if she’s not fed.” Fluttershy was about to open the gate to her chicken coop when she noticed a pair of larger hooves behind her. She looked up and was shocked to find 7410 standing there, waiting for her to let him in. “Um, hi?” Fluttershy fumbled with a bag of chicken feed and failed to keep it from falling on the grass. As she bent down to pick it up, a large hoof reached down and grabbed the bag before her. The inmate flipped the bag over his shoulder and gave the bewildered pegasus a slight grin. After a brief moment of silence, Fluttershy smiled and unlocked the gate. “So, you wanna come help me feed my chickens?” The stallion who dedicated his life to crime brought his shoulder blades over his ears and bashfully opened his mouth. "My-My momma use ta have chickens at-at home." Fluttershy's eyes grew wide as her smile at the sound of his voice. She couldn't help but place a gentle hoof on his shoulder, though she had to reach above her eye level to do so. "Really? That is just so wonderful! I would love to hear everything about it, if you don't mind, uh..." Fluttershy paused a moment as she decided how to address him. "Hey, what is your name?" "Sev, I mean, Seventy four, t-ten," he replied lowering his head. Fluttershy cocked her head and grinned. "I don't think so. What's your real name?" "Why you wanna know?" "Everypony has a name." The ex-con lifted his head and sighed. "Grace." "I love it," she replied. "It's a beautiful name, Grace." The inmate gave Fluttershy a weak smile, but nothing more as they made their way into the coop. You know why I gave you that name? Was it 'cause I thought you was a girl? Hell no, boy! I call you that 'cause only by Celestia's grace did she give me you. By her sweet Grace.
