Sweat poured down my face and neck, staining a dark ring around my T-shirt collar as I grunted with exertion, trying to hold up the broken gutter with my shoulder and reattach it using a hammer and nails. It was going poorly, and my wafer-thin patience had long ago been shattered into tiny shards of frustration. I swore profusely through clenched teeth, tottering on the stepladder as another nail slithered through my slippery fingers and tumbled into the grass below. My anger got the best of me and I threw down my work. The water chute bent as it hit the ground. The box of nails was upended off the stepladder, sprinkling its contents into the bushes. I looked down at the little disaster, then sat on the bottom step and buried my face in the crook of my arm.
My neck hurt, my shoulders ached, and the dull throb in my temples told me I was probably dehydrated. The sun had heated my hair into a sweaty helmet that clung to scalp and itched dreadfully. I leaned back and stretched my legs out in front of me, eyes still covered, rolling my shoulders in an effort to ease the tension. As I turned my head to the side, feeling my vertebrae pop, I let my eyes open once again, but instead of an unoccupied front lawn a yellow-furred pony chest confronted my entirely unprepared face. I started, upsetting my stepladder enough that it bucked me into the bushes.
“Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?” The voice that tumbled through the bush after me was quite possibly the softest, most inoffensive one I'd ever heard. Two yellow hooves plunged through the greenery and offered themselves to me. I took hold of one and pulled myself up into a sitting position. The hoof belonged to a pegasus, big eyes contrite, her pink mane almost covering her face, the hint of a blush visible beneath the yellow fur on her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to startle you! I was just trying to think of a way to get your attention!”
“Well, you have it.” Something tickled my memory. “Your name’s Fluttershy, right?” My face twisted into a lopsided grin as her mouth fell open. “Rarity told me about you the night I moved in.” As I got to my feet, brushing needles off my thighs, I realized she was shaking slightly. “What’s -” and then I remembered, too late, that many ponies aren’t used to smiles with teeth, which I had just given her. Now it was my turn to be contrite. “Oh, da- shoot, I’m sorry. I forgot about the whole… teeth… thing…” I cursed myself quietly, “What a way to greet a new neighbor.” I composed myself. “May I start over?”
“It’s okay, I’m a little nervous myself.” Fluttershy seemed to have gotten ahold of the shakes, though her breathing was still a little uneven. She proffered a hoof. “My name is Fluttershy… wait, you already knew that…” Her blush returned, and she looked away. I gently took her hoof in my hand, giving it a light squeeze.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Fluttershy.” I smiled, keeping my teeth behind my lips this time, “My name is Theo Frost.”
“It's nice to meet you, Theo.” There was a pause, during which our eyes met. I was struck by how vibrant her irises were, they reminded me of polished malachite. After a few long moments that didn't feel as awkward as I might have expected, she seemed to shake herself. “Oh, um… I know you're new in town, and it seems like you're having some trouble with… this,” she gestured to the twisted metal, “so, um, maybe you'd like to take a break and go for a short walk… um, with me?” The last two words were almost a whisper. I felt her hoof shake a tiny bit, and realized I was still holding it. I hastily released her, feeling a blush of my own build. I cleared my throat, considering.
“Fluttershy, I accept your gracious offer with great gusto and fervor.” I swept off an imaginary cap and bent double, one forearm laid over my stomach, my left leg extended back. It would have been quite elegant, had I not kicked the stepladder, tangling up my ankle between the risers. As it was I wound up hopping on one foot, a strange 'off-balance’ noise escaping my lips.
“Oh, dear!” Fluttershy caught me, rearing up on her hind legs to keep me from toppling. “Are you-” she stopped abruptly as I dissolved in giggles, caught up in the absurdity of my situation. After a moment she joined me, our laughter intensifying as I hopped again. Another bounce combined with our mirth brought me down on my side, Fluttershy falling on top of me.
“Sorry,” I managed to gasp out. For some reason I had degenerated into a slap-happy fifth grader. Just as it seemed like we were winding down, our eyes met and the laughter burst out again.
“Whoo!” I huffed, some decades later, wiping tears from my eyes, “Oh, my sides hurt.” Fluttershy snickered, and I had to stifle another cackle. She looked up at me, both of us breathing heavily. As I craned my neck to meet her gaze, I became aware of her chest pressed against my side and of the foreleg thrown across my torso. I coughed a little, “Boy, I must have looked ridiculous.”
Fluttershy smiled, “That was pretty funny.” The ice seemed to have cracked between us, as she made no move to get off me. “It was really nice to hear you laugh.”
“It felt good.” I smiled broadly, taking a deep breath, “I think I really needed that. Thank you for sharing this with me.” A thought crossed my mind. “I don't want this to sound accusatory, but have you been waiting to hear me laugh?”
Fluttershy shook her head, blowing a lock of pink hair out of her face. “Not really waiting, no. It's just that I’ve seen you around Ponyville a few times, and you've never looked very happy, so it's good to see this side of you.” She seemed much more relaxed than before.
“What, my manic side?” Fluttershy giggled at this, and we nearly lost it again. As I lay there, looking up at the sky, I became aware that I was gently running my fingers through the soft yellow fur of her barrel, near her shoulder. “Sorry!” I pulled my hand away quickly. “Sorry, I didn't realize I was doing that.”
“What? Oh!” Fluttershy appeared to be just as surprised at this discovery. “Oh, I should probably get off you!” She scrambled to her hooves, offering me a foreleg to pull myself up.
“Well,” I brushed off my backside, then rubbed my hands together, “how about that walk?”
___
Fluttershy and I walked in silence for some time, our feet and hooves carrying us away from my house and to the outskirts of town. Rolling fields spread out like thick green towels left to dry in the sun. Ponyville and the surrounding countryside were quite breathtaking when you stopped to admire them.
The silence between us was not uncomfortable, on the contrary, it felt natural and easy. I didn't feel any pressing need to speak; the mere presence of Fluttershy's hoofsteps was calming and reassuring. Every so often she would gently nudge me in a direction, which I expected myself to find annoying, and was pleasantly surprised when I didn't. I paid a little more attention and quickly drew a comparison between this and my first walk home with Rarity.
“Fluttershy, do you mind if I ask something?”
I felt her eyes on me. “Go ahead, Theo.”
“The first night I was here Rarity walked me home. She did the same thing you've been doing - nudging me to the side when I might trip over something.” I saw her flush and open her mouth, so I hurried on. “I’m just curious if that's some kind of cultural thing, I'm not objecting.”
Fluttershy nodded, blush fading. “It's good manners for a mare to watch where a stallion is walking. I guess it's a little old fashioned, I don't think being polite ever goes out of style.”
“Interesting… do you hold doors for stallions, help them into carriages, that sort of thing?”
Fluttershy nodded, “Usually. It's a little different for unicorns, since their magic makes tasks like that easier. Also, if a stallion is of a particularly high class, those rules don't apply. I mean, not everypony follows the same rules, of course, but that's what I was taught.”
I allowed myself to ruminate on this for a few long moments. “The parallels between our worlds are uncanny. The society I grew up in has had a level of benevolent sexism towards women for centuries - and in some cases, decidedly malevolent sexism. There is still a pay equity gap between men and women, even after a half-century of campaigning for equality.”
“Oh, gosh, I didn't even consider that I might be being sexist!” Fluttershy stopped and put a hoof to her mouth. “I hope I didn't offend you.”
“No, no, I'm not offended. Truth be told, I kind of like what you're doing. It's nice to be given a little consideration every once in awhile.” I felt my cheeks flaring. “I imagine it'd be quite different if every time someone did something like that you were reminded that your society looked at you as less capable.”
Fluttershy stopped abruptly, and I didn't notice right away. When I turned back she was looking at me, but something in her eyes wasn't focused. After a few seconds she came back to Tellus, smiling at me again.
“That's a very good point, Theo. I hadn't thought of it that way before.” She returned to my side as we continued down the path. “Do you think all stallions feel that way?”
“No. That would depend greatly on their perspective, I think. Do all stallions in your society experience some level of sexism? I can't say for sure, but if the parallels between our worlds hold, I would guess they all do.” We came to a narrow brook spanned by a line of flat stone discs, and I paused at the edge. “On my world, we have a word for systemic sexism - misogyny.” I stepped onto the first stone, wobbling a little as I found my balance. “In its most heinous form, misogyny becomes sexual harassment or violence.” Fluttershy placed a hoof on my side, steadying me. “Thank you. The problem isn't treating women with extra consideration, but it can be the foundation for more damaging beliefs,” I hopped to the next stone, “that women are inferior to men, that women can't function without men, that men deserve the right to control women, that women are just things, not people.” I reached the far bank, only then realizing Fluttershy had been hovering beside me for the crossing. She landed and together we climbed the short hill on the other side. “My conclusion is that small acts of kindness are never wrong, but I always try to be mindful of the spirit in which I perform them. This is the part where I get self-conscious, because I've been talking a lot.”
“Oh, that's okay. I've enjoyed listening.” Fluttershy stopped in the shade of a big tree. I leaned against the bark, sliding down into a sitting position. Fluttershy joined me, tucking her front legs beneath her chest. “I don't think things are quite the same here, but I haven't spent much time thinking about it. I spend most of my time with animals.”
I nodded, anxious to get her talking. “Correct me if I'm wrong, you're a veterinarian?” I said the last word slowly, syllable by syllable, inflecting upward into a squeaky conclusion. Fluttershy chuckled softly.
“Sort of. I house a lot of animals in my home, and I run an adoption agency for pets. I am trained in first aid, emergency care, and long term rehabilitation, but I think animal health is more than just that. It's providing a loving home, giving them a nutritious diet, letting them exercise both mentally and physically. It's a full time job.”
“It certainly sounds like it!” I leaned back against the tree. “What sort of animals do you tend to?”
“Birds, squirrels, rabbits, ferrets, cats, bears, bats, bugs, seals, spiders, and beavers are the most common ones, but I’d never turn away any animal in need if I could help it.” Fluttershy rattled off the list without any hint of pride, and seemed a little surprised to see my jaw hanging open.
“How do you possibly have time to do anything else?” I felt dizzy just thinking about the sheer weight of that responsibility.
“Well, it's not like they need me every second of the day. Most of the work comes from organizing their schedules and sticking to them. In a few hours I’ll need to start getting them settled in for bed, but until then I'm free.”
I stifled a yawn. The tree was quite comfortable, much to my surprise, and the afternoon heat was making me a bit drowsy. “Thank you,” I smiled at her, meeting those radiant eyes once more, “for spending your afternoon with me. I think I really needed this.”
“You're very welcome, Theo.” Fluttershy looked out across the meadow before us as the wind drew ripples in the grass. “You know, it's funny, but I was actually quite scared of you at first. It seems a bit silly now that we've spent some time together, but I almost couldn't bring myself to say hello.”
“I'm glad you did.” I stretched my legs, feeling the joints pop. “I'd probably still be wrestling that water chute. You saved me from an afternoon of suffering.” I couldn't hide my next yawn. “I'm forever in your debt.”
A comfortable silence descended, during which I felt my eyelids droop. A light breeze ruffled my hair.
“Fluttershy?”
“Mmm?” She seemed to be under the same influence as I.
“I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute. I’ll -” I'm not sure if I ever completed that sentence.
___
When my eyes cracked open, the sun was low in the sky, casting long amber and mauve shadows. The wind had taken a turn for the cool, so much so I was surprised I wasn't shivering. The reason, I discovered, was I had my head pillowed on Fluttershy’s barrel, and her foreleg was hooked around my shoulders and across my chest. My hand gently held her hoof. I felt oddly peaceful, feeling the rise and fall of the pegasus’ steady breathing.
As nice as this was, I should probably get up. The sun was low, and the gutter still needed fixing. “Fluttershy?” I whispered. My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “Fluttershy?” She stirred, tightening her grip on my chest and then stretching with a wide yawn.
“Hey, Theo.” She blinked sleepily down at me. Suddenly her eyes shot open. “Oh, no! What time is it? I still haven’t gotten everyone ready for bed!” We scrambled to our feet. “I need to get home! Oh, goodness!” She started to take off, then turned back to me, eyes worried. “Can you get home without me? I don’t want to rush off, but the animals really need me.”
“Go. I’ll be okay. And thank you again.” I flashed her a smile, which she returned before darting off into the dusk.
__
My walk home was brisk. The sweat on my body had cooled and evaporated, leaving me chilly and slightly damp, and by the time I reached the front gate of my little yard I my teeth were chattering. I was going to dart inside and grab a jacket when I was brought up short. The gutter was fixed.
I stood for a moment on the threshold, contemplating this miracle, then was driven inside by my desire for warmth and a snack.