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// New Guy On The Block 
// Story: Innocence Lost 
// by Granite 
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Fluttershy made her way through the streets with the captive rooster. It was still early enough for the streets to be mostly empty. She knew Mayor Mare didn't live at the Town Hall. Some ponies joked about that, but she had her own residence near enough to her job. She passed Sugarcube Corner, flying a little bit faster hoping to avoid the party pony inside for the time being. She failed. Pinkie Pie saw her through the upstairs window and pressed her face against it smiling wide. She opened it and called in a loud voice, maybe a little too loud for the time. "Hi Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Up here!"

Fluttershy stopped flying and turned to see her friend. Pinkie had lots curlers in her mane, which Fluttershy actually rarely saw. She assumed her mane didn't need much help. The crate prevented her from responding, but not trying to as muffled words caught the handle. Pinkie laughed at that, then righted herself "Ohhh where ya going? Can I go too? I'll be right there mmkay!" Without a moment to waste the window slammed shut. Fluttershy blinks, confused as to how she had that much energy at this hour. She hovered  in the street, fussing with the gauze and waiting. 

She looked to a flower stand briefly and Pinkie Pie appeared next to her suddenly, making her squeal in surprise. Fluttershy didn't notice her approach or even open the door, but Pinkie had a tendency to be utterly sneaky, sometimes she didn't make scientific sense. Or at least that was Twilight's explanation for that. Even she was unsure though. Fluttershy never understood that, or tried to in any way and Pinkie didn't even seem to notice that wasn't supposed to happen. "Hi! Why did you scream? You know I've noticed ponies do that lately. It's like they don't know I'm there. Maybe they don't then again how could you not see me? I've bee told I'm kinda hard to miss and if that's the case then why do they act so surprised? I kinda get it I guess. Anyways where you going again that crate kinda makes you hard to understand."

Fluttershy just stared at her for a bit as her brain caught up with the barrage of words flung at her. She set the crate down to respond and opened her mouth to respond but Pinkie saw the bandage and jumped at the new thing to talk about. "Waitaminute! What happened to your hoof?! Oh gosh it's bleeding through! Fluttershy you should probably take care of that." 

Fluttershy again waited for her to stop, then she also looked at her leg. It indeed was bleeding through, crimson clearly visible from the white cotton. "I...thought I...did enough with that." She poked it and winces. "Oww."

Pinkie stood there, now waiting for her answers. Fluttershy took a good moment to return to the conversation at hoof. Her voice was a little louder with Pinkie Pie, as with her other friends, but not by that much. "Oh..well I was petsitting for the mayor and...the rooster kicked me. I didn't really look at it that much...." She winces again "It's more than I thought." 

Pinkie again started to talk. "Well like I said you should get it looked at, maybe you need stitches or something. If so than you should reeealllyy get it looked at. Like fast."  

Fluttershy avoided the topic and went back to her route as her pink friend bounced next to her. She probably did need stitches, and she knew it. But there was three reasons why Fluttershy didn't go to a doctor for those things. First off she could do it herself, and had in the past with her animals. 

Secondly medical visits were expensive. Fluttershy didn't have a problem with bits, in fact she had quite a few of them, and out of her little group of friends, she was close to having the most, of course playing second to Rarity. But she wasn't loose with money either way, and was well prepared for some sort of imminent takeover of Equestria had the possibility arise for a fifth time. She also hated hospitals, and had a lingering fear of them. She slowed her pace as she reflected on that. She didn't have a reason for being afraid of hospitals, it was just a lingering feeling that she could never place. She knew her mom also had the same fear, also unexplained. She never looked into it either. Maybe it was just genetic.

Pinkie didn't know anything about medical stuff, so she went along with it. The yellow mare and her bouncing friend made their way to Mayor Mare's house. Pinkie Pie knocked on the door with Fluttershy behind her, ears back and tightening the bandage. After a few minutes the head pony answered the door. For the time of day she looked overly ready. Her mane was fully dyed and styled and she wore her mayoral outfit. She spoke with her leading voice. "Hello you two, are you here for Princess Twilight's new banners? I must say the seamstress of Canterlot really know how to make a good flag"

While Pinkie Pie jumped at the conversation Fluttershy stood back and rolled her eyes. Twilight had been an Alicorn not even half a year, and already Ponyville was making "accommodations" for housing a Princess. However those were Celestia's orders, not Twilight's. Ponyville was a rural area, and didn't really have space for a castle. Princess Celestia wanted Twilight to assist in Canterlot as her right hoof. Twilight hadn't responded to the offer but refused to move from Golden Oaks Library and abandon her friends. So Celestia agreed, as long as there were at least some changes. Twilight made sure they were minimal. 

Some of Equestria's citizens actually weren't too pleased with Celestia's recent decision making. Twilight's coronation was, by all formal accounts, a blatant abuse of power. Most notably shifting the royal structure. Twilight's crowning came with a price, however it wasn't Celestia's to pay. Luna had been ousted by the new changes. She now was the highest ranking official of the Equestrian Royal Forces, and although still a very important pony, she played little role in politics anymore. With her formal identity of Nightmare Moon, many ponies were wary of her new found command. 

Mayor Mare invited them both inside. Fluttershy noticed somepony else who was there. He was a Pegasus stallion, with a brown coat and emerald green eyes. He had a few white freckles on his snout, and a cutie mark of some sort of claw. His mane was black and grey, patterned to alternate between colors and was styled rough and shaggy. He seemed to be a tad smaller in stature than other stallions, but still taller than the average mare. Mayor Mare was about to say something, but Pinkie rush tackled the guy right off his hooves, yelling about a new pony she didn't know. The stallion didn't seemed as startled as he should have been. He got up and spoke in a lighter voice, that seemed to be in sync with his size. "You really shouldn't jump at strangers like that."

Mayor Mare seemed annoyed at Pinkie's actions, and pulled her away from the newcomer. "Pinkie Pie, this is Granite. We were discussing a purchase of land. He's Ponyville's newest resident." 

Pinkie Pie jumped up and down, giggling like a filly. "OHMYGAWSH! A NEW FRIEND! You'll be my friend won't you Granite? You have to. Everypony is."Granite seemed to be taken slightly aback, and he took a few steps backward with his ears flat. "Uhh sure?" Pinkie Pie hugged him, and he didn't protest, even though he did have a look of confusion and annoyance on his face. 

After a few seconds the Mayor acknowledged the crate with the rooster, and spoke to Fluttershy. They didn't really have any extended conversation, as the Mayor understood Fluttershy well enough to know it wouldn't get anywhere if they tried. She took the crate from her, and walked out her back door, where she had a small chicken coop of her own. 

Fluttershy stood in the doorway, trying to avoid Granite's attention entirely. She really didn't want to meet another new pony. She felt even more insecure than she usually did though, which was a whole lot. Maybe that was because nowadays most ponies knew Fluttershy's boundaries well enough, but with a new resident she'd have to start that over. Pinkie was chatting with him, and he gave rather simplistic answers to her many questions. Many were yes or no. Apparently he wasn't all that keen on making new friends either, but he also didn't seem to be overly uncomfortable to the bubbly pink mare's fast train of thought. His ears stayed back, but other than that he played along. He looked up at Fluttershy for a few seconds, and her chest jumped, like it usually did. He looked away, not speaking to her, possibly sensing her unease. 

Usually she would leave at that point, but instead she made her way inside, ever so slowly, until she was sitting in a chair on the other side of the small glass coffee table. Pinkie and Granite were on the other side, sitting on a couch. The set up of the furniture was more like an office waiting room than a living room at somepony's home, after all it was the Mayor's house. Modern. Tables and shelves were fashioned from glass, chairs and sofas were black leather, and the walls were painted sky blue blue, with some polished wood integration here and there. The kitchen had some more cherry oak wood. Fluttershy looked at the glass table, avoiding eye contact with the others. There was two mugs of steaming liquid that was probably hot coco. They rested on coasters. 

There was also a stack of official looking papers, and Fluttershy realized it was a lease for housing. Fluttershy looked for more details, but Mayor Mare took them from her line of sight. Pinkie hushed as the head pony started to talk. "Well now Granite, since we are pressed for time, I'd like to wrap this up if you don't mind." He nodded and she proceeded. 

"As we've discussed there is certainly a niche for you in Ponyville. The central area is getting a bit overcrowded, and there isn't much space for building a new residence. You did say that you'd rather be in a calmer area." Granite nodded again with a mummer of agreement that Fluttershy didn't catch. The Mayor continued. "Then I think the area we selected would be perfect for you. The only downside is the location of the Everfree Forest.....you'll be rather close." He chuckles at that. "That's actually a good thing for me. I would probably need to visit every now and again."

The Mayor pauses, and looks at Fluttershy, who looked back. She herself was terrified of the unearthly place, and couldn't think of a soul that wasn't, other than Zecora. It was close to her house too, and her own property line extended into it's shadowy brush. 

She thought about it for a moment more, and looked up at the Mayor, and she got what she was trying to say. She continued to make her business speech, pushing the papers to him. "Alright then, It seems we have reached a conclusion." Granite took a quill and signed the documents. Fluttershy sunk in the chair as he did. As of that moment she had a new neighbor, and she wasn't all that happy about it.