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// A walk to remember 
// Story: Animal Passion 
// by briantherat 
//------------------------------//

	The party was still in full-swing when Blue and Fluttershy snuck out the back door of the hall and found themselves walking through the main square. Blue still couldn't quite understand what was going on; how he managed to stop over for the night and ended up getting dragged into a town-wide meet-and-greet.

"So...Fluttershy?" Blue began hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Fluttershy responded, the thick, pink fringe of her mane forming a barrier between the two of them as they walked together.

"What's up with this town?"

Fluttershy pause her trot for a moment and peered one eye over at Blue. "Wha...what do you mean?"

Blue smiled at her as they both began walking again, "I mean...is everybody here so...friendly as that Pinkie?"

"Umm...I...I guess so. Well, of course nobody is ever quite as friendly as Pinkie Pie. But...I think...we all try to get along and work together to make the town nice. So...umm...why are you here? I mean...where did you come from?"

Blue shrugged and replied slowly, "Well, I come from Whitehorse, a city nearly a day from here. I was passing through the area and I noticed the town from the road. I thought about spending the night, getting some supplies and moving on the next day..."

"Oh...so...you're not staying, then?" Fluttershy replied, her voice tinged with a bit of sadness.

Blue stopped and turned to look at Fluttershy. She was casting occasional glances over at him, especially when she thought he wasn't looking, and Blue had to admit that there was something very...attractive about the young pegasus mare with the bright blue eyes. Although he had just met her, and they hadn't spoken very much, he found himself wanting to be close to her.

"I don't have to leave!" He found himself saying as he started walking again. "I mean, I think this town is nice and everybody seems very welcoming. And you seem very...."

"Wait!" Fluttershy exclaimed suddenly, putting one of her front legs in front of Blue.

He stopped and watched as a family of ducks crossed in front of their path.

After they were safely across, Fluttershy turned to Blue and said - sensing that perhaps an explanation was in order - "I'm sorry...I just really care about animals."

Blue smiled, "That's really sweet. I actually love animals a lot too."

Fluttershy turned to Blue and looked at him directly for the first time since they started walking, "Really?" she said, sounded much more lively than before, "Did you have many in the city where you're from?"

"Actually," Blue said, trying to sound modest, "where I'm from, I ran an animal shelter."

"REALLY?" Fluttershy exclaimed loudly, in a way that startled Blue so much that he tripped over a branch in his path and fell hard on his face.

"Oh my! Oh goodness! Are you okay, Blue?" Fluttershy squealed, kneeling down beside and looking him over.

Blue stumbled back upright and shook his mane of branches and gravel, "I...I think so. Actually, I think I may have hurt my face a bit."

He looked over at Fluttershy, who gasped at him, wide-eyed, and put her hooves in front of her mouth. Blue could see in the reflection of the mare's eyes that he seemed to have quite a bit of blood on his face.

"Actually..." Blue said, suddenly feeling faint, "I think...I think I may have to sit down for a bit."

As Blue passed out, the last thing he heard was Fluttershy's cries for help. Then darkness.