//------------------------------// // A Stroll Trough The Park // Story: Noble Wolves and Shy Butterflies // by Redwolf15 //------------------------------// “Well, he certainly sounds like a gentlecolt,” Rarity relaxes in the sauna after hearing everything Fluttershy had to tell about Wind. “Such a shame he’s a wolf though.” “It’s not so bad Rarity, I don’t mind it.” Her meek friend replies. “Well, I think that’s enough time. Perhaps we should leave now, I’m sure Wind would like to leave as well.” The two mares hand the spa’s items back to Aloe. Both sister’s normally appeared at this time, but only the pink twin arrived to assist Fluttershy and Rarity. They were told that her sister, Lotus, was caring to a ‘special guest’. As the pink spa pony escorts them out into the lobby, Fluttershy notes that Wind is nowhere to be seen. “Did Wind leave?” “No, Wind didn’t leave.” They hear the wolf’s voice from behind a pair of red curtains. Aloe, with the assistance of her now present twin sister, Lotus, pull the curtains back to reveal the renowned wolf. Rarity’s eyes sparkled as she gazed upon his new appearance. His once mangy fur was combed and trimmed to a sleek and dazzling appearance. Light shone off him like a the sun would in the small ripples of water. His belly and legs were shaved to close whiskers, while his chest still looked puffy and full. “My, you look absolutely outstanding Wind.” Rarity said to him breathlessly. “If anyone from my pack saw what happened to me, I would be made a mockery.” Was the only thing he could say in reply to her. “He refused to allow us to file his claws.” Lotus informs the others. “I keep telling you miss Lotus, a wolf must not allow his tools to dull, otherwise he runs the risk of losing a battle.” He huffs. “*A-choo* Miss Fluttershy, are you going to be any longer here? I’m beginning to feel light headed with all the strange smells in the place. Not to mention miss Lotus and miss Aloe started spraying weird scents on me.” “If you didn’t like the fragrances then you should have told us sooner.” Aloe interjects. “Don’t worry Wind, we’re leaving now.” Rarity stops her yellow friend from pulling out her coin purse. “Allow me to pay this time Fluttershy, I feel it’s the least I can do for judging Wind so quickly.” The purple maned marshmallow levitates bits out of her own coin purse and gives the payment to the sisters. “Come again anytime.” The twins say in unison. Wind felt much better stepping out and breathing in the fresh air. It truly was difficult for him to stay in such a place. “Well, I best be off back to the boutique.” Rarity says. “It was nice meeting you Wind, I hope to see you around more. Oh, and Fluttershy,” she pulls her shy friend closer to keep Wind out of earshot. “Remember, ask him a bit of his life. Don’t back out.” Fluttershy nods understanding what Rarity was getting at. They said their goodbyes to one another and left in opposite directions. “Are we going back to your home, miss Fluttershy?” Wind asks as the two walk side-by-side. “No, I thought we’d go to the park.” The pegasus was having a difficult time trying to ask him questions. She’s not the straight and forward type that simply asks something out of the blue. She didn’t know how to ask him so blatantly. “Miss Fluttershy, may I ask you something?” She looks up into Wind’s blue eyes, why would he ask her something? Though she was relieved that she had something that allowed her to avoid something she was uncomfortable with doing. “Sure, what is it?” “Why were you given the name ‘Fluttershy’?” She looks at him quizzically. What sort of question is that? “Is it because you flutter when in flight? And you don’t seem very shy. You are very comfortable with me, a total stranger, yet I have not seen you back away from something.” “Well, I never really asked my parents that question. But you’re wrong about me not being shy, truth is, I’m very shy about things, especially when meeting new ponies.” She answers. “The only reason why I’m more comfortable around you is because I first thought of you as an animal, and that’s more or less how I still think of you. No offense! I-I don’t mean that you’re just an animal, I-I-I.” “It’s quite all right miss Fluttershy. I understand, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” She lets go a relaxed sigh. Even though he said she didn’t have to be embarrassed, that doesn’t mean she didn’t feel like she wasn’t. “Why did you ask me why my parents named?” “Just your parents named you? No one else?” His ears perk in surprise at this bit of information. “Of course, didn’t yours?” “No, my name was given to me by my pack when I earned my place.” He explains. “Names are more so titles upon acts we’ve made rather than ways of identification. Some wolves can go their whole life earning as many as twenty names, but it’s only until you contribute to the pack that you earn your first name.” “Then what do you call each other until you do get your first name?” “Pup, friend, brother, sister, daughter, father, even by ways of uniqueness like fur color. Or in my case having blue eyes.” “How did you get your name?” “During a hard blizzard, my pack was desperately looking for any form of shelter. Though it was against my alpha’s orders, I ran off looking for something. I ran fast and true and never stopped until I finally found a cave. I returned to my pack and lead them to safety, that night I earned my place and was given my name Wind Blue-Eyes because they say I ran like the wind and I’m the only one in my pack to have blue eyes. Many of my packmates, especially the pups, would have died that day if I did not look for shelter.” Fluttershy found it interesting how his life was so much different than hers, but difficult too. It must be hard to go by much of your life without a name until you’ve earned it. They find a nice, shady spot under a tree, Fluttershy sits on the bench while Wind sits next to her on the ground, staying as vigilant as a meerkat. Fluttershy found small courage in the story he told her, courage large enough to help her stop struggling what she was having difficulty with. “Wind, why did I find you passed out in the Everfree?” “Ah, excellent question miss Fluttershy. I suppose I have not told you why I left the mountains.” He replies so easily. “I am on a journey to find my sister, Grace Foot. She abandoned the pack nearly half a moon’s light ago without a word. I intend to find her and demand an answer for her action.” “So, it’s not acceptable to leave your pack?” “Oh no, it’s quite acceptable to leave the pack if one so chooses. But she didn’t leave us, she abandoned us. Slipped away in the middle of the night with no explanation. Upon normal circumstances no one would have gone out looking for her, if she abandoned the pack then the pack would no longer have any connections to her. However, she is my only sibling, saying nothing to any of our packmates is one thing, but to me, I do not accept this.” “Well if you’re searching for her then you shouldn’t indebt yourself to me, you must continue on your journey and find her!” Now Fluttershy felt guilty. Not only was she forced to accept his help, but now she is also stopping him from finding his sister. “I’m afraid I cannot miss Fluttershy, I must aid you or it will tarnish my honour, otherwise what would the point in returning be?” Fluttershy did not understand the logic or reasoning of this, his laws were so much different than hers, it was difficult to accept this. But she had to, she didn’t want to harm his honour. “So, why were you passed out?” “Just two days ago I picked up on her trail after multiple dead ends. Ever since then I have not been looking after my health, merely running with little to no rest. It does not surprise me that I fainted, I am just grateful that you saved me.” “Well if you picked up on her trail we should be out looking for her!” The timid pegasus jumps off the bench. “Are you sure miss Fluttershy? You have no connections to Grace, you do not have to help me. I picked up on her trail once before, I’ll be able to do so again.” Fluttershy nods, she doesn’t mind, not in the slightest. It’s just a simple act of kindness. Wind’s features soften, going from cold and collective to friendly and appreciative. But that nice expression quickly switches to alarm. With no warn of any kind, he lunges at Fluttershy and tackles her to the ground, his white body overtop hers. For only a brief second, she was terrified of him, was he only trying to gain her trust to later attack her? But her fears fled as soon as they emerged as he climbed off her unharmed body and faced away from her. She saw that his fur was standing up as he snarled at whatever was in front of him. “Miss Fluttershy, stay back! This pony tried attacking you!” He warns her. She realizes that he wasn’t trying to attack her, but protect her. “What? Attack Fluttershy? You silly-filly, I’d never try and harm a friend.” A familiar bubbly voice answers from the other side of Wind. Fluttershy pokes her head from behind him to see her good friend Pinkie Pie. “Hey Fluttershy, did you get a talking pet wolf?” “Oh, hello Pinkie.” Fluttershy greets her friend. “It’s okay Wind, she’s my friend.” “Are you sure? She just tried to assault you.” He responds while eyeing the newcomer suspiciously. “I already told you, I’d never try and hurt my friends. I was going to give Fluttershy a huge hug because I haven’t seen her all week. I mean seriously, seven. Whole. Days. An entire week went by and I never once got to see my favorite animal caretaker. Then again she’s the only animal caretaker I know so I guess that automatically means she is my favorite. But even if I did know some other caretaker I would still consider Fluttershy my favorite.” Wind slowly relaxes as the pink bundle of fun rambles on and on about whatever she is talking about. He doesn’t abandon his guard because Fluttershy said she was fine, or the fact that he no longer thought that Pinkie Pie would not harm Fluttershy, or that she seemed like a complete airhead to him. No, the reason was: he was utterly and undoubtedly confused by her and had no idea how to handle this situation. “So who is Wolfy, Fluttershy?” Pinkie Pie asks finally concluding her entire story that was completely irrelevant to the original topic, whatever it could have been. “Pinkie Pie, this is Wind. I found him in the Everfree.” “Wow, I’ve never seen a real wolf before. So where’d you come from Wind?” Wind was unsure of how to react to Pinkie Pie as she zips around and inspects him, as if she were everywhere all at the same time. “Uh… Mountains. From the north.” He replies unsurely. “Wow! You mean like from the Crystal Empire? How do you survive up there with all that snow and cold?” “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask him some other time Pinkie, you interrupted us just before we were about to do something important. If you want to ask him questions you can drop by my home some time, he’ll be staying with me for a while.” “He’s staying here? Then I guess I have to give him a Welcome Song!” Before either could stop her she pulls out a wagon from behind the tree next to them and presses a button. Needless to say, Wind was rather horrified at the end of it as confetti flies out of a couple pipes and a cake is fired at him that he only barely was able to dodge. “Hey, I got it right this time.” And once more, before either of them could do anything, she zips away with her machine. Wind sits there, an expression of confusion, horror, and amazement across his face as he tries processing what just happened. “Miss Fluttershy… do not take this the wrong way but, your friend is very odd, and sort of scares me.”