I asked Twilight for directions to her cottage and apologize for letting it get a little crazy. The fact that she witnessed my speech and my sudden lie of including her timid friend didn’t put me on her good side. She got me started in the right direction at least so at least she is reasonable.
“Hey Fluttershy! Are you in there?” I knocked on the cottage door to get a greeting from a bunny this time. Whatever happened to ponies themselves answering a door is that too much to ask?
“Um, hey little guy, I need to talk to Fluttershy. I want to apologize for my strange attitude earlier.” The white bunny gave me a scowl so intense I think my heart skipped a beat. I looked up and saw the beautiful yellow pegasus with a few tears running down her cheek but a smile of forgiveness shone through.
“Oh, hi there, didn’t notice you. Um anyways, I am not expecting you to actually be my guide to the Ghastly Gorge, plus I bet you are confused as to why I would lie about talking to you on the phone earlier. I’m not one for being the center of attention either, so I tend to just speak my thoughts out loud, even if they don’t make a lot of sense. So I had to come up with something to diffuse the pressure put on me by my peers and I used you to do that.”
Her tears faded as my explanation of my attitude grew more into one-sided conversation about myself.
“I’ll do it.” She softly interjected into my never ending nervous wreck of an apology.
“Wait what?” I clearly heard what she said, I’m more hoping for a why she would even want to do something this crazy.
“I’ll be the guide to your trip.” Her words were even softer than the warm summer breeze blowing through my short mane cut from just outside her cottage.
“You know you don’t have to do this right? I was simply trying to make a joke during my presentation. I already know the way myself in fact.” Well there goes the stupidest thing I’ve let leave my lips all day. I haven’t the slightest clue where it is, I just know it’s around Ponyville.
“Oh, I’m sorry… my friend Rainbow Dash is always telling me to be more assertive so here goes nothing, I don’t care; I want to go on the trip with you guys. Sorry…”
Almost felt like we both looked away at the same time to try to think of what to say next. The silence was unbearably long; generally in situations like this I would chime in with a non sequitur, but that would make me look like a jerk again.
“Alright, you’re hired. Let’s meet up with my crew back at the library.” Her shocked smile jumped from her face onto mine as if it was contagious. She has no idea what she is getting herself into, and to be honest, neither do I.
---
Damn it I'm tired. You would think that as a geologist I should have at least exercised regularly to do hikes like this but I am way to unmotivated to make myself fit. Feels like we've been hiking for days even though only a few hours ago this pink and yellow pegasus was just convincing me to bring her along. We need to pick up the pace though, it will be a nightmare having to set up camp after dusk. Oh Celestia I'm hungry now too.
"Hey, Fluttershy?" Those words were an attempt to grasp for air as my exhaustion starting getting the best of me. "Do you just love nature a lot or do you like to take pity on earth ponies?" I'm such a jerk, and man I hope she is a nature nut. Maybe she has a sense of humor, I'm sure it doesn't look like I do.
"Oh, well, umm I've always loved taking care of Equestria's little creatures. I tend to stay out of places like the Everfree forest though, it's far too scary for pony like me." It amused me that she would think of herself as a scardy pony, yet I think she's the only one on this trip not terrified of the strange things that exist in Ghastly Gorge. Just thinking about the known harsh places like the windy cavern, the large fields of bramble bushes, and worst of all, the Quarray Eels that inhabit the steep cliffs, makes me really reconsider this expedition.
"That's neat." There you go Boulder, be the minimalist you always have been. It's still several hours from the camp site and I have a duty to keep this conversation going.
"So you take care of animals in your cottage? That would explain that 'super friendly' bunny I was greeted with earlier." I still remember that little guy's face, I might have been more scared of it than this trip but I'd never admit it.
"Oh yes, my cottage is full of all sorts of animals that I care for." She paused for a moment and looked back to me. I was probably too deep in my own thoughts about that evil bunny to consider what my facial expression looked like, but whatever it was Fluttershy giggled at it.
"Oh but Angel Bunny is always with me, he doesn't get along too well with strangers though."
That was an understatement, but at least I know if I stay friends with this graceful mare I will have to deal with that Devil Bunny.
"Oh um, Twilight told me something about you being a geolog... geograph... geo-sorry. Well we don't have a university in Ponyville so I'm not entirely sure what it is you do... that is, if you don't mind me asking."
Could she be more apologetic, if it wasn't for her looks she would have driven me crazy hours ago.
"Well yes, I'm a geologist, you can think of me and my crew as people who love getting our hooves dirty in rocks. I'm actually a structural geologist, like that means anything to you right now. Anyways my specialty is large rock features mainly, such as the Ghastly Gorge. I plan on writing a paper to be published in the GeoPony Journal of Science about this place. In fact, doing so will be a huge boost to my status at the university as well as the department will receive more funding, which is always important, were kind of in dire need of it truth be told, not a whole lot of geologic activity happens in Equestria so our department is small. This 'Ghastly Gorge' is the break we have been looking for."
Well there we go, I knew the moment we asked about my work I could just blab forever. Only thing I love more than my university studies is the fact that my own cutie mark is a...
"Woah where did the time go? The sun is already setting. Fluttershy, are we close to the site yet?"
"Oh yes, it's just around this bend." She looked more down than usual the moment she said that. Wonder what she could be sad about now. I should probably ask, I am always sympathetic with my closest friends anyways, so I can theoretically get close to a stranger. Damn it Boulder just ask the question and stop worrying.
"You want to camp out with us? I had a lackey bring an extra tent just in case a bear or something decided to eat one of us and run off with it." I so hope she laughs at that sarcasm, otherwise this would just get awkward. The thought of a bear doing that is too real to just joke it off though.
"Oh you wouldn't mind? I don't want to get in the way of your work. It's just your love for rocks reminds me of my love for small creatures, so I'm far too curious to be scared right now. " Wow, alright Boulder if you play your cards right you can retire and live just like her, taking care of pet rocks in your little cottage. Wait that all sounds super crazy, but then it hit me, we are actually very alike, and I'm way too much of a jerk for me to let her know how I feel. Doesn't look like she minded the possibility of a bear visit though.
"Well, I do actually mind a little, but other's safety is higher priority than my own for the next three weeks so if you stay I will have no choice but to put those pretty wings of yours to work, you are the only pegasus here after all." It isn't like I mind that she is going to be another body I have to feed and look after, I mind because I don't want to actually force her to work with any of us, but I have no choice.
"Oh, well umm, yes sir!" Damn she is too cute.