CSR Brush Pony

by shysage

Chapter 4, Unwinding

This is Fluttershy again. I guess this chapter is mine too. These new Brush Ponies, they wanted to spend the night at my house with my Sis there too! Shyna and Ariel were having a lot of fun with the Brush Pony foal, Arianna. It was getting dark, and we all snacked quite a bit on the way home, well to my Cottage. The stallion and mare looked around them constantly though, especially as darkness loomed. I think they really wanted to be indoors, or for my Sis to show up. They seemed; well I felt fear. This was easily understandable since Cougars had almost killed the three of them that morning. My sister Summer had rescued them.

Summer and Shysage landed in the clearing around my Cottage as the rest of us walked up the hill. I couldn't help it; I ran up and hugged my sister and we cried together for a few minutes. While we cried together, Shysage walked over to the Brush Pony stallion, and put his head next to the stallion's. I think they felt together too. Then Shysage pulled his head away, and said quietly friend. The Brush Pony stallion bowed his head a little, then said the same thing. Still wiping away a few tears, Summer next walked over to the Brush Pony mare, and the two of them sensed together again, then hugged. Well, the Brush Ponies weren't afraid any more, anyway. I wasn't either.

I usually keep a fire going in my fireplace all the time. It was the middle of summer, and we didn't need the heat. But we use the fire for cooking, lighting lamps and stuff. Between Shyna, Ariel and I, we try to keep that fire going. If it goes out during the summer, it is not too much of a problem. We just ask a Unicorn from town to come light it for us. Losing our fire is a little more of a problem during the winter. But when we all went into the house, Shyna and Ariel did what they usually do, flopped down in front of the fireplace. They usually spend hours there in the evening talking, practicing Old Pony or whatever, even if there is no fire! They seldom run out of stuff to talk about. But that night, they motioned Arianna right in between them, and the three of them just kept talking, laughing, learning new words...

As Shysage tended to the small fire, the rest of us laid on our bellies sort of in a row, behind the 3 girls in front of the fire. It was the Brush Pony stallion then mare, then Summer, then me. We just watched Shyna, Arianna and Ariel for a long time. Well, it was clear that the mare, and probably the stallion were trying to listen and learn words as they could. This was probably not too hard; Shyna and Ariel carefully repeated new words, then smiled as Arianna worked on learning them. The mare and stallion were learning them too.

After putting some wood on the fire, Shysage laid on his belly near the Brush Pony stallion. Shysage said quietly "Shysage", then bowed his head low briefly. The Brush Pony stallion seemed to know, and then did the same thing. I think he is sensitive too. He said his name (I think) quietly, to Shysage, "Ma-gane", then the stallion also bowed his head low briefly. Neither stallion said much else, but that didn't surprise me.

Maybe an hour later, I noticed that both Summer and the mare were smiling lovingly at their daughters; Summer at Ariel, and the mare at Arianna. Both sensitive mares quickly sensed that in each other. And without asking, both put their heads together, and smiled. Then Summer motioned towards Ariel, and said quietly "Ariel", and the mare practiced until she said it correctly.

Then the mare motioned towards her foal and said "Arianna", and Summer said that back then smiled. The mare looked at Summer with a quizical look on her face, and I guess Summer felt why. I did too. I let Summer answer. "Daughter" Summer said, then the mare practiced that word.

And, I knew this was coming. The mare motioned towards Shyna, then looked at me. I managed to say "Shyna", then began to cry. Shyna, well I adopted her, but I really love her as a daughter. In the Past, she was a beat up, abandoned cast off, but a very sensitive mare like me. I absolutely had to rescue her. Getting her here is a long, long story. Shyna really is like a daughter to me. Well, we love each other a lot. That whole thing made me cry. I just didn't know how I would ever try to explain, or even feel that to this mare. But Shyna felt every bit that I did right then, and jumped up, and pulled me into a tight hug, and we cried together. Like I said, we love each other a lot. She really is my daughter.

Summer tried to help me, and explain for me. She was certainly feeling with me, what I felt. Summer put her head down next to the Brush Pony mare, and then quietly said "abandoned". Well, I guess the mare sensed, then quickly realized, probably mostly felt how things were. She looked at me, then smiled. Wiping tears away, I did too. I was so glad Shyna was with me. Having her here with me was a miracle if there ever was one.

But, while the mare and I were smiling, Summer stopped talking, she stopped smiling. My Sis was quickly fighting back tears. Well, I knew why. She started crying. I think she and Shysage, they both feel... abandoned... Ariel felt this in her mom too, and she jumped up and was quickly hugging, crying with Summer. That made me cry too, and Shyna... We cried together for a little while. We didn't say anything. Maybe we couldn't. Maybe we weren't allowed to say anything...

When we managed to calm down, Arianna was laying up against her mom, yawning. Shyna gently bumped Arianna's nose with hers, and Arianna giggled. Then Shyna and I headed upstairs, to our beds. Summer, Shysage and Ariel found a quiet spot on the floor near the front door, and were soon asleep, right next to each other. The Brush Ponies stayed where they were near the fireplace, and talked a while. The mare was working some more on learning our words, but from Arianna now. That sounded like family fun, and the stallion practiced new words too. I fell asleep before they were done.

But it seemed to me that, since this morning when Summer first brought the Brush Ponies to my Cottage, the three of them seemed a lot calmer now. I was not surprised I guess. But I supposed we would need to find out why at some point.

I must have been tired, and slept in some the next morning. Shyna was already awake and downstairs. I could hear, Shyna and Ariel were back in front of the fireplace with Arianna, talking quietly, laughing together. When I got down the stairs, I found out what I had guessed; Summer and Shysage had already left. They were probably walking back to their trees, and would fly together like they always do in the mornings. I tried not to cry. I laid on my belly next to the Brush Pony mare. She looked at me, smiled, then said haltingly "Summer... back... night..." I sighed at this. I would see my Sis again tonight at least. That meant a lot to me.

There was a knock at the door, and I let Princess Twilight, Filia and Fiona in. Filia and Fiona are twin, magically gifted Unicorn mares with fiery red mane and tail. They were sort of abandoned too, and Princess Twilight adopted them. Filia and Fiona joined Ariel and Shyna right away, and got introduced to Arianna. Then they all talked and laughed together for a while. I was still standing, so Princess Twilight laid on her belly next to the mare. Princess bowed her head slightly, then quietly said "friend." Both the mare and the stallion said friend quietly back.

The mare thought briefly, then said, again haltingly "Walk... today..." She didn't raise her voice at the end, but this was surely a question. Princess understood, then smiled at the mare and nodded.

And I answered Princess' question before she even asked. "Princess, Shyna and Ariel are teaching words to Arianna so fast, then Arianna teaches them to mom and dad." Princess Twilight understood then smiled.

The Brush Pony mare evidently understood most of what I told Princess Twilight. Looking at the girls in front of the fireplace, the mare smiled. "Daughters" she said lovingly. That made me want to cry again. And maybe even Princess Twilight felt that.

It was quiet briefly, then the mare and stallion got up. Then the mare looked at her daughter and said "Arianna, walk." Arianna got quickly up, but then looked at both Ariel and Shyna.

All four girls got up, then took turns hugging Arianna. "We are all walking!" Fiona said, and that was that. Five talking, laughing girls went out first, then the Brush Pony mare and stallion. I reminded a frowning Angel to be good, then I followed Princess Twilight out. We were quickly in the meadow behind my house. We all had breakfast, the Brush Ponies on broad-leaf plants, and us ponies on oats and grass. Then we all drank some water from the creek that runs behind my Cottage. Then we all wandered slowly and aimlessly in the meadow. We all stayed together, but Shyna, Arianna, Filia, Fiona and Ariel stayed close and just had a lot of fun welcoming Arianna, the Brush Pony foal, into life in Equestria. Arianna's mom and dad listened carefully and practiced a lot of new words when Arianna did. Princess Twilight was carefully watching all of this, probably making mental notes as she could. I just followed everyone around, and occasionally helped the mare with a new word.

In the warmth of the afternoon, Arianna took a nap up against her mom, in the shadows of a bush for a while. Princess Twilight explained the Brush Pony name to the girls, and Arianna's mom smiled and nodded. I guess that was fine with her. While Arianna napped, we all took a break and rested. The 4 girls talked quietly together the whole time.

The entire day was like that. Filia, Fiona, Shyna and Ariel talked non-stop, even when Arianna napped. But as soon as Arianna was awake, she rubbed her mom's nose, then jumped back in with them. Each of us stopped and nibbled when we wanted. And, as the day progressed, the Brush Pony mare asked me more questions about words. Princess Twilight often answered; she knows a lot more than I do. It was fine.

And, as the sun headed for the trees, the mare asked quietly "Summer... Cottage... Tonight?' The mare even raised her voice carefully at the end, it was a question. Princess smiled, and nodded yes. That made me smile too. Of course, Rainbow Dash found us soon after (probably thanks to Pinkie Pie), then flew off to let Summer and Shysage know. When we got to my Cottage, Princess Twilight, Filia and Fiona hugged everypony then headed to the Castle. Rainbow flew back to us with Summer and Shysage, everypony hugged everypony again, then Rainbow headed off for what little more flying she could do. Summer and I hugged right away, then Summer hugged the Brush Pony mare. Our evening together went the same as yesterday. Arianna, Shyna and Ariel talked and laughed together until late. Then we all went to sleep.

Princess Twilight and I decided this was a good place for me to stop. The next day went a little differently...

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