Six mares and a dragon stared at Fluttershy’s toilet, each with their own varying reactions, while Allan sat like a scolded dog in the corner, feeling humiliated by his traitorous body, and even more embarrassed that Twilight was already gathering samples for her to work with.
Pinkie was looking at one of the globs of glowing goo that Twilight had put in a bag already, batting it with her hoof like a cat with a ball of yarn. Rainbow looked disgusted, and Rarity seemed to be doing her best impression of one of her boutique’s ponyquinnes. Twilight was ecstatic, being able to investigate something new and almost completely unknown, while Applejack seemed curious. Fluttershy did very little, and her reaction to the potentially busted toilet was met with only slightly forced kindness.
“So you said you haven’t needed to go to the bathroom once since you got here?” Twilight asked Allan, voice afire with curiosity, and her happy eyes boring into his own from across the room.
“And it came out exactly like this?”
“Um… yeah. Just like that.”
“And you can sense emotions in it?”
“...Yeah…”
“How long beforehoof did you start feeling the need to do this?”
“Um, not until a few minutes before. Prior to that, I just felt…..bloated.”
“This is so fascinating!” Twilight exclaimed, letting out a little squee. The sound was one that made Allan nearly die of cute every time he heard it, especially when he saw the adorable expressions that accompanied the sound. “I get to study a species we know so little about! This is the best day ever!”
Allan scowled at that, but managed to hide it by turning his head away from the Princess. The Pink terror managed to notice it anyway.
Now, Pinkie Pie is well known as the mare who frequently ignores reality, pulling hats out of bunnies and literally falling into pieces and putting herself back together again on a whim. And all of that energy and reality breaking absurdity is primed to go off at any moment, especially when Pinkie Pie sees someone looking down.
Allan really should have seen it coming, but he didn’t. He missed the warning signs.
“Hey! I know just how to cheer you up!” Pinkie said with a grin. “A PARTY!”
Before anyone could see what she did, the pink pony’s short forelegs suddenly stretched so far that they hit the wall, then inexplicably pulled that wall, and the entire room, away, depositing the eight of them slap bang in the middle of an energetic party, with half of ponyville crowding into the building known as Sugarcube Corner. The other ponies, each having lived with Pinkie for years, knew not to question or protest over the sudden change of scenery. Even Twilight, who ravenously tore apart things using logic and science, merely sighed, put her samples away, and trotted off to socialize.
Allan did not share that experience, instead trying understand how the laws of reality had just been so thoroughly violated.
“Wait-wha-hu wuh?” Allan exclaimed pointing back to where the room in Fluttershy’s had been just seconds before, waving his hooves back and forth, pointing alternately at the now vanished bathroom. “What the he -”
Pinkie cut him off before he could say the word “hell”, her hoof jamming into his muzzle. “No swearing Allan! The author doesn’t like it.” she said, before waving at a blank wall, a happy smile on her face.
Allan fell silent, his face flat and devoid of expression. “Whut?”
“Nevermind!” Pinkie grinned, as if she hadn’t just said something totally nuts. “This party is for you! Enjoy yourself!”
Despite the sudden arrival of a changeling, nopony seemed to have noticed, so Allan quickly shifted, adopting his pony guise with more than a little relief. He was just glad he hadn’t been spotted by anyone. He hadn’t met any of the other ponies in town except for the Apples, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Spoiled Rich, so he was once again amid a sea of strangers. It wasn’t a very nice feeling.
Still, parties were a great place to try and branch out and meet new people- err, ponies, so Allan guessed he should at least try, despite how overwhelmed merely being in one made him feel. He owed Pinkie Pie’s efforts at least that much, and close contact with her had left him buzzing with positive vibes, so it was worth a go or two. All he needed to do was find somepony that was open and inviting. He started walking through the room, past where Pinkie Pie was both juggling and eating cupcakes, much to Applejack and Rainbow’s amusement.
With spotlights for eyes, Allan sorted through the groups of ponies, his gaze finally settling on a pair of mares standing together, a mint green unicorn and a beige earth pony. They seemed nice enough.
“Um, hi!” He started off, trying to sound relaxed, and not quite managing it. “I’m Allan. What are your names?”
The beige mare looked at him with a slightly reserved expression, while the minty unicorn gave him a bright grin. “Hi! My names Lyra!” The joyful Unicorn chirped. “And this is my often grumpy roommate Bon Bon! Say hi, Bonnie!”
The calmer mare gave him a smile of her own, one that spoke volumes of both the mares patience and self control. “Hi. I’m Bon Bon. I own a candy store here in town. You need anything, you just ask, hon.” She extended a hoof in greeting, only for Lyra to jump at her.
“Urgh! Bonnie! I thought we agreed! No more business stuff when we go out!” Lyra pouted, making her eyes both big, and angry. Bon Bon casually brushed her off with a hoof, a playful smirk on her muzzle.
“Later Ly. Can’t you see this nice young stallion wants to talk, not listen to us argue?” At the words young stallion, she gave him a look that made him feel a little uncomfortable. Lyra just groaned, slapping a hoof over her face.
“So, where are you from... Allan?” The changeling was surprised that she was only acknowledging the strange name, and not calling him out on it. Of course, saying that he was from another world was a definite no, or else he risked his nightmarish fantasies of the potential consequences coming true, though being chased with pitchforks and torches was rather cliché, as was winding up in a mental ward.
Instead, Allan went for a logical explanation. “From a farm out near…” He paused, just for a second, trying to find a suitable place name that he knew. He recalled a town that actually fitted with his accent, and quickly repeated the name. “Trottingham.” From what he knew of the place, he knew it was far removed from here, having been built on an island out in the strait that separated Equestria from Griffonstone.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t pick up on his bullshit.
“Huh.” Bon Bon said, as Lyra continued to grump. “Do you know Time Turner? He’s the stallion over there with the spiky mane and the hourglass cutie mark. He’s from Trottingham too.”
Allan had deliberately said farm outside of Trottingham for a reason. “No, sorry, I don’t. I didn’t go into town much, so I barely knew anypony.” Allan thanked himself for not slipping up and saying “Anyone”. That could give him away. “About the only pony I knew was an old mare who sold flowers on the street.” Every city had someone like that, selling knick knacks from a street corner, so it was a safe bet to go with.
“Oh. Was the old mare nice?”
“She was okay. She could be crabby at times, but that was just old age, I think.” Allan reveled in the yarn he was telling, threading together a story from nothing like that. Even better, the mare was buying it! It was like the old adventures he would come up with with his friends, but even more than that…. It felt nice. He was just talking, bonding. Like he was normal.
“So what did you farm?” Allan was glad she’d asked that. He’d read up about so much already that he knew that Trottingham and Griffonstone had a trade agreement which involved the rearing and selling of various animals to the carnivorous Griffons.
“Actually, it was what’s called a fish farm. We breed and sell fish to the Griffons. It’s, uh, quite lucrative.” On a small Island, that sounded plausible. “I never found it all that great, and…” He looked down to his bare flank. “I never found anything worth doing for the rest of my life there.”
Bon Bon’s eyes widened, finally noticing the missing mark. A stallion of his age should have one by now.
“You don’t have a-” A beeping sound from a pair of saddlebags leaning up against the wall drew her attention, and she apologized. “Sorry, but that could be important.”
Allan shrugged. He was used to that sort of thing back home, so he just assumed that ponies had some sort of messaging system too. Perhaps some sort of enchantment on a pair of objects? That might explain it, though it wouldn’t account for the stare he was getting from Bon Bon as she looked between him and whatever it was she was holding.
He instead decided to talk to Lyra. “Hey, it’s fine you know, her talking about business I mean. i’m just happy somepony is talking to me at all.”
That seemed to cheer her back up a bit, so Allan felt a little pleased. “So, what do you do Lyra?”
“Oh, I’m a musician!” She grinned at him, a mad gleam in her eyes. “I specialize in stringed instruments, but the Lyre’s always gonna be my baby!”
“That’s cool!” Allan exclaimed, this time in all honesty. “I always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, but my parents said lessons would be too expensive.”
“Really? That’s rude of them.” Lyra said, indignantly. “Most artists don’t ask for that much.” Bon Bon’s flat expression behind Lyra said otherwise. “I know! How about I teach you?”
Allan felt his heart leap. “Really! I’d love to learn!”
“Great! How’s every Saturday for you?”
“Oh…. um, actually, I’d have to ask about that, but I’ll let you know when I have found out, okay?”
“Okay!” Lyra squealed happily, bounding in place as Bon Bon rejoined them. “Oooh! I’m already so excited!”
“Really?” Bon Bon feigned surprise. “I couldn’t tell.” She turned her bright blue eyes to Allan, though they weren’t quite as friendly as before. Her tone of voice was unchanged, but Allan could taste the foulness of distrust in the air about her, coupled with suspicion. “Just swing on by my sweet shop when your lessons start. Lyra’s been wanting to teach somepony to play lately, so I’m gonna make something as thanks for making her happy.”
Although Allan could sense some hidden intent behind those words, he didn’t let his mask slip. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you do t hat. I already feel like I’m imposing on this town enough!”
“No no.” Bon Bon smiled, though her eyes still retained that distrust. “It’s on the house. Every new pony gets a welcome gift.”
“Just like Pinkie’s parties, I take it?” Allan smirked. “Everypony gets one, whether they want to, or not.”
Bon Bon’s eyes narrowed slightly at that. Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say? He refrained from explaining what he meant because in every movie, Tv show, game and book he’d ever seen, explanations always sounded like justifications, backtracking, or excuses. There was no sense in digging a deeper grave for himself.
“So….” Allan started. “What do you guys do for fun around here?”
The two grinned at one another. “Well, the fun usually comes in the form of big monsters or catastrophe’s every other week. You’re gonna have a lot of fun here.”
As bad as the stories his friends had told him had been, the notion of frequent, destructive events had his ears folding back in dread. Ponyville was that bad? Nah, it couldn’t be, or Fluttershy wouldn’t live here. If Fluttershy could live here, so could Allan Ryder!
The disguised Changeling grinned. “I think I’ll be fine. I’m friends with the elements…” Rainbow Dash wasn’t exactly a friend yet…. “Most of them, at least.”
The two mares laughed. “Then you’d better get used to weirdness danger. Most of anything that happens around here happens to them.”
Oh, like weird and dangerous were unknowns to Allan. The stallion held back a chuckle. “Well, looks like I’m in for a ride then!”
*****************
As parties went, Allan had to admit that the party he had broken the laws of physics to get to wasn’t all that bad. The food was great, the company, consisting of ponies and a single zebra who Twilight and Fluttershy introduced as Zecora, was pretty relaxed, and interesting. Zecora was nice, though she tended towards lyrical, rhyming speech more often than not. If anything, it was something that made her all the more unique and memorable. She had the air of one who has acquired wisdom, calm and content with herself and the world around her. She was also something of a kindred spirit, being an outsider among ponies.
With the intent of socializing, Allan acted as a satellite to the many planets. Each one was a group or pair, and the more Allan talked to, the more he understood about the unique culture of Ponyville. The tolerance and acceptance they all displayed allowed them to take chances and form relationships with one another, even when they seemed to be polar opposites. The duo of Vinyl and Octavia, a DJ and Cellist respectively, proved that immediately.
The two were amicable, but Allan could tell that they frequently annoyed one another. Despite that, their friendship seemed just as strong as the bond between Twilight and her friends. Lyra and Bon Bon were another example, with the excitable lyrist and the calm candy maker being friends that one wouldn’t usually expect. Allan smiled as he watched Vinyl, Octavia, Lyra, and, surprisingly, Rarity Big Mac, Fluttershy and Applejack, alongside two additional mares and a stallion, excitedly talking about something, occasionally glancing Alan's way. Twilight and Spike had retreated to a corner with the bags of changeling goo they had salvaged from Fluttershy’s toilet, the Princess’s intrigued gaze piqued the stallion’s interest, and he trotted over.
“Hello Princess.” He called in greeting. She looked up to him with a smile.
“Hi Allan. You don’t need to call me that, you know.”
“I …. Know. I just feel better knowing I’m not being disrespectful.” Allan winced as Twilight laughed.
“If anything, you not calling me Twilight more uncomfortable than not calling me Princess.”
Allan blanched, ears lowering. “Oh… I’m sorry, uh, Twilight…”
“It’s fine, just, try to stick to calling me Twilight, please.” The Princess smoothed her mane with a hoof, still taking notes with a quill held in her with her magic. “So, you wanted to talk to me?”
Oh, yeah, he had! “Yes. Yes I did! I wanted to ask what you’ve found out about my…. Uh, stuff.”
“Your….” She hoisted the bag up. “Stuff?”
“Yeah…” Allan rubbed a hoof on the back of his neck. “That.”
“Well, this… stuff of yours, as far as I can tell, holds quite some potential, but I can’t tell how much yet.”
“Oh…. okay.” That was, awkward, to say the least. Allan chewed his lip, and Twilight rubbed her left hoof with her right, glancing off to the side. “I’m gonna leave you alone forever now.”
Twilight watched as the stallion moved off, her violet gaze full of concern.
“Twilight?” Spike piped up, having watched the exchange without saying a word. “What was that about?”
“I’m… not sure.”
******************
Allan found the bakery door and slipped out, relishing the cool air of the waning day as Celestia lowered the sun from the sky. Allan watched as the moon rose, wondering how Luna was doing. She’d seemed nice, and… a little sad. Well, Allan wasn’t feeling quite so great himself. He’d refrained from eating during the party, even emotions. It always felt so wrong, even when it tasted good, like when you knew that the cookie you just had was someone else’s. Not eating had left him hungry, which, as it would anyone, and that was making him irritable and quite pensive. He stood in the street for a little while. There was no particular reason for him to do it, but he felt better with the cool evening breeze ruffling through his hair, even if this body was just some disguise. As the moon rose, Allan trotted off a bit, trying to find some out of the way spot for him to vent. The young changeling made his way quietly, before coming to a stop at the Ponyville Public Park.
There was a long, winding pathway running through it’s center, dotted with the occasional tree or bush, some backing park benches or carved statues. The light of the swiftly rising moon bathed all of it in pale, silvery light that cast deep shadows. Not a cloud could be seen in the sky. All in all, it was a beautiful night, coloured in bright whites, deep, navy blues, rich purples, formless blacks and the ever present silver. Contrast that with the deep brown of his disguises fur coat, and Allan felt he looked…. Kind of gross. Everything shone, glowing in their subtle beauty, while he remained the colour of mud.
His mind began to drift, going back where he could not. He pictured home, the familiar door frame and his father waving to him from the lounge window. He saw Katie coming over to visit, gifts in hand for her younger brother, a celebration of his high school graduation. He saw Anna, sitting beside him, game controller in hand, thrashing the pants off of him in Mario Kart. He saw his mom, holding her wounded son in a hospital gown, unaware of the monster in her arms. He saw Anna, tears in her eyes as Chrysalis cruelly broke up with her, for her own amusement. He saw his father, a vacant expression on his face as Chrysalis tortured him with his own memories. He saw his hometown, suppressed by the bug queen and her growing armies, a tall, spiralling, black tower reaching up from the city center, a laughing Chrysalis perched atop the throne built into it’s peak. He saw…..
“Oh, Allan….” Fluttershy’s quiet voice startled him, and he jerked back in surprise. He pivoted on the spot, and the familiar, long pink mane, baby blue eyes and soft yellow coat swam into focus.
“Flutters! I, uh… I was just…”
“Crying?” She asked, reaching out a hoof, to touch the tear that shone like crystal in the moonlight. She brushed the tear away, her hoof gentle and her coat soft. “Why were you crying?”
Like a child, his first instinct was to protect himself, and he moved his head away, eyes narrowing, as he tried to keep more tears from spilling out. “I wasn’t.” He snapped.
Fluttershy wasn’t convinced, and her hoof reached out again, this time to settle on his shoulder. Allan stiffened at the touch. It was a painless agony, that most gentle of physical contacts, but the barriers he kept desperately throwing up crumbled like stale bread, leaving him vulnerable. He didn’t want to feel vulnerable.
“It’s okay. You can tell me what’s wrong. I won’t tell anypony.” Her voice was a balm for him, gentle and soothing. Perhaps… perhaps he could tell her….
“I-I…..I…..” He struggled to even speak, tears of frustration and self doubt trying to escape the confines of his eyelids. He gulped, taking a deep breath. “I’m scared.”
“Why? What are you scared of?”
“Everything!” The dam burst. The words began to tumble out. “I’m scared for my family! My world! I’m scared of never seeing them again! I’m scared of just about everypony I meet finding out the truth! I’m scared that your Princess Celestia will despise me for being human! I’m scared all the time! And it never stops! I’m scared of sneezing because I might accidentally blow myself up! I’m scared my wings will give out the next time I fly! I’m scared of everything!” Tears flowed freely, and his voice turned raw. “And worst of all, I’m not even in a body I recognize as my own! I look in the mirror, and all I see is a GOD DAMNED FREAK!”
Fluttershy looked stunned. The creature before her was a broken thing. While he had managed to keep an air of calm about him, it was all a hoax, more to keep him from breaking than to keep anypony from seeing through the deception. The pain in his voice was something that Fluttershy had rarely heard, and it was one of the saddest things she would ever bear witness to.
“I’m a freak…” He murmured under his breath.
Fluttershy’s heart broke to see fresh tears start snaking down his face. She did not know why, but she reached out with caring hooves and raised his muzzle up to look him in the eyes. “Listen to me.” She spoke with a firmness rarely heard, her eyes glued to his. “You. Are. Not.
A. Freak."
“But I-”
“No buts!” Fluttershy’s voice never rose, but somehow, he couldn’t hear anything else, and those blue eyes were all he could see. “Listen to me! You are not a freak! You are one of the nicest ponies… um, changelings- that I’ve ever met! Yes! You’re a long way from home, but you have friends here! Friends who are trying to find a way to get you home or at the very least, give you a life here!”
The response of his tearful eyes told her everything. He wanted to go home. He wanted to know his family was safe.
Fluttershy did not know what else to. She threw her forelgs around him. She hugged him tight, afraid that he would shatter if she let go. A sob escaped him, his shoulders shaking. His forelegs slowly rose up to wrap around her waist, returning the hug.
*********************
Not so far away, two pairs of eyes watched the two figures perched atop a hill, framed by pale moonlight. The two were close enough to hear every word, and one mare nodded in confirmation of her suspicions.
“I knew it! He really is a changeling!” Bon Bon, or, rather, the mare known by that name, exclaimed in hushed, hissing tones. Lyra yawned, putting a hoof to her mouth to mask the sound.
“Bon Bon, cool it down. Let’s not go chasing after monsters where there are none. He’s not done anything wrong, except maybe lie a little. Plus, the elements seem to trust him.”
Bon Bon, or, Sweetie Drops, depending on who you asked, shot her friend a sharp look. “Just because they seem to trust him doesn’t mean squat! He could have hypnotised them!”
“I doubt it.” Lyra snorted. “I’ve been hypnotized before, and trust me, you don’t act normal.”
Bon Bon ignored her, instead peering out to the pair still sat on the hill. “Allan”, if that even was his real name, had pulled apart from Fluttershy, and was rubbing his eyes with a fetlock. The mare beside him seemed a little withdrawn, not saying a word and glancing at Allan in a look not all that dissimilar from curiosity.
From this distance, it was hard to tell, but Fluttershy was definitely interested in something about him, but her natural reservations held her back. Allan finished drying his tears and gave Fluttershy a thankful smile. The two began to talk aloud again, and Special Agent Sweetie Drops made sure she heard all of it.
********************
“Why do you think you’re a freak, Allan?” Fluttershy’s soft voice kept him from returning to the hysteria of before.
He breathed in, held that breath for a few moments, then breathed out. “Fluttershy…. Look at me. Really look at me. What do you see?”
“You know what? I see… somepony with... “ She pointed at his face. “Two eyes…. A mouth…. Two ears….and a nose, ah.” She booped his nose with a hoof. “Found it.” She offered a sweet smile, only for it to reverse when he spoke next.
“Flutters. That doesn’t help.” He said, moving away from her. “Yes, I got lucky. I still have eyes, and ears… but they’re not mine. I spent all my life with fingers, and toes, and feet! And small, round ears! And no tail!”
Fluttershy listened, letting him explain the reality of his fears without interruption.
“I feel useless, all the time, and…..” Blue fire enveloped him, revealing the changeling beneath the pony stallion he had pretended to be. His chitin glistened in the moonlight, and his blue eyes glowed softly in the shadows of his face. Their cool light was hypnotic, though Fluttershy was far more interested in hearing what more he needed to say. “I feel like I don’t belong anywhere anymore.” He hung his head sadly. “I’m a weird ex-human mutant bug-horse, and every day that goes by, I feel like my chances of getting home a growing slimmer and slimmer.”
“Twilight is trying-”
“I know she is, but it’s already been two weeks, and neither she or King Thorax have found anything that gets me closer to going home.”Allan cut Fluttershy off, but he wasn’t snappy or waspish in his tone. “That doesn’t bode all that well, especially since Earth is at the mercy of that…”
The stallion was about to swear, but he cut himself short when he remembered who he was talking to. He sighed, looking out toward the moon. “I just want my family to be safe, and for me to be able to go home and see them all again, even it was just once.’’
Fluttershy’s ears lowered. The idea of never seeing your family again was an idea she’d never wanted to give much thought, precisely because it was so heart wrenching. She had to get him to stop thinking that things were so bad…. But how?
The hug had been a good way to get him to open up, but now he needed something more.
Fluttershy thought long and hard. He needed someone he could trust. That required trust in return, and while her friends were welcoming, they hadn’t quite come to trust him yet. Not fully, anyway. Allan had told them so much about his world, and he had just shared his fears with her.
Someone to trust. And be trusted by.
Fluttershy knew what she was about to do was crazy. She’s never sung for anypony besides her friends and her animals before, but if she showed him she trusted him…
“Um…. I wanna share something with you….” She murmured, catching his attention. “I… I’ve never told anypony but my friends and my animals, but….I love to sing….”
The changeling stallion looked confused “Um… okay….?”
She winced. His drawn out pronunciation of the word making her afraid he’d laugh at her, but she had to try.
Raising her eyes up, looking at the large, pale moon hanging in the sky, she opened her mouth, and began to sing. At first, she did not say anything, just letting her voice fill the night. The notes were long, and bright. Then, words began to come to her.
“Today’s a memory,
In tomorrow’s melody.
The moon above is shining bright,
A pure and silver light.
Here we stand, just you and I,
There’s a life here for you, if you want to try.
Just you and I, here, if you want to try.
I know you feel heartache,
And you fear that you might break.
But take my hoof and hold it tight.
I promise that you’ll be alright.
Here we stand, just you and I
Saying there’s no hope is just a lie,
Just you and I, here, if you want to try.
You can tell me, you can trust me,
I promise that it’s true.
We can stand here, me and you,
Until the light of dawn breaks through,
We can stand here, just you and me and you.
We can stand here, just me and you……”
She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see his face break into laughter, or for him to say she was being silly. She heard nothing, and so risked opening an eye. He was still sat there, his eyes wide and mouth opened in slack jawed disbelief. Her large eyes lingered on his, before she let her mane fall limply back over them to cover them up.
Before the last strands of her mane could fall into place, Allan spoke.
“You make me feel better, you know.” Her head shot up, cheeks slightly flushed. “When we hang out… none of it seems quite so bad.” A lasting smile finally made it’s way onto his face. “I’m glad we’re friends.”
Fluttershy nearly squealed in joy. She’d done it! “I’m glad too. You don’t deserve being given a hard time for being a changeling.”
“Thank you. You’re really good at singing, you know.”
Fluttershy blushed, not used to hearing compliments. “T-thank you…. Um, do you sing?”
“Me? Sing? Um….” Allan wasn’t too confident in his singing voice. He’d only ever sung when he was alone, and always with a song accompanying him. Singing alone? Oof.. Well, Fluttershy had done it, so why not him?
He thought back over the songs he knew. Most of them were rock songs, or were…. A little vulgar or rude. What nicer songs did he even know? Um….oh…..yeah. That would do nicely.
“You and I must make a pact….
We must bring salvation back….
Where there is looove,
I’ll be there…”
Fluttershy leaned forward, ears tuned in to him now. His voice was youthful, and made for more than decent singing.
“I’ll reach out my hand to you,
I’ll have faith in all you dooo…
Just call my name,
and I’ll be there…”
Fluttershy listened to him. She really listened. His voice was haunted still, by the things that had happened, but that note it let him reach was perfect.
“Oooh woah, I’ll be there, to comfort you,
I’ll build my world of dreams around you,
I’m so glad that I found you, yeah.
I’ll be there, with a love so strong.
I’ll be your strength,
You know I keep, holding ooooon.”
Fluttershy felt a familiar tingle, the same one she felt whenever she and her friends sang together, having never rehearsed a song. She opened her mouth and began to sing.
“Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter!
Togetherness, well it’s all I’m after,
Just call my name, and I’ll be there!”
Allan looked at her in shocked awe, but he kept singing.
“I’ll be there to protect you, yeah,
With an unselfish love that respects you,
Just call my name, and I’ll be there.”
Fluttershy tuned in again, so that both of their voices were joined in song.
“I’ll be there, to comfort you,
I’ll build my world of dreams around you,
I’m so glad that I found you, yeah.
I’ll be there, with a love so strong,
I’ll be your strength, I know you keep holding oooon.”
Allan stopped singing, letting Fluttershy sing the next verse alone.
“If you should ever find someone new…
I know she better be good to you….
But if she doesn’t, I’ll be there.”
Allan began to sing again. The two were standing with their backs together now, raised up on their back hooves, wings splayed out wide.
“You and I must make a pact,
We must bring salvation back…
Where there is love…
I’ll be there.”
Although the song wasn’t done, the two dropped back onto their hooves, smiling happily at one another.
“I...uh, thanks.” Allan said. “That was nice… How did you know the words?”
Fluttershy wasn’t entirely sure herself. Twilight had explained it once, and the magical theory had gone right over her head. What little she did understand seemed to say that ponies and other equines possessed a shared lyrical understanding that allowed them to spontaneously sing, taking subconscious cues that told them what words, notes or beats came next.
“It’s a pretty long explanation...” Fluttershy cautioned.
Allan just shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, I’ve got time.” He folded his legs and laid down in front of her. For some reason, that made her happy.
*****************
“Did Fluttershy just sing? Twice?” Bon Bon exclaimed, her eyes wide.
“She’s got such a lovely voice!” Lyra crowed as she bounced around the inside of the thicket they were in. “Oh, I wanna have her sing along with my lyre now!”
“Cut it out! You’ll give us away!”
*****************
Twilight and the girls stood in awe, having hidden in some nearby trees so they could keep an eye on Allan and Fluttershy.
“Ah ain’t never heard that outta her before…” Applejack murmured, eyes wide and stetson in her hoof. “Ah dare say that was as good as Ra Ra!”
“And he wasn’t bad either!” Rarity crooned, the idea of somehow getting those two together already making her excited. “Did you hear that voice?”
“That was super duper good!” Pinkie squealed, as quietly as Pinkie could. “They were so great together!”
Rainbow had her eyes down, and said nothing, and Twilight was lost for words.
******************