//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 - To teach a pony, new tricks. 
// Story: My Shy Little Friend - Living in Equestria 
// by ChromeRegios 
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As I was sleeping peacefully that night, I was woken up by a whimper beside me… I lazily opened my eyes and looked to the source of the sound, only to find Fluttershy was the one who’s making that sound.

She seems to be having a nightmare based on her body movements.  I held her hoof in an attempt to calm her down, which apparently worked for some reason.

By that time I couldn’t sleep anymore. It was already 4:56, nearly 5:00 AM in the morning. It was still a bit dark, but dawn soon came around. Celestia woke up earlier as usual to tend to her duties as a princess ruler of her land.

By looking at the sun slowly rising, it made me wonder of something logical. I know for a fact that the sun is not being moved by an entity or Celestia in that matter, but the world was rotating itself instead of the sun, in retro spec the sun is impossible to move, the moon might have a chance of being moved by, but the sun is literally in the realm of fantasy when it comes to moving it. 

Then again, I kept telling myself I’m in another world so if I tell this to the princess it might become an offence which she might do something unpleasant to me.

I need to stop observing things that way I used to here… It’s giving me a head ache.
I watched Fluttershy slept through the remaining hours of her slumber until she woke up at around 7:30 as usual.
“Good morning, sunshine.” I greeted her, she smiled at me as she stretched herself and gave me a hug.

“Good morning, dad.” She greeted back. “How was your sleep?”

“Let’s just say, I kept watch on you half way through…” I said to her jokingly.
She laughed a bit then got up from bed. “I’ll make breakfast now…” She said which made me get up as quick as she could earlier.

“Uhh… I think I should do it, shy. After all you’re still learning.” I said to her, hoping she would reconsider.

“Please, dad. I want to cook for you… please?” She begged at me while doing the “puppy dog eyes”. 

I tried to resist the sheer cuteness of her, but I failed miserably… I can’t believe for the first time in my life I was bested by those eyes, yet back in my world if my sister did that I would just shunned her out.

“Alright… just don’t make a mess, okay?” I said to her, giving her permission to cook. She smiled with glee and went down with much anticipation.

Thinking she might do right this time, I stayed at the bed room and made our bed and cleaned the room after forgetting to do so yesterday.

After some time, I was lifting some make shift weights that I made a week earlier. I may be living in a girl-like fantasy world, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to work out every once in a while. I was nearly at 25 when Rob called out to me from outside. I stopped what I was doing and looked out to say hello.

“Yo, sup Rob!” I yelled out.

“Chris! Me and Dashie are going to Twilight’s library for her birthday! Maybe you and Shy would like to come!” Rob invited, while Dash was nodding at me, hoping I would say yes to them.

“Alright, but I need to wait until Shy finish cooking breakfast!” I said to the two.

“Breakfast? It’s already 10 in the morning; you mean to tell me you haven’t eaten your breakfast yet?” He chuckled.

“Yeah, well she insisted… I couldn’t say no to her now can I?” I said to them sheepishly.

“Shy? Cook? This I gotta see!” Dash said wanting to see how Shy had improved her cooking skills lately.

“Sure, I’ll be down in a minute…” I said to them as I put my clothes on and went down to meet the two.
It’s a miracle that Rarity made me clothes which she never made one for a human such as Rob and me, but she is the greatest tailor in town, so I should be thankful that she was able to make such clothes for us, and not like those posh like dresses she use to wear with the girl ponies…

As I went down the flight of stairs, my nose soon smells an aroma that I have never smelled before… it’s kind of heavenly but 
at the same time, different. Then I asked myself ‘Is she cooking meat or something?’ if she is, why? I thought ponies never ate meat. I was gonna find out anyway, so I just went to the door and let the father and daughter in.

“Sorry for intruding!” Dash said as she flies off to the kitchen where Shy is in. Rob then went in as well.

“Sorry about Dash, you know how she is about stuff that she wants to see then believe later…” Rob said with a smile on his face.

“You and I both, Rob. Besides that’s how Fluttershy is as well…” I said breaking on a laughter as well. 

“So, is Shy really cooking? No offence but after last time she cooked, your house nearly got burned, right?” Rob said, reminding me of that near death experience 6 months ago.

“Yeah, no kidding…” I said smuggingly.

“What is she cooking anyway?” Rob asked further.

“I dunno, maybe meat, or~”

“Meat? You know ponies never kill and eat meat remember?”

“I know, I already thought of that… but just smell the air, isn’t it like the smell of meat to you?”
Rob then took a whiff, and sure enough it is smelled like meat. “Holy smokes, your right!”
Rob and I exchanged gazes and then thought that she may be cooking meat! Then we both went silent for a bit.

“Awkwaaaaard~” I said, breaking the silence. Just as I said that, Shy called out to us.

“Dad! Uncle Rob! Lunch is ready!” Shy called us. Both me and him looked at each other then back at the kitchen.

“Shall we?” I asked.

“Lead the way~” Rob replied, as I went to the kitchen first. What I saw was nearly stunning and amazing at the same time… There in the middle of the table was a pot filled with different kind of vegetables mixed with Okra, Eggplants, Beans and other stuff. In our world, we call it “Pinakbet” or Mixed Gumbo… It was like a blast from the past as I barely remember eating this with my parents.

“How… how did you know how to cook this, Fluttershy?” I asked, wanting to know how she made it in the first place.

“W-well, when I was at your house, I read some of your fathers cooking books… I saw this dish and well I just thought I make it for you~” She said, as she blushed and hides under her wings… 

“It’s~ It’s wonderful, Shy… thank you…” I said to her, spreading my arms for a hug. She immediately went through my embrace, hugging her tightly as she reminded me what my father used to cook for me and my mother when I was a young kid.

“Well what are we waiting for? LET’S DIG IN!” Dash said excitingly.

“Okay, alright… let’s eat then…” I said to them.

“Oh, I need to feed the animals first… Just go on and eat without me…” She said, knowing that her animals were her first priority I just nodded and puts her down to do her duties… Fluttershy went to get some bag of food for her animals and went outside.

“Well guys… help your selves…” I said to them then the three of us took a seat, got some rice, and puts in the gumbo along with the rice.

As we smell the sweet aroma one last time, the three of use sank out teeth to the sweet smelling food and chewed…
At that very moment, the room became silenced… the three of us sat there motionless, unblinking and stunned…

“I never thought, my life would end this way…” I said to myself…

“This was a day not to remember…” Rob said to his mind.

“My gut, is gonna blow…” Dash said to herself.
The three of us, with one last breath entered our noses… we spit out the horrible taste in our mouths.

“HOLY JEEBUZZ!! WHAT THE HAY IS THAT TASTE!!! IT BURNS!!!”  I said fire nearly blowing out of my mouth.

“That~ that feeling! IT’S HORRIBLE!!!” Dash said flying around with her mouth wide open.

“I’M GONNA DIE! I’M GONNA DIE!!” Rob said holding his throat while rolling on the floor gasping for air. 
I gathered my strength and took a bucket of water and shoved my head to it! Dash and Rob soon joined me in the dunk. I was the first one to pop my head out for a gasp of air.

“The buck was that?! How could something smell so good and look so delicious that has a taste to kill an elephant!” I asked nearly an impossible question on how this dish became so deadly.

Rob looked up to the counter and spots jars of the ingredients used on the dish lined at the table. “Hey, look at these!” Rob said as he went to the jars, I followed later as did Dash.

“What in the hay are these?!” I said in shock as I read the label on each jar. “Oregano, pepper, salt, dish washer, hot sauce, powdered sugar, fertilizer?!” I nearly puked all what I have ate in the past 5 weeks upon reading those.
But my thoughts soon went on Fluttershy… if she finds this out that she made a horrible, killing, mystery food X, she’ll be saddened by this and might break her fragile innocent heart…

My mind is now working faster than ever, how I can save Fluttershy’s feelings by just simply making this edible… Then it just hit me… I’ll remake the dish myself before she comes back from her errands.

“Dash, keep Fluttershy busy outside, can you do that?” I asked her which she complies immediately.
Rob spots my facial expression. “I know that look… what are you planning Chris?” He asked me with a curious thought…

“I’m gonna save her feelings, that’s what!” I said to him, with much determination.

“I quickly asked him to get the necessary ingredients. Such as okras, tomatoes, eggplants, string beans, and spices. I quickly got to work, as my hands were fast as lightning chopping and stirring the soup and the vegetables all together. Rob watched me in amazement, never seen me cook in person. I may not be a boastful one… but when it comes to cooking, my father’s blood runs through my veins which also makes me part of his legacy.

Dash tries all the excuses on the book to distract Fluttershy from entering the house, but after 50 attempts later, Fluttershy finally went inside the house. Dash gave a whistle to indicate she’s already inside the house. I quickly finished the final part of the gumbo, and set it on the table… I quickly carried the pot of the Mystery Food X outside and jumped it on a pit. It hurst me inside to do this thing on something Fluttershy did with all her heart, but this was really not edible for both human and equines…In went back inside just in time as Fluttershy entered the kitchen.

“Sorry I’m late… the animals were so happy that they got their belly’s filled…” She smiled on her deed, which she was proud of. “Oh, I thought you already started eating?” Shy said, wondering why we haven’t started eating, which she said earlier that we should start without her. I quickly made a simple excuse.

“Well, you see… we wanted you to join us on our meal… Filipinos eat together and stays together remember?” I reminded her, which she nodded understanding what I have said. “So… Shall we eat then?” Fluttershy floats to a chair, and sits beside me while Dash did the same to her father. Without further wait we all started to eat.

But this time… the reaction was different, it was satisfying… and quickly erased the taste from earlier. Shy could barely believe herself; she thinks she did a good job on what she made. We all praised her for a job well done. But the three of us know the truth, that we dumped the food she made and made another instead of hers to be eaten. 

I felt really bad about lying on Fluttershy… but what else could I do? I’m sure Rob would do that same if Rainbow Dash could not cook this well… By the time we finished, it was almost party time… but all of us were already full.

“Ohh~ Celestia… I can’t move!” Dash said, as she slumps on the chair.

“It’s your fault! You ate all the okras, and the eggplants!” Rob said to her teasingly.

“But it was so good!!” She yelled.

“Well, as full as we all are… we can’t let the birthday girl waiting now can we?” I said to them as they all nodded in agreement with me.

“Shy, you go ahead and go with them; I need to clean up first…” I said to her, as I took the plates and put them on the sink.

“Alright, daddy.” She said with a smile as the three of them walked out of the door and to Twilight’s Library.
Now, I stood there alone… thinking what I just done. Lying to her was something I solemnly did ever since I hid her from public back in my world. But what else could I do? I can’t just let her eat the food she made which the three of us nearly got poisoned!  I had no choice, it was the right thing! But why am I so guilty? Why this feeling of guilt eating me alive?! Is it because she’s kind and innocent, or is it because she never lied to me once? Either way, I don’t remember what’s making me feel this way on lying to her. 

“No! She must never know of this…” I said to myself, nearly sounding like I killed someone. Fluttershy is just too good for me to hurt her feelings… if someone is going to hurt her feelings it’s not going to be me… I just want her to be happy every now and then. But I wonder… is this becoming an obsession on my affections towards my daughter?
I hope I don’t regret this lie I made upon doing so…