//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Setting the stage. // Story: The new pony in town // by TheBrenelly200 //------------------------------// The party was great and was Timber's perfect opportunity to introduce his business to the citizens of Ponyville. It turns out that since the previous carpenter left the town, the demand for one increased dramatically. So that means that Timber moved, coincidentally, with perfect timing. Both during and after the party Timber got many potential clients and met a lot of ponies. He also danced a lot with many different ponies, but the one he enjoyed himself with the most was Fluttershy. The next day, he set to work with his first commission, a table and chairs set for the Cake family, the same that owned the place where the party had taken place. Having nothing else to do, Timber made quick work of his assignment and was ready that afternoon. Since he had been paid in advance, there was nothing else to do now but wait till somepony came to collect the merchandise. While he waited, Timber thought about the previous night and Fluttershy. To him it was pretty clear that he was at least attracted to her, but she was very shy and he didn't want to force her. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and, after answering, Timber found himself to the same mare he chatted with in the party, Rarity. "Hello Rarity, what brings you here?"- he greeted. "Hello darling, I came to tell you something."- she answered. "What is it?"- he asked calmly. "Well, I thought about what you told me yesterday, and told the girls, but not her."- she said. Timber's face went from pleased to horrified -"You told them? Now they will make fun of me and I will never get the chance with her!"- he said glaring at the mare. "Actually, we wanted to help you, we don't want Thunderlane to break Flutterhy's heart. So, will you come with me to my place, where the girls and I will give you advice?"- Rarity offered. "Um sure."- the disbelief was obvious in his voice -"On one one condition, you will not mock me of laugh at me."- he said firmly. "Of course, follow me."- and with that they parted. The walk to Carousel Boutique was really uneventful, as the marketplace was still buzzing with activity and neither pony attempted to start a conversation. Timber had a lot of questions, most concerning this Thunderlane guy, but hoped that he would be provided with an explanation in it's due time. Finally, as the boutique came in to view, Rarity pulled ahead and opened the door, letting him in, where Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie where sitting in some couches. "Where did Applejack go?"- the unicorn asked. "She had to go to her farm."- Twilight answered to Rarity and turned to Timber -"You are Timber, right?"- "Yes that's me, now can somepony tell mw what is going on and who is this Thunderlane?"- he said frustrated. "Well, Rarity here told us that you like Fluttershy, and judging by what we saw yesterday, it wasn't hard to notice by ourselves."- Rainbow said and smirked at his shocked face -"Don't worry, I don't think she did, anyway, Thunderlane is a pegasus that doesn't have the best track record when it's about relationships."- "Yeah, he had this relationship with a mare called Cloudchaser but that didn't end well. Nopony nows the complete truth but I heard that he was flirting with her sister, Flitter, but when she rejected him he broke her marefriend's heart and literally abandoned her in a lonely street of Cloudsdale, where she was beat up and almost killed, after that he supposedly blackmailed both sisters and walked away from the relationship with his reputation in ruins, in short, a bad situation for everypony involved."- Twilight explained. "So that's why we don't want him to do this to our friend."- Pinkie said, joining the conversation. "Which is why we will help you."- Rarity finished. "Well, this is a lot to consider, but what does she think?"- Timber asked. "Actually we aren't sure. I once even asked her what kind of stallions she was into and she didn't give me a definitive answer."- Rarity answered. For the next hour and a half they talked about that. He told them what he had done before and what he expected in a mare, but due to his inexperience (he had never been in a relationship) he wasn't very picky or demanding. The 4 mares told him all of the important details of their friend and told him to exercise caution if he ever encountered the stallion. It turned out that Thunderlane actually had seen them as well in the party and was very jealous and upset. After Timber said thanks and goodbye to the 4 mares he left the shop but was immediately stopped by an upset looking stallion. "Who are you and who do you think you are?"- he asked with fury. "My name is Timber Logwood and I just moved here from Canterlot, who are you?"- Timber answered calmly. "I'm Thunderlane and I was disturbed by seeing you yesterday dancing with a mare called Fluttershy."- he said with his fury growing. "Yeah well, what about it?"- the earth pony said with increasing annoyance. "Well I want you to know that she is mine and you can't interact with her."- Thunderlane said with a glare. "How can you say things like that, even if she is your marefriend you can't treat her like she is your property."- Timber said, now furious himself. "Yes I can and I will, cause as soon as I get her to be with me she will want nothing to do with inferior ponies like yourself, you filthy earth pony."- the pegasus said and left before Timber could respond. "Well, I thought racism was only for the airhead unicorns of Canterlot!"- he shouted to the fleeing pegasus. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The nerve of that pegasus."- Timber was speaking to himself in his room in his house -"Not only he treats mares terribly, he is also racist and dumb. Even if I don't accomplish anything with Fluttershy relationship-wise, I can't permit that fool to mistreat her and break her heart. But I can't think like this, it not only gives him the advantage but also doesn't make me any better than him. I have to play it smart with her."- Now the stakes had changed for Timber. He was no longer pursuing an innocent crush, he was now actively competing against a terrible stallion for the sweetest mare in town, Fluttershy. And oh boy he was ready, he was ready and determined to win.