Much of your afternoon and evening was spent trying out your new flash cards, with some degree of success. Fluttershy had managed to convince you to head into town with her to celebrate, and stood by you as you meekly ordered a couple sandwiches from a rather patient food stall owner. Following your lunch, you both took your time heading home before tending to the day’s chores, the first of which involved heading into the forest beyond the cottage. Fluttershy, on her way home from her last visit to the new mother doe, noticed that a few large boulders were blocking part of the flow of the creek, and tasked you with lifting them up and out of the way. You could have made quick work of the blockage with your unnatural strength, if you didn’t have to wait on fluttershy, who dealt with a rather irritable, elderly turtle who had become fond of the more stagnant waters. He supposedly lost his way from a watershed to the east, but intended on living in the large, dammed bend in the creek nonetheless. Never in your life had you considered the possibility of anyone having an argument with a turtle, let alone struggling to win said argument. With her usual manner of kindness and an immense load of patience, Fluttershy convinced him to begrudgingly return to his home and allowed you to finish your task by the time evening came.
You felt grateful for the cards Twilight had given you as you helped Fluttershy prepare a dinner of vegetable stir-fry, which had allowed you to make the suggestion in the first place. Fluttershy wasn’t fond of cooking with heat, but you made sure to handle the bulk of the cooking. As per usual, you both ate your dinner in relative silence, aside from Fluttershy’s fussing over Angel refusing to eat well. Once you were finished, you plopped down onto the couch in the living room, warm and well-fed.
“That was a lovely dinner, Anon,” Fluttershy complimented, joining you on the couch. “I’m glad you suggested it.” You hummed in agreement and rubbed your stomach in satisfaction.
“So now that we’re done with everything for the day, what do you want to do?” Out of the corner of your eye, you could see her eyeing your pouch curiously. You thought back over the events of the day, and noticed Fluttershy’s writing book still sitting on the kitchen counter through the doorway. It reminded you of what had happened earlier in the day, which was spurred on by your outburst the night prior. You rummaged through your pouch and started placing cards onto the table, earning Fluttershy’s attention.
[I want to talk about last night.] You could see Fluttershy mentally recoil as she read the cards and looked at you with sudden worry.
“You’re not upset about that, are you?”
[No, I’m curious.]
“Curious? About what?” she asked, her ears perking up.
[Your question. How I feel about ponies. Why ask?] You maintained a neutral, inquisitive expression as you arranged the cards on the table, hoping to keep Fluttershy at ease as best you could. She pondered the question while simultaneously avoiding your gaze.
“Well, at the time I was starting to wonder how you felt about being the only human in a town of ponies,” she explained, putting her hoof to her chin and looking up towards the window across from you. “I wanted to know if you liked being here or not, even if you might feel lonely. I didn’t mean to upset you, though.”
[I’m not alone. You’re here.] Your response was simple, but it drove a firm point. Although Twilight and all of Fluttershy’s friends had made some effort to make you feel welcome, Fluttershy was the one who offered to take you in from the get-go. You didn’t have memories of actually being around any other humans, only vague faces and figures; you weren’t really concerned about loneliness in regards to humans, or at all, for that matter.
“That’s sweet, thank you.” Fluttershy replied, lowered her gaze from the table with a warm smile.
[I’ve learned that ponies are kind and caring.] You paused as you placed the last card down, and quickly replaced the first few once you were certain she had read them.
[You are kind and caring.] You gently placed your hand on Fluttershy’s back as she re-read the sentence a few times, and felt her muscles stiffen and relax as her wings shifted slightly.
“Of course, Anon. I try my best to take care of my friends and make sure they’re alright,” she replied, a hint of bashfulness in her words, and on her face. You dug through your pouch, looking for the right words to respond with.
[You were generous and considerate from the moment you met me, a stranger. Just an animal.]
“That’s true, but… I realized pretty quickly you weren’t just an animal. We all did.” Fluttershy finally made eye contact with you, now with a serious yet positive expression. “When you came down that hill and looked at me, and tried to reason with us, we knew better. And even if you were just a lost animal, I still would have been kind to you. It’s what I do.” You smiled and nodded in understanding. You recalled your first memories since your arrival in Ponyville, and had a flashback to your first day spent working outside, of the first time you saw Rainbow Dash.
[I have another question.]
“Go ahead, I’m all ears.”
[Twilight’s book talked about human behaviors and affection.] As you searched through your pouch, you inwardly thanked Twilight’s inclusion of possessives on the back of the name cards she wrote. She really had put a lot of thought into making them. [What are those for ponies?] Fluttershy’s ears began to tilt back as you put your thoughts onto the table, accompanied by a vivid blush. She opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it with an embarrassed grin as she tried to collect her thoughts.
“Well, um, I-I’m not exactly an expert with that sort of thing,” she stammered. “Since I live out here by myself, I don’t really see ponies too often unless I’m out with my friends.” You looked at her skeptically- surely there had to be someone that had romantic interest in her at one point.
[Have you always lived out here?] You raised your eyebrows at her to emphasize your intent.
“Well, no, but nopony was interested in me before then. At least, not like that.” You noticed Fluttershy’s volume steadily lowering as she withdrew behind her pink curtain of a mane. In hindsight, maybe pressuring her about such a sensitive topic wasn’t the best plan. You arranged a new sentence on the table, and drew her hair back so she could read.
[I’ll bet they were too shy. Stallions can be like that.] It was a bit unusual to use the term ‘stallions’ instead of ‘men,’ but you figured you’d become accustomed to it soon enough.
“Yeah,” Fluttershy giggled softly. “Not all of them, but maybe you’re right.” Her blush subsided as silence took over the conversation, both of you thinking about what to say next.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll ask the same thing you did earlier- why ask about that?” You scratched the back of your head. You weren’t expecting that question, but you probably should have been. It was your turn to shrink under the watch of Fluttershy’s inquisitive eyes before putting your thoughts in order.
[I get the feeling that some ponies] You stopped with the word ‘like’ in your hand, hidden from Fluttershy’s view. Images of the night you carried Fluttershy into bed danced in your head, and you couldn’t fight the paralyzing feeling of embarrassment that washed over you. To her, it was all just a dream, but by now you had pretty much figured out how she felt about you. Or, at least, what you thought she felt. It was possible you were wrong, but then what else could all that have meant?
“Anon?” You jumped when Fluttershy addressed you, and startled her in return. Before she could speak again, you deftly scooped up the cards you had set down back into your hand, and reconsidered your approach. Perhaps instead of being vague about who had interest in you, perhaps being specific was the better option. But there was no way you could just bring up that dream and expect Fluttershy not to get the wrong idea. Mentioning Rainbow Dash seemed inappropriate as well.
“There’s no need to worry, Anon. You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to, and even if you do, I’m not going to judge you for it,” Fluttershy assured, smiling at you warmly. Her response pulled tight on your heartstrings, and the honesty it carried was inspiring. Inspiring enough to sway you to do the same.
[I get the feeling that some ponies like me.] Reading back over the sentence, you felt like a shy twelve-year-old who had just recently discovered the concept of a crush. Fluttershy giggled as she read, and gently poked your thigh.
“Of course ponies like you, Anon. You’re nice, considerate, and very helpful,” she commented innocently. You smirked and held your forehead, surprised that this, of all moments, was the time that Fluttershy completely missed your statement. You pushed aside a couple cards and added another to your sentence.
[I get the feeling that some ponies really like me.] You dragged your finger along the bottom of the word ‘really,’ underlining it for emphasis. Fluttershy inhaled sharply, only to let it out through her teeth as she flashed you a questionably confused smile.
“Ohh, I see what you mean now,” she added slowly. “But who are the ponies that you’re referring to?” You were surprised by how well her awkward expression held as she spoke. In the back of your mind, the urge to gently grab her by the chin and point directly at her surged forth, held back only by sheer willpower.
[Twilight?] You made sure to add a question mark to imply your uncertainty. You didn’t actually suspect Twilight was interested in you, but you wanted to test the waters with Fluttershy. You watched her relax as she considered your response.
“Wait, really? Are you sure about that?” she inquired, looking puzzled. “Twilight’s not terribly romantic. I do think she means the best for you, but not anything like that.” Fluttershy sounded remarkably relieved, which set you at ease as you searched your pouch for the name of a proper candidate.
[Rainbow Dash.]
“Rainbow Dash, too? What gives you that impression?” she asked, much more intrigued than before. “From what I’ve seen, she seems pretty uninterested in anything romantic, almost as much as Twilight.”
[I spent some time with her a couple days ago that showed otherwise.]
“W-what happened?” Fluttershy leaned forward towards you, ears perked up in anticipation of your response. To say you weren’t expecting this much interest from her was an understatement.
[While she was taking a break, she asked me to pet her.] Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed again, and she looked at you like you had grown a second head.
“Wow, she did that? She is pretty forward, but something like that, and so suddenly...” Fluttershy put a hoof on her mouth, as if you were both talking about some salacious gossip instead of what one might consider doing to their pet. You didn’t understand why she would react like that, given how common it was for the two of you.
[What is the significance of petting to ponies?] In hindsight, that definitely wasn’t a sentence you ever imagined trying to convey to anyone. [Is it something special?]
“Well, it certainly feels nice, but I can’t figure out how to describe it. I don’t know if I’d call it special, but...” Fluttershy mumbled, trying to appear uninterested in the topic. “I did say before that I wasn’t an expert on things like that.” Once again, you were getting mixed signals from Fluttershy. It seemed like a big deal to Rainbow Dash, and you felt like it had helped you and Fluttershy bond, to some extent. And if it was a common gesture in Equestria, surely she wouldn’t have been so bashful about it in the past, and Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have gotten so worked up about it.
[Is it significant to you, not-an-expert?]
“M-maybe? I don’t know,” Fluttershy squeaked, letting her head hang lower with each syllable. “Frankly, before you came along, I had never considered being pet by anypony before.” While her response made sense, you were no closer to understanding if the gesture was important or not. In hindsight, making a big deal out of it was what upset you in the first place- maybe letting it go was the better choice.
[I’m sorry if I made you feel pressured. It’s all been pretty confusing.] You resisted your habit of patting Fluttershy’s head reassuringly while she read your message, and felt guilt rise up in the pit of your stomach.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m fine,” she murmured as she slowly sat back up. “If you don’t mind me asking, though, do you know why Rainbow Dash asked you for that?”
[She mentioned seeing me do it to you, and wanted to know what it felt like.]
“Oh… oh, my.” She looked deeply concerned as she stopped to think to herself. “I appreciate your honesty, Anon, but maybe you shouldn’t have told me that. Or, maybe I shouldn’t have asked.”
[What do you mean?]
“Rainbow Dash is the Element of Loyalty, after all. She might be upset if she knew you told somepony when that was supposed to be a secret.” You could see Fluttershy mentally backpedal as she defended her friend. That wasn’t at all the response you were expecting, but it made sense. Thinking about it made you feel even guiltier than before, but you were sure that Fluttershy wouldn’t talk about it to anyone else, if she was that concerned about you and her friends.
“Anyway, was there anypony else on that list you had in mind?” Fluttershy asked, trying to bring the conversation back on-topic. “I promise that I’m not trying to discourage you from any of them, I’m just interested to hear what you think.” You glanced around the room, now unsure of the right way to get to your original intent, to ask Fluttershy about how she felt towards you. With the whole petting ordeal out of the way, you didn’t have much evidence to point towards. You could have mentioned those few moments you’d seen her act strangely in her sleep--and when she thought she was asleep--but your gut told you that wasn’t something to bank on.
[You were the last one on the list.] Fluttershy turned to you slowly, disbelief replacing the smile on her face.
“Me? You think I...?” Her cheeks flushed vibrantly, and her astonished reaction caught you off-guard. You scrambled to put words onto the table as she quietly focused on it, hoping to coax out what was going on in her head.
[You don’t have to answer]-
“I mean, I do like you, but…” Your heart and hands stopped at the same moment her thought did. She glanced up at you briefly before directing her attention to the floor below the table. “I don’t know exactly if I’m a part of that list.” Your mind initially reeled in confusion, but your second reaction was that of a gentleman- calm, composed, and polite.
[My suspicions originally came from the petting thing.]
“That makes sense,” Fluttershy murmured, nodding slowly. “Like I mentioned before, I don’t really know how to describe that feeling yet.”
[I understand now. I’m sorry for assuming.] You let out a heavy sigh, thoroughly puzzled at how the situation had unfolded.
“No, no, it’s okay. I just- I don’t know what to say,” Fluttershy blurt out, suddenly lurching forward and putting a hoof on your hand. “A lot has happened in the last week or so. Figuring out things like that seems a bit hasty in a time period of that length, right?” It was your turn to blush as Fluttershy’s candid reasoning sunk into you like a sharpened dirk. In all of your confusion, in your attempts to make sense of what was going on around you, perhaps you were jumping to far-reaching conclusions. You weren’t necessarily guilty about what you had come to think--Fluttershy seemed to take it well--but you felt pretty silly after worrying about it for so long.
“Besides, we’re from two completely different worlds,” she continued. “There have certainly been relationships between different creatures here in Equestria, sure, but I remember from Twilight’s book that wasn’t the case for humans. There might be some ponies that are interested in you, but wouldn’t that bother you?” You could tell she was genuinely trying to improve the situation by appealing to her limited knowledge about humans. Those words, however, hurt a great deal more than you had expected.
[I don’t know. I can’t tell if it bothers me. Like how you don’t know about petting.] You sighed as you put the last card down, and turned to see Fluttershy cock her head to the side as she read. It seemed that you had come to a mutual understanding, or rather a lack thereof; she blinked several times and glanced at you and to the cards again without saying anything. You arranged another sentence, certain that she didn’t immediately have anything to say.
[Maybe I should talk to Rainbow Dash about this situation.] Fluttershy hummed as she thought about your proposal, shaking her head disapprovingly.
“Maybe, but if what you told me is true, I think waiting to see how things turn out would be better,” she reasoned. “Who knows, you might be right. But you shouldn’t let that possibility change how you see her as a friend.” You nodded in agreement at her wise words. Still, she looked wistful, as if she were recalling something unpleasant.
[Are you sure everything is okay? You seem troubled.] You put your free hand on top of her hoof, doing your best to convey your concern. She only nodded and wiped away her morose look with another smile.
“Oh, I was just remembering a dream I had. It’s nothing to worry about,” she admitted. In the back of your mind, you hoped and pleaded that it wasn’t the dream you imagined it was.
You both turned towards the window at the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. You hadn’t even noticed the gentle sound of raindrops on the cottage during your conversation, which had become a hushed white noise that filled the room.
“I think starting up a small fire would be a good idea. It might get cold tonight.” Fluttershy stepped off of the couch and calmly walked towards the fireplace.
You felt equally relieved and disappointed as you watched her prepare the fire, thinking over your conversation. It didn’t quite feel like you had been turned down; you were surprisingly happy to find that your concerns weren’t as serious as you’d made them out to be. But, with your own mixed feelings about your situation, you wondered how serious you were deep down, about Fluttershy and living with her. You had only recently started thinking of her as something more than just a caretaker, and you wondered just how far you would have gone, if she hadn’t responded the way she did. After all, you both had become such quick friends, and although you were from different places, you shared quite a few similarities. It didn’t seem unreasonable that moving forward from there would come with time.
You shook your head quickly- that kind of thinking didn’t need to be your concern anymore. What was important was that you respected Fluttershy’s feelings, and did your best to be a good friend while you sorted out your own. That, and figuring out how to approach Rainbow Dash about the subject as well. You recalled that tomorrow would be her next day off; she likely wouldn’t spend her time practicing in the rain, so you’d probably be able to get a good chance to talk to her about it. As Fluttershy returned to her seat on the couch, you cleaned up your mess of cards on the table, and started a new sentence.
[By the way, where does Rainbow Dash live?]
“Oh, she has her own floating home just outside of town, the Cloudominium.”
[Floating?]
“Yeah, it’s a huge house made of clouds, almost like a mansion. You might not know it, but almost all pegasi live on top of clouds, with buildings and all sorts of things… also made of clouds.” You chuckled in response, thoroughly impressed. “There’s a place nearby called Cloudsdale, where you can find lots and lots of pegasi. It’s a beautiful city, and I hope we can take you to see it sometime.”
[How does the city stay in the air? Do all the pegasi just fly constantly?]
“No, not at all! Pegasi have the ability to walk on and move around clouds. Some of them, like Rainbow Dash, have jobs to arrange the weather by moving and changing cloud formations, like the rain outside now.” A clap of thunder accentuated her point, causing her to jump in your direction and hold onto your side, before sheepishly looking towards the floor.
“Sorry about that, Anon. I’m… not a big fan of thunder,” she apologized, still clinging to you.
[It’s okay. Should we go to bed?]
"That sounds like a good idea. B-but wait, I had a question for you, Anon," Fluttershy stammered. "Although, after our conversation, I don't know how you'd feel about it." You cocked your head to the side curiously as she shied away from your stare.
[What is it?]
"Would you... prefer to sleep in my bed, instead of out here on the couch all the time?" she asked slowly, like an adolescent child asking for extra playtime after their curfew. "I wouldn't mind at all, and I'm sure it would be a lot better for your back and neck than being all cramped down here." To your surprise, it was a pretty tame request. Or was it an offer?
[Certainly. Why would I feel bad about it?] It didn't make much sense to you why you'd turn Fluttershy down at first, but then it hit you. Before Fluttershy could respond, you swiftly slid your last thought aside and put a new one down on the table.
[You didn't hurt my feelings, if that's what you're worried about.]
"That's good to hear, I suppose," Fluttershy remarked, followed by a calm sigh. When it came down to it, Fluttershy really did have your best interest in mind, even when you weren't aware of it. "Let's go ahead and turn in for the night then, hm?" You nodded in agreement and set your pouch down on the table before getting up to follow her upstairs.
It felt nice, having that weight off of your chest, even if it wasn't relieved the way you thought it would be. You pondered this as you undid the clasp on your choker, setting it on the dresser next to the doorway in Fluttershy's room. You weren't even remotely sleepy, but it was still late, and the opportunity to relax and sort out your thoughts was more than welcome. The two of you slid beneath Fluttershy's comforter and settled down in near silence, save for the pattering of raindrops on the window. You turned to face it and watch the distant flashes of lightning, barely noticing gentle shaking in the bed and the warm feeling building up on your back. You turned your head just enough to see Fluttershy quietly inching her way towards you out of the corner of your eye. She was keenly focused on your back, but froze up the moment she looked up and made eye contact with you.
"Is it alright if I sleep close to you, Anon? It's okay to say no," she mumbled meekly. You gave her a patient nod, and scooted back a few inches towards her. Without another word, she pressed herself to your back and let out a soft yawn, and you could feel her face press into your shoulder-blades. Another clap of thunder echoed through the cottage, but she jumped only a little bit, instead wrapping one of her forelegs around your side tightly. It was a strange, new feeling for you, but it was pleasant nonetheless. Being able to comfort Fluttershy simply by being present made you feel warm inside, and you welcomed the sensation.
Another bit of thunder rang out, much closer this time, and Fluttershy's leg tightened even harder around your waist. You carefully pulled your arm back and massaged her hoof with your fingertips, hoping to calm her down. Slowly, the muscles in her leg relaxed and you were able to breathe easy again. Just as you were starting to get comfortable a few minutes later, you felt Fluttershy withdraw her foreleg and quietly shift around under the covers. She pulled back from your body, so you took the opportunity to turn onto your back to free your arm that was falling asleep. Almost immediately, Fluttershy rolled back onto you and gently gripped your other arm and leg with her limbs. You looked down, expecting to see a wide-eyed, terrified Fluttershy, but instead met an adorable yet bashful smile.
"I know I'm the one who suggested going to bed, but I suppose I'm not as tired as I thought I was," she mumbled, avoiding your gaze by looking out the window. "M-maybe it’s the lightning. If you're not tired either, thought, I'd still like to ask you another question or two. Is that alright?" You regretted not bringing your pouch upstairs with you, but it probably wouldn't be a huge deal. You hummed your approval, and wiggled your back to get into a more comfortable position.
"First off, I guess, are you actually okay with how close we are?" You nodded enthusiastically in response, and gave one of her forelegs a gentle pat as you scooted closer to her.
"No, I don't mean physically close, silly," she laughed. "I mean as friends. I can't stop thinking about how quickly some of the ponies in town have become interested in you, and..." Fluttershy stopped mid-sentence, her smile melting away like she regretted bringing up the topic. You nodded slowly and gestured for her to continue.
"I just want to make sure that you're okay living here with me, I guess." You moved your head to shoot her a challenging look. After everything she had done for you and you had done to try and repay her, it struck you as odd that she would worry about something like that now. It certainly didn't sound like that was all she had to say in the matter, either. She blinked several times and looked around at every spot in the room that wasn’t in your general direction.
"What? Is there something on my face?" You smiled wryly at her attempt to distract you, but rested your head back against the pillow. You reminded yourself that there was no need to press her for answers- if she had something she wanted to say, she would say it eventually. She usually did, anyway.
Silence settled in the room once more, and you absentmindedly reached with your free arm to scratch her head. Even though, Fluttershy was the one who had initially taken you in, the gesture felt strangely like you were treating her as your pet. The thought made you pause, spurring Fluttershy to wiggle her head underneath your fingers to get you to continue. Her reaction didn’t help your train of thought, but you resumed running your fingers through her mane, eliciting a calm sigh from the mare. .At some point, you thought, you would have to figure out if you could get the same kind of reaction out of other ponies- for the sake of knowledge, of course.
"I wonder what will happen on Sunday when you go to see the princesses," Fluttershy spoke up, changing the previous subject. "Did Twilight tell you what the meeting was about?" You grunted and shook your head, trying to recall Twilight's sudden interjection when you were planning with Rarity. You knew that she probably wanted to bring up her research on you, and was worried about their response to her providing you with a new way of communication. You weren't sure, though, how Celestia would address you after your involvement with Fluttershy, Twilight, and all of their friends, as well as the information Twilight had gathered from the choker.
“Oh, well. I’m sure that it’ll be fine, though,” Fluttershy added with a long yawn. “Princess Celestia already let you leave home after seeing you help out, after all.” You smiled, reassured by Fluttershy’s ever-present hopefulness. You gingerly drew your arm out of her grasp and pulled her closer, minding the position of her wings as you rested your hand on her side. She silently snuggled up to your chest, and didn’t so much as flinch when thunder crashed against the house again. Nothing more was discussed as you both stayed in that tender yet slightly-awkward embrace, listening to the storm outside beat down on the roof and windows.
Your thoughts, dragging along as sleep started to take you, drifted from Fluttershy to Rainbow Dash and how to approach her about her perspective towards you, and if you would at all. It sounded pretty shallow, wondering like a schoolyard child about her strange behavior, as if she felt any different towards you than Fluttershy did. You could count on one hand how many separate instances you and the brash pegasus had talked to one another, and yet something about her teasing and occasionally elusive attitude towards you was endearing. Even if it was too soon for something to develop between you and someone else, as Fluttershy had implied, you couldn’t help but wonder if Rainbow Dash was thinking about the same thing.