//------------------------------// // The Man's Story Part 3 // Story: The Box in the Everfree // by Jh5kPony //------------------------------// A few months prior to present... Despite the various efforts and despite what was supposed to be the end of Fluttershy's...foalby?...the fetus continued to develop. In a last-ditch effort to hide what was going on, Ryan realized there was only one last thing he and Fluttershy could do to avoid the persecution: he had to hide Fluttershy. Reluctantly, but willingly, Fluttershy agreed. Dear Twilight I am going to visit Cloudsdale. I promised to see my family in Cloudsdale, and I will not likely to be able to answer back for some time. Please I hope you will understand. I have asked Pinkie Pie to be my pet sitter. Please tell everypony else that I won't be around for some time, if you don't mind, that is. Sincerely, Fluttershy So, for the next few months, which felt like an eternity, Fluttershy and Ryan avoided public eyes. They mainly stayed close enough to go back to the cottage whenever it's necessary. Of course, making sure Pinkie Pie was not aware of Fluttershy's presence. Enough time has passed to finally see that Fluttershy would finally give birth. To both their horror, but mostly to confusion, yet strangely joy, was... ...something. It possessed an upper torso of a human baby, with the lower torso of a pony foal. It had wings, so it meant the...foalby...was at least part pegasus. The foalby was placed into a little box. The same box Ryan found his hat in. The same hat he hid his shame-ridden face with. And now he was hiding his firstborn son...in hopes that he would not be discovered and, once again, suffer the same fate Ryan Jack went through back during his days in Trottingham. Ryan took a quick look at the sky. It was dark and grey. It was going to rain. As Fluttershy carried her child in her arms, still trying to catch her breath, a rustle was heard in the background. Someone spotted them. This meant trouble. It would not be long before a whistleblower would intice an angry mob. Ryan Jack was paranoid about that. The Pink Pony. Pinkie Pie. She found us. She was quite unaware of what was going on it seemed. That's good. She seemed to be the fairly gullible type anyways. Her mood was nothing short of welcoming and upbeat. It seems Pinkie simply thought Fluttershy got back home. "Hey Fluttershy! Welcome back! I missed you so much! Don't worry I took good care of the animals like you wanted me to! I've actually been looking for Troll Face because Applejack said he borrowed her ropes, so now we're both looking for him! But I come across YOU! Lucky me! Oh that reminds me I gotta set up a welcome-back party! Oooh! And it looks like you made a new human friend! I guess he can have a welcome party too! A double party all the way! Wait a minute! That's Ryan Jack! He's the other human!" she said. Pinkie needs to settle down. "Umm...hi Pinkie," Fluttershy said. "Oooh! What did you find there? A pet rock? A bag of flour? Oatmeal?" Pinkie Pie said, still unaware of what just happened. "You look really messy. I'm not surprised. I guess you had a lot of fun! Like a party! I wish I could be there but you were on clouds! And you know how earth ponies can't stand on clouds unless-" A small cough was heard. Ryan's face turned pale. This was it. She would find out about everything. "Oooh! A foal! Wait. Whose foal is it? It can't be your foal. I guess you found somepony's lost foal! Oh oh oh! I know! I'll make some 'lost foal' posters and place them across town! I just gotta get a pencil and paper..." at that, Pinkie Pie took out a little sketch pad, and began to examine the foal. To her surprise, however, it was not what she expected. "A centaur? Why do you have a baby Centaur? I..." Pinkie trailed off. A pause. "Fluttershy..." Fluttershy simply gulped. She too realized she was caught. "I see now..." Then, Ryan began to shake in anger. A strange mix of fear and anger clouded his mind. All he could think of now was making sure nopony hears about this. He began to approach the little pink pony. Pinkie Pie's curly mane started to unfurl. It became straight. Suddenly, bursting with anger, he stood up and began to threaten Pinkie Pie. He then pinned Pinkie Pie against a tree, suffocating her. "YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, MULE!" he said. His eyes had the threatening gaze of a wild beast. "...why?" Pinkie wheezed, with sadness in her tone. "What's going on?" Fluttershy gave Ryan Jack a knock on the head, causing him to drop, both himself and Pinkie Pie. That knock on the head finally snapped him back to reality. He was attacking a random bystander. All to save himself. Suddenly a wave of guilt washed over him. Fluttershy quickly reverted to her usual soft attitude. It was time to explain everything. "Fine. I'll explain everything." he said. "But promise me you'll keep quiet..." At that, Ryan Jack and Fluttershy both explained everything. From the very beginning to eventually conceiving what Pinkie Pie called a "Centaur". Pinkie Pie, still feeling somewhat betrayed, nodded throughout. Pinkie Pie never really thought much about Pony/Human sloppy makeouts, considering the only human Pinkie Pie knew was Nick. Ryan Jack was never really there during Pinkie Pie's usual shenanigans. That doesn't mean she's completely oblivious to anyone who would be of danger. "Hey guys, have you found Troll Face?" Pinkie Pie said, remembering what she was initially here for. She seems to be getting her cheer back, as her mane started to curl up again. "He's been causing a lot of frackus nowadays. He and his weirdo friends. They've been bullying Nick ever since Troll Face came by." "He's right here," said a nasaly male voice. "And I knew you were up to no good, tainting the pure Pony race..." "...wait...you're not him..." Pinkie Pie said. "No. You're right. I'm just a Chicken." he replied. "Scootaloo?" Pinkie Pie said. "I was trolling you. OF COURSE I'M TROLL FACE." Finally, a group of ponies emerged from the bushes. Troll Face, with a slightly deformed face, a black mane, with an ivory white coat, and a small, red downward-pointing human thumb for a cutie mark. With him were two other ponies. A green-maned red unicorn with a "34" for his cutie mark, as well as having a fairly disproportionately tiny horn. And finally an earth pony, with a similar colour scheme as Troll Face, but with a strange mask as a cutie mark. The unicorn and the earth pony snuck up behind Fluttershy and Ryan, knocking them both to the ground. By now it had begun to rain. As the two began bludgeoning the two helpless lovebirds, Troll Face walked up to a now terrified Pinkie Pie. He took the baby foal by the tail, and right in front of her cut the baby in half. On the spot. Pinkie Pie was only able to watch in horror. "What in tarnation?! What's goin' on?!" a voice peeped. Little short of a miracle, it was Applejack. Then, a rope lassoed the three out of the way. Quickly, the two ponies picked up the two victims on their backs and made a run for it. Fluttershy's cottage was too close, so they had to stop elsewhere. Applejack carried Fluttershy to somepony she could leave with : Twilight Sparkle. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie left Ryan Jack at Nick's house. She knew just about everypony, as well as...everyhuman? Having no time for hesitation, she quickly dropped Fluttershy onto Twilight Sparkle's door, then quickly made a run for it. Fortunately for her, by then it was a downpour, so her hoofsteps would be muffled by rain. Fluttershy was barely conscious, nearly fading out of consciousness. Twilight Sparkle then came out of her house, only to notice a semi-conscious Fluttershy... ...and that's where it all began.