//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: In Her Own Skin 
// by mayorlight 
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It was a quiet Saturday afternoon at the Canterlot Animal Rescue Center. Fluttershy and Sugarcoat were making their rounds, cleaning and maintaining each of the animals' habitats. They had just finished cleaning the dog and cat kennels and were now attending to one of the shelter's newest residents: a young male ball python dubbed 'Cecil.' Fluttershy held the two-foot-long green and brown snake in her arms as Sugarcoat cleaned its terrarium.

Animal Control had brought the snake into the shelter the previous week after they responded to a call from a woman who found it lurking in her garden. Even without her geode, Fluttershy could tell that Cecil was scared when she first laid eyes on him - his body stiffly coiled up, his tail shaking, despite the lack of the rattle sported by his venomous cousins. While she made a point of refraining from using her geode unless absolutely necessary, she decided to use its power to help put the poor creature at ease. Gradually, he adjusted to his new surroundings.

Coiled around Fluttershy's left forearm, Cecil flicked his tongue, curiously tasting the air. While he had become more relaxed around Sugarcoat and the rest of the shelter staff, he was most comfortable in Fluttershy's presence. Once Sugarcoat had finished changing his bedding and water, Fluttershy gently returned him to his terrarium.

"There we go, nice and clean," cooed Fluttershy.

Cecil leisurely slithered about his newly cleaned home, savoring the fresh substrate bedding beneath his coils as Sugarcoat secured the top. Fluttershy and Sugarcoat spent a little extra time thoroughly washing his scent from their hands before moving onto the hamster habitat. Half an hour later, they finished maintaining the last of the habitats. With their animal charges content with fresh bedding and water, the girls returned to the foyer to begin closing up the shelter for the day. Sugarcoat was about to lock the front door when she saw Pinkie Pie skipping up outside. Pinkie breezed into the foyer with her usual gusto.

"Hi, Sugarcoat! Hi, Fluttershy!"

"Oh, hello, Pinkie Pie."

"We're about to close up for the day," said Sugarcoat flatly.

"I'll be quick! I was talking with Twilight and Rarity just now and I had the greatest idea! What if for the next animal shelter fundraiser, we throw a hafla?"

In Arabic, the word hafla simply meant "party" or "social gathering." In recent years, however, it had come to refer specifically to a gathering of belly dancers and their supporters. While most haflas were private affairs, some dance studios and troupes did use them as a means of fundraising.

Fluttershy, Sugarcoat and Pinkie Pie, along with their friends Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and most recently, Lemon Zest made up the junior belly dance class at Chiffon Veil's dance studio. Not long after their first recital, they had talked about putting on a public performance, possibly one that could serve as a benefit.

"It'll be just like our recital. We each do a solo and then a group number." Pinkie playfully shook her shoulders and hips. "We'll be shimmying for a cause! And we can debut the new costumes Rarity made for us! What do you think?"

Fluttershy nervously bit her lip. She did not think that they would move forward with a public performance so soon! While she had gotten accustomed to performing alongside her friends as a Rainboom, she only felt comfortable belly dancing in their company. She could already feel the proverbial butterflies in her belly. As much as she wanted to help the shelter and its animals, the thought of circling her hips in front of strangers terrified her. She struggled to find words.

Sensing Fluttershy's unease, Sugarcoat interjected.

"It sounds like a good idea, but why don't we all talk at the studio Monday night?"

Fluttershy breathed a silent sigh of relief. Thank you, Sugarcoat!

"You're right," said Pinkie. "I just wanted to pitch the idea while it was fresh. Well, gotta run. See you 'round!"

With that, Pinkie waved goodbye and sauntered out the door. Sugarcoat locked the front entrance as Fluttershy logged off the reception desk computer. With the foyer secured, the two girls gathered up their tote bags and proceeded to the shelter's back door. Halfway down the hall, Sugarcoat suddenly stopped outside the habitat room.

"Would you feel any better if you were dancing with a partner?"

Fluttershy pondered for a moment. Sharing the stage with someone could take the edge off her nervousness.  Although, if each of them were to perform her own solo number, it hardly seemed fair to ask one of her friends to do a duet.

"I...might."

Sugarcoat walked into the habitat room. Fluttershy watched as her friend twirled across the floor then swept her arm in a grand gesture.

"You have one right here!"

"Oh, but I couldn't ask you to..."

"Not me."

Fluttershy's eyes widened as she realized that Sugarcoat was pointing at the terrarium.

"Cecil?"

"Only if he's cool with it, of course."

Fluttershy looked at Cecil as he lay coiled in a corner. Belly dancing with a snake? It just seemed so tacky - like something out of a carnival sideshow, or some garish pop music video. She even remembered Twilight once mentioning how the image of belly dancers performing with snakes was yet another embellishment by Applewood. Twilight was sure to launch into a lecture if anyone even suggested the idea!

Ever mindful of how animals felt, Fluttershy also wondered whether Cecil would even be comfortable just being with her in front of a crowd. She had no intention of drafting him into her performance like a circus animal, even if it was to help the shelter.

Cecil noticed Fluttershy and slithered out to gaze out at her through the glass. As a species, snakes had a largely undeserved bad reputation. Thanks to centuries of myths and legends being passed down with little or no critical examination, plenty of folks all over the world viewed them as acid-blooded, venom-spitting monsters from the darkest pits of the abyss, evil incarnate.

Not unlike how some folks equated belly dancing, a beautiful, feminine art form, with burlesque or striptease.

Fluttershy smiled as she waved to Cecil.

"We'll see."