//------------------------------// // Hard to Handle, But Full of Love [Slice of Life] [Dark] [Fluttershy] [Others] // Story: Fast Ponies, Faster Fingers // by TheDriderPony //------------------------------// “You don’t like any of them?” Fluttershy asked. The filly struck her nose up indignantly as her parents sighed in exasperation. “No. I told you. I don’t want some silly old dog or cat. I want a real pet. Something that no one else has!” “Sweetie,” her mother leaned down to her level. “There are many fun and interesting pets here. You can’t hate all of them. What about this lizard?” “Lame.” “How about this flamingo?” Her father offered. “Too pink.” “This woodpecker?” “Too noisy.” “This platypus?” “It looks shifty.” The filly’s father sighed and turned back to Fluttershy with a defeated expression. “Well, it seems she really doesn’t like any of them. We’re really sorry for wasting your time Miss Fluttershy.” “Actually,” the pegasus rubbed her chin thoughtfully, “I do have… one other pet available. I wanted to save her for someone with a bit more experience as pet owners, but something’s telling me she might be the one for you. I could bring her out, if you’re interested.” “Oh please, would you?” the mare said, “We absolutely have to get her a pet. Anything to make the whining stop.” “Just a moment please.” Fluttershy turned and walked off in the direction of the Everfree Forest, quickly becoming lost to view in the trees. The expectant family waited patiently in the meantime. A giant isopod came up to the filly and put on its best “Adopt-Me” face, only to be brushed aside with a grunt of disdain. Suddenly, there was a noise from the forest. Trees shook and shuddered as something massive moved between them. Over the din, the family could just barely make out Fluttershy’s voice. “There we go. This way. Careful of that rock! Good girl! Don’t dawdle now, there’s a lovely family here just dying to meet you!” And then it emerged from the woods. The creature that Fluttershy led stood upon legs like obsidian as thick as tree trunks atop cloven hooves that charred and scorched the earth where it tread. Its four arms rippled with muscle and were coated in iridescent green scales from forearm to fingertip. Wings with plumage to rival the prissiest pegasus were folded across its back. Its goat-like face was topped by six spiraling horns like polished quartz that caught the afternoon light and twisted it. Gazing into any other its three eyes was like peering into an abyss of stars from which there was no escape. “This is Sophie,” Fluttershy introduced calmly. “She’s a Bapho-mutt.” The creature --Sophie-- bleated out a noise like souls boiling in souloil. “She’s a bit hard to handle,“ Fluttershy continued undeterred even as a nearby tree bloomed, died, and turned to ash in the space of a breath, “But she has a big heart and I think she’d make a wonderful addition to the right family.” There was silence for a moment as all parties regarded each other. The filly stepped forward, slowly. Sophie reached a claw forward in return. Like a painting by Michelangelpone, hoof and claw met. “...I think I love her,” the child murmured as Sophie gurgled something indistinct. “...Really?” her father asked, still trying to take in the beast. “Yes!” She declared with far more force and finality. She rounded on her parents. “Mom. Dad. I want Sophie! I have to have her! It’s like we were made for each other.” Her parents glanced at each other. “I don’t know,” her mother said, slowly as to not instantly trigger her offspring’s wrath. “She is rather… bigger than we’d planned for.” “I don’t care!” The filly ran up to Sophie, jumped into her arms, and embraced the leathery chest in a hug. “If you don’t let me keep Sophie, then… then… then I won’t love you anymore!” With the air of a couple thoroughly whipped, the parents sighed in resignation. The mother turned to Fluttershy. “I guess we’ve found our pet then.” “Wonderful!” Fluttershy squeed eagerly as she clapped her hooves. Nothing made her happier than pairing a pet with a family. But there was still business to be done. “Now, before we make anything official, there are a few things you should know.” “This sounds boring.” The filly hopped down from her perch and took Sophie’s claw. “You two deal with it while Sophie and I go play. C’mon Sophie! I want to start teaching you tricks.” Sophie bleated happily in response. The two parents turned back to Fluttershy as their daughter led Sophie to a nearby field to bond. “First, she does have a few bad habits that you’ll need to break her of.” “Oh dear,” the mother said, “Does she chew the furniture?” “Oh no, nothing like that,” Fluttershy assured them, “But she does get a bit aggressive at loud noises. And when she gets bored or antsy, she has a tendency to try and kick off Armageddon. I’ve found that the best response to this is to give her a quick spritz from a bottle of princess-blessed water as a deterrent. Turns her right off.  Also, she’s not housebroken.” “But no furniture chewing?” “No.” “I don’t think that will be a problem,” the father said, his gaze tracking back to where Sophie casually tossed his happily squealing daughter between her four arms like juggler’s ball. “I have a feeling she’s going to be an outside pet in any event.” Fluttershy nodded. “That’ll be fine. She was originally a stray when I found her near the outskirts of Tartarus, so she’s accustomed to living outdoors.” “A stray?” asked the mother, “How does that work legally? Does she have her shots?” “Yes,” Fluttershy said, “I administered them all myself when I was nursing her back to health. She has all her paperwork except ancestry documentation, for obvious reasons. As far as legality goes, she’s listed as a mix. That requires a special form.” She indicated the door of her cottage. “We can go inside and start on the paperwork now if you like.” They nodded. As they passed, Fluttershy allowed herself a tiny gleeful hoofpump of success. She’d been starting to worry that she’d never find Sophie a good home. And now that she had, she could cut her animal food budget in half and stop doing the same to the other animals.