Some time after Fluttershy came home and Israel went home, she went straight up to her room, getting started on her homework. While she was working, her adorable pet bunny rabbit, Angel hopped up on her bed, onto her lap, giving her his adorable smile. Fluttershy was in such a very good mood, she felt like she should share the news to Angel. Thanks to her geode, her pet can understand what she's saying.
"Angel, this might be the break we're looking for. Israel and his mom being our guests at dinner. We just gotta wait until he works out a day when he comes over. Isn't that great?" Fluttershy asked, petting her bunny.
Angel happily nodded in agreement and jumped up and down on Fluttershy’s lap. Of all the boys Fluttershy has met, Angel thinks that Israel is one of the nicest guys she has met. "You like having him around, too, huh? Does he make you happy?" she asks. Angel nodded happily and thumps his feet rapidly. "Oh, it's because he called you cute and stroked you under your chin. I'd be happy, too, if he petted me like that."
Right away, Angel put on a sly smirk, raising an eyebrow at his owner. He then raised his paws and formed a heart with them, making Fluttershy blush at his gesture. “W-what? Oh no Angel. Y-You got it all wrong, I-I don’t feel that way about him… Well maybe, but I’m not ready yet. You know we shouldn’t rush things in life, they need to come natural that’s when the feelings for each other are the most sincere.”
Angel shrugged at Fluttershy and hopped off her lap and jumped onto the nearby pillow to have himself a well deserved nap, curling up into a ball. Fluttershy was thinking about what Angel did. Maybe Angel had a point, maybe there is something more than just their friendship. She tried to focus back on her homework but it was hard with Israel and his mother coming over for dinner.
“Wait a minute,” she said to herself. “Israel told me so much about his mother, but not his father!” That got herself thinking why he hasn’t mentioned him. “Maybe I should ask him tomorrow at school and then we can talk which day would be best for him to come over for dinner with his mother.”
Speaking of which, back at Israel's house, he had gotten started with the chores, cleaning up the house while his pet dog, a white maltese poodle with big brown eyes, was chilling on the couch, curled up in a ball. Israel was working at a breakneck pace so he could get a head start on his homework.
Soon, he turned to his pooch with a smile. "Hey Bentley, guess what?" he said, getting his pooch's attention with a big smile and a wagging tail. "Remember that friend I told you about?" However, unlike Fluttershy, Israel's dog can't understand much of what he's saying, aside from the usual words "treat," "sit," "dance, puppy, dance," and "sleep" throughout their every day routine lives.
"She's invited me over for dinner. She's just waiting for when I arrange the day with my mom. If you could see her, you'd be wanting snuggles from her more than anyone else," he said. "But, it's going to take some time before her parents and brother warm up to me."
His dog merely rolled around on the couch, flashing his belly at his owner and kicking his hind legs, wanting a belly rub. "Ah, Bentley. Such a spoiled brat," he said, giving his pet what he wants.
Later on, after he finished his chores and got to work on his homework, his mom came home. She had beautiful, silver hair, which was done in a bun and it was much smoother than her son's. She also had bright yellow skin like him, but her eyes were brown. And she and wore a burgundy woman's business suit.
"Wow, the house looks great, Israel. Thanks," she said.
"It's my job, after all," he chuckled. "How was work? Your boss giving you a hard time?"
"Not today. She's learning to take it easy now."
"Cool. By the way, I gotta tell you something." His mom gave him her full attention as she was putting away her jacket in the closet over in the hallway. "Remember my new friend I told you about yesterday?"
"Fluttershy?"
"Yes. She said that she wants us to come visit her house for dinner someday. She wants her family to see I'm not as bad as they write me out to be."
"How do they know you're bad if they haven't met you?"
"I did meet 'em when I walked Fluttershy home. They have their doubts about me, which is why they're uncomfortable with me hanging around their daughter. But Fluttershy wants to resolve the matter, which is why she invited the two of us over for a nice family dinner. She got permission from her parents, too. So, do you want to take her up on her offer?"
His mom thought about it and sighed a little. "Only because she's going through these lengths to get you on her family's good side. But not this weekend, I have to get ready. Ask her if she's okay with having us over next weekend on Saturday."
"I will. Thanks a bunch."
"You're welcome. I'm gonna get started on some dinner as soon as I get done changing out of these clothes. We're having scallop potatoes with chicken and pasta."
"Sweet! My favorite!" His mother chuckled and she headed upstairs to change her clothes. Israel resumed his homework right away, this way he'd have more free time to play some of his old video games.
The next day, the sun was rising. It was morning and 1st classes were about to start. Fluttershy and her friends had all arrived a little early just to catch up on what's been going down. They were currently talking about their evenings after they finished their homework. Fluttershy told them that Israel walked her home. She also told them how her brother and her parents reacted when they met him. They couldn’t understand why her brother and her parents were having these doubts about Israel.
"So it's that bad. Did you invite Israel and his parents for dinner?" Sunset asked.
“I did,” Fluttershy said with a small smile. “But it’s only him and his mother. He hasn’t told me anything about his father yet or why he doesn't talk about him.”
“Well that’s a good start.” Applejack said. “Why do you think he hasn’t spoken anythin' about his dad?”
“Oh! Maybe he’s in the army and he’s on a superduper top-secret mission!” Pinkie chimed in.
“Or he’s a businessman and is currently on a business trip.” Rarity guessed.
"It could be any one of those possibilities," Twilight said. "Maybe one of these days we'll get to meet him."
“I’ll ask him when I get the chance.” Fluttershy said, she then noticed Israel entering the school along with his friends Cheese and Soarin. "Oh, that's him right now." Fluttershy wasted no time in running up to to him and the dynamic teasing duo. "Hi there, Israel!"
"Hi Fluttershy," he said.
"Aww, this is such a precious sight. I can hear the wedding bells already, you sly dog," Soarin said, giving him a noogie and chuckling a bit.
"Ow! It's not like that, we're just friends!" Israel replied, chuckling.
"We know, we just can't help ourselves. Anyways, I'm gonna go see if the Party Planning Committee will let me in. Thanks for recommending it to me, buddy," Cheese said before bolting off at high speeds.
"I'll meet you at the cafeteria for lunch. You take care now," Soarin said before heading off to class.
"Ah, those guys. You can't live without them," Israel said.
"Friends to the end. So, Israel, did your mom say she was okay with it?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah, but she's not gonna be available until next weekend."
"Okay. So… about the dinner... are you, by any chance, inviting your dad over to join us?" Just then, Israel's eyes widen, then his smile went away. "W-What's the matter, did I say something wrong?"
"No, it's just… my dad won't be joining us. I'll tell you about him next weekend."
“Oh… okay then.”
The bell rang, signaling the first classes are about to start. For today's class schedule, Fluttershy would be in physics class with Twilight. She had studied hard for this class as it was one of the hardest subjects in school, but it was 2nd nature to Twilight, being the lovable bookworm she's always been.
Fluttershy joined her friend and sat down beside her in class. While waiting for the teacher to arrive, Fluttershy told Twilight how Israel reacted when she asked him about his father.
Scratching her chin Twilight came up with some of her theories. “Based on what you told me, it could be that his parents are divorced or maybe, but I hope not! His father died when he was very young.”
“Oh my! I hope not.” Fluttershy gasped. “That would be awful for Israel.”
"I know. A son growing up without a loving father is one of the worst things that could happen. And most children who do grow up without a dad are usually the boys." Twilight said.
"I'd be pretty devastated if I grew up without my dad."
“Me too.” Twilight agreed.
The teacher arrived and class started. Fluttershy and Twilight quickly grabbed their notebooks and their pens, ready for their first class of today.
Time flew by quickly as the days passed and hours of studying were put to the test of nearly every single student down at Canterlot High. Some of them aced their school work with flying colors, some barely made it by the skid of their teeth, some not so much. And with the studying finished for the weekend, Fluttershy and her friends made good use of their free time by hanging out by the Sugar Cafe.
Surprisingly enough, Pinkie and Rainbow have been feeling in a much better mood lately.
"Girls, you wouldn't believe the sweet day I had!" Rainbow said.
"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie exclaimed.
“Care to enlighten us then darlings?” Rarity asked, taking a sip of her herbal tea.
"Okay, get this! During soccer tryouts, Soarin swept through the field and scored almost 20 goals without even breaking a single sweat! I think we might be well on our way to victory when the soccer tournament starts within a few weeks, girls!" Rainbow said, trying to contain her excitement.
"And we just made Cheese Sandwich an honorary member of the Party Planning Committee! He's got so many ideas lodged in that noggin of his, that we might just be all set until the day comes when we all graduate out of Canterlot High School!" Pinkie exclaimed.
“Wow, that’s really impressive.” Sunset said surprised.
"Ah shouldn't be surprised. Those friends o' his are makin' a name for themselves." AJ said.
"I couldn't agree more Applejack. That reminds me, today's the day, isn't it? The day Israel and his mother come over to your house for dinner, right?" Rarity asked.
"Yes, that's right. My parents are making dinner right now while Zephyr is cleaning the house.” Fluttershy replied, feeling both excited and anxious. “I would be surprised if he actually did it.”
"Typical Zephyr." Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.
"But I won't lie, I am worried that he might open his mouth and say the wrong things. Which is why you should join me for dinner, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said. "At least Zephyr will have someone to distract him while my mom and dad are warming up to Israel."
"PASS!" Rainbow exclaimed, making the girls laugh. “Not funny girls!” She pouted with crossed arms.
"Come now, Rainbow Dash. Where's your sense of humor?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah, it was just some harmless fun. No need to make a big deal out of it," Sunset said.
" ‘sides, this is nothing compared to all the pranks you pulled on us over the years, hmmm?” Applejack said with a smug look on her face.
"Okay, you made your point. But changing the subject, is Israel really not gonna say anything in particular about his dad until dinner?" Rainbow asked.
"Afraid so. He seemed really upset when I asked him about his father. I think something really bad happened to him when he was young." Fluttershy said. "But that's not why I invited him over for dinner. I just want my parents to see the good in him, that's all."
"Ah pray for ya that everything will work out between ya family and his.” Applejack said.
“I hope so too, Applejack.” Fluttershy's eyes dart up towards the clock. She gasped when she realized how late it was and needed to hurry on home right away. "Uh-oh, I'd better get home right away. Israel and his mom might already be there!"
"Alright. You take care, Fluttershy. See you soon," Sunset said as she and the rest of her friends waved Fluttershy goodbye as she stormed out of the cafe.
Back at Fluttershy’s home, Zephyr, surprisingly finished with all his chores around the house. Sighing in relief, he waved some sweat from his forehead. “First and last time I’ll ever do this.” Zephyr grumbled. “Can’t believe my big sis got mom and dad to convince me to do all the cleaning.” He narrowed his eyes. “She’s good.”
"I know it's not a lot of fun, sweetie, but it does help build character," Mrs. Shy said.
“Also, it might help you in finding what you really want to do in life.” Mr Shy added. “I know it helped me finding the right wife.” Winking cutely at his lover.
"Honey, you're such a tease," Mrs. Shy giggled, blushing and turning away,
“Ugh, maybe I should’ve just stuck with the hairdressing instead of coming back here.” Zephyr complained as he witnessed his parents flirting with each other. “I’m gonna head upstairs until little sis is back from her friends.”
"Alright, just don't be upstairs for too long. You don't want your dinner to get cold like last time." Mrs. Shy said.
“No mom,” Zephyr groaned and closed the door to his room.
"Dear, do you still feel uneasy about Fluttershy's friend and his mother coming over? What if we were just being paranoid about him over nothing?" Mrs. Shy asked.
“I am… Honestly, I'm not sure honey.” Mr Shy sighed. “He didn’t really look like a bad person, if I'm being perfectly honest about all this. But, looks can be deceiving.”
"I know, but perhaps think we should give him a chance like Fluttershy wants us to. If she has an open mind about him, we should try to as well."
"Perhaps you're right, honey. I suppose I will try." Moments later, during their conversation, the front door opens up and in walks their daughter, Fluttershy.
"Sorry I'm late, mom and dad. Did Israel and his mom show up?" Fluttershy asked after closing the front door and running into the kitchen.
"No, Fluttershy. But they should be here soon," Mr. Shy said. "But, I am a bit curious to know how you came to meet him in the first place."
"During the first day back to school, I met him during English class.” Fluttershy explained. “He told our class he wanted to test himself and become better in his vocabulary.”
"Oh, so he's a hard-working student." Mrs. Shy assumed. "I had no idea."
"So how did you two become friends after you met him?” Mr. Shy then asked.
"It was in P.E when we were helping each other warm up for our daily exercise. At first, I assumed he had no friends, so I asked if I could be his first. But when I learned he had two other friends he met in his previous years, I felt so relived and I was happy for him. Even if I wasn't his first friend, I still feel very glad that I got to be his good friend nonetheless."
“What are his friends? Are they alright?”
“He has two friends, Cheese Sandwich and Soarin. He told me that they're his bestest friends and they always love to tease each other.” Fluttershy said. “Much like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie who sometimes tease me and the rest of my friends.”
"That's certainly something," Mr. Shy said. Soon, there was a knock on the door.
“That must be them! I’ll go get the door,” as Fluttershy happily made her way to the front door.
Opening the door, Flutterhsy was greeted by the sight of her good friend Israel, who was holding a very beautiful bouquet of flowers. Next to him was standing a woman who looked similar to Israel. Fluttershy assumed that this was his mother, who gave her a kind smile.
“Good Evening, Fluttershy!” Israel greeted and gave her the bouquet of flowers. “Here, these are for you and your family, as a thank you for inviting us.”
"Oh, that's so sweet, thank you," Fluttershy said, giving off a squee as she accepted the bouquet and let her friend and his mother inside. She lead the two over to the kitchen after she closed the front door. "Everyone, our guests are finally here."
"Ah, you must be Israel's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Yabuki," Mrs. Shy said.
"The pleasure's all mine, but sadly, I'm not married and there's no need for formalities. You can just call me Christina and leave it at that," Israel's mother said.
“And I am Fluttershy’s father. It's very nice to have you two over” Mr. Shy offering his hand. Christina gladly accepted it and shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm very glad you all invited us here. My son spoke a lot of great things about your daughter over the past week.”
Mr. Shy smiled, “So did our daughter about your son, many good things.”
"I'm sure she has. Though, I never thought that his friend would be such a very beautiful and kind young lady, especially adorable to boot." Christina said, proudly, making Fluttershy blush.
"She's always been a sweetheart since the day she was born. Anyways, why not have a seat and I'll serve you each a nice, hot plate of my famous meatloaf." Mrs. Shy said. The two guests gladly took their seats at the dinner table and then without a warning…
"Zephyr, come on down, son! Our guests are here and dinner is ready!" Mr. Shy called out.
"I read ya loud and clear, pops!" Zephyr called back, followed by the sound of footsteps running and soon, Zephyr made his way to the dinner table. "Sorry I'm late, I had to-- oh my!" he said when his eyes landed on Israel's beautiful-looking mother. "I thought he was bringing his mom, not his big sister!"
Israel and Christina laughed it off like a joke. "You're certainly a charmer. But I actually am his mom, I just look younger than most women my age," she said.
"Oh, I had no idea! I wish I was born earlier so I would've had the chance to marry you," Zephyr said, smirking, making her laugh even harder.
"Whoa there, tiger. You obviously don't know my mom as well as I do. She's a woman with high standards and if you don't fit her standards, you don't got a shot. I'm not trying to be rude, it's just a fact." Israel said, leaning over to pat Zephyr gently on the back.
"That's the thing about Zephyr, he's always been a hopeless flirt," Mrs. Shy said, setting each plate down on the table as everyone sat down. Mrs. Shy had cooked up a meatloaf with a caesar salad with some drinks, like water, apple juice and fruit punch. “Well let us not sit here with our empty stomachs, everyone enjoy!”
"Mmm, the food looks tasty." Israel said before grabbing a fork and taking a bite out of the food. "It even tastes great, too!"
"Aww, thank you, Israel. So, Fluttershy told me how much of a hard-working student you are when you enrolled in English class on the first day." Mrs. Shy said before taking a bite out of her caesar salad. "Tell me, do you plan on heading off to college someday?"
"I might. I do have goals of wanting to be an animator, voice actor, or even a game designer. I'm not sure what to go with, exactly," Israel said before munching on another bite of his meatloaf.
“I will tell you this, buddy. If you took up a career as a hairstylist, I could give you some helpful pointers, maybe even more," Zephyr bragged, brushing his hair with his fingers.
"That's… nice, but I think that career is more your specialty. I'm sure you'll make a fantastic career out of it one day. Who knows, you might make an early career out of it," he encouraged before chomping on some of his caesar salad.
“Absolutely! When I graduate, mom, dad and my big sis will never need to pay for another hairstylist. They got me then.” Zephyr continued. "By the way, why didn't your pops join us? Did the man get caught up in his work?"
Sadly, Israel's smile went away again just like last time. "Zephyr, I don't think he--" Fluttershy says before she's cut off.
"No, it's alright. I did say I was gonna tell you during our dinner. Anyways, here it is: My father was never around, not even when I was born." Israel said.
"WHAT?! Why would that loser not want to be around for you?" Zephyr asked.
"The thing is… when his dad, Brandon Fedrico and I were young, mostly around the time when we were still in our early 20s, we had an on and off relationship. When he found out I was gonna have Israel, he didn't hesitate to leave me alone to fend for myself.” Christina said.
"Oh dear, that's just cruel," Mrs. Shy said. "I'm so sorry he did that to you."
"Psh, his loss, my gain. I don't need that bum in my life, even if he wanted to get back in my life now, he's gonna have to live with this big mistake." Israel shrugged. "That's why when I have kids of my own, I'm gonna make sure to take care of them like a real loving father would do."
Fluttershy was shocked to hear the story about Israel’s father. He may not show it but Fluttershy could tell that it hurt Israel on the inside. She felt sorry for him, she just wanted to go over and hug him.
"Does it still hurt when you think about it?" Mrs. Shy asked, concerned.
"Sometimes. But he didn't completely walk out on me. There were times when he came to visit me and other times, I went to visit him and play video games. The last time I saw my dad was when I was 12. He had invited over to one of his relatives' graduation party close to where I live. After that, he broke all contact with me." Israel said, then following it up with something that really got to Fluttershy. "When he hugged me, I thought he'd never let me go. He made me laugh, told me he loved me, then one day he just never came back."
“That’s rough for you, buddy.” Zephyr said with a remorseful look. “I had no idea that you had it that hard.”
"It wasn't all bad. My mom and I have a lot of family that helped raise me since I was an only child and I've got lots of cousins by my side, too." Israel replied. "So really, I don't care if my dad walked out on me, because he's missing out on seeing me grow up."
"He gets his "never-give-up" attitude from me," Christina said.
“Israel is also very determined.” Fluttershy added. “If only someone else here in the family would take a page out of Israel's book and learn from it,” as she looked at her younger brother.
“What?” Zephyr shrugged at her, making Fluttershy sigh.
"You know, on some days when he came home, he'd be so exhausted, he'd collapse on the couch and take a nap and snore louder than his grandpa. Running 6 laps, doing the bleacher miles can take a real toll on my son's body when he pushes himself so far," Christina said.
"You'd be exhausted, too, if you had to run up and down those steps in circles. My legs were aching all over during those days and they won't be the last time." Israel said.
"But from what I heard from Coach Spitfire, she said that you gave 120% and ran so far, you looked like you were running a relay race. She said you beat the record by a second." Christina said, hugging her son.
"If he's running that much, does that mean he's trying out for a sports team?" Mr. Shy asked.
"No, I do it just to keep in shape." Israel replied. "I want to maintain my figure, so I push myself extra hard when I'm running the track."
“120%? You might give Rainbow Dash a real challenge Israel,” Fluttershy said, impressed. “She’s always tries to go 100% whenever she can. It would be very exciting to see you both running to find out who’s the fastest runner on the track.”
"With that geode of hers, she'd beat me before I can even run one step. Plus, if you hadn't noticed, she's more athletic than I'll ever be," Israel chuckled.
“Yeah and besides, no one at CHS can ever hope to beat my Dashie!” Zephyr boasted. “She’s just way too awesome to be beaten by you.”
"Zephyr, mind your manners, young man. It's not polite to insult our guest like that. Remember, he runs to keep in shape, not to race others." Mrs. Shy scolded, waving her finger.
"My bad. By the way, do you have plans for the upcoming talent show in a few weeks? You never know, you might just wow the crowds with whatever kind of talent you've got." Zephyr said, lighting up Israel's eyes again, thus making Fluttershy smile at her brother.
"You bet your hairstyle, I do. I've got a thing for singing in front of large crowds," Israel replied.
"I didn't know you could sing," Fluttershy said.
"You should hear him when he's in the shower," Christina said.
"Mom!" he exclaimed, hiding his face in his hair.
“No need to be embarrassed about it dearie,” Mrs. Shy said. “Fluttershy is also a great singer.”
"W-Well, I… I guess you can say that… I mean, I… I do also write songs," Fluttershy said, nervously twiddling her fingers while blushing adorably.
“Come now Fluttershy, we’ve heard you sing before when you were at the animal shelter.” Mr. Shy added. “I came to pick you up and heard you sing. It was beautiful.”
"I know perfectly well that she can sing. I heard her while she was performing with her friends." Israel said.
"So, are you in a band?" Mr. Shy asked.
"No, I'm a solo singer. I leave the music part to either Cheese Sandwich or a karaoke machine." Israel said. "I'm a huge fan of karaoke."
Fluttershy's parents looked at each other, putting on these warm smiles, then back to Israel. "Have you ever thought of singing a duet with a partner, Israel?”
“Sometimes,” Israel said while taking a bite of the meatloaf. “But if I wanna sing a duet up on that stage, then it’ll have to be with someone special,” looking at Fluttershy.
Seeing the meaning behind it, Fluttershy blushed a little. Flattered by the compliment he gave her. Everyone soon finished their dinner. Zephyr, though reluctantly had to clean up the table and wash the dishes while Mr. and Mrs. Shy went to take the dessert from the kitchen.
"You know, Israel. I believe we owe you an apology. When we first met you, we had our doubts, but because Fluttershy saw the goodness in you and learned about your kind-hearted nature, we feel more at ease. We're sorry we ever doubted you and hope you can forgive us." Mrs. Shy said, coming back to the table.
"Of course I forgive you. You were just trying to look out for Fluttershy. It is your job as parents to look out for the wellbeing of your children." he said.
Hearing those words, Christina smiled proudly at her son. Her little boy has become so strong. It seems like only yesterday that she held him in her arms. Now he’s nearly an adult and he’s starting to have feelings for someone who truly cares about him.
"And I'm glad you took a chance with my son, Fluttershy. You're one of a kind," Christina said.
Fluttershy squeed when she smiled. And soon, with dinner finished, everyone happily moved onto dessert while they were enjoying each other's company.