//------------------------------//
// Down to Earth 
// Story: Down to Earth 
// by James Pwyll 
//------------------------------//

Coming to a new place was always a daunting thing for anypony, but Fluttershy was confident that she was going to be okay with this. Or at least as confident as a mare like Fluttershy was capable of being. As she looked to her front door, she took a deep breath, then slowly reached out and pushed it open. It was an old door, and it gave away the distinct creak that always came with aged wood. The inside of her new cottage was dark, but with the light of the day creeping in, Fluttershy was able to see enough to get a feel for just how empty it was. It wouldn't be empty for long, she knew that. Soon enough her furniture would arrive and she could finally start to make this house into a home. Right now though, it was so bare, so hollow, that it caused a pang of concern for her, especially since all she'd brought with her was enough stuff to make tea. Taking a single step inside, she glanced around, the sheer quiet of the place broken only by her breathing, and then finally her first words here. "Well...home sweet home, I suppose."

"Don't worry, Fluttershy. Knowing you, you'll get this place feeling cosy in no time flat!"

A smile slowly started to form on Fluttershy's face, and she turned to see the grinning image of her oldest friend. "I'm glad you could be here with me today, Rainbow."

The confident mare behind her chuckled, shrugging her shoulders briefly. "Hey, coming to a new house is pretty special. Figured you'd want somepony here with you when it happened."

Fluttershy's smile grew. "And I'll be sure to come with you when you go to yours."

Rainbow scratched the back of her head, quickly glancing behind her. "Yeah...well...might take a bit longer for that one. Need to find just the right clouds to get building."

Fluttershy nodded. "You're welcome to stay here until you're finished."

Her childhood companion smiled back to her, patting her on the shoulder. "Thanks, Flutters. I don't know what I'd do without you." Then she started looking around the immediate area, to the perfectly-idyllic surroundings that encompassed Fluttershy's cottage. "Although...this is probably the last place anypony would expect me to be living, even if it's just for a day or two."

Fluttershy giggled. "Perfect for me though."

Rainbow joined in on her laugh. "No argument there." Then she started to look a bit more thoughtful. "But are you sure Ponyville's a place you wanna live? No offense to the ponies who live here, but it's kinda far from Cloudsdale."

Her friend considered that, slowly looking up to the sky, though she struggled to see her ancestral home from here. "Cloudsdale was my home...but you and I both know it never felt...right to me."

Rainbow too looked up. "Yeah, you're not wrong. All the colts and fillies up there...you never really...gelled, did you?"

Fluttershy shook her head, then smiled again as she looked back down to Rainbow. "I didn't. I always knew that I'd want to go someplace else one day. And now...here I am."

Rainbow smirked as she too regarded her friend. "And to think, this never would have happened if you hadn't nearly fallen to your death as a kid."

A fierce blush developed on Fluttershy's cheeks. "Well...you needn't describe it that dramatically." Then, after seeing Rainbow arch an eyebrow, Fluttershy sighed with some defeat. "Okay...maybe it was a rather dangerous moment."

Rainbow snorted. "I'll say! Remember all those kids who swarmed around you after you got back? Asking you how exciting it was and what the ground was like?"

Fluttershy shuddered at the memory. "I wish they'd hadn't done that. I never liked having that many ponies close to me. I'd much rather be around the butterflies again."

Rainbow patted her own chest. "Don't you worry. I kept the worst of them away, remember?" Fluttershy gave her an appreciative smile, which ended when Rainbow started looking around. "Speaking of...where are all those butterflies you were talking about? The way you described them I expected this place to be swarming with them!"

Looking around, to her currently-butterfly-free garden, Fluttershy smiled. "They were only around because of the season. Flowers aren't much in bloom right now, so we won't have any around here for a while." This fact didn't seem to dampen her spirits, however. "But I know we'll have all sorts of critters around here before we know it!"

Rainbow chuckled. "I'll bet. Knowing you, you'll probably have them here as early as tomorrow. As soon as word gets out that Fluttershy, Equestria's biggest animal lover, is living here, Ponyville will become critter central!"

Fluttershy giggled. "Oh, I don't know about that...but it will be nice to have them here." Then after waiting for a few moments, she looked back, to her kitchen, before speaking up again to Rainbow. "If you like, I can get some tea on the go."

Though she was clearly happy for the offer, Rainbow raised a hoof to her friend. "Thanks, but I don't want to impose."

Fluttershy shook her head. "It's no trouble. I'd actually like to have that kind of moment with you here."

Rainbow considered that, then smiled yet again, giving a quick nod to her. Fluttershy's response was a look of pure joy, and as she merrily hopped into the kitchen, Rainbow shook her head with slight amusement before promptly following her inside. "You know, right now, you remind me of that pink mare I met when I first arrived here."

Fluttershy's ears perked up after hearing that, though she maintained her focus as she got the kettle ready. "Oh? You met Pinkie?"

Rainbow was surprised. "You saw her too?"

Fluttershy's grin was only slightly mischievous now. "I get the feeling she meets everypony."

A dry laugh from Rainbow. "Yeah, she's gonna be a hoofful, that one." Then she turned, looking out of the window to the rest of the town. "I imagine there'll be a few ponies here who'll be pretty interesting to meet. Might be worth going out and looking around after we're done here. If nothing else, I'll need to talk to my new boss at the weather control office."

Fluttershy nodded, but then hesitated. "Um, you're welcome to go and meet other ponies...but I think I'll stay here for a bit."

Rainbow, knowing her well, simply walked beside her and placed her hoof upon her shoulder. "Hey, there's no rush. Who knows how long you'll be here. You can take as much time as you want to meet ponies."

Fluttershy turned to face her, offering an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Rainbow." The two smiled to one another in silence, but then, after waiting the appropriate amount of time, Fluttershy knew the tea was ready, and so began to pour it. Rainbow waited eagerly, eventually accepting the cup that was offered to her. As she and Fluttershy took their respective places outside, on a log right next to the pond, Fluttershy saw her friend, and already knew what she had to say. "Don't worry. Five spoonfuls of sugar, just like always."

Rainbow, naturally, was more than happy to hear that. "You know me so well."