//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Near Encounters of the Sixth Kind 
// Story: Out To Lunch 
// by Someguy458 
//------------------------------//

Andy looked up from the register. "What was that, Caramel?"

One of his coworkers, Caramel, repeated himself: "Clean Sweep needs help moving some boxes. You've been handling customers all day; I'll take over for a moment."

Andy smiled, genuinely grateful that his coworker was so nice. "Thanks, dude." With that, he went into the back to help, and Caramel took his place at the register.

Almost IMMEDIATELY, Fluttershy walked in through the front door. "Um, excuse me?" she addressed Caramel.

"Yes? What can I do ya for, ma'am?"

"I was just wondering if you had any gauze?"

"Aisle 13," the stallion helpfully pointed out.

"Thank you, sir," Fluttershy smiled, before heading there.

The moment she went out of sight, Andy popped his head out from the back. "Hey Caramel, do you know where the boxes of silverware go?"

"Third row, just next to the dishes," Caramel replied.

"Thanks." He returned to the back.

Fluttershy soon came back to the register with a few rolls of gauze in a shopping bag. Caramel totaled up the cost: "Alright, that'll be 2 bits."

She gave him the bits, thanked him, and went on her way.

That was when Andy came back out. "Alright, I think we're done."

But Sweep called out, "Wait a second; there's one last box that we missed!"

Andy blinked. "Nevermind," he corrected, before returning go the back.

Fluttershy poked her head in through the door. "Oh, sorry to disturb you again, but do you know when the first shipment of mangoes will come in? Colorete the fruit bat particularly likes them."

"Next Tuesday," Caramel helpfully supplied.

"Thanks!" Fluttershy smiled, before leaving again.

Andy came back out. "Alright, now I'm done." But he paused when he saw the lingering smile on Caramel's face. "What, did I miss something?"





Pinkie Pie hummed to herself as she prepared some lemon tarts. She'd just placed the tray into the oven, when a series of sensations overtook her. First, her knee got achy; then her eye got itchy; finally, her tail poofed out even further than normal (somehow).

She frowned. "There it is again! That combo usually means that somepony new is in town, but I can't seem to find them this time!"

She pondered this for a few seconds.

Then she shrugged. "I guess they don't want a party, like Cranky. That's alright; I won't force them."

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, a stallion was approaching Sugarcube Corner's backdoor, with the intent of meeting her.

Pinkie turned to begin preparing another dish, but paused when her nose became itchy. "Huh. Hope nopony's nearby...."

And, still unbeknownst to her, the stallion began to run as a swarm of bees chased him down.





Andy, now sporting several bandages over his bee stings, limped towards Carousel Boutique. I should've gone to Rarity first, he thought. She's almost always at her shop, and willing to help anypony. I might even buy a new suit while I'm there.

He immediately noticed the 'Out Of Town On Business' sign on the door, groaned in frustration, and began limping back towards his hotel room.

Just a few moments later, Rarity returned. She blinked at the faint feeling of having lost a potential customer, but shook it off and went inside.





The next day, he spotted a few stray clouds in the sky. They certainly didn't seem to be there on purpose.

Wait, isn't Rainbow Dash a weather pony? That means she'll have to come and take care of these clouds! he reasoned to himself.

He waited for a few minutes, staring intently at the clouds.

Time Turner, who was walking nearby, became concerned at the sight of a stallion seemingly staring at nothing. "Uhm, what, may I ask, are you looking at?"

Andy didn't reply; he wasn't going to miss his chance.

Turner followed his gaze, then frowned at the clouds. "My word, the weather team is starting to slip." He then glanced around, before smiling. "Ah, here they come now!"

Andy turned excitedly, but frowned when he didn't find Rainbow Dash among the ponies. Right, it's a weather team.

Time Turner didn't fail to notice. "Are you alright? You've been acting—"

Disheartened, Andy walked away.

"—strange..." Turner finished, frowning to himself.

Meanwhile, the weather ponies found Rainbow Dash snoozing in one of the clouds. They shook her awake, and after some talking, she drowsily joined them.





Andy moaned, collapsing into bed. His entire week had been a fruitless endeavor to even see the Mane Six again, much less say anything to them.

He sighed. "What am I doing wrong? Am I trying to force it too much? Am I not forcing it enough? Does the Universe just... not like me?"

He was seriously considering giving up right then and there. But in that moment of weakness, a memory bubbled to the surface:



8-year-old Andy sat in a boat in the middle of Lake Granby, frustrated that his fishing line hadn't yet hooked something. His father, William Syntyche, frowned as his son moved to the edge of the boat and began to shout, "Come on, stupid fishies, just bite already!"

"Andy," William began, "you can't force these things. You need to have patience."

"But I want to catch a fish NOW!" Andy complained, frustration scrunching up his face.

William laughed. "And I want to stargaze right now, but no amount of screaming is going to make the night come any faster."

Andy blinked at that, then sat back down.

About thirty seconds later, the line dipped. Andy gasped, grabbed the pole, and, with some help from his dad, reeled it in. It was a sockeye salmon!

"You see?" William chuckled as they put it into their cooler, "With some patience, anything's possible."



Andy sat up. "Let's try taking a step back. I won't try to find them for a week; just let the opportunity naturally come. If that doesn't work... Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

With some of his determination restored, he climbed under the covers and slowly drifted to sleep.

Any day now.