Art by DennyVixen: https://www.deviantart.com/dennybutt Art by DennyVixen: https://www.deviantart.com/dennybutt
Fluttershy flipped the top of her saddlebag closed, pinching the iconic pink butterfly pin with a snap. She had made sure she stuffed a healthy number of bits into the pouch along with the last few carrots left for her white cottontail companion, Angel Bunny.
The yellow, pink-maned pegasus' cottage was the warmest hug to all guests who entered her domain. A subtle scent of vanilla and the smell of vegetable stew brewing over the stone-lined fireplace glazed the welcoming air. Paintings of rainbows and butterflies and long, cozy couches decorated the interior, creating an inviting atmosphere to sit down, relax, and have a cup of tea. The entire structure was topped with a thick patch of moss that acted both as heating insulation and a very 'environmentally-friendly' design. Everything about the household reflected the kind and loving persona of the mare who called it 'home.'
Today was the Grand Ponyville Harvest sale for all things green and juicy, and Fluttershy intended to surprise her beloved animals at Sweet Feather Sanctuary with a special dinner. Originally, her own cottage was the sanctuary thanks to the mare’s generous hospitality. But ever since her furry, scaly, and feathered friends took up residence at the new place, she hasn’t had to worry about stumbling into a fragile bird’s nest or walking face first into a spider web on her way to bed.
With a deft pull of a wing, Fluttershy hoisted the saddlebag onto her back; It was weighty given how much cheddar she was packing, but it was comfortable.
“Everypony is going to be at the market today, Angel.” She began. “I think this year’s harvest is going to be the biggest harvest sale yet.”
Fluttershy glanced over at Angel Bunny still curled up on a purple floor pillow half-asleep. Fluttershy hid a smirk. A week ago, a small case of lice broke out around town. Though Angel was checked clean, he insisted he remain bed-ridden for however long he deemed necessary.
“Angel.” His caretaker whispered in her ever-so-soft voice. “If you come with me, I’ll let you eat your favorite snack.” She dragged out ‘favorite’ to emphasize the tempting offer.
The sleepy rabbit responded with a prolonged glare before shoving his face back into the pillow, a gesture signifying “five more minutes, please.”
Fluttershy was swayed too easily by his tactics.
“Oh, you look so cute when you’re mad while trying to sleep.” She squealed, elevating the pitch of her voice. “Alright, you can stay home today. I’ll be sure to grab every fruit and vegetable needed to make that special meal you love so much.”
Angel liked to entertain the idea that he receive a gourmet meal every dinner, one dish in particular. As much as she loved her fluffy pal, Fluttershy usually refused due to the difficulty in obtaining most of the ingredients it required.
Fluttershy trotted over to plant a quick peck on his forehead before turning to the door. “Be good, Angel.” She said. The rabbit waved her off with a paw. Even when he’s rude he is still absolutely adorable!
With the silence of a feather hitting the ground, Fluttershy exited her cottage.
Leaving the comfort of home wasn’t the challenge it used to be when she was a filly. Dark clouds haunted the sky and pestering bullies littered the airborne town of Cloudsdale. It didn’t help to have a fear of heights either. Though equipped with wings, Fluttershy was a weak flyer. She wouldn’t dare get close to the town’s edge.
Life came without warning for the sensitive Pegasus. Nopony ever related her severely introverted composure and complete lack of confidence. Every loud noise, frightening image, and spooky story were all too good a reason to stay indoors, preferably her own home.
On one fateful day, when she volunteered as flag bearer for her childhood friend’s race, Fluttershy was blown off the small cloud on which she stood. That cloud was the only thing standing between her and certain death. Thus, the little filly was sent tumbling to the ground, screaming as she fell.
Amidst everything she tried to prevent such a scenario, she was still going to finally ‘eat it.’
When life nearly struck the defining blow, Fluttershy decent was halted not by dirt or rock, but by a flock of butterflies. The small insects were utterly alien to her. Yet they were first of many to introduce her to the wonders of nature.
Creatures the little filly had never believed existed thrived in the world below. Small ponds housed gorgeous koi fish and tall trees provided refuge for magnificent birds. More important than discovering the bottom dwellers, she experienced the value in caring for and appreciating life rather than to fear it. Even the smallest organisms that crawled, sneaked, and slithered and the bigger, meaner ones who were only longing for understanding found their way into Fluttershy’s loving embrace.
Soon, the pink and yellow mare became the staple pony for the care and love of all living things. From then on, Fluttershy chose to live on the ground rather than the sky and strived to lead a life of kindness and compassion, earning her her signature three-butterfly cutie mark. Eventually, she was given the title of “Element of Kindness” to join with the other five “Elements of Harmony.”
Stepping into the outdoors, Fluttershy was greeted with the world she cherished with all her heart. Celestia’s sun hung just over the horizon, casting a golden glow overlapping the baby blue sky. A flock of geese flew in perfect triangle formation directly overhead. The morning’s breeze composed a song loud enough to allow the trees to dance and sway their leaves to the music of the wind. Dew glazed the grass surrounding her front yard, the healthy breakfast smoothie for any three-legged insect just waking up.
Fluttershy couldn’t help but grin.
“Good morning, World!” She exclaimed, hooves sprung out above her head as an attempt to reach out and give mother nature a warm hug.
Walking along the cobble path to Ponyville, the pegasus took some time to address everything she viewed as a work of art.
“Good morning, grass! Good morning, trees! I hope the neighborhood termites haven’t been bothering you.” She said, cheery as ever. The nearby pond was her next target. "Good morning, fishies!" Came the bubbling greeting as she stuck her head underwater. She waved a 'hello' to the chirping frog sitting on a lily pad.
A little highway of ants intersected her path after she crossed the bridge. Fluttershy bent down to greet a particular specimen. “Good morning, Colonel Antony!” She said sternly with a hoof raised to her brow. The ant officer stopped to return the salute before returning to whatever duties he had for the day.
Such was the mare’s passionate morning routine she never started her day without. But today, time was of the essence. A few hours’ worth of grocery shopping awaited her, so she incorporated a little pep in her step to beat the inevitable crowd at the market.
The Ponyville market was set up near the center of town with a long rows of tents, tables, and tiny makeshift storefronts, each designated to its own freshly harvested crop: apples, pears, carrots, potatoes, beets, lettuce, spinach, pumpkins, and…watermelons?
Thanks to the Wonderbolts, Ponyville’s athletic speedsters, the seasons were more predictable than most other places. Annual harvests synced with one another. As a result, enjoying a watermelon slice during the summer whilst baking a pumpkin pie in the oven became a luxury available only to the residents of Ponyville. On rare occasions, farmers in the tropical regions of Equestria would visit the small town to sell their citrus fruits and ripe coconuts. Hence, one could understand why today’s event was called the Grand Ponyville Harvest sale for a reason.
Fluttershy arrived rather early to beat the impending crowd the town’s market sales tended to attract. Confrontations with fellow shoppers never happened to be fun. Most cases ended in the mare shying away and blandly apologizing after being cut in line. In the past, her friends encouraged her to join a self confidence building group. The results were initially profound, but due to the extreme measures the overbearing instructor pressured on her, she ended up losing sight of her original persona and became what she hated most of all, a bully. Fluttershy has tried to remain true to the qualities she lives by ever since.
Today, she hoped being the first shopper would help to avoid competition. However, as early as she was, most of the vendors had yet to open their shop to the public. Luckily, the ‘early-bird’ idea was shared with one of Fluttershy’s closest friends.
An orange mare running the apple stand was everypony’s favorite country gal, Applejack, the element of Honesty. She waved her brown stetson at Fluttershy before slapping it back onto her noggin.
“Mornin’ Flutters!” Applejack rang. “Happy to see ya here bright n’ early!” Her country twang warmed her soul.
“Good morning, Applejack.” Fluttershy sang back before turning her attention to the much larger red stallion behind the stand. “Congratulations on your marriage, Big Mac! You and Sugar Belle are the cutest couple in Ponyville right now.”
Big Macintosh instinctually returned with a slow, dreamy “Eeeeeyuuup” before realizing he was given a complement and frantically rebounded with a deep “Oh! Uh…Thank you, Miss Shy.”
Fluttershy giggled at that.
The brawny earth pony had towed two wagons’ worth of freshly picked apples consisting of three classic colors: yellow, red, and green, ripe for the taste buds. (Though Applejack preferred ponies call them by their real names.) Releasing a long sigh, he slumped into the grass and rested his aching head. His newly wed wife, Sugar Belle, was setting up her portion of the stand to sell some of her yummy baked apple fritters to complement the surplus of fruit.
“Ya want yur usual, sugarcube?” Applejack interjected. Fluttershy was a regular customer, and she hardly varied her choices.
“Why yes I would, please.” The yellow mare answered sweetly.
“Big Mac!” Applejack’s new authoritative demeaner jolted the red stallion awake. “Three pounds of pink ladies plus a pound of granny smith, stat!”
Big Mac hurried to his hooves and dumped the requested apples onto a makeshift scale for weighing before tossing them into a brown paper bag. Fluttershy snatched a few bits from her saddlebag and placed them on the counter of the wooden stand.
“If we’re goin’ to keep up with them customers today, you better be on the tip of yur hooves, big brother!” Applejack added.
“Eeyup!”
Applejack turned back around to hand the pegasus the bag of juicy, ripe apples, closed shut with a Sweet Apples Acres branded ribbon. A peaceful exchange between two ponies. And with business out of the way, the two mares engaged in healthy conversation.
“This is gonna be some harvest sale, huh?” Began Applejack.
“Oh I know! I usually don’t spend so much on fresh produce. But the variety of crops that are going to be sold here is wonderful!” Fluttershy looked around at the other stands lining the market. “I’ve heard some vendors are coming from the tropics. That means pineapples and bananas and coconuts are going to be sold today!”
“Ya act like you like coconuts or somethin’. I know you, Flutters. You’d never go near those things.” Applejack rested her elbow on the stand’s countertop.
“They’re not for me.” Fluttershy replied with a smile. “I figured I’d stock up on food for the animals at my sanctuary. I know they’re going to be so happy to have their favorite meals for dinner.”
Applejack looked over her friend’s shoulder and spotted a pair of ponies had found their way to the market. “Well ya best hurry yurself. This place is going to be bustlin’ with more ponies than the post office on Hearth’s Warming Eve.” She said, her countryisms always a welcome addition.
Fluttershy wasn’t ready to leave her friend’s comforting presence so soon, but she understood her concern, especially when she knew how Fluttershy felt in large crowds. “Right. Well…good luck with the harvest sale, Applejack.” She said, tentatively.
Content with her purchase and the brief interaction, Fluttershy waved a goodbye, a gesture eagerly returned by its receiver. The Apple family is so kind and welcoming. I wish more ponies could be like them.
She clipped the paper bag now full of apples to the strap of her saddlebag. Gazing around the premises, she noticed a couple more Ponyville residents had shown up for their market spree. Applejack is right. I better be quick.
The entire first half of the day was spent browsing food items for the animals back at the sanctuary. Celestia’s sun now hung midway into the atmosphere highlighting everything caught in its warming glow.
What seemed like minutes became hours as Fluttershy browsed the other vendors. Her saddlebag would shrink bit by bit as the collection of brown paper bags stuffed with a collection of fruits and vegetables grew to a sizable mass atop her back. Grocery shopping was an enjoyable activity, but when you had the responsibility for hundreds of spoiled rotten critters completely dependent on your care, it became a regular exercise.
By lunch time, the market was flooded with patrons of all shapes and sizes. Everypony…no…evercreature in Ponyville was now shopping to stock their own shelves with local and foreign goods.
Ponyville was a tightknit town overall, a kind of everypony-knows-everypony type place. Lyra and Bon Bon could be seen holding hooves as they strolled past the vendors. All three members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were on some makeshift adventure through the market streets while being followed by younger, noncutie-marked foals.
Unsurprisingly, the Flim and Flam brothers had set up their own stand to sell whatever magical, world defying concoction they’ve conjured up lately. And even that infamous cross-eyed mare paused her mail delivery to pick up a few boxes of blueberries.
Fluttershy was hidden somewhere in the mix. Personal space became nonexistent as she found herself constantly bumping flanks with others.
“Oh. Excuse me.” “Pardon me, Sir.” “Sorry about that, Ma’am.” Were her apologies for the all-too-frequent collision.
“Watch your hooves, little filly!” One of them had said. Fluttershy didn’t like that, especially being called a filly, and wanted to berate the stallion for his rudeness. But she said nothing.
The weight on her back was no help either. Often, the poor mare had to pick up after herself after one or two of her paper bags tore open, spilling its contents onto the hoof and claw infested floor.
Oh dear, I think I’ve bought too much. She thought, fumbling with the sticks of celery on the ground. As she did so, wings and tails grazed past her face, briefly obscuring her view.
Leaving became a desirable option fairly quickly. As a matter of fact, there was a swarm of critters awaiting their promised ‘specialty’ dinner back at her sanctuary.
Flicking the top flap of her saddlebag open, Fluttershy peered inside at the number of the bits she had left. Her suspicions were correct. I did buy too much.
Being the element of kindness is not only a title, but also a full-time job whenever she went on perilous adventures with her friends. Although, however terrifying the adventures were, they were rewarding in character growth and in pay. So, she need not worry.
Forcing herself out of the dense crowd, Fluttershy safely departed the Grand Ponyville Harvest sale, a farewell to a productive day of grocery shopping. The walk to the sanctuary to the sanctuary wasn’t a long one, but with the cargo on her back the distance may as well be tripled.
Celestia’s sun now approaching the west horizon, the sky was a brilliant orange.
Dinner time.
The walk from the produce market was as long as anticipated. This was mostly due to the accumulated mass of food atop her back. The combined weight forced the mare on her hooves, preventing flight. She didn’t have Rainbow Dash’s speed, nor would she ever match the strength of Applejack. Physical exercise was foreign territory.
Thankfully, the forest tunnel opened up to a much wider landscape. Relief spread across the mare’s face.
The first, attention-grabbing feature of Sweet Feather Sanctuary was the waterfall that wash over slated rock, cascading into a pond, which joined into a winding stream that extended across the terrain. A hoofwoven, red hammock lay strung up between two palm trees. Wooden platforms and tiny bird houses decorated the trunks of eucalyptus trees. ‘Paradise’ would come to mind for anypony fortunate enough to lay eyes on the place. For the animals, it was heaven.
But it was quiet, too quiet.
How odd.
Fluttershy, red in the face from exhaustion, approached the center of the field and dropped her cargo. The freedom of movement steadily returned after a swift pop in the spine. Turning around, she expected to find the delightful company of her beloved animal friends. Instead, she was greeted with a tidal wave of disapproving faces.
“Hello, friends! Caretaker Fluttershy has returned!” She exclaimed while retaining a gentle tone, oblivious to the tension the atmosphere.
Harry, the brown grizzly bear, stood with his arms folded, brow furrowed. A raccoon family of three all spat a glare at the yellow Pegasus. Even the pond’s fluffy ducklings seemed carried a feeling of contempt. Every animal on the premises shared a similar feeling in some form or fashion.
Fluttershy blinked. Awareness finally gripped her. Was it something I said?
Harry pointed a paw to his belly with the rest of the animals following suit, pointing to wherever their stomach lies in their body. Then, high-pitched, whiney noises swelled, as if somepony somewhere was winding up a large siren. The group began to encircle the mare.
Fluttershy’s thinking machine went into overdrive. Is it…because they’re hungry? No, they shouldn’t be…
The earthshaking drum of Harry’s growling stomach proved otherwise.
“Now, wait just a minute.” Fluttershy pleaded. The volume of moans and groans increasing ever so slightly.
“There’s no need to be upset. I have plenty of f-” Their cries easily drowned out her own. The sounds were deafening to her ears.
Each creature held a pathetic expression on its face. All souls in her midst acted like a punishment had been inflicted upon them for some unknown, undeserving reason. A little grey goat had the gall to pretend to faint, likely an act to obtain sympathy for the apparent suffering shared across the entire sanctuary.
This type of mass tantrum could only mean one thing: They ran out of food and were starving.
And it blew a fuse.
“ENOUGH!” Fluttershy demanded with vigor and righteous authority. The blast of her command reverberated the nerves of every creature within its range, presumably, even those a mile away. The whining stopped, and all grew wide-eyed at the fuming mare.
“I have spent my entire day gathering food for all of you and dragged it all the way here! By! My! Self!” She didn’t hesitate to get up in their faces.
The animals were frozen, completely dumbstruck.
“And if that isn’t enough for you, I spent extra time choosing your all your favorites! I could have just bought you bags of kibble for Celestia’s sake!” Her voice cracked. “It is also very clear to me, that most of you don’t know how to share! I gave you a months’ worth of food TWO weeks ago! No wonder you’ve run out so quickly!” Tears formed in the eyes of all who beheld the mare’s wrath.
“You have nocreature to blame but yourselves, yet you all are upset at me!?” They cowered in fear, some covering their ears, dreading the final blow.
“I am VERY disappointed in you!”
A long moment of silence passed before every animal, in unison, erupted into a series of wails and sobs. Tears showered the grass below, drowning it in an endless sea of sadness.
Fluttershy winced, shocked by the result of her own making. Her expression rapidly softened. What have I done? I’m a monster!
What once was a furious outcry became a flood of pain and misery. A tissue box passed around the group to provide some aid to the profuse torment.
“Everycreature, please stop crying and listen to me.” Fluttershy spoke in the softest voice she could muster, though loud enough to be heard. “I am sorry for lashing out at all of you.”
The sobs slowed upon hearing the apology.
“But you must understand that you all live here together. That means you need to care for each other.” She walked around the circle as she spoke. “I can’t be here all the time because I have other responsibilities.” Her words worked deep to the bone as the animals stared at her with watery eyes.
“It also means that you need to share your food with your neighbors. Nocreature should take more than they need.”
The message appeared to ring clear. A select few had guilty expressions, contemplating their actions. Their caretaker truly wanted the best for them.
Fluttershy lowered her head. “Again, I am very very sorry for my…emotional outburst.” She looked up with innocent eyes. “Do you forgive me?” She asked.
What followed was a barrage of nods and approvals. The mare perked up and smiled.
“Well then I forgive you too!” Fluttershy opened her arms and embraced the residents of Sweet Feather Sanctuary. The group hug was tight, but it was warm and forgiving.
“And I hope you’re still hungry, because I brought you all something extra special.” She picked up the paper bag with the Sweet Apple Acres ribbon. She eagerly began opening it to showcase to the surprise inside. But when she glanced back upward, there was no creature in sight. Abandonment never felt so confusing and unprecedented.
Fluttershy scanned the surrounding area. Nothing but a few feathers lay where her animals once stood. “Hello? Friends? Where did you run off to?” Did I say something wrong? Again?
All the sudden, the world got a little bit colder. The sky seemed to fade a few shades darker, and her heart started to pump a few beats faster. Turning around, Fluttershy glanced up and saw it.
Her pupils dilated and her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. She dropped the paper bag spilling freshly picked apples everywhere.
The creature, slightly larger than Celestia the sun goddess, sat on the ground before her. Its steel-colored scales a stark contrast to the blue sky. Its sharp claws sunk deep into the dirt. Its wings reflected the fire of the sun. Its head and neck curled into the shape of an S.
“Dr..dr…dr…dr…dr…” Fluttershy stood trembling in place. Words failed her as they always did in times of stress.
“Uh…hi there. Do you think you can help me?” Spoke the dragon.