A few ponies perked up at that, as did Rarity, who was already trying to guess what manner of act would come next. A lion taming routine would be her first guess, though Rarity assumed that would fit better under the big top. Rather than the freak show, which Rarity assumed would have something much different and much, stranger.
“You’ve all likely wondered at one point in time what your pet was saying when they barked or meowed at you,” the stallion began. “But wonder no longer, for I present to you, Fluttershy the beast whisperer and her assistant the jackalope, Angel!”
When the curtain parted once more Rarity was surprised to find that no lions, manticores, or other large creatures revealed themselves. Rather there stood only a nervous-looking butter-yellow pegasus with long pink hair, a tall bunny with antlers standing beside her, and several small cages behind her. Upon the crowd laying eyes on her, the pegasus waved awkwardly, half of her face hidden behind her mane.
Unlike before, this time the announcer pony didn't leave the stage entirely, merely standing off to the side. “Born with a rare condition that has left her with an overactive cutie mark, Fluttershy’s talent for animal handling has left her unable to speak equestrian standard.”
The pegasus nodded slowly.
“Unable to live in normal society due to her condition, Fluttershy must be accompanied by her faithful jackalope companion,” continued the stallion, who gestured to the horned rabbit. “This rare creature occasionally bonds with those who help it, creating an unbreakable connection. Which also allows the jackalope to understand the pony it has bonded with, as well as speak equestrian!”
The bunny waved. “It is true.”
The crowd gasped after the large rabbit spoke, and even Rarity found herself transfixed.
“For her first trick, Fluttershy will make the most deadly snake in Equestria dance!” proclaimed flim, who pointed to the back of the tent, where an enormous black snake sat upright in its cage. “But first she must calm the beast by speaking its own language. The language of snakes.”
Rarity leaned forward and watched closely as the timid pegasus trotted over to the snake, whispering soft hisses as she did so. The reptile seemed to understand the pony, and hissed back, banging its body against the cage exit every few seconds. Clearly, the creature was not as patient as the jackalope which stood nearby, its careful gaze never leaving the pegasus.
“Sorry bout that, someone thought it would be funny to toss a rock into the cotton candy machine,” muttered a gruff voice.
Rarity jumped and spun to see that Applejack had somehow managed to sneak up on her and stood nearby, glancing at the stage. “Don't startle me like that,” Rarity hissed, the journalist doing her best to keep her voice down.
Applejack rolled her eyes. “If you didn't hear me coming that's on you,” she retorted.
Rarity silently bristled at the comment but reluctantly pushed down her desire to fire back and instead focused back on the stage. Where Fluttershy had managed to calm down the snake and had even let it wrap about her neck, it's head sitting atop her own. Though as nervous as ever, Fluttershy continued to talk to the snake, hissing and spitting on occasion.
The conversation mostly flowed in only a single direction, but the snake sometimes offered a brief response of some kind. After the oohs and ahhs of the audience died down, Flim cleared his throat before taking a step back toward center stage.
“Now then, normally we would show off more of Fluttershy’s menagerie, but I see we have a dog owner in the audience,” Flim declared, smiling down at a rather large unicorn mare who sat in the front row.
Though Rarity couldn't see a dog from her vantage point, she assumed from the way the pony was sitting that it was resting atop her lap.
“My good mare, have you ever wanted to know what he was thinking, and to get an answer as to why your furry friend does what they do?” Flim continued, smiling a little too widely.
“Of course, who hasn't?” she replied with a scoff. “Though I can already tell that my little munchkin loves his mommy very much, isn't that right snookums?”
The unicorn picked up her pet and rubbed its face against her own, the animal seeming to wince at the touch, the tiny creature’s pink bow bobbing slightly with each movement. From atop the stage, Fluttershy had finished putting the snake away and stood once more at the forefront.
“Then if it's alright with you, dear patron, may Fluttershy speak with your animal?” Flim pressed.
The unicorn smiled. “Of course, now be good Snookums, and don't go telling all of mommy’s secrets now?”
A few members of the crowd chuckled as the unicorn levitated her pet up to the stage, where Fluttershy quickly plucked it out of the air and gently set it on the ground before her.
“First, Fluttershy will find out something that only your pet knows so you all can be certain that this is all one hundred percent real!” Flim exclaimed.
“Unlike yer cider,” Applejack whispered so quietly Rarity only just heard.
Torn between inquiring more about what her companion had mentioned, and watching the show, Rarity decided to simply ask about that later. Turning back to the stage, Rarity observed as Fluttershy barked, whined, and yipped at the dog, her voice somehow managing to perfectly mimic the sound of a canine. The pet would occasionally offer something in return, but once again this seemed to be a one-sided conversation, one that nearly ended when the dog said something that made Fluttershy’s face light up like a hearthmas tree.
The pegasus shook her head and quickly muttered a set of barks and whines.
The dog seemed to sigh, before offering a much shorter response.
Fluttershy nodded and turned to Angel, who stood just off to the side between the dog and the performer. “Your favorite novel is the flame and the flower,” Angel declared in a slightly bitter-sounding tone.
The unicorn blushed. “I must admit that is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Miss Harley Quinn writes such beautiful love stories.”
Rarity nearly gagged at the mere reference of such low-brow entertainment, while silently making a note to see if the local library had it in their collection.
“She sounds worse than Granny Smith, and that's sayin something,” Applejack muttered mostly to herself.
“Now that we have established her authenticity, is there anything you wish to know about your furry friend? We will only have time for a single question I’m afraid,” Flim warned, the show pony making it sound like he was genuinely sorry and mostly failing.
“Oh my, only one question hmm?” The unicorn tapped her painted pink hoof against her chin and blushed. “I know it's rather silly but would you please ask Shnookums how much he loves his mommy?”
A teenager in the crowd faked a gag, and was rewarded with a smack upside the head by his father.
Fluttershy nodded and turned to the dog before presumably repeating the question in canine, to which the pampered pink poodle barked back.
The pegasus blinked in surprise and eyed the unicorn critically for a moment before Angel stomped his foot. Shaking her head, the pony seemed confused a moment before making a series of squeaks and sniffles at the jackalope.
Who nodded slowly. “He says he loves you more than the whole entire world,” Angel announced.
The dog looked a little betrayed, while Fluttershy was embarrassed and the owner ecstatic.
The unicorn mare levitated her prized poodle back into her grasp and squeezed it tightly. “Oh I just knew you loved your mommy, but this, this is amazing! When we are getting home I am going to sew you so many new fancy outfits,” proclaimed the mare.
The dog’s eyes narrowed, and Fluttershy winced, offering the canine an apologetic wave as the curtains began to close and Flim returned to center stage.
“Now wasn't that worth the price of admission all on its own?” Flim declared with a grin. “But don't you worry dear patron, we are only just barely halfway through the show. We have two final acts, each stranger than the last!”