Chapter 1: The Stranger
It was nice, sunny day in Ponyville. A gentle breeze was blowing, carrying the scents of the upcoming spring.
Fluttershy was outside, feeding her animal friends. "Good morning," she said to each animal. Finally, she trotted inside and sat down on the couch. She was about to take a nap, until she saw Angel tapping his foot impatiently. "Oh. Sorry Angel, I forgot to feed you." Fluttershy got up and got carrots, lettuce, celery, and such and made a salad. She gave it to Angel, but he still tapped his foot and was now motioning outside. "What is it Angel?" Fluttershy asked. Angel still kept tapping his foot and motioning outside. Fluttershy suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to feed the chickens. "Oh! I forgot to feed the chickens! Thank you for reminding me Angel."
She took a bag of chicken feed out from a cabinet and trotted outside. She got inside the chicken coop and put the food on a plate meant for the chickens. Immediately, the chickens rushed out from the coop and began pecking the food. Fluttershy giggled.
"Uhm, excuse me? Could you mind telling me where I am?"
Fluttershy turned around and saw a gray earth pony stallion with spiky dark red hair standing outside the chicken coop. He had some saddle bags on his back and looked rather tired. "Oh...um...you're in Ponyville."
"What?"
"You're in Ponyville, sir."
"Didn't quite catch that."
Finally, Fluttershy gathered as much courage as she could (which wasn't much) and said, "You're in Ponyville."
"Thanks. Also, are there any hotels nearby?" he asked. "I'm here on a trip."
"Yes there is. But they're a bit pricey..."
"I think I'll manage. By the way, what's your name? Mine's Silver Storm." He held out a hoof.
"My name is...Fluttershy." She shakily lifted a hoof and shook Silver's hoof.
"What?"
"My name is...Fluttershy." She felt embarrassed, and blushed. She saw Silver blushing too.
"I will!" Silver Storm turned around and trotted away. "Bye!"
"Bye..."
---
Fluttershy was sitting on her couch, doing nothing. Her short encounter with Silver Storm was the only "exciting" thing that had happened. And it was the only thing on her mind. She thought about his voice, his blush...She sighed. Fluttershy felt that she needed to see him again...
Fluttershy shook her head to clear away the thoughts. She had barely met him and she was sighing and thinking about him! She needed to stop thinking about him. And she would only refer to him as him.
Maybe I could go to Sugarcube Corner for some tea. Talking to Pinkie Pie or any of my friends might help get him off my mind. Yes, that would be good. Fluttershy got up and trotted to the door. "Angel, please keep an eye on the house while I'm gone," she said, and Angel nodded. Fluttershy smiled and trotted outside.
The smell of upcoming spring reached Fluttershy's nostrils. She suddenly felt like she needed something, but she couldn't place her hoof on it. She shrugged and trotted towards Sugarcube Corner. It took her a while, since her house was on the edge of the Everfree and she had a lot of things on her mind about...him. Fluttershy opened the door and trotted up to the counter.
"Yoohoo! Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy turned and saw Rarity at a table with a cup of tea in front of her. Fluttershy trotted to the table and sat on a seat across from Rarity. "Hi Rarity."
"Fluttershy, dear, I'm very glad you're here. It's been absolutely dull without anypony to talk to to while enjoying a cup of tea. I talked to Pinkie about my busy morning, but..."
Pinkie Pie bounced up to Rarity and Fluttershy. She placed a cup of tea in front of Fluttershy. "It was really, really, really, reeeeally boring. Anyways, how was your day like, Fluttershy? Is it less boring than Rarity's? Was it super-duper exciting? Or was it boring like-"
Rarity covered Pinkie's mouth with a hoof. "Pinkie Pie, please give Fluttershy a chance to talk. She hasn't said more than two words since she got here." She turned to Fluttershy. "Okay then, so how was your day like, dearie?"
"Well, I was out today, feeding the chickens, when I saw a-" Suddenly, the words got caught in Fluttershy's throat. Sitting a few feet away was...him. He was enjoying a cupcake just a table away from them.
"Saw what, Fluttershy?"
He waved. Fluttershy meekly waved back to him. She then looked at Rarity and Pinkie and continued. "I saw a stallion, he said he was on a trip and asked where he was. I told him he was in Ponyville. And that's the end."
Rarity and Pinkie just stared at Fluttershy, until Rarity cleared her throat. "Oh, uh, yes, dearie, that sounds exciting." She took a sip of her tea. However, Fluttershy was simply staring at him, no no no no, make that Silver Storm. She blushed, and then took a sip of her tea, which had gotten cold. She didn't mind though.
"Oh, uh, I need to leave," said Fluttershy. She quickly drank her tea, and trotted outside in a hurry. She flew to her house, thinking about Silver. She knew she had barely met him...
"That's it! I need to show him around Ponyville. Maybe I'll get to know him better that way! See if he's nice or not! Then I can put my thoughts about him to rest. And he'll get to see how nice Ponyville is too."
Fluttershy trotted inside and closed the door behind her. Angel was on the couch, munching on a carrot. Normally, Fluttershy would have scolded him, but she ignored him and searched around the house for pencil and paper. She soon found paper, a pencil, a envelope, and a sheet of stamps. She sat down in her bedroom and began to wonder how to begin the letter. "Plain Silver Storm sounds boring, to sounds boring too, dear sounds much too...normal. Maybe...yes!" Fluttershy immediately began to write.
Welcome Silver Storm!
I hope you are enjoying Ponyville...