Honestly, none of the mares thought that today would have at least some surprises. Fluttershy relied on a quiet time in her cottage and the usual performance of her duties as a veterinarian and teacher at the School of Friendship. And right now she was visited by similar thoughts, because neither she nor her friend expected this. Her idea was that Miss Cup had problems transporting her pet due to a leg injury, severe fur burns, or a severe rare disease. With all this Pegasus could cope with a hundred percent guarantee. After all, she loves animals very much, absolutely everyone and is ready to spend all her efforts in order to help, or to find a way to solve problems. Fluttershy couldn't believe that for a split second she was able to question her ideals just because she saw this... "cat".
There was silence in the room... the silence of fear. The Element of Kindness wanted to take her eyes off this mystical creature and try to look with her eyes for something that would help them escape from here. But she didn't succeed. An unpleasant cold ran down her back, her hooves began to tremble, and she herself could not help but look into those empty green eyes-lanterns. The creature moved its tail, which escaped from the swirling black energy from the darkened passage into the corridor and stood on all fours.
Fluttershy does not want to see this monster, she wants with all her might that it return to Tartarus or any other forbidden place. If only not next to her: These shadows...shadows...like that time...they came to life again...crystals...
Suddenly, the Pegasus' head abruptly rebooted and it felt like someone was burning her mind. She was able to tear her eyes away from "it". And look down, covering her face with her hooves, desperately trying not to let the thoughts of a particular past appear in her memory. This blackness with cat ears and a tail unconsciously made both mares mentally relive the loss of Ponyville and the destruction of the Tree of Harmony and meeting with...
"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no," Rarity repeated the words of horror as if she were mesmerized.
Fluttershy looked at her in a panic, wrapped her hooves around the unicorn in a sharp movement and covered her mouth with one of these. Rarity began to stifled screams, but it was good that it was quiet. Fluttershy's heart began to beat at the speed of a locomotive at full speed. Her fear did not allow her to do anything, her hooves continued to firewood, and the wings refused to obey at all. Rarity herself did not take her eyes off the creature and twitched and writhed in the arms of the pegasus, trying to break free and run away. But Fluttershy couldn't let that happen. Some animal species are very sensitive to the behavior of surrounding creatures and they may regard some "unexpected" actions as a sign of aggression. Fluttershy knew this because she had to deal with the ferocity of her predatory friends more than once. But here is another case ... she was afraid to imagine what this creature is capable of. At the same time, the cat-like cluster of shadows approached the mares a little closer and sat on its hind legs, nervously waving its tail around.
Please, Rarity, the pony veterinarian couldn't find the strength to say the words and just stared at the perceived threat in front of them, Calm down...I can't do it without you...I'm scared, but please get back to normal.
But the unicorn did not answer the mental request of her friend. She kept trying to break free of the pegasus' grip. Her moans, mooing and crying were the only thing that everyone heard.
Soon, Miss Cup herself recovered from the shock and quickly approached the white pony: "Rarity, my sunshine, please calm down. It's not so bad, let me explain everything," the adult pony spoke in a motherly and half-whisper, but she realized that this would not help and quickly rushed to the sink. She poured cold water into a glass and splashed it in Rarity's face. At the same moment, the body of the unicorn went limp and stopped moving. The only movement from her was the contraction of the muscles of the lungs. Drops of water and dripping mascara dripped from the pony's face. She slightly relaxed her eyelids and looked down at her front hooves, which had already sunk to the floor. Fluttershy sighed in relief as her mane covered her face and she touched her forehead to her friend's right shoulder.
Miss Cup looked with calm sadness at her pet, then at her guests. She came closer to them and gave them the most tender hugs. She expected such a reaction ... but it still looks scary in reality.
The black cat continued to sit quietly and look at them.
Five minutes later, Miss Cup calmed the two mares and assured them that this creature was her new pet and there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. She brought Rarity a glass of cool water and offered cake to both ponies, but they tactfully declined. This situation simply does not allow her guests to want anything. They all sat down at the table again - the pegasus and the unicorn sat next to each other, and Miss Cup sat opposite them along with the "cat", which settled down next to the left side of its owner and lay down, wrapped in a ball and purring softly. But even such acts of cuteness did not help Fluttershy relieve internal tension. She moved away from her friend a little to be as far away from the potential threat as possible.
"So...you're saying this creature is a cat, am I right?" Rarity finally broke the awkward silence after drinking half a glass of water, "And the reason you called Fluttershy was because of him"
“Yes, everything is correctly noticed,” the older mare said in a slow and even tone, she turned her head towards the creature and looked at him with a gentle look with a smile, then gently stroked his head, from which the cat emitted a deep purr, but did not open his eyes , "At first I did not see any problems in this, I was glad that my Betty would finally have a friend. I discovered him quite by accident. Fang walked along the corridor of my floor with my cat. Or rather, I could assume that they walked and nothing more "When I came to my door, I heard my Betty meow and turned around to the sound. They both came up to me and at that time mine was rubbing her muzzle with this little monster"
Miss Cup told all this without pausing to stroke her pet. Her caring eyes were still fixed on him. But Fluttershy noticed that particles of sadness and uncertainty began to be traced there, as if the owner of this animal wants to tell us something very much, but something is stopping her. Pegasus moved a little closer to the table and put her front hooves on it, her face was a mixture of surprise, doubt...and interest. Fluttershy looked at this creature with curiosity, she really wanted to understand everything that she now sees and hears. She could not believe it, but this situation now appears before her from a completely different angle. She and her friend have just discovered an unknown species of mammal that bears a noticeable external resemblance to members of the feline family. Fluttershy felt her lips twitch a little with eagerness to learn the habits and predispositions of this cat, and her wings relaxed a little after the previous stress. She looked at him. He continued to lie next to Miss Cup and purr from her caresses. Fluttershy sighed unnoticed by everyone from the realization that in front of him lies the usual code with the usual cat habits ... At least she thought so while they were here with him. Pegasus found the strength to smile at him, even if not completely rid of some anxiety. After all, she came here to help, so she must help.
Rarity was still sitting tense, but this time she remained calm. She does not like the fact that she exposed herself in a shameful way and forced her timid friend to be brave for everyone. She frowned at the thought of what everyone had to endure during her tantrum. No, she can't act like that anymore. Now they have a much bigger problem. Rarity levitated the glass down onto the table and looked at the creature with contempt and fear. It emitted smoky black shadows, not much of course but it did. Such strength is familiar to her. This power has caused suffering to many ponies in Equestria and the Empire, this power has swallowed up many innocents with its cursed aura before... This power has corrupted Sweetie Belle.
Dark magic, those two words echoed through the unicorn's mind as she closed her eyes for two seconds, she felt her pulse quicken and looked at the unholy beast again, My precious little sister had the same green eyes as she walked with a soulless gaze along with a bunch of mind-controlled ponies.
"Can you tell me, Miss Cup," Rarity turned her head to her older friend, "For what reason did you decide to keep this... animal? I think it would be wise to inform the special forces about this creature. Connect the Royal Guard to this problem. You could use my help to report this to Princess Twilight."
"Actually... you guessed my next words," the pony stopped petting her pet and looked at the unicorn with a sad smile, "I was originally going to call the wild animal service and report a suspicious creature that could cause us trouble. I already wanted to notify my neighbors to give me support in preventing the creature from going to the lower floors... But I didn't want to do that."
The two mares looked at each other in puzzlement, and then turned their heads back to the narrator. They both raised their eyebrows in a surprised, uncomprehending expression.
"Why did you change your mind?" Fluttershy asked quietly but loudly enough and carefully, not wanting to put pressure on the pony's feelings.
“Fear and Mercy,” Miss Cup explained, but she saw the blank look on the faces of the mares and continued, “At that moment, I had doubts. Would it be right to tell everyone that this beast was hiding next to us? I was afraid that panic might begin and other ponies can do...desperate acts out of fear. This species is unknown to me and it is not given to me to know what Fang can do to protect himself. Just look at him. It is obvious that this cat is unusual and capable of causing a lot of trouble. On the other hoof ", I saw in him something ... unique ... and soothing. A sense of anxiety and responsibility appeared. I wanted to protect this little creature, give him a house that he most likely did not have. In addition, he did not show me any signs of aggression."
After these words, the cat suddenly opens its eyes and meows loudly. Everyone noticed that he got up and began to look at the guests. When he fixed his gaze on the pegasus, he took a closer look at her face, not blinking at all. Fang tilted his head slightly to the side, causing Fluttershy to break out in a cold sweat again. She was scared and uncomfortable because of such close attention. She looked at Rarity then at Miss Cup for help. Her pursed lips and often blinking eyes spoke louder than any words. Rarity wanted to say something to the adult pony, but all she did was a short scream and move away from the table as Fang jumped onto the table and came close to Fluttershy. Everyone froze in anticipation of something not good.
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness, the yellow-sand mare repeated in her mind, which, according to sensations, was “chained” to her place and could not run anywhere. She opened her eyes wide and pressed her front hooves to her chest, and her wings pressed tightly to her back. At that moment, none of them could move. Her gaze could not tear herself away from the calm, luminous eyes of the creature, which continued to study the poor pony. The shadows clinging to his fur began to move a little faster. Fluttershy let out a squeak when she saw that the cat sat on its hind legs and began to purr. He didn't stop looking at the ponies, but purple energy came out of his eyes.
"Looks like he liked you," Miss Cup chuckled nervously as she realized she hadn't been able to cheer anyone up.
But these words served as a kind of click in the mind of the Pegasus. The thought that animals love her made Fluttershy remember everything. Her profession is a veterinarian, her vocation is to help animals and, most importantly, for her care and caring attitude towards them. Every wild or domesticated creature loves her. And now what has changed? The pony now looks at the cat with more disappointment and sadness than fear. She was disappointed with herself, because today she allowed herself the thought of running away and giving up when she was counted on right here and right now. Fluttershy took a deep breath, her power is to help animals, and now she almost refused one of them. Of course, Rarity got it the other way around and moved closer to her friend, whispering soothing words and asking Miss Cup to move the creature away. But Fluttershy raised her hoof in protest. She slowly raised her head and looked at the black creature again.
"Fang," the mare called to the cat calmly, giving him her most loving look, "Come to me."
This caught Rarity off guard, who began to stammer nervously and hoof-twist against her wet face. She glanced at the cat and then at her friend and could not understand anything: "Fluttershy, dear, please don't. It's not worth it. Let's just..."
Her words were cut off abruptly as the cat slid forward with its shadows and jumped on its front hooves towards the pegasus. Rarity stood up from her seat and was ready for another outburst of emotion, but she was beaten by Miss Cup, who quickly ran up to the unicorn and put her hooves on the young pony's shoulder.
"Just look, my sunshine," the adult pony said, choosing the softest tone of speech, and she slowly nodded for more authentic persuasiveness.
The lilac-violet mare swallowed loudly the resulting lump of fear, but still listened to the pony. She slowly turned her head towards her close friend, subconsciously expecting the worst possible scenario. But that did not happen. The eyes of the unicorn widened with pleasant surprise when she saw that this monster was comfortably placed in the hooves of the pegasus and rubbed its nose against her lower neck. At the same time, Fluttershy gently caresses this black fluffy and strokes his back. Rarity opened her mouth in absolute shock, amazed that her friends had such incredible ponies. She slightly squinted her eyes at Fluttershy, trying to figure out what she was doing... or rather... how she was doing it. The designer has repeatedly made sure that her friend truly has a special connection with a world that is not fully understood by the rest of the ponies. Her ability is the most accurate sense of others, while she correctly finds the emotional conditions in which she and any other being are. What helps her find a common language with any animal, even mythical. And today Fluttershy proved it. But in Rarity's eyes, she had surpassed her limits. The unicorn rubbed her eyes with her hoof, thinking that all she was seeing was an illusion. But it's not. A normal pegasus pony was able to befriend an unknown monstrous dark creature that she had never seen before. Rarity continued to look with shock and skepticism at her friend's sweet communication with the beast, but now there are notes of pride in her friend and interest in this creature in her eyes. She raised her hoof and began to bring it closer to the creature, intending to also assess how safe it was. But she pressed her hoof to her with a squeak as dark splashes of shadows bubbled up on the animal's back.
"Well, I can't worry about you taking care of him now," Miss Cup said in relief, sitting to Fluttershy's right as she walked around the table.
"What?!" the mares asked in unison, causing Fang to playfully meow and turn his attention to Fluttershy's mane.
"You heard right, Fluttershy. My wish is that you take this kitty to Ponyville," the pony said with some concern, shifting her slightly hard gaze from her pet to the pink-maned pony.
"But...but why?" the Kindness Element asked a little excitedly, unconsciously hugging her new friend tighter, who was tugging at one of the pony's mane curls, "I mean, I don't see any reason to be concerned. This cute little kitty interacts well with a postponed pony and shows no ill intentions. If you are worried that you are not completely sure of the correct training control of the Fang, then I can help with..."
"No, no," the older pony waved her hooves quickly, "Don't worry about it, my dear Fluttershy. That's not the point at all. It's just...I'm just worried about the possible further consequences."
"Possible further consequences?" Rarity repeated after her questioningly.
Miss Cup got up from her seat and went to the opposite side of the table, she took the glass that Rarity had and carried it to the sink. Then she turned with a sigh and looked at her guests with a sad and tired face and said the following: “We all know very well that Fang is not an ordinary cat. And what surrounds him, I mean these black ghostly masses, is absolutely abnormal. I ...I read about this, about this magic... and even personally met something similar a month and a half ago in Canterlot. When he came to Equestria..."
Here Miss Cup's monologue ends when she notices how her guests gasp and turn away in different directions at the same time and close their eyes tightly, trying to drive away the terrifying and unpleasant memories.
"I'm sorry about that my dear children," the pony said quickly, hoping not to embarrass the mares, "I mean, I'm not the most reliable animal keeper and I can't exactly guarantee that it will be safe for my Fang here. My job is a theater actress so i spend the whole day learning the lyrics and dealing with my character's expression in the story while fang and betty are living on their own and only celestia knows what might happen so long as i can control his behavior but i'm afraid that the city with its chaotic and continuous flow of busy ponies can push my pet to the limit and happen..."
Miss Cup did not finish, it was evident that it was all hard for her. Every word she uttered was very hard for her. Fluttershy understood her perfectly and continued to look at her with a sympathetic look.
"This cat is dangerous," Miss Cup finally said her main point, "In the two weeks that he lived, nothing terrible happened to me. But I can not promise you that everything will be stable in the future. So please ... take him"
"Miss Cup..." Rarity couldn't find the right words and just looked at her friend.
Fluttershy continued to keep a black cat in her hooves, which, during the revelation, was distracted from playing with the mare's mane and looked at its owner with a look that no one could easily understand. But now it didn't matter. Pegasus is now carefully analyzing everything that Miss Cup told them. Fluttershy became more and more of the idea that there was nothing wrong with the words of her new acquaintance. She was well aware that not all animals can adapt to the conditions of a random urban environment. Moreover, there are some species that simply do not tolerate the appearance of high-rise buildings due to the fact that they are genetically predisposed to harsh arid conditions where almost the only flora of those places is bushes or thorny voluminous cacti. This is in no way combined with the abundance of shady places in a city like Manehattan. Or Fluttershy remembered those animals who lived all their lives in those conditions in which they had to listen to sounds, living in a quiet and temperate environment. And the idea of sending such individuals to live in a noisy city was doomed to failure in advance. What can a pony say when it comes to supernatural beings?
Fluttershy heard a soft sob coming from somewhere ahead of her. She pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked at the source of the sounds.
Miss Cup covered her face with her front hooves and wept softly. Rarity gave her a worried look and immediately got up from her seat and walked over to her. But the adult pony stopped her, "It's all right," she said a little cheerfully, sniffing, "It's just that I got too old, so I worry about all sorts of things."
She needs help right now, Fluttershy thought. She turned to me for help on how to say goodbye to her pet, now I know it.
Pegasus let go of the cat and walked over to Rarity, who was three paces away from Miss Cup. She's more than confident to take Fang back to Ponyville. Of course, this decision has a lot of responsibility, because they are now talking about a shadow monster, and such creatures have a different reputation in the society ... or rather, they don’t. Fluttershy only realized that she and the rest had not seen anything like it either in Equestria or in other lands, and therefore she nervously weighed all the pros and cons in her thoughts to announce her idea. Crazy idea. But for now, this is the correct one. Yet she understood how much it meant to Miss Cup. She looked sadly at the crying pony in front of her. It was obvious to Fluttershy that the pony was very attached to this mysterious cat and did not want to let him go so easily. But she, like Fluttershy, understood that it would be better this way. Though the very thought of her doing the same to Angel someday made Fluttershy feel a little moisture around her eyes and a tingle in her hooves. She calmly exhaled, now you need to focus on something else.
"I accept your offer," the words were confident and quiet, but for one pony, they were louder than thunder.
"What?" Miss Cup asked in a subdued voice, as if she couldn't believe her own ears.
"I will take your pet to Ponyville, you can count on me. I have experience with such cases and will monitor Fang's behavior during train transport. If anything happens, Rarity will help me," Fluttershy said her promise in a confident and soft tone and put her hoof on pony's left shoulder, "I have an animal shelter called Favorite Feather, where your pet will be happy"
A caring and gentle look makes Miss Cup have no doubts and believe the young veterinarian. Overwhelmed with a variety of feelings, she sat on her hind legs and silently repeated the words of gratitude to both ponies, again covering her face with her hooves. Rarity hugged her adult friend and assured her that there was nothing more to worry about, they could handle everything. True, she did not like the prospect of returning home with a monster about which she knew nothing. But what to do if you were asked to help.
"Fang," Fluttershy looked back and called out to the cat, who was literally hiding in the shadows under the table, "Your owner wants to see you."
The black creature jumped out of the blackness, leaving misty waves of darkness behind it, and landed in front of Miss Cup. From the outside, it looked like the ponies surrounded the animal from all sides - Miss Cup in the front, and Rarity and Fluttershy obliquely on the sides to the left and right, respectively. The pony actress crouched a little lower to get a better look at the face, which she will not see for a long time. The cat wagged its tail a little, dispersing the curly shadows, and raised its head up a little, looking directly into the eyes of the one who took care of him for a long time.
"I will visit you, my boy. I promise. In ten days I will receive my salary and then I will take a vacation. You just wait for me," the words came hard for her, because she was on the verge of crying, "I understand that you are here not so long ago. But during this time you filled my life with something other than work, your appearance and subsequent living with me gave me something that I did not receive for a very long time. No matter how strange it may sound, but the danger emanating from you gave me a reason to live"
The creature from the shadows continued to look at the owner with his calm and wise gaze. He carefully peered into every emotion that raged in her wet eyes. And finally he approached her and touched his forehead to the pony's stomach, while closing his eyes and purring loudly.
Pretty strange behavior for a cat, but Miss Cup didn't care. She could not help herself and hugged her cat very tightly and began to cry with stifled moans. The creature's head was between the pony's cheek and her shoulder. The shadows of the animal gently stroked the body of its owner, and he himself did not stop purring. Large drops of tears shattered into smithereens as they touched the wooden floor. The pony massaged behind Fang's ear with a trembling hoof, knowing that he loved it. And deep down, Miss Cup hoped that he would not forget it.
That he won't forget her.