//------------------------------//
// Of hats 
// Story: Apple Breaking: RotE Episode 3 
// by Dream Volt 
//------------------------------//

	Fluttershy landed in front of me as I was walking to the train station.  She was wearing a new hat.  It was Reinian, a fuzzy black thing I'd mostly only seen Reindeer wearing, but I did see some ponies in pictures of Stalliongrad wearing the same sort of tall black hat.  Fluttershy smiled brightly, then looked down.

"I'm sorry.  I should have…"

"Stop right there sugarcube.  Sometimes you gotta find the right pony for the job, and it ain't always gonna be one of yer friends.  Or in this case sometimes you gotta go to the right pony to figure out what the job is in the first place."

Fluttershy giggled.

"Promise me you'll at least think of telling Twi when I'm gone."

"Oh I would hate to…"

"For that matter, a letter to Luna or Celestia might be enough.  I'm sure Spike could keep a secret if you give him a letter."

"Oh, I don't want to bother them."

I sighed.  "Just promise me you'll think about it, 'kay?"

Fluttershy.  "Okay, but, well…"

"One more thing.  Rarity ain't gonna let that there hat go."

"Huh?"

"I still don't know that pony as well as I should, but there is one thing I know it's her fussiness.  The fact you've been ditching her spa trips is only gonna make things worse."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's gonna try and take yer hat."

Fluttershy went wide eyed.  "What, why would she do that?"  she was shaking.  "I need my hat.  I can't lose my hat.  I just can't."

"Yea, but it looks a might weird.  I think it looks cute, but Rarity ain't going ta let it go if she gets even a glimpse.  Also that feather stuck in the band looks strange."

"But I need it."

"O-kay.  Whatever you say sugarcube.  Now ah don't 'xactly know how long I'll be gone, but that talk of letters reminded me of a little rock problem in Appaloosa ah aim to solve, but ah'll be back soon as ah can.  Then we'll see about you and I training."

"Maybe you won't even need my help.  I mean maybe just practicing braking rocks was a good idea too.  You didn't get to really test it and…"  she then trailed off into that near silent speech of hers where you can't understand a word

"Maybe sugarcube.  If ya'll really need me I'll be back as quick as I can.  Twi said she can send me a letter if need be, with spike I assume."

"Could she always do that?"

"Don't think so.  But who knows, maybe that little dragon could always could send letters to anypony, but just didn't say nothing 'bout it."

We just stood there in silence for a bit.  Fluttershy not looking at me directly, shuffling her front hooves.  I shook my head.

"Well, goodbye."

"I really enjoyed my time with you.  It was fun working together.  Normally I take care of the animals all on my own except when I need your help gathering them up and a few other things.  But this was different.  I also loved helping you plant trees."

"Well ah had a right fun time to.  Ah think ah could still use a little help dealing with little critters, and while you got the growing part down, ah think there might be a thing or two about plants ah can still teach you."

We both smiled at the same time.  Then with a quick tip of my hat and a wave I turned and left.  I never would have even thought about doing something like this, but now I might save my cousin and his town weeks of work.  Change can be scary, but it don't have to be bad.  Even if we didn't get anything done I liked spending time with her, and getting to know her a bit better don't feel like no kind of waste.

"I got you a hat."

I fell over Pinkie yelling in my ear startling me more than a little bit.  She was wearing a dark green hat covered in red apples.  It took me a second for my eyes to focus and realize it was a pointy hat just like that mare Trixie wears all the time.  I wasn't surprised in the least when she plopped it on my other hat or got the rest of the way out of the small narrow trashcan.  I then sighed.

"Let ma guess, it's a magic hat?"

Pinkie rolled her eyes.  "Duh."

"Well thank ya kindly, but this whole martial arts and meditation thing seems to be working pretty nicely already.  When ah get back ah may even be able to figure out all this flow of Ki nonsense Fluttershy is jabbering about."

Pinkie smiled.  "Ooo, Ki is so cool.  It lets you do all sorts of neat things.  Like party extra hard, or eat more candy, and it was really helpful with learning how to shapeshift."

I facehoofed.  "Yah know that would have been real helpful to know ahead of time."

"Really?  Why?  I mean sure I trained with ninjas but Fluttershy is way better than me at this sorta thing."

"Now look here sugarcube…."  I blinked.  "Ninjas?"  Then I shook my head.  "Ah meant how knowing about all this stuff can help with some magic."

"Yea, but so?  It's totally obvious Fluttershy knows all that stuff now too, isn't it?"

"Uh, maybe.  Look, ah can take this off right."

"Of course you can.  I mean you're wearing two hats you silly pony.  Why would you even do that?"

I rolled my eyes.  "No idear."

I sighed and laughed.  Then started running realizing I was just about to be late if I didn't hurry things along.  I waved to Pinkie and took off, holding both hats on my head.  I thought about what she said.  I guess it was pretty obvious, and the more I thought about it pretty obvious what the hat had to be hiding.  Or at least I sure thought so.  Pinkie then waved to me as I ran past her near the entrance to the train, smiling.  Part of me really wanted to know how she did that, but as usual I pushed it down.