//------------------------------// // chapter 15. Horses and Blindfolds // Story: Becoming Fluttershy // by Hope //------------------------------// I leave Ron to his work and wander around the outside of the house with my hat and sunglasses now firmly back in place. I can’t help but wonder about the dream I had, and it has been on the edge of my mind ever since I woke up. Was that really Fluttershy? The real one? Was it a figment of my dream? If it was a dream, it would say a lot about me that I would seek comfort like that. Admittedly, having the mind that is slowly taking over yours say that everything will be fine isn’t the best of proof but what else do I have to go on? I haven’t been watching where I was going and I almost run into a steel pole sticking out of the ground. I wonder for a moment why there is a steel pole before I see that it is attached to another and another, it is a fence. Just on the other side of the fence is a large dapple-grey horse staring at me curiously. “Eep!” I shoot up about a foot and back away from it in fear. I had wandered to the edge of Ron’s property and a neighbor's horse seems to have taken an interest in me. It is Kansas after all. I should have expected this the moment that Pinkie-Reid had mentioned horses. The chances of one being next door are... well, once again we are in Kansas. So the chances were fairly high. The animal reaches his head over the fence and sniffs experimentally before opening its mouth and whinnying. “Hi!” Is what I hear. “Holy cr** you can talk!” I shout, stepping back again. “Food?” He asks. “What? I don’t have any... Can you understand me?” I ask, my eyes narrowing. He nods. “What is your name?” I move a bit closer. “Food?” He asks yet again. “You are just an animal, huh? I can understand you but you can just barely understand me.” I move close enough to rub a hoof on the bridge of his nose. “Herd?” He asks, taking me by surprise. “I don’t have a... Oh, that’s like a name for you lot isn’t it? Or a family would be more accurate. Um... I don’t have one.” I admit. He stares at me for a bit before shaking his mane out and trotting away. Decidedly weirder than the dream. I go back into the house in a sort of daze to see a half completed painting of myself hugging a pillow on an easel. I stare at it for a bit before the painter returns. Jessica sees me staring at the painting and immediately assumes the worst. “I am so sorry, Julien told me it would be okay, and you were so cute, if you want me to stop I will...” I just laugh. “You make hugging a pillow and drooling look far cuter than I really was I’m sure, if anything I’ll just point out his magic is pink or something to get back at him.” I wave at the painting. “By no means stop, I don’t think there is going to be much else left to prove what happened after all this.” She nods and resumes painting as I nab an apple and head back upstairs, eager to write back to the pink one about my horse interaction. I don’t see Julien around and assume he is with Ed somewhere. Flipping open the laptop brings up Facebook and I check the new message. Twisaac appears to have replied to my message as well as Pinkie. “New York. Anyway, I thought you'd notice the profile picture, and guess immediately from that. Kind of obvious.” is the first message. Ooh, a bit touchy. I must have offended him. I think for several minutes what to say, trying to piece together an apology, without sounding sarcastic or rude. I have so much trouble trying to find something to say, and still distracted by the horse incident, I simply type “Ok” and send it. Then I move to Pinkie’s reply. “Is it really that obvious? I was repressing her for the last post. It was meant to be a big surprise. *Grump grump grump* Oh well, Kansas City Shuffle it is! And I mean see a horse. You are now a pony on a road trip. You need a few random shenanigans before I come along. It's practically required. And as a pony, you should see a horse. Skreep and ratzors!” Finally I open up a new message to Pinkie and start typing. “I saw a horse. SO WEIRD. I could understand it but it just knew the most basic stuff. Asked me what herd I belonged to or something but I don’t have one so it just trotted off. I have a feeling they aren’t any more intelligent than dogs. Anyway I wrecked my car and a friendly car repairman is fixing it, letting us stay here while he does. US! I didn’t tell you, my friend who I am traveling with woke up as Shining Armor. Hoping to be leaving here in a day or so and head towards Kansas City. DON’T TRY DRIVING.” Well that took the better part of an hour to type. Hooves are not conducive to typing. I drift off into thought, mulling over speech to text systems as well as the kind of eye movement thing Stephen Hawking uses. Ponies could easily manipulate those systems. Then again those were expensive and needed a lot of work before they could be put into use properly. “...Drifting off into thought all the time, have to wonder if it is brain damage or her real self showing through.” I turn my head to see Ed and Julien staring at me like a museum exhibit. “I am not brain damaged.” I say in a huff. “Yeah, your right. Nothing with brain damage can be that adorable.” Ed says. “Got your stuff all washed while you were bonding with my dad. Also we got you two a new tent.” He drops the much nicer and (coincidentally) easier to assemble tent, still in its package, next to my bed. “How much did that cost?” I ask, worried. “About a hundred bucks. I think that painting is worth at least double that though. You did see the painting right?” Julien says, chuckling. “Yes, and I think I look rather fetching in it.” I say, crossing my forelegs and turning away with my nose in the air. “Uh huh. Next thing we know you are going to be asking her to draw you like one of her french girls.” Ed says. I gape at the two for a moment. “I think you are rubbing off on him, Julien.” I say before sighing. “One of you was enough trouble.” I grumble, before going over to the tent and tearing it out of the package with my teeth. “He bought us the one that has nice big pull tabs for the entrance. I know you didn’t like the tiny ones.” Julien pipes up. Admittedly, after the first few hours I had stopped paying attention to the terrible taste of all the stuff I had to nom on to continue my day, but those little metal pull tabs were hell to open when tired and needing to get outside to use the bush. This level of generosity though, this is Rarity level stuff. I mean, I didn’t expect my car to be fixed much less a new tent provided. “Thank you so much.” I hover up to give Ed a hug and he gives me a hug back. “Time?” He says suddenly. “What?” I ask, confused. “Yeah.” Julien says with a glint in his eyes. “What is time?” I ask, struggling as Ed carries me out the door. “Help!” I squeak as they blindfold me and carry me downstairs. After struggling for a bit I catch on that this is some kind of joke. “Har har, Julien.” Ed sets me down and it feels like dirt. I struggle with the blindfold for a bit before finally pulling it off and looking around dizzily. On one side stands Julien, Ed, Jessica, and Ron. To the other is my car minus about half its rear end, plus a bunch of shiny new parts ready to go on. It seems a bit much for just showing me they got the parts, but I don’t want to seem rude. “Th... Thank you for fixing my car...” I say, confused. “Look in the drivers seat.” Ron says, gesturing to the garage. I move closer to the car and finally squeeze around the new parts to see that the seat has a riser on top of it, the seat belt had been moved a bit, and two carefully constructed extensions run from the pedals to just about where my hooves would hang if I sat in the seat. I swear to Celestia, I did the squee noise.