Callahan parked his car up alongside the gas pump, amazingly this place had a gas station. Callahan grabbed a cigarette from his glove box, though he had started to quit he was about to start again. He got out and began to pump gas into the car and lit his cigarette and took a deep inhale, it tasted awful but made him feel somewhat less stressed out. “You know smoking is bad for your health?” Twilight informed Callahan who grunted in response, “so if you know then why smoke?” she asked and Callahan shrugged “helps calm the nerves” he replied and she got up closer to him “but that simply means that your body is craving the nicotine and you get stressed out because your body is craving it” she informed him and Callahan sighed.
“Alright… just… I’ll stop soon” Callahan replied and a gas attendant rushed out “sir there’s no smoking aloud at the pumps” he exclaimed and Callahan let out a laugh and tossed his still burning cigarette away. He finished pumping the gas and looked to the price “$1.20 for a liter of gas” he muttered to himself and walked over to the gas attendant and handed him 65 bits, the price had come out to 64 bits. “Keep the change” Callahan said in his gruffly voice and he hoped back in the car and drove off.
As they reached the outskirts of town Rainbow Dash looked to Callahan “stop here” she told him and Callahan slowed the car to a stop. “Hey thanks Callahan I owe you one… see you around” she said as hoped out of the car and flew off towards the clouds. Twilight hoped into the passenger seat and pointed to a small forested area “that way” she informed Callahan who drove the car towards the forest, the car bouncing along the dirt road.
They reached the small cottage but Callahan had to park his car a little ways back on account that this Fluttershy mare lived in the forest and the trail to her home was too small for his large car. They walked up to the front door and Twilight knocked, suddenly a thunderous roar echoed from beside them, Twilight lept into the air and Callahan lept onto his hindlegs and caught Twilight in his forelegs, who tried to hid herself in Callahan’s chest. The bear jumped forward so it was literally inches away from Callahan’s face and let out another ear piercing roar. Callahan looked the bear in the eyes, “boo” Callahan laughed and the bear fell onto the ground laughing a deep bear laugh.
Twilight looked to the bear then to Callahan, “You’re not afraid of bears?” Twilight asked and Callahan shrugged “not this one, he was just trying to scare us, he was saying ARRRG” Callahan informed her and set her back down and fell to all fours. “Weird, I always thought Fluttershy could talk to animals because she had a natural born gift… it must have something to do with your natural habitat” Twilight concluded and Callahan chuckled “yeah, it’s what happens when you live in Brooklyn with small animals most of your life” Callahan chuckled and suddenly a light yellow Pegasus mare came around the corner “oh Mr. Bear I thought you were… oh uhm hello Twilight” Fluttershy replied and both Twilight and Callahan turned to see Fluttershy.
“Oh hi Fluttershy, listen I brought a pony who needs your help” Twilight informed her. “Oh I see well… I uhm… I” she stuttered and Callahan extended his hood “name’s Callahan, delighted to meet you Ms. Fluttershy” he informed her but she stepped back and hid her face in her flowing mane. “Uhm… I’m sorry?” Callahan said as he retracted his foreleg and looked to Twilight. “Shy huh?” he asked and she rolled her eyes “like you wouldn’t believe” Twilight said. Callahan thought to himself ‘Fluttershy eh… hmm guess her name speaks for itself’. “Fluttershy, don’t worry Callahan is a good pony and he needs your help” Twilight said reassuring her timid friend.
Fluttershy stepped shyly forward and Callahan once again extended his hoof “like I said before Ms. Fluttershy, pleasure to meet you” Callahan told he and she very slowly and timidly extended her own hoof to shake his. As she began to shake his hoof she whispered ever so softly “I’m… flutter… Fluttershy” she stuttered shyly. Squeak poked his head out of Callahan’s pocket and let out a weak squeak.
Fluttershy gasped and darted to Callahan’s side and carefully pulled Squeak out of Callahan’s pocket “oh my gosh poor little guy” Fluttershy cooed as she cradled Squeak. “Your pet was a rat?” Twilight asked Callahan who shrugged “yeah”. Fluttershy continued to cradle Squeak then looked to Callahan “what’s wrong with him?” she asked and Callahan shrugged “I don’t know he told me that he had a stomach pain” Callahan informed her and she gasped “you can talk to animals too?” she asked curiously and Callahan nodded.
“Yeah I know I’m a weirdo… listen can you help my friend… will he be okay?” Callahan asked worriedly and Fluttershy quickly entered her cottage. “Well I’ve gotta get back to the library and make sure Spike isn’t eating all the ice-cream again” Twilight informed Callahan and began to walk away. “Hey wait a minute… how am I supposed to talk to this mare, she’s so shy?” Callahan asked and Twilight simply shrugged “well I don’t know she seems to like you now” Twilight said as she walked away.
Callahan sighed and walked into the cottage. Fluttershy had a table cleared off for Squeak and was examining him thoroughly. Callahan sat down on a couch and a little white rabbit hoped up beside him and let out an angered squeak that rabbits make. “Oh sorry… didn’t know this was your spot” Callahan replied and got off the couch. Fluttershy looked to him “wow… you really do talk to animals” she commented and Callahan sighed “yeah I know… is my friend going to be alright?” Callahan asked, worried for his small friend. “I don’t know yet… if you want you can sit down over there and…” she trailed off and looked at his face. Callahan turned around before she could get a clear look at his face.
Callahan leaned back on the chair and Fluttershy walked over very shyly and hovered her face over Callahan who currently had his eyes closed. Callahan felt her presence and opened his eyes “Gah what the hell” he gasped and Fluttershy blushed and hoped back in fear. “What… what was that about?” Callahan asked curiously and the mare stepped back shyly and her tail went between her legs. “I’m so sorry… I… I didn’t mean to offend you” she stuttered sheepishly and Callahan shook off the scare she had given him ‘what was all that about?’ he thought to himself. He got up and walked over to Fluttershy “uh listen I’m not mad or anything I was just wondering why you were that close to my face… it was kind of strange… if you don’t mind me saying” Callahan replied and the shy mare brushed some of her mane out of her face.
She leaned forward again and Callahan leaned back “uhm… I don’t suppose you’d mind telling me why you’re getting so close to my face?” he asked curiously and Fluttershy brought her hoof up and gave his face a light tap. “Oww” Callahan grunted as pain shot through his face from the infected cat scratches. “What was that for?” he asked and Fluttershy back away again, frightened by his sudden reaction, though it wasn’t a loud reaction it still frightened her. “Sorry, it’s just that it kind of stings when you press on my cuts” Callahan told her gently and started to have headache, probably from the fever. “Are those from a feline?” Fluttershy asked and Callahan nodded and she gasped “how long?” she asked and Callahan shrugged “A few days” he replied calmly and Fluttershy let out another gasp and hurried upstairs.
Callahan sat down on a chair and groaned and he hoped that Squeak would be okay. Fluttershy quickly returned with a small first aid box. “Uhm if you wouldn’t mind… that is if it’s okay with you... uhm could you lay down on the table… if you want” she replied and Callahan scrunched his nose “uhm don’t suppose that you’re going to try and heal me?” Callahan replied and Fluttershy nodded.
Callahan got up and laid down on the table and Fluttershy pulled out a needle and Callahan sat up “whoa… okay now maybe rubbing alcohol but why the needle?” Callahan gasped. Fluttershy whispered to him “hush now it’s okay… your cuts are very badly infected and I’ll need to clean them out thoroughly but it might hurt a lot so I’m going to put you to sleep so you don’t feel the pain” she informed him and Callahan laid back down. “How bad do you think it is?” he asked and Fluttershy thought to herself. “Uhm well not really bad but it is sort of bad” she said, Callahan new from her voice that she was sugar coating it, his wounds were probably bad.
She looked to him and he put his hoof on hers and nodded “okay doc… do it” he replied and she looked to him with a shocked face “you… you trust me? But we just met” she asked shyly and Callahan chuckled to himself “why not, I mean you’re so timid that you probably wouldn’t hurt a fly and besides… you strike me as the pony that is very kind… so yeah I trust you” Callahan told her with a heartwarming smile.
Fluttershy let out a deep breath “I’ve never done this before… you sure?” she asked and Callahan chuckled “it was your idea” he laughed and she stepped back in fear that she might mess up. Callahan reached out and grabbed her hoof with his “hey don’t worry doc… I’m sure you won’t mess up and besides I’m old” he chuckled but she looked to him. “You can’t be more than 30” she replied and Callahan gave her a curious look “how’d you know?” he asked and Fluttershy blushed “your body just looks like that because of nicotine abuse… sorry I didn’t mean that in a bad way” she replied and Callahan nodded “don’t worry… I’m quitting” he chuckled and Fluttershy nodded.
She pulled out the needle and gently stuck the syringe tip into his neck and injected him with the sleeping agent. As his mind began to phase out he looked to Fluttershy who still had a weary look on her face. In his last act of strength Callahan leaned upwards and gave Fluttershy a gentle kiss, but his mind finally gave into the sleeper agent and he passed out