//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: A Friendly Physician // Story: A Serpent Situation // by Edmar Fecler //------------------------------// Chapter 2: A Friendly Physician It was a typical mid-afternoon at Fluttershy’s quaint little cottage. Woodland creatures of various species scurried or flew about the surrounding area while the sun warmed the grass and other plants. The cottage’s equine resident, however, was resting on her favorite couch, enjoying the serene sounds of the animals outside. Between feeding the animals and tending to their other various needs, it had been a particularly busy morning for Fluttershy. As she lay there, a steady feeling of unease began to grow in her. Soon, she began to notice that the animals outside were getting quiet. Beginning to grow worried, she lifted her head from its place in a soft pillow and looked around. The sound of her animal friends subsided entirely as she looked out to her back yard. She managed to see the last squirrel scamper up the tree in her back yard. Dead silence filled her house as seconds seemed to stretch into minutes. The sudden knock at her door caused her to jump into the air with a shrill ‘EEP.’ Her wings unfolded instinctively and caught her before she could fall back to the couch. With a few flaps of her wings, she floated over to the front door and landed on the floor with hardly a sound. “Um, hello?” She asked softly to whoever had knocked. The high pitched, southern accent of Applebloom’s voice cut through the silence in response. “Hai Miss Fluttershy. It us, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We, uh… We need your help with an animal we found in the… the woods,” Applebloom continued, choosing her words carefully. “Its cut up somethin’ awful, and we thought we should bring it to you so you could help it.” Fluttershy felt relieved as she eased the door open and looked down at the three little fillies. She couldn’t help but smile at the picture she saw before her. Their manes and tails were in a jumble and their coats were matted with splotches of mud, as well as a few spots of something red. To most ponies it would look like the three fillies might have been through some great ordeal, but to Fluttershy and anypony else who knew the CMC it looked like just another failed endeavor at achieving their cutie marks. Fluttershy smiled down at them softly for a moment before realizing that the animal that they must have been speaking about was not with them. “Um, Girls, where is the animal that you were talking about?” “Oh, he’s right up there,” Scootaloo said, pointing a hoof up above the doorway. “Come on big fella,’ don’t be shy.” As the filly finished her sentence a large, jet-black serpent craned its body around from someplace above the door and turned its head to look Fluttershy in the eye. The world seemed to stop as the creature’s eyes locked with her own. She estimated that its head was bigger than either of the three fillies on her doorstep, and that its body was almost as thick as a young tree. Her eyes widened in shock as she cowered beneath the snake’s intimidating appearance. Despite what her brain was screaming, she remained frozen in her place. The snake paused for a moment before it slowly began moving its head closer to Fluttershy’s terrified face. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away as it drew nearer, expecting the feeling of its massive jaws pressing into her head at any moment. Much to Fluttershy’s surprise, however, the feeling never came. Instead, she felt something tickle her cheek. The tickling melted away much of her fearful anticipation, and she was able to open one of her eyes. She could see the serpent’s massive head inches away from her, cocked slightly in curiosity. It flicked its tongue out again, dissolving any remaining fear in Fluttershy as she giggled at the sensation of it tickling her cheek. When its forked tongue rescinded, Fluttershy opened her other eye and looked the serpent in the eye. For a moment, she thought she even saw it smile. “See? He aint nuthin but a big ol’ bundle of love,” Applebloom stated, breaking Fluttershy’s concentration and causing the snake to turn its head back around. “Yea,” Sweetie Belle continued, “A really BIG bundle of love.” “One that can take down a manticore all on its own,” Scootaloo concluded. “Oh my,” Fluttershy gasp as she looked back to the snake. “That must be how he got hurt so badly.” “Yea, but you should’ve seen it! We were being chased by a manticore, and just when we thought we were goners this big ol’ fella’ comes in and rescues us!” Applebloom stated excitedly. Scootaloo smirked. “Of course, I knew he was on our side the whole time.” “What? No you didn’t! You were just as scared as we were when he showed up!” Applebloom snapped back. “Nu-uh.” “Yea-huh!” “Nu-uh!” “Yea-huh!!” “Girls!” Fluttershy cut in. The two fillies stopped their bickering and turned to the yellow pegasus. “What were you doing in the Everfree Forest again?” The three fillies looked around nervously for a second or two before Applebloom finally spoke. “We were on our way to Zecora’s, but we accidentally ran into a manticore on the path.” “Please don’t tell our moms,” Sweetie squeaked. Fluttershy’s concerned expression remained steadfast for a moment before fading into her usual kind smile. “Alright, I won’t tell them this time.” The three fillies squealed happily and rushed past the serpent to give Fluttershy a hug. “Oh thank you thank you thank you!” They repeated several times in unison. Fluttershy embraced them with her wings as they continued to hug her. “I’m just glad you three are alright.” “Yea, me too,” Scootaloo said as the embrace ended. “But what about Kenny?” Fluttershy paused, bewildered by the question. “Who?” “The snake,” Sweetie replied, “We named him Kenny.” “Oh.” Fluttershy looked back up to the snake. “What an odd name…” She contemplated the serpent’s name for a moment before looking back down to the crusaders. “Alright now, you three go on upstairs and clean yourselves off before you go home.” The three fillies thanked her again before scrambling over to the stairs, arguing over who got to use which towel and other things. Fluttershy looked to the snake again. “Ok, if you would be so kind as to come inside, I’ll do what I can to help you get to feeling better.” Kenny flicked his tongue out and tickled her cheek again, causing her to giggle and paw at him with a hoof. Fluttershy took the gesture as a ‘thank you,’ and watched as he brought down the rest of his body from where he had been perched above her door. Fluttershy noted several deep slashes across Kenny’s body as he slid inside, as well as a place that seemed slightly enlarged. Knowing snakes, it was safe for Fluttershy to presume that he had eaten something rather recently. While the idea made her cringe slightly, it also reassured her that he might not find himself in a position to eat any of the other woodland creatures residing at her home.