"What in tarnation is that racket?" Applejack said, bursting into Fluttershy's house. Glass jars jostled in her saddlebags.
"It's Harry," Fluttershy said. "He's just teething. Poor little guy."
Fluttershy was disheveled, like she hadn't slept in a day or two. Hairs were sticking out of place and she had bags under her eyes. She gave Harry a teething ring, but it wasn't calming him down. Applejack tried to ask where she should put the jars, but she couldn't get a word in edgewise over Harry's pained howling. Applejack tapped on Fluttershy's shoulder, jolting her up from resting her eyes. She pointed to her jars. Fluttershy pointed to the kitchen. By the time Applejack returned from the kitchen, Harry had calmed down some.
"You'll be okay, won't ya?" Applejack asked, eyeing Harry.
"Yeah," Fluttershy said, shooting Applejack a tired smile. "This won't go on too long. He'll be the same happy baby he was in no time."
As Applejack left, Fluttershy gave a sigh. All of this crying would go away eventually, but that wasn't what Fluttershy was worried about. The teeth that Harry had been growing belonged to omnivores, creatures that ate both meat and plants. Fluttershy really hoped that Harry wouldn't require eating meat to survive. She would do anything for Harry, but if he needed to eat meat it wouldn't exactly buy him many friends around Ponyville. That thought kept Fluttershy up at night. She could deal with the crying easily.
Fluttershy debated telling Twilight about this. She had already been on edge with Harry from the start, and the need of meat would be another strike against him. But Twilight was really smart. Maybe she had an alternative solution. Perhaps there was a food that carried the vitamins and minerals that Harry needed which didn't come from living—or not living—creatures. Then again, Twilight came over often and she would find out about Harry's teeth eventually, so why waste time wondering?
It was a glorious spring day, the perfect time to try out Harry's stroller for the first time. He had fallen asleep sucking the teething ring so he wouldn't cause a disruption in town. Fluttershy put him in the stroller, tucked him in a blanket, and set off. Near the library, a passing dark blue townspony got a glimpse inside the stroller.
"Ugh, what is that thing?" She exclaimed.
"That thing is my son," Fluttershy said, angrily.
"Well it's gross and wrong," she said and she gave a huff.
Twilight was lost in thought, reading one of her books when she heard a ruckus coming from outside. She glanced outside her window to see that there was some sort of commotion going on right outside her window; it looked like a fight. Dust was being kicked up everywhere so she couldn't see who was involved. Twilight rushed outside and demanded to know what was going on.
The dust subsided. Fluttershy was on top of a dark blue pegasus. She had that pony's hind leg in her mouth and was kicking her in the head with her own hind leg. The bottom pony was covered from head-to-hoof in bruises and was tearing up.
"Make her stop, please!" The bottom pony shouted. Fluttershy spit out her hoof.
"What did you say about my son?" Fluttershy demanded.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was saying! He's cute and cuddly! He's cute and cuddly!"
"If he's so cute and cuddly, then hug him and say you're sorry," Fluttershy said. She picked the pony up and pushed her towards the stroller.
Harry was still sleeping soundly, despite the fight. The other pony reached out to pick Harry up, but stopped and held her mouth as if she was about to throw up. She teared up again, through her hooves in the air, and shouted that she couldn't do it.
"Oh, so you wanna go back for round two?" Fluttershy said, holding the other pony right in front of her face.
"Fluttershy, stop!" Twilight said.
Fluttershy turned towards her and the other pony used the opportunity to get away. Fluttershy tramped angrily about her escapee. To say Twilight was not amused would be an understatement. She demanded to know what had gotten into Fluttershy. Fluttershy explained the whole fiasco outside, but failed to convince Twilight that the violence was necessary.
"I'm sorry to say this, but Harry isn't exactly cute looking," Twilight said, causing Fluttershy to tense up in rage. "What that pony did was rude and uncalled for, yes, but you can't just beat up other ponies because they find Harry... different. He is different Fluttershy."
"B-b-but," Fluttershy said.
Before Twilight could answer, Harry began to cry. He had woken up. Twilight covered her head with her hooves and looked at Harry in agony. Then she noticed Harry's teeth. It didn't take her long to come to the same conclusion that Fluttershy did. Harry was clearly an omnivore and would need the nutrients found in meat.
Twilight didn't go crazy. She didn't immediately assume that Harry was a monster. Once Fluttershy was able to calm Harry down, she was calm herself. Fluttershy explained that she needed somepony to find Harry an alternative to meat. She didn't want to malnourish him, but she only wanted to feed him meat as an absolute last resort.
"Don't worry about it," Twilight said. "I think I can find a solution. Just give me a few days, one week tops. But I'll only do it on one condition: you don't beat up any more ponies."
Fluttershy blushed, gave a meek apology, and agreed.
Twilight galloped along the road to Fluttershy's cottage, a biology book firmly grasped in her mouth. She had the answer. It took her longer than expected, but she actually had the answer. And true to her word, Fluttershy hadn't beat up any ponies so everything was looking up. Still, Twilight was nervous about her. Fluttershy and Harry took plenty of walks, some of which Twilight joined them on. She noticed the glares they got. She noticed Fluttershy gritting her teeth at every hushed whisper. It was a good thing that they seemed to go over Harry's head, not for Fluttershy's sake, but for theirs. If somepony managed to hurt his feelings, there was no telling what Fluttershy might do.
Twilight burst through Fluttershy's cottage door and instantly the book hit the floor. She saw something that wasn't at all expected. Harry was walking. He wasn't just walking like anypony on all fours as he had always done. He was now walking on his two hind legs. He was wobbly, but he was doing it. Fluttershy was looking at him and didn't quite know what to make of it herself.
"Hi Twilight. Um... good boy Harry... you took your first steps... on two legs."
Harry toddled over to Fluttershy and hugged her leg. Fluttershy told him to play with his toys while she talked with Twilight. Fluttershy started, asking if there was anything that Harry could eat in place of meat. It settled her heart to know that there indeed was. Harry only needed protein, which could be found in eggs and peanuts. Nopony really ate eggs, they just used them in cakes and pastries, but they were plentiful enough. Fluttershy even had chickens for that express purpose. Peanuts were easy enough to come by as well so getting Harry all the nutrients he needed wouldn't really be a problem.
There was a more pressing matter at hoof: Harry was now walking on two feet. It wasn't the fact that he was walking on his back legs that concerned either of them. It was the fact that the differences were starting to pile up. Harry didn't have any fur, except for the mane growing on the top of his head so most ponies found him gross. Harry was still an omnivore, which could throw ponies into a panic. Harry didn't use his mouth to carry things, he used the fingers on his forelegs. And now he was walking on his hind legs.
"So, what do you think we should do?" Twilight asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Should we force him to walk on all fours like the rest of us? It'll help him fit in more."
"I couldn't force him to walk on all fours any more than I could force him to grow a full coat of fur," Fluttershy said calmly. "This is who he is and we should be proud of it. He took his first steps today. We should have a party to celebrate."
"Did somepony say party? What's the occasion?" Pinkie Pie asked after she had jumped in through an open window. Twilight gasped and fell backwards, throwing Harry into a fit of giggles.
"Um... Harry took his first steps... on two legs," Twilight said, picking herself up.
"Awesome! I'll be back in an hour with everything and everypony," Pinkie said. She ran into the kitchen and jumped out a different window.
There was indeed a party that afternoon. Pinkie had even gone all out, shooting her party cannon a couple of extra times for good measure. Still, there was more of an air of nervousness than of pride. Fluttershy debated whether she should be happy about this. She thought of everything those other ponies had said about Harry. That was just when he looked different. Now he didn't even walk like them. Harry wobbled over to Fluttershy and hugged her leg.
"Mama, why you no having fun?" he asked.
Fluttershy was forced to smile. That was all she needed to perk up and enjoy herself. Harry was her son and she'd love him, no matter what, but she still worried about him. Fluttershy's friends, Twilight excepted, almost seemed oblivious to the change. Fluttershy realized that nothing had truly changed. Ponies would find him just as weird, regardless of how he walked.
Fluttershy knew that Harry would have a difficult life. Kids could be cruel and relentless. She didn't have it so easy as a filly and she at least looked like the other fillies. Harry might not have that advantage, but he did have a mother that cared about him and always would. Nothing would change that.