//------------------------------// // Ch 1: Gimme Shelter // Story: Doggone it, Fluttershy! // by Scantrel //------------------------------// “E…Excuse me?” the soft voice asked delicately. “Would you like a flyer for the Canterlot Animal Shelter? We have so many little friends that need a good home.” Fluttershy took the top sheet from the stack she was carrying and held it out tentatively to the pair of students that had walked close to the statue where Fluttershy was spending her lunch hour. As the two students each gave a slight shake of their heads declining the proffered flyer, Fluttershy looked down at her feet, and said quietly, “Sorry to have bothered you.” The two students left without another word, and Fluttershy sighed a bit. She had only handed out two flyers during the entire hour, she’d hoped to at least hand out four, tying her best effort ever. As the bell sounded indicating the end of lunch period at Canterlot High School, Fluttershy made her way back inside and to her locker, where she deposited the remaining flyers neatly inside until she could hand them out again on Monday. She had started spending three lunches a week handing out the flyers, hoping to get some attention for the shelter prior to the weekend. As the throng of students died down, leaving the locker hallway vacant, Fluttershy took a bag of lettuce from her locker and then knelt down to set her backpack on the floor. She unzipped the pack slowly, so as not to startle the inhabitant within, and called out gently “Come on out Angel, it’s time for lunch!” Fluttershy took a large leaf of the lettuce from the bag and held it out towards her pack. As Angel Bunny poked his furry head head out, smelling the food, Fluttershy smiled. It was always such a treat to get a little time with her best animal friend. Angel sniffed at the lettuce again, and turned his head, crossing his forelegs. “What’s wrong, Angel?” Fluttershy asked. “You like lettuce! It’s really fresh, I got it just this morning on the way to school, won’t you take at least a bite?” Fluttershy implored. Angel shook his head, and Fluttershy bit gently on her lower lip, wishing she had brought something else for the bunny to eat, but it was all she had. “Please, Angel” she cooed, “If you eat this now, I promise I’ll get you a nice, juicy carrot for dinner.” Angel turned his head slightly, feigning interest but his eyes still clearly conveying that the deal wasn’t yet to his liking. “OK…mmm…two juicy carrots?” Fluttershy asked anxiously, hoping this would be enough to win over the finicky rabbit. Angel paused as if thinking it over, then with a curt little nod, picked up the lettuce leaf between his paws and started to eat. He’d gotten the concession he wanted, and besides, he was nobunny’s fool. If this was all that his human had brought for lunch, he wasn’t about to go hungry. Fluttershy smiled brightly as Angel dined, and said happily “I’m so glad you like it!” She waited until Angel had consumed the full leaf, and then taking note of the time, said “Oh dear…it’s getting late Angel, we have to get to class now.” Angel had the decency to acquiesce; sinking down into the backpack as Fluttershy zipped it shut and dashed off down the hallway to hurry to her 5th period English class. They were starting their PSAT study sessions, and Fluttershy wanted to take full advantage of them. Fluttershy slid in the door to the class just as the bell sounded, and quickly made her way to her seat near the back of the room. She looked over near the front of the room, and caught Rarity’s little wave and smile as Miss Cheerilee called the class to attention. Fluttershy saw Rarity mouth to her “Talk to me later!” and then both girls turned to face the front of the classroom for the start of the lesson. Fluttershy noticed Angel squirming within her backpack as he got comfortable to nap through the period. She made a mental note to remember to stop by the grocery store as she had promised on the way home, to make sure she had enough carrots. Once class was over, both Fluttershy and Rarity had study period together. They usually spent their afternoons outside on the quad if the weather was nice or inside in the choir room, which wasn’t used in the afternoon. It had been Sweetie Belle who had tipped off Rarity to the fact that the room was vacant, which allowed the two friends to catch up from the morning and for Fluttershy to let Angel out of her pack without worry of being caught. Today was an outdoor day, however, and Fluttershy and Rarity found a bench under the shade of a large oak tree to sit and talk. Fluttershy made sure to first set down her pack and unzip it, so Angel could get out as he wanted. “So tell me, Fluttershy, what plans do you have for the week-end?” Rarity inquired. Fluttershy reached up to brush back an errant strand of hair unconsciously, one of her little nervous habits. “Oh…well…I volunteered to work an extra day at the shelter this weekend.” Fluttershy answered. “One of the regular staff asked for someone to cover them while they attended to a family event, and I said I would.” She brushed again at the lock of hair, even though it wasn’t really out of place again. “Are you certain, dear, that you are not working too hard for them?” Rarity asked. “I know how important the shelter is to you, but you simply must make some time for yourself every so often.” Fluttershy only nodded silently, not looking Rarity in the eye. Rarity caught on that it sounded like a bit of an admonition, and softened her tone. “I would love if you could visit the shop this weekend. I have been working on a fabulous new ensemble and I am just dying to show someone.” Rarity offered her friend one of her more dazzling smiles. “Well…I…guess I could come by after the end of my shift.” Fluttershy offered. “I get off at four, if that’s OK.” Fluttershy then added somewhat hastily, “But if that’s too late, I completely understand.” Rarity just gave a delighted giggle and said, “Nonsense, Darling, 4:00 PM would be just fine. I am just thrilled you can make it.” “Of course,” Fluttershy said, her lips curling into a slight smile at her friend’s happiness. There was a slight ruffle from the backpack as Angel emerged, deciding that he wanted to sit in the grass for a bit. Before he scampered off, he glared up at Fluttershy with a “Don’t forget my carrots” stare, and then hopped off away from the two girls. "What about tonight, dear?" Rarity inquired as she watched Angel scamper off. She knew how much he meant to Fluttershy, but she still wasn't fond of how he treated her. "Oh...well, I promised Rainbow Dash that I would go to the Volleyball match to watch her and Sunset Shimmer play," Fluttershy said quietly. She really didn't have that much of an interest in sports, but Rainbow Dash had insisted, so Fluttershy had agreed. "Hmpf!" Rarity scoffed, her hand moving up to fluff at the slight curl of her hair along her shoulder. "I just do not see the appeal." "It's a very important game," Fluttershy offered meekly as if that would explain everything. "If they win tonight, Rainbow said they qualify for the District tournament." "Well. I do hope they are victorious then," Rarity said, trying to feign a bit of interest. "Me too," Fluttershy agreed. "What about you Rarity? What are you doing tonight?" Rarity beamed another large smile, and said with a lilt of excitement to her voice, "I have another date tonight with Phillipe, he's such a gentleman! He truly knows how to treat a lady." Rarity's eyes went a bit dreamy as she spoke, and Fluttershy sunk into herself a little. She never got asked out on dates, though it wasn't like she would have felt comfortable accepting such an invitation. With an inaudible sigh, she tried to think of something to change the topic. As she floundered in silence, the bell rang, indicating the change of period and Fluttershy was spared. "Quel dommage!" Rarity said a little too dramatically. "I have a test in French class next, I can only hope it is très facile!" Fluttershy took this as her cue to escape. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Rarity. And have fun tonight on your date." With that, she reached down to her backpack and picked it up by the straps to go collect Angel. "Thank you, dear!" Rarity replied, a sincere smile on her face. "Give my best to Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer tonight." "Of course," Fluttershy promised, and as Rarity gathered her books and left, Fluttershy began the process of pleading with Angel that it was time to go, she didn't want to be late to Social Studies again. The rest of school flew by quickly, which was a bit of a relief to Fluttershy. True to her word, on the way home she made sure to stop by the grocery store and bought several large carrots. Her promise to Angel would be fulfilled, though she hadn't yet broken it to him she had plans to go out for the evening. Fluttershy also bought some cherries, just in case. Angel's favorite salad with the cherry on top always seemed to soothe his greatest tantrums. Once home, Fluttershy set to feeding all of the animals living with her at her apartment. Officially, only Angel and Hummingway, her pet hummingbird, were known to the leasing company but that didn't stop Fluttershy from occassionally bringing home other animals from the shelter to care for them personally. Once she was satisfied that all of the animals had been fed, Fluttershy saw to her own simple dinner. Negotiations with Angel lasted fifteen minutes before Fluttershy was able to get changed into her Canterlot High colors and off to the Volleyball match. As she had expected, she'd had to promise him his favorite salad for tomorrow, and was glad at her foresight to get the cherries at the store earlier. The night was crisp, and Fluttershy shivered a bit as she waited at the bus stop for the next bus back towards the campus. When she arrived, the seats were filling up quickly, and Fluttershy could only a seat near the upper part of the bleachers. As the teams filed out onto the court, the Canterlot students gave a loud cheer of support, to which Fluttershy added her diminuitive "Yay!" The match was a good one, and Fluttershy found herself more nervous than she expected as she watched her friends. The match eventually reached 2 games each, and the final game was closer than anyone had expected. Fluttershy almost couldn't watch as the Canterlot girls fell behind 13-9, but over the throng of the crowd she could hear Rainbow Dash encouraging her team to dig deeper and pull out a win. The comeback was nothing short of amazing. Playing as if it were already the championship, Rainbow Dash led her team back up to a 22-19 lead. Fluttershy just watched with amazement as the game reached match point. The other team wasn't giving up, and they set themselves up with what seemed an impenetrable defense, but the Wondercolts were ready. After the serve was returned, Golden Dawn placed a perfect set towards center net, and Rainbow Dash soared upwards to meet the ball. Three defenders answered her, jumping up with arms upstretched to block any attempt. Rainbow's jump, however, was a ruse, and as she purposefully missed striking the ball, Sunset Shimmer had advanced from her left wing position to take the set, screaming a vicious kill cross-court past the wall of defenders that had committed to Rainbow's ploy. The referee signaled the final point, and the crowd erupted into celebration. Fluttershy was so moved she jumped up and down, her own cheers adding to the noise. The two teams passed in a line, congratulating each other on a game well played, and Fluttershy made her way down to the edge of the court. Rainbow Dash saw Fluttershy and waved her onto the parquet. Fluttershy balked at first, then as Rainbow's gestures became more insistent, walked out to greet her friends. "Wow, Dashie, that was amazing!" Fluttershy gushed, still a little overwhelmed by the excitement of the moment. Rainbow Dash just grinned wide, and as Sunset Shimmer walked up, Rainbow gave her a high-five and proclaimed, "Oh yeah. That was totally awesome, Sunset! I knew they'd never see you coming!" Sunset Shimmer gave her own little grin and said "I told you if there's one thing I'm good at, it's deception." Rainbow chuckled, and gave Sunset a knowing smirk. "Good to see you, Fluttershy" Sunset added. "Rainbow said you were coming tonight." "Oh...yes. I wouldn't have missed it. And Rarity wanted me to say "Hi" for her as well." Fluttershy said shyly. Even though Sunset and the other girls were finally getting more comfortable around each other, Fluttershy still wasn't fully at ease around Sunset Shimmer. Rainbow Dash seemed to sense Fluttershy's unease, and said, "Well, we'd better go hit the showers so we can head home. You want a ride home, Shy?" Rainbow asked. "Well...if it's not too much trouble, and you don't mind, then sure." Fluttershy replied. "Of course not!" Rainbow Dash answered. "I'll catch you in about 20 out at the back door to the gym." With that, Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer turned to head to the locker room and the admiration of their other supporters who were waiting to congratulate them. Fluttershy made her way out of the gym and away from the noise and bustle of the other departing spectators. Even though sports wasn't her favorite thing, she had to admit, it had been a good evening. The next morning, Fluttershy got up early, making sure she had plenty of time to shower, dress, and feed the animals before heading down to take the bus over to the shelter. She was spared a confrontation with Angel, the bunny had decided to sleep in for the morning. With one final glance around to make sure everyone had been taken care of, Fluttershy walked out to the bus stop and waited patiently. In time, the city bus lumbered to a stop in front of her apartment building, and Fluttershy boarded for the trip into the city. When she arrived at the Canterlot Animal Shelter, she went in the side door that was reserved for employees and put her pack into one of the cubby holes that the staff used to store their belongings. She could hear someone stirring up by the front, and so Fluttershy walked up to the reception area. Sitting at the main desk, shuffling through some papers was Henrietta, the city worker who usually worked the weekend shift. As Fluttershy approached, Henrietta looked up from her papers and said "Good morning, Fluttershy. Thanks again for covering for Jasmine." Fluttershy smiled, she always felt so comfortable in this place that she naturally came out of her shell a little. "Good morning, Henrietta" Fluttershy said warmly. "Is there anything special I need to do?" Henrietta glanced back over the papers, making a couple of notes, and said "Doesn't look like too much from last night. Only one new addition, a dog that got in a fight or something. We'll keep an eye on him and see if we need to call the vet later. For now, why don't you feed the rest and then maybe see if you can coax him to eat a bit. You always do seem to have a special way with strays." Fluttershy nodded her assent and went back to start the task of feeding the different animals. It always saddened her a bit as she looked over the cages, wishing she could just take all of them home with her to care for. But even Fluttershy knew that wasn't practical, and so she started with the cats, portioning out a half-cup of food to each, taking time to pet and speak to each of them. Once the cats had been fed, she moved onto the dogs, most of which jumped and pawed at the doors to their cages as Fluttershy passed by. Fluttershy made a point to greet each of them, ruffling their fur or petting along their backs as she dumped the food from the bag into their bowls. Finally, Flutttershy made her way back to the quarantine area, where injured or sick animals were kept until the staff was certain they posed no threat to the others. Carefully filling a bowl with some wet food, she walked over to the cage where the new arrival had been placed. At first, she couldn't see him well, the dog was small and had curled into a little ball near one corner of the cage, apparently still recovering from whatever scrape he had gotten himself into. Fluttershy called out to the little animal as she approached, "There, there, little guy. It's ok! I have some nice yummy food for your tummy!" Fluttershy knelt down to put the bowl through the slot in the cage and take a better look. The small dog didn't appear to be terribly hurt, just a few scratches on his coat. But as she looked closer, Fluttershy could see that the coat was a familiar shade of purple. A closer examination revealed the dog's little green ears which had folded back against his head. Tenatively, Fluttershy eased open the cage door and gave a tender caress along the dog's back, trying to be soothing. The little dog stirred, and turned around to look at Fluttershy with sad, green eyes. Suddenly, Fluttershy gasped in shock, her free hand flying up to her face as she recognized that sweet little face. "Oh no...oh no!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Spike!!!!" The dog whimpered at his name, and gently licked Fluttershy's hand. Fluttershy was frozen in surprise and horror. How...how could this be?