//------------------------------// // 8- Research about Love // Story: Research About Fluffy Ponies // by Axel Azabash //------------------------------// Twiley has now a simple room with an actual bed, a simple mattress on four legs with blankets and pillows. There are a side table and a chair too. She loves her new bed, is far more comfortable than the hard and cold floor. The life is simple for her; she learned how to use the remote control of the television, pressing carefully those little tiny buttons meant for human fingers with the tip of her enormous hooves. She spends her time watching the pony show and other random programs. She is curious about humans; they are far more interesting than the simple minded fluffy ponies. She also visits sometimes the fluffy herd in the backyard. The first time, she tried to be friend with them, but they only look interested in food and playing with the silly ball. They are too simple. Hungry, food, play, hurt, help, fun... Yes, they are more like pets. She learned a lot of new words from her conversations with Mike, and hearing them on the TV. But those little balls of fluff, like Mike calls them, don't understand new or complicated words, and Twiley gets a little frustrated when she tries to make a serious conversation. They insist in call her "Big fwuffy." Mike is almost always at work, she needs to spend her time in something and simply watches TV almost all the time, except for going to the backyard to watch over the fluffies. Also, the scientist always put some food for her to eat while he is working. After a week, she has used to her new life. Wake up, breakfast with Mike, go to watch TV and wait to the evening. Mike comes back, they watch TV together, he brushes her mane, teach her something interesting, have dinner, go to bed. Mike told her to not open the door to anyone, but anyways... nobody visited them. This afternoon, Mike arrives early. He looks stressed. "Twi! Twi! We are going to have guests!" He says. "Ow... mowe humans? Awe they fwiendwy?" Twiley asks. "Oh, yes they are. But I need you to go to your room and don't come out while they are here." Mike says, pushing Twiley to her room. "Ow! Ow! But... why?" "They don't like the ponies. I want you to hide in your room and don't come out!" "Why they don't wike the ponies?" "No time for explanations, Twi. Hide and don't come out under any circumstances!"Mike said, almost in panic. "But... but... if thewe is a fiwe?" Twiley asked. "Ok, ok... come out if there is a fire..." "But... if thewe is an eawthquake?" "Yes... you can..." Mike replied, narrowing his eyes. "Ow! Ow! and if thewe is a townado ow ow..." "You have seen too much television, Twi..."Mike interrupted her. "But if it's an emewgency... can I come out?" Twiley asked with puppy eyes. "Yes, you can come out if there is an emergency or you are in danger. But please, stay in your room while my guests are at home. It's very important to me." Mike closes the door and comes outside. He is waiting anxiously his guests, but he is taking care of his garden, trying to look casual. It was an intense day of working. Mike had to show all the progress of the project to his boss's secretary. Her name was Michelle. She was medium height, with brown eyes and hair. She was quite serious at first, but became friendly while Mike was showing her his results in the project. It was about a mind controlled mechanical limb. The prototype was rough, consisting only in a simple articulated leg. Mike put on the helmet and gave orders to the computer to make it move only using the brainwaves sensor. He looked ridiculous with all those things like an enormous black harness full of wires, a computer on a backpack, which was connected with some more wires to give it power, and the weird looking helmet. Adam, of course, was laughing madly at the awkwardness of the situation. The harness was meant for a paralytic or someone without a leg, so, Mike was extremely uncomfortable with his two natural legs plus the mechanical one. Anyways, the experiment worked just fine. When Mike was heading to home, he found Michelle outside taking a break with a cigarette in her hand. "Hey, Michelle. Taking a break?" Mike said casually. "Yeah, I have to pick up my sister from school in a while. Just a busy day." Michelle replied. "Oh, how old is she?" Mike continued like if he was interested or something. "Little Sarah is eleven years old, she goes to Taylor School. It's not very far from home." "Oh... Wow! That school is near my house. Imagine all those noisy children early in the morning your free day. Seriously, I had to put noise insulation windows." Mike continued. Michelle sighed. She looked tired and quite... sad? "Are you Ok, Michelle?" Mike asked with concern. "Uh, yeah. Quite tired and stuff..." Michelle replied dissimulating. "Oh... nice... I'm going back to home. I have some homemade research going on, you know, too much free time there... alone... with nothing to do..." Mike said, quite embarrassed. Mike started to walk. He just realized that he just had a little crush. Why he have to be so shy? He blushed and continued like nothing had happened. "Adam told me that you were doing some weird research about... fluffy ponies." She spoke. "Yes, it's about it." Mike turned to face her. "Those things... I hate them. Those silly balls of fluff pretending to be inteligent..." She said coldly. "I have to agree with you. I find them quite creepy, you know. They are quite intelligent for an animal, but it's artificial. Looks like some weird rabbit brain stimulated to make them actually talk and stuff." Mike replied. "So... Why are you doing such an investigation?" Michelle asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. "Because... I find them creepy. Oh, it's more something about their psychology, I wanted to know the way they think and how, you know, just in case there is an evil plan behind them or something." Mike tried to explain in a quite awkward way. "Do you have fluffies in your house?" Michelle asked, dryly. "Oh... I... No! Of course not! I would prefer a dog or a cat for a pet; I told you I think fluffies are creepy. The research is more about gathering information and stuff about them. They invade my backyard some times, that's all." Mike defended himself. "Oh, well. Sorry. You know, I was thinking maybe you were one of those lonely ones that have a lot of fluffy ponies in his house and pretends they are his family." Michelle said. "Actually, if you have some time, you can give me a little visit and I could show you my home. You know, when you go back to pick up your little sister, and let me invite you to coffee or something." Mike said. The words came out without thinking, and he regretted to have said that when he listened to himself. "Uh... Ok..." She said looking away. After saying goodbye, Mike walked away. When he was out of her sight, he started to run. "I have to hide Twiley, I have to hide Twiley!" He repeated to himself. The fluffy herd is out of the backyard, they are always out looking for food and random stuff to bring to their territory at this time of the day, check. All the stuff is well hidden under the bushes, check. Twiley is hidden in her bedroom, check. Nothing could ever possibly go wrong, nothing at all... Mike continued taking care of his garden, like if he was interested in plants. After a few minutes, Michelle showed up. A little girl is with her, she must be her little sister. She has curled brown hair and brown eyes like her big sister. She was bouncing in place, looking quite hyperactive. "Good afternoon, Mike. How are you doing?" Michelle greets. "Hi odd man!" The little girl interrupts her sister. "Oh... hi..." Mike answers, in quite an awkward way. "Hey, Sarah! I told you not to say such things!" Michelle scowls her sister. "But that's not fair; you told me he was odd!" Sarah defends herself. "But, that doesn't mean that you have to say the first thing you think when you meet people! It's not kind!" The two girls had a little stare duel before Mike could say something to break the awkwardness. "Oh, never mind, you know little girls..." Mike says. "See? He is not mad! And being odd is cool sometim... mmmmph!" Michelle covers Sarah's mouth and laughs nervously. "Sorry about that. I think it was a bad idea to come here with my little sister..." Michelle tries to apologize. "It's ok... Oh, well, this is my little house. It's a little... little but... enough for me. Please come in." Mike says, in a quite awkward way. "I don't have a lot of time, but... I think it's ok, if you don't mind." She answers politely. After a little tour around the house, they are now in the kitchen. Everything was alright. The bathroom was clean, the bedrooms tidy, and nothing unusual. Except, of course, Twiley's room. Mike told them that it was a storage room for his laboratory stuff and nothing worth of visiting. He also tried to avoid the backyard, just in case, but Sarah insisted in taking a look, and everything was Ok. Mike made some coffee and Michelle and him are having an idle conversation about the weather, and some random things like that, while Sarah is looking everywhere, running and saying then and there that this is boring. "Well, better I keep going. Before Sarah do something really stupid. It was a pleasure, and the coffee was nice." Michelle says. "Mich! Mich! Pee! Pee!" Sarah suddenly squeaks, bouncing in place. "Oh... well..." Michelle says, quite unsure. "Oh, don't worry, the toilet is..." "First door on the right!" Sarah interrupts, running away. "...That is correct." Michelle and Mike start to walk to the door when they find Sarah trying to open the bathroom door. It's locked. For some reason Michelle doesn't understand, Mike's face turns white pale. Some chaotic knocks can be heard at the other side, and finally, the door is opened to reveal a purple fluffy creature. "Sowwy... It was an emewgency..." Twiley says, lowering her head with a sheepish smile and trotting to her bedroom. The three of them stay a few seconds in a really uncomfortable and awkward silence. "Oh, my gosh! A real Pony from My Little Pony! ...Uh, yeah, an emergency..." Sarah says before coming into the bathroom and closing the door. "I think you told me you hated those things! You are living with one!? And IT just used the same bathroom than you and... Sarah!?" Michelle yells at Mike. "But... but... she is not a..." "IT is what?" Michelle interrupts Mike, emphasizing the word 'it'. "She is not a normal fluffy pony! She is special!" Mike tried to defend himself. "Oh, come on... and now you are going to say that IT is intelligent and sentient and..." "But... but..." Mike interrupted. "And that IT is special." Michelle interrupted again. Sarah comes out of the bathroom and heads directly to Twiley's room, while the two adults are too busy arguing to notice. "What is IT? Your special pony?" Michelle scowls at Mike. "Of course SHE is special. She is not a regular fluffy pony!" Mike yelled. "Oh, I just came in the house of the crazy man and his very special somepony..." Michelle said, backpedaling from him. "Of course she is my special..." Mike's brain makes a click and he stops for a moment, understanding the slang. "No... nononononono! NOT THAT WAY!" Mike shouts in horror. Michelle is too busy looking for her sister; she isn't in the bathroom anymore. "Oh, no... Sarah... where is she?" Michelle asks to herself. "I... I don't know; she was there a moment before..." "If that monster does something to her, I swear that..." Michelle trails off while looking for her sister all over Mike's house. After a few minutes of panic, Michelle starts looking for her sister in the garden, Mike following her from a safety distance. Then, they find her... Sarah comes out of the front door, riding on Twiley. Both giggling happily. Michelle panics a little and in a fast movement picks up her little sister from Twiley's back, backpedaling in horror at the sight of the purple creature after that. Michelle pulls Sarah's arm and walks out of the garden to the street, while Sarah waves the other hand at Twiley, and Twiley waves a hoof happily. "Goodby Sawah!" Says the unicorn. "...Nothing at all... could go... possibly..." Says Mike to herself, looking at nowhere. " Sawah is nice, we awe fwiends now. I have made a new fwiend!" Squeaks Twiley. "Oh... that's cool, Twi..." Mike replies, coming in his house again and pulling Twiley's tail. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Wait!" Mike looked depressed that afternoon, he didn't even wanted to watch TV with her, that was a boring afternoon for Twiley, but she didn't care, she had made a new real friend... While the two boring adults were arguing, Sarah leaked trough them into the pony's room. and there was it. A pony, not like those stupid fluffies, she hated them, a real pony like those from the show! Maybe it was shy, because it was hiding behind her bed. Sarah came into the room and approached the purple pony. "Behind the bed! I found you!" Sarah giggled. "Ow... hewwow?" The pony's head peered from behind the bed. "Hi! My name is Sarah!" "I'm Twiwey..." The pony answered, quite confused at the situation. "Hey, can I hide with you for a little?" The little girl asked. "Uh... ok." "Wow, a real pony... never seen one before..." Sara took a closer look at Twiley, stroking her mane and scratching behind her ears. Oh, those human hands... Suddenly, the door opened and Michelle came in, calling for Sarah, but she lowered her head behind the bed and keep Twiley in place until her big sister went out. "Oh, you have the perfect size Twi, I think I could ride on you!" Sarah said, smiling at the confused pony. "Uh... wide on me?" "Michelle told me that Mike was one of those crazy lonely scientist... hey, Twi, is he nice?" "Uh, of couwse, he is the best human I know! He took care of me wewy weww." Twiley answered. Sarah looked thoughtful for a little, and then smiled at Twiley. "Hmm... He needs more social live... And my sister just broke up with her boyfriend. And I want to play with you! You are so cool! Not like those silly balls of fluff..." "Uh? Those fwuffy ponies? Yup, they awe quite bowing. And you want to pway with me?" Twiley replied. "Yes! I could ride on you! Those fluffy ponies are too small and silly. You look just like Twilight Sparkle from..." "My Wittwe Pony? I wike that show too!" Twiley interrupted. "And I think you are more intelligent than the fluffies too. But my sister looks mad at Mike and you." Sarah trailed off. "Why she is mad at me? I did something wwong?" Twiley asked. "No... not at all... it's that... she don't like the regular fluffy ponies..." "But I'm not a weguwar fwuffy pony." "Well, I think I have a plan. Mike needs more social life, Michelle needs a new boyfriend and I want to play with you! Hmmm... I will return, don't worry. My school is near here..." Sarah said with an evil grin. "And what is youw plan?" Twiley asked. "It's time to make some research... Research about love!"