Equestria, I Choose You!

by Autum Breeze

Chapter 2 - The Strange Creature

Twilight trudge across the wooden bridge to Fluttershy’s house.

Why does Fluttershy want to see me so urgently? the lavender alicorn asked herself as she reached the door. Strange creature? Like I haven’t seen every strange thing in this world already. What could Fluttershy have possibly found that would be enough to stop my reorganizing the library for the fourth time today?

Twilight was levitating all the books in the library around, sorting through them to finish her fourth reorganizing for the day.

Just as she was putting "Guide to All Equestria’s Creatures and Monsters" onto its shelf, a tapping came from the window above her.

She looked up and saw one of Fluttershy’s blue jays tapping at the window.

Curious, Twilight opened the window with her magic and the blue jay flew in, dropping a note at her hooves then flew back out.

More curious now, Twilight levitated the note, opened it and started to read.

Dear Twilight,

Please come to my cottage quickly. This is urgent. I’ve got a stange creature in my care. It’s badly injured. The poor thing. I wish I knew what could have done this to it. Please, hurry and get here.

Oh, that is, if it’s alright with you and you’re not too busy or anything.

Yours,

Fluttershy

Twilight knocked on the door, frowning.

What could this strange creature be, and why did Fluttershy think Twilight was the pony to ask for help?

The door opened and Twilight blinked.

Standing there wasn’t Fluttershy, but Sweetie Belle.

“Oh, good. Twilight, you’re here,” she said, stepping aside so the alicorn could come in and called, “Fluttershy, she’s here!”

Twilight turned to see the yellow pegasus turn her head back to look at her. She was standing in front of something, most likely the mysterious creature.

“Oh, good. Twilight, I’m so glad you came,” she said, turning around completely.

“Fluttershy, what’s going on?” the lavender mare asked, walking towards the pegasus. “I was in the middle of something. And, I’m pretty sure we’ve seen all the strange creatures in this world already. I doubt there's anything... that would...” She trailed off as she saw the strange creature laying on a cushion behind Fluttershy.

She turned to her, frowning. “Fluttershy, what is this?”

Fluttershy scratched her neck nervously. “Actually... I don’t know what it is. Sweetie Belle found it and brought it to me. The poor thing was hurt so badly it was wincing in its sleep.”

Fluttershy was standing a little away from her cottage, busy helping a few baby birds learn to fly.

“Fluttershy!”

The pegasus turned, eeping at the cry, but relaxed when she saw it was Sweetie Belle. “Why, hello there, Sweetie Belle,” she said in her gentle tone. “What can I do for you?”

The unicorn stopped in front of her, panting.

“I—” gasp, “I found this—” gasp, “strange creature in the—” gasp, “Everfree Forest.” the filly managed to get out through her need for more oxygen.

Fluttershy got nervous. “Oh, it-it’s not... d-d-d-d-dangerous, isn’t it?”

Sweetie Belle got her breathing under control and frowned. “I don’t think so. Besides, it’s hurt.”

She turned so Fluttershy could see the strange creature on her back.

At once Fluttershy went to work.

“Oh, the poor dear. Come on, Sweetie Belle. Let’s get the poor thing inside and I’ll tend to his wounds.”

Fluttershy led the filly into her home.

Once inside, Fluttershy cleaned the creature’s wounds as best she could, then wrapped them up, while Sweetie Belle explained how she came across it in the first place. The poor thing was so badly injured, practically all its body was covered. Now, even the tops of its ears.

When she was done, the creature stirred and looked up with weak eyes at the Pegasus. “Hello there, little one,” she said, her voice as soothing as always. “Everything’s okay. My friend here found you and brought you to my cottage and I tended to all your wounds as best I could.”

The creature gave the tiniest frown of confusion. “Pika... chu?” It closed its eyes and went to sleep.

Fluttershy looked to Sweetie Belle, who had an eyebrow raised. “Do you think that’s its name?”

“Pikachu,” the older mare said, looking down at the tiny yellow mouse-like creature and smiled. “It’s a cute name. Pikachu it is.” She bent down and nuzzled Pikachu’s cheek that didn’t have a plaster on it. “Welcome to Ponyville, Pikachu.”

When Fluttershy finished telling her story, Twilight looked down at the creature in front of her, a frown on her face.

“I’ve read every book, and I mean every book on all animals in Equestria and beyond, including several books from the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters and not one of them has ever mentioned a creature like this... Pikachu, did you call it?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“Anyway,” Twilight put a hoof to her muzzle, thinking. “Is it possible Discord fused several creatures together? That’s seems a likely theory to me.”

“And you’d be wrong, Twilight Sparkle.”

The three ponies jumped as Discord popped into existence in front of them all. He bent down, examining Pikachu.

“Hmm,” he said, frowning as he stroked his goatee. “This is not my handy work. I’ve never even seen or even thought of a creature like this. Wherever it’s from, it isn’t this world.”

Twilight frowned. “And, how would you know that?” she asked accusingly.

Discord shook his head. “Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. I have lived even longer than Celestia and Luna and I can assure you, in all my millennia of living, I have never seen a creature such as this even once. Wherever it came from, it wasn’t here.”

“So, it’s from another world,” Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Do you think it’s possible to return to that world?”

Discord frowned, and waved his claw over Pikachu’s body, before shaking his head. “There’s some strange kind of magic around it. Whoever sent it here doesn’t want it going back.”

“Somepony sent it here?” Fluttershy asked, then looked sadly down at the unconscious creature. “But, why would they do that? And why don’t they want it to go back?"

Discord thought for a moment or two.

“Well, judging from its injuries, whoever sent it here was either trying to punish it, or save it.”

“Save it?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Save it from what?”

Discord shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you if I wanted to. But, I think Fluttershy here is the best pony to look after it. My mind reading magic may have faltered on ponies since my last imprisonment, but I can sense this creature’s been through a horrible ordeal.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Fluttershy said, stroking Pikachu’s head with a hoof. “Don’t’] worry. I’ll take good care of you.”

Twilight frowned. “Well, once it gets better—”

“He,” Discord interrupted.

“Huh?”

“Pikachu’s a “he”, not an “it”,” Discord replied, folding his arms. “That was very rude of you, princess.” With that, he popped out of sight.

“Oh, and that wasn’t rude at all,” Twilight rolled her eyes, then turned to Fluttershy. “As I was saying, when he gets better, maybe we can learn more about his past. It might give us a clue as to why he was sent here.”

Fluttershy nodded, continuing to stroke Pikachu’s head.

“Well, it’s getting late,” Sweetie Belle said, turning to the door. “Rarity’s probably going up the walls, wondering where I am.”

Twilight nodded, then turned to Fluttershy. “I’ll take Sweetie Belle home. Sure you’ll be okay on your own?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Pikachu’s a welcome guest in my house, as are all animals, regardless of whether they’re from our world or another one.”

Twilight agreed and led Sweetie Belle out, closing the door behind her.

Once the door was closed, Fluttershy let a few tears slide down her face as she looked at the unconscious creature at her hooves.

“What could have happened to you? It must have been terrible.”