//------------------------------//
// 22: Shore Leave 
// Story: Fortresshy: The Nine Fathers 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	Soldier grinned widely as he addressed the team.  "I have good news everyone!  Given our stellar showing last combat - mostly thanks to Fluttershy-"  He leaned down and stroked her head as he said this.  "New orders from higher up says we don't all have to be here 24/7 to protect the fortress!  You all know what this means...shore leave!"  He grinned widely as the entire team cheered that announcement.

Just as the cheering ended, but before Soldier could start talking again, Fluttershy added, "Yay!" very quietly, resulting in everyone cracking up in laughter.

Once calm was restored, Soldier continued his announcement.  "Now then, obviously we can't all go at once.  I'd say no more than four of us should be out in town at any given time, leaving six of us here-"

"Six?" Spy interrupted.  "There are only nine of us on the duty roster."

"I'm including Fluttershy," Soldier countered.  "Between her natural luck in combat, the intimidation factor of Chompy-" he gestured to the Chain Chomp, who was now the size of an exercise ball and clanged audibly with every bounce to the point he was no longer trusted on upper floors, "-and the training we've given her so far, she can hold her own in combat."

"Especially in Heavy's back pocket as MediSpy," Heavy pointed out, guffawing over Fluttershy's last training match.

"Exactly!" Soldier confirmed.  "However, since today will be Fluttershy's first time leaving the fortress for anything, I don't want her unaccompanied at any time!"  Everyone nodded in agreement.  "Heavy, Spy, Scout, you three will be heading into town with her, and I expect all four of you to come back together on time!"  As Scout started whooping it up, Soldier concluded, "Scout, Fluttershy will be your responsibility while in town."

"What?" Scout yelped.  "How come I'm responsible for her?"

"You've seen how fast she moves when she gets excited," Soldier pointed out.  "If something catches her eye and she runs off to check it out, you're the only one who can keep up with her."

Scout sighed.  "Yeah," he replied, grumbling but acquiescent.

Soldier walked over and gave Scout a comforting clap on his shoulder before speaking up again.  "Move out, maggots!" he bellowed.  "It's 0700!  It takes an hour each way in the van, and I expect you all home by 1900!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Heavy and Spy bellowed back jokingly, Fluttershy calling it quite seriously.  Soldier simply smirked and waved them off.





Heavy took the wheel as they drove towards town, with Spy in shotgun and Scout in back with Fluttershy.  Noticing Scout was somewhat down, Fluttershy spoke up.  "Umm...Big Brother?"

"Yeah Shy?" Scout asked, looking somewhat distracted.

"Umm...if you don't want to spend the day with me, I could stay close to Big Daddy or Poof Daddy," she offered consolingly.  "You don't have to take me with you if you don't-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Scout interrupted.  "Time out, Shy!  What makes you think I don't want to spend time with you?"

"Well...when Daddy Sir said you were responsible for me, you got upset, and you've been...well..."  She obviously wasn't sure how to explain.

Scout shook his head.  "It's not what you think, Shy.  ...look, I will love spending the day with you, showing you around town, and everything like that, really.  It's just...there was something I was looking forward to doing in town today, something I haven't had opportunity to do for a while, but I can't do it with you along, know what I mean?"

"It's okay," Fluttershy said.  "You can go do that and I'll-"

"You don't get it!" Scout interrupted.  "It's not I'd rather do that than be with you!"  He rubbed his head, trying to organize his thoughts and words.  "Yes, I wanted to do that, looking for a certain special kind of company...but I can't do it with a kid along.  And as much as I'll regret missing the opportunity, I'd hate myself for ditching you, okay?"  Leaning forward, he stroked her mane.  "You come first, Shy."

Spy smiled from the front seat, pleased to see how Scout had grown, pouring himself some tea.

Fluttershy smiled up at Scout, nuzzling his hand.  Then her eyes widened, and she gasped.  "Oh!  That's what you mean!  I didn't know humans had mating seasons!"

Spy paused in raising his tea to his lips to suppress his laughter.  Heavy laughed uproariously from the driver's seat though.  "Fluttershy, please don't make Heavy laugh while he's driving," Spy commented dryly.  "I'd rather not crash, especially when we're outside  the range of the respawner already."

"Don't worry!" Fluttershy reassured him.  "I brought my medigun, and it has the revive function."

Scout shook his head.  "Where did you learn about mating?" he demanded.

"Lt. Bites told me," she replied calmly.

Scout blinked.  "You can talk to animals?"

Fluttershy tilted her head.  "You can't?"

Scout thought for a bit, then shrugged.  "Yet another thing we didn't know about you, Shy."  He nodded.  "But yeah, I guess you could say I'm looking for some 'pleasant company' who want to behave as though they're in season, even if they aren't."

Spy frowned mildly, displeased that Scout was explaining these things to Fluttershy so young, even if he was avoiding any form of crudity in doing so.

Fluttershy gasped as an idea occurred to her.  "Maybe you could call that friend who made my cake!"

"Ms. Pauling?" Scout asked in shock.  He thought for a bit, then shook his head.  "Nah, she wouldn't go for me.  I can show her a good time...but she's a real lady.  I ain't got anything to offer a real lady, not the way she would need.  I'm good for a nice girl or two, but the ladies need someone like Spy."

Spy raised an eyebrow at Scout's self-awareness, pleased anew at his growth.  Smiling, he took a sip of his tea.

"So your Mom was a lady, then, Big Brother?" Fluttershy asked curiously.

Spy spat his tea all over the windshield as Heavy broke into more uproarious laughter.

Scout grumbled to himself.  As soon as Shy's not looking, he promised himself internally, I'm bashing Frenchie's head in, several times over.  "What makes you say that?" he asked Shy aloud.

"Well, I heard Boom Daddy talking with Daddy Sir about how Poof Daddy might actually be your Daddy..."

Them, too, Scout silently added.





Once in town, the group dispersed in various directions.  Heavy went to a hardware store and arms shop, which happened to be the same location.  Spy headed into town looking for fine dining.  Fluttershy stared around at the city somewhat nervously, huddling up close to Scout.  He looked down at her in concern.  "You okay, Shy?"

"It's so...big," she whimpered.

Smiling, he scooped her up into his arms.  "Well stick with me.  I'll show you around."  They wandered around town for a few hours, Scout pointing at various things for Fluttershy and grinning at her reactions.

He couldn't help but laugh when she flew from his arms to press her face and hooves against the toy store.  "Can we go in?" she begged.  "Please?"

Scout glanced at the number of kids under the age of five visible in the store with their parents.  "Maybe we should come back another day, when it's less crowded, and with Heavy...and possibly Chompy."  When Fluttershy looked up at him sadly, he explained, "Kids that age tend to be grabby, especially at anything with a tail."

Fluttershy whimpered, tucking her tail between her legs.

Scout pet her head affectionately.  "Don't worry.  You'll see the toy store later."  After a time of wandering around the city, they stopped in at an arcade for a while.  There, they played a few games together, and Scout used the tickets they won to trade for a large, white, bunny plushy.  Fluttershy adored it...though for some reason, she insisted on calling it 'Devil Bastard'.  Scout idly wondered who would be donating to the swear jar for that one.

They grabbed some lunch from a taco cart, where Scout discovered that Fluttershy had no problem with eating fish, much to his surprise.  After they enjoyed their tacos, though, Scout noticed Fluttershy starting to pant.  Realizing how hot it was getting - it was already 2 in the afternoon - Scout ducked them into an air conditioned bar.  Heading up to the front, he set Fluttershy down on the counter and sat in the stool next to her.  "A beer for me," he told the bartender, "and some soft cider for my little sister here.  We both need to cool off."

Nodding, the bartender poured the drinks for both of them.  As Scout took his drink, he noticed that the bar had quite a few young women present.  He didn't really have time to think about it, though, as there was a sudden splash and clatter.

"Big Brother," Fluttershy whimpered, her voice echoing a bit, "I'm stuck!"

Turning, Scout clutched his stomach to keep from laughing uproariously, as Fluttershy had somehow managed to get her pint glass stuck on her head, dumping the cider all over her.  "Can I use your sink?" he gasped to the bartender, carefully getting the mug off Fluttershy's head.

The bartender nodded.  "Come on back and wash her off," he said.  "I'll give her a straw and a fresh glass, on the house."

"Better give me one, too, so I can teach her to use it," Scout said as he clambered over the bar and washed Fluttershy off in the sink, drying her off on a nearby towel.  "It's okay," he told her reassuringly.  "Not your fault.  I should have realized the glass was too big for you.  Nothing to cry about.  Won't you smile for me?"

Once Fluttershy was dried off, she smiled up at him...and winked.  Once the straws were there, Scout showed her how to use it.  After drinking some cider through the straw, she nuzzled his hand.

"Aww," a female voice said from behind them, "she's adorable!"  Turning, Scout saw that several of the young women he'd noticed - specifically, the seven from a nearby table who were obviously there together - had come up behind them to coo at Fluttershy.  "Is she yours?" one of them asked Scout.

"Sort of," he replied.  "I'm her Big Brother.  Some friends of mine and I stumbled across her on the job a few years back, and we've been taken care of her ever since."  He reached over and stroked Fluttershy's mane.  "She brought us together as a family."  This resulted in a chorus of 'aww's from the women.

"If only my ex-husband had been as good a father," one of them - one Scout had already mentally marked as a real MILF - added, "I wouldn't have needed the courts."

Scout smiled softly at Fluttershy, inwardly torn between crowing at catching the eye of a single Mom and her friends and frustration that he couldn't act on it.

Then the reason for Fluttershy's earlier wink became apparent.  "Excuse me, nice ladies," she said, using her normal pleading voice that was only not classified as 'making an effort to be cute' because it came effortlessly for her, "but my Big Brother's been feeling kind of lonesome lately.  My Daddies and I have been trying to help, but he says he's still lonely.  Could you nice ladies maybe keep him company and help cheer him up?"

It was only his hand already being under his chin that kept Scout's jaw from hitting the floor.  She wasn't...she did!

"Oh we'd love to keep him company," one of the girls, the youngest in the group, said.  "Such a nice guy, we'll do what we can to help him feel good for you sweetie, won't we girls?"  There was a chorus of agreement.

"But I'm responsible for her today," Scout found himself saying.  "I can't just leave her all on her lonesome, or dump her on one of the others.  I'd never do that to her."  Seeing Fluttershy smile approvingly at him from under her overhanging mane, he couldn't help but smile back.

The MILF spoke up.  "Well, my little girl will be getting out of school soon," she pointed out.  "If we all went together, we could pick her up, and then leave the two of them with her Manny while we...kept you company."  She stroked Scout's cheek as she scratched Fluttershy behind her ear.  "What do you say, big boy?  That work?"

As Scout hesitated, Fluttershy spoke up, "Can we, Big Brother?  I'd love to play with someone my own age for a little while!"

Scout smiled.  "How can I say no to you, Fluttershy?"





Later, at a rather fancy house, Fluttershy sat alongside a little girl under the watchful eyes of someone who could easily have passed for Heavy's twin if he weren't wearing a French maid outfit and holding a tea tray.  Fluttershy turned to the little girl.  "I'm Fluttershy.  What's your name?"

The girl smiled.  "I'm Lauren.  Do you know what Mommy and her friends are doing with your Big Brother?"

Fluttershy nodded.  "They're mating.  Want to play?"

"Can I braid your mane?" Lauren asked.

"Sure!" Fluttershy said happily.  "Let me just set these aside."  Spreading her wings, she carefully pulled out all ten carefully folded butterfly knives, along with her frying pan, and then shrugged off her medigun pack.  Seeing Lauren staring, she smiled.  "My Daddies have been teaching me to protect myself and kick ass with these."

Lauren smiled widely.  "Pegasus ponies are awesome!" she said happily.





Spy and Heavy stood beside the van, glancing back and forth at each other.  Spy once again glanced at his watch.  It was 5:55 pm.  "Scout is running late," he grumbled.  "We agreed to meet back at the van no later than 5:50 for a last check so we could be sure we had everything before we left!"

"He has Fluttershy," Heavy worried.  "Maybe we should have stayed together."

"Perhaps," Spy muttered.  "But-"  He paused, focusing his eyes.  "Here they come.  ...what happened to them?"

Scout walked happily down the road, grinning from ear to ear, his face and arms covered in lipstick marks, staggering like he was drunk, and whistling a song that hadn't been written yet.  Fluttershy sat on his shoulder, her mane expertly braided and her hooves carefully filed and polished.  She smiled happily as Scout staggered up to Heavy and Spy.

As they approached, Scout lifted her off his shoulder, spinning her around.  "Fluttershy!" he yelled, sounding drunk, or at least punchy.  "You are best wingman...pony...mare...wingmare!"  As he said that, he fell backwards, Heavy catching Fluttershy as Scout hit the ground.  "Woo!" Scout shouted happily.

Spy shook his head.  "What happened to you two?" he demanded.

Fluttershy giggled, remembering something the Manny had said as he worked on her hooves.  "I'm a pimp!" she said happily.

"I didn't teach her that!" Scout said quickly as Heavy and Spy both glared at him.