//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Ponyville's new neighbour // by Tecuro //------------------------------// On the way to Fluttershy’s cottage the group received a lot more attention now, thanks to Arrow’s showboating, meaning Steed’s plan of ‘no distractions’ quickly fell apart. “You’d think they’d never seen a falcon before,” Rarity remarked as Lyra and Bon-Bon watched, awe-struck, as Arrow pulled off a gut-wrenching loop and proceed into an arsenal of aerobatic displays. Eventually, after Steed was able to convince Arrow to ease up on the aerial spectacles, the group finally made it to Fluttershy’s cottage “Fluttershy is just going to love you!” Pinkie said to Arrow as she bounced along the path leading to Fluttershy’s door ahead of the group, as the setting sun morphed the sky into a myriad of reds and yellows. “Oh, a fan of falcons is she?” Steed asked her “Look at where she lives. What do you think?” Rainbow said to him, looking unimpressed. Steed took a moment to look around him, and noticed the abundance of bird houses, burrows, nests and all the other glaring signs of animal life in front of him “Good point,” he succumbed. Twilight trotted to the door and raised her hoof to knock upon it before she paused in contemplation. “What’s wrong?” Steed asked her, looking a little concerned. “Well it’s late…” Twilight explained. “She wouldn’t be asleep now would she?” Steed responded. “Well no, but I’m just wondering if we might startle her, showing up at this time.” “Oh come on!” Steed let out a little chuckle “Braeburn said she was shy, but she can’t be that bad!” “You obviously do not know Fluttershy,” Rarity scoffed, with her nose in the air as she marched towards the cottage. “Well no I don’t, I just arrived in town today…” Steed reminded her, but Rarity either didn’t hear him or ignored him, as she very gently rapped on Fluttershy’s door. “Fluttershy, dear, are you in?” She softly called out “Its Rarity, and the rest of us. We have a new arrival in Ponyville and we’d very much like for you to meet him.” For a while there was silence and Twilight saw Steed roll his eyes. Then a small voice was heard from inside “Do I have to?" it asked. “Well no, not if you don’t feel up to it, but he is very friendly and we all like him.” Rarity replied, sounding very comforting, “don’t we girls?” she then asked the group. Steed’s interest was suddenly drawn from a nearby tree to the girls. “Absolutely,” Twilight said “Yes indeed-ie!” Pinkie rang “Darn tootin’,” Applejack called “He’s all right,” Rainbow shrugged “See? And we’ll all be there too so there is no need to feel nervous. Now could you be a dear and let us in? It is rather cold out here,” Rarity appealed to the door knocker. Another long pause followed. Eventually Fluttershy answered, “… Okay …” and ever so slowly the door inched open with a loud creak. Fluttershy peered out from her door to see for herself if all her friends were present when Twilight heard a small gasp coming from Steed that went unnoticed by the rest of the group, and when turning to him to investigate she immediately recognised the look on his face; it was the same look Spike had when he first saw Rarity. “Oh this is all I need,” Twilight said to herself, irritated and pulled Steed into the cottage by his mane and then deposited him in an empty chair while the others took seats where they could. “Thank you. Now, how about I make us some tea while you and our new friend get acquainted?” Rarity said to Fluttershy upon entering the cottage and proceeded directly to the kitchen before Fluttershy could reply, leaving the five girls alone with Steed in an awkward silence. Twilight had never before felt so uncomfortable – and from the looks on her friend’s faces neither had they. Fluttershy was at first excited to meet Arrow and was about to say something until she saw Steed staring at her as if he just saw her pull an orphan and a lamb from a burning building and so instead remained quiet and kept her gaze to the floor, while all the other girls desperately tried to find an excuse to break the deathly silence. Applejack was the first to speak. “Well aren’t ya’ll gonna introduce yurself?” She asked to Steed, apprehensively. Steed made something that could be called a sound in response but never once took his eyes of Fluttershy, who looked very much like she wanted to be in any part of Equestria that was not where she was currently. “For the love of Cadence!” Rainbow blurted out, bored and frustrated, then flew over to Steed picked him up by the waist (a difficult feat considering his bulk) and unceremoniously deposited him by Fluttershy’s hooves “One of you say something. Right now!” She ordered. “Oh… um… hi,” Fluttershy mumbled, looking like she might cry out of fright. “Uh…. hi,” Steed replied, looking like he might die of embarrassment. Rainbow Dash held her head in her hooves and sighed “That’s a start, now tell her your name,” she instructed Steed. “I… uh… I’m… uh… Steed…” He mumbled, now looking at anything other than Fluttershy. “This is ridiculous,” Rainbow Dash said to herself. “Try telling Fluttershy a bit about yourself,” Twilight advised to an extremely anxious looking Steed. “I’m Steed,” Steed said to nopony in particular, keeping his head down. “Something you haven’t already told her,” Twilight reminded him, trying to sound gentle while holding back the urge to slap him. “Oh… uh… I like… uh… stuff,” Steed mumbled. “This is like watchin’ paint dry,” Applejack commented. “Are you kidding me? This is waaaay more interesting!” Pinkie countered, whilst eating greedily from a tub of popcorn she suddenly had, her attention riveted on the extravagant display of awkwardness at its purest. To Twilight’s relief Rarity then returned from the kitchen “Hey, it’s Rarity! We can talk to Rarity!” she blurted trying not to sound desperate, causing Rarity to almost drop the tray of tea and biscuits she was levitating in shock, before she composed herself. “Now Twilight, dear, while I enjoy a good chat we are here to introduce Fluttershy to…” Rarity then looked over to Fluttershy, also seeing Steed still sprawled on the floor in front of her (and both of them still avoiding each other’s eyes as well as ignoring everything else around them) and paused for a moment while she wrapped her head around the situation. “Ah. I see the problem; a classic case of stage fright.” “Which one of them?” Twilight asked, sarcastically, to herself. “But they’re not on a stage,” Rainbow pointed out. “You don’t have to be in front of a large audience to suffer an attack of the nerves,” Rarity countered, “anxiety can strike at any time.” “Well how do we snap ‘em out of it?” Applejack asked. “Simple; we distract them,” Rarity explained, and then carefully set down the tray of tea. “Oh woe is me!” she cried out, dramatically gliding across the room and collapsing to the floor next to Steed, “the horror!” This was the second instance of the day that gave Twilight reason to believe Steed had some kind of ‘chivalry-mode’ that activated whenever he saw a mare in distress; as he had suddenly sprang into action, kneeling besides Rarity and cradling her head “What is it? What’s the matter?” he asked her, looking very concerned but also completely focused. “It’s just so terrible!” Rarity sobbed. “Goodness, Rarity, can we help?” Fluttershy asked her friend as she too knelt down beside her. At once Rarity’s eyes lit up, though Twilight could tell this was all part of her act, “Yes!” She exclaimed, and clung to both Steed and Fluttershy, “You two are the only ones who can help me!” Fluttershy didn’t appear overly happy at the idea of being forced into a duo to help her friend; however Steed was simply focused on the matter in front of him. “What do you need us to do?” he asked, looking very grave. Rarity gave a few heavy sobs before replying “I forgot to… forgot to… I…” “Calm down, breath” Steed said soothingly, while stroking Rarity’s mane. “I forgot to use the tea leaves I always carry with me for special occasions!” She wailed, crying furiously, and then brandished a small box labelled “Earl Neigh” Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie all let out a deep breath they had been holding. “Sheesh, Rarity, you had us all worked up there for ah moment,” Applejack said with a small smile, and began to chuckle, but then Steed turned to her with a very stern look on his face that quickly silenced her “This is a serious issue, Applejack,” he scolded and then turned back to Rarity, who was still weeping and shuddering in his hooves. “Don’t worry, Rarity. I can fix this.” “I know you can,” Rarity replied looking as though Steed had just fulfilled her dying wish and then fainted. “Fluttershy, I need you with me in the kitchen” Steed said, looking her in the eyes for the first time since Rainbow’s intervention – this time with no hint of anticipation. “Why?” Fluttershy asked in response, looking concerned. “I don’t know where you keep everything and I don’t have time to guess, you have to help me; for Rarity’s sake” “All right, follow me,” Steed grabbed the box of Earl Neigh and then followed Fluttershy into the kitchen, shutting the door behind them. “You can get up now, Rarity,” Twilight said, to which Rarity rose from the ground and took a seat next to Arrow, who throughout the whole ordeal had been eyeing the abundance of bird houses in the cottage (but was now quite content to be stroked by Rarity). “How did you know that would work?” Rainbow asked Rarity “Well,” she began, sounding like some sort of criminal master-mind (and given that she was sat in a high-backed armchair stroking an animal, that vibe was easily picked up) “Fluttershy would do anything for a friend and as for Steed? He reacted exactly the way a gentlecolt from Trottingham should when presented with a tea crisis.” “So what happens now?” “Well, in a few moments Steed and Fluttershy will return, upon which they shall present to me the tea I asked – oh and if you all could play along it would help - I will then appraise them on a job well done, the ice will be broken and the rest of the night should go swimmingly.” Twilight couldn’t fault Rarity’s plan but it seemed a little convoluted to her, however just as she was about to voice her opinion the mumble coming from the kitchen grew louder and more frantic. “That doesn’t sound good,” she pointed out. “I’m sure the two of them are just working something out,” Rarity said, though there was doubt in her voice Suddenly, and to everyone’s surprise, Fluttershy’s voice boomed out from the kitchen “Get a hold of yourself!” followed by a loud thump. “Swimmingly,” Rainbow mocked.