//------------------------------// // Persephone // Story: 7DSJ: Treasure // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// She knew it was bad the moment her boss came in, looking harried. For a change, he was in his official county Animal Control uniform, which meant that he had to go out and do something official. Fluttershy had one as well, but here in the South Canterlot Animal Shelter, they never wore them. It was only when out on official duties that Puppytails insisted that animal shelter employees wear them, and likely because Mrs. Pound, the woman overall in charge of Equestria County’s Animal Control Program, said so. “I’ll be right back, Butterfly,” he said to her, heading over to the desk and trying to fish out the keys to the shelter’s van. As always, the 22-year-old college student called her that, and on normal occasions, she would flirt back. There was something between them, Fluttershy knew, but couldn’t come about because she was still under age. She often wondered if or where their relationship would go the moment she turned eighteen, given that she’d just turned seventeen this past September. She liked him and he knew it; likewise, she was sure that he liked her. But all of that right now paled in comparison to the concern that was going on. “What’s happening?” “Got a call from Mrs. Pound on my cell,” he said. “I need to go out to Perimeter Road to meet the CFG. I think we’re the closest shelter that can help, so I’m going to be gone for a couple of hours. I need you to run everything while I’m gone, or do you think you need to call in Brightfeather?” “No, I should be able to handle it,” Fluttershy answered. Besides, she didn’t get along very well with Brightfeather, who tended to act as though she was the boss even though she’d been hired several months after Fluttershy. “Works for me. Also, if you have your uniform here, change into it; I suspect we’re going to have an inspection by Mrs. Pound.” “Um, okay.” Fluttershy had a small locker in which she kept one set of her uniforms just in case. “Thanks, Fluttershy. I’ll be back soon.” The moment she heard that, she knew something big was going on. He rarely ever stopped flirting with her, even when customers came to the animal shelter…and he almost never called her by her real name. For him to stop doing so, that meant Puppytails was putting on his “professional face”, which meant that she would, do. Walking over to put a CLOSED, BE BACK IN FIVE MINUTES sign on the door, she went to retrieve her uniform, hoping it wasn’t the one that fit a little too snug. Fifteen minutes later, Puppytails returned…and it was as bad as Fluttershy feared. He was carrying one of the locked cases they used for wild animals, and assisting him was a woman from the California Department of Fish & Game. Either the state or the federal Fish & Wildlife Service handled wild animals outside the city, if Fluttershy recalled correctly, so why were they getting the County involved? As if seeing the confusion on Fluttershy’s face, the woman spoke up. “Diesel rig hit a pack of wolves that had wandered down into California. FWS has been tracking them, but asked us to locally monitor them. Unfortunately, they were hit on the part of I-5 that passes through the city, so it’s technically the County’s problem. We offered to take it off your hands, but your Director said that you guys were capable of handling it, and only you guys.” Fluttershy knew what that meant: the folks at the North Canterlot shelter, which handled animals for the northern part of the county, but none of them were trained in Veterinary skills save for the pound chief, Purrfect, who was out of town for the holidays. However, both she and Brightfeather had some veterinary training; and Puppytails was studying Veterinary Medicine at Canterlot State, making them the better of the two choices available. “I see. So what do we have here?” Fluttershy said, moving away from the counter. “Fluttershy, I’d rather you stayed behind the counter,” Puppytails replied. “This is…messy and I don’t want you exposed to this.” “I’m going to be a veterinarian as well,” she told him. “Plus, my mother’s a doctor – don’t you think I’ve already heard it already?” “Hearing about it and seeing it are two different things, Fluttershy. Plus, I hate to remind you of this, but…you’re underage. There’s only so many things you can do here at the shelter.” Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but immediately shut it afterwards. As much as she hated to admit it…he was right. “Okay,” she said sadly, moving behind the desk. “Look,” the CFG agent said, “We’ve got to get her into your medical room and take care of her before it’s too late and we lose them.” “Them?” Fluttershy gasped. Puppytails nodded. “The lone survivor, a female, is pregnant.” Almost three hours later, the CFG agent and Puppytails came out from the back end. “Thanks for the assist,” the woman said to Puppytails. “You really know what you’re doing and I think I just might put in a word for you with my boss. We can always use the help.” He shrugged. “Still a student,” he replied. “I don’t think I’m ready for the big time just yet, but thanks for the offer.” “Well, I mean it: you’re guaranteed a job with the Department, I assure you. Anyway, I gotta get back to my office and get the paperwork churn going. Guys at the FWS are not going to like the fact that some of their prized wolves got splattered; I’m sure someone from the Sacramento office will call you guys about the surviving cub and the cadavers. Anyways, catch ya later.” With that, the CFG agent departed. “Just one?” Fluttershy asked. Puppytails nodded, adjusting his glasses. “We weren’t able to save the mother, nor were we able to save most of the cubs, but thankfully one survived. She’s in one of the incubation chambers in the back. Spunky little thing; she seems to be fighting for her survival with all she’s got.” “Can I see her?” the teen asked. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt a kinship with the wolf cub without having even seen her. The poor thing had lost her parents, and Fluttershy dealt daily with the absence of her father. While she knew that there was no way her mother was going to allow her to have a pet, much less a pet wolf, there was also the matter that they were an endangered species and functionally extinct in this part of the country, thus making it impossible. “You can go in, Butterfly,” he said softly, “but be quiet. I’m sure she’s sleeping and I want her to build up as much strength as she can, because the next few days are going to be critical.” “I know.” Fluttershy gingerly moved into the medical room and looked at the incubator chamber. The shelter had two of them in case there were any complications in animal birth; the last time it had been used was a feral dog that had been heavily pregnant. The result of that had been the pups and mother having survived, and once the mother was spayed, she was sent out into the world, with the pups sent to the North Canterlot center, which had extended facilities for long-term care of prospective pets. All in all, that had turned out for the best. There was no guarantee the same happy ending would be achieved here. Fluttershy looked at the cub. It was awake and getting familiarized with its initial surroundings before turning to look at Fluttershy with ice-blue eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. “I’m sorry, little one,” she said in a hushed voice. “Your mother can’t be here for you. But I promise to take care of you, okay?” She moved forward, reaching into the gloves, then reaching for the warm bottle of formula. It was designed for nursing pups, but hopefully it would work on a different kind of canine instead. Grabbing it with the control gloves, she then carefully brought it down to the hungry pup to suckle away. She held it in place for a couple of minutes, until finally the cub moved its mouth away, then looked at her with eyes that seemed to be much happier, before settling down to doze for a while. Fluttershy watched the cub tenderly, wishing she could do more. But she didn’t have the authority and so she wouldn’t have a chance. “You know they’re going to take her away, Butterfly.” Fluttershy turned to see Puppytails standing by the door, eyeing her carefully. “This isn’t a dog there. She’s a timberwolf, a species that’s critically endangered in most of the US.” “I know,” Fluttershy said, looking at her boss with sad eyes. “But she’ll die without any care! We can’t just let that happen!” “Nobody’s saying that. I just got a call a couple of minutes ago. The Fish & Wildlife Service is going to send someone from their Sacramento office sometime this week to pick her up and take her to one of their federal preserves. But until then it’s our job to look after her, okay?” Fluttershy nodded. “I can do that.” “Good, because until they show up, that’s the only job I want you to do. I’ll call in Brightfeather and ask if she can cover your shifts. I’ll also put in some over time, but until then, that cub needs a mother, Butterfly…and you’re it.” He then gave her a smile that made her swoon, and it took all her willpower to turn back to focus on the job at hand. She had a cub to take care of. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Fluttershy?” Posey asked while the pair was having a late dinner together consisting of food a la Golden Arches. “I mean, your grandparents were more than happy to come down and take Angel back with them early for the holidays, but cancelling Christmas? Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” “I’m not really sure. But that cub needs to be protected, and Puppytails thinks that I’m the one who can do it. Besides, I want to be able to help, Mom. I’ve already decided that I want to be a veterinarian, so I have to get used to situations like that. Didn’t you say that it was for the best that I get used to the ugly stuff now, so that I won’t be as shocked when it comes down the line?” Posey nodded. “That I did. We’re getting a referral from one of the clinics in San Palomino, a woman named Wintry Mix. Apparently she’s showing all the signs of things slowly going south. Heart palpitations, creaky body, that sort of stuff.” “That doesn’t sound too bad,” Fluttershy noted. “Yes, yes it is. Because as much as the blood and the gruesomeness can be a bother, it’s nothing compared to watching someone go and knowing that you can’t do anything about it.” The teen looked at her mother oddly, and Posey knew that look; she’d given many of her instructors that quizzing glance during her years of medical training. “That’s not to say that Mrs. Mix is headed for the end of her days anytime soon. What it does mean is that sometimes you can do everything right and it will still be a failure in the end. And as much as I know you’ll care for that wolf cub, sweetie, you have to face the fact that it’s lone survivor, without its mother, and possibly even a runt. The odds of its survival aren’t very good, at best.” “Mom, I promise that I’ll do everything I can to protect Wolfgang.” Posey smiled despite herself. “Wolfgang? You named him after the composer?” “Her, actually. And it seemed like the right thing at the time,” Fluttershy admitted. “Besides, if I give Wolfy a name, it will let me take better care of her. We always name the things we love, right?” The doctor had to admit that was true. “Well, you’d better get some sleep if you’re going to be at the shelter early in the morning. I’ll go ahead and clean up here. Oh, and we’re not cancelling Christmas; that’s just too silly. I know how you feel, but still….” “Yeah, that was silly of me; sorry. Anyways, I’ll see you in the morning. Night, Mom.” Pausing only to give her mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Fluttershy then went off to her room, leaving a very concerned Posey behind, glad that she’d held her tongue until her daughter had walked away. “I hope it works out in the end, Fluttershy, I really do,” Posey said softly as she rose from her chair to clean off the table. “But I fear you’re still too young to realize that the world’s a hard place.” Fluttershy pulled up to the shelter the following morning to find a police barricade, several protesters, and a pair of police officers protecting the front of the shelter. “What’s going on?” she said to herself as she got out of her car, carrying both her purse and a bunch of donuts she’d bought at the Sugarcube Corner Café to share with her co-workers. LET THE CRITTER GO! read one sign, while another said DON’T IMPRISON NATURE! A third said EQUESTRIA COUNTY = NATURE ENSLAVERS! while a final one had a generic picture of a wolf – technically a red Florida wolf, not the timberwolf that was in the shelter – and a caption reading FREE THE IMPRISONED WOLF! As she walked forward, she started to get boos. She immediately thought it was a good idea to suddenly go back to her car, until a protester got in the way. “Free the wolf, you scum!” he shouted at her. “Free the wolf now!” The man was older, probably in his thirties, much taller than her, with balding locks that was tied back in a ponytail. Someone would have called him a hippie given the general area, but the look seemed far too calculated to be the generic roughshod look of the average sylvestrine. “But I…but….” Fluttershy stammered, not knowing what to do. “If you have any sense of decency, you’ll free the creature now, you damn whore!” he shouted at her. “Hey, that’s enough!” one of the cops came up, getting in between her and the protester. “Get back to your location or I’ll have you taken out in cuffs, got that?” He then turned to speak to Fluttershy. “You okay, Fluttershy?” She looked up and saw a familiar face. “Shining?” Shining Armor nodded. “Yeah. I got assigned here to be senior officer on-site, which I suppose could be worse. How are you feeling?” “I’ll tell you how she’s feeling!” the protester shouted. “She’s clearly going to skin that poor wolf alive, and you Goddamn jackboots a—” “Okay, I’ve heard enough out of you.” Shining waved over for two cops. “Cherry Light, take our protester here and sit him in the paddy wagon for a bit; that should cool him down – if not, then we’ll proceed further.” Then taking Fluttershy’s arm gently, he said, “Let’s get you into your workplace so you don’t have to deal with this. What is going on, anyway?” “It’s a long story, but I promise that I’ll show you everything,” she told him. “And thank you for the help, Shining. I had no idea anything like this was going to happen.” “I don’t think anyone did,” he told her, as he opened the door for her, both of them ignoring the screams and shouts, many of them obscene. Some coffee and donuts later, Shining looked at his sister’s friend with appreciation. “That’s impressive, Fluttershy. You sure you can do it?” “Hey, if there’s anyone here who can do it, it’s Butterfly,” Puppytails replied. At his side, Brightfeather nodded. Given that the two girls didn’t get along, either she’d been briefed on the seriousness of the situation, or she thought it was impressive enough to warrant leaving Fluttershy alone for the duration of the wolf cub’s care. “Well, care to see what Wolfy looks like, Shining?” Shining thought back to his youth, remembering all the times he’d imagined himself as a knight gallant, wandering the countryside with a faithful steed and a noble pet wolf at his side. Granted, it was probably due to all the reading he did as a kid, but at least all of that prepared him for the little sister and brother he would have later on. “That would be great, Fluttershy. Lead on.” Both headed off to the medical ward, where the cub was still in isolation. Once Fluttershy and Shining disappeared behind the door of the medical room, Brightfeather took the time to tease Puppytails. “She seems awfully friendly with that cop,” she said in a nonchalant tone. “One would think that they’re dating or something.” “I know Butterfly. She wouldn’t date a guy like him. Too burly and brusque if you ask me,” the young man said defensively, far more than someone just concerned as an employer would. “Oh, really?” the teen jibed, wrapping a strand of her silvery hair around her finger. She then looked at Puppytails and said, “Make your move soon, Tails. She’s not going to wait forever. If you really want to date her, make it soon.” “She’s underage, and I’m over twenty, a—” Brightfeather smiled. “I’m sixteen; my boyfriend’s twenty-one. My parents are okay with it, and that’s the important thing. Do it still while you still have a chance, because otherwise you’re going to find one day that she has her eye on someone else and your chances will be gone.” Puppytails digested this, then nodded. But he also asked, “What’s in this for you, Bright? You usually don’t like Butterfly.” The teen’s grin was now somewhere between malicious and sneaky. “Hey, you start dating her, county rules prohibit managers from dating employees under their supervision. Either’s she’s going to have to quit, or you, and since you’re nigh irreplaceable, and she can be transferred to the North shelter…win-win for me!” The next few days went by like a flash. Tradewinds and Kimono came over for Christmas, with a very spoiled Angel in tow. Whenever she wasn’t at home sleeping, eating or doing other chores, Fluttershy was at the animal shelter at those other times, spending time with Wolfy, who had bonded with her and was happy to see her. Today was no different; the moment she walked into the medical ward, Wolfy, who had been deemed healthy enough to move into a standard pen, wagged her tail and yipped in joy at seeing her “mother”. Plucking the cub from the pen, Fluttershy was suddenly assaulted with a bunch of facelicks and one very happy pup. Giggling, she said, “It’s good to see you too, Wolfy! I hope you’ve been a good little girl while I’ve been gone. Hungry?” Setting the cub on a nearby counter, she went over and pulled the liquid formula from the fridge, then put it in the microwave for ten seconds, making sure that it was warm enough for the young cub to drink. After all, Fluttershy wanted the best for her charge, and— A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Puppytails poked his head in and said, “Good, you’re here, Fluttershy. Got a second?” The moment he said her full name, she knew something was amiss; even still, she said nothing, simply nodding in agreement. “Just got a call from the feds. They’ll have someone here tomorrow to take the cub.” The look in Fluttershy’s face was one of practical betrayal. “Why? Aren’t we doing a good enough job? Wolfy’s getting healthier!” Sad eyes cast themselves on the teen. “Butterfly, I know you’re doing a good job with her. But she’s a wild animal. We’re an animal shelter, true, but for domestic animals – we don’t have the capabilities to care for her as she gets older and her instincts kick in. What if she attacks or eats one of the other dogs? And don’t say that we can train her like a dog, Butterfly. That almost never works out with wild animals. There’s a reason why domestication takes generations to do so.” “But they’re not going to love her the way I do!” Fluttershy said, holding the cub away from him as though she would do anything to protect her. “Please…don’t make this any harder than it has to be. One way or another, someone from the FWS will come tomorrow and take the cub, and that’s all there is to it.” “Please…please don’t let them,” the teen begged. “I’m…sorry, Butterfly. It has to be this way.” Nothing more to say, he left the room, in order to give her privacy to say goodbye to the little cub. “Fluttershy, what on Earth do you think you’re doing?” It wasn’t often that Posey ever felt the need to raise her voice at one of her children, especially when her own parents were present. Her children generally took more after her than their absent father – that was most likely why, she knew – but even on occasion they still pulled bone-headed things. Angel, given his age, was expected to do that; he was just a little boy, after all. But Fluttershy was already seventeen, one year shy of legal adulthood. “Mom, you always said we could have a pet,” Fluttershy said, holding Wolfy close. “So I’m choosing her.” Posey rubbed her forehead; she could feel a headache coming on. “Fluttershy, I said we could discuss pets; your brother has to have some say in it as well. And even if I agreed, you are not bringing a wolf cub – an endangered animal – to live in this house!” “But she’ll die if we just let her out there!” Fluttershy pled. “And those government jerks won’t care about her like I do!” Posey sighed. Why did this have to happen today of all days, especially when her own parents were here? It was then that the doctor felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find her father, Tradewinds, looking at her. “C’mon, Posey,” he said gently, the thin line of his graying sea-blue mustache moving in time with his upper lip. “Let your mother handle this – she’ll know what to do.” “I appreciate that, Dad,” Posey replied, “but Fluttershy is my daughter and my responsibility. And if I don’t get her to take that cub back, we’ll have federal agents on the doorstep come morning.” Tradewinds laughed. “And you say she’s the melodramatic one. Trust me on this one, Posey. Let your mother handle this.” Posey looked at her insistent daughter, then her father and then finally to her mother, who seemed more interested in the videogame that Angel was playing right now than the conversation. However, she knew her mother well enough to know that she was listening to the whole conversation. Kimono practically had a sixth sense for those sort of things, a quality Posey often wished her mother had passed down to her. “Fine,” Posey said. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine, Posey. Which reminds me, have I ever taught you how to make Christmas Cake?” “No, Dad, I don’t think you have,” Posey lied. Of course he did; it was a Christmas tradition in Japan, just like the fried chicken they were going to make for dinner, and that was one of the things her mother had instilled as a tradition in the family. But Posey knew a good misdirection when she heard it. “Should I get Angel?” Tradewinds shook his head. “That boy’s so wrapped up in his game right now that even if he could hear, he wouldn’t,” he said with a grin. “Let’s get going in and leave it to your mother.” A couple of minutes later, Kimono gently moved her eyes away from the game, her soft yellow discs elegantly sliding across almond-shaped eyes until they focused on her granddaughter. With a practiced move, her hand went up as if to check her short, bobbed graying purple hair, then turned into an elegant wave, her hand seeming to slither away from the sleeve of her namesake kimono as she did. “Little Fluttershy,” she said in a Japanese-accented voice that still seemed to proudly hold its accent despite the half-century she’d lived away from her homeland. “Come sit by me.” At that point, Fluttershy knew she was in trouble. “Hai, Obā-sama,” she said, sitting down gently by her grandmother. She should’ve seen this coming the moment her mother and grandfather both departed the living room, but she was too focused on Wolfy. Kimono looked at her granddaughter, seeing not only Posey in her, but herself as well. So strong of will when it counts, yet so gentle, she thought. A spirit of kindness, worthy of the blood of our ancestors, the elderly woman thought with unyielding pride. But sometimes even kindness must be tempered with wisdom. “Little Fluttershy, you know that I am proud of your choice to study the healing arts. Your mother is a healer, as was my father, and his father before him.” “Thank you,” Fluttershy said, hoping that this would turn out positively for her…even though she knew it wasn’t. “But…” Kimono then said, focusing her eyes on her granddaughter, “…tell me anywhere, in any book, where it says that the healer has the right to decide the life of his or her patient. And I’m not talking about a life or death situation; circumstances are understandable in those cases. No, I’m referring to the average, everyday struggle that a healer must have with the healed.” Fluttershy didn’t answer. Kimono took that as an answer. “Little Fluttershy, you have a great responsibility invested in that wolf pup, I understand that. But you do not have the right to make the choice for it. There are others who hold that weight, and it is their duty to resolve the pup’s fate, not yours.” Kimono favored the teen with a smile. “I know what you will say, that there are instances where things can change. And yes, I’m sure there are. Doubtless you know one example yourself. But like belongs with like most of the time, and it takes great struggle to be in a place where one does not belong, either by nature or design. I chose to come to America to be with your grandfather, but that was my choice. Your mother chose to marry your father, for good or ill, and it brought you and your brother. And I’m sure you have friends who have lived elsewhere prior to moving here. But in each case, there was the ability to make a choice.” She pointed to the cub and said, “But that pup has no choice. It has no ability to decide what is right for it, and that is why others must do so.” “But Obā-sama, what if they’re wrong? What if they’ll harm Wolfy?” Fluttershy asked. She felt her heart breaking at that moment, feeling that she was failing the wolf cub in her attempt to protect it from all that would harm it. “They will not. For one, the wolf is a vital animal – it is why people are working to restore it to the lands. Secondly, you are not the only one who loves the poor dear. Somewhere, that pup will go to a caretaker who will care for it and make sure that it is safe, not just because they are charged to do so, but because it is a labor of love. Many jobs can only be done through love, dearest granddaughter; those duties cannot be merely ‘faked’ or shirked. The care for an orphaned animal is one such job. Else there would be dozens of people lined up for the job you have now, am I correct?” Fluttershy nodded at that, even as tears began to sting at her eyes. She knew her grandmother was correct, but that didn’t make it any easier a balm for the wound in her heart at the moment. “Do you understand what you must do, then? I know it is hard. But you must do it. Not because you will get in trouble – and we would protect you, granddaughter, I assure you. But because it is the right thing to do. Oftentimes, what is right is not what is easy, but that does not make it any less vital that it be done, understood?” Tears streaking her cheeks, Fluttershy admitted defeat. Her grandmother’s truths were too prevalent and the teen knew she wouldn’t have gotten involved unless it was too important. “I understand.” “Good. Now I want you to make the pup’s bed upstairs in your room. Just because it will return tomorrow doesn’t mean it can’t stay with you tonight, okay? But first thing tomorrow, you must return it.” “Yes.” Fluttershy said, carrying her charge upstairs. At least tonight she would sleep with Wolfy, to let the young cub know someone on this Earth loved her. The following morning, Fluttershy returned to the pound to cacophony. There was already a vehicle from the US Fish & Wildlife Service parked in front, and as she walked in, Wolfy in her arms, she was greeted by at least two FWS agents, one of them an armed law enforcement ranger. Standing by the counter was Puppytails, looking as though he was at his wits’ end. “I should’ve known,” he sighed. “Here she is,” she said, handing Wolfy over to the agent approaching her. “Am I in legal trouble?” The look on the FWS ranger’s face was stern. “By rights, I should be arresting you right now for the illegal seizure of an endangered animal,” he said in a gruff voice, eliciting a look of fear from the teen. “But…we’ve already discussed it with your supervisor, and he’ll take care of it.” The ranger looked to his partner. “You ready to go?” “Yeah,” she said. “They’re already expecting this little tyke over at Mountain View.” At that, Fluttershy’s frightened look turned to one of surprise. “Mountain View” was a metonym: specifically, Mountain View Drive was the road that passed by the front of the Canterlot Zoo & Wild Animal Park. And as though to confirm Fluttershy’s thoughts, the woman said to her, “Well, thanks to your well-intentioned screw-up, the cub’s already imprinted on humans and probably will not do well at all in the wild. So we made a deal with Mountain View to take one of the empty pens and make it into a wolf pen. Your little ‘Wolfgang’ – that is a lousy name, if you ask me – will live a happy life there.” Fluttershy gushed. “Oh, thank you!” “You might just change your mind when we’re done,” the ranger growled. “Well, Mr. Puppytails, it’s been a pleasure. We’ll be seeing you.” With that, both agents and Wolfy departed. Fluttershy then turned to look at Puppytails. “I guess I screwed up, didn’t I?” “Like you wouldn’t believe, Butterfly,” he said. “Fluttershy, I hate to do this, but…you’re fired.” “Fired?” He nodded. “Two reasons. The first is that you took a federally endangered animal, against direct orders, home with you. While I can sympathize why you did it, we have heated and monitored kennels for a reason. Plus, the cub was in the medical ward. You exposed her to household germs and bacteria, ones that a wolf wouldn’t run into the wild and could have serious, lasting effects on her health. Did you think of that?” “No,” she said, feeling terrible. She hadn’t intended to do so; all she wanted to do was to protect Wolfy. And now she’d screwed that up not only beyond measure, but it had cost her job as well. “Frankly, the FWS wanted to arrest you, but I convinced them that firing you would be sufficient. Took a lot of convincing, to be honest.” “Thank you,” she said, not really feeling it at the moment. It wasn’t his fault, obviously, but she lost a job that meant a lot to her. “I guess I should empty out my locker, shouldn’t I?” He then smiled. “Yes, you should – they’re waiting for you at Mountain View.” “They are?” “When I told Mrs. Pound, she very impressed that you were willing to risk everything to protect the wolf cub, something that most people are afraid of. You saw the insanity that went on here the other day, and yet you endured that. That speaks very well of your animal husbandry talents. So Mrs. Pound called a friend at the Zoo and they agreed to take you on as an intern. Doesn’t pay as much as this job does, but at least you’ll have the chance to see Wolfy on a regular basis. For the record, the FWS guys don’t know about this, nor do we have any intention of telling them.” The thought made her smile. “I see. Tell her thank you, if you would.” With that, several tense minutes went by as Fluttershy unpacked her locker, throwing her stuff into her purse and getting ready to go. Finally, after ten minutes, she was done. She felt drained, as she wouldn’t be here anymore, and she felt a twinge in her heart as she was abandoning all the small animals that depended on her. “Well, I guess I should get going then. I’m going to miss this place.” “Trust me, Butterfly, you’ll be missed. I’m sure even Brightfeather will miss you. And I know the animals will.” Fluttershy nodded, but then asked. “Oh, you didn’t tell me the second reason. What was that, by the way?” “Well….” He blushed. “County regs prevent supervisors from dating employees and since you’re not an employee anymore….” He tugged at his shirt collar, suddenly feeling very nervous. “Um…would you like to go out sometime?” “With me?” “Yes.” She looked at him evenly. “You’re twenty-two, Puppytails; I’m seventeen. As you’ve pointed out, I’m underage.” He nodded. “I know. I’ve…always wanted to ask you out, but I was waiting until you were eighteen, so th—” He was suddenly cut off as Fluttershy reached over the counter, grabbed him and kissed him full, putting everything into it. She broke off the kiss, and it was clear that it was done reluctantly. Her eyes looked skyward and so did he, noticing the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. “I guess that came in handy, didn’t it?” she giggled. “I…uh, guess.” She smiled. “Call me tonight, okay? We can work something out.” “Ah, uh, sure!” For that, he was rewarded with another kiss, this one less passionate but no less heartfelt, and with that, Fluttershy sauntered out of the animal shelter, making sure his eyes were focused on one thing…and that wasn’t the animals.