//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2-Fluttershy Rescues the Otter Family 
// Story: My Little Pony: Winter Adventure Stories 
// by TeddyCK 
//------------------------------//

	The Mane Six were soon back in Ponyville, but Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie remained unusually silent for quite some time after their chilly trip full of fright. A few days later, Fluttershy was called upon request to come to the local Coltanada Aquarium which lay beside the coastal regions of the land due to a frantic emergency. In no time at all, Fluttershy was leaving her cozy cottage and back out into the deep freeze. Before she left, she had also asked her friends to look after the Ponyville animals along with Discord. By then, she was on the next train ride for Coltanada. 
By the time she reached the Coltanada station, there was a fierce snow storm coming in. This made Fluttershy realize that the country was in for a difficult time for the Winter season. 
"Harsh cold, harsh cold, harsh cold!" she stammered. 
Even though, she made it safely all the way to the aquarium. It was hard to spot at first, with all the fog coming in from the sea beside the aquarium surrounding it. Still, it didn't matter. The aquarium keepers had been waiting outside for her in strong snow jackets with bright flashlights. 
"I hear that this problem is a emergency." said Fluttershy to the aquarium keepers. "What is the situation?" 
"The fog from the sea is getting much thicker by the minute." they explained. "We can hardly see a thing in the exterior areas where we keep the otters. At a bad timing too. Most of the females are about to give birth to some new-born pups. We've tried searching for the otters pond by ourselves but it's no good. Thank goodness an animal expert like you has come at a time like this. If you search for the otters, we'll go fetch a vet." 
"Of course I will." said Fluttershy bravely. 
So the keepers left for the veterinarian's office. Fluttershy was left alone by herself at the aquarium, along with a flashlight and fleece jacket provided by the aquarium. The first thing she did was to check the map outline of the place carefully which stood just outside the entrance. She found out that the otters pond was in the far left of the aquarium close to the sea. She went inside. Suddenly Fluttershy remembered that she was not good at being alone, but knew she had to carry on. The lights inside were left on and so was the heater. It made Fluttershy feel warm and confident. Seeing the sea animals from the interiors made her feel much better too. 
But once she entered the doors to the otters pond, she was back outside in the deafening cold and the much too thick fog. Fluttershy took some deep breaths, and continued onward. 
"Here otters, otters, otters!" she called. 
There was no reply. Fluttershy crept cautiously forward so as not to bump or fall into anything in the fog. She had her flashlight but it was no good. Fluttershy was still searching for the otters when all she could find was a sign that read "Beware of Ponds!" Before she could think of anything else, Fluttershy fell of an edge and slithered into one of the ponds! The frosty water tingled her with savage bitterness. Fluttershy quickly swam back up to the surface for air and climbed out of the water. 
"Brrrrrr, now that is cold!" she cried. 
Next thing she realized, she no longer had her flashlight. Fluttershy poked her head back into the water but it was nowhere to be seen. 
"No time looking for the flashlight in a pond." she said to herself. "The water probably drained out the bulb in it by now." 
Fluttershy was pretty much worried. With no flashlight, it made the rescue much harder than before. But she knew she was getting closer to the otters. 
"The otters can't be in the pond," thought Fluttershy. "With it being so cold, they must be elsewhere. But where exactly? They still couldn't have gone far." 
At that moment, Fluttershy began to hear some yelping. She froze exactly where she was, and listened closely. The yelping sounded like it was coming upwards. Fluttershy looked up, took out her wings, and began flying through the fog towards the barren, rocky cliffs of the seaside. As Fluttershy neared the otter's cry for help, she in no time spotted them in the drafty fog. She approached them carefully and landed on the rock they were stranded on. The otters and their mates full of ready-to-be-born pups backed away. 
"Come here, otters." soothed Fluttershy. "I won't hurt, any of you, I'm a friend." 
The otters were still staying perfectly away from Fluttershy. The mates panicked and their husbands began hissing angrily at Fluttershy. 
"Oh, what to do now?" pondered Fluttershy. "If this keeps on going, those new-born pups will have a problem of being born." 
Then Fluttershy got an idea. Quickly, she took off her warm, cozy jacket completely. She waited to see if that did anything. The otters quit panicking and hissing. 
"Come with me and I'll be able to help you." reassured Fluttershy once more. 
The otters crept over to Fluttershy and there was no more trouble from there. Fluttershy decided that it would be best that the otters didn't go down the way they came from with the fog in the way of their sight. She decided to take carry some in her arms, a group at a time, back to safety. Of course, she took the mates first and came back for their husbands later on. By the time Fluttershy brought the otters inside the aquarium and out from the cold, the aquarium keepers arrived with a vet. The vet checked the female otters at once, one at a time, he helped them give birth to their new-born pups. 
"All these pups and their families now need is somepony to look after them for a few days." said the vet 
"You can go home now, Fluttershy." said the aquarium keepers "We'll take it from here." 
"That's alright." said Fluttershy "I'll help too." 
The aquarium keepers were surprised at first, but agreed. Fluttershy made the extra long stay at the Coltanada Aquarium until the pups and their families were feeling much better. Soon the weather in Coltanada improved and the otters were able to go back outside to their pond. 
"Thank you, Fluttershy." said the aquarium keepers "This certainly wouldn't have happened without your help." 
"Thank you!" said Fluttershy "There's nothing more than I like but helping out a couple of friends and animals in need."