//------------------------------// // Chapter 34- Fluttershy and Twilight´s meaningful moments! Tale 4 // Story: The normal life of Nitpick Bittersweet // by Ryusun //------------------------------// What a lovely Saturday was today! The beautiful song of the birds was filling me with joy! But today was even lovelier than other days in the shelter! My friend, Twilight, was making me company and helping me in doing my responsibilities here! She was a slow learner in this kind of activities, but oh! How I love when people truly try to protect the little pretties of Mother Nature! “Fluttershy, is this how I should clean the hamster’s circuit?” Twilight asked seeking my help. “Oh no! First use this special detergent and once it makes effect in the hamsters little but unwanted gifts, then use the water hose at minimum pressure to avoid making a mess.” “Alright! I got this!” “I know you can do it, Twilight!” I almost forgot how pleasant was to have someone to help you in the things you love! My friends, especially Pinkie Pie, help me from time to time but they also have their own works to attend to! The shelter employees attend the pets of the neighborhood, Crystal States and Ponyville every day so my part of the job is important as well. “Excellent, Twilight! Now come with me while the detergent makes its effect on the little gifts.” We went to the veterinary quarters where all the sick and poor creatures were resting peacefully. I started to teach Twilight with baby steps how to tend wounds to the most common pets found in a common household! She looked sad at seeing them like this! But that was great! It means she has love for the weak and helpless animals! I must nurture that love the best way I can! Rainbow Dash once hated what she considered uncool pets that weren’t amazing to her. But after she came and helped me here, she ended up adopting a beautiful and lovely tortoise, Tank! Twilight had Spike, Rarity had Opal, Pinkie had Gummy, Applejack had Winona and I had Angel. Sunset’s situation doesn’t allow her to have a pet, but I hope that changes soon! All the people that have pets and shows them respect and love to the point of considering them part of the family… those people I appreciate the most! “Now Twilight, put the bandage around this little dog’s leg tightly.” She did incredible, but the dog started to cry in pain! “Oh! I can’t do this!” “I know it makes you feel uncomfortable hearing her weeping, but you must do this for her sake! Tight and slow! I’ll guide your hands all the way!” With great care, we slowly but surely applied new bandages to the dog and after we finished the job, we gave her some water with the mix of medicine she needed to take today. “Now, just scratch her head softly and pet her behind the ears slowly.” “Oh, I think she likes it!” “She loves it! But now, let’s put this beauty back to her bed!” As we tenderly put this poor, abandoned dog back to her bed, we went straight to the next patient. “What happened to this poor, little mouse!?” Ughhh… Just remembering his name gave me a fury attack! “Nitpick Bittersweet is what happened, Twilight! That savage barbarian…” “What!? Why did he do this!?” “Because his mindset says that we need to get rid of the so called ‘vermin’ for the sake of the citizens! Ridiculous! We can coexist peacefully with Mother Nature’s little creatures just fine!” “When did he do this?” “During the shelter event! I thought he would understand how precious and important the event was! I mean, even Angel took a likening to him! But it seems I put my hopes too high on Nitpick! He used a glue trap and he was about to kill this poor guy with the help of an evil granny, but I managed to reach him in time! Now this poor mouse is like this! The stress made him go bald in some areas and he can barely sleep well! But just a few days more with his medicine and everything is going to be fine for him!” “I don’t believe this… I mean, Spike also took a likening to him, so maybe there must be a reason for this attitude of his!” “Perhaps you are right… But I don’t think there is justifiable reason for this act of brutality!” “…it's true.” “Anyway, let’s forget about that and help me tend this pretty!” “Right away, Fluttershy!” We spent a good time together while helping all the current patients of the shelter. Since there weren’t a lot of animals in the veterinary quarters since Chief Hugger took the job, it didn’t take us more than a very few hours. Thank goodness for Chief Hugger’s methods! Less and less animals were hurt each month. It was still a lot of work to do, but it was worthwhile all the effort we made! “Wow…I am tired! I didn’t think this was this hard!” “You are tired because all the training you took with Rainbow Dash! Even so, I truly appreciate the work you did today. Now let’s finish cleaning the hamster’s circuit.” As we walked to the circuit we needed to clean. I could see that Twilight wanted to ask me something. I must wait until she feels ok to ask whatever she wants to say. “How do you do all this?” Twilight asked while starting to open the valve of the hose at the minimum level “I mean, you said earlier that you do this at least three times a week!” “Well, yeah! This is what I love to do!” She started to water down the pipe circuit and I started to remove pieces of the circuit to clean them with a special towel. “How did you start to do this? I mean, pet sheltering?” “Oh… this brings me memories… Well, let’s finish this first, wash our hands and faces and eat something, okay?” “Sounds nice to me!” With our united efforts, we cleaned the hamster’s circuit and armed it again rather quickly. This feels nice! We started eating some veggie snacks and juices after cleaning ourselves. “Now… How did I start my love for this job? Well, all started when I was in five grade of elementary school. I was born with an unknown sickening condition that made me grew weak in my first few years of life. Thankfully, a foreign doctor found out my problem and treated it, finally giving me a normal life like everyone else! But the years I lost made me insecure in how to deal with other children. Especially since I got into school one year later than the other kids.” “So… you had a hard time like me?” “Yes… it was sad and somewhat lonely. Until one fateful day, I was in the park playing alone in a swing. And then I heard it! Birds were singing in the bushes, and I got curious about it! I searched for them and I found where they were, but it weren’t songs of joy what they were singing but cries of pain! Nasty boys were using sling-shots nearby to hurt them! “That’s terrible!” “But I wouldn’t allow that! As soon as the kids left running when I started to chase them, I took with me all the hurt birds in my school bag and ran straight to the hospital nearby! But I soon discovered that hospitals didn’t treat animals and I was scared for them! Thankfully, an old lady called the veterinary police of the city and they came straight for them! I was crying because I didn’t know if they would be alright! But that day was full of kind people in my life! The veterinary driving the cab took a look to my backpack's personal information, called my mother that I was going to be in the pet station and he took me with him to attend the birds!” “What happened next?” Twilight asked me. Her eyes… They were waiting for a happy ending, “He taught me how to gently hold the birds while he was doing the treatment to them! It must sound silly that a professional vet would ask the help of a little girl, but he said that I could become a vet myself one day with the unconditional love for nature I showed that day… I didn’t know the meaning of those words until much later in my life. Days passed and I was in the park by myself again, and it happened! The birds that I helped that day soon came to me, singing their songs of life! It was beautiful, Twilight! The most beautiful concert that Mother Nature gave to me in all my life! Their songs, their love, their gratitude, it was all for me!” “And since that day forward, I started to love helping the little critters I found in my way!” “It must have been beautiful, Fluttershy!” Twilight said with a pleasant voice. “It was! ...But still, I didn’t have the courage to speak with other kids my age... But then, she came! Rainbow Dash! She was the first person to ever talk to me in my entire life beside my family, the vet and the old lady! She was so incredible and unstoppable, she even taught me to talk with other kids my age. It wasn’t easy for her! She even got mad at me one time for my lack of progress… But she didn’t abandon me. It was… nice!” “That sounds so like her!” “Yes! …I heard she ran into Gilda again. I don’t know what happened between those two, to be honest! When she moved to Cloudsdale and got into our school, she was so nice, gentle and quiet. I still believe in my heart that this is but a misunderstanding! But… I don’t know if I can do anything! I want to know what happened to my friend and help her…” “Even if rumors say that she turned into a trouble maker?” “Yes. Even if she became a trouble maker!” “You are so kind, Fluttershy!” “Kind? Twilight, if only all people would be kind with others, everything would become a better place! Kindness is about being true to our own feelings and values, and expressing this to other people so our feelings reach them, making a chain reaction! You must always help your loved ones and being considerate of their feelings. Making someone feel bad is wrong, even for the right reasons. There is always a way to make everyone feel good with themselves! Kindness is finding compassion and understanding of other people and always helping them out! That’s something I have learned in my life” “That’s sounds… so right!” Twilight said with complete approval. “I knew you would understand!” I said this while hugging her. “Do you believe… that he could become good?” “Nitpick… yes, perhaps one day… he…” “What’s wrong, Fluttershy?” ‘If it’s necessary, kill the little fuckers’… Those words were resonating in my mind still. It depresses me every time I think of them. “Oh… nothing, Twilight! I am-“ The doors suddenly opened! It was Chief Hugger and the Critter Squad rushing to the emergency room! “Fluttershy! Bring Pack three on the double!” Chief Hugger said with a hurried voice while pushing the stretcher that carried some animals in it with the help of the Critter Squad! “Twilight, you should go! We’ll speak again in school!” I said while rushing to get Pack three to the Chief. “Good luck, Fluttershy!” And as we both left to our own places where we needed to be, I could not help but feel more determined to do what I love the most! Today, more animals will be saved!