//------------------------------//
// Companions 
// Story: A Terrible, Wonderful, Living Dream 
// by pikammd 
//------------------------------//


True to her nature, albeit one she hadn't been true to in a long time and only seemed to be sparked after her little trip into the fruit punch lava lake, she once more let her curious gaze wander about the property, taking in all the sights. Even from the front of the cute little house, she could see many creatures and habitats sprinkled all around. There was a fence line and around the yard, from which she could see burrows, bunnies, mice, trees with squirrels and any number of birds in them, and from the back she could hear calls from many other creatures, all of which seemed generally happy. A little lizard or iguana – Estrella wasn't sure which – ran past them with a toy clutched in its mouth and a mouse ran after it, the two seemingly playing. Estrella spun in a slow circle, looking all around, her jaw slowly falling slack as she watched everything going on, though all the different animals that were watching their group unnerved her. 
She was quickly pulled from her trance as Twilight knocked on Fluttershy's door and called, “Hey Fluttershy, we have a new friend for you to meet!” They waited for a few quiet moments, then Twilight gave Rarity an odd look. “Strange. She's usually quick to answer.” 
They waited for a few more moments before Rarity said, “Perhaps she's out back, playing with some creature and can't hear us.”
“You may be right.” Twilight said with her usual smile. “Let's head on back and see if we can't find her.” 
Rarity nodded in agreement, her mane hardly shifting with the action. She and Twilight turned and went through a gate in the fence and into Fluttershy's yard. Estrella stopped though, memories of her going to some place she shouldn't have and the repercussions returning to the forefront of her memory, making her shudder and step away from the gate. Rarity noticed Estrella wasn't following them and came back, a worried expression on her face. “Dear? Are you alright?” 
Estrella lowered her head a bit as she tried to shake off the memories. “A-are you sure we're allowed to just walk in like this? It's her home, after all.”
“Fluttershy gives all her close friends free passes into her home.” Twilight explained as she started to come back as well. “She says we're welcome any time we want to come by. I'm sure she's fine with us coming in. It's okay Estrella.” She added the last bit reassuringly, understanding a little of what it was like for people to barge into her house. Pinkie did it to her all the time and no matter how Twilight asked, she still just came in, though sometimes it unreal where she appeared from. Once, Twilight had locked her home up tight because she didn't want to be disturbed while reading an ancient text on how tribal ponies lived in the past, and yet somehow only an hour into the book, she had the bright voice of Pinkie Pie over her shoulder squealing, “Oooh! A dusty old book! How much dust do you think it's gotten over the years Twilight?” Needless to say, she had screamed at the sudden intrusion. They had conversed after she had calmed down again and Pinkie eventually – and I mean EVENTUALLY – left, but that was a story for another time. 
Estrella flicked her ears back for a moment as she debated, then she slowly walked through the gate. Rarity closed it behind her and the slam of the wood made her jump. Twilight's reassuring smile turned a bit more saddened as she saw how jumpy Estrella was when she was outside of her usual comfort zone, strained as it was from being in an all-new place. Twilight walked close to Estrella as they went around the house, hoping to make her feel a bit more comfortable, and Rarity did the same on the other side. As they walked around the house, Estrella watched all the different animals getting along completely. There was a flamingo who offered its catch to a Persian cat, a squirrel who climbed a tree to get nuts for its mousy friend, that lizard playing with now three mice, bunnies playing tag with a snake, a bear sleeping with a doe, and so much more. It was like nothing ever had to be mean here, no fight for survival and even basic rules of nature were transcended or just plain ignored. “What... is this place?” Estrella asked to nobody in particular. 
“This is Fluttershy's garden.” Rarity answered unheeded. “Like we said before, she's an animal lover and all the animals love her back. She takes care of them so they never have to worry.” 
“Never?” Estrella asked, though she knew the answer already. “There's no fighting. Predator and prey are acting as if there was never any bad blood between them. They're sharing food, bed space, even playing games together!” 
“It's because they never have to worry. Fluttershy takes care of them all so they never have to worry about food or a place to sleep. They don't have to fight for space and each are loved unconditionally.” Twilight said as she looked out to the crowd of animals. At some point, the three of them had stopped to watch the animals enjoying themselves in relaxed bliss under the bright afternoon sun. Many of then were relaxing or playing, but all seemed content just to live carefree. Some even ran past the group, including one very prominently colored vixen. She stopped in front of Estrella, her sharply angular face watching her, the dark red coat and shining white underbelly creating another sharp, but beautiful contrast. A moment later, a mallard tackled the vixen and the two scurried off, deep in their game. Estrella smiled at the two playing, wishing she could do the same without worry or care. 
Amongst all the creatures running around, a flash of yellowish hair similar to the gold strands that sparkled in her own caught Estrella's attention. It was only a flash as something zipped between the trees, then again as it went from the trees to the pond, ducking under the clear surface but it dove down so the angle was wrong for her to see what exactly she had seen. She couldn't help watching the little pond for awhile though, hoping to see the little creature resurface so she could see what it was. She had seen creatures of similar color before, but for some reason this one made her want to see it again. 
Before the creature could resurface again, eyes popped up from the mud between the pond and the group, startling Estrella from her attentive watch. She squeaked in surprise, then quickly bit off her noise and pressed her ears back against her head when Twilight and Rarity looked at her. She shyly ducked her head and said, “I-I'm not... I wasn't expecting eyes to pop out of nowhere.” she muttered a little, making it hard to hear. 
Twilight tilted her head a little, having heard even as her friend had mumbled, then looked to where there were now several sets of eyes. A moment later, a couple of frogs jumped out of the mud and shook themselves off, revealing their green skin. Twilight laughed softly and said, “It's just some mud frogs. They're harmless.” 
“They're staring at me.” Estrella whispered as she backed against the wall of the house. 
“You're somepony new.” Rarity said with an all too bright tone. “They're just curious is all. They won't touch you, filthy as they are.” She practically glared at the frogs, to which some glared back but most didn't care since they knew Rarity's aversion to mud. She shuddered softly and said, “Let's move on. They will get to know you eventually but right now, we have somepony to meet!” With that, she started off again towards the back of the house, trotting high to further distance herself from the mud. Twilight followed after with Estrella not far behind. As they walked, Twilight got a bit ahead of Rarity and as they came close to the corner, Twilight stopped. As Rarity came up beside her, Twilight held a hoof out to stop her. Rarity gave her an odd look and started to ask, “Twilight, what is this ab-” Twilight shoved a hoof in Rarity's mouth to silence her. 
Estrella came up behind her and before Twilight could explain, a voice drifted over, or more accurately, the muffled sounds of someone trying desperately not to cry. Twilight and Rarity looked at each other, not sure who it was coming from, then the tattered, western-accented voice came. “I just dun know what it is I'm suppose ta do, Flutters. I just d-don't know.” 
Another, much softer voice came next, which Estrella assumed was the Fluttershy they had come to see. “There there, Applejack, it'll be alright. I'm sure, given time, everything will work out.” 
“But how long will it take?” the one now identified as Applejack returned, tears evident in her voice. “I can't just wait around fer somepony to notice! That's why I came to you. I had to tell somepony.” 
There was a moment of silence as Applejack broke down, then seemed to righten herself as Fluttershy spoke up again. “I'm glad you came here Applejack. You know I won't tell a soul until you're ready, but I'm afraid there's not much I can do. This isn't something I'm good at.” 
Applejack sighed and said, “I know. But... it helps just being able to talk about it, y'know?”
“Yes. I understand.” Fluttershy returned, her voice reflecting a smile. “Why don't I go make a quick batch of lemonade for us? We can talk some more if you think it'll help. Maybe between the two of us we can figure something out. Maybe, if you want, we could talk to Rarity.” 
“Lemonade sounds great, thanks, but Rarity will take it too far.” Applejack returned, her voice stronger now that she had some time to gather herself again. Rarity gave Twilight a look of confusion and curiosity, her name being brought up making the already interesting conversation even more fascinating. 
“Oh, well, this is her area of expertise.” Fluttershy said.
“Sort of. Her style is just a bit too... fancy for what I'm dealing with.” Applejack said, making Rarity snort a little, though not loud enough to be heard. 
“Oh Applejack... Don't worry, we'll figure something out. I'll be right back. Angel, why don't you keep her company?” 
Though Rarity, Twilight, and Estrella couldn't see the little rabbit salute Fluttershy and jump up on the table to sit in front of Applejack, they could hear her tense laugh before she said, “Hey there little feller. How's life been treating you?” 
Twilight turned to Rarity and Estrella then, glancing at them both before whispering, “Follow my lead.” She put on a big grin then and started trotting out, “Fluttershy? Hey Fluttershy, you home?” 
Rarity put on a smile of her own, though hers looked completely fake as she followed Twilight. The two rounded the corner of the house and Estrella followed more shyly behind, head low and ears back. She stepped onto the patio and saw a table in the center with chairs spread around, one of which an orange earth pony with blonde hair tied in a ponytail and a triple apple cutie mark was occupying, along with her hat, which sat on the table beside a little rabbit, Angel. Rarity practically beamed as she came around and said, “Why hello Applejack! I didn't expect to see you here! What are you doing here?” Twilight shot a quick glare to Rarity, trying to convey she was being too fake. 
Applejack jumped in her seat as her friends came rounding the bend, but her surprise quickly turned to suspicion. “Uh... hi there Rare, Twi, and um...” Applejack tilted her head a little as she looked at Estrella, who met her gaze for just a second before looking down and shuffling where she stood. 
“That's Estrella.” Twilight said, helping cover Estrella's moment of shyness. Twilight was quickly learning that Estrella wasn't one to start a conversation, but would entertain it once she was a part of it. 
“Well howdy there.” Applejack said with a smile, though the rabbit sitting on the table had his arms crossed as if he knew the others had been there longer than they acted. “The name's Applejack. I work at Sweet Apple Acres with my family.” 
“She's been a friend of ours for a very long time.” Rarity added. 
“Nice to meet you.” Estrella said, giving a shy smile similar to the one Fluttershy sometimes gave when she was embarrassed-shy and raising her head a little, ears now forward. “My name's actually Little Star, but I prefer Estrella.” 
“Huh. Well, I like it.” Applejack said with a genuine smile. “So where ya from?” 
“Applejack, you might-” Twilight started, but was cut off by Estrella replying. 
“You wouldn't know the place. It's quite a ways from here and not many ponies know about it. Honestly, I was never able to pronounce the town's name, which is no help. It was a nice little town though. The ponies, not so much at times, but it rained a lot so it was a little difficult to be happy, unlike here. I've yet to see a pony sorry to be here.” 
“Other than when we first met.” Rarity said. 
“Er, yeah, excluding that.” Estrella said with a small laugh. 
Twilight and Applejack exchanged a look, then Applejack asked, “Whaddaya mean?” 
“The little matter with Discord this morning sent some ponies running for the train. We just about crashed into some of the poor ponies.” Rarity supplied. 
“Oh. Well that was – hopefully – a one-time thing, so no worries.” Applejack said. 
“I hope you didn't get caught in that mess, Estrella.” Twilight said. “That would leave quite the first impression.” 
Estrella was silent for a moment, not sure how to respond, but was spared by Rarity saying, “Oh no, I kept her away from it as much as possible. Speaking of things not quite in their place, Applejack, you ignored my question.” 
“I did?” Applejack asked, not quite remembering what she had missed. 
“Yes. I asked why you were here.” Rarity repeated. 
“Oh. Well I uh...” Applejack stuttered, only to be saved as Fluttershy came out. 
“I got the lemonade. Is Angel being-” Fluttershy paused as she saw everyone, then gave a shy smile. “Oh, I didn't realize you were here. I'm sorry, I'll go get more glasses.” 
“Don't worry Fluttershy, I'll get them. There's someone here you need to meet.” Twilight said with a smile as she glanced at Estrella, who had tilted her head as she watched the yellow pegasus with pink mane and tail and triple butterfly cutie mark, who was carrying a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses. 
Fluttershy set the tray on the table and settled on the ground, tucking her wings against her sides. “Um, h-hello.”
“Hi.” Estrella said in returned as she stepped a bit closer, head still low but higher than before. “My name's Little Star, but I prefer Estrella.” 
Fluttershy smiled a little. “Estrella? That's a pretty name. Sounds like it's from the Espoñians.  Have you been to Espoñy?” 
Estrella blinked in surprise. “You know of it?” she asked, surprise evident in her voice.
Fluttershy blushed a little and hid behind her mane as she said, “I uh, have never been there  myself. I only know of it b-because there's a couple species of animals that only live there. I've heard its a lovely little place, once you get there. I've heard awful things about the path there though.” 
Estrella simply stared at Fluttershy for what felt like a small eternity, mouth half open and eyes wide in shock. Eventually, she shook her head as if resetting her mind to work again. She looked a bit more kindly at Fluttershy before saying, “Sorry for staring. I didn't think anyone would ever have heard of it.” 
“Well now why's that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, curious herself. 
Estrella looked to Applejack and said, “Like Fluttershy said, the road there is harsh. It's like that  specifically because ponies there don't like outsiders. But how do you know about the language, Fluttershy?” she asked as she turned back to Fluttershy, her head tilted. 
Fluttershy gave a small eep as she was put on the spot again, though she quickly recovered and said, “Many of the indigenous creatures there are named in the language, and the basic words are similar to general Italunge, though that's about all that's similar. I've picked up some Italunge here and there and I know stellina means Little Star.” Fluttershy explained, seemingly a little less shy now that she was reciting information. 
“Wow, impressive.” Estrella breathed just as Twilight came back, levitating several glasses. She looked at the group as she set the glasses on the table and switched to levitating the lemonade pitcher and filling the glasses before she said, “I got the glasses... Now what did I miss?” 
“Oh, just find'n out that Flutters here knows about a place nobody else knows about AND another language!” Applejack said before she started filling Twilight in on the conversation so far, though Fluttershy blushed and explained she only knew a few words of a similar language and not the language itself. 
Once she was done, the entire group was sitting around the table and sipping on their lemonade and Twilight's eye was twitching. “So. That's what I've been missing. Heh.” She gave a wavering grin, showing she was practically dying trying not to ask a million questions. 
Eventually, Estrella sighed. “How about this Twilight. One question about my past for now and I'll tell you when I'm ready for another.” 
“And please do keep them simple.” Rarity added in. “Not all of us can understand what you're asking on a normal basis!” 
“And give her the option to pass.” Applejack added. “Three max at a time if she has to pass them all and no repeat questions.” 
“Will that be all the more you say? I'm actually curious myself.” Fluttershy asked quietly, but Estrella heard and shook her head. 
“I may say more here and there if it fits the time and place. And I guess I could extend the option to all of you.” Estrella said in reply, giving a small smile to everyone. “So far, that all sounds alright to me. What do you think Twilight?” 
Estrella turned to Twilight, only for her smile to disappear as she saw Twilight's almost manic grin. “Do you really mean it? Fantastic! Oh, now I have to think of the perfect question! Um, do you think you could give me a minute? You won't decide not to have a question by then, right?” 
Estrella shuddered softly, then took a deep breath before saying, “N-no, the option will still be open. I'll let you think about it.” 
“Great!” Twilight said a moment before she drifted off into whatever landscape she went to when she was deep in thought. 
Fluttershy sighed softly while Rarity rolled her eyes, but Applejack decided to speak up. “So uh, can we use a question while waiting on Twi?” 
“Uh, s-sure.” Estrella said. Though she winced a little as she stuttered. Without a word though, Fluttershy gave her a smile that to anyone else would have been her shy self but to Estrella, there were reassuring qualities. 
“Alright then, I suppose I'll go first.” Applejack said, the question she wanted already on her lips. “If the road is so dangerous, then how'd you get to Ponyville? And why, if I might add.” 
“Short answer is Celestia.” Estrella returned. She tilted her head up and looked towards the sky as she began recounting her short tale. “Long answer... Basically I wasn't in the best of homes, which is the why, and I had sent a letter to Celestia asking what it was like in places other than where I was at and told her a little about where I was. She and Luna were the only ones I heard of from outside my town, but last I heard Luna was captured in the moon so I sent a letter to Celestia. I never expected a reply, and what she said shocked me even more. She offered to pay for my transportation to Ponyville to experience a new life for myself. She's even given me a house to stay at! So, she sent some unicorns to get me away from the village, which is actually only near Espoñy, not Espoñy itself. We're even more secluded than that, so we got through the pass and from there, I took several different trains and eventually made it to Ponyville. That's... pretty much it. The trip itself wasn't the most memorable. Or, rather I'd prefer not to remember it. But anyway, I get a year here free and then after that, Celestia said I can decide what I want to do from there.” 
“Wow.” Applejack breathed. “Well, even without knowing the details, that's amazing. And quite lucky for you, I'd say. Celestia is big-name and though she always tries to return letters she gets, to offer you all that?”
“Applejack!” Rarity said with a glare. “Celestia is the most kind and generous pony ever! How could you think she wouldn't help?” 
“Rarity, I just mean she always has something going on. It wouldn't be easy for her to arrange all that.” 
“Oh, well, I suppose you have a point Applejack...” Rarity conceded. “But still. Anyway, it's my turn then. So, Estrella,” Rarity said as she leaned on the table, putting her full attention on Estrella, which made her squirm a little on her seat. “Mine's not really a question, but I simply must know! What's the fashion style of this...  Espoñy?” 
Estrella tilted her head a little, not quite understanding. “Fashion style?” 
Rarity's eyes widened until they looked like saucers. “WHAT!? You don't know about fashion! Oh my, somebody get this girl a dress, ASAP! Fashion is a way of life and you've never lived it!?” Rarity wavered a little in her seat, looking as though she were about to faint. Both Applejack and Fluttershy were quick to brace their hooves against her to keep her over dramatics in line and to keep her from falling over. 
Fluttershy was calmly stroking Rarity's beautiful lavender mane while Applejack was the first to speak up once they had gotten Rarity to stabilize. “What Rarity means is what were the clothes you wore? Usually for special occasions and the like.” 
Estrella straightened her head from where she had been giving Rarity a worried, tilted look and almost sighed in relief. “Sorry, my vocabulary is pretty small. I missed out on a lot of lessons when I was younger. Anyway, we may have a... limited er, fashion, as you put it, in comparison to what I've seen so far. We almost never had a reason to wear something fancy other than tribal clothes at the celebrations of spring, where we use leaves, clay adornments, and trinkets we or family members have collected to which we use to feel closer to our homes and as thanks for surviving the winter. We have very harsh winters. And the fall one isn't really fashion. We basically smash colorful berries and paint each other before we dance into the night. There's a lot more to both celebrations than that but I'm one of the younger members so I didn't get a chance to learn the intricacies. Other than that, we use skins to survive the winter but that's it.” 
Fluttershy gave a squeak as Estrella mentioned skins, but said nothing. 
Rarity, on the other hoof, shuddered visibly, though she seemed to have recovered enough because then she said, “Well, it's um... something. I'll take a look at your wardrobe and see what I can do. What er... skins, did you use?” she forced a smile, figuring that skins, while not her taste, could be fashionable in some countries. 
“I used one from my father. Sometimes my mother's as well when it was really cold, but hers was a bit small for me. The ponies I was living with used ones some of the elders gave them, since they both had older siblings who got their parent's skins.” Estrella said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 
Everyone's wide eyes and slacked jaws obviously said otherwise. Even Twilight was watching her with a look somewhere between disgust and absolute flabbergasted shock. This time, Rarity fainted completely and nopony caught her as she fell limp in her chair, although Fluttershy, the one of the group who hadn't reacted much to the statement, did jump as her friend hit the floor. Estrella winced as she fell, then shyly said, “Isn't somepony going to wake her?” 
After several more moments of stunned silence, again minus Fluttershy who lightly nudged Rarity in attempts to get her to stir, the others finally shook themselves from their frozen states and helped coax Rarity awake. Of course, the first thing she said was, “Oh my, what a terrible dream! I dreamed that- wait, why are you all staring at me?” 
“If yer going to say something about Estrella's... strange fashion statement, don't bother. It wasn't a dream.” Applejack said as she helped her friend up while Fluttershy put a glass of lemonade in her hooves. Rarity took it though the shock had returned to her face. She stared at the lemonade before looking up at Estrella again, her already white fur seeming even paler now. 
Estrella gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry Rarity. Er, everyone. I thought it was normal. I suppose you have gentler winters here and access to better materials. Although, I always saw it as a way to get close to the parents I never knew. They both died a long time ago but the elders kept their skins for me. Helped me through a lot of harsh winters.” 
Rarity's eye was twitching and it took her several long seconds to recover. Eventually, she took a deep breath and a sip of her lemonade, then used her magic to set it on the table. “Scratch what I said earlier about looking through your current wardrobe. We're going to give you a completely new one.” 
“Um, to be quite honest... I let everything behind when I came to Ponyville.” Estrella said in reply as she stared at her own glass of lemonade. “Everything. All I had was Celestia's cloak and that was just so my escorts would know who I was. I wanted to escape everything, so I left everything.” 
“Oh dear, that's terrible.” Fluttershy practically whispered. “Not even anything from your parents?” 
“Like I said, I never knew them so there wasn't much of a connection. The only family I had were the elders and even they didn't care much what happened to me.” Estrella sighed softly and took a sip of her drink, letting the cool flavor wash over her. 
“That's the most terrible thing I've ever heard!” Rarity exclaimed. “Don't worry darling, we'll get you a full stock of new dresses to make you feel fabulous and forget all your troubles! I'll ask Pinkie Pie to hold off your welcome-to-Ponyville party a little while so I have time to make you the perfect dress for that night.” 
“Speaking of Pinkie, she and Dash still need to meet her.” Applejack added. 
“Yes, of course dear. They will soon. Pinkie should be at the Sugarcube Corner like usual and Twilight can send Dash a message to meet us there. Twilight?” 
“Hm?” she asked, her mind off on trying to think of her question still. 
“Twi, hello! Earth to Twilight!” Applejack called before waving a hoof in front of Twilight's face, to which she finally snapped attention to. “Hey Twi, thanks for returning to us. Any chance you could send a message to Dash and get her to come to Sugarcube Corner so she and Pinkie can meet Estrella?” 
“Sure thing.” Twilight smiled and her horn glowed. She closed her eyes and a moment later, a beam of purple light shot into the sky. Then, Twilight opened her eyes and said, “Dash should be receiving her message in about 5.293 seconds. I estimate she'll be at the shop in about 2.7986 minutes afterward, sooner if she catches a tailwind.” 
“Oh we have more time than that.” Rarity said as she shook her hoof. “Dash will linger wherever she is for at least another fifteen minutes before she gets flying.” 
Twilight gained a thoughtful look, then seemed to have a moment of realization. “You're probably right, Rare.” 
“And 'sides, it's Fluttershy's turn.” Applejack said as everyone looked to Fluttershy, who gave an “Eep,” and ducked her head to hide under her mane. 
Estrella couldn't help a small laugh, though what she didn't notice was a dash of blonde that had shot under the table when everyone was watching Fluttershy. Nobody did, other than Angel, who had dozed off at some point during the questions but awoke when he heard the small clicking of tiny nails on the cement patio. He looked underneath the table, but again, nobody paid any mind as they were all looking at Fluttershy. Eventually, she peeked out and said, “Um... C-can I hold off a little bit too?” 
“Oh Flutters, don't be scared of the answer. I think – or at least hope – we have already experienced the brunt of this discussion.” Rarity said reassuringly, though she still looked pretty shaken up herself. 
In that instant, a little blonde paw reached up and touched Estrella's upper leg. In that same instant, Estrella jumped so fast a teleporting unicorn would have been envious. A loud scream ripped its way from her throat and followed her as she pressed herself up against the wall of Fluttershy's house. Her breaths came fast and her eyes were wide as dinner plates before she saw the elongated, almost golden form come running up to her, a curious, playful expression on its adorable little face. It stood on its back feet then and reached out its little clawed paw, not quite touching but definitely asking for Estrella to return its touch. All around the two of them, the other ponies and Angel grinned, trying not to laugh at the display rivaling Twilight's jumpiness after hours of being stressed to the limit. 
Fluttershy was the first to keep her laughter down and trot over to join Estrella and the newcomer. “Estrella, meet Terice. He's a golden mink. Very rare. And it seems he's taken a liking to you.” Fluttershy giggled a little and said, “Why don't you say hello?” 
Estrella hesitated, but her breathing slowly relaxed back to a normal pace and her eyes returned to normal size. She also came down from where she had pressed her back against the wall and stood normally, albeit a bit shakily from her launch attack on the wall. She then bent her forelegs until she was face level with Terice. He then in turn let his arms drop, but still stood on his back legs, the bend in his back keeping him from standing completely straight but at this level, he was perfectly sized to see Estrella. She then gave a very soft, “Hello?” to which he squeaked cheerfully and placed his front paws on her nose before he licked the spot between her eyes. Estrella laughed a little and went cross-eyed, watching him. “Well then, aren't you a curious little bugger. And so cute too. Sorry I screamed at you, but you scared me like that. I wasn't expecting something to touch me.” 
To that, Terice chittered and in an instant, had ran around Estrella, digging into her long mane and playing with the bright golden strands. Estrella gasped and jumped back, going still as he wrapped himself around her neck to rest on her shoulders as he played. “F-Fluttershy, you're the animal expert. What's he doing?”
Fluttershy giggled and said, “Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He's just playing.” Fluttershy then rubbed his little head with her hoof and he gave more happy chatters while Fluttershy continued. “He doesn't do that with many creatures. In fact, I think Sinsi is his only playmate. He's usually quite shy and scared of others. Poor dear was abandoned when he was little and never quite got over it.” 
Estrella shivered as Terice's little paws played with her mane, leaving a very strange sensation after the hairs he tugged. “Who's Sinsi?” Estrella asked after a little while, though she felt her heart leap out to the little creature with a parental history similar to hers, despite the very different lives lived up until this point. 
“Sinsi is a fox. A vixen to be precise. She's a little older than him and he looks up to her. The two are the best of friends. I wonder where she is, actually. Usually they're inseparable.” 
As if on cue, Angel started making a little squeaking noise, then pointed to the bushes once he had everyone's attention. The others tilted their heads, not quite understanding, and Angel rolled his eyes. He hopped down from the table then and went over, pulling a branch back to show the form of the red and white fox that had stopped to stare at Estrella earlier. The moment she was revealed, however, she burrowed her way further into the bushes. Angel would have none of it though, so he buried his way in after her. The bushes rustled violently and a few yips could be heard, but then Angel came out, dragging the little vixen by the tail behind him. Angel dragged her all the way onto the patio before he finally let go and came over to Fluttershy, rubbing against her leg with a smile. She hugged him while Sinsi shook her pelt out indignantly and licked her tail a few times, fixing where Angel had ruffled her fur before she spun and sat, giving Estrella a steely but not unkind stare. 
From her mane, Terice's head popped out and he squeaked at her. Her eyes shimmered a little, but she was not so easily persuaded into play when she was watching and calculating. 
Fluttershy smiled and said, “That's Sinsi. Don't let her cool outside scare you. She's nothing but a teddy bear on the inside. Soft and sweet once you get to know her.” 
Estrella nodded, though kept the movement small as she still had a Terice on her shoulders and she wasn't sure how to react to that. She kept her gaze on the little vixen, finding her shocking colors striking and beautiful. “Hello there, Sinsi. Are you going to say hello, too?” 
Sinsi tilted her head, as if thinking it over, before she gave this adorable little yip and padded closer to the little group. She didn't quite touch them, but her proximity made Estrella smile. She could tell right away Sinsi wasn't so much touchy-feely like her friend Terice was, but just having her close and accept her made her happy. From her neck, Terice reached down and playfully tugged on Sinsi's ear, to which she yipped and playfully batted at his paw. The two played for a little bit while Estrella watched and the others just sat silently, seeing something happening that she couldn't. 
Soon, Fluttershy giggled again, breaking Estrella out of her trance. “Estrella, I think I have my question for you.” 
“You do?” Estrella asked, glancing up at Fluttershy, still with a smile gracing her lips. 
“Yup. My question is... is... Will you take these two as your pets?” 
The smile instantly vanished from Estrella's face and she froze, only to unfreeze as Sinsi placed one paw on Estrella's leg so she could get closer to Terice and play with him. “I-I couldn't.” Estrella replied eventually. “I don't know the first thing about animals, let alone how to take care of two!” 
“I'll help you. I'll show you how and then come by every day to help you.” Fluttershy said with a true, warm, expecting smile. 
“Th-that's not fair. It's not even about my past!” 
“Nobody said it had to be about your past.” 
“Uh, actually she did sugarcube.” Applejack added, ever the honest one even when it went against what Fluttershy was trying to say. 
“Oh, well it doesn't matter.” Fluttershy said, a spark of determination entering her gentle gaze. “I'd rather you grow and make friends then be stuck with the past, Estrella. Come on, it'll be one of the most amazing things ever and they'll be such a comfort on lonely days! I'm never lonely with Angel around.” As if to emphasize, she wrapped Angel up in a giant hug, to which he squirmed at first, then shrugged his shoulders and hugged her back. 
“I love having Spike around.” Twilight said. “Granted, he's more than just a pet, but he's still always there for me. And I have Owlowscious too.” 
“I have my little kittykins Opal at home.” Rarity added with a near squeal at the mention of her beloved Persian. 
“An' I have Winona, my collie out on the farm.” Applejack added with a smile. 
“Pinkie Pie has Gummy, her baby alligator, and Rainbow Dash has Tank the tortoise.” Fluttershy said. “We've all had our highs and lows with our pets, but we're all better for having them and love them with all our hearts. It would be a great thing for you to have a pet! And two's even better because then, you always can have someone you need nearby.” 
Estrella hesitated again, still unsure. She opened her mouth a few times and closed it again before she looked at the two who had stopped playing and were now just looking at her as if begging her to say yes. Estrella couldn't help smiling at the two, then caught herself smiling. She laughed softly and brought a hoof up to rub Terice's head like Fluttershy had earlier and he leaned into it, even closing his eyes as he enjoyed the head rub. After a moment, Estrella finally relented. “Oh... alright. But you're gonna have to help me a lot! I don't want these two suffering because of my lack of understanding in how to care for them.” 
“Yay!” Fluttershy whisper/cheered. The others cheered as well and gave Estrella congrats on her new pets. Fluttershy was instantly into care mode and started telling Estrella everything she'd need to do to get her home ready for its new arrivals and what she needed to do for both of them every day for feeding, care, and everything else. Estrella went a little pale at everything she would have to remember, but Fluttershy promised that she would help them every step of the way. Then, Fluttershy went inside and soon, was hauling two big bags of food out. Her little legs struggled a little more than usual to carry both her and the large bags of food out, but she eventually got them out and set them on the patio with a light thud. “These should tide you over for a month, at least. Careful though. They're not light.” 
To that, the others started laughing. Once they settled down again, Twilight got up from her seat and said, “Here, let me carry them. My magic makes it a lot more convenient.” 
“Let me take one, Twi. Honestly, you shouldn't be carrying them both.” Applejack said as she got down as well. “And I'm used to heavy lift'n so it's no trouble.” 
“Well then, you all are so sweet!” Rarity said as she got down as well. “And perfect timing too. It's about time we head over to Sugarcube Corner and see Pinkie and Rainbow.”
“Leaving already?” Estrella asked, her face falling a bit. 
“Don't worry, you're free to come here whenever you like.” Fluttershy said as she set Angel down. “Rarity's right though, it's time we start going that way.” 
With everyone agreed, the group, now with a few new members, left Fluttershy's home and started out to where Estrella would finally meet the last two of the group of friends.