//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - An Emotional Encounter // Story: A Child of Kindness and Laughter // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 3 An Emotional Encounter ___________________________________________________________ “This place is really creepy at night,” I murmur, glancing around at the trees of the Everfree. After Twilight managed to pry me out from being sandwhiched between Fluttershy and Pinkie, the three mares agreed that we should all get out of the forest. A sentemient I was all in agreement of. At first we all trotted out together (I’ve got hooves, okay? So I’m counting it as group trotting), but it soon became apparent that I’m a lot more tired than I thought, as I began lagging behind after just a few metres. As such, Fluttershy insisted I ride on her back. I tried to protest, but she can be very insistent... and I really didn’t want her using The Stare on me, so I eventually complied. The moment I was on her back though, I feel an easiness flow through me and leaned down, rubbing my face into her fur. I’d realized what I was doing after hearing giggling from my ride and quickly stopped, my face turning red with embarrassment. Why the hell did I do that? Anyway, we left the castle and now we’re moving through the forest, back towards Ponyville. Part of me is really excited to see it, but another part is nervous about it, too. I mean, I’m an anthro pony, for crying out loud. I do not see this being something easy for the town to accept, especially a certain pair consisting of a pink and grey filly. “I still can’t help wondering what pulled... um, Tailor, wasn’t it?” Twilight glances at me and I nod. Saying my name had been one of the first things I hadn’t gotten mysteriously tongue-tied over. She nods. “I’d still like to know what brought Tailor into our world in the first place. Fluttershy, do you think Discord might know?” “I might know what?” a loud, cheery voice rings out suddenly. Flutttershy startles and I topple backward, falling off of her and hitting the ground with an “Ow.” The mismatched master of chaos himself is standing there in front of our little group, smiling around at us all, before his eyes fall on me. “Well, aren’t you an interestingly cute sight!” he says, seeming to suddenly be very close and leaning down towards me. Now, one part of my brain is saying I should be ecstatic to meet the master of chaos himself in person, another part saying I should be annoyed he startled Fluttershy, causing her to toss me off because my butt now really hurts from impacting the ground. However, those are being overridden by something I don’t understand. As I look up at the large, multi-animal patchwork creature bfore me... I can feel a sense of fear rising up inside me. I can’t explain it, but the sight of Discord is scaring the shit out of me and I feel something well up from within and, for some reason beyond my comprehension, I can feel tears forming in my eyes. He moves a bit closer and that pushes it too far and I burst into tears, wailing loudly. I don’t know why I’m crying, I don’t why he scares me like this, but I am terrified of this thing. ___________________________________________________________ “Discord!” Fluttershy shouted in a scolding tone after hurrying over and pulling the young biped filly into a hug, she reciprocate by clutching onto the yellow mare, holding on tightly. “Stop it! You’re scaring her!” “Hey, I didn’t mean to,” the dragonequus said honestly, backing away quickly and holding his hands up. “I didn’t think she’d react like that, I swear.” As Fluttershy tried to hush the sobbing filly, Discord glanced around them, before snapping his eagle talon. At a glance from Twilight, he replied, “Some Timber Wolves were lurking nearby after hearing the filly’s wails. I teleported them to the other side of the forest, far away from us.” Twilight nodded. “Now, can somepony explain to me just what she is?” Discord asked, trusting a thump in the still crying filly’s direction. This was met by all three mares looking at him with wide eyes. “What?” he asked, looking around, shrugging. “What did I say?” Twilight just blinked at him. “I thought you could sense when there’s a a magical imbalance! Surely Tailor being pulled from her own world and into our and turned into... whatever she’s become, would’ve been something you’d noticed!” Discord just shrugged, shaking his head. “From the fact we’re standing in the Everfree, I can assume this is where she arrived?” After nods of confirmation, he continued. “Well, you’ll have to forgive me, Twilight, if I don’t pay attention to a magical imbalances that occurs in a place where such things happen every day in the one place in Equestria that works without influence from other beings.” Twilight opened her mouth to argue, before pausing. That was... a surprisingly reasonable explanation. If Discord was always sensing the Everfree’s wild magic, a blip within it wouldn’t be of any real notice, as it would be too often just the forest itself, thus he had paid it no mind. By now, Fluttershy, with Pinkie Pie’s help, had gotten the young biped filly to calm down. She was still sniffling, but seemed at least to have settled. “Do you think you could figure out what brought her to our world?” Twilight asked, turning to Discord. He frowned, scratching his chin, before snapping his fingers, giving the young filly a quick scan, before turning his head in the direction they’d come from. “I’ll get back to you with what I find.” And with that, he popped away, leaving the four ponies alone. “Come on,” Fluttershy said, nuzzling Taylor’s cheek. “Let’s get you back to my cottage and something warm to drink.” “Agreed,” the older of the two Alicorns nodded. “We should get out of this forest as fast as possible.” The rest of the walk was in relative silence. Relative because Fluttershy was quietly humming the whole time, it seeming to help the young filly stay calm as she lay on her stomach on the mare’s back. When they got to Fluttershy’s house, they all went inside. The place was not quiet, as Angel Bunny had clearly not been pleased when Pinkie came and got Fluttershy at the time she did and he had managed to rouse a few. The sight of the biped Alicorn riding on Fluttershy’s back made his eyes go wide, before he glared at the yellow mare and thrust his paw towards the door, his intent clear. “Angel!” the Pegasus scolded, a firm frown on her face. “This young filly needs a place to stay and I’m offering our home. Besides, she’s my daughter and I’m not sending her away. You'll just have to get used to her.” Angel’s eyes bugged out at the word “daughter”, before a deep scowl formed on his face. He did not like the idea of Fluttershy having a daughter. Not one bit. “I think you should put her to bed, Fluttershy,” Twilight said noticing the Alicorn filly was sound asleep, her breathing gentle as she lay on the older mare’s back. “I think tonight was too much for a... being her age.” Twilight wasn’t even really sure if she could be called a pony. Ponies do not have hands and walks on two legs. She needed more information. She was going to contact Sunset Shimmer in morning, see if she might have any ideas, living in a world of bipeds. Fluttershy nodded, before looking to the pink member of their party. “Um, Pinkie? Would you... would you like to stay the night? Tailor is your daughter too. Um, if that’s okay with you, I mean.” The pink pony bounced several times, a big grin on her face, before cocking her head and frowning, then shook her head. “Sorry, Fluttershy. I’d love to stay the night so we can look after our little pony-not-pony daughter together tonight, but if I’m not home when the babies wake up, they’ll be really unhappy.” She then moved forward and kissed the filly on her snout, whispering, “I’ll see you tomorrow, my widdle foal,” before turning back to her friends. “Besides, I’ve not got some serious party planning to do.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked, confused. “Well, all the parties because of Taylor, of course,” Pinkie said matter-of-factly. “ Duh. I’ve gotta arrange her Welcome to Ponyville Party, but I also need to give Fluttershy and me Foal Showers, plus the Congratulations on Becoming Mommies parties. Hmm. should we have maternity parties, even though we never got pregnant with her? Hm, i have to get back to that. There’s a lot to do. Night, girls!” And... she was gone. She literally wasn't there anymore. She didn't walk away. They didn’t see her leave, or turn around to go, she was just gone. Twilight stood there for a moment, before shaking her head and turned to Fluttershy. “Are you sure you’ll be okay, looking after her on your own tonight?” Fluttershy nodded, before looking back at the one of her back with a wistful smile. “Don’t worry, Twilight. She’s in good hooves.” Twilight gave a small laugh. “Of that, I have no doubt.” She gave a loud yawn, before waving. “G’night, Fluttershy.” “Goodnight, Twilight,” the yellow Pegasus said, as Twilight turned and flew off, back towards her new castle. “Oh, that’s right,” she gasped as she closed the door. “Twilight wanted us all to meet up in the throne room tomorrow to discus just why the castle appeared.” She glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping filly. “Well... she might be okay with me bringing her along. Though, how are we going to explain this to the girls? especially mine and Pinkie’s new role with...” her eyes widened, “motherhood?” It only really now was fully hitting the yellow mare. She was a mother. The young one resting on her back was her child. She blushed. This was so sudden and new to her. She hadn’t thought she’d become a mother for ages and now it had just been thrust upon her with this young filly who was older than she’d expected her first child to be. However, the longer she looked at the sleeping foal, the more she thought it was the right thing they were doing. Smiling to herself, Fluttershy moved up, thinking of letting the young one sleep in the spare room, before pausing. The poor little thing had been so scared when they found her and she was lost in their world. Her reaction to Discord should she was a very sensitive pony. If she woke up alone in a room in a house she didn’t know, she might get really scared. Nodding to herself, Fluttershy changed course and headed for her own bedroom. Carefully, she slid the biped pony off her back and onto the bed, before gingerly getting in herself and pulling the covers over them. The reaction from the sleeping child was immediate. As soon as she sensed Fluttershy was close, she moved closer, snuggling into the crook of the Pegasus’ neck. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile, before closing her eyes and began singing softly, stroking the young pony’s mane as she did so. Hush now, Quiet now. It's time to lay, sleepy head. Said, Hush now, Quiet now. It is time to go to bed. Driftin' (Driftin') off to sleep. Leave the day behind you. Driftin' (Driftin') off to sleep. Let the joy of dreamland find you. Hush now, quiet now. Lay your sleepy head. Said hush now, quiet now. It's time to go to bed. After she finished, she looked down at the smiling face of the filly sleeping against her. It was odd, thinking how young she was, yet her size made her almost as big as Fluttershy herself. Shaking her head lightly to put those thoughts aside, Fluttershy settled down, falling asleep to the gentle breathing of her new daughter.