//------------------------------// // The Biggest Decision // Story: The Shy Driver // by Wiz Ahmad //------------------------------// That evening, Jack and his family went out to the movies, while Fluttershy stayed home. Lorraine was concerned for her safety, but Carter insisted that keeping a shy person (er, pony) in a loud, noisy place wasn’t the best idea. “I’ll be fine,” Fluttershy reassured her. “I have a quiet, safe neighborhood to live in and if I get scared I have Pat, as well as my animal friends. Besides, I should keep a tab on any missed phone calls.” With the family gone at the movie theater, Fluttershy had the house to herself. To begin with, she fixed herself with a bowl of fresh fruit and flipped on the TV to see if any late episodes of The Suite Life On Deck had started yet. She enjoyed it for its interesting and slapstick humor that Pinkie Pie would crave. But nothing was on yet, apart from boring old news and the newest Colorado Rockies baseball game. Shutting off the TV, Fluttershy walked back upstairs to Carter’s room, and suddenly remembered how messy it was. Wouldn’t it be nice if I cleaned it up as a surprise? she thought. It would make him happy… Fluttershy followed her instincts and began sorting out the room. She filed papers by various categories and arranged them in neat piles on the desk. She used a cloth to wipe down the dirty laptop and used an old fork to scrape gum and gunk off the desk itself, and then tossed all the dirty clothes into a hamper and carried it down to the laundry room. Later, she changed the pillowcases and vacuumed the whole floor, then sprayed rose-scented Febreeze everywhere. The room now was fit for both her and Carter. She wanted to wash the clothes, but didn’t know how to operate the machine. From what she had seen back in Equestria, clothes were washed with soap and water. Maybe it would work if I used the hose, she thought. Fluttershy set to work washing the stinky clothes. She dragged a large plastic basin out to the backyard, dumped some of the dirty clothes into it, poured some detergent and baking soda over it, then unscrewed the hose faucet and gave the clothes a real hard spray. As she sprayed, Fluttershy used her hooves to scrub and toss the clothes about in the basin until they were thoroughly covered in the soap. After more than five minutes of continuous washing and scrubbing, she rinsed them until no more soap was left, disposing of the dirty soapy water in the laundry room sink. Finally, after a full half hour, the clothes were fully washed. “Hope everypony will appreciate my efforts,” Fluttershy thought, as she wrung the wet, clean clothes tightly over the laundry room sink and hung them on a rack. To help the clothes dry a little faster, she dragged over a portable heater from the garage, plugged it in, turned it up to medium, and placed it near the clothes rack. Darkness had fallen by the time the family arrived home, and Fluttershy was right there to greet them. “Hi everypony!” she said happily, fighting back a yawn. “How was the movie?” “Oh, it was great!” Ashley said excitedly. “There was this big dinosaur that escaped, and the kids running and a woman trying to handle a big situation and—” “—It was an amazing and epic movie,” Carter cut in, clearly annoyed by his little sister droning too long on one topic. “How was your evening?” “Well, I read another magazine, and then ate some fruit. Mostly just chilled out,” Fluttershy replied, smiling. “You look quite tired,” Lorraine said, putting away her shoes. “You should get some rest.” “What’s that warm draft I feel?” Jack asked, his face full of concern and suspicion. He turned to Fluttershy. “Did you fiddle with the thermostat?” “No,” Fluttershy replied in her best I’m-being-one-hundred-percent-honest-with-you-sir voice. Heading to the family room to catch a spot of TV before bed, Jack soon realized what she had done. “Ah, Fluttershy, what would I do without you? Now I don’t have to worry about those stinky clothes of Carter’s.” Fluttershy laughed so hard she almost tripped on her own tail. “I promise they weren’t perfect, but I tried my best.” “And I say you did a pretty darn good job of it,” Lorraine replied, smiling. “Thanks, Mom,” Fluttershy said, giving her a warm hug. Later as everyone settled down for the night, Fluttershy slept through the first half of the night, but by the second half, just after midnight, she felt a little restless and the stinging flashbacks of Equestria’s beauty and joy made her feel sad and lonely inside. She couldn’t help but think back to the times when Rainbow Dash saved her from bullies in Cloudsdale, or when she had hope in an evil threat – Discord – when no one else had. How she wished to see her pony friends again. In spite of a slight rainy drizzle, Fluttershy pulled on her hoodie, sneaked out the patio door and went for a walk up the sidewalk she had come to know over the last week or so. She walked up to the intersection that she’d visited only once before, and this time she sat on a bench in a bus shelter and watched a few late night drivers pass by. Then she decided to try something that would change her life: she pressed the crossing button and waited for her green walk signal, as she had seen with other people the week before. Upon crossing the lights, she continued walking – this time westward – down a tree-lined street, before coming upon a parkette. She curled up under a tree, and settled down, tears spilling out of her eyes as she became increasingly concerned for her friends back in Equestria. What if yet another threat came up and she wasn’t there to help them? The Elements of Harmony would not function properly without her. It was at this moment that a long luxurious black car drove by, carrying a VIP on his way to an event. Observing the parkette, he instantly saw Fluttershy’s swishing pink tail. “Pull over!” he told his chauffeur. “I need to relax for a moment and let my legs stretch.” The chauffeur opened the back door and the VIP guy – dressed in a grey suit and black tie – got out of his car, pulled out the titanium umbrella and walked around, while the chauffeur waited inside the Rolls-Royce. The man walked into the park and approached Fluttershy. His noisy footsteps alerted her, and she looked up in fright. “Relax,” the man said with a slight chuckle. “There’s nothing to fear. In fact, you seem quite familiar. Now, can you come over to the bench, please? I’d like to have a word or two with you.” Fluttershy followed him, feeling eager yet nervous. Soon she sat down on the wooden bench and prepped her ears and her mind to analyze whatever was thrown at her. “Let’s start with names. I’m Justin Davis, owner of world-renowned D & J Enterprises. And you?” “I…I’m Fluttershy. I really miss my friends in Equestria. I wish I could go back home…to where I belong.” Justin’s heart melted. He himself had once been reported missing by the police once as a child after a hide-and-seek game with school friends went horribly wrong. The furry, cuddly pony’s adorable face and her shy nature were almost too much for his heart to bear, and he had to reveal his biggest secret. “Listen, Fluttershy, um, I have this top secret project that I’m making, and it’s nearing completion. It’s a portal that can transport people to various alternate universes and fictional dimensions. You said you were from Equestria, right?” “Yes,” Fluttershy replied. “So, if I can find a way to fine-tune the portal to have one of its fictional time movement tunnels direct to Equestria and effectively control it so it doesn’t break or distort, there’s a good chance I could send you home,” Justin explained. “REALLY?! ARE YOU SURE?” Fluttershy’s mood spun from sad and worried to shocked and excited, like a bullet bouncing off a metallic rock. “I hope so, and I’d like to ask if you will be the test subject for my portal. However, you must also play your part as well,” Justin told her. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, her face now one of concern and enthusiasm. “Well, I have a car in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You know where that is, right?” Justin asked. Fluttershy shook her head. “No, but I could look it up. My friend here on earth has a laptop.” “Okay.” Justin’s voice grew serious but still had a hint of gentleness. “In a garage at a certain address in Albuquerque I have a Toyota Supra that I’m keeping there. I need you to drive it from there to my home in Malibu, California, in five days. Be there before 8:00 p.m. at the least. Can you do it?” “Um, I do know how to drive,” Fluttershy replied, her voice dripping with doubt, “but I don’t think I can do that. I mean, such a long way to go, and—” Justin cut her off with an ultimatum. “If you don’t do this for me, I can’t complete the portal – and you won’t be able to get home.” Fluttershy stiffened, gulped, and let out a big determined sigh. “Okay, Justin. I’ll do it. For you. For me. For my friends. For Equestria!” Justin smiled and gave her a hug, then ran back to the limo and returned with a clear sealed plastic sleeve and a small box. “Here’s the legal documents for the car, the garage's address, my home address, $10,000 in cash, the key and card to the garage, a cell phone for you to use in case you need to contact me, and a headset for your ears. The keys will be in the garage on a hook. Oh, and if I don’t pick up after three tries, I’m most likely in a meeting. Remember, I’m a busy man. See you in Malibu on Thursday!” With that, Fluttershy waved with a smile as the chauffeur drove Justin away. And he waved back.