A Collection of Encounters

by Tiny Star

One Final Act of Love

One Final Act of Love

There were good owners, and there were bad owners. There were those who took their beloved pets to the vet if they so much as had a splinter, while there were those who didn’t remember to feed their pets for weeks. There were those who found clever ways to keep their pets active and get them to exercise, while others simply let their pet wither away to skin and bones. This was a fact and it was a fact Fluttershy did not take lightly.

Many shelters through out Equestria claimed to be caring and kind towards their tiny wards, and while many truly were, there were those that were… careless.

They would give away their animals to whomever could afford the basic fee and that would be the end of it. They had no idea what kind of homes or situations the poor creatures could potentially end up in. Fluttershy knew too many of these countless horrors and desperately tried not to think about it, she didn’t want to imagine all of those innocent animals suffering so horribly. She knew she couldn’t save every animal in Equestria, but she would be damned if she didn’t take care of the animals in Ponyville.

Fluttershy had her own set of standards when it came to adoption, to the point that she liked to consider herself the strictest of pet adoption agencies in the land. If she didn’t know the pony personally, she would run a series of background checks, home visits, and if they were clearly serious about adopting a pet and raising it right, she would offer help and advice. Her major concern was whether or not the family could actually afford the pet they were after, able to properly feed it, take it for regular check-ups, too many pets were turned loose simply because they did not factor cost into their lives.

Another major concern was how willing they were to take their pet’s safety into account. The most common issues she found were houseplants that could be potentially poisonous if consumed by an unwitting kitten or puppy. The proper owners would be willing to move the plants to locations their pet wouldn’t be able to reach it. Things like dangling curtains or tablecloths were also banned until the pet was trained to not play or climb on them. The butter-colored pony would also make regular follow-up visits in the weeks following the adoption. It was just to make sure everything was going smoothly, and other than the occasional housebreaking issue, there was never any serious concern.

Winter was still weeks away, but on blustery nights like this, you could feel an artic chill pierce clear through your bones, it was the kind of night Fluttershy let all of her animals indoors. Even the hibernating animals that had burrows of their own would seek shelter in her cottage, they needed to save their body fat for the long, cold months ahead.

It was well past midnight when the pounding on her cottage door began, it was so hard that it shook the floor, disturbing several of her sleeping friends. At first Fluttershy thought it might have been a fallen tree branch that hit the door, until she heard it again. There were a few seconds of quiet before the noise resumed, even louder than before. It was unnerving, what could possibly be causing such a noise at this ghastly hour… and why?

The young pegasus climbed out of her bed and hurried to the foyer, many of her animal friends had taken to huddling in the far corner, startled by the noise. She went to comfort them, hoping to calm them enough for them to go back to sleep. Despite her own pounding heart, and her attention being tugged towards the noise outside, her focus was on the critters that were under her care.

“Shhhh, it’s alright everyone, it’s just-“

“Open up!”

The animals saw Fluttershy turn into a blur of color before hiding amongst them, startled by the nasty voice coming from the door. The pounding picked up again, even harder this time. By now, even the bear that was normally brave and kind of grumpy was cowering with the others, terrified by this mysterious voice. Whatever creature that was beyond the door had them all shaking in their fur, feathers and scales.

“Open up this damn door right now!”

Fluttershy let out a tiny whimper as a crash of thunder followed the demand, the lightning flash illuminated a shadow beyond the door, making the occupants all the more scared. They could see at least two feet standing right by the door, but they couldn’t tell much else about whatever it was that was making such a terrifying demand.

What made Fluttershy stop cowering was another sound mixed in with the banging and the sounds of the storm. A sound she knew all to well, and it was one no pony could make, simply because they did not have the proper vocal chords to make such a noise.

It was a scream.

The scream of a very terrified dog.

All concern for her own safety evaporated into the air as she stepped away from her friends, many of them whimpering for her to come back and hide in their group. On one level she knew they had a point, that opening the door might put her, and them, in danger… but on another, much more concerning level, if she didn’t open the door, then the dog who had screamed could be in danger. If not from the one who was yelling, then from being out in such a fierce storm.

She stopped at her front door, she could see it moving ever so slightly in the darkness. Whoever was out there was obviously strong, and potentially violent, the idea of that left her scared, almost to the point where she considered turning around and fleeing back to the safety of her animal friends. She planted her hooves, trembling for all of thirty seconds before another scream could be heard, once again following a roll of thunder. It was full of pure terror, snapping poor little Fluttershy out of her own fear.

The trembling died down as she thought of that poor dog… he needed help… she had to summon up her courage and face the noisy aggressor outside, otherwise… she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to look at herself in the mirror once morning came.

She took the biggest breath she could, filling her lungs until she thought they might burst, held it with all her tiny might, and opened the door before she could stop herself and stared at the almost deafening trespasser.

Looming over her in a coat was a tall, imposing figure, well over twice her height and what little she could make out in the dark told her he was frowning. A bolt of lightning overhead illuminated his features, she could see an old brown hat on his head and the glint of glasses over his eyes. Despite his imposing height, she could tell he was an older figure, almost as old as Granny smith but nowhere near as kind. In his arms he held what at first looked like a bundle of blankets, but when the lightning flashed a second time, she could see a pink and a sad looking face.

He was carrying the dog that she had heard screaming.

The poor little thing was trembling from the chill in the air and whimpering a little as the wind whip his face into a raw sting, but he didn’t appear to be hurt. If anything, from the look of his bloodshot eyes, he looked scared and tired.

“Hey!” the snap of the voice pulled her attention back to the towering figure, “Are you the one they say is so good with animals?”

Now that she was face-to-face with the stranger, Fluttershy wasn’t as afraid. He actually seemed rather harmless, his height betrayed a very slim figure and his hands were either holding his hat onto his head or keeping his dog off the ground. He was too busy doing both to be a real danger, right now, he was just a grouchy old man with a serious attitude problem.

“Yes… I’m the primary animal caregiver in Ponyville,” she answered in a voice she found to be strangely calm.

“…I need to drop off my dog,”

The dog in his arms let out a soft whimper as he looked up at his owner in a mixture of hurt and confusion. Fluttershy mirrored his baffled expression as the old man knelt down to her level and held out the soggy canine.

“Please… ya gotta take ‘im. I can’t stand having him around no more.”

“Excuse me?” Fluttershy felt a bubbling of anger in her belly. He was just… going to abandon this poor dog, just because he couldn’t stand being an owner anymore? She didn’t even realize she was scowling until she saw it reflected in the old man’s foggy and droplet-covered glasses.

“I know what you must think of me,” the man said, his voice taking on a softer tone, it was no less pleasant but he sounded… almost like he was pleading, “And really, if I’m brutally honest… I never liked this stupid dog to begin with.”

This time she knew she wasn’t just scowling, she was glaring daggers into his very soul. She didn’t care what her reflection sent back, she was disliking this… this man, if you could even call him that, more and more. She was about to open her mouth and give him a firm lecture, but he beat her to it.

“My wife….” the man started, “…my wife… she found him on the streets as a pup… I never wanted to keep him but… she never asked for anything before that day… I couldn’t say no to her…”

Fluttershy could feel the muscles in her face relax a little as her expression softened. The dog was beginning to whimper, it was a heartbreaking sound, filled with sorrow… something very bad had happened and the young mare has a pretty good idea what it was. Far too many of the animals she took care of had similar stories…

“I’ll admit… I never did treat ‘im right… and she… she always made it known she wasn’t happy that I did that… but… she… I…”

The old man could have had tears rolling down his face, or it could have been the rain, it was impossible to tell, even when he was less than a tail’s length away.

“…her last wish was that I find a good home for him… ‘cause she knew I couldn’t… I…”

He hid his face under the long brim of his hat and sniffling could be heard. Fluttershy’s heart went out to the pair and with the gentleness that only she could manage, she gently hugged the man and his crying dog. Her ability to speak with animals allowed her to hear the poor canine’s whimpering, to her, he was asking why she had to die, why leave now, after so long? She didn’t need her special talent to know that the husband was asking the exact same thing.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed there in the rain, ten minutes, an hour, the flow of time seemed to vanish around the trio, two of them were heartbroken and in despair, the third, a shoulder for them to cry on. Fluttershy may have disliked this angry old man, but she could bring herself to let her element shine through, if only for this brief period of time.

“Just… Just take the dumb dog… I need to get back to the farm…” the old man’s voice was tiny and trembling but trying to remain firm.

“…alright then sir, I’ll make sure he’s very well taken care of,” Fluttershy said as he moved back, breaking the embrace.

The old man let out a sniffle and held out his poor dog, he couldn’t even look at him, his eyes were focused on the muddy ground below. Fluttershy slowly reached out and took the small creature, he was whimpering as he looked at his now former master.

“Y… you be good now, ya hear?” the elderly farmer choked on his words as he point a long, boney finger at him, “D… Do what your new owner tells ya, ya got that?”

Giving his wife’s dog his first display of affection since her death, he gently placed his hand on the dog’s head and gave it a gentle rub. Not for his sake, but because he knew it would have made his her happy. Fluttershy looked up and vowed,

“…I will see to it that he adopted into the most loving home in Equestria… and I’ll see to it he is happy again. I’m sure your wife would be pleased.”

“…thank you… she would have really liked you.”

The man stood up, though noticeably less tall than before. Fluttershy cradled her newest ward in one elbow as she followed his lead. Though she still had a less than pleasant impression of him, she had gained a respect for this somewhat despicable man. He may not have cared for his dog, but he loved his wife, loved her to the point where he made sure her final wish was fulfilled.

“Sir… why did you come so late?”

“…the funeral was yesterday… she said she wanted him to be in a better home as soon as possible… we got to town less than an hour ago. I’ll be leaving on the next train.”

“…I see…”

As the man turned to leave, his wife’s dog let out a few sad mumbles before letting out a heartbreaking howl. His former owner stopped for a moment, Fluttershy thought he might look back, but he kept going. Then Fluttershy remembered something important.

“Sir, the paperwork! W… what’s your dog’s name?”

“…Courage.”

“…and what’s yours?”

“…Eustace… but put under me wife’s name… Muriel.”

“I will…”

And with that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only a grief stricken dog and a teary-eyed mare.

“…come on Courage…” she said softly, “Let’s get you out of this rain…”

Author's Note:

Well... I never expected to post a fanfic like this... I just had a bunch of random crossover ideas and thought I'd just group them together in one by collection. I hope it's somewhat entertaining. As for this first story... well... I came up with it in about fifteen minutes and finished writing it in a single night. It's painfully short I know but I don't think it needs to be extremely long... either way, I'm pleased with how it came out.