The Shy Driver II: Fluttershy's Return

by Wiz Ahmad

Chapter 11: Deciphering a Network

Author's Note:

All done, now with a new lead towards a turning point.

Justin continued his office work and prepared to file up his documents, ready for submission. While filtering through his bottom desk drawer, he found a large old, folded-up piece of paper with a bit of writing, diagrams, small maps, and symbols on them. It looked like a sort of puzzle, and a very complex one at that. It rang a little bell in his head, though it would take time before he’d know what it truly meant.

“My stomach’s feeling rather dry,” Twilight Sparkle announced with a chuckle. “Shall we head out for lunch?”

“Sure!” one of the workers replied, and gave Twilight a little pat on the head. She smiled in return.

Justin folded the big sheet of old paper up and shoved it into his briefcase, before walking out of his cubicle.

“All right, everybody,” he declared in a serious voice that was miles away from the soft, tender voice his pony friends normally knew him by. “Has everyone completed the production of the new low-energy laser detection system that had been verified by the New York security agency and the FBI?”

“Yes, sir!” they replied, although not in unison.

“We have gone through the design process once more, and it looks like assembly and testing are ready for implementation,” one employee added.

Justin nodded in a confirmatory manner. “Good to know. We shall now begin the process of importing materials and components necessary for creation. But as one of our workplace guests has mentioned, energy must be obtained for production to begin.”

The workers all chuckled and filed out of the office floor, later splitting up to head to the nearest restaurant or extract what they could of the candies, chocolate, soft drinks, and chips from the vending machine down in the lobby.

Rather than take her car, Ellie, a long-time co-worker of Justin, offered to treat him out for lunch at her favorite restaurant.

“Not without my little friends,” Justin remarked with a huff.

“Awww, of course they can come!” Ellie replied with a sweet smile. “Who wouldn’t love these cutie pies?”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and flew up into the air, hovering behind Justin while the others formed a line behind her. Spike preferred to stay by Rarity’s side this time, rather than beside Twilight – which was a little odd.

Ellie’s favorite restaurant was, actually, a reasonably-sized Tim Hortons on the corner of a busy downtown street – and it took just a five-minute walk to reach it. Rainbow was so starved she nearly pushed past Ellie in desperation.

“So, what would you like to order?” Ellie asked each of the ponies kindly.

Twilight had a vegetable sandwich, Fluttershy had a Caesar salad, and the others had similar, non-meat items. Starlight, being skeptical yet inquisitive, decided to try out some latte with sprinkled cocoa powder. Pinkie Pie had two frosted cinnamon rolls.

“Hmmm, this actually tastes quite nice,” Starlight admitted, calmly sipping her coffee amidst the loudness of the bustling people still waiting in line.

“I love this cake!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly, digging into her cinnamon roll, rather unpleasantly.

Justin and Ellie chatted on and on about their work, with Justin being careful not to let out any details of his portal or how the ponies ended up in his life. Using all the word-tastic tactics in the book, he carefully swerved Ellie out of and away from the topic altogether.

Fluttershy, who was normally quiet with her voice and actions, let out a rather excited “Yay!” before catching herself. “Um, I actually really love this salad.”

After everyone had eaten their fill – all, that is, except for Spike, who had to deal with some garlic bread since restaurants don’t sell gems – they all returned to the office building. However, instead of heading back up to the office headquarters, Justin sent them into the Huracan.

“Are we going home already?” Rarity pouted. “I was just getting to enjoy this place in town!”

Justin smiled and stroked her mane affectionately. “You and your friends will. I have to overlook the activities of my company’s latest and most incredible mechanical achievement, and it takes place…rather far away.”

“Does that mean you’ll be gone for quite some time?” Spike said, his little dragon eyes drooping in sadness. To his shock, Justin picked him up and kissed him like a little child.

“I’ll be gone for about a day or two, but I’ll be back before you know it, I promise. Then we can go and get that Supra fixed up, and proceed to solving the mystery behind that portal of mine.”

“Okey dokey loki!” Pinkie Pie replied, hopping up and down as usual.

The ride home was mostly quiet, and long, apart from Twilight and Rainbow, who flew back, following the car from above, as best they could. As they approached the Pacific Coast Highway, Rainbow Dash caught sight of a helicopter approaching them at a rather suspicious angle.

“Get down!” she urged, grabbing Twilight’s hoof. “We’ve been spotted!”

They dove down sharply and hid in the shadow of a tree as the helicopter passed overhead.

“What was that for?” Twilight demanded.

Rainbow Dash slapped her forehead. “Has it not occurred to you that we are basically aliens? The world doesn’t know us yet. Sure, a few dozen people have noted our presence, but they don’t really care. However, the government does care, and if they know of us they’ll lock us up and run us through tests and whatnot! Didn’t you recall how Mark behaved back at the office? With his ‘power’, who knows, he could have set up that whole helicopter flying if he wanted to.”

Twilight nodded in confession. “You’re right. We aren’t known to the world just yet.”

Once the coast was clear, the two continued their flight, this time keeping a low profile, so as not to be easily spotted. Finally they arrived at the house. But instead of just dropping them off, Justin unlocked the front door and headed inside, to his room.

“I don’t get this,” Starlight said to her friends. “One minute he says ‘drop off’, the next he’s – oh.”

Justin reappeared, carrying a few documents and a small book with golden-colored letters on it.

“What’s that for?” Starlight asked.

“Identification purposes,” Justin replied. “Just in case. I must go know, before I am late. Have a good day or two!”

Twilight, Starlight, and their friends all happily waved him good-bye.

As Applejack proceeded to clean the floor, she noticed a large, folded piece of paper that was lying on top of the bedside table in Justin’s room.

“Everypony come over!” she called. In an instant Twilight and the gang appeared.

“What’s that?” Spike asked, pointing at the folded paper.

“That’s exactly it,” Applejack replied. “I know it’s some paper, but what does it contain?”

Twilight took the paper from her and unfolded it on their bed. What was revealed was a very complex system of lines, numbers, symbols, mazes, and messages. It made sense, but at the same time was a complete incomprehensible jumble.

Fluttershy also entered the room, along with two little birds and Angel Bunny. Upon seeing the paper, she then got out a pencil, and hit the play button on a Bluetooth speaker, turning out the distinctive notes of “Sorry”, but on a low volume.

Applejack rolled her eyes. Fluttershy had become a fan of this music, no doubt. And she wasn’t "sorry" about it. Pinkie Pie was the opposite – she was dancing along to the song rather than helping out her friends, which caused Twilight to snap.

“Pinkie! Come over and give us a hand please!” Twilight snapped angrily. “This is no time to be partying!”

Pinkie dropped to the ground from her mid-air dance move, and her hair half-deflated. Then she walked over to the map, and they all started to try to make whatever heads or tails they could of the symbols or maps on the paper.

“It’s no use,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “My brain is fried with overload. The only way to answer this is with the contents of those binders.”

“I don’t think so, darling,” Rarity replied, pointing at the paper. “Look, here’s a map. There appears to be a few symbols on it that symbolize the binders themselves. In addition this map also has pathways and other navigation-like symbols.”

“So that’s it!” Starlight exclaimed. “This is a complex network/map that directs you to all of the locations where he has hidden these binders.”