She Kills Monsters

by chiko

Fluttershy

“You picked a great time to visit, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, kneeling down into the grass. “Now’s about the time I let all the animals out to play.”

The little backyard of Everfree Animal Shelter had changed since the last time Rarity had visited. It was more than a shelter at this point. It was a haven for downtrodden critters to find a caring home.

It’s no wonder she found it comforting here.

Rarity let out a yelp as a puppy attacked her legs.

“Mojo, no!” Fluttershy scolded, reaching over and grabbing the pup by the collar on its neck. It pawed at her happily, panting innocently. “Sorry about that, Rarity. He just gets a little antsy from sitting around all day. You didn’t mean it, did you, Mojo?”

The puppy licked her cheeks.

Rarity smiled politely. “Oh, it’s alright, dear.” She wiped the fur from her pant legs, regretting not bringing the roller she used to keep Opal's fur off her clothes. “Wait, Mojo?”

“Your sister named him,” Fluttershy said. They watched the dog rush out into the grass, flopping onto his back and basking in the sun. "He was a stray that she brought in. She was such a kind soul."

Rarity smiled. It felt good to hear nice things about her sister. “How often did she volunteer?”

At least twice a week,” Fluttershy answered, scooping a wandering cat onto her lap. She ran her hand across its back, eliciting a purr. “I think she did it to get away from the world. She’d always vent to the animals.”

“About what?” Rarity asked, kneeling down next to her friend. Her pants sunk into the mud. She didn’t notice.

“School mostly.” She rolled the cat’s ears between her fingers. It purred again. “Though, I did overhear her talk about you sometimes.” She giggled. “Her impression of you was actually pretty funny.”

Rarity couldn’t help but laugh along. “I wish I could have heard it.”

Fluttershy let go of the cat. It mewed in protest. She picked up where she left off.

“Did she ever talk to you about anything?”

Fluttershy smiled. “Actually, it was what we didn’t talk about.”

“Hmm?”

“She seemed so stressed about what she wanted to do with her future,” Fluttershy paused for a moment. “I told her that she didn’t have to worry about it as long as she tended to the animals with me. We talked about literally anything else. What she had for breakfast, the bands she liked, the stories of her favorite games.”

"Boys?"

"Anything," Fluttershy said. "She just liked being heard."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you were there for her." Rarity ironed out the wrinkles in her pants. "At least someone was."

"Nonsense." Fluttershy glared at her. "I'm sure you were there when she needed you."

"I should go." Rarity stood up. She noted the mud on her knees. "Apparently, I have laundry to do."

Fluttershy giggled. "Next time you volunteer, dress down a little—if you don't mind, of course."