Finding Fluttershy

by SamFaith

November 19th

This story can also be found on GoogleDocs

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The walls were made of cold, gray concrete. Every so often there would be a glass door leading into another dissection lab. So far they had all been devoid of any 'projects', instead filled with arrays of shiny and exceptionally clean instruments. I, however, was expecting to find something very different very soon.

There I was, sneaking through the bowels of some nameless military base with only my trusty pistol by my side. It didn't matter how deep I would have to go, I would find her, and I would bring her back home.

Pressed against a wall I made my way towards the next corner, and peeked around. The corridor was clear of hostiles, so I turned the corner and continued on. As I did the scenery changed from labs to holding cells. Clear glass doors with operating tables behind them became doors of nearly indestructible wire-glass with spartan cots behind them.

Around the next corner I found my goal. Two guards were forcing a beaten and battered Fluttershy out of her cell at gunpoint. Presumably they were going to escort her to the labs. These two would be the first to pay for the world of pain they've caused. I raised the gun, and took aim. When I squeezed the trigger an alarm started blaring in my ear.

I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. I sat up and grabbed the offending device from my bedside table and opened it. I briefly glanced at the caller ID before bringing the phone to my ear.

"Letty?" I yawned, "What's up?"

"Oh, did I wake you? Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I groaned in frustration, "I needed to be woken."

"M'kay. We're heading up your street now."

My eyes shot open and I leaped out of the bed. Memories started flowing as the feeling of being awake began to settle in. I had asked my friends to show up early, in hopes that we could tackle the remnants of yesterday's cleaning before lunch. I quickly crossed my room in search of clothing and cleanliness.

"Right. Ring the bell when you get here," I said before hanging up on him.

It was a matter of minutes before they showed up. I thanked the eternally long stoplight a half-block away for the little time it afforded me. I was ready, or at least presentable, by the time my doorbell rang. As I walked down the hall, I couldn't help but feeling like I had forgotten something important. However, that latent memory was pushed aside as I opened the door and was greeted by my trio of friends.

Letty was first, offering a simple "Hello" as he entered. Mike followed, clapping me on the back. He had just passed when I felt Sky tap on my shoulder. I can only assume that she had snuck past while I was greeting the other two.

"Thanks for agreeing to help my with my 'Spring Cleaning'."

"Hmph! 'Spring Cleaning'? Sounds like you need your clock cleaned," Sky said mockingly, "It's the middle of winter."

I cracked a smile and said, "Oh! Well... Better late than never right?"

Letty and Mike got it right away. They chuckled as Sky just looked at me like I had spoken some alien language. Upon seeing that Sky was missing out on the joke Mike offered her a single word explanation.

"Ponies."

At that one word she threw her hands up in disgust. It was always amusing to us that out of our entire group, it would be the one young woman who never watched a single episode. I was convinced that she knew she would love it, and thus avoided it like the plague.

We set to work moving loads of junk. I let my friends know that if there was anything they wanted out of the 'donate' pile, they should take it. I would be happier knowing that these things are going to my friends rather than to someone I did not know.

At some point during the project Sky vanished, as she does ever so often. I thought that perhaps she had to visit the restroom, or possibly she was sneaking up on one of us. Either way I believed I had nothing to worry about, except that nagging feeling that I had forgotten something returned. This was turned into a sharp realization when I heard a pair of panicked voices cry out in surprise.

Since inviting Fluttershy to live here, I had put a lot of effort into curbing my language. Even though she usually looked at me with naive innocence when ever I let some profanity slip, I tried my best not to let such colorful language into my vocabulary. All that went away as I realized who Sky just met.

All three of us bolted down the hall, my friends following me despite my protest. We found Sky standing in the doorway to Fluttershy's room. Shock and awe adorned her face as she vainly tried to make sense of what she saw. I insisted that the two behind me go no further, using the promise of a full explanation later to placate them for the time being. Once they were back in the living room, I led Sky into Fluttershy's room.

Upon closing the door I scanned the room. Nothing was damaged and nothing seemed to suggest the presence of the yellow pony. I looked back at Sky, and was amazed at her quick recovery from the initial shock. She nodded towards the bed, and I followed her line of sight.

On the ground was the skirt I bought for Fluttershy when we first met. A corner of her sheets had fallen on to edge of the skirt. I continued to trace this most subtle disturbance when my eyes settled on her shaking form under the covers of her bed.

I motioned to Sky my request for her silence. She nodded, knowing that no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she had stumbled upon something she couldn't react to. I slowly made my way to the bed, softly calling out to it's occupant, as to not startle her.

"Fluttershy," she stopped shaking.

"Fluttershy... are you okay?" slowly her head emerged from under the blankets.

By the time I was standing next to the bed she had worked her eyes free. Seeing those large cyan eyes looking up at me from her partially covered head was enough to bring me to my knees.

"It's okay, Sky is a friend" I said, before my tone turned cynical, "A friend who snooped around where she shouldn't have, but a friend none the less."

I stood and turned to Sky, saying "I had hoped ... well ... honestly, I had hoped Fluttershy would be safely on her way back home before this got any more complicated. Baring that, I had hoped to find a much more subtle way to introduce you all..."

"Perhaps it is better that you discovered the truth this way... Sky Bellatrix, meet Fluttershy."

On cue Fluttershy slipped from the bed, and sat down behind my legs. I turned as I felt her brush against me and saw that she had been wearing her sweater the whole time. I don't know how she could stand it. Between her natural coat, the sweater, and hiding underneath bed-covers, she must have been baking.

"What... is she?" asked Sky.

"As Mike said... 'Ponies'. She's a real, live pony."

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

I shrugged and said, "Ask her."

Sky glared at me. I knew she thought I was trying to make a fool out of her. I expected her to explode, right then and there, to lay into me and to say things that would hurt everyone's feelings. I did not expect for her to humor me.

Sky knelt down so she was eye level with Fluttershy, and spoke.

"So, you're from this show everyone's watching?"

"Oh, no... I didn't even know there was such a thing until I came here. I'm not very good at explaining it... but there's a real world Equestria somewhere out there that's like those moving picture shows, and that's where I'm from."

The look on Sky's face was priceless. I expected her eyes to jump right out of her head and her jaw to fall through the floor. As she stood, even her sable ponytail seemed unsure of what to do with itself as it fell down in front of her shoulder. I only had one thing to say.

"Told ya"

"Okay, how'd you do that?"

"I didn't do anything! ... Well, with the exception of stumbling upon a lost and confused pony downtown in front of Free Radicals."

"You just stumbled upon it?"

"'She' ... I was on my way home from SQL, when she appeared in what Radicals calls a 'parking lot'."

"Just appeared? No flash of light? No electric feeling? No noise? Not even the smell of fudge? Just appeared?"

"Fudge? ... Nevermind, I don't want to know. But, to answer your question: Yes, she just appeared, one second there was nothing, and the next she was just standing there... I find her side of the story-"

"Enough! I get it. So what now?"

I turned to Fluttershy, who looked worried about Sky's dismissive attitude. I gave her a half-smile to show her that I was uninjured, and in fact, used to it. She caught on, and returned the smile.

"What do you want to do, Flutter?" I asked, "You've meet the (ahem) least friendly of our group, are you ready to meet the others?"

She looked at Sky, and then back to me. Something flashed through her eyes when she looked at Sky, but it was gone before I could identify it. Instead, she looked at me with a bit of apprehension, unsure of what to expect from my friends.

"It will be alright, I promise."

With those words her apprehension began to fade. She stood up and walked out from behind my legs and stood in front of Sky and myself. She gave Sky a small, friendly smile. It took a moment, but Fluttershy's smile was reciprocated, at which point she let us know that she was ready to meet the rest of the group.

Comments

[SamFaith]

I may not respond to all your wonderful comments, but I will read them all.

203823 This is my way of saying that I would never dream of it...

[Azarias]

Goddammit these chapters are too fucking short man!

I need to read something that I can't clear in 2 minutes!

[Levimos]

Dude you have NO idea how long i've been waiting for this chapter.. and i LOVE IT!!

i expect to see more great chapters!

[Aquilo]

Duuude... this was way too short...

[SamFaith]

274634 Yeah, I'm starting to realize that... Even though it's not my shortest chapter it does feel rather abrupt and unfinished. I blame real life getting in the way.

Everypony, I'm gonna take a quick break and write something else. Please continue to leave comments, I won't be long, and I could REALLY usee your suggestions.

[GlitchyProductions]

I'm not going to complain about how long it is.

But I am going to say that you have been doing a very good job with this story and I can't wait to see the next chapter.

[Aquilo]

277881 Real life? Silly Sam thats not how you spell pony time

[Trachyon]

Oh god, that possibly foreshadowing dream...
But, you promised you won't hurt her, so I'm going to hold you to that.
You know what this story could use, though? Moar cuteness. We need, like, at least one scene that is so heartwarmingly cute that it'll melt my pulmonary artery.
Aside from that, I'm riveted to this story! Keep up with the awesome!

[IonBWG]

I was wondering if you intend on adding some kind of "romance" you could say between the Main protagonist and Fluttershy?

[SamFaith]

283042 I was hoping to avoid answering this question...
The answer is "No", there is a relationship developing, that I have attempted to hint at, but I do not intend it to be romantic in any way.

[IonBWG]

283062

Okay..

But regardless keep up the great work can't wait for the next chapter.