Extreme Measures

by Boo Bear

Humble Blushes

One week later...

The sun was shining as usual, contrasting the bright blue sky. 'Princess Celestia is in a happy mood today, I'm guessing!' thought Absolute Zero to himself, lying down on his bed, grinning. His siblings were still asleep, even thought it was already 8 am in the morning. Suddenly, he heard a hoof knock on the door. Absolute Zero got up, and stretched. "Who is it?" he called out, but no pony answered. He shrugged, and trotted to the wooden door. Absolute Zero opened the door, not knowing who was outside. "Hello the---" Absolute Zero gasped in horror. It was the orphanage nurses, their eyes burning in fiery.
"ABSOLUTE ZERO! YOU DARE LEAVE THE ORPHANAGE WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE?!" they questioned the frightened blue pony in a rather cranky voice. Absolute Zero was dripping with sweat and, without him even thinking, he was dragged by the orphanage nurses. He started to scream, he started to shout at his siblings, but they wouldn't come out of the tree-house. Suddenly, in a faint distance, the poor dragged pony saw a distant purple pony. She was calling out his name, but he was too far and too weak to answer her call.
"Absolute Zero! Absolute Zero!" cried the purple pony, waving her hooves in the air. Absolute Zero finally gave up, and he let the nurses drag him along the rocky ground.

"Absolute Zero? You alright?" asked Twilight, "Spike, go get the bucket."
"Really, now?" asked Spike, groaning.
"YES, Spike!" replied Twilight, shaking the blue pony on the ground.
"You think he's gonna be okay?" asked Spring Frost, biting her hooves desperately.
Twilight nodded, "Your brother will be fine, sweetie. He'll just take a little while to, you know, open his eyes."
Spike came back into the room with a wooden bucket full of clear water. "Got the bucket!" he exclaimed.
"Okay, Spike. Now just pour the water over Absolute Zero's head." ordered Twilight, stepping away from the blue pony. Spike nodded and took a few steps towards Absolute Zero, and poured the water over his head. The other ponies jumped back, forgetting that their hooves were going to get wet from the huge 'SPLASH!' that the water was going to made. Suddenly, the blue pony's eyes opened slightly, like little slits. His head glanced up at each pony (and Spike) who was above him.
'Wh--what are they doing here?' thought Absolute Zero to himself. Winter Sky and Arctic Lime helped their brother up on his hooves.
"How---how did you guys save me from them?" asked Absolute Zero, still adjusting to his balance.
Winter Sky looked confused, "What do you mean? And who are 'they'?"
Absolute Zero glanced around, "Y--you know, the orphanage nurses!"
Lemon Glacier giggled, "What orphanage nurses, silly? They're in Manehattan, that's for sure!"

Absolute Zero scratched his head, confused, "B--but I saw them! They were dragging me out of this tree-house! And I tried calling you ponies but you wouldn't listen! And then I saw this purple pony is the distance, which was probably Twilight and she kept on calling my name!"
Twilight started to chuckle, "Oh, Absolute Zero! That was all just a DREAM! I didn't call out your name, rather I SAW you in the middle of the night sleep-trotting down the steps!"
The other ponies and Spike giggled at Absolute Zero's silly foolishness.
Absolute Zero shook his head, "Wh--what? It was all just a dr--dream?" he shivered, rubbing his hooves on his mane.
Sizzling Sunset nodded, "Thank Celestia you didn't go THAT far!" every pony and Spike chortled once more, this time Absolute Zero also joined in.

"Thanks, you ponies! I actually thought that those orphanage nurses were after me!" proclaimed the blue pony, an embarrassed grin on his face.
Suddenly, there was a faint knock on the door. Absolute Zero yelped and hid behind Arctic Lime, who started to giggle.
"Silly you, Zero!" said Arctic Lime.
Twilight opened the door and found Fluttershy carrying a basket of exotic flowers. Beside her was a tan earth pony with a grayish, curly-like mane. The pony wore cat spectacles and had deep blue eyes.
"Oh, hi Twilight," mumbled Fluttershy under her breath, "the Mayor wanted me to come with her. I don't know why..."
The tan pony chucked, "Oh, Fluttershy! I asked you to come with me so you could bring that woven basket with flowers!"
Fluttershy blushed, "Oh, yeah."
Twilight blinked, smiling, "Mayor! I see you have just came back from Canterlot, I suppose?"
The Mayor nodded, "Yup! And I'm here to see those new ponies that came from Manehattan! Princess Celestia had told me all about them! Now, I would LOVE to see them ponies in pony!"
Twilight giggled, "Sure thing, Mayor. Come on in!"
The tan pony and the pale yellow pony trotted inside the tree-house. Fluttershy placed the basket of flowers onto a table at the corner of the room, brushing her long, pink mane to the side of her face.
"Oh, these are for you, new ponies." muttered Fluttershy, smiling.
Arctic Lime turned over to catch a glimpse of the shy pony, who ironically glanced back at the bright green pony. Arctic Lime blushed, smiling and Fluttershy, who grinned back at Arctic Lime. Heat Wave and Spring Frost caught the two ponies supposedly flirting with each other, and trotted to them, chuckling.
"Well, well, well! If it isn't the two love ponies!" said Heat Wave, laughing.
Spring Frost giggled, "You two doing alright? I mean, we could leave you two alone, if you want!"
Arctic Lime glanced at his siblings with a furious, yet ashamed look on his neon green face, "Go AWAY!" he whispered loudly to them, stomping his hoof slightly.
Fluttershy nodded, "Yes, you two. Do as your brother says!"
Spring Frost and Heat Wave trotted away, still chuckling at their brother. Arctic Lime blushed once more.
"Hehe..." he continued, "silly siblings!"
The pale yellow pony brushed her mane behind her small pointed ears, "Why, they must love you, indeed."
Arctic Lime nodded and sighed, "Yeah. They SURE do."
Fluttershy giggled and smiled at Arctic Lime, whose cheeks wouldn't stop burning a reddish pink color.
"Say..." Arctic Lime continued, muttering, "we should...hang out sometime. You know, show me more around Ponyville and all."
Fluttershy glanced toward the ground, obviously have had blushed as well, "Oh," she replied, "why yes, of course we should...hang around. I mean, if you like, we could do so...maybe in a few days? IF that's okay with you! I can be really busy with the animals back home. Maybe you could come to my place, if you want, of course..."
"Of course, Fluttershy. Anytime!" answered the neon green pony, grinning widely.

The Mayor trotted over to the two shy ponies, as she had just finished explaining a wild trip and stay in Canterlot, which of course, made the other ponies and Spike fall asleep half way through, as the Mayor's stories never really made sense or never had been that interesting.
"Ah, Fluttershy! You're going to need to help me with a chore later. It involves animals, and you're the only pony I know that are really good with animals!" said the Mayor.
Fluttershy agreed, "Sure thing, Mayor. Wh--when would you like me to start?"
The Mayor thought, "Hmm...how about tonight?" she asked.
The pale yellow pony nodded, "Okay. Tonight."
Just as the Mayor was about to trot away, Fluttershy suddenly stopped her.
"Oh, Mayor, is it okay with you if Arctic Lime here, you know, helps me out tonight? I mean, if you want. I...might need an extra hoof." Fluttershy brushed her mane once more behind her pointed ears, seeing because her mane was so long and so hard to handle.
The Mayor agreed, "Sure, thing Fluttershy! As long as you could help me out with the animals, a com-pony would be lovely!" The tan pony finally trotted, her gray mane all puffy and healthy.
Fluttershy looked at Arctic Lime, who had just trotted off to the table where Fluttershy had placed the basket of flowers. The pale yellow pony trotted slowly over to the neon green pony.
"Is it okay...if you help me out tonight? If you want, of course." asked Fluttershy, poking Arctic Lime on the back.
Arctic Lime turned around, smiling, "Sure thing, Fluttershy. I guess I'm okay with animals."
Fluttershy giggled under her breath, hopping a little, "Thank you, Arctic Lime."

'Oh my, he is really...handsome.' thought Fluttershy to herself, trotting cheerfully to the rest of the ponies.