"Suddenly, Fluttershy" by Nehem.
From the "Story Time!" threads on /mlp/

>Another ballin' night browsing the internet.
>You decide to check /mlp/ before hitting the hay for the night.
>sopunny.jpeg
>After about thirty seconds of browsing the front page, a thread catches your eye.
>Long story short is that you have two choices:
>Go to Equestria with no sex. Or have your favorite pony come to your world blah blah blah.
>Huh, there seems to be a few greentext stories running on this thread.
>You should try to write one sometime.
>Nah, too much effort, you'll just post which option you'd take.
>You think.
>Holy fuck, it's been ten minutes, just post in the damn thread; it's just a fucking internet forum.
>You choose option 2 like a selfish bastard.
>Heh, it's not like Twilight Sparkle is going to really show up on your doorstep.
>This thought will definitely not come back and bite you in the ass for comedic irony.
>Yup, no cliches here.
>But seriously, ruining a life isn't cool.
>It's time to sleep.
>Sleep takes it's hold pretty quickly.
>Suddenly, you are awoken by the shattering of glass in your living room.
>Fuck.
>You knew this day would come.
>You weren't ready for it yet, though.
>Getting out of bed as quietly as possible, you try to emulate every moment of stealth from every piece of media ever.
>This doesn't work out so well, and you just end up stumbling into your living room and falling on your face.
>It feels like something is cutting all over your arms and chest.
>For fucks sake, is there glass on the floor or-
>Oh, right. Possible break-in.
>You look at the picture window that sits on the west wall.
>Even in the dark, you can tell that the glass is shattered.
>On the floor beneath it is the remains of the once grand window.
>In the center of it all is a box.
"God dammit, whatever the hell is in that box must be heavy to bust the window."
>The box can wait, you need to inspect the house.
>About ten minutes later, you decide that the house is safe.
>Must have been the damn teenagers.
>Okay, box time.
>You open the box, ready for whatever bodily horror might be inside.
>Or Bricks.
>Fucking bricks.
>You open the box and inside...
>ocarinaoftimebosskeychest.mp3
>You close that fucking box.
>There's a damn anial in there.
>In the dim moonlight, you could have sworn it looked like...
>You re-open the box.
"No. Fucking. Way."
>It's the yellow coward in the flesh...
>Fluttershy.
>OP semi-delivered today.
>She's shaking.
>She looks like she's about to pass out.
>She lifts her head and looks you right in the eyes.
>They go wide.
>Seeing you is just enough to make her brain go "fuck it" and shut down for now.
>Just now you notice that the cold winter air is seeping inside your house.
>You take the box to your bedroom, shut the door, and turn on a small lamp.
>You get a better look at Fluttershy in a room that has light.
>There are a few cuts on her body.
>You cant see any bruises due to her fur.
>There doesn't seem to be any glass stuck in her flesh.
>You have no fucking clue what to do now.
>The cold air is seeping through the door from the living room.
>It's getting cold in your room now.
>It doesn't bother you much, cold isn't too big a deal; but you aren't sure about your unexpected roommate.
>She has fur, doesn't she?
>At the same time though, they use blankets in the show.
>Seeing as sleeping in a box can't be comfortable, you decide to take her out of it.
>This is when you realize that you don't even lift.
>Struggling to lift her out, you stagger over to your side of the bed.
>You almost drop her.
>In fact, you kind of did.
>You are holding onto her back leg with both hands.
>Her tail is hanging over your shoulder; it's longer than expected.
>You look down.
>Face full of horse genitals.
>Well, that's a thing that exists.
>After gently setting her on the floor, you pick her up and set her on your bed.
>How does this shit work in the stories?
>Usually the protagonist gets food for Earth's newest guest.
>Well, Fluttershy doesn't appear to be ready to eat right now, but maybe you can get something ready while she's still out cold.
>Pretty much anything that's not meat should do.
>Time to raid the kitchen.
>All of the veggies are gone.
>Today was grocery day anyway.
>All that's really left is bread and some peanut butter, along with some honey.
>You settle for a simple sandwich.
>You put the finished sandwich on your nightstand for when the time comes for Fluttershy to rise.
>What else to do but browse the web?
>You're only fifteen minutes in when you hear stirring from the bed behind you.
>The time has come.
>You are surprisingly calm as you turn around.
>She's already sitting up.
>You both lock eyes.
>And then you fucking belch.
>She bolts off the bed at the speed of a quad core processor.
>That didn't make sense.
>You look around the whole room.
>There is a pink tail sticking out from underneath your bed.
>Her tail must have been longer than she expected, too.
>You find your voice.
"H-hey, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you..."
>She noticeably tenses up.
>She crawls further under the bed.
>"G-get away f-f-from me!"
>She isn't thinking straight.
>You sigh.
"I never asked for this..."
>You kind of did.
"Ugh."
>A growl sounds from under the bed.
"Oh shit!"
>You KNEW a monster was under your bed!
>You instinctively jumped for the corner.
>Fluttershy had the same idea.
>A less than two seconds later, a yellow blur collides with your body.
>Pain.
>She's cowering into your chest.
>You were never a real fan of Fluttershy, but you'll be damned if it isn't at least a little cute.
>You hear the growl again, a lot closer now.
>Fluttershy almost poofs out of existence.
>She's under your desk now.
"Wait a second..."
>It's her stomach.
>Bitch is afraid of her own bodily noises.
>The trip here must have been pretty bad for that to be the case.
>You decide to try for her attention once more.
"Hey, relax. It's only your stomach."
>You try to say this in a kind, caring voice.
>Bitches be lovin' a gentle man.
>Maybe.
>Now isn't the time.
>The growl sounds from under your desk this time; your assumption was right.
>Fluttershy runs from under the desk, then stops when she's in the middle of the room.
>She gets it.
"Told you so."
>She looks at you, still visibly shaken, but a bit more confident now.
>She grins sheepishly.
"You must be hungry."
>Wait.
>You made a sandwich.
>That's food.
>Food gets rid of hunger and scary growling noises.
"Here, I have something already made up for you."
>You grab the sandwich from the nightstand and put it in front of her.
>She looks at it for a few seconds.
>She leans down and takes a bite.
>"Thank y-you..."
>Achievement unlocked: Gaining Trust
"Would you like something to drink with that? Water, milk, juice?"
>Fluttershy looks up at you.
>"Maybe just some water, if you wouldn't mind..."
>Yes. Water. The drink of kings.
>Heading out of your room, you head for the sink.
>You return to your room with a full cup of water.
"Here, drink up. You look like you could use it after all you had been through."
>"Thank you. Again."
>Hm, she's gaining some more power to her voice.
>Might as well let her eat in peace.
>You return to your internet browsing.
>There it is.
>It's the same thread you posted in before all of this wacky shit happened.
>At the end of the thread you see a link.
>You absentmindedly open it up.
>Oh shit, it's a pony video.
>It wouldn't be a good idea to have Fluttershy finding out about this yet.
>Abort.
>ABORT.
>The PC's cursor is an hourglass.
>Your web browser isn't responding.
>Fucking hell.
>You lean forward, hoping to block the screen until you can get this sorted out.
>Pain shoots through your arms as you put them on the desk.
>Oh shit.
>There was glass on the ground when you fell.
>You're almost afraid to look at your arms.
>You look anyway.
>...
>Yup.
>Blood. And decently sized glass shards are embedded in your forearms.
>You brace yourself and try pulling one out.
"FUCK!"
>Nope, that's not coming out any time soon.
>"Um, excuse me... Are you... Alright?"
>You swivel your chair around.
>It's Fluttershy; she's looking up from her plate at you.
"Don't worry, I'll be-"
>She gasps.
>She moves even faster than when she hid under the bed.
>Like a quad core- Wait, those aren't even fast now that you think about it.
>"Here, give me your arm"
>You wordlessly oblige.
>She inspects your arms.
>"The glass is in quite deep; you might need stitches..."
>Oh HELL no.
>Fuck needles.
"Nah, I think I'll be fine, I just need to get the glass out, put some gauze on, and good as new."
>Fluttershy looks up at you, contemplating.
>After a while, she relents.
>"Okay, if you say so..."
>A few minutes later, you are sitting on your bed, letting Fluttershy remove glass from your arms with tweezers.
>She's holding them in her mouth.
>How the fuck did you even let her convince you to go through with this?
>Oh, right.
>You kind of couldn't manage to pull the glass out properly; and even made one cut deeper.
>Her offer was accepted mostly due to your curiosity of how good she really was at this kind of stuff.
>The glass still hurts like fuck coming out, though.
>In a matter of minutes, all of the glass is out of your arms.
>Everything is going well.
>And then she puts peroxide on your cuts.
"HOLY FUCK!"
>She visibly winces; you aren't sure if it's from the volume or the swear.
"Heh... Sorry."
>She smiles and gets back to work.
"So uh... can you remember anything? About how you got here?"
>She responds, not even looking at you.
>"Not really... all I remember is going to bed; then waking up in a dark place to the sound of breaking glass."
>Huh, not much info there.
"Yeah, I woke up similarly tonight. That was actually my window breaking that made that noise. There was a small box right under it. You were inside."
>She looks up.
>You continue.
"I think that whoever put you in that box must have also been the one who threw it through my window."
>You said that a bit bitterly.
>It also came out as if you were more concerned about you and your possessions than her.
>"You aren't mad at me... are you?"
>You dick.
>Some people would probably hurt you right now if they were here right now.
"N-no! of course not! It's not your fault that that happened! You couldn't control it."
>She still looks a bit hurt.
>Fluttershy continues to work on disinfecting your cuts.
>She still has a sad expression on her face.
>In quite a few stories you've read, hugs happen during some intense moments where the other required comfort.
>This isn't really one of those moments.
>Knowing Fluttershy, she'd probably react in a negative way if you did that right now.
>You settle for a pat on the head.
>She snaps out of her trance, and looks up at you.
"Hey, I said you don't have to worry. I can easily get a new window. My insurance might even cover it!"
>It probably won't.
"Besides, it's nice having some company once in a while."
>You smile.
>She does, too.
>All is good.
>Then suddenly,
>"aeiou"
>...What?
>Shit.
>Not now.
>By some twisted chance of fate, your web browser managed to recover.
>This almost never happens when you need it to!
>Luckily your instincts kick in and you use your bare foot to kick the power button on your tower.
>You look over at Fluttershy.
>She's looking at you
>Did she see anything?
"Sorry about that, my computer malfunctions sometimes."
>"Com-pu-ter? Is that the box of light you were looking at earlier?"
>Good, she didn't mention the vdeo; bullet dodged for now.
"Yeah, you're half right. The box of light is just the monitor. It's used to display stuff."
>You point at the tower.
"THIS is the computer. It tells the monitor what to display."
>"And those are how you operate it?"
>She points at your keyboard and mouse.
>She learns fast.
"Correct! Would you like to see a bit more of what it can do?"
>She smiles.
>"I'd like that."
>You seem to be gaining her trust more by the minute. What time is it anyway?
>5:13 AM. Time sure flies.
>Hold on. You've never introduced yourself yet!
>Let's just play dumb here.
"By the way, do you have a name? You can just call me Anon."
>"O-oh! My name is Fluttershy."
"It suits you."
>Was that a compliment? It could be taken either way.
>She smiles and blushes.
"Come over here, I'll show you some more of what tech is like on Earth."
>She walks up next to you.
>Your PC finishes booting up.
>What would be a good thing to show a timid cartoon pony?
>She'd probably love nature documentaries.
>You decide to just google one.
>The first one you find is about open plains and other similar environments.
>Good enough.
>The video starts.
>It starts off with what looks to be a herd of gazelle running across a field.
>Funnily enough, one is pronking in the back.
>The video gains Fluttershy's attention immediately. 
>It's not really your thing but eh, she's the guest.
>This shit is an hour long.
>You get off of your chair.
"Here, why don't you take a seat. It's probably hard to see over there anyway."
>"Oh no, that's alright, I wouldn't want to be a bother..."
>You really just want to have a way to avoid looking at he documentary.
"Go on, I insist. I'm not sure how ponies work; but I know that humans would rather sit down for an hour long show."
>You dolt.
>You called her a pony.
>She responds, not really noticing the comment.
>Thank god. You are a lucky bastard; in more ways than one.
>"Oh, okay. Thank you Anon. It IS nice to take a seat once in a while..."
>She said your name.
>It's a simple, common gesture; but awesome none the less.
>She flutters over to your chair.
>Stop with the jokes already.
>The documentary keeps her entertained the entire hour.
>Even the bits about hunting.
>You fell asleep for around 20 minutes at one point.
>She didn't notice.
"Here, lets see if there's something else."
>So, what else would she like...?
>Without thinking, you go to /an/.
"This website is a place for people to discuss different topics."
>You really sugarcoated that.
>"Um... What's a website?"
>Oh, right.
"A website is... How do I explain it...? It's like a location on the internet. The internet, by the way, is pretty much a network of computers all across the world."
>You go on to explain the ins and outs of the internet and websites.
(1/2)

>"Wow... that's amazing... We don't have that back in Equestria."
>You chuckle.
"Yeah, humans, which by the way is what my species is called, are pretty good at advancing our knowledge of science."
>You scroll down past a few threads, Fluttershy watching intently from your seat.
"Most of these words are from other people. This board right here is for animal discussion."
>She leans a bit closer to the screen.
>You browse the boards for about eight minutes.
>She finds a thread where someone needs help with taking care of an animal that they didn't recognize.
>She looks over at you.
>"Would... Would you mind if I tried making a post? If that's okay with you?"
>You think for a second.
>Everyone is anonymous, so she wouldn't tarnish any non-existent reputation you have.
"Sure thing, go ahead."
>After teaching her how to work the keyboard and mouse, she begins her message.
>She uses her wings to type.
>You lean over to see what she typed.
>The message isn't the kind of content you expected.
>It was actually quite well thought out; and it looked like it could assist the person asking for help.
>You type in the capcha and post it.
>"This is so exciting! I wonder what else is on the internet?"
>There might be time for one more activity.
>You notice her click on the top of the page.
>The page switches from a blue background to an orange one.
>ohshit.jpg
>On the top of the page, in bold letters is the words "/b/ - Random"
>Your luck just ran out.
>The first picture on there is a dog with a missing eye.
>On the first posts the words "Animal abuse thread GO" are shown
>There are a couple other posts in the preview with different animals suffering from different forms of abuse.
>Everything was going so smooth.
>You are such a fucking dumbshit!
>You might as well have been showing a little girl this shit!
>Who the hell takes their little sister to 4chan, anyways?!
>Fluttershy looks at you, her eyes brimming with tears.
>"Why?"

Well, shit.



>And that's when a single tear rolls down her face.
>"Wh-Why would somebody do such a terrible thing?"
>Come on, this shit has to have happened back in Equestria!
>Maybe not.
>You go over to your computer and shut down the web browser.
>Okay, it's time to comfort an almost crying yellow pegasus from a different universe.
>Never thought you'd be saying that.
>Crouching down beside her, you put your hand on her... back? What do they call that in horse anatomy? Whatever.
>She tenses up and looks at you for about the fifth time tonight.
>It's hard to think of what to say in a situation like this.
>You figure this might be a good time for "The Talk."
>Yes, that talk.
>The one about humanity is generally darker than pony land, but in the end the pros outweigh the cons; and you can have a pretty awesome life on Earth.
"Listen, Fluttershy?"
>She nods.
"I think you probably understand already that not all of us humans aren't good."
>You pause.
"Nobody knows why people do what they do. There aren't any excuses for things like what you saw."
>You start rubbing her back.
"However, even though the bad might be larger than the good, the good is louder than the bad."
>You have no idea if that's true or not.
>It's really more of an opinion thing.
>Something warm encases your upper torso.
>SHITFUCKWHATTHEHELL-
>Oh.
>She's hugging you.
>It actually worked?
>Odd.
>You hug her back.
>"I u-understand, Anon... It's just such a shock, being in a world so different from my own..."
>She pulls back.
>"Oh! We never got your arms bandaged!"
"Huh? Oh, that's alright, I'll be fi-"
>She cuts you off.
>"Don't be silly! We need to cover your cuts to keep them protected!"
>She's already grabbing bandages off your bed.
>She finishes five minutes later.
>You both yawn
>The clock says 5:27
"We should get at least a little sleep."
>"Okay, I think that sounds nice."
>Wait. You only have one bed.
>It's too cold in the living room.

>Fluttershy has only been here for about an hour; sharing a bed is out of the question.
>She could sleep on the computer chair, it's big enough to hold her; it's comfortable, too.
>No! She's a guest, and you very well might have brought her here. She should get the bed.
"Here, you sleep can sleep in my bed."
>Fluttershy shakes her head.
>"Oh no, I couldn't do that! I can just sleep on the chair. It's big enough to fit me, and it's comfortable."
>(Told you)
>Shut up.
"I can't do that. You are a long way from home and it wouldn't feel right to just let you sleep like that; especially after helping me with my injuries."
>"But-"
"No buts. I'm not taking no for an answer."
>She sighs.
>"Okay, if you REALLY insist..."
>She gets off the chair and hovers over to your bed.
>"Where will you sleep?"
>Oh, right.
"No worries, I've fallen asleep at my desk before, I can just use the chair."
>She looks unsure.
>You sit on the chair and slouch down a bit.
"See? Perfect!"
>"Okay, if you say so..."
>Half an hour passes.
>Fluttershy is out like a light.
>You can't sleep; this chair doesn't work as well as a bed.
>Fuck it, sleep is for the weak.
>You decide to pull out your laptop and go to a corner.
>You shut down your desktop before turning off all the lights and trying to sleep; and you can dim the laptop to avoid waking your roommate.
>You browse the web for about an hour, and the sun is just peeking over the horizon.
>You hear a shuffle in the bed along with a whimper.
>You look up from your web surfing adventure.
>Fluttershy is moving under the covers.
>She starts whimpering again.
>It must be a bad dream.
>You return to your work.
>The whimpers intensify.
>She's shifting more often now.
>It must be worse than you initially thought.
>You can't just leave her like this.
>Putting your laptop down, you make your way to her side of the bed.
>Now that you're closer, you can see that she's shivering under the covers.
>There has to be something you can do.
>You get an idea.
>She's warmed up to you a bit, hasn't she?
.>She DID hug you...
>You wonder if all ponies are that affectionate after such a simple act.
>Whatever, let's do this.
>You aren't sure if it will work, or if it might even make it worse.
>You gently crawl in bed next to Fluttershy.
>After laying down next to her, you drape your arm around her and hold her close.
>This makes her tense up at first, but after a while, she relaxes a bit.
>She turns over to face you.
>Then unconsciously buries herself further into your chest. 
>Gradually, her shivering and whimpers cease.
>You stay for a few more minutes.
>When you are sure that Fluttershy is going to be fine, you slowly make your way out of bed, back to your laptop.
>Three minutes later, you hear a shuffle and a whimper.
"Sigh..."
>You get up and return to the bed.





>It's been two hours.
>Fluttershy shows no signs of waking up.
>You've tried to leave twice.
>Each time, you only managed to leave for about ten minutes before she started having nightmares again.
>Each time you returned to the bed with her.
>You've had to keep yourself from falling asleep all this time.
>If you did, there's no telling what would happen if she were to wake up first.
>Another hour has passed.
>It is now 9:00 A.M.
>You decide it might be best to wake Fluttershy up now, so you get out of bed.
>After walking over to her end of the bed, you gently shake her awake.
>Best put on a cheerful face.
"Hey, rise and shine. We can't sleep the day away now, can we?"
>She begins to awaken.
>"Good morning, Anon."
>She lets loose a big yawn.
>This surprises her; and she gives a sheepish smile and a blush.
>You chuckle.
"Would you like some breakfast?"
>"Yes, please. If it isn't any trouble."
>You give a chuckle.
"Not at all. Would you like some pancakes? Waffles?"
>Wait, do they even have waffles where she's from?
>"If it isn't too much trouble, waffles sound good."
>Guess they do.
"Alrighty then! I'll just leave you to wake up a bit on your own. I'll call you when the food is ready."
>"Okay, see you soon, Anon..."
>You go to open the bedroom door.
>It's fucking cold.
>There's a pile of snow under your window.
"Goddammit."
>You head off to the kitchen to make breakfast.
>It's been a few months since you've made breakfast for two.
>The last time that you did, the girl you had over managed to sneak some sleeping drugs into the oatmeal; she then promptly made off with most of your valuables while you were out.
>Good times.
>You're pretty sure that this shy pony isn't going to drug you.
>Right?
>Once you arrive in the kitchen, you shut the door behind you and stuff some newspaper under it.
>Why somebody had to fling a crate through your window when it's negative four degrees, you'll never know.
>The waffle iron is ready to use.
>Don't people sometimes use these to murder their spouses?
>...
>Just go make the damn batter.
>After that's done, you pour the waffle batter into the iron and let it cook.
>It's just standard batter used to make pancakes and waffles right now. You might have been able to spice it up a bit, but you're way too hungry, and lazy to do it right now.
>After a while, you open up the iron to reveal a nicely sized waffle just a bit smaller than your head..
>It is glorious.
>You end up making three more.
>Two for you, two for her.
>Even if Fluttershy can't eat two, you can fit whatever she can't eat.
>How you stay at a healthy weight level still escapes your understanding.
>Before going to get Fluttershy, you take out the butter and syrup and put it on the table.
>You remove the newspaper from under the door, open the door, walk out, close the door, and replace the newspaper.
>You ain't having the food get cold.
>You enter the bedroom, and in a voice much too loud for this time of morning, announce that breakfast is ready.
"FOOD'S DONE!"
>Fluttershy falls to her back like a fainting goat.
>Yeah, you get a bit weird when you don't sleep.
>Well, weirder than you already are.

>You are eating at the table with Fluttershy.
>Your waffles are covered in butter and syrup.
>Fluttershy sticks with butter.
>BORING.
>It's quiet.
>TOO quiet.
"So, while we're in this whacky situation, hows about we get to know each other?"
>She stops chewing for a second, looking apprehensive.
>She's able to hug you with no problem, but not say a bit about herself?
"Hows about I tell you a bit about me and my planet, then you can do the same?"
>"O-okay", she says in a softer voice.
"So, this is the planet Earth. We are on the continent of North America in the country of the United States."
>You hold out your hands.
"And this is my house!"
>A lot of your friends didn't actually have actual houses; just apartments an the like.
>You lucked out and managed to get a damn good job that paid enough to get a house that was great for one person.
"You already know my name, and I know yours. This means we can go a bit deeper now!"
>You spend the next few minutes telling her about yourself. 
"Okay, so how about you? You seem to like animals."
>Fluttershy visibly sits up with a smile on her face.
>She tells you about how she works with animals; and how it's what her cutie mark stands for.
"Cutie mark, I take it that's the mark you got down there?"
>You point at her flank.
>"Yes, you're right!"
>You ask about any friends she might have.
>She spends the next few minutes telling you about her five friends.
>Rainbow Dash, the bold and brash one.
>Rarity, the fancy fashion designer.
>Applejack, the hard working farmer.
>Pinkie Pie, the pink ball of energy.
>And Twilight Sparkle, the introvert gone extrovert gone princess.
>You both are finished with your food by now.
>Fluttershy is smiling.
>Then she frowns.
>Ohboy.gif
>You know where this is going.
"You're worried, aren't you? That you might never see them again?"
>Fluttershy sighs.
>"Yes, very much. The thought of never seeing them is so... terrible!"
>Guilt.
>Should you feel guilty?
>For the love of god! All you were doing was posting in a thread on 4chan!
>See, this is why you hate people who take things too seriously.
>You say something meant as a joke, then two hours later, they come to your house and throw a crate through your window.
>But you're a nice guy.
>You smile at Fluttershy as you look her in the eye.
"Don't worry, I'm sure this will all get sorted out sooner or later."
>There you go again. Making promises you can't keep.
>You wish there was something you could do.
>However, those words seem to have cheered her up for now.
>She perks up, and speaks with an air of confidence.
>"You're right. I'm sure that I'll make it back eventually."
>Good. She's happy.
>A happy pone is a good pone.
>"Your house is nice. It must have been expensive."
"Yeah, my job pays pretty well."
>"Your job? What is it? If it's okay to ask."
"Me? I'm a defense attorney. I got a bit of a lucky break. Got a nice chunk of cash from the lottery, which along with other government aid that I had, managed to push me through law school."
>"A lawyer? We don't have many of those back in Equestria."
>You look out the window to your left.
"Yeah. Pretty much everybody and their mother tries to be a lawyer here. But once you get your degree, that doesn't guarantee a job."
>You look back at her.
"As I said last night, there are more bad people here than in your world. Which also means there are more innocents that can be accused; whether that be crimes or domestic disputes."
>You decide to leave out the part where you try to get people a "Not Guilty" verdict, even if you're pretty sure the guy is a psychopathic serial killer.
>And some of your other shady deals.
>What? A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do!
>"Well, that's nice. It's like you said, sometimes the good shines over the bad!"
>Welp, there's another secret to keep.
>You hate having to keep secrets like this from her; but you aren't that bad a guy outside of your job.
>You both finished your food at the same time.
"Here, give me your plate, I'll rinse it off."
>Going over to Fluttershy's seat, you're about to pick up her plate, when she stops you.
>"No, it's alright, I'll rinse off the dishes. It's the least I can do, after you've been kind enough to take me in-"
>She cuts herself off.
>"O-oh! I... I didn't mean to imply that you said you'd take me in! O-or that you should! I could always find somewhere else to stay, or-"
>That's enough of that.
>You crouch down to eye-level and ruffle her mane.
"I thought it kind of went without saying that you're welcome here as long as you need!"
>Fluttershy's smile could light up a black hole.
>She quickly leans over and rubs her cheek on the side of your head.
>"Thank you so much! I can't thank you enough!"
>Jeez, this mare is really unstable. One second she's as shy as can be, and the next she's ready to make a public speech about how she washes her ass.
>You uh... really have an interesting way of wording things.
>After she pulls away, you stand up.
>"I'd still be happy to wash the dishes, Anon."
>You decide to take her up on that offer.
"Sure thing, I'd really appreciate it! I'll be in the living room seeing what I can do about the window problem. If you need me, just call."
>"Mmhmm."
>You leave for the living room.
>You don't have any planks big enough to board it shut for now.
>Guess you'll have to head to the hardware store before fetching the groceries today.
>There's no better time than the present, so you'd might as well get your shit together and go right now.
>But that still leaves the normal "Hey, now that I've got a candy-colored horse in my house that can't be seen a single sole besides myself, how do I go do shit?"
>Better go talk to Flutters.
>So, if you remember correctly, no other human can see Fluttershy, or else she'll be taken away and you'll never see her again.
>How will that be? You recall that in a few of the stories, the ponies just go poof, and disappear; sometimes accompanied by a guitar riff.
>Other however, had the government or rabid neckbeards breaking down the doors to get their hands and/or dicks on the pone.
>You might be scum, but you'll be damned if you're gonna let that happen here.
>You've made it to the kitchen.
>Maybe you can exploit Fluttershy's shy nature to keep her here for a bit without questioning why.
"Hey, Fluttershy? I need to head out to the store. This is a huge place, with a lot of other humans. I'm not too sure if you're a fan of crowds. Plus, no one has ever seen a living being like you, so you might get a LOT of attention."
>"No, I'm not a big fan of having an audience. Just the thought makes me want to crawl under my bed!"
>Worked like a charm.
"I'll only be gone for an hour or so. I have to get groceries, too, so..."
>You take out your shopping list and a pen.
"Write down some food and other things you'd like. I have to go get some proper clothes on."
>You leave after putting the writing materials on the table.
>With your winter gear on, you look around your room for anything else you might need.
>Ah-ha. Your cards!
>Always nice to have a portable source of advertising right at your fingertips.
>You return to the kitchen to see if Fluttershy has written anything she wants.
>She's hovering by the sink, washing dishes that you have stacked up from a couple of days.
"Aw, thanks! You didn't have to wash the other ones. I appreciate the extra help."
>She jumps a bit.
>"Y-you're welcome; I figured it's the least I could do."
>You walk over and check the list.
>Celery
>Apples
>Carrots
>Daisies
>Hm, pretty sure daisies aren't available in stores.
>And it's the dead of winter right now; they're definitely not growing here.
"Hey Fluttershy, do they normally sell daisies where you come from?"
>She puts a dish in the drainer and turns to you.
>"Oh yes, they're quite common."
"Huh, not sure if I'll be able to find any, even at the flower shop. I'll see what I can do, though."
>Aren't they considered weeds?
>You're a lawyer, not a botanist! 
>There's a flower shop less than ten minutes from your house, there might be something good there, too.
"Well, I'm off! You can go anywhere in the house, but could you please avoid the living room? I need it to remain the way it is for now."
>You really don't, but with such a big window in there, any random passerby could see her.
>The FBI could tale her.
>You already have enough trouble having the law on your back, you don't need more.
>"You don't have to worry, I'll be extra careful!"
"Good. I'll see ya in a bit."
>You give a wave as you step into your garage.

>You're driving to the third hardware store this hour.
>Each one you've been to has been completely out of stock.
>You've checked different stores in hopes of not having to order one and wait.
>It's been an hour.
>You should tell Fluttershy that you'll be later than expected.
>You pull out your cell phone and dial your house.
"Hey, it's Anon. I'm just calling to say I'll be a bit late. Don't worry."
>You hang up.

>HELL YES.
>THE WINDOW IS EN ROUTE TO YOUR HOUSE.
>You're driving home with a bag of groceries and a bouquet of Zant-uh...
>They're calla lilies. You can't remember the scientific name the shop clerk told you, but you DO remember that Pinkie ate one in the show.
>Not sure if Flutters will like them, but you got a bargain, it's cool.
>Hey, that car is going kind of fast.
>You already turned before they came into sight, though.
>OKAY, WHY IS THE BASTARD IN FRONT OF YOU STOPPED?! 
>WHY IS THERE A WHOLE DAMN FAMILY OF DUCKS CROSSING THE ROAD?!
>AND WHY IN THE NAME OF GOD IS THIS GIRL TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE WHILE COMING STRAIGHT AT YOU?!
>It's too late to stop the crash.
>You are Anon; and this hasn't been a great day so far.
>You were making a left turn in an intersection when you were held up by someone in front of you.
>A teenage girl, no more than seventeen was text messaging when she ran into your back right wheel.
>Goddamn kids and their fancy technology.
>Her car is pretty much totaled. The front right portion of her car was crushed in.
>Her right airbag has been deployed; and the car won't start.
>You've escaped with a bent back bumper and a broken axle.
>You are currently at the parking lot of a steak house talking to a cop.
>You had to call them because the girl wouldn't trust you without someone present to oversee the insurance swap.
>Not to mention, she didn't even know what she was supposed to do after a crash.
>"Can I have both of your licenses and registrations?" 
"Sure."
>You pull out your wallet and go to get your license.
>A couple of your business cards fall out. Screw it, if the officer gets after you for it, you'll pick them up.
>You give your license and registration to the officer and return to your car.
>It's been two hours since you last called Fluttershy. You pull out your phone.
"Hey, it's Anon again. I got into a bit of an accident, don't worry."
>You try to avoid saying her name on the phone; you have no clue if the NSA could be dropping in, or if someone bugged your phone again.
>The officer calls you both back to him.
>He hands back your license and car info.
>"Alright, you two are free to go."
>He turns to the girl.
>"I'm going to let you off with a warning. Text messaging while driving is illegal. Seeing as your phone is broken now, I think you've learned your lesson."
>She crosses her arms and pouts.
>As much as you are annoyed at her for causing this, you go over and give her your cell phone.
"Here, call for a ride."
>She takes the phone and dials a number.
>When she's done, the cop decides to take his leave.
>So do you.
>She picks up one of your cards as you leave the lot.
>In about twenty minutes, you are home.
>The car is squeaking all the way back.
>Good thing you still have your old car for just such an occasion.
>You walk inside the door.
>Then you get talked to the ground.
>Fuck, an ambush! You KNEW you shouldn't have taken the deal with the local mob!
>You're gonna die! They're going to-
>Hold that thought.
>Whatever tackled you is a mixture of pink and yellow.
>"You're okay! I knew you said I shouldn't worry, but I couldn't help it! Your voice was coming from inside that box in the bedroom; I thought you were trapped!"
>Oh, it's only Fluttershy. You didn't think she'd care about you THIS much.
>The thread DID say that she'd warm up to you quickly; but you didn't think that it meant a few hours.
>"You've got a gash on your face; what happened?"
"Nothing too big, just a car crash."
>She looks confused.
>"Car... crash? What does that mean?"
"Here, it would be easier if I showed you."
>You try to get up.
>Fluttershy's weight holds you down.
>You clear your throat.
>She notices; and with a heavy blush, hops off of your chest.
"Follow me."
>In your garage, you show her your car.
"We use these to get around faster than we could on our own. Many of us own at least one."
>She looks on, interested.
"There are many kinds that go at many different speeds. Some are for races, and some are for show. Most of us just use them to get around quickly."
>This whole time, you were walking around to the damaged potion of the car.
>When you reach it, you point to the dented bumper.
>"Most can go above one hundred miles per hour. The average speed limit on a street is about forty or lower. At these speeds, people can get hurt if they collide; and this happens, too."
>Looking closer, you see the many dents and scratches left on the hub cap, the tire, and the bumper that was bent up under the car.
>Fluttershy pales a bit at this. Surprising, seeing as she was pale already.
>She turns her head to you.
>"I'm... glad you're okay."
>A truck rumbles from outside.
>The window is here already!
>Now THAT is service.
>You're about to head for the door when you realize that Fluttershy is following behind you.
>thinkfast.jpg
>You know what? Your lawyer tactics can only get you so far.
>You turn to Fluttershy.
"Hey, there's something kind of serious I need to talk to you about. Could you wait for me in the bedroom?"
>She nods, and replies with a bit of concern in her voice.
>"Okay Anon."
>She turns around and heads back into the house.
>You head for the door in your garage that leads to the front yard and driveway.
>Waving your hand, you greet the delivery man; who is a slightly overweight, yet muscular guy wearing overall jeans over a work shirt.
>"One window, delivery and installation, right?"
"You got it."
>"Awright. Let's get to it, Steve!"
>Another man hops out of the passenger seat of the truck; he is a lot lankier; with not nearly as much muscle as his friend.
>They go to the back of the truck and proceed to lug the window out.
>Now is the time to go to your bedroom and tell Fluttershy why she can't be seen.
>You've walked this route to your room many times; but only today is when it feels like an eternity to get there.
>When you open the door, you see Fluttershy standing at the foot of your bed.
>You sigh.
>Fluttershy hears this and turns to face you.
>Anon, are you... mad at me?"
>You stand silent for a second, not really taking in what she just asked.
>It's only when she starts to look down and start tracing circles in the carpet that you realize what she asked.
"No, of course not! You've done nothing wrong."
>She stops moving her hoof and lets loose a breath she was holding.
>You give a small laugh and crouch down to her; patting her head once you are at her level.
>It's quite unusual how this goes. If Fluttershy were a humanoid alien, you wouldn't be petting her like an animal.
>That's technically what she is, isn't she? A sapient alien that looks like a tiny horse?
>No time for that now. Time to spill the beans; or at least partway.
"Fluttershy, I know it's only been about eight hours or so since I've met you. I just want you to know, I care about you."
>She stays silent.
"Do you remember the things I showed you on the computer? The places where people can communicate?"
>She nods.
>"Yes..."
"Well, at about Two A.M. this morning, I was on there. I was posting on a conversation topic. There were two choices. I could either go to a different world, or have someone from a different world come to me."
>You stop to plan out your next sentence.
"I picked the second option. I thought it was just a goofy conversation piece. I had no idea that this was actually going to happen."
>You take another pause to keep your composure.
"There's a catch for option two. The visitor, you in this case, can never be seen by another human besides the person who chose the option; otherwise you'll be taken away and never seen again."
>It's getting harder to speak clearly.
"I have no concrete proof that this is the case; but so far, it matches up perfectly."
>Your voice catches.
"It's..."
>...
"It's all my fault." 
>You can find a lot of ways to relate current situations to your job.
>Right now, instead of being the defense, you are the defendant; and you have just confessed your guilt to the judge.
>Normally if that happens, all they'd get is a guilty verdict and a set number of years in a tiny cell with someone who keeps looking at their ass.
>That's the only thing that ever comes from telling the truth in a time like this. Someone re-affirming the guilt you just admitted; and something to make you feel worse about the whole thing.
"I'm sorry. That's all I can say. That's all I can DO..."
>At this point, you'd be crying; but right now, you just can't; you feel that you don't deserve that privilege.
>You haven't gauged her response despite looking her in the eye this whole time.
>She's... Smiling?
>"That doesn't really change a thing, Anon. Nopo- noBODY would expect an everyday conversation to take this kind of a turn. We don't even have proof that you caused this!"
>It really doesn't help much. The fact that you still made the choice to rip a someone out of their world still stands.
>"Cheer up, Anon. This isn't like you. You were so..."
>She looks down and thinks.
"Optimistic earlier! You cheered me up when I was afraid that I wouldn't get home. I have friends back home to help; and..."
>Fluttershy looks back up at you with a smile.
>"I have a friend here, too."
>It never gets old just how confident she can be when she wants to.
>You smile.
"You're right. I can't just sit around here feeling sorry for us both."
>Right.
>There's no use sitting around. A real man takes action.
>You're ready to fix this.
>You hear a knock on the door.
>Whispering to Fluttershy, you tell her where to hide.
"Okay... hide in the closet for now. I'll bring you out when it's safe."
>She nods, and complies with the order.
>You open up the bedroom door and find the installation guy waiting for you.
>"Window's all ready. Have a nice day."
"Thanks pal. You too."
>He turns to take his leave.
>You wait until he's in his truck before going to get Fluttershy out of her hiding spot.
"It's cool, you can come out now!"
>Fluttershy takes a cautious step outside of the closet.
"Alright, now we just have to keep that up for however long she's trapped here... Easy enough."
>You already have an idea as to how to begin your search for answers.
>Though right now, you're the only one that can do it; leaving Fluttershy with nothing to do but sit around the house.
>What could you do to entertain her...
>An idea strikes you.
"Hey Flutters?"
>"Yes, Anon?"
>Either she's okay with the little nickname you've bestowed on her, or she hasn't noticed.
"I have a bit of work to do; I don't want to just leave you without anything to do. Have you ever heard of a video game?"
>She puts a hoof up to her mouth in contemplation.
>"Yes, I've heard of them before. They aren't widely available in Equestria though. They're only brought out in Ponyville on special occasions."
>Time to play the dumb card. You aren't telling her where you've seen her before just yet.
"Brought out? Do you mean they're the kind that's just one big machine with one game?"
>"Yes, that's right! Do you have similar ones on this world, too?"
>Ohhoho. It begins.
"We do. they're mostly in buildings called arcades. Arcades are just buildings with a whole bunch of those machines; people can go in and play them for a fee."
>"Bigger cities like Manehatten have buildings like that, too."
>You smirk.
"Though for us, Arcades are pretty much obsolete. Follow me."
>She wordlessly follows you to the living room.
>When you arrive, you look inside your TV cabinet.
"Where is it..."
>You bought it around October of last year.
>It was from your buddy Eddie. He didn't really want it anymore, and needed the money.
>You didn't really want it either, you were more of a PC guy; but you couldn't leave a bro hanging.
"Found it!"
>In your hands, you hold a black Nintendo 3DS.
>Again, not really your thing, but you always kept it around for when your cousin would visit with her kid.
>Little bastard got into everything; you thought that this would make for a good distraction.
>You show it to Fluttershy.
"We have portable video games, now. They can play more than one game, just by the switch of a cartridge;"
>You pop out the game that's currently in the system, not even paying attention to what it is.
"Or you can get games off the internet, and have more than one on one system!"
>You open it up and turn it on.
>The small screen comes to life and displays the home menu; Fluttershy gives her full attention to it.
>You have no idea what the hell is on here; hell Eddie might have even kept his porn on this thing.
>He is strange like that.
>You tried each game on here when you had nothing to do once, there was one that you though Fluttershy might like.
"So, this system has a screen that responds to touch. You can use your body, or this piece of plastic called a stylus."
>Popping out the stylus, you hand it to her to inspect.
"In your case, you might be able to use your wings like you did with the keyboard."
>You look for a game she might like.
>Most of his games were downloaded to the system.
>You spend a couple of seconds teaching her the basics of the system.
>You show her which icons are games, and which ones aren't.
>Fluttershy is looking almost giddy at the aspect of trying more technology.
>Heh, you figured that would be Twilight's thing.
>Guess nopony can resist the charms of human science.
>You mentally kick yourself for making that pun.
>Fluttershy is in the living room playing video games.
>Never thought you'd be saying that in your life.
>Though it's only a matter of time before those get old and she'll want something real to do.
>You really don't want to have to turn your backyard into an animal sanctuary; and more than likely aren't legally allowed to, either.
>That's why you are going to see if you can find any evidence from the thread as to the OP's whereabouts.
>You'll just go to your browser history, click on the link...
>Aaand it's gone!
>Nobody posted on the thread, and now it's gone.
>Archive time!
>You head to the archives site and search for the thread.
>Aaaand it's there!
>The OP doesn't use a name, or a subject.
>Scrolling through the rest of the thread, you see something.
>There's the usual gaggle of normal posts, greentexts, and >rape's, but a few posts catch your eye.
>Shit, I got Rainbow Dash.
>Is Pinkie Pie seriously at my house right now? She's fucking the place up!
>I really dislike Twilight, but I can't just leave her to die, or whatever happens when another human sees her.
>Guys, I think we're all being serious, Celestia was here, and she blew a hole in my wall. I don't know what to do.
>The thread abruptly ended after that post.
>Nothing more was posted on it.
"Damn! Those guys can't just be screwing around. Something is going on here..."
>An idea pops into your head.
"I hope to god this works..."
>You navigate back to /mlp/ and start a topic.
>You give it the label "Story Time!"
>"You have two choices..."
>The idea behind your madness was this: The thread beforehand had a lot of stories on it before disappearing without warning; and it seemed that a lot of people wanted to see them continue.
>In turn, the posters who you suspect might have received ponies would show up, too.
>At least you hope so. Some people might not want to give up "their" ponies; and just sex them up.
>The thought sends a pang of anxiety through your gut.
>The rules stated that the pony would eventually fall for you.
>If they only do so because that's what the thread said...
>That's almost just like a date-rape drug.
>It's not by their own free will. It's by the will of Whatever force is commanding them.
>You spend all this time thinking about what could be going on with the other ponies, but then it hits you.
>You also received one of these ponies; possibly under the rules of the thread.
>You know that YOU aren't in love with Fluttershy.
>What if she falls in love with you, though?
>Even if you did end up with mutual love, would that still be considered taking advantage?
>It would break both your hearts if you rejected her.
>You can't think of this right now.
>The thread is posted.
>There's one last thing to do.
>You open your desk drawer.
>Inside are about six different cell phones.
>You dial a number.
"Hey, T. It's A."
>"An- er.. A? It's been a while. Let me guess, you need something?"
"Heh, how'd ya guess that?"
>He sneers.
>"Well, you never call to say hi, or have a normal conversation; so it was easy enough to deduce."
>You give a halfhearted chuckle.
"Yeah... I guess you're right."
>"Well, get on with it, I haven't got all day."
"Would you be able to track where a user on an image board lives?"
>He mutters a few things on the other end.
>"It all depends. Is this a standard forum where people have accounts and names? Or is this 4chan, where everyone is anonymous?"
>That's it.
"Yeah, it's 4chan."
>You stall for a second.
"The /mlp/ board."
>T. laughs.
>"I never took you as the kind of guy that enjoyed colorful horses."
>There's not even a point in trying to hide it. T. is a pal from way back.
>You guys didn't talk much after you went off to school.
>Troy Quade is his name.
>He was always great with technology. >Eventually, he got pretty good at stuff the law wouldn't agree with.
>Pretty ironic. The lawyer and the hacker.
>One day, he was facing some pretty heavy charges. He got careless.
>Soon enough, one thing led to another, and you managed to win his case.
>He's owed you ever since.
>You two would use only your first initials when doing less... legal activities over the phone.
>Too many snoops these days.
"Yeah, sure whatever. Can you do this?"
>"Is the thread still alive?"
>Shit.
"No, it died without warning."
>Troy sighs.
>"Then it's going to be near impossible to do this. At this point, it practically IS impossible."
>He sighs.
>"Send me a link to the archive. I'm not promising anything, but I'll see if there's anything that can be done."
>You look on glumly at your computer screen.
"Okay, I'll send it over. Thanks for the help, buddy."
>You end the call and put the phone back in your desk.
>Only thing left to do now is wait.
>It's been about twenty minutes.
>The thread has only gotten a few replies; mainly from people continuing their stories.
>Maybe you shouldn't have made it just a thread for stories.
>You only did that to disguise the thread.
>The fact that the last one seemed to disappear without warning made you paranoid; if you just blatantly made this thread like the last one, it could be discovered and disappear immediately.
>Hopefully somebody would recognize the rules of the thread and get in contact with you.
>Hm, wonder how Fluttershy is doing?
>Nobody is going to reply to the thread for quite some time, so you decide to go check.
>You open the door to your bedroom, then walk to the living room.
>She's still laying there, playing a game.
>Using your height, you peer over her body to see which one it is.
>A young human character is walking around a town full of anthropomorphic animals.
>The hell is this?
>Eh, it doesn't look too much like weird fetish fuel, so it doesn't really bother you.
>She hasn't noticed you yet.
"Hey Flutters, how's it going so far?"
>She looks back at you and smiles.
>You were actually expecting to startle her; oh well, maybe next time.
>"Oh, hello Anon. I'm doing well, thanks for asking."
>You quietly take a seat next to her.
>It's really tempting to tell her your complete plan, but you don't want to get her hopes up if things turn south later.
>So you just sit there, and keep your new friend company as you wait.
>Fluttershy eventually stopped playing the games once the battery died.
>You decided to tell a white lie and say that it could only charge while off.
>Besides, you thought of something she might like to see.
>Right now, it's about 3:38 P.M.
>It's still light enough to go outside for a bit; so you decide to show her your backyard.
>It's sizable, enough to hold a pool and more if you could afford it.
>Fluttershy takes a few steps into the yards and enjoys the scenery.
>"Everything looks so... different in this world."
>You know what she means, but you decide to ask anyways.
"How so?"
>She continues to look at the surroundings while thinking.
>"It's like... I think everything has more detail..."
>That's pretty true.
>Now that you think about it, Fluttershy really doesn't stick out as much as you'd expect.
>Sure, she still has her cartoon style outline and all that; but light affects her like it would in the real world.
>This makes you kind of curious.
"Hey Fluttershy? This is probably going to sound really weird, but can I touch you?"
>She looks a bit unsure.
>"O-oh, um, well..."
"If I say it's for science, would it help?"
>Shut up. It's totally science.
>It's just science that won't be shared with the rest of the world.
>"O-okay..."
>You reach out and gently touch her back.
>Your assumption was correct. You couldn't touch the outline surrounding her, no matter where you moved your hand.
>That's enough touching for now; you don't need Fluttershy thinking that you are some perverted xenophile. 
"Anyway Flutters, there's something else I wanted to show you."
>You point your finger to the back part of your yard.
>A small forest of sorts sets where you point.
"You wanna go for a walk?"
>Fluttershy is definitely enjoying the walk.
>She's taking in every single sight she can.
>It's quite the nice day to have a walk, even if it is winter time.
>The forest is peaceful; you hardly see anyone in it.
>You were lucky enough to get a house where no one could really see you; which means that Fluttershy could come out here almost when she pleased.
>That ought to make her stay here a bit more enjoyable.
>Though, will she need something to wear?
>She has fur, and that helps horses in real life.
>However, the show has shown them wearing scarves and saddles and shit for the winter.
>They always seemed to discard them before actually using them, though. 
>Well, she's right here; why not ask, moron?
>Good thinking.
"Hey, do you normally need winter clothing? I'd think that your fur would help you with the cold, but I can't be sure."
>"Oh, well y-yes. W-we sometimes b-bundle up when it get's too c-cold out."
>Wait, she's shivering right now.
"I take it that right now is one of those times?"
>She stutters out a response.
>"W-w-well yes-s..."
>You look at her in shock.
"Well why didn't you tell me?! You're out here freezing yourself!"
>She shrinks a bit. Whether it's from the cold, or your volume, you don't know.
>"Well, I-I was just so excited to see what e-else was out here... I thought I'd be fine..."
>You smack your head.
>You were already in a sweater when you came out, the cold didn't bother you.
>"A-are y-you mad at me?"
>You sigh.
"No... You just should have told me."
>You can't believe you have to have this kind of conversation
>Both of you are already quite far out.
>Fluttershy is visibly shivering now.
"Here, take my coat."
>You take off your sweater and drape it around her.
>She doesn't argue.
"Let's go home for now. I can get you something to protect yourself from the cold once we're back."
>She meekly replies.
>"O-okay... Thank you... And I'm sorry..."
>You pat her head.
"Don't worry about it."
>You smile and turn back home.
>The sweater keeps falling off of Fluttershy whenever she tries to walk.
>She'll walk forward, the coat will drag behind her, then slip off of her back as she moves forward.
>You can see her getting increasingly flustered.
>Well, there's one thing you can do.
>But are you a bad enough dude to do it?
>Well, strength is what you'll need.
>You hold your hand out to stop her.
"Here, I have an idea. Can I have the coat back?"
>Fluttershy frowns and nods."
>You take the sweater back and adjust it in your arms.
>You cradle your arms with the coat in them.
"Here, hop in."
>Wordlessly, Fluttershy takes a tentative step towards you.
>She does a small hop into your arms.
>Still crouching, you wrap the coat around her.
>Only her head sticks out.
>Now that she's bundled up, you hold her close to your body as you stand.
>You walk back to your house in relative silence.
"Are you okay, Flutters?"
>No response.
>You look down at her.
>She's fallen asleep in your arms.
>So many people would kill to be in your place right now.
>You make it to your house, wheezing deeply.
>You feel like you're having a heart attack; and not because of the bundle of cute in your arms.
>It's because you really need to lift, bro.
>You set Fluttershy on the couch and pass out next to her.
>Normally you don't nap during the day.
>However, after expending a lot of energy carrying Fluttershy back to your house, the thought of an afternoon nap didn't sound like a bad idea.
>You wake up about two hours later.
>Fluttershy had been laying next to you before you fell asleep; though now, the front half of her body is draped over your lap.
>She is snuggled in quite deeply, still using your sweater as a blanket.
>Your leg is asleep.
>Guess you'll just wait for now.
>About ten more minutes pass before Fluttershy begins to wake up.
>She sniffs.
>Then she begins to yawn.
>Her yawn begins to break apart into something else.
>"Ah... ah... choo...!"
>Her head rockets forward a little.
>It hardly sounds like a sneeze. It's more like a quiet buildup that ends in a small squeak.
>More sniffing.
"Well, welcome back, sleepyhead! Sounds like you got yourself a bit of a cold."
>Fluttershy takes a moment to gather her surroundings.
>She gives you a bleary-eyed stare.
>The front of her nose is a light red.
>Looking down, she notices that she is using your lap as a pillow.
>Fluttershy quickly gets off of you.
>"O-oh! I'm sor- sor-hee!"
>Another squeak-sneeze.
>Then more sniffles.
>She's shivering.
>You reach a hand out and stroke the top of her head.
"Stay right there, I'll get you something to keep warm. Do you like hot chocolate?"
>She's speaks between sniffs.
>"O-oh, yes, I do... please..."
>A sniff.
"Okay, I'll be right back."
>You pull your hand away and get up.
>On your way out, you hear another tiny sneeze.
>You return a minute later with a heavy fleece blanket.
"Here, this should keep you warm."
>After unfolding the blanket, you put it over Fluttershy's body; then tuck it underneath her.
>"Thank..."
>Sneeze.
>Sniff.
>"Thank you, Anon." 
>You pat her back.
"I'll go get you something to drink."
>You head off to the kitchen to make some cocoa.
>You always thought that getting sick from being out in the cold was some kind of myth.
>Fluttershy just disproved it for you.
>You go about microwaving up some water.
>As the microwave does it's thing, you get out the can of cocoa mix.
>Wait, will her hoof fit through the handle of the mug?
>Eh, she can always use both hooves to hold it.
>The microwave makes a few beeps to tell you the heating process is over.
>First the powder.
>You stir it in.
>Anything else around here?
>Hey, you still have some whipped cream left!
>You put a glob of it in the drink.
>This shit looks good.
>You take it in to your now sick friend.
"Okay, the doctor is IN! Now then, Miss Fluttershy; I believe you have a cold? I advise you to drink this."
>You like to think that you have a good bedside manner. 
>Most of the time you just end up looking like a fool, though.
>Fluttershy giggles as you hand her the mug.
>"Thank you, doctor."
>She sounds significantly more stuffy than she was a few minutes ago.
>Minutes go by as Fluttershy drinks the hot chocolate, and you look out the window.
>You look back at her just in time to see her finish the cup.
>She has a little glob of whipped cream on her nose.
>You approach her to wipe it off.
>Then she sneezes it off onto your shirt.
>"Oh no! I-Ah... AHH..!"
>Oh lawd. That's gonna be a big-
>"choo..!"
>Nevermind.
>It's about five fifteen right now.
>After you changed your shirt, you noticed that the 3DS was fully charged.
>Fluttershy might like something to keep her occupied while she rests.
>You open it up to refresh your memory on what was on it.
>Wow, haven't played an entry out of this series in a LONG time.
>Pokemon.
>You boot it up and see that the file is empty.
>She'll probably get a kick out of this game.
>You return to the living room.
>"Hey Flutters, you wanna play?"
>You hold the system out to her.
>"Oh, *sniff* I'd love to!"
>You hand it over.
"I already opened a game on there. I played some older entries in the series a while back. I think you'd like it."
>With that, you return to your bedroom.
>You have a thread to check on.
>DAMN.
>The thread 404'd this fucking quick?
>Hopefully it's archived.
>It is.
>It takes you about 5 minutes to skim through it.
>About four new people started stories of their own.
>There are a few posts of people just saying which option they'd choose.
>The last post is actually a link to a new thread.
>Well, that's convenient. 
>You head on over to the new one.
>Scrolling through, you see nothing.
>Denial kicks in.
>You do that thing similar to when you're hungry, but there isn't anything in the fridge, but you keep coming back to check anyway.
>There's a difference, though.
>It pays off this time.
>As you re-check the thread, a post sticks out.
>"Guys, the last time I posted on here, I got the wrath of a freaked out Twilight Sparkle. I'm serious. I need help."
>This is your chance.
>You immediately navigate to the first IRC site you can find and set up a channel.
>You post it up on the thread in response to him.
>"Here, take this link, we need to talk."
>This has to work.
>Please let this work.
>Ten minutes later and no response.
>You crank up your speakers and decide to see how Fluttershy is doing.
>You'll hear if someone messages you while you're gone.
>The living room is quiet aside from the sounds of the game that Fluttershy is playing.
>You were right, she is enjoying Pokemon.
>Seeing as she's bundled up in a heavy blanket, she's holding the stylus in her mouth for all touch related activities.
>Note to self: sanitize when she's done.
>You don't know any of these things that she's caught.
>One looks like a mixture between a squirel and a chestnut.
>Another is some kind of grey bug or worm.
>Oh hey, it's a Pidgey!
>Fluttershy is actually taking her time to catch everything she can get.
>Gotta catch 'em all, as they say.
>Soon enough, she's got a party of six pokemon.
"Looks like you've got the hang of this, huh? How are you liking all this so far?"
>She momentarily spits the stylus out.
>"I still miss my world... *sniff* but Earth is really fascinating!"
>Soon enough she reaches her six team member limit.
>The next time she catches a pokemon, it gets transported to the pc box.
>Apparently she doesn't know this.
>She goes to check her party like she does every time she's caught a new one; and doesn't see her newest catch.
>"W...where did it go...?"
"You can only have six at a time. The rest are transferred to a PC. You'll have to swap them out."
>She looks disappointed.
>"Oh... I see."
>She looks a bit worried.
>"What happens when they're in there?"
>She's getting like this over a bunch of pixels.
>Cute.
"Don't worry, they wait for you there until you decide you need them. The main point of the game besides becoming a master trainer, is also to catch as many pokemon as possible. You're doing good so far."
>She lightens up.
>You hear a blip from the other room.
"I'll be right back, Flutters."
>"Mmhmm."
>Hopefully this is the guy you sent the link to; not just some troll.
>You can't get to your room fast enough.
>Sure enough, there are a few messages.

---
[5:42 PM] Sifraf: Hey.
[5:42 PM] Sifraf: So... did it happen to you, too?
---

>Could it be...?
>Is something actually going RIGHT?
>You hastily type a reply.

---
[5:43 PM] You: Hey!
[5:43 PM] You: Yes, it happened to me, too.

[5:44 PM] Sifraf: Wow.
[5:44 PM] Sifraf: You know, when this first happened, I thought I was just insane.

[5:44 PM] You: Heh, isn't that usually what happens with everyone in this kind of situation?

[5:45 PM] Sifraf: I'm pretty sure we're the first ones this has happened to.
[5:45 PM] You: You're probably right. Is there a reason we haven't even mentioned what's going on here yet?

[5:46 PM] Sifraf: I don't know if it's safe to talk about, they might disappear.

[5:46 PM] You: Well, the topic only states that if they're SEEN is when they'll disappear. I can understand your cation, though.
[5:47 PM] You: I'll start. Fluttershy was tossed through my window in a crate early this morning. She's out on my couch right now.
[5:47 PM] You: I'll see if she's still here.
---
>You check your living room.
>Fluttershy is still there.
>She looks up at you with a small smile and an even smaller sniff.
>You give a quick wave and leave.

---
[5:50 PM] You: She's still there.
[5:50 PM] You: So, what's your story?

[5:51 PM] Sifraf: Alright, fine.
[5:51 PM] Sifraf: I posted on the thread at about 11 PM last night. At about 4 AM this morning, I heard a knock on my door. There was a sack on my doorstep. I took it in and opened it. It was Twilight. She was knocked out, then an hour later, she woke up. Needles to say, in her unstable state of mind, she nearly caught my house on fire.

[5:53 PM] You: What's she doing right now?

[5:53 PM] Sifraf: Reading an old encyclopedia set I had before I found out about wikipedia.
[5:53 PM] Sifraf: I swear, I was worried I'd have to clean up mare juice when I first showed it to her.

[5:54 PM] You: Sounds like her.

---

>You've been in a chatroom with this guy for about fifteen minutes.
>It appears that he and Twilight have been managing to get along for the past few hours.
>By managing, you mean that she's been reading most of the time, even skipping through breakfeast.
>You've asked him how much he's told her.
>He hasn't told her about the thread yet. He's too afraid of what Twilight might do to him.
>You don't blame him; if you had a magical... wait, did he get Twilight as a unicorn, or an alicorn?

---
[6:09 PM] You: Hey, is she a unicorn, or an alicorn?

[6:09 PM] Sifraf: Alicorn.

[6:09 PM] You: better watch out, bro. Don't wanna piss off one of them things

[6:10 PM] Sifraf: What do you think Ive been doing?
[6:10 PM] Sifraf: Besides, shes been reading books in a corner for the past few hours

[6:11 PM] You: Really? about how long has that been for?

[6:11 PM] Sifraf: since about 10 this morning.

{6:12 PM] You: What time is it where you're at?

[6:12 PM] Sifraf: 3 PM

[6:13 PM] You: Jesus
[6:13 PM] You: go do something with her
[6:13 PM] You: That's 5 hours, and you two hardly know each other. At least try to make a conversation.

[6:14 PM} Sifraf: You just told me to be careful
[6:14 PM] Sifraf: Besides, i've already tried that.
[6:14 PM] Sifraf: She just brushes me off. If I really irritate her, thre's no telling what she might do.

[6:15 PM] You: Don't worry, I think it would be quite out of character for her to do something violent just from being irritated.
[6:15 PM] You: Discord was really irritating to her, and she didn't turn him into swiss cheese; youll be fine

[6:15 PM] Sifraf: That's just it
[6:15 PM] Sifraf: What if this ISN'T the "canon" twilight?

[6:16 PM] You: Good point.

[6:16 PM] Sifraf: Either way, I'll see what I can do.

[6:16 PM] You: Good luck!

[Sifraf has quit.]

---

>You really wish you could have gotten more info out of that guy.
>Too bad he left so fast.
>Wow, it's already seven o'clock?
>This is way past when you'd normally eat dinner.
>Better late than never.
>Good thing you brought groceries today.
>Groceries that you just now realize are still out in the car.
>In the cold.
>Oh well, you don't think that there's anything in there that can be damaged by the cold.
>Best do that now.
>A few minutes pass and you have everything in the house.
>There are a few meat producs for you; chicken, ham, sausage, etc. .
>Then there are the vegetarian based products; mainly for Fluttershy.
>Clery, carrots, apples, the flowers you bought, lettuce, and some others.
>There are also three cans of vegetable soup.
>Your wallet feels quite a bit lighter.
>Oh well, you job pays nicely, and it's only a minor setback.
>Seeing as Fluttershy is sick with a cold right now, you decide that now might be a good time to make some soup.
>You get out a pot, open the can, and pour the contents in.
>The burner on the stove ignites as you twist the knobs of your gas powered stove.
>A few minutes later, the soup is brought to a boil.
>You take the pot off, and pour two bowls full.
>You are about to head for the living room when Fluttershy walks into th kitchen.
"Hey there, how are you feeling?"
>She sniffs softly.
>"I don't feel so well... My nose is stuffy and my throat hurts."
"Yeah, I've never met somone who has enjoyed a cold before."
>You sit down at the table.
"I made us some soup. Come over and chow down."
>She takes a seat where you sat the bowl at.
>Now that you are both eating, you try to devise a way to let Fluttershy know that she isn't the only one here.
>You definitley aren't going to tell her about the show; at least not yet.
>That would be like rubbing salt in a wound.
>So, you decide to tell her a semi-truth.
"Do you know of a pony named Twilight Sparkle?"
>She begins to choke on her soup.
>Would it patting on her back work?
>Hey, you're a lawyer, not a biologist!
>You just decide to sit there until her choking dies down.
>And then she sneezes again.
>It takes a lot of willpower, but you hold in your laughter.
"You alright?"
>"Y-yes, I am; and yes, I DO know Twilight Sparkle! However did you find out?"
>You grin.
"The internet is a wonderful thing, my pale pony pal!"
>"W-where is she? Oh dear, is she alright?!"
>Your smile widens.
"Have no worries, she's with another human right now. She's even comfortably reading books in their house!"
>She calms down a bit.
>"Thank goodness..."
>You two continue dinner while talking about the new revalation.
>You are staring at your bowl absentmindedly when Fluttershy's voice breaks you out of your trance.
>"Anon?"
"Yeah?"
>"Will I be able to see her soon?"

>Hoo boy.
>Actually telling Fluttershy that one of her friends is here is one thing, but meeting is another.
>She's looking at you with those big eyes, filled with hope.
>Right now, she's sick, confused, and trying to adapt to this place.
>Then  you come in and say that her friend is here; one of the few things that would be familiar in this place, and you aren't sure if that will be possible for Fluttershy to see her. Not for a while, at least.
"Well, you see... I don't know. I only talked to the guy who found her. I didn't get any personal information. The most I got from him was that Twilight is with him."
>Fluttershy visibly deflates.
"I don't know where he lives. If he lives in another country, then it would be quite possible that you'd never see her..."
>Why did you just say that? She only needed to hear the first part!
>Her disappointment is palpable.
>"B-but what about the flying machines you mentioned? Couldn't we just use one of those...?"
>Ah shit.
>This is one of those moments where when someone has a great idea, but there's just that one flaw.
>The one flaw that, when pointed out, crushes any hope there is for it to work.
"There... are a few things wrong with that plan. I mean, you're right, an airplane could be used for transport; but tickets to ride are really expensive. Even a ticket to go across the country is quite costly."
>She slumps down a bit and sighs.
>Fluttershy has a great look of disappointment on her face; her eyes are doing that thing where the light reflections quiver.
"I'm sorry... This must be really tough for you..."
>"I-it's okay, I understand..."
>Hoping to be of some comfort, you crouch down to her level and reach out your hand.
>She gives a light shiver as you run your hand down her back.
>You can tell that even though Fluttershy looks like a weak, quiet mare, that she's still just as strong as her friends.
>Another thing you can tell is that she's been doing her best to stay strong this whole time.
>Sometimes however, you just have to give.
>You wrap Fluttershy in a hug.
>She gives off a surprised whimper.
"It's okay. Don't ball up your emotions. Let it out."
>Nothing happens for the first thirty or so seconds.
>She just sits there silently in your embrace.
>Finally, after what felt like minutes, you feel wetness on your shoulder.
>It's always hard to find what to say in this kind of situation.
>You just sit there as Fluttershy cries on your shoulder.
>"I-I tried to stay strong, I r-really did! I just don't know what's going to happen! It r-realy scares me..."
>You continue to rub her back.
"I know..."
>You'd like to tell her that it will all be okay; but that would just be giving false hopes.
>She reassured you earlier, and you'd like to do the same for her.
>It's a lot harder in this situation, though.
>So you just let Fluttershy let out her emotions. Hopefully she'll feel better afterwards.
>Eventually, she is able to calm herself.
>You pull back.
"Do you feel any better?"
>She pauses to sniff a few times.
>"Yes, I-I think I do... I really d-don't know what came over me..."
>You pat her front leg.
"Well, I'm glad you're feeling at least a bit better."
>Suddenly, Fluttershy hugs you without any warning.
>"I'm glad that at least we're her for each other."
>You smile and hug.
"Me, too."
>Both of you release each other.
>As she leans back, you notice something.
>It looks like... dried snot.
>On her hoof.