Chapter 9: The Secrets part 6; Talk about It

Fluttershy was busying herself away, tending to her free spirited animals that lived outside, near the woods. Refilling the birdfeeders, checking the chicken coop, sparing a few seconds near the pond on the fish and other wild life that lived inside the little pond, coming back inside, upon seeing dismay Angel near his food dish, acting as if he hasn't ate in ages. The weak feeble call to his owner got her too picked up the pace, before heading to the head of the house, when hearing the doorbell go.

"Coming . . . hold on, hello everyone, glad you could make it." Fluttershy replied, letting her friends in, having choose where they wanted to sit, as she took her favorite chair, waiting for them.

"What's up Flutters?" Rainbow Dash asked, leaning heavily into the couch, having a cracked a few stressed out bones, while doing so.

"I wanted to speak about what happen at the party." She answered simple, not wanting to beat around bush.

The final words she spoke, got all her friends tense in their seats, ears perked on the ready to hear what she had to say, none of them taking in the proud look Applejack wore, in knowing that this was coming, only that it took longer than most thought.

"Go on Fluttershy." Sunset Shimmer told her.

"The person who saw me, we know him, well for the most part; you all have around him at least twice since meeting him." Fluttershy started out with, before going on. "He has already promised not to speak about this . . ."

"How can you be sure, darling, even when we told someone we cared for, there were a few close calls."

"It was that Night Stripe guy wasn't it?" Pinkie Pie quickly added, awed face in place, leaning close to Fluttershy, as if to read her mind, in thinking Pinkie Pie could have been wrong, but a wide smile came to play soon after, in replying with. "It was! Oh good, we have nothing to worry about, guys, nope, nothing at all!"

"Pinkie, even if you are using your Pinkie ways, doesn't take away someone found out." Rainbow Dash stated, standing up from her seat, looking to each other her friends, before saying to Fluttershy. "Are you sure about this, letting an outsider know, Fluttershy, that's a lot to risk?"

Fluttershy glanced away in thought, understanding very well of the dismay of her friends, she didn't blame them.

"I could try and reach Twilight to find a memory easer spell. With how long I have been gone, a lot of things must have changed, might be best to be sure."

"What?" Fluttershy squeaked out, when hearing the stomaching words, before saying. "You can't do that . . . if even you do the spell on him, what are the chances it will do more harm than good. No spells from other worlds. Please, I say we just try in trusting him, Night Stripe, isn't that kind to make others suffer . . ."

"Fluttershy, you hardly know him, it's been less of a year and boom he finds out, and you think because you trust him. This is okay? Look, I'm sorry about this, but it's just to be on the safe side." Rainbow Dash said, warning in her words, as she glanced to Sunset Shimmer, in asking. "When do you think you can get hold of Twilight and the spell?"

"It will take some time, but hopefully before the spring full moon, I learned the hard way that the connection line isn't very . . . helpful around that time."

"You can't be . . ."

"Shy, it's just to be on the safe side. Look we understand, it's hard to fine people that won't think different of us, because of the hocus pocus magic ears and wings. Don't think you are alone in this; just the thought of my brother or sister getting caught in this mess far deeper, maybe even getting hurt because of it, and the only way to save them was to make them forget it. Then so be it." Applejack spouted, in a way of putting her foot down to Fluttershy, sadness in her eyes as she did it, but it had to said and done.

"This goes against everything about what makes friendship." Fluttershy mumbled, her words going unnoticed, as her friends went on how to handle the news more with caution.

Pinkie Pie the only one seeming to hear Fluttershy, reaching out to her, and patting her back in a soothing matter. For once being oddly quiet, lacking very much what made Pinkie Pie who she was, but there she was, leaning close to Fluttershy to give her comfort, while giving a soft hum to herself.

"Alright, than that is settled." Sunset Shimmer said, unknowing the words made only one of the girls flitch at them.

Fluttershy never thought small amount words could make anyone numb.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Hazy and her eldest son took the twins out for a stroll, through the nippy chilled day, enjoying a nice afternoon quietness. The park for the most part, didn't have many people around, a bird song or two out in the distance air, filled in the wild chatters of family and younger playmates, having fun in the snow, seeing as another layer had fallen, as of last night.

"What a good day, hmm, sweetie don't you think so?" Hazy asked her son, glancing at him as he looked to the ground, hands his pocket, his pace matching his mother's mindful of keeping their space.

The distance look of the side of his face, made her frown at the sight of it.

"Night Stripe, is there something wrong?" Hazy asked, more command in it, lacking almost all sweetness, that was now filled with worry, made her son gaze up at her, looking so close to tears, it made her speak again. "What's wrong?"

He looked away, shrugging, removing his hands from the pouch pocket, quickly signing a few words in confusion, though there was more, Hazy only picked up on the ones, that in a way came off as a stutter.

"You want to know about . . . Night Stripe, be honest with me; did that woman come by the house whenever father or I weren't home?"

He looked away, shoulders stiff, as he clamped his hands together, nerves getting the best, started to pick at his fingerless gloves, in thought of what to say, but changed the thought to something harmless. Such as, if he kept picking at his gloves, he was going to need a new pair, and with it being winter, the gloves now would be too thick, chances of heat rash or a compact heat stroke were likely be the effect of that.

"Night Stripe, honey, look at me." Hazy shouted loud enough for him to snap out of his thought rant, feeling a cool thaw hand on his face, raising it to see his mother's face more, knowing well she cup his face, if the other hand wasn't holding the stroller in place, but her words moved freely. "Was she there?"

He wanted to do nothing in reply, looking away from his mother, let her think whatever she was now freely as she pleased. But those eyes, soft in gleam sadness, wanting only the best for him, wanting the best for someone she and Jaded just took in, on a whim, because a baby needed a home and family wanted to happen.

Night Stripe finally caved, closing his eyes in aggravated that he cracked so easy, of how that woman's words were plaguing his mind now.

"What do you want to know?" Hazy said, caution with her question, just as with very boy she raised, as her own, treating him as a child should be, but rethinking, what he was asking, wasn't normally what a young child would ask of.

He only replied back with one word.