Chapter 5: A Foal for Fluttershy
7:00 A.M. The same morning, Fluttershy's cottage, Ponyville
Enoch breathed in through his nose, taking in the smell of the morning air. His and Dinky's hooves clopped on the smooth stones making up the walkway to Fluttershy's house. "Lovely summer morning, particularly at this time." Enoch said. "What do you think?"
"It is a very nice morning." Dinky agreed.
"Oh. It seems that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are already here. And Miss Dash and Soarin' too, with their foals. It seems dear Fluttershy has plenty of help with her charges this morning." He stepped up to the door and rang the bell. Fluttershy's sweet, dulcet voice came from the upper floor: "Apple Bloom, would you get the door, please?"
The door opened and there stood Apple Bloom, not more than sixteen years old. She had a part-time job working with Fluttershy at her babysitting business, as did Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, although Sweetie worked fewer hours, due to her working at Rarity's boutique. "Howdy, Professor! How ya doin'? Wontcha come in?" she said, beckoning the Pegasus and Dinky inside. "Good morning to you, Miss Bloom. How are you? I have yet another charge for you." Dinky peeped out from behind his legs and looked around. "Oh hi Dinky! Ah didn't see ya there. Ya hungry?" Apple Bloom said, looking down at Dinky with a great big, sparkling white smile. She smiled back, shook her head. "Hi, Apple Bloom." Dinky said quietly.
Enoch looked back into the house, staring sraight over Apple Bloom's head. He didn't even have to crane his neck, he could see straight over her; he stood at least a foot over the Earth pony. (But, then again, he towered over most ponies, excluding Big Mac, Princess Celestia, and Snowflake, the white male Pegasus with tiny wings, bulging muscles and that says "YEAH!" all the time.) "Is Fluttershy available, Miss Bloom? I should like to see her for a moment before I leave. If she is available, that is." He asked politely. "Yep, she's in her bedroom with her foal. Why?" She asked. "No reason. I simply wondered if she was available and if I could see her. I've not seen her for quite some time, since her seven-months baby shower, actually. And I made something for her foal." The stallion said. Apple Bloom stepped aside, admitting him entrance to the cottage. "Her room's upstairs, second door on the right. Knock before ya go in. Try any funny stuff, an' Ah'll buck ya inta next Tuesday!" Apple Bloom said with a grin. Enoch winked in return and waved good-bye to Dinky. "'Bye!" she said brightly, waved and went to find a friend before it was time for school.
He mounted the staircase and felt the staircase as he went up, rubbed it with his hoof, feeling the texture of it, worn smooth by years of hooves sliding up and down on it. It was older wood, good wood. It would stay strong for many more years, barring an accident. He climbed the rest of the staircase, passed the first door, and knocked gently on the second on the right. Once again, Fluttershy's dulcet tones radiated from behind it. "Who is it?"
"It is I, Enoch! May I enter?" replied the stallion. "Enoch! Oh yes, come in!" He grasped the doorknob and pushed the door open, revealing Fluttershy holding her foal, an Earth filly, by the name of Apple Turnover. Oh, how I've dreamt of such a sight, a new mother and her foal. he thought. Only it was my foal, and the mother was... well, not Fluttershy. Though that time has long since passed. "Good morning, Fluttershy." Enoch said with a smile. "Good morning Enoch! You're up and about rather early today. Did you bring Dinky over today?" She replied, happy to see her friend. "Indeed, I did! And yes, I am up rather early. Ditzy and I were preparing for our trip to Canterlot. She was up much earlier than I and, so she could get some rest, I put her to bed and I told her that I would take care of everything this morning." he summarized.
"In any case, one reason I am here now is bringing Dinky to you and the other is that I have something for your foal. A gift I made. I do hope young Apple Turnover will like it?" the stallion said hopefully. He rummaged in his saddlebag and pulled out a medium-sized sphere. "It could serve as entertainment for Turnover and a nightlight: A portable stellarium! Let me tell you how it works. Wherever you are, the stellarium recieves a real-time image of the night sky and projects it across the ceiling! Now, it's not just stars; it is the entire night sky you see, and the sky behind it. Say, there is a meteor shower outside. You want to see it, but you can't. Well, you can." he said with a smile. "It displays everything in your corner of the sky, even in the daytime. Galaxies, nebulae, everything. Including the Moon."
He paused. "Now, let me tell you how to work it: Just plug it in and hit the switch on its side! Easy! And it's very durable; it should last you at least twenty years." He finished, looking rather pleased with himself. "Would you like to see a demonstration?"
"Yes, please. It sounds very interesting, Enoch."
At that, the stallion crossed the room, knelt, and plugged the stellarium into the wall socket there.
Click. A very low hum came form the stellarium; almost too low to hear, certainly not enough to wake a sleeping foal, or prevent one from sleeping. "Will you turn the light out, please?" Enoch asked. "It doesn't work if the lights are on, unfortunately." he explained. Click. The room was plunged into near darkness; the only light in the room came from the collection of beautiful, yet dim lights and loose, ethereal shapes that now slowly danced across the ceiling. After a moment, a small, childish babble came forom the other side of the room: Apple Turnover had giggled at the sight. "Turnover likes it! She giggled!"
"Does she really?"
"Yes! Enoch, how did you make that?" Fluttershy asked, very much intrigued by it.
"The unicorns are not the only ones who can manipulate magic, my dear. Only they can do it naturally, through their bodies. I can explain it, but- Ah, tell you what. In four weeks, I'm giving a lecture on free-flowing magical energies at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot. If you can make it, I'll explain everything there. That is, if you want to come? If you can come, is more the question; can you?" Enoch asked, trying not to bury Fluttershy under a mountain of questions.
"I'm sorry, Enoch, I won't be able to. I've got Turnover to look after and I couldn't leave Mac here all alone to look after her and do everything he needs to do. I'm sorry." She explained.
"You needn't feel sorry about that, Fluttershy. I'm sorry you won't be able to come." Enoch said. He slipped a hoof into his pocket and pulled out his watch. He opened it, looked down, and promptly closed it again and looked up. "Oh dear. I'm sorry, I have to go. I do wish I could stay longer and talk with you, but I need to return to the house and finish preparations for the trip to Canterlot. We've only five hours until the train leaves!"
