Author's Note: To those faithful up until now and those just joining, I have a message: thank you for your support. Now, I'll keep this brief as to not cause a wall of text; I'm planning to divvy up the characters into their own chapters or two per chapter as to not overwhelm myself. Writing for several characters at once can be very exhausting. Well, without further ado; here's chapter 4, ladies and gentlemen.
Chapter 4: New Friends, Old Familiars.
It's surprisingly easy to get lost in an area that's new... Even if you are almost as tall as some of the buildings there...
"Hello? Any... uh... pony home? I'm a bit lost." Sentinel said, using his knuckle to gently knock on the simple wooden door of the rustic cabin. A chicken coop sits beside the building, the small fowl clucking merrily. Slowly, the door opens, revealing a familiar mare with a soft pink mane on its other side.
"Oh... Well... Hello, Sentinel. What are you doing here?" Fluttershy asks, hiding behind her mane slightly out of nervousness. "Where's Applejack?" she asks, now opening the door to look around, confused.
"She's back at the orchard. We were working on the new shed and took a break, and then she just ran off. It was the strangest thing. She took off like she'd heard her maker calling for her." He answered, shrugging.
"Really? That's so unlike her. I wonder why she would have done something like that." She replies, looking to the side in thought. "Well, how can I help you?" she asks, refocusing on Sentinel.
"Well, I'm a bit lost. I'm looking for the spa. Before Applejack ran off, she told me that I'd make a great masseuse." He answers, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, well, as it so happens, I have an appointment with Rarity this afternoon. I can take you when I go out." She mentioned, smiling softly. She then stepped to the side and widened the door, allowing him to step inside if he so chose.
"That'd be perfect, thank you. And I seem to recall that I owe you a demonstration of my magic and a tea party with a friend of mine as well." He said, leaning down slightly to fit through the low doorframe.
"Oh, my; we can have tea outside, if you'd prefer. That looks like such a nuisance." She interjects, her eyes widening slightly.
"Nah, I'm used to it. I'm tall even where I'm from, so this is just one of the drawbacks." He replies calmly, beginning to squeeze through the frame.
"Oh, no, I insist. I wouldn't be a good host if I made you feel so uncomfortable just getting inside." She persists, stepping toward him, her eyes closing and head shaking to show her resolution. "You just wait right there and I'll get some sandwiches. We're going to have a picnic. I can't have my guest feeling uncomfortable." She continues assertively, turning and heading towards her kitchen. Her pale pink-colored mane and tail gently bobbed with her every quiet step taken, only further engraining the thought that her name was far more appropriate than Sentinel first realized.
With little else to do while Fluttershy gathered their food, Sentinel settles onto the ground in a cross-legged position, inspecting the interior of her house through the open doorway. Small animals peeked out of their homes in the house's interior, inspecting the new, unnatural visitor from a distance. The inside of the cabin struck him by surprise and captivated him further with each moment he spent taking it in. The colors were simple and the designs subtle, never demanding ones attention or calling out to their eyes in a conversation; a feature that mirrored Fluttershy's personality on the fundamental level. Soft browns decorated with gentle, scattered dots of pink filled the majority of the cottage, making for a rustic, druidic feeling, while the occasional picture acted to add life to the air. Despite the silence, Sentinel sits comfortably as he awaits her return for a short while.
A soft trotting from the other room calls Sentinel's attention and his eyes meet Fluttershy as she makes her way back into the main room, a basket held by its handles in her mouth. Sentinel's dull, unnatural senses catch the scent of the fruits, vegetables, and various assorted baked goods inside the wicker basket. "Oh, please, allow me to carry that. A lady shouldn't have to carry something while a man is her company." Sentinel states, extending his hand out to receive the basket from her. However, his attempt at chivalry is thwarted by her silent protest of a soft smile and a gentle shaking of the head. With a slight chuckle, he rises to stand, stepping out of the way for her to exit through the door, closing it behind her. "Well then, in that case, lead the way, madam." He said, bowing respectfully, causing her to smile slightly with an imperceptible blush on her cheeks as she showed him to a nice place.
After a few minutes' walk, she stops and lowers the basket to the ground before settling onto the grass. A small oak tree stands above them, its branches giving them shade against the midday sun. Settling to lean against the tree, Sentinel crosses his legs, looking to her. His eyes dim to show his contentedness as she opens the basket and hands him a sandwich made of tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese, steam gently wafting into the open air.
"It looks delicious, though I'll give you fair warning; table manners weren't included in my military training, so this won't be too pretty to watch." He said with a slightly embarrassed chuckle as he takes the grilled sandwich.
"Oh, it's quite alright. I've spent a lot of time with animals. Many of them are very messy eaters." She replies, smiling at him gently.
"I would assume so. Although, I feel somewhat uncomfortable eating such a delicious meal. I mean, I'm not like you or the others; I don't need food to survive. It just seems like a bit of a waste for me to have it instead of someone else." He countered, inspecting the food in his hand.
"Nonsense. I cooked that just for you. Nopony else has the right to eat it. So you go right ahead and enjoy it." She replies with a resolute shake of her head. Her eyes close and her eyebrows squint as she denotes her disagreement. "And even if you don't need to eat, it's never a waste to enjoy a nice picnic with a friend." She continues, smiling softly.
"I've been here less than a day and I'm already your friend, Fluttershy?" he asks, curiously.
"Of course; just because you're new and made of different things than I am doesn't make you any less of a person. In fact, I think it makes you even more interesting." She replied with a sincere smile.
"It's been a long time since I last met someone that looked beyond what I'm made of so readily. Normally, it takes a long time for that. Thank you, Fluttershy." He said, looking down at the sandwich he was still holding before looking back up to her. She again smiles with sincerity at him, her soft, green eyes meeting his. "And thank you for lunch. Even if I don't need it, it's still very nice." He adds, finally taking a large bite out of the sandwich. The crust releases a slight crunching sound as his metal jowls tear through it. With a second movement of his jaw to chew, Sentinel nearly loses his mouthful due to his lack of lips. He reacted quickly, using his hand to cover his face so he could chew easier, enjoying the flavors of his special lunch. "This is very good. I like that the tomato makes a powerful flavor and that the mozzarella and basil support it. It's very simple. This was all spur of the moment, so I'd like to thank you for sparing some time to do this with me."
"Oh, stop, you're being too hard on yourself. I'd always make time for a friend." She replies, her eyes closing and her head shaking in disapproval.
"I'll try to be a bit softer on myself, then." He said, taking another bite before forgetting to cover his mouth and losing some of his bite of food to the grass, causing him to sigh audibly. At this, Fluttershy giggles quietly, smiling again.
"I guess you were right about your table manners." She said, her voice sweet and soft after laughing.
"Well, you try chewing without any lips to hold the food in." he replied, chuckling at himself as well. In several minutes, the two of them finished their lunch and Fluttershy packed up the basket. "Well, before we wrap this up, let me show you my friend. He's an owl, but not like any you've ever seen." He said, pulling out a thick book from his side. He then begins digging a marking into the ground with his knife.
"What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked, confused.
"It's a ritual circle. I have to make one in order to cast the spell to summon him. This'll just take a few minutes. And don't worry, the circle will burn up and the ground will go back to how it was; like I was never even here." He said, continuing to work the knife into the soil.
"Oh, okay, just be careful. That looks sharp." She comments, slightly worried.
"I'll be alright, but thanks for the thought." He replies, now digging deep into the dirt. Several minutes pass as the circle takes shape. It is marked with small, squiggly markings that seem unreadable and the circle has several lines and smaller circles distributed through it. With the circle complete, Sentinel rises to stand, cleaning his knife's edge and sheathing it. He then speaks in a strange language, causing the dirt marking to collect light, glowing vibrantly after several moments. "Ini wer geou di wer suiaerl si torkta nomeno sorwhitaj." He states, releasing his grip on the open book in his hand. However, the book doesn't fall to the ground, even after his hand dropped to his side, it instead hung in the air, as though being willed to hang in the air. Sentinel then speaks again. "Pliso lasauic wux." The circle now burns with white light and small bolts of lightning streak from the various markings and points on its surface, arcing towards the book as it levitates in the air. The outer edges of the circle release a pillar of light, ensnaring the book in a column of white, shimmering energy. Then, in a burst of light, the pillar and streaks of lightning cease to exist and the circle is gone, Sentinel's book slamming shut and dropping to the ground at his feet. On the ground, where the circle had previously been, now stood an owl with white and silver shimmering feathers and golden, shining eyes.
Fluttershy's mouth hangs agape and her eyes stare widely, speechless at what she'd just witnessed. A soft, sound of confusion leaves her throat.
"Fluttershy, meet Ptolemy. My Fey Owl from another plane of existence. Ptolemy, this is my friend, Fluttershy." Sentinel speaks, reaching down to offer the glinting raptor. Ptolemy hops onto his finger and releases a single coo, leaning forward, as if to bow to her.
End Chapter 4.
End Note: This was a rather difficult chapter to write. Fluttershy is far more timid than any of my normal characters and pegging that personality was difficult. If I made any mistakes, feel free to let me know in the reviews section, everyone. As always, read, review, and feel free to PM me. Stay frosty, my friends.