//------------------------------//
// Ch 4 
// Story: Love takes many forms 
// by coolpony01 
//------------------------------//

The date is December 31 2002. It has been three weeks since I’ve met Fluttershy. I have to admit that I’ve gotten to know her. She has a love for nature, animals, helping people in need, and equality. I like her personality and think she’s a very good being. Fluttershy was a bit shy around me at first but I noticed it was because she seemed shy around all the new people she meets. 

She’s told me about Equestrian culture. There’s a lot of wonderful things like their holidays the most famous of them being Hearth’s Warming of course. They don’t believe in the idea of eating meat or fish as they see all live as sacred and I respect and even admire that. They also believe in things like laughter, kindness, honesty, loyalty, and generosity. They also heavily believe they should help one another in order to create a better Equestria. Though there are some things I don’t agree with. There are still bad parts of the culture and some ponies that seemed to be very speciest toward non ponies and half ponies. Believing that certain rights and privileges belong only to the true ponies. There are also some aspects of Equestrian culture that are very xenophobic towards immigrants. They tend to not appreciate their culture norms and thus certain ponies try to stop other cultures from spreading. Some of the ponies can also be very homophobic. When Equestria was first founded it was forbidden to even be considered homosexual and it was punished by death. Things have fortunately changed since then. It is no longer legal to execute, arrest, imporison, or force anyone to change their sexuality but people still face discrimination in public services rights and aren’t allowed to marry or adopt. I find such actions to be disgusting. It's been illegal to discriminate against anyone for pointless matters such as homosexuality here for a long time and I happen to be a lesbian. 

I’m not gonna lie, my culture also has some ugly parts. Our culture has some homophobic roots as well. Changelings used to also be executed for doing any actions with the same sex, however, we weren’t nearly as strict as Equestria was about that and only executed for actions not thoughts. It was still wrong however to execute people based on the beliefs of a religion or at least part of the beliefs of the religion I agree and am a part of most of it just not the discriminatory parts. Fortunately those laws were revoked many centuries ago. Many changelings also believed in using military tactics that were questionable and a bit wrong. There also used to be a lot of speciesism towards non-changelings. As well as xenophobia towards anyone not from the hive however those things ended centuries ago. When our queen stopped the tyranny of her mother Queen Mavos. So not all of our culture was good but we still have many good aspects of culture. We believe strongly in doing good for others and being good to our families and friends. We also now heavily enjoy learning about the culture of other countries to get closer together. It is actually a common practice in most hives to not feed off love on penalty of imprisonment for a number of years depending on the severity. So us changelings are different then some Equestrians think and we’re proud of our accomplishments.

I just woke up. I am off duty today. I plan on having a little lunch with Fluttershy at this place called veggie wraps. They have great varieties of wraps with delicious sauces. I knew the restaurant was perfect since Fluttershy was a vegetarian. She doesn’t believe in the idea of eating meat like most ponies and I don’t want to offend her. She is however alright with other creatures eating meat. 

I went to the shower and then hopped in. The warm water soothed me and gave me a sense of comfort. A green magical ora formed around my horn and I levitated a bottle of shampoo. I opened the lid and put some of it on my mane and tail. I then used my magic to scrub it in making sure to get all the spots. I then put the bottle away and proceeded to levitate a bottle of body wash. I plopped it on my body and began to scrub. The scrubbing sensation filled me with a sense of comfort. I then stepped out of the shower. I feel far more refreshed now. I then washed my hooves with soap and water, put on deodorant, combed my hair and brushed my teeth.

I then began to consume my breakfast. It was rice noodles with eggs. It was very delicious. When I was done with that I did the chores around the house for the morning since I was off and then headed off to meet up with Fluttershy. I could see a lot of hallways as I trotted down and out of my apartment. I saw a buzz of activity. Many changelings are walking to and fro. I could see some young foals headed off to school. Some people headed to work and others to do their morning shopping. It is nice to live in a place with such color. I will always remain thankful for what I have. I then headed off to the restaurant.

“Hello Amber.” Fluttershy said in a quiet voice but with a smile on her face.

“Hello Fluttershy you look quite lovely today.” I complemented.

She blushed at that and I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you Amber, you look lovely today as well.” Fluttershy said.

“Excuse me but can I get you a table?” The changeling waiter said.

“Oh yes please.” I spoke in a polite tone.

The waiter then brought us to a table. “What can I get you to drink?” He spoke politely.

“I’d like one cherry coke please.” I said. I love cherry coke. Have since I was a foal.

“And I’d like a glass of lemonade please.” Fluttershy asked with a polite tone.

“Alright then I’ll be back with your drinks.” He said.

“So how has your day been  Fluttershy?” I asked.

“Oh my day was quite lovely actually I was finally able to get a pet friogn I named him Buggy Eye I’ll enjoy being able to take care of him.” Fluttershy seemed excited by that and there was a spark in her eyes when discussing it. I’m not surprised she does have a love for animals after all.

A frigon is a frog like creature but it’s not an amphibian and they only come in the color black. They are native to many changeling hives including Queen Chrysalis's. Fluttershy probably wishes to learn of other animals she’s never heard of before.
“Well I’m glad your day was nice.” I spoke with a smile.

“Yes my day was indeed quite lovely. How was your day by any chance.” Fluttershy asked me

“Oh my day was quite calm and relaxing. I spent my morning at home. I was able to get done with my chores for the day while being able to listen to some music.” I said with a smile.’

“Well I’m glad your day was lovely.” Fluttershy spoke.

“Here are your drinks.” We turned to see the waiter give us our drinks.

“Oh why thank you gentleman.” Fluttershy said with politeness.

“Yes, we'll be very happy to get a nice drink.” I said thankfully as it is of the providence after all.

“Alright, thank you, are you ready to order yet?” He asked.

“Oh I would like the spicy tai veggie wrap please.” I asked.

“And I would like the tangy infailian wrap please.” Fluttershy asked.

“I’ll make sure to get that for you.” The waiter said.

“So Fluttershy how have you been doing throughout your time here?” I asked curiously.

“Oh I love this place, the changelings here are very nice and I find a lot of the parts about the culture to be beautiful.” Fluttershy spoke with a passion and I could see a glow in her eyes.

“That’s good I’m glad that you’re enjoying yourself here. I don’t wish for you to deal with any problems.” I say knowing the fact that some of the changelings can be very prejudice.

“And I don’t wish for any changelings to deal with any problems in Equestria.” Fluttershy said recongizing the fact that I feel guilty about the fact that some of my kind are species when she reminded me that all species have groups like that.

“I am sure the changelings that come to your land would only have to deal with little things. I highly doubt Princess Celestia would allow anything serious to occur, especially since it would cause international conflict.” I said.

“You’re probably right Princess Celestia has always been a fair leader.” Fluttershy said with some of the worry going away.
“That is good you are very lucky to have such a wonderful princess who clearly cares about Equestria and her citizens.” I said admiringly.

“Oh she does care about us, she's always done what she can to protect her citizens and ensure that we are all treated equally.” Fluttershy spoke with a spark.

“That is good, she reminds me of my queen. She also cares very deeply about our citizens being treated fairly.” I said.

“And that’s a good thing leaders should help their people, not themselves.” Fluttershy spoke.

“We are very lucky that we have leaders that put our best interests at heart.” I said.

“Oh why yes. I’m very glad we don’t have leaders like Queen Chrysalis.” Fluttershy spoke with disdain and slight fear at that tyrant’s name. 

“That tyrant queen is a disgrace to the changelings. I’m sorry for what Queen Chrysalis and her swarm did to you and your people.” I said feeling a bit of guilt.

“Don’t apologize for something you weren’t responsible for.” Fluttershy said to me.

“I know it’s just… you didn’t deserve what that monster put you through.” I said.

“Yes that is true we didn’t deserve that and the fact that you care about what happened proves you’re not a bad person and shouldn’t have to feel sorry for something you didn’t take part in.” Fluttershy said to me.

“You do make an excellent point.” I replied.

“I know which is why I want you to at least try and stop feeling guilty about other changelings actions.” Fluttershy said to me.

“Alright I’ll try.” I said.

That made her smile warmly “Perfect!” She said aloud. She then hushed herself and blushed a little. “Good now perhaps we can talk about something else.” Fluttershy said.

“Good idea, so how have you been doing at your job at that animal shelter?” I asked my friend.

“Oh, I’ve been able to take care of all the animals there. I just don’t understand why some people mistreat them.” Fluttershy spoke a little sad at that last part.

“Me either. Mistreating animals is just wrong.” I said.

“It is wrong but still some people do it.” Fluttershy said.

“I’ve never understood that about other people.” I said.

“Me either people shouldn’t just commit such horrible deeds.” Fluttershy said.

“Well I’ll never do evil deeds like that. It’s just not okay.” I said.

“Me either, well at least it’s nice knowing that there’s some people that wouldn’t commit such evil deeds.” Fluttershy said with a spark of some sort towards me.

“I won’t lie I’m a sinner no one’s perfect but I’d still never commit such atrocities.” I said.

“And that’s a good thing no one should commit actions like those.” Fluttershy spoke with a passion towards good deeds.

“You’re right it’s wrong to do that and that’s why we need to not commit such evil deeds and instead commit good deeds.” I said with a passion towards that of harmony.

We then saw the waiter come with our lunches. “Here you are gentle mares.” He said politely.

The waiter then trotted off and we began to eat our delicious meal. The spicy delicious taste hit my tongue.

“This place really does have the best veggie wraps. You people really know how to prepare delicious food.” Fluttershy complemented with interests towards our culture.

“Thank you. I'm sure the food back home is quite delicious as well. Though you’re right, our people really do know how to prepare good food.” I said with a pleasant smile at the thought.

“Oh you’d probably love some of our desserts especially our apple pies from zap apple trees.” She said,

“I’ve heard of that particular apple. I've never had it before but I wouldn’t mind trying.” I said.

“Perhaps I can bring some with me when I next visit.” Fluttershy offered.

“Oh I’d love that but I want it to be your choice.” I said with delight and care.

“Amber, you were nice enough to bake that oreo cake. I think it would be fine if I got you one.” Fluttershy said.

“Alright I’m sure I will enjoy it. I mean everyone loves sweets.” I said.

“Very true I’ve always had a sweet tooth myself. I've already tried your ice cream flavors. I never thought that ice cream could have spicy flavors.” Fluttershy said with delight.

“Yes, our spicy ice cream really is a treat.” I said with delight at the thought.

“Well, I’m friends with an earth pony named Pinkie Pie. She runs a sweet shop and is really good at her job. You'd like her.” Fluttershy said, smiling at the thought of her friend.

“A person who can bake yeah I’d be up for that plus she’s the element of laughter she must be one fun person.” I said.

“Oh, she is, she's very open minded and accepting.” Fluttershy said.

“Oh, this is great I look forward to the idea of possibly befriending some of your friends.” I said.

“Yes, making friends is a wonderful thing.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, everyone should make friends. I should’ve been doing that more in high school.” I said.

“Hey, it’s alright, I wasn’t super good at making friends in high school either. I was really shy but I grew out of that overtime.” I said.

“Yeah, I was like that too, it's good to know that we got better over the years.” I said gratefully at the thought of finally making friends outside of high school.

“Well now that we’re more sociable I’m sure we’ll make lots of friends. Some of my friends are nice enough and I’m sure some of your friends will like me.” Fluttershy said.

“Oh, they will, they're very open and accepting towards everyone.” I said proudly of my friends.

“Well, that’s good everyone should be accepting though unfortunately not everyone is.” Fluttershy spoke sadly.

“Oh, I know but that’s no reason for them to be punished. I’ve always believed that people should be punished for their actions rather than their thoughts.” I said.

“And you’d be right about that it doesn’t make sense to punish someone for having different ideas that’s just… wrong.” Fluttershy said.

“Fortunately, most nations don’t have unjust laws like that anymore.” I spoke.

“Yes, that's a good thing people should be allowed to have whatever view they want even if it’s wrong so long as they don’t do anything bad it doesn’t matter.” Fluttershy said.

“And you’re absolutely right it’s a shame there are nations that punish people over simply being different.” I said with a saddened tone.

“Yes it’s very stupid and wrong to punish people over having certain ideas.” Fluttershy said in disgust and a saddened expression.

“It is wrong that people do that for power or they feel their way is the true way. I just can’t respect people like that.” I said.

“Oh me too, I’d never respect people who take things too far.” Fluttershy said.

“And we shouldn’t because while those people don’t respect us they still expect us to respect them.” I said.

“Yes, that's just… wrong.” Fluttershy said.

“Yes it is and I admire your determination to speak your truth.” I said admiring her.

“Oh well thank you.” Fluttershy said a little flustered.

“Well you are brave. You always stand up for what you believe in and do the right thing. I wish there were more people like you.” I said.

“Oh why thank you but I’ve never really considered myself to be the brave type.” Fluttershy said.

“Fluttershy you and your friends defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord two of the most dangerous villains in history. I think that proves you’re brave.” I said.

“You do make a good point though during those times I was…terrified.” Fluttershy admitted.

“Fluttershy of course you were anyone would be but that’s not what courage is, courage is remaining strong even when you’re scared. You shouldn’t look down on yourself for having fear over something so natural.” Fluttershy said.

“Yes I shouldn’t look down at myself for that reason, it's just my parents always told me that I need to be braver.” Fluttershy said.

“Don’t listen to them, they shouldn’t treat you like that.” I said with genuine belief and joy.

“I know I.. don’t really talk to them anymore.” Fluttershy said.

“That’s good you don’t need toxic people.” I said.
“I know that’s why I decided to leave after high school. I needed to live my own life.” Fluttershy spoke while smiling.

“I’m proud of you for that.” I spoke in praise.

“I am too. I'm just glad I didn’t do what they wanted and go into weather production.” Fluttershy said.

“Wait, that's stupid you’re an amazing animal carer.” I said in a compliment.

“Yes I know unfortunately they viewed that sort of career as weak.” Fluttershy said feeling hurt by what they thought.

“Ouch that’s…wrong.” I said.

“Yes it was…wrong I’m just glad you didn’t go through the same thing.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, fortunately the career I wanted was the one my parents wanted for me so I didn’t have to worry about that.” I said.

“Well that’s good. Though I won’t lie, I can tell that if your parents didn’t agree with the career choice you wanted you still would’ve chosen what you wanted rather than what they wanted.” Fluttershy spoke in praise towards my determination.

I looked at her with genuine appreciation towards the praise and joys and support she gives towards all the things that I do. I can tell she is going to be a good friend.