Indigo's eyes wandered around the cottage until they settled on a small creature. Rabbit. It was called that, he was certain, and it was a kind of small furry dry fish similar to a mouse, but bigger and with larger ears. "Hello rabbit."

The rabbit approached him and looked up at him. It didn't seem happy to see him. Why?

"Hello?" Indigo tilted his head faintly. "I'm not sitting on your spot, am I?"

The rabbit pointed off to where Fluttershy had gone off to, then pointed at Indigo, and made a cutting motion across its small neck.

"What?" He reared back. "I would never hurt Fluttershy." To injure such a nice pony? It was-- "Ow!" The rabbit had kicked him in one of his fleshy legs. Without the support, he fell right over, collapsing from the couch to the floor in a heap.

"Angel Bunny!" Fluttershy emerged with something balanced on her hooves and set it on the table before approaching the rabbit with a deep scowl. "That is not how we treat our guests!"

Chastised or not, the rabbit bounced up to where Indigo had been and settled in the place comfortably.

Indigo sat up and blinked. He had just been defeated by the small fish. "I asked if it was your spot..." The smell of the food distracted him though and he looked over at the table. "What did you make? It smells lovely!"

"Oh, um..." Fluttershy suddenly looked nervous. "I thought... since you're a seapony and all, I would, you know... make something you'd like?"

Indigo made hasty steps over to rear up and peek into the ceramic bowl. The smell was delightful! "You have fish, I mean, sea fish?" He leaned closer. "And you made it so well... Have you made this before?" The idea of a herbivorous dry pony knowing how to prepare any kind of meat, dry or sea, confused him.

"You aren't the only animal I've ever met that liked fish." Fluttershy sat down at the table. "Please, enjoy yourself."

That he intended to do, but... "Where's your food? Are you going to have fish too?" He settled across from Fluttershy. The fish smelled like it had other things in it. A mix of dry and sea foods? He couldn't wait to try it!

"N-no, but thank you." She smiled nervously.

He tilted his head at her. "Well... you wait here!" He hopped to the ground and trotted right past her to her kitchen. If she was nice enough to make him food, he would make her something nice for dry pony appetites... He grabbed the fridge's handle in his mouth and opened it, slowly gathering ingredients.

"Is everything alright in there?" She sounded just a little worried.

"Don't worry!" He cracked a few eggs and put them in a bowl. "Pinkie Pie showed me how to use The Dry to make good dry pony food. Just you wait!"

"You really don't have to..."

"But I want to." He whisked thoroughly with the beater in his mouth and got to mixing in things and getting a good batter going. With a twist, he summoned the power of The Dry beneath a metal pan strong enough to withstand its power. "We can eat together." He poured the mixture into the pan and it started sizzling and popping, transforming with the power of The Dry into, well, a drier substance that he carefully managed and flipped over. "Almost done..."

When it was complete, or at least as close as he could determine, he flipped it right out of the pan and onto a plate. "Ta da!"

Fluttershy flew in suddenly and twisted the knob that banished the power of The Dry, "T-thank you." She reached for the plate uncertainly. "She taught you how to make an omelette?"

Indigo bobbed his head. "I wanted to... What was that sound?"

They both turned for the front where a muffled thump had been heard. Most of the house was filled with a large and brown shape. Harry had arrived, and found the fish.

Before Fluttershy could move, half the prepared dish had been devoured. "Ooo! I'm so sorry, Indigo. Harry! You're not to eat things that aren't given to you!" She waved a hoof up at the large dry fish.

Indigo emerged after Fluttershy, gawking at the massive shape. Sure, he'd seen larger fish, but that was about the largest living thing he'd seen on land. "You're big!"

The bear growled a greeting at him and Indigo waved with far less irritation than Fluttershy had. "So you're Harry huh?" The big bear nodded. "Nice to meet you. We were just having lunch."

Indigo settled on his chair and only then noticed half his food had vanished. He peeked over at the bear, then pulled the bowl closer to himself as if to guard it from further attacks that weren't his own. "He must eat a lot."

The bear asked him if he meant he was fat.

"Oh no! You look powerful, Mister Harry. Not f--" His words were cut off as he stuffed some of the fish into his mouth. Mmm! It tasted just as lovely as it smelled. "Not fat at all." Mmm... Talking and eating was hard, and he focused on stuffing his mouth with the delicious food Fluttershy had made him.

Outside, Berry sank down beneath a bush. "Just meeting, you said. Look at them! They already exchanged food!" She pointed to the cottage. "She's eating Indie's food!"

Cherry raised a brow. "Indigo would cook for anypony that he could. He likes cooking... Is that bad?"

Berry leaned towards Cherry. "You want him stolen away by that air-flippered dry pony?!"

"N-no, but I don't think--"

"Let me do the thinking." Berry put a hoof to her chest. "For now, let's gather more intel."

Cherry raised a brow. "Why did you drag me along anyway? Aren't you trying to win Indigo away from me?"

Berry rolled a hoof. "It's different! We're rivals. When we fight, it's normal. She's the outsider." She peeked out from the bush at the cottage and the ponies inside.

Inside, Fluttershy brandished a napkin. "Oh dear. I'm glad you liked it." She flew in closer, reaching out with the napkin to clean the mess Indigo had made of himself.

Berry gasped dramatically. "Look!"

"What?" Cherry finally peeked out just in time to see Fluttershy leaning close to Indigo. From the angle and distance, it looked like the two were kissing. "What?!"

"See?!" Berry clopped a hoof on the grass behind the brush. "She's stealing our precious Indie!"

Cherry went a nice red color as she backed away from the sight. "I-if this is what he wants..."

"No!" Berry wheeled on Cherry. "We can't give up that easily. I'm going to march in there and demand that dry pony back away from Indie." She rose to her full height and started stomping towards the cottage, only for one of her fins to be caught in Cherry's mouth. She was hauled back out of sight in a flash.

"Hold up! If this is... if he likes her, then we should let him."

Berry thrust a hoof towards the cottage. "She's just taking advantage of him. She can speak to odd fish too, and she's using it to her advantage."

"Oh no, a pony with similar interests is using the shared interest to get closer to a pony." Cherry rolled her eyes. "How devious..."

"See!?" Berry was completely blind to the faults in her logic. "You go if you want to, but I will defend my Indie!"

Cherry grumbled to herself as she trotted off back towards the train. At least trains made sense. She just had to finish fixing that one. It was a lot easier to figure out than colts, or the fillies that chased after them. Not like she even wanted...

Berry scowled at the departure of her rival then cleared her throat before she rose up, ready to face the intruder on her lovelife. "Prepare to deal with Sea Berry!" She emerged from the bush to find a rabbit parked directly in front of it, staring at her. "Hello small dry fish." She moved to skirt around it, but it moved to be in her way no matter which way she turned. "Land fish... get out of my way."

It shook its head.

It understood her, but refused to obey. On one hoof, it understood her; that was good. On the other, it was being annoying on purpose. "Move aside!" She lashed out a hoof and knocked the small creature away as she stomped past, only to find the world spinning around her as she crashed to the ground. She looked back and saw the creature had, somehow, stolen her back legs. How had it even detached them?! "Give those back!"

The rabbit saluted at her before bouncing away, her legs in its dirty little grasp. It jumped into another bush and was gone even as she sat up. She was stranded, in the middle of The Dry, with no way to get around but to drag herself around.

This was far from ideal...

Inside, food was complete, and Fluttershy worked to remove the plates from the table. "Thank you for the eggs, they were very well made."

Indigo blushed a little. "S-she said it was one of your favorites."

Fluttershy blinked and fled with the dishes, coloring as she went.

Indigo looked up at Harry. "So, Fluttershy's friend?"

He growled affirmatively.

"She seems nice."

He nodded at Indigo, then pointed at him. What sort of animal was he, wondered the bear.

"Oh, I'm a sea pony. I came from the ocean." Indigo bobbed his head. "And you are... Harry, from the forest?"

Harry nodded in agreement before reaching for Indigo. Indie didn't move, and he began stroking his long tail, apparently fascinated by it.

Having a bear petting his tail proved to be ticklish and Indie began to giggle as Fluttershy returned.

"Aw, you two are getting along." She approached at an easy rate. "Harry, why don't you take Indigo out for a walk?"

Indie blinked. "Where would we be dr--walking?"

Harry pointed at himself.

"To his home, of course." Fluttershy nodded. "He's a very gracious host."

To see the land fish's den sounded fun and Indigo bobbed his head. "Sure! Oh, Fluttershy? I still want to meet all your other friends, and, um, trade notes."

Fluttershy tilted her head at him as if he'd just suggested an odd thing. "We'll, um, see. I hope you have fun!"

Indigo moved for the door, only for the floor to retreat away beneath him. Harry had hefted him right up to the bear's shoulder and carried him out. It seemed dry swimming would not be req---

Indie blinked as he saw Berry on the ground, devoid of her dry-swimmers.

Author's Notes:

The episode continues, and Fluttershy misunderstands, which is okay, so does everyone else. Does this count as a typo?