“So, snakes,” Doug mentions casually as he and Fluttershy walk through the orchards. Just the mention of going to meet a group of intelligent snakes makes his arm tremor. He can’t help but notice they seem to be making a beeline towards the Everfree Forest rather than some winding trail back and forth; that doesn’t help, either.

Fluttershy, however, perks up at the mention. She trots along at Doug’s side, glancing up at him with large, light blue eyes, and patiently waits for him to continue.

Doug purses his lips. “Snakes where I came from had a pretty bad reputation.”

“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy says with the slightest of an unhappy pout. “Snakes are just… very misunderstood creatures here, too.”

Doug can’t help but frown. “And, maybe I should wait until I see one, but to make sure we’re talking about the same thing: snakes slither on the ground, they don’t have any limbs, and they’re venomous?”

“Yup!” Fluttershy responds with a cheery upswing. “Well, not all of them are venomous. The vast majority of the snakes that live on the farm or in the White Tail Woods aren’t. But because most ponies don’t know the difference, they treat all of them the same.”

“Which is probably the right call,” Doug adds.

“Oh, certainly. But it does mean that they lose out on getting to know the friendlier ones.” Fluttershy sighs, looking a little more put out, but then she perks right up. “I’m so glad you want to meet them!” She shies back down almost immediately, “That is, um, since you were free.”

Free isn’t exactly how Doug would have put it, but he nods along. “You mentioned the friendlier ones.” Doug pauses for a moment. “Are there less friendly ones?” He continues as Fluttershy considers, “Because, there are a lot of, hmm, associations people make with snakes. That they are deceivers, cunning, or coldblooded.”

“But all reptiles are coldblooded,” Fluttershy says with a slight furrowing of her brow. “And snakes are reptiles, yes?”

“They are, but in this context it means remorseless. Not caring about what their victim feels.” Doug scratches at his chin, almost afraid to bring the topic up. But it’s not like she doesn’t know, right? “They are carnivores, yes?”

Fluttershy reluctantly nods. “And that’s the other reason most ponies aren’t very comfortable around them.” She hunkers down a little, her mane hiding her face from Doug. “And, um…”

“Yeah, I know I’m a carnivore.” Doug lifts his arm, but stops himself before he strokes the pegasus’ back. “I can get by with just eggs and milk, but I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

“...It does, a little.” Fluttershy turns her head away even more. She whispers, barely loud enough for Doug to hear, “I’m sorry.”

Doug nods to himself, his hand slowly lowering to his side.

“But everything needs to eat,” Fluttershy continues, sighing at the admission. She flicks her mane back into position as she straightens up.

“So you know most of the creatures around here?” Doug asks, occasionally able to make out a bird in the trees as they come to the edge of the orchards.

“Nearly every one in Ponyville,” Fluttershy confirms, “though after my latest bunny census I suspect there will be more than a few cuddly new faces.”

Doug looks out over the wheat fields to the south of Sweet Apple Acres. Both Applejack and Big Mac are relaxing; the three of them had worked hard to clear their latest field of stones and larger root systems, with Big Mac plowing and Doug loading the cart Applejack pulled. Applejack gives a friendly wave while Big Mac looks stoically on, a brief flicker of a frown crossing his muzzle as he spots Fluttershy.

Fluttershy and Doug hop the fence, getting to the river that cuts off the southern portion of Ponyville. Fluttershy takes to the air, her eyes going wide when she realizes Doug can’t fly with her. “Oh, dear! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Doug says with a chuckle. “I can swim.” After cleaning off his jackboots after the expedition with Rarity, and then getting them muddy the next day, he had eschewed wearing anything. His feet are quickly adapting, and the mild spring means he isn’t even that cold. In fact, except for the nights - where he stays warm cuddling with Applejack - he finds himself more concerned with sweating. Sunburns are still a thing, but he’s slowly getting a tan and the shade from the trees helps.

“Oh!” Fluttershy exclaims, dropping down to inspect Doug. “You can?” She hunkers down again, and Doug is quickly getting tired of the routine. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have doubted you. I-if you want to swim, that’s fine with me.”

“Is there anything dangerous in there?” Doug dips a toe in the cool water. A glance upstream towards the Everfree Forest suggests it’s runoff from the mountains to the southeast.

Fluttershy shakes her head. “Just fish, but they’re more afraid of you than you are of them.”

Doug rolls his eyes as he starts swimming across. “You know, I’ve heard that before, but that doesn’t stop them from lashing out, especially if they’re cornered.”

“Just tell them you don’t mean them any harm.” Fluttershy smiles as she nods.

“I’ll be sure to try that,” Doug says with a bit of sarcasm. He dunks his head underneath, wincing as he opens his eyes. Schools of tan and white fish mill about carpets of seaweed, but otherwise the river is fairly unpopulated. It looks, frankly, quite boring. He shrugs as he pops back up, shaking the water from his hair and eyes.

“Doug!” Fluttershy shrieks, nearly dipping her hooves into the river as she hovers. “Are you okay?”

“It’s alright,” Doug says, one hand treading water while the other makes a fist right at the surface. “I found something, though.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widen, eagerly exclaiming, “Is it a fishy friend!?”

“Come a little closer and see,” Doug says, barely holding in his smirk.

“Awww,” Fluttershy says, pushing her muzzle right next to Doug’s fist.

A thin jet of water squirts out, booping right onto the cute yellow snout.

Fluttershy shrieks, adorable and ear piercingly shrill at the same time. Light blue eyes widen as hooves paw at her snout, the surprise so great she tumbles over backwards, smack into the river.

Doug snorts as he shields himself from Fluttershy’s splash, though it quickly turns worried when she doesn’t immediately resurface. He can barely make out her struggling form, legs kicking ineffectually as her wings merely push her back and forth. A vast horde of bubbles splurge out of her mouth, and he dives after her.

Hooves painfully thrash against him before they grab fast, Doug weathering the flurry with gritted teeth. Legs kick as hard as he can, dragging the pegasus to the surface.

Fluttershy sputters as she crests the surface, clinging onto Doug for dear life. “Thank you,” she whispers as she shudders. She looks at the water. “What was that?”

“I’m sorry,” Doug says, one hand paddling while the other holds her fast. “I didn’t think it would scare you that badly.”

“The fish you had in your hand?” Fluttershy says, now more curious than scared.

“No, it was just my hand.” Doug shows his open palm, then closes it just above the water’s surface. He squirts out a jet of water. “See?”

Fluttershy stares at Doug’s hand. Then she looks at his face, then back to his hand. “Y-you pranked me!”

“I did. I’m sorry.” Doug tenderly strokes Fluttershy’s mane, even as it clings to her head. “I didn’t think it would frighten you that badly.”

“Oh, u-um, i-it’s okay,” Fluttershy stammers. She spreads her wings, shaking the water off and hovers above the water. “I-if you don’t mind, I-I’m going t-to go h-home.”

Fluttershy turns, flying towards her hovel at the edge of the Everfree Forest, her eyes clenched shut and leaving a thoroughly confused Doug treading water.

“But we never saw the snakes,” Doug says to noone in particular. He swims to the other side of the river, following the yellow pegasus to a rustic house built less in the shape of a tree and more like a hobbit’s burrow. Cozy yellow windows dot the exterior, more birdhouses than he thought necessary poke out from every wall and tree, and a short wooden fence that barely blocks off anything leads to her door. A footpath (hoofpath?) crosses a small stream to a two sectioned door.

Doug walks along the path, noting the wildlife dotting just about everywhere. Fluttershy turns as she comes to the front door, spotting Doug following her. “D-did you want something?”

“I was enjoying our time together,” Doug says, forcing a smile to his mouth. “And I didn’t want to end it like that.”

“Oh. Oh!” Fluttershy grins even as she shies down. “I-I thought you didn’t… um…”

“It was just a joke. A prank.” Doug shrugs, rubbing his hand through his hair. “I wouldn’t mind talking more about the creatures around here. You seemed a lot more comfortable discussing those.”

“Oh, um, yes. I am.” Fluttershy opens her door, motioning with a hoof. “Would you like to come inside?”

“Sure!” Doug wipes the water off him as best he can - flying seems to have dried off the pegasus - and ducks to enter her humble abode. Inside is almost as stuffed with things as the outside, with little mouseholes dotting the walls and ceiling, even more birdhouses, and various linens arranged as bedding. A single green lounging bench is next to bookshelves full of nature guides, stairs leading upstairs, and a stove next to her cooking area.

Fluttershy hops onto it, inviting Doug next to her with a pat of her hoof. “Not many ponies want to talk about the critters,” she says as he sits down. “Except to ask me to get rid of them. Even though all it takes is a kind word.”

Doug nods, the bench creaking under their combined weight. “Back home, you might be able to scare off a critter, but that was about the extent of our communication. The more intelligent ones you could train to do things, but it was a lot of effort. Would you say snakes are one of the more intelligent ones?”

“Mm,” Fluttershy considers for a moment, her eyes studying the ceiling.

Doug finds her thinking pose adorable, relaxing against the bench. It’s a little too low for his arms to comfortably rest on it, though, and his right arm ends up dropping onto her back.

“Oh!” Fluttershy squeaks, glancing back at the arm resting on her. “No,” she says as he pulls his arm away, and Doug pauses. She furtively glances between his hand and face, then gulps. It takes a few long seconds, but she slowly settles down. “I-it’s okay. R-Rainbow Dash says I need to get m-more c-c-comfortable around s-stallions.”

“Well, I’m not going to hurt you,” Doug reassures, hand lightly pushing against the slightly damp fur.

Fluttershy smiles, nodding along, finding a conversation topic she feels comfortable with. “Snakes are certainly one of the more magical beings. With the Everfree, sometimes they merge with other creatures, like lions or chickens.”

“Chickens?” Doug says, frowning. “So they make… cockatrices?”

“Yep!” Fluttershy says, pointing at a picture on the wall.

Doug gulps. It is a cockatrice hugging Fluttershy. Longer than the ones he remembers from games, with a thick, scaly tail and beady red eyes.

Next Chapter: Ch. 65 - Snakepit Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 12 Minutes