Disclaimer: I own only the following: Charles and his Pet

Self made Episode Chapter 24.5: The Pony And The Eagle

Daytime at Carousel Boutique...

"Thanks for inviting me over for tea Rarity!", Charles said. "It was my pleasure dear," she insisted, returning the smile.

Earlier Rarity asked Charles to have tea with her. After yesterdays fiasco he thought of getting a pet. He noticed Rarity was giving him that knowing smile across the table. "What's on your mind, darling?"

"Nothing… just uh…" Charles felt his face become red. "I've been thinking about um… getting a pet."

"Really? A pet?" She seemed a little surprised at this statement, but her smile brightened. "Well, that's just marvellous. What did you have in mind?"

"I'm not really sure yet, I'm still thinking about it." Something brushed against his leg and he looked to see Rarity's cat, Opalescence curl up under the table between them. "Would you say it's worth getting one?"

"Oh yes, of course, I couldn't imagine the Boutique without Opal here. Isn't that right Opal?" The cat opened her eyes lazily in acknowledgement and drifted back off to sleep again. "You see?"

"I certainly do." He would have reached to stroke her, but the last time he did he just received a nasty scratch. "What made you pick Opal?"

"I suppose… I never really thought about it," she admitted, gazing fondly at her pet. "As soon as I saw little Opal as a tiny kitten, I just knew that she was the one for me. It's one of those things that you just know at once."

"Intuition," said Charles simply.

"That's it exactly. I'm sorry I can't be more help Charles."

"It's okay, in fact…" He paused to take a sip from his tea, "you've given me something to think about at any rate, so thanks."

"I'm glad I could help. Biscuit?"

Charles thought long and hard about what would make a good pet for him. There were thousands of different species of animal in Equestria, but only some of those were able to be adopted by ponies as companions. At the minute, he didn't have any kind of particular preference and maybe that was his problem. He didn't know exactly what he wanted from a pet and so he couldn't decide as a result. So, he eventually realised that he would need to get information from another source before trying to make up his mind, one who knew more about animals and pets than anypony else that he knew. So he was now arriving at Fluttershy's cottage, which was as lively with animal life as it always was.

He approached the door and knocked politely on it. Seconds later, Fluttershy's timid head emerged slowly, until she realised who it was. "Oh, hello Charles. Please, come in…"

"I'm not bothering you, am I?" he asked her, as he usually did when he visited.

"Of course not. Can I make you some tea?"

"That would be nice, but I came here to request your assistance on a personal matter."

"Really?" She paused to give a nut to a squirrel, who chirped her thanks. "What do you need my help with?"

"Well, due to recent events, I have considered getting a pet, but am relatively unsure as to where to start looking." He smiled as her face lit up at the mention of the word 'pet'. "I was wondering if you could advise me as to where to start."

"A pet? For you? Yes, yes of course I can help!" She sounded positively ecstatic at the idea. "In fact, I can do much more than that. Come on!"

With that, she grabbed his hoof and took him outside to the garden behind her house. Here, Charles could see that there were literally dozens of different animals to choose from, mammals, reptiles, birds, they were all gathered here in a kind of strange showcase of wildlife. Fluttershy floated gently up to the centre of them, spreading her hooves out wide at them all.

"You can choose a pet from all of the ones here! Don't you just love them? Isn't it wonderful?" He couldn't help but laugh at how happy she was at the prospect of it.

"It certainly is," he admitted. "Very well then, let's see what you've got."

"Oh my goodness, just you wait. I have so many wonderful choices for you to decide." Still in a bit of a happy daze, Fluttershy began to show him around all of the assembled creatures present.

First she showed him a few pets that most ponies would commonly own, such as dogs, cats and hamsters. While these were all cute, adorable and friendly, Charles saw a wrinkly dog "Hey Fluttershy why this dog all wrinkly?" he asked. "Oh that's a Shar-Pei." Fluttershy answered. Charles was confused "What the heck is a Shar-Pei?" "A chinese fighting dog." Fluttershy answered. Charles like the sound of that "Oh, I like the sound of that!"(1) "So do you want him?", Fluttershy asked. "Humm... I put him on the Maybe List."

Next, she showed him a collection of reptiles, lizards, snakes and tortoises, slithering and hissing. Charles was so Interested until he saw a rather hopeful tortoise plodded over and gazed up at him, giving him a rather wrinkly smile, as if saying 'please pick me.'

"Oh he's always hoped to be somepony's pet," Fluttershy explained.

Charles smiled sadly back at him. "Sorry little fellow, but you're not what I had in mind. Besides, I think you were meant for somepony else. Your time will come."

The shelled reptile looked a little disheartened, but still kept that smile as he slowly plodded off once more.

Despite his rather difficult compliance, Fluttershy didn't seem in anyway perturbed or hopeless at this. In fact, it only seemed to make her more determined to find the perfect companion for him. It was like everything he said 'no' to just gave her a better idea of what exactly to look for. When he declined having an insect, or arachnid, as a pet, she stopped to think for a moment and suggested that perhaps he would like a bird as a pet. Feeling intrigued by this, Charles obliged and was soon looking at all manner of creatures that flew or had feathers.

"Hmm… I don't think a flamingo," he declined, as the pink bird waddled by. "It's too… flashy."

"Don't worry, there's still plenty of choices," she said encouragingly. "Would you consider something along the lines of maybe a sparrow or a finch?"

"Too small. Maybe something a little larger."

"Like a flacon or an eagle, perhaps?" As she prompted this, the birds of prey landed beside her, glaring at him with fierce eyes.

"Ooohhhh I like that. What breed of falcon and eagle Do you have?" he clarified.

Within seconds, he was carefully looking over what looked like every species of falcon or eagle on offer. He was rather drawn to a peregrine falcon, but eventually decided it wasn't quite right for it was too fast. The bald eagle but it was too big. Like the others similar to it, the Mauritius Kestrel but it was small. When it seemed like they were reaching the end of the choices, Fluttershy said that she had one more on offer. They crossed over to a tree, where there was a nest, large enough for a bird to make its home.

"Come on out, there's somepony here to see you," she coaxed gently. There was no movement within. "I'm sorry, this one's reckless and arrogant."

"Really?" This alone appealed to Charles because this thing have his Personality and characteristics. "May I try?" She nodded and he look up. "Hello? Are you up there? I just want to see you."

He thought he could see something stir in there and knew he was making progress. Taking the advantage, he pressed on, as gently as he could.

"I understand you're reckless and arrogant, I can be too you know. Maybe that's something we have in common. Their's no reason to be up there, I'm an okay guy. Come on out… please?"

At first, there was nothing. Then, a pair of yellow eyes looked down, the occupant of the nest flew down. As soon as the bird landed the bird was brown, with a pale gold color on the back of the crown and nape, and some grey on the wings and tail.(2) Charles knew instantly that he'd found the pet for him.

"Wow, even I have difficulty getting him to come out," remarked Fluttershy. "I think he really likes you."

"I think so too," agreed Charles, offering his foreleg for the Golden Eagle to climb on. He stared at it for a few seconds, as if it strong. Then, stepped out slowly and perched himself on it, giving a loud screech.

"Perfect! Oh this is wonderful, you're going to be the best of friends, I just know it!" Grinning at her success, she gazed fondly at the two of them. "We're having a pet play date tomorrow you know. You can come along to that and show him to everypony."

"Well that depends… do you mind?" The Eagle shook his head. "Okay then, we will. Thanks Fluttershy."

"It was my pleasure. Oh, what are you going to call him?"

Charles looked over his new companion, as he look at him proudly. "I'll tell you tomorrow…"

"Here we are Owlowiscious," Twilight said, as the two of them approached the group of ponies with pets.

They'd all gathered here for their first play date, or rather Twilight's first play date, with their pets. She had Owlowiscious perched on her back, Rarity sat proudly with Opalescence, Applejack was playing with her dog Winona, Pinkie had Gummy biting onto her head and Fluttershy was just arriving too with her rabbit Angel. Twilight could tell already this was going to be a fun day. It was just a shame Rainbow Dash and Charles couldn't come along…

"That all-a us?" Applejack asked, as Twilight joined them.

"Not quite, Charles is just coming now," Fluttershy told them.

"Really? Charles has a pet?" asked Twilight, surprised at this news.

"Yes, he just got one yesterday. He wanted to keep it a surprise for today."

"Ooh, a new friend for Gummy!" exclaimed Pinkie excitedly.

"Oh, wait till you see… look, here he comes." She pointed to their one male friend trotting over. There was no sign of any animal with him though.

"Hey Charles!" greeted Pinkie, still having Gummy clamped to her head. "Where's your pet?"

"Oh He's…" He looked around, bewildered. "Darn He's around somewhere, hold on…" He turned around and called out. "Zeus(3), come over here! I want you to meet my friends!"

They waited a few minutes after this call and soon heard the flapping of wings. They looked up and Twilight actually gasped. A Big strong Golden Eagle flying. The way he flew is was more like a Hurricane, having taken on some strange life of its own.

He flew onto Charles' outstretched leg and look at the others proudly. Immediately, Twilight could see why he had picked this Eagle as his pet, it's that they are both strong. It suited him so well.

"There we go." he said. "Ladies and pets, I'd like you to meet my pet, Zeus."

"Oh Charles, he's handsome," remarked Rarity, gazing with awe at the bird. "Oh isn't he a treasure?"

"Dad gum," commented Applejack. "Now that's a fine Eagle, if ever ah saw one."

"See, I told you they'd like you." Charles said to his pet.

Gently prompted, Zeus hopped off Charles's leg and onto the ground, look at the others. He let out a loud screech by way of greeting, the other animals seeming to recognize the similar Personality and characteristics both bird and pony have.

"You've definitely found something special with this little darling," agreed Rarity. "What made you choose him?"

"Well, both of us have the same Personality, not meaning to sound like I'm blowing my own trumpet," he added modestly.

"You might have at least told us you have a trumpet. I love trumpets!" Everypony stared at Pinkie. "What? I do!"

"Clearly.", He said.

"Aw, ain't that sweet?" remarked Applejack, Winona wagging her tail behind her.

"Well... I thought so..." Charles' cheeks went pink.

"I'm sure you'll do a great job and we'll help you along with it too," encoruaged Twilight proudly, her own owl hooting in agreement.

He gave her one of his warm smiles that he seemed to reserve just for her. "Thanks Twi, that means a lot..."

"Well come on then!" yelled Pinkie. "Let's go and have some fun." Bouncing off, the six of them set off to play with their pets together.

Charles spar with Zeus all day.

Notes

(1) This line is from a tv show Called Johnny Test.

(2) This is the colors of The Golden Eagle.

(3) I named the Golden Eagle Zeus because the Golden Eagle is the sacred bird of The Greek God Zeus.

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