Twilight loved the rain: it brought about interesting smells and critters and felt good on her fur. But the best part, at least for her, was the peace it brought with it. The rythmic patter of water droplets hitting the grass almost lulled her into a trance as she sniffed about, eyes closed and simply taking in her environment. She stopped in her steps to raise her head to the sky and let the rain hit her nose, taking in a deep breath with a lazily wagging tail.Suddenly she stilled, whole body perking with her ears as she strained to listen through the pitter patter of water. She stood as unmoving as a statue, holding her breath for several seconds as her ears swivelled about.....Was she just imagining things?The moment she was almost sure she didn't hear anything, another tiny mew sounded out. Curiousity piqued, she perked her ears forward and followed the direction the sound was coming from, absentmindedly weaving and zigzagging through trees and over rocks.Another weak mew, louder this time and accompanied by the distinctive scent of feline, and Twilight was on the trail like a bloodhound. What was a cat doing all the way out here?Entering a clearing, her nose finally led her to a lonesome log embedded into the grass, the wood smelling of rot and sagging underneath the weight of the rain and moss. Even through the screen of rain, the dog could make out a small figure curled up within the log. Twilight stopped in her tracks with one paw raised, suddenly unsure if she should approach or keep her distance. She gave a nervous lick of her lips."Um... Hello?"Silence. Nothing but the sound of the rain around them. Twilight allowed herself a step closer, lowering her head to try and peer into the log for a better look. "Hello? Are you okay in there?" She huffed quietly, squinting against the darkness.A quiet, quivering mew was her answer, almost as if the cat was too weak to even reply. Concern now outweighing her nerves, Twilight inched forward until she stood directly in front of the log's opening. Twi lowered herself to the ground and peered inside, and breathed out a small "oh..." as she took in the sight before her.She was probably one of the thinnest cats Twi's ever seen: even with her thick fur she could see the light outline of her ribs. Her coat-- Twi guessed it was once a pristine white-- was thoroughly matted and stained brown with filth, twigs and snares curled painfully all over her tiny, shivering body. The poor thing was barely breathing, quiet quivering huffs of air and the saddest, smallest mew Twi's ever heard the only indicator she was alive. Twi tried not to recoil back; the poor thing smelled, but it was the sour twang to her scent that set a wrinkle to Twi's muzzle."Hey? Hey, can you hear me?" Twi tried again, shuffling closer. The cat's eyelids quivered before one slid open, blankly staring at Twi before it fell shut once more. Twilight's own eyes prickled with unshed tears: how long was this cat out here like this?"Twily! C'mon girl, time to come in!"Twilight sat up at the sound of Spike's call and rose to obey, only just stopping herself when she looked back into the log. She couldn't just...her here. She wouldn't survive another night like this, Twi was sure of it. But she couldn't stay here either; it wasn't gonna help the cat anytime soon and her boy was calling.Spike gave another call of her name, this time somewhat questioning, and Twi made up her mind. She stooped back down to the log and shuffled forward, pressing her nose gently against the cat's ear. "I'm gonna help you so I'm gonna pick you up, okay? Is that okay?"The cat's ear only twitched and Twi's floppy ear flicked in response. That'll have to be good enough.As gently as she could muster, Twilight pulled the cat out from the log with a paw, receiving a quiet chirp of protest but barely anything more. Now fully free from the sad excuse of a shelter, Twilight grabbed hold of the feline's scruff and carefully lifted her from the rain-soaked grass.She heard Spike call her name again, and once she was sure the cat was securely in her grasp, Twilight hurriedly made her way through the woods and back home. Zigzagging through the trees, Twilight chanced a glance down at the cargo she carried and fastened her pace as carefully as she could.Twi only hoped she was right.--------------------------------------------------Ahahaaaaa still getting used to writing like this. I hope you enjoy it regardless!Part 1 of the series of images I'll be making to tell the story of the Fluffy!AU. For context, the Fluffy!AU is an alternate universe where the Mane 6 are pets. You can learn more about it here:The basic idea behind this one is the first time Twilight sees Rarity. While out exploring despite the rain, Twilight runs across a small cat hiding underneath a hollow log. She's dirty and matted and shivering terribly, the log offering little shelter against the cold rain pouring down. Twilight can't bring herself to just leave the cat, so she decides to bring her back home with her instead.I'm pretty happy with how this came out, and I hope ya'll like it! C:



