FlutterShy strode along the path of the EverFree forest. She walked with a timid yet determined pace. The EverFree forest always made her uncomfortable. The animals never bothered her, but something about the environ just felt ... unsettling to her. She was unsettled enough without the forest's influence. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder as a Timber Wolf howled in the distance. She wasn't sure what she was worried about; nopony would be out in the EverFree forest at this time of night; or really any time for that matter. Zecora was away in her homeland visiting family, so that wasn't a problem. All she needed to do, was a quick motion; that's it. Just a quick swiping of her hoofs, and everything would be fine. Well not fine ... but better.
FlutterShy shut her eyes tightly as she felt tears beginning to well up. She fought them back though. What she was doing was right. It was what was right. "It's what's right." she told herself. "It's what's right." she said again, this time out loud. A slight rustling and soft growl came from some bushes nearby. FlutterShy looked up at them as they rustled then became still. She sighed and continued her somber procession along the worn hoof-path. She knew it wasn't what was right. None of it was right. What she was doing was necessary. She gulped as she thought to herself, "A necessary ... evil."
A large pile of wood and kindling was suddenly visible in the distance. FlutterShy stopped and regarded it for a moment. She considered abandoning her plan. After all, It's not like she wanted to do this. But she must ... she must ... she must! Bowing her head, the pegasus marched forward. If only it wasn't for those damned timber-wolves; none of this would have been needed. If only Apple Bloom and the Cutie Mark Crusaders hadn't been playing so close to the edge of the forest. If only Angel hadn't accompanied them. If only timber-wolves didn't have such a keen sense of smell. If only Apple Bloom hadn't tripped as they fled. If only they had returned home before sunset like FlutterShy asked them to. If only FlutterShy hadn't let them out of her sight. It was her responsibility to care for them. It was her fault what happened. None of her friends blamed her; none of them said it was her fault. Not even AppleJack. But then again, AppleJack hadn't really said anything. But FlutterShy knew what her friends didn't need to say ... It was her fault.
Princess Celestia had issued an edict that very night. To prevent anymore tragedies because of animal attacks, she had decreed that animals of any type, including pets, were outlawed in any Equestrian town, city, province, county, or what have you. FlutterShy didn't see the logic in it. It wasn't the animal's mistake; it was hers. And now all of her animal friends were banished into the wilderness; most likely dead. Killed and eaten. Or maybe eaten before they were even killed. FlutterShy didn't like to think about it. There wasn't much that FlutterShy liked to think about anymore. So she chose to focus on her mission, on the task at hoof.
Without realizing it, FlutterShy had arrived in front of her stacked pile. It had taken her months to collect, compile, and complete it, and the others like it. Now the last phase of her plan was waiting on her. Slowly, she stretched out her wings. The small box of matches that she had kept there fell to the ground with a soft *plump*. FlutterShy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was it; she was going to do it. Wasn't she? Slowly, she turned her head to look at the box of matches lying on the ground. Motionless. Inanimate. It wouldn't do anything. She could leave it there and it wouldn't do anything bu lie there forever. But she wouldn't do that. She couldn't. She had to do what she came here to do. She quietly bent down and picked up the matchbox in her mouth.
She stared sadly at the wood pile before her before using her tongue to finagle a match out of it's slot. She spat out the match box into her hoof and lowered her head over it so that the igniting end of the match met the striking strip. But she hesitated, and brought her head back up; looking around. The forest was dead still. Not a creature moved, not a breeze rustled the leaves. She could feel the eyes of a thousand creatures upon her. She felt as if they were all watching her. Their gaze trusting and confident; sure of the fact that at any moment, she would toss the match aside and go back home. She even felt as if the very forest itself was watching her with held breath. Before FlutterShy even knew what she was doing, she had tilted her head down again and struck the match on the box. She held it her her teeth for a moment, the flame reflecting perfectly in her kind, innocent eyes. She looked back into the darkness: eyes now illuminated even by the tiny flame. "I'm sorry..." FlutterShy said, and she meant it, "...but it's either you, or every animal." With that she tossed the match into the oil-soaked structure, which became a raging inferno at an extraordinarily quick pace.
All at once the forest erupted as the animal audience scattered away from the sight of the fire. Their disjointed squawking, growling, chittering, squeaking, cawing, chattering, trilling, and other assorted noises bringing tears to FlutterShy's eyes. These were animals, yes; and FlutterShy loved animals to be sure ... But these were not her animal friends. The EverFree forest was almost entirely populated by all sorts of wild and vicious creatures. Beasts like, timber-wolves, and cockatrice, and manticores, and ursas. Things that would make ponies shudder at the mere thoughts thereof. They never normally bothered anypony, even ponies that strayed into or near the forest. The recent attack had been an exception. An extremely tragic, unexpected exception; but an exception nonetheless.
FlutterShy felt her face become sweaty and opened her eyes. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even realized that the fire had already spread to an over hanging tree; and completely consumed a nearby dead one. She let out a small squeak as a burning branch broke off the tree and landed less than a few feet from her. The pegasus stretched out her wings and took off into the air, leaving the newborn inferno in her wake. She flew over the forest and skimmed along the edges of the sea of leaves. She knew she had to act fast in order for her plan to be effective. It wouldn't take long for the weather patrol to notice the smoke or flickering lights of the fire. She still had five more kindling structures that she needed to set ablaze before that happened if she had any hope of succeeding.
Below her, she could hear the various noises of the forest's residents as they scrambled in their panic to get as far away from the inferno as ponily possible. She had to fight back tears as she did so, she knew if she stopped she would be distracted and compelled to help. She would want to land, and crawl towards the poor frightened animals. She would coo them and tell them not to worry; to tell that everything would be all right. But it wouldn't be alright. She knew this. She knew that she couldn't comfort them without lying to them. And while she may not be as honest as AppleJack, FlutterShy was not one to lie.
The cream-colored pony landed in a small clearing where the next wood pile was. With much less hesitation this time, she struck a second match and placed it gently into the center of the stack; watching as the fire began to glow and grow from within it's midst.
* * *
Four fires and sometime later, FlutterShy arrived back home. Her cottage stood at the very edge of the EverFree forest and wasn't too far from Ponyville either. She could see it in the distance: a few lights had been turned on and she could make out a small amount of activity near the town hall. It wouldn't be long now be fore the weather patrol would be scrambled to deal with the burning forest - less than a few minutes probably. FlutterShy sighed, she saw on her way back that the fire had now grown to an incredible size; any attempt by the weather patrol to put it out would be an exercise in absolute futility.
Turning the key in her lock, the pink-maned pegasus strode inside - and straight to her pet bunny's hiding place. She had managed to smuggle Angel back into her cottage after he and the rest of the animals in her care had been rounded up and dumped into the EverFree forest. She even built a special little hidey-hole just for him - so that nopony would even realize he was there. She knocked three times on the floor boards to signal to him that it was safe to come out. She had taught him a special secret knock to give back; but he neglected to use it ever - this time not included. Emerging from the small trapdoor that led to his home, the small white rabbit wore his usual look of distaste and annoyance; a bit of carrot protruding from his mouth as he finished chewing it.
"Oh I'm sorry if I woke you Angel Bunny..." FlutterShy breathed. Angel's expression didn't change. "... But I just wanted to tell you how much I loved you!" She lunged forward and hugged the bunny, squeezing his cheek to hers as she began to sob. Angel made a noise of disdain and disgust as he manged to wriggle free and hop away. FlutterShy stayed on the floor, and continued to cry. A soft cough from outside snapped her out of it, and she went to go investigate. Outside, Angel stood facing the forest, his paws clasped over his mouth.
"Oh goodness! Are you okay?"
Angel coughed again.
"Are you coughing because there's a bit of carrot stuck in you're throat?"
Again, the bunny let out yet another soft cough.
"Because you need some water?"
This time Angel hacked so deeply and brutally, that it must have taken quite some effort. He lifted up her chin and pointed towards the forest, and a squadron of weather patrollers streaked by overhead - the lead one leaving a rainbow in her wake.
"Because of that big cloud of scary black smoke?"
Angel placed him paws on his hips and glared at her annoyedly.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that..."
Angel allowed his paws to slip from his sides, swapping his glare of disdain for a look of bemusement.
"It's okay Angel - I did it for you. For all of you."
Angel stared up at her, still confused as to what she meant.
"Angel, the princess says that animals can't be with ponies anymore because they may attack; or draw out other animals that may attack..." she explained, looking out over the forest. The weather patrol was hurriedly gathering rain clouds to put out the fire. Others were loosing bags of dirt over a few other areas. "... But if there aren't any animals to to attack, there won't be any need for a law banning them." Angels eyes grew wide. She wasn't really suggesting...
He looked up at her. A weak smile crept faintly onto her face, her eyes overtaken by a grim stare. He tapped on her hoof with his foot and pointed first at the fire, then at her. She smiled wider and gave a little giggle before nodding to him. Angel clasped hi paws over his mouth again, a look of absolute terror crossing his face. How could she do such a thing!? He couldn't even fathom it! It just didn't seem possible.
"I didn't want to do it, I really didn't want to do it. But I had to. For you - for all of the cuddly creatures. So you could come back and live with us ponyfolk! If there aren't any monsters left, They'll be no need to keep you cute little furry things away now will there?" She was talking more to herself now than to Angel, who had started slowly backing away from the pegasus. "Oooh, things will be just like they used to! I'll be with all my cutsy-wutsy cuddly friends! With all the bunnies, and butterflies, and flamingos, and toucans..." She gave a small giggle, which shortly gave way to a fit of hysterical laughter. Angel took thisas his cue to dart back in the house and hide in his room. FlutterShy barely gave notice, still laughing. "... and monkeys, and bears, and owls, and turtles, and duckies, and mice, and geese, aheh aheh aha ha ha ha ha! And puppies, and kitties, and parrots, and macaws, and chickens, and lambs, and eheh ahaha ha ha! HA HA HA HA AHEH HEH HA HA HA!!!! Oh..." she went on, wiping a tear from her eye, "we'll have so much fun! Playing together, and making quilts together, and slicing butter together, and and and ... other stuff!"
Oh FlutterShy was feeling great! Is this how Pinkie Pie felt all the time? FlutterShy saw the undeniable logic in her plan. No EverFree forest meant no monsters meant no unnecessary law meant all her pets back. If was foalproof! She had had her doubts at first, but now she was sure of it. Not even Twilight could have come up with a better plan!
"Tum te tum..." FlutterShy hummed tunelessly to herself as she started drifting towards the forest. She really should see how the plan was progressing after all. She floated serenely along, watching a few cockatrice as they turned each other to stone so that they would be unaffected when the fire came through. Over yonder a few manticores huddled together as the fire slowly closed in around them. FlutterShy smiled. "Don't worry," she cooed as she passed, "a nest of cute little squirrlys will take your place by my bedside!" The manticores roared desperate pleas to her, But she took no notice. She watched, unconcerned, as an ursa minor carcass burned a short distance away. It was about the size of a cow - it must be a newborn. FlutterShy kept moving. She was waiting - there was one thing she wouldn't - she couldn't be satisfied unless she heard.
A strange guttural undulating reached her ears a few minutes later. While it was not the sound she had been hoping for, it peaked her interest and she decided to investigate. As she headed towards the noise, it changed rapidly between the roar of a lion, to the screech of an eagle, to a goat's wailing, before back to that first unearthly croaking. Fluttershy pressed herself through a few bushes and brambles to find herself staring at a draconequus. She was shocked for a moment, because she believed herself to be looking upon Discord; he did usually take the shape a draconequus after all. FlutterShy had never seen a real draconequus before; she didn't even know that any even resided in the Everfree Forest. She watched (a bit nonchalantly) as the amalgamation attempted to free itself from a large tree trunk that pinned it tho the forest floor; flames drawing closer to it as several more charred trees fell in the distance.
FlutterShy considered helping the poor creature up. It really was quite a beautiful creature, and rare too; perhaps it did deserve to be let free. Heh ... beautiful, rare ... Rarity heh heh. FlutterShy giggled quietly to her self as another large oak tree came crashing down, crushing the draconequus beneath in. "Oh well I guess that solves that." FlutterShy said coolly.
Then it came... Howls. Timber-wolf howls. Quick enough to make Rainbow Dash jealous, she darted towards the sounds. In a clearing she saw them. The pack that had caused all this. It was their fault. Their fault. Not FlutterShy's and they deserved to burn for what they did. To the Apple family. To her. FlutterShy took great relish as they howled and writhed in pain. In agony. Their breathing became heavy as the fire ate their wooden bodies alive. Their lungs full of smoke, their very flesh being consumed.
FlutterShy found herself crying. "No." she told herself. "No. It's what's right. What's fair. What's necessary. For the greater good." She sighed contentedly and landed as she watched the wolves become still. Things would get better after this. The sounds of the forest's denizens burning and dying barely registered with her. As long as they were only the unfriendly creature, FlutterShy didn't care. Unconsciously, she drifted forward and landed in a small patch of yet-unaffected green grass. From a sort distance away several mushrooms swelled and exploded like popcorn. The sound would have startled, or even frightened her under normal circumstances, but tonight she found them oddly cathartic. She closed her eyes and rested her head comfortably on her forehoofs. "Mmmm..." she moaned as the blazing inferno drew closer to her. She was by her fireplace, Angel Bunny was snuggling under her foreleg and her other animal friends were cuddled up next to her as well. Their furry little bodies ... they were so warm. "Mmmm..." FlutterShy repeated, "Soooo waaaarrrrmmmm..."
Her final thoughts were of Angel and all her friends.
* * *
