Instinctual Fear

by The Conflicted Writer

Rating: everyone
Tags: Applejack, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Mr. Cake, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 5438

Everything gets afraid. Fluttershy forgets that sometimes.

Animals scare easily. Fluttershy knows this all too well, feeling fear almost all the time. As a fire burns the Everfree Forest away, she comes to find most ponies aren't that different from her.

Published 2012-03-06 18:23:25 UTC
Last updated 2012-02-20 23:46:31 UTC

Instinctual Fear

Instinctual Fear

Fluttershy’s first thought after waking up was something similar to ‘jump under the bed, a monster wants to eat me.’ After listening to that thought and jumping under her bed, she decided to try and calm her natural instincts and figure out what had raised her from sleep. She heard a low pitched howl like a wolf’s but much deeper and maybe more frantic. She wasn’t sure how she could tell, but she knew the cry was one of panic and fear. Berating herself, she also realized it was nowhere near her home.

Nevertheless, she decided to very cautiously stick her head out from her hiding spot and glanced around quickly. After all, one could never be too careful when they lived near a forest infested with monsters of various shapes and sizes, motof those sizes being much bigger than the average pony. All seemed quiet in her room. Coming out, Fluttershy noted how very quiet her home was.

That was not a good sign.

She searched through her home and found all the animals that took residence there in their usual spots or at least close by and cowering away.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked them as she came upon them. Most were too busy shivering to answer. She wondered if the howl had frightened them. Then there came another howl.

“Meep,” she said and then dived under a table. After a few seconds there, a white rabbit hurriedly grabbed her snout and pulled with all the force he could muster.

“Angel?” she asked as she came out and stood up, taking the still clinging rabbit up with her. “What’s going on? Why’s everyone so scared?”

Angel hopped up and down on her muzzle and waved his arms at the door, squeaking and chattering at a fast pace.

“Outside? What’s outside?”

Angel huffed and crossed his arms.

“Oh, right, I should just, uh, go out and see for myself.” Fluttershy trotted outside and looked around. The forest around her cottage was dark and silent. “W-what am I looking for?” she asked the rabbit still on her face. Angel pointed up at the moonlit sky. “What is is? A-all I see is stars and-” She gasped and the billowing stream of darkness that blotted the stars above the Everfree Forest. “Oh no!” she squeaked. She began to dance on her hooves in panic as her pupils shrank to pinpricks. “Oh no, oh no, oh no! I need to hurry! I need to run! I need to get help! I need to stop talking!” With that, Fluttershy beat her wings as fast as she could and sped towards Ponyville, accidentally dropping Angel in a heap on the ground.

F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F

Fluttershy beat her hoof against the door with more force than she meant to. It was very rude to wake up a pony in the middle of the night, especially with so much noise. Under any normal circumstance, she would have gone out of her way to let the pony sleep and take care of the problem herself. However, she was but a single pony and could do little on her own.

“Oh, please wake up, please wake up,” she chanted.

Light suddenly flooded the windows of the building and the mayor opened the door. The glasses she usually wore were missing and her mane was a mess.

“Fluttershy?” the mayor asked as she used a hoof to rub the sleep from her eye. “What’s going on? Why are you knocking on my door at this horrid hour?”

Fluttershy ‘meeped’ and cowered beneath her large pink mane. “I-I’m so sorry Mayor Mare, but t-there’s an emergency at the Everfree Forest. We need to g-get the town up and stop it!”

Mayor Mare’s eyes shot open and her posture straightened. “What’s going on? Was a filly taken in? Details, fast.”

“F-f-fire!” Fluttershy shouted, which for her meant that her voice became really high and one didn’t have to strain their ears to hear her. “The Everfree Forest is on fire!”

“Oh my goodness!” the Mayor cried. “The forest by your home is burning? We’ll rally everypony up and stop it. You get the Apple family to safety and I’ll get the weather team.” The Mayor began to push past Fluttershy.

“Uh, actually, the forest isn’t burning by my house. It’s, uh, in the middle of the forest.”

The Mayor stopped in her tracks and turned. “You mean to tell me that the main source of Ponyville’s business isn’t in danger of burning to the ground?”

“Um… no?”

Mayor Mare sighed and placed a hoof on her face. “So what you’re saying is that you woke me up in the middle of the night because a spot of the forest far away from Ponyville in on fire.”

“Uh… maybe?”

The Mayor’s eyelids drooped until she was looking at Fluttershy with half lidded eyes. She did not look amused. “Go back to bed.” She walked past Fluttershy and walked into her home.

“B-but what about the fire?” Fluttershy squeaked.

Mayor Mare turned back to Fluttershy and sighed. “Miss Fluttershy, I’m too tired to sugar coat this, so I’m going to be blunt; I don’t care. If this fire isn’t going to affect anypony because it’s miles and miles away then I don’t care. If this fire is happening in a forest infested with monsters of various shapes and sizes, most of those sizes being much bigger than the average pony, then I don’t care.”

“But-” Fluttershy began before Mayor Mare slammed the door in her face. Fluttershy felt tears stinging her eyes, but quickly wiped them away. She could get her friends to help her. With all the force her legs and wings could muster she ran towards the library.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Much to Fluttershy’s relief, the lights were already on at the library which meant that the caretaker was studying and would be wide awake. Fluttershy pounded the door and smiled widely when Twilight Sparkle opened the top half. “Fluttershy?” Twilight said, turning to look at a clock hanging on the wall. “It’s past midnight. What are you doing up so late?”

“Oh, Twilight,” Fluttershy began, “it’s horrible! The Everfree Forest is on fire and I need your help. There’s smoke coming out and I can’t stand the thought of the animals being afraid and their homes burning down. Quick, we need to hurry!”

Twilight waved a hoof down and spoke calmly. “Woah, woah, slow down Fluttershy. What’s this about a fire?”

“In the Everfree! It burning and you can see the smoke and its dark and I-” Fluttershy gasped as her lungs ran out of air.

“Did you alert the Mayor? She’s the one who can rally all the other ponies we need to stop it.”

Fluttershy danced on her hooves and thought about how much time this was wasting. “I already asked her, but she refused to help.”

Twilight’s gasped. “She refused to help out with a fire? Why would she do that?”

“She said she wouldn’t help because it’s deep inside. But that’s beside the point, we need to stop it!”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Fluttershy, forest fires are a natural part of an ecosystem. It’s not right for us to interfere if ponies had nothing to do with. I know you care about animals and that the fire might hurt a few of them, but this isn’t a matter for us to meddle in.”

Fluttershy’s mouth hung open for a moment. “B-but, the animals… their h-homes…”

Twilight held a hoof up. “Besides that, there are monsters out there. You of all ponies should know how dangerous the forest is. When there are things of various shapes and sizes, most of those sizes being much bigger than the average pony, you don’t want to go anywhere near there.”

“Um, Twilight…” Fluttershy tried to cut in.

Twilight shook her head quickly and her breathing increased in speed. “Really, we could be eaten in a single bite. That hydra was huge. I’d read about how big they were, but to actually see them at that size is absolutely terrifying! And then there’s those Ursa Minors and Majors, do you have any idea just how big a full grown Ursa is? It’s big, and I mean big. I’m talking smash Ponyville with its paw big.”

“T-twilight…”

Twilight’s mane was beginning to frizz. “And who could possibly forget those huge dragons? I mean, really, was it too much to ask that one to move? And that other one only lost, what, maybe fifty jewels of that massive pile.” Twilight took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but we just shouldn’t be in there. Go back to bed, Fluttershy.”

“B-but…”

If Twilight had heard the breath-like whisper of Fluttershy, she chose to ignore it. The librarian gently closed the door and left Fluttershy to the night.

“B-but… monsters are animals…”

R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R

Fluttershy fidgeted on the doorstep of Sugar Cube Corner. She really so wanted to knock, she really, really did, but what about the Cakes and their foals? It didn’t seem right to wake them up to deal with this, and it seemed even worse to wake them up when Pinkie Pie might not even help her. If Twilight, the smartest pony she knew, wouldn’t help her why would anypony else?

“No,” Fluttershy said to herself. “I c-can’t be a coward now. They need help, and I-I’m the only one that can get it.” She shakily raised a hoof to the door.

“What’s up Fluttershy?” Pinkie Pie asked from next to her friend. Fluttershy did something like a scream except several decibels quieter and collapsed to the ground.

“P-P-Pinkie, please don’t scare me like that.”

“Whoopsie, sorry Fluttershy,” Pinkie replied as she patted Fluttershy’s head much too hard. “I just thought I’d come out here so you didn’t have to knock and wake everypony up, because you would not believe how hard it is to get the twins to sleep when you wake them up in the middle of the night.”

“How did you know that I was-”

“Pfft, duh, itchy hoof, then twitchy hoof followed by flinchy hoof. Somepony’s knocking at the door late at night.”

Fluttershy decided not to question it. “Pinkie, I need your help.”

Pinkie saluted. “Don’t you worry, friend of mine. Pinkie Pie is here for any and all emergencies, party related or otherwise.”

Fluttershy sighed in relief. “Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I’ve already asked the mayor and Twilight and they wouldn’t help me.”

“What!?” Pinkie guffawed, getting uncomfortably close to Fluttershy’s face. “They wouldn’t help you? I refuse to believe that, but we can talk to them later. How can I assist you?”

Fluttershy backed away a bit. “Oh, right. Uh, the Everfree Forest is on fire and we need to help all the animals.”

Pinkie nodded furiously. “Okay! Let’s get to your house and stop that fire!” She turned and began to hop.

Fluttershy gulped. “Actually the fire is, uh, in the middle of the Everfree Forest.”

Pinkie paused mid jump and landed on her hooves the same way a falling table might. She somehow turned just as stiffly and looked at Fluttershy with a smile that only reached the tips of her eyes. Fluttershy could tell from such a weak smile what was about to come. “Uh, the middle? As in, the middle the middle.”

Fluttershy felt her eyes begin to sting.

“Like, the middle where most ponies don’t think about going? The middle where if anything happened to us nopony would think about looking there? Where there are a whole bunch of meanies that are all sorts of sizes and shapes, most of those shapes having mouths that could swallow a pony in one bite?”

The timid mare opened her eyes for they no longer hurt. Pinkie had an expression Fluttershy had never seen on her pink friend before.

“I mean, really, seriously, really, why would anypony want to go out in a dangerous forest to stop a fire where they could be cooked hotter than a fresh cupcake? Or be eaten like a cupcake? Or forgotten like a left over cupcake? Or-”

Fluttershy rubbed the stray tears away from her face and placed a hoof over Pinkie’s mouth. “It’s okay, Pinkie. Just go back to bed.” Fluttershy removed her hoof to reveal the frown that had appeared on her friend’s face.

“I-I’m so sorry Fluttershy. This isn’t like when you were in trouble or going to stop a dragon. It’s teenier.” Pinkie flinched. “No wait, that doesn’t sound very nice, does it?”

Fluttershy gave a small smile. It was a sad smile. “It’s okay. You’re just scared.” She quickly turned and ran off into town.

E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E

Fluttershy looked at the fancy building that was Carousal Boutique which belonged to one of her dear friends. She recalled the many times she and this friend had gone to the spa, how hard this friend worked at keeping herself immaculate. The stress she put herself through to keep clean. The way she avoided dirt as if it were a vile poison. The effort she used to get out of any strenuous activity.

Fluttershy turned around and saved her breath.

B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B

The one and only cloud house in Ponyville was devoid of its most lively occupant. Fluttershy knew this because the door, as always, was unlocked. A quick trot around the fluffy home and she was able to find the tortoise in his large enclosure while curled in his shell for the night.

“Rainbow Dash took a nap and never came back, right Tank?” Fluttershy asked. Tank the tortoise said nothing in response. She sighed and flew away with limited urgency. The smoke over the forest seemed so small from her place in the sky, but she knew it had grown in size since she last checked.

“One more try…” she murmured. “One more for the scared animals.”

U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U

Fluttershy flew up to the barn house of Sweet Apple Acres and dragged her hooves across the ground. Her eyelids were drooping and a warm cozy bed sounded so nice right now. She shook her head to wake herself. One more house, one more friend. She raised a hoof to knock on the door.

“Fluttershy, is that you?”

Fluttershy jumped at the voice a squeaked. Flipping around, she came face-to-face with a pegasus mare with a rainbow mane. “Rainbow Dash, you scared me!” Fluttershy declared.

Rainbow Dash yawned loudly and smacked her lips together, wobbling on her tired legs. “Sorry about that, Shy. Just woke up from that tree over there and saw you coming over. Why are you up so late?”

Fluttershy sighed and hung her head lower than usual. “I’ve been running around all night trying to get help because a fire broke loose in the middle of the Everfree Forest and I can’t stop it by myself.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened and then she blinked. “Uh, wow Fluttershy, you sound pretty calm about this.”

“I’m tired, Dash. Nopony wants to help.”

“Did you ask out friends?”

Fluttershy nodded. “They’re all too… scared.”

“Well I’m not,” Rainbow Dash said as she straitened up and her voice gained power. “If a friend needs help, I’m here for them.”

“R-really?” Fluttershy asked with tears forming in her once more.

“You bet,” Rainbow Dash said as she leaped into the air. “Sure, there might be creature of various shapes and sizes, most of those sizes being much bigger than the average pony, but that isn’t enough to stop Rainbow Dash. I’ll get some rain clouds, you see if Applejack will give us a hoof. If not, well… we’ll do what we can.” Rainbow Dash zoomed off at sonic speeds, leaving Fluttershy a moment to smile and stare into the sky after her.

“You are afraid,” she said to Rainbow Dash even though she wasn’t there. “And you’re also loyal.” She sniffed and turned to the barn and knocked as hard as she could.

“Ah think Ah heard a squirrel bangin’ at the door,” an old mare said from the other side of the door.

“Hold on, Ah’ll git it,” another, much younger mare said. The door opened to a tired looking orange mare. Unlike the many other times Fluttershy had seen her, her mane wasn’t tied up and was all over her face. “Shy? What are ya doin’ up in the middle of the night?”

“Applejack, I’m so sorry to bother you this late, but-”

“Is that the doctor with mah hoof cream?” The elderly voice said.

Applejack sighed. “No, Granny Smith, that ain’t ‘til tomorrow. It’s jus’ mah friend Fluttershy.”

“Oooh, that dearie. Did she bring mah hoof cream?”

“Um, no I didn’t, I’m sorry.”

“She didn’t bring yer hoof cream.”

“Fiddlesticks, mah ankles are killin’ me.”

Applejack’s eyes drooped. “Ah know, you’ve been tellin’ me about it all night. Anyway,” Applejack yawned, “what can Ah do ya for?”

“Applejack, I know you probably don’t care or want to hear about it, but the middle of the Everfree Forest is on fire and I’m worried about all the animals out there. I need help getting all the animals to safety and putting it out, uh, the fire that is. I’ve already asked out other friends and Rainbow Dash is helping me, but we need all we can get. If you don’t want to help because you’re scared, well, that’s fine. I understand.”

Applejack chewed on her lip for a long moment while she contemplated what Fluttershy had said. “Well, uh… yer half right. Ah really do care, honestly I do. But I don’t want to hear it, nope Ah sure don’t. And yer completely right about one thing, Fluttershy… Ah am scared.”

Fluttershy nodded and turned to leave.

“Now hold on jus’ a second young lady!” Granny Smith called as she shoved Applejack to the ground. “Are mah ears failin’ on me, or did you jus’ say the Everfree Forest is on fire?”

Fluttershy turned back around. “Um, well, yes I did.”

Granny Smith spit and hit something metallic. “Well don’t stand there with yer tail up yer flank, Applejack, we got a fire tah put out.” She walked back into the barn and made a great deal of noise.

Fluttershy paused for a moment. “Granny Smith?”

“Now hold on a moment,” Applejack said as she stood back up. “Yer hooves are bad, remember? ‘Sides, the Everfree Forest is dangerous, isn’t that what you always taught us?”

“Sure Ah-hurg!-did,” Granny grunted as she pulled a wagon loaded with large milk canisters. “But Ah also told ya-erg!-that when ya always need tah always help out-urk!-any creature, no matter how big or how small-gee willikers, that smarts!”

Applejack grabbed the wagon and pulled the other way, dragging Granny along as well. “Are ya’ll crazy? There’s all sorts of things out there that could tear you apart limb from limb, an’ on top of that yer hooves are acting up. How are ya supposed to do anything?”

“Uh, please don’t fight over this…”

Granny pulled against her granddaughter but made no headway. “Land sakes, Applejack, we can’t let that much of the forest burn.”

“An’ why the hay not? That forest is filled with nothin’ but monters, why should we break our back’s over it?”

“Ya need tah stay put, Granny,” a stallion said. All present turned to see a large red stallion trot from around the barn.

“Aha!” Applejack said. “See, Big Macintosh agrees with me. Yer not goin’ in that forest an’ that’s all there is to it.”

“Exactly, AJ,” Big Macintosh said as he stepped up to his grandmother. He slowly unhooked Granny from the cart and set himself up to pull it. “Help me fill the cans, girls. We ain’t got a moment tah spare.”

Fluttershy felt like her insides had melted. “Thank you so much.”

“That a boy,” Granny said to Macintosh.

Applejack’ pupils shrank. “What in the-? You all really are crazy! Macintosh, Ah thought ya said you agree with me.”

“Ah do. ‘Bout Granny stayin’. Yer too old an’ sick tah be movin this hefty cart around.”

“That’s my grandson, lookin’ out fer his elderly grandmother.”

“Ah meant nopony should go!” Applejack pulled on her mane. “You could get hurt! Or worse! Why would you do this?”

Big Macintosh looked right into her sister’s eyes. “Because the forest might get hurt, or worse.” Applejack shrank back under his gaze. “Because the animals might get hurt, or worse. Because that forest is what gave us Apples-what gave Ponyville-a home when nowhere else would. Now, are ya gonna help us fill these tanks, or are ya gonna stand there all useless like a rock?”

With a small nod, Applejack ran towards the well that brought them their drinking water. Fluttershy stepped up to Big Macintosh and softly nuzzled his neck.

“Tain’t her fault, Miz Fluttershy,” Macintosh said somberly. “She’s jus’ scared is all.”

“I know,” Fluttershy said. “I know.”

R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R

“What took you guys?” Rainbow Dash said as she kicked the rumbling cloud into shape. “I’ve waiting by Fluttershy’s house for like-Big Mac?”

“No time for pleasantries, Miz Dash,” the large stallion replied. He took a deep break and readjusted the straps around him. “Is this all the help we could get?”

“This is all of it,” Fluttershy said, looking down at the ground. “Everypony else was too scared.”

“Even Applejack?” Dash asked.

“Even Applejack,” Macintosh said. “Come on, no time tah waste.” He began to pull the cart.

Fluttershy looked in the direction of Ponyville. “It’s not their fault…” she whispered so that even she could barely hear herself. “Animals scare easy. They do crazy things when they’re scared.”

“Wait!” somepony shouted. Fluttershy looked up and Dash and Macintosh turned to see two beings coming towards them at a quick speed.

“Spike?” Dash asked. “And Mr. Cake?”

A baby dragon and a skinny yellow earth pony ran up to them, both carrying sacks filled with glass bottles of glowing blue liquid.

“We came as-huff-fast as-huff-we could,” the pony said before he collapsed on his tall legs.

The dragon’ tongue hung out of his mouth as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “We brought something that should help, we think.”

“What are you both doing here?” Fluttershy asked. She her smile was as big as it had ever been.

“Heard you talking to Twilight,” Spike said as he pulled out one of the bottles.

Mr. Cake raised a hoof. “Same, but replace ‘Twilight’ with ‘Pinkie’ and you got it.”

“This is Star Swirl the Bearded’s patented Torrent in a Bottle,” Spike said, holding one up. “Well, it’s supposed to be a pot, but I tweaked the formula. Just give it a toss and instant water blast. Mr. Cake provided some of the ingredients.”

“Thank you both,” Fluttershy said as she pulled them into a hug. “I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.”

“We can worry about that later, Miss,” Mr. Cake said as he stood back up. “That smoke’s getting thicker which mean the fire’s burning brighter. We’ve got to move it.”

“Here’s the plan,” Macintosh said. “Dash, try to get area around the fire wet, make the fuel useless. Fluttershy, Mr. Cake, you try to get any animals out of the way. Spike, dragon’s are fire proof right?”

“Yes sir!” Spike said with a salute.

“Try to get in there and put out the fire at its source. Watch where Ah park the cart so you can get to it iffin’ ya’ll need it. Ah’m gonna try an’ knock trees over to it can’t spread. We ready?”

All present nodded.

“Then get to it!”

N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N

Spike ran through the darkness of the forest, his sack bouncing his back and making the bottles clang together. He didn’t pay attention to the others, or even where Big Macintosh had parked. He did his best to resist the desire to turn back and crawl under the covers.

The many roars and screeches around him made him sick with fear. He simply swallowed that and his dinner back down. This was no time to be afraid. All those screeches and howls where of fear, and he couldn’t let that be.

And then he saw the fire.

It came rather suddenly as he hopped through a couple of trees. A bright light that threatened to lick away any hope or joy from whatever got in its path.

Such a familiar feeling to Spike… where had he seen this before?

“All done, little dragon,” Celestia said as the glow around Spike faded. He contentedly sucked on a sapphire, unaware of what had just happened. “You should be all ready to send me scrolls. Let’s give it a try.” She levitated a scroll in from of the tiny dragon’s face. “Can you burp for me? Come on, burp for Celly welly.”

Spike stared at the scroll and felt something well up inside in belly. He didn’t like it very much and moaned.

Celestia frowned. “Are you alright, Spike? Did I do something wrong?”

Spike burped and everything was on fire. The light and the heat engulfed the room they were in and scared the little dragon. He began to cry.

With a wave of Celestia’s wings the fire disappeared as fast as it had come. She lifted the little crying dragon a cradled him in her arms. “It’s alright, my little dragon, go ahead and cry. Celly welly made a big mistake somewhere. It’s okay, it’s fine that you’re scared. Let all your tears run out.”

Spike wiped the tears from his eyes and stared at the flames, listening to all the cries around him. “Nothing should feel that kind fear.” He pulled back and threw a Torrent in a Bottle as hard as he could.

S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S

Mr. Cake pulled a badger out of a hole and threw a Torrent in a Bottle at a flame in his path. “Run!” Mr. cake said to it. The badger needed not to be told twice and zipped away.

“Okay Carrot, doing well,” he said to himself as he watched a group of critters run through the path he had made. “Keep it up, keep it up.” He then heard a roar os something much bigger than him and turned to see a chimera. Mr Cake’s forest instinct was to run, but he held himself firm. He took another look and saw that it was reaching under a massive burning log to get at two chimera cubs. Their tails were missing from what he could see.

“Pound! Pumpkin!” Mr. Cake yelled. His daughter was standing on top of the burning stove and had apparently kicked the door open to get at the sweet smeling cookies inside. His son was flapping innocently as he flew towards the oven. Mr. Cake was nowhere near it but could fell the fire with about to scorch his children.

Mr. Cake leaped through the flames and grabbed the cubs just as the burning log cracked and fell. The cubs in his arms were out cold but breathing. The adult chimera loomed over him and he gulped nervously.

“U-uh, here are your ch-children sir.” Mr. Cake shook as he held out the cubs. The chimera took them in his arms and nuzzled them fondly. He shot Mr. Cake a look and ran away from the flames.

“You welcome,” Mr. Cake squeaked.

H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H

Macintosh kicked another tree over and panted hard. The sweat trickling down his face reminded him how thirsty he was, but he paid it little heed. Another cockatrice passed him by and didn’t bother considering him as a meal.

Suddenly a large crack sounded behind him and a large branch fell on his neck, knocking him over. He shoved it off quickly but felt it was too late; his mane had caught on fire.

“Yer mane!” Applejack shouted.

“Mah mane?” the young colt asked. Then he felt it. The heat that tingled up his neck and threatened to consume him. “My mane!” he shrieked and ran around the kitchen. Pots and pans fell from the wall and cupboards as he bashed into the wall, instinctually try to get away from the fire eating at him.

Granny Smith leaped on top of him with a pair of scissors in her mouth. “Hold shtill, shonny!” She quickly cut his burning mane away and stamped it out with a hoof.

Macintosh breather hard from his spot on the floor. “Did it hurt me any, Granny?”

Granny Smith spit out the scissors and nuzzled him softly. “Yer just fine Maccy. We’ll jus’ have tah even yer hair out later.”

“Sorry Ah wrecked the kitchen Granny. I’m a big coward…”

“Now don’t you say that. Most anypony would have done the same thing in yer horseshoes. Ya’ll got tah remember; it’s not about bein’ afraid, it’s about doin’ somethin’ even though yer scared.”

Big Macintosh turned the tank upside down and poured water over himself. He shook the drops from his face and set back to work. He was very scared he would run out of water if that kept happening.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Fluttershy jumped back to avoid the flaming claw. She screamed and ducked under it again. “Please, Mr timber wolf, I know you’re scared, but if you’ll let me-”

The timber wolf roared from the pain and flailed again. Its wooden flesh was beginning to grey and flake away.

Fluttershy aimed her last Torrent in a bottle as well as she could but was too scared that she would miss to throw it. She felt tears running down her cheeks, the pain radiating from the timber wolf unbearable.

And then she thought about how much it must actually hurt for the wolf.

“Be brave, Fluttershy,” she told herself. “Be brave. He’s more scared than you are. He’s more scared than you are…”

“How do you get them to come so close to you,” her mother asked.

Fluttershy nuzzled the hummingbird and smiled. “You have to be really gentle, Mommy.”

“Gentle, hmm? I tried that but they keep flying away.”

“Oh, um, not to be rude, but, uh, you’re being too fast. They get scared really easy, you see.”

“Oh, I see. Just like ponies, then.”

Fluttershy gazed up at her mommy with large eyes. “What do you mean? Ponies aren’t animals.”

“Aren’t they?” her mother asked. “Don’t you get scared, Fluttershy?”

“Well, yes I do, but I’m not as brave as other ponies.”

“Of course you are. Or maybe ponies aren’t as brave as they let on. Let me tell you a secret; I get scared all the time.”

“Y-you do?”

“Absolutely. I’m always thinking about scary things like how can I earn enough bits to eat or whether you’ll ever get hurt. Most ponies, however, are just really good at hiding how scared they are.”

Fluttershy tilted her head a little. “They just pretend to be brave?”

“Oh no, never! They pretend to not be afraid. But don’t be fooled. You’re absolutely right, my darling.” A blue jay landed on her mother outstretched hoof. “Animals get scared really easy.”

Fluttershy held the wolf down. The fire hurt so bad, but she would gladly share it if only to end it. She smashed the bottle against her head and allowed it to wash them both. The timber wolf panted as hard as Fluttershy. She wasted no time in pulling the burnt wolf onto her back and dragging him away from the all consuming flame.

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

The five of them sat on the ground, staring at the blackened earth. The sun was slowly rising, as the brightening sky revealed. No words were said as the last of the fire ate itself away and the air cooled around them.

After resting their eyes for a long while, Mr. Cake shakily stood up. “Well, I’ve had enough adventure to last me for some time. Who’s up for breakfast to celebrate? My treat.”

“Sure’d be appreciated,” Big Macintosh said as he got up and hooked the cart to himself.

“Breakfast, awesome. I’m starving like you wouldn’t believe,” Dash said as she stretched her aching legs.

Fluttershy only smiled and nodded as she joined them in walking home, Spike sitting on her back.

“None for me, thanks,” Spike said. “I got to get back before Twilight wakes up and has a heart attack.” He looked at the ground as they walked on, the black earth slowly turning green. “I’m sorry none of the others came to help, Fluttershy. They were just-”

“Scared,” she finished for him. “It’s okay. I forget sometimes.”

Spike blinked. “Forget what?”

Fluttershy smiled softly. “Ponies are animals too.”

Fin.