Remedies

by Marshal Twilight

Rating: teen
Tags: Fluttershy, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 10501

When Spike falls ill, Twilight and Fluttershy must embark on a dangerous journey into the Everfree Forest to find the herbs needed to save his life. Along the way they will face many challenges, but in the end will become closer than ever before.

When Spike falls ill with a life-threatening disease, Twilight must race against time to find the cure. After much research, she discovers a little-known potion that can save him, but all of the ingredients can only be found in the place that she fears the most: The Everfree Forest.

Even though it’s the middle of the night, the clock is ticking and Twilight is determined to save her oldest friend. Not wanting to go in alone, she enlists the help of her friend, Fluttershy, both for her reassuring presence and her impressive knowledge of the forest. The two of them embark on a dangerous adventure, where they will find challenges both in the environment and in each other.

Edited by The Abyss

Published 2014-05-17 03:30:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-06-07 01:16:38 UTC

Chapter 1

Twilight Sparkle raised a hoof to her mouth as she yawned, her heavy eyelids drooping as she briefly looked away from the dusty book that lay before her. She scowled slightly once the yawn had passed, irritated that it had broken her focus, even for a moment.

She glanced out the window, chewing on her lower lip as she took note of the position of the moon in the sky. It was at least midnight, and normally she would consider calling it a night, but this went beyond a simple study session. A few steps away from her, wrapped in the blankets on her bed lay her assistant, fast asleep.

Twilight sighed softly, wishing she could do more to help. A few days ago, Spike had started to come down with something she’d never seen before. It hadn’t seemed like much at first, just a few itchy spots here and there, but things had quickly taken a turn for the worst. He scratched at himself constantly, and before long, his scales were starting to fall off his body in alarming amounts.

That had been three days ago, and Spike had only gotten worse since then. At least a third of the scales on his body were gone, exposing the raw, vulnerable flesh underneath. Scratching only made it worse, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing it either. They had tried everything from a thorough spa treatment to various ointments, all without success. Eventually it had gotten so bad that Twilight had cast a sleeping spell on him to give him some measure of relief as she searched for a solution.

Unfortunately for them both, Spike was something of an anomaly in Equestria. Dragons usually kept to themselves, and as such even the best pony doctors were largely ignorant of their medical needs. Everypony she had visited was at a loss on how to treat Spike, and there weren’t a whole lot of dragons she was able to ask about it either.

Her next step had been to write a letter to Princess Celestia, quickly explaining the situation and having Spike send it off. She’d gotten a book sent back less than five minutes later, a tome from the Royal Archives more than fifty years old. It was the product of the most recent in-depth study on dragons by ponykind, and currently her best chance at finding some sort of treatment for Spike.

She’d been combing through it for hours already, flipping through entire sections about the dragon life cycle, culture, habitats, and all sorts of other interesting information. It had only been through great restraint that she managed to stop herself from reading every word, and instead skip to the portions of the book related to medicine. To her dismay, dragons had at least as many race-specific illnesses as ponies did, and she had to carefully read over every single one before she could safely eliminate it.

With a frustrated sigh, Twilight’s horn glowed faintly with magic and she turned the page a bit more roughly than she normally would have. Absently, she levitated the nearby oil lamp closer to her to provide better light as she leaned in to read.

Scale Rot. Twilight’s eyes widened at the words and she leaned in even closer, her nose barely an inch from the page. An insidious disease among dragonkind, Scale Rot is a condition that causes rapid, uncontrollable shedding of both strong and damaged scales, exposing the vulnerable skin underneath. This causes extreme irritation to the patient’s skin and hinders their ability to retain body heat. With time, the disease will also spread to the skin beneath the dragon's scales, causing necrosis. Without treatment, Scale Rot will usually result in death.

Twilight gasped out loud, the book falling from her magical field and landing with a soft sound on her cushion. DEATH?! she mentally shrieked. He could die from this?! She felt the beginnings of a panic, but she took a shaky breath to calm herself. “Okay, I can do this,” she said out loud as she picked the book up again. “Now, what about treatment…”

The prognosis for Scale Rot is difficult to ascertain, as it is a relatively uncommon illness among dragons and thus has rarely been observed, particularly by ponies. Additionally, as of the time of this writing, no spell has been created for treatment.

At that, Twilight’s shoulders sagged, and she leaned back. “No treatment?” she whispered. “And Spike could die?” She heard a low groan from the bed, and she quickly shut her mouth before she woke Spike from his magically induced slumber. The last thing he needed was to see her freaking out about his impending death.

She chewed her lower lip again, and levitated the book back over in front of her face. There was still more writing on the page, which gave her hope that perhaps there was still something she could do.

As pony magic offered no solution, I decided to search for a more unorthodox method. In my travels throughout Equestria and the world beyond, I have made a great many acquaintances. Knowing well their penchant for the obscure, and their skill with medicine, I set out to interview a zebra shaman that lived on the edge of Equestria.

To my pleasant surprise, he not only knew of the condition of which I spoke, but also how it could be treated. Evidently there is a potion, first crafted approximately four centuries ago by a zebra tribe as a peace offering of sorts to a problematic band of dragons.

Twilight smiled giddily as the relief washed over her. She felt like she wanted to laugh. But then, the smile slowly slipped off her face as she realized something. “Why wasn’t this easier to find?” she muttered.

Unfortunately, there is significant risk involved. The potion requires multiple herbs which can only be found within the hostile confines of the Everfree Forest, a region permanently scarred by the magical residue released by the engagement between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon nearly one thousand years ago. It is largely inhospitable to pony life, and is home to a great many strange and dangerous creatures. My friend warned me against attempting to seek the ingredients, as only the most clever and brave of zebras could safely venture into the forest. However, for the sake of completeness, I have included how to produce the potion and the ingredients required here.

Twilight felt a shiver roll down her spine, and she sat back again, a look of quiet worry on her face. “The Everfree…?” she whispered. That was not good. Twilight had never discussed it with her friends out of shame, but ever since the incident where she had been turned to stone by that cockatrice, she had held a deep-rooted fear of the forest, even more so than regular ponies. Even though she had willingly entered the forest since then, she had always had her friends with her, and even then she had been very nervous.

But this time she would be on her own. It was late at night, and she wasn’t feeling very eager to go and drag all her friends out of bed for a trip into the Everfree. But Spike’s condition was getting worse, and she wasn't sure if he could afford for her to wait. He was quite young, and already running a high fever. He needed that cure as soon as possible.

Twilight scanned the page again and levitated some parchment and a quill over to her so she could start scribbling down the ingredients. Let’s see… Hoofmaiden’s Folly, Manticore’s Tongue… She blinked. I hope that last one isn’t literal. She shook her head and continued. Fire Root, and Mist Moss. She sat back, satisfied, but the feeling quickly left her when she realized that she was already at a loss on what to do next. She cast a nervous glance out her window, where she could see the edge of the forest in the distance. She felt her heart start beating faster at the sight, and she had to look away and take a deep breath.

However, a thought occurred to her then. The book had mentioned a zebra stallion. She suddenly grinned in delight as she realized that there was another solution. Zecora only lived a short distance inside the forest, and the path to her house was fairly well-traveled, so it would be a lot safer than just poking around by herself. With any luck, she might even have the ingredients on hoof already.

Twilight hummed to herself as she considered that. She still didn’t like it, but at least it was better than wandering around in the forest looking for a bunch of plants she barely knew anything about. Her mind made up, Twilight stood from her cushion and quietly stepped over to Spike. She gently pulled the blanket back a few inches, and her heart almost broke at the sight that awaited her. Half the scales on Spike’s head had been shed already, the inflamed membrane underneath obviously causing him discomfort. There were deep marks all over him where he’d been scratching himself with his sharp claws. He was utterly miserable, even while asleep. If there was any doubt left in her, it was gone after that.

She bent down and gently kissed him on the forehead. He stirred a bit, but settled down afterwards, a small smile on his face. Twilight smiled fondly at the dragon she regarded as a brother. For good measure, she renewed the sleeping spell on him to ensure he would stay asleep until she was back with the cure. With one final glance, Twilight bowed her head and left the bedroom.

It had been hours since she’d last eaten, as engrossed in her research as she’d been, so she made herself a quick sandwich before setting off. She then scribbled a quick note to tack on her front door explaining her absence, in case any of her friends tried to visit while she was out. After running through a mental checklist to ensure she hadn’t missed anything, Twilight quietly slipped out of the house into the warm summer night, shutting the door behind her.

Ponyville seemed to be completely asleep, not that Twilight had expected otherwise. She didn’t see a single lit window from where she was standing. It might have been even later than she’d thought. With a sigh, Twilight turned and started walking along the well-trodden road that passed through the center of the town.

As she passed the edge of town, she lost the lighting provided by the street lamps. She nervously looked around and quickly illuminated her horn, bathing the area around her with a bright, white light. Feeling a bit better now, Twilight kept going.

As she walked, she slowly found herself becoming more and more at ease. The summer night was anything but quiet, the sounds of hooting owls and chirping crickets in the background a constant reassurance that she wasn’t completely alone. She saw fireflies darting around in the distance, an interesting spectacle that kept her mind off the unpleasant circumstances for a short while.

But as she crossed the bridge just outside of town, she was confronted with her real problem. The Everfree loomed ahead of her, about a minute’s trot away. A dense, seemingly permanent layer of fog hung low over the ground, ever present regardless of the weather or the time of year. The forest itself also managed to be even darker than its surroundings, despite the full moon high in the sky above. If she squinted, she could see the gap between the trees that was the start of the path to Zecora’s house.

“Okay, Twilight,” she mumbled softly. “It’s just a ten minute walk, nice and easy. Nothing’s going to happen." Nervously, she took a few steps forward, only to freeze when she heard a mournful howl in the distance. Easily several miles away, but still an uncomfortable reminder of what dangers awaited her in the forest.

She shivered and scrunched her eyes closed, pumping more magic into her illumination spell and doubling its radius. She bowed her head, shoulders slumped. “Oh, who am I kidding,” she quietly told herself. “I can’t do this by myself.”

Idly, she glanced off to the side, only to do a double take when she saw a light flickering in the distance, in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage. That meant she was probably still awake. Twilight was surprised at first, then felt a bit giddy when she realized something. Maybe she’ll be able to come with me, Twilight thought hopefully. It’s just a short trip, after all.

With another wary look at the forest, Twilight turned and started trotting toward Fluttershy’s house instead. Interestingly, the fireflies seemed to congregate around it, almost as if they instinctively knew it was a place of safety for them. Twilight smiled softly at the thought. She experienced that feeling at Fluttershy’s cottage too, come to think of it.

She looked around as she crossed the bridge that put her at the edge of Fluttershy’s yard. There were no animals in sight, presumably asleep along with the rest of the town. She made her way up the winding path to the cottage and tapped on the door a few times, killing her light spell so she didn’t blind Fluttershy when she answered.

The next minute passed in silence, and Twilight found herself wondering if Fluttershy had actually been asleep after all. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, the door creaked open and a deep blue eye peeked out at her from around the edge.

A moment later the door opened completely, revealing Fluttershy standing there and rubbing her eyes tiredly. “Twilight?” she asked, a bit confused. “Why are you here so late?”

“Oh, um,” Twilight stammered. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“Well, no,” Fluttershy said slowly. “I was just getting ready for bed, actually.”

“Ah…” Twilight said awkwardly, but with noticeable disappointment. “Okay, well, I’m sorry I bothered you… I guess I’ll just go home and figure something out...” She turned and made to walk away.

“No, no,” Fluttershy said quickly, sounding a bit alarmed. “I didn’t mean it like that!” Twilight paused and turned back to face her. “Um, is something wrong?” she asked.

Twilight frowned. “Well, yes, actually. You remember when I said that Spike has been sick the past few days?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, the poor dear. Is he doing any better?”

Twilight’s ears folded back and she looked away. “No,” she said quietly. “He’s getting worse. A lot worse.”

Fluttershy’s expression became rueful and she stepped forward to place a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Oh, you must be so worried,” she said sympathetically. “I wish I could help, but I just don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

“Actually, I just found out,” Twilight said, a bit excitedly. “It’s called Scale Rot. It’s somewhat rare, but there’s a zebra potion that should be able to help him.”

“Really? That’s great!” Fluttershy said, smiling widely. Seeing her friend happy was a very pleasant feeling for Twilight. But then the smile slipped from her face, replaced by an expression of confusion. “But why do you need me?”

“Well…” Twilight said slowly. Already she was regretting her decision to try dragging Fluttershy along. She was terrified of the forest, so why had she picked her of all ponies?

“Go on,” Fluttershy urged.

“I need to visit Zecora,” Twilight said. “And… I’mkindofafraidtogobymyself.”

Fluttershy blinked. “Beg your pardon?”

Twilight took a breath. “I don’t want to go into the forest alone. That… didn’t go so well last time, and you’re the only one who’s awake right now.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said. “Well, okay. You want to go right now?”

Twilight gave her a surprised look. “Really? That easily?”

Fluttershy smiled softly. “Of course. I’m always ready to help a friend.”

Twilight felt warmth blooming inside her at the words. She lunged forward and wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy, drawing a surprised ‘eep’ from her. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” she said in a rush.

After a moment, Fluttershy awkwardly patted her on the back. “Um, it’s nothing. Really,” she said lamely.

With an embarrassed chuckle, Twilight stepped back and looked away, a slight blush on her face. “Sorry, it’s just… I sort of expected you to say no.”

Fluttershy smiled at her. “It shouldn't take too long. Do you have the list of ingredients?”

Twilight nodded and Fluttershy stepped out, pulling the door closed behind her. Twilight cast her light spell again and the two of them trotted off in a companionable silence. They went around to the back of the cottage, then turned and walked along the edge of the forest as they searched for the path that would take them to Zecora’s hut. Twilight tensed up again from being so near the forest, but she drew comfort from Fluttershy’s presence and managed to keep her breathing steady.

The two reached the start of the path a bit sooner than Twilight would have preferred and she came to a stop just before it, her eyes trying to pierce the blackness ahead of her. For some reason, no matter how much magic she put into her light spell, it didn’t seem to illuminate anything beyond about ten hoofsteps or so, as if the darkness somehow absorbed all light beyond a certain radius.

Fluttershy noticed when Twilight fell behind and turned back to face her. “Is something wrong?” she asked, concern on her face.

Twilight studied her for a moment, considering whether to confide in her or not. Eventually, she shook her head. Fluttershy would have enough to worry about without knowing that her companion was absolutely terrified. “No,” she said, forcing a smile. “Let’s keep going.”

Fluttershy nodded and the two of them both stepped into the forest. As they steadily walked down the path, Twilight was becoming increasingly afraid. Unlike everywhere else, there were no chirping crickets here, or even any fireflies. In fact, it was completely, frightfully silent, except for their steady hoofbeats and breathing.

Despite Twilight’s best efforts to remain calm, she started to hyperventilate after a few minutes, and kept looking around with jerky motions of her head, worried that some creature would pounce on them without warning. However, Fluttershy suddenly moved closer, her side just barely an inch from Twilight’s. At her questioning look, the pegasus gave her a knowing smile and matched her pace. Twilight tried to focus on that instead and, before long, was breathing normally again.

Fortunately, Twilight’s fears were unfounded and the pair reached Zecora’s hut without incident. Twilight was dismayed, although not surprised, to see that the windows were dark, meaning that Zecora was asleep. Twilight was reluctant to disturb her, but the thought of Spike lying miserably in the bed back home was enough to urge her on.

She stepped forward and knocked firmly on the wooden door. Hopefully Zecora wasn’t an overly heavy sleeper. After a few moments, a dim light appeared inside and the door creaked open, a tired and grumpy-looking zebra standing there to meet them.

Her irritated expression faded when she saw them, replaced by one of confusion. “Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy at my door, here for a visit, or something more?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for waking you up, Zecora, but we need your help. It’s about Spike.”

Zecora hummed. “Ah yes, your little assistant. I understand his illness has been most persistent.”

Twilight grimaced. “To say the least. But I know what he has now at least. It’s something called ‘Scale Rot’. I was hoping you had a cure.”

Zecora frowned. “Ah, yes, I am familiar. A disease most peculiar.”

“Um, can you help?” Fluttershy spoke for the first time.

Zecora gave her a nod. “A remedy I can create, but not with any haste.” She stepped aside and beckoned the two ponies inside.

“Yeah, so I’ve read,” Twilight said sullenly, closing the door behind them. She produced the list she had made before she left and levitated it over to Zecora, who looked at it curiously. “Herbs that only grow in this forest.”

Zecora took a moment to look over the list. “An accurate list, for a potion like this. An impressive feat, even though it is incomplete.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in alarm. “Incomplete? What do you mean?”

“Nothing dire," Zecora said hastily. "But we will need a dragon’s fire."

Twilight relaxed. “Oh, well, that should be easy then,” she said. “We can just get Spike to do that part.”

Zecora smiled and nodded, but then frowned again. “But alas I cannot abide, as I do not have these herbs set aside.”

Twilight sagged, and Fluttershy gave her a worried look. “Oh no,” she said softly. “What are we going to do?”

“Um, Zecora? Can I see that list?” Fluttershy asked timidly. Wordlessly, the zebra passed it to her Fluttershy took it and started reading silently. A few moments later, she brightened and looked up at them. “Oh, I recognize these!” she said happily. “I know where to find them!”

Twilight looked at her in surprise. “You do?”

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “I brew a lot of different potions to treat some of my animals when they get sick. I know about most of the herbs around here so I can just collect the ingredients myself.”

“Fluttershy, that’s amazing,” Twilight said, expression awed. “I had no idea you knew about that sort of thing, or that you were willing to go into the forest by yourself, for that matter.”

She blushed and looked away, scuffing her hoof on the floor. “It’s not that special,” she said modestly. “The Everfree isn’t so dangerous during the day, and I do have the stare.”

'Not that special.' Twilight thought sullenly. Wish I could see it that way… She shook her head. “But this is great! We can just go out and get them, then Zecora can make the potion!” She glanced at the zebra. “Right?”

“Well…” Fluttershy said slowly, drawing Twilight’s gaze back to her. “These plants don’t really grow near each other. It’ll take a while to find them all.” She considered that. “At least a day, I think.”

Twilight frowned. “And we need them as soon as possible…” Which means poking around in the forest at night by ourselves… She shivered at the thought. "What about Spike?" she asked, almost hoping for an excuse not to go. "We can't just leave him alone for that long."

"Um, hasn't Rarity been helping you take care of him?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight hummed. "Good point. She's been looking after him while I've been researching, and I did leave a note saying I was going to be off looking for the cure." She gave a thin smile. "I guess it's a good thing I didn't say how long I'd be gone." She then looked at Zecora. “Are you able to come with us?” she asked, almost pleadingly. “You know the forest well enough to get us through without any trouble.”

Zecora looked regretful and shook her head. “I am afraid not, my friend, for I have an injury that will take time to mend.” She nodded towards one of her hind legs, which Twilight just now noticed that she seemed to be favoring. “A sprained leg, you see, as I attempted to flee.”

Twilight squirmed. “Flee from what?”

“I am not sure, but it was a skillful lure. An herb I admired, and wished to acquire.” She grimaced. “It was far from unguarded, and I tripped as I darted. Luckily for me, the creature let me be.”

“Well, I’m sure we won’t run into anything like that when we go out,” Fluttershy said softly, casting a glance at Twilight. Her friend looked very stiff, and seemed to be breathing a bit faster than was healthy. It was beginning to concern her.

Zecora looked back at Fluttershy. “If you know the forest as well as you claim, your confidence cannot be blamed.”

Fluttershy swallowed. “I certainly hope so,” she said nervously.

Twilight looked at the pegasus. “So… You’re really willing to help me with this?” she asked, sounding like she didn’t quite believe it. “To go out… there in the middle of the night to look for these plants?”

Fluttershy chewed her lower lip. “Well, I am a little scared,” she admitted. She gave Twilight a soft smile. “But I’m willing to help a good friend like you.”

Twilight smiled warmly. “You know… I wouldn’t be able to do this without you, Fluttershy,” she said quietly.

Zecora cleared her throat. “I am uncertain of the peril you must best, but I can at least prepare you for your quest.” She stood up and walked over to the far wall and started opening cabinets. As Twilight and Fluttershy watched, she gathered up a modest amount of food and other provisions and filled two sets of saddlebags with them. She walked over to Twilight and Fluttershy and passed the supplies over to them.

“Thank you, Zecora,” Twilight said gratefully as she shrugged her saddlebags on. “We weren’t expecting to have to go out like this, so we appreciate you doing what you can.”

Zecora waved her off. “Think nothing of it, as I am trusting you with it. Return these bags, and I’ll know you’ve had no snags.” She gestured at the door. “Now be on your way, before your time slips away.”

Twilight nodded and she and Fluttershy both made their way to the door. They paused before exchanging an uneasy glance. “Um… are you nervous, Fluttershy?” she asked with no small amount of apprehension.

“Well, um… maybe a little,” Fluttershy said meekly.

“Don’t worry. I am too,” Twilight said softly, causing the pegasus to give her a small smile. “You ready for this?”

Fluttershy considered that for a moment. “No, not really.” She took a breath. “But let’s do it anyway.” The two exchanged another mutually reassuring glance before they opened the door and stepped out into the pitch-black forest.

Chapter 2

As the two ponies stepped back out into the warm, humid summer night, they found themselves nervously looking around, their eyes trying to pierce the darkness. While they knew Zecora’s hut was a place of safety in the forest, they still couldn’t help but be intimidated by the darkness that surrounded them. Without a word, Twilight’s horn lit up with her illumination spell again, casting a pure white light across a moderately sized circle around them.

Fluttershy gave her a thankful look before setting off. Twilight hurried after her, matching her pace just behind her and following her lead. To her surprise, Twilight noticed that Fluttershy already seemed to be getting more comfortable. While she was still looking around, her expression was now thoughtful. It was a look that Twilight often wore herself.

Twilight decided to leave her to it; after all, she of all ponies knew how annoying it was be interrupted while you were having a moment. She took a few calming breaths and began looking around more casually, hoping to at least look like she was at ease.

Unfortunately, she was to be disappointed. Just like before, the forest seemed to be completely vacant, both of sound and the various critters that supposedly lived here. Twilight was at a loss as to why, since the Everfree was well known for its varied fauna. If she hadn’t been experiencing it, she would have thought she’d appreciate the quiet. Now, it just made her even more afraid because her imagination filled in the gaps.

She shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to think of something—anything—else. She turned her attention to the trees, trying to occupy her thoughts by identifying them. Unfortunately, none of them were particularly familiar to her, looking quite a bit older and chaotic in appearance than those she was used to seeing. It certainly didn’t help matters that they looked just as creepy as ever, only this time she didn’t have Pinkie around to help her laugh it off.

Well, at least I have Fluttershy, she told herself. Speaking of, she again glanced at her companion. She hadn’t slowed even once while Twilight had been thinking, continuing to trot forward confidently with a calculating expression. Twilight would be lying if she said she wasn’t both surprised and impressed by this. She knew that Fluttershy was knowledgeable about the forest, but she’d never seen her so self-assured before. She had been angry when standing up to the dragon, but this was different. It was as if she simply knew what she was doing and was fully aware of that fact.

Twilight tried to draw strength from it. After all, if Fluttershy of all ponies was calm, why should she be afraid? Plus, maybe she could distract herself. “So… Fluttershy,” Twilight said tentatively.

Fluttershy eeped and jumped about an inch in the air, her head whipping around to face Twilight. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Fluttershy blushed faintly. “Oh,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. I almost forgot you were there.”

“It’s alright,” Twilight replied, a tiny, amused smile on her face. “I was just wondering what we’re looking for.”

“Hoofmaiden’s Folly,” Fluttershy said absently, facing forward and beginning to walk again. “It’s a small, green rose-like flower that grows at the base of Everfree Trees that are at least a century old.”

Twilight blinked. “That’s… strangely specific. Why a hundred years?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “Nopony knows. Then again, nopony really knows anything about what goes on in here.”

“Well, you do,” Twilight pointed out. “Quite a bit, actually.”

Fluttershy’s cheeks reddened again. “I’m sure Zecora knows more than I do.”

Twilight smiled and trotted up to walk next to her. “But Zecora lives in here, and you don’t. All the plants, animals, and dangerous creatures? You only learned about all that stuff because you wanted to.”

At that, Fluttershy cast another glance around them, the nervousness back on her face. “Oh… I’d almost forgotten about those,” she whispered.

Twilight mentally kicked herself. Nice one, Twilight. Just when she was getting comfortable…

“Um, Twilight? Could you make your light spell stronger?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “I can’t see very far, and we might walk past what we need.”

Twilight suddenly looked slightly ashamed of herself. “I wish I could, but I can’t. It’s… Something to do with the forest. It has negative effects on magic.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “You mean it’s hurting you?” she asked, voice full of concern.

“No, nothing like that!” Twilight said quickly. “It’s just… You know how pegasi can’t really manipulate the clouds that form above the Everfree? It’s like that. When inside the forest, earth ponies aren’t quite as strong, pegasi have a little more trouble getting off the ground, unicorn magic is harder to use…” Twilight looked slightly disturbed as she said the last one.

“That’s… worrying,” Fluttershy said lamely. “Is that why you can’t make the spell wider? Because you’re, uh, too weak?”

“Not quite,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “With the light spell, it’s more like the forest absorbs it. Like trying to light a fire in the rain, or swim up a river. It’s just… difficult.” She grimaced. “I’m trying not to think about it too much.”

“I can understand that,” Fluttershy said quietly. “I’m not that great at flying, but I’d hate to not be able to do it anymore.”

“That won’t happen,” Twilight said soothingly, placing a hoof on Fluttershy’s back. The pegasus gave her a warm smile in response. She decided that maybe Fluttershy was the one who needed a distraction. “So, tell me about this plant we’re looking for. Why is it called Hoofmaiden’s Folly?”

Fluttershy straightened up a bit. “Oh, it’s from an old fairy tale. Almost a thousand years old, I think.”

“Really? I’ve never heard it,” Twilight said with genuine interest.

Fluttershy looked sheepish. “It’s… not one that most parents consider ‘foal appropriate’.”

“I think I can handle it,” Twilight said with a teasing smile.

Fluttershy giggled. “Okay. Alright, how did this one go…” She cleared her throat. “A long time ago, shortly after the banishment of Nightmare Moon and the founding of Canterlot, there lived a kind and handsome prince who was a proud member of Princess Celestia’s Day Court. He had many admirers, and yet no matter how much time passed he never took a lover.”

Fluttershy already had Twilight’s rapt attention. Fairy tales had always been a guilty pleasure for her. After all, they always carried a moral, and Twilight’s academic mind adored an opportunity to dissect a story for meaning. And, if she was honest, she had a soft spot for romance stories too.

“Little did he know that he had long since been watched from afar by one of his own servants, a humble maid by the name of Feather Duster. She admired the prince, not just for his money and power, but also for his personality, as he was a true gentlecolt, even to his servants.

“Unfortunately, she was no noblemare, and she knew all too well that if the prince took a commoner as his wife there would be an uproar. She knew their love could never be, and the years slowly passed by.”

Twilight was already bursting with questions, but Fluttershy seemed to be getting into it. To her surprise, the pegasus was quite a skilled storyteller once she got started, almost as if she had experience doing it.

“But her longing for him only grew with time,” Fluttershy continued. “And though the prince continued to turn down all his suitors, she knew he could never love one such as her, so instead she set out to the far ends of Equestria, searching for a zebra shaman that she believed could help her.”

Funny how these old stories always seem to involve a zebra shaman at some point Twilight mused. They really are the go-to characters for anything out of the ordinary.

Fluttershy paused for a moment to carefully step over a particularly high root, waiting for Twilight to follow before continuing. “After a long, tiring journey, she eventually found this zebra mare and told her story. The shaman was sympathetic to her plight, but reluctant to provide a potion to bewitch the prince and make him love her. However, after much pleading, she eventually agreed, but with a price.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight for a moment, a slight smile on her face when she saw that she had the unicorn’s complete attention. “The zebra would only help her if Feather Duster traveled into the Everfree to recover an herb for her. Overjoyed by this ray of hope, she agreed and ventured deep into the forest.”

Fluttershy’s expression turned sorrowful, and Twilight knew right away this fairy tale wouldn’t have a happy ending. “Days, weeks, and eventually months passed by, but the mare never returned. With sorrow, the zebra shaman assumed that she had met her end in the forest, like so many before her.

“But to her surprise, one day a handsome stallion came to her, asking after the mare that had visited all those months ago. Somberly, the zebra informed the prince that the mare had indeed visited her, only to disappear into the forest. She explained her story to him, and how she had met her end.”

“Well, that must have been awkward,” Twilight muttered. “Since she’s the one who sent her into the forest in the first place.”

Fluttershy smiled humorlessly. “To her surprise, rather than angry, the stallion became quite sad. He quietly told the zebra that he too had loved the mare, and like her, had been too afraid to tell her due to the knowledge that their love was forbidden. However, as the months passed after her disappearance, his longing only became stronger. After all, he had said, nobility was fleeting, but love… love was everlasting.”

Twilight stared at Fluttershy for a moment then turned away to wipe at her eye.

Fluttershy continued without noticing. “But he couldn’t accept her at her word alone, and declared that until he saw her corpse himself, he would not give up on her. So with great resolve, he ventured into the forest, following after the love of his life. And he, too, was never seen again.”

Fluttershy turned to face Twilight, only to find her staring with a dumbfounded look on her face. “That’s it?” she asked doubtfully.

Fluttershy nodded slowly. “Well, yes. I did say it wasn’t ‘foal appropriate’.”

“Well, now I know why,” Twilight said dryly. “Still, it was an interesting story.” She gave Fluttershy a small smile. “You were really good at telling it.”

Fluttershy smiled back. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I always liked fairy tales.”

“There’s just one thing I don’t get,” Twilight said. “Why do they call it Hoofmaiden’s Folly?”

“Oh, right,” Fluttershy said, as if just now remembering. “The reason the maiden died searching for it is because she wasn’t able to see what was right in front of her the entire time. Her entire journey was needless.”

“Thus, Hoofmaiden’s Folly,” Twilight mused. “Makes sense. So, what’s the moral here? Not to go on a fool’s errand?”

Fluttershy nodded. “That’s what some ponies would tell you.”

Twilight gave her a knowing look. “But what do you think?”

Fluttershy blushed lightly. “I always thought that the moral was that if you ever see a chance for love, you should seize it, no matter what the risks are. After all, what could be worth risking everything for if not love?”

Twilight stared at her for a moment, a smile slowly creeping across her face. “I think I like that interpretation better,” she said quietly.

Fluttershy smiled back. “Me too.”

They held eye contact for a few more moments before suddenly looking away at the same time, both blushing lightly. After another short pause, Twilight cleared her throat. “You know, maybe once we’re done with all this, you could come over to the library and read with me sometime. It’d be nice to have somepony to talk about this stuff with.”

Fluttershy nodded, that small, genuine smile back on her face. “I think I’d like that, as long as I wouldn’t be bothering you.”

Twilight looked sheepish. “Well, I do like studying alone, but it would seem I need somepony to pull me away from it every so often anyway. Might as well be a good friend, right?”

Fluttershy gave her a very warm look, which Twilight returned. After a few more moments, Twilight asked, “So, um, do you think we’re getting close?”

“Well, in forests, the oldest trees are usually the ones closest to the center,” Fluttershy explained. “So far we’ve just been heading farther in. If we keep going in this direction, we’ll find them eventually.”

Twilight frowned. “How do you know we’re not walking in circles? Isn’t that a big problem if you don’t have a compass?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Fluttershy replied. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the moon to make sure we’re going in a straight line.”

Twilight blinked and looked up. Sure enough, while the forest canopy largely blocked the moonlight, the moon itself could still be seen through the gaps on occasion. As long as it was in the same position relative to them, they could use it as a reference point to stay on course. That was… surprisingly simple, and she felt a bit stupid for not having thought of it herself.

“We’ve only been walking for about an hour, so we still have a while to go,” Fluttershy finished.

Twilight tilted her head. “Already an hour? Huh. Felt shorter than that.” Small favors, she added privately.

The two of them fell into a companionable silence after that, continuing their steady walk deeper and deeper into the forest. Occasionally, one of them would speak up to begin a new conversation, but for the most part they simply focused on their goal and immediate surroundings.

As they walked, Twilight began to notice things she hadn’t before. For one thing, if she concentrated really hard, she could hear the faintest sounds of wildlife in the distance, as if they could somehow sense the two ponies and were deliberately staying away from them. It made her wonder if she and Fluttershy seemed as scary to the forest at it seemed to them.

Another thing was how Fluttershy always seemed to be able to find the path of least resistance. The narrow path that lead to Zecora’s hut had ended long ago, leaving the two to comb through the untamed wilderness. They should have been fighting for every inch, constantly stumbling over roots and pushing through the brush, but Fluttershy always seemed to find some shortcut or trick to bypass the worst of it all without straying from the path she apparently knew by instinct. Twilight thought about asking her how she did it, but she had a hunch that she wouldn’t understand anyway. It was the type of thing a pony learned from experience.

In fact, the only limit to her pace seemed to be the radius of Twilight’s light spell. Fluttershy never ventured past the edge of it or left Twilight’s sight, always waited for her to catch up, and never once complained about how she was obviously slowing her down. Twilight had to admit that she was a bit embarrassed by how proficient her friend seemed to be compared to her, but at the same time she felt incredibly grateful that Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind waiting for her.

And the final thing she noticed was that, the longer she was here, the more… normal everything looked. Other than the unusually pervasive darkness, the Everfree didn’t look all that different from any other forest she’d seen. It was still eerie, and certainly dangerous, but it wasn’t quite the horrible death trap that most ponies seemed to think it was. It wasn’t enough to make her fears go away, but at least it allowed her to be a bit more rational about her feelings.

In fact, over the next few hours of her mostly silent observation, Twilight eventually became comfortable enough that her tiredness finally began to catch up with her. Once the initial excitement and adrenaline had faded, the fact that she had yet to get any sleep that night was starting to show. Somewhat guiltily, she remembered that Fluttershy hadn’t gotten any sleep either, and yet she didn’t seem to be any worse for wear. She decided that, as long as Fluttershy wasn’t complaining, she wouldn’t either.

Suddenly, without warning, Fluttershy came to a stop. Twilight, who hadn’t really been paying attention, ended up walking into her with a surprised ‘oof’ and awkwardly fell flat on her rump. Fluttershy eeped and jumped away, blushing furiously as she turned around to face her, but didn’t quite made eye contact. “Sorry! Sorry!” she cried out.

“It’s okay!” Twilight said quickly, her blush matching Fluttershy’s. After all, she had just gotten an unintentional facefull of her rump.

“I’m sorry, I just keep forgetting that you’re behind me, and—!”

“Fluttershy!” Twilight said, more firmly. “It’s okay. No harm done.” She paused. “But uh, why did you stop? I don’t see anything here.”

“Well, look around,” Fluttershy said, after calming herself down a bit. “We’re in the inner forest now. You can tell by how thick the tree trunks are. We should start looking around for the flower we need.”

“Oh!” Twilight said, ears perking up as she stood. “What did it look like again? A green rose?”

Fluttershy nodded. “More or less, although it doesn’t have any thorns. They tend to grow between the roots of trees like these, so just look for anything that stands out.”

Twilight gave her a nod and started looking around. Immediately, her expression lit up as she spotted a flower that looked like what they needed, only to frown when she realized something. She looked around a few more times to make sure before deciding to broach the subject. “Um, Fluttershy?”

“Hmm?”

“These plants all look the same to me.”

Fluttershy blinked, then looked around herself, as if only just now noticing that. “Oh, I guess you’re right. Um, the differences between them can be subtle. For example, another plant, called Clover’s Radiance, looks similar, but it’s a bit smaller, and...”

She trailed off when Twilight gave her a wry look. “Maybe I should just hold the light while you look for it?”

Fluttershy looked embarrassed. “If you think that’s the best way to do it.”

She did, and the two settled into a simple routine, with Twilight following Fluttershy’s lead as she moved around in seemingly random patterns and searched among the various plants in the area. More than a few times, Fluttershy would find a plant that looked like what they needed, only to discard it just as quickly without a word as to why. It was becoming more and more apparent that if Fluttershy hadn’t been here, Twilight would have been utterly lost.

Eventually, a tiny herb growing at the base of an ancient Everfree Tree seemed to catch Fluttershy’s attention. She looked at for a long moment, tilting her head a few times. After a few seconds, she reached forward and plucked it from the earth, then held it up near Twilight’s illuminated horn in order to get a better look. After a few moments, she smiled and placed it into her saddlebag.

“Are you sure we only need one?” Twilight asked skeptically. “It doesn’t look like much.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. We shouldn’t need more; it’s a really potent ingredient.”

“Okay,” Twilight said, deciding to defer to her expertise. “What’s next?”

“Well, the closest one from here is probably—” She suddenly froze, a fearful look appearing on her face.

Twilight felt a growing sense of dread. “Fluttershy, what’s—?”

“Quiet!” Fluttershy hissed, with surprising vehemence.

Twilight fell silent immediately, stunned by her friend’s assertiveness. For a few seconds, neither of them moved a muscle, barely even breathed, and Twilight had no idea what was happening. That is, until she heard the growling.

It was barely audible at first, but it was getting louder. To make matters worse, it seemed to be coming from all directions, cutting off any potential escape they could make.

Twilight struggled to control her breathing, her mind conjuring up all sorts of unpleasant imagery for her, and desperately hoped that the danger would simply pass.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. The next thing she heard was a slight knocking sound, almost like wood. Then, she saw it. A pair of bright, glowing yellow eyes suddenly appeared in the distance, only about twenty yards away. Twilight stared into those baleful eyes, paralyzed by fear. For a few brief moments they almost seemed to be fighting a silent battle of wills, and then the eyes began to move closer.

Gradually, an enormous creature, wooden in appearance, emerged from between a pair of crooked, ancient trees, half again as tall as the average pony, and twice as long. It walked on four legs ending in wickedly sharp claws, its terrifying appearance completed by a long muzzle filled with even more vicious-looking teeth.

Twilight recognized it immediately. It was a timberwolf. And worse yet, she still had enough rationality left in her to remember that they tended to hunt in packs. Another growl came from behind her, and Twilight spun to see another creeping out from behind a tree. It was a bit smaller than the other one, but no less intimidating as it eyed her hungrily.

Fluttershy snapped out of her own trance when she noticed that Twilight’s light spell was behaving erratically. It was rapidly shrinking, then growing in size, and occasionally taking an irregular shape as well, as if Twilight was so afraid that she was losing control of her magic.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy whispered, urgently shaking the unicorn. She got no response. “Twilight, we need to run!” She was starting to sound desperate. “There’s at least four of them, and I can’t use the stare on that many at once!”

But Twilight wasn’t moving. In fact, she was utterly paralyzed except for her visible trembling. She had yet to even notice the other two on their flanks, so preoccupied with the one in front. Desperately, Fluttershy began to pull at her, determined to drag her away if she had to. Unfortunately, the timberwolves seemed to sense their weakness. With a loud chorus of growls, all of them began to advance on the two ponies, their teeth bared as they got ready to pounce.

That seemed to snap Twilight out of it. With a deafening scream of absolute terror, the unicorn turned and sprinted in a completely random direction, and unfortunately for them both, that was directly toward one of the two wolves that she had yet to notice.

However, that didn’t stop her at all. In fact, she didn’t even slow down. Alarmed by her friend, and more than a little afraid of the idea of being left in the dark with a pack of hungry timberwolves, Fluttershy had little choice but to chase after her, following her by the still-active light spell that shined like a beacon in the night.

For a few horrible moments, Fluttershy thought that Twilight was going to run directly into the timberwolf. It certainly seemed to think so, as it simply took an aggressive stance and bared its teeth, prepared to meet the unicorn head on.

And that was when Twilight let out another scream, and Fluttershy was momentarily blinded by a flash of brilliant purple magic, followed by a loud boom and a pained yelp as the timberwolf was unceremoniously tossed aside. Twilight tore past the injured wolf without a second thought.

Fluttershy’s mouth fell open, surprised by the unexpected brutality. She was momentarily torn between wanting to stop and help the wolf, or continuing on after her friend. Eventually, her fear won out and she continued after her, charging past the wolf just as it began to stand up.

Twilight was already a surprising distance ahead of her, and Fluttershy took a deep breath and unfurled her wings. A few flaps later and she was soaring a few feet above the ground, skillfully maneuvering around the trees as she gradually caught up to Twilight.

She landed next to the unicorn, stumbling a bit before matching her running pace. Twilight didn’t acknowledge or even look at her. Instead, she just kept running, seemingly aimless, completely consumed by her primal fear reaction to the danger. Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat when she heard infuriated howls behind them, and knew that they were being pursued by the pack.

Mentally, she began running through what she knew about timberwolves. They were territorial creatures, and excellent at ambushing due to their natural camouflage. They were also persistent predators, and could run for hours without stopping. They tracked mostly by scent, and also had excellent hearing. In short, their only chance was to outsmart them.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy screamed. “We can’t outrun them! We have to hide somewhere!”

Twilight didn’t reply, only continuing her desperate, fast sprint. Fluttershy knew that no matter how scared she was, it wouldn’t be long at all before Twilight collapsed from exhaustion.

“Oh, I hope you forgive me for this,” Fluttershy mumbled out loud. She unfurled her wings again and used them to throw herself ahead of Twilight, then turned to face her at an angle. She waited for just the right moment, then reached out and slapped her hard across the face.

Between Twilight’s momentum and Fluttershy’s surprising amount of strength, Twilight cried out in pain and lost her balance, starting to stumble and would have fallen if Fluttershy hadn’t caught her around the middle. Although it had momentarily forced the two to stop, it at least had the intended effect of snapping Twilight out of her hysteria.

“Twilight, come on!” Fluttershy begged, shaking her for good measure. “We have to hide!”

“F-Fluttershy, I’m scared,” she whimpered. “Please, I… I don’t want to die in here.” She squeezed her eyes closed, her entire body trembling as she started to slump to the ground.

Fluttershy was completely taken aback. Twilight had always been a brave mare, and she had never seen her look so broken before. “Twilight, get up!” she snapped. “You’re not going to die, I’m not going to die, and Spike isn’t going to, either!”

Twilight’s eyes snapped open at the reminder as to why they were there. “You’re right,” she said, somewhat shakily. She awkwardly climbed to their hooves. “We have to get away, but how?”

“We need to find a place to hide,” Fluttershy said quickly. “We can’t outrun them, we have to get somewhere they can’t find us.” Another series of howls came from somewhere behind them, much closer than last time. “But for now, just run!” Fluttershy said frantically, deciding to lead by example. Twilight was quick to follow her a split second later, the two quickly matching their pace and staying side-by-side.

A few, frantic minutes passed by as the two continued to flee. The timberwolves continued to pursue them, and though neither of the two mares dared to look behind themselves, they knew the wolves were closing in on them.

However, fortune was on their side. Before long, the forest began to thin, and soon the two burst out into an open area, about the size of a hoofball field. Unlike the rest of the forest, this area was surprisingly well-lit by the full moon overhead as it was no longer blocked by the trees. For the first time in a while, Fluttershy could see more than her immediate surroundings. In front of them was a wide and deep canyon, filled with an impenetrable layer of thick fog at the base. There was, surprisingly, an old, rickety bridge stretching across the gap, but that wasn’t what caught Fluttershy’s attention.

To their right was the face of a tall, rocky cliff, cutting off any potential escape in that direction, except for the mouth of a cave that Fluttershy just barely noticed. It was a narrow entrance, well-hidden at the base. Smiling at their luck, Fluttershy grabbed Twilight and pulled her along, ignoring her surprised questioning as she awkwardly stumbled along. A few moments later the two reached the cave and practically dived into it. The light from Twilight’s horn illuminated the interior, showing that it was, mercifully, empty.

Fluttershy was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when she froze, remembering something. “Twilight, they track by scent!” she whispered urgently. “We have to do something to throw them off, or they’ll still find us!”

“Um, okay, let me think,” Twilight stammered, mentally racking her brain for something she could use. There was no spell that she knew of which could filter a smell from the air, but she did know of a quarantine spell used in hospitals to prevent the spread of disease. Maybe, with a little improvisation, she could adapt it.

She took a deep, shaky breath, desperately trying to calm herself so she could focus. The aura around her horn gradually increased in brightness as she began to concentrate on the spell, starting with the basic framework, then mentally performing the required changes. Modifying a spell on the fly was both dangerous and difficult, even for a talented unicorn like Twilight, but it wasn’t as if she had much of a choice.

After a few tense moments, Twilight tilted her horn and released the magic. With a hum of energy, a slight glimmer of purple light flashed across the mouth of the cave before vanishing, leaving no visible sign of its presence.

For good measure, Twilight layered another spell on top of that one, this one a veil that would make the cave entrance look like the surrounding rocks. If both of the spells worked, it would seem to the timberwolves as if the two had disappeared without a trace.

“Um, did it work?” Fluttershy asked after a moment.

Twilight scrunched her face in concentration, before nodding tentatively. She could still feel the magic of the wards she had laid across the cave entrance. “Well, the spells are stable at least,” she said carefully. “As to whether or not they work… We’ll have to wait and see.”

Fluttershy looked a bit nervous at that, but she nodded and settled down on the floor, facing the mouth of the cave. After a moment, Twilight lay down next to her, still trembling slightly from both the adrenaline and her lingering fear.

Less than a minute later, three of the timberwolves emerged from the forest, sniffing around for their prey. They were joined a few moments later by the fourth, which was limping visibly. Both of the ponies stared in silent dread as they watched the wolves in the distance, but after a few long, tense minutes, the wolves seemed to give up and disappeared back into the forest. Both of them released a sigh.

Fluttershy turned toward Twilight, a smile of desperate relief on her face, only to pause when she heard the sound of sniffling. Twilight was trembling visibly, her head turned toward the floor and her ears folded back. As Fluttershy watched, she let out another sob, and her light spell dimmed until it was no brighter than a candle.

“Twilight, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked in concern. Mentally, she kicked herself. Of course she isn’t, dummy.

Twilight looked up at Fluttershy, prepared to reassure her, only to choke on the words. She no longer had the strength in her to lie. Instead, she just hung her head again. “No,” she said quietly. “I’m really not.” She sniffed and gave another choked sob. “Fluttershy… I thought they were going to kill me,” she whispered. She shuddered. “I don’t want to stay here. I just want to go home, but I can’t, because Spike needs me to do this, and, and, and…”

Fluttershy didn’t need to hear any more. She gently pressed a hoof to Twilight’s mouth, stopping her babbling, and turned to embrace her, nestling her head in the crook of Twilight’s neck. After a moment, Twilight returned the hug, shaking and crying softly into Fluttershy’s shoulder. All the while, Fluttershy continued to murmur soft reassurances to her friend.

Neither of them kept track of the time, but gradually Twilight got a hold of herself and, eventually, she finally let go of Fluttershy. Her eyes were red and puffy, the fur beneath them wet, but she was wearing a soft, if somewhat shaky smile. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “That meant a lot.”

Fluttershy returned her smile and nodded. “It’s okay, Twilight,” she said softly. “I know what it’s like to be afraid.”

The smile slipped from Twilight’s face as she suddenly found herself unable to look at Fluttershy. Of course she knew what it was like, and yet here she was, comforting her instead of the other way around. In a way, it only made Twilight feel worse.

“If you need anything… I’m here for you,” Fluttershy told her. She meant every word.

Twilight looked up at her, looking contemplative for a moment. Eventually, she gave in. “I’m afraid of the forest,” she said, barely audibly. Only when the words were already out of her mouth did she realize how stupid that sounded.

“Well… Not to be mean, but isn’t everypony?” Fluttershy asked carefully.

Twilight sighed. “There’s more to it than that. Even just being here, right now… I can barely stand it. I never would have been able to walk in here by myself.”

Fluttershy frowned and tilted her head, but Twilight had already looked away again. “Twilight, that sounds like a phobia.”

“That’s because it is,” Twilight said bitterly. “I can barely keep my breathing steady, and every second I feel like I’m being watched.” She grimaced. “It’s because of the time I was turned to stone. By the cockatrice, you remember?”

Fluttershy nodded, her eyes widening slightly as she started to realize what Twilight was getting at.

Twilight shivered again, even though the air wasn’t chilly at all. “Fluttershy… Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be dead?” She swallowed. “Because I’m pretty sure I know.”

Fluttershy stared at her for a long moment, an expression of stunned realization on her face. It was no wonder that Twilight seemed so nervous. Even while she was calm, Fluttershy would still notice her eyes occasionally flicking to the side, as if seeing something that wasn’t there, or an unusually ragged breath or two. She hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but now…

“Oh, Twilight,” she said sadly. “I wish you’d told me sooner. I might have been able to help.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t. I… I didn’t want you to worry. We had enough problems already. Still do.”

“But—”

“Fluttershy, please,” Twilight said, almost desperately. “Just… Not now. I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

Fluttershy closed her mouth and nodded, even though Twilight still wasn’t looking at her. Eventually, after an awkward silence, Twilight finally looked up. “So, um, what should we be doing now? About the ingredients, I mean.”

Fluttershy thought about that for a few moments. “I think we need to get some sleep,” she said at last. “It’s very late, and we should wait at least a few hours to make sure the timberwolves are gone. Um, should we take turns sleeping? In case anything tries to sneak up on us?”

Twilight shook her head. “I can cast a few tripwire spells. They’ll warn me if anything tries.”

Fluttershy nodded. “That makes things easier. So, um… Good night?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said quietly. She proceeded to cast a few detection spells around the cave, especially around the entrance. If anything larger than a butterfly tried to enter, it would give Twilight a mental ping and wake her up in an instant.

As soon as she was satisfied, she reluctantly extinguished her light spell for the first time since leaving Zecora’s hut, leaving the cave completely dark except for the small amount of moonlight that shone through the entrance. She shifted to get comfortable and rested her head on her forelegs, knowing that she wasn’t likely to get any sleep at all. A few moments passed in silence, until Fluttershy slid over to lean against her side, laying a wing gently across her back.

At Twilight’s surprised look, Fluttershy gave a nervous smile. “I thought you might want the company,” she said. “Um, I can move though, if you want.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, it’s nice,” she said softly. “Please stay.”

Fluttershy nodded, still blushing faintly before looking away. A moment later, Twilight laid her head down again. Before she even know what was happening, exhaustion overcame her and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep under Fluttershy’s wing.