Serenity Echoing

by Skylarking the Stargazer

Rating: everyone
Tags: Fluttershy, Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Drama
Length: 7692

Fluttershy takes a lonely path through the Everfree Forest, how much is there to be told to her?

Only Fluttershy knew this whole time...

Nopony understood her as much excluding her friends, even then, Fluttershy had other secrets that even her friends do not know. She had her own ways to deal with things, her own light to help her see for herself. Which is why she is so distant from everyone other than herself, no one can understand her.

A peaceful walk guided by Luna's lampshade, in a place that nopony understands either that is.

Kindness will always be rewarded with such amazing feats...

A great big thanks to Z-blade Gracin for helping me edit + proofread this work!

And a big thanks to the artist: miltvain!

Published 2017-04-14 03:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-04-14 03:50:01 UTC

Silence Speaks

   I open her wings, but only by a little, not especially when she is in front of the mirror, terrorizing herself and covering her face with her wings widely in self defense. This is the only time she can ever do so. She sighed in defeat: .

   "Oh, why can't I ever be brave and show everypony what I can do?!" I wept, closing my eyes and lowering my head. I can't even open my wings in front of myself; the only audience who has been watching me this whole time.

   I turn out towards the windows of the cottage, it is almost midnight, and the moon pours her sour glands onto the ground, with each spark of light dimming along the constellations made of the distant stars. It is truly amazing just to look outside all the time, especially in an environment like where an earth-loving pegasus like me resides. You don't get to see stars like that in crowded areas, where there's light pollution to block your true vision. More than that, there are ponies around those places, always there, caring less about who you are, yet they point hooves at you for what you do.

   'It is indeed beautiful', I thought, 'Such wonder even for a minute long show'.

   But something's telling me, that there is more to this scenery than just gazing at it. I slowly turn my head back to her, as she looks at me, with those blue eyes, pink mane and tail, yellow and soft body. Reflection sometimes even strikes fear into me. I do not recognize that strange looking pony! I sway away from the mirror, trying to look at other objects around my cottage, but it's only a circuitous maze, because no matter what I do will only result in me facing the celibate standing par to me in that clear glass at some point.

   My only answer, is to follow my intuition, and delve into the skies, eat the burning lights of the pretty stars. Moonlight will perhaps even give me a nice shower by the river banks if possible, all I wished to do then, is to just stare down at the rushing streams of blue.

   Instead, I find myself trailing at what's ahead of me, not expecting the sudden strike of the tumbling Fear...

   The Everfree Forest.

   My word how dark it is inside there right now, I mean even in the morning it's quite intimidating, but at midnight? I would think twice before taking my first hoof at such menacing thickets of those never ending trees. I mean, I do love trees, but when they don't love me back, it's something more noteworthy to look after my own life instead.

   My hooves tremble, my breathing shortens, my whole body sweats abnormally. Maybe it's the shivering wind that's warning me through my throat and down into my bones, from those scary looking creatures of the Forest herself!

   "Forest herself"... those two words just sound beautiful enough by themselves. I took a teeny step forward, just another inch closer to those dreadful woods. I gulp a hard drop down my throat. I can feel Everfree's eyes glaring down deep inside my soul. Stars and night skies do not help ease this negatively dense atmosphere in any way. It is just too much for me! I couldn't have made it here if it weren't for them, that sole spectrum that is shooting a way through the forests.

   Them, I meant the unknown light falling through the deep blue sky, crashing onto the ground again and again and again. Waves of cosmetic objects glide down to meet as well. All into those thick woods of the Everfree, yet a little of those can be seen being shot back into the sky. I wondered why as I trespass the line that I had told myself never to cross since I arrived down to the ground as a filly.

   'Curiosity misguides the cat', is the phrase appearing over and over inside my unorganized brain, I did not want to use the word "kill", it was just too much for me to even hear such kind of word. So much violence, so much hatred, I don't like those at all!

   I shouldn't be thinking like this, because I broke the very rule that I had made up my mind on a long time ago: I entered the Everfree forest at its worst state, alone, for no reason. It wasn't like with the little Cutie Mark Crusaders, those sweet fillies had no idea what they're up to just to find even one of my chickens. A cockatrice is no joke, it can just as well turn you into stone and forget about you forever, nopony can find you in the Everfree Forest.

   I hadn't realized anytime sooner why I ever stepped into this creepy place, what was my true motive for such dramatic action? I turned to take a glance at all my corners, they were nothing but trees so far, dark, but rustling and standing there quietly. I cower, putting my hooves over my head, but instead of thinking on the horror that lies ahead of me, I am thinking about that light, cutting across the forest in half, awakening the dew of the greens. The feeling is so exciting! My heart can't be anymore contented.

   I get back up, taking a deep breath, and slowly pushing myself a little of it out each step that I had advanced forward. I can't articulate myself any better, but it's tempting to tell myself that there is something that I need to see before the wheels of fate put me in. I enter the shadows cast by those scary trees and tall bushes. Now I'm completely shut out, dark and trapped, my stomach has the urge to force myself back home. Can I even make it back out alive?

   "M-maybe I'm done for already, I-I-I'm gone into the o-other world." I muttered to myself, and it has become my primary words as I fought my way through the leaves and the anxious Silence. I don't understand why am I still marching on like a fresh soldier encountering her first time in the battleground, I'm not suited for such a kind. I miss my friends, I miss everything already, even a litter by the dump that none wanted to look at, even those who have hurt me in the past, even those filled with hatred in their eyes...

   "Oh, how I wish Angel bunny was here!" I muttered louder, but still just enough for me to hear only. Angel is perhaps my oldest friend, he was always there with me wherever I went, and always was there covering a blanket for me when I'm exposed to the heartless cold. He may not be the most well behaved pet, but he's perhaps the closest living thing to understand my feelings, not even my other best friends know enough about me compared to him alone.

   But tonight, he isn't here with me, I am pulled over by those shimmering lights, myself alone for the first time. Maybe it is the time to prove to myself that I can handle what I can control just as well as any others. I am an independent mare who can take care of herself, nothing can take that away from me!

   So the brave little me crosses another line of desperate need, I have exited the closure of those bushes and shrubs. Now I am in the open area among those giant trees again, though they may look quite intimidating, I pinpoint my eyes on that tiny squeeze of light barely finding its way through the leaves of the giant trees. I trot to it, and I can't find it anywhere as I reached the location, but to only see that light to my front again. Each time I walk further, I never seem to reach the light. It pulls itself away while I'm the heavy anchor weighing down the oceans, a strain for anyone to actually rely on.

   Well, tonight I don't need to rely on anypony, nopony will rely on me, I can go through the Everfree Forest all by myself.

   The trees may be like crowded ponies that I must get through everyday, but this time there is a path that goes straight down those woods, and the furthest I can see is a pitch black spot that fills my mind with mysteries and scary things that I do not ever want to know. The pumping of my blood up my heart and the never stopping light had forced me to make the only way through, into the dreadful darkness.

   Truth is, the darkness had never arrived, probably because I'm already in the darkness, there is just so little to see and understand from such dilemma. That tiny beam of light that buzzed in can only lighten up so much, that the further areas were still dark. I hear a growl among the trees, and movements around some bushes aside me as I trotted through. I flinch in response, but keeping it quiet enough to pretend that nothing's going wrong, so whatever that thing is in those bushes, will not have to expect something for it to attack me.

   It reminds me of how I deal with other ponies, it's hard for me to say what I have in mind, and just express myself in front of a huge crowd. Often when my friends notice my distress, I would always respond with a "nothing", or " I'm fine". In reality, I am NOT fine, I'm NEVER fine! Each second of even an eye interaction with anypony hurts me on the inside, I always end up making bad conversations because I don't know how to deal with them. How should I continue? Where should I end? What should we talk about? It all ends up in an awkward gaze of silence, which I'm tired of. Twilight often would advice me of making connections with others; what similarities the other pony has with me. That way, it would bring the friendship bond even stronger than before.

   Maybe now I know why I can only speak with my "animal friends".

   Disregarding those unwanted sounds from behind the wooded path, I have finally made out of the first stage alive. Now I see a much more opened area, where the trees aren't as menacing and more far apart. That once tiny dim of light was no longer dim, but rather seen everywhere, brightening the place with pure blue.

   I may not be an artist, but this blue is not just any blue, but that turquoise blue, with a little bit of chiaroscuro used here and there maybe. Such beauty, how spiritual can Wonder be? Obsession is just coming closer and closer with the true force of Everfree Nature. I could not describe the humming lights washing my yellow skin away for the moment, it just feels so glossy and tinged!

   After all, a true artist appreciates all styles of work as art, no matter how uninteresting or unpleasing it can be, right?

   Visions take over the ruffling sounds once I pay real attention to those sparks spraying those shades of blue into the forest ground. My heart is now luminously beautiful. I gaze up through the giant trees and straight into the deep nights. Where the motions of the stars shatter what I call "reality", it was even clearer than the first time I saw it before entering the Everfree. There was no light pollution, no noises of scary words, no ponies to point hooves at you. This is the place that I always wanted to be in, my mind drives into the urge to move my cottage here.

   The rush of happiness resounds across my vibes. I feel like opening my wings, and it almost becomes true when I no longer feel them touching my body. Slowly and gracefully, my pair of wings spread aside, they blend into the blue light, they glimmer and glow rapidly. I remain in that spot, enjoying and feeling this moment, where I am all by myself, not having to worry about anything, once I release the magic inside me.

   SNAP!

   I shriek, jumping to my side, and falling onto the ground. There was a sound in these woods, and it still lurks behind them. Getting back up, I wipe the dirt off me. I may like nature, but too much of it can infect me. I guess I can be like Rarity at times: I do care for the nature of my body, not wanting to dirty it in any way.

   I sighed, hanging my head as I slowly walk into the trees, they are quite close together, tightly and branches intertwined, just like good friends should. They don't move, they just stay there for one another, holding limbs together. I wish all the ponies would do the same for once to recognize that the absence of hatred exists, as long as we stand united as one, we can stand strong on all four hooves. Even when alone we don't have to fear anything, because the will of one is the will of all friends.

   It feels like that my words slipped out too early, were they spoken by accident? Does it feel, that something just isn't right at the very moment? That my body, is made of sweat and shaking. I am afraid again, and then my wings.

   Oh no, not my wings.

   They were closed again.

   I try to open them, but the pair just will not listen to me. They remain shut, quiet, and insecure. I had the perfect moment where Princess Luna's beauty encouraged me to make good use of my wings.

   But now, I have to start all over because of one sound. ONE, ONLY ONE, and I freak out. I looked up to the trees painted with the sparkling blue again. I couldn't help but think that I only cared about how "I" felt about the society ran by my kind. Maybe other ponies won't be happy when they have "too many" friends, it might feel uncomfortable and perhaps even stressful to be busy with hundreds and thousands of them.

   Maybe it's just me, because I don't have any friends... I can only interact with so little ponies, and the rest are all outside creatures that most ponies tend to ignore. Unity may not be the best idea for ponies after all. Friendship is important among all, and I'm proud to be an Element of Kindness to help my friends spread this wonder to all of Equestria, I want every pony to enjoy this gift.

   It isn't so easy, however, once you realize that ponies are just friends with you, and nothing closer than that. There is always a special connection between some ponies at least. There are those trees, holding their wooden arms together. There is me, who can't do any of those with my own kind. I am still alone, why I am scared of everything still remains a mystery to others. I am never comfortable being truly personal with even my closest friends.

   Just then, a hoot fills the comfort zone across many paces away. I begin to trot faster than before, trying to locate that resonant voice. Tree after tree, I see nothing but the bright moon glistening and comets gliding across the deep blue. I stop myself once I see an owl making that same hoot that I just heard. She is made of black and gray stripes, similar to that of Zecora. I try to hoot back, despite it wasn't the best hoot that I ever done. The strange looking owl turns her head around to meet my cerulean eyes, I almost froze and freaked out because of her giant eyes, but told myself that I'm an animal expert, and nothing will go wrong as long as I recognize that creature.

   Slowly, I take out my hoof to the owl, barely waving it to signal her. Owls are very wise creatures, they can sometimes even predict what may happen next. You wouldn't want to fool an owl through mind tricks, they can see it right through and impale that gust of fear down your throat with those mysterious, spherical eyes.

   The owl then opens her wings and flies off, up into the deep sleeping nights. I want to follow, but my mind tells me to back away and not let a predator pounce on me and take me alive with me having to see my flesh as I get eaten. Oh these awful thoughts! Go away! Now is not the time!

   Yet at the same time, I don't want such violence happening to me. There is an angel telling me that I must go and follow that owl no matter what. The mist now is slowly packed and piling together, becoming more and more dense. The once sapphire lights produced by the genies and the skylights are slowly fading out, the lamp is about to become useless for me once I can't see what's ahead of me! I must go, NOW!

   With my wings opened once again, I felt the need to take off not in courage from the sudden ambush of timberwolves, but in fear of this mist that will hurt me in the future. Quickly, I fly off into the sleepless dusk, the sky sounding with nothing but the breeze. The trees are no longer tall and big once I'm above them all, there are mountains not far up ahead, but I won't be that quick to reach them, which is a good thing I guess. Their tall shadows swallow up the rest of what you can see, maybe something even scarier than a dragon can hurt you.

   Not far I can see the owl flapping her wings, and suddenly turning to her left. I nod to myself and did the same. This time she dives straight down, back into those woods. Do I have to do the same again? I have just begun to enjoy my time outside in the endless time of silent blues, but if I don't follow the owl, something's telling me that this whole journey is just a good for nothing walk instead.

   From miles away I can hear the timberwolves howling to the moon. They frighten me at times, so unpredictable and cold because they are simply made of deceased wood and spirits of evil, there is no way to tame their hearts if they never had one from the start. Yet, their sounds make up what the Everfree Forest is, and the true beauty nature can sprout out if you're emotionally and mentally prepared to see them. I feel safe just hearing those wooden animals resounding to the sky, because I'm so far away from them, and that they won't possibly hurt me from there. These thoughts purify my mind as I dive straight back into the woods...

   Sigh, back into the forest we go, and I'm still flying above the ground, desperately trying to find the runaway owl. The bushes and shrubs are shown no more, but instead with green orbs of light floating around, littering the forest with a new source of radiance; a new tension building up inside my crisp, yellow chest. It is so warm, so much warmer compared to those blue lights sent by the cosmetic miracle beyond the stars earlier.

   Not sooner, I arrive to a vast glade made of serenity. I can take a clear notice of the brightest stars hovering above my eyes. The moon is lightened up, full, round, and just splendid! I imagine nothing else of scary things, no more haunted trees and forests poking me on the ribs anymore, no more unfriendly voices of dreadful predators searching for food, no more ponies shutting me out of my privacy. This is the boundary where limits no longer can hold my wings down onto the ground. I can do almost whatever I please, nothing to stop me from accomplishing anything.

   I close my eyes, sniffing out the incoming breeze that brought up the grass and the poplars. It was cold. Yes, one can argue for that, but it doesn't matter as I still can open my wings more than before, though not completely sure whether if that's the right thing to do right now. Can my wings express freedom just like that? Or even if it does, what am I supposed to do with it?

   'Is it always about my wings?' I ask myself in my head, the unanimous doubts return to persecute me. 'This isn't going anywhere! So frustrating that I just want to SCREAM!'

   My feathers stop beating, almost followed by my heart as I sink into the grass. My wings fell onto the ground, but not closed at all. My hooves bend into my body, seeking protection from my torso. I just want to burst into tears, crying until I can get no more sorrow out from me. Giving up and leaving the Everfree is an option, but there is the feeling at the very moment making me want to stay; my body feels heavy, my hooves are attached to the earthly soils.

   Suddenly, a drop is heard, and another drop is seen wetting the soil, it must be raining now. My throat can't clear up, and it hurts even more as I turn my head up. I am so wrong when I realized that the sky was clear, purple and almost red in a sense, but the blue was fading away. My faith dies down deep inside; it was I who was beginning to rain on myself this whole time. Frustration seethes among the smokes that was pumped out dramatically by my own blood. I don't know why, but I must hold my true feelings back in, but this time that introvert mare fades away into the stars... oh goodness...

   "I wish Angel bunny would be here, I wish my friends would be here, I WISH ANYPONY WOULD BE HERE! TO COMFORT ME FROM ALL THIS CONFUSION! THE CONFLICTING THOUGHTS TEARING MY EMOTIONS APART FROM EACH OTHER! WHY IS IT THAT I CAN'T FULLY ACCEPT THE BEAUTY OF NATURE WITHOUT HAVING TO SUFFOCATE REMORSE OR GUILT?! CAN SOMEONE TELL ME?! ANYONE?!!!"

   The soil becomes clean from my glands. I pound my hoof onto the ground not once, but twice, thrice, four, followed by five and up to a countless number. My throat is now paralyzed, I can't even find a space to breathe into. Euphoria turns into a pill that serves nothing but addiction, the wonders of nature has dragged me to think deeply on my pains and amazement at the same time; weighing heavily on both sides, but never finding a good balance in between them. The more I think about this internal struggle, the less air I have in need to survive. I feel like burning, but I always burn out like all prominent stars shone above me everyday. I regret having to made my day turn out in a such way by so much, that it feels embarrassing, and I'm shy to express it out to anyone. I want to make peace and unity among all ponies and animals, even though many ponies do become annoyed by my passive personality. I try too hard to become perfect, do I?

   I turn my head back up to the stars as they wink in such a fashionable order as if they were speaking to me. Wind begins to pick up, but this time it was harder and more powerful than before. Trees rustle, waves of lights appear miles above my reach, constantly changing and switching colors as they bend back and forth like flags: representing a belief that one should never give up on. White and sparkling comets glide across many times of steps that a normal pony can take. Shooting stars are only cosmetic romances, and whenever it was worth to watch them collide and sprinkle into dust, it is only a mere drama acted out by nature to entertain us and draw us closer to them.

   And then, it was not before my eyes turned white from seeing the fury of the skies...

   I always loved glades when I was young, they made me open my mind if not my eyes. When the day was unpleasantly hot outside, the unforgettable breeze shields me from the raging heat that was about to explode into waves and waves of unavoidable pains. Although it's a far and long way down to the earth from the unbearable clouds, as we pegasi live closer to the sun than any other ponies, my mother would accompany me down during dawn or the deep dusk to make our time as a family in the best way possible. We would sit on the grass, watching divinity naturally perform their duty day by day. I loved having my mother's hooves around me as I rest my head into her body, that way I thought, would get a better and a mutual understanding between us and everything else. If not, then at least a warm and a temporary shelter would be nice too.

   There were nights when my mother and I wouldn't speak at all to interrupt the silent film slipping past our eyes, not even a second of detail of the leaves lightened up by the galaxies; or the sweet and refreshing taste of the wind after being mingled in with a healthy concentration of trees, flowers, woodland creatures, and the little streams hissing away into rivers then the extensive bodies of the shallow water. There were other nights when we would chat about many different topics. Motivated by the astonishing imagery, each word served a purpose to keep our conversation solid. If not, then I would just rest my head on my mother and we would watch Princess Celestia raise the moon and see the wonder of nature, either way was an extraordinary experience, nothing to lose from.

   I do remember this one night, however, when I cried to my mother about my underachieving performance at flight school. It was humiliating, it was devastating, I had never felt so crushed before when a former bully of the camp, Hoops, pushed me off the clouds and left me in a pitfall to doom. I could've just died by the acceleration of my fall, but my desperate will to live had me flap my tiny wings rapidly.

   Even then, I was hopeless, scared, empty of fulfilling the basic necessity of a normal pegasus, for all I did was fall.

   Fall.

   Fall.

   Fall.

   And never had the chance to get back up, because the only way I will be able to do so is float away with only a naked soul, or just lose all my consciousness and not even having the speck of presence of my existence. The only pony who wanted to save me was Rainbow Dash, as she quickly rushed to the scene, carried me onto her back, and took me back up to Cloudsdale.

   Once I returned back to my birthplace, however, I was greeted with unfriendly faces of disgust, dirty jeers, forceful objects thrown at me, wanting me to get lost and never find my way back to safety. Rainbow defended me with all her courage and might, and I felt a speck of hope, that not all ponies hate me.

   They hate me for loving the ground than up here in the blank clouds. I can find friends that understand and relate to me, hopefully, even if the whole world is chewing on my hooves. It hurts to see Rainbow being bashed on for being with somepony like me, it hurts her pride too; just losing respect from ponies because she stuck with me, to protect me...

   I questioned my mother whether if it really was worth Rainbow's time to defend me, by that time the moon spilled dim orbs that couldn't make night dark as it was supposed to seem. It was difficult enough for me to complete the question to her, as I choked down every word I said. I was scared of the forthcoming answer from my mother's lips, but at the same time I cuddled into her deeper and deeper, like I can find anything in her that's special to me, more than just a mother being a mother.

   I remembered that she patted my back and kissed my head while the shooting stars winked brightly as I looked up, but I didn't blink at all; because I would miss it all, the message that the heavens sent me, even if I wasn't certain what they meant, but I know it's something pertaining to what I can feel and rub into, not just known to anypony. I've always had the smallest spark that I was special in some way. I don't need acceptance nor recognition from others, not especially if they don't know who I am on the inside aside from bearing the "Shy" in my family's gene and name.

   Nevertheless, family love is such a wonderful thing to enjoy feeling about. I can't forget that.

   Well, there is no choice but to keep going. Usually I wouldn't know what to do, and maybe just stop right here and end it all. Tonight is a different time, a different place, and will remain as a moment which stands out from the rest. I will put my faith into the stars' trail and the moon's embrace; if they are to believe in me and acknowledge me as one of them: a unique life force with the potential to reach out to the skies and hail to the unknown divinity. I would definitely want to communicate with such spirit, a true friend indeed. I had no idea where I got the motivation from, but it looks like I'm on the right track from what I believe.

   Not soon, the same owl whom I followed earlier came back to me, standing right in front of me, in the middle of this vast and barren glade. I looked at her for the longest period of time, reading the flashing beam of light she sent me off her eyes. Suddenly, a rush of a new tension hit my stomach, once the owl flew off without warning. I had no time to think; I reacted into leaving this climatic, pellucid glade, and on a path along a nearby stream. Through the blue waves, I can see myself marching on like an actual soldier on the battlefield. I no longer feared having to see who I am: she's just a friendly, cuddly mare who lives side by side with what clueless ponies call: "the forces of evil". The sound of water rushing onto rocks refreshes my soul into a gleaming drop of cool vapor tinging me over and over again.

  I realize that my hoofsteps are not on the same rhythm as the speed of the stream, making me almost taking longer steps, and beginning to run along with the rushing water. Thankfully I didn't have to; nature progresses in a different speed from us ponies, and must be the reason why we misjudge the Everfree, and why we can't get along. The growth of the roots in a tree during the winter can take years compared to a colt growing his hooves, but it will end up durable and stronger than the later grown stallion. Evolving ponies don't want to feel inferior, yet perhaps many of us are envy of how powerful nature can be? Is that why we ignore and avoid you, Mother Everfree?

   Oh how much I sound like a traitor to my kind! I wish I can stop being torn on both sides and bring myself back together. I feel just like a cracked tree, about to die any moment. The stream becomes slightly wider than before when I just noticed it, lurking beneath the blues is something that I can't explain, as the shadow moves along with the speed of the stream, perfectly camouflaging along with it. Avoiding horrific tales brought up by my mind, I assume the figure to be nothing more than a wooden log drifting with me. Therefore, I continue to pace along the stream, minding my own business and avoid the dangerous Curiosity.

   Without my conscience, my eyes slowly became weary. Everything I see becomes blurry and slowly transformed into unclear shapes, I have to force my brain to interpret the objects swirling around my vision. I haven't ate nor drank anything before leaving the cottage, I just came out by my sheer force of will and imagination. They called me out here, so I thought it's a must-do task that may turn out to be just fascinating enough for this journey to be worthwhile.

   All those words... Just aches my head even more... I can't hold my ground any longer... I feel so dizzy, and out of my control...

   I feel something cold... but the cold isn't a slow process... rather an instant strike of sharp icicle into the flesh... I can see the stars and a trail of their hazel auroras across the night sky...

   ...

   Sweet Celestia...

   No... Sweet Everfree, help me...

   Please...

   So many sounds can be heard, but none of them are loud enough for a party. Pinkie Pie sure knows how to make ponies smile as one, but those types of parties are just too loud at times. Screeching in my head right now are those voices of nature, not the artificial noises made by ponies who only accept civilizations. The sounds of music as the creatures communicating and the water beating the trees, pass through my ears and solidify my wings, enchanting them to fly again.

   Yes, my wings have a sense of their own, most pegasi should I think. The problem is, that I can't move my wings, my whole body was weak and maybe even crippled since I woke up. All I know is that I'm alive, floating away to somewhere unknown.

   Unknown...?

   Oh no, where in Equestria am I? I must've fell into the stream and it carried me all the way here.

   This is a swamp isn't it? The humid air mixed in with the unbearable smell produced in this waste colored habitat, large bubbles fizzled and popped, the steam amplified the extreme heat. In addition to the unpleasant conditions, a swamp is unlivable, guaranteed danger, responsible for the numerous disappearances of ponies and other races of creatures alike who traveled through here.

   The risk is high enough to ensure that my life is at stake right now.

   I managed to swim across the muddy lake and safely reaches the shore. On the wet grassland I stand, my hooves slowly sank into the soil. I can cry over about how unclean I've made myself, but this is just another way of drawing closer to Mother earth. For a prideful pegasus, that is not the case to be downcast of themselves compared to those who can't fly; they don't understand how much there is to see down here than just white puffs of vapor. I can visualize just as much stars and sunshine as those in Cloudsdale, my mind is clear as the clear blue skies beyond the clouds, but other ponies don't understand that. They just think I'm a mental distraught, well what do they know?!

   "What..." I began, but slowly back off from the shore of the lake once I felt something suspicious going on. In the unexplained waters, the same shape that I saw earlier when I was trotting along the stream creeps towards me, there are two yellow eyes but black in the middle of each, locking onto me, not even paying attention to his surroundings. The creature who's yellow eyes belonged to shows his rough and green skin, inches in closer towards me.

   "do I know...?" I lowered my voice once I realize the undeniable danger that I am in. I shudder and stumble over again and again while trying to stay away from the mugger crocodile. He creeps in closer, I try to remain calm, at my best mood possible. The crocodile does not growl for some reason, even though we aren't that far apart from one another. Now thinking back on it, I was too busy doodling with my emotions that I failed to observe the dangers around me. I didn't know any better about this creature than I should have.

   I remembered that back when I was returning a basket of frogs back to Froggy Bog Bottom, I failed to realize the danger that I was in. A giant hydra lurking beneath the deep mud, ready to devour me anytime. Furious eyes, unbelievably sharp teeth, four long necks with a head or their own, enormous size, all the factors that prove the beast's monstrosity had proven itself to be more than capable of destroying civilizations. If it weren't for my friends risking their lives just to warn me—

   The green, scaly beast now left the waters completely, and is in face to face with me on the environment where he has a less significant advantage compared to the murky waters, but still enough to dominate me. This is his territory, this is his meal place, feeding on the poor, innocent birds and turtles—

   If it weren't for my friends warning me...

   This twenty foot reptile has a munch on anything, no fear of being preyed by anyone. His razor sharp teeth leaves his mouth whether he closed it or not. His green, unharmed skin resembles that of an armor of a Royal Guard. Cold marble looking eyes shone with evil and unjust deeds dawning on others—

   If it weren't for them...

   He doesn't even have to think on his hunger, as long as he can make food of anything, he will heartlessly strike you down—

   I, I wouldn't know what else to do, I could've been a goner.

   Slowly and carefully, I walk over to the seemingly bewildered but suspicious animal, keeping it quiet enough without alarming him. I place a hoof onto his snout, attempting to tame him. I nuzzle him on the mouth with gentle care, the heartbeat of the animal seemed to slow down as his body temperature increased at a steady rate. The reptile could not withstand this soft, lighthearted confrontation, and as a result he opens his mouth, revealing a chipped and almost cracked tooth.

   I smiled, knowing something's wrong with the poor thing before taking action that could've hurt the animal physically and emotionally. Instead of running away, I take a few leaves from a nearby tree and other herbs that can serve as a painkiller while I remove the damaged tooth from animal. Afterwards, I enter the crocodile's mouth and place the herbs right under his tooth. I gulped, for I didn't want to hurt him by yanking his tooth bad enough to cause chaos in this ecosystem, he is the apex predator here after all. Should I just leave him be like this? What if he does make harm to the other critters? Who would be at fault for ruining him?

   Wha-what if he turns his back on me? My active hoof wobbles and the rest of my body trembles like what I have done before I entered the Everfree. I couldn't think on how much danger this forest has for anypony to thrive in. What did I even come here for then at first place?

'No Fluttershy,' My inner self suddenly has control of her own, 'You've reached this far into the Everfree Forest, a feat accomplished by almost nopony, are you just seriously going to stop here and abandon someone whom only you right now can help? How much of a meanie are you? If you came here boldly and made it all the way here, why the hay didn't you run away?

'You coward.'

   I'm a coward...

   That's what all ponies said or thought about me when they met me. I am a worthless accompany to be along with, a burden, a hindrance, useless, uninteresting, lost. Yes I am lost, indeed so far lost and gone, but I can always look up to the sky. For there will be a star there to shine my path down the road, that's how I made it all the way here.

   And that's how I will finish it.

   I manage to pull out the tooth from the reptile and quickly I close his mouth, so that the bleeding can be stopped with the herbs I placed there, as long as he kept his mouth closed. The mugger crocodile turns his direction towards me, and he is now so close to me that we are only a breathing away from each other. He stares at me, while blinking at least once per second, and I dare not to move but to only return the same gaze without much of the blinking.

   Finally, he makes his first direct interaction with me with a bump of his snout. Instead of my fur perking up in anxiety, it was something else going upwards, my heart's rapid beat perhaps; like the flow of that refreshing stream I listened to earlier. The crocodile backs away and quickly dashes back into the lake and fades away from my eyesight.

   Pretty soon, I can hear whispers from all over the forest, I can see orbs once again reappearing as they flow all around me and everywhere I see. I smile while closing my eyes, feeling the spirits of all creatures huddling up on me and giving me warmth. Sparkles won't stop radiating up there in the dark, and neither will my soul. It is so magical to see how a system functions so lively without having to be forced. Out here in the nature, there are no rules to follow nor punished if not done so, it's just how living beings decide the way they want to live. Their choice to create chances and fully enjoy Mother Everfree's gift, and nopony will ever understand unless they've been here on a night very much similar to this. There is only true freedom here in the wilderness, and I will give all my gratitude to her.

   My wings are now finally opened as I gave one last glance to the swirling trails of the white stardust soaring across the night.

   And I will keep it that way when I reenter the silent woods and travel back home.

"Mommy?"

"Yes my sweet yellow cub?" She placed her hoof onto her daughter's forehead, and slid it all the way down to her chin, before gently pressing onto her nose.

"I-I have a question."

"Go ahead sweetie, I can help you with anything."

The smaller pegasus wanted someone to help her answer her, but just expressing it sometimes hurts her inner ego, even if it was tiny. She had to this time, she wanted to know, she desired to know this by hoof. After gazing up at the moonlight drooling lust, she took a deep breath and managed to overcome her worst fear for once.

"D-did we come down here, to watch the night and relax? O-or, to escape our problems only for awhile?"

"Honey, mommy doesn't seem to quite get it —" She paused her lips as she began to realize what her foal actually meant. " — Oh honeybun! You must've been scared of your fears again!"

Her daughter sobbed and cried onto her mother's lap, glittering tears wet and fresh rolled down her hooves and dried down into the soil that they were sitting on. She shook her head and firmly played with her daughter's cheeks, chuckling and almost crying out herself.

'I can't believe my little one's all grown up already! She's thinking on so much!'

"Fluttershy, you have to listen to me here." Fluttershy stopped crying and looked up to meet her mother's warm gaze and gentle smile. "This glade is not an excuse to hide away from reality, it is a place where we are to clear out our minds from anger with other ponies, or to know deep down who we are on the inside, and when that time comes" — she noticed the young filly already turning her focus onto the northern lights speaking to the stars. She giggled and looked along with her daughter.

— "then we can finally burn out the internal conflicts that we have with ourselves, and live in eternal peace?"

The mare now had Fluttershy fully in her grasp, slowly cuddling and nuzzling her, happy and proud that her daughter can know so much even at a young age. The latter did exactly the same, returning the love and care that her mother once had given her. The wind picked up as the leaves blown off the trees soared into the sky. The mother's eyes looked at them whirling around in circles. She hadn't realized that the night was coming to an end, as a peach colored ray bursts through the air, interrupting the dark theater up in the deep indigo skies. Finally, a familiar object with a familiar color resembling of somepony who she's been with all this time, was peeking from the faraway mountains, slowly shining on everything it sees.

It is now morning.