A Strange Sight in the Everfree Forest
Fluttershy hummed a happy tune to herself as she trotted deeper into the Everfree Forest. She was wandering through the dense woods looking for wild radishes to harvest as she did many times before, and the filled satchels hanging from both of her sides showed how abundant the plants were and how bountiful her quest had become.
As she made it to another clearing; one of many openings in the Everfree, she spotted another patch of the plants she was looking for, and quickly made her way toward them. Amidst the field of tall grass and flowers she entered were many sprouts of the wild, edible vegetables, as well as a variety of pretty, multi-colored blossoms of varying sizes. The pegasus couldn't help but sigh at their beauty, taking in a deep breath of the summer air.
Getting to work, she instantly set to picking the radishes she came across, pulling them out by the roots with her mouth. After seeing how large their dirt-covered bulbs looked, she would always toss them into one of the two packs hanging by her side, and close them afterword.
"Howdy!" a high-pitched voice suddenly spoke from behind her. Jumping in startled reaction and letting out a yelp of fear, Fluttershy leapt forward until she was hiding behind a medium-sized rock. Peeking her trembling face out from behind it, all she saw that begat her sight was just a plant sitting near where she just was. But... it was an unusual plant, to put it lightly.
The plant looked fairly tall, almost the size of the average pony's leg. At the end of its stem was a bloomed flower, lined with six yellow petals, and in between them was a white-brown oval, with what appeared to be... a face on it. Two eyes and a mouth rested on the space, showing a cheerful expression.
"Um... howdy!" the plant greeted again, still in a friendly voice. "I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower! Who... are you? And what might someone as wonderful-looking as you be doing in a place like this? It's dangerous out here!"
Fluttershy, at first still surprised by just what kind of aberration she was currently witnessing, couldn't help but smile as she calmed down. "My name's Fluttershy. It's nice to meet you, Flowey," she started, in a soft tone. "I came out into the forest to pick some plants and vegetables."
"D'aww... that's a pretty name..." he smirked in a bashful way, bobbing side-to-side on his stem. "Do you live around here? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't."
"No, I live back in Ponyville," she said. "It's where all my friends live too. Say... how are you speaking right now?"
"Oh, heheheee... it's a... long story..." the flower said in a somber tone, lowering his petaled head. "A very long story that I... don't think I wanna share with a stranger as of right now. But, what I can say, is that I'm trapped out here in these woods with lots of animals that want to eat me. Like those nasty deer."
He suddenly looked back to the pony, flashing another, completely innocent smile, showing the pegasus what kind of sweet person he surely was on the inside. "It's a crazy thought, but do you... think you could maybe, possibly take me home with you? I would really like that. It's better than standing out here and getting eaten by... deer. Or goats! Brr! Just thinking about it is making me shudder."
Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin and thought for a good few seconds. "I don't know... I have a lot of animals that I take care of," she began in a hesitant voice.
Flowey puffed. "Pshh... all you have to do is water me from time to time. I can usually take care of myself, too. I can move a bit on my own, you know."
"How?"
"Well, I can tunnel to other places fast. Or, if you put me into a plant pot or something, I'm sure I can bounce around in it," he replied, before his face turned into an expression showing nothing but a pleading glower. "Please can you take me with you? Please? Please, please, please? Pleeaassee? All I'm looking for is some love, is that so bad...?"
Fluttershy couldn't say no. How could she just leave a small, defenseless plant like him out in the wild to fend for himself? "Oh... alright," she finally relented, walking up to him. "I'll take you with me." Flowey cherubically smiled again, giving a thankful glance to Fluttershy as she walked up to him, put her hooves deep into the grassy soil he rested upon, and lifted him up with a small clump of dirt around his lower body, making sure to avoid damaging his roots. Opening one of her satchels, she placed the sentient plant into it, and made sure he had enough room to poke his head out by folding the flap onto its side.
After grabbing several more wild radishes, her remaining bag was full, and the yellow pegasus decided it was time to go back home. Turning about, she and her new companion left the glade and reentered the woods.
"Uh... what'd you say your name was?" the plant asked, as they began to pass by the forest of trees and bushes.
"Fluttershy," she replied.
"Okay, um... "Fluttershy," are we... best friends?" he inquired next, curiously. She smirked to him before replying.
"Of course we are, little buddy!" the pegasus chuckled, stopping to pat his head before continuing on. As she carried him and her freshly-plucked veggies out of the woods, Flowey couldn't help but let a wide, jagged grin slowly stretch onto and across his face as his plan was successfully set into motion.
Author's Note
And so it begins, heheheee...
The Flower and the Draconequus
Flowey sat in a perfectly-sized flowerpot on the windowsill, looking outside as a great many thoughts rolled through his head. As he felt the warm sunlight that shined over himself, Fluttershy walked by.
"What's gonna happen today, Fluttershy?" he asked, turning to her.
"I'm expecting a friend over," she replied. "We always have tea on Tuesdays."
"Ooh... what's his name?" the flower inquired once more.
"Discord," the pegasus responded again. "He's a draconequus."
"Neato!" he said. "Could I say hi to him too?"
"Of course," Fluttershy answered. She picked him up in a hoof and carried him to the nearby coffee table, placing him on top of it. After sitting herself down in a chair, she looked to the clock on the wall. The second the two hands connected to the twelve, a white, blinding flash went out, revealing a shape that was utterly alien to Flowey, and bore the appearance of several animals.
"Here I aaaammm!" Discord sang out, as his mismatched form fully appeared. "How are you, my dear Fluttershy?"
"I'm very well, Discord," she replied, a large smile planted on her face. "What have you been up to lately?"
"Oh, the usual," he chuckled, floating down to the nearby couch and levitating a teacup to himself. "Stirring up chaos in my pocket dimension, teasing Celestia by hiding all of her jewelry, that sort of thing."
"Howdy!" Flowey greeted after he had finished, gaining his attention. "You look awful strange."
"Erm... Who is that?" the draconequus asked, pointing a claw at the flower on the table. Fluttershy giggled quietly.
"That's Flowey," she replied. "I found him in the Everfree Forest when I was picking radishes. He's neat, huh?"
"Neat?" Discord inquired, putting his teacup down. "I could make something like that." With a snap of his paw, another flowerpot poofed into his claw; its contents a red rose. One more snap later suddenly gave life to the plant, complete with googly eyes and a dorky expression on its now-mouthed face. The mindless creature started to wave its leaves around and began to speak gibberish as Discord showed it off to the two.
"Ta-da!" he shouted. Fluttershy clearly looked amused, as shown by her laughing at how ridiculous the thing looked, but Flowey, while also smiling, bore what could only be described as an indifferent expression. Once his small face caught Discord's attention, the draconequus lowered his brow in confusion, and let the plant disappear into thin air.
"Well, as you can see flower-guy, I have power to do stuff like that," he said again, picking his teacup up and looking into it. "Say, Fluttershy, do you have any sugarcubes?"
"Oh no!" the pegasus suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot to get some! Be right back..."
Placing her own cup down and getting up, she hurriedly trotted toward the kitchen. After she left, all Discord decided to do while waiting for his friend was stare at Flowey. Either from getting a closer look, or having changed them on his own, Flowey's eyes looked sunken and dark, leaving only white pupils to stare back with. Those two, white specks were like islands in a pool of darkness. After snapping out of the spell they caught him in, Discord shook his mismatched, horned head and spoke.
"Um... so, "Flowey..." what's your opinion on Fluttershy?" he asked, attempting to strike up a friendly conversation. "Wouldn't you say she's just plain wonderful?"
"She's valuable alright," the flower replied in a low, emotionless tone that caught him off-guard.
"What do you mean "valuable?"" he asked. "What in the name of all things chaotic is that supposed to mean?"
The flower shrugged as best it could, despite his lack of arms. "What? She saved me from the woods," he spoke, his cheerful voice returning. "She's an absolute treat to be around as well."
He stuck his tongue out and flashed Discord a wink. "Why are you friends with her? What kind of thing did she do to make you see her as being wonderful, I wonder?"
The draconequus chuckled. "I was once the evil lord of chaos," he began. "She helped reform me by showing me how much better it was to have friends, instead of being alone with power. It took me a little while, but in the end I found that friendship really is the greatest magic of all."
"You... gave up your power to be her friend?" he suddenly asked.
"No, I still have my chaos magic," Discord responded. "But I prefer the warm, delightful company of Fluttershy and her allies to ruling a world of disharmony. Why do you sound so... shocked about it?"
"Oh, no reason, tee-hee..." the flower tittered in a questionable way, just as the shape of Fluttershy hummed back into the room; carrying a small plastic bag filled with cubes of sugar in her mouth.
"Sorry it took me so long, I didn't know I was almost out of them..." she chuckled, after placing the bag on the table, beside Flowey. "How many do you want, Discord?"
"Um... on second thought, I think I'll pass tea for today," he responded, placing his cup down, and causing Fluttershy to give him an odd, somewhat saddened look. "I just remembered that I have urgent business to attend to. I'll see you soon though!"
Snapping his claws, he poofed away with another bright flash, leaving Fluttershy standing there with a confused expression. Flowey looked to her and gave an equally unsure look.
"He's weird," the plant spoke, shaking his head.
Twilight Sparkle exited her castle and made her way to Ponyville. She already her entire day planned out, and as usual, it was painstakingly well-detailed. Her current objective was to see Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres.
However, she wasn't able to make it twelve paces from her home before a sudden, white flash went out in front of her, startling her immensely, and enough to jump back in reaction.
"Discord?!" she shouted, looking into his yellow-and-red eyes. After straightening herself out, she shot him a grumpy look. "What do you want?"
"I know you might think I'm trying to start something mischievous, but listen to me. This is important," he spoke in a quick, and unusually serious and to-the-point voice. The alicorn raised a brow in suspicion.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's Fluttershy," he started, his face twisting into one of worry. "I think she might be in danger."
