In An Instant

Fluttershy was awake. The light hurt her eyes and there was loud ringing in her ears.

When she finally came to her senses, she heard Pinkie Pie saying, "-'cause if you don't wake up, oh Celestia..."

"Pinkie?"

"Fluttershy!" The pink mare wrapped her into a hug. "Thank Celestia you're okay!"

"I'm just a little shaken," said Fluttershy. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Zecora. She must have healed me. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," said Pinkie. "It all happened so fast..."

"What was she saying about her sister?"

"The changeling looked just like Applejack's sister Apple Bloom. She was a sweet little filly, and so innocent...But when the changeling's attacked..."

"Only the strongest survived."

Pinkie nodded. The two knew this phrase well. Zecora told the survivors on the very first day.

Fluttershy was cold. Even buried beneath the heavy quilt, it was a freezing winter in Ponyville.

She slowly blinked her eyes open, until she saw that she'd opened her window and forgot. She climbed out of bed to shut it, but when she got near, she heard some strange noises coming from outside.

Is that...ponies calling for help?

The door to her bedroom flung open, sending Fluttershy jumping backward. "Fluttershy!"

"Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy had seen the pink mare around, but didn't know her that well. She hoped she hadn't called her the wrong name.

"We need to get out of here!" Pinkie Pie grabbed Fluttershy by the hoof and pulled her out of the cottage.

"Pinkie, what's happening?"

"It's not safe here! Come on, hurry up!"

Fluttershy's heart pounded. Soon her vision became blurry with fear. She blinked and blinked, but was still shocked at what she saw before her.

"Is that the Everfree Forest?" Fluttershy skidded to a halt.

"Yes! We need to go!"

"Are you serious?" Fluttershy started creeping backwards. "I can't just go with you-"

She was cut short when she heard more ponies screaming. When she turned around, she couldn't believe what she saw.

There was blood everywhere. Buildings had crashed to the ground; some were even on fire. Strange, bug-like ponies flew down from the sky, attacking the ponies in the city.

Fluttershy's mouth hung open as Pinkie Pie pulled her deep into the forest.

"It's alright, everypony," Rainbow Dash said, shutting up the crowd of worried ponies. "Everything is okay. Well, not everything. But we're all safe."

"You are survivors of this attack, but to Ponyville you cannot go back."

The crowd gasped and turned to see...her. It was the zebra they'd seen in Ponyville all those times.

"It's Zecora!" somepony screamed.

"She's here to help!" A mare who was named...Rarity addressed the crowd. "She has invited us into her home. This is where we will live now, forever."

"But what of Ponyville?" somepony asked.

"We were the last to go." Another mare, this one named...Apple-something said. "Canterlot, Manehattan...They've all fallen. Celestia and Luna are dead."

In an instant, the situation became much more dire. Ponies started to cry. Some started to scream and run frantic.

"Do not worry, my pony friends, because I know these attacks won't be our ends," said Zecora.

"We are the strongest ponies in Equestria," said Rainbow Dash. "Everything will be fine."

The memory gave Fluttershy the chills. She slowly sat up while Pinkie handed her a health potion. Fluttershy took a long sip. It tasted sweet, like candy hearts. Something Fluttershy hadn't had in a very long time.

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Pinkie.

Zecora did not turn around. "Alright she will be. If she feels ill, tell her to come back to me."

"Thank you, Zecora."

Pinkie walked out of Zecora's hut with Fluttershy. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at Pinkie. "Why are you following me?"

"I just want to know if you're okay."

"Why? I already said I was."

"Well..." The pink mare's voice trailed off. Fluttershy thought she saw Pinkie blush. "It's just that...you were the only one at the wedding who fainted."

"The wedding!" Fluttershy exclaimed, turning some heads. "What is going to happen about that?"

"Zecora said it's cancelled. She said, 'There is no time to be wasted.' But I don't think it was a waste. I liked it. Except for the end."

Fluttershy frowned. "Dumbbell must be furious."

"No, he's okay. He's worried about you, too. You should probably go tell him that you're okay."

Fluttershy took in a deep breath, and then released it. "Thanks, Pinkie."

Fluttershy entered her home slowly. She peered around, squinting to see in the darkness. She wished that Zecora would just make some candles.

"Dumbbell?" she called out, not knowing where her "husband" could be.

No one responded. He must just be out hunting.

Fluttershy wandered back out to camp. She then noticed something: camp was almost defenseless each day when Zecora sent out the three hunting teams. She'd never noticed, for she was one of the ponies sent out every single day. But now, she was supposed to be resting.

What if the changeling comes back? Or brings it's brothers? thought Fluttershy. I need to speak with Zecora about this.

Fluttershy jogged over to Zecora's hut. She heard Rarity talking inside.

"...and you see, I'm quite worried. Even if we were to save Applejack, I'm not sure we could nurse her back to health."

"Your concern I see, but it does not matter to me."

Rarity let out a huff. "Applejack was my friend, and a friend to so many others. You swore that you would protect all of us no matter what."

Zecora said nothing. Rarity asked, "What can I do?"

Again, Zecora was speechless. Rarity groaned and turned to leave the hut.

"Rarity?"

"Oh, hello Fluttershy. How are you feeling?" While Rarity was also a talented seamstress, she was training to replace Zecora as healer, if necessary.

"I'm feeling well. What about you?"

The unicorn frowned. "I am just a bit...frustrated. I cared deeply for Applejack. I've known her my whole life, even before the attacks. I just feel...somehow responsible."

Fluttershy gasped. "Rarity, don't ever say that! It was not your fault."

"I am a healer in training! Yet, I know not how to heal a pony with the brain of a love-sucking zombie." Rarity looked to the ground. "Poor, poor Applejack..."

Fluttershy frowned, unsure of what to say. "Rarity-"

"So today I thought I'd go into the forest a bit earlier in the week than usual. Make sure that we have a large amount of every plant that grows here."

"Rarity, I can't let you do that." Fluttershy grasped her spear tighter. "First of all, you know that Pinkie or I have to go with you when you enter the forest."

"But-"

"And second, it's too dangerous. We don't know who is out there."

"But Zecora let the hunters go out!"

Anger bubbled in Fluttershy. I won't lose another. "Zecora doesn't know anything! She's lived in these woods her whole life, safe because we were already afraid of her. But we are soft, squishy ponies. Changelings can tear us down at any second. Didn't you just here what she said?"

Rarity nodded. "We don't matter to her."

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head. "Not anymore, anyway."

Fluttershy shivered on her bed made of grass. It's getting colder by the day, she noted. I'll need to have Rarity make some cloaks...

Fluttershy stood and, yawning, exited her hut. The air was thick with fog.

She blinked to try and see if anypony was awake. It seemed not.

Fluttershy walked to Rarity's hut, where the unicorn usually slept in. Fluttershy walked inside, calling, "Rarity?"

But there was no sign of the mare. Fluttershy gasped, imagining what could have happened to her.

She ran to Zecora's hut, where there was no one but Zecora. She woke the zebra, quickly explaining what happened before bolting back outside.

"Pinkie!" she called, and soon the pink mare had emerged from her cave, spear at the ready.

"Fluttershy?"

"Rarity is missing! Call out a search patrol!"

"Dammit," the earth pony mumbled before running to get some others.

"Wait!"

The soldiers turned around, seeing Rainbow Dash flying towards them. Her eyes were bloodshot and her mane was in worse shape than usual. "You can't go out there!"

Fluttershy groaned and threw down her spear. "She's right. It's not safe."

"But what about Rarity?"

Fluttershy turned to the forest and bit her lip. "All we can do it wait."