It was a beautiful, sunny, spring morning when Fluttershy left her cottage with a picnic basket clutched in her mouth. After closing the door behind her she paused for a moment to take a deep breath and enjoy the cool morning air. Winter Wrap-Up had only been a few weeks ago, and the weather was just barely warming up again. The birds sang joyful melodies from the trees, happy to be home, and Fluttershy could here the animals stirring in their burrows nearby. She smiled at the scene, picked up her basket, and set out along the path to Ponyville.
The town was just waking up as Fluttershy passed through. The sun had only come up a few minutes ago, and most ponies were still in bed, or just starting on their morning routine. Not all of them though. The milkmare was making her rounds, as were the newspaper colts. Restaurants and cafes bustled with activity as they got ready for the morning rush. Fluttershy loved it. It was peaceful and quiet, but everything was filled with a kind of energy that gave the morning a brisk, refreshing feeling.
Before long Fluttershy was trotting out of town and into the White Tail Woods. Nopony who saw though it was anything strange. She had made a habit of taking a picnic basket out there at least once a month since she had first moved to Ponyville, weather abiding. Most ponies believed, if they thought of it at all, she was simply having lunch with some animal friends in the woods. Which was true, she supposed.
As the last building slipped out of sight through the trees, Fluttershy visibly relaxed. Even with so few ponies about, her nerves had kept her on edge all though town. Now that she was out of sight, the tension eased from her frame and a new energy took hold of her. Her steps became lighter and more graceful with each stride away from Ponyville. Joy filled her, and soon she practically danced across the forest floor, the rustling leaves and singing birds lending the music to her hooves. Soon her voice joined the birds, creating a beautiful song that wove through the branches above her. Animals came from all over to join her, and before long she was leading a great procession deep into the forest.
Most ponies think little of White Tail Woods. The Everfree is far better known, and much more dangerous. White Tail Woods by comparison is a safe place, more open and lighter than its close neighbor. Many ponies would be surprised to know that the Woods were actually just as big, if not bigger than the Everfree Forest that borders it, and are many, many times older. The Everfree Forest grew after the Banishment of Luna, twisted by the incredible magics cast during the Sister's’ epic battle. White Tail Woods on the other hoof had been ancient even when Equestria was founded.
Fluttershy’s destination was close to the center of the woods, and therefore it was hours before she finally arrived. By that time, her transformation was complete. Gone was the cripplingly shy mare seen around Ponyville. Free of the eyes and expectations of her fellow ponies, the pegasus instead appeared as a vision of wild magic, nature, and beauty, running and dancing with a great host of animals around her. Her angelic voice and graceful dance recalled times long past, when beings so alike her, and yet so different, danced and played in these ancient stands. The sun was close to its peak when she reached the valley.
The trees here were ancient, mighty, and tall. Each one a titan from days before ponies, and some from far before that. The forest was dense here as well, with only a few narrow trails crossing its depths. Anypony who entered these paths found themselves either back where they had started, or were forced to skirt along the edge of the thicket. Mapmakers had given up long ago and simply labeled the center as impassable. The ponies who had tried to explore it swore the paths moved every time they passed through them. For Fluttershy, a broad path as flat as any road was found, leading straight into the heart of the ancient valley.
At the end of the path was a sunlit clearing. A stream ran through it, with a truly ancient and enormous willow on one bank. Fluttershy frolicked into the clearing and finally stopped at the base of the willow, laughing joyfully. Breathless from her long dance through the woods, she dropped down in the cool grass and began unpack the lunch basket she had prepared.
First she spread out the blanket that lay neatly folded at the top of the basket. For the animals she set aside a cloth full of berries, nuts, and vegetables. She then put out a platter full of cucumber sandwiches, a bowl of fresh fruit, and two plates. At each plate a cup was placed, filled with a lemon slice and fresh river water from a pitcher she had also produced. Laying in the shade under the willow tree, Fluttershy looked up at the sun to estimate the time. A little before noon she guessed, earlier than she had meant. No matter, she could wait.
Fluttershy looked around the clearing as the willow leaves rustled gently above her. It had been fall last she had visited, the weather had been too cold and wet since then. Still, the clearing looked much the same as it had last time. It had changed only a little in all the years since her first time here, not long after she had gotten her cutie mark. It had been getting dark, and she was looking for a place to spend the night. Her new friends had led her here, to this clearing deep in the forest.
It had been two days before any pegasi had arrived from Cloudsdale looking for her. While Rainbow Dash's Rainboom had been amazing, it had also thrown the weather and the cloud factory into complete disarray. The entire city of Cloudsdale had been pushed nearly ten kilometers by the blast! With such confusion, it had been a long time before anypony had time to wonder about the shy filly who had started the whole fiasco. She hadn’t minded. She had her friends to take care of her.
She yawned, sinking a little lower in the grass. The sun was the perfect temperature, and the rustling leaves and babbling stream acted like lullaby, bringing her into a drowsy trance. She watched a single dragonfly as it skipped along the surface of the water, her eyes heavy with sleep...
Fluttershy opened eyes she hadn't remembered closing, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. Looking around, many of her animal friends had been affected by the sudden surge of weariness as well, dozing in the grass around the great tree. Some, she noticed, were suspiciously close to the river bank. Immediately she twisted around to look up at the willow she was under with a no-nonsense expression.
“Mr. Willow! Just because you are in a bad mood does not mean you have an excuse to knock out these poor animals and dump them in the water. Shame on you!”
The willow’s branches shook in a non-existent breeze, some waving near to the yellow pegasus. A low creaking noise sounded from the tree, echoing around the woods. Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you try that tone with me, Mr. Willow! I know very well that the people you were angry with have been gone a long time, and certainly no one here has done anything to deserve such treatment. Now go back to sleep. It’s obvious you woke up in a bad mood today."
The ancient willow shook its branches one more time, and then grew still. Fluttershy glared at it for a moment longer, and then nodded in approval. “Thank you,” she said in a more gentle tone. Glancing up at the sky, she saw it was just about noon. Nearly time for lunch, she concluded. And as if on cue, she heard a familiar voice echoing from deeper among the trees.
“Hey! Come merry dol! derry dol! My darling!
Light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling.
Down along under Hill, shining in the sunlight…”
Author's Note
This entire thing came out of me wondering if the reason Fluttershy got on so well with Discord is if she had a friend who was like him. Thus...
Points to the people who know who this is without google! And before anyone starts busting down my door, Old Man Willow hated men and elves (And probably dwarfs, now that I think about it). With them gone, I see no reason for him to hold a grudge.
Edit 1: I've been revisiting and fixing a few things here and there. Probably will continue over the next few days, might change it a lot in the future.
Edit 2: More changes, swapping words, refraining, generally improving this thing. Funny how much you can learn about writing in less than a years time. Considering some major revisions to the story, might evolve to incomplete as I tack more on. We shall see.
