The Life Of Daisyby WannaFlugelHornChaptersFertilizer DutyCarrot SoupWhat A Conversation Can CostCloud FluffingTimber Wolf BreathDancing In DangerStay Completely StillThe HospitalFertilizer Duty"Okay, on three," Rose said, looking up at her friends, each of them fidgeting nervously. Daisy was barely able to give a quick nod. Lily forced a small squeak from her mouth, unable to look away from the cup in the center of the small table at which they were sitting. "One . . ." Daisy leaned forward. "T-two . . ." Lily bit her lip at an attempt to prevent it from quivering. "Three!" Rose shut her eyes tight before jamming her hoof into the cup, which was already stuffed with two shaking forelegs. At first all Rose felt was fur, but then, for a brief moment, it met with something smooth and thin. She took hold of the piece of hay and quickly yanked it out. Her friends did the same with other strands. Rose slowly opened her eyes, scanning her bit of hay, and let out a relived sigh. "Did you cheat, Rose?" Daisy snickered, teasing her friend. Sweat was building on her forehead, and would no doubt start to trickle down her face soon. "Rose never looses!" chuckled Lily, weakly. "Well," Rose started, finally able to relax her shoulders and slump against the back of her chair, "Which one of you got it?" "Um . . . you check first, Lily," suggested Daisy. Lily took a deep breath before she shakily opened up her hooves to show her sample of hay. "Oh, thank goodness!" Lily whispered. There was a short pause before a small snort came from Lily and an eruption of laughs from Rose as she clutched her chest dramatically with one hoof, and pounded the table with the other. Daisy groaned, putting her head down. Then, with a sigh, the pink Earth Pony lay her piece of hay onto the table. About half way up the golden thread was a small knot. "That takes talent!" taunted Rose. "Losing three times in a row like that!" She knew her friends jokes and laughs were only to try and lighten the mood, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. Losing meant she would once again be given the worst fate ever known to pony kind. If agony, suffering, and anguish were all combined, it wouldn't even be possible for the product to be compared to what Daisy would have to do. She shook uneasily, waiting for one of her friends to say those two words summoned from Tartarus itself, making her sentence final. Daisy would be forced to undertake the horrific torture of . . . "Fertilizer duty!" Lily giggled. "Can we draw again?" Daisy pleaded. "It's ridiculous that I have to do this for the third week in a row!" Daisy's friends simply laughed as they got up from their seats and slid their chairs back under the table. Lily walked away to continue her daily work of cataloging inventory and arrangement orders, while Rose went of to Daisy and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, we all agreed this was fair," stated Rose. "But, if you can manage not to die before delivering the fertilizer back to the shop," Daisy cringed at the very sound of the smelly stuff, "We could handle taking you out for some ice cream afterwards." "Well, actually, I had my eye on a pair of saddlebags that I spotted in the market yesterday," Daisy said as she attempted to persuade her friends towards a more generous offer. She remembered exactly what they looked like. They had fashionable silver clasps that were cool to the touch, and yellow fabric that was soft against the skin, but strong enough to carry everything she needed. The stitching was almost invisible unless you looked closely, and an impressive leather strap connected both bags, one on each side, together. How Daisy wanted them. In fact, if she got them, perhaps it would push her to hate Fertilizer Duty slightly less than dentist appointments, considering the job would give her a good reason to wear them. "Maybe you guys could get me those instead . . ." "Don't push it, Daisy," Lily warned her, jokingly, looking up from both a calendar and a spiral notebook. She took a red pencil in her mouth before making her changes. She had surprisingly neat penmanship despite the fact that she was writing with her mouth "Alright, fine," Daisy huffed. She stomped dramatically to the door and flung it open before tossing her not-so-glamours saddlebags over her back. She looked back at her friends one more time, a disappointed and pleading expression on her face, hoping to strike pity in them, but it was of no use. She though for a moment, trying to think of one more way to make the best of her situation. Suddenly, she got an idea. "Expect for me to get the largest size of vanilla oats ice cream available covered with, sprinkles, whipped cream, cookie bites, and cherries, all coated in a dark chocolate shell when you take me out." With that, the door closed with a loud bang, giving her friends no time to interject at her amazingly expensive request. Carrot SoupIt was, rather ironically, a beautiful day outside. The sun was high in the sky, A white circle overlooking the land, smooth and perfect like freshly poured milk. The air around Daisy was a pleasant temperature. It had rained yesterday, and the ground was soft and cool beneath her hoofs. As a result of the moisture that still remained, not many bugs were around, so Daisy could walk through the grass if she wished, which had recently been cut. It fact, she would usually be enjoying this day if it weren't for her errand. Daisy thought back to the time when Solar Soup ran a stall in the market for fertilizer. He was a very skilled unicorn with a yellow coat, a dark brown mane streaked with white, and rich chocolate eyes. Daisy didn't know for sure, but she'd heard that he used a weak aging spell to turn the sugars in plants back into almost pure sunlight! The substance, still partially plant juices as pure sunlight can't be physically handled, was mixed into his fertilizer, which increased root thickness and strengthened resistance to change in the environment, especially for flowers that enjoyed sunlight or partial shade. Daisy could swear that the aroma was even pleasant, but the others insisted that it smelled no different than regular dirt, which, although a rare surprise, was a lower standard than what Daisy had remembered. Not unlike today, she usually gathered fertilizer on sunny days. But now that she thought about it, perhaps it was not the weather that brought the heat and redness to her cheeks. Perhaps the true cause also improved her experience with the fertilizer. Perhaps that's why she missed him so much when he got enough money to move to Manhattan, in hopes of even better business. Or maybe it was because the current fertilizer smelled like if rotten eggs and spoiled milk had a puddle of Parasprite barf. Not to mention she could probably make fertilizer with the exact same quality, maybe hers would even be more helpful. But she'd pretty much rather do anything else than make that stuff, and so would probably anypony else. That's probably why everypony bought the fertilizer even though it was far from stupendous. There weren't many other choices to choose from. Lost in her thoughts, Daisy didn't know how long it took her to reach the market, but she estimated it to be around noon as the sun was high in the sky. This was also the busiest time of day, and ponies were swarming each and every stall, buying what they needed. Speaking of which, Daisy checked to make sure she had enough bits to buy what she needed. She looked inside her saddle bag. Daisy and Lily had given her an extra bit, assuming the the fertilizer's price hadn't changed. Daisy considered buying herself something. "Hmmm . . . I'm already going to get ice cream after this . . ." Daisy said, considering what to do. "Maybe something . . ." She really didn't want to say the word. " . . . more . . ." If she didn't say it, she'd have no guilt, no second thoughts. But the word was already in her throat, just hoping it could hide. Of course it couldn't. ". . . more healthy?" Daisy silently scolded herself. Now she just had to get something good for her. Daisy trotted over to Carrot Top's booth, trying to ignore the fresh baked cookies being sold in the next one over. She could practically taste it. The chewy cookie melting in her mouth like butter as warmth seeped through her tongue and teeth. Too bad her legs had kept moving, and brought her over to her friend. Carrot Top, who'd obviously been day dreaming, snapped back into reality as Daisy awkwardly cleared her throat. "Wahuh? Oh! Hi Daisy." "Hey, Carrot Top. How are you?" "Pretty good, I guess," said Carrot, mindlessly stroking the booth's tabletop with her hoof. "You?" "Not the best. I have to buy fertilizer." Daisy puffed her cheeks as soon as she said this. "You lost again? Isn't this the second time in a row?" "It's the third, actually," explained Daisy, blushing angrily, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. "Oh, too bad . . . Well, I assume you want carrots? It's one carrot for one bit or three for two." "I'll just take one, that's all I have to spend." "Sounds good." Carrot Top turned around and carefully chose one of the fattest carrots for her friend, and Daisy handed her the extra bit. She wanted to talk more, as a way to procrastinate, and as a way to spend more time with a friend, but other ponies were starting to line up behind her. She'd have to leave. Hopefully the time needed to eat the carrot would suffice. Daisy trotted away with a friendly wave and found a bench to sit on before she took a bite into the carrot. It was no cookie, but as veggies go, it wasn't that bad. It was crunchy enough to have that satisfying 'crack' sound, but not enough where your jaw got tired. It was even a bit sweet. But if she was going to get the fertilizer, she was definitely going to need the ice cream too. What A Conversation Can CostPotting Plan was the purple Pegasus who managed the fertilizer stall. His cutie mark was of a reddish terracotta flower pot which almost perfectly matched his mane. He wore rounded square glasses in front of his royal blue eyes, and a brick-colored shirt, containing some faded brown stains. There were rumors that he and Fluttershy were going out, but Daisy wasn't so sure about this. She'd never seen them together, but that didn't mean this was false information, either. Not that she cared. Daisy didn't have any feelings for him, so why bother to figure out the details? Daisy looked over at the stall. There was nopony else in line. "Lucky me," Daisy said aloud, just far enough from the stall so that Potting couldn't hear her. She began to trudge to the stall, hoping sompony would get there before her and buy her some time. Sunshower Raindrops, a yellow-orange Pegasus with an aqua mane, flew down to the ground as if she could hear Daisy's plead. Daisy watched her closely, waiting for her to trot Potting Plan, but after buying a few fresh fruits, she flew into the air again. Daisy continued to wish for another pony to come by, but nopony did. She then picked her teeth of bits of carrot, as carefully and slowly as possible, before recounting the bits in her saddlebags. After these had been carried out, she couldn't think of any more ways to procrastinate, and grunted angrily. It wouldn't have mattered, anyways. She'd had to pick up the pace soon before Potting Plan noticed and asked what was wrong. In her explanation, Daisy would most likely slip and hurt the Stallion's feelings. His fertilizer stunk like nothing else, but Potting was nice, and didn't deserve the insult, even if it wasn't directly about him. Daisy took a deep breath before walking in front of the stall, as she always had a hard time breathing through her mouth, especially considering she'd need to talk naturally, and her nose was clearly not an option at this point. "Hi Potting." "Hey there, Daisy!" Daisy could feel the fumes from the bags behind the stallion snake their way up her nose. Daisy snorted slightly, pushing away the smell, though she knew it'd be back. Little did she know how much the snort would cost her, as Potting had time to start a conversation. "Lovely weather, huh?" Daisy's green tail was already twitching, a result of discomfort from lack of oxygen. She quickly planned a response that would use the least amount of words possible, wanting to save air. "Yes." "It's usually a bit chilly this time of year, and it's nice not to wear a sweater for once." Daisy could feel her head pounding now, but she was forced to answer. "Yup." Daisy's whole body began to tighten, her body not just uncomfortable anymore, but dangerously close to sucking in a needed gulp of air. Her throat involuntarily squeezed, but she was forced to hope the feeling would pass by, even though she knew it wouldn't. Her ears and forelegs had joined her tail in an erratic display. Perhaps she could last a bit longer if she could quickly buy . . . "Now that I think about it, I don't really have a sweater, just a shirt for warm days, and a coat for cold ones. Maybe I should buy . . ." A loud exhale came from Daisy's mouth before she was forced to take a breath. The putrid air around her immediately gushed into her nose and mouth, as if the concentration of the smell had lingered by each, waiting for a chance to enter. Daisy began to cough violently as the smell pooled in the back of her throat, like honey in a teacup, and choked her with its fumes, eyes starting to water. She always smelled it first, the shock greater than being plunged into a lake of frigid water, but that was never really the worst part. It wasn't long before she could feel the fire in her muzzle, and the squeezing feeling in her lungs, like somepony was trying to make applesauce out of them. Then she began to taste it. A swarm of dying slugs might as well coat her tongue. Daisy predicted that this is what it would be like if she were sent to Tartarus. "Are . . . are you okay?" "I'm fine," Daisy wheezed before another loud cough flew from her mouth. "My throat just got dry." The stallion was still a clear mix of confusion and concern, but Daisy refused to give any other explanation as her body made her take in more oxygen. "So . . . I'll get you the usual amount of fertilizer then?" Cloud Fluffing"He couldn't have asked me just as I approached that stall?" Daisy grumbled, upset by Potting's amazingly horrible timing, a bag of fertilizer secured in her saddlebag. "It's not that hard. Just say 'Hello Daisy, the usual?', accept my bits, and be done with it. Talking is an after work activity, for Celestia's sake!" On her walk back to Beautiful Blooms, Daisy had decided that this was the best time to vent about anything she pleased, her current situation at the forefront of her mind. She mumbled to herself a bit more, putting anything that came to her in front of the word 'stupid', as well as looked mindlessly around in hopes of finding a rock to kick. It took a surprisingly long time to find a stone that wasn't big or sharp enough to hurt her with each hit, or too small to properly keep track of. At last she came across a dark gray rock with streaks of brown and a lighter gray running through it, but as it turns out, the rock was taking commands from Tarturus. On it's third bounce it struck the ground as the wrong angle and went tumbling into the grass. Steam was practically flowing from Daisy's nose at this point. In fact, her mind was so foggy with angry thoughts that she almost didn't hear White Lightning call out her name. "Daisy!" Daisy looked around for a moment before barely spotting her friend among a cluster of clouds, her white coat and blue mane camouflaging her against the sky. She was hovering silently in the air with her wings, which obviously did't speed up the search. "O-oh, hi Whitey!" "Um, sorry to bother you like this, but I just wanted to ask if you were okay," White said, clearly concerned. "You were kind of hunching down, and your muzzle was all scrunched up. So, um, what's wrong?" "Everything is wrong." Daisy said with a sigh. "And I'd rather not talk about it." "Um . . . okay . . ." "What are you doing?" "Oh, one second." White slowly fell to the ground, putting herself at eye level so they could talk easier. Daisy was very appreciative of this, as her neck was starting to grow hot from strain. White Lightning shook a bit of cloud fluff from her wings and fixed her mane a bit before starting her explanation. "Well, um, you see," White started to explain, "Those clouds up there were used for rain yesterday, as you know, but they were worked with so much, they kind of smushed in on themselves, right? So my job is to fluff them back up." Daisy nodded in understanding before taking a better look at the clouds above the Pegasus. It was as if the clouds were once filled with air, but had deflated, like an old balloon. Or perhaps a photo was taken of each cloud, and forced into a narrow picture frame. Not to mention the many divots, hills, swirls, and outcroppings usually found in clouds were few and far between, almost unnoticeable. Daisy was glad to hear they'd be returned to their cheery state, even if they wouldn't matter much to her on this particularly unfortunate day. They did arose a question, however, and Daisy began to wonder how long it took to finish each cloud. She decided to ask. "Um, about fifteen minutes, I guess. Most of that time is used for the fluffing, not the little knobs of white you have to make." "It takes you an hour to do four clouds?" "Oh, yah, I guess so. It's kind of hard, getting them to look similar, but not the same. Otherwise they look kind of boring. Fake, even." "I didn't know your job was so complicated." "Yah . . ." White though for a moment before continuing. "Hey, do you mind if I walk around with you for a bit? Maybe back to the market? I could use a break. Only if it's okay with you." "That would be great, actually. I could really use some company right now." White Lightning shot into the sky and pushed the clouds she was to fluff together, making sure they wouldn't be greatly separated when she was finished with Daisy. Satisfied, she came back to the ground next to her pink friend before immediately backing away. She plugged her nose and gagged a bit before holding up her hoof, signaling she'd need a moment. White then dashed to the Cake's cookie stand (Daisy's trudging had caused her to walk a far smaller distance than she'd thought) and sucked in a large chunk of it's sweet, sugary smell before returning, approaching rather nervously. "That was the fertilizer I just picked up," explained Daisy. "You should probably travel with me on my right side." White Lightning opened her mouth to talk, even if more of a croak came out. "Good to know . . ." Timber Wolf BreathWhite Lightning and Daisy walked together for a while, discussing anything that came to their minds. At one point they talked about Daisy's plans for the weekend, another time about White's fantasy hoofball stats. Daisy asked about White Lightning's pet duck, Falafel, and how he was doing. As it turned out, Falafel had twisted his ankle two days before after tripping over a rug, but he was recovering just fine. White Lightning stated she had to buy a custom cone for his neck, because he kept picking at the bandages. She even told a few jokes that she made up, and Daisy had an honest chuckle at one or two of them. At one point, the subject of Princess Twilight Sparkle came up, and they began to chat about the mission she was sent to do. White started with something noteworthy first. "Um, I'm pretty sure she was asked to come to Canterlot. I heard that there's a super special artifact located in one of the rooms. Something that could generate a portal without help from other ponies!" "Really?" Daisy's eyes widened in disbelief. The fabric of the universe had been ripped before by some of Equestria's most powerful beings, including Discord, Tirek, and Starswirl the Bearded, but a tear that anypony could access was something of a different matter. "Well, um, actually, I could've sworn that the artifact itself was the portal, but that's kinda weird, don't you think?" Daisy thought for a moment, considering. "Your idea makes more sense, but rumors are usually wrong because ponies change them to what seems right to them before passing it along, you know?" "That's true, I guess," said White Lightning, nodding. "So maybe it can go between states of being solid and being a portal?" "Yah, it's possible . . . I think I heard something about what was behind it. Lemon Hearts had overheard Pinkie Pie talking to Princess Twilight, who told Minuette, who told Twinkleshine, who told me. But I'm having trouble remembering what she said . . ." "Probably because you used most of your brainpower to remember who said what," White Lightning giggled. "Like I said, that's a lot of ponies, with only a clip of a rather quiet conversation as evidence, most likely explaining why what I heard sounds crazy, but I won't change what I think Twinkleshine said. She said that you sprout mini-hooves from the ends of your old ones, five, no three on each, I think. You can use them to pick stuff up, like Unicorn magic! If you hold something too hard, though, your hooves will cramp up, but if you loosen your grip you could drop things. You also have to know where to put them when you're not using them or you look really weird to everypony else. Your muzzle gets really tiny, and your mouth goes way bellow your nostrils. Oh! You also have to stand up on two hooves instead of all four." "T-that sounds horrible!" "I know, right? It kinda sounds like what Lyra was describing a while ago-" "And . . . and I heard Spike turned into a cat! "A bat? With wings and stuff?" "No, a cat!" "Honestly, I just don't know anymore," Daisy said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Still, I have to wonder why Twilight would've entered the portal in the first place. I mean, probably because of a villain, right? But why would the creature or what ever it is even come to Equestria, cause such a disturbance that others would need to go after it, and then just go back to its own world? It doesn't make much sense! Have you heard anything about that, specifically?" "No, I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time remembering what was said and- wait! I . . . um . . . I think there was something about Twilight's crown and another pony. A mare named Sunshine Shimmy and- Ugh!" White Lightning backed away from Daisy, holding her nose. Daisy took a whiff of air, but didn't smell anything offensive. It was possible she'd gotten used to the smell of fertilizer, and decided to check on her supply. She scanned her bags for any holes, as well as the ground, but found nothing. She shrugged and gestured for White to come back over and talk. Perhaps she was holding her nose for some other reason. Another smell she was blind to? White Lightning shook her head violently just as the air finally gave a perceptable scent. It was the most horrible smell ever known to pony kind. This was far more terrible than any fertilizer Daisy had ever smelled. It was as if some pony transformed death itself into a liquid and sprayed it in the air. Yes a liquid, not a gas. This was something thicker, something stronger. "Whitey!" called Daisy, her eyes dilated with fear. "That's Timber Wolf breath!" Dancing In DangerWhite Lightning shot into the air with an ear piercing shriek, utterly terrified, her nose finally connecting the smell to its source. She scanned the surrounding land, watching tendrils of a dark green color slither along the ground like a hoard of snakes, as confusing as it was to see an odor. It was strange for a Timber Wolf to travel such a great distance away from the Everfree Forest, especially considering how close White and Daisy were to the market, and how noisy the place could be. It was well known that Timber Wolves tended to be cautious around loud sounds. They would've also had to travel through a small street or two so that they were close enough to smell. Not to mention this Timber Wolf had traveled alone, a rare scenario, implying that this Timber Wolf was probably sick in some way. That fact made White Lightning feel anything but better. "Run!" screamed White Lightning, cupping her hooves around her muzzle so that everypony nearby would hear her warning. "Timber Wolf, there's a Timber Wolf! D-Daisy, we have to leave! Now!" With that, she flew away, wings buzzing frantically. Daisy couldn't fly, and got caught in the crowd of ponies that had just processed what White had said. They all began to canter away in a chaotic manner, barely avoiding each other. A few tripped and fell, nearly getting crushed by the sea of hooves before pushing themselves up to a standing position. Some were not so lucky, however, and cried out as appendages collided with their backs. A filly started to cry, her horn flashing in a distressed manner, and she appeared to have lost sight of her parents in the rush. Daisy spotted her, and, because she was closer to the juvenile than some of mares and stallions that had fallen, zigzagged through the mob of ponies to help her. Even though about half of the crowd was gone, as they had managed to pull themselves together enough to actually get somewhere, the filly would most likely gain injuries if she fell. Daisy wished aloud that the Unicorn's parents were still around, and that she wouldn't go running off, though she could barely hear herself over the wails of fellow equines. Finally reaching her target, Daisy took hold of the filly by her shoulders, trying to get her to focus so that she could calm down. It was only then that Daisy realized how beautiful she was, even if her face was wet from crying. The filly was a chestnut brown, and her mane faded from a lush green to an alluringly saturated teal. He tail did the same, but because it was longer, its tip ended with a strong blue, which matched her eyes perfectly. Even the magical aura of her horn was enchanting, and Daisy remembered that it had shown a range of all of those colors as it caught the sunlight at different angles. He cutie mark resembled that of a peacock feather. "It's going to be okay, I promise, try some deep breathing" Daisy said reassuringly. "What's your name?" The small Unicorn sniffed, wiping her nose. He cheeks were starting to stiffen from her tears, and the bottom edge of each eye had grown a pinkish tinge. "U-um, D-dan-ancing Pl-lume-ume." "Dancing Plume?" "Uh h-huh." "I'm Daisy. Now, I'm sure this is scary, but you're going to be okay. We'll find your parents. Maybe if we can get to a higher view point . . ." Daisy looked around, trying to spot something that was tall but that she could still get on top of. Dancing took a shaky breath, but it was an improvement compared to the sharp ones from earlier. "Th-they aren't h-here. We live-ve on the st-str-street nearby," she said gesturing to the street where the Timber Wolf breath was comimg from. More was flowing between the stalls now, and Daisy knew they needed to hurry, though she didn't want to scare Dancing Plume. "Th-they were gonna run-un an errand b-but I wanted to do it m-myself." "Dancing, going back to your street in dangerous," Daisy said, almost sure she'd heard a growl of some kind. "I know I can't make you, because you don't know me very well, but I want to keep you safe. Can you come with me?" Daisy herself was very scared at this point, and took hold of Dancing without hearing her response as a pair of glowing diamonds dimly lit the Timber Wolf breath that had come even closer. Daisy's brain recognized them as Timber Wolf eyes as she ran with Dancing, who didn't resist and tried to match Daisy's hoofing. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to out run the Timber Wolf even with their head start, Daisy stopped, told Dancing Plume that they'd need to hide. Taking cover behind the stall were tomatoes were sold, Daisy picked up a few that had fallen to the ground, and covered both herself and Dancing with the tomatoes' squishy insides, hoping their smell was strong enough to mask their own. She then peeked around the corner to find the Timber Wolf sniffing the ground, clearly confused as to where the prey it had smelled had went, it's breath so thick that it couldn't see them fleeing from when it was behind it. Daisy watched as a white foam dripped from the corners of it's mouth as it searched, splashing to the ground. It was rabid. Stay Completely Still"I w-want Mommy," Dancing Plume whimpered, ears pressed flat against her head. "I-I want my Mommy and D-Daddy . . ." She repeated the same sentence again and again, a new fracture cutting through Daisy's heart with each little word. Dancing appeared to have shut down, attempting to lock away even the instinctive drive to react to stimuli. Daisy tried to comfort her to the best of her ability, but anytime she shifted into a position that would imply a gesture of physical contact, the Unicorn would flinch at every bit of Daisy's movement afterwards until she put her hoof back to its original location. Unable to touch Dancing, she was without a way to get her attention. Raising her voice would no doubt bring the Timber Wolf closer, though she was in desperate need to explain what to do if they were spotted and approached. A filly of Dancing Plume's age would most likely try to run away, simply provoking the Timber Wolf. Daisy had dealt with a group before after wandering too far into the Everfree Forest, where she had searching for some special flowers to brighten Beautiful Blooms' new window display. A small pack of three had confronted her, and she successfully scared off two by screaming loudly. Seeing that the third hadn't run away and was instead slightly stunned, Daisy hid in a bush. The Timber Wolf quickly found her, but as she refused to move, it couldn't decide as to if she was food, and was soon called back to the rest of his pack. "Dancing," Daisy started quietly, "If the Timber Wolf gets closer, we need to stay still, understand?" The brown Unicorn gave a small nod, but Daisy didn't believe that what she had said had sunk in. Thinking fast, she went to grab another tomato, though none were left in reach. With no other option, she filled a part of her cheek with saliva before promptly spitting in the face of Dancing, whose eyes focused slightly. She quickly explained her emergency plan again, and Dancing seemed to understand this time, wiping her face without quite knowing what had just happened. Satisfied, Daisy once again sat against the tomato stall as another wave of stinky fog hit her nose. The smell was defiantly stronger than before, and it took all of her strength to keep from throwing up. In fact, she could hear the ragged breathing of the Timber Wolf. Still, it was hard for Daisy to tell just how close the creature was. Or it would've been, at least, if not for the massive wooden paw that had just appeared beside her. Dancing Plume took a breath, preparing a scream, but Dasiy managed to cover the Unicorn's mouth with her hoof before she could successfully do so. Daisy tried to keep the liquid fear teetering at the corners of her eyes from falling, knowing it would cause Dancing to panic. This became a harder and harder task as the Timber Wolf slowly revealed itself. Bubbling saliva dripped directly next to Dasiy as she refused to make eye contact, barely daring to blink. The wooden monster inched closer, huffing loudly, trying to capture the scent of something alive. Dancing Plume was terrified, clearly wishing to canter off, though Daisy had carefully shifted her hoof without the filly knowing, and as it was now on Dancing Plume's stomach, it would be hard for her to do this. Daisy held her breath as the Timber Wolf sniffed her hind leg, pushing away the bits of tomato that had been resting on it by using his snout. He scanned the rest of the pink Earth Pony's body, watching to see if her chest would rise and fall, a crazed and diseased look in its eye. After what seemed like forever, the Timber Wolf finally made a decision. It bit Daisy in the foreleg. Hard. Unable to control herself, Dancing Plume screamed, but the Timber Wolf had already chosen its prey. Thankfully, he still looked up, the holler distracting him before he was able to take a proper chunk out of Daisy. Still, she needed the blood that was coming from her. The tears that she'd had been trying to suppress rolled down her face as her leg became hot. She was too scared to look at the bite mark, though her ears were unable to shut off. She could hear the Timber Wolf lick the blood from its teeth, enjoying the taste. However, he quickly regained his focus, and opened his mouth to make a deeper cut. Paralyzed with fear, Daisy was unable to shift her gaze from the Timber Wolf. Most Timber Wolfs liked to chase their prey down before cornering and then pinning them down, preferably with fangs,them, leaving the Alpha to deliver the fatal wound. Most challenges in dominance took place during this attack ritual, second place going towards who got the greatest share of the catch. Daisy prayed that the predator would skip all of the teeth and finish his painful work quickly, and leave Dancing be. Daisy's thoughts became jumbled and foggy as her vision began to obscure, the Timber Wolf unfortunately deciding to go for another one of her appendages, when the creature was interrupted as a streak of white flew in from behind Daisy and connected with the Timber Wolf. The creature crumpled to the ground in a pile of twigs just as Daisy's vision began to obscure. "Daisy! Daisy, you're going to be okay! A lot of blood has left your leg, but I'm going to get you to Ponyville Hospital. Daisy, stay awake! Please! . . ." Daisy's eyes rolled back into her head as her body relaxed, preparing for a deep sleep . . . The HospitalAuthor's Note This chapter hasn't been completed yet! I apologize for any inconvenience! The Hospital Daisy let out a soft groan as her eyes fluttered open, her foggy brain beginning to process the dull throbbing within her leg. "Daisy! Oh, thank goodness you're awake!" White Lightning exclaimed, shooting up from her chair before charging over to her friend within just a few wing beats. "I-I was so worried about you! I mean, the doctors said that you would be okay, they gave you a rabies shot and were able put you in a stable condition rather quickly, but I couldn't even bring myself to use the bathroom once they said that you only needed to be checked on once in a while by a nurse. I'm sorry I'm rambling but I'm so happy that you're okay and-" "Wait . . . slow down . . . Ugh, I feel like I've been swallowed by a Tatzlwurm . . ." White Lightning's ears fell to the sides of her head as her eyes filled with tears, a few toppling past the barrier of her lids and sliding down her cheeks. She sniffed, and hugged Daisy, her forelegs wrapping around both Daisy's torso and forelegs, as she began to cry. Daisy was surprised, to say the least, though her expression softened. "I'm so, s-so sorry! Th-This is all my fault! I left y-you all al-alone in that crowd! You could've died!" "Whitey . . . It's okay . . . You were scared . . . You weren't thinking properly . . . I would've made it on my own . . . You didn't know I would stop to help- Dancing Plume!" Daisy sat up, immediately regretting so as she became dizzy, but refused to lie back down. She forced herself to focus. "What happened to her!" "Wha- y-you're not mad at me?" "No, of course not! Where's Dancing? Is she okay?" "Who's . . . Dancing Plume?" "A little brown filly!" Daisy began, urgency in her eyes. "A Unicorn! She has a blue eyes and a blue and green mane!" White Lightning nodded with a smile, indicating for Daisy to relax. "Actually, she raced to the hospital with me." "Whitey, for Celestia's sake, just get to the point next time, why don't ya'? I nearly had a heart attack- Wait, did you say she came to the hospital with you?" "Yeah, before I sat in your room with you, we called her parents, and then came to pick her up once Rainbow Dash was called in to deal with the Timber Wolf, but Dancing didn't want to leave. She told her parents the entire story about how you save her, and that they should wait for you to feel better, because she wanted to talk to you." "She wanted to see me? Really? "Here, I'll go get her now!"
Fertilizer Duty"Okay, on three," Rose said, looking up at her friends, each of them fidgeting nervously. Daisy was barely able to give a quick nod. Lily forced a small squeak from her mouth, unable to look away from the cup in the center of the small table at which they were sitting. "One . . ." Daisy leaned forward. "T-two . . ." Lily bit her lip at an attempt to prevent it from quivering. "Three!" Rose shut her eyes tight before jamming her hoof into the cup, which was already stuffed with two shaking forelegs. At first all Rose felt was fur, but then, for a brief moment, it met with something smooth and thin. She took hold of the piece of hay and quickly yanked it out. Her friends did the same with other strands. Rose slowly opened her eyes, scanning her bit of hay, and let out a relived sigh. "Did you cheat, Rose?" Daisy snickered, teasing her friend. Sweat was building on her forehead, and would no doubt start to trickle down her face soon. "Rose never looses!" chuckled Lily, weakly. "Well," Rose started, finally able to relax her shoulders and slump against the back of her chair, "Which one of you got it?" "Um . . . you check first, Lily," suggested Daisy. Lily took a deep breath before she shakily opened up her hooves to show her sample of hay. "Oh, thank goodness!" Lily whispered. There was a short pause before a small snort came from Lily and an eruption of laughs from Rose as she clutched her chest dramatically with one hoof, and pounded the table with the other. Daisy groaned, putting her head down. Then, with a sigh, the pink Earth Pony lay her piece of hay onto the table. About half way up the golden thread was a small knot. "That takes talent!" taunted Rose. "Losing three times in a row like that!" She knew her friends jokes and laughs were only to try and lighten the mood, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. Losing meant she would once again be given the worst fate ever known to pony kind. If agony, suffering, and anguish were all combined, it wouldn't even be possible for the product to be compared to what Daisy would have to do. She shook uneasily, waiting for one of her friends to say those two words summoned from Tartarus itself, making her sentence final. Daisy would be forced to undertake the horrific torture of . . . "Fertilizer duty!" Lily giggled. "Can we draw again?" Daisy pleaded. "It's ridiculous that I have to do this for the third week in a row!" Daisy's friends simply laughed as they got up from their seats and slid their chairs back under the table. Lily walked away to continue her daily work of cataloging inventory and arrangement orders, while Rose went of to Daisy and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, we all agreed this was fair," stated Rose. "But, if you can manage not to die before delivering the fertilizer back to the shop," Daisy cringed at the very sound of the smelly stuff, "We could handle taking you out for some ice cream afterwards." "Well, actually, I had my eye on a pair of saddlebags that I spotted in the market yesterday," Daisy said as she attempted to persuade her friends towards a more generous offer. She remembered exactly what they looked like. They had fashionable silver clasps that were cool to the touch, and yellow fabric that was soft against the skin, but strong enough to carry everything she needed. The stitching was almost invisible unless you looked closely, and an impressive leather strap connected both bags, one on each side, together. How Daisy wanted them. In fact, if she got them, perhaps it would push her to hate Fertilizer Duty slightly less than dentist appointments, considering the job would give her a good reason to wear them. "Maybe you guys could get me those instead . . ." "Don't push it, Daisy," Lily warned her, jokingly, looking up from both a calendar and a spiral notebook. She took a red pencil in her mouth before making her changes. She had surprisingly neat penmanship despite the fact that she was writing with her mouth "Alright, fine," Daisy huffed. She stomped dramatically to the door and flung it open before tossing her not-so-glamours saddlebags over her back. She looked back at her friends one more time, a disappointed and pleading expression on her face, hoping to strike pity in them, but it was of no use. She though for a moment, trying to think of one more way to make the best of her situation. Suddenly, she got an idea. "Expect for me to get the largest size of vanilla oats ice cream available covered with, sprinkles, whipped cream, cookie bites, and cherries, all coated in a dark chocolate shell when you take me out." With that, the door closed with a loud bang, giving her friends no time to interject at her amazingly expensive request.
Carrot SoupIt was, rather ironically, a beautiful day outside. The sun was high in the sky, A white circle overlooking the land, smooth and perfect like freshly poured milk. The air around Daisy was a pleasant temperature. It had rained yesterday, and the ground was soft and cool beneath her hoofs. As a result of the moisture that still remained, not many bugs were around, so Daisy could walk through the grass if she wished, which had recently been cut. It fact, she would usually be enjoying this day if it weren't for her errand. Daisy thought back to the time when Solar Soup ran a stall in the market for fertilizer. He was a very skilled unicorn with a yellow coat, a dark brown mane streaked with white, and rich chocolate eyes. Daisy didn't know for sure, but she'd heard that he used a weak aging spell to turn the sugars in plants back into almost pure sunlight! The substance, still partially plant juices as pure sunlight can't be physically handled, was mixed into his fertilizer, which increased root thickness and strengthened resistance to change in the environment, especially for flowers that enjoyed sunlight or partial shade. Daisy could swear that the aroma was even pleasant, but the others insisted that it smelled no different than regular dirt, which, although a rare surprise, was a lower standard than what Daisy had remembered. Not unlike today, she usually gathered fertilizer on sunny days. But now that she thought about it, perhaps it was not the weather that brought the heat and redness to her cheeks. Perhaps the true cause also improved her experience with the fertilizer. Perhaps that's why she missed him so much when he got enough money to move to Manhattan, in hopes of even better business. Or maybe it was because the current fertilizer smelled like if rotten eggs and spoiled milk had a puddle of Parasprite barf. Not to mention she could probably make fertilizer with the exact same quality, maybe hers would even be more helpful. But she'd pretty much rather do anything else than make that stuff, and so would probably anypony else. That's probably why everypony bought the fertilizer even though it was far from stupendous. There weren't many other choices to choose from. Lost in her thoughts, Daisy didn't know how long it took her to reach the market, but she estimated it to be around noon as the sun was high in the sky. This was also the busiest time of day, and ponies were swarming each and every stall, buying what they needed. Speaking of which, Daisy checked to make sure she had enough bits to buy what she needed. She looked inside her saddle bag. Daisy and Lily had given her an extra bit, assuming the the fertilizer's price hadn't changed. Daisy considered buying herself something. "Hmmm . . . I'm already going to get ice cream after this . . ." Daisy said, considering what to do. "Maybe something . . ." She really didn't want to say the word. " . . . more . . ." If she didn't say it, she'd have no guilt, no second thoughts. But the word was already in her throat, just hoping it could hide. Of course it couldn't. ". . . more healthy?" Daisy silently scolded herself. Now she just had to get something good for her. Daisy trotted over to Carrot Top's booth, trying to ignore the fresh baked cookies being sold in the next one over. She could practically taste it. The chewy cookie melting in her mouth like butter as warmth seeped through her tongue and teeth. Too bad her legs had kept moving, and brought her over to her friend. Carrot Top, who'd obviously been day dreaming, snapped back into reality as Daisy awkwardly cleared her throat. "Wahuh? Oh! Hi Daisy." "Hey, Carrot Top. How are you?" "Pretty good, I guess," said Carrot, mindlessly stroking the booth's tabletop with her hoof. "You?" "Not the best. I have to buy fertilizer." Daisy puffed her cheeks as soon as she said this. "You lost again? Isn't this the second time in a row?" "It's the third, actually," explained Daisy, blushing angrily, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. "Oh, too bad . . . Well, I assume you want carrots? It's one carrot for one bit or three for two." "I'll just take one, that's all I have to spend." "Sounds good." Carrot Top turned around and carefully chose one of the fattest carrots for her friend, and Daisy handed her the extra bit. She wanted to talk more, as a way to procrastinate, and as a way to spend more time with a friend, but other ponies were starting to line up behind her. She'd have to leave. Hopefully the time needed to eat the carrot would suffice. Daisy trotted away with a friendly wave and found a bench to sit on before she took a bite into the carrot. It was no cookie, but as veggies go, it wasn't that bad. It was crunchy enough to have that satisfying 'crack' sound, but not enough where your jaw got tired. It was even a bit sweet. But if she was going to get the fertilizer, she was definitely going to need the ice cream too.
What A Conversation Can CostPotting Plan was the purple Pegasus who managed the fertilizer stall. His cutie mark was of a reddish terracotta flower pot which almost perfectly matched his mane. He wore rounded square glasses in front of his royal blue eyes, and a brick-colored shirt, containing some faded brown stains. There were rumors that he and Fluttershy were going out, but Daisy wasn't so sure about this. She'd never seen them together, but that didn't mean this was false information, either. Not that she cared. Daisy didn't have any feelings for him, so why bother to figure out the details? Daisy looked over at the stall. There was nopony else in line. "Lucky me," Daisy said aloud, just far enough from the stall so that Potting couldn't hear her. She began to trudge to the stall, hoping sompony would get there before her and buy her some time. Sunshower Raindrops, a yellow-orange Pegasus with an aqua mane, flew down to the ground as if she could hear Daisy's plead. Daisy watched her closely, waiting for her to trot Potting Plan, but after buying a few fresh fruits, she flew into the air again. Daisy continued to wish for another pony to come by, but nopony did. She then picked her teeth of bits of carrot, as carefully and slowly as possible, before recounting the bits in her saddlebags. After these had been carried out, she couldn't think of any more ways to procrastinate, and grunted angrily. It wouldn't have mattered, anyways. She'd had to pick up the pace soon before Potting Plan noticed and asked what was wrong. In her explanation, Daisy would most likely slip and hurt the Stallion's feelings. His fertilizer stunk like nothing else, but Potting was nice, and didn't deserve the insult, even if it wasn't directly about him. Daisy took a deep breath before walking in front of the stall, as she always had a hard time breathing through her mouth, especially considering she'd need to talk naturally, and her nose was clearly not an option at this point. "Hi Potting." "Hey there, Daisy!" Daisy could feel the fumes from the bags behind the stallion snake their way up her nose. Daisy snorted slightly, pushing away the smell, though she knew it'd be back. Little did she know how much the snort would cost her, as Potting had time to start a conversation. "Lovely weather, huh?" Daisy's green tail was already twitching, a result of discomfort from lack of oxygen. She quickly planned a response that would use the least amount of words possible, wanting to save air. "Yes." "It's usually a bit chilly this time of year, and it's nice not to wear a sweater for once." Daisy could feel her head pounding now, but she was forced to answer. "Yup." Daisy's whole body began to tighten, her body not just uncomfortable anymore, but dangerously close to sucking in a needed gulp of air. Her throat involuntarily squeezed, but she was forced to hope the feeling would pass by, even though she knew it wouldn't. Her ears and forelegs had joined her tail in an erratic display. Perhaps she could last a bit longer if she could quickly buy . . . "Now that I think about it, I don't really have a sweater, just a shirt for warm days, and a coat for cold ones. Maybe I should buy . . ." A loud exhale came from Daisy's mouth before she was forced to take a breath. The putrid air around her immediately gushed into her nose and mouth, as if the concentration of the smell had lingered by each, waiting for a chance to enter. Daisy began to cough violently as the smell pooled in the back of her throat, like honey in a teacup, and choked her with its fumes, eyes starting to water. She always smelled it first, the shock greater than being plunged into a lake of frigid water, but that was never really the worst part. It wasn't long before she could feel the fire in her muzzle, and the squeezing feeling in her lungs, like somepony was trying to make applesauce out of them. Then she began to taste it. A swarm of dying slugs might as well coat her tongue. Daisy predicted that this is what it would be like if she were sent to Tartarus. "Are . . . are you okay?" "I'm fine," Daisy wheezed before another loud cough flew from her mouth. "My throat just got dry." The stallion was still a clear mix of confusion and concern, but Daisy refused to give any other explanation as her body made her take in more oxygen. "So . . . I'll get you the usual amount of fertilizer then?"
Cloud Fluffing"He couldn't have asked me just as I approached that stall?" Daisy grumbled, upset by Potting's amazingly horrible timing, a bag of fertilizer secured in her saddlebag. "It's not that hard. Just say 'Hello Daisy, the usual?', accept my bits, and be done with it. Talking is an after work activity, for Celestia's sake!" On her walk back to Beautiful Blooms, Daisy had decided that this was the best time to vent about anything she pleased, her current situation at the forefront of her mind. She mumbled to herself a bit more, putting anything that came to her in front of the word 'stupid', as well as looked mindlessly around in hopes of finding a rock to kick. It took a surprisingly long time to find a stone that wasn't big or sharp enough to hurt her with each hit, or too small to properly keep track of. At last she came across a dark gray rock with streaks of brown and a lighter gray running through it, but as it turns out, the rock was taking commands from Tarturus. On it's third bounce it struck the ground as the wrong angle and went tumbling into the grass. Steam was practically flowing from Daisy's nose at this point. In fact, her mind was so foggy with angry thoughts that she almost didn't hear White Lightning call out her name. "Daisy!" Daisy looked around for a moment before barely spotting her friend among a cluster of clouds, her white coat and blue mane camouflaging her against the sky. She was hovering silently in the air with her wings, which obviously did't speed up the search. "O-oh, hi Whitey!" "Um, sorry to bother you like this, but I just wanted to ask if you were okay," White said, clearly concerned. "You were kind of hunching down, and your muzzle was all scrunched up. So, um, what's wrong?" "Everything is wrong." Daisy said with a sigh. "And I'd rather not talk about it." "Um . . . okay . . ." "What are you doing?" "Oh, one second." White slowly fell to the ground, putting herself at eye level so they could talk easier. Daisy was very appreciative of this, as her neck was starting to grow hot from strain. White Lightning shook a bit of cloud fluff from her wings and fixed her mane a bit before starting her explanation. "Well, um, you see," White started to explain, "Those clouds up there were used for rain yesterday, as you know, but they were worked with so much, they kind of smushed in on themselves, right? So my job is to fluff them back up." Daisy nodded in understanding before taking a better look at the clouds above the Pegasus. It was as if the clouds were once filled with air, but had deflated, like an old balloon. Or perhaps a photo was taken of each cloud, and forced into a narrow picture frame. Not to mention the many divots, hills, swirls, and outcroppings usually found in clouds were few and far between, almost unnoticeable. Daisy was glad to hear they'd be returned to their cheery state, even if they wouldn't matter much to her on this particularly unfortunate day. They did arose a question, however, and Daisy began to wonder how long it took to finish each cloud. She decided to ask. "Um, about fifteen minutes, I guess. Most of that time is used for the fluffing, not the little knobs of white you have to make." "It takes you an hour to do four clouds?" "Oh, yah, I guess so. It's kind of hard, getting them to look similar, but not the same. Otherwise they look kind of boring. Fake, even." "I didn't know your job was so complicated." "Yah . . ." White though for a moment before continuing. "Hey, do you mind if I walk around with you for a bit? Maybe back to the market? I could use a break. Only if it's okay with you." "That would be great, actually. I could really use some company right now." White Lightning shot into the sky and pushed the clouds she was to fluff together, making sure they wouldn't be greatly separated when she was finished with Daisy. Satisfied, she came back to the ground next to her pink friend before immediately backing away. She plugged her nose and gagged a bit before holding up her hoof, signaling she'd need a moment. White then dashed to the Cake's cookie stand (Daisy's trudging had caused her to walk a far smaller distance than she'd thought) and sucked in a large chunk of it's sweet, sugary smell before returning, approaching rather nervously. "That was the fertilizer I just picked up," explained Daisy. "You should probably travel with me on my right side." White Lightning opened her mouth to talk, even if more of a croak came out. "Good to know . . ."
Timber Wolf BreathWhite Lightning and Daisy walked together for a while, discussing anything that came to their minds. At one point they talked about Daisy's plans for the weekend, another time about White's fantasy hoofball stats. Daisy asked about White Lightning's pet duck, Falafel, and how he was doing. As it turned out, Falafel had twisted his ankle two days before after tripping over a rug, but he was recovering just fine. White Lightning stated she had to buy a custom cone for his neck, because he kept picking at the bandages. She even told a few jokes that she made up, and Daisy had an honest chuckle at one or two of them. At one point, the subject of Princess Twilight Sparkle came up, and they began to chat about the mission she was sent to do. White started with something noteworthy first. "Um, I'm pretty sure she was asked to come to Canterlot. I heard that there's a super special artifact located in one of the rooms. Something that could generate a portal without help from other ponies!" "Really?" Daisy's eyes widened in disbelief. The fabric of the universe had been ripped before by some of Equestria's most powerful beings, including Discord, Tirek, and Starswirl the Bearded, but a tear that anypony could access was something of a different matter. "Well, um, actually, I could've sworn that the artifact itself was the portal, but that's kinda weird, don't you think?" Daisy thought for a moment, considering. "Your idea makes more sense, but rumors are usually wrong because ponies change them to what seems right to them before passing it along, you know?" "That's true, I guess," said White Lightning, nodding. "So maybe it can go between states of being solid and being a portal?" "Yah, it's possible . . . I think I heard something about what was behind it. Lemon Hearts had overheard Pinkie Pie talking to Princess Twilight, who told Minuette, who told Twinkleshine, who told me. But I'm having trouble remembering what she said . . ." "Probably because you used most of your brainpower to remember who said what," White Lightning giggled. "Like I said, that's a lot of ponies, with only a clip of a rather quiet conversation as evidence, most likely explaining why what I heard sounds crazy, but I won't change what I think Twinkleshine said. She said that you sprout mini-hooves from the ends of your old ones, five, no three on each, I think. You can use them to pick stuff up, like Unicorn magic! If you hold something too hard, though, your hooves will cramp up, but if you loosen your grip you could drop things. You also have to know where to put them when you're not using them or you look really weird to everypony else. Your muzzle gets really tiny, and your mouth goes way bellow your nostrils. Oh! You also have to stand up on two hooves instead of all four." "T-that sounds horrible!" "I know, right? It kinda sounds like what Lyra was describing a while ago-" "And . . . and I heard Spike turned into a cat! "A bat? With wings and stuff?" "No, a cat!" "Honestly, I just don't know anymore," Daisy said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Still, I have to wonder why Twilight would've entered the portal in the first place. I mean, probably because of a villain, right? But why would the creature or what ever it is even come to Equestria, cause such a disturbance that others would need to go after it, and then just go back to its own world? It doesn't make much sense! Have you heard anything about that, specifically?" "No, I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time remembering what was said and- wait! I . . . um . . . I think there was something about Twilight's crown and another pony. A mare named Sunshine Shimmy and- Ugh!" White Lightning backed away from Daisy, holding her nose. Daisy took a whiff of air, but didn't smell anything offensive. It was possible she'd gotten used to the smell of fertilizer, and decided to check on her supply. She scanned her bags for any holes, as well as the ground, but found nothing. She shrugged and gestured for White to come back over and talk. Perhaps she was holding her nose for some other reason. Another smell she was blind to? White Lightning shook her head violently just as the air finally gave a perceptable scent. It was the most horrible smell ever known to pony kind. This was far more terrible than any fertilizer Daisy had ever smelled. It was as if some pony transformed death itself into a liquid and sprayed it in the air. Yes a liquid, not a gas. This was something thicker, something stronger. "Whitey!" called Daisy, her eyes dilated with fear. "That's Timber Wolf breath!"
Dancing In DangerWhite Lightning shot into the air with an ear piercing shriek, utterly terrified, her nose finally connecting the smell to its source. She scanned the surrounding land, watching tendrils of a dark green color slither along the ground like a hoard of snakes, as confusing as it was to see an odor. It was strange for a Timber Wolf to travel such a great distance away from the Everfree Forest, especially considering how close White and Daisy were to the market, and how noisy the place could be. It was well known that Timber Wolves tended to be cautious around loud sounds. They would've also had to travel through a small street or two so that they were close enough to smell. Not to mention this Timber Wolf had traveled alone, a rare scenario, implying that this Timber Wolf was probably sick in some way. That fact made White Lightning feel anything but better. "Run!" screamed White Lightning, cupping her hooves around her muzzle so that everypony nearby would hear her warning. "Timber Wolf, there's a Timber Wolf! D-Daisy, we have to leave! Now!" With that, she flew away, wings buzzing frantically. Daisy couldn't fly, and got caught in the crowd of ponies that had just processed what White had said. They all began to canter away in a chaotic manner, barely avoiding each other. A few tripped and fell, nearly getting crushed by the sea of hooves before pushing themselves up to a standing position. Some were not so lucky, however, and cried out as appendages collided with their backs. A filly started to cry, her horn flashing in a distressed manner, and she appeared to have lost sight of her parents in the rush. Daisy spotted her, and, because she was closer to the juvenile than some of mares and stallions that had fallen, zigzagged through the mob of ponies to help her. Even though about half of the crowd was gone, as they had managed to pull themselves together enough to actually get somewhere, the filly would most likely gain injuries if she fell. Daisy wished aloud that the Unicorn's parents were still around, and that she wouldn't go running off, though she could barely hear herself over the wails of fellow equines. Finally reaching her target, Daisy took hold of the filly by her shoulders, trying to get her to focus so that she could calm down. It was only then that Daisy realized how beautiful she was, even if her face was wet from crying. The filly was a chestnut brown, and her mane faded from a lush green to an alluringly saturated teal. He tail did the same, but because it was longer, its tip ended with a strong blue, which matched her eyes perfectly. Even the magical aura of her horn was enchanting, and Daisy remembered that it had shown a range of all of those colors as it caught the sunlight at different angles. He cutie mark resembled that of a peacock feather. "It's going to be okay, I promise, try some deep breathing" Daisy said reassuringly. "What's your name?" The small Unicorn sniffed, wiping her nose. He cheeks were starting to stiffen from her tears, and the bottom edge of each eye had grown a pinkish tinge. "U-um, D-dan-ancing Pl-lume-ume." "Dancing Plume?" "Uh h-huh." "I'm Daisy. Now, I'm sure this is scary, but you're going to be okay. We'll find your parents. Maybe if we can get to a higher view point . . ." Daisy looked around, trying to spot something that was tall but that she could still get on top of. Dancing took a shaky breath, but it was an improvement compared to the sharp ones from earlier. "Th-they aren't h-here. We live-ve on the st-str-street nearby," she said gesturing to the street where the Timber Wolf breath was comimg from. More was flowing between the stalls now, and Daisy knew they needed to hurry, though she didn't want to scare Dancing Plume. "Th-they were gonna run-un an errand b-but I wanted to do it m-myself." "Dancing, going back to your street in dangerous," Daisy said, almost sure she'd heard a growl of some kind. "I know I can't make you, because you don't know me very well, but I want to keep you safe. Can you come with me?" Daisy herself was very scared at this point, and took hold of Dancing without hearing her response as a pair of glowing diamonds dimly lit the Timber Wolf breath that had come even closer. Daisy's brain recognized them as Timber Wolf eyes as she ran with Dancing, who didn't resist and tried to match Daisy's hoofing. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to out run the Timber Wolf even with their head start, Daisy stopped, told Dancing Plume that they'd need to hide. Taking cover behind the stall were tomatoes were sold, Daisy picked up a few that had fallen to the ground, and covered both herself and Dancing with the tomatoes' squishy insides, hoping their smell was strong enough to mask their own. She then peeked around the corner to find the Timber Wolf sniffing the ground, clearly confused as to where the prey it had smelled had went, it's breath so thick that it couldn't see them fleeing from when it was behind it. Daisy watched as a white foam dripped from the corners of it's mouth as it searched, splashing to the ground. It was rabid.
Stay Completely Still"I w-want Mommy," Dancing Plume whimpered, ears pressed flat against her head. "I-I want my Mommy and D-Daddy . . ." She repeated the same sentence again and again, a new fracture cutting through Daisy's heart with each little word. Dancing appeared to have shut down, attempting to lock away even the instinctive drive to react to stimuli. Daisy tried to comfort her to the best of her ability, but anytime she shifted into a position that would imply a gesture of physical contact, the Unicorn would flinch at every bit of Daisy's movement afterwards until she put her hoof back to its original location. Unable to touch Dancing, she was without a way to get her attention. Raising her voice would no doubt bring the Timber Wolf closer, though she was in desperate need to explain what to do if they were spotted and approached. A filly of Dancing Plume's age would most likely try to run away, simply provoking the Timber Wolf. Daisy had dealt with a group before after wandering too far into the Everfree Forest, where she had searching for some special flowers to brighten Beautiful Blooms' new window display. A small pack of three had confronted her, and she successfully scared off two by screaming loudly. Seeing that the third hadn't run away and was instead slightly stunned, Daisy hid in a bush. The Timber Wolf quickly found her, but as she refused to move, it couldn't decide as to if she was food, and was soon called back to the rest of his pack. "Dancing," Daisy started quietly, "If the Timber Wolf gets closer, we need to stay still, understand?" The brown Unicorn gave a small nod, but Daisy didn't believe that what she had said had sunk in. Thinking fast, she went to grab another tomato, though none were left in reach. With no other option, she filled a part of her cheek with saliva before promptly spitting in the face of Dancing, whose eyes focused slightly. She quickly explained her emergency plan again, and Dancing seemed to understand this time, wiping her face without quite knowing what had just happened. Satisfied, Daisy once again sat against the tomato stall as another wave of stinky fog hit her nose. The smell was defiantly stronger than before, and it took all of her strength to keep from throwing up. In fact, she could hear the ragged breathing of the Timber Wolf. Still, it was hard for Daisy to tell just how close the creature was. Or it would've been, at least, if not for the massive wooden paw that had just appeared beside her. Dancing Plume took a breath, preparing a scream, but Dasiy managed to cover the Unicorn's mouth with her hoof before she could successfully do so. Daisy tried to keep the liquid fear teetering at the corners of her eyes from falling, knowing it would cause Dancing to panic. This became a harder and harder task as the Timber Wolf slowly revealed itself. Bubbling saliva dripped directly next to Dasiy as she refused to make eye contact, barely daring to blink. The wooden monster inched closer, huffing loudly, trying to capture the scent of something alive. Dancing Plume was terrified, clearly wishing to canter off, though Daisy had carefully shifted her hoof without the filly knowing, and as it was now on Dancing Plume's stomach, it would be hard for her to do this. Daisy held her breath as the Timber Wolf sniffed her hind leg, pushing away the bits of tomato that had been resting on it by using his snout. He scanned the rest of the pink Earth Pony's body, watching to see if her chest would rise and fall, a crazed and diseased look in its eye. After what seemed like forever, the Timber Wolf finally made a decision. It bit Daisy in the foreleg. Hard. Unable to control herself, Dancing Plume screamed, but the Timber Wolf had already chosen its prey. Thankfully, he still looked up, the holler distracting him before he was able to take a proper chunk out of Daisy. Still, she needed the blood that was coming from her. The tears that she'd had been trying to suppress rolled down her face as her leg became hot. She was too scared to look at the bite mark, though her ears were unable to shut off. She could hear the Timber Wolf lick the blood from its teeth, enjoying the taste. However, he quickly regained his focus, and opened his mouth to make a deeper cut. Paralyzed with fear, Daisy was unable to shift her gaze from the Timber Wolf. Most Timber Wolfs liked to chase their prey down before cornering and then pinning them down, preferably with fangs,them, leaving the Alpha to deliver the fatal wound. Most challenges in dominance took place during this attack ritual, second place going towards who got the greatest share of the catch. Daisy prayed that the predator would skip all of the teeth and finish his painful work quickly, and leave Dancing be. Daisy's thoughts became jumbled and foggy as her vision began to obscure, the Timber Wolf unfortunately deciding to go for another one of her appendages, when the creature was interrupted as a streak of white flew in from behind Daisy and connected with the Timber Wolf. The creature crumpled to the ground in a pile of twigs just as Daisy's vision began to obscure. "Daisy! Daisy, you're going to be okay! A lot of blood has left your leg, but I'm going to get you to Ponyville Hospital. Daisy, stay awake! Please! . . ." Daisy's eyes rolled back into her head as her body relaxed, preparing for a deep sleep . . .
The HospitalAuthor's Note This chapter hasn't been completed yet! I apologize for any inconvenience! The Hospital Daisy let out a soft groan as her eyes fluttered open, her foggy brain beginning to process the dull throbbing within her leg. "Daisy! Oh, thank goodness you're awake!" White Lightning exclaimed, shooting up from her chair before charging over to her friend within just a few wing beats. "I-I was so worried about you! I mean, the doctors said that you would be okay, they gave you a rabies shot and were able put you in a stable condition rather quickly, but I couldn't even bring myself to use the bathroom once they said that you only needed to be checked on once in a while by a nurse. I'm sorry I'm rambling but I'm so happy that you're okay and-" "Wait . . . slow down . . . Ugh, I feel like I've been swallowed by a Tatzlwurm . . ." White Lightning's ears fell to the sides of her head as her eyes filled with tears, a few toppling past the barrier of her lids and sliding down her cheeks. She sniffed, and hugged Daisy, her forelegs wrapping around both Daisy's torso and forelegs, as she began to cry. Daisy was surprised, to say the least, though her expression softened. "I'm so, s-so sorry! Th-This is all my fault! I left y-you all al-alone in that crowd! You could've died!" "Whitey . . . It's okay . . . You were scared . . . You weren't thinking properly . . . I would've made it on my own . . . You didn't know I would stop to help- Dancing Plume!" Daisy sat up, immediately regretting so as she became dizzy, but refused to lie back down. She forced herself to focus. "What happened to her!" "Wha- y-you're not mad at me?" "No, of course not! Where's Dancing? Is she okay?" "Who's . . . Dancing Plume?" "A little brown filly!" Daisy began, urgency in her eyes. "A Unicorn! She has a blue eyes and a blue and green mane!" White Lightning nodded with a smile, indicating for Daisy to relax. "Actually, she raced to the hospital with me." "Whitey, for Celestia's sake, just get to the point next time, why don't ya'? I nearly had a heart attack- Wait, did you say she came to the hospital with you?" "Yeah, before I sat in your room with you, we called her parents, and then came to pick her up once Rainbow Dash was called in to deal with the Timber Wolf, but Dancing didn't want to leave. She told her parents the entire story about how you save her, and that they should wait for you to feel better, because she wanted to talk to you." "She wanted to see me? Really? "Here, I'll go get her now!"
