Lately

Reaching out for you.

Fluttershy and Applejack were using all of their strength to pull the pine-tree through the snowy hills surrounding Ponyville. Applejack had attached several ropes to the thing to make it easyer to move. Applejack was still coming to grips with the fact that two of her best friends were actually dating.

"So Shy! What's it like to live with equestria's most stuck up pony?" she said laughingly as she pulled the tree through the heavy snow.

"Oh, she can be very yielding if she has to.. I offered to sleep on the couch so she could have my room but she refused." She said smiling as she thought back at the memory.

"Ya sure we're talkin' 'bout the same pony?" Applejack said as she tilted her head in confusion.

"She's much more compliant than you give her credit for Applejack, if you gave her a chance you would be surprised at what you would find." Fluttershy said.

"Well hay, you really care 'bout her don't you?" Applejack said.

"yeah.." Fluttershy said shyly.

As the two pulled the tree over the hill Fluttershy's cabin came in sight. They walked up to the cabin and knocked on the door. A little filly answered. "Fluttershy! Applejack! What's up!" She said happily.

"I got us a christmas tree Sweetie Belle" She said smiling.

The filly gasped. "Fluttershy it's so pretty!" she said as she saw the tree resting in the snow.

"Can you go upstairs into the attic and grab the decorations Sweetie?"

"Sure thing Fluttershy!" the filly said as she ran off inside.

"This is gonna leave quite the mess dragging it inside." Applejack said.

Sweetie Belle came running downstairs, carrying a big red box. Applejack and Fluttershy had pulled the tree up to its base. It was resting in a corner of the room. It looked blank and boring now but it created a feeling of potential. After a fruitfull hour of decorating Sweetie Belle and Fluttershy stepped back to judge their work.

The tree filled the room with a festive feeling. Its candles illuminated the once darker corners of the cabin. Fluttershy smiled contently at her work. "Now I remember why I like christmas so much.." she thought.

Rarity was nearing Fluttershy's cabin carrying the fabric she had bought in Ponyville. She opened the door to find Fluttershy sitting on the couch with Sweetie Belle. She was reading the little filly a christmas story. "This is what I want to come home to everyday.." She thought to herself.

"Rarity! Fluttershy got us a christmas tree!" She said happily.

She looked at the heavily decorated tree standing in the corner of the room, its candles lit."It looks great." she said as she walked up to the two. There was something familiar about the tree but she couldn't really figure out what it was until she took a closer look at it.

A grin appeared on her face. She looked over at Fluttershy who was once again hiding her face behind her mane in a futile attempt of hiding her blush. Rarity walked over to Fluttershy and kissed her on the cheek as she hugged her tightly. "I never figured you for a romantic.." She whispered.

"You bring out the best in me.." Fluttershy said shyly.

"Hey! Small foals present!" Sweetie Belle yelled.

Sweetie Belle was standing outside, playing happily in the snow. Suddenly she could hear her name being called in the distance. Two young filles came running towards her. As soon as she realised who the two ponies were she walked towards them to greet them.

"Scootaloo! Applebloom! What are you two doing here?" She asked curiously.

"Hey Sweetie Belle! Remember the whole cutie pox incidident?" Scootaloo said.

"As if I could forget." Sweetie Belle said laughingly.

"Well, remember how I said we should totally try our hoof at Cutie Mark Crusader potion making?"

"yeah, we couldn't find any herbs or flowers so we gave up. Is this going anywhere scootaloo?"

"Of course it is! We didn't find anything because we weren't looking in the right place." She said as she tilted her head towards the Everfree Forest. "You're not going to find any rare herbs lying around in Ponyville. We need to look for them in the forest."

"Are you sure? Remember what happened the last time we went into the forest?" She said.

"No worries, we know what to look out for this time." Applebloom said.

Sweetie Belle looked at the forest with uncertainty. Suddenly she could feel Scootaloo's hoof on her shoulder. "C'mon Sweetie Belle, what is the worst that could happen?"

"Sure.. Let's go!"

The three fillies entered the forest only to be greeted by shadows. The forest was the gloomiest place in all of equestria but it was even darker during the winter. Frozen roots impaled the earth. There was no sign of life to be seen or heard. Sweetie Belle had not felt this cold in ages. The smell of cold moss and dying trees filled the air. "Why zecora likes living here is beyond me.." she thought to herself.

"How 'bout that one!?" Applebloom said.

"That's grass.." Scootaloo said in an annoyed tone.

"oh.. How 'bout that one!?"

"That's just more grass!"

"oh.."

This exchange continued for about 5 minutes until Sweetie Belle saw something bright in the distance. A large beautiful flower with yellow petals sat in the dirt. She left the side of her friends who were to busy arguing to even notice.

Slowly, she walked over to the flower who greeted her with an enticing smell. Suddenly she lost control of her senses. She could not help but near closer. She was standing next to the flower and extended her neck to take a deep sniff of the delicious aroma.

Suddenly she fell to the ground. The last thing she heard was the paniced screaming of her friends...

Sweetie Belle slowly regained consciousness. She could not muster the strength to move her limbs. All she could see through her slightly opened eyes was a bright white light. suddenly two muzzled voices could be heard. One of the voices was that of an old colt the other sounded like a mare.

"This patient has inhaled a lethal dosis of an unknown gas.."

"Life expectancy?"

"small.. very small.. I don't know what to do if I don't know what kind of toxin caused this.."

"But she's so young.."

Her sight went black as she lost her consciousness again.

Sweetie Belle was walking through the dark reaches of The Everfree Forest... Scootaloo and Applebloom by her side... Suddenly a voice spoke inside of her head... "There is no escape... not in this life... not in the next..." The voice sounded as if it spoke with multiple voices at once... One could be identified as a little filly.. the others were heavier and darker... she looked behind her but they were all alone... "Did you guys hear that too?" she asked... "What are you talking about? I didn't hear a thing." Scootaloo said... The voice spoke again... "Tell yourself again that these are not truly your friends..." Sweetie Belle started looking all over the place to discover the source of the voice..."They have turned against you... now, take your revenge..." "What is that noise!" she said... "Kill them all... before they kill you..."

The three filles entered a darkened clearing deep within the forest... Suddenly the brushes surrounding the place started the shake... "They are coming for you..." Suddenly a large shadow jumped out of the brushes... It started to attack Sweetie Belle's friends as she ran away into the forest...

The voice spoke for one last time before her sight went black... "It WAS your fault..."

Suddenly she awakened. she was lying in the bed of a clean, white room. A hospital perhaps? She felt a heavy stinging pain in her chest. she closed her eyes and touched the spot with her hoof. She waited for the pain to lessen but it only got worse. "RARITY! I WANT MY SISTER!" she started crying.

A nurse came rushing in when she heard the filly screaming. "Calm down dear! you're awake!"

"Bring me my sister!" She cried as the pain became unbearable.

Once again everything went black.

When she regained her consciousness she could hear her sister's voice in the other room."No! Let me through! I want to see her!" Rarity yelled. The unicorn came storming in as she looked for her little sister. Her face turned pale as she looked at the little filly lying in the bed. Fluttershy was following close behind.

Sweetie Belle had to muster all of her strentgh to speak. "Rarity.." She said softly. Scootaloo and Applebloom were watching from a close distance.

"I'm here Sweetie! I will help you throught this!" Rarity had never felt worse. Her biggest nightmare, losing her little sister was becoming a reality.

Twilight and Zecora entered the room. "Show me this little filly." The zebra said. Zecora walked to the side of Sweetie's bed. She closely inspected the filly with peering eyes. She looked over to Applebloom. "Something truly is amiss. A plant caused all of this?" She said.

The two fillies merely nodded at her question.

"Twilight, hand me my book. Now, how did this plant of yours look?"

Twilight handed Zecora a big book. It was wrapped in the skin of somesort of animal. Whatever it was it didn't live anywhere near equestria Twilight thought. The fillies continued to describe the plant to Zecora. Rarity was still at the side of her little sister's bed who had lost her consciousness again. Fluttershy was standing next to her trying to listen to what Zecora was saying but not wanting to leave her love's side.

"Oh my.." Zecora said.

"What is it Zecora?" Twilight asked curiously.

"The plant you speak of is known as Whispervine. The very thought of the thing sends shivers down my spine.."

"What is so special about this plant?"

"A plant like this you should not neglect for its gas has a... magical effect." This sparked Twilight and Rarity's interest. The unicorns walked over to the zebra.

"What kind of effect?" Rarity asked.

"I wish not to speak of it much.. but the flower makes its victims susceptible to a demon's touch.."

An old colt with a doctor's coat walked into the room. "That is ridiculous. Demons are things out of fairy tales. What this patient needs is an antidote." he said.

"Inside of this filly I sense a beast with prying eyes. Filling her head with its evil lies." she said as she turned to Rarity.

"Isn't there anything we can do!?" Rarity pleaded the zebra.

"My people speak of a healing herb but it grows in places you must not disturb."

Fluttershy neared the group. "Where does it grow?" she asked softly.

"In a place where not many have been before. You will find this herb in the cold north.."

It was dark outside. Rarity, Fluttershy and Zecora were the only ones left in Sweetie's room. Rarity was crying softly at the edge of the bed. Her tears falling unto the blanket in the dimmed light. Fluttershy sat next to her with her wing shielding Rarity to keep her warm. The filly was sleeping but she tossed and turned heavily in her bed.

"Nightmares.." Zecora thought to herself. "Now I am certain..."

Fluttershy nuzzled Rarity's neck in an attempt to calm her down but it had no effect. The entire atmosphere in the room was heavy. The pegasus felt as if something was weighing her down. It felt horrible to see her love like this. Suddenly a rainbow maned pegasus charged into the room.

"Shy!? How is she? I came as soon as I heard." she said as she walked closer to Fluttershy.

"Not so good I'm afraid.." she said softly.

"What happened?"

"She got.. poisoned.." The pegasus whispered.

Rainbow Dash walked to the edge of the bed and looked at the little filly who was sweating heavily in her sleep. Her eyes filled with compassion as a feeling of pain appeared in her chest. She walked over to Rarity and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry Rarity.." She whispered.

Sweetie Belle was walking through a dimly lit wooden hallway... She was uncertain were she was... The door at the end of the hallway opened... A cold wind blew past her head as she felt an invisible force slowly pull her towards it... Suddenly the voice spoke again... "The void sucks at your soul. It is content to feast slowly..." She used all of her strength to run away from the dark door but the pull was too strong... "You resist... You cling to your life as if it actually matters... You will learn..." Suddenly she was thrown into the door opening. It slammed shut.

She opened her eyes but it was too dark to see... the mysterious voice spoke for one last time...

"There is a little lamb lost in the woods..."