Fluttershy awoke to the rut of life. It was a very average day outside. A swarm of butterflies glided around a herd of snow-white rabbits. The greenest of grass was placed in a large feeding trough,where animals of all sorts gathered to eat. Fluttershy trotted out of the door, much aware that her normal day was about to end.
In need of a rare ingredient for a medicine, she would have to venture into the Everfree Forest. She hated to have to go, but her squirrel friend was sick. Tightening her satchel bag around her waist, she tried to prepare her mind for what she was about to attempt. It didn't help, made it worst in fact.
"Maybe there was another medicine, one without the accursed ingredient?" She thought.
She knew there wasn't, but didn't really want to go. Taking a deep breath, she slowly carried herself to the edge of Ponyville. A dark, looming forest looked down upon her. It circled her and closed in. She shrank down, surely this was a place of evil. The trees came together behind and above her, trapping the terrified pony inside their hideous maul of branches. She clamped her eyes shut, trying to shut out the damnation of twisted, gnarled arms reaching nearer and nearer. She could feel tingling across her back, as the wretched limbs came oh so close to her. Then there was nothing, no sound, no light, only her and the trees. Fluttershy opened her eyes, the forest had completely surrounded her. It was so thick, that if not small beads of light shining through the only few cracks between the layers of limbs, it would have been pitch black. There were so many that sound could not penetrate the living walls. She screamed in fear, completely aware that nopony could hear her. Behind her stood a tree,even closer then all the other trees, and much larger too. It didn't move like the others, but was the cause of most of the worry in the young Pegasus' mind. Suddenly a strange, near describable feeling overcame her. The only things close would be; a bone deep tingling,or a dispersement of yourself into a much different object. It was more of the second one really, but whatever the feeling was, it wasn't good. Feeling it in her legs and flank, she tried to look back,but wasn't able to move under the trees. The feeling started to move up her body. a horrid realization came to her, she was being absorbed into the tree! Her flank and legs were gone. She started to struggle but quickly gave in. There was nothing she could do. Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to cry, not for herself, but for her squirrel friend. She knew that without the medicine he would die. She was squealing as her head began to be sucked in. In seconds, her eyes were gone. She squeaked out one last thing before being completely consumed.
"I'M SORRY!"
She was gone. The forest returned to the normal abnormality that it usually was. A somber wind whistled through the tangle of trees, silently whispering,
"Well Fluttershy, you always wanted to be a tree."
back to the forest
Fluttershy jerked awake covered in sweat, or at least what she hoped was sweat. The sound of her heavy breathing broke through the silence as she laid in bed shocked. She suddenly got up and went outside, breathing in deeply the crisp, clean air. The pegusis sighed, it wasn't real, it was just a dream. She couldn't help but think how cliche it was, a horrible mishap that seems real, but just turns out to be a dream. She gave a weak laugh, hoping that it would stay, just a dream. Unfortunately the day was already turning out like her dream. Her squirrel friend was sick, and really did need the medicine. This means that Fluttershy was going to have to go to the Everfree Forest. A tear dripped down her cheek thinking about it. She did not want to go, but just like in her dream, she had no other choice. Going back inside she started to Repeat the actions of her nightmare, grabbing her saddle bag.
Before she left her house, she grabbed a small box off of a shelf and placed it in her stitched cloth. The box had been given to her years ago by a mysterious colt. He had claimed that it could ward off evil. She didn't really believe it though, he wasn't even a unicorn, she might have been more compelled to believe in it if he were a unicorn. Even though she didn't believe in it, she wanted to do everything she could to prevent her vision. Feeling somewhat more sure, Fluttershy practically crawled to the edge of the forest. She looked up, none of the trees were moving, other than by the wind, and it didn't feel anymore evil than it normally did. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, nothing, another step, still nothing. She slowly trudged deeper into the forest, crouched down, expecting the worst. Nothing happened, she stood up and looked around. It was just a forest, a creepy, dark forest. She started to think about why she was actually there.
"Hmm, where would I go about finding this ingredient, the book said it was really rare," she thought to herself. "Maybe I'll ask Zecora about it, I mean, if that's okay with her.
Fluttershy hurried over to Zecora's hidden hut, deep in the woods. Creeping up the steps, she knocked gently on the old door. No pony came so she knocked again. A voice sounded from inside.
"Who there be, knocking so quietly?"
"Um, it's fluttershy."
The door quickly opened.
"Ah, sweet Fluttershy, please, my dear, come inside." She beckoned to the pony to come in.
Once in the two sat down.
"You've came through all your fear, what, pray tell brings you here?"
"Well, I need an ingredient for this medicine,and was wondering if you knew where i could find it." She spoke.
"That depends on a simple matter, what is this ingredient that you're after?" Zecora questioned.
"It's called a Syclondon root, I think."
"You mean siclindin my shy friend, the medicine it makes, truly does mend. Why in need of such a plant? for something normal medicine can't?"
The Pegasus nodded, "yes, so you've heard of it?"
"Know it, and know it well, in the darkest corners, it does dwell."
"The darkest corners," She squeaked. "Could you maybe come with me to find it, if you're not busy or anything that is."
"If I could go, I would follow."
"Why not, is there something you need to do? I can help you finish it."
"No, that is not the reason I cannot go, about this plant you need to know. Listen closely my dear, if onepony treads, it does not fear, but if many ponies come close by, everypony there will surely die!"
"So, I have to go alone?!"
The zebra nodded gently, apparently tired of rhyming.
Fluttershy gulped, "All right then, thank you Zecora, I'm sorryfor wasting your time."
She pulled herself to the door, even more afraid than when she got there. She would have to go to thee
deepest part of the Everfree. She proceeded to exit the shack.
As she stepped out zecora called to her.
"Good luck Fluttershy, please do not die."
The door quietly clicked behind her.
"I can do this, I can do this!" She chanted in her mind while walking away from the safety of the hut.
