Across the sun drenched forest. Tucked in the only hill for miles.

Rested a knoll.

Concealed under a grove of long knarlled trees.

Years? Perhaps even Century's. They rested.

Standing guard over what lay beneath the hill.

Within the knoll, blanketed by small leaflets that spread and knitted across a old door.

The door stood low and stooped.

Just as the tree stood watch over the hill.

The door stood guard.

Baring the way from bandits and naughty beasties alike.

But the Lab was about to be opened...

If the trees where to have parted their crocked roots.

One could have been forgiven to see-a jiggle...

A shake.

As the groan of a rusted handle. SNAPPED!

What remained of true metal after rust and grime-fell to the forest floor.

Sunlight stole their way through the canopy's of trees.

Laying their bounty on...that mark...of silver...

Runes did well with age.

The still firmly shut door let out a gasp.

If the rows of rolly-pollys and ants dared speak.

What would they say?

One could be forgiven for thinking it let out a...eep.

Within only darkness laid its head.

Still a deeper darkness did shift.

But did the thing within slither?

A hoove broke the forest scene.

It too took metal as its calling.

Shining under the shaded light.

It bloomed under many colours catching the green.

Playing a rainbow that seemed to dance and fly.

The figure twisted their hoove.

Laughing in gay pearls that stole even the breadth of the old forest ancients.

She comes. They said.

She comes. They,,,prayed.

"Oh a rainbow. "A Husky voice grown into its own.

Shaded its own meaning with the curve of a smile.

Pushing the door with their might.

Ice and its withered company welded steel had no mercy.

No mercy. At all.

The clip and clop of hooves faded from hearing.

Bird song featured Lost-Crows, Bundle-Swallows and Quel-keeper birds.

Ruffled shuffled and danced with the raising of the sun.

Suddenly with the crack of Griffon musket fire...and Celestia's hidden war band.

The door flew five good strong wing beats.

Results lay in the flood of cloud light.

A cloud peeked its fancy at the happenings below.

A...Pony stepped from the shadow within shadow.

Light flickered in strange makings within.

The pony paid it no heed.

With a raised hoove and practised motion.

Click.

The press of their hoove to metal...hoove.

A grinding a groaning of metal and worn stone for a moment-

BOOOOM!

Fire blew in unending waves within the darkened lab.

And a screamed did keen its sorrows as...it died.

Breaking Breaking

The mare stood forward. Silent. Only some birds remained. Lucky...

Her talents still did as well.

"How are you?"

The voices of the forest stilled their marching.

In the intervening silence. The pony shifted.

Resting on the hindquarters.

The pony evenly and with a stillness born of true serenity and peace.

Waited.

And waited.

The songs did not return.

Neither did the Lost-Crows, nor the Bundle-Swallows and...Certainly...not...the Quel-keeper birds.

Still Serenity is well. But she had to eat.

So she opened a patch. On her other hoove and...A Ball.

Hefting the weight of it. and...

She caught in her hoove. Laughing...

The soft bell-like sound echoed within the now night fallen forest.

Stillness remained. Only a hollow mourning of wind through the knap of rotten tress made any sound.

Her yellow wings stretched outward.

Twisting the wind.

Catching the ball before it could hit the grass. It speed by speed of wind.

Turning sharpy as it avoided the mares face.

Three wing beats to her front in let up. Rolling to stop some hoove-steps past her vision.

She smiled.

"Good enough"

Cough in her hoove. She spied the curious eyes of the forest dwellers. Even...

The ancients, all eyed her curiously.

A fancy...perhaps a...trick? Would be a merry?

She spoke.

"Delphine. Please may I have your assistance."

She paused for a breath.

"...Its safe now. I have found...home."

A click. Whirling sound like the old records that some strange colts used too peddle.

Some time ago.

"Oh...Good phew..." they said.

A flash of bright blue. and...

Before Fluttershy stood her greatest joy.

Her daughter.

A blue filly. Mostly fluff and a soft smile that all too often couldn't stand the hatred.

The fear wrought her way.

All Delphine wanted was to live her life...

No more. Fluttershy thought. Her hoove digging into the soft dew covered grass.

Fluttershy would secure her future in the new world.

"HI! Mom-Mom." The little ball of blue barrelled into the older mare. Curling into the old Scientist with escape velocity of small electric wagon.

"Its a car, darling."

"Mom!"

"Hi! Delph-Delph!"

"Mom! That's my thing!"

She squeezed all the tighter.

"I like words. What's the fun if I can't say pretty things...and..." Her voice trailed away in the evening.

The blue light seemed to dim and darken.

Taking heed of the night the soft grave moon strained to comfort. Alas it lay to far...far...away.

"I don't want to...ever...ever...ever-"

"Oh...baby." Curling fore-hooves into bone crushing hug.

Cradle the little light.

"Let it out, Delphy. Let it out."

"Why... " She looked away then her face flush with white of her mother coat.

"...do they hate me so?"

"I'm sorry. But..."

Tentative and if the waning light held any comfort. She needed help.

Buck.

I need help. Who...though? Fluttershy thought.

What to do...to do.

Protect Daughter. Unchecked.

Find Therapy for Daughter...and...self...Sigh.

A crackle of twigs from the forest floor.

Drove their eyes upwards.

Straining their necks to see way lay before them. was...

A rabbit.

A brave foalish rabbit.

A rabbit all the same.

Though her eyes gleamed with unshed emotions and the weighed from the burden of memory.

She...

I...Love...you...Delphine.

"Look Delphine a...Bunny."

Oh! Well...Turning her glowing face to her mom.

"Do...you think...She would like me...I..."

Rubbing the soft blue of her head.

"If..." She swallowed. Wetting her lips.

You have to protect her. She's going to be crushed if this...Rabbit...

Bunny...

...Bunny.

Rejects her...

She...

"Mom, look!"

"I made a friend!"

Her heart beat ticked. Skipping a beat.

"Oh...ok." Your good Fluttershy. Real good.

Now your problems are...

Protect Daughter. Un-Done-ish.

Sigh.

Get Daughter and...me...therapy...

Bucking therapy. Some how a deeper sigh came.

one-fourth. Done? Right? She thought.

Rubbing a hoove over the scar that been drawn on her face.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Fluttershy turned her head...buck.

The heavy foot falls of the arrival of...the...ancients.

Buck.

"Well this should go well...I mean what could go wrong?"

Author's Note

Another Long-Form story to run concurrently with my other story.

Needs, Wants And Ends

I will put up tags characters as I need them.

I have a plan. But I want to give myself the flexibility.

In how I execute those plans.

So, Thank you for reading.

Until next time!