//-------------------------------------------------------// Fluttershy Ventures Forth -by BleuBlooms- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Across The Sun Drenched Forest //-------------------------------------------------------// Across The Sun Drenched Forest 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! //-------------------------------------------------------// Before the forest edge //-------------------------------------------------------// Before the forest edge Thump Thump Thump Limbs more kin of the old oak. Felled grass and tiny bushes alike. Startled birds in flocks went leaving in bursts of color. That no night, nor daggered moon could see. Buzzing as the many ancients wings slowly bent in odd ways. Giving a cry. Such that the cricket and cicada did shed a jealous tear. Fluttershy echoing such things. Allowed tears of mourning to fall. Before the quiet came again. And only the old ancients stood. Before brambled roots covered rich green...and pony. A voice double toned high and echoed. As if from waters deep and cold. But...Longing for the light. "Chasing small creatures brings soul too my heart." Spoke the voice. The blue of her daughters head popped...ever so out of the brush. Sitting on the foals head.Cat-tails stranger near such a forest-made red flowers. A long stem curled. Slopping downwards in green against stark blue. But... Old eyes glowing greener saw the cut of blue. Fluttershy own eyes ready and primed.Metal hoove whirled with the sounds of fouled deeds-yet been done. In truth... Had. Still... "Do not wound me...traveller." "You run...yet you have not heard me...speak." The bodys of the many ancients spoke. For though their was the night...the chill of many faces speaking as one.... Never abated. Under the watchful eyes of spirited and tragic moon. Fluttershy stood. Sparkling. Almost bone white fur glowing so much like the moon. Under pited suns rays. Breaking the forest silence. The Quill keeper bird faked it's mourning. Its strained and haunting elegy filled the growing light. Eyes wading from the strange sight of the forests waking. "Momma and..." Delphines voice trailed taking in the twisting voices and...bodys. That surely as dawn would break into many colors and shades. The bodys of the ancients...changed. From Dragon hide. To Light fog on dew covered hill. Some eyes...not the bright green on black shell...no. Some held the shadowed glade in eyes so dark. That the very stars damned too call it home. The void. Lips pursed. "Ugh." Fluttershy said. Standing on warm earth. Her hooves felt the touch of worm upon. Lifting her hoove to stare at the worm. Delphines eyes pulled from the shifting and...changing... Own eyes gleaming the want from both Delphine and mother clear. "Here..." Mom said to Delphine. Holding the worm. Staring. Her face framed by ever more green. She let a humph. "Do you...think its safe?" A hoove rubbing against her cat-tailed face. Before the voice of the forest could speak. Fluttershy raised her whirling hoove. Forgo the potential danger. In favor of a more immediate danger...a hungery foal. A click. A soft blue light spelled itself on the wiggling worm. Squarem so in protest she held firm. Wanting no...needing too know. A moment more... As the crackle of thunder boomed off in the distance. It brushed against the dark sky. "You need not eat the worms. Let it go. I kill enough by my walking." It swung from hoove. As both the mare and the foal held too silence. The many voiced ancients own curiosity. Quickened. Their gazes and long...long necks bent. Stretching downward towards the happenings. Turning from the sight-pulsing of light from her hoove. Fluttershys gaze pierce the number ancients and saw... Familiar...things. Though the shifting collasced in spots. Drawing the eye to fur and wings bursting into pools of sand that dribbled down...black... Caparace. Drawn somehow herself. She heard the beep. Knowing for certain. She felt the pull of winds as a hoove strangely...white. But more... Pearl. Shards moonlighted dared approach shining light the hoove in raw beauty. In sung a strange haunting song. Those hooves that drew gentle steps upon earth. Held such twisting...sadness. Feeling a strange boldness. Stepping forward in front of Delphine. She then drew hoove too...touch... The liquid skin of the ancient. Once mossy grass and strange Dragon hide now glowed softly. "My flesh...is strange is it not." Now as the flesh became quicksand seemed to take her hoove. Delphine eyes widened. She just stared. Feeling that old touch of shame. Fluttershy leaned her hoove against the head of the ancients. Staring at the eyes that so resembled her own. She cranned her neck. To stare at the keeper of the forest eyes. A lone Quill Keeper spying the many from its perch. Old tree marked with the seal of a burnt sun. The beak seemed too smile well enough. Shaking its feathers awake. It jumped from its narrow perch. The solitary Quil Keeper went...parting from the forests hold. Its eyes gleaming to seed it masters hopeful dreams. As the eyes of the sun and moon did gaze upon their forms...curious and wanting. Author's Note Short meant too write more. But...accidently pressed the publish button. So...yup. :) I will be posting the rest of the chapters today. So stay tuned. Its really all. I am doing today. So most of it will be done. If their will be more. I will just start a sequel. Have a good evening! //-------------------------------------------------------// Entering The Jewel And Seeings Its Beauty //-------------------------------------------------------// Author's Note Warning this chapter contains. Mentions of the sucidiual tendency's. And asks some manner of question of eternity. I will also be bumping the rating up? I think thats approriate? Unsure but just too be safe. Please do not read if this upseting. Thank you. Otherwise... This is the last bit of this short story. The next part will be its own story. In the interest of wanting too get this out there. Today. I will come back later. And look this over so...? :twilightsmile: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/twilightsmile.png Entering The Jewel And Seeings Its Beauty A lone Quil keeper flew from a cove of red oaks. Spying the sea of neighbering green. It flew ever higher. The weeping ash of its feathers stood against the growing dawn. Gliding on near air currents. Its spied the remains of The ancient hives. There ounce brilliant orange and greens now lay like puss open and festering. Flying further still. Sweeping deserts rolled their hills. The stranger bitter refecting desert was...litertal torture. As shards of ounce heated...turned to glass. Lay in supcious amounts to be anything less then intentional. The luck and the pull of sun drew the lingering pain from his body. Only minor blades of glass drew blood. Still he breathed heavy. Past smaller and larger townships. A keening went into the air. Stooping low its head spying not the suns apprentice. And future...something? But the...pink one. So strange on odd. The bird clucked its tongue against its beak. Sweeping past the aptly named...ponyville. Its feathers took it towards the jewell that hung... At the neck of Equastria for generations...His mistress. The sun was said too be all knowing. She was... With the help of her spies. Spies that held knowledge that she needed. Of course...their was his kind. Low murmours of voice. "Coffee!" "Cake!" "Donut Joes deals, deals, deals" Eager in flight. To see to his wounds. Flecks of red fell from the sky. The folk of the sight so used too the sight. Noe called it good fortune...to bleed. For all the good the blood would do. Slowing his glide to reach the spymaster. As he made his way from the square. It was with the sudden gay laughter of foals and adults alike. Happy that the red blessing had come ounce again. The mare called sun hunched. Over the eyepiece too peer at the wider world. Her magic learned and large as it were. Even this...sight was limited by only a...narrow shard of vision. Her spies good though they were, lacked what she craved...a escape. To be someone else. Sighing. She pulled her eye away. "I..." She turned her head away. "What is it love." "I...am tired. I want to go far away. I..." She turned further removing herself from her beloved sight. "I want to...you know." Turning her narrow face to peer deeper with drawn eyes. The band the was now clear to her sight. "You shouldn't do that love. You know...how..." She turned away as if in shame. She swallowed. Allowing the pain...and the blood to trail down her eyes. For a moment. She felt surely that shadow had surely taken her heart. But... No! Her hit the tile hard. No! What cruel fate...would it be too be separate and parted. In a prison no less. No! Instead she stared at her...band. That was her promise from a young filly. That had more hope then she had in herself at times. Her lips pursed. Tongue wetting the lip of her mouth. Dropping the enchantments was easy. Keeping up...was in her dealings. But... It would not due to allow others too...see. Did she truely lack such dreamings too believe forever and always would allow her too weather eternity. To see each life glimmer so rich and beautiful. And want in the same breath. To know she would never lose anything...again. She swallowed. "I feel...this as well...beloved." "We when wished to never be parted. I weeped from joy at our good fortune too find a way. A meaning..." She turned then...her eyes wide with bewitched longing. As she stared at her...beloved. What remained. A telescope stood ornate in the center of the room. Naturally facing the bare beauty of night or day alike. He always liked the fluffy clouds. The pull of rich memory. Aided in her foggy mind. With hoove step...after hoove step. She pulled too the remains of her partner. "I wanted you too see the fluffy bunnys and Bellcovered birds. To see the news from all across the world." To think... She sweep past the length of the telescope. To stare at the...only eye her beloved had too see. That her desire so innocent at first. Would stall to this. Spies and deals. She knew. Apologizes meant little when they only brought longing. No...ittle to crushed hope... The moon stood in its own shadow. As the lighting of the very sky. Drove home the eyes...of...her...friends. Fellows of the...greater dark. Eyes gleamed so within the room. Once... Once...her friends were batponys. Now... They were her friends...because...they were batpony's She swallowed. Her tongue bearing the thickness of words... Hateful...Hateful...Hateful. Words. A knock. "Princess Lu-...I mean...Selena." The words may felt heavy on the tongue. Her mind though. Felt keenly her sorrow. One thousands years. And... SHE COULD EVEN KEEP HER NAME. She swallowed again. "Yes! Nightglade. What brings you too my chamber" Feeling the breadth of the sudden silent. So big in fact she could feel the strange pull of that...other that arrive in the forest. Unlike her sister...her own power was deeper. In some ways more connected too the world. So... When she heard the swallowing of a throat. That was likely older then her by some years... "The princess asks for permission to come to your chambers. Lady Selena." Stiffening. Muttering something sounded from the other side like...do...I...have...a choice? With a grunt and a strained..."yes" The older mare of some fourty years to the aged and strangely child princess of thirteen. She stalled. Unsure she fumbled her hooves on the Sytgian Carpet. "Wanna play a...game with my...daughter...some time. Selena..." "Selen-...Lun..."