Chase of the Blood Toll

Twilight Sparkle walked through the streets of Ponyville, enjoying the sounds of ponies going on with their daily doings, a much needed contrast to the quiet of her library. Not that she did not like the simple sound of turning pages of old books, far from it in fact. But, everything in moderation; including ordering Spike around.

Twilight was heading to the bookstore for basic resupply of quills, ink and paper, a task that she would normally have her dragon assistant do. However, Rarity had asked for a pair of helping claws for a commision, and Spike would not turn down that request for just about anything in Equestria. And so, Twilight found herself shutting the door to the bookstore behind her, saddlebags filled with quills and the like for a weeks worth of checklists.

Restocking her writing desk was not the main reason for leaving the library, though.

Fluttershy had promised Twilight a cup of tea a while back, which was of course more of a "if you want to". And now was the perfect time for just that, she thought to herself as she made her way down the road just outside of town, towards her friend's cottage. Flying was of course an option, but her saddlebags were weighing her down a bit more than preferred.

She was not oblivious to the fact that she was getting closer to the Everfree forest too. This would not normally bother Twilight that much, but these last several days had been different. Something was stirring up the creatures in there, driving them closer to the edge of the forest, or even momentarily poking a head into the open.

Twilight and her friends had made a trip to Zecora's on the second day, since she lived closer to whatever was going on. After an uneventful, but nevertheless more spine-chilling walk down the dirt path to her hut, the visit turned out fruitless, as she could only confirm their worries: "... Is this migration not soon set still, the wild things will march on Ponyville".

They had offered Zecora to leave the hut, at least for now, but she decided to stay put. Something about her masks warding off the things in the forest.

Nothing had been done so far. Rarity had her boutique. Rainbow Dash had her cloud patrols, and her training, and her napping. Applejack was needed on the farm, and Pinkie Pie was busy being Pinkie Pie. The local guardponies had not seen into the matter either. Not that Twilight could really blame anypony for not wanting to go into Everfree. But that still left nothing done, and while Fluttershy knew her way with animals, she was still only one pony.

Yet another reason to stop by for tea.

Fluttershy was fast to respond at the door, though not fast to open it. A few seconds after Twilight had knocked, the doorknob turned, and the door creaked open just enough to allow Fluttershy to get a view of the guest, who looked down and met her gaze with a smile.

"Oh, Twilight!" blurted Fluttershy, as she opened the door and stood a bit more upstraight. "A bit" was exaggurated, as it was nothing more than a slight lift of the head, hardly noticeable. But friends of Fluttershy knew that it meant she was comfortable around them. That she was opening up. As much as her timid personality would allow, of course.

"Hi, Fluttershy," said Twilight warmly as she stepped through the door and gave the pale yellow pegasus a hug. "I'm here for that cup of tea that-"

"Oh, right," Fluttershy cut her off, and broke the hug. "I'll, uhmm, head to the kitchen." and with that she turned and went to the back of her cottage.

Twilight took the last steps through the doorway, and shut the door with a flick of magic. She took a quick look around the cozy living room: A fireplace with a large cushion close by. A green armchair with the doorway Fluttershy had went through on its left, and a small table on its right. Said table was placed between the chair and a couch. In the opposite end of the room, down at Twilight's right, Angel was laying sprawled on a pillow on the floor, bathed in a stream of sunlight comming through the window. Twilight took off her saddlebags, placed them next to the door, and let out a small sigh.

Before Twilight had even made it halfway to the couch, Fluttershy reemerged from the kitchen, a tray with teacups and the like balanced on her back, kept in place by her wings. She sat down the tray on the table, took her seat in the armchair, and waited for Twilight to take her seat on the near end of the couch.

"That was fast," Twilight noted as she sat down, her statement made Fluttershy, who was about to reach for the teapot with her teeth, pause, looking up at her friend with ears perked. "I couldn't boil water that fast without cheating" she went on, gesturing at her horn with a hoof. Fluttershy pulled her head back, and responded with i faint blush.

"Uhmm, well, I, I didn't know when you would come around, so I, uhmm-"

"You just kept hot water at the ready for 3 days?" Twilight said with a lifted eyebrow at Fluttershy, who tried to hide more than the two thirds of her face already hidden behind her pink mane. She was only able to respond to Twilight's question with an "eep". Twilight could not help but giggle, and soon, Fluttershy poked out her face again, still blushing but with a small smile on her lips.

As Twilight grabbed the teapot with her magic and poured Fluttershy and herself a cup, she made a mental note on remembering to get an actual time and date next time. So much had been happening lately, that time to write a checklist was harder to come by.

"It's so nice of you to come by, Twilight," said Fluttershy, talking between the sips of tea. "Nopony comes around here anymore, or, well, ponies rarely did, but even fewer than usual..." Fluttershy stared into her cup, eyes going a bit sad.

"Well it's understandable, with whatever is happening in Everfree," said Twilight, glad to steer the topic in her desired direction. "Speaking of which, thats another reason I wanted to stop by." Fluttershy turned to meet Twilight's face as it took on a bit more serious expression. "How are you holding up? Is it getting worse?" Fluttershy turned her eyes down to her tea again, collecting her thoughts.

"Well, There is a lot of movement in the shrubbery at the edge, and I've even seen a wolf or two come into the open."

"That's new" Twilight noted, putting down the now empty cup. "They have never fully left the shadows of the forest before."

"Oh, they only went out a few feet before heading back" Fluttershy explained, taking another sip from her still half full cup.

"Still, that's further than ever, not counting the timber wolfs at zap apple season." Twilight leaned over the edge of the couch to catch Fluttershy's eyes before continuing. "I am worried about you being here all alone" she said, feeling relief from sharing her concerns.

"Oh, it's okay, Twilight, really." Fluttershy was about to go on about some good reason to not worry about her, when Angel started tugging at her tail, jumping up and down. "Uhmm, Angel. It's not lunchtime yet."

Angel's right eye twitched, but he quickly proceeded his efforts for attention, by bouncing across the room, and started pointing a bit frantically at the window. Slowly, the two mares got on their hooves and made it to the window, took a look outside, and...

A snake. A large, very large snake, a python to be exact, in Fluttershy's garden, looking as if attempting to calculate whether or not it could squeeze itself through the fence of the chicken coop, or would have to crawl over it.

With a speed betraying her calm nature, Fluttershy was out the door and in the python's face, neither of them moving. Twilight quickly concentrated on her magic, and in a white flash was at Fluttershy's side, only catching the last of her words.

"... should be ashamed of yourself!" The snake cowered beneath the pegasus, but did not take its eyes away, almost like it could not. But then, the snake turned, and slithered away, back to Everfree. "Now, you think about what you have done, mister!" she shouted after the python, proving her point with a small stomp of her hoof.

"I guess that explains some of the reason for all this," Twilight mumbled, her voice bringing Fluttershy out of her current state, and back to her timid self. "They are looking for food" she continued with a frown, casting a glance at the chickens, slowly poking their heads out from the coop again. "But you are still coming with us tonight, right?"

"Oh, of course. I'm sure it will be lovely. I'll just, uhmm, let the chicken in a bit early." Fluttershy answered, still a bit worried.

"Good" Twilight's smile returned and she started going back to the cottage. "I gotta go pick up Spike at Rarity's. So, town square, at sunset, okay?"

"At sunset" Fluttershy returned the smile and waved Twilight goodbye, as the purple unicorn trotted town the road back to Ponyville.

__________________________________

Small brown eyes behind heavy brows were looking at the two creatures, a unicorn and a pegasus, from what he could see from his hiding place. Soon, the purple one left, while the other rushed back inside the small cottage.

"Hmm..." The onlooker reached into his bag, and withdrew a piece of parchment, upon which was written the previous scout's rather incomplete report.

No sign of the riders. Saw only their mounts.

With a sigh and a smirk, the hidden creature pulled out a piece of charcoal from his bag and crudely corrected the work of his scout.

No sign of the riders. Saw only their mounts.

There are no riders. They are not mounts.

The creature put his things back and crept several feet into the forest, where his mount waited.

"That was unexpected..."