Loyalty

Silver stared in amazement at the impressions for a good minute or so. How? Who? Why? He had so many questions, and so little answers. His only option was to follow the tracks.

Into the Everfree forest.

There was only one other time in his life that Silver had done something brave for the sake of another. It’s what earned him his cutie mark, the blue heart.

Silver looked around nervously, feeling as if a million tiny eyes were watching his every move. A cold breeze blew across his face, sending chills through his entire body. It was obvious that Silver did not like the Everfree Forest.

He walked slowly, checking behind him every few seconds to make sure he wasn’t being followed. That was just one of the things the Everfree Forest was known to do. It had an eerie vibe to it, making you feel like something frightening was about to happen at every moment. Even the occasional rustling of tree branches became a potential threat.

Regardless, Silver trudged on. He knew he had to overcome his fears in order to save Fluttershy from whatever it was that had kidnapped her. The thought of seeing the expression on her face when he came to rescue her...

Silver! You came! I knew you would...

And he still had the tiny box tucked underneath his wing.

It wasn’t long before Silver came across a large pool. It was only about a hoof’s length deep, and every square inch of it’s floor was covered with small stones. Silver looked up, and noticed that there was a clearing in the trees, causing the sun to reflect across the surface of the water.

It was a beautiful scene, and Silver wished Fluttershy could have been there to see it. Who would have thought that such a clearing like this could be found in the Everfree Forest?

A bush to his right rustled, and Silver jumped back, only half ready to face whatever it was that was inside of it. He saw a pair of glowing red eyes, and almost fled.

But he didn’t. He held his ground.

A paw emerged from inside the bush, making an indention in the soft dirt as it touched the ground.

The same paw print from Fluttershy’s cabin.

“So, you came...” spoke the dog in a raspy voice.

Silver’s mind raced. He was being expected? By who? He had so many questions to ask, but he lacked the courage to ask them aloud.

“I know who you seek, and I’ve come to make you an offer you can’t refuse...” The figure had now fully emerged, and Silver knew exactly what he was. He was unmistakably looking at a diamond dog. He gestured toward the water. Silver turned his head to look, and witnessed something that could have come only from the magic of a unicorn.

In the middle of the pond, the water began to part in the shape of a small circle. A figure slowly rose out of it, sparking in the sunlight. It was a pink unicorn, wearing a white gown- MUCH like Fluttershy’s. She had a long, flowing mane and thick, lengthy eyelashes. Her eyes were a deep purple, like a moonlit sky on a clear evening. She was definitely one of the most beautiful ponies Silver had ever seen.

“She can be yours,” the diamond dog spoke in the same, raspy voice, “if you give up your journey.”

Much like the dog had said- this was an offer he truly couldn’t refuse. The pony levitating above the pond in front of him must have been the most beautiful pony in the world. Then something in Silver’s mind snapped. This wasn’t the most beautiful pony in the world. She couldn’t have been. He knew that there was one pony that was more perfect than she.

Fluttershy.

“I’m sorry, sir, but although your offer is very generous, I’m afraid I’m going to have to refuse,” Silver announced, his voice sounding much more confident than usual. He gathered up all of his strength, reared back, and raced out of the clearing before the dog even had a chance to open his mouth.

Silver came to a slow stop about a mile away from the clearing. Leaning against a nearby tree, he began to catch his breath. The more Silver thought about what had just happened, the more he realized that he’d never sounded more confident in his life.

Ever.

The cold breeze took up again, and Silver sighed. He knew he still had a long walk ahead of him.

He began to walk, keeping his head down as he became absorbed in his thoughts. Thoughts of the pink pony at the lake, thoughts of the diamond dog, and- most of all- thoughts of Fluttershy. Was she alright? Did she need his help more than anything? What he wouldn’t do right now to know what she was doing...

Silver walked along, humming a soft tune as he went. It kept him in a good mood, and he knew that was more important than anything right now. Anything except finding an exit, and hopefully Fluttershy.

As Silver trudged along, he noticed something shiny sticking out of the dead grass below him. He approached it, and prodded it with his hoof to make sure it was safe. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a bit.

Walking further and further, the bits became frequent. Almost everywhere he looked, Silver could see tiny little coins sticking out of the tan colored grass. There was something odd about it, not to mention suspicious. Was it the work of the diamond dog...?

It wasn’t long before Silver found himself walking in one big pool of bits. They reached the top of his hoof, making Silver wonder where anypony could FIND this many bits.

“Enjoying the walk, I see?”

It was the same cold voice from earlier. It came from somewhere up in the trees, and Silver twisted and turned to catch a glimpse of the mysterious diamond dog. “S-show yourself!” he called out, his voice shaking.

“Oooooh, is the little pony scared?” the dog mocked, “Well then, I’ll make this quick and easy. You’ve obviously noticed the bits below you, am I right?”

Silver looked down at his hooves, which were buried in the pool of shiny coins. He nodded, too afraid to speak.

“Well, just turn back and I’ll have them delivered to your home in no-time. How does that sound, pony?”

So that’s where this was headed. Another temptation.

Silver knew better than to believe a word that came out of this creature’s mouth. He shook his head and tried to run, but the bits only slowed him down, like deep snow on a winter day.

“Try and run, pony, but you won’t succeed!” The shrill voice hung over him, frightening Silver even further. Would he ever make it out of here...?

It was then that he realized that he was a pegasus, which meant he had wings. He transferred the small box to his two front hooves and began to flap his wings, helping him hover above the coin-infested ground. He opened his eyes, found a gap in the trees, and sped ahead without a word or second thought. Behind him, Silver could hear confused grunts that could have only come from the diamond dog. He had escaped yet again.