Fluttershy's eyes were watering, but she didn't stop running. Her little Angel was in the fire. None of the other animals were in the forest now, but Angel had gone into the forest to fetch Zecora. He hadn't been back for half an hour. Fluttershy called his name many times, each time getting more smoke caught in her mouth and lungs.
But no small bunny answered.
She coughed and called out again, running deeper into the forest, spinning in circles and changing directions, confused and scared for her small bunny. Her eyes streamed with real tears that mixed with the ash on her face, but they evaporated very quickly in the blazing heat.
Fluttershy skidded to a stop and called his name again. "Angel!!! Angel!!!"
Suddenly a thought came to her. Maybe Angel was back in Ponyville now. But what if he was here? What if he was stuck somewhere and needed her help? But she had to check. Angel was probably there by now. And it was getting so hard to breathe.
She turned and ran as fast as she could towards what she thought was where the forest ended. She was a bit confused though. . . hadn't she run very deep into the forest?
Why was the end just a few yards away then?
Fluttershy ignored this and kept on running.
She passed through the trees and gasped. There was swirling mist here. Lots of it. But most of it surrounded the ground. She could make out a tree in the distance. It looked like a willow tree. A white pony sat underneath it. It watched her, as if it was expecting somepony and the wrong person came. Fluttershy stood there for a while, then cautiously took a step forward. The pony did not move. Another step. Another. Another.
Fluttershy was standing in front of the pony now. She could tell that it was a stallion. He had a white mane that rippled slowly, like Celestia and Luna's. His eyes were a faint blue, like Rarity's eye shadow. His eyes had a look of curiosity, and his eyes seemed to stare past her.
Fluttershy somehow felt relieved as she stood next to him. "Excuse me, sir, have you seen my bunny? He is white, and he has black eyes, and he is very picky about his food, and he has a wart on his--"
"And a zebra was following him." finished the stallion. "Straight into Ponyville. Their tails were slightly scorched. The zebra's name was Zecora and she had an orange bag full of her belongings on her back. They left the forest five minutes ago."
Fluttershy felt even more relieved. "Oh, thank goodness!!!" then she looked around. The mist covered everything else in the background.
She turned back to the strange stallion, a nervous look in her eyes. "Where am I?"
"You are at the other end of the forbidden forest. You shouldn't be here." the stallion said. But he didn't sound angry, or peeved, or even annoyed. Just calm, as if he was talking about the weather.
Fluttershy gasped. "I need to go back!!! Oh, my poor Angel, how is he coping--"
"He is at Twilight's, eating veggie salads and sleeping on a pile of pillows." answered the stallion. He stood up slowly. "Please walk with me."
Fluttershy's eyes widened. Why did this strange stallion want her to walk with him? Was she going to get punished for coming here?
The stallion shook his head. "No, you are not going to be punished. There is no need. I just want to show you something." The stallion took a step forward and waited for her, watching with those soft blue eyes. Fluttershy tensed, then walked along beside him. They went farther and farther into the mist.
"Are you. . . a god?" asked Fluttershy slowly.
The stallion looked down and smiled. "I am not like your goddess princesses Celestia and Luna. At least, not exactly. I am just a pony given a special job, and to complete that job, I have been given the gifts of eternal youth and eternal life. And some other gifts. But I am very different from the two goddesses. I am more powerful than them both put together. But I use less power than but one of them." He smiled at Fluttershy softly. "I am saving energy for the job I have to do."
"What job?" Fluttershy asked.
The stallion's eyes looked a bit happier. "I am going to help all the creatures. . . become like my butterflies." He came to a stop and looked up. Fluttershy did too, and gasped.
There were butterflies everywhere. They fluttered in the sky, sat gently on the ground below, and flew in all directions.There was every color, every species, every shape and size. Fluttershy's eyes were wider than Pinkie's party cannon. Tears filled up in them and flew down her cheeks in tiny waterfalls down into her wide, open mouth. Emotions were mixed inside her. She felt like laughing. She felt like crying. She felt like giving a high-pitched squeal. She felt like cheering, like she had done at Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom performance.
Only when a butterfly landed on her nose and jerked her to her senses did she realize she was flying. Very high. She squeaked and began to fall. But the stallion pulled her back up again. She turned around and saw he was flying too, which was strange because he was an earth pony. She looked into his blue eyes and felt calmer, and was able to fly on her own. She turned her attention back to the butterflies.
The one that had landed on her nose earlier was now flapping around with a few multi-colored monarchs, playing a game that looked a lot like duck-duck-goose. "That butterfly is five-hundred sixty-seven years old, Fluttershy." the stallion said quietly.
Fluttershy gasped. "But that's impossible!!!"
The stallion smiled. "There is no such thing as impossible, Fluttershy. There is a world out there, just like yours, where there is no such thing as unicorns or pegasi. Where the seasons change all by themselves, and their monsters are different from yours. And some of those monsters they make themselves, and they fight each other with them when they don't agree on something." "But that's impossible too!!!" The stallion laughed. "And there is a world where every animal speaks in the same language, and they all eat these purple fruits called 'carnogeses', and nobody is allowed to eat the grass because it is poisonous, and their world is completely flat--and upside down!"
"IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
Fluttershy gasped suddenly and put a hoof over her mouth. She never usually argued with somepony. And this is such a nice stallion. She shouldn't be yelling at him.
She turned away and whispered "I'm sorry."
Tears flowed down her cheeks and her shoulders trembled with silent sobs. Suddenly, the butterflies surrounded her. They landed on her, and brushed against her softly, trying to make her feel better. She looked up and the stallion was right in front of her. His eyes were so sad. Had she hurt his feelings?
"I'm sorry." he said. "It is probably so strange to you."
Fluttershy blushed. "Oh no, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you, you're such a nice pony, and I'm so glad I'm your friend--uh--I mean--"
Fluttershy started stuttering. "Well, I d-don't have to b-be your friend--it's alright if you hate m-me--I mean, it's--um. . . ." She turned around, shuddering.
She felt something soft on her shoulder. She turned and saw it was the stallion's hoof. He smiled. "It would be an honor to be friends with such a kind and gentle filly like you." Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her bangs.
After a while of silence, she peeked out and asked "Do the butterflies live forever?"
The stallion looked up at them. "They never die. They feel no pain. They are living in a completely perfect world and are in a completely perfect state." He smiled. "Someday, when I have enough energy, I am going to let every creature be like this. Everything will be alive, tame, peaceful, happy."
"Everything alive?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yes," said the stallion, turning toward her. "Everything will be alive, able to move, to speak, to live without sickness or death. But it will take time."
He turned back to the butterflies. "I only have done these butterflies because they have flown out of the forest, and I couldn't let them go farther then this. Its dangerous farther out there."
He turned to Fluttershy with a serious look in his eyes. "Never go out there." Fluttershy nodded. He looked back at the butterflies. A red one landed on his nose and he smiled softly at it.
Fluttershy looked around at the butterflies again. So many colors. . . and they all will live forever. She tried to imagine everything like the butterflies. She almost could.
"It's time to go, Fluttershy." the stallion said quietly.
Fluttershy jumped as she remembered her little Angel, and the forest fire caused by the misplaced lightning storm. "Oh no!!! I've been here much too long!!!"
"It's alright Fluttershy. No time has passed in your world. You can still make it to Twilight Sparkle's library. And to your little Angel." His voice chuckled slightly at the mention of Angel.
"But. . . what about the fire?" Fluttershy asked.
The stallion smiled. He leaned down and kissed her forhead. "Nothing will harm you, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy's eyes widened and she blushed. She looked around and saw they were at the willow tree again. "Go, Fluttershy. Your Angel is waiting."
Fluttershy turned and started walking but then stopped. She turned around and asked "What's your name?"
The stallion smiled and answered "Jade."
Fluttershy stared at Jade for a few seconds, then smiled.
"Thank you, Jade." she turned and walked into the forest.
And as she walked past the flames and burnt bark and smoke, a small white butterfly followed her until she was safe on the other side.
