My New Years Resolution? Not to drink suspicious liquids. Here's why...

The next week passed quietly. Fluttershy stayed at home, but Applejack and Twilight stopped by every day to make sure she was alright and to bring her the news. They reassured Fluttershy that only her closest friends knew what she had been through, and that they understood. They never stayed long, however.

Saturday began the same as any other day. Fluttershy woke up and fed her critters, but discovered that her stocks of seeds, nuts, and vegetables were nearly empty. She groaned and flopped face-down on the couch.

"Maybe Applejack can bring some food," said Fluttershy.

She heard a loud thumping coming from the door, and looked up thinking one of her friends might be knocking. Instead, she saw Angel Bunny beating the doorframe with his hind paw.

"Me? Oh, I don’t know..."

Angel coughed and flopped on the floor, his mouth open and his front paws pointing at the near-empty cabinets.

"I know you need food," said Fluttershy. "But if somepony finds out about me..."

Angel lifted a paw to point at the calendar. It showed last Saturday's date.

Fluttershy sighed. "You're right. I need to try."

Rabbits, squirrels, mice, beavers, and turtles readily brought Fluttershy her saddlebags. Angel grabbed her bangs and lead her to the door. Fluttershy wanted nothing more than to fly back to the couch and hide under a cushion, but she took a deep breath and opened the door.

The day was beautiful. The sky was blue, birds chirping, all of that charming stuff. Fluttershy stepped cautiously into it, first one hoof, then the other. Miraculously, the world didn't end. Fluttershy broke into a trot, thinking she might be able to face the day after all.

After an hour at the market, Fluttershy's saddlebags were laden with fresh honeysuckles for Hummingway, radishes and asparagus for Angel, and acorns, nuts, lettuce, and carrots for all her other animal friends. She’d felt better after each stall.
Eventually, she came to Sugarcube Corner.

The shop was empty except for the zaftig owner and manager, Mrs. Cake, and sweets of all kinds, from cakes to buns and scones, lined the shelves and trays.

"Fluttershy! How've you been?" said Mrs. Cake, looking up from the register. "I haven't seen you in over a week."

"Oh, I was, um, ill," said Fluttershy, hiding behind her mane. "But I feel much better now."

"Well that's great!" said Mrs. Cake, smiling an encouraging smile. "Did you want to buy something?" she said hopefully.

Fluttershy looked around. "Can you suggest something?" she said. "I haven't had anything sweet in a while."

Mrs. Cake looked around at her wares. "I have the perfect thing," she said. "How’d you like a dozen cupcakes, twenty percent off?"

Fluttershy smiled back. "Oh, thank you Mrs. Cake!"

"Don't mention it," replied Mrs. Cake. Fluttershy took the white cardboard box, then turned to go. "Oh! I almost forgot!" said Mrs. Cake. "Pinkie Pie told me to give you this new recipe she was experimenting with."

Fluttershy cocked her head. "A new recipe? For what?"

Mrs. Cake turned to some cabinets and pulled out a well-decorated canteen, it was metal, and had lined designs all leading into a lock in the center. "Some sort of iced tea. She said she was going to give it out to everypony in town. How generous!"

Fluttershy smiled. "I'll be sure to thank her."

Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight had gathered in Twilight's library. Twilight eyed Rainbow Dash oddly as she hovered among the highest shelves, "You can't be serious," she said.

Rainbow Dash looked offended. "It's true!" she said, crossing her forelegs and pouting. "I stopped by Fluttershy's house, and she had actually gone to town!"

"Well Ah hope that means she's feeling better," Applejack replied.

"Maybe now we can have a Welcome Back Fluttershy party! I should go invite her!" Pinke started bouncing toward the door.

Rarity sidled in front of her and held up a hoof. "Now hold on. We mustn't push ourselves on her."

Twilight nodded. "Rarity's right. We still need to give Fluttershy her space, but there has to be a way of showing her we're still here for her without smothering her."

The door swung open. Everypony turned to look, and saw Fluttershy holding a box of cupcakes.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, shuffling one hoof against the doormat. "I just wanted to visit, if that's okay."

Twilight trotted up to Fluttershy. "Of course you can come in!" she said. "How are you?"

Fluttershy shut the door. "A little better," she said.

"Well Ah'm glad to hear it!" said Applejack with a grin.

Fluttershy looked around. "So...all of you, um, know..."

"Yes," said Rarity quickly. "But trust me darling, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yeah, you're still Fluttershy," agreed Rainbow Dash, "just twenty percent furrier!" She smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof. "Hehehe...sorry."

Fluttershy set down her saddlebag then sat, smiling slightly, by the book-strewn table. "Thanks," she said.

Pinkie Pie broke the comfortable silence. "So, what's it like?"

"I think it'd be pretty cool, getting to be a wolf for a night," said Rainbow Dash with a mischievous grin. "I would be able to scare so many ponies on Nightmare Night!"

Applejack glared at Pinkie and Rainbow, but Fluttershy decided to answer. "I feel like I have to watch myself all the time. I'm scared of what I might do. And my head hurts..."

Twilight cleared her throat. "What about your potion?"

"I only have one dose left, and I won't be able to make more for another six months," said Fluttershy, her voice starting to rise to a squeak.

Pinkie wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy. "Don't worry Fluttershy! You won't hurt anypony."

Fluttershy looked away. "I hope so..." she said, not really sounding any calmer. "Can you...promise to not let me...even if it means..."

"Fluttershy! Don't talk like that!" said Rarity.

"I'm serious!" said Fluttershy, her voice so high the others could barely hear her.

"Alright Fluttershy," said Pinkie reassuringly. "I promise not to let you hurt anypony. Cross my heart and hope for pie, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Fluttershy nodded and took a deep breath.

"So..." said Applejack, "Ah think it's about time we rescheduled that party Pinkie was planning.

"You haven't had it yet?" said Fluttershy, her voice a little more normal.

Applejack winked. "We told ya we'd wait till you could come."

Pinkie Pie's face broke into a grin. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "Let's have it the day after tomorrow!"

Fluttershy smiled back, and took the canteen Mrs. Cake gave her out of her saddlebag. She opened it and was surprised by the strength of its scent. It reminded her of fresh cinnamon, but there was something else too. She took a small sip, and her eyes widened at the taste. "This is wonderful tea, Pinkie." she said.

Pinkie raised an eyebrow. "Good! I don't know why you telling me though."

Fluttershy took another, bigger, sip. "Mrs. Cake told me you were trying a new recipe, and gave me some to try."
Pinkie closed her eyes and her head. "I don't make iced tea."

"Then why did she tell me you made it?" asked Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie shrugged, and Fluttershy looked at the drink. She took a huge gulp, then gripped the top in her teeth and threw her head back. The drink poured down her throat and slopped onto the floor.

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "I think I should take a look at that," she said firmly, yanking the canteen out of Fluttershy's mouth with her magic and turning it right side up. The small remainder sloshed noisily.

"Couldn't I just have another sip, please?" asked Fluttershy, her eyes following the canteen as it floated across the room to Twilight.

The unicorn dripped a few drops into a nearby beaker and wafted the air above it into her face. Then she wiped the beaker clean with a bit of gauze and touched the gauze to the tip of her tongue. "Hmm," she said, smacking her lips. "It actually tastes rather bland."

Fluttershy's face appeared over her shoulder, making her start. "Okay, good, let me have another sip." She reached for the canteen with her hooves.

Twilight held it out of her reach with her magic. "Fluttershy, this isn't like you. I think I should do more tests-"

Fluttershy laughed oddly. "What do you mean? I just think it tastes really-" Her eye began to twitch "—really good. Just give it back!"

Twilight stoppered the lid. "Not until I'm sure it's safe," she said firmly.

Sweat appeared on Fluttershy's brow, and her eye twitched again. "It's fine! Just give it to me!" She lunged at the canteen, but Twilight jerked it up, out of her reach.

Rainbow Dash stooped and pulled up into a hover between Fluttershy and the floating container. "Fluttershy, what's gotten into you?"

Fluttershy picked herself off the floor and felt her head. "I-I just need more of t-t-that! Come on Twilight! One more s-s-sip won't hurt!"

"Fluttershy," said Twilight slowly, fear in her voice, "I think this drink is affecting you."

Fluttershy's eye twitched again, then again. "N-N-No! I'm f-fine! Just g-give it to me!"

Fluttershy lunged again, this time at Twilight. Almost too fast to see, Rainbow Dash headbutted her out of the air.

"Fluttershy! Calm down!"

"Hold her here. I’m taking this down to my lab," said Twilight, opening the door to the basement.

Applejack felt her head. "Fluttershy, are you alright?" she said. "You're really warm."

Fluttershy raised her hooves and bopped Applejack in the face.

"Ow! What in tarnation?" shouted Applejack. She staggered away from Fluttershy, who leapt into the air after Rainbow Dash.

"Fluttershy? What are you doing?" yelled Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy dove below Rainbow Dash's belly and bucked her into one of the shelves. She fell heavily to the floor, books falling around and onto her with painful-sounding thumps. She turned in midair and dove at Rarity, who screamed, but just before she could reach her a pink shoulder crashed into the side of her head and she sprawled out on the ground again. A moment later, Pinkie's face appeared above hers, almost bright red with hurt and anger. She straddled Fluttershy, pinning her wings down with her hooves and her hooves down with her body.

"I made you a Pinkie promise!" she shouted.

"Let me go!" yelled Fluttershy, gnashing her teeth.

She felt her jaw lock in place, and saw the blue glow of magic at the edge of her vision. "Stop this!" came Rarity's voice. "You're acting like a brute. This isn't you."

Fluttershy, with great effort, turned her head to look at Rarity. Their eyes locked, and Rarity's magic faltered. Her knees began to knock, and she whimpered. The basement door sprung open, there was a purple flash, and Fluttershy knew no more.

Fluttershy awoke to a sore body and a sorer head. The sounds and vibrations of hoofsteps all around her made it worse. She attempted to rub her eyes, but when she tried to move her hooves she found they were trussed up by a thick, expertly knotted rope. "Hmm..." she groaned.

"Hold on everypony, she's coming to!" said Applejack.

Fluttershy opened her eyes and looked around. She was still in the library, with her friends gathered around her. They looked so worried.

"What happened?" said Fluttershy.

Twilight sighed. "I found a strange compound in the tea. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Tea?" said Fluttershy, not sure what Twilight was talking about. A moment later, however, it all came rushing back to her. "Oh! I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to..."

"It's not your fault, Sugarcube," said Applejack. “Somepony put something in your drink."

"Actually," said Twilight seriously, "when I went back to Sugarcube Corner Mrs. Cake told me she gave a canteen like this to all her customers today. She had a few left, though, and I found the same substance in all of them. But it only affected you..." She trailed off, looking troubled.

"So you’re not mad?" asked Fluttershy in a worried tone.

"Nah!" said Rainbow, smiling a cocky smile and rubbing her ribs. "It's not like you could hurt me much anyway."

"And I'm so so happy I didn't have to keep my Pinkie promise," said Pinkie.

Applejack pulled on an end of the rope, and it fell loosely around Fluttershy. "Ah fed yer critters while you were out, but I think they're missing you."

Fluttershy sat up. "Thanks...I should go check on them..." Ashamed of herself, she was glad her friend had given her an excuse to leave the library.

"Be careful," chided Twilight. "Whoever wanted you to drink that tea is still out there."

Fluttershy looked at the ground. "Okay..." she said.

Fluttershy cantered down the road, looking around and behind her. What if Twilight's mystery pony was following her? She was so busy looking around she forgot to look ahead, and bumped into Bon Bon.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," said Fluttershy, backing away.

Bon Bon cocked her head. "Oh, that's alright, Flutterbye," she said amiably.

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at Bon Bon. They didn't know each other that well, but the earth pony had never gotten her name wrong before. She was an earth pony, wasn't she? Fluttershy was sure of it. So why did she have wings?

"It's Fluttershy," she said quietly.

Bon Bon laughed, her mirth seeming creepy and out of place to Fluttershy. "Of course, how silly of me." She wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's shoulders and drew her close. "Now I was wondering," she murmured conspiratorially in Fluttershy's ear, "have you seen or heard anything weird around town recently?"

Fluttershy turned her head to look at Bon Bon. There was a greedy look in her eyes. "Um, no, not really," she said, wanting the conversation to be over as quickly as possible.

"Howling?" Bon Bon said, almost whispering now.

"No," said Fluttershy firmly, her heart beginning to pound.

Bon Bon laughed again and let her go. "Well I guess I'll see you later then!"

"You too, I guess..." said Fluttershy, relieved. As Bon Bon began to walk away, an idea hit her. "And tell Lyra I said hi."

"Who?" said Bon Bon, looking back.

"A mint green unicorn with a gold harp cutie mark," said Fluttershy, thinking quickly. "You'll know when you see her."

Bon Bon sat there with a dumbfounded look, and suddenly laughed even more creepy-like, "Oh Lyra, uh, Bootlegger? Yes, of course! hah hah, I got to go now!"

And with that Bon Bon flew away, leaving a very confused Fluttershy. So, Fluttershy eventually decided to continue down the road, not feeling like chasing after somepony.

A few minutes down the road, Fluttershy bumped into Lyra and, Bon Bon.

"Uhhh..." started Fluttershy staring at Bon Bon.

"Why hello Fluttershy!" said Bon Bon.

"Bon Bon, where did your wings go?" asked an even more confused Fluttershy.

Lyra laughed "Fluttershy, Bon Bon has never had wings, and if she did, she is too afraid of heights to bother trying to use them!"

Bon Bon hit Lyra on the shoulder, "You don't need to be so rude about it."

Fluttershy cocked her head, and replied "Oh, sorry, I got a bit mixed up!"

Lyra and Bon Bon laughed, and walked further into town, leaving Fluttershy really rather confused.

“What...?” started Fluttershy to herself, as she started walking, stopped, and turned back again, “What? BonBon... wings... no wings?”

Fluttershy thought for a second, realizing something was up. So she readily went home at the speed of speed.

Author's Note

"There is a Red Spy in the base!"
"What?! Were?"
"Right behind you"[b/]

One proofread before upload, and this will likely be edited later on.

(Edit): Edited by the amazingly literate Zimmerwald1915. Go thank him, and give him cookies.

I'm serious, this chapter is friggin beautiful now, when before I felt it was mediocre.