The shaded guardian

Chapters

New beginnings
The average morning
Common occurances
Down the rabbit hole
Lost and not yet found
Shaded
First impressions
The trail we blaze
A moment of peace

New beginnings

The sun rose over the rolling hills on the edge of the small town of Ponyville, the streets lay dormant and silent, not a soul to be seen. The pastel colors of the morning sunrise fall upon the sky, the vivid colors on display for all those that would see.

The gentle breeze that rolled through town lightly, whipped the banners on the town hall back and forth, many of the fliers and notices on the community bulletin board swayed in the wind, one of the large notices flying off and into the breeze. On the notice, was a warning too the whole area, stating:

"ATTENTION PONYVILLE: There have been multiple sightings of timberwolves in our area, please be aware of this and take head when traveling near the Everfree forest."

The notice flew through the hallowed streets of Ponyville, the cascading light just barely being able to peek down past the various houses and stores. Many of the local residents were still asleep in their beds, the silent silent sweeping of the paper past their homes didn't hinder them in any way.

The notice would have been a great notice for many of them, unfortunately, they weren't able to hear the warning. As they slept, the sun was moving further into the sky, shining down on all the land as the ponies below were unaware of anything other than the dreams they may or may not have been having.

The paper soon flew away from the quiet streets of the morning, heading closer to the outskirts of town, the breeze only blowing it harder and harder. It went over the vast expanse of the Ponyville countryside, the large pastures of wildflowers and grass sprouted up throughout.

The hills were rolling through the land as a wave crosses the ocean, numerous and wide as they extended far past the simple cobblestone streets of Ponyville. Wild daisies sprouted up from the sides of the now dirt road, the white pedals reflected the early morning sunlight well as the golden center was like a beam in their seas of white. Oak tree's were spread throughout the landscape, dotting the area with their large presence and shading the ground below.

The dirt road curved down towards a thick grove of trees, the morning sun rising even further into the sky, the pastel colors slightly fading into powder blue. As the road curved, the large and expansive Everfree forest could be seen, the dark and intimidating overgrowth was spurting from the treeline, as if the flora inside was trying to lash out at the soon arriving morning.

The plants were a dark green, their broad leaves were serrated and their stems covered in thorns. Many of them were a blood red in coloration, some even baring large marks on their leaves from the wildlife inhabiting the forest. Many cackles could be heard from inside, retreating into the darker reaches of the forest, disappearing from the outer part of the forest. It was only a few miles down this road that the paper flew, the forest acting as a barrier for it to travel on.

After the paper had traveled thus far, it had reached a small cottage along the road's edge, a small bridge leading to the cozy appearing home. Various flowers were spread across the yard, popping up in small bushels, many with different shades and hues that made the cottage even more appealing. The small stream that lined the home was filled with small and brightly colored fish, most of them well fed and happy.

The paper flew towards the small cottage passing by a small, rounded window. Past the draped curtains rested a petite, yellow mare with a pink mane that flowed down her blanket. The sunlight finally reached the mare, shining down onto her muzzle as the light passed through the curtains.

The mare opened her eyes, her brilliant cyan eyes gleamed in the light, her body tensing slightly from her waking up. She soon sat herself up in bed and looked around the darkened room, a small , white bunny rabbit was sleeping in a basket with padded sides, a small and half awake smile slid onto her face as her quiet voice sounded out "Good morning, Angel"

The average morning

The young mare slowly raised her hooves into the air and moved them out wide, her mouth stretching itself out to allow her to yawn, her body tensing up a little from her whole body stretching. Her hooves slowly return to her blanket, the small, half asleep smile on her face still as she looked back over to the padded basket.

The soft and furry rabbit poke his head away from the blanket her had been covered with the previous night, him repeating as the mare did, stretching his arms out wide and yawning.

The mare turned to face the window adjacent to her body, peeking through the glass at the morning sun coming up over the hills. The smile on her face grew a little larger, her eyes glistening in the light from outside.

She eyes blinked a few times, her long eyelashes batting themselves through the glass. She turned her glance back to the room, still darkened from the absence of light that the sun had not fully provided yet.

She took the quilted blanket off her body and laid it at her side, sliding herself off the bed, stretching once more before turning to Angel. She spoke in her quiet and petite voice, the smallest of smiles on her muzzle "How did you sleep, Angel bunny?" She asked in a moderately curious tone.

The white bunny responded by hopping down to the ground and going over to her left front hoof, nuzzling the side of it with his cheek, showing her that he was well rested. She then responded by saying "Very good... Let's go get some breakfast" With the end of her statement, she began trotting to her door and made her decent downstairs.

As Fluttershy exited her room, three small bird came to her, landing on her back and chirping a little tune that they had learned from her. Fluttershy bobbed her head lightly to the melody, stepping with the beat and whistling along with then.

The small songbirds, after finishing their melody, then flew back to their perches in her home. Fluttershy was already in a good mood for her morning, the birds song pepping her up a little for the upcoming day.

As she was making her way downstairs, a plethora of small critters came to her side, most of them furry creatures with cute little smiles and wagging tails. Some were winged, some were covered with fur, some were even lacking hair in general.

All of the animals seemed very pleased to see her, looking up at her with smiles of delight and joyousness. As Fluttershy reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw all of the animals staring up at her with bright smiles, her own smile widening and her mood getting very happy at this point.

The joy she felt inside her when she knew that her animals were happy, made her feel special and important, thee feeling that she was making others happy was what she truly enjoyed. She looked around the room as she saw them all, a soft giggle coming out of her mouth and echoing around.

Her wings fluttered back in forth before her body was fully off the ground, the wind blew a few of the smaller animals coats to and fro, not really effecting them greatly due to the petite flaps of the mare.

Fluttershy hovered over to her kitchen counter, an assortment of treats, snacks, and toys littered the counter top. He turned herself to face the critters, giggling once more before speaking "Whose hungry?" He said in an almost teasing tone, knowing most of them were eager for food.

Most of them recognized what the sound of "Hungry" or "Snacks/treats" meant, the sound sending most of theirs ears up into the air. Some of them even began barking loudly, them rising into the air and stretching their bodies out so that they showed how much they loved receiving their treats.

Fluttershy nodded her head and face the counter again, taking some of the bags of food and heading over to the feeding station portion of her home. She poured the food, according to each variety of animal, into the bowls and dishes that she had laid out on the floor. The animals took off quickly at the sound of bits of food hitting the metal and ceramic bottoms of the bowls, their rumbling stomachs driving them towards their morning meal.

They licked their lips and dove in, eating up the food. Fluttershy giggled at the sight, feeling herself being accomplished at her deeds. She turned with a triumphant smile before her small celebration was cut short by a white rabbit tapping his foot disappointingly on the counter top.

Her smile quickly disappeared at the sight, looking to the rabbit and sighing, hanging her head as she realized she had forgotten the fussy bunny's breakfast. Angel raised his eyebrow, expecting her to make his breakfast immediately.

Fluttershy couldn't resist the bunny and made her way to her refrigerator, pulling out a few ingredients that made up Angel's favorite salad... After some time preparing the bunny's breakfast, the monstrous salad was complete.

The beast of a salad was even too big for the heaviest eaters, Angel's lips watering at the sight. Fluttershy wiped the sweat from her brow, preparing such a culinary dish took a lot out of her, yet she did it for Angel anyway because she enjoyed making him happy, she'd do anything for him.

Angel leaped over and dove himself into the salad, taking in leaf after leaf, his voracious appetite satisfied by all of the salad. Fluttershy smile lightly at the sight of Angel digging into his salad. She was a little tired after making the meal, her wings cramping up a little.

She flew over to her couch and sat down, her wings folding back to her side and a sigh of content leaving her lips. She closed her eyes and laid herself down, letting the animals eat freely as she attempted to take a nap. Unfortunately, much to her dismay, her nap was cut short by a few taps on her front door. They were a little forceful as well as quick, Fluttershy's body raising up and her eyes creaking open. "Hmm..... Wonder who that could be...."

Common occurances

Fluttershy stood off the couch and made her way over to the door. She was rather perplexed by the presence of somepony showing up to her home, she hadn't scheduled anything today. She trotted up to the front door as another few forceful knocks rang out, it seemed the pony who was there was pretty impatient.

Fluttershy then unlocked the door and pulled it open, her curiosity masked by her timid personality as she peeked out from behind the door.

There in the doorway stood her good friend Rainbow Dash, The rainbow maned and notoriously brash pegasus, whom she'd had so much history with. Fluttershy's timid attitude seemed to change drastically, opening the door full and and smiling at the young mare that stood before her "Oh, hello Rainbow Dash" She said rather cheerfully, her demeanor very relaxed and calm.

Rainbow Dash turn to her and her half smirk, half smile appeared on her face, looking towards Fluttershy "Heya, Flutters, mind if I come in?" She asked curiously, yet she'd already know the answer, it wasn't like the element of kindness wouldn't reject her request, she never did. Fluttershy's head nodded as her smile grew brighter. She moved her body out of the way so that Rainbow Dash could enter.

Rainbow then entered, looking to Fluttershy with her same smile she had so famously bore throughout the times they had seen each other. She passed Fluttershy and noticed, out of the corner of her eye, the animals feeding on their morning meal, most of them salivating and taking in as much food as they could. Fluttershy then shut the door, yet not before a strong breeze had rolled past her face, her mane whipping back and her eyes closing.

The gust was enough to stop her from shutting the door, the air was cold and bracing. The gust soon stopped and Fluttershy's natural reaction was to look back outside at where such a breeze would come from. All she could see was the Everfree forest far in the distance, the darkened trees seemingly staring over across the way from her.

Fluttershy seemed to zone out a little as she stared at them back, blank expressions upon her face. "Many, they really are hungry aren't they? Did you forget a feeding or something?" Rainbow said jokingly, expecting Fluttershy to turn around and immediately correct her, that she had been feeding them properly.

The rainbow maned pegasus was surprised when she didn't hear the timid mare's voice, an almost concerned look upon her face as she waited for her response. She quickly turned around to face Fluttershy, all she was doing was staring out at the Everfree forest, as if she had been put in a trance and couldn't looked away.

"Fluttershy?..." Rainbow spoke with concerned, taking small hoofsteps towards the mare. Her calls got even louder and more worrisome as she got closer, Fluttershy's eyes wide open and barren of any feeling. Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was seeing, Fluttershy was never this zoned out, never so nonobservant.

She called out loudly as she finally got close to her, at this point very worried, only her face didn't show it, she never showed emotion often, yet you could hear it in her voice. "Fluttershy!" She called out, Fluttershy's eyes blinked once before she finally stop staring at the grove, quickly jolting her head towards Rainbow Dash "O-Oh.. I-I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash..." She said quieter than usual, hanging her head in disappointment as she spoke.

She didn't like knowing she did something wrong, especially in the presence of one of her best friends. Rainbow Dash kept her tone, yet it was hushed a little as she knew Fluttershy was a very sensitive pony. "What was that all about?" She said with a tilting of her head.

Fluttershy shook her head, only looking up at her from the corner of her eyes "I-I..... D-Don't know...." She replied. Rainbow Dash then stared out the door to the same forest Fluttershy had just moments ago, narrowing her eyes in curiosity. She didn't know what was so enthralling to Fluttershy, what was so appealing about the forest. She took a step back and shut the door, locking it as she did.

Fluttershy shook off her upsetness and moved her head up, looking over at Rainbow Dash and speaking slightly louder, to let her know she was better "A-Anyway." She spoke in her louder tone, a smile crossing her face once again "What did you want to talk to me about?" Fluttershy said as she trotted over to the couch she had been laying on previously, looking up at Rainbow with her bright cyan eyes.

Rainbow Dash turned away from the door and trotted over to Fluttershy, her trademark smirk reappearing as she spoke "Well, I wanted to pick up Tank, I knew he wasn't feeling so good earlier in the week".

Fluttershy's smile grew even wider at her statement, springing up and looking at Rainbow "Oh yes, Tank is feeling much better now, just a little flu" She said giggling at the simplicity of what his problem was. She motioned to her right and steeped towards the direction she point at.

"Come on, he's out back" She said before beginning to trot towards the back door. Rainbow replied "Great." She too began trotting to the back door.

Fluttershy soon opened the back door as she reached it, trotting out as the sun shine bright down on them. It was a gorgeous day to say the least, everything seemed to be prefect, not even a cloud in the sky. The pegasi in Cloudsdale really out did themselves with this day, Fluttershy feeling the warm sunlight on her pale yellow coat. Fluttershy's smile grew even larger as she embraced the sunlight.

Rainbow Dash didn't necessarily react to the nice day, she simply shrugged it off, she was used to different variations of weather. Fluttershy made her way over to a certain corner of her home, under the small bridge in the front of her home where many aquatic and semi-aquatic creatures resided.

Under the bridge was a larger shelled turtle, curled up inside his shell on the bank of the stream. Rainbow gave a larger smirk, immediately recognizing the shell of her beloved pet turtle. Rainbow then swooped over and took the turtle by the shell, hoisting him up in the air and calling out at him "Wakey wackey, Tank!" She said teasing the turtle.

The turtle then slowly popped his head out, looking over at the light blue pegasus with an agitated grimace. Rainbow couldn't help but laugh, setting him down on the ground and chuckling a little as she leaned down towards him to tease him more. They had developed a relationship where they could tease each other and know that the other was simply joking and pushing their buttons. "Awww, did someone not get their beauty sleep?" She said with a wink.

The turtle then grew his own little smirk as he stretched his neck out and spurted some water he was drinking straight into her face, dampening her mane and coat. Tank looked up to her with a teasing and accomplished smile, satisfied with the way he got her back.

Rainbow's mane hung over her face, wetting and sopping, only an aggravated grimace on her face before she spoke in a less than ecstatic tone "Yeah.... I missed you too...." Fluttershy at that point was silently giggling to herself, the moment shared between them was pretty funny to her.

Rainbow shook out her mane with quick motions of her head, her mane going back to its original state. Rainbow seemed to break out of her funk and smiled over at Fluttershy "So, where'd you put his harness?"

She was referring to the large harness that Tank wore that enabled him to fly around as Rainbow did, Twilight's own invention. Fluttershy responded with an "Oh! it's just inside, I'll go and grab it for you." She said as she turned around and trotted back over to the cottage.

As she trotted, she looked over and saw the forest once more, another breeze, a lighter one, whipped through her mane. The forest seemed to call out to her, beckoning her to approach. Fluttershy clenched her eyes tight and shook her head, knowing she couldn't look anymore.

She trotted inside and retrieved the apparatus Tank wore, trotting back over to Rainbow and Tank who were both smiling at each other, obviously made up with each other.

Fluttershy hooved over the harness to Rainbow, Rainbow nodding her head "Thanks, Fluttershy" She said as she knelt down to Tank, hooking up the apparatus around him. "You're very welcome" Fluttershy said as she watched Rainbow put the harness over Tank.

Soon she was finished and pressed a big red button on the top of the harness, the machine quickly rotating a blade with rustled the ground under the turtle. It soon began to lift Tank off the ground, bot him and Rainbow smiling as they looked to Fluttershy. "Thanks for taking care of him Fluttershy, we should get together sometime"

Fluttershy nodded her head quickly looking over to her, speaking with delight in her voice "Absolutely, I'd love that" Rainbow nodded before leaping up into the air and smiling down at her, Tank hovering along with her.

"Well, me and Tank have some training to do, seeya later Fluttershy" and with that, Rainbow took off into the sky, a huge gust of air shooting past Fluttershy, blowing her mane and tail back. She creaked her eyes open to look at her, despite the wind still blowing. She waved at the both of them departing her, waving her hoof "G-Goodbye..."

After the two of them were gone, she smiled and began to trot over towards her home, Angel looking up at her. She looked down at the white rabbit, still smiling at him "So Angel, what did you want to do today?" Angel responded with a pointing towards the large clearing behind her home.

Fluttershy looked back to the clearing, turning back to Angel with a curious smile "What's back there, Angel bunny?" Angel responded as he stood on his four legs and puffed his chest out and raised his head up. Fluttershy immediately recognized the sight, a bright smile and an exuberant tone in her voice "Oh! The herd of deer from the forest are grazing here today aren't they?!"

Angel quickly nodded his head before hopping over onto her back. Fluttershy nodded her head and began trotting over to the back of the house, a smile on her face. "I remember that they were grazing on this side of the forest today now, oh this will be so much fun, I haven't seen them in so long" She quickly trotted around to the back of her home as, as Angel said there was, a large herd of deer were grazing.

Fluttershy slowed her progression, moving slowly and cautiously towards the large herd. She made her way up to the first deer, cautiously looking over to him. The deer spotted her, taking a step back from her, not immediately recognizing her.

Fluttershy gave the large, antlered buck a smile, sweet and kind, gentle and compassionate, not showing him any hostility. The deer calmed himself down a little, feeling she was not a threat and returned to his grazing. Fluttershy walked up to him, gently rubbing his brown coat and speaking softly "That's a good boy, I'm not hear to hurt you.

She walked a little further into the herd as the same response was given by the deer. After they saw she was not a harmful creature, they simply kept grazing, Fluttershy nodding her head and looking to them all. She felt comfortable around all of them, them becoming accustomed to having the gentle mare around them.

She simply watched them, their elegance and poise like nothing of the other animals in the forest. One of the fawns, just slightly smaller than her trotted over to her in shear curiosity, a little skittish around her. After he looked her over, he knew she was kind and went closer to her, nuzzling her side a little.

Fluttershy smiled warmly and returned the nuzzled, soon most of the other fawns, as well as their mothers, gathered around her. It was a very tranquil seen to witness, as well as to watch the calm silence of the pasture.... Far off, into the forest which was only a few yards away from them, something else was watching the scene unfold... more like somethings...

Down the rabbit hole

As Fluttershy was tending to some of the younger deer, a darkness lurked in the forest just beside them, a darkness that couldn't be torn away from its pursuit. Fluttershy was smiling, giggling, and playing with the young fawns, not truly noticing anything other than the creatures before her.

She turned to Angel with a bright smile as she giggled and played "Angel? Could you go and make sure everything is alright with the other animals?" She asked sweetly of the white rabbit. Angel nodded his head and raised up into a small salute. The small bunny hopped off towards the house, Fluttershy returning to what she was doing with the fawns.

As she played along with the fawns, she felt the same breeze that she felt earlier, only this time it was slower and a lot heavier, as if it was pulling her to look at the forest. A chill went down her spine, her eyes widening as she felt the gust.

The air seemed to slow her time down, things happening in slow motion as she started to lose focus. The wind seemed to pull her glance towards the forest, her eyes still wide as she slowly looked into the grove.

As she glared into the seemingly infinite expanse that was the Everfree, she saw nothing, the still vines and leaves seemed to stop in time. Just as she was about to snap herself out of the trance, a dark figure crossed her vision, passing through the overgrowth of the forest and moving rather quickly.

The figure was bulky and large, large gaps in its body. The figure was prowling it seemed, its path clearly around the pasture they were in. Soon the figure turned into two, three, four, all the same shape and pace through the forest.

Fluttershy was dazed and didn't know how to interpret the figures, she only knew they were beginning to circle her and the herd. In the middle of its pace, one of the figures heads turned towards the herd, its eyes a glowing green. Its eyes seemingly peered straight into Fluttershy, staring into her very being. Its glance paralyze Fluttershy, her breathing prolonging breaths and taking the air straight from her lungs.

She had never seen such creatures before, certainly wouldn't want to associate herself with such a creature from the dark recesses of the forest. The creatures then dispersed and came out of her view, sinking down into the overgrowth, like a mist that penetrated the ground.

Fluttershy's reality began to fade back in, things returning to normal speed as the gust ceased, the surrounding area growing silent. The fawns looked up to her, as if they were asking her "Are you alright?" They didn't know why she had grown so silent and stopped playing with them. Fluttershy looked to them, worried after seeing the terrifying creatures from within the forest.

Fluttershy didn't know what to do at that point, she was scared and afraid of what was only a few yards away from her, lurking in the shadows. Just as she was about to sprint back to her cottage, the alpha male of the herd's ears perked up, his head raising to observe the area around them.

A loud and thunderous roar came from the forest, the figures from before begging to pour out of the forest to surround the herd and Fluttershy. Their bodies were large and bulky, more so then when Fluttershy saw her in the forest. The bright sunlight revealed to Fluttershy what these creatures truly were... They were Timberwolves. Horrible creatures from deep in the Everfree.

They were made of the sticks and timber from the fallen trees in the forest, their bodies decrepit and vile, their long muzzles lined with razor edged pieces of wood. They were repulsive creatures, the most ferocious and intimating beasts in the forest.

They completely surround them all, Fluttershy absolutely paralyzed with fear. She was so lost in terror, her mind going blank and her blood rushing cold. She felt the breeze again, sending another chill down her spine, her eyes opened wide.

The pack leader of the Timberwolves was much larger then the rest, towering over the deer and Fluttershy. He raised his head up and let out another loud roar, the roar echoing throughout the clearing and the surrounding area.

It sent the dear fleeing, all of them quickly retreating into the forest. Fluttershy remained their in the clearing, paralyzed with total fear, her muscles and joints locking up from the fear. Her body shook with the terror she felt at that one moment, it was almost like a dream to her, more like a nightmare.

The timberwolves began to prowl towards her, her eyes going from left to right, panning them pack, their glowing eyes staring right back at her. A rogue feeling was sent through her body, a sense of urgency and a sense of emergency. She shook her head quickly and jolted her body back. turning away from the pack and sprinting towards the treeline.

The pack leader then quickly holed once again, signaling the pack to charge right at her, all of them taking off towards her in unison. Fluttershy was too terrified to use her wings, the thought not crossing her mind at all, the only concern she had for that moment was to run, run as fast and as far away as she could.

She finally made it past the treeline, the timberwolves still on her tail as she trudged quickly through the overgrowth, her body getting littered with the dirt and grime of the leaves and plants around her. The timberwolves licked their lips, Fluttershy looking like the perfect meal for them, their bodies crashing through the forest and ripping up the overgrowth.

Fluttershy was panting heavily, practically and literally running for her life, her not caring about the small cuts and dirt on her body. She was running out of fear, running out of her shear desire to live and to survive, the thought of losing herself to the disgusting creatures only made her run faster.

It was many minutes later, Fluttershy's heart racing and her breathing quickly accelerated as she continued to tear her way through the thick under brush. The timberwolves still chased her, an almost seemingly endless pursuit to catch her. Fluttershy had the thought of her friends in the back of her mind, the only thing that was driving her forward at that point.

The light from the sun had all but disappeared, the thick canopy blocking all the sunlight from even remotely hitting the ground. Fluttershy could barely see a hoof in front of her face, her terrified grimace fixed upon her face. She felt only the muddy and soggy forest floor on her hooves, her body covered in dirt and mud, her mane completely ravaged by the trees and flora which was abundant.

She was now deep within the heart of the forest, the area around her eerily silent, the only sound she could hear was the pack trudging along behind her. She was all out of hope at that point, so far in the Everfree that even if she were to escape, she'd never be able to find her way out. She was about to fall over from the constant running, her strides becoming few and far between. The pack started to gain on her, Fluttershy's vision and mind clouded and blank from the running.

She was about to collapse, her body about to go numb from exhaustion. The pack was still close behind, coming closer and closer, only a body length away from snatching her up. Their barks and howls were deep and drawn out, the sound notorious in the back of Fluttershy's head. Her thoughts were all but gone at this point, her only desire was to go home, back to where she belonged.

As the timberwolves grew closer, they were literally a horns length away from her haunches, Fluttershy absolutely exhausted and about to fall to her knees. She couldn't feel half her body, most of her feelings were numbed. She at that point closed her eyes and asked herself in her mind "Dear Celestia.... Please save me...." It was at that point that the ground beneath her started to crumble, her quickly looking down to see a shear cliff, lined with rocks and jagged edges.

She hadn't seen it from the lack of light and her vision almost gone at this point, one of the timberwolves launching itself forward. His leap was in vain, Fluttershy had begun her descent to wards the bottom of the cliff, her body going numb complete as she fell. Her vision went blurry and the world around her seemed to slow down once again. All she could make out was the forest canopy below her, the jagged rocks on the side of the cliff. She could hear her breathing only, the sound around her completely absent, her only thoughts her friends, her body soon coming down to the base of the cliff.

Her limp body landed on a small bush, getting trampolined back up into the air away from the cliff, her body then falling back down to the earth. She looked up at the top of the cliff with her blurry vision, seeing the figures of the wolves looking down at her, soon disappearing. She felt somewhat safe at that point, her eyes slowly closing, her numb body too limp to move. She soon passed out, her mind going completely blank and her eyes falling shut. Her body lay there in the dimness of the dark forest, alone and weakened from her endeavors....

Lost and not yet found

Hours later, as the limp pegasus lie there on the cold, hard ground of the Everfree, the area around her grew incredibly silent, not a sound to be heard for miles it seemed. He body was beaten, tired, sore, weakened, it looked like she had nothing left to give. Fluttershy was lost and alone in the dark recesses of the forest, a fate that nopony would ever like to receive.

The same breeze that was felt by her earlier was felt once again, rushing over her body in a great gust, her mane and tail getting whipped by the constant winds. The breeze was even colder than she would have remembered, faster as well, almost like it was penetrating her very being.

The wind took a turn and started to cycle around her, leaves and debris from the cliff started to whirl themselves around her body. A cyclone of different objects and plant-life, all inside the ominous wind.

Fluttershy's body began to lightly twitch, her body rustling itself on the hard ground, she started to regain some of her mobility. Soon, Fluttershy began to move her hooves, although tired and sore at that point, she moved them up to her sides. She then tried to open her eyes, the sound of the wind getting to her, the feeling making her want to run once more.

But as she was opening her eyes, the gust stopped and the various objects fell down to the ground. It was like the wind had completely vanished, not leaving a trace of where it went back into the forest.

Fluttershy was so dazed and confused, her head pounded and her body ached with the pains of her previous endeavors. She let out a soft groan, feeling broken and worn. She moved her hoof up to her head, holding it like it would actually cleanse of the pain.

"Wh-Where.... A-Am I?" She asked herself out loud, her previously sweet and soft voice was now even softer and hoarse. He vision was still blurry, not even able to see her hooves in front of her face, only able to make out shapes and figures.

As she looked up from her state of disarray, she saw something far in the distance that she'd never seen in all her days. It was a figure of another pony, a larger stallion in fact. It may have been far away from her, yet she could make out the distinct outlines of a large stallion.

Wither he other hoof, that wasn't bracing her head, she reached out and tried to call out to the figure that was still very mysterious to her. Her voice was weak, barely able to even reach past her own lips. "H-Help...... M-Me........" She called out to the figure, hoping that it would actually assist her in getting back to her home.

The figure remained there for a few moments, simply staring at the yellow mare. After some time, Fluttershy blinked her eyes, slowly reopening them to see the figure gone from her vision, without even a trace.

She didn't know how to interpret it, her mind so clouded with thoughts of how much pain she was in, where her friends were, how could she return. She moved her eyes up to look at the sky, only a small gap in the canopy allowing her to see past everything.

She could see the sun passing over head, closing her eyes quickly as she saw the bright light. She returned her head back down, putting both hooves on her eyelids and rubbing them a little, trying to get them to return to normal.

She reopened her eyes once more, blinking a few times to see if her vision was any better. Se started to make things out a little clearer, the trees and overgrowth coming into focus after a while.

She was relieved she could actually see around her, not letting a sound out though to display this. She then tried to move up onto her hooves, rolling over onto her stomach. She placed her hooves at her side and pushed up, hoping she could still stand.

He let out a squeak of pain as she got herself halfway up, her joints still a little shaky and not wanting to move properly. She pushed herself all the way up, even through her pain, to stand on all four hooves.

He body was still shaky and wobbled from side to side, she needed to catch her balance multiple times before finally retaining her balance and keeping her head erect on her shoulders.

She stretched her body a little so that she could properly walk without and pain, her letting out a large screech pain as she did.

She turned back to her back, one of her wings was badly broken, the bones contorted in different positions as she could feel the blood pulsing to the damaged wing. She very delicately set her wing back at her side, sighing and hanging her head low.

She then looked back up and surveyed the area around her, trying to remotely get a grasp of where she was.

The surrounding area was ridden with the underbrush and overgrowth that she had dealt with earlier. She made her way to the edge of the small area she was in, looking into the forest to try and see if there was anything she could see in the vast darkness.

Far in the distance, she could see sunlight cascading down onto the forest floor. The sight gave her a smile and a sense of hope that she hadn't had in the past hours.

She then began making her way through the forest, taking it very slowly, her body was still a little in pain from the fall. Her mind thought that the light would bring her to someplace better, a place where she could actually escape this place.

As she got closer to the light, the smile grew even larger, her body wanting to embrace the sunlight once more. She also hoped that this light would be a sense of hope, that she was going to be fine.

She could see the light was caused by a large break in the forest canopy, the ground below was ridden of the underbrush. The light was pure, like it burned away the even of the forest.

As she got to the clearing, she stepped inside, the sunlight going down onto her. Fluttershy's smile grew larger than it had been, her body loving the feeling of the light on its coat. She stepped into the center, looking up through the canopy to try and see if somepony could see her.

She raised a hoof up and waved it around, as if it would actually attract the attention of a flying pegasus over head. She called out, thinking the same thing of her voice as she tried screaming at the top of her lungs.

All that came out was a high pitched squeak, her repeating the sound, not knowing what it actually did. Ponies weren't the only thing her voice and movement was attracting.

He body being in the light was like her standing in a spotlight of darkness, her body and voice on display from all around. Fluttershy didn't realize that she was actually doing this with her attempts at trying to escape.

Her movement and voice finally stopped as she heard a low growl from behind her, her voice falling silent and her hooves setting on the ground. She was paralyzed like she was when she first saw the timberwolves, unable to move and speak. She didn't know what could be behind her, only that it couldn't have been good.

After some courage mustering, her slowly turned her head around to see red eyes peering out of the darkness straight at her. She couldn't see what was actually looking at her, only that the eyes were staring right at her.

The beast let out another low growl, the large sound of its step cause a small quake where Fluttershy was. Fluttershy took a step back in reaction to seeing the creature, lowering her body down to the ground.

The creatures paw lands into the sunlight, it was large and like a lion. It then stepped its head in, the large smirk of a manticore appearing out of the darkness. Fluttershy's eyes grew larger than before, taking another step back and lowering herself once more.

The manticore stepped its whole body into the light, raising itself up and letting out a loud and boisterous roar. It then returned its glance to Fluttershy, staring her down as it came closer.

Fluttershy knelt her body down, too paralyzed with fear to do anything else. She closed her eyes and spoke quietly to herself out of her terror. "Oh Celestia..... P-Please... Save me......"

Shaded

As Fluttershy lies there, her body cowering before the manticore, she feels the wind she had felt from before brush by her once again. The wind this time was light but steady, the gust causing some of her mane to fall down in front of her face, covering her eyes and blocking her sight.

As her vision was blocked, she felt the wind get heavy for a moment. She felt it rush over her body quickly, her mind flooded with thoughts about her own life, the wind not even effecting her.

She had noticed that some time had passed since she had coward before the beast in front of her. She didn't know why the manticore would have stopped before taking her life. It had also grown quieter in that brief period of time, the manticore's breathing the only thing that was heard.

Fluttershy eventually worked up the courage to peek from her mane to see what the manticore was doing. She reached her hooves up and parted her mane so that just her cyan colored eyes peered out in front of her.

Her eyes grew wider as she saw two, larger hooves in front of her, that of which had long and lengthy fetlocks. They were a dark grey, fading into a slightly lighter grey coat.

Fluttershy looked up the hind legs of the pony before her, seeing that the grey coat belonged to a stallion, a rather large one as well. The stallion stood tall, taller than most of the normal stallions back in Ponyville.

Fluttershy couldn't see his face, only that he was standing there in front of her, in between her and the manticore. She didn't know why the stallion was standing there and how he exactly got to her, but she wasn't upset that there was another pony besides her in this forest

After closer inspection, she had noticed that he remotely resembled the figure that was watching her at the base of the cliff. He was dark, large, and very similar in physique. She thought about the possibility that he could have been the figure, but set it aside at the pressing matter at hand.

The manticore then growled at the stallion, staring him down as the stallion stared him down as well. The manticore than lowered itself, looking like it was about to attack. The stallion did the same, both of their eyes narrowing as they gazed over at each other.

The manticore then charged at the stallion, its paws making quick steps, sprinting at the stallion. The stallion then returned the charge and trotted towards the manticore at the same pace, lowering his head as he did.

Fluttershy looked up at the spectacle, seeing the stallion trot directly at the massive beast. She didn't know why a sane pony would do this, surely he wouldn't be able to best a manticore on his own.

She saw no stumbling or hesitation in the stallion as he trotted, he was fearless it seemed. Her eyes were wide at such bravery, her body though still coward behind them.

The manticore then pounced up into the air, his mouth agape as he let out a loud roar. The stallion looked up to the manticore with an emotionless face, still trotting fast at him.

Fluttershy watched on in awe, wondering how such an event would play out. She thought of what the stallion was doing, how he was protecting her from this monster.

A large, blue flash then shot out, Fluttershy having to quickly shut her eyes and turn away from the blinding light. She shielded her eyes from the clash, very worried and anxious about what had happened. After a while, she cracked her eyes open to see a whit mist surrounding her.

The area around her grew silent, like a cloak of quiet covering her. She turned her head towards where the stallion and manticore were, the thick, white smoke clouding the area that they were. At that point, Fluttershy was worried, unsure as to what was transpiring and how the stallion turned out.

The mist started to fade a little, the stallion's head could be seen through it, his darkened mare visible in the smoke. Fluttershy's mouth drew open, staring at the stallion closely, bewildered incredibly by him.

The smoke eventually subsided enough that she could see the manticore, laying there before the stallion, its body lifeless on the ground. The stallion only stared down at the manticore in his victory, his mane and tail lightly whipping in a breeze that rolled by.

Fluttershy, inside, was absolutely relieved that the manticore had been slain, all due to the dark stallion that stood before her. She looked to him with awe, her eyes peering straight at him, curious as to what his intentions were for saving her.

After a long moment of silence, the stallion turned around towards Fluttershy, his eyes closed lightly and his face still emotionless. He opened his eyes to reveal his crystal blue eyes, it seemed light there was a glow around them that would cut through the darkest of fogs.

Fluttershy looked up to him, her eyes transfixed on his, staring into them and losing herself to them. The stallion simply stared back at her, his emotionless face looking like it would never change.

He began a slow trot towards her, still staring down at her with his glowing eyes. He dwarfed Fluttershy in comparison, his body was most likely twice the size of hers, his hoofsteps very distinct as the fell upon the ground.

She was almost scared of him, his demeanor very strong and unmoving. Her body not even budging as she stared up at the very large and mysterious stallion.

The stallion soon reached her, still staring down at her with his emotionless grimace. Fluttershy looked up to him weakly, only able to move her lips slightly.

The stallion then moved his hoof towards her, motioning for her to grab onto his hoof in order to help her up. Fluttershy very slowly reached up and grabbed his hoof, standing up before him. She stared up at him with a slightly worried face, curious only as to who this stallion was.

She spoke out in a very light and quiet voice, staring into his glowing blue eyes "W-Who..... A-Are you?...."

The stallion then spoke in a deepened yet soft tone, still staring down at her "................Shade....."

First impressions

Fluttershy slowly stood up with his help, staring up into his glowing, azure eyes. She held her head low, the intimidating presence of the stallion was overpowering. It was like he had an aura around him, something that made her uneasy and scared of him. She had just seen what he was truly capable of, she didn't want to upset him in anyway.

The stallion was staring down at her, his emotionless face was hard and unchanging. Fluttershy was perplexed by how incredibly mysterious he was, truly unsure of how to talk or even act with him.

She finally mumbled a few words out, being very quiet as she did "S-Shade.......... I-I'm.... F-" Just as she was about to say her name, Shade spoke for her "Fluttershy..... I actually know who you are..."

Fluttershy looked up at him with wide eyes, her head still hanging low under him "Y-You.... K-Know my n-name?" She was now even more curious about him, wondering how he could possibly known her name. She hadn't ever spoken to him, nor had she seen him before, her mind rushing through the possibilities.

Shade nodded his head, still staring down at her "I have watched you for quite some time now..." Fluttershy now was extremely confused and curious all at the same time. "Y-You have.....?"

Shade nodded his head once more, his very dark mane flowing lightly, yet there was no breeze, his mane always seeming to flow. "Yes... You've lived by this forest for some time now, I've seen you many times"

Fluttershy then knew how he had seen her, yet why did he live in this forest? It was dark, cold, wet, how could anypony possibly live here? "Y-You..... Live here?" She asked in a curious tone.

Shade turned his gaze upon the surrounding forest, observing the darkness and bleakness that was so often attributed with it. "I have always lived here, ever since I can remember......"

Fluttershy turned in the direction he was facing, seeing the darkness of the forest around them. The sunlight came down on both of them suddenly, the clouds moving from the sky. The light came down and warmed Fluttershy's coat, a slight smiling appearing on her face.

The smile soon disappeared as she turned back to him slowly, looking up at him. "Wh-Why.... Did you... S-Save me.....?" Fluttershy asked of him, the question burning in her mind since the battle with the manticore.

Shade looked back to her, his mane still flowing from his head, a breeze still missing. It was an ominous sight indeed, it was strange, yet intriguing to Fluttershy.

"I saw you were about to meet your end with the manticore, I was not going to stand idly by and watch that." Shade said to her with an honest tone in his voice.

Fluttershy looked up to him, raising her head up a little. She was interested by the stallion's answer, she didn't know why he would save her like that, but apparently he was protecting her. Surely she was grateful that he did save her, yet she didn't understand the stallion yet.

"W-Well..... Th-Thank you... S-Shade....." She cracked a smile at him, staring up into his glowing eyes. Shade simply stared back at her, nodding his head to her "It was no problem, Fluttershy.... I wouldn't allow you too fall like that as I stood watch"

She looked up at him with an ever larger smile, not too large though. She was happy that the stallion was actually taking up for her and caring about her enough to save her. It was certainly a brave thing to risk his life for her as he did.

"S-So.... W-Why are you here, S-Shade?.... L-Living here..." Fluttershy asked curiously.

Shade looked back to the forest, his mane whipping lightly faster. "I have always lived here, since I can even remember.... I do not remember my past, nor do I understand where I am from. I know that I am here in this forest as its protector and guardian."

Fluttershy listened to him closely, taking in as much as she could. She was very interested when he said he was the forest's guardian, not completely understanding it. "Wh-What do you mean the guardian of the forest?"

"I was placed here to guard and watch over all that reside in the forest, it was what I was supposed to do..." Fluttershy was still a little confused, but she now understood the stallion, why he was protecting her as he did.

"O-Oh..... I understand...." She began to feel a little more comfortable around the stallion, not feeling as threatened by him as she understood what he was doing. She like to know that such a figure lived in the forest, it was something that she enjoyed seeing.

Shade nodded his head, looking up to the sky, the sun very high in the midday sky. He then looked back to her, staring blankly at her.

Fluttershy's smile then completely fell from her face, her gaze looking down at the ground, looking away from Shade. Although she may have been saved from the manticore, she was still lost far from home, not even knowing where she was.

Shade noticed the disappointed look upon her face, his own concern and curiosity sparked within him. It had been the first time he'd shown real emotion since he'd met her. "Is there something along, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy slowly looked up to him, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I-I...... I-I don't know where I am......." She turned away form him, sniffling in the silence.

Shade looked away from her slowly, looking back into to darkened forest, his face remaining emotionless. A slight breeze whipped by, the same one that was present through all of the events that have transpired so far. Fluttershy felt the breeze, recognizing it.

She didn't know where this breeze came form, only that it came often, and it felt different from all the other winds she felt.

She looked up at Shade who was still staring into the forest, his mane still flowing in the air. It wasn't at the same pace as the wind around her, yet it was still flowing.

Shade then looked back at Fluttershy, tears streaming down her face. Fluttershy had grown incredibly upset, not sure if she'll ever seen her home again, if she'd see her friends, if she'd have her life again. She'd never been this sad, it was as if there was no hope for her at that point.

Shade then spoke up ".........I will lead you away from this forest...."

Fluttershy's ears perked up quickly, looking up to him, the tears starting to fade a little from her eyes "Y-You......... Will?" She asked with the tiniest bit of hope in her voice.

Shade nodded his head slowly, still staring down at her "I will.... It is not your place in this forest...."

Fluttershy, despite her previous feelings, quickly jumped up and wrapped her hooves around his neck, bringing him into a tight hug. She sniffled to herself, her eyes closed, the tears turning into joyful ones.

Her mood was instantly uplifted by him helping her through the forest, her happiness bursted throughout her. It overcame her, thrusting herself at her and hugging him. She didn't care about anything else, his deed of kindness was what stood out in her mind

"Th-Thank you.... Shade...." She said with a larger and joyous smile. Shade slowly placed on of her hooves around her, hugging her lightly back. "You are welcome, Fluttershy....."

Shade's lips then slowly turned up into a very faint smile, it was the very first time he'd shown his emotions. He felt somewhat happy inside, knowing that she was relieved by his help.

The two of them held the hug for a few moments, both bearing their smiles. In the time that Fluttershy had ran into the forest, this was the first time she'd been even remotely happy, the kind deeds of the stallion overwhelming her.

Eventually, the both of them released from the hug, Fluttershy smiling wide up at him, sniffling softly. Shade looked down to her with his slight smile.

Fluttershy's smile and crying calmed a little as she still looked up to him "Shade.... Th-Thank you so much..... I-I don't know what would have happened if...." She looked away

Shade slowly raised his hoof up and turned her muzzled up towards him, his smile still there "You no longer have to worry about that, Fluttershy...."

Fluttershy's smile slowly returned to her, staring up at him '....A-Alright......" Shade set his hoof down on the ground, still slightly smiling at her, nodding his head.

shade then slowly trots past her to her side, looking down at her "How about we leave then, I will show you the way out'

Fluttershy nodded her head to him, her smile still there "Okay then....."

Shade and Fluttershy then trotted into the darkness of the forest, smiling down at each other. Fluttershy had just met this stallion, yet she already felt safe with him. Maybe it was was kindness, maybe his compassion, she didn't know.

All she knew is that this stallion was the reason she's still alive, and the reason she'll be leaving this bleak forest.

They trotted completely away from the patch of sunlight, hope finally being sparked within Fluttershy, something she was in need of through her upcoming journey back to her home...

The trail we blaze

Time past, and the overhanging sunlight passed into the bright and vibrant midday shine, the sun was high in the sky and the forest was alive with life. Various creatures scurried past the two of them across the forest floor, the bright colored plants popping up and blooming in their eerie and slow way.

The forest was alive and didn't seem like it would let up, the sounds of the whooping native inhabitants filled the ears of both Shade and Fluttershy. Each creature was unique, each possessing something that Fluttershy hadn't seen in the everyday creature that came across her cottage.

Yet, Fluttershy felt at peace next to the tall, grey stallion, her hope was now resting in him, yet he wouldn't know. Fluttershy thought about how different the forest was compared to the rolling pastures next to her home, how much more untame and uncontrollable it was, it was like an alien world to her.

Occasionally she would look up to the stallion that had previously saved her, her soft cyan eyes fluttering innocently. His gaze was fixed on the path before them, his thoughts not straying from his duty he had put upon himself. Fluttershy would of course look back towards the ground she walked upon, keeping quiet and to herself.

She didn't want to bother Shade, she knew he was protecting her and all and didn't want to ruin it. Fluttershy had a way of shooting her own desires and wants down in the desire to make others feel better, or in fear of ruining things. She wasn't exactly a social butterfly anyway, being cooped up in her cottage around her animals didn't help her with socialization.

In an attempt to make conversation, Fluttershy left her own comfort zone and cleared her throat, looking back up to Shade with a slight curiously look "S-Shade?... How long have you been in this forest?" She asked her petite voice, unsure of his reaction. Surely he wasn't as young as he looked, he must've looked just around her own age.

Shade turned to face her, his emotionless expression turning to one of minor content. He spoke in his deeper voice, his crystal blue eyes locking with hers. "I have been in this forest for quite sometime, it is my home.and refuge from the outside world"

"Why exactly do you live here?... Nopony likes the Everfree forest, i-it's too dangerous" Fluttershy spoke up against him. Shade finally cracked the biggest hint of emotion yet, a very small and gentle smile on his muzzle "I live here because it is my home, I have been here for all I can remember"

At his response, Fluttershy looked to the path ahead, pondering what he could possibly mean by "I have been here for all I can remember" He must've been born somewhere, have a family or had a family possibly. This perplexed her, more so than how she ended up in the situation in the first place.

She then turned up towards him once again, this time feeling a tad more comfortable with speaking. "Do you have a family? Maybe some friends?" She asked of him. Shade returned his gaze to the path ahead, his smile leaving quickly "I had a family long ago, yet they were lost to me..."

Fluttershy immediately retracted herself as she head him, feeling more insecure from probably making him remember things he didn't want to "I-I'm sorry...." Was all she could muster, thinking she must've upset him. "It is not a problem, Fluttershy... Ponies come and go, it is our deeds that are eternal"

His saying got Fluttershy thinking, thinking about how much a pony can have and how much they could desire, but their actions are the only thing they are remembered for. He was certainly a wise stallion, or at least the kind that had his head on straight, much like that of her father.

She remember the days when she spent time with her mother and father, all the peace and serenity that came with such moments. They were but a distant memory, the Everfree forest was all that lied ahead of her at this point, and that's what she wanted to focus on.

After a few more minutes of walking, Fluttershy became restless in thought and turned back up to Shade "Shade?... When do you think we'll get back to my home?" She asked of him in her innocent tone, obviously wondering how much longer it would be. The forest seemed endless, and the lack of light was starting to play with her mind.

Shade turned down to her and blinked his eyes a few times. "I suspect, at the pace we are on, perhaps another day, we must go up and around the ridge that you had fallen off of." Fluttershy was relieved and disheartened by his comment. Another day wasn't an extremely long time in retrospect, but the forest and time seemed to pass so slow, like and everlasting entanglement of flora.

"O-Okay..." She replied, keeping close to him and being vigilant herself, scanning like he did. She could barely see anything in the darkness and shrouded cloak of the forest, yet movement was abundant. There were shadows in the darkness, sometimes the glow of eyes could be seen in the darkness.

Yet nothing seemed to venture close to them, as if there was some sort of barrier that was between them and the outside forces. Fluttershy felt safe next to Shade, like he was one protecting her from everything. She still wondered why he would do this, why was he protecting her, and why was he leading her back. It was strange, yet she wouldn't question a good thing.

The two of them ventured on through the shroud of darkness, the forest still alive and moving around them. She felt as if she was safe, so many questions were yet to be answered, yer through her conversations with him, so much was answered. She just kept close to him, wondering what lied ahead of them both...

A moment of peace

The sun now was starting to fade in the sky, the peak had been passed and it began it's seemingly endless descent to the other side of the earth. It wasn't starting to turn the limited light into darkness just yet, but it was obvious that the day would be over in a matter of hours.

The nighttime was by far the most dangerous time to be in the Everfree forest, so many foal and vile creatures roamed the forest floor in hopes of finding a morsel to appease their hunger. The fate of being alone in Everfree at night was considered worse than death, something that only the most unfortunate had to bare.

The thick undergrowth of the forest was getting even more knotted, many of the ominous trees were shifting and swaying in the breeze that would occasionally brush by both Shade and Fluttershy. The air was moist and the atmosphere humid, Fluttershy's mane was in shambles, looking like it had just lost an ordeal with a fussy rabbit. He coat was damp as well, the sweat from her constant push moistened her body.

She panted lightly from all the exertion, Shade barely even affected by the whole scenario, yet he was used to it by now. Fluttershy tried her best to keep up with him, yet her body was weak and feeble, her wing still crippled from the fall she had taken earlier. Her body ached from muzzle to hooves, she was hoping they could rest at some point, yet she was afraid of what would happen if they even stopped for a moment.

"S-Shade...?" Fluttershy put in a worn out and tired voice. Shade turned his muzzle so that he peered back at her "Yes, Fluttershy?" She ran up beside him, her panting evident as he tongue nearly hung out of her mouth "Wh-When could we... Rest?" She asked, literally pleading to take a rest.

Shade cocked another one of his small and slightly sly smiles, turning his gaze back on the path before them "Soon, Fluttershy... The day is regressing, and we must get as far as we can.." Fluttershy nodded disappointedly, her hooves almost trembling from exhaustion.

After a short while, the sun was really setting, the pale blue sky started to turn into a very light pastel, the colors of the evening were starting to show, yet it was still early before the night. The duo marched their way through the forest, Fluttershy still huffing and puffing from the exhaustion she felt.

Shade paused himself in the middle of the path they were on and his ears perked up, twitching as if he had heard something in the distance. Fluttershy noticed this sudden stop and looked up to him with a curious yet scared expression "U-Uhm... Something wrong, Shade?" Shade remained quiet for a moment and honed in on the sound.

Fluttershy started getting worried, retracting herself and shuffling closer to Shade, looking around at the dark grove that surrounded them. Shade would soon narrow his eyes and trot forward once more, making sure she could keep up "I can hear water... It is close by..."

Fluttershy's ears perked up as well from hearing him say that the water was nearby. Normal, it was just another word, yet in this dire circumstance, it was such a beautiful word. "W-Water?!" She asked in a surge of excitement, she was dying of thirst, she was ready to pass out from the heat she could feel.

Shade lead her further into the forest, but soon, the roar of water could be heard distinctly from both of them. Fluttershy and Shade rushed towards the sound, whipping through the heavy vegetation and overgrowth, soon tearing through into the clearing ahead of them.

Before them now was a tall and radiant waterfall, the crystal clear water cascading down into a shallow pool. Fluttershy ran to the edge of the pool and looked down into the water, seeing her reflection for the first time in a while. Her smile was bright and happy, she couldn't be happier to finally see this, she couldn't wait and leaned her head down.

She started to lap up the clear liquid, drinking heavily from the pool, like she had never had water before in her life. With each drink, she felt the clear liquid coat and wet her dry throat, some of her agitation and pain going away, even hre mood getting brighter from finally having something to drink.

Shade looked on with his small smile, watching her closely and seeing she was relieved to have this spot of tranquility and peace. Shade would then trot up to her side and lean down, drinking from the same pool but at a slower and more controlled speed.

After nearly minutes of drinking, Fluttershy came up for air, gasping hard as she felt her senses come back to full view. She was breathing heavily from taking int the water, and smiled as she did, looking over to Shade "Th-This is wonderful!" She said jubilantly, fluttering her wings but cringing after feeling her crippled wing surge with throbbing pain.

She collected herself afterwards and blushed from making such a mistake, looking up to Shade through her pink bangs. Shade could only chuckle at this and nodded, looking back over the crystal clear pond before them. "This spring is the oldest in the Everfree.... It has been here longer than the forest itself"

Fluttershy looked out over the spring as well, her calm and soft smile crossing her muzzle "It's amazing... I-I've never seen anything like it before, it tastes even better than the water back in Ponyville" She giggled at her comment, turning her body to face the pool.

Shade kept watch over the pool and held steady, his smile still across his face. Fluttershy looked out and started smiling even more, her mood changed so much from the simple gift of her water. She didn't know why, but she felt so happy and free, like she was a filly once again.

She took a few steps back and galloped towards the pool, leaping up and the edge and diving into the cool water. She spent some time down in the water, opening her eyes and seeing the bubbles form around her from her crash. She held her breath for the moment and enjoyed the serenity of being in the water, it was peaceful and it gave her a small moment of rest and relaxation, a break from the terrors the forest had for her.

After her moment she rose from the water and flipped her wet mane out of her vision, smiling softly over at Shade who was still on the shore, looking down at her. Fluttershy giggled and blushed a bit more, almost embarrassed at her sudden outburst. "U-Uhm... I-I c-couldn't help myself....."

Shade merely smiled more and stared down at her, his eyes blinking softly "Not a problem, Fluttershy... I understand your excitement" Fluttershy nodded and swished around in the water, swimming over a bit closer to him. "H-Have you even swam before?" She asked in her curious tone.

Shade was minorly perplexed by her question and tilted his head towards her "Perhaps when I was a colt... Yet I have not been simming in quite some time..." Fluttershy timidly looked up to him and face him "W-Well.... Why not now?"

Shade was slightly taken back by her question, it wasn't exactly something he was asked everyday. "Well...." "Come on, it wouldn't hurt to try..." Shade pondered his thoughts for a moment and soon nodded his head to her "I suppose it can't hurt to swim..." Shade looked down at the water and started to walk out, letting the tide crash up against his fetlocks.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled brightly up at him, swishing around a bit more. Shade would soon let the water come up above his chest, wading there in the water and floating. He started over towards Fluttershy, curious about how the feeling of being weightless was.

Fluttershy looked over to him and giggled to herself, swishing around a bit more "S-See?... It's fun" Shade smiled once again and nodded his head, relaxing his body and staying afloat in the drift. "Yes... I would say that it is..." Both him and Fluttershy swam around in the shallow pool for minutes on end, Shade's smile growing larger and larger by the minute.

Fluttershy seemed to strike a chord with him, he seemed much more loose and free then before, much more at ease and not as tense. They splashed around in the water, laughing and smiling at all the antics and small things they did.

Yet after a while, the sun started to dip and Shade took notice, looking up to the full pastel colored sky through the canopy and soon turning to her "It's getting late, Fluttershy... We need to keep moving.." Fluttershy's smile dimmed a bit and nodded her head in understanding, she was still hoping to get back home after all.

Both of them exited the water with their manes and tails soaked, their coats sopping wet and dripping. Yet they both shared that moment together, like they weren't just strangers, they started understanding each other, for the limited knowledge they did know of the other.

Fluttershy started to trust the grey stallion that appeared there next to her, smiling up at him instead of timidly staring. Both of them left the pool and waterfall a bit more rejuvenated, their growing trust was still beaming and blossoming in the face of such dangerous and trying times...