The shaded guardian

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...