//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: Child of the Swamp 
// by Topazzia 
//------------------------------//

Mud was horrified, her expression unchanging as she backed away slowly. 



Starlight’s excitement faded to questioning, “What’s wrong?”
Fluttershy was equally disturbed, “What’s wrong Mud? We can get you back to your home.”
Mud froze in here defensive posture, mind reeling. Fluttershy stepped forward, “Mud?” She reaches out a hoof. 

Then startling everyone, Mud hisses loudly and jumps away from the Pegasus, running out of map room into the hall. Starlight rushes after the speeding grey mare, “Mud wait!”
Rainbow Dash jumps into the air and glides after them, with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie running after. Mud darts around the corner and slides into the living room, jumping over the couch to hide behind it. 

She peeks over the top only to duck again as Rainbow hovers through the doorway, Starlight just behind her. The Unicorn looks over the arm of the couch, seeing nothing on the other side. Rainbow looks around curiously, “Where’d she go?”

Mud held her breath under the long piece of furniture, watching the pink hooves of Starlight step around. She slid out and crawled to the door, starting into a run as she heard the blue pony’s alerting shout. 

Then she froze instantly, everything in her view shrouded with a sparkling blue hue. Mud struggled and flexed her muscles, but didn’t budge. Then she rotated around to face Starlight, whose horn was lit. The Unicorn looked on with concern, “What’s gotten into you?” 
She approached slowly, the other ponies close behind. 

Fluttershy steps up as Starlight sets Mud gently on the floor, “Mud, why did you run like that? We thought you’d be happy.”

Mud frowned as the magic lifted off of her, she growled and clicked a response. Fluttershy lowered her voice, “Why not?”
Mud looked at the ground, not speaking after that. 

Fluttershy shares a glance with Starlight, then to Mud. “We should give her second.”
Mud lifts her head to glare at the Pegasus, then stands to walk away, head lowered. 

Starlight turns to the others, “Okay, Fluttershy, stay with her. The rest of us will go back to the map.”
The yellow Pegasus glances back at the Kelpie, “Are you sure?”
The Unicorn gestures a hoof, “If something’s wrong, you’re the only one who can find out what.”

***	

Mud hid under her bed, feeling the crystal floor cooling her hot chest. The anger remained, as she took deep breathes. 

She heard the door open, along with the pile of things she stacked to block it sliding across the floor. She glances to the side, spotting the four yellow hooves move along the floor to the bed. Then there was the soft voice of the Pegasus, “Mud? Are you in here?”

The Kelpie cupped her hooves over her flattened ears, gritting her teeth in frustration.

Fluttershy continued, “If you’re upset about something, let’s talk.”
Mud glared at the hooves, wishing for them to go away. But they stayed, along with the voice attempting to convince her. “Please come out and talk to me, we’re trying t help you. Mud?”

Fluttershy walked around the bed, glancing out the window as she scanned the floor, eyes landing on the elevated crack leading to the underneath of the bed. 

Mud watches the hooves more, and the blue eyes that dropped down to spot her hiding. The Kelpie hissed irritably, turning her head away. Fluttershy gave a sympathetic look, “Hey, why are you hiding?”

“Go away…” The grey mare growled, lifting a hoof to cover her face. 
Fluttershy flapped her wings, bringing herself to the other side of the bed, peeking under it again to see Mud’s covered face. 
“It would be better if you told me what’s wrong.”

Mud met her gaze, anger replaced with a hint of sadness. “Please, I don’t want to go.”
Fluttershy sat back, looking down at the gap between the bed and floor. “If you’re afraid of something, tell us what it is.”

Mud immediately slid out from under the bed, mane frizzled and eyes wide. “I’m not scared of anything!” Her expression turns serious, “And I’m not going anywhere!”

She stops over to the middle of the room, “You can’t tell me to do anything!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widen at the response, but stood and spoke calmly. “You’re right, we can’t force you to do anything, but I’d like to know what’s bothering you.”

Mud calmed a bit, fur settling along her spine. “It’s nothing. I just don’t want to leave.” 
She gestures a hoof around the room, “This place is way more than I could’ve dreamed of, I don’t want to go back.”

Fluttershy tilts her head, “What’s so wrong about your old home… Is it because you were bullied?”
Mud grunts, “No! I told you, I can beat any Kelpie that comes around.”
The Pegasus flicks a wing, glancing to the side as she begins to suspect nothing more out of the grey mare. She looks up, “Fine, you don’t need to tell me anything, we’re going to see for ourselves.”

Mud’s eyes widened, “What?”

Fluttershy nods, “If you won’t come with us, I guess we’ll find our own way to you home.”
Mud steps forward, clearly panicked. “You can’t be serious, you can’t go there!”

The Pegasus shrugs, “I have to, I’m the only one who can talk to Kelpie’s at the moment. But Pinkie and Rarity will still be here.”

Mud froze, staring at the Pegasus in disbelief. Fluttershy met her gaze, feeling a sense of dread deep down. “Why, is there something we should know?”

Mud didn’t speak, her words caught in her throat, and mind drawing blanks all over. She only stared.

Fluttershy nodded, “Okay, you can join us whenever you feel like it, I think we’ll be talking in the map room for a while.”

There was only silence as the Pony turned and walked out the door, the amber eyes watching her filled with panic, and the Kelpie felt a strong urge to opening her mouth. To warn Fluttershy.


But she kept quiet.