//------------------------------//
// The Kind One 
// Story: Fear from the Heart 
// by Dragon Heart 
//------------------------------//

	At a tree cottage, near the edge of the forest, Fluttershy was standing perfectly still, stiff and wide eyed stricken with fear. She had just heard a loud roar coming from the Everfree. Fluttershy was very easy to frighten, and this was no exception.

She felt something poke her leg. Her eyes returned to their normal size and her body relaxed. She looked down to see her white rabbit looking up at her with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry Angel." said Fluttershy. "I just got a little distracted by... uh... something."

She resumed what she was doing, feeding and caring for the animals that took up residence in her home. It is what she has been doing ever since she discovered her talent many years ago. When she had finished pouring seeds in a bird cage, she was officially done. She put away the seed bag and headed for the door, for she had other things to do with her close friends.

She opened the door, stepped halfway outside, and took in a deep breath of fresh air. No matter how many days go by, no matter how many times it happens, just enjoying life never gets old. She fully exited her house, shut the door behind her, and trotted to town.








Life in Ponyville was also humming with activity. Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi were out and about, doing their daily routines and jobs. Foals played around with each other, or rarely by themselves. Fluttershy had entered town and looked around at all that was going on. She saw ponies working, shopping, playing. She even saw a group of four ponies dressed in winter gear, despite the summer heat. There was an Earth Pony pulling a catapult, a Pegasus pulling a ballista, a Unicorn pulling a second ballista, and another Earth Pony with a rack of spears on his back. If they had something like those in their possession, they must have been hunters. They passed her and headed towards the direction of the Everfree.

Fluttershy did not like hunters very much, considering they killed animals for prized items like fur and bones and other stuff, but she never had the nerve to tell them to just stop doing what was probably their special talent. So to speak.

As Fluttershy kept walking to where her friends were, the roar she heard not too long ago kept creeping into her thoughts. What was it, and why could she not help but feel curious as to go and search for the source? But she did not have time to think as Pinkie Pie suddenly zoomed in out of no where with a goofy grin on her face. Fluttershy jerked her head back, and her eyes widened from Pinkie's sudden appearance.

"Hi, Fluttershy! What have you been up to?" Pinkie asked.

"Oh, nothing much." Fluttershy answered. "Just tending to the critters again."

"Well it's a good thing you got here, and just in the nick of time, too!" said Pinkie as she jumped back. "Rainbow Dash kept saying we should just go without you, but I insisted that we wait for your arrival!" She opened the door to the library. Fluttershy walked inside, and Pinkie bounced past her. Inside were her other friends: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle.

"Good afternoon, Fluttershy." said Twilight. "Glad you could make it."

"What's going on?" Fluttershy asked.

"I need ingredients for a special potion that I'm working on."

Fluttershy chuckled nervously. Twilight is always practicing with magic and other experiments and sometimes needed help with it. But to have all her friends over for help on this new potion she was brewing? That seemed legitimately dangerous. But Fluttershy did not want to be rude and just decline, even though she has left out on short notice before, mostly because fear got the better of her.

"Okay, I need the following ingredients:" Twilight said as she brought the list in front of her face, "Cocoa beans, spider silk, dry ice, petrified wood, and marble."

"Ooh! Cocoa beans! I'll get some from Sugarcube Corner A.S.A.P." said Pinkie.

"I've got a large spool of fine spider silk in my shop." said Rarity.

"There's plenty of ice up in the mountains." said Rainbow Dash.

"Dry ice, Rainbow." Twilight said to make sure Rainbow Dash does not just take the first block of ice she spots.

"There's a petrified apple tree at the farm. I'll get the wood." said Applejack.

"I guess I'll go get some marbles." said Fluttershy.

"No, Fluttershy, not marbles. Marble. The rock." said Twilight. "And as far as I know, the only marble deposit I know of is somewhere in the Everfree Forest."

Fluttershy felt something like static surge her whole body and give her goosebumps. Why did she have to go to the forest to find marble for the potion? She quivered a little and her legs felt weak.

Twilight gently placed a hoof on Fluttershy's back. "Don't worry, Fluttershy, I'll go with you."

Fluttershy relaxed a little, but was still uneasy about going into the Everfree. With Twilight there by her side, she felt protected.

Twilight looked to the gang. "So! Everypony's ready?" she asked.

"Yes!" they said in unison.

"Perfect! Now let's go!" said Twilight.

Pinkie pronked like a llama out the library to the bakery to fetch the cocoa beans. Rainbow Dash flew out and headed straight for the mountain tops. Applejack casually trotted out and then galloped back home to the farm. Rarity gracefully trotted on home to find her silk.

Fluttershy and Twilight were the last to leave, and the Pegasus was still nervous about going into the Everfree. Her knees felt weak and her lower legs shook.

"Twilight, I'm still not sure about going into the Everfree Forest." Fluttershy said, almost cracking. "It's just too dangerous in there. There's scary monsters, poisonous plants, and it's just an unnatural place."

Twilight sighed and placed a sympathetic hoof on her friend's upper back. "I told you, Fluttershy, I'll be with you and help you find what I need."

Somehow, Fluttershy's legs had finally stabilized, though she just could not get over her fear of the forest. Twilight was a wondrous friend, and a skilled spell caster, she could most likely fend off whatever they might encounter.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay." she exhaled, "I'll try."

"Thanks." said Twilight, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

And they trotted off towards the forest in search of the marble rock.