Chapter 1
Fluttershy blinked her aqua blue eyes open to find herself alone. Fluttershy stood up all thoughts of sleep gone as she started to study her surroundings. From what she could tell, she was not too deep in the Everfree forest.
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy called out in a low voice. A rustle behind her caused her to jump with a small squeak and turn around.
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked no answer. Another rustle sent a shiver down Fluttershy. A pony came out of the underbrush causing Fluttershy to give a second squeak.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you,” the pony said soothingly. “Just who are you looking for.”
“M-my friends,” Fluttershy stammered, “fr-from Ponyville.”
“I’ll help you find them,” soothed the pony. “Name’s Charcoal.”
“My name’s… Fluttershy,” Fluttershy started but finished in a low whisper.
Charcoal walked up to stand beside her, “First let’s get you back to Ponyville, then we’ll look for your friends.”
“Ok,” Fluttershy whispered.
Not too far away a pair of eyes watched the two ponies from the tree tops. The Pegasus shook her head and shot off her perch and into the night sky.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Charcoal made their way through Everfree forest.
“That’s my cottage,” Fluttershy whispered to Charcoal then she had to take a second glance at her cottage. She could have sworn that her cottage didn’t have a caved-in roof and ivy growing on it.
“What’s wrong?” asked Charcoal.
“This can’t be right,” Fluttershy squeaked, as she started for her cottage. “Are you sure this is the way?”
“Positive.” Charcoal said, causing Fluttershy to turn around as the colt’s voice suddenly changed.
Fluttershy gave a small scream as Charcoal turned into a Changeling. Suddenly, a light gray Pegasus with a yellow mane flew clumsily through the air and slammed into the Changeling. The Changeling rose to its hooves only to have a second dark gray pony with a silver Mohawk-like mane Pegasus slam into it. The Changeling turned, but as it spread its wings to fly the first Pegasus landed on top of it with a crunch; within a few seconds the Changeling quit struggling and crumpled to the ground.
“Th-thank you,” Fluttershy whispered.
“You shouldn’t even have been here,” snapped the second Pegasus. “Everypony knows Ponyville is a Changeling hive.”
“Can it, Thunderlane!” ordered the other Pegasus who came up. “Maybe she didn’t know.”
“What’s your name?” asked the Pegasus.
“Fluttershy,” Fluttershy whimpered.
“Fluttershy,” Thunderlane sputtered. “How do we know you’re not one of the Changelings.”
“If she was a Changeling wouldn’t she have already flown off,” reasoned the other Pegasus.
“How can you believe that this is Fluttershy? Everypony knows she’s dead,” Thunderlane argued.
“I am, Fluttershy,” Fluttershy said with a little more volume than intentioned. The two Pegasi turned to her; Fluttershy slunk back hiding her face.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Fluttershy whimpered.
“She has to be Fluttershy,” reasoned the first Pegasus.
“I still say she could be a well trained Changeling,” Thunderlane argued.
“If she is then Lieutenant Applejack will know,” said the other Pegasus. Lieutenant Applejack, Fluttershy thought to herself. Surely she hadn’t been gone that long.
“Is that really wise?” Thunderlane asked.
“That was an order!” snapped the other Pegasus. “Am I clear, Thunderlane!”
Thunderlane sighed, “Affirmative, Sergeant Ditzy Doo.”
“Come, Fluttershy,” Ditzy said.
“Ok,” Fluttershy whispered. Ditzy a Sergeant, of what, Fluttershy thought to herself as she took in step beside the gray Pegasus. The three Pegasi spread their wings and shot off into the sky. Tears dropped from Fluttershy’s eyes as she observed the destruction of her home; Ponyville was dark and rundown. Ditzy and Thunderlane flew into the Everfree forest soaring through the trees pulling to a stop in front of a cliff. Ditzy walked up to the rock wall and tapped her hoof one soft one hard then two soft and one final hard knock.
“Prove it’s you, Ditzy,” said a voice behind the rock.
“I love muffins and I crashed into you yesterday,” Ditzy said. A mystical light surrounded Ditzy, Thunderlane, and Fluttershy, and then they were inside a surprisingly well lit and kept cavern.
“Who have you brought back with you, Ditzy?” demanded a pale green unicorn, her horn glowing.
“She claims to be, Fluttershy,” Ditzy explained.
“And you believe her,” asked the unicorn.
“Of course not…” Thunderlane started.
“I think she is a Pony, but whether or not she is, the actual Fluttershy, I’m not sure so I brought her here to make certain,” Ditzy explained.
“Bring her,” stated the unicorn. Ditzy nodded and she turned to Fluttershy and nodded for her to follow the unicorn. As she followed, Ditzy took up the rear.
Thunderlane started to follow, but a second unicorn stopped him, “Just her and Ditzy.”
Thunderlane sighed and walked off the opposite direction, to the mess hall.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy made her way to a set of double doors
The unicorn turned to Fluttershy, “Wait here.” Fluttershy swallowed her fear and stood up. What am I afraid of, they are my friends? Fluttershy turned, catching Ditzy’s eye.
“Um, I was, just wondering, what happened here?” Fluttershy asked then turned her head. “If you don’t mind that is.”
“We don’t like to talk about it,” Ditzy said looking away.
“Applejack awaits you, Fluttershy,” said the unicorn, walking out of the room. Was that sarcasm in her voice?
“A-applejack,” Fluttershy stammered as she pushed through the door. Applejack had her back to Fluttershy; her braided mane was shortened to just below the rim of her old hat.
“Lyra tells me ya claim to be Fluttershy,” Applejack turned to face Fluttershy. Horror gripped Fluttershy as she gazed at Applejack; a long scar etched its way across Applejack’s face from just below her eye to her jaw bone.
“A-A-Applejack,” Fluttershy squeaked again.
“Ah watched Fluttershy disappear thirteen years ago,” Applejack growled with a hint of sorrow in her voice.
Thirteen years, I’ve been gone that long. Fluttershy thought as she stammered “I-I.”
“W-what happened to Chrysalis?” Fluttershy whimpered, surely Applejack would remember what happened.
“Unlike Fluttershy, Chrysalis returned and took over Canterlot,” Applejack said with grit in her voice. “Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Ah all tried to defend Ponyville, but the Changelings quickly overwhelmed our numbers and were forced to flee.”
“What about Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked. Fluttershy’s words caught Applejack and caused her to pause and blink a little.
“Fluttershy?” Applejack asked, stepping toward the yellow Pegasus. Fluttershy let out a squeak as Applejack took Fluttershy in an embrace of friendship.
“Fluttershy,” Applejack whispered tears streaming down her face. “We thought we would never see ya again.”
“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy whimpered.
“What are you sorry about? Ah never should ‘ave doubted you,” Applejack said, releasing Fluttershy.
“I didn’t mean to leave so long,” Fluttershy whimpered.
“Ah, know now that it wasn’t your fault,” Applejack said, embracing Fluttershy again.
“Where are the others,” Fluttershy whispered.
“Pinkie Pie is our alarm do to her Pinkie sense and warns us if trouble is coming,” Applejack explained. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders are our scouts, Rarity designs our defenses, and Twilight is our leader and keeps us on our hooves.”
“What about, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked, though she had a hunch of what the answer was going to be.
Applejack turned away before answering, “Rainbow… isn’t here anymore; she was angry that Twilight couldn’t find a solution and left to find you. We all hoped that she would return, but it’s been thirteen years and she hasn’t come back.”
“R-Rainbow’s g-gone,” Fluttershy whimpered, suddenly feeling hollow as if a part of her had vanished.
“We wanted to go after, but it wasn’t long after she left ‘til Chrysalis came back,” Applejack explained placing a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder.
“R-Rainbow’s gone,” Fluttershy repeated and started to back out of the room.
“Fluttershy, wait,” Applejack called, but Fluttershy had already exited.
“Where are you going?” Ditzy asked as Fluttershy past her.
“I going to find Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said with a determination that even made her stop and think about what she had said.
“Rainbow Dash won’t be easy to find, I’ve tried,” Ditzy warned, trotting up to the yellow Pegasus.
“Rainbow, is my friend and is out looking for me, so I should do the same,” Fluttershy said with a rare harshness.
“I didn’t say I had given up,” Ditzy insisted. “I will come with you.”
“You’ll just waste your time,” called a voice turning Fluttershy to see Thunderlane.
“W-what do you mean,” Fluttershy asked.
“Rainbow Dash has been gone for years, and she’s probably dead,” Thunderlane said.
“Don’t say that,” Fluttershy whimpered. “Rainbow isn’t dead.”
“I wish as much as anypony that Rainbow Dash was here with us, but I can’t help the thought,” Thunderlane insisted.
“Thunderlane, shut it,” Ditzy ordered then turned back to Fluttershy who had tears in her eyes. “I will help you find Rainbow Dash.”
“Me too,” called a very familiar voice. Fluttershy turned to see Scootaloo bounding up to them. Fluttershy had to blink at first. Scootaloo looked much older than she once had and the biggest difference was on her flank. Scootaloo had a cutie mark.
“Not you too,” Thunderlane groaned.
“Why shouldn’t I,” Scootaloo protested. “Everypony says to wait for Rainbow Dash to return, but now when they are actually looking for her, I have to stay behind.”
“You can’t leave without orders, Scootaloo,” Thunderlane snapped. Scootaloo glared at Thunderlane whose gaze dared her to argue.
“You can come, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said bounding over to her.
“You can’t do that,” Thunderlane protested, stomping over to Fluttershy. “One of military rank has the right on who can go.”
“I say she can come,” Ditzy said, stepping in between Thunderlane and Fluttershy.
“Then you’re as mad as they are,” Thunderlane growled, staring Ditzy down.
“Aren’t we all,” Ditzy retorted and she turned to leave.
“You will never make it past Everfree forest,” Thunderlane warned.
“Then that is our fate,” Ditzy said and turned back to Fluttershy.
“Let’s go,” Ditzy said.
“R-really,” Fluttershy whispered.
“Yes,” Ditzy said and the three Pegasi began to walk away.
“Alright fine,” Thunderlane snorted then he took in step beside Ditzy.
“What are you doing,” Ditzy demanded turning on Thunderlane.
“It’s madness, but if we can find Rainbow Dash it will be worth our time,” Thunderlane said. “Besides, a group of four has better odds.”
Ditzy nodded her head with a slight smile and turned and continued down the hall. Soon the Pegasi reached a solid rock wall Ditzy felt along the wall and pulled a stalagmite and walked through the wall.
“After you, Fluttershy,” Thunderlane said politely. Fluttershy smiled weakly and stepped through the wall. As Thunderlane stepped through the wall and pushed a rock in closing the portal.
“Hey,” came Scootaloo’s muffled shout and pounding could be heard followed by. “It’s not fair.”
“Sorry, Scootaloo, but you’d just slow us down,” Thunderlane called.
“What did you do?” Ditzy demanded, marching up to the dark gray Pegasus.
“Come on we are burning daylight,” Thunderlane said and he walked past Ditzy.
“I want to help,” came Scootaloo’s cry.
“This journey is for grown ponies,” Thunderlane called turning back to the rock face.
Ditzy forced her face into Thunderlane’s, “Next time, you inform me before you do something like that.”