//------------------------------// // Chapter I // Story: Mother Earth // by Flying Fantasy Horse //------------------------------// Fluttershy picked up another can laying on the ground and placed it inside the black bag that she was carrying.Assi sting her was her rabbit, Angel. She spotted some cans that Fluttershy could not see. The marketplace was busier than ever that day, especially since new businesses have opened up in the area. One of the most hot attractions was the "convenience" store. Mostly, teenage foals enter the store and grab anything that they could buy with their limited supply of bits. Most of the items consisted of treats and packets of gums, and Fluttershy's worst enemy; energy drinks. Fluttershy grunted to herself as a pile of cans was hidden in one of the corners of the building. A trail of cans followed as well, some cans spilling green or purple liquids. Fluttershy frowned; it was getting rediculous how many of these cans were populating the marketplace. It wasn't just the marketplace either; some of them have travelled their way to nature trails and in some cases, in the lakes. Some poor animals got their heads stuck through the holes, and it was up to Fluttershy to get them out. Fluttershy was starting to turn red as she found yet another can laying around. The odd thing was that these cans were abnormally more longer than regular cans. These "things", as Fluttershy likes to name them, make the older foals much more energized than usual. But they really don't do much outside. Fluttershy usually spies them going back to their homes and playing their video games. It sickened Fluttershy to the absolute core. The doors to the convenience store swung open as three teenagers laughed hysterically, sipping on their energy drinks. Their mane's were uncombed and greasy, and they were all wearing different coloured hoodies. Two of them were unicorns, and one of them was a pegasus. They told each other jokes involving genitilia and other disgusting topics, like if vomit was poisonous or not. Fluttershy tried to ignore them as she continued to pick up the assortment of cans laying on the ground. The pegasus flew around in the sky, some of the drink spilling out of the can in mid-air. The pegasus flew backwards, and caught the drink in his mouth as he flew. The unicorns on the ground cheered and laughed as the pegasus was about to make a landing. A strong gust of wind ripped through his wings, causing the pegasus to tumble through the air. He crashed to a nearby blue trash-can, it's many contents spilling to the ground. The teenagers laughed hysterically at the mess. Fluttershy glanced up from the noise and instantly laid eyes on the mess. Her mood changed to dismay as she frowned. She walked up to the three teenagers. "Excuse me, but what you did back there was very careless and maybe you shouldn't do that again," Fluttershy said politely. The pegasus got up and shrugged off some banana peels on to the floor. Fluttershy watched as the peel fell to the ground, making a little splat as it hit the earth. Fluttershy gasped in surprise. "Hey! Why did you do that?!" Fluttershy scolded. Her eyes squinted as she focused on the pegasus. The pegasus glanced at the banana peel. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that. It's just a banana peel," the pegasus said with a clueless face. Fluttershy's eye twitched at the answer. It's going to happen. "Just a banana peel? Pollution levels has risen recently and you think this is just something that you can shrug off?" Fluttershy asked, her tone more harsh. The three looked at each other and then back at Fluttershy. "Well, I mean, sure pollution has gone up, but it's just one banana peel," one of the unicorns said. "Yeah! What he said!" the other unicorn. Fluttershy could feel a little fire growing deep down inside. It's only a matter of time. "Look, you inconsiderate punks, animals can't live like this or they'll all probably die!" Fluttershy said, her frustration growing more and more intense. The pegasus grew a smug smile. "If they can't live here, then they should live somewhere else!" the pegasus said. The three laughed hysterically at the joke. Fluttershy didn't feel it, but she reached a point where she couldn't control herself. It almost felt like there was a little baloon, and it suddenly popped. Fluttershy dropped her garbage bag, it's content spilling all over the ground. She leaped on to the pegasus and toppled him down. The pegasus banged his head on to the stone ground of the marketplace and started seeing stars. Fluttershy, pinning the pegasus on to the ground, started punching the pegasus in the face multiple times. The punches were powerful, and were almost rythmic. Tooths flew all over the ground, as blood erupted from his mouth. The two unicorns stood in complete awe, and Angel looked worried. A crowd of bystanders stood as they watched the fight unfolding before their eyes. A blue mare shoved through the crowd and seperated the two. "Miss Fluttershy! What in Equestria are you doing?!" Fluttershy stared at the pegasus with the same glaring eyes. Fluttershy shooked her head, and looked at the mess that she had created. She gasped at the sight. "Oh my gosh! Did I do that?" The two unicorns laid their arms around the wounded pegasus, whose mouth was still bleeding. Fluttershy looked around her. Mares and stallions whispered at each other at the events that had transpired. Tears started to well up in her eyes. She escaped the grasp of the blue mare and ran away from the crowd, pushing them away. Angel hopped away with her, as Fluttershy escaped into the edge of the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy sat on a large rock by a creek, sobbering to herself. The Everfree Forest was filled with unknown noises that clamoured all at once. The night was starting to fulfill the sky, as flickering stars started to appear. Angel sat by Fluttershy's side, being sad alongside with her. Fluttershy wanted ponies to see that pollution levels were starting to rise; was that such a bad thing? Of course, Fluttershy could have handled that situation much better, but she couldn't control herself. Why can't I control myself? Fluttershy thought to herself sadly. "Oh, Angel. This is the worst day of my life," Fluttershy said. Angel looked down at the rock. Her flappy ears shot up as she looked at one of the bushes. Fluttershy caught her eye and looked gazed at what Angel was looking at. The bushes rustled by itself, even though there was no wind evident. Fluttershy didn't know too much about the Everfree Forest, but the most she knows about is that rustling bushes are not good. Fluttershy instantly flew behind the rock and cowered. Angel rolled her eyes and hopped over to the bush to investigate. "No, Angel! Come back!" Fluttershy said, chasing after the rabbit. Angel stopped at the bush, pointing at it. Fluttershy timidly walked slowly towards the bush. Finally, Fluttershy pushed the leaves apart and gazed at what was inside. The object was a glowing green ball, that appeared to have a smooth surface. A mist inside the ball seemed to flow inside. Fluttershy was instantly transfixed at the object, never seeing something like it before. Angel tapped Fluttershy, trying to get Fluttershy out of her hypnotized state. Fluttershy picked the ball up, gazing into it's beauty. "What is it?" Fluttershy asked herself. She didn't catch herself being supposedly hypnotized at the ball, that she didn't hear the stretching sounds that was surrounding her. Fluttershy shook her head and looked around her. Vines were growing out of the ground, and from the trees. They slowly grew from her stems, and towered over her. Fluttershy turned to run the other way, before a pair of menacing vines blocked her escape route. Fluttershy gasped as she realized there was no way out. "Oh no!" Fluttershy said. Angel put up her paws in a defensive stance, before a vine wrapped her and threw her to the rock, knocking her out. Fluttershy gasped as she tried to rush over to the wounded rabbit, before a vine wrapped around her body. Fluttershy dropped the ball and was raised up. Fluttershy screamed as she was shooken about. She tried to squeeze her way out, to no avail. The grip of the vine was growing stronger by the second. Fluttershy was starting to run out of breath. Fluttershy was about to fade, before something woke her up in mid-faint. All the vines was grown from one cnetral unit. It had a large mouth, with razor sharp teeth inside. The tongue salivated as Fluttershy was about to enter the chamber. Fluttershy tried one more final struggle, before the lights grew dim. The vine let go of Fluttershy, and she fell into the mouth of the monster. Fluttershy screamed as she went down the hole of the monster. Due to lack of breath, the light grew dim as Fluttershy blacked out. Fluttershy groaned as a pulsing headache bursted through her brain. Fluttershy got up, noticing that she laying on the hard ground. She got up and looked around. She was still in the Everfree Forest. She wasn't eaten by the monster. Fluttershy looked around desperately as she remembered Angel. Before she could see anything, she noticed that the vines had slithered around the tree branches and grew out from the ground. Fluttershy walked slowly back as she met her fate. She closed her eyes, waiting for the worst. Fluttershy dodn't feel the vines wrapping around her body, however. She opened her eyes and saw that the vines were seemingly staring at her, not making any moves at all. Fluttershy stared at the vines, a confused look spreading on her face. What's going on? Fluttershy thought to herself. Why aren't they attacking me? Fluttershy felt a random surge of energy all of a sudden. Fluttershy looked at herself, and noticed that her mane was covered with pricks and pieces of vine. The vines "looked" at Fluttershy. Curious, Fluttershy motioned her head to the right. The vines motioned to the right as well. She motioned her head to the left, and the vines did the same. Fluttershy looked up, and the vines shot up straight to the sky. Fluttershy relaxed her neck and the vines did the same. Fluttershy walked around the opening in the forest, with the vines growing and following her. Fluttershy had no idea what to think. Am I controlling these things? Fluttershy looked at the vines with curiosity. She walked up to the vines and gently stroked the vines. The green vines grew a glowing pink, almost just like the pink ball. Fluttershy stared at the vines with awe. A sense of loving and care overfilled Fluttershy, almost like her love for Angel. They were living, breathing creatures, and they had no right to be treated like anything else. Fluttershy suddenly grew a wicked smile. "Don't worry. It'll be alright..."