“Come! Come!”
Fluttershy smiled as she followed along with her little friends down the forest track. She really did like spring - it was just so lively and free, all the little animals living far away from where anything could hurt them. Well, unnaturally. There was an order to nature which must be observed, and that was fine. Even though the thought of her furry friends being eaten sickened her slightly.
“Follow!” A wolf pup yipped, bouncing along the trail. It was so difficult to find a safe haven nowadays, but her druidic hollows always provided home and a resting place for her fellow natural denizens in case of emergencies or settling in for good. This litter of grey wolf pups were born in early spring, and with summer closing in fast, it was high time for the pups to start learning essential life skills such as hunting and proper social etiquette.
Speaking of, Fluttershy’s well-honed hearing picked up scrabbling at the edges of the hollow, heralding the return of the pup’s parents. This particular family has been living in the area for generations, and although Fluttershy only recently inherited the hollow from her mentor, she had lived there since the grown up wolves themselves were pups.
A loud bark from the entrance attracted the attention of the pups, and two sleek creatures appeared on the outcropping next to the entrance, surveying the area before bounding down the slope along the edge of the hollow. Since it was created in a small natural basin, the hollow was well defended from the harsh weather sometimes known to be created in the wake of the hoof-made weather in large towns. Water pooled in a large lake at the center of the hollow, surrounded by rich forests and rolling plains for grazing. Almost perfect for habitation.
Fluttershy took a small step forward, and greeted the two grown wolves. Utilizing her powers of transformation, she altered her vocal chords to match that of a wolf, allowing her to make a deep throaty bark as a greeting.
“Greet, pony.” The Alpha of the pack bounded down to where Fluttershy was, sniffing the air briefly to confirm Fluttershy’s identity.
“Greetings, Alpha.” Fluttershy replied, as was common courtesy.
“Pony, favor.” Alpha growled, its ears twitching slightly. Unlike ponies, most animals had a movement-based language, and it was Fluttershy’s special talent to understand these body languages. “Pups, young. Pony, teach. Hunt.”
Fluttershy blinked. “Teach your pups to hunt?” It was an immense honor to teach an alpha’s pups - Fluttershy wasn’t sure if she was capable of doing a good job. What if she messed up and the pups ended up not being able to hunt properly?!
“Pony, teach.” Alpha did the wolf equivalent of a nod. “Pony, trust.”
“Thank you, Alpha. It is an honor.” Fluttershy smiled, bowing respectfully. It was good to know that Alpha had such faith in her - all she did was provide them with a place to live in. with a wing-powered leap, transformed into a large, butter-hued wolf. Disappearing into the undergrowth, she loped off to find the pups.
“Children, come over here!” She gave a loud bark into the forest, settling into a forest clearing. Soon, three pups blundered into view, tumbling over each other in a playful scuffle. “Now now, children, don’t pick on your brother.” The smallest pup yipped appreciatively as the two other pups lifted their weights off its back.
“Today, I’ll teach you three how to hunt!” Fluttershy said, circling the pups. They pranced about excitedly at the prospect of finally hunting, only to be swatted gently by Fluttershy’s tail. “If you continue to act like that you’ll never get your little paws on anything. Come on, follow me.” The butter wolf took off at a leisurely pace, with three little pups padding along behind her.
“Now, hunting is really all about position. Where you are is the most important part of the process.” Fluttershy said, leaving the forest and emerging near a patch of scrubland. Picking a spot where she was upwind to a watering hole, Fluttershy settled into the brush in wait. “Us wolves hunt in very special ways. We’re not like lions, we’re not strong. We’re not numerous, like hyenas or wild dogs. But we are tough. We can run, and run, and run. So that’s what we do when hunting - we run, until our prey tires out.” Her ears pricked up as she detected a rustle in the direction of the water.
“Hush, children.” She whispered, edging closer to the source of the disturbance. Peering out of the greenery, Fluttershy spied a small doe approaching the watering hole. “Um, watch this.”
Tapping into her druidic power, she drew upon the primal instincts of a grey wolf, temporarily becoming a wolf, both in flesh and spirit. Her eyes, usually a soft crystal blue, shifted into a brilliant amber gleam, and she involuntarily gave a low predatory growl.
She stepped into the light, her pale coat blending her into the yellowed vegetation. Her paws were weightless, ghostly, noiselessly gliding across the ground.
She was silent. Deadly. A prime predator.
She was mere feet away from the deer now, her graceful stalking bringing her close - but this was where stealth ended, and power began.
She exploded forwards, powerful hind legs launching her towards her prey like a torpedo, muscles tensing in anticipation of sinking her canines into-
And Fluttershy was back, smashing into the doe, knocking it into the pool. She followed a moment later, falling head over tail into the water. The deer thrashed for a moment before righting itself, making a mad dash into the more protective forest. Fluttershy surfaced, spitting out a jet of water and shaking more of the stuff out of her eyes. She was also trembling but that was probably from the cold water.
“Pony! Pony!” The little pups bounded over, each of them incredibly confused by Fluttershy’s display. “No kill?”
“Um, you three have to kill.” Fluttershy explained, hoping that she hadn’t misguided the pups into thinking that they didn’t have to kill. “Here, I’ll show you how, dears.” She said, fighting a chill that ran up her spine. She had nearly lost it, there. Nearly killed an innocent life. Her control was slipping - ever since her mentor…
No. She wouldn’t give in. The calling had to be fought.
“Thee dees teeth ere?” She bared her teeth at the pups, showing them her large canines. “These are the teeth you use to bite into prey.” Using druidic magic, she briefly morphed into a deer, which caused the pups to instinctively rise in agitation. “Hush, children… um, it’s just me…”
Once the pups recognized Fluttershy’s scent they calmed down, although Fluttershy, chillingly, recognized the increase in salivating in the pups. “You should bite here,” she indicated at her windpipe, “and twist to, um, kill as quickly and painlessly as possible.”
“Now you try.” She said, nervously. She knew that her mystically strengthened body couldn’t be harmed by the inexperienced and immature pups, but the prospect of being attacked by three very enthusiastic wolves didn’t appeal much to her.
Still, Alpha had trusted her, so-
The largest pup flung itself at her, narrowly missing the windpipe and bumping its muzzle into a hard tendon. “Close, but you have to open your mouth sooner - otherwise you wouldn’t be able to close your jaws around the target.” Her lesson was rewarded with a perfect pounce followed by an exact bite to the windpipe, executed by the second largest pup. A few more attempts later, all three had more or less mastered throat-bites, at least in practice.
“Okay, children, you know how to deal the… the killing blow, but what if you don’t manage to surprise the prey, and it flees? What will you do then?” Fluttershy asked.
The three pups frowned in concentration, their little brains trying to remember her lessons. She nearly giggled at their adorable expressions, muzzles scrunched up and eyes crossed. Then the little one gasped. “Run!” The others yipped and joined in. “Run!” “Run!” “Run!”
Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, children, you must run! Follow the prey, and tire it out. Nothing can outrun a wolf. Now, why don’t we try practicing?” It was a simple lesson - she would run at a pace manageable for the pups, and they would hound her until she decided that they had dealt enough ‘damage’.
“Ready… go!” She set off at a brisk trot, the pups tailing her closely. At first she had worried that the pups would be at a loss as to what to do, but it seemed that their instincts were honed well through play and practice - they leapt at her with stubby claws outstretched, only to be buffed back by thickened hide. They snapped at her with dull fangs, sometimes even managing to pierce her hide, but causing no lasting harm.
Suddenly, something shifted in the woods. The hollow’s magic… dimmed, somehow. Fluttershy wasn’t sure what made it do that - in all of her time studying as a druid, it only happened once, and that was when…
No. She skidded to a halt, causing the pups to topple out of control into a pile of fur at her hooves, Shifting into a wolf, she growled at the pups. “Run. Back to your parents!”
The pups, confused at the sudden change of events, were reluctant to move. “Pony? Why?”
“Please, children, just listen to me, run back to your parents and tell them to leave the hollow!” Fluttershy pleaded, all the while trying to ignore the familiar, yet unwelcome surge of primal energy flowing through her. “Go!”
Finally heeding the edge of desperation in her voice, the pups sped off, disappearing into the trees. Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief, before seizing up as she felt the hollow’s energies fail. All of the power she and her mentor invested in it backfired, rushing at her in an uncontrollable torrent of spirit magic.
She was literally knocked off her feet, smashing into a tree as power coursed through her veins, her ears roaring, bright lights flashing in her eyes, the piercing bellow of some ancient beast echoing in her mind…
And then it was gone, her wolf form battered and bruised from the ordeal. But it wasn’t over yet - something had managed to disable the hollow’s defences, and that took a considerable amount of skill and power. She wanted to run - Fluttershy was only barely out of training herself, never even establishing her own hollow - but she was duty-bound to confront whatever caused the disruption, for the sake of all of the inhabitants of the hollow.
With apprehension heavy in her heart, Fluttershy set off at a sprint to the point where her power was broken.
The Ancient One felt it. A ripple in nature’s pond, like something had tossed in a pebble to disturb the peace.
Nay, not a pebble. A stone. A stone heavier than all of the pebbles in the pool combined.
In Its slumber, It could do nothing to halt the ripple’s spread. Eventually, the little ripple would turn into a massive wave, and consume nature and all of its children.
It remembered, there was once a time when Its power was respected, and nature was untouched. But now Its name was forgotten, even by Itself. It slept on, rolling fitfully in one painful dream after another - It dreamt of nature’s desecration, a world of darkness, and a long lost adversary. They were agonizing nightmares, ones that the Ancient One, for all Its might, could not fight.
But It dreamt of good, too. It dreamt of a young child of nature, one with the potential to right all that was wronged. Perhaps she could succeed where It had failed.
Then, a worrying sense washed over the sleeping titan. Something was coming, threatening to remove the child before she could fulfill her potential. Painfully, the Ancient One could only watch. And hope.
Things started falling apart. Literally.
Fluttershy screamed internally as she watched the forest collapse upon itself, in truth only mustering a weak whimper.
“No…” She held out a hoof, as though to halt the descent of the ancient sycamore. But it was in vain, as inky tendrils burst forth from the ground and gripped the trunk tightly, before retreating back into the earth, the massive tree with it. As it finally fell with a thunderous boom, Fluttershy was jolted back into action.
She didn’t even notice that she had reverted back to pony form. She was too distracted by a familiar scent that assaulted her actual psyche like a mental attack unto itself.
Him.
“Sweet, kind Fluttershy.”
Him.
“Far away from home, too soft to kill, too savage to heal…” The voice was soft and silky, yet harsh and mocking. It was deceptively kind, obscuring a heart of pure darkness.
“What… what are you doing here?” Fluttershy was impressed at her ability to even speak in his presence. “You… you aren’t welcome-“
A stripped hoof here, a spike of hair there - despite being silhouetted against the sun, it was all too clear who stood before her. It was the voice, of course. He had taken many guises over the years, but no matter what appearance he took, he always sounded the same.
“You use my hollow, take over my territory, use my skills, and have the gall to claim that I am not welcome?” The zebra snorted, his voice resonating with a certain lyrical nature. It was always the rhythm that caught ponies off guard. He spoke in such a way that was disarmingly charming, enough to provide a moment’s weakness. Fluttershy, fortunately, was used to his way of speaking. “Shame on you, Fluttershy.”
“You abandoned the hollow!” Fluttershy said - amazed at her volume even when faced against someone who far out-classed her. “I only saved it from destruction that you wrought!”
“I did what was right!” He roared, allowing a rare moment of anger to seep through. A blink, and it was gone, his voice once again calm and soothing. “But I don’t expect you to understand, wild-soul.”
Fluttershy froze. “Don’t… don’t call me that!” Her heart rate skyrocketed, faster than what she knew was the healthy limit.
“Why not?” The zebra sneered, leaping off the cliff. His form, as always, was perfect, and he landed with all the grace of a hunting leopard. He stood, close enough for Fluttershy to see the slight shifting in his skin. “It’s unhealthy to deny who you are.”
“S-stay away!” Fluttershy stammered, backing up clumsily. “You monster!”
“Me?” The zebra arched an eyebrow mockingly, in overly exaggerated surprise. He stepped closer still, and Fluttershy could clearly see the crescent moon shaped cataracts clouding his eyes. “I’m the monster?”
Finally, inevitably, he reached out with a hoof and gently, almost lovingly, stroked Fluttershy’s cheek. She shuddered, repulsed by his haunting, ever shifting touch. It was like being caressed by a squirming maggot, the surface dry yet seemingly coated in slime. “No, my dear. You’re the monster.”
“Now, you run.” To her eternal shame, as a testament to how weak her will was - Fluttershy obliged. She ran, and she ran, disgust in herself and in the one she once loved like family boiling in her gut.
Behind her, she heard a low rasping laugh, starting only as a chuckle and slowly growing in volume and resonance until it sounded like a million ponies laughing at once, a horrific mirthful chortle that chilled her to the bone.
“Yes, run, Fluttershy, run!” The zebra shouted, still laughing cruelly amongst the ruins of the once idyllic forest. It was still picturesque, but now it was a smouldering image of Tartarus itself. “Tell the world - the lord of the wild has returned, and soon the dark one shall as well!”
“LEO REIGNS ONCE MORE!”
Fluttershy felt the forest. She had always been able to feel the forest’s ebb and flow, the wills of the woodland creatures, the rustle of a summer breeze, the cool of winter’s touch.
Now, all she felt was terror. Pure, unbridled terror, stemming from the spirit of the forest itself. The entire wood was in a state of panic, as it felt the usual natural order slip away, in favour of a new tyranny it had not felt in many years.
“Bad air! Bad air! Bad air!” The screeches of birds, grounded by shadows as thick as oil, filled Fluttershy’s ears.
“Dead trees! Dead trees!” Apes and other tree-dwellers could only watch as their homes were torn down by tendrils of darkness, consumed in the never-ending flood of the vile dark sludge.
“Nowhere is safe!” The more intelligent creatures realized this, and screamed in hopeless terror - “All is doomed!”
Secretly, Fluttershy agreed, but she had to be strong for her forest kin. “This way! Leave the hollow! Here to the exit!” She shouted, trying to project her voice above the din of the chaotic situation.
“No escape! No escape!”
Nearly weeping at her ineptitude, Fluttershy leaned over a family of rabbits attemping to make their way to the entrance of the hollow. “Excuse me, Mr. Rabbit, have you seen the wolf pack?”
The rabbit shook his head, and so did most other animals when she asked them. After organizing a few of the more clear-headed forest denizens to corral the animals, she set off back into the inky blackness to rescue the wolves.
Or retrieve what was left of them. She tried not to think about that.
“Alpha!” She shouted into the rolling waves of shadow. “Alpha, where are you?”
“Pony!” She heard a keening wail in the distance. “Save pups! Save pups!”
Fluttershy’s heart nearly stopped at the mention of the pups. Gritting her teeth in determination, her wings snapped open and she took off as quickly as her wings could allow her.
“PUPS! PUPS!” As the howling grew closer, she began to see the outlines of the powerful alpha wolf, valiantly but futilely fighting off several vaguely quadrupedal blobs of shadow. Once he caught sight of her, he lashed out with renewed effort, chomping into the throat of one of the blobs, dispersing it - no doubt only temporarily.
“I’ll… I’ll save the pups. Don’t worry!” Fluttershy said, tears in her eyes as her lifelong friend was slowly overwhelmed by the unearthly creatures. Swooping up the three pups in her hooves, she burst free of the canopy and skimmed the treetops, just as she heard Alpha be cut off mid-howl. She bowed her head, tears coming freely now, at the loss of an old friend, and what she had come to see as home for the past decade.
“You are weak, girl! You cannot save anything!” Echoing through the forest and the sunset sky, accented by the pained screaming of the animals below, was a cruel and haunting laugh.
The worst thing was, she knew he was right. Fluttershy may seem to be at ease and confident in her forest home, but she knew that the crippling weakness would never go away.
But before she could lament further, a mournful keening filled the air around her and she felt a cold, deathly claw graze her shoulder. The limb immediately went numb, and Fluttershy knew she could not afford to be hit again, not while she was in the air, where a paralyzed wing could mean certain death.
She flipped in midair, the normally difficult manoeuvre made easy by tapping into her animal soul. As she returned to her regular orientation, she was no longer a pegasus. Instead, a scaly reptile took her place, large bat-like wings rippling with power and sharp talons ready to tear enemies apart.
The form of the wyvern.
All around her, dark facsimiles of crows surged angrily, attempting to bring her down with numbing beaks and claws. With a swipe of her storm-enhanced tail, she dispersed at least a dozen of the hell-birds, shattering them into bits of midnight plumage and shadowy sludge. Before she could make another strike, at least twenty dark raven swarmed her, causing her wings to lock up and forcing her into a stiff glide, all the while clawed at by the hellish creatures.
As she dropped to the ground, the ravens clumped together to form a hideous mockery of a pair of rage drakes, circling around her threateningly. The thought of the forms of such noble creatures being exploited by her wretched master filled her with a burning rage. Her anger exploded out of her body in the form of tough plumage, her hooves twisting into claws and her muzzle elongating into a curved beak.
The form of the owlbear.
She reared up, a piercing shriek escaping her throat, challenging the unnatural drakes to strike at her. They complied, and she smashed one of them in the face, claws digging into its skull easily, causing it to burst into a cloud of shadow. Behind her, the other drake pounced, which she grabbed deftly and hurled into a nearby rock, actually breaking through the stone and turning to smoke.
There was a moment of silence as she paused to catch her breath, before a massive claw came crashing down on her, smashing her into the ground with a sickening crunch. A dark dragon towered above her, teeth bared and eyes burning with green pestilence.
Why go through so much just to tempt her into succumbing to the calling?
“I won’t…”
The claw pressed down.
“I…”
Her bones threatened to snap.
“I don’t have a choice…”
Don’t give up, child.
Fluttershy opened her eyes. The dragon’s claw, much to her surprise, was gone - completely severed, in fact, the stump smouldering with a foul, acrid smoke that stung her nose. Still, it was much more preferable to being crushed alive.
You always have a choice.
In front of her stood a bear the size of a house, its ethereal skin glowing with patterns like the night sky. No - its skin was the night sky, a perfect mirror of a clear, starry night. Stars glinted on its hide, and a constellation blinked especially brightly - its namesake, the Ursa Minor, lesser bear of the stars.
Fluttershy stared in awe of the giant bear. As a child, she was raised on stories of the great Star Bear. It was the guardian of all things natural, the undisputed king of the wild. Raised on druidic traditions, the Ursae were creatures akin to gods in her discipline. And to see one in the flesh…
Granted, an Ursa Minor was only a young Ursa, but the creature was majestic nonetheless. The guardian roared in challenge, claws outstretched, arms locked around the smokey dragon. It stood a good story shorter than the dragon, but it was clear that the Ursa was much, much stronger than the scaly fiend. Already, the dragon was pushed back, until it finally succumbed to the pressure and disappeared into smoke. Fluttershy dared to take a deep breath of relief, trusting even the infernal creatures to fear a mighty Ursa.
You have to consult the Elder, child.
The Elder of the Everfree.
Fluttershy blinked. “The Elder of the Everfree… The old legend? He’s real?” There was no reply. Whatever mystical force she was in contact with had left her. The Ursa placed a paw beside her, beckoning for her to get on. “Oh - I’m honored!” She clambered on, and the bear lifted her up.
Very, very high up. Too high up, in fact. Far beyond the treetops, nearly touching the clouds themselves. She had forgotten the height a star bear could achieve when standing.
“Um…” Fluttershy whimpered. Once the high of battle wore off, fear struck her at full force. “Eep…”
The bear, to her disbelief, chuckled, the noise so deep and loud that it sounded like distant thunder. Then, with a nod, it directed Fluttershy’s gaze to a distant cluster of lights. Briefly switching forms to gain the vision of an eagle, she spied a town far to the east.
“Um, O’ Great Ursa…” Fluttershy said respectfully. “Is that where the spirits wish I go?” The Ursa nodded. “And, I mean no disrespect, Great One, but… why don’t you speak? I can understand most spirits of nature…”
The Ursa actually blushed, its face glowing a faint blue. Fluttershy giggled inside - is that how Ursae blushed? By glowing? Then it cupped its paws protectively around Fluttershy, like a great starry cradle, and then-
“I DID NOT WANT TO STARTLE YOU.”
The sentence hit her like a hurricane, tossing her mane back and physically knocking her over. The Ursa smiled sheepishly, and slowly placed her back onto the forest floor.
“THE DEMONS HAVE GONE, FOR NOW.” The Ursa said, looking around. “YOU MUST MAKE HASTE. PONYVILLE IS A FEW DAYS OF TRAVEL AWAY. THE EVERFREE ELDER LIVES NEAR THE TOWN… INFORM HIM OF THIS TRAGEDY.”
Fluttershy nodded as soon as she recovered from the typhoon breath.
“I will, Great Spirit.” She said, with as much confidence as she could muster. “Your faith will not be misplaced.”
“MY TIME RUNS SHORT.” The Ursa rumbled, his astral form suddenly flickering. “THE CREATURES… SOON EVEN I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTAIN THEM.”
“TO PONYVILLE, MY CHILD...”
Fluttershy nodded slowly. “To ponyville.” She changed into an owl and disappeared into the night sky.