Child of Nightmares and Everfree
One Year Later
The streets of Ponyville once again were filled with the delighted shrieks of young ponies, even though ‘young’ was relative in regards to certain residents who viewed the night as their personal playground. The pile of candy in front of the Nightmare Moon statue was taller than any year previous, the pumpkins flung with greater accuracy, and the apple bobbing tank had been completely emptied, even of Lunar Princesses who viewed popping up out of it to scare the residents as great fun.
At Fluttershy’s house, the severely-depleted bowl of candy outside was guarded by a fierce knight in shining armor, even though he was only one-bunny high, and limited the little visitors to a single sweet (or two, if petted and complimented on his costume). Inside the quiet and dark building, two ponies stood looking out of the window at three batwinged shapes who soared up into the sky for a family night of fun and togetherness over the Everfree Forest. The window was not very large, causing Sunshine’s unarmored flank to gently brush up against Fluttershy’s wings, but it was not an unpleasant sensation, and he felt no need to move.
“She’s growing up so fast,” said Fluttershy in her soft, pleasant voice that constantly distracted Sunshine whenever she spoke.
“Yes, she is,” agreed Sunshine Symphony, who was most certainly not in armor tonight, as two other guards had been placed in charge of Luna’s chariot, and he had been ordered by the respective princess in no uncertain terms to take the evening off, with pay, or else. “She’s almost up to the rest of her class in school at Canterlot.”
“I meant Mama’s little batling.” Fluttershy leaned up a little more against Sunshine, enough for him to feel the thumping beat of her heart under warm ribs. She lifted up one yellow wing, and with only a slight hesitation, placed it delicately across his back in a motion which nearly had him jump out of his shoes from the unexpected feathery touch. It was a motion of trust that needed to be reciprocated, so after taking a steadying breath of his own, he stretched out his own membranous wing and placed it across her warm back.
“That’s nice,” said Fluttershy. “You care so much for Emerald. You’re a very special father.”
“I have a very special little filly,” said Sunshine, still looking up at the star-strewn sky where Emerald Dreams had vanished, most likely not to reappear until just before dawn as she had every time when father and daughter took their monthly trip to Ponyville under the light of the full moon. Emerald Dreams would fly with Mama and Ling, playing catch among the powdermoths and drinking far too many sweetflowers full of nectar, which would give his little filly an unbreakable smile for the rest of the month. Then, when the cold winds blew and The Folk huddled together in hibernation, Sunshine and Emerald would still take their monthly trip to Ponyville to sit with Fluttershy and talk all night over a pot or two of tea.
It was… nice, as Fluttershy frequently said.
“So,” he said after a certain amount of time, “did you want to take a long walk again while we wait for them to get back? Everypony should be going to bed soon, so you don’t have to be scared of being pranked.”
“I’m not scared when you’re around,” said Fluttershy. “Well, I am. But not as much.”
Sunshine coughed quietly into one hoof. “Maybe I should go guard the candy bowl and give Angel a break.”
“No,” said Fluttershy as she moved her wing a little further over him and pressed up against his side. “He’s got it. You’re fine right here.”
The darkness inside of Fluttershy’s house was unusually quiet tonight. Normally, there was always a bird or creature rustling through the little houses or peeking out of a nearby hole, even when the gigantic bat was in the vicinity. Tonight, not even a cricket broke the silence, much as if all of the little creatures had conspired to give Fluttershy some rare privacy.
“Dinner?” he asked somewhat hopefully. “I mean nothing is open in town but I could cook something for you.”
Fluttershy pressed her nose into his damp mane and took a sniff, which made Sunshine blush even more than the sensation of a tail which was tracing a path up and down his hind legs. “You’re wet,” she whispered.
“Emerald and I stopped to bob for apples before we came over,” he said almost apologetically. “I must smell like apples.”
“That’s okay,” said Fluttershy as she ran her nose up his neck in search of more interesting areas. Once she found what she was looking for, neither of them said anything for a long time until they stopped to breathe and Fluttershy whispered into his ear.
“I love apples.”