Heart of the Forest

by Krickis

4 – An Unstoppable Team

⠀
All in all, Fluttershy’s feelings were largely mixed. She, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were approaching the Everfree Forest, their trip to San Palomino recently behind them. The race itself had been enjoyable enough, even if Fluttershy wasn’t personally interested in that sort of thing. But of course, this whole trip had been all about the experience for her, not the race itself.
That experience had been a bit much to take in, and Fluttershy wasn’t yet sure what would come in the future. Everything that ponies did, from their music to their food, was so different from anything in Everfree. Some of it had been good, some of it bad, but that was definitely something she could enjoy experiencing more of.
But then there had been the ponies themselves. They were certainly not as bad as Applejack and other deer always made them sound, but Fluttershy hadn’t felt so out of place for centuries. She had expected some level of surprise, of course – just as she had never seen a pony, she knew they had never seen a draconequus – but ponies were outright afraid of her. And not just her, but Pinkie and Rainbow as well, despite the fact that ponies were aware of griffons.
That fear manifested in different ways. The skepticism and concerned looks were upsetting, but that had become the least of her concerns. Ponies would outright avoid them, businesses refused to serve them, and insults had been tossed around, both in hushed tones and spoken directly. Fluttershy wasn’t sure what a ‘taxidermy mishap’ was, but even Pinkie had lost her cheer when that one was used.
It wasn’t as if every pony had been awful. Surprised reactions were par for the course, but there were ponies who accepted them once the surprise wore off. Still, it was something of a relief when the events came to a close, even if the return trip was a slow one. Since Pinkie and Rainbow’s funds were limited, and Fluttershy didn’t have any pony money at all, taking a train from the nearby pony city of Las Pegasus was out of the question. It wasn’t so bad; flying at a comfortable speed may delay the trip home, but they’d avoid ponies that way.
In fact, the only thing that would’ve made it better was if Rainbow would finally move on to another topic.
“I still can’t believe ponies think that’s fast! If I was out on that field, none of them would even be able to keep track of me!”
“Maybe they’re not as fast as you, Dashie,” Pinkie said, “but some of those ponies were really good!”
Rainbow shrugged. “I guess they were alright for ponies.” She shifted from casual indifference to a smug grin. “But I could fly circles around them!”
To accentuate her point, Rainbow zipped around Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. She did two laps around them before coming to a halt. Pinkie seemed enthused by the display, but Fluttershy just smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re very fast, Rainbow.”
“The fastest!” Rainbow beamed with pride as she resumed the lazy pace Fluttershy and Pinkie forced her to keep.
Fluttershy grinned. “Well, you do have a point there. But you could still work on your geography a bit.”
Rainbow scowled. “Hey, I know for a fact that San Palomino used to be a city.”
As it turned out, what Rainbow had described as a ‘big city’ before their trip was actually nothing but a desert. That was the reason they had set up the race there, after all; San Palomino provided an open environment large enough for them to set up the race and other events while still being accessible to those who couldn’t fly.
“Of course, Rainbow,” Fluttershy conceded, although she had her doubts. She was beginning to suspect that maybe Rainbow hadn’t been to quite as many places as she said she had.
So it was something of a learning experience in more ways than one; Fluttershy had learned that even if some of the concerns were justified, the outside world wasn’t quite as horrible as many of the deer made it sound, and she learned not to let herself get awestruck by stories of grandeur.
They approached Everfree from the southwest. They had followed a deep canyon for most of the trip, which ran the majority of the way from San Palomino to Everfree. That took them as far as the bog that bordered the forest, which Fluttershy was marginally familiar with. While she preferred not to venture anywhere that ponies lived, Froggy Bottom Bog only had the occasional visitor.
There was no one there as they passed over it today, which Fluttershy was thankful for. As they followed the river system in deeper, things began to look increasingly familiar. The ground became more solid and small bushy plants eventually gave way to real trees, which then grew taller and closer together. The sights, the sounds, the smells, everything around her felt like home.
Well, mostly. Fluttershy had missed the forest immensely, but there was one part of it that she missed more than anything else. One doe who had scarcely left her thoughts, and to whom Fluttershy longed to return as swiftly as possible. But as tempting as it was to expedite the rest of the journey, she doubted that her companions would appreciate it.
So they stuck to flying. She led them deeper into the forest via the river so that they wouldn’t have to worry about flying through trees. The plan was to get somewhere they could rest, then Fluttershy would get Applejack and they could tell her about their trip while Pinkie and Rainbow figured out their next move.
Fluttershy smiled as just such a place presented itself. She’d had a forest clearing in mind, but a riverbank would serve them just as well. And when she noticed a shadow under the water she realized it would be even better.
Pinkie and Rainbow followed Fluttershy’s cue as she descended, landing on the ground and taking the chance to stretch their legs. Fluttershy had another idea in mind, however.
“Wait here, I’ll just be a moment,” she told the griffons. Rainbow cocked her head in puzzlement, but Pinkie seemed too preoccupied with trying to scratch her ear with a hindpaw to even notice.
Fluttershy dove into the water, swimming straight for the dark shadow. Most of the forest’s inhabitants wouldn’t have been able to swim down far enough. The river was deceptively deep, so even strong swimmers usually stayed on its surface. But Fluttershy could thrive in any of the forest’s environments, and the river was no exception. She kept her limbs tucked in and swam by twisting her body and using her finned tail.
Although the light grew low as she descended, she could still clearly see her mark. It was easy enough as two eyes glowed even in the relative darkness. Additionally, Fluttershy noticed what those eyes were staring at – two fish swam leisurely, completely unaware of the danger that lurked in the depths below them.
Fluttershy stopped swimming, letting her limbs fall loosely as she rearranged herself to tread water and stay in place. She hoped she wouldn’t be waiting long; she may have the means to swim underwater, but her lungs would only hold out for so long.
It seemed she needn’t have worried, however. There was a sudden flash of movement, and the figure below her rapidly closed the distance. Too rapidly, in fact; she sped past the fish and made her way directly toward Fluttershy.
A split second was all that Fluttershy had to react with. She moved her tail as rapidly as she could to put as much distance as possible between herself and the much faster sea serpent, while holding out her paws in the ‘stop’ motion.
It was futile. Fluttershy hardly had time to process what was going on before it was too late. She was caught with enough force that the air was pushed out of her lungs, and then was pulled rapidly upwards.
Even as they breached the water’s surface, Rarity kept her grip on Fluttershy firm. She laughed loudly as Fluttershy caught her breath, and then let herself fall backward. Fluttershy barely had time to quickly inhale and hold her breath again before they hit the water. The splash was accentuated by a squawking sound, but that too was cut off as they sank beneath the surface.
At least it was short-lived. Rarity remained on her back as she floated to the surface, then finally let go of Fluttershy once they were above the water.
“It’s nice to see you, too,” Fluttershy said with a grin. Although she was free, she remained where she was, lying on the sea serpent as they floated gently.
“Fluttershy, darling, you have no idea how happy I am to see you again.” While part of Rarity remained parallel with the water for Fluttershy to lie on, she’d lifted her head fully out of the river and used her long neck to allow them to talk face to face.
Over on the riverbank, Rainbow and Pinkie were soaking wet and clinging to each other as they stared in awe at the massive sea serpent. Fluttershy did her best to keep from laughing, but she couldn’t help but let a small giggle escape. “Rainbow, Pinkie, this is my friend Rarity. Rarity, this is Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Rarity said as she used her tail to turn them towards the griffons. 
Rainbow still seemed unsure, but Pinkie was clearly ready to make a new friend. Noticing Rainbow was still apprehensive, Pinkie grabbed her by the talon and coaxed her into the air.
“Hiya!” Pinkie said once they flew closer. “Is everyone in this forest a noodle?”
“A noodle?” Rarity asked. Fluttershy grinned, sure that she knew what Pinkie meant.
“Yeah! You’re both long and thin like noodles.” Pinkie tapped her beak in thought. “But I guess Applejack isn’t very noodly…”
Rainbow pulled her talon away from Pinkie’s and used it to push her playfully. “You’re noodly.”
Rarity chuckled. “You certainly have made some interesting friends, Fluttershy dear.”
Fluttershy just nodded and smiled as Pinkie rambled on. It was nice to be back in familiarity, but she was definitely still enjoying spending time with her new friends. But as Pinkie was making the distinction that Fluttershy was a forest noodle and Rarity was a water noodle, Fluttershy came to realize that Rarity kept glancing over at her.
“Uhm, is everything okay?” Fluttershy asked her after a while.
Rarity immediately broke into a grin. “But of course!”
Fluttershy sighed. The overly large smile confirmed what Fluttershy had feared. She turned to Pinkie and Rainbow. “Uhm, I’m sorry, but could you excuse us for a moment?”
Rainbow cast a brief look to Pinkie before jerking her head towards the riverbank. Pinkie looked like she was going to say something, but in the end, she followed Rainbow without protest.
Once they were alone, Fluttershy turned back to Rarity. “Now now, there’s no need to lie to me. What’s bothering you?”
“Really now, darling, everything is ju–”
“I’m sorry I called you noodles!” Pinkie called from the shore, cutting Rarity off. Fluttershy looked over to see Rainbow had her face in her talon. “I didn’t mean to offend you!”
Fluttershy laughed while Rarity answered for them. “There is no need to apologize, we were not offended in the slightest!” Rarity smiled as she answered, but it faded as she turned back to Fluttershy. “You really are quite taken with them, aren’t you?”
Fluttershy frowned. There was no way that could be what this was about. “Rarity, you’re not… jealous I have new friends, are you?”
“No, of course not! I couldn’t be happier for you, and they do seem quite nice. But I suppose…” Rarity sighed and spoke quickly as she continued. “I might be the teeniest bit concerned about you leaving Everfree.”
“What?” Fluttershy was sure she must have misunderstood. “But I’m already back. And there wasn’t ever anything to be afraid of. I’m pretty sure I can take care of myself, Rarity.”
“Oh, I have no doubts there.” Rarity smiled for a moment, but then immediately fell back to a concerned expression. “I doubt there’s anything out there that could get the best of you. It’s what you’re planning on doing now that worries me. To tell the truth, it’s been on my mind for days.”
If anything, that made even less sense. “What I’m doing next? I only just got back home, all I plan on doing is relaxing with Applejack and…” Fluttershy sighed and let her head fall into her paw. She hadn’t told Rarity she was going, so if she’d been worried for days, there was only one possibility. “What did Applejack tell you?”
Rarity tapped her claws together nervously. “Well, I did happen to speak to Applejack… And, er, she might have mentioned your trip.”
Although she knew she was putting Rarity in an awkward position by involving her in her friends’ love life, Fluttershy just folded her arms and waited for more.
“And well… we may have discussed that a bit.” Rarity shot a hopeful glance towards the griffons, but they were both too preoccupied to take note of anything; Pinkie was nuzzling her head against Rainbow, who in turn was trying to look disinterested without actually doing anything to stop the affection.
“Alright, fine.” Rarity gave up trying to get out of it and turned back to Fluttershy with an indignant expression. “Applejack informed me about your friends and your trip, and we talked about why you’d ever want to leave Everfree. She said that you’ve been very interested in the outside world lately, and that she’s afraid you might decide you prefer it out there.” Rarity spoke with a determined resolve, but her voice and features softened as she added, “We’ve both been worried sick about losing you…”
“Oh, Rarity…” Although Fluttershy was touched that Rarity cared so much, she was also tempted to tell her off for ever believing something so ridiculous. She held her tongue, however. “I would never. It’s fun to see what else is out there, but the forest is my home. I could never leave it for long.”
Rarity shifted her claws nervously. “You really mean that?”
“Of course I do.”
Switching her tone instantly, Rarity grabbed Fluttershy in another hug. “Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that, darling!”
There was no point in trying to get away, so Fluttershy just returned the hug. “I… think I might have some idea. Uhm, would you mind maybe hugging a little less tightly?”
“Oh!” Rarity let go of Fluttershy and wore a sheepish expression. “Sorry…”
Fluttershy just laughed it off. “No need to apologize.” Eager to get out of reach for any more surprise hugs, Fluttershy flew into the air, hovering near enough to Rarity’s head that they could still talk with ease. “I’m sorry Applejack put an idea like that into your head. I think I better go find her…”
“I’m holding you up, aren’t I? Terribly sorry…”
“Don’t be. It was nice seeing you.”
Rarity nodded, but her tone turned irritated. “When you see Applejack, do give her a piece of my mind for me. We were supposed to meet up yesterday to discuss how we might, er, get you to stay in the forest with us. Silly as it seems in hindsight, we got ourselves so worked up that we thought we were going to have to do something drastic and exciting to keep you around. But then, after she got me all worried over nothing, she had the nerve to stand me up!”
Fluttershy hesitated. “Really? But that doesn’t sound like her at all.”
“I know, she’s normally so dependable!” Rarity gasped. “You don’t suppose something happened to her, do you?”
Fluttershy crossed her arms and frowned. “Now Rarity, haven’t you learned better than to assume the worst?”
Rarity chuckled nervously. “I… suppose you may have a point there. But do come find me after you two have had some time to speak. It would be delightful to catch up, and I would love to hear about your trip.”
Fluttershy gave her promise that she would do just that, then said her goodbyes before flying off as quickly as she could without causing Rarity to worry more. Immediately, Rainbow and Pinkie followed after her.
“Whoa, wait a second,” Rainbow said once she caught up. “What’s the hurry?”
Fluttershy took a moment to answer, debating what to say. By the time she responded, Pinkie had caught up as well. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but something Rarity said has me worried, and… well, I’d just like to see Applejack as soon as possible.”
While it was true that there was nothing to worry about, it didn’t change the fact that Fluttershy was worried. While not every creature in Everfree was friendly with the deer, none of them would ever harm Applejack. If her kind-hearted nature didn’t win over some of the more hostile inhabitants, the fact that she was Fluttershy’s lover guaranteed that the worst she could expect from anyone would be indifference.
Still, it wasn’t like her to not show up for a prior arrangement, especially if she had been as worried as Rarity said she was. Fluttershy just hoped she hadn’t gone and done anything stupid.
Although Pinkie tried to cheer her up, Fluttershy didn’t speak again as they flew. She could tell she was causing her friends to worry, but she had only one thought in mind: getting to Applejack.
They landed in front of a willow, the home she shared with Applejack. Fluttershy wasted no time in entering. “Applejack?” she called, but no one answered.
“Woah, even your houses are in trees!” Pinkie said from beside her.
Fluttershy sighed and turned back to the door. “Applejack isn’t here.” Her concern only growing, she didn’t wait for the others before taking off again.
They flew low this time, under the tree canopy. Pinkie and Rainbow seemed to have trouble keeping up, but they were never too far behind. They flew through the apple orchard nearby and stopped at the largest tree. If Applejack wasn’t at the home that she and Fluttershy shared, then she must be at the home that she shared with her family. 
Except she wasn’t. That was apparent from the moment Fluttershy landed, as a small fawn ran up to her. “Fluttershy!” Apple Bloom called, but she lacked the excitement she usually had whenever she saw her adopted sister. Without needing to hear another word, Fluttershy already knew that Applejack had, indeed, gone and done something stupid.
“What is it, Apple Bloom?”
“Have you seen Applejack?” Apple Bloom asked. She paused as she noticed the two griffons who were finally catching up, but seemed to take Fluttershy’s lack of concern as enough reason to not worry herself. “She left a couple of days ago, and none of us have seen her since.”
“She left? Where did she go?”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “We don’t know. She came over here a couple days ago to grab that old map of Granny’s, then she left to go meet with you. Granny sent me over to the willow to tell her to invite your new friends over for dinner, but she wasn’t there. Big Mac went over to check a few hours later, but she must’ve been out all night.”
Fluttershy frowned. “Two days ago? But I was already gone by then. Applejack knew that, so I don’t know why she would’ve said she was going to meet up with me. Did she follow us to San Palomino after all?”
“San Palomino?” Apple Bloom asked.
Fluttershy shook her head. “I’ll tell you about that later. Did Applejack say anything else that might give us a clue where she went?”
Apple Bloom stopped and thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think so… She just mentioned that you had some friends who weren’t from Everfree, and she took the map, some food, and a barrel of elixir.”
“Elixir?” That didn’t make sense, Applejack thought that San Palomino was a big city. “But elixir only works in the forest… I don’t understand.”
“What’s elixir?” Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy glanced back for a moment. “It’s for deer magic.”
Rainbow flew over to Fluttershy and hovered in the air. “Well, she didn’t take something like that to San Palomino, so she must still be in the forest! Pinkie and I will scour the area with a bird’s eye view and find her in no time!”
“You wouldn’t be able to see through the trees,” Fluttershy pointed out. “Besides, I don’t think she’s in the forest. Rarity said they were supposed to meet yesterday, but Applejack never showed up…”
“But if she’s not in the forest, and she didn’t follow us, then where could she be?”
“In another forest, silly.” Everyone turned to look at Pinkie Pie, who shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “If we know she’s in a forest, and it’s not this one, then she must be in a different one.”
It did kind of make sense, but… “The only other forest around here is White Tail Woods,” Fluttershy said.
“Then that must be where she is!” Rainbow said.
“She probably decided to go since we were all talking about it the other day,” Pinkie added.
Fluttershy brought a paw to her mouth contemplatively. Why would Applejack want to go to White Tail Woods? The deer left their home there centuries ago, and everyone knew that White Tail Woods was a very dangerous place.
Fluttershy’s paw fell away as she remembered what Rarity had told her. White Tail Woods was dangerous. The perfect place to do something drastic and exciting.
“Apple Bloom, where’s Big Mac?” Fluttershy asked.
“He went to Thicket to see if anyone there’s seen Applejack.”
That meant everyone she needed to talk to was in one place. “Perfect.” Fluttershy lifted her paw and snapped
“Great, so how do we –”
Fluttershy didn’t hear the rest of Rainbow’s question. She didn’t hear anything else from her, Pinkie, or Apple Bloom. With a snap, the world around her vanished. It was replaced with towering trees full of elaborate and interconnected houses, with deer passing to and fro. A few of them jumped at the draconequus’s sudden appearance, but she had no time for that.
Since there was no way to know where Big Mac might be, Fluttershy chose to instead make for the other deer that might be able to help her. She flew into the air and made for one tree in particular. There was a spiral ramp leading up the length of the massive tree, which she ignored completely. Instead, she opted to fly straight up and enter the building through one of its many balconies.
There were not many in Everfree who could travel by air, so her unexpected appearance again proved startling to everyone inside. If she were anyone else, the sudden intrusion would not have been tolerated. Even among the deer, who preferred to keep their buildings open for visitors whenever possible, there were certain places where order was to be expected.
But being who she was, Fluttershy’s abrupt appearance was only met with puzzlement. “Miss Fluttershy? What can we –”
“Fluttershy!” a fawn ran up to her, cutting off the deer who had been speaking. He was tan with a white underside, and his horns were just starting to grow. “Are we going to be able to play today?”
“I’m sorry, Bramble, but not today,” Fluttershy said. The young prince looked crestfallen, so Fluttershy added, “Another day soon, I promise. But right now I need to speak with your father. Can you take me to him?”
Quickly getting over his disappointment, Bramble proudly led the way. Although he was still young – only slightly older than Apple Bloom – the prince prided himself on being helpful. He had moments of childish arrogance, but he had a good heart, and was always ready to do his part to help both the deer and the other denizens of the forest.
“Big Mac hasn’t been to the palace, has he?” Fluttershy asked as they walked.
“Yes, he’s speaking with Blackthorne about something.” Bramble seemed to be piecing things together at the realization that both Fluttershy and Big Mac had shown up independently. “Is everything alright, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy did her best to put on a comforting smile, in spite of how scared she was becoming. “I… I don’t know, Bramble. But I do know that things will be alright. I’ll make sure of it, and I think your father can help me.”
Bramble nodded. “I’m sure Papa will do anything he can to help you.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” At least, Fluttershy hoped he was. She knew she had come to ask a high price of him, and she was unsure how he would take her request. “Can you find Big Mac and send him to us as well? He should be there for what we have to discuss.”
“Of course,” Bramble said with a smile. Although he didn’t know what was going on, it didn’t matter. He was still young enough to believe that if someone trustworthy told him they would make things work out, then things were going to work out. It was as simple as that.
Although the palace had a throne room for their king to hold official meetings, Bramble led Fluttershy to a large balcony that overlooked Thicket. Several deer were sitting around a table enjoying the view and friendly conversation.
Without his full royal regalia, there was little to set King Aspen apart from the two other deer he was speaking with. His horns did have a permanent gold adornment around the base, but he stood out more for his coat than anything. While most deer were shades of brown and tan, Aspen was a brilliant white, with beige along his back and the bottoms of his eyes and black on the tips of his tail and ears.
“Papa, Fluttershy is here to see you,” Bramble announced as they approached.
Aspen smiled. “Thank you, Bramble.” Bramble smiled at the praise and left to find Big Mac. Aspen turned to Fluttershy. “Greetings, Fluttershy. It has been a while. Is this a social visit?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” Fluttershy answered.
Aspen nodded. “I feared as much. Nevertheless, come, sit with us. You should at least be comfortable while we talk.”
All the deer except for Aspen shifted to make room for Fluttershy to sit beside the king. Among the deer, there were very few matters so private that one would send away their friends, but Fluttershy knew the others would not interrupt their discussion unless their opinions were asked.
“It’s about Applejack,” Fluttershy said as she took a seat. “She’s missing.”
“Missing?” Aspen sat up straighter and his tone grew more direct. “For how long?”
“Two days. She hasn’t been back to our home or her family’s.”
“I see.” Aspen stared out over his city. “Two days is not a terribly long time.”
“I know. But this isn’t like her. She was supposed to meet with a friend yesterday, but she never showed up. The last deer to see her was Apple Bloom, when Applejack stopped by her family home for some supplies. I think that she’s doing something reckless and could be in danger now.”
Aspen turned from the view to look at Fluttershy. “You’re certain that she is not with a friend somewhere safe?”
Fluttershy hesitated a moment. She knew she would feel ridiculous if Applejack just showed up all of a sudden, unaware of the trouble she had caused. But she also knew her doe, and she knew that she would never disappear like this. “I am. And if there’s any chance I’m wrong, we’ll know soon. Big Macintosh has been going around Thicket looking for her, and Bramble’s gone to get him now.”
“Very well then. Do not fret, Fluttershy, we will find her. You have my word on that. If her brother does not bring good news, then I will have a search party organized. We’ll be searching for her before the day is out, and if she is anywhere in this forest, we shall find her.”
“But that’s just it,” Fluttershy said. If there was anything that was going to sour their meeting, it was this. “I don’t think Applejack’s in Everfree.”
“Excuse me?” Aspen’s eyes narrowed.
Before Fluttershy could elaborate, the sound of hooves alerted them that more deer were approaching. Fluttershy turned to see there were two, but her eyes were drawn only to the larger of them. He was exceptionally large for a deer, a reddish brown stag with slightly lighter fur on his underside.
Big Mac’s face was full of grim resignation as he looked at Fluttershy. “So she isn’t with you, then.”
It was hard to see that Big Mac hadn’t found her, and hard to tell him that she had no better news. “I’m sorry, Mac, but I don’t know where she is either.”
“Macintosh was just catching me up on the situation,” the deer beside him said. Blackthorne was a dark brown and white stag, as well as the king’s closest friend and confidante. His official position was Chief Royal Advisor, but he filled too many roles to be labeled so easily. “Do you have any leads, Fluttershy?”
“I do.” Fluttershy took a moment to steel herself, then turned to Aspen directly. He was the one she would need to convince, and he would also be the biggest challenge. “I believe Applejack went to White Tail Woods.”
Soft gasps gave way to stunned silence as everyone waited for someone else to speak. It was Blackthorne that eventually did. “Why do you think this, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy had been hoping for Aspen’s response, but she wasn’t surprised Blackthorne beat him to it. He was always the more collected of the two, and he’d often assist his king in handling troublesome situations.
“I believe that she left the forest because none of her family or friends have seen her, and she has nowhere else that she would have gone here. She took supplies for a trip, including elixir, so we know she still has to be in a forest. And recently… we were talking about White Tail Woods, and about exploring more of the world outside. I think… no, I’m sure that’s where she’s gone.”
Aspen rose from his seat and walked over to the edge of the balcony. Fluttershy couldn’t see his expression, but his voice was hard. “Your evidence is shaky at best.”
So quick he was to shy from his promise to help. “I know her, Aspen. I know my Applejack, and I have no doubts that’s what happened.”
“So I am to order my deer to go return to White Tail Woods on your hunch, then?”
Fluttershy frowned at both his words and his tone, but she was cut off from responding by Blackthorne. “I believe she is right, my king.”
Aspen turned to Blackthorne with a look of betrayal. Bramble’s arrogance could be explained from his age; the same trait was much more unbecoming when his father showed it. “What do you mean?”
Blackthorne showed no signs of acknowledging the hostility. “I’ve been told by the birds that Applejack was seen on the outskirts of the forest two days ago. I did not realize the significance of this until I met with Macintosh, and he informed me that no one in his family has seen her since. I’m told that it was late in the day that she was spotted, which would put the timing after she was last seen by her sister. That she left the forest thereafter seems most likely.”
“And what would you have me do then!?” Aspen demanded. “We cannot return to the woods!”
“The decision is yours, my king,” Blackthorne replied. “I’m simply telling you what I know.”
“There shouldn’t need to be a decision,” Fluttershy said angrily. “You are the king of the deer, and one of your subjects is in danger. We have to go find her.”
“You are too close to see clearly,” Aspen said. He clearly was trying to keep his tone down out of respect for Fluttershy, but he was doing a poor job at it. “How many of my subjects would you have me risk for one? If Applejack left the forest, then she has forsworn my protection in doing so.”
“Your protection is for the deer, not just the ones in your walls,” Fluttershy reminded him.
“Do not tell me what my job is, guardian,” Aspen said. “I am protecting my deer by not forcing them to risk their lives.”
“Now hold on a minute,” Big Mac said. “Fluttershy didn’t say anything about forcing anyone to risk anything. We can ask for volunteers.”
“I would volunteer to lead such a mission, my king,” Blackthorne added.
Aspen looked between the three of them. “Then I am to allow my subjects to voluntarily take on a suicide mission? I will not.”
Big Mac’s face hardened, while Blackthorne remained impassive. Fluttershy glanced around and realized that without her noticing, the other deer had all left the room. “I know White Tail Woods is scary, but there is safety in numbers. If we stay in organized groups, we can cover ground without risking anyone. Besides, the deer haven’t been there in eight hundred years. No one really knows if there is even anything dangerous still there.”
It seemed that had been the wrong thing to say. Aspen gave up all pretense of keeping his cool. “I don’t need a history lesson, guardian, I was there! I was there on the day we left those woods, and you were not! Do not presume to tell me of the dangers.”
“You’re right, I wasn’t there!” Fluttershy shot back. “But today, I will be. I am capable of protecting the deer from whatever might be in there, I just need help searching.”
“The deer help each other,” Big Mac pointed out. His voice was stern, but without anger. “That’s our way. We don’t leave anyone behind, not even one deer. I trust Fluttershy to see us through okay, and I know I’m not the only one.”
“Do not lecture me!” Aspen barked. “I know of our ways, but I also know there must be exceptions. Do you know what happened that day that we left the woods? One single deer stayed behind. And no one went after her. That night we all felt like cowards, but we knew we did what we had to for the good of all of us. We left her to die because there was no other choice afforded to us. She was a queen, and if we would not take a risk for her, then I’ll be damned if we will for an apple farmer!”
Fluttershy’s mouth fell open. Aspen had crossed a line that he should never have dared approach. She rose to her full height, then continued rising into the air. She didn’t use her wings to fly, instead holding herself up with her magic. Aspen took a step back as he stared at the draconequus. He was so used to thinking of her as nothing but a gentle soul. It was time he was reminded of what else she could be.
“You’re right about one thing. I am the guardian of this forest, and you seem to forget what that means, little king. Do you think that you have the right to decide what life is worth more or less than another? Do you think that a title makes you better than your subjects? That it gives you some sort of protection?”
Aspen took another step back, so Fluttershy charged him. She moved faster than he could even react, and was behind him before he knew what was going on. Using her serpentine body, she curled her body around his and was still able to keep her face in front of his. “I’m what protects you, and everyone else in this forest. And I don’t care about the difference between a king, or any apple farmer, or anyone else. But I am the guardian of this forest and those who live in it, while you are the guardian of your deer. And if you’re going to forget your job, then you just might find that I’m willing to do the same.”
Fluttershy uncurled herself from around him and again floated into the air. “You do not want me to be your enemy, little king.”
Aspen sat in place unable to form an answer, and not even Blackthorne would come to aid. It may have been the first time in his life that anyone had ever made an outright threat against him, and he had no power to do anything about it.
A distant voice caught everyone’s attention. Everfree did not have many inhabitants that could fly, and yet the voice came from above them. “I found her! Over here!”
Fluttershy turned towards the sky, and found there was already no time to react. A slightly bird-shaped mass of pink collided into her, knocking her out of the air and straight to the ground.
“Wow, we looked for you everywhere, Fluttershy!” Pinkie said from atop Fluttershy. All Fluttershy could see was Pinkie’s face staring into hers, and the griffon didn’t seem interested in moving from her perch. “This is a really big –”
“Remove yourself from the guardian, bird!” Blackthorne commanded.
Fluttershy still couldn’t see anything, but she heard multiple sets of hoofsteps approaching. Then something else dropped onto the balcony, and there was the sound of something crashing and hoofsteps reeling backwards.
“Hey, back off!” Rainbow shouted. “No one touches a feather on Pinkie!”
“What’s the meaning of this!?” Aspen demanded. “This is an outrage!”
“Everyone calm down!” Rainbow said, in what had to be the least calm tone she could muster.
“I’m super calm!” Pinkie said cheerfully, as if nothing was amiss.
“Uh, Fluttershy?” Big Mac asked tentatively. “Are these friends of yours?”
Fluttershy sighed. “Pinkie, could I get up please?”
“Okie dokie!” Pinkie finally yielded, allowing Fluttershy to stand up and survey the situation. The table had been turned over, Aspen was furious, Blackthorne and Rainbow stood in defensive stances with their eyes locked on one another, Pinkie was smiling as she looked around at everyone, and Big Mac just seemed confused.
“Yes, these are friends of mine,” Fluttershy answered.
Aspen looked between Fluttershy and the griffons. “Well, I’ve had enough of this. I’ve given my answer and it’s not changing, no matter how many birds you bring in to destroy my home.”
No one moved as he walked away. He stopped at the door and spoke, but he didn’t look back. “I do hope you both know that I am not without my sympathies. Applejack is an upstanding doe, and I’ll be hoping for her safe return.”
Fluttershy likewise didn’t turn towards him as she answered. “I don’t need your sympathies.”
Without anything further, Aspen walked into the palace, closing the door behind him.
Pinkie cupped her talons around her beak and called after him, “We’re griffons!”
Although she probably would have laughed normally, Fluttershy couldn’t find it in her. She sighed and sat back down.
“We’ll get Applejack back, with or without his help,” Big Mac said, taking a seat beside her.
“Yeah!” Rainbow added. “So when do we leave for White Tail Woods?”
Fluttershy looked at her. “What? But you’re not –”
“Oh, we definitely are,” Rainbow said with a cocky grin. “How could we not come with you? This sounds totally awesome!”
“Uh huh!” Pinkie sat on Fluttershy’s other side and patted her on the back. “Besides, Rainbow doesn’t want to admit it, but we’re both really worried about Applejack too.”
“Pinkie! You said you wouldn’t tell her that…”
Fluttershy smiled. “Thank you. Both of you.”
“Between the four of us, we’ll have AJ back in no time,” Big Mac said.
Fluttershy turned to see him wearing a confident grin, but she found that her own smile fell away. “I’m sorry, Big Mac, but I need to ask you to stay here.”
“What? But you came here looking for help. There’s no way I’m not gonna help you find my sister!”
“I know you want to come, but…” Fluttershy patted him on the back with one of her wings. “You can’t fly. Even if I get you to White Tail Woods, it would slow us down.”
“But I –”
“She’s right, Macintosh,” Blackthorne added. Fluttershy had expected him to leave with Aspen, but he had remained in place. He was eyeing Pinkie and Rainbow suspiciously, but he no longer looked ready to fight. “If it can’t be done with a full search party, then it would be better left to the three of them. A small group of flyers will be much faster if left to themselves.”
Big Mac scowled. “So I just sit here and do nothing while my sister’s off in White Tail Woods with who knows what else out there?”
“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said. “I know you want to help, but…”
“And you will help,” Blackthorne added. “You and I are going to find volunteers to search Everfree in case we’re wrong about where Applejack is. And if Fluttershy realizes that she needs someone else for something, then she’ll know exactly who to come back and get.”
Big Mac sighed. “It doesn’t feel like enough.”
“It’s not,” Blackthorne agreed. “But it is what we are able to do.”
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said to Blackthorne. Turning to Big Mac, she added, “And I’ll be sure to find you if I need anything at all. I’ll bring Applejack back.”
“We’ll bring her back!” Rainbow corrected. “Just you wait, the three of us are gonna be an unstoppable team.” Pinkie nodded her agreement.
Fluttershy smiled at her friends. She barely knew Pinkie and Rainbow, and here they were, already willing to risk everything for her sake. She got the feeling that Rainbow was right about them being a great team.
“Fluttershy, one more thing,” Blackthorne said as she stood up. “The three of you could never find a single deer in all of White Tail Woods, but you won’t have to. If you’re right and Applejack went there, she went there for one reason only: Sungrove. All deer know the way home. Find Sungrove, and you’ll find Applejack.”
Fluttershy nodded. She walked over to the edge of the balcony and looked out at Thicket one last time.
Pinkie placed her talons on the balcony on Fluttershy’s right, while Rainbow jumped onto it completely on her left. “Right, so which direction is White Tail Woods?”
Fluttershy smirked and raised her paw. “Oh, we’re not flying there.”
With a snap, everything disappeared.