Chirping, squeaks, tiny steps scampering about, and a calming flow of a waterfall nearby penetrated her ears. Fluttering wings, tiny paws, a gentle breeze, and the warmth of the sun penetrated the feelings in her body. She opened her eyes. Blur, sun flare, silhouettes of butterflies, squirrels, mice, and many other critters filled her visions. The critters came into focus. They were filled with smiling faces. Even the butterflies’ smiling faces could be seen clearly. Picking herself up, she smiled back while gazing upon the scenery. A luscious pond, bright fireflies, beautiful flowers, and elegant trees dancing from the gentle breeze blowing in the area.
“This place…” Fluttershy started with a smile. She gazed upon the scenery, seeing the critters wave at her as her sights went in their direction. Some of them were picking berries off the trees and bushes in the area. One of them went to her and offered a berry. With a smile, she accepted. The little squirrel smiled as Fluttershy took the berry in her mouth.
As she chewed the berry, her eyes turned to the pond. There were critters swimming in it, splashing about, jumping over the water, and generally having a good time. On the other side of it, she saw a gentle waterfall flowing. The waterfall went above the trees, where the sun’s light shined brightly around the area.
“It’s… beautiful.” Fluttershy finished. It was more than just beautiful to her though.
It was paradise.
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Many critters circled around her as she walked to one of the beautiful flower patches nearby. They were decorated with multiple colors. Red, yellow, pink, and blue. She smiled to the critters as they climbed on top of her, gesturing her towards the flowers. She lowered her head to take a whiff. That was when the critters leaped off her mane to dive into the flowers. Lots of butterflies spread from those flowers. Purple, orange, green, and cyan. Their appearance surprised Fluttershy, making her gallop across the flowers.
As she galloped, she laughed. The butterflies swarmed around her body as if they were bees violently stinging her for disturbing their habitat. But they weren’t stinging.
“Ahahah! Stop it! Heheh! That tickles!” Fluttershy continued running, trying to escape the butterflies. But they stuck to her like glue. She found herself being tripped by one of the critters hiding underneath the flowers, making her fall and roll on her back. More laughing came from Fluttershy. The flowers surrounding her joined in the tickling. Despite the circumstances, she didn’t find this as torture. All the tickling felt enjoyable to her.
The tickling soon stopped. They turned into a pleasant massage. She opened her eyes, seeing the little critters brushing her mane. Fireflies flew closer to her to brighten up her mane. Some of the butterflies stretched it out, showing just how long it was. Feeling all their brushes and snuggles against her mane was all so soothing for her. It was all…
“How lovely!” she said with a tear.
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The critters of this paradise invited her to many different activities. Fluttershy took a swim with some of them, splashing about in so much joy. Some of them did some gardening and Fluttershy happily assisted. A flock of birds started chirping a song and Fluttershy conducted for them. But the best part was when they all gathered together for a tea party, where she could have a friendly chat with them.
During that chat, she started thinking. They weren’t pleasant thoughts, but they felt important. As she took one more sip from her tea, she began asking those thoughts.
“What is this place? And how did I get here?” When she asked that question, the smiles from the animals turned to concern. None of them spoke a response to her question. Fluttershy took a look around the area. Her heart started becoming hollow. Despite seeing how beautiful this garden was, and all of the wonderful animals that inhabited it, she started feeling sad.
“Why does it feel like… something’s missing?” The lights around Fluttershy became more glaring to her. Depression started filling her soul. She felt that she wanted to be alone right now. As soon as she thought that, the animals disappeared without her notice. All she focused on was walking to the lake with her head hung low.
Fluttershy looked to her reflection in the lake. “What happened to me? Why can’t I remember?” Looking at herself in the lake’s reflection made her realize. “I’m… alone…” Her body slumped to the ground. She regretted her earlier wish. Paradise had become barren, void of life. “I don’t want to be alone…” A tear shed from her eyes as she closed them. The atmosphere became heavy, the sounds dimmed, and her feelings went numb. All she could feel was her heart getting heavier over time.
“You’re not alone.” Fluttershy heard a voice. It made her moan curiously as she opened her eyes again. She heard something slowly walking towards her. For some reason, she wasn’t afraid. The voice she heard… she recognized it.
Fluttershy hesitantly turned around, only fearing that if she looked, she would see nothing. A bright light came to her version. This light brightened her spirit. She continued turning around. Somepony was there. They were walking towards her. Her eyes pulsated in hope when she saw who it was.
She saw the form of a blue pony. Powerful wings to the side, magenta eyes, and a colorful rainbow mane that practically shined in her eyes. But they also had red markings near their eyes, and their tail was long and lizard-like, holding scales with the colors of the rainbow, ending in purple at its tip.
Fluttershy’s lips quivered. “R-R-Rainbow… Dash…?” When she said her name, Rainbow opened her mouth. Three black tentacle-like tongues came out of it. They stretched towards Fluttershy. Watching them moving towards her brought unnerve to her heart. When they reached her, one wrapped around her front hoof, one wrapped around her back hooves, and the last wrapped around her body, binding her wings. Feeling them restraining her body made her shiver.
The coils started dragging her towards Rainbow. With whimpers, she made a small attempt to stop herself from sliding. It didn’t help at all. She found herself continuing to slide until she reached Rainbow. All she could do was shut her eyes as she practically cried.
But then she felt her body rub up against something warm. The coils unwrapped themselves and moved towards her head, embracing her closer. Her eyes opened and her fear vanished. Rainbow Dash was hugging her close with a gentle smile. She found herself looking into Rainbow eyes as her own pulsated in delight. Whimpers of fear turned to whimpers of joy. The light around the area became clear.
“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy said as she rubbed her face against Rainbow’s. "Oh, Rainbow..." She could practically feel Rainbow’s heartbeat filling the void in her own. It warmed her body to the core, releasing tears in her eyes as she smiled. Rainbow Dash was looking back, smiling just as brightly.
“Hey,” Rainbow said. “No need to be sad. I’m here.” Her voice was so gentle and calm while her her hoof brushed along the back of Fluttershy’s mane. The brushing sent a relaxing chill along Fluttershy’s body. She didn’t want it to stop.
“Where are we, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked. “And how did we get here?” Rainbow brushed Fluttershy’s mane a few more times before stopping. It was unnerving to Fluttershy because it felt like bad news would be the answer.
“We’re in what you called this place, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said as she put a hoof to Fluttershy’s nose. “Paradise.”
Fluttershy blinked as her nose was booped. But Rainbow’s answer was the bigger question. “P-Paradise?” Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded. “B-But… why are we… here?”
Rainbow pulled away from Fluttershy to answer. “You don’t remember what happened?”
Fluttershy had to look away to think. What was the last thing she could remember when she was awake? For some reason, she was afraid to think about it. Closing her eyes, she tried harder. But her mind just refused to remember, making her shake her head. Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her shoulder to calm her down. She looked up, and found herself looking into Rainbow’s confident eyes. Through those wonderful black and magenta orbs, she could see the visions of what happened.
Fluttershy was trying to save Rainbow Dash from a couple ponies trying to capture her. She saw the Twittermite Zapper Device, Rainbow’s battle against Strike, Strike fleeing the scene in fear, and then X.
That was when she remembered. The visions cut off as the tragic moment played in her mind. Her eyes opened wide in shock and her body trembled at the memory. She saw herself getting bitten by a rattlesnake fired by X. Tears rolled down her eyes.
“N-N-No… Then… T-That means… U-Uhn…” Rainbow pulled her back in for a hug, lending her a shoulder to cry on. It was a depressing cry of defeat. Her muffled cries screamed out while Rainbow gently rubbed her mane. She could see Rainbow’s body glowing brighter despite her eyes being closed. The brighter it glowed, the warmer Rainbow’s body felt.
“Oh… Rain-bow…” Fluttershy managed to sob out. “I’m-m so sor-ry-y-y…” A sniff came before she looked up to Rainbow’s eyes. Seeing that smiling face only made her sadder. “I was trying so-o hard to protect you. To prove that you… that a tatzlpony… wasn’t bad. But… now I’m… I-I’m…” She hiccuped in the middle of her sobs. Mashing her face back in Rainbow’s chest, she finished. “I failed you-u-u…”
More tears flowed out of Fluttershy’s eyes as she openly cried. Rainbow’s body only glowed brighter with Fluttershy’s words and tears. But they couldn’t calm Fluttershy’s sorrow. All she could do was let it all out. Soon, Fluttershy felt a hoof placed under her chin, making her remove her face from Rainbow’s chest. She felt her head being tilted back up, looking at Rainbow again. That smile was still on her face.
“No, Fluttershy,” she said while shaking her head. “You didn’t fail me. Not yet.”
Those words made Fluttershy sniff as her sobbing halted. “W-What… do you mean?”
Rainbow Dash gently removed the embrace Fluttershy held on her. When she picked herself up and moved away, Fluttershy whimpered and reached a hoof out, not wanting to see her go. She was missing that warmth already. After a few steps, Rainbow began speaking again.
“Fluttershy. Do you know where you are?” The question left Fluttershy’s heart hollow.
“P-Paradise,” she answered painfully. “That’s what you said it was, right?”
Rainbow just shook her head. “That’s what you called it.” She pointed at her as she answered. “We’re in your mind, Fluttershy. You’re dreaming.”
Fluttershy’s breath stuttered in a gasp. “W-What?” She had trouble believing what she was hearing. “Y-You mean I’m… I-I’m…” There was a long pause. “I’m still alive?” Rainbow answered by nodding her head. “But… b-but… the venom...”
Rainbow started walking to her again. “You’ve been asleep for awhile ever since I bit you.”
Fluttershy’s eyes grew for a second. “Bit me? But… you didn’t bite me. It was…” She hesitated to finish her sentence, but also stopped it completely when she noticed the glow around Rainbow Dash dimming. Her smile was also turning into a frown. “Wait a minute… Rainbow?”
Rainbow’s smile returned. “I’m the snake that bit you.” She resumed walking forward. “I’ve been hypnotizing your mind to send you to a wonderful world, so that you can be happy and calm. It’s something I always do to my prey… just before I feast on them.” Fluttershy’s ears dropped as her smile quickly turned to a frown. When she backed away, Rainbow Dash just chuckled. “Not you though. You’re too big for a little snake like me to swallow.” For some reason, Fluttershy was thinking size didn’t matter. “I’m just using an image of your friend so that I could communicate with you, and keep you happy while you recovered.”
Rainbow Dash, or, the snake projecting an image of Rainbow Dash, reached Fluttershy again and put a hoof to her cheek. She couldn’t help but smile and tear up from hearing what the snake did.
“You… did that for me?”
Rainbow smiled and nodded. “Your mind…” she started. “It’s so wonderful. The ones you care… the things you would do for us animals… even to a snake like me. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Like being around a mother that I never had.”
Rainbow moved her head closer to Fluttershy to look her in the eyes. “But none of that is as great as the bond I saw with you and your friend.”
Fluttershy felt a tingle in her heart that made her body shiver. She couldn’t describe it, but she liked it. There was something about Rainbow’s eyes that brought her extra comfort. Was it just the snake’s influence, or was it something else? As Rainbow pulled back and sat down, Fluttershy had to ask a few things.
“But… I-I don’t understand. How did I survive? Your venom… when you bite me, the poison doesn’t just leave my body. Even if I could survive it for a few minutes, it would eventually consume me. So… how…”
Rainbow kept her smile and just closed her eyes. “I don’t know. All that matters is, you’re still breathing, and recovering.”
Fluttershy wasn’t sure how to respond to that. For a moment, she thought maybe she wasn’t poisoned, but that wasn’t it. She remembered vividly about the pain she felt and the feeling of that poison consuming her just before she blacked out. That reminded her.
“Where are we?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, my body… where is it?”
“Still where you collapsed,” Rainbow answered. “A clearing that’s normally not here. All the trees nearby were snapped off. There’s a lot of burn marks. It’s messy.”
“Anypony else around?” Fluttershy asked. “Any animals? Timberwolves?” Rainbow just shook her head. It left Fluttershy a bit confused. For some reason, she didn’t think where she was would be so barren all of a sudden. “How long have I been sleeping?”
“Hard to say,” Rainbow answered. “After I bit you, I saw a bright flash of light. Then, I blacked out just like you did. When I woke up the next morning, everything was gone. The pony that captured me, your friend, the timberwolves, all gone. When I saw you, I was in a trance. Looking into your soul was like finding a mother. I couldn’t look away. Even when night came back, I couldn’t stop looking, watching as your body recovered. Morning will rise soon once again, and it still feels like home.”
Fluttershy took in how Rainbow described the time pass and didn’t like the results. “So then… I’ve been out for two days now. That must mean… they’ve already left the forest…” She looked away as a tear started shedding in her eye. “They’ve… taken her away. I… I still failed her…”
Fluttershy closed her eyes as she let her tears drip. It didn’t matter if she somehow survived the poison. By that time, they would’ve left the forest already and taken Rainbow Dash to Celestia knows where. Even if she could figure out where they were, whatever horrible things they wanted to do to Rainbow Dash, they would have done it already.
“Not yet, Fluttershy. Not yet.” Fluttershy’s tears halted. She hesitantly turned her eyes to Rainbow, unsure if she heard correctly. “I still hear them. Two ponies in a clearing further in the forest. I hear they’re still there.”
Fluttershy looked to Rainbow in a gasp. “But why? And how? How did you hear them?”
“The forest speaks,” Rainbow said. “And by that I mean, the others in the forest spread word on what is going on. They say that two ponies are holding themselves up in a clearing. They’re not sure what one of them is doing. But the other one seems scared st-” Rainbow interrupted herself to correct her wording. “Well… not scared stiff. But it looks like she’s been frantically trying to barricade the place, keep everything else out.”
There was no doubt in Fluttershy’s mind anymore. That must’ve been X and the real Rainbow Dash. Why X hadn’t left the forest yet, she wasn’t sure, but maybe there were a number of reasons as to why. The real question was, how was Rainbow Dash? But for now…
Fluttershy closed her mouth and turned her eyes serious. “How is my body?” She thought this illusion of Rainbow would grow concerned, but Rainbow just smiled.
“You want to wake up, don’t you?” Fluttershy could only gasp again. It was like the snake was able to read her mind. “Morning is coming. My venom in you seems to have vanished. And your body has managed to recover significantly.” Rainbow closed her eyes. “I can wake you at any time. I just…” There was a pause. The smile on her face seemed to fade. As her smile faded, so did the surrounding areas. Paradise started turning into a void. “I just hope I can make up for what I did to you.”
Fluttershy suddenly felt sorry for the snake. “Don’t worry about it,” she said with a shake of her head. “It wasn’t your fault. You were just being used. The way I see it, you already made up for it.”
Soon, all of Paradise was no longer visible. It truly became a black void, where the only light that illuminated came from an eerie glow from Rainbow’s body. “Are you ready?” she asked.
Fluttershy nodded but quickly retracted that. “Wait!” she started. “What is your name? Or... do you have one?”
There was a moment of silence. All Fluttershy could hear during that silence was her own heartbeat. It was odd. But Rainbow eventually closed her eyes and smiled.
“Just call me,” Rainbow’s voice suddenly grew lower with each word she said. It began to sound much like a stallion. Her mouth suddenly opened wide with her three tongues lashing out. “Sssssssllyyyyyyyyy!”
Fluttershy yelped when those tongues wrapped around her. Shocked from both the change in voice and the lash out, she didn’t have time to react before the tongues wrapped around her hooves, her neck, and her body. She screamed as the tongues lifted her and pulled her in. This time, there was no hesitation. Struggling and flailing around proved no effect in slowing her down. The last thing Fluttershy saw was her face heading straight in Rainbow’s mouth.
Echo. Echo. Echo.