“What do you think is in here?” Amethyst asked as we continued walking deeper into the forest. That was a pretty good question, actually.
“I have no idea,” I answered truthfully. “Probably a manticore or a cockatrice. I know the zebra pony thing lives in here.” I’ve seen her trotting around the woods when I’ve flown over.
“Zecora,” Spike said helpfully. “Her name is Zecora.”
“Do you know her well?” I asked as my eyes flicked around the dark woods. I opted to walk alongside my friends instead of flying ahead. I’ve never really talked to her before. I know the flower sisters had spoken to her after getting over their terror of her. How the whole town got scared of one mare was beyond me. If they treated me how they treated her, I’d have bucked their face in. I don’t tolerate disrespect in any form.
“Yeah. She’s pretty cool.” That was good enough for me. As long as they seemed cool and friendly I was happy.
“Any of you scared?” Amethyst asked hesitantly. I gave her a knowing smile and wrapped a wing around her.
“We’ve never been in here before other than Spike. It’s okay to be scared,” I reassured her. “Hell, I’m scared.”
“Flits is right,” Spike chimed in as he looked ahead. “I’ve been in here countless times and I’m afraid. The last time I was in here was when the Everfree was expanding into town and some plants sprayed Twilight with some knockout gas.”
Amethyst and I looked at each other worriedly as we ventured further into the forest. I blushed slightly at my new nickname of Flits. I loved it. Way better than what I’ve been called in the past. Last nickname was bitch and given to me by a filly in school. Surprisingly not Cloudchaser. I quickly shook her name out of my head. Now is not the time to think about her.
“You okay?” Amethyst asked quietly as she nudged me with her head. “You kinda zoned out on us.”
“I’m fine,” I lied as she and Spike gave me flat looks. Maybe that wasn’t my most convincing lie. “Okay, I was thinking is all. Mainly about Cloudchaser. And Sprinkle Medley.”
“You know, I always liked you better than her,” Spike announced as I smiled and rubbed his head spikes. He was surprisingly adorable and nice. I never really got to talk to him much.
“Thanks Spike.”
Spike rocked back and forth on his feet with his claws behind his back as he blushed. I glanced up at the sun through the foliage as I felt Amethyst watching me.
“And how do you feel about Sprinkle? Betrayed perhaps?” Amethyst asked with a raised eyebrow as she used her magic to move some leaves out of her face.
“Wow you hit that one on the head,” I commented bitterly. “Sprinkle had no right to tell Cloudchaser that we had sex. I never tell ponies when we did it in the past, not even Cloudchaser. Because she never shuts up. She betrayed me and probably for a laugh too.”
Amethyst and Spike stayed quiet as I ranted. I didn’t even know if Sprinkle and I were still friends after this. I made a mental note to not mention that to Princess Twilight. She would go into overtime trying to fix things. I remember the want it, need it spell incident very well.
“I don’t know about that. You two always got along well,” Amethyst commented as Spike ducked under a tree branch. “Spike told me about how you two work together often. And tornado duty that mom took part in.”
I gave a shrug as I raked my mind trying to remember who her mom was. She was right about me and Sprinkle doing everything together. Well, used to.
“Who is your mom again?” I asked finally as a house came into view in the distance.
“Derpy Hooves. Grey pegasus, bubble cutie mark. Has a unicorn filly.”
Oh. My ears flattened against my head as we approached the house cautiously. I used to not like Derpy after she accidentally crashed into my house and knocked some belongings over.
“I know how you feel about my mom. Everypony feels the same because they don’t know her. Carrot Top is pretty nice. They’re like best friends,” Amethyst sighed as she looked at me. I gulped nervously at the flash of anger in her eyes. “Mom is a good pony. She’s the most forgiving and kind pony I know. I personally think she would have been a better candidate for the element of kindness, especially after the whole Canterlot wedding incident.”
Spike winced slightly as I frowned. The infamous wedding changeling incident quickly became public known after the changeling queen announced nopony believed Princess Twilight about the whole ponynapping thing.
“Maybe so,” I admitted as we examined the run down house. “I should probably apologize to your mom. She would probably hit me though.”
“Pfft!” Amethyst snorted as she pushed the rotting door open. “Mom hit somepony? Please! That would never happen.”
“If you say so,” I said as we looked around the interior. “Why is there a house here and who lives here?”
“I would say lived here,” Amethyst muttered and pointed a hoof to the backyard. We all let out strangled gasps at the skeleton of a pony hanging from a tree. I resisted the urge to vomit as Spikes jaw dropped.
“Do you think that pony uh ended themselves?” I asked nervously as my ears pressed against my head.
“I think so. We should give her a proper burial,” Spike said as we cautiously worked our way to the back yard of overgrown trees. Amethyst levitated the skeleton of the mare down as Spike dug a hole.
For the next hour, we worked on digging and making a makeshift headstone. None of us had a name of the pony so we just put unknown pony.
“This got depressing,” I said as we stared at the covered up grave. Amethyst nodded as she placed a flower next to the head stone.
“Let’s go inside. I don’t like being out here this late. Feels dark. Like there’s something out here with us.”
“It got really cold too,” Spike added as we walked inside the house. I carefully shut the door and shivered. It did feel multiple degrees colder than it did earlier. I didn’t really trust this falling apart house but it was shelter from Timberwolves and well, the mare who inhabited it wasn’t going to be using it anymore.
I shrugged my saddlebags off my back as did Amethyst as we unrolled our sleeping bags. Spike placed a pillow down as I slipped into my sleeping bag with a yawn.
“Goodnight guys.”
“Night Flits.”
I closed my eyes and slipped into sleep, the sound of Spikes snoring working into my dreams.
A loud scream made me jump up and my eyes shot open. I strained to see in the dark as I made out Spike and Amethysts sleeping forms.
“H-hello?” I nervously called out as I stood up and gently nudged Amethyst. “Wake up, Amethyst.”
“What time is it?” Amethyst rubbed her eyes with a hoof.
“I don’t know. Late I guess. Did you hear the scream?”
Amethyst quit rubbed her eyes and sat up, her eyes becoming more alert as she scanned the room.
“No I didn’t.”
“I don’t think we are alone. It sounded like it came from outside.” Amethyst and I looked at each before nodding. I stepped over Spike as we snuck outside and peered from the bush we had hid behind.
Our jaws dropped slightly at the white outline of a greenish earth pony wandering around.
“What the hell is that?” I whispered as we watched the figure look around.
“I think a ghost.”
I bit back a groan as I rolled my eyes. I don’t believe in ghosts. They’re just made up to scare fillies and colts.
“We should talk to her.”
“Absolutely not,” I hissed quietly. “Are you out of your mind? If it is a ghost, can’t they possess ponies?”
“Are you scared?” Amethyst challenged as she stood up. “Hello!”
The mares head whipped to us and we stepped back nervously. Her sad green eyes bore holes in us as she approached.
“Uhm hi,” she said quietly and my jaw dropped down ever further. I was actually talking to a ghost. “Who are you two and why are you on my property?”
“I’m sorry,” Amethyst commented and bowed her head slightly. “We didn’t know. We needed a place to stay for the night. And you are?”
“Wallflower Blush,” Wallflower said and sat down. “Stay as long as you like. I apologize for the terrible condition.”
“I know you!” I gasped and pointed out her. “You knew the Pillars of Equestria. You were the gardener of Celestia. Why are you so far away?”
“Ah yes the Pillars,” Wallflower said bitterly as she rolled her eyes. “Such lovely ponies, right? The history books never really tell the whole story about them. Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“I guess so?”
“They’re not!” Wallflower snapped as she slammed a hoof on the ground. “I was their friend. Stygian was the only pony who truly understood me. He united them, was their spokesperson but he never truly had their approval. I was always invisible to ponies except for Celestia. Stygian saw me for more than just a gardener and we started talking. At first it was here and there. Then everyday. Then well, you can guess what happened next.”
“What?” Amethyst asked curiously and leaned forward. Wallflower smiled faintly as we sat down.
“We fell in love of course. We secretly started seeing each other. When he started turning down a dark path, I tried to convince him to not go. To stay home with me and our foal. He didn’t listen of course. He was so adamant about earning the Pillars trust and they banished him to limbo because they jumped to conclusions. I hated them for it and confronted Princess Celestia over it. I admitted to being married to Stygian.”
“And she tried to free him right?” I asked hopefully. Princess Celestia was probably the kindest ruler we had. She would have done everything to help I bet.
“Help?” Wallflower echoed in shock and laughed bitterly. “She said he was a danger to Equestria. After that, I renounced my allegiance to the Crown. Me and my filly wandered the land till we came across the Everfree Forest. We both fell in love with it and I built this house. It wasn’t the greatest but I did my best.”
“And you lived happily ever after?”
“For a while,” Wallflower admitted. “Till my foal disappeared. I searched the entire forest. High, low. Up, down you name it. He was nowhere to be found.”
We sat in silence as Wallflower sighed sadly and tried to kick the ground with her hoof.
“I’m sorry,” Amethyst said finally. “What was his name?”
“Ink Blot,” Wallflower smiled faintly. “He always was a good writer.”
“You mean the founder of Ponyville?” I asked in surprise. “He bought an apple orchard in town and had one of the largest families in Equestria. Still does.”
“Is that the town over there?” Wallflower asked curiously and pointed a hoof back in the direction of home.
“Yeah. It’s our home.”
“Ah. So my son is dead then?”
“I’m sorry but yes,” I admitted nervously. I had no idea how she would react to that information. “He lived a good life according to the history books. He did spend his life looking for you too the books say. Not by name but just says mother. After this, we will force Celestia to change them to say your name and the truth.”
“You’d do that for me?” Wallflower asked in surprise. “Why? You hardly even know me!”
“It’s the right thing to do,” Amethyst said firmly. “Ponies deserve to know the truth. Why did you uhm?”
“Kill myself?” Wallflower asked as we both weakly nodded. “Lonely I suppose. In a few years, I lost both my husband and my colt thanks to the negligence of a worthless princess. If she had saved Stygian, I wouldn’t have had to live out here. I wouldn’t have lost my colt to whoever knows what.”
“I wouldn’t talk about the princess that way. They don’t like it.”
“She’s not my princess,” Wallflower scoffed angrily. “Remember, I renounced my loyalty to the Princess. She doesn’t deserve my respect. It was nice talking to you. I’m gonna go back to being lonely. Thank you for burying me.”
Amethyst and I locked eyes, having a silent discussion as Wallflower started to float away.
“Wait!” Amethyst called out as Wallflower paused and looked back.
“What?”
“Come with us,” I said with a grin and extended a hoof. “We’re exploring Equestria and making our own mark. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”
Wallflower bit her lip as she looked at us before nodding.
“Okay. Where to?”
“Anywhere!” Amethyst exclaimed as she stood on her hindlegs and spread her forelegs. “North, South, East or West! The world is open to us!”
“I’d like that a lot,” Wallflower smiled warmly. “Thank you.”
I gave her a supporting nod as I gestured for her to follow us inside where Spike was presumably sound asleep. Wallflower hesitated before following us in and up the stairs.
For the second time tonight, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.