Many years after Fluttershy met Dylan, she only felt closer to him. Every day it seemed things changed more and more. New things were built, old friends moved away, and in only a short manor of time, Ponyville had become almost alien to the yellow mare. The Cake twins were now older foals as well as Flurry Heart, and the CMC had just graduated their last year of school. Any normal pony, it seemed to Fluttershy, would have been happy. In awe of the world growing for the better. She was not any normal pony, however, and she couldn't shake a feeling of pain at every birthday party, every crossing of a calendar. No matter how much she wanted to just accept life as it came, it just hurt. One thing that had never changed though, was that through every obstacle her friends were always there. Loving as ever, caring as ever, and eternally by her side.
"Dylan? I need to talk to you about something..." Whispered Fluttershy, gently prodding the man sitting next to her.
"What's wrong? Is this movie too sad?" He asked, getting up off the couch to pause the TV.
"No, I just... t-thinking about things. Are you ever afraid... I mean do ever feel like... m-maybe time is too fast?" She asked, as if unsure herself.
"What do you mean? It's okay Flutters, you can talk about it. You know I don't judge you." He spoke softly, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.
'I- I don't know. It's a bit silly I guess. Things just change so quickly... I feel like everything is just disappearing all too fast. My friends' lives are changing, and so is mine. We're all getting older. One day, you'll be gone, a-and then... I-I'll be.. all alone!" She choked out, beginning to sob. Dylan reached over and gently lifted her into his arms, holding her close and cradling her like a filly. He stroked her mane and kissed her cheek lovingly in an attempt to console her.
"Flutters, it's okay... you don't have to cry. You have me now, don't you? Why do you think I'll be gone?"
"You... you t-told me humans don't live very long. 60-80 years average r-right?"
"Well yes, but that's a long time. I'm not even half that. Don't you live half as long?"
"No... that's ponies from your world. We live hundreds..." At this Dylan's face turned pale and he choked a bit. He wasn't quite sure how to respond, so instead he carried her to the bed and laid her down gently.
"I'll be right back." He returned to the kitchen to make Fluttershy a cup of her favorite tea, as well as take a minute to digest the information. "Hundreds..." He mused. Returning to the bedroom he handed her the tea and sat by her, gently rubbing her back. "Rest now, you need it. We can talk in the morning, okay? I'll still be here when you wake, I promise."
"O-okay." She said, still unsure but feeling a bit calmer. "Goodnight... I love you."
"I love you too. Rest well, Fluttershy." He clicked off the bedside light and cuddled her to sleep, holding her firm in his warm grasp. Eventually, he drifted off himself.
Fluttershy was back in the Everfree Forest. She wasn't quite sure how she got there, but it didn't concern her. It was getting dark and somehow felt even more isolating and foreboding than usual. She began to walk, though it seemed to her no matter what direction she traveled in, the forest looked all the same. Her anxiety slowly but steadily grew, as the already dim light faded more and more. Her pace quickened and her breath soon followed suit. She didn't notice her own panic until she was trotting through the forest at full speed, unsure of her direction. She was just on the brink of tears when in the distance, she saw him.
Dylan was sitting underneath the trees far off in the distance. She called out, but no response. After what felt like hours of running, he wasn't getting any closer. If anything was- was he getting farther away?! What if she could never catch up? In blind panic, she slammed her eyes shut and ran like she'd never run before. She didn't even notice that she was crying until the salty tears streamed into her mouth.
When finally she could run no more, Fluttershy stopped to catch her breath. Still panting, she looked up and saw that she had indeed gotten closer. With him just yards away now, she noticed something odd- he didn't appear to be moving at all. He was still as a statue, even as she called out to him. She approached, cautiously. Upon closer inspection, was the most horrendous sight she'd ever seen. He was dead. His eyes were white and bloodshot, rolled back deep into his head. Dylan's mouth hung wide open as if the jaw was broken. It seemed as though the more she looked the more his skin turned pale, then blue. Then, blood began to leak out of his every orifice. Dylan's head snapped in her direction, a loud crunch emanating from his neck as he did so. His mouth didn't move but from it came a voice: "How could you do this to me, Fluttershy?"
Oh, how she screamed. Fluttershy had never felt such dread in her life. She screamed in fear, however she also screamed... in guilt. In fear of her failures. In the horrible realization that her worst nightmares had come true, and it was all her fault for not adequately warning Dylan.
Fluttershy woke up in her bed, drenched in sweat. Usually waking up next to Dylan after a nightmare would be a comfort, but not so much as the visions still haunted her mind- her sleep-addled mind mixing the dream realm with reality. She grabbed her pillow and resolved to sleep on the couch for the night, deciding that it was better safe than sorry.