//------------------------------//
// Morning Walk 
// Story: Yellowsoft and Shadow King 
// by Lotus Moon 
//------------------------------//

It was a calm winter day in Ponyville. The weather team had outdone themselves with the snowfall. It was a thick blanket of white with a satisfying crunch to be heard with each step. Fluttershy was walking slowly to enjoy the silence around her. The breeze carried the light snowfall and the chill didn’t sting her face as much as she thought. She carried a cup of cocoa as she walked, enjoying the feeling of warm hands against the winter cold.

Her walk took her through the town. It was still early and the cold had many residents still inside by their fireplaces. This included the Apple family, who would usually be out checking sections of their large orchard. The orchard was open to all during winter and the Filly Scouts tend to use it for winter camping trips. So it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Fluttershy to wander through the trees. Her rosy pink hair fluttered in a breeze that danced around her, causing a small tornado of snowflakes to move like little snow fairies. 

There was a small crunch behind Fluttershy that caused her to turn around. Even with the light snow, she couldn’t see what made the sound. She could only hear her own breathing. She continued her walk until she hears an extra snow crunch. Looking again, a wisp of black caught her eye. She looked for it again as it had disappeared. The next time it appeared, it was on her shoulder. The shadow was a rather familiar black cat. Familiar because it looked near solid yet ethereal. A small smile graced her face as she took a small sip of her cocoa.

“If you wanted to walk with me, you could have joined me,” She giggled.

The cat wrapped its tail around her other shoulder before settling down. With that, Fluttershy continued her walk with her shadow king at her side.