//------------------------------// // The Nervous Nellie Cries // Story: Guilty Mare // by nintendo917 //------------------------------// As Twilight trotted her way to Fluttershy’s cottage, she began to voice out her thoughts as she passed by Ponyville main square. “What does Fluttershy’s chicken coop have anything to do with the Summer Sun celebration? All she needs to worry about are her birds for the chorus and the floral décor”. Twilight started to contemplate why it would be a good idea to help her animal loving friend just as she made her way across the southern bridge. “...Now that I think about it, though, she wouldn’t be able to do any of those things if something was bothering her. So I guess helping her with her chicken problem -is- a good idea after all.” All this thinking and pondering was definitely killing time for Twilight. Before long Fluttershy’s cottage started to come into view from the plot of road Twilight was on. It would be really rude to just leave her there. Granted, I'm too busy to invest any gratuitous amount of time. What with my responsibility as a ceremonial organizer. I still can’t ignore her like that, though, it’s just not like me. Just as Twilight finished her last thought, Fluttershy’s front door was but a few paces away, having just crossed the small bridge going over the cottage moat, which flowed from the Everfree Forest just beyond her friend’s humble home further back. Structurally and visually, labelling it a cottage wasn’t exactly accurate. A normal cottage would sport the usual tile roof and bland white or brown drywall. Structurally, Fluttershy’s home was more like a hybrid between a tree and a normal house; Though walls of the house were average, the roof, although having a similar shape to a normal one, was armored with leaves and foliage instead of tiles or shingles. It was as if the whole thing was a separate lawn. Visually, miniature animal houses and holes of all kinds were hung and laid out throughout the property. Bird houses were hung from the small trees around the cottage, as well as the cottage itself. Rabbit holes plotted the hill from the side of the path. There was even a lone dog house by the side Fluttershy’s. It was small, probably only big enough to house a small mammal, and sported a wooden door post in the shape of a carrot. Taking all that into account, a pony wouldn’t think of this place as a cottage. No, it was more of an animal hotel or nursery. The house itself was apart of the ecosystem which surrounded it. No doubt, the owner was most definitely environmentally friendly. The only thing that stood out like a horrible zit, however, was the partially incinerated chicken coop that stood from the cottage’s right. “Woah... what in Tartarus happened here? This seems much more than just a simple accident.” The chickens themselves looked as if somepony had taken a balloon and rubbed it vigorously onto their feathers. They weren’t just ruffled, no. They were frazzled. Twilight reached out a hoof, curiously. “Ow!” ...And charged with electricity, apparently. A sense of worry soon replaced Twilight’s mood as she tried to call out her friend’s name, only to be answered by the cool morning breeze which ruffled her mane, tickling her ears as the wind blew by them. I should try the door... see if she’s hiding in there... With an evident haste in her step, Twilight darted to the front door and began to knock. “Fluttershy? ...Fluttershy, are you in there? It’s me, Twilight. Are you ok? Are you hurt? ...ahhh, no answer... I sure hope she’s alright. What could have happened to the chicken coop?” Twilight went back around the cottage to take a closer look at the coop. From the viewpoint of a chicken looking out from the entryway, a portion of the coop’s left roof side was completely incinerated. The burns on the planks were cut clean, as if a lightsaber from those “Star Horse” movies had sliced through them. Upon closer scrutiny, however, the burns appeared to have been shaped from a spherical mass. Almost like a magical ball of energy had suddenly appeared in the space of the chicken coop. Thankfully, no chickens were occupying the ball’s space when it had appeared. Otherwise, there would only be pieces of the chickens lying about--a gruesome sight. Especially for Fluttershy.... Hey, what’s that over there? Twilight had tilted her point of interest from the chicken coop a plot of dirt a few trots away. It was tampered but not intentionally. The markings on them were similar to what a meteorite leaves behind after impacting the earth, and judging from the angle of the lines, the object, or objects, appeared to have come from the direction of the chicken coop. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that something came out of this ball... It's like the chicken coop suddenly became a cannon. This is all so strange..." Darting back to the coop, she lit up her horn to test for any magical residue, and sure enough her suspicions were confirmed. “This wasn’t just an accident. Somepony tried to attack Fluttershy with magic. ...Wait, that’s not right. If that were true, then the whole premises would have been decimated by now. Instead, only the chicken coop was damaged. Hmmm... regardless, magic is involved, but who could have-” “Twilight, Twilight!” Twilight was interrupted by the cries of a pony in peril. Turning around to face the Everfree’s entrance, she discovered the pony who was in such distress. However, it wasn’t a pony, but a zebra. It was none other than the herbalist Zecora, a good friend of Twilight and the others. She was running in a full sprint towards Twilight. Zecora, the zebra who lived in the Everfree Forest. Although initially perceived as an evil witch doctor by the citizens of Ponyville , everypony has long since known the real truth about her; a friendly potion maker who wanted nothing more than a few supplies. She now frequently visits the town for not only supplies, but also lends aid to the ponies with her knowledge of magical ailments. Several times has she helped Twilight and her friends with quirky illnesses like Poison Joke and Cutie-Pox. Zecora is indeed a true friend. Now, it would seem that Zecora needs a friend more than ever. "Twilight! Twilight! Come with me! There is chaos here in Everfree!" “Zecora? What’s going on? Is everything ok?” “Monsters of beastly size and brutal ways, are bringing wrath like it's the end of days!” “Monsters? What kind of monsters?” “Their shape and size are like an ape's, from their wrath, we must escape!” Zecora answered with yet another couplet of words. “Like a dragon, one breathes fire, the other calls down godly ire” “One of them almost set you on fire? Are they dragons?” “The one who wears devil's red, wears a clasp around his head; and in his hands a sword so big, It makes all the trees seem more like twigs. The other, an angel man in white, whose long blade bathes in light; his princely robe and hair of gold, makes him seem a god of old. This devil and this angel agree, only to do harm to Everfree; and in time I fear they will, bring their battle to Ponyville!” Twilight couldn’t believe what she was hearing. These monsters were terrorizing the Everfree Forest, and Zecora needed Twilight’s help to stop them and re-establish peace. Though it was logical for Zecora to seek help from the bearer of the Element of Magic, her timing couldn’t have been worse. “Dear sweet Celestia... they’re really that strong? I understand, then. That ball must have been a portal then, and whatever came out of it must be those things terrorizing the forest! If they’re as strong as you say they are, then Ponyville could be in danger too, and if that’s the case, then we don’t have any time to lose. We need to move now, lead the way Zecora.” Zecora thanked the librarian from the bottom of her heart. Without a moment to lose, they both left Fluttershy’s humble cottage in a sprint towards the Everfree Forest. However Twilight just couldn’t help but think about the unfortunate timing of it all. Why now? Why now, of all days? Twilight merely assumed the universe had it in for her today. Like her father would tell her sometimes, 'Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. In no time at all, the librarian and the herbalist were engulfed into the darkness that was inside the Everfree Forest, heading towards the sounds of clanging metal and away from the cottage that now laid silent. Not a soul remained there, it seemed. The bird houses were empty, and nopony stirred in the home. Slowly, however, a quivering pink mane and several fluffy animals began to poke out from one of the holes in the ground. “A-a-are they gone...? ...Is it s-s-safe to come out...?”