Twilight checked her rucksack for the fourth time that morning. Everything still there and accounted for. A large flask of water and a smaller flask of blueberry nectar (as a treat). A first aid kit with rubbing alcohol, gauze, splints, herbs, bandages, and a syringe in case one needed to remove venom from a snakebite. A magnifying glass, several amber colored screw-cap glass vials for collecting samples, safety goggles with several magnification lenses attached, a cord of rope and a small plastic bottle of aspirin. And a few packages of crackers, dry noodles, cereal, and peanut butter. Being a horse, Twilight was no stranger to simply munching on leaves or particularly scrumptious flowering plants, but in a strange new forest with no background knowledge, she definitely felt bringing along some edibles was a sound plan.
Finally satisfied that her rucksack was perfect, Twilight set about her next task. With a small sparkle of white magic, she was soon surrounded by three white rings of light. They orbited slowly, humming quietly as she stood still. Spike crept out from the small wicker basket he slept in most nights. The tiny dragon yawned and watched Twilight go about her business, confused but frightened to interrupt. But eventually curiosity got the better of him.
"Hey Twilight what are you doin'?"
"I'm running a full diagnostic scan of my body and aura, Spike." Twilight answered, managing not to move any muscles besides the ones in her jaw.
"Why? Are you sick?"
The three circles of light flickered off and with a small ping has turned back into white sparkles that flew back into the tip of Twilight's short stubby purple horn.
"No, I don't think so." Twilight said with a sigh. "Just trying to understand some involuntary wing spasms from yesterday. If I'm going to start flying around the country meeting kings and queens and emperors and such, I need to make sure these new limbs are in good healthy conditions. Don't want to fall out of the sky and bring shame to Equestria or something."
"What about the balloon?"
"The balloon is slow, Spike. It's even slower than taking the train. We won't need it eventually."
Spike's face fell. "Aww, but I like the balloon."
"Well it's not like I'd get rid of it. Besides you'd still be able to ride on my back while we fly around. Wouldn't that be fun?"
"Yeah I guess." Spike sullenly agreed. He remembered how many times Twilight had crashed in midair while he had ridden on her back.
Twilight levitated the dragon in front of herself and gave him a small kiss on the forehead.
"Now Spike, I'm going on a trip today. I probably won't be back until very late. I'm counting on you to keep an eye on the library while I'm away and get all your chores done. If you go out, make sure you keep the door locked and make sure Owloysius has plenty of birdseed and water."
Spike sat on the floor, thinking hard about all the responsibility he'd just been given.
"But where are you even going today, Twilight?"
With a bright smile and a levitation spell, Twilight had soon fastened the bulging rucksack to her back, the straps connecting under her tummy.
"On an adventure, Spike!"
*******************************
Fluttershy's morning hadn't started quite as well. A rather chubby caterpillar had snuck into her cottage and feasted greatly on her birdseed reserves, forcing her to make a trip to the fields to collect more. After returning home and finally completing her morning rounds of keeping the animal feeders outside full, she tried to finally pack a modest amount of supplies. Nothing too unusual. Her diary and small charcoal pencil, a bottle of spring water, a few pears and mushrooms for snacking, and a pink scarf that she had received as a gift from Rarity after helping Rarity's pet cat survive a very severe case of the measles. However her packing was soon interrupted again when there was a knock at the door. She sighed with exasperation, knowing it was far too early for Twilight to be here.
With a small surprise Fluttershy discovered it was a concerned-looking Rainbow Dash who sought advice on a rather troubling subject. Rainbow was Fluttershy's oldest friend. She had known the cocky blue pegasus since the two had been fillies at summer camp more than a decade ago. Dash was always trying to inspire bravery and courage in her meek friend, and in turn Fluttershy did her best not to get exasperated at Dash whenever she did something boneheaded. This was one of those times.
"Rainbow that is the absolutely worst possible thing you could have done. That's so inconsiderate!"
"How so?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Telling a child who has just had a nightmare to 'get over it' is a terrible policy. She doesn't need you scolding her or trying to toughen her up or whatever misguided idea made you say this."
Rainbow folded her arms and pouted.
"I thought it'd help Scoot. I mean that's how my pops handled things and look how I turned out."
"Yes. Just look." growled Fluttershy. "When was the last time you even spoke with your father?"
Fluttershy regretted it instantly. She hated judging other ponies by their families and personal lives. But children needed nurturing and in her mind she felt like her friend had crossed a line. Rainbow sat in silence staring at the floor for a moment and within a matter of moments the indignant pout and anger on her face had faded away, replaced by horror and despair.
"Oh no. I screwed up really bad didn't I, Shy?" Rainbow asked, her voice cracking as she tried not to sob. "Scootaloo probably hates me now or thinks it's bad to be afraid of things. I've ruined her! Even after flying all the way to Ponyville I still turned into my dad."
"Oh, Rainbow." Fluttershy sighed and embraced her troubled friend. "I'm sure Scootaloo doesn't hate you. In fact I don't think it'd even be possible but....you can't treat her the way you treat your friends at the Weather Center or the Wonderbolts Academy. She wants to be tough like you but she's still a little foal. She needs love right now."
"What do I do now?" Dash asked, sniffling. "How do I fix this, Shy?"
"Next time Scootaloo wakes you up in the middle of night because she's crying or hungry or distressed, try being sympathetic. Comforting. She's in a new house with a new family and you're practically all she has, Rainbow. She's probably very uncomfortable and still adjusting. Hug her, hold her, let her sleep next to you if it chases the nightmares away. Ok? I know you're really used to being such a cool hero in everyone's eyes but....for taking care of a child you have to be MORE than just Rainbow Dash. You understand, right?"
"I'll try to do that. Thanks, Shy. I'm gonna go apologize to the kid right now. Hey, um, as long as I'm here I have another thing I wanted to ask. I was thinking of getting like....a leash to tie Scootaloo's leg to my leg. I'm always scared the kid's gonna scurry off and get hurt or lost and -"
"Leashes aren't for children, Rainbow." Fluttershy muttered sternly, trying not to feel aggravated.
"Alrighty, then that idea goes into the bin I guess. Thanks again, Shy." Rainbow leaped into the air and took off out the doorway. "Oh hey Twilight."
Twilight Sparkle entered through the doorway, her backpack rustling and jostling as she walked.
"So....what are you two up to?" Rainbow asked as she slowly flew away from the doorway, eager to get home but also curious to see why Fluttershy and Twilight were both utilizing backpacks.
"Oh....well....Twilight and I are going to see a very rare flower. It's a bit of a hike."
"Rare flower, huh? Where could a rare flower even be around here outside of like...the Everfree Forest or something?" Rainbow smirked a bit, but it vanished as she noticed the nervous smiles on her friends faces. "Oh jeez are you two going hiking in the Everfree?"
"Yes but I have full confidence in Fluttershy." Twilight quipped. "She's made this journey several times before."
"Fluttershy? Really?" Dash smiled. "That's pretty cool, actually. Well try not to get eaten you two. Seriously, be safe."
With a streak of prismatic light, the brash pegasus was soon lost to view, high above the clouds. Twilight turned to Fluttershy with an apologetic look.
"Sorry I'm here early. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
"It's ok, Twilight. Rainbow was just updating me on Applejack and Scootaloo and how things are going."
"Is Applejack still depressed?" Twilight asked.
"Apparently she's back on the hill by the train station again. Poor thing."
Twilight sighed. "When we get back I'm gonna have a long talk with Applejack. Maybe I can pry deep into her superego and find out what's really troubling her."
Minutes late found the two winged mares standing right on the edge of the Everfree Forest, only about an acre from Fluttershy's backyard. A foreboding warm wind flowed out from between the thick trees, whirling around the horses before dissipating into the air. It was if the forest itself was exhaling a breath, producing a long melancholy sigh that sent small dead leaves and twigs tipping elegantly through the breeze and landing amongst the cheerful and bright green grass of the town. The smell of rotting vegetation and mold was thick, mixing with the cinnamon scents of the town behind them. There was an eerie calm as the two stepped into the shadows of the trees, the canopy so thick that the sunlight could scarcely permeate it.
"Twilight." Fluttershy gave her friend a serious sideways glance. "I...um...I don't want to sound like I'm bossing you around. But uh, well see the thing is....I've done this before. I'm not good at it but I can do it. So if....you hear me tell you to hide or you see me...um...avoiding something because it might be dangerous, well I guess maybe you should try to do what I do, if that's ok with you. I just don't want any pony getting hurt."
Twilight nodded. "I understand perfectly, Shy. This is your expedition and you're in charge. You're the leader."
"Oh good." Fluttershy gave a long sigh of relief. "I was worried you wouldn't like that."
"What? Why?" Twilight tried not to sound offended. "Cause I have wings now?"
"No it's just....." Fluttershy kicked a stone aside as they trotted deeper into the leafy canvas. "You're usually the one who comes up with plans and charts and....you're sort of like a leader to us. Or me at least."
"Fluttershy I'm not a leader. And you're just as capable as I am. Possibly more than I am."
"What makes you think that....oh Twilight don't step on that!!"
Twilight lifted her hoof and quickly skirted around a small nest of tiny brown mushrooms. Within a moment of her darting away a small serrated vine covered in moss with a barbed wooden hook on the end thrust its way out from the center of the fungi. It whipped fiercely in the air before withdrawing back into the soil with a loud thunk.
"What in the name of Celestia was THAT thing?" Twilight asked wide eyed as the plantlike tentacle disappeared into the dirt.
"That's a bark barnacle. I've never seen one that close to town before. They usually try to snatch moths and bugs out of the air to eat. But they aren't very good at choosing what they want to attack."
"Have you ever had one grab you?" Twilight asked, backing away from the mushrooms.
"Yes, actually." Fluttershy winced. "It cut into my knee and by the time I got out of the forest I could barely trot. They always seem to appear in the middle of small groups of lactarius mushrooms and other agaric varieties."
The straps around Twilights waist that held her backpack in check suddenly felt much tighter. She winced as she realized her wings were trying to twitch again. It was such an annoyance but as long as the backpack was there and keeping the wings from moving too much, she could ignore it. She couldn't however, ignore the small shiver that went through her body and distracted her from Fluttershy's talk.
"Lactarius?" Twilight asked as she fidgeted and continued following Fluttershy deeper into the woods.
"Milk mushrooms. Some ponies call them milk-caps. It's because they smell like milk and when they get hurt they ooze out white slime everywhere that kind of looks like milk. Sometimes I get them for Applejack because the milk tastes really good in soup."
"You know so much stuff...." Twilight mumbled as she fidgeted with the straps of her rucksack, looking down at the loamy and moss-covered forest floor.
"I just find nature so fascinating." Fluttershy called back.
"This just ties in to what I was saying before Fluttershy. You're just as capable as I am at being a leader. If it weren't for you, I could have been seriously injured by that barnacle thing back there. You shouldn't ever be nervous or frightened about being a leader if you know what's best. And you clearly know what's best when it comes to nature. You're so...just smart, Fluttershy. You're smart and kind and sweet and I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't trust you to lead them."
Twilight gulped and looked up at the canopy, watching the myriad of small specks of pollen and spores drift through the gnarled and velvety branches. She felt a small bead of sweat trickle past her ear as she looked up, trying to avoid Fluttershy's face, her mind racing as she tried to understand why she felt so odd. Fluttershy had just talked to her about mushrooms and suddenly Twilight was gushing and lauding her friend with compliments. What had that been about? Twilight thought for a moment before deciding that finding a kindred spirit who enjoyed the power that knowledge brought was making her act awkward. Like how she used to be so awkward when she was nearly a shut-in in Canterlot, spending all day reading through books and being a bit too dorky to make any real friends. Fluttershy was bringing out that old side of her personality.
'Get it together, Twilight. You don't want Fluttershy to think you're weird.' Twilight silently scolded herself.
"Th....thank you Twilight." Fluttershy called from further ahead on the path, hiding her face behind her hair to avoid Twilight's eyes.
She felt her face grow hot. It wasn't every day she was complimented so highly for...well anything really. And these compliments were coming from Twilight Sparkle. The unicorn who was Celestia's personal apprentice, one of the most powerful magicians in Equestria, who had come to their town and brought so much trouble and joy into their lives. The unicorn who had become an alicorn and through the power of friendship had inspired them all to help save the country on more than one occasion. The unicorn who had been one of the first ponies in town to ever have faith in Fluttershy, the shy fraidycat who was afraid that nobody took her seriously. Fluttershy felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach that made its way out through her body down to her hooves.
It had reminded Fluttershy of a similar incident that had happened many months prior where, again, she had been complimented by Twilight and had felt shyer than ever. Now would be a good time to thank her friend for her words. What was it that Iron Will, the famous motivational speaker, had always said? 'If someones extra nice, send it back with spice!' definitely one of his more friendly and less harsh slogans. And one of the few that Fluttershy had decided to continue using as a mantra long after she had stopped listening to Iron Will. As subtly as she could, Fluttershy slowed her walk speed down until she and Twilight were side by side, steadily treading down through the trees together.
"H...hey um, Twilight?" Fluttershy whispered.
"Yes?" Twilight asked, turning to look at her friend, glad for a distraction from her thoughts and the uneasy silence.
"I just wanted to thank you."
"For what?"
"Oh....well....all sorts of things. I wouldn't know where to start... but I guess I really wanted to thank you for what you said last Nightmare Night."
"I don't follow." Twilight tilted her head in confusion. All she could remember from Nightmare Night was trying to stop Pinkie from sending the town into screaming hysterics whenever Princess Luna showed up.
"Well...when you visited me I heard you say....that um....I was delicate and demure. And that you thought my voice was sweet. Even though I was terrified that night, I thought it was a very nice compliment." Fluttershy blushed a bit and cleared her throat. "It's not often that I get compliments like that. Or the ones about leadership. It's very...nice."
"I don't even remember that part of Nightmare Night." Twilight said with a shrug. "I just remember trying to get the unending screaming to stop and trying to keep Luna from getting upset. Horrible night. Never again."
Twilight unscrewed a vial and grabbed some dark soil from off the forest floor, collecting the sample and placing it back into her rucksack. She wasn't expecting the dirt to have any sort of particularly magical properties but better safe than sorry. Who knows what they might find out in this mysterious forest?
"I find it weird that you say you don't get compliments often." Twilight began as she took notice of the faraway roll of thunder that echoed through the sky.
"Well....it's just." Fluttershy frowned a bit as brushed her hair back. "Ponies take notice of me because I guess....they think I'm pretty. But...very few ponies really care about what I know. Or compliment me for my nature...stuff. You're the first pony to ever really do that."
"Oh." Twilight swallowed, feeling awkward again. "They appreciate you for your looks but not for your brain or personality. I sort of have the opposite of that problem when it comes to being social."
"I don't see how, you're very lovely, Twilight...." Fluttershy grew quiet as she said this. "At least I think so. And um...I'm sure Rarity would agree with me."
The two glanced away from each other as they continued through the woods. Each feeling awkward and out of place, unable to understand the strange nervous feelings that were coursing through their minds. It was difficult to start a conversation this way. Or to keep one going for that matter. Every now and then they'd stop as Twilight collected a sample of plant matter into a vial, or studied a particularly strange looking rock or crystal with her microscopic lens goggles. After packing away her things she'd give Fluttershy a polite nod and the two would continue on their journey, silently. Fluttershy dearly wished she had written down a list of conversational topics onto some parchment.
"Sorry I'm so quiet." Fluttershy mumbled meekly.
"I used to spend all day in an old dusty library. And now that I live in Ponyville I still sometimes prefer the company of books to the company of ponies. It's fine, Fluttershy. I like the silence and serenity of this place. This forest is old and very magical. I can sense it. The trees speak to each other with some old arcane language nobody but them can understand."
Fluttershy felt a small twitch of the muscles between her shoulder-blades, the ones attached to her wings. It was strange to feel that happen just from hearing Twilight talk about magic. Fluttershy thought for a moment and decided she liked hearing Twilight say words like serenity and arcane. Maybe she just liked hearing the purple alicorn discuss magic in general. But for now she needed to pay attention to the weather. Being caught in a thunderstorm in the Everfree Forest was dangerous business. The storms were unpredictable, causing lightning, whirlwinds, and sometimes even shifting the gravity violently in parts of the forest. None of which would be pleasant to be caught in.
Fluttershy flicked her ear, listening intently to a far off sound. A quiet buzz building up to a high pitched hum. It was a frightening sound she had heard before.
"Twilight you need to do exactly what I do." Fluttershy ordered as her friend nodded. "Lay down as flat as you can near this tree. Do not make any sounds and try to move as little as possible. I'll let you know when we can get up again."
The two ponies were soon huddled under a large root, barely visible over the grey stems of the flowering rush that coated the forest floor around the base of each tree. An eerie quiet filled the air as the buzzing of cicadas and crickets was silenced.
"What's happening?" Twilight whispered.
"SSHHHH!" Fluttershy whispered urgently looking terrified as she folded her ears flat against her head and buried her snout into the rush grass.
Twilight flicked her ears as she turned to stare out into the forest. Off in the distance something dark was approaching. It appeared to be smoke, only it didn't move with the wind nor did it rise into the air. It calmly slithered over the ground, rippling and folding in on itself, a quiet high pitched buzz piercing through the silence as it grew closer. Around the trees it moved, never getting close to the roots or rush plants as Twilight noticed. As it passed over small flowering plants and mushrooms it would ripple and the sound would increase in volume. But then the dark red smoke would move on, leaving the plants and mushrooms stripped of their leaves, flowers, and caps. Twilight held as still as she could, using her magic to levitate a screw-cap vial out of her rucksack. As slowly and gently as she could, she pushed it over the surface of the floor, years of practice with levitation making the glass vial move in complete silence, avoiding any plants as it went. Twilight glanced down at Fluttershy to see that the yellow pegasus was staring ahead at the vial, her eyes wide with fright. In a quick motion, the vial turned downward as the cap came off, it fell through the dark red mist, turned over and rose into the air, now brimming with a small red cloud of the substance. The cap levitated to the top of the vial and the entire glass container fell to the ground. The red mist swirled around the vial, and then all at once emitted a high pitched squeal and darted off at high speeds, disappearing into the forest, leaving the two ponies alone again with the silence.
After several minutes, Fluttershy finally struggled to stand, shooting Twilight an upset look.
"Twilight I told you not to move." she said with a sad expression.
"I didn't, Fluttershy. The bottle did. I had to capture some of that stuff for science. Besides I think it knows it cant hurt glass. It looked like it was scared of it."
Twilight cautiously walked up to the vial in the grass, to see it was still full of the red substance that flew around inside the bottle with a life of its own. She placed her goggles onto her head, bringing down all the lenses across her right eye for the most magnification possible. Fluttershy stood quietly a few feet away, looking pensive, worried the red mist might escape from its glass prison.
"It's bugs." Twilight announced, squinting. "Like mites. Some sort of rare form of arachnida but oh gosh they are so small. And they have wings too. I've never seen a swarming arthropod this small with wings. And their wings aren't even like bug wings. It's like they have these tiny black hairs along their back that they vibrate to -"
"Okay that's really interesting Twilight but can you please get rid of them now."
"What's wrong, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she peered into the bottle.
"I...well.....I've seen those things. Smaller clouds of them even. They eat anything, Twilight. I saw them grab a baby squirrel once. It was all covered in red stuff and in a few seconds it was just....b-bones." Fluttershy shivered.
"Oh dear." Twilight hurled the bottle as far into the forest as she could with a zap of magic. "Well. I am not going to hold onto that, then."
A flash of lightning made them both jump, followed by a loud crack of thunder.
"Those bugs are running from the storm, Twilight." Fluttershy whispered. "But that's the exact direction we need to go to get to the glade."
"So are we going to just.....walk through the rain?"
"Oh goodness no!" Fluttershy shook her head. "The weather in the Everfree Forest is very different from in Ponyville. We can't be out and exposed during the storm."
Fluttershy shivered and leaped into the air, fluttering her pale yellow wings as she took off towards the forest canopy, disappearing from sight. In a few moments she was back, shaking even harder, bringing a few stray branches and leaves with her as she landed unsteadily.
"I found something we can use for shelter."
Half a mile from where the two stood, in one of the less dense parts of the forest was an old dead dwarf pine tree. Some disaster long in the past had snapped it in half, but many of its boughs remained. As the years passed and the vegetation of the forest slowly took over, it soon found itself reinforced by lichens, vines, and fungus. Several meters up was a large hole in the rotted bark. A shaft of sunlight that pierced through the canopy gleamed right upon this hole, providing light for yellow and teal orchids to grow around the mouth of the hole. Within that was a cave inside the soft rotting wood of the tree, with a thick floor of tree-dwelling lime green algae filling in the cracks and furrows of the wood. It was here that the two ponies found themselves sitting. Both were shocked that such a comfortable little knothole was conveniently this far from the ground while also not being full of birds or spiders. They had flown up here, and Twilight had taken care to use her levitation spell to get their backpacks safely inside the burrow as well. Now as they watched the dark rain fall, Twilight noticed that Fluttershy was still shaking. She knew why, it was a curious phobia that the shy pegasus had but one that had always confused Twilight.
"Hey Fluttershy. Do you mind if I ask you something...sensitive?" Twilight asked as she brought out one of her packages of dried pasta and began to quietly eat.
"Um.....well. Go ahead if you want." Fluttershy whispered back in the darkness.
"Why does flying make you so....spooked? You're the only pegasus I know who actively tries to avoid it."
"It's strange for a pegasus to dislike flying. I know that. But....I just find it scary. If I'm on the ground and something happens to me....if I need help. Someone will find me. I can walk, I call for help. But in the sky....if something happens.,,, if I hit a bird or I get a cramp or tear a muscle...that's it."
"That's it?"
"Well yes. If I fall out of the sky....who's gonna catch me? Pegasi are pretty tough, I know. It's part of who we are. But we can't survive hitting the ground from falling out of the sky. And if I were lucky enough to hit a cloud, who would find me? I'd be stuck on a cloud. I just....." Fluttershy shivered and sniffled. "That's why I don't like flying, Twilight."
"I guess I'm lucky." Twilight said with a sad smile. "I've always been able to get around with magic. Now I can fly anywhere I want and if something goes wrong I can fix it with magic. I can teleport, levitate, gravitate, alot of stuff. I can see why you wouldn't want to take the risk."
"I usually only fly when Rainbow or another friend is nearby. It's reassuring knowing that if something happens, I have my friends there to catch me."
"Fluttershy...." Twilight inhaled, trying to think of the best way to phrase what she was about to say. "You know....I know a lot of our friends think you're....well...."
"A coward?"
"No. Not a coward, Shy. If you were a coward, you'd never have been able to summon up the bravery to save us from that dragon or convince Discord, the most evil jerk in the world, to be amiable and peaceful. Fraidy-Cat would probably be a better word to describe how I think most ponies see you."
"Yes, and they're usually right about me. I can barely defend myself." Fluttershy frowned and sulked.
"They're wrong, actually." Twilight put her hoof on her friend's shoulder. "You're not a fraidy-cat. You're just cautious. You'd rather avoid the chance of being in danger than having to deal with danger when it happens. You're not a fighter. You're peaceful and you like to live conservatively. Plus if something happened to you, who would take care of the animals? I think the way you deal with issues is perfect...for you."
Fluttershy smiled and withdrew slightly, her hair covering most of her face. "Thank you, Twilight. Sometimes I think you understand me more than I do. Also I'm sorry we're in this mess."
"Mess? What mess? We're in a hole in a tree. A pretty nice hole." Twilight munched on some noodles as she looked around the cave. "Really this hole couldn't be more perfect for hanging out in."
"I know but....so much has happened since we came in this forest. And now this storm is going to delay us even further. It's going to be very late at night by the time we get back to Ponyville. That's why I'm sorry."
Twilight yawned. "It's fine. The farther I am from work, the happier I'll be for a while. Plus I know Spike is fine. He's listening to the radio as we speak, probably eating popcorn or candy for dinner. Then he'll dig into the ice cream and get a tummy-ache. The same thing that usually happens when I leave him home alone. It's not a big deal."
"Spike's such a nice, cute little dragon." Fluttershy mentioned. "I wish most dragons were like Spike."
She turned to notice that Twilight looked weary, trying not to smile as her friend yawned again. Ponies in general were cute, but Twilight yawning seemed extra cute. The librarian swayed slightly, having difficulty sitting up.
"You might as well take a nap." the yellow pegasus suggested. "I can wake you up when the storm ends."
"Thanks, Fluttershy. I need to lie down a little. This is the longest I've walked since....since when we first grabbed the Elements of Harmony from Celestia and Luna's old castle and got lost I think. I'm exhausted."
Twilight rolled over into the darkness of the cave and began to doze off. She glanced at Fluttershy, who was staring out into the rain. This environment was exactly the kind of thing Fluttershy loved, Twilight observed. The yellow mare seemed to happy and peaceful as she stared out into the vast forest, fascinated by all its wonders and dangers, as the quiet tinkling of the rain filled the cave with a quiet drone of ambient sound. Even though the Everfree Forest was one of the most deadly and dangerous environments, it was beautiful. It was untamed wilderness that showed the real side of what nature was like. And the alicorn was happy that she had someone kind and knowledgeable about the environment here, keeping an eye on her as she slept.