//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Everfree // Story: Lost // by Cyanjames2819 //------------------------------// In the morning cool air just outside of Ponyville, in Fluttershy's small cottage, the butter yellow, pink manned and tail Pegasus woke up. Fluttershy slowly stretched on her soft bed and silently yawned. She rubbed her eyes with one of her hoof and looked around her room with a sly smile. Her room was lit up with the sun light coming in her window. Then the Rooster sounded its trade mark call just outside her home. She got up from her bed, opened up her window and saw Mr. Rooster on top of the little nest home for chickens. "Good morning, Mr. Rooster!" she greeted in her timid voice and waved her hoof. She trotted down to the living room and saw her animal residence all awake, crawling and flying around the living room. She smiled at the site. Few birds perched themselves on top of her head and on her back, then the squirrels and other small woodland creatures went up to her. "Good morning" she greeted with a gentle smile. She trotted on over to the two bags of animal and bird food, filled up the measuring cup with food and filled up the bowls and bird feeds for the animals eat. She then felt something kicking on her fore hoof and looked to see it was none other than Angel. "Oh, good morning, Angel" she leaned down to greet him with a gentle smile. He crossed his little arms, frowned and tapped his foot rapidly, getting a little impatient. "Oh, sorry, Angel Bunny" she quickly trotted over to her fridge and took out a fresh orange carrot on hoof. She turned around and showed the orange root to the small white bunny. He smacked it away and took a rather large book from behind him, flipped through the pages rapidly and pointed on a picture of a salad, nicely decorated with vegetables and fruits, finished with a strawberry at the top. "Oh my, I don't think I can make that, but, I can try" she grabbed the book and flew on over to her kitchen counter. After a few difficulties at trying at first try, she managed to make it exactly how it looks on the cook book. She showed it to Angel, "There you go, Angel" she smiled with closed eyes. Angel looked at the bowl closely, and then smacks the bowl of salad on Fluttershy's face. The bowl falls off and she blinked a few times in confusion. Angel hopped on over up the little stairs to the counter, grabs the cook book, got back down and showed the picture in front of her. She looked at what he was pointing at and saw the little strawberry at the top of the salad. "Oh, sorry about that, but I can't find a strawberry" she apologized. He tapped furiously at the picture. "O-okay, I-I'll go and get one in Ponyville then" she wiped away the rest of the remaining salad from her face. She went over to the door and looked back at Angel, who was waiting for her to get out with crossed arms. "I-I'll be right back with the strawberry" she bid goodbye, got out while closing the door behind her. She got into town after a few minutes of trotting. She got into a few open stores to find the missing Strawberry for Angel. After three hours of searching for the lost berry she started going back, her head lowered in defeat. She then saw a familiar white fabulous unicorn trotting over to her. "Goodness, I finally found you!" Fluttershy stopped and Rarity faced her. "Oh, good morning, Rarity" Fluttershy greeted. "What's wrong darling? You look a little down" Rarity asked in concern. The timid Pegasus sighed and looked down to the ground, "I couldn't find a strawberry for, Angel Bunny's, salad. I looked everywhere in Ponyville" she said, then thought and looked at the Everfree Forest. "That little rabbit? Are you serious? Ugh, never mind that. Are you still open for our annual Spa date?" she asked. Fluttershy looked back and nodded her head lightly, "I might be a little late, b-but I'll be there" she smiled. Rarity smiled back; "Okay darling, I'll see you this afternoon" Rarity said and trotted off to her boutique. Fluttershy looked at the Everfree forest again, "I-it's not so bad. I just have to find a strawberry bush, grab a berry, and I'll be back in time for the spa" she said to herself and started going towards the dark forest. She slowly went through the forest, crouched down and looked around in fear of something jumping at her, or sneaking up on her. "Okay Fluttershy, just find the bush, and head back" she said to herself while darting her eyes and head, side to side. Then ahead of her, she saw the heavenly berry bush in the light. She smiled brightly and quickened her pace. She reached it and first took a berry for herself and ate it to be sure they were good to eat. She swallowed and smiled, "Just right" she said to herself and picked another berry with her mouth gently and started turned to head back to Ponyville. Just as she started going, a pack of three strange shadowy creatures got in front of her path. She quickly got behind a tree. Hoping they didn't see her. She heard the creatures sniffing the air and going towards her. She slowly goes around the tree to avoid being seen by the creatures as they walked past her. She took a peek and the creatures coats were black flams in the shape of a wolf, eyes purple and a foot taller than her. She looked back and froze. On of then was right at her face, growling death at her. It gapped its jaws and launched at her. Fluttershy docked and the creature hit its nose against the tree. Fluttershy started galloping away from the dark creatures, but she was heading away from the safety of Ponyville as well. She gasped, while still holding onto the berry with her mouth. She had a good head start from the creatures, but she had no idea where exactly she was going. She then tripped on a surfacing root and landed on her left wing painfully. She cried out in pain and looked to see her feathers all bent and limp. She started crying, but then heard the creatures gaining on her. She got up on her hooves painfully and started galloping again, tears still flowing from her eyes. She got to a clearing, but it wasn't a path to Ponyville, just an open field. She started galloping to get to the other side. She looked back and saw the creatures still going after her. She tripped on her hooves and fell on the grassy ground, hard. She looked back with teary eyes and saw one of them gaining on her and gapped its jaws at her. "This is it. This is my time" she thought to herself as she looked at the thing jumping at her then… blew up? The other two stopped and looked around to see what caused one of their own to blow up like that. Fluttershy was equally confused and looked around to see what caused it. Then suddenly, a creature fell from the sky and lands on the second creatures, turning it to inky smoke. The new creature had a long slender brown body, its throat, stomach and at the bottom of its tail were lighter brown, long tail with bushy tip, four clawed hands and feet, and had large feathery wings. It had two horns going back, long ears and dark brown hair going back. Its eyes were like that of a snake or dragon and sapphire blue in color. The last creature growled and went faster the attacker. The mystery creature leaned its head back, and then shot out a blue fireball to the other. The ball of fire got through the creature, turning it to smoke and blew up on one of the trees in the forest. Fluttershy looked at the creature with wide eyes in fear and awe. It then turned to look at her. Fluttershy started inching away from it, in fear of being killed by the strange creature, but then hit a tree, stopping her from going any further. It started going to her in its own pace, its expression blank, no grins, no frowns, and no smile, no anything, just blank. A million things started going through her head, first, starting with death, torture, trophy or even a slave. It got to her and looked down at her. She covered her eyes with her fore hooves and her body shook in fear. Her left wing started to cool and get numb, "W-what's happening to my wing?" she thought to herself. She took a peek and saw the creature lightly blowing icy cold air on her wing. He finished, his eyes started glowing and gently folded her wings in the correct pattern with his magic. It looked up and snaps two twigs and a long vine from a tree. It set the two parallel on her wing, then started wrapping the vine around her wing, then around her body to keep it in place. It then finished with a little knot at the end. Then they both heard a loud roar in the forest and it looked. Fluttershy's body was then levitated and was set on the creatures back, slightly spread his wings to keep her in place. They both then started going through the forest, and Fluttershy was confused where they were going, or what it was doing to keep her safe. Every time a large creature came by, they hide to let the beasts go by. Fluttershy stayed quiet through the whole way, fear still lingering in and around her. Whenever it checked on her, she looked away shyly, her pink main shielding her face from it. After what seemed like hours, it took her to a well hidden cave in a rocky mountain, surrounded by the think forest. It took her in, went on over to a mat of mushrooms and gently put her on living bed. It went over to the entrance of the cave and rested down, looking out to watch if there's any danger coming. After a few minutes of silence, Fluttershy summoned up all her strength to decide to break the silence, "Um… th-thanks for s-saving me" she thanked it, stuttering. It looked at her; "Glad to" it answered and looked back out. His voice was… normal. Not too low, not too high, not menacing or dangerous for that matter. But he didn't sound very nice or happy, just… just like a blank piece of paper, not written or drawn, just blank. After a few more moments, she spoke up again, "Um… m-my name's, Fluttershy" she introduced herself timidly. "Nebula" he answered while looking around the forest. He then stood up and started walking out, Fluttershy started to panic a little, "Stay here" he said, and went out of site. Fluttershy waited, curled up on her bed of mushrooms, looking around the dark cave. She then looked at her broken wing on her side, it was well cared for, but the numbness started to melt away and she could feel the stinging pain coming back. She started to winced and tensed her body in pain. She then heard him coming back in the cave and looked to see he held a large leaf full of items with his mouth. He got to her and set the leaf down and the contents spills out. He looked at her, "Your wing" he said to her, still having the blank voice and expression. She nodded and painfully turned her body around. He then leaned in and blew out a small blue flam on the vine. She thought it would burn, but the whole thing bursts into flames, not combusting her in the process. Her wing went limp painfully and she whimpered in reaction. He then picked up a small think stick and showed it to her, "You might want to bite on this" he said to her. She then knew what was going to happen, she hesitantly bit on the stick and closed her eyes. "This will hurt" he said to her and grabs onto her limp wing. She started biting down just by the grip then he yanked on her wing, causing her to scream out and bite down on the stick in immense pain. Tears started to form and slid down her cheeks, then felt her wing getting numb again. She looked and saw her wing look normal again, and he applied numbing cold air to her wing. He gently folds it back in place, grabs two more sticks, puts them in place, and covers it up with a large leaf. He grabs more vines and wraps it up with his magic and ties it. After that, he scoops up a pile of berries and fruits, puts them in a smaller leaf and puts the small leaf bowl in front of her. He reached out and grabs the stick in her mouth. It had deep teeth marks imbedded in the piece of wood. He looked at her and wipes away her tears from her cheeks, "Sorry, Fluttershy, but your wing needed to be fixed" he apologized, went back on over to the entrance and rested down. Fluttershy sniffled and looked down at the little pile of fruits. She looks back at him, "Thank you" she thanks him once more and started eating the berried and fruits one by one, and making little nibbles. Nebula looks back at her, eating the little berries. He then felt a spark lighting inside. He had no idea what it was, but it was warm. He never felt this before; all his time of living, all he ever felt was cold. He was lost.