Fluttershy sighed as she looked at her friends all around her, they really did care for her she could see that now. But the feeling of helplessness was feeling deep down. She didn't know how to combat this depression she was so deeply in, the feeling surrounding her mind like a deep fog.
She smiled at them as genuine as she could as her friends continued to express their concerns, they had never seen her like this and it was worrying them immensely.
She didn't wish to worry her friends she just felt so, so sad about Angel's murder, she knew now what really happened from a reliable witness, that she just wanted to wallow was that so bad?
Fluttershy smiled at her friends as kindly as she could, "You know girls, I'll probably need a lot more time to cope with this you know it wasn't just a death, he got killed."
She explained, they all looked somewhat shocked. She understood. She had only told them that Angel died, she didn't know what had happened at the time. Rainbow's eyes bugged and she shuddered.
"Well this just changes everything!" She exclaimed, throwing her hooves up. She rushed over to Fluttershy and gave her a tight squeeze, one that Fluttershy gratefully excepted and returned.
Fluttershy grinned slightly at Rainbow's remark, she always brought out the best in her. She hugged her friend back tightly and fluttered back down, the two were in a tight embrace in the air.
Rainbow blushed, she wasn't used to this much emotion and it was getting to her. She sighed as she plopped back down on the floor and gulped her drink. Rarity made a little face at her and scotched away slightly, Rainbow didn't notice.
"Well," Twilight started looking at Fluttershy with a curious expression, "if Angel Bunny was killed, maybe we should find out what m-killed him." She said as she looked to Fluttershy for reassurance.
"It might help you get some closer." She added and Fluttershy nodded, the witness didn't notice too much except the shadowy figure she had described to Fluttershy, she caught it chomping on poor Angel just when she saw the animal rush out of the yard but the pony said she just saw a shadow.
"Yeah! A little adventure might make it better for you Flutters!" Rainbow said as she pumped her fist in the air and raised her glass with the other, spilling her drink. Twilight frowned and used her magic to make a cloth appear and clean up the mess.
"Um, Okay but were going to do some detective work right?" She asked meekly and the ponies all nodded. Pinkie jumped up and down excitedly.
"It will be just like Shrelok Clops I've read all his books!" She cried as she pulled one of Twilight's green and gold bound books.
"Hey that's mine!" Twilight said and Pinkie giggled, the other ponies doing the same the tension finally lifting.
Fluttershy met the others at the edge of the Ever-Free forest, where Angel was last seen. She had a bad feeling about this, the Timber Wolves were supposed to be very violent this year for some reason.
She wandered to where her friends where, and she was surprised to find Big Macintosh there. Apple Jack nodded when Fluttershy pointed this out.
"Yup, I figured we needed some mussel Big Mac seemed like the best stallion fer the job!" She said proudly and Big Mac looked shyly down at his hooves.
"E-yup" He said, as usual and Fluttershy blushed she always had a little crush on the big pony she just didn't know how to talk to him.
"Oh-Okay, uh, hi." She said shyly and Big Mac nodded, his ears pricked backwards. Apple Jack laughed uncomfortably and the group set off towards the Ever Free forest uncertain of what they would find.
"So the others are just going to meet up with us? I hope." Fluttershy asked Apple Jack as the two mares and one stallion cantered into the forest.
"Now don't you worry yer sweet little head, the gals planned to meet right near Zecora's house so we'd be safer." Apple Jack told the shaking Fluttershy and the yellow pegasus nodded, she had hoped she didn't have to walk through the woods too far, but she remember the way to their friend Zecora's house and she picked up the pace feeling confident as she led the group.
Apple Jack and Big Macintosh followed the little pony as she lead them through the forest, dogging tree roots and poison joke, the woods around them was getting thicker now and they couldn't see where they entered.
Big Macintosh was indeed useful as they found lots of big trees blocking their path, and the roots were easily bucked out of the way. Fluttershy blushed as she was caught admiring Big Mac's plot by Apple Jack and the orange pony giggled. Fluttershy frowned, she hoped Apple Jack wouldn't tell.
They finally made it to Zecora's hut, it felt like hours of trotting through the woods. The ponies saw Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Twilight standing by the door of Zecora's hut. Fluttershy smiled, they all came but where was Rarity when she asked Twilight, the lavender unicorn sighed and pointed towards Zecora's home.
"Rarity complained the entire trip and almost begged Rainbow Dash to carry her through the mud, of course RD refused." Twilight explained and Fluttershy giggled as Dash rolled her eyes.
"Well duh! I'm not going to carry some lazy pony over a speck of mud!" She examined for Fluttershy and the other's benefit.
Apple Jack guffawed and the rest of the ponies laughed, her laugh always made the rest laugh along with her.
The door to Zecora's hut came magically open with Rarity opening it with a magical blue glow. She stood there looking rather confused at her laughing group of friends. "What in the name of Celestia are you all laughing at?" She asked them, and the ponies stopped.
"Oops, girls it looks like we got c-caught!" Pinkie Pie said between fits of laughter and she fell on the floor laughing.
"I still don't quite understand what was so funny!" Rarity shouted as the group left Zecora's house sometime after, Fluttershy and Pinkie were in the lead now, hunting for clues.
"Oh it's nothing, Rare we were just playin'" Rainbow replied as she followed along in the sky, hovering low so she could keep close to her friends. Rarity sighed heavily. She didn't like missing out of a good joke, or being the good joke for that matter and she was starting to think she was the joke.
But then again, this forest could make any pony paranoid, Rarity thought as she ran a little bit closer to the front. She was lagging behind a little and she was afraid of this woods, so she didn't want to be without her friends.
Big Mac rolled his eyes, these girls always played little games on each other. He thought as he helped them move a rock out of the way. It must be why there such good friends. He smiled a little at Fluttershy, he always thought she was the cutest of A.J's friends but he was far too shy to tell her so. He wondered if she felt the same way about him.
Fluttershy's arm was being bumped she didn't know by what so she looked,, it was Pinkie Pie and she was smiling widely and kind of creepily at her. "Guess which big red pony is staring at you!?" She whispered in her ear, Pinkie was the only pony who knew her secret. Fluttershy didn't know why she just thought Pinkie was trustworthy.
Fluttershy blushed deep, deep red and her eyes grew wide and she turned. Big Mac was indeed staring at her, in the plot area. She gulped she had stared at his just a while ago too! She smiled lightly.
"See anything you like Big Mac?" She flirted shyly.