EverFree-Running
Twilight and Shining entered Zecora’s home, each holding a bushel of the plant the zebra had sent them for.
“Zecora, I’m home!” Twilight called out, giggling.
She quite understandably stopped giggling upon seeing the zebra lying unconscious on the floor, a frying pan nearby.
“Zecora!” Twilight cried, running over to the herbalist.
Shining reacted in a similar way, but it wasn’t the zebra that interested him. (This time that is. We all know what happened on that ‘diplomatic’ trip to Zebrafrica.) Instead, he ran to the cradle, where he logically assumed the baby would be. Failing to find the child there, Shining began running around the room looking through every conceivable, and one or two inconceivable, place he could for the baby, mimicking the chittering sound the child sometimes made.
“Zecora, are you all right?” Twilight asked, lightly shaking the zebra.
“Ooh, miss Mayor.” the zebra groaned, eyes still closed. “Not so rough.”
Twilight sighed and looked around for something that might help wake up the zebra. Finding a bowl of icy water, the unicorn levitated it over the herbalist’s head and then simply dumped it’s contents.
Zecora woke up sputtering and cursing, most of the curses in a variety of other languages. She shook her head, flinging little droplets of water everywhere.
“What? Who? Arg!” Zecora shouted, rubbing the back of her head. “I’m a going to kill that bitch when I find her! Murder her and leave her body in the Everfree where it’ll be unrecognizable by this time tomorrow!”
“Zecora, are you okay?” Twilight asked, the zebra not exactly sounding like herself.
“Of course I’m not okay, whelp!” Zecora growled. “I’ve been hit with a frying pan!”
“You, you aren’t rhyming.” Twilight said, shocked.
“What?” the zebra asked. And then her still awakening mind processed the question. “But, I always rhyme! I can rhyme… often?” Zecora’s expression became lost as she tried to find a rhyme. It quickly returned to rage though. “No, murdering her would be too quick. I’m going to cut her wings off, cover her in honey and leave her in an anthill!”
“Who?” Twilight dared ask.
“Fluttershy!” Zecora yelled.
“Fluttershy?” Twilight repeated, dumbfounded.
“I can’t find the baby anywhere!” cried Shining in distress.
“Fluttershy took it.” Zecora said simply.
“Fluttershy?” Shining repeated.
“Yes, Fluttershy!” the zebra roared, standing up. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. Why would she knock me out unless she was going to take the baby?”
“What if it was a changeling that came for the baby?” Twilight offered.
“That makes no sense. They would have no idea where the baby was. Only Fluttershy knew besides the two of you.” Zecora paused. “Wait, did I just rhyme?” then she leapt into the air joyously. “Yes, I’m back Clementine!”
“What?” Twilight said, understandably confused.
“Just shut it and listen, will you.” Zecora then said nothing as she went through her cupboards rapidly and then triumphantly pulled out a compass. Offering it to Twilight, she said, “Go on and take it, it won’t kill you.”
Twilight took the compass and stared at it. “It doesn’t point north.”
“No, it points to Fluttershy, the mother-bucker.” Zecora said simply. “She had me make it in case she got lost so I could find her.”
“This will lead us to Fluttershy?” Shining asked.
Zecora glared at him. “Is that not what I just said?” she said irritably. “Now please go find her and make. Her. Dead.” Zecora punctuated the last three words with a stomping of her hoof.
“Uh, I don’t think we’re going to execute Fluttershy, but we will find her.” Twilight said.
Zecora shrugged and then rapidly shooed the two unicorns out of her home, wishing them luck. She giggled as she returned inside her home, pleased that she could rhyme on a dime once more.
*******
Shining and Twilight plunged through the thick foliage of Everfree. Shining led the way, knocking aside anything that dared to stand in his path.
Twilight was surprised by Shining’s behavior. She had never seen this side to him. She had seen him determined and stubborn before, of course, but this was something entirely different. She had a feeling that if the baby was in any condition but perfect when they found Fluttershy, she might have to restrain her brother from harming the pegasus.
They suddenly were met with a thicket of twisted branches that blocked their path. Rather than simply go around, Shining sent the branches broken and flying with a blast of magic, not breaking stride in the slightest.
Twilight hoped Fluttershy had a good explanation, or this wasn’t going to end well.
Speaking of a butter yellow pegasus, a familiar squeak of fright sounded as the two unicorns burst through the hole in the foliage.
The squeak was turned into a sharp yelp as Shining tackled Fluttershy.
“Where’s the baby!?” he roared at the cowering pegasus.
“Shining!” Twilight roughly shoved her brother off of Fluttershy. “She’s going to have a heart attack if you do that!”
“Better than she deserves.” Shining spat.
Twilight threw Shining a sharp look and knelt down next to the whimpering Fluttershy.
“Go to your happy place, go to your happy place.” she whispered to herself over and over again.
“Fluttershy, shh.” Twilight said gently. “Fluttershy look at me. Look. At. Me.” the unicorn said softly but firmly.
Fluttershy stopped her whispering, but she was still trembling and refused to meet Twilight’s eye.
“Fluttershy, can you hear me?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy nodded.
“Where is the baby?”
“The baby is safe.” Fluttershy answered.
“No, where is the baby?”
“The baby is safe.” the pegasus repeated.
“Fluttershy,” Twilight began again, but Shining nudged her aside. She was going to protest, but a look from him quieted her. His look was calm, but hard.
Kneeling next to Fluttershy, Shining spoke. “Fluttershy, is the baby safe?”
Fluttershy nodded, still trembling.
“Are you sure?”
“I bet my life on it.” Fluttershy said softly.
Shining nodded. “Why did you take the baby?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t.” Fluttershy gulped and managed to stop her trembling. She looked Shining Armor in the eyes and said, “It’s not right, what I did. I knew it was wrong, but some little voice just kept telling me to do it. I didn’t want to hurt you, but maybe I had to so I could make you happy.”
“Fluttershy, what are you talking about?” Shining asked.
“I don’t know when it started, but I’ve had a crush on you for the longest time. I gave it up when you got married because there was no point. But when you came here with the baby, it all seemed so simple. If Cadance saw the baby and left you, then I could come in and help you.” Fluttershy tried unsuccessfully to choke back tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me.”
“It’s okay Fluttershy, I understand.” Shining said gently.
“You do?”
He nodded. “But, I need to know where the baby is.”
Fluttershy nodded slowly. “I sent the baby with some birds and Angel. They’re heading back to Ponyville right now.” the pegasus sniffled. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Fluttershy, really.” Shining said. He then stood up and turned to Twilight and then nodded.
Twilight stared in shock at Shining, but then nodded as well and then helped Fluttershy to her feet.
“What kind of birds were they?” Twilight asked.
“Swallows.” Fluttershy answered.
“Wait, how can a swallow carry a baby?”
“There was more than one.” Fluttershy said, almost defensively.
“But how exactly would two swallows carry a baby?”
“They could make a hammock and each carry a side.”
“Make a hammock?”
This conversation might have continued had it not been for the sudden arrival of a letter. A most startling arrival of a letter. As in, the damn thing appeared in a ball of fire. Ludicrous.
Fluttershy squeaked and did a greatest hits of her Leaping-Into-The-Air tour. Shining jumped slightly, the tension not fully drained from his system. Twilight on the other hand (hoof?) didn’t even blink, used to letters appearing in this fashion. But there was usually a baby dragon around when this happened.
Twilight opened the letter and quickly read through it. The Princess almost never sent letters to her directly, so it must be serious. The unicorn’s expression went from perplexed, to worried, to near frantic as she read the letter.
Without any prompting, Twilight turned to Shining and Fluttershy and read the letter aloud.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
As I am sure you already noticed, this letter came to you directly instead of through Spike. It is not that I have no faith in Spike, but I must be sure that this letter reaches you.
While harmlessly watching Ponyville via a crystal ball. (She was being a Peeping Tom. Luna! No, don’t write that!) I caught a glimpse of an infant changeling. I know not the reason for this changeling to be in Ponyville, but given recent events I feel I must treat this with the utmost delicacy.
I have sent the Night-Guard in to retrieve the child. They will not harm it, but they have been authorized to use force to secure it. Please stay in the library tonight and do not leave for any reason. I will send you information as I acquire it.
I know not what the changelings’ game is, but I plan to end it quickly.
-Princess Celestia
P.S. She was totally trying to see some hot pony action.
-Princess Luna
Shining’s eye twitched. “The Night-Guard…” he said quietly, horror in his voice.
“What’s the Night-Guard?” Twilight asked.
“They’re Luna’s personal guard. They’re quiet and deadly. I saw them deal with a gang of griffons once. Just threw the bodies off the side of the observation deck. Like it was nothing.” Shining took a deep breath. “Twilight, we have to get back to Ponyville and get the baby now.”
Twilight nodded. “Right.”
And then she disappeared in flash of purple light.
Shining stared at the spot were his sister had been standing a few moments before, mouth open.
“She forgot to take me with her!” he shouted.
Shining took a deep breath, this was no time to panic. He had to get back to town, but he had no idea which way town was. He then had an idea.
Turning to Fluttershy, he said, “Fluttershy, you want to earn my forgiveness, right?”
The pegasus nodded.
“I need you to fly back to Ponyville, as fast as you can. I’ll follow from down here.”
“How will you be able to follow me?” she asked.
“Same way I found you.” he held up the compass. “Now please, go. Fly!” he shouted, waving his hooves. “Fly you fool! Fly!”
Fluttershy squeaked and jumped into the air again, but this time she spread her wings and took flight, heading towards her home.
Shining Armor watched her go and then looked at the trees in front of him.
“Good thing I played all that Assassin’s Steed 3.” he said to himself as he jumped into the trees and began running along the branches. He weaved and jumped, swinging from branch to branch and pushing his way through leaves.
He had to get to the baby. He had to protect the child.
And above all, he had to figure out how the hay he was going to tell Cadance about all this.