Fluttershy sat at her windowsill, overlooking the Everfree Forest, as she had been doing for the last four hours. Twilight entered the quaint bedroom to sit beside her dear friend as she had been since arriving. "How are you feeling Fluttershy? You know it's not your fault." Twilight had an expression of concern, one she had been using around Fluttershy since her first attempt.
Fluttershy turned towards Twilight, lip quivering and a tear sliding down her cheek. "No," she responded with sadness engulfing her voice, "but what if it is my fault?" Tears once again flooded from her eyes.
Twilight stretched her wing and placed it around her friend, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Why would you say that?"
"I have had so many unsuccessful relationships over the years. Rainbow Dash is now with Soarin. Big Macintosh is now with Cheerilee. You are with Flash Sentry. All my friends are starting happy relationships, but I'm stuck in a rut." Fluttershy pushed Twilight away, placing her wings over her own head for protection from the cruel world around her. "The reason Cloud Break ended our relationship was all on me. He said he couldn't be with someone who was afraid to embrace." She once again broke down into a fit of tears.
Twilight moved closer to Fluttershy but was quickly swatted back by a yellow hoof. "Fluttershy, you must realise that he wasn't for you. If he couldn't accept you for who you are then he isn't worth your ti-" Twilight was abruptly interrupted by Fluttershy.
"Don't talk to me like I'm a foal. It is my fault. Just like how Angel's death was all my fault." Fluttershy's thoughts wandered to that frigid night four months prior. The image of Angel's lifeless body on the sofa sent a chill down Fluttershy's spine, causing more tears to rain from her eyes. She wiped her face of tears and turned to Twilight. "You have no idea what it's like being me." Twilight was in shock, Fluttershy was completely acting out of character. The often shy Pegasus was now assertive and angry. "How many stallions will it take? How long until I find the stallion who completes me?" Fluttershy smacked her head against the windowsill and once again began crying, both from the pain and her tormented soul.
Twilight got up from her seated position and left for the door. Turning back to her distraught friend she said softly, "you shouldn't be looking for the pony that completes you." She walked through the door frame and looked in from outside. "You need to find the pony that loves you completely and remember your friends are always here." With that Twilight shut the door behind her and left the cottage.
Fluttershy rested her chin between her hooves as she continued to stare out of the window. "Perhaps Twilight is right."
Fluttershy stood up and slammed her fore-hoof against the windowsill. "I need to stop looking for the perfect stallion and start looking for the one who thinks I'm the perfect mare." A smile finally erupted onto her face after hours of crying.. "I need to fi-" A large explosion sounded from above, a sound rather similar to that of the sonic rainboom. Fluttershy collapsed to the floor, cowering in fear and shock.
Fluttershy leapt through her window and gazed skyward. Her jaw dropped as a bright light gashed the night sky above her. An object was hurtling towards the earth beneath her feet as she hovered. The spherical object was coming in fast, but Fluttershy could see where it was about to land. "The Everfree Forest," she swallowed hard. It was then that she noticed the object was not alone. Hundreds of these objects could be seen in all directions. Perhaps a meteor shower, Fluttershy thought to herself.
The object soon went behind the tree line of the Everfree Forest. It crashed deep into the forest. Fluttershy braced for the oncoming shock-wave... but it never came. Fluttershy was overcome with confusion and found herself heading towards the crash site of the object. She lost control of her body. She just kept moving forward. Faster and faster.
***
"Did you hear that?" The yellow and lavender mare jumped from her skin as he awoke from her slumber.
"The explosion? Of course, how couldn't I?"The Pegasus stallion turned to his wife. "It means it is time. Chrysalis has sent the foals which we are to collect." He rose from the bed and aided his wife in doing the same.
"Crescent, we must hurry if we are to beat the Timberwolves to our foal." The mare ran to the door, knowng the position of where the pod was expected to land. She turned back to her husband, "What's taking you so long?"
The stallion ran down the stairs with a blanket under his wing. "Sorry Lavender, I had to retrieve the blanket. It's cold tonight after-all." The brown stallion walked past his wife and began heading towards the forest, leaving her to lock up at this late hour as he moved towards the Changeling foal.
***
Fluttershy still hated the Everfree Forest, even after living beside it for more than half of her life. Although she still feared all the creatures which dwelled within, she found herself much more confident than her first venture into the forest. She knew that if any trouble came her way, all she had to do was giggle at the ghosties. Fluttershy hovered upwards, past the canopy to locate the object which had fallen. She allowed her eyes to follow the smoke trail left behind by the object. Locating the object wasn't going to be too hard.
She didn't know why she decided to find the object herself rather that contacting Twilight, but she had a force overcome her will power, compelling her to begin a search. She didn't worry though. A noise that loud was sure to have got Twilight's attention, she was surely on her way to help Fluttershy. Fluttershy began to walk in the direction of the smoke trail.
Fluttershy made her way along the dirt path, trying not to go too far into the forest itself in fear of the creatures which dwell within. Her upper lip was quivering as she continued towards the smoke trail, twigs could be heard snapping in the background, as if the monsters of the forest were approaching, coming ever closer, stalking the helpless Fluttershy as she tip-hoofed past. Fear was now over-coming Fluttershy, but she was too afraid to raise her voice above the wingbeat of a butterfly.
A howl sounded from behind, as if a timberwolf was only a foot away. She bolted. She left the trail, hoping the monster wouldn't be able to follow due to his size. Fluttershy ducked until brambles and thorns, catching her skin and fur on passing trees and other plants. The forest itself was assaulting Fluttershy.
She collapsed to the ground, coated in sweat and tears. Fear had won.
"Why did I come out here?" Fluttershy screamed to herself, "What was I thinking?" She would have continued crying but the reserves had run dry. Her head hung low she felt a shadow spread over her body, accompanied by the faint sound of sniffing. Fluttershy forced her eyes shut, wishing the timberwolf would be quick.
The shy pony waited.
The end never came.
Fluttershy could still feel the shadow and could still hear the sniffing, but it appeared to have retreated slightly. She turned her gaze upwards. Her bright blue eyes met those of her pursuer.
Fluttershy stuttered from confusion, "A Ch-Changeling?"