//------------------------------// // Everfree // Story: Open your eyes // by MLPMcgee //------------------------------// Fluttershy couldn't believe her eyes. Perhaps it had been a timberwolf casting the shadow because there is no way this was real. Before her bright blue eyes was a Changeling foal. The foal was much like his adult counterparts, but there was something different about him. Fluttershy gazed into the foals eyes, but he found it hard to return the somewhat loving gaze. The foal began to topple over onto his side. Fluttershy dived forward, catching the young Changeling in her hooves. The young one now in her hooves let out a yawn before closing his eyes. Fluttershy pulled the Changeling into an embrace, holding him close to her heart. A smile erupted on his face as he heard the soothing heartbeat of his caretaker . "Oh you poor dear, you must be so tired." Fluttershy's heart sunk at the sight of the foal. "What are you doing in the Everfree Forest by yourself?" The foal yawned in reply. She couldn't just leave the foal by itself. Not here in the Everfree Forest. Surrounded by creatures that would devour the poor, defenseless Changeling within minutes. Fluttershy's mind wandered to memories of ferocious Manticores, vicious Timberwolves and stories of hording dragons, all of which presided within this forest. All of which could be watching me right now. Fluttershy's lip began to quiver once again. Fear engulfing her body, bringing a shiver down her spine as a howl erupted from the treeline. Fluttershy began to speak to the foal, fear still audible in her voice."Ponies are gonna judge both of us, but I can't leave you here alone. I would never forgive myself for allowing you to die." The fear in her voice seemed to calm itself. The foal continued to sleep. Fluttershy moved the foal onto her back, using her wings to prevent the foal from falling. "I helped Discord, I'm sure I can help you." A small smile broke onto her face. "You're not a monster, you even look different to the others... although I've never actually seen a Changeling foa-" Fluttershy stopped in her tracks after a bright light hit the corner of her eye. Turning on the spot, Fluttershy noticed a metallic object on the forest floor. The object was reflecting the light of Luna's moon, which had emerged from behind the clouds. Fluttershy walked towards the object, slowly. She picked up the metallic object in her hoof. "A ring?" Fluttershy stared at the ring currently residing in her grasp. Confusion clouding her face. "Let's get home, little one." Fluttershy turned to the edge of the clearing from which she emerged and began the long journey to her cottage. Fluttershy looked over her shoulder to the Changeling foal which still slept on her back whilst she placed the ring on one of her feathers to allow her to walk comfortably. "You need a name, little one." Fluttershy once again placed her wings so that the foal wouldn't fall. "Everfree." She whispered. "I'm going to call you Everfree." +++ Lavender and Crescent emerged from the treeline, heading straight towards the location where the foal was expected to be. "We must hurry, Lavender. The howl from that Timberwolf sounded extremely close." Panted Crescent rapidly. "I'm sure the foal will still be there." The two Pegasi stopped instantly. Looking forward into the green eyes of the Timberwolf which hauntingly brushed past the surrounding trees as it entered the clearing, followed by it's carnivorous brethren. "We were too late after all." Laughed Crescent as he dropped the blanket from under his wing. "Well, we can at least destroyed the creatures that hindered our Majesty's plan." Replied Lavender. Both Pegasi stood their ground as the Timberwolves casually stalked towards them. The stallion and mare became covered in green flames as the outer layers faded away, revealing their true, threatening form. The Timberwolves stopped dead before turning to run. "Let the games begin." Screamed the Changeling who had taken the form of Lavender as she charged after the monstrosities. +++ A plethora of painful howls rode the cold winds to Fluttershy's ears. The howls bolted across the tree top, causing her to look back over her shoulder at the foal. "You're lucky I found you, Everfree. That could be you out there right now." Fluttershy let out a sigh as she emerged from the forest, being struck by the quaintness of her welcoming house compared to the horrors of the forest from which she and the foal had just traversed. Fluttershy slowed her canter to a trot as she approached her cottage, stopping on the bridge and looking over to the stream below. "Thank Celestia we made it back okay." Another sigh escaped Fluttershy's mouth as she took in the sense of safety which accompanied her return. She once again looked back at Everfree. "Still asleep. Good." The smile on her face shrunk. "How am I going to explain this to my friends, let alone the Princesses if they find out." Fluttershy thought back to her worries years before. Thinking she would be placed in a dungeon for taking Celestia's pet phoenix, Philomena. Surely the Princesses would understand her motives. "I need to stop worrying about such things. Come on Everfree, let's get home and have some sleep." Fluttershy took in a deep, refreshing breathe. Fluttershy walked up to her door from which she had emerged hours prior. "Welcome home, Everfree." Fluttershy opened the door, smiling due to the heat of her home wrapping her up in a relieving hug. Fluttershy shut the door behind her before heading to the stairs. "FLUTTERSHY!" Screamed the Princess as she dived at her friend, wrapping her hooves around her neck. "Where have you been?" panted Twilight. "We have been looking for you for hours. I have been waiting here for you whilst everypony else has been searching for you. Where did you go?" Fluttershy could sense the anger and pain in Twilight's voice. "I'm sorry, Twilight." Fluttershy hid behind her mane, a reflex she had been using since her childhood. "I had to go to the Everfree fo-" She was quickly interrupted. "THE EVERFREE FOREST! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Twilight continued to scream at her friend. "YOU ARE LUCKY YOU WASN'T HURT." Fluttershy began to whimper behind her mane. "FURTHERMORE, I CA..." Twilight stopped abruptly. "Why are your wings like that? She slowly raised her hoof to point at Fluttershy's outstretched wings. "Uhm, nothing." Fluttershy whispered in response. Twilight's horn exploded with the purple aura which Fluttershy instantly recognized to be her magic. Fluttershy felt her hooves leave the floor. "No, Twilight. Stop. I'll explain." Fluttershy began to silently hyperventilate. Fear once again tried to overcome Fluttershy. She knew Twilight was moments from discovering the foal on her back. Fluttershy was now facing the door. She saw the aura disperse from around her before her hooves met the safety of the floor. "Twilight?" Fluttershy refused to turn to face her friend. "I couldn't just leave Everfree alone." Twilight materialized before Fluttershy, thus causing an eep to jump from the shocked Pegasus. "YOU NAMED IT?" Twilight was fueled by anger. "HOW COULD YOU ENDANGER ALL OF US BY BRINGING THAT THING HERE?" Fluttershy rose on the spot, mentally towering over her friend. "This foal is Everfree. I saved him from the dangers of the Everfree Forest." Fluttershy took a step forward, causing Twilight to retreat. "I helped Discord and I am certain I can help Everfree." "Fluttershy, I'm sorry." Twilight now saw the passion bursting from her friend. "You'll make a wonderful mother." "What?" Fluttershy responded in shock. "I trust you, Fluttershy." Twilight smiled at her friend. She walked over to the sofa and took a seat, gesturing to her friend to come join her. "I can see that you care about the Cha... I mean Everfree." Twilight's aura reignited as she pulled the foal off of Fluttershy's back. "I will always be here to help." Everfree awoke, realising he was no longer beside Fluttershy. Twilight took the foal into her fore-hooves. "One thing bothers me though. He looks different from other Changelings." "I thought the same when I first saw him." Fluttershy replied. "You don't mind if I do some tests on Everfree, I promise it won't hurt him." Twilight asked innocently. "Of course you can. It's important that we know as much about him as possible. Especially if he is a different type of changeling from the ones we are used to." Twilight got up from the sofa and began to carry Everfree up the stairs. Fluttershy followed closely. +++ Lavender and Crescent left the forest in their Pegasus forms. "Do we report back to the Queen?" asked Crescent. "No. We can't risk drawing attention to ourselves or any other Changelings." Lavender turned her head to Crescent as they continues to walk back to their place of residence. "Ponies would begin to suspect something if we just leave for months on end." "Soooo, we just continue waiting until the time arises that we attack." "Yes." Silence engulfed the couple as they continues the long trot home. +++ Everfree was now laying on a makeshift bed which Twilight had created from blankets and pillows. The Alicorn and Pegasus watched silently as the foal slumbered before them. Fluttershy turned to her friend, "How old do you reckon Everfree is?" "Excuse me?" Twilight responded, breaking free from the hypnotizing view of the foal. "I asked how old do you think Everfree is?" "I've done research on Changelings during my stops in Canterlot over the last couple of years, and according to some biologists, Changelings age at the same rate as 'normal' ponies up to maturity, but the aging process will slow massively after maturity is reached." "So, how old does that make him?" "If he ages at the same rate as a normal foal, I'd expect him to be approximately six months old." "So his birthday would be around Winter wrap-up?" "Yes, I guess it is." Twilight chuckled at the metaphor emerging before her eyes. "Fluttershy, now may I ask you a question?" "Of course." "Why is there a ring on your wing?" "Oh, I forgot about that. I found it on the forest floor just after finding Everfree." Fluttershy watched as Twilight used her magic to lift the ring from her feather for a closer inspection. "I can't believe it." Twilight's jaw dropped. "This ring is engraved with glyphs. Glyphs which appear to be enchanting the ring." "What? You mean the ring is magic?" Fluttershy answered in confusion, "but why?" "You said that you found it beside Everfree, yes?" "On the floor beside him, yes. Does it matter?" "Let me try something." Fluttershy took a step back as Twilight lifted Everfree's tail and tightened it together. Twilight intricately placed the ring on and run the ring to the base of Everfree's tail. Green flames erupted from the ring, causing it to tighten around the base of his tail. The green flames leapt from the ring and passed over the rest of the foal. The flames increased in brightness and intensity. Fluttershy and Twilight shielded their eyes with their wings from the intense light and heat. The room returned to the dim light from the candles in the corner. Twilight and Fluttershy slowly lowered their wings, only to be met by a new foal. The Changeling before them had changed. He no longer had both a horn and wings. He no longer had the recognizable holes within his legs. His mane and tail no longer appeared to be scaly in appearance. "That ring... It allows him to look like us."