A Day in the Roots of Fluttertree

by Carmine


Chapter 3

Fluttertree looked to the horizon as the sun started its lethargic ascent towards the welcoming sky. The dawn of a nascent day had always been Fluttertree’s favorite time, the way the sky radiated such magnificent colors. The hues weaved through one another; jacinthe orange, azuline turquoise, porphyrous lavender, together creating a melange of blissful spectrum. The spectacle in the morning air issued a feeling of serene tranquility, coupled with an abundance of vigorous energy. It was beautiful, breathtaking, alluring.

Fluttertree knew that Big Mac would be coming soon; he always awoke at the break of dawn to do his morning chores. Well, that occurred in her time-line; this was an alternate, so he may have woken up later. The bright yellow tree closed her invisible tree-eyes and permitted the early morning breeze to soar through her supple branches. Although the air felt crisp, it also felt relaxing, in a way; it was good-natured, calm, and provided her respite. It effortlessly pushed each leaf aside as it traveled through the pink of Fluttertree’s placid leaves.

She allowed her thoughts to wander, her memories to form physical bodies. Landscapes of bright green grass, each blade with the residue from the early morning dew swayed in the early morning breeze, mixed with the vibrant blue sky that held the sun as it gifted the innocent land with its boundless warmth and light. Bright hulking trunks of flowering trees protruded from the moist earth, followed by the flourishing of a myriad of leaves on every single one. Scintillating multicolored apples appeared on every tree. Some were verdant, others alizarin; a few were even colored as are the raw spectra of a rainbow. The grass barely showed through the onslaught of tree dominance, as the leaves blotted out the fiery chromatic sky. An orange earth pony was formed, along with her ever-familiar stetson. Three moderate white freckles adorned each of her cheeks. Her eyes were a piercing lime-green; they radiated the uplifting feeling of pure, unbridled honesty. Her hooves were magnificent, expertly crafted from the finest of imaginations; they outlined her beautiful, curvaceous, tempting rump in a new light. Her long blonde mane was unkempt, free. It flew freely in the wind, like a pegasus foal eager to take off away from its home. Strands flew in different directions, coating the area directly to the side of Applejack with a flood of vitellary hair.

Then a quick thought came to Fluttertree’s mind: Why the bark was she over-detailing everything? Trees weren’t supposed to be good at detail, and Fluttertree was for some reason still a tree! She promised to only moderately detail things from now.

A glint shown from the near horizon, as Big Mac with his pimpin’ swag and bling was trotting towards Fluttertree. He was still pimpin’, as previously stated, because he’s awesome like that. Beside him was some short orange ball of fur, with a strangely long yellow mustache. He looked like he was from some far-off country. Hoofington or whatever its name was. Was it a he, actually? It looked pretty gender neutral.

“I am the Lorax, and I speak for the trees!” shouted the orange furball thing. He bounced over eagerly towards Fluttertree. Up on arriving near the bright yellow tree, he placed his ears against her.

This thing is weird... thought Fluttertree.

“Well, that wasn’t very nice, tree!” the Lorax thing stated. “I can hear what you think, because I speak for the trees!”

Fluttertree was getting annoyed at the creature that was in front of her. The way he repeated everything about trees, the way he could read the minds of the trees, the way his yellow mustache curled up at the ends. It was all so foreign, so alien, so terrifying. She had grown up around trees and ponies, not orange fuzzballs that were tree-psychics.

The Lorax kept his ear close to the tree. “I don’t think this tree likes me, I’d know because I speak for the trees!”

“Ask her what she wants, Lorax,” Big Mac stated, maintaining that devilishly handsome stoic expression he always seemed to wear.

I want him gone.

“Oh, she wants me gone! I’d know because I spea-,”

Big Mac interrupted his speech by planting his hooves hard into the Lorax’s face.

 The Lorax went flying through the skies, slowly fading into the horizon. “I speak for the trees!” he yelled, his voice trailing as he soared through the sky. When he was out of view, a small star popped up where he was last seen, followed by a strange ding!

“Remind me to never invite him ever again...,” Big Mac said. He pulled out a BlackApple phone from a side-bag I forgot to mention before. He cast one glance at the phone, and it immediately dialed the number he wanted.

“Hello, my loyal subject,” came a voice that was heavily tainted by boredom.

“Need your help with this tree, Discord,” Big Mac retorted.

The sound of fingers snapping echoed across the orchard, and a bright explosion of purple smoke filled the immediate area in front of Fluttertree. Discord liked purple smoke for some reason, I have no idea why.

Never before had Fluttertree seen a combination of so many creatures into one animal. His head was like a strange horse, with a goat horn protruding on the left side, and a deer antler on the right. One of his fangs were sticking out beyond his closed mouth, and he had a beautiful beard. His left arm had eagle claws, his right arm resembled that of a manticore, and not a lion. Everypony knows that manticores are more badass. His right leg was something that resembled Spike, short and weak. His left leg resembled a goat like the one that will be shown in today’s episode! His left wing strongly resembled a pegasus’, and his right wing was something Pinkie was strangely scared of even though she laughs at Nightmare Moon - bats. Oh, and he had a snake tail, but that’s not really that cool unless it grows back when you chop it off.

Another snap of his fingers, and a giant pair of sunglasses appeared on his face.

Fluttertree could feel his eyes caressing her, taking in every single inch of her being.  It was strange, yet enticing.

Discord pushed his glasses up with one of his claws. “So you find me enticing?” he asked, scratching his chin.

Don’t tell me you speak for trees...

“I don’t speak for the trees, I can just...,” he trailed, disappearing into another plume of smoke before re-appearing in Fluttertree’s branches. He knocked on her bark. “Read minds. Sort of a... how do I put this, a perk of being the God of Harmony? Now, if I may ask, what is your name?”

Fluttertree... I guess.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet a sentient tree. You see, there are no sentient trees in this universe!” he said, picking at one of her apples. “Especially none with your color scheme... it’s rather abnormal, don’t you think?”

Not where I’m from...

“I know the answers to everything!” shouted a loud, bubbly voice.

“Oh... not her again,” Discord stated, slapping his forehead and letting his clawhand drag down his face.

A pink blur was bouncing fervently into view. Her coat was a lively vibrant pink, her mane and tail a darker pink that strongly resembled cotton candy. Her eyes were a bright piercing blue, her cutie mark a bunch of numbers and notes.

“I said I know the answers!” she yelled.

“Pinkie...” Discord said. “I don’t think we need you...”

“That’s not what your mom said last night!” Pinkie replied harshly. “Anyway, enough humor aside.” She pointed towards Fluttertree. “I know why you’re here.”

She’s so different from the Pinkie I know...

“She’s a few apples short of a bushel, if you catch my drift. Absolute genius, don’t get me wrong. Sadly she’s chemically unbalanced or something that makes her crazy,” Discord whispered.

“You see... Discord. Relay her answers to me.”

“Do I have to?” Discord asked.

It should be noted that Big Mac was still there, he just didn’t feel like talking.

“Yes, in the name of ALL THAT IS SCIENCE!” Pinkie yelled. “Now, Fluttertree as you’re called. Have you ever rapped before?”

I think I rapped... a few months ago?

“She said she rapped a few months ago.”

“Interesting... that proves my entire thesis!” Pinkie exuberantly exclaimed. “You see, the rhymes you ‘busted’ were so ‘mad’, that the space time continuum couldn’t handle it. It was at the breaking point, where dark matter became a neutral substance, incapable of holding together the very fabric of space. When Twilight started dancing very badly, space itself split open where you stood, hurtling you into this universe coincidentally!” she stated.

I didn’t understand any of that.

“She said you achieved traveling to a different universe,” Discord said.

Alright then... is there any way to get back?

“She asks if there’s any way to get back,” Discord relayed.

“There’s one way to go back to your universe. It involves a level of retardation that has never been shown before. So I called her over.”

“No, Pinkie. Please tell me you didn’t call... her,” the draconequus pleaded.

“I’m afraid so, Discord,” Pinkie replied. “This is a matter of the security of the entire universe. If Fluttertree doesn’t get sent back soon, the two universes may fold in on each other!”

“Oh, fine,” Discord said, defeated. “Do you have an estimate of when she should arrive?”

“Any second now. While her intelligence is questionable, she refuses to be tardy. Last time she was tardy...” Pinkie shivered. “The entire town was almost destroyed, I’m sure you remember that.”

Discord’s eye twitched. “Don’t remind me...”

An aura of ethereal purple exploded in the horizon, covering the sky in a violet dome. Stands of magic soared lazily through the morning air, drifting where ever the wind would talk them. In the near horizon, a giant ball of purple was moving quickly towards them.

“Oh no... she’s here...” Discord concluded, his eyes drooping while his mouth was agape in horror.

“Hai guize!” a voice rang out across the orchard. “Twilit Sprkle iz here! Let’s al parteh!”