As Fluttershy and the the pony walked, the blue eyed pony clanked softly dragging the chains behind. Since Fluttershy had nowhere else to go she walked towards her house. She had to clean up the damage that had happened when... that thing... attacked those G.U.L.L. agents, whomever they were. Quite frankly, Fluttershy could hardly believe that had happened, but odder still was the fact that she was starting to feel like these things were becoming part of her everyday life. She'd saved Equestria before but she'd never had anything like this happen to her.
The pony with the blue eyes began to speak, his voice seemed tired, like he had just been through some terrible war.
"My name is Sunflower Seed," began the pony in chains, "I used to work in a sunflower field in Sunny Town. I know you can't see it, but that's what my special talent is, growing sunflowers."
Fluttershy had been to Sunny Town before. That's where she got the sunflower seeds that she, on a occasion, fed to her animals.
"Hey I've been there before" said Fluttershy "Maybe we've seen each other but just never talked."
Sunflower gave her a weak smile. "I doubt it, I tended to work behind the scenes in the back fields, I don't like talking to ponies most of the time, I guess I was kinda shy. Sometimes I'd talk to the scarecrows though, although they don't really make good company"
"I know the feeling" said Fluttershy "when I first moved to Ponyville, I barely talked to anypony. I just kinda hid inside my shack."
Sunflower nodded "That's what most seeds do they tend to stay away from other ponies, us seeds either hate other ponies or the ponies hate us seeds. Its just something about being a seed that makes you want to avoid other ponies as much as possible or else they may figure out what you are. You're the first one I've seen that actually seems to have made some friends. What broke you out of your bubble?"
"Well there is this pony named Pinkie Pie." said Fluttershy "As soon as I moved in she threw me a great big party, and introduced me to everpony in town. After that she didn't leave me alone. At first that bothered me, I just wanted to get back into my little shell, but soon we became best friends and she introduced me to her friends."
Sunflower was quiet for a second before saying.
"I don't think i'd like this Pinkie Pie, she seems kinda... like a spaz." Said Sunflower
"Sometimes she is, but if you knew her, you would be her friend, too."
"Huh..."
The two walked in silence a little longer. The only sounds were Fluttershy's hoof steps and the sound of chains rattling. It was almost calming after an otherwise hectic day.
It was then Fluttershy realized that she wouldn't normally be able to carry a full grown stallion on her back, never mind one wrapped in chains.
"You know, its funny, I'm normally quite weak I don't know how I'm able to carry you." Fluttershy said.
"Its one of the first steps towards being a sapling. Happens to a lot of seeds." said Sunflower like it was nothing out of the ordinary.
"People keep talking about seeds, saplings and tree's but I have no idea what they are talking about." said Fluttershy. "And its really starting to pis- I mean its kinda annoying" she said catching herself
"Didn't he tell you when he came to see you on your 19th birthday?" said Sunflower.
"You mean the tall pony?" Fluttershy recoiled at the memory "The one with no face? I saw him, but he didn't say anything."
"Huh, that's odd." said Sunflower Seeds. " At least one of the Great Keepers collective was supposed to talk to the seeds when they start to grow. They're supposed to warn them whats about to happen."
"Well, I'd hate to say they've done a crummy job, but I didn't get any warnings, I just got terror instead." said fluttershy.
"Hmmm, how should I explain..." said Sunflower going into some thought.
It occurred to Fluttershy that she might not be able to trust Sunflower Seed, but right now he was the only pony that seemed to have any idea of what was going on. Whats more, she felt like he had gone through something similar if not identical to what she had gone through. She had no choice but to trust him. However she would take everything he's saying with a grain of salt.
"Well, there are four levels of seeds; seeds, sprouts, saplings and trees. As it was explained to me. us seeds are the offspring of a "World Eater" although I've never met dear old mom myself." Explained Sunflower. "Every thousand years the World Eater bears a fruit. Inside this fruit are one thousand seeds..."
Futtershy's eye's widened at this "A-a thousand! That many?"
"Not anymore, you see most of them die before they even reach sapling-hood."
"W-what happens to them?" asked Fluttershy nervously.
"What do you think? You've been a seed for about two days and how many times have you almost been killed?" Fluttershy thought it over.
"At least three times."
"You see? The seeds have lots of enemies, G.U.L.L. other seeds and even the universe's antibodies."
"Why? Are we that bad?"
"Right now there is only one sapling that many ponies call Slender Mane, and he has caused countless deaths within Equestria alone. Could you imagine a thousand of them? It'd be the end of pony kind. G.U.L.L.'s goal is to eliminate the seeds before they reach adolescence for that exact reason.
Slender aren't natural in this universe. We are pathogens, the universe knows this and as a result antibodies are constantly hunting us down and killing us.
"Antibodies?" Fluttershy said, "What are those?"
"Well, I've never seen one but I've heard them and I can sense them. Have you ever heard the sound of air raid siren at night?"
"Yes..."
"When you hear that and the fog starts rolling in, you've got to book it. One time I heard a seed screaming from inside the fog bank. He screamed and screamed but the anti-body had no mercy. Found him the next day impaled on a wooden pike.
"That's awful." Fluttershy said. "How could the universe be so cruel? Its not our fault we were born this way. "
"That's the way it is." said Sunflower. "That's why we must go to the Everfree, we'll be safer there. All seeds can sense it. We need to get to that forest and never turn back."
"No I can't go there, there's all sorts of monsters there."
There was a short pause and then the stallion spoke
"Monsters like us?" Sunflower said coldly.
"We aren't monsters." said Fluttershy.
"You're the only one who thinks so." said Sunflower. "The only way to survive is to head into the heart of the Everfree Forest. You'll realize it soon enough. Say goodbye to your friends and when you are ready come meet me in the forest. If you don't want to that's fine but you'll be putting your friends into danger."
Fluttershy looked towards the ground. She thought of all the fun times she had with her friends her in Ponyville, so many memories to go through, this was the only place she had called home, Cloudsdale was nice but she never really considered it her home. Ponyville is the only place she really felt like she belonged.
Yet at the same time she felt it. Deep in her soul she felt it calling to her like a moth to a flame. She had no choice but to go, It was safer for her and for her friends.
That didn't make it any less scary though.
The two of them arrived at the edge of the Everfree Forest at Fluttershy's cottage. They stood there a few mins staring into the darkness that was the Everfree Forest. Before Flutershy said "Alright, let me just pack some stuff and then we'll go."
Sunflower nodded his head in approval.
"Bring your suit too it might save your life."
Fluttershy walked towards her house. Outside her animal friends were out playing. She could name all of them. Each of them were the closest thing she had to a family. Seeing them brought a smile to her face.
"Hello my animals friends Fluttershy" said with a smile.
All the animals stopped and stared at Fluttershy as if they were unsure what to do. They took a step back from Fluttershy whenever she tried to get close.
"Oh my angles there's nothing to be afraid of" Fluttershy said trying to reassure them, "I won't hurt you I promise."
The animals began to scatter.
"WAIT, don't go! Please, you are like my family!"
Bears cats dogs chickens a a whole slew of other animals fled the scene. The only one that stayed was Angels Bunny who looked at Fluttershy with sad eyes.
"No... please don't go." Fluttershy said softly her voice echoing off the walls of her empty cottage.
Angel Bunny hesitated looked deep into Fluttershy's eyes and without a word took off over the fence and out of Fluttershy's life forever.
Fluttershy just stood there completely stunned, her animals, no, her family had abandoned her. She was utterly alone.
She walked into her cottage.
She lost it.
She grabbed one of her chairs and began to smash all the windows in her house. She didn't stop there, she was so full of rage that she began to rip everything in her hut apart. Vases, cabinets whatever she could get her hoofs on she destroyed in her fit of rage. Why did it have to be her! Why did she have to become one of those damn things! She had no idea what was going to happen, she could be dead in the next hour or the next day. Why couldn't she be a normal pony living in ponyville?! why why why why!
At last she got to her photo cabinet and was about to smash that too when she saw this picture on her wall.
Her friends... She would be leaving behind her friends. They wouldn't even know what happened to her. Would they come looking for her? Would they give up after a while? Would she ever see them again?
Fluttershy's anger broke down into sobs. She was crying over her former life, her animal family, and most of all her friends. It just wasn't fair.
Thats when someone put a hoof on her shoulder.
Startled Fluttershy twirled around only to see Twilight sitting there with a hand on her shoulder with a concerned look.
"T-Twilight?" Said Fluttershy both surprised and glad to see her friend again.
"Good guess, but no." said the The Scholar.