Chapter 1
All Bark and No Bite
As the sun first peeked out from the distant horizon, gently caressing the land with the tender fingers of first light, Fluttershy was preparing to feed her animal friends. Humming happily to herself, she poured a bucket of mixed seeds on the ground, and then she lay on the soft grass and watched as a large group of birds, rabbits, squirrels, and mice came out to eat.
Smiling pleasantly, Fluttershy enjoyed the harmonic opening of this new day as the sun's warm glow spread throughout her body. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the fresh air deeply as she stretched out her wings and gave them a few early morning flaps.
Completely relaxed, she felt as though she were truly one with nature.
Quickly finishing their meal, several birds flew over and settled down on her grayish gold coat, while a small group of mice snuggled into her light pink mane. Soon, she had several small creatures, and even a fawn, nestling against her as she spoke to them in a soft, soothing voice.
It was her gift, her special talent, that enabled her to speak with animals, as well as to understand what they had to say in return. Symbolized by her cutie mark, three pink butterflies that were visible on either side of her flank, this talent allowed her to better care for the animals and moderate when they became a nuisance to other ponies.
After chatting with her furry little friends, she stood and watched them all go their separate ways before trotting toward the front door.
A small, simple wooden cottage, its roof completely covered in grass and littered with bird houses and burrows, Fluttershy's home was also home to numerous other animals.
Inside, the cottage consisted of just one large room, which was a combination of a living room and a kitchen. There was also a bathroom on the immediate left and a staircase against the back wall that led to her bedroom. Throughout the room were pet beds, bird houses, and additional bags of seed. Along the walls were various mouse holes, some nearly as high as the ceiling, complete with miniature staircases so her little friends could reach their homes with ease.
Sitting in her coziest chair and watching Angel, her pet bunny, finish his salad as she sipped her tea, Fluttershy sighed with content while the birds outside sang their morning melody.
"Oh, Angel, isn't this just a wonderful morning?" Fluttershy remarked softly. Angel, the last piece of lettuce sticking partly out of his mouth, grinned his agreement. "I feel like I could just sit right here all-"
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash crashed through her front door, causing Fluttershy to squeak in fright and drop her teacup.
"Sorry." Rainbow Dash smiled apologetically as Angel gave her a dirty look and ran to the closet to grab the broom.
The Pegasus in charge of the weather in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was a bold and brash pony that sometimes acted without thinking her actions through. She oftentimes rushed into Fluttershy's home without so much as knocking, and always managed to startle her more timid friend.
Quickly standing up, Fluttershy asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"C'mon, Fluttershy, you gotta come with me!" Rainbow Dash replied with a small backward flip in the air. "I found something I wanna show you! You're going to think it's awesome!"
"Right now?"
Rainbow Dash nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes, right now, right now."
Looking down at her hooves and poking at the floor uncomfortably, Fluttershy mumbled, "But it's early still, and I haven't eaten breakfast yet..."
Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash quickly looped behind Fluttershy and pushed her through the still open front door and into the sky. "Oh, come on, Fluttershy! You can eat when we get back."
Forced to flap her wings to keep from tumbling out of the air, Fluttershy inquired, "What do you want to show me? Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," Rainbow Dash answered. "And we're going to the Everfree Forest."
"The Everfree Forest!" Fluttershy gasped as her wings snapped to her sides in fright, and she plummeted to the ground below.
Rainbow Dash swooped down and landed next to Fluttershy, who was sitting up and rubbing her flank with a grimace.
"Are you okay?" When Fluttershy nodded, she continued, "Yes, the Everfree Forest. You're not gonna chicken out on me now, are ya?"
"Um, well...YES!"
As Fluttershy began galloping away at full speed, Rainbow Dash zoomed ahead of her and blocked her path.
"Seriously, Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "You're going to be with me! What's gonna happen to you?" Hovering a few inches off the ground, she lifted her hooves and started punching the air. "Nothing will mess with us, and if it does, I'll take care of it."
"Oh...um...well..." Looking at Rainbow Dash's expectant face, she lowered her head and sighed. "All right, I'll come with you."
"Yes!" Rainbow Dash shouted, pumping her hoof in the air.
Following Rainbow Dash toward the Everfree Forest, Fluttershy began trembling as they drew near.
Why am I doing this? She thought to herself. It is always so dark in the Everfree Forest, and I am so scared of the dark. Not to mention all the dangerous creatures that roam in there.
All she wanted at that moment was to rush home and lock herself in her closet, but she knew that wasn't an option. If she did that, Rainbow Dash would be so disappointed in her, and she didn't want to disappoint her. She was almost always disappointing her friends.
Fluttershy recalled the day the dragon migration had come by Ponyville. Rainbow Dash had wanted her to come so badly, but instead she had run away and hid with her animal friends. A couple of days later, after Spike had returned to Ponyville with that magnificent Phoenix chick, Rainbow Dash had found her and told her all about the migration. Then she had hung her head and said in a quiet voice, "I wish you could have been there."
Upon hearing Rainbow Dash's disheartened tone, Fluttershy had felt so ashamed of herself. She had resolved to work harder to meet the expectations of her friends, and not let fear hold her back so much. But it was so hard at times when she was frightened, like now.
Upon reaching the Everfree Forest's edge, Fluttershy's body went rigid, and she whimpered piteously. Rainbow Dash landed lightly next to her and stared intently into the forest.
Watching Rainbow Dash silently study the forest, Fluttershy found herself admiring this brave pony. Standing tall, with her head held high as her sky blue coat glistened in the sunlight and the wind blew her rainbow hued mane away from her face, Rainbow Dash radiated confidence. Even her cutie mark, a cloud with a rainbow colored lightning bolt arcing downward, symbolized her bold and daring character.
Self-consciously, Fluttershy glanced back at her own cutie mark, before looking back at Rainbow Dash's lightning bolt, and sighed. She wished that she could be as brave as her friend. If she could just be more like Rainbow Dash, then she would never disappoint her friends.
Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow. "You ready?" When Fluttershy failed to answer, she said, "I'll be right here with you."
Aware of Fluttershy's fear, Rainbow Dash stood next to her friend, and with a reassuring smile, gently nudged her on.
Gathering her will, Fluttershy shoved aside her fears and followed Rainbow Dash into the forest, determined to make her friend proud this day.
Dark and dreary, the trees loomed before them, their branches bending low as if they were trying to reach the ponies passing beneath. The canopy above was so thick that only splotches of sunlight shone through, casting ominous shadows on the uneven, rocky path that they cautiously tread.
Staying only a half step behind her confident friend as they trotted through the forest, Fluttershy struggled to match Rainbow Dash's bravery, but it wasn't long before her nerves started to get the best of her. Her heart hammering in her chest, her breathing heavy, and her quivering legs proving to be less reliable than Granny Smith's bad hip, it was all she could do just to keep putting one hoof in front of the other.
Fluttershy was so focused on battling her nerves that she didn't notice Rainbow Dash had come to a sudden stop until she bumped into her.
"Whoa, careful, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash warned as the two of them stumbled.
Looking around her friend, Fluttershy saw that they were at the edge of a cliff. Below, she could see a beautiful sunlit valley with a crystal clear river running through the center. At least, it would have been beautiful if it weren't so far down. Gazing down at the valley, Fluttershy quickly became dizzy. Backing away, she flopped down on her rump and took a moment to rub her eyes.
Opening them once again, she spotted the other side of the cliff about ten feet away. "Are...are we crossing here?" Fluttershy stammered.
"That's the plan." Rainbow Dash nodded.
Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't think I can."
"Of course you can."
Pointing a hoof at the gap, Fluttershy disagreed, "No, that is much more than a hop, skip, and jump."
Rainbow Dash gently tapped Fluttershy's head. "Hello, Equestria to Fluttershy, you are a Pegasus. Use your wings." When Fluttershy shied away from her, Rainbow Dash sighed and moved to stand beside her friend. Throwing a front leg around her neck, Rainbow Dash suggested, "How about this, you just close your eyes and fly, and I'll guide you to the other side. Cool?"
Hesitantly, Fluttershy muttered, "Y-yeah."
Squeezing her eyes shut, Fluttershy walked forward with Rainbow Dash. "Now just flap your wings Fluttershy, and don't worry, I gotcha," Rainbow Dash instructed coaxingly.
Feeling Rainbow Dash supporting her gave her confidence, but after only a few brief moments in the air, her eyes popped open. Upon seeing the great distance beneath her, she shrieked with fright and bolted back to the cliff. Dropping her head to the ground, she covered it with her hooves.
"Fluttershy..."
Hearing the disappointment in her friend's voice, Fluttershy sobbed, "I'm sorry, I just can't do it." Bursting into tears, she sprinted away from the awful cliff.
Vision blurred by tears and unsure which direction led home, Fluttershy weaved through thick trunks and tall ferns. She heard Rainbow Dash calling to her, telling her she was going the wrong way, but she didn't slow down because, deep inside, she knew that she wasn't just running from the cliff. She was running from her shame.
Leaping over a log, she didn't see the pink shape ahead of her until it was too late. Unable to avoid a collision, Fluttershy crashed into a surprised Pinkie Pie, and they fell down a steep hill in a tangled heap.
Fluttershy landed uncomfortably on her stomach with Pinkie Pie lying across her. "Yay, that was fun!" Pinkie Pie cried as she pulled herself into a sitting position on Fluttershy's back. "Wanna do it again?"
Turning to face her, Pinkie Pie spotted a broken twig balanced on Fluttershy's snout, and with an enormous smile, exclaimed, "You look like you have a mustache!" Then she began laughing, her bright pink, curly mane bouncing wildly.
With her pale pink coat, bright pink tail and mane, and sky blue eyes that seemed to always sparkle with joy, Pinkie Pie was without a doubt the most well-known pony in Ponyville. It was more than just her unique colors that helped her stand out, however. This Earth pony was adored by all for her undying happiness and her love of spreading it to everypony in town.
"Oh my gosh, are you two okay?" Rainbow Dash called, peering down at them from the top of the hill. A second later, she was standing beside them.
"Hi, Dashie, you wanna roll down a hill with me too?" Pinkie Pie asked hopefully.
"Uh...no, thank you."
When Pinkie Pie only continued to sit there and smile, Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and tilted her head toward Fluttershy, who was still pinned to the ground. After waiting a moment for the Earth pony to get off her friend, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and shoved Pinkie Pie onto her back and then helped Fluttershy up.
Rubbing a sore spot on her back as she blew her mane out of her face, Fluttershy smiled her thanks. Then she turned to Pinkie Pie. "I'm so sorry for knocking you down that hill, Pinkie."
"No biggy," Pinkie Pie responded, still lying on her back and waving a hoof lazily as she stared at the canopy above.
"What are you doing out here anyway, Pink?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Oh, I'm just out for a little walk," answered Pinkie Pie.
"A walk in the Everfree Forest?" Rainbow Dash scratched her head. "You do this often then?"
"Nope, not at all," said Pinkie Pie with a smile as she stood back up.
"Uh, okay...well I'm glad you're here. I think we may be lost. Would you mind showing us the way back to Ponyville?"
Pinkie Pie beamed brightly. "I'd love to, but I have no idea where I am." Then she turned and skipped away through the dense brush, singing, "Lalalalalalala."
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy shared a look for a moment, then Rainbow Dash shrugged. "No problem, I'll just fly up and see what direction we need to go. I'll have us out of here in no time."
She took off so fast that Fluttershy's mane was blown away from her face, and she was back by the time it had fallen back into place. "We need to go that way, now let's get Pinkie and go home."
Feeling terrible about this whole mess, Fluttershy meekly said, "I'm sorry I ran away and got us lost."
"We're not lost, and don't worry about it. It's cool."
"But-" Fluttershy began.
With a hoof stomp and a snort of irritation, Rainbow Dash snapped, "Enough Fluttershy, just drop it." When Fluttershy drew back and cowered from her, Rainbow Dash moved forward and gently nuzzled her cheek apologetically. "Let's just go home, all right?"
Avoiding Rainbow Dash's gaze, Fluttershy nodded as she rubbed her leg with her hoof self-consciously.
Fluttershy knew that Rainbow Dash's sudden outburst was related to the fight that the two of them had had the week before. She felt certain that the 'surprise' that her friend had prepared had been a way for Rainbow Dash to apologize, but she had ruined it because she couldn't stop being a scaredy-pony. None of this upset her, however. What upset her was the fact that her inability to cope with her fears had once again disappointed her friend.
With Rainbow Dash in the lead, they trampled over the brush that Pinkie Pie had gone through just moments ago. It didn't take long before they found her, sitting on the ground and making funny faces.
"What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I'm making faces at that tree," Pinkie Pie answered.
"Why?"
"Because it has a face."
Looking at the tree Pinkie Pie was indicating, Fluttershy saw that the tree did, in fact, seem to have a face. She could see what appeared to be two closed eyes above a rather bulbous nose, and below that, a horizontal slit in the trunk that almost looked like a mouth.
"Wow, that's...really weird," Rainbow Dash stated.
Their curiosity getting the best of them, the three ponies slowly approached the tree for a better look.
Fluttershy immediately recognized it as a weeping willow tree, easily the largest and most beautiful one she had ever seen. Its numerous branches were very long and drooped low, the narrow, elongated leaves hanging only inches above their heads. Looking straight up from where they were standing, it looked as if they were under a giant green umbrella.
"I wonder what made it look like that," Rainbow Dash mumbled.
"Well, trees get knots and holes in their trunks all the time," Fluttershy explained. "They are caused by all sorts of things, like for example-"
"Watch, I'm gonna honk its nose," Pinkie Pie interrupted, giggling. Pressing her hoof to the knot that resembled a nose, she shouted, "Honk, honk!"
As Pinkie Pie laughed and stepped away from the tree, Fluttershy suddenly gasped. Tumbling over, Fluttershy crashed into Rainbow Dash and caused her to stumble into Pinkie Pie.
"Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie gasped as she rushed over to Fluttershy's still form. Patting her gently on the cheek, Pinkie Pie found her to be out cold.
"Is she...snoring?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I think she is," Pinkie Pie responded. How had she fallen asleep so fast, she wondered to herself. Giving her a small shake, Pinkie Pie said, "Fluttershy, can you wake up? Fluttershy?"
"What the-" Rainbow Dash suddenly cried in alarm, and then toppled over.
Turning, Pinkie Pie found Rainbow Dash on her back, snoring quietly. "What's going on here?" she mumbled out loud.
Glancing back at the tree, she found that its eyes were now opened, and losing herself in its amber gaze, she suddenly felt tired. So tired, in fact, that she was asleep well before her head hit the soft grass.