Chapter 4: Resolve
“Angel, i am home”
Fluttershy opened the door to find her animals coming to greet her, the living room was decorated to the top with confetti, there were different bowls of food on the kitchen table and on the ceiling there was a banner with a crude image of Fluttershy drawn on it.
“I offered my help, but angel made it pretty clear, he wanted to give you, your welcome-back-i-hope-you-are-okay—party” pinkie pie said startling Fluttershy, yet she was happy, she always knew how much angel cared for her, even if he was a hoofull at a times.
“Eeeeeeeep…pinkie what are you doing here? I mean if you okay with saying” sometimes Pinkie terrified her, especially since nopony could actually figure out anything about her.
“To prepare you a party, what else silly, though I only helped angel with this one the other are on their way” she said as she looked in the bunny’s direction.
"Thank you, for all of this angel, you really didn’t have to do it “she said hugging the bunny.
“Anyway twilight asked me to tell you, that we are going back to the Everfree tomorrow, we might find that changeling, and I will set him a party that it will never forget” she said while rubbing her hooves together, yet again her mind was a mystery, but going back to the Everfree?.
“Pinkie, do we really must go to that place again? I am still a little sore on my wing after the last time” Pinkie’s mane seemed to deflate a little.
“Fluttershy, if your story is right then that changeling saved you, even if Twilight is my friend or this is just a part of the changeling’s plan, I at least want to thank it properly for saving you, the others, may not see it like this, especially after spike’s exile three years ago, but if that changeling didn’t do anything then you would have di…died and we wouldn’t be ha….having this conversation” pinkie said while failing to hold the tears “I don’t want to lose another friend, Fluttershy, would you come with us to the Everfree?” this was odd with pinkie, she always was optimistic, even when spike’s, but what happened if she stayed, and then her friends never came back?.
“……………….. Pinkie I don’t like this, but you are right, I could not forgive myself if something happened to all of you while I stayed behind, let me tell Discord about this after the party” Fluttershy said while hugging Pinkie pie “it’s alright pinkie just lets party with angel and our friends” she said while comforting Pinkie as their friends arrived.
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that night
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After the party they shared a collective hug, and each went on their merry way and Fluttershy went to speak with discord, ever since reformed have helped Fluttershy, although he still like to play small pranks on her, but he is starting to act weird out of his playful demeanor, other times when he think he is alone, he sits and watch at her fireplace, just staring at the dance of the flames while mussing a tone.
Discord was nowhere to be found in the interior, so she went to her backyard and there he was.
“I don’t want them anywhere near the tree, do you understand?” Discord said in a clear serious tone, whatever it was happening, got him agitated.
Discord was standing while talking we three red cloaked figures, she couldn’t make out anything, neither species, nor gender, except for a tail covered with leather and a metal blade on the tail’s tip of the middle figure, whose cloak also had some kind of white eight pointed star with arrowed tips on its back.
The three red cloaked figures nodded at once, then they slipped through the floor as if they were floating down, leaving no trace of that they have ever been there.
“Discord? Who were they? “At this Discord startled clearly not expecting her to be there.
“Fluttershy, my dear, what are you doing up at this time of the night?” he nervously said “oh them? They were just some old friends, asking for directions” he said, but it was clear as day that he was lying.
“Discord, I why are you lying to me?” she was disappointed, and make sure to show it, she has long ago gotten used to the draconecus and his mannerism.
“Fluttershy, look I can’t tell you why, but I need you to trust me on this, please, you will know on the due time” all the earlier nervousness disappeared, he was completely serious.
“alright, I trust you, but someday you will have to tell me what’s bothering you, I want to help and you have been acting weird for some time now, but only tell me if you don’t mind that is, anyway me and the girls are going tomorrow to the Everfree to investigate the old Princesses’ castle” these has been happening for a while, but the visit of those cloaked figures, that was something new.
“Alright, but be sure to comeback, I don’t want you to repeat another hospital stay, okay?” he said with a sincere smile “alright let go to bed, you got a long day ahead of you” he said as he teleported her to her bed and tuck her in, and leave.
Fluttershy took a moment to realize what happened, he has done it before but it didn’t lose any surprise since the first time, she sighted and let the sleep overtake her.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------at morning
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Fluttershy worked up and went to the kitchen, then she remembered the whole reason that lead her to her little adventure on the woods, “the duck!!” she went to her backyard and there it was, sleeping healthy as ever,” how?” she asked to no one on particular.
“Zecora prepared the medicine and gave it to the duck while the other were looking for you” she heard behind her, only to find Discord, with a chef hat “can you be a dear, and pick up the correspondence while I make the breakfast?” she sighted in relief that the duck has gotten its medicine.
“Alright, thanks Discord” she went to the mailbox, only to find Raindrops as a mailmare putting some correspondence on her box.
“Hello Fluttershy” Raindrops said as she closed the box, “well, have a nice day” she proceed to take of only to be stopped.
“Wait!! Oh, hello Rainsdrop, I don’t want to be rude, but what happened to Ditzy? She was my regular and…it you don’t mind saying that is” she said with concern.
“ I don’t mind, I am covering her route the thing is, I truly don’t know, six days ago I give her a letter, it must been bad news because just after she read it, she bucked the wall of an store breaking the wood then flew away, later I found out she quitted and apart of her playing a flute in the market’s plaza, I have not heard nor see any sing of her, it’s almost like she isn’t in Ponyville anymore” She said with worry on her voice “at least, her filly is on Canterlot” so much has changed, while she was on the forest it seems.
“Let’s hope that whatever happened, its turn out for the best” said Fluttershy to reassure Raindrops.
“Good bye Fluttershy, I will see you tomorrow” Raindrops took off, Fluttershy watched how she flew on her route and then went to Sugarcube Corner, there were all the girls, with saddlebags and they were arguing about something.
“Are you alright Sugarcube? “ Asked Applejack to Rainbowdash.
“I am fine, it’s just with ditzy gone it feels like we are losing more Ponies, Fist Spi……….” Pinkie Pie put a hoof on Rainbow’s mouth.
“Dash, don’t worry I know she will be alright, Twilight when do we go?” pinkie said trying to change the subject before it went there.
“Wait, What?” Twilight was lost in thought for a moment before snapping out of it “oh right, we are ready to go, so Fluttershy lets go to the castle and then from that area we search for the changeling”.
With that they went to forest, not ready for the things that await them.