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// Chapter 1: The Everfree Forest 
// Story: For the Sake of Progress 
// by Lucaro 
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For the Sake of Progress
By: Lucaro

The sun rose over the hills, shedding light on the tree-house residence of a remarkable young mare with a gift for taking care of animals. The soft breeze blew in through her window, filling the room with the smell of dandelions and fresh air.
The breeze tickled her pink mane, and the sound of birds singing awakened her from slumber. Fluttershy yawned, stretching her hooves out. She looked outside, seeing the beautiful day outside. She cheered. “Squee! It’s the first day of spring!”
She threw off her sheets in excitement, and got herself ready for her daily chores. She stepped into the shower, and she was so happy she begun to sing. Her melodic voice rose above the sound of the water

“This heart, a stripling seedling sown underfoot
Held tight in the dark, wet womb of the earth
Rising forth, pushing through and given birth
This heart, it grows.”

“This heart, reaching upward with green hands
Held steady by the mother from which it came
Always connected, my heart reaches forth
This heart, it grows.”

“This heart, now grown tall and budding
Can now support itself, the ground seeming
More distant and unfamiliar than ever
Every hour that passes, it thinks of the
flower it’ll become, bright petals and verdant leaves
This heart, it grows.”

“This heart, finally flowered and mature
Still remembers the roots down below
It drops its brightest petal, as if in acknowledgement
Landing on the dirt, that still anchors it down
Even though its head is stuck in the clouds,
This heart has grown, but still remembers.”

When she finished her song, the same song she had once sung for her mother, she stepped out and dried herself with a towel. She bounded down the steps, and took a bunch of carrots out from the fridge. She set the carrot’s down. “Oh, Angel!” she called. “Breakfast time!”
Angel didn’t appear. Fluttershy left the carrots at the door. “Oh, Angel. Where are you?” She shrugged and stepped outside. Fluttershy saw the first flowers growing in her yard. A blue jay chirped at her as it flew past and she waved at it. This was her favorite season for obvious reasons.
She fed the chickens, planted tulips in the garden bed, cleaned out the bird bath, and did all the chores she did at the beginning of every new spring. Drawing water from her well, she let all the animals drink the fresh water from the bucket. Well water was much better tasting than tap water, especially since all that winter snow had melted. She drunk the remaining water, savoring the sweet taste. She had watered her plants with the same water as well. Even the plants seemed to grow better from drinking it.
After a few hours, she wandered back inside. She noticed that the carrots were still at the doorstep, still untouched. Fluttershy was very concerned now. “Oh, Angel? You rarely miss breakfast, but you never miss lunch.”
She regretted letting him sleep outside last night. He was a house pet, even though he fancied himself as an outdoor rabbit. She looked back outside, seeing that it was way past noon. It would be getting dark soon.
Fluttershy searched her entire property for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Poor Angel, she thought sadly. He must be so lost and afraid.
She wanted to cry, but continued on her way. She wandered off her property in search of him, and she found a trail of bunny tracks. Angel.
Fulttershy followed the tracks, and eventually she found herself standing in front of the Everfree Forest. The sun was setting on the horizon, and she looked back at the imposing forest in front of her. The trees reached high into the sky, and the canopy was so thick that it barely allowed any light to filter through. A rough dirt path winded through the trees, but it was chocked with weeds and thorn bushes encroached upon its edges.
Fluttershy was unnerved. She didn’t like going into the forest at night. But she distinctly realized Angel’s trail, and it led into the forest. She had to go in. How could Angel have gone in there? She had told him so many times not to.
She mustered her courage and began walking down the path. Stumbling over a gnarled root, she quickly regained her balance. She was now surrounded by the ancient looking trees. Their twisted and unsightly branches extended above her head, and cast shadows upon the ground that looked like a thousand decrepit hands reaching out for her. An owl hooted in the distance, and she shivered. It was completely dark now, and the full moon was her only light. “Oh, Angel!” she called out softly.
The bunny trail seemed to become lopsided as she went along, and eventually she arrived at a clearing. She saw a small white clump of fur on the ground, and galloped to it. “Angel!”
Her rabbit was curled up in a ball, shivering. She picked him up, and she gave a startled gasp. Angel was burning up with fever. “Oh my goodness!” She rushed back home, carrying the sick rabbit on her back.
She kicked open her door, and grabbed the carrots still on the doorstep. She made a bed for Angel, and propped his head up. She put a wet rag on his head and stuck a thermometer in his mouth. 104 Farenheit.
Fluttershy wanted to cry. She had to bring his fever down. She rushed to her cabinets and made a poultice out of her herbs. “This is an old herbal remedy that I learned as a filly.” She had ground it up into mush and brought it up to Angel’s mouth. “Please eat, Angel. You’re very sick.”
Angel ate the bitter poultice without complaint. She sat at his bedside for the rest of the night, and eventually the fever went back down. She had fallen asleep sometime during the night, and when she awoke, Angel had eaten all the carrots.
She picked the bunny up and allowed him to play inside. She sighed in relief. He seemed to be normal again. She wondered what had happened to him. He must have eaten something he shouldn’t have. He was alone in that forest for such a long time.
Fluttershy began to clean up Angel’s sick bed, when she noticed something. There were black splatter stains all over the pillow. She immediately recognized the pungent smell. Vomit? She let the black vomit slide off the pillow and into the garbage can. It was thick and viscous, and reeked of death. What in the world did Angel eat?