//------------------------------// // Another Pony!? // Story: The Exiled One // by Flareblitzfury //------------------------------// Angel continued to run, he soon ran past the bridge with Fluttershy still behind. “Angel please, tell me what’s wrong!” she exclaimed as she continued to chase him. Eventually Angel led Fluttershy all the way to the park; meanwhile Applejack is on her way to deliver the apples to Fluttershy. “We’re apples forever! Apples together! We’re family but so much mooooooore!” Applejack sang as she pulled a large cart of apples across the bridge to Fluttershy’s cottage. She knocks on the door three times and waits for Fluttershy. When she knocked on the door shifter started to wake up. “Ugh, what… happened?” he said slowly standing up. “Fluttershy I’m here with ya apples.” Applejack said outside the door. “Oh no! That must be one of her friends!” Shifter thought to himself as he stood up all the way. “Where did she even go?” he wondered. Applejack knocked on the door three more times. “Fluttershy, are ya here?” she said still waiting at the door wondering why there was no response. Shifter began to worry, as Applejack began to get more confused. “If I stay quiet, she might think Flut..tershy isn’t here, and come back later.” he thought as stood in the middle of the room. “I guess she ain’t here.” said Applejack. She then began to walk away, as she did Shifter breathed a large sigh of relief, and then he came upon a realization. “Wait a sec? This is a great chance to for me eat!” he thought as facehoofed. He began to try to change, but him still being hungry causes a problem. “If there ever was a time for me to change right it would be now!” Shifter said as he the green flames slowly began to engulf his hooves. He struggled to force himself to look like Fluttershy. His hooves changed to Fluttershy’s, the flames began to cover his legs and lower body. Shifter continued to strain as his body changed to hers. Eventually he managed a full transformation into Fluttershy. After the successful change; he quickly ran to the door. He opened the door all the way as he called out to Applejack. “Wait! I’m here!” he said in Fluttershy’s voice. “Oh ya are here.” she said turning around and looking at Shiftershy. “Sorry I was, um.” he tried to quickly come up with an excuse. “Upstairs! I was upstairs. “Oh, so what were ya doin’ up there.” she asked as she turned back around and began to walk up to Shiftershy. “I was, cleaning my mane!” he said stroking his false mane. He began to sweat as he began to get tired from this change while in such a weak state. “Uh, Fluttershy, why ya sweatin’ so much?” Applejack asked. “Sweating? Oh right! Sweating, it’s ah, hot inside.” Shiftershy said wiping the sweat from his forehead. He slowly began to get weaker, but hid it from Applejack very well, then his tail started to change back. “Oh no!” He thought. “My tail! I’ve got to hurry and get some love!” He thought to himself as he tried to keep a happy smile. “We’re friends right?” Shiftershy asked as he moved his small tail directly behind him as it slowly began to change back. “A course we’re friends Fluttershy! We’ll always be friends!” she said coming over and hugging Shiftershy. This display of affection filled up Shifter enough that he could turn his tail back to Fluttershy’s. “Phew! That was close.” he thought to himself. The hug was then released and both Applejack and Shiftershy smiled. “Thank you uh….uhm, hmm.” he said as he realized he had no idea what her name was. He began to freak out internally as his cover might be blown! “Applejack?” she said in a confused manor. “Yes! Applejack!” he quickly replied. Applejack looked at him suspiciously, while he tried to put on a convincing smile. “Okay then, I best be goin’ now, here are ya apples, Fluttershy.” Applejack said still with suspicion in her voice. Applejack then walked away, leaving the large cart of apples in front of Fluttershy’s cottage. “Catch ya later Fluttershy.” she said as she was walking over the bridge. “Thanks Applejack, my good friend!” he said waving goodbye. Shiftershy then sighed a huge sigh of relief, as he was sure he fooled Applejack. He quickly got the apple cart and pulled it inside placing it in the middle of the room, blocking the window, he then quickly shut the door. As Shiftershy was inside the cottage with the apple cart; most of the birds and squirrels, and mice immediately flocked over to the cart. “Whoa! Slow down there!” he shouted as he made a large leap over the cart and animals. He landed back on the couch and sat there for a moment. “Phew! That was close, now I can change back.” he said. Afterwards his body was quickly covered in the green flames as he turned back to normal. “It’s nice to be back to my regular self.” he said sitting on the couch rubbing his face with his hoof. As the animals ate down the piles of apples in the apple cart, the cottage’s window starts to be unblocked. There he starts to see a hat, he immediately begins to panic. Shifter then tries to calm himself, and thinks of a plan. “Somethin’ ain’t right here, she woulda never just put the cart there for’em to eat willy nilly.” she said scratching her head while looking through the window at the animals. “Okay, I know changing takes a lot out of me, but I know I can do it!” he assures himself as he gets off the couch. He planned to change into a butterfly, leave the cottage and go back to the Everfree, to stay in his seclusion. Right then he put his plan into action. Shifter took a deep breath in and out as he began to make sure nothing could go wrong with this shift. A few moments later his change was successful! “Yes! Two successful shifts in a row!” he said in a squeaky voice. Soon after he changed Applejack opens the door. “What! I can’t believe I forgot to lock the door!” he said in shock. “Ah ha! I knew ya weren’t the real Fluttershy!” Applejack yells as she points to him in the air. “Oh no! Oh no!” he shouted in his still squeaky voice. Just then in his shock he shifted into a giant manticore. All the animals in the room scattered as he fell to the ground crushing the cart below him. “Whoa nelly!” Applejack screamed as she began to back up. “Might as well take advantage of this.” he said getting ready to pounce. “You should go know.” he said in a calm, deep, and raspy voice. “Wh-what’d ya d-do with Fluttershy!” she said stuttering with fear. “Don’t worry, she’s fine, now go, or else you won’t be.” he threatened as he walked closer to her. “Y-ya won’t get away with- “Applejack started to say. “NOW!” Shifter interrupted screaming. He then jumped right in front of her and roared loudly right in her face. “AHHHHHHHHH!!!!” she screamed as she ran out of the cottage as fast as she could. After that, he then turned back to normal and fell to the ground. “Oof! Ow! Well at least that worked.” he said as he closed the door back, and remembered to lock it. “I didn’t forget this time!” he shouted while feeling very proud of himself. All of sudden he hears a knock on the door. “Oh Chrysalis! Applejacks back!” he shouted in fear. He then ran and hid underneath the couch. “Um… can somepony… open the door, please” Fluttershy said outside the door. “Oh that’s a relief.” he said as he came from under the couch and went to open the door. His second encounter with a pony was not so good, but I guess it could have been worse.