Chapter One
In Which Fluttershy Bears All...
“You sure this ain’t too much trouble?” Applejack asked, looking over her shoulder at her friends who were waiting on her, rather impatiently.
“It’s no trouble I assure, to watch these foals so sweet and pure.” Zecora replied, as three young faces all looked up toward Applejack with an air of false innocence usually reserved for jewel thieves, or high ranking ambassadors.
“Well, all right. Normally I wouldn’t bother ya, but Twilight’s draggin us all ta someplace called the Crystal Empire, fate of Equestria, yadda, yadda, honestly at this point I just go with it. Still it’s mighty kind of you ta foal sit for us again on such short notice.” Applejack says while removing her hat, and extending her hoof.
Zecora shakes her hoof with a smile. “It’s no trouble, of that be sure, they make my solitude easier to endure. Now off with your friends, and have no fear, I shall take good care of those you hold dear.”
Applejack hurries over to her five friends, and in a flash Twilight teleports them away.
“Alright young ones, what shall we do? Pick some herbs to make a brew?” Zecora says, pretending to pick up her herb basket.
“Story!” Scootaloo shouts.
“Story!” Sweetie Bell agrees.
“Well, I wouldn’t mind a walk in the-” Applebloom begins, but upon seeing the expressions of her two friends quickly says “Story!” instead.
Zecora smiles at the three. “Well come inside my three young friends, I think I have just the tale to spin.”
As the four all make themselves comfortable, Zecora tilts her head to the side in thought.
“I should caution you now, this tale is quite scary, it tells of the time Fluttershy became hairy.”
Three young faces looked at each other in confusion for a moment, but quickly returned their attention to Zecora as she began her story.
Twas a bright summer day,
not a cloud in the sky,
when out from her cottage,
came sweet Fluttershy,
Basket in hoof,
she made for the woods,
to gather berries and herbs,
and other fresh goods,
Fluttershy was quite happy,
in the woods near the wilds,
with her animal friends,
a true nature’s child.
She paused by a brook,
and bent there to sip,
but a frog leapt nearby,
which made her heart skip,
Although timid and shy,
her new friend made her glad,
so she paused and she chatted,
while he sat on a pad.
But the peace was soon broken,
by a cry of alarm,
nearby there was trouble,
some creature was harmed,
Without hesitation,
she raced toward the sound,
but stopped quite abruptly,
before what she had found,
For right there before her,
in a tangle of thorns,
a large bear was trapped,
looking lost and forlorn,
Each twist and each turn,
caused a bellow of pain,
he was quite well entrapped,
his struggles in vain.
Without hesitation,
Fluttershy went to help,
and dove right on in,
in spite of herself,
She calmed the bear down,
with words softly spoken,
and carefully checked,
to ensure naught was broken,
with the bear now at ease,
she then disentangled,
the bear from the thorns,
although she got quite mangled,
she was cut by the thorns,
but her work did the trick,
the bear was so grateful,
that he gave her a lick,
who would’ve thought,
that this gesture of love,
would cause terror across Ponyville,
to those therein and thereof,
for the bear’s kindly lick,
had gotten into her wounds,
and the effects of this act,
would be seen all too soon.
Fluttershy finished her chores,
gathered herbs all unknowing,
by the time she was done,
the shadows were growing.
“Oh dear,” she then said,
“I must get home soon,
and feed my dear friends,
and the bunny of doom.”
The bunny in question,
was waiting on the stoop,
his impatient expression,
caused her ears both to droop,
“Angel dear,” she began,
“Please let me explain,
there was a bear in the woods,
who was trapped and in pain.”
Angle just crossed his arms,
and with a turn of his head,
he stomped back inside,
and waited to be fed.
That night tired and sore,
Fluttershy went to bed,
and the light of the moon,
gently bathed cross her head,
but then she did twitch,
and then shudder and moan,
and no pony would believe,
what was there to be shown,
Far down below,
Angel woke with a start,
and shook to the sounds,
of wood tearing apart,
the house then did quake,
with a boom, boom, boom, boom,
and Angel did shake there,
awaiting his doom,
A huge bulky mass,
crashed it’s way down the stairs,
and burst throw the door,
terrifying the hare,
a growling and snarling,
could be heard as it went,
as it crashed toward the forest,
through the hole that it rent,
Angel then ran upstairs,
seeking comfort and calm,
for the one he loved best,
second only to mom,
but oh frightful discovery,
her bed was now smashed,
Fluttershy was not there,
Angel’s hopes were all dashed,
‘Oh no,’ he then thought,
‘Flutters must have been taken,
that beast must’ve got her,
before she could waken!’
Angel paced while he fretted,
‘what to do, what to do,
I need to find help,
not just anyone will do!’
‘Discord is not here,
Celestia is too far,
I suppose I need Twilight...
though that’s lowering the bar,’
and with that final thought,
and a shake of his head,
he turn towards Ponyville,
and then quickly he sped,
by the time he arrived,
it was already morn,
he reached Twilight’s castle,
quite tired and forlorn.
He kicked at the door,
quite as hard as he could,
not seeing any guards,
where he supposed that he should,
an eternity later,
Spike answered the door,
and got a kick in the knee,
which made him quite sore,
“Why’d you do that?”
Spike asked in his pain,
“coming here just to kick me,
has the sun baked your brain?”
Angel frowned in deep anger,
he had no time to waste,
he rushed in past Spike,
and sought Twilight with haste,
He didn’t waste time,
in the lower half of the castle,
but made straight to her bedroom,
there to cause quite a hassle.
Twilight was still in bed,
still soundly asleep,
until Angel leaped on her chest,
making Twilight go “EEP!”
Spike then burst in,
saying “Angel is... oh,
well I see that you found him,”
Spike said “I’ll... just... go.”
“Don’t you DARE move,”
do you think this is funny?”
Twilight said, “Just what is the deal,
with this half crazy bunny?”
“Hey don’t ask me,”
Spike said in return,
“He just kicked me and ran,
that’s all I have learned.”
“Fine.” Said Twilight,
then to Angel, “What’s the deal?”
And with out further preamble,
Angel started his spiel,
in pantomime form,
he recounted his tale,
of his terrified night,
in graphic detail,
Twilight nodded sagely,
then to Spike she then said,
“I’ve no clue what he means,
is he out of his head?”
Angel face pawed,
beat his head on her bedpost,
then snatched up some parchment,
Twilight used for her notes,
and on the foot of her bed,
quill in his paws,
Angel recounted his story,
every scene he did draw,
Twilight and Spike,
both gasped in alarm.
“Quick Spike find our friends,
Fluttershy’s come to harm!”
Angel sighed in relief,
after Spike had been sent,
and he collapsed on the bed,
all his energy spent.
In a short matter of time,
All their friends had arrived,
Twilight quickly explained,
About poor Fluttershy,
“It’s sounds like some varmint,
from the Everfree came,
an stole her away,”
Applejack exclaimed.
“We’d best git a goin’,
it’s already past noon,
by the time that we get there,
it’ll be getting dark soon.”
So then friends all then left,
for the long trek ahead,
Toward the Everfree forest,
with feelings of dread.
Twilight and Rainbow,
flew ahead in the air,
to Fluttershy’s cottage,
to await their friends there.
Surveying the damage,
Rainbow’s face was quite grim,
“Whatever has done this,
was huge,” she said then.
“Broken stairs from the weight,
claw marks on the door,”
Twilight said, “like a bear,
but we need to know more.”
Outside they found tracks,
they were easy to see,
but they really quite strange,
like half bear, half pony,
“What the heck am I seeing?”
Rainbow asked of Twilight,
“giant hooves tipped with claws,
that just ain’t right.”
“Something here is quite strange,”
Twilight said in reply,
“There’s two prints and not four,
What took Fluttershy?”
“Minotaur?” Rainbow asked,
“Yeti, Wendigo, or satyr?”
“No idea,” Twilight said,
“but we’ll know sooner than later.”
For there on the road,
Applejack came,
sweating and panting,
with dust in her mane,
“The others are comin’,
I just ran ahead,
what did you find,”
Applejack said in dread,
Twilight told all she knew,
and then showed AJ the tracks,
that led straight toward the woods,
and never came back.
“What in tarnation?”
AJ ask in surprise,
“looks like some kinda hybrid,
near as I can surmise.”
Pinkie showed up soon after,
and they waited on Rarity,
Aj fixed the front door,
in spite of it’s damaged severity,
As the sun starting waning,
they finally saw,
Rarity on the trail,
being held in Spikes claws,
“Oh how dreadfully awful,”
She said in a wail,
“My poor hooves were so sore,
from running this trail.”
“But then Spikey-Wikey,
offered to carry me.”
Spike wheezed and he panted,
“Anything for YOU, Rarity.”
The other four face hoofed,
even sweet Pinkie Pie,
“It’s almost dark!” Rainbow said,
“hope you enjoyed you’re ride.”
“Oh yes,” Rarity said,
“I feel quite revived,
you can put me down Spike,
we have finally arrived.”
Spike set her down,
and collapsed on the trail,
his legs were all shaky,
and he was feeling quite frail,
“No time to rest now Spike,”
Twilight said looking down,
“The sun is near setting,
Fluttershy must be found!”
Five pony friends,
plus Angel and Spike,
looked out at the Everfree,
and prepared for their hike.
“There’s no telling what’s out there,
but there’s tracks we can see,”
Twilight said taking lead,
they then entered the Everfree...