Obsolution

by not plu


5: The Ghoul-Haunted Woodland

...Angel’s list of foods he finds acceptable are located on the fridge. It’s a narrow list. I know he can be temperamental, but he’s not that bad, I promise. Thank you so much again, by the way. I promise I won’t be gone long. Now, feeding times are generally...


All Fluttershy ever needed to be happy was a day like this one.

The sunlight was streaming through the trees’ leaves just enough to adequately light her path, and the still-dewy grass felt amazingly soft underneath her hooves. She could hear birds chirping, and bees buzzing, and water gushing, and all the lovely sounds of the forest.

And so she focused on this, to keep her distracted from the task at hoof.

She’d walked this path, every path through the Evergreen woods, really, hundreds of times. So she didn’t exactly have to be paying attention to where she was going the whole time.

She could let her mind wander as her hooves did.

Which it desperately needed.

Fluttershy had her own thoughts to be alone with quite often, as she lived a rather quiet, solitary life, and she enjoyed having her time to be able to think out her situation and surroundings.

It was quiet.

She was quiet.

But it wasn’t.

And she wasn’t.

The nights were getting longer and the air was getting cooler with each passing day. Soon Fluttershy would no longer be able to walk through the woods, at least not as often and not for as long. Soon she’d have to be cooped up in her tiny cottage with all the animals who didn’t hibernate until the world thawed out.

The forest would be frozen longer than the rest of Equestria would, since the pegasi couldn’t control the weather there.

So she’d wait.

Which is why this particular walk in the forest was important. It was almost November, so snow could come any day, and then she wouldn’t be able to get where she was currently headed and do what she needed to do.

And think. That too.

Her mind had been avoiding the subject it most needed to think about, in fact. Mostly because she didn’t entirely enjoy getting particularly philosophical with herself.

She slowed her thoughts in order to procrastinate her way to her destination.

And it worked.

Before she even knew it, her hooves had carried her all the way to a lone hut, and the sun was slipping below the mountains softly.

In a deliberate manner, Fluttershy breathed.


The door always creaked slightly when it was opened, not that Zecora needed the hint that somepony had arrived.

“Good evening to you, my Fluttershy. Pray tell, what’s caused you to stop by?”

She did not look up from her bubbling cauldron.

“I... I just needed to pick up some things.”

She stepped fully into the hut, albeit cautiously.

“I will be able to help you indeed, if you may tell me what you need.”

Zecora turned around to face her visitor. Her eyes scanned the pegasus, her head cocked slightly to the side, her eyes slightly squinted.

“There is a reason you inquire, besides the potions you desire.”

Fluttershy desperately wanted to deny that, but she knew lying to Zecora would be hopeless, especially since she wasn’t even particularly good at lying in the first place.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Zecora motioned for Fluttershy to take a seat, and began preparing her guest a cup of tea.

“Please trust and share your burdens with me.” Fluttershy was silent, though. “Do you take sugar in your tea?”

“Oh, yes. One, please.”

Zecora nodded and once again waited for Fluttershy to start.

“I... I guess there’s just a lot to tell.”

She brought over the tea and sat down. Fluttershy took a small sip of her tea and decided that it would be wise to wait for it to cool down.

But she didn’t want to continue. So she changed the subject.

“About those potions I need...”

She reached into her saddlebag and took out a list, which she passed to Zecora. The zebra read it over a few times, then gave Fluttershy a slight look. Fluttershy nodded, and Zecora rose to gather everything.

“I’m sure I can deliver what you ask, but gathering all this will be no easy task.”

Fluttershy took a tentative taste of her tea. Still too hot.

“I know. I did some research at the new library, and I... I’m prepared to help you.”

“I appreciate that you have given this some thought, for there are several ingredients here that cannot just be bought. What most concerns me, for your sake, is how much time this may take.”

“I made arrangements to have the animals looked after. I know this will take time. But getting everything on this list is important to me.”

Zecora nodded.

For a few minutes, Fluttershy was silent as she watched Zecora begin her work.

But she knew that she couldn’t sustain that for long. She could feel the tension slowly creeping into the room’s near-silence.

“I don’t know what to do about the whole element thing.” She blurted out.

Zecora nodded at her to continue.

“It’s just... Twilight and Dash and Rarity have already left, and it seems like everything’s falling apart. I liked things the way they were, even if they were really scary at times. I don’t like how unknown everything is. I don’t even know what’s going on, really. I just... I just want my stability back.”

“A catharsis like that must be nothing but true...” Zecora trailed off as she gathered her thoughts. “So, just as you are helping me, I promise to help you.”

Fluttershy smiled, though inside she still felt uneasy.

The tea had gone cold.


Three days later, the air had gotten chillier and the sky was a bit more overcast, but the forest was still the forest.

And, walking back home, her saddlebags a bit heavier, that made it a haven for Fluttershy.

Maybe it was a little quieter, maybe some more leaves were gone from the trees, but overall, nothing had changed.

Stability.

She made a mental note to send Zecora a physical thank-you note when she was safely home.

Well, after she made sure all her animals were alright.

A gust of wind ripped through the trees and Fluttershy cringed into the scarf Zecora had lent her.

It was cold, and the lack of the usually ambience of the forest animals certainly was alienating.

But she was almost back home.