Another Day

by PonyTom

Then Things Went Downhill

Fluttershy wandered about, twirling around to take in the scenery.

This was her element. The wilderness. The trees. The little woodland critters, unhindered and unchanged by pony society. She had once said if she could be a tree, she would be; after all, trees are at one with nature, perhaps the very core of nature itself. Any creature could alter nature, even if some did so through the most basic of manners; only trees remained a constant.

The various animals gathered about her, curious to see this strange pony dancing and twirling like a ballerina. Fluttershy turned to a nearby bush with a little bird on it and held a hoof out; the bird responding by hopping onto her hoof. Fluttershy sang a few notes, an act the bird responded with singing of it's own in small, beautiful--

"HEY FLUTTERSHY!"

Suddenly, all the animals scattered, the bird flying from Fluttershy's hoof. "No, wait!" she yelled, as loud as Fluttershy might typically do what might be considered at least an honest attempt at yelling.

Rainbow Dash hovered into the clearing. "Oh, there you are. What's up? You kind of wandered off."

Fluttershy sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry Rainbow Dash. I was just exploring and trying to make friends."

Rainbow hummed. She looked around to see the various animals scurrying in the trees and bushes and gave a nervous grin, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that... heheh..."

Fluttershy smiled at her longest time friend. "Oh, it's okay Rainbow Dash. What did you want anyway?"

Rainbow nodded. "Oh! Yeah, uh, Pinkie and I found this really cool cave! We was gonna go in and explore it. Wanna come with?"

Fluttershy drew circles in the dirt with a hoof. "Oh, I don't know Rainbow Dash. That sounds awefully dangerous, I mean, what if a bear lives there?"

The cyan mare threw her hooves to the air. "Well, duh! That's why we want you to come along! You're the animal whisperer! If there's any dangerous animals in there, you can... I don't know... talk to 'em or stare at 'em or whatever it is you do to make them like you!"

Fluttershy winced. "Oh, I don't stare at them to make them like me. The stare is--"

"Yeah yeah, that's interesting Fluttershy, so are you in or not?"

The butter pegasus looked at her hooves. "Well, I guess that makes sense, but I-"

"Excellent!" Rainbow Dash wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's withers. "Let's go, Flutters ol' pal! Adventure awaits!" Without another word, Rainbow Dash took off. Fluttershy let loose but a single sigh of defeat and took to following her friend at a casual pace. It took several minutes of travel, walking past branches and trees that crowded and winded, and nearly slipping off a ledge down a hill (of yet more trees), and catching up with the overly enthusiastic Rainbow Dash, but eventually, they reached it.

"Here it is!"

Three mares stood at the entrance of the cave, staring in. Pinkie hopped in place, Rainbow holding her hooves up to display her amazing discovery, and Fluttershy smiling softly. "Oh, it's a very wonderful cave, Rainbow Dash. I bet there's some bears around here that would just love-"

"Yeah, but first, let's explore it and see if there's buried treasure!" interrupted Rainbow.

Fluttershy frowned a tad. "Uhm... isn't buried treasure usually buried?"

"Yeah! And there might be treasure buried in this cave!"

"Then how would we find it?" Added Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow hummed. "Hm... OH! I bet Applejack's map would know! Maps ALWAYS lead to treasure, right?"

Fluttershy raised a hoof. "Actually, her map was made to lead to-"

"Exactly! So, let's go get her to give us that map!"

"What!? OH MY GOODNESS THAT'S AN AMAZING IDEA!" Pinkie shouted, in all caps. "I bet we'll find dabloons, or thrones, or pony bones! GOLDEN pony bones! The kind that rich ponies have because they're so rich, they get their bones laced in GOLD!"

Fluttershy's ears folded back. "I-I don't really think that's possi-"

"Possible to do without leaving a big heaping chest of gold? I agree, Fluttershy!" interrupted Dash for not the first time in the past several minutes. "Let's go bug A.J for her treasure map!"

With that, Rainbow and Pinkie turned tail and took off for camp. Fluttershy shook her head in utter defeat as she followed her friends back.

"I just wanted to make some woodland friends..."

************************************

"Cannonball!"

Applejack lept off a tall rock and landed in the lake with a splash. Big Mac held a hoof over his face to avoid getting splashed, Twilight similarly raising a bubble to avoid letting the book she was reading get wet. Rarity, meanwhile, remained several feet away from the fun, laying on a towel and soaking up the sun. He quirked a brow at the sight. 'She's not going to get much luck sun bathing in a place with so many trees' he thought to himself. Big Mac trotted towards her and poked her in the side.

"Sun bathin'?"

Rarity waved a hoof at him. "I'm not sunbathing, McIntosh, why I'm basking! A mare as myself is far too beautiful to let her perfect skin be damaged by excessive sunlight. I'm just allowing the warmth to soothe me and give me the vital energy that only the sun can offer. The fact we're not at a beach where the heat would likely be even more intense is all the better."

Big Mac scratched his head a bit, then pointed his hoof out at the water. "Wanna go swimmin'?"

The marshmallow mare let out a soft giggle and turned to face Big Mac. "You'd have a mare such as myself splash around in water that has played both toilet and drinking fountain to various creatures?"

Big Mac pondered it over and shrugged. "Eeyup?"

Rarity let out a little laugh and turned about, patting Big Mac's cheek. "Oh you are so cute a stallion, Big Mac. How you remain single eludes me."

Big Mac blushed, fairly certain he just received a backhanded (backhoofed?) compliment, but he let his expression remain neutral just in case. "Eeyup."

Rarity nodded and rolled back onto her stomach. "If you've anymore wisdom to share, please do. I want to enjoy this camping trip to the fullest!" Big Mac just let another shrug roll across his shoulders and about-faced, trotting back towards the lake and towards Twilight Sparkle.

'Reading? On a camping trip? I know she's a princess, but I figure if you're going to go to the great out doors, you'd want to do more' he thought to himself.

"Readin'?" he said. "Why not swim?"

Twilight shrugged, not taking her eyes off her book. "Oh, thanks but no thanks. It's not that I'm against it, I just... uh... I've got a really interesting book here. I was reading it when I left home."

Big Mac hummed, then waved his hoof around. "You sure?"

Twilight sighed. "Yes, I'm sure." Twilight looked aside to see Big Mac staring at her. She blushed, feeling suddenly she might have seemed a bit rude, and gave an assuring smile. "Thanks for asking though. It's very kind of you." Big Mac just shrugged once more and trotted a distance away. He watched as Applejack swam about in the water, enjoying herself. He couldn't help but feel it odd that she said she and her friends came to enjoy a little time together, and yet none of them seemed to be actually doing anything together. Well, not these three anyway. Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy kind of disappeared. Still, he felt that for a camping trip, it seemed only Applejack was trying to do anything she didn't normally do. Not that she didn't occasionally take a dip in the pond on their farm. Still, it's not as fun to do as it is when you're camping.

His mind made up, Big Mac snorted and trotted towards the tallest tree he could find. Working nimbly with hooves tempered by years of hard labor, he climbed up the branches to the very top branch (or at least the highest one he knew could support his weight) and looked down at the lake below. He took in a deep breath.

Applejack looked to her brother and scrunched her nose. "Big Mac?"

Twilight looked up and her eyes widened. Her horn sparked with magical power as a bubble formed around her.

Rarity did nothing being totally oblivious.

Just as Big Mac was about to jump, the branch he had believed to be strong enough to hold his weight broke, and he plummeted. Funny, it was able to hold his weight the last time he was here and--- was about two thirds of his current weight. Well dang. Luckily, he didn't hit any branches on the way down, instead belly-flopping into a deeper end of the water with a loud slapping sound. Everypony present winced, save for Rarity who suddenly averted her gaze, curious as to what had just happened.

Only one word could come to him. Okay, so he usually stuck to one or two, occasionally three words if he had to, but still, It was one word that was filled with poetry and meaning, filled with all of his heart and soul at this point and time, and it climbed out in a tired, ached voice.

"Ow..."

Slowly, Big Mac pedaled his hooves to drag himself towards land, and trudged onto the grass. He fell down on his side, his belly pink enough it could be seen through his coat. Applejack followed, and her look of concern was instantly replaced with an attempt not to laugh. Big Mac just looked at her with a scowl. "S-sorry Big Mac... *snort*... Ah... Ah just... *chortle*.... Ah just... aw shucks, that was funny!"

Big Mac snorted and lay his head on the grass, looking straight into the distance. "Nope..."

"Oh! Hey, there you are!"

Everypony turned their attention to the arrival of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash was grinning madly. "Applejack! Big Mac! Can we borrow that map of yours?"

Applejack looked to Big Mac with concerned curiosity; a gesture he returned, before the two looked to the rainbow mare. "What ya need it fer?" said Applejack, inquisitively.

Pinkie nearly jumped out of her fur. "Oh! We found--"

Immediately, a hoof was jammed in her mouth by Rainbow Dash. "Uh, no reason! We just found some stuff and we was wondering if it was on the map was all."

Applejack looked at her friends carefully. She eyed Rainbow, whose face was dressed with the biggest, most suspicious grin she had ever seen. Meanwhile, Pinkie's own face was stuffed with Rainbow Dash's hoof. Fluttershy seemed rather neutral at the moment; her expression played aas one in which she was just along for the ride. Applejack pondered it over for a second.

"Well... Ah s'pose y'all can... but be careful with it."

Applejack stepped away from her big brother, who began to pick himself up as the pain on his tender underside began to fade. The farm mare plucked open her saddlebags and began to rummage, finally pulling out a rolled up piece of paper, and trotted back to Rainbow Dash, handing it to her.

"Dash, Ah mean it. Y'all have t' be careful with this. Ah don't want us gettin' lost, ya hear?"

With a hoofwave and a raspberry, Rainbow seemed to disregard the wisdom. "Please, we won't get lost. It's not so big, I can remember my way back!"

"Now that aint what I--"

Rainbow, however, immediately dashed off, Pinkie in tow. Applejack turned to Fluttershy who returned her gaze with one of apology. Applejack smiled. "Flutters, watch over 'em. We need that map t' get outta here. If we lose it, we're good as lost ourselves."

Fluttershy smiled. "Don't worry, Applejack. I'll try my best." This worked for Applejack, who nodded trustingly to her friend. Certain she had her friend's blessing, Fluttershy began to trot after her friends, who had already made their way into the deeper part of the woods.

Applejack sighed.

"You DO know she's probably going to lose that map, right dear?" said Rarity, with a look of worry adorning her features.

"Oh Ah know..." said Applejack. "That's why Ah got a spare. Granny made a second copy of th' durn thing in case any of us got lost. A third too, but that one always stays home." Applejack grinned in obvious pride at this situation, as did her brother. "We Apples aint nothin' if not prepared."

Twilight blinked. "W... wait... did Applejack just lie? You can't do that!"

Applejack huffed. "Who says I can't? Ah lied t' Pinkie like a pro up until she started gettin' nutty on her birthday a couple years back!" Twilight wanted to respond, but found herself at a loss for words. She didn't know if Applejack's fibbing potential was 'pro' status or not, but she certainly can't say she's better at it herself. She decided to let her friend have that one.

Big Mac sighed. "Gettin' late..."

Everypony present looked to one another. It was, in fact, getting quite late, and they had yet to eat anything. Rainbow Dash, though loyal, was prone to seeking out adventure and glory. Pinkie Pie was just easily distracted. And Fluttershy? Well, while she normally would return as soon as possible, she was also, by their own admittance, a bit of a door mat.

They wouldn't likely be back anytime soon.

**************************************

"Dashie, where is it?"

"I'm trying to find it Pinkie! I think it's this way! Or.... was it this way?"

"Are we lost?"

"Oh no, I know where the camp is!... Or... uh..."

The three ponies stood in a totally unfamiliar surrounding, Fluttershy wilting a bit. "Rainbow Dash, I think we traveled a bit further than the cave was... it took us twice as long to get here as it took us to reach that cave, and that was considering the time it took for you to find me..."

Rainbow waved a hoof. "Yeah yeah, that's... uh..."

Pinkie and Fluttershy stared at Rainbow Dash.

In a rare moment of bravery, Fluttershy asked the question on everypony's mind.

"Rainbow Dash...? Can you read maps?"

Rainbow Dash looked at her friends for a minute. She sighed and wilted a bit herself. "Uh... I... kinda can... when I see big formations... and stuff that there isn't a lot of?"

Silence hung in the air.

"So... we're lost...?"

Rainbow Dash blushed, placing a hoof on the back of her head. "Uh... well, not lost, per se... just kinda... not... one hundred percent certain of where we are..."

Silence once more.

Fluttershy sighed and hung her head. Rainbow Dash, however, retook her confident pose. "Fear not, friends! I can get a bird's eye view of the landscape and figure out exactly where we are!" With that, Rainbow Dash took flight into the sky and held her hoof out, looking about. She hummed, unable to see the lake; the telltale mark of where they were. She supposed they really HAD gone a bit further than intended. With that, she flew even higher, and higher, and higher, deciding to make things interesting by doing a twisting turn, until she could see the curve of the land, and looked down.

There, a little spot in her vision, marked their camp.

"Aha!"

With that, Rainbow Dash bolted back downwards, and landed triumphantly. "Well girls, I found our way.... back...."

It was then she realized neither Pinkie nor Fluttershy were present.

In fact, she didn't remember the rocks either.

Or a lot of the trees.

So she might have... miscalculated where she landed a tad. No big deal! Certainly her friends were nearby! Unless she flew in an arch. Did she fly in an arch? Well, only one way to be certain.

"Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie!"

Silence returned to her.

Rainbow Dash bit her lip. "Uh... well, maybe they'll learn to read the map..."

She blinked for a moment, dread filling her heart as she reached into her saddle bag and pulled something from it.

The map.

She stared at it for a few seconds, her brain processing what she might have just done.

"... Oh boy... this is bad..."

She looked around, panic filling her. "Alright, uh, let's see... I-I-I could go to my friends! Find Twilight, she'll be able to find them! Or Applejack! Maybe even Big Mac! Yeah!" She stopped and shook her head. "No! No, because then they'd know I messed up, and they'd think I'm a total loser! I'm too cool to leave friends behind! And what if the girls get in trouble? They'll need somepony to get to them fast!"

She bit her lip and tried weighing her options.

"Uh... I... I guess I can look for them for a little while... if I don't find them, I can always fly back to camp and get the others! Who knows, maybe they're already on their way back, and we can have a big laugh about this later! Haha... ha..."

********************************

"She.... she left us?"

Pinkie stared up, somewhat surprised. "Why would Dashie do that? She just flew up, spun around some, and then landed somewhere else!"

Fluttershy bit her lip. "Oh no... I-I-I think she forgot where to land..." It was a little known fact that Fluttershy knew that Rainbow Dash was not very good at remembering landscapes unless they really stood out - such as a particularly phallic looking rock on the Apple Farm that she laughs at a lot and makes lude jokes. Applejack eventually got so annoyed she had the thing broken down and the pebbles thrown into the pond.

Fluttershy and Pinkie looked to each other. Pinkie smiled. "Well, it's a good thing I know how to read maps, huh?" Pinkie reached into her saddlebag, rummaged about, and pulled out a piece of paper. She unrolled it and looked it over inquisitively.

"Hmm... this formation looks familiar... but I don't think I see it around here..."

The butter yellow pegasus felt curiosity overtake her, and she peaked over her friend's shoulder. The map she held was, in fact, a map of Equestria, not just the woods. It was too big a scale to have any idea where they were in the relatively small woodland area.

"P-Pinkie Pie... that's the wrong map..."

Pinkie shrugged. "Oh! Lemme try again!" she reached into her saddlebag, and pulled out nothing. Literally, her hoof grasped as if it was holding the nothing. She hummed, and jammed her hoof into her mane. All she managed to pull from it was a squeaky mallet, a triangle, and her invite to the Gala.

"Wow! I guess Dashie still has the map!"

Fluttershy was very still for a moment.

Then she shivered.

Then shook.

Then quaked.

And she let out a sad, pathetic whimper as her eyes filled with tears.

Comments

[i_am_the_jam]

And Fluttershy doesn't fly up to look for RD because....?

[PonyTom]

3034079
That will be addressed in the story. :)

[RisingMoon336]

Okay I was half right. Rainbow Dash got some of them lost XD