Silhouette

by Roy Fury

Shadows

“Its almost as if the farther I walk, the less the forest seems to talk....” spoke a figure, slowly treading along a path. “For a wood that is Everfree, I feel ever so lonely....” The figure increased its pace along the path, almost coming to a full gallop. The sound of the hoof-falls were the only sound in the inky darkness.

“Thank Celestia I am almost home, for this eerie wood chills me to the bone.” The forest was completely shrouded in pitch save for one particular clearing. An oak tree was filled with the warm, inviting glow of candles. The glow reflected off of the light grey and black stripes of the zebra mare as she slowed to a walk. A shadow fleeted around the corner of her eye.

“Who is that over there! You have given me quite a scare!” The dark gave no reply. “It must have been a trick of my mind, my head is not being very kind.”

She slowly moved toward the door. She would, however, never reach the entrance. The wind began to gust wildly, snuffing out the candles, and the shadows consumed all.

Two Days Later

Celestia brought forth the morning sun, its rays slowly bathing Equestria in light. The darkness flees from even the most hidden corners of a happy village. These rays magnify through the high window of a large tree on the edge of Ponyville; they fall upon the closed eyes of a lavender mare, still asleep in her bed. Violet eyes opened slowly to bring their owner to another day. She yawned quietly and smiled as she rolled from her sheets and stretched out her joints. A pony with an extremely askew dark Indigo mane appeared in the mirror. As the pony began to brush her mane, a loud crash resounded from the kitchen downstairs. With a sigh, the pony set down the brush and walked away to investigate.

“Oh, crap.... How did I not see that coming?” said an exasperated dragonling.

“Spike? What did you do!”

“Twilight!?! Did I wake you up? I'm sorry....”

“No, Spike, I was already awake but what is this disaster?” Twilight Sparkle sighed.

The kitchen was in chaos. The table was on its side with its contents spilled over the floor, a chair lay next to the shelves destroyed, and several jars that once rested on the top shelf now found their way to the ground; the contents of the former jars were spread over half of the floor, mixing with each other and the small shards of glass.

“Well, I wanted to make us breakfast as usual, but the spices were up there and I... well... tried to stand on a chair... Twi, I really wanted those spices.” Spike said ruefully.

“Are you ok?” Twilight asked, concerned yet glad that Spike had felt enough remorse to shrink back to normal size.

“Yeah, I'm fine, the chair didn't make it though.... The worst part is that I think that those were the last jars and spices.”

“Don't worry Spike, I'll make a trip to Zecora later today to see if she would mind making me more.” said Twilight. Her horn suddenly flowed with purple energy and her pen and paper floated in front of her. “Trip... to... Zecora.... Ok, it's on the list, now, let's get this cleaned up and go get something to eat.”

After a few minutes, the kitchen was back to its former glory, minus a chair. The duo walked out of the Library and made their way to Sugarcube Corner. As they approached the confectionary, a pink blur burst through the door with an explosion of confetti. Twilight and Spike recoiled in shock.

“Ohmygosh! I-was-toooootally-going-to-come-find-you-because-I-made-a-new-recipe-for-pancakes-that-you-can-try-now-because-you're-here-so-now-I-don't-have-to-come-find-you. YAY!!” burst the party-pony.

“Wow.... um...Pinkie...we would love to try them!” Twilight said half-heartedly; she leaned over close to Spike and whispered, “See? Everything worked out.”

Spike looked up at her and let himself smile for the first time today, “Yeah, lets eat!”

Noon, The Library

After eating several towers of pancakes, Twilight and Spike returned to the library to resume the mare's studies. The clock struck noon and a realization hit Twilight.

“Oh! Number-One-Assistant, will you put up these books? I need to run a few errands and be back before nightfall.” Twilight pasted a cheesy grin on her face, accompanied with a few flutterings of her eyelashes at her helper.

“Yeah, no problem, Twi. Just hurry back, ok?” The dragon replied, looking up to find only a tall stack of books that lacked their owner. He sighed and began the task of reorganizing the material on the shelves.

Twilight worked her way past Sugarcube Corner and pressed onward to Sweet Apple Acres. As she approached, she saw a Stetson wearing, orange mare pulling a cart full of apples towards the barn. Twilight galloped to catch up to her.

“Hiya AJ!”

“Oh! Hay there sugarcube, how can ah help ya'll?” spoke the orange farm-pony.

“I just wanted to see if I could borrow a couple of your glass jars, Spike broke mine.” she asked.

“Tats no problem, ah think we have a few extra in tha apple cellar. Follow me!” The friends walked over to said cellar. “Now, ah know ya'll have met before but I'll show you where the jars are.”

Twilight blushed, remembering the last time she had rolled down the cellar steps. “When are you going to let that go, Applejack?”

The farmer simply laughed and pulled her wagon into the cellar, “Not for as long as ah can get that reaction outta ya'll.

The two proceeded into the dark cellar. It had changed since Twi last saw the gloomy room. The underground area was lit by a lantern near the bottom of the stairwell that could be easily carried or affixed to a working saddle. The far wall was covered with seemingly empty barrels; the left of the room was filled with the tools of cider production; the right half of the room was almost covered with some of the ripest, brightest apples in Equestria.

“Alrighty, the jars should over here to tha left....”

A few hours from sundown

Twilight and Applejack waved goodbye to each other as Twilight left the orchard close to Fluttershy's cottage. The unicorn looked up to see the sun working its way down, much faster than she had expected. Applejack had offered her some of the Apple Family's personal cider while they were underground, an offer she could not refuse, but how long had she been down there? I just need to pick up the pace, she thought.

“Oh, Twilight, umm...what are you doing out here so late... if you don't mind me asking....” said a small voice to her right. A yellow pony with thick pink bangs watched her from the cottage porch.

“Hey, Fluttershy. I'm trying to get to Zecora's before nightfall to see if she has any of her spices left.” replied Twilight.

“Oh, well, I hope she does.” Suddenly the shy pegasus perked up. “Do be careful, Twilight. The forest has been awfully quiet lately and the animals seem spooked. Would you mind asking Zecora if she knows anything about it? I would... but... umm....”

“Don't worry about it!” Twilight interjected. “I'll find out.”

With that, Twilight crossed into the trees and out of Fluttershy's sight. “Oh, I do hope she'll be okay....”

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