Twilight Sparkle and the Mane Colts

by Sopas

Worried as I can be

A gulp was heard, a shaking pony could be seen, and a confident spirit could be felt.

"Eyup. This is it for sure. The Everfree forest..." a looming and dark forest with creepy sounds that critters and animals use to communicate with nature. Applejack glanced at Twilight, her hair restless as leaves being blown by a strong wind. Her body stood still, yet her head moved left to see the elements book and moved to the right to see a book of survival tips repeatedly to face the possible dangers she'd be walking into. Applejack hesitated, his muzzle from speaking and his body from moving. He saw a brave, determined unicorn from the outside but saw a scattered, scared filly from the inside.

Twilight Sparkle heard whispers behind her back, but she didn't care what nonsense they were spouting at each other. After Twilight prepped herself, her face full of determination, she took the first step. And another step. And then another--

All of a sudden, Berry hopped past Twilight while humming and whistling. He turned his head back and saw Twilight’s muzzle and eyes wide open. Berry giggled.

"What just happened?" Twilight dumbfoundedly asked. She turned to see the others waiting for them to call for Berry, but they did not. Twilight sighed; she had to handle everything by herself, she guessed. "Berry! What are you doing? Come back!" Twilight galloped towards Berry, but he seemed so far away, even with how fast Twilight ran.

"La, la, la, la, la." Berry sang. "Ooh!! Butterscotch look! These fireflies look so pretty!" He stopped hopping and stared at the fireflies on the side of the road.

Loud sighs, breaths, and dying sounds came rushing into where Berry stopped. Twilight could not breathe; that was the first and last time she would run like that. "Berry..." Twilight was hungry for thirst. She reached for her overpacked saddlebag and found water. The dehydrated Twilight drank with loud gulps each time the water flowed past her tongue.

"Oh hey, Twilight!" Berry smiled widely.

The mare frowned. "This isn't funny, Berry. Why did you do that?" She packed her water inside the saddlebag and saw on the side that Berry's friends had caught up with them.

Instead of answering Twilight, Berry asked, "What was making you all super-duper late?"

Rainbow Blitz huffed and pointed at Elusive, saying Elusive kept whining about why they had to follow, and when they did, he walked sluggardly. Rainbow raised both his front hooves to show annoyance.

"It isn't my fault you all didn't share your little plan," Elusive pouted. I could've brought boots, a scarf, and a hat to match the suspense." He whined, looking at his bare, muddy hooves with teary eyes while Rainbow rolled his.

"Wait, what?"

"Sorry, Twilight. We could really help you save the princess. We can defend ourselves and defend you, too." Butterscotch stepped up front. He looked embarrassed, with his ears kind of reddish and his hoof rubbing the earthen ground. That response made Twilight irritated.

"Why do you all need to defend me so much? I can protect myself, too," Twilight argued, her voice hoarse.

"We know, dear, but we can be all assured that you don't hurt yourself while you vast into this journey." Elusive smiled sincerely. Twilight calmed herself down, and then a small smile crept on her face. "Besides, why won't you let us gentlecolts protect a lovely and beautiful mare like you?" He added.

Twilight scowled and let out a sound of disbelief and annoyance. She scolded the five colts with arguments about mare rights and how a mare can protect herself just as a colt would. After that, Butterscotch reassured Twilight that they never intended to protect Twilight like that, but Twilight glared and scolded some more, swearing and storming off. "Do NOT follow me." Twilight left the scene. Her last sentence left a tight and awkward air in the room.

"You had to add that last bit, didn't you?" Rainbow sarcastically said, directed at Elusive.

Elusive lowered his head, "I thought that would make her trust us more."

Everyone sighed, "What are we gonna do now?" Butterscotch asked.

---

Nopony spoke. They all kept walking in the opposite direction to where Twilight went. Applejack suggested they would do what Twilight told them to do. They should trust her to solve this matter. Not everypony agreed on this, but eventually, they did.

"I'm still sure we should at least follow Twilight secretly, just to be confident she's alright," Rainbow muttered.

"Leave it, Rainbow, we all know you just want to be with her," Elusive uttered.

Rainbow glared at Elusive, his voice edged with disbelief. "How could you say that? You don't even know how I act in this type of stuff." Then his brows knit together in frustration. Elusive does not know what truly lies inside Rainbow, just as Rainbow struggled to know himself.

"With your past experiences, dear, I know."

A strong wind suddenly spooks the group. Rainbow Blitz stood in front of Elusive, his eyes full of fury. "Says the pony, who has had three marefriends for the past month. Ya know, I should be happy since you don't have anything to feel for Twilight,”

"Woah, woah, nopony need t'fight right now," Applejack stood between them with his hooves, pushing the two away from one another.

Berry inserted himself, "Um, you guys?"

"No, no. Maybe we do need to do this, even if it's so vulgar," Elusive spoke.

Rainbow raised a brow and calmed his posture. "What are you suggestin'?"

"You guys, you all really need to--" Berry interrupted once again. He can't get any pony to listen to him. Berry knows this is no laughing situation, but he really needs everyone's attention at that moment. He tried butting himself when Rainbow and Elusive were talking; he even annoyingly poked Aj on his face and his back, yet nopony even noticed him. Is this how Butterscotch felt all this time? He thought to himself.

Elusive smirked. "I'm suggesting a gentle brawl. Just you and me."

"Deal." Rainbow agreed and lifted his forearm to shake his competitor's hoof to show agreement. Elusive declined, of course. He's so dramatic.

Applejack rolled his eyes. This always happens in the group: fighting one another when things don't go well. Applejack was just surprised Elusive initiated the first fight. He's always about being a gentlecolt and stuff like that.

The two combatants took a stance.

"Waiiit!"

In the stillness and suspense of the room, a disturbing voice interrupted the setting. Creating confusing faces. After the loud sentence that hung in the air, bated breaths can be heard from Bubble Berry.

"Berry, dear, are you alright?" Elusive cut off the fight and headed towards Berry. Bubble Berry looked pale and worried. Somepony who is blind can even tell a lot is going on in Berry's mind. Without a word from Berry, Elusive widened his eyes. "Oh, Berry…I apologise sincerely for this. I got too carried away without realising what I had done." He lowered his head.

Rainbow Blitz caught up to what was going on, "...Yeah. I guess I'm sorry, too. It was too much of me to be mad at a situation like this." He talked as slowly and quietly as Butterscotch would.

"No! Yes! I-" Berry's words stumbled out in a panicked rush, his sentences becoming a jumble of incomprehensible syllables.

Applejack furrowed his brow, noticing his distress, and gently asked, "Is somethin’ wrong?"

Berry sighed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. The wind bristled loudly, taking advantage of the silence. "You all have been single-mindedly competing with one another that you didn't even notice Butterscotch is gone!"

"WHAT!?" Rainbow, Elusive and Applejack screamed.

Berry sat down, fidgeting his hooves. "And... and you guys won't even listen to me or notice me. I felt like I was invisible for the first time."

...

Berry looked up. Three of his friends were too far away to hear him, yet he could hear them just fine because of the frantic clamour they were making.

"Butterscotch cannot be too far!" Applejack yelled whilst opening bushes in the hopes of finding the missing pony.

"Imma check on the sky!" Rainbow unfurled his wings and flew out as fast as he could. He looked down, left and right, to see if Butterscotch was flying. Where are you, Butter… he whispered in the solitude of his mind. Elusive, on the other hand, was searching the ground, using his unicorn magic to light up the path he was heading on.

Of course, none of the ponies showed fear, which eased Berry's mind. Finding Butterscotch is more important than his feelings; he can talk about them later. Berry then searched in his own way, popping in and out of various places: bushes, trees, plants, and rocks.