Chapter 1 : Of Fate and Fox Squirrels
It had been such a picturesque day too, Fluttershy thought.
She stared around at the desert for the thousandth time. It stretched in every direction before her.
The sandy ground went all the way to the sunset, which loomed in the distance. Wanly, the golden orb washed across the sky and horizon with its dimming presence. The deep reds, greens and pinks played an unfamiliar setting before Fluttershy. The colors were strange to her. Our sun... Princess Celestia's sun never looks like that.
Fluttershy tried to recall an instance when it had, but couldn't. Her hooves began to plod her tired body up yet another steep sand dune slowly. At her sides, her wings hung limp, nearly dragging across the ground. Overhead, stars had begun to slowly appear in the darkening sky.
Fluttershy caught a glimpse of them during her climb, only to stop and stare for nearly a full minute. Her eyes flickered from them, and back to the dimming sunset. She didn't recognized any of the stars or constellations at all, just like the sun.
I'm not as good at stargazing as Twilight, but those are all wrong... She decided that perhaps their strangeness was merely her own fault, that she hadn't been paying attention well enough during her unicorn friend's star gazing excursions.
Unbidden, the warm memory of Twilight instilled Fluttershy with an unwelcome sense of loneliness. Despite that, she kept going, sucking in one lung-full of arid desert wind after another.
Off in the distance to the west, Fluttershy could just make out mountains silhouetted in the strange sunlight. To the north though—the direction she was now headed—was what looked to be greenery. I hope it's a familiar forest, I'd even take the Everfree forest...
Fluttershy had gone over the day in her mind as the hours passed, several times in fact. She held out hope for understanding what had happened, but it didn't seem to help one lick. Instead, the memories of that morning replayed endlessly while she wandered in the desert, and in far too much clarity for her to so easily ignore them.
The wind and its currents shredded through her mane and tail. It felt as though her body were being tugged in every possible direction at once. Fluttershy tried to look for a way to escape it, but all around her were cascades and clouds of various colors. None of it looked real, nor did anywhere look like as though it offered sanctuary or a way out. Her wings had been flapping ever since the new surroundings had seized her, but they were useless against the chaotic forces pulling, pushing and tossing her along like a rag-pony. The Pegasus' limbs hung listlessly after several minutes of trying to gain the upper wing over the powerful gale. Exhaustion had come before an end to the wind-wrought tumultuous-tumbling revealed itself.
Around her, the supernatural surroundings flashed and shifted in oceans of blinding color. At times it was darker, almost black, with specks and dots of pigment prancing across her eyes. She tried to keep her eyes shut, the light show coupled with the rough movements made her feel as though she would lose her lunch at any second. Her wings tried to take up the fight once more, if only to lessen the constant spinning.
It was hopeless though, she just wasn't strong enough, she doubted anyone was! Even the powerful Rainbow Dash couldn't fight this. Fluttershy only tried to hold her wings against her flanks now, pressing them tight against herself, along with her legs. It was all she could do to prevent them from getting hurt further. The air itself continued to wrench her this way and that, never ending. For what seemed like hours, she merely held onto herself for dear life.
Warmth spread across Fluttershy's muzzle. Bright sunlight peeked through her shut eyelids at her.
Fluttershy's eyes flickered open from the sensation, tear filled and aching. Sitting up proved far more difficult than she thought it should be. She flinched, every part of her body feeling as though it had been through several games of hoof ball with the Apple family. Not that she had ever played more than once. That had been an unfortunate afternoon that thanks to Rainbow Dash she hadn't gotten out of.
The ache she felt now was far worse than being smooshed beneath a tripped Big Macintosh, though.
Fluttershy's knees, wings and sides all pinched at her from soreness. Her pained expression remained while she looked around herself, taking in her new surroundings. All she could see was sand, more sand, and a blinding sun that loomed over her from its perch in the sky. It was far brighter and hotter than she could ever remember it being.
The land was completely unfamiliar to her.
There was no sign of anypony else, either.
Exhausted, Fluttershy paused in her pathetic walk across the alien desert. She returned to the here and now from the confusing, painful memories, again facing the present.
The crest of the dune had been reached, and its steep inclining slope was behind her now. She looked out across the desert's width and breadth in all directions from her new vantage point. It was the same everywhere that her tired, dust covered face gazed. There was nothing; barren and lifeless sand covered the entire landscape.
W-where am I...? I— Could this be near Appleloosa? It looked nothing like the dusty, flat plains in southern Equestrian, but Fluttershy couldn't fathom where else it could be. I couldn't be somewhere other than Equestria? Could I? It almost looked like a picture of Saddle Arabia, but she couldn't be someplace so far from her home, surely.
Fluttershy felt her resolve break from sheer confusion and crumbled there onto the ground with a soft pomph. Collapsing had taken the pressure off of her over-worked muscles, at least.
Fluttershy let out a pair of, small, choked sobs, laying there.
After the terrifying and abusive manner in which she'd come to be here, she had begun walking immediately. She would have flown, but her wings ached even worse than her legs... They still did, too.
"Maybe I should have stayed back there." Her legs twitched slightly, the muscles fitfully adjusting to motionlessness. Maybe somepony would have found me if I had stayed put? Dust covered yellow hooves slid up under her chin to support her resting head.
"Twilight... Pinkie Pie... anypony...?" Fluttershy whimpered out. "Help, please..." She watched the sand in front of her face scatter slightly from the breath her unheard words produced. There was nopony there to help her. Her mind began to run over the day again, it relived the fateful little five minute encounter that had first brought her to this desolate world...
A strange rustling came from directly in front of Fluttershy. Immediately, she eeped and dropped the basket of wildflowers she had held in her mouth, taking cover behind the improvised hiding spot.
A strange creature poked its head out of the bush, looking for all its worth like the most adorable and curious little thing that Fluttershy had ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. It cocked its head curiously and peered back at her. She unclasped her ears from where they had laid down against her head, as always, from being expectant of danger.
"Ah! Well, hello there, little one. Who are you...?" she asked timidly.
In a similar timid fashion, Fluttershy stood and began to reach a hoof out to the creature. Quickly, its head dropped back into the foliage, and disappeared in a flash of orange fur.
"No, wait! I don't want to hurt you, come back!" The basket of wild flowers tumbled over to its side, forgotten, as she gave a spirited hop, planting her face squarely into the bush. The creature had been one she'd never seen before and curiosity had taken over.
Fluttershy heard a feral hiss all of a sudden, causing her to freeze in the soft leaves. The sound of scurrying feet came from up ahead, over in the next clearing. The strange animal was zipping away from her.
Her usual worries began immediately. Oh no, did I scare him?
Fluttershy took to the sky, floating above the low growing flora of the forest and up into the forest's branches. Higher up it was easy to spot her quarry. The animal was crouching just on the other side of the bush, glaring into its depths.
Is it waiting for me to come out? Fluttershy wondered, tilting her head curiously. It hadn't seen her from the airborne vantage point she had taken by flying up.
A rare, momentary spark of mischief flared up with her, and she found she couldn't resist herself. Maybe the urge she suddenly got came from being around Pinkie or Rainbow so much over the last few years, but she felt like being playful with the grumpy little guy.
Turning on the soft breeze, Fluttershy banked herself towards the ground to land once again, this time behind the little creature.
It didn't notice her.
Fluttershy studied the stranger a moment after she landed; she decided it looked a bit like a squirrel with huge ears. Oddly, it had a tail a bit like a fox's, but the colors were all wrong. Her playful grin returned to her muzzle, still silently standing behind the growling animal. After taking a breath, the pegasus prepared her surprise.
"Boo!" Fluttershy shouted. It was actually more of a whisper, she supposed, but being loud had never been her strongest suit.
Still, her furry acquaintance lept backwards in sheer surprise from the act.
Fluttershy giggled and smiled happily at him... or her. "Hello! I'm—" Strangely, the bizarre animal began to snarl menacingly and swipe at the air in her direction.
"Uhm, is something wrong?" Fluttershy tilted her head a little, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, that was mean of me... I should have introduced myself before pranking you like that. It was wrong of me..."
The squirrel-like creature continued to spit and hiss.
Fluttershy was starting to get a little nervous now. "I-I'm Fluttershy, what's your name?" she tried. Despite the of behavior it exhibited, she felt she couldn't just ignore the poor dear. Oh no, he could be hurt, or lost! She knew quite well that animals would often lash out when scared or hurt.
The odd squirrel began to back away in the direction of the bushes.
Fluttershy leaned forward, unhindered, and daintily held out one hoof towards him. "There there, it's alright, nopony's going to hurt you..." She cooed the words, hoping it would try and speak with her. A terrible curiosity struck her as to where he had come from or what—
Suddenly, the strange animal sprang towards Fluttershy's outstretched leg. Little teeth sank into the soft skin beneath her fur coat.
"Aah!" Fluttershy cringed back. The act had surprised her, more than that, the teeth hurt quite a lot. She bit back the pain and her whimper though, resisting the urge to jerk away. She considered it her duty to find out what was wrong, as she saw it. This sort of behavior was very uncharacteristic of any animal she had ever met, certain species from the Everfree not withstanding.
The animal growled over gripping the pony's leg, keeping a strong grip with its surprisingly sharp teeth.
A weak smile crept onto Fluttershy's face and she met its eyes with a calming demeanor. "I'm not afraid. ...See? You shouldn't be, either. Nopony's going to hurt you, you're perfectly safe and alright."
The squirrel tightened and eased its jaws several times while Fluttershy spoke.
After a moment more of patience by Fluttershy, the growling ceased altogether. The little creature's strange, solid green eyes softened, and met her own. Their eyes stayed locked for a moment, then, slowly it released its bite to instead lick her fetlock gently.
Fluttershy smiled, not wanting to undo what had been accomplished on accident, but d'awed inwardly. Her calm smile bloomed into a wide grin more and more.
The critter's body language was very easy for her to read. The poor dear was frightened of me terribly, but that had been my own fault. She thought so at least. In the future I should try to act less scary.
Fluttershy waited until the creature relaxed some more, sitting back and blinking up at her. When she felt she could, she spoke to him. "Now that we've settled things, what's your name?" She smiled even more warmly down at him, and sat on her haunches.
For some reason, Fluttershy got the feeling it really was a him, she could usually tell on instinct. She sat, watching him expectantly.
However, Fluttershy's new friend didn't chitter a greeting—as she had expected he would—or introduce himself. Instead, he ran several strides away from her and hopped up onto a rock further into the clearing.
Fluttershy blinked and watched him go. I... that was unexpected. I thought we had come to an understanding? Even more unexpected for her was the way that the creature watched her back; it was a calculating manner, she thought. Does he want to be left alone? Or... Rising from her comfortable meadow seat, she followed after him.
The critter's tail flicked behind him in rapid succession every few seconds while his sparkling green eyes remained locked with her own.
Fluttershy came closer and closer. He would seemingly motion her nearer in silence, with subtle tilts of his head. "Do you want me to follow you mister... squirrel, thing?"
The strange animal merely blinked at her question.
Why was he so shy, and what is he? she wondered. Well, he looks a bit like fox...
After coming closer, almost enough to reach out and touch him, he quietly leaned forward a little towards Fluttershy.
She copied him, and came closer down to his level.
Around them, the sun played through the leaves in flickering shadows and motes of Celestia's light. The trees rustled quietly in the building wind, giving the clearing a calming, dream like feel.
Fluttershy waited, but her curiosity got the better of her and she addressed the creature. "A-Are you going to tell me what's wrong little guy?"
Without warning he sprang into a crouching position, then hissed loudly.
Fluttershy eeped once again, much louder than she had during her first encounter. Her legs stiffened and she tumbled over backwards, paralyzed in surprise. Her eyes stared skyward a moment, the branches of the friendly looking trees swaying slightly in the wind overhead as if trying to snap her out of the comatose state. Slowly, amidst breathing heavily, she regained her senses.
Nearby, a serious of chirps in the form of what sounded to be an animal-like giggle, danced through the air to Fluttershy's outstretched ears. She sat up quickly, and crossed her hooves smartly in front of her. "Well that was just... Alright, I deserved that." She giggled back from her new grassy bed despite herself.
The little creature danced around in a circle and hopped in a playful seeming way off of the rock.
"Oh! Dear me, careful." Surprised, but still having fun from the encounter, Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh more. Her new friend scampered up her side, his little claws tickling as he went, certainly feeling just like any of her other squirrel friends. He practically flew across her shoulder, then began to toss her pink mane about while brushing through it as a striped blur.
"Hey now, you still haven't introduced yourself." Fluttershy craned her head around on its flexible neck, and those strange, solid emerald eyes met hers again. "Just what are you, little one? I've never met a creature like you before." Briefly, she recalled another mysterious animal with solid colored eyes that she had met once upon a time... She hoped he wasn't anything like those infamous parasprites; it didn't seem likely though.
The creature wiped a paw over his head several times, then looked back at her from his perch. Fluttershy blinked in confusion, still waiting. She held a hoof up to her mouth in a thoughtful fashion. "Can... you not talk?"
He gerbiled at her in answer, remaining quite indecipherable.
It was very strange that his speech was too difficult for Fluttershy to make out. She had always been rather good at sensing what animals thought, or were saying. They didn't speak in words, usually, but somepony that listened carefully could understand just as well as if they had been spoken to. However, she couldn't understand even a sliver of what the strange new animal had said.
Fluttershy struggled to apologize to the stranger. She hoped she didn't come off as rude. "I'm... I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you. Would you try again, please...?"
Unflinching, the animal merely stared at Fluttershy. It seemed he might be able to understand her, at least. He tilted his head thoughtfully, then sat on her back, continuing their staring contest.
Why is he so different? Fluttershy considered the question, relaxing except for the occasional twitch of her wings from having a ticklish squirrel seated atop her. Oh, a new species! This is so exciting. I should show him to Twilight!
"Hm, well, you look like a fox, and you certainly act like a playful little squirrel..." She grinned, pretty sure of what she was going to call the little guy, at least until he would speak up on the matter. "Would that make you a fox-squirrel?"
The fox-squirrel, as he'd been dubbed, only tilted his head in answer.
"Well, if you—"
Around the pair, a long, strong wind interrupted, blowing through the forest clearing.
Fluttershy eeped loudly as long strands of mane covered her face, while the rest of her tumbled onto the ground. The wind had been more of a gale, but one that ended quickly.
She looked up—her mane still plastered over her eyes—eager to see what had happened. What was that? As soon as the wind stopped, she hurriedly tried to brush her mane out of the way in order to find her prospective new friend once more.
"Hello? Are you still there?" After getting her mane and tail back in order, she found him, again perched on the rock at the center of the clearing. He was staring off into the trees, in the direction the wind had traveled. "There you are. Strange weather we're having, huh?" A few nervous chuckles escaped her, the wings on her back flapping slightly to readjust themselves.
The fox-squirrel spared the pony a glance, tail flitting slightly, then lept off into the brush once more.
Oh, not again! Fluttershy allowed herself an uncharacteristic frown, directed at the stubborn critter that seemed so determined to give her the silent treatment. Unlike with ponies, though, she wasn't quite so ready to give up.
"Wait! Where are you going!? Come back!" Scrabbling up to her hooves, Fluttershy clumsily chased after him. At the edge of the brush his emerald eyes peered back at her, before diving out of sight into the thick wilderness. She dove in after him into the bushes. He was nearby, the sound of him bouncing through the leaves was easy to pick out, even over the growing breeze. Dirt replaced the grass of the forest floor the deeper in she went.
Fluttershy felt another burst of wind coming from the trees. The branches and their trunks were bigger here too, strangely. She could still hear the sound of the miniature fox though, scurrying farther away from her. "Little friend!? Where are you going?" The wind grew in intensity even more as she pressed on. Still, she had thought if she could catch her playful acquaintance, she could invite him to meet all of her other animal companions.
He must be from so very far away. We could have a tea party to welcome him to the area. He's obviously... uhm, very fri-frightened? Fluttershy's eyes widened. "W-wait, w-w-what's happening!?"
The wind wasn't blowing from deeper inside the forest, she realized; it was coming from behind her. Her thoughts skipped and became as panicked as her hooves, which frantically began to dig at the ground to stop her forward momentum. It had started before she realized it, but she wasn't the one moving herself forward anymore.
Fluttershy started to let out a scream mixed from confusion and surprise. While her wings flapped in a panic, the wind forcefully pushed her farther into the forest.
A final branch snapped out of the pony's way.
A chasm lay before Fluttershy, a wide, black pit that stretched down into the ground and out of sight. The roots of the surrounding trees grew out into the opening, and hung out over the vast darkness.
"What's going on!?" Fluttershy's panicked question transformed into a scream. The wind forced her down towards the earth as her hooves grabbed at roots left and right, her wings flapping wildly. But it was all useless against the gale's strength.
Fluttershy raised herself once more to her hooves from where she had stopped to rest atop the dune. Slowly, she began the easy, sliding climb downwards to the next one.
It would be night soon. If she remembered one of Twilight's many speeches on desert climates correctly, that meant the sweltering heat would instead be replaced by a chilling cold. She could get really sick from exposure, or even...
No, ponies never die from things like that, Fluttershy told herself. "I'll be fine, I just need to... need to find help."
Ponies were all in touch with nature, which welcomed them at every bend. At least, that's what Fluttershy had grown up learning. The sun beating down on her yellow coat seemed to disagree very intimately with what she repeated over and over in her head.
Fluttershy sighed after reaching the bottom of the dune. I'm worrying over nothing. Her eyes looked up the next hill wearily. She began climbing quickly, trying to beat the tiredness that threatened to return to her. Surely everypony will come looking for me, even here. As she climbed, her hoof sunk a little further than usual into the sand, causing her to stumble.
Fluttershy pitched forward into the sand with a yelp. Gingerly, she tried to lean up. Her ankle began to throb with pain, in response to the movement. She whimpered, and rolled over to sit upright, her wings fidgeting at her sides. The offending hoof was cradled like a newborn foal in front of her.
"Ow, ow, ow..." She looked sadly down at it, tears slightly wetting the dust sticking to her face's coat. The leg felt sprained.
Fluttershy gulped, then put weight on the leg in a delicate test. Her face scrunched up into a wince as a sharp pain made its reply to her. I... I guess, I'm resting here now. She let out the last remnant of her labored breath, and began to relax again. She did not think she had not made it very far from where she started.
The sun left only traces of deep purple in the sky, and the unfamiliar stars over head twinkled faintly.
A warm breeze brushed Fluttershy's hair over her face. She supposed that it wouldn't stay warm out for long.
It was difficult finding ways to reassure herself while sitting there in the open, surrounded only by her own fur and lonely thoughts.
"I want to go home..."
Yay! Edited after several months!
If anyone thinks it needs more touching up please send me your recommendations in the comments below. 
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Awesome, let's see where this leads.
P.S I bet you are still in your base, drinking.
Just a heads-up; you should probably make it more obvious what you are crossing over with. Like In the description or something.
2228320
I do have it in the short description but you're probably right, it needs moooar. I guess Fox Squirrels aren't quite iconic enough. ^_^
A crossover with Studio Ghibli?!
Dear Lord, you are a genius..
2228483
Glad you likeded it though!
222849Yeah, but I would have NEVER come up with this. The only anime related fic that came to mind was an Akira crossover.
A wild Eevee appears!!! XD
2228781
God dammit it isn't an Eevee, xD although fans speculate that eevee was inspired by the Fox Squirrel from Nausicaa.
2228781
Dude, that's a fox-squirrel.
Teto is so cute.
2229105
I know, I was only messing with you. XD
Might check out the story some other time, if I do have time, that is.
Can't wait though, I'll be posting the first chapter for the story that I'm collaborating with TOOS0BER today!
Try and look for it later.
That is, if it is okayed by today...
Darnit some prick gave me a downvote, I was so happy having a perfect story finally too. Guess someone doesn't like anime.
Kazetani no Nausicaa eh?
Not that I begrudge you for making a crossover with one of my favorite films evar, but...
Y U NO MAKE MORE SABRIEL
Also, won't Fluttershy have to face a strong bout of cancer
after she escapes this world of post-nuclear disaster?
2231536
Yikes, there's an update due coming out tonight, relax! MLM was just really popular and has more views and stuff... It's barely been three weeks, that's the REGULAR update schedule for most stories, you know. I've got four of them to update too, (though I'm working on seven at the moment).
They'll all get written, worry not.
2231596
Dear gods, your unfathomable mind knows no bounds!
2231630 More like my schedule has no distractions, har. Actually today was a bad day I barely slept last night, I might post Abhorsen tomorrow instead.
2231700
Melatonin my friend, It works wonders. But dayum does it give intense dreams. Good luck with sleep.
2231939
Haha, thank you. As you know Abhorsen isn't as long chapter wise as say, Olts. So in theory it should be getting updated more. The whole, redployed thing though has messed up my schedule, and boose at least makes me way more tired than it used to. I'll readjust, though. Still, I can't drink it to help me sleep, might sleep in past work. o.O
I cannot wait to get to the juicy parts in Abhorsen! I don't want to rush it either, though. I have a lot of silly planned, even though it's a dark story. I has a rich sense of humor I just can't say no to. ^_^
2232042
We eagerly await for more
Huh? What'd you do to the second chapter?
Hm. Anyway, nice start with a crossover that definitely interests me!
2362122
It neeeever existed. Actually my partner just published it on accident trying to upload the thing from google docs. So it was a blank page, apologies!
2362131
It wasn't a blank page to me (unless I dreamed all the stuff with the fox squirrel leading Fluttershy to the oasis, encountering Nausicaa and her father, and the battle(?) breaking out out of sight...).
...
2363955
Oh, well you got a sneak peak after all of what should go up in a minute here!
It was blank when I deleted it anyway, I can't reign the guy in but that's the folly of letting editors on your account.
All checkpoints have been cleared, and access is granted. Here I go!
A... Nausicaa crossover? With Fluttershy, no less?
Woah. That's gonna be scary. And mighty. And interesting. Are you following the limited lore of the movie, or the full lore from the mangas?
Quite some errors in this:
...
> poked it's head out of the bush
> tumbled over to it's side
> glaring into it's depths
> It's body language was very easy to read
"it's" = "it is". "its" = "possessive form of 'it'". When in doubt, replace all occurrences of "it's" by "it is" and see if it still fits. If it doesn't, it should be "its".
> the unfamiliar stars over head twinkled down at her
"overhead". One word.
3060849
I finally got around to overhauling this chapter. Gosh, I've improved so much. The absolute horror that is this story's early chapters is testament to that.
3249736
Corrections, yay!
Using "strange" twice in the same sentence is a little...awkward. Maybe you want to fix that? A synonym like odd, weird or bizarre can work. I mean, if you want.
So that's how Fluttershy got lost. Interesting that both Fluttershy and Rarity and Pinkie Pie passed through portals that were dark chasms of some kind. It's not really clear with Twilight since she was lost during a teleportation. How did that fox-squirrel get into Equestria anyway? I wonder if it was bait from who- or whatever is orchestrating these disappearances.
Additional thought.
Fluttershy can't understand the fox-squirrel.
WHAT DOES THE FOX-SQUIRREL SAY?!
You what. You dumped Fluttershy into where? YOU MONSTER
I hope this is as good as as good as MLM:MIAM. /)
(\
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magiccards.info/scans/en/on/174.jpg
Poor little pegasus.
Just a single real derp that I noticed.
ponies*
And so I begin my own journey down the fox-squirrel hole. Looking forward to what wonders await.
6186045
Hi Cerulean! Thanks for the catch, and hope you enjoy the story, such as it is. <.< My sincere apologies for any further roughness you find. I did edit this one pretty extensively, but I mostly just fixed what was there, soooo, the writing isn't even as good as what I think I can do these days. And let's be honest, I can't write all that well these days anywho. ^^'
This is so good.
6815469
Aw thanks ^^