Fluttershy let out an open mouthed yawn. She leaned up from her couch.
"Angel Bunny?" She hummed in another yawn. She rubbed the back of her fore-hooves against her lids to jog them awake. Her cottage was oddly quiet, in fact she couldn't remember the last time Angel Bunny let her sleep so long. Her belly gave a low groan and she clenched it with a hoof.
"I must have slept through breakfast... I never sleep through breakfast!" Fluttershy thought as she started to trot to the kitchen, the size of her belly caught the mare off balance and it pinned her back hooves down as she fell.
"No!" Fluttershy moaned.
She clenched at her girth as she felt it move with its own intuition. No hunger had ever felt like this and she inspected her bulbous belly further to see it was multiple bulges rippling agianst her. The jolt of adrenaline help reawaken her nerves. New life squirmed within her womb's thick skin. She knew the stillness of her cottage was a clue, but all of yesterday was a haze to her.
"What is inside me... " She moaned, frantically searching her thoughts to anything that would help her remember... All she remembered was her embarrassing reoccurring dream with Big Macintosh loving her marehood. This time it felt better then the other times, what if it wasn't a dream after all? She slowly turned her head to see a very important clue standing above her worriedly. It was a Changeling.
The Changeling bowed to her and hummed happily. "You've awakened from your slumber my queen!"
"Qu-Queen?!" Fluttershy gulped as a splitting migraine consumed her of the past.
---------------------------------------------("Yesterday"-Afternoon)--------------------------------------------------
"Don't worry Angel Bunny, it's going to be a quick walk to get some truffles, and with Zecora with me I know I'll be alright." She said motherly as she gave him a hug. He gave a few worried squeaks and Fluttershy smiled softly, adding "I highly doubt that Angel, since Zecora has been coming and going from the forest easily. I know the wedding was just a few days ago, but I'm sure all the Changelings are gone. I told you that they flew off into the sunset and blinked like a star." Fluttershy put him down and patted his head. She tugged on her saddle bags securely and headed out into the Everfree Forest.
She remembered the spot where the spotted night truffles liked to grow in patches, it was just a left from the poison joke fields, then a right from Zecora's hut... Where was her hut again? Fluttershy stopped. Come to think of it where was Zecora? She looked behind her. She couldn't see her cottage. She gave a deep gulp and sighed softly, her ears twitched, heightened by her fear she cowered in a large shrub.
"I see one must still learn, that the paths in this forest can easily twist and turn."
Fluttershy sighed as she peeked her head out from the bush. "Thank goodness you found me."
"A bewildering thought, why one with wings doesn't consider flight, then you could see my hut with unneeded fright."
"I would have, but one of them got hurt when I fought the Changelings at Canterlot."
"I remember hearing from gossiping lips, come to my hut and I fix your wing... and I'll have no quips."
"I guess Miss Pignolia is going to have to wait on her triple truffle surprise."
Zecora was wearing her brown robe, the one she used to wear into Ponyville. The zebra placed a hoof gingerly to Fluttershy as they reached the hut. she hurried into the doorway
"Silly me for forgetting, I left my house in quite a mess. Wait out here for a moment so I can assess-" Zecora close her door too fast for Fluttershy to see inside. She weaved her glance through the leaves and trees to see what time it could be, it had been too long Fluttershy thought as she looked to the patches of orange sky above her. She waited and waited and soon grew restless enough that she puffed up her chest and knuckled as hard as she could on the door, well she would have if she hadn't closed her eyes. All she was doing was punching the cool air. She squeaked angrily at herself and, peeked into one of the windows.
Even though the hut was practically pitch dark Fluttershy could tell it was still a mess, even after all that waiting, but Fluttershy couldn't wait in outside the forest forever. She focused her eyes to lights of jarred lightning bugs scattered around Zecora's cauldron. She saw a figure move by the jars. Fluttershy opened the door squeamishly.
"Zecora... I'm sorry for barging in like this but I really must be going, I'm sorry for taking up your time." Fluttershy place down her saddle bags.
A gagged cough lingered as a figure emerged. "Not at all dear friend please take a seat... Just working on a salve for your tired feet."
feet?... " Fluttershy said bemused.
"Forgive me, my thoughts of late seems to come and go." Zecora mumbled haphazardly.
"Why are the lights out?" Fluttershy asked cautiously.
"From time to time the bright light from a fire hurts my zebra eyes. The remedy is simple, use the gentle light from fireflies. But I can understand your concern, soon it will be moon's turn. Tell me once more your ailment, so you can be on your way."
"My wing." Fluttershy said as she moved her body closer so Zecora could inspect.
"I have just the thing." Zecora said plainly. Her hoof rubbed a numbing slime, that made the Pegasus moan happily as it eased her pain. The zebra's hooves began to rub lower on the wing, until Fluttershy couldn't tell if she only had one wing. The sensation left Fluttershy wobbly, and motion-sick.
"Zecora... could-" The zebra placed a large glob of the slime to the other wing, working it in until Fluttershy felt wingless. It was a feeling that left her scared, but also relieved. She smiled graciously to Zecora. "Thank you so much!"
"Your welcome dear Fluttershy, but do you agree, for my services on your wings I should ask for a fee?" The zebra chuckled softly as she disappeared into the darkness of her hut.
"I... I guess... " Fluttershy squeaked. "I didn't bring any bits with me... could I pay you back?"
"You think simple currency can pay for what you have received? What I need is larger... what I desire can't be bought you see. I need you, and your talent to nurture and care. I have children that need somepony suitable, like you dear." Zecora's voice grew darker.
"I-I never knew you had children here... are you sure they are safe in the forest?" Fluttershy made her way to the firefly jars.
"No dear fluttershy, they won't be safe here at all... That's why I need your help." Zecora leaned in close to Fluttershy. As the pegasus pressed back onto the wall she nervously kicked some of the jars as she slipped. Her eyes widened as the bugs flew into the Zebra's hood. Their light was strong enough to show that Zecora's neck was bare. Before Fluttershy could gasp or scream, Zecora's eyes blinked to full aqua compound eyes. She hissed a green mist into the pegasus' snout that forced Fluttershy to sneeze to no avail as the mist had already started in its work.
It was an anaesthetic, though it wasn't strong enough to put her out cold, it was reeking havoc on her sight and smell. Fluttershy couldn't understand why there were Changelings in the Everfree Forest... maybe just one Changeling, but that wasn't important right now. She had other things on her mind right now, like the Changeling drooling above her. She cumbersomely moved to the door, the faster she tried the slower her muscles reacted. She heard the Changeling follow beside her, watching her crawl to the opened door. It gave a low hiss and spit a large ball of slime to the door's sill. Fluttershy ducked her head, gasping as droplets of the vile goo splash her fore hooves.
"This is it... " Fluttershy thought hopelessly. "I'm going to become Changeling food!"