> The Pony Lost In The Dark
>  by Feather_Quill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Everfree
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy hopped around her home merrily closing all the blinds, for darkness had fallen on her humble little tree home and it was time for sleep. Fluttershy opened the door and sweetly called out to her critter
"It's bedtime!" She smiled happily, and watching as every animal flurried into their dens and hiding holes.
A distressed tweet made her ear flicker and she  ran out into her garden, a small blue bird with a red breast landed on her hoof.
"What is it little one?" Fluttershy asked with a frown as she looked deep into the eyes of the bird.
Several tweets and Fluttershy's mouth dropped open.
"Your poor little chick went missing? We must find him right away! Were did her head?"
Another couple of tweets caused Fluttershy to coward slightly and turn away shyly
"I don't really want to go into the... Everfree forest... Really, I think he'll be home soon..." She turned her heads away, then looked back at the tearful bird and the nerve-raking wood, that so many times had caused her to stay up late into the night.
"Okay... I'll go..." She smiled and walked over confidentially to the wood. The bird followed were she went.
"No little bird, you have other children to look after, if I don't return, tell the others, please. I will go..." She looked into the wood and deep into what she saw and gulped at the blackness and the overgrowing roots. "Alone..."
And in a dash the Yellow and Pink pony vanished into the woods.
She trembled and flinched at every sound and sight, calling out "Red!" over and over.
Finally she reached a spot in the woods were trees refused to grow, only grew around, a place were exotic plants would thrive and stay and sat on the hill was a little pony, unlike any she had ever seen before.
A pony with fur and a mane as dark as Nightmare moons's, with a large spot on her flank with spots inside. She was, for the most part, striped, and her eye had been cut short at the bottom, as though she had frowned so much that it had permanently left her face the way that it was. On her head was a horn, the same colour as her flesh, but on her head she also had two horns, like that seen on a dear stag, but as black as the night. Her pupils were small, as though the early stages of the night sky were too bright for her.
Fluttershy watched the pony, hoping that she would eventually leave and go away so that she could continue with her enduring and fearful trek into the of the terrifying and unknown Everfree forest.
This hope, however, was shattered when the pony stood to her feet, giggling at a tiny bird she held in the centre of her hoof.
Fluttershy was overcome with fear as a rage ran through her, she flapped her wings and darted like she never had done before to the strange pony, from behind her she ambushed the pony by screaming "ARE YOU CRAZY!? WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU? HE'S JUST A LOST BIRDY LOOKING FOR HIS MOTHER, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!"
The astonished pony dived back, almost falling into a tree, and with the panic of the moment, her horn began to glow, as she shut her eyes.
"No!" Fluttershy yelled out, and the pony opened one eye, curious by her suddenly softer voice. "I don't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry, it's just i thought you were hurting Red..." Fluttershy turned to the innocent, and unharmed Red.
"Red?" The strange female replied, turning to the little bird and raising one eyebrow "You told me your name was 'Captain Von-Awesome..."
Fluttershy coughed back a giggled, and picked up the birdy, then turned to her with shock in realisation "You can talk to animals too?"
The scared pony placed her hooves together, leaning back into a tree and facing away,"uh... yeah... Can't everyone?" her hair fell flatter and flatter by the minute, it seemed impossible but the awkward and scary situations seemed to make her hair flatten.
"No, only me. It is my Cutie Mark." Fluttershy placed her flank in the air "What's yours?" Flutters placed her hooves on the ground and seized hovering "..If you don't mind me asking."
The pony looked up at her and asked in a sweetly innocent way "what's a 'cutie mark'?"
Fluttershy hesitated "The mark that everypony gets when they reach a certain age and realise their talents."
The pony turned around and looked at her flank, but she was right, she has a cluster of dots inside a splodge mark, but that wasn't her cutie mark, it was just part of her fur."
Fluttershy approached her as though she was an injured mouse that she encountered oh-so-often, with soft hooves, and plenty of eye contact.
Fluttershy lent out a hoof "Don't you even have a name?" The pony used her hoof to stood up, and shook her head, again with slight confusion and one eyebrow lifted.
"A name? Why would I have a name, Miss. Nightworker says that names are for hard working ponies who contribute to society like her and the 'peacekeeping police'... I'm just number 924601"
"A number?" Fluttershy wondered but she dared not to think of what went on outside of Ponyville and Canterlot. "Where do you live?"
The pony glared at her once more "I was exiled, all exiled ponies come to the Everfree forest if they don't want people to kill them..."
Fluttershy hesitated but it did not take long, and when she finally said it, she said it with a smile "would you like to live with me, on the outskirts of Ponyville?"
Before long the trio (Fluttershy, Number 924601 and Red/ Captain Von-Awesome) arrived back at Fluttershy's tree home.
As she stood through the door all the animals turned and glanced at the new pony, and shrouded around her, looking up at her in awe. Red had long returned to his, probably sleeping, mother and only Fluttershy was a familiar face now.
Fluttershy spoke "Um... Perhaps we should think of a new name to call you, I don't think 'Number 924601' ring to it"
The pony thought "I've always wanted a real name, but everypony told me I just cannot, as real names were for winners, which I am not."
Fluttershy sighed deeply and whimpered in the process "well I think you should have a new name..." She glanced out the window and smiled "How about everfree? It will remind you that your new life is here as well as showing your old life that you are free now, starting by the freedom of names." Fluttershy turned and looked at the pony that was looking back at her, then coward away from her idea "but you don't have to if you don't want." Fluttershy barely managed to squeek.
"No" Number 924601 said with a grin "I like it. I like it a lot. Okay. Thanks." The pony formally known as number 924601 finished.
The following morning Fluttershy awoke to a sweet sound, she  tread downstairs smiling, the musical sound got louder, until she saw a dark pony stood on the couch, booming out in a glorious sound
"Never before have I seen the light,
But I like it,
Never before have I escaped my tomb,
But I want it,
Yet one day when the chains are dead,
and this cold, hard burden upon my head,
does vanish,
I shall be gone,
I will not be banished,
How can we be treated this way,
but animals they are all free,
I love their song,
Just wait and you will see,
I will be free,
I shall be freed!"
"good morning" Fluttershy finally said as she lazily drooped into the kitchen and opened the cupboard, fulling out an apple pancake. "did you have a pleasant night?"
Everfree shyly got down off the couch and slouched onto the ground with a side grin, her face turned red in the cheek area as she blushed and gave off a warmth.
"Sorry..." Everfree smiled, still side ways, and narrowed her eyebrows, it's stupid.
Fluttershy built up her confidence and replied "You're a good singer." She looked over at the pony "Um... If you don't mind but... Why do you always wear those boots?"
Everfree looked down at her boots and hit her front two together "I... Don't know, I've worn them my whole life, not these exact ones, but I've worn boots like these all my life." The boots were black, and were made up of fabric wrapped all around the pony's hooves tightly, sawn into place, and had a few buckles here and there. "They are my working boots."
Fluttershy nodded.
"I'm going into town today, would you like to come?" She added, nibbling onto the end of her pancake in the corner of the room, tucked up timidly in her little green chair that had always been her favourite.
"Me?" The pony asked in surprise "everypony would laugh at me and kick me out!"
Fluttershy frowned "well if we hid that you don't have a cutie mark and hid your horns... You would be all right... If you want?:
The two ponies made there way into town, Everfree with a cloak that Fluttershy used for apple picking, a red one with apples sawn onto the end. The hood neatly tucked over the pony's horns, yet not her horn, and over the entire body of the pony.
"How are you?" Fluttershy asked, a little muffled as she had a basket in her mouth.
"amazing. Who knew a city could have this much colour" The pony hopped around from stall to stall merrily giggling.
The 5 other mane ponies had arrived to meet Fluttershy in town.
"Hey Fluttershy, you mentioned you had a new friend?" Twilight asked, violently flapping her wings in attempt to flap out some red ribbon from her wings
> Who is she?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is Everfree" Fluttershy announced as she thrust the blue and black pony before the five strangers. 
"H-Hello." Everfree muttered, turning her face away from them and leaning back with caution. 
Twilight offered out her hoof and Everfree poked her hoof against it and looked at her with widened eyes and heavy breath. "I'mm Twilight..." 
"Uh... Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Applejack interrupted as she stuck out her hoof, causing her to receive a rather  unimpressed glare from Twilight, 
"Twilight Sparkle. This is Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity..."  Twilight pointed at each pony, then looked back to Everfree "What's your name?"
"Evr..." The pony muttered looking away from Twilight and stroking her hair with her hoof. 
"sorry... I didn't quite catch that..."
"Everfree" Fluttershy spoke up, defending the quiet, shy little pony. 
"oh... What are we doing today?" Twilight asked the other ponies, as she looked around town for something to do.
"Sugar Cube Corner?" Pinkie Pie asked as she dove into the air and clapped her hooves at the same time, with a cheesy large grin on her face. 
"We went there yesterday. And the day before. We always go to Sugar Cube Corner!" Rarity sighed as she stroked her hoof and neatened up the edges. "How about the spa?" 
Applejack and Rainbow Dash both flinched and stuck out their tongues "Boring! Let's have a race... I'll have an unfair advantage being awesome and all so maybe I sho..."
"Rainbow we are not having a race!"  Twilight interrupted "Why don't we go to the town fair?"
"Boooring!" Rainbow drooped to the floor and lay on her back with a frown "it's not a fair, it's a NerdFest!"
"Hey, how 'bout we do somethin' Everfree wants? I mean, we migh' be able to get to know her bett'r if we do" Applejack pointed to the mare and smiled. "What would you like to do, Sugarcube?" 
"Um..." The pony began to turn red, as she looked away and began to coward behind Fluttershy "I... Don't know..."
Fluttershy stood upright and spoke "Maybe we should just go home... I think it's been a long journey from Canterlot, right Everfree?"
Everfree nodded and turned around and galloped off away towards the Everfree forest. 
"I'm sorry... She's my cousin, shyness runs in the family..." Fluttershy trotted after her and the other ponies all looked a little embarrassed for the pony, as she didn't seem like anypony they had ever known before. 

Later that night, Twilight was sat at home, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the 'Daring Do' books as she had done so many times before. She was neatly tucked underneath her blanket, until someone knocked at the door. 
Unable to tear herself away from the intensity of the book, Twilight simply called out "Come in!" her horn began to glow as the door opened, standing there was Rarity and Rainbow Dash. 
"Can we come in?" Rarity asked, as she flicked the hair from her eyes. 
Twilight shut the book and swept it under a blanket, as she looked up at the two, slightly worried looking ponies. "hello? What are you two doing here?"
"We came to... Visit our friend is there something the matter with that?" Rainbow Dash asked, placing her hoof over her heart and looking slightly hurt. 
"It's about Everfree... She doesn't seem like... A pony..." Rarity said, trying to go about the matter as lightly as she could. But the room was heavy and they all knew that she was right, as they silently agreed that she had a point. 
"But what can we do about it? Fluttershy says it's her cousin, and we know how like... Sensitive she is. We can't just go over there and be all like 'Everfree is a weird pony!' she'll probably hate us and everypony else for the rest of her life!"  Rainbow Dash yelled out as she slumped herself onto the floor of the library and placed her head underneath her hoof. 
"We could..." Twilight began, but she was interrupted as a spiral of green flames and a belching noise abruptly was heard and seen, and a scroll wrapped neatly together with a red ribbon fell to the floor. 
Twilight picked it up and read out loud 




 Princess Twilight Sparkle, 
It has come to my attention that Equestria may be under threat, I have received a letter from a non-Equestrian, who's name was not stated, nor was her species or whereabouts, however the mystery pony has made a clear threat has been made, to find a pony that is not from our Kingdom, but has somehow managed to escape her own. This pony is clearly afraid and will be very timid, and we need her/ him to be returned to their own kingdom, or war may break out. I am counting on you to resolve this as quickly as you can, as part of your royal duties. You and your friend may not posses the Elements Of Harmony anymore, but I they still dwell inside you as part of who you are. Try your best not to startle her, or to give away too much information, I do not want everypony to find out about this, as it may cause a panic. 
I believe in you, Princess Celestia.




> Dead Mare Walking 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Twilight” Rarity spoke in a hushed tone “You don’t think...”
“We cannot jump to conclusions” Twilight tossed the scroll aside and walked towards the door “I mean... There are plenty of possible reasons why Everfree is new... Although she is rather different...”
“We should just ask Fluttershy, what harm is there in that?” Rainbow Dash inquired to the others as she shot up and hung in the air, shaking her hooves about to display expression. The other two nodded at her and at one another, in approval of Dash’s idea. 
“I would not expect Fluttershy to lie to us like that though, she is, as we are all aware, a kind and gentle creature.” Rarity stopped and pondered about Fluttershy’s nature around the new girl. 
“Maybe she was just protecting her, the same way she protects all of her animals...” Twilight thought about Fluttershy’s keenness to answer questions, the like she had never exhibited before “We have to hurry there now, we cannot wait until it is too late.”
Rarity on hoof and the other two by air, the trio galloped toward the animal loving pony they had all adored since the first moment they befriended her. 
Twilight knocked on the door and the bashful little mare opened it. “Oh, hello Twilight” She glanced behind the purple mare “... And Rainbow and Rarity.” 
“Fluttershy... This may be a little co-“Twilight began, going about the topic gently, as though approaching a sleeping dragon, as the group had done previously. 
“Blah, blah, blah, get to the point, where do you REALLY know Everfree from?” Rainbow Dash asked abruptly causing Fluttershy to stammer back. Twilight swiftly kicked a confused Rainbow Dash into a nearby bush with her hind left hoof. 
“It’s just... Well, we don’t think that she is from Canterlot...” Rarity smiled, trying to take Fluttershy’s feelings into account. 
“W-Why no-not? She is as normal as any pony I know!” Fluttershy opened her frowning mouth in slight shock, and lowered her eyebrows outwards, presenting her upset. 
“Please Fluttershy, we’re your friends, and nopony wants to hurt her. We just want to talk.” Twilight sighed and exhibited all her empathy and patience that she had in her. 
Fluttershy invited the trio into her home and made each pony a cup of coco. She then proceeded to tell the tale of the little red bird lost in the wood, how Everfree played with it and immediately trusted in Fluttershy. How she did not have a Cutie Mark and constantly referred to her past life. She even told them about the singing. 
“Fluttershy, I don’t mean to be crude but... We have to send her home.” Twilight whispered soft as a mother’s caress, as not to startle the mare. But she had failed. 
Fluttershy jumped up and stood at the bottom of the stairs “No, I won’t let you take her back there!” 
“Fluttershy! Calm yourself! We can talk abo...” Rarity began, standing on her hind legs and moving her hooves up and down to calm the agitated mare. 
“There is nothing further to talk about!” Her confidence grew with every second the trio dared to threaten Everfree’s future. “She is afraid, okay? Afraid of her past life, I pinkie promised that I would protect her!” 
Rainbow swaggered over and laughed “You think YOU could prevent me from getting up there? I could fly right fast you before you even said anything!”
Fluttershy did not hesitate to think “maybe not me... But Discord. I’m his best friend, and, if he wants, he might take my side, and we all know his capability, I suggest you shuffle on home, unless you want me to tell him...”
“That is it!” Twilight snapped she shot towards Fluttershy “we’ve all be light on you, because you’re shy, and we didn’t want to hurt you feelings! But if you don’t take Everfree to Celestia, ponies will die!  You could die! We all could! You have to at least give us a chance... Please Fluttershy...” 
Fluttershy thought for a moment about her actions, contemplated about her willingness to harm her friends over somepony that she barely knew. Without speaking a word, Fluttershy stepped aside, and Twilight turned and beckoned with her head to the other two ponies, that followed her closely up the wooden and winding stairs. 
Twilight swung open the door to Everfree’s room and found a wide open window, blowing in a gentle breeze, a pushed back duvet that was clearly moved in a hurry. 
“She’s gone!” Rainbow yelled, plunging into the empty room, panicking as she searched. 
“Gone?” Fluttershy echoed with softer and quieter tone “Oh my! She must have heard us talking; she’s desperate to live a normal, Equestrian pony life can you not see?”
Twilight flung around fast, and her hair was carried in the swirl, causing it to flutter like a blanket caught in the wind. “Fluttershy, you have to think, where might she be?” 
Fluttershy looked out of the bedroom window “I have one idea” she raised her hoof, and pointed her arm towards the forest. 
The ponies all flickered out of the room and Fluttershy resentfully followed. Sure, she was afraid of the forest and all that lurked within. Sure, the noises that crawled from the forest both night and day had always haunted her. Sure, the sun was beginning to fade, and evil is strongest when nopony can see it. But Everfree was afraid and alone, and needed a friend, Fluttershy was the only sort of protection and kindness she had ever been shown, and despite being afraid, even Equestria’s most timid pony could overcome such an obstacle for one who cared about her. 
Sure enough, beside a crystal jade lily pond, stroking the fish and playing with the water, was Everfree.
Rainbow tried to dive forward, but Twilight restrained her, and then turned to Fluttershy. They neutrally agreed that she should talk to her, and the others should hide.
Fluttershy took two paced forward then glanced back “If she tries to gallop away, please be gentle with her?”
The three nodded and shuffled backwards into a bush. Fluttershy approached the pony.
Flutters stood on a stick, and the pony dove to her hooves, dropping the cloak on the floor as horn lit, threateningly. Fluttershy scooped up the fabric and upon realising who it was, Everfree relaxed and her horn ceased to glow.
“I made this especially for you, and you dispose of it so easily?” Fluttershy teased, playfully.
The pony chuckled “I guess I won’t need it when your Queen of Equestria comes out hiding and sends me back to...”
“No.” Fluttershy said sternly “we both know I would never allow them to take you, not ever. You will never leave me, do you understand?” she moved in close to the pony and nestled by the water “I love you.”
Everfree smiled “that’s what my parents said before they sent me off to work. Then again I barely remember that day, all those years ago. One day of feels like an eternity. They will not allow failure to escape... Don’t you see? I am fated to return to them and... I will go quietly, with pride. I was a fool to befriend ponies I’ve only endangered myself further by feeling for you, Fluttershy. I love you, and I want you to be there with me forever. But I can’t, so let’s return to Celestia and see how they feel.”
Fluttershy beckoned the trio over and they walked over. Everfree stood up, and walked towards Ponyville immediately. “She said she’ll come quietly... But I think they’ll execute her when we return her to her homeland...” Rainbow, Twilight and Rarity looked shocked.
Everfree walked with pride, her flank firmly upwards along with her nose. She lifted her legs high and her newly attached cloak drooped like spilt blood in her tracks; she was a dead mare walking.


> Goodbyes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon entering Equestria (The mane six and Everfree) Everfree was chained up and disallowed to run away, despite her lack of resistance. Nightfall had overcome Equestria and Luna plunged from her balcony before the clan of seven. 
“Princess Twilight” the regal pony began with a look of a thousand questions on her face, yet she chose to begin the questioning with: “What’s going on?”
“I request presentation before Celestia” Twilight spoke with an anxious look and hesitant voice “Now!” she snapped, stomping her mild-purple hooves on the cobbled path. 
Luna and several guards rushed away and Twilight stood in the opening hallway of the Canterlot palace, six ponies stood beside her, as she awaited the pale pony emerged from the entrance. 
“I... We... Found her, uhh, Princess.” She kneeled before the princess as the others had already done.  
Celestia approached the small pony and lifted up her previously lowered head. 
“I’m ready to return, Princess.” The pony moved her head away from the grip of Celestia’s hoof. 
“You mean... You volunteer?” The pony replied, ceasing her, leaning over and standing upright, flicking the left side of her flowing mane from her eye. 
Everfree turned to look at the mane six, specifically, Fluttershy. Fluttershy was stroking her left hoof nervously on her right arm, and her hair covered her whole eye and the one that was showing was teary and narrowed towards the outside. Everfree turned back and removed her frown, standing upright with her nose upright with pride. “For my friend friends, I would do anything, as long as they’re safe.”
Princess Celestia smiled her ‘I’m-about-to-say-something-wise-and-you-will-be-in-awe’ smiled “You are the most loyal, kind, generous and honest fillies I have met. I can see you’ve been influenced by these other mares, if only you’d smile and crack a giggle time to time.” She held out her hooves to gesture to the colourful mares that had so quickly befriended one another all those years ago. 
Everfree refused to smile and instead stomped her left hoof on the ground to replace standing up any taller from pride because she was just not tall enough “When can we leave?”
Celestia shook her head with her eyes closed, and a slight smirk “No my child, we won’t just hand you over like a bucket of apples, we have to negotiate.”
“No! She won’t listen and I wo-“Everfree was interrupted by a golden shoe sat on a white hoof over her mouth. 
“We have to at least try to negotiate, because everypony is worth fighting for.”
It was cheesy, of course but Everfree looked back at Fluttershy, who smiled hopefully. She turned back to Celestia and nodded acceptingly.

In the back of the regal Cantelotian cart beside Fluttershy, Everfree sat, silently. Over the valleys of colour and majesty and then over the darkest, and most haunting roots known to Ponykind. 
“It’s beautiful.” The silence was shattered by Everfree’s sweet and quiet voice, throwing Fluttershy back into reality. “Your whole kingdom, it’s so... Flawless.”
Fluttershy half-heartedly shrugged and continued to stare out of the window.
Everfree through persistence shuffled closer and spoke again “This might even be out last ever conversation, but you aren’t really much of a talker...”
Flutters half turned around in response, but turned back to the window and let out a weak “hmm.”
This may be Everfree’s final attempt. “In my home kingdom, everything near enough is blackened.” She sighed and placed her hoof on the shimmering window “I'm gonna miss all the colour here.”
The yellowy pony’s crystal blue eyes overflowed with bitter tears “Dammit Everfree!” The pony snapped “I don’t want you to go, do you think this is what I want? I'm gonna miss you, okay? Is that what you want me to say?”
Everfree plunged forward and threw her arms around Fluttershy, her tears rolling down her back “I... I’ll miss you too.”
“Don’t let them take you!” Fluttershy yelled, releasing her grip of Everfree as they slowly pulled away from their heart-warming hug “Please, I don’t want to go back, I’ll miss you, don’t let them take you, please.” 
The coach halted and Everfree’s door swung open, the answer had already come, without a single word spoken. 
She sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes as she stepped out of the cart and revealed the cliff, thousands of feet from the ground. Before was a black building, the walls had a dripping effect, although it was made of tarmac that had melted in the ever present humidity and heat. 
Twenty, maybe thirty blackened guards similar to Everfree, wearing jet black helmets and armour. 
A larger, black mare with long legs and a red flowing mane that fluttered like a flame, her fur was flurried with orange and yellow veins that shimmered in the little light, even seemed to radiate light. Her wings were bat like and long, yet clear and red. She also had a long, red, unicorn horn and two relatively long, but shorter than the dominant horn, besides each ear. 
Twilight, Celestia, and Everfree all approached the pony, witnessed by the remaining 5, that kept their distance. The black and red mare walked forward, closely followed by two of the guards. 
“Queen Cindersmoke” Celestia bowed her head, and stretched out her hoof gracefully. 
The queen stood high and looked down upon the Princess “Why have you bothered to deliver her? This filly is worthless.”
“Then why go to all these measures to retrieve her?” Celestia snapped, with a fury that you would not expect from such a wise pony, one that the mane 6 had only witnessed during her defeat of Discord. 
“She broke law once, now she dares to not only escape her punishment, but the entire kingdom?” The pony’s voice hissed as she talked, like a snake, and snarled in between words. 
Celestia turned to Everfree who retreated with one glance “broke the law?” her signature regal voice enhanced, she blinked and her eyelashes flickered. 
Everfree opened her mouth and her voice rippled across the sinister situation, sweetly and lightly. Her voice was a butterfly, fluttering and carrying from the blackened ashes, delicately across a misty nightmare graveyard “I was born an orphan, as my mother died giving me life and my father had long been dead out at war. I lived in an orphanage and was so very poor. My only chance to survive was thievery, one, I saw the biggest, most beautiful Ponyville apple, and took it. They chased me down the road and... Caught me... Sentenced to 20 years of hard labour at just 14 at the-“Everfree paused, and heard a soft, gentle sobbing coming from Fluttershy. 
“You’ve got 10 years left, foal, 10 years to serve, or your friends will be put at risk.” The Queen smiled menacing “You have no authority here Princess, she belongs to me!”
Princess Celestia put her hoof on Everfree’s back and pushed her towards the Queen. Everfree walked away “I’m sorry” Celestia whispered. 
Celestia indicated all the other ponies to leave. In the blink of an eye, the carriage was being carried away. 

> Optional ending?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy runs up and down her house, frantically her hair flittered behind her longer than it ever had done in her life. She's got all kinds of different furniture, and a tiger cub rolls on her couch. She's wearing a green bracelet and matching necklace, with a pink skirt draping behind. 
Fluttershy hurries up and down her house frantically "My date!" She cried out as the doorbell rings "Um... Just one moment... If that's okay?"
She dives upstairs and delicately braided a flower into her hair and pulls open a drawer to reveal an image of Everfree, in silence she smiles at it. 
Fluttershy galloped downstairs as the doorbell wildly "Oh... Are you okay? Please wait!"
She opened the door. 
"Hello." spoke a soft, and long familiar voice. 
She looked up and exposed the black, blue and marine coloured pony she had missed for so long. Fluttershy flung her arms around in a tear-filled embrace. 
"You're free?" Fluttershy sobbed, letting go, yet still slightly holding onto Everfree, fearing if she let go completely she would fade to dust and slip from her hooves as she had before. 
"Celestia, your princess, she warned of Nightmare Moon and Discord, and since she had no authority over punishment in other kingdoms since the Treaty, she ordered for me to be set free, here, the day my punishment was fulfilled. I... Just got back..."
"Will... You be staying?" Fluttershy asked, patting the ground softly with her hoof. After all that time of being away from her closest friend it was the best feeling ever to know that she was living anything but the hard life that she had endured before, but Fluttershy had a weak heart; struggled to make emotional attachments with other ponies. It was evident that she could not take losing Everfree again, and would cling onto her no matter what. 
"Celestia says I can stay..." Everfree turned to her side, and frowned. 
"Where are you gonna stay?" Fluttershy asked, knowing full well were she wanted her to stay. 
"I was wondering... If you aren't busy... Could I stay..."
"Of course you can stay here!" Fluttershy dived into the air and feel down onto Everfree hugging her a squealing merrily, Fluttershy was the happiest she had been in her whole life; more than anything she was hoping for a long life with Everfree, caring for animals and being the closest of friends, forever and ever... 


THE END! :D