A walk through the forest

Twilight shut the book with a weary sigh, it was a good tale but it didn’t tell her anything about what it meant to actually be a Paladin. Fluttershy had passed through and told Twilight what had happened to her animals before she left the house and flew towards Dash’s house muttering something about ‘stress releasing exercises’ which worried Twilight greatly. Under any other circumstance Fluttershy would have been crying for weeks, now she just seemed angry, angrier then she had ever been before.

“Twilight what are we going to do?” Spike asked her as he put the book back on the shelf for her.

“I guess tomorrow we’ll go to Everfree and look for clues, other than that I doubt that there is much that we can do Spike. Like it or not Celestia chose my friends and I to be her Paladins so I guess I’ll adapt, luckily I’m not nearly as powerful as the ones in that book are.”

“I can see how that would be problematic.” Spike said “But I think you need to sleep Twilight, whatever happens tomorrow I know you’ll do better with a half a night’s sleep then with no sleep.”

***

“I didn’t hear you come in last night Ethan.” Ash said as she yawned and stretched

“Sorry Ash I was up late last night talking to Twilight, and then I ran into Fluttershy on the way home.” She fixed him with a hard stare for a few seconds which he met unwaveringly, then she smiled and laughed to herself.

“I’m not sure why I worry Ethan, you spent a year and a half thinking that I hated you and you never touched another mare.” As they descended the stairs they found a very different group of ponies assembled in the main room. Twilight stood in the center of the group her eyes had small bags hanging from them but otherwise she appeared focused and ready. Dash’s mane was disheveled and slightly out of place, but that was all, she had a sly smile on her face as she viewed the surrounding ponies. Fluttershy’s mane was in a similar state of disrepair, but her eyes were slightly haunted. Apple Jack looked almost no different from the day before but she seemed to have grown a little bigger. Rarity had managed to change the standard issue armor into a work of beauty, whether it would hold up or not was another matter. Her mane was also streaked with shifting red hued highlights.

Shepard’s crew looked much the same except Joker who looked like he was ready to rip somepony’s head off. Tali and Garrus were once again sitting next to each other on a couch, while James stood leaning against one of the walls.

“Alright Commander we’re all here what now, when do we kill the buckers that shot my EDI!” Joker said his face intense with emotion, Shepard sighed this was going to be rough.

“You aren’t coming Joker.” Shepard told him evenly in a voice that brokered no argument.

“But Commander you promised!” Joker cried in outrage.

“Joker you are in no mental emotional condition to go into the field, hay I wouldn’t even let you pilot the Normandy under these conditions. Besides when was the last time you actually held a gun?”

“But Shepard they shot EDI!”

“And they shot Liara; look Joker you aren’t coming…” Shepard turned to James “…and if he tries to follow us I give you permission to knock him out James.” James smiled, and then he thought about it.

“Wait Commander I can’t come either?” Shepard shook his head.

“Sorry James but I need someone I can trust to hold down the fort, and someone needs to keep Joker from flying off into the forest screaming for blood like an idiot.” James sighed but went over to the door and stood there. “Tali, Garrus, and Ash you’re all with me.” They nodded and Tali started rapidly moving her hooves around on her omni tool. “Twilight I assume you developed a plan about searching the forest?” Shepard asked her receiving an affirmative nod

“Yes my first thought is that the best place to start with would be Zecora’s hut, she lives in the forest and would be the first one to notice anything strange.” Twilight replied, a spark had come into her eyes, as if readying herself for whatever conflicts awaited them in the forest. Once they began their walk through the forest Shepard noticed how sinister it was, something about it just clashed with the rest of Equestria that he’d seen.

“Twilight why does it feel so different here?” he asked her as he cocked his head to hear an odd sound off in the distance.

“This is the Everfree forest Shepard; ponies can’t control the weather here like we can everywhere else in Equestria, it is for lack of a better expression…free.”

“Wait you control the weather here?” Tali asked in shock.

“Yes a long time ago there was a big explosion of magic that stopped nature, ever since then the ponies of Equestria have been tasked with controlling among other things, precipitation, and the seasons themselves.”

“So why is this place 'free'?” Tali asked

“We honestly don’t know, Celestia might but she’s never told me” the group lapsed into silence as they all concentrated on the forest around them. Out of the corner of his eye Shepard saw a vaguely catlike beast with a prickly tail.

“Should we be worried about that cat over there?” Shepard asked Twilight, to his surprise Fluttershy answered.

“Hardly Commander, that’s just a manticore, nothing for someponies as well armed as we are to worry about.” Her voice was calm, but it had gained a condescending edge to it that seemed completely out of character for her, apparently Shepard wasn’t the only one who thought so.

“Are you ok Flutter?” Dash asked her, while flying slowly above her.

“Not really, no I’m not! All of my animal friends were murdered, and I can’t bring myself to cry over their deaths. Not even a tear has escaped my eyes since I became a Paladin, and I for some reason can’t feel guilty about it!” she almost shouted disturbing several birds nesting nearby. Dash landed next to her and placed her foreleg around Fluttershy and walked in silence next to her. After what felt like hours they arrived at a small wooden hut that stood in an isolated clearing, to their surprise it was burning.

Sorry for the shortness and the slowness of this chapter, the next one will be suitably actiony

Next Chapter: Surprise Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 14 Minutes