Lost

Chapter I –Separation

The girls were chatting away as they approached the cottage where Fluttershy lived; Twilight was carrying a few books on herself in her saddle bags as well as a couple of blank scrolls, and Rarity was carrying in her saddlebag what appeared to be a red and white cheque blanket. Not too far behind her was Pinkie carrying a large picnic basket humming to herself bouncing along behind everyone somehow keeping the basket intact.

“Ah sure ahm looking forward to this picnic.” Applejack said as she knocked on Fluttershy’s door.

“Me too, it’s been a while since we saw Zecora as well so it’ll be nice to catch up with her.” Twilight added.

The door opened to reveal Fluttershy cautiously poking her head out to see who was at her door, seeing the girls however she smiled and opened the door fully and stepped to one side.

“Oh hello girls, please come in.” she said quietly smiling to her friends

The girls entered her home one by one as she closed the door behind them.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t come to the gathering point.” she apologized “I lost track of time, but I did finish preparing some food we can take…if that’s ok?” she timidly said.

The girls saw on her table an array of salads and other various foods prepared in small dishes ready for transportation.

“Why darling these look simply delicious.” Rarity said as she levitated a couple of the dishes over to the basket.

“Good thing to, seeing as Pinkie wouldn’t let us see what she put in the basket It’ll be nice to have something other than just sweets to eat.” Twilight giggled.

“Hey I didn’t JUST put sweets in!” Pinkie protested as she pulled out a cake, “I put in a cake too!”

“Uh Pinkie…cakes are technically sweets.“ Rainbow stated.

“Oh…ah well.” Pinkie giggled placing the cake back into the basket.

After the girls had finished placing Fluttershy’s dishes into the basket they headed outside and began to make their way to the entrance of the pathway in Everfree forest that lead to Zecora’s house. Fluttershy held back for a moment to say goodbye to Angel.

“Now you be a good boy while we’re out ok? I’m leaving you in charge”

Angel nodded and gave her a salute before she gave him a gentle nuzzle and went to catch up with the girls. They came to the pathways entrance and began to head down it, Fluttershy hesitated a moment, always being cautious around the forest partly from her adventures inside it and partly her natural fear of the place however, recently she had slowly gained more confidence with entering the forest especially if her friends were with her. She kept quiet as she carefully looked around the trees enjoying listening to the conversations of her friends before she heard Rainbow Dash say something she thought was inevitable.

“Hey AJ wanna race?”

“Sure do! But no wings.”

“Aw spoilsport, fine.” Rainbow landed and stood next to Applejack and crouched ready to run “Care to count us down Twi?”

“Can’t we just for once walk normally to Zecora’s house? Does it always have to be-“

“READYSETGO!” Pinkie interrupted her at the top of her voice.

The second she had said go, Applejack and Rainbow were off like a shot down the pathway and soon began to disappear from view.

“Race…” Twilight sighed and face hoofed herself.

“Typical, just like two silly little fillies.” Rarity sniffed as she brushed her mane to one side.

“Well silly little fillies don’t get cake do they Pinkie?” Twilight giggled as she quickened her pace

“Nosiree-bob.” Pinkie giggled as she began to bounce quicker after Twilight.

Rarity and Fluttershy began to quicken their paces as well but Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel as if she was being watched from within the darkness of the trees. Rainbow and Applejack were neck and neck as they galloped full pelt down the pathway, eventually coming to a fork in the road where Rainbow turned her head and laughed.

“Looks like we lost the others.”

“We’d better wait for 'em here, then we can finish the race to Zecora’s.” Applejack chuckled and they both came to a slow stop by the fork.

“You’re just saying that cuz you were losing.” Rainbow teased giving her a playful bop on the side of Applejack’s face with her wing.

The two shared a laugh as they waited for the other four catching their breaths, eventually after not to long they saw Pinkie bounding up to them followed not too far by Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy.

“So who won you guys huh, Who won? Who won?” Pinkie demanded as she looked from Applejack to Rainbow rapidly in excitement the basket still somehow not falling off her back.

“Easy Sugarcube, we was just waiting for you four to catch up before we carry on the race.” Applejack said holding Pinkie in place to keep her still.

Fluttershy thought she heard something nearby and turned her head lowering her ears to her head biting her lip as she scanned the area for anything. She squinted her eyes slightly and thought she made something out of the darkness but wasn’t too sure however, but this was enough for her to get nervous and tell the others.

“Um…girls?”

“I’m still going to beat your sorry flank anyway!” Rainbow stated as she puffed her chest out.

“You girls and your silly races.” Rarity tutted as Twilight giggled.

“Girls?” Fluttershy tried again but louder.

“Can we just get going? I want to be able to actually eat today.” Twilight said with a giggle

“Ok then well count us down already.” Rainbow said as she lined up with Applejack again.

Fluttershy heard some bushes rustling and her head darted to the location of the noise and whimpered softly as she gently nudged Twilight with her hoof but not enough to get her attention.

“T-Twilight?”

“Ok fine” Twilight rolled her eyes “Ready…set…”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy shouted as loud as she could, but to the girls it sounded just like a normal pony talking.

“Hmm? What is it Fluttershy?”

“I thought I heard something…in the b-bushes” she whispered shakily pointing with her hoof where she had heard the noise.

“Fluttershy there’s nothing-“

Twilight stopped as the bush rustled again, immediately the girls rushed to Twilight’s side as her horn began to glow in reaction, what seemed like hours passed before anything happened. The bush rustled once more and the girls gasped as the perpetrator of the noise came out of the bush.

A small snake.

The snake looked at the ponies with confusion tilting his head before it began to slither away to the other side of the pathway where it disappeared into the bushes. The girls were silent for a moment before they all began to laugh except for Fluttershy whose eyes hadn’t left the area where the snake had come from, her eyes were wide open.

“Oh Fluttershy it was just a little snake, nothing to worry about” Twilight said reassuringly before turning her head to Fluttershy, her expression dropped to one of concern as she saw her shaking like a leaf in the wind.

“Fluttershy…are you ok?”

The girls all turned to her and Pinkie gave her a light push with a hoof to see if she was still alive, she then raised a hoof to Fluttershy’s eyes and point it to where her line of vision was then squinted her eyes to see what she was seeing. She stopped when she saw what Fluttershy had seen and her eyes shot open wide and the other girls soon did the same.

There, lurking in the shadows staring right at them were at least, from what they could see, a pack of elven unusual looking Timberwolves, big ones, their eyes glowing red, and they were slowly advancing on them. Rarity was the first to scream as the wolves now knowing they had been spotted and losing the element of surprise began to run at the group of ponies. Twilight’s horn began to glow bright as she crouched her front legs slightly.

“Girls when I say close your eyes do it and then when I say now, run down the path to Zecora’s!”

“What are you doing Twilight? We can take 'em!” Applejack said preparing herself for a fight.

“These aren’t normal Timberwolves Applejack, I’m going to blind them so we can make a run for it!”

The wolves burst from the bushes blocking each end of the pathway five on each side, the alpha of the group barked what appeared to be orders as they slowly advanced; suddenly Twilight’s horn began to glow bright as she turned to her friends.

“CLOSE YOUR EYES!”

The girls complied and shut their eyes tight, however Fluttershy who was still paralyzed with fear hadn’t heard what Twilight was saying and kept her eyes wide open as she fearfully started at the wolves in front of her. A bright white light burst form Twilight’s horn covering the small area of forest in a bright white light, the wolves whined as they backed up blinking rapidly as their vision became blurred and distorted. Fluttershy blinked as well as her ears flattened again whimpering trying to see what was going on.

“RUN!”

As the light vanished, the five ponies then ran as fast as they could down the right path towards Zecora’s house leaving the dazed wolves behind them. They never once looked behind them as they were focusing on staying on the pathway and getting to Zecora’s in one piece, even if the wolves did get over their dazed like state and give chase no creature would dare go near Zecora’s hut thanks to an enchantment that protect the area around her hut.

As they broke the clearing they arrived at her hut and came to a stop breathing heavily as Rarity collapsed to the floor her mane a mess, the hut door opened and Zecora stepped out looking confused.

“Hello my friends, is something wrong? Your heavy breathing sounds like you just ran a marathon.”

Twilight took a moment to compose herself before speaking.

“Hello Zecora…we were just…running….from Timberwolves."

Zecora nodded and looked around, and then her face became more and more concerned.

“Six of you there normally is, but there is something amiss.”

Twilight looked around and her eyes widened in horror.

“Where’s Fluttershy…?”

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As the blast of light died and Twilight shouted for the girls to run, Fluttershy snapped out of her terrified frozen state she shot off down the left path in complete fear with her vision still blurred up from Twilight’s blinding spell. She ran for what seemed ages and ages, panting heavily as she tried to get as much distance between her and the wolves. She felt a sudden whack to her front leg as she collided with a root that was sticking up from a tree and crashed into the floor. She winced in pain as she landed hard on her back and rolled for a short distance before slamming into a tree and landing on her side.

She whimpered as blood trickled gently from her nose as she shakily stood up, expecting one of her friends to give her a helping hoof up, when no hoof came she looked around in a panic and whimpered once more. She was in a part of the forest she was not familiar with, and she couldn’t even see the path she was just on. She tried to make another run for it but when she put pressure on her right front hoof she cried out in pain and gently placed it on the ground.

‘O-ok if I c-can’t walk I’ll f-f-fly...’ She thought to herself

She unraveled her wings only to recall the right one back as pain shot up it and cried out again. Her eyes teared up as she began to look around panicked curling into a ball on the floor, she buried her face in her hooves and began to sob quietly.

She was lost…deep in the Everfree forest

Alone…