Chapter 20: Safe Haven
Pinkie seemed rather distraught by all this. She hadn't seen her friends, and didn't know what to do without them. She found herself in a crater in a strange area.. The plant life here was vivid and lush, the sunlight shining down on her. She had no idea the rest of the world was dying. There were apple trees all around, nopony would ever go hungry here. She kicked down an apple, and sunk her teeth into it. It was amazing, the best she had ever tasted. This seemed perfect to her, but only if she had friends to share it with. She tried her best to put it out of mind, and began to frolic off, both for fun and to find somepony, anypony else. It could even be the meanest pony around, so long as there was someone. It was so lonely out here. She hummed a tune, and went on her merry way. Birds chirped overhead, the first sign of life Pinkie had seen. She followed the birds, not having anywhere else to go. They flew off towards a forest. Now this Pinkie remembered.
"Th..that's the Everfree!" she said, in both fear and excitement. "I guess I don't have anywhere else to look."
She hesitantly trotted into the Everfree, expecting some monster of beast. Something she would normally giggle off, but not when she was alone. When she looked around, something was forest was no longer dark, but very bright. Flowers bloomed, and cute little rabbits scurried around. This made Pinkie even more worried.
"H...hello?" she said.
Apparently someone heard, as a mass of vines rose from the ground. They wrapped tightly into a ball, which slowly opened. A yellow mare, with a long pink flowing mane, was wrapped up in the center. Pinkie heard a voice come from the forest.
"Speak." said the voice
"Fluttershy!" yelled Pinkie with glee. "It's so good to see a friend again!"
But Fluttershy dd not speak. She stayed silent, vines wrapped around her hooves. They were holding her in the air, her eyes closed, as if she were asleep.
"Fluttershy?" said Pinkie.
"Fluttershy?" said the voice.
"Fluttershy! Are you okay?" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Fluttershy. What a strange name." said the voice.
"What did you do to Fluttershy!" yelled Pinkie.
"Fluttershy, as you call her, is the guardian of the Everfree. She has kept this place free of the corruption of Sin."
"i know him!" Pinkie exclaimed. "That guy is really evil." said Pinkie.
"I suppose that's one way of describing him," said the voice.
"That's why I need Fluttershy to help me get rid of him!" said Pinkie
"She cannot leave this place. I must keep he safe, she is the very lifeblood of this forest," said the voice.
"But if we don't stop Sin, he might start causing trouble." said Pinkie.
"It seems you do not know the things he has done," said the voice. "He has caused much pain already, this forest is the last safe haven for this world.
"But why Fluttershy?" asked Pinkie.
"I was looking for a kindred spirit. Someone who loved the forest as much as I. Someone who did not want to see it destroyed. Fluttershy is the only other pony who loves the forest enough to be a worthy candidate of such honor." explained the voice.
"Just let me talk to her!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"Unacceptable," said the voice.
"Why not!" Pinkie yelled.
Pinkie was starting to get voice stayed silent. Pinkie began trying to untangle the vines from Fluttershy, when a branch reached out and hit her.
"How dare you touch the guardian!" said the voice.
Vines wrapped around Pinkie, as she writhed around trying to get free.
"Fluttershy can still protect the forest even if she helps me!" said Pinkie
"I can' risk her getting hurt." said the voice.
Pinkie was slipping out of vines, biting some of them into pieces. She fell to the ground, but was still not safe. The very ground beneath her feet began to pull her below.
"Enough!"
A loud yell came from Fluttershy. Her eyes shot open, the vines entangling her sinking back below. She slowly hovered to the ground. Pinkie was released, and stood back on her feet. Pinkie ran to Fluttershy and gave her a hug.
"I am the guardian of this forest!" said Fluttershy. "I should be able to decide what is best for it! It will be fine if I leave. I cannot just let Sin destroy whatever he wishes!"
Fluttershy was abnormally assertive, and the voice listened. A brown filly with a green mane hanging down nearly to the ground slowly walked out from behind a tree.
"Is this truly what you think is best?" said the filly.
"Yes." said Fluttershy.
"Then there is nothing else I can do." said the filly. She walked back behind the tree, and was gone.