Chapter 2

Shadows and Stories

Applejack's eyes slowly opened to a brightly lit room, sunlight pouring in through the window. Events of the night before were fuzzy. She remembered Pinkie Pie's party, walking home with Rainbow Dash and seeing Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh stargazing. After that it was all a blur, as if she had just fallen asleep out in the field.

"Hope Big Mac didn't have t' drag me way up to my room." she said to herself, getting out of bed. As she touched the wooden floor, she could hear a small fluttering noise at her window as a sparrow landed at the windowsill, causing her to jump in surprise. That was when it hit her, the memories of last night. The sound of loud fluttering of birds nowhere to be seen and the haunting feeling that overcame her as she stood in the barn, seemingly empty of anything but hay and herself. She backed up into her bed, almost scared of the little creature.

"I'm being mighty silly, gettin' all worked up over a tiny bird." She nervously laughed.

The door opened and Apple Bloom trotted in. "Big sis!" she yelled, running over to her. "How're ya feelin? You were out cold!"

"How long've I been out?" Applejack asked, trying to shake off her grogginess.

"Just for the night. It's still mornin'. Big Mac is doin' yer chores for you."

Applejack shook her head. "Oh no he ain't! I can work. Not like I'm hurting or nothing."

"Please stay in bed, sis." Apple Bloom said in a low voice.

"I told ya I'm alright! Now step aside and…" Applejack paused, looking to the wall where her door usually was only to find that it was missing, leaving only the wall in sight.

"I insist. You really should stay in bed, sis." Apple Bloom said, turning to Applejack.

Applejack drew back as Apple Bloom's facial features seemed to melt right off her face, her eyes sinking into her skin and her mouth melting together like hot candle wax.

"Just lay down and sleep, sis. Sleep." Apple Bloom said in a soft sweet voice. Applejack's eyes widened, backing up into the wall where her door used to be.

"Apple Bloom! Wh…what's wrong with you?"

Apple Bloom's head cocked slightly to the side. "What he cannot have he will destroy." She said, her mouth slowly reappearing on her featureless faces, smiling at her frightened sister.

Applejack cried out in alarm, noticing she was back in bed. She looked around franticly, looking for the apparition that been in the guise of her sister. It looked to be morning, the sun beaming through her window. It was much like her nightmare, but this time she didn't take any chances. She stayed in bed, covering herself with her sheets as sweat ran down her body.

XXXXX

The morning sky began to turn a bleak grey as storm clouds formed, darkening the skies. A storm was coming and fast. On the outskirts of Ponyville, a hooded pony made her way down the long roads, seeing the quiet town in the distance.

"I'll never make it before the storm hits." She said to herself, starting to run faster. A rumbling sound shook the skies and the clouds ever darkened. The pony broke into a gallop, feeling drops of rain begin to fall.

"I won't make it… I just won't make it…!"

She tried her best to keep her long brown cloak on; grabbing it with her mouth to make sure the knot in the middle didn't unravel. She clutched it with all her might, her teeth hurting from the pressure. Her breath sped up, shivering at the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning that now shot through the sky. She ran faster and faster, tears running down her cheeks.

"I have to go faster," she said to herself, breathing harder as she ran as fast as her legs could take her.

"I have to go faster!"

XXXXX

Pinkie Pie finally finished turning the lights on in Sugercube Corner which only minutes ago had gone dark from the storm. She sighed in relief as she stood in the well-lit parlor.

"Yikes! What a storm!" she said to Gummy who stood near her, looking at the colorful walls with interest. "It's a little scary with just us, huh, Gummy?" she asked the tiny alligator who didn't shift his attention. "I hope the Cake's made it to Manehatten in once piece…"

She went over to the window and watched the storm as Gummy began wandering the house. If she didn't know any better, Pinkie would have thought the entire town was abandoned. No pony wandered the streets and only lights from the other houses showed signs of life. Another flash of lightning could be heard before a loud crash of thunder shook the town. Wind blew hard, causing the trees around town to swish and sway. Pinkie decided to step away from the window.

"With a storm like this I doubt anyone would come visit but I'm so bored!" she put her hooves up on the front counter. "Why did we have to have a storm on the second day of spring anyway?" She pouted, crossing her hooves on the counter, yawning with boredom.

A knock came at the door, causing Pinkie to jump. The last thing she'd expect was a customer at a time like this but to Pinkie it was welcoming. She ran to the door, opening it to find a soak-cloaked pony on the other side.

"Welcome!" Pinkie Pie said, stepping aside. "I didn't expect to get a customer in this weather! How can I…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the hooded pony fell to Pinkies hooves, lying motionless.

"Oh my gosh!" Pinkie said. "H…Hang in there! I'll get a doctor!" she yelled. But before Pinkie could run out the door, the pony suddenly grabbed her by the tail with her teeth, stopping her.

"No…" she muffled before releasing her. "Don't go… I'm fine…" she stood up on her hooves and regained herself, shaking of the dizzy feeling she felt. "I needed to get out of the rain. Please let me stay for a while. I can pay you whatever you want if you just let me stay."

Pinkie shook her head. "No way, Jose! I wouldn't charge you a single bit! We should really get out of those wet clothes though! You'll catch a cold." Pinkie ran toward the stairs. "Make yourself comfy! I'll be right back with some warm blankets!"

The hooded pony nodded, sitting down and undoing the knock that held her cloak together, letting it fall from her back, revealing a pale skinned mare and two wings that huddled at her sides. Upon her flank, a book crossed with a quill pen stood as her cutie mark. She shivered from being soaked but felt warmth come over her. Thunder continued to crash and with each rumble from the skies the pony shivered in fear.

Pinkie Pie returned with a long wool blanket wrapped around her and dragged along by her jaw. "Here! Wrap yourself up nice and warm and toasty!" she said, laying the blanket down. The Pegasus wrapped herself up, feeling the warmth of the wool around her. She sighed with relief.

"Thank you so much. I was traveling and got caught in the rain." The soft voice pony said as she nuzzled the warm blanket.

"Oh it's not a problem! I knew you had to be a traveler because I know EVERYONE in Ponyville!"

"Ponyville? Is that the name of this town?"

"The one and only! Unless there's another Ponyville… Then it wouldn't be the one and only. But since this is the only Ponyville I've ever heard of it's the one and only Ponyville to me! My name is Pinkie Pie by the way! What's yours?"

"Yennia… Yennia Stars."

"It's super nice to meet you, Yennia!" Pinkie giggled. "What brings you to Ponyville?"

"Well…" Yennia sighed. "I wanted to get out of the storm and this was the closet town I could find

"But why not just fly up to Cloudsdale before the storm hit?" asked Pinkie. Yennia gasped silently and looked away, her eyes dimming. Pinkie's eyes tried to meet Yennia's, noticing that her face was a sudden frown.

"You must have known… I mean… Every pegasus…"

Yenna went silent, thinking up a quick lie.

"I… I injured my wing." She said, flexing her right wing and winching. "I guess I must have hit it in the woods."

"Oh no! Maybe we should get you to nurse Redheart. I mean she's really gentle and nice and you'll have nothing to be afraid of! She's right down the block, I'm sure she'll…"

"No!" Yennia shouted. "I… I mean… No thank you. It's not so bad. Hardly hurts at all I'm not moving it. I just need to stay off it for a while."

Pinkie Pie looked at the wing and didn't give it another thought.

"Oki Doki! That explains it." She said. "I'll fetch more towels. You're soaked to the mane!"

Yennia sighed in relief as the pink pony walked off.

XXXXX

"I must be out of my mind!" Rarity yelled as she ran through the rain, her hooves splashing over the wet grass. She turned around, running back to where she came from. "That's it! I'm going home!" she yelled to herself.

"Wait!" she turned, running back toward the library. "Have to be brave! I am doing this for Fluttershy!" She trotted as fast as she could toward the library, dreading the rain more with every step against the muddy ground. Upon reaching the library, she knocked on the door furiously. "For the love of Celestia! Let me in!" she cried. In moments, Spike came to the door and without even waiting to be invited in, she ran past him in panic.

"Uh… Hello, Rarity? Do come in?" Spike said, still staring outside, his eyes wide with surprise.

Rarity shivered from the cold rain dripping off of her. "T…T…Towel… P… Please?"

A purple towel flew over Rarity, wrapping around her as Twilight stepped closer to Rarity.

"Rarity? What in Equestria are you doing out there in the rain?" Twilight asked.

"I n…needed... T…To talk to you." Rarity said, still shivering. "F…Fluttershy stopped in to s…see me… Sometime last n…night… in fact."

"Oh? Was everything okay?" Twilight asked, another rumble of thunder being heard in the sky.

"Well…" Rarity cleared her voice, finally starting to warm up. "I don't think so. She seemed… Off. Something about a strange shadow in the Everfree Forest."

"No surprise there." Spike said. "That place is full of creepy shadows!"

"Did she say what she saw?" Twilight asked.

"She did not make much sense. Apparently she saw the forest… 'moving' as she put it. As if it came to life. Also a strange feeling that came over her. As if the forest was watching. Make any sense to you?"

"Sounds like a nightmare to me." Twilight's horn began to glow and a book flew from the shelf. "That or her mind was playing tricks on her."

"I don't know, Twilight…" Spike stated. "I mean… That forest is full of a lot of creepy stuff. What if she did see something?"

"She seemed really scared, Twilight. I have never seen her in such a state. She was hiding behind my garbage cans!" Rarity exclaimed. "Would you at least come talk to her? Maybe she could explain things better."

Twilight looked toward the window, seeing the rain still coming down hard enough to blur her window. "Well, I'm glad we live in a small town." She said. "If she's really that scared then we should be there for her, especially in this kind of weather."

Rarity nodded. "Thank you, Twilight." She too looked to the window to see the rain falling. "Um… You wouldn't happen to have an extra coat, would you?"

XXXXX

Back at the Boutique Fluttershy slept, tucked away in Rarity's bed. It didn't take her long to fall asleep after a long night of cowering behind trash cans and the rest was a welcome feeling. As another bolt of thunder crashed, she awoke with fright, almost unaware of her surroundings. She looked toward the window and saw the rain coming down hard.

"Oh no!" she jumped up out of bed, her body feeling exhausted from only the few minutes of sleep she had in her. "My animal friends… Their homes will be flooded!"

She looked around, seeing that no one was home yet. She didn't want to leave without thanking Rarity for her kindness, but this was a matter of emergency. Fluttershy rushed down stairs and out into the pouring rain. She took to the sky despite the heavy winds and rain that splashed against her face, almost blinding her. Her body was heavy and her eyes stung with loss of sleep and raindrops flooded her squinting eyes. It was hard to see, let alone fly. Still she pressed on, heading toward her cottage at the edge of the forest.

XXXXX

The rain finally began to calm as Applejack trotted downstairs to see Apple Bloom looking out the window. Hearing her hoof steps, Apple Bloom turned to face her sister.

"Applejack! You're awake!" she cried with joy. "You were sleeping for hours! After what happened last night, Big Mac and I thought…"

"I'm fine. Don't you worry." Applejack said, taken back for a moment when she saw her younger sister. She took a moment to examine Apple Bloom's. Everything seemed normal, all except a worried look.

"What's wrong? Do I got somethin' on my face?"

"Yes!" Applejack shouted. "You had best keep it that way, ya hear!" Applejack trotted near the window and looked outside, seeing the storm calming yet the farm was a disaster. Branches were all over the ground, leaving the once green trees bare. This spelled disaster for the Apple family. Growing everything again would be tough and at this rate Applebuck season would be delayed.

"I don't understand it…" she said. "We always get a warnin' before a storm, especially one this big. And its only the second day 'a winter!" Applejack stomped her hooves against the ground. "Dag-nabbed!" she yelled, causing Apple Blossom to draw back in fear.

"S…Sis… What's with you? You never lose yur cool like this." Apple Bloom backed away slowly. Applejack regained her senses and looked toward her frightened sister.

"Aww sis… I'm sorry." Applejack walked over and wrapped her hooves her sister. "Ya see… After last night I just don't feel my ol self. But don't you worry. I'd never hurt ya, sis, understand?"

"Understood!" Apple Bloom nuzzled in her sisters arms. They both sat by the window, watching the rain slowly coming to a stop, now only a light drizzle. Small rumbles of thunder could still be heard but the storm seemed to be passing.

"Where'd Big Mac go?" Applejack asked.

"Visitin' Ponyville." Applejack said. "He wanted to get a doctor for ya. Ya'll were out pretty bad." She said and sighed. "I was so worried about ya, sis… You were acting so weird yesterday and…"

"Now listen here, Bloom. I know thing been hard' round here with since Granny Smith passed on. But there ain't no way I'd lose myself yet! Big Mac's runnin' the farm now and it'll be hard to keep things goin but even with all that, you're still the most important person in my life. I ain't gonna lose my head as long as I gotta protect ya! And I'll always be there to protect you. Remember that, 'kay?"

Apple Bloom smiled and nodded. "Okay, sis."

Both sisters stayed silent as they looked out over the calming drizzle. In the distance, atop of hill where the apple trees didn't cover, a small headstone could be seen.

"I miss her…" Apple Bloom said softly.

Applejack sighed and closed her eyes. "Me too…"

XXXXXX

Fluttershy flew down toward her cottage, her wings no longer able to hold flight. She crashed onto her roof, rolling down the side and onto the muddy ground. She laid still for a moment or two, trying to regain her senses, her body shaking with pain and exhaustion but finally home to protect her little animal friends. She struggled to get back on her hooves but finally she did it, getting up on all fours. She looked to the chicken coop and made her way over to it. She peeked inside to see it was empty, her eyes widening.

"Oh no…" she said, her voice quivering. "Where did they go?"

She limped over to her cottage, opening the door to see that the place was a mess. Heavy scratches could be seen all around and the décor was thrashed, scattered about the house. She explored the cottage for clues, water dripping from her long, pink mane, creating a trail.

"Angel!" she cried out for her little bunny friend. "Angel, where are you?" She tried to run upstairs but fell halfway before she could reach the top. Her breathing became heavier. Her vision was slowly fading. Still, she put one hoof before the other, dragging herself upstairs. It was then she heard it… A sound in the distance. To her it sounded like screaming metal, faint but strong.

At the top of the stairs she saw at her window a single bird, a pure black raven that stood upon the windowsill. The window was shattered and the bird pecked at the shards, seemingly paying no mind to Fluttershy. She finally reached the top and looked upon the bird. When she did, it slowly turned it's head toward her, opening its beak slowly. From it came a low sound of twisting metal. Behind the strange bird, nothing could be seen. Only darkness existed past the foul raven. She wanted to scream but nothing came, her voice smothered by something unseen. Her body felt weaker then before, and for this moment, she tried to expel the feelings that she was going to die, anxiety overtaking her, drowning her.

The other windows shattered now as the darkness itself moved into the house. It wasn't like anything she had seen. It was as if shadow itself came to life, leaking through the window like water. It poured onto the floor and covered the walls like paint. The sound of wings could be heard all around but only the single raven could be seen and he wasn't flying. Only looking at Fluttershy idly as a statue would.

Fluttershy gathered as much strength as she could and pushed herself away from the steps, causing her to tumble down. It was risky, and could have possibly killed her but she saw no other means of escape. At the bottom of the stairs she pulled her tired body across the floor, the sound of metal and flapping wings now hurting her ears, causing her head to pound. It was unbearable. The door swung closed and from the small window on the door, she could see the shadows cover it. There was a pounding on the door as dozens of wings could be heard slapping against the window, causing it to crack, yet she still could not find any evidence of a bird besides the one she had seen upstairs.

"No…" She whispered. She turned back to the stairs to see the raven sitting atop the wooden railings. Fluttershy crawled away. "Please… Stop… Whatever you are… Stop!"

The raven simply looked down at her, its beak opening wide, that horrid sound once again deafening her.

Tears ran down Fluttershy's face. She tried to mutter one more attempt at mercy but no words came to her. She was trapped. And nothing she could do would save her now.

XXXXX

Rarity and Twilight came upstairs to find Opalescence resting on the sheets where Fluttershy had been sleeping. The bed sheets hung half way off the bed and Fluttershy was nowhere to be found.

"Fluttershy? Fluttershy!" Rarity yelled. "Where could she have gone?"

"Calm down. Maybe she just went home."

"In this weather? Being as tired as she was? What would possess her to do a thing like that?"

Twilight shrugged. "I don't know but the rain is calming down. Maybe we should check her cottage."

"Perhaps. I can't imagine she had the strength to make it there… If she did attempt such a feat we should make haste!"

Twilight agreed and the two ponies left the boutique, heading toward the Everfree Forest.

XXXXXX

The pair of ponies trotted toward the cottage, Twilight already sensing something was amiss. She could see the shattered windows, the broken glass scattered all over the ground below.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight yelled. "Fluttershy, are you in there?"

Rarity began to trot faster, the worry of her friend growing steadily. Upon reaching the door, they noticed it had been torn right off its hinges and thrown somewhere onto the stairway.

"Up here!" a strong, deep voice said from upstairs. Both ponies looked at each other, recognizing the voice. Twilight's horn began to glow and picked up the mostly shattered door from the stairway to allow entry.

Big Macintosh stood next to Fluttershy's bed, holding down a struggling Fluttershy who thrashed around wildly.

"What's going on here?" Twilight asked. "What are you doing here, Mac?"

"I'll explain later… Twilight, can you calm her down? She won't stay put."

Fluttershy suddenly screamed at the to of her lungs, tossing and thrashing even more now. She hit Mac in the face, making him wince.

"Well, can ya?" he asked Twilight again.

Twilight was in shock, fear of her friend in such distress filling her mind. She shook her head and thought up a spell quickly. Her horn began to glow and with a soft aura around Fluttershy, a soft tune began to play.

"Cover your ears." She told Mac and Rarity. They did as she asked, plopping their hooves against their ears and closing their eyes. The soft tune rang in Fluttershy's ears and her screaming slowly quieted, soon putting her to sleep. Twilight sighed with relief.

"That should put her out for a little while…" She said, looking at Mac and Rarity who were still covering their ears. "I said… 'That should put her out for a little while!'" Both ponies opened their eyes and place their hooves on the ground, seeing that Fluttershy was now asleep.

"Well now that we have our hooves out of our ears, mind telling me what happened here?"

"The place is an absolute mess! And Fluttershy…" Rarity walked over to her friends bedside. "Poor Fluttershy…"

Mac sighed. "I wish I could tell ya'll what went down' ere. 'fraid when I got here when she done gone bonkers. What'ver got in' ere spooked the livin Luna outta her. I was on my way to see Nurse Redheart when I saw' er flyin off in this storm. I knew no one in their right mind would fly at a time like this so I followed her t' see if see was alright."

"The shadows from the forest…" Rarity said softly. "She did see something… Oh Fluttershy…"

"We need to get her to town." Twilight said. "Nurse Redheart can look after her for a while. It looks like I'll need to do a lot of research…"

Twilight tried not to show her sadness, a sadness that was not only for her friend but for the fact that her plans of going back to Canterlot were now delayed. She felt guilty and selfish for thinking of such a thing in Fluttershy's time of need.

Rarity helped Fluttershy onto Mac's back, keeping her steady for the trip.

"I think that will do." She said. "But do be careful! No telling what she might do if she wakes up!"

"Sure thing." He said, carrying her off downstairs. The two ponies followed his lead.

XXXXXX

It was a clear night as Luna's moon held high in the sky. Almost all of Ponyville was headed to bed, but in Sugercube Corner, laughter could be heard.

"Mmmm! Dissh ish good!" Yennia said as she chewed a piece of sticky taffy.

Pinkie Pie shook with laughter. "S'you shound funny!" she said with taffy in her mouth as well.

Both ponies couldn't stop laughing as they heard each other talk with a mouth full of taffy. Finally Yennia was able to swallow her piece before Pinkie.

"That was so yummy! I haven't had taffy this good since… Well… Ever!"

Pinkie swallowed her taffy and licked her lips. "We make the best taffy ever! The Cakes have their own secret recipe. I'm not allowed to tell."

"A secret's a secret." Yennia smiled. "I have secrets of my own. You've been so nice to me I want to share some with you."

Pinkie sat down as Yennia reached into her bad of things, pulling out a book. "I write lots of books, mostly about the places I visit. Want to hear one?"

"I sure do!" Pinkie said excitably. "I love stories! Oh! Do you have any exciting adventure stories about pirates and sea monsters?"

Yennia gulped. "W…Well, considering I've never actually been on a boat OR seen a pirate, I can't say I have anything like that. But I do have one about a monster! Why don't you get more taffy and I'll tell you!"

"Oki Doki Loki!" Pinkie said, stuffing another rainbow taffy into her mouth.

Yennia put her head into the back and pulled out a book with her teeth, opening it slowly. She cleared her throat and began to read…

"Once upon a time, there was a gentle serpent who made friends with the citizens of Cloudsdale. His name was Gezza, the seventh sky. Like the Pegasus of Cloudsdale, he could manipulate weather and so he helped around the world , clearing the skies or bringing rain to where it was needed."

Yennia stomped the book suddenly and dust rose from the pages, creating small clouds that hovered over the book. More dust formed, created a long snake-like creature that swam around the clouds.

"Mmmmm!" Pinkie said, amazed at the sight.

"But one day, Gezza met an evil pony who only wanted to manipulate the weather for himself. This pony held a dark secret. She cursed Gezza, turning him into a furious monster."

She stomped the book again and the dust turned red, small bits of black lightning striking the pages. Pinkie was taken aback for a moment as the little gentle serpent became a large red dragon.

"Gezza no longer held any control over himself, and so, with a sad heart, he unwillingly began to destroy Equestria, ravaging it with massive storms and creatures made of stone and lightning. It was as if he turned Equestria against itself."

"But then a bearer of light came…"

With another stomp, a bright light shined forth, like a shooting star heading toward the dragon.

"This light knew this serpent well and with a heavy heart, fought and defeated the serpent, sealing it away until he could overcome the curse within himself."

She closed the book and yawned sleepily.

"That's it? What happened to the dragon? Did it overcome that nasty old curse? What about that meanie pony?"

"Well it isn't finished yet…"

"Awwww…" Pinkie pouted. "It was a great story! You have to finish it!"

"Maybe one day…" Yennia yawned again.

"Tired? It's pretty late. Not a single customer all day! That's rare! Hey, why don't you stay the night? It's dangerous going into the forest at night. You can have my bed!"

Yennia shook her head. "Oh, no, no! Please I couldn't impose."

"It's fine! The Cakes won't be home until next week. No way Pinkie's sending you out into the cold night!"

Yennia couldn't help but smile. She felt bad imposing on her new friend…

"Alright. I'll stay. Thank you very much, Pinkie."

"No problem. What are friends for? Come on! I'll show you my room!" Pinkie said as she hopped on up the stairs. Yennia grabbed her bag and pulled it into Pinkies room, putting it aside her bed."

"This bed won't fit us both… Please, allow me to sleep on the floor. I couldn't possibly take your bed from you."

"Oh that's alright. I'll sleep in the Cakes room. Be free to any sweets in the house! Outside of the store pantry of course."

"No thank you…" Yennia giggled. "I think I had enough sweets for today."

"Oki Doki Loki! Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite!" Pinkie said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Yennia nuzzled into bed, getting cozy and warm under the sheets.

She laid there for a few minutes, making sure Pinkie didn't come back in. After a few more minutes passed, she turned to her bag and reached in, pulling out a large tome. The frame and cover was made of a strong, strange metal. There was no title or words on the front, only a hoof print carved deep in the heavy cover. She placed one of her hooves within the imprint and the world around her seemed to peel away into light, reality fading from sight.

Soon she found herself waking up at the center of a snow-covered forest. She shook the snow off her mane and looked to the sky to see small flakes falling over the forest. She was just a tiny filly and her wings were gone as well as her cutie mark. She laughed and pranced around the snow a bit. Down a long snowy path, the light of a setting sun could be seen in the distance. Yennia laughed childishly and began to run toward the light. As she did, the snow peeled from the trees, fading from every tree as she passed with a gust of wind. When she reached the edge of the forest she stopped, letting the snow blow past her and when it did, every flake turned into a different color bird, flying off into the distance where the sun stood still, never rising, never setting.

Atop a tall hill, a beautiful mare sat down, looking at the birds fly off. Three moons, all with different colors could be seen high over the mare, shining light down upon the flowers and grass that surrounded the hill.

"Mama!" Yennia yelled as she ran toward the mare. She ran into the embrace of the beautiful white mane mare who returned her affection .

"My darling Yennia." The mare said in a gentle voice. "You seem excited. What has happened today? Where did you go?"

"I made a friend, Mama! Can you believe it? A friend just for me! I can't wait to tell you all about her."

"And I can't wait to hear, my sweet little filly."