The Hermit

After walking for about ten minutes Twilight and Spike reached a cottage. Nice place. I was expecting some sort of hut made out branches and leaves in a grove, not this.

"You should never assume anything when dealing with druids," Twilight said to Spike when they took a good look around the area.

Um... you were surprised that this druid, Fluttershy, is in charge of music.

Twilight gave a sigh of frustration. "Well, maybe she has a good..." Twilight stopped as she listens. There is a faint "ahahahaaaah" sang (Imagine Fluttershy's singing in 'The Ticket Master'). Twilight headed to the sound and as she got closer she heard a... chorus... of songbirds singing the national anthem of Mystica. She arrived near a clearing where they saw a woman dressed in a yellow robe, with a short cape of blue and green and a hood covering the top of long bright pink hair holding up what looked like a branch-like staff with what looks like a butterfly engraved on the top glowing the same shade of pink as the druid's hair. She also has a bag that looked like it was made of wood and not leather, fur or hide as most bags are made. Around the ankles of the druids were a set of ethereal wings, much like Rainbow Dash's, but while Rainbow Dash's were clearly 'exercised' and use for speed in travel great distance like a falcon, these looked more like they are used to float or hover like a hummingbird or butterfly. Looking around, Twilight and Spike saw there are fifty songbirds of different species all singing in harmony.

I see why now.

"Why what?" Twilight asked her familiar.

Why they went with the druid, take a good look at all their birds, their eyes are the same shade of pink as the staff.

"She's enthralling them. Wow. I knew druids could enthrall several animals at a time, but I never imaged that half a century of birds can be enthralled by one druid." Twilight said as she noticed what Spike pointed out and took a moment to admire the feat in front of her. As the song ended the druid lowered her staff and removed her hood.

"Alright everyone, that was perfect. We're going to take a half hour break and we practice one more time today just to be ready for tomorrow morning." The birds all flew off. The druid smiled to herself unaware of the audience for the most recent rehearsal.

"Wow, I haven't seen anything like it," Twilight said to the druid, complimenting her.

However, the druid gives a loud scream of horror and jumps almost 9 feet in the air before she cowers in a bush "pleasedon'thurtme!" she squeaked hiding her face.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash weren't kidding, she's is bad with meeting new people. I think she may have agoraphobia or something. Spike thought.

Twilight glared at the dragon for a second and then turned to the cowering young woman. Slowly lowering herself much like how Celestia did this morning. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Twilight said trying to match Celestia's usually calm and soothing tone. "The Druid, Fluttershy, I presume." Twilight continued.

Fluttershy slowly opened her right eye and scanned Twilight. After a few seconds, Fluttershy opened her left eye, likely convinced that Twilight would not hurt her. "Yes, I am Fluttershy," Fluttershy answered gaining a small amount of confidence.

"I am Twilight Sparkle, Apprentice of Princess Celestia. I am here on behalf of the Royal Court to check on the preparations of the Summer Sun Celebration being hosted in Magiville." Twilight said as she extended her right hand. Cautiously Fluttershy took the offered hand. "That was one of the greatest druidic feats of power I have ever seen."

"Um... it was nothing," Fluttershy said humble and timid as the two end their handshake.

"Nothing! You enthralled over fifty songbirds at one time! Usually, druids can only enthrall about a dozen or so! You have to be one of the most powerful druids in all of Mystica!"

"Um... thanks," Fluttershy mumbled almost inaudibly as she hid her blushing face. An awkward silence fell between the two when something charging through the thicket, hissing angrily as it neared. Soon it emerged from the undergrowth and stopped right between Twilight and Fluttershy.

A white rabbit.

"Wai..." Fluttershy started to say but the rabbit charged Twilight as if to draw blood. Before the leporid could make contact with Twilight, it is met in battle with Spike. Each hissed and growled as they sized each other up. The rabbit assumed it had the advantage until it's fur was nearly burnt by Spike's fire breath.

As it hid behind Fluttershy, Yeah, you better hide, stupid mammal. Spike thought as he held his head up in triumph for defending his master. As he walked back to Twilight the rabbit came out and bit Spike on his tail. While Spike actually was not injured due to his draconic scales, the act was a declaration of war. Spike turned back to face the rabbit, his pupils thinned to slits and iris yellow with wrath.

Now it was a fight.

"Spike! Don't! It's..." Twilight tries to stop Spike only to have her hand scratched by the rabbit. "OW!"

After seeing Twilight's hand bled, "STOP!" Fluttershy yelled at the top of her lungs. Everything seemed to have stopped, the grass, the leaves, even the sounds of other animals. Both combatants stopped fighting but they still growled at each other as they each hold the other's limb in their mouths. "Angel Bunny, let go of Spike," Fluttershy ordered, reluctantly the rabbit obeyed. The rabbit still scowled at Spike, Spike returned the look as he too let go of the rabbit. Fluttershy then turned to Twilight. "I am sorry for Angel Bunny." Fluttershy placed her hand on Twilight's wound. "He has... anger management and anxiety issues." Fluttershy continued lowering her voice so that only Twilight could hear her.

"Never could have guessed." Twilight commented dripping with sarcasm. "Now I see why Applejack and Rainbow Dash said I should be aware of that rabbit," Twilight said.

"A lot of what everyone holds against Angel is the natural behavior of rabbits when they are the main pet a person has. Most people have dogs and cats so they don't understand rabbits." Fluttershy said, as a pink light, the same shade as her hair, flashed from her hand over Twilight's wound and it vanished. "There you go. Again, sorry about Angel and also for healing you without your consent."

"It's okay, the healing I mean. Next time I'll bring a carrot, maybe that will smooth things over with Angel." Twilight commented as Spike gave a smoke-huff towards Angel.

"Don't do that! The root of carrots, that's the orange part, is actually fatal to rabbits, it's the green that is good for them..." Fluttershy paused as she turned and took a good long look at Spike. An ear to ear smile grew on her face. "OH, MY! IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS!" Fluttershy shouted in bliss. "A baby dragon, AWWW He's so cute. Let's see," she said as she picked up Spike and examines him. "Hmm, ten years old, he seems to be getting the right amount of meat, but is on the low end of the healthy intake of gems and quartz spectrum and he's been eating too many vegetables and fruits at each meal. That's not good, dragons are carnivores and gem eaters. They take their minerals straight from the rocks and gems they eat and they did not evolve stomachs for digesting plant life." Fluttershy informed.

"I feed him gems and such as treats." Twilight commented a little sheepish.

"Oh no, you mustn't do that either, gems and other stones are part of their regular diet. You're lucky he's a Northern Mountain dragon, they are very adaptable and resilient. If he was a Western River dragon, he'd only be half as big as he should be, if a Southern Jungle he can't support himself on his limbs and if an Eastern Forest dragon he would never be considered a potential mate when he is mature with how dull his scales would be." Fluttershy pointed out as she handed Spike back to Twilight.

I pegged her for being almost mute, but she's talkative... much.

"I have so many questions to ask about raising this little fella. Can I ask them?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well... Spike and I have an itinerary to follow and we need to meet with a 'Rarity of Carousel Boutique' to check the status of the decorations." Twilight said trying to wriggle her way out of this.

"Oh, I can take you to her, I know this area and actually a lot of Magiville. We can walk and talk," Fluttershy offered Twilight. Meanwhile Angel Bunny hopped onto Fluttershy's left shoulder.

Twilight and Spike shared a look. Twilight gave a sigh of defeat. "Sure, but you have to let me answer a question before you ask the next question." The two get up and start walking, Twilight going deeper into the woods.

"Deal. So... Um Twilight?" Fluttershy called out to Twilight.

"Yes," Twilight answered before stopping.

"I don't know if you are aware or if you are doing it on purpose but you're going deeper into the woods, Magiville proper is the other way." Fluttershy pointed out.

Twilight turns around and with her eyes shut and a large fake grin, "I knew that. I was just checking your knowledge and you passed." Twilight lied.

Fluttershy believes it, "Yay!" she squealed happily. "Oh, my questions." She said a little shock in realization.

"What's your first one?" Twilight asked, little knowing of the floodgates she has opened until she saw the sparkling in Fluttershy's blue eyes, putting to shame those of a little child on Hearths Warming Day when they see the presents.

Mystica was home to a wide array of humanoids, creatures, and plants. Among them werewolves, wolves that have mastered human magic and become humanoid wolves. Normally werewolves obey only other werewolves, but the pack that has taken up residence within The Everfree Forest, better known as the Diamond Dogs because of their ability to mine precious stones, were servants to a what appeared to be a female anthropomorphic feline, often called cat-folk. Her name was Catrina, she stood about five and a half feet, with red hair in addition to her tan-brown fur, and is dressed in a long dark red robe. Currently, she was looking out of a cave in the Everfree toward the remains of the palace of the Two Sisters. "What a pretty place, once it's cleaned up," she said to herself, a bit of a purr in her voice. "Well Celestia, soon you shall..." Catrina was interrupted by the sound of wolves fighting each other. "Great yet another one of these," Catrina said to herself in annoyance, with a bit of a cat-like yowl to her voice further undercutting her annoyance. She turned into the caverns to address the annoyance that cut short her monologue. After arriving at the source of the commotion she saw what it was and she was not pleased with this at all.

Contrary to popular belief werewolves were not stupid creatures, in fact, they tend to be smarter than most humans. However, compared to Catrina, the Diamond Dogs were not the brightest of bunches. Currently, three of the pack were involved in a fight, most likely for dominance. One was shorter than the others and while he may not be as strong as all the other werewolves, he's fast and nimble. One was much larger and clearly the strongest of the pack in terms of strength but is slow. However besting both of them is one that happens to be, for lack of a better term a balance of strength and dexterity. "Beg!" the winner barked triumphantly.

Catrina has had enough of this nonsense as she took out from her robe a bullwhip. With one rapid and fluent motion she stroke the victor in the face, right in between his eyes, and in doing so sent out a loud shockwave that practically guaranteed the rest of the pack has its attention on her. All the werewolves went to the walls of the cave with their tails tucked and ears flat on their heads. Save the victor. His tail and ears remained defiantly high, standing his ground and growled at her. "Down, Roo-var!" Catrina ordered with a fierce feline growl.

"No. We will not submit to cat-witch any longer." Roo-var challenged his lupine snarl very clearly helping further demonstrate his disdain for the cat-like woman.

"Must we do this again?" Catrina asked as her annoyance turned to ire. "Tonight She returns, and this defiance is just as fruitless as all your other attempts."

"I cha.." Roo-var started only to be struck in the face with the whip yet again, this time right on the nose causing him to whimper and go to his knees in pain.

"Do you really want to do this?" Catrina asked as she towered over the now cowering werewolf with her cougar like form, Roo-var only growled in defiance as he ignored the watering of his eyes. After almost a minute of staring Roo-var down, Catrina elects to play her trump card as the wolf clearly refuses to see reason and submit. "Oh Rep!" Catrina called out, not breaking eye contact with the one challenging her authority, and from the shadows deeper in the caverns came a deep dragon-like growl. Soon a figure emerged, it looked like a humanoid reptile with draconic wings coming from it's back. It was scared all over and had armor embedded into its scales. All the werewolves, including Roo-var, turned to see the misshapen creature arrive. "Rep, remind Roo-var why it is not a good idea to interrupt me when I start a monologue, or you'll get fifteen lashes." the creature, Rep, turned to Roo-var and growled again as it closed the distance to the lupine. Roo-var gulped as he surrounded by Rep's ever-increasing shadow.

Catrina returned to her spot and restarts her monologue again as the sounds of a werewolf in pain is heard in the background. "Soon Celestia, I shall take back the formula for witchweed and I shall avenge my humiliation at your hands all those centuries ago, starting with your precious niece."