A Sound In the Forest

Pale moonlight flowed through the window, illuminating a yellow pegasus with a messy pink mane. She was snuggled beneath the covers of her bed, snoring peacefully as the night wore on. Every so often she mumbled something about one of her animal friends, but otherwise the only noises were the quiet chirping of crickets and the hoot of an owl.

Fluttershy turned over in her bed, dragging the sheets with her. It had been a long and tiring day. Most of it had been spent searching for a goat who had wandered into the forest and gotten itself lost. By the time Fluttershy had found him and returned to her cottage, it was past dinner time. When she finally collapsed into bed, all she wanted was a good night’s rest.

Yet Fluttershy was drawn from her peaceful slumber. She cracked open her eyes and sat up in bed. She didn’t know what had roused her, until a sound drifted through the window. Turning her head, her ears swiveled forward, trying to pick up the sound again. Sure enough, it came through, and this time, it caused her to open her eyes. With a tired yawn, she turned herself over and looked through the window. She didn’t move, as if to make sure the sound was real and not part of a dream. Once more, the unfamiliar tone pierced the silence.

Fluttershy groggily pulled the covers down and stepped out of bed. The chilling air did well to wake her up, for by the time she reached the window, the tired feeling had been replaced with a cold one. She shivered slightly as she looked outside, trying to find the source of the noise. After several moments of silence, she turned and began walking back to her bed. As she lifted the covers, the sound came again. This time there was no doubt it was real, so she rushed back to the window to listen.

The noise sounded like an animal growl, or rather a howl. It was unfamiliar, however, and Fluttershy couldn’t attribute it to any certain animal. The only thing Fluttershy could be sure about was the sound of pain that echoed in the howl.

The noise persisted on and on, and Fluttershy determined that it had to be coming deep within the forest. She gulped as her natural maternal instincts started to kick in. As bad of an idea as it was, she felt compelled to investigate and help whatever poor animal was in such pain. Her internal struggle was short, though. Any rational thought of self preservation was drowned out by the need to care for others and show kindness.

With a deep breath, she went to her desk, lit a candle and began to prepare.

Something needs your help, Fluttershy she thought, rummaging through her personal cabinet of medical supplies. She grabbed a roll of gauze and one of her homemade pain relieving solutions, then threw them into her saddlebags. It’s up to you to keep them safe.

After hastily tossing in additional supplies, she secured the saddlebags to her midsection, then approached her closet. She sifted through it and brought out a lantern, then a thick collar with a hook which she strapped around her neck. Fetching a small group of fireflies which lazily flew outside her window, she lit the lantern and attached it to the collar. Finally, she looked to her mirror. “Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this. Just go into the forest... follow the sound... and help whatever animal is out there. It’s just like any other time... just dark... and in the Everfree Forest... a-and... alone....”

Fluttershy gulped. “M-maybe this isn’t such a good i-idea after all...” she whimpered, glancing outside. She began to doubt herself, but then another cry pierced through the room, causing her to jump in place. Taking one last look in the mirror, the pegasus steeled herself and made her way out of the room.

- - -

The worst thing about the Everfree Forest wasn’t the darkness. Her lantern was bright, and it lit up her path quite well. The worst part about the Everfree Forest was the noises. Every direction seemed to bring a new growl or unfamiliar call of a wild beast. The shivering pegasus frequently dove off the beaten path and into the protection of the forest’s undergrowth after hearing unknown noises near her. At least, she thought it was near her. Sounds were often bounced between trees, so it was near impossible to find out where they really came from.

Despite her fear, Fluttershy did her best to follow the pained cries of whatever was in the forest. Sometimes it would sound closer, whereas other times it would sound farther away and she would need to backtrack. The one thing that was certain was that she was moving very far into the forest -- farther than she had ever gone before.

And the further she went, the more the forest changed, like she had stepped into a different world. The trees, once healthy with thick, full branches had been replaced with trees that were thin, sickly, and barren of leaves. Up above, the moonlight shone through, casting numerous shadows all about the crooked and gnarled branches.

Goodness, what’s wrong with this part of the forest? Fluttershy wondered, looking from the dead trees to the healthy ones that were several paces behind her. There was a clear divide between the two parts, but no reason for it. I’ll have to tell Twilight about this when I get back. Up ahead, she could see that the trees began to grow full again, so it was only this one section of the forest which was damaged. She pondered for several more moments before another howl ripped through the forest, making her jump and reminding her of the objective..

No time to dawdle, Fluttershy... she thought, making her way through the lonely forest. As she walked, she couldn’t help but notice that even the ground below her seemed dry and dead. Whatever happened here had sapped the whole area of its life. Observing the trees more closely as she walked, she noticed that they were fairly charred. Once this fact came to light, she noticed the faint smell of burnt wood. Sure enough, she began to notice small bits of glowing embers within some of the trees.

A great fire had swept through here, and it had happened recently.

As Fluttershy fluttered her wings and crossed a small stream in her path, a panicked thought shot through her head. Oh no, I hope whatever’s crying out there wasn’t in this fire! Her pace quickened, and she began to gallop across the charred section of the forest. Before she knew it, the burnt smell and barren trees were long behind her, and she found herself plunged into the darkness of a thick, healthy forest.

This far into the forest, there was no beaten path, so all she could do was weave in between the trees and follow the sound. The lantern’s light didn’t seem to reach as far as it had earlier, so she had to be extra careful. More than once had she narrowly avoided tripping over an overgrown branch, and that was only because she could use her wings to quickly balance herself. At least it’s just dark she thought, stepping over a broken branch.

Then, she dropped into a murky swamp.

Fluttershy gasped as the cold water engulfed her legs, then reached the lower half of her torso. The lantern floated idly in front of her as it was pushed up and unhooked. She made several attempts to climb up the ledge she fell from and get out of the swamp, but it was far too steep. Going back to land would only set her back, and she had an animal to help. Luckily, the saddlebags floated slightly. She could only hope their contents remained dry.

Grabbing the handle of the lantern between chattering teeth, she began her slow progression through the dark and foggy swamp. The water had been very still, so the only movements around her were the rippling of dirty water. She trudged through, breathing harder as she made each labored step forward. The mud was thick and hard to pull out of, and at some points the solid ground seemed to vanish. Fortunately, the cries seemed to be getting louder, so she was getting closer.

Fluttershy’s ears perked up and adjusted to better hear the noise. A little to the left... She turned slightly and continued. Now more to the right. Straight... Oh, to the left more... Goodness, now it’s on the right... She pouted, following the swamps twisted sounds the best could.

Soon, the floor of the swamp began to rise up, and Fluttershy could feel the water starting to sink lower on her body. A smile even crept along her face as the shore became barely visible in the distance. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed ripples in the water that weren’t coming from her.

With a gulp, she started to move more quickly, pulling herself through the swamp as fast as she could. It’s probably nothing... just a fish... or maybe an otter... she thought, attempting to stave her fear. A splash in the water quickly drew her attention, and her eyes locked on the fresh set of ripples extended through the swamp. Of course it’s a fish, fish live in the water and sometimes they come to the surface for reasons and this is no differ-

A large tail fin briefly extended out of the water and slapped back down in such a way that it was clearly swimming towards her. That was all Fluttershy needed to scream and start frantically running through the swamp to get to land. Her legs rapidly paddled at the water, flinging mud and swamp everywhere. Looking behind her, a path was being cut through the water at an alarming rate, and it only fueled her desire to get to the shore.

She reached the point where she could start running, leaving large splashes in her wake. Another glance behind her found the aquatic creature mere feet away from her. She screamed again, then made a leap for the edge of the water. The pegasus crashed into the dirt and rolled several times, with the lantern falling near her and shattering. The fireflies seemed more than happy to escape, leaving Fluttershy muddy and in the dark, but more importantly, out of the water.

Fluttershy looked back to the water with fearful eyes, seeing nothing but the moonlit swamp slowly returning to its normal state. Whatever was after her had given up the chase and had no intentions of coming on land. Once again, all was quiet. And very dark.

She picked herself up, feeling the muck and grime all across her body. While she couldn’t see it, she knew her coat was a mess, as well as her mane and tail. In the back of her mind, she could already hear Rarity scolding her for being so filthy. Right now, though, she was too busy focusing on her near death experience. She shivered, from both fear and cold, yet she pressed on. I can’t focus on myself... Something or somepony needs my help. she thought, feeling tears forming at her eyes. Fluttershy was quick to wipe them away though, and, taking a deep breath, she continued forward.

The noise had been occurring less frequently, so finding its origins was beginning to grow harder for the pegasus. This close to the source, though, she found it was becoming louder and louder when it did occur. She stepped carefully through the thick trees, guided only by her ears. Suddenly, a loud howl pierced through the forest and her head snapped in the direction of it. There, she noticed a dull pink glow coming from the distance.

Oh thank goodness, some light! She made her way towards the light, disregarding everything else around her. Pushing past several thick bushes, Fluttershy found herself in a small clearing. At the end of it was a cave, where the pink glow was coming from. She leaned forward to get a better look, but a violent coughing noise originating from the cave caught her off guard, and she stumbled forward. That has to be it. Whatever is hurt is in this cave. With a nervous gulp, she began stepping forward and making her way into the mouth of the cave.

Fluttershy entered the dimly lit cave and looked for the source of the light, which was nestled deep in the back. She moved farther in, avoiding rocks that jutted out of the ground and the uneven floor. As she approached where the glow was coming from, she noticed a particular development with the cave. It was beginning to smooth out and become more uniform in size and shape. By the time she reached the back, it was just about perfectly square. Stranger still, it made an abrupt turn.

The pegasus poked her head into the hallway and her eyes widened as she discovered the source of the glow. All along the walls were various circular runes that extended the whole length of the hallway. There were an abundance of them, and they all held a soft pink light which lit up the area. She became lost in the glow, but an agitated grunt snapped her out of it. It couldn’t have been more than several paces down the hallway. Taking a breath and briefly checking her saddlebags, Fluttershy began walking down the path.

I’m sure Twilight would love to see this... she thought, observing the runes as she slowly passed them. She had no idea what they meant or what they were there for, but it was intriguing all the same. After a bit of walking, she noticed it had opened up into a large circular room. The symbols went from circular to straight lines, which all led to the center of the chamber. Her eyes followed a particular strand, then ended on a large device in the middle of the room. It was covered in runes, and look like two semi-circular arches. It also appeared to have room in the center for something.

“Damn government... sending me through that god damn portal... tore me up good...”

Fluttershy’s gaze lowered to the bottom half of the arch, and that’s when she noticed the creature at the bottom of it. The mere sight of it caused her to gasp and take a step back. The animal must have heard her, because it lifted its head and looked to her. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as they darted from feature to feature of this otherworldly beast.

It seemed very similar to a monkey, though it didn’t have nearly enough hair. Where there should have been hair, it was wearing some sort of clothing instead. It’s shirt was black, with a bit of shine to it, and it was accented with small bits of metal. The pants were similar, though not as glossy. They were made of different material but she wasn’t sure what.

It’s head was a faint pink color, like the flesh of an animal, and on the top and back of it’s head was a mess of brown hair. The creature's forehead was large, and the hair curved along the top as if it were trimmed that way. It looked at her with blue eyes, which were a lighter shade than Rarity’s.

The two of them said nothing for several moments, until Fluttershy gasped again upon noticing its hand was lacking any flesh. It was mere bone, and more frightening was the fact that it was in flames. The creature didn’t seem to notice, but when he looked back, he seemed surprised. Almost instantly, the fire dissipated and the hand returned to normal. Fluttershy had to blink several times before believing what she had seen.

Then, it talked to her. “Uh, hey.”

Gathering up all of the courage and willpower she could muster, Fluttershy croaked out “Um, hello.”

“Did you say something?”

A blush of embarrassment surged through her cheeks as she looked away from the creature. Come on Fluttershy, you can understand him. Maybe he’s nice... just... speak up. Taking a breath, she looked back up to him and muttered “Hello.”

The creature rubbed the back of his head. “Uh, hi. Are you uh... are you a pony? It’s a little weird for a horse to talk.”

“Y-yes... I’m a pony. What are you?” She took a tentative step forward.

He chuckled, leaning back and looking to the roof of the chamber. “Huh. Talking pony. Alright. anyway, I’m a lot of things, but I guess you can just call me a human. That’s what I am most of the time.”

She took another step forward, beginning to warm up a bit. “W-what do you mean, m-most of the time?” Fluttershy couldn’t help but tilt her head to the side curiously.

“Well, you see, at night I tend to turn into a nasty lookin’ flaming skeleton and go around sucking out souls and purging evil and all that... you know, skeleton stuff.” Fluttershy stopped in her tracks, her expression very quickly turning frightful. The human seemed to notice this change and was quick to wave his hand and add “Oh no, that only happens when I’m around evil. But this place...” he gestured around him. “There isn’t any evil at all. Guess that’s why I’m normal.”

“So... you only... um... ‘purge’ bad ponies?”

“Bad humans, but yeah. You get the idea. I’m like a... like a spirit of justice, you know?”

“Oh... well, I guess that’s okay...” she said, moving closer to him. In all the confusion of meeting this new creature, her original reason for coming nearly slipped her mind. “Was that you making all of those noises?”

The human adjusted his position before speaking. “Yeah, that was me. See, when I got here, I came in pretty rough, you know? Lots of fire and big explosions and stuff. I got hurt pretty bad, and so did that forest I landed in.” He took a moment to grin, as if he was proud of the damage caused. “I nearly crawled all the way here to try and find my way back, and then the portal was closed! Of course, I think it’s starting to work... all these circle things started glowing recently.”

“Does that mean you’re alright?”

He looked over himself, then rolled up one of his pant legs, revealing a fairly deep gash. “Mostly alright. I still got some damage, though.”

“Oh my, that looks serious,” Fluttershy said, observing the wound. “Let me help you with that.” She pulled out the gauze and cream and began to get to work.

“What are you, some kinda doctor pony?” He asked, watching Fluttershy administer the wound.

“I’m used to helping animals... but since I haven’t seen anything like you, I guess you’re an animal too,” she said, applying some of the cream.

“Jeeze, I’ve heard that one before...” the human replied, trailing off and looking into the distance. Several tugs and pulls later, the bandage was wrapped tightly around his leg.

“There. Leave that on for a while and you’ll be fixed up in no time.” She smiled at the human, pleased with her work. He turned his leg and looked over the bandage more, then returned the grin.

“Thanks a bunch, little pony.” They were silent for another moment before he spoke up again. “Say, are there more like you?”

“Well yes, there’s ponies all around Equestria... but nothing like you. Well, except monkeys...”

“Equestria, huh?” He said, pondering the idea of it. “Normally, a guy like me would be more surprised, but I’ve been through so much crazy stuff that this is nothing. Talking to a pony? I’ve driven out of hell before.”

“Hell?”

“This place sure is different, ain’t it?” he said, with a chuckle. “You’ve got it easy here, pony. Where I’m from, it’d be a heck of a lot different. Nothing is as it seems. Vampires, arms dealers, car theft... and don’t even get me started on bees.”

“What’s wrong with bees?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head.

“Ugh, not the bees.” He shook his head like he was having a bad flashback. “But enough about that stuff. What’s it like in... Equestria?”

“It’s very nice. The animals are sweet, and the ponies are nice and--”

Just then, the portal behind the two of them crackled to life, revealing a glowing pink vortex in the middle. In defense, Fluttershy’s wings shot up as she stepped back. Smiling, the man stood up. “That was the plan,” he said, stretching his leg and turning to the portal. “To give you a boner.” Turning his head, he winked to Fluttershy. “And you got one.” With a bright flash and an unexpected explosion, the man burst into flames. His flesh had gone, replaced only with a skeletal frame. Raising his hand, he gave the pegasus a bony thumbs up, then stepped through the portal.

Fluttershy fainted.