Post by Bardigan on Nov 5, 2012 17:54:01 GMT -5
( The time is nightfall. The place is Fluttershy's house. She's got quite a menagerie in there, doesn't she? A place so full of life and warmth, a small shelter against the dark that gropes at the edges of the light streaming from the windows. The chaos going on in Ponyville even seems muted from here, and since Pinkie Pie's involved, who's to say it isn't another of her crazy parties? But that doesn't seem to stop one of the animals from perking up and glancing at the door. It's Mister Blue Jay, whose wing was recently healed, and has been a little skittish anyway. Chirp, he says. Chirp for somepony at the door! Or just a whisper of wind outside, scraping a bare branch on a window. )
Fluttershy raises her head, lifting her nose out of her favorite books. It's a collection of fairy tales with big, bright illustrations, one that always sucks her in and helps ease her mind...but with everything that's happened in Ponyville tonight, even the slightest sound pulls her back out of it. She looks over toward the door, although some part of her wishes she didn't have to, and whispers, "W-who's there?"
( Who's there is up for debate. There's nothing there, really. Nothing at all. Just Mister Blue Jay still staring and chirping at the door questioningly, as if repeating Fluttershy's inquiry. A few more animals are distracted from their gamboling, and a couple of the mice get up to peek out the window. Everything seems quiet, and they give the all clear. But then there's an especially *loud* gust of wind, perhaps from a cold front moving in. The mice at the window jump away from the cold glass and go to huddle in their burrow, and fast moving thin clouds pass under the moon, sending stark, wiry shadows running over the ground as if half-seen things were dancing in Fluttershy's very yard, aimlessly striving to be acknowledged. This time more birds chirp and a few begin to flit anxiously about the room, trying to huddle in their houses until the wind dies down. Angel scoffs at their cowardice and continues nibbling a carrot he's been working on. At least another small scratch at the door makes his ear twit )
"E-everypony calm down," Fluttershy cries, as much to herself as to her animals. Soon she has a crowd of mice huddles behind her sofa...a crowd that follows her as she gets up and edges to the nice, soft, brightly-lit center of the rug, well away from the windows that she keeps glancing at so anxiously. "I-is somepony out there?"
( The shadows continue to shiver and twitch over the animal keeper's lawn in a macabre, eerie dance, the light of the moon wrestling with the dark for space. The wind doesn't abate, and something makes a loud *pock* as it strikes the window. Angel Bunny springs in front of Fluttershy and brandishes his half-eaten carrot, ready to pounce at the door as the scratching continues unabated. It *travels,* working its way along the wall of Fluttershy's house, and several dozen pairs of eyes follow it anxiously. Perhaps it's just a cold animal seeking shelter... but then it begins working its way back to the door. Scritch, scritch, a maddeningly deliberate and gentle tempo. And then, at the door again, it stops. Even the wind dies down. There's a silence that draws itself taut, thin, ready to snap... breaking only at the groan of something pressing itself hard against the door. Angel doesn't even notice when he's bunched up with everyone else at Fluttershy's hooves, still holding his nibbled carrot like a broken )
sword.
( Flutters' knees tremble, threatening to shake off the critters holding fast to them for support. Other than that, no part of her is moving except for her eyes, following the sound around the walls and then back; even her breathing has all but stopped. After a few more moments of terrible silence, she calls out, mouth dry, "...B...Bluefeather? ...M-Matchmaker? P-Pinkie...?" )
"Oh, I'm afraid I don't know any Nettlglums," says the newcomer, looming over the rabbit, who is in a staring contest with an irate Angel hiding his carrot behind his back. "I've known a few Lilies and Honeysuckles in my time, though." The voice clearly belongs to a mare. Not Nettleglum at all. It's very droll yet with an air of vivaciousness, not like Fluttershy's neighbor in the slightest. She peers at Fluttershy from the shadow of her hood. "Averroes believed I was in trouble, the little dear. He gets ever so excited during wind storms. I'm sorry if he bothered you." ) )
Fluttershy tilts her head just slightly, regarding the other figure with a guarded gaze, but she relaxes again as she says, "O-oh, um, it's nothing, really. I mean, um, it's okay. I couldn't stay mad at an innocent creature like that. Angel, calm down, sweetie." Fluttershy walks forward slowly and cautiously, not *quite* taking her eyes off the visitors, and pets Angel on the head. "Um, Averroes is a very nice name. W-what does it mean?"
( "It was the name of a famous philosopher. I found it ironic," the newcomer whispers, a smile in their voice. "As you can see, he's not quite... all there." Averroes is already distracted, sniff sniffing around the porch. Angel hides behind Fluttershy's leg and glowers, unwilling to let either of them come closer. "I'm so sorry. But... I'm trying to find something. It's a terrible night to do so, but I'm not quite as young as I used to be. I went and lost something very important." She comes a little closer and her pale snout becomes visible in the light of Fluttershy's doorway. "It's very small. Almost enough to be invisible. But I don't think it will stay hidden for long, and I simply must find it before somepony else does." )
Fluttershy leans back, raising one trembling hoof to get ready to flee without even realizing it. "W...w-what is it?"
( She leans closer, and suddenly it's noticeable that the light from Fluttershy's doorway isn't actually lighting her up. The warm candlelight seems to simply go *around* her, leaving her colored the same as the dark, grey nightscape outside. "An idea," she says in a raspy whisper. "I forgot it to protect myself. But now I can no longer find it. Do be a good neighbor and return it to the house. It should be with your friends... it will be taking root in many of them soon." She looks over her shoulder at Ponyville and sighs. "I knew you would be the only one kind enough to notice me. But it seems I'm done now. Just follow the screams. It should be clear from there." )
"I-idea?" Poor Fluttershy's voice cracks upward until it's just a squeak, and the warm candlelight behind her just frames her face and makes her look as pale and dark as her visitor. "W-wait, what do you mean? W-who are you?"
"I'm just the next door neighbor," the mare says, tilting her head. "Poor Nettie. If only she hadn't started digging." She turns away and begins to walk, Averroes following her stiffly. "You're too kind for you own good and you went and noticed me. So it will try to make you remember too. Please... help them all forget. If you don't all forget, it will keep coming back. And that won't be good for anypony. Forget me. Forget it all. Bring it back to the house, and make it forget too. This idea lives in the past... and will trap you too if you try to stay there."
"Wait!" Fluttershy calls, though her throat is dry and scratchy. "Come back! How do I...?" But her guest is already fading back into the dark, along with her pet, whose stiff-legged gait makes Fluttershy's heartstrings twang. The vet can't keep out of her mind that this is no natural ailment, though. It's only about now that she realizes she's been keeping Angel held tight against her, not that he's likely to object. Flutters puts him down and dashes out the door, peering through the gloom toward the Everfree's edge. "Oh, Angel, what do we do? We have to get to Ponyville! But...we can't just leave Nettleglum..."
Fluttershy glances back one more time toward the old farmhouse before she tears herself away. The yellow filly squeezes her eyes shut as she makes a dash for town. "...I'm sorry."
There are no clues to follow, save for an errant gust of wind, and a few stray shadows that trail along behind the retreating pegasus.
Fluttershy raises her head, lifting her nose out of her favorite books. It's a collection of fairy tales with big, bright illustrations, one that always sucks her in and helps ease her mind...but with everything that's happened in Ponyville tonight, even the slightest sound pulls her back out of it. She looks over toward the door, although some part of her wishes she didn't have to, and whispers, "W-who's there?"
( Who's there is up for debate. There's nothing there, really. Nothing at all. Just Mister Blue Jay still staring and chirping at the door questioningly, as if repeating Fluttershy's inquiry. A few more animals are distracted from their gamboling, and a couple of the mice get up to peek out the window. Everything seems quiet, and they give the all clear. But then there's an especially *loud* gust of wind, perhaps from a cold front moving in. The mice at the window jump away from the cold glass and go to huddle in their burrow, and fast moving thin clouds pass under the moon, sending stark, wiry shadows running over the ground as if half-seen things were dancing in Fluttershy's very yard, aimlessly striving to be acknowledged. This time more birds chirp and a few begin to flit anxiously about the room, trying to huddle in their houses until the wind dies down. Angel scoffs at their cowardice and continues nibbling a carrot he's been working on. At least another small scratch at the door makes his ear twit )
"E-everypony calm down," Fluttershy cries, as much to herself as to her animals. Soon she has a crowd of mice huddles behind her sofa...a crowd that follows her as she gets up and edges to the nice, soft, brightly-lit center of the rug, well away from the windows that she keeps glancing at so anxiously. "I-is somepony out there?"
( The shadows continue to shiver and twitch over the animal keeper's lawn in a macabre, eerie dance, the light of the moon wrestling with the dark for space. The wind doesn't abate, and something makes a loud *pock* as it strikes the window. Angel Bunny springs in front of Fluttershy and brandishes his half-eaten carrot, ready to pounce at the door as the scratching continues unabated. It *travels,* working its way along the wall of Fluttershy's house, and several dozen pairs of eyes follow it anxiously. Perhaps it's just a cold animal seeking shelter... but then it begins working its way back to the door. Scritch, scritch, a maddeningly deliberate and gentle tempo. And then, at the door again, it stops. Even the wind dies down. There's a silence that draws itself taut, thin, ready to snap... breaking only at the groan of something pressing itself hard against the door. Angel doesn't even notice when he's bunched up with everyone else at Fluttershy's hooves, still holding his nibbled carrot like a broken )
sword.
( Flutters' knees tremble, threatening to shake off the critters holding fast to them for support. Other than that, no part of her is moving except for her eyes, following the sound around the walls and then back; even her breathing has all but stopped. After a few more moments of terrible silence, she calls out, mouth dry, "...B...Bluefeather? ...M-Matchmaker? P-Pinkie...?" )
"Oh, I'm afraid I don't know any Nettlglums," says the newcomer, looming over the rabbit, who is in a staring contest with an irate Angel hiding his carrot behind his back. "I've known a few Lilies and Honeysuckles in my time, though." The voice clearly belongs to a mare. Not Nettleglum at all. It's very droll yet with an air of vivaciousness, not like Fluttershy's neighbor in the slightest. She peers at Fluttershy from the shadow of her hood. "Averroes believed I was in trouble, the little dear. He gets ever so excited during wind storms. I'm sorry if he bothered you." ) )
Fluttershy tilts her head just slightly, regarding the other figure with a guarded gaze, but she relaxes again as she says, "O-oh, um, it's nothing, really. I mean, um, it's okay. I couldn't stay mad at an innocent creature like that. Angel, calm down, sweetie." Fluttershy walks forward slowly and cautiously, not *quite* taking her eyes off the visitors, and pets Angel on the head. "Um, Averroes is a very nice name. W-what does it mean?"
( "It was the name of a famous philosopher. I found it ironic," the newcomer whispers, a smile in their voice. "As you can see, he's not quite... all there." Averroes is already distracted, sniff sniffing around the porch. Angel hides behind Fluttershy's leg and glowers, unwilling to let either of them come closer. "I'm so sorry. But... I'm trying to find something. It's a terrible night to do so, but I'm not quite as young as I used to be. I went and lost something very important." She comes a little closer and her pale snout becomes visible in the light of Fluttershy's doorway. "It's very small. Almost enough to be invisible. But I don't think it will stay hidden for long, and I simply must find it before somepony else does." )
Fluttershy leans back, raising one trembling hoof to get ready to flee without even realizing it. "W...w-what is it?"
( She leans closer, and suddenly it's noticeable that the light from Fluttershy's doorway isn't actually lighting her up. The warm candlelight seems to simply go *around* her, leaving her colored the same as the dark, grey nightscape outside. "An idea," she says in a raspy whisper. "I forgot it to protect myself. But now I can no longer find it. Do be a good neighbor and return it to the house. It should be with your friends... it will be taking root in many of them soon." She looks over her shoulder at Ponyville and sighs. "I knew you would be the only one kind enough to notice me. But it seems I'm done now. Just follow the screams. It should be clear from there." )
"I-idea?" Poor Fluttershy's voice cracks upward until it's just a squeak, and the warm candlelight behind her just frames her face and makes her look as pale and dark as her visitor. "W-wait, what do you mean? W-who are you?"
"I'm just the next door neighbor," the mare says, tilting her head. "Poor Nettie. If only she hadn't started digging." She turns away and begins to walk, Averroes following her stiffly. "You're too kind for you own good and you went and noticed me. So it will try to make you remember too. Please... help them all forget. If you don't all forget, it will keep coming back. And that won't be good for anypony. Forget me. Forget it all. Bring it back to the house, and make it forget too. This idea lives in the past... and will trap you too if you try to stay there."
"Wait!" Fluttershy calls, though her throat is dry and scratchy. "Come back! How do I...?" But her guest is already fading back into the dark, along with her pet, whose stiff-legged gait makes Fluttershy's heartstrings twang. The vet can't keep out of her mind that this is no natural ailment, though. It's only about now that she realizes she's been keeping Angel held tight against her, not that he's likely to object. Flutters puts him down and dashes out the door, peering through the gloom toward the Everfree's edge. "Oh, Angel, what do we do? We have to get to Ponyville! But...we can't just leave Nettleglum..."
Fluttershy glances back one more time toward the old farmhouse before she tears herself away. The yellow filly squeezes her eyes shut as she makes a dash for town. "...I'm sorry."
There are no clues to follow, save for an errant gust of wind, and a few stray shadows that trail along behind the retreating pegasus.