"I don't know Flutters, should we really be out this late?"
>"Anon, no animals in the Everfree are dangerous as long as you know how to talk things out."
"What about all the plants?"
>"If you want you can ride on my back."
"No, I just... don't you think we should be taking this more seriously? Shouldn't we at least have Twilight with us?"
>"Anon, do you trust me?"
>You groan.
>The question with only one right answer, because mom will cry if you say no...
"Yes, of course I trust you Flutters. I'm just saying that we should be careful out here. Don't ponies die out here?"
>"Oh, never. There have been a few disappearances, but no deaths."
"Fluttershy, that just means they died and were eaten."
>"My animal friends would never."
>Your legs are getting a bit tired now, so you tug on Fluttershy's tail and hop up.
>"Do you need help?"
"Nah, I'm getting used to... there we go."
>You nestle right between her wings and rest your head on her neck.
>Now this is nice.
>You're usually asleep in a few hours anyways, but Fluttershy insisted you could help her out.
>Normally you wouldn't ask Shybones this, but you're curious and you want to show her that pulling you into this sort of thing has consequences.
"What do you do if you can't save an animal?"
>"Oh, um... that's a rather personal question, Anon."
"Come on, my old dog got rabies back in the day and I gave him one last good hug while he was sane before blowing his skull out. Everyb- everypony has those stories I'm sure."
>"Most ponies don't have pets..."
"Does Doctor Horse hook you up with some pills or-"
>She looks back at you.
>The Stare.
>You involuntarily shut up.
>"We're almost there, you can nap on the way back if you want to, Clove."
"Yeah, I think I might want to- what was that?"
>"Anon, I fell for that trick twice. I won't fall for it again."
"No, I was crying wolf before but I really did see something."
>"Crying wolf? I'm sorry, I'm not current with all of your foal slang. You have to keep your mom clued in if you want her tack in the saddle."
"What? No, like the Aesop Fable. Little boy cries wolf for shits and giggles, townsfolk come to his rescue, he's faking. Boy cries wolf again for shits and giggles, townsfolk come to his rescue, he's faking. Boy sees a wolf, cries wolf, townsfolk don't come to his rescue and he gets mauled or something. The lesson is the important part, not whatever gruesome ending you can come up with."
>"Well, why didn't the boy and the wolf talk out their differences?"
"Because the wolf was a wild animal that wanted to eat his sheep, or his family, or him... the point is not to be a jackass and make up shit if you want to be believed. Twilight Zone played around with a similar concept but with aliens who mistake a man as god instead of a wolf because of his outlandish lies, and when he tells people about it they laugh him off. You can use that version if you prefer."
>"Aliens? What are those?"
"I- forget it. You're soft and warm, you know?"
>"Yes Anon, you've told me."
"Good. Because I appreciate it. Thank you."
>"Oh, that reminds me. We've got an appointment for you next week with a psychiatrist."
"I'm perfectly sane."
>"Not all psychological disorders are related to sanity Anon, why Ms. Cheerilee has many foals on the spectrum that you'd probably be great friends with..."
>She trails off into another discussion about how she wants to see you hang out with more ponies.
>You just focus on the bit where she nonchalantly calls you a sperg.
>Are you autistic? You were never diagnosed as a kid, but they never tested you...
>Maybe you can act normal enough that you'll fudge the results.
>Psych is softer than butter, unless they're using magic you'll probably be fine.
"There it is again. Like a snake, only bigger. Fly up."
>"Mommy is tired from Rainbow's workout earlier, she's not going to take you for a fly sweetie."
"No, I'm serious. I don't want to be anywhere near that thing."
>One of the worst things about living with Fluttershy is how blissfully ignorant she is to the food webs that exist in Equestria.
>She seems perfectly content to let bears live with rabbits and chickens, despite the fact that the dog food she gives her bear 'friend' is made with chicken meat.
>Whenever you get into this argument with her she brushes you off.
>'Animals need to eat, Anon.' is her favorite.
>Any time you try to get into what they eat, she brushes you off further.
>God forbid the one old government official that's making sure Fluttershy gets the checks for her animals keels over, because that will be the day that Fluttershy's cabin becomes Battle Royale.
>Not the gay kind like those video games, the cool chink kind.
>She doesn't know predators like you do, though.
>She's never had to fuck up rattlesnakes with a .17 HMR because there's a toddler inside.
>She's never hunted big game and had to steady up a shot at a bear's skull while it charges.
>And that's why you're scared with an animal expert in animal country.

>"If it is a snake, we'll talk it out. I'm sure it's just hungry."
"Yeah, for us. And snakes here aren't normal."
>"That's not a nice thing to say."
>It's watching you.
>You can feel its eyes from the wooded sides of the path, but you don't really have an idea of what it looks like.
>You know it's big though.
"What are we even out here for?"
>"We're here to pick up an artifact that's rumored to have manifested recently."
"Are you hanging out with Treehugger again? You know she's a bad influence on you."
>"Yes..."
"Come on, you don't have to keep paying for her drugs. I know she's nice, but you need to learn to say no."
>"She says she needs them for her anxiety."
"No, she needs to hit the gym and start eating better... there it is again."
>"Alright, if you'll get off my back I'll talk it out."
>You nod, realizing the pointlessness of the gesture to the forward-facing Fluttershy as you slide off of her back and onto the moist forest floor.
>They call this humus, you think.
>The earth of the decaying.
>"Anon."
"What?"
>"This isn't an animal. Get on my back."
>Your blood runs cold, but ironically your frantic rush for the safety of Fluttershy's back makes you fuck up the technique.
>You fall on your ass as Fluttershy takes flight, lifting you up as she goes.
>Not soon enough, the massive thing scores a hit on your hind leg.
>You feel woozy immediately.
>If this isn't an animal, then...
>That probably isn't normal poison.
"Am I going to die?"
>Fluttershy doesn't say anything.
"M-mom?"
>"Don't call me that."
>She grins down on you, her wings seemingly much more angular and sharp.
>"This is for being a horrible daughter."
>You feel weightless for just a second as she lets go of you.
>And then, the sudden stop.
>You cry out in agony as you feel two of your legs snap under the force.
>You weren't even lucky enough to have both of your forelegs or hind legs broken, it's the left front and the back right.
>You look up at Fluttershy, tears streaming down your face as you lie next to a broken bottle of beer.
>She's flying off, seemingly without a second thought.
>You have absolutely no idea how to handle this, but you can worry about reconciling with the pony who just left you for dead after you get out of here.
>They say to stay in one place when you get lost in the forest.
>They say you'll move in circles even when you think you're going straight.
>You can tell you're close to one edge of the forest by the beer bottle, but you don't think anybody will be out here for quite some time.
>Even the bottle is stained with blood.
>This is not a land for ponies.
>But maybe, it could be one for a savvy human.
>You look around for anything in the immediate vicinity. 
>Grass, thorned bushes, a rock, the bottle...
>Of course.
>Taking care, you grab the blood-stained glass in your mouth and smash the end of it against the rock that just out of the ground next to you.
>You count yourself lucky that you didn't land on it, at that force something like that...
>Well, you wouldn't have to worry about something coming to finish you off at least.
>The edges you've made are nice and sharp, perfect for driving into some predator's neck.
>Learn basic tool use, fucktards.
>You're bleeding quite a bit, but with the unusual breaking pattern of your limbs you can't set the broken bones; only wrap them with leaves and hope that the pressure stops some of it.
>You only hope that magic can make up for your inability to set.
>You don't want to be crippled for life if you get out of here.
>"Take what you can get."
>You look up in horror at the snake that started this entire mess.
>The first thing that comes to your mind is to run, but that isn't an option.
>The running adrenaline of fear will do you no good here, so you channel the next best thing.
>Anger.
"You."