Counselor In The Forest

by RedBlack

River Talk

"Hmm. Those three sure are taking quite the while to come back." Twilight spoke up as she put down a steaming cup.

"Yeah, lunch will be ready soon. Wonder what's taking them so long." Remedy replied as he flipped the sizzling fish on the pan.

"Should we go check on them?" Rarity asked.

"If we do, one of you girls will have to go." Remedy told them.

"Why?" Rainbow asked as she stretched whilst getting up.

Remedy took a second on how he should say it. "I'm a male." He simply stated.

"Oh, right." Rainbow admitted casually and took off.

"Wait! Rainbow!" Applejack yelled after her.

Rainbow didn't hear her as she flew off into the distance.

"Pretty sure that's like, the opposite direction." Remedy commented with a bemused smile.

"It is." Twilight admitted.

Applejack let out a tired sigh as she stood up. "I'll go." She declared and started to walk towards the river.

---

"You are so adorable!" Moonshine said with glee as she held Fluttershy, who had a frozen smile and nervous eyes, in her grasp.

Moon held her in a tight hug whilst they were submerged in the warm waters of the river.

"You might wanna let her before you make her faint." Gilda suggested with an amused smile as she was drying off with a big towel.

"She doesn't want to. Right Flutters?" Moon asked with a confident smile, completely ignoring the expression of the terrified pegasus in her grasp.

Fluttershy simply looked upwards out of reflex, only to shrink down almost instantly at the sight of her smile. More specifically, the sharp teeth Moon had. With even more fear filling her, she silently prayed for somepony to save her as she vigorously nodded.

"See?" Moon asked with a prideful smirk.

Gilda playfully rolled her eyes as she hung the towel on a low hanging tree branch. Only to spot seven others on the same branch.

"Uh, why do you have so many towels?" Gilda asked.

"Ask Remedy. Pretty much everything on the camp is his. Don't know why he has so many towels though, he doesn't even use them. I just hang them there since I only use it here anyway." Moon replied as she regretfully let go of Fluttershy to get out.

Fluttershy, slightly relieved from no longer having a carnivorous goddess holding her, just carefully took a towel and started to dry herself.

"Honestly, he's a bit of a weird guy." Moon added in.

"What do you mean?" Gilda asked without thinking much.

"Well. He's got his, quirks, to say the least." Moon just casually moved on to draping Fluttershy with the biggest towel.

Gilda took a moment to think of her impression of Remedy. "I guess he's violent?" She guessed.

"Eh, sorta. He was pretty jumpy when he threw that axe at you." Moon explained with a casual tone.

Fluttershy just silently accepted her fate as she held a still face while being dried off. Gilda took a silent pity for her, but she would never admit it.

"Right." Gilda replied with a nervous smile.

"Hey, really, I'm not lying. He was basically brooding before we met you." Moon continued.

"Brooding?" Gilda asked.

"Yeah. From what I can tell, he's got a juicy story to tell. Just, he doesn't want to tell it." Moon said in a slightly complaining tone. "Done." She exclaimed and sat down Fluttershy in front of her.

"Juicy story huh?" Gilda muttered. "Who the heck is he to be having something like that in this age." Gilda blurted out.

"Apparently somepony strange enough to know me, ehh, Nightmare Moon, personally. Even after a thousand years." Moon just casually replied as she started running a comb through Fluttershy's mane. "Don't move too much Flutters."

Fluttershy let out a tiny eep as she fully froze up. Gilda looked shocked at the new info.

"Wait wait wait. Personally?" She asked, bewildered.

"Yeah? It's a bit muddy, but I can still remember his glare." Moon replied as she shivered a bit at the last part. "He was terrifying. But anyways, yeah. That look definitely held recognition, and deep, and I mean 'deep', hatred. Who knows how I ended up as close to him as I am." Moon explained with a slightly troubled frown. "Do you want braids?" Moon asked with a slightly cheery tone.

"Um, yes." Fluttershy finally managed to squeak out a reply.

Moon's expression visibly brightened up at her reply.

"That sounds, incredibly suspicious. You do realize that?" Gilda asked incredulously.

"Uhh." Moon froze for a second as her hooves worked on Fluttershy's mane. "Yes?" Her reply sounded more like a question.

Gilda simply stared for a few seconds, processing the weight of her next words. "You're an idiot." She simply stated.

"Hey, screw you too." Moon responded with a slight frown.

"No. Seriously." Gilda spoke with a slightly exasperated expression. "He's somepony that apparently knows a pony from a thousand years ago. Isn't an immortal alicorn. He also heals in a fight, as an earth pony. Doesn't that ring a few bells?" Gilda asked with an irritated face.

"Okay, first of all. He doesn't heal in combat. I don't know how much of this I should be telling you, but I can assure you that Remedy isn't some immortal god hiding in the forest." She explained slowly whilst she grabbed a few flowers growing nearby. "Secondly, yeah, he's suspicious as fuck. But I'm a literal goddess that made a deal with another goddess, and got ourselves trapped on the moon for a millennia. So I can't judge." She finished explaining.

"You-, but, what?" Gilda couldn't fully comprehend her reasoning.

"Also, when did he heal?" Moon asked as she stuck a few daisies in Fluttershy's mane.

"During the hydra thing. Pretty sure his chest was broken or something, since there was a huge purple bruise on it." Gilda replied.

"Huh. Anyways, what do you think?" Moon shrugged it off as she presented Fluttershy.

"Oh!" Gilda was actually surprised to see her new style. "You practice often?" She asked.

Moon gave Fluttershy a small hoof held mirror, who in turn, had a pleasantly surprised expression.

"Used to." Moon responded with a slightly somber tone. "But that doesn't matter! We should be heading for lunch right now anyways." Moon exclaimed as she picked up Fluttershy and placed her on her hooves.

"Um, thank you." Fluttershy uttered out with a small smile.

"No problem." Moon replied happily and took the lead.

Author's Note:

Hey guys.

Now, most of you are probably concerned about the length of this chapter. Or the particular lack of it.

But, my SAT exams are this Saturday. So this chapter is something more like, on the fly. Wrote the second half of it during class lmao.

So, thanks for reading.

Comments

[0thefool]

Adorable Fluttershy be adorable.

[Bronzedragon]

Try to relax and become "test wise" . If the questions are multiple choice, then one of the answers will be obviously wrong. you have now reduced your odds to one in three. with what you remember of the subject
you most likely be able to eliminate one of the remaining three making your odds fifty fifty. If you have to guess on the last two choices your first choice is most likely to be right. Above all relax you know more than you give yourself credit for. good luck and know that this old man is polling for you.👍

B.D.

[RedBlack]

11892826
Thank you

[0thefool]

11892826
11892905
Well, maybe quite obvious advice but advice is and advice. It's better to first answer all the questions you 100% are sure of the answer. Next go to those you are not sure of the answer but have an inkling. If you still have time try to crack some of those you feel you don't have answers for.

[Mister-H]

Fluttershy warming up to her