Canterlot was a sparkling gem of a city. It's ivory towers and golden spires make it a real place of glamour and sophistication. Fluttershy has only been here a handful of times but has never been alone before. The large roadways full of unicorns constantly put an unsettling feeling in her gut as she noticed she was the only pegasus. Putting it in the back of her mind, she tried to follow Twilight's directions to a T. She found herself aimlessly wandering the back alleys of Canterlot, hoping for some sign of a grove of trees.
She stumbled upon a wide area of construction, or it looked like construction. Large cranes and bulldozers carried and carved out the land. Surrounded by a few trees Twilight described, there were workers going in and out of what appeared to be a large pit in the center. Each one sported with bright yellow hard hats with head lamps and propelling harnesses. There were large piles of rocks along with shovels, pick axes, hammers and the ponies that wielded them.
"They look like miners," Fluttershy spoke to herself. "Maybe they know something about Boulder."
"Watch where you stand miss!" A larger pony carrying two heavy looking bags came up from behind her. "This area is off limits to pedestrians, now run along."
"Oh I'm terribly sorry, I'm a bit lost and you see, I uh, am looking for somepony. His name is Boulder. Do you know him?"
"Never heard of him." The earth pony set down his gear and turned towards Fluttershy. "Why don't you get out of here before somepony gets hurt."
Fluttershy's mind throbbed with the guilt of being in the way, but she knew she couldn't just give up now.
"Um, uh I really need to find him and I think he is down that hole. He's a geologist you see, and..."
"A geologist? Look miss, I've been hired to bring in these large sacks of dynamite in, I don't know anything about a geologist. If you have a problem, take it up with my boss, Mr. Break. Heh, you are in luck, he's right over there. Knock yourself out." The large pony lifts a hoof and points towards a group of ponies sitting around a table holding a discussion nearby.
"Mr. Break? Oh well um thank you, I guess." Fluttershy slowly approached the fashionable business ponies. She hated the thought of interrupting them but she needed to find Boulder and this was her only lead.
"Um, excuse me." She whispered to the crowd. The commotion continued.
"Uh, excuse me, I have a question." She spoke a litter louder. Still no response from the group as they babbled on to each other.
"*deep breath* Pardon me everypony but I need your help." The crowd turned silent. Their eyes pierced into Fluttershy as they silently judged the yellow pegasus demanding attention. The silence dwelled on her as she froze.
"I, uh..."
"Ah Miss Fluttershy I presume." A strange voice came from inside the crowd. He dressed in a large black trench coat and hat that covered his face with a shadow. His voice carried a rasp but was deeper, then any voice she had heard before. The voice itself sounded dark and ominous.
"Please, walk with me, we have much to discuss." Fluttershy picked up her head and reluctantly followed the strange pony who knew her name.
"Um, how do you know me?"
"I know about all of the elements of harmony my dear. It was in my best interest to learn what I could. And of course I've heard a lot about you Fluttershy."
"A lot about me, from who? Are you Mr. Break?"
"Well, yes I am. Who I am is unimportant right now. I have a message to you from Boulder if you are interested."
"Boulder is alright?!" Fluttershy's spirits immediately lifted as they walked towards a large black horse-drawn carriage. They stopped right as Mr. Break was about to get in.
"Yes of course he is alright, he wanted me to tell you to go home. Go home and forget about him, he isn't coming back to Ponyville. He has found a new home and he is happier than ever." Mr. Break stepped into the carriage and shut the door. Fluttershy was crushed.
"Wait!" Fluttershy panicked, she was confused on to how to even react to the news.
"Where is Boulder?"
The dark pony started to roll up his window to cut himself off from the sound of her voice.
"Please! I need to find him!" Fluttershy was crying and broken. Her voice was the only thing breaking through the swelling of her throat.
Mr. Break sighed. He rolled the window back down and looked at the mess of a pony at his carriage door.
"He is at Tromp Tower, 2nd floor in the emergency care wing. We found him unconscious in the caves and he seems to have starved himself. The doctors don't know what's wrong with him and I'm told he keeps asking for a 'Fluttershy' while he sleeps. Telling you he is dying is not something I wanted to deal with. Now get out of my sight!"
The carriage starts rolling down the street as Fluttershy tries to dry the tears on her cheeks. Her heart and mind ached. She was so lost in this city and now within herself.
"Boulder, is dying?" The words choked out of her throat as she fell on her flank.
"No. He can't be, I need to go to him!" Fluttershy stood and galloped down the road, in the direction of the black carriage.
---
Boulder's room was large and white. His bed and the life support machine hooked up to him are the only signs of furnishings the room has. Nothing but white. The doctors surrounded him as he sat upright but motionless.
"I have never seen a case like this before." An older gentlepony in a long white lab coat grabbed Boulder's medical chart.
"He is conscious, but his brain shows no signs of neural activity at all. He is a walking zombie."
"He can't be brain dead though. He wouldn't be awake like this," another doctor interjected.
Boulder stared into the white of his room, giving no signs to the doctors whether or not he can even hear them.
"Doctor," a nurse entered the room. "he has a visitor..."
"A visitor? I thought this pony was a loner? His medical history doesn't even show any signs of immediate family or relatives."
"She is in the lobby waiting; this patient is going to be declared dead within a few hours anyways, might as well let her see him."
"Very well nurse, bring her in. There are other patients in this wing that I can save. Come Nooby."
"Right away Doctor Cox!" The two doctors and nurse left Boulder's empty room. Nothing but white.
Boulder sat on his bed, his face stained with a perpetual sadness as he stared into nothingness. Fluttershy entered the room as the door shut behind her, normally something that would startle her, but she was too solemn to notice. She quickly but gracefully runs to Boulder’s side as the only sound is his heart monitor rhythmically beeps. He has lost a lot of weight and his body is almost skeletal. Just the sight of him sends Fluttershy into a spiraling sadness as tears poured down her face.
“Boulder! Boulder, I’m right here Boulder. Can you hear me? Look at me Boulder!” Nothing but white. Boulder’s eyes were wide open but they carried a emptiness to them. Fluttershy placed her soft hooves around Boulder is a tight embrace.
“I’m right here Boulder, you have to snap out of it. I don’t want to lose you!” Her throat hurt more and more as she yelled through the tears. The heart monitor attached to Boulder beeps became more erratic as she held him close. Nothing but white.
The sound of the machine pierced the noise from her sobbing as Boulder turned his head to look at the distraught yellow pegasus pleading for his life. Fountains of tears left her eyes as he now just stared into her. *Beep, beep, beep*
Fluttershy looked up to see Boulder’s blank face. *Beep, beep, beep* He slowly closed his eyes as a smile crept onto his face. *Beep, beep, beep*
“Boulder?” *beep, beep…*