“Cleon! Tell me where we’re going!”
The monk had bolted upstairs the moment the Pool went dark. He rambled about something being wrong, but refused to say what. At this point, though, the pegasus was completely lost. Following Cleon was the best shot she had at getting to a familiar part of the enormous building.
“Cleon!” she shouted.
“Don’t you see?” he said, turning completely around. “We can help her! That spell, the light you saw, it was her doing. It would’ve been terrible for her, but no, the spell got altered by your will—that’s why the Pool worked—and now you’ve been merged! You have a connection, one that we can use to heal both of you at the same time! Do you trust me?”
“Of course,” she responded automatically.
“Then don’t question me again. Give me your full trust,” he insisted, “because these methods are going to seem very strange to you, but it works. It’s tradition, in fact. I went through these same procedures when I was small, but we’re going to have to speed up the process a bit. All you have to do is trust me.”
Then the gryphon turned and started running towards his unknown destination once more.
When they finally arrived, Fluttershy collapsed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ran so fast for that long. Her lungs were on fire, and the thick moisture in the air was only making it worse. It was like... a sauna?
In fact, she was not far off in her guess. Looking around, Fluttershy saw steam hanging in the air, sometimes condensing on the thick stone tiles. In the center of the room was yet another pool, but this one seemed different. Upon closer inspection, the water was a deep brown, bubbling slowly throughout its shiny surface.
“Where are we?” she gasped.
“This is the first of the Trials,” Cleon began. “This is the reason I was so excited. You see, things could be a lot worse. Your friend would’ve lost her magic no ma—”
“She what!?”
Cleon sighed impatiently, his left talon scraping lightly at the ground. “Yes. Magical ability is dependant on your state of mind. If you can’t keep yourself calm then all the energy in the world won’t help you. Your aura literally shatters. She’s lucky she’s coping this well, although, from your stories it sounds like she has a mild resistance to this effect. Rather curious that she’s experiencing this only now.”
“You mean this is my fault?” sobbed Fluttershy.
Cleon padded over and sat next to her. His wing extended and draped over her back. He stared, trying to find eyes in the swimming sea of pink mane. “This is not your fault,” he stated. “She knew the risks when she used that magic, and if she didn’t then she obviously isn’t the ‘wise student’ that you make her out to be. Blood Magic is dangerous. She knew that.”
Fluttershy buried her head in the dark brown feathers, staining them with tears. “But if I hadn’t left—”
“But nothing. You left because you had to, and they’re safer for it. You said that yourself, but let me ask you this: are you sure it’s as bad as you thought?”
Cleon rose from his position, leaving a flabbergasted Fluttershy behind him. He walked into the pool, but when his first talon touched the muddy waters, the liquid suddenly hardened in a small circle around it. He continued until he stood over the center.
“Do you see this?” he asked. “The reason I can stand here is because I accept the world around me. I don’t question how I’m standing on liquid, I merely do it. If you can stand here with me, and tell me that you are absolutely certain this ‘Beast’ of yours poses a danger to your friends, then I will help. Until then, I’ll be in my quarters.”
“But you promised... How could you ask me that?”
As Cleon walked past her, he whispered, “I can’t help you learn this, but if I could do it, then so can you.”
The door slammed as he left the room, the echo bouncing throughout only to be drowned out by the bubbling and sobs. Angel crawled out of his wing-crib and carefully stroked his companion’s mane as she cried.
After what felt like an eternity, Fluttershy began to regain some semblance of consciousness. The first thing she noticed was Angel. The little white furball was still stroking through her long mane. He was even trying to hum her lullaby back to her. She never would have had the heart to tell him, but he was horribly off key.
The next thing she noticed was less than comfortable. There was sand congealed throughout her fur, making an unbearable itch. It must have been from the mud pool, but she couldn’t remember coming into contact with it.
She tried standing up, but her legs didn’t have the strength to support her. As she slid down, her hoof brushed the mud. Unlike for Cleon, however, it did not solidify. Instead it felt rather soothing. The heat soaked through her skin in a way that only one thing had ever done. That was so long ago...
“Mommy, can I have some more?” asked Fluttershy.
“Sorry, hun, but we’re all out of dumplings,” replied Empty Sound, gesturing towards the empty soup-pot. A hint of her southern drawl had leaked back into her voice.
“But it’s so good!” whined the filly. “Can’t you get s’more?”
“Well, somepony’s gotta watch you. Do you want me to call Trace, or should I take you to Granny’s?”
“Will she have the chocolate!?” squealed Fluttershy, her face lighting up in joy.
“Of course! Look outside,” said her mother, pointing through the window. Gentle snowflakes were falling from the sky, casting a white glow to contrast the gloomy winter shade. “It is toffy making weather. You know,” she continued, leaning in close, “I bet if we hurry, she might make some while you’re there.”
“Let’s go!”
Fluttershy recoiled at the memory, gasping at how vivid it was. She tried to slam her eyes shut, but the memories kept flooding in.
“That food was delicious,” signed Fluttershy.
Her mother laughed. “You’re getting better, but be more careful; you’re confusing ‘food’ with ‘word’. It’s only one hoof for food, remember?”
“How do you remember all of these, Momma?”
“It’s my special talent,” she replied, gesturing toward her flank. “Who knows, maybe it’ll be yours too.”
Fluttershy shook her head. They just kept coming. How could I have felt so safe with that Beast?
“Momma, will you read to me?”
“Of course! Do you want me to start over, or keep going?”
“Keep going! I wanna hear more about Yuna!”
“Okay, okay. Settle down.” Empty Sound picked up the old book, flipping through the pages. Eventually, she settled on a spot a little over halfway through.
“The Chamber was glowing with the faint light of pyreflies, with the Fayth casting a bluish tint to the world around them. As Yuna prayed, a translucent, ghostly pony rose from the ornately carved floor.
“The purple unicorn stood up, revealing a golden wheel on her flank. She staggered slightly, as if just awakening. Her eyes were hollow and black, far too old for her filly body. They spoke of lives lost, lies told, and lifetimes lived, and yet they burned on through the ages.
“Then the Summoner stopped her prayers and walked towards the apparition, but the filly refused to acknowledge her. Instead, it floated over to Tidus. It spoke with a beautiful, terrible voice. It was wise, yet hollow at the same time.
“It said, ‘We’re so tired. Let us stop dreaming.’
Then Fluttershy realized the irony of her mother’s “name”. She was an animal caretaker, so what business did she have in fearing beasts? Capital letters or not, an animal is an animal, and that will never change.
Cleon was right, but now she had to prove it.
The mare rose, fighting against her legs’ incessant complaints. She took one tentative step after another, until she finally stood in the center of the pool. There she collapsed, feeling the earth conform to her shape. It felt like a cloud.