Chapter 5: Familiar Face
The ponies of Equestria are faced with a difficult trial.
Their enemies are heading for their capital city.
Will they defend or lose it?
In this desperate moment, they gather their courage…
Chapter 5
Familiar Face
June 15th, 2021
2100 hrs
Canterlot, Royal Castle
Thanks to swift intervention by the pegasus squadrons, Ponyville had been evacuated safely, with nearly 80% of its citizens leaving for Canterlot to reinforce its defenses. Those who stayed behind tried to help the ground forces in organizing a safe route to the capital. Later, they decided to head for other nearby resistance points in an attempt to hold the Exile forces back. Within the next few hours, news of Ponyville being captured spread. Unconfirmed reports from Trottingham and Manehattan mentioned two other dragons appearing alongside the Exiles and helping them in dealing crippling blows against EAF soldiers defending the cities. They were also partially evacuated, but not everypony managed to reach Canterlot. Relentless pursuits conducted by the Exiles led to nearly one hundred casualties. With the dragons now aiding the Exiles, the whole conflict took a dramatic turn for the worse. Morale of EAF troops kept falling with every passing hour, as news of Trottingham and Manehattan being overrun by the Exiles reached the capital. Many were wondering if the same fate will not befall Canterlot…
As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna listened to various reports from operators, it became clear they were growing more anxious, Celestia in particular. She kept walking back and forth, while Luna observed her in grim silence. Not even the Princess of the Night could guess what thoughts swarmed in her sister’s head.
Gale was just about to complete the report based on the data he acquired.
“So far, we lost about 10% of our ground forces, mostly earth ponies. The pegasus squadrons are still strong in numbers, but their assistance may not be enough against the Exiles’ firepower. Not to mention the dragons…”
Princess Celestia acknowledged the report with a nod. Luna decided to break the silence.
“What is on your mind, Sister?”
“I’m trying to understand everything that happened so far…” Celestia said slowly. “The dragons don’t have a significant reason to be in conflict with us. Drakonia and Equestria are on friendly affinities. So why are they siding with Aurora?”
“I do not know either, Sister,” Luna replied. “Something must have happened for them to change their mind…”
“And that is what worries me…”
Suddenly, a series of beeping noises sounded.
“Princess Celestia!” Gale reported. “We are receiving incoming transmission… from an unknown source. It may be the same as before…!”
Celestia knew who it was.
“Patch it to the main monitor.”
The crimson pegasus did as he was told. When the monitor turned on, Aurora’s face appeared on it, her eyes resting on Princess Celestia. There also seemed to be a dark shadow hiding behind her…
“Your soldiers are brave, I give them that. But they seem to have reached their limits.”
“What do you want, Aurora?” Celestia asked.
“Do I sense nervousness in your voice, Princess?” Aurora mocked her. “Do not worry. By tomorrow, this conflict will be over.”
She let out a mild chuckle before continuing. The two Royal Sisters looked quite upset.
“I assume you have already seen what my allies are capable of doing. What do you think? Their power is incredible, no?”
Before Princess Celestia could answer that question, Aurora spoke again.
“Oh, I know. You must be wondering how I managed to convince them to join us, am I right?”
Seeing the sun princess’ eyelids jerk, the blue alicorn let out another chuckle.
“Just as I thought… Well, perhaps it will be best if you’d hear it from them…”
Aurora stepped aside, allowing the shadowy being remaining quietly behind her to move its face forward: a black, scaly face, with a pair of flaring, orange eyes and a couple of fangs extending from its mouth. The massive creature’s entire body could not be seen, due to shadows, but it seemed to be enormous. Its face stared at the Royal Sisters, letting out a series of growls.
“Princess Celestia…”
“Aigaion, the Dragon King…” Celestia responded.
“Ah, you do remember me. I am touched,” the huge black dragon remarked. “How long has it been since the last we saw each other?”
“Not nearly long enough,” Celestia answered. “Tell me, Aigaion… why? Why are your dragons aiding Aurora and her Exiles?”
The black dragon growled mildly.
“Why? Simple. Because it serves our purpose. We happen to have a common goal. Much like Lady Aurora, we, too, want to earn back what once belonged to us.”
When the Royal Sisters exchanged glances, Aigaion carried on.
“That’s right. The hoards of gems stored in the undergrounds of Equestria and in the entire land as well. As you know, the gems are a natural food and energy source for us. But once we left Equestria to create a new dominion in Drakonia, your ponies took them over. For centuries, you were using them for mere childish affairs, like decorating dresses or tiaras with them! A waste of time and resources!”
Luna listened to it with minor disbelief. She heard that Drakonia was a land also enriched with gems, and dragons could gather them easily. Could something have happened there? Maybe it had something to do with the disaster from several years back…?
“When Lady Aurora contacted me, I allowed her and her soldiers to carry on with their operations, despite the fact us, dragons, don’t think too kindly of ponies. But she promised to help us regain our source of gems, and thus…”
Celestia stepped forward.
“If the gems are the only reason you are aiding Aurora, King Aigaion, then your greed must have blinded you. You know that if you had contacted us, we could always give you the desired amount of gems. It could be done peacefully.”
“Peacefully…” the dragon growled.
Aurora appeared on the monitor once again.
“Ha! That’s just like you, Princess Celestia! Always turning to diplomacy when you find yourself at the losing end. Well, don’t bother. King Aigaion already knows who he can trust. We intend to carry our operation until the end.”
“Yes… and we shall,” Aigaion added.
“I will see you again, Celestia… when your kingdom will lie in ruins.”
The picture on the monitor had been replaced with static. Gale shut the monitor down. Princess Celestia looked at him and as the Wonderbolt operator saw her gaze, she gave a silent nod. He understood and left the room. Luna still stared at the monitor for a few moments.
“Her confidence is almost frightening… Is she planning to storm Canterlot head on?”
“That may be her plan,” said Celestia. “But she is not reckless. She planned everything…”
“What do you mean, Sister?”
Celestia looked at Luna. Her eyes reflected the worries in her mind.
“Think about it, Luna. Aurora is slowly revealing the assets of her army to us. If she wanted to, she could have easily burned Ponyville to the ground by letting the dragon do it, just like New Saddle. And she wouldn’t hesitate to kill ponies fighting to protect Equestria. Yet, she didn’t do any of that. Why do you think she decided to spare them?”
Luna thought for a few seconds before answering hesitantly:
“Because… she knows they weren’t a threat to her.”
“Precisely. Aurora doesn’t simply want to destroy us. She wants to show us her terrifying power…to show us how weak we are... to inject fear into the hearts of our ponies… and then destroy us.”
“Unbelieveable…” Luna whispered. “I can’t believe anypony could be this cruel…”
Celestia briefly closed her eyes as she walked up to the window. The numerous stars on the sky seemed to be fading, even though the night had only just begun.
“Years spent in exile and those gruesome experiments she conducted completely warped Aurora’s mind. Nothing remains of the curious, young filly that I used to know. All she wants now is to lay her vengeance upon me…”
Luna approached her, putting her right wing on Celestia’s back.
“What can we do, Sister? The oath we have given long ago prevents us from directly participating in the war, unless we will be challenged… Though our options are limited, maybe now is a good time to let our allies know what is happening. I’m sure they would aid us…”
“I know what you’re thinking, Luna, but… I’m afraid the griffins are unable to help us at the time. They are still recovering themselves from the aftermath of Neue Gryphus Rebellion. We’ve been there, remember?”
The younger alicorn conjured up the images she saw in the griffin capital shortly after the conflict erupted. Their northern neighbors were faced with a dangerous and combative force of both ponies and griffins, who attempted to establish a new military rule in Neue Gryphus, in fashion of the old Principality of Belka. The conflict became even bloodier than The Equestrian War and left scars on many griffins…
Naturally, the Royal Sisters went ahead to notify their allies of their difficult situation, but all they received was a promise of assistance in “near future.”
“Valdar told me that as soon as his kingdom will re-establish order, he will aid us in any way possible,” said Celestia. “But for now, we are alone.”
“Not so. There is another ally that we have,” Luna recalled.
Princess Celestia went silent for a moment before she said:
“Indeed. Maybe, if the situation becomes too dangerous, we may have no other choice… I should go ahead and inform them of the possibility. Luna, stay here and guard the night.”
“I will, Sister.”
==========
MEANWHILE
Briefing Room
Rainbow Dash, alongside her friends, the Wonderbolts and the leaders of various pegasus squadrons were waiting. Gale informed them through the communicators that he wanted to arrange an important meeting. They guessed it would most likely be about strategy to defend Canterlot from the upcoming enemy army.
As the ponies were discussing different possibilities, Lightning Bolt looked around and noticed some linearts and sketches that drew her attention.
“I’ve seen this kind of construction before…” she said to herself, examining a picture of something that resembled a tower with a long turret.
“I wonder if…”
Her thoughts were interrupted, however. The door to the room opened, and Gale came inside. All pegasi turned their sights to him.
“Thanks for waiting and sorry for being so late,” the operator said. “Let me brief you on the situation.”
Gale pressed a couple of buttons, and a large monitor turned on. It displayed a digitized map of Equestria, presented in two colors: blue and red. The red parts of the map covered most of it, especially southern regions. while blue was mostly present around Canterlot and in several smaller locations. Rainbow Dash knew what it meant. The EAF situation kept getting worse. Gale begun:
“To put it mildly, things aren’t going well. The Exiles are far more dangerous than we initially expected. In approximately last three hours, they have managed to completely break through the Central Front, claiming both Trottingham and Manehattan. Though the latter is still offering pockets of resistance, it’s unlikely they are going to last long. We have no ways of helping ponies in captured areas…”
He pointed to some red-colored regions, those around the aforementioned cities.
“They pushed us back to Canterlot, and they are going straight for it. According to our predictions, they will most likely reach the city by tomorrow. It’s hard to believe the situation turned so bad within just 10 days… Still, we can’t even think about giving up. We must do our best to protect the city.”
The Wonderbolt operator paused for a moment, trying to catch a breath.
“There’s another thing, though… As you know, the Exiles have the support of dragons. If they will decide to combine their forces and attack us together, we could get overrun. At the moment, we have no viable weapon or strategy against the dragons, nothing that could be effective against them…”
As he spoke, the display on the screen changed to show something resembling Canterlot being fortified with what looked like the same turrets Lightning Bolt saw earlier.
Medley suddenly rose her right hoof, wanting to ask a question.
“Um, sir?”
“Yes, Kid?”
“Do we really have no way of defending against the dragons? What about those weird turrets?” she pointed to the screen.
Gale glanced behind him and quickly understood what she was talking about. He sighed.
“To tell the truth, there is one option, but… Well, I guess you should know about it.”
He changed the display on the monitor again.
“Do these look familiar to you?”
Lightning Bolt gasped. She was right. She did see those kinds of turrets before. And she knew what those long barrels could do.
“Those are…!”
“That’s right, Thunder. Laser turrets. I’m sure many of you still remember the griffin superweapon known as ‘The Burning Talon’ that our neighbors used against us during The Equestrian War.”
Tornado Swirl shivered a bit.
“Don’t remind me. I still have nightmares over that thing and those lasers firing every which way.”
“Well, Burner 1, you’ll be glad to know that, since the griffins are our allies again, we won’t have to worry about them again. In fact, they actually decided to share their laser technology with us, as part of our agreement on permanent alliance. Thanks to that, we might just be able to create something similar to ‘The Burning Talon’ in order to fortify Canterlot.”
“You’re kidding!” Firefly exclaimed.
Gale looked at her seriously, as he changed the display once more. This time, it showed a computer-generated image of Canterlot being protected by eight large cannons, which were powered up by energy generators, as the outline of the picture showed.
“I assure you, this is no joke, Flash. What you see now is the complete version of our own project, codenamed ‘Atmos.’ Unfortunately, at the moment, it is only 40% complete, and only one cannon can be fully operational. The other seven are in various states of construction. It would take at least five more months for our engineers, if not more, to fully complete ‘The Atmos Ring’… but as you can see, time is not on our side. We weren’t expecting the invasion to progress that fast.”
A brief discussion broke among the leaders. While having their capital fortified could give them the edge, one cannon would not prevent the dragons from breaching the city, and that was one of worst-case scenarios that Gale beared in mind.
“Even a laser cannon will not protect Canterlot from the upcoming attack,” Flare Star spoke. “I guess it will be up to us again…”
“You’re right about that, Flare Star,” Gale confirmed. “The pegasi will have to use their numbers and mobility in an attempt to overpower a dragon, or at least distract it long enough to get a bead on him with the cannon. I’m afraid there is no other way.”
The ponies looked at each other, pondering on the plausibility of that suggestion. They could do it, but taking down a dragon would most likely require some sacrifices…
“One more thing,” Gale spoke again. “Since we will be needing every pair of wings available to defend Canterlot, I’d like to introduce you all to a new squadron that has been formed a couple of hours ago. Its members have already received necessary combat training and are ready to take on the enemy.”
Some curious whispers could be heard in the room. Gale reached for his communicator.
“You may go in now.”
Five more pegasus ponies entered. The first one, a purple mare, had dark blue mane, jade eyes and wore a pair of green rings on her right hind leg… Fluttershy gasped.
“Is that…? It can’t be…!”
As the pegasi lined up in front of other squadron leaders, as well as the Wonderbolts and Mirage team, Gale said:
“These five ponies will be known as Cygnus squadron. Blackberry, step forward!”
The purple mare with blue mane saluted before the operator.
“Sir!”
“Your call sign is now Cygnus 1. You are the one responsible for these four pegasi. I expect you and your team to do your best.”
“Yes, sir! We swear our loyalty to the Royal Sisters and Equestria! We will not fail!”
Her voice was filled with determination. Gale noded with a smile on his face.
“I know you won’t.”
He glimpsed at the clock hanging on the wall. It was getting late.
“It’s almost 10 PM… Alright, everypony, listen up. We will conduct a briefing tomorrow morning. You have one more hour until rest time. You need to be in top condition. Cygnus 1, try to get yourself acquainted with the other team leaders. I will see you tomorrow at 8 AM. That is all.”
Moments later, Gale, along the other Wonderbolts, left the room. Before then, Spitfire shook Blackberry’s hoof, congratulating her for becoming a squadron leader. For a moment, she looked surprised, then her face lightened with a grin.
“A new squadron, huh?” Rainbow Dash murmured. “Wonder what their speciality is…”
“Um… Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked her.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Their leader…. Doesn’t she look familiar to you?”
Rainbow briefly examined her with her eyes, but only shrugged.
“Maybe…”
“I’ll go talk to her,” Fluttershy decided.
Many questions were pouring through her mind. Could it really be her? Or…?
-----------------
Blackberry and her teammates were warmly welcomed by other pegasi leaders. There was something in that mare that gave them a positive vibe about her. Quick Chaser engaged her in a conversation.
“There’s never enough fliers here, it seems. Stick around us, and we’ll make it through. Say, how does it feel to be a squadron leader, Blackberry?”
“Actually…”
Before she could answer, Thunder Flicker approached the two and dragged Quick Chaser to the side.
“Hey, buddy. Are you coming on to her already?”
“And if I am?” Quick Chaser replied.
“I suggest you leave that attitude for mission’s aftermath. We don’t want her to feel uncomfortable, now, do we?” the tall pegasus told him before turning his attention to Blackberry.
“Sorry about that, he’s a little… outgoing, heh. Name’s Thunder Flicker, Lancer 1. This here’s Quick Chaser, Sweeper 1. Nice to meet you, missy. ”
Blackberry nodded and showed them another smile, welcoming their friendly approach.
“Likewise.”
She then heard another voice from behind.
“Um, excuse me…”
Upon turning around, she saw a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. Blackberry gasped.
“Oh, you must be Fluttershy, correct? One of the Angels of Equestria,” the purple pony glimpsed behind her to see another six pegasi. “And those must be your friends. I’m glad to finally see you in person.”
“You… know me?” Fluttershy asked in surprise.
“Of course I do! I’ve heard so much about you and your team. They say you girls are some of the best fliers, right next to the Wonderbolts. I’ll be honored to fight alongside you!”
As she and Fluttershy shook hooves, the yellow pegasus blushed, having heard so much praise.
“Oh my… well, the pleasure is ours.”
One of the pegasi from Cygnus squadron asked Blackberry if they could leave for their quarters, as they were feeling a little tired. She did not oppose. Seeing it as an opportunity, Fluttershy spoke again.
“Um… can I ask you a question?”
“Sure. You can ask me anything,” Blackberry replied.
“Did you… happen to know a pegasus mare named… Blueberry?”
It all seemed to happen very fast. In a matter of seconds, Blackberry’s face did not showed any signs of happiness or excitement anymore. Her expression became glum and saddened. She lowered her sight and turned away.
“Yes, I did… But I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I-I’m sorry… It’s just that… you bear striking resemblance to her.” Fluttershy stammered. “And… those rings you’re wearing…”
Blackberry briefly looked behind her.
“Yes, they belonged to her, but… No, I don’t feel like talking about it. Can we change the topic, please?”
“I’m sorry…”
Fluttershy backed away. Seeing the situation growing awkward, Thunder Flicker took point again, trying to start a different conversation.
“Then let me ask you this, Blackberry — where exactly are ya from? I haven’t seen you around until now.”
“I come from Baltimare,” she replied. Her voice wasn’t as glum now. “I was stationed there as a member of another squadron. We were told to defend the city from a possible attack, but when the Central Front was breached, the orders were changed. We’ve been told to fly to Canterlot and help reinforce its defenses.”
Thunder Flicker frowned a little.
“I see… Any field experience?”
“Not really…”
“So this is your first…”
Blackberry lifted her head up now, speaking much more boldly.
“Actually, during the previous war, I was supposed to be stationed in Cloudsdale. But, for some reason, me and several other pegasi were relocated to Fillydelphia at the last moment. Another squadron was sent in our place. Since Fillydelphia was later cut off from the rest of Equestria, we had no means of helping our allies…”
Though her explanation seemed a bit vague, Quick Chaser believed it.
“I wonder what kind of blockhead at the top brass could issue an order like that.”
“I can only guess…” Blackberry shook her head.
Thunder Flicker came closer to her.
“So, you didn’t get a chance to bust any griffin skulls, but hey, no worries! At least you’ll get to whoop some Exile flanks. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
“Yeah, we’ll be covering for ya, if you need,” Quick Chaser added.
Blackberry, seeing the support the two offered her, finally smiled.
“I’ll be grateful for your assistance.”
She looked at the clock, which now showed fifteen minutes past 10 PM.
“If you will excuse me, I need to meet with my squad mates. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Blackberry left the room without waiting for response. Quick Chaser and Thunder Flicker looked into each other.
“So, what do ya think of her?” the tall pegasus asked.
“I hope she can fight at least half as well as she looks. She’s a cutie,” Quick Chaser answered.
“Word. All right, buddy. Let’s go for a cold one before hitting the hay. What do you say?”
Quick Chaser grinned, and the two pegasi left the room as well. While every other flight leader had similar plans, Firefly thought of something else.
“Since we still have some time, how ‘bout we’ll do one more training session before going to sleep?
“I’m fine with that,” Rainbow Dash replied. “How about you, Fluttershy? “
There was no response. Rainbow looked around and noticed that her friend was gone.
“Fluttershy? Where did she go…?”
-----------------
2225 hrs
Outside Canterlot Castle
Not wanting to get her friends involved, Fluttershy went outside. Her mind still felt like a messy blur. After a few minutes, she noticed Blackberry leaving the castle gates and preparing to fly somewhere. Fluttershy watched her while being hidden in a nearby bush.
“I shouldn’t be doing this… But I have to make sure,” she said to herself, as she slowly flew after Blackberry.
The full moon, shining down on her, made her feel very uneasy, being the only real light in the darkness. Small lamps did lighten the path up, but just barely. After a few minutes of flight, Blackberry stopped before the entrance to the Garden of the Fallen. Fluttershy peeked from behind the tree, waiting for her to enter inside the hedge maze. Blackberry looked around before doing so. Fluttershy decided to follow her in, remaining out of sight.
The purple pegasus stopped a couple of minutes later before a grave belonging to Blueberry. Fluttershy saw everything, hiding behind a different tree and hoping she wasn’t spotted. Blackberry looked around some more before letting out a sigh and reaching into a bag she had with her.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, sister. Here… I brought something for you.”
Fluttershy noticed that she pulled out some flowers out of the bag and laid them on the grave. It was difficult for her to tell their color in the dark. She remained hidden behind the tree and carried on listening.
“Forget-me-nots… your favorites…” Blackberry whispered, smiling dimly.
She didn’t say a word for a moment. but when she spoke, she sounded very casual, like she was actually talking to another living pony.
“Tomorrow is going to be my first real battle. I’ve been waiting so long for this chance… I even have a squadron to command, just like you did. I wonder if I can do this… I won't lie, the pressure is enormous. We were given a duty to defend Canterlot along with the others. If we lose… No, I don’t even want to think we will lose. We have all kinds of great soldiers on our side. The enemy is strong, but we will manage.”
Fluttershy listened to those words and wondered why Blackberry was talking to the grave, even though she knew she would get no answer. Yet, the longer she listened, the more she understood. Things started making sense for her...
“On the bright side,” Blackberry resumed talking, “the other pegasi seem to have taken a liking to me. And… I even met Fluttershy. Yes, the one from Mirage squadron. She was the one you wrote to me about in your last letter, right? I guess you were correct… if anypony deserves to be called an angel, it’s definitely her.”
Her voice volume dropped down a bit.
“She is beautiful… and really kind. She even asked me about you. I know you used to be friends with her. She helped you in becoming braver. I wonder if I can be friends with her, too…”
Hearing those words touched Fluttershy deep. As the light of the moon shined down on the ground, it lightened Blackberry's face up. Fluttershy peeked from behind the tree again to look at her. The yellow pony didn’t even felt tears forming in her eyes and dripping to the ground. Blackberry seemed deeply sad. Despite the fact that her sister died over two years ago, she still looked very hurt. Fluttershy felt great pity for her. She tried to keep her lips from quivering or sobbing by holding a hoof to her mouth. Blackberry carried on talking to the grave.
“In any case, I can’t allow myself to die just yet. There is still so much for me to do… I have duties to uphold. And… don’t worry, l haven’t forgotten the promise I gave you two years ago. You will be avenged, sister. I will see to it.”
The mare lowered her sight, closing her eyes for a while. Fluttershy could barely resist the urge to walk up to her and give her a comforting hug, or at least, soothe her pain in any other way. It was obvious she had great difficulties coming into terms with Blueberry’s death. Fluttershy managed to suppress the need, but could not stop shedding tears.
Blackberry looked up into the night sky. Seeing the shimmering stars brought another sad smile on her face.
“It’s getting very late… I should be going back to the base. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but… please, watch over me, sister. I will make it back. I will see you again. Good night, Blueberry… sweet dreams.”
Seconds later, the purple pegasus spread her wings and flew back to the castle area. Fluttershy went out of hiding, but couldn’t bring herself to follow her. She tried walking up to the grave herself. Yet for some reason, her legs felt unbelievably heavy. Fluttershy sat on the cold ground, her entire body shaking. She was still commoved after witnessing Blackberry’s secret confessions. No one would probably guess what great sadness she was hiding under her determination.
Fluttershy’s doubts were now clear, but she wasn’t sure how she could speak with Blueberry’s sister now. Only a whimpering escaped her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Oh… goodness…”
==========
2245 hrs
Canterlot, Mirage squadron’s base
Firefly and Rainbow Dash conducted a half-hour training session with the others. They remembered all of their old maneuvers while attempting to try something new. Rainbow and Medley tried something they called “double fake” — a maneuver involving two fliers flying in a confusing pattern to catch opponent off-guard and deliver a powerful attack together when the foe would least expect it. However, when they decided to test it for real, Firefly anticipated their action and easily knocked Medley to the floor.
Still feeling the pain from impact, the green pegasus limped back to her bed, moaning slightly.
“Ow… some training that was. I feel my whole back aching…”
“Sorry, Kid, but you need to be less predictable,” said Firefly. “I’m sure you’ll feel better when you’ll go to sleep.”
“Still, that maneuver seemed to be useful. Too bad we didn’t had enough room so we could all try it out,” Lightning Bolt interjected.
Rainbow Dash didn’t participate in the discussion. She kept walking back and forth, looking a bit frustrated. Firefly saw it.
“What’s up, Rainbow? Something’s bothering you?” she asked.
“Where the hay is Fluttershy? Why did she wander off like that without telling us?” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Relax. Maybe she just wanted some time for herself. You know how she’s like…”
A sound of doors opening interrupted her. Fluttershy slowly came inside.
“See? There she is,” said Firefly.
Rainbow approached her friend with a stern look on her face.
“Fluttershy, where have you been? I was just about to go look for you.”
“I-I’m… sorry…”
The yellow pegasus appeared emotionally shaken. Rainbow noticed Fluttershy was looking away from her, just like once before…
“Hey, are you alright? Is something wrong?”
“No…” Fluttershy replied with a whisper. “I’m… I’m just tired, that’s all. Maybe stress is getting to me, too…”
Medley gave out another pained groan. Fluttershy walked up to her.
“Are you hurt, Medley?”
“Ah… It’s nothing serious, just my back’s aching. Had a hard landing on a training session. Could you help me with it, please?”
“Sure. Just relax… the pain will go away before you’ll know it.”
Once the green pegasus lied down on her belly, Fluttershy started pressing her front hooves onto her back. Medley felt relaxed. Rainbow and the others clearly saw that Fluttershy’s expression had been a little glum, but Dash didn’t ask her what happened. The blue pegasus approached her friend and said:
“Well, I won’t be lecturing you or anything, but next time, you should tell us where you go before leaving. Remember, we’re a team, and we need to be working together.”
“I know… I’m sorry, Rainbow,” said Fluttershy.
“It’s OK. Nothing really bad happened, right? There’s no need to be sorry. We’re all tired after all we’ve been through. Let’s just go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow. Feeling better, Kid?”
Medley nodded enthusiastically with a grin.
“Yep, my back doesn’t hurt at all, now. Thanks, Fluttershy, you’re the best.”
The yellow pegasus responded with a warm smile. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that all lights went off, and the seven pegasus ponies went to sleep. Or so it would seem…
Fluttershy had a really hard time sleeping. She kept rolling in her bed.
“No… No… I won’t… let you… Get away…!”
The yellow pegasus opened her eyes wide and sprung up, breathing quickly. Those horrifying images… the face of Night Raven, a vicious griffon soldier… the feeling of air escaping her… Fluttershy looked through the window. The full moon was still shining bright. She felt some inner turmoil and tried to quietly leave the room.
What she didn’t know was that Cloud Kicker kept observing her the whole time, while only pretending to be asleep. It’s been two hours since rest time has begun. She knew that something was tormenting Fluttershy. She followed her outside the room and found her crying by the window. Hearing hoofsteps, Fluttershy quickly wiped her eyes as Cloud Kicker approached her.
“Hey, Fluttershy… Are you sure everything is fine?” she asked.
“Of course it is. Why shouldn’t it be?” the yellow mare responded.
Instead of answering directly, Cloud Kicker gently touched Fluttershy’s face with her right hoof. She felt her skin being dry, more than usual. More, her green eyes looked very bleary and red, like she was rubbing them firmly.
“Because… you had tears on your cheeks. Why were you crying, Fluttershy?” Cloud Kicker asked her again. “What’s wrong? You don’t have to hide anything from us.”
Fluttershy lowered her sight, but didn’t say a word. Yet, she felt that she shouldn’t be keeping it a secret before Cloud Kicker. If anypony could help her, it was her.
“I feel guilty… I was following Blackberry,” Fluttershy confessed.
“You were what?!” Cloud Kicker squeaked.
“Shhh… keep your voice down,” Fluttershy whispered, fearing that noise may wake others up.
“Sorry… Why did you do that?” the purple pegasus asked.
Fluttershy lowered her sight, looking at the floor. She didn’t answer for a moment.
“It’s not like I meant to… I felt a little sick and wanted to get some fresh air outside. Then, I saw Blackberry leaving the castle. She headed for the Garden of the Fallen… she had been at Blueberry’s grave. I think they were sisters…”
Cloud Kicker scratched her mane. She remembered a shy, blue-maned pegasus mare which she met during The Equestrian War.
“Well, now that you mention it… she did looked familiar. But Blackberry seems to be much braver than Blueberry was.”
Fluttershy shook her head.
“It’s only for show. Blackberry seems tough, but I think she is struggling with her inner problems that she doesn’t want to bring up before others. She probably never got over Blueberry’s death. I heard her talking to the gravestone… as if she was speaking to Blueberry in person. … It pained me to see her like this. I wish there was some way to help her…”
“I’m sure there is,” Cloud Kicker replied. “Maybe if you’d offer her some warmth and friendship, she might just trust you.”
Fluttershy looked a little uncertain, but knew that Cloud Kicker would never tell a bad advice about gaining friends. She made up her mind.
“I was a bit lost at first, but now… If I can, I will keep my eyes on Blackberry. I don’t want her to die. Hopefully, she will end up being my friend, just like Blueberry did…”
Cloud Kicker smiled and wrapped her arm around Fluttershy’s neck.
“Things are gonna be fine. Just keep it together.”
Fluttershy returned the smile, and the two mares returned back to the quarters to finally get some rest. As Fluttershy drifted to sleep, nightmares no longer plagued her through the night. She knew that, as long as she had the support of her friends, she could face any challenge and overcome it. The yellow pegasus hoped the same could be done about Blackberry… and that she would eventually overcome her problems as well.
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An echo from the past, it seems. Poor Blackberry...
And I doubt the dragons' motivations are as simple as gems--something else is afoot, I know it.
And who could those "other" allies be...?
So may questions...
Other allies eh ?
Let's see... we have changelings and breezies as candidates... and Discord.
Maybe seaponies if they exist.
Called it, the other allies must be the Crystal Empire. Double called it, you will use Ace Combat X's soundtrack "Atmos Ring" in the future.
Neue Gryphus Rebellion? I see what you wrote there...
Valsion, if you decided to kill Blackberry, I'll be VERY upset.
I wonder if Basil (the dragon from Dragonshy) will participate in this war. If he does, will he remember Fluttershy's kindness?
Don't get your hopes up, Cloud Kicker...
4078918
I hate to break it to you, but this story occurs before the end of season 3 and excludes the last four episodes of it. Changelings are unable to do anything, the Breezies are in their home world and Discord is... well... stoned.
4081701
Yep I know , but since it occurs before the event of these episodes , you could basically do anything as you are dictating what is "canon" in this universe. Hell , you could even load Discord in a badass anti-air canon as ammo and call it his redemption.
I would name this weapon Stonehedge , because it launch giant blocks of rock.
I'm truly impressed by the drama and suspense of this chapter. :)
4277725 Ah, I get it--given the sheer chaos going on, the Equestrians/Allies wouldn't be in the best position to go on a prisoner snatch--especially since they were on the defensive, right?