The Blank Flank Adventurer

by Sapare

Still Afraid

Dream Feather yelped as pain shot through his ruined wing, returning him to consciousness. Slowly and carefully getting up from the ground, he found a tree to lean on while he gathered his thoughts. He was filled with guilt and shame as he recalled everything he'd done at the behest of that vile unicorn. Somehow, despite the frustration overwhelming him, his mind felt clearer than it had in days. It seemed so obvious now that he never should have aided that villain, no matter what threat was used against him.

What was I thinking, 'playing along in hopes of gettting him to let down his guard?' I should have known that would never work!

Observing the forest around him, Dream Feather felt an odd sense of detachment. The Everfree was as terrifying as ever, but after so long spent wandering through it, it was hard for him to get worked up over the dangers it posed.

I cannot believe my luck, or my lack thereof. Most ponies never even set hoof in these woods and here I am, lost deep within it for the second time in less than a week! How long have I been in here? It feels like I have not eaten in days! I wonder if any of these plants are safe for ponies... What am I thinking? Who knows what horrible things might be growing here! And I have more important things to be worried about anyway. Almost all of the Elements of Harmony have been captured. Which is mostly my fault... And I no longer have Rainbow Dash to help me. Which is also my fault... I have to fix this! And if I die trying, well at least I'll be free from all this...

A sliver of a memory wormed its way into his mind. He could barely remember anything from that horrible nightmare he experienced his first night in Ponyville, but somehow the questions he was asked seemed clear as day. He shuddered as he pondered his answer and how close he had come to proving himself wrong. He had been faced with death and had chosen his own survival over the well being of others. And he didn't even exactly survive completely intact anyway. Looking over his own wing to the best of his abilities he found it to be in bad shape, but nowhere near as bad as Rainbow Dash's wings had been. It would heal in time, but it definitely wasn't fit for flight at the moment.

Not like it matters anyway. Even if I could fly, I have no idea where I should go. He's not guiding me around like a pawn anymore and tracking his path in this place will be practically impossi... That's impossible!

Not far from Dream Feather's resting place lay a very clear set of hoofprints that wound their way through the dense foliage and off into the darkness of the forest.

This has to be some kind of trap. Even if Dash left these behind, he had to know about it. He would not miss something like that. But why would he even bother with me anymore? Why set a trap for me? Is there some reason he needs me out of the picture? Maybe there is some way that I can still stop him. I know following this trail is probably exactly what he wants, but wandering about aimlessly is not going to help anypony. I guess I just have to approach this head first and do what I can to mitigate the damage.

With his mind desperately searching for some skill he had or some knowledge he held, which might somehow make him a threat to a unicorn with powerful magic at his command, Dream Feather started trotting alongside the entirely too obvious trail. Tracking through the grim forest on his own was more than enough to remind him once again of the numerous dangers that lurked amongst the trees, and his mental self inspection was quickly sidetracked when he heard the distant howling of some beast. His earlier detachment from his surroundings was completely gone now. Dream Feather quickened his pace, all the while scanning the shadows around him for any sign of danger or movement.

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Is this supposed to be some kind of cruel joke? Why in Equestria would he want to lead me here?

The tracks had led Dream Feather to a chasm so deep that he could not see the bottom. He could, however, see the castle that lay on the other side of the chasm. Even from across the massive fissure, he could make out quite a bit of the ruined structure. It didn't take long for his mind to connect the ancient castle before him to legends he had read. According to a certain book that the six mares had recently made him reassess the veracity of, the Everfree Forest held the remains of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. The one that was used before Nightmare Moon's banishment. Unless his memory of the legend was in error, this was also the place that supposedly held the Elements of Harmony. Or, it had until Twilight and the others used the Elements to defeat Nightmare Moon and transform her back into Princess Luna. Well, that's what Spike told him had happened and he was inclined to believe the missing dragon. Thinking about the abducted baby dragon brought Dream Feather's mind back to the task of fixing his mistakes and somehow stopping the one responsible for it all. His next course of action seemed clear. Examining the side of the cliff, he could spot only one way across the perilous abyss separating him from the castle.

Why am I not surprised?

The old wooden bridge before him simply swayed disturbingly in the breeze.

Bad enough that this bridge looks like it should have been dismantled generations ago, but there is also a murderous unicorn lying in wait to spring some kind of trap. Though if this bridge is a trap, it probably is not meant for me. I cannot think of a single reason why he would even need to set up a trap to stop me... is that seriously the only thing I have on my side?

He stood there arguing with himself for a moment, before finally deciding to get it over with. Steeling his resolve, Dream Feather carefully began to test the stability of the bridge. After a few careful steps, he was assured enough to begin crossing the rickety construction of wood and rope. He tried his best to ignore the unsteady movements of the bridge, keeping his gaze on the castle. He was barely half way across when something suddenly moved past the corner of his vision. Startled, he took several quick steps backwards causing the bridge to shake unsettlingly beneath his hooves. Overtaken by the fear that whatever he'd seen moving would loose one of the ropes holding the bridge aloft, Dream Feather rushed forward as fast as he could, not caring how much the bridge shook as long as he reached the other side. His silent prayers were answered, as he ran onto the land safe and sound, the bridge still swinging back and forth wildly behind him.

But before Dream Feather could slow down from his frantic sprint, he tripped on something and tumbled forward roughly.. His head was still ringing from striking against the hard forest floor when a soft voice spoke up.

"Oh... it's you Dream Feather. I'm so sorry. I... I thought you were umm..."

The nervous pegasus continued to stumble over her own words as Dream Feather stood back up. His face lit up in relief and joy as he beheld the seemingly unharmed pony. His own words began to tumble out, unintentionally interrupting her quiet apologies.

"Fluttershy! You do not know how glad I am to see you! We have to find-"

His rushed explanation came to a halt when a sudden flash of light shone from the other side of the terrifying chasm. What he saw quickly drained the happiness from his features. Fluttershy caught on quickly and turned to examine area as well. The two of them stared at the scene for several seconds before Dream Feather recovered enough of his senses to duck into the nearby vegetation in an attempt to hide himself from view. Fluttershy followed him into his hiding place a moment later and they crouched down with bated breath as they watched the unicorn across the chasm calmly walking towards the precipice.

If I followed his tracks then how could be possibly be behind me? Does he know that I am here? Does he know that-

His mind froze in the middle of his thoughts as another pony came into view with a cry of pain. He recognized the voice immediately.

Rainbow Dash!

She wasn't moving towards the ledge of her own accord, instead she was being violently thrown forward by the glowing magic surrounding her form. She was yelling something at the fiendish pony, but Dream Feather found himself too far away to hear any of the words clearly. Even though he knew it was ill advised, his curiosity got the better of him and made him shift closer carefully in an attempt to better hear the conversation. His slow advance stopped when a loud snap echoed through the air. One of the ropes holding up the bridge had snapped, no doubt helped along to its demise by his earlier panic. The unpleasant sight of the bridge twisting and ripping free of one side of the chasm was accompanied by the rustle of plants as Fluttershy followed his lead and crept closer. Her presence at his side actually relieved some of his worries. No matter how scared or timid she seemed, she wasn't just going to abandon him or Rainbow Dash. This brief bright moment was quickly broken when Rainbow Dash once again thrust closer to the edge of the gorge.

"You think I'm scared of you? I've faced dragons and even Discord himself! I'm not gonna back down from a jerk like you. Go ahead, throw me down there already. I've had it with your games! "

Dream Feather could tell that she was in immense pain, her voice was laced with agony even though she did her best to remain stoic. For a moment there was silence, but when it became apparent that the nefarious pony did not intend to respond, Rainbow Dash lept towards him. She lashed out at the stallion, but he simply sidestepped her reckless assault. Before she could fall to the ground, his magic enveloped her and pushed her once more towards the grand chasm. The captive pegasus slid along until she was dangling half off the ledge, supported by only her front hooves. Seeing her hanging there, her back legs kicking about uselessly and her limp wings lacking the splints he had crafted, Dream Feather had to use all of his self control to stop himself from trying to jump to her rescue. He knew that attempting to do so would simply result is his own damaged wing collapsing under the strain.

This is insane! I can't just sit here and watch, but even if my wing was safe to fly with it would still be suicide to just rush in and hope that monster wouldn't try to stop me. He can't kill her. He would never kill her, right? Spike said... but then, what did Spike know? He had not met this creep back then. He did not know what this pony is capable of or what he is after.

Before he could ponder the grim thoughts further, he was distracted by the sound of movement beside him. Fluttershy was readying herself to take flight, she was ready to face her own fear to save her friend. It didn't take long for the sight to inspire a new line of thought for Dream Feather.

He has to know we're here, he lead me here after all. And this has to be a trap, he wouldn't just kill her after all this work. This is meant to be a spectacle. He wants us to see... No, he wants Fluttershy to see! He's not after me, why would he be? The whole point of this is to get to Fluttershy! Dash wouldn't want me to let Fluttershy get hurt. I can't abandon her to his schemes like I did with the others! Dash would want me to be loyal, no matter the cost.

Deciding that time of the essence, Dream Feather rushed to explain what he believed was happening to Fluttershy, but before he could utter a single word, a loud cry of suffering erupted from Rainbow Dash. Surprised, he turned and saw that she was still hanging onto the ledge, but the sickly glow of the unicorn's magic was now surrounding her wings.

"Oh dear Dashie, these wings don't feel right at all. Are you sure they are flight worthy? I guess we'll just have to find out, but don't worry. It won't be lonely where you're going, not for long anyway. Though I can't guarantee that you'll see Dream Feather again, he's just too much of a coward I'm afraid. I'll make sure to tell him goodbye for you."

Dream Feather's body was frozen in place, he had no desire to watch was what happening, but he could no longer turn his eyes away. The rush of wind and sound of flapping next to him made it obvious that Fluttershy wasn't as paralyzed as he was. Two simple words floated across the chasm and awoke him from his daze.

"Goodbye Dashie."

With these words echoing in his head, Dream Feather lept, not towards Rainbow Dash and certain death, but rather towards Fluttershy. She had just begun to lift into the air when his body slammed into her and sent both of them back to the ground, dangerously close to the edge of the chasm. He quickly recovered from the tumble and stood up, examining Fluttershy who was still shaking herself free from confusion and disorientation caused by the sudden tackle. He hadn't meant to hit her with such force, but before he could offer his apologies or help her to her hooves, he was distracted by the lack of a rainbow mane dangling from the side of the cliff. The true meaning of Rainbow Dash's disappearance was slowly burning into his mind when the villain's amused voice intruded upon his thoughts.

"Brilliant! Scared little Dream Feather, I had no idea you were capable of such a thing! I knew you were desperate, but to let poor Dashie fall to her death like that? And for what? Did you think that you could somehow earn my approval? You make me laugh. Such cowardice! But you have proven one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt: You aren't worth killing. Somehow, you end up helping me all the time anyway. So go home and take a rest, I'll be sure to visit you with some kind of reward when this is all over."

Dream Feather was barely able to process the words, his mind was too preoccupied with the fate of Rainbow Dash, his first real friend.

Where did she go? Did he really just let her fall? Did I? No... this isn't right! This can't be happening.

"Dash..."

For Dream Feather, uttering her name hurt him more than any of the fights he had been in since arriving in the Everfree Forest. He began to repeat her name softly to himself, but he didn't get far before he was interrupted by the anguish of the pony next to him. Fluttershy was not the sobbing, broken wreck he was expecting. She was crying, but her face was set in a hard, focused stare. The moment he gazed into those eyes, filled with rage and sadness, he found himself trapped. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he couldn't even breathe.

"Have you been working for that unicorn, the one that killed my friend!?"

The question forced his mind to shift restlessly, his mouth opened and words formed through no command of his own. He wasn't being mind controlled, it felt more like a burning guilt and shame had overtaken him. Why would he lie? It wouldn't change what he had done.

"Y-yes! I... I was!"

He could offer no explanation, no excuses. He couldn't even avert his gaze. He was forced to watch the emotional turmoil evident in those expressive eyes. She continued to stare at him, almost unmoving while her eyes displayed a raging tempest of anger, despair, and disappointment. He was suddenly all too aware of how close to the edge of the cliff he was standing.

"What about the rest of my friends? Where are they? What happened to them?"

It was easy for Dream Feather to see in her gaze the worry that overcame the rest of her emotions at that moment. Even in this situation, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the pegasus that currently held him captive. He knew what he had to say, knew that there was no room for lies, but he feared what the words would do to her. The horrid task was taken from him by the monster that he hated more than he'd ever hated anything before.

"Go on, tell her! Tell her about how you betrayed them! How you tricked them, sold them out and even viciously assaulted them! How you mercilessly rained blow after blow down upon them, even when they were already unconcious!"

The words struck deep into Dream Feather's heart and his legs grew weak. He fell to the ground, finally free from the force of Fluttershy's stare, but now held by the much less gentle grasp of his own regret. After a moment, he managed to collect himself enough to looked back at Fluttershy. She was frozen in place, her tears overflowing, but not making a single sound.

"I'm sorry! I am so very sorry. I have so much blood on my hooves already, I've done so many horrible things... But I didn't want to hurt anypony! I want everything to be like it was before! I just want this to be over!"

Dream Feather continued to sob uncontrollably, a torrent of imcomprehensible words escaping him. He cried until he felt like he hd no tears left. His incoherent mumblings slowly died down and the forest grew silent once more. Then he felt himself sliding along the ground.

His eyes shot open to reveal that he was being held in grasp of that vile pony's magic. He was dragged all the way over the edge of the cliff while he did his best to glare at the villain. He could barely make out the ghost of a smile upon the unicorn's face before the telekinetic field vanished. Dream Feather desperately stuck his hooves out, scrambling to find something to stop his descent. For once luck was on his side and he managed to pin a thin vine between his hooves.

Breathing heavily, the pegasus frantically tried to pull himself back up, but he was straining just to hold himself in place, ascent was impossible. His front legs simple weren't strong enough to lift his entire body on their own. His eyes darted about quickly, searching for something, anything at all that could help him. His gaze landed upon the distraught mare that was curled up on the ground silently sobbing.

"Fluttershy! I need your help! Please... Please help me! I-"

Dream Feather's pleas were interrupted when the vine he was clinging to snapped. He flailed about senselessly, his hooves digging into the hard ground jsut enough to slow his slipping. His sudden good luck held though, and his hoof caught on the tip of a rock. He looked again towards Fluttershy, knowing he didn't have long before his leg would fail him. His heart soared with hope when he saw her standing above him, but when he gazed into her eyes all he saw was a cold, emotionless void.

"Help... please..." Dream Feather begged, but Fluttershy just stood motionless, watching calmly as his hoof began to slip. His fear and frustration quickly rose even as he slowly fell. "What are you doing?! You're the Element of Kindness! You can't just let a helpless pony fall to his death!"

Fluttershy simply lowered her head and whispered into his ear.

"Kindness is dead. You killed it. You killed all of them. And now... I'll kill you."

Dream Feather's body froze in terror and he could nothing but watch as Fluttershy brought her hoof down upon his, slowly pushing his hoof off of the rock that was his last lifeline.

"Fluttershy..."

He managed to say her name one more time before his hoof came loose and he fell into the chasm.

There's nothing more I can do, nothing that struggling would accomplish. Everything I have done, every step I have taken has caused more suffering and pain. I've ruined everything and now I won't even have a chance to fix my mistakes. This is it...

As Dream Feather's body began to pick up speed the whistling of air passing his ears became louder and louder. He closed his eyes and simply listened. He knew that he would not live to hear that noise stop, so he was very surprised when it suddenly did. A moment later he hit the ground hard and pain shot through him.

What in the world? How am I alive right now? That hurt, but a fall from that height should have been deadly! Was that chasm smaller than I thought?

Opening his eyes, Dream Feather was surprised to find himself in a hallway made of stone, rather than at the bottom of a crevasse. He could even see the sky through the broken roof.

This makes no sense! A moment ago I was falling to my death and now I find myself in what I am sure must be that castle. Some kind of teleportation spell? Who would bother saving me? I really doubt he would care, especially after he tossed me over the edge in the first place! Maybe this is all a dream or something?

The questions burned in Dream Feather's mind, demanding answers that he could not figure out. For a while he was scared to move, unsure if he might suddenly find himself falling once more. He knew he couldn't stay there forever, but before he could settle on a course of action he heard the echo of distant voices. They were very faint, but that didn't stop Dream Feather from recognizing a voice he thought he would never hear again.

Dash?

The voice decided his path for him, and he moved through the corridors and rooms as quickly as he could. The conversation faded away as he walked, but he knew the direction the sounds came from and he wasn't going to stop until he found out what was happening.

As he got closer to origin of the voices, the hallway around him seemed to grow more intact before it finally ended at the remains of what was once the throne room of the princesses. Even in its current state, Dream Feather was still awed by the sight of the legendary castle, but he could not spare any time to admire it. He had more important things to worry about. He scanned the room for the mare that he had heard, barely even registering the worn beauty of the once majestic hall. The sound of soft hoofsteps drew his attention and he turned to see all of his hopes confirmed. Before him stood the brash cyan pegasus that he had merely moments ago watched fall to her seemingly certain death.

"Hey Dream Feather! Looking for somepony? Somepony awesome, like me maybe?"

Rainbow Dash gave a friendly smirk and nodded at his skeptical gaze. Before he could find the words to express what he was feeling, another familiar pony approached them.

"Twilight? I don't understand. How... why are we not dead?"

The confused stallion stumbled over his words, unable to properly formulate all the questions he wanted to ask. But Twilight seem to understand him anyway and began calmly answering his questions, including the ones he had been unable to ask.

"Don't worry, I can explain everything. While Rainbow Dash and you were trecking about the forest, I was doing the same. I found you talking to Applejack, but I could tell that something wasn't right. I stayed back and watched. I wish I could have intervened, but with that unicorn present there wasn't much I could do. Since then I've followed along as well as I could without revealing myself to him, watching everything that happened."

Dream Feather shifted uneasily. He had done a lot of horrible things. If she was watching the whole time, then she probably was not pleased with him.

"Don't be mistaken, I'm not mad at you. I saw everything, so I know that my assumptions about you were incorrect. I could see what he was doing to you, manipulating you like that. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get you two away from him earlier, I needed to wait for a moment when he was distracted. If he'd noticed me teleporting either of you, then there was no way I would have been able to get the other one out of there. And once you ran into Fluttershy, I had three ponies to worry about."

She frowned, examining the horrible state of the ponies she had rescued.

"I wish that things hadn't gotten so out of hoof. At least I was able to get all three of you out of there while his playing his little mind games."

Dream Feather just stared at Twilight Sparkle in awe. He knew that being the Element of Magic meant she would surely have great magical power, but the amount of control and skill that it would take to safely teleport a pony in free fall, let alone one she was so far away from at the time was staggering. He'd never heard of any unicorn that could teleport somepony that they couldn't even see. He doubted that even Princess Celestia could have managed such a feat. And teleporting three ponies and herself in such a short period of time would require astounding amounts of magic.

"Wait, all three of us? So is Fluttershy here too?"

Twilight looked towards the hallway he had walked through and sighed.

"She should be around the castle somewhere. My teleportation spell isn't meant to be used under those cirumstances and it was more important that I got you all here safe and sound, than that you all ended up in exactly the same spot. Fluttershy should be nearby. She's either looking for us now, or too scared to move."

"Too scared to move? After what she just said and did, I doubt that she is as timid as she seems."

Of course, I nearly killed Pinkie Pie and I have never even imagined hurting another pony before. Who am I to judge somepony? That villain made me do things I would never have thought myself capable of. Given the circumstances, there is no way to tell how many of her actions were her own. And no way to tell how many of my actions have been my own...

"Don't even start with that nonsense, we can't afford to turn on one another and start distrusting each other now. What she did wasn't her fault, unless you intend to argue that those things you did to Pinkie and Applejack are entirely your fault as well!"

Even though her words mirrored his own thoughts, hearing them spoken aloud still struck him hard. He couldn't shake the memory of their still forms and the blood on his hooves. The terrible images vanished when Rainbow Dash pushed his side softly.

"Come on, I know you aren't a bad pony. Just listen to Twi already! I'm itching for some payback, but if we're gonna get it we need to stand together. All of us."

Rainbow Dash's signature confidence and blunt wording managed to pull him from his dark thoughts once more.

"Sorry, all of this has just been getting to me. I just want this whole debacle to end, but I guess that will not happen unless we make it happen. I will do what I can to help."

With his acceptance of the situation, Twilight Sparkle seemed to slip back into the leadership role he'd seen her fill before. Her attitude grew serious, but not mean or demanding, and she spoke with force and assurance.

"First things first! We need everypony here before we can begin planning. Dream Feather, it would be best if you could go find Fluttershy and bring her back here. I'm still recovering from teleporting so many ponies in a row and I haven't had a chance to examine Rainbow Dash's wings yet. Besides, it's obvious that you and Fluttershy have some issues you need to resolve before you'll be able to work together. Do you think you can handle that?"

This is it. I've said that I need to fix my mistakes and Twilight is giving me a chance to do so right now. I'm not sure how I will handle being face to face with a pony that just tried to kill me... But if I cannot handle this, then what use am I? I will mend the wounds I've caused! No matter what.

"I'll do it. I plan to right all of the wrongs that I have commited, starting with my most recent. Expect me and Fluttershy to be back soon."

Twilight smiled and nodded, pointing him back towards the hallways he would need to search. Her simple acceptance, the confidence that she seemed to have in his ability to set things right bolstered his own confidence greatly.

"That's what I wanted to hear. You better get started now. The castle isn't very large, but we don't have any time to waste."

Dream Feather gazed at Twilight and Rainbow Dash one more time, before walking towards the corridors and the pegasus that was hidden somewhere within them. As he was leaving the throne room, Twilight said one more thing, sounding almost embarrased.

"And I just want to say that Rainbow Dash was right to trust you. You are a good pony, Dream Feather. You shouldn't blame yourself for what's happened. That malicious mastermind has played us all for fools and he's the one that is truly at fault."

Dream Feather smiled to himself and felt something he had not felt since this whole nightmare started. Pride. The rare emotion was quickly replaced by awe and admiration as he wandered through the small and broken down, yet somehow still majestic castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. This was a real historical place that had spawned legends of its own. If he had the time, he would have liked nothing more than to spend a few hours simply imagining what the castle used to look like before it fell into ruin.

The search took less time than Dream Feather thought it would. He had barely begun exploring when he heard the sound of quiet sobs coming from a nearby room. He did his best to steady himself for the conversation ahead and then pushed aside the rotted remains of the door.

All of his preparation, his determination, and his newfound pride, shattered the moment he entered the room. Fluttershy was huddled in the corner of the room, crying and mumbling, looking like nothing more than a broken wreck of her former self. The way her current state seemed to mirror that of the castle gave him a moment's pause, but he quickly overcame the shock and began moving towards her slowly, making no sudden moves so as not to terrify her further. His fear and suspicion of the weeping pegasus seemed absurd now.

Alright, I have found her. But what do I do now? Should I just try talking to her? How will she react when she sees me?

Dream Feather's thoughts trailed off as he stared at the scene of despair. Somehow, Fluttershy's suffering struck at his own thoughts and feelings, her listless form calling up those memories of Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Their broken bodies lying at his hooves. His legs shook and he almost joined the pony in tears. But he had a purpose and he knew that he had to be stronger, so that he could help Fluttershy. So that he could help all of them. His will rekindled, he decided it was now or never.

"Fluttershy, please listen to me. Can you hear me? Do you understand what I am saying?"

The sobbing sound slowly stopped as Fluttershy peered up at him between strands of her mane. Her fear was obvious, even through her sorrow.

"Don't worry. I am real and, more importantly, I am still alive. Twilight saved me. She saved all of us, even Dash. Fluttershy, you didn't hurt me and I can promise you that I am not here to hurt you."

Moving slowly, Dream Feather carefully extended his hoof to help her stand up. The confused pegasus stared at his hoof for a long moment, before she finally accepted his offer. Hope spread across her features as she seemed to gather her thoughts, doing her best to stop the tears that were still running down her face. He waited for her to speak, but realized quickly that she did not seem inclined to say anything at the moment.

"I know you are probably confused, I am still confused myself. Honestly, I'm not the best pony to explain things, Twilight could do a much better job."

Fluttershy met his gaze tentatively, the repeated mention of Twilight's name seemed to have gotten her attention.

"But I'll just have to do my best. Listen, I-"

Dream Feather's words got stuck in his throat and he spent the next several seconds trying his best to recover. He forced himself past the awful images that were once again assaulting his mind and tried to figure out what to say to the distressed mare waiting patiently for his explanation.

"I know what you are feeling. The feeling of terror when you see what you are actually capable of. The awful things you never could have done, but somehow you did them anyway. The guilt. It feels like there's nothing you can do. You can't make a difference, can't change anything. I've faced that myself and I've only just begun to understand that there really is no way to change what has already happened. That you can't run away from those things. You can't hide from them."

The words were pouring out of Dream Feather now before he could even think about what he was saying. He realized that these words were meant as much for him as they were for Fluttershy.

"But that doesn't mean that you can't fix things. No matter what, there's still good that you can do, still ways that you can make up for your mistakes. You cannot run from those feelings, but you can face them. And if you have done enough good to balance out the bad, you might even overcome those memories."

After having finished his speech, Dream Feather realized that this was far from what he had intended to say. And he also realized that following this logic, he would have a lot of good to do if he ever wanted to rid himself of the painful feelings. The task seemed almost impossibly large to him, but somehow it only seemed to strengthen his resolve. There was a long silence as Dream Feather pondered this, before Fluttershy finally spoke to him for the first time since she had stated her intention to kill him.

"He wasn't lying when he talked about the things you did, was he? All of the horrible things you did to my friends... Those are the memories you are talking about. That's why you know what it feels like to face the worst parts of yourself."

Her voice was soft and filled with pain, but deep beneath the pain Dream Feather imagined he could hear her yearning for forgiveness. He wasn't sure if it was actually there or if he was just projecting his own feelings onto her.

"Yes, and that's also why I can see what you did in a different light. I've been there myself, so I know that what happened wasn't all your fault. It wasn't entirely your choice... But I also know that those platitudes won't stop you from blaming yourself. You'll regret that moment for what feels like forever. My own experiences also let me say two more things and actually mean them. I'm sorry. And I forgive you."

There was silence after this, but the change in Fluttershy's expression and the fact that she did not go back to hiding her face or sobbing showed Dream Feather that he had at least partially succeeded in making her feel better.

"I don't know about you, but I want to work towards outweighing my mistakes by doing some good. And I think helping Twilight and Dash deal with that menace is a perfect place to start."