Out of the Past (Part 1)
/^(*vv*)^\
Flutterbat felt the world form around her in waves. Images and what felt like emotions crashed and ebbed at her feet turning into color and then form. She was on the ocean in a storm. The boat she was on board stood fast against the rage of the wind but it seemed doomed to fail as the sailors rushed around in panicked hurry.
A dream? Surely. But what kind of dream? Last thing she remembered was trying to save the pony that looked like Papa from Applejack’s wrath. Still, her instincts told her she was asleep. But it was odd, since most of the time she would dream of memories. Of Papa, of happier times. But now, she had never been on a boat before.
A massive red stallion rushed past her and snatched a rope with his mouth just as it flew out of the sailor’s reach. A brown hat whipped behind him in the wind as it hung from his neck. With his massive strength he pulled it down and she looked above to see the mast’s main sail rise in turn. He finished his task and tied the rope in a quick knot before anything could go wrong.
“There! Now get the storage drained or it’ll ruin the cargo!” He yelled to a few sailors who nodded in recognition and left to do their duties.
“Big Mac!” From the door to the below deck a small filly, probably no older than five, ran out. Her mane was a bright yellow with an orange coat and freckles. Flutterbat let her mouth hang open. Was this Applejack? She ran to the stallion, trying to keep her balance with the storm. “What do Ah do?”
The stallion called Big Mac gritted his teeth and glared at her. “Ah thought Ah told you to stay below deck!”
“But Ah can’t just-”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look in his eyes. “You left Apple Bloom below. Ah told you to take care of your sister. We’re all she has right now.”
“And if we lose the cargo, we won’t be any help to her anyway!” Applejack shouted back, the hint of an anguish unspoken behind her eyes.
Big Mac simply smiled at her through the storm and placed his forehead to hers. “Family is more important. Never forget that.” He took off the hat from his neck and tied it around her own. Giving her one last smile and tussling her hair he pointed to below deck once more. “Go!”
Reluctantly, the filly left. Big Mac was left alone to command the sailors and the storm raged on. There was a shout from above that Flutterbat couldn’t identify. Big Mac looked up but at the same time a massive wave pushed the ship to the side and it lurched from something catching underneath.
Time and space seemed to fly around her but Flutterbat stayed motionless. Whatever she stood upon was immaterial now as debris and pieces of the ship cracked and tossed in the air around her. The ship had slammed directly into a tall spire of rock directly below the surface and been cut in two. The last she saw of Big Mac he was struggling to save everypony he could. His eyes were filled with fear and panic as he glanced the other side of the ship which gradually floated further and further away. Applejack was on that side. A massive wave swept up from the side and Big Mac and his half of the ship were buried. Despite the storm, Flutterbat could still make out the cries from the other side of the ship as it floated off, slowly drifting toward a searching light in the distance. The cry of a filly and the cry of a foal.
The color faded and the form lost its shape and once again she was in a void. “Was that… Applejack memory?”
<___|=o
Applejack felt her senses clearing. At first she didn’t know where she was. But then the world slowly took shape. It was a forest. Dark and ominous. Behind her stood the entrance to a small cave, its opening barely big enough for a stallion to slip through. Inside she was sure she could hear the sounds of somepony crying. Echoes against the rock inside made the sound ultimately garbled and distilled to a fearful wail, but she was sure it was a cry.
“It’s right around here.” She turned and behind her from the trees came three ponies. Two were dressed in soiled rags that made her believe them to be peasants or poor peddlers. The other however was decked in the most brilliant shimmering armor she had ever seen. “Oh, brave sir knight, we’re so lucky you came to our village.”
The knight had his helmet down so she couldn’t see his face. “Well, I am always happy to help.”
“Indeed.” They stopped before the cave, peering through Applejack as if she wasn’t there.
She experimentally waved a hoof in front of them. “Hello?” They did not respond. “Okay, maybe this is some kind of illusion? No… a dream.”
“Here it is,” one pony said as he pointed to the tiny cave. “We never had problems here before. Children would come and dare each other to go in, but there was never anything there. Then nearly three days ago this wailing begins. Nopony is brave enough to venture in.”
The wailing resumed and the two peasant ponies shrunk back. “It’s a monster that crawled up in there!”
The knight still had his face hidden but even his body language conveyed his disbelief with the two. “Regardless what it is, rest assured I will rid your village of this fearful thing.”
They thanked him again and the knight descended awkwardly into the cave. Interested, Applejack followed him. She marveled at the reality of everything around her. For a dream this was incredibly detailed.
After worming through a long stretch of small spaced tunnels the knight entered into a small round area. It was dark yet slits in the roof from the rocks let some sun shine down, giving the place an eerie blue light. The wailing had stopped when they entered. “It’s alright,” the knight said in a soothing tone. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
Something shifted from behind an outcropping of rocks. The knight noticed this and began to walk toward it. Suddenly the figure jumped out and stood perched on the rocks, its small batlike wings outstretched trying to look as big as possible. It let out a hiss at the knight and bared its fangs but a bit of its long disorderly mane fell over its eyes and it had to blow it out awkwardly.
Applejack narrowed her eyes at the thing. The light was dark but she could still make out a yellow coat and pink mane. “Flutterbat?” She had to be three. Maybe four years old.
The knight merely laughed at her. Not a mocking laugh but more one of someone who just heard a funny joke. “I’m sorry. Really. You are a very terrifying sight to behold.” His tone was like an adult patronizing a child.
The young Flutterbat scowled and jumped at him, the knight raising his hoof to catch her. She began gnawing on the armor relentlessly. “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you? Do you have a name?” She didn’t respond and still tried to break through his armor. “How long have you been here?” Still no response.
The knight gave a sigh and got on one knee to put her down. Flutterbat took advantage and dropped to the floor, backing away to the rock again. “I’m really not here to hurt you, little one.” He raised a hoof to his helmet and lifted the face plate. Applejack’s eyes widened at the reveal. That black coat and dark mane, coupled with the red eyes. “My name is Sombra. I only wish to help.”
Flutterbat was still weary but she let her wings close showing that her guard had been lowered. “The villagers have been hearing wails from this cave, was that you?” She nodded. “Have you been crying?” She hesitated then nodded again.
“You’re alone aren’t you?” he asked. “I know the feeling.
Flutterbat was quiet for a bit before Sombra clapped his hooves. “Well, what do you say we play a game?” Flutterbat’s ears wiggled and she raised an eyebrow. “Oh this is a good game, you’ll love it.”
Applejack sat there for what felt like hours as the two began to interact. They played games like tic tac toe and I Spy, Sombra being the one to do the most pointing out since Flutterbat had a hard time expressing what she wanted him to find. Finally, a sound echoed from the tunnel above.
“Sir Knight! Are you down there? Did you slay the beast? Please don’t answer if your already dead.”
Sombra looked to Flutterbat who gazed at him with wide fearful eyes. He seemed to think for a moment until he grabbed the bag around his shoulders and poured the contents from it. It held his money and a canteen yet he dumped it without a second thought. He opened the bag wide and ushered her in. “Come on, I have an idea.”
Flutterbat was hesitant, and quite afraid to do something so dangerous. Sombra smiled warmly at her and reached out to pet her mane. “I know your scared. But you can’t live here forever on bugs alone. Don’t you want to see the world?” Flutterbat’s fear didn’t fade but she did nod in agreement.
A few minutes later Applejack followed Sombra out of the cave, him holding his bag aloft victoriously. The two peasant ponies looked between him and it suspiciously. “What’s that?”
Sombra grinned. “This is the head of the beast you so feared. Stand back, or it’s evils might spread to you.” The peasants both backed away in superstitious fear.
They thanked him and offered him money for his services but he denied it. His canteen and bits still left behind in the cave. When he was free of the forest and the villagers’ prying eyes he let the quarry in his sack out. Flutterbat jumped out and stretched her wings beneath a large oak which Sombra sat beside her under.
“So what do I call you?” he asked. Flutterbat shrugged and looking up at the sky through the tree branches, tried to take flight. Her leathery wings fluttered for a moment taking her a little off the ground but she merely fell back on her flank. He laughed at her antics. “Well you can flutter but you certainly can’t fly just yet. Hmm.” He placed a hoof under her chin and looked at her. “Those fangs and those wings make you look like a bat. Maybe a vampire? I didn’t know there were any around anymore.” He smiled as a thought occurred to him. “That’s it. I’ll call you Flutterbat. You like it?”
Flutterbat gave him a dismissive deadpan expression. “Really? Well, I thought it was clever.” Both of them burst into laughter and then disappeared beneath the tree. Applejack watched the world fade around her like before. The scene drained from existence and she hung in emptiness.
“Flutterbat. So that’s why you called him Papa, huh?” This pony, Sombra, wasn’t Lord Fuji, and yet he was. That kind smile on his face threw her for such a loop. Still, she needed to figure out just why she was seeing this. Why was she dreaming of Flutterbat’s memories?
/^(*vv*)^\
Flutterbat saw the world return around her and she was now on the street of some village or town she’d never seen before. Carts were pulled along the dirt road filled with vegetables and rice. The buildings were also built in a different way than she had seen before. More stylized and some roofs even garnished with gargoyles and facsimiles of gods and monsters.
She had to look to her side to see why she was there. Sitting on the side of the road, covered in dirt and looking almost starved to death, was Applejack. A little older now, she also had a yellow foal with a red mane tucked under her arm. “Applejack,” the foal said quietly, “I’m hungry.”
“So am Ah,” she replied. She gave the foal a smile. “Don’t worry, Apple Bloom. Ah’ll get us somethin’ to eat. Ah just need you to stay put.” She got up and looked both ways across the street before heading for a vegetable cart on the other side. Apple Bloom grabbed her hoof before she could leave.
“You could get hurt!” she said.
Applejack shook her off but kept her smile. “Ah don’t care. Long as you’re not hungry, Ah’m fine.” With that she ran carefully across the street. The merchant pulling the cart had stopped to chat with somepony and wasn’t looking. Applejack snuck behind the cart and steadily reached a hoof in.
“Stop! Thief!” the voice came from behind her. Applejack spun to see a filly about her age with a blue coat and rainbow mane. She was a Pegasus so she jumped in the air and began flying toward her. The merchant had just noticed her so she moved fast to avoid them, snatching a cabbage before taking off.
She ran to Apple Bloom and scooped her up before they both took off. The rainbow maned filly was still on their tail as they ran past corners and into alleys. Still she hounded them relentlessly. Finally, when it seemed the Pegasus would overtake them from above a path opened up to her. Applejack pulled her sister to the side and both slid into the open panel of the covered street water way. The Pegasus landed right before where she thought they would appear only to find them gone.
Applejack and Apple Bloom swamped their way through the veritable sewer until they were sure that they didn’t hear any commotion above anymore. After a long while Applejack turned to Apple Bloom and gave her a shush. “Stay quiet. Ah’m gonna see if the coast is clear.”
She popped the cover open a little and looked around. Suddenly a blue hoof stepped before her eyes. Applejack looked up to see the face of a much taller blue Pegasus than the one her age that had been chasing her. But instead of accusatory eyes, this one had a smile.
“You certainly gave my daughter the slip,” the stallion said. Applejack tried to duck back down into the water way but a magic aura surrounded the cover and it flew off, followed by her. A grown up unicorn stood beside the Pegasus who still smiled at her pleasantly as she floated in midair dripping wet. “Where do you think you’re going?” He wore a kimono and some symbol on his chest to denote that he belonged to or serviced a powerful house. The filly from before flew around the corner and caught sight of them.
“Ah! Dad, that’s mine!” she whined. “I found that thief!”
“But she slipped away from you?” the stallion said.
“Well, yeah,” she mumbled back.
Applejack took this moment to throw her cabbage at the unicorn beside the stallion knocking her concentration off. Applejack fell back down and she grabbed Apple Bloom’s hoof. “Come on! Let’s go!”
Another magical aura caught her and they were both lifted out of the grate. Two police with spears and white robes stood by the stallion now, the merchant she stole from standing with them. “That’s her!” the merchant yelled. “She stole my cabbages!”
“You will come with us!” the police commanded.
“NO!!” Applejack shouted as they floated toward the two police.
“Ah, how much?” the Pegasus stallion asked.
“Eh?” the merchant and the police stopped in their tracks.
The stallion stepped toward them and motioned to the unicorn who pulled out his coin purse. “How much was the cabbage?”
The merchant shared a look with the police, even the filly seemed confused. “Twenty.”
He pulled out the necessary amount and handed it over. “It’s only right anyway. Seeing as your goods were ruined when they hit my attendant.” The merchant checked the amount and then shrugged before leaving. The police still kept Applejack and Apple Bloom in their clutches.
“An honorable gesture, Mister Niji,” one said with a bow. “However, these two are still guilty of being thieves.”
“Yes, but with paying that pony, I am now the inheritor of their victimhood,” he replied slyly. “Perhaps you would allow me to take them for my own brand of punishment?”
The police debated this and eventually nodded, letting Applejack and Apple Bloom go before walking away. The rainbow maned filly, who Flutterbat now realized bore a striking resemblance to somepony else, gawked at her father. “But they’re criminals!”
“Criminals that were fast enough and clever enough to evade you,” Mister Niji replied. The filly pursed her lips and looked sour. Mister Niji kneeled down to Applejack’s level and smiled at them. “So, what do I call you?”
Applejack kept her sister close, hiding her muzzle in her chest not allowing her to speak while she glared at the stallion. He looked past that and to the hat around her neck. “I’ve never seen a sun hat like that before.”
“It aint a sun hat!” she argued.
Mister Niji’s smile grew bigger. “I’ve never heard an accent like that either. I’d guess foreigner.” Applejack’s face reddened at her slip of the tongue. Her cheeks went crimson when a deep rumbling echoed from her stomach. The kind stallion merely put a hoof on her head and tussled it lightly. “If you’re hungry then I have food back home.”
Apple Bloom gave Applejack a pleading look. “Fine. But one wrong move and Ah’ll knock your block off!”
He laughed. “I love these colloquialisms foreigners use. You can tell me more later on. They began to walk with Applejack and Apple Bloom following closely behind. “You coming, Rainbow?”
The filly, who Flutterbat was now sure was Rainbow Dash, ran up and pushed her way past Applejack and Apple Bloom, a stern expression on her face. Niji smirked and leaned down to whisper to AJ. “Don’t worry about her. She’s just a little too serious.” Applejack gave Rainbow a look of disdain that Rainbow reciprocated by sticking out her tongue. “I think you’ll get along just fine.”
<___|=o
Applejack watched the years fly by around her as a new part of Flutterbat’s life revealed itself. The knight, Sombra, walked up a hill and came to a large cave opening. He had a smile plastered on his face and had seemed to discard his armor, instead wearing a simple scarf around his neck and a sack over his shoulder. He came to the lip of a cave with stalactites and stalagmites adorning the entrance. To any curious ponies it looked like the mouth of an angry beast and would probably scare away anypony that came around. He stopped at the mouth and cupped his mouth. “I’m home!”
From deep inside, the cave began to echo with the sound of thousands of wings. Suddenly a swarm of bats shot out of the entrance and rushed past his face. Applejack saw no fear in it, though, as he continued to smile. Finally, with the last bat, a yellow figure shot out and slammed into Sombra knocking him over. Applejack watched as a slightly older Flutterbat laughed happily as she rolled around in the shade of the cave with Sombra. “Yes, yes! I’m back!” Sombra chuckled as he tried to right himself.
He pushed his way up knocking Flutterbat off balance and causing her to stumble toward the edge of the shade. Sombra’s eyes widened and his horn glowed to catch her. “Woah! Can’t have that happen, can we?”
Flutterbat looked grateful but she also looked like she wanted to ask a question. “You want to ask something?” Sombra asked. She nodded and they began to walk into the cave. She didn’t even need to talk as Sombra could seem to read her like a book. “You want to know why you can’t go out.” He sighed. “It’s just to be on the safe side, really. In truth, I’ve never seen a vampire but legend goes that they die in the sunlight.” He looked to her and Flutterbat’s expression seemed to fall. He smiled and patted her back. “Though they also said vampires are soulless monsters that drink the blood of the living. I don’t think you qualify for that.” His smile seemed to reassure her. “We’ll try bringing you out in the day time at some point soon. Just… not now.”
He stepped deeper into the cave and pulled out a small lantern from the sack to light it. The rock walls were bathed in an orange glow. He set the sack on a large flat stone box he had carved from the rock to store his armor. They began unpacking his sack which was full of fruits and vegetables.
AJ looked to Flutterbat who eagerly helped her surrogate father unpack but still seemed saddened by something. She looked at the box which contained his armor and then to the cave entrance still lighted by the midday sun. Then she turned to Sombra. “Papa… in the dark.”
Sombra stopped unpacking and let his head hang. His reaction told AJ this wasn’t the first time Flutterbat had spoken, but it was something hard for him to answer. “I don’t mind living in the dark with you,” he said with a sad smile. “And I don’t want you to think that your holding me back. Honestly, I have nothing else but you now. We’re both outcasts in our own way.”
Flutterbat cocked her head in confusion. Sombra grinned and motioned for her to sit by him. “When I was younger, I served a king. This was in a kingdom far far away, I don’t even know if it still exists. I was the most trusted knight of the highest court, gifted with magic that could stop hordes in their tracks and reverse the course of nature. I… we were veritable gods in our own land.” His mood began to darken. “One day, my king and I were walking down the shore when we came across a pony washed up on it. She was a mare of stunning beauty, a coat that was blue like the sea and a mane as white as the breaking waves. Her name was Aqua. She had washed up on shore from a country she could not remember. Immediately, I was smitten. But little did I know, so was my king. A year passed and Aqua stayed with us, learning and growing and each day becoming more and more beautiful. We grew closer and as we did I was oblivious to my king’s envy. He confronted her one night in the gardens and confessed his love, but Aqua refused. In his anger he attempted pushed her into the castle pond. At first believing he had accidentally drowned her, he was shocked to discover the truth. Aqua was not a pony of the land but one of the sea. When she fell and knocked herself unconscious in the pond the king reawakened that side her and she grew gills, her legs becoming fins. He was… disgusted with her. I returned from a mission my king had sent me on to keep me away only to find Aqua on trial. They said she was a monster in pony skin, pretending to be one of us. I had slain many monsters in my time and so I was looked to to make the finishing blow. But when I looked into those eyes, the same ones I had fallen so hard for, I couldn’t do it.”
Flutterbat was quiet but in rapt attention, even Applejack felt herself overcome by the story, certain aspects of it hitting closer to home than she expected. “I stole away Aqua and ran as far as we could go down the coast. But it was fruitless. My king was mad and would stop at nothing to see his own pride redeemed with the death of the one he called a monster. Aqua realized how much she weighed me down and we reluctantly parted ways on the beach. She going back home, never to mingle with the realms of pony again, and I free to run as far away from home as I could go. It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.”
“In my travels, I had plenty of time to think. The monsters I slayed, the hundreds, the thousands. Were they too perhaps beautiful souls like her? Did they share love like the kind I had with Aqua? I realized something about myself then. Monster is just a name we give to those we do not understand. Then perhaps I too am a monster to some.” His morose expression lightened slightly and he turned to face Flutterbat. “Coming across you that day was providence, no other way to explain it. I will not fight the nature of the world anymore. Instead, I will nurture it. That is why I will never leave you, Flutterbat. You are who you choose to be. Be brave and face the world head on.” He shrugged. “Just not right now. We still have some unpacking to do.” Flutterbat’s smile widened and Applejack could see the slightest hint of tears appear in her vision as the two shared a hug and went back to unpacking the food.
Applejack crossed her arms in thought. “He’s so different here.” She looked to Flutterbat. “Can somepony truly change so much?”