//------------------------------// // Close call (Fluttershy pov) // Story: No redemption. // by zman123 //------------------------------// March 15 Getting into Twilights house was easier than I expected. I simply used the lighter to burn a hole in the metal shutters large enough for me to crawl 's library was as large and extensive as I remembered it. It didn't take me long to find what I was after. I took out a pen and notepad I had brought with me and scrawled down a few notes after finding the books I needed and turning to the relevant pages. As soon as I was certain I had recorded down everything I needed, I replaced the books exactly as I found them and flew back out the way I came. Twilight would not be pleased, especially when she found out it was her good friend Fluttershy who did the breaking in. But that was a problem for another time. Getting into the hospital was much harder. Every corridor was packed with busy doctors and nurses galloping to and fro. There was no way I could simply stroll in. A good spy knew that the best way into any building was seldom through the front door after all. I returned home, knowing I would have to wait until darkness fell before returning here. I headed upstairs to sleep, unable to bring myself to look at the unconscious Lightning Dust as I trudged up the stairs to my bedroom. She was better now that her injuries had been bandaged and she had received some CPR, but there was still no guarantee she would get through this. And there was even less guarantee that when she woke up, her wings or muscles would be anything as good as what they once were. The thought of Lightning Dust sitting in a wheelchair, unable to walk, let alone fly while she had to be content watching as other Pegasi soared past her on their merry way was not a pleasant one. And knowing how strong Lightning Dust valued her dream of being a Wonderbolt, I doubted that was the kind of life she wanted to lead. Tears blurred my vision as I closed my trembling eyes to enjoy a brief moment of rest before carrying out the rest of my immoral heist. It was dark by the time I woke from uneasy dreams and crept back to Ponyville, still unable to bear the pain of taking a look at the dying Lightning Dust as I left the comfort of my cottage to return to the cold, harsh world. As I hoped, the hospital was as it usually was at this time of night, empty save for a couple of Doctors and nurses on late night duty. I found a metal shutter on the top floor of one of the wards and swooped towards it. As I expected, it was shut tightly. Taking out my lighter, I began to ignite the lock. It was tough to deter ponies from breaking in, but eventually I tried the window and it snapped open. I checked once more that no pony saw me before gliding into the building as silently as I could. The supply closet was exactly where I remembered it to be from my few visits to this place, much to my relief. Not wasting a second, I rushed to gather exactly what I needed. Some medicine from the medicine cabinet which was fortunately not locked and one of the many oxygen machines. With the heavy oxygen machine firmly grasped in my hoof, I swooped once more out the window and quickly soared for the everfree forest, hoping to hide myself among the trees. It was heavy work pushing such a heavy machine back to my cottage but I eventually got back home without further incident. Eyes half closed, hooves trembling, I set to work connecting Lightning Dust to the gigantic machine I had no idea how I was able to lift, and began to read the notes I had made earlier on how to properly treat an emergency injury. With the notes, I could be certain this time that the medicines I took from the hospital would serve the intended purpose and with an oxygen machine now supplying a good supply of oxygen to Lightning Dust, Harry could finally get some rest and I could finally get a good nights sleep. The rest of the day, I spent carrying out snipping, and clipping as I took part in a complex surgery that were the next step to Lightning Dust's treatment according to Twilight's surgeon manual. But this time I was certain I knew what I was doing and that I was doing the right thing. It wasn't long after I had finished however when I heard a loud banging at the door. I gasped as I took a cautious peep from a hole in the curtains to find it was Twilight Sparkle. I knew that Lightning Dust was not safe here. If Twilight saw Lightning Dust in my house being nursed back to health by me, it would be her word against mine in court. And something deep in my conscience told me that a shy, socially awkward introvert's words had little power in even the most fair and unbiased of courts. I had to hide Lightning Dust. Moving as silently as I could, I pulled the sockets connecting Lightning Dust to the vital supply of oxygen keeping her from death's door and dragged her quickly into the cellar I had in my cottage , where I quickly placed her in an empty barrel and sealed the lid just to be on the safe side. Then I kicked the oxygen machine away into a back room where hardly anyone ever went. Trying to act as calmly as I could, I opened the door slowly, trying very hard not to shake as I did so. The lavender, winged figure of my long time "friend" Princess Twilight stood eagerly at the doorway, expecting me. "Hi there Fluttershy" she said cheerfully , "so nice to finally see you again. I'm sorry I was away in Canterlot for longer than I expected." "Well I'm not glad to see you Twilight sadly" I thought but I kept my thoughts to myself. "Oh yes. Do come in and make yourself comfortable" I replied, beckoning Twilight inside. I rushed to the kitchen and quickly set to work making Twilight a cup of tea. It would throw her off the scent. I brought the tea to Twilight, who placed it onto a nearby table without so much as a sip. "So Fluttershy. It's been a while since I've visited you. Is everything alright?" asked Twilight nonchalantly. "Everything was alright until you showed up, and you almost never come to see me anyway even when you are in ponyville" I cursed in my mind. "I guess so" I replied softly. "Anything new?" asked the Princess of Friendship, not looking at me while she spoke but at a picture on the wall. "No. Not really"("No, not really since you forgot to come to my birthday party despite promising to be there and leaving me too broken to leave my cottage for three days. Not really") "I see. Well I've been doing good. My visit to Canterlot went well and my mentor Celestia was pleased with my studies like always and I had a good time with my friends back there". "Oh that's nice" ("It's really nice how you love your friends back there so much more than you love your poor lonely friends here who need you so much more") "You seem sad Fluttershy. Is there anything I could do to make you feel better". "No. Not really. I'm fine" ("It's not as if you want to help me anyway. Especially last week when you refused to lend me any money to feed my starving animal friends and myself even though I told you how desperate I was") "Are you sure Fluttershy. You look so sad" "No really Twilight. I'm alright" ("Unless you wouldn't mind making a contribution to help me feed my poor starving animals which of course you're not going to do") "You seem tired. Have you been sleeping badly lately?" "Yes. Yes I have sadly" ("No thanks to you Twilight") "That's a shame" "No, not really. It's not that bad. Honestly" ("Right now I'd sacrifice all the sleep in the world if it meant saving Lightning Dust's life") Twilight glanced at the clock on the wall before looking back at me. "Well I'm glad you're okay. and I guess I'll see you soon" she said. "Did you want anything from me?" I asked, eager to usher Twilight out the door as soon as possible. The longer she stayed here, the more chance she found out about Lightning Dust. "Well. You must me tired. I guess I'll see you tomorrow" she replied, stepping slowly towards the door. "See you then. Have a nice evening" I called to her as she took her leave, knowing that every word she just said was a blatant lie. She would not see me tomorrow even if I were to pass by her castle and wave. Unless there was some evil threat which only the elements of harmony could neutralise were to spring up, Twilight would not see me again tomorrow or the day after or for a long time after that. She would ignore me, too engrossed in her studies she had yet to do to please the mentor that sent her to Ponyville. She was the same as when I first laid eyes on her back when she first arrived. And she only needed me when she had a problem only I could help her with. But when Sombra had been safely sealed away, Chrysalis wasn't leading her army of Changelings in another war against Equestria, and Tirek wasn't rampaging across the land trying to suck every pony of their strength so he could have it all for himself, Twilight more or less ignored me as she did with her other friends. I could not recall a time when on a day with no threats imminent that she had once thought to ask if I needed any help or to come and see me to spend time with her "good friend" Fluttershy. She was distant from me, as I was distant from her. And my attempts at visiting her more often to bring us closer together would only ever be in vain when her only goal in coming here was on an assignment for her mentor. And would probably clear out on a whim should her mentor tell her otherwise. She would walk by me each day as if I did not exist save for the times she came here to warn me about another threat or mission that needed my presence or to thank me for making such a good impression to her mentor. This was probably not her intention, but I could not help but feel that for Twilight, her friendship was all take and no give, at least for me. And they made her the princess of friendship... I sighed silently in a quiet rage for a while, trying to come to terms with a conundrum I could not come to terms with. Then I quickly and hurriedly reconnected Lightning Dust to her oxygen machine once more before settling down to enjoy my first good night's sleep I had in a long time now.