Fluttershy wished she could have better appreciated her time with the deer of of Alkuääri and the ponies of Chevalin more while she was with them, but in all of the strangeness, the week and a half had passed in a whirl.
Now, after less than a day, she could not even see the city. There was only the rough grass and damp earth below her, and knowledge of the train station ahead. She knew she’d be there by the day’s end, that was not the problem, the problem was that she hadn’t taken the time to cherish them all. Auri. Tuike. Rhonda. Cloud. Fair. All of the equines who had helped her. And Sleekfur too, of course, how could she forget! Now she was bitterly alone, and it hit her how silly she had been. If the time before had not seemed so unimportant then… of course, hindsight is 20/20.
Fluttershy walked on in despair. Would she remember their faces? Their voices? Would she ever get a chance to write to Rhonda as she promised? What if something bad was going to happen to them? She could sense it, she could sense the impending doom, the certainty and tangibility that comes with the bitter end-
Fluttershy shook her head fiercely, recognizing the cold grip of anxiety. It had been hours. The station was a day away, and she had made half the journey. She would remember them. She would be fine. I should take a second to smooth my feathers again, she thought. The timid little pegasus sat down for a moment, unstrapped her pack, and made the time to calm down, circling her wings with her hooves with gentle motions and taking deep breaths. It did the trick. The undoubted knowledge of impending doom fell away, replaced with a calm and peaceful feeling.
Now the path ahead had shrunk, not in distance, but in intimidation. It was easier to cross and appreciate the fine weather. It was Spring when she had last been home, and judging by the gently floating butterflies and bees, it still was. Fluttershy continued to glide and trot along, occasionally stopping to drink some water and eat some hay, and in no time at all she saw the station on the horizon.
As she came closer, she noticed it was different from the ones back in Equestria. The architecture only slightly resembled Chevalin’s more than Equestria’s; it reminded her more of something she’d find in the Everfree, only fixed up. The entire thing was a mix of pastel-colored patterns and columns on a far more drab (though not off-putting) stone and wood base. Although it looked well-kempt, it seemed ancient. Perhaps the largest difference was the lack of train tracks.
Fluttershy walked up to the steps and opened the door. It was already nearly sunset by the time she had arrived, but there was a warm and inviting light from within. From the inside, it looked like a normal train station, only with more of the same flair from the outside of the building. It was all lit by candles. She walked up to a window. The pony behind it seemed young and tired, with a pale pink coat and a washed out yellow mane. “Hello ma’am,” said Fluttershy, “is this open? How are you?”
“It’s open, miss.” Her voice was brassy and had a slow drawl to it, and it was clearly not the voice of a filly, as her appearance would suggest. “Where are you headed today?”
“Oh, um, I was wondering how close I could get to Equestria here?” The pony tensed up, and at last Fluttershy noticed something on her sides. “I-is something wrong? Your wings… are you a flutter pony?”
“Yes ma’am, and nothing’s wrong, I simply regret to inform you that our station cannot currently deploy trains to our Equestria station or surrounding areas.”
“What? Why?”
“It is due to a problem with the system.”
“B-b-but wait, you’re a flutter pony! I thought they had gone extinct! I see the ruins in the Everfree!”
The pony tensed again at the mention of the Everfree. “I am a train station employee,” she said calmly. “We have several other locations much closer to Equestria. There is a map on the wall and you may purchase one for two bits.”
“Where did the whole civilization go? How did you stay alive after all that happened?”
“What civilization? I am a train station employee.”
Fluttershy stared.
“I am a train station employee. Where would you like to purchase a ticket to?”
“I guess… when will the Equestrian station work again?”
“The problems with the system are indefinite. I’d recommend travelling a location nearer to Equestria.”
Fluttershy glanced at the map on the wall. An uneasy feeling came over her. She could recognize the names of the Dragon Lands and Saddle Arabia, so she asked the mare for a ticket to Saddle Arabia, not wishing to enter the Dragon Lands.
“I regret to inform you that we also cannot deploy trains to our Saddle Arabia station. This will remain the case indefinitely.”
“Oh...” Fluttershy trembled slightly at the thought of heading to the Dragon Lands. She took a deep breath. “Um, how about the Dragon Lands?”
“Certainly ma’am, that will be twelve bits.” Fluttershy took out the bits, her glance flitting nervously between her bag and the clearly uncomfortable mare. “Thank you ma’am, the train will be ready when you are.”
Fluttershy began to turn around, then quickly turned back. “I’m sorry, is everything alright?”
“Y-yes, ma’am, everything is fine, have a nice day.” A damp mood filled the room. Fluttershy felt like she had to do something.
But she was scared, and far from home, and she didn’t know where to start. Perhaps the mare was just having an off day. Perhaps the flutter ponies had just moved underground or something. Instead, she turned around again, and walked out the door.
Outside, the train was visible. It was glowing dimly against the night. The sky was no longer clear, and the sound of rain could be heard softly in the distance. She boarded the train with a few other ponies and about a dozen drakes, and away they went.
She’s not ready, not yet, said a voice somewhere.
No, she has to be brave.