Chapter 5: Fluttershy
“Good morning everypony. I hope you all slept well, but it’s time to wake up now. The sun is up, the birds are singing, and the flowers are blooming in the garden. Oh, and breakfast is hot biscuits with delicious, golden honey. And apples, delivered fresh from Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh bravely brought them over himself early this morning.”
Fluttershy had never liked speaking to large crowds. However, not being able to see them seemed to help. It had been so nice of Twilight to install that “intercom” system just for her. Now, she could talk to everypony in the facility and not freeze up.
“And after breakfast,” she continued, “We have a number of relaxing and restful activities planned. There’s basket-weaving in the main atrium, card and board games in the cafeteria, and frisbee on the front lawn. Lunch will be a picnic under the orchard and dinner will be in the main hall. Everypony remember to think positive. We will all get through this together. Oh, those scheduled for therapy today, please don’t be late. I’d hate to send the guards to track you down. Nopony likes that.”
She bit her lip and cleared her throat. This next part was difficult. “Now, I understand some of you might be thinking about...escape. We had another attempt yesterday that almost succeeded. Feather Fluff made it through the barrier and outside the facility, but immediately ran into a timberwolf. We barely managed to get there in time to save her and she’s currently confined to the medical ward. So...um, all that is to say, please don’t try it. We’re in the middle of the Everfree and I really don’t want to see you all get hurt. Alrightthat’sallfortodaybye!”
She released the button with a sigh of relief. That was over for now. Until evening announcements, at least. But the facility needed to be kept running smoothly. It was her mission from Twilight. But more importantly than that, it was something she could do in good conscience.
To calm her nerves, she reached for a glass of water and squeaked when it erupted into foam. A pair of yellowed eyes opened and peered at her from the mess. “Bravo! Bravo! You almost made it through without panicking this time.”
Her desk was a mess, but she didn’t mind. She let herself relax. “Hello, Discord.”
With a snap, her desk was back the way it had been and the Lord of Chaos curled himself languidly around it, resting his head on his paw and leaning on the surface. “So, found any ponies so depraved, so beyond help that you need dear old Discord to help?”
She shook her head. “Oh no. I have great hopes for all of them. Some of them just need some time to come around. I can respect that.” She put a smile on her face, but a sigh followed soon after.
Discord’s eyes narrowed. He studied her for a minute, then laughed. “Oh dear, Fluttershy. If you keep taking everything so seriously, you’ll shrivel up inside.” His form crinkled and crackled and curled up like a burnt piece of paper. “See what I mean?”
“This is serious, though,” Fluttershy said, “I’ve got the most important job in all Equestria. Twilight said so herself.”
Discord scoffed. “Pft. Twilight. What does she know?”
“Well, she’s very good at magic, she studies books constantly, she--”
“Okay, yes. Fine. Might as well start calling her Empress Purplesmart or something.” Discord grinned. He rather liked that idea. A nice, cheeky nickname was sure to get under her skin. “Honestly, Fluttershy. You take things too, hm, literally. You need a change in perspective. Perhaps a vacation!”
With a snap, they were seated on a beach in the Marehamas, lemonade glasses by their sides and a warm sun overhead. “Yes! A vacation is exactly what you need. You’ve been cooped up in the office for too long, my dear. Stretch those wings. Smell that natural, air. You know, there’s plenty of chaos to be found in nature. We could go on vacation together! Just the two of us.”
Fluttershy giggled. “It’s a lovely thought, Discord. But I can’t. And you have a job too, you know.”
Discord rolled his eyes and they fell right out of his head. “Yes, yes. Purplesmart wants me to ‘capture and contain existential threats to Equestria’. Because that’s the best use of my time, talents, and creativity.” He fell backwards and they were once again in Fluttershy’s office. “This is revenge for when I was sick and she and Cadence had to care for me. I know it.”
“And I have ponies to bring into harmony,” Fluttershy said, “Because if anypony can reform them, it’s me. It is the best use of my time. So I’m afraid there’s not time for vacations.”
With a sigh, Discord relented. “Well! I’m off to track down a lich. Baron von Lichtenstein, or something silly like that. Forbidden magic, necromancy, ultimate artifact of evil. You know, the basic rap sheet.” He leaned in and whispered. “It wouldn’t kill them to show a little creativity or variety in their evil plots, you know.” Fluttershy giggled. He conjured a set of armor and brandished a holy symbol in the shape of Twilight’s cutie mark. “Hi-ho, Silver! For harmony, friendship, and all that. Mostly to see the looks on their faces when I pop in.”
Fluttershy hid a smile. “I don’t think Twilight would like to see you mocking her like that.”
“Mocking? Me? Never!” Discord said with the utmost conviction, “I do not mock, I lampoon. There’s a difference, my dear.” She laughed and that brought a smile to his face. “Ta-ta for now! Don’t wait up for me.” With a snap, he disappeared.
Fluttershy’s smile faded. Her eyes fell to the files on her desk and her heart sank. She flipped the first one open. “Alright,” she said, “let’s see who we have for today.”
* * *
Today marked the start of the sixth month since “The Baltimare Incident”. What they’d feared before had become obvious: not everypony was going to quietly accept Twilight’s reign. And worse, some major names and old friends were turning into enemies. Rainbow Dash had been livid after her fight. She’d flown to Canterlot to meet with Twilight. Fluttershy had been there too, caring for the animals in the gardens and trying to make amends for their previous encounter. When Fluttershy suggested she could have tried a softer approach, the brash pegasus actually snapped at her.
“What do you know about it? You weren’t there!”
That had hurt more than Dash could ever know. Not the words, but the fire and anger in her eyes like lightning barely contained in a too-thin vessel of flesh.
Twilight had summoned the other three and, within a day’s time, they held council. Rainbow Dash told everypony what happened, spending more time than necessary on the awesome fight and her amazing exploits, but the message was clear. They were going to have enemies and they needed some way to deal with them.
“I vote,” Dash said to Fluttershy’s horror, “We beat them up and warn them never to dare try it again.”
Rarity scoffed. “Rainbow, darling, as direct and to the point as that would be, it would send the wrong message.”
“She’s right, Dash,” Twilight agreed, “Equestria was founded on the principles of friendship and harmony. And so are we, for that matter. We can’t change that now, even if we wanted to. And I don’t want to. I like things the way they are.”
“Hmm, but things can’t be the same, Twilight,” Rarity countered, “You’re the Empress now. I agree, we need to hold fast to the old principles as much as possible, but who’s to say there isn’t a little room for innovation?” The light in her eyes was a little manic. Fluttershy shivered. No one noticed.
“We’re not beating ponies up for not agreeing with us,” Twilight said flatly.
“Of course not, darling! The very idea.”
Dash’s face reddened. “Well we can’t let them run around.” She pounded a hoof on the table. “We have to deal with them. One way or another.”
“Calm down, sugarcube,” Applejack warned.
“Make me, Apple-butt!”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Considerin’ you’re all worked up right now, I’ll not hold that against ya.”
Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but Pinkie appeared and shoved a cupcake in her mouth. “Silly Dashie! Arguing is for other ponies, not friends,” she said with a giggle. Dash tried to spit the cupcake out, but she shoved another one in. Dash glared murderously at her.
“Alright girls,” Twilight said with a nervous chuckle, “Calm down now.”
Twilight’s words did nothing to quell the rising storm.
“Pinkie Pie,” Dash said dangerously, “If you put another cupcake in my mouth, I swear I will--Mmph!”
Pinkie’s smile reached the point where even her lips strained to go wider. “Friends, Dashie! We’re friends. And friends don’t fight.”
Dash spat the cupcake out. “That’s it!” With a battlecry, she launched herself at Pinkie Pie. The two mares tumbled around on the floor. Dash’s hooves moved with murderous intent, but Pinkie giggled and rolled and twisted out of the way. Another cupcake went in Dash’s mouth, which did nothing to improve the situation. Fluttershy wanted to reach out and take them from her, but she didn’t want to be anywhere near Rainbow Dash right now.
Applejack’s lasso jerked Rainbow Dash up and off Pinkie Pie. “Whoa there, sugarcube!” the farmpony said, “There’s no call for that. Calm down now and we can talk about--” Dash turned and slugged her across the jaw. Applejack’s eyes lost focus for a moment, but only a moment. She blinked at Dash, who looked a little hesitant. “Ya’ll seem to be mighty worked up over something.”
“Noticed that, did you?” Dash growled. The lasso tightened around her. “Let go of me, Applejack, or I’m coming for you next.”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed, but she did not move to free Dash. Dash pawed the ground in preparation for a charge. Pinkie Pie bounced around the room. A cupcake appeared out of her mane, primed and ready. Fluttershy decided now was a good time to hide under the table.
The sound of magic interrupted the fight. “Enough!” Twilight ordered, “Everypony, please sit down.”
“But--” Dash protested.
“Sit down or I’ll put you all in straight-jackets until you calm down.” Twilight’s tone brooked no argument. Fluttershy peeked out from under the table and saw them all gloomily taking their seats. Rarity sighed dramatically.
“Really, girls,” the fashionista said, “Fighting with each other now, are we? Tsk, tsk. What is your problem?”
“Problem?” Dash snapped, “We’ve got ponies saying Twilight should be thrown in jail! Or exiled to the moon or something else horrible! We can’t have that.”
“Rainbow, darling, I agree,” Rarity said, “We all agree. We’re all on the same side here.” Her eyes took on a hard glint. “So stop making a fool of yourself.”
“I’m not an idiot!”
“No one said you were,” Twilight said sardonically, “Rainbow, I know you’re upset, but that’s no reason to act out like this.”
For a moment, Fluttershy feared that Dash might launch herself at Twilight. But the mare thought better of it and sank into her seat. “You’re right,” she said with a bitter edge, “I’m out of control.”
“Well, we weren’t going to say it, but…” Rarity said. Dash’s face tightened for a moment, but only a moment.
Dash glared. “Can’t you just accept my apology and get this over with already?”
Fluttershy muttered her acceptance alongside the others, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Dash had felt powerful? Why? The only thing that mirror had done was make her feel empty and weak. Too weak to stop them. Too weak to save Equestria. Too weak to do anything but what she was told.
And so, here she was, a few months later, managing Twilight’s Facility for the Reformation of Ponykind. It’d been a compromise between Dash’s extreme position and Twilight’s desire to make Equestria a better place. After all, she had reformed Discord. There was nopony better qualified than her!
They were counting on her. They were counting on her and she couldn’t let them down. She couldn’t tell them. It wouldn’t be kind. She had to be kind. Her opinions would hurt their feelings. Better keep them to herself.
So here she sat, behind a desk, talking to a young thief named Two Penny. The stallion’s folder lay open in front of her. Caught stealing from a noble’s house. Suspected of several other thefts, but none of them were confirmed. The guards who sent him here described him as aloof, uncooperative, and smug. They were totally accurate.
Fluttershy smiled nervously at him. He leaned back in his chair and pretended to snooze. She could see his eye cracked open and watching her, though. Pegasi had sharp vision like that. Hers wasn’t nearly as good as Dash’s, but it was good enough. Or they were all pretending theirs were worse to make her feel better. She hoped it was the former.
She cleared her throat. “Two Penny? Two Penny, please wake up.” He ignored her and let out a snore. Fluttershy sighed. This was going well. “Um, if it’s not too much trouble, could we talk for a moment?”
His eye opened. “What’s the rush, doll?” he said with a smirk, “We got nothing but time.”
Progress! He was talking! Fluttershy celebrated internally. “That’s...that’s true for you, I suppose. But I have several other appointments today and, well, don’t you have someplace better to be than here?”
He rolled his eyes. “Course I do. But it’s not like I got much choice in the matter, understand? Big bad guards come and haul me off to the clink. Not like you’re going to let me out now, right?”
“I…” Fluttershy shrank backwards. “I might.”
That caught his attention. His eyes narrowed. “What kind of jail are you running here? That ain’t right.”
“This isn’t a jail!” Fluttershy snapped. Immediately, she recoiled. “I-I mean, it’s not a jail. Jails are nasty and dirty and the guards are mean. There’s horrible food and you never see the sunlight. I worked hard to make this a clean, comfortable place for ponies to relax and...and think about their lives.” She offered him another nervous grin. “It’s not a jail.”
Two Penny nodded slowly. “Right. Well, gotta admit it’s better than any digs I’ve lived in before.” His eyes twinkled. “Mebbe even too good. Bet there’s some dark secret hidden in the basement, right? Got some pony slaughterhouse hidden down there? Or out in the shed?”
“N-no!” Horror covered Fluttershy’s face. “How could you even say something like that? That’s awful. Just awful.”
He laughed. “Messing with your head, doll.”
Fluttershy took a deep breath and latched onto the one thing she could think of to regain control of this conversation. “You mentioned you had somewhere better to be?”
“Yeah.”
She shifted and rested her head on her hooves. “Tell me about it. Er, if you don’t mind.”
He shrugged. “Ain’t much to tell. Got a sister out there. She’s seven. Probably lost without me.” A note of sadness entered his voice. “She’s a good kid. Nothing like me. Full of sunshine and rainbows.”
Fluttershy didn’t have entirely positive associations with rainbows right now, but she had her opening and pressed. “She sounds wonderful.”
“She is. The best darn sister a stallion could ask for.”
“And she’s alone? Isn’t there anypony out there to take care of her?”
“No. Nopony but me.” He winked at her. “So, you gonna let me out or you gonna let her wander the dangerous streets of Manehatten alone?”
Fluttershy smiled. Yes! More progress. “That depends on you.” She shifted. “I...well, I’ve been given a very important job. I am in charge of reforming ponies, see. So, if you can show that you’ve reformed, I’ll let you out.”
A glint appeared in his eye. “Heh. Easy enough.”
“We’ll see,” Fluttershy said. She closed his file. “Well, that’s it for now. I recommend you explore the facility today. We have a pool that might be to your interest. But please, think about this before we meet again.” He shrugged and made for the door. Fluttershy took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “You said your sister was the best pony in the world?”
He paused just outside the room. “And I’ll buck anypony who says differently.”
“Then think about what sort of example you’re setting for her when you steal.” She smiled at him, mostly to hide her anxiety. “Thankyouhaveanicedaybye!”
Angel Bunny slammed the door behind him. She let out a huge sigh of relief and sank into the chair. “Thank you, Angel.” He rolled his eyes and chomped down on a carrot.
Fluttershy peeked at the next name on her list, hoping it had changed. It hadn’t. She groaned and slipped away from behind her desk. She’d need some good tea before this next one.
* * *
“Good afternoon, Ms. Do,” Fluttershy said.
“Save it,” the adventurer growled, “I’m only here because your pet wolves growl if I don’t come.” She plopped down in the chair. “So let’s get this over with. What’s the newest reason why I should give up and hail Twilight?”
Fluttershy winced. “There’s no reason to be mean…”
“I suppose not,” Daring grunted, “But it feels good and relieves stress, which is very important for keeping a positive outlook in negative circumstances.” She smirked. “Besides, that wasn’t mean. I can show you mean, if you’d like.”
Fluttershy shrank back. “I don’t think I’d like that very much.”
“Suit yourself,” Daring said, “Well! I sat down, we exchanged a few words, seems like that’s everything on the schedule. We done here?”
“Um, well, we haven’t really started yet.”
Daring groaned. “Oh come on. I’m missing shuffleboard for this? You know how much I adore shuffleboard.”
Fluttershy frowned and flipped through her notes. “You’ve never played shuffleboard before.”
“Then it’s the perfect day to start.” Daring Do looked entirely too satisfied with her logic.
Fluttershy groaned and buried her head on her desk. “Please don’t be like this. Just one time, don’t be like this. Why do you do this to me?”
“Why’d you take over Equestria?” Daring snapped.
Fluttershy winced. “That’s...complicated.”
“Really? Because I read Twilight’s spiel and she made it seem so very simple.”
“Well yes. Twilight has very simple reasons,” Fluttershy muttered, “Good reasons. Logical reasons. Reasons that nopony in their right mind can argue with.”
A sly tone entered Daring’s voice. “Is that what you really believe?” Fluttershy did not respond. “Come on, Fluttershy. You know me. I’m never going to open up and ‘rethink my position’. I’m just too stubborn. But see, if I have a weakness (which I will deny until my dying day) it’s curiosity. So let’s make a deal. Question for question. Answer for answer.”
Fluttershy looked up. This was...different. But a good different. She hoped it was, at least. “Al-alright,” she said and cleared her throat, “You can go first.” It was the kind thing to do.
Daring Do grinned and rubbed her hooves together. “So why’d you do it?” she asked, “You, specifically. Not Twilight. Not Rainbow Dash. You.”
Fluttershy sighed. Right to the point. She should have expected that. “I’m the Element of Kindness,” she said, “That’s why.”
“Doesn’t seem very kind.”
Fluttershy raised a hoof. “Um, actually it’s my turn now.”
Daring Do rolled her eyes and gestured for her to ask a question.
“Why do you hate me?”
For a moment, Daring Do spluttered. “Hate you?” she repeated, “I don’t...I mean...that’s not...” She took a breath. “I don’t hate you.”
“That’s...good.”
Daring nodded. “Why would the being the Element of Kindness make you be so cruel?”
Fluttershy withered. “I...I wouldn’t say I’m cruel.”
“You run Equestria’s largest jail…”
“It’s not a jail!”
Daring raised an eyebrow. “You run Equestria’s largest prison. You’ve got your trained animals watching our every moves. And the only way out of here is to ‘reform’. Yes sirree! A few ‘Hail Twilight’s and you’re out of here, but Celestia help you if you dare disagree with a single word our supreme leader says. No! Bad pony. Back to the corner with you.” She leans forward. “Face it, Flutters. You’re running Twilight’s Time-out Corner. A neat little place to send all dissenting voices so she doesn’t have to listen to them.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “I only want to help. Let me help you, Daring.”
“Yeah. I had enough of your kind of help from my mother,” Daring said bitterly, “Always going on about how I should focus on getting together with somepony and starting a family. Nevermind that I was top of my class. Nevermind that I won so many flying competitions. No. Of course not. She was ‘only trying to help’ and ‘telling me what I needed to hear’.” Daring glared. “So save it. I’ve got no use for that garbage.”
Fluttershy’s eyes were wide. “C-can I ask a question now?”
Daring smiled. “Be my guest.”
Fluttershy took a moment to catch her breath. “So. If you don’t hate me,” she began, “What am I to you?”
“You’re an obstacle. A puzzle. And a difficult one. But I will find answers.” She leaned forward. “So about that. Last question. Why did the others want to topple Celestia, the best thing to happen to ponykind ever and loving ruler of Equestria?”
“Oh…” Fluttershy said, “Well...there was a mirror...and a stallion named Con Mane. He tricked us into looking in it and…” She winced. “It showed us the truth. I don’t know what they saw, but it made them strong. So terribly strong. I...I couldn’t oppose them, even if I wanted to.” She looked Daring right in the eye. “And neither can you. No pony or griffon or any other creature can.”
Daring’s eyes lit up. “Con Mane, huh? Interesting. Well, you have one more question. Don’t waste it.”
Don’t waste it. Fluttershy thought for a moment. “What would it take to reform you?”
“Discord staring into my eyes and swirling them around,” Daring snapped. She rose. “I think we’re done here now.”
Fluttershy raised a hoof to disagree, but the adventurer was already at the door. She sighed. “See you next week…”
“Perhaps,” Daring said with a laugh, “No prison can hold Daring Do! I’ll be gone by tomorrow.”
“Um, You say that every time.”
“And one of these days, it’ll be true.” Daring slammed the door behind her.
* * *
Fluttershy decided to step out for a moment. The plushly-carpeted halls were comforting. They were proof, tangible proof, that she at least had not changed. She’d done everything she could for these ponies. If only they’d see that, they could be happy. She wanted them to be happy. She did. She really did. There was no reason to feel bad. She was doing everything she could.
She looked down at her hooves. No reason to feel bad at all.
Discord made one of his charmingly nonsensical entrances. This time, he came in through a painting on the wall. "Well, that was entirely anti-climactic. He didn't even have a doom cult to support him. So boringly easy I could almost cry." He gave her a sly smile. “So…” he said, leaning on his mismatched forelimbs, “How’d the session with our VIP go?”
Very Important Prisoner. He’d made that joke a thousand times. It wasn’t funny. “Better and worse than I’d hoped,” Fluttershy admitted.
“Well! You simply must tell me all about it.” He snapped his claws and they were sitting in an office much like Fluttershy’s, but this time Discord was behind the desk. A nameplate that read, “Dr. Acon Equis,” lay on top and a pair of glasses perched on the Lord of Chaos’ nose. Fluttershy found herself reclining on a comfortable couch. Discord let some tea dribble from his mouth into a cup and handed it to her. “Go on,” he urged.
“Not now, Discord,” she said with a sigh. He gave her a hurt expression. She tried to smile. “It’s not you. I need some time to think. I...well, it’s that day again.”
His eyes changed. With a bored snap, the hallway reverted to its original state. “As you wish, Fluttershy,” he said.
She looked down at the carpet. It really was a very nice one. Top quality. “How is she?”
An amused smile crossed his lips. “Oh, she’s given up beating on the bars. For now. It’s a wonder she hasn’t fractured a leg yet. Pegasus bones are so much less durable than she is used to.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Well...has she got any better?”
“No.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “In fact I’m starting to think she doesn’t like me.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Thank you, Discord.” She squared her shoulders. “I, well, I suppose there’s no use in putting it off.” With that, she marched towards the stairs.
Down into the dark foundations of the facility she went, where the sun and moon never shone. It was a secure place built to hold the worst monsters, should the need arise. Buried, forgotten, locked away. That was how it was meant to be. But Fluttershy couldn’t forget. Nor did she want to. For now, it was home to a solitary pegasus, trapped inside giant metal bars. One Twilight insisted be called ‘Moonbeams’.
Fluttershy unlocked the door. A single key existed for this lock and only she could use it. If anypony else tried, it would burn them. A precaution, Twilight had told her with a smile, to keep her safe. Just one of many features of this room. Bars of adamantine enchanted with anti-magic spells. Wards galore, designed to counter every conceivable form of magic. And of course, if all else failed, it could be dropped right to Tartarus at the pull of a lever.
She put on her bravest face as she entered and faced the pony behind the bars. Yet still, she shuddered. She knew those features too well to see her as an enemy. Midnight blue, almost dark enough to fade into the shadows, a brilliant, bright mane like blue silver, and a cutie mark in the shape of the moon. Luna, Moonbeams, whatever they called her, she had been a friend.
A cold expression rested on the mare’s face. “Warden,” she said, “We do not find our accommodations satisfactory.”
“Oh.” Fluttershy looked at the pillows (torn to shreds), the chairs (broken into splinters), and the bed (neatly made, not a single wrinkle). “Is it the food? Do you prefer fruit tea to herbal?”
In response, Luna turned around and bucked the bars. They rang out with a long, piercing note. Fluttershy winced and covered her ears. With a piercing glare, Luna locked gazes with Fluttershy. “We are confined. No matter how nice the jail, it is still just that.”
“It’s not a…” Fluttershy took a deep breath. Of all the sections of her facility, this place was the most like a jail, despite her efforts to liven it up. Efforts that Luna had taken pains to destroy, all except the bed. “Well, if you wanted to move upstairs, that could be arranged.”
“The price is too high,” Luna said humorlessly. Her wings flared and she stalked forward. Even now, deprived of her power and three inches shorter than Fluttershy, the menace in her stride made the Element of Kindness retreat. “I will not bow before a usurper. And I will not debase myself for mere comfort’s sake!”
“Well I can’t just let you out,” Fluttershy said in the most soothing, apologetic, ohgodpleasestoplookingatmelikethat way possible.
“Then we shall consign ourselves to rot down here,” Luna growled and moved towards the bed.
Fluttershy extended a hoof as if to stop her. “Luna, please.”
“Luna?” The former princess whirled. “Have not thou heard?” she said, “Tis ‘Moonbeams’ now. Luna is dead and to be forgotten.”
“You don’t like being called Moonbeams though,” Fluttershy said.
Luna’s eyes narrowed.
“Luna, please,” Fluttershy held out her hoof. “I don’t like seeing you like this. It hurts me. Please, come with me. We can work things out. We can find a place for you. Celestia found hers. She’s Twilight’s advisor. They’re still inseparable. Maybe...maybe you’d like a position leading the guard or something.”
Luna rushed the bars and bounded off them. Fluttershy squeaked and jumped backwards. Her heart hammered in her chest. “Thou stealst our power.” Luna’s voice could have cut diamond. “Thou takes the moon from us. Thou imprisons us deep in the earth, far from her light. And still thou hast the audacity to say it ‘hurts’ thee? Let us out and then thou will feel hurt.”
“Of course it hurts me!” Fluttershy said. And it did. Every time she looked at Luna stabbed her in the heart. “And...and I understand why you feel so angry. But it won’t help. There’s...there’s nothing you can do. The sooner you accept that and move on, the sooner you can be happy again.” She offered Luna a smile. “Don’t you want to be happy, Luna?”
“A fool is happy when he’s had too much to drink. I am a princess. I have my duty first.”
“But you aren’t any longer! You don’t have to worry. You can focus on your own happiness now.” Fluttershy looked deep into Luna’s eyes and tried to force her way past the rage and anger there. “Luna, tell me, if you would be so kind, what was your happiest moment?”
Luna paused and blinked. She stared into Fluttershy’s eyes for a few more seconds. “Celestia,” she said, “My sister. When I returned and...you and the others saved me, I was so scared.” Fluttershy noted with a pleased feeling that she’d dropped the Royal We. “Even when she told me she meant me no ill-will, I feared that what she said in public would be forgotten when we were in private. And I was so much weaker than her.”
Luna looked down. “But she gathered me into her arms and, as I cried to sleep, she held me and sang me songs. Waking up with her still there, watching over me, that was the happiest I ever felt.” She glared. “And thy friend Twilight Sparkle took that from me.”
“Well, it can be yours again,” Fluttershy offered, “Just, um, say the words. The ones Twilight wants you to say. We know you would never break an oath.”
Luna hesitated, her gaze still held by Fluttershy’s eyes. This might be a little underhanded, but it also might work. Fluttershy needed it to work. She needed to save Luna from herself and her pointless resistance. Didn’t she know? Didn’t she see? Or could only Fluttershy see the truth? Resistance was futile and only brought pain. It was better, no, kinder to show Luna this. She would be better off for it.
She stepped closer to the bars. “Luna,” she said, “Take my hoof. We, at least, can be friends, right?” Luna did not respond. “Please?”
Luna wavered, but she did not avert her gaze. Her eyes were so beautiful and bright. Fluttershy could almost see herself in them. “Thou art my friend, Fluttershy,” she said, “But I do not understand why thou acts this way.”
“I, well, I simply help ponies come to terms with reality,” Fluttershy replied, “I free them from the, um, how did it go? I free them from the burden of thinking their responsible. And, by showing them the truth, I set them free to be happy, despite the changed circumstances.”
“You smother them!”
Fluttershy heard her own voice shouting at her. But that was impossible, so she ignored it. Luna’s eyes alone held her attention. Focus. Focus only on Luna. You can do it, Fluttershy. You stared down a cockatrice.
Perhaps she could see herself in Luna’s wavering eyes. Yes, a dim outline. But that wasn’t right. Her eyes weren’t streaked with tears and her mane wasn’t that messy, was it? “You’re a monster,” she heard herself whisper hoarsely, the same way she did after crying, “You think it’s kindness, but it’s not. It’s cruelty. You take away hope. You’re afraid and...and turn that fear into a disease. You...”
Fluttershy blinked and looked away. The voice faded immediately. Luna shook her head to clear it. When their eyes met again, the rage and anger were back stronger than ever. Failure.
“Get. Out,” Luna hissed.
Fluttershy fled. She fled back to her office and locked the door. Her bedroom lay behind it. The pillows and blankets would comfort her. She could curl up and cry all she wished. Oh, how had things ever grown so awful?
She wept for hours and never noticed the yellow eyes watching her nor the red pupils that flared in anger. She never saw the claws that stroked a chin and the smile that told of a plot forming. She never noticed, at least not in time.