Fluttershy awoke at the sound of tweeting birds. One particular bird, Alexander the robin, whistled close to Fluttershy’s ear, but nevertheless, the yellow pony wasn’t startled at all. In fact, she couldn’t think of a more peaceful way to wake up; couldn’t think of a more natural way.
She lifted her head and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. For a moment, she thought back about her dreams; just a hazy dark fog in her head. She knew she had dreamt about home, about Ponyville. The pleasant morning, however, combined with the smell of freshly baked bread, soon whisked all those thoughts and memories away, and brought Fluttershy back to where she was.
Sitting down on the bed, Fluttershy looked out of the round window at the unknown world beyond it; Middle Earth. She could see part of what looked like a vegetable garden, although it had suffered greatly in its battle against the rainstorm. The rest of the earth didn’t look any less muddy, and small, mirroring puddles spotted the yard. As Fluttershy looked further ahead, she saw the massive trees looming over Rhosgobel. Pine trees, Fluttershy saw, but they were much bigger than any pine tree she’d ever seen; even the Everfree forest didn’t house trees that big. From an unseen source, bright sunlight shone overhead through a thin layer of morning mist. It made it look as if columns of light descended from the skies to make the scene look even more pretty than it already was. Fluttershy tried to see past the trees, but dense shrubs and trunks of more trees blocked any view of the rest of the forest, leaving the inside of it a mystery.
Alexander flew up and landed on Fluttershy’s head, looking outside as well and greeting the morning with the same feeling of peace as Fluttershy. His concentration wasn’t as long as the pony’s, however, and he soon flew off again and towards the kitchen, attracted by the scent of tasty treats.
Fluttershy turned around and watched him go, and at that moment, Radagast walked inside with a plate full of steaming hot bread.
“Oh, hello there, Fluttershy. You’re awake I see. Did you have sweet dreams?” Not just a formality; Radagast was actually curious about what flying, talking horses would be dreaming about.
“Yes,” Fluttershy said, although she wasn’t sure if she spoke the truth, for the sweet memory of home had also filled her with worry.
Radagast put the bread down on the table and grabbed a chair for Fluttershy. “Sit down, little pony. I’ll make you some breakfast. I have sandwiches with honey, eggs, salad, cucumber, and—believe it or not— I also have hay!”
Fluttershy let out a gentle laugh. “That sounds perfect.”
A moment later they were eating, Radagast cutting slice after slice and occasionally holding up his hands to feed his birds some breadcrumbs as well. Fluttershy once again proved to have an enormous appetite for a pony her size… and weight, and Radagast couldn’t help but look at how the pony ate. She used her hooves and mouth to hold the knife and cut slices of bread, after which she carefully topped her bread with the many ingredients Radagast had gathered. He was amazed at her modest and proper table manners; she was sure to keep her mouth closed when eating, and didn’t speak with a full mouth. It was almost as if she was eating like a human, with the appetite of a hobbit, and table manners of an elf.
When they were done, Radagast led out a large burp. “Oops, excuse me there,” he said with a smile. “Care for a cup of tea?”
“That would be lovely.”
While Radagast was away putting the kettle on, Fluttershy thought about the many ingredients she’d just seen, and how many actually resembled ordinary things she could eat in Ponyville as well. It was strange how she felt both outlandish and familiar at the same time. But she felt good. The familiarity and resemblances gave her some comfort, and she could feel that from the inside.
Radagast came back, and soon they found themselves talking over two steaming cups of herbal tea. Even the tea tasted similar to the Equestrian blend.
After a little sip, Radagast placed his cup back on the saucer, and folded his hands together. “When I found you, Fluttershy, you were lying all alone on the forest ground. Did you lose your group? Your family? Your friends?”
Fluttershy put her cup down too, and looked at the wizard’s old eyes. “Yes,” she said. “I’ve lost my friends. But… you must understand something. I-I-I am… How should I say this… I am… eh…”
“Not from Middle Earth?” Radagast finished for her, and at the same time confirming his guesses.
“Yes. Not from Middle Earth.”
Radagast flashed a smile. “I thought it so.” He grabbed his tea and took another sip.
“How did you know?” Fluttershy asked.
“I heard you talk in your sleep, Fluttershy. I know that you want to go home, wherever that might be. Your home being another land is actually just a product of my fantasizing mind. So, can you tell me where it is? This world of yours? I have a couple of maps of Middle Earth between these books somewhere.” With that, he stood up and walked towards a large bookcase, then started digging through his volumes. “Ah! Here it is.”
“Eh… maybe,” Fluttershy said, although she wasn’t sure if she would be able to see her land, her world on a map from Middle Earth.
Nevertheless, a few tattered, yellowed parchments came raining down on the table, and Radagast rolled them out. “I presume you can read maps, of course,” he said, as he pinned down the corners of the map with empty cups and bowls.
“I can,” Fluttershy said, but the moment those words left her lips, they lost all meaning.
The map on the table looked nothing like Equestria. Where Equestria was a land sandwiched between two seas—the Celestial Sea to the East, and the Luna Ocean to the West—Middle Earth was like a peninsula, with only one big ocean to the West. Furthermore, the mountains, which formed a great northern ridge in Equestria, ran like a spine vertically from East to West on the map of Middle Earth. The only thing that looked a bit similar to Fluttershy’s homeland was a mountain range in the Southeast, shaped like a big cup, or a soup bowl. In Equestria they were called the badlands, but here on the map of Middle Earth was written: Mordor.
“Where are we, exactly?” Fluttershy asked.
“Here.” Radagast pointed at the center of the map, next to a giant spot of green. “At the Southwest borders of the Greenwood.”
Fluttershy followed the finger. “Why isn’t it marked on the map?”
Radagast let out a chuckle. “Because it’s too small to be drawn on a map spanning a whole world. And besides, I know where I am, right?”
Fluttershy smiled too, silently wondering how big the cities would have to be in order to be marked on the map. Her mind boggled at the thought of the size and inhabitants, and she bent over to study the map further.
“So, what do you think, Fluttershy?” Radagast said after a while. “Do you recognize anything yet?”
“Hmm…” Fluttershy furrowed her brow. “The only thing I recognize is that over there.” She pointed a hoof at the Southeastern mountain range. “Mor-dor,” she said, hoping to pronounce the name right.
Radagast withdrew his hands from the map as if the name of the mountain range had transformed the thing into a white-hot plate of metal. Fluttershy looked up at him but said nothing, as she saw that the wizard was holding his head in his hand while uttering a sigh. “Oh, dear.”
At last Fluttershy dared to speak. “What’s wrong, Radagast?”
Radagast peaked past his hand. “Are you absolutely certain that is the place where you came from?”
“Well… the name is different… but it looks like the badlands from Equestria.”
“I’ve never heard of the name Equestria before,” Radagast said, his voice suddenly losing strength. “But the land you’re pointing at is definitely bad.”
Fluttershy didn’t like the change of tone in the wizard’s voice. Didn’t like it at all. “Then what is there? What is happening in Mor-dor?”
“Please don’t say that name anymore,” Radagast said. “It is an evil name. An evil place. Nothing more than a dark, volcanic wasteland surrounded by a mountain range like dark spikes. Many evil creatures live there, whose only desire it is to bring malice upon others. Who cannot think of anything living without it burning or crumbling to the earth. Thieves, monsters, murderers; creatures that cannot stand the light of day. It is a place where the very air is laden with an evil rot, and which can corrupt even the bravest souls willing—or forced—to venture into that land. Nothing pretty has ever come from Mordor.”
But Fluttershy was pretty. Radagast started fantasizing about how she would look like if she really were from Mordor. Undoubtedly Fluttershy would be covered in scars and burns, and her wings would be black or a mottled grey, just as her hide. Her teeth would be sharp, yellowed fangs, and her eyes would look like the last light in a dying man’s eyes. No, there was no way this little, sensitive creature came from Mordor. The mere trembling of her hooves at the mention of the name confirmed as much.
“T-t-that doesn’t sound like Equestria at all,” Fluttershy said. Even her chair shook and rattled.
Radagast put a hand to his chin and stroked his beard, trying to shake off the thought of that cursed land and think rationally instead. “Indeed you aren’t. But you keep mentioning that name, ‘Equestria.’ It is a name I have never heard. And I don’t believe it is on the map as well. I wonder…”
But this time it was Fluttershy who finished Radagast’s thoughts. “Radagast,” she said, trying to control the tone of her voice. “I think I am not from Middle Earth. Actually, I know for sure that I am not from Middle Earth. I am from another world, not from another land.”
That answer would normally shock every other listener, but somehow Radagast wasn’t surprised. Sure, there were some slivers of surprise, but his open mind had smelled the possibility. Instead of jolting, jumping, stuttering, or even falling backwards on his chair, Radagast only said, “I see.”
“Yes…” Fluttershy looked at the wizard, and by the look of his eyes she saw that he believed her. “It is called Equestria. That’s where I’m from.”
Radagast didn’t stop stroking his beard, and took a sip of tea. “So… what does this Equestria look like? Who lives there? Are there more flying ponies like you?”
“Oh yes,” Fluttershy said, “lots of them. They make up a whole race, and they’re called, pegasi.”
“Pegasi…” The third new word Radagast had learned today.
“But we also have earth-ponies and unicorns. Earth ponies don’t fly, but they have much affinity with the earth and much practical knowledge. Unicorns can use magic, much like you, Radagast.”
“So you have ponies who can fly and ponies who can use magic?” Now Radagast sounded surprised. Of course he had never heard of animals able to use magic, although he knew some of them had the potential. The thought sprouted into a question, “But isn’t there chaos with so many magic users? Surely there must be a council or a king?”
“There are princesses,” Fluttershy said. “My friend Twilight Sparkle is a princess. She’s very good at magic. You should meet her.” But then Fluttershy realized that would probably not happen.
“I see. How intriguing.”
“It is.” Fluttershy closed her eyes and smiled as the wonderful memories of home drifted by like sweet, soft, cotton-candy clouds. “Equestria is a wonderful place.”
But Radagast still had questions, and tried to find Fluttershy’s eyes. “What is this magic like? Is it good? Is it used much? How powerful is this magic?”
Despite the stream of questions, the calmness didn’t leave Fluttershy’s eyes. “The magic of Equestria is very powerful; Twilight has told me a lot about it. She always likes talking to me about everything—probably because I’m a very good listener. She told me the entire history of Equestria, how it was forged by the magic of friendship, the most powerful magic in the land. It is the magic of friendship that connects the elements and the ponies in Equestria and keeps the harmony. It connects the unicorns especially, who can draw upon the magic to use it in spells. Most unicorns only use magic that corresponds with their special talent. That’s why unicorns usually only use a few spells from the millions and millions that were created. A baker might learn a spell to heat an oven or levitation so she doesn’t burn her hooves. Some unicorns choose to learn more spells, but usually they only learn the spells they will need in their lives.”
It looked as if Radagast didn’t blink, so captivated was he by the tale. He had let go of his beard and was now supporting his chin with both hands, like a little filly in a classroom. “Please go on. Don’t stop!”
Fluttershy giggled at the wizard’s funny pose, and then continued. “My friend Twilight Sparkle herself has learned many different spells. Magic is her special talent, and she is so good at learning things. She was sent to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship, and she is now so good at it. After she had finished an ancient spell partly created by a powerful wizard, princess Celestia had given her wings and helped her to ascend to become the princess of friendship. Now she, my friends, and I travel all across Equestria to solve friendship problems and strengthen the magic of friendship. Or well, that’s what we used to do before I ended up in Middle Earth.”
Fluttershy paused, but Radagast didn’t dare to interrupt. “The magic of friendship…” he said, so soft as if he was scared to mute the pony with his words. “And you help to reinforce that magic; to keep the balance…”
Fluttershy nodded. “I’m not much of a magician, but, now that I think about it, our jobs do look pretty similar, Don’t they?”
To that, Radagast agreed. He couldn’t help but notice the similarities in their lives, even though they lived worlds apart. “And those friends of yours,” he said, “what are they like? Are they like you?”
“Not at all,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head. “There’s Twilight Sparkle, about whom I’ve already told you. Then there’s Starlight Glimmer, a unicorn. She is Twilight’s apprentice, and Twilight teaches her how to use the magic of friendship. She’s also a great wizard, but she has a… let’s say, troubled past.”
Radagast made a mental note to ask her about that later, but didn’t interrupt Fluttershy now.
“Rarity is also a unicorn, but her magic specializes in making things pretty. She’s a fashion designer and very creative.” Fluttershy looked around. “I’m sure she would know a hundred ways to decorate your cottage. She had helped me with mine as well. She’s perhaps my best friend and we often do fun things together—calm things.”
“Yes,” Radagast said, eagerly waiting for Fluttershy to continue.
“Quite the opposite of Rarity is Applejack. She’s an earth-pony and knows a lot about farming. She has often helped me with my vegetable gardens. She can be a bit wild, but she is very honest, and knows how to get things done. Applejack’s best friend and rival is Rainbow Dash. Those two often butt heads when they have different opinions. Oh, they can be so competitive and brash. But Rainbow Dash is as loyal as a pegasus can be, and a great flyer.”
Radagast couldn’t contain himself. “Are you a good flyer too?”
“Well…” Fluttershy said, looking at the ground and rubbing one leg against the other. “Not as good as Rainbow Dash, but I can fly. Sometimes I fly when I help to revalidate birds, but I rather stay on the ground, where it’s safe and calm.”
“I understand,” Radagast said. He wasn’t disappointed, although he would love to see Fluttershy fly. “So who’s next?”
Fluttershy raised her head. “That would be Pinkie Pie. She’s a bit… odd. But very friendly, don’t get me wrong. She always makes things more cheerful and loves to make other ponies smile. She’s even wrote a song about it.”
“You don’t say?” Radagast’s mind boggled at the possibility. Flying horses, magic-wielding horses, and now singing horses?
“Yes. I can sing it for you if you want.”
“That would be lovely,” Radagast said. “But please don’t let me interrupt you.”
“No, you’re not interrupting me, Radagast. That’s all the friends I—oh no, wait! Of course there’s Spike. How could I forget him?”
“Spike…” Radagast repeated the name and noticed how it sounded totally different from all of the exotic pony-names he’d heard. Not any less exotic, but different on the tongue.
“Yes,” Fluttershy said. “He’s a baby dragon, and Twilight’s—“
“WHAT?! A DRAGON?!”
Fluttershy jolted at the sudden outcry. Had she said anything wrong?
Seeing the yellow pegasus’s familiar fright through her eyes, Radagast quickly composed himself. “Oh, excuse me there, Fluttershy, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Fluttershy took a few deep breaths, and then spoke again. “It’s… it’s ok. I guess dragons must be new for you as well.”
Repositioning himself on his chair until he sat straight again, Radagast said, “They’re not, actually, although it has been awhile since I’ve either seen them or talked about them.”
To that, Fluttershy suddenly shriveled. Although she wasn’t scared of Spike at all, her phobia of dragons still kept her company wherever she went. Every time the Cutie Map called upon her element, she always hoped in silence that the errant wouldn’t involve dragons. So far they hadn’t.
“A-a-are there d-d-dragons in Middle Earth?”
Radagast wanted to comfort Fluttershy by saying that no dragons inhabited the world of Middle Earth. He couldn’t. Briefly he wondered whether to tell a little white lie, but decided against it.
“There used to be many dragons, Fluttershy. During ages long past, dragons were as common as birds. Great, flying creatures they were, with breaths as hot as lava and eyes slit and mean like spearheads. The dragons of Middle Earth were greedy beyond redemption, and angry as an erupting volcano. The skies were filled with ash, and soot rained down on the earth. But there were creatures brave enough to stand against them. Dwarves, who treasured their valuable creations of silver and gold like they were their children, often battled the thieving dragons. The dragons were usually triumphant, however brave the dwarves were. But bravery is a power harder to channel than greed.”
“T-that sounds terrible,” Fluttershy said, her voice a trembling collection of sounds.
“Yes,” Radagast said. “But you don’t have to be afraid, Fluttershy. Most of the dragons are gone now, and not many people either speak about them or remember them. Personally I’ve heard of only one dragon in Middle Earth by the name of Smaug, who destroyed the city of Dale and conquered the Lonely Mountain. That is over here.” Radagast pointed at a peak Northeast of the Greenwood.
Fluttershy followed the finger with wavering eyes, as if the wizard was pointing to something horrifying to the eye.
“But Gandalf told me that a long time ago,” Radagast continued. “I don’t even know if he is still there, or if the only thing guarding the treasure inside the mountain is a collection of dragon bones. Besides Smaug I cannot think of other dragons. Either they’re hidden or they’re extinct.” Radagast looked Fluttershy in the eyes, smiling what he hoped was a comforting smile. “But I think the latter holds more truth than the former.”
Fluttershy looked back and stopped shaking. She did feel calmness well up from her belly, and wondered if it was magic or just the wizard’s eyes.
Then Radagast threw his attention to the teapot. “More tea?”
“Yes please.”
Radagast refilled their cups and sighed in delight. Putting his cup down, he decided to resume the conversation. “So this last friend of yours, Spike the dragon, what is he like?”
“He’s Twilight’s assistant,” Fluttershy said. “He’s her assistant and friend. I think he’s adorable, and he tells me all about what it’s like to be a dragon. But, the thing you said about greed and anger applies to Spike too.” Fluttershy closed her eyes as the memory shot past; she felt herself shivering again. “One time, he got enormously big because he became fueled by greed. It was absolutely terrifying. I thought for a moment that he was going to destroy all of Ponyville.”
“How terrible,” Radagast said, having heard many tales about dragon greed and hopeless battles against them.
“Indeed.” Fluttershy recomposed herself, as the nice part of the story arrived. “But in the end, he turned back to his cute little self and apologized to everyone. It’s just… It’s just that I wonder what will happen when he grows up sooner or later, and whether he will be greedy and terrifying then.”
“Well,” Radagast said, not knowing what to say, but realizing that he should say something. “I think he will learn to control his greed as he grows up. That’s what other animals do too, right? They learn as they grow up to control and master their abilities.”
Fluttershy sighed. “Yes, you’re right. I shouldn’t worry about that too much.”
“No wizard has yet found a way to speed up time, Fluttershy. And few can look into the future.”
Fluttershy basked in the wisdom the wizard posed, but at the same time she felt something uneasy. The thought and talk about her friends made her stomach feel soft and strange. She rubbed her barrel with a hoof, but then realized it was no physical feeling; it was homesickness. No matter how comfortable Radagast’s home was; no matter how nice, if odd, Radagast’s company was, she still missed her friends. She missed the cheerful smiles from Pinkie Pie, the endless wisdom from Twilight and Starlight, the good advice from Applejack or the never-ending bragging of Rainbow Dash. She missed the clumsy stumbling of Spike and the spa visits with Rarity. She missed it all, and it hit her in that moment like a falling tree.
Radagast saw it. He could read her big blue eyes like a map. He found them the easiest eyes he had ever read, and he had read countless animals’ eyes and deciphered countless emotions. “It’s ok, Fluttershy. Even I get homesick when I’m gone for a few days from Rhosgobel. It’s strange, because I said that all of the Greenwood is my home, but I must admit that there is nothing like the warmth of a hearth and the warmth of friendship all around you—even if they’re animals.” Then Radagast rasped his throat, hoping he hadn’t insulted the pony with his last words. “Or maybe, especially if they’re animals.”
The corners of Fluttershy’s mouth curled slightly upwards. “None taken, Radagast.” She too, was getting better at reading the wizard’s mood.
Radagast picked up his teacup and finished it. “You don’t have to worry, Fluttershy, you will see your friends again soon enough; I’ll make sure you will.” There was only determination in the wizard’s voice. “I’ll help you get home again. With all the powers that are mine, I swear on the forest itself that I will get you home again.” He slammed his teacup back on the saucer, nearly breaking it. “I’ll get it done or my name isn’t Radagast the Brown.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile at Radagast’s funny behavior. She couldn’t help feeling relieved and lucky that he’d found her in the forest, scared and alone on the ground. She couldn’t help but feel hope, shining through the darkness.
“But of course it would help if you could tell me how you ended up here in the Greenwood,” Radagast said, throwing a second glance at the teacup to see if it was broken. “Then I might have a clue on how to send you back to your own world.”
“Of course,” Fluttershy said, and immediately plunged into thoughts and memories, trying to find something useful. She closed her eyes in concentration, but the only things she could remember were the deafness, the blindness, the fear and desperation. With the memories came a residue of those moments, black like a terrible, threatening thundercloud, ready to unleash violence upon the world. But that was it. That was everything Fluttershy could remember. She told Radagast, and he frowned in thought.
“I see. Well, deafness is sometimes caused by a sudden loud sound,” he said, digging up knowledge about ailments and diseases which was always fresh in his mind. “And blindness occurs when someone watches a bright light for too long, like staring into the sun, which is always a bad idea to do. Are you sure you don’t remember anything before that, Fluttershy?”
“I-I-I’m afraid not,” Fluttershy said, feeling her hope drain out of her like water from a leaking bucket.
With another “I see,” Radagast began stroking his beard. He stood up and paced around the small living room in circles. That was the way he liked to think; while on the move. He thought back to the moment he’d first encountered the little mare in the Greenwood. But his only thoughts were swept away by the bulky memory of wind, rain, and… lightning.
Then it dawned to him. the idea struck him like a lightning bolt on a clear blue day. The disruption in the energy that had made him travel through the Greenwood in order to find the source. And then the lightning bolt. That strange, pink, column of light which had made Radagast fall from his sled. Those two had to be connected somehow.
“The lightning,” Radagast said, eyes beaming with excitement and energy. “The lightning, Fluttershy. Do you remember anything about lightning?”
“The lightning?” Fluttershy repeated. But the moment the word left her lips, they streamed back through her ears and prodded at her brain, and Fluttershy instantly recalled exactly what Radagast meant. “The lightning!” she said again, louder now. Not a question but a confirmation. She knew what happened, knew exactly what happened. Staring at the wizard but not seeing him, Fluttershy saw the events unfolding once more in front of her eyes.
* *
“Alright, everypony, behold!”
With a flash of purple magic, the twin crystal doors flew open, revealing the study room of Twilight Sparkle.
“Whoa!” everypony said simultaneously, as they gazed at Twilight’s new invention. It was the thing she had been so secretive about. Her great new project developed together with Starlight Glimmer under the watchful eyes of princess Celestia and princess Luna. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack were quite taken aback by the enormous structure. Only Rainbow Dash, Starlight Glimmer and Twilight Sparkle looked different, as they were all brimming with excitement, instead of amazement—although their faces looked much the same as everypony else’s.
“Eh… Twilight,” Applejack said, after the echo had faded.
“Yes?”
“What is it?”
Right in the middle of the study stood a giant brass arch, made of shiny and polished metal. To Applejack, it looked like an enormous horseshoe, and although she was proficient at building things herself, she couldn’t begin to guess at the thing’s purpose. Tubes and cables ran around it, from it, and through it, making the floor of the study look like a freshly plowed field. Applejack’s closest guess would be that it was some sort of irrigation device.
Twilight flashed a curious smile; a smile mixed with pride. “You’ll see,” she said.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Applejack swore she saw Rainbow Dash smile as well.
Rarity frowned. “Next time you’re going to make a sculpture, you should at least call for my assistance. That shiny brass color simply fights with those bright yellow cables. I mean, you could at least put some streamers on it. Maybe a little curtain wouldn’t hurt as well.”
Twilight chuckled. “I’m afraid it’s more intended for practical use than for decoration, Rarity, but I appreciate your help.”
“So… is it a climbing frame?” Pinkie Pie guessed.
Twilight shook her head.
“A horseshoe for an ursa major? A present for Starlight? A giant baking mold? A stage? A very abstract statue of a cupcake? A doorway without a door?” Pinkie was not giving up so easily.
But at that last guess, Twilight’s eyes fluttered. “Almost right, Pinkie.”
“Really?! I knew it!” Pinkie said, jumping up and down at her victory. Suddenly she stopped. “Wait… which guess do you mean?”
While Twilight made a desperate attempt to salvage her secret after running her mouth off, Fluttershy, standing behind everypony, took a moment to give the structure a look. She couldn’t help but feel intimidated by its sheer size. In her fantasy, it was a nice front porch to her garden, although it was covered in bolts instead of flowers, and overgrown with cables instead of vines.
Outside, a lightning bolt crackled, and rain started pouring down the heavens. Fluttershy jumped at the crack, and she could feel the windows rumble with the sound.
It didn’t stop Twilight from being overly enthusiastic, however. She stood opposite of a jumping Pinkie Pie, and decided that it was time to begin her experiment. Pinkie made one last guess, and to that, Twilight said, “I won’t tell you all what this machine is and what it does— I’ll show you.”
With that, she trotted off towards the gigantic structure together with Starlight Glimmer, and under the arc, until she stood at a couple of large metal boxes covered in screens, buttons, and levers. She pressed a button, and a few lights flashed on and off.
“Rainbow Dash? Shall we?” Twilight said.
Receiving everypony’s questioning stares, Rainbow Dash approached the arc. She wasn’t flying, but instead walked very carefully and slowly towards the machine, until she was beneath the exact center of it, standing on an elevated plateau. Fluttershy thought it strange that Dash was walking. The rainbow pegasus bore a mysterious smile from ear to ear, and watched her friends as if she was teasing them. Obviously she enjoyed the mystery that lingered in the air; the cloak of enigma she wore.
But she wore something else too, Fluttershy suddenly noticed. A pair of sturdy looking saddlebags were strapped around her barrel, emblazoned with a rainbow-and-cloud; Dash’s cutie mark. Fluttershy hadn’t really paid attention to it before, but now she realized that Rainbow Dash looked as if she was going on a long journey, and her teasing smile could be a funny goodbye to them all.
Twilight Sparkle pushed a green button; the machine came to life.
A hum began echoing through the study, and everypony knew it came from the machine. It became louder and louder, until it sounded like a million buzzing bees. There was also a sizzling, like a snake finding its prey. Suddenly, tiny white sparkles erupted from all sides of the machine. They flashed from one side to the other, passing each other by at the top of the arc. The ponies quickly shielded their eyes with their hooves, as the light the mini-lightning bolts produced was far too bright to look at. A few lamps flashed on and off, almost like an emergency beacon.
All the time Rainbow Dash stood in the middle, not moving as much as a feather. Her smile broadened as she watched her friend’s frightened faces. She particularly enjoyed Fluttershy’s reaction, as she had taken shelter behind Rarity, and was almost invisible.
To Fluttershy, the spectacle was overwhelming. The sounds, the lights, the movement; she felt goosebumps over her whole body as she cowered behind Rarity. The air felt like it was laden with some kind of force or electricity, and it shimmered before her eyes. She felt her mane and tail curl in unnatural shapes, and closed her eyes in terror. In a feeble attempt to distract herself from the strange things happening behind her, Fluttershy forced herself to open her eyes and look across the hallway outside the window; looking at the weather always calmed her down. But not now, as the weather outside was as chaotic as the machine inside. It looked as if the weather and the machine spoke together, conversing with each other by flashing lightning bolts and with a voice of roaring thunderclaps. Fluttershy saw many bolts of lightning streak the ground of Equestria like a forest of flashes.
The hum had grown into a deafening roar. The machine shook and rattled, and the skittering gouts of energy raced up and down until it looked as if Rainbow Dash was in a painting framed by neon light—white, crackling neon light.
Rarity gave out an “Ah!” as she gazed at the spectacle before her eyes. Even though the design was absolutely horrific, she admitted that the light spectacle easily made up for it.
Fluttershy, hearing the cry above the droning machine, cocked her ears and turned her head, checking whether Rarity was alright.
Of course Rarity was alright, she was simply amazed.
Fluttershy couldn’t help but look at the lightshow that started in front of her eyes. The white light had sprouted several other hues of color. Red, green, yellow, orange, blue; all the colors of the rainbow. Rainbow Dash looked as if she’d lost her mane and tail, and was only a vague blue speck against a rainbow background. Then the colors faded to white only, and then again to the rainbow. White, rainbow, white, rainbow. Until it flashed so fast she couldn’t possibly keep up with her eyes. The spectacle seemed to become too much even for Rainbow Dash, as she closed her eyes but kept her smile.
A loud boom resounded as the lightning bolt struck home. The lightning bolt. The entire Castle of Friendship shook. The machine wobbled on its pedestal, together with Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy, distracted by the changing colors, jumped ten feet in the air. She felt the natural urge to run away from the danger take hold of her like the paws of a strong grizzly bear, and she bolted ahead.
Rainbow Dash didn’t saw her nearing through the blinding, crackling light.
Fluttershy was running straight at the machine, her eyes closed against the brightness.
With a heart-breaking outcry, Fluttershy ran straight into the light spectacle. Then she felt a pain hammer against her head.
The force of the collision made Rainbow Dash fly through the curtain of light, landing right next to Twilight on the other side.
Twilight looked down at Rainbow Dash. “What are you doing?!” she yelled, but her words were ripped away by the violent rattle of the machine.
It had begun to rattle and shake. A few cables broke loose. A pipe shattered and was launched across the room like a piece of firework. A few bolts shot loose with loud pops.
“Something’s wrong!” Rainbow yelled, and despite the sounds being robbed from her lips, Twilight understood what she meant—she saw it herself.
Despite the machine falling apart, the colors continued to swirl. They were no longer every color; they were just one: pink.
Twilight’s hoof hovered over the emergency shutdown button… and stopped.
“Stop this thing!”
Twilight did nothing.
Before she’d flung her hoof to reach for the emergency button, she’d read the displays and status. ‘Teleportation progress: eighty percent.’
She noticed something was going wrong, but she didn’t know what would happen to Fluttershy if she’d abort the teleportation process. Her hoof remained where it was.
The arc began tilting dangerously far to the front.
But before it could fall down, it exploded.
The lightshow transformed into a swirling ball of pink, and then blasted its energy all across the room. The sound of shredding metal and bolts launched like bullets made everypony wish they hadn’t got any ears. A smell of a violent fire filled the air, and black, ugly clouds erupted from the machine. A few ripped cables coiled around the room like electrified whips. All of the light-emitting crystals shattered. For a moment it looked as if the whole study would be blasted apart, becoming nothing more than a gaping hole in Twilight’s castle.
One last burst of hot energy erupted from the overloaded teleportation machine. Then, silence and darkness crept over the spectacle.
The show had ended.