//------------------------------// // Chapter five: Fluttershy's day out // Story: Worlds Apart // by Elkia Deerling //------------------------------// Three years before the Heat Seekers’ downfall, in the land of Equestria. My dearest Fluttershy, It is with great fear that I am sending you this letter, even though I know that the task is well within your capabilities. Some disturbing news has reached my ears; disturbing news from Starlight Glimmer’s village. A pegasus pony by the name of Night Glider has reached my court, telling me thata dragon has been terrorizing the village. Even though it is not snoring or billowing out smoke, it does hunt for gold. According to Night Glider, the dragon has made the area of the village its primary hunting grounds. The beast ruins farmland, eats livestock, and steals treasures. Nopony in the village wears jewelry anymore, for fear that the dragon might swoop down and take ponies to its cave. The residents of Starlight’s village are afraid, very afraid. They don’t dare to come outside anymore, and village life has come to a complete standstill. Night Glider told me that the dragon made the large cave where something called a ‘cutie mark vault’ had once been, his home. I’m afraid that is all I know, for Night Glider hasn’t been inside the cave yet. I know I have no right to ask you for this, as you have saved Equestria time and again, and I should be the one in your debt. Nevertheless, I can’t think of a better animal handler than you; Philomena has told me all about your amazing skill. And after the dragon incident, of which Twilight Sparkle has told me in her letters, I know that you have experience with dragons as well. I am afraid that if I go, the dragon might be intimidated, turn hostile, and attack me. Of course I will be able to best it, but I prefer a more peaceful solution. I hope you think that way as well. Look for kindness in your heart, Fluttershy, and go to Starlight’s village. You can bring your friends, of course, although I have no doubt that you and you alone will play the biggest part in this adventure. Forever your faithful princess, Celestia Fluttershy finished reading the letter, and silence descended upon the throne room. Pinkie made quick work of it. “Oh! That sounds super-duper exciting!” Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “I can’t wait to go back to Starlight’s village. Once she left it, it turned out as a really nice place.” Starlight frowned and shot Pinkie a glare. “Gee, thanks.” “An adventure? Count me in!” Rainbow Dash jumped up and made a looping. “Let’s go there and kick that scaly monster’s bottom.” “Didn’t you hear what she said?” Applejack said. “The princess wants a non-violent solution. She didn’t ask Fluttershy for nothing.” Dash’s shoulders slumped down. “Aw…” Then she glared up again. “But when all goes down, I’ll be the one to save the day!” Rolling her eyes and with the Mare Do Well incident fresh in mind, Applejack said, “Sure thing, ‘hero.’” Twilight Sparkle stood up from her throne. “Everypony, may I please have your attention.” Everypony shut up. “Thank you.” Twilight Sparkle started pacing around. “Now this task from Princess Celestia herself is a huge responsibility. The cutie map hasn’t called us towards Starlight’s village, so this task is of royal importance. We must keep our heads cool, otherwise we might make stupid decis—“ “No,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sorry?” Twilight said, stupefied at Fluttershy’s interruption. Fluttershy looked at the ground, as she received everypony’s stares. “I… I want to go alone to the dragon cave, and deal with the monster all by myself.” “WHAT?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “You want to go to a dragon lair alone?” “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, sugar cube,” Applejack said. “You know dragons are very dangerous, don’t you?” “Yes,” Twilight added, “why would you want to go alone anyway?” Fluttershy didn’t keep her eyes off the ground. She rubbed her front legs together. “I… I just think I should.” “But why?” “Because… well…” Finally, Fluttershy looked up, and took a moment to find the words and look at everypony in turn. “During our mission to get rid of that big, snoring dragon on the top of the mountain, I had been nothing but trouble.” “Aw nonsense, sugar cube,” Applejack said. “I didn’t mind pulling you up the mountain. Even though I might have sworn a bit, I really didn’t.” “Yes, but… but…” Fluttershy hung her head. “During that quest, I did nothing but slow you all down. I was more of a nuisance than an asset to the team.” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and nodded. She received an elbow from Applejack. Fluttershy continued. “I felt so terrible, not just because I was afraid of, well, everything, but also because I kept slowing you down and irritating everypony. And when we were in that avalanche zone”—Fluttershy blinked away a tear—“I almost got you all buried under a big pile of stone.” “Oh please, poor Fluttershy,” Rarity said, stepping over to her and laying a hoof on her shoulder. “Nopony actually got hurt in that avalanche.” Fluttershy didn’t look at her. “Not thanks to me.” “Rarity is right,” Twilight said. “That adventure had a happy ending. In the end you did come through, remember? I don’t think you should punish yourself by going into the lion’s den all by yourself.” “The dragon’s den,” Pinkie corrected. Fluttershy dried her tears, and looked at everypony once more. “I know that, and that’s why I am making this decision. It’s not that I want to be the hero or steal the spotlight, it’s just that I think… I think I can do this all by myself. During our adventure with the dragon, I wasn’t ready, wasn’t ready at all. But I have grown. Together with you all, I’ve been through many bad situations, and come back out again. I have flown for my life after awakening a hydra. I have used my stare to defeat a cockatrice. I have learned being assertive and dared to say no to Iron Will. I have managed to reform Discord. And of course”—Fluttershy shuddered—“the Mane-iac, where I turned into that… that monster.” Twilight frowned. “Well, if you put it that way…” “And I know it is a fire-breathing, gold stealing, winged, could-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite, menacing d-d-dragon, but I just… I just have to do this. Please, please, please, just give me this chance,” Fluttershy said. “Give me this chance to prove myself. Even Princess Celestia thinks I am up to the task. You can read that here.” Fluttershy looked at the letter again, and found the right line. “’You and you alone will play the biggest role in this adventure’.” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that you have to take that literally. You’re still… well, you.” Once again, Applejack gave Rainbow what she deserved. “What Rainbow is trying to say is that you shouldn’t do anything that is against your will or your nature,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Just as you decided that Nightmare Night wasn’t your thing. I’m not going to push you; the decision is yours. But please, whatever you’re going to do, be careful, and, more importantly, be true to yourself.” “But wait!” Starlight Glimmer said, raising her hoof high in the air. “What about taking just one of your friends along. Then… eh… your adventure won’t be so boring.” The moment she spoke those words, Starlight realized that facing a big, dangerous dragon would not be classified as a ‘boring adventure.’ She tried to talk over it. “I mean… eh… at least you’ll have somepony to speak to on the train towards the village. You know how long the journey is.” And she accompanied her arguments with the most forced smile in Equestria. Fluttershy seemed to wage Starlight’s arguments. “Well, I—“ “Yes, that’s a great idea,” Twilight said, winking at Starlight. “That way, you can prove you’re up to the task, and still have somepony to watch over you. You know, in case things go wrong.” “Like a wingpony,” Rainbow Dash said, finally saying something helpful. Pinkie Pie jumped up. “Oh! Who are you gonna choose? Pick me! Pick me! I love going on dangerous missions with dangerous, big, pony-eating dragons. That sound super fun!” Nopony could guess if Pinkie Pie was serious or not. “I think that is an excellent idea,” Rarity said, holding Fluttershy’s hoof as if she were afraid the pony would burst in tears any second. Rainbow Dash flew up, so Applejack couldn’t poke her. “So, who’s it gonna be? Spill it already!” Fluttershy looked at her friends. Twilight probably had the most knowledge about dragons; she had probably read dozens of books on the subject. That, and she had powerful magic, just like Starlight Glimmer. Applejack was also a good choice. She was sure to keep her wits and stay focused in the face of danger. Of course, Rainbow Dash ate danger as her breakfast, so she would certainly know what to do if things got risky. But what about Pinkie Pie? She certainly would be a conversation maker in the train. That pony was talking all the time. Even though every choice seemed to have their pros, Fluttershy had somepony else in mind. She chose— “Rarity,” Fluttershy said. ** The train chugged along through the dry and desert-like land. Occasional hoodoos, rocks, and dried-out shrubs flashed by. Other than that, the land was desolate and empty. So desolate and empty, that Rarity immediately labeled it as ‘tacky.’ She decided that it wasn’t even worth looking at. Instead, she looked at Fluttershy, and asked her a question she had been mulling about. “I beg your pardon, Fluttershy, but why, of all more than qualified contestants, did you choose me?” Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, that’s easy. You’re always calm, but also always have something interesting to tell. You are creative, and can always show me new ways of seeing things. You know, putting things in a different perspective.” “Oh why thank you,” Rarity said, as a blush appeared on her cheeks. “That’s so nice of you to say.” “It’s the truth,” Fluttershy said. “I always like our days out at the spa too. You and I both know what a pony needs; calmness and collectiveness.” “Fluttershy, dear, I never would have guessed that you are so… philosophical.” Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to blush. “Well, if you listen a lot, instead of talking a lot, you also have time to think a lot.” “Oh, that makes perfect sense,” Rarity said. “I suppose I should listen a bit more instead of talking as well, especially when Sweetie Belle is speaking.” “That seems like a perfect idea,” Fluttershy said. There was a small silence, but it was no awkward silence. After all they had said, both ponies took the silence as an opportunity to let their words sink in. Fluttershy looked out the window, no doubt wondering what creatures were able to survive in the rugged terrain. Rarity did so too, no doubt wondering how in Equestria she could make the land look at least a little bit prettier. Suddenly, their eyes met each other, as they turned away from the window simultaneously. “You know,” Fluttershy said, “you are be my best friend, Rarity.” Rarity didn’t know what to say to that. Such soft kindness radiated from Fluttershy’s words, that it left the unicorn speechless. At last, she said, “And you are my best friend too.” “Friends forever?” Fluttershy said, sticking out her hoof. “Friends forever,” Rarity said, as she put her hoof on Fluttershy’s. Then both ponies almost tumbled against each other, as the train came to a halt. Moments later, the door opened and the conductor stepped inside. “Dry Dusty Trails, last stop!” ** From the train stop, it was just a short hike towards Starlight’s village. Fluttershy and Rarity were surrounded by the desert, which felt just as they had seen. Luckily, Rarity had packed sunglasses and the bonnet that went with them. She stopped to rummage in her pack. “What’s wrong?” Fluttershy said, “did you forget something?” “I hope I didn’t,” Rarity said. But then, after some more fumbling, Rarity found what she was looking for. With a triumphant, “Aha!” she held another bonnet in her hooves. “This one is for you, Fluttershy.” “Oh my!” Fluttershy said, as she eyed the hat. It was absolutely gorgeous. It had a broad rim, and a stylish green ribbon, through which a pair of daisies was strung. Fluttershy put it on her head. “Thank you so much, Rarity. It’s really beautiful.” Rarity waved a hoof. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a little thing I put together last minute.” “If this is last minute, I’m curious what stylish desert-proof outfit you can make in a week.” Rarity chuckled, and together, they walked onwards. The terrain became progressively more rocky, and the ponies had to mind their steps. Rarity looked down and wrinkled her nose. “Stupid rocky ground. I just had a hooficure.” “Don’t worry, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, “we’re almost there.” Indeed, after a few more steps, the ponies stood upon a brown, rocky ridge, jutting out of the sand like a half-buried mountain. As they walked to the rim, it opened up to a wide view of the desert. Below, just a few hundred yards away, was Starlight’s village. From up high, they could see the twin rows of houses opposite of each other, forming an equal sign. But there was something strange going on. As they looked more closely, they saw there was nothing going on. Not a single pony was on the streets. All doors were locked. And that wasn’t all. As Rarity listened, she could hear a faint, clattering sound, as if somepony was playing with marbles. Rarity soon realized what the sound was. “Are you scared, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy made a high, squeaky noise, that could be interpreted as a ‘yes.’ “It will be alright,” Rarity said, as she put a hoof on her shoulder. “We can do it together.” Fluttershy did her best to relax. She had said that she could do it, but, being this close to the village, and seeing just how scared everypony was for the beast that lurked in the cave with the cutie mark vault, she felt fear bubbling up inside of her. It threatened to spill over her nerves. She trembled. But when she felt the hoof of Rarity on her shoulder, and hearing her encouraging words, she relaxed a little bit, surprising even herself. The two ponies exchanged a glance. “I’m glad you’re with me, Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “And so am I,” Rarity said. She tapped Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Let’s go! We have a beast to chase away. And after we’re done, I’ll treat you on a nice spa session.” “With a mud bath?” Fluttershy said. “With a mud bath,” Rarity said. ** They decided not to go to the village. One look at the deserted streets told them that the village ponies were scared to death of the dragon. Fluttershy doubted whether somepony would actually open the door if they knocked. No, they didn’t go to the village. Instead, they headed right for the path, leading up the slope of the mountain. “Let’s get this over with quickly, Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “Let’s act first, and talk to the ponies later. I’m sure they will be very grateful once that beast flies away.” “Y-y-yes, I th-th-think so too.” Rarity felt a spark of the fear Fluttershy felt. “I’m scared too, Fluttershy,” she said. “But I have faith in you. I know you can do it, even if you yourself don’t yet see it that way. We’ll clear that cave lickety-split. Now come on! The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can go back to Ponyville and treat ourselves as heroes.” Fluttershy swallowed. Together, they climbed on. The path ended at a wide cave mouth. Some rocks lay scattered here and there, but otherwise there was nothing too significant about the cave. Yet, Fluttershy knew that something very significant was in there. Something very significant with wings like a hurricane, teeth like daggers, and eyes like a burning fire. Once they stood before the darkness of the cave, Fluttershy stopped, shaking. Rarity saw her hesitation. She decided to push her in the right direction. “Go on, Fluttershy. You can do it! I will be… eh…” She looked around, then found a rock big enough to hide behind. “I will be over there, to… eh… oversee the situation. I’ve got your back, Fluttershy!” “Th-th-th-thanks, Rarity.” Fluttershy forced her mind to think about her friend, and about all the scared ponies of Starlight’s village. She had to do this. For them, and for herself. Upon completing this mission, she would complete herself. She would finally prove that she had indeed grown, and that she too, could do something brave. She did a step into the cave, but almost tripped. Her knees kept shaking. She still couldn’t see the beast in the darkness. She hoped that she would see it before it would see her. Squinting, Fluttershy tried to discern the shape of the dragon against the blue, pulsing light of the cutie mark vault. She did another few steps forward. Fluttershy jumped. She heard something. She felt something on her back. Letting out a shriek, she turned around and around. She knew it was the claw of the dragon, prodding its victim to see if it was juicy. But there was nothing there. Fluttershy could hear her heartbeats. She looked up. Above her was a half-crumbled stalactite. As she watched, some little pieces of it fell down on her nose. “What’s the matter, Fluttershy?” Rarity called from far behind. “Are you alright?” Fluttershy said ‘yes,’ but she thought ‘no.’ She forced her heart to calm down, telling it there was nothing to be afraid of… yet. Fluttershy’s mind was searching for excuses. M-m-maybe the dragon isn’t here. Maybe it is hunting or looting. Maybe it has found a better spot to live and moved. Oh please, please, please let that be true! Back behind the rock, Rarity was starting to feel guilty. She had sent Fluttershy into the cave, while she herself was safely out of sight. I should help her in some way, Rarity thought. Without going into the cave, of course. She frowned and thought for a bit. Then she perked up, as an idea sprang into her mind. Rarity looked into the darkness of the cave. She couldn’t even see Fluttershy anymore. Her horn glowed, as Rarity concentrated. She had cast this spell before, when she had to work until late in the night and had run out of candles. This should be helpful… Fluttershy knew she was close. She could hear something in the dark. It sounded like breathing. A sharp, cold breath like a graveyard breeze. Fluttershy was too afraid to realize that dragons had hot breaths; not cold ones. Fluttershy had concocted a plan. She would approach gently, without any sudden movements or threatening gestures. That way, the dragon would be in a reasonably good mood. Good for talking. There would be no fighting, no yelling. Diplomacy, just… diplomacy. Her plans were dashed to pieces. A cone of brilliant, blue light flew through the cave, bathing it in shininess like the silvery light of the moon. Fluttershy almost got a heart attack. Although the light was silent, she knew where it was coming from. She turned around, and saw the source of the light waving at her. “You go, Fluttershy!” Rarity said with a smile, keeping the beam aimed at her friend. Anger and concern, mixed with fear, created a cocktail of disaster in Fluttershy’s head. She was very sure that she didn’t want to turn around. Yet she did. The creature that stood before her was no dragon. Scales and feathers, both glittering in the light, made up its body. Two long, sharp, curved horns crowned its head. Its claws dug deep into the stone it was sitting on. It had wings, part skin like a dragon, part feathers like a bird. Coiled around the creature’s body like a whip was its tail, which ended in a nasty, poisonous stinger. No, this creature was definitely no dragon. Fluttershy had never seen such a strange beast before. She didn’t even have enough breath left to whimper. All the air had left her body. Fear and surprise came in its place. Behind the dragon, the cutie mark vault was once again put to use. Treasures of all sorts and kinds filled the little square containers. Goblets, Bits, jewelry; all spoils of the beast’s raids. The creature squinted its poison-green eyes against the cone of light, letting out a snarl. It was a snarl full of a thousand threats. Whatever the creature was, It didn’t look willing to talk. Fluttershy was dumbstruck. She couldn’t move; she could only watch. The creature gave a howl like two dozen wolves. The whole cave shuddered. Some stalactites broke off and fell to the ground. “Come on, Fluttershy! Chase him away!” Rarity shouted. Her friend’s words were like a lighthouse in the storm. Fluttershy had gone this far. Now there was no turning back. She tried to find the creature’s eyes, not knowing where in Equestria to start. She still wanted to talk to it, but wasn’t sure which language to speak. Even though it looked part bird, there were many dragon-like elements in the monster. Fluttershy decided to try draconic. She had to start over couple of times. With the first few tries, she couldn’t find a voice with which to speak, or words with which to convey her message. At last, she managed to cram something out of her mouth. “Pl-pl-please excuse me, good sir. M-m-my name is F-F-Fluttershy. H-h-how are you doing today?” If the creature understood what Fluttershy said, it didn’t show it. As an answer, she got another bone-mangling roar. Fluttershy almost lost her footing, but managed to stay upright. The monster raised its thin, sharp claws to its face, still recoiling from the light. Fluttershy saw that. She turned around. “R-R-Rarity. Please, no more light.” Fluttershy was too far away and too shaken to talk properly. Only by a miracle did Rarity hear what she said—although not all of it. “More light? Okay, Fluttershy!” With double the concentration, Rarity managed to shine her light even brighter, brighter than the brightest diamond. Every nook and corner of the cave now bathed in the light. Rarity nodded contently. “Ha! I still have it in me.” Looking back towards the creature, Fluttershy knew that her chances were all blown. She should have turned around and gallop out of the cave. But she didn’t. She kept looking, as the monster before her kept trying to shield its eyes from the light. But then, it removed its claw, and Fluttershy could finally look into the monster’s eyes. It needed only a few seconds to locate its target. “Hello, Mister Monster, my name is Fluttershy,” she said in her most polite draconic. “Could I ask you to please, please, please, if you feel like it, move to another place. You see, there’s a village down the mountain, and the ponies in it would very much appreciate it if you could go and live somewhere—“ The creature closed its eyes again, twirled around, and lashed out with its stinger. A wet, sloshy sound filled the cave, as it hit its mark. Thanks to the light, Rarity saw everything. “NO!” The beast turned around again, and looked at its fallen prey. It had just fed, so it wasn’t hungry enough to eat the fallen pony. He was merely content at taking out one source of nuisance. But the light was still there. The monster decided to just flee it; it was raiding time anyway. With a few flaps of its strange leather-and-feather wings, it took off, out of the cave, and out of sight. As soon as it was gone, Rarity galloped into the cave, towards her friend. She looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, but they were closed in pain. Both Fluttershy’s mind and body were too weak to fight against such a strong poison. It felt as if her blood boiled and evaporated in her veins. Foaming at the mouth, Fluttershy’s muscles spasmed and shook, as they were ravaged from the inside by the poison. “Oh no! Fluttershy! What have I done?!” Rarity panicked. She had no idea what to do. In a moment of desperation, she tried something. Twilight had once told her that magic can sometimes cure certain afflictions. Now was the time to test out that theory. Her tear-struck eyes closed, as she reached for the magic deep inside. Her horn glowed as bright as a star. She had never before tried healing magic. She just did something, anything. Slowly, she lowered her shining horn towards the wound in Fluttershy’s belly. Instantly, Fluttershy began to glow from head to hoof. Rarity couldn’t believe it. “It’s working! It’s actually working!” She waited for the wound to close. She waited for her friend to stop twitching and jerking her legs. She waited for the venom to flow out of Fluttershy’s body, and leave nothing but a bad memory behind. “R-R-Rarity…” Fluttershy tried to speak, but gargles interrupted her in mid-sentence. She felt her lungs trying to burst underneath the strain. “R-R-Rarity….” Rarity had done everything she could. Fluttershy was still glowing. She didn’t yet give up. Reaching out, she stroked her mane. “Easy now, Fluttershy. Just a few more moments and you will be as good as new.” But why was her tone so unsure? “R-R-Rarity…” A coppery liquid with a nasty aftertaste filled Fluttershy’s mouth. She tried to talk, but couldn’t. She coughed, spitting out a strange, green goo. Now talking was a little bit easier. “R-R-Rarity, whatever happens, y-y-you a-a-are still…” Somehow, Rarity knew it was over. She looked at the green puddle Fluttershy had coughed up. Steam was rising from it. She knew it was over, and that all she could do now was listen to Fluttershy’s last words. A particularly nasty muscle spasm made Fluttershy crumple up in pain. Once it had passed, she could no longer hear her heart beating. Her vision became cloudy. Quickly, as well as her poison-eaten limbs allowed, she touched Rarity’s hoof. “W-w-w-whatever happens, you are s-s-still.” Rarity was crying. She held Fluttershy’s hoof tightly in her own, as her tears mingled with the blood on the ground. “Yes, Fluttershy. I am still…” “M-m-my f-f-friend.” Fluttershy stopped spasming. Her eyes closed. Her breath stopped. Her last words were said. It was over.