Twilight was eager to maintain good relations with Princess Ember, and Spike as her Ambassador for the Dragon Lands was an essential part of the Royal visit. They both rushed to get changed and appeared like magic at the head of the reception committee with only a few minutes to spare before the town hall clock struck the hour. Around them, a large crowd had gathered in expectation, hoping for a view of the Princess from the Dragon Lands.
Right on time, Princess Ember flew in with a small entourage to the accompaniment of a fanfare from the Royal trumpeters, landing at the start of a red carpet as Princess Twilight with Ambassador Spike half a step behind came forward to greet them. The crowd watched as the two Princesses exchanged pleasantries and then walked back down the carpet towards the Castle of Friendship with their ambassadors and other members of their welcome party following behind led by Spike.
Fluttershy had received word that she was needed in the castle, but hadn’t been able to leave her critters straightaway; an injured humming bird had needed some attention, closely followed by a stream of demands from a jealous white bunny. When she had turned up, it was to be confronted by a jostling sea of ponies, that looked just a little too intimidating to get through, so she held back and fretted nervously. She had watched as Twilight glided serenely down the red carpet, secretly wondering how she could look so composed in front of so many pairs of eyes. Once she and Ember had disappeared with her guests into the castle, the crowd had begun to dissipate in small groups all buzzing with happy chatter. Fluttershy took the thinning crowds as her cue and rose to her hooves, threading her way between ponies on her way towards the main door.
“Um, excuse me” she said quietly to the guards on the door, “I … um hope you don’t mind, but …”
“Oh, hi Fluttershy” replied one of the guards, “Expected you sooner. Please go right in.”
As she was walking past, he faced her again and said, “Oh, and by the way, thank you for fixing up my daughter’s tortoise, it’s getting along fine now.”
“Oh I’m so pleased” beamed Fluttershy, ”He had just eaten something that disagreed with him.”
“She’s a bit new to keeping pets. She never showed any interest before, but when Rainbow Dash got herself a tortoise, she just had to …”
“Ahem!” barked the other guard.
“Sir!” he responded, snapping back to attention.
“Oh, I’m so sorry” apologised Fluttershy, “It’s all my fault, you see …”
“I believe you are expected inside, Miss” interjected the senior of the two guards.
“Oh … yes … right away …” stammered Fluttershy as she crept self-consciously inside, still cringing as she looked back over her shoulder to see that her friendly guard was not going to get into any more trouble.
Once she was safely out of the way, she made her way cautiously to the room holding the Crystal Mirror. There were two more guards to talk to; an imposing looking earth pony and his noticeably smaller unicorn colleague. After her last encounter she felt unsure of herself and lifted a forehoof off the ground in a submissive gesture while summoning the courage to look up at the guards and introduce herself.
“Hello Fluttershy” greeted the earth pony guard innocently.
“Oh no” she whimpered, lowering her face to the floor and covering it with both forehooves, “I don’t want to get you into trouble too!”
The two guards looked at each other and then back to the primrose pegasus who was clearly disturbed about something.
“What’s the problem Fluttershy?” he asked.
“Oh … it’s … just that” she began hesitantly, “I know you shouldn’t talk to anypony when you’re on duty and I don’t want to get you into trouble too.”
“Let me guess” he grimaced, “You’ve met the new Staff Sergeant on the door outside?”
“Why yes” she replied, ”How did you know?”
“Just a hunch” he replied dismissively, “Come on, let’s get you in there.”
“Oh, thank you” she said, flashing him her large blue eyes and disarming smile.
The unicorn guard rattled his solitary key and reached forward opening the door into the darkened room.
“Ummm” she said, “Could you make a little light in here please?
“Certainly, Miss” he replied and instantly his horn lit, flooding the room with a bright light that caused a stirring above them.
Fluttershy gasped. She knew there would be bats. She had only wanted a little illumination so as not to frighten them. Now it was too late.
Handfuls of bats shivered where they hung as they awoke in shock and then started dropping off the ceiling and flitting around the room, their numbers increasing by the second.
A cloud of whirling bats was enough for the guard who promptly ran out of the door, leaving Fluttershy not only in the darkened room but also bombarded by the indignant shouts of the bats as they took to the air in shock; all of which were fighting for attention and all of which she could understand, even the ruder comments.
“Quiet!” she shouted, then adding as an afterthought “If you wouldn’t mind, please ...”
Startled that a pony could speak bat they all suddenly went quiet and gradually returned to their roosts on the ceiling. One stayed behind and landed on Fluttershy’s forehoof where it shivered gently.
“It’s alright, little one” she cooed softly, “I’m sorry you were disturbed by that nasty bright light ...”
Just then the door cracked open and an apologetic male voice enquired, “Are you alright, Miss?”
In the background, she could just make out a male snigger; clearly the earth pony guard expressing his opinions of his colleague’s lack of resolve.
“Don’t make any light please” she asked politely, ”They’ve mostly gone back to sleep again, so please don’t wake them.”
The guard said nothing, but his relief was tangible.
“I don’t need any light in here now, thank you. I’ll let myself out when I’m ready.”
“But it’s completely dark in here.”
“That’s not a problem now, thank you” she replied enigmatically.
He slipped out, thankful that he hadn’t been called upon to stay. In a dark room. Full of bats. Urghh! His training hadn’t prepared him for this.
“Now” said Fluttershy to the bat resting on her forehoof, “Tell me your story, little one.”
Ten minutes later the latch on the door began to lift and the unicorn guard turned to help open the door as the rather shaken looking yellow pegasus emerged slowly. The guard looked at her and cried out in surprise that caused his partner to spin round, weapon ready.
“Miss ..” he started, but just stared and didn’t complete his sentence.
The figure that emerged looked kind of like the primrose pegasus they had shown in, but was different; seriously different. The pointed furry ears, the staring red eyes, the unkempt mane, the fangs and those wings … But mostly what struck him was the tension clearly built up within her body that looked like it would take very little prompting to break free, but a whole lot more to subdue.
She stared through the guard’s eyes with more assertiveness than he could have imagined, freezing him to the spot. His earth pony colleague was more experienced and raised his weapon “Miss, what have you done with Fluttershy?”
She switched her attention to him, then cast a glance to his weapon which she dismissed with disdain and then stared deep into his eyes, before seeming to regain control of herself and uncoiling the tension within her, relaxing visibly in front of them.
They both stared at her, wide eyed in incomprehension.
“Oh sorry” she said, “That happens sometimes.”
Not getting a response, she added, “Keep a close eye on this room, it’s not safe. I’ve got to find Twilight and warn her!”
With that, she unfurled her batlike yellow wings and took off down the corridor leaving the guards looking after her, then at each other, dazed.
“I think it might be a good idea to lock that door” said the earth pony, his voice shaking.
“Yes … good idea” repeated his fellow guard nervously, forehoof trembling visibly as he fumbled for the oversize keyring on his belt.