//------------------------------// // 01 [Arc 00 - Potency, Part One] // Story: Metanoia // by littlerobotbird //------------------------------// [-|-Metanoia-|-] [Arc 00 - Potency] [o.0.o] In the spiraling void before all things, there was but shadows and darkness. Of these shades, the Queen rose in silence, hooves as large as an ocean, wings as wide as a valley and horn as tall as a mountain. From the darkness she carved the land. First it was the size of a mere grain of sand, but it grew ever larger as more and more of the shades coalesced around the Queen. As she continued her works, she gave birth to light in twain and from the light came everything that we know today. From the dark sprang dirt and stone, valley and mountain. From the mountain sprang water, flowing into a great ocean. From the valley sprang tree and brush, forest and field. From the field, the forest and ocean sprang creatures both large and small. After the birth of all, the Queen receded from her works to rest, the light flowing into all places the shadows had left, forming two orbs that the land might never want for its touch. The first was sun, the second moon, the Queen’s eternal daughters. They watched the land, growing close to their mother’s works and, in particular, the ponies in their nomadic herds moving across the great prairies. And all was well for a while. However, the ponies soon outgrew their prairies and conflict arose between the herds as the fields and forests were savaged by their appetites. The wisest of the ponies went to the daughters, begging for respite from their wanton hunger.. The daughters thought long and turned to their mother. The great and powerful Queen looked upon her daughters’ favored children and smiled upon them, giving them a piece of herself. The daughters returned to the ponies with the gift of strength, hooves with which to shape the lands as they saw fit. And so the Queen returned to her rest and the ponies flourished as, with this gift, they began to sow the land with seeds. The exhausted fields were revitalized with wheat and grain and all manner of edible things. Soon after, the herds began to come together in villages and all was well for a while. Then one day came the storms that they had once borne in the depths of the forests. They rolled across the land, destroying the ponies’ works, their villages and fields torn asunder. Once more the wisest gathered, begging of the daughters some reprieve from the sky’s wrath. Once more the daughters turned to their mother. The great Queen looked upon her daughters’ favored children and smiled upon them, gifting them a piece of herself. The daughters returned to the ponies with the gift of flight, wings with which to shape the sky as they saw fit. And so the Queen returned to her rest and the ponies flourished as, with this gift, they calmed the storms and rebuilt. And so their villages became towns and all was well for a while. Then one day came the beasts, from the dark place where the Queen slept, gryphon, manticore, chimera all besieged their towns. For a third time more the wisest gathered, begging of the daughters some reprieve from the creatures. For a third time the daughters turned to their mother. The Queen looked upon her daughters’ favored children and smiled upon them, gifting them a piece of herself. The daughters returned to the ponies with the gift of magic, horns with which to defend against the beasts. And so the Queen returned to her rest and the ponies flourished as, with this gift, they tamed the wild parts of the land and rebuilt themselves even quicker then before. And so their towns became cities and all was well for a while. Then came discontent, discord and strife, not from without but from within the herd. Pony of hoof, wing and horn all fought one another. Once brother and a sister, mother, father and children unto each other, now they fought in the name of their gifts. For a last time the wisest of them, Earth, Pegasus and Unicorn, all gathered, begging of the daughters some reprieve from their pride. For a third time the daughters turned to their mother. But the daughters found naught but a whisper where the Queen had rested. Her giant hooves with which the land and seas were carved had been given to the ponies. Her wide wings with which the skies were shaped had been given to the ponies. Her long horn with which the lifeblood of all flowed had been given to the ponies. There was but one thing left for the Queen to give. And so the once-Queen looked upon her daughters and smiled upon them. [o-0-o] “...she gave unto them her wisdom and vanished from the land” As Fluttershy finished the story, her brow furrowed. It hadn’t exactly been the happiest of endings to that story or the most conclusive—albeit she presumed the next bits of the story were to be assumed to be the royal sisters taking over the mantle of ruling on behalf of ponydom, but still... “So what did you think, Roby?” Fluttershy asked the blue crested robin that perched at the top of her mane, the bird letting out a guttural chirrup in response. “Oh, I don’t think it was pompous. That’s just her style with myths. Something in the translation from Old Equestrian, I think.” The robin let out a discordant chirp before hopping down onto the book. Gazing up into the pegasus’s kind blue orbs, the bird scratched lightly at the cover and let loose a series of chirps and trills. “Well...I don't particularly like the ending either, but we all know that things were better down the line?” The bird tilted his head in thought a moment before a solemn, conciliatory tweet escaped his throat, pawing at the closed cover with a balled-up talon. “There's a good birdy,” Fluttershy cooed affectionately before rising up and stretching her sore back. Sitting on the ground for so long, even to do something as relaxing as reading to one of her animals, had the side effect of throwing her spine out of whack. As she finished stretching out the kinks, a few gentle pops echoed in the quiet meadow where they had been reading through the manual of fables for a solid hour or so. She then leaned her head down to the bird, allowing him to latch onto the end of one of the long pink locks of her mane. “Careful now, Roby,” Fluttershy reminded the little bird as he clutched its talonful of mane with its diminutive claws. “Don't use your wings. I can crouch down more and you can climb up my back.” The bird simply dismissed the notion with an aggressive chirrup, climbing up a particularly thick section of mane with its talons, making in to the top of the pegasus in good time. “There you go.” She knew she hadn’t needed to worry; she had done her work on the robin’s broken wing and she knew him well enough to know that he wasn't so reckless or arrogant as to reinjure himself foolishly. He had a nest, a family and a life to get back to after all. No need to worry at all. The yellow pegasus found herself staring out at the meadow, almost wanting to bed down for the night. It was just so peaceful on the hill. The sun’s last fleeting rays of light feathering out over the horizon, she could already see the moon peeking over the mountains in eager anticipation of the night. It had been a beautiful summer’s day. Nearly a year had passed since the fateful day when Nightmare Moon had returned to wreak her terrible vengeance upon Equestria; a year since she’d met Twilight Sparkle and become a part of the Elements of Harmony; a year since she found herself suddenly, with five other ponies, a part of an indivisible friendship. It hardly seemed like it could be only a year. It was strange to be linked by... by... Fluttershy didn’t even know what to call it. Destiny seemed the right word, but ponies as timid as Fluttershy just didn’t fit into anything involving destiny. Whatever you want to call it, I’m glad, Fluttershy thought, sighing happily as she began to stroll gently down on the hill, shutting her eyes and taking in the sounds of the approaching night. She knew the path home by heart. She may have been close to the Everfree Forest, but she had no fears when she walked the meadows and forests that surrounded her cottage home. Here she was in her element, the gentle summer breeze coursing through the branches of the forest, the rustling leaves creating a soothing chorus to the falsetto singing of the nightingale. Sometimes, if she listened to them long enough, she could almost sense the meaning in their harmonies, could nearly hear the words to their songs. What are you singing about tonight? she wondered wistfully. What songs do you have for this— “Hey, Fluttershy!” The pegasus gasped aloud, eyes shooting open as the songs of the forest suddenly grew quiet. “Fluttershy, you home?” “Oh, darn,” Fluttershy exclaimed as she broke into a quick trot towards her cottage where she found a unicorn with her face pressed to the window, awkwardly balancing on one hindleg whilst she stretched a forehoof over to knock on the door. “Oh, there you are, Fluttershy,” the unicorn smiled as she spotted the yellow pegasus's approach in the window’s reflection. Dropping back to all fours, she took a few steps towards the approaching pegasus. “Hope... I hope I'm not interrupting anything.” The unicorn smiled sheepishly, noticing the now desolate silence left in the wake of her yelling, the robin nestled in Fluttershy's mane letting out an chirp of annoyance. “Er, sorry...” “Oh, it's okay, Twilight,” Fluttershy reassured, pushing the cottage door open before motioning her friend inside. “I must have forgotten you were coming over for tea. I was watching the sunset go down when I should have been watching the time,” she continued with an awkward chuckle, wearing her own, equally sheepish, grin. “It's alright, Fluttershy. There's no reason for apologies,” the unicorn replied, trotting into the cottage. “I know this is kinda last minute. I just appreciate you saying yes.” Fluttershy lingered at the doorway a moment, ears trained on the confused silence of the forest before it was broken by the off-key caterwauling of a sparrow. There we go, she thought as the night chorus resumed, shutting the door with a contented smile. [o-0-o] “Wow, this is really good tea, Fluttershy. Even better than the tea I get from Zecora,” Twilight admitted in surprise after her first few, careful sips. “What’s in it?” “Oh, not anything special, just rosemary with a bit of lavender really.” Fluttershy smiled softly, scratching at the back of one foreleg with the opposite hoof before glancing over the table at the unicorn, eyes lighting up. “The soil is really very rich near the edge of the Everfree Forest. It just seems like the herbs and flowers grow especially well here.” “I always kinda wondered...” Twilight began before a sudden blush silenced her. “About what, Twilight?” “Well, you live so far from Ponyville. And so close to the Everfree Forest,” the unicorn started awkwardly, gesturing uncertainly to the forest out the back window. “I mean, I know you’re not the... the... uh...” she trailed off,  her tongue seeming to be suddenly a few sizes too large for her mouth. “Type to live in the middle of things?” the pegasus offered helpfully, refilling the tongue-tied unicorn’s cup. “Well, that too… but you just don’t seem like somepony who would live so close to a place like the Everfree Forest,” Twilight explained, some of her confidence returning as she took another sip of the tea, the warmth helping to relax her. “I mean, you could live by one of the farms and still be close enough to your animal friends, right? This place just seems so remote and, well, don’t you get lonely out here all by yourself?” “Well, I always have them to help with that,” Fluttershy smiled, motioning to the animals that filled in around them, suffusing the air with a variety of chirps, trills, squawks and squeaks. Even her newest charge, the little robin Roby, sat outside a small birdhouse, seemingly discussing something of grave import with a small white mouse that had climbed up one of the numerous ramps that seemed to litter the cottage’s limited wall-space. Fluttershy's gaze hung on one particular animal before she continued: a small white rabbit that had taken to snoozing on the living room couch. “And I am a little scared of the forest sometimes... but I couldn’t just abandon my home or my animals, could I?” “Well, what about other ponies?” “Oh, Twilight, I have plenty of company coming by. Rainbow comes by every Saturday and I always have my spa day with Rarity. Not to mention I always make sure to visit Applejack and Pinkie Pie when I’m running errands in town. And of course, you’re here right now,” Fluttershy rattled off with a bright, disarming smile aimed directly at her unicorn friend. “Yeah, but I wasn’t always.” Twilight sighed at the admission, Fluttershy’s expression likewise turning dour. “Is there... is that why...” Fluttershy struggled with her phrasing a moment, examining the suddenly sullen-looking unicorn. “You’re not here for tea and conversation, are you?” “Yes I am!” Twilight said rather loudly, stamping a hoof on the table in affirmation before grimacing. “Er, yes and no, really. I am here for conversation, and the tea is lovely, but I do have an ulterior motive… of sorts. You’re not mad, are you?” “Why would I be mad? I’m just glad you’re here, Twilight.” Fluttershy smiled before placing a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “But if there’s something on your mind you certainly shouldn't keep it all bottled up,” Fluttershy said, taking on a gentle, almost motherly tone. “Well, it's just that I've been here for almost a year now and I'm starting to realize that there's a lot more to all of you than I thought,” the unicorn started, her tea cup clinking against its saucer as the magenta hue faded from it. Slipping out from Fluttershy’s grasp, the unicorn began to pace restlessly in front of the table. “I feel like I've failed.” “Failed. Failed at what, Twilight. You've been a wonderful friend since you arrived. I mean, maybe you were a little intimidating at first and there was the whole thing with the parasprites”—Twilight visibly flinched—“the incident with the Manehattan bakers”—Twilight halted her pacing and shuddered—“oh, and that day with all the noodl—” “Oh, no, no, no, no, no... don't even mention that again. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at marinara sauce the same way again.” Twilight sat down with an audible thump, holding her hooves to her ears as though she could shut out the event, banishing it from history and memory with the simple gesture. “I'm just glad that Pinkie was there to pull my flank out of the fire on that one.” She paused before muttering under her breath, “Who would have thought such a small pony could even do something like that!” Twilight shook her head, fur ruffling from nose to tail as she tried anew to shake the memory. “Nothing like that, Fluttershy. Something more a bit more basic.” “What did you mean then?” Fluttershy asked, taking a sip of her own tea as she looked at the unicorn with a look of thinly veiled concern. “You remember why I'm in Ponyville in the first place, right?” “Well, at first, it was to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration,” the pegasus began, looking to Twilight for affirmation before continuing, “and now to study the magic of friendship.” “Right, exactly!” Twilight affirmed excitedly, hopping back to her hooves and trotting around the table, tea forgotten as the unicorn sat right beside a now somewhat flustered Fluttershy. “I'm afraid I’m still a little lost, Twilight. You've written plenty of letters to the princess. And you've learned so much...” the pegasus mused as the cacophony of chitters and chirps in the background faded to a dull roar, the sun disappearing below the horizon fully. “I have... but I feel like there's so much more I haven't learned. I've learned tons about how ponies act and react, how ponies feel—more than I ever did in all the years in Canterlot—but,” Twilight's face fell at her use of the most contrarian of conjunctions, “I don't feel like I've even scratched the surface. Not even of my best friends...” “Oh, Twilight,” Fluttershy reproached her friend as gently as only she could, “most ponies spend entire lifetimes just trying to figure out just one pony. Did you expect to know everything in just a year?” “You know... at first, I really thought I could,” Twilight chuckled at the apt reproach. “Everypony seems so simple at first... everypony has their role and I was really just looking for my own place, but then you all just keep surprising me.” “How so?” “Well... how about you standing up to that dragon?” “Oh,” Fluttershy's authority wilted at the mention of the incident, the bashful pegasus staring at the floor. “That was nothing really. I couldn't let my friends get hurt while I just stood there, could I?” “No... but I would have never thought that'd you'd make a full-grown dragon cry like that. I didn't even think you could get angry,” Twilight smiled at the memory of the demure pegasus staring down the dragon easily a hundred times her size. “Well, sometimes ponies can do amazing things for their friends,” Fluttershy agreed nervously, the phantom itch on the back of her fore leg having returned with a vengeance. “That's just it, though. I expected Rainbow to go and try and buck a dragon or even for Applejack to do it, but there you were, terrified of dragons and then threatening to tell one’s mother that he'd been a bad, bad boy.” “He wasn't a bad boy,” Fluttershy corrected, a consistent blush seeming to have stained the pegasus's cheeks a soft pink. “He just made a bad decision.” “There's the Fluttershy I know,” Twilight replied with soft chuckle before her face fell suddenly. “And that's just the problem.” “Hm?” Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow. “I don't feel like I really know any of you.” “Oh, Twilight, don't be silly. Of course you know us. We're all friends.” “I know, I know... we're friends. You all are my best friends. Heck, you might even be my only friends along with Spike,” the unicorn mulled over this fact a moment before continuing. “But I want to know you all better.” “I shouldn't be surprised,” Fluttershy grinned as a deep reddish hue graced the unicorn's face. “That's who you are, Twilight.” “Yeah, as Rainbow already told me, always the egghead.” “Oh, she wouldn’t,” Fluttershy put on a play of shock, knowing that the brash, no-nonsense pegasus most certainly would. “I know she didn't mean anything bad by it... and, she's right, I am an egghead. All my best friends before you girls were books. It’d figure that I'd start trying to study you.” “That's you, Twilight, and we wouldn't have it any other way,” Fluttershy stated, giving the unicorn a friendly nuzzle. “And Applejack said pretty much the same thing,” Twilight said softly. “Oh...have you already talked to her about all this too?” “Yeah... Actually, I've talked to pretty much everypony else about this.” Fluttershy's ears drooped slightly at this. “Oh no, nothing like that. It’s just been gnawing at me the last few days—it certainly wasn’t on any of my checklists—and I was trying to ignore it. I hadn't even thought of how to start and then it just kind of came up when I was at Rarity's this morning.” “So, what did you find out?” Fluttershy asked, quickly forgetting any trepidation as curiosity filled her. “Well, I certainly wouldn't have thought that Rarity and Applejack would have been friends when they were little fillies... they just seem so, so...” “Opposite?” “Yeah, who would have thought, right?” “Nopony that’s just met them would... but they get along in their own way,” Fluttershy mused, brow furrowed in thought. She hadn’t been privy to this bit of information either. It wasn’t the most surprising revelation, but still intriguing for the pegasus. “In their own way for sure. Remind me to tell you about how my first slumber party went sometime.” Twilight chuckled softly. “Anyways, after I was done talking to Rarity, I bumped into Pinkie and Rainbow in the market and I just kind of started.” “And what did you learn from them?” “Well, I think I may have become Dash's unofficial biographer incidentally.” Twilight affected her best annoucermare voice. “Only pegasus to ever perform the legendary Sonic Rainboom and soon to be a world-famous Wonderbolt!” she announced with the requisite flourishes of her hooves. With a smile, she recalled the quite animated conversation she’d had with the rainbow-maned pegasus. “On the other hoof, Pinkie was a whole other kind of conversation. I just couldn't get her to talk that much. Not about her fillyhood anyways. She just sort of kept steering the conversation away from it. I did manage to bribe her with cupcakes at Sugarcube Corner, but she just repeated what she told the Crusaders.” “They told you?” “Well, to be honest, I may have bribed Apple Bloom after talking with AJ.” “Twilight!” “Sorry, I was curious... figured she might have the 'inside scoop' so-to-speak,” Twilight replied, ears laying meekly against. “I was just curious.” “Still, bribing Apple Bloom to learn about Applejack. It's not like Applejack wouldn't have told you herself,” Fluttershy said, giving the unicorn a stare any mother would be proud to have in her arsenal. “She’s not one to lie about such things.” “I know, I know. Honest to the core, she told me. But still—after talking to Rarity—Applejack's not as forthcoming as I thought.” Twilight seemed a bit saddened by her findings, using the moment of silence that followed to drain the rest of her now lukewarm tea. “She might not lie, but she doesn’t always tell the complete truth. But I suppose everypony has their own secrets.” “That... that is a little surprising,” Fluttershy murmured, her own cup entirely forgotten. “And that's what I'm getting at,” Twilight stated, stomping a hoof for emphasis. “As close as I feel to you all, it’s like I'm just as far from the real you as I was at the beginning... and that's what I’m here to remedy.” “Oh… so that's why you’re here?” “Pretty much all of it… in detail.” Twilight paused for a moment as she set the empty tea cup down on the table, turning to look the pegasus in the eye only to find that Fluttershy's gaze was now firmly tethered to the wooden floor of the cottage. “Fluttershy?” “Y-yes?” “I really do want to get to know all of you... especially you?” “Especially me?” the pegasus squeaked nervously, the beads of sweat forming on her brow dripping down to sting her wide open eyes. “Yeah... you and Pinkie seem to be a biggest mysteries. Rainbow told me a lot about when you girls were in flight camp together, but beside that... well, that's really all I know. I know a little bit more about Pinkie from the Cakes... but you… you're like an enigma to me.” “An enigma?” Fluttershy broke out into shudders at this last statement, giving Twilight a moment's pause. “I-I don't want to press you or anything, though. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” “Tha-that might be for the best. I'm really not very interesting anyways,” Fluttershy stammered as her voice rose steadily in pitch, eyes tracing a particularly interesting fracture in the wood floor. “It'd just be a waste of your time.” “You're my friend, Fluttershy, you could not possibly waste my time,” Twilight spoke quietly, the soft smile on her face translating perfectly into her words. “Rainbow Dash when she starts talking about how she saved all of Cloudsdales from Windigos as a filly, maybe.” Fluttershy let out an involuntary chuckle but kept focused on the floor.  “But like I said, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. The last thing I want to do is to push any of you away after all.” “I-I appreciate that, Twilight,” Fluttershy whispered, finally looking up into Twilight’s eyes. “Maybe I'll be... maybe I can talk about this another time... I just don't know if… well, it’s just a little out of the blue.” “It's okay,” Twilight whispered, running comforting hoof down the pegasus's back, feeling the shudders coursing their way between her wings. “It's not that I don't want to exactly...” She bit her lip, silencing her uncooperative tongue. “I just want to know you Fluttershy,” Twilight began. “But I want you to want me to know you... or rather, I want you to be comfortable... or—” “It's okay, Twilight... I know what you mean. I just don't know how to—Twilight? Are you okay?” Fluttershy found herself glancing up to greet a much paler looking Twilight. “Ooo... feeling kinda light-headed all of a sudden,” the unicorn muttered, staggering to her hooves before bracing herself against on the table. “Was there something special in that tea?” “No... just rosemary and a tiny bit of lavender. Nothing out of the ordinary,” Fluttershy replied, giving her own tea cup an accusatory glare. “You're not allergic are you?” “I don’ think so,” Twilight wavered back and forth a bit before regaining her balance. “It's just a bit late maybe... haven't been sleeping so well...” “Maybe I should walk you home then,” Fluttershy rose to her hooves, the quakes that had wracked her body having vanished entirely as she drew even with the unicorn, extending out a wing to support her friend. Allowing Twilight to use the her as a crutch, Fluttershy made her way towards the cottage door. “Th... thanks, Fluttershy, I don't know what's come over me... maybe I should sleep in tomorrow. Midweek is usually... pretty slow anyways at the library.” Twilight tried to put on a reassuring grin, but managed only a grimace as a wave of nausea washed over her. “Hurk... oh yeah, a good night's rest in my own comfy, comfy bed...” “And you'll be so nice and cozy in your snuggly wuggly bed,” Fluttershy smiled, grasping the door handle in her mouth, pulling it open as she bore the unicorn's steadily sagging weight. Oof… maybe the hospital would be shorter from here… Or Sweet Apple Acres even, Fluttershy wondered silently, trying to shift the unicorn farther onto her back. “Hee, hee... snuggly wuggly... you silly filly. I'm not a foal...” Twilight giggled as she closed her eyes, a dumb little smile making its way onto her face as the pair stepped into the cool night air. “Of course you're not,” Fluttershy nodded, sweat building on her brow as the unicorn leaned more and more heavily on the pegasus. “You’re a big filly.” “Yeah! I’mma big filly!” Twilight squealed excitedly, swaying wildly as she pumped a hoof into the air. I don't think either of us are in any condition to get you anywheres, Fluttershy thought to herself as she gave the unicorn an extended look. Twilight trembled slightly as she leaned against her friend, her brow darkened from sweat as her hooves struggled to maintain her balance. For the moment, the pegasus was the only thing keeping the unicorn from face-planting directly into the ground. “Twilight?” “Yeah, silly pony?” The unicorn giggled deliriously. “You know... there's a really comfortable bed right upstairs. It's so very nice and soft... just the thing to make you feel all better,” Fluttershy offered, slowly steering them back towards the cottage. “Tha sounds nice...but where would you sleep?” “Oh, don't worry about me. I can always sleep on the couch,” she grunted, shifting more of Twilight’s weight onto herself, “or I could even bring in a nice, fluffy cloud to sleep on.” “Oooo… a cloud, that sounds really nice an—Oof!” Just as Fluttershy managed to get the cottage door open all the way, the weight became too much. The unicorn's hooves, unable to find purchase on the wood floor, slipped and left the pegasus bearing Twilight's full weight, sending the pair to the ground in a heap. “H-h-heavy...” Fluttershy huffed, one wing pinned in an awkward position as the other was being crushed against the floor. That’s going to be sore in the morning... “Come on, Twilight,” she pleaded with unicorn. Twilight had apparently slipped into unconsciousness, Fluttershy only getting a half-mumble for her troubles. “Fluttershy! Hey, Fluttershy!” a familiar voice called out from behind them in a rather unfamiliar, panicked tone. However, the Fluttershy simply couldn’t process it until she felt the unicorn's weight rolled off of her. “Are you two okay?” Twilight gave a little giggle and a snort before falling silent again. “You two have been sneaking cider without me? How could you?!” “Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy gasped, thankful for the night air that filled her lungs before finding more questions to ask. “What are you doing all the way out here”—she sucked in a few more lungfuls—“at this time of night?” “My Pinkie-sense, silly,” the pink earth pony submitted bluntly with a knowing grin, leaving the pegasus baffled. “But nothing fell, and I certainly wouldn't call this”—she gestured to the collapsed unicorn—“a doozy, she just fainted...” “Well, I did get a doozy... just not about here. It was… It is...” Pinkie stammered, drawing a knowing smile from the pegasus. It was just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie after all. She’d always had a knack for just being in the right place at the right time and Fluttershy certainly wasn't going to question it at a time like this. “You can tell me all about it in a minute, but we should really get Twilight into my bed so I can take a look at her. I might have to send you to fetch Nurse Redheart too,” Fluttershy stated, casting a worried glance at the purple lump blocking the doorway. The pink-furred mare nodded exuberantly before burrowing under the unconscious unicorn before rising with her balanced precariously on her back. “So what happened?” Pinkie asked as she trotted into the main room of the cottage, Twilight murmuring in her sleep, sweat dripping from her forehead despite the cool breeze coming from the door. “And it better not be cider related.” “I don't know... I think maybe she had a allergic reaction or something to my—” Fluttershy didn't make it another word and Pinkie didn't make it another step as the cottage was suddenly filled with a blinding flash of magenta light, the pair finding themselves hurled outwards. The yellow pegasus found herself thrown hard against against a window, the glass crackling underneath her from the sheer force, while Pinkie was nearly pitched through the cottage door. The pink pony's body pinned awkwardly against the door frame, half of her limbs whipping about under the influence of an unnatural wind while the other half struggled to hold her in place, scrabbling for something to grab or grip or hook on to. At first, Fluttershy eyes screwed shut as she tried to look at the source of their distress, the wind tearing through her fur and feathers. The light was nearly bright enough to see even through her eyelids. Slowly she fought to open them before the wind snapped them wide open. Fluttershy's pupils expanded in horror as she stared at Twilight. Her friend's eyes stared out at nothing and, more than that, they were nothing. The unicorn’s once lavender eyes had been replaced by an unnatural pair of glowing white orbs. Twilight's gaze darted wildly as her body contorted strangely into seemingly impossible forms for any pony not made of rubber or at least double or triple jointed. Bolts of magic shot out from her writing form, leaving scorch marks on the wooden floor. A stray bolt hit a tea cup and leaving a tiny ficus tree in its place before slowly the magic condensed to form a solid barrier of crackling magic around the unicorn. “Twilight!” Pinkie yelled over the cacophony of snaps and crackles exuded by the display of unicorn magic before her. “Twiligh—” The pink pony didn't get to finish as a fresh burst of tremors coursed through her body, Fluttershy watching as Pinkie vibrated along the frame and right out the door, disappearing with an audible yelp. “Pinkie!” Fluttershy called after the earth pony, just barely able to hear a resounding thunk from outside, before turning her attention back to Twilight and their more immediate problem. The sheer volume of magical energy set Fluttershy's fur on end as she felt herself being pressed hard against the window. She could hear the glass slowly splintering beneath her as she stared at her friend's floating form. She needed to get herself onto something more solid as quickly as she could. Then she had to get to Twilight somehow and do… ...something! “Twilight!” Fluttershy cried out as she rolled herself carefully across the window and, legs shaking and wobbling beneath the strain of the magic bursts. She managed to rise to all fours, albeit shifted ninety degrees up from what gravity would normally allow. The pegasus panted, her legs constantly buffeted by the cyclone of magical energies that filled the cottage. As she looked around, she found the main room deserted, save for herself and Twilight. I hope everyone's alright, the pegasus thought to herself as she stared at the spot where her couch was pressed against the wall, her lapine assistant, along with all the other animals, having disappeared from sight. “Twilight?! Twilight, can you hear me?!” If the unicorn could, she gave no sign of it, eyes continuing to dart every which way, blindly searching for something. The unicorn's face was a contorted into a mixture of fear and pain as her body twisted about beneath her, head and horn staying eerily still. Gathering all her strength, Fluttershy began to inch her way along the wall, moving away from the front door and towards the kitchen. Twilight had ended up almost perfectly in the center of the room, leaving only one way to get close to the writhing unicorn. “If you can hear me, Twilight,” Fluttershy yelled out as she tentatively tapped a hoof on the ceiling before, feeling the magical energies rolling over her in waves, “I'll be there soon!” Okay, Fluttershy... remember... it’s just a hop… The pegasus rocked herself back and forth on her hooves. ...a skip... Flaring her wings, she locked her eyes on her friend. ...and a jump! Fluttershy brought her wings down in as powerful a stroke as she was capable of as she pushed off the wall with all four legs, twisting herself into an upright position just before the magical wind caught in her wings, unceremoniously slamming her right into the ceiling. “Ooooo.....” she moaned as she lay, stunned, on the ceiling. That was a really bad idea… But it had worked. The same pressure that had pressed her against the wall was now working to keep the pegasus on the ceiling. “Need to...” The pegasus huffed as she rolled over onto her hooves, rising unsteadily on them. “...practice landing.” She could feel the blood rushing to her head as she crawled along a ceiling joist, using it to steady her steps as she drew closer to the unicorn. The arcane winds that tore at her grew steadily worse and more chaotic as she closed the last few feet between her and Twilight. Soon enough, she found herself crouched just above the unicorn, the barrier snapping at the pegasus with bursts of energy. Being so close, she could just make out the nigh imperceptible tendrils of energy that reached towards her from the magenta sphere. “Tw-Twilight!” “Fl-flu...” the unicorn stuttered as her white, sightless eyes turned towards the trembling pegasus above, breaths coming in stuttering gasps. “Yes!” Fluttershy yelled back, her voice growing hoarse as she felt her energy slowly bleeding away as the tendrils of magenta energy grasped her. “I-I'm right here, Twilight.” “Whuh... what's going on?” Twilight nearly whispered, sounding like a lost little foal. “Why can't I see you?” “I have no idea,” the pegasus cried out, tears cresting her windswept eyes as she tried to lift herself onto her hind legs, wings adjusting to keep her balanced. “Just know I'm here, Twilight.” “I... you're here?” the unicorn asked in obvious confusion as she tried to close her eyes to no avail. With a frustrated grunt, Twilight gave up, shaking her head back and forth before turning once again to face Fluttershy. “Wh-where are we?” “You're still in my cottage,” she stated, trying to reassure the visibly frightened unicorn, her body at least seeming to have calmed since they started talking. “Everything's going to be okay, Twilight. Just focus on my voice and repeat what I say. ‘Everything's going to be okay.’” “Okay, I... I trust you, Fluttershy,” the unicorn replied, biting her lip as a stray tear bled out of her eyes before flying off to splatter against the wall. “Everything will be okay... every will be okay...” “Everything will be okay,” Fluttershy replied, hind legs shaking terribly as she stretched her upper body towards her friend. She grimaced as the winds buffeted her, threatening to send her tumbling back across the ceiling. “Every...  thing...”—she reached a forehoof down, wings buzzing ceaselessly against the winds—”will… be...ok—” She snatched her hoof back with a cry of pain, barrier crackling. “Fluttershy?!” the unicorn yelled, her body spasming as her face twisted into a look of worry, blank eyes glancing around the ceiling. “Fluttershy?! What happened?! Are you still there?!” “Ev... everything will be okay,” Fluttershy repeated the mantra as calmly as she could, staring at the scorched tip of her hoof as tears blurred her vision and her body threatened to give out from the strain. “Everything will be... will be okay.” Fluttershy bit her lip hard as she reached her hoof out once more. She could feel the energy of the barrier, the crackling power that coursed through as it drew power not only from the unicorn, but everything around her as well. She could feel the scorching heat as with gritted teeth she plunged the hoof through the barrier. As her foreleg passed into the bubble of energy, time seemed to stumble for a moment, the winds slowing to a stiff breeze as Fluttershy felt... something... There was a presence that tapped into her own energy as she stretched her hoof towards her friend. Suddenly, she was being watched from everywhere at once, unseen eyes examining her carefully and thoroughly. Who do we have here? a soundless voice inquired, its tone curious and nonchalant as the phantom watchers circled her. Everything will be alright… Ignoring the strange voice, she made one last, desperate thrust towards Twilight and found her. Her hoof coming to rest on the unicorns mane, a thousand staring eyes watching the act as the storm returned full force, the energy of the barrier coursing through the pegasus, sapping her. “I'm right here, Twilight,” she whispered weakly, the unicorn's body settling as the white glow began to fade from her eyes and, with it, the unknown observers fading away as well. With a loud pop, both ponies dropped to the cottage floor in an unmoving heap, the magenta glow dispelled as the magical winds were snuffed at their source. The cottage sat still for the moment, only the sounds of labored breathing to be heard within. [o-0-o] “Fluttershy! Twilight!” The sudden cry stirred Twilight, drawing a long groan from the unicorn as a blur of pink and magenta appeared above her. “Omigosh! I was so worried when I got thrown out the door. I was all like whoosh right out the door and then I hit the tree and I was a little woozy for a while and there was still all sorts of crazy coming out of here and—” “Pinkie?” Twilight interrupted with a groan. “What happened? What are you doing here?” “Well, I was sleeping upstairs at Sugarcube Corner when my Pinkie-sense started acting really weird! I vibrated right off my bed and almost went right out the win... dow...” Pinkie trailed off as a soft whimper emanated from the yellow-furred lump at her hooves. “Fluttershy?” “It hurts...” The pegasus was curled tightly around herself, shuddering. “Fluttershy!” Twilight exclaimed as her consciousness returned fully, rolling unsteadily onto her hooves, Pinkie helping to steady her as the pair looked down at the trembling pegasus. “What is it? What's wrong? What happened?” “My... my... everywhere...” she muttered in response, struggling to uncurl enough to show the pair. Pinkie knelt beside the pegasus and began running a steady hoof through Fluttershy's limp mane, her own sagging as she teared up. “It's okay, Fluttershy,” Pinkie whispered with a sad smile. “Auntie Pinkie’s here.” “I'm a... a...” “A year older than me...  yeah, I know,” Pinkie finished for her with a hollow giggle. “Auntie Pinkie's still here for you.” “Twi... Twilight?” “I'm here,” Twilight spoke softly as the pegasus's trembling turquoise eyes met her own. Slowly, but surely the pegasus uncurled to reveal her injury. Twilight restrained a gasp as she saw her friend's hoof, the entire end of her leg looked like a solid cylinder of ash. “I can't... I can't...” Fluttershy couldn't feel her hoof, but there was the pain: a throbbing, searing pain that ripped the breath from her and sent her thoughts scurrying away. “I... I...” Twilight stuttered for a moment, her brain searching for something, anything. “A first aid spell?” “Anything, Twilight,” Pinkie gave her affirmation, still trying to comfort the pegasus as best she could. Twilight closed her eyes in concentration as she focused on the charred hoof. She held her breath as she tried to tap into her magic, opening an eye to find that few magenta sparks falling ineffectively from her horn before a sudden splitting headache overwhelmed her. The unicorn groaned as she threw herself to the floor, hooves grasping at her temples to soothe the sudden ache. Tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, she reached a trembling hoof up to her horn before yanking it back. “Ahh!”  It was scorching hot to touch. As she glanced up at the spire of fleshy bone she could see wisps of smoke whipping away from its still white-hot surface, the smell of singed mane invading her nostrils. “What's wrong, Twilight?” Pinkie asked, a hoof moving methodically through the pegasus's mane, a twinge of panic in her voice. “Twili...” Fluttershy groaned weakly, her eyes blinking rapidly as if on the verge of fainting dead away, everything around her a multi-colored blur. “I...I...” Twilight's brain was seemingly unable to process anything for a moment before a single phrase replayed itself in her mind. “Everything will be alright.” “Ev—Every...” “Everything, Fluttershy. Everything will be alright.” “Everything will be alright… Everything will be alright...” As she took up the steady mantra she could hear Twilight and Pinkie talking, but already everything was blurring into an incomprehensible mass. Soon she could only hear her voice… and another’s... Everything will be alright...