Chapter Thirteen
Eyes crossed as she stared at the abruptly slammed door inches in front of her muzzle, Applejack sneezed from the dust shaken loose by that violent impact. Dagnabbit! she grumbled to herself, This is jes’ ridic’lous! “Fluttershy,” she began, only to be cut off by a terror-stricken voice.
“Nopony’s home! Just…just go away!”
Tipping her Stetson back a bit, Applejack scowled, deep in thought. Much as she liked Fluttershy, her timidity quite often tried Applejack’s patience. Now, it was not as if Applejack suffered from overweening braggadocio. Far from it! In fact, more often than not, she perfectly understood the reasons behind her friend’s timorousness. And, fact of the matter, she completely sympathized—emphasized, as well—with Fluttershy this time.
Not that even her closest friends were aware of them, but Applejack had fears of her own. However, the difference between Fluttershy and herself, as Applejack saw it, was that, while she refused to be ruled by her fears, Fluttershy allowed herself to be controlled and dictated by hers.
Sometimes.
Applejack softly snorted. On those—admitted rare—instances when Fluttershy rose to the occasion…
Momentarily grinning in recollection, Applejack then heaved a heartfelt sigh. Spike had not sounded as if it would be nice should Fluttershy wish to “just drop by for a chat”. Nibbling her lip as she pondered matters, clear as clear could be was the understanding that, one way or another, by whatever means it took, Fluttershy would be returning with Applejack back to Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle.
Go, please, and bring Fluttershy back with you.
Yup. No dang way t’ have misunderstood thet!
About to knock once again, Applejack’s ears swiveled forwards. Huh, she thought, Ah ain’t never heard it this quiet afore! And, indeed, she hadn’t. Now, it was not that Fluttershy’s cottage was always loud and noisy—although, at times, it could be—but normally it was, well…lively. Cheeping and chirping. Grunts and growls. Clucks, hoots, quacks, and honks. Just as it had been only a minute ago.
But, not now.
“Fluttershy,” Applejack began, choosing a method she really was not at all good at: wheedling. “Ah know yer scared. Heck, Ah’m scared, too. Ah ain’t never gonna fergit whut happened. Ah still gots th’ willies,” she confessed. “And th’ last thing Ah ever want t’ do is go back there with thet other Twalaight there.”
“But Ah’m goin’ t’ go back.” Applejack waited a few heartbeats. “Cuz Spike needs me t’ come back. He needs mah help.” She waited a few more heartbeats.
“And he really needs yer help, Fluttershy.”
Shifting her weight from one rear hoof to the other, Applejack waited about ten seconds. “Ah guess whut it all comes down t’ is whether or not ye trust Spike.” Swiveled ears began hearing soft rustles, low peeps, and quiet chirps from inside. Waiting about a minute this time, Applejack cautiously nudged open the door then peered around the slitted opening. Her heart almost stopped when her eyes were immediately met by a pair of glowing eyes staring right back.
Eyes with a rather large bear attached.
Once she was sure her heart hadn’t stopped, Applejack noisily cleared her throat. “Ah,” she began, “It’s Harry, yep?”
A deep rumble was the only response. Swallowing, Applejack gamely forged ahead. “Harry, Ah need t’ speak t’ Fluttershy. It’s important. Really important. Honest,” she mildly but firmly emphasized that last word.
She was just beginning to figure out possible ways of bypassing Harry—and survive doing so; no mean feat there—when, with a grunt, he dropped down to all fours before moving back and away from the door. “Thankee kindly thar, Harry,” she courteously said, then took several steps inside before coming to a complete, dead stop.
At the far end of the cottage, trembling—if not outright cowering—was Fluttershy, absolutely surrounded with and huddled by every creature in her cottage save for Harry, who was, even now, returning to Fluttershy.
Well, almost every creature. For what had frozen Applejack dead in her tracks was the small white rabbit blocking the path between the front door and Fluttershy.
Angel Bunny.
Lowering her head, Applejack gravely looked at Angel before speaking, her voice serious and sober. “Ah hafta, Angel. Ah wish Ah didn’t, but Ah do. And she does, too. Y’all know Spike wouldn’t summon Fluttershy if it wasn’t absolut’ly necessary.” Pausing a moment, Applejack added, “And iffen it’s scary fer me and fer Fluttershy, jes’ imagine how scared Spike must be feelin’. Up thar all by his lonesome with thet Twalaight.”
There was a sharp, loud, and shocked gasp as Fluttershy’s head snapped up. “S-s-s-Spike…Spike went back? He’s with her, all by himself?”
It did not require the Element of Honesty for Applejack to clarify, “Doc Horse and Nurse Redheart are there w’ him,” she plainly stated.
Before she could continue, Fluttershy shakily rose to her hooves, coat twitching as she blurted, “But Twilight asked them to stay! And told all of us to run!” Applejack nodded in agreement as Fluttershy continued, “Spike included! S-s-s-So why did he go back?”
“Well Fluttershy, ye see, thar was this letter from Princess Luna…”
“Go get something to drink,” Twilight almost growled. “And don’t tell me you don’t need one.”
After almost an hour of nonstop speaking, there was no way Spike would, or could, disagree with that. How under Celestia’s Sun, Twilight—well, his Twilight, that is—managed to lecture or monologue for hours on end without a break completely eluded understanding. “Thank you,” he replied, utterly sincere.
Padding to the doorway, he softly murmured to somepony just out of sight before returning to Twilight, who was—as she had been this last hour—reclined on her barrel atop her cushions. “So…while we wait for your refreshment to arrive,” she announced, “Let me recap what you’ve—well, we, I suppose,” somehow smothering a derisive, disbelieving snort, “have covered so far.”
Spike just stood there, jaw partially dropped, as Twilight—well, Miss Sparkle—began repeating—verbatim, no less!—everything Spike had explained to her. When his astonishment shifted to grins, though, she abruptly halted; when her expression turned flat and humorless, Spike felt his belly start turning to lead. “Finding something amusing?”
“Amusing? No,” he replied, startling her with his steady tone. “Fascinating? Yes. After all,” he grinned, “you’re the only individual I’ve met—so far, at least—other than me, who has eidetic-echoic memory. At least, that’s what Twilight calls it.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed, then, seconds later, she rattled off what had to be some type of mathematical formulae, one that lasted over a minute and, in addition, whose terminology was utterly foreign to him. Those narrowed eyes rounded as, the instant Twilight had finished, Spike —just as rapidly, and without a single pause or error—repeated it back.
Spike’s eyes then rounded as Twilight unstintingly commended, “That’s pretty amazing, especially since you didn’t understand that at all.”
“Thank you,” he replied, then sheepishly smiled, “And, you’re right. I didn’t understand.” His face fell for a moment, “I usually don’t understand most of what Twilight dictates, either,” he admitted. “I often wish I did,” he dolefully sighed. “It’s really hard to help her when I don’t have a clue about the things she treasures the most: knowledge, research, experimentation…you know?”
Since, in addition to the other history the little liz…dragon had lectured about, had been just how this Twilight had become friends with him…Really, she silently snorted, “Magically” hatched him from an egg? That “just happened” to be laying about? As some sort of final acceptance exam into an exclusive School for Gifted Unicorns?
Actually, the proper title was Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and just the thought of Celestia feigning interest in sponsoring gifted students was enough to infuriate her all over again. Prin-cess Celestia…Prin-ciple Celestia…A snake by any other name would backstab and betray just the same.
The same viper for which, by their very words, they wanted Twilight’s assistance:
Therefore, for several reasons, I feel that it is imperative that this Twilight Sparkle come to Canterlot. For one, she may have knowledge concerning the Crystal Mirror and the reasons behind its destruction. But, just as important, and for all concerned, simply seeing her presence here in Canterlot will do much to dispel any growing sense of fear and panic that will undoubtedly result if Celestia does not recover by morn.
A very secretive smile played at the corners of her lips. So…they don’t even want me there for myself. Not for my skills, my knowledge, my intellect. Oh, no! All they want from me is “my presence”. They don’t want, or care, about me at all. They just care about what I look like; whom I resemble!
Well, that might look like a smile, but there was absolutely no humor at all driving it. I’ll go, oh yes; I’ll go, for no other reason than to see what, if anything, these pseudo-Luddites know about that mirror portal. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to pretend to be anyone—or anypony, she sneeringly snorted, startling Spike, who had no idea of what was roiling beneath the otherwise calm surface she was displaying, just to make their life easier!
Her machinations were cut short by the arrival of Doctor Horse, who was levitating a tray atop which were two large mugs. Both he and Spike were taken aback at her sharp, angry objection, “Why are you serving us?” Her eyes dangerously glittered as she continued, “You’re a doctor, not a menial. Just whose idea was this?” she demanded.
“Well, mine, actually,” he mildly replied, the mugs now gleaming the same as his horn and tray were. One went to Spike, the other to Twilight, and, before she could retort, he rather firmly chided, “And I’m afraid, youngster, I decide what I wish to do.” Twilight’s cheeks heated, but the twinkle in his eyes belied the sternness in his tone.
The closer they came to the Castle, the slower Fluttershy’s steps became, her anxiety fitfully growing by leaps and bounds. Her determination had begun wavering as they were passing the cow barn on the path towards the southernmost bridge into Ponyville proper, and now that she was in the Uptown District and heading straight toward their destination…
Applejack was giving her high marks nonetheless, for not once had she made a single peep about changing her mind. Yes, yes, she had paused several times along the way, eyes squinched shut as lips moved as she silently mumbled to herself. But, not once had she quaveringly suggested that, perhaps—just perhaps!—she wasn’t really needed? That she could go back home to her cottage, where her forest friends might need more seed? More water?
What Applejack was truly wishing is that she’d dared taking the long way to the Castle of Friendship: head straight due north from Fluttershy’s cottage all the way up past the uptown district, then hang a curved left and coming at the Castle from the back. There were several drawbacks to that, however, first and foremost being the necessity of fording both Sunny River and Rolling River. And they wouldn’t be able to do so unnoticed, since, as nice as the day was, there’d undoubtedly be ponies at the Picnic Gazebo enjoying their lunches and the weather.
Which would completely negate the reason for the circuitous route.
She had already noticed the uneasy undercurrent threading its way through Ponyville as she had headed to Fluttershy’s. She knew no official news had been released from the Castle, but that did not mean a thing. Royal Canterlot Guardsponies flying in, then out…medical personnel dashing there…Castle staff most likely fleeing in terror…
Ayup. Official news at this point would be, not coming late to the party, but arriving after the guests had already left. Seeing Applejack and the increasingly timorous Fluttershy heading back to Friendship Castle would undoubtedly add more fuel to that fire. However, while Applejack could not do a thing about the chickens that had already flown the henhouse, she could at least keep the coop door closed. Gusting a sigh, Applejack accepted that being seen unmistakably sneaking their way there would cause more inflammatory speculation and gossip than simply heading their direct would do.
If only Fluttershy was not looking as if headed to her execution!
Surreptitiously glancing Doctor Horse’s direction as she conversed with Spike, Twilight went back over the—supposedly brief—history lessons he had provided. Starting with the history of the three individual pony tribes—earth, pegasus, and unicorn—that, through their mutual distrust and hostility had destroyed, not just their original lands, but had come perilously close to repeating that with their new homeland, finally concluding with fairly recent events—most notably, just how Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle had come into existence.
It had been an extreme struggle simulating mild interest and relaxed composure when all she wanted to do was disdainfully roll eyes and condescendingly snort in derisive commentary. Seriously? Immortal alicorns? Tree of Harmony? Element Bearers? Evil villains focused on world conquest and domination?
I probably should be taking notes, she considered. I could undoubtedly create a highly successful, wildly popular kids’ show out of this claptrap!
Much to her growing dismay, though, was the dawning, stomach-churning realization that everything here seemingly was driven, one way or another, by magic. Well, she amended, anything at all of a mechanical nature. Items that required any sort of power to operate did so utilizing “magic”. Ovens, for instance: it seemed that, although they could use natural energy sources such as wood, oil, or coal, quite often instead used some sort of magical source. And no few of the ones that did use natural sources of energy made use of magic to govern, to regulate, those sources!
Adding scorn and disdain to that increasing consternation was the sinking sensation that, although “magic” was, indeed, also natural energy—after all, wasn’t her Doctorate thesis: Magic: A Natural, Measurable Force?—the natives here had absolutely no concept of the rules by which that operated! As helpful as Doctor Horse had been—and, for that matter, was continuing to be—his explanations of the innate…talents, he called them…she now possessed were pure abracadabra; absolute hokum and hocus-pocus.
Ground and center…visualize…reach out and seek the lines…taste their flavors…become one with the flow…
Seriously?
Not a single theorem, fact, law, proof, or rule. Not even a theory! Just listen to his explanation about earth ponies!
Earth ponies have a special connection to nature, animals, and plants. Though they lack the ability to consciously cast spells like unicorns, or to fly and walk on clouds like Pegasi, their connection to nature makes them just as necessary as, and perhaps more important than, the other pony tribes.
“Special connection” to nature, animals, and plants, huh? Twilight mentally snorted at Doctor Horse’s explanation. I wonder…does that involve dried herbs, a pipe, and matches?
Nothing—absolutely nothing—existed that could not be defined by rules. Even entropy and chaos were defined by rules, by mathematical formulae! Yet these backwater yokels seemed completely oblivious to that fact!
It was so easy-peasy! Couldn’t they see that?
How in the name of Plank and Schrödinger they had managed constructing a functional, operational dimensional portal was simply beyond understanding. Well, she condescendingly reasoned, it is hypothesized that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type any given text. I suppose that works for ponies as well as monkeys.
Just as disturbing to her was this obscene fascination with friendship! Twilight went to rub throbbing temples, wincing as hard hooves smacked them. The Elements of Harmony? The Magic of Friendship? The ruling monarch of these demesnes—her dimensional counterpart—Princess Twilight Sparkle…Princess of Friendship?
From the way S-s-Spike had been talking as he had given her the dime tour of history, apparently this “Equestria” simply oozed with an overabundance of, and disturbing fascination with, friendship. She might have put that off as the little liz…dragon having been corrupted his entire life being the—Pet? Ward? Dependent? Pupil?—of this “Princess of Friendship", but Doctor Horse was just as indoctrinated, however in a subtler fashion. Speaking of Doctor Horse…
“I’d like another dose of the analgesic, please? My head is killing me.”
“Hmmm,” he muttered. “It’s not quite time for another,” he began. Before Twilight could tell him exactly what she thought of it not being “time for another”, he continued, “But you’re in obvious pain, and have been for almost a half-day. That often burns off doses faster than clinical trials might suggest.” She could hear the sympathetic smile in his voice as he finished, “So, to cut a long trot short: another dose, coming right up.”
Motion out of the corner of an eye caught her attention. Wincing as she injudiciously turned her head, ears swiveled backwards as she spotted two ponies at the door.
Quite familiar ponies at that. Especially since she had not seen any other pony with a Stetson hat. Her eyes hardened, ears partially pinning back, as she recognized these two from earlier today.
The other pony with the first simply froze with a tiny, tremulous “Eeep.”
Pausing just down the corridor from their bedroom destination, Applejack tried comforting Fluttershy who, at the moment, was violently quaking. But, before she could do or say anything at all, she heard Fluttershy softly, so very softly, repeating over and over, “Spike needs me…Spike needs me…Spike needs me…”
Taking several deeps breaths, Fluttershy’s coat shuddered one final time before she opened her eyes and looked at Applejack. “We should go now,” she whispered, “Before I lose my courage and run off.”
“Sugarcube,” Applejack said, her tone one of awe, admiration, and respect, “Y’all never cease t’ amaze me.”
Softly flushing, Fluttershy shyly peeped up at Applejack before taking a final, deep inhale and gusty exhale. And, with that, she started—admittedly slowly, but also quite determinedly—heading down the corridor towards the devastated room just ahead…
…and towards the dangerous creature—one who resembled her close and dear friend to an uncanny degree—who resided inside.
They had no sooner stepped into the scoured doorway then that very dangerous, extremely terrifying creature locked eyes with hers.
“Eeep.”
“What are you doing here?” Twilight addressed the two. Her tone was mild; neutral and expressionless. She might instead have been asking, “Is that a butterfly?”. But, for all that toneless vocalization, everypony in the room froze.
Well, except for Fluttershy: she started quaking again, in addition to turning into an ice sculpture.
Twilight’s head snapped to the side, staring at Spike as he quite matter-of factly stated, “I asked Fluttershy to come.”
“Why?” For some inexplicable reason, although her voice sounded exactly as it had just seconds ago, everypony—well, everypony except for Fluttershy, that is—relaxed a bit.
“Hold a moment, please?” he replied, and, to everypony’s surprise, after a second or two, Twilight simply nodded.
“Doctor Horse? Applejack?” Spike addressed them in turn. “If you’ll excuse us?” he requested, motioning to the yawning doorway.
Twilight rolled her eyes, seeing Fluttershy’s composure start disintegrating before her very eyes even as she simultaneously categorized the two mares. Applejack: Element Bearer, and Representative of Honesty. Fluttershy: Element Bearer, and Representative of Kindness. Huh. Looks like they both—especially Fluttershy!—could use a healthy dose of bravery!
Then she made the mistake of glancing around the room…and at the wreckage inside.
The wrack and ruin she had created.
It actually took all four of them several seconds to realize Twilight wasn’t simply patiently waiting but, instead, had ceased all movement, her eyes unblinking as pupils contracted to pinpricks. Moments later, her lids tightly closed, her ears slanted back, and her coat started jerkily twitching as she turned white as a sheet.
It’s no wonder they’re afraid! Look at the monster I’ve become! She softly keened in growing distress, started rocking back and forth, as hatred and loathing boiled and bubbled within…as did the energies within her, pounding against the prison of the potions Twilight had imbibed.
What’s happened to me? she mentally wailed. What’s happening to me? I…I’d put this all behind me! Controlled—locked away—emotions! I’d beaten them! Years of training, years of strict discipline: probing and pursuing every little trick, every technique; mastering sensitivity, bridling resentment, suppressing and crushing humiliation…never to be hurt again…Mistress of my own Destiny, my own Fate…
Somehow, some way, this world…this corporal form she inhabited…those energies roiling inside…this magic…was destroying the very fabric of who she was. And, concurrent with that loss, was releasing a demon inside her that she’d thought she’d forever vanquished.
Twilight had been so very successful at her tight, rigid control that, by now, it was so instinctive she had believed it to be ironclad and adamantine. She had long since discarded the scaffolding once the foundations had been firmly set and the structure completed. But now that structure was cracking and splintering, and there was nothing remaining behind to keep it from fracturing complete.
The years started unwinding; Twilight felt herself helplessly begin regressing…
“Shhhh. Shhhh. Don’t be afraid. You’re not alone. It’s OK to cry. Tears are cleansing, so cry if you wish. Don’t be afraid, though. Nopony and nothing is going to hurt you. You’re safe. I promise.”
Slowly, those sounds percolated through to her consciousness. And the more Twilight focused on those mesmerizing murmurs the more she became aware of the here-and-now. There was a warm blanket over her. Someone was gently rocking her. Someone was soothingly crooning to her. Twilight parted tear-glued lids, peering out through gummy lashes…
Fluttershy?
And that wasn’t a blanket over her, it was Fluttershy’s wing.
Completely calm and composed, her softly gleaming cyan orbs gazed down at Twilight as Fluttershy gently rocked her. “Shhh!” Fluttershy gently soothed. “Just relax. You’ve had a very difficult time today. Medicine helps, but sleep and snuggles help, too. Don’t worry about anything right now. Just close your eyes…that’s it!” she praised, as Twilight surprised herself by closing her eyes without a thought. “Just close your eyes and relax. You’re safe. Nothing and nopony is going to bother you or hurt you. I promise.”
The last conscious thought Twilight had before drifting off to sleep was that she’d never before in her life heard anyone sound so absolutely positive about anything.