“Like, aren’t you scared of ponies?”
Sonata asked Fluttershy that question as Sonata sat on her rump in the dark tunnels underneath the Big Thunder Mine, stretching out her hind legs as she worked them over softly with her arms, making sure they were all recovered after Fluttershy healed them.
Fluttershy didn’t know what to say.
The answer was yes and no; Fluttershy was still afraid of ponies— she was still afraid of everything!— but she knew she didn’t have to be. She knew her friends would keep her safe, and more than that she knew that she didn’t need or deserve to live the rest of her life in fear.
Fluttershy hummed, looking down at a tiny, vicious little dragon. While obviously dragons and animals weren’t the same, it was hard not to be reminded of some of Fluttershy’s woodland critter friends when she looked at Sonata. Fluttershy had dealt with enough critters to recognize when one was lashing out due to fear.
“I used to be,” Fluttershy said with a soft smile. “Not anymore though.”
That wasn’t entirely true, but it was true enough in Fluttershy’s heart, and she wanted to comfort Sonata, which she couldn’t do if she was completely forthright about her own anxieties.
“Like, how?” Sonata hummed, Fluttershy’s ears flicking at the sweet sound of her voice. “How are you not scared? Ponies are dangerous! All they want is to kill us!”
“I’m still scared of the Slayers,” Fluttershy confessed, feeling like she could— and should— be honest with Sonata. “But I know now that not even the Slayers want to harm us. They’re scared. They’re afraid of us, just like we’re afraid of them. All they want is to be safe and happy, just like us, and they’ve been tricked into thinking we’re a danger to that. Just like us.
“But that fear doesn’t excuse their violence toward us, and our fear doesn’t give us the right to commit atrocities on the ponies who have done nothing to us.”
“I just don’t get it,” Sonata pouted, and it was hard not to feel sorry for her. “My friends are all so much smarter than me, and they all tell me that ponies are dangerous! They’re the ones who’ve taken care of me and been nice to me, but ponies have only ever treated me like a monster!”
“You should meet some of my friends,” Fluttershy smiled gleefully at the thought of her friends, and thinking about introducing Sonata to them. “They’re all super nice, and I promise they would make you feel welcomed, even though most of them are ponies.
“You just, y’know,” Fluttershy flicked a claw gently on the rocky ground, “you need to stop killing ponies and reanimating corpses.”
“Wow, you’re amazing, Fluttershy,” Sonata cooed, and it made Fluttershy blush. “How’re you not scared? You must be tough as nails!”
“What are you talking about?” Fluttershy laughed bashfully and hid her face in her mane. “I’m terrified! But I know that my fear isn’t an excuse to not do what I believe is right.”
“That’s still heckin’ brave of you!” Sonata cheered, flitting this way and that as she fawned over Fluttershy. “Strong too!” Sonata grabbed Fluttershy’s bicep and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re incredible!”
“I’m nothing special,” Fluttershy insisted, even as she felt like she was starting to sweat from the warmth of Sonata’s praise. Sonata was really cute, and nice, and her praising Fluttershy felt so good…
“You are so special!” Sonata cheered, pumping her little fists. “You’re the most specialist dragon in the whole world if you ask me!”
“Please,” Fluttershy covered her face with her wing, “you’ll make me blush.”
“You’re kinda cute when you blush, so it’s okay,” Sonata giggled, and Fluttershy bit her lip and totally shielded her face with her wings, feeling like she was gonna burn up from the heat in her cheeks.
Sonata dug her way past Fluttershy’s wing shield and rested her claws on Fluttershy’s snout, pressing her own gently against it.
“I’m weak,” Sonata whispered. “I’m weak and soft, and I always need everyone else to protect me. I’m not strong like you are”
“I think you’re plenty strong,” Fluttershy smiled softly. She was starting to feel a little woozy, but focusing on Sonata helped her stay in the moment. “And if you want, I can protect you.”
“You would?” Sonata asked, and when Fluttershy saw the stars gleaming in Sonata’s eyes, she felt a warmth inside her chest and knew she couldn’t possibly refuse.
“I would,” Fluttershy said dreamily.
“You should run away with me,” Sonata whispered in Fluttershy’s ear, giving it a gentle nibble. “You should meet my friends.”
“I would like that,” Fluttershy sighed contently, losing herself in Sonata’s voice.
“You should forget about your own friends,” Sonata’s whisper took on a more sinister tone, and Fluttershy’s ears flicked up.
“I—I couldn’t—”
“You could,” Sonata hummed, and her humming was like the sweetest melody Fluttershy had ever heard. “You can. Run away with me, Fluttershy. Leave everything else behind.”
“Sonata Dusk,” Fluttershy sighed, her eyes lazily looking over Sonata as her heart fell under Sonata’s siren song, “I would love to.”