Painful Reprieve

by Shinigamimirror


Unplanned Guest

Fluttershy was trotting outside her cottage with a basket of carrots in her mouth. She was quietly humming to herself blissfully as she looked up at the humming birds buzzing around her head. It was another beautiful day in Ponyville. She had followed the path to a small burrow of bunnies. Upon hearing Fluttershy humming, four bunnies came out sniffing the air.

Fluttershy set the basket down by their hole and smiled. "Well hello there little ones. I brought you some nice carrots for your family." She took the carrots out and placed them in front of the bunnies. "Eat up my cute little bunnies." She cooed as she nuzzled the bunnies with her muzzle. She grabbed the basket and turned to head back when she thought she saw a flash of light off in the distance. The humming birds flying around her head tensed, and looked at Fluttershy hesitantly.

"Did you see that too?" She asked. The humming birds nodded. Fluttershy looked in the direction she saw the flash. The smell of burnt grass reached her nose. "Uh Oh, that smells like fire!" Her eyes widened as she saw some smoke in the distance. She spread her wings to take flight. "If that's a fire, I should go make sure there aren't any creatures in trouble."

Fluttershy flew off in the direction of the smoke. As she drew closer, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. It brought her to the very edge of the Everfree. She had to squint to see what looked like a black circle in the grass. Her confusion intensified when she saw there wasn't any fire. "What is that?" she questioned to the birds that were following her. She hovered over the crater, studying what at first looked like to be a pile of burnt rags. "Oh My!" Her pupils dilated when she realized what she saw.

"I need to get Twilight!"


"Spike, what's next on the list?" Twilight stopped and looked back at her dragon assistant expectantly. Spike was following along with his face in a checklist, not noticing and bumped right into her flank, knocking him down. He fell on to the parchment with a thud. He shook his head and gave twilight an annoyed expression.

"Twilight, you have to stop doing that!" He moaned as he scratched his head. He brushed himself off as he got up, taking another glance at the list. "It looks like we need some quills and a new inkwell from the quills and sofa shop." He pointed down the street of Ponyville towards the shop.

"Spike I'm sorry, but you need to focus." She said with slight irritation. "I want this book re-shelving to go as planned this time--" She gave Spike a glance of disapproval as she thought about how terrible the last one ended up. Spike just rolled his eyes. "I have some new books to add to the library that I've been waiting to find a better spot for!" She beamed. Just thinking about how to organize her new books made her gush. "The new Digestive Habits of Gryphons is a splendid addition to our collection!"

" I know Twilight. We do this weekly." He said flatly. "Once we grab these quills we can go back home. It's the last thing on the list. Then we can..." Spike was interrupted by a soft voice.

"I'm sorry to interrupt spike, but um...Twilight. I need your help." It was Fluttershy. There was urgency in her voice and she looked nervous. She was floating above them giving Twilight a furtive look. Twilight looked up at her friend and her heart sank. She could tell something was bothering her friend.

"Hi Fluttershy. Is something wrong?" Twilight looked at her friend with concern.

"I found a strange creature by the everfree forest." Fluttershy said incredulously. "I've never seen anything like it. Twilight, you have to come quick. It looks hurt." Fluttershy looked at Twilight expectantly with deep concern.

"Alright." She nodded at Fluttershy. "Spike, get on. I may need you to send a message to Princess Celestia." She said with determination. Twilight spread her wings to let Spike get on. "Fluttershy, lead the way." Twilight said as she took off with a slight wobble.


As they neared closer to the Everfree forest, Twilight gasped at the scene below. There was a shallow crater in the ground about 10 feet in diameter. The grass within the crater was charred and blackened. The smell of fire wafted up as they descended. In the center of the crater was something Twilight had never seen before. In the center of the crater, something resembling a naked diamond dog laid un-moving. It was covered in tattered and burnt cloth. There were burn marks all over its pink white skin.

"We have to help it Twilight!" Fluttershy insisted as they landed right outside the crater.

"Hold on Fluttershy." Twilight said "We don't know what that is. I've never seen or read about something like that before. What if it's dangerous? Look at what it did to the grass" She pointed to the singed crater. Fluttershy looked taken aback.

"Twilight I have to help this poor thing! We have to do something." Fluttershy took a step towards the creature, putting her hoof on to the charred grass. She looked back to Twilight with puppy-dog eyes. "Twilight, do you trust me? Something is telling me that this creature really needs us." Fluttershy took a first aid kit out of her saddle bag.

Twilight's face softened. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. I...just...hold on." Twilight's horn lit up as she scanned the creature for any dangerous magic. "Okay Fluttershy. I trust you." Fluttershy quickly closed the distance. She put her head by the creatures nose. "It's still breathing, but these burn marks look terrible and it's out cold. Twilight we need to get it to a hospital." She said as she began to dress the burns.

Twilight shook her head. "We can't bring this to the hospital. If this really is an undocumented species, the hospital won't be much use...it's for ponies. "What about your cottage?"

Fluttershy shook her head slowly. "With all the other creatures I have in my cottage, I don't think there is enough room." She said sadly. A long pause filled the silence as she wrapped the creature up in bandages.

"I can take him to my lab under the library." Twilight said sounding unsure. This whole time Spike was just standing behind Twilight watching quietly with his jaw open.

"Oh thank you Twilight." Fluttershy said as she sighed in relief.

"Twilight, you can't take it into the lab. We don't know anything about it!" Spike interjected.

"That's true Spike, but we will be prepared and I plan on taking some extra precautions. Spike, send a letter to Celestia." Spike pulled out a parchment and quill, and began writing. " She needs to know we found an unknown creature by the everfree, and that I will be housing it in my lab for study...er...uh..." She flustered and looked at Fluttershy, who was too occupied offering first aid to the creature. Twilight continued. "I mean to nurse it back to health. Tell Celestia I will keep her updated on my findings." Spike sent the parchment up in green flames.

"Okay Fluttershy, I'm going to teleport us to my lab. Are you ready?" Fluttershy just nodded while she attempted to tend to the creatures wounds.