A busy day at the train station dawned on the ponies as Fluttershy and Roach hustled their way onboard the first train to Canterlot. As to keep the true nature of their mission a secret, Roach had disguised himself as Rarity to make the trip more believable.
“Excuse me. Pardon me,” Fluttershy squeaked as the ponies moved out of the way for the shy pony, allowing the secret Jedi and her partner to get to the train on time. As the two made their way towards the train, the infamous robed figure of Starswirl the Bearded was on their trail and decided to follow them.
“Morning ladies! First train to Canterlot, I take it?” The conductor asked as Fluttershy and “Rarity” presented their tickets to him.
“Yes please,” Fluttershy responded, having been used to this routine since she first started going on adventures, as the conductor nodded and took the tickets from them.
“Sure do miss Princess Twilight, huh? Boy, one whole year, and I kinda miss seeing her drag you two along for the ride,” The conductor laughed as Fluttershy smiled along. The two ponies then hopped on board with their luggage as the train moved quickly toward Canterlot. As Fluttershy and Roach loaded their luggage on the seats opposite of them, the two sat down and relaxed, waiting for their destination.
“So...are you still sure you’re ready to face whoever’s behind this?” Roach asked through his Rarity disguise as Fluttershy took a deep breath.
“I...I don’t think I am, to be honest. But I’m not sure if we have much of a choice. Twilight’s in Canterlot, in danger, and I’m the only one who could sense it. I can’t just ignore this feeling,” Fluttershy reaffirmed as Roach sat back down and twiddled his hooves, hoping to find some way to help the situation.
“You really think we can figure this out in the end?” Roach asked as Fluttershy once again turned to her changeling companion.
“All we can do is hope,” Fluttershy sighed as Roach couldn’t think of what to do next if this doesn’t work out. Roach took a sigh himself and got up from his seat to get a snack from the next train car over, only to notice one small flaw in the overall plan. They forgot to account for the chance the real Rarity would be boarding the train. With a slight squee in his impression of Rarity, Roach sheepishly sank back into the train car with Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy, darling. Might you accompany me, a fellow darling, to the bathroom for a moment, darling? We...really need to go. Like, now, darling,” Roach said, trying to clue Fluttershy in while keeping their presence undetected. Although the overabundance of the word “darling” certainly helped.
“Roach, what are you--?” Fluttershy asked as she nudged her head out the car door and found Rarity along with Pinkie Pie. And they were headed in Fluttershy and Roach’s direction, causing alarm in the hidden Jedi and disguised changeling.
“Right. Bathroom it is,” Fluttershy said as she and “Rarity” rushed in the opposite direction, much to the alarm of the other ponies.
“Scuse me. Pardon me. Sorry!” Fluttershy said as she and Roach accidentally kept on knocking into ponies on the train, hoping to find someplace to hide for just a few seconds. And then finally, after five cars in, they found the little pony’s room and crammed themselves in, all the while the real Rarity and Pinkie Pie tracked Fluttershy down, much to their confusion.
“Fluttershy? Is that you in there, darling?” The real Rarity asked as she knocked on the bathroom door.
“Ummm...no?” Fluttershy said as she couldn’t think of a better lie.
“Then why do you sound like Fluttershy? You two look and sound exactly the same,” Pinkie Pie argued as Fluttershy muttered something to herself, trying to think of something while Roach needed to buy time to switch to a new disguise. As she slowly ran out of options, Fluttershy thought now would be a good time to put that good old Jedi training to use.
“Maybe it’s...just a massive coincidence,” Fluttershy said, waving her hoof around she felt a gentle breeze brush against her hoof. A solid four seconds passed before a response came from the other side.
“I dunno Rarity. Maybe it’s just a massive coincidence,” Pinkie Pie replied, much to Rarity’s surprise.
“Darling, a lot of ponies are saying they saw another me on here with Fluttershy, and I can very much tell that’s Fluttershy on the other side of this door. Now could you please tell me what’s going on?” Rarity ranted as Pinkie Pie watched on. Fluttershy gritted her teeth worried that Rarity is on Roach’s tail, putting the whole Jedi mission in jeopardy. But as worried as she was, she was relieved her mind trick was able to work. Now she needed to use it again and convince the both of them there was no funny business going on.
“Look, it’s been a long day, and we’re all a bit tired. Maybe you’re just seeing things is all,” Fluttershy replied, waving her hoof once more. And like clockwork, Pinkie was under its effects.
“Yeah, I think we’re just tired and seeing things. Come on,” Pinkie said as a confused Rarity followed a mind-tricked Pinkie Pie down the train cars back to their seats while Fluttershy and Roach both breathed a sigh of relief.
“I guess the coast is clear now,” Fluttershy said as Roach felt free enough to change his disguise to Rainbow Dash, now knowing full well that the real Dash isn’t on the train.
“Thanks. Now I owe you one. Also, great work on the mind tricks,” Roach said as Fluttershy blushed with pride.
“Well, you were the best practice dummy to test it on,” Fluttershy said, waving her hoof.
“Well, what can I say? I was the best practice dummy to--Hey!” Roach said, almost parroting Fluttershy’s wording before catching himself under the mind trick. Fluttershy let out a cute little laugh as Roach rolled his eyes like a brother watching his sister play around. The two ponies headed back to their car seats before once again bumping again into a familiar face.
“Oh! Pardon me, little pony,” Starswirl the Bearded said as Fluttershy picked herself up after knocking into him.
“Starswirl?” Fluttershy asked as she didn’t expect to see him here.
“Hey, what brings you here?” Roach asked as Starswirl knew something was up about “Rainbow Dash”.
“I was only doing a few errands. And I must say, that was an impressive showcase, I must say, little pony,” Starswirl complimented as Fluttershy and Roach raised an eyebrow at him.
“Thanks?... I guess?” Fluttershy said as she tried to scooch by Starswirl so they could get back to their car in peace while they wait for the train ride to end.
“Oh. And you might need this for wherever you’re going, Master Jedi” Starswirl said, holding up the hilt of Fluttershy’s lightsaber, shocking the two of them in place. Before she could react, Fluttershy snatched her lightsaber with the Force before anyone would notice.
“Where did you find this?” Fluttershy asked as Starswirl let out a merry little chuckle.
“You dropped it while you and your changeling friend headed to the little mare’s room. Quite scandalous for a gentle-colt like you to sneak right on in. And you weren’t even subtle about your disguise,” Starswirl deduced, much to Roach’s shock. Fluttershy and Roach headed back on into their car and brought Starswirl with them so that what’s said in the car stays in the car.
“OK, so you know I’m trying to become a Jedi, and you know Roach is a changeling helping me do that. My question is: How do you know what the Jedi are?” Fluttershy asked as Roach and Starswirl sat apart from one another on the train car.
“I...honestly wish I knew. Everything before my disappearance into the void with the other pillars is starting to become hazy. I theorize my memories have been tampered with,” Starswirl explained as Fluttershy and Roach looked at one another with concern.
“Okay, memory tampering is obviously never a good sign,” Roach commented, stroking his chin.
“But...if your memories have been tampered with, then someone must not want you to know about the Jedi, right?” Fluttershy asked as Starswirl perked up at Fluttershy’s question.
“Yes. I suppose you’re right,” Starswirld replied.
“Then, how do you know, if you’re not supposed to?” Fluttershy asked as Starswirl removed his pointy hat and rubbed the temples on his forehead around his horn.
“After a thousand of years in the non-existent world between universes, I believe the memory theft is starting to wear off. But I haven’t fully recollected them yet,” Starswirl said as Fluttershy listened in on the old wizard’s words.
“Well...if you want to help me figure out my path as a Jedi, then everything you know about them would be pretty handy. So...you wanna join me and Roach?” Fluttershy offered as the train neared Canterlot.
“You sure about this guy? I don’t doubt your judgment, but I smell something fishy about if we do let this guy in,” Roach said as Fluttershy hushed him.
“Don’t worry. He’s one of the Pillars of Equestria. If all goes well, I’m sure he’ll be great at helping us beat this shadow,” Fluttershy said as Starswirl’s ears perked up.
“Shadow? What shadow?” Starswirl said as if he heard something that reminded him of a nightmare. Fluttershy and Roach turned back to their wizard friend and noticed he began behaving oddly.
“Well, we believe there’s some sort of shadow that kidnapped Twilight, so we’re about to go--” Roach explained before being cut off.
“NO! Don’t go! Not now! It’s too dangerous!” Starswirl warned, catching Fluttershy and Roach off guard.
“You know, I was just trying to say the same exact thing,” Roach commented as their train sped closer and closer to the Canterlot station.
“Why shouldn’t I go? Do you know something about this shadow?” Fluttershy asked as Starswirl groaned and fussed to himself.
“No! I can’t remember anything! My horn aches every time I try to remember. You must heed my warning, young one. You’re not ready!” Starswirl warned as the train docked at the station and the ponies came out of the train one by one.
“Well...is there anything I can do to get ready?” Fluttershy asked as Starswirl rubbed his head and stroked his mane, trying to recollect what he can from his recovered memories.
“I...think there’s someone I know who can help. A Jedi with much more experience than you who is stuck in the Void. The same void I banished myself in. That’s...all I can remember, unfortunately,” Starswirl said, upset he couldn’t remember anything else.
“Wow. The one thing you can remember is the one thing Fluttershy desperately needs. Man, are we lucky or what?” Roach asked as Fluttershy and Starswirl turned to Roach.
“Since when are we ever lucky with the Force guiding our path? I believe we might have been brought together for this very reason,” Fluttershy theorized as he turned to the partially amnesiac wizard.
“Excellent! So it’s official that I am a part of your little cabal?” Starswirl asked as Fluttershy and Roach turned to one another and nodded at one another.
“Yep! You’re in! Welcome aboard,” Fluttershy announced as she shook hooves with Starswirl.
“Huzzah! So, I say we should head to someplace quiet to summon this Jedi to help us!” Starswirl recommended as Fluttershy noticed they were already in Canterlot City.
“Hey, we know of a place. It’s where we’ve been training for the last four years, and it’s pretty much our hideaway. It’s perfect for summoning her,” Roach recommended as Fluttershy looked up and noticed the Castle embedded inside of the mountain. She could sense the Dark Side of the Force emanating from the majestic building now more than ever. Fluttershy could only get the feeling something terrible is happening, and she just has the need to investigate.
“Well, since we’re already in Canterlot, I say we--” Fluttershy deduced as the three of them hopped off the train to make their next move.
“Sorry, Flutters. You’re outvoted two to one on this one. I promise we will come back for Twilight though, OK?” Roach suggested as the trio headed away from Canterlot Palace to commit to their new plan. Fluttershy looked back at the palace and felt an overabundance of guilt in her soul.
“I’m sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy wept as she followed Roach and Starswirl to the Jedi Sanctuary.