My Little Pony: Nine Elements
Written by Brandon Nell and Blake Hawkins
Additional suggestions by Rachel Ravens
Chapter 22: A Bird in the Hoof
It had been two days since the situation in Appleloosa. On this particular day, Fluttershy was in a hurry. Or rather, she would soon be.
"Okay, I have a lot of animals to help today," she was saying. "Hello, Mr. Mousey. I have a tiny mouse-sized wheel-chair you."
Mr. Mousey gave a grateful squeak as Fluttershy helped him into the chair. She gently pushed him to his family. "You stay off that leg for a few days and it should heal right up." The other mice squeaked gratefully. "Okay, who's booked a check-up?"
Angel Bunny impatiently tapped Fluttershy’s leg.
"Hmm?" Fluttershy went over to Angel. "Are you hurt or sick, Angel?"
Angel shook his head and started moving his paws like clock hands.
"You… found a watch?" asked Fluttershy. "You... want to be a watch?" Then, Angel started running. "You're running! You're… running out of time?"
Losing his patience further, Angel pointed to the date on the calendar, May 16th.
"Oh, I'm running late for a very important date!" she gasped. "Sorry, animals. I'll be back soon."
She hurried out of her cottage. She wasn’t as fast as Rainbow, but, her pegasus speed was still quite high.
"The big brunch for Princess Celestia, how did I forget?" Fluttershy fretted. "Oh, we were going to do it before the Parasprite attack, but… oh, I hope there's no Parasprites this time." In her state of anxiety, she forgot that Pinkie dealt with the Parasprites before the princess arrived last time.
Fluttershy met up with Rainbow Dash on the way.
"I had to clear some clouds some of the weather team missed," she explained.
"One of my patients had an injured leg," Fluttershy told Rainbow. "It couldn't wait."
They soon reached Sugarcube Corner, which had two identical male pegasus Royal Guards at the door.
“Boy,” Rainbow said. “Those two look like they’re taking this seriously.” She then inspected them. “Have you noticed that a lot of these Royal Guards look the same?”
“Maybe they’re related?” Fluttershy guessed.
“I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “Applejack and Apple Bloom are related and they don’t look that much alike.”
“That’s true,” Fluttershy said. “Well, we can’t stand around here guessing all day. We don’t want to keep the princess waiting.”
“State your business,” one guard said as both blocked their way in.
“We’re here to meet Princess Celestia for the brunch,” Rainbow said plainly. “You saw us when it was discussed.”
“Identification, please,” the other guard said.
“I’m Fluttershy,” the yellow pegasus said. “And this is Rainbow Dash.”
“Just let them in, you two,” said the voice of Shining Armor. “They’re on the list.”
The guards heard Shining Armor’s voice. They lowered their wings and stepped to the sides, allowing the two pegasi to enter the bakery.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said politely.
“Sorry they gave you such a hard time,” Shining Armor said. “These duplicates are devoted to whatever princess they work for, but, not the brightest bulbs.”
“So we can see,” Rainbow said.
“You must be Shining Armor,” Fluttershy smiled.
The stallion nodded. “That’s me, alright.”
“Wait,” Rainbow said. “Did you say duplicates?”
“I did,” Shining Armor said rather grimly. “A large portion of the Royal Guards are duplicates of the original Royal Guards for each breed.* Their personalities are all exactly the same. They’re devoted to whichever princess is in charge of them, but, they’re pretty one-note otherwise.”
“That would explain a lot,” Rainbow said. “But, that’s a little creepy when you think about it.”
“Yeah, but, not a lot of ponies are destined to join the Royal Guard,” Shining Armor said. “You have to make do with what you can get. Though, frankly, it sometimes feels like we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel.**”
“I see,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight entered the room, slightly stressed.
“Hey, Twily,” Shining Armor said. “You doing okay, little sis?”
“It’s so difficult monitoring my friends’ manners!” she said.
“There’s a way to help you with that, you know,” Shining Armor said.
“Please tell me!” Twilight demanded.
“Don’t,” Shining Armor said. “I’m sure your friends understand that they’re in the presence of royalty, but, you know how casual and even-tempered Princess Celestia can be.”
Twilight pointed to Applejack, who was looking nervously at the food on the table.
“Uh,” Applejack said to herself. “Which one’s the salad n’ which one’s the appetizer? N’ which one am ah s’possed ta eat first?” Despite Applejack’s stomach audibly rumbling, she didn’t want to look like a slob in front of the princess.
“It’s going to be okay, Twily,” Shining Armor smiled.
“Where’s Spike?” Fluttershy asked.
“In the kitchen, helping the Cakes bake,” Twilight explained. “Their cooking torch isn’t working well, so, he volunteered to add the flambe to the creme brulees.”
“The little guy’s doing a great job,” said the lanky co-owner of Sugarcube Corner, who was carrying a tray on top of his head. “Normally, it takes the cooking torch a while to flambé one creme brulee this well. That little tyke can do it for four in seconds.”
“And we promised to pay him well for his services,” Mrs. Cake said. The portly mare had a tray of cupcakes on her head.
“I heard that Spike’s skilled in the kitchen,” Fluttershy said. “I wouldn’t mind trying something he made.”
“Help yourself, dearie,” Mrs. Cake smiled. She tilted her head to offer a cupcake. “He made them so well, I was tempted to eat this whole batch myself.”
Fluttershy gently took a cupcake out of the tray without disturbing it. She took an experimental bite.
“Oh, wow~!” Fluttershy said with an excited tone. “These are delicious! I can see why you would be tempted to finish the whole batch.”
“Yep,” Mrs. Cake said. “Of course, I feel that way about any baked treat, so, there’s that.”
“Me, too,” Pinkie said. “It’s hard for me to keep my appetite for sweets at bay, but, I’m trying my best for the princess.”
“Remember, Pinkie,” Mrs. Cake warned. “If you see any food in front of the princess, do. Not. Eat. It.”
“You can count on me,” Pinkie said, saluting before Mrs. Cake.
Twilight, Fluttershy, and Shining Armor saw Rarity in the dress she designed for herself for the gala.
“Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “I understand that this is a big occasion with Princess Celestia being here, but, aren’t you worried about your gala dress getting dirtied?”
“Of course I am!” Rarity said. “Why else do you think I’m staying so far from other ponies?”
“You know,” Shining Armor said. “If you’re so worried about it getting dirty, you probably shouldn’t’ve worn it here in the first place.***”
“And forgive me for being so blunt,” Twilight said. “But, if you’re going to wear this now and at the gala, wouldn’t that give ponies the idea that that’s your only dress?” She then muttered, “As opposed to the dozens you make to keep your business afloat?”
Rarity gasped. “Oh, goodness, you’re right!” she said in alarm. “It might spoil the surprise for the princess! I must change at once!” She then dashed out of the bakery.
While that was happening, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were tending to the princess.
“How is everything so far, your highness?” Mr. Cake asked.
“Perfectly fine,” the princess answered.
Feeling the need to make small talk, Mrs. Cake spoke up. “Pinkie said that you have a sister.”
“Yes, I do,” Princess Celestia smiled. “Her name is Luna. She’s in bed since she is responsible for the night and protecting ponies from their nightmares.”
“How long have you had this sister?” Mr. Cake asked.
“Well,” Celestia said. “She’s about five years younger than me, so… 2023 years.”
“My,” Mrs. Cake said. “How fascinating! How come she hasn’t been publicly seen yet?”
“Over 1000 years ago,” Celestia said. “She was publicly known about.”
“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Cake gasped. “What happened?”
“Are you familiar with the tale of the Two Sisters?” Celestia asked.
“Somewhat,” Mr. Cake said.
“Luna and I are those sisters,” Celestia said.
“You mean,” Mr. Cake gulped. “That your sister was trapped in the moon for 1000 years?!”
“Yes,” Celestia said. “I’m certain you remember the day my student came to town.”
“We had heard Pinkie mention that,” Mrs. Cake said. “That was the day she returned, right?”
“Yes,” Celestia said. “Since I was in control of the moon and the stars at the time, I released her from her imprisonment. I knew that if Twilight made some friends, they would help to bring my sister back from her entrapment as Nightmare Moon.”
Twilight overheard that and was surprised. “You mean, you could’ve freed your sister at any time?!”
“It’s not so simple, my faithful student,” Celestia explained. “It takes greater magic than I alone possess to move the stars themselves.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” Fluttershy said. “I may not have magic myself, but, I have seen what Twilight was capable of when she helped to lull the Ursa Minor to sleep. Her horn turned a bright red with overuse.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine how much effort it takes to move the sun, moon, and stars,” Twilight said.
“Moving the sun is simple for me,” Celestia said. “I was born with a connection to it. The moon is smaller and has less mass than the sun, making moving it simple, too. The stars, however, are a different matter. Moving them is like moving thousands of millions of suns much further than our own.”
“I see,” Fluttershy said. “While I do appreciate the effort you put into that, I imagine Luna is happy to be able to do her responsibilities again.”
“Indeed,” Celestia said. “Her duty is so taxing that she rarely works during the day.”
Twilight suspected there was something more to the story****, but, she didn’t dare question the princess. Just then, they heard a hacking cough from a bird cage close by Princess Celestia. This caught the three present ponies’ attention.
“Oh my,” Fluttershy said. “What a sorry state that bird is in.”
“Yes,” the princess said. “Poor Philomena’s been out of sorts for days. She’s usually such a lively phoenix.”
“A phoenix?” Fluttershy asked. “I had read about them in books, but, I’ve never seen one until now.”
“A phoenix nearing its burning day is hardly a pleasant sight,” Celestia said.
Fluttershy, ever the compassionate mare, offered to help the sickly phoenix.
“Princess Celestia,” Fluttershy began. “Would it be alright if I looked after Philomena? I do know a lot about taking care of different animals and I know you have a lot of responsibilities, but, perhaps I can help her for you.”
“It just so happens that I was going to ask that of you,” Celestia said. “Pity Sunset Shimmer isn’t around. She might be able to give you pointers.*****”
“She also has a phoenix?” Twilight asked.
“Phoebe, yes,” Celestia said. “She hatched her as part of her entrance exam and she’s been loyal to Sunset ever since. That’s a rare behavior pattern for a phoenix.”
“Intriguing,” Twilight smiled. “I read that phoenixes tend to keep to themselves. Even in the wild.”
“In any case,” Fluttershy said politely. “I will do my best to nurture Philomena for you, your highness.”
Celestia levitated a list to Fluttershy.
“I’ve made this list for those whom I have tasked to look after Philomena when I’m unable to,” she explained. “Please do your best to follow the instructions upon it to the letter.”
“Understood, Princess,” Fluttershy said.
Presently, Fluttershy gently took Philomena’s birdcage off of the stand’s hook.
“I’ll make sure to have Spike let you know when she’s recovered,” Twilight said.
“I have no doubt,” the princess said.
“If you don’t mind,” Fluttershy said. “It was nice seeing you, your highness, but, I have a phoenix to escort back to my cottage.”
“I’m afraid I have to go, too,” Celestia said. "I have a meeting with Mayor Mare."
“Of course, Princess,” Twilight said. “But, I’m so glad you could join us this afternoon.”
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Celestia responded.
So, the ponies gave Princess Celestia a fond farewell. Applejack was particularly relieved because she was finally free to eat without fear of looking bad in front of the princess.
“Whew,” Applejack smiled. “Now ah can eat somethin’.” Before she could even take a bite, Mr. Cake cleared the table with the cloth. Needless to say, the hungry farm mare wasn’t happy, something her belly wasted no time in making clear.
“Thanks for coming, everypony,” Pinkie said. She then noticed Applejack walking with one hoof against her belly. “Hey, AJ. I can’t let you walk out of here with an empty tummy. We have plenty of leftovers from the spread that I know you can work on.” She gave Applejack a stack of plates with various apple treats. The farm mare’s mouth watered as her belly continued to voice its emptiness.
“Thanks, Pinkie,” Applejack smiled. “Yer a real lifesaver.” She left while balancing the stack on her nose. Mrs. Cake noticed with curiosity.
“How does she do that?” she asked. “More importantly, why?”
“The how is easy,” Pinkie said to her plump mentor. “As for why, Mr. Cake cleared the table before she could take a bite.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” Mrs. Cake said, glancing at her skinny husband. Mr. Cake couldn’t help but sweatdrop.
Spike walked up to Twilight.
“Hi, Spike,” Twilight smiled. “How did you like working in the kitchen?”
“There’s something satisfying about preparing food for ponies,” Spike said.
“That’s good,” Twilight smiled. “Did you manage to grab some food for yourself? It’s not a good idea to work on an empty stomach.”
“Mrs. Cake made me some donuts to eat,” Spike said. “They’re as good as Donut Joe’s back in Canterlot.”
“Good to know,” Twilight smiled. “Donut Joe didn’t care if you were a dragon as long as you paid for your donuts.”
“True that,” Spike said. “Maybe on the night of the Gala, I can show Pinkie that place. Knowing her love of sweets, I bet she’ll enjoy them.******”
Meanwhile, Fluttershy took Philomena to her cottage.
“I’m back, everyone,” Fluttershy said to her little animal friends. “This is Philomena. She’s going to be here for a while. Princess Celestia asked me to take care of her.”
The animals mostly looked at the disheveled phoenix in confusion, not recognizing her species. Fluttershy then unfurled the list that Celestia gave her, looking at the first item upon it.
“When a phoenix’s burning day is approaching,” she read. “The first thing to do is keep the body at a moderate temperature. Not too hot, not too cold.”
Fluttershy took some careful thinking into how that temperature would be. She tried a blanket, but, that raised the temperature. She tried an ice pack, but, that made the temperature drop. She then tried both at the same time and that kept the temperature just right.*******
“There we go,” Fluttershy smiled. She checked the instructions. “Be sure to keep the phoenix this way for 45 minutes in preparation for the next step.” She looked to see what the next step was. “After the phoenix has been kept at a moderate temperature for the specified time, make doubly sure that the phoenix has a small bowl of sawdust.”
Fluttershy was a bit confused by the idea at first, but, she knew she had to follow the instructions.
After the 45 minutes, Fluttershy gave Philomena a small bowl of sawdust, which the Phoenix proceeded to eat.
“Hmm,” Fluttershy said to herself. “I did read that phoenixes are birds of fire, but, I must have skipped over the part where they eat sawdust.” She then checked the instructions again. “A healthy phoenix’s diet typically consists of wood fragments such as dry sticks, sawdust, or tinder. Feeding these to them will help once it’s time to burn.” Fluttershy nodded to herself at this. “After the phoenix has finished the sawdust, feed it some twigs.” Fluttershy thankfully had some spare twigs close by.
As Philomena ate the twigs, Fluttershy checked the instructions again. “Don’t put the phoenix in water under any circumstances,” she read. “Phoenixes are fire and wind elemental creatures. Getting them wet will result in unsightly swelling.” She understood the note all too well. “Applying ointment will result in blemishes.” She made sure to keep the ointments she typically uses to help her animals and herself, should they need them, out of Philomena’s reach. Afterwards, she felt a bit exhausted.
“Taking care of a phoenix sure is exhausting,” she said. “But, it will be worth the effort to help Princess Celestia.” She suddenly heard a knock at the door. “Who is it?” she called.
The door opened to reveal Spike.
“Hey, Fluttershy,” Spike said. “I came to see how things were going over here. Twilight did task me to come since I’m to report when Philomena’s well again.” He looked at Philomena and she looked slightly better. Not by much, though.
“I’ll admit,” Fluttershy said. “It is a bit of work following the instructions on Celestia’s list.”
“I’ll bet,” Spike said. “I have to say, I envy you.”
“You do?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah,” Spike said. “I’ve wanted to try tending to Philomena for a while. But, most of the guards don’t even let me near her.”
“I didn’t see anything in the guide that says that dragons and phoenixes are enemies,” Fluttershy said.
“It actually has little to do with that,” Spike said. “It was mostly the guards having a problem with me specifically.”
“That’s terrible of them to think,” Fluttershy said.
“I know,” Spike said. “They’d think I was plotting to get the crown jewels and using a trip to the bathroom as a cover story.********”
“It’s as if they don’t know of your sense of restraint,” Fluttershy said. “I mean, I do understand their need to protect and serve Princess Celestia, but, they should be a bit more compassionate since you’re Twilight and Celestia’s friend.”
“Some guards just can’t look past the fact that I’m a dragon,” Spike said bitterly.
“That’s not your fault, you know,” Fluttershy said kindly. “The ones that really do know you know how wonderful you are. Even if not everypony can see that, you should continue to be the best you that you can be.” She then gently rubbed Spike’s left cheek. “I’ve been making a lot of progress getting over my fear of dragons and I have you to thank for that.”
Hearing this made Spike feel much better. He hugged his Critter Whisperer friend gratefully. “Thanks, Fluttershy,” he said. “You really do embody the Element of Kindness.”
Another knock was heard at the door. Spike was a bit irritated that the mood was interrupted.
“Keep an eye on Philomena please while I answer the door,” Fluttershy said. She walked over to the door. “Who is it?”
The door opened to reveal two male pegasus Royal Guards.
“Good afternoon, miss,” one of the Royal Guards said. “We’ve come to get a status report on Philomena.”
“I’ve been following the instructions to the best of my ability,” Fluttershy said.
At that moment, the other guard noticed Spike near Philomena. “She’s under attack!” he shouted before pouncing Spike and pinning him to the ground.
“He was not attacking her!” Fluttershy said sternly. “I asked him to keep an eye on her!”
“Stand down, citizen!” the guard on Spike said. “The situation is under control!”
Both guards are suddenly engulfed in a magical aura and levitated out by an irate Shining Armor. “I told you idiots that Spike has the status report covered!” he said. “The first one to say he was suspicious of Spike because he’s a dragon gets put on latrine detail for the next month! What do you think of that?!*********”
The two guards blushed with embarrassment as Fluttershy helped Spike onto his feet. She then gave him a comforting hug.
“I am so sorry for this, Spike,” Shining Armor said. “I’ll see to it that these bigots are dealt with.”
“Thanks, Shining Armor,” Spike said.
“I must say,” Fluttershy said. “You’re an example of what a guard should be.”
“Well, if I’m going to make captain someday, I would hope so,” Shining Armor said.
“How can I ever thank you?” Fluttershy asked.
“Don’t let Spike be treated like how he was seconds ago,” Shining Armor said.
“I promise I won’t let that happen,” Fluttershy said.
“Good,” Shining Armor said. He then left with the two guards in tow.
Once they left, she turned her attention to Spike. “Are you alright?”
“Been better,” Spike said.
“Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?” she asked.
“That depends,” Spike said. “Can I help care for Philomena?”
“Of course,” Fluttershy smiled. “I trust you.”
Spike hugged her. “Thanks, Fluttershy,” he said. “It’s nice to know somepony does.” He then let go. “So, what step are you on?”
Fluttershy looked over the list and pointed to the next step. “This one here.”
Spike read it carefully. “After the phoenix has eaten the twigs, be sure to keep an eye on it as the treatment tends to make them rather excitable.”
“We can do that,” Fluttershy smiled.
“Twilight said that Philomena can be a bit of a prankster,” Spike said.
“Can she?” Fluttershy asked. “Has Twilight told you of the kinds of pranks Philomena pulls?”
“Making Twilight think she was in trouble with Celestia by bursting into flames nearby her,**********” Spike said.
“Oh, my,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”
“Well, if you think about it,” Spike said. “When a phoenix is about to die, they burst into flames and rise anew from the ashes. So, them dying gets undercut by the fact that they come back to life and there’s no real consequences.***********”
“I see,” Fluttershy said. “I guess I didn’t like the idea of anypony thinking they’re in trouble or in danger.”
Philomena gave a nasty cough. Fluttershy gasped and looked over the list to see if there was anything about coughing in there. “Phoenixes close to their burning day cough feathers loose in preparation for combustion,” she read. “Normally, their feathers give them power over fire. As their burning day approaches, they lose their powers like dying embers.”
“So, it’s natural,” Spike summarized. “She’s lost quite a few.” He then remembered something. “Oh, I remembered something.” He reached into his loose scales and pulled out a red and yellow pill. “The princess told me to deliver this to you for Philomena.”
“Oh, I know how some of my animal friends are about taking medicine, especially pills,” Fluttershy said nervously.
“You want to prepare her for her burning, don’t you?” Spike asked.
“Yes,” Fluttershy said.
“Then, you have to give her the pill even if she doesn’t like it,” Spike said.
“There has to be something on the list that says how to do that,” Fluttershy said nervously. She checked the instructions. “Phoenixes can be stubborn when it comes to taking medicine. Especially when a creature they’re unfamiliar with is involved. In such cases, be prepared to force the medicine down their throat if needed.”
“Force?” Fluttershy gasped, as if she had never dreamed of using such a word. “It’s risky, but, in order to help her and for Princess Celestia, I must do what I can.” She held the pill to Philomena.
As typical with any pet bird, Philomena turned her beak away from the pill.
"Don't worry, Doctor Fluttershy knows just the trick to cure the bland taste of your medicine," Fluttershy said with a wink as she placed the pill on a plate and presented it to Philomena. She then dumped an entire box of bird seed on top of the pill, effectively covering it up. "Go on, eat it all up," Fluttershy encouraged.
Philomena sniffed the bird seed mound. Liking the smell, she pecked at the bird seed, making sure not to miss a crumb. However, she managed to avoid the pill.
"Philomena!" Fluttershy angrily exclaimed before realizing she sounded perhaps a bit too angry and lowered her voice. "Why didn't you eat the pill? If you want to stay healthy and stop coughing all the time, you have to eat it."
Philomena was still too stubborn to take the pill.
"I know it probably doesn't taste good, but, you need to take it," Fluttershy pleaded. "Pretty please? I'll give you a treat if you cooperate."
Philomena seemed soothed by Fluttershy’s kind voice. She then grabbed the pill with her beak and swallowed it whole, grimacing at the foul taste. Fluttershy gave a satisfied smile.
“Good girl,” Fluttershy smiled. She then gave Philomena a treat as promised.
Unfortunately, even after the treat, Philomena continued to be stubborn. This caused Fluttershy to worry and looked over the list for any possible notes. “Very few ponies have the patience to deal with a phoenix’s stubbornness. Those that do initially have to be more assertive.”
“Well, you’ve been working on that,” Spike said. “And Princess Luna has been helping me with my own attitude. So, we’ll do what we can with Philomena.”
The phoenix gave a raspy chirp that drove the other animals crazy.
“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy said nervously. “There has to be some way to soothe Philomena’s throat without having to use water.”
“How about singing?” Spike suggested.
“That’s a good idea, Spike,” Fluttershy said. “They do say music has charms to soothe the savage beast.” She then went to get something, returning with a hummingbird whose feathers were colored a dark green, which contrasted quite nicely with the brighter green feathers on its chin. The hummingbird proceeded to greet Philomena with a sweet sounding hum. “Philomena, this is Hummingway. He’s a hummingbird who can really hum.”
“Wait, isn’t such a creature one of the reasons you want to go to the gala?” Spike asked.
“One of them, anyway, aside from the other unique creatures I had heard about,” Fluttershy blushed. She continued explaining about Hummingway to Philomena. “Anyway, he came to me with a sore throat and he allowed me to help him. He and I can help you, too, to soothe your troubled nerves.”
"Mm-hmm!" Hummingway hummed in reply.
Fluttershy then gently cleared her throat and she began to harmonize a rather familiar tune.
“Ahh-hahh-hahh-hahh-hahh~”
Spike felt oddly soothed by Fluttershy’s vocalization. “Whoa,” he said. “I feel weirdly relaxed.”
Fluttershy smiled at this as Hummingway hummed the next part of the familiar tune.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm~”
Spike struggled to stand upright. Fluttershy set a mound of pillows behind him so he could relax on them. He sat himself down and watched the scene unfold. Fluttershy checked to see if Philomena was calmed down.
The phoenix seemed to be in a relaxed state of mind.
“There we go,” Fluttershy smiled. “Hummingway and I can keep going if you’d like.” Philomena nodded before coughing.
“Ahh-hahh-hahh-ha-haaahh~” Fluttershy continued.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm~” Hummingway followed up.
Philomena started to drift to sleep from the soothing vocal music. Fluttershy saw that Spike was about to do likewise. The pegasus gently woke him up.
“Huh, wha?” Spike muttered.
“You almost fell asleep when it’s not your naptime yet,” Fluttershy said.
“Heh,” Spike chuckled. “Guess your harmonizing is more relaxing than I remembered.” He rubbed the drowsiness out of his eyes. “Something occurred to me.”
“What’s that?” Fluttershy asked.
“You sang publicly during Winter Wrap-Up,” Spike said. “But, you haven’t really done a lot of public singing outside of that.”
“It’s easier when I’m singing alongside other ponies,” Fluttershy said. “And when I sing alongside my animal friends, it makes me feel happy. But, when I think about the idea of being all alone on a stage singing in front of a big audience, I get so nervous.”
“Ooh, stage fright,” Spike summed up. “Quite literally in this case since you’d be on a stage.”
Fluttershy nodded a bit.
“Shining Armor taught me a little trick for that,” Spike said.
“Yes?” Fluttershy asked.
“Try imagining everypony in the audience looking as ridiculously silly as possible,” Spike said.
“Hmm,” Fluttershy said. “I might have to try that at some point if I’m ever asked to perform on stage. Thanks, Spike.” She gave him a hug.
Later, Twilight came to the cottage to find Fluttershy reading a book to Philomena with Spike nestled against her.
“Hi, everyone,” Twilight said softly. “It looks like things are going well over here.”
“They sure are, Twilight,” Spike said.
“You two are incredible,” Twilight smiled. “Whenever I’m around Philomena, she’s a major hoofful. How did you manage so well, Fluttershy?”
“I followed the list that Princess Celestia gave me,” Fluttershy said. “And Spike gave me some amazing pointers.”
Twilight was confused. “How did Spike manage to give you pointers?” she asked. “You’re good with animals, after all.”
“He did offer to help me with confidence and he suggested that I sing to her when she was feeling uneasy.” Fluttershy explained. “Plus, it’s a bit different with her being a fire elemental, so, Spike’s expertise on the subject helped me, too.”
“And I only have basic knowledge of the fire element,” Spike said.
“That’s wonderful,” Twilight smiled. “Spike, you’re helping a lot of ponies today. When this is over, it’ll be your choice for dinner tonight as a way of showing my appreciation for your efforts.”
Spike was excited by the prospect. “Really?!” he said as his tail wagged.
“Really,” Twilight smiled. The next thing she knew, Spike was hugging her neck. Twilight smiled and she rubbed his back gently with her front right hoof. “I’d ask if you need any help, but, it looks like you have things under control.”
"Actually, there is one thing I'm still having trouble with," Fluttershy confessed. "For some reason, Philomena refuses to cooperate and take her medicine. I managed to get her to swallow one pill, but, every time since, I haven't had any luck."
“With something like this,” Twilight said. “You're going to need to implement some tough love.”
“That’s what I keep telling her!” Spike said.
“Then,” Twilight said. “Perhaps I can help with that, Fluttershy. I’ve had to do something similar when you were sick and too stubborn to take your medicine when you were younger, Spike.”
“I don’t remember ever being stubborn about medicine,” Spike said.
“You were still a hatchling,” Twilight said. “Okay, Flutters. Hold her still for me please.”
“Okay, she's right here," Fluttershy said nervously, before she noticed that Philomena was no longer on the couch. "Or at least, she was here just a minute ago. You must've scared her."
Twilight gasped. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no! What have I done?!”
“We have to find her!” Spike said.
“Who knows what would happen if Princess Celestia finds that Philomena’s lost or hurt?!” Twilight panicked.
“We can’t worry about that now, Twilight!” Fluttershy said, opening the front door. “Come on!”
Suddenly, they heard a raspy chirp that was interrupted by a cough.
“It sounds like she went this way,” Spike said, pointing a clawed finger towards the sound. Sure enough, Philomena ran out the open door when they turned away from the door to see her.
“Oh, no!” Twilight said. “I thought I had closed the door behind me! I am so sorry!”
“You did!” Fluttershy said. “I opened it again!”
“Guilt later!” Spike said. “Bird now!”
The friends nodded with determination and ran out to find Philomena.
“We have to hurry!” Twilight said. “Do you know what could happen to you if the princess learns you let her pet run away?!”
“Do you?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well,” Twilight said. “No, but, given that she’s one of the princesses of Equestria, it might be a worse predicament than just a display of bad manners. She could banish you from Equestria, throw you in a dungeon, or banish you and put you in a dungeon in the place she banished you!”
“You really think she’ll do that?” Fluttershy gasped.
“Why not?!” Twilight said. “She banished her own sister************! Or did you forget what brought us together in the first place?!”
Fluttershy gulped at the idea. “We better find Philomena quickly before Princess Celestia discovers what happened! And fast!”
“We'd better not waste anymore time," Twilight said seriously. "Knowing Philomena, she'll try to trick an unsuspecting pony into thinking she's worse than she really is." And with that, the two mares and drake set off to chase after Philomena.
They did their best to follow Philomena, but, the phoenix’s legs carried her speedily throughout different parts of Ponyville. The phoenix was also very clever. More so than the animals Fluttershy was used to.
"For a phoenix who's close to combusting, she sure is hard to find," Fluttershy said. "Maybe we should just go to Princess Celestia and tell her what happened, I'm sure the Royal Guard could find Philomena in a heartbeat."
“And risk you possibly getting banished faster?!” Twilight exclaimed. “And on top of that, the Royal Guard has better things to do than look for a missing pet! Even if they agreed, my brother said most of the Royal Guards can’t even catch a cold!”
Spike couldn’t help but snicker to himself at the remark.
“If they’re so incompetent, why are they still kept around?” Fluttershy asked.
“I don’t know!!!” Twilight said. “Does it really matter at this point?!”
“Look!” Spike called.
Philomena was on top of a fountain, which the rest of their friends were gathered by. All but one of Philomena’s feathers had fallen out. The friends thought it was just a bird statue since Philomena stayed so silent and still. Fluttershy also saw that the guards had escorted Princess Celestia into Ponyville. The princess was giving the two pegasus guards a lecture at that moment and didn’t see Philomena.
“Okay,” Fluttershy whispered to Spike and Twilight in a whisper. “I’ll fly up and grab Philomena. You keep watch over Princess Celestia in case she looks over this way.”
“What’s going on?” Rainbow asked aloud.
“Shhh,” Fluttershy shushed. “I’m on a secret mission.”
“What kind?” Applejack asked.
“A kind where I’m rescuing a pet without the risk of getting into trouble,” Fluttershy whispered. “Or worse… possibly banished.”
“The pet we’re looking for is right there,” Spike whispered as he pointed to Philomena.
“So,” Fluttershy continued in a whisper. “We have to be very, very, careful.”
At that moment, Philomena’s last feather fell out. She pretended to notion as if she was having spasms. Afterwards, she jumped off and burst into flames as she fell to the ground. Those that weren’t familiar with a phoenix’s life cycle gasped at the sight of this. Fluttershy, catching the ashes, sighed in relief.
“Okay, Philomena,” she said. “Time to rise up.”
The four mares unfamiliar with Philomena’s species looked confused. “And you girls say I’m crazy,” Pinkie said.
“That’s because you are, Pinkie,” Rainbow said. “But, this is unexpected of Fluttershy. What kind of bird just bursts into flames?”
“A phoenix,” Twilight said. “Tell them, Applejack.”
“How can ah?” Applejack asked. “Ah don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no phoenix.”
Twilight was incredulous. “But, you were sitting right next to the Princess when she explained it!”
“Sorry, Twi,” Applejack said. “Ah was more focused on tryin’ ta fill mah empty belly without lookin’ like a pig ta pay attention.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “That checks out. Applejack can be pretty easily distracted by food.” That comment earned her a hoof smack to the back of her head from Applejack. “Ow!”
Princess Celestia, post her lecturing of her royal guards, walked up to the group.
“I would be happy to give a proper explanation to you mares,” she said before gesturing to the ashes. “Come now, Philomena, you’re frightening most of everypony.”
At the sound of Celestia’s voice, the ashes began to glow with brilliant warm colors. They then rose into the air and swirled into a majestic looking bird with fiery yellow eyes. The four mares could only stand back in awe.
“A living, breathing phoenix,” Rarity said. “I thought they were just a legend!”
“That’s what we thought about Nightmare Moon,” Spike said. “Look how that turned out.”
“She’s really beautiful,” Fluttershy gasped. Philomena chirped a reply. Unlike last time, this chirp sounded like a beautiful flute song. “And it sounds like her sore throat has cleared up.”
“That’s the beauty of a phoenix’s regeneration,” the princess said. “They carry their memories before burning while everything else comes back better than new.”
“Princess Celestia,” Fluttershy said. “I did my best to follow the instructions carefully with Spike and Twilight’s help, but, she’s out here because I accidentally opened the door and she ran out. I’m so sorry. If you want to banish me, throw me in the dungeon, or banish me and throw me in a dungeon to where you banished me to, I deserve it.”
“Twilight stated such possibilities, didn’t she?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Yes,” Twilight said. “But, how could I not think that that’s what you’d do? You banished Princess Luna in the moon for 1000 years.”
“I will do none of the above,” the princess said. “I don’t banish anymore.”
“You don’t?” Twilight asked.
“No,” the princess said. “I’ve long since lost count of how many problems my sister and I solved by simply banishing the cause before Luna’s banishment. Before then, we simply thought that if troublemakers were out of sight and therefore, out of mind, they couldn’t cause trouble anymore. Banishing my own sister made me realize the heartache we were causing the families of those we banished. Ever since, I’ve vowed to never banish another soul again for as long as I lived.*************”
“I see,” Twilight said. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, for putting those ideas in your head and stressing you out.”
“This is another reason I sent you to make friends,” Celestia said. “To decrease the frequency of your anxiety attacks.”
“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said. “I guess I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
“You mean like most of Ponyville did with Zecora?**************” Spike quipped.
“You’re never going to let us live that down, are you?” Rainbow asked.
“Nope,” Spike said.
“And I should also make the comparison to my guards,” Princess Celestia said. “Assuming that Spike was attacking Philomena when he was entrusted with keeping an eye on her.”
“I’m pretty sure those are the same guards who theorized me taking a trip to the bathroom was a cover story for stealing the crown jewels,” Spike said. “I don’t know for sure because so many of them look the same.”
Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie looked at Spike as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“…That is the biggest load o’ manure ah ever heard!” Applejack said, breaking the silence.
“Right?!” Fluttershy said aloud.
“Why do you keep those guards around?” Rainbow asked.
“We’re trying to phase them out,” Celestia said. “The process is slow-going.”
“I’m sure my brother can help you with that,” Twilight said.
“I have little doubt,” the Princess said. “In a year or two, he could very well make captain.***************”
“That’s great,” Twilight smiled.
Philomena gave Fluttershy one of her feathers.
“Oh, it’s lovely,” Fluttershy smiled. “Thank you, Philomena.”
“This is a rare occasion indeed,” the princess said. “Phoenixes only give their feathers to one who earns their respect.”
“Since you tasked Fluttershy with looking after Philomena,” Twilight figured. “That must be why she did it.”
“Very few ponies have the patience to deal with such independent creatures,” the princess said. “The last pony to have it that I know of is Sunset Shimmer.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?” Rarity asked.
“She was the princess’ protege before me,” Twilight said. “She was mentioned after we used the Elements of Harmony.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Rarity said. “I remember her being said to be skilled in alchemy, but, dealing with a phoenix, too?”
“She hatched the phoenix’s egg during her entrance exam,” Princess Celestia explained. “That phoenix has been loyal to Sunset ever since. A rare behavior for a phoenix.”
“That’s so cool,” Rainbow said. “She sounds like she’s a pretty big deal.”
“She was a talented and ambitious student,” Celestia admitted. “Though, in the years before she disappeared, I could see that she was sad, lonely, and afraid whenever she saw me. Why she was afraid, she never said. She put too much effort into being a good student, which caused her to make mistakes.”
“I think I can see where she’s coming from,” Twilight said.
“The strangest thing is that she would regularly be covered in bruises that she would conceal with illusionary magic,” the princess said.
“The poor darling,” Rarity said. “If only we had met her. We could have helped her.”
“Sadly,” the princess said. “She fled the day before Luna’s return.”
“Ah see,” Applejack said. “How old was she when she disappeared?”
“If she were here right now,” the princess said. “She would have her 19th birthday this Summer Sun Celebration.****************”
“Maybe during the celebration,” Pinkie offered. “We can hold a party in her honor. Even though she’s not here, she should still know that she’s loved.”
Philomena seemed rather sad. Fluttershy noticed this.
“What’s wrong, Philomena?” she asked.
“The phoenix that Sunset hatched,” Celestia said. “Was Philomena’s daughter.”
Fluttershy gasped in surprise. “Did… she vanish with Sunset?”
“With Phoebe’s loyalty to Sunset, yes,” Celestia said. “Philomena misses her everyday.”
“I can understand that,” Fluttershy said. She gently comforted Philomena.
End of chapter.