//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Last of the Dragonlords: A Good Mare Goes To War Part 1: The Passing of Harmony 
// by Fluttershy20 
//------------------------------//

“Is she dead? Please tell me she isn’t dead?” a voice, one Fluttershy made out as Spike’s, said, seemingly echoing. Fluttershy wanted to open her eyes to assure him that she was still alive, but she couldn’t open her eyes, or her mouth completely. She felt as though a blindfold had been placed over her eyes and a gag had been placed in her mouth. She silently prayed she would be able to see and speak soon.

“Rest your fears for the moment, young Spike, for she is not dead. The spell is starting to wear off. See. One of her legs is starting to twitch,” another voice, one that she couldn’t recognise yet sounded familiar, assured him.

“Let me try waking her up again.” Although Fluttershy couldn’t see, she could hear Spike kneel on the ground and lean closer to her ear. “Fluttershy? Can you hear me?” he called nervously. “Twitch a leg again if you can.”

Fluttershy didn’t twitch a leg. Instead, she let out a low groan, much to the relief of those around her. With whatever had held her back broken, she slowly fluttered her eyes open, to find Spike looking into her own with relief on his face. “Spike?” She shifted herself to get up from the rough floor, but Spike pushed her down gently.

“Not yet. The spell put you in a weak state,” he explained. “You’re gonna have to wait a while for it to fully wear off before you can stand up again.”

“Spell?” Fluttershy asked confusedly, her mind in a thousand different places to fully understand what had happened. “W-what spell?”

“The spell my sister had placed on you to stop you from running anywhere,” the other voice, this time Fluttershy could make out it was a mare’s, explained. “It froze your body and mind in a paralysis, making you look like a statue. Rest easy, Fluttershy, for it will wear off soon.”

At that, the events of what happened flooded back to the front of her mind. The meeting in the throne room, the Princess declaring her a traitor, then being shot by a golden light, and then finally everything going white. Her eyes widened in horror as she tried again to get back up. “No! I can’t rest easy! I have to get out of here! I need to talk to the Princess! I need to explain that…” She trailed off as she looked around her.

She was in one of the cells of the dungeons deep below Canterlot. It was a large square, with only five rough looking beds against the walls as its main features. The floor was made of damp stone, making the cell cold and her coat stand up on end. And the only window in the cell was on the plain wooden door leading out into the corridor.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened even more as she began to panic. “No, no, no, no, no, NO! I need to get out! This has all been a mistake!” Before Spike or the other pony could stop her, she got up and galloped up to the door. “Let me out!” she shouted, banging the door lightly. “I’m not a traitor!” She could feel her eyes beginning to water. “Please…” But there was nopony outside to hear her pleas; if there was, they were very quiet. She rested her head against the door and sobbed, tears flowing from her eyes like rain.

“Fluttershy?” Spike called. After heaving back another sob, Fluttershy turned to face Spike with watering eyes. She could see the terror in his eyes about what might happen to them, and she couldn’t blame him for that. She was terrified herself. 

She suddenly remembered seeing Spike on the ground, frozen still like a statue, after stepping in the way of the spell aimed for her. In doing what he did, she realised in horror, he had declared himself a traitor alongside her. She suddenly spun around, stormed up to him and held him by the shoulders with her hooves, glaring at him. “What were you thinking? Getting in the way like that!” she said, her tone raised slightly above her usual, meek level, which terrified Spike. “You should have done nothing, Spike. You should have stayed out of it.”

Spike shook his head. “How could I, Fluttershy? How could I just stand by and watch you get arrested for nothing? What was on that letter, anyway?” 

Fluttershy sniffed back another sob. “I-I-it said that I w-was planning to create my own kingdom with all the animals of Equestria in Whitetail Wood, with me as their queen,” she whimpered.

Spike blinked, looking at her incredulously. “How can Celestia accuse you of something like that? You have always been loyal to her – to her and Equestria! How can she say that it was you who had written it?”

“That’s the problem, Spike. The writing on the scroll was of my own, down to how I write the letter E,” Fluttershy sniffed, wiping her eyes and cheeks dry. The scariest part of that letter was that Fluttershy once suffered a nightmare involving her as a queen of critters. ‘Did somepony manage to find out about that nightmare, and write it down to accuse me of treason?’ Fluttershy wondered.

“Well even then it still can’t be possible for you to betray Equestria!” Spike exclaimed. “It’s blatantly obvious that you were framed for it, and I think I know who might have done it.”

Fluttershy’s ears flexed while she looked at Spike curiously. “Who?”

“There’s only one pony I know who can copy your mouth writing, as well as others. Only one pony who is intelligent enough to even attempt it.” He left the rest unsaid, but it didn’t take long for Fluttershy to figure out who he was going on about.

Twilight Sparkle.

“No,” Fluttershy whispered, shaking her head furiously. “No!” She veered around him to stand in the open space. “If Twilight does no longer like me, I wouldn’t think she would ever take that hatred to this level!” 

“To be honest, Fluttershy, with the attitude she had when I last spoke to her, I wouldn’t know what she’s capable of,” Spike admitted. Fluttershy could tell it was hard for him to say such a thing.

“But this is beyond her, Spike!” Fluttershy insisted, her eyes pleading for him to see reason. Yet a small part of her festered with doubt. Twilight was the only pony Fluttershy had confided in about the nightmare, and had helped her look past it in case it drove her mad. ‘Twilight could never use that against me, could she?’ She quickly shook the thought away. ‘Twilight’s too nice for this. Something else is at work here.’ 

“But, Fluttershy, Twilight is the only pony I know that can copy yours and everypony else’s mouth writing accurately. I can’t think of any other pony who can do that,” Spike persisted, much to Fluttershy’s annoyance.

‘He really has it in for Twilight. Then again, so would I if she had kicked me out for no apparent reason.’ “But surely she knows we could be executed for what she wrote – if she wrote it.”

Spike went pale at the thought. “Executed? You mean… we’re going to die?”

“I assure you two, we will not be executed. It is not our way,” the mare with the soothing voice said.

Fluttershy’s right ear twitched at the sound, making her spin to face whoever it was. “How do you know what’s going to happen to us?”

“Because, dear Fluttershy, my sister and I created the laws and punishments against those for treason,” the mare said. With that, the mare stepped into the low light, making Fluttershy see clearly who it was she was talking to.

“Princess Luna?” Fluttershy gasped, her eyes wide in surprise.

The Princess of the Night nodded curtly, smiling bravely. Luna looked weaker compared to the Princess Fluttershy remembered at the wedding reception of Cadence and Shining Armor. Her eyes were solemn, tired even. Her mane and tail, which once flowed high with the solar elements, and twinkled like starlight and space, were flowing lowly to the ground and the twinkle in her hair was now gone, as if her power was fading. Her tiara, breastplate and royal horseshoes were missing. Some of the feathers on her wings were out of place, and a large metallic ring, locked with a golden aura of magic, was attached to her horn, denying her the ability to use magic.

Fluttershy took a step forward, wanting to hug and comfort the poor pony standing in front of her, but found herself unable to. “How… how…” She looked away to clear her throat, and then looked back and said, “How can you be here?” She backed away from the Princess a little, her eyes suddenly fearful. “Are you here to torture us?” She suddenly stepped in front of Spike, spreading her wings defensively. “If you are, then leave Spike alone. I will take it all.”

Luna shook her head, her eyes and face giving away her offence of the thought. “Nothing of the sort, Fluttershy. I despise torture, as does my sister. No, I’m afraid I am here for the same reason you are. I have been declared a traitor by my own sister, and thus have been sent down here to await our sentence. The same with yourselves, and my niece.”

“Your niece?” Fluttershy queried, looking confused while lowering her guard. “Forgive me, but I thought you didn’t have any family other than your sister. The closest relative I imagine to you would be…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened in horror as her mind came to the conclusion to who the other pony was. “You can’t mean that…” 

Luna nodded, then turned her head to look behind her. “She was brought in about three days ago, in chains by her own husband, and left down here.” Fluttershy peered over Luna’s shoulder, and managed to make out in the darkness the silhouette of Princess Cadence.

The Crystal Princess was lying prone on one of the beds, her head resting between her hooves and tears cascading down her cheeks. Her mane looked like a bush, and her tail fared no better. Her wings, like Luna’s, had feathers sticking out of place and revealed a severe lack of preening. Her royal regalia were missing from her body. Again, like Luna, a metallic ring was attached to her horn, held in place by a golden aura of magic. Worst of all; much to Fluttershy’s horror were Cadence’s eyes, which stated that the mare that possessed them was mentally broken.

Tears came into Fluttershy’s eyes at the sight of the Princess. Unable to bear it anymore, she forced herself to look at Luna. “What happened?” she asked.

“I can’t really say, since most of what I learnt came out as sobs and such. But from what I heard, it seems her husband, Shining Armor, accused her of being a traitor. He said that she was planning to separate the Crystal Empire from the rest of Equestria, and had her arrested with this piece of paper stating such accusations. She was taken to Canterlot in chains by him and thrown in here. At the same time, I was accused of plotting to create a separate kingdom ruled by myself by my sister, and thrown in here as well.”

Fluttershy’s hind legs gave way and she collapsed onto her rump, her face in complete disbelief to what she had just heard. “Celestia would never believe you two wou…” she tried to say. “She wouldn’t…”

“Oh, for crying out loud, she just did, Fluttershy!” Spike yelled, throwing his arms up in the air. “She just threw us in here, without proper evidence or trial, and have condemned us to whatever punishments she has for us!” A whimper escaped from Cadence, while Fluttershy shuddered in fear.

From what she had remembered at the orphanage’s school, she learnt that treason in Equestria was a rare, yet most unforgivable crime a pony or another citizen of Equestria can commit. The times it had been played out have been few, but the sentences of those traitors were never recorded for some reason, which terrified Fluttershy. Although she was not afraid to die, she was afraid of whatever fate Celestia had planned for her. If it wasn’t death, then what was it? Was she to be banished from Equestria forever, doomed to wander the world with a traitor’s brand on her flanks and scorned for the rest of her life? Or was it something else, something far more terrifying than death or exile?

Either way, she needed to know, and the only pony she could ask was in the same cell as her. “Princess Luna?”

The Princess of the night stopped comforting Cadence for a moment and looked at the Dragonlord. “Yes, Fluttershy?”

“What’s going to happen to us?” she asked. Upon seeing Luna’s hesitance she added, “Please? I would feel better knowing what awaits us.”

Luna, after a moment of further hesitance, nodded. “We will be taken from this place and led into the gardens, where we will stand before Celestia and the Elements of Harmony,” she reluctantly explained. “There, we will be turned to stone by the Elements, and become statues in the gardens of Canterlot, doomed to listen the world go by until Celestia sees fit to have us released and ‘reformed’.”

Fluttershy and Spike paled beyond comprehension, while Cadence began shaking violently with terror. Luna went back to Cadence’s side and began stroking her head to calm her down. Spike jumped up to Fluttershy and clung onto her tight, shaking in terror. Fluttershy quickly returned the hug, sharing Spike’s fear by trembling in fright.

Encased in stone? Forever? No wonder the ponies of Equestria had no idea of the fate of traitors; if they did then there would be an outcry. It seemed to Fluttershy to be a fate that was far worse than death, to listen to the world as everypony went by, gazing at them, wondering who they once were. Only when Celestia saw fit to see them reformed, then she would be freed, and she would see a new Equestria, one unlike she had been born in.

It was something she didn’t want to see. If the choice were given to her, she would gladly choose death over being turned to stone. Unfortunately, that choice wasn’t given to her, unless… ‘Hold on, didn’t she just say we’ll be turned to stone by the Elements of Harmony?’ she asked herself.

“Princess?” Luna looked up at her. “I might have heard you wrong, but didn’t you say that we will be turned to stone by the Elements of Harmony?”

Luna looked down in thought, her ears folding flat on her head as she did so, and then looked back up again. “Yes. That is usually the way we turned traitors who we thought could be redeemed into stone back in the old days.”

Fluttershy looked at Luna for a long time, blinking every now and then with large rounded cyan eyes as her mind came to terms with what Luna just said. When she did, she started doing the one thing she hadn’t properly done in a week.

She began to laugh.

At first, it was a fit of giggles, but then it started coming out as uncontrollable laughter. She fell off the bed and began rolling around the room, clutching her sides, while a perplexed Spike and Luna looked on.

“Uh, Fluttershy?” Spike said eventually, trying to get her to stop rolling about. “What’s the point of laughing about that?”

“Indeed, Fluttershy,” Luna agreed, “this isn’t really a laughing matter.”

“Oh, but it is!” Fluttershy squeaked. Once she finally managed to stop laughing, she got off the floor, a hoof against her chest as she began to regain her breath. “But you said that the Elements would be used to turn us into stone?” Luna nodded. “Well, how can they do that if I’m an Element Bearer myself? I can’t exactly fire the element at myself! I mean, that would be just silly!” She began to giggle again, out of joy and relief. The elements were controlled by the six of them, and could not be used by five of the six, meaning that herself, Spike, Luna and Cadence were safe.

Luna said nothing; she simply stared sadly at her for a long time. “Indeed you are, Fluttershy,” Luna agreed. “And I’m so sorry of what is about to happen to you.”

Fluttershy’s giggles faded away as she looked into Luna’s sad eyes. “What do you mean, Princess? Surely we are…” Her voice faded away, as did her grin, as she felt something wrong in her.

“Fluttershy, are you all right?” Spike asked concernedly upon seeing Fluttershy’s face. 

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy whispered with a shake of her head. She put a hoof to her chest to feel her heart slowing right down from a beat a second, to a beat every four seconds. It suddenly stopped beating altogether, making Fluttershy’s eyes widen in alarm. “What’s happening to me?”

Suddenly, she felt as if her heart was being pulled from its place and out of her chest. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as pain that felt like a sword slashing down her back again coursed through her. “The Tearing has started,” she heard Luna say sadly. “Spike, stay with Cadence and look away. Do not look back for any reason.” 

Spike, his eyes wide with fear as he watched Fluttershy trying to bear the pain, looked at Luna for a second in shock. “There must be something I can do!”

Luna shook her head. “There is nothing we can do, except be by her side. Do as I say, and stay with Cadence. Look at her, flatten your ears, and whatever you do, do not look back.”

Spike reluctantly complied with the request, and then moved to face Cadence. With Spike out of the way, Luna walked up to Fluttershy and hugged her close. “Hold onto me, and don’t let go,” she ordered.

Fluttershy flung her forelegs around Luna’s neck, screaming through gritted teeth as she felt like she was burning, only this time more slowly. “It will be quick,” Luna said. “Quick, but extremely painful. Your body will feel like passing out, but no matter what, it is imperative you stay awake, Fluttershy.”

“And what happens if I don’t stay awake?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide with terror.

“Then you could die,” Luna warned her. “Hold onto me now, for the last part of the Tearing is about to begin.”

“I’m scared, Princess. Really, really, scared,” Fluttershy rasped, holding onto her tight like a child would a mother, her crying eyes never leaving Luna’s.

“Good. Stick to scared. Scared keeps you awake,” Luna advised.

Fluttershy nodded, then her eyes widened in horror and she let out a shrilled gasp as she felt as though a sword had just been plunged through and up her heart. As suddenly as it came it was gone, to be replaced by a feeling of sickness working its way up her throat. “I think I’m going to throw up,” she choked.

Luna pushed her upright and whispered, “Let it out. Do not fight it.”

Fluttershy gagged uncontrollably as she felt something crawl up her throat, her chest beginning to rise and fall rapidly as she tried to breathe. Then suddenly, her mouth opened wide, and gasped as a cloud of bright, almost golden yellow with a slight fade of pink escaped from her open mouth. Just as the mist appeared, it was gone in a flash, leaving the room almost dark once more.

Fluttershy took a few deep breaths, and she felt her body topple over as she began to pass out. She could hear Spike sobbing in the corner with Cadence, and she saw Luna standing over her, shedding a few tears. “Is it over?” she whispered.

The last thing Fluttershy saw before passing out was Luna’s curt nod. 





“Fluttershy?” Spike called into her ear, making her ears twitch in response. Fluttershy groaned as her senses came on once more, and she opened her eyes. Everything ached. She felt like she had been standing in the same place for hours without moving an inch. “Oh, Fluttershy, I’m so glad you’re all right now!” Spike shouted, hugging her tight while trying to sniff back tears.

Fluttershy slowly raised a hoof and patted Spike on the back. “It’s okay now, Spike,” she whispered delicately. “It’s okay.” She looked up from the baby dragon and looked around. 

The first thing she realised was that she was lying on one of the rough beds that rested against the walls of the cell. The second thing was that Luna, Cadence and Spike were looking at her with a mixture of relief and sorrow.

“I’m glad to see you awake, Fluttershy,” Luna greeted her whilst walking up to her. “Spike, help her sit upright; it will help her get her strength back.”

Spike nodded, and then aided Fluttershy into sitting on her haunches. Fluttershy’s body shook with fatigue as she sat upright, her forelegs the worst as they trembled to the point everyone in the room feared she might collapse again. Once Fluttershy was sitting upright, Spike jumped up on the bed and sat next to her, keeping a claw on her chest to keep her balanced. “Thanks, Spike,” Fluttershy said weakly.

“Oh! I had almost forgotten!” Luna exclaimed. She quickly ran to the corner of the cell, then came back a moment later with a cup of what smelt like hot chocolate in her teeth. “Here, drink this. One of the guards came down with it while you were out. Just be careful, it’s hot.”

“He said it would help you when you awake,” Spike added. “He seemed quite sympathetic for you, actually. Said that was something nopony, not even a traitor, should go through.”

Fluttershy reached out with trembling hooves and accepted it quickly. “Thanks,” she whispered. As she stared at it, some of the chocolate spilt out of the cup and ran down the side onto her trembling hooves. Yet she never felt a thing.

After a moment, she took a sip of the chocolate, giving Spike a reason to breath again. She felt the sweet taste of the chocolate on her tongue, but couldn’t feel the extreme heat of it. ‘And I never will again,’ she thought sadly. She took it away from her mouth, and used a hoof to wipe away the drink staining her lips. “Thank you. Both of you,” she said, her voice barely above her whisper.

“Shh, my dear, don’t speak,” Luna said with a small smile. “You are still weak from the Tearing.” She gestured with her head at the chocolate in her hooves. “Drink it. It will help, I promise you that.” 

Fluttershy nodded, then took the cup to her mouth and gulped down the whole lot in a few seconds, to the shock of everyone in the cell. “I’ve never seen someone gulp down hot chocolate like that before,” Spike whispered to himself. “The only one I have seen do that is… myself.” 

Fluttershy gasped for breath when she took it away, her chest rising and falling heavily and her legs trembling with a mix of exhaustion and terror. She had just gone through one of the worst experiences of her life, one that, she feared, may stay with her until her last day. But what did happen to her? It certainly wasn’t a panic attack. She had several panic attacks before, some in the most inappropriate moments, but never did she have one like that. She wanted to know, and the only pony that knew was the Princess of the night.

She slowly lifted her head up to look at Luna, her eyes filled with fear and curiosity, and asked, “Princess Luna? What just happened to me?” Luna looked like she wasn’t going to answer. “You know, Princess. I know you do. Please, tell me what happened.”

Luna, after a moment of hesitance, looked up at her and nodded in confirmation. “I’m so sorry, Fluttershy, for you are a bearer of an Element of Harmony no longer,” Luna stated, tears in her eyes.

Fluttershy felt her hold of the cup leave her hooves. She toppled and moved to collapse on the bed, but before she could, Spike got hold of her and set her upright. “What do you mean?” Spike asked while rubbing Fluttershy’s back to calm her down, while Fluttershy breathed rapidly and heavily, incredulous to what she had just heard. 

“I mean that she just had the Element of Kindness ripped from her very soul,” Luna elaborated. 

Fluttershy looked at her with unbelieving eyes. “How is that possible, Princess? How can I simply be no longer an Element Bearer?”

“You see, when you are chosen to become an element bearer, the spirit of the element weaves itself into your soul, making you and the element one and the same,” Luna explained sullenly. “However, using ancient, yet highly powerful magic, an element’s spirit can be freed from the soul of the bearer, either with force, or willingly. Unfortunately for you, Fluttershy, your ‘Tearing’, as the process is called, was done with force, and as such is a horrible and painful process.”

Spike threw himself at Fluttershy, hugging her tight. Fluttershy quickly returned the hug, her eyes wide with terror, yet with a bout of curiosity. “Forgive me if I’m a little intrusive, Princess, but you make it sound like you’ve been through it yourself.”

Luna nodded sadly. “I have, my dear.” She took a deep breath, and then continued. “Before I became Nightmare Moon, I was the bearer of three of the Elements: honesty, generosity, and loyalty, if you’d believe it.” Fluttershy nodded to say she did. “When I turned against Celestia and seized control of the night as Nightmare Moon, my sister, with heavy reluctance, tried to wrestle control of the Elements from me so she could use them all, and free me. I tried to keep them, so she was forced to use the Tearing ritual to separate them from me.” 

She shuddered in remembrance. “I still remember the agony from that day, my own and my sister’s as she tore them from me. Anyway, after my imprisonment, Celestia went through the Tearing herself, forcibly, I might add. In shame of what she did, and in grief of losing me, she gave up using the Elements and hid them in the old castle in the Everfree Forest, left dormant until those who can truly use the elements are alive.”

Fluttershy tilted her head, looking at Luna with great sympathy, and understanding. Before Spike could stop her, Fluttershy jumped forward and embraced Luna in a hug. The winged unicorn was taken aback, yet quickly returned the gesture by wrapping a leg around the smaller mare. “I’m so sorry, Princess,” Fluttershy whispered.

Luna chuckled. “You have no reason to apologise, dear Fluttershy,” she said, pulling away. “You weren’t even born when I became Nightmare Moon. So you have no fault in my downfall and shame.”

“I know, I just meant it as… oh never mind,” Fluttershy said quietly. She pulled back from Luna and sat back on the bed, staring at her hooves. “So, what happened to the Element of Kindness? Was it destroyed?”

“So long as there is kindness in this world, Fluttershy, then the spirit of the Element will never die. Instead, the Element’s spirit would have gone to the current bearer of the Element of Magic: Twilight Sparkle. There always needs to be six elements. No more, no less. So when a bearer falls or has his or her Element torn away, the Element’s spirit will pass onto the Element of Magic, or another bearer if Magic is unavailable,” Luna explained, her eyes downcast and sullen.

“So,” Spike deduced, “with Twilight and the others in control of all the Elements, and nothing to protect us from being turned to stone, does that mean that we’re screwed?”

“Spike!” Fluttershy shouted, looking at him angrily. “Watch your language, mister!”

“As blunt as he had put it, he was telling the truth; we are screwed.” At that, Cadence began sobbing once more and her body shook in fear. Luna shot over to her and wrapped a leg around her niece’s shoulders to comfort her, saying that Discord told her he had felt no pain on being turned to stone.

Spike tightened his hold on Fluttershy, while the pegasus simply stared with trembling horror at the cell door. First, her own friends have turned against her, and now Celestia herself has decreed them all traitors with little, but enough, proof. She knew instantly that whatever affected her friends affected Celestia as well, for she knew Princess Celestia would never be like this. She was too kind to do this to them, and too understanding and knowledgeable to believe they would do such a thing. So what caused her to think like that?

If anything, that question, as well as the others that thrived in her head made Fluttershy more driven to get out of this mess. But how could she do that, when she was now named a traitor across Equestria? And how would she be able to escape from here, knowing that when she stepped through that door facing her, she was doomed?

She didn’t know. It was as simple as that. She just didn’t know how she could get out of here without being escorted out into the garden to be turned to stone.

As soon as that question came into her mind, another one cropped up. The letter. Who wrote it and why? Somepony wanted her framed; to get her out of the way for some reason, and most likely forged the same evidence that condemned Luna and Cadence as well. She couldn’t – or refused to – believe Twilight would forge such things, so who? 

Just then, a nasty suspicion re-appeared in her mind. What if Twilight did forge those letters? She shook the thought from her head ferociously. ‘Twilight is not nasty. None of them are. Something else is behind all this, and by Vidarr’s wings I will find out what.’ Her eyes narrowed a little as she felt anger course its way through her. ‘And make them sorry that they harmed my friends.’

But how was she going to do that, when she was condemned to stone? The vast questions that she could not answer were filling her head, beginning to irritate her and give her a headache. She shifted a hoof away from Spike’s embrace and rubbed her forehead gently, easing the numbing pain she was feeling there. She couldn’t answer all of the questions in her head, but she could at least answer a few, like Princess Celestia’s sudden change in attitude, and the only pony who could answer that for her was in the room with her.

“Luna?” she said suddenly, looking up at the night Princess. 

Luna turned her head around to face her, while still rubbing Cadence’s back in comfort. “Yes, Fluttershy?”

“Um, would you mind if I have a quiet word with you about something, please?” Fluttershy asked. “It won’t be long, I promise.”

After a moment, Luna nodded. “Spike, could you look after Cadence for a moment please?”

Spike nodded. “Sure, Princess.” He jumped out of Fluttershy’s hold, then walked over to the other Princess and embraced her, allowing Cadence to keep on crying.

While Spike comforted Cadence, Luna followed Fluttershy to the other side of the cell. Fluttershy sat up on the bed, while Luna only sat beside it, looking at Fluttershy expectantly. “Okay, Fluttershy, what do you want to talk about?” 

Fluttershy looked at her hooves for a moment, wondering whether this was such a good idea. But her mind quickly reminded her of why she wanted to ask the Princess in the first place. She couldn’t believe that her friends turning against her and Celestia believing them all to be traitors to be unrelated, and wanted to know about Celestia in the last week. ‘Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this,’ she thought.

“Princess, I was wondering – if you don’t mind, that is – if you can tell me something?”

Luna cocked her head to one side. “Like what?”

“Well, um… has Celestia been acting, sort of strange in the past week or so?” she asked eventually, drawing a circle in mid-air with a hoof.

Luna looked at her horn for a moment as she thought. “Well, unless you count being thrown in here without proper trial, then I would say she has been acting a little out of character lately.” 

Fluttershy’s ears pinned upright; they appeared to be getting somewhere. “I hope you don’t mind me asking this. But, when did these strange happenings begin?”

“Hmm,” Luna pondered, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “When I noticed something was different about her, it was a Monday, at our usual lunchtime get-together.”

Fluttershy’s ears quickly deflated. “Oh, well, what about Sunday?”

“I don’t usually see her on a Sunday,” Luna answered. “I’m busy that day with my own state of affairs to carry. However, I did see her last Sunday heading to her quarters after court in the evening. I said hello, like I do, and all she replied with was a grunt. Celestia can be very grouchy when it is a bad day at court, thus I just ignored it and wished her a cheery goodnight. 

“The next day, Celestia didn’t say a word to me at breakfast, or at the start of lunchtime. I tried to start up conversation, like I do, but I got no response from my sister. It was nearing the end of lunchtime, where I decided to ask what’s wrong. Instead of telling me, she just walked out without a thank you or a goodbye. I never felt more gutted since returning home then I did that day. On Tuesday, I was imprisoned with this evidence shown to me by Celestia herself. A day later, after sobbing my eyes out, Cadence was thrown in here on charges of treason. So, we’ve been stuck down here for four days crying our eyes out.” She looked down at the floor for a moment, then lifted her head again and asked, “Why are you asking me all this?”

“Because it could be important,” Fluttershy replied sadly. “Last Sunday, the friends that I have loved so much for the past four years suddenly turned around and said they hated me, and said they didn’t want me in the group anymore. At first I was distraught, broken, by this. I did my best to carry on and live without them, but I couldn’t do it. I just missed them so much.

“Anyway, earlier today, Spike came over and said Twilight kicked him out, saying he wasn’t needed anymore. It was that moment, Princess, when I realised something was wrong.”

“Wrong? What do you mean, wrong?” Luna asked confusedly.

“I mean that something has happened to them all, Princess. Something to make them all act this way. I fear something has happened to your sister as well, Princess, and I won’t rest until I find out what.”

After a moment of silence, Luna sighed. “Fluttershy, you are a sweet mare, and I appreciate you wanting to help my sister. But I don’t think there is anything you can do to help Celestia. I fear that being a ruler of a country on her own for a thousand years has taken its toll on her sanity, as well as other things. I fear that only now she has finally lost it.”

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. “You think that Celestia has gone… insane?”

Luna nodded sadly. “To be honest, I should have expected it sooner or later. Such a long life like what she’s been through can’t be good on a pony’s mind. Only a crazy pony could forge evidence like what has brought us into this situation. A crazy pony, as much as it pains me to say it, like my sister.”

Fluttershy stared at Luna disbelievingly. “Then what about my friends, Princess? How is it they turned against me and Spike at the same time your sister turns against you?”

“Coincidence, Fluttershy. That’s all it is,” Luna answered.

Fluttershy shook her head nimbly in disbelief. “I can’t believe that. I refuse to believe that those that we once loved would have forged such evidence against us.” She jumped off the bed, and began to pace in the open space between Luna, Cadence and Spike. “It just doesn’t make any sense. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t. Why would Celestia suddenly turn insane now when you have returned to help her rule again? And at the same time as my friends turning against me, and everypony else starting to dislike each other?”

“You refuse to believe with your own eyes that Celestia has gone mad?” Luna enquired.

Fluttershy stopped pacing, and brought her head up to look at Luna, her gaze narrow. “Yes. I refuse to believe it. Princess Celestia is a strong ruler with a strong mind and soul. I can’t believe that she would fall low like she did.”

Behind her, Spike groaned. “Oh, come to your senses, Fluttershy! Can you not see it? She, and Twilight and the others now hate us, and want us out of the way. That’s why one or all of them framed us. To get us out of the way.”

Fluttershy spun around to face Spike with a glare. She moved to reprimand him, but suddenly stopped, hating herself all of a sudden. What would yelling at him accomplish? It would certainly not convince him otherwise, neither would it make things any easier than they were. She had a look around, and could quickly see from the looks of the others that she was alone in her belief, and it infuriated her. She put her head in her hooves and groaned. “What will it take to convince you all?” she muttered aloud, intending it to be unheard, yet everypony heard it anyway.

“I do not think there is any other way you can convince us,” Luna said sadly. 

Fluttershy took her head out of her hooves to say something to Luna. She closed her mouth upon looking into the Princess’s eyes. They no longer contained the strength she had once seen in them once. Instead they contained the shattered remnants of a heartbroken mare, a mare she could sympathise with. For the past week she had felt the same way, before she had smashed down the wall and saw the truth. Just because she had broken through the wall didn’t mean that the others have, too. “We’ll see,” she said eventually, smiling warmly.

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but looked up and paled when she heard the cell door unlocking. “It’s time,” she whispered fearfully.

Fluttershy backed away from Luna and the cell door as it opened with a screech. From the door, five unicorn guards emerged, with three holding leg and wing cuffs in magic floating above their heads, while a forth came with claw cuffs and a fire-proof muzzle.

“Get them up and out into the gardens,” the fifth unicorn ordered, rather reluctantly by the tone of his voice. “The Princess and the Element Bearers are waiting for them.”

Fluttershy backed away from the guards; her face etched into fear as they made their way through the door, spread themselves out and began to close in on the four prisoners. Fluttershy felt her rump press against the wall of the cell, and watched with fear as a unicorn guard walked slowly up to her with leg and wing cuffs held by magic.

“No!” Spike screamed as he attempted to escape the hold of the guards. “I’m too young to get stoned! Please don–” He was cut off when he was picked up by magic, and had a fireproof muzzle attached to his face. 

“Leave him alone!” Fluttershy screamed, frightened but feeling angry as well. “Take that thing off him, now!”

“I’m sorry, but the Princess insisted on it,” the guard holding Spike said to her, although not looking at her face in fear of bringing shame on himself.

Fluttershy looked from the guard holding Spike, to the one approaching her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered sincerely as she stopped right in front of her. “I wish there was a better way than this.”

Fluttershy looked at him in the eyes, and saw the sheer hatred for himself burning in them. “So do I,” Fluttershy whispered in response. She took a deep breath, then let it out again as she felt her trouble, fears, loves, and everything else that had weighed her down over the years leave her. She suddenly felt at peace. She sat on her haunches, and lifted up her forelegs for the unicorn to slap the leg cuffs on. “Not too tight, please,” she requested. “My body bruises quite easily.”

The unicorn nodded, and quickly slapped the leg cuffs on, tight enough for them not to slip off, yet loose enough not to hurt. For that small mercy Fluttershy was grateful. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to stick this on as well,” the guard said, showing a large metallic clamp that resembled a harness she had seen Applejack’s brother wear. 

Fluttershy nodded, then stepped forward quickly and turned to the side so the guard could attach it to her. He did so with little difficulty. She could feel her wings instinctively trying to spread out and get rid of whatever held them at her sides, but to no avail. The clamp felt heavy on her back, and it felt like it was pressing against her sides, suffocating her. Yet it was bearable, much to Fluttershy’s relief. By the time the wing clamp was on, the four of them were cuffed and ready to be taken outside. 

“Come on then, let’s get this over and done with so I can drink this out of my memory,” the unicorn captain said, turning around. 

Fluttershy looked to the guard, who gestured with his head to move. Not wanting to argue, Fluttershy began to walk forward, the chains on her forelegs rattling as she walked. “Take it slowly,” the guard beside her advised. “You could trip up on the chains.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. Behind her, Luna was pushed forward by her guard, while Cadence submissively walked on, too scared to protest. Spike, however, was floated above his guard, his eyes wide with fear. 

Fluttershy was soon out of the cell, and standing in the corridor. To the right of her, the corridor passed more cells, before stopping at the steps of a flight of stairs that spiralled up into the palace. To the left, the corridor went past more cells, while at the end was a small door with a golden unicorn’s head on the front.

And much to Fluttershy’s relief, she was led left. ‘Thankfully we won’t be humiliated by walking through the castle,’ Fluttershy thought as they walked down the corridor in a sullen silence, save for Cadence sniffing back tears of pain.

“Captain, permission to express how deeply wrong I think this is?” the guard next to her asked.

The captain looked back at him with sympathetic eyes. “As much as I like to hear it, son, permission denied,” he answered. 

“But I’m not the only one who thinks it, sir,” the guard continued, pointing to some of the others down in the cells. “I know they’re traitors, sir, and deserve to be punished. But this… this just seems too extreme.”

The captain swung his head back around to face the guard, his face stating his growing annoyance on the subject. “Yes, it is a bit extreme, and I know there are others who think they deserve something less extreme. But I also know that around half of the guard believe they deserve something far worse.” Fluttershy felt her heart stop beating at the thought of so many ponies hating her. “And these are the Princess’s orders, private,” the captain reminded him, “and like it or not, we were trained to follow them. Besides, Discord was turned to stone, twice I might add, and nopony morally questioned that as far as I am aware. Nopony even battered an eyelid about it. Now cease talking and open the door.”

The private reluctantly nodded, then left Fluttershy’s side to open the door in front of them. Fluttershy walked slowly up to the door, then stopped and waited for the door to open with her head held high and her eyes narrow. She will not show fear in front of them. To do so would make whatever controlled Celestia and her friends win. Yet deep down, she could her heart beating rapidly and her body burning with fear. 

Suddenly, the door swung open, and the light of the sun blinded Fluttershy, forcing her to close her eyes and lower her head. She blinked a few times so that her eyes could get used to the sun, and once they did, her eyes widened.

A large hedge wall encircled the area of the featureless garden, disallowing any ponies the chance to see what was being done here. Around the edge of the garden, royal guards ponies of unicorns and pegasi stood in silence, their faces emotionless and their gazes unmovable. And at the centre of the garden, Celestia stood behind the five bearers of the Elements of Harmony, who stood in a line, in the central green with a pebble path running around it, who looked their way with gazes of contempt.

“Come on, keep moving,” the captain ordered. Fluttershy quickly complied, and moved out of the way of the door and into the garden. Unlike the other times she had been here, she felt the softness of the grass beneath her hooves, the sweet freshness of the air, and the raw beauty of the life that the gardens emanated. 

‘Probably,’ she realised, ‘because I won’t be seeing this place for a long, long time.’

“Halt,” the captain ordered. At once, Fluttershy stopped, while Spike was placed next to her, with Luna and Cadence placed alongside him. 

For a moment, all was still. The wind stopped blowing, the birds stopped singing, and some began to take flight and leave the city as though they knew what was coming. Fluttershy glanced around her to see guards gazing at the four of them with either looks of disgust, contempt, or sympathy. Fluttershy felt her heart get twisted with every gaze that looked like to be one of hate. She looked down at Spike, to hear him whimpering with fear through the muzzle clamped to him. “Be brave, Spike,” Fluttershy whispered. She wished she could follow her own advice this time.

“Fluttershy Firewing!” Celestia called over to them. “Step before us!”

Fluttershy looked over to Celestia, and nodded. With her head raised high, she began the short walk forward, to the spot she reckoned she won’t be leaving till Celestia saw fit to have her released. ‘What will Equestria look like in a few hundred years?’ she wondered. ‘Will it even exist? Will I be remembered, either as a traitor, or a bearer to an Element of Harmony?’ Although seeing Equestria in the future was intriguing, it was still something she didn’t want to see. Besides, how long will she be encased in stone. A hundred years? A thousand? Ten thousand? A million? It terrified her to not know how long she would be trapped here.

“Stop!” Celestia suddenly commanded. Instantly, Fluttershy stopped, then turned around to face her ruler, and her former friends. Her eyes moved to Twilight, and the crown that now fully encircled her head, with five spikes running around it and a five pointed star on its face. Fluttershy quickly looked from her to Rainbow, then Applejack, then Rarity, and finally Pinkie…

She had to smile at the sight of the pink earth pony, and the large, evil-pony moustache that was stuck on her face. ‘Only Pinkie Pie could do something like that,’ she thought. But as she looked closer at the mare, she could see something that shocked her, and broke her heart once again.

Pinkie Pie was crying.

Tears were streaming down her face like a waterfall, yet her look showed no signs of her ever doing it. She looked closely at the others and saw that they, despite the glares of hate coming towards her, were crying just as hard. ‘They are being forced to do this,’ she realised. Her mind suddenly raced with thoughts and images of her five friends screaming out in their minds, trying to break away from whatever forced them to do these things, yet somehow couldn’t control themselves. They were being used and toyed with like puppets on a string, and Fluttershy felt despair as she didn’t have a way to cut the strings. ‘I’m so sorry, my friends. I am so sorry I couldn’t save you,’ she thought despairingly.

“Before your punishment is carried out, is there any last words that you wish to share with us before your imprisonment?” Celestia asked harshly, as though she was impatient with this.

Fluttershy looked up at Celestia, and her eyes widened when she saw the tears pouring from the winged unicorn’s eyes. Whatever pain her friends were in, it seemed nothing compared to the sheer agony she could see in Celestia’s eyes. ‘I forgive you, Celestia,’ she thought. ‘I promise you that when I get out, I will find whatever forced you to do this, and make them pay.’

“Just do it,” she said. She bowed her head swiftly, and tensed her body as she prepared herself for what may happen. She hoped it wasn’t painful. It didn’t seem that way from how Discord acted just after he was released once more. Yet it could be different depending on who the Elements were fired at.

She looked up once more to see Twilight lowering her head, and her horn lighting up in its magenta glow, as she prepared to harness the power of the Elements. Just then, she noticed something above Twilight’s head, something moving towards them at quite a speed, and something very large.

She squinted her eyes to make out the thing, and when she did, her heart almost jumped in joy at the sight of it.

“Um, actually, would you mind if you hold it for a moment, please? I do have something to say. Sorry if I’m holding you up or anything,” Fluttershy said, raising her hooves up as best she could to stop them. 

For a moment, Twilight’s horn continued to glow with intensity, making Fluttershy fear they would never stop. Thankfully, after a groan, Twilight’s horn stopped glowing and she looked up again, glaring at Fluttershy, even as tears swept down her face. 

“Very well,” Celestia relented. “Let us hear your final words of mercy.”

‘I doubt you will show any, whoever you are,’ Fluttershy thought. “Thank you,” she said kindly. She quickly reared up, and gestured with her forelegs in a downward swoop whilst saying, “Duck.”

The six ponies glanced at each other, incredibly confused. Fluttershy quickly glanced at her fellow prisoners, and saw the confusion in their faces as well of the odd request. She smiled at them, and gave them a wink of assurance.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘duck’?” Rarity enquired.

“Maybe she wants a duck with her whilst she’s encased in stone?” Pinkie suggested. “Let’s go get her a duck. Come on, it’s going to get pretty lonely for her, after all.”

“Where exactly are we gonna get a duck at this time of day?” Applejack queried, looking at Pinkie with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m sure we can find one at a pond somewhere,” Pinkie answered. “One who is willing enough to be encased in stone as well.”

“I don’t think you’re going to find a duck who is willing to be turned to stone, Pinkie,” Rainbow reasoned.

“At least we can try,” Pinkie said persistently.

“Oh, for crying out loud, we’re not giving her a duck!” Twilight bellowed. “We’re wasting time here. Let’s finish with this traitorous cow so we can get on with the others.” Twilight lowered her horn once more and prepared to fire up the Elements.

“Hold on,” Fluttershy interrupted again, looking up every now and then.

Twilight’s horn stopped glowing once more. “Oh, what is it now?” she yelled, growing visibly annoyed.

“No, um, I didn’t mean duck as in I would like a duck. I meant ‘duck’ as in get down; take cover, prostrate yourself to the ground, that sort of thing. I mean, if you want to, of course, I can’t exactly force you all to do something.”

“Oh,” the six ponies chimed, nodding in understanding at each other. That understanding quickly returned to confusion.

“What do you mean, take cover?” Celestia demanded. She broke away from the Element Bearers and strode nimbly towards Fluttershy with a look of venom. Fluttershy, surprisingly, even to herself, stood her ground, looking at the Princess with a sweet, innocent smile. “And take cover from what, exactly?”

“From the dragon,” Fluttershy answered.

“What dragon?”

“That dragon,” Fluttershy replied, pointing behind her.

Celestia turned her head around, and gasped in horror at the large yellow dragon with a black mane and black spikes and a creamy underbelly flying towards them, his mouth wide open and ready to spit fire.

Celestia spun her body around to face him, but before she could power up her horn, the dragon breathed fire between the Element Bearers and the Princess, cutting them off from each other. The dragon flew away from the garden, then spun around and moved to hover above the ponies, looking at the scene before him with sadness and disgust.

“Vidarr,” Fluttershy whispered, tears of joy in her eyes at the sight of a friend and the only kin she had left.

Vidarr swept a claw across the air, making the flames rise high into the air and envelop the element bearers in a ball of flame. That wall of flame suddenly surrounded the prisoners, Celestia, and Fluttershy, cutting them off from the guards around the gardens. 

He looked down at Fluttershy and her fellow prisoners, and clenched his claw together. Fluttershy looked down at her hooves to see her leg cuffs blazing white with heat, before melting and disappearing altogether. The same went with her wing clamp; it burned white and melted into nothingness. She looked at Luna, Spike and Cadence, and sighed in relief when she saw the bonds on them blazed white, and then melted as well, freeing them.

“No!” Celestia yelled. Her horn suddenly lit up with golden light, and aimed it at Luna and Cadence, intending to strike them down. Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror, yet she felt pain for Celestia as she could see the Princess’s crying eye twitch, as though the real Celestia was fighting against what controlled her. 

‘Come on, Celestia, I know you can fight it. You’re stronger than anything!’ Fluttershy thought pleadingly.

Yet despite the Princess’s strength, it appeared it wasn’t enough. 

A blast of golden magic shot out of Celestia’s horn, and hurtled towards them like a meteorite. The two former Princesses powered up their horns to form a shield to defend themselves, yet the blast was coming at them too quickly, and they were weak after four days of imprisonment. Their horns stopped glowing, and the two bowed their heads and waited for the end.

It was not to be. 

Vidarr jetted out a burst of flame from his mouth onto the orb, disintegrating it before they could feel the heat from it. He tucked his wings to his sides, and then dived to the ground, landing in between Celestia and Luna, Cadence and Spike, who stared at him with awe and relief. “Kom deg bak meg, Fluttershy Ildvinge (Get behind me, Fluttershy Firewing)!” he commanded to the Dragonlord in Dragonian.

Fluttershy hastily galloped from the spot she was frozen to a moment ago, to stand behind the great dragon, shaking in fright. She quickly glanced at the wall of flame to see if her friends were okay, and sure enough they were.

Vidarr gave Fluttershy a curt nod as she ran past him, and then turned to face the Princess of the sun. “Celestia Solaris,” Vidarr greeted the Princess, curtly bowing his head.

“Vidarr,” Celestia sneered, her teeth snarling with rage, even as tears poured from her eyes. For only a few seconds, but what seemed like to Fluttershy hours, the two ancient beings stood gazing at each other, pondering on who would make the first move, or what should happen next. 

‘Please don’t fight, please don’t fight, please don’t fight,’ Fluttershy pleaded desperately in thought. If those two did fight, she figured, then only one would come away alive, and Fluttershy wanted both to stay alive.

“It has been a long time, my old friend,” Vidarr said while using his tail to shield Fluttershy, Luna, Cadence and Spike. Fluttershy reared up, pressed her hooves against the dragon’s tail, and craned her neck just to see what was going on.

“Indeed it has, Vidarr,” Celestia agreed. “Too long. The last time I saw you was just after I had banished my sister for the first time. So tell me, why do you appear now, before these traitors?” she asked, gesturing with a hoof at the ponies hiding behind Vidarr’s tail.

“Because I cannot allow you to do what you intend to them, Princess,” Vidarr said. “They are innocent of the charges you have brought against them.”

“Innocent? How can they be innocent?” Celestia yelled, taking a step closer to the dragon. “The proof has already been discovered and confirmed by their own writing!”

Vidarr glanced to Fluttershy for confirmation of this. The only response he got back was a little nod. “Du vet jeg aldri ville skrive noe slik, ikke sant (You know I, or any of us, would never write anything like that, don’t you)?” Fluttershy whispered in Dragonian. 

Vidarr gave Fluttershy an assuring smile. “Jeg vet (I know),” he whispered. He turned back to Celestia. “Even if they are guilty of the charges you laid against them – which they aren’t – the punishment of traitors being turned to stone is considered too harsh, according to the laws of Equestria; laws, that you created.”

Luna shot her head up over Vidarr’s tail to look at Celestia in shock. Fluttershy could practically hear the Night Princess’s heart being crushed some more. “Tia? Is this true?”

“You mean she never told you?” Vidarr asked, twisting his head to gaze at Luna. “The punishment of ponies or other creatures being turned to stone for treason was abolished about two hundred years after your imprisonment in the moon for the sheer barbarity it is.”

Luna looked crushed, giving Fluttershy the urge to want to hug her and comfort her. “Why did you never tell me?” Luna whispered, though loud enough for Celestia to hear.

“Oh, do you need me to hold your hoof all of the time?” Celestia snapped, making Luna flinch back. “I have the whole library here with books full of Equestrian laws and customs and such. But did you ever look at one? No! You would rather stay in the palace for a year of sulking! And when you do decide to go out and see Equestria you think that everything would be just the same! I have far better things to tend to then having to deal with a pathetic excuse for a sister!”

Fluttershy felt her own heart break when she saw the devastation in Luna’s eyes, and felt a great amount of sympathy for Celestia as well. She could see in the Princess’s eyes that she was in agony with every spiteful word that was forced out of her mouth. 

“Now I see, Celestia Solaris,” Vidarr said suddenly. “Now I see that something is truly wrong here.” He pointed a finger at her. “You are not the Celestia Solaris I remember. The pony who cried for hours with me at her side as I tried to comfort her from what she did to Luna Nocturnus Solaris. The kind, generous, honest, funny Celestia Solaris I remember is not what I see standing before me.” 

He took a step closer to Celestia, his eyes sympathetic and pleading. “Whatever has happened to you, Celestia Solaris, you can fight it. I know you are trying now, by the tears that run down your cheeks. Reach out to me, Celestia Solaris, and break from whatever has affected you.” He lifted up a claw for her to take, hoping the simple gesture would help her battle for control.

Celestia wiped her eyes, yet the tears continued to pour. “There is nothing wrong with me, Vidarr. I have just opened my eyes, and seen my sister, niece and Fluttershy for what they truly are.” She closed her eyes and her horn began to glow a bright golden once more. “And if you don’t stand aside, Vidarr, you will join them in their punishment.”

Vidarr pulled his claw back, and sighed sadly when he saw that it wouldn’t work. “Do you really think your magic is any good against me? You may be strong in magic, Celestia Solaris, but I’m stronger.”

Celestia grinned. “We’ll see.” She let out a cry of rage, and from her horn a large beam of golden light shot its way towards Vidarr. 

The dragon, however, was prepared. A second before the beam could hit him, he casually brought up his claw, and deflected the beam back at her. Celestia’s eyes widened as the beam landed in front of her then began to encircle her like the spell Vidarr used on the Element Bearers. “I hope you are in there, Celestia Solaris,” Vidarr said demurely. “If you can hear me, then I pray you will forgive me.” 

The cry of rage from Celestia was lost as the beam of golden light enveloped her. Vidarr let out a sad sigh, and then turned to the four hiding behind his tail. “Let us get away from here.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “And not a moment too soon,” Spike said, tugging at her tail. “Look!”

Fluttershy turned around, and gasped in horror as a whole legion of pegasi and unicorn guards appeared from the palace and garden entrances, charging towards them. “Quickly! All of you!” Vidarr shouted. “Onto my back!”

At once, Cadence, Luna, Spike and Fluttershy leapt onto the palm of his claw, then sprinted across his foreleg and onto his back. “Wait a second, where should we go?” Spike asked.

“South!” Fluttershy cried instantly, her eyes wide and her voice sounding like she was panicking. “Just head south, now! Go!” 

Vidarr looked hesitant, but complied nonetheless. He spread his wings, and with a mighty thrust towards the ground, sending several unicorns coming towards them to the ground, he burst into the air, and was quickly away from Canterlot and flying south at a speed no pegasi could match.

As they flew away, Fluttershy looked back to see the fire shield that surrounded Twilight and the others break apart, and they could only watch as Vidarr flew far away. She could see Rainbow about to fly after them, but Applejack held her back by the tail. A few seconds later, the spell around Celestia broke, and she too could only watch and scream with fury as they became nothing but a dot in the distance.

Fluttershy watched as the city of Canterlot began to grow smaller behind them, until they were far away, and not being pursued. Fluttershy felt her legs give way, and she fell onto her back, and began to laugh in joyous relief.

Despite the odds, they were free once again – at least for now.

“Du plukket et godt tidspunkt, Vidarr (You picked some good timing, Vidarr)!” Fluttershy called as she got up and trotted towards his ears.

The dragon chuckled. “Jeg prøver (I try),” he said, glancing upwards to see Fluttershy. “Det er godt å se deg igjen, Fluttershy Ildvinge. Det har vært alt for lenge siden (It is good to see you again, Fluttershy Firewing. It has been far too long).”

“Jeg skulle ønske jeg kunne si det samme om deg, Vidarr. Men jeg kan ikke, for jeg vet hva ditt egentlige hensikt er. Jeg må ta til våpen igjen, ikke sant (I wish I could say it was good to see you too, Vidarr. But I can’t, for I know what your presence here means. I’m to take up arms again, aren’t I)?” she asked heavily.

“Hvordan vet du at jeg ikke hadde kommet hele denne veien for en kopp te og en fin prat (How do you know I haven’t just come this way for a spot of tea with you and a nice chat)?” Vidarr teased, smirking. “Jeg har hørt du har noen av de beste sortene av te rundt i området (I hear you have some of the best tea around).” 

Fluttershy laughed. “Jeg tror ikke jeg har en stor nok kopp for deg, Vidarr, eller en stor nok te-pose (I don’t think I have a big enough cup for you to have, Vidarr, nor would I find a big enough tea bag).”

“Jeg er sikker på at vi kunne improvisere (I’m sure we could have improvised),” Vidarr responded, chuckling. The chuckling died away, as did his smile. “Men jeg er redd du snakket sant, Fluttershy Ildvinge. Det virker som om du må ta til våpen igjen, som jeg fryktet du måtte gjøre (But I am afraid you speak the truth, Fluttershy Firewing. It appears you must take arms once again, as I feared you would).”

Fluttershy felt the colour drain from her face, and she let out a heavy sigh. “Jeg har fryktet denne dagen for de siste to årene, Vidarr (I have been dreading this day for the past two years, Vidarr),” she said sadly. “Men jeg trodde alltid du ville komme foran min dør og si at jeg måtte dra et annet sted. Jeg ville aldri ha sett for meg at jeg skulle løpe fra mine venner (I always thought you would turn up at my doorstep, saying that I was needed elsewhere. I never would have imagined it would be like this; running from those I once called my friends).”

“Jeg så det ikke heller (Neither did I),” Vidarr said. “Jeg tror at ingen forutså denne galskapen. Men vi kan ikke beskymre oss for det nå. Vi må bringe alle dere til sikkerhet (I don’t think anyone could have predicted this madness. But we cannot worry about what has occurred presently. We must first get all of you to safety).”

“Før vi gjør det, kan vi rask stoppe ved min hytte, værsånill  (Before we do that, could we stop by at my cottage quickly, please)?” Fluttershy requested. “Det er noe ting jeg må få tak i (There are some things I have to get).”

Vidarr nodded, for he understood what Fluttershy intended to get. “Selfølgelig (Of course),” he replied. Fluttershy nodded her thanks, and then looked back at the others on his back.

Luna was holding tightly onto Cadence, who was still crying, while Spike sat in silence with his arms crossed and looking at her hauntingly. “Tell us, Vidarr, my old friend!” Luna called, a small smile on her face, which pleased Fluttershy. “How did you know of our danger?”

Vidarr looked back at his old friend with sullen eyes. “The news of your imprisonment has spread fast across Equestria, and beyond, Luna Nocturnus Solaris, and yours too, Mi Amora Cadenza. I rushed into Equestria to talk to Celestia Solaris and get her to see reason, but then word reached my ears of the accusations of you, Fluttershy Firewing.

“Alarmed, I raced over to the place of your residence, only to find it deserted with only a single white doe rabbit outside. I quickly realised you were in Canterlot, so I raced over to the city as fast as my wings could take me. The rest you have seen.”

Luna’s small smile vanished. “So our imprisonment is known elsewhere?”

“I’m afraid so,” Vidarr answered with a nod. “Many nations are aware of your plights, and are just as confused as to what brought this about. Some say your sister has finally gone mad, others are that she is dead and a tyrant has taken over. Some are even preparing themselves for war. Either way, storm clouds are gathering over Equestria, Luna Nocturnus Solaris, and we must all be ready.” Vidarr turned his head around, and looked down as Ponyville appeared below him. 

“Hold on!” he warned to the ponies and dragon on his back. With that warning, he dived straight down. 

“Why are we going to Ponyville?” Luna demanded, confused and frightened about the possibility of staying there. “Surely we must continue fleeing!”

“We will!” Fluttershy promised, holding onto one of Vidarr’s spikes for dear life as he dived. “I just need to pick up some stuff at my cottage first!” She breathed a little better when Vidarr veered up and slowed down as they approached Fluttershy’s home.

Fluttershy looked at her home with sadness, for she knew it could be the last time she would ever see her home. ‘No!’ She shook the thought away. ‘I will see it again. By Vidarr’s wings I will see my home again after this day.’ 

Vidarr landed on the road in front of the little bridge, and lowered his head so Fluttershy could jump off. “Spike, could you give me some assistance please? I need your help with something,” Fluttershy requested.

Spike looked confused at her, as though he was looking at someone he didn’t know. ‘Why’s he looking at me like that for?’ she wondered. Her eyes widened as an answer came into her mind. ‘Does he even know what I am? Did Twilight ever tell him what happened in Horsca?’ The gormless look on Spike’s face answered that for her.

“Sure, Fluttershy,” Spike said tiredly as he loosened his grip from Vidarr’s back. “I’ll help you.”

Fluttershy smiled at him in thanks, then jumped off Vidarr’s back with Spike close behind. “Hvis du ser vaktene fra Canterlot komme denne veien, dra (If you see guards from Canterlot coming this way, just go),” Fluttershy said, looking at Vidarr with serious eyes. “Ikke vent for oss. Vi vil prøve å miste dem i Everfree Forest (Don’t wait for us. We’ll try to lose them in the Everfree Forest).”

Vidarr reluctantly nodded. “Jeg skal gjøre som du sier, Drageherre (I will do as you ask, Dragonlord).”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, and then galloped over her bridge, with Spike running after her. 

“Okay, Fluttershy,” Spike said as they slowed down to a walk as they approached the front door. “You have some explaining to do. Firstly, why on earth are you friends with a dragon?”

“I’m friends with you, aren’t I?” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Yes, but from your own words, and from what Twilight told me, I’m not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite, totally all grown-up dragon!” Spike reminded her.

Fluttershy looked up at Vidarr, who stared back at her with a raised eyebrow, and blushed, grinning sheepishly. “Yes, well, Vidarr is different to most dragons.” She reared up and unlocked the door.

“How is he different to most dragons?” Spike queried.

“Because he knew my father,” Fluttershy muttered in response. “And if my father trusted him, then so shall I.” She opened the door and stepped inside her home for what could be the last time.

She stopped for a moment, and breathed in the scent of her home. It smelt like the first days of spring, with the sweet aroma of the first flowers as they bloomed in the meadows, and the smell of new life. Fluttershy’s ears flattened as she looked around for her animal friends, yet couldn’t find even one. ‘Probably got scared off by Vidarr,’ she realised. She didn’t blame them for that. She too would run away when a fully-grown dragon would land outside the door. 

Her ears suddenly picked up the sound of ponies whimpering in the kitchen, and walked slowly over to investigate. “Hello?” she called. “Who’s there?”

Three familiar faces appeared from behind the kitchen, making Fluttershy jump a little at the sight of them. “Fluttershy!” Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo cried. They raced over and jumped her in a hug, surprisingly glad to see her.

“Girls? What’re you all doing here?” she asked as she pulled away from them.

“We were wonderin’ if we could stay here with ya for a few days,” Applebloom explained. “Applejack is being a straight up meanie with us, so much that the rest of us decided to head up to Manehatten. I would have gone, but these lot made me decide to stay behind.”

“And Rarity has just got worse and worse over the week. I can’t stand being in the same room as her anymore,” Sweetie Belle added.

“So they found me and explained their problem, where I told them I was having the same problem as well. My parents have been doing nothing but arguing for the past week, and I can’t stand it anymore. We would have gone to the clubhouse, but we quickly realised that anypony looking for us would look there first. So we came here,” Scootaloo finished.

“So, could we stay with you… please?” the three girls asked together, drawing out their bottom lips and giving Fluttershy the biggest eyes she had ever seen.

Fluttershy tilted her head and smiled warmly at them. “Even if I had a colder heart, I still couldn’t say no to your faces,” she said. “Of course you can stay, but… I’m sorry, girls, but I can’t stay here with you.”

The three young fillies looked devastated. “Why not?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s important that I go,” Fluttershy replied. “I can’t really explain why, but I must.” She brought the three of them in a quick hug. “Look after the place for me, won’t you? Take care of yourselves, and I’ll see you all when I get back.” ‘If I get back.’

With all she needed to say said, she broke away from the three fillies and raced upstairs, with Spike in tow.

“And another thing,” Spike said suddenly as they walked into Fluttershy’s bedroom, “what kind of language were you and that dragon speaking in? It sounded familiar to the one you spoke to me that day after you woke up a month after that dragon attack.”

Fluttershy lowered herself onto her stomach, and carefully felt around her floorboards for the one that was detachable. She grinned to herself when she found one that sounded lighter than the others. She sat upright, then carefully and precisely, lifted the floorboard out from its place, and looked in. 

Spike stood beside her, and gaped inside. “What’s in there?”

Inside the hole was a large brown sack, tied neatly at the end with a piece of string. Fluttershy pulled the sack out of the hole, and placed it beside her, then opened it up. “These,” she answered, taking one of the items out and revealing it to Spike, who gasped in wonder.

In Fluttershy’s hooves was a bracelet that lengthened from the bottom of Fluttershy’s knee to the top of her pastern, allowing her to use her hooves flexibly as though she never had it. On the face of it was the golden head of a unicorn pony, while at one end was a small slit for something to poke out from, while the other was what resembled a hilt of a sword. While below the bracelet were straps that loosened or tightened magically depending on who was carrying it. 

“What is it?” Spike asked, staring at it in wondrous awe.

Fluttershy slotted the bracelet onto her left leg, which fitted nicely around her cannon, and felt like it wasn’t there at all. Then, with a sudden yelp from Spike, Fluttershy lifted up her leg, flexed her hoof back, and let the two-foot sword shoot out of it and point into the air. 

Fluttershy looked at Firewing with sad, heavy eyes. “Det er tid til å bli brukt igjen, Ildvinge (Time to be used again, Firewing),” she said in Dragonian. She pulled her hoof away from her, and let Firewing crawl back in, singing mournfully as it disappeared. With Firewing away, it was time to take the other one out.

Fluttershy dived her hooves into the sack, and pulled out another bracelet a second later. This one looked worn and battered, and didn’t have a unicorn head on it, but it did have a hilt that resembled a sword’s at the end. Fluttershy quickly attached that onto her right leg, and then flicked her hoof back, and let the blade of Drage Bane shoot out quick, then let it back in again. ‘I’m wasting too much time here,’ she thought. ‘We need to get back to Vidarr as soon as possible.’

However, she knew she couldn’t yet, for there were two more things to be attached to her before they could leave.

She lifted the last two things out of the sack, and showed them to Spike. “Could you help me with these, please, Spike?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, if you want to, of course.”

Spike nodded, though he stared at her as if he well and truly didn’t know her anymore. “Why do you need those?” he asked fearfully, pointing at what was in Fluttershy’s hooves.

In her hooves were two sets of six small dagger-like blades, with small slits in each for a feather to fit in, and connected together by a thin piece of wire of some sort. “Because I have to, Spike,” Fluttershy answered regretfully, stretching her leg out for Spike to get hold of them and fit them on. “My friends are in danger, and I have to take up arms again, as I promised I would two years ago.”

Spike took hold of the blades, and then watched as Fluttershy stretched out her wings, and waited for Spike to put them on. “Who are you?” Spike asked, looking at her with disbelieving eyes.

Fluttershy smiled at him comfortingly, even as his stinging words pierced her heart. “My name is Fluttershy Firewing,” she answered. “I’m a Dragonlord of Equestria, guardian of the peace, and protector of all.” She leaned her head forward, smiling. “But I am also the shy, quiet animal lover that knocked Twilight Sparkle into the air four years ago, delighted at the sight of a baby dragon in front of me.” She leaned back, and gestured with her head for Spike to fix the wing blades on. “Please, Spike? I need you to do this now.”

After a moment of hesitance, Spike nodded, and began slotting the blades onto Fluttershy’s feathers. Fluttershy grimaced at how cold each of the blades felt as they were attached to her wings, but that cold feeling, just like the first time, passed quickly.

Finally, after a long while, Spike finished putting the blades on, and stepped back in awe at the sight of them. The blades made Fluttershy’s wings look like they were made of metal, and shone in the light of the high sun.

Fluttershy looked at each of her wings with sad eyes. Proud, but sad. This was the day she had been dreading for two years. The day that had plagued her in her nightmares on and off from the day she knew she would have need of them again. She had thought of many reasons as to why she would have to fight again: the changelings invade Equestria en masse, the dragons try to take over, some great and powerful foe kills the princesses and kidnaps her friends while leaving her, believing her to be too weak to fight back.

Out of all of the ideas that came into her mind, however, this reason was one she didn’t see coming. ‘And one I would never have dreamed of,’ she thought.

“What are you going to do, Spike?” she asked suddenly, drawing Spike’s attention from her wings to her face. “Are you going to stay here, or come with me?” She added shyly while scraping at the floor with a hoof, “I don’t mind what you decide. Whatever you want to do is fine.”

She didn’t have to wait for long to get Spike’s reply. “I’m not leaving your side, Fluttershy,” he answered. He let out a sigh. “I know it’s gonna be tough, and we might be forced to do things that we wouldn’t normally do. But, right now, I could do with what I consider the only family I have left now.”

Fluttershy felt tears well up in her eyes. “I thought you didn’t like being all mushy,” she said as she hugged him tight.

“Yeah, I don’t. I guess you’ve been rubbing off on me.”

Fluttershy giggled as she pulled away to look at him in the eye, smiling amiably, yet holding him by the shoulders. “Yes, you’re right, it’s going to be dangerous, and there’s a chance we will be forced to do things we won’t usually do or like. However, if we stand together, and work as a team, then there is nothing we can’t overcome.” She let him go, and took one long last look at her bedroom.

Her bed was still unmade, her curtains were still drawn and her bathroom door was still open. Yet, despite the mess that she usually despised, it reminded her of why she loved the life of tranquillity she had shared with her animal friends. It made her want to take off her weapons as quick as she could, then bar the bedroom door and hide under her covers, shaking in fright of what was happening around her.

Despite the thought in her head, she didn’t fall prey to it. She couldn’t – no, she wouldn’t – just stand by and watch her friends and loved ones fall into madness, or be used like puppets at the beck and call of their master like maids. She will find out who this master is, then cut the strings away from them, and break her friends free.

First though, there was the problem of staying out of stone long enough to find that out. ‘We’ll get to safety first, then find out the truth,’ she decided. She looked down at Spike, who was starting to fidget in place. “Come on, let’s get going. We don’t want to keep them all waiting.”

Spike nodded in agreement, then sprinted out of the door, down the stairs and outside again. Fluttershy giggled to herself, then broke into a gallop after him. She stopped when she saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders waiting for her to go, who looked back at her in awe when they saw the wing blades. 

“Where did you get those awesome looking things?” Scootaloo enquired. “And where can I get some?”

Fluttershy quickly shot her wings back to her sides, hiding the blades from sight. “Sorry, Scootaloo, but they were a one-time thing,” she lied. “You will look after this place for me while I’m gone, won’t you?”

“Course we will,” Sweetie Belle said. Her eyes suddenly widened in delight, making Fluttershy suddenly fearful for the safety of her cottage. “Hey, maybe we could get cutie marks in house sitting?”

“Yay! Cutie Mark Crusader house sitters!” the three fillies exclaimed, much to Fluttershy’s horror.

‘Oh dear,’ she thought. “Yes, well um… I can see the house will be in good hooves for a while, so I’ll leave you girls to it. Don’t open the door to anypony, and don’t get the animals all cranky. And if somepony tried to break down the door, go to Zecora’s and stay there.” Her fake, beaming smile faded as she looked at them, and her house, with teary eyes. 

She swallowed a lump in her throat, and then said sorrowfully, “Goodbye, girls.” She muffled the girls’ replies by shutting the front door behind her, her head low and ears flat, as she slowly walked away.

“Fluttershy Firewing?” Vidarr called. Fluttershy looked to Vidarr with a large frown. “What troubles you?”

She sniffed back a few tears. “Everything,” she replied. She shook her head to clear it of her sorrow of saying goodbye to her home, then spread her wings and flew onto Vidarr’s back. She landed on his back, then settled down onto her stomach and sighed. “Let’s go, Vidarr. Keep heading south,” she said sadly, for she didn’t really care at the moment where she wanted to go. She was just too miserable to care.

Although he looked like he wanted to say something, Vidarr kept it silent. He nodded, then spread his wings, and shot into the air like an arrow. Fluttershy looked back and watched her home grew smaller and smaller, until she could not make it out at all.

“Okay, Fluttershy, you have some explaining to do,” Spike said, his arms crossed over his chest and looking at her with narrow eyes. “What happened in Horsca, exactly? And what exactly is a Dragonlord?”

Fluttershy sighed once more, and then sat upright. “I should have told you what happened in there two years ago, Spike, and for that I am sorry. But I suppose it is better late than never, right?” She grinned at him, trying to ease the mood, but it did no good. With a heavy sigh, she gestured for them all to come closer, which they all did, for they looked fascinated by the bracelets on her legs, and the blades on her wings.

“I will tell you everything I know,” Fluttershy said. With that, Fluttershy began to tell her story once more, while Vidarr flew away from Ponyville, and over the Everfree Forest.