//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18: The Morning After 
// Story: Worth Less Than a Fly 
// by nightshade745 
//------------------------------//


As Blank walked away from him, Shadaico made one last threat. "When I find you *huff* I'm going to rip you a new asshole!" In short, he was pissed off.

Shadaico was on the edge of death and spots were appearing before his eyes as he he lay against a tree. There was a hole in his chest, gashes along his sides, and his front left leg was snapped. Blank had done a good job, Shadaico had to give him that. Soon, he wouldn't even be conscious anymore. After that, death would only be a step away. That knowledge was enough to break Shadaico down.

Shadaico had known numerous men and watched dozens of what he had thought were his friends die right before his eyes. It wasn't death itself that most of them feared, it was that fear that they wouldn't stay in this world. A fear that there would be no more days under the sun, no more days to complete their life's work, or no one to continue they're legacy. Some just feared the pain that was involved in dying. Shadaico knew better. The pain of the physical body was an old companion, but the pain of the heart was a whole different matter.

With his resolve to change his ways, Shadaico had come to face a pain he had never known, fear and sorrow. It was unlike any agony he'd every encountered. It was something that only one thing he had yet encountered could soothe, Nash. For some reason, talking to Nash seemed to dull that pain of dying. The fear of hell and eternal punishment was forgotten when he talked to another about his mission to right his wrongs. Nash just happened to be the first one Shadaico had confided in.

Shadaico could feel the grip of hell tightening around him. God, or whatever deity guided the universe, had given him a second chance and he had lost it. He pleaded into the darkness of the night for another. He cried and he begged. The most feared and powerful being in his world and he was bawling for yet another chance to do good. Heaven seemed to have compassion that night, as an angel approached him from the dark forest ahead! It could have been hallucinations as his brain shut down, but Shadaico could only whimper to it for help. Light encircled it as it approached slowly. Nothing but that light filled his vision just before darkness...

Several Minutes Earlier...

The girls were all in Twilight's library listening as she finished reading the reply she had just received from Celestia. The letter was very specific on a few details, number one being that Canterlot was safe. Number two was the request that only Twilight come to the city to have a meeting with Celestia herself. Twilight stood there reading the letter over and over as she tried to determine if she should be excited or worried. On one hoof, Canterlot was saved and she would get to see her mentor. On the other, somepony or something had almost destroyed the city and now Celestia wanted to talk to her about it personally!

The others took it each in their own way...

"Boy howdy! Well that's a relief. Here I was thinkin' we were goin' to have to fight or some such."

"I'm just glad I'm not going to be forced upon such a...troubled place," Rarity sighed with relief.

"I'm just glad nopony got hurt," Fluttershy whispered. (The letter had lied and said so)

"The Wonderbolts were there and I missed it!? Aw come on!" Rainbow complained.

"When they fix the castle we should have a victory party there!" Pinkie declared.

"Now that everything's okay, can I go back to sleep," Spike yawned and rubbed his tired eyes.

Twilight sighed and lowered the letter. "We shouldn't get too complacent. Celestia wants to see me for something and it could be serious, I want all of you to be ready when I get back," Twilight warned them.

"Ready for what?" Rainbow Dash lolled.

"Well...something."

"I think ya might be gettin' a little over eager Twilight. Celestia is just wantin' to talk to ya is all."

"Canterlot was just attacked! She must want to discuss ways we could better protect Equestria--"

"Don't go jumping to any conclusions there sugar cube. We don't know anything right now and you know it."

Applejack was the voice of reason and Twilight knew she was right, but she was so excited. It'd been a while since she'd last talked to her mentor alone. "What else could she possibly want to discuss after something like this then?!"

"Her favorite flavor of cake?" Pinkie offered excitedly.

Everypony looked at her for a moment. "I'm not sure that's what Celestia would want to be discussin', but we can't go panickin' with so little to go on."

Twilight inhaled deeply, "you're right Applejack. Everypony just needs to calm down and get some sleep. And I need to pack for my trip in the morning."

"Need any help?" Rainbow offered.

"I think I can handle it," Twilight turned the offer down shyly.

"Good luck Twilight," Fluttershy reassured her. "I need to get back to my animals, there probably worried sick."

After a few goodbyes, the friends went home. Twilight had to pack and Rainbow decided she'd try and get the town to relax a little bit before she went to sleep. Applejack and Rarity went home without putting up much fuss, they both had work to do in the morning after all. Pinkie went back to Sugarcube Corner with a big fuss though. She kept going on and on about how they could celebrate the princess's victory over the nasty wolf monster. Then there was Fluttershy...she just quietly shuffled home.

As she trotted through town, everypony was starting to calm down. The news that Canterlot was under attack had spread much faster then the news that everything was alright it seemed and a few still didn't have the message. Fluttershy wondered for a brief second if Zecora knew anything about this. Fluttershy suddenly felt very lonely with the idea of being isolated like her. Then she remembered that she had Angel and the rest of her animals waiting for her.

On cue, a zebra she didn't know came running towards her screaming, "Fluttershy, you've got to come quick!" He seemed young and he had a great deal of urgency in his voice.

"Me? Y-you need me?" she took an apprehensive step back as he approached.

"Yeah!" he practically screamed in her face. "There's an animal and he's hurt really really bad!" His need to yell everything was spooking her a little.

With the mention of a hurt animal, Fluttershy was all business. "Where?"

"This way, come on!" He took off down a road that went past her cottage a ways.

Fluttershy took a glance at her home as she ran past it. She was already thinking of the fastest way she could get this poor hurt creature back there so she could treat it. Fluttershy was wondering what the animal was, but she cared more about its well being in the long run.

The zebra came to a sudden stop by a bush and ushered her over. "It's over there," he whispered. Then he parted the bush's leaves a little and revealed a large black and grey wolf. Fluttershy's eyes almost burst. She had seen wolves before, Timber included. But this wolf was, for lack of a better word, majestic. He had lushes black fur that covered his entire body, his face was an ash gray color, and the fur around his paws was a dull white. He was large by even pony standards, Big Macintosh would be on equal height to him!

But all of that was just useless information. The wolf was clearly on the edge of death. If she hadn't have been told he needed help from her, she might have fainted at the sight. She couldn't allow herself though, there was time to faint later. The wolf almost appeared to have been tortured. The most notable thing being four utterly massive screws that jutted out of his back and shoulders. Who knew how deep into his flesh they'd been driven!? Just below his neck, on the crest of his chest, there was literally a hole into his body that blood dribbled out of at an alarming rate. Across his long pointed muzzle there was a horrible gash that ran red. One of his legs was broken, and being able to tell that from so far away, wasn't a good sign.

In addition to his horrible state, his eyes were rolling back in his skull as she stepped through the bushes and came towards him. Just before his eyes closed, he let out a single whimper. That was enough to kick Fluttershy into gear, she couldn't let him die, not on her watch. Immediately, she dove under his belly and her head emerged on the opposite side. Slowly, and with a hint of strain, she pushed herself up with the wolf now on her back. She had no time to waste and tapped into her super-pony strength to dash the injured creature home.

The zebra from before had disappeared mysteriously, but she didn't care. Bursting through her door, numerous animals scattered. She flew across the room and deposited Shadaico on her couch. His bleeding had not let up and she was afraid she might have already been too late. Bandages and medications of every type practically went flying as she got to work.




The sun was rising as order seemed to settle on a little cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy had worked for several hours at speeds Dash would have been proud of, if not shocked. There was a pile of bloody towels in the corner, sweat had virtually soaked the floor, and various medical things were strewn about. Fluttershy had shaved some of Shadaico's fur so she could apply stitches to his chest and muzzle, while his leg had to be wrapped in a large cast for the time being. He was still breathing, but his heartbeat was extremely weak. He could give out at any second and she knew it.

Her various animal friends had helped considerably if they didn't pass out at the sight of so much blood. Fluttershy had hardly noticed how much like a psycho murder she looked right now with all that blood in her fur. Her limbs ached from all the work, but she still had more to do. Quickly, she moved to the kitchen where she tore through her cabinets and gathered a few herbs she would need to make his medicine. With so much blood loss and such severe injuries, she had to put together a brew that would dull the pain, keep him unconscious, and help him replace the lost blood. On top of all that, she hadn't even gotten to those torturous looking  screws yet.

It was like something out of a horror movie, Fluttershy couldn't even begin to imagine how horribly agonizing it must have been for the creature on her couch. She needed her rest so badly, but she just couldn't let herself get that rest until she was sure he'd be alright. It took her a moment to grind the leaves into a powder and mix them into a tea she could give him. As she heated the concoction on the stove she took a peak at her guest. She knew that those screws would have to come out, but the damage internally was probably permanent already. She couldn't allow him to move.

A stray thought came to her suddenly, could she remove them? If they went into the bones underneath, there was simply no way she'd be able to remove them without causing more harm. She'd have to either take him to the hospital or get help from a much smarter pony then herself. Twilight immediately popped into her head. Fluttershy needed a way to contact Twilight before she left, because she couldn't afford to leave her patient alone, not until he stabilized. The kettle began to whistle and drew her back to the now.

Quickly, she brought the wolf his cup of herbal tea. He was beginning to wake up and she hoped he wouldn't be aggressive or refuse the drink. She really didn't want to use her stare on a patient. Unbelievably, the wolf practically ripped the cup from her trembling hooves and gulped it down. He regretted it in a second as the steaming hot liquid burned his tongue and made him growl as he forced it down. In Shadaico's defense, all he woke up to was the smell of a powerful medicine he'd actually had before and a cup being held in front of his face. Without thinking, he'd taken it and scarfed it down.

As quickly as he'd downed the tea, he fell asleep again. Fluttershy lunged forward when he collapsed. When she realized he was just asleep, she sighed and turned her attention to the screws in his back. As she began to examine them, it became more and more disturbing. There was no sign of bleeding from where they entered his body and even stranger, the flesh around the entry points was smooth. In her mind, it should have been shredded and uneven, but it was nice and neat. Almost like they were meant to be there. This of course told her one still unreassuring thing, they had been there for a long time. At least long enough for his skin to heal around them.

Fluttershy almost wanted to cry for the poor thing. Who could possibly do this to an animal? Who was this cruel? Fluttershy began to pet Shadaico's head softly as he slept peacefully. Finally satisfied that he would be okay for a moment, she let her eyelids droop. Maybe she could close her eyes for just a second and then she could go get Twilight. Her head drifted down and began to press on Shadaico's back as sleep came closer and closer. His thick fur acted like a cushion and his rhythmic breathing like a lullaby.

Fluttershy let out an adorable eep as her door was almost ripped off its hinges! Rainbow came flying into the room doing an unstoppable barrel roll...at least until she hit the wall. After sliding down its surface with her face little more then a pancake, she layed there for a second.

"Are you okay Rainbow?" she asked, always concerned for her friends.

"Yeah, I do this all the time! Anyways--" she froze up when she saw the wolf. "What is that and--Fluttershy, you look awful. Did you get any sleep last night?" There was a hint of concern in her voice.

"Well, I couldn't just leave him. He was seriously hurt." She yawned. The bags under her eyes, frizzy mane, and a few blood drops in her coat were all Dash needed to figure out what had taken place.

Rainbow knew Fluttershy was the caring type, but this was crazy. "You need to get some sleep Fluttershy."

She had a few things to do still, "I can't! I have to get Twilight first!" She was slightly alarmed, then she saw Angel bunny behind Rainbow. She gasped, "and my animals need breakfast!"

Rainbow stopped Fluttershy from trying to run off, "hold on there Flutters. You're in no shape to be going anywhere. Tell you what, I'll go get Twilight and you go to bed."

"But what about the animals?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"I'll come back and take care of that," Rainbow grunted as she pushed Fluttershy towards her stairs so she could go to bed.

"O-Okay, thanks Dash. Your a good friend," Fluttershy yawned again.

"The Element of Loyalty at your service!" she saluted and flew off.

Rainbow got to the library in a snap. She had learned after many scoldings from Twilight not to crash through the door and landed rather gracefully just outside instead. She unceremoniously kicked the door open with just as much force as she would have if she had just crashed through it in the first place. Two of the bookshelves dumped their loads onto the floor in massive avalanches. Spike was luckily in the middle of the library when the chaos unfolded. He jumped at the sudden loss of silence and nearly threw the broom he was using to sweep the library. The little purple dragon quickly identified the source of his stress and glared.

"Hey Spike!" Rainbow chirped as she flew in. "Where's Twilight?"

"She just left on the train to Canterlot," he moaned as he looked at the piles of books he'd have to pick-up now.

Rainbow had completely forgotten about Celestia's request from last night, she face hoofed. "She already left?!"

"Yeah, whatcha' need her for?" Spike asked arching an eyebrow.

"Fluttershy has a weird guest, we were hoping she could..." Rainbow didn't actually know why Fluttershy wanted Twilight for. "Help take care of him."

"An animal that Fluttershy can't treat, I got to see this!"

"Well, could you send a letter to Twilight first telling her to come back?"

"You want me to tell Twilight to ignore Princess Celestia's request and come home?" Spike pointed out.

"Ugh, well how long is she going to be?" Rainbow demanded frustrated.

"I don't know, the Princess didn't put a time on the letter remember?"

Rainbow grumbled, "great. Just when you need an egghead and she runs off. Alright, I need to get back to Fluttershy's cottage and help her feed her animals. You coming with?"

"Yeah, just let me lock up."

Dash waited rather impatiently outside the front door. She was so eager to get back that she was jumping from one hoof to the other. Spike emerged a second later and Rainbow flew him to Fluttershy's. Against earlier instructions, she was out by the chicken coop trying to feed them. But her exhaustion was clear from the way she stumbled about and struggled to keep her eyes open. Rainbow landed and immediately began to yell at her.

"Fluttershy, what are you doing?! You need to rest."

"B-but the chickens w-were hungry," she whimpered.

Dash sighed. "Come on, let's get you in bed. Spike can feed the chickens."

"I can?" Spike perked.

"O-okay, just don't feed them too much Spike."

She was led to bed by Rainbow while Spike gave the chickens what he thought was a reasonable amount of feed. When he was done, he came inside and dropped the bag. The wolf was asleep on the couch and the slow expansion and contraction of his chest made the screws bob up and down. It was disgusting and awesome at the same time. Spike knew what it was like to have a few needles stuck in him, but this was insane. That wolf had flesh and fur, not scales. He had to have been feeling those rods of metal burrowing in. Spike shivered from just the thought of such torture. This must have been the weird guest.

Rainbow came down the stairs after making sure Fluttershy went to sleep. She really needed a bath too, those blood spots were dry and crusting on her coat. When she caught sight of Spike's horror stricken stare, she followed it to Shadaico's sleeping form. Rainbow approached him slowly and quietly and looked at the screws. It almost made her want to vomit. It wasn't just his current wounds, but the ancient ones she could see even through his fur. This wolf had had a very violent life. Spike came up beside her to get a closer look as well.

"What happened to it?" Spike asked, eyeing the broken leg.

"I don't know, but Fluttershy was up all night caring for him."	Rainbow was just so entranced by the screws.

"Can I pet him?"

Rainbow spotted the empty tea cup, the wolf was out of it. "You should really ask Flutters, but I'd say so."

Spike began to stroke the fur on Shadaico's head while he slept. "He's so soft," Spike giggled.

Rainbow didn't want to look like a wimp and quickly joined in. "Look at me, pettin' a wolf!" she grinned triumphantly.

Rainbow suddenly took a carrot to the back of the head! Turning around and rubbing the sore area, she found a grumpy and hungry Angel glaring at her.


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In Canterlot, Luna had the changeling returned to her room, but with a slight addition. He was in a rectangular aquarium with a wire mesh roof above him. Luna gave him a hamster style water bottle and a small bit of hay to sleep on. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it was better than being in a jar with nothing. Celestia preferred the idea of having him wear a collar, chains, seals, and maybe even get his own spot in the dungeon. She really wanted to punish him for the actions of his counterpart, Shadaico. But Luna, with a little backup from Cadence, had convinced her that maybe it wasn't his fault things had gotten so out of hoof.

But elsewhere in the castle, Celestia was busy discussing how castle repairs would progress. On a side note to her chat with the pony in-charge of the construction, they mentioned the state of Canterlot city. When the volcano style spell had been cast, initially Celestia had thought only the castle had been hit, but that wasn't true. A few homes and businesses had caught fire when raining debris from the blast had landed on their roofs. Repair costs, not including the castle, would be very small. But with her castle and the costs were staggering.

It would takes months to repair and it pained her heart to see it in this state. Hall after hall was black and crumbling. The throne room was either burnt or melted, take your pick. Numerous paintings, some almost priceless, had been obliterated in the fighting. The ballroom wasn't in a much better state. The stage and the famous alicorn statue had been reduced to rubble. Much of the floor had been ripped up and they would have to do repairs right down into the foundation.

Out in the gardens there was serious landscape work to be done, particularly around the pond. A few stray blasts had even reached the walls around that castle that would need to be torn down before they could be rebuilt. In terms of moving dirt, there was many tons. There were a fews trees that would need to come down and be replanted and there were some flowerbeds that had been ruined. The pond itself had lost several feet of depth and left a portion of mud and sand exposed around the edges.

It wasn't all bad news. In total, only one pony had been killed due to the fighting. Another died in an accident...caused by the fighting. The medical response had been huge and the pegasi had acted beautifully during the emergency. The evacuation had been unofficial and unorganized, but had worked. The city was deserted except for those who had been called back for construction, inspection, or medical reasons. Celestia hoped her subjects would return on their own when the all clear was given. The only reason it hadn't was due to the fear that the wolf might come back.

Celestia was exhausted. She hadn't had any sleep all night and there was still a lot of work to do. Worker ponies were going through the chard remains of several rooms as she passed them. There was little salvageable material. Numerous ponies were there with large carts that were taking what they could from the site to be properly disposed of. The unicorns were making the biggest differences by levitating the heavy more bulky pieces.

She followed the foreman into an old guest room that had seen better days. The walls had been singed and the bookshelves were probably ruined, but the bed was practically dirt. The work pony had stopped his rambling about how he planned to proceed as he looked over the bed. Celestia noticed a crispy book on the floor in front of her and picked it up with her hoof. She sighed as she held it before her face. It was an old and rare tome that began to crumble in her grasp.

"So much destruction," she whispered to herself.

"Pardon me Princess?" the work pony asked suddenly.

Celestia looked up with tired eyes, "nothing. It's just...so much happened last night. I was there when the construction of this castle began. I was there when Canterlot was first being built. To see it like this, empty and broken-" Celestia stopped herself.

"Forgive me your highness, but I think you should be grateful."

She looked at him. "Why?" she asked truly confused.

"If you'll pardon my rudeness, but...look at you! You should just be happy your alive! We can always replace a few boards and stones, but we can't replace you."

Celestia should have felt flattered by his words, but she just didn't feel like it right now, "Thank you."

He nodded. Celestia really should have been happy to be alive, she was a rather shocking sight at the moment. She had bandages wrapped around both her left legs, as well as some around her head. She had stitches on her shoulder and her right wing was sprained. Despite all this, she stayed up and insisted on getting work done herself. She had numerous advisers and overseers, not to mention a council, that was actually supposed to take over in such situations. Celestia might have had a problem letting others take over for what she felt was her responsibility.



A lone train was approaching Canterlot city, on board was a single unicorn...