Northern Lights

by MysteriousStranger


The Fillyfooler Removal Order

Iron Strong turned toward the mares, who were now looking at him suspiciously. “We have spies around the city, tracking every movement of the F.R.O. Yesterday, their field agents came back with your fillies and our spies heard that they were with the most wanted. In other words, you.”

“F.R.O.?” Twilight confusedly asked.

“Fillyfooler Removal Order. They are led by two mysterious ponies whose faces we don’t know. We aren’t even sure if they're unicorns, pegasi, or earth ponies. They never leave their castle.”

“They have a castle?” Applejack's eyebrow rose.

“Yes, it's north of here.” The brown pony moved over to a map on the wall. “Right there.” Twilight and Applejack approached. “We're planning to attack it next week to free all the colts and fillies taken away from their parents. It will be risky, but we're prepared.”

“You have to take us. Please, that’s why we're here!” Twilight pleaded to the stallion.

“I don’t know... It’s dangerous. Do you have experience fighting?”

“Yes. You have no idea what we've been through. We're more ready that you think!” Applejack exclaimed proudly, puffing out her chest to prove her point.

“She’s right. You don’t know what we're capable of. You must let us go with you!” Twilight said, almost crying. “Please, you have to…” Iron Strong glanced from one mare to the other, and sighed moments later.

“Fine… I’ll fill you in and give you our robes so you can walk around the city without being seen. You must be careful--your faces may still reveal your presence…” Before he knew it, he was hugged by Twilight.

“Thank you... We'll never forget it!” she broke the hug after a few moments.

“Please follow me.” Iron Strong said as he opened a door that lead into a bigger room with a table in the middle. The walls were filled with blueprints and notes of the castle. Iron Strong went to another room and came back with two robes similar to his seconds later. “Okay, unless you have questions, I will start telling you what the plan is.”

“Ah have one.” Applejack stated, raising her hoof. “Who exactly are you and what does the Brotherhoof of Equality do?”

“Good question; you must know this.” Iron Strong stood up and looked at the opposite direction, facing one of the maps of the castle. “The Brotherhoof was born the same day the F.R.O. took over city and claimed that love between two ponies of the same sex illegal. Those who opposed them were pursued. Some were captured, while others escaped and formed the Brotherhoof.” The stallion turned to see the mares. “But not all members are ‘Fillyfoolers’ or ‘Coltcuddlers’, like me. My wife and I believe that same sex relationships don’t hurt anypony.”

“Of course our relationships don’t harm anypony!” Twilight slammed her hoof onto the table.

“Our Brotherhoof knows that, but not the order.” Iron Strong calmly replied. “They have been brainwashing the citizens with their propaganda since they've arrived, and as you've just seen today, it works. They actually think you’re dangerous. We try to fight back the propaganda, such as removing the posters you saw, but it only works for so long before they put them back up again. We knock out all the guards we can and take them as prisoners, but their numbers are many. We can only defeat them if we take their castle and capture their leaders--something that we will try next week.”

“Then you can count on us!” Applejack raised her hoof for emphasis. “We'll free all those poor ponies by next week!”

“And for that...” the brown stallion began as he sat back down, crossing his hooves in a secretive way. “You’ll need to know the plan.”

***

Back at Ponyville…

Five days had passed since Twilight and Applejack left. Fluttershy was feeling better, but she only spent her days sitting on the couch. Pinkie Pie and Cutie were usually there to keep her company. Trixie disappeared two days after Twilight and Applejack had.

“Now, Cutie, take this tea to Fluttershy while I take these cookies out of the oven, would you?” The pink pony smiled warmly.

“Yes, mom…” the shy filly said as she slowly approached the couch where Fluttershy was staring blankly at the extinguished fireplace and petting an asleep Angel Bunny. She didn’t notice the filly until she quietly cleared her throat. “Um… Fl-Fluttershy?”

“…Oh! Yes? S-Sorry, Cutie… I didn’t see you there…”

“I brought you some tea…”

“Thanks… I need it…” the timid Pegasus took the cup of tea and sipped it.

“A-Are you feeling better, Fl-Fluttershy?” Cutie asked, gazing sadly at her.

“No, not really… First, they take my daughter, then my wife abandons me, and later, Trixie leaves without telling anypony why… I’m far from feeling better, Cutie…”

“Twilight didn’t abandon you… My mom told you why she left.” Cutie said as she sat next to her.

“In times like these I need the company of my Twilight… She shouldn’t have left.” Fluttershy said as tears fell from her eyes. When she noticed this, Cutie put a hoof on her lap.

“Please, don’t cry… Twilight is fine and so are Aurora and the others…”

“H-How can you know that…?”

“I don’t, but I have faith. All we can do now is be positive. I believe that they'll be back soon…”

Fluttershy wiped her tears away and smiled at Cutie. She hadn’t smiled since Aurora was taken. The Pegasus hugged Cutie. “Thanks, Cutie… I must have faith. I know Twilight and Aurora, and I know they're going to be fine… Besides, Applejack’s with her.” Cutie hesitated, but she soon returned the hug. She'd never hugged another pony beside her parents. After a few minutes, Fluttershy broke the hug. “Thank you, Cutie… I feel better now.” She continued to smile.

“Um… You’re welcome…” the cyan pony nervously said.

“Is there something wrong, Cutie?”

“N-No, nothing….”

“Really? Your voice is shaking.”

“N-Never mind… I can ask you later…”

“Ask me what? You can ask me anything. I’ll help you if I can. Don’t you trust me…?”

“What? It’s not that I don't trust you! But I don’t think it’s a good time…”

“Ask me now. I really want to help you…”

“O-Okay…” Cutie took in a breath as if this revelation would take all her courage. “Twilight came to Sugarcube Corner some time ago and she told me that there was a time that you were as shy as me.”

“I’m still shy.”

“But you seem so happy… What makes you smile? I have friends like you, the love of a mother and a father, my dream when I was back at the orphanage. But, why can’t I smile?”

“Well, it is true that friends helped me to smile. But the first time I actually smiled in my life was when I saw critters for the first time.”

“Critters?”

“Yes. I really love taking care of them. It was then that I got my cutie mark. Cutie, once you find what you're good at and get your cutie mark, I promise that you'll always smile. Just be patient until you find your special talent.”

Cutie looked at her hooves and thought for a few moments. “All I have to do is wait…?” She finally said.

“Yes. I trust you’ll be fine. Believe me, I was worse than you at your age.”

“That can’t be true.” the cyan pony said, trying to smile.

“Really. I’m a Pegasus that didn’t learn to fly until I was much older.”

“Why?”

“Well, to be honest… I’m afraid of heights…” Fluttershy closed her eyes, expecting to hear laughter, but it never came.

“Fluttershy, why are you closing your eyes?”

“Oh, um, nothing… I think I need to sleep.” As soon as she said that, she heard Pinkie Pie’s voice.

“Sleep?! Not now! At least try one of my cookies first; it'll make you feel better!”

“Okay…” Fluttershy said as she took a bite of a cookie. “It’s delicious, Pinkie!”

“I told you it would make you feel better.”

“I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, girls… Surely you want to spend time with your husband, Pinkie, and Cutie with her father.”

“We're worried about you, Fluttershy. We're here to help you!”

“Yes. Besides, daddy is busy…”

“He’s in charge of the guards protecting Ponyville. We can’t bother him, but he does have Spike with him!” the party pony said, grinning. It was true that she wanted to spend time with her husband, but he really was busy and Fluttershy needed her.

“Thanks, but I’m going to bed now… Good night.”

“Rest well, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie said as her friend climbed up the stairs, with Angel Bunny in her hooves.

“She seems to be better now…” Cutie commented when she heard a door closing upstairs.

“Yes. And we want to keep her like that. Remember, not a word about what Trixie told us before leaving.”

“I won’t, mom… I p-pinky Promise…”

“That’s my girl! Do you want a cookie?”

“Yes, please… Thanks…”

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was laying on her bed and covered herself with the blankets. She put the bunny on the bed, but he didn’t wake up. “Twilight… Please be safe, and bring Aurora back home..."