Fluttervile

by Aiet

Ever so beautiful.

Dolorem and the three ponies sat in the living room for some time talking to each other as spike finally was strong enough to make it in there with them. He was rushed by the ponies as he entered the room each of them looking him over. They all talked at once asking how he felt and if there was anything he needed. As he was about to ask for some gems a bright flash and a pop interrupted him. Twilight materialized with a white light and stumbled slightly as the alcohol still buzzed in her head. Everyone watched twilight, her face fallen, as she walked to her bed.
“What's wrong sugar cube?” applejack looked at her with worry. The rest watched along as twilight stopped.
“I-I need to get some rest that's all.” she continued to her bed as everyone watched her in silence. When she was gone they quietly talked to one another.
“I wonder what she talked about with Celestai?” rarity spoke as she had a hoof wrapped around spike, he looked like he was in bliss so close to her.
“well I have weather duty so I need to go. I'll see you guys later.” rainbow dash walked to the door and the other two ponies also excused their self.
“I need to leave too. I have more orders to fill.” rarity let go of spike and he looked at her sadly as she walked away.
“you get some rest now spike, ya hear.” applejack followed the other two out the door and closed it. Spike picked him self up and twilight called out.
“spike could you come here, just you please?” spike looked at dolorem with a raised eye brow and dolorem just shrugged his shoulders. Spike went to twilight as dolorem sat on the couch thinking to him self. Spike walked over to twilight as she sat on her bed. She nodded at him and he climbed up.
“Is he still over there?” she motioned to the living room and spike nodded. She sighed heavily and looked down.
“Celestai told me something... important you should know. But you can not tell him at all do you understand me?” spike looked at her nervously and nodded. Twilight looked off to the living room and back at spike.
“she told me...” twilight told spike all that she was told and when she was finishing the front door was closed. She looked up quick uneasily and then at spike. Dolorem walked away from the library to home. As he went inside the house it was empty. He stood there in silence feeling the cold air of the house. Out side the clouds grew and the sun light dimmed. He went to his bed room and opened the door to find it also empty. He gathered all of the wood sculpting tools and went back out side. He headed to the back of the house to a pile of wood he gathered and shifted through it. He pulled out an ten foot long piece of wood. He pulled out some tools from the wrap and began cutting off bumps and branching twigs. When he was finished he gathered the wood and tools and went back inside. He set the wood up with clamps and began to work. For several hours he cut, carved, shaped, and sanded. He set done his tools and left his house, heading to Sweetapple acres. The sky became gray and the air was cool. Winter approached fast and soon it would snow. He made his way to the large house of the apple family. Applebloom was setting out side on the porch messing with her large red bow in her mane. She looked up at dolorem and smiled.
“hey dolo, watcha doin' here?” he stopped on front of her and smiled slightly.
“is applejack home?” she nodded and yelled out for her sister, Applejack walked out the front door moments later.
“what do... oh hey dolorem. What can I do ya for?” dolorem looked at applejack and spoke.
“do you have some metal I could buy from you?” applejack scratched her head in thought.
“Ah think we have some spare metal by the barn. Go ahead and take what you need or it will rust sitin' there. No need to pay me for any thing, just go on back.” she smiled at dolorem and he nodded his head walking off. Applejack walked back inside and applebloom followed dolorem. She caught up to him as he made his way to the barn.
“so what do ya need metal for?” they reached the scrap pile and dolorem began his search.
“I'm making something.” he flipped over some large sheets, to thin for what he needed, digging deeper carefully.
“like for a present?” applebloom watched him pick up small pieces and toss them aside.
“you could say that...” she smiled and hopped next to him.
“can ah help? Maybe I could get a cutie mark for this.” dolorem nodded his head at the first part but looked up confused at the second.
“what is a cutie mark?” applebloom looked at him weirdly.
“well it's that picture on someponies flanks. It shows others what they are good at. Me and the other cursaders are still lookin' for ours so we try all different sorts of things.” she searched through the pile with dolorem as he simply nodded his head. Then a thought dinged on the small filly.
“um what am ah lookin' for?” dolorem stopped and looked up describing the pieces he needed and using his hands to demonstrate.
“rings about this thick, four of them, and an even larger ring like this, preferably with a point on it.” she nodded her head and they both went back to searching. In ten minutes they found all what was needed and applebloom smiled largely. She looked back and sighed disappointed when she saw a blank flank. Dolorem noticed and spoke.
“hey don't worry. Your time well come and besides look at me, I'll never get one.” applebloom smiled a little and dolorem gathered the metal.
“thank you applebloom for all your help. I need to be going now, bye.” he walked with her back to the house and left.
“your welcome and come by again sometime.” she waved at him and he nodded heading back home. He could her applejack calling for her sister to get inside because it was getting cold. She was right, the temperature dropped considerably since he arrived at Sweetapple acres. He could see his breath and feel his skin covered in goose bumps. On they way back home a flask of yellow caught his eye in the distance, causing his heart to ache. He made it back home and went inside, the sun started to dip below the horizon. He began his work once again and continued long into the night by lamp light. That night his sleep was troubled with terrors and cold sweats. He woke at noon, the air in the house cool and still. Something felt... off to dolorem as he got out of bed. He slowly opened his door and looked into the living room. It was empty and silent, a slight breeze rustled the wood shaving still on the floor. He went in the living room and notice that the window looking at the road was open so he went to close it. He slid it down with a small thump and his eye started to twitch. He spun around suddenly and gasped. He was no longer in his living room or even his house. All he saw was empty space for miles. A mist covered the floor, he was unable to see his feet, and a soft dull light illuminated the area around him, for about twenty feet, out of nowhere. He looked all around him and found nothing, he was about to yell out when he saw it... her. A dark sapphire coat with a light cobalt mane in a dark blue translucent aura that blew as if there was wind. Her horn stood proud in front of a black crown. On her flank, her cutie mark as applebloom told him what it was, sat a white crescent moon surrounded by very dark blue spots. Her soft blue eyes locked into dolorem's and she motioned with a hoof off to the side. He hesitantly turned his head and saw an opening in the air. He turned back to the majestic pony who had made her way to him, a little shorter then Celestai but still radiating with royalty like her. She nodded her head and he slowly walked to the opening. He looked inside to see twilight being held tightly in... his arms. They sat in front of a fire place with the windows fogged over, snow fell just out side. He looked quickly at the pony next to him and she motioned for him to look back. He did and watched closely. He never remembered holding twilight in front of a lite fire place and slowly it dawned on him.
“is this her dream?” he nodded and her horn gleamed for a second and the opening shimmered. He turned back to it to see him self again but this time he was dancing with fluttershy. They where in a ball room spinning in each others arms. Dolorem looked back up with confusion. His mind was swirling along with the plains around him.
“my sister does not trust you but I know your suffering. Do not let your bindings shape your path. You and only you can chose what you do. Until next time Dolorem Pati, sleep well.” everything spun around dolorem as he suddenly was falling but slowly like in water. Deeper and deeper he fell as the royal pony faded from view and the mist of the ground swallowed him. As the darkness completely engulfed him the feeling of falling became more intense. Dolorem shot up in bed breathing hard, wide eyed. He slowly got out of bed and made his way into the living room. The window was closed and no breeze flowed along the ground. It was cold, cold enough to see his breath. He went to the door and opened it. The sky was gray with nearly no light from the sun shining through and everything was silent. He looked up to the sky as the wind ruffled his hair and then he saw it. It was tiny, a spec, white and soft. A single snow flake, the first of winter, fell slowly and gentle. Soon it was followed by more and they all piled on the land into a fluffy blank blanket. He held out his hand and the first flake landed in his palm and quickly melt. Before it was gone he saw it's shape. It didn't look like other snow flakes he had seen before, it looked oddly shaped and strange as if someone didn't know what one looked like and tried to make one. Still he smiled softly, winter had always been his favorite time of the year as it was peaceful and quiet. He went back inside and dressed, leaving once again. He walked to the library slowly, enjoying the cold air on his skin with the snow flakes dropping slowly onto him. He stopped in front of the door and knocked. He waited a minute before it opened and twilight stood there.
“Hey...” she smiled softly and looked into his eyes. He smiled back and spoke.
“Hi. I was wondering... uh... how spike was... and if... uh... you like to...” dolorem trailed off unable to finish. Twilight just patiently waited for him to talk and still smiled softly. Dolorem swallowed hard.
“how about just see if spike is alright.” she nodded her head and stepped aside. Dolorem walked in and spike was setting on the couch with a steaming cup in hand. He looked up and his face brightened.
“hey dolorem. Want some cocoa?” he held out his cup showing the brown liquid held with in. dolorem shook his head walking over and sat down next to him.
“so how you feeling?”
“a lot better and thanks for saving me.” dolorem nodded as he looked spike over. The swelling of his eye had gone down and his lip was healing. His patches of missing scales and cracked ones were wrapped in bandages and ointment. Seeing spike like that made dolorem's shoulders heavy. Twilight walked up and spoke.
“was there anything else you came over for?” dolorem looked at her but didn't make eye contact. He was about to say something when the door flew open. Rainbow dash rushed inside a little frantic and red faced.
“twilight we need your help! Um and just you, it's kinda personal.” twilight looked at her with a raised eye brow and spoke.
“oh ok sure. Spike stay here and you two just wait I guess. I'll be back soon.” she headed out with rainbow dash and closed the door. Spike and dolorem looked at each other in wonder. Dolorem's face became serious and he turned to spike. He stared into his eyes with cold, hard determination.
“now spike I need you to tell me something.” spike shifted uncomfortably only guessing what was to come next.
“what did Celestai say.” spike shook and gulped loudly under dolorem's gaze. He couldn't tell him what she said, twilight made him promise but he deserved to know the truth. Spike would have wanted to know had it been him.

A week later dolorem sat in his house working again on the crude head of a pony. He left the library and went home where he spent the entire week inside. No one had came to visit him until that day. A knock sounded at the door and dolorem covered the head and went to open it. Rainbow dash stood there and grinned.
“so you gona let me in? It's freezing out here.” dolorem chuckled and stepped aside as she walked in. she noticed the covered sculpture and poked at the shavings on the ground. Dolorem sat down on the couch and eyed her. She swayed back and forth as she looked around the house.
“nice place.” she turned to dolorem and walked to the couch. She hopped up on the other side and looked at dolorem. He smiled and spoke.
“so what was that problem you needed help with?” rainbow dash looked down and her face grew red. She shifted and mumbled.
“well I was with applejack and... um... something got stuck.” dolorem tried to suppress his laughter and looked at her as she blushed deeper. He couldn't help it and started to laugh but not very loud. Rainbow dash looked up and smiled nervously, starting to laugh her self. They laughed for a bit and stopped looking at each other.
“yeah it was really embarrassing but I knew twilight could fix it. She's good at a lot of stuff.” dolorem nodded in agreement. They talked to each other for several hours about different things. Soon she got off the couch and stretched.
“I got somethings to take care of so see ya later dolo.” she walked to the door and dolorem watched her go.
“later dash.” she left and closed the door, dolorem sat there in silence for a while before going back to work on the wood sculpture. As he worked he would glance at a long, leather wrapped bundle that was set against the wall. The top was larger then the rest of it and a single thin rope held it together. He stopped after awhile and stood to stretch, watching the bundle. He went to his room and grabbed a blank paper to write on. After he finished, tucking the paper under his vest, he turned to the door to leave. He opened the door and was meet by a strong gust of wind, snow blew into the house and he pushed his way outside. The snow was piling up high and the wind constantly shaped the coat of white. He made his way to the library with some difficulty as visibility was low with the flurry. Soon he was knocking again at the door and it was open by spike. He told him to come in and he pushed the door closed against the wind. Dolorem shook the snow off him and turned to spike. His scales where growing back and healing, not to mention also nearly fully back to purple, his eye and lip back to normal. Spike smiled and walked to the kitchen, yelling out.
“twilight, dolorem is here.” he disappeared as twilight appeared. She walked in and smiled happily.
“hey, I haven't seen you for awhile. What's going on?” dolorem shrugged at her and spoke.
“nothing much just... uh... seeing how spike was.” twilight nodded her head and looked at him with a raised eye brow.
Why won't he just say what's on his mind?
Twilight smiled as she turned away and began setting plates on the table.
“we where about to have lunch. Care to join?” at the mention of lunch dolorem's stomach growled loudly. He didn't eat anything since he woke up, twilight giggled and set a plate for him. They sat down as spike came in with lunch, deep fried hey fries and salad. They ate and talked to each other as they enjoyed the food. When they finished it was twilight who gathered the dishes.
“I got it spike.” spike nodded and was happy to sit back. Twilight levitated the dishes and left the room, dolorem leaned forward to spike.
“spike can you send letters to others besides Celestai?” spike looked at dolorem confused.
“um well yeah. It's hard to explain but if I know who it is and think about them I can send them a letter. Why?” dolorem pulled the letter from under his vest and held it towards spike. He spoke calmly and in a low voice.
“send this to chrysalis.” spike's eye became large and wide as he stared at dolorem in disbelief. Dolorem's face was stone and he pressed the letter into spike's hand. Spike was about to question dolorem but his stare stopped him. He grabbed the letter shaking and took a deep breath, releasing green flame. The fire engulfed the letter and it crumbled to ashes, flowing into the air and out a skylight.