//------------------------------// // It Certainly Was Something... // Story: Furry Contraband // by UnweptSchlipps //------------------------------// Fluttershy had simply flown for her life, distancing herself from that stupid wall, never even faltering for one second. Suddenly, there was a bright flash behind her, and when she wheeled around, everything was almost as bright as day. She only caught a glimpse of the rainbow-colored mushroom cloud before she quickly ducked behind the nearest boulder, holding the animals close. Then, the loud explosion, followed by a shockwave that nearly sent the otters flying away. And finally, just as quickly as it had started…silence. Panting heavily, Fluttershy peeked over the rock. The rainbow cloud was beginning to dissipate, and she could barely make out a thin trail of smoke rising into the star-laden sky. Shakily stepping out, Fluttershy slowly trudged toward the impact site, with a group of animals crawling by her side. When she finally arrived, the first thing she noticed was the bodies of numerous guards thrown far from the explosion. They were still alive, albeit very scratched up and possibly (okay, probably) possessing multiple broken bones. However, for some reason, the colorful explosion caused them to look oddly happy despite the injuries. After some time of inspecting the unconscious stallions, the mare came upon the wall, or at least, what was left of it. An entire mile-wide section of the wall had been completely obliterated, leaving only small chunks of concrete littered everywhere. Fluttershy came up and stuck her hooves out, happy to find that the force-field was gone as well. And just a few feet away, she saw the source of the plume of smoke: a small cyan pegasus covered in soot, lying on her side. Fluttershy rushed to her friend’s side, kneeling down. “Rainbow?” No response. She lightly tapped Dash on the head and tried again, “Rainbow?” This time, Dash opened her mouth extremely wide and groaned, “Uuugh.” “Rainbow!” “Uuuuuugh.” “R-rainbow?” “Uuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.” “Rainbow.” After giving another groan, Fluttershy shook her crossly and said, “Rainbow, stop being so dramatic.” Sighing, the cyan mare rolled over on her back, opening her eyes into narrow slits. She glanced around her surroundings with a confused scowl on her face. “Oh man…d-d-did I do it?” “Oh you did it alright! You blew up.” “Oh yeah…how ‘bout that?” The rest of the animals came up to Dash and began to smother her in their furry, feathery, scaly embrace. “Hey little guys. You enjoy the show?” she muttered with a faint grin. Fluttershy took a quick gaze around, hearing multiple groans sounding through the night. Helping her friend to her hooves, she said urgently, “We can discuss you being a weapon of mass destruction later, but for now, we need to go!” Fluttershy slung Dash’s leg over her shoulder, and the duo limped away with a line of animals behind them. As they crossed the border into Veneighzuela, Rainbow let out a final statement. “That’s the sonic rainnuke...oh gosh. I think I’m gonna throw up again.” Luckily, she was able to keep it down, at least until they were much farther away from the ill-fated barrier. They made their way through a lush, dark forest, so dense that the canopy of trees completely blocked out any light. The group soon came upon a small clearing, where to their surprise, it had begun to drizzle. Popping out of the foliage, Dash immediately limped to a spot behind a rock and promptly expelled her lunch. Meanwhile, Fluttershy tilted her head to the sky, and felt the cool droplets on her face. It was somewhat refreshing, both the rain, and the fact that they were truly safe and sound. Creeping from behind the rock, Dash ran her hoof through her damp mane and remarked, “Boy, I am pooped. That wall looked like a freaking meteor hit it.” “I’ve never seen you do that before, Dash,” Fluttershy replied. “What, vomit?” “No, silly. The explosion!” “That ol’ thing? Nifty little trick, ain’t it?” “Trick?” Fluttershy said in disbelief. “You turned yourself into a bomb.” “Yeah. A colorful, powerful, supremely awesome bomb!” Dash cried, a cocky smile evident on her face. She sat on her haunches, not really caring about the wet leaves she planted her flank on. Fluttershy sat down next to her, and the friends watched their animals frolic in the rain (except for Fluffy, who looked very unamused). “It really was something else…” the yellow pegasus whispered, looking at her companion. Dash’s mane was wet and matted, her face had patches of dirt and ash, her eye was bruised, and a fresh cut could be seen across her lips. But despite that, those lips just kept on smiling, and those bruised eyes still shone with confidence. Fluttershy found it amusing that she probably looked the same. Finally, Rainbow Dash asked, “You don’t think I overdid it, do you? I mean, I didn’t hurt anypony too bad, did I?” “Nope. Actually, the guards looked really happy for some reason. It was odd.” “Probably ‘cause they were in awe of my sheer coolness.” The two let out a tired laugh, then Fluttershy inquired, “Aren’t you worried those guards will identify you? I mean, you don’t exactly blend into a crowd.” The cyan mare simply shrugged, responding, “I’ll just convince Twilight to take care of it or something. She’s a princess, her brother’s captain of the Royal Guard…I’ll figure it out. This isn’t my first time dealing with the law.” “What?” “N-nothing.” Fluttershy turned her attention to the group of critters prancing around the clearing. They had become so close with each other…and so close to her and Rainbow as well. They had spent so much effort into getting to Veneighzuela, but now that they were here, Fluttershy couldn’t help feel a twinge of sadness. Letting out a sigh, she whispered, “Rainbow… it’s time.” Dash sighed as well, and Fluttershy could tell she was thinking about it too. “I guess so, ain’t it?” Dash responded quietly. “Would you like to go first?” Rainbow nodded. Then, drawing in a deep breath, she slowly righted herself and made her way to the playing creatures. She whistled, and the animals immediately stopped their antics and turned their attention to the battered mare. Rainbow kept a smile on her face, but her sad, maroon eyes told an entirely different story. With her voice low and gentle, she said, “So guys…this is it I guess. We’ve come a pretty long way, huh? It’s been a crazy few days. I never thought a bunch of little animals could be such a hassle, but…” Her voice trailed off, as though she had choked on something. Clearing her throat, she continued, albeit a bit shakier, “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s been a heck of a ride. You guys…you guys are awesome, and it’s been a p-pleasure…to have you guys around.” Wiping her eyes, she uttered, “This rain, huh? It’s getting in my eyes…” She first turned to the trio of otters. “Gio, Anton, Frankie…you clowns look out for each other, alright?” The triplets each bumped paws with Dash’s hoof. Next was the phoenixes, who despite the rain, still radiated light. Winking to the chick snuggled in his mama’s wings, Dash said, “You be good to your parents, now. They’re a pretty cool pair of birds. And heck, they’re pretty good fliers too.” She came to Fang next, and trying not to look (which was easy since she was already looking away, trying to hide her reddened eyes), she commented, “Fang, my man. Later bud. And no hard feelings for the bite earlier, ‘kay?” Dash almost passed over the glass box buried underneath a pile of wet leaves. Picking up the mice, she said jokingly, “And you boys, causing the most ruckus out of all of us…Try not to keep the neighbors awake with your partying now.” Not surprisingly, she was greeted with silence, so she chuckled and said, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Finally, placing down the rodents, she came upon the final animal. He sat up when Dash walked over to him, his ears sagging like his wet mane. The manticore’s eyes were big, and his head was slightly tilted to the side. Rainbow sat herself across from him, and began to stroke his mane tenderly. The young creature closed its eyes and purred, which brought a smile to his handler’s face. “Goodbye, little guy. It’s been real fun. We made a good team…Dash n’ Flash, remember?” she uttered, scratching behind his ears. Suddenly, Fluffy thrust himself forward into Dash’s chest and curled up into a ball, purring sadly. Dash could feel his warm head rubbing against her torso, and his scorpion tail wrapping around her as though it never wanted to let go. It was then that Rainbow began to cry, her tears mixing with the rain that was now picking up strength. She wrapped her hooves around her furry companion and whispered through her sobs, “I’m gonna miss you too, bud. M-maybe I’ll come and visit you sometime. Y’know, after things calm down a bit. O-okay Fluff?” Fluffy licked her cheek, which only made her squeeze him harder. And so, the two stayed in their loving embrace, paying no heed to the rain starting to pound against the trees around them. In that moment, both creatures realized that they forged an unbreakable bond throughout this short, remarkable journey. They were locked in a bond not of “master and pet”, but of “friend and friend”. And since they were the most loyal companions there ever was, neither one wanted to let go first. Ultimately, Dash knew they couldn’t stay like that forever. Planting a kiss on his soggy mane, she whispered, “You’re just a big softie, little guy. I guess…that makes me one too.” xxx Fluttershy said her own goodbyes, taking each of the creatures in a caring hug. The otters were especially upset, clambering onto her back and planting tiny wet kisses on her neck. When all was said and done, the two pegasi started to back away into the shadowy forest, watching their forest critters scatter away for the final time. Fluffy hesitated at the edge of the clearing, looking back at Dash. The pegasus nodded solemnly, and the manticore pounced off into the forest and disappeared out of view. The animals were gone, and for the first time, the duo of pegasi was truly alone. It was like a burden had been lifted off their shoulders, and at the same time, it wasn’t. The two strolled through the forest, finally reaching the end of the foliage. Rain was still falling hard, so they stayed underneath the canopy of leaves. Gazing at each other’s faces, they saw that both of their eyes were puffy and red, and both looked like they had been to hell and back. And perhaps, in some ways, they have. “Yo, ‘Shy?” Dash uttered. “Yes?” “Thanks.” “It was nothing.” “It was far from nothing, 'Shy,” Rainbow asserted. “It was something. Maybe even everything. I don’t know for sure, but it was definitely more than nothing.” Fluttershy returned a meek smile. “You know, I couldn’t have done this without you,” she whispered. “Yeah?” Rainbow patted her companion’s shoulder and continued, “Well, I couldn’t have survived this without you. We make a pretty good team, Flutters.” Pausing for a moment, Dash added quietly, “And if ya need any more help…you know who to call.” “Always.” The rain had stopped, and the orange sun was starting to rise over the lush land of Veneighzuela. However, the pegasi didn’t really notice. Fluttershy nestled her head against Dash’s firm shoulder, and the duo sat together in each other’s company, miles away from their own homes. For now, for this moment, it didn’t seem to matter.