//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Lunar Visitations // Story: The Commander of Shepherds // by pchn00 //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Lunar Visitations Shepard was running. Running so hard for so long that her legs screamed in protest with every step. Her chest was on fire as she labored to draw in breath, but she dared not stop. If she stopped, the voices would catch up. She could hear them faintly, just at the edge of her range of hearing. She couldn’t help herself. Just like she couldn’t help it every time she had the dream. The nightmare. She looked over her shoulder, morbid curiosity forcing her movements. And then they were upon her. Screaming and howling and swirling around in an ungodly cacophony of sound. Voices blending together, talking so loud and so fast it just became a constant din of noise. Shepard fell to her knees, hands clenched tightly against her temples. Her own screams rose and mingled with the others. Then she stepped forward. The woman, the shadow woman. Shepard could never make out her features; she was just a mass of shadows shaped like a humanoid woman. The only thing she could ever make out was a mouth. The cacophonous din overhead never let up. The shadow woman knelt before Shepard, taking either side of her face in an iron grip, sending agonizing stabs of chilling pain through her face and into the rest of her body. She was speaking, but her voice was always barely a whisper. Far too quiet for Shepard to hear over the screams of the millions above and around her. She cringed, knowing what was coming next. The shadow woman tightened her grip suddenly, and wailed along with the rest of the screamers. The mass began to whirl faster and faster overhead before descending toward the helpless woman in a wave of sound and gnashing teeth. Just as the expected pain was about to begin, a blindingly radiant shaft of silver light burst into being around Shepard, obliterating the nightmare creatures. “Fear not, my little po— Oh, it’s you again.” Shepard hesitantly cracked an eye open. Descending slowly from the sky was her midnight angel. The pale skinned woman landed lightly on bare feet before the kneeling Shepard. A diaphanous gown of shifting blue material clung tightly to her generously curved frame. Majestic wings of a midnight blue hue fanned at her sides, idly flapping now and again as she settled unsteadily on her feet. A long horn jutted from her forehead, a good deal larger than the horses she’d encountered earlier in the days. Gentle teal eyes gazed down at the smaller woman, possessing a warmth and kindness her greeting did not seem to share. Covered in fear induced sweat, pale and shivering, Shepard still managed to crack a faint smile. “It’s the girl of my dreams. Where’ve you been, beautiful? You know I have these horrific nightmares just to see you again.” Her dream woman rolled her eyes and lowered herself to the ground next to Shepard. “Your cavalier attitude is hard to take seriously when I come upon you in the midst of shrieking in abject terror, Shepherd. You do not need to mask your pain around me.” Slowly, Shepard’s smile faded. “Right. Guess you kinda see me at my worst every time we meet, huh? Not very appealing, am I?” The ghost of a smile played upon her saviors lips. “Perhaps I am fond of pale, sweat soaked, and terrified companions?” Her expression soon turned serious once more. “Would you like to discuss it?” Shepard’s expression darkened. “I’d love to! I’d like nothing more than to sit here and talk all goddamned night about what’s going on in these nightmares! But you know damned well I can’t!” “Shepherd, we have discussed this in the past. I am here to help; I do not wish to further agitate you. I can depart if you would prefer.” “No! No please… Please stay. I’m sorry, Luna I just… I’m frustrated. Can you imagine what it’s like? To not know who you are? Where you come from?” The longing and desperation in the woman’s voice drew more than a little sympathy from the visiting Luna. “I cannot imagine your pain, Shepherd, though I would very much like to help. I would ask again that you share your whereabouts with me. I know you have a curious issue of trust, but I assure you that I mean no harm. Would you not prefer we talk in the waking world?” Shepard frowned again, folding her hands in her lap. “I’m crazy enough for talking to you like this. I don’t need my hallucinations crossing over into the real world too.” Luna sighed softly in frustration. For months now, she’d been visiting the strange Shepherd Commander’s dreams in an attempt to soothe the poor woman’s nighttime rest. She wasn’t sure if she was an actual human stranded in Equestria, or a mentally unwell pony who simply thought of herself as such. Either situation was very serious and needed to be addressed, but no matter how she tried, she could not get Shepard to accept she was real. “Very well then. Perhaps a walk?” The ghost of a smile returned to Shepard’s lips as she climbed to her feet. “I’d like that.” Luna stood as well, gently shifting the woman’s dreamscape to the surface of her moon. Her night sky extended outward in all directions, billions of stars twinkling in the sky. Her smile grew more genuine at the wide-eyed look of wonderment on Shepard’s face. She’d managed to glean small bits and pieces about Shepard over the past few months; one of her favorites was that the night sky soothed the woman a good deal. Shepard walked only a short distance before finding a comfortable place to settle on the ground. Luna smiled as the woman’s armor faded away, revealing the pale flesh and simple garments beneath. As she grew more comfortable, Shepard’s protective armor always faded in her dreams. As always, Luna found the countless scars crisscrossing the woman’s body an unsettling sight. If this poor creature’s physical body matched her mental one, then she must have had a horrific life. She knew she lingered perhaps a trifle too long around Shepard, but there was something compelling about the poor woman. Delicately, the night Princess seated herself next to the other woman. “You do so love my night sky.” Shepard could only nod. “I used to travel the stars, I think. I remember… I remember seeing and going to so many different places. More worlds, with more people than I can count, but I just… I can’t remember details! Faces! Names! Why can’t I remember?!” Luna laid a gentle hand on Shepard’s shoulder. “Hush. For now, do not worry over things you cannot control. Let us simply sit together and enjoy the stars in the sky, hm?” With a weary sigh, Shepard nodded slowly, resting her head on Luna’s shoulder. It had taken Luna some time to get used to such close contact from a stranger, but she found the more time she spent with Shepard, the less she objected to it. “ … I had a good day today.” Luna raised her eyebrows, gazing down at the woman nestled against her strange, alien body. “Oh? Perhaps you caught and ate something new?” There was a teasing tone in her voice. Shepard chuckled softly. “No. I did catch a boar though. Big one, too.” Luna nodded as she listened. She had managed to determine Shepard was somewhere within the boundaries of the Everfree Forest. It was the only place that could contain the many different creatures she’d described. However, the Everfree was thousands of square miles in size, and it would be impossible to locate the woman without aid. “But no… That’s not what made it good. I talked to someone. Someone real. Besides Legion.” Now she had the Princess’ undivided attention. “Is that so? Was it a pleasant meeting?” “Sorta. It was Buttercup— oh! But I found out that’s not her name. It’s actually Fluttershy. She led a bunch of her friends into my territo…” But Luna had stopped listening. Could it possibly be true that one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony had stumbled upon Shepard’s location? She couldn’t imagine a more fortunate coincidence. She had to force herself from leaving Shepard’s dreamscape immediately, and rushing to Fluttershy’s home. It was very late however; no doubt the mare in question was deep asleep. And Shepard was certainly not going anywhere. “… Hey are you listening? What kind of dream woman are you?” Luna snapped out of her inner thoughts, offering the pouting Shepard a smile. “I apologize; I have much on my mind this evening. It sounds as though you made a friend, however.” Shepard nodded, her smile easy and genuine. The woman had a very kind smile, Luna thought. A shame she so rarely smiled like this. Typically it was an obnoxious smirk that never truly reached her eyes. “I did. They wanted me to go with them, but…” “But you don’t wish to leave your home?” “It’s just… It’s all I have to call my own. If I leave it behind, what’s left of me?” Gently, Luna tapped the woman on the chest. “This.” Then she tapped her in the forehead, flicking playfully. “And this. Your memory may be out of reach for the time being, but you still think. You still feel Shepherd. And following Fluttershy and her friends to their home does not mean you can never go back to your own. I highly doubt it will up and disappear on you.” Her smile turned gentle. “If you focus too much on what you are leaving behind, you will never see what awaits you by moving forward.” “I know that! I do. On some level… I’m just afraid. I just have so little left.” “Well… I have faith that you will feel better soon enough, Shepherd. Now I believe it is time I took my leave. I have other dreams to soothe, after all.” Luna didn’t miss the slight reluctance Shepard showed in letting her rise. The moment of weakness passed in a blink, and the woman was smirking again. “I’ll see you soon, I guess. You know you can’t keep away from me.” To her chagrin, Luna felt herself flush, if only faintly. “Good night, Shepherd. May your night be peaceful from here.” Shepard remained where she sat on the moon as Luna faded from view. “ … Be nice if she were real.” Princess Celestia let out a delicate yawn as she looked up from the small mountain of paperwork on her desk. With a little grimace, she noticed the time was nearly two in the morning. Sighing softly, she gently rang the small bell at the edge of her desk. Before she’d even set it back down, one of her aides had materialized in the doorway. The poor unicorn mare looked as tired as she felt, but Celestia knew she was soldiering on for her sake. “Could I trouble you for another cup of coffee, Noteworthy?” The azure coated mare smiled brightly. “Of course, Princess. Anything else?” “Yes. Go to bed!” The Princess giggled softly at the look of chagrin on Noteworthy’s face. “It’s entirely too late for you to be up, don’t you think.” The aide offered a smile to her Princess. “It’s a little late for you too, isn’t it?” Now Celestia laughed aloud. “Yes, I suppose it is. Still, this proposal for sending a camera into space is incredibly fascinating, if a trifle long winded. They certainly seem to have every little bit covered.” Noteworthy wrinkled her nose in thought. “Why would anypony want to send a camera into space? We can see everything up there just fine!” Celestia suddenly donned her ‘motherly instructor’ smile. “What do you see when you look up at the stars, Noteworthy?” The mare blinked at the sudden question, her gaze drifting to the open window and the bright night sky beyond. “Oh I don’t know. I suppose, pretty twinkling lights? I remember in school they taught us the stars were all like the sun. Giant balls of fire burning so far away that all we can see is a tiny speck of light in the sky.” Celestia beamed proudly. “Very good, Noteworthy! That is precisely what the stars are.” Her aide practically glowed from the praise. “Now, what do you suppose is around those stars?” Noteworthy opened her mouth to immediately answer… Before a look of confusion crossed her features. “I… Well I don’t know, Princess. I suppose it could be anything. Maybe even a whole other world like ours?” Celestia nodded slowly now. “Perhaps. Aren’t you the tiniest bit curious about what could be around those far distant suns now?” The mare blinked as she experienced a sudden personal revelation. “W— well… I suppose I am. Yes?” “And how will we see what these stars have around them?” Noteworthy smiled a bit self-reproachfully. “By sending a camera to take pictures?” “By sending a camera to take pictures.” Noteworthy was silent for a time, drawing circles in the carpet with her hoof as she thought, Celestia’s coffee forgotten. “Have you been to any of those other stars, Princess?” Gently, Celestia shook her head. “I have not. Luna and I can fly as far as the moon. Anything further is out of reach, magically or otherwise. There’s no air up there, and we have to use our magic to create breathable pockets of air. Eventually our mana will run out and we’d suffocate like anypony else.” Again, her assistant digested this news. It was hard to imagine her Princesses had limitations on what they could do. They seemed so unlimited in what their magic could do. “So these ponies want to do something even you can’t? But how could they fly so far?” “Ah! Well that’s the cleverness of the project. A science team here in our fair Canterlot have been working on a device that will draw in solar energy to propel their camera through space. So long as the stars shine in the sky, their camera can travel as far as they like. The basic idea is to place a timed teleportation spell on the ‘probe’ as they’ve called it. It will fly for three years, taking occasional photographs as it goes. Once the three years are up, it’ll poof right back into their lab.” Noteworthy brightened again. “Well I hope we see something exciting!” The increasingly drowsy Princess nodded with a smile. “As do I.” She very gently nudged her favorite mug closer to her aide. The mare’s eyes widened in realization. “Princess, I’m so sorry! I’ll take care of it right away!” She scooped it in her own magic and turned to no doubt gallop away with all haste. “It’s quite alright, Noteworthy. No rush. I always enjoy taking time to chat.” The grateful aide bowed her head and hurried toward the kitchens. Chuckling softly to herself, Celestia returned her attention to the proposal laid out in excruciatingly fine detail. It was all she could do not to sign her name on the final page and be done with it. It was certainly a worthy use of some government bits. Her ears perked at the sounds of heavy hooves clip-clopping through the halls cheerfully. They certainly belonged to a pony far too large to be an average guard or member of the night staff. It wasn’t here, and Cadance was in the Empire. That left her sister. She couldn’t quite recall the last time she heard Luna so energetic. Setting her quill aside, Celestia rose from her desk and peered into the hall. Her mouth almost dropped at the sight of Luna practically skipping along the corridor. Certainly, the night guard’s rigorous training was being put to the test as they fought the urge to gape along with their daytime ruler. “Luna? Is… everything alright?” Luna whirled, all bright teeth and glittering eyes. The last time she’d looked so happy was her return from the Nightmare Night celebration in Ponyville. “Indeed, sister! I finally found her!” “Aha. Your ‘special’ night time friend, hm? The mysterious mare you refuse to tell me of? Are you two finally going to meet?” Luna’s look of elation was swiftly replaced by one of embarrassment at her sister’s implication. “S— sister please, show some decorum.” Ignoring her own words, Luna less than gracefully rushed into her big sister’s office, shutting the door behind herself. “ … She has made contact with the Elements of Harmony.” Celestia’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? They came across her in the Everfree?” “I do not know the exact specifics, only that Shepherd claims to have met Fluttershy and her ‘friends’. Either it was a pack of bunnies, or her fellow Elements. I intend to speak with her in the morning in the hopes she will lead me to her.” Celestia retook her seat behind her desk. “In the morning? This is very important to you, isn’t it? I can’t remember the last time you stayed awake through the sunrise willingly.” Luna lowered herself onto one of the cushions before her sister’s desk. “This mare is in more pain than I can put into words, Tia. Never have I encountered a soul so desperately alone. I believe she has been lost in the Everfree for the better part of the year. She seems to have thrived within the boundaries of the forest, but she is plagued by terrible nightmares. I have seen only fleeting images, but what I can make out….” Luna paused and shook her head, slowly trying to regain her composure. “The things I have seen put Discord at his worst to shame. It is beyond my comprehension how anypony could have experienced such horrors and come away sane. Perhaps that is the source of her amnesia?” The more Luna spoke of this lost pony, the more Celestia grew concerned. “Sister, if one of our subjects is truly in such distress, I wish you had told me sooner. You know I’d do all in my power to find her.” Now Luna shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “That’s just it, Tia. I fear a heavy hooved approach may put Shepherd even further on her guard. Already she refuses to believe I am real, merely a figment of her diseased mind. She seems to have an unhealthy attachment to the area of the Everfree she has claimed as her own. Any mention of leaving, and she reacts harshly. I believe a delicate, subtle touch will be required to save her from herself.” Celestia nodded when her sister finished. “I’ll trust your judgment then, Luna. Find our lost subject and bring her home.” Luna frowned thoughtfully to herself, entertaining the thought of telling Celestia her suspicions that Shepard wasn’t a pony at all, but rather a displaced human. Her sister seemed strangely uncomfortable with the mirror between worlds when they had discussed it privately after Twilight’s return. She didn’t want to jeopardize Shepard’s safety by having her sister react poorly to the presence of a human. “Thank you, sister. With any luck she will be resting comfortably in Ponyville—or here in Canterlot—by this time tomorrow.” Celestia’s eyebrow quirked upward in a gesture Luna found rather irksome. “Here in Canterlot? With you maybe? Does little Lulu have a crush?” Luna’s wings flared in momentary outrage. “I am merely worried for her well-being, Tia! I do not think inappropriate jokes are… are... appropriate right now.” Patting the air with her forehooves gently, Celestia smiled. “I’m only teasing, Luna. You’re right and I’m sorry, this is a serious matter.” She managed to hold her composure for nearly fifteen seconds. “After all, this is your future wife we’re talking about!” Luna’s eyes widened at the same time her cheeks puffed out in a spectacular look of huffiness. Celestia only realized she may have gone just a tad too far when the cushion her sister was seated upon exploded in a shower of midnight blue magic and feathers, the cloud of white pinions immediately setting about attacking her extremely ticklish sides and neck. Noteworthy returned to find her employer flailing and squealing wildly on the ground, doing her best to squirm away from the attacking feathers. Princess Luna smiled brightly at the hot mug of coffee above the aide’s head and claimed it for her own. “Thank you, fair Noteworthy, this is my favorite blend.” Fluttershy went about feeding the animals in and around her cottage with a tad more haste than usual this morning. Angel was of course displeased with the lack of attention. “Oh. I’m sorry Angel bunny, but I have to go out early today. I promise when I come home I’ll make you an extra special supper, alright?” The bunny crossed his arms over his chest, tapping a foot impatiently. “ … Extra special dinner and breakfast?” When the rabbit still refused to back down, she squared her shoulders. “Take it or leave it, mister.” Angel’s ears drooped, and not for the first time he cursed that Iron Will. At length he nodded, drawing a smile from his owner and an affectionate pat between the ears. “That’s a good boy. Now you be good. I’ll be home as quick as I can.” Smiling softly to herself, Fluttershy stepped out of her cabin and took wing for town. Ordinarily she’d be perfectly happy to walk, but she was in a hurry today. Carefully landing outside Sugarcube Corner, she peeked into the bakery timidly. It looked like they were just starting to open for business, judging by the lack of a line. Stepping inside, she waited patiently at the counter for somepony to come out. As the seconds ticked by, her eyes would drift toward the service bell on the counter, and for the first time in her life, she considered ringing it. She waited a good ten minutes before Mr. Cake finally meandered out and started stocking the cases. “Oh! Well hi there Fluttershy. Why didn’t you ring the bell?” Her eyes darted toward the prominent bell on the counter. “Oh. I didn’t want to be a bother. I knew somepony would come sooner or later.” She offered a little smile. The lanky stallion chuckled at that and slid a tray of fresh donuts into the case for the morning rush. “Well what can I do for you?” “Oh! Well I’d like, umm…” She pondered it for a moment. Twilight had said the humans ate a lot of similar things to ponies. “ …a dozen donuts. A variety please.” “Coming right up!” Carefully, the co-owner of the bakery maneuvered twelve fresh pastries into a plain white box, tying it off with a string. “Four bits, please.” Reaching into her saddlebag, Fluttershy counted out the coins, laying them on the counter before taking the box’s string in her mouth. “Thnk ooh Misser Cake!” “Sure thing, Fluttershy. Did you want to say hi to Pinkie? She should be down any minute now.” Fluttershy tilted her head in consideration. Truthfully, she’d thought about asking at least one of her friends to go with her, but she didn’t want the skittish Shepherd Commander to be uncomfortable around a bunch of ponies. She was intimately familiar with that particular brand of discomfort. Finally, she shook her head. “I’ll see ‘er la’er.” “Alright then. You have a nice day.” Smiling to the stallion, Fluttershy carried her package carefully outside. Again she spread her wings and took flight, making for the Everfree forest at a leisurely pace. It wasn’t often she flew so much so early in the morning, but the pegasus part of her relished the sensation of flight. It was a closely guarded secret she kept to herself, but she really did enjoy flying. She was just worried about falling. All the time. Likewise, she could fly quickly if she needed to, but she was rarely in such a hurry, and constantly worried over crashing or bumping into one of her fellow airborne ponies. Angling up a little more than she was comfortable with, she climbed over the treetops of the forest. While there was the occasional giant bat or harpy to worry about flying this high in the forest, it would make her trip a good deal quicker than walking. Another little secret she kept from her friends was just how far she’d actually ventured into the Everfree. While she definitely wasn’t a fan of the wild and dangerous forest by any means, sometimes an animal needed her help that lived a good ways inside. Just because she was afraid of the countless monsters didn’t mean she’d ignore a critter in distress. She passed the sight of the slain hydra, already the massive monster had been picked clean by the local parasprite population. After the last incident she’d done extensive research on the subject learning that the little creatures could eat meat, but they only saw dead flesh as a food source. That was their role in their native environment... scavengers. Really, really adorable scavengers that looked so cute when she first discovered one on the edge of the Everfree those few years ago. Keeping an eye on the trees below, she spotted several familiar landmarks. A momentary clear spot in the trees allowed her to dip down into a gentle decline, coming in for a gentle landing at the spot she’d seen Shepherd Commander with Twilight. Tucking her wings in gently at her sides, she started forward. The signs were very easy to see if you knew what to look for. There was a very clear path of flattened grass where the human must come and go. All about the path were suspicious piles of leaves or sticks that obviously concealed more traps. Picking her way carefully along, she kept her ears perked at all times, constantly swiveling them back and forth. Just because she could find the human’s traps didn’t mean there weren’t other things to worry about. She did feel reasonably safe in the dangerous human’s territory though. She’d moved further in than she and Twilight had come by some distance before something caught her eye. There was a small, glossy black disc attached to one of the trees. Curiously, she approached it with her head tilted to one side. Her eyes widened as it began to glow a bright blue, little arcs of electricity sparking from it. Hearing a crackling sound coming from the tree on the other side of the path, she whirled to find another disc. Before she could think to run, they let out a sharp jolt of electricity right into the poor mare, causing her to seize up then topple over onto her side. “Shepard-Commander, one of the electrical fences has been triggered.” Shepard frowned at Legion as he interrupted her morning dip. “Yeah? And? I’ll deal with it later.” “Given the size and shape of the creature that triggered it, it is safe to assume it was either Fluttershy or one of her companions.” “Oh. Well shit, I hope her brain didn’t get fried or anything.” Hastily, the woman scrambled out of the water, donning her armor. “Blowdry me, Legion.” “Your requests grow more and more dignified every day, Shepard-Commander.” Despite the sarcastic comment, Legion sent a blast of hot air rushing through Shepard’s armor and vented the heat through an exhaust port in the back, more or less instantly drying her off. “What would I do without you, Legion?” Shepard fastened her weaponry about her person, vaulting up into the trees and sprinting toward the location indicated on the small map of her territory. “Given your degrading sanity, I would wager you would either be a gibbering mess, or regress fully into a primal animalistic state.” Rolling her eyes, Shepard leapt the gap between two towering elms. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She frowned at the prone form of Fluttershy sprawled on the ground in front of one of her fences. The poor horse’s legs twitched now and again. Dropping down to the ground, she winced, seeing the ugly black burn mark running across the equine’s chest and forelegs. “Legion, this looks bad.” She held her omni-tool over Fluttershy, allowing her A.I. to scan her. “Her heart rate is dangerously low. She needs immediate medical attention.” Shepard’s eyes settled on the spilled box of pastries dumped onto the ground. “… She was trying to bring me something to eat.” Kneeling down she carefully, she gathered the horse in her arms, heading for her main camp. Laying Fluttershy out in a pile of plush moss, she slid open a small compartment at her hip withdrawing a hypodermic injector. “Shepard-Commander, I must remind you that your supply of medi-gel is dangerously low.” Ignoring Legion’s protest, she fitted one of the two remaining syringes of the universal cure-all into the injector, pressing it against Fluttershy’s side and hitting the plunger. A faint hiss rose from the site as the device delivered its payload. Shepard felt some of her tension ease as Fluttershy’s breathing evened out. “Did it work?” “Scans show her heart rate is slightly elevated, but returning to normal. Yes, it is safe to assume you saved her life.” “Good. Let’s go get those donuts. They’re only sort of covered in dirt.” Fluttershy had the worst headache she’d ever remembered having. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open, wincing at the bright sunlight filtering in from the trees overhead. Gingerly, she lifted a hoof, touching the throbbing spot on her chest. A jagged black line of burned fur stretched from one foreleg, over her chest, and to the other. “Oh my… What happened?” The sound of something chewing noisily nearby drew her attention. She lifted her head to find Shepherd Commander working her way through the soiled donuts with abandon. Despite the pain still lancing through her body with little throbs, Fluttershy smiled. “Do you like them?” Her voice drew the human’s attention, and she looked to the now empty box with a guilty smile and shrugged. “Srry.” “Oh no. I brought them for you. I thought you might like a tasty treat.” Again she looked to the burn lines across her front. “I guess I wasn’t as clever as I thought.” A look of regret instantly flashed across Shepherd Commander’s face. “Oh no, I’m not angry. I came into your home uninvited, after all. I should have let you know I was coming.” Of course, she had no way of letting the woman know she planned to visit. Even if she didn’t entirely understand, the human seemed to get the gist. “Thnk yuh Fluttershy.” Smiling now, Fluttershy slowly climbed to her hooves, though her fore legs seemed somewhat unwilling to support her weight, and she tipped forward with a little yelp. Shepherd Commander was on her feet, rushing to Fluttershy’s side. “N— no, no. I’m… I’m fine…” “Legion, she’s still hurt. She can’t walk.” “Astute as ever, Shepard-Commander. Given that she was wounded while trying to bring you a gift, I believe it is your responsibility to see her home safely.” The woman blanched at the prospect. “Wh— what? I gave her some medi-gel! She’s fine. … Mostly.” Watching the poor little thing try to climb back to all fours and fall again was doing quite a number on Shepard’s heartstrings. “ … F— fine. I’ll take her to the forest edge. But that’s it!” “I am sure that would be sufficient, Shepard-Commander.” Kneeling before the equine creature, Shepard again gathered her carefully into her arms. Fluttershy seemed to stiffen in surprise or alarm, looking up at the human in confusion. “…at…doing?” Trying to smile reassuringly, Shepard nodded along the path. “Taking you home. Home?” She set out unerringly for the clearing where she’d first saved Fluttershy from the lizard monster. “Try to engage her in conversation, Shepard-Commander. The more she speaks, the quicker I can finish the translation program.” “Talk to me please. About anything. Talk?” She smiled down at the horse. “Taaaaaalkuh.” Fluttershy blinked up at her, flicking an ear gently. “…ame…Fluttershy. My…om…lled….yville.” The next bit was garbled beyond understanding. “…little….special tal…” Another bit of static-ey nonsense. “…cottage on the edge of the forest.” “Ah!” Shepard yelped and nearly dropped Fluttershy, who in turn shrieked in alarm and flared her wings, slapping Shepard in the face with one. “I understood you! Do you understand me?!” Fluttershy stared up at Shepard, wide-eyed and a little fearful. “U— um… Oh dear... I can understand you a little? It’s a bit hard to make out…” Shepard didn’t even care. She was grinning ear to ear. “Legion, I understand her clearly!” “Yes. I have finished translating on their end. Making your speech intelligible to their ears will still take some time. The process was made easier with you due to the abundance of cybernetics running throughout your body. I could more directly interface with your language sensors and tune them to their speech. Obviously, I cannot directly interface with their brains, so the process will take more time.” “Well it’s better than nothing.” She turned her attention back to Fluttershy. “Are we close to your home?” Fluttershy seemed to understand the question and nodded. “We’re very close. My cottage is just on the other side of these trees.” Shepard approached the indicated trees slowly. Her heart began to beat faster as she realized she was indeed at the forest’s edge. Slowly, she inched closer to the edge of the forest. The sun was much brighter on the other side of the treeline. Not thirty feet from the forest’s edge was a very cheerful looking little cottage. A fenced-in chicken coop sat to one side, while a lovely little stream ran along the other. “You can put me down here, Shepherd Commander. I’ll be able to make it on my own just fine now.” Shepard looked from Fluttershy to the cottage. It really wasn’t that far, but she’d gotten hurt trying to bring her a gift. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the forest and into the small meadow leading up to the cottage. Doing her best to ignore the cold sweat on her brow, she stiffly marched up the little cobblestone path to the front of the cottage. Trying the door and finding it unlocked, she nudged it open. “Thank you, Shepherd Commander.” The very genuine gratitude in Fluttershy’s voice helped ease Shepard’s nerves somewhat. “You can just call me Shepard. You don’t need the Commander part.” Fluttershy smiled. “Shepherd.” The two shared a little grin with one another, before Shepard carried Fluttershy into the cottage. She wasn't sure what she was more unprepared for. The sheer number of wild animals scurrying about the floor…. Or the towering midnight blue horse with the flowing mane and tail gazing at them calmly. The horse smiled softly, fixing Shepard in a very familiar piercing teal gaze. “Hello, Shepherd Commander. We meet at last.” This time Shepard did drop Fluttershy. Her mouth was strangely dry as she looked upon her literal dream woman in the flesh. The furred, winged, horned, four legged horse flesh. “H— hi… Luna…”