Journey to The Fang
Snow had transformed Equestria into a pale and purified land. On the surface for miles around, the blanket was undisturbed save for animal tracks. Ponyville was wrapped in flurries and covered in icicles, and through the weather I managed to fool myself that the ponies were still fast asleep in their warm beds. The gutted buildings and scattered belongings in the street shattered the lie, though; beneath the snow’s pure cover were countless wounds and scars staring blindly into the sky, up towards me.
I willed my wings to move faster and hurried on towards the Everfree Forest. Cloudsdale was fresh in my mind, and I was afraid of what I would find in Ponyville. But the sky couldn’t hold me, and before I could resist I had glided down and landed in front of my cottage.
I stared down at my door, sweeping the snow off to reveal the faded red paint underneath. I took a step forward, my face twisting whenever the wood creaked and groaned under my hooves. With as few steps as possible I walked into my living room, and quietly scanned the floor until I was used to the darkness inside. I took a deep breath, and lifted my gaze to the damage that had been done.
Cushions and sofas had been torn up, bird houses had been carelessly knocked onto the floor and flattened, and claws had been gouged in walls and frames. Anything that used to be on a table or a shelf had been thrown onto the floor – or was missing entirely. My hooves scraped forward and I lowered my eyes to the floor where cracked picture frames lay like steel traps. A part of me wanted to see the faces and remember them, but my body trembled any time my eyes caught a glimpse of a wing or a mane. It was too much.
I stopped and shut out the room. Safer behind closed eyelids I counted to ten, then to ten again, and once more. Just try to keep calm. It’s okay; everything is going to be okay, my mind assured. Let’s just be careful and not think about... Things.
With a deep breath I opened my eyes and gazed over the mess. I was drawn to a tiny, broken figure by my hooves, nestled amongst a shattered teapot and some chipped cups. My heart flinched in my chest, drumming against my ribs. Lying on the floorboards was a little Discord. He still wore a cheery expression on his face. And somehow the bulb the statue held was still intact, while the rest of him was in pieces from the waist down, crushed and ground into dust.
A terrible churning swelled inside my stomach. I gasped for fresh air, panting and panicking when the nausea started to move. I hurried upstairs to the bathroom, stumbling on the shredded carpet, and bounded through the door. I heaved on an empty stomach. It was… It was horrible.
A few minutes later I leant against the side of the tub, sleepily staring across the room. I breathlessly swallowed in the frozen air, shivered and burned all over, and tried my best to ignore the knots in my wrought-out stomach. It was too much to bear. Shaking I reached behind me and took out one of Zecora’s potions. My eyes slid into focus on the tag: “Silverbloom and Weeping Moss Brew: for good nights and fevers few!”
I pulled the cork out with my teeth and gently set it on the floor. Smells of fruit and lantern oil assaulted my nostrils, making me cough a few times. I narrowed my eyes on the back of the tag and read the dosage instructions: “One tablespoon stirred in a drink before bed, do not rise with the bird for the sake of your head.”
Sounds like it should work, my mind noted. I shuffled onto my hind legs and held the bottle in my hooves. Slowly, I tipped the bottle toward me, touched it on my lips, and took a measured sip. I nearly spat the medicine back out the moment it sloshed over my tongue. It was a bitter, acrid taste, and I couldn’t swallow it alone. Groaning at the horrible taste, I quickly put the potion aside and opened my canteen. I took one big gulp of water, which instantly weakened the flavour and whisked the medicine away. My head lolled back and rested on the rim of the bathtub, and I let my eyes close. The dizziness eased and was replaced by numbing waves gently washing over my mind and trickling down to my tummy. My heavy breaths faded, revealing how eerily quiet the house really was.
There was no chirping, no squeaks or squawks, not even the gentle snores of sleeping critters. The house was dead and still as the wintry world outside remained mournful and silent, looking on while I lay on the floor. This wasn’t the home I remembered. This wasn’t the little cottage outside of town I loved. Ponyville was down the road, but it wasn’t my Ponyville and this wasn’t my home either.
My hooves dragged on the floor, kicking smashed pots away. I pushed myself upright and packed the potion away. My eyes hazily drifted over the tattered and filthy bandage wrapped around my left foreleg. How long had it been since I’d changed it? I tugged at the binding. What did the wound underneath even look like?
The wrappings fell away, showing off a lighter band of fur compared to the rest of my coat, and the crusted-over and oozing scab clinging onto it. My mind flinched, but my muscles stayed loose and relaxed. A sigh let itself out, which was brought back in by a yawn. I turned for the cupboard and shelf next to the sink, looking for something to clean up with. Had the bathroom always been this long? The thought was lost under clanging and scrapes from my toes knocking shattered jars from my path. My left hoof reached out and eased the cupboard door open. Thankfully, there were some clean towels and washcloths that had been left alone and were still folded and soft under my curious soles.
The faucets creaked and gurgled when I turned them, but cold, fresh water quickly poured into the sink. I hummed a little lullaby while I stirred a washcloth in the basin and carried the tune on while I washed the dirt off my leg. The cold air and icy water stung at my skin, and the old wound protested faintly to being disturbed. The pain was fleeting though, soon hushed inside my head by the gentle sea, song, and dreamy sensation flowing through me. I yawned again and blinked, catching a glimpse of blurs and swirls that whispered and waved without a worry to be heard. I stared at my hooves in the basin and drew a blank, but didn’t mind at all. The sea rocked me to my own lullaby, and with one last yawn the lights dimmed and said goodnight, leaving just the song to come to a delicate end.
***
I woke up wrapped in my bed covers, warm and snug, and opened my eyes. White light ignited an awful pain in my skull and I rolled over to escape the brightness. I tried to pull the covers over my head, but my forelegs had been tangled together by a strap. Fidgeting a little I sat up in bed, blowing my mane aside and lifting my hooves into view. A canteen and its strap were wrapped around my legs in a bundle. I blinked a few times and tried to nurse a sharp pain in my skull. Whose is this? Where did it come from?
“Angel?” I croaked, looking up towards the door. Long gashes had been torn through the door and walls by huge claws, and the floorboards had deep scars and cracks from a large and powerful creature. The entire bedroom had been turned upside-down and ransacked, leaving clothes and boxes of treasures tossed and trampled on the floor. I gasped and clutched my head in my hooves, trying to catch my thoughts – hoping I hadn’t woken up yet.
A patch of cotton rubbed against my cheek, and I took a glance at my left foreleg. A torn cloth had been lazily wrapped around a stubborn wound, and a tiny flicker inside my head told me that I had put it there last night. I looked over the room again and blinked. Between my bed and the door were my saddlebags, which had been clumsily dropped on the floor before I had gone to bed, and a red headband and blue scarf lying next to them.
My eyelids fell down like floodgates, and I held onto my canteen like it was going to save my life. Slowly I counted to ten, wishing to myself that I could just stop feeling like I was burning up inside. I took another look at my belongings on the floor and quietly slid out of bed, letting my canteen untangle itself and fall into place above my knee. I shivered in the deep freeze lingering in the house, and quickly my memories rushed in and solidified once more. The pressure in my head built up, and I drew a sharp breath and groaned.
I ambled over to my saddlebags and carefully unpacked them to check what I still had. The cause of my headache was still in supply, but I was relieved my stomach wasn’t upset anymore. My small sewing kit hadn’t gone missing and was going to stay with me. I didn’t quite know why I grabbed it when I did, but as my hoof traced the stitches along the base of the bag holding the Element of Magic, there was no reason to leave it behind now.
An empty canteen rattled against Zecora’s potions and her copy of Supernaturals, which had Philomena’s feather nested inside the pages. Smaller items lay buried under the bigger stuff: matches, my map, twigs, and grit. There was still a lot of empty space, and my brow furrowed when no food or first aid turned up – not even when I turned the bags upside down and shook.
I sat down, pressed a hoof to my forehead, and rubbed my shoulders for warmth. Dry air tickled my throat as it passed to chill my lungs. I shivered again and brought my eyes over a pile of clothes in front of my closet. Crumpled among a small collection of dresses was a blue winter jacket. I crawled over and lifted it up for a closer look.
This was a gift, the voice in my head muttered. I nodded gently, looking over the sporty design and running my hooves under the sleeves. Faint, oversized paw prints had been left on the waterproof material but thankfully no claws had pierced it, and the fleece collar and cuffs spoke of the lining inside - but mostly of the warmth it promised. My canteen sloshed and clanged on the floor, and it stayed there while I pulled the jacket on and wrapped myself up in my scarf.
I hugged the soft fleece around me, closing my eyes and pretending I was relaxing next to an open fireplace, and finally felt comfortable out of bed. I picked up my headband and carefully looked it over. The feathers had been lost after leaving Dodge Junction, and the headdress was now covered in dirt, grit, and soot. I blew my mane aside and gently brushed the band with my hoof, knocking loose some dust that had settled on it. I flipped my mane to the side, fed it through the loop, and pulled the red band back into place.
Water, food, and bandages, my mind rattled off. I nodded slowly, hoisted my tired body upright, and collected my saddlebags. The bitter cold in the house hung heavily around me, but it was barely in my mind while I surveyed the damage that had been done. I choked, wheezing on dust and squeezing out only a few tears. The tears had ran out for now, which only made my heart feel heavier with grief I couldn’t let out.
The stairs creaked under my hooves and the frostbitten floorboards downstairs crackled and crunched all the way to the kitchen – or what had been left of it. Like the rest of my home, the kitchen had been sacked. Cabinet doors had been torn off their hinges and left to rot on the floor; drawers had been meticulously scratched through or ripped out entirely. But a part of me wondered if all of this was truly what the Diamond Dogs did, or if it were animals desperate for food for the sudden winter. My mouth opened to whimper, but a suffocated gasp was all that came out. There were animals struggling to stay safe, and even if I wanted to I couldn’t help them. I couldn’t feed them or offer them shelter, not with how my home had been left behind. I stared down at an empty at can and kicked it across the room. If it was the wildlife that had raided my cottage, I couldn’t find it in myself to be mad at them. Frightened, hungry, and alone; it was easier to understand than I felt comfortable with.
My hooves dragged me along and reluctantly nudged and dug through what was left of my belongings. Not too long after, I sat down at the kitchen table with my saddlebags on the floor. They had been packed lightly for the journey, but not deliberately. The pantry had been picked clean by either Diamond Dogs or by poor little animals desperate to gather food for the sudden winter. There were a few lucky finds, thankfully: a couple of bandages for my foreleg (one of which was already bound tightly over my healing wound), lantern oil, and a single can of peaches that had evaded much sharper eyes.
My stomach growled in anticipation and impatience, and when my hoof placed the can on the table, the other quickly joined and hastily cracked it open. The sweet aroma of fruit wafted up, promising to make me feel much better. Too hungry to care, I grasped the can in both hooves and tipped it back, slurping and munching on its contents. A few moments later I leant forward and put the empty can onto the table. A fulfilled sigh vibrated in my throat, paired with the happy grumble in my tummy. I slid the can aside and took out my map.
Kinsmeer was easily three days away if I could fly there at a good speed, a lot more if I just walked – but I needed to find more food on the way. The direct route passed over a lot of the Everfree Forest, which meant camping in a dangerous place while avoiding all towns and villages that could have supplies. Whether I liked it or not, I had to search other ponies’ homes for food. Grazing would take too long each day to make enough distance travelling. I didn’t want to take any longer than I had to.
I looked out my window, and for a moment I considered looking for food in Ponyville. Maybe the Diamond Dogs didn’t take everything. Maybe because I knew the ponies that used to live there, they would understand why I stole from them. I shook my head gently, recalling what I saw when I flew over. My heart ached just seeing the gaps in the snow, and it tore itself apart when I saw what had happened to my cottage. The familiar buildings and homes I had seen for years – and the memories of the ponies who lived in them – would be too much. How would I feel if I saw Carousel Boutique or Sugarcube Corner? Or saw how a few weeks had ruined generations of hard work at Sweet Apple Acres? I couldn’t stomach it. I knew I couldn’t.
My head drooped down to the table and I covered my face with my forelegs. It will get better, I assured myself. Everything will be okay. You can do this.
I opened my eyes, but didn’t move. Instead, I took some peace in the tiny pocket of darkness created between me and the table. I blinked a few times, starting to see a few lines and words on the map I was resting on. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and focusing on the markings for Ponyville and Kinsmeer. A large mass of the Everfree Forest drove a wedge between the two places, up until it met with a mountain range lining the physical border of Equestria and The Fang, the Whinny-Rose Mountains. My glances flittered about, looking at several landmarks to draw a safe route with. There were two ways around the Everfree Forest, but only one route was the shortest. I could cross a portion of Everfree and go east over the countryside until I reached Fogbrook, which was the last pony settlement on the route. From there I would have to cross the Whinny-Rose Mountains, and then follow the Coldstone River south. In time, I would come close to the hills Kinsmeer nestled itself in, and would only have to pass through a forest to reach it.
Wait. Isn’t that where Spike went during the Dragon Migration? My ears perked up, my eyes went wide and my hooves twitched on the table. Rainbow Dash said there were hundreds of dragons there! Wha–How was I going to find my Element of Harmony among dozens of big, scary, fire-breathing dragons?
Everything in the room started to spin wildly. Dragons crawled out of the woodwork and circled me. They roared and laughed at the sight of a weak little pony and flashed their teeth and claws with every bit of malice I wish they didn’t have. My head lolled forwards and banged face-down onto the table with a clunk, stopping everything in a heartbeat. Something rolled off and clanged on the floor, wringing my brain out through a new headache. Cautiously I raised my head off the table, wincing and squeaking out an ‘ouch’ as I nursed the lump that had appeared. I glanced to where the empty can had fallen and then looked back at the map in front of me. I took one more look at where Kinsmeer was and traced the route back to Ponyville with my hoof.
Fire-breathing dragons, the thought terrified me. I laughed uneasily, only to be frightened more by how stretched-thin I sounded. It was crazy. I wouldn’t even watch a dragon migration with my friends, and now I was thinking of going straight to where they roamed by the hundreds – alone! It was a bad idea, it was a crazy idea, and in my heart I knew I was still going to go through with it. I laughed again, shrill and cracked. Pull yourself together, Fluttershy! I shook my head. Calm down. Calm is good. I vote for calm.
I took in a big, big breath and held it until my hooves stopped twitching and kicking on their own. I looked back to the map, but this time I looked at the tears in the parchment – five in total: Appleloosa, Manehatten, Tall Tale, Baltimare, and Little Shoehorn. Each place saw one of us go there, with Twilight staying in Canterlot with Spike. Rarity was really happy to see Manehatten, and Pinkie was ready to go northwest and check out Tall Tale – she must’ve taken enough balloons to fill the train there and back and still have enough for the ponies in Tall Tale. Rainbow flew to Baltimare, and was determined to beat her long-distance flying record along the way. Applejack went to Little Shoehorn, which was a couple of nights from Canterlot by train, and the last stop before the Crystal Empire. Appleloosa was closer.
I placed my hoof on the tear marking Little Shoehorn and closed my eyes. That wasn’t supposed to be Applejack’s destination. It was mine. I was afraid to go to Little Shoehorn alone. I almost never went anywhere without somepony I knew. Applejack saw it in my eyes and in my hoof pawing at the floor. She volunteered to go there in my place. She told the others that I knew the ponies and the buffalo tribe in Appleloosa, so I wouldn’t have any trouble there. I wouldn’t be alone.
“You… you said I wouldn’t be alone,” I stuttered. My voice carried through the hollow house, coming back to me like a ghostly whisper. My eyes and ears drooped at the accusation in my voice. There was no way I could be angry at her or anypony else. I couldn’t pin the blame on somepony just to make myself feel better.
“It’s not your fault, Applejack,” I said to the map, carefully packing it away once more. “I’m to blame, and I’m going to get the Elements back for you and our friends whether I’m afraid or not. I promise.”
My gaze landed on a scattered pile of crumpled paper that was underneath the map. All of the pages had been scrawled, scratched, and printed on with markings from the animal friends I used to look after. I rubbed my eyes and gently sorted through the list, stopping on a page with a wobbly letter ‘A’ written at the bottom. I wondered if Angel knew I had come back home – or if I was even still… here. Could he have got in trouble? What if he was in danger?
My spine stiffened, and each wing tingled and twitched to move at a moment’s notice. I didn’t know where Angel was. I didn’t even know if he was in danger. I flicked through the pages in case there was a scribble or clue as to where he and the animals had gone, but there were only dozens of ‘signatures’ from animals that were once in my care, and animals Angel knew – my friends’ pets.
I hooked onto that detail to stop drowning in fear. If my friend’s pets were with him, then he would be safe. They cared for each other like I cared for them and my friends – I was sure of it, I had to be. There were no ‘maybes’, Angel had to be safe. He would be okay without me for just a little longer. When I came back from The Fang, I could see if he came home. I could look for him when I knew that each day wouldn’t make it harder to find my friends’ Elements. Until then, I had to find my Element of Harmony, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t let him know I was still out there.
I nodded a few times and inhaled the cold air. For once the temperature felt refreshing, like a weight had been lifted off my back. A few minutes later, I finally went outside underneath a bleak sky and falling snow, packed and ready for the journey I had set myself. I trotted to the little bridge near my home, letting my eyes adjust to the bright white ground and the thinning clouds overhead. I pulled my scarf tight around my neck and paused to look one last time at my cottage. I imagined Angel in the doorway, waving and closing it wordlessly after me so he could take care of things around the house. He was still doing that, only what mattered wasn’t in the house any more but still in his and his friends’ care. One day, or so I hoped, he would come back and see my message to him.
“Mama’s proud of you,” I repeated with a soft voice. “If I don’t see you again, always remember that, Angel.”
So I’m really doing this, aren’t I? I asked myself, barely paying attention to the vast and mysterious depths of the Everfree Forest beneath. No more than a mile from my cottage, the weather had been turned from light snow into thick drizzle. The trees and shrubs of the forest were mostly green and lacking in a layer of snow, and various sounds and noises filtered through the trees unlike the winter-stricken land of in Equestria. It was not warm at all though, and a film of chilly rainwater clung to my coat. I shivered slightly, struggling to resist the urge for the sake of staying airborne.
I scanned around the forest, searching for a clash of stone and structure among the leaves and nature. A few moments later, I caught sight of the ruins through the treetops and swooped down. I glided around the buildings, taking in the sight of the abandoned castle from angles I had never seen it from before. I knew the place was big, but the scale wasn’t clear to me until now. If it weren’t for the fact that most of the place had collapsed in the hundreds of years of being alone, ponies could easily get lost in the darkest, scariest places inside – I was suddenly very happy to still have my lantern with me.
My hooves grazed the cracked stone steps before landing down in front of the double doors to the castle. I glanced around quietly, idly kicking little stones aside. It seemed safe for the moment, so I quickly reached back and pulled out my lantern and matches, lighting the wick ready for when I go inside. Again I glanced around, swivelling my ears in case of a single growl or misplaced step, but only busy birds and a few insects revealed themselves.
“I don’t want to be here too long…” I whispered, approaching one of the doors. I pushed against it and the door lurched open much easier than last time. I picked up my lantern with my teeth and slipped inside, closing the rumbling door with a low ‘thunk’. I slid the wooden log into place to keep the doors shut and made for a dark-but-still-intact corridor.
I hurried through the ruins, finally climbing up and into the throne room. Dull, white daylight poured through the empty windows on both sides of the room, and at the far end I could see a pair of faint metal glimmers. I held my breath and anxiously flew across to the raised platform where I had left the Princesses’ crowns. I sighed and landed a few paces from the first step, respectfully bowing my head to the two pieces of headwear, and wordlessly put my lantern down.
I craned my neck back again to my saddlebags, and carefully tugged out Twilight’s Element. I placed it on my hoof with care, and slowly walked up to the two crowns stood in place of two thrones. I leant down, and let the Element of Magic slide off my hoof, settling on a spot just before the other pieces of jewellery.
The air shifted, as if gravity had been thrown at an angle for a split second. I whirled around and stared down across the hall. “Discord?” The name echoed in the ceiling and in my chest, but no response came. My eyes fell to the floor, threatening to glaze over. With a quick dab from my bandaged leg I turned to face the little shrine before me, taking my mind from one upsetting thing to another.
“Well, this is it,” I whispered. “I’m going to find the others – but don’t worry! I’ll come back when I can, I promise.” The corners of my vision blurred, leaving only a clear view of the tiara that belonged to my dear friend. I closed my eyes, and imagined that they were all there with their crowns upon their heads. Princess Luna looked over me, silently nodding her approval and well-wishes with a calm, reserved glance. Twilight stood in front, fighting back tears while her hooves fidgeted in place. Princess Celestia leant down to her student, whispered something I hoped was comforting, and gave me a reassuring look that travelled to the doors behind me. It’s time.
Reality crept back in, taking away the ponies in front of me and leaving their headdresses on the cold, worn stone. I took a few steps back, flicking my eyes over each crown on the steps. I swallowed down my heart and spun around, forcing my pace into a determined canter.
I can do this. I must be brave.
The forest was alive and bustling with insects and unseen creatures. The sounds of nature, unafraid and carefree, brought a little comfort and covered the grinding hinges and grumble of the old castle’s doors being closed. I turned around to face the steps and the forest beyond and listened. The Everfree Forest was alive and well, completely unfazed by the dreary weather looming overhead.
I adjusted my scarf and took wing, hoisting myself up above the trees. I banked right, setting my course for east, and worked my wings up to a steady pace. The sun was already tracing a path high above the horizon, meaning I likely wouldn’t reach Fogbrook before nightfall if I didn’t hurry. I lowered my head and stretched forwards, paying no attention to anything but the rolling hills and the cloudy sky ahead of me. If I could fly just a little faster, then maybe I could make up for lost time.
***
The whistle of air in my ears kept my head clear and alert. The path I had chosen to take included flying over a part of the Everfree Forest to save time, and there was no telling what could have happened if I didn’t at least fool myself into thinking I was prepared. But even though the edge of the forest had been crossed nearly one hundred miles ago – and the gentle hills and lush forests of Equestria were zipping by beneath me – I still didn’t feel safe. But where could I feel safe? Was it even possible anymore? My own home had been broken into, and the towns and cities I grew up around had fallen silent; I would rather fly over them than stand in the middle of the streets.
Villages and larger towns crept slowly underneath, occasionally masked by gloomy rainclouds still drizzling icy haze. My wings flapped to a rhythm, powered by a tense ball of heat in my core that refused to be discouraged. Sometimes I heard its energy in my thoughts, carrying with it memories of Rainbow’s own grit and Applejack’s brave heart. The feeling was double edged, and no sooner would I feel happy for having so many friends to look up to would I have to settle on the empty hum of wind in my ears again – saving myself from the thought of what I had lost and the purpose of this journey.
I drew in another breath and focused on the patchy horizon before me. In the distance loomed the vast length of the Whinny-Rose Mountains. Somewhere before them stood a tiny little village called Fogbrook, and it was the place I needed to find before I tried to cross the mountains. If I didn’t, I could find myself miles off course and more lost in The Fang than I would want to be. Dragons probably wouldn’t give directions even if I asked very nicely. No, they would sooner roar and breathe fire and– And–
My wings fell out of time, dropping me underneath the clouds like a sack of carrots. My muscles froze, trapping me in the fall. I closed my eyes and swallowed down my fear. One, two, three… I counted, focusing on each number until they were all I could see. When I reached ten my wings unfurled, flexing until I levelled into a glide. I opened my eyes again and glanced down, seeing patches of fields still a long way away from my hooves. I sighed, wiped the sweat off my head, and looked towards to horizon. My wings flapped faster until they reached a pace I could manage. This time they ached, kindly warning me that I wasn’t going to go on much further like this.
I stayed beneath the patchy clouds in spite of the cold rain. Whether I wanted to see the ground or not, I had to look for a landmark and work out where I was. The clouds grew thicker overhead as I flew, turning into a complete ceiling that sunlight struggled to cast through. The cold rain picked up, soaking through my winter clothes to nibble my skin. I clenched my teeth and pushed my wings harder to make up for the weight, feeling heat burn in my joints and travel up my spine, making the cold feel much sharper.
My eyes scanned the ground below, picking out little houses and thin roads swerving around the hills without a concern for anything. I sniffled, rubbing my nose as I kept on looking. I followed a wider road to the north, and my eyes travelled up until they met a clump of houses and big buildings looming in a miles-wide column of fog.
I blinked, then blinked again. A column of fog over a city? I watched the fog, and noticed that it was rising into the sky and spreading out in every direction once it reached the cloud cover. At the base of the column, more plumes of visible vapour emerged from the distant clumps of the cityscape and rose up into the sky.
My eyes drifted up and followed the ceiling of clouds until I was staring straight at the sky. The whole time I could see the clouds were moving towards me, sending a lump up my throat. I gulped down some air and tore my gaze away. There was only one thing that could do that, and only one city in this province that had it: Fillydelphia.
My thoughts stumbled over memories and calculations. To drown out the pain I started calculating out loud, raising my voice until it was the only thing I could think of. I had drifted off course like I had expected, but I only had to face a little more south-east to find Fogbrook. Without looking back, I turned slightly and flew for the border, occupying my thoughts with any kind of arithmetic I could think of.
It was no use. There were only so many things I could try to work out without running the risk of drifting off-course again. I squinted through the rain and pumped my wings harder to carry me over the clouds. The ground and cities vanished from view, replaced by a fluffy sea of grey and the sun shining its warm rays on my back. I looked to the east and spotted the moon already rising into the still blue sky, which cast a tint over the soft orb.
I pressed on until the sun set beneath the horizon and brought myself down onto a reasonably thick cloud. Testing its strength with a few treads and making sure my belongings were properly secured, I slumped down into the plush cloud with a sigh. My wings fell limp to my sides, sinking themselves into the wispy platform and swishing slightly back and forth. Similarly, I sank into bliss, ignoring the dampness of my clothes and the strands of my mane stuck to my face. I lowered my head onto my forelegs and closed my eyes, escaping to a better place: Maybe a spa, or a soft pile of towels after taking a new year’s swim with Rainbow Dash, or a little cloud I bumped into after funnelling water to Cloudsdale. Yes, any of those places, anywhere my friends were was fine. Better.
I yawned and sleepily lifted my eyelids. The skyline was quickly fading into night, and in the distance I could see the outlines of the Whinny-Rose Mountains against the deep purple backdrop. They were much closer than before, and one of my wings lazily rose and patted the cloud in success. Around the peaks were rolling bundles of lilac clouds – some of which were snaking through gaps and slinking down the side of the rocky border.
“Tomorrow…” I murmured, not even finishing the sentence in my head. I took a deep, relieving breath and settled down to sleep.
***
“Next time you want a shake from Dizzy’s,” Rainbow said with an ice-cold drink balanced on each wing, “you should speak up before it’s about to close.”
“Sorry,” I whispered, flicking my wings to catch up. “I didn’t know they closed this early.”
Rainbow snorted, “Early? Yeah, let’s go with that. Come on.” Without spilling a drop, my friend cantered to the edge of the path – where nothing but the night sky and open air waited for late-night fliers. “Let’s chill out over here.”
We sat down near the edge of the cloud, but I was a little further back than Rainbow. She glanced at me, shot a sly smile, and slid my treat off her wing. I caught it in my hooves and took a taste of the strawberry mango shake. Rainbow lobbed hers in the air and effortlessly caught it with one hoof. She looked to me for applause, but my cheers were muffled by a mouthful of soft-serve. Rainbow Dash stifled a laugh, but her face cracked up until she couldn’t hold it anymore. I covered my mouth and looked away, though I couldn’t help but feel the corners of my mouth turn upward, too.
We settled down with our fruity snacks, switching between eating and drinking the thickest milkshakes sold in town. I looked out into the sky, taking in the peaceful night surrounding the hum of the restless city. I had grown used to Cloudsdale’s busy atmosphere, but I always loved the quiet sounds of sleep and minute peeps of nocturnal critters. We were too high to hear the wildlife, but what I had now was enough of what I needed. Even though the things Rainbow Dash and I would do on nights like these were always different and noisy, every night ended with my favourite part: sitting on the edge of town and enjoying the quiet. Sometimes when neither of us could sleep – or when Rainbow couldn’t sleep – this was all we would do.
A deep, content sigh escaped me, prompting Dash to look up from her cup and take a look at the night before us. Twinkling stars covered the night in clusters and patterns that changed every time I blinked, and the moon hung high in the sky with the image of a pony’s head watching over us on its surface.
Rainbow spoke up, her voice calmer than usual. “Y’know what? Tomorrow, since Cloudsdale is gonna be passing real close to it, we should go check out Ponyville.”
I stared at her, mouth open in surprise. She glanced back at me and seemed hurt when she saw my expression. I looked down at my melting shake and apologised.
“It’s cool, Fluttershy. I know it’s strange coming from me, but we’re in our final year of school now, and I still haven’t seen much of the ground except for when the Junior Speedsters went to away games,” Rainbow’s voice cracked a tiny bit as she continued. “And since Ponyville is like wildlife galore down there, I thought you might wanna come with, y’know?”
My eyes drifted back to Rainbow. She wore her pride almost all the time, but right then she seemed anxious – like she was expecting me to tease her for being ‘soft’ and not wanting to practice stunts instead. I smiled. “Sounds like a great idea, Rainbow.”
My friend’s eyes brightened with excitement and joy. She grinned at me and looked out into the night again. “Great! Maybe we’ll find something awesome there, huh?”
I joined her gaze, making a fleeting note that the stars had changed again. “Maybe we will–“
Light. Blinding light filled the sky and silenced everything underneath it. The brightness burned away, pulling the white curtain from a gigantic wave of energy barrelling over the land – and straight for us.
“Ra-Rainbow?!” I squeaked, completely frozen in place.
Dark blue covered my eyes, and a pair of hooves held onto my cheeks and pulled. I blinked twice, finally hearing her voice screaming at me, “Snap out of it! Let’s go! Get behind something!”
The wave was seconds away. I couldn’t move. My ribs shot out in pain, and I fell backwards and into the cloud floor with Rainbow. She pulled herself out of her tackle and screamed at me, her wide magenta eyes locking with mine for a split second, before vanishing entirely.
The stars returned in the sky, but this time I didn’t check if they had moved. My eyes stayed open and unblinking, staring up into the endless depths of the atmosphere and beyond until the command to blink finally came.
I sat up stiffly and blinked out tears. My gaze slowly searched for Rainbow Dash, soon joined by weak, raspy whispers of her name. She didn’t answer. I called for her again and again, letting go of the floodgates to find her. I searched through glassy eyes over the clouds and inside them, but nothing showed up – not even her drink.
My wings thrashed at the air, throwing me a few dozen feet towards Cloudsdale. My ears swivelled and spun in place, capturing emptiness that Cloudsdale never had. That was until the city’s alarms sounded.
Piece by piece clouds began to break apart and evaporate at the base. In seconds entire buildings stretched and decayed, with the densest chunks quickly plummeting to the ground.
“No!” My voice failed. Mom! Dad! No, please, no! Before my eyes Cloudsdale fell, parts of which chasing the sound the falling alarms all the way to the bottom until the screaming bells stopped. My cloud dissolved around my hooves, dropping me straight through before vanishing completely.
My wings opened but flailed and whipped senselessly in the air. Everything Rainbow and flight camp had taught me burrowed itself under blind terror. The sky screamed and wailed with alarms falling beneath me, which were silenced moments before the ground met me too.
My entire body jerked and shuddered, and my eyes flew open and stared up into a starlit sky. I sat up and gasped for air, screaming until I had wrung my lungs out. I collapsed back into the cloud I lay on, and stared blindly into the night while I struggled to catch my breath. Slowly, my chest eased its grip on my lungs, and precious air pooled in.
The moon was still high in the sky. I blinked a few times and waved my hoof between my face and the silver disc above. Rolling over, I peered over the side to find that there was no edge anymore. I sat up and looked around. The clouds had bunched up into large clusters and were rolling and merging together quickly. My heart started to beat a little faster, and I checked that my saddlebags were still sealed and I hadn’t lost anything while asleep.
There was a boom. A massive arc leapt from one bulbous cloud to another, sending me rocketing upwards in fright. Another bolt shot beneath me, and then another raced past me. The clouds were bursting upwards and closing in around me. If I didn’t get out soon, I would be in the center of one big thunderhead.
I closed my wings and dropped down, hoping I could concentrate enough to fall straight through the cloud floor. An arc crackled nearby and shattered any focus I had, and I landed in the saturated mass with a plop. Ozone filled my nostrils, and the hairs on my back prickled and stood on end. My hooves dug away at the cloud floor, scooping and pushing the thick moisture aside as quickly as possible. Tingles peppered up and down my wings. The tips of my ears burned. A hole finally appeared in the cloud, and I didn’t hesitate to dive in and wiggle until I was free. I slipped out of the thunderhead just as it bellowed and crackled, chasing me off with excited sparks.
My ears heard nothing but an incessant ring, but the vibration in my lungs counted the rumbles of thunder. Air rushed past me as I dived straight down toward the ground, and soon I could feel a warm, electrifying sensation of my own course through my veins. I breathed in through my nostrils and spread out my wings, pulling out of the dive and racing over treetops at speeds I rarely reached. Hundreds of raindrops pelted down on me, and bright blue lights flickered and burst in the sky above.
The trees gave way to open fields full of spoiled crops, and beyond that stood the silhouettes of a town about half the size of Ponyville. Another flash of blue light tore through the air, lighting up the brick buildings and bouncing off the windows like cat’s eyes. I shivered, brining myself down to land on the clearest street I could see. As soon as my hooves slid on the muddy road, I skittered aside and took shelter on a front porch, giving myself some time to catch my breath and wring the rainwater out of my scarf. With a moment to spare I checked my bags to make sure I hadn’t lost anything in the drop, and looked out over the few houses making up the neighbourhood.
All of the homes were built similar to each other. All used brick walls and slate roofs, and each had a porch of its own. Some houses were one-storey while others were two, and a couple had sheds and lean-tos built as additions.
This was Fogbrook, I was sure of it. I poked my head into the rain and scanned the horizon, and as if on cue a few bolts of lightning uncloaked the mountains from the gloomy rainfall. The base of the Whinny-Rose Mountains were a few hours away still, but from the little wooden porch I stood on, they already looked like they gave the Canterlot Mountains competition – and I had to cross them.
Not in this weather, my thoughts quickly added. It’s going to be a little bit too cold. And icy. And a teensy bit snowy. I turned away and looked at the front door to the house I stood in front of. The lights were off inside and the curtains drawn, but I didn’t dare get my hopes up. Instead, I raised my bandaged foreleg to test the handle, and recoiled when the door suddenly swung open with a loud slam. I shot a glance left and right and hurried inside, quickly closing the door behind me.
The storm was immediately muffled, leaving the heavy sounds of my heartbeat and the ringing in my ears to pick up the slack. Finally in a dry place that was sealed away from the weather, I felt a little safer. The feeling was lost when I realised that it was really, really dark inside.
I whirled around at the scampering of tiny claws. Squinting and struggling to make out anything in the pitch-black hallway. A crash of thunder broke through the walls, sending electrified spikes up my spine while flashing a pair of haunting eyes from down the hall. I gasped and ran through the closest doorway, running into furniture and making a racket as I fell. I skittered to the closest corner, darting my eyes all over the room for any ghosts hiding in the shadows. I yelped at the thunder, holding my hooves up to shield me from the beady eyes I had just seen in the hall. Nothing leapt out at me, nothing hissed or even fidgeted. It was like I was alone again, or had been alone all this time.
I lowered my hooves slowly but didn’t wait a second to search for my lantern. It flew out of my bag in record time, but the matches hid themselves away somewhere in the bottom. I fumbled about in the darkness and froze every time lightning struck. My wide eyes flicked from my opened saddlebags to every corner of the room in the split-second light. Nothing revealed itself from the edges of the room, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something scary and menacing watching from the shadows. I shivered and urged my hooves to search faster. A tense minute later I had accidentally scattered some matches on the floor, but soon had a sacred orange glow in my lantern. I shone the light around the room, seeing nothing unusual except for an overturned chair and a settee I had ran into and knocked aside. I gathered up my matches and cautiously replaced the furniture – never moving too far away from the glowing life-line. My ears swivelled and listened carefully, flicking whenever the sky let out a piercing crack and seizing up whenever something clicked or scratched inside the house.
My left hind leg tensed, freezing at the touch of something brushing around the ankle – prickly claws grasping and scratching up my leg as it climbed. I gasped, turning into a statue while my thoughts reeled at what dangerous monster it could be. A Cockatrice? No they’re much bigger. A Fruit bat? They’re too cute! My eyes clamped shut and I whimpered, the creature was crawling on my back. It paused and sat in the crevice between my wing and flank, leaning outwards. My lip trembled, betraying the stillness I had, and the creature prodded my flank repeatedly.
I flinched, and stiffly turned my head to look. I blinked a couple of times, finally settling on the form of brown hamster instead of something from the darkest corners of my nightmares. I sighed and out on a sheepish smile. The hamster cocked its head to the side, squeaking to me.
I took a moment to process the critter’s speech. “Yes, you did,” I replied. “But it’s okay, you didn’t mean any harm.”
The hamster hugged the edge of my wing. I smiled faintly and slowly extended my wing for it to walk on. The little critter carefully followed the bones and stopped on the wrist. It squeaked again, introducing himself.
“Nice to meet you, Bubble. My name’s Fluttershy.” I raised a hoof up to the him and gently brushed his face. He clambered on and I held him up to my face. Bubble squeaked some more, waving his paws over the room. I shook my head and told him I didn’t know anypony here, or where they were. Bubble then asked if I had seen any ponies in the last couple of weeks. I looked away from him, and barely managed to bury the heat in my throat before it caught alight.
Bubble whimpered, saddened by my reaction. I turned my head to face him again and tried to put on a brave face. “It’ll be okay, little one. They… They should come home soon.”
The room fell silent, save for the storm outside rapping on the windows, and the hiss in my head calling out my lie.
Are you hungry? Bubble asked. I looked at him, and didn’t hesitate to nod and have the subject changed. Come on, there’s plenty of food in the kitchen, I haven’t even gone through the cupboards yet!
Bubble hopped down to the floor with a quiet bump and scampered to the edge of the lantern’s glow. I decided that now was a good time to peel the saturated scarf from my neck and stash it in my saddlebags, and then picked up my lantern to follow the hamster. Bubble stood by a wooden door and pointed at it before shimmying underneath. I waited a few seconds for him to move away and carefully pushed the door open. I peered into the room, seeing Bubble’s little eyes flicker back to me and the rest of the room slowly fill with light.
The room was definitely a kitchen. I could see cabinets and countertops, a sink and faucets, and also a modest table in the middle of the room. Bubble clambered on a chair, eventually leaping up on the table. He squeaked, pointing to the cabinets he couldn’t reach and then scurried among some things lying on the table.
My hoofsteps quietly tapped on the floorboards, my gaze narrowed at the table, soon widening into a horrified stare as the lantern revealed what was on it. I dropped my lantern on the table, flicking my eyes over party hats and paper plates, before settling on something Bubble seemed the most interest in. My body froze in place.
It was a cake; decorated with dry and cracked white icing with large portions nibbled away by the lone hamster. I looked over the table again, gazing at the small stack plates, hoof-full of of party hats and a few unused poppers – all standing on the table for when they were going to be used. On the counter furthest from me was a small pile of boxes wrapped in colourful paper with dull foil ribbons neatly tied on top. I tipped my head back, trying to get the tears to leak back inside and then turned completely away from the table and Bubble’s concerned stare. I closed my eyes and bowed my head, trying to wipe away what I had seen.
What’s wrong? Bubble asked. I could hear him walking on the table toward me. His worry weighed down on my back, and I knew I couldn’t ignore him. I quickly collected my tears with my bandage and took a breath. My eyelids opened again, and I raised my head up to think and explain, but my eyes fell on a banner over the doorway.
Happy 7th Birthday
“No…” My head shook. Ghostly giggles of delight accented by pops and cheers filled the room. A cold chill darted from the door and swept through me. My back prickled at the touch of dozens of non-existent streamers; ‘Wow! This is so cool! Thanks Mom–‘
“No!” I begged, tapping my skull for the thoughts to go away. But they weren’t in my head, they were around me, being fed to me with each and every waiting plate, spoiled snack, and unopened gift. My ears froze solid at a birthday song that was never sung. I tried to breathe, but all I could smell were melted candles that were never lit and a fresh cake that was never sliced. I felt sick. I had to leave.
Bubble squeaked after me as I quickly grabbed my lantern and left the room. I stumbled through the house with tear-stained eyes until I found the front door. My hoof desperately scraped over the wood until it met the latch, all while tears streamed down my face. In a few seconds the door swung open for the storm to greet me again with a gutsy roar.
There was a tug at my tail, and reluctantly I turned my head and looked down – avoiding the family photos on the walls. Bubble stared at me, sad and afraid at what I was doing. He didn’t understand – but how could he? Bubble hadn’t seen the cities, my home, or the chilling reminders of places where ponies used to be before everything went wrong. I couldn’t expect the little guy to know any of that – I didn’t want him to know any of that. But in the little creature’s pleading eyes I became more and more aware that I at least owed him an explanation – and an apology to him for what I was about to do.
I closed my eyes, finding it hard to look at the hamster without the last strings in my mind snapping, and put my lantern down. “I… I can’t stay here,” my voice quivered. “It hurts too much to think about the missing ponies. I’m really sorry for leaving like this.”
I heard Bubble in spite of the howling wind. You don’t have to go! What did I do wrong? Y-You could stay in one of the ponies’ beds for the night – I don’t think they would mind!
My face twisted painfully for a second, but I looked away from Bubble so he couldn’t see and pretended I was thinking instead. My head shook in gentle disagreement and I glanced out the door – while the rest of me screamed and cried to run as far away from the house as possible. I took in a deep breath and spoke softly. “I’ll be fine, Bubble. I promise. Thank you.”
Could you… Could you take me with you? He whimpered.
I blinked and held my eyes closed, trying to keep the surge of shame from showing up on my face. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at him. “I wish I could, I really do.” I turned around so I could pet the tiny animal’s head. “But where I’m going is very, very cold, and very, very dangerous. I couldn’t possibly take you there. You’re safer here. I’m so sorry.”
Bubble let go of my tail and whimpered. My ribs ached, and I brushed the tip of my hoof along the hamster’s whiskers. “Thank you for being so sweet,” I said. “Take care of yourself, okay? Don’t put yourself in harm’s way.”
The little brown hamster nodded, less in acknowledgement than acceptance, and hugged my hoof. I carefully wrapped my left leg around him for a moment and then let go. I picked up my lantern and backed outside, dragging the door against the wind until I heard it latch itself, and turned to face the Whinny-Rose Mountains – the border of Equestria.
I took a deep breath and focused on just the mountains that lay ahead. I gripped my lantern in my mouth, and without another thought I threw myself into the storm. The wind hoisted me up and juggled me effortlessly, pushing me away from the mountains peeking through the murky storm clouds. Finally my wings found themselves, and I started to force my way through and gain speed. In minutes Fogbrook was shrouded in night rain behind me and similarly buried in the back of my mind.
***
Flying up the mountain was the easy part – I had expected that – but I was not ready for more of the storm spilling over the jagged peaks of the Whinny-Rose Mountains. Just as dawn started to seep through the cloud cover the sky turned from light grey to black, and minutes later it was lost in a flurry of snow and ice, forcing me to climb the rest of the way on the ground.
My hooves drove themselves into the icy floor, digging in so I couldn’t be pushed back by the wind. My winter jacket ruffled with each high-pitched scream from the blizzard, and I kept my wings clamped to my flanks in fear of losing what precious heat I still had in me. My teeth chattered relentlessly, gnawing on the iron handle of my lantern. I shone the light around, revealing nothing but thick snowfall everywhere I looked. If there was shelter anywhere, I couldn’t see it through the snow, so I had no choice but to keep walking until the storm let up or I led myself out of it.
Somewhere among the deafening roar of the storm I found the space to think. With nothing to draw my mind away but thick snowfall hiding everything further than a few yards away, vivid visions painted themselves on the frozen canvas before me. I blinked and waved a hoof in front of my eyes, brushing the thoughts away like snowflakes.
It was not letting me get away. Trapped in the endless white, my thoughts wandered again, settling on Cloudsdale. I started humming to myself, hoping to block the thought with a song, but the blizzard drowned it out.
My eyes snapped shut, hoping to close off the vision of snow and clouds on the ground, and what I saw strewn among it. Instead, in the darkness of my eyelids, I saw birthday cake with lit candles on top and my friends all around me. I took a short breath, already mortified of what was going to happen, and watched helplessly as the ponies I cared so much about and were pulled back into the darkness – with the howling winds giving a voice to their screams.
“No! No!” I gasped, dropping my lantern in the snow and staring out into the relentless blizzard. “Come back! Please! Don’t leave me!”
The wind carried on its endless shriek, smothering my pleas. I braced myself against the gale, shaking and weeping in the freezing cold. I need you! I need all of you! Please, come back!
My heart lurched and faltered in its pace, and my shivers grew stronger and harder to control. It was too much. It had always been too much. I couldn’t take it anymore. I opened my mouth and screamed. I screamed until the wind couldn’t be heard, I screamed until my lungs burned from emptiness, and I screamed until my throat tore itself apart and crackled into nothingness. Thoughts of my friends and family flickered on the insides of my eyelids – of everything I had lost in one single night. What had they done to deserve this? Why did I have to live through it? What caused the shock wave? Yes, who was responsible?
“Who did this to my friends?” I shouted coarsely. “What cruel thing caused this?”
The blizzard blew furiously and pushed me harder than ever before. I dragged my hooves, snarling and growling at the cold seeping through my wings. I grabbed my lantern and began treading forwards against the storm. The freezing weather pushed again and I pushed back. I’m never giving up, they wouldn’t want me to.
I clawed forward, skidding and sliding with each step. The blizzard tore around me with weakening gusts and scratched at my skin. My legs grew numb and sluggish, but I had a promise to keep – one last thing to do for my friends and for Equestria if nothing else. I couldn’t give up.
I narrowed my gaze to the floor, concentrating on moving one hoof in front of the other. The snow around my ankles brightened, and the top of my head and ears tingled from faint warmth setting in from above. I shot a glance upwards, spotting the golden sun before the clouds and snow shrouded it from view again. I ducked my head down and stopped just as the wind ripped around me, and picked my pace up again once it passed. I felt hollow, and with every step my legs found less and less energy to move any further. The wind blew again, dragging its frozen touch down my spine while revealing more sunlight through the clouds. I shakily gazed up, seeing ghostly outlines of jagged rock a short distance away. I have to be close now, my thoughts pleaded, just a little further!
I yanked my hooves out of the setting ice and climbed up the incline. The wind tried to protest, but fell as a constant whistle in my ears. I unfurled my wings in the breeze, and with the strongest flaps I could manage, I carried myself the rest of the way there. I climbed up higher and higher, watching the mist fall further and further beneath me until I was clearly dozens of feet above it. My gaze turned upward, revealing the morning sky and ridgeline ahead..
I blinked slowly, feeling the corners of my mouth lift. I made the last few yards with my eyes on the endless blue, and lowered my gaze once I reached the crest. Before me lay a few straggling clouds, and beneath them, at the summit of the Whinny-Rose Mountains, was an endless ripple of rolling hills and cliff faces. I looked to the South, spotting a string of sparkles snaking into a forest, leading towards some short, muddy-red mountains peeking out in the horizon. In spite of the weather I had gone through, the sky was clear from now on, and I could see the scattered patches of snow over the thousands of hectares of lush green and bold, rocky cliffs.
“I-I made it,” I croaked, swaying with the breeze. From the top of the Whinny-Rose Mountains, The Fang looked beautiful, but as I stared over the land I caught sight of a pair of flying creatures in the horizon. At first I thought they were birds, but when I remembered that few birds had a long, spindly tail and webbed wings, a lead ball dropped in the pit of my stomach. It didn’t matter that they were miles and miles away, they were still dragons – and dragons were really big and dangerous.
The view of The Fang started to warp dizzyingly and my foreleg rose to steady my head. The rocks I stood on jerked apart and shot down the mountain in chunks. I slipped and fell with them, sliding down the slippery slope as I picked up speed. A cliff edge rushed up to me, and I scrambled to grab hold of something, kicking and screaming when my hooves found nothing. I dropped straight off the edge, spinning and tumbling in open air. My wings locked up in terror, and the sky and ground twirled and swirled around as I fell.
There was a ‘crunch’ and my left wing exploded in pain. I bounced onto my hooves in a daze, stumbling and slipping on them. The slick surface mocked my flailing limbs, tossing me off of the edge of another cliff. I gasped, barely managing to yelp before I slammed into another platform of snow and rock. I screamed out as I felt my left wing bend too far back, and kicked my forehooves at the ground again for something to hold on to. The open air filled my ears again, joining my cries before they were cut short with a ‘crack’.
I slid in a few inches of snow and stopped. My head lolled to the side, putting to the red rocks in the horizon in view. My vision bled and flickered with contrasting colours, mixing to the throb in my skull. The freezing cold snow on the left side of my body kneaded into my skin and spread out. I tried to move my legs, wings, ears – anything – but nothing would move. My eyelids started to droop, and while I tried and tried to stay awake, the red mountains of Kinsmeer continued to fade. A shadow cast itself over me, blocking out the sun before my eyes closed completely.
