A Device for Divine

by stanku


Chapter I

A Device for Divine: Part I

By Stanku

Proofreaders/editors: Nick Nack, Crescent Sonata, Golden Vision, DeathRiseRobo, Theforrealdeal, Coppermane, GreyNoise

For kazaah

A hoof hit the muddy ground, sending splashes of dark brown soil everywhere. Almost instantly, another hoof slapped onto the muddy dirt. A mare was running for her life. The panic gripped her throat, seizing her whole body. A good hoofhold was crucial when running fast in this forest, and Blue Fallow knew that. It was one of those irrational thoughts that won’t step aside, even in the face of Death itself. The mare’s heart was about to burst through her chest, her legs felt like they would fall off any minute now, and yet a thought like that found enough room to live in her mind. It was absurd.

Fear sharper than a blade of grass cut through her very soul. Every stone, every root and other solid hoofhold seemed smaller than before, more slippery, harder to find. Blue Fallow’s eyes were working overtime so that she could make out the solid pieces of turf from the treacherous sinkholes. She didn’t dare to slow down; even the thought of that pumped a fresh dose of adrenaline through her veins. Another piece of turf received her full weight and made the mare’s heart skip a beat when it almost sank beneath her hoof. It didn't, but Blue Fallow was too exhausted to thank her luck.    

She was breathing rapidly. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. Every breath was a stab to the ribs now, and even though Blue Fallow was a rather good runner, her strength had all but run out. She had tried to hide during the past hour or so without success. The monster after her was more like a shadow than a living being; it followed her everywhere. Another piece of turf was stomped under Blue Fallow’s hoof, another tax on her failing strength. Her muscles pulsed with agony and demanded rest, but she ignored their pleas as she ignored the hidden sinkhole that received her full weight. Her right front hoof sank deeply in the green mud. Without thinking, she tried to yank it free, but the mud was merciless. She was stuck.  

”Help!” Her eyes were wide and filled with tears. She gave her hoof another yank and let out a cry as pain lanced through her leg. “Please! Somepony, anypony!” She screamed until she no longer could. She felt detached, somehow, like the last few hours hadn’t been real after all, as if the cold waters of the quagmire were the only thing touching her. Maybe the hours spent in chase had been mere minutes. She looked around, eyes seeing nothing. She had no idea where she was, even though she had lived her whole life in this forest. And then she realized:

Her whole life.

Was about to end.

The sharp fangs sank deep into her neck. Her sobbing instantly became screaming. She struggled violently for a few seconds, but the strong jaws simply closed in and broke her neck with a sickening crunch. That was the last thing she heard before the darkness took her, before her limp and lifeless body was left hanging from the fangs of the beast. The forest fell silent again. A vermilion pool began to spread among the greenish waters.


                                                ***


Hundreds of miles away, Fluttershy couldn’t stop shaking on the floor. She had fallen out of her bed, the nightmare still vivid in her eyes. It was the moonlight shining through her curtains that finally told her that she wasn’t dreaming anymore; there hadn’t been a moon in the nightmare she had had. No moon nor star would ever dare touch that dream. And still, Fluttershy tried to recall that dream because she knew it was important. “Remember the dreams, Fluttershy, remember them,” that was what She had told her.  

She closed her eyes, trying to catch the last threads of her dream before they vanished. Her memories were dark and clouded, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was staring at her, ready to sink its teeth deep into her flesh. She tried to see, but the darkness was impenetrable. But her skin wasn’t, as the fangs that cut through it demonstrated.

Her eyes flashed open the moment she heard the scream, instantly realizing that it was her own. She felt the mists of the dream retreating, revealing the house she called home, the furniture and tapestry that all tried to tell her she was safe now. Somehow, she couldn’t believe them. She wasn’t safe; not as long as that monster roamed in the darkness of her mind.

After a while, when Fluttershy was able to breathe steadily again and keep her legs from shaking, she stood up. She tried to remember the dream again, but couldn’t recall anything but glimpses. It felt as if images of horror, fear, and terror lived right next to her subconscious. That would’ve conveniently explained the pounding headache.

Fluttershy cautiously walked into her kitchen, noticing every shadow that the moonlight threw on her way. She half expected to see a glimpse of those teeth again, the drool and blood glistening from them as it dripped onto her carpet. It took her a good while to get to the next room.

As she was searching her cupboard for a mixture of herbs that would calm her nerves, one of the shadows in the room began to grow. In a few seconds it darkened, twisted, and began to rise from the floor without making a sound. The shadows grew until they blocked the moonlight, but Fluttershy still didn’t see it. She did, however, hear the velvety voice that spoke to her.      

“Fluttershy,” the voice whispered.

Fluttershy whirled around, dropping the jar she had been holding. It never hit the ground, though, for a dark purple halo had gently grasped it just inches away from the floor. Fluttershy failed to notice this, for her stare was nailed to the dark, tall figure standing in her kitchen. It wasn’t the first time She had come to visit her in the middle of the night.  

“H-hel-hel-,” said Fluttershy.  

“Hello to you too, Fluttershy,” Luna said. “Forgive my intrusion, but as you know, there was no time for manners at an hour like this. How are you feeling?”

“B-b-better now, I think. T-thank you for… for asking…”

Luna studied the pegasus in front of her, the pegasus who looked just about the opposite of “better”. She set the jar on the kitchen table with her magic before speaking.

“You do not need to hide your anxiety from me. I am well aware of the strain this… state of yours is putting you in, Fluttershy. This was the third vision you’ve had, and I know they are getting worse. I see them as you do, after all.” Luna paused before she continued. “It is time we put an end to this.”  
 
“An… an end?” asked Fluttershy. “You don’t mean to say that…”

“You are going to travel to the Shallows. Tomorrow. With Twilight. Expect her to visit you in the afternoon.”

Fluttershy pressed her back against the cupboard, her eyes wide and wild. “No. Not yet. I’m not ready for that.”

“It is not a question of readiness anymore. I’ve told you this already: When the visions become real enough for one to feel them, it is only a matter of time before they–” 
 
Before Luna could finish her sentence, Fluttershy covered her ears with her wings and curled up on the floor, whimpering. “No, no no no,” she kept saying, more to herself than to Luna, who silently watched as the yellow pegasus fought with her fears. It wasn’t the first time Luna had witnessed this reaction.

After a while, Luna walked closer to the now sobbing Fluttershy and kneeled so that she could gently touch her with her muzzle. Fluttershy’s sobs died slowly, but she kept on sitting on the kitchen floor. Luna joined her, although she kept her posture straight even while sitting. Fluttershy simply slumped against one the cupboard doors. Neither spoke for some time, not even as the clock on the wall struck four in the morning.

“Would you like to talk about the vision you just had?” Luna asked carefully.

The yellow pegasus bit her lip. “I… I can’t remember it that well… It faded so fast, all the details and the forms… I can only remember bits and pieces. Voices. Colours. Smells. But not the whole picture…” Fluttershy’s voice was barely audible. “I don’t even know if I want to remember them that well…”

Luna listened the young mare’s words without smiling nor interrupting. After the pegasus had quieted down, she put her hoof around her limp shoulder.

“As I have said before, you should not blame yourself for that,” Luna said. “In this case, forgetfulness is good for you.”

“I can’t even tell whether I’m seeing memories or new visions anymore. I’m being completely useless…”

“Fluttershy, you know that to be false. Without you, all of Equestria would be worse off. Do not let despair dwell in your heart.”

Fluttershy fell silent again, and kept on staring at the floor. “I still can’t tell this to anypony, can I?” she said after a while.  

“I am deeply sorry for that, but such is the nature of this affair that it is best kept secret.”

“Even from my friends? Even from Twilight?” There was not a hint of resentment or resistance in Fluttershy’s voice, only laconic submission. Luna still kept the smile off her face.  

“They will know when the time is right. Celestia is only thinking the best of everypony, the greater good, as you understand. Everything will be alright in the end, and that is what matters the most.”

Fluttershy turned her head, very shyly, to gaze into the deep, kind eyes of the Princess of Night. The pegasus opened her mouth, but said nothing. Luna gave her the faintest smile, and seeing that, Fluttershy swallowed her question. She stood up, legs barely shaking. Luna followed suite and said:

“There are still a few hours before dawn. I suggest you make good use of them and get some more sleep. You need to be ready when Twilight comes.”

Fluttershy moved her hooves nervously, avoiding Luna’s eyes as best as she could. “I... I don’t know if I can lie to her, I don’t… I’ve never lied to anypony, not ever… I’m sorry, Princess…”

“Abstaining from the truth is the lesser of two evils we are facing here, Fluttershy. In any case, you need not lie to Twilight; you are merely required not to argue with her. That is good, right?”
   
Fluttershy glanced at Luna’s face and saw nothing but unshaken encouragement in her eyes. Behind that mask the story was quite different, though, and Luna silently thanked the Moon that Fluttershy wasn’t a mind-reader. Well, the recent events had made that statement questionable, but at least she couldn’t enter the minds of other ponies.

“I... I’ll do my best, I swear.”

“I’m pleased to hear that, and so is Celestia, I’m sure. I must go now, for other ponies need my guidance in the dreamworld and in the nightmares they face therein.” Luna took her leave, using the door for a change. Fluttershy bit her lip, opened her mouth, but managed to use her voice only when Luna was already partly outside.  

“You will be with us the whole time, right? You will watch over us in the Shallows?”

Luna stopped at the doorway and turned her head so that she could see the yellow-pink mare standing inside. She looked so frail in the moonlight, so vulnerable, and innocent. It felt so wrong to lie to a creature like that.

“My power extends wherever the moonlight shines, whatever is touched by the stars. These cover most of Equestria, even during daylight, although that is something not everypony understands, since during the day the sun reigns supreme.” Luna paused for a moment, and let her gaze fall down. “Alas, the Night has its limits, and so do I.”

She didn’t wait for an answer, but closed the door instead. Inside, the shadows seemed to grow stronger again. Fluttershy stood surrounded by them, felt them creeping up along her legs, her mane, her mind. She made it back to the kitchen, where the jar of herbs lay untouched. Their taste was bitter, but Fluttershy forced herself to swallow twice the amount she usually did. No dream would be strong enough to penetrate the dullness brought by a dose that big. It was a shame, then, that it wasn’t the dreams that Fluttershy was afraid of, but the reality.


***


Twilight was just about to turn the page when she was interrupted by Spike, who had appeared at the library’s doorstep, holding a sign which simply read: “On.” For a few seconds Twilight could only blink in confusion.

“What the–” she began, but stopped when she couldn’t hear her own voice. Then her eyes widened and her mouth formed a smile of sorts. A flick of her horn ended the silence spell she had been using while she studied.

“I’m sorry, Spike, I totally forg–”

Yet again she failed to formulate a sentence, cut short this time by a lightning bolt that both ravaged her eardrums and sent her about a foot high in the air.

“I swear, RD is making the pegasi break some records again,” she said after the shock had died away. “Right, Spike. Spike?” Suddenly, the young dragon was nowhere to be seen.

“Up here, Twi.” Twilight looked up, and inadvertently chuckled as she saw Spike hanging from the roof by his claws.

“Yep, gotta be hilarious. Get me down, will ya?”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said as the purple halo gently brought Spike down. “I’d have never thought  that you could jump that high.”

“That makes two of us. Dragons just have better hearing than ponies. I can’t help it.”

“Anyway, the sign was a good idea,” Twilight continued. “But perhaps it could say ‘sound on’ instead? Seems a bit misleading as it is.”  

“Sure, sure. Wasn’t thinking that much about it. I meant to tell you that Princess Celestia sent us two letters.”

Twilight’s face lit up. “Oh, well, great! Two, you said? Sounds weird. I wonder…”

“Or maybe you just read ‘em?”

“Hah hah. Fine. Could I see them, then?”

Spike produced the letters, but only one of them had Twilight’s name on it; the other was directed to Princess Celestia herself. That one also said: “Read me first.” Her horn flickered momentarily as she ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter, which she read out aloud.

“To Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria”

“As I write this letter, already four of our fellow ponies have gone missing and I cannot shake the feeling that they will not be the last ones when this message reaches Your Highness. I am well aware of the fact that turning to Your council is the ultimate measure we can take and indeed that is the very reason we, as a community, have decided to do so. We are simply outmatched by the mystery behind these disappearances.”

“The first victim, a mare called Blue Fallow, went on an errand to the nearby forest, the Forest of Shallows, and never came back. This was, as I write these words, six days ago.”

“While we searched for her, two more ponies, Raindrop and Little Pond, both went missing at the same time, four days ago.”

“After this we decided to stop searching. I know how you must feel, hearing us abandoning our fellow ponies to their fate. Whatever your judgement on us shall be, it won't be harsher than what we have already imposed on ourselves. Our only defense for our actions is their unavoidability. It was not only the disappearances that have begun haunting our village.”

“The Forest has changed. I do not how, or why, but it has. We no longer feel secure walking in it, not even during the day. We don’t have any unicorns here and only a few pegasi, who have done everything they can to help our lost friends, but to no avail. They dare not even fly close to the treetops anymore.”

“The latest victim, Wet Mane, disappeared only yesterday. He was last seen entering his house at dusk, yet come the morning he was gone.”

“Our sincerest hopes lie in Your help, Princess Celestia. We can not abide alone anymore, indeed I don’t know if we ever could. Send help. Send all the help you can.”

“Sincerely Yours,

Wet Hoof, The Mayor of Damp Town, On the Fifth Day of the Seventh Turning, Year 1002”


Silence rang in the room and the echoes of the letter chimed in Twilight's mind, bouncing off the walls or simply floating through them. The letter was still hovering in front of her when Spike broke the spell and coughed.

”So... Whatcha think?” he asked. Twilight looked at him and frowned.

“Well, it certainly sounds serious, whatever it is that is causing problems there.”

“Ya think we should open the other letter next?”

Twilight blinked and looked at the other envelope that Spike was handing over to her; for a moment, she had forgotten that such a thing existed. She gave the second letter the same treatment as the first one.


“Dear Twilight”


“I trust that you followed my instructions and read the other letter first. I also trust that reading the Mayor’s letter has stirred the same worry in you as it has in me. We cannot let their call for help go unheeded.”

“I wish that you, along with Fluttershy, travel to Damp Town at first opportunity tomorrow. Time is of essence here, as we do not know the true depth of the peril that has befallen to these poor ponies. Lives could be endangered here.”

“But that is the worst we can imagine, the heavy duty that we must always prepare ourselves for. Most likely the situation in the Damp Town is not as grave as that, and in any case we shouldn’t allow our deepest fears and paranoia determine our actions. A calm mind is our most powerful weapon, as I have taught you.”

“That is the most important reason why I wish that only you and Fluttershy would take part on this journey. Your other friends are quite busy at the moment, I hear. Pulling them from their tasks, important as they are for them and for all of us, would be exactly the kind of thoughtless rushing that we should avoid in the face of an unknown problem such as this.”

“Also, discretion must be our key to success here. The general mood in Damp Town could hardly accommodate Pinkie Pie’s lively character, for example. In addition, given the rural location of the village in question, an encounter with a dragon would be most unwise right now. According to my knowledge, the locals have never once in their lives seen one of Spike’s kind, a fact that could surely have unexpected consequences, taking their current state of mind into consideration.”

“In Damp Town, your first priority is to find the missing ponies. Most likely they have got lost in the woods, a problem which your magic should solve without much fuss. In any case, Fluttershy’s presence would ascertain that the local fauna are more than eager to help finding them. The combined abilities of you two are more than enough to relieve the anguish of the Damp Towners.”

“I leave this issue at you capable hooves, Twilight Sparkle. As always, my confidence in your talents remains unparalleled.”


“Princess Celestia of Equestria, On the Seventh Day of the Seventh Turning, Year 1002”

 
“That sounds… weird?” Spike said.

“I know,” Twilight said while she put the letters back to their envelopes. “One would think that the local ponies would know their woods well enough to find their own way out of them.”

“Eh, yea, that too, but I meant the… you know?” Spike scratched his neck and kept his eyes on the ceiling.

“Uhm, no?”

“Well, dontcha think it weird that Celestia would send only you and Fluttershy for the rescue?”

“You heard her explanation, isn’t that enough? The Princess is just being both reasonable and practical, that’s all.”

“Yea, that she is, but I just… Nah, never mind.” Spike made a sudden turn towards the kitchen, as if he had forgotten something in the oven for too long. He only got a few steps before Twilight’s voice stopped him.

“Spike…”

“Really, it’s nothing, just a stupid thought,” he said, shuffling his legs awkwardly.

“Come now. You know there’s no such a thing as a stupid question.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Ha ha, yeah, only stupid ponies asking them. Never gets old, that one… Fine. I just thought the letter had a weird tone.”

“What, the Mayor’s letter?”

“No no, Celestia’s letter. It was… I dunno, as if it wasn’t written by her, after all…”

“Whoah, you’re starting to give me goosebumps, now,” said Twilight. “What do you mean, ‘not written by Celestia’? I didn’t notice anything unusual.”

“Really?” Spike lifted his eyes from the floor to meet Twilight’s confused face. “You didn’t notice anything strange, nothing at all?”

Twilight gave a short, awkward laugh. “No… What is this now, have you read a conspiracy novel lately or something? Why wouldn't it be Celestia who wrote this letter? Give me one good, solid reason.”

“I said it already, I dunno! Could be the words she used… or the tone… eh, I give up. You’re right, it’s Celestia’s writing all right.”

“I’m glad we agree on that,” Twilight said and smiled warmly. “Now, there are some preparations to be made – first of all, I need to inform Fluttershy about this. Would you be so kind as to pack some blankets, food, and other supplies for me while I’m gone?”  

“Sure, Twi, no problem...”

“Aww, you don’t need to sound so disappointed that you don’t get to come along – nor that you failed to reveal a great conspiracy.” Twilight walked over her friend and patted the top of his head with her hoof. “I’m sure your time will come, Detective Spike.”  
 
“Right, on the same day that you grow wings. Get going already, before the pegasi continue with their weather drill. Sounds like they managed to tie Dash so they could get a break.”

Twilight chuckled and went to the front door. “See you soon,” she said as she closed it behind her.

In the house, Spike sighed, and grasped the letters that Twilight had left on the floor. He rolled them in his claws, studying them with his neck tilted. He pulled the one meant for Twilight from its envelope and read it again, then again. Finally he shrugged his shoulders and put the papers on the nearby table. They never crossed his mind again.


                                                ***


The light of the afternoon sun cascaded through the glass window, butchering the clean white light into a spectrum. Celestia studied the phenomenon intently, her eyes paying attention to every tiny variation of colour reflecting from the glass. She hardly noticed Luna entering the study.

“Uhm, what on earth are you doing?” Luna asked. Light glimmered in Celestia’s eyes as she turned them towards her little sister.
 
“How did you fare with Fluttershy?” she asked.

Luna furrowed her brows. “The mental state of that pony worries me greatly. I honestly cannot tell if she can do what you ask of her.”

“Fluttershy has proven her worth on more than one occasion, as you know. She is stronger than she seems.”

“Eh, yes, but I still doubt whether you are risking too much with this little experiment of yours.”

The smile on Celestia’s lips quivered, but just for a moment. “There is nothing little in it, but quite a lot of work is put to the test during the days to come in the name of this ‘experiment’, as you call it.” The white alicorn narrowed her eyes and paused. “Tell me true: Do you honestly think Fluttershy will be unable to play out her part in the Shallows?”

Luna blinked, opened her mouth to speak but closed it instead. When she tried again, her voice was even more reserved than before. “I think… that she will do everything she can to accomplish it. Whether that will be enough or not, well… we can only wait and see.”

Celestia kept her eyes on Luna for five long seconds before she turned her gaze away and towards the spectrum that lingered in the room. “A less transparent judgement than what I was hoping, but it will do. We shall continue as planned. I expect you to keep me fully informed of the events in the Shallows during the days to come.”  
 
Luna stared wordlessly at her sister, for whom the dance of light in the painted window seemed to appear as the most intriguing thing in the world.

“Celestia, I… I have been thinking… Is it really worth it?”

Celestia didn’t move a muscle. “I do not see the meaning of your inquiry. Please, do clarify.”

“I mean to refer to the Device. I remember when you first told me about it; you said I would learn to understand it better once I got used to the idea behind it...” Luna slowly scraped the stony floor with her left front hoof. “Well, I… cannot shake the feeling that your plan is fundamentally flawed.”

Celestia could express all kinds of little things with a simple smile, which she had aplenty. She had smiles for encouragement, and smiles for compassion. She even had smiles that weren’t smiles at all. However, as she fully turned to face Luna, she wasn’t smiling at all. Luna, upon noticing this, stopped the erratic movement of her hoof.

Celestia didn’t speak at once. “Is that so? Why, nothing would please me more than to help you see the Device from my point of view, from which it appears as perfectly sound. But please, would you be so kind as to enlighten me about your worries first?”

“Uhm, certainly, if that’s what you wish.”

After its short absence, the smile had returned to Celestia’s lips. “That is what I insist.”

Luna fixed her posture slightly before starting. “First of all, it has never been done before. Second, nopony has ever even thought about doing it before. Third, there is no telling what would happen if something went wrong with your plan… it could even cost Twilight her life.”

“Those are some grave accusations you have prepared for me, dear sister.”

“I am not accusing you, I am merely–”

“–pointing out the obvious shortcomings of my plan, yes, I can see that. You are still wrestling with the same ghosts that began haunting you as I shared my thoughts with you, I find. Is there anything new you would like to share with me, concerning the validity of the plan called Device for Divine?”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Ghosts, you call them? Mere figments of my imagination? I dare say, if my doubts are nothing but fantasy, it is so only because they strive to match their object!”

“Agitation feeds paranoia and vice versa, as you have yet again so aptly demonstrated.”

Luna’s eyes widened half an inch and her mouth readied itself to spit Celestia’s arrogance right back to her face, but something made her refrain from this.

“I know your game,” she said. “You are trying to throw me off balance so I could feel bad for myself afterwards, and crawl back to you in search of an apology later. I recommend you change your strategy from time to time, sister; you are becoming transparent.”

Celestia laughed, but not unkindly. Luna’s confusion blazed from her face. “What is the matter with you?” she asked.

Celestia muffled the rest of the outburst with her hoof and yet again turned to face the glass window. “I find it terribly amusing, bickering such as this. You would not believe how much I missed it while you were gone in the moon.”

“Uhm, what?”

The last remains of chuckling bled out from Celestia as she regained her composure. “Perhaps the Device,” she began, “is something you cannot ever truly understand, not as I do, anyhow. You have not, after all, faced the same absolute loneliness that I have.”

Luna’s jaw dropped. “Come again?”

“I know what you are thinking. How could I say such a thing and claim to be in my right mind? How indeed… The question must elude you as it for so long eluded me.”

“...What are you saying? You are not making any sense…”

Celestia turned her face again, revealing a smile that made Luna flinch. “Does it disturb you to think that the magnificent Celestia of Equestria could feel lonely?” said the white alicorn.

“Celestia, you are not yourself. Look, I’m sorry that I brought the Device up again, I shouldn’t have.”

Celestia’s eyes flickered like the sun does just before it sets down on the horizon. Her smile changed to resemble the one she usually wore. “No, it was correct from your part to bring up your doubts. I suppose I owe you an apology too…  I should not have tried to manipulate you like I did. Old habits die hard, it seems.”

Luna relaxed a bit as she heard that, but she tensed again when the taller alicorn made a sudden move towards her and wrapped her right wing and hoof around her. “My love towards you knows no bounds, sister,” said Celestia quietly.

“Uhm, you are very dear to me, too,” Luna replied. “If you do not mind me asking… The Device... How strongly do you honestly believe in it?”

Celestia pulled herself from the embrace and burrowed her gaze deep into Luna’s eyes. “Dear sister,” she began. “The Device is the only thing I have believed in for the last millennium.”
   

                                                ***


The sky above Ponyville was covered with dark clouds, but at least the lightning and the wind had ceased for now. Twilight still didn’t dare to keep too slow a pace while she traveled to Fluttershy’s, for she knew that the pegasi might continue with their drill at any moment. It was only when she got to knock Fluttershy’s front door that she braved a sigh of relief.

The upper half of the door opened just enough so Twilight could get a glimpse of a bright teal eye looking at her. “Hello, Fluttershy!” she said.  

“Hi, Twilight…”

Twilight stood there for a moment, but nothing seemed to happen. “Uhm, might I come in?” she said.

“Oh, dear me, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking at all…” There was some hasty movement behind the door, which soon opened wholly.

Twilight entered in and closed the door behind her. “Thank you. I have something we need to… Uh, what ever happened to you?”

“Wh-what do you mean? I’m…  I’m totally fine!” Fluttershy said, flashing a wide and awkward smile.

“You sure don’t look like you are; you have eyes like a raccoon’s!” Twilight pulled a mirror from the corner with her magic, showing Fluttershy the dark rings surrounding her eyes. “Did you sleep at all last night?”

“Oh, that! Ha ha ha, it’s nothing, really… I just, uhm, had to keep and eye on Angel, yes.” Fluttershy turned away from the mirror. “He got a bit sick during the night, you see…”

“Oh my… It’s nothing serious, I hope?”

“No no no, don’t you worry about him! He is fine now, just fine.” Fluttershy’s eyes looked at everything in the room except Twilight. “Too much carrot, I think.”

“Okay… I suppose that can happen.” Twilight studied her friend whose erratic behaviour only seemed to get worse by the minute. “Anyway, there is something we need to talk about. Just a moment ago, I received two letters from Princess Celestia.”

“Ah-ha...”

“It appears that a village called Damp Town has some problems with which they need some outside assistance. Four ponies have disappeared there during the past week; most likely they are lost in the local forest.” Twilight paused when she noticed that Fluttershy was now chewing her own mane.

“Fluttershy…?”

She dropped the hair from her mouth. “Yes! I’m here!”

“I can see that… What's the matter with you?”

Fluttershy suddenly turned her wide eyes straight to Twilight. The yellow pegasus was sweating slightly. “I’m… worried to hear the news. That’s all.” Her shoulders looked tense enough to make a steel bar appear flexible.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Well, if I were you, I’d consider taking it easier. The Princess expressly warned us in her letter not to let our emotions get the better of us.” Twilight sighed. “Look, I know this may sound scary to you, but the Princess suggested that you would accompany me to Damp Town. Your animal handling skills could come in handy there.”

Fluttershy was looking at the floor again, shuffling her legs aimlessly. Twilight was about to say something when the yellow pegasus began talking, very quietly. “You really think I’ll be useful there? That I can do whatever is asked of me?”

“Absolutely! You can do anything if you put your mind into it.”

Fluttershy flinched and gave a quick glance to Twilight’s compassionate face. It appeared she had come to a decision. “I will come with you, Twilight. I’ll come and… do my best...”

“That’s great, Fluttershy! I’m really proud of you, don’t you think I’m not!”

Tears welled up in Fluttershy’s eyes. “Twilight, I... I’m not–”

Twilight interrupted her friend by wrapping her hooves around her neck. “It’s okay, ‘shy… I know what you’re thinking: Yes, I trust you from the bottom of my heart. We make the best team.”

Twilight didn’t notice Fluttershy biting her own lip as she fought back the words she was about to say. Her eyes were pressed shut to prevent more tears from falling. “Th-thank you, Twilight… That... that means a lot to me… Sorry, I’m being awfully silly...”

“No you’re not,” Twilight said as she detached from her friend. “You’re just being you.”

The corner of Fluttershy’s mouth twitched barely noticeably.

“Anyway,” Twilight continued, “we should talk a bit about the travel preparations, don’t you think?” Fluttershy only nodded in response.

They spent the better part of an hour talking about the most practical way to make it to Damp Town. Fluttershy remained quiet for most of the time, responding with nods, yesses and by smiling awkwardly every now and then. When they were done, Twilight promised to look up some background knowledge about Damp Town from her library. She wished her good night as she closed the door.

When she had gone, one of the shadows in the room began growing again. Fluttershy watched it rise from the floor as it bent into a new shape, and grew wings. She watched it until it watched back at her.

“Hello, Fluttershy,” Luna said.    

“Princess Luna…” Fluttershy kneeled.

“No need for that, now. You did wonderfully, precisely like we knew you would.” Luna tried to make eye contact with the pegasus, but Fluttershy seemed determined to hide her face into her mane. “Don’t you agree?”

“Y-yes, I do…”

“I think you are lying to me, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy’s slacking form was immediately electrified. “No no no! I wouldn’t dare to lie to anypony, I mean, to you!”

Luna smiled a compassionate smile. “And yet you do. There is no need to deny it, I am not angry at you.” Luna made a move closer to Fluttershy, who stood like she was nailed to the spot. “I want you to understand that sometimes, we find it necessary to omit sharing some views we have, even from our dearest friends. It is only natural.”

“Q-quite. Natural...”

Luna took yet another step closer. “The most important thing anypony can do is to be honest to oneself. As long as you know that while you are temporarily required to deny Twilight the access to the grand scheme of things, you only do this because, in the end, it is not really you who is doing the deed, but Celestia.”

Luna circled around Fluttershy, who apparently was trying to hide completely into her mane. “I don’t think I understand your meaning, Princess…”

Luna sighed. “I am not lying to you, Fluttershy. We, Celestia and I, are putting you between a rock and a hard place here. We do so because we trust you, and because the small wrong we commit now will eventually grow into a greater good. Surely that is something you can accept?”

Luna, after having circled Fluttershy completely, stood again in front of her. The pegasus was still looking at her own hooves from the cover of her own mane, but something else had changed in her. For one thing, she wasn’t trembling anymore, nor did she appear unnaturally stiff.

“I can accept that, Princess.”

“I know you can. That is exactly why we chose you for this very important task: Because we trust you.” Luna lifted Fluttershy’s chin with her hoof, and found those bright eyes finally connecting with her own. “For the greater good.”

“For the greater good,” echoed Fluttershy.


                                                ***