At first, it was very dark. It wasn’t night, but it certainly wasn’t day – the lights were neither on nor off, and it was definitely too dark to be underneath a simple blanket or cloth. But rather, it was simply all…empty. It was a black void of complete nothingness…It was entirely bare. Everything…All, was simply gone…But why? Where had it all gone? Why was it gone? Why was black the only color that decided to stay?
And then she saw among the shadowy world a small glimmer of potential light, a single gleam of hope and happiness. She recognized it immediately to be the Crystal Heart, and it was falling at a rapid pace…
It clicked in her mind. The Crystal Heart was falling.
Yes, very swiftly through the darkness did it descend, for it had been dropped. But she did not know why it was dropped, nor why at this rate…But it simply kept falling in an endless downward spiral…No…No, wait. It was a completely straight descend, but the question remained of why? Who had dropped the heart, and much more importantly, who was supposed to be catching it before it shattered upon the ground?..But was there even a ground at all, she wondered? Or would it simply be a forever movement in the black sky?
Then it stopped. Yes, the Crystal Heart had stopped.
Very abruptly in the center of nothingness, it stopped falling and simply hung there without any apparent purpose. Had somepony caught it? There didn’t seem to be anypony around, though. Nopony was holding it. Had it perhaps hit an invisible platform of some kind, then? But…Then why hadn’t it broken into millions of shards on impact? How was it standing so still and straight atop its small pointed bottom? She had expected it to crash and be ruined…
It did not smash at all, confusing her.
All had become silent, she noted. It was quieter than she had ever experienced. It felt lonesome…Or…there was little feeling at all, actually, she realized, and she wasn’t sure what to think. Everything was so strange…so faint…Her mind felt so clouded at that moment, and she could only wonder: What was the meaning of this? How had she gotten there?
She could hear a train in the distance – no, no, not a train. Was it a tornado? Where would it have come from? What was the source of the noise, then? It was like wind, or perhaps a storm…Something dangerous about to ruin what she knew and loved forever…
But then she saw it. The dark wave suddenly rising, somehow visible despite blending perfectly in the blackness as it swallowed the Crystal Heart and replaced loneliness with simple loss and shame. But what was there to lose in the first place? It was all empty, quite truthfully. It was all useless. There was nothing.
It became cold, and she felt the cold, as if she were there. It was very windy, her hair whipping around randomly…She then realized something.
She was the object now falling. Yes, she was falling rapidly, swiftly through the darkness, having been dropped from a great height. Who, she asked, had dropped her? And more importantly, who was supposed to catch her? After all, unlike the heart, her descend was not to be endless.
And she was not going to be caught, what with nopony to catch her.
Yes…She would shatter on the ground.
But was there a ground?
……….
And then there was a tickle on the mare’s nose, awakening her from her deep sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking tiredly at the white bunny rabbit focusing before her. He was small, but he was clearly unhappy that hse was still in bed and not already up and feeding him, and tending to his every other will.
“Oh…Good morning, Angel,” murmured Fluttershy softly, her ear twitching lazily. “I…is it time to get up already?” The rabbit replied by pointing up at the clock across the room, impatiently thumping his foot against the mattress. Fluttershy sighed. “Yes…It does look like it’s time for breakfast,” She agreed, shutting her eyes and letting herself rest back onto her pillow, pulling the covers up to her chin. “Maybe we could sleep in for just a few more minutes, though…”
It was, of course, a very silly thought. She knew Angel well enough to realize he would not rest until she had finished her morning chores…At the very least, the ones involving his needs, though there was work to be done with her other animals as well.
Predictably, as she was just dozing off once more, Angel decided the best course of action was to kick her in the side with his foot, causing her to squeak and wake up more.
“O-okay, okay,…” Fluttershy yawned gently and sat up, rubbing her eye with her hoof and forcing the covers off of herself. She sluggishly climbed out of bed, and stumbled just a bit before she was actually able to balance. Angel was pleased, though, despite how tired she was, and the rabbit hopped over to the doorway to wait for her. She did follow him, but at a slow pace.
What was I just dreaming about? Fluttershy asked herself, going after Angel down the stairs. I can’t really remember…
Having very little time to wonder, the Pegasus hurried to her usual morning chores, taking delicate care in feeding and tending to her animals. She had MANY animals, though, as was quite known, and it took her some time to even finish feeding the ones that had gathered into the cottage. But then there were more to be tended to outside, and those took even longer. She didn’t mind at all, and quite enjoyed every job given to her through her special talent.
The dream forgotten, Fluttershy hummed a gentle tune and trotted out of her cottage, heading to the chicken coop. Her property was quite large, with much space for all her little critter pals, and of course she liked it that way. Some birds decided to sing along with her, too, per the usual routine.
As soon as they heard her shut the wire gate, Fluttershy was swarmed with chickens. “Eat up, little hens,” She cooed, scattering some feed to the hungry birds, who eagerly homed in on each little particle. She noticed her bag of feed was running low, and she figured she’d need to go to the market later to pick more up. Perhaps she’d go after she finished working.
However, her ears flickered to hear a familiar voice. It was female, with a recognizable country accent.
“Howdy, Flutters!” called Applejack, trotting along with a small cart behind her. Fluttershy blinked slowly, and then smiled and waved a hoof. She was very happy to see her friend, naturally.
“Hi, Applejack!” Fluttershy walked out of the chicken pen, making sure to shut it before hurrying to meet Applejack.
“Ah had some extra apples and ah thought you might like some,” Applejack explained as she slowed to a stop beside her Pegasus pal, gesturing back to the wooden cart of fruit.
“That would be wonderful!” Fluttershy gasped gently, lifting her hoof. “Are you sure it’s all right, though? I mean, you could just sell these…”
“A’hm positive,” AJ unhitched herself from the wagon and hopped out of the way, her tail brushing against the side of it. “Ah think we have enough at the farm for right now. Ah figured I’d just try to spread around a little generosity,” She grinned, before adding, “Well, that’s Rarity’s element, but ‘ya get the idea.” The two laughed a bit at this. “Anyhow, y’all are free to keep the cart if you like. We don’t really need as many as we have.”
“Thank you so much, Applejack!” Fluttershy purred, picking up an apple and admiring it. “Oh, they look delicious.”
“No problem. Well, ah best get myself back to the farm. Ah got my own work to do, and ah’m sure y’all have got yours!” Applejack tipped her hat and started off. Fluttershy waved goodbye to her dear friend. She finished off feeding her animals outside, and then brought the cart into the house and placed the apples into her fruit basket for later use.
But, she did take one apple for a light breakfast. Although she tried not to eat too much before her chores were done, she couldn’t resist. Applejack’s apples were always the best you could find in this part of Equestria, and they were always the absolute most enjoyable when fresh. She took a single, delicate bite.
“Mmh~”
Swallowing, she looked up to the clock to see that it was nearly nine. She wasn’t sure when she’d woken up, exactly, but it felt like she hadn’t been up very long…Then again, she WAS accustomed to everything in the normal routine, and it probably just seemed to go by fast to her.
Fluttershy’s dream from the night before had been all but forgotten, and she sighed lightly, walking to a window and pushing it open. “Maybe I’ll go on a picnic today,” She mused, “It seems nice enough out, and I don’t remember hearing any reports of bad weather…” She smiled a little to herself. “Yes, I think I like that idea.”
As the morning passed by without much interruption, Fluttershy took her planned quick trip to the market just to get some things for the picnic, organic chicken feed, and just in general some groceries. When she got back, Angel and her quickly but carefully gathered some things together.
“I think that’s everything we’ll need, Angel,” Fluttershy stated happily to her friend, taking a peek into their picnic basket as a final check for what they’d want to be sure to have. “Since it’s just you and me, I’m not really sure we need too much,” She added, “So I only packed the necessities…Food, some plates and cups…”
She blinked, remembering something. “Oh! I almost forgot!” The mare quickly trotted from the room, only to return shortly carrying in her mouth a folded-up, traditional white-and-red checkered quilt. She proceeded to gently tuck it into the basket and smiled, satisfied. “Silly me…Now I think we’re ready.”
In reply Angel shook his head, confusing Fluttershy. She tilted her head. “No? What are we missing?”
Apparently, the rabbit had something to add to their stock as well. Angel scurried out, and returned carrying a rather big carrot. He stuffed it into the picnic basket and looked to Fluttershy with a nod, telling her that they were finally set. The mare gave a gentle giggle, and shut the basket with her hoof.
She then attached the basket to a strap to put around herself, so that she would be able to carry it just like a saddlebag. A few birds helped her out with putting it on, and she thanked them kindly, to which they replied with simple, sweet chirps. And with that, Fluttershy and Angel departed. She headed from her cottage and through the outer parts of Ponyville, deciding that she would have their picnic somewhere around there.
As Fluttershy had noted earlier, it was indeed very nice out, and it was obvious why spring was her favorite season. She took some time to smell flowers and greet the wildlife on her way, but Angel made sure they weren’t delayed longer than was necessary. The temperature was also comfortable, she found; a bit warm, but not unbearably so, and with just enough breeze to make it all work perfectly.
“Hmm…I wonder where we could sit…” Fluttershy mumbled, thinking aloud. Ideally, she’d like it to be out of the way of other ponies – somewhere quiet and relaxing, just so that they could sit back and relax a little after their busy morning of chores and shopping. “Oh! I know just the place,” She smiled, remembering a more special, peaceful spot around this area. Angel followed her to said spot, rather curious.
It turned out to be a well-shaded, comfy clearing between some trees and bushes, with some common flowers scattered across the grass. And, it was out of the way and it was certainly peaceful, fitting the bill. So, she took the basket off of herself and opened it, and with Angel’s help she began to take things out and set them up.
First off, of course, was the blanket, which they spread out very evenly and smooth considering it was on uneven blades of grass. Next, they took out the food – it was mainly fruits (including a few of the apples which Applejack had brought earlier) and a few sweets she’d been given by Pinkie Pie. For a drink, they had some pink lemonade and plastic cups, and naturally straws.
“There…” Already, Fluttershy was feeling much less stressed while in this quiet little spot. She sighed gently and settled herself down comfortably on the quilt, carefully pouring herself a glass of lemonade, popping a straw in, and taking a sip.
However, things then took a much stranger turn than she’d planned. Out of nowhere, Fluttershy blinked slowly and looked around briefly. “Angel, did you hear something?” She asked, sounding a little concerned, her ears perked up.
The rabbit shook his head, sitting down beside her with his carrot. Fluttershy blinked again, puzzled. “Oh…I suppose it was my imagination, then…I thought I heard somepony talking.”
Angel shrugged it off and took a big chomp out of the tip of his carrot, and Fluttershy relaxed again. No doubt, she’d probably just heard the wind in the trees, she decided. The mare took an apple and took a bite out of it, only to hear the same noise. She ignored it this time around, but it kept happening for some reason…
The voice…No, voices…The voices seemed to be very whispery and almost creepy. It was more than a little nerve-wracking…How strange, and oddly random at that.
Finally, Fluttershy stood. “H…hello…?” She called gently, “Is somepony there?” She waited a few moments, but there was no response. But she was positive that she’d heard somepony talking. She glanced down at the lemonade – perhaps there was something in it? It DID seem to start after she took a drink of it…
No, she told herself, there WAS somepony there. They were talking. And this time, when she heard the mysterious voices, she swallowed her fear and was brave, following it. She didn’t have to go very far, however, before they became much louder. The mare looked around, baffled, but found nothing. She’d only walked a few feet out of the little clearing…
Angel looked up, realizing his caretaker was still concerned about whatever it was she’d heard. But even he, an animal, was not hearing a thing. He shook his head. They’d honestly JUST sat down to relax, and now she was turning paranoid. Great – absolutely splendid
Then, he did notice something on the ground beside Fluttershy. He blinked, then, curious, he put down his carrot and hopped on over. And he pointed it out to Fluttershy…
Who recognized it as a horn.
The mare blinked several times. “Hm? What’s this doing out here?” She tilted her head, stepping back from it a little and placing a hoof on her chin in thought. “D..did somepony lose it, I wonder?” Though she couldn’t exactly pinpoint how one would “lose” a horn…Perhaps someone who collected them?
After a moments’ hesitation, she leaned in for a closer examination. Was this what those “voices” were trying to draw her to? Where did they come from? And why?
She admitted, though, that it was a very strange-looking horn. It almost seemed like a unicorn’s, but it was slightly curved and seemed to gradient from grey to red…And its aura alone felt very dark, and almost…evil..? But…It also felt rather familiar…She could not seem to place her hoof on it, exactly.
“Why do I feel like I’ve seen this before?” She murmured aloud, confused…Though the longer she looked at it…
Angel glanced at the horn once, then crossed his arms and turned his nose up. He was clearly unimpressed with the silly thing, whatever it was.
But Fluttershy suddenly realized where she’d seen it. It had only been in her view from a distance, radiating nothing but dark magic and shadow from the top of a certain wicked unicorn tyrant’s head, causing misery for everypony in the Crystal Empire – especially for those who tried to protect it…
It was, in fact, the horn of King Sombra.
Fluttershy immediately gave what could be best described as half of a scream, as she fell backwards clumsily in surprise. She quickly scrambled to her feet and dove behind some bushes, though her tail was still visible.
Naturally, the mare expected the worse – King Sombra suddenly bursting out from the horn, killing her and swallowing Ponyville and the rest of Equestria in eternal darkness, the enslavement of milliosn of ponies, the DEATHS of millions of ponies…She almost convinced herself for a moment that she heard screaming. But none of that happened at all. Instead, the horn lay there lifeless and dead, though she still did not come out of her hiding.
Angel was incredibly unamused, as one would expect. The bunny waited for Fluttershy’s little moment to break down, and it finally eventually did. The mare peeked up over the bush, her ears flat against her mane and her eyes wide. When she tried to open her mouth, all that came out was a pathetic squeak of fear.
But still, nothing she feared was happening. Instead, she was acting like a scaredy-cat over what seemed to be absolutely nothing. And it took her a few minutes, but this did finally occur to her. Slowly, she crept out from the bush.
The horn remained completely motionless, and she sighed with relief. Perhaps it was just what it looked lke – a shard of King Sombra’s broken form, without any power whatsoever. Still, she thought, maybe it’d be wise to hand it to the princesses, who might know better what to do with it. It was a piece of a dangerous villain after all, whether the shard itself was dangerous or not, and it would needed to be handled by professionals.
Thankfully, Angel was brave enough to pick up the horn and brought it over to Fluttershy, showing her that it was safe to touch and carry.
“Maybe after we finish our picnic,” Fluttershy said softly, “We should take this to Twilight…”
----
Darkness…She was back in that eternal darkness again…
Why? Why was she always, ALWAYS sent back to this black void of absolute nothingness. She did not understand – just as she never understood. And it always happened the same exact way each time. She would watch the Crystal Heart fall, and it would stop, only to be swallowed by shadows. Then, she would be falling and wake up before she hit the ground…
And finally, she would forget the dream almost immediately.
What was the point of it all, then? What significance did this repeating scene even hold? Was she supposed to be learning something, and if so, what good was it to learn something if she never, ever remembered it upon waking up? If something were to change – if something were to happen a little differently in the sequence – how could she possibly know? She would not notice, because she would forget it all before she could even acknowledge the difference…And if she was unable to even acknowledge the original scene, then…?
But as of that time in the blackness, something did change, and there was a slight difference this time. Again, the crystal heart fell in its seemingly endless descend, it paused within midair, and was swallowed by the storm of dark matter…But this time, as she fell…All that she could hear was screaming and crying. At first she thought that they were her screams, but she soon realized they were from her friends. Normally, she was made to feel lonely in this dream – but here she felt nothing but guilt and shame…
Suddenly, all she could see were images of her friends being hurt because of her mistake. She was falling, but she saw these awful pictures over and over again, and she felt as if there were no end to it.
This time…This time, she felt nothing but hurt. She felt as if she’d commited a horrible crime…But eventually, the images did stop flashing before her, and it was back to blackness…Her time here was never this long…
And abruptly, she was then yanked back to her own body. Her real body.
Fluttershy’s eyes seemed to burn as she opened them, her ears slowly perking up, having been drooped previously. Coming back to a more conscious state, the mare realized that several of her animals were gathered around her, staring in extreme concern. Included was her dear Angel Bunny, who was right beside her then. The mare blinked a few times, very confused.
“Hmm…?” She slowly lifted her head, feeling very tired for some reason. “What’s going on?” She asked the question gently, but regularly, clearly showing the animals that she was not hurt or upset. Why were they all looking at her like this?
Fluttershy lifted her hoof and began to rub her eye, only to stop as she realized they felt damp. As did one of the sofa’s pillows, she realized – the very pillow she’d just been using. “W…was I crying?” The Pegasus was obviously puzzled, and so were all of her animals. She shook her head, pushing her mane out of her face, but it was then that she caught sight of King Sombra’s horn. It rested lifelessly right next to her hind leg at the very edge of the couch. She became even more puzzled, certain that she had left It in the picnic basket.
Yes, that’s right, she thought…She’d planned on bringing it to Twilight right awa,y but had decided to take Angel home first. And then she fell asleep on her loveseat…But why was it suddenly beside her? And why was it that she had apparently been crying in her sleep? A nightmare, maybe? But…why didn’t she remember anything about it?
A small explanation DID briefly pass through her mind, but she chose to push it from her mind. It was the idea that Twilight had once said that Sombra had nightmare doors, which showed ponies their greatest fears…He probably had the ability himself, so perhaps the power still belonged in his horn…?
But once again, she chose to ignore such an explanation. She’d already come to the conclusion that the horn was harmless, after all…Why put needless fear back into her mind? The mare sighed gently and looked out the window, wiping her eyes more.
It appeared that she’d slept quite a while – it was now ten at night. She would need to get to work on tucking in her animals right away, she realized, and that’s exactly what she did…Except for the bats and other nocturnal creatures, who she actually got to work waking up.
Probably out of the fact that Fluttershy had apparently been upset for whatever reason, Angel for once put up little fight about his bedtime, quickly zonking out. But what about her? No doubt, she’d most likely not be able to go to bed after throwing her sleep schedule off like that…Maybe she’d just read in bed for a little while. The mare finished her nightly duties, shut off the lights for most of the cottage, and trotted upstairs as quietly as she could. She also made sure to put King Sombra’s horn into the basket again.
Fluttershy quietly looked through her selection of books. She was not Twilight, however, nor did she actually find much time to read, so her “selection” was really only about three books, counting her small cookbook of mismatch recipes. The other two were a bad romance novel and an adventure story she never got to finish. Maybe, she thought, she’d ought to borrow some books from twilight sometime. For the time being, she chose the romance novel, believing she should probably try to relax again.
The mare picked up the book in her mouth and walked over to her bed, climbing in and getting snuggly beneath the covers. She then opened her book and began to read. “Chapter One: Meeting,” She read softly to herself, quoting the words. It was, again, a bad story. It was overly cliché and a tad boring, but Fluttershy enjoyed it because she found it strangely sweet.
… Some time passed, and Fluttershy yawned quietly, finally feeling slightly tired again as the clock hit one in the morning. Slowly, the mare shut her book and placed it onto the nightstand. And then she noticed it.
Sombra’s horn…It had once again appeared, this time right on her stand. Her eyes widened. “H…huh…? But I…” She’d definitely put the horn in the picnic basket before she’d come upstairs…But it was definitely right here.
H…had it…moved? No, no, that was impossible, she told herself. It was powerless – how could it have moved all on its own? Fluttershy blinked a few times at it, and she shook her head, rubbing her eyes with her hooves…But every time that she looked, the horn was still there. So she wasn’t imagining it….
The Pegasus hesitated. Slowly, she reached out her right hoof, gently tapping the horn…But nothing happened, relieving her slightly. But she was still more than a little frightened at the concept that it could be moving around on its own…following her…
Fluttershy bit her bottom lip apprehensively. She slowly moved out of her bed, planning on taking the horn back downstairs and testing to see if it “Followed” her again. That’s what she did, picking up the horn in her mouth and quietly going back downstairs. She’d have t be very careful not to wake up any of her animals, however…
Back in the main room, she delicately placed the horn on the loveseat. She waited a moment, staring at it, but it remained motionless. Next, she took a few steps back, and it still did nothing. But as she turned…She made her mistake.
Unable to see properly in the dark, Fluttershy accidently got her hind hoof caught on one of the couch’s legs, causing her to trip. She squealed, hitting the ground with a thud. She heard some rustling of the birds in their houses not far away, and silently cursed herself for being so clumsy…But then she realized that not only had she fallen, she had knocked the horn off of the cushion and onto the floor.
Perhaps it was the sudden jolt, the abrupt impact with the wood ground, but something caused the dormant horn to awaken. Again, it was dark, but the horn began to glow, lighting up the room with a purplish, greenish glow, as what seemed to be black matter or shadows poured form the tip. Fluttershy’s eyes widened, her heart racing rapidly as she shifted onto her flank. Oh no, oh no, oh no, what had she done?!
She found herself unable to run – or even stand for that matter, staring in complete horror. The shadowy substance began to form something. It was the shape of a stallion, and as the shadow vaporized from certain areas of the figure to be replaced by flesh, she realized it was literally creating somepony…Or rather, recreating him.
King Sombra.
Fluttershy’s heart beat faster than it ever had, with the realization that all of her fears were about to become a reality. She DID bring back King Sombra, and he WAS going to hurt everypony, and it WAS going to be all her fault…She still couldn’t find the strength to move, however, her body literally shaking with fear.
The evil unicorn gave a sound that was best described as a mixture between a snarl and a groan of pain…But suddenly the glow of the horn ceased and the object disappeared. The room was thrown back into the dark of night, and Fluttershy heard a loud thud beside her. The mare did not dare move for a few minutes, at least…But realizing something was different, she shakily got to her hooves and, after a long hesitation, turned on a light.
King Sombra had, indeed, returned. But he wasn’t going to be hurting anypony anytime soon, and Fluttershy could easily tell that much – for the ex-tyrant had collapsed on the floor, apparently as lifeless as his horn has seemed.
Fluttershy gazed in confusion and horror, and did not take a chance to move for any course of action, including fleeing. She was able, now, to see a closer examination of the unicorn’s body…And she now realized that his defeat had done far more than simply destroy his power…It had also destroyed him.
He was breathing, she saw, but only just. His chest rose briefly, shakily, and would fall, his ribcage pressing against what layers of skin he had been able to keep. His hair, once flowing and wonderful, not lay flat against his back and the floor, with several long locks of his hanging over what she could see of his face.
And suddenly, her fear ceased. He wasn’t going to be hurting her…At least not yet. But he was definitely hurt, and badly…He might’ve been a cruel, horrible pony…But he was also just that – a pony, just like her.
The mare jumped into action. She was smaller than the previous king, but she managed to somehow dig her head beneath his body, lifting him onto her back for a moment so that she could very carefully manage to rest him onto her loveseat. She hurried out, and returned with a thin blanket which she laid out across his form.
Fluttershy could attempt to hear him say something, or at the very least growl at her, but it was weak, and it was barely audible. “Shush,” She spoke gently, apparently surprising him as his body tensed. She paused, not really knowing what to say. “Y…you’re, um…Weak…Y-you should save your strength…” At these words, his shape seemed to relax, as Fluttershy sighed gently with relief.
Fluttershy wasn’t exactly sure why she’d suddenly lost most of her fear of King Sombra. Likely, it was her motherly and caring nature coming into play. Her Element of Kindness would not allow her to just sit and watch him suffer.
And it was that Element of Kindness which saved the fallen ruler, as she had the feeling he would’ve not lasted very long without attention. And so the mare just stayed beside the king for a few hours, unsure of what to do next. She simply watched him rest, his body tensing up every so often and then relaxing when she would speak soothingly to him. She wasn’t especially certain he was actually conscious enough to hear her, but as it seemed to help…In his state, it was best that he not be stressed.
Eventually, Fluttershy realized it had become morning, occurring to her the fact that she’d been up all night. And yet she didn’t feel sleepy in the slightest, maybe because she knew she was needed and she didn’t dare let tiredness disrupt her caretaking. Still, once her animals began to awaken, she did need to leave his side in order to care for them as she did every morning. But while she did do things delicately, she also rushed a little, hoping to be back before he might wake up.
…..
….
He didn’t understand…Why did that voice sooth him as it did? Yes, whenever he would return to a possibly, halfway-conscious state of mind, there would be an angelic voice speaking kind words to him, telling him to rest, to relax. But why? Where was he, exactly? After the defeat…It had simply become black. But now, after what felt like an eternity of emptiness, he was able to catch glimpses of the real world on the occasions he just barely awoke.
He was not dead. He knew that much…But not much else.
Occasionally, he would awaken to the soft voice singing sweetly…He could never make out words, but he could hear her beautiful tone…
….
……..
Fluttershy’s problems were very far from over, she knew, and quite truthfully – she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. Here it was…She had found King Sombra’s broken-off horn...She’d been ridiculously silly and taken it home, and she’s accidently released him. But more than that, she was now…well…helping him! How was she even going to do this? What was she planning on doing in the first place, exactly? There was no doubt in her mind that the moment he fully awoke, he would try to harm her…Or even likely attempt to kill her.
She had been so stupid! She should have taken the horn straight to Twilight Sparkle. But why hadn’t she? Why had she insisted on returning home first, only to fall asleep? If she had gone to Twilight, he wouldn’t be lying on her loveseat right now.
She could not deny, as helpless as he might seem as he rested, that this was King Sombra – the tyrant dictator who enslaved an entire civilization, who worked through dark magic and by causing pain to others. What if she’d been unlucky and he really did come back at full power? What would she have done, then? And what, exactly, did she expect to happen now? Was she just hoping against hope that he didn’t hurt her and everypony else? What was the point of helping him, only to have him return to his full, evil self? Maybe she was the Element of Kindness, but she honestly felt a bit foolish and unprepared.
…So why, despite all this, was Fluttershy still lying there, tending to his health as if he were a friend? Her animals, however, avoided the area of the cottage Fluttershy and Sombra were in. They were afraid of him, as she should’ve been…She was afraid, yes, but she was concerned as well. She’d even assisted him in drinking some water upon realizing he was dehydrated. Of course it took some work—He was not keen on being assisted by her, it seemed, even if he wasn’t 100% conscious. But after some gentle coaxing and kind convincing, he managed to drink it, before he apparently blacked out again.
Fluttershy gently dabbed at his forehead with a cloth, trying to keep his temperature stable. She felt a gentle tugging on her wing, and looked down to see Angel there. He was the first of her animals to even dare approach, and he didn’t look too happy about Sombra’s presence. The rabbit shook his head, telling Fluttershy that she shouldn’t try to care for him…
Fluttershy frowned. “I’m sorry, Angel,” She murmured softly, turning back to Sombra. And as she looked back at him, another thought occurred to her. What was she supposed to do when her friends found out about this? Whether it was when he showed up to kill them, or if they happened to show up right now, she’d be in trouble…And most likely, so would they.
Slowly, Fluttershy stood and walked over to a window. She quietly pushed open the shutters, looking out onto her property and frowning, figuring it would probably all be gone and destroyed before she knew it. In this situation, it looked like no matter what path she took, she would end up losing…And she certainly wasn’t going to just stop treating him and leave him to…you know…
She stared for a bit, just lost in thought, before she gave another sigh and returned to Sombra’s side.
Fluttershy watched the broken king sleep. He actually looked a bit…peaceful, like this, resting calmly with his mouth just barely open in order to help him breathe better. But at the same time she realized this could not last…Soon enough, he would return to the monster he was…He would destroy her, her friends, the princesses, he would enslave everypony, he would retrake Equestria in an iron hoof of shadowy power and he would…
The mare blinked slowly.
No…No, he wasn’t like that, she quickly realized. Nopony was entirely evil, as she knew best. He was little more than a troubled stallion who’d taken the wrong paths in life…And while maybe he wasn’t completely “Misunderstood,” he was certainly no monster.
Fluttershy paused, slowly reaching out her hoof and placing it against his temple. But he didn’t tense as he had in the past, simply letting her touch him. While not necessarily “Trust” or anything of the sort, it apparently showed that he did understand she was not going to hurt him. She carefully brushed her hoof through his mane, which was a bit drenched by sweat at this point and yet as glorious as ever…It was kind of strange how he managed to keep it so nice, despite everything. Her mane certainly wasn’t like that…And for the first time, it occurred to her that he actually had ears. They were just a little hidden beneath his hair when he had his crown on.
“You’re not evil,” Fluttershy murmured very softly, “You’re just…misguided…” And it was then that an idea occurred to her.
Not too long ago, Princess Celestia herself has entrusted her with the important responsibility of reforming a draconequus, Discord, to use his powers for good. She had succeeded, and become known as Discord’s only real friend. Though while he was still mischievious, it was mostly just harmless pranks and jokes he pulled, and he limited himself.
But…if she had been successful in reforming a God of Chaos…Then would it be possible for her to reform an evil king? And possibly become his friend, as she had with Discord?
At first, her spirits lifted at this theory, but soon came crashing down. Her friends would never, ever approve. They didn’t agree with Discord, and they only went along with it because it was Princess Celestia’s order…And even then, they didn’t want to do it.
Celestia at least had a reason for reforming discord. But if she simply came along with somepony like King Sombra, out of nowhere, asking to reform him…Would anypony agree with it? And it would put all the pressure on her to do it. And if she didn’t…
The mare’s ears drooped. Maybe she was just being silly…Perhaps it would’ve been best if she’d just taken the horn to Twilight initially, and that would have been it…But, she thought, then he wouldn’t have gotten a second chance at anything. He would just be locked away again, or possibly destroyed…Her ears drooped at the thought.
Why did she have to be drawn to the horn in the first place? She never did find out where those voices had come from…And, now that she thought about it…How long had the horn been lying there? Had nopony actually seen it? And wasn’t the Crystal Empire pretty far? It didn’t seem like even that blast would send it this far…If somepony was trying to lead her to this, then they’d probably chosen the wrong pony for the job…
Fluttershy found herself getting a headache from all this thinking, and she silently settled down on the floor beside the sofa and closed her eyes. Maybe she’d just take a nap……..
…..
And suddenly, he was conscious, his eyes slowly opening. He attempted to speak, possibly to ask something along the lines of “What happened?” or “Where am I?” However, all that came out was a low, weak breath. His surroundings were extremely fuzzy, and upon focusing after some time, he was baffled as to what his location could possibly be. It appeared to be a cottage of some sort, he noted, blinking a few times. He was resting on his side, and found that he could only really lift his head to begin with.
This was not the Crystal Empire. This was not even a dungeon. Surely upon his defeat, he’d been locked away somewhere…What was going on, exactly? And why couldn’t he move? Though the last question was answered as his body tensed in pain. It occurred to him that almost every place on his body was in agony in one way or another. The ex-tyrant growled, shutting his eyes and forcing himself to sit up a little.
It hurt a lot to move…But he didn’t care…He needed to get out of here…Wherever “here” might be.
Somehow, he managed to slide off of the loveseat and onto his hooves. His legs shook beneath his weight, and he had barely taken one step before collapsing once more, his breathing becoming extremely heavy. Even such a simple action had taken all of his strength, apparently…
He heard a voice, and he realized there was a mare suddenly beside him. His fall had awoken her, it seemed, from her sleep on the floor. She gasped softly—it seemed to be a mixture of surprise and fear, but mostly the first.
“O-oh!” Fluttershy leapt up, taking a single step back. This was it. Sombra was awake.. And he was going to kill her right now, she was certain. But as the tyrant tried to stand, while she squeaked and retreated back further, he immediately fell right back onto the floor the very instant he got any weight onto his hooves. He panted slowly, shutting his eyes and trying to move…But again, he couldn’t. He couldn’t do anything, it seemed.
Fluttershy realized this…But it still took a few moments for her to get back into her motherly mode. Once she did, she took a deep breath and helped Sombra onto the loveseat again. “P-please don’t try to stand, um, Mr. Sombra, sir…” The mare spoke gently again. He growled at her, but that was all he could manage. She carefully pulled the blanket back over his body. “Y-you’re hurt…A-and, um, y-you need to rest…”
There was a single purple spark from the tip of his horn, before his body suddenly became limp and he dozed back into unconsciousness. Fluttershy blinked, before sighing lightly in relief that he hadn’t hurt her. And now that she’d seen just how weak he was right now, she definitely could not stand by and let him suffer. She bit her lip.
Maybe at some point she’d reconsider that “reforming” business…
Maybe…
She supposed only time would be able to tell.
A few days passed, but not much changed. Fluttershy’s animals all kept their distance from Sombra and the area around him, still, so that made feeding and caring for some of them a little difficult, but otherwise she managed to do her daily routines pretty normally…It’s just that she spent a lot of time at Sombra’s side, making sure he was okay. For a point in each day, however, Sombra would wake up at least once, long enough for him to once again try and leave, but he’d always end up right back unconscious where he’d began.
Finally, after almost a week, Sombra did not try to get away or anything similar. While his body’s strength was returning very slowly, his mind was coming back quicker, and he soon decided he would not be getting anywhere right now, no matter how hard he tried and no matter how much he wanted to.
Fluttershy was once again wiping Sombra’s forehead of sweat when he came to again. Upon seeing him stir, she squeaked softly and pulled away, as every time he awoke she was afraid it would be then that he had enough power to harm her.
But instead, he simply lay there. He gazed at her long enough to get a better look at her face, before he closed his eyes. He didn’t black out, though. Surprised, Fluttershy bit her lip. “Um…” How would a pony go about talking to somepony like Sombra? “A…are you feeling okay, Mr. Sombra…?”
Sombra didn’t reply, simply listening to her. He wouldn’t waste energy trying to speak unless she had something of interest to say. Fluttershy averted her eyes, looking around for something to possibly talk about. “Umm…M-my name’s…F-Fluttershy…” She wasn’t completely certain if he was conscious or if he had slipped out again. “…I…um…f-found your horn, and, um…” This was not really going well as a first meeting with the villain.
Though, hearing she’d found his horn, he did open his eyes again. The tyrant opened his mouth a bit, as if about to attempt talking, but all that came out was a low rumble in this throat. It was somewhat of a growl, and yet seemed to come more from his vocals. “Y-you don’t have to say anything,” Fluttershy said quickly, but softly, “Y…you should, um, just rest…” She didn’t want him to use more strength than he needed to right now.
Sombra slowly closed his eyes once more. It was not really clear what he was thinking, but Fluttershy was happy enough that he’d…somewhat communicated with her. It was a good sign for his recovery, in any case…
Though, she thought, this was when he couldn’t do much anyway. Perhaps she was judging too soon…
….
As it was, Fluttershy WAS judging things a little too soon. Sombra was only enduring her motherly treatment for the mere, single fact that it benefited him to have somepony assist with his recovery. As soon as his magic returned, he already had in mind that he would rid of the silly mare and figure out what to do from that point…Though, first, he had to figure out exactly where he was. Even after all his time spent at the cottage, he wasn’t sure where it was…
And how had he gotten here…? For the last thing Sombra remembered, was the image of a blast of the Crystal Heart’s energy shattering his body into thousands of pieces.
The Crystal Heart…
The Crystal Empire…If anything, he could absolutely see he was nowhere near neither the Empire, nor the Heart…nor his slaves, nor his rightful throne…Instead, he lay here; broken and pathetic, and feeding off of the help of some silly Pegasus in a house that smelled of disgusting stray animals.
Though most of the time his unconscious state consisted of only black emptiness, Sombra was often able to think within the voice. But all he would think about were the wretches who had shamed and banished him so long ago. More than ashamed, though, he was simply angry. Furious, even…How could they sit upon their thrones, viewed as beautiful and wise, when their reign was just as twisted as his own had been? It was because of the masks they wore – it was because they painted themselves with the images of kindness and friendship, when in reality both ideas were false…Completely, utterly false…
But Sombra didn’t need ponies to admire him, as the princesses did. He only required their obedience…
Yes…And as soon as he returned – which he would – then they would all suffer…They would all d—
“M-Mr. Sombra…?”
He was yanked directly from his hateful slumber by the voice again, which was a tone that became increasingly irritating the more he heard it. Normally, she let him be, but she’d apparently purposely awoken him now. Slowly, his eyes opened, his anger slipping away only slightly. The mare was beside him, as she usually was, and she looked rather concerned.
“Um…A-Are you all right?” Her voice was even gentler than usual…caring, almost. “Y-you looked like you were having a nightmare…or something…” She frowned. Sombra’s ear twitched a bit, and he could only assume his frustration had been physically visible to her in some way…Most likely expression.
“…No…”
Fluttershy’s ears flickered at the deep tone she realized was him, and she blinked. It had been a mumble, but he’d definitely just spoken…It was a good sign for his recovery, even though the idea that he WAS recovering admittedly made Fluttershy more than a little anxious. “O..oh…” Her ears drooped. “I…I’m sorry for disturbing you, then.”
Sombra exhaled. It wasn’t really a sigh, but more of a deep breath, as he lifted his head and shifted so he laid on his chest. He lifted his head to a normal height.
“O-oh, m-maybe you shouldn’t…” Fluttershy began, worried that he would collapse again…But to her surprise, he did not directly show any signs of pain at these movements. She didn’t remember it then, but Sombra’s strength did rely on hate and fear. His simple moment of anger within his subconscious had given him a little energy…Though it wasn’t necessarily that simple, he could gain a little bit of a recovery boost through it.
Sombra breathed out again, shutting is eyes. Cearly, it’d still taken him much energy to move like this. Fluttershy watched him with apprehension, somewhat hoping he wasn’t able to move any further than that…
“D…d-do you feel okay?” The mare asked gently, not sure how his body had handled it. Again, he took a moment to reply, and when he did speak it was again a barely audible mumble, but he did answer.
“…Yes…”
“O-oh…” Fluttershy’s ears drooped…This was a very sudden change in his health status, and to be frank Fluttershy was not 100% sure she was happy about it…Not exactly how it’d happened.
But she knew she’d need to come to terms now with the fact that he WAS getting better, and that she was quickly running out of time to figure out a plan. She’d have to tell somepony about the situation…But who could she trust with a secret like this? Or, she thought, should she not keep it a secret at all and just tell everypony?
It had been silly, of course, to think that he’d remain harmless for long. He probably wasn’t enjoying being cared for like this…He probably wanted to get out of this as soon as he possibly could. And despite the fact that she had personally decided he was not “Evil,” it was likely HE thought he was evil, and it’d be very possible he’d try to keep that image.
But even so, after seeing how peaceful he could actually be in his slumber, occasionally Fluttershy would have to remind herself of what he’d done in the past, and convince herself that he was dangerous in one way or another…Maybe he was just a misguided stallion, and maybe he was just a little misunderstood…But he still wasn’t very nice. And yet as she cared for him, she had foolishly begun pushing the idea of him attacking her to the back of her mind, at least for the time being. It wasn’t that she was becoming less afraid of him, but…She was getting more comfortable – she was accidentally starting to let her guard down, when no doubt she should have been putting it up instead.
Then, there was a loud growl from Sombra, startling Fluttershy…But it was from his gut, and not his vocals. He winced only slightly, seemingly getting a twinge of pain from his empty stomach. Fluttershy realized he hadn’t likely eaten anything since he reformed…No…He hadn’t eaten anything for more than a thousand years, considering that as soon as he’d returned he’d been defeated immediately.
Though Fluttershy didn’t truly have much in her cottage food-wise right now, since she had not managed to go to the market for over a week. And with so many animals, most of her supplies went towards feeding them…But she did remember she probably had an apple or two left from the batch AJ had given her. It might be a bit draining for himto eat anything that involved biting or chewing, but she didn’t think she had much else that ponies ate as opposed to animals.
“I-I’ll be right back,” The mare trotted to the other side of the room, reaching her head into her fruit bin and taking out the nicest looking apple from the remaining ones. Then, she hurried back to Sombra’s side. The tyrant looked over as she approached, watching skeptically while she carefully placed the apple on the cushion, right in front of him. “Um, y-you sounded like you were hungry…” She explained gently, “I-I know you haven’t, um, eaten anything for a long time, so…”
Sombra’s eyes trailed down from her, to the apple, and he blinked. Would it be wise, he had to question, to take food from this mare? She seemed harmless enough, but still…Acts could be deceiving, he knew. The ex-king lowered his head, sniffing the apple. It did not smell exactly like poison, though there were plenty of kinds of poisons in Equestria, including scentless ones.
Fluttershy waited nervously, hoping he would accept the apple…Just to put a little something in his stomach so that he wouldn’t starve…In fact, she had to admit it was kind of amazing he’d lasted this long, as she was under the impression most ponies couldn’t go so far without food or water.
Finally, Sombra took a bite of the apple. It tasted fine…And actually pretty good…It was the first thing he’d eaten in such a very long time...
The Pegasus watched him eat, feeling a bit relieved. “I-I’m , um, very sorry that there’s not much else for you to have…I’ll try to go to the market later…” She murmured softly. She did notice, as he ate, that he had fangs…She hadn’t really noticed them before.
The dark stallion finished the apple quickly. Then, he took a deep breath and pushed the core off of the cushion and onto the floor with a light thud, allowing him to lie back down. Fluttershy picked up the core in her mouth, quietly trotting over to a wastebasket and tossing it in. She glanced back at Sombra, biting her tongue.
The mare realized another problem with keeping Sombra…She couldn’t exactly trust him to be here all by himself. It wasn’t safe for her, nor him, nor her house and animals. But she hadn’t really left the house in over an entire week, and she’d need to go to the market and run other errands sometime very soon…Not to mention, if she decided to keep this to herself, it might get more than a little suspicious to her friends to be cooped up inside all day without contacting them.
Fluttershy decided that the next time he was asleep, that she’d make a very, very short run to the marketplace, pick up a few small things, and hurry back as soon as she could…It seemed to be the only thing she could do right now.
Later on, Flutteshy was silently putting some gold bits into a basket she could use for shopping. She glanced over at Sombra, who she assumed by now had fallen back asleep. “I’ll be back very soon,” She murmured, even if he couldn’t hear her anyway. She’d make this an extremely fast trip. The mare was as quiet as possible as she left, making sure to shut the front door behind her.
And with that, she trotted off in the direction of Ponyville…Though of course, Sombra hadn’t actually gone back to sleep.
As soon as Fluttershy left, Sombra slowly and carefully sat up again, taking a look around the cottage once more. It was a somewhat large room, and there were little birdhouses around as well as other cages…This mare definitely liked animals from what he’d managed to gather so far.
The stallion wasn’t sure specifically how much his body would be able to handle right now, but he wouldn’t know unless he tried. He slowly climbed off the seat, his legs shaking beneath him…But while he was standing longer than his previous attemps, he still did fall down. Slowly sitting up, Sombra growled at himself and rested back onto his flank…He knew that he shouldn’t overwork his body too much…
Sombra turned his head, glancing around and looking for anything that might give him a hint to his location…But nothing stood out, except for the picture he suddenly noticed sitting on the table beside where he’d been lying this entire time. It was a simple, friendly picture – a collection of friends, it seemed like. On the wooden frame were engraved the words “Friendship is Magic.” The term made Sombra gag, sticking out his tongue in disgust.
And yet the ponies within this photo seemed familiar.
He definitely recognized the mare, “Fluttershy”…There was also an orange cowgirl, a white unicorn with a beautifully designed mane, a pink party pony, some blue rainbow-maned Pegasus that looked a bit full of herself…But then, as his eyes fell upon the pony in the center of the picture, he felt inclined to crush the photo entirely. But he didn’t, just staring at the purple mare. That was definitely one of the ponies he’d recognized from his defeat at the Crystal Empire…In fact, now that he thought about it, he recognized all of them.
They were all working with and for Princess Celestia. Meaning, of course, that they were all his enemies…But then why was Fluttershy helping him? Was this some sort of trap? Did she plan on turning him in to the princesses? If so, why was she letting him regain strength? None of the situation was making much sense to Sombra, but he certainly didn't want to stick around any longer, regardless of what the case was.
The ex-tyrant had no intention of risking meeting the Princesses in a state like this. Sombra once again forced himself onto his hooves, trying to take a few steps before falling again. He repeated this process several times before finally, he collapsed entirely in exhaustion. Sombra panted, shutting his eyes and letting his body relax. He wasn’t able to go anywhere, even now. He still wasn’t strong enough to escape…
This was ridiculous. How could a powerful king like himself be so ridiculously weak, and so painfully helpless? Somehow, and for some reason, he turned back to the loveseat and used any remaining strength in his body to climb back onto it. And with that done, he allowed his body to go limp, his mind leaving him once again…
And by the time Fluttershy returned, she hadn’t realized he was fully aware of whom she was, or that he had even tried to go anywhere…
---
Though it was technically Fluttershy’s goal to get Sombra back to full health, she was conflicted on how to feel about it all. Was she supposed to be glad that he was doing better, and that he was no longer in as much pain? That she was being helpful to him? Or should she have instead been very concerned, especially considering she still had no idea what her plan was? She would have loved to choose the route of reforming the fallen dictator…But she was not entirely sure that she could.
After all, it was technically not entirely her decision. Along with getting everypony else to accept the idea…Sombra, himself, would need to cooperate with her in order for anything to actually change. But knowing what he’d done in the past and how he’d seemingly had little issue in how he’d acted then…He probably had little intention of changing his ways at any point soon, if he ever did. He most likely wouldn’t even consider taking such a ludicrous route…
Perhaps she could simply continue to treat him with kindness and just hope he began to trust her – after all, the method had worked with Discord, as well as many other animals and creatures she’d tamed…But would it really work with King Sombra to simply use that technique alone? She had been given a reason to reform Discord – and a goal, which was to make him use his powers for good instead of for uncontrolled chaos. And thus she had understood what she’d needed to do…But with Sombra...
What would they even gain by helping him, if by some miracle this all worked out? A powerful ally? Maybe, but how would that be a beneficial enough goal for them both? Not to mention, she was able to convince Discord to reform because she’d become his “only friend,” but Sombra wasn’t likely to fall for that. Would she need to go a little deeper into his character, then? Maybe see what was he was actually like and try to figure out how she could use something to her advantage?
After all, Fluttershy honestly knew nothing about Sombra aside from the horror stories she’d been told before, and she’d rather not believe any of them without seeing it for herself. But she didn’t want to push anything in case he was that bad…Maybe she’d be able to find out his personality and interest. Perhaps she could see if he had any hobbies besides dark magic and being a king and all that…But how would she go about finding anything out? It was not likely he’d be open with her in the slightest…
Fluttershy sighed softly, placing a bowl of grapes onto the table beside the loveseat he rested on, unintentionally shifting the photo of her and her friends. Since she’d gone to the market, she’d picked up a few more things to eat and thus gave Sombra and herself a little mor variety in food, though she still took care not to give him too much food at one time. His stomach was still weak, and she feared she’d accidentally hurt him if she overfed him when he wasn’t ready.
Sombra’s eyes flickered to the batch of fruit beside him, and then over to Fluttershy as his brow wrinkled. He had become a lot less trusting of the mare since his discovery the day before, and he was much more careful about accepting what she gave him. She’d been safe this far, but he knew she couldn’t be sincerely helping him for the sake of being nice. Fluttershy blinked, watching him rest his head onto his front hooves.
“They’re just grapes,” She said softly, “They’re very yummy…” She reached forward and picked one from the bowl, eating it. Sombra huffed and closed his eyes, and Fluttershy frowned.
“Would you like something else, then?” The Pegasus wanted to make sure he ate a little...Maybe he just didn’t like grapes.
“No.”
The answer was a mutter, but the growl-like tone to it frightened Fluttershy a little. Her ears drooped. “Um…O-okay…” She wondered if she had said something wrong, or if he was maybe in a bad mood or something…Or, at least a worse mood than usual. She didn’t leave, though, just sitting there gazing at him and thinking on what she should do.
“Um…H-here…” The mare picked a few more grapes, collecting them into her hooves and then carefully placing them in front of Sombra again, so that he could eat them easier. “J…just if you change your mind,” She murmured, laying back down and lowering her head, remaining silent.
After a few moments, Sombra slowly opened his eyes, letting them drift down to Fluttershy on the floor and then to the little fruits she’d put in front of him. He gritted his teeth, then stuck out his tongue and used it to pick up one of the grapes. He carefully ate it, finding it to taste good and also appearing harmless. Waiting a few moments to make sure nothing happened, he then continued to eat. If nothing else, he had to admit the mare knew places to get good produce…
Fluttershy’s ears twitched, and she looked up, realizing he was eating now. She smiled gently. “Are they good?” Sombra did not reply, swallowing the last grape and then simply resting his head back down. Fluttershy’s smile faltered slightly, and she sighed…It occurred to her that maybe she was just trying too hard to get a response out of him. For all she knew he just wasn’t a very talkative pony. Though it did truthfully feel a little strange to be the one trying to start a conversation with somepony, rather than being the listener like she usually was.
Of course, that meant she was also unskilled in starting conversations, so she wasn’t really sure if she was doing this right. Should she have kept trying to socialize with the ex-king, or would it be best to just leave him be for right now? The second option might’ve been wiser, but she feared it wouldn’t get them anywhere.
“Um…” The mare dug lightly at the wood floor beneath her with her hoof, being careful not to actually damage the planks. Her eyes flickered to Sombra and then back to the ground. “S-so…uh…” Her voice trailed off. She was completely clueless as to what to possibly bring up. Sombra was beginning to lose patience with this pathetic pony. If she wasn’t an enemy, then she was certainly still very annoying.
“Um…” Fluttershy searched her mind for a subject…Maybe something that would help her learn one or two things about him without being too obvious…Nothing incredibly stood out to her, though.
Them, however, something happened that did bring a bit of conversation to the cottage – there was a knock on the front door.
Truthfully, Fluttershy hadn’t exactly thought about what she’d do if somepony came over. But now that the problem presented itself, she panicked. Sombra could not walk, and he was definitely too heavy for her to carry upstairs or anywhere else to hide him. If somepony came in, or even looked in at all, they would see him, and probably recognize him. After all, he was not exactly that hard to pick out of a crowd even without his crown.
Sombra’s ear flickered at the knock, and he lifted his head, looking to the door. The unicorn bared his fangs, a low, rising rumble in his throat. Fluttershy jumped up. “Shhh,” She hushed him gently, petting his mane and hoping that whoever was at the door hadn’t heard him. He glared at the mare, only replying with a louder growl. “Shush, it’s okay. I’ll be right back.”
Fluttershy took a step away, and then hurried to the window. Sombra’s ears pinned back, anger rising in him. What did she think he was – a scared little colt? He’d tolerated this ridiculous motherly treatment so far, but he did not like being silenced…And especially not in such a humiliating manner.
Fluttershy peeked out of her window, only to squeak and duck back into the house, as she had seen Rarity on her step. The mare outside glanced around, seeming a bit impatient or worried. Fluttershy hesitated, considering maybe not answering, but she ran to the door. Taking a deep breath, and hoping she’d be able to act calm, Fluttershy slowly opened the door.
Rarity’s ear flickered, and she looked to Fluttershy as the door opened. The unicorn sighed with gentle relief upon seeing her friend. “Oh, Fluttershy, darling! I was worried something had maybe happened to you…” She placed her hoof onto her chest, “It’s wonderful to see that you’re fine.”
“O-of course I’m fine,” Fluttershy blinked slowly, “W-why wouldn’t I be?” She forced a light smile, trying to make sure she blocked Sombra from Rarity’s view.
“Well, you missed our usual spa visit, for one,” Rarity titled her head, frowning. “And considering that we’ve been doing it for so long – and you’ve NEVER missed a date – I was more than a little baffled. And upon learning nopony had seen you for over a week, well..”
Fluttershy had completely forgotten about her spa visit with Rarity! She tried to think of a cover-up, but no extremely believable lines were coming to mind. “O-oh! Was that today?” She gave a fake gasp of surprise, “I-I’m so sorry, Rarity…I must’ve lost my track of the date…”
“Oh, think nothing of it, my dear.” Rarity smiled, “All is perfectly fine. We can just go next week.” Then, her smile slowly faded. “But I do have to ask – what have you been doing? And what WAS that awful growling I heard?”
“W-well, um…I…” Fluttershy’s ears flickered over to Sombra, “I-I um, have been very busy caring to one of my animals…Th-they’re very sick, you see…” She bit her lip, and then attempted to put on a sad face. “A, um, bear…H-he hasn’t been doing well lately, and I guess I just haven’t had too much time to think about anything else…”
“Oh? The poor thing,” Rarity sounded sympathetic, and yet at the same time sounded as if she’d rather not go near this “Sick bear,” of Fluttershy’s.
“Y-yes, and um…” Her ears drooped, as she looked down in an attempt to avoid making eye contact with her friend. “I think I need to get back to caring to him…I mean, i-if that’s all right with you…”
“Oh of course, darling.” Rarity nodded her head, “I suppose I’ll let you get back to taking care of him, then…”
“Thank you,” Fluttershy took a step back, and prepared to close the door, but Rarity spoke up again.
“Oh, and I DO hope that you remember to come to Pinkie Pie’s party tomorrow,” She said, “She’d be awfully disappointed if you missed it!”
“Oh, yes…I-I’ll be sure to be there!” Fluttershy forced a smile, though she was silently panicking even further.
“Well good luck, darling! See you tomorrow!”
“B-bye, Rarity!” Fluttershy shut the door a tad too fast, but apparently, Rarity did not seem to mind and left. Fluttershy sighed, feeling a relief that only lasted a minute.
Pinkie Pie’s party! Oh, she’d forgotten all about it! Her friends would certainly be suspicious if she missed that, and she’d probably really, really upset Pinkie Pie…Her ears drooped again. What in Equestria was she going to do now?
Sombra watched this conversation go on, and as he listened he found himself becoming only a bit calmer. It seemed as though she was trying to hide him from at least one of her friends…Though, he reminded himself, it could easily still be some sort of act. The stallion shook his head, his ears pinning back. He’d likely have to wait this out, since he wasn’t going to be going anywhere anyway at this rate.
Fluttershy started pacing, biting her lip nervously and trying to think up a plan. She couldn’t leave Sombra here if she went to the party. It was one thing to leave him when she knew he was asleep, and when she knew she’d only be a few minutes at the market. It was quite another to go to a party, especially one hosted by somepony like Pinkie Pie. Who knows how long she’d have t ostay there? She couldn’t just pop in for five minutes – no, it would seem far too suspicious.
But at the same time…she frowned. Maybe she could use this as an opportunity to let everypony know about Sombra. She wouldn’t be able to hide him forever, she knew. The “sick bear” game wouldn’t last long…She frowned. She’d have to face her friends about this situation eventually, so why not while they were all in a good mood at a nice party?
Still…Fluttershy was having trouble pushing aside the fear that they wouldn’t let her keep him, or even judge her for helping him…She’d have to do it, though, she decided. She just needed to figure out how she would present this subject…The mare glanced over at Sombra. She couldn’t really bring him to the party, could she? It’d be far too risky, not to mention too difficult? Maybe she’d just go to the party and confess things there, then bring everyony over?
Fluttershy was forming some sort of plan in her mind as she walked back and forth, but she wasn’t exactly sure that she understood it.