Fluttershy felt alarmed as the air around her crackled. Something was wrong. As a pegasus, she was sensitive to changes in the air, and the air felt wrong. The animals in her cottage were acting strangely, running and hiding in their holes and cubbies, darting into birdhouses, ducking under furniture.
Ivy was panicked as well, clinging to her leg. Her talons were sharp and pressing, but hadn’t broken the skin. Not yet.
“Mind your claws Ivy,” Fluttershy said in a soft soothing voice, “mama has soft skin.”
Ivy relaxed her grip slightly, her tail beginning to coil around Fluttershy’s leg. Her ears were back against her skull. Her nostrils flared. She trembled.
Overhead, there was a loud boom… A thunderous noise that sounded like one of Rainbow Dash’s sonic rainbooms. And then another. She saw a flash of light through the window, shining down from overhead, as though the sun had suddenly grown brighter. The sky was still blue. Out the window, she could see the moon in the sky. What was going on? Something felt so very wrong. The moon should not be out right now. It hadn’t been there just a moment before.
Fear crept through her body, causing her mane to rise on the back of her neck. A cold feeling spread through the base of her tail.
The air crackled and smelled of ozone.
There was suddenly a massive explosion, it shook the cottage, everything rumbled, the ground quaked. All of her windows shattered, sending shards of glass everywhere, inside and out. The air was filled with a strange smell, a smell she did not know. A bad smell. Ivy cried out, wrapping her forelegs tight around Fluttershy’s leg, her talons clenched into fists, her eyes squeezed shut.
Glass tinkled all around them.
And it was over.
Fluttershy stood there, looking at the glass. Ivy shuddered with soft sobs. She wasn’t crying, not quite. Fluttershy wondered why Sugarplum had warned her about Ivy crying. The thought passed briefly through her mind.
Already the air seemed to be clearing. Animals peered from their hidey-holes.
“Ivy baby, mama is going to have to clean up this glass before something bad happens. Can you be a good girl and stay right here, away from the glass?” Fluttershy looked down at Ivy, who had doubled her grip on Fluttershy’s leg. She wiped her face on the soft yellow fur. Fluttershy worried as the animals began to stir.
She gently extracted her leg from Ivy’s grip. Ivy sat on the floor, her eyes still clouded over with tears, watching her mother intently. She hiccuped a few times.
Fluttershy retrieved a whisk broom and a dust pan. She held the small broom in her teeth. There was a lot of glass. All of the windows were going to have to be replaced.
She sighed through her nose.
~
There was still glass on the lawn. She was having trouble with that. She was going to have to ask Twilight or a unicorn for help. The glass inside was gone.
Ivy was in a tree, huddled in the fork, looking miserable.
Fluttershy hoped that Discord would return soon. He had gone for a walk. To clear his head, he had said.
Smoke rose from the Everfree.
Something had happened. Fluttershy did not know what.
The day had been somewhat confusing.
There were pegasi overhead. Many pegasi. She saw the glint of armor.
Perhaps a dragon was loose in the Everfree. She worried, briefly, for Discord, but he could take care of himself.
Ivy scurried down the tree and wiggle-waddled through the yard, running up to Fluttershy. She scowled and sat back on her haunches. Her belly rumbled.
“Hungry?” Fluttershy asked?
Ivy nodded.
The moods of foals were quicksilver, Fluttershy reflected. She headed toward the door.
~
Ivy had eaten the entire jar of Sweet Apple Acres Apple Butter, but she had not eaten the spoon. Her silverware gnawing had slowed down after her rush of new scale growth. She had also eaten most of bulb of garlic left on the table after she had snatched it with her tail. An apple, a few grapes, and a few cherries, pits and all.
Her breath was terrible, Fluttershy thought.
Ivy had done her business outside without prompting, and even managed to push open the lower half of the door all by herself. Fluttershy had left it unlatched.
There were scorch marks on the lawn.
Evening approached.
~
Not long after the sun had set, there was a heavy knock on the door. It made things rattle and spooked the animals. She had been knitting, trying to restore some sense of normalcy. Ivy was on the sofa next to her, gently cuddling Angel, who seemed content to let Ivy hold him.
The knock came again. Heavy. It thudded against the door.
Fluttershy eased off of the sofa and went to the door.
“Who’s there?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s late. Almost bedtime for Ivy. Why are you here?”
“Fluttershy?” Said a voice she didn’t know.
“Yes?” Fluttershy responded.
“We’ve come to collect you. You are needed right away.”
Fluttershy pulled open the door. Outside was one solar pegasi and one lunar pegasi. The solar pegasi was wearing armor.
“I am Mare Imbrium and this is Captain Sunflower. We are to bring you to Canterlot immediately.” The lunar pegasi bowed her head slightly.
“I can’t leave…” Fluttershy protested. “Little Ivy can’t be left alone. I don’t have a foal sitter. It’s late. Close to her bedtime.” Her voice rose with panic.
“Then we shall have to take Ivy as well. Captain Sunflower?” Imbrium looked at her armored companion. The stallion nodded.
“Why do I have to go?” Fluttershy inquired. “Has something happened? Is there trouble?”
Sunflower looked grim and said nothing. Imbrium was stony faced.
“I can’t fly to Canterlot,” Fluttershy whined, “I don’t have the endurance or the strength.” She began to back away from the door.
“Than I shall carry you upon my back, solar mare.” Imbrium’s voice was firm, but gentle. “But you must come. You have been summoned. An explanation is forthcoming upon your arrival.”
Sunflower kneeled on the floor.
“Place Ivy on my back. Imbrium, use my saddlebag strap to secure her.”
Fluttershy continued to back further away. “No.” I don’t like this. I don’t want Ivy tied down. She’s not luggage.”
There was a flutter of wings outside the door, and the sounds of hooves striking earth.
Imbrium bowed and cleared out of the way of the door.
Twilight Sparkle entered the room, stepping over Sunflower.
“Fluttershy, we must go to Canterlot at once. I’ll carry Ivy with my magic.” Twilight folded her wings.
Sunflower rose to his hooves and bowed slightly.
“Stop that!” Twilight snapped. “Now is not the time.”
Fluttershy looked over at Ivy, who was still on the sofa, watching everything with her grey eyes. Her crest was slightly raised. Angel was gone. The rabbit, sensing trouble, had split.
“OK Twilight,” Fluttershy responded, “I’ll go.”
Twilight lifted Ivy with her magic, causing Ivy to squeal. She didn’t like having nothing under her claws. Fluttershy made soothing sounds. Twilight exited, taking flight as soon as she had cleared the door. Fluttershy could see that Ivy was being hugged between Twilight’s forelegs, still glowing in the lavender radiance of Twilight’s magical signature.
Imbrium kneeled, and looked at Fluttershy. “We must be going.”
Fluttershy climbed onto the mare’s back. This was awkward. She didn’t like this. She wrapped her forelegs around the mare’s neck.
And was nearly torn from Imbrium’s back by sudden movement. Imbrium shot through the door and was airborne in one swift fluid motion.
Sunflower closed the door as he exited, and took to the air after his companion.
~
The wind tore at Fluttershy’s mane. She wasn’t used to flying this fast, being a slow flyer. Her ears were buffeted by the wind. Her skin stung. Her eyes watered as she clung to Imbrium.
Ivy seemed to be doing well after the initial protests she had made. She stared in wide eyed wonder at the world below, safely clutched between Twilight’s forelegs. Ivy’s feathers were ruffled.
Sunflower was flying directly below Twilight, occasionally looking up at Ivy. He kept making baby talk to her, trying to comfort her during the trip.
Fluttershy noticed that Imbrium seemed to be watching Sunflower interacting with the foal.
Canterlot loomed in the distance, lights twinkling. The castle rose above the city. It was beautiful.
A flight of pegasi joined them, all of them wearing armor, both lunar and solar guards intermingling.
Fluttershy felt a chill as a very large lunar mare drew up along Imbrium. The mare looked at her. “Good evening,” the mare called over the wind, “pleased to meet you.”
“That is Mare Frigoris,” Imbrium announced, “my wingmate and friend.”
“Sorry for the chill.” Frigoris apologised.
Frigoris rolled away through the air, putting some distance between them. The castle was closer now. Fluttershy could see lights in the windows. Fluttershy began to realise that the castle was was slightly off to the left as they approached, and they did not appear to be slowing down. Were they not going to the castle after all? She worried and wondered as the group surged forward.
Another pony rose to Imbrium’s side. “Mare Imbrium!” She said, saluting.
“Mare Nectaris.” Imbrium returned the salute. “Flying sober?”
“Unfortunately,” the mare muttered, “This has been a weird day. And promises to an even stranger night. The Everfree forest…”
“SILENCE!” Mare Imbrium commanded. Mare Nectaris fell silent, her expression apologetic.
Fluttershy saw a cliff wall up ahead. The group had made no effort to slow down. Panic rose in her throat and she whimpered. She closed her eyes. They were flying too fast. Didn’t they see the cliff looming ahead? Her protest lodged in her throat, her lungs constricted.
And nothing happened. Something should have happened. She screwed her courage to the sticking place and forced open one eye.
Twilight was still flying ahead of them, her horn glowing brightly. They were in a cave. Ivy was safe.
Mare Nectaris looked at her, a half crazed smile on her face. “Always thrilling, that first time, isn’t it!” She said with a cackle. “Palus Somni wet himself his first time.”
“I DID NOT YOU CRAZY MARE!” said a voice from below.
“Stop shouting you chowderhead, it echos to much in here.” Nectaris responded.
“I’ll deal with you later!” The voice below hissed.
Fluttershy looked down and saw an albino lunar pegasi. She shivered. He looked otherworldly, ghostly in the magic light.
They flew through the cave with breakneck speed, descending downward, dropping through the bowels of the mountain. They moved with terrifying speed. Twilight was a much better flier than Fluttershy remembered.
A landing strip appeared before them. At last, the ride was over, she thought. Globes of light adorned the walls of the tunnel, and markers were on the floor. Twilight flew over the landing strip, not landing, but continuing down the corridor. The other ponies began landing, some of them skidding to a halt, horseshoes throwing up sparks from the stone floor.
Imbrium kept going, flying after Twilight, Sunflower now behind her.
There were doors along the corridor, some open, some closed. Fluttershy saw beds. She saw what looked like a cafeteria. A room filled with tables and cushions on the floor. The ceiling was uncomfortably close, and Imbrium’s wingtips seemed dangerously close to the walls on either side. A pegasus in the hallway shouted in alarm and threw himself to the floor as Twilight flew past, and there was shouting ahead. Imbrium’s folded legs almost clipped the pegasus hugging the floor.
Twilight turned suddenly, flying down a side hallway, and Fluttershy felt her stomach twist and turn as Imbrium banked. There wasn’t enough room. The walls loomed close. Imbrium’s wings folded for a moment, pulled tight to her body as they went through the archway, and then sprang back out.
The breakneck speed continued.
Fluttershy saw a red cross sign on the wall, and an arrow pointing ahead. Canterlot castle had its own hospital wing? She supposed with this many soldiers, it was was practical and necessary.
Twilight seemed to be slowing, as was Imbrium. Imbrium’s legs extended and she came to a skittering halt on the stone floor. Fluttershy lurched forward a bit on the mare’s neck.
Twilight lifted Ivy away from her with her magic and set down, sliding a bit on the stone floor. Her flying was better, but her landings were much the same as they ever were. She scrambled, trying to get a hoofhold. She slide sideways into the wall with an audible “thump.”
“We’re here,” Twilight announced, “Fluttershy, I need for you to be very brave.”