The sky was covered in clouds, painted crimson by the setting sun. The wind was cool and refreshing and the birds' songs started to turn quiet. Many of them were already planning to fly away to their nests and take a well deserved nap.
Fluttershy swung her wings, lifting herself up into the air, and added her own note into their goodbye song.
Her melodic voice filled the air, making all the animals in her yard stop for a moment and listen. She closed her eyes, fully embracing the role of a lead singer in this chorus, as birds accompanied her tunes with their knocks and clicks.
The wind played with Fluttershy's mane in the light of setting sun as she rose higher and higher, her magnificent singing pouring out, hypnotizing even insects that flew past her.
Alas, their magnificent chorus turned silent just to allow all the animals to applaud the singers.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Fluttershy gracefully bowed her head to her crowd. "We make a great team!"
The birds chirped with joy in reply to her compliment. Several of them flew closer to her and melodiously uttered something in their language.
"Oh... oh, you shouldn't.... I'm flattered,” Fluttershy replied, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.
After saying her goodbyes to the birds, she landed back on the ground. The soft grass welcomed her; several butterflies carefully whirled about in the air before they landed into her puffy, luscious pink mane.
"Angel? Angel, where are you?" she calmly called for her favourite friend and he quickly sprung out of a bush and approached her. "Oh, there you are Angel! How did your time off go? Did you enjoy it?"
Angel smiled, raised his head proudly and squeaked several times, showcasing his joy. He’d had a good time, alright. Fluttershy smiled heartily.
"I'm glad to hear that! Now, then, let's go have supper. I made you your favourite dish: cabbage with carrots! Isn't that delightful?" she sung and they both went towards the entrance of Fluttershy's cottage.
The instant Fluttershy entered her home, she swept the sweat off her forehead and took a deep breath. Taking care of animals was her most favourite task, and yet it was incredibly tiresome. By the end of the day, if she didn't take any breaks, Fluttershy could barely move her hooves forward. In that case, Mr. Bear would always carry her to her bed. He was such a sweetheart.
"Now, Angel, you wait for me, I'll be back in a millisecond!" Fluttershy said, patting her little bunny on the head. "And then, we'll eat!"
She still had a minor problem to take care of: light the candles in every room before nightfall. This was just a precaution, for she was afraid of the dark; and walking through a quiet house with a lantern hanging on your hoof while she had to carefully measure every step, afraid of the shadows that reminded her of all sorts of dangerous creatures wasn't something Fluttershy was a fan of.
Taking extra time to run around the house and light the candles was certainly worth it. Fluttershy approached the drawer, looked through her endless packages of seeds, and finally found the matches.
One candle, two, three, four, and soon her house was prepared for the upcoming night. With the satisfied grin of a victor, Fluttershy put the matches back in their place and went to the kitchen.
On her way, however, she was disturbed by a rapid, yet silent knock on the door. Fluttershy staggered for a moment. Who would want to come for a visit at such time? It felt a little strange. However, she couldn't just ignore the knocks, so she quickly trotted to the door.
"One second, Angel! We have guests!" Fluttershy announced. Angel grumbled something under his nose, but didn't try to stop Fluttershy; she was tired, it was better to leave her be for the time now. She was always calm, but at the end of the day, she was very easy to offend. So Angel always kept his remarks for the morning and the midday.
"I'm coming, wait just a moment!" the pegasus exclaimed, approaching the door. She quickly opened it and was relieved to see her friend Twilight standing on her threshold.
The young princess looked a little strange, to say the least: her mane was completely dishevelled and her wings were spread wide, as if she was about to take flight. Her face had several black ash stains and her fur looked quite uncouthly, as if she’d just broken through a thorny bush.
"Oh, Twilight! I- I wasn't expecting you... not like this, anyway," Fluttershy said, looking at her friend. "Twilight... you look... worried."
"Fluttershy," Twilight exclaimed, swiping the ash from her forelegs. "We are on the verge of destruction!"
"Wha- wha- what?" Fluttershy stumbled, her stomach churning from fear. "Verge of destruction of what?"
"Of me, Fluttershy! Of me!" Twilight exclaimed, feverishly looking around. Fluttershy couldn't comprehend her friend’s distress, but before she could ask, Twilight put her hoof to the pegasus' lips.
"Not here. Not outside. Will you let me come in?"
Fluttershy hummed in response; that was practically all she could do with a filthy, purple hoof in front of her mouth. Twilight accepted that as a yes.
"Spike! Come here!" she turned around and shouted at the closest bush. The young dragon quickly appeared out of the thicket, dragging some kind of a wagon behind him. It wasn't too big, but Fluttershy could remember the Cutie Mark Crusaders had a wagon like this. Scootaloo would drive around on a scooter with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sitting in the wagon — quite a clever construction.
Spike looked very exhausted; sweat was running down his scales, with his tongue stuck out of his mouth. With every pull, he had to take a deep breath.
"Oh, does it have to do something with Sweetie Belle?" Twilight shook her head. "Apple Bloom? Scootaloo?" Twilight shook her head again in response to the guesses.
"Not here, Fluttershy," Twilight repeated once more. "Come on, Spike, before anypony sees us!"
"I'm trying my best, jeez! They're not that light, you know!" Spike grunted in reply, struggling to pull the wagon, the top of which was covered with a white towel.
"Can I... help you?" Fluttershy hesitantly asked whereto Spike nodded eagerly, when Twilight suddenly pierced him with an angry glare.
"No, Fluttershy, Spike can handle it... just fine!" she enunciated the last words slowly, winking at Spike and jerking her head to the right. Spike let out an annoyed groan and pulled as hard as he could. Fluttershy felt bad for the poor baby dragon.
Finally, Twilight quickly entered Fluttershy's house, urging her to come first, and, the instant Spike had dragged the wagon inside, she closed the door and started looking for locks.
"Grrrr... Don't you have any locks on this thing?" Twilight growled. "Come on, come on!"
"I... don't have locks... I prefer bolts," Fluttershy said, but the princess's horn was already coruscating in purple as the door was tied with arcane chains and locks. "Well... I could have just asked Mr. Bear to guard it... but okay."
"Okay... Doors are shut... windows are shut, too... We're safe!" Twilight exclaimed, while Spike collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily.
"Next time, you drag this thing! I am your assistant, but I'm not a draft dragon!" he groused, between pants.
"I can make you a cup of tea, if you want," Fluttershy offered, and Spike brightened up.
"Oh, I would love to—" Spike readied his claws, when Twilight interrupted.
"No. Business first," she said strictly.
"Oh, sorry! Is somepony threatening you? Is that somepony in that wagon?" Fluttershy pointed at the wagon, suddenly turning pale. "It's... a little small for an adult threat..."
"No, no. I meant destruction of a different kind," Twilight relieved her. "You see, I was conducting experiments—"
"Come on, Twi, what's the point of telling the rest of the story?" Spike chuckled. "Everypony knows that when you conduct experiments, things always go wrong."
"Not always.... just pesky 90%, that's all... And I'm not talking to myself! If you were in my horseshoes, you would be worried too!" Twilight replied, even sounding genuinely offended. "But, anyway, I was experimenting with quantum mechanics of magic energy fields, the perpetuum, arcanum vitae aeternae, you know, the lame stuff. I wanted to test my theory about calamity fields and the electromagnetical impulses of..."
"Twilight, translation, please!" Spike interrupted her and Twilight sighed heavily.
"Anyway, I fiddled with those fields that I shouldn't have fiddled with. I think the elements have affected those fields," she finished lamely.
"Wow, really? You were looking for a way to open the box?"
"Sort of. It doesn't matter in the long run. You see, I tried to amend these fields... just a little, a tiny, little bit of experimentation, then... boom!" Twilight swung her forehooves around in a wide arc while standing bipedal. "A big explosion. Thankfully, nopony’s gotten hurt, but... what I discovered afterwards... was horrifying."
"What? What is it?" Fluttershy asked. Even though she was afraid... she really wanted it know. "What was it?"
"Show her, Spike," Twilight said and Spike jumped off the sofa and approached the wagon.
"Brace yourself, Flutters. This is not a sight for weak minds," the baby dragon warned her and harshly pulled the towel off it. He quickly turned away and closed his eyes.
"Spike."
"I'm not looking!"
"Spike!"
"I'm telling you: I'm not looking!"
"Spike! Where are they?!" Twilight screamed loudly, making Fluttershy shiver. Spike quickly gazed into the wagon, to see that it was empty.
"Oh, horseapples!" he swore.
Fluttershy looked at these two with confusion and anxiety. What had they been hiding that was so horrifying? And why was the aforementioned horror gone? What was going on?! Would somepony just explain?
Suddenly, she heard Angel's muted squeaks and loud chewing from behind herself. She slowly turned around, scared and terrified.
"Thy food befits my stomach not! I demand a proper feast, thou vagabond!" a dark-blue filly with wings and horn as well as a mane covered in stars that reminded of a night sky in general, groused. Beside her, a very familiar helmet, made of shining silver, was lying. It was quite big, but not bigger than the filly herself.
She was sitting in some slippers, which were seemingly made of the same silver as the helmet, that were twice as big as her hooves. Her face expressed a childish, but very serious infuriation.
"Thy expression fazes me not! Bring forth proper food at once; else thou wilt feel my wrath!" the filly demanded, looking angrily at the poor bunny.
This mane, this armor, this manner of speech... There was no mistake: it was Nightmare Moon, a filly Nightmare Moon.
"Twi...light... Is that who I think it is?" Fluttershy mumbled, turning as pale as chalk. Twilight only nodded with regret.
"I’m afraid so, yes," she informed.
"Wait... you said 'them'... There is more than one?" Fluttershy shuddered at a thought.
"Yes, and we still have to fi- Wah-aaah... Spike... Is that you?" Twilight asked as she felt something on her back.
"No..." Spike muttered.
"Is it him?"
"Yes."
"He's on my back?"
"Yep."
Twilight gulped nervously... and then let out a terrified screech. Fluttershy felt pain in her head after the ringing in her ears subsided.
"Get him off me! Get him off! Aaahh!" the alicorn shouted, jumping around, trying to shake off whatever had grabbed her. "Get him off my mane!"
"Stay still, Twilight!" Spike commanded, preparing himself to lunge forwards. He kneeled down, touching the wooden floor with his claws. "Hiiya!"
He dashed forwards, jumping up and hitting whatever was sitting on Twilight's back. This 'something' let out an irritated groan as both 'it' and Spike plummeted down on the ground.
The landing wasn't rough, for they landed on the soft rug, but Spike's hostage was majorly annoyed.
The dark colored foal, with grey fur and black mane, swung his hooves wildly in the air, opening his mouth full of sharp teeth.
"Ayeeee! Let me go, you scaly weirdo!" he cried, trying his best to wrestle out of Spike's grip.
Fluttershy took a closer look at the foal: he was a unicorn, with a weird, red curved horn and crimson red eyes. Still having a few doubts, she looked around the room, finally noticing the crucial evidence in the wagon.
The red royal mantle, outlined with white fur and a helmet made of black metal, which Fluttershy didn't recognize, and also served as a crown.
"Is that... King Sombra?" Fluttershy asked, turning to Twilight.
"Yes... Aaah, no!" Twilight cried, looking at her mane. Fluttershy noticed that its end was completely wet and frayed. Had Sombra... chewed on her mane?
"Let me go!" Sombra cried, waving his little hooves through the air. "Help me!"
"Nopony's helping you, Mr. Big Black Cloud of Doom!" Spike said, holding him firmly. "You're not getting off this rug as long as I still draw a single breath!"
Sombra gritted his teeth, and then, suddenly, his horn lit up with red waves of energy. Seconds later, Spike shrieked in terror as the end of his tail was engulfed in a red aura and lifted him up into the air.
"Put me back! Put me back! I like the ground better!" Spike said.
"This is a nightmare! Such horror! I'm totally done for! Celestia will brutalize me!" Twilight exclaimed as Sombra freed himself and turned to Nightmare Moon, who still tried to order Angel to bring her food.
"Hey, I'm here!" he shouted, running towards the table.
"Oh, not thou again! Why wilt thou not leave my mane alone? I shan’t allow thee to chew thereon, no!" the nightmare alicorn exclaimed haughtily.
"Aw, but it's so yummy! Like rice pudding!" Sombra pleaded. "Please, help me get up there!"
"Argh, fine, thou fiend. But no more chewing this mane of mine — that includes the tail," Nightmare Moon said, engulfing Sombra in an energy field and lifting him up. He gracefully landed beside her.
"Thanks!"
"Mention it not!"
Fluttershy stared blankly as Sombra joined Nightmare Moon in demanding food from Angel. He lost concentration and Spike crashed back into the ground.
"Ugh!" Spike groaned, getting up. "Not nice... but I guess that's better than helping Twilight learn to fly."
"Hey!" Twilight shouted. "I'm learning, okay?"
She took a deep breath, trying to calm down her nerves.
"Okay, alright. Let's get them all back into the wagon, before they break something. We'll have to find—" Her speech was rudely interrupted by a loud squeal.
"Ya-hooooo!" A loud voice reached the poor princess, and she looked up. Right under the ceiling, a changeling filly was using the candelabra as climbing frame. She gracefully hopped from branch to branch. Her holey hooves were surprisingly strong as she sprang back and forth, pulled up and jumped.
Fluttershy looked scared for a moment, holding her breath when the dark filly did three back-flips, but the young acrobat unfolded her transparent wings, akin to those a fly would have, and flapped them. A buzz, as if a bee flew into Fluttershy's cottage, filled the room, as she carried herself over to the next branch of the candelabra and grabbed it.
The filly swung around, screaming with glee and joy, as the candelabra gained speed and started to spin round. The little changeling supported the process immensely, using her own magic.
"Yaaaay!" the filly shouted as the candelabra turned into her own little merry-go-round that was spinning faster than any merry-go-round in Equestria. "Woo-hoo!"
"Stop! Stop! It can't hold on much longer! It will—" Fluttershy suddenly shouted, but it was far too late, for the frail chain, which connected the candelabra to the ceiling, broke and the construction was sent plummeting down to the ground.
It hit the floor with a noise so loud Angel jumped, making the chair he had been sitting on fall, dragging the bunny along with him. Twilight shut her eyes to shield them from the dust that was raised.
When the dust subsided, a picture of despair was revealed to all: the candelabra had broken through the floor, leaving a big gaping hole in it. The changeling filly was standing by the hole, coughing and sneezing, but in one piece.
"Whoopsie..." she said, turning around and smiling innocently. She revealed a pair of tiny fangs that sparkled in the light and the dark skin on her cheeks bloomed with red. Her giant horn, which looked more like razor than a horn, had a torn piece of green cloth on its tip. It seemed to belong to one of Fluttershy’s curtains, but how it’d ended up on the filly’s horn, she had no idea.
"Sorry," the filly, who, as Fluttershy suspected, was Queen Chrysalis, apologized. "I didn't think it would break."
"And we had just arrived! You three destroy everything you touch!" Spike clasped his claws.
"I'm really sorry, Fluttershy. I promise, I'll fix all of this! You won't have to lift a hoof, just, please, help me!" Twilight pleaded, turning to her friend who was strangely pale. "Fluttershy? Flutters?"
"Ooooh..." Fluttershy whispered, rolled her eyes backwards, and fainted. Her body emitted a loud thud when she hit the ground.
"I'd guess that was a no," Spiked noted with sarcasm.
"No time for jokes, Spike!" Twilight ordered. "Gather these three and watch that they don't move, else these little monsters demolish Fluttershy's whole house!"
"Easier said than done!" Spike grunted, charging after little Chrysalis.
Twilight struggled to lift Fluttershy up into the air and get her on the couch. The yellow pegasus certainly wasn't the lightest pony to carry. Maybe she was hiding a secret stash of waffles, Twilight thought dryly and tried shaking her a little bit, just to wake her up.
Meanwhile, Spike was in a brutal chase after Chrysalis. The young changeling thought of it as a game and playfully taunted Spike as he struggled to even keep up with her.
After more effort than reasonably necessary, Twilight had finally dragged Fluttershy into a corner.
Chrysalis looked around with her green eyes, looking for an escape route, but none was present. She was trapped between a shelf and a drawer.
"Now, my shifty filly, don't move. Now, I take you back to the wagon, alright? Remember what I promised you if you stayed there?" he spoke calmly, but breathed heavily, exhausted from all the running.
"There was no candy in that wagon, you mean liar!" Chrysalis said in an offended voice. "And it was too tight there! You never said those two would be coming with us!"
She shifted her eyes to Sombra and Nightmare Moon, who were watching the whole scene from on the table, then back at Spike.
"Did you promise them candy too? My candy?!" she seemed angrily. Spike felt a little blush appear on his cheeks. He was no stranger to lying, but lying to a Queen of Deceivers was something new.
"No. The candy I promised to you. I promised to no other than you," Spike tried to convince her. Chrysalis looked at him with her huge filly eyes, and for a moment, Spike felt a little weird. As if she was staring right into his soul... looking... searching... leering creepily.
"Thou liar! Thou hast promised her candy too?" Nightmare Moon suddenly shouted.
"Argh, shoot!" Spike shouted as Chrysalis quickly took flight before he could catch her. Yeah, he forgot she could do that.
"He promised me candy as well," Sombra added, shifting his sight between Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon.
"What a liar, that dragon!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "I'll never trust him ever again!"
"I agree with thee, fair maiden," Nightmare Moon nodded, looking hither and yon.
"Why are you talking so weirdly? Are you ill or something?" Sombra inquired.
"I? Nay, ‘tis just the speech I am used to and nothing else. Thy common words suit me not," she replied.
"What are your names, by the way? We never got to speak in that wagon, anyway," Chrysalis asked and Sombra turned to her and brightened up.
"Because thou wast too busy gnawing on my mane, thou vagabond!" Nightmare Moon addressed Sombra, but cleared her throat to announce her name and finally get acquainted with her new comrades. "My name is Nightmare Moon. Pleased to meet you, miss...."
"Chrysalis," the changeling filly said, extending her hoof to Nightmare Moon. "Pleased to meet you."
"My name's Sombra," the unicorn quickly intercepted Chrysalis’ hoof and shook it first. "Sorry I haven't introduced myself first... your mane was just too tempting!"
"Bah... never mind it, Sombra," Nightmare Moon said, looking at him.
She is weird, Sombra thought. She obviously forgives me, but why is she frowning right now? In fact, she is frowning ever since I saw her. She is very weird, this Moon.
"You get down from there this instant!" Spike shouted at the trio. "Or I'll have to get up there and beat you up!"
"Oh, my, what horror! You're going to beat us up!" Chrysalis moved to the edge of the table and looked down at the dragon. "You can't even reach us, you silly lame-o!"
"Don't be—" Spike said menacingly as he rushed towards the table and jumped, landing just nearby Chrysalis. "—so sure!"
Chrysalis backed away, as did the rest of them. Nightmare Moon unfolded her wings, preparing to take off, when suddenly, Sombra moved closer to her and whispered something into her ear. Nightmare Moon, at first, looked annoyed, then her face assumed an evil grin. The same happened to Chrysalis when the young unicorn whispered something to her ear as well.
The trio started backing away slowly until, finally, they reached the very edge of the table. Spike smiled: he had them trapped. They wouldn't want to jump down; the height was pathetic, but they were too afraid. They were, after all, just kids.
"Oh, my, our hour has come! We are beaten, truly!" Sombra exclaimed, rolling his eyes and trying to be as dramatic as possible. "We meet our end here!"
"Yep, exactly!" Spike interrupted his speech. "Now, come with me if you want to stay away from the end."
"Now!" Sombra suddenly shouted, and the two fillies grabbed him by his hooves and lifted him up into the air. The unicorn's horn coruscated with bright red and Spike could only stare in complete shock as the table started to lean. The dishes slipped and crashed into the ground, to be smitten to smithereens. Spike, in the heat of the moment, struck the surface of the table with his claws, hoping to get a hold.
"Wait! Maybe we can talk this over! Wait!" he shouted, looking down and noticing that there was quite a lot of space between him and the floor. More dishes slid past him and crashed into the floor.
Sombra didn't listen to his pleas as she shook his head a little, which in return made the table shake as well. Spike's claws had failed him and he was sent plummeting down into the floor.
"Ha-ha! It seems the tables have turned!" Nightmare Moon exclaimed. "A magnificent plan, sir! Thou truly art a master tactician!"
"That was really clever! Good job, Sombra!" Chrysalis echoed the flattery towards the dark coloured foal. Sombra's cheeks turned red with a blush.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just simple planning, is all," he said and then looked around. "This place looks boring!"
"Aye, ‘tis true. The landscape is certainly uninspiring. I am greatly disappointed with this interior design," Nightmare Moon agreed.
"Let us get out of here, then!" Chrysalis offered, and everypony nodded thereto.
"A good idea. Let's just get my armour; I’m not leaving it behind!" the alicorn said, looking at her silver helmet and slippers lying beside Spike. "Just one second and... Ah Wha—"
Suddenly, both Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon felt their wings freeze... and yet they were still hovering in the air. From shock, the dark alicorn almost let Sombra go, but quickly regained control over her hooves.
"No. You're not going anywhere," Twilight stated in a calm, and yet clearly infuriated voice. Her eyes were burning brightly with light and colourful wisps were streaming out of the edges.
"Get back to the wagon. Right. Now!" she commanded strictly, forcing the two fliers and their cargo to land. Her wings were spread widely, and it — even though her mane was still dishevelled and looked quite sloppy — made her seem incredibly menacing.
The three children lowered their heads, losing their happy attitude and glee, and walked slowly unto the wagon.
When Spike finally recovered from his fall, shook the dust off his scales, and approached Twilight, he looked angrily at the three ponies.
"Did you see what they did, Twi? That was... That was..."
"Awesome!" Sombra interrupted him, but Twilight quickly shushed him. Spike smiled and put out his tongue at the unicorn, much to Nightmare Moon's displeasure.
"Eek, what a brute!" she whispered.
"You stay in the wagon until I say otherwise. If you even think of climbing out, I'll put a door on it, and tie it with chains," Twilight leaned closer to the three, trying to put as much anger in her expression as she could. "Am I clear?"
"Yes," the three replied in unison and climbed into the wagon. Twilight watched over them and felt... incredible pride. She just ordered an eldritch demigod, a monarch of a menacing race and a ruthless, merciless dictator to get into the wagon and stay put.
The world of Equestria was truly a weird place to live in.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief and turned to unconscious Fluttershy. She should wake her up as soon as possible. Though, the poor pegasus wouldn’t be excited about what Twilight wanted to ask of her, especially with this mess.
"Spike."
"Ugh, really?" Spike applied his palm to his face with a loud slap sound. "Grrr, you owe me a gem for that, Twi. Okay, where does Fluttershy keep her broom?"