//------------------------------// // Injury // Story: Courage // by scion //------------------------------// "Fluttershy! Fluttershy!" Fluttershy paused in taking a dainty sip of tea as she heard the call. Barry the bear did likewise, the flower-print teacup dainty in his huge claws. Beside them, Mr. Manticore laid idly, scorpion tail idly swaying as he sampled the delicious little pastries she had brought. He too paused in the sampling of his little morsel. Beside them both, the dour little rabbit that was Angel Bunny scowled at the interruption. "FLUUUTTTTEEEERRRSSHHHYYY!" Fluttershy recognized it now; the voice of young Scootaloo. Though she was surprised that she was only hearing one voice, she and Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were practically inseparable, especially on the weekends. Ohhh, this sounded urgent. But... what could Scootaloo need? And why was she coming from the Everfree? "Oh... I'm so sorry.... um, could you excuse me? Thank you." Fluttershy carefully set her teacup down and began uncertainly trotting towards the edge of the woods where she heard Scootaloo's call. As a result, she jumped halfway to the clouds when the little orange pegasus came barrelling out of the treeline. "Flutters– AHHHHHHHHH!" Scootaloo shot into the clearing on her scooter and was forced to swerve violently to avoid both a startled bear and a startled bunny. Brakes squealed and the little pegasus frantically beat her wings, but she was going too fast and her load was too heavy. She crashed into the firm yet yielding side of the manticore, bringing her journey to a sudden halt. With the exuberance of foals everywhere, Scootaloo bounced back to her hooves. "Fluttershy! You have to help! Please, you have to–" Scootaloo's voice faded away as Fluttershy noticed what was in the wagon attached to her scooter. It was alive, true, but it was not the normal two little foals that were her friends. No, in the wagon was what she recognized as THE wolf, the same that Rarity claimed to have helped Spike save her. The one everypony had been trying to find for days now. But what was even more important than that was his condition. It lay in the wagon breathing heavily, with four long red streaks from shoulder to haunch, bleeding freely. One hind leg lay out of the wagon, and from the way the wolf whimpered whenever it touched the side, it was clear it had been hurt. It was a miracle it was conscious, though it was clear to Fluttershy from the way that it whimpered in pain and the way it's eyes were lidded. The wolf was hurt, badly. It broke her heart when she found animals in a condition like this. All this went through Fluttershy's mind in the blink of an eye. In the next, she acted. "Barry!" her voice was stern, effortlessly commanding attention and obedience. "Pick him up, get him inside on the coffee table! Angel, go inside and fetch all the clean sheets and towels you can find, spread the sheets on the coffee table and the towels on the couch!" Fluttershy zoomed into her house with a speed that rivaled Rainbow Dash. Inside, she cleared everything she could out of her living room at the speed of a madmare, single-hoofedly pushing her display cabinet out of the way at lightning speed. She cleared the coffee table of the vase just in time for Angel to tear back into the room with a stack of towels so high it nearly touched the ceiling. She trusted Angel to get the rest of the room ready, and hurried to her room to prepare her first aid kit. She was back downstairs in record time, just in time to see Barry gently lay the wolf on the table with a pained whine. Fluttershy straightened the nurse smock she was wearing and used a wing to grab a needle and thread from her bag. In her mouth, a needle leaked anesthetic. This.... this would call upon all her considerable veterinary skills. Outside, a manticore and one anxious and worried little pony was joined by two more little ponies in peeking through Fluttershy's living room window. --- Rarity Belle trotted idly along the path to Fluttershy's house. It was a trip she made often enough. Of their group of friends, Fluttershy was perhaps her best friend. When the shy pegasus who was rarely seen in town had stepped up to help Twilight that night, Rarity had honestly been surprised. When that ordeal was over, and the six of them found themselves close friends, Rarity had taken it upon herself to get to know the mare. Her efforts had been wildly successful; the two went to the spa every week these days, gossiping and enjoying themselves under the ministrations of the spa sisters. Still, it was not often that Rarity came this way. Fluttershy valued her privacy and her animals, and Rarity respected her space. So when young Scootaloo had buzzed into her boutique, looking rather down, and told her that Fluttershy wanted her friends to meet her at her cottage, Rarity was surprised. And suspicious. Something was up, but Scootaloo had refused to elaborate, making an excuse and leaving to take the message to Twilight and the others. It was curious. A mystery. Rarity loved a good mystery, though her mind invariable made up the most scandalous things she could think of. Could it be that Fluttershy had finally found a colt to court? Oh! Who was it? Time Turner? He was an eligible bachelor, nice toned flanks and a gentle attitude, he would be a fine stallion for her. Or was it Big Macintosh? Half the town's mares had dreams of that stallion, Rarity included; if Fluttershy had managed to ensnare him, it would be quite the catch! Oh, good job Fluttershy! Rarity found herself squealing as she pranced in place. With effort, she forced herself still and collected herself. She was a lady, not a schoolfilly. If Fluttershy had found a proper stallion to settle down with, it was her duty as a friend to support her and to be happy for her. Collected, she cleared her throat in a lady-like manner and continued down the road to the cottage where her friend and her groom awaited. A bend in the road revealed the cottage of her shy friend, and additional figures to boot; the whole herd was here, idly chatting as they wondered what their good friend was doing. Rarity smiled as she trotted up. "Good evening, girls!" she greeted them. They chorused back various greetings of their own before gathering together in one large group. "Does anypony know what's goin' on?" Applejack asked plainly. She sounded a bit annoyed. "Now now, Applejack, I'm sure that Fluttershy has a perfectly good reason for calling us here," Rarity scolded her friend. "Fluttershy wouldn't waste our time!" Rainbow said heatedly towards the apple mare. Rarity sighed as the two of them locked eyes. Those two were the best of friends, but they were also both stubborn and rather physical. They would lock horns over just about anything. Fortunately, their staredown was interrupted by a blast from a party noisemaker. "She's here to introduce us to a new pony!" Pinkie cried out exuberantly. The party pony was practically vibrating, no doubt excited to get the introduction to Ponyville party started. Likely she'd already prepared all the various foodstuffs and drinks and was simply waiting to find out the new pony's name before sending out invitations. "Well now..." Rarity thought to herself. Fluttershy and a new stallion in town? It was, no doubt, love at first sight! He no doubt fell for the graceful angel that he had encountered on his way in to town, and she fell head over hooves in love with a dashing stallion! "Fluttershy!" Rarity snapped out of her daydream as Twilight called out. Lo and behold, Fluttershy was exiting her small home… She looked particularly ragged, with puffy red eyes and– was that a spot of blood on her forelegs? No, it wasn't just one spot, there were several. Oh dear… Rarity made a note to schedule a spa appointment with her friend as soon as possible. It was quite clear now that there was no stallion behind the door, only a poor woodland creature in a frightful condition. She would need a pick-me-up, or maybe something more drastic if it went badly... "Hello girls," Fluttershy greeted. Her voice was laden with exhaustion, and there was no doubt the others picked up on it. "Fluttershy? Is... something wrong?" Twilight asked hesitantly. She shook her head… then thought better of it and nodded. “Well… yes and no, I guess,” she said softly. “Don’t worry, dear, we’re here for you,” Rarity encouraged. “The Crusaders were in the Everfree,” she began. Rarity’s heart leapt into her throat. What was Sweetie Belle thinking?! The forest was dangerous, even more so these days with all the events surrounding it. She had told Sweetie to be careful! Beside her, Rarity heard Applejack's intake of breath as well. No doubt she had had the same talk with her sister and was just as worried. "They were attacked by a chimera. I think it was mad... the girls said it had glowing red eyes..." "Are they alright!?" Rarity demanded desperately. "Is Sweetie alright?! Please tell me the blood on your forelegs isn't Sweetie Belle's!" Applejack had gone pale at that. The rest of their little group reacted similarly, from open-mouthed horror from Rainbow Dash to Twilight's hoof-stifled gasp. Rarity barely noticed; she stared at Fluttershy, at her best friend, begging, pleading with all her soul for Fluttershy not to confirm her worst fears. "No! The Crusaders are fine," she exclaimed, shaking her head frantically. "Nothing more than a few bruises and scratches." The ponies all let out sighs of relief, none more so than Applejack and herself. Their sisters were alright, despite all the odds... "How did they get away?" Twilight asked. The sad look returned to Fluttershy's muzzle. "The wolf." "What do you mean, 'the wolf'?" Rainbow asked suspiciously. "I don't know everything... but the wolf came out of nowhere and attacked the chimera, saving all three of them." Well now... Another heroic act from a predatory creature that did not exist; first, helping Spike rescue her, in perhaps the most romantic way she could imagine. Now, saving her sister? Rarity was the Element of Generosity; she knew the value of giving. This wolf had given her her freedom, and had given her back her sister. It was a debt she would likely never be able to repay. She saw the same looks mirrored on her friends muzzles. They too were silently judging the wolf now in light of this new information. Twilight frowned, as did Applejack, but Pinkie simply grinned and Rainbow Dash looked rather thoughtful. "He was hurt though," Fluttershy continued. Rarity's eyes flicked to the drops of blood on her friend's coat. "A chimera is no creature to trifle with. Is he going to be alright?" she asked hesitantly. "A fractured hind leg, three cracked ribs, a concussion, and more than two hundred stitches... but he should survive," Fluttershy replied with a hopeful smile. "A-anyways, I thought you might like to know..." "Epona ain't gonna be happy when she hears this..." Applejack muttered. "Excuse me?" Rarity asked, startled. What did Epona have anything to do with this? "Applejack saw the wolf talking to Epona this morning. The wolf is Link, the one she's been looking for. Her 'master'," Twilight filled in absently. It took a moment for Rarity to process that. The wolf was Link, the same Link that Epona spoke of? If so, the wolf was certainly smarter than his appearance suggested. He may not look the part, but his deeds certainly marked him as a good pony... "Ahem," Rarity cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "Well, thank you, Fluttershy, for letting us know. I know I certainly owe the wol– Link a great deal. I'm sure he won't be a problem, surely we can see him as a friend...?" "Mayyyybbeee…" Rainbow Dash said suspiciously. Rarity rolled her eyes. The mare representing loyalty probably wouldn’t be satisfied until she met him in pony. "Ah have to admit, ah don' like this much," Applejack said with a frown. "There's a lot o' animals on the farm that'll startle real easy if they see a wolf walkin' around. An' with Epona bein' so close t' him... well, Link's a hero in mah books, but ah sure wish he'd stop comin' round mah farm an' givin me heart failure." Pinkie Pie practically exploded as they turned to look at her. "I told you he was nice! And now, I can put his name on his cake and we can have the best 'Welcome to Ponyville' party ever thrown for a wolf!" she said excitedly. Eyes turned to Fluttershy, who shrank before the attention. "Ummm... I think he's nice..." she meeped out. Rarity had expected no less from the Element of Kindness, especially not when such a creature was injured and vulnerable. All eyes turned to Twilight. Twilight sighed. "I don't like not knowing what's going on. But he did help save Rarity and half the town, and now he saved the Crusaders." A smile came to her muzzle. "He's a friend." Fluttershy's happy smile was a beauty to behold, and it made Rarity happy as well. At least until she remembered the heart failure she had gone through in the last few minutes. "Fluttershy, where is Sweetie Belle?" she asked, her voice hard. --- Fluttershy's ears cocked as she heard the whistle of the teapot, signaling that the water was boiling. She poured it onto a dishcloth, wetting and warming the fabric, then took the teapot in her mouth and headed for her living room. Outside, she could hear the scolding tones of Rarity and Applejack as they berated their younger siblings. A quick peek out the window saw all the Crusaders with their heads bowed in shame as the two took turns talking. Oh, she hoped it wouldn't go on much longer. They'd been scolding the Crusaders for nearly twenty minutes now. She agreed that something had to be done to prevent them from doing it again, but she didn't think scolding them too much would help. Discipline was necessary, but too much of a negative atmosphere was not good for a creature, or for ponies for that matter. Fluttershy set the teapot down on the cleared coffee table and approached the couch, tuning out the conversation outside. On the couch, bandaged on a freshly cleaned sheet, the wolf lay, unconscious but alive and breathing. Fluttershy took the wetted cloth and continued the long and arduous process of cleaning the wol– Link. His fur was long, trapping liquids quite well, and as a result of his injuries his back had a lot of blood now trapped within the fur. The wet cloth helped, but even so it was going to take time to properly clean his fur by hoof— she didn’t want to risk moving him too much yet. All in all, Fluttershy found the wolf a sympathetic curiosity. She had never seen such a pattern of fur before on an animal, especially not the forehead pattern, nor had she ever seen one with a small blue earring, or an iron cuff. What had this poor creature been through to bear such a thing? But for all his sharp teeth, all his claws, all the fighting that she had heard he had done, she wasn’t afraid. Something about him reminded her of the forest- not the Everfree; more like Whitetail Woods. A gentle wilderness, wild and free yet beautiful at the same time. She idly put a hoof to his forehead to check his temperature— if those wounds became infected she would need to head it off right away. When she took it away, an icy blue eye was visible. Fluttershy started. "eep!" But when the wolf struggled to rise, forepaws working as the hind legs quivered, and he let out a pained yelp, all timidity left Fluttershy. "No, please stay down," she told him, gently pushing on his back. "Please, don't hurt yourself. You need to rest." Icy blue eyes met her own, and for a few moments, the two stared at each other, examining what they saw. For her part, Fluttershy saw intelligence in those eyes. She saw the mind behind them, silently judging her friend or foe. But it was cloaked behind a veil of raw energy that she could only describe as bestial, wild. Power in its primal form. No, power wasn't the right word to describe that... The w– Link slumped back onto the couch, breaking Fluttershy out of her thoughts. He turned his head and idly examined his wrappings, and his braced leg. In the meantime, Fluttershy went to her kitchen and got out a bowl before filling it with water. She set it down in front of him, and after a moment, he dunked his muzzle in and drank greedily. She waited patiently for him to finish. "Uhm... Link?" she asked quietly. His head swung around. "Uhm, is it alright if I call you Link? Epona said that was your name," she asked. Understanding animals was her special talent. It was very hard– she doubted that anypony without such a cutie mark could ever manage what she did. There was, after all, a reason why they were called animals; they had no written language, and most did not even have a complete audible language, and that wasn't counting the myriad of creatures that depended upon smells or other signals that the average pony could not see, much less understand. Understanding an animal, any animal, meant looking for those subtle signs and correctly interpreting their meaning, something nearly impossible for the average pony. That being said, anypony could have interpreted the nod that the w- Link gave her. She smiled. “You were pretty hurt by that chimera. Everypony really, really appreciates what you did, saving the Crusaders. You did a brave thing today. Thank you.” Link looked a bit sheepish at the praise. Fluttershy stifled a small giggle with her hoof. “Well, we appreciate it anyways. All of us do. And if you need anything… well, let me know.” Fluttershy took the now empty water bowl and trotted to the sink to refill it. On the way, her eyes brushed over a scroll of parchment, and she remembered what she had promised to Twilight. Her friend had been insistent upon getting answers, but Fluttershy had been equally as adamant that what Link needed right now was rest, not Twilight demanding answers from him. She could be scary sometimes when she was asking questions, and he was in absolutely no condition to be scared right now. Fluttershy had managed to get her to let Link rest by promising to ask him the questions herself and write down the answers. Twilight must really want to know the answers, she already had all the questions written down and everything! Taking the scroll in her mouth, she returned to the couch and sat down, unrolling it to see what Twilight wanted to ask. “Um… Mister Link?” His ears pricked and he lifted his head to face her. “Uhm… my friends and I have some questions about, uhm, things… and we were hoping you could answer some of them?” she asked timidly. “That is, if it’s alright with you right now?” The wolf gave a nod. “R-right. Uhm… first question…” --- It was late that night. The yellow pony was fast asleep in her room, cute little snores sneaking their way through the door. The animals were all asleep in their various nooks and crannies, resting for the next day. The moon cast a slight shadow on the wolf as he slept on the couch, his paws twitching as he dreamed. For a moment, the shadow seemed to waver. Then it jumped, forming into a small imp-like creature. She was not made from shadow this time, despite having come from them. No, this was her real, solid self, every bit real from the stone crown upon her head to the tips of her stubby little feet. Midna, companion of Link, floated around the room on magics unseen, examining her companion from every angle. Worry mixed with a frown upon her face as the small imp floated in to land gently on the couch next to him. Small five fingered hands clumsily adjusted one of the bandages, tightening the loosened material. She fiddled with it for several minutes, making several small corrections, before forcing herself away. She floated up to his head, looking Link in his closed eyes. She bowed her head and said some soft words in her strange language, soft enough that even Link would have barely been able to hear them. Then she adjusted his pillow to a better position, and floated over to the coffee table, seating herself on the edge. Staring at Link's injuries. She remained there for a very long time.