Days passed as Fluttershy laid in bed, unable to fight off both boredom and worries that plagued her mind. Thankfully the injuries she suffered in the unfortunate crash were healing nicely, judging from the lack of frequent aches, with only an occasional soreness if the pegasus stayed too long in one position. Not wanting to dwell on questions that would bring her only more worries Fluttershy decided for a short stroll inside the house. Though her host was most likely out at this time he never said that the pegasus wasn’t allowed to look around, so it was as if the stallion gave her his permission, right? The butter yellow mare wanted to at least do something simple to show her appreciation for the care that the mysterious unicorn showed her during the time of need.
If Fluttershy wanted to be honest with herself, Shade both fascinated and scared her. It was a very weird sensation; her fear was a logical reaction when one took into account Fluttershy’s very meek nature, as she never warmed up to new ponies she just met easily. However, as the stallion watched over the wounded pegasus, Fluttershy liked to think that she managed to get to know him, even if it’s just a little. Shade was very gentle when speaking to her or treating her wounds, yet he always wore this serious look on his face. This contrast made Fluttershy want to know more about him, find out why somepony so kind would live out here in the wild, and why his eyes were always looking so sad? Now that she thought about it, Fluttershy has never seen Shade smile like he was happy, just this small smile that had so much sadness and grief hidden behind it.
Shaking her head to clear it from such depressing thoughts, the young mare continued her little stroll around the house. She noticed how dusty it was, not really a serious matter, but to a mare that has been taking care of various animals in a small cottage for most of her life, not to mention her close friendship with a certain nitpicking fashionista, it was still noticeable. Fluttershy made a few little stretches, trying to check how much strain her weakened body could take. Not feeling any sudden aches the meek pegasus concluded that a small cleaning won’t be out of her reach.
Fluttershy looked around a little trying to find a broom closet or something similar, but there was nothing she could recognize as such. As she searched a familiar sound invaded her ears, something she only heard when either of her two unicorn friends worked around their respectable callings. The tingling of magic, along with something that sounded similar to stones being grinded against each other, were coming from underneath the floor, as strange as it seemed. Curiosity piqued the wounded pegasus trotted lightly towards the source of these sounds, which led her to a (c)hatch in the floor.
It looked a little heavy and Fluttershy was afraid she wouldn’t be able to lift it even if she was in full health, let alone now that almost whole her body was bandaged. Those thoughts were interrupted when the hatch lifted itself and from underneath Shade came out, his eyes were covered by goggles with dark lenses, his coat covered in spots of dirt and apparently ash. All of this startled the meek mare enough to let out a yelp and stumble onto the floor, her limbs aching from the sudden spasms caused by her reaction. Shade quickly discarded his goggles and came to Fluttershy’s side in a matter of seconds.
“Fluttershy, are you alright?” The concern in the stallion’s deep voice was audible enough to make the pegasus’ cheeks cover with a pink hue. He looked at the mare sternly, making her blush deepen, this time with an embarrassment. “You shouldn’t be moving so much yet. There’s still a risk for you to irritate your wounds.”
“I-I’m sorry!” Fluttershy squeaked. She hated to be a burden for anypony. “I was a little bored lying for four days in bed, and nothing really bothers me anymore. I-I just wanted to do something for you, maybe clean the house a little, for taking care of me,” the mare bashfully admitted.
The unicorn stallion stared at her for a short moment, taking in what she has said to him. Shade just sighed tiredly, he was far too exhausted to actually be angry at the mare, not to mention that all she wanted was to do something nice for him. The least he could do was acknowledge the good will and efforts Fluttershy showed him, something he haven’t experienced from another sentient being in a very long time.
“Fluttershy, I appreciate your gesture, but you shouldn’t put your health at risk along the way,” Shade reprimanded the mare, making her cringe even more. The stallion sighed tiredly. “Forgive me for my tone. Lately I’ve become a little frustrated with my work. It seems like I have come across a roadblock and I just can’t figure out how to overcome it. Still, it is no excuse for me to take it out on you, Fluttershy. Especially if you only wanted to help.”
The pegasus mare’s curiosity piqued once again after hearing the unicorn’s confession. She was actually interested in the special talent of her host, especially since his Cutie Mark was similar to one of her dear friends. Fluttershy spend enough time with Rarity to know something about gems. Maybe there was another way for her to repay her savior for his kindness and care.
“I-If you told me what the problem is, m-maybe I’ll be able to help.”
Shade looked at his guest a little surprised. “My talent involves a rather rare kind of magic and is very tightly tied to crystals and their various properties. Forgive my doubts, but do you really have any conception about either magic or crystals?”
“W-Well, I don’t really know that much, but two of my best friends are unicorns. One is very knowledgeable about all kinds of magic, while the other is very good at finding gems and they both have shared some of their knowledge with me on our meetings,” Fluttershy explained hopefully, before retreating her face behind the pink locks of her mane. “That is if that’s alright with you.”
“Maybe that is what I need. Another pony’s opinion could give an insight that escapes my attention,” Shade wondered out loud and chuckled quietly. “I lived alone for so long that I actually forgot how a second opinion can make one see a solution they have never considered before.” The stallion turned towards Fluttershy with a small smirk on his lips as he bowed his head towards the mare, making her cheeks scarlet again. “Fluttershy, would you be so kind and accompany me to my workshop and take a look on my work? I am actually curious of your opinion, and feel free to point any flaws you may discover.”
Fluttershy only nodded at the stallion’s suggestion before following him down to his workroom. Though the first few steps down the short wooden stairs were a little difficult, taking into consideration her still present injuries, thankfully it was a short trip. Before the mare’s eyes was a tunnel carved into the stone, most probably into the side of the very mountain the hut was standing on. The passage itself was high and wide enough for a pony to walk through without any difficulties. If not for the bandages, Fluttershy was sure that there was enough room here for her to spread her wings out and barely graze the walls with her primary feathers.
The tunnel was very dark at first, until Shade lit up his horn and the pink maned pegasus’ eyes were assaulted by a bright light coming from many little crystals that were attached to the walls, functioning as torches. For a little short moment Fluttershy hesitated going further, hiding her face behind the long locks of her mane, hunching down a little in attempts of becoming smaller. Seeing this behavior, Shade walked up to the mare and gave her a few gentle nuzzles with his snout, to show the scared pegasus that she’s safe. This silent conversation went on for only a few moments and the two were on their way once Fluttershy calmed down.
Their trip was only a couple of lengths, soon enough the pair entered a spatial chamber, filled with crystals of various shapes, colors and sizes, with columns bigger than average pony coming from the stone floor, many smaller ones on the walls created formations together making them look like precious flowers, especially when the light would go through many of them and fill the chamber with all the colors of rainbow. It was a very breathtaking, though Fluttershy wondered, how could all of this be so bright if they were underground? The answer came to her in a form of a chilly breeze that run around her body, making the coat covered skin crawl a little. She looked around for the source but found nothing on her eye-level or below it. Fluttershy tilted her head upwards and saw a small hole in the stone ceiling from which came warm rays of Celestia’s sun. Squinting her eyes a little the mare also discovered that there were colorless crystals growing along the way and seemed to enhance the light as it passed down to the center of the cave. Though this discovery explained many things to her, how does this system worked when the sun changed its position as the day passed?
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Shade suddenly asked, making the mare jump a little and let out a startled ‘eep’, which made him chuckle a little. How come this pegasus was so adorable with every little thing she did? “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he apologized and helped his guest get up from the cold floor.
“It-it’s nothing, really,” Fluttershy reassured the stallion, her cheeks going cherry red in embarrassment. Once again she takes a look over the cave, still trying to comprehend the beauty of this place. “It’s so beautiful. Did you really create all of this?”
“No, I just stumbled on this cave some time ago. It was the most amazing sight my eyes had the pleasure to see. Since my special talent revolves around crystals and their magic properties, I thought that this place would be perfect for my work,” Shade explained to his companion with a proud look in his eyes, until a resigned sigh escaped his lips. “Though, like I said earlier, there is a problem with my latest project that I can’t seem to resolve. Enough with that though, it’ll be better if I show you.” The unicorn extended his right hoof to the mare. “Shall we continue?”
“Um, okay,” she shyly replied. As they walked Fluttershy got a little uncomfortable with only the sound of their hooves accompanying them, and while she enjoyed quiet most of the time, this silence just creeped her out. Maybe all those times with ever chatting animals or Pinkie Pie singing her songs on every little occasion just got to her. “Um, Shade? Can I ask you something, if you don’t mind that is?”
“Of course. What would you like to know?”
“How’s there so much light here? I don’t see any torches or candles, and we are underground, yet I can see clearly like we’re outside. Did you make this with your magic?”
“A little bit actually,” Shade answered. “Some crystals have the properties of enhancing, reflecting, dispersing or even storing the light. I used a combination of those kinds to direct the sunlight coming through the little opening in the ceiling of this cave down to its center, and then to various parts of my workshop. The corridor which we came through has the storing crystals lined along the walls. Now I just need pour into them a little bit of magic to activate, while here they are constantly lighted up with sun, and in the night I can again use the light stored through the day.”
“That’s amazing!” Fluttershy exclaimed with astonishment. Her friend Twilight was probably the smartest pony she knew, but listening this stallion unicorn was much easier, though that may be because he wasn’t using so many technical terms. Still, the shy pegasus mare couldn’t help but be impressed by how resourceful her host is. “Crystals can do all of that?”
“That’s right, and so much more. Some were even used by unicorn mages as mediums for their spells, because just as they can store light they are also able to store magical energy. Very useful when one wants to experiment on pure energy instead of spells.”
“Were?” Fluttershy asked softly.
“Those kinds of crystals are very rare. Even in this cave there is no more than half a dozen altogether and only placing them in specific spots gives the effect you see now,” Shade explains while taking a few glances at his companion. The yellow mare seemed fine if only a little tired, he knew that they’ll have to keep the whole trip short. “Also, depending on size, there is only this much energy they can contain before releasing it. The crystals that are here are no bigger than chicken eggs, which gives about two hours before the energy is completely depleted. Which means I can’t work longer than that after the sunset,” the stallion grumbled aloud. Next thing he heard was a quiet giggle from the mare beside him. “Why are you laughing?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Fluttershy exclaimed though there was still a small smile on her face. “It’s just, you remind me of some of my friends who sometimes get so busy with their activities, that I often hear them complaining at lacking time to finish. Though I think that ponies need their rest or they won’t be able to do anything later on. I love tending to my animals but after spending a whole day doing it, I more than welcome going to bed and sleep.”
“You tend to animals?” Shade asked curiously. Shame to admit but through the time this mare was healing in his small hut, never did it occur to him to actually ask questions about her life before the crash.
“Yes, and I love to help all kinds of critters! Bunnies, squirrels, birdies … .” she trailed off while the stallion thought that she looked adorable right at this moment, listing all those small and cute animals, “... bears, manticores, star spiders, vampire fruit bats … .” Shade’s eyes widened in surprise. Now he actually didn’t know if this mare was actually shy, pretended to be, or if her love for all living creatures was just that enormous. If he had to bet on anything it would be the latter. Just as he wanted to ask another question Fluttershy suddenly gasped. “Oh no!”
“What? What happened? Are you in pain?” Shade asked concerned.
“No, I just remembered that I’m away from home for over a week now! And I was supposed to help ewes from the Crystal Empire! They are all sick and nopony there could find out why!” Fluttershy sat down on her hunches, pulled her long tail with her fore hooves to her chest and squeezed it for comfort, like a filly would a teddy bear at night to scare away nightmares. Heavy tears started to stream down her yellow cheeks, her sobs echoed inside the cave. “I k-know my-my friends a-are taking ca-care of the animals at-at home b-but I failed in my missions!” She wailed quietly. The mere thought of those cute little sheep suffering tore her kind heart apart. Fluttershy was so distraught that she didn’t even notice when Shade sat right beside her and wrapped his arm around her shaking frame.
“Fluttershy, I want you to calm down a little and listen to me, alright?” He felt her nod very gently and gave a reassuring squeeze of his own. “You didn’t fail anything. Whatever task you had in Crystal Empire it almost killed you. Snowstorms in these mountains are very dangerous, deadly even, and have I not been nearby then you wouldn’t be here now. There is nopony to blame for that, it was just a major case of bad luck.”
“B-But the e-ewes...” Fluttershy whimpered so quietly that Shade almost didn’t hear her.
“I am sure that whatever illness befell them, it’s been already cured by Crystal Empire’s veterinaries.”
“R-Really?” The mare looked up at her companion, eyes red and puffed, some tears still lingering. Shade couldn’t help himself but smile kindly at the mare, she was just so adorable, no matter what circumstances.
“If this is so important to you then let’s make an agreement here,” the stallion said as he wiped Fluttershy’s wet cheeks. “The next time I go for supplies to the nearby village I’ll ask for any news they may have about the Crystal Empire. If there was something major going on then there’s a high chance that rumors travelled through the whole land. If there isn’t anything that means everything is under control and there’s nothing to worry about. You must just promise me that you’ll stop blaming yourself and focus on your recovery.” Shade put a hoof under the pegasus’ chin and made her look at him straight in the eyes, his small and kind smile still present. “Can you do that?”
“O-o-okay … .” Fluttershy released her tail and wiped her eyes clean. Shade was right, she thought. There was no reason to worry right now, especially since she still haven’t regained her full strength. Not to mention that she was here to help her rescuer, not bring more troubles on his head. “A-alright.” Fluttershy got up with the little help from the unicorn, the whole emotional breakdown took a little toll on her still weakened body. “I’m good to go further.”
“Are you sure? We can do this later if you’re not feeling well.”
“I’m-I’m sure. I promised that I’ll help with your work Shade and it’s not nice to break your promises,” she chastised him softly, again surprising the stallion. Seeing his reaction Fluttershy’s normally butter yellow cheeks for the nth time today were stained with a crimson blush. “That is, if you don’t mind me around...”
“Very well then,” Shade exclaimed as he got up and helped Fluttershy stand. “Let’s continue. It’s not too far away from here, and I think you may like what you’ll see there. However, if at any moment you’ll feel not well, let me know and I’ll take you back upstairs, alright?”
“Yes, thank you,” Fluttershy replied.
As the two ponies continued their trek through the caves, Fluttershy’s mood significantly got better. She was more than a little embarrassed with breaking down like that, but those thoughts were haunting here ever since she woke up. Only now it actually occurred to her just what is happening and all the weight of this situation just dropped upon her without any warning. If not for a friendly word and presence there was no telling how much the mare’s heart could take before completely breaking into million pieces.
Fluttershy’s thoughts started to hover over the stallion that took care of her in the time of need. It wasn’t like she wanted to think, to feel like this, but everything seemed like out of this world. Shade was a very nice stallion, very kind and wise, at least that’s what Fluttershy thought about him. He rescued her, practically saved her life after the fatal crash of the chariot, then let her stay in his home to recover back to full health. To him she was a stranger, an unknown pony. Who lets somepony like that stay with them if they don’t have kind heart? Next her thoughts moved to the unicorn’s physical attributes, at which Fluttershy’s cheeks always warmed up a little. He was much taller than her, much like Big Macintosh, Applejack’s brother, though less bulky and more athletic. There was little that Fluttershy knew about color schemes, not like Rarity, but the combination of his jet-black mane and tail with the grey shade of his coat gave the stallion a more mysterious aura, if she could call it that. Again though, the mare remembered his eyes. Behind them was a deep ocean of emotion, but on the surface they seemed like ice have covered them, and locked everything behind thick walls. It puzzled the pegasus; how somepony so kind and generous could experience anything that would result in gaining such look in their eyes?
“This is it.” Fluttershy was shaken from her thoughts by the stallion’s voice. First thing she noticed was that this part of the cave was much smaller than the hall they entered through the tunnel. Actually, now that she thought about it, this chamber wasn’t bigger than Rarity’s main part of her boutique. Next was a formation of crystals before the two ponies. All were colorless, various sizes and shapes. Together they formed something that reminded the shy mare of pipe organs, though there were no pipes and only one little crystal on a pedestal that could be taken for key, but why was there only one?
“What is this?” Fluttershy asked, trying to understand what she’s currently looking at, by gazing this strange thing up and down. There was something off about those crystals, but the mare wasn’t really sure what it could be.
“Like I said before, I specialize in crystals and their properties,” Shade explained patiently. “To survive in my solitude I make crystal figures, sculptures and toys with my magic to buy supplies in the village that’s a few hours down the slope of this mountain. Sometimes I explored these caves, looking for both inspiration and peace of mind.” The unicorn’s face was covered in shadows for a flick of second, giving him a truly sinister look, but just as it quickly came, it disappeared in a blink of an eye. “During one of such trips I’ve discovered crystals so unique, that I have no doubt in my mind, one cannot find outside these caves.” His horn lighted up again and red aura enveloped a single little piece lying at his hooves, lifting it up to his eye level. When the magic around the mineral intensified Fluttershy’s ears twitched as the air was filled with a tune she had never heard before. It wasn’t unpleasant, just different. The sound disappeared once Shade cut off the flow of magic and placed the crystal beside himself on the stone floor.
“Then, is all of this,” Fluttershy pointed at the construction in the middle of the chamber, “made of those special crystals?”
“That is correct. I managed to create probably one of a kind magical instrument, one that plays a melody solely depending on a pony’s personality,” Shade claimed, pushing out his chest, a proud look adorning his face. It was clear that the stallion felt great pride in his work.
“Really?” Flutttershy asked with awe in her voice. “How would you do that?”
“Another special crystal, with a bit of my magic and a spell I have designed myself, all those elements are essential for this to work. The pedestal you’re seeing is where a pony puts their hooves on and the spell I mentioned reads their aura. From there the magical energy inside the storage crystal will flow through all other parts of the instrument, making the crystals vibrate and make tones according to the amount of magic going through them,” the unicorn explained the mechanics behind his invention, though he actually sighed regrettably at the end of it. “At least theoretically. I still haven’t got anything more than a horrible noise, which I’ll spare us hearing it right now, whenever I activate the spell. Either my personality is really that awful or there is some error in the design that I have overlooked. Personally, I’d like to think it’s the second reason.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing like that,” Fluttershy said with a kind smile on her lips. “You’re a very kind pony and I’m positive that whatever the problem is, you’ll make it right!” She added with confidence in her quiet voice.
“I am glad you think that way Fluttershy. Do you think you could look at my creation and help me find the source of the problem?” he asked the mare at which she only nodded in response.
“I-I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try,” she replied with a note of uncertainty in her quiet voice. Fluttershy gazed upon the crystal instrument, trying to find anything that could help her new friend in making his device work. Though in her mind Rarity or Twilight would be more appropriate for the job, they were not here, so it was pretty much useless wishing for them now. Her cyan eyes were drawn to a small piece of mineral sitting in between three bigger pylons, there was something about them that didn’t sit with her right. “Um, Shade? Could ... Could you check these crystals over there? I think something is wrong with the smallest one.”
“Smallest?” Shade questioned and walked over to where the mare pointed her hoof. Indeed, there were three big crystals and a fourth much smaller one in the middle of them, and it didn’t belong there. “This wasn’t supposed to happen ...” he murmured to himself, though loud enough for his companion to hear.
“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked, squinting her eyes in concern.
“I think you found the source of my problem, Fluttershy,” Shade replied. “This crystal here is out of sync with the other two.”
“Two? But, shouldn’t it be three? There are four crystals here, right?” The pegasus was confused at this inaccurate math. She waited patiently for an explanation.
“Not exactly,” Shade answered cryptically. Then he took out one of the crystals, leaving only two on the pedestal they all were on. Looking closer now Fluttershy could see that the small crystal was actually attached to the bigger one. “This one here is something I call twin crystals. As I already told you, my magic and talent revolve around crystals, therefore I’m able to manipulate them in ways not available to other ponies. For example, I can make some of them grow a little faster than naturally. Apparently, when I constructed this section, I gave a little too much power to this crystal, which resulted in what we see now,” he explained and gave a tired sigh. “I should’ve noticed this earlier. Still, I’d like to thank you for your assistance, Fluttershy,” the unicorn bowed his head a little towards his friend, noticing with mirth as her cheeks heated up again.
Lightning up his horn once more, Shade’s magic aura enveloped the twin crystal and with precise power he cut off the offending piece, leaving only a smooth surface in the spot where the smaller piece was connected with the larger pylon. Taking a while to judge if nothing else was out of place, Shade found himself satisfied with the result, and without any further hesitation he placed the crystal back in its place.
“That should do it. Let’s see if this works. Fluttershy, would you be so kind and place your hoof on the pedestal over there?” The unicorn pointed at the base of the construction, where Fluttershy saw a roughly hoof-sized crystal panel. Not seeing anything wrong in the request, the shy mare approached it and just placed her right front hoof, feeling the cool and smooth surface of the crystal through it. She was anticipating at what was going to happen, despite the worry that never seemed to leave her.
The whole construction suddenly lighted up, shining in the half-dark cave with its inner light. Some parts started to move and before Fluttershy could even utter a word, a beautiful melody assaulted her hearing. Soft tones soothed her very being, the inner love for music immediately made the mare close her teal eyes and listen quietly. Everything she has ever held dear, her friends, Angel Bunny, the animals in her cottage, everything came to her mind the longer she listened to this crystal music. While this made her very happy, at the same time Fluttershy couldn’t stop tears forming in her eyes and fall down her cheeks. All those memories made her realize just how much she was missing her home, how worried she was about everypony, and they for her.
“Fluttershy? Is something wrong?” Shade’s worried voice brought the mare out of her thoughts. Again the pegasus felt like she was going to bury herself from embarrassment, because this was a second time she cried in front of this kind stallion. He probably thought she was a nuisance.
“I’m-I’m so-sorr-rry,” Fluttershy tried to say in between her sobs, the song already ended and its last tones just resonated faintly in the cave. “Thi-This music wa-was ju-st so b-beautiful... It-It made me re-remember my home and friends... I mi-miss them so much!” The mare’s body shook again, her sobs echoing in the silence that now surrounded the two ponies, heavy tears dripped down her muzzle and fell upon the cold stone floor. Those miserable feelings would continue if an unexpected warmth enveloped the small pegasus, a gentle nuzzle to her cheek caused that Fluttershy unconsciously leaned against the soft fur of the stallion’s chest.
When Fluttershy started crying Shade felt helpless. Previously he was able to calm her down because she was overwhelmed with misplaced guilt, a feeling that he himself was very familiar with, but now it was very different. Now Fluttershy was genuinely sad, missing her friends and home. It was an unknown territory for the unicorn, he had no idea what to do to help this mare. Therefore he did the only thing that came to his mind and enveloped Fluttershy in a warm embrace. He felt wetness on his chest, as the never ending stream of tears continued, Shade decided to stay with her like this. Despite the situation, he couldn’t help but find Fluttershy’s coat feeling incredibly warm and soft against his own. Looking down at the mare Shade still couldn’t believe how vulnerable and fragile she was, and at the same time so kind and soft-hearted. It made him want to protect this mare from anything that would ever dare to want to hurt her.
“Fluttershy, look at me, please,” Shade calmly commanded, bringing his hoof up to her chin. Still sobbing softly Fluttershy peeked from behind a lock of her pink mane, her teal eyes were red, puffy and overflowed with fresh tears. Gently the stallion brushed the lock aside, bringing his muzzle down and nuzzling the distraught mare’s wet cheek. “I promise you, once you’re healed I will help you find your way home. You won’t be alone in this journey. You’re not alone now. I’m here.”
Instead of voiced reply Fluttershy only shakily nodded, her whole body still shaking from her crying. She wasn’t even aware when Shade brought them both back upstairs to his cabin and put her to bed, all she knew was that she wasn’t alone. Everything that once seemed terrifying now faded away when just a single thought of this unicorn stallion, standing valiantly beside her, entered her mind. Slowly but surely Fluttershy stopped crying and drifted off to a more peaceful sleep. Shade was looking over her for a little while, admiring the peaceful expression that enveloped the mare’s face. Once he knew she was deeply asleep, he quietly slipped from the room, a new resolve now guiding his determination.
He will see that Fluttershy gets safely back home. Even if that was the last thing he’ll do.