//------------------------------// // Ch.14 Favoring Fluttershy // Story: The Origin Chronicles Vol. 2 // by SmokeShadow95 //------------------------------// “OH, sweet Celestia's breath! How did you ever find your way though that?!” Discord was being a bit more dramatic than Spike took him for. It was just a simple trek through a cave. Well, simple was not really the right word to use for what they just went through. Spike had brought Discord and Flake Frost along with him on the quest to save Fluttershy. She was somewhere beyond a very large cave. Said cave was the only way through to her. There were a few problems blocking their path forward, however. First off: The cave was completely filled to the brim with darkness. Every nook, every cranny, every little itty bitty crack there was in this cave had darkness in it. And it wasn't just any normal darkness, either. It was a magically infused darkness. It consumed light. Seriously, it did! It consumed every ounce of light that entered worse than a plaque of parasprites. But that was only the first problem. Secondly: This light eating darkness also had a taste for magic. Not even Discord and all his chaotic finger snapping could stand inside for more than a moment before all his magic energy was drained out if him. That presented a rather large problem as all of them had some sort of magic. Spike was Dragon Mystik. Enough said. Discord was Discord. Enough said. Flake was an above average Unicorn filly that specialized in ice magic. It was still magic. Third thing: Spike actually had a solution for the cave. But this solution came with a problem. He could get them through by putting up a barrier around them. It would push back the darkness and give them some much needed light while keeping their magic to themselves at the same time. The downside was that he could do nothing else as this was a spell he needed to keep up at all times. Also, he could only keep it up for an hour at best, and that was with the barrier small. So not only did Discord and Flake have to protect him, they also had to stay close to one another and move fast. Sometimes, Spike cursed the day he decided to learn dragon magic. Then he remembered everything he could do with it and banished the cursing thought to the moon. He accidentally made that remark in front of Luna a couple years back and got an unexpected response. She laughed. Said it was one of the funniest things she had heard all that month. Anyway, Spike turned back to Discord. “Because, Discord, I am just that awesome.” “You? Ahm the one who had ta make three ice bridges out nothing,” Flake retorted, “Do you know how hard it is makin' an ice bridge thats able to support both of ya, as well as me?” “Why, I am light as a feather, miss Frost. It must be Spike's considerable muscle that was weighing him down.” Discord turned into his best imitation of Spike and went on to pose in a variety of ways. Each pose was designed to show off the muscles he had, even if they were a bit unrealistic. That was Discord for you. “Anyway, how far til we git to your Flutter-friend, Spike?” “That would be Fluttershy, Missy Flake. Got it?” Flake had noticed Discord got this way whenever Fluttershy was brought up. She had gotten the idea back when he first showed up in the throne room of the Crystal Palace. She had dropped a few more 'test Flutters' as she called them to see what he would do. Back in the cave, she had made a comment about Fluttershy being a Unicorn and not a Pegasus. She wasn't going to forget Discord's reaction for a long time to come. “What?! NO! Fluttershy is not a Unicorn. How could she be a Unicorn? She would have an immense amount of trouble tending to all the animals she looks after if she didn't have wings. Especially the bees, and the birds. And don't forget the butterflies. Little buggars are always needing something. “And then there is her name. 'Flutershy.' Her name literally suggests her being a Pegasus, and not a Unicorn. Why her name would have to be . . . have to be. . . I don't even know what her name would be if she were a Unicorn! “And then one of the others would have to be Pegasus to make up for the lack of Pegasi, and having one to many Unicorns. It would have to either Twilight or Rarity, as they are the other two Unicorns, Unless it was somepony else – like Applejack for instance – and then another pony became an Earth pony. But then it would all just be confusing, even for me. And I live for confusion. You see, Flake? Fluttershy being a Unicorn would literally tear reality apart at the seams. Trust me, I have tried.” That whole rant took him about half an hour, not counting the incoherent mumbling he did to himself in between some lines. She was so amused by his outburst at the time she nearly forgot to keep the ice bridge going. Good thing she remembered, or else Spike would have tumbled down into who knows what. Anyway, that was just Flake's first test Flutter. She had more, but thought against bringing them up now. Instead she just hit him with the big question. “Sooooo, Discord.” She sauntered over to him and absentmindedly started talking, “I just wanted ya to know that all mah comments before were just me pokin' fun at ya. I was trying to rile up the Lord of Chaos himself.” “Rile me up? And just what makes you think you can do such a thing to me?” “So, you really have the hots for Fluttershy, don't ya?” Flake said it all without a moments, a seconds hesitation. She got it all out with one breath. Spike nearly fell over. He was listening to their conversation while trying to walk down this rocky path and nearly tripped over a rock at Flake's sudden question. Discord himself was caught off guard. He had been expecting something from the filly, but not that. He tried to hide his feelings for Fluttershy and thought he did pretty well when it came to that. Sure, he let a few things slip every know and then, but what pony or inter-dimensional Chaos Lord didn't from time to time. An honest slip up, really. And yet, when he heard the question he shattered into as many small pieces as he possibly could. For real. He exploded into smithereens and fell into a neat little pile in front of Flake. “Well, jeez. Ya didn't need to go an fall to pieces on me.” “Hardy har har, little miss Frost,” Discord said as he duct taped himself back together. “Well, Discord, are you going to answer her,” Spike asked. Discord looked around at the overpowering amount of the two pairs of eyes on him. It was too much. He could feel the pressure of their gossip inquiring gaze crushing him. He was going to break into pieces again. He had no choice but to confess. “ALRIGHT, I ADMIT IT!! I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship. It is still so new to me and I do have these questions I want to ask. It is really important to me, but I don't know how she is going to react. I don't want to her run away, screaming from me. On the other hand, or hoof, I really don't know what to do if she takes it all well and nothing goes wrong. Maybe I should just tell her. No, what I have to say can only be said with a question. I will go to her once all this Madness stuff is over and I will ask her, 'Fluttershy, do you prefer pink or purple slippers?” Discord snapped his fingers once again and two pairs of slippers appeared in either hand. They were the exact same pair of basic slippers. The only thing that made them stand out was the rather prominent Discord face decorating them, and the fact that one pair was blue and one was yellow. Spike put a hand to his face in the most prominent facepalm he could manage. He wasn't sure if Flake actually got the joke or not, but she was on her back on the ground laughing her heart out. “You totally have the hots for Fluttershy,” She got out between laughs. “What?! I never admitted to such a thing.” “Actually, ya kinda did. I don't know how it is in other places, but here in the Crystal Empire, ya only get slippers for the one you gots the hots for.” Discord felt all smug and on top of the world after his witty rant that ended with slippers, but then it all went away. He had played it so well, only to find that he had played right into that fillies hooves. Bollocks! His smile vanished as the corners of his mouth dropped down significantly. “Relax there, chaos buddy. Yer secret is safe with me,” Flake reassured Discord, but that did little to help his mood. He was really growing to not like her. Spike had to pick Flake up and throw her over his shoulder so they could get moving right away. She was way to busy laughing. It went on for several minutes until she finally ran out of steam. Spike set her down and she walked beside him. Discord floated on by on a cloud without a care in the world, almost. Whether he admitted to it or not he was worried about Fluttershy. He had seen the effects of this Madness with his own eyes, and he knew the kind of pony she was. Would she be able to handle it? What kind of stated would she be in when he found her? Discord had already gone off on Spike after he told him he left her for a month. Needless to say he was not happy with that. The odd trio walked on for about an hour, maybe two. Well, Discord didn't walk. He stayed on his cloud the entire time. He seemed very attached to it. Maybe Fluttershy had given it to him, or something. Maybe? Anyway, it was not long after that that they actually came upon their destination. They saw the place where Fluttershy was being held. It was a small fortress, with high towers on the four corners and and relatively flat design otherwise. The building was not the problem. It was the massive quantity of Mad ponies guarding it that was giving them pause. “Oh, finally. Now we can stop. I was starting to get ssooooo very tired,” Discord complained. “You?! You ain't been doing nothin' but laying on that there cloud for the past however long we been walking.” Discord disembarked the cloud and held it down. He then reached into the cloud and pulled out a string. It was an impossibly long string that lead into the puffy, white depths of the cloud. He showed it off to Flake before tugging on it gently. When nothing happened he pulled harder. He eventually had to place both feet on the cloud and than that pulled the string. Discord went flying back and the cloud shook and twisted and contorted, but once it shook one last time it fell to the ground. The last bits of cloud fell away from it. And all that was left there was - “A cannon!?” Flake was utterly stunned by the large weapon that just fell out of the cloud. “You brought a cannon!?” “Yes, yes I did. And lugging that thing all this way in the belly of a cloud takes a lot of work, and it can be oh so tiring.” Spike looked at the cannon for a moment before realizing there was no ammo. “Discord, what does it fire?” “I am so glad you asked, Spike. You see, I knew you would ask for my help eventually, and so I am helping. But even one being as awesome and great and powerful as I can only stand up to the Madness for so long, so I enlisted some help.” “I get help. . .who gets help. Only you, Discord.” Discord snapped his fingers and at first nothing happened. He pushed Flake back a few feet and painted an 'X' on the ground where she was standing. Next thing they heard was a loud booming sound from right above them. All three looked up to see an extremely large flaming object falling off in the distance. That would most certainly be a distraction. But what caught Spike's eyes were the numerous falling objects coming down around them. When Spike realized what they were, he facepalmed again. Jumping was easy. All you had to do was move once and you were gone. One quick movement of you legs and you were out. Then you were at the hard part. Falling. Falling is much harder than anyone can ever prepare you for. You can feel the weightlessness of the split second before gravity's hand so forcefully grips you and drags you down to the ground. You can see it coming, the ground. You know you have a way to survive, if it will work. That lingering doubt, it is always there. In the back of your mind, sometimes closer. But he couldn't afford to think about any of that right now. He saw the mark. He knew where he was landing. He pulled the string and his descent slowed until his feet touched the 'X' on the ground. X marks the spot. He looked around and saw one unknown and the tall reptile. He knew they were friendlies. Then he saw the Commander. He saluted. “Welcome to the front lines, Lieutenant Angel,” Discord said. Spike could not believe it. The bunny. The little white bunny that was Fluttershy's actual pet just parachuted down. But he was not alone. At least a dozen more little furry creatures came down with him. The raccoon was clinging to his parachute for dear life until he landed. Then he went full combat mode, helmet and all. Two beavers came down right next to each other and at the exact same time. They had two wooden clubs strapped to their backs and apparently knew how to use them. Spike watched as three, not two, three bird cages slowly landed around him. The first one produced songbirds. Cardinals, bluejays, and many more. They sung the song of war. It was one of the songs Mr. Bluejay could actually sing. From the second shot forth a speeding army of hummingbirds. They looked harmless enough, but when you had a whole swarm of them the picture changed. Then the third birdcage opened, and out came a hawk. So this was his help. All of the animals Fluttershy cared for were going to help break her free of the Madness. Yeah, that might work. But there was one missing. Spike moved out of the way when he noticed the large shadow that he was standing in. Normally, it would have meant nothing, but this shadow was getting bigger and bigger. That meant something was falling right towards Spike. He did a long sidestep and it crashed to the ground where he stood. A box? No, a crate. A large wooden crate. The front door opened up and a bear stumbled out and fell to the ground. Lieutenant Angel hopped up with angrily and literally kicked him into high gear. It worked. The bear shot up and put his helmet on and adjusted the war paint under his eyes. He growled and looked from Angel to Discord. “Well, now that you are all here it is time for the briefing.” Discord lined them all up so they could all see the the fortress. Many growls and snarls and notes could be heard. Discord addressed them as a commander before battle. Spike assumed he practiced that speech before. “That is the target. Somewhere deep inside that building is Fluttershy. The same Fluttershy that cares for each and every one of you all the same. The Darkmares took her away, into that place. I know not if the Madness has her, but I know it matters not. Even if it does, Spike has shown me that it can be cured. And if we must, I believe we can pull Fluttershy back from the dark grip of the Madness. Now, who is with me?!” The animals all threw up their arms and cheered. Their hoorahs and their cheers very nearly alerted the enemies. Discord settled them down. He changed into his own uniform. It consisted of nicely cropped pants with large boots at the bottom. Up top he wore a green jacket over a tan shirt. Medals of all kinds decorated the jacket. His head was sporting a round shaped helmet with holes for his horns. Many of the animal army wore similar helmets. Once he was ready, it was time for battle. A Mad pony looked up from the book he was reading. Rumbling? Why was the ground rumbling? What was going on? And what was that in the distance? A dust cloud? A sandstorm? No, they didn't have sandstorms here. That was one of the main reasons he liked this post. A safe fortress, green land, all of hidden behind an impassible cave, and the fact that no one ever could get here in any way. He was reassured that there was indeed no sandstorm rolling in. No, not a sandstorm. Just a small army of woodland creatures lead by a bunny who was lead by- “DISCORD! Run for you lives! Run like the Madness depends on it! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Discord rallied the animals and they charged into battle, leaving Spike and Flake on the hills to watch the chaos unfold. Front row seats. Not bad. Flake wanted to be in the action, though. She was more than a little bummed when Spike held her back. “LET”S DO THIS,” She yelled. “Uhh, no. Flake, you and I are staying here,” Spike replied. “What?! You bring me with you and we get all the way here, and then I am not going to get to do anything?! Why not?” “Trust me, little filly. You do not want to be in there when all chaos breaks loose.” Discord nodded his approval and mounted the . . . bear? Yep. The bear. It was the only animal there big enough to hold him. And so he stood on the back of the charging bear and they rode into battle like true warriors of chaos. The Mad ponies had absolutely no idea what was coming. All they heard was a rumble in the distance. All the felt was the ground beneath their hooves tremble. All they saw was a massive cloud of dust coming ever closer to them. All they felt was the electricity in the air buzzing around them. Then they saw it. And they were terrified. Discord launched himself off the bear. He landed on his feet in the middle of the largest groups of Mad Ponies. He was not in his military uniform anymore. Now he wore a simple, plain tunic with tied around the waist with a black belt. Around his forehead was a smaller, yet similar black band. It was emblazoned with a highly stylized version of his name. In his hand was a long staff. A simple, yet effective weapon that was non lethal. The Mad ponies charged all at once. With a 'Hyaa!' Discord began his attack. He swung the staff with amazing precision. The long reach of the staff swept the legs out from many a pony. Wide sweeping strikes slapped Mad ponies by the threes. Each end jabbed in and out, sending ponies that were mostly Pegasus down to earth. Discord was doing all of this in one smooth set. He moved with an almost unnatural grace. His motions were fluid as he weaved around the ponies. All the while, striking out with his staff. He ended with his staff bouncing off the heads of several ponies all around him. “Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck.” Discord tapped the last pony with a direct hit between the eyes and he swung his staff in full circle as they all fell in unison. “And no goose!” Discord heard a honk from a little ways away. He looked up to find a goose in a sleep black outfit glaring over at him. “My bad. One goose.” The goose honked again and jumped into the air. Well, it was more of a backflip as two Mad Unicorns fired magic blasts at him. The goose seemed to have seen them without even looking back. He soared through the air an landed behind the two ponies within an instant of them even realizing he was gone. They turned to see him behind them. With one quick and precise move the goose ninja flying roundhouse kicked them both, sending them off into unconsciousness. “Oh my goose. Fluttershy has some strange friends for a nonviolent pony.” Discord looked on from the goose, who had already taken out at least a dozen more ponies since the last moment. He was good. Discord saw past him the hummingbirds. A whole squad of them. This oughta be good. The hummingbirds flew around from pony to pony, picking them off one at a time. He watched as they flew up and surrounded one pony. They created a rim of pointed beaks and angry feathers around this poor earth pony. One hummingbird flew up to face him. The pony stepped forward to face the hummingbird at the behest of several pointy jabs in his rear end. The pony stepped up only to face the hummingbird. He growled and the hummingbird blurred. A small, near instant blur. This blur was accompanied by a sudden pain in his right cheek. It felt like he just got punched by another stallion. He glared at the bird and stepped forward again. The bird blurred again and two more sudden pains appeared. In his left cheek and stomach. This was getting really annoying. Before he could do anything more, a dozen more hits hit him all over. He roared in anger, but it did little to help. Even other Mad ponies backed away. It was a hundred hit combo before the pony could even count to ten. He fell into a painful slump and the hummingbird squad all hovered above him. They slapped their wing tips together in celebration and moved on to the next pony they could find in a blur of motion. Those hummingbirds were smarter than Discord gave them credit for. His eyes moved on to the next animal he could find. The eagle. A majestic and noble bird. And apparently an expert aim when it came to dropping things on scrambling ponies. Discord then remembered the exact job he gave the eagle. A very important job. There were Darkmare running about trying to organize the rest of the Mad ponies into some sort of defensive anything. The eagle had the job to make sure that did not happen. And he was doing it well. He had picked up two small packages before taking flight for the first time. He soared above the battlefield, watching as his fellow animal companions fought their way to Fluttershy. He waited and watched. He kept his amazingly keep eyesight open for only a select group of ponies. It took a short while before he saw one. Tall, dark, and slender. A Darkmare. Battlefield commanders for the Madness. With a target in sight the eagle rose up. He flew up til his shadow was cast down upon the battlefield with the sun behind him. Then he dove. He fell like a comet of freedom and at the very last second he veered back up. It was like a moment in slow motion. He veered up, and his left talons released the package. It fell and fell until it made contact. A direct hit right onto the Darkmares horn. Her magic stopped that instant and she watched as half a dozen mice scattered across her face and farther. She shrieked and screamed and wailed. She shook as much of her as she physically could as she ran around in a circle, still screaming. She took out more of the Mad ponies in that moment than Discord did in his attack. Then he finished his attack and his count was higher. The eagle smiled with confidence at the success of his first attack. He flew back up to a safe height and began soaring again. He watched the battlefield once again, his eyes forever scanning for the prey he sought. It took a while longer than the last, but he found another one. A Darkmare commander. She had rallied a group of about ten of the biggest Mad stallion around her. They formed a wall in front of her. She cast her twisted spells as they fended off the legion of beaver warriors that continuously tried to press the attack. The eagle was going to enjoy this. He rose back up til his shadow was once again cast over the battlefield. This Darkmare, however, noticed. She turned her gaze skyward just in time to see the eagle diving toward her. Angrily, she unleashed a torrent of spells that would have incapacitated the eagle quite effectively. He deftly swerved around them. He nimbly avoided the attacks. He dodged them with a display of airborn agility. He moved in close and veered up sharply, releasing his second payload in the process. The Darkmare smirked and fired at the incoming package. No mice were going to get her. She wasn't afraid of them. Her first magic blast hit the package and it shredded, sending the contents all around her and her wall of stallions. At first, she smiles. Then she heard the hissing. She opened her eyes to see a thin, scaly body with small, beady eyes staring back at her. A forked tongue poked in and out and the hissing continued. Snakes! Dozens of snakes! She screamed like a little filly and went about running in circles. Needless to say her wall of stallions fell and the legion of beaver warriors pressed forward. The eagle rose back up to soaring height. He flew around the battlefield. The animals were winning. The Mad ponies were being pressed back. It would not be much longer now and he would be seeing Fluttershy once again. With all the Mad ponies in a state of disarray his job was done. He flew back to Spike and Flake and perched atop the cannon that was not being used, at all. Yet. Well done. That was really all Discord could say for the eagle. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the bear. Every other animal was doing fairly well, even the beavers. Yet the bear could not seem to get a single Mad Pony. He charged into battle with Discord on his back. Then Discord jumped off and took all his luck with him. After he left the bear searched for his first victim, or victims. He set his eyes upon two small -ish looking Mad ponies. Good to start. He ran for them at full speed and right as he was about to hit a Darkmare came flailing about and took them out with her hooves. A mouse came flying out of her mane and stomped off angrily past the bear, muttering something about always being the first one to lose grip. The bear frowned and looked for a new victim. He found two more ponies. A bit bigger than the last two, but he could take them. He turned and ran for them. They had their backs to him. He was actually glad at that. He ran up toward them. He got right up behind them and stood up on his legs. He stood up tall and big and tried to be as intimidating as he could possibly be. He planned on letting out a terrifying roar, but the ponies did not give him the chance. Both of them twitched slightly and then stopped moving. For a moment the bear thought he had scared them stiff without even doing anything more than standing up. Then they fell to either side and the bear saw the ninja goose standing there. He had done some weird ninja trick and taken them out before the bear could. He was disappointed, but then he got an idea. He was a large, heavy animal. The doors to the fortress were also large and heavy. He was going to be the one to take them down. The path was open thanks to Discord and the hummingbirds. He locked eyes on the doors and ran. Full speed, and with a new determination he charged the doors. He let out a small roar as he got close. He was going to do it! At the rate he was going nothing could stop him. Nothing at all, except for an opening door. He got right up to them and rose up. He was planning on using all his immense body mass and the momentum he had just built up to tear those doors to kindling. The doors had other plans. He rose up and just as he was about to come back down they opened. The left door swung open hard and fast, clipping the bear right in the side of the face. He spun around and staggered a bit before falling to the ground. He was unconscious. Again. More Mad ponies filed out and just jumped over and around the bear. Discord saw this as an excellent opportunity and moved for the open doors. He leaped up and flipped over the ponies. He landed on the head of one and balanced with all the skill of a master cider drinking kung fu master. He raced across the sea of battle using only the heads of the Mad ponies as stepping stones. He made good time and leaped through the closing doors just as his tail was about get crushed. And he was not alone. A small, furry passenger had taken it upon himself to join Discord in the fortress. “Glad to have you with me, Lieutenant Angel.” Angel nodded his agreement. He had gotten his fair share of ponies under his belt out there in the battlefield. He had also received his fair share of blows, but he was one tough little bunny. He could take it. He followed the Commander until they came upon a fork in the corridors. One went left and the other right. “Alright, Lieutenant. You take the corridor on the left. I will go right. Luck be with you. Send me a thought if you find Fluttershy.” Angel nodded his understanding. He was a bunny of few words. And that was okay. He quickly hopped down the left corridor. The hallways of the fortress were all the same. Bland, dark, and smelled really strange. Angel moved past the smell and hopped on. He moved quickly and searched every room. There were a lot of rooms, too He didn't care. He knew Fluttershy was in here and he was going to find her. He had to have searched at least a few dozen rooms within the first half an hour. He found nothing. Most of the rooms were empty. Most of the ponies to fill the rooms were outside getting pounded on by the animals. Not all of them, however. Angel rounded a sharp corner after another ten minutes of searching. A group of Mad ponies was waiting for him. A dozen, at least. They were posted their to guard the way and were determined to do their jobs as well as they could. Whoever chose the ponies of that group made one big mistake however. He could never have anticipated fighting and opponent as small as Angel, so he put all big ponies to guard the way. Angel barely even paused to stop as he rounded the corner. He saw the space underneath them and moved to go right between their hooves. Two Unicorn guards stepped up to face him. They fired magic blasts. Angel avoided them easily and slipped beneath the two of them. His slide took him to the wall, where he used his feet to propel himself to the other side of the hall. Once he got there he stood upright again and jumped up to avoid a hoof kick from a pony. Angel responded by hammering him with as many small bunny punches as he could before he went back down. Apparently it was enough to bring the pony down, at least for a moment. In the tight spaces of the hall the falling pony took two more down with him. Angel quickly moved down the hall, narrowly avoiding more blasts and yells from the guards. He still had nine chasing him. He had a plan. It would take at least four of them down. Maybe five if he was lucky. With the way that day was going, it could have gone either way. He ran down a side hallway and stopped. He turned to face he incoming guards. It was impossible for them to all fit in the narrow space. They had to file in one at a time. Perfect. Angel smiled mischievously as he put his plan into effect. He ran forward and jumped up with all his might. He silently wished and hoped he had the leg strength to pull this off. He had never done anything like it before. He hit the wall feet first and leaped off with all his might again. His jump path took him right in front of a pony guard. He took the opportunity and kicked him in the face as hard as he could. His path didn't change at all and he hit the opposite wall. He used the moment he still had and bounced off that wall before gravity had time to pull him down. He jumped back without even looking and lashed out at the first pony he could find, kicking him in the face. Twice more he bounced off the walls and twice more did ponies feel his wrath. Angel left the ponies trapped in the narrow passage with them tripping over each other. He smiled and hopped onward to find Fluttershy. He had to have hopped up at least three more flights of stairs before he found her. Fluttershy, she was in his sights. Sort of. There was a large door, and it was marked with a butterfly. Not just any butterfly, but it was an exact replica of Fluttershy's cutie mark. Yep. That was her. She was in there. Now all Angel had to do was find a way in. He walked up to the door. He stood before it in all its rusty dark metal doorness. Angel closed his eyes. He put his palms together. He focused all the energy he had. All the energy around him. It all shifted and flowed. His chi. He was moving it, in an around him. He focused as much energy as he could into his feet. And in one move he jumped up and performed a roundhouse flying air kick that slammed into the door. The metal sounded off like a church bell with Pinkie making it ring. I never stopped. Angel pushed it with even more chi energy force and the door creaked. The hinges groaned with stress and broke free of the wall. The door landed in the middle of the room with a loud, thunderous clang of metal. The ponies in the room all looked to see what in the hay just happened. All they saw was a dust filled doorway and a very large shadow. At first they were afraid. They were petrified. They wanted to survive. But as the dust cleared they saw before them. . . . . . A . . . . BUNNY! The ponies laughed and one stepped forward to face Angel. Their version of a commander. The head honcho of the whole fortress. He was all that was between Angel and the pony he came for. Nothing was going to stop him now. Nothing! Angel glared at the pony. He glared back. Angel snarled at the pony. He snarled back. Angel rubbed his ears together in anger. The pony tried. Then Angel made his move. It was the one thing he had been holding back since he started this battle. His ultimate pony stopping, thought breaking, mind blowing, foot stomp of pure bunny power. Angel moved as fast he could towards the pony. The pony matched his speed until they met in the middle of the room. The pony kicked the door out of the way and nearly flattened one of his own in the process. He was fast, too. Angel jumped and lunged out with an ear jab, which was blocked. He followed up with an attempt at a double ear uppercut, but that was easily avoided. This was going to be more difficult than Angel originally thought. Angel decided to try a new approach. He leaped back to get away from a hoof swipe. It was wide and slow, but would have been a hard hit if it had made contact. To an animal the size of Angel that would probably been a one hit down, and then who knows what would have happened. But that did not happen, and Angel had a new idea. He leaped back to avoid that hit and the idea came to him. This pony had some really big legs. Maybe he could use that against him. So Angel charged like a mad bunny out of Tartarus and leaped up for the pony's face. The pony put a hoof up to protect his face, as if his helmet wasn't doing a good enough job of that already. Angel got close and used his ears to change direction. He wrapped one ear around the leg and swung up and over. He landed a straight on hit to the jaw. He did the same thing from the other side just a few moments later. The pony was getting rather tired of this. That was when he got an idea. “Mad ponies. If give you the word in five minutes, I want you to flood this whole place with the purest ooze we got.” “But, Sir, that will also get to the prisoner.” “Do as I say! But only if I give you the word.” The ponies all nodded and what not and Angel realized what he had to do with his new deadline. He could make it work. He charged the pony one more time, but not from the side this time. This time from the front. The pony chuckled evilly and while he did that Angel jumped. He jumped higher than any pony thought a bunny could jump. He landed on the back of the pony's mane and slid down. All the way down to his tail. He made a small jump and turned back to face the pony. He grabbed a handful of tail as he fell, making the pony scream. Once Angel touched the floor he launched again. This time he was sent to the ceiling. His ears slapped the ceiling and then he fell. He locked onto the pony commander for the last time and made his ultimate move. He forced all that was left of that chi energy from the door into his feet once again. He fell like a shooting bunny star and as fast as one. The ponies all could do nothing but stare up at him as he fell. Angel smashed, feet first, into the pony's face. Every part of his large feet made full impact, full contact. The wave of force sent dust into the air and blocked the views of all ponies for a few seconds. When they could see again all they saw was Angel Bunny standing before an unmoving pony. They all screamed like little fillies and ran for the front door. Angel called Discord mentally and he was there before the thought even finished. Discord saw the pony laying there and wondered why Fluttershy went anywhere with the other five when her animals could have literally handled everything. Tirek himself would have had a grand time with that ninja goose. All further thought was cut off by a door that Discord saw. It was a simple door. Wooden, and plain. He pushed it open with a creak and squeak. The room was dark, so Discord lit some imaginary candles all around the room. Wait, it wasn't a room. It was a cell. Not that they needed one. For in the middle of the room was Fluttershy. It was quite clear she had not moved in some time. There were some empty bowls a few paces away, but they all looked days old. Discord scooped her up in his arms. She was cold. Barely a flicker of life in her. He took her and Angel back to Spike immediately. “Spike, do something for her. Now! Do Something! Use your magic, please. Please, do something.” Discord pleaded with Spike before Spike had time to even comprehend what was going on. As soon as he saw the small, pale, yellow body he understood. He knelt down by Fluttershy and activated the only magic that could help. His eyes went green and a white circle appeared in them. Soul Magic. He was about to plunge a hand into Fluttershy when he stopped, and he powered down. “What are you doing? Help her!” “I can't Discord. You have to.” “What?! You can't help her? What kind of hero are you? How am I supposed to help her? You are the one with all that soul magic stuff. What am I supposed to do, Spike?” Discord actually started to tear up. He would deny it later on, but he let a few tears escape and he didn't care. “Please, Spike. Tell me what I am to do.” “Discord, I can use my magic and touch her soul, but is is only you that can reach it. Just talk to her.” Spike left Discord with Fluttershy. He took Flake and Angel away. Angel did not want to go, but he did. Discord was left with Fluttershy. Her spirit was gone, yet Spike believed that he could bring her back. “I don't know what to say.” Discord brushed away a few strands of pink hair and looked into her eyes. They were unfocused and stared at something that wasn't there in the distance. The stare of a broken pony. He had seen it before in his time, but never like this. Never did he care so much. “Look at you, Fluttershy. You're a mess. All that pink hair is a matted and messy. You usually have it done in such a nice way. It is simple, yet carries a subtle beauty that once cannot deny. And look at your coat. Such a lovely shade, and now it just a pale imitation of what you used to be. Please, Fluttershy, come back to me. “I never really say it, but I do love your little tea parties. My weekly visits are some of the best times I have. I look forward to them every week. It starts the moment I leave your house. I love seeing you happy, Fluttershy. “You are cold, but I can feel some warmth in you. It is that warmth that originally attracted me to you. I could feel it, but I wasn't sure what it was. Was it you kindness burning in you? Was it friendship? I still don't know, but I want to. There is so much that I want to say and ask, but I was too afraid before. Now, I may never get a chance to. Come back, dear Fluttershy. Please, come back. I will never admit this again, but I will say it this once, just for you. I need you, Fluttershy.” “Need me for what?” Discord stopped. His jaw hung open and he looked down. Fluttershy was awake. Her coat was still pale, but the color was returning to it little by little. She was in his arms and he was cradling her. She was looking back at him from her position with a look of confusion on her face. And her cheeks were a little red. At first Discord thought she was cold. Then he remembered what he said, and then he thought about how long she had been awake. He did not see her wake up. He just heard her speaking. He was about to fall to pieces when he didn't. Instead he just kept going. “I need you, Fluttershy, for all the amazing pony that you are. That kind, caring, lovely, singing, flying pony that you are. I need it all. I want it all. I guess. . . what I am trying to say is. . . that. .I – I – I lo-v -” Fluttershy leaped up and hugged Discord as hard she could in her condition. Discord was caught off guard and did nothing. Fluttershy was okay with that. She just squeezed him a little bit harder. “I know, Discord. Me, too. But about you, not me.” The moment lasted a whole of two seconds before a certain little critter interrupted them. Angel was impatiently tapping his foot. “Angel, what are you doing here?And why are you dressed like that? And why do you have so many bruises? Discord, please explain.” “Well, you see. . .” Discord went on to explain how Spike had brought them all to find Fluttershy after pulling out a magical compass thing made from Discord's own soul and they went through a cave and then Discord called on all her little and not so little animal friends to help rescue her. He did a quick recap about the battle and her actual rescue and went right up to this point. Right here. Fluttershy just listened and nodded occasionally. After Discord was done talking Fluttershy took a minute to think. “ARE YOU CRAZY?! HOW CAN YOU BRING THEM ALL INTO THIS?! I can understand you and Spike. Even Flake. But the animals? Really?” Fluttershy was having a very, extremely rare show of anger. “Did you know that the goose is actually a ninja,” Discord asked hesitantly. “HE HASN'T BEEN A NINJA IN THIRTY YEARS!! He is quite old for a goose you know.” “That would explain the ninja sword/cane I saw him using.” “Oh my- Where are they all right now?” Discord showed her the battlefield from the vantage point above. She nearly returned to her pre Discord heartfelt moment state of blankness. The battle was turning, slowly. The animals had the element of surprise when the battle began, but that had faded. And with both Angel and Discord in the fortress for that time two of the best fighters were taken away. The goose pulled something in his back, the hummingbirds were losing steam, the beavers couldn't climb the hills, and the bear was still unconscious. Fluttershy looked down at it all and Discord saw something change in her. He was worried that she was about to tear all the different bits that made him up into even smaller bits. Luckily, her rage found a new place to go. “So, the prisoner is awake I see.” It was the same pony that Angel had knocked out in Fluttershy cell room. He was back up? Already? He was tougher than Angel gave him credit for. And now he was smack talking Fluttershy. “To be honest, I didn't even think you were still alive. I mean, you never moved from that spot where he threw you. Fear, I guess. It took you three days before you even ate anything. Which reminds me: How are you feeling? It must be hard seeing all you little animal friends like this. All bruised and battered. All beaten up and bullied. And there is nothing you can do about it.” “That's where you're wrong.” Fluttershy whispered it to herself as she struggled to keep herself together. “What was that? Speak up now, or I can't hear you.” “I said, 'That's where you are wrong!',” Fluttershy screamed. “Prove it.” What happened next was even rarer than a show of anger from Fluttershy. Much more rare, on multiple levels. First was what she was doing. A show of violence. Fluttershy was probably one of the least violent ponies one could ever meet. And now she was about to tear into some pony like he was birthday present of cake at Pinkie Pie's house. Not a pretty sight, by the way. Nothing is left of that box, the wrapping paper, or the cake. The next thing that was rare was her speed. If she was blue, with a rainbow colored mane then it would have been normal. But she was not blue. As soon as proof was demanded she was gone. Not even a blink went by and she was gone. Sound itself had to catch up to her mid flight. That left all parties present stunned. Ponies, Discord, Spike, and animals all. Fluttershy nearly went sonic rainboom, but did not. That would have been awesome to see. Would that be a Sonic Flutterboom then? Food for thought. She slammed into that pony with all the force of a really mad, non violent pony who literally embodied kindness. That doesn't even sound good. She tackled him through the doors, which closed behind them. The sounds coming from the other side could not be described. Even if they could be, they would not be. Not with fillies like Flake around. “I am suddenly terrified of Fluttershy,” Spike said flatly. “And I here I was thinking it was just me,” Discord replied. Just then a flash of light burst through the top of the fortress. It turned out to be Fluttershy again. She flew up with something in her hooves. A certain pony. He was barely moving. Slight twitches here and there. She flew up and held him eye height. Then she barely threw him up. In the few, precious seconds she had before he fell she reared her head back and as he came down she slammed her head into his forehead. He went straight down with a hard hit at the bottom. He lay in a crater in his own drool as Fluttershy slowly drifted down to him. She turned her back hooves to him and kicked some dirt into the crater. “Big meanie.”