//------------------------------// // 32 // Story: Yonder Wandered Fluttershy // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// It had been a short while after the rainbow beam incident, Fluttershy was being comforted by Rainbow Dash about being attacked by a cloud and it was only her second day on the planet, the first she was assaulted by a tree and she would be sure to leave as soon as Meta Knight got back. She certainly didn’t want to see what would attack her if she stayed longer than three days; at least the cloud monster hadn’t been after her. It was after Kirby and it certainly got him in the most fantastical of ways when the harmony beam evaporated it. Kirby had gone about being himself after the incident without a care in the world. The left Fluttershy to realize that while he was a star warrior, he wasn’t exactly the most thought provoked creature in existence. He knew how to fight and build a house, but otherwise he was as cute and innocent as the second Fluttershy had met him. It was a bit of a mood whiplash for Fluttershy; did she hug him or run screaming because he somehow replicated the powers of the Elements of Harmony? Coo came forward after Rainbow was done telling her it would all be okay and that she wasn’t the one to kill the cloud monster thingy. Coo told them that Kracko wasn’t dead, but it would sure be a while before it could reform after that defeat, he went on to explain that it was an immortal dream land monster that consistently harassed Kirby and had been destroyed numerous times. It would never die or give up on attacking Kirby as long as there was a cloud in the sky to literally rain on his parade. Fluttershy didn’t feel a sense of relief to know that the monster wasn’t dead or that it hadn’t exactly died, she was utterly confused and felt that was where she would stuck at for a while. She asked Coo what it was that Kirby did and how did he do it. Coo was very forthcoming with the explanation; the owl knew a lot of things about Kirby. Kirby’s basic ability was to inhale things and copy their abilities; he could even share the abilities in conjoined attacks with his animal friends. This copy power evolved and changed drastically at times to do new or more impossible things. How it worked was something Coo didn’t know, but he has seen it in action a lot of times and Kirby was a very powerful if childlike creature. His once upon a time temper tantrum was the stuff of legends on Popstar, because nothing in the universe would help you if you stole or destroyed food in front of him. “If he copies the power of whatever he swallows… then why did he get the ability to fire a rainbow from me instead of my other abilities?” Fluttershy was curious as to why Kirby hadn’t gotten her stare, wings, bat related powers or even magical cloud creating powers. Coo told them the likeliest explanation was that he got a single defining feature of what he swallows. An example was the descriptions of Bomb Kirby ability versus the Crash Kirby ability. Kirby swallowed explosives to get both abilities, but the defining feature to cause Crash Kirby to appear was an exceedingly more powerful explosive object or being. Crash Kirby explodes violently and can only use that destructive bit of cosmic power once; Bomb Kirby however had the power to generate hundreds of explosives but they were always at the same general strength and less cataclysmic. “The most defining feature in our lives is firing rainbow beams at evil things Fluttershy, so it makes sense that he’d copy that bit of concentrated awesomeness!” Rainbow was awed that such a cute little guy could be so explosively dangerous and cool. “So, star warrior huh?” “Yes, but does he have to look so innocent about it afterwards?” Fluttershy whined slightly as she watched Kirby chase the native version of a butterfly. Mr. Wheel was once again at her side and warily watching Kirby for any sign of possibly getting inhaled. It wasn’t likely to happen as Kirby hasn’t hurt her or Mr. Wheel yet and Fluttershy had already given Kirby a slice of cake which made the little guy so joyous. “Some warrior, he doesn’t look all big and scary.” Yet there was some hesitance in Rainbow’s tone, she definitely did not want Kirby to be her enemy. “You know it could have been worse, he only copied your power Fluttershy. Imagine what he could do if he copied all six of us…. hmm…. Discord would be so jealous that we’d unleash a horrible rainbow powered abomination on the universe that likes hugs and cake.” “Can we not talk about it anymore? Also that that wasn’t the full power he could copy is a scary thought.” Fluttershy could hardly wrap her mind the thought, something bigger than the one use rainbow beam of imminent demise the cutie like Kirby fired? She had gotten the ingredients to make a cake from Kirby who had gotten what she asked for to make it, it was hard to think of him being so deadly given his cheerful disposition. Kirby’s happy face was much better looking than his serious face and he didn’t know how to make cake and was amazed by the process if highly confused considering his many failed attempts to make one. It was with much deliberation that Kirby noted that everyone else’s cake always tasted better especially when it was freely shared. So he had let Fluttershy hoof it out, he was happy and decided to frolic his happy little sugar filled heart out, so he was chasing after the wondrous fluttering creature before him. “So, I take it something interesting happened while we were trying to live our lives?” Astral Twilight trotted up to them and watched as the little pink puffball chase after the fluttering bug. “It’s really hard to not have you around Fluttershy.” “I could say that for all of you as well. I’m still waiting on the other star warrior to get back with his information and this one isn’t nearly as old or well spoken.” The two questions on Fluttershy’s mind was how much weirder this planet could possibly get or when exactly would Meta Knight get back to Fluttershy with his information. In comparison Kirby wasn’t exactly dumb, more like he was stunted in his ability to learn things as if he had never had a mother. Likely if Meta Knight wasn’t around, he wouldn’t have a father figure to look up to either. “Oh you should have seen it Twilight, that little guy swallowed Fluttershy whole and then fired off a rainbow beam and it destroyed this cloud monster!” Gesticulations aside, Rainbow pauses in thought as she continued to flap her wings despite not needing to as an astral projected pony. “I wouldn’t appreciate it if a cloud came to life and tried to zap me, Fluttershy here was almost toast before that lightning fast wheel thing carried her off.” “Things haven’t stopped being eventful for you Fluttershy, I’m guessing you really want to leave the planet now after getting attacked again. I hope you know we’re all glad you’re okay.” Twilight gave Fluttershy a sad look and leaned towards the strange magical armored wheel creature. “Can you look out for her? She really needs more attention, as she’s seems a bit stir crazy without us to physically be around or an animal to care for. It must truly be frustrating that animals are the ones mostly caring for her and themselves, she could really use a good friend that can be there for her. We won’t be able to astral project anymore once she leaves the planet and until that happens can you please try to keep her in a good mood?” The wheelie revved a promise that it will protect Fluttershy as long as it is capable of doing so. Not that Fluttershy understood the full scope of this declaration as wheelies tended to lead aimless lives and she was the most interesting thing to happen to him, plus her ship went really fast and he liked fast things like her rainbow colored ghost friend that zipped around incapable of staying in one spot. Around the evening more of her friend’s astral projections appeared and they spent some time together hoping to keep Fluttershy from hitting a depressive state. Luna also managed to bring Angel along who looked apologetic the entire time he was there and could also his silent sobbing could almost be heard. A few minutes after the moon leapt into the sky, Fluttershy halted all conversations she was holding with everyone. She felt an unbridled joy of seeing her precious little bunny was doing well and taking care of things since he became the man of her house. The reason she had stopped the conversation was because she decided to go check something out, once again she flew the Head Hunter around the planet twice and came in for a landing. She was actually perking up because she could tell her friends about the wonders of this world, along with some of the dangers she spotted from the air. “I still thought it was odd that that portion of the world was in a constant sunset, so I flew back there to check it out and it still looked like a sunset only it’s the moon setting now. Still it’s a rather well lit part of the world.” Talking about the physical impossibilities was one of the ways Fluttershy was dealing with the stress of being attacked on this world for a second time by a dangerous creature, one she didn’t even provoke this time. Twilight admitted that she would have more or less at least snapped by this point after hearing about all the fantastically illogical impossibilities Popstar presented. She was especially happy that the second monster attack ended with her friend less battered then the first one. Coo idly made a comment to everyone about Kirby’s strength seeming to be directly proportional to the danger involved, plus his determination to protect his friends and the planet at large. “This world doesn’t cease to amaze.” Luna had little to say aside from the fact that every single pony, aside from the astral projected ones of course, were all having a good night’s sleep because Fluttershy was on this planet. She didn’t have to walk through dreams helping others, so being a princess this free time was a small vacation. Unfortunately said vacation was at the expense of one lost and consistently endangered pony she couldn’t protect across the vast distance of the void. The dreams themselves could easily become nightmares for her closer friends, because they wouldn’t know what was really happening to Fluttershy because all their dreams would only be good ones. “I thank you star warrior for looking out for our friend.” Kirby just smiled and looked at all the ghost ponies who couldn’t give him piggyback rides; they were still nice to have around even if he couldn’t interact with them. He yawned it was getting pretty late and he wanted more sleep he’s had a long day of playing and blowing up Kracko again, it was a day well spent. “Excuse me, but I think Kirby might enjoy it if I put him to bed.” What Fluttershy wasn’t saying was that Kirby likely has never had the chance for his parents do something like this for him. Judging from what Meta Knight said about there not being many star warriors in this part of the universe, Fluttershy kind of drew a sad conclusion to what that meant. She wanted to give Kirby a slight act of kindness by being something akin to a mother for him for at least one night, by telling him a bedtime story and tucking him in. He was a child who fought monsters and didn’t understand much of what was going on around him aside from an emotional standpoint, he held little to no logic in his head except what was right and wrong. As such Fluttershy was less scared of Kirby and more to the point felt sorry that he didn’t get a chance to know his parents. She was sure that they would have been proud that he was called the hero of this world and that he could be as strong in the face of adversity as what Meta Knight hinted at what being a star warrior entailed. Likely Kirby didn’t know what he had lost to be sad about and while it was cruel to give him a mother for one night only to take that feeling away, it was better for him to know what it was like then to have never known at all. Kirby did not know what a mother was, but he was friends with a large bird named Dyna Blade who had cared for smaller friends like her that came from eggs. He didn’t know they were her children and that was the closest he ever got to knowing what a real family looked like. What this four legged creature was doing for him felt like what his friends did when it came to him having a bed to sleep in, only Kirby felt it was more intimate and warmer. It was a feeling he liked as he slowly drifted off to sleep when Fluttershy finished singing him a lullaby. Walking outside Fluttershy sighed and her wings drooped, she didn’t care if her friends saw her slightly depressed state despite their best efforts which had largely worked for the most part. She came to a stop when a swirl of darkness appeared in front of her and out of it stepped Mr. Knight. He looked around to all the astral projections and then to Fluttershy. “Hmmm… where is this device that has the map, I have what you seek and I would like to add to it Milady.” Meta Knight was led to the Head Hunter and before they entered he stopped her, for being such a grumpy sad old being who has seen many atrocities, he was speaking with a particularly light and slightly upbeat tone. “Thank you for doing that for him, but I fear that it will break his heart if you don’t say goodbye first. He knew not the touch of a mother until now and he would be gravely upset if you decided to leave without doing so, I know you can’t stay here and we may come to blows if you do not give him the courtesy. Stay one more night, then say goodbye to him tomorrow. He remembers all who have earned a place in his heart and what you have done for him has cemented that place.” Mr. Wheel backed up the dark one with a squealing chirp; he didn’t want to see what a cranky or sad Kirby could do to the world. He lay upon the slope of the ship and started to close his visible eye and softly puttered off to sleep. “I will Mr. Knight, now wait just a moment please. If it’s alright with you that is.” It was quickly done and Fluttershy now had an even further expanded map of the universe once Meta Knight got done with the map she got from Katt. “I will keep watch this night; maybe talk to your friends who are still milling around.” With a swift sweep of his cape, Meta Knight turned around and walked away slightly. He stopped for a moment without looking back and said something that caused Fluttershy some amount of surprise. “I know you’ll eventually find a way to return this ship to its rightful owner. Even if you can’t, you will not be tainted for doing what you thought was necessary and prudent.” Meta Knight continued walking away from a surprised looking Fluttershy; he passed by the wheelie in a slow march giving it an affectionate rub and then slowly disappeared around to the front of Kirby’s house. “You’re friend may just find her way home. That is, if she doesn’t become a star nomad first. Hope and pray that she is never doomed to wander the universe for eternity, for she will never stay in one place for little more than a year if that were to happen. She’s almost close to becoming one; it scares me as much as it should you.” Meta Knight turned to look Luna in the eyes from behind his silver mask. “Worry not; darkness will never consume her. It may eventually end her trying to do so, but it will never be able to hold onto such a bright light.” Luna tried to say something only for Meta Knight to disappear with a sweep of his cape. What an enigmatic armored being that looked so much like Kirby, yet the differences were there like night and day. He was far wiser than any being Luna had ever witnessed, he seemed to be even older then Celestia and she combined. His name was strange in that ‘meta’ could also mean ‘beyond’ or ‘after’, a knight in dark armor that could see things beyond any normal beings vision was truly someone to pay heed to. There was a lot of unknown power sealed away behind that small masked figure with so many hidden scars. “Hmmm… that is rather troubling news.” Discord muttered from behind Luna thinking on what Meta Knight said without an ounce of humor on his face. Now there was a being so old and serious that Discord actually felt incredibly young in comparison. If Fluttershy became a true star nomad, she’d be able to easily come home. The unfortunate implication behind gaining the ability to find home so easily is that she wouldn’t want to stay. Discord knew he had a lot of power, but even he didn’t think he could fight the entire universe for the right to keep Fluttershy where she wanted to be. The next morning it was the third day and last day on Popstar for Fluttershy, she took a long groaning yawn while stretching out her hooves before she crawled out of the bed. She’d eat a large meal and say goodbye to the friends she had made on this planet and then she’d be on her way, she’d really miss the good dreams that she had here. It was a bright sunny day, exactly like the one she saw when she arrived on this planet, she didn’t see Mr. Wheel anywhere it was a good thing he wasn’t sleeping on her ship. It was of no matter to her, he likely finally went back to all his wheel friends. Kind of sad that he didn’t bother to say goodbye to her, oh well he had his own life to lead and she had already humored him well enough. Going down to the lake Fluttershy got Kine the fish to call the rest of the Defenders, Kirby was happy to see all his friends but he wondered why they were gathering around his house. It was soon found out why they were here after they had all shared a big breakfast, half of which was taken up by Kirby’s black hole for a stomach. “Okay everyone I’m leaving, I’ve gathered you all together to say goodbye and to thank you for all the wonderful hospitality you’ve shown me. I’m sorry I didn’t get to know you all better, but I can’t stay here. I’m trying to find my home and if I can somehow manage it, I’ll try to come back and visit sometime. This might be goodbye forever though.” It kind of broke Fluttershy’s heart that Kirby ran up to her and hugged her while crying; he obviously didn’t like the idea of her leaving so soon. Fluttershy smiled as she pushed Kirby back slightly and kissed him softly on the forehead. “It’s okay Kirby, you’re a big boy. You can take care of yourself, you don’t need me.” Fluttershy eventually gave everyone an affectionate nuzzle or hug to all of the animals she had met. Chuchu was also a bit sad as she clung to the top of Kirby’s head in comfort and was adorably cuddling the sad little warrior. When Fluttershy was about to board the Head Hunter with her saddlebags bulging with extra food, she stopped and turned to the nearby tree that a dark figure was sitting in. “Well aren’t you going to say goodbye too? You really shouldn’t keep a lady waiting!” Asked Fluttershy in a mockingly demanding tone, she wasn’t leaving until she gave him a goodbye hug as well. Meta Knight chuckled darkly and with a flash he appeared before Fluttershy, he let the pony entrap him in a hug. He liked it, but he would never admit to it out loud. He silently stood by watching while Kirby waved goodbye with a sad smile on his face as Fluttershy boarded the ship, she was leaving with a few extra supplies that Chuchu and the five other animals gathered together for her trip to wherever she was going to next. He silently wished her luck. The Head Hunter lifted off the ground and slowly turned and shot into the sky leaving behind a smiling Kirby. He might not have liked to say goodbye to a new friend, but he was happy that she said goodbye as a real friend should. He didn’t worry about whether or not she would come back, he would just enjoy the memories and she would become a part of his dreams.