I hadn’t returned to my room until late into the night, as the sun had set and the clouds began to clear a little, Fluttershy insisted on me coming to her other favourite spot. I suggested that we bring Applejack for that trip, as she would probably be going stir crazy as we spoke, Fluttershy was hesitant but agreed. It turned out the reason she was hesitant was because it involved flying us both up, one at a time to the highest point in the Bask, setting me down on the roof of the tallest tower and instructing me to lie back on the slope while she fetched Applejack who was going to be much heavier.
Fluttershy managed however, she certainly seemed like a stronger flier than she gave herself credit for. Once the pair of us were settled, Fluttershy flew up and used her wings to flap away at the remaining clouds. It was a rough job, it was clear she would never be a weather mare, but it achieved the desired effect as it opened up the night sky in all its glory for as to view from our front row seats. Applejack let out a low whistle as Fluttershy joined us, I just stared in silence at the blanket of stars scattered above us.
It was weird, in my whole life I had never taken the time to stop and really look up at the night sky, but once I was there doing it properly for the first time with my friends… it truly was a magical experience. We stayed up there for a while, alternating between chatting amiably and sharing stories to moments of silence, where we would just look up and admire the many constellations. Eventually Fluttershy had to call an end to our stargazing, clearly worried what would happen if Starlight Glimmer discovered we hadn’t stayed in our rooms like we were supposed to.
Fluttershy flew us back down and together we walked back to the building we were staying in, retiring to our rooms for the rest we would need if we were to set off in the morning. Fluttershy was very disappointed when we reminded her of that, she tried to hide it, but I could tell it bothered her. It bothered me too, we had barely known each other and we were already forming a close connection. Fluttershy stayed to make sure we were alright before leaving to go to her own home, wherever that was in the Bask. Once she was gone, I found it near impossible to sleep, unable to, now that I knew of the beauty I was missing out on every time I did. At least I would have something to do if I was ever keeping watch at night again.
The next morning came and I didn’t get nearly enough sleep, but I soldiered on and started getting dressed, humming to myself as I packed my equipment, briefly checking the compass and spyglass to ensure they were still safe. I wondered if Starlight Glimmer would try to keep me and Applejack from leaving, if she did, she would be in for a surprise. Obviously we would never harm her… but she didn’t have to know that. Smirking to myself, I turned away from the desk to face the room and immediately screamed, leaping into the air, my heart rate jumping to several beats per second.
“Stranglethorn!” I yelled at the assassin who stood in my room, having made absolutely no sound getting in. “What are you doing here? And how did you get in?”
He pointed at the window before pulling a letter out of his bag and handing it to me. Taking it from him, I quickly skimmed over it to learn that Maverick was urgently calling me back to Port Mule, that they had successfully captured an agent of the Solar Empire and they needed my assistance. When I looked back at Stranglethorn, I saw him eyeing my with concern, clearly my presence in the Bask had raised alarm bells.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “Applejack and I were attacked on our way here, but we’re okay now, really.”
He still didn’t look convinced, so I carried on regardless.
“You picked a perfect time actually,” I told him. “We were permitted to leave today. Applejack is two doors down, could you go tell her to wait at the bridge while I say thank you to our hosts?”
Stranglethorn nodded before leaving the room to do as I requested, there was a high pitched shriek from a passing sister as he did. I chuckled darkly to myself before heading out to make sure she was alright.
“It’s okay,” I began to explain. “He’s with us; he’s here to escort us home.”
“Oh, uh, of course,” the sister said, still looking shaken as she watched Stranglethorn walk down the corridor.
“Tell me, have you seen Sister Fluttershy this morning?” I asked.
“Why yes actually,” the sister replied. “I passed her on my way here; she was on her way to see the High Priestess.”
My heart skipped a beat upon hearing that, my thoughts instantly jumping to the possibility that Fluttershy was in trouble for her behaviour the day before.
“You wouldn’t be able to take me to them, would you?” I asked hopefully.
Naturally the sister obliged quite happily, clearly nowhere was out of bounds in the Bask. She took me to a small chapel through which she led me to the back room, politely suggesting that I knock first before going on her way. I strode up to the door and reached out, ready to push it open, but stopped when I heard Fluttershy’s voice inside.
“That is what I’ve decided,” she said in a voice brimming with confidence, before slipping back into her usual timid tone to add. “If you would permit it, High Priestess.”
“This is…” Starlight Glimmer began, certainly not sounding happy about whatever it was Fluttershy had suggested. “Most irregular Sister Fluttershy. You have never received any training as a Crusader and…”
“No, not as a Crusader,” Fluttershy interrupted quickly. “I wish to leave the Bask while remaining a sister of the Celestial Sisterhood.”
There was a long moment of silence following this declaration.
“That…” Starlight began in a low tone. “Cannot be done, you know full well that sisters are not permitted to leave the sanctuary of the Bask. Only Crusaders are allowed to venture forth into the world, and only under very express circumstances. As a sister, your place is here where you can fulfil your duties in the right environment.”
“With all due respect High Priestess,” Fluttershy replied, her voice building up in confidence again. “There are many sisters here in the Bask that can perform my duties; I don’t feel like I’m needed here. I do however feel like the world outside this sanctuary needs me… and I feel Rarity does also.”
My eyes widened when I heard my name used in such a manner.
“You seem infatuated with this mare Sister Fluttershy,” Starlight said in a warning tone. “Is there something you wish to confess to?”
“Not at all,” Fluttershy stated calmly. “I do not wish to follow her for those reasons, rather, I feel like it is my purpose to do so. I cannot explain it, but when I spoke with her yesterday, when she told me of the things she’s done, I just knew in my heart that there are great things in her future, things that might shape the world itself. And I knew that my purpose was to travel alongside her and help her in her quest, whatever that might turn out to be.”
“That is… very dramatic,” Starlight admitted, sounding a little flabbergasted. “You talk like you think yourself some kind of prophet.”
“I’m no prophet,” Fluttershy disagreed. “I’m just a sister, that’s all I’ve been since I was taken in as a foal, left at the doorstep of the Bask… and it is all I ever wish to be.”
“Alright…” Starlight said slowly, as if trying to think of another argument. “You have me convinced, but do you really think you can convince Rarity of this nons… belief of yours? She is a pragmatic mare; she’ll have no time or patience for your feelings about the future and purpose.”
I gritted my teeth; I had lost all patience for Starlight Glimmer and the way she insisted on putting Fluttershy down. Fluttershy may have believed she was doing it because she felt she needed to protect everypony, but all I saw was a mare who wanted to control everypony. Well I wasn’t about to let her control Fluttershy, not anymore.
“As a matter of fact,” I said loudly, announcing my presence as I strode through the doors. “I would be honoured to have Fluttershy travel with me.”
Fluttershy beamed at me and Starlight Glimmer’s eyes twitched, but she didn’t argue, she couldn't without going back on her poorly chosen words.
“Very well,” she said in a stiff voice. “You have my permission, as High Priestess of the Celestial Sisterhood, to go forth from the Bask and fulfil your duties elsewhere.”
“Thank you High Priestess,” Fluttershy replied respectfully, bowing at her superior as she did.
“Before you leave however,” Starlight began in an authoritative tone. “You should consult Holly in the armoury; I will not have you leaving this place without some protection.”
While Fluttershy and I made our way to the armoury and met Holly, the head Crusader, word quickly spread of what the High Priestess had just allowed. When we exited the armoury, Fluttershy now equipped with a single handed mace topped with six flanges and a pair of bags similar to my own, one filled with medical supplies and the other with food, there was already a crowd gathering to see Fluttershy off. I went ahead to the bridge to explain the situation to Applejack, who was more than delighted to bring Fluttershy with us, while the mare in question said her farewells.
We stood on the bridge, looking back towards the gatehouse as Fluttershy made her way towards us, a crowd of sisters waving goodbye just beyond her. As she neared us, I could see her wiping away her tears with her foreleg.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked, slightly disconcerted by her crying.
“I am, I am,” Fluttershy insisted. “I’m just sad to be leaving everypony behind, but I’ll come back someday, so It’s okay.”
“Well in that case, it’s good to have you with us,” Applejack told her, pulling her into a hug with one foreleg.
Fluttershy smiled up at her, but then her eyes widened and she jumped back slightly upon seeing Stranglethorn for the first time, standing next to Applejack. Stranglethorn didn’t react in the slightest, just continued to watch Fluttershy with his neutral gaze.
“Fluttershy,” I began calmly, placing my own hoof on her back in what I hoped was a reassuring manner. “This is Stranglethorn, you remember me telling you about him.”
“Oh, Stranglethorn,” Fluttershy said, brightening up now that she recalled the stories I told her about him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Fluttershy held out her hoof, but Stranglethorn didn’t shake it, he simply nodded in greeting and naturally said nothing. While I told Fluttershy lots of stories of my travels across the country, I did leave out certain aspects that I deemed too… unpleasant. Not to say I didn’t tell her anything of the sort, she knew I had taken lives, but I tried to keep it to a minimum. One of the things I had failed to mention was how Stranglethorn couldn’t speak, it had just never seemed like an important detail when recounting my stories of him, but that was probably because I barely noticed it anymore when interacting with him.
“Fluttershy, darling,” I began; now feeling a little awkward that I had to do this in front of him. “Stranglethorn is very happy to meet you, but you should know that he cannot speak.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy murmured, quickly lowered her hoof and trying not to make eye contact with him.
“Strangle came here to escort us back to Port Mule with him,” I explained. “He brought me news that our other friends managed to capture one of the Solar Empire agents I was telling you about.”
“That’s very good news,” Fluttershy declared brightly before adding in a slightly more doubtful tone. “Isn’t it?”
“It’s fantastic news,” I confirmed. “So what do you say, your first major act outside the Bask, helping to stop a war?”
“Lead the way,” Fluttershy replied before turning back to give one final wave at her fellow sisters.
We began making our way across the bridge; I noticed that as we neared the end, Fluttershy’s breathing began to increase. Once we were at the end, Applejack, Stranglethorn and I all walked across quite easily, but Fluttershy hesitated at the last step.
“Gettin’ cold hooves?” Applejack asked sympathetically. “Don’t worry Sugarcube; ah know leavin’ home ain’t easy.”
“It’s not that at all,” Fluttershy said with a small shake of her head. “It’s just that I’ve imagined this moment for so long, I guess you could say I’m… savouring it.”
Applejack and I shared a smirk at that as Fluttershy took one final breath and took the final step from the stone of the bridge to the hardened earth of the road. There where was a short pause while she seemed to consider what she had just done before looking back up at us and smiling. As we continued on our way, we passed back over the hill where we had been attacked. The apple cart was still there, at some point during the fight it had been hit and one of the wheels knocked clean off, it was clear we weren’t taking it back with us.
Applejack poked through the wreckage, announcing with great delight when she recovered her hat from it. After deciding to leave the remains of the cart there, remembering that we had recovered the other cart from the zebras, which would make a decent replacement, we decided to move on, Fluttershy casting one final glance back at the Bask before it was completely out of sight. As we walked, Stranglethorn insisted on being filled in in what happened after we left Port Mule, and how we came to be attacked.
“As far as ah could tell,” Applejack commented. “They were just a gang of no-good bandits, lookin’ to score an easy steal from the kinds of ponies who needed to go to the Bask. Downright despicable, ah hope those Crusaders clear them out of whatever hole they’re hiding in.”
“Don’t count on it,” Fluttershy said in a dry voice. “The Crusaders are normally only permitted to seek out threats which are considered… unholy, monsters or demons.”
“And even then they seem rather reluctant to,” I added. “I told that head Crusader Holly about the monster I saw in Pivot, she said she’d look into it, but I know full well she was just saying that to placate me.”
“Actual monsters haven’t been seen in decades,” Fluttershy explained. “Most of the things we once considered to be monsters are now known to be just other predatory animals.”
“I know what I saw,” I stated in a chilly voice. “That creature was not natural.”
“Don’t fret about it,” Applejack suggested. “Maybe Pinkie will know somethin’ about it when she comes back.”
We kept walking in relative silence until Fluttershy slowed to a stop when she heard the cry of gulls; looking back I saw her staring up in fascination at the flock of birds.
“Is this the first time you’ve seen a seagull?” I asked. “They’re practically pests in Port Mule where I grew up.”
“I’ve read about them,” Fluttershy replied, not taking her eyes off the birds. “But they never came as far as the Bask, they’re wonderful.”
“You like animals, huh?” Applejack guessed quite easily.
“Ever since I was just a filly,” Fluttershy explained. “But I didn’t see many different types for myself, I learned about most in the library. It was actually how I got my cutie mark, everypony thought it was weird, but I could actually… sorry, I’m blethering on, we should keep moving.”
I was actually curious to what she was about to say, but she started walking quickly, eager to move on as if she had been embarrassed about what she had almost admitted to. Nothing eventful occurred again until the road took us over a ridge and we came into view of the Horseshoe Bay and the ocean beyond that. Fluttershy froze once more, her eyes wide and shining as if enchanted by the sight, and before we could say or do anything she broke off from the road, galloping towards the coast.
“Fluttershy!” I called after her, initially panicked.
“We need to stick together!” Applejack shouted, taking the lead after her.
I ran after Applejack while Stranglethorn took a more leisurely stroll to follow after us. Fluttershy didn’t stop running, even at the sound of our pleas to slow down; she kept on galloping until she reached the very edge of the water where she skidded to a halt. When we caught up with her, she was staring out over the water, her mouth hanging open slightly as she took it all in, occasionally looking down when the incoming tide tickled her hooves.
“You know,” I began as we slowed to a walk behind her. “If you close your eyes and just listen, it’s hard to find anything more relaxing.”
Fluttershy obliged, tilting her head back and allowing her eyelids to lull shut. She stood there for a few minutes, simply breathing in and out, listening to the sound surf overlaid with the occasional gull cry. When she finally opened her eyes again they were glistening with tears, I would never really know what it was like for Fluttershy, living her whole life in one place, only ever hearing about the rest of the world from books and the stories of others, before one day being set free to experience it for herself it, it must have very overwhelming for her.
“You know, ah reckon we could stop here for the night,” Applejack proposed, glancing at Stranglethorn who nodded in approval. “Just need to get far enough back that the tide doesn’t reach us when it comes in.”
“I think…” Fluttershy began, still not taking her eyes off the water. “I think that would be nice.”
While Applejack fetched some dryish driftwood from around the beach for a fire, Fluttershy asked Stranglethorn a very interesting question.
“So Stranglethorn,” she began in a nervous voice. “I’ve been wondering, how did you lose your tongue?”
I almost choked on the water I was gulping down, while Stranglethorn slowly turned to face Fluttershy, his expression still neutral.
“Sorry!” she exclaimed quickly, shrinking beneath his gaze. “It’s just, I could tell because I’d seen other ponies who lost their tongues, and Rarity said you couldn’t talk… and now I’m wishing I hadn’t said anything at all, please don’t hate me!”
There was a moment of silence, although that didn’t mean Stranglethorn wasn’t communicating with me. He looked at me, pointed at himself and then pointing at Applejack before standing up and making his way over to her to help gather fuel for the fire. Fluttershy looked at me with a horrified expression, I felt bad for her, but at the same time it reminded me that I didn’t really know the circumstances beyond what happened to him. Only the fact that it was during a mission, that’s what Sufferthorn had said at least.
“Don’t worry,” I assured her. “He’s not upset with you.”
“You can tell?” Fluttershy asked, confused by my certainty.
“Yeah…” I replied, suddenly equally confused. “I guess I can tell now.”
I pondered it for a brief second before glancing up at the sky, it was still pretty cloudy from the scattered showers we had during the day, but there were some clear patches where I could see the stars again. Fluttershy followed my gaze and smiled, before turning her own gaze back out to the sea.
“Thank you for letting me come with you,” Fluttershy said suddenly.
“We’re friends,” I told her simply. “Friends stick together.”
I hadn’t talked to her about what she told Starlight Glimmer in her office, despite how much it had been eating away at the back of my mind, but that could wait for another time. Come morning we would get back to Port Mule, find our way in somehow and go see this Solar Empire agent that had been captured. Once that was all behind us, then I could worry about what Fluttershy had meant when she said there were great things in my future. That would wait, because at that moment I was perfectly content to lie back, look up at the stars and listen to the ocean.