Fluttershy
Fluttershy woke with a yawn, and she stretched her limbs before rubbing at her eyes to wipe the sleepiness away. Sliding from the warmth of her bed, she slipped into the warmth of her robe. She slowly went down the stairs, her mind still hazy from sleep. As she stepped down, she stepped into the kitchen, and stopped as she saw it was empty.
As it had been for the past three years.
Fluttershy paused as she went to make her morning coffee, and sighed as she remembered the times three years before. Back when Castus was still around.
She felt a twinge in her chest thinking about him. She wondered how he was. Was he okay? What was he doing? Would he ever come back.....
...could he ever come back?
She shook her head and banished those thoughts away. Even though it was winter, she still had a number of critters who still needed her attention as well as a few chores to do, such as clearing away the snow around place of her cottage. Best to focus on that.
It was near afternoon when Fluttershy was finished seeing to all the animals around her cottage. Normally it had been easier....back when...she shook her head and finished washing her hooves.
"Oh...I should get going. I have to meet Rarity at the spa today." She said, noticing the clock.
Wrapping her scarf about, Fluttershy headed off down to Ponyville, though perhaps at a brisk pace....
....she didn't want to be on the streets for longer then she had to anyway.
The trip to the spa was uneventful. Just ponies clearing snow from their doorsteps, or from the streets. Fillies and colts played in the snow, and every so often Fluttershy caught sight of Pinkie joining in the fun...in four different places at once.
Fluttershy gave her friend a small wave, which Pinkie returned with a smile and waving both her hooves in the air before falling into the snow to make a snow angel, then another, and another, and another.
But then there were the....other ponies. A mare or stallion here or there that...didn't wave or say hi. They just stared at her...and glared. Sometimes she could catch a faint whispered conversation when she passed.
"I can't believe she is still walking free."
"-let that monster human get away I bet. She always liked animals more then her own kind."
"Should have put him down when she had the chance."
"How could she shelter that monster as she did. Has she no shame?"
"Its all her fault."
Fluttershy merely ignored these few hushed words, after all she had grown use to them by now. Besides they weren't as bad as they had been before, and she didn't want Rainbow Dash starting more fights on her account.
So she merely ignored it. As she had for the past three years.
Though she was glad when she finally made it to the spa, and saw Rarity there.
"Fluttershy, darling. You're a few minutes late. What kept you?" Rarity asked as she stood up from her chair.
"I'm sorry Rarity," Fluttershy said, "there was a lot of snow today."
"I must agree. This winter is most wretched this year indeed. Apparently they are still fixing the machinery from Rainbows little fiasco some winters ago with Tank." Rarity said as she paid the necessary amount to Lotus for the treatments.
"Well a good relaxing spa treatment will wash all that work away." Rarity said as the two of them followed Lotus to the steam room.
"And so I heard that Derpy Hooves was seen at La cuisine Délicieuse with that charming Time Turner stallion.
Fluttershy smiled as she listened to Rarity as she talked of the latest gossip as they relaxed in the soothing waters of one of the spa's hot tubs. It was so relaxing and peaceful, nothing seemed capable of ruining it.
"Well if it isn't the human lover." A voice sneered.
Rarity stopped talking as she and Fluttershy turned to see a mare standing by the hot tub, one of the spa's bathrobes wrapped around her body.
Fluttershy wilted a bit and tried to hid a bit in the water as she saw who the mare was.
It was Honeydew.
"I beg your pardon?" Rarity asked, giving the mare a displeased look.
"I wasn't talking to you Rarity. I was talking to the human lover there. I honestly don't know why she is even allowed here things considering." Honeydew said with a sneer.
"I...I..um..." Fluttershy mumbled, as she hid further in her mane. Why did Honeydew have to show up, she was having such a relaxing time.
"Now see here, I don't know where you think you have the right to be so crude. But Fluttershy is the most darling of ponies and doesn't deserve this sort of treatment." Rarity said, standing up from the water, hooves to her hips. Despite the calm of her words, her tail twitched in agitation.
"Oh doesn't she?" Honeydew said with a smirk, "Everypony knows it was her that took that monster Castus out of the pound. If she wasn't such an animal lover that thing would have been gassed in no time and my brother wouldn't have to be away fighting some mangy beasts."
"I say that is simply reprehensible to say. You cannot fault Fluttershy for the actions of another being. She could not have known anything that has happened would have occurred."
Honeydew sneered, "Yeah, yeah whatever. I'll just leave you two to your discussion. Don't go be picking up any other monsters now Fluttershy." Honeydew left then, giving Fluttershy a contemptable look.
Rarity's face went red as she watched Honeydew go, and Fluttershy was worried she would do something drastic. But Rarity took a breath and lowered herself back into the water.
"Honestly the nerve of some ponies. To even suggest any of those things is barbaric. And I cannot believe that she still tries to blame you." Rarity said with a huff.
"Oh...its nothing really." Fluttershy said, "Please don't get mad over it."
"But I cannot help it darling. You shouldn't have to deal with such things." Rarity said.
"Its okay Rarity. As long as my friends are with me I can deal with stuff like that." Fluttershy said.
Besides.....after three years she was use to it by now.
Cutie Mark Crusaders
When the Cutie Mark Crusaders were set to start their club meeting real early, so that they could get a head start on looking for various ways to get their cutie marks, something unexpected had occurred.
That being that Scootaloo hadn't arrived. Which was strange as she was always the first to get there, treating it like a race of sorts. But when an hour had passed and still no sign of their friend, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had started to get nervous and so now were bolting down to Scootaloo's house.
As the two turned a corner, they saw Scootaloo's house come into view. Even after three years it still felt....strange to see the house.
It was....quant. Well kept and clean, with a tended garden at the front and white picket fence. It didn't especially stick out among the rest of the houses in Ponyville. And they learned, after spending a night once, that the inside was just as well kept and neat. And yet it had taken years before Applebloom or Sweetie Belle had even been able to see where their brash and danger loving friend lived.
Truth be told it had caused the two of them to have....rather dramatic ideas of Scootaloo's home life. But now they knew better, and were rather glad.
As they grew closer to the house, the two of them saw Scootaloo standing in front of the house. Alongside her stood two mares, and stallion, and al three stood together hugging. They were Scootaloo's parents.
The two stopped and looked at each other.
"Uh...I think we should wait." Sweetie Belle said, noting that the family seemed to be having an emotional moment.
"Yeah." Applebloom said with a nod.
If the house was a surprise to them, it was Scootaloo's parents that were the biggest surprise to the two crusaders. Scootaloo rarely ever talked about them, and just like her living conditions, her lack of information regarding her parents had led to....rather dramatic ideas of them as well.
This was beyond the case however. Scootaloo's mother, an unciorn mare named Caring Heart, was a nurse who worked at Ponyville General Hospital. She was a kind and caring mare, and enjoyed keeping a clean house. In fact she seemed a bit of a neat freak.
Scoot's father, Stout Heart, shared her magneta mane color and eyes, but was an Earth Pony. He also was part of the Equestrian Military and so wasn't around a lot. Though the few times he was, he showed that he was a kind stallion, though he seemed a book worm when at home.
The other mare was Scootaloo's 'Aunt', Flying Brick, an earth pony and also part of the military. She shared a similar personality to Scootaloo, brash and adventuresome. She had tried to teach the CMC her parkor skills once, until all four of them took a stumble and ended up crashing into an market stand.
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle watched the family as they separated, Flying Brick and Stout Heart taking up heavy bags beside them and heading saying some last words before heading off to the train station. Scootaloo and her mother watched them go, with Caring Heart dabbing at her eyes as she waved.
Apple bloom and Sweetie Belle finally decided to head over to Scootaloo, who merely stood there watching the tiny specks of her family members with her mother.
"Scootaloo." Applebloom said.
Scootaloo jumped, turning, "Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? W-what are you doing here?"
"Oh hello girls."Caring Heart said, giving the girls a sad smile. Her eyes were a bit red with tears.
"Sorry if we're interrupting. We just came to see if Scootaloo was okay cause she hadn't come to the clubhouse yet." Applebloom said.
Scootaloo rubbed the back of her head, "Oh yeah sorry...something...came up."
"Where are your dad and aunt Flying Brick going?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Scootaloo's ears flattened a bit, and Caring heart had to dab at her eyes again with a handkerchief.
"Uh...yeah. He and aunty Brick are being deployed again. So I wanted to spend as much time with them today before they left" Scootaloo said, a bit of sadness in her voice, "Sorry I was late."
"Aww shucks don't ye fret. It can't be easy seeing yer family go." Applebloom said with a smile.
"Right well lets not focus on the sappy stuff. Lets go and try and get our cutie marks." Scootaloo said, rushing off. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle following.
"Now Scootaloo be careful. I don't want you coming home with your clothes covered in tree sap again." Caring Heart called.
"Sure mom! Later!" Scootaloo shouted back, but it was obvious to her friends she hadn't really listened.
"So what should we try first?" Scootaloo asked.
"How about Cutie Mark Crusader Fortune Tellers? Pinkie said she would let us borrow her crystal ball." Appleboom said.
The three girls laughed as they thought of how their day would go. They had to get their cutie marks this time.
Scarlet Rose
Scarlet Rose with a stretch, her slender frame arching seductively in the darkness of the tent. Her body was sweaty, and her mane was a disheveled mess. Beside her lay the sleeping, and overly spent, Prince Blueblood. Scarlet Rose couldn't help but smirk as she looked down at her lover.
'For a pain in the flank he sure can give a mare a work out.' She thought.
When she had taken this assignment, she hadn't expected to acquire such an easy meal. But the prince was so overly arrogant that it was easy to slither her way into his bed. And hear all the delightful little bit of information he was so willing to whisper into her ears with exhausted breath.
She slowly slid from the bed, though such stealth wasn't necessary. She had made sure the prince wouldn't be waking up any time soon, and if he did he wouldn't be in any capable mental condition to think. She was after all a top rank student.
Throwing over a simple cloak to blend in with the night and snow, she slid out from the tent and made her way out of the camp. She knew where the patrols would be, and the sentries, so she was easily able to avoid them. She kept going till she was well outside of the campgrounds and in the heavily wooded area of the forest.
She began to make sure the area was secure before making a low chittering sound. She then waited, and then heard the response.
She made another chitter, and another response came before a tall black figure flew down from the trees.
"Report agent." The figure said.
"So far no real changes. Though the massacres of the caravans is causing no small amount of anger among the soldiers. It will make them all them more easier to manipulate. when the time is right." Scarlet Rose said.
The figure was silent. Scarlet Rose continued.
"The prince continues to give me information from his meetings. Males always are willing to talk after exhausting themselves into a female. The biggest news is that the equestrian mages may be close to a tracking spell of the human magic. But they seem to be having difficulty, I don't suppose..."
The figure held out a hoof, black chitin clawhooves held out a scroll.
"This should help them in completing their research. After all, its only fair for mages to share their findings." The figure said as Scarlet Rose took the scroll.
"I'll get it to Arcane Light by the morn." Scarlet Rose said.
The figure nodded and flew off. Scarlet Rose looked around, sliding the scroll into a pocket of her cloak as she made her way back to the camp.
She couldn't help but smile was the camp came into view. She suppressed a laugh at the thought of all these ponies unwittingly doing the bidding of her queen. Her eyes glowing a crimson red before returning to normal.
Just as she did.