“Rainbow Dash! Wake up!”
“Zzz…what? Twilight? What are you doing here?”
“Rainbow, something terrible has happened. Fluttershy is hurt!”
“Fluttershy?! How?!”
“I can’t explain right now. I just need you to get the others and meet me at the hospital. Please hurry!” With that, she teleported away.
Rainbow quickly got up and sped towards Sweet Apple Acres. Her thoughts were going just as fast, and they led to one conclusion: somehow, some way, that freak was involved. She gritted her teeth as she flew. She’d wait until she knew for sure, and then she’d make him pay…
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Twilight paced the floor of the emergency room. So far, the doctors and nurses had only asked her to stay outside; they’d tell her Fluttershy’s condition as soon as they knew.
Along with her terror was an overwhelming sense of guilt. If she hadn’t been so lenient with that alien, if she’d allowed Luna to post one Guard, none of this would have happened. Her friend wouldn’t be here, fighting for her life.
As these thoughts plagued her, the door to the hospital burst open and Applejack came hurtling into the room.
“I got here as fast as I could, Twilight! What happened?!” said Applejack.
“I don’t know what happened! All I know is that alien had something to do with it! And it’s all my fault!” She burst into tears. Applejack embraced her and let her cry. Soon Rainbow Dash arrived, followed closely by Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Without a word, they each joined in the hug, taking what little comfort they could from each other.
After a few moments, Rainbow spoke. “Twilight. Can you tell us what happened?” She nodded.
“I was fast asleep when the hue-mon started banging on my door. Once I opened it, he was trying to get me to follow him back to his room, so I did. That’s when I saw Fluttershy! She was…covered in blood, and unmoving.”
There was a gasp from the others. Twilight continued.
“When he tried to pick her up, I took her from him and teleported here.” She raised her tear-stained face to her friends. “If I hadn’t allowed him so much liberty, none of this would have happened.”
“I knew it!” cried Rainbow. “Wait until I get my hooves on that thing!" She turned and would have bolted out the door if Pinkie hadn’t grabbed her tail.
“What are you doing?! Let me go!”
“Hang on, Dash! Something’s not right!” Pinkie said.
“What’s ‘not right’?! You heard Twilight!"
Pinkie’s mane was completely straight as she spoke with uncharacteristic seriousness.
“Twilight said he woke her up and took her to his room! Why would he do that if he’s the one that hurt Fluttershy?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care! Let me go!”
“Wait,” said Rarity. “Pinkie’s right. It doesn’t make any sense. Please, Rainbow? Let’s sort this out.”
Rainbow struggled mentally. If she insisted on going, she might have to fight Pinkie, as she showed no signs of letting her go. She didn’t want that.
Setting herself down, she said, “Alright. But if I don’t like what I hear, I’m going!” Pinkie slowly released her tail, and then turned to Twilight.
“Twilight, you've seen him with us. He’s friends with Fluttershy. Why would he hurt her?”
“I don’t know, but who else could it have been?” Nopony had an answer.
Finally Applejack said, “Something else that doesn’t add up: how could he have gotten her to his room, at this time of night? If he did it, then he snuck out, walked to Fluttershy's house, either hurt her there or lured her back to the castle and hurt her then. It doesn't make sense.”
They all were lost in thought. "We know so little about him," said Twilight. "Who really knows how his species thinks?"
Twilight stood up. “Until we know for sure, I’m going to have him locked up. I’ll have Spike send a lett…Spike!” With a look of shock, she teleported away.
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I never realized how quiet this palace can be. And cold.
I sat for what seemed like hours with my head in my hands. I hadn’t moved from the spot where’d I found Fluttershy. I could still see her blood stain on the floor, and could still see the look Twilight gave me before she vanished. And I knew she blamed me, even though I didn’t understand every word. But those were the least of my worries. Somehow I had to figure out a way to beat those creatures, before Fluttershy’s time ran out.
There was movement at the door, and I jerked my head up to see what it was. The dragon was staring at me, with a worried look on his face.
“Char-Elles? What happened?”
If there was ever a time to use what few words I knew, now was the time.
“Flut-ter-sy. H-urt. Twi-liit…take.”
He stared at me in disbelief, and then rattled off a quick series of words, far too fast for me to follow.
“Pl-ees. Talk…slow.”
He came over and sat next to me. When he saw the stain, his face went pale. Then he saw the wounds on my neck.
“Something…bad?” he asked. I nodded my head as the tears started flowing from both our eyes.
“Tell me,” he said.
Even without my limited vocabulary, there was only so much I could say. Those beings’ warning still rang in my ears. But I needed to say something.
“I…not sleep. Lights…go…off. Lights…go…on, I see…Flut-ter-sy. She…hu-rt. I get…Twi-liit. She…take…Flut-ter-sy…away.” I made a motion like an explosion with my hands.
Spike became thoughtful. Then he asked, “Fluttershy…dead?”
I shook my head. “I not know.”
Just then we both heard Twilight yelling for Spike. He turned and yelled back, and soon she appeared at the door, looking much frazzled. She stopped when she saw me with him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Spike, come away from him.”
Spike looked at Twilight, then back to the alien. “It’s alright, Twilight. He told me what happened. But he doesn’t know how Fluttershy got here.” Spike looked back at Twilight. “Is she alright?”
She hung her head. “The doctors haven’t said anything yet. All our friends are there, waiting. I came back to get you.”
Spike said, “Can Char-Elles come with us? I know he’s just as worried about her as we are.”
Twilight stared at the alien. “No. Until I know for sure what happened, he’s not going near her.”
He read her expression, scowled, then stood to his full height and yelled, “I not hu-rt Flut-ter-sy! She friend!”
Twilight yelled back, “Then who did?!”
The alien turned away and looked at the bloodstain. Then he seemed to come to a decision. He turned back, pulled his collar down and pointed to his neck.
“The ones do this… the ones hurt Flut-ter-sy.”