Path of Kindness and Blood

by CommanderX5

Final Confrontation - Illness

The atmosphere in the cottage was everything but cheerful as many critters gathered around their no longer disguised owner, who lay comfortably in her bed with an ice pack on her hot forehead, breathing heavily.

Besides the animals and Angel, two ponies were present: Applejack sitting silently beside a window, clearly depressed as she looked outside absentmindedly, and Rarity sitting besides the bed with medical equipment, unsure what to do.

“Her wounds healed themselves, none of her bones are broken, yet she looks even worse than before,” Rarity said before picking up an ice pack to touch Fluttershy’s forehead with a hoof. She gave the bunny a worried glance and asked, “Your master has a very high temperature, you do not know how we can treat her back to health by any chance?”

Angel shook his head, his smile surprisingly concerned.

“Pity,” Rarity said before looking at the medicine and bandages she gathered, most being herbs prepared by Fluttershy for her animals, all useless to heal a pony who could recover from even most lethal injuries. Unsure what to do, she looked at Applejack and called her name. After being ignored, she repeated louder, ”Applejack!”

“Huh?”

“Would you mind explaining to me why you have been sitting in place and doing nothing… while your friends and clan members have been in grave danger?”

Applejack looked outside and responded absentmindedly, “Ya already know we were facin’ mah father. Ah’ve been missin’ him for years, tryin’ to distract mahself and keep mah feelin’ bottled inside.” She sighed. “But when Ah found out he was alive, Ah couldn’t brin’ mahself to fight him.”

“Even after everything he did to hurt us?” Rarity asked with a frown.

“W-what?”

“You already learned that he was responsible for my near-death experience, attack on our younger sisters, and was even behind your hostile encounter with Fluttershy.” The fashionista approached her friend with firm steps and an unforgiving stare. “During one of my talks with Fluttershy, she told me that your family wanted to make her an honorary member… and no more than a day… or was it a few days…”

“Rares, please, get to the point,” Applejack plead, unable to look her friend in the eyes.

“What I am trying to say is that Fluttershy helped your farm on many occasions,” Rarity said, taking a quick breath. “She foalsat Apple Bloom and even saved your dog.” Her glare sharpened. “Not long after your family wanted to make her an honorable member, you ended up fighting against her in the Everfree Forest.”

Applejack grit her teeth, clearly angered by such a reminder.

“You were trying to kill her before my very eyes and only a minute after finding out Fluttershy was a pureblood thestral, you yelled at her with the most hurtful words you could come up with, swearing you would kill her. It was so easy for you to hate a pony who was your friend, just because she was a thestral, your sworn enemies.”

“Ya don’t have to remind me... “ Applejack said slowly while still gritting her teeth. “Ah’ve been regrettin’ that day since Ah made up with Fluttershy.”

“It is not about regret,” Rarity said with a stomp before massaging her foreleg. “Alright, answer me this question. Why did Fluttershy, who was holding back to fight you and even paid a huge price trying to protect both you and your family, deserve such hate? While your father, who caused us nothing but harm received mercy?”

“Huh? Where are ya goin’ with this?”

“Both Fluttershy and your father are thestrals, correct?” Applejack nodded. “After you gave Fluttershy no mercy, I expected you would not hesitate to help us fight against your father, and yet you could care less if he was going to slaughter us all.” Rarity looked at her sick friend in the bed, her ears drooped.

“I mean… I understand that Fluttershy is nowhere as important as a member of your family... and I have not expected you to try deliver a deadly blow against a father you missed so much, but I did not expect you would do absolutely nothing until the very end.” She frowned, her voice filled with the feeling of betrayal. “You hurt us as an enemy, you taught Fluttershy that sometimes she should withhold her mercy as an ally, yet when we needed your skills, you went against your own teachings and hesitated. I find your actions to be unfair…” She could feel forehoof landing on her shoulder, but slapping it away. “Why Applejack? What changed?”

The huntress massaged her foreleg and looked at Fluttershy. “Ah’ll be honest with ya… If Ah found out mah father wasn’t dead but turned a long time ago, Ah wouldn’t have rested till Ah…” she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, “...put him out of his misery.” She sighed. “But Fluttershy and Apple Bloom… they showed me how wrong mah beliefs were. Earth Ponies, Pegasi, Unicorns, Pureblood Thestrals, in the end we’re just ponies.”

Apple Bloom? Does Applejack know? Rarity thought.

“Even if mah father was turned and brainwashed, Ah didn’t see him as a monster or an enemy...“

Rarity frowned and said, “I believe Fluttershy was correct when she told you not to accompany us.”

“Ah suppose she was.”

Both mares stepped to the side, giving space for Rainbow Dash to drop Ditzy onto the floor before landing herself.

“Ah take yer chase failed.”

Rainbow Dash took a few slow breaths before stomping. “The Everfree Forest is like a maze! I already tried to catch that assassin, but I failed.” She pointed at Ditzy accusingly. “And Derpy doesn’t have even fraction of the tracking abilities Flutters has.” Her attention shifted to the pony lying in bed and she galloped over, scaring a few critters and birds as they got out of the way.

“Fluttershy, can you hear me?” Dash asked as she stroked her mane, glancing at her friend with concern. The heavy breathing of Fluttershy did little to calm her worries. “Don’t do this to me again…” She sat and looked to the side. “I saw you starving yourself, nearly dying under the sunlight, falling into depression, and every single time I felt so powerless.” She pressed forehoof against her own chest. “And here I am again… unable to heal and protect you…”

“Actually, you can help,” Ditzy said with a raised foreleg, now becoming a center of attention. “You no doubt know that Fluttershy and Zecora get along. They drink tea and exchange herbs and rare ingredients from time to time. Maybe she’ll be able to help.”

Rainbow Dash spread her wings and flew for the window, only to crash into Ditzy who blocked her way and asked, “Do you know where she lives?”

Dash stood up to her hooves and shook the stars from her head before smiling awkwardly. “Flutters wanted to take me to meet Zecora a few times, but I was too busy.”

Ditzy chuckled before pointing outside. “Fluttershy once took me to Zecora to ask if she could help with my eye problem. I’ll lead the way.”

“Sounds good,” Dash said before grabbing Ditzy between her hooves. “AJ, Rares, I’m counting on both of you to keep Flutters safe. We’ll be back as fast as we can.” She flew outside, the wind blowing the tails and manes of the ponies inside.

Vinyl Scratch trotted carefree while humming to herself. She noticed Rainbow Dash head back into the Everfree Forest while holding Ditzy between her hooves. She waved at them before focusing her attention on the nearby cottage, lights radiating from the second floor window clearly visible while shining stars decorated the sky.

She had to admit, the cottage looked very lovely at night.

“Why Rainbow Dash and Ditzy trust you is beyond me,” Rarity’s voice reached her sharpened hearing.

“Excuse me?” Applejack’s voice followed.

“You clearly have proved yourself not to be trusted after today’s display.”

Vinyl could hear a stomp before Applejack responded, “Now yer not bein’ fair! Ah couldn’t give mah all against mah father!”

“And what if he forms an army of living plants and lays siege to this cottage? How can I be certain you will not hesitate again? Fluttershy is in no condition to defend herself, and I think I overheard your possessed father saying that he still has one more trial left for her.”

“Ah had mah moment of weakness, but Ah swear, it won’t happen again.”

“And why should I believe you?”

Vinyl could hear Applejack exchale a tired sigh. “Ah get the impression ya hold a grudge or somethin’.”

With growing curiosity, Vinyl lit her horn and formed a thin barrier around herself, which turned invisible a moment later. She bent her legs and jumped towards the open window, her action being completely muted by her own magic. Both mares inside stared at each other, too distracted to notice her.

“Grudge, oh no no no,” Rarity said before levitating over a half empty teacup with steam escaping from it. “I only spent months hiding my secret from you in fear, seeing how Fluttershy was being hurt by protecting your family.”

“Point taken,” Applejack responded with an annoyed glare.

Rarity looked back, now starring Applejack in the eyes. “I could hardly believe it when Fluttershy said that you both got along after everything that happened, but when she invited you into the clan, I decided to give you a benefit of a doubt, to see if maybe we could become friends.”

“And Ah wasted that, is that what yer tryin’ to say?”

The fashionista nodded. “Indeed. I can somewhat understand why Fluttershy would still trust you as she is very forgiving, while Rainbow Dash was your friend for a long time, but I have no reasons to trust you and I am not going to leave my friend with you alone.”

The aura around Vinyl’s horn vanished, no longer manipulating the sound cancelling waves around herself. “Hey, wassup?” she interrupted before pushing herself inside, mud on her hooves dirtying the floor. “I could feel the tension between both of you from the outside, mind if I cut in?”

“Vinyl Scratch, where have you been?” Rarity asked as she firmly approached. She frowned before levitating upward the dirty hoof while pointing at the floor. “And next time you climb into somepony’s room, clean your hooves.”

“Fine, fine, yeesh,” Vinyl said with roll of her eyes. “So, what’s this all about?”

“First answer my question,” Rarity said, pressing her muzzle against Vinyl’s. “Where… have… you… been!?”

She pushed the muzzle away and said, “Searching for traps, chatting with the enemy, the usual.”

“Chattin’ with the enemy? Wait a darn minute! You meant ya talked with mah father?” Applejack asked, now staring at the her intensively.

“Did you try to catch him?” Rarity asked, examining her fur for any sign of injury. “Do not tell me you just let him go!”

“Okay, I won’t tell you that I just let him go,” Vinyl said in a joking tone, causing Rarity to facehoof and groan at the same time.

“I did ask if he’d be interested in joining us though, but he refused.” Vinyl shrugged. “If it makes you feel any better, the link between that stallion and his master seemed broken. Maybe Fluttershy can fix his head or something.”

"I doubt it.” Rarity spoke harshly, “After the assassin that you did not even bother to capture drank a bottle of blood from his master, he overpowered us all with ease. Poor Fluttershy tried to drink that blood away, and…” She pointed towards the bed behind her, “She is suffering from some sort of illness.”

Not wasting a moment, Vinyl jumped over Rarity’s head and landed next to the bed with a weak thump. Never before she had seen or heard about a sick pureblood as their healing capabilities could repel any infection or poison. Much to her surprise, she could sense power radiating from Fluttershy that was trying to escape, tearing her body up from the inside as the result. As powerful as it is, dark magic is always a pain in the flank. Even our kind who specialize in wielding it can either get corrupted or hurt by it. It seems that purebloods are no exception.

“Wow, now it all makes sense,” Vinyl said, giving Fluttershy a pitiful smile as she gently stroked the bat-like wing that lied spread on the bedding.

“Rainbow Dash flew to pick up Zecora… a zebra that lives in the forest,” Applejack said, sitting next to Vinyl. “Maybe she knows a trick or two to get Fluttershy back on her hooves.”

This’ll require way more than just a potion maker. I’d better pay a visit to my old boss and ask if he could spare a moment to help, she thought before looking at the farm mare with a smile. “Sounds good.” She turned around, now looking between Applejack and Rarity. “So, what you’re arguing all about?”

Applejack lowered her head. “Ah screwed up… and now Rares ain’t trustin’ me anymore.”

Rarity nodded. “Indeed, but now I see she was not the only one.”

“And what, are ya not goin’ to trust Vinyl too?” Applejack asked, poking Rarity’s shoulder.

“Why should I not trust her? If I encountered an assassin alone, I would be afraid to capture him as well,” Rarity commented, her head raised highly.

“And the talkin’ part?” Applejack asked.

“Ummm… I see nothing wrong with negotiating with the enemy… from a safe distance.”

Applejack raised her eyebrow. “So if Ah screw up, Ah ain’t to be trusted, but if she does, it’s fine?”

“At least Vinyl did not try to kill Fluttershy in the first place.”

Applejack pressed her muzzle against Rarity’s. “Can ya give it a break? Ah regret hurtin’ Fluttershy and Ah had a moment of weakness when facin’ mah father, but it ain’t happenin’ again.”

Rarity pressed her head against Applejack’s, overpowering her and forcing the farm mare to bend her legs. “I can trust Vinyl because I had time to get to know her better. We’re both thestrals and she has not failed me before… with repairing furniture being the only exception. But I cannot trust a huntress who had a change of heart and yet failed when we needed her skills.”

Vinyl looked between both mares, waiting patiently as the arguing went on, staring at her hoof absentmindedly. After half a minute, she sighed and raised her head, charging magic into her horn and releasing a spell.

Applejack stomped and spoke, but much to her shock, she didn’t hear her own words, nor did she hear her own stomping. Rarity noticing that their volume was muted a moment later. Both mares looked around in confusion, trying to speak or cause noise by clapping their hooves, but no matter how much they tried, not a single noise was made.

“Sorry to break up your riveting conversation, but I feel it won’t do Fluttershy any good if her friends and clan members were constantly yelling at each other in her own home,” Vinyl said, her words causing both mares to lower their heads in shame.

“Listen, Rares; I know AJ did some pretty mean stuff in the past and that you didn’t bond with her like the others after she attacked us, but if you did, you would see that she’s not the same huntress she was back then. Besides...” Vinyl’s tone became slightly sharper as she took of her glasses, “...showing some compassion wouldn’t hurt, I mean, sheesh… I bet you wouldn’t do any better if your own dad, who you long thought dead, appear out of nowhere and turned on you as a werepony or something.”

After taking a calming breath, she placed the glasses back on her muzzle and said calmly, “Tell you what, Rares, how about you give AJ one more chance and try to get to know her better as you both guard our boss? You can’t judge somepony fairly unless you know them.”

Rarity said something, but no noise left her mouth. She crossed her forelegs and shot Vinyl an annoyed glare.

“Oh, right,” Vinyl responded, vanishing the aura around her horn. “What did you say?”

“I said; I suppose I can give Applejack a chance... but I still have a bad feeling about this.”

“Then it’s settled,” Vinyl said, slamming one hoof against another before walking towards the window.

“Where do you think you are going?” Rarity asked, pulling her by a foreleg. “I need your help to protect Fluttershy.”

“I’m going to Canterlot to see if Lord Fancy can assist. He’s usually busy, but once he gets an opening, he should be able to help.” Vinyl looked back at Fluttershy and next at Rarity, her expression suddenly serious. “Sorry for ditching you like that, but it’ll be for the best. Besides, Fluttershy already put her neck on the line too many times, now it’s time for her clan to to do it instead.”

“Alright, I will do my best.” Rarity puffed her chest with determination before looking at Applejack. “Hopefully, the huntress will as well… but no promises.”

Applejack frowned. “Vinyl Scratch, if ya could mute Rares for an hour, Ah would really appreciate it.”

“What? How can you…” Rarity spoke, when suddenly the volume of her voice dropped to nothing. She shot Vinyl an angered glare, making her grin in response and Applejack started to laugh.

Vinyl petted Rarity on the head and said, “Best of luck to both of you both, and have fun.” She turned towards the window and jumped, the noise of landing silenced by her magic. Much to Rarity’s relief, the effect of the spell vanished after a minute.

Physical pain wasn’t new to Fluttershy as her body was damaged and healed on multiple occasions, like fighting against an assassin or protecting her friends.

It was similar with mental pain as she witnessed the death of her parents, fought against her friend who wanted to kill her and was forced to make many difficult decisions.

Exhaustion was second nature to her as she endured living with ponies under the open sun, feeling drained of all of her energy, her body becoming heavy and tired as a result.

This time however, she experienced something different, something difficult to describe. She felt as if her body was filled with a power she never possessed before, far greater than what she attained after drinking Dash’s and Pinkie’s blood in the same night. Yet, despite all this power flowing through her veins, she felt weak, as if her body couldn’t control and contain it. As if it tried to escape or overtake her.

For the very first time, she felt her blood rebelling against her and she lost consciousness because of that.

The rest didn’t last long though as her nose caught an odd smell. She struggled to open her eyes, the blurry image slowly sharpening.

“Fluttershy!”

She could hear Dash’s voice before being embraced. She yelped in pain upon feeling her friend's hooves pressing against her back and left wing.

“S-sorry!”

She could once again feel the softness of the bed, but it did little to weaken the burning sensation she felt in her blood. Her face and mane were wet. She was unsure if it was caused by uncontrollable sweating from her illness, or maybe by ice packs placed on her forehead because of her increased temperature.

Too tired to raise her head, she moved it slightly to the side, now seeing her critters, Angel, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, all staring at her with worry. “W-what happened?”

“You drank that earth pony thestral’s blood and became ill, that’s what happened,” Rainbow Dash said with surprisingly depressed voice. “You made us really really worried!”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” she responded with a tired voice, her breathing slow but heavy. “W-what happened to the stallion?” She could see her friends looking to the side.

“He… got away…” Dash said.

Rarity approached and added, “You do not need to worry about him, darling… We are here to protect you. Right, Applejack?”

“We sure are.”

“Was anypony hurt?” Fluttershy asked. Upon seeing the shaking of her friends’ heads, she forced a smile. “I’m… glad.” Her cheerful expression vanished as quickly as her ears drooped. “To be honest… I thought he was under blood hypnosis.” She paused to take a breather. “Aside from weakening him… I hoped I could free him from his master’s influence, but it seems I underestimated his power.”

Applejack approached, bypassing Rarity and Rainbow Dash before sitting next to the bed, now staring directly in Fluttershy’s tired bloodshot eyes. “Ya mean… ya tried to free mah father?”

“Emphasis on trying,” Fluttershy responded. “Sorry you had to see us fighting each other… I know it must’ve been hard.”

“Not as hard as it was for ya. Ah mean, findin’ out yer a pawn in some crazy scheme, the return of some princess, fightin’ a very strong thestral,” Applejack said before rubbing back of her neck. “Honestly, Ah did nothin’ to help, sorry.”

“It’s alright… I understand,” Fluttershy struggled an answer.

“It’s not alright. Rares got a point, Ah screwed up, but it ain’t happenin’ again. Ya have mah word,” the huntress responded with determination radiating from her eyes.

Fluttershy smiled warmly before gritting her teeth at feeling a sudden surge of pain. A teacup with steaming grey liquid levitated towards her muzzle.

“Drink up, Fluttershy. Zecora told us it will help,” Rarity plead.

“Zecora? Did you take me to her hut while I was unconscious?” Fluttershy asked as she took the cup between her trembling hooves. She slowly tilted the cup towards her mouth and drank the medicine, Rarity’s magic keeping it stable. Each gulp tasted worse than a mix between a very old chocolate, fish guts and melted iron, but she endured.

“Nope,” Applejack said before pointing at the pegasus. “Dash and Ditzy brought her here screamin’.”

“Very funny, AJ.” Dash shoot an angered glare at the chuckling earth pony before looking back at Fluttershy, her voice once again calm. “We told Zecora about your illness and asked if she could get you a cure before bringing her here, though I’ve gotta admit, I picked her up and flew her all the way here pretty darn quickly.”

She was about to ask, but Applejack’s hoof silenced her. “Zecora mixed some herbs and told us the smell’d wake ya up. She also brew ya some medicine.”

Rarity levitated back the nearly empty cup and pointed at it. “Actually, Miss Applejack is not completely correct. What you just drank was not a medicine, but a very strong poison meant to weaken your power.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully before adding, “I suppose what is a poison to one race can be a cure to another.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Details, details. What’s important is that Zecora doesn’t know how to cure you, saying that healing magic and potions are deadly for thestrals. Before going home however, she suggested asking you what to do after you wake up.”

“Can ya blame her?” asked Applejack. “If Ah was dragged from mah bed late at night, Ah’d be annoyed too.”

Poison to weaken my power? Now it all makes sense, Fluttershy thought as she turned her head to look at the ceiling, now analyzing her situation. She desperately searched her memories, hoping her parents’ teachings would help her find solution.

“So… any idea how we can heal you?”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity called with a firm stomp. “Show some patience.”

“Fine…”

The group looked around absentmindedly, searching for a distraction as silence overtook the room. Seconds of waiting for an answer turned into minutes.

Fluttershy’s grit her teeth as she tried to return to her pony form. As she expected, she couldn't even turn her eyes, much less the rest of her features. Her ears flattened against her head as she struggled to raise herself and look at her friends. “I... don’t know.”

Rainbow Dash took a step back while staring at her in shock. “W-what do you m-mean you d-don’t know?” She pointed accusingly. “You’re a total egghead when it comes to healing, you can count every single bone in my body, wings included. How can you not know?” Her wings flapped in anxiety as she forced a chuckle. “Now’s not a good time for joking around.”

Rarity placed calming hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “I fear she was not joking.”

“Achoo…” Fluttershy sneezed quietly, quickly received a tissue from a worried bird.

Rarity giggled. “I do not say it to everypony, but the way you sneezed is really cute.” Her attempt to improve the mood was met with an agreeing nod from Applejack.

Fluttershy pushed herself into a sitting position, her forehoof pressed against a pillow. “I didn’t sneeze a single time in eighty years, at least not from illness. Pureblood thestrals never get sick…” Her nose scrunched while another drop of sweat slid down her muzzle. “My parents taught me how to use my magic to heal, but I’m still too young and inexperienced. Unless I contact another one of my kind with a vast amount of knowledge…” she paused to take a few quick breaths while Rarity levitated the tissue to soak the sweat from her face. “All I can do is hope… that my body will recover on its own.”

Applejack smiled and looked at Rarity. “Well Ah’ll be a silly pony, ya were right about Vinyl, Rares.”

“Excuse me?”

“That musician with the big mouth said she’d go fetch Fancy Pants. Ah bet he can help.”

Rarity raised her head arrogantly. “Please call him Lord Fancy Pants, and yes, a noble of such standards surely will know what to do.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly as she tried to clop her hooves together, only to lose balance as the result as the back of her head and ears sank into the pillow. “Leading the Canterlot Clan most likely… keeps him occupied… but I think I can wait for his arrival.” She could feel Zecora’s poison draining her of her energy, which in turn weakened the dangerous blood.

It seems I have became more vulnerable to common diseases, but besides that, I am feeling better. Maybe exposure to the sun may help me deal with the power overload… no, it would be too dangerous. Zecora’s potion seems to be a more stable solution. Suddenly, a realization struck her. “If Vinyl’s heading to Canterlot, and you three are here… then where is Ditzy?”

Rainbow Dash rubbed back of her head, smiling awkwardly. “She was worried that she would hurt you by accident and went home.” Dash puffed her chest and poked it with a hoof. “But don’t worry. We’re more than enough to keep you safe.”

Rarity nodded. “You did so much for us, now it is our turn.”

“Eeyup.”

Fluttershy smiled once again, ignoring her illness. “T-thank you… my friends.”