Path of Kindness and Blood

by CommanderX5

Final Confrontation - Old Friends

The whizzing sound and murmurs from bypassing ponies were filling the train station as Sunflower walked outside, yawning and stretching the old bones in her yellow wings, grey tips showing her old age. Her mane was a mix of bronze and grey, while three sunflowers decorated her flank. She raised forehoof defensively from the blinding sun as she had just woke up a minute ago from her nap.

After a few quick blinks, she looked to the side, watching her taller white companion with a dark-red mane and bowl full of birdseed for a cutie mark, who looked back at her with hesitation. “So… we’re finally here.”

“Indeed.”

Both elderly pegasi stared at each other in silence for a moment, each wearing a small blue saddlebag, Sunflower’s contained the mysterious letter that lead them to Ponyville. Many talks and weeks had passed before they both gathered the courage to leave their city in the sky, ready to check the rumours. None of them believing that Flutterbat was still alive, but their tired minds refused to be at ease before making sure.

While much younger pegasi would most likely fly rather than use a train, their wings were old and both of them were out of shape, preferring the comfort of a train to tiresome activities.

They both looked around before Little Seed asked, “So, any idea what our…” -he took slow breath- “mysterious friend looks like?”

The mare nodded her head. “After I tried to contact him, he described himself as a tall red-coated stallion with brown mane and a scar, and said he would wait for us at the train station.” She looked around with half-closed eyes, her attention quickly shifting to a stallion wearing a black hood and a saddlebag, sitting next to the small stairs leading from the wooden platform.

They slowly approached, stepping back the moment he glanced at them. “Yer here to learn the truth about Flutterbat?” They nervously nodded. “Ya sure took yer time.”

Little Seed opened his mouth, but was silenced by Sunflower’s slightly trembling hoof as she spoke instead, “We needed time… to contemplate.”

The stallion half-bowed. “Hawkeye, pleasure’s all mine.” He turned around. “Let’s go.”

“My name’s Sunflower,” the mare introduced herself, quickly following the earth pony. Her husband right beside her.

"And my name’s Little Seed, nice to… meet you?” He sped up and plead, “Would you please… slow down… we aren’t up for a marathon,” he took a quick breath, “at our age.”

Sunflower interrupted, “Speak for yourself. Whenever I told you to have a workout with me, you always refused.” A drop of sweat fell down her muzzle as she started to trot.

The two old pegasi looked around, admiring the simple yet charming and colorful homes, occasionally trying to start a conversation with the tall earth pony who kept silent the entire way. Bypassing ponies waved their hooves while shooting them the occasional smile.

Much to their surprise, the stallion changed direction, leading the elderly pair outside of town before rounding Ponyville.

Little Seed sped up further, desperately trying to catch up with the tall pony. “Ummm.... I hope you don’t mind-” a quick breath, “-if I ask why are you wearing that hood in such pleasant weather?”

“Ah ain’t a fan of hot sunny days.”

Sunflower frowned.

Little Seed looked at the eye and asked, “And what about your scar. How did you get it?”

The silence lasted for a few more seconds before Hawkeye stopped and massaged his head, clearly in pain.

“Is something wrong?”

“N-no… Ah’m fine…” Hawkeye said, slowly regaining his composure. He touched his scar before sighing. “Ah... can’t tell ya about the scar… mah apologises.”

Little Seed’s ears drooped as he responded in disappointment, “Alright… but would you pleeease consider slowing down?”

“Slow down?” Hawkeye asked while shooting the elderly pegasus a smirk. “If Ah slow down even more, them snails will start outspeedin’ us.” He chuckled. “Mah Ma can move her old legs faster than ya.” He grit his teeth as another headache struck, this one even stronger than the last as an image of Granny Smith surfaced in his mind. Vinyl’s words followed as he started wondering if his master did indeed send him to kill his own family before Fluttershy had come into play.

“Maybe we should go to a doctor. You seems to be getting worse,” Little Seed suggested while staring at Hawkeye with concern.

“Ah’m fine!” Hawkeye responded, quickly raising his head. “We shouldn't make yer friend wait any longer.”

Little Seed approached Sunflower and whispered, “I have an odd feeling about Hawkeye. He seems to be hiding something. Maybe we should go back.”

“No time for hesitation now when we’re so close,” Sunflower responded, not bothering to look back at her husband.

“But Sunflower, dear. What if he’s…” he took a quick breath and increased his pace as they both tried to keep up with the stallion, who was already a few meters ahead of them. “What if he wants to rob us? He’s leading us outside of town where there are no witnesses.” He gave Hawkeye a quick glance, hoping he didn’t hear him.

Sunflower giggled. “You often kept saying I shouldn’t worry so much. When did you became such a worrywart?”

“I’m just being cautious. Hoping that our friend is still alive seems to have blinded you.”

Sunflower rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, because we’re suuuch attractive targets. The few bits we’re carrying surely will lure criminals from all across Equestria.”

Little Seed sighed. “Alright… I’ll play along, but if something bad happens,” he took a quick breath, “remember that I warned you.”

“We’re here,” Hawkeye said, stopping several meters before a little bridge, pointing at the cottage. “Wake up you two.”

Both pegasi yawned and rubbed their sleepy eyes.

“Ah swear, ya both are all feathers and bones, but no stamina.”

Sunflower stepped onto the soft grass and stretched herself, the sound of cracking bones followed. “Don’t blame us when you were the one offering to give us a ride.” She felt a breeze in her mane as she looked around, her eyes widened and mouth opened widely. Admiring the view.

“Because ya were stoppin’ for a break every darn minute.” He sat, sliding Little Seed from his back before sighing. “Let’s get this over with.”

Little Seed shook dust from his forelegs before his eyes widened, now admiring his surroundings alongside his wife. The cottage was surrounded by a grassy field and trees; some filled with nuts and holes for squirrels, while most had bird nests or beehives. Multicolored flowers decorated the area and there was a little stream clear enough for them to notice a few fishes swimming through. A few holes and nests were noticeable near the stream, but no animals besides fish were present.

“It’s beautiful,” Little Seed said while placing his wing on his wife. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Sunflower nodded. “Of course it is, and you know who would love to live in a place like this?”

“Flutterbat?”

“Exactly,” Sunflower said before wrapping her wing around her husband, only to push him forward as she approached the entrance.

“I can walk, you know,” Little Seed commented.

Sunflower felt her heart beating at the rate of a young pegasus, almost as fast as during her friend’s possibly fake funeral. Her raised trembling hoof, suddenly hesitant to knock. Her husband sat a meter behind her while the mysterious stallion took a comfortable position in the shadow of a tree, out of her line of sight.

Get yourself together, you can’t back down now. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth as she advanced her hoof, only to feel it poke a soft fur.

“Welcome to Fluttershy’s cottage, where all the animals are happy, fed and well taken care of. How can I help you?”

Sunflower opened her eyes and smiled awkwardly, now facing a white unicorn mare with three diamonds as her cutie mark.

She cleared her throat before placing her raised forehoof on her chest. “H-hello, my name is Sunflower.” She pointed at the pony waving from a meter distance. “And this is my husband, Little Seed. We live in Cloudsdale.”

“Charmed,” Rarity said with a half-bow before introducing herself. “My name is Rarity, owner of the local boutique. Would you need elegant clothes or beautification, my doors stand open.” She paused. “Should you wish to relax, Ponyville’s spa is quite lovely.”

“Thank you for the offer, but we’re not tourists,” Sunflower pointed out.

Rarity’s ears dropped. “Shame. In any case, what brings such a lovely pair to our humble little town so far away?”

Both pegasi blushed at the complement.

“If there is an animal emergency, I will lead the way to the local veterinarian. Miss Fluttershy is ill and in no shape to assist you.”

Sunflower tiled her head to the side, noticing a huge gathering of animals all over the floor inside, right behind the white mare. “She’s ill?” Upon noticing a nod, she said, “We came a long way to visit Miss Fluttershy. We’re her friends from Cloudsdale, and if she’s ill, we should at least give her our best wishes.” She took a quick breath.

“Friends from Cloudsdale? She never mentioned you. I was certain the only pony she befriended there was Rainbow Dash.”

Sunflower turned her head as her cheeks reddened. If that mare was indeed Flutterbat, not mentioning her old friends for so many years was very rude. “We’re her… very old friends.” She looked back at Rarity and continued, “I’m certain one look at our faces will refresh her memory.”

“I apologize, but visitors are not allowed. Fluttershy’s illness is highly contagious.”

Sunflower frowned while Little Seed approached the door and shoot the fashionista a suspicious glare. He asked, “If it is indeed contagious, then why are you taking care of her without a mask or any other protective gear, hmn?”

“I… I… developed an immunity...” Rarity started to sweat while looking around nervously, both pegasi raised their eyebrows. “I am sorry, Fluttershy is in no shape to see any visitors. Please return later, have a good day,” she said hastily before closing the door with a loud thump.

Both pegasi looked at each other in confusion. “She is hiding something,” Little Seed said calmly.

“Well, I’m not leaving until we see Flutterbat.”

“But how? I hope you don’t plan breaking in. I fear my heart wouldn’t endure anything crazy like that.”

“Use the back-entrance to sneak in, or a window on the second floor. Ah’ll distract Flutterbat’s friends,” Hawkeye said as he approached the door and took off his hood. He gestured at the pair to round the house, who nodded hesitantly.

Hawkeye threw a small rock at the window frame on the second floor before sitting in front of the door, waiting a few seconds. It didn’t take long before the window on the second floor opened and a blue pegasus flew outside, landing with a loud thump and spread wings.

“How dare you show up on my friend’s doorsteps after what you’ve done!” Dash said, stomping and gritting her teeth.

“Ain’t ya Rainbow Dash? I must commend ya. For a pegasus, yer speed and skills are outstandin’, makin’ ya very useful for yer mistress and quite a nuisance to me.”

“Just give me a moment and I’ll be a lot more than just a nuisance,” Dash said as she started hitting the grass as if she was a bull preparing to charge.

“Very eager, ain’t ya?” he asked, struggling to resist the blinding sunlight.

He could notice another mare jumping from the window, this one had a bracer with a silver blade equipped on her forehoof.

“And the huntress is here too. Ah must congratulate ya for turning yer mistress into a true pureblood through trainin’.” He put on his hood for additional protection from the sun, regaining some of his strength as seconds passed. “Ah wonder if yer huntin’ skills are anywhere matching yer teachin’ ones.”

“Yer about to find out, and don’t expect me to hesitate this time just because yer mah Pa.” Applejack’s eyes half-closed as she took a fighting stance. “Ah’m goin’ to capture ya so Fluttershy can fix that thick head o’ yers, and if ya do somethin’ to hurt her, Ah’ll buck ya unconscious.”

The door in front of him opened, revealing Rarity wearing a large pink hat, a few silver bolts levitating by her side. “I must say, I did not expect such a bold move from you.” She looked at him suspiciously. “I expected an ambush, or you leading an army of plants, but definitely not this.”

Rarity walked outside and closed the door behind her. “You are not going to hurt Fluttershy on our watch. This is the end of the line for you, but before we proceed to capture you, would you mind explaining why are you openly facing us?”

“That’s very simple,” Hawkeye started, turning to the side, not looking at any of surrounding him mares. “Yer mistress has one last trial to face, and Ah’m here to ensure she does.”

“Fluttershy has endured enough!” Dash shouted. “She’s really sick after drinking your blood, and I won’t let you to hurt her further.”

“She’s sick?” Hawkeye asked, caught off guard. “Yer lyin’. She avoided most of mah strikes and defeated me without much of a trouble. How can she be…?” He massaged his forehead, the headache didn’t want to leave him.

Rarity stomped. “Yes, she did defeat you, but when she tried to capture you, you drank your master’s blood.” She raised forehoof up to her face. “Vinyl did mention that your master tampered with your memories. Does that mean you cannot remember everything that happened last night?”

“It don’t matter. Vinyl the Undying already offered to let me join yer clan and Ah told her Ah must accomplish mah master’s task.” He cleared his throat and lowered his head, his tone firm and dark. “Sick or not, yer mistress needs to face the past to be ready to face the future.”

“Past? What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked around nervously.

“Yer her closest friend, and yet ya not know much about her past,” Hawkeye said. “As an emissary of peace between our races, yer mistress will face hate and doubt. How’ll she react, should her best friends she left behind learn her true nature? This is a struggle mah master wishes for her to face.”

“Friends?” Rarity said before her ears perked upward as a noise from the inside caught her attention. Noticing it, Hawkeye opened his saddlebag and grabbed a lasso with his mouth, using it to pull Rarity away from the door.

It didn’t take long before he was being tackled by the pegasus, while Applejack’s silver blade cut the rope. A loud cacophony made by the animals inside rang out from the cottage.

Hawkeye slammed his hoof against the ground, making vines shoot up from it and restraining the pegasus’s wings before she could fly in through the window. Two silver bolts cut them a moment later while the third one struck his foreleg.

Fluttershy’s tired barely opened eyes were now staring at Sunflower, wondering if it was a hallucination, caused by her weakened state.

“F-Flutterbat… is that you?”

She recognized the voice immediately as her eyes shot open. She struggled to stand, but could only support herself with one foreleg against a pillow. “S-Sunflower?”

“It’s you!” the elderly mare said before approaching and slapping her. Fluttershy could feel pain, both physical and mental as her eyes watered. “How dare you… how could you… why?” She was embraced a moment later and it caused her to yelp. The pain growing in strength as her feeble body could barely endure a hug, Zecora’s poison being strong enough to restrain her powers while leaving her very vulnerable.

“Why did you fake your death? How could you hurt us so? You meanie... “ Sunflower shouted between tired breaths while Fluttershy could notice another pegasus walking up from the stairs, he was covered in both sweat and small animals that tried to stop him, legs shaking as if after climbing a tall mountain.

“Little Seed?” Fluttershy said, feeling tears dropping on her back as she was held in a firm hug. The sound of breaking glass came as the glass pieces filled the room, Rainbow Dash then flew in and landed on the floor. Critters spread out in all directions while Little Seed hid his face behind a wing.

“W-why are you here… how did you find out?” Fluttershy asked as her tired mind tried to keep up with the change of events.

Sunflower released her from the hug and looked in the eyes. “Your other friend you tricked told us through the letter that you faked your funeral, presenting us with a proof,” She said hastily. “At first I thought…” she paused, now intensively examining her features. Looking away from her thin predatory eyes to bat-like wings before pushing her away. “What happened to you?”

Fluttershy grit her teeth as she struggled to reassert herself. “I… I can explain.”

“Explain? Explain!” Sunflower shouted, pointing at Fluttershy accusingly while Little Seed approached and sat by her side. “First you disappear for years, next fake your funeral and now you look like a far younger version of yourself. Is that a costume? What is going on?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth, but no words left it. She looked away from the judgmental stare of her friends, not feeling strong enough to talk with them. Why… why is this happening to me?

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Sunflower asked, her voice filled with desperation while her ears drooped. “Say something already!”

Rainbow Dash got between Fluttershy and her friends, spreading her wings protectively. “Calm down! Can’t you see Flutters is sick?”

Sunflower was about to respond, but stopped upon feeling her husband’s wing on her back.

Little Seed asked, “Please, explain to us why our friend looks like this. Is this the result of the illness?”

“Y-yes… it’s a curse she caught from the Everfree Forest,” Dash said nervously.

“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy called her friend. “Please… tell them the truth.”

“But Flutters…”

“Please.”

Dash sighed before turning towards the confused pegasi. “Fluttershy… is not a pegasus, but a pureblooded thestral.”

“A what now?” Sunflower asked.

“You know. Bat-like wings, drinking blood, turning ponies and thestrals… you get the idea.”

Sunflower gasped. “She turn ponies into her own kind?! That’s horrible.”

“It’s not as bad as you think,” Rainbow Dash responded.

Little Seed massaged his neck, suddenly feeling uneasy. “So… does this mean she maintains a steady population of her kind by transferring her genes through multiples mates and females?”

Fluttershy blushed while Rainbow Dash rubbed top of her head, trying to translate the egghead speech.

Hawkeye grit his teeth as he looked between the two mares surrounding him, a few wounds caused by silver bolts slightly slowing him down. What’s takin’ those two so long?… he thought before jumping back, just in time to avoid Applejack’s blade which was aimed at his foreleg.

While being bigger, more experienced and a thestral would give him advantage over the huntress, the lack of proper equipment while outnumbered turned the battle around. To make matters worse, his hood damaged during the fight, no longer providing complete protection from the sun. His ears perked upward as he caught the sound of an opening door.

All present ponies turned their heads towards the pegasi running outside, an impressive feat considering their age.

“Wait, come back, you’ve got it all wrong!” Rainbow Dash called as she ran outside.

Hawkeye jumped in front of the pegasi, who pressed their hooves against the ground and stopped in front of him.

“You… you’re a… a…” Sunflower started, staring at the fangs and wounds in shock.

“Abomination…” Little Seed finished. “Just like Fluttershy.”

He grinned before picking up a smoke bomb from his saddlebag and throwing it at the ground, filling his surroundings with smoke. Everypony coughed before looking around, their visibility fully reduced.

Rarity started sensing the heartbeats of surrounding ponies, carefully navigating through the smoke. The moment she passed through it, her eyes widened as she could see the stallion escaping with two unconscious pegasi on his back.

Weakness slowly started overtaking his body as Hawkeye galloped towards the Everfree Forest. He could hear the hoofsteps of his pursuers and the flapping wings of Rainbow Dash. Much to his relief, the trees’ shadows provided him with the protection he needed, just in time as the blue pegasus landed in front of him.

“Where do you think you’re going, punk? Much less with Fluttershy’s friends?” Dash asked, her wings spread as she glared aggressively. “I’m getting really tired of your shenanigans. You’ve been just asking for a beating, so now I’m gonna deliver it!” Without hesitation, she flew at him while performing a kick, slamming her rear hoof against Hawkeye’s muzzle.

The stallion could feel hit after hit being delivered against his face, finding the attacks not just fast, but surprisingly strong. Upon noticing that Rainbow Dash picked up Sunflower from his back, he grabbed her foreleg and pushed towards the ground. He looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes and said. “Do as Ah say, or else…” he raised a hoof above Sunflower’s wing.

“Wait!” Dash said as she stepped back. “Don’t hurt them.”

Hawkeye grinned. “Here’s the deal. Either Ah hit ya, or them. Yer choice.”

“You coward!”

“Three… two…”

“Fine!” Dash shouted before approaching, her stare firm and determined. “But don’t you dare hurt them!”

Hawkeye swung his hoof, delivering a firm blow to Rainbow Dash’s stomach, sending her crashing against a tree. Not wasting a moment, he raised both of his legs before delivering a apple buck kick, his strength far above Big Mac’s as the tree was pulled off its roots and sent flying a few meters away. Rainbow Dash sank deeply into the tree and lost consciousness, only her bones being adapted to falling from great heights preventing them from breaking.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack shouted as she ran into the forest. Hawkeye could feel the tension in the air increasing by a mere look at the farm mare, his sharpened senses being enough to tell him that she was enraged.

Rarity caught up only a moment later and levitated a bolt into the air.

“Before any of ya decide to do somethin’ stupid. Ah suggest ya to think about safety of yer mistress’s friends,” Hawkeye said, causing both mares to step back.

Pinkie galloped at full speed, the cottage in her line of sight. She pressed her flank against the ground to bring herself to a full stop while a cloud of dust formed behind her. “Where are they?” she asked before looking around, only to notice Fluttershy limping on her trembling legs as she walked outside, tripping a moment later.

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie shouted as she dashed towards her friend, quickly pulling her to a sitting position. “Have you seen anypony come by here? My Pinkie Sense told me that new ponies arrived in Ponyville, but I decided to wait before greeting them until I made sure that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle weren't in some sort of trouble, keeping an eye on them like you asked.”

Fluttershy whimpered in pain.

“Are you... feeling okay?” Pinkie asked.

The pureblood’s breathing was heavy, sweat covered her face and her eyes watered as she spoke with pain in her voice, “My friends… in danger…” she looked at her, staring desperately as if she were a scolded and crying puppy, “Please… help me.”

“Help you help your friends? How I can help?”

Fluttershy grit her teeth as she raised her trembling forehoof and pointed at the forest, losing her balance a moment later. Pinkie slid under her belly as Fluttershy ended up lying in her back.

“You want me to take you into the Everfree Forest?”

“Y-yes…”

“But you look terrible! I mean… I don’t mean you look like a mean pony, or a dirty pony or an ugly pony. What I mean to say is that you’re looking like a very very tired and sick pony. You should be lying in bed.”

“P-please…”

“But…”

“Please!”

Pinkie closed her eyes and grit her teeth. On the one hoof, the only time she saw her friend in such a terrible shape was after the fight against Sharp Eye. Her depression was truly heartbreaking to watch. On another, she couldn’t say no to Fluttershy, especially if she wanted to help her friends who were apparently in trouble.

Part of her wanted to place Fluttershy in the bed and take care of her health, another part wanted to take her into the Everfree Forest.

I have to choose… Nooo, she thought as her mind rebelled at the very idea of making such a difficult decision.