//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 (Edited) 
// Story: Frienimies 
// by Melody_Wings 
//------------------------------//

Fluttershy screamed. If anypony else was there, they would be extremely surprised to see Fluttershy reach the volume of an ambulance siren. She continued screaming until the stallion opened a blood red eye, only to be whacked hard in the face by a strawberry-filled basket. Fluttershy immediately felt ashamed at her violent move. It was not like her to almost kill somepony at first sight.

Cautiously, she prodded him in the back with a stick, yelping as he growled, shifting his weight. Suddenly, as she went to prod him in the back again to watch his reaction, a cold voice whispered softly in the wind whirling around her. 'You do realise that if you leave him out here, he will die...' whispered the voice. Fluttershy could have sworn that it was behind her but as she whipped around, all she saw were ancient, gnarled trees. "W-who are you?" she asked out loud. For a moment, she thought the voice was Sombra's but quickly chased the thought away. He was unconscious and so unable to speak. 'It is me', the voice replied and Fluttershy felt it smirking. "Who is 'me'?" asked Fluttershy. The voice didn't answer but instead, the wind whirled around Sombra, tugging at the ripped cape and pulling at his mane.

Fluttershy felt the blood drain out of her face as she realised just how badly injured he was. His body was covered in scars and cuts and a long, deep and ugly wound stretched out across his right hoof. His mouth was open and his fangs were stained with blood. In fact, his whole body was. The dirtiness of the forest didn't help as many of his wounds could become infected very easily. Jaggered bone poked through the wound on his right hoof, causing Fluttershy to look away before she was sick. For the first time ever, she felt sorry for him. He could have been mistaken for a dead body had they not heard his ragged breathing coming from his sweat-drenched chest.

What could she do? One one hoof, if she helped him, he could take over the Crystal Empire again of even worse, all of Equestria! She would be known as a traitor because she saved the enemy and could suffer drastically from the result. However, on the other, he could and would die if she left him there and she would be responsible for the death of a pony! If she gets extremely upset by animal deaths, how would she react to the death of a sapient being? Would she be hated and punished by the princesses? Fluttershy shuddered at  thought of the consequences behind the death of him. Reluctantly, she let out a long sigh and told Eric to find Harry the bear and to grab a pencil and clean piece of parchment on the way back. When Eric returned, she first started to write and apologetic letter to Big Mac about her absence.

Dearest Big Mac, she wrote
I apologise for my absence to our date as a young falcon crashed near my home and it was severely injured. I am so sorry I couldn't make it to our date at Sweet Apple Acres, I hope you don't mind too much. Maybe we can reschedule the date for another day, if you want to of course...
Lots of love, your loving marefriend
Fluttershy xxx



Fluttershy felt bad about lying to Big Mac but she knew that his reaction is would not improve if she told him the truth. Carefully, she rolled it up into a scroll, sealing it, and passed it to the little grey dove, telling him to go to Sweet Apple Acres and give it to a big red stallion and after that, to come to the little cottage on the outskirts of the Everfree. He whistled and flew off, nimbly diving between the branches.. 

As she turned around again, she saw that she had to carefully put the king onto Harry's back. Harry lowered his head and moved so that Sombra's back was on Harry's neck. With one swift motion, he flipped King Sombra onto his back, the tyrant wincing from the pain, and Harry stood there waiting for Fluttershy's  command to move. She sighed and together, they started on the long journey home.

***

As soon as Fluttershy entered the cottage, she locked the door and shut the blinds. No pony could seenthem now. Slowly, she helped Harry trudge upstairs to Discord's old room, Sombra dangling from his back like a lifeless doll. When they reached the room, Fluttershy helped Sombra down Harry's back, laying him carefully onto the bed. She turned to Harry and gently shooed him out, telling him he could make himself comfortable the couch and that she will bring him some fish for helping her. 

As soon as he left, Fluttershy ran out of the room, only to return carrying several medicines and bandages. Despite not being a medic pony, she immediately siesed the antiseptic and began cleaning each wound throughtly. To her shock, she found out that the large gash on his right hoof was not infected, despite the conditions he had been in. Relieved, Fluttershy began bandaging some of the smaller wounds. Satisfied by her work, she managed to give him him a painkiller and began stitching up the major ones, bandaging them afterwards. After throwing the quilt over him, she left the room to give Harry his thank-you meal. 'Sweet Celestia,' she thought. 'What have I gotten myself into?'