Worry was a new emotion for Flurry Heart. And she didn't like it.
Oh, she had felt others worry. Her empathy had allowed her that much. That's how she knew what the word even meant. Because, all things considered, she had little to worry about. She grew up in a literal palace, surrounded by a loving family, and she had anything she ever asked for. When she pondered the prospect of her Immortality, watching every single mortal pony friend of hers die when she couldn't, it made her afraid, more than a little sad, but never worried.
This was different than that. This was different than any worry she had felt off of anyone else. This worry came from being sure something horrible would happen, but totally in the dark as to what.
The worry followed her as she climbed on the train. The first civilian train she'd ever gotten on. She had resolved to enter Ponyville incognito. She would cover her wings with her saddlebag, which was packed with a few books for the train ride. True, they were very large books, and it seemed like the bag would break her back at any moment, but she felt the disguise was worth the discomfort. She would introduce herself only as "Flurry" and she would only describe herself as a "Canterlot Official" sent to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun celebration. As much as she liked the attention, she felt an urge to keep under the radar. She felt she was in danger.
She walked with her worry and sat down on a free bench. The train car was mercifully uncrowded and quiet. So she could sit, and worry, and work out the things she was worried about.
Aunt Twilight has never been that angry before, she thought. At least, not as long as I've known her, And she's one of the nicest ponies I know! She's friendly with everypony, so who can she hate as much as that?
"SNOOOORKOOKOKOKOK--neigh..."
A-And then there was that note, Flurry scrambled back to her train of thought after that sudden burst of random noise. What was on it? Why did it make Aunt Twi so upset? No, this doesn't make any sense. Tirek has been gone for ages, we've just reopened trading with the Changeling Hive, so who? Who's scaring my Aunt?
"SNOOOOKKKKKokokokok... neigh..."
It wasn't just her, either, Flurry managed to somehow think through gritted teeth. Her friends were also feeling off. Like they wer certain that they were going to die. Or maybe that part of them already had... So what could possibly--
"SNRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRK--"
Okay, what in Tartrus is that freaking noise?!
It wasn't long before she found the answer. There was a stallion lying on his stomach in the seat opposite hers, curled up and fast asleep. She didn't notice him when she sat down, and she wondered how. This pony was hardly small. He was quite a well built Pegasus. Large, and quite muscular. He had a beige coat, and a brown mane that matched the color of his hooves. His mane was quite curly, and came up to a large fringe that pointed upward and to the back of his head. His face... With his face it was hard to tell. When a pony is snoring with his mouth opened that wide, very few other things can enter your mind.
Flurry pondered about six different ways to kill this pony before fate intervened. A large bump in the tracks caused the train car to jostle hard, waking the stallion rather violently.
"I didn't do it!" he screamed groggily as he snapped his head upwards, looking around frantically. "It was Pumpkin! The two of you can't prove a damn thing!"
He calmed down when he met Flurry's eyes.
"I was snoring, wasn't I?" asked the stallion.
"Little bit," Flurry said dryly.
The stallion brushed the sleep out of his eyes, Flurry felt a little guilty. She didn't need to be an empath to see how embarrassed the poor guy was. "I'm sorry," his said in a deep sullen voice. "I'll find another bench..."
Flurry was feeling incredibly guilty now. "Oh," she said. "There's no need to do that. My stop can't be more than a few minutes away, at this point."
The stallion raised an eyebrow. "You going to Ponyville?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes," Flurry said, with a slight reluctance.
"Hey!" The Stallion's mood brightened up immensely. "That's my home town! Looks like we're going to the same place, I'm just heading home. I had to drop off someone at Manehattan, and pick up a few orders for my Parents. I'm assuming you're coming to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration."
Flurry Heart considered the question. "In a manner of speaking."
The Stallion nodded. "It was either that, or the Crystal Tree Museum. Not much else happens in Ponyville. My name is Pound Cake by the way."
The name "Cake" rang a bell for Flurry Heart, she dove into her bag and pulled out the list of names Aunt Twilight had given her, and sure enough... "You wouldn't happen to know a 'Cup Cake' or a 'Carrot Cake' would you?"
"I should," Pound Cake smiled. "They're my parents."
"That's fantastic!" Flurry smiled. "That means I can get my work done early and get back home. My name is Flurry H-" She caught herself before she managed to say her full name. "My name is Flurry. I'm an official sent by Canterlot to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration."
Pound raised an Eyebrow. "Flurry, huh?" Flurry felt a range of emotions come from the young stallion. It started with suspicion, then when his eyes travelled down to her saddlebag there came the smugness that only came with confirmation. After that bewilderment, followed by resignation. "You need to see my Parents about the catering, right?"
"Exactly!" Flurry said, thankful that she seemed to be able to talk with this pony with out much awkwardness. Her disguise was working! Even if the saddlebag was getting more than a little heavy... and starting to chafe her wings.
"Well, I could easily introduce you," Pound Cake smiled. "And it's more than likely I know everypony on that list. When we get there I'll show you around town. Introduce you to the beautiful insane asylum that is Ponyville. Speaking of which..."
Flurry felt the train slow and finally pull to a stop. They had arrived in Ponyville. The town which had housed the Elements of Harmony for goodness knows how long. The town founded by earth ponies, and then became the seat of the princess of friendship for over ten years. The arena that hosted the final battles with Discord, Nightmare Moon, and Lord Tirek! Even after she called the town a Podunk, looking out the window now, Flurry Heart was a little intimidated.
"Wow," Flurry said, wheezing a little from the weight of the saddlebag as she got up. "The town is actually... kinda pretty."
Flurry felt a growing concern coming from Pound Cake. "Let me carry those bags for you," he said weakly. "There really is no need to carry those the whole time."
"No," Flurry said, desperately trying to pass off the effort of lifting the saddlebag as nothing at all. "It's fine! Really!"
Flurry felt Pound's concern mix with a growing exasperation. "Princess," he said quietly. "I understand you're wanting to keep a low profile, but I promise you, there is no need for that here. We won't treat you in any other way then how you want to be treated. We're kind of unflappable like that. If you want to stay on the low key, that's fine, but the saddlebag over the wings isn't fooling anypony. And it looks like it hurts. So please let me carry your bags before you pull something."
Flurry's jaw was on the floor. "You knew?" she gaped. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"You didn't want to tell me," Pound said frankly. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."
Fluttershy had started by walking back to her room at Caterlot Castle. It took her about a minute to break into a gallop.
Something was wrong. She could feel it. Something had happened. Big Mac or Apple Tree were in trouble. Her family was getting hurt. As a mother, she just felt all of the subtle wrongness in the air. Ever since Scratch had crashed the Council meeting, everyone she new was in danger.
She threw open the door, expecting to see her family hurt, or dead.
What she found may have arguably been a little bit worse.
Scratch was sitting in the middle of the room, in her husband's rocking chair. In one hoof was a long knife held over a sleeping Big Mac on the bed. Crooked in the other foreleg, sleeping soundly, was her daughter.
"Hey now," Scratch said loudly. "A little quieter. You don't wanna wake the poor kid, do you?"
Fluttershy immediately turned to wake Mac.
"Don't try it," Scratch sighed. "The second he tries to get up, the knife goes down. Red coat though, at least it wont stain."
Fluttershy stopped dead. She didn't know what to do. She had faced gods of chaos, dragons, hydras, vengeful kings, and she could honestly say that she had never been this afraid. "I'll do whatever you want," Fluttershy said, as tears began to well up in her eyes. "Just please... Please put my baby down... Please..."
"Oh, come on, Flutters, don't get so emotional," Scratch said. "It's not like I'm going to ask you to kill anybody. No, no. You're just going to come with me. They're going to stay here, and they're going to stay as safe as they can until this is all over."
Fluttershy didn't want to think about what that meant. "Okay," Fluttershy sobbed. "I'll do it. I'll go wherever. Just... Just please... Pleae put Apple Tree down... Please put away the knife..."
Scratch slowly got up and put baby Apple Tree down in her crib. He put the knife aside so he could tuck her in. Fluttershy wanted to duck for the knife, but not when Scratch was this close to her daughter. She almost panicked when she saw that Apple Tree was stirring. "Shh, shh, shh, it's okay kiddo," Scratch said softly. "You're fine for now. You're fine." The foal slowly went back to sleep.
Fluttershy was horrified, but she had to ask. She had to ask the question. For peace of mind.
"Cute kid," Scratch gave a friendly smile to Flutterhy. It may have been pleasant coming from any pony other than him. "Your hubby's hilarious, by the way. I think he would have stayed out of it if I had brought a brass band in here. Sheesh."
"Why are you doing this?" Fluttershy sobbed. "What do you want?!"
Scratch looked confused by the question. "Out," he said frankly. "Didn't I give you this whole spiel?"
"You are out of Tartarus!" Fluttershy protested. "You're here. You're out. Just go and leave us alone."
"Aha," Scratch nodded. "That must be confusing. Please, allow me to demonstrate."
With that, Scratch removed his suit jacket, removed his left cuff link, and rolled up his sleeve, revealing his rust-colored foreleg. "Watch carefully, now," he said. He then picked up the knife.
To Fluttershy's horror, Scratch attempted to plunge the knife into his foreleg, but the blade only bounced off with a sharp TING! And then he tried again. And then again. Each time with the same result. By the end of the grim exercise the knife had been rendered totally useless, it's blade curled back toward the handle. The only sign that anything had happened to Scratch was a few flakes of red rust on the carpet.
"Hmph," Scratch scoffed. He rolled his sleeve back down, cuffed it, and put his jacket on. "About what I expected. Still, it's worth a shot. And hey! At least I know it scared the damn dog. That's a nice bonus."
Fluttershy was stunned. What was this pony?
Scratch briskly walked over to Fluttershy, standing right next to her.
"I want out, Fluttershy," he sighed. "I'm suffocating in here." Scratch and Fluttershy vanished from the room.
Five minutes later, a foal woke up crying for her mother.