A Little Bird's Nest
Chapter 3: A Little Bird's Nest
Caramel's head was pounding. He hurt everywhere, but his head especially. For a little bit, he was sure that Flash Spark had broken his jaw, or cracked his skull open. Even as he slowly regained consciousness, he wasn't all that certain that something somewhere wasn't broken. But even more than the pain that throbbed through his skull, he felt fear. How long had he been out? Had Fluttershy gotten away? He needed to do something.
Come on, he thought, willing strength into his legs, Get up! Slowly, he managed to get his hooves underneath him. Little by little, Caramel forced himself into a standing position. His vision was blurred and every sway from his unsteady posture left him ready to topple right back over. There's nothing I can do like this, he realized grimly, I can't save Fluttershy myself. What I need to do is get...
His unsteady gaze came to rest on a cloud house that, while not terribly far away, was practically miles in his current condition. He couldn't afford to take his time either. ...help.
"Ohmygoshomygoshomygoshohmygosh!" Rainbow Dash repeated the mantra over and over again. Normally, it was her way of coping with excitement too intense for words. Well, that did describe this situation in a sense. But the primary reason Rainbow hadn't stopped repeating the phrase was that if she did, then the reality of what had almost happened to her might send her crashing out of the sky.
She didn't stop until she reached her cloud home, hovering over Ponyville in all its columned, rainbow-clad glory. She slammed the door shut and locked it tight before rushing up the stairs inside to her room, shutting and latching that door as well. Only then, when she was absolutely certain of her isolation, did Rainbow Dash sink to the floor, shaking like a leaf.
That...that creep...that filthy mule...he actually tried to... Rainbow's mind nearly shut down at the mere thought of it. Of course, when Flash Spark had actually tried to make his move, her training had kicked in. The arrogant stallion had proved to be a total pushover whom she had demolished in less than a second.
But that didn't make the near miss any less frightening. Rainbow Dash shuddered to think what might have happened had she not been a black-belt in Steel-Hoof style martial arts. Even if she had technically mastered the style to a sufficient degree to be granted her rank, this had marked the first time she had actually applied it to a real-world situation.
A choked sob escaped the mare. She had to be strong. There was no way she could allow anypony else, Flash Spark least of all, to see how frightened she was at what had almost happened. Even the idea of going to the town guard was more than she could handle. It would be like admitting that Flash Spark had gotten to her.
No, she wouldn't get him arrested. She wouldn't even fire him. Rainbow Dash would let Flash Spark keep his job, and in doing so, let him know exactly how completely his life was held in her hooves. And she would watch him constantly. There was no way she would let that monster of a pony out of her sight, where he could try the same thing on a mare that couldn't defend herself.
Rainbow Dash closed the latest Daring Do novel and set it on her nightstand with a yawn. She made a mental note to thank Twilight Sparkle for putting the book on hold for her the moment it had come out. Reaching over, Rainbow turned out the lamp by her bed and settled down to sleep glad to put her worries about the problems of Cloudsdale out of her mind for the time being.
"...bow Dash!"
Rainbow's eyes opened. She could have sworn she heard somepony calling her name. Naw, that's crazy. Who would be looking for me at this time of night?
"Rainbow Dash!"
She hadn't been imagining it. Somepony really was interrupting her sleep. Grumbling angrily, she climbed out of bed and stomped over to the window. Throwing it open, she pushed her head out and looked down, getting ready to give whoever it was that was disturbing her rest a piece of her mind. But when she saw who it was, her eyes nearly fell out of her head.
"Caramel!" Not bothering with the door, Rainbow shot out of her window and dropped to the ground right in front of the stallion, not willing to fully believe what she was seeing. The tan earth pony was barely standing, swaying heavily on his feet. He was bleeding from his head and mouth and looked ready to keel over at any moment. "What in Celestia's name happened to you."
Caramel gasped, sinking to his knees. "Flash Spark...Fluttershy...hurry!" He passed out after that.
Forcing down her panic at Caramel's condition, Rainbow Dash began to piece together his message. "Flash Spark...Fluttershy...oh no!"
Rainbow Dash wheeled about in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage, pausing only to cast one last glance back over her shoulder at the unconscious earth pony on the ground behind her. "Hang in there, Caramel, I'll get help for you after I make sure Fluttershy is okay." With that, she launched herself into the air, hurtling at top speed towards Fluttershy's cottage, praying to the Princesses that she wasn't too late.
Fluttershy trembled and whimpered as Flash Spark pressed down on her. He was taking his time, clearly savoring his position of superiority before he had his way with the mare beneath him. Already, Fluttershy could feel his body reacting to his desire as he pressed in closer to her. It was a disgusting feeling.
"Here we are, the open skies and just the two of us," he whispered into her ear, "You can go ahead and scream as loud as you want. Come on, do it!"
Her voice completely silenced by her fear, Fluttershy could only continue to whimper. Please let this end soon. Please, somepony, help me! Tears streamed down her face as she waited for the stallion to take what he wanted from her.
"Not gonna scream, huh?" Flash Spark sounded vaguely disappointed, "Oh well. Might as well get to the main event then."
Fluttershy shivered as the stallion positioned himself behind her. Her own whimpers were drowned out by a low roar. Then...nothing.
Flash Spark's weight disappeared from her back. Opening her eyes, Fluttershy realized that he was no longer on top of her. Had she blacked out? Had he simply taken what he wanted and left? Fluttershy blinked in confusion. Even if she had passed out from her fear, she would have expected some physical sensation to remain after the deed had been done. But she felt whole and untouched. Getting up, Fluttershy gasped as she saw the stallion sprawled out on the ground, groaning. There, standing between her and her attacker, was a familiar looking colt.
"It's you," she whispered, nearly fainting again, this time from relief.
Dawn Lightwing did not acknowledge her words, but instead kept his eyes trained on Flash Spark, who was slowly coming around. "What the hay happened to me?" he groaned. Looking up, Flash spotted dawn and growled. "Who the hay are you, brat? And what's up with your eyes? This is adult time. So scram!"
Dawn said nothing, but merely extended his wings halfway, keeping them perfectly parallel to the ground. Seeing that the colt wasn't about to budge, Flash Spark got up and glared at Dawn.
"Freak, I'm gonna warn you one more time and then I'm gonna make you move. Get. Out. Of. My. Way."
Dawn still offered no response, remaining resolutely between Flash Spark and his intended prize. The stallion snarled and pawed the ground. "I warned you, freak. When you end up in the hospital, eating through a straw, you'll have no one to blame but yourself. I'll even put those eyes out for you and save you the trouble."
Flash Spark charged, taking flight and zooming in at ground level. Even as he closed in, Dawn Lightwing remained unmoving. He stood his ground as Flash closed in. Fluttershy couldn't tear her eyes away from the spectacle. Flash Spark was only a few hooves away from Dawn when he finally moved. Dawn's body blurred into motion and it briefly looked like he was in two places at once.
Flash Spark was knocked away, spinning through the air. Fluttershy distinctly heard at least three different cracks as the stallion's bones succumbed to what must have been severe impacts. Dawn seemed to materialize only a few paces from where he had started, his hooves treading lightly on the ground while his wings finished their upstroke, as though he had just finished a running landing. As he came to a stop, Dawn sedately folded his wings back against his sides just in time for Flash Spark to slam into the ground several pony-lengths away from him and Fluttershy.
The entire exchange had been less than a second. But from the look of things, Fluttershy could tell that Flash Spark was not getting up again anytime soon. A low groan escaped the stallion. "What the hay did you do to me you little freak?"
Once again, the stallion's words were ignored by Dawn as the colt turned back to Futtershy, who sighed and sat down. "You saved me again," she observed softly.
"I do seem to be making a habit of it," observed the colt wryly. His voice and expression displayed real emotion for what seemed like the first time. He was clearly amused by the whole situation.
"Thank you so much," whispered Fluttershy. She lowered her head to get closer to Dawn, but he backed away to maintain his distance. Fluttershy tried not to look too disappointed that the colt wouldn't let her get any closer to him.
They both looked up as a sonic scream signified the arrival of Rainbow Dash. The sky-blue pegasus barely remembered to flare her wings to kill her speed before screeching to a halt in front of Fluttershy and Dawn, who had responded to her arrival by skipping across half the ground between him and the edge of the Everfree in what seemed to be a single step.
"Fluttershy! Are you okay? Where is that mule? I swear if he's done anything to you!" The fury in Rainbow's voice was palpable as she shouted. Seeing a slightly bemused Fluttershy right in front of her brought Rainbow's tirade to an abrupt halt as she looked around in confusion.
"Um, Fluttershy...you're okay, right?"
Fluttershy nodded slowly.
"Okay, um...Flash Spark didn't do anything to you, did he?"
This time, Fluttershy shook her head.
"So, where is he?"
Wordlessly, Fluttershy pointed to the moaning lump of the stallion. Flash Spark hadn't said another word and was much quieter upon Rainbow Dash's arrival. However, Rainbow's anger had dissipated, and was now replaced by total confusion. From the state Caramel had been in, she had been certain that things were bad. Only now, she arrived here to find Fluttershy unharmed and Flash Spark thrashed within an inch of his worthless life.
"So can anypony tell me what happened here?" demanded Rainbow, a hint of irritation creeping into her tone, "Or am I supposed to just guess?"
"Oh, well..." began Fluttershy nervously. She cast a glance over her shoulder to see that Dawn, while still keeping his distance, had not fled any farther. "I was running when Flash Spark caught me. He was about to..." she couldn't bring herself to finish that statement, prompting an angry growl from Rainbow as she glared at Flash, who whimpered in fear. "But then, Dawn saved me and did that" she pointed to the pile of pulverized pegasus, "to him."
Rainbow Dash remained silent for a moment. She looked over at the black colt, who watched her warily. For the first time, Rainbow Dash saw his eyes. She blinked in surprise. Those eyes look like... However, she shrugged the thought off. Weird eyes or not, this colt had saved Fluttershy's life. It wasn't the sort of thing that Rainbow was going to forget just because his eyes seemed a little strange.
Rainbow scratched her head as she tried to figure out what to do about the situation. She blinked as she realized something. "Oh ponyfeathers! Caramel! He was in awful shape when he found me. I need to go back and make sure he gets to the hospital."
However, rather than turning back to town right away, Rainbow trotted past Fluttershy and towards Dawn. Seeing the colt tense at her approach, she stopped a respectable distance away from him. "Listen," she said, "I can't thank you enough for saving Fluttershy. She's my best friend and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to her. That's why I need you here. I need to go take care of some things before I can get the town guard out to take care of that guy." She jerked her head contemptuously in Flash Spark's direction. "And you're the only one I can ask to do this now. Can you stay here and keep an eye on things for me? Make sure nothing happens to Fluttershy."
Dawn Lightwing nodded solemnly. Without another word, Rainbow Dash turned around and shot off into the sky like a bullet, hurtling back towards where she had left the battered earth pony stallion. Dawn watched her go. He had seen Rainbow's reaction when she had noticed his eyes and had been surprised to see that she hadn't immediately rejected him. He had moved past the point where he was able to feel fear or anxiety. Even the concept of betrayal carried no emotional weight with him. But now he was beginning to feel confused. Here was the second pony he had encountered recently not to completely reject him based on his appearance. He was confused, as though the world was changing around him in ways he couldn't fathom.
"Dawn," whispered Fluttershy softly as she approached. Dawn turned to stare at her, his confusion becoming more evident in his gaze. "I know that you might not be sure about this but, please stay."
Dawn blinked, not understanding. "Why?"
Fluttershy found herself smiling fondly at the young colt. "Because you looked so sad and lonely."
Dawn Lightwing was speechless. Sad? Lonely? He had thought those emotions no longer held any meaning to him. He had gotten so used to being on his own and so accustomed to being turned away by other ponies that his heart had grown numb and empty.
Seeing his indecision, Fluttershy continued. "I know that you're very strong. I know that you've been able to live by yourself for quite a while. But...when I see you watching me, I can see how alone you feel, like a little bird without a nest."
Dawn raised an eyebrow. "A bird?"
"Oh yes," replied the shy pegasus, settling down onto the grass in front of him, "You see, no matter how well a bird can fly, a bird can't fly forever. That's why a bird needs a nest to come back to. It's the same with ponies. You need a nest, a home. If you try too hard to go without one, you'll just break. That's why I'm asking you Dawn; would you come back and share my home with me? Stay with me and you can fly as high and far as you like and you will always have somewhere to come back to."
For a long time, Dawn was silent. His expression was now completely unreadable. Fluttershy watched him intently, dreading what she feared was the inevitable rejection. She had seen it in his gaze just then. Dawn's confusion didn't come from fear or anxiety. He no longer felt those emotions. Not because he had risen above them, but rather because he had dealt with them for so long his heart had become numb to the point where he could no longer feel them. He was beyond the point of fearing rejection over his unique appearance, but had instead come to regard it as an inevitable aspect of his very existence. Accepting her meant breaking through the emptiness in his heart. But while that meant he would be able to feel the warmth of her feelings, it also meant that he would be reopening himself to the pain he had been able to ignore for so long.
Slowly, Fluttershy got back to her feet and began pacing towards Dawn. He remained motionless, his mind clearly turning over the things she had said. As she closed to the point where she could reach out and touch him, Dawn finally spoke.
"Your words..." he said softly, "I've heard something like them before."
"From who?" she asked, worried. What if the words had come from a pony who had betrayed his trust.
"I heard them from the only pony who never turned his back on me," answered Dawn, "The one who stayed with me to the very end."
"And I will never turn my back on you," said Fluttershy softly, now reaching out to the colt, "And I will stay with you for as long as you stay with me."
Dawn didn't flinch when her hoof made contact with his cheek. Nor did he lean into the touch. Instead, he stared into Fluttershy's eyes, seemingly searching for some sign that would allow him to make his decision. The yellow pegasus favored him with her best smile. She wasn't certain if Dawn saw what he was looking for, but his eyes slowly closed.
"Alright," he said, finally, "I'll try."
Fluttershy had to stop herself from bursting out into a joyous squeal. Instead, she reached out with her forelegs and pulled Dawn to her gently. He submitted, reluctantly at first, as she drew him close and wrapped her forelegs around him in a soft embrace. Fluttershy also extended her wings and wrapped them round the colt, enclosing him in a soft, feathery cocoon.
"Dawn," she whispered softly.
"Yes?"
"Welcome home."
It was close to an hour before the town guard came to collect Flash Spark. They ended up taking him to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. Dawn had broken both his wings as well as one of his legs. While the doctors were optimistic that Flash would regain his ability to walk, the damage to his wings was much more severe, having completely demolished the same critical joint in each. Flash Spark would never fly again.
Thanks to Rainbow Dash, Caramel had also been admitted to the hospital. His injuries, while more extensive, appeared to be less severe overall. The doctors did plan on keeping him for observation for at least three weeks to ensure that the head trauma he had received from Flash Spark would leave no lasting affects.
Fluttershy, accompanied by Rainbow, went to the hospital to see Caramel while Dawn waited back at her cottage. Caramel was unconscious at the time, meaning Fluttershy didn't get a chance to talk with him. Instead, she sat quietly by his bedside for a while.
He got hurt like this because he was trying so hard to save me, she thought forlornly, And even when he was at the point where he shouldn't have tried to do any more, he still went to get Rainbow Dash. It felt odd to her. In a way, Caramel's efforts had proved superfluous. His heroic actions had been somewhat overshadowed by Dawn's effortless disposal of Flash Spark. But then again, Dawn might not have been in a position to help if Caramel hadn't given Fluttershy the time to get closer to her house that he had. And even if Dawn hadn't been there, Caramel's work had seen that Rainbow Dash would arrive before long.
Realizing that visiting hours were nearing their end, Fluttershy decided to go home to her new guest. Before she left, she lowered her mouth to Caramel's ear and whispered, "Thank you," before giving him a gentle peck on the cheek.
That felt right, she thought, blushing as she headed out the door, But I still want to tell him while he's awake.
Rainbow Dash was waiting for her in the lobby. "How are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm doing alright," replied Fluttershy, "It was scary, but I'm really grateful that Caramel and Dawn were there for me."
Rainbow Dash nodded and walked alongside Fluttershy on the path to her cottage. "Hey Fluttershy?"
"Yes?"
"I'm glad that kid was there to save you but...be careful around him."
Fluttershy gave her oldest friend a hard glance. "What do you mean Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow came to a halt and stared at the ground. "I don't know how to put it into words. I mean, his eyes are a little creepy, but that doesn't count for anything. Actually, I'd say they're kind of cool. But, he gives me this weird vibe. He felt...really cold."
Fluttershy smiled. "It's okay. He's like that because he feels that the only thing he can expect from other ponies is rejection because of the way his eyes look."
"I can understand that. But I'm a little more worried about how he dealt with Flash Spark. Those breaks on Flash Spark's wings were identical. I think the kid crippled him on purpose. It's not that the mule didn't have it coming to him, but I can't help but be worried about a pony who would completely take away some other pony's future like that."
Fluttershy frowned. She had to admit that Rainbow Dash made a good point. Her daredevil friend continued. "That's a scary place for a pony to be. It says to me that if he can justify it, he won't hesitate to hurt another pony in even worse ways if he thinks they deserve it."
"You're right," Fluttershy whispered, "But I think that I can help him to see that he doesn't have to hurt others in order to do what's right."
"I hope so," replied Rainbow, smiling hopefully a Fluttershy. Deciding to get on a lighter topic, she said, "But you realize we're going to have to tell the other girls what happened tonight. Rarity's gonna freak."
Rainbow Dash launched into her best imitation Rarity voice. "Oh dear Fluttershy! You poor thing! To have gone through such an ordeal; this calls for a full day in the spa! I absolutely insist! And then I will have to make a round dozen of my best dresses for you! Anything to to help you get over this my dear!"
Fluttershy laughed at Rainbow's mimicry, which, while overdramatic, was correct in its essentials. Insisting on a round of pampering was usually Rarity's way of dealing with trauma and how she felt others should deal with it as well. Fluttershy was certain that her other friends would insist on contributing in their own ways.
"Um, when we do tell them," said Futtershy, "Could you not mention Dawn's eyes?"
Rainbow Dash blinked, bemused by her friend's request. "Um, sure."
"Actually, could we not mention Dawn at all?"
"Huh?" Rainbow stopped again, "I can understand you not wanting to bring up his eyes just yet. But why would you want to keep the kid a secret from everyone else."
Fluttershy scraped at the dirt. "Well...Dawn is cautious. It took him a lot of convincing to simply stay with me and my house is a fair distance on the outskirts of Ponyville. And he's expressed some worries about how other ponies will react to him..."
"Yeah, that's why we agreed to not talk about his eyes," Rainbow pointed out, not sure what Fluttershy was getting at.
"But if we tell the other ponies, they'll want to meet Dawn right away, especially Pinkie Pie."
"You have a point there. Pinkie would probably try to throw him a party on the spot, not to mention her whole 'new pony' spiel."
"Yes. Pinkie Pie can be...overwhelming at the best of times. But for somepony like Dawn, she might scare him off. And even if that weren't the case, the other girls, and the rest of the town, once word gets around, would insist on treating him as a hero. But all that would be too much for Dawn at this stage."
Rainbow tapped her chin. "Yeah, you have a point there. But then that brings up the question; what do we tell them? I mean, they aren't going to believe that Flash Spark somehow tripped, broke his leg and both his wings."
"Um well..." Fluttershy hesitated, knowing her friend wasn't going to like this suggestion, "We could just say that you stopped him."
"What?" shouted Rainbow Dash, horrified, "That's crazy. Yeah, I may let my attitude get the better of me sometimes, but I would never ever take credit for something I didn't do! No! Just no."
"Oh I'm sorry!" exclaimed Fluttershy, mortified at her own insensitivity, "But I couldn't think of any other way..."
Rainbow let out a long breath. "I'm sorry I yelled at you like that Fluttershy. I didn't mean to blow up. It's just that this sort of thing is a big deal to me. You remember what it was like, all those ponies calling me a liar because they thought I never pulled off the Sonic Rainboom. If I ever tried to take credit for something I didn't actually do, I would lose the last shreds of self-respect I have left. Besides, that's the kind of lie that Applejack would see through right away.
"Look, we'll figure out something tomorrow. Let's just get some sleep. We'll figure out how to keep the girls from crowding your new friend right away. Besides, if we tell them about how Dawn isn't ready to meet other ponies yet, they'll probably understand and the only pony we'll really have to worry about is Pinkie Pie. Fortunately, I have an idea of how to deal with her."
"Alright," agreed Fluttershy somewhat reluctantly. Her cottage was in sight now. The windows were dark, but she held out hope that Dawn was inside. She said goodbye to Rainbow Dash at the door and entered. Turning on the light, Fluttershy saw Dawn resting on the couch, his closed. When she approached, his eyes opened and he looked at her, making her wonder if he had been awake the entire time.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to disturb you."
"You didn't," answered Dawn in a toneless voice, "When I lived in the Everfree Forest, I learned to sleep lightly so that the monsters couldn't sneak up on me while I was asleep. I don't actually sleep anymore. It's more like a trance, I suppose."
"Oh dear. I'm not sure that's healthy," mused Fluttershy.
"I've been like this for the better part of a year with no ill effects so far," Dawn pointed out.
"Um, well, if you're sure..." Fluttershy decided to change the subject for the time being. "Are you comfortable on the couch? I don't have a guest room, but I do have a storage room that could be made into one when I clear everything out."
"I'm fine with the couch," answered Dawn, lowering his head and closing his eyes, signaling an end to the conversation.
Biting back the urge to sigh, Fluttershy turned out the lights and made her own preparations for bed.
The morning dawned bright and clear, mostly to the continued efforts of Rainbow and her team continuing to collect the scattered clouds. Looking out the window, Fluttershy found herself wondering if her perpetually procrastinating friend had gotten up early to see the job done.
Coming down the stairs, the yellow pegasus fell into the habits that had been ingrained in her for years so naturally that she briefly forgot about her guest. Or rather, she failed to notice his absence. The couch, on which Dawn had settled for the night, was empty and there was no sign of any other pony in the house. For a moment, Fluttershy felt a brief rise of panic as she wondered where Dawn had gone and if something had happened to him (conveniently forgetting how capable Dawn was of looking after himself). However, her fear abated when she noticed Angel beckoning her from the front door.
The little rabbit pointed enthusiastically at the couch before pointing at the door, confirming Fluttershy's suspicions that Dawn had indeed left. Pushing open the door, she fully expected to see nothing more than her front yard and the ground leading up to the Everfree, with Dawn's conspicuous absence. But instead, she saw him.
Dawn was standing in the open ground, his wings held half-folded and level with the ground. His eyes were closed and he stood deathly still. Fluttershy began to wonder if something was wrong with him before he began to move. Dawn took a crossover sidestep to his left, ending the step by unfolding his left wing into a full sweep that extended in the same direction as a natural continuation of his body's movement. The wing folded back in and in the same motion, Dawn performed the same movements to his right. Then, rearing up, he lunged forward, backwinging as he came back down and extending both wings until the tips of his primaries extended well past his head, pointing directly in front of him. Pushing off and back with his front legs, he launched himself into a buck directly behind him, sweeping his wings in the same direction.
On the routine went, going into even stranger motions as Dawn's wings went through sweeps, thrusts and strokes. While she was no credible judge, Fluttershy thought that Dawn's wing movements were akin to strikes or attacks of some kind. The entire affair was like some kind of dance and the one thing that Fluttershy could tell for certain was that, whatever purpose the sequence of motions served, Dawn had clearly practiced it extensively until its component parts were a second nature to him. When, at last, Dawn finished his routine, he settled right back into his starting position and exhaled slowly and steadily before opening his eyes.
Looking up, Dawn found his caretaker staring at him with wide eyes. He said nothing, clearly waiting for Fluttershy to speak first.
"Oh, that was ever so impressive," she said sincerely, "What was that exactly? If you don't mind me asking."
Dawn slowly folded his wings and began to walk towards her. "That was the First Form," he said, as though that explained everything perfectly.
"And what is it for?" Fluttershy probed.
"It is the practice of techniques in sequence to familiarize oneself with the movements and stances and how to flow from one strike to another," replied Dawn.
"So...it's for fighting then?"
"Yes."
Fluttershy paled. She knew next to nothing about martial arts. She had no means to figure out anything about the particular style or techniques that Dawn employed. But the thought that it was something he practiced so thoroughly was intimidating, even if they were the skills he had used to save her the previous evening.
Deciding not to push things any further, Fluttershy instead opted to return to preparing breakfast for her and her guest. In a few minutes, she had a pleasant fruit-salad prepared for them to enjoy. Dawn ate at a surprisingly sedate pace for a pony who was probably used to periods of privation.
"I'm going into town today," she said softly. Dawn lifted his head up to look at her, clearly expecting her to say more. "I have to tell my friends what happened last night. They'll want to know."
An arched eyebrow was the only reaction she received. Fluttershy resisted the urge to shy away from the daunting enigma that was Dawn's expression. She opted to continue her explanation. "I have some food in the refrigerator that you can use for lunch and I promise to be back in time to make dinner."
"You are not taking me with you?" Dawn's tone was even, suggesting nothing.
Fluttershy gave him her best smile. "I understand that you're not ready to be around other ponies just yet. I won't force anything on you that you don't want. I'm going to have to tell my friends about you, but I won't tell them about your eyes until you're ready for them to learn. And I promise to make sure they don't bother you before you're ready to meet them."
"I see."
Fluttershy bit back the urge to sigh again. Dawn's response was as bland as always. She knew she should have known better than to expect more than that just yet. But she had hoped for some acknowledgement that he realized that she was trying to help him.
Oh well, she thought, We'll keep going on, little by little. Breakfast more or less completed, she reviewed the colt in front of her and noticed his still disheveled state. "Now then," Fluttershy suggested mildly, "Before I leave, how about we get you cleaned up?"
Meanwhile, in a different part of Ponyville, the rising sun streamed through the strategically placed curtains of a certain filly's room. The room's occupant groaned and turned away from the fiery onslaught as she desperately sought reprieve from the searing rays of Celestia's light in the sanctuary of sleep. It was ironic that, while many ponies had and indeed still did fear Luna's night, when morning came, many of those same ponies found themselves wishing that the night lasted just a little bit longer.
Unfortunately, that was not to happen this morning, or any other for that matter. In any case, the filly's efforts were further stymied by the harsh pounding on her bedroom door. "Get up!" shouted a gruff voice from the other side, "You have school in an hour and if you want breakfast you need to get down to the table right now!"
With another low groan, the sheets rolled back to reveal a tousled fuchsia mane. A low buzz sounded and the sheets rose away to reveal an orange coat and wings. Slowly, but surely, her light-purple eyes crawled open as the little pegasus filly reluctantly roused herself to face another day.
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I sense shipping...
2862928
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Looks like someone is a master in Krav Pega....
Dawn's sister?
I think that the punishment Flash Spark suffered fit perfectly. With how proud he was of his flying skills. Having his wings permanently clipped defiantly feels appropriate.
The young pegasus can fight.
Fluttershy can use the stare to scare anything she wants.
Best combo team ever.
Does Fluttershy use the stare on something that the little pegasus can't beat in the future.
I would find that cool.
Though I highly doubt that will happen.
Uh oh. For some reason it feels like your going to have Scootaloo belong to some abusive parents, while I'm fine with it story wise, it always makes me sad to read about it in a story.
I love it
Fav
2866730 Lol!
2866886 Hopefully
2868401 Well this means Scoots is gonna get a new mom and dad so i guess that mom will be FLUTTERS!
when will dawn meet scootaloo just have to read to find out now for an hour in a car bucking hell
why did i just have the sudden sense of discomfort when scootaloo showed up...?
Welp only one way to find out i suppose
Woah! Dawn is a fellow Z fighter! (from Dragon Ball Z) He's like a young Goku!
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You should meet up with Penstroke and think about joining each of your stories
As in like past sins and this
LMFAO!!!! Oh bravo Dawn!!! U gave that racist bastardy just what he deserved!!! Now he's grounded just like the Earthies he hates so much!!!
SNAP CRACKLE POP! Aw man i was laughing my ass off at what dawn did to flash spark.
Good colt. If that was me, I would have teared his wings off, let alone just break them. Wonder what he'll call Caramel now that he can't fly?
Hmm... Scootaloo. Let me guess... abusive father?
3038947 didn't he pull off a goku there
After finishing "Shadow of the sun" I came back here to re-read a little of the beginning...
Holy Cow! You improved incredibly since this first story! Keep going!
3050022 I'm guessing his father is going to come home.... a few months later, from the hospital, with his wings permanently broken.
*hint*
*hint*
EDIT: awwwwww...
I would have fed that pig to the Timberwolves. Asshole deserved it.
Forgot just how BAMF Dawn was in that scene. Well this is enough chapters for tonight. I'll get to reading more tomorrow.
4673922 I repeat. Flush the pigeon, then heavy AA.
Are you implying the ship I think you're implying?
5216173 I do believe that the author is implying what you think is implied my friend.
4673922 Agreed. I consider even attempting to do that to be a killable offense. But something tells me they might have run into legal trouble if they got caught, and Fluttershy wouldn't be able to lie believably about it, so they would be caught.
2866730 Or perhaps Tae Kwon Wing?
And then he was arrested and jailed for attempted murder and attempted rape, right?
Right?
Holy Throne, just how fast can Dawn move?!
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How about Gale King?
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Yep. Moguera made the most epic Pony Martial Arts system ever. Especially when we get to the Celestial Knights.
5216173
In the words of Big Mac: Eeyup
And there it is. Exactly what this story needed. Chapter one was a good start, Chapter two was good enough to get me to 3 But this chapter, is the hook. We learn more about dawn from Rainbows observations, we get more insight into your portrayal of both Dash and Shy (The flashback scene was sorely needed and cemented her persona more akin to her actual character than just the Tough girl act she'd been putting on so far), Dawn finally comes out of hiding... a little, and while we've ended one problem we've introduced several of the trials that will continue this tale.
Oh my gods.... You sir are a MASTER at subtle foreshadowing. If I hadn't re-read this then I never would have even realized.
That explains why what happened makes so much sense. But damn three stories down the line?
One pain in the flank dealt with now, as for the other I have just the man for the job. Caboose I'm going to need you to get a little angry buddy.
Caboose: Yeah, I don't remember how to do that.
Me: Just read the next couple of chapters buddy, it'll come to you.
I really forgot how awesome even if the anime-esque style doesn't really mesh that well with MLP.
7310564 why do I get a feeling that that's a RvB reference
The other Elements will notice that that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are hiding something. The fact that Flash won't be able to fly again is karmic in a way because of his racism towards Caramel.
I can already guess. Dawn and Scootaloo are either siblings or besties. I think siblings.
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Do you mean in the way that Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash are 'sisters,' or do you mean actual blood relatives?
Decided to reread this series for the second time. I always enjoyed it whenever little old Sparky got his flank handed (hooved?) to him, specifically in this bit. Harsh? Probably, yeah. Fair? Well, he's already gotten multiple chances to just back off; he really should have seen this coming.
That said, woah. I forgot how indifferent and insensitive Dawn was at the beginning. Understandably so, mind you, but still.
8042913 I'm personally not a fan of the whole 'Cloudsdale military withholding water' plot, so I've only read the first two or three 'books' (up to Dawn's 'death', and a little beyond that). As a result, I have no idea how Dawn changes after that point.
I can safely assume he learns how to wield lightning by the end, by 'mastering himself', right? And that he and Scootaloo get together?
I Can just imagine that one scene from "Annie"
'I Think I'm gonna like it here' Number.
His what were closed?
Okay the portrayal of Fluttershy in these chapters always kind of bothered me. When her friends were threatened in the show, she'd get angry, not scared and usually result in her busting out the stare.
Hell the stare would be best case scenario since we've seen multiple times that a serious Fluttershy is stronger than every other member of the group, almost as fast as Rainbow AND has a potent mind controlling ability to boot. Fluttershy is very far from being the delicate, defenceless flower she's portrayed as here. She's easily the 2nd strongest of the mane 6 overall (behind Twilight). It just doesn't show all the time due to her self esteem. Fluttershy could and should have easily beat the piss out of Flash herself the moment he hurt Caramel.
It could have been an interesting parallel that both Fluttershy and Dawn have issues with their anger, especially when their friends are in danger. I just don't like Fluttershy being portrayed as weak when she clearly isn't.
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Um ... This is Season 3 FlutterButters. That Fluttershy was the one that fainted at a leaf landing on her, would go near catatonic when in danger, and had almost as many phobias as Adrian Monk.
Those very, very, very few things you mentioned were rarities that required a very extenuating circumstance to happen. But when it's just "her" or "happening to her". The Flutters in the show was just like this one. Sure Season 7+ Fluttershy was braver, more assure of herself, and less retiring. But that was with tons of ponies working ages to help break her out of her shell.
And the few times when she was doing those things for others sakes, is overshadowed by the mass of nerves, fears, anxieties, and weaknesses before Season 7.
9254521 Except this ISN'T just happening to her, it's happening to Caramel as welll. She sees a friend getting attacked right in front of her, and she just runs away. That is blatantly out of character no matter what season of Fluttershy you're talking about. It was seeing her friends getting hurt that made her smack talk the Dragon in Dragonshy, it was the CMC being in danger that made her Stare down the Cockatrice in Stare Master, and it was the simple idea of Discord winning that enraged her to the point where she could actually catch Rainbow Dash in Return of Harmony.
The Timberwolf scene is fine (even if the "Fluttershy can't fly when scared" thing was a Dragonshy exclusive joke and was never really a consistent thing). But the scene where Flash Spark is beating down Caramel and Fluttershy does nothing but run, that is nonsense no matter how you look at it. Season One Fluttershy would have stared Flash into believing he was a six year old filly as a best case scenario, or personally beat him to within an inch of his life at worst.
Neither scenario would necessitate Dawn's involvement which makes the whole scenario seem unbelievably forced.
>Retribution Delivered
>Instance has sustained no damage
>Initializing Music Matrices
>This was a Triumph...
>Huge Success!
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Ugh I hate to reply to an old comment like this, but I wanted to throw in my two bits here. Flash Spark was a different kind of antagonist than she's used to dealing with. His interest in her wasn't as one would view an annoyance or obstacle to a greater goal; she was his goal and that feels far more threatening than any grouchy dragon could be. Even Rainbow was shaken by Flash's attempt to force himself on her, and she had been able to overpower him! The perception of an enemy can definitely affect how their target feels about the situation and kick in their flight or fight response in a more severe capacity than what might be expected, especially when it gets so personal. Could the scene have been done better in getting Dawn involved? Probably, but as is it holds enough suspension of disbelief for most people that it holds plenty of water.
First Form... Wait! He knows....! But who taught him....? Oh boy...
Looks like a family is forming!