Lost in a New World

by KingBrony

Fluttershy 4 - Race Against Time

Fluttershy turned back to the field, seeing her two precious friends fly off into the distance. This won't be the last time, she thought to herself as tears formed under her eyes. The pegasus was not sure of what they would face on their long journey south, but she hoped they would be okay. Fluttershy didn't want them to be alone, as she would not be there to protect them.

Protect...

The visions of the two Sleipnir she had killed returned to Fluttershy's memory. Their bodies, lifeless before her, as she did what she could to protect her friends. Flutterhsy, the pony who couldn't harm a fly. The world she lived in had changed her, from the moment the meteors fell to the farmland she stood in now, Fluttershy became a changed mare.

And she felt good.

A smile crept up onto Fluttershy's face. Once the rules and boundaries of the old world fell apart, her newfound freedom took control of her otherwise timid demeanor. First it was the Manticore in the cave, which Fluttershy killed to stay warm. And now it was some Sleipnir, in order to prevent them from killing the others. It's us or them now.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" Discord's voice failed to reach the mare, who was in a world of her own. Fluttershy shook her head and turned forward, in the direction of Canterlot.

"Did you say something?" Fluttershy asked in her innocent tone.

"Are we ready to move on? My feet are killing me," Discord floated in the air and held his green foot, massaging it. Discord had been with her for much of the journey. The icy mountains far north of Equestria were a completely different environment from where they stood now. But, the danger is still there. Not only are the Sleipnir more of a threat in the warmer weather, but the remnants of Equestria itself are filled with enemies. Rogue ponies, such as the band they encountered near Manehatten, roamed the lands, looking for anything they can to survive. Reasoning with them might be out of the equation at this point. These are ponies who lost everything, believing that their survival is part of a greater scheme. They may be too ignorant to give the Sleipnir a second glance, if they haven't already been...

Fluttershy shook her head as she trotted along the dirt path, appalled at the thought that crossed her mind. While she understood the necessity to survive, Fluttershy still believes in the power of her friends, and how far they have gotten together. It was also this reason that she felt concerned about leaving Twilight and Berry on their own, and the fear she has about her own situation.

She looked at Discord. The Draconequus looked tired and faded. He clearly was not at his most fit. He prodded along, switching between floating and walking. He was strong, no doubt, but he was still one being. The Sleipnir were a whole army.

"So what's your big plan, again?" Discord said, as if reading Fluttershy's mind. "You just going to ask them to stop killing us, and leave kindly?"

"It's worth a try," stayed adamant in her goal. "There has to be somepony who would listen to us. I can't believe that they are all bad." Fluttershy thought about the one Sleipnir she ambushed who grew scared at the sound of an attack. "Just like there are many different kinds of animals," She continued, "and many different personalities of ponies, there are bound to be some good Sleipnir."

"Well," Discord scoffed, "we had better hurry before the 'good' Sleipnir get killed during the upcoming battle."

He was right. Fluttershy didn't want more bloodshed in Equestria; they needed to reach the Sleipnir as soon as possible, before the Griffons make it to Equestria. It was the only way to save the most lives. Fluttershy began to pick up the pace, breaking into a glide. The farmlands grew smaller beneath her as the wind swept her up into the air. She could feel Rainbow Dash's presence underneath her as she soared into the air, as if her friend were carrying her through the sky. Discord followed closely behind, groaning as soon as Fluttershy took off. They had to be swift, as there was no time to delay.

Fluttershy was never a fast flyer when she was young - or at all, really - but a whole new level of energy began coursing through her veins. Look at me now, Rainbow Dash, she thought to herself as she picked up speed. The land below turned to forest, and Fluttershy soon knew exactly where they were - Everfree Forest.

The last time she was here, Angel gave his life to keep her safe. The memory was a sad one, and caused her fatigue to finally catch up to her. Fluttershy descended into the forest; the sky around her turned dark as the tall trees covered the light above. Discord followed her descent into the abyss. As Fluttershy inched closer to the ground, a sudden black figure shot up straight into the sky. Fluttershy rolled to the side in response, but as she flew, she crashed right into what looked like a black cloud, throwing her balance off and prompting the pony to fall. Looking to her side, she saw a familiar spot - the old castle ruins. It was as it always was, less one big change: something that looked like black thorns and roots covered the castle and all of the surrounding land. Her wing hit the edge of the cliff and she tumbled down into the valley.

"Uhh..." Fluttershy groaned as she regained consciousness. Discord sat by her side. "That was quite a fall you took," Discord said, holding her head up. Behind him, great black thorns polluted the sky.

"What...what are these?" Fluttershy asked. The Draconequus sat quietly before finally speaking.

"These are plunderseeds," He said. "...I might have planted them years ago. They were meant to help me...ahem...capture Celestia and Luna way back in the day. I'm surprised they haven't sprouted until now."

He continued, "Of course, there's no point in that now, heh heh..." The Draconequus laughed sheepishly.

Fluttershy followed the black trail through the valley. It twisted and turned in all directions, but they all seemed to be heading in one direction. She followed it closely, eventually making her way to a small cave. The thorns were thicker here, and the air was stagnant, but she continued onward.

The cave twisted and turned as well, with thorns covering the walls and floor. Fluttershy's steps on the black substance were slow and planned, as one wrong step and she would get a thorn right in her hoof. Discord hovered over it, looking proud of his work. "Wow, this is really something!" He said. Fluttershy gave him a stare, which prompted the Draconequus to laugh awkwardly again.

Eventually, the roots converged on one spot: a dim-looking tree. It was not a pretty sight, as the thorns covered the tree as if constricting it. If the tree were a pony, it would surely be gasping for breath and clawing its way out of the roots' grasp.

"What is this?" Fluttershy asked.

Discord was quick to give an answer. "This, my dear friend, is the Tree of Harmony." It looked like a shadow of its former self, but Fluttershy could tell of its importance.

"The elements were found here by the princesses, thousands of years ago. It is the source of everything in the Everfree Forest, at least as far as I know. For all of my life, this tree was the central hub of the forest, controlling everything that lives inside."

"The elements came from here?" Fluttershy asked. "How did they get here?"

Discord shrugged. "There's rumors dating thousands of years about them being planted as seeds, but it's been so long and I don't remember. It wasn't really of much interest to me, at least." He picked at his teeth.

Fluttershy's element began to glow stronger as she moved closer to the tree. Looking up, Fluttershy saw six indentations in the tree. In response, the tree began to glow as well, and the roots withered. However, it was not strong enough, as more roots took their place.

"We have to save the tree!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Don't you need to go talk to the Sleipnir first?" Discord placed himself down on one of the roots and began to doze off. Fluttershy walked away from the tree, causing both it and her element to stop glowing.

"Maybe if we bring all of the elements here...the magic in the tree will..."

"You're forgetting something - Rainbow Dash's element." Discord brought up one fatal flaw to the plan - something Fluttershy didn't want to remember.

"We have to get it back, then."

"There's no stopping you. I like that. Even if I don't like the probable outcome."

*********

The edge of the forest was littered with the thorns as well, and they continued to spread even outside of the forest. Fluttershy and Discord followed them out of the forest, coming across a familiar sight: Ponyville. It looked worse than ever: the ruins that Fluttershy had last seen all that time ago was coupled with the black roots implanting themselves throughout the town. It looked like nopony was living there due to this, so the pegasus felt somewhat safe there.

"Plunderseeds are a Draconequus signature," Discord spouted. "So the Sleipnir are probably avoiding this area. Our magic balances each other out, so it would be near impossible for them to easily get rid of this much."

He continued. "Besides, the magic of the tree is the law of the land here."

Fluttershy and Discord made their way to the central square in Ponyville, just past Mayor Mare's old place of duty. It lay in shambles, untouched for the longest time. Fluttershy could not remember what it looked like back in the day. Its dull color, coupled with the debris left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

Other areas looked even worse. Sugarcube Corner looked bitter, and Twilight's library blended in with the black roots, making up for the destroyed tree that had stood in the same spot. The air was nasty and still, as if Fluttershy had opened a coffin that was sealed for hundreds of years. Everything she saw brought more sadness to her than the last, but she couldn't remember anything about what it looked like before. The only place she had seen that was in good shape was the Crystal Empire, but that wasn't her home. Furthermore, the fighting that took place there was nothing normal. Fluttershy doesn't remember what peaceful times looked like, and she probably never will.

"As much as this trip down memory lane must be fun for you," Discord took her out of the moment. "We have to get moving. Time doesn't stop for morning, and it doesn't stop for mourning either."

It was a sad sight to see, but the Fluttershy that stood there now was not the one who lived here. That Fluttershy died the moment Rainbow Dash met her fate. The moment Applejack met hers. And the moment Pinkie Pie gave her last smile. The new Fluttershy had her own goal in mind, and not even the ghost of Ponyville could stop her.

The road out of Ponyville was a lonely one, leading straight to Canterlot. Fluttershy could see the remnants of the once-prestigious castle in the far distance. A dark cloud loomed over the mountain, bent on scaring Fluttershy away from it. But she would not back down. If there was anypony who could bring peace to Equestria, it would be her. If the Rogue Ponies were right, then there was a reason she has made it this far as well: this was her destiny. Whatever would happen on that mountain, Fluttershy would do her best to save as many lives as possible. To get the Element of Loyalty back, to stop the Sleipnir from killing the Griffons, and to show the Sleipnir that she can communicate with them. These were lofty goals, but only she can do it.

Discord stood by her side. He had every chance to leave and fend for himself, but he never left. She knew that she meant a lot to him as a friend, and he didn't want anything to happen to her, just as she didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Are you ready?" Fluttershy asked. "There's no knowing if we'll come back from this."

"I live for danger," Discord replied, smiling.