• Published 30th Jan 2014
  • 8,140 Views, 776 Comments

The Greatest Show of Kindness - Sonik



A few days after the events of the royal wedding, Twilight gives news to Fluttershy to rat out any changelings she sees. This makes her anxious, so she takes a walk. On this walk, she finds something that she never thought that she would.

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Chapter Thirteen: Panic and Self-Promise

The Greatest Show of Kindness
Chapter Thirteen: Self-Promise


After the two broke their embrace, Fluttershy jumped down from the bed to the floor. She turned towards him with a huge smile on her face, and noticed that he had lay down on his side and let himself sink into the soft, plush mattress. He used his fore hooves to pull the protecting blanket over his frail form.

Lovingly she went over to him and laid a kiss on his forehead, which made him squeak from happiness. He set his head on the pillow as Fluttershy nuzzled him.

“Are you going to sleep, little bee?” she asked him, her head right next to his.

“Yeah, mommy,” he affirmed.

“Okay. I’m going into town to get some food and supplies, all right? I’ll be back in a few hours, sweetie,” she softly informed, pulling her saddlebags over herself.

“All right, mommy.”

“Sweet dreams!”

With that, she walked down the stairs from her bedroom and out the cottage.


As Fluttershy walked into Ponyville, she decided that it would be the best if she got some relaxation. Thus, she went to the spa.

At the spa was Rarity, who was there for her weekly treatment. She was currently enjoying a mud mask. Deciding that she could use some quality time with her friend, she paid her bits and went to join her. She lay down on the bed and engaged in conversation.

“Um… Good afternoon, Rarity,” she greeted.

“Fluttershy, darling, how nice to meet you here! It’s been a while since I’ve had the quality spa time that I oh so enjoy with one of my best friends!” she exasperated.

“Oh, I know. I’ve just been so busy recently that I haven’t had enough time to do this,” she explained. The spa pony gave Fluttershy her mud and massaged it over her face, putting a slice of cucumber over each eye.

“Understandable; however, I’ve noticed that you haven’t been in Ponyville very much in the last few months. Is everything all right, darling?”

“Yes, everything’s just fine. It’s just that I’ve had some… important things that I’ve been taking care of recently.”

“Oh. Is there anything you might need help with? I’d be more than happy to lend some help if you need it.”

“No, that’s okay. Thank you, though.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Again, thank you. I just feel that this is something I should deal with on my own.”

“Okay, darling, if you insist. What is it that you’re doing, just out of curiosity?”

‘Oh, what do I say?

“Um… It’s a little personal. I’d rather I take care of this one by myself without bothering anypony about it.”

“All right, all right, darling. I just noticed that you started staying home more often than usual right after the wedding. I was just worried that a changeling had gotten its dastardly grips on you.”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that.”

“Well, that’s good. I do hope that you can fix your problem. Please, do come into Ponyville a little more often to tell us that you are all right,”

“Okay, Rarity. I promise that I will.”

For a while, the two lay there on the two beds, letting the mud set into their faces. After about an hour of sitting there in complete serenity and relaxation, she got up and removed the mud from her face.

“Um… Well, Rarity, I’m going to go now. It was nice seeing you again. I’d like to do this again soon… if that’s okay with you.”

“Why, of course, darling! Ta-ta!”

With that, Fluttershy walked out of the spa and went on to her next destination, which was Sugarcube Corner. She walked into the giant gingerbread house and was immediately greeted by her friend.

“Hey there, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie excitedly yelled out, causing Fluttershy to flinch slightly. Upon seeing her friend, she sighed and smiled at her.

“Oh, hello, Pinkie Pie. How are you today?” Fluttershy greeted.

“I’m awesomely fantabulous! How about you?” the sugar-rushing pink pony responded, smiling with a grin so side that it went off the sides of her face.

“I’m well,” she answered.

“Great! Hey, it’s been a really, really long time since I’ve seen you! Are you okay!? Did a changeling get you!?” she worried.

“Oh, no. I’ve just been dealing with some personal issues, that’s all,” she declined.

"Omigosh! Is everything okay? Are you being haunted by ghosts that are working with aliens who want to abduct you!?” Pinkie quickly hypothesized, confusing Fluttershy.

“Uh… No, that’s not it. It’s just some… um…” she stumbled, trying to think of something to say. The pressure she was feeling was like that of having your body squeezed by a giant, crushing wall. “It’s… just some light family issues that I’m dealing with. It’s not a big deal.”

Not a big deal!? Family issues are the worst kind of issues! This is absolutely a big deal!” Pinkie exasperated.

“Pinkie…” Fluttershy sighed.

“I mean, if you aren’t close to your family, how are you going to talk with them when you need them!?” she continued, beginning to frustrate Fluttershy.

“Pinkie,” she firmly said.

“Is there any way that I can help!? I know how to get you all to be happy-“ she once again started.

Pinkie!” Fluttershy shouted, causing Pinkie to quiet down. “We’re already better. Everything’s okay now. Don’t worry about it, all right?”

“Okay! If you ever have problems in your family again, come tell me! I promise I’ll help!” Pinkie said.

“Um… okay, Pinkie. I will,” Fluttershy promised.

“Are there any other issues you’re having?”

“Not at the moment. Anyways, I think that I’m going to go now.”

“Oh, okie-dokie-lokie! I’ll see you later!”

“Okay, bye.”

Fluttershy walked out of the confectionary and decided just to go home for the day. She already had two encounters in which she could’ve given away Bumble’s presence, and she didn’t want another, in fear of losing him.

Before doing that, however, she went to get some food for birds and other small animal friends. There was a neat little store called “Food for Friends” that had all sorts of bird seed and lots of different kinds of vegetable, fruit, and protein pellets for mice, rats, squirrels, and other smaller creatures.

Once she finished up there, she started the long trek back to her cottage, and like before, she was stopped by Twilight.

“Fluttershy!” she called out.

“Oh, Twilight… hi. Is there something you needed?” she responded, nervously turning around.

“It’s been a while, Fluttershy. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine.”

“Have you seen any changelings?”

“No, Twilight. I still haven’t.”

“Really? Because you haven’t been in town much recently, and all I ever see you coming into town for anymore is food and cleaning supplies. I believe that you’re under a mind-controlling spell by a changeling that is making you only come out when you need to get supplies that you need to survive.”

“What? No, Twilight, I-“

“Stand still, Fluttershy, I’m only doing this to protect you.”

When she said that, she aimed her horn at Fluttershy and cast a spell over her. It was a transparent colored spell that surrounded her entire body. Fluttershy’s eyes glowed white as a vortex of light swirled around her. Once the spell finished, her eyes turned back to their normal hues.

“What was that?”

“It was a spell that disables any spells cast on you prior that are still in effect. Do you feel any different?”

“Twilight, I never had any spells cast on me!”

When Fluttershy realized how forcefully she had yelled, she shied away a little bit. With a whimper, she looked down at the ground.

“…Sorry…”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy. I just wanted to make sure that you had no manipulation in your mind. You seem clean, so that means everything’s okay. Those changelings are popping up everywhere.”

“Speaking of the changelings, when you catch one, what do you do with it?”

“Well, first, we tranquilize it, to make sure that there’s no resistance. Then, we bring it to the jailhouse, where we tie up its forelegs and hindlegs and put a suppresser ring over its horn, to eliminate all chance of attacks. After that, once it wakes up, we ask it some questions, most of which are like ‘Where is your home at?’ and ‘What other plans does your queen have?’”

“Depending on their answers, we do one of two things. If they cooperate and answer our questions, which unfortunately doesn’t happen often, we allow them to start integrating into pony society. Of course, this comes with certain restrictions: They can’t use magic, they can’t change forms, they can’t live without a guard, etc.”

“The most changelings, however, decide to resist answering our questions, so those changelings are deported to Canterlot for more rigorous interrogation. I'm not exactly sure about what kinds of things they do, but it's probably nothing more than questions that are more focused and forceful than the preliminary interrogations."

"Okay... Well, I must be getting home now to feed my animals."

"Well, I'll see you later then."

"Good-bye, Twilight."


When she got back to her cottage, Fluttershy closed the door and set her groceries down in her small kitchen. She thought back to what Twilight said to her regarding the mysteriousness of what kinds of things would happen to changelings at Canterlot.

She envisioned her little Bumble tied down to a table, with a royal guard speaking down to him very forcefully. Bumble was oddly growling and snapping his jaws at the interrogator. His eyes were narrowed. Suddenly, the scene glowed crimson and Bumble was now shackled to the floor. The thought-up guard smacked him across the face, leaving a bright-green mark on his cheek. The scene once again changed to Bumble chained a second time to a table, with water dripping down on his head in various amounts, sometimes individual drips, sometimes torrents of water of which washed, tortured, down a drain.

These images all flashed within her mind in what felt like a second. His screech accompanied these terrible thoughts, pushing Fluttershy into a panic.

‘Oh, Celestia…’ she thought.

Her heart began to race, cold sweat dripped down her face. She could feel a hammer being smashed against the sides of her skull, right behind her eyes. Her vision blurred slightly.

‘Can’t let them find out about Bumble! Won’t, never, can’t do it. He’ll suffer, burn, drown, die, decay. I have to protect him always, support him, shield him…'

She realized that she was hyperventilating intensely, so she took deep breaths.

‘One, two, three… tick-tock… four, five, six, seven… tick-tock… eight, nine, ten.’

She calmed slightly at her counting, and the sound of her clock helped her time her breaths. The banging in her head stopped, and the knots in her stomach unwrinkled. She looked intently at her dimly lit bedroom, got up, and walked slowly over to it.

Up the stairs she went, and she saw that Bumble was still lying there, fast asleep under the covers. She flew onto the bed, curling up beside him and pulling the blanket over herself.

“Oh, sweetie… I’ll never let them take you away. I can’t, I won’t,” she promised, falling asleep with him in a hugging position.

Little to her knowledge did she know that there was a pair of eyes belonging to a Pegasus looking in through her window. In a flash, it flew off towards Ponyville.

Author's Note:

Hey, did you like this? If so, give it a thumbs up and comment (if you wish to do so) about what you liked! If you didn't, dislike it and give some (constructive) criticism as to what you didn't like or thought was off! Enjoy your reading! :D

Revisions: June 20th, 2014: Instead of Twilight telling Fluttershy of things that happen at Canterlot in terms of interrogation, Fluttershy imagines it herself.
Title changed from "Self-Promise" to "Panic and Self-Promise"