Love Will Set You Free

by Ospero

Quedate conmigo

They don't know what you're truly worth. Or if they do, they don't care.

How much have you given, never to receive anything in return?

Why do you still bother?

Tuesday, August 19th, 7.30 am, Fluttershy's cottage

Fluttershy woke with a start. She didn't feel rested in the slightest - if anything, she was more exhausted than last night. And that was saying something, since she had done musical exercises with the bird choir until sunset, and then for good measure checked on the rabbit burrows near the river before turning in for the night.

She thought about those creepy voices in her dreams. They had sounded like her own voice, but they had put unformed thoughts from the deepest recesses of her mind into words, thoughts she never permitted to surface. She loved what she did, and she didn't do it to gather praise or gain attention. The work was its own reward.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a very alarmed-looking Angel hopping into the room. He took one look at her and motioned for her to follow him. He led her out of the house and down to the river.

When she saw what had happened during the night, she could barely hold back her tears. The river had burst its banks and flooded the burrows she had checked on just the evening before. Some of the tunnels seemed to have collapsed, leaving their inhabitants homeless, and with the ground near the banks soaked through, they couldn't start digging new ones at the moment.

I'll have to work harder. I can do that. They're relying on me.

Her eyes fell on one of the rabbit families, and she noticed something was off. It took her a moment to recognize this particular family, and when she finally did, the realization hit her like a brick.

This was a family of seven, yet only six were assembled at the river bank, and they were looking out onto the water as if searching for something. Or someone.

Fluttershy knew, deep down, that this was the way of nature. All things died, and some animals even had to eat other animals for sustenance. Standing there, looking at the desperate rabbits, that was no consolation at all.

The voices returned, more clearly and more cutting than before. You can never make sure. You can never help all of them. Even if you did, it would come to nothing in the end. What will you do now?

"I don't know."

With those three words, all energy and willpower seemed to drain out of the yellow pegasus. She just collapsed where she stood, the colour draining from her coat and mane, black tendrils dancing almost gleefully around the fading butterflies on her flank. The sound of hissing laughter was heard yet again, and Angel instinctively hopped away as fast as he could from the words emerging from Fluttershy.

When doubt undermines kindness, uncertainty will be the only master.

***

Ponyville General Hospital, three hours later

"Wow. I mean, it's awesome that you three are new elements now and all, but what is happening? Why are they like this?" Scootaloo looked at the other crusaders and Spike, assembled in the hospital room that now held Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.

"I don't know," Spike replied. "Honestly, I feel a little overwhelmed at the moment. The new elements, Rarity's coltfriend, Apple Bloom's crush, and the Elements of Harmony just collapsing like that ... it's too much." He yawned. He had never felt this exhausted in his life.

Apple Bloom looked just as tired as he did, and Sweetie Belle even more so. Scootaloo was the only one in the room who didn't seem ready to just go to sleep where she stood, and the pegasus now looked at the dragon in disbelief. "You can't be serious. You're supposed to be the Element of Resolve, then act like it!" She sounded harsh, almost painfully so.

"Scootaloo! What's wrong with you?" Apple Bloom cried out. "Why are you ripping into him like that?"

"You're asking what's wrong with me?" Scootaloo pointed a hoof at Rainbow Dash. "That is wrong! This is Rainbow Dash, most awesome pony in all of Equestria, and something has reduced her to this! I want to find out who did this and get even with them!" Her voice had grown steadily louder, until she was screaming, tears running down her face. "You've got those fancy necklaces, then do something with them!"

Spike growled, smoke rising from his nostrils. "We already did, Scootaloo! Apple Bloom and I saved Pinkie, and Sweetie saved Rainbow Dash. What else do you expect us to do? Just charge in, cure them and drive whatever caused this to the moon?"

"Guys, please! Why are you arguing?" Sweetie Belle's voice was quiet, yet both the dragon and the pegasus turned to her. "We can get through this, but only if we keep it together." She looked at the pegasus. "Scoots, even if you don't have an element, we're still the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We're friends, and neither these," she pointed to her necklace, "nor that," she pointed to Pinkie and Rainbow, "will change that. We can do this."

Scootaloo held her gaze for a moment, then she looked away. "Sorry. It's just ..." She looked at Rainbow Dash again. "I can't stand seeing her like this. What's wrong with her?"

Sweetie Belle frowned in concentration. "I'm not sure. I didn't see much, but it looked like black ropes tied around her wings and hooves. And she didn't seem to care about it at all."

"Can you send me in?" Scootaloo asked.

The other three stared at the pegasus. Spike was the first to find his voice. "You don't know what you're asking, Scootaloo. The three of us just barely survived going in there, and we had our elements to protect us. Would Rainbow Dash want you to throw away your life for this?"

"I don't know." Scootaloo sighed. "And I guess it's not necessary at the moment anyway. But could you do it?"

"Perhaps." Spike smiled apologetically. "Remember, Scoots, we've had these things for a day at best. We don't know what they're capable of."

The pegasus seemed to deflate. "Sure. Sorry. It's just that - I don't know, I might be a bit jealous of you."

Apple Bloom laughed. "You wouldn't be if the things that happened to us had happened to you, Scoots. I wouldn't wish those dreams on anypony." She grinned. "Well, perhaps just a short one for Diamond Tiara."

"Dreams?" Scootaloo's ears perked up. "You've had weird dreams, too?"

"Wait a moment - you've had them too, then?" Spike felt confused. "Sweetie, what about you?"

"No. Nothing unusual." The unicorn filly looked puzzled too. "What does that mean?"

"Hang on," Apple Bloom said. "Luna said something about elements linked with day or night." She looked at Spike. "Your flash of light was silver, and so was mine. But Sweetie's wasn't - it was golden."

Spike slapped a hand to his forehead. "Of course. Silver as moonlight, golden as sunlight. Our elements are linked with night, but Sweetie's is a day element."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked completely lost now. The unicorn turned to Spike. "What does that have to do with the dreams?"

"Oh, sorry. You weren't there when Luna explained it," Spike said. "Dreams and visions happen at night, so Apple Bloom and I got them, but if your element is linked with day, it makes sense that you didn't."

"But then why do I get them?" Scootaloo asked. "I'm not an element."

"What did you dream about?" Apple Bloom asked. "Perhaps we can find an answer together."

"I can't really remember any images. It was mostly voices and flashes of light." Scootaloo scratched her head. "I do remember one phrase - it seemed important, it was repeated over and over. Be brave. You will need them, and they will need you." She looked at Spike and Apple Bloom. "What does that mean?"

"Spike and I had something like that in our dreams too, but the phrase was different," Apple Bloom said. "Are you certain you got it right?"

"Yeah, absolutely. I also remember that I was scared, but then something happened to drive away the fear." Scootaloo seemed to think about that for a moment, then her face lit up. "That's it! I wondered what Rainbow Dash would do, and I charged at the darkness, at the fear, and it broke apart."

"Wait a moment," Sweetie Belle broke in excitedly. "Something like that did happen to me too. But I just knew that the fear couldn't hurt me if I didn't let it - knew it beyond doubt -, as long as I had my friends and family to turn to."

Spike tried to fit the pieces together in his head, but a voice interrupted them. "Out of the way, kids!" Nurse Redheart entered the room, followed by two other nurses wheeling in a bed. The crusaders and the dragon looked at each other with rising dread - this was becoming familiar. They looked at the pony on the bed.

At first Spike didn't recognize her. The coat and mane didn't look familiar, and the cutie mark was covered up by a blanket. Then the pony turned her head and opened her eyes, and the four of them gasped in unison at the sight of that unmistakeable shade of teal.

"Fluttershy," Scootaloo whispered. "Dear Celestia, not you too."

Spike looked at Nurse Redheart. "What happened?"

She seemed to think for a moment about how much to tell the dragon. "Derpy found her like this about an hour ago. She's showing the same symptoms as Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, before you helped them."

Spike exchanged glances with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and all three of them shook their heads. They hadn't recovered nearly enough to help Fluttershy - they'd just hurt themselves if they tried now. They hung their heads in defeat.

Scootaloo, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly as willing to accept the situation. "Well? Aren't you gonna help her?"

"We can't, Scootaloo." Spike tried - and failed - to hide his despair. "We're spent."

"Then send me in." The pegasus looked excited and scared at the same time, but she also appeared determined to go through with this. "Rainbow Dash doesn't need help at the moment, but Fluttershy does. You can't help her, so I must do it."

Spike looked at Nurse Redheart. "Could you get Twilight? There should be somepony here who knows about magic."

"On my way." She turned and left the room, returning a few minutes later with Twilight in tow. From the shocked look on the purple unicorn's face, she had been informed about what had happened.

Twilight looked at Spike. "Don't tell me you'll try to help Fluttershy. You can't do that, you're still too exhausted ..."

"We won't." Spike swallowed. "We want to try sending in Scootaloo."

"What?" Twilight burst out. "Are you serious? You're trying to send in somepony, and a filly at that, who has nothing to do with this?"

"But I do, Twilight," Scootaloo said. "I've had strange dreams too, and honestly, wouldn't it be a little strange if I was the only crusader who doesn't have anything to do with all this?"

Twilight turned to Spike, who nodded and stepped closer to the pegasus filly. "I think she's involved in this too. I just don't know how - hay, we haven't even figured out Sweetie Belle's element yet. What was it Luna said - we had to make it up as we went along?"

The purple unicorn still looked worried. "I don't like this at all, Spike. But Fluttershy is dying. We need to do something, and I haven't heard any better ideas." She took a position near the foot of Fluttershy's bed. "I'll keep an eye on you, Scootaloo, and try to pull you out of this if it seems you're in danger." Her tone made it clear that this was not open for debate.

Scootaloo simply nodded and then took a place to Fluttershy's right. Spike, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and then focused their thoughts on getting Scootaloo somewhere she could help Fluttershy.

When the gemstones started to glow, Spike immediately felt the difference. He was the odd dragon out in this constellation - he could hear the disharmonies his element introduced into the song of the other two elements. He gritted his teeth and focused on what they had in common, rather than the things that separated them.

Scootaloo went rigid, drew in a deep breath and stretched out a hoof, touching Fluttershy's forehead. Black smoky tendrils boiled away, but the contact lasted for less than a second before the filly collapsed. Before anypony could react, a flash of reddish-orange light enveloped Scootaloo, vanishing as quickly as it had come.

By now, they knew what to expect. The necklace surprised them, however, since it was not the burnished copper that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wore, nor the obsidian of Spike's necklace or the gold of the Elements of Harmony. Instead, it was made of a fine silver mesh and set with a clear gemstone carved to resemble a stylized comet with a star-shaped head.

Scootaloo opened her eyes. "Did it work?"

Nurse Redheart was examining Fluttershy. "Yes. She seems to have stabilized, similar to what happened to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash."

"Um, Scoots?" Apple Bloom pointed at the necklace. "You got something there."

The pegasus looked down and frowned in puzzlement. "Why is it different from yours?"

"Well, mine is different too," Spike said. "Your light was different as well."

Apple Bloom seemed to think for a moment. "So - is she one of those 'between' elements, then?"

"Between what, exactly?" Scootaloo cut in.

"Night and day," Spike said. "Seems like your element is one linked to twilight, not night or day."

"Huh." Scootaloo touched a hoof to the gemstone. "Looks cool enough, I suppose." Then she collapsed again.

***

Somewhere else, at this exact time

Beautiful. They have revealed themselves, all of them.

You can't break what's not there, after all.

Now that they are here, time to start hitting them where it will really hurt.

You think you've seen me do bad things to ponies you love?

I'm just getting started. Time to get to the confident one.

Comments

[Ospero]

Oh goodness, this story just wants out no matter what. Don't get used to one chapter per day, folks (too late, I know).

This time around, another of the Big Five gets their due as chapter patron - Spain. Their song for Baku is called "Quédate conmigo" (Stay With Me), by Pastora Soler. Lyrics here. (Check out the final line in particular.)

Also, I've finally gotten around to making a plan for this fic - not a detailed one, but I've got the chapter titles, as well as what basic story elements go in which of them. For the record, it will go to 13 chapters - for the curious, the patron countries for the upcoming chapters are, in order: Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Belarus, Switzerland and Russia. (If you looked up the song titles and figured that the story would lead to a happy ending, congrats, and have a cookie. )

[rakdoz]

/)^3^(\

[LloydZelos]

And then there will be four.

Maybe things are speeding to much (it makes the evil mastermind behind this a lot less threatening... for now), but I'm enjoying this a lot. I think I've finally understood why Spike's necklace is made of obsidian instead of metal: it's because he eats gemstones?

The title appears screwed up because the accent over the "e", I suggest you writing it without that.

[Ospero]

450986 I corrected the chapter title. For some reason, when this was unpublished, it displayed in that weird way on top of the chapter, yet correctly in the story overview menu.

Spike eating gemstones is part of why his necklace is different, but it's not the complete answer.

Oh, and for the record, the next chapter will probably take another two to three days. I'm far too exhausted to write anything coherent right now, and I'll have to be at a family gathering in six hours.

[Frankie]

Now the real shitstorm begins!

[Hearnishere123]

Calling it now before I read on and find out, but Sweetie Belle's element is most likely 'Faith' as she asked the others to 'Trust' her or to have 'Faith' that she knows what she was doing. Now Scootaloo, would be a bit of a jump if I had not figured that each element is related to one of the three pony tribes and their allies, the dragons. So stands to reason each element would represent the best of each group. Earth Ponies were always 'Confident', either in the crops they planted or their lives. Unicorns always had 'Faith' in their magic and all that it could do. For the Dragons, it might be hard to understand if you view them as evil or mean. However, when you think about how long Dragons live, you realise that they need the 'Resolve' to stick to any decision they make, even if it was made a thousand years ago. Now the Pegasi, it is a bit tricky, well for me at least, to figure out, but if I had to take a shot, I would go with 'Bravery' to the point of blind stupidity sometimes, but bravery nonetheless.

Now I am off to the next chapter...oh, I am loving this story by the way. ^vv^

~Hearn