• Published 8th Aug 2014
  • 2,785 Views, 271 Comments

Yonder Wandered Fluttershy - Darkonshadows



Fluttershy is a long way from home; will she survive the harsh and crazy universe while exploring its many wonders? She loves everything after all, now she has to prove that she does and it may just keep her alive.

  • ...
7
 271
 2,785

PreviousChapters Next
58

After a bit of talking, Fluttershy had described multiple races and species to Veritas the Grand Councilwoman. They discussed things from Griffons with some possible ancestors being Chozo to multiple species of ponies coexisting well with each other and the capability of interbreeding between just about all the intelligent lives on the planet. If that wasn’t the full scope of things same sex relationships were possible of producing offspring, even two males being together could have children.

Veritas didn’t seem surprised as it was a similar thing in the Galactic Alliance. Except robots and biological could not breed since it was obvious as to why that was, though marriage was allowed to robots was something that had been contested for hundreds of years in the past. Only sentient robots were allowed to get married though, otherwise the marriage in question wouldn’t be legally recognized and the robot in question would be labeled something else more risqué. The Grand Councilwoman wanted Fluttershy to drop the subject. The shy pony did drop it completely with a vibrant blush going throughout her face in embarrassment at how the topics had gotten that far before she realized what they had been talking about. If it was not a sentient robot it was labeled as a extracurricular toy, there were many crazy beings in the Galactic Alliance.

It led to the subject that sentient robots could adopt and take care of biological children provided they could pass a test on how to raise said child.

“That reminds me, we really should check up on Savy SL-2 on Tradeworld some time to see how she and the rents are doing.” XR put a four fingered hand to his helmet and rubbed at it a bit, he had edge closer to the conversation Fluttershy held with the Grand Councilwoman to listen in on it. “You know… we never did confiscate that miniature plasma bazooka from her. I only bring it up because her adoptive parents are robots. We were able to save her parents in the aftermath of an energy sucking vampire attack because the vampire didn’t destroy their cores; last I heard she was a top Ranger Scout.”

“It’s Tradeworld, I’m sure any child who grows up on that planet has good reason to be so well armed.” It was as if it was the simplest thing in the world to Veritas, she was so calm about it because she knew what that planet was like. She’s even heard of stranger things and a well armed child hunting an energy vampire with a high powered energy weapon was one of the more interesting missions Buzz’s team took part in. “Illegal things happen there every single day, as long as it doesn’t threaten the Galactic Alliance as a whole the Galactic Guardians and the Alliance Armada will leave it in the hands of Space Rangers to deal with. You do your job admirably at the very least, now if you will please let us continue to speak with some privacy?”

Personally Veritas would have used a chemical based projectile launcher as to not give the vampire something to feed on, the report on Rhizome weaponry from the other incident shows that they should have permanently dealt with that vampire before the Wire Wolf situation happened. That poor Space Ranger, being forced to turn into a robotic monstrosity. She watched as XR back away back to his position with a sheepish grin on his face.

“I… I have a question I’m not sure I want to ask…” It wasn’t about Tradeworld; Fluttershy had more tact than to open that can of worms. Goodness knows if a planet had children that grew up while being consistently armed with energy weapons, she really did not need to know or question why it was exactly like that on said planet. Veritas just stared down at her blankly. “Before I ask the question I want to, I just want you to know I mean you no offense. Would you be open to the idea of answering a rather personal question?”

“Ask.” It wasn’t a question or a statement; it was simply a command by one of the more intimidating beings that this pony had likely ever met that was quite genial if a little emotionally stiff. It was just how Veritas usually was, she had seen much in her lifetime and there wasn’t a question that could bother her much or so she supposed. She hardly ever smiled and there were few things that generally warmed her heart enough to get one on her face.

“Are you a… well you wouldn’t happen to be a…” Fluttershy became very withdrawn and looked around to make sure no one was near them and the Grand Councilwoman just continued to stare at her with those sharp piercing icy colored eyes. She let a bit of saliva build up in her throat so she could swallow and get the question out with a whisper. “I just want to know if you’re a Star Warrior.”

Fluttershy noticed a visible reaction of very well hidden shock, Veritas kept her calm demeanor despite that. Fluttershy watched as she brought her arms from her back and pretended to brush something off of her gold and black uniform with her left hand and she looked down at her two hooves while making it look like she was still looking at Fluttershy. After a moment she actually was looking at the pony before and she knelt down to meet Fluttershy’s eyes.

“It has been a long time; many have forgotten what we have done or our struggles that were legendary in their own right. We are but stories to children now, so tell me, what do you know of Star Warriors?” The gaze Veritas gave Fluttershy was much sharper than it had been, but it wasn’t any colder. “It is important that you keep quiet about it.”

“Well… I’ve met two Star Warriors…” Fluttershy started off only for Veritas to stop her with a touch to her withers, the Grand Councilwoman looked slightly livid.

“While I don’t think it impossible, I find it highly unlikely given we are so scattered that I have yet to meet another one of us for a very long time.” Veritas was at Fluttershy’s side. “Not many of us survived the ‘Void Wars’ and those who had quickly died shortly after its end from their injuries alone. I was one of the luckier ones. Nightmare, an entity born of the void, was bent on destroying all life in the universe including its own for last. The Star Warriors and the Galaxy Soldier Army paid a grave price to hold off the darkness, many immortals fought and fell for the right of this universe to continue its existence. Who could you have possibly met that could have survived such horrors? I barely recovered from my wounds without permanent injury; I can still feel the scars even if they have faded completely away.”


As Veritas got a distant look in her eyes, Fluttershy herself was feeling something similar. Nightmare… Fluttershy felt like she had been directly punched in the gut hearing that name, Nightmare as in Nightmare Moon? What was this Void War? Meta Knight only mentioned a war; he also mentioned that barely anyone survived from it and if Fluttershy was right Kirby’s parents were casualties of it.

“In my travels I met a Star Warrior named Kirby, he was very childlike but really powerful. I think the other Star Warrior I met whose name was Meta Knight was watching over him from a distance.” As she spoke in a hollow tone Fluttershy couldn’t help but make a connection between Nightmare Moon and this Nightmare that Veritas spoke of. “He was wearing a metal mask and his eyes changed color every once in a while and he had this strange sword, he also did this thing where he disappeared by wrapping his cape around himself. Oh and he was on the same planet I found Mr. Wheel here, right Mr. Wheel?”

Mr. Wheel nodded and revved, Fluttershy’s presence was keeping him completely docile. The being with the pointy protrusion that came from his side was obviously very dangerous, but surprisingly he wasn’t afraid of Meta Knight. Veritas saw the biological wheel creature agree to having seen Meta Knight and her reaction to this news warranted.

“HE STILL LIVES!” The Grand Councilwoman’s wild emotional shout had attracted everyone’s attention; she coughed into an enclosed hand. Buzz quirked an eye at her and she regained her cold composure and demeanor immediately. “Yes, well… I have just received some rather surprising news. Please continue going about your business unless something dire comes up. I am fine; this news is nothing to worry about.”

“Why are you so shocked?” Fluttershy couldn’t help but wonder, the sinking feeling in her gut doubled.

“Was this Meta Knight a small spherical shaped being?” Receiving a nod from the pony, Veritas was dead silent for more than a few minutes just staring at her. “I do not think many things impossible, but if Meta Knight truly lives he must nearly be in constant pain. Like a parasite that fed on negativity, Nightmare had tried to possess him multiple times. It fed him near endless amounts of darkness, hatred and pain trying to steal his form and turn him against us like it had done so to several Star Warriors before him. There are very few Star Warriors I would believe that could have survived such suffering had they not died of their injuries, he is not one of those that I had ever considered being capable… clearly I was wrong. He was always strong in both his heart and mind equally despite his small stature, I have always underestimated those of small statures even when I have as many such under my employ… there were so few of us left. His willpower must have been completely unbreakable to have survived unimaginable torture, from what you say he’s even watching out for a newborn Star Warrior.”

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy could see the Grand Councilwoman shed a few tears, she quickly wiped them away and was once back to being cold and aloof. Licking at her lips, Fluttershy debated about whether or not to tell Veritas about what happened with Nightmare Moon in better detail.

“I am fine; this news has made me feel… somewhat bittersweet. As a Star Warrior my powers were not geared for combat, but more to diplomacy and leadership. I led a regiment of Galaxy Soldiers to their doom; they were the precursors to the Galactic Guardians that exist now. I used my powers in combination with many others for boosting the morale of everyone around me to struggle to their very last. A few of those who fought in my regiment were Chozo; one of them was the only survivor of my entire regiment in that final battle with Nightmare.” The far off look in her eye must have scared Fluttershy; she tried to continue keeping her composure strong as to not frighten her further. Meta Knight was one of the few that refused not only evil, but to even be able to beat back death itself as well from beyond the brink? Even after the loss of so many loved ones, to just continue soldiering on despite the fact that he should be nothing more than a living corpse was both awe inspiring and very grim to the likely state of his existence. It sounded like he was doing well from the way Fluttershy tells it.

Veritas could not have known how close to the truth she was that Meta Knight practically was a living corpse, well that was until Kirby and sometime afterwards Fluttershy healed his heart with their very natures so that he could feel again. His heart had quite literally stopped pumping blood, his body had been running solely on darkness alone and was the very reason he had survived at all.

“I guess we were lucky that things didn’t get that bad…” Fluttershy had not meant for Veritas to hear that, but she did and Fluttershy winced at the hard stare she received. She decided to continue her thought knowing it was bound to make the freshly opened wounds that much wider. “Remember what I said about Luna wanting to cover our entire planet in eternal darkness? She went by another name at the time and Luna is also the princess of dreams so… at the time she was trying to make night eternal she called herself… um… Nightmare Moon…”

A grim frown immediately crossed Veritas’s face and it stayed there; Fluttershy watched as she closed her eyes took in a deep breath and then opened them.

“You are right, your people were truly lucky to have defeated Nightmare as swiftly as you did before it could spread its influence to too many others. Your people are especially lucky to have saved your princess from such corruption. I am now much more interested in finding your planet now; you are now part of the Galactic Alliance for bringing this news to me alone. I will immediately declare your planet under protection until your race is ready to traverse the stars on its own four hooves, claws or other appendages whatever they are… once we find it that is. You are now officially a protectorate of the Galactic Alliance; you can be assured that I will make sure of that when I discuss this with the Galactic President.” After saying that Veritas stood up to full height and squared her shoulders returning to a more regal appearance, then quietly said something that only Fluttershy would hear. “I now know for sure that Nightmare will never truly be destroyed; evil is a sadly necessary part to the continuation of all existence and as long as evil continues to exist, then so will it. I will fight it again should it attempt to engulf everything once more; Meta Knight will always have my aid should he find need of me. ‘We will never stop fighting until our last breath and the only way to make us do so is with a true death, our bodies may bend but our souls will never rend.’”

It sounded like a prayer of some sort; Fluttershy guessed it was a Star Warrior saying. Then Veritas turned to look at her strangely.

“I have a feeling that those two you spoke of are not the only Star Warriors in existence… I have a theory that your princesses may actually be...” Before she could continue any further alarms started blaring on the bridge, she stopped and looked up with a droll expression on her face. “I was wondering when we would be attacked, it seems I will have to cut my theory short and tell you my thoughts later Ambassador Fluttershy. I have business to attend to and your safety to think about.”

“Ma’am sorry to interrupt, but we’re detecting thousands of contacts incoming from all sides and their weapons are definitely active we’ve already got incoming missiles and the gunners are already taking them out. We’re detecting small arms, heavy weapons, battleship class weapons… Star Command cruisers are already moving into position to intercept as are the mercenaries with the ship designated Great Fox and it has already launched their compliment of fighters. What are your orders?” The small grey anteater like being sitting in the chair turned to the Grand Councilwoman looking up at her as she stood tall at the tactics screen.

“You already knew to prepare battle stations, we will undoubtedly be boarded and they will be after not only the ambassador here, but my life and other high profile targets as well. Summon the escorts to get them to their ship and launch every available fighter we have to assist those mercenaries and the cruisers.” She was cool and collected as she looked at the tactical screen that popped up before her and Fluttershy. She turned to Buzz and his team; they all threw her salutes as she addressed them. “Buzz you and your team are in charge of evacuating the ambassador safely, see that she stays safe or else…“

Letting the threat hang in the air Veritas turned around and started dishing out commands and orders at a quick pace. The two lizard soldiers from before quickly arrived to escort them back to their ship. Fluttershy whined slightly as Booster picked her up and his ears flattened in anger at a familiar sight on the tactics screen before he turned away. Mira looked at the screen and decided to comment on it.

“Torque… and what looks like every criminal in the Galactic Alliance, well that’s just great. This is looking to be a pretty rough time, huh Buzz.” Sure mindless remote controlled robot drones were one thing Mira didn’t mind, but an entire army of living thinking beings with a penchant for murder. At a bet half of them wanted to capture Fluttershy alive to sell at a lesser guaranteed price given that Zurg might stiff paying someone anyway. She didn’t think the Grand Councilor was wrong in saying that Fluttershy wasn’t the only target in a very target rich environment, considering Buzz himself was on quite a few hit lists as well.

“Well Mira, it looks just like another Tuesday to me.” Buzz moved into the hallways following the two suited lizards.

“Don’t worry your majesty, we’ll do our best.” Booster declared while hugging Fluttershy into his big armored form slightly crushing the air out of her.

The entire ship shook as it took a hit from something; Fluttershy was immediately carried out of the room. She saw a glance directed at her from Veritas the Grand Councilwoman; she has likely survived far, far worse than a bunch of poorly organized thugs and psychos out for blood.

Fluttershy hoped Veritas would be okay, it was strange that the Grand Councilwoman never asked how she guessed that she was a Star Warrior. It was the hidden pain in her eyes; it was almost as deep as Meta Knight’s had been. She was surprised that she had even picked up on something being odd about Veritas.

The entire ship shook and explosions were heard, Fluttershy whimpered in Boosters arms as he ran down the halls following the two large meat eating lizards. Another explosion from somewhere far off was heard.

“We’ve been breached and there are boarding parties coming in, repeat The Luxmea has been boarded. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to be on the BRB nine thousand right about now! All personnel prepare to defend yourselves to the best of your abilities; sectors one, five and thirteen have currently been breached. ” The two lizards stopped moving and looked to each other at hearing the communications officer.

“We’ll have to go through sector six and three, it’ll take longer but there are no boarders there currently.” The lizard turned down a different hallway with the Space Rangers following; they kept their energy rifles at the ready and when they turned the next corner they started firing immediately taking down three yellow four armed enemies that disappeared with popping noises.

“This is Rahzu, reporting in that sector six also compromised, we’ll try to plow through. Is sector three at least clear?” The lizard heard something speaking back to him. “Right, we’ll continue moving forward.”

“All personnel are advised to take precaution, someone has started hacking the inner defense turrets and they’re shooting at everything including the boarders, someone is messing with their IFF systems.” That particular communications officer was sounding much more frantic than before. Another explosion sounded in the back ground. “We need a fire team in sector four and will someone find a way to shot those turrets down!”

They continued forward down several passageways which had all kinds of other personnel fighting back a mass of four armed clones that popped when shot or thugs with powerful weaponry. Both sides were getting injured and through it all Fluttershy whimpered sadly in Boosters arms, because so many people were being hurt because of her.

Booster skidded to a stop and Fluttershy looked up to see one of those turrets pointed at her. Booster quickly got behind a wall and sat Fluttershy on the floor; he quickly leaned out to fire several shots at the turret that was firing blasts of splattering energy at everyone.

“Darn it we’re pinned down.” A missile flew by Rahzu and blew the turret up.

“We need to keep moving. There’s no way I’m letting Torque get Fluttershy!” XR exclaimed as he stuffed his oversized rocket launcher back into his subspace chest cavity. XR charged forward on the war path, he was quickly followed by Booster, while Buzz and Mira covered their backsides.

The lizards stayed in the middle with Fluttershy offering their firepower when needed. She tried to keep up with the pace they were setting, as they turned down a T-junction two explosions went off knocking her and the two lizards down.

Fluttershy dazedly shook her head and tried to move, she was pinned underneath something. She looked at the two corridors and saw that they were blocked off by a thick wall of metal and debris.

“Fluttershy, are you okay!” Booster could be heard yelling.

“Hey, are you alright Fluttershy, please don’t be dead!” XR sounded really worried.

“Ambassador Fluttershy, are you alive!” Buzz also yelled wanting to know if the one charged with his protection was alive.

“Fluttershy if you can hear us, say something!” Mira could get pretty shrill when she was worried about someone.

“Help, I’m stuck under something!” Fluttershy looked around and saw that the two lizards were at least still breathing. They had taken the brunt of the two blasts for her.

“Mira phase through that rubble! Do not leave her alone, that’s an order ranger.” Buzz had always found Mira’s abilities useful in many situations like this.

“I’ll try; I’ve been having a bit of a problem getting my powers to work recently.” A few seconds later Mira quickly ran straight through the rubble. “Hold on Fluttershy, I’ll get you out from under this.”

“Mira, look out!” A shadow had dropped from the ceiling and slammed harshly into Mira’s head knocking her to the floor.

“That could have been bad; them Tangean’s are really tough cookies to deal with.” The pony could not get a good look at the figure from her position as tears were blurring her vision, nor did she see how tall she was but her voice had an accent reminiscent of a gangster. The pony saw the barrel of a gun pointed at her.

“Go ahead, make it quick.” Fluttershy closed her eyes and waited, a shot fired and she felt the weight lift off of her and now the gun poked her in the chest.

“Oh I’m not here to kill you personally, though I am here to get you killed.” The explosions hadn’t been a random coincidence; it had been a part of Bonnie’s cunning plan. She swung the barrel of her gun at Fluttershy’s temple. “Goodnight Gracie!”

Author's Note:

Bonnie got to Fluttershy, but how did she plan it to end up like this? Well let's see that when it's brought up.

One wonders what the Grand Councilwoman will have to say about Fluttershy being kidnapped.

---

This has nothing to do with the story so stop reading now, I've been on a Star Wars hole poking spree recently.

The Death Star is one of the most poorly designed doomsday devices ever given it's weak point, while small, will destroy the entire thing in one shot.

Nobody in the rebel alliance even bothered to question how they were supposed to make their torpedo's do a ninety degree turn like Luke's apparently can. They lost just about everyone on the Death Star attack anyway, it would have been simpler to come in at an attack angle that would naturally give them a better shot straight down the pipe. You know, instead of flying halfway around the death star through a trench made specifically so people would fly down it in a straight line and be easy pickings? Whereas in open space you'd have more room for evasive maneuvers.

This is kind of the reason why I brought up the bridge thing, since they built a second Death Star that you could fly into and hit the exposed core. Something that the rebellion didn't require Jedi for, meaning they made it that much easier to destroy. All it would have taken is one brave pilot like Russel from Independence Day to 'shoot the core'.

Star Destroyers have redundant systems right? Well their three shield generators are not shielded themselves, which is another dumb design problem. The entire ship is already practically immune to laser fire even without the shields because of how thick the armor on those things are, the only reason the shields are there in the first place is to prevent explosives from destroying the ship. To reiterate the problem with this, the shield generators can be easily destroyed by concentrated laser fire because they aren't shielded.

Star Destroyers are poorly defended from below and behind without tie fighters to pick up the slack, guess where their shield generators are located? Two above the bridge at the back of the ship, one underneath the ship.

Tie Fighters don't have shields either, it's like the Empire actually wants its people to die. At least the rebellion gives you shields that can take one or two hits and a robot that can fix said shields mid flight should they go down.

The Empire actually has tons of resources for shielded fighters with repair droids, mind you this technology existed before the emperor took over.

PreviousChapters Next