A Dream of Sunny Days

by Roranicus

VI Fluttershy

The only train that would take Fluttershy to Dodge Junction arrived at its destination late in the evening, roughly an hour after Luna had raised the moon. Rain fell heavily on the calm little hamlet, creating small rivers of mud on the dirt roads. The wind slammed the train station's sign against its wooden facade, masking the sounds of reveling coming from a nearby tavern, the only indication of activity present.

The Equestrian train network went no further. To the east were the Hayseed Swamps, a deadly place populated with creatures that could not be found anywhere else in the known world. To the west stretched the large Appleoosan desert. Both destinations were inadvisable, especially for a pony traveling alone.

Fluttershy's destination was much more dangerous; she was traveling south, to the badlands. The endless desert of red sand and treacherous rocky slopes was the supposed location of Discord's Chaos Labyrinth. If the spirit of chaos wanted a place for himself away from everypony else, he could not have made a better choice.

"What am I getting into?" the shy pegasus mumbled to herself. She had two short weeks to get ready for her trip to one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. Applejack had tried to talk her out of it, explaining that Discord would come to her in Ponyville eventually. Fluttershy would not budge; Discord was a true friend, regardless of how anypony else felt. If he did not respond to her letters it was because he was in trouble. She only hoped that he would at least have left some clues as to his whereabouts.

The reality of what she was attempting finally began to sink in during the train ride. Adventures weren't her forte. What if she got herself lost in the badlands? What if she got attacked by desert bandits? No, I have to be strong! she thought. For Discord, for Twilight, for all of my other friends.

The pegasus had to wait four days for a train leaving for Dodge Junction. This gave her plenty of time to pick a pony who'd take care of the animals in her stead. She settled on Roseluck, who already had multiple pets. After that, all she could do was reflect on what she was getting herself into. She wrote more letters to Discord. One per day at first, until her nervousness got the better of her on the last day and she sent him five. Each was left unanswered, save for Discord's plant coughing more of the same red dust.

The pegasus had made the best of the time available to her before leaving, saying goodbye to her animal friends, and stocking up on supplies — mostly dried fruit, which wouldn't spoil during her journey. Applejack had tried her best to keep the pegasus company during that time, even helping Fluttershy pack.

Fluttershy shook her head, returning her thoughts to the present. There was no use in second-guessing her decisions. She was here, in Dodge Junction, and she had to make it through. Discord would sense her presence somehow, and he wouldn't leave her alone in the desert. She had to keep faith. The pegasus trotted slowly in the rain as the other passengers either hid in the train station or galloped toward the saloon.

She had always enjoyed the rain. While thunderstorms tended to startle her, rain falling on her coat felt strangely soothing. Perhaps it was because nopony would disturb her when it rained? Fluttershy never asked herself why. She was merely grateful for the small distraction.

She allowed herself a few moments to stretch her legs before heading for the saloon. Starting her journey in the dark wasn't advisable. She could get a room for now and maybe find a guide in the morning. As she got closer to the building, the voices coming from inside increased in volume. The pegasus's heartbeat raced at the prospect of facing a room full of ponies she did not know. Maybe if she made herself small enough, she wouldn't be noticed.

The two-story building seemed to get taller as she approached it. A sign identifying it as "The Rusty Horseshoe" creaked as the wind shook it, drowning even the sound of the rain. Light peeked out of the large wooden maw that served as the Horseshoe's entrance. Deep voices could be heard louder and louder. Fluttershy thought she heard her own name.

Fluttershy took a deep breath and stepped inside. She saw gatherings of ponies sitting at wooden tables. The room was mostly filled with earth ponies, but she also found the occasional pegasus or unicorn as well as a donkey working behind the bar, pouring drinks to rowdy customers. She kept her head down as she navigated the crowd, taking a generous breath of musty air in an attempt to calm herself.

Few ponies seemed to notice Fluttershy as she slowly made her way toward the barkeep. She had a mind to simply rent a room for the night, but the smell of warm vegetable stew tempted her. She had not eaten properly on the train and only now realized she had built up an appetite.

The barkeep failed to notice the timid pegasus as she sat at the bar. She managed a quiet, "Oh, excuse me," but to no avail; the donkey kept moving back and forth, serving the more vocal customers.

Fluttershy calmly sat on the last stool at the end of the bar. The barkeep would get to her in time, he was simply very busy. On her left sat a small orange-coated stallion quietly sipping on a mug of cider by himself. A few hoofsteps behind her was a piano, although nopony was playing it at the moment. Fluttershy secretly wished somepony would play; music always soothed her. What I wouldn't give to hear the Ponytones right now. She whistled the beginning of 'Find the Music in You' before the pony sitting next to her turned his gaze in her direction, prompting her to quiet down and hide behind her mane.

She was staring down at the bar when a gruff voice startled her. "What can I get you, Missy?"

Fluttershy jumped and let out a quiet "Eek" as the donkey barkeep stared at her with his pale green eyes.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he added in a friendly tone as he wiped a stain on the counter.

Fluttershy timidly answered. "Oh, I'll have a bowl of that stew, if it's not a bother. Maybe a room for the night. You're not full are you?"

The donkey smiled, presenting a dirty set of crooked teeth. "You're in luck. We have one room left, so it's yours. Anything to drink with your stew?"

"Oh, just water, thank you," Fluttershy answered, her breathing calming down as she got more comfortable with the donkey's friendly demeanor.

"You got it," he answered. "That'll be two bits for the stew and ten for the room."

The pegasus nodded and produced fifteen bits from her saddlebags, leaving a generous tip on the counter. The room was more expensive than she would have liked, but she didn't have it in her to argue and risk upsetting this amiable donkey.

Fluttershy tried to get comfortable on the small wooden stool as she waited for her stew to arrive. As she shifted uncomfortably, the pegasus almost regretted choosing to take a meal in such a room, trapped in a cramped little spot next to ponies she did not know.

Conversations could be heard all over the room, although it was hard to make out anything specific. Something about crops, some other comment about a late cloud shipment from Cloudsdale, a group of drunks loudly debating the performance of the local rodeo ponies. One conversation, however, grabbed Fluttershy's attention.

"So, do you all really believe these stories, you know, about the princess being dead?" a stallion's hoarse voice said. It came from the table right behind Fluttershy. While the pegasus did not want to turn around for fear somepony might catch her eavesdropping, she imagined him as being a large stallion.

A younger-sounding stallion with a softer voice answered. "Princess Celestia? Everypony knows she's gone. What of it?" Fluttershy almost gasped, hearing a pony speak of the princess's death in such a casual tone.

"Well, I don't believe it!" the hoarse sounding pony answered. "Them alicorns, they're all immortal. That means they can't die."

"It just means they don't grow old, Pumpkin," a mare with a grating voice answered. "Princesses can still die."

Fluttershy took a peek at the table behind her, her interest in the conversation surpassing her fear of being noticed. A group of four ponies sat together, sipping drinks. "I highly doubt she'd just play dead. She's gone alright," a short pegasus stallion with a red mane said. Judging from his voice, he was the same softer-sounding pony Fluttershy had heard earlier.

"So you think the other princesses are dead too?" a green stallion wearing a brown vest asked. He was sitting at the same table, but his voice was new to Fluttershy.

"Not a chance," the large orange-coated earth pony sitting at the table declared. His hoarse voice was unmistakable and judging by what the mare with the grating voice had said, his name was Pumpkin. "Princess Luna won't let us down."

The mare answered immediately. Her green mane and yellow coat might have been pretty if she hadn't put on so much makeup. "Luna's gone though, so's the new princess. Twilight Snorkle, is it?"

"Sparkle," the pegasus corrected. Fluttershy was silently grateful for his intervention, as she almost corrected the mare herself without thinking.

"Right, Twilight Sparkle," the mare continued, "not that it matters, she's gone too. I heard Blueblood is in charge in Canterlot now."

Fluttershy struggled with the temptation to take her friend's defense when she jumped at the sound of a wooden bowl being placed unceremoniously on the bar in front of her. "Your stew, Missy. Need anything else?" She turned to the donkey smiling at her.

"Oh, thank you," she timidly replied. She nodded at the barkeep.

"Just give me a holler if you need anything else," the donkey added. "I'll show you to your room once you're ready."

Fluttershy answered with a smile of her own, taking a moment to smell her meal before digging in. The stew was a mix of carrots, cabbage, celery, potatoes and radish in a thick pepper broth. She took a nibble and was immediately glad she opted to order the meal; the vegetables were cooked to perfection and the flavors all mixed wonderfully with the broth.

The shy pegasus was busy devouring her stew when her attention was drawn back to the table behind her. "I don't care what anypony says, I'm loyal to Princess Luna," Fluttershy heard Pumpkin announce loudly.

"That princess of yours is a traitor," the mare with the grating voice added. "They say she actually killed Celestia. We're better off with Prince Blueblood, I say."

"Again with your pretty-faced prince, Lylac," the soft sounding pegasus retorted, raising his voice a notch. "All he's ever done was pose for magazines. He's no ruler!"

"Blueblood is just a figurehead anyway," the stallion with the brown vest added. Fluttershy took another peek behind her, the conversation capturing her attention again. "He's got this royal council. They're the ones making all the real calls."

The mare got up angrily, prompting Fluttershy and a few other ponies to turn around. "Blueblood is certainly no figurehead! He's the one true ruler of Equestria! He will make everything better, you'll all see."

"No offense, Lylac," the soft-spoken pegasus added, "but there's a difference between you having a crush on somepony and them being an actual leader. Truth is, there's only one pony who can succeed Celestia — the one she's been grooming for the position."

Pumpkin raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"Twilight Sparkle, of course," the pegasus replied. Fluttershy could not hold back a smile.

"Please, she just barely made it into royalty," Lylac argued. "If you ask me, these alicorns have ruled for too long. Let the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies govern themselves for once! Prince Blueblood has lived in Canterlot his entire life. The royal council knows him well."

"Better Sparkle on the throne than that stuck-up Blueblood," Pumpkin said. "I still don't know why we're still arguing; Luna is the only princess who should rule Equestria."

The green earth pony with the brown vest retorted between sips of cider. "You seem awfully certain Luna is innocent, Pumpkin. Everything seems to point at her killing Celestia."

Pumpkin angrily stood up, startling Fluttershy in the process. She quickly turned back to her stew, quietly listening as she took another spoonful. "I can't believe you're falling for those rumors, Cherry Jam. Princess Luna would never murder her own sister; it was obviously a setup by the nobility so they could control the throne."

"Calm down, Pumpkin," the pegasus asked in his soft voice. "Although I do agree with you. Luna couldn't have killed her sister."

"Alright, Sandstorm, who do you think did it?" Lylac asked.

"That's easy," the pegasus replied, "Who would have everything to gain by getting rid of all the Princesses? Discord, that's who. They've given him free rein to do whatever he wants. If you ask me it was just a matter of time before he tried something like this again."

"You know, you make a good point," Pumpkin added. "Hay, I still remember him storming into town with Tirek. Who's to say he's not doing the exact same thing now?"

Because he's changed, because he learned his lesson, Fluttershy wanted to say. These ponies were accusing her friends, and doing so in such a vexingly casual way. She nervously nibbled on a carrot, resisting the urge to jump in the conversation.

"If Discord is to blame as you say, how come we haven't seen him yet?" Lylac chimed in. "I think you're just too afraid to admit Luna might be guilty. Discord would have already started turning Equestria upside down by now."

Take that! Fluttershy thought. At least one pony would be willing to believe her friend innocent, even if that same pony didn't have any faith in Twilight.

"That's how devious his plan is," Sandstorm continued. "If he reveals himself, Equestria unites against him, but if he stays hidden, ponies accuse each others, chaos comes to Equestria, and he doesn't even have to lift a hoof, or claw, or whatever it is he has."

"That makes sense, when you think about it," Pumpkin agreed.

"It's definitely a scary thought," Lylac added softly. Fluttershy almost didn't hear her.

"You make a good point, Sandstorm," Cherry Jam, who had been quiet for a while, added. "And there's more to consider. You remember who it was that freed Discord? Who it was that later proclaimed him to be reformed and a friend? Who constantly vouches for him?"

"Sparkle," Pumpkin completed.

What? It was enough that everypony constantly doubted Discord's sincerity, but now this pony accused he and Twilight of being complicit of murder? None of her friends deserved such treatment.

"That would make sense," Lylac said with a tip of her head. "Discord, those alicorns, they're no different, they keep playing with strange magic and it's us, the common ponies, who pay the price."

That was too much for Fluttershy to take. Without thinking, she turned around. "How dare you! None of you even know Discord, and yet you blindly accuse him. Twilight gave him a chance, at least. She recognized how much effort he put into reforming himself. That's more than I can say about any of you!"

The four ponies sitting at the table turned toward her. The normally shy pony stared down the group, allowing her anger to surface.

Pumpkin slowly walked toward the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy gulped as the enormous earth pony towered over her. "So we got ourselves a Discord lover, do we?"

"Probably one of those crazy cultists from the desert," Cherry Jam added.

Fluttershy wanted to run and hide. Why did she have to get involved? Loudmouthed, careless Fluttershy! Why couldn't she have minded her own business?

The soft-spoken pegasus with the red mane calmly turned toward Pumpkin. "Calm down, she's no cultist." He got up and eyed the yellow pegasus. "You're Fluttershy, aren't you?"

"Y... yes," Fluttershy answered, all desire for confrontation completely sapped from her.

"Well, what do you know," Lylac added. "This is the pony who took responsibility for Discord after he was freed. Lost control of your pet, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy gulped. This wasn't the time to be afraid. She didn't have Rainbow, Applejack, or Twilight to hide behind; she had to be strong and brave. "D... Discord isn't my pet. He's a true friend. I'm here to find him and convince him to help." Her legs were shaking and her vision blurred.

"Like he helped during that whole Tirek debacle?" Pumpkin spat.

"Th... that was just a one-time slip up. I know he's learned his lesson." Fluttershy desperately explained. "I don't want trouble, please, I'm sorry. I'll get out of your way."

Pumpkin grinned at Fluttershy, staring her down. His breath stank of cheap liquor. "Oh, too late for that. You've found your trouble, Discord lover."

Pumpkin's hoof came faster than Fluttershy could react. She went down hard with a whimper. Her eyes started to water as she tasted her own blood on her tongue. "Please..." she whispered between sobs.

"You don't get to beg," he yelled. "That monster you unleashed, look at the misery he's bringing across Equestria! You're lucky to get away with just a beating!"

Fluttershy curled up in a ball. More ponies talked, but she couldn't make out what they said. Naive, careless Fluttershy! Nopony believed in Discord except for her. She should have kept her big mouth shut. She braced for another hit.

"Sit down, Pumpkin. You've had enough to drink," a new voice ordered.

Fluttershy heard an argument but couldn't make out the words. After a few moments, she slowly raised her head. Her tears made it hard to make out anything more than vague shapes.

"Hey, get up," the same voice said. It sounded familiar, definitely female. Fluttershy dried her tears so she could look at her benefactor. The first thing she saw was a bright red mane, worn up in a bun. She then recognized Cherry Jubilee's cheerful green eyes.

"Wh...what? Miss Jubilee, is that you?" Fluttershy asked in confusion.

"Fluttershy, is it? You're one of Applejack's friends, aren't you? You sure know how to stir up trouble," the cherry farmer replied.

Fluttershy slowly got up. She blushed and hid behind her mane as she noticed everypony in the room staring at her. Pumpkin still glared at her and Cherry Jubilee menacingly, but had returned to his table. "We better get out of here," Jubilee said.

Fluttershy quietly followed her benefactor, not wanting to get into anymore trouble. She dried off her remaining tears as she stayed close to Jubilee. Both ponies left the saloon and trotted toward the cherry farmer's home.

"You certainly didn't choose the right ponies to tangle with," Jubilee explained. "Pumpkin isn't usually a bad pony, but he does enjoy conflict, especially when he drinks. You're not the first newcomer he's tried to start a fight with."

"I'm sorry," was all Fluttershy could offer. "Thank you for helping me, Miss Jubilee."

"Well, I wasn't about to leave a nice pony such as yourself in that situation," she answered with a comforting smile. "You can stay in my home for tonight. I don't think leaving you at the Rusty Horseshoe is a good idea. Before we head to bed though, would you mind telling me what you're doing here in Dodge, and what happened to Princess Twilight?"

"Of course, Miss Jubilee," Fluttershy replied with a nod.

The feeling of the rain on her coat helped soothe the pegasus's nerves after the ordeal she'd just gone through. She walked quietly next to Jubilee, glad to have found an ally.

---

A bowl of cherries was placed on a small table covered by a tablecloth featuring a cherry pattern. Various pictures of cherries adorned the walls, and even the mug Fluttershy drank hot cocoa from featured a cherry on the side. The pegasus couldn't help but see Cherry Jubilee's house as a cherry-laden version of Applejack's. It certainly shared the same peaceful country quality.

Unlike the family house at Sweet Apple Acres, Jubilee kept a large estate. The living room both ponies sat in contained a total of four large couches, a multitude of cushions, and a few coffee tables. Cherry Jubilee was obviously accustomed to receiving guests, as this house was far too large for a pony living alone. Perhaps she had a family and just didn't mention them while Fluttershy had briefly worked for her?

"Well, it looks like you're feeling better," Jubilee observed.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled at her benefactor. "Yes, thank you again for your help, Miss Jubilee."

"I know Applejack is fond of you, and you seem like a nice pony," the cherry farmer answered before her brow furrowed and her tone turned more serious. "Now, I would like some answers, if you don't mind."

Fluttershy gulped. Most ponies didn't react too well when hearing about her desire to help Discord, as her experience at the saloon made painfully apparent. Still, Miss Jubilee helped her earlier, and she had to trust her if she were to have any chance of succeeding in her quest. "Of course, what would you like to know?"

"For starters, what happened in Canterlot? Is it true Princess Twilight is gone? What about Princess Luna? Ponies say she murdered her sister!" Jubilee's eyes grew larger as she asked her questions. Fluttershy hadn't considered how ponies living on the frontier might react to current events. Little information ever seemed to reach them.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. There was a lot to tell, and she knew Jubilee would have a lot more questions. "I know Princess Luna, and she would never harm her sister. Ponies in Canterlot say she's guilty, but none of my friends believe them. She's the one who's been raising the sun and moon all this time."

"And nopony knows where she is?" Jubilee asked.

Fluttershy shook her head "No, although I'm hoping Discord can help me find her."

The cherry farmer frowned at the mention of the spirit of chaos. "We'll get to him later. For now, I'd like to know what happened to Princess Twilight. I take it the two of you are still friends?"

"Very much so," Fluttershy confirmed. "None of us know where she's gone either. The Canterlot ponies wanted her to raise the moon. She tried her best, but it wasn't enough. They had her drain magic from other unicorns and something went wrong. Somepony died, Miss Jubilee!" Fluttershy took another sip of cocoa. Remembering the gruesome event made her voice shake, but her benefactor deserved the entire story.

"So the spell went wrong?" the farmer asked. "And Princess Twilight ran away after?"

Again, Fluttershy shook her head. "No, at least none of us think so. It looks like she might have fled, but her quarters were destroyed, like she'd fought some other unicorn. I think she was captured. I shudder to think where she is right now."

Jubilee's expression softened. "I don't know the princess all that well, but if what I know about Applejack is any indication of your group of friend's determination, I'm sure you'll find her in no time."

"Thank you," Fluttershy offered, following a warm sip of cocoa. "That's part of why I'm here. We're all doing our part to find Twilight and Luna."

"And this is where Discord comes in?" Jubilee asked as her frown returned.

Fluttershy nodded slowly. "Yes, I know he'll do whatever he can to help us."

The cherry farmer harrumphed. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing. Just a word of warning, you won't find much sympathy around Dodge Junction if you mention Discord."

Fluttershy's ears drooped as she stared at her half-empty cup of cocoa. "It's the same everywhere. Nopony trusts him, nopony will give him a chance," she whispered mostly to herself. It was hard enough defending Discord against her closest friends, but at least they would support her even if they didn't agree. In this frontier town, she was alone and nopony believed in her.

Cherry Jubilee sat closer to Fluttershy and gazed at her with warm, compassionate eyes. "Look dear, I can't even begin to understand what you're going through. I've heard the stories of how you supposedly reformed Discord, a lot of ponies have. It's just hard for us to believe he's really changed."

"But he did change!" Fluttershy argued, making an effort to meet Jubilee's eyes. "I know nopony believes me, but I know him, he's learned his lesson, even after the Tirek incident."

"An incident that almost brought Equestria to ruin," Jubilee added.

Fluttershy gulped. It was time to be assertive. She couldn't convince Cherry Jubilee to trust Discord, but perhaps she could still get her help. Be confident, Fluttershy, be strong! "Well, Equestria is still fine," she said with in a tone that brook no uncertainty. "I know a lot of ponies don't trust Discord, and nopony has to. Still, he's my friend and I want to find him. Can you help me, Miss Jubilee?"

Cherry Jubilee slowly smiled at the pegasus. "Well, as I said, you can stay for the night. I might also have a lead for you if you're that set on finding Discord."

Fluttershy's ears perked back up, "Oh, you know where he is?"

"Not exactly," Jubilee replied, shaking her head, "but I know somepony who might have a clue."

"Oh, who is it?" Fluttershy asked as her wings flared up.

"Well, I didn't want to tell you at first. You see, the mare I have in mind is completely insane, although she does claim to know where Discord hides."

"Insane?" Fluttershy asked. "Can we trust her?"

Cherry Jubilee laughed softly, which made Fluttershy jump. Did she ask a stupid question again? "You're the one willing to trust Discord. If you ask me, it's a fool's quest and you'd be better off returning home, but I can tell I won't talk you out of it. You ask if you can trust crazy Screwball? Probably not, but I'd still trust her over Discord."

"Well, there's no harm in talking to her, I suppose," the pegasus tentatively suggested.

The cherry farmer seemed thoughtful for a moment, as Fluttershy nervously finished her cocoa. She eventually straightened herself up and met eyes with the pegasus. "If I can make an observation, what kind of friend would have you go through all these hoops just to check up on him?"

"I... I don't know," the pegasus replied weakly. "I'm afraid Discord might be in trouble, but whatever's going on, I'm sure he has good reasons."

"I hope so, for all our sakes," Jubilee replied with a sigh. "And if Discord is in trouble, I shudder at the thought of what could hold him off."

"Well, whatever happened, I hope I can help him out," Fluttershy said, unsure what else to offer.

Cherry Jubilee stood and invited her guest to do the same. "Well, we might as well get some rest. I can take you to see Screwball tomorrow." The cherry farmer walked toward a set of stairs. "Come on, I'll show you to one of the guest rooms."

Fluttershy gladly followed. Sleep would do her some good. They walked up the stairs and Jubilee brought her to a large guest room, entirely furnished in the now familiar cherry pattern. The large bed in the center of the room looked extremely comfortable, and the rain rolling down the large windows gave Fluttershy a sense of comfort. She dropped her saddlebags next to a wooden dresser and made her way to the bed. "Good night, Miss Jubilee," she offered before falling onto the mattress.

"Sleep well, Fluttershy. I'll see you in the morning."

---

The Sun was already high in the sky when Fluttershy awoke from her slumber. She had a small, uneventful breakfast with Cherry Jubilee before the cherry farmer offered to take her to see Screwball. She again tried to convince Fluttershy to abandon her quest, but the pegasus would not relent.

As soon as breakfast was over, Fluttershy took a moment to hang her soaked articles of clothing with Jubilee, who insisted on helping. Both ponies then trotted to the edge of Dodge. Thankfully for Fluttershy, they didn't have to cross the center of town. Of the few ponies they saw on the way, the pegasus recognized a few faces from the saloon. It was obvious from the glares she received that some of them recognized her as well. Fluttershy hid under her mane, staying close to her benefactor.

Screwball lived in an isolated wooden shed surrounded by a few trees and an unkempt, completely wild lawn. The only path leading to the house, if it could even be called a path, was a rough passage of crushed weeds and flowers. As Fluttershy got closer, she tried to make out the inside of the shed, but its single window was too dirty and only a hint of light could be seen shining from within.

"Well, here we are," Jubilee said. "Screwball mostly keeps to herself, although she does come to town once in a while to buy food and other necessities. Sometimes, somepony will take pity on her and leave some supplies."

"Why haven't any doctors come to help her?" Fluttershy asked, her accusatory tone betraying her concern.

Jubilee frowned. "A few tried, but we're not a big community, and we just don't have the facilities to take care of a pony like her. I guess since she never caused any trouble or hurt anypony, we just let her be."

"Well, I'll just have to be nice to her and ask for her help politely," Fluttershy responded with a hopeful smile as she trotted toward the front door.

The pegasus hesitantly knocked a few times with her hoof. "Miss Screwball? Are you home?"

The door cracked open only slightly, revealing a violet eye. "Visitors? Oh, I always love visitors, especially the tasty ones." The voice was a light, high-pitched, if raspy one.

"T...tasty?" Fluttershy asked, unable to keep her voice from shaking.

The door swung wide open, revealing a pink coat and a violet mane streaked with white. "Oh, there's the cherry pony too. Cherries are good in the stew! I'm not too fond of butterflies though, too crunchy." The pony in front of Fluttershy grinned excitedly. Her eyes seemed to have a hard time focusing, constantly darting in different directions. As for her cutie mark, it was a screw alongside a baseball. Fluttershy could not imagine any one talent that would involve those two specific objects.

Cherry Jubilee walked forward. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. Screwball doesn't actually eat ponies. It's just something she keeps babbling about."

Screwball stared blankly at both her visitors, her eyes finally settling down. As far as Fluttershy could tell, her expression neither confirmed nor denied her claim of cannibalism.

"Well I hope you don't eat innocent butterflies either," Fluttershy mumbled nervously. Regardless of her current quest, she couldn't stomach the thought of such innocent creatures being hurt.

"Too crunchy, I said! Your flank will remain un-bitten in my home," Screwball replied, smiling innocently.

Fluttershy gulped. She probably would not get a straight answer out of the madpony, but surely it was a jest? Nopony would actually eat butterflies, insane or not. "Please don't hurt any innocent bugs." she whispered under her breath.

Cherry Jubilee walked inside the house, inviting Fluttershy to follow her. Screwball happily bounced up and down. The room the pegasus found herself in was a hoarder's paradise. Tons of various objects were lying around including cooking pots, toys, a few paintings, more furniture than anypony could ever use, random articles of clothing, and hats. There were hats everywhere, of all colors and types.

"Screwball, I brought Fluttershy here because she could use your help," Jubilee tentatively suggested.

The pegasus was still too busy taking in her surroundings to react, so much so that she failed to notice Screwball licking the back of her head. She jumped with a small "Eek!"

"Oh, you taste wonderfully chaotic!" the madpony announced giddily. "I know why you're here! You want to see the great one, don't you?"

"The... great one?" Fluttershy asked. Could she mean Discord?

"Yes, I can smell him on you," Screwball continued. Fluttershy expected she would have to get used to such vague answers. "You've seen chaos, tasty, tasty chaos!"

If Fluttershy was going to ask for help, now was as good a time as any. "Yes, Discord is my friend, and I'm trying to find him. Do you know where he is?"

Screwball danced excitedly. "Oh, yes yes yes, if you're looking for him then you're the one I was waiting for!"

The pegasus gasped. "You were waiting for me?"

"Well, it seems Discord does care about you," Jubilee replied with a chuckle, "he did leave somepony to help you after all."

"Yes, yes, he did!" Screwball confirmed. "You're Fluttershy, aren't you?"

The pegasus meekly nodded. "Yes, I'm Fluttershy."

"I knew it, I knew it!" the madpony cheered excitingly. "We all owe you so much for bringing our master back! Beautiful, beautiful chaos!"

Fluttershy tried her best to hide her frown. Why did Screwball refer to Discord as her master? And she seemed positively giddy at the thought of the spirit of chaos causing ruckus. Did Discord return to his old ways? Was he leading some sort of madpony cult, as she heard somepony in the saloon claim? Fluttershy had to find out, and that meant following this strange pony.

"I don't know about all that," the pegasus carefully replied, "I'm only worried about my friend."

"We should go to him then, yes, yes, go to him!" Screwball was already pushing Fluttershy out the door, picking up a propeller beanie on the way. She flipped the hat up onto her head.

"Wait, wait," Fluttershy said as she kept the madpony from pushing her outside by holding onto the door frame tightly. "Where are we going? I thought Discord was in the badlands."

"The red mountains, yes, he's there!" Screwball continued as she kept pushing Fluttershy.

Luckily for the pegasus, Cherry Jubilee gently shoved the strange pony away. "Hold on there, the two of you will need supplies if you're planning on going to the desert."

"Yes, you're right, Miss Jubilee," Fluttershy acquiesced, thankful for the cherry farmer's intervention.

"Oh, right," Screwball admitted, "I forgot Butterflies here isn't tasty enough to snack on."

Fluttershy hid behind her mane. Screwball seemed oblivious to the discomfort she caused as she happily bounced around. Jubilee ignored the antics as she turned her head toward the pegasus. "How about I show you the market, Fluttershy? You can rejoin Screwball here in a few hours?"

The pegasus nodded. "That sounds lovely. I'll need to grab my saddlebags at your farm, too."

"Yes, I'll be here, ready to return to the master!" Screwball confirmed.

As both ponies left the small shed, Fluttershy's mind was riddled with doubts. Why would Discord leave such a pony as her guide? Was it another one of his jests? For all his attempts at being a good friend, the spirit of chaos still had a tendency to play dangerous pranks on ponies. Also, why would he leave a guide for Fluttershy to follow, but not answer her letters? Surely even he would realize the situation was dire.

Fluttershy kept near Jubilee. She took a deep breath as they headed for the market. Questions would have to be answered later.

---

Dodge Junction's market was a busy one, similar to Ponyville's. Fluttershy spotted the usual fruit and vegetable vendors, as well as a few flower carts. She even noticed an earth pony stallion with a tall cowpony hat selling ponchos, ropes, tents, and other pieces of survival gear. She would probably need to stop there, although she wouldn't know what to do with half of these things.

Cherry Jubilee escorted the pegasus to the center of town, the two of them exchanging stories about each of their small towns. Fluttershy was especially interested in the ponies taking care of the local animals. Snakes, in particular, could be a hoof-full to handle and understand.

"Well, this is the market," Jubilee said. "Will you be okay finding what you need? Not that I mind helping you out, but I do have an orchard to run."

Fluttershy's ears drooped down. She had gotten used to the cherry farmer's company and welcomed the assistance of a more assertive pony. Silly Fluttershy, she thought. Here she was, about to cross the desert with a madpony, and she was still scared of talking to strangers at market.

"It'll be fine, thank you, Miss Jubilee," the pegasus quietly replied.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it then," Jubilee said with a smile. "I'll have your stuff ready back at the ranch, don't forget to stop by and pick it up before you leave."

Fluttershy nodded. "I will see you then. I shouldn't be too long here."

Cherry Jubilee waved as she trotted away. Fluttershy stared at her newfound friend a bit too long, waving back. She gulped and turned toward the market. Certainly nothing bad would happen. She simply had to avoid mentioning Discord or her mission. It wouldn't be that hard. She wouldn't be remembered from last night either, or what if she was? What if those same ponies find me and attack me? Fluttershy nervously scanned her surroundings.

The pegasus shook her head. This was only the town's market. She bought vegetables in Ponyville plenty of times on her own, no reason to be nervous. She trotted toward the survival gear kiosk. It was as good as any other place to start. "Good morning, sir," she told its proprietor with a slightly forced smile.

"Morning there, Missy," he enthusiastically replied. "How can I help you?"

Fluttershy stared blankly at his wares, uncertain what she would actually need. "Umm, well, I have to go to the desert. What do you think I need?"

The stallion scratched his head. "It depends how long and how far you're going. If you're just going for a stroll, one of my hooded ponchos and plenty of water should do the trick."

"Oh, I'm going a bit further," Fluttershy explained, "I have to reach the badlands to help a friend."

The earth pony stallion gasped. "A sweet looking filly like yourself going all the way down to the badlands? What the hay are you hoping to find there?"

Loudmouthed Fluttershy, she thought to herself. She could still fix this, not mentioning Discord would make it all okay. "Umm, yes, a friend traveled there, and I'm awfully worried." It was a weak answer, but she hoped the vendor would respect her privacy and not pry further.

"I can see you don't wanna talk about it," he replied, to Fluttershy's relief. "That's fine and all. I just hope you have somepony helping you out. The desert isn't a safe place."

Could Screwball be of any help in the desert? Probably not. Fluttershy considered asking this pony to be her guide, but this would mean revealing everything about her quest. Nopony would help her if they knew the truth. "Yes, I have a guide," she said. "He told me to gather supplies here, and that you'd know what I need." She gulped, hoping the merchant wouldn't see through her lie.

"Well, first thing you'll need is plenty of water," the stallion explained. "I can sell you canteens. I'd also recommend a tent, a warm sleeping bag for the nights, and one of my ponchos for the day. Climbing the rocks in the badlands won't be an issue for a pegasus like yourself, but rope is still useful to have."

"Well, I have a warm blanket and a hooded cloak," Fluttershy replied. "I'll take a tent, and some rope too. And three of those canteens."

"You got it. That'll be seven bits."

The pegasus counted her bits and placed them on the counter. Truth be told, Fluttershy was starting to fear she'd run out of money. Still, survival gear was more important than bits where she was going.

The earth pony stallion took the bits and gave her the items she requested. "Nice doing business with you, Missy. Come back should you need anything else!"

Fluttershy smiled as she left the kiosk. She really had been making a fuss over nothing. These ponies were merchants and happy to sell her their wares. None of them cared who she was. She was just letting the previous day's events get to her.

As she trotted toward a cart of vegetables, a voice made Fluttershy's ears twitch. It couldn't be! She recognized it... She turned her head to the right and noticed Pumpkin, the large pony who attacked her the previous day. He was accompanied by the same blue pegasus he had been drinking with.

Fluttershy could not let them see her! She looked to her left, to her right, behind her. Gotta hide! Where can I hide? She saw a barrel of turnips right next to a wooden crate. It would have to do. She quickly galloped toward it, diving behind. The market sounds became a blur as she breathed faster and faster, her heartbeat racing out of control.

Quiet, I have to stay quiet. They couldn't be looking for her, could they? Fluttershy wanted to take a peek from behind her hiding spot, but dared not. What if they happened to look in her direction? They would find her and do horrible things to her.

She closed her eyes and thought of her little animal friends back in Ponyville. The baby raccoons would be starting to walk by now. She hoped Angel Bunny didn't miss her too much, hopefully he wasn't being too hard on Roseluck.

It was no use. All she could think about was Pumpkin's horrible stare as he had threatened her the previous night. She touched her cheek in the same place where he had hit her. She heard hoofsteps coming her way, and voices. What were they saying? Fluttershy couldn't make anything out. She forced herself to hold her breath. The slightest sound might reveal her position.

"How about some of those turnips? Might work out for your soup, Sandstorm." Oh no! she thought. It's Pumpkin! He was right next to her hiding spot. Did he see her? What would he do to her?

Fluttershy did not want to move a muscle, but her attempts to stay completely still failed as tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at her hoof and found it shaking. Careless Fluttershy, stay still, stay quiet! Please, please...

"Yeah, I'll grab a couple, let's get some carrots too." It sounded like the blue pegasus. Did it mean they hadn't seen her?

Fluttershy waited for what seemed like an eternity. She stared at her still trembling hoof through her tearful eyes. She thought she heard hoofsteps going away from her hiding spot, but how could she be certain? It could be some other pony. Maybe Pumpkin was waiting for her to come out.

She allowed herself to breathe. No sound could be heard outside of the usual market noises. She sighed in relief. Perhaps they were gone and she would be fine. She slapped her own hoof to get it to stop shaking.

Fluttershy's heartbeat only just started to slow down when she heard the blue pegasus's voice again. "Hey, what's going on with that turnip barrel? Did it just move?"

The terrified pegasus froze again. She thought she was safe, that they were going away. Now they would find her, hurt her. It was all for nothing!

"Probably just kids playing, Sandstorm," Pumpkin's voice said. "Come on, let's go."

This time, Fluttershy dared not move a muscle. Could they really be moving on? Would she be safe? Breathing became difficult and her tears come back. She kept her hooves firmly on the ground, knowing they would start shaking again at the slightest movement. She thought she heard a response from the blue pegasus but could not make it out. She closed her eyes. Discord, Twilight, anypony, please help me!

She did not know how much time had passed. She kept her eyes closed and whimpered to herself. Why was she so afraid to come out? A brave pony like Rainbow Dash or Applejack wouldn't be afraid to stand up to these ponies. Useless Fluttershy, how can you help Discord when you can't even help yourself?

"Hey, what are you doing there, hiding behind my turnips?" Fluttershy was too busy being scared to notice the earth pony mare approaching her. The pegasus turned her head to see a pair of angry green eyes staring at her. Fluttershy's own eyes opened wide in shock.

"I... I... I'm so sorry!" Fluttershy whimpered as she ran away crying. She didn't look behind her, only ran in a random direction away from market. Scared, useless Fluttershy! I can't even go to market without making a scene.

---

It took Fluttershy an hour at the edge of town to calm down before she trotted back toward Cherry Jubilee's ranch. She stopped at a local farm and bought a few carrots directly from the owner, not wanting to return to the market.

As predicted, Jubilee had prepared her saddlebags and gathered her traveling gear. Fluttershy quickly checked to make sure everything was there. "Thank you so much, Miss Jubilee, for everything."

"Always a pleasure to help," Jubilee replied. "You've been gone for a while. Everything went well at the market?"

Fluttershy gulped. She had hoped Jubilee wouldn't ask about that. "Yes, I just took the scenic route," she lied.

"Right," Jubilee replied, raising an eyebrow. Fluttershy knew how bad of a liar she was; the earth pony probably saw right through it all. "Either way, I've packed a few cherries in your saddlebag, in case you get hungry."

Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you, I really hope I can repay you someday."

"One last piece of advice, if I may," the cherry farmer added in a serious tone. "I know you want to help your friend, and I know you want to be brave. Just promise me you'll be careful. There's no shame in backing out if things get too tough. I'm sure Applejack and your other friends wouldn't want you to put yourself in harm's way."

The pegasus's ears flattened as she looked down. "Trust me, Miss Jubilee, there's nothing I would like more than to abandon everything and return to my animal friends at home. I know I'm not cut out to be an adventurer. I'm not smart like Twilight, brave like Rainbow, or resourceful like Pinkie. I wouldn't even have had a place to sleep if it weren't for you. Still, I'm the only pony willing to believe in Discord, and I know that he needs my help. If I give it to him, I know he'll be able to help us find Twilight, find Luna, and set everything right."

"And you're willing to follow a madpony into the badlands in the name of this friendship?" Jubilee asked. "There's no way I can talk you out of it?"

"I won't stop. I know I can be strong, for Discord, for Twilight, for all of my friends," Fluttershy firmly shook her head. "I'll prove to everypony I can do this!"

Cherry Jubilee smiled. "In that case, I will wish you good luck. Discord is lucky to have a good friend like you." She extended her hoof, but Fluttershy embraced her in a warm hug.

Fluttershy extended her wings and flew up. While she more often than not opted to walk to her destinations, the occasional flight could get her spirits up. She would certainly need to 'get her head back in the game', as Rainbow would say. She rose toward the tops of the trees, admiring the scenery. The red peaks marking the entrance to the badlands loomed over the horizon. Beyond was a labyrinth of razor sharp rocks and lava pits with little to no signs of life; the perfect place for Discord to protect his privacy.

She returned her attention to the dirt road she was flying over. Nopony seemed to be walking it, offering Fluttershy some precious moments of solitude. Alright, Fluttershy, what do you know so far? she asked herself. Discord was in the badlands, or at least the Labyrinth was. The spirit of chaos himself was either unable or unwilling to contact her directly, but he still sent Screwball to her as a guide.

Discord had to have chosen Screwball for a good reason. Fluttershy knew he wouldn't trust her safety to just anypony. Still, she didn't like how Screwball referred to Discord as her master. Fluttershy was reminded of the ponies in the saloon mentioning a desert cult. Could they be worshiping Discord? Would her friend even allow it? The pegasus frowned at the thought; Discord would know better than to lead a cult and drag madponies even further into insanity.

Screwball's shed came into view next to the road. Fluttershy landed gracefully, making sure her saddlebags were still there and properly adjusted before she trotted toward the door. The pegasus hesitated a moment before knocking. No turning back now.

The door cracked open. Screwball's now familiar purple eye looked through the small opening. "It's me again," Fluttershy announced.

"She's back, she's back!" the pink-coated earth pony cheered as she swung the door open. "We're going to see the master! Oh, how I missed your sweet, sweet chaos, master!"

"Yes, I'm ready to go," the pegasus confirmed, still uncertain on how to handle Screwball.

The earth pony put on her propeller beanie and strapped on a pair of saddlebags. She grinned at Fluttershy with childlike excitement. Was this all a game to her? In a way, she almost reminded the pegasus of Pinkie Pie. Hopefully her strange behavior would prove as benign as the party pony's.

Both ponies got on their way, trotting at a brisk pace toward the South. Fluttershy tried not to look at the faraway mountains; it made the anticipation of her ambitious expedition feel all the more unnerving. Still, part of her was glad to leave Dodge Junction behind. There was no chance of Pumpkin and his cronies following her in the desert.

The road toward the desert was a calm one. The landscape slowly gave way to a more arid scenery as less and less vegetation grew, the ground taking on a softer, sandier texture. Screwball, as expected, was already proving to be an odd traveling companion. She randomly stared at random objects or at distant points on the horizon, sometimes commenting on the taste of clouds, trees, rocks, or other parts of the scenery.

It did not take long for the two ponies to enter the desert proper. It was a flat expanse of sand, marred only by the occasional cactus or rocky formation. Fluttershy alternated between walking and flying, allowing both her hooves and wings to rest. She felt bad for her earth pony companion, but Screwball did not seem to lack for energy, bouncing around and sometimes throwing sand in the air.

The sun was hot, almost too hot to handle. Fluttershy was grateful for her hooded cloak and her canteens. Sticking to her water rations proved harder than expected as she found herself drinking far more often than she had planned. Screwball did not fare any better; the madpony went through an entire canteen in a matter of hours, eliciting a frown from Fluttershy. The pegasus mentally chided herself for failing to confront her companion on this matter.

They spent an entire day walking toward the southern mountains. The sound of the wind slowly became a constant companion, the pegasus continuing to switch from walking to flying in an attempt to break the monotony of the journey. A cold breeze eventually brought to Fluttershy's attention that Luna was raising the moon. She landed next to Screwball and dropped her saddlebags. "Umm, we should make camp here, if you don't mind that is," she suggested.

The earth pony sat down and shrugged, "Fine with me."

Fluttershy started building the portable tent she had bought from the survival gear vendor. As she took out her blanket, she made another attempt at conversation. "So, how long before we get to Discord?"

"Not far, not far at all!" Screwball replied. "Although maybe it's far, I really couldn't tell."

The pegasus sighed heavily. "Umm, you do know where we're going, don't you?"

"Of course, of course, to the badlands! We'll get to the master, do not be afraid!" Screwball grinned, obviously very sure of herself. Fluttershy wasn't so certain; she still hoped she wasn't making a costly mistake in trusting this pony.

"How long have you known Discord?" the pegasus asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, when he first broke through, the world finally made sense!" the madpony answered, beaming at Fluttershy. "He appeared in front of me, chuckled, and finally clouds tasted like dandelions, ponies could trot on music, and the color pink danced on three hooves!"

Fluttershy gave her companion a blank look. "So even before he was reformed, you saw Discord as a friend?"

"No, no, not a friend," Screwball corrected, "a master! He once ruled Equestria, you know, before the princesses brought all this confusing order."

"But Discord isn't anypony's master anymore!" Fluttershy retorted, gasping in shock as she stood up. "He's a good friend, and he's not imposing chaos to anypony. He's changed!"

The madpony shook her head. "He never changed, not for me or any of the others. He's still our master. He always will be."

"Did Discord lie to me?" Fluttershy asked herself out loud. "Is he rebuilding his chaos empire without anypony knowing?"

"Empire, yes, it's our little chaos empire, and we owe it all to you!"

"And what about the rest of Equestria?" the pegasus inquired, raising her tone as she took a step toward the madpony. "What about the rest of us who do not want to live in chaos?"

Screwball shrugged. "I don't know, why would anypony want to live without chaos? Isn't that why you're here, to join us?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "Of course not! I worked hard to help Discord change his ways. He's a caring, loving friend now, not the lord of chaos he once was. I need his help to bring order back to Equestria, not draw it further into chaos!"

The pegasus eyed her companion, realizing just how sane she suddenly appeared. Screwball's posture straightened up. Her eyes peered straight into Fluttershy's for the first time as her grin morphed into a frown. "Of course, you're just like all those other ponies. All you care about is your precious harmony. Never mind that the world could make sense to me and other ponies like me."

"I never meant..." Fluttershy tried to respond but Screwball ignored her, looking down at her hooves, her ears flattened against her head. "I'm sorry, I'm sure Discord cares about you and won't let you down." It was a weak answer, but the best one the pegasus could come up with.

After a few moments of silence, Fluttershy decided she should let Screwball have a few moments to herself. She dragged her hooves toward the tent, her legs wavering from exhaustion. "Well, I'm going to bed. You should join me soon," the pegasus said. The madpony had shifted her gaze from her own hooves to the red peaks marking the entrance to the badlands.

As Screwball kept staring at the horizon, Fluttershy lay down under her cozy blanket. "Sleep well," the pegasus said as she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from a long day spent walking under the sun.

---

The daylight heat building up inside the tent woke Fluttershy from her slumber. The pegasus grunted, hiding her face under the blanket. Some sand had gotten underneath during the night and she coughed as a few grains got in her mouth. How Screwball even managed to eat the stuff was beyond her.

Fluttershy raised her head in a sudden movement. Sweet Celestia, Screwball! The pegasus had fallen asleep while her guide was still angry at her. She looked to her right, then to her left. The madpony was not inside the tent. Don't panic, Fluttershy, Screwball is probably just outside, waiting for you. No amount of reassuring thoughts would do it. She got up and flew outside in a panic.

The small camp was empty. Some of the canteens were gone and Screwball was nowhere to be found. Any hoofsteps she might have left had long disappeared, the wind having erased them. Fluttershy was looking through her bags to make sure nothing was stolen when the realization hit her: she was all alone. How could she hope to find Discord without a guide? Stupid, stupid Fluttershy, you're such a loudmouth! If she hadn't been so rude to Screwball, perhaps she wouldn't be in this situation.

Fluttershy flew up and scanned the area, but to no avail. The earth pony was nowhere in sight, and all she had achieved was getting her wings needlessly tired. She landed and lay on the warm sand. Here she was, alone in the inhospitable desert. She looked toward the general direction of the town but could not make it out. She had traveled too far. The only landmark visible to her was the red peaks on the horizon. Could she even make it? What would happen when she arrived there? "Discord, please give me a sign, anything! I can't do it alone."

Tears ran down her cheeks. So far, her quest had been nothing but disaster after disaster. She would probably die alone in the desert, all because she was too proud to admit going to the badlands was too dangerous. Perhaps she could have gone to Cloudsdale with Rainbow, or to the Crystal Empire with Pinkie. Rarity might have welcomed her company, or perhaps Applejack could have used her help in Ponyville. She took a sip of water before burying her head between her legs.

The pegasus lost track of how long she stayed there, unmoving. She knew she had to pick up her tent and her blanket. She knew she should put her cloak back on to protect herself against the sun. All of it felt pointless. She did not move a muscle. The sound of the wind sweeping grains of sand was her only companion.

A cackling sound shook her from her torpor. Fluttershy slowly raised her head and saw a set of brown paws. The creature in front of her had brown fur with a large black patch on its back. Tall, upright ears, and a long canine muzzle surrounded yellow eyes full of malice. It grinned, brandishing a large set of pointy teeth before it spoke. "We'll be eating pony meat tonight, gyahaha."

More similar creatures joined the first one. As Fluttershy came back to her senses, she recognized them as jackals. How foolish she had been to forget she might have to deal with such desert denizens!

"Please, don't do anything to me," she pleaded as the jackals surrounded her.

They only responded by giggling to each other. One was already going through her discarded saddlebags, throwing items around. Some of the vegetables she bought, her cloak, all of her possessions were being tossed out of her bags.

"Please, none of this is any good to you. It's my stuff, I need it to survive!" the pegasus continued. She quickly realized it was no use as her pleas were ignored. I wish Rainbow were here with me, she would know what to do.

One of the jackals sneaked behind her and started poking her hind leg, no doubt thinking about how he was going to eat her. Fluttershy acted out of instinct and bucked the creature in the face, feeling a bit of pride as she heard its whimper.

"Get her!" the lead jackal yelled. Her moment of victory was short-lived as all the jackals jumped at her at once.

Fluttershy did the only thing she could; she flew up, managing her escape just in time. The creatures' claws left scratches on her skin, and she could feel blood oozing out of one of the deeper wounds. The jackals glared angrily at her, some even throwing the vegetables they had stolen from her bags at her. As the pegasus took a moment to gaze down at the scene, her will to fight disintegrated. It was one thing to act out of instinct, but quite another to attack such monsters all by herself. One of the cuts on her right flank was particularly painful.

"Catch her! We can't let our meal get away!" the lead jackal kept shouting. He stared at her with vicious eyes. The other scavengers salivated greedily as they all stared at her. The pegasus flew away, carrying nothing except the one canteen that was already hanging from her neck.

She flew as far and as fast as her wings would allow. She wasn't aware what direction she was going, just that she had to get away from the jackals. She kept her eyes closed, the wind savagely scratching them otherwise. She couldn't tell how long she flew. She just kept flapping her wings as hard as possible.

The warm sun constantly assaulted her coat. Her fur was drenched with sweat and felt heavier and heavier, even the weight of her canteen was dragging her down. Fluttershy finally allowed herself to glide down, her legs giving up as she landed in the sand.

As she tumbled down, the pegasus cringed. Sand entered the wound on her right flank and her eyes watered from the pain. She was about to clean the wound, but then remembered she only had the one canteen left, and it wasn't even full.

Fluttershy looked around. There was sand as far as the eye could see. At least she seemed to have lost her pursuers. A rattlesnake curiously glanced at her and she slowly made her way toward it. "Hello there, little friend," she hesitantly said. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find water, would you?"

The snake stared at her with beady eyes that proved impossible to read, rattling its tail. The pegasus tried to make out what it was saying, but to no avail; she was in no condition to figure out how a snake communicated.

She opened her canteen. "Water, little friend, please, do you know where I can find it?"

The snake hissed and slithered away, ignoring her pleas.

"No, wait!" Fluttershy called out weakly. How pathetic, she thought. She hadn't even been in Dodge for an hour and Jubilee had to rescue her. Now here she was, finally attempting to find Discord and her guide had run off, forcing her to beg a snake for help.

The pegasus stared at the red peaks in the distance, still the only landmark she could make out. "Discord, please don't let me down," she said out loud as she started walking toward the badlands. She took a sip of water and got on her way with a sigh.

She eventually managed to almost ignore the pain in her flank. She would get to a comfortable pace and eventually congratulate herself on ignoring it, but it would always come back, and become harder to tolerate. The process was repeated over and over, until her wings would get enough rest for her to take to the sky.

When she was in the air, the sound of her wings was her only companion. The sun's heat was becoming more and more unbearable, making her drink more water than she should. Eventually, flying became too hard and she would land, at which point sand would get in her wound again.

The sun's ravaging heat never stopped punishing her. Her attempts at rationing her water all failed until she went for a sip, only to find the bottle empty. This is it, she thought, I'm going to die here.

Fluttershy tried her hardest to keep going. Every step became heavier and heavier. Her hooves dragged in the sand, every movement demanding immeasurable effort. She kept on going, counting the steps, "one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four". At one point, she tried raising a hoof and it refused to move. Her vision had become a blur, an endless waste of sand merging with the bright blue of the sky. Her mouth was dry. She didn't even have anymore saliva to swallow.

Fluttershy fell down to the sand, her body unable to support its own weight anymore. "Twilight, Discord, everypony, I'm so sorry..." She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on her face. She dreamt of home.

Comments

[Dapper Guy]

Hmm. I've no real strong feelings on this chapter.
We can see the divided loyalty, if we can even call it that, to who ever should have the proper rule Equestria. Can't believe they would want BB to do it but there is a grain of truth to what they said. Ponies would look to someone with royal connections to steer the course for the future and little boy blue, somewhat, fills said requirements. Ponies still hung up between Luna and Twilight, yesh that is getting old fast. If people can draw a conclusion by such basic facts, then there's obviously something missing here, important details that have been omitted.
Fluttershy didn't really think this out. Yes we know where Discord is but not exactly where he is. We have a large, uninhabited region to explore and we gave that task to a animal keeper. Don't get me wrong, Fluttershy is an outdoors pony but this is something that Rainbow should've done. Trekking countless miles in a desert with a bat$h!t crazy cultist? Okay, that's a disaster sundae with nearly suicidal fudge ripple.

[Roranicus]

5992744
One thing to keep in mind is that most ponies have never met Blueblood, Luna or any of those characters. Equestria also doesn't have TV or internet, therefore they'll base their opinions on rumors. Just look at how Rarity dreamt about marrying Blueblood before she actually met him.

As for Fluttershy, like a lot of characters, she acted rashly, out of desparation. I gotta admit, I did feel pretty bad for her writing this.

[Dapper Guy]

5992899
Point taken. However, BB's reputation surely proceeds him yet at the same time, no doubt any slander of his name would be met with certain 'repercussions' by him nonetheless. Would our little boy blue be that bad of a ruler? Maybe we are giving him the short end of the stick here. I admit I do enjoy seeing him change in stories but certainly is his canon 'pansy' self. As for anyone pony else to claim for power, could we rule out shining armor? He is a consort prince but he could be used as a powerful figurehead and he is well known for his military prowess.

[Roranicus]

5996893
Shining could have a claim in the eyes of the common ponies, but the Crystal treaty pretty much keeps him from claiming the throne. (Which I admit is something I made up to limit Cadance and Shining's ability to influence the events.) It's actually kinda funny you mention him though, as I'm in the middle of writing his next chapter, and I took a break to check fimfiction, lol.

As for Blueblood, I tend to see him as the Bieber of Equestria. He's kind of a dick, but still has tons of fangirls. As far as him being a good or bad ruler, he's not really up to a good start, but like every character, there's room for development. He's a fun character to work with, because there's a ton of stuff we don't know about him, and I can just make it up. I will admit that I'm still uncertain as to just how much of his true motivations I want to show in the story. There's definitely stuff going on in his head that I don't write, since none of the pov characters would know of it. I kinda like leaving some to the reader's imagination too.

[Dapper Guy]

5997144

I kinda like leaving some to the reader's imagination too.

You have described, exactly, what I've been doing in Fallacies. Blatant shameless promotion aside, I did forget that Shining won't be at his max due to the treaty, however, it doesn't mean he can't pull some rank and weight around in the events were given. I still wish to see a conflict of interest between your guard captains. This will certainly prove interesting.
Side note, did the bat ponies/threstrals leave? Some write them off as obedient servants only to Luna or were the ones mentioned in earlier chapters a mixture of regular ponies.

[Roranicus]

5997162
Eh, don't worry about self promotion. God knows I use every opportunity I can to plug in my own work, lol.

As far as a Silvermane/Shining Armor meeting, I'm gonna go ahead and admit that yes, it's coming. It's a bit surprising to me, but it's the most requested scene so far. Thinking back about it, I can see the appeal, but early on I was kinda worried people wouldn't care enough about these characters, wanting to focus on the main 6.

As for the bat ponies, I see them as just another race of ponies, although they're super rare. Some serve in Luna's guard, but not all. They're just as varied as earth ponies, unicorns or pegasi. I don't really have a strong headcanon about them, and actually prefer to leave them as this mysterious race that's super rare.

[Posted]

From a mechanical point of view this is a well written story. The problem I am having is the full contact game of idiot ball that everyone seems to be playing. The vast majority of everyone's actions seem to have no logic in them other than to throw more drama into the story.

The second moment of head scratching came when it was revealed that a blood test had revealed the presence of poison. This establishes that blood tests are a thing yet this known poison wasn't discovered during the prior months of illness? The first was when it was revealed that for reasons Twilight was being kept in the dark completely about this situation. There are many many more moments such as this that I just can't wrap my head around.

[Roranicus]

6018477
Thanks for your honest feedback. It really does help me as an author to know what people disliked about the story. I do wish to address your criticism though.

For the blood test, I'll admit it was an oversight on my part. What I had in my head was discovery through an autopsy, but it flew by through proofreading. I might go back and fix it eventually. Either way, I see it as a fairly minor plot hole. Thanks for pointing it out.

As for the characters making stupid decisions, this is where I have to disagree. I wrote the story with the intent of having the characters be the victims of their own terrible decisions. It's something the show does as well, take for example Rainbow Dash sabotaging Cloudsdale to stop winter. That was an extremely stupid decision, made for a very selfish reason. Now, I will grant that most fics tend to portray the ponies as way smarter than what we see in the show. In the end, it's a question of how each author chooses to interpret the characters. Don't get me wrong, I understand your reaction, and I did ask some of my proofreaders how they felt about it to be sure. Maybe I could have made their inexperience more apparent, so it feels more natural.

Either way, I'm taking what you said into account. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy my story, but I'm still glad you took the time to read it and give me feedback.

[ponygrad]

You write fluttershy very well.