Eyes of Stone

by Thunderhalk89

Three

Fluttershy’s chest heaved as she gasped for breath. Her lungs burned as she tried to breathe. Her heart was pounding furiously, threatening to break through her ribs. She forced her wings to continue beating relentlessly despite her stiff fatigued muscles. The air felt thick and tough, as though she were fighting against it.

She tried not to think about her friends or Ponyville or Ladon and his basilisks as she passed over Canterlot’s outer gates. The residents and visitors to the Equestrian capital gawked up at the frazzled pegasus as she passed overhead. Socialites shook their heads in shock and disgust at her disheveled mane and tail. Guards kept a watchful eye as she glided on tired wings towards the castle gate.

She skidded through the main archway with the grace of a falling leaf colliding with a falling apple and being hurdled into the ground. Her eyes darted as her surrounds came into focus. Officials and servants looked at her with worry while several socialites talking beneath the shadow of a pillar stuck their noses up and trotted away from the uncouth pegasus that dared to show up to such a prestigious place looking the way she did.

After recovering from her rough landing, she began to make her way toward the main entrance. Two guards began to approach her. Their armor glistened in the late afternoon sun, as their stern emotionless faces grew more taught as they looked over the frightened pegasus.

“What is your business here, miss?” the unicorn on the right asked. His eyes narrowed as he towered over her quivering form still trying to recover from her flight.

“I need to speak to Princess Celestia right away,” she panted. “Ponyville… My friends are…” her voice wavered and dropped. She could not force herself to say it, let alone think it.

The guards silently looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes before returning their full attention to the upset mare shaking before them. Under normal circumstances, she would have been directed to one of the secretaries to schedule an appointment; however, they could not figure out if this pony’s motives where pure. It was the job of the Royal Guard to keep a sharp eye out at all times to keep Canterlot and all of Equestria safe. If something were truly happening in Ponyville, the home of the Princess of Friendship, then surely Princess Twilight would have spoken to Celestia directly.

The left most guard looked over the yellow pegasus once more, his gaze falling on the three butterflies that comprised her cutie mark. His mind raced as the situation became much clearer with the realization of just whom he and his partner were interrogating.

“Lady Fluttershy,” he bowed his head slightly as his tone became more apologetic and formal as he continued, “forgive us, for our rudeness.” His partner followed suit, bowing with just as much reverence.

Fluttershy’s racing heart began to slow, as she began to regain control of her breathing. “It’s alright,” Her bow was not as deep as theirs was, but enough to signal them to be at ease. It was just as Rarity had taught her.

The image of Rarity’s blank stare slowly being encased in cold gray stone flashed through her mind. The harder she tried to fight it, the slower Rarity’s eyes lost their luster. Panic and fear began to well within the pit of her heart once more. She tried to suppress a whimper as she tried to fight through the flashing images and focus on the guards.

“I must speak with Princess Celestia right away. Ponyville is under attack.” She finally forced the words out. They stung and tasted foul and rotten. “My friends, they need help.” She no longer was fighting the quivering shaking fear that had built up within her.

The two guards looked at one another before the guard on the right sped off into the depths of the castle. The remaining stallion gently rested a comforting hoof on her shoulder as his voice lost all proper formality. His words were quiet as he looked at her with soft eyes. “Do not fret, Lady Fluttershy. Your friends and Ponyville will be fine.” He gently urged her into the castle, signaling to another guard with a nod as they entered. The guard returned the gesture, and closed the doors behind them.

Fluttershy kept her eyes on the floor as she forced herself to walk. She felt so tired all of the sudden. When had that happened? She wondered. She continued walking in a daze. It seemed like she and her escort were floating in a miasma of foggy haze. Nothing seemed real anymore. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed at home and hide under her thickest, most comfortable quilt, only to emerge with the realization that this was just a horrid nightmare.

She was vaguely award of a multitude of ponies being ushered past her, walking in the opposite direction. She was brought partway back to reality by the soothing voice of the guard who had escorted her. She looked up as the haze slowly began to dissipate, causing the walls and tapestries to almost shimmer like a mirage.

“Lady Fluttershy? The Princess is ready for you.”

“Thank you,” her own voice sounded so distant, “… and just ‘Fluttershy’ is fine.”

“As you wish,” he bowed deeply, opened the large doors to the throne room and stepped aside to let her pass.

She slowly walked inside. She pulled her wings in tighter around herself. The long room felts so empty. A brief image of Rainbow losing her colors as she turned gray flashed as she looked at the stained glass windows that lined the throne room. She peered up at the throne through the blanket of her pink mane. She took note for the first time of how it had frayed and split into a mess of knots and errant strands.

Past the remnants of what was once a smooth flowing pink waterfall she could see Celestia sitting on her throne. The Princess smiled graciously as Fluttershy came closer. She shifted uneasily. Perhaps, out of shock at the pegasus’s appearance, or from what the guard that had run ahead had told her. Fluttershy did not know.

As Celestia stood, she bowed. When she looked up, she realized that the Princess had returned the gesture. She nearly took a misstep as she rose and began to walk forward again. She did not think she would ever get used to Celestia bowing to her, or any pony bowing for that matter.

Celestia descended and met her at the bottom of the elevated throne. Her smile was welcoming and sweet. It was just as warm and bright as the sun she moved across the horizon. Still… Fluttershy saw worry in her eyes. Fluttershy bit her lip.

“Fluttershy, I’ve been told that something happened. You nearly crashed into the palace and, judging by your looks, you’ve been through quite an ordeal.” She was calm and mellow. Her voice did not shake or waver, despite what Fluttershy could see in the princess’s eyes. It was just as comforting as her smile.

She breathed in, steadying herself. “Ponyville was attacked by snakes.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“Well… technically, most of them were basilisks,” she finished in an unsteady whisper.

“Basilisks?” Celestia seemed to jolt at the utterance. “Are you certain of this?”

“They turned my friends into statues. Ladon said it was because his queen wanted him to find someone.” Fluttershy cowered and wished she were anywhere else. She wanted Twilight to come back with Pinkie and Applejack so that she could tell Celestia what was happening and she could hide in one of the castle’s towers.

Fluttershy looked out from beneath the disheveled strands of her mane. Celestia was silent. She stared out one of the throne’s windows in the direction of Ponyville. Her features had taken on a pensive look as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

“Princess Celestia?”

She did not look away from the window as she responded after another several long moments, “What else did Ladon say?”

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy shivered, “all I know is that he was sent to find someone. Twilight went back to see if she could find Pinkie and Applejack. Maybe she heard something.”

Celestia was silent once more.

“Do you know Ladon, or who his queen is?”

“I’m… not sure.” Celestia shook once. It was a small thing that most would have overlooked or have not even noticed.

“He said that he was the patriarch and ruler of the basilisks.”

Celestia continued to stare out the window, unmoving. After almost a full minute of silence, she spoke, “I want you to go up to your guest suite.” She had taken on a cold demeanor. She turned to Fluttershy and tried to smile through it. “I’ll send a detachment of the Royal Guard to investigate Ponyville. In the meantime, I want you to get some rest.”

A voice inside her wanted to scream, to protest, to say that she should go with them. Instead, she remained silent and left for the suites that Celestia had setup for her and her friends should they ever feel the need to spend the night in Canterlot.

Celestia retuned to starring out the window. She shuttered once and only once before calling forth a guard from outside her throne room.

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Fluttershy was uncertain if she would even be able to lie down, let alone get some rest. She did not realize just how exhausted she was. Every muscle and fiber of her being was screaming at her as she forced her stiff unresponsive body up the staircase to her suite…

… hers and her friend’s suite.

She shuttered and quivered. She forced herself to continue, repeating in her mind that the Royal Guard would drive Ladon and his mean serpents back into the heart of the Everfree Forrest and free her friends.

At the top of the staircase was a wooden door engraved with the symbol taken from the cover of a book, and the crest that had come to represent the Elements of Harmony. She gently stroked it, admiring each colored gem embedded into the door. She squeezed her eyes shut and rested her forehead against the crest. Her breaths were heavy and labored.

She stayed like that for some time. She did not know how long. She just wanted to be at one with her friends. If she could not see them, speak to them, embrace them; then, she would try to connect with them spiritually. She meditated on each gemstone and the element it represented. She tried to force her mind away from the dark memories of the day, and concentrate on the good times: on when she had first seen that symbol.

It had seemed like ages ago that they did not even know what the Elements were, but something deep inside each of them told them that they needed to follow Twilight into the Everfree Forrest. That reference guide only told them so much; their growing bonds explained the rest.

Keeping her head down, she forced herself to open the door and enter the room, gently closing the door. She did not look at the ornate curtains or rugs. She did not see the fresh flowers, nor did she feel the cool breeze coming from the large glass door left ajar that led outside onto a marble balcony. See dared not look away from the passing floor and her tired hooves. She stumbled her way onto the first bed she came across and pulled the covers over her head.

She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to look at the portraits that she knew rested on the tables and above the fireplace. But still, she knew they were there.

Images flashed through her mind. She was powerless to stop any of the terrible things being projected on her closed eyelids. She could not move a hoof to help anyone. She felt herself tossing, turning, rolling in her restless sleep, yet she could not bear to force herself to wake. They may have been nightmares, but they were better than reality. If she had to suffer with the petrification of Equestria a hundred times over by a tyrannical serpent queen just to wake up to find her friends and home safe, then she would brave through it.

She saw Equestria turned to stone. She saw it burn and crumble. She saw armies of basilisks and cockatrice rampaging through towns and villages and cities. All things became blank, emotionless statues under their terrifying gaze. She stood still, helpless to stop the carnage. She waited for her friends to wake her up, to tell her that it was okay and that they were safe.

They never came.

Ponyville was engulfed in flames of stone.

It cracked and began to crumble and shatter.

The rubble buried statues.

The weight of boulders broke the statues.

She slowly opened her eyes as a dark red sun just began to peek over the eastern horizon.

The five other beds that shared the spacious suite were empty.

She went to the washroom. Cold water splashed over her face. She did not feel it.

She made her way back to the door that led to the staircase. She did not look at the empty beds or the pictures on the mantel or tables.

She floated on stiff tired limbs into a private dining hall. She did not know what she ate. She did not even remember eating. She must have, though. She saw an empty plate on the table in front of her dotted with crumbs.

Ahem.

She jolted.

“Forgive me for startling you, Fluttershy.” Luna looked over her still unkempt and fatigued appearance, but gave no hint of an opinion. She was stoic and resolute as she approached the table. “May I join you?”

Fluttershy said nothing. She continued to stare at her crumb dotted plate.

“No matter what we do, no matter how much we want to, we cannot change the past.” She levitated over a bowl of muffins and set it between the two. Taking one in the blue glow of her magic, she spun it around in a slow rotation, before taking a small bite.

“Why did you make me see those things last night?”

The princess of the night raised an eyebrow. The first sign of emotion she had shown since her arrival into the room, and it faded away just as quickly. “We control our own dreams. I only watch over ponies dreams, and interfere if I fear that they will take hold and control your waking self.”

Fluttershy had no response. She wanted to be angry. She wanted someone, something to blame. But, she could not. It just was not in her nature.

Luna continued to finish her breakfast. She had learned long ago that it was best to let someone open up on their own. Forcing it only ended in delaying the growth that was needed to overcome.

Finally Fluttershy spoke, “Did the guards find anything?” Her voice was soft and came from her like a quiet breeze.

It was Luna’s turn to be silent.

Fluttershy forced herself to lookup from her plate at the Lunar Princess with cold blank eyes.

“There were no serpents found in Ponyville.”

Fluttershy exhaled a sigh.

“Your friends were not found either.” She did not look away from her. “I am going to ask several things of you today,” she began. She needed to get Fluttershy’s mind thinking, moving away from the thoughts she knew all too well were rampaging inside her. “First, I will request that you relax.”

“Relax?” Fluttershy’s voice rose as she gripped her seat tightly.

“I want you to go with several of my hoof-maidens. They will see to it that you are clean and refreshed,” she glanced at her tightening grip on the chair, “and relaxed.”

Fluttershy slowly loosened her grip.

“I will not coat this with sugar: as far as we can tell, you are the last of the Elements. Therefore, it is your duty to carry on their legacy.”

She tried to respond, but was cutoff.

“Furthermore, I have information that will be vital to you, but only if you are in the right frame of mind.”

Fluttershy chewed her lip, and finally nodded.

“Good.” Her horn glowed as the doors behind her opened. Three servants wearing simple outfits of varying shades of blue came into the hall. They smiled and curtsied, their skirts shimmering with the light of distant stars. “These ponies will lead you to the royal bathhouse when you are ready. After you return and I believe you to be ready, and only when you are ready will I give you the next task.”

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Watching all of this from the shadows, a lone figure huffed in annoyance and just as quickly disappeared.

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