The Phantom Pony of Everfree

by LightningSword

Who is He?

“You just couldn't listen, could you, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy’s ears folded down guiltily as Twilight moved another set of books from one shelf to another. She was trying a new system of organization, but she'd called Fluttershy to the library to ask her about what had happened yesterday, and she'd insisted on killing two birds with one stone (if she could get away with that idiom in front of her friend, the animal lover).

Fluttershy sat on the floor at the base of the ladder Twilight was on, her head bent down low. “I know you're worried about me, Twilight,” she replied meekly, “but I just can't help thinking that Nocturne really is a good pony. I can't explain why, but . . . I just believe it, with all my heart.”

Twilight sighed and stepped down off the ladder. “You know I want to trust your judgment, Fluttershy,” she reminded her, “but it just doesn't make sense to me. He's been sending you mixed signals ever since you met him.”

“Hey, Twilight!” came a voice from Fluttershy’s right. She turned to see Scootaloo approach the ladder and wave a hoof to the top of it. “Where did you say the recent newspaper archive was?”

“Second shelf from the end of the non-fiction section,” Twilight recited, as if she’d committed it to memory.

“Thanks!” the Pegasus filly called back, then went to rejoin Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. The trio then went back upstairs to the shelf Twilight directed them to and began scrutinizing it for whatever it was they’d been searching for.

“Hmm . . .” Fluttershy stared at the three fillies curiously. “So, what exactly have they been up to, Twilight?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Oh, they’ve been researching the history of Ponyville!” Twilight informed, her voice quick and almost giggly. “Isn’t that amazing? Young fillies doing an in-depth retrospective of their hometown! How very studious—” She froze when she seemed to realize the topic at hoof. “Anyway, getting back to the Phantom Pony . . . I mean, think back on everything he’s done since you met him. First he scares you, then helps a squirrel. You give him a gift basket, which he doesn’t want, but ends up taking anyway. Then he beats up Rainbow Dash and threatens to do the same to you if he ever sees you again, then just yesterday, when he has the chance, he doesn’t take it? I mean, if he was really a good pony, why would he mess with your head like that?”

Fluttershy shuffled where she stood nervously. “I don't know,” she lamented, “I just . . . I wish I knew what made him this way. Why does he want to stay away from everypony? What did he do to deserve a life like that?”

Twilight used her magic to move another set of books. “Well, I haven't lived in Ponyville long enough to know for certain,” she said, “but if I had to guess, I'd say Nocturne is an orphan who got in trouble a lot, and ran away because he was sure no one would miss him. ”

“Orphan?” Fluttershy asked, her tone both worried and puzzled. “What makes you say that?”

“Because,” Twilight explained as she descended back to the floor, “if he had parents, he'd have somepony in his life to set limits for him. He scares ponies, and is obviously not above hurting them if he has to, because he knows he can get away with it. No one set any boundaries for him as a foal, so now he feels he can do these things freely as a stallion.”

“But,” Fluttershy wondered, feeling her heart ache, “but . . . if he never had a mommy or daddy . . . how . . . how did he grow up? Who . . . could he go to?”

Twilight pondered this for a bit, pressing a hoof to her chin. “My guess,” she concluded, “he was raised by Timberwolves.”

Fluttershy gasped. “That's awful! Growing up in that forest all alone . . . no father to play with . . . no mother to hug . . . nopony to love him . . . .”

“Look, I know it's upsetting,” Twilight touched a hoof to Fluttershy's shoulder, “but it's much easier to look at it logically. If he's hurt ponies before, there's no sure chance that he won't do it again. So it's best to be cautious and keep your distance.”

Fluttershy's wings drooped as she heard this, and she felt her heart droop with them. “And make him even lonelier than ever . . . .”

Twilight started looking as dejected as Fluttershy, but kept her voice steady, “It's for the best.”

“Uhh, Twilight!” called a tall stack of books with tiny dragon feet from a short distance away. “If you're done, I could really use a hoof, here!”

“Oh, sorry, Spike!” Twilight replied, easing the little dragon's load by lifting up half the stack telekinetically; she moved the stack up to a high shelf, shuffling one or two books until they were in the desired order. She then turned back to her yellow friend with a conflicted expression. “Look, Fluttershy, Nocturne may be a bad seed, but it's not the end of the world if you can't help him. You do so much good in Ponyville, and everypony you help is so grateful to you. And not just other ponies, but animals, too. You shouldn't be so down over just one pony. Take some time to remember just how helpful you are for your friends, and your animals, and for everypony in town. Okay?”

Fluttershy nodded, but still felt an empty, hollow feeling inside. Maybe it was a little silly to get so worked up over one pony, but the feeling that Nocturne needed help grew stronger all the time. She didn’t even feel bad because she was unable to help him, at least not entirely. Fluttershy was the type of pony who couldn’t stand seeing another pony in pain. Of course, Twilight had had a point about her inability to help; if any good could be done, she had to reach him first. Getting close to him was out of the question, and appealing to him hadn't worked, either. She knew that if she could somehow get to know Nocturne better, she could help him.

But how? How can I help somepony who won’t even let me . . . ?

“I have to go now, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, subdued. “I'll see you later.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, a bit confused at her friend’s sudden departure. “Well, okay then . . . just remember what I said. Don't feel too bad about Nocturne. You have other friends who are always glad to see you.”

Fluttershy nodded again and took her leave. She did have other friends who needed her. Maybe it was best to attend to them and keep her mind off of things. Besides, one day without worrying about Nocturne wouldn't hurt, would it?

Or can I even go that long?

* * *

“Hee-hee-hee . . .” Sweetie Belle giggled to herself from upstairs as Fluttershy left, pressing her hooves to her mouth as she did. “Fluttershy is gonna be so surprised, you guys!”

“Yeah, she is!” Apple Bloom agreed giddily next to her. “We’re gettin’ closer and closer to findin’ Nocturne’s secrets.”

“I just hope it doesn’t take much longer,” Scootaloo moaned as she studied the last shelf of newspapers. “No offense to your folks, Apple Bloom, but I’ve had about all I can stand on the history of the Apple family in Ponyville.”

“Nah, I get what you mean,” Apple Bloom replied, nodding. “Just think o’ how I feel. I’m the one who’s always gettin’ history lessons from Granny Smith!”

“Just keep looking, you guys,” Sweetie Belle reassured. “We’ll find someth—hey! I think I just did!”

“What, Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked, looking away from the shelf. “What is it?”

Sweetie Belle used her weak Unicorn magic to pull one particular paper off of the shelf; it dropped to the floor once it was halfway off. The trio gathered around the front page headline and read it out loud:

“MUSIC SHOW GONE AWRY

One foal’s show gives way to destruction and injury”

Beneath the headline, there was a picture of a large outdoor stage with curtains. The stage was on fire, the spotlights were on the ground around it, sparking and ruined, and ponies appeared to be running away in droves, some of them sporting singe marks in their fur.

“Wow . . .” Apple Bloom mumbled, gazing at the article. “I never knew this happened here in Ponyville.”

“This happened way before any of us were born,” Sweetie Belle informed. “In fact, look at the date,” she added, pointing to it in the corner of the paper. “This could have happened before any of our sisters were born, too!”

“Yeah . . .” Scootaloo replied, reading the article itself. “And listen to this: ‘Nopony was killed, and injuries were few and mild, but the destruction left several foals tra- . . . trah-you-ma- . . . .’”

“‘Traumatized’?” Sweetie Belle supplanted.

Scootaloo sighed and rolled her eyes. “I gotta know how you do that stuff. Anyway . . . ‘traumatized and unwilling to speak of the incident. Witnesses say they saw a black-winged creature racing from Ponyville and into the Everfree Forest. Reports claim that this creature may have been responsible for the destruction, but no investigation has been made thus far.’”

“Didja hear that?” Apple Bloom asked. “‘Black-winged creature’! That’s gotta be that Phantom Pony!”

“The Phantom Pony of Everfree?” Sweetie Belle asked, confused. “What does that old legend have to do with Fluttershy’s friend?”

“Weren’t you listening to them?” Scootaloo responded bluntly. “Monster pony living in the woods that Fluttershy keeps going to see? They have to be the same pony! No doubt about it!”

“Hmm,” Sweetie Belle replied, enlightened. “That is weird . . . so, what do you think Nocturne has to do with this article? You think he left the woods long enough to sabotage the show?”

“I don’t know,” Apple Bloom responded, shaking her head. “This paper is from a long time ago. If Nocturne was alive back then, he probably wasn’t much older than us. And I don’t think a foal our age could do all that.”

“So, maybe he just got scared and ran off?” Sweetie Belle theorized.

Scootaloo nodded. “That could be. But then, why stay away for so long unless he really did do it?”

“I dunno,” Apple Bloom said, shrugging. “But if we can convince Nocturne not to be scared anymore, he’ll open up to Fluttershy! She’ll have a new friend, and we’ll have new cutie marks!”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo cheered.

“Let’s do it!” Sweetie Belle agreed. They then all put their hooves together for their group cheer:

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!”

* * *

“Urgh! Pinkie, please! I'm trying to read here!”

Rainbow Dash, still bandaged from her bout with the Phantom Pony, was propped up on a spacious cloud, trying to engage herself in a copy of Daring Do and the Empire of the Gemstone Skull. Fluttershy sat next to her, and circling them, floating on a bunch of balloons and being her usual cheery, extemporaneous self, was Pinkie Pie.

“Oooh! Somepony's a cranky patient!” Pinkie giggled. “A grouchy with the ouchies!”

“Pinkie, I told you,” Dash complained, “I'm feeling better today. All I need is another day or two of rest. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you're not really helping!”

Fluttershy sighed at her friend's condition. “I'm sorry this happened, Rainbow Dash,” she muttered guiltily. “I still feel so bad about what happened.”

Dash shook her head and interrupted her, “I told you, Fluttershy, it's not your fault. I got myself into that mess, so I have no one to blame but myself.” She then scowled, glaring in the direction of the Everfree Forest. “Of course, it wouldn't have happened if—”

“WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

Dash and Fluttershy glanced at Pinkie as she backstroked through the air on her balloons. As she made another lap around them, Dash continued, “It wouldn't have happened if Nocturne weren't the cowardly creep he is.”

Fluttershy saw that of all the things that still needed healing, none needed it more than Dash's pride. “I just wish I knew more about him,” she lamented, “why he is the way he is. Twilight said that he's probably an orphan who was raised by Timberwolves, but . . . I just don't think I can believe that.”

Dash scoffed, “Makes him sound too tragic, if you ask me. As good as he is at freaking ponies out, I wouldn't be surprised if he was some kind of escaped carnival attraction.”

Fluttershy gasped, “Rainbow Dash, that's awful! Why would you say such a thing?”

Dash sighed, seeming to have forgotten Fluttershy's conflicted feelings about Nocturne. “Yeah, I know, don't judge before you get to know them,” she admitted, “but he makes sure nopony gets to know him, because he never lets anypony get to know him. All he wants is to be alone, and he does whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t have to open up to anypony. As far as I'm concerned, he brought all this on himself.”

Dash's words were painful for Fluttershy to hear, but she wasn't quite sure whether it was because she was being mean, or because there was a sliver of hard truth in her words. As much as Fluttershy hated to admit it, Nocturne did act cruelly to ponies often, so it was probably through karma that Nocturne earned his reputation. The way he acted, it was only natural for ponies to hate and fear him. So, to a degree, he did deserve what he was getting.

But there had to be a reason. And if anypony knew about Nocturne's past and his reasons for shutting himself away, Fluttershy could learn it, too. Whatever the reason, Fluttershy was sure it wasn't malicious. Nopony acted malicious without reason.

With the possible exception of Discord.

“I heard he's an alien!”

Fluttershy and Dash glanced at each other before they both looked at Pinkie with baffled eyes. “Uhh . . .” Dash began, unsure of how to respond, “. . . alien?”

“Sure!” Pinkie grinned. “Like, a creature from another world! Twilight says that they're in science fiction novels all the time! Yeah, and I'll bet he's like a spy, or a scout or something, sent by the mother ship to look over the place and find out all our secrets! And once he sends our weaknesses to his people, that's when the invasion begins! And they'll be all like 'Take us to your leader', and we'll be all like, 'Oh, Princess Celestia? Company!' and they'll be like 'We claim your land!' and we'll be like 'Oh, no you di-in't!' and it'll turn into a big huge battle for Equestria, with robots, and clones and lightsabers, and in thirty years, there’ll be an Awakening, and we’ll go see Zecora for training, and—”

Pinkie had gone off on another tangent, and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash could only sit and stare, dumbfounded by Pinkie's bizarre scenario. “Pinkie Pie?” Dash finally interrupted. “What the hay are you talking about?!”

Pinkie stopped talking and stopped moving at the same time, and simply stayed there, floating in the air. She looked as though she had been shaken to the present after daydreaming. “Hmm,” she pondered, a hoof on her chin, “I guess I was thinking about something else. Oh, well! I'd still like to party with the little furry guys! Yub-yub—oops, I mean, yep-yep!”

Fluttershy smiled nervously and Dash facehoofed. “Anyway,” Dash continued, “all I know about that jerk is what he shows us. And I know you wanna make him into some sad, lonely pony, but until he tells us so, we have to go by what he does. And no sad, lonely pony would do what he did.”

Fluttershy nodded. Dash was right in so many ways, but in just as many ways, she could be mistaken. Just because he never put his pain on display, didn't necessarily mean he didn't feel it, right? There was probably a lot more going on below the surface, something that Nocturne wasn't willing to show.

There must be somepony who can help, Fluttershy thought, somepony who knew Nocturne before he was the 'Phantom Pony'. Somepony who knows things even Twilight doesn’t know . . . .

Suddenly, the last thing that Pinkie had said before being interrupted struck her, and sweet clarity broke through.

“Zecora! Zecora knows lots of things! She even lives in the Everfree Forest!”

Now, Dash’s odd glance was aimed at Fluttershy, with another from Pinkie Pie increasing the awkwardness around them. The Earth pony righted herself, planted her forehooves on her hips and frowned. “Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy simply hovered off of Rainbow Dash’s cloud and towards Pinkie, giving her a tight hug. “Thank you, Pinkie! That’s such a wonderful suggestion!” She broke the embrace and started on her way. “See you both later, okay? And get well soon, Rainbow Dash!”

Dash and Pinkie watched Fluttershy descend, their odd looks not leaving even long after Fluttershy had. After a long, cumbersome pause, Pinkie summed up the scene:

“I guess she’s going to get Zecora to train her now. She must really want to be a Knight!”

Dash simply facehoofed again.

Comments

[EchoWing]

Leave it to Pinkie to make Star Wars references.

And forgive me, but I must. CUTIE MARK CRUSADER INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCHERS! YAY!

[Elu]

Pinkie being Pinkie.

[ConfettiColored]

STAR WARS!!!

[mtf0330]

I see where this is going. . . But make another chapter soon anyways!! I love your writing!

[TheOneAJ]

Oh, a lot of forshadowing and hints to this mystery, nice

[LightningSword]

6797290 Thank you!

[ErisHDiscordia]

God damnit Nappa! Er, I mean, Pinkie!

[DeiligKjott]

Subtlety. It's not for everybody.

[Radioactive Dragon]

6778230 i just found in a random timeline i think adventure time but you can have them for free

[Dark Nightshade]

Awesome references!