The Encounter

by Winter_Solstice

Revelations

By the afternoon of the following day, word had spread throughout Ponyville that Fluttershy was fighting for her life in the hospital. It was soon flooded with well-wishers and bouquets of flowers by the cart load. The staff at first let no-one in the crowd into the hospital, but afterwards relented and began allowing her friends to enter. They were all standing as a group, just about to go inside, but the presence of one in particular was met with revulsion.

“What’s that thing doing here?!” cried a pony.

“It’s a freak! Keep it away!” cried another.

“I heard it’s the reason Fluttershy is here! I say we do the same to it!” yelled a pegasus.

The situation would have gotten ugly if Twilight hadn’t spoken up. She and her friends surrounded the alien and kept them back.

“Please, everypony! He doesn’t mean any harm! He didn’t hurt her!”

“How can you defend that thing, Princess? It’s not one of us!” yelled a unicorn.

Applejack spoke up. “He’s not one of us, but he may be the only chance we have to save Fluttershy! He’s here to help.”

This last was only met with angrier outbursts as the crowd surged forward. They needed someone to blame, and the alien was an easy target. Then it raised its “hands” and spoke.

“Please! I didn’t hurt Fluttershy! Please allow me to help in any way I can!”

The crowd grew silent. Then a pony said, “It can speak?”

Twilight said, “Yes, he can. He’s been able to learn our language, so he’s not a monster, no matter what he looks like. He only wants to help, so give him a chance.”

“A chance?!” cried an earth pony. “A chance to hurt somepony else? A chance to roam free and unsuspecting, only to do worse next time?! Today it’s Fluttershy; it could be anypony else tomorrow!”

“Enough talk!” yelled another earth pony. “Let’s kill it!”

With that, they all rushed forward. Twilight and her friends ran inside and shut the heavy glass doors, as the townsponies slammed themselves against them again and again. They were all past reasoning, as foam flew from their mouths and they bucked and kicked the doors with all their might. The glass cracked as the ponies began forcing their way through. Twilight looked up at the human as he helped hold the doors.

“Run!!”

“I can’t! They’ll kill you!” he cried.

“No time!” yelled Applejack. “Just go!”

The human hesitated one moment more, then quickly cradled Pinkie up in his arms, turned and ran towards a hallway.

“Put me down!” she cried. “My friends need me!”

“I have to save you, Pinkie! I couldn’t help Fluttershy, but I’m not losing you!” he yelled as he bolted past the frightened staff.

Just then there was a mighty crash behind them as the front doors gave way. He looked back. The townsponies had gotten through. There was no sign of Twilight or the others, but he could see blood on the faces and hooves of the mob. He turned and ran into the first door he could find, put Pinkie down and locked it. He knew it wouldn’t hold for very long.

“Thank you,” said a voice behind him.

He knew that voice. He slowly turned and stared. There were the two aliens standing next to Fluttershy’s bed. She lay there with a breathing mask on, and various tubes connecting her to several machines. She was awake, and she turned and sadly looked at him. One of the aliens pointed at Pinkie.

“You brought us another one. Good! This one is of no further use to us.”

It reached out and ripped away the tubes that connected Fluttershy to her life support. She convulsed, closed her eyes, and then lay still.

“Nooo!! You monsters!!”

He picked up a chair and rushed forward, intending to smash it down on one of them as hard as he could, but he found himself gripped in another force shield. He couldn’t move. The other one quickly went to Pinkie, grabbed her by her mane and she cried out as it held her aloft.

“Choose, human! Your life or the life of this creature!”

He didn’t hesitate. “Please don’t hurt her! I’ll do anything!”

The alien regarded him. “You really care so much for these beings?”

“Yes! She’s…she’s my friend.”

Then the alien morphed into the dark Alicorn Princess.

“Then wake up.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________

I jerked awake. Standing and watching me was Princess Luna. I jumped to my feet, scrambled away and looked around. I was still at the hospital. I must have dozed off while waiting to see Fluttershy. Twilight, Pinkie, and the rest were all there, looking at me. Three other pegasi had to have arrived while I was sleeping. I didn’t recognize them, but the mare had such a strong resemblance to Fluttershy I guessed she must be her mother.

I looked through the hospital doors. As the sun beamed gently down, I could see a crowd of ponies outside, but they were calmly waiting to get in, as the doors were being guarded by more of those bat ponies. Several of the crowd held bouquets of flowers and baskets of fruit, obviously meant for Fluttershy. But there was a more pressing matter at hand.

“How…you…in I…head?” I asked the Alicorn.

She came forward, and her expression was much kinder than the last time I’d seen her. Even so, I stepped back. She’d somehow invaded my dreams, so I didn’t know what else she had in mind, but also I didn’t want her too close to that device. She stopped and spoke in a quiet voice.

“I had to know your intentions, Charles. I am sorry for the intrusion.”

I caught my name, and the word ‘sorry,’ but that was it. I still didn’t understand what had just happened, but I reasoned it must be more magic. I sat down. She then turned and addressed the others, while Pinkie came over and sat next to me. Memories of the dream rose up, so I put one arm around her and drew her in for a tight hug. Then in broken, halting Equestrian, I tried to tell her all about my nightmare. It had all been so real!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I am satisfied. The human cares very deeply for Fluttershy and,” here she turned and looked at the two, “for Pinkie Pie as well, it seems,” said Luna. She looked back at the others. “He had nothing to do with Fluttershy’s injuries.”

“But what about Fluttershy, Princess? Isn’t there something you or Princess Celestia can do?” asked Rainbow.

Luna looked down the hallway. “I can sense her dreams from here. She is in turmoil, but in order to know more, I must enter them. Wait here.” She closed her eyes and faded from view.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

As they waited, Rainbow went up to Pinkie and the alien. He was sitting with his eyes closed and his forelegs wrapped around her. He was speaking to Pinkie in a quiet voice, and she, in turn, was leaning against him and listening. Rainbow didn’t want to intrude, but she needed to tell him something. She cleared her throat. They both looked up at her.

“I was wrong about you, hue-mon. I’m sorry.”

She held out a hoof. He hesitated, then slowly reached out and took it. She stared to recoil from his touch but found it surprisingly soft and warm. After a moment he let her go.

“I...sorry…too, Reigbow Desh. I sorry for…all. If I not here…Flut-ter-sy not hu-rt.”

“It’s enough for me to know you didn’t hurt her…Char-Elles.”

She smiled at him and was impressed despite herself as she watched him. She could see he was almost in as much pain as any of her friends.

Pinkie wiped her own tears away and spoke to Char-Elles.

“Maybe it’s time for you to meet Fluttershy’s family? I’m sure they want to talk to you.” She nuzzled him under his rough cheek, then hopped down and started walking.

When the hue-mon saw the direction Pinkie was going, he stopped and shook his head. She then took one of his hands gently in her mouth and pulled him along as she approached the three pegasi. The mare had Fluttershy’s coloring, but her cutie mark looked like a trail of smoke. The gruff-looking stallion and the younger one were the color of coffee with two creams, with darker manes. Their cutie marks were a raven holding a lightning bolt and a cloud, respectively.

Even though they’d heard the Princess make her announcement, they still didn’t know what to think about the very tall, very scary alien. Pinkie introduced him, while he stood there with one hand behind his head. He still blamed himself for Fluttershy, and he at first was at a loss for words. He settled on the first thing that came to mind and addressed the mare. In his nervousness, he spoke in his own language.

“Are you Fluttershy’s mother?”

The mare looked up at him in confusion, then turned to the younger stallion standing next to her.

Yes, she is.

The hue-mon’s eyes flew open in shock. “You can understand me?” Fluttershy's brother nodded.

My sister isn’t the only one with that talent, though I don’t like talking to animals as much as she does. No offense.

“None taken. I haven’t known your sister very long, but I consider her a friend. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to help her.”

The young stallion turned to his family and translated. Then he turned back to the alien.

I’m Haze, this is my mother Willowwisp and my dad Stormcrow. We appreciate your help, but what we really want to know is who did this and why.

“Then strap yourselves in, because this may take a while.”

‘Strap ourselves in’?

“It’s a human expression. It means to make yourselves comfortable. There’s a lot to tell, and I’m not sure how much I should say.” Haze spoke briefly to his parents, then turned back to the alien.

Tell us whatever you can.

So he sat down on the floor, and with Pinkie, Rainbow and the three he began his tale at the beginning for the benefit of those that didn’t know. Twilight, Applejack, Spike and Rarity drifted over as well, to hear the hue-mon’s tale in full. He was just finishing up the part about his horrid dream when Luna reappeared, looking grave. She addressed the alien.

“I would speak to you alone.”

The hue-mon got to his feet and backed away. He placed his hands over his abdomen, shaking his head. He had caught the words ‘speak’ and ‘alone,’ so he didn’t want her near him.

“Be not alarmed, Charles. I have learned much from both yours and Fluttershy’s dreams, and the time is short.”

“I…not…understend.”

Luna looked him full in the face and spoke two words.

“Trust me.”

Comments

[Winter_Solstice]

6396954
I'm glad you like my story. I'll do my best not to disappoint!

6391545
That made me laugh!

[JazzyWaffles]

“Enough talk!” yelled another earth pony. “Let’s kill it!”

Jesus Christ

Then the alien morphed into the dark Alicorn Princess.

If Luna had anything to do with that nightmare... she is dead to me.

“Trust me.”

No.