Nopony Can Do That!

by bigbear

That Attitude Right There

From inside the courtyard, the top edge of the opening to the Gates of Tartarus was visible to Rarity and Applejack over the wall of the outpost. Wisps of Rarity's blue magic slowly circumnavigated the Unicorn Circle. She had the circle primed, in case the girls had to get out fast.

Rarity had done more powerful, complex magic today than she had ever done in her life. "Probably a side benefit of getting introduced to Twilight's friend, the Element of Magic," she thought. Her horn felt painfully hot. But Rarity persevered. No fainting couch for her while the girls were on an adventure.

"Look, up in the sky!" Applejack called.

In a moment, a huge glowing yellow and pink cone was drawn across the heavens. It started at the barely risen Moon, and ended at the Sun. The glow filled the yard with warm colors. Even the hillside visible above the wall was painted by the glow.

"Fluttershy's colors," Rarity said.

Applejack shook her head. "I'm used to Twilight doing big things, like swapping blasts with Tirek..."

"The Elements have allowed us all to do extraordinary things, Applejack." Rarity looked her friend up and down. "When you were all rainbowed up, you looked particularly fetching with your long blond mane and apple marks everywhere."

"But the Elements have always treated the five of us pretty much equally." Applejack scrunched up her muzzle. "I never begrudged Twilight the crown and the glowie eyes, because it didn't seem to make much difference when there was a monster needed stop'en. But even without your Element, you been doing lots of spiffy magical things today. And Fluttershy's been out of this world!"

"Pun intended, I presume?"

"Ya caught me," Applejack smiled weakly.

"My magic is strictly borrowed." Rarity sighed. "Twilight is pairing me up with the Element of Magic, remotely."

"Neat trick." Applejack's smile turned upside down. "I guess I'm just jealous that the Elements choose Fluttershy, and not me."

"Maybe it was just her turn, dear," Rarity replied.

"Maybe. I shouldn't begrudge one of my best friends a chance to do some good in the world." Applejack looked embarrassed. Movement caught her eye. The shadows cast by the walls of the outpost were moving. Which meant either the walls were moving, or... Applejack looked up. The Sun was covered in a rainbow shell, and seemed to be taking an afternoon walk across the sky. She tried to imagine where the Sun should be at this time of day. As a farmer who worked outdoors everyday, Applejack was acutely aware of where it should be at any time. The Sun moved into the place she was expecting, and stopped. The rainbow colors faded.

And a roaring sound erupted from the direction of the Gates. Rarity and Applejack scrambled to get a look over the wall. Light poured out of the cave mouth leading to Tartarus. The ground shook and rocks tumbled down the side of the cliff. Pinkie and Dash backed away from the opening, and made a break for the outpost. They were bathed in the light emerging from the cave as they retreated. A cacophony of rock crushing and falling sounds accompanied a great cloud of illuminated boulders and dirt exploding out of the cave mouth. When the dust cleared, the luminous shield stretched tight across the opening. Its surface was unblemished, and glowed brightly. The cracks were gone. The shadow silhouettes of monstrous creatures were visible through the glare. There was another roar from behind the shield. The attacks resumed with even greater ferocity. The shield stretched outwards, like a bubble about to pop.

---

Twilight encased herself in a dozen layer thick bubble of magenta magic to protect from the fury of the Sun. The bubble was barely holding up. "How are you doing Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy groaned and stretched her neck, legs, and wings to full extension. No shield protected her, but the sun's fury washed over her like it was mist, and with no more effect. The glow from the Elements of Harmony in her petryal competed with the intense sunlight that glittered off of her golden adornments. "That's better," she sighed.

"Twilight!" Rarity yelled over their connection. " Dash and Pinkie have retreated to the outpost with us. Things have just gotten dramatically worse. The Gates of Tartarus are about to fall!"

"Oh no, no, no, no," Twilight cried. "We have to get to the Gates right now."

Without wasting a moment, Fluttershy spun, and flew her body between Twilight's hooves. Twilight gripped tight with all four legs and tucked her head. Twilight's necklace touched Fluttershy's petryal. At the touch, the Elements connected them again for travel. With a mighty flap of her wings Fluttershy exploded towards the tiny blue green orb of her birth, painting the sky yellow and pink in her wake. Light from the sun would take over 8 minutes to travel to the planet. Fluttershy's power had physically pushed the sun across the sky. That power, applied to a pair of ponies, made a mockery of the laws of physics, shredding limits like tissue. They would be at their destination in moments.

---

Half way between the outpost and the Gates of Tartarus, the world erupted in pink and yellow fire. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Dash all ducked down behind the brick wall of the outpost and tightly closed their eyes to protect them from the intense glare. Fire roared over their heads. The sounds of an explosion went on and on. Finally, the fire faded, as did the intense light. The girls peeked their heads over the wall.

A perfect circle of magenta magic stretched across the land from just in front of the Gates to just before the outpost wall. The ground outside the circle was pristine. Inside the circle was a deep crater. The floor was cracked and shimmering glass. Fluttershy stood in the center, her head high and wings at full extension. Overhead, Twilight hovered, inside a magenta bubble shield. A pillar of roiling pink and yellow flame rose infinity into the sky over the crater. It slowly dissipated from the ground up. There had been clouds in the distance before the arrival. Now the sky was clear from horizon to horizon. Twilight doused all her magenta magic.

The golden shield across the Gates of Tartarus stretched across the cave opening. Pink and yellow highlights danced across its flat surface, reflecting the light from the column of fire. The shield was pristine, but if it moved any farther it would fail. Tartarus and Equestria would become one. The silhouettes of the creatures on the other side of the shield moved slowly. A single booming, guttural voice called out, in a language that none of the girls understood. But the creatures responded, arranging themselves in an evenly spaced line across the opening. The voice boomed again. The silhouettes of the creatures raised up. The voice boomed a last time. The creatures moved as one.

“Fluttershy, push the shield back into Tartarus, before they can push it into Equestria and destroy it!” Twilight shouted. “Nopony else can do that!”

None of the girls actually saw Fluttershy move. One blink she was standing in the center of the crater, the next there was a pink and yellow trail to the shield, and Fluttershy was against it. All four of her hooves were braced on the ground, her wings were at full extension, and her head and neck were to the side so she could push on the shield with her whole body. Then the hammer blow came, the synchronized might of every villain in Tartarus, slamming against the shield. Sections distorted from the force, shockwaves rippling across the surface. But Fluttershy, and the center of the shield, held. Now it time to put the shield back where it belonged.

“Grrrrrraaaaa!” Fluttershy cried, as she flapped her mighty wings, and pushed the shield one step back toward Tartarus. The creatures panicked. They pounded on the shield individually, and growled wildly. Fluttershy flapped and cried out again, stepping farther this time, and pushing the shield deeper into the cave.

“That-a-way, Shy!” called Applejack. The rest of the girls joined in the cheering.

Before anypony could say more, the guttural voice boomed once again from behind the shield. The creatures responded, ceasing the random efforts, and crashing down upon the shield as one. Fluttershy and the shield were driven back a step. Her golden shod hooves dug lines in the cave floor. Fluttershy turned her head to get even more leverage for her next push. She flapped her wings again, and drove forward with redoubled effort. The shield moved again, regaining the lost step, but no more.

---

Twilight landed at the outpost. “Is everypony okay? she asked breathlessly.

“We’re okay, but Shy’s in trouble,” Dash cried. “We’ve got to help her!”

“According to my calculations, Fluttershy should win easily,” Twilight raised her head to check out the action at the cave. “Her power doubles with every step. Once she wins back one step, with the next push she should win two steps, then four, and so on."

“I think them monsters got their own calculations.” Applejack shook her head. “That looks more like a stalemate than a victory.”

The struggle in the cave reached a kind of horrible stasis. The creatures, striking as one, could drive the shield a step towards Equestria. Fluttershy, putting all her power into a single push, could move it back a step closer to Tartarus. If either were to falter, even for a moment, the other side would swiftly be victorious.

Rarity put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. It seemed to strengthen the bond Twilight shared to the Element of Magic. “Look at the magic power coming around the edges of the shield,” Rarity said, with awe and terror in her voice.

Twilight adjusted her perceptions and really LOOKED at the the shield. Torrents of power streamed around the edge of the shield from Tartarus into Equestria. They came from every side, turned, then slammed into Fluttershy! After every wingbeat and step, the torrents got thicker and faster. Between each torrent of power, Twilight could see power also going the other way, from Equestria into Tartarus. Now that she saw it, Twilight could feel a tug on her own magic, and all of the magic around her. “That’s impossible!” Twilight sat back on her haunches. “Unless... they’re both drawing from the same ever-doubling power source!”

“They can’t keep doubling their power forever,” Rarity said.

“No.” Twilight frowned. “Something will break. The shield. The creatures. Fluttershy. Even Tartarus. Or Equestria.”

“That all sounds really, really, bad.” Pinkie pouted.

“So let’s make sure none of it happens,” said Dash.

“Ever since Shy got all the Elements, the dangers just keep getting bigger and bigger,” Applejack said.

“But it started before we used the Elements,” Dash said. “Remember the train!”

“Or the Crystal Guardian before that.” Twilight looked thoughtful. “If we can figure out what magic started this whole thing, I may have a way for all of us to fix it.”

“So present company excepted, who do we know that does really big magic and is connected with Fluttershy?” Applejack asked.

“Discord!” they all cried at once.

“Oh, thank chaos, I’ve been waiting for your call.” Discord slithered out from behind the outpost building. “I am so drained right now that I can’t just come and go as I please.”

“Fix what you did to Fluttershy!” Dash cried.

“And have all the denizens of Tartarus come party crashing?” Discord shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

Dash pointed her hoof at Discord. “So, you did do something!”

“Oh no, I’ve been mentally out maneuvered by Rainbow Dash,” Discord struck a fainting pose and put a claw to his forehead. “Stone me now.”

Everypony frowned at Discord.

“Look, I was just trying to give Fluttershy what she asked for.” Discord looked away, unwilling or unable to meet their gaze. ”You know I would never do anything to hurt her on purpose.”

“I’ll bet you can’t fix things from here, even if you wanted to.” Twilight got back on her hooves. “If you can’t come and go as you please, you probably can’t change magic this powerful from so far away.”

“Ding, ding, ding!” Discord rang a small bell. “Give that Princess a tiara.”

“Everypony into the Unicorn Circle,” Twilight said. “It will make this easier.” As soon as they were all inside the circle, Twilight lit her horn. The Element of Magic helped her reorient the circle so she could teleport the entire group at once into the teeth of the magic storm. A magenta bubble enclosed them all, then they disappeared.

---

“This is getting very lonely,” Fluttershy thought. She leaned into the shield across the Gates of Tartarus. She grunted and flapped and pushed forward to gain a step. The booming voice on the other side of the shield sounded, the creatures pushed as one, and she lost a step. She knew she was pushing harder each time. She could feel it. Pushing the sun around was nothing compared to what she was doing now. She was pushing around the entire dimension of Tartarus.

Nopony else could do what she was doing now. So nopony could help her. And nopony was. Maybe being nopony meant being alone.

Her next push was marked by a heavy sigh, rather than her usual grunt. When she pushed, the shield held fast instead of yielding to her power. The booming voice, sensing advantage, was louder than ever. The pushback by the creatures was overwhelming. She called out “No!” as she retreated and tried to find new purchase. She lost not one, not two, but three steps before stabilizing the shield. It was now almost at the lip of the cave. Almost in Equestria.

“I can never let that happen again!” Fluttershy thought. The fate of every creature and every pony, depended on what she did here. Fluttershy was determined to not let them down. Even if she had to do this alone... forever.

A small magenta bubble emerged from nothing behind Fluttershy. However it did not instantly expand and pop like teleport bubbles normally did. Buffeted by the torrential streams of power pouring into Fluttershy, the bubble could not find purchase in reality to complete its journey. It flitted through the cave, searching for a safe place to deposited its cargo. It expanded, collapse almost to nothing, then finally expanded to full size and popped between two of the streams.

Discord, Twilight, and the rest of the girls all tumbled into a pony pile. “Let's do that again!” cried Pinkie, as she bounced to her feet.

Everypony else, even Discord, looked more shaken up. “Not until Miss Purple Pony Princess learns to drive. I oughta get your teleport license suspended for that one!” said Discord.

“I’ll apologize to everypony later!” cried Twilight. “Do your thing, Discord!”

The draconis snapped his claw. Nothing happened. He snapped it a second time, and then a third. Still nothing.

“I very much appreciate everypony coming here, but it is very dangerous and nopony but me can do this.” Fluttershy did not turn to look at the group. “Please go somewhere else that's safe!”

“That’s the problem,” Discord pointed to Fluttershy. “That attitude right there is blocking me.”

“You don’t have to do this alone,” Applejack said.

“And Twilight has a plan, darling,” Rarity said.

“Yes in-deed-a-ly-do she does,” Pinkie said.

“Can all your friends help share your burden, Fluttershy? Twilight asked.

“I don’t want all of you trapped here forever too!” cried Fluttershy.

“Win, lose, or draw, we are all in this together,” Dash said. “And me? I’m partial to winning!”

“Please, Fluttershy,” Discord said, “come back to me.”

Fluttershy strained and dug in all four hooves. Tears were streaming from her eyes. “Okay,” Fluttershy whispered.

“Places girls,” Twilight said. “Discord, we are only going to get one shot at this.”

“My timing will be impeccable, don’t you all mess it up”

Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Dash, and Twilight all laid a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. Startled, but pleased by the intimate gesture, Fluttershy gave a weak smile.

“We’re using the Elements. Light’em up, girls!” Twilight called. The power of the Elements of Harmony flowed between all six girls. Some of the Element's power flowed away from Fluttershy and into the others. The creatures could feel the lessening of resistance. And with a booming growl, the leader of the creatures of Tartarus urged his minions to make one final victorious attack.

Before the attack could land, Discord snapped his claw, and cut off the flow of magic in both directions.

Even cut off from their power, a synchronized blow from all the creatures in Tartarus was powerful. But compared to their empowered blows from a moment before, it was a feeble thing. And it was a blow that the shield of the Gates of Tartarus was designed to resist. The cavern rang with the sound of the blow, but the shield did not move.

Still touching, the girls all levitated. Six gems detached from Fluttershy’s petryal and orbited the girls at increasing speed. All at once, the gems rocketed into the openings in the necklaces and crown of their bearers. The items hummed with power, and each of the girls arched their backs and grinned like mad-mares. Twilight’s eyes went white. Six rainbow ribbons whirled about the group, each finding a bearer. They all glowed until it was too bright even for Discord to see them.

When the light faded, the girls were in their full rainbow empowered forms. Their manes and tails were extra long and colorful. Their cutie marks had multiplied in number, and were spread across their flanks, faces, and fetlocks. The wings of the flyers shone with new colors. They all glowed with their own personal color of the rainbow.

Fluttershy’s look now matched the rest. No longer Celestia sized or adorned, she matched her friends in size and splendor, including her familiar necklace, the Element of Kindness.

The six moved easily in all directions, galloping and flying vertically as well as horizontally. They formed a six pointed star, around the outside edge of the shield. Then, like shepherds, they guided it back to its rightful place, deep in the cave and far from Equestria. The creatures on the other side were repulsed by their rainbow power, and tumbled back deep into Tartarus. Finally, the shield locked into place with a satisfying sound of thunder.

The girls landed, flashed white, and lost their rainbow empowerment. They gazed up at the glowing shield, and took satisfaction in a job well done.

Twilight gathered the girls up in her magic, and they all hugged like sisters. Twilight even reached out her magic to Discord, and he let himself be taken up so he could hug Fluttershy.

They held the hug for a long time, until they all heard a popping sound and saw a golden light. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stepped regally forward after teleporting into the cave. Spike was at their heels. The Element Bearers, save Twilight, bowed.

“Rise, my little ponies, for once again you have saved the day.” Princess Celestia nodded to the group.

“Celestia, Luna, you’re back!” Twilight cried happily.

“Freed from the prisons of our aspect, and hale and hearty once again!” Princess Luna called. “We watched your deeds from our our celestial bodies. You all did well. Though the heavens were in a most unusual state when we emerged. Was this the actions of our foes?”

“Some of them and some of us. We kind of had to run things manually for a bit,” Twilight said sheepishly. Spike ran over. Twilight picked him up in her fore hooves and hugged him.

“Worry not, Twilight, the proper workings of the heavens have been restored,” Princess Celestia said. “But I am sure Luna and I will be interested in hearing about your... manual manipulations, at a later time,” She looked up at the shield with a practiced eye, then nodded in satisfaction. “Discord, were you also involved in saving the day?”

“As always, I serve naught but chaos,” Discord responded. He looked down at his butter yellow friend. “And Fluttershy, of course.”

“Which means he was part of causing all the chaos, but was also critical in fixing it.” Twilight looked at Discord then returned her gaze to the Princesses. “Canterlot Castle got pretty beat up, do you need our help in the repairs?”

“Tis thoughtful of you to ask Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, “But we have a large staff that prepares for just such emergencies. And you and yours are fresh from victorious battle. A celebration is in order!”

Twilight checked with her friends. They all gazed back with weak but warm smiles. Everypony looked exhausted. “If you don’t need us in Canterlot, I think we’d all just like to get back to Ponyville. Sleeping in my own bed tonight sounds wonderful.” All the girls nodded in agreement.

“So be it,” Princess Celestia said. She wrapped them all in a golden bubble and moments later they were in front of Twilight’s castle in Ponyville.

“I want to thank you once again for your most extraordinary services,” Princess Celestia said. “You have saved my subjects, and freed my sister and I. We are, as ever, in your debt.”

“But we must return to Canterlot,” Princess Luna said. “Until next time, my friends!” She wrapped a sphere of indigo magic around Celestia and herself, and then they were gone.

“Anypony want some coffee or tea before you head on home?” Twilight offered. “Yes Discord, the invitation includes you.” They all nodded agreement, and went inside Twilight’s castle. They gathered in the kitchen. It was much cosier than the map room, with its great thrones adorned with the girl’s cutie marks.

After the castle had appeared, Applejack had made over the kitchen in a rustic theme. It was spacious enough to house the army of cooks that might someday serve grand occasions in the castle. But this day, the girls, Spike, and Discord only used one stove and gathered around one smaller table. Soon the kitchen was filled with the competing scents of coffee and tea.

Twilight brought out some apples and sweet bread she had purchased just this morning. That early morning trip to the market square seemed like it had happened an eternity ago. Discord magiced up some cucumber sandwiches from... somewhere. They all ate hungrily.

By unspoken agreement, the girls made small talk about everything but the adventure they had just been on. The talk of the weather, crops, spas, pets, and books helped reinforce the bonds they shared. They all spoke, except for Fluttershy.

Fluttershy sat on a chair off to the side by herself. She was very quiet as she contemplated the steam rising from her tea cup. Pinkie bounced up, with a small basket in her teeth, with two pieces of sweet bread inside. Fluttershy smiled weakly, but shook her head and went back to staring at the steam off her tea.

Discord slithered up. “Buzz off, pink party pony, I need to speak to Fluttershy.” Pinkie put her basket down next to Fluttershy, looked up at Discord, rolled her eyes, and bounced away.

“Hello Discord.” Fluttershy whispered. She didn’t look up from her tea.

“Fluttershy...” Discord stopped. Words wouldn’t come. He lowered his voice and tried again. “Fluttershy, it seems I am very bad at trying to do good.” Discord snapped his claw and a conical dunce cap appeared on his head. “I don’t know how a real friend is supposed to act. This is the first time I’ve tried to be one.

“You looked so sad yesterday. Then you said what you wanted, and I thought it would make you happy. So I found a power leak, and tied that power to what you wanted.” Discord snapped his claw. The dunce cap went away, and a piece of paper with a crayon drawing of the Gates of Tartarus appeared and floated next to him. Drops of silver liquid dripped out of the gate and splashed onto the floor.

“At first, even though there was chaos, you seemed to enjoy helping. But then...” The liquid dripping out of the picture became a stream, and then a torrent. Discord shook the paper. It, and all the liquid, disappeared.

“What I wanted?” Fluttershy looked up at Discord, confused. Then she remembered. “I just wish I was never too slow, too weak, or too scared to help my friends ever again,” Fluttershy whispered.

“I’ll try to do better next time.” Discord straightened up, and looked at everypony. Then he snapped his claw and disappeared.

Seeing Fluttershy alone, Rarity seized the opportunity, She saddled up to her friend and sat down next to her.

Fluttershy looked up at Rarity. “Did you hear all that?”

“Discord is anything but circumspect.” Rarity looked at her friend kindly. “A bit for your thoughts, dear.”

“Oh they’re not worth a whole bit,” Fluttershy whispered. Rarity gave her a warm smile, and the time to speak more if she wished. Rarity was an old hand at getting Fluttershy to open up. When Fluttershy did finally speak, it came out in a wave.

“I thought near the end, I was going to have to stay at the Gates forever, battling with those things, to be sure they never got out. And it turns out it was all because I felt useless before and Discord tried to help me.

“While I was pushing on the Gates, I started regretting all of the things I have on my list of ‘could have dones’, but haven’t because I was too scared. Like taking Dash up on any of her invitations to go flying. Or your invitation to sing with the PonyTones. Or Zecora’s offer to learn about the animals from her homeland.

“Or even making more friends. Not that you aren’t all great, and more than I deserve. But Bon Bon seems really nice. And Derpy is always so happy. And I have a standing invitation to come to Cheerilee’s class or have the class come to my cottage, to teach the children about animals. But I have been too scared to do any of it.

“But today I did things even though I was scared. And it makes me want to do some of the things on my list. Even just one thing. Just to say I did it.”

Fluttershy finished her rant with a great sigh. She seemed to melt into her chair, her head down and eyes looking away.

Rarity gave her a few moments, to make sure Fluttershy had no more to say. She smiled, and touched hooves with her friend, very lightly. “You aren’t useless, dear. Why before all this business with Discord happened, who suggested that the Bugbear might be scared off by a bigger monster?”

“I did mentioned that,” Fluttershy whispered.

“And that was the key to saving the school.” Rarity picked up one of Fluttershy’s hooves in her own. “Twilight may have made the mirror with her magic, but she wouldn’t have know what to do without your insight.”

“I was so foalish.” Fluttershy sank even lower.

“No, but you may be being foalish now.” Rarity leaned in closer. “You said nothing wrong to Discord. His actions, and his decision to keep you in the dark, were purely of his own choosing. And once things started to... get out of hoof... you acted extremely heroically. You should be very proud of yourself.

“Today we were confronted with things outside our comfort zone.” Rarity held both of Fluttershy’s hooves in her own. “You had to be more physical and direct than you are accustomed to. I had to use more magic. It is both humbling and enlightening to have to... stretch so.

“And I am ever so happy to hear that you want to do more things in your life. If there is ever anything I, or one of the other girls, can do, please ask. It would be our great pleasure to help.”

Rarity sat up straighter and engaged Fluttershy with her gaze.

“But I also suspect that in moments of hindsight, some of today’s activities may be... disturbing. When those times come, please talk to someone. It doesn’t have to be now, and it doesn’t have to be me. But do talk. It’s the way we make sense of the parts of our lives that seem... out of balance.

“You’ve been my sounding board at the spa more times than I can count. And each of the girls, in their more contemplative moments, have provided me words of wisdom or even just a friendly ear.“

Fluttershy looked up, her great eyes shimmering with almost tears. She knew asking for help would be the hardest thing she would ever have to do. But she also knew that when, not if, but when she did ask for help, her friends would be there for her. To them, she wasn’t a nopony at all.

Comments

[kurusagi16]

That was great!

[i_am_the_jam]

[aplauso]

[bigbear]

I think having the Elements of Harmony as physical objects creates a lot of story possibilities, so I gave them back to the girls. This quote at the beginning of Chapter 2 sets that fact up for this story:

“Ever since we cleared the taint from the Everfree Forest and reclaimed the Elements, Celestia has stored them in the vault at Canterlot Castle.” Applejack adjusted her Stetson hat. The orange earth pony reclined comfortably. “Makes sense we should go there first, if trouble is afoot.”

This is a bit of background from an as yet unfinished prequel story. That makes this story a bit AU. Do you think I should add that tag?

[Swashbucklist]

Every time I see an adventure fic with the 'mane six' and 'spike' tags attached, I get my hopes up, thinking it might be a journey all seven of them contribute to equally. After a ctrl+F search on the first and the last three chapters of this one, it looks like he's barely in it. It's just another tale about a six-piece toy set.

[PonySage86]

Awesome story! Wish there had been more Discord in it but you still get 5/5 pinkie pies.

[bigbear]

7291563 Thank you for the comments. Under normal circumstances, Fluttershy sticks fairly rigidly to her internal image of her role and responsibilities in the world, especially vis-à-vis her friends. She is not just happy sticking to her own role, Fluttershy is comforted by the roles that her friends occupy as well. In this story, those roles and responsibilities get all mixed up, which makes Fluttershy profoundly uncomfortable. Part of her heroism is rising to take up new roles as the situation requires it, even if those roles scare her.

Good reminder about hooves not hands. I will add that to my standard review sweep.