Fluttershy's Unexpected Journey

by JesterOfDestiny

Chapter 4 - Fluttershy and the Warlord

With that, Fluttershy was alone again. That seems to be the norm here. Meet somebody, get to know them, then get abandoned. It’s not like Equestria, where everyone is your friend. Here, everyone is friends with conditions and leave you anyway. It started to feel lonely. Walking in the forest, with only the bushes touching you and all the birds chirping gibberish.

One sound was distinct from the rest. A light whistle, that stood out among the cacophony of the birds. It played a soft melody. Fluttershy tried to follow it, but it was difficult to find the source in the echoing forest. But it did start getting louder and louder. Until it stopped for a moment. A helpful thread lost again.

Flutterhsy waited for it to come back, but there was only the erratic choir of the woods. She gave up for a moment, but the soft whistle returned and played a very distinct melody. Fluttershy tried to follow it again, until it stopped. She could still remember the melody and decided to hum it back from memory. Then the whistle responded with repeating the memory. After it finished, Fluttershy repeated it back for a second time, getting closer and closer to the source. Now the flute played a different melody, which she also repeated back. This melody conversation continued for a while, until she stepped into a clearing. There were rock structures scattered around the clearing, long abandoned ruins, with vines growing all over them.

The whistle got very close, Fluttershy could hear it very clearly and she spotted a green, antlered figure, sitting on a rock. It had long green hair and was playing the flute. Fluttershy got closer to it and started singing along to the flute’s melodies. They looked at each-other and kept playing their music, until they found a note to stop on.

“You have a very beautiful voice.” Remarked the figure, with a soft voice.

“Thanks, you play the flute very beautifully too.” Fluttershy complimented the figure back.

The figure smiled and then introduced herself. “My name is Linndael. What’s yours?”

“I’m Fluttershy.”

“Flutter and shy?” The figure wondered. “That’s an odd name, I’ve never heard anything like it.”

“Well, I’ve never heard anything like Linndael before either.”

“Oh? You must be from very far away.”

“I’m from Equestria and I have no idea how I ended up here.”

The figure looked away for a bit. She looked at one of the ruined towers and said “I wish I could forget how I ended up here too.”

Fluttershy looked at the ruins around them. “Was this your home?”

“Still is...” The figure looked down. “Other elves don’t really want to see my kind. And those who do, are ones I don’t want to see.”

“You’re an elf? I’ve heard about what happened.”

The green elf sighed.

After a silent pause, Fluttershy asked her: “Are you the one I’m looking for?”

“Who?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been told to look for someone and that I’ll know them when I see them.”

The elf responded with a blank stare.

“And that they’ll know when they’ll see me.” Fluttershy continued.

The elf kept the blank stare. “I don’t know what that means.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Me neither.”

“But I’m glad we found each other.” The elf said in a happier tone.

They smiled at each other for a moment. Suddenly the elf bolted up. “Someone else may have found us.” She said and jumped off from the rock. “Behind here!” She pointed behind the rock she was sitting on.

“Who found us?” Fluttershy asked as she hid behind the rock too.

The elf just shushed her. Heavy footsteps sounded from the other side of the clearing. Five glowing skeletons in armour and a tall red figure with horns stepped forward from between the trees. It carried a large curved sword and wore a cloth around its face. It looked around and then pointed at the ruins, which the skeletons immediately begin to search.

“We have to get out of here!” Said the elf.

“Why? Who’s that?” Fluttershy asked in a hurry.

She had no time to get an answer, as the rock they were hiding behind blew up. The horned figure had its arm extended, than pointed at Fluttershy. “Get the horse!” It yelled, to which all five skeletons started running towards them. Linndael run between the trees and Fluttershy tried to fly above the trees, but the skeletons quickly grabbed her tail and pulled her on the ground. Fluttershy asked for help with an extended hoof. Linndael looked back at her and considered helping, but she saw one of the skeletons looking at her, so she bolted off into the trees. Fluttershy was abandoned again.

The skeletons pulled her along the ground and put her down in front of the horned person. It took a very hard look at Fluttershy. It seemed confused and somewhat disappointed. Then with a flick of its wrist summoned a spherical cage around Fluttershy, which floated in the air by a chain, like a balloon. It lifted up its sword and started talking to it.

“I’ve got it, but it’s not what we expected... Yes... Yes... Okay we’ll stay right here.” It put down its sword and ordered the skeletons to leave.

“What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked, hoping to get a clear answer.

“You’ll see. You don’t have to worry.” The figure tried to calm her down. It didn’t work of course. She was still locked inside a cage after all.

A few minutes have passed and another figure entered through the trees. It had grey skin, was carrying a large bardiche and wore a long flowing cape. It was another orc, but was much more threatening than Hadrik. He took a good look at Fluttershy, then nodded to the red person, who left them quickly.

“So, you’re that source of magic?” He asked in a deep and calm voice. “It’s good that you finally came to us.”

Fluttershy gasped in surprise. “You’re the one I’m looking for?”

The grey orc paused for a moment, then said; “Yes. I believe I am. My name is Drylon, son of Muldur and Griswlak.”

“Hadrik told me you could help me back to Equestria.”

“Yes, I can. But you have to help me first.”

“I can’t help you from this cage.” Fluttershy remarked.

“Oh, right.” Drylon dissolved the cage around Fluttershy and levitated her softly on the ground.

“What do you need my help with?” She asked much more helpfully now.

“I don’t need much. I don’t even need the three wishes. Only one.”

“Wishes?”

“Yes, that’s what you do right?”

Fluttershy was confused for a second and then realized what the request was about. “Oh, there must be some misunderstanding here. This is the second time someone mistakes me for a wish granting fairy... um... I’m not. I’m just a regular Pegasus pony. I don’t do magic” She tried to hastily explain herself.

“Don’t try to fool me.” Drylon replied in the same deep and calm voice as before, but somehow it sounded much more threatening now. “I can sense the magical powers inside you. I can practically see them flowing outside your body.”

Fluttershy took a step back as Drylon took a few steps towards her. “Well, I don’t know what you’re seeing, but I’m sorry, I can’t grant any wishes.”

“You’re trying to hold the power away from me, don’t you?” He said accusingly. “You think I’m the criminal of this war. The sacrifice had to be made. The elves had to die!” He raised his voice. He then flicked his arm towards a ruined tower and it collapsed into pieces.

“I ask again.” He said in a calm voice. “Grant me the wish that I deserve!” He started shouting again. “Help me rid this world from evil!”

Fluttershy started panicking. “I can’t! Why won’t you believe me?!”

“Very well.” Drylon resumed his calm voice. “If you won’t give me your powers...” he grabbed his bardiche with both hands. “...Then I’ll take it from you!” And he swung his mighty bardiche, sending a wave of energy towards Fluttershy. She covered on the ground to avoid the wave that sliced through the buildings around her. She tried to hide behind one of them, but Drylon just smashed the ground and all buildings in the clearing have burst into flames. She ran between the trees. Drylon sent more waves of energy in her direction, they sliced through the trees like air. She dodged well and ran far enough into the forest and could no longer see her attacker. But she could see a bright light flying towards her. She jumped out of the way just in time, as a giant beam obliterated every single tree in its way.

Fluttershy spotted a small river and jumped right into it, letting the stream take her wherever it went. She could see Drylon walk up to the riverside and he most definitely saw Fluttershy swimming under the waves. He tried to fire bolts of energy towards her, but she could lean out their way, only getting her tail singed.

The river reached its end and Fluttershy tumbled down a waterfall. In the middle of tumbling she realized she can fly and flew onto the shore of the continuing river. She had no time to dry herself and dived into the forest. She run far into the deep of the woods and stopped when she finally seemed to have lost Drylon.

A few bolts of energy flew across the air, some explosions echoed through the trees, but Drylon was nowhere to be seen anymore. At some point, the explosions have stopped. Everything seemed to have calmed down finally.