Only the Broken, Only the Cursed (please read blog post)

by DougtheLoremaster

Chapter 25- Her Sunlight Amidst the Darkness

Fluttershy sat in the cold dining room, as the candles dwindled into nothing. Anxiety gripped her as the darkness fell over the Pegasus. As she felt the two warm bodies nestling under her outstretched wings, the skittish mare smiled; her panic giving way to comfort.

She could hear the soft snores of Rainbow Dash, and the noisy munching from Pinkie Pie as she sleep-ate her way through her cupcake.

Careful not to disturb the two, Fluttershy snuck over to a supply drawer, pulling forth another couple of candles. Turning, the candles gripped in her teeth, she could hear the whimpering begin again. Quickly she rushed over to the table and lit the candles, spreading her wings once more over the two.

Instantly, the whimpering stopped and both were content and peaceful in the flame’s glow. Fluttershy sighed contentedly as she lowered her head to rest on the table, thinking forlornly about the past 8 years and slowly closing her eyes.

***

It had been 8 years to the day since Ponyville burned. That night changed everything for the five childhood friends. Of the five, only two had escaped unscathed with their minds intact, by that horrible night; Rarity and Applejack.

Sadly though, all five had been consumed by the Flames of Rage released by the Tyrant as she lost control. Each met their painful and horrific ends that night. Still, they reawoke before Celestia after a horribly costly ritual.

Rainbow had regressed to believing she was a filly mentally, though physically was a full-grown mare. Rarity and Applejack quickly made the agreement to re-raise their friend. ‘We ain’t abandoning ‘er’.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle, upon witnessing the horrors of that evening, had dedicated themselves to pursuing the medical career; the two becoming an invaluable nurse and doctor combo.

Applejack quickly adjusted to having one eye, and bearing the eternal scars of her heroic acts; freeing Applebloom from the Cultist’s chains amidst the hellish flames. She faced the harsh reality of Love, Loyalty, and Family as she raised both Rainbow Dash and Applebloom as though they were her own foals.

Pinkie Pie along with Maud; who had dragged the distraught mare from the Rock Farm, when they discovered their family remains, kept each other sane as the last of the Pies.

Like it always does though, when it rains, it got worse before it got better. One year later, Sweetie Belle vanished mysteriously, the remains of Applebloom were found amidst bones and flesh scattered about; believed to be from four or more unfortunate creatures. Scootaloo’s unconscious form was found on a riverbank 2 miles away and was stricken with permanent amnesia of the events of that night.

Pinkie Pie had been forced to watch as, restrained, Maud was dismembered in front of her. The event, forever fragmenting her mind.

Still, even with the traumas that occurred, four of the five had moved on, as time flew by. Those four had grown and changed from what they were but also retained acceptance of what had been and what now was.

For one, however, she stayed in the horror of the evening 8 years ago. She never left Ponyville, her heart still yearning for an answer to what had happened that night. Fluttershy had once been asked by the others what she dreamed about. She had told them it was her tearing them apart, but that had been a lie.

The truth was she only saw one thing when she closed her eyes to rest, just one; the sacrifice of Angel Bunny as he shoved her out the front door and locked it, just moments before the woodland shack exploded into flames. And now she sat, with her head down on the table, eyes closed, reliving that moment once more.

***

“Angel?”

Fluttershy stared down from her bed at the little bunny rabbit as it rapidly waved its paws frantically pointing towards the stairs. Groggily, she looked out the window, it was just before midnight.

“Hrm...Angel, sweetie it’s still pitch-black outside. What’s going on?”

The bunny seemed agitated and was rapidly pointing at her while pointing at the stairs and simultaneously stomping its feet. Immediately, Fluttershy’s mind went to the strange, violent snake they had brought back.

While on their daily walk together, Angel and Fluttershy had come across an injured snake that violently lashed out at the Pegasus as she bandaged his wound. The wound had consisted of oddly colored scales around a puncture wound of some kind; almost as if the snake had been bitten by something incredibly strong. Deftly moving left and right, Fluttershy silently avoided all the strikes while compressing and bandaging the gash in its side.

One strike however had been a narrow miss, as Angel Bunny quickly shoved her out of the way, taking the bite intended for Fluttershy. After sedating the snake, Fluttershy swiftly took care of her bunny companion, showering him with praise for his bravery.

Now, however, Angel Bunny’s fur sported a strange coloration that mimicked the snake. As she lay in bed staring at him, he lost his patience and with an unnatural strength took hold of her forehoof, dragging her from the bed.

Startled Fluttershy screamed out.

“Angel stop, what’s going-”

Her words fell on deaf ears as Angel roughly dragged her down the stairs to a strange sight. The loving animals of her home were snarling, growling, and had turned the offset colors of the snake, that now hissed violently while boasting a full body of the sickly-colored scales.

Before another word could be uttered, Angel dragged Fluttershy to the front door, which was now wide open and with one heave threw Fluttershy through it. Landing on her side, Fluttershy quickly rose and rushed to the door calling out.

“Angel!”

She had just one moment to see the sad, sorrowful eyes of the mute rabbit before the door slammed shut and the catching of a lock was heard. Fluttershy tugged at the door for just a minute before an explosion knocked her backward, causing her to land on her back.

Ignoring the pain, she screamed.

“Angel! Angel! Speak to me!”

But amidst the fiery wreckage, the only sound was the echoing cries of the poor, frantic, Pegasus as she futilely tore apart the wreckage; searching for her companion.

“Angel!”

***

Fluttershy’s eyes flew open in a rush. Her breathing was erratic as her eyes darted around the room in pulse-pounding anxiety. As she scanned the room, her breathing slowed to normal, and she realized where she was. A dream, that dream. Again. Hm, what’s this?

Looking down, Fluttershy noticed the half-eaten cupcake laying there on the slightly chewed paper wrapper. She chuckled to herself at the sight before looking over at Pinkie Pie, who was still very clearly asleep. The uncanny party pony whispered softly in her sleep, as she snoozed peacefully beneath the wing of Fluttershy.

“Mommy needs it more than me, Maud.”

Rolling her eyes, Fluttershy slowly slid the cupcake back in front of Pinkie, whispering to the sleeping Earthpony.

“I’m very touched by your gesture, Pinkie, but this is yours.”

Instantly, Pinkie began sleep-munching on the cupcake once more. Fluttershy smiled at the display. Pinkie had always been able to make her smile, ever since they first met as fillies. A strange glint in the corner of her eye, suddenly caused Fluttershy to turn and stare at the candles she had lit.

All three were sparking and the orange flame that had been dancing had changed to a bright golden glow before her eyes. Just beneath the dripping wax, lay three pieces of blank parchment. Her eyes widened as all three suddenly burst into flame, startling Fluttershy.

“Oh no…Huh?”

Her panic faded into wonderment within an instant, as the flames twisted and formed three little Alicorns; one for each parchment. She watched as the little winged constructs of fire ran across the blank papers at breakneck speed. Within seconds the papers were aglow with flames but the papers themselves weren’t burning.

Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat as she realized the trails left by the constructs were cursive writings, magical calligraphy that could only have been made by Celestia, herself. The constructs sat down when they had finished and looked at her expectantly, as she reached out and held one of the papers in her hooves. She stared in disbelief at what she saw. There on the top of the page, still glowing with a golden flame, were the words, ‘Dear Fluttershy’.

Her eyes darted around the room, hopeful. Is she here? but the only thing she saw was the empty dark room. there was no sign of any magic caster. The flames of the candles had started dimming and soon the gold was replaced by a normal yellow orangish glow.

In front of her sat the three Alicorns, each with a slightly different design, staring up at her. She stared back at them and blinked. Did one of them just point a hoof at the paper in her hooves? Fluttershy turned back to the paper; still ablaze with the fiery calligraphy and started reading.

“Dear Fluttershy…”

***

For 8 years, I have been there to guide you, I’ve watched as you’ve taken your second chance and grown with it. You go out of your way to be caring and doting on others.

Kindness is a wonderful gift to give others, but one that should never be used as a crutch. You are the Bearer of Kindness and a gentle soul. To be caring for others is in your blood, but you should never be kind because it makes you feel you are doing right by another in your past. Kindness is to be given freely, never forced from within.

In every creature’s life, there are secrets that are kept for better or worse. In my past alone there are more secrets than there are stars in the night sky. However, one of those secrets is yours by right. Because it is yours; a secret that you’ve kept so well that even you were unaware of it. With my words, you will learn something about yourself that may break your heart at first, but I promise if you read to the end, you’ll find some solace in the reveal; just as I once did when faced with my sister’s origin.

Angel Bunny wasn’t real, not the way you saw him. On that sunny day, you were created and your soul seized possession of the body I had made for you, I realized I was gifting you with a curse. Kindness is a blessed trait in other realms, but in ours, Kindness is taboo. None possess it, and none show it. But you do. And you have no idea how proud you’ve made me.

Still, there is no denying the pain you’ve been put through, being cursed with such a gift, and I knew it would happen. That’s why I gave you Angel Bunny; a companion you could always rely on to draw out your Kind nature to its absolute pinnacle. Originally just a random rabbit, I, like my mom before me, cast a spell to imbue it with the emotions and desire to assist you in your growth on your journey to maturity.

That fateful day you went for a walk with Angel like you always did. As you went through the forest, you happened upon an injured serpent; a venomous adder. Boasting a neurotoxin that would render any creature paralyzed forever, no creature in our realm would dare venture towards such a beast. Yet you, with your heart of gold, and your caring affections immediately looked past its fangs and worried only about binding its wound.

In your desperation to heal the infernal beast, you let down your guard, failing to notice just what kind of wound the snake had endured; a bite wound, but not from a wild creature. No, that snake had been bitten by a pony. The magic transferred by the bite, corrupted and twisted the serpent's soul. The scales had been afflicted by a debilitating corruption that was not only soul-consuming but was eating it from the inside out. A result of accruing the bite of a zombified creature.

While attending the creature, Angel Bunny was bitten by the corrupted beast. Normally such a tiny beast would have been slain on the spot by the puncture alone, let alone the toxins.

Magic is itself, a living creature. An entity that learns and adapts as it encounters new experiences. Angel Bunny’s soul was borne of magic, and once bitten, the magic within Angel held the corruption at bay, jealously protecting its territory. That is until that night. Such an abomination of magical energy can only be slowed; not stopped. And by midnight it had almost entirely consumed Angel’s soul.

Your magical companion realized what was happening as the snake attacked the other animals in your care, instantly transforming them into corrupted undead. With the last vestiges of his soul hanging by a thread, Angel made sure to get you out of danger and once you were out of harm’s way, he allowed it to take him completely.

Though, my magic is quite a selfish beast refusing to back down even when overwhelmed and so it, in desperation, decided to take the corruption with it; resulting in the massive explosion and the disintegration of all your creatures and property.

***

Fluttershy’s heart pounded in her throat, tears dripping down her muzzle; pooling on the table as she read the letter from the late tyrant. As she read the last part about that moment, the parchment fell from her hooves to land on one of the tiny fiery constructs that almost seemed to have stopped at the pool of tears to inspect it, sniffing lightly at it; as though examining it.

The little fire pony began to whimper as the paper fell towards it, blocking out the light. As soon as the paper made contact, a squeal of panic came from beneath it, startling Fluttershy who turned to look towards the source of the noise; just in time to watch the parchment burst into flames.

“Hey! Oh no no no...Oh, this is bad!”

It wasn’t just writing this time, the entire letter had ignited into a fiery ball, as Fluttershy frantically tried to stop the flames from destroying the parchment. As she furiously tried to stamp the flames out with her hooves, the fiery construct in a panic had raced off towards the burning candle, whimpering. As the flames faded, only a single scrap of parchment remained, the letters still burning bright enough for Fluttershy to read them once more:

Magic is itself, a living creature. An entity that learns and adapts as it encounters new experiences.

Fluttershy’s pulse quickened and her eyes widened as she slowly turned to look at the candle, where two of the larger constructs were seemingly comforting the smaller one; having run back to the candle in...Fear? Wait, it’s just magic, right? It can’t possibly...The Pegasus wasn’t sure what made her do it, but she slowly reached her hoof out towards the magical fire.

To her surprise, The larger of the three, one whose design resembled Celestia herself, rushed in front of the other two, spreading its wings and fiercely glaring at her. Fluttershy blinked in surprise.

Since that night, since losing Angel, she had been unable to communicate her feelings to animals and nature alike. In her mind, she just saw those fiery words now burned into her soul. Magic itself is a living creature. Could I...Just once more. She suddenly had the need to feel that connection, just once more. She whispered hopefully towards the magical fire.

“C-can you understand me?”

In complete shock, Fluttershy froze, her hoof hovering in the air as she watched the construct stamp its hooves and snort derisively before slowly nodding towards her. Is this really happening? Fluttershy still wasn’t sure, maybe it was just a coincidence. She tried once more. I have to know. Can I really...can you really?

“I’m sorry if I startled you, little one.”

The construct’s eyes narrowed even more, while behind its wings the second-largest fiery pony snickered at the comment. Immediately the large one turned to growl at the smaller one. Fluttershy watched as the second largest one spread its own wings and the markings of a crescent-shaped emblazoned on its flank glowed slightly while it snarled back in reply. A strange glow filled Fluttershy’s eyes as she watched them in delight. They really are alive!

She paused. They? No...Not they, it. As she watched the constructs, she noticed the strands tying them together as they moved. Like the strings of puppets and those strings were connected to...a serpent? Fluttershy couldn’t believe it, it was a type of Dragon she had never witnessed before; though small it was long and lanky, colorless as the void. Even so, she could see each individual scales and the cat’s eye the serpent possessed. She studied the creature for a moment, as it moved the constructs like...Marionettes...It’s moving them and making them interact like a filly playing imagine...Are those toys for a child? Wait, is that creature…. Taking a deep breath she addressed it directly, looking at it and speaking softly.

“My name is Fluttershy, what is yours?”

She watched as it skillfully moved the largest construct to speak to her.

“My name is Celestia Sparkle; Nightmare of the Rising Sun. Nice to meet you Fluttershy.”

The precision in which it moved the constructs was startling; down to even the last minute detail, it mirrored the late tyrant’s every mannerism and even mimicked her voice perfectly.

Fluttershy’s eyes twinkled at the display.

“Your dolls are very lovely, but I was asking you what your name was.”

The serpentine-like dragon slowly lifted its eyes to stare into hers; the strings falling away from its claws and the constructs vanishing instantly.

“Can you see me?”

It spoke in a curious tone, one full of cautious surprise. How she knew this, she wasn’t sure as it made no sound, but its words still reached her; almost as though they were speaking directly to her heart.

“I can.”

*Thump*

Its eyes widened.

“So you were the one she spoke of. My name is Solara; better known as Magic of the Rising Sun.”

*Thump*

“Solara? Magic of the Rising Sun?”

Fluttershy froze as a bead of sweat fell down her face. There’s no way…

“ Wait, you mentioned a “she”, you couldn’t possibly mean…”

“Hm? Oh, the Nightmare known as Celestia Sparkle was the only one to ever converse with me.”

“Celestia?”

*Thump-Thump*

“Yes, she used to tell me of a Pegasus who would be able to commune with me and would one day inherit my power; fiercely wielding me in combat as she once did. It's wonderful to finally meet you!”

Fluttershy placed a hoof on her barrel. She could feel it. Her heart was beating. How long had it been? How long since I felt anything? It wasn’t just her heart either, for the first time since that night, she could feel her hooves. Her body was no longer numb as she watched the magic reach out a claw.

Slowly she raised her hoof in response and pressed it against the claw. Searing heat blasted throughout her body as she connected to it, but it didn’t hurt, Fluttershy’s eyes glowed with soft light, as it radiated across her flesh; the heat of the sun, itself. Her heart felt lighter, her tears had finally stopped. She smiled; a genuine smile and the first in a long time.

Nothing could or ever would replace Angel, but now she knew. She knew why Angel had protected her; she finally had the closure she needed. Her heart was ready, ready to start beating again. It was time for her to live, once more.

With eyes that were no longer cloudy, she spoke to the magical entity; a creature only she could tame and perhaps in time, befriend.

“It's wonderful to meet you Solara. Tell me more about you.”

Comments

[Pete100]

10745666
Really? Also, I didn’t see this until now, sorry.

[Pete100]

10752330
I guess, but I was expecting a little bit more.

[Pete100]

Wow. This is a lot to take in.