Last of the Dragonlords: A Good Mare Goes To War Part 1: The Passing of Harmony

by Fluttershy20

Chapter 15

The first sound Fluttershy heard when she awoke was not the cackling of the fire, or of breakfast being cooked. Instead, it was the sound of a single, one-note horn blaring across the Steppes. More sounds flooded her ears in quick succession, jolting her senses to their full capacity. As she listened, she could make out the clanking of plate armour on moving bodies, the rustling of hauberks as their bearers walked, and the continuous thud of thousands of hooves hitting the ground simultaneously.

It was the unnerving sound of an army on the march.

The Dragonlord’s eyes opened up wide in alarm. Her vision was blurry, but quickly cleared, whilst her mind raced with horrendous images of what could be outside. The Grain family were awake, and were huddled together in fear. The children were visibly shaking, whereas the parents were doing their absolute best to remain calm. They were doing a fantastic job so far.

Cadence, Trixie and Spike were still asleep, but were gradually stirring, their ears twitching at the sound of the marching soldiers.

A horn suddenly blared – which sounded as though it were blown right in her ear. The pegasus shot up, and was about to let a screech in surprise, but before she could, a hoof clamped down over her lips, sealing them shut. Fluttershy looked down at the hoof in her mouth, eyes wide in surprise and briefly feared it was the hoof of a soldier from the Royal Guard.

She looked up, and her heart leapt in relief to see the leg belonged to Luna, who pressed her free hoof against her own lips and whispered, “Shh.”

Fluttershy nodded, prompting the older alicorn to take her leg out of the pegasus’s mouth, and wiped it clean of saliva. “Sorry,” she whispered.

Luna nodded, then gestured to the window at the far end of the barn, which faced the road. “Keep an eye out. I’ll wake the others,” she whispered, before walking up to the sleeping ponies.

“Might they see me from the window?” she asked in a hush voice. “I mean, if one of them sees us, then we’re in trouble.”

“I placed a spell on this place,” Luna quietly explained, stopping to look back at her with an assured expression. “An illusion spell. To anypony outside, this place is dark, cold, and empty. They will not give it a second glance. But if one of them decides to look inside…” She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Luna’s look alone conveyed to the Dragonlord that to keep watch was an important job, and one where their very freedom depended upon it.

Fluttershy nodded, then got up and walked towards the window, keeping her hooves light to the floor, and even trying to keep her breathing light, as if ponies would have better hearing than her. Though the worry that this could be their last day of freedom was becoming more prominent in her mind.

One tiny mistake could make all the difference. The land she was in was no longer the kind and loving Equestria she grew up in. But one that was cold, hard, and punished those that were weak. To her, it felt like they were in enemy territory now, especially as they were so close to a place full of ponies that wanted to capture them.

She shook the thoughts from her head. ‘I can’t give in to despair,’ she thought. ‘Nor can I give in to the madness around me.’

She made it to the window, instinctively crouching low. To her ears, it sounded as though the wall was the only thing keeping her and her friends safe from the army marching past them, but in reality, they were over two dozen pony lengths away. Plucking up the courage, she straightened herself to full height, and peered out of the window.

The sound was dreading enough. What she saw was even more terrifying.

Hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers, clustered together in columns of four, as they trotted warily past the farm, and headed west towards Vanhoover. Their bright, golden armour glimmered in the morning sunlight, as did the points of their long spears the soldiers held in their right forelegs. Each column was split up into regiments, and in front of each regiment was a large unicorn, dark grey, carrying a large broadsword at his or her side. Probably a captain of that regiment, Fluttershy believed. And next to that unicorn was a smaller unicorn, white, with a yellow mane and tail, bearing in her magic a large golden banner – the banner of the sun, Princess Celestia’s standard.

Fluttershy’s eyes moved from left to right repeatedly as the soldiers passed by, reminding her of the warrior processions through Cloudsdale when she was just a filly with no knowledge of war. Only this time it wasn’t a pretend march, but an actual military movement in preparation for the war to come. ‘Unless, the war is already happening,’ she thought, a touch of dread sitting in her gut.

She shuddered at the thought. It was obvious from what Barley Grain had told them that the war had already begun with minor skirmishes. It was only a matter of time before the other states that had broken off from Equestria would take up the sword and spear and fight for their independence. She hoped it would not have to come to that. Before the war could even begin and before thousands are lying dead on battlefields across the country, she would come up with a brilliant plan that would stop the catastrophe from even happening.

Yet, even with that wish in her mind, she doubted she would come up with something. ‘I’m not that smart, or so powerful to end a war instantly,’ she thought, sighing. She didn’t want to watch her homeland burn itself to the ground, yet she felt as though she had no other option but to. She felt powerless, and it hurt more than every physical injury she had suffered in the past.

Fluttershy’s right ear flickered when she heard somepony come up alongside her, then looked back to see Luna watching the march with a grim expression across her face. “Where do you think they are all going?” Fluttershy asked, gesturing with her head at the soldiers.

Luna shook her head. “I am not sure. They could be either going to Vanhoover for whatever purpose, or taking the main road to the coast, and then head south to surround Las Pegasus. Either them, or they could be heading further up the road to fortify it and make sure no enemy forces could come through this way.”

Fluttershy paled considerably. “Then… you think the war has already begun?”

Luna’s frown deepened. “I would not be surprised if that is the case, young Dragonlord. From what Barley told us yesterday, it seems most likely that there is at least some fighting taking place as we speak, and that does sadden my heart.” She paused as more soldiers passed them by, some of which the pegasus could see had scars on their necks, or other exposed parts of their bodies. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other, or intimidating each other like this. We should be standing together and fighting the real enemy.” She quickly added, “Whoever that might be.”

Fluttershy looked at Luna oddly, as her mind started to work out what the alicorn was saying. ‘Does she believe me now?’ she wondered hopefully. Though she was relieved if that was the case, she couldn’t help but wonder why Luna changed her mind all of a sudden. What brought it about?

As if she had been reading the pegasus’s mind, Luna looked at her and nodded. “I do believe you were right all along, Fluttershy. My sister is capable of many things. But to do this… it’s below her. She was always the diplomat; I was the warrior. She’s been… altered, in some way, as have your friends. Just wish I knew how.”

Fluttershy cracked a small, half-hearted smile, glad that Luna now saw sense, yet her eyes spoke of her confusion. “Why do you believe me now? Why change your mind all of a sudden?” she asked.

Luna looked at her emotionlessly for a long time, before looking back at the marching columns once more, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the banners. When she was certain Luna wouldn’t reply, Fluttershy leaned forward and placed a hoof on the Princess’s shoulder. “Luna, please, tell me what is it so I can help.” She could see in Luna’s eyes that something terrible nagged at her endlessly; she could always tell somepony was troubled by something.

Luna shook her head nimbly. “Unless you can erase the past and make something that did happen not happen, then there’s nothing you can do to help me.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask what she'd meant, and even ask if they could do something about this, but was interrupted by Spike as he walked up to them. “What’s going on out there?” he asked tiredly.

“Yes, what is going on out there?” Trixie enquired, her eyes narrow and heavy with fatigue as she walked beside the little dragon, yet her voice was louder than Fluttershy would have liked. “Trixie needs her sleep if she has to walk across a large plain today and possibly tomorrow.”

Fluttershy and Luna turned around and whispered, “Shh!” simultaneously. Trixie and Spike gave the two a look of confusion, while Luna and Fluttershy pointed outside the window with a hoof each. “Take a look,” Fluttershy said, crouching down so Spike could jump on her back.

Spike walked up to Fluttershy, and then hauled himself up onto her back. When he saw the army of ponies marching west, he whistled impressively. “Wow. That’s a lot of ponies,” he remarked, his eyes wide with wonder and fear.

“Indeed,” Trixie agreed, trembling ever so noticeably, yet bravely trying to hide it. “How many of them do you think there are?”

“Hard to say,” Luna replied, shrugging. “The Royal Guard is usually split up into battalions of one thousand soldiers each, which are in turn split up in ten cohorts of a hundred ponies in each cohort. But here, it seems as though thousands have gone by.”

“How long have they been passing through?” Cadence asked, coming on the opposite side of Fluttershy.

“They’ve been coming through in the time it has taken for the sun to appear from over the horizon, which was about two hours ago,” Luna replied, much to everyone’s shock. Fluttershy followed Luna’s gaze left to see the long line of troops marching from the horizon. “And still there is no sign of the march ending,” the Night Princess added.

Cadence huffed agitatedly. “Then I guess there’s nothing to do but wait until they pass,” she said as she turned around. “Is anypony hungry? I can make us all some breakfast; it’d be a while before we eat again.”

As if asked, Fluttershy felt her stomach rumble, as if it hadn’t eaten in days. “That would be nice, thank you, Cadence,” she replied softly.

“Thank you, dear Cadence, but I will pass. I am not hungry at the moment,” Luna answered, her eyes never leaving the army as it passed the ruined farm.

Cadence opened her mouth in protest, her eyes betraying her worry for her aunt, but she quickly shut her mouth again, then quietly sighed. “I’ll make some for you in case you change your mind.” With that, she turned around back to their makeshift camp.

Fluttershy returned her attention to the equestrian army, frowning in worry. ‘Maybe Cadence senses something is amiss with Luna, too?’ she pondered. ‘Maybe she knows why?’ She reminded herself to ask Cadence later, then concentrated on the army, looking for any that might decide to look this way.

Thanks to her eyesight, she could see the faces of the ponies going to war, and none of them looked too happy about it. A few faces were devoid of emotion, concentrating on the long road ahead. While others were etched in anger, most looked sullen and sad. It didn’t take a genius to know why. ‘War is a horrible thing, but it’s even worse when you have to fight your own people,’ Fluttershy thought.

“You don’t think we’re in any danger here, do you, Luna?” Spike asked nervously, rubbing his fingers with great nervousness.

“Absolutely not, dear Spike,” Luna replied, sharing with the baby dragon a comforting smile. “I placed an illusion spell around the building. As long as we keep quiet and don’t venture out until they pass us by, then we should be safe enough.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Spike breathed, his nervous shaking ceasing instantly. “I-I wasn’t scared, honest! Just, you know, on edge.”

Fluttershy giggled. “You are so brave, Spike,” she said, then turned back to face the army. Her eyes widened when she saw that the soldiers wearing gold plated armour had gone, yet the army was still on the march. But these ponies that formed the Rear guard were wearing plate armour of darkened steel, with helmets of different shapes and sizes. Some looked like Applejack’s hat, only made of metal. While others were fully enclosed, giving those ponies the appearance of ravens with only a slit where they could see out of.

All of them were armed with different weapons too. One unicorn carried a huge axe in her magic aura. A pegasus carried a long spear, twice as long as those the Royal Guard had, and another, a tall earth pony, carried a sword bracelet, similar in design to her two swords, while strapped to his left leg carried a huge kite-shaped shield.

“Huh, the EUP Guard,” Luna stated, her tone expressing her confusion.

“What’s the EUP Guard?” Fluttershy asked, looking at her.

“I’m not entirely sure myself,” Luna replied. “All I know is that the EUP Guard was formed after I was banished to the moon. My sister feared that our neighbours, which regarded our country with very hungry eyes, could see my banishment as weakness and invade.

“So, the pony platoons were formed. Groups from every city in Equestria were formed into militias, and then regulated and trained by Royal Guard officers. They became a well trained and highly feared fighting force. It was through the EUP that the Wonderbolts were founded.”

Luna looked back at the army, her eyes narrow with both intrigue and discomfort. “They were disbanded after I returned to lead once more. But now my sister has brought them back.”

“Just not to crush her enemies on our boarders,” Spike finished, his voice showing his worry.

The Dragonlord could only shake her head in sadness. “This is all getting out of hoof,” she said. “Just wish we could do something about it.”

Luna patted her on the shoulder. “Me too. And I’m sure when Vidarr reunites with us, we will learn more about our real enemy, and then we can come up with a plan to stop them.”

“I know that, Luna,” Fluttershy responded, “Cadence said near the same thing yesterday. Just wish I could do something to stop it.”

“You’re not the awesome hero in a book,” Luna said comfortingly. “And you are far from immortal. You can die, and someday you will, but please don’t go risking your life right now for a cause you cannot win without spilling blood.

“You are the Element of Kindness. And right now, we need more kindness.” She gestured with a flick of her head towards their company. Fluttershy followed her extended leg to see how they were all doing.

Surprisingly, they were doing rather well. Cadence must have given them a word of assurance, for the Grain family were no longer huddled together in terror, but spread out along the rising fire that Cadence was taking care of, along with the cauldron that breakfast was being cooked hung over it.

Smoke was rising from the cauldron, but before Fluttershy could voice her concerns about such a thing giving away their presence, Cadence’s horn glowed, and a bright blue halo appeared over the top of the cauldron, which evaporated the smoke before it could reach the outside.

Trixie was chatting with the parents of Wheat and Barley, her hooves gesturing extravagantly, talking about her shows and how spectacular they were, no doubt. Grape and Cereal Grain had polite smiles etched on their faces, but even the Dragonlord could tell they weren’t remotely interested in that sort of thing.

But Trixie was doing more than showing off. She was keeping them entertained, distracted from the woes that have befallen them and their country. She was being kind.

“Go and sit by the fire, both of you,” Luna said, interrupting the Dragonlord’s thoughts. “I’ll keep watch.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Come on, Spike, I bet you’re hungry,” she said, turning away from the window. Spike nodded, then rushed over to the fire and sat next to Trixie, who had now stopped talking to the parents.

Fluttershy followed shortly after him, but not before briefly glancing back at Luna to see if she was all right. She couldn’t see the Moon Princesses expression, but her posture was rigid, cold, as though she were deep in thought. But about what?

‘There will be another time to find out,’ her brain reckoned for her, to which she couldn’t argue with, for they still had a long journey before they reached Castilian, and anything can happen even when they get into Horsca.

When she arrived by the fire, she sat down with a plonk, and waited patiently as the Crystal Princess dished out the breakfast to them; a mixed salad with small, crusty rolls and a white, creamy sauce that made Fluttershy’s mouth water at the sight.

“Go-good morning, Fluttershy.”

The pegasus jumped, shooting her head around to stare at Barley, who was standing next to her with a small, bashful smile, averting her gaze. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” She added with a squeaky, “Please don’t be mad at me.”

Fluttershy broke out of her stupor, giggling nervously while a blush of pink adorned her cheeks. “No, no, I’m not mad. You just startled me that’s all.” ‘It takes a lot to startle me these days.’ She looked back at Barley with a warm smile. “You slept okay?”

Barley started to nod, but halfway through nodding started to shake her head. “Started off with a nice dream, but then it became a nightmare. Fled into another dream, but then that became a nightmare. That went on through the night. Sorry if I woke you.”

The Dragonlord shook her head, frowning sympathetically. “No, you didn’t, but you could have done. I don’t mind being up for my friends.” She glanced to her right to see Cadence was beginning to dish up breakfast. She then scooped a bit to the right and gestured next to her. “You can sit next to me, if you’d like?”

Barley nodded appreciatively, and sat down next to her, smiling but looking nervous, too. ‘Guess she’s nervous about going back into Strutford? So am I.’

“Here you go, Barley,” Cadence said, passing a bowl of breakfast over to her with her magic.

Barley grabbed it with her own magic, said, “Thanks,” and began eating.

Cadence then gave breakfast to Barley’s mum, dad and sister, then Trixie and Spike. She finally poured another bowl of breakfast and left it by the side, the sole empty space by the fire. “Here’s a bowl for you, auntie, if you want it,” she called, looking towards Luna.

Luna looked back and shook her head, smiling assuredly. “I’m not hungry, thank you,” she replied. She looked back to watch the soldiers trot past.

Fluttershy sighed annoyingly, her ears falling flat. ‘Why oh why won’t Luna open up to me and tell me what’s bothering her?!’ she yelled in thought. The others might not have seen it – she wished she knew if they did – but clearly Luna was in distress, and there’s one thing the pegasus had learnt after being an element bearer, it was to help others. ‘I will find out the truth before this is over,’ she vowed to herself.

“Fluttershy?” Cadence called. The Dragonlord shot her head around, her thoughts broken, and smiled pleasantly. “Your breakfast is here,” the Princess said, bringing the bowl over to her.

Fluttershy took it with both hooves. “Thank you, Cadence,” she said as she set it in front of her. She looked back at Luna, and started to think deeply about her alicorn friend.

Ever since the daimons attacked them in the Unicorn Range and had separated each of them in the Vale of the Lost, Luna had been acting differently. Not so much to be clearly noticeable, yet enough for Fluttershy to see a change in her. She had isolated herself from the rest of the group, staying silent for a long period of time, and barely eaten anything given to her. Something about the daimons had affected her terribly, and she wanted to know why.

Fluttershy was worried for her, and for the group as a whole. ‘I hope her change doesn’t affect the others as well,’ she thought. She looked back at the others, and watched them closely. Cadence, Trixie and Spike were sitting beside each other, and talking quietly and laughing about something she didn’t know what. But to see them smiling made Fluttershy smile. Even after the daimon attack, after everything that is happening around them, they all still have had time to laugh and smile, and enjoy the presence of each other. ‘If only we all could smile and laugh together,’ she thought, looking back at Luna.

“Something on your mind?” Barley asked beside her.

Fluttershy looked around to see the unicorn staring at her with concern. She noticed Barley’s eyes flick down at the scar under her eye. “Oh, yes, a lot of things,” Fluttershy replied. “But I’ll be fine.”

Barley smiled assuredly. “You nervous about going into Strutford?”

Fluttershy hadn’t really given it much thought until now, other than wondering if the others were nervous. With the fact that they would soon be walking into Strutford in her mind, her belly started to twist in worry, making her appetite for food disappear.

She set her bowl aside and placed a hoof on her belly. What would they find there? A place burnt to the ground and burnt carcasses everywhere like what her old friends had found in Andulusia? Or a city full of soldiers waiting for the call to war? She didn’t know – none of them knew, and that made her stomach twist painfully further.

Barely seemed to sense her worry, and put a calming hoof on her shoulder. It did little to calm her, however. “We will be fine. The Princesses can take out anything against us, and then there’s that dragon, us two unicorns, and yourself. I imagine you can look after yourself, judging by that scar under your eye.” She paused as her hoof slid from Fluttershy’s shoulder, lightly touching part of her marked body. And your back…” she whispered, eyes fixed onto the long pink line etched down her.

The Dragonlord shivered violently at Barley’s touch on that scar, grimacing as though it sent agony down her spine. In an instant, the memories of her fight with Heimdallr and the pain she felt and the time she came very near death flooded back to her.

Barley instantly pulled away from her, looking ashamed of herself. “Sorry,” she muttered, looking back at the cooking pot, a look of sadness on her face.

The pegasus quickly felt shame herself, not only for making Barely feel horrible, but allowing just a simple, friendly touch, bring her darkest memories to the foreground of her mind. And she let it out on a pony who was already afraid and about to travel with a bunch of strangers. Fluttershy quickly brought a hoof up and rubbed Barley’s shoulder in comfort. “It’s okay. Really. It didn’t hurt me, but it just made me… remember,” the Dragonlord explained, her mind still visioning that battle under the lake.

Barley breathed a small sigh of relief. “But how did those scars come to be there in the first place?” she asked as Fluttershy put her hoof back on the ground. “What happened to you after leaving Strutford?”

Fluttershy picked up her breakfast – her appetite returning once more – and scooped up a piece of it with a hoof. “It’s a long story, Barley,” she replied glumly. “I’ll tell you about it later, if you’d like.” She quickly started to eat her food, realising just how hungry she was.

Barley never responded, but just simply ate her breakfast too. As they ate, Fluttershy glanced at everypony, but especially Cadence, who was staring at Luna with worry worn across her features. Cadence suddenly noticed the pegasus staring at her, and hastily looked away, focusing instead on her breakfast, which she hadn’t touched.

She then felt eyes on her, eyes that felt like they were staring into her very soul. She turned her head, just to see Barley look back at the bowl she was eating. The pegasus couldn’t help but half smile. She felt flattered that the unicorn had taken an interest in her, but at the same time, she didn’t want it at all. She had a job to do, and she needed to get everypony with her to safety. And she couldn’t do that without the nagging thought that the pony guiding them into Strutford might see her as more than just a friend, and it would be worse to drag her along without getting it clear.

Taking a deep breath of fresh air to calm her nerves, she set her bowl down and turned to face the unicorn. “So, um, Barley?”

The unicorn looked back at her, attentively. “Yes, hun?”

“Um, I don’t know how to say this without being rude, but, um, do you see yourself in a relationship with me? Cause, well, sorry, but I didn’t want to give any wrong signs away.”

Barley’s eyebrows shot up to the top of her head. Fluttershy mentally prepared herself, her hooves gripping into the dirt. Yet, the unicorn’s expression was one she couldn’t read’ there was quite a lot of surprise there, for sure, and maybe a bit of disappointment, the pegasus couldn’t tell, but for a moment she simply stared at her. The Dragonlord braced herself, fearing the worst.

Then Barley laughed.

Her laugh echoed across the whole building, to the point Fluttershy feared the army outside might have heard her. Thankfully, her laughter quickly died out. “Oh hun, you never ever been flirted with before, have ya?”

Fluttershy’s cheeks went red, and she looked away, pawing at the ground. “Well, no, not really, and never really flirted myself.”

Barely chuckled again. “That wasn’t flirting, hun, that was complimenting.”

‘Aren’t those the same thing?’ Fluttershy mentally asked herself, but dared not voice the question.

“Listen,” Barley continued, “I date mares, have done since I was old enough to understand a date, but I love my job, well, loved my job, that’s over with now, right? If I was to be in a relationship with somepony, it’ll have to be someone super special, and a mare who would love me over her own job. And from what I’ve seen of you, you seem like the kind of mare whose job comes first in life. Am I right?”

Fluttershy wanted to deny that and say no, but deep down, she knew Barley was right. Before she even became a Dragonlord, her duty to looking after the animals came first, always. If there was an illness running through the woods, at the same time Spa Day with Rarity was organised, the treating of the disease came first. Rarity always rubbed if off and simply said how caring she was, even offering to help in the treatment.

‘Maybe that was partly why she abandoned me?’ she wondered. She mentally slapped herself the moment that thought came about. She needed to stop thinking like they are doing this at their own free will. But the thought was still there, latched onto the back of her mind like a flea biting into the body and drinking blood.

“Unless you are interested in a relationship with me?” Barley asked, breaking Fluttershy’s mental battle. Now it was the Dragonlord’s turn for her eyebrow to lift. “I might not say no, but I am a little rusty in that sort of thing.”

Fluttershy stared at her solemnly, then shook her head. “Sorry, Barley, but I’m not interested in a relationship right now.” ‘Maybe never.’

Barley shrugged it off, smiling but looked a bit saddened at the rejection. “It’s all right. As long as we can be friends, right?” She held a hoof up, a hopeful smile on her face.

Fluttershy nodded, smiling fondly, and clapped her hoof against the unicorn’s. “I’d like that, thank you.” The two stared at each other, then the pegasus resumed her eating, feeling much happier that she had that conversation. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. ‘Hope I did the right thing.’

About ten minutes later, she finished the remaining sauce with her hoof, licking it tenderly with her tongue. “That was delicious, Cadence,” she remarked, grinning as she wiped her lips clean.

Cadence blushed and smiled bashfully. “Ah it was nothing,” she said modestly with a wave of her hoof. “If only I had more supplies to make a better meal for us all.”

“Well that would be enough to keep us going for the day, and get us to a safe place,” Grape Vine said, smiling. “Thank you for sharing it with us.”

Cadence looked at him and smiled. “No. Thank you for allowing us to stay here for the night.”

Wheat Grain grinned delightfully. “You’re welcome, Princess Cadence!”

The Princess chuckled. “Please, just Cadence. I am no longer a Princess of Equestria, if Equestria even exists.”

Wheat Grain’s smile faltered a bit. “Well you’re still a Princess to me,” she said, smiling innocently. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile, and neither could Cadence.

They were interrupted when Luna entered with a relieved look on her face. “The last units of the army have just gone past, with the baggage trains close behind,” she stated. “It is time we move on and get into Strutford – I feel we have overstayed our welcome as it is.” She bowed her head to Grape Vine and Cereal Grain, who smiled and thanked them for looking after the place.

Fluttershy, Trixie, Spike and Cadence reluctantly nodded, and started packing away their equipment and putting their weapons back on their sides. “I’ll just be a while,” Barley said, getting up as well. “I will need to say goodbye to my family.”

Luna nodded understandably. “Take your time,” she said kindly, before turning around and heading outside. Cadence, Trixie and Spike quietly said their goodbyes and thank you’s, and subsequently followed Luna outside.

Just before Fluttershy could join them, however, she felt a small prod on her stomach. The pegasus looked down and smiled at Wheat Grain, who looked at her nervously. “Will you take care of my big sister for me?” she asked pleadingly.

Fluttershy scooped her up in a hug. “I promise I will look after her, and make sure she comes home to you safe and sound,” she said, meaning it. ‘Besides, I owe her family for their kindness,’ she thought.

“I hope you do, and if you don’t, I’ll come and find you,” the little filly said, and though it attempted to sound threatening, it sounded more adorable. All the same, it sent the hairs on Fluttershy’s coat stand up on end. Wheat grinned, and then wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy’s neck, not noticing the pale look on the pegasus’s face.

The Dragonlord chuckled nervously, and then patted the filly on the back. “I promise by the sun and the moon, I will get her home.” She set Wheat Grain down, checked her sword bracelets and her wing blades, much to the little filly’s fascination, before getting up, said, “Thank you, all of you, and good luck,” and then trotted out of the open door.

She was greeted by the fresh, cool air caressing her face and back, and a long breath of wind dancing joyfully around her as she walked onto the dried, muddy ground of the ruined farm. She looked up to see a family of common sparrows fluttering around the remains of one of the timbers, cheeping distressingly for the loss of their home. ‘They were lucky to get away from it alive,’ she thought, ears drooping at the sight. A life cannot be so easily re-built as a nest or a house can, a lesson Fluttershy learnt hard two years ago when she became a Dragonlord, and had watched an entire city burn to the ground and its inhabitants slaughtered to a foal.

She looked away from the birds and smiled at her friends, who all smiled at her in greeting and confidence. “Ready to go, all of you?” she asked pleasantly, looking from pony to dragon.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Spike answered as he stretched out his arms, and then his legs one after the other.

Trixie let out a long yawn, and then twisted her neck left then right as she magically altered the strap around her neck, which carried the scabbard holding her sword. “Trixie is ready to roll, too,” she said, nodding.

Cadence looked at both of her sides, making sure she had her sword, bow, and severely depleted quiver of arrows, before nodding satisfactorily at herself. “Me three,” she replied.

Luna just nodded as she shifted weight from her right legs to her left. “And what of you, Barley Grain?” Luna called. Fluttershy shot her head around to see Barley leaving the building with a few tears in her eyes – whether they were from saying goodbye to her family, or because of something else, the pegasus dared not ask.

Their latest companion stopped beside Fluttershy, sniffed back her tears, and nodded. “Yeah, I am ready to go.” She giggled excitedly. “This is so awesome! To be on a grand, exciting adventure with two Princesses, a unicorn, a baby dragon and a pegasus!”

The five companions looked at each other. “If you think this is going to be a grand adventure, then you are in for a nasty surprise,” Luna warned her grimly. Barley seemed to shrink a little under Luna’s warning gaze. Luna’s grim demeanour passed like a shadow, and she smiled at each of her fellow companions. “Well then, come along, everypony, let us make haste while my sister’s sun is shining low.” With that, she looked towards the road and broke into a steady trot. Barley followed close behind, her head low, then Cadence, Spike, Fluttershy and Trixie, until there was a long line of five ponies and one dragon leaving the desolated sanctuary of the farm and onto the main road once more heading eastward.

An hour later, the ruined farm looked so small to the Dragonlord, she could mistake it for a model. To her left, the Crystal Mountains were still in the far distance, yet looked as though they were getting closer and closer with every hoof step she took further eastward. To her right, the Unicorn Range, though far away, looked as though they were coming closer and closer as well. ‘It’s as if the two mountains ranges are trying to pen us in,’ Fluttershy mused as she looked from left to right.

She looked to the right of the Crystal Mountains, and thanks to her eyesight, could make out the bright star-like light that shone from the top of the Crystal Palace. ‘The Crystal Empire is over there. So close, and yet so far.’ She looked ahead to Cadence, and saw her looking in its direction with eyes filled with sorrow. It made the pegasus want to jump her in a hug and tell her everything would be fine – sooner or later.

It suddenly dawned on Fluttershy the mental note she made herself earlier while watching the army on the move. ‘Ask Cadence if she knows what’s troubling Luna.’ Luna might have been absent for most of Cadence’s early life, but the two have been close ever since Luna’s return, least that’s what she thought. Surely the younger alicorn would know something about Luna’s past, a part that Luna would prefer hidden.

Plus, Luna had once again moved far ahead of the group, looking out for any potential threats to their movements, no doubt, but an opportunity like this one couldn’t be avoided.

Fluttershy cantered up to the other winged unicorn, and slowed down as she found herself beside the Princess. Cadence glanced down at her for a second, before smiling in greeting and looking up at the small spec that was the Crystal Empire. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked.

Fluttershy followed Cadence’s gaze to the Empire, and nodded agreeably. “Oh yes. It is a beautiful place. Maybe when this is all over and my name has been cleared, I’ll go and spend a weekend to myself there. I would love to see the little crystal ewes again.” She looked up at Cadence with a questioning look. “Do you miss it?”

Cadence looked down at her as if she was stupid. “Of course, I miss it, Fluttershy. Even now, my heart yearns to be back within the sanctity of the Crystal Castle and in the embrace of my husband.” She sighed and bowed her head. Fluttershy took to the air for a moment to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder. “I really miss him most of all.”

“I know,” Fluttershy said, nodding.

“I miss his comforting embrace, I miss his voice, I miss his firm body against mine as we made lo–” Cadence was cut off from her rant by Fluttershy throwing a hoof into her mouth.

“Um, as sweet and romantic as that sounds, I really don’t want to know what you both got up to together,” Fluttershy said, a fierce blush on her face as images flooded her head she could not rid herself of.

Cadence blushed as she realised how far she was going with her details. She nodded, giving Fluttershy a reason to pull her hoof out. “Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly. “I tend to ramble when I go on about something.” She shook her head rapidly, then turned back to smile at Fluttershy, who fluttered back to the ground to walk alongside her. “What is it you wanted to talk about anyway?”

Fluttershy looked surprised. “How did you know I wanted to talk to you about something?”

“I saw it in your eyes,” Cadence replied. “You make it look pretty obvious, Fluttershy, in your eyes, your facial expressions, all of it. So, what is it?”

Fluttershy shot out of her surprise with a quick shake of her head. “Oh, um, of course. I was wondering of we could talk about something involving a certain somepony.” She emphasised by pointing directly at the pony at the front of the group.

“Who? Barley?” Cadence asked, tilting her head.

“No, Luna,” Fluttershy replied.

“Oh, yes, of course, why didn’t you say so in the first place? Let’s slow down and hold back a bit till we’re out of earshot,” Cadence suggested. Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and together the two ponies slowed down and quietly watched Spike and Trixie walk past them. They didn’t notice the two ponies slow down, for they were too busy cheerfully talking and getting to know each other better.

“Right, I think we slowed down far enough,” Cadence said, noticing how far the rest of their little group was. “Tell me, Fluttershy, what is it that’s bothering you?”

Fluttershy looked ahead for a second, making sure Luna wouldn’t suddenly turn around and look back. When she was sure the Princess wouldn’t, Fluttershy looked up at Cadence and asked, “Do you know what’s been bothering Luna lately?”

Cadence glanced up at Luna for a tick, then back at Fluttershy with an odd look. “What do you mean?”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “Haven’t you noticed how, um… separate Luna’s become lately? How she seems lost in her own mind, and sometimes looking as though she is about to cry?”

Cadence looked to the sky and drew out her bottom lip as she pondered Fluttershy’s words. “Now that you mention it,” Cadence said eventually, “I think I did hear her burst into tears last night.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I did as well. Just before I fell asleep, I swear I heard her sniffling back tears.” She sighed and dipped her head a little. “Do you know what’s wrong with her?”

Cadence shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid I don’t, Fluttershy.” Her eyes widened as she thought of something. “You talked to her alone last night, right?” Fluttershy nodded warily. “Did you unintentionally say something that might have caused a change in Luna?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to retort, but quickly stopped herself when she realised Cadence was right. “I just asked her about her first lover, that’s all. I didn’t mean to upset her.”

The pegasus looked up and noticed Cadence go pale. “You asked Luna about Re?” she enquired.

Fluttershy nodded fearfully, fully expecting the alicorn to shout at her. “Shouldn’t I have?”

Cadence pulled back and shook her head. “I know you didn’t know about it, so don’t blame yourself for bringing this about. But yes, nopony talks about Re to Luna, or asks her about him, less you want to leave her presence with a heavy heart.”

Fluttershy looked back at Luna with sad eyes. “But why? Did something happen between them?”

Cadence shrugged in response. “I don’t know what exactly happened. You see, before I had the chance to meet Luna, Celestia came to me and, knowing how curious I can be on matters of the heart, warned me to never talk to Luna about her lovers, especially Re. I asked why, but she never told me anything else. Whatever it was, I can only say it must have been pretty bad.”

Fluttershy threw her a look that said, “Well observed, mistress of the obvious,” and then looked ahead at Luna with sullen eyes. “Do you think it might have been something to do with the daimons?” Fluttershy queried, making Cadence’s eyes widen in horror at the mention of the foul beasts. “She only started to act differently after they attacked us.”

Again, Cadence shrugged, this time lowering her head. “I don’t know, Fluttershy. It might have been, if that was when she started to act a bit differently.”

The Dragonlord nodded in agreement. “You said yourself you have never seen Luna go as pale as she did when they emerged for the first time,” she said. She rubbed her chin in thought. “Something must have happened with her and Re involving them in some way. If something did then it could be important to what’s going on around here.”

Cadence looked down at her in surprise. “You think the daimons and Equestria’s change are related.”

Fluttershy eyes locked onto the Crystal Princess’s own and nodded. “In someway, yes. Why else would Luna bring up Re just after the daimon attack?” she wondered. She sighed once more and looked at the ground. “I want to help her, Cadence. I want her to let it out and share her pain with me.”

“We all do,” Cadence said in an understanding tone. “But Luna is a stubborn pony, and strong hearted. She won’t tell anypony what’s bothering her, except maybe to those she trusts the most. And no, that doesn’t count me, believe it or not.”

Fluttershy nodded knowingly, understanding what she had to do. ‘I’m just going to have to win her full trust,’ she thought. She didn’t know how she was going to do that, since she thought she had won her trust already with getting them as far as they have gone. ‘She must trust me. Just not enough to tell me what’s wrong,’ she reckoned. She quickly made it her mission to win over Luna’s trust completely, and get her to release her pain.

She was brought out of her head once more when she heard raised voices just ahead. The Dragonlord looked up, and sighed when she saw Trixie and Spike arguing about something she couldn’t make out. ‘I knew it was too good to be true,’ she thought sadly. “Thanks for listening to me, Cadence,” Fluttershy said, smiling warmly at her.

Cadence smiled in return. “It was a pleasure, my dear,” she said kindly. She gestured with her head at the two that were bickering like a married couple. “Now go and see what their problem is.”

Fluttershy nodded, and then broke into a canter to catch up to them. “Okay, okay, would you please stop shouting at each other now?” Fluttershy asked patiently when she found herself between them.

Spike and Trixie turned their heads around at once and looked at Fluttershy with creepy eyes, which startled the pegasus a little. “Ah, just the mare I wanted to see,” Trixie said joyfully. “Now, Fluttershy, please help me put some sense into this blind fool.”

“Blind? Who are you calling blind?” Spike demanded angrily. “I think you need to get your eyes checked and also take a good nap to clear your head.”

Trixie looked set to rebuke, but before she could, Fluttershy barged her way between them and glared at them into silence. “Now what is the problem here?” Fluttershy asked, looking from pony to dragon.

Spike pointed an accusing hoof at Trixie. “I want you, to tell her, that Dragon Comics are the best comic books on Terra,” he said.

“And I want you to knock some sense into him, and tell him that Dark Horse Comics are the best,” Trixie said, glaring at Spike with narrow eyes.

Fluttershy could only stare at them both with a blank face and wide eyes. “You two… were just arguing, over comic books?” she asked incredulously.

Trixie and Spike nodded collectively. “Of course,” Spike replied. A great silence fell between the group, with only the sounds of their hooves pressing into the ground and kicking up the dirt as they moved.

At first, all that came out of Fluttershy’s mouth was snorts and sniggers, but they quickly turned into giggles, which turned into full fits of laughter just as fast. Soon, tears ran down the pegasus’s cheeks as she couldn’t contain her laughter anymore. Out of all the things she thought would happen between them two, this was something she didn’t predict, and to her mind, it was hilarious.

“What is so funny about this?” Trixie asked. “This is a serious situation I am dealing with here.” The statement only made Fluttershy laugh harder.

“Indeed,” Spike concurred, “the honour of my comic collection back home depends on this.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath to calm herself down, and looked at them both with a wide smile and delighted eyes. “It’s just that you both are bickering over nothing like old friends would,” she giggled. She wiped her eyes. “You both remind me of Rainbow Dash and Twilight when they argued over which Daring Do book was the best one, and that happened a lot.” She paused for a second to clear her throat, not noticing their sheepish grins. “For the record, though, I wouldn’t go for either of those two.”

Spike and Trixie looked at each other, then back to Fluttershy. “Blasphemy!” Trixie yelled. “How can you not pick Dark Horse Comics?”

“I’m surprised you can, to be honest,” Cadence said as she joined them, smirking. “Aren’t you a bit old to be reading comic books?”

Trixie looked offended. “Hmph, I might be twenty-seven, but one can never be too old for comic books,” she said. “It’s like saying you can never have candy anymore because you are an adult, which is a total lie. I bet you liked comic books when you were younger, Cadence.”

The Princess shook her head. “Oh no, I was never into that sort of thing. Many of my friends were, though, back in school, and I know my husband was a bit of a geek when it came to comics; he had a whole collection I noticed when I had to foalsit Twilight one time. But they weren’t for me. I was into cheesy romance novels and stories where animals talked like they were us. I could never imagine a world where animals speak.”

“Um, I can,” Fluttershy said quietly, raising a hoof to make the point. “My special talent is to communicate with animals. I can understand them all without problem.”

It didn’t look as though they heard her, though. “Oh, really?” Spike said to something Trixie whispered under her breath. “So, you think Black Snooty’s quest for vengeance on the criminal underworld is better written than The Power Ponies constant battle against evil?”

“They’re the same thing!” Trixie yelled, thrusting a hoof out. “They are quite literally the same story, with some minor changes. Even their origin stories are similar! It just shows that Dragon Comics are a bunch of copy-cats.” She turned back to Fluttershy, who silently wished she could get away now. “So what comic company do you think is the best?”

Fluttershy’s wings twitched agitatedly at her sides. “Well, I may not read comics anymore, but I always will remember one comic series from what I used to read as a filly. You all might know them actually. They were called–”

“Fluttershy!” Luna shouted, looking over her shoulder. “I need you with me!”

The Dragonlord jumped at the sound of Luna’s harsh voice. She quickly recovered and gave her friends a sheepish grin. “Sorry, seems I’m needed elsewhere. I hope you two find a peaceful agreement,” she said, before galloping away from the bickering group and towards Luna and Barley, who were talking in lowered voices.

Fluttershy soon found herself level with Luna, and looked up. “What is it, Luna?” she enquired, wondering to herself what the Princess wanted. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of something. ‘What if she heard me and Cadence talking about her?’ She mentally prepared herself for another yelling.

Instead of a yelling, Luna simply pointed further ahead. “I believe I can just make out Strutford’s city hall from here. Since you have been there before, I thought I could have a third opinion.”

Fluttershy put a foreleg above her eyes to block out the sun, and looked ahead with wide eyes. After a while of listening to the wind blowing around her, and the bickering couple behind her, she could just make out, on the edge of the horizon, the spire that sat at the top of the large white structure with a domed roof.

Fluttershy set her leg back down and looked up at Luna, grinning. “Yes, I believe that is Strutford’s city hall.”

“Then that means we are at least an hour away at best,” Barley said. “If we are lucky, we can get inside by midday.”

“Oh, I hope so,” Luna said, sighing. “The sooner we’re in Horsca, the better I will feel.” With that, she quickened her strides and walked ahead, leaving Fluttershy with Barley.

Fluttershy gave a small smile at Barley, and noticed as they walked a slight tremor through the unicorn’s body. “Are you nervous?” she asked.

Barley nodded, her shivering becoming more apparent than before. “Gosh, yes, so terrified about going back into that hell,” she replied, sounding relieved she can talk about it. “The last time I saw that place it felt like the entire city was burning. I’m terrified that we go in there, and all we’d see are my friends lying dead on the roads. Ponies that I’ve known for ages, gone like that, ya know?” She sighed, staring towards the road. “I wish I could be as brave as you.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m terrified, too. I’m scared about many things, Barley, but I’ve since been better about hiding it.” ‘Especially as a leader, I’ll have to be brave in front of everypony, or else they too will be scared.’

Barley looked impressed, but nevertheless shook her head. “You’re still braver than I. I’ll be trying to stay out of a fight rather than face anypony.”

Fluttershy stared back at her, a look of comfort on her face. “I don’t blame you, but if you want to learn to defend yourself, I can teach you sometime.”

Barley looked surprised at first, but smiled. “I’d like that a lot, thanks. Sounds like I’m gonna need to learn that sort of thing if I wanna stay with you guys.” She eyed the pegasus next to her. “So, wanna tell me what happened to you after you left me at Strutford.”

Fluttershy perked up a bit at the thought of telling the mare her story. She had promised the unicorn about what happened, after all, and wasn’t one to talk out of promises. “Sure,” she said, though her voice betrayed her reluctance. “I’ll tell you everything.”

Barley grinned and pinned her ears up to listen. With her audience listening intently, Fluttershy began to tell the unicorn how she became a Dragonlord and how she acquired the scars in battle.

---

Forty-five minutes later, the five ponies and one dragon moved off the main road and headed northwards at Barley’s directions into large woodland that covered the southwestern outskirts of the city of Strutford.

Fluttershy started to feel intimidated by the high trees around and above them. They looked as though the daimons of Tartarus had possessed and corrupted them to evil. Their bark was a bright brown colour, their leaves were turning brownish, and bits of branches littered the ground from where they had fallen off the trees.

“A disease hit these woods years ago,” Barley explained sadly as she made her way back to Fluttershy’s side. “Right now, they’re rotting away the trees and making everything in this wood decay and die.”

Fluttershy’s ears folded in sorrow. “Is there anything that can be done to help them?” she asked.

Barley shrugged. “Loads of things have been tried to combat the disease and stop it, but nothing had worked so far; if anything, the disease has accelerated its spread over the woods.”

Fluttershy sighed sadly, then looked up at a branch and watched as a raven sat on its perch, ripping chunks out of its small meal with its beak. Fluttershy grimaced in disgust, and looked back at Barley, who looked away from her with an expression of shame. ‘Probably thinks I’m a little upset after the way she reacted to my story,’ she thought.

Once she had finished the story half an hour after starting it, it had taken another ten minutes for Fluttershy to convince the unicorn it was the truth. Even after that, she still didn’t believe her. “That sounds ridiculous!” she exclaimed. “Utterly ridiculous!” Before she could shout out any more denials, Luna called her up front for directions. The unicorn quickly complied and galloped up to her, leaving Fluttershy looking bewildered.

“I’m… I’m sorry about how I reacted to your story,” Barley said suddenly, bowing her head. “I thought that sort of thing could only happen in stories or fairy-tales. I could never believe that something like what you went through actually happened.”

Fluttershy smiled kindly. “It’s okay, Barley. I would have reacted the same way if you ran up to me and told me you were killed by dragon fire.”

Barely smiled gratefully. “Thanks, but I doubt you would have.” Her smile wavered. “But that must have felt terrible, having your back slashed open like that. You’re pretty lucky to be alive.”

“Heimdallr purposely slashed me like that knowing that I would live,” Fluttershy said grimly. “He wanted me to experience as much pain as possible, before the end. Unfortunately for him, I had a reason to keep going and keep fighting.”

Barley nodded. “Yes, I know, you mentioned your friends’ involvement several times.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Did I?” Barely nodded once more. “Oh… oh dear, sorry, I didn’t mean to. I tend to repeat myself sometimes.” She looked at the ground again.

Barley merely chuckled in response. “Don’t worry, I tend to repeat myself at times, too. I got so used to being the last mare to close up the pub, I always end up talking to myself or repeating myself. Sure, a lot of ponies do.” She chuckled again, then looked back at Fluttershy. “And you’ve been preparing yourself for something like this for the last two years?”

The Dragonlord nodded, her frown deep. “I thought it was best. So did my friends. They all said that I should be ready in case they… in case they couldn’t be with me.” She sighed solemnly. “I didn’t believe that I would be doing this alone.”

Barley chuckled, then before the pegasus could respond, the unicorn comfortingly rubbed her head against Fluttershy’s. “But you’re not alone, are you? You have us! I doubt any of the others would leave you. I certainly won’t.”

Fluttershy blushed at the touch, and even more at the kindness Barley was given her. “Thank you… um… hun.” Fluttershy bit her bottom lip and looked away, a wash of embarrassment flooding over her.

Barley giggled as the Dragonlord felt her cheeks go from red to crimson. “Oh, Fluttershy, you really are just adorable.” That just caused the pegasus to blush even harder. “I can totally understand why you haven’t been lucky with guys or girls. Though that shouldn’t be a problem for you. Say, when this over, I’ll teach you how to flirt with other ponies? How about it?”

Before Fluttershy could respond, Luna called from somewhere in the woods ahead of them, “Barley, I need you over here!”

“Be there in a moment!” the brown unicorn responded. “I’ll speak to you in a bit,” she said to Fluttershy before galloping in the direction of Luna’s voice.

Fluttershy nodded in her direction, then began trotting after them, taking a moment to look sadly at the dying trees around her. To her, it felt like a metaphor to Equestria and the situation around her. The things she loved was dying, and it felt like there was nothing she could do about it.

Later, she caught up with the others, and stared ahead of her. Hidden by the woods was a large lake of nightly blue water with star-like twinkles floating along the calm water thanks to the sun’s light. On the far side of the lake was a huge wall of mud and grass, about as tall as the highest tower, on top of which rested the outer walls of the city. ‘The perfect defence,’ she thought. Opposite them was a small hole in the mound, open like a mouth swallowing water. Fluttershy could not see how far it went, as it disappeared into the darkness.

Fluttershy took a deep breath in an attempt to stop her nerves from fraying anymore, and prevent her from starting to shake. “We have to go in there?” she asked, hoping the fear she felt wasn’t obvious in her voice. She was not usually scared of caves, but not knowing what could be on the other side did tend to put a bout of dread into her.

“Uh huh,” Barley answered, nodding over her shoulder. “And we’re gonna have to swim it as well, hun. Don’t worry; it’s not too far of a swim. Can everybody here swim, by the way?”

Everyone collectively nodded. “Excellent,” Barley said, grinning. “Now who shall lead the way?”

Everyone turned their heads to Fluttershy, who shrank into herself at their gaze. “Well, yes, okay, I should do it since I am the leader and all. But, would it be more practical to have a unicorn that knows an illumination spell light the way forward?”

She watched how everyone’s expression turned thoughtful in a heartbeat. “You make a good point, dear Fluttershy,” Luna said, rubbing her chin. “Very well, I shall be right behind you with my illumination spell.” Fluttershy’s eyes bulged in fright. “Do not fret, Dragonlord, it should be enough to light the whole way.”

Fluttershy felt tense, but nodded. ‘Everypony is counting on me.’ “Okay,” she squeaked, breaking into a trot. “I’ll go first.”

Luna grinned for her, and stretched out a leg and pointed into the cave. “Then proceed, and know we will be right behind you,” she said amiably.

Luna’s words worked their way right to her heart. ‘She is right, so long as they are behind me, no harm can come to me.’ Fluttershy stopped by the edge of the lake, puffed out her chest, and with a deep intake of air, she leapt in.

It was a move she would regret for the rest of her life.

She screamed when she emerged above the waterline again. “The water’s f-f-f-fre-eezin-ing!” she rattled, her teeth chomping together even as she felt her body attempt to warm her up.

“It will be, it is still morning and the sun hasn’t been out for long,” Barley replied. “Just stay calm, keep swimming and you should be all right!”

Fluttershy looked back, nodded, and began to briskly swim across the lake and towards the cave. ‘Okay, Fluttershy, just ignore the cold and keep going. Don’t let it get to you,’ she told herself. Yet, that was harder than it sounded. The water felt like it was freezing her legs in place, and wanting to pull her under. ‘Keep going; don’t let the water stop you. Keep going, don’t let it make you its prey.’

She glanced back when she heard the sound of hooves splashing into the water, and watched as Luna walked in. She could not help to grin when she saw Luna’s pupils shrank in shock from the cold water as she waded further in. “Yo-you weren’t wrong when you said this was f-free-freezing!” she called, trying her best not to let her teeth rattle together.

“You’ll get used to it!” Fluttershy called back kindly. She looked ahead again and continued to swim. She heard the others jumping or walking into the water behind her, and screaming out as the chilly liquid touched their bodies.

Soon, she found herself between the jaws of the cave, and its shadow looming over her. She gulped down the lump in her throat as the world started to darken around her. ‘I really hope there isn’t any guards down at the other end,’ she thought. ‘Or worse, a creature that’s very hungry and would like five ponies and a baby dragon for a meal.’ She looked back and did a quick body count, including herself. ‘Yes, six of us.’

She felt her eyes bulge in shock even as she continued to swim. Six friends, including herself. Five companions for her to travel with and befriend that had come together through circumstance, much like her first five friends the night of Nightmare Moon’s return. Her heart twisted agonisingly as she thought about it. Did that make them just replacements for her other friends?

She failed to answer her own question when the cave ahead lit up in a dim light, startling the pegasus. She looked back to see Luna right behind her, just as she promised like any true friend would. Just as she saw Luna, her answer was given to her. ‘They are my friends,’ she thought, a smile growing on her face. ‘Even when we go our separate ways once this is over, they will always have a place in my heart.’

“Is something the matter, Fluttershy?” Luna queried concernedly.

Fluttershy shook her head. “Nothing,” she replied. “I’m just so happy I can count you all as friends.” Before Luna could reply, Fluttershy spun back around and continued to paddle through the tunnel.

A few minutes later, passing glittering walls and strangely shaped rocks, Fluttershy found herself in the end chamber. The walls were rough, as they should be, and shimmered in Luna’s light. On the far side, there were the fractured ruins of a wooden quay, and next to it was another quay that sloped down into the water.

It was perfect for a ramp to get out. “Everypo– I mean, everyone, there’s a ramp we can use to get out,” she called back to the others. She swam briskly towards it, and upon reaching jumped out and galloped along it until she came across a flat area with old sacks, trunks, chests and barrels.

She shook off the excess water staining her coat, and giggled at herself when she saw how fluffy her coat looked afterwards. ‘Any more and I’ll be a great ball of fluff,’ she thought. She looked up and smiled when Luna appeared, dripping wet, even her flowing star-lit mane, which was surprising.

Luna shook her body dry – forcing Fluttershy to jump out of the way to avoid being soaked again – and then looked around curiously at the different assortment of luggage holders. “Strange that a load of these things are down here.”

“That’s because this used to be a smuggling cave,” Barley answered as she walked up to them, trembling a little. “A few hundred years ago, a smuggling ring used to bring goods through here to the warehouses near the main road bridge over the river. Provided that the bridge isn’t guarded, or hasn’t been blown up, we could use that to get across the river.” She looked back at the others, who all waded out of the water, shivering and rattling their teeth together. “Unless you all would like another swim?”

“No, no,” Trixie called as she emerged from the water, “Trixie has had enough swimming for one day.” The others nodded in agreement.

“Can we just go through there now, please?” Spike pleaded, pointing left to the thin passageway that went into the darkness while rubbing his scaled to keep warm. Without hesitation, Fluttershy wrapped a wing around him, making him warm almost instantly.

“Certainly, Spike,” Luna replied, sniggering. She turned to Barley. “Where does that lead?”

“To the storage warehouses where we keep stock for the winter,” Barley replied. “It was the perfect place for smugglers to carry their stock through without being seen.”

“And you say it is next to the main road bridge?” Cadence asked.

Barley looked at her and nodded. “Provided the Guards didn’t destroy it when they trashed the city, yes,” she answered.

“Then let us pray we have access to that bridge, and a ship,” Luna said, before turning around and leading the way with her light. Cadence followed close behind, followed by Spike, and then Trixie.

Barley and Fluttershy looked at each other, and then said at once, “After you.” The two ponies looked at each other for a moment, and then laughed at their awkwardness.

“I insist, after you,” Barley said once they had stopped, gesturing with a hoof for Fluttershy to enter.

“Oh, no, by all means, you first,” Fluttershy insisted, grinning widely.

Much to Fluttershy’s relief, Barley Grain relented. “Okay, but eyes front, soldier,” she said jokingly with a wink, before trotting ahead to catch up with the others.

The Dragonlord could only shake her head. ‘That mare just loves teasing me,’ she thought. ‘Just like Rainbow Dash used to.’

At the end of the passage was a small flight of wooden stairs leading up to a hatch with a chain along it, and a small chain attached to that hanging loosely from it. “I take it we pull that down and it opens up?” Spike ventured, looking ready to open it up.

Luna looked at him, and smiled. “By all means, dear Spike, open it up,” she said.

Spike grinned eagerly, then ran up the stairs, and pulled the chain down. With a creaking sound like Granny Smith when she got out of bed, the door came down, and the remaining half of the ladder attached itself to the rest.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Trixie questioned, grinning. “Let’s get up there!” Before anypony could protest, she galloped up the stairs and disappeared.

“Once more into the breach, dear friends!” Luna declared, grinning as she clambered up the stairs.

“Only she could quote something from Play Wright,” Cadence said absently, shaking her head. “She might even say she got him to put that in.”

Fluttershy chuckled as she watched Cadence head up the stairs. For all she knew, Luna might have had actually had a part to play for that quote. She shook her head, and sauntered up the stairs with a smile on her face.

Only to feel it shatter in horror as she found herself staring at fifteen or more ponies, who were all sitting around and having a drink. They stopped and turned to face the six companions with a mix of fear, surprise, and hate.

“Eep,” Fluttershy squeaked fearfully as the two groups stared at each other for what felt like an age. A dozen of the ponies were unicorns, and were armed with large broadswords strapped to their sides. The remaining ponies were a mix of pegasi and earth ponies, each armed with spears and sword bracelets on their legs, and all were armoured in the golden plating of the Royal Guard.

The large warehouse quickly turned colder than the Frozen North. For a long while, nopony did nothing, except grip their weapons tighter, either in their scabbards or their hooves. Spike inched his way back to Fluttershy’s side, shivering in fright, while the pegasus stared at them remorsefully in the knowledge of what was about to happen. ‘We can’t go back. We can only go forward.’ She brought herself into a pouncing crouch as she prepared herself to fight.

“Get them!” one unicorn from the back shouted, pointing at the group. “Princess Celestia wants them alive!” Before he could loosen his sword from his scabbard, Luna fired a bolt of energy at him and sent him flying into the wall behind him. He collapsed to the ground without a sound.

Everything exploded into chaos. The remaining eleven unicorns fired bolts of magic at them, forcing the six to duck and dodge. “Scatter!” Luna cried as a bolt flew over her head. She flicked her head up, fired another bolt, and sent another pony somersaulting backwards before landing on his back unconscious. Cadence fired a bolt of magic of her own, which grazed the shoulder of a pegasus taking to the air.

Fluttershy guided Spike into the far-right corner, barely missing another shot of magic as it whisked over her back. “Stay here, and keep down!” Fluttershy ordered.

“But I want to help you!” Spike protested, ducking as another shot missed them.

“You can help by staying out of harm’s way!” Fluttershy persisted. “Barley, look after him!” Before she could get the unicorn’s response, she turned around to enter the fray, and ducked instinctively as a hoof shot out towards her from an earth pony. She grabbed and coiled her left leg around his outstretched leg, and placed her other hoof on the earth pony’s head. “I’m so sorry about this,” she said, before smashing his head into the nearby wall and knocking him out. Behind her, Spike cringed as the pony fell to the floor.

She sighed regretfully as she looked at the body of the pony, and then looked up and around. Luna and Cadence were busy in a magic firefight with several unicorns hiding behind a table. Trixie fended off another unicorn with her short sword, parrying it out of the way before kicking him across the room. Fluttershy grimaced as the pony’s eyes went tearful in pain, and then he collapsed to the ground.

She looked up and saw a pegasus hovering in the air, preparing to throw his spear like a javelin at Luna. Fluttershy took to the air faster than she was used to, and caught the spear just as the pony threw it. She snapped the end off and threw to the ground, staring at the pegasus with a blank look.

The other pegasus narrowed his eyes, raised his right leg and brought out his leg blade. Fluttershy responded by bringing out Drage Bane and Firewing, and waited for him to make the first move.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long. The pegasus charged her with his sword stretched out and ready to skewer her. Fluttershy waited until the last second, and then ducked, with the other pegasus’s sword missing her by inches. The pegasus turned around and swung low. Fluttershy countered by deflecting it down with Drage Bane, and slashing with Firewing. The blow hit the pony’s armour on the shoulder, yet did nothing except dent it, as the Dragonlord hoped it would do.

The pegasus grunted in anger, and head butted Fluttershy in the face. Fluttershy screamed out and fluttered backward, disorientated from the blow. She shook her head to clear her dizziness, and was surprised to see the pony still floating where he was. ‘The fool,’ she thought. ‘He should have ended this while he had the chance.’

She rapidly charged forward, and noticed the pegasus bracing himself to take the impact. She smirked; she had him where she wanted him. At the last second before smashing into the guard, Fluttershy stopped and then dived just below him. Before the pony could counter her move, she shot up and punched him hard in the stomach. “Sorry,” she whispered. With a regretful look in her eyes, she spun around the winded pegasus until she was above him, and with a hard thrust of her hind legs and a grunt from her lips, kicked him into the ground.

Fluttershy sighed in relief when she saw the pony was still breathing, but he would probably have a few ribs broken. She looked back to the rest of the fight, and saw Luna and Cadence nod to each other, and then at once they fired another volley of magic. This time, the table, and those behind it, did not stand a chance. Their beams hit the table at once, and caused it to explode, hurtling the four ponies behind it into the air. They hit the ground at once. After a moment, two got back up, while the other two did not. Cadence and Luna drew their swords and charged the two remaining unicorns, who drew their own swords and met the two alicorns’ blades.

Fluttershy turned from their fight and watched as Trixie deflected another sword swing with her own sword, and then kicked the unicorn owning it in the chest, winding him. She quickly reared up, placed her forehooves on the top of his head, and slammed his head into the ground.

Fluttershy watched the fight mournfully. ‘Why couldn’t we all learn a better way?’ she wondered. She sighed and floated gently back to the ground. Just as she felt her hooves touch the floor, they left it quickly again as she felt hard hooves contact her side hard. She cried out in pain as she smashed into the wall, her side throbbing with pain as she hit the ground. She looked up and watched as a unicorn advanced towards her with a hoof raised and ready to bring her down.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in fear, and then started getting up to face this pony. Before she could get halfway up, a large rock hit the pony in the face and sent him to the ground before he could even scream in pain. Fluttershy looked left and her eyes widened when she saw Spike clutching another rock in his claw, his face boiling with rage and looking ready to throw one at another.

Yet, there were no more opponents to face. Luna froze the last one in a block of ice before he could strike down Barley, who was lying on the ground with her eyes wide in fear, and a bleeding lip. The rest were knocked out and sprawled across the warehouse floor; some were bleeding from small sword cuts, yet they were survivable. Fluttershy wiped her brow with a sweep of her hoof. ‘At least nopony died here today,’ she thought with relief.

Cadence sighed heavily in relief and collapsed onto her haunches, her chest heaving as she looked around her. “Everyone okay?” she called.

“I’m fine, I think,” Fluttershy responded as she walked over to Spike, who stood frozen in place with a dazed look on his face. “Spike? You can put the rock down now. It’s over,” she said gently.

Spike broke out of his daze, and let the rock slip through his loosening fingers. “Whoa,” he said, shaking his head as though he just came out of a trance. “Did I… did I kill him?”

Fluttershy looked back, and saw with relief the pony was breathing slowly. “He’s just knocked out,” she replied. “He’ll be fine.” She turned back to look Spike with a small glare. “I appreciate what you did for me, Spike, but don’t ever risk yourself like that ever again. What if you get hurt?”

Spike stared at her in disbelief. “But he would have hurt you! Would you rather him hurt you than me?”

“I would rather he hurt me than hurt you, though”

“But that goes both ways,” Spike retorted, lifting two fingers on his claws. “You don’t get to decide who gets hurt and who doesn’t. And you certainly can’t be everywhere at once to look after me. And I cannot be stuck in the back while everyone else does the work; we all need to work together, do we not?”

Fluttershy wanted to raise a point, to counter Spike’s point. But she couldn’t think of anything to say. All her mind was telling her was that Spike was right. She’d seen him go through so much, without the protection of anypony. And was brave enough to meet dangers headlong without any aid.

She bowed her head and sighed, but before she could apologise to him, Trixie called. “Spike?” In an instant, Spike swung his head to see her, standing over Barley, who was rubbing her leg where a bruise was beginning to come up. With haste, Spike rushed over to Trixie and Barley, barely avoiding Luna, who looked at the Dragonlord with concern.

“You all right, Fluttershy? That was a nasty kick.”

Fluttershy raised a hoof assuredly. “Yes, I’ll be all right,” she answered. She looked at Spike, who moved over to Trixie and talking to her in low whispers. “Strange. When I met him four years ago, he was only eight, yet had the mind of someone far older. Now, he is twelve and yet knows more than I ever will, and is quite capable of anything. I guess I still want to see him as the little dragon I saw for the first time, knocking Twilight out of my way just to see him.” She chuckled to herself at the memory. The smile vanished. “Should I let him go? Should I take the leash off him?” She looked to Luna for an answer.

Unsurprisingly, the Princess nodded. “He has shown to be quite capable of looking after himself, from killing that daimon to just now. He was the one who gave us the suggestion of giving Canterlot a wide berth, while I would have headed straight ahead. He can show a lot more, but only if you stop being so motherly to him.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “I know. If I do try and be so motherly to him again, stop me, please?”

Luna smiled and bowed her head. “Of course.” She looked up and by the front door. “Now, we must figure out a plan of what to do next.”

“But I thought we already had a plan,” Fluttershy reminded her.

“That is true, but likely thanks to our little ruckus with the guards, somepony might have heard that and even now are planning to block our escape.”

Fluttershy scratched her head. “I thought that was a fracas.”

Luna narrowed her eyes at the little pegasus. “Does it really matter if it is a fracas or a ruckus?” she asked irritatingly.

“It does, for a fracas is one thing and a ruckus is another,” Cadence said as she walked up to them. “And that was definitely a-.”

“We can argue about the definition of words later, but right now we have to get out of this city. Barley!” Luna yelled, her cheeks flushing in agitation.

The unicorn in question raced over to them. “Yes, Luna?”

The alicorn gestured on her back. “Get on my back and look out that window there.” She pointed to the window just high enough for Barley to peep out of whilst rearing up. “See if the bridge is still up.”

“You got it, Princess,” Barley Grain said, grinning. She jumped up on Luna’s back, reared up and peered out of the small window.

After a moment of waiting, Barley declared cheerfully, “It’s still up.”

The group leapt and cheered for joy, grinning triumphantly. ‘We’re going to be okay,’ Fluttershy thought, hopping on the spot.

She was about to join Barley up by the window to take a look. Just as she spread her wings, a heavy explosion rocked the world. The ground heaved, sending Cadence, Trixie and Spike to the ground, and Fluttershy’s ears rang constantly with the sound of one explosion after another, each followed close behind by something heavy collapsing into the river.

She screamed aloud; the noise was painful to her senses. It didn’t take the Dragonlord long to figure out what was falling. ‘Oh, for Pete’s sake!’ she screamed in thought.

After a while, the ringing in her ears ceased and the world went quiet again. Fluttershy shook her head to clear her senses, gasping for breath, and then looked up at Barely, who looked outside, eyes wide with horror at what she just witnessed. Only three words escaped her lips.

“Now it ain’t.”

Author's Note:

Good morning/evening to all, I hope you are all doing okay in these rather trying times, and staying safe.

Here is the 15th chapter of a 24 chapter story, meaning we're more than half way through the 1st part of the story (woo). Also, if there are any errors, even something tiny, please let me know, except for words with u in them, I'm British so we have a u in a lot of words :D I just wanted to get this chapter out to you all and maybe it'll be something you can enjoy, to keep you busy while the world endures this catastrophe.

Just hope you all stay safe and hopefully, there'll be a light at the end of the tunnel soon.

Kind regards,
Fluttershy20

Comments

[CommanderApplejack]

Always a nice thing when my favourite Fluttershy story updates. And yeah, stay safe across the channel there as well!

[admkline]

I recognize the Oddball quote from "Kelly's Heroes" at the end there.

[andmos]

Obligatory:

[K-docbrody]

YES YES YES finally end update

[Sum1onE]

Why can't I find the next button??

[Sugar Spoon]

Is this story alive?