Sins of the past can be a heavy burden. Love is the last thing a sinner could hope to find. Especially with a mare that should be terrified of him.
His world collapsed. Everything he knew, believed and loved, everything he was, disappeared, swallowed by darkness of his own doing. This agony continued until a light dispersed the shadows, along with what was left of him. Knowing that leaving this world would be a fitting punishment for his crimes, he was ready to accept whatever was to come. However, by a cruel joke of the Universe, a twist of fate, or just a pure coincidence, he was given another chance, to redeem himself, to fix what was destroyed... Maybe even find a true love?
~*~
Her world was simple, filled with love for her friends and various creatures that always longed to be with her. While content with how peaceful her life was, one incident and a meeting changed the outlook she had. This one stallion helped her when she was in dire need, and now she wanted to repay his kindness, despite her initial fear of him, and unaware of him slowly becoming a constant to both her thoughts and her heart.
~*~*~
This is my very first story for "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" fandom. English isn't my native anguage, I'm not a shipper of any kind (I accept practically all pairings if they make sense to me), therefore my only request to readers is that you give this story a chance. I'm open-minded for constructive critique and will gladly answer any technical questions, should those arise.
Disclaimer: I do not own MLP:FiM or any character presentented in this story and I don't have any financial or material benefits from writing it.
The concept of Sombra's past and the crystal cutie mark on the cover belongs to StasySolitude. Vector of Fluttershy's cutie mark was made by Hawk9mm, and the background was made by Tollaner.
The wind blew a cold breath of northern air, ruffling both his black mane and tail. Around him were the frozen lands of his country, his home... home he had a hoof in destroying.
In the distance he could see the creature he created, the one that took his appearance and stole the most important artifact in the whole Empire. The Crystal Heart was more than just a powerful magical artifact, more than an unique magical node. It was an icon of hope and love of all citizens of the Empire, a container of their dreams and ambitions, all the good thoughts they carried.
And now it was all lost... because of his mistake.
A mistake he intended to rectify!
The unicorn teleported to his doppelganger, materializing just a short distance from him and the Crystal Heart. His demands to return the artifact were met with an obnoxious laugh. The creature that looked just like him taunted and provoked the mage to try and take the Crystal Heart back by force, before sending it away with its dark power. Not realizing the demon’s intentions, he fell for its taunts, creating a volley of sharp crystals with his magic and sending them at the abomination. The creature defended itself by rising a hoof, the shards harmlessly bouncing off the dark shield that emerged in front of the unicorn’s double.
The stallion couldn’t let this be the end of it, and with effort he created a beautiful blade made of the red crystal by the means of the crystalmancy in which he both specialized and was his special talent, as evidenced by the cutie mark of an outgrowth of crystals on his flank. A blind charge was met with a blast of dark magic, the sword shattered and laid broken beside its master, while the demon laughed again. In surge of pure determination and rage the unicorn rose from the snow covered ground and with one stomp of his fore hooves he sent the magic into the ground, right under the creature, throwing it away by a large piece of crystal that suddenly grew under it. The unicorn used this opportunity to teleport quickly to the demon and pin it to the ground with all strength his battered and exhausted body could muster. He was going to make it reveal the whereabouts of the Crystal Heart before destroying this abomination.
The victory was short lived, when the ground underneath both fighters cracked. The creature sneered and grinned, confusing the unicorn before a realization hit him. They were fighting on a frozen lake! He was lured here by the doppleganger, and because of his carelessness with the previous spell the ice was breaking underneath them, threatening to swallow them both in a cold grasp. It was a trap from the very beginning!
Suddenly the creature transformed into a thick mass of shadows, which in a blink of an eye grew multiple tendrils. They flailed at the mage, tangled about his legs, his torso and neck. He pulled away, but they were too strong and there were too many of them. His magic failed him in their tight grip, and he was brought down with a crash. The lake surface shook with a series of thunderous cracks and the ice underneath them shattered.
All the unicorn could remember next was the painfully cold grasp of water, a desperate fight for air, and finally a growing darkness that was accompanied by an evil laughter of triumph...
~*~
Ponyville is a unique town. Some may say that it’s just a small town with nothing to offer, others would find the quiet nature very relaxing and nostalgic. With very friendly ponies who wanted to make an acquaintance with every newcomer, a breather from the noise and the hustle and bustle of big cities like Manehattan or Las Pegasus. There are also ponies who would claim that all residents of Ponyville are nothing short of crazy, and if one wanted to live an adventure of a lifetime, then they should move there.
To Fluttershy this small town could be described only with one word - home. Ever since she moved from Cloudsdale, the small cottage at the edge of the Whitetail Woods was home for her and so many animals she befriended. The shy Pegasus mare loved the peaceful and quiet days that came from living quite a distance from the town, though she would be lying if she didn’t find all the adventures she had with her best friends thrilling. Scary, but thrilling nevertheless.
At this very moment Fluttershy was trotting up the main road, her cottage being the final stop. The pegasus mare was moving slowly, as her perpetually aching joints, and muscles protested against any long trips she sometimes took. When she was at the crossroads there was something suspicious about the small puddle in the middle of the road. The mare smiled knowingly.
“Alright Discord, you may come out now. I know you’re here,” she called out. Just as she predicted the draconequus appeared in a flash of light.
“Why hello Fluttershy! How are you on this fine day? Nothing like a nice walk to clear your mind, don’t you think?” Discord tried to look innocent, but the pegasus mare knew the Spirit of Chaos far too long to be fooled.
“What have you done to this puddle?” Her simple question was met with silence, so now she had proof that something was amiss. “Now you know better than trying to fool your first friend, don’t you Discord?”
“Oh phooey!” The draconequus pouted and crossed his arms in defiance. “How did you know it was the puddle?”
“There were a few hints actually.” Fluttershy smiled demurely at him. “First, is that there hasn’t been a drop of rain since the last week’s storm, and no puddle would survive seven days of intense sun. Next, this is a very popular road in Ponyville, so it’s also a great place to prank somepony, according to Pinkie and Rainbow at least. I’ve heard of them using this spot more than enough times to know that.” She giggled a little, when the Spirit’s face fell with each flaw she pointed out. “Finally, your puddle is purple.”
“I knew you wouldn’t get caught, but I still had to try. But I still got a few careless ponies!” Discord grinned widely.
“I hope you didn’t hurt them with your prank, I know how your sense of humor can be different than most of ponies,” Fluttershy said, her voice full of both concern and disapproval. While she could understand the need of pranking, having two of her best friends greatest pranksters’ duo in Ponyville, the joke wasn’t funny if somepony got hurt because of it.
“Oh relax Flutters.” Discord waved his lion paw dismissingly. “It was all an innocent prank with a little bit of Poison Joke nectar. It’s not as potent as the mucus from the petals and leaves, so any changes are minor, harmless, and temporary. They don’t even have to take that herbal bath to get rid of them, it will all disappear tomorrow morning.” Again his mouth curved into a big smile. “Still it was very amusing to watch those three colts panic, when each of them grew a pig’s nose instead of their normal muzzles!”
“I imagine,” was Fluttershy’s short reply to this little story. “Spike still can’t forget your last prank on him. The mere mention of your name makes him snort large circles of smoke.”
“How is our beloved fire-breathing lizard anyway?” Discord asked. “I haven’t seen him in years, and he’s still angry for that little joke? Talk about a grudging dragon.”
“You know it wasn’t just a little joke, you’ve made all his scales fall off in the middle of the town’s square.” Fluttershy scolded the mischievous Spirit, but then sighed deeply. “It got really quiet without him and the Crusaders. It’s almost hard to believe that little Spike grew up, and found his own cave to live in, like a real dragon.”
“Well, when you consider that: A) he is a dragon; B) he outgrew most buildings in the town; and C) his self-proclaimed role as a protective guardian of Ponyville, it’s not really that surprising. Just look how big he became, you could even tap dance on his tongue - speaking of which...”
“Don’t even think about it Discord,” Fluttershy said in a serious tone. “I’ve had enough excitement for one day and I don’t need to anticipate an angry dragon for my next visit to Spike.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll leave him alone,” Discord said quickly, not wanting to upset the mare further. “I’m still surprised you would travel such a long way into the mountains. I remember the times when you were afraid of your own shadow.”
“Oh Discord, I’m just too old to be afraid anymore.”
It was a sad truth, and Discord couldn’t deny it. Fluttershy’s once bright pink mane and tail were now almost white, with only very light shade of their previous color showing, while Fluttershy’s coat turned from a butter yellow to an almost grey one. Her body grew weaker with every passing year, though it didn’t lose its willowy build. Despite the mare’s gentle way of aging, one could still spot several noticeable wrinkles, especially around and under her teal eyes. All those facts weren’t that surprising, when one took into account over five decades that had passed since the two first met.
During their walk together the two friends swapped several stories to entertain each other on the way. It wasn’t long before Fluttershy finally saw her beloved cottage, which was a good thing because despite her assurances, she really got tired after such long walk. All that currently was on her mind right now, was a warm bed.
“Looks like we’re finally here,” Discord stated. “It was good to see you again, Fluttershy. I’ll leave you now, as I’m sure you’re dead tired after such a long walk. Don’t try to deny it!” He stopped the mare as she was opening her mouth to object, in her kind and gentle way of course. “Just like you know me, I can tell that you’re minutes away from collapsing right here and sleeping in the middle of the road.” The draconequus suddenly materialized a set of butler clothes on himself and looked at his friend with a mock stern eye. “Not on my watch. Now off you go to bed, missy.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help herself and giggled at the whole act, finding it both hilarious and heartwarming. It showed just how much Discord cared for her, something she would treasure for the rest of her days.
“If you say so, then I have no choice but to listen,” Fluttershy said, and a second later she went up to Discord, and managed to hover high enough to wrap her fore hooves around his neck in a gentle hug. “Thank you,” she whispered to him with closed eyes.
The Spirit of Chaos only smiled at this, his lion paw squeezing the small pegasus in a warm embrace. While he liked the feeling, there was still a matter of his friend’s health at claw here.
“Alright, now that this mushy stuff is out of the way, you’re going to turn around and go rest or I’m going to make you do it my way,” he lightly threatened, making the mare let out another giggle.
“Fine, I’m going already. See?” Fluttershy broke the hug, and was slowly trotting towards her small cottage, but before she opened the door, once again the small pegasus mare was facing her unique friend. “Goodbye Discord. Try to not cause any big chaos, okay?”
“I’ll try,” the draconequus said, quite sincerely, and Fluttershy had to go with it. “Bye!”
With that last word Discord vanished into thin air in a flash of bright light, leaving Fluttershy alone at the entrance. She shook her head one last time at the antics of the mischievous spirit, and opened the door of her home.
“Thank you my friends,” she said to them softly. “Could you help me get up the stairs? There is something that I need to get from my chest.”
The animals scurried, and each one of them made their best to relieve the older mare from some of the burden that was going upstairs. Fluttershy never was an exceptional flier, and her wings didn’t really improve with advanced age. In fact she wasn’t even capable of hovering over the ground now, as it became too tiring for her. Thankfully there weren’t too many situations that required her to fly anymore.
Once Fluttershy and her furry and feathered friends found themselves in her bedroom, she trotted towards a chest that stood beside her bed. She opened it and inside one could see many different items, from clothes to trinkets of various shapes and sizes, and all were priceless mementos of times long passed to the old pegasus mare. However right now she focused her cyan eyes on one particular item, a small rectangular box. She carefully took it out from the chest and put it on her nightstand. It was quite old, but still looked beautiful to Fluttershy, just like the day she got it.
The box stood on four little legs, no more than half an inch above the nightstand’s surface, it was made of a white hardened wood, with metal ornaments in the shape of vines and leaves, going over all four sides and ending on the lid. From one side there was a little handle, on which Fluttershy put one of her hooves and wound it. When she met resistance from the mechanism inside the box, the mare opened it.
A beautiful melody resonated in the room. All the animals were astounded by the delicate sounds coming from the music box, falling silent and listening intently. Fluttershy closed her eyes, letting her mind reminisce in the memories this song brought. The melancholy evoked by the notes, along with visions of a certain somepony, were enough to cause a single tear to fall down her wrinkled cheek. How she missed this one pony that made her heart whole ...
The animals noticed the disturbance in the older mare, and all turned their worried gazes towards her, to which she just wiped the tear and smiled at them.
“I’m alright, just...” Fluttershy looked fondly at the now silent music box. “This melody brings so many memories, both happy and sad. A pony dear to my heart gave me this music box as a gift, and whenever I listen to it, I can actually see him.” The former animal caretaker noticed that her little friends have very curious gazes in their small eyes. “Would you like to hear about it?”
Fluttershy’s answer came in a shape of a furry blanket that suddenly surrounded her on the bed, the animals were looking at her, eagerly waiting for the beginning of the tale, making the old mare giggle at their antics. “Alright, but let me wind the box again.” Once again a beautiful melody sounded throughout the room, making an ideal atmosphere for telling a story, especially a one that was so dear to the once very shy Pegasus.
“It all began many years ago, when I was much younger, and much more afraid of the world,” she began, and the little critters all listened intently. “I had gotten an invitation to the Crystal Empire from Princess Cadance. There seemed to be some problem with the local wildlife, and it really affected the poor tiny ewes that lived there. My friends were too busy with their own duties to come with me, so I had to go alone. I was really scared, but the thought of helping those cute little sheep kept me going.”
There was a little pause as Fluttershy focused on keeping her memories in order, and not forget anything important.
“I would never imagine this one lone journey would change my life so much ...”
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Princess Cadence as she preferred to be called, stood on a balcony of her and Shining’s chamber and looked upon her kingdom. Ever since Twilight and her friends helped in getting the Crystal Heart back, the life of her subjects had turned for better. Thanks to their efforts, the Crystal Empire got the chance of hosting the Equestrian Games, The first big sporting event after a thousand of years. Cadence was enjoying the gentle breeze that pleasantly tickled her mane and coat, however she knew that there was still a great stack of paperwork waiting for her approval, on the desk in her office.
When the Princess exited from the balcony, on her way towards the chamber’s door, she heard somepony knocking.
“Come in.”
A middle aged stallion of bright yellow coat and silver mane and tail walked inside. His Cutie Mark was a scroll parchment crossed with a dark gold quill. He bowed down before the Princess.
“Your Majesty.”
“Chancellor Topaz Script, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Cadence asked, though she knew this question will bite her in the flank later. Every time Topaz Script showed up there was one internal crisis after another. It wasn’t that Cadence disliked the stallion, on the contrary, she respected his dedication to his work. What did irk her was his uncanny ability in finding the smallest error in any department and overblowing it to catastrophic proportions, and writing a report that could be taken for a book. Still, despite those tiresome tendencies, Cadence wouldn’t want anypony else on this position.
“I’m afraid I have greivious news, Princess.” Topaz ignored the small sigh from his ruler as he accompanied her to the office. “There are more infected sheep. The numbers already reached over twenty cases.” The stallion looked at the Princess with worry in his eyes. “Our veterinaries still don’t know what this disease is, or how to cure it. We have already went through all materials and documents we have in the Royal Library, but we’ve found nothing. If this goes on there may be more ill ewes and -- fatal casualties.”
This was something the princess was afraid of. For the last couple of days she was receiving reports about the unknown illness that started to spread among the colorful sheep her kingdom was known for. It caused the infected sheep to lose strength, appetite, and worst of all, their wool paled very quickly over a short time, until it becomes a very unpleasant shade of grey and its quality drastically drops. A known fact was that the Crystal Empire was a very big exporter of naturally dyed wool, which was a very important source of her kingdom’s income. Not to mention that the Crystal Fair was just a month away, and the tiny ewes always were the main attraction of the petting zoo.
“I will see to the matter personally. If it becomes necessary, I’ll contact with Equestria and ask them for help in this case. You may go now, Topaz.”
The stallion bowed deeply as he walked himself out of the royal office. Cadence sighed deeply, thinking about the dire situation she was in. Despite the vast knowledge she gained and training she endured after her ascension as an alicorn and a Princess, there was always something she was unprepared for. This was one of those situations. To occupy her mind, Cadence started filling and reading various documents and reports. It helped at first, but after three long hours of scribbling her signature and trying to understand what she was reading, the unnerving thoughts came with doubled strength, making the young ruler more and more frustrated.
Her musings were interrupted by a pair of white, strong hooves, wrapping around her from behind in a warm embrace. She almost melted when a pair of lips trailed down her smooth neck.
“Shining,” Cadence moaned and whined at the same time. As much as she liked her husband’s affectionate ministrations, there was still much work to do. “Not now. I still haven’t finished my paperwork.”
“You looked stressed out.” Shining Armor continued to lightly kiss his wife’s neck. They both were very tired from the recent events, and he knew Cadence was exhausted because of the mysterious illness that befell the Empire’s sheep. “Take a little break.”
“You know I can’t. There is still so much to do. The Fair is closing up, and there is also this whole thing about the ewes ... .”
“Cadence, I’m serious. You need to rest,” Shining said with his brows crossed a little. “Maybe we could ask Princess Celestia for help? Equestrian veterinaries are quite good from what I’ve heard.”
“I have already sent letters to some specialists, but none of them have replied. I’m afraid that because of the recent bovine flood in Equestria, many railroads are damaged, so even if they’d want to help us, it’ll be too late for many of the ill sheep before they find time.” Cadence sighed deeply, her eyes became moist as the hopelessness of the entire situation became unbearable. She snuggled to her husband’s coat, seeking comfort by feeling his warmth. “I just don’t know what else we can do.”
Shining Armor was lost. He wanted to cheer Cadence up, but he didn’t know how. Despite being a prince for over a year now, the stallion was still an ordinary guard pony at heart. Unlike his wife, who was groomed and trained for such position, he learned how to protect ponies by military means. Sometimes he felt very overwhelmed with political duties, and many times he has entertained himself with thoughts of going back to being just the Captain of the Royal Guard. To this day Shining wondered, how his younger sister managed to get acclimated to the royal lifestyle so fast after her own coronation.
Suddenly the unicorn’s face went from frowning worriedly, to thoughtful, to finally settle into a bright smile.
“I think I have an idea.”
~*~
“I’m sorry Twilight, but you’re asking too much!”
“I told you it wasn’t a good idea to say it so bluntly.”
“You’re not helping Spike!”
Princess Twilight Sparkle adored Ponyville. Even after living most of her young life in Canterlot, and then ascending as an alicorn, she still considered the small town her home. Her friends lived here and she could always count on their help, no matter the task. This time however, there was a small complication that prevented Twilight in doing the job herself.
“This will be a very safe trip. You were in Crystal Empire on several occasions now.”
“Yes, but never alone! It’s too far and too scary to go without you and the others!”
Twilight groaned slouched slightly in tired irritation that grew because of the her shy friend’s refusal. In the morning the new Princess received a message via Spike, from her brother and Princess Cadence. They asked for help in the matter of the illness was plaguing the Empire’s small sheep. Good news were that Twilight could easily find a solution in the Animal Section of Canterlot’s Royal Library. Bad news, she also had duties as the new Princess, and that was exactly what prevented her from going to the Empire herself. From the letter she could easily decipher that time was of essence in this case.
Thus Twilight decided to convince Fluttershy in going by herself to the Crystal Empire and assisting the royal couple in the matter, or at the very least use her vast knowledge about taking care of animals and buy some time before other options were found available. Spike had a very bad feeling about that plan, especially the part of convincing the most shy mare he had ever met to journey to a foreign land, without the company of her friends, where the sinister foe they had fought against had used his dark magic to instil fear into his subjects and reclaim his throne. For the timid pegasus, she'd likely be terrified of the shadows in that land. Ten minutes after getting the message they visited Fluttershy and Twilight explained the situation.
Three hours later both Twilight and Spike were still talking to Fluttershy through the closet door. Once the butter-yellow pegasus heard the plan, she simply barricaded herself inside the small cottage, refusing to come out.
“You know that I’ll be very busy during my next stay in Canterlot, I don’t even know when I’ll have any free time,” Twilight tried to argue. “Rainbow is still in the Wonderbolt Academy and the course won’t finish until the next week. The Apples are busy because of the recent accidental storm, Applejack has much more work to do than ever. Rarity is in Canterlot for a very big commission from Fancy Pants and his wife. And Pinkie Pie is foalsitting the Cake Twins for the next few days, and they are too young for such journey.” Twilight calmly reminded, as both mares knew about their friends’ activities. “Angel knows how to take care of the other animals in your cottage, you said so yourself. Also I promise that this shouldn’t take more than a week, so you’ll be back before you know it.”
“You know you’ve been repeating this argument for the last hour at least five times, right?” Spike said with a bored expression on his reptilian face, earning himself a very heated glare from the purple mare. “Okay, okay, I’ll be quiet now.”
Turning back from her snarky assistant, and still not hearing any response, the newest Princess decided to strike where Fluttershy was sensitive the most. “And what about the ewes? They are sick and nopony in the Crystal Empire knows how to cure them!” Twilight said, putting a hoof over her eyes in a dramatic posture. “Right now you’re probably the only pony that can help those poor little things!”
“A-Are you sure there is nopony else?” Fluttershy asked timidly, as she cracked her door just a tiny bit. “I’m not even a certified veterinarian.”
“But you still know many things about caring for sick animals. You’ll be at least able to buy some time before a proper help can be sent. From what Celestia told me, the railroads to the Crystal Empire will be passable by the end of this week, but Cadance needs help right now.”
“If the help is needed now, and the train can’t go there, then how will I get there in time?”
“A chariot will take you there. If you agree to go you’ll have about two hours to pack any necessities and then you’ll be on your way to the North.” Twilight explained calmly, while Spike decided to silently watch the interaction. Though the purple mare was ingenious in many aspects, especially those revolving around magic, he actually doubted she’d be able to convince the overbearingly shy pegasus to cooperate.
“A-Alright,” Fluttershy says softly, as she comes out of her cottage. “If there really isn’t anypony else ...”
“That’s the spirit! Spike, send the letter!” At the command the small dragon took the already written message into his claws, before burning it with his emerald green, magical fire. The parchment instantly turned into a small cloud of ash and smoke, flying away into the sky. Twilight again turned to Fluttershy, her face expressing a huge relief and joy, like a great weight was lifted from her back. “You have no idea how happy I am that you agreed to do this!”
“I just hope I’ll be able to help those poor sheep. And that the journey won’t be ... dangerous ... ”
“Come on Fluttershy, there is nothing to worry about,” Twilight said reassuringly. “You’ll be safe in the chariot, with two Royal Guards. They know how to deal with difficulties.”
“Yeah! Besides, the Crystal Empire is one of the safest places,” Spike piped in the conversation. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
~*~
Violent northern winds hurled the small chariot, like it was only a foal’s toy. The two pegasi guards were doing all in their power to prevent a tragedy, however their efforts seemed meaningless in the face of the monstrous elements. Their only passenger, a butter yellow pegasus mare with pink mane and tail, was curled into a tight ball on the chariot’s floor, shivering, with her eyes tightly shut, to shield herself from the terrifying snowstorm that hit them so suddenly when they were flying over the mountain pass that was a border between the Crystal Empire and Equestria. Despite not being on the weather team, Fluttershy knew that such storm could prove fatal. She silently prayed to Celestia, Luna, any higher deity that was willing to listen, for safety of her and the two guards that accompanied her.
The two guards were still struggling against the wind and snow when an unexpected gust from below threw the chariot on a collision course with a mountain peak, which unexpectedly appeared from behind the heavy, dark clouds. With titanic effort the pegasi managed to slightly correct the flight, but the left wheel still got caught by an unseen rock.
Fluttershy felt the hit as the chariot violently jumped, sending the mare’s luggage over the wooden board and into the vast terrains below them. That was also when the two guards finally lost any kind of control they managed to salvage, making the wagon a toy for the unstoppable blizzard winds. They got tossed into another mountain and despite the guards’ best efforts, the chariot crashed on the side of another mountain. The three ponies were now falling towards their doom as the howling storm deafened their screams of fright.
~*~
“Your Majesty! We found it! We found the solution!” Chancellor Topaz Script shouted as he suddenly barged inside the throne room, a light blue Crystal Pony stallion with a wine glass Cutie Mark accompanying him. Cadence and Shining Armor at that time were discussing the topic of new guard exchange project with Canterlot’s representative. Seeing that he interrupted an official meeting, the stallion paused for the moment and looked more than a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry Princess, for barging in like that, but we found the answer for the ewe’s mysterious illness!”
“You really did?” Cadence asked, raising herself from her throne, hope lingering in her voice and on her face while Shining Armor quietly dismissed the representative, promising a private audience first thing in the morning. Now there were again three ponies present in the chamber, the alicorn of Love focused her gaze at the new stallion. “Please, tell us your name and explain why the ewes are sick. Is there any cure?”
“I’m Agate Twist, your highnesses, and I own a few wineries. Our trademark product is the Crystal Wine, which is made from the crystal berries. It shames me to say that the whole illness may be mine and my workers’ fault.”
“Why is that?” Shining asked.
“Because all sick ewes most likely ate the berries from one of our warehouses.” Agate started explaining. “We left the berries there to spoil a little, because that’s when they’re the sweetest, and our wines are famous for their delicate and sweet taste. However those berries also became almost inedible, but perfect for our wine production. The ewes must have founded some kind of entry inside and ate more than half of our stock.”
“I have consulted this possibility with the veterinaries and they all agreed that the symptoms are just like in cases of poisoning with spoiled berries,” Topaz added.
“How do you cure it?” Cadence asked as relief washed over her.
“The veterinaries said that we have to give the sick ewe a soup made from black salt and fresh crystal berries. The potion will cause their bodies to eject the tainted food from inside their digestive system, thereby purging the impurities tainting them and inducing these symptoms of illnesses in them from their bodies. We have plenty of both for all sheep so they should be better by morning.”
“Thank goodness,” Cadence sighed, relieved that the crisis was resolved. Then something occurred to her, as she looked at her husband. “Then we needlessly invited Fluttershy to come here. She’s probably already on her way.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll understand the situation,” Shining said reassuringly with a smile. “Besides, we can always offer her free vacation he-”
“Your Majesties!” A Crystal Guard pony suddenly barged inside the throne room. Not waiting for any approval he kneeled before his liege. “I bring grave news.”
~*~
Frostjackals, northern cousins of the Everfree’s timberwolves, but instead of using wood to create their bodies, the cursed souls of carnivorous canines make them from the ice and snow that is plentiful in these lands. Their hunger was immeasurable, constantly traveling in packs of eight or even ten, seeking out dead or sick animals to consume. When a pony was lucky enough to escape those predators, they had an image of blood-red, dead eyes forever burned in their memory.
A pack of jackals was currently surrounding a wreckage of what just an hour ago was a royal chariot, at the bottom of a mountain. There were three bodies of pegasi lying there, two stallions in armors and one mare, from which only she was fairly unscathed. The other two, despite their armors, were quickly killed by sharp fangs and razor claws to their throats. The only reason that the smallest pony didn’t share their end was because she got covered by the larger piece of the wrecked chariot, making it like a make-shifted wooden tent. However, once the beasts lose interest in the two guards, they might sniff out the unconscious mare.
Suddenly, a crimson flare exploded over the scene, the bright light and loud bang scaring the frostjackals away. Despite their ferocity, these creature were cowardly towards noises, though they won’t abandon the newly found prey. They will pull out only a couple of yards, waiting for a good moment to come back, either to finish the already dead victims or kill anything that dared to wander into their territory.
A tall unicorn stallion, who was covered in a thick coat, knew he had little time to check the wreckage before the jackals’ return. Looking at the two already dead and partly devoured guards made him sick, but he had to keep his composure, there was nothing that could be done for them. Just as he went to use his horn to levitate some of the broken wood out of the way, the unicorn’s ears picked a faint noise, something like a whimper or moan of pain. His heart leaped at the thought of finding living survivors, so he started to go through the remains of the chariot, listening closely, until he came across the largest piece there was. When another noise, similar to the one he heard before, came from under the wood, the stallion didn’t wait long before taking action, by using a levitation spell, he picked up the wooden piece and then tossed it aside.
His black eyes widened, mouth opened agape and his body froze. There, in the cold snow, laid a small pegasus mare, with butter-yellow coat and pink mane and tail, both of which were now covered in dirt, many bruises and small cuts, some of which were still bleeding. There also seemed to be a problem with her left wing, as it was bending in an uncomfortable way. The most threatening wound the mare had sustained seemed to be the cut on her head, evident by the red blood that now clashed with her naturally pink mane. Despite being unconscious, she was shivering uncontrollably from the freezing wind, even though it was a known fact of that pegasi had natural protection against cold.
Chilling howls mixed themselves with the wind, making the stallion turn his head towards the nearby snowdrifts. He noticed several shadows sneaking around, surrounding the crash site. It was clear that there was much less time than the stallion was hoping to get, even his flare spell won’t keep the frostjackals away for long. Wasting no time, the unicorn carefully levitated the mare onto his back, aware of her visible injuries, as well as keeping in mind a fact that there could be more damages he could not see at the moment.
Shooting another flare high into the sky, the stallion made his way through the blizzard with the injured pegasus mare on his back. Only blizzard wind and howls of snow predators accompanied them.
Pain. That was the very first thing Fluttershy felt when she regained consciousness. Pulled muscles in her whole body burned like fire, her back felt like thousands of needles were hammered in every sensitive part there, all the while accompanied by a severe pounding of her head and indescribable pain of her left wing. Despite her body’s protests, the mare tried to slowly open her eyes, struggling against the exhaustion she felt, though she had to quickly close them again when a ray of light suddenly hit them. She waited for several more seconds before trying again, this time in an even calmer matter than before. With her eyes squinted Fluttershy managed to get them used a little to the light, which was coming from a small fire beside her. Wanting to know more about her surroundings the pegasus mare tried to move a little but stopped once pain shot like a lightning through her body, making her to let out a quiet gasp.
“You’re awake.” A male voice commented in a casual, if not a little gruff, tone. Fluttershy could hear the stallion coming closer to her, though she couldn’t make out who was speaking as everything was just a blur to her.
“W-Who ... ?”
“Don’t try to speak,” the voice said. Fluttershy could only see a dark silhouette of a stallion, as he came closer to her. She felt her wings being stretched a little, first the right one, but when it came to the left, another powerful jolt of pain struck the filly’s nerves. “The bone in your left wing is dislocated. I can set it, but it’ll hurt.” The stallion took out a short cylindrical stick and put it into Fluttershy’s mouth rather forcibly. “Bite on this and don’t let go until the pain fades.”
Abiding to the instruction, Flutteshy bit down on the wood as hard as she could, before nodding hesitantly to her companion. Wasting no time, the stallion’s hooves gently grabbed the wounded wing and with a quick and sharp tug he set the bone into the socket, while Fluttershy let out a long, muffled scream due to the pain of the wingbone returning to its socket. It faded eventually, but those unpleasant moments seemed the longest the timid pegasus had ever felt in her life.
After a brief break the mare let the stick fall from her mouth. Fluttershy felt something else lightly touching her lips, a warm puff and alluring smell told her it was most likely a cup of herbal potion. “Drink this. Be careful, it’s still quite hot.”
Fluttershy’s only response was a very gentle sip from the cup before her. The taste wasn’t very special, but a wonderful warmth quickly spread from her belly throughout her body, and the young mare could already feel the herbs working on numbing the remaining pains. After a couple of more careful sips the stallion took the bowl away from her lips. Drowsiness quickly came over the pegasus, most likely an effect of those herbs that were in the brew, something which the tired mare gladly welcomed.
“Sleep now.”
“B-But ... ” Fluttershy’s sentence was interrupted by a yawn that escaped her lips. It was very hard for her to not to fall into the temptation of soft pillows and warm bed. “You have to recover,” he said in a commanding tone. “Go to sleep.”
“W-Who ... ?” Again the mare tried to ask, but her mind was slowly being lulled back to sleep, keeping her from formulating full sentences.
“My name is ... ” There was a slight hesitation in the stallion’s voice, like he wasn’t sure of how to answer this very simple question. Despite being very ill at the moment it didn’t escape the wounded pegasus that there were many emotions hidden beneath her rescuers voice: sadness, anger, and the most noticeable, regret.
“I’m ... My name is Shade,” the stallion finally answered. “Now try to get some sleep, please.” Listening to the advice of her savior’s, Fluttershy finally let her eyelids fall and she drifted off to a more peaceful sleep.
~*~
Rays of Celestia’s sun penetrated the heavy clouds, remnants of the last night’s blizzard, brightening the inside of the small hut atop of a mountain, to finally shine through the open shutters of a window, which was in a small room where a wounded mare was still sleeping in the bed. An alluring scent of fresh herbs was hanging in the air and it awoke Fluttershy from her slumber. She scrunched her face, trying desperately to find this blissful feeling of sleep, but was stopped abruptly when a dull ache shot through her body, making the pegasus fully awake. Ever so slowly she opened her eyes, blinking several times to get her sight used to the brightness of the day, Fluttershy found herself in a bedroom that wasn’t hers. The wooden walls were bare, other than a bed she was in, a basic nightstand beside it and a small chest on the opposite side of the room there were no other furniture.
Then the pink-maned mare took notice of her own condition: she had been bandaged skilfully if a little too tight for her comfort, dressings were covering her head, went around her barrel and almost all the way down to her hind legs, a fact which made her blush quite brightly at the thought of somepony touching her in such embarrassing places, even if it was to help her. That was also when Fluttershy noticed the condition of her left wing, which was properly adjusted, immobilized and then set into a pair of casts to further prevent any unnecessary movements.
It was a really strange experience for her, to find herself very sore, covered in bandages, lightheaded, and in somepony else’s bed at that. Not to mention that this delightful smell in the air made her aware of how hungry she was. Stirring s little Fluttershy tried to get up, but another spasm of pain quickly stopped her and at the same time the door to the room opened and her host came in.
Fluttershy cowered a little from the unknown stallion that came inside, a tray with a bowl of still hot stew was enveloped in a red magical aura. He was pretty tall for a unicorn, maybe as tall as Applejack’s brother, though not as bulky as his figure was more athletic and slimmer than Big Mac’s. His coat was dark shade of grey, while mane and tail were pitch-black, two short bangs framed his face, giving an impression of being older than he truly was. She couldn’t see his cutie mark from the angle they were facing each other, however what struck the meek mare the most were his eyes, crimson iris were very unique, but even more shocking was what she saw in them - deep, at the very bottom there were pain, anger, sadness, grief, loneliness ... so many dark emotions …
“Good to see you awake, miss.” The deep voice of the stallion pulled Fluttershy out of her thoughts. He approached her slowly, setting the levitated tray with food on the small nightstand beside the bed. By sheer coincidence the mare’s eyes wandered to the stallion’s backside where she saw his cutie mark, a pylon of three red crystals. “Eat while it’s hot. This stew will help your recovery.”
“W-Who are you, sir?” Fluttershy finally asked. Her head was still aching, and her memories were a bit fuzzy at the moment, but she felt like she knew this stallion. Something clicked, as the yellow mare started to remember the last time she was awake. “Your name ... is Shade, is it right?”
“Yes, and it is good that you remember.” Shade answered in his gruff voice, but with a friendlier tone. “After you’re done eating I’ll need to change your bandages. Is that acceptable, miss? Forgive me, but might I know your name?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Fluttershy suddenly squeaked. “I’m F-Fluttershy … .” she added in a very quiet voice, one that a normal pony wouldn’t be able to hear even if they stood just beside the shy mare, though Shade seemed to hear her well enough.
“Then, Miss Flutteshy, I will come back a short while. I suggest you to eat the stew in the meantime.” “Um ... you can call me Fluttershy, if you want to, Mister Shade ... .”
This made the unicorn pause for a moment. Something in the mare’s quiet voice felt very soothing, like a pleasant breeze of spring wind. Very slightly, so his lips curved up into a gentle smile, though to the recovering pegasus there was a hint of sadness behind the simple gesture.
“Only if you call me just by my name too. Now try to eat, I’ll be back soon.” Shortly after saying that the unicorn walked out of the room, leaving the recuperating pegasus alone with her thoughts.
Fluttershy didn’t know what to really think about the whole situation. Just a few days ago she was in her cottage, perfectly healthy, safe and surrounded by her friends, both the animals and her pony friends. Now, she was heavily hurt, being housed and looked after by a complete stranger in his house, and the guards that accompanied her were either in a worse shape or maybe even ... dead.
The not so happy train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a loud growling that came from the mare’s stomach. Fluttershy blushed heavily, truly grateful that the stallion wasn’t in the room to witness something this embarrassing. She could only imagine Rarity’s reaction for such unladylike body reaction to the lack of food for so long, the thought making her lips curve up very lightly in what could be called a gentle smile. Looking over at the still steaming bowl of stew, the alluring smell of cooked herbs and vegetables further stimulated her already large hunger. Without much trouble Fluttershy took the bowl from the night table and brought it to her lips, taking a few careful sips. She found herself quickly finishing the soup, both because of her hunger and the fact that it was very delicious.
Just like he announced, Shade came back with fresh supplies of bandages and other necessities in his magical grip, to change the mare’s wound dressings. Without saying anything the stallion just took away the empty bowl from the pegasus grasp and set it down on the floor, making a mental not to take it later. He put down the medical supplies on the small night table, before turning towards the mare.
“I’ll be taking the bandages off one at a time. I also may need to apply some medicinal cream on the wounds, so forgive me if it stings.”
“It-it’s alright,” Fluttershy stammered, her heart beating very fast, and cheeks covered with a pink hue. Shade took the quiet answer as a confirmation and began his work. Firstly he started with the bandages over the mare’s head, as it was the most serious wound and needed to be attended first. The stallion’s red aura carefully unbounded the white material, revealing the now almost closed wound. Quickly he took a small jar with herbal cream and put a small dose over the wound with his magic, to prevent the possible infection and hasten the healing.
Even though Fluttershy was forewarned, the cream still stung harshly, making the mare wince visibly, wrinkling her muzzle in a grimace, while small tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. The pain lasted only a few seconds before subsiding and was replaced with the nice feeling of coolness. Afterwards she could feel new bandages being placed over it.
Once finished there, the unicorn dressed the wound with a fresh piece of bandage. Next was the mare’s barrel and the little cuts she has sustained during her fall. Thankfully, all of her cuts were shallow and would heal in no time, if assisted properly. More good news, miraculously the mare’s bones came unscathed, if not counting for her bruised ribs and twisted left wing, which Shade wanted to check last. It would be a more complicated procedure and the earlier applied cream will dull a little the painful part. Through the whole treatment Fluttershy sat there still, moving only when asked to, face burning from the embarrassment, while half of her face was hidden behind her pink mane, not daring to even peek at her savior. Once Shade finished re-dressing Fluttershy’s barrel, an action that made her cheeks almost permanently rosy, it was time for the most serious injury the mare sustained.
“Fluttershy.” The stallion’s voice made the pegasus turn towards him, Shade’s face still held this serious frown, which scared her a little, but also fascinated enough to keep looking. “I need to check the bones in your left wing now. This may be painful, but if I don’t do it, then your wing may not heal properly.”
After getting a very meek nod of approval from the mare, Shade gently took a hold of the still bandaged wing, stretching it a little, while his magical aura took off the white material. Every so often Fluttershy winced from the discomfort, as her wing was now very stiff and cramps hit her nerves full force. Thankfully, no major jolts of pain appeared, probably thanks to joined efforts of Shade’s gentle treatment and the painkiller attributes of herbs that were in the cream the stallion used earlier.
“Do you feel any pains?” Shade asked suddenly, as he turned the wing a little to check it from another angle. This did cause some aching for the mare but nothing too serious.
“N-not too much, j-just a little...” The stallion nodded and continued to check the base of her wing both with his hoof and a spell, judging by the warm and bright red light that now surrounded both his horn and a small part of the mare’s wounded appendage. The glow from the unicorn’s magical aura illuminated the whole room, but Fluttershy’s gaze was focused on the stallion’s face. There was something mysterious in the way the light brought into the surface that made the meek pegasus stare at him, though every so often she tried to hide it by cowering behind her pink mane.
Shade finished his check-up, finding nothing too concerning in regards of the wing’s condition, therefore he wrapped a fresh piece of bandage with slow and precise movements of his hooves, and immobilized the wing against the mare’s side. Fluttershy sighed in relief, though she felt a little itchy underneath the new dressings, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.
“Thank you again, Shade,” the pegasus said in her very quiet voice as the stallion started to gather the dirty bandages and other tools he has used. Then a thought suddenly hit her. “Are ... are you a doctor?”
“I am not,” was his simple answer. Sensing the mare’s confusion, Shade decided to elaborate. “I only learned basics in medical knowledge. For some time I have traveled quite a long time in my life, learning many things along the way. Mainly about magic but along the way I’ve read enough medical tomes to be able to treat minor injuries.” Shade then chuckled. “You could say that I’m a self-taught barber.”
“Oh! That’s, um, that’s really interesting. I only know a basic first-aid and how to treat my little furry friends. I never treated a pony before.” Fluttershy’s exclamation was interrupted by a very large yawn on her part. Needless to say, she was more than a little embarrassed in front of the stallion. “I’m sorry, I just feel very tired.”
“That’s understandable. You are still healing and rest is what you need.” Shade took a hold of his medical supplies and dirty bandages in his red hued magical grip, before turning towards the door. “Sleep well, fair Fluttershy. When you wake up we can converse some more.”
Once the stallion closed the door behind him, Fluttershy let her head fall onto the soft pillow. For a few minutes she was thinking over the events that transpired, and despite the initial fears about the situation, the injuries she has sustained and how close call the crash was for her, the worry her friends, pony and animal alike, may now feel, somehow she felt peaceful inside. The unicorn stallion, Shade, seemed nice enough, he looked after her, practically saved her life, and is now nurturing her back to full health. Though there was still something about him that made the butter-yellow mare feel a little uneasy. Like underneath all this kindness he has shown to her there was something dark and sinister, hidden deeply from the outside view.
Finally the pegasus’ exhaustion caught up to her and Fluttershy finally closed her eyes and drifted off to a peaceful sleep, unaware of how much truth her thoughts brushed against, or the faint shine that enveloped the room just a second after the mare’s cyan irises hid behind eyelids.
~*~
The snow shined in the rays of the sun as a lone stallion stood a good distance from the small hut where the wounded mare recovered. Shade was determined to keep anything that could disturb her rest, and right now the stallion had at least four potential threats to Fluttershy’s health. The unicorn’s ears followed the faint sounds of creaking snow, his head turning ever so slightly to see the incoming dangers. Shade’s horn lighted up brightly, a magical aura appeared beside the stallion, slowly taking a form of a sword made of red crystals. He finished just in time, as the first predator attacked.
A frostjackal leaped at the stallion, baring its fangs, aiming for the throat, but the ice beast didn’t count for its prey to cut both front paws and the head in one blindingly fast strike. The beheaded ice body fell down and shattered, scattering the remains around Shade. Seeing one of their members fell down the rest of the pack rushed out from their hiding place. Two jackals tried to attack Shade from both sides, and seeing this from the corner of his eye the unicorn stomped his fore hooves to the frozen ground, sending a surge of energy at both adversaries, impaling both beasts with large and sharp pylons of crystals, shattering their fragile bodies into pieces.
The last carnivore growled menacingly at the stallion, before howling to the sky. While Shade thanked himself for casting a soundproofing spell on the hut beforehoof, so Fluttershy won’t be disturbed by the sounds of the fight, his eyes widened in shock as the remains of the three fallen predators rose from the snow and surrounded the remaining jackal. The wind that accompanied the whole spectacle was strong enough to make Shade shield his eyes, obscuring the unicorn’s view of his remaining opponent. Once it all calmed down the stallion looked over where he last saw the ice canine. The image didn’t even make him flinch.
A huge frostjackal-like beast stood in the place of its smaller version, the ice glistered under the gaze of the Sun. The monster’s jaws were parted, frightening growl coming out of its throat, big red eyes glaring at the stallion with both cold hate and unsated lust for fresh blood. The jackal barked deafeningly and leaped towards the unicorn, who lowered his weapon a little and pointed it at the charging predator.
“Javelin.”
The instant this one word left Shade’s lips his sword shined brightly for a short moment, only for the blade to shoot out in a blinding speed, and just like a spear it has pierced the giant wolf’s head, making it stop its movements. From where the blade went through cracks started to form, first on the head then they quickly spread over its whole body. It didn’t take long for the humungous carnivore to finally shatter, just like it happened with the first three jackals. Only ice pieces remained, the magic that animated it being dispersed into the air.
Without another glance at the remains of his last opponent Shade calmly walked back to his hut.
Days passed as Fluttershy laid in bed, unable to fight off both boredom and worries that plagued her mind. Thankfully the injuries she suffered in the unfortunate crash were healing nicely, judging from the lack of frequent aches, with only an occasional soreness if the pegasus stayed too long in one position. Not wanting to dwell on questions that would bring her only more worries Fluttershy decided for a short stroll inside the house. Though her host was most likely out at this time he never said that the pegasus wasn’t allowed to look around, so it was as if the stallion gave her his permission, right? The butter yellow mare wanted to at least do something simple to show her appreciation for the care that the mysterious unicorn showed her during the time of need.
If Fluttershy wanted to be honest with herself, Shade both fascinated and scared her. It was a very weird sensation; her fear was a logical reaction when one took into account Fluttershy’s very meek nature, as she never warmed up to new ponies she just met easily. However, as the stallion watched over the wounded pegasus, Fluttershy liked to think that she managed to get to know him, even if it’s just a little. Shade was very gentle when speaking to her or treating her wounds, yet he always wore this serious look on his face. This contrast made Fluttershy want to know more about him, find out why somepony so kind would live out here in the wild, and why his eyes were always looking so sad? Now that she thought about it, Fluttershy has never seen Shade smile like he was happy, just this small smile that had so much sadness and grief hidden behind it.
Shaking her head to clear it from such depressing thoughts, the young mare continued her little stroll around the house. She noticed how dusty it was, not really a serious matter, but to a mare that has been taking care of various animals in a small cottage for most of her life, not to mention her close friendship with a certain nitpicking fashionista, it was still noticeable. Fluttershy made a few little stretches, trying to check how much strain her weakened body could take. Not feeling any sudden aches the meek pegasus concluded that a small cleaning won’t be out of her reach.
Fluttershy looked around a little trying to find a broom closet or something similar, but there was nothing she could recognize as such. As she searched a familiar sound invaded her ears, something she only heard when either of her two unicorn friends worked around their respectable callings. The tingling of magic, along with something that sounded similar to stones being grinded against each other, were coming from underneath the floor, as strange as it seemed. Curiosity piqued the wounded pegasus trotted lightly towards the source of these sounds, which led her to a (c)hatch in the floor.
It looked a little heavy and Fluttershy was afraid she wouldn’t be able to lift it even if she was in full health, let alone now that almost whole her body was bandaged. Those thoughts were interrupted when the hatch lifted itself and from underneath Shade came out, his eyes were covered by goggles with dark lenses, his coat covered in spots of dirt and apparently ash. All of this startled the meek mare enough to let out a yelp and stumble onto the floor, her limbs aching from the sudden spasms caused by her reaction. Shade quickly discarded his goggles and came to Fluttershy’s side in a matter of seconds.
“Fluttershy, are you alright?” The concern in the stallion’s deep voice was audible enough to make the pegasus’ cheeks cover with a pink hue. He looked at the mare sternly, making her blush deepen, this time with an embarrassment. “You shouldn’t be moving so much yet. There’s still a risk for you to irritate your wounds.”
“I-I’m sorry!” Fluttershy squeaked. She hated to be a burden for anypony. “I was a little bored lying for four days in bed, and nothing really bothers me anymore. I-I just wanted to do something for you, maybe clean the house a little, for taking care of me,” the mare bashfully admitted.
The unicorn stallion stared at her for a short moment, taking in what she has said to him. Shade just sighed tiredly, he was far too exhausted to actually be angry at the mare, not to mention that all she wanted was to do something nice for him. The least he could do was acknowledge the good will and efforts Fluttershy showed him, something he haven’t experienced from another sentient being in a very long time.
“Fluttershy, I appreciate your gesture, but you shouldn’t put your health at risk along the way,” Shade reprimanded the mare, making her cringe even more. The stallion sighed tiredly. “Forgive me for my tone. Lately I’ve become a little frustrated with my work. It seems like I have come across a roadblock and I just can’t figure out how to overcome it. Still, it is no excuse for me to take it out on you, Fluttershy. Especially if you only wanted to help.”
The pegasus mare’s curiosity piqued once again after hearing the unicorn’s confession. She was actually interested in the special talent of her host, especially since his Cutie Mark was similar to one of her dear friends. Fluttershy spend enough time with Rarity to know something about gems. Maybe there was another way for her to repay her savior for his kindness and care.
“I-If you told me what the problem is, m-maybe I’ll be able to help.”
Shade looked at his guest a little surprised. “My talent involves a rather rare kind of magic and is very tightly tied to crystals and their various properties. Forgive my doubts, but do you really have any conception about either magic or crystals?”
“W-Well, I don’t really know that much, but two of my best friends are unicorns. One is very knowledgeable about all kinds of magic, while the other is very good at finding gems and they both have shared some of their knowledge with me on our meetings,” Fluttershy explained hopefully, before retreating her face behind the pink locks of her mane. “That is if that’s alright with you.”
“Maybe that is what I need. Another pony’s opinion could give an insight that escapes my attention,” Shade wondered out loud and chuckled quietly. “I lived alone for so long that I actually forgot how a second opinion can make one see a solution they have never considered before.” The stallion turned towards Fluttershy with a small smirk on his lips as he bowed his head towards the mare, making her cheeks scarlet again. “Fluttershy, would you be so kind and accompany me to my workshop and take a look on my work? I am actually curious of your opinion, and feel free to point any flaws you may discover.”
Fluttershy only nodded at the stallion’s suggestion before following him down to his workroom. Though the first few steps down the short wooden stairs were a little difficult, taking into consideration her still present injuries, thankfully it was a short trip. Before the mare’s eyes was a tunnel carved into the stone, most probably into the side of the very mountain the hut was standing on. The passage itself was high and wide enough for a pony to walk through without any difficulties. If not for the bandages, Fluttershy was sure that there was enough room here for her to spread her wings out and barely graze the walls with her primary feathers.
The tunnel was very dark at first, until Shade lit up his horn and the pink maned pegasus’ eyes were assaulted by a bright light coming from many little crystals that were attached to the walls, functioning as torches. For a little short moment Fluttershy hesitated going further, hiding her face behind the long locks of her mane, hunching down a little in attempts of becoming smaller. Seeing this behavior, Shade walked up to the mare and gave her a few gentle nuzzles with his snout, to show the scared pegasus that she’s safe. This silent conversation went on for only a few moments and the two were on their way once Fluttershy calmed down.
Their trip was only a couple of lengths, soon enough the pair entered a spatial chamber, filled with crystals of various shapes, colors and sizes, with columns bigger than average pony coming from the stone floor, many smaller ones on the walls created formations together making them look like precious flowers, especially when the light would go through many of them and fill the chamber with all the colors of rainbow. It was a very breathtaking, though Fluttershy wondered, how could all of this be so bright if they were underground? The answer came to her in a form of a chilly breeze that run around her body, making the coat covered skin crawl a little. She looked around for the source but found nothing on her eye-level or below it. Fluttershy tilted her head upwards and saw a small hole in the stone ceiling from which came warm rays of Celestia’s sun. Squinting her eyes a little the mare also discovered that there were colorless crystals growing along the way and seemed to enhance the light as it passed down to the center of the cave. Though this discovery explained many things to her, how does this system worked when the sun changed its position as the day passed?
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Shade suddenly asked, making the mare jump a little and let out a startled ‘eep’, which made him chuckle a little. How come this pegasus was so adorable with every little thing she did? “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he apologized and helped his guest get up from the cold floor.
“It-it’s nothing, really,” Fluttershy reassured the stallion, her cheeks going cherry red in embarrassment. Once again she takes a look over the cave, still trying to comprehend the beauty of this place. “It’s so beautiful. Did you really create all of this?”
“No, I just stumbled on this cave some time ago. It was the most amazing sight my eyes had the pleasure to see. Since my special talent revolves around crystals and their magic properties, I thought that this place would be perfect for my work,” Shade explained to his companion with a proud look in his eyes, until a resigned sigh escaped his lips. “Though, like I said earlier, there is a problem with my latest project that I can’t seem to resolve. Enough with that though, it’ll be better if I show you.” The unicorn extended his right hoof to the mare. “Shall we continue?”
“Um, okay,” she shyly replied. As they walked Fluttershy got a little uncomfortable with only the sound of their hooves accompanying them, and while she enjoyed quiet most of the time, this silence just creeped her out. Maybe all those times with ever chatting animals or Pinkie Pie singing her songs on every little occasion just got to her. “Um, Shade? Can I ask you something, if you don’t mind that is?”
“Of course. What would you like to know?”
“How’s there so much light here? I don’t see any torches or candles, and we are underground, yet I can see clearly like we’re outside. Did you make this with your magic?”
“A little bit actually,” Shade answered. “Some crystals have the properties of enhancing, reflecting, dispersing or even storing the light. I used a combination of those kinds to direct the sunlight coming through the little opening in the ceiling of this cave down to its center, and then to various parts of my workshop. The corridor which we came through has the storing crystals lined along the walls. Now I just need pour into them a little bit of magic to activate, while here they are constantly lighted up with sun, and in the night I can again use the light stored through the day.”
“That’s amazing!” Fluttershy exclaimed with astonishment. Her friend Twilight was probably the smartest pony she knew, but listening this stallion unicorn was much easier, though that may be because he wasn’t using so many technical terms. Still, the shy pegasus mare couldn’t help but be impressed by how resourceful her host is. “Crystals can do all of that?”
“That’s right, and so much more. Some were even used by unicorn mages as mediums for their spells, because just as they can store light they are also able to store magical energy. Very useful when one wants to experiment on pure energy instead of spells.”
“Were?” Fluttershy asked softly.
“Those kinds of crystals are very rare. Even in this cave there is no more than half a dozen altogether and only placing them in specific spots gives the effect you see now,” Shade explains while taking a few glances at his companion. The yellow mare seemed fine if only a little tired, he knew that they’ll have to keep the whole trip short. “Also, depending on size, there is only this much energy they can contain before releasing it. The crystals that are here are no bigger than chicken eggs, which gives about two hours before the energy is completely depleted. Which means I can’t work longer than that after the sunset,” the stallion grumbled aloud. Next thing he heard was a quiet giggle from the mare beside him. “Why are you laughing?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Fluttershy exclaimed though there was still a small smile on her face. “It’s just, you remind me of some of my friends who sometimes get so busy with their activities, that I often hear them complaining at lacking time to finish. Though I think that ponies need their rest or they won’t be able to do anything later on. I love tending to my animals but after spending a whole day doing it, I more than welcome going to bed and sleep.”
“You tend to animals?” Shade asked curiously. Shame to admit but through the time this mare was healing in his small hut, never did it occur to him to actually ask questions about her life before the crash.
“Yes, and I love to help all kinds of critters! Bunnies, squirrels, birdies … .” she trailed off while the stallion thought that she looked adorable right at this moment, listing all those small and cute animals, “... bears, manticores, star spiders, vampire fruit bats … .” Shade’s eyes widened in surprise. Now he actually didn’t know if this mare was actually shy, pretended to be, or if her love for all living creatures was just that enormous. If he had to bet on anything it would be the latter. Just as he wanted to ask another question Fluttershy suddenly gasped. “Oh no!”
“What? What happened? Are you in pain?” Shade asked concerned.
“No, I just remembered that I’m away from home for over a week now! And I was supposed to help ewes from the Crystal Empire! They are all sick and nopony there could find out why!” Fluttershy sat down on her hunches, pulled her long tail with her fore hooves to her chest and squeezed it for comfort, like a filly would a teddy bear at night to scare away nightmares. Heavy tears started to stream down her yellow cheeks, her sobs echoed inside the cave. “I k-know my-my friends a-are taking ca-care of the animals at-at home b-but I failed in my missions!” She wailed quietly. The mere thought of those cute little sheep suffering tore her kind heart apart. Fluttershy was so distraught that she didn’t even notice when Shade sat right beside her and wrapped his arm around her shaking frame.
“Fluttershy, I want you to calm down a little and listen to me, alright?” He felt her nod very gently and gave a reassuring squeeze of his own. “You didn’t fail anything. Whatever task you had in Crystal Empire it almost killed you. Snowstorms in these mountains are very dangerous, deadly even, and have I not been nearby then you wouldn’t be here now. There is nopony to blame for that, it was just a major case of bad luck.”
“B-But the e-ewes...” Fluttershy whimpered so quietly that Shade almost didn’t hear her. “I am sure that whatever illness befell them, it’s been already cured by Crystal Empire’s veterinaries.”
“R-Really?” The mare looked up at her companion, eyes red and puffed, some tears still lingering. Shade couldn’t help himself but smile kindly at the mare, she was just so adorable, no matter what circumstances.
“If this is so important to you then let’s make an agreement here,” the stallion said as he wiped Fluttershy’s wet cheeks. “The next time I go for supplies to the nearby village I’ll ask for any news they may have about the Crystal Empire. If there was something major going on then there’s a high chance that rumors travelled through the whole land. If there isn’t anything that means everything is under control and there’s nothing to worry about. You must just promise me that you’ll stop blaming yourself and focus on your recovery.” Shade put a hoof under the pegasus’ chin and made her look at him straight in the eyes, his small and kind smile still present. “Can you do that?”
“O-o-okay … .” Fluttershy released her tail and wiped her eyes clean. Shade was right, she thought. There was no reason to worry right now, especially since she still haven’t regained her full strength. Not to mention that she was here to help her rescuer, not bring more troubles on his head. “A-alright.” Fluttershy got up with the little help from the unicorn, the whole emotional breakdown took a little toll on her still weakened body. “I’m good to go further.”
“Are you sure? We can do this later if you’re not feeling well.”
“I’m-I’m sure. I promised that I’ll help with your work Shade and it’s not nice to break your promises,” she chastised him softly, again surprising the stallion. Seeing his reaction Fluttershy’s normally butter yellow cheeks for the nth time today were stained with a crimson blush. “That is, if you don’t mind me around...”
“Very well then,” Shade exclaimed as he got up and helped Fluttershy stand. “Let’s continue. It’s not too far away from here, and I think you may like what you’ll see there. However, if at any moment you’ll feel not well, let me know and I’ll take you back upstairs, alright?”
“Yes, thank you,” Fluttershy replied.
As the two ponies continued their trek through the caves, Fluttershy’s mood significantly got better. She was more than a little embarrassed with breaking down like that, but those thoughts were haunting here ever since she woke up. Only now it actually occurred to her just what is happening and all the weight of this situation just dropped upon her without any warning. If not for a friendly word and presence there was no telling how much the mare’s heart could take before completely breaking into million pieces.
Fluttershy’s thoughts started to hover over the stallion that took care of her in the time of need. It wasn’t like she wanted to think, to feel like this, but everything seemed like out of this world. Shade was a very nice stallion, very kind and wise, at least that’s what Fluttershy thought about him. He rescued her, practically saved her life after the fatal crash of the chariot, then let her stay in his home to recover back to full health. To him she was a stranger, an unknown pony. Who lets somepony like that stay with them if they don’t have kind heart? Next her thoughts moved to the unicorn’s physical attributes, at which Fluttershy’s cheeks always warmed up a little. He was much taller than her, much like Big Macintosh, Applejack’s brother, though less bulky and more athletic. There was little that Fluttershy knew about color schemes, not like Rarity, but the combination of his jet-black mane and tail with the grey shade of his coat gave the stallion a more mysterious aura, if she could call it that. Again though, the mare remembered his eyes. Behind them was a deep ocean of emotion, but on the surface they seemed like ice have covered them, and locked everything behind thick walls. It puzzled the pegasus; how somepony so kind and generous could experience anything that would result in gaining such look in their eyes?
“This is it.” Fluttershy was shaken from her thoughts by the stallion’s voice. First thing she noticed was that this part of the cave was much smaller than the hall they entered through the tunnel. Actually, now that she thought about it, this chamber wasn’t bigger than Rarity’s main part of her boutique. Next was a formation of crystals before the two ponies. All were colorless, various sizes and shapes. Together they formed something that reminded the shy mare of pipe organs, though there were no pipes and only one little crystal on a pedestal that could be taken for key, but why was there only one?
“What is this?” Fluttershy asked, trying to understand what she’s currently looking at, by gazing this strange thing up and down. There was something off about those crystals, but the mare wasn’t really sure what it could be.
“Like I said before, I specialize in crystals and their properties,” Shade explained patiently. “To survive in my solitude I make crystal figures, sculptures and toys with my magic to buy supplies in the village that’s a few hours down the slope of this mountain. Sometimes I explored these caves, looking for both inspiration and peace of mind.” The unicorn’s face was covered in shadows for a flick of second, giving him a truly sinister look, but just as it quickly came, it disappeared in a blink of an eye. “During one of such trips I’ve discovered crystals so unique, that I have no doubt in my mind, one cannot find outside these caves.” His horn lighted up again and red aura enveloped a single little piece lying at his hooves, lifting it up to his eye level. When the magic around the mineral intensified Fluttershy’s ears twitched as the air was filled with a tune she had never heard before. It wasn’t unpleasant, just different. The sound disappeared once Shade cut off the flow of magic and placed the crystal beside himself on the stone floor.
“Then, is all of this,” Fluttershy pointed at the construction in the middle of the chamber, “made of those special crystals?”
“That is correct. I managed to create probably one of a kind magical instrument, one that plays a melody solely depending on a pony’s personality,” Shade claimed, pushing out his chest, a proud look adorning his face. It was clear that the stallion felt great pride in his work.
“Really?” Flutttershy asked with awe in her voice. “How would you do that?”
“Another special crystal, with a bit of my magic and a spell I have designed myself, all those elements are essential for this to work. The pedestal you’re seeing is where a pony puts their hooves on and the spell I mentioned reads their aura. From there the magical energy inside the storage crystal will flow through all other parts of the instrument, making the crystals vibrate and make tones according to the amount of magic going through them,” the unicorn explained the mechanics behind his invention, though he actually sighed regrettably at the end of it. “At least theoretically. I still haven’t got anything more than a horrible noise, which I’ll spare us hearing it right now, whenever I activate the spell. Either my personality is really that awful or there is some error in the design that I have overlooked. Personally, I’d like to think it’s the second reason.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing like that,” Fluttershy said with a kind smile on her lips. “You’re a very kind pony and I’m positive that whatever the problem is, you’ll make it right!” She added with confidence in her quiet voice.
“I am glad you think that way Fluttershy. Do you think you could look at my creation and help me find the source of the problem?” he asked the mare at which she only nodded in response.
“I-I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try,” she replied with a note of uncertainty in her quiet voice. Fluttershy gazed upon the crystal instrument, trying to find anything that could help her new friend in making his device work. Though in her mind Rarity or Twilight would be more appropriate for the job, they were not here, so it was pretty much useless wishing for them now. Her cyan eyes were drawn to a small piece of mineral sitting in between three bigger pylons, there was something about them that didn’t sit with her right. “Um, Shade? Could ... Could you check these crystals over there? I think something is wrong with the smallest one.”
“Smallest?” Shade questioned and walked over to where the mare pointed her hoof. Indeed, there were three big crystals and a fourth much smaller one in the middle of them, and it didn’t belong there. “This wasn’t supposed to happen ...” he murmured to himself, though loud enough for his companion to hear.
“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked, squinting her eyes in concern.
“I think you found the source of my problem, Fluttershy,” Shade replied. “This crystal here is out of sync with the other two.”
“Two? But, shouldn’t it be three? There are four crystals here, right?” The pegasus was confused at this inaccurate math. She waited patiently for an explanation.
“Not exactly,” Shade answered cryptically. Then he took out one of the crystals, leaving only two on the pedestal they all were on. Looking closer now Fluttershy could see that the small crystal was actually attached to the bigger one. “This one here is something I call twin crystals. As I already told you, my magic and talent revolve around crystals, therefore I’m able to manipulate them in ways not available to other ponies. For example, I can make some of them grow a little faster than naturally. Apparently, when I constructed this section, I gave a little too much power to this crystal, which resulted in what we see now,” he explained and gave a tired sigh. “I should’ve noticed this earlier. Still, I’d like to thank you for your assistance, Fluttershy,” the unicorn bowed his head a little towards his friend, noticing with mirth as her cheeks heated up again.
Lightning up his horn once more, Shade’s magic aura enveloped the twin crystal and with precise power he cut off the offending piece, leaving only a smooth surface in the spot where the smaller piece was connected with the larger pylon. Taking a while to judge if nothing else was out of place, Shade found himself satisfied with the result, and without any further hesitation he placed the crystal back in its place.
“That should do it. Let’s see if this works. Fluttershy, would you be so kind and place your hoof on the pedestal over there?” The unicorn pointed at the base of the construction, where Fluttershy saw a roughly hoof-sized crystal panel. Not seeing anything wrong in the request, the shy mare approached it and just placed her right front hoof, feeling the cool and smooth surface of the crystal through it. She was anticipating at what was going to happen, despite the worry that never seemed to leave her.
The whole construction suddenly lighted up, shining in the half-dark cave with its inner light. Some parts started to move and before Fluttershy could even utter a word, a beautiful melody assaulted her hearing. Soft tones soothed her very being, the inner love for music immediately made the mare close her teal eyes and listen quietly. Everything she has ever held dear, her friends, Angel Bunny, the animals in her cottage, everything came to her mind the longer she listened to this crystal music. While this made her very happy, at the same time Fluttershy couldn’t stop tears forming in her eyes and fall down her cheeks. All those memories made her realize just how much she was missing her home, how worried she was about everypony, and they for her.
“Fluttershy? Is something wrong?” Shade’s worried voice brought the mare out of her thoughts. Again the pegasus felt like she was going to bury herself from embarrassment, because this was a second time she cried in front of this kind stallion. He probably thought she was a nuisance.
“I’m-I’m so-sorr-rry,” Fluttershy tried to say in between her sobs, the song already ended and its last tones just resonated faintly in the cave. “Thi-This music wa-was ju-st so b-beautiful... It-It made me re-remember my home and friends... I mi-miss them so much!” The mare’s body shook again, her sobs echoing in the silence that now surrounded the two ponies, heavy tears dripped down her muzzle and fell upon the cold stone floor. Those miserable feelings would continue if an unexpected warmth enveloped the small pegasus, a gentle nuzzle to her cheek caused that Fluttershy unconsciously leaned against the soft fur of the stallion’s chest.
When Fluttershy started crying Shade felt helpless. Previously he was able to calm her down because she was overwhelmed with misplaced guilt, a feeling that he himself was very familiar with, but now it was very different. Now Fluttershy was genuinely sad, missing her friends and home. It was an unknown territory for the unicorn, he had no idea what to do to help this mare. Therefore he did the only thing that came to his mind and enveloped Fluttershy in a warm embrace. He felt wetness on his chest, as the never ending stream of tears continued, Shade decided to stay with her like this. Despite the situation, he couldn’t help but find Fluttershy’s coat feeling incredibly warm and soft against his own. Looking down at the mare Shade still couldn’t believe how vulnerable and fragile she was, and at the same time so kind and soft-hearted. It made him want to protect this mare from anything that would ever dare to want to hurt her.
“Fluttershy, look at me, please,” Shade calmly commanded, bringing his hoof up to her chin. Still sobbing softly Fluttershy peeked from behind a lock of her pink mane, her teal eyes were red, puffy and overflowed with fresh tears. Gently the stallion brushed the lock aside, bringing his muzzle down and nuzzling the distraught mare’s wet cheek. “I promise you, once you’re healed I will help you find your way home. You won’t be alone in this journey. You’re not alone now. I’m here.”
Instead of voiced reply Fluttershy only shakily nodded, her whole body still shaking from her crying. She wasn’t even aware when Shade brought them both back upstairs to his cabin and put her to bed, all she knew was that she wasn’t alone. Everything that once seemed terrifying now faded away when just a single thought of this unicorn stallion, standing valiantly beside her, entered her mind. Slowly but surely Fluttershy stopped crying and drifted off to a more peaceful sleep. Shade was looking over her for a little while, admiring the peaceful expression that enveloped the mare’s face. Once he knew she was deeply asleep, he quietly slipped from the room, a new resolve now guiding his determination.
He will see that Fluttershy gets safely back home. Even if that was the last thing he’ll do.
