Prologue: Dreams

STRONGER

By: Einhander

PROLOGUE:
DREAMS

First, there was darkness. Eyes open or shut, the effect was the same. It had been there for forever, or perhaps only a moment.

Then, there was light all around her.

She tried to open her eyes, and immediately regretted it. The light was blinding and all encompassing. She shut her eyes, but that only dimmed the effect. All was white, bright and fearless.

White pegasus.

The voice was old, commanding. She felt her ears perk up.

Rise.

The harsh light faded, replaced by gentle warmth. She dared to open her eyes. She was in the middle of a field on a sunny day, the rays washing over her face and back. The field was endless all around, green hills spotted with the occasional pink flower. It was beautiful, but where was she? How did get here? And why—

Rise and come forward.

She turned. Floating before her over a small pond of clear water was a yellow glowing ball of energy. It had no face, eyes or mouth. Nevertheless, she could not shake the feeling she was being watched, and that it was the source of that voice.

It is a big job, white pegasus. To raise the sun everyday? To care for all the creatures? Are you prepared to do that?

And suddenly it all came back to her. Who she was, why she was here. How she had found it. What she would be giving up.

What had to be done.

She nodded her little head. "Our crops won’t grow, our land is suffering, and things will never get better if somepony doesn’t change things."

And you think you are the one to be that change.

She swallowed, then nodded her little head again. More memories seeped back into her brain, and she found a speech that she had rehearsed in their only mirror, a small cracked thing she hid under her and her sister's bed. She cleared her throat:

"It’s what I was meant to do. Ponies are all capable of such good things, if only somepony would show them the way…"

I know these words. I heard them spoken in a small hut, to your reflection, when you thought all those around you were asleep.

She felt the warm blush of embarrassment. Of course the orb knew. If it could move mountains, then why wouldn't it know about her mirror?

They are good words, but are they true?

The embarrassment turned to steel in her veins. She looked back up at the orb with blazing eyes. "The sun rises at the whim of the unicorns, when they can stop fighting long enough to control it. We pegasi are no better, covering the sun’s rays with clouds for spite and then refusing to let them rain until we get paid." She gritted her teeth and pawed at the ground. "And the earth ponies are starving. We're all starving!”

She slammed her hoof into the ground, only to find she had hit water. The splash caught her off guard. She shook the water from her hoof and looked at her reflection. Panting, adrenaline coursing through her, she imagined she would look fearsome and serious. Instead, what greeted her was a reflection of a gawky white pegasus filly with a wet hoof. She lowered her head, embarrassment coming back with a vengeance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her cutie mark, a yellow sun. She turned back to face the orb, voice hard. "Besides, look at my cutie mark! Who else is there?”

The orb crackled with energy.

There are hundreds, maybe more, with some version of the sun on their side. Every pony is unique, every pony is the same. They all wish for something better. Why are you any different?

Her shoulders sagged, and she turned to her reflection again. The same white pony looked at her from before. But this time, an added sadness rimmed her eyes. “Something better. No. They wish for food, fresh water and a safe place to sleep. That only gets them through through today. No pony thinks of tomorrow, except the ones that wish for power.” She looked back up, and spoke without affect. “Somepony must lead us out of the dark.”

There was a silence. The orb seemed to be looking at her. Looking through her.

What you have said and what you feel in your heart… you are worthy.

Hope met joy and kissed in her heart. She stood up straight and said, "I will not let you down."

I have no hopes or expectations to meet. But what of your family?

The filly frowned, and lowered her head. “All are gone but my sister, and I will..." Words adequate to the task failed her. Instead all she had were lame platitudes. She finished with the easiest one she could find. "I will miss her very much, but she needs the sun most of all.”

From what I have seen, she may never forgive you.

She nodded. "I am prepared for that."

Are you?

“Sister!”

The white filly turned, and saw another, younger dark blue pegasus filly running towards her. Her heart sank. “Star! I told you to stay at home!”

Star ran over to her at full speed. Crying and shaking, she embraced her older sister and would not let her go. “Don’t leave me, sister! You mustn't, you can't. I won't let you." Then she turned to the orb, and snarled. "I won't let you take her!"

The orb said nothing.

The white pegasus cooed into her sister’s ear. “I won’t be gone… not really gone.”

“You promised. You promised you wouldn’t leave.” Star sniffled, burying her head in her sister’s fur.

The white pegasus sighed. "I promised to take care of you. And I always will, no matter where—"

"No!" Star hugged tighter. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me.”

She winced. Star was three years her younger, but stronger than she looked. “I wouldn’t, but… if I don’t do this, we will all perish. Our land needs somepony to do what must be done.”

Your sister, little one, has asked to be the Sun. She wishes to save your land from starvation.

Star looked up at the light, face blank, then back at her sister. “The sun?"

The absurdity of it all hit when Star said those words. The white pegasus disengaged and rubbed her hooves together. "Well, the power to raise it, to control it. Watch over it."

Star blinked. "But you promised…That wherever we go, we go together…”

The white pegasus bit her lip and looked away. “Where I’m going, it’s a one way trip…”

“No!” Star shouted, shoving her sister away. "No! I won’t be alone again! You’re all I have left! I won’t! I won’t!” She sank to the ground, crying into the grass. “I don’t even have my cutie mark yet…”

The white pegasus looked away, words failing her.

Blue pegasus.

Both fillies looked up at the orb curiously.

Step forward.

Star obeyed, stepping forward on shaky legs to face the light. In a deadly serious voice only the very young possess, she said, “Please don’t take away my sister.”

It is her wish, not my command. Stand still.

She nodded, eyes nervous but body steady. The orb got very close, causing Luna’s eyes to flinch. The light was blinding, all encompassing and unrelenting. But she did not look away.

Yes. So much like your sister. Very well. You may also have your heart’s desire.

Star lit up. “Yay!”

The color drained from her sister’s face. The white pegasus jumped in front of Star, hooves blocking her from the orb. “No! She’s supposed to live a normal life!”

It is not my wish. It is hers.

“Yeah!” Star stuck her tongue out at her sister, and for a brief moment she acted the filly that she very much still looked like. “I want to be the sun with my sister! Together, we—”

I do not grant half-wishes. The sun will be your sister’s heavy burden to bear, and hers alone. Celestial bodies do not have two masters.

Star deflated and crumpled to the ground. The white pegasus, visibly relieved, put her wing around her sister.

I do not think your heart truly desires the sun and all that comes with the hours of daylight. But there is another responsibility...

The white pegasus held her breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw clouds begin to gather overhead.

Even the sun must sleep. Tell me, blue pegasus. What do you know of the night?

“The night?” Star lifted her head slowly and looked at the orb. "I love the night. I know some ponies think it's frightening, but I don't. When the pegasi take the clouds away, the moon watches over us. And when I can't sleep, the stars keep me company."

The sun needs a firm hoof to rise. So does the moon.

Star’s eyes went wide. "The whole moon?"

Indeed. And the stars need a shepherd as well. But it is a big job, blue pegasus...

The white pegasus watched her sister listen to the words. The same promises made to her not long ago. This had happened before, and would happen again. A shadow fell on her. She looked up at the sky. The clouds had continued to build around them, blocking the sun's rays as the orb continued to speak. When the words eventually stopped, she turned from the sky and saw her sister staring into the small pond.

She joined Star by the water’s edge in silence. The sun was gone now, covered with clouds, and they looked at their reflections.

The white pegasus leaned in close. “You won’t grow old, sister.” She spoke softly. “You won’t die. You’ll be doing a hard job, forever.”

A gust of wind blew past them and made Star shiver. “But I’ll be with you, right? We’ll be together." She smiled. "Forever.”

“Forever…" she sighed, her young eyes suddenly very old. "Is a very long time.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance. “And what would I do for my short life without you?” Star bit her lip. “What would you do without me?”

She looked away, shame in her heart. "I tried not to think about it.”

“I did!” Star frowned, and forced her sister to face her. “Where you go, I follow, Sunny!”

They stared at one another.

Sunny whispered. “I love you so much, Star.”

Star stepped forward. “And I love you, Sunny.”

They nuzzled.

It is time.

They looked up at the orb, which had begun to crackle and spark again.

"We are ready," said Sunny.

Thunder came again, closer now. Sunny felt a hoof on top of hers. She turned and saw Star staring at her, eyes searching.

“Together?” asked Star.

Sunny nodded. “Forever.”

Say the words, White pegasus.

"I wish to be the sun, to control its rise and fall to help my fellow ponies. Forever."

The orb flashed, a bolt of energy striking near them.

Now Blue.

Star looked up. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“It’s not too late," Sunny hissed, "You can sti—”

“I wish to be the moon!” Star shouted, “And watch over all the ponies with my sister!”

They looked at one another as the orb started glowing brighter.

Star winked. “Forever,” she whispered.

The orb flashed again, brighter this time, and then it was gone. There was a loud crash of thunder, and the rain fell all at once. It covered both of them, thoroughly drenching their fur and feathers. The scent of wet and grass, the smell after it rains, filled Sunny’s senses. She closed her eyes to feel the rain and wind against her face. And the slight tickle, faint but there, that the sun was awaiting her command.

She felt alive.

After a moment, she heard a grumpy Star say, "I don't feel any different, sister."

Sunny laughed, keeping her eyes closed. "Don’t you recall? It said it takes some time for the physical effects to show up. Different for everyone."

"It said? Who is it?"

She had the answer, but realized it answered nothing. She opened her eyes and said, "Proteus. The orb called itself Proteus."

Star opened her mouth to respond, then stopped. Her eyes were following something. Sunny turned to look. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, different from the falling rain.

In the distance, too far away to speak but close enough to shout, stood a yellow pegasus mare with a pink mane. Sunny didn't recognize her, but it looked like she was watching them.

Sunny smiled and called out, "Hello there!" The pony in the distance seemed to shrink back. "No, it's alright! Are—"

"You!" Star cut her off, voice loud and full of ice. "You should not be here!"

Horrified, Sunny turned to Star and hissed. "Sister! Why are you being so—"

She wasn't paying attention. She strode forward, her hooves seeming to gain more weight with every step. "How are you here? How can we see you?" The yellow pegasus began to retreat. Star unfurled her wings and shouted, "You should not be here!"

Sunny gasped. Star’s wings, indeed, all of Star was twice as large as she was before. Her mane was sparkling, dual colored, one layer transparent. Sunny took an uncertain step forward, the rain coming down harder.

The yellow pegasus in the distance turned and fled. Star swore underneath her breath, and began flapping her giant wings, ready for take off… and then Sunny tapped her on the shoulder.

“Star?” Sunny asked.

Her sister turned, and revealed an older, adult muzzle and sad eyes. It was still Star, but, not Star. Her sister, for one thing, did not have a horn.

“Tia!” she shouted. “Stay here! I don’t know what magic this is, but I know it is dangerous.”

“Star, what’s happened to you?” Sunny cried. “The effects shouldn’t have happened this fast—”

Shaking her head, Star growled. “You need to wake up, Celestia. She shouldn’t be in your dream, and I don’t know what she’s going to do...”

“Dream?” Sunny faltered. There were loud booming sounds in the distance. She turned and saw a forest in the same direction the yellow pony had ran. A forest that was not there a moment ago. There were giant flashes of light from deep within the darkened woods, followed by more ominous sounds. “Star, you’re not making any sense.”

“I am not Star, and you are not Sunny. Look, look!”

Her sister grabbed her by the hoof and dragged her to the pool, which was now surrounded by muddy grass. With a pointed hoof, Star made her gaze into the water.

The face that greeted her was not her own. And yet...

She was older, to be sure. She was an adult, with big legs and hooves and sad eyes. She had a horn, a big one. Her mane was green, purple and her original pink. It flowed like her sister’s, sparkling and partially transparent. She moved her hoof up to her face. So did the reflection. She looked down, and realized she was further up from the ground than before.

And then she began to remember everything else. Starting with her sister’s name.

“Luna… how long ago did this happen?”

Luna huffed. “The past is not important. What is important is protecting you.” An earth-shattering explosion, bigger than any previous, made them turn their heads.

The forest was ablaze.

“The dream cannot harm the dreamer,” Luna muttered, flapping her wings a few times to shake off the rain, “but another pony in the dream can.” She took off from the ground, and looked towards the burning woods. “Stay here.”

“Wait!” Celestia cried out. “What do I do?”

“You need to wake up!” Luna shouted from the sky. “Before it’s too late!” She flew towards the woods and disappeared into the clouds.

Celestia was alone. She sat down on her haunches, grimacing. She lifted her front leg up to her mouth and stared at it. Wasn’t a nip supposed to wake a pony up? As she opened her mouth to bite down, her eyes glanced downward to the pool again. She closed her mouth and traced her hoof along her new face. Her old face.

“So many years,” she whispered.

A shadow crossed over the pool. She looked up.

Standing across the pool in front of her was a pegasus. She had the same coat and mane color as the pony she had seen earlier. But this pegasus was bigger, stronger. She was the size of an alicorn but without the horn. Legs as thick as an earth pony. Her face was a frozen mask of rage. Her eyes were red.

And behind her, the fields of grass were burning.

“How dare you!” seethed the yellow pegasus, her voice soft but her tone razor sharp. “You lied to me!”

Celestia immediately backed away. “Who are you?”

“You know my name!” The yellow pegasus brought her hoof down on the edge of the pool with such force, cracks opened up in the ground and the water surged to fill in the empty space. “Lying to your subjects, lying to ME about HER! How dare you?!”

She tried to smile and keep her voice calm as she looked for Luna out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t know who you are or why you are so upset, but, I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding we can straighten out...”

The yellow pegasus’s mask broke, and outrage roamed free on her muzzle. “And now you have the gall to lie to my face about all that has happened!” She jumped over the pool, and fresh cracks appeared around her landing spot. She pointed at Celestia with her hoof, and screamed, “You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t deserve to be our princess!” She slammed the pointed hoof into the dirt, and the ground shook and cracked all around them.

Celestia looked around for an exit, and found that the flames that had followed the intruder had now surrounded both of them. The fields were burning. The woods were burning. The clouds reflected the glowing flames, and all was fire.

She opened her wings to fly, and felt her breath leave her body. A quick sock to the stomach had laid her on her back, all but knocking her senseless. Then she felt a great weight and the yellow pegasus was on top of her, holding her down with her hooves and legs.

She looked around wildly, trying to spot Luna, or some other pony. There was nothing but flames. Panic filled her short ragged breaths and flooded her veins. She turned back to face the yellow pegasus. The intruder bared her teeth, raising her hoof slowly, aiming for her Celestia’s head.

She closed her eyes. “I need to wake up… I need to wake up…” The pony on top of her shifted her weight. She knew the hoof was coming.

She braced herself.

“WAKE UP!” she screamed.

Silence greeted her.

Celestia paused to catch her breath. The night air was sweet, cool and, most importantly, not on fire. She felt hot, and kicked her sweat-soaked sheets off of her body. Looking around the room, she quickly pieced together several facts: she was in Twilight’s old home, her dream was just a dream, and most importantly, she was alive and unharmed. Yet…

Shifting her weight, she groaned, and looked down at her sides. There was a bruise, slight but there, from where the pony had hit her in her dream.

A bright light shot across the sky, outside the window. She walked over to the open air and stared up at it. The light had a shape and weight, although it moved too fast to register in one's eye as anything but a blur. It painted a light blue streak on the clouds, the vibrant color standing out against the dark sky. She found the sight oddly peaceful.

“Sister!”

Celestia yelped, her vision suddenly filled with dark blue fur and feathers. She fell backwards onto her flank.

“Sister! Celestia!” Luna was hovering outside the window, eyes radiating concern. “Are you unharmed?”

Celestia glared at her, and stood up from her bed on unsteady legs. “I’ll live, although I must ask you to be more subtle about—”

Luna flew in through the window and hugged Celestia tightly. She winced in pain, but was happy for the contact. "Peeking my dreams again, Luna?" asked Celestia.

Luna shook her head. "I followed an intruder into your dream."

Celestia broke the hug and looked out the window. The light in the sky now looped around Ponyville and the Everfree, three times total before shooting off towards the east. Luna watched by her side, following the electric trail as it sped off into the horizon.

After a few moments the color faded, and there was silence.

"Was it her?" Celestia asked.

“No. She was just adjusting weather patterns." Luna hesitated. "It was some pony else.”

Celestia frowned. Ponyville seemed peaceful enough, only a few lanterns still burning. Snow was beginning to fall. “I saw a mortal pony. One I know well. And the orb.”

Luna shivered at the cold air. “It’s going to happen again, ‘Tia,” she whispered. “I can feel it.”

Celestia turned her head slightly, looking at her sister out of the corner of her eye. “We’re too late, Luna.”

“Too late?” Luna asked.

Celestia extended her hoof and watched the first few flakes land on her hoof. As they began to melt, she sighed.

“It’s already begun.”

I: Facts

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STRONGER

By: Einhander

CHAPTER ONE:
FACTS

The next thing she remembered was shivering, eyes closed as the wind blew past her muzzle.

Wet. She was wet, specifically on her muzzle but damp all over. But she also felt a softness. A blanket, or at least an attempt at some kind of warming fabric, was wrapped around her. It had failed in its task. The only warm part of her body was a small pocket of heat, tucked where her limbs hugged close to her body, but it was fighting a losing battle against the wet. She wrinkled her nose, not wanting to move but not wanting the wet, either. Something had to give.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, saw the world, and immediately closed them again.

In her glimpse she saw snowflakes, an iron colored sky staring down at her, and – this was the tricky part – the inside of her bedroom, covered in a thin layer of snow. Which was impossible, unless she had left the window open. So she gave herself the tiny comfort that this was just a nightmare: there was no snow, there was no absence next to her in the bed, no wake, no funeral, no storm. It was all a horrible nightmare, and it would be over soon.

....unless she had left the window open?

She dared to peek again. It was good and bad news. The good news was she had not left the window open. However, the bad news won the bet: there was no window anymore.

Windows require walls.

Walls cannot serve their purpose with giant gaping holes in them, and alas, here was such a hole. That gentle sloping curve of her cottage, complete with a small window and flower box, gone. In its place was debris and dirt, covered with fresh white powder. It was almost a peaceful scene, but for the evidence of violence.

She squeaked, and quickly hid back underneath the blanket. It was a mistake. Everything ached, every feather and muscle, and she gasped at the sudden rush of pain as her back legs kicked out twice before settling down. And between her body shift and the leg movements, her little pocket of warmth was stolen from her, replaced with wet.

Then came the memories, fast and overwhelming, vivid but fragmented. Faces, moments, voices:

There, there darling, it’s not your fault.

Rainbow Dash would want us to be happy, she'd want a happy wake, she was a happy pony!

I want to make sure there are no more questions.

To Dash, who would still be alive if she had never heard of Ponyville!

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye...

Why didn't you speak at the funeral?

And one final voice, calling out after all others:

Rise, yellow pegasus. Rise and follow.

"No!" she shouted, throwing the blanket off and holding her head in-between her hooves. She shut her eyes and rocked back and forth. The wind blew snow around her, peppering her and her bed with more frozen ice that quickly turned into freezing wet.

In that rush of new cold and dull pain, a different horror gripped her. It was all true.

Dash was gone. The funeral was weeks ago, but the wake was last night. It had been terrible. Gilda was there. She had a fire in her eyes. Dash was gone. Celestia was there. She, too looked at her with judgment. Why? Twilight was supposed to be there. Wasn't. And Scootaloo. Did they go into the Everfree forest? And something happened there, something around where Dash saved her, but that seemed trivial when weighed against the bottom line: Dash was gone.

She hadn't woken from her nightmare. She was still living it.

The snow kept flowing in through the hole. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. She hugged her legs closer to herself, curling up into a ball, prepared to stay there until she woke in another world. A world where she hadn’t…

“I have to be me, Fluttershy.” Dash looked down, her metal eye in tandem with her real one. “Otherwise, who am I?”

Fluttershy grabbed Dash's head, tears rolling down her face. "This is you," she stroked the side of her face that was flesh, "Not this." She pointed at Dash's metal eye, not able to look at it.

"Fluttershy,” Dash kept moving her face until they were looking at one another. “It's all me."

Closing her eyes tight, she desperately tried to push the memories back. She searched for something to cling onto, idea or object, either would do. The snow continued to melt against her fur, and she reached for the comfort of her necklace—

Her necklace. The silver chain with her diamond butterfly hanging from it. Where was her necklace? She unravelled herself and reached for it on the nightstand, the one place she left it on the rare nights she took it off. Her hoof found nothing but air, and she opened her eyes. It wasn't on the nightstand. The nightstand was in pieces on the ground. And the necklace was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, something mattered.

She rose from her bed, shaking the snow off and looking around her bedroom. The hole wasn't the only thing damaged: furniture broken or simply gone, photos smashed, books on the ground, all colors painted white by the weather. None of that mattered, though, her necklace, her necklace where was her necklace? It was her talisman, the source of whatever strength she had found in the weeks since the funeral. The precious gift she had foolishly left behind the last time she and Dash had spoken, before…

Dash took a step back. “What do you want me to do?”

“What do you care what I think?” Fluttershy took the diamond butterfly out of her hair and placed it on the living room table. “Go. Fly. Play in the lightning. Do whatever you want.” Fluttershy opened the door. She didn’t turn back.

“Please don’t follow me.”

Walking around the debris of her room, she felt her heart quicken and her nerves falter. The snow was fresh and sparkling, the necklace was silver and lined with diamonds. How would she find it? Should she pick up every book? Look under the bed? Retrace her steps from the night before?

There was a gentle crunching noise, the sound of teeth on something hard. She froze. After a moment, it stopped. She looked around the room again, hoping to see one of her woodland friends. The room was empty, save her and the snow. There was a tinkle of metal, and it came again: crunch crunch crunch. It was outside the room, but inside the house.

Her fear of losing the butterfly faded, replaced by a mix of dread and curiosity. What was it? Was it... a dragon? Not a cute one like Spike, a big one with the teeth and claws crunching on the bones of a Royal guard? Or that poor Beaver family, who had been staying with her since that night? No. No! it had to be somepony helping themselves to her kitchen.

Crunch, crunch crunch.

Metal scraped against wood.

Maybe… maybe Mr. Bear learned how to use cutlery.

She whimpered. Maybe she could just wait until whatever it was left. Or she could leave through the—

No.

She swirled her head around, looking for the source of the voice. It was still deserted inside her room. Who had spoken?

Don't run. Don't cower. Go see who it is.

"H-hello?" She whispered. "Is somepony here?"

There is only us, and the intruder.

She blinked, then turned and gazed into her vanity mirror across from her bed. It had been damaged as well, hanging by a single nail from the wall. There was a crack at the top right of the rectangle, and it swung from side to side in the wind. But the rest of the mirror was fine, working properly, showing her reflection. And her reflection was looking back at her.

Not mirroring her. Looking at her. Right at her.

It was her, the same color coat and mane. But she was bigger, taller, with well-defined legs and larger, stronger wings. She was almost the same height as Celestia. Her mane tied back in a tail, shorter and sharper. And her eyes, the eyes of this Fluttershy showed none of their usual softness or care. They had a fire in them. And they were staring her down.

Fluttershy breathed in quickly, and backed up with a hoof over her mouth.

And her reflection did neither of those things. It kept looking at her, and she heard the voice again, although the reflection's mouth did not move.

If it is a friend, greet them with open hooves. If is a stranger, demand they state their business or leave. If it is a foe...

Fluttershy found a way to say the words. "Who are you?"

The reflection glowered at her.

Don't you recognize your own voice? Your own face?

Fluttershy focused on the reflection's hooves, eyes darting down to her own. Her own hooves were as they always were: smaller, almost dainty. The reflection's hooves were bigger, heavier. Ready for battle.

She cleared her throat. "...um, no? I'm sorry. I'm not you. I'm pretty sure I know myself.”

The pony in the mirror snorted and stamped her hooves.

"That is, I'm... pretty sure I'm not—"

The reflection's eyes glowed red, a red she had not seen since...

There is somepony in our house!

A new rush of wind came into the room, with a fresh burst of snow. The nail gave way and the frame came crashing down. Fluttershy jumped back with a yell as the mirror shattered, glass mixing with the snow to create a blizzard of shiny sharp edges raining down upon the floor.

Once the glass settled, she started breathing again, staring at her shaking hooves. She looked at the glass and snow on the floor. Everything sparkled. How would she find her necklace now? Her ears perked up. The crunching had ceased, replaced by the gentle thud of a hoof – and something else? – padding to her door. She whimpered, backing up and falling back onto the bed. The intruder stopped in front of her door. For a moment, nothing happened.

She held her breath. Maybe it would lose interest.

Knock, knock knock-knock knock…

She bit her lip.

Knock Kno—

The door fell off its hinges and into the room, like a drunk pony finding his way into a ditch. In the frame stood, in all his draconequus glory, the grandmaster of chaos, her friend, Discord. He held a cereal bowl in his lion’s paw and wore a slightly surprised expression on his furry head. His claw was extended, frozen in its aborted knock.

They looked at one another.

“Discord?” she finally asked.

“In the flesh.” He lowered his claw, and took a big bite of cereal as he looked around the demolished bedroom. “My dear Fluttershy, this may come off as sarcastic or ironic, and I assure you that isn’t my intention at all, but…” He stopped as he saw the mirror, and gently hovered over the broken glass as he made his way to her bedside. “... trouble at home?”

“Um… do you know what happened here? Why my room is like this?”

“Not the foggiest idea. But,” he paused to take a lazy moment to lick his spoon clean, “I love what you’ve done with the place.”

"The problem with teleportation—and you'll probably never have to deal with this, the joys of being magic-less—is this: you appear wherever you want, but without the context."

"C-context?" Fluttershy asked, shivering at the kitchen table. The inside of her house still had all of its walls, and Discord had lit a fire with a snap of his claws. However, she still couldn't shake the cold that followed her from her bedroom. The wet had gone, the chill remained.

"Yes, that pesky context!" Discord unfurled a fresh blanket and wrapped it around her. She accepted it with a smile, the white and yellow pattern cheering her.

"Duckies. My favorite." She nuzzled the fabric. "Thank you."

He waved his lion's paw in a throwaway manner, barely hiding a satisfied grin. "Context. As I was saying, I appear in your kitchen, ready to spend an extra special day together with my friend, but you're nowhere to be found! Instead, all I see are a family of beavers, and they did NOT get the memo that I was visiting.” He chuckled. “Of all the creatures that I’ve seen cower, beavers are among the most amusing.”

“Don’t be mean to them.” Fluttershy frowned. “They’ve been through too much.”

“Of course not! I was a perfect gentle-equus, I assure you.”

She paused, and glanced around the kitchen. “Um… where are the beavers?”

“I’m getting to that. See, I quietly go to your door, I hear you sleeping, so I help myself to some toasted oats..." He levitated his bowl and poured more from the box. "Which, I don't know how you ponies stomach without a pound of sugar. So I’ve sent that charming beaver family to get some groceries for you. You have practically nothing edible in this house!”

Fluttershy held the blanket closer, shrugging. “I haven’t been very hungry lately.”

“At least, I think I sent them for groceries. I gave them a list and a bag of bits, but they seemed so intent on leaving I’m not sure if they understood my instructions.” He shrugged. “Next thing I know, glass is smashing, and you have a giant hole in your wall. Had I known — and I would have known had I taken the boring pony method of walking to your house, because you can see the hole from the outside — I would have come in so much sooner to congratulate you!"

Despite the fuzziness of the blanket and the heat from the fire, the cold inside her refused to go away. Discord's way of speaking in riddles usually frustrated her. Today they were a welcome distraction. "Congratulate me?"

"Of course! Just some excellent chaos." He put his full bowl down and began going through the kitchen cabinets. "Sleeping in the snow, putting a giant hole in the wall, and especially the broken glass mixed with the snow! A small masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned. It mixes my three favorite parts of chaos: beauty, fun and a little danger." He frowned. "Fluttershy, where do you keep the sugar?"

She rubbing her hooves together, finally starting to feel warm. "Umm... The sugar bowl?"

Discord laughed, grabbing it off the table. "Oh my, that's gone, my friend." He turned it upside down over his head, and she winced. Nothing came out. He turned to the wall of kitchen cabinets. "Long gone. I meant your other sugar."

"Oh. Um. That was all that was in the house." She shrugged. "I don't use it much, and Dash has promised to cut back..."

Her face fell. She had torn open a wound without realizing it, just by mentioning the name. The cold hit her again, harder this time.

Discord sniggered, his back to her. "She promised to cut back, eh?" He darted to the left and right, a snake sizing up his prey as he looked from cabinet to cabinet. "Where did you hide it, Dash? Where's the stash?" He stopped on the door above the fridge. "What's in there?"

"Nothing important." Fluttershy was digging deep to avoid falling apart, and now Discord's guessing games weren’t helping. "Large pots, for when we had company over."

"Company, you say? I can count on one claw the amount of times poor old Discord was invited to a party here when you were together." He floated up and opened the cabinet. "Let's see, giant pot, pot cover, what is this, a Prarisian slow cooker? And inside is... Ha! Yes! Jackpot!" he crowed, pulling out a pound of sugar in a bag, as well as a half eaten bag of cookies. "No sugar addict totally cuts back! Dash, you magnificent—"

He stopped. The sound of muffled sobbing filled the kitchen. He turned and saw his friend convulsing, muzzle buried in the duckie blanket.

She cried. She cried for every time she scolded Dash for using too much sugar. For taking away her cookies away until after supper. For not being able to give Dash all the cookies in the world. She cried until she stopped crying, not because she was done but she simply lacked the energy. When it subsided, she looked up and saw Discord sitting at the table, head low, face somber.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I—"

He held up his paw.

"Nothing to apologize for. I've been an oaf." He shook his head. "I do happy, I do... Fun! Chaos! Dancing beavers!” He smiled sadly, eyes still on the table. “I don't do sad anymore, or angry. I haven't in thousands of years. I'm out of practice." He looked up with a small smile. "Forgive me?"

She nodded, smiling a little. "It's okay. I'm glad you're here. Um. Do you think you could help me—"

"Put your house back together? Doesn't sound like much fun." He grinned. "Wouldn't you rather watch me turn those pesky royal guards mucking up our town into bunnies for the day? Or teach a bear to play the accordion? Anything you want. I am your genie, make your wish."

She looked out the window. The snow was still coming down. The house. Yes, that should be the most important thing. That made sense.

And instead she said, "I lost my necklace, the one I was wearing yesterday. Could you help me find it?" He frowned. She quickly added, "If you don't mind, that is."

"Necklace? I don't remember you wearing a necklace, except for your, ahem, element of harmony thingie. And you'll forgive me if I am less than thrilled by that particular mission. I'd rather play home improvement, Celestia help me.”

She bit her lip. "No, it's new. It's simple, just a chain with my... With the butterfly Dash gave me."

Both of them found places to look in the room that avoided each other's eyes.

“The engagement diamond, right?”

“Yes.”

"Lost it yesterday, you say?"

"I must have, I remember wearing it on the way to the wake. But when I woke up it was gone!"

And another pony's face staring at me in the mirror...

She shook her head, trying to focus. The necklace. Discord was looking at her now. She met his gaze. "Please? It's important."

"It's your super special day and I will not, I can not say no to you. But." He hesitated. "May I offer some advice?"

She smiled, reaching out and touching his paw. "Of course, Discord. You're my friend."

He looked at her hoof on his paw. A smile crept up on his face, small and sad. "Fluttershy, time is like a circle for me. It goes round and round and everything old is new again. That's why I have a sense of humor about things, something I wish I could teach the celestial sisters. They keep building you ponies up, and get so very sad when you all can't stay up on that perch."

She scrunched up her brow. "Um... Okay."

"The point is, you have a gift, all you little ponies do." He leaned in close. "Mortality. Time is a line for you! It has a beginning, a middle and an end. Whatever lies beyond, however scary, must be a comfort because you know that all of this eventually ends! What a concept!" He sighed. "Believe me when I say, Fluttershy, that forever is a very long time."

She shivered again, pulling her hoof back. "Um, Discord? I'm sorry, but, you're not being very comforting right now."

He stared at his empty paw and sighed. "Except for us unlucky few, Fluttershy, everything and everyone ends. In your lover's case, too soon, perhaps, but inevitable. All that matters is the time you have left. And what a waste to spend it looking backward." He stared into space. "So many silly ponies, all day, looking backwards. And then they're gone."

She looked at her friend, distracted from her own pain with worry. She couldn't remember him ever looking so sad. "I'm sorry, Discord... I can look for my necklace another day, if you want. We can do something else together?"

Frowning, he snapped his head towards her. "Haven't you been listening, you silly little fool? I don't want you to look for it another day, I don't want you to look for it at all."

She blinked. "What?"

"Losing that memento is the best thing that could have happened to you. Saved you the trouble of throwing it away yourself." He drew himself up to his full height, extending his arms. "Take my advice. Gather everything that was hers, the posters, the clothes, her medals, even the cookies. Anything that was hers or reminds you of her. And destroy it. Or donate it, if you can't bear the thought of it being incinerated. I'll even help you! As long as wherever we take it, there are no returns or exchanges."

She was speechless. His words cut her like a crude scalpel, opening old wounds while creating new ones. The cold that had gripped her earlier evaporated quickly. Now there was a warmth building inside of her. No, more than that.

A fire.

"Move on. In fact, I'd move out. Start over in a new town! New adventures!" He smiled, leaning in close. "Maybe even a new mare, eh? Who knows what wonders await you in the world away from—"

The slap was quick and sharp, physically turning Discord’s head. He blinked, then slowly turned back to face her, eyes wide.

"Get. Out." A voice growled, and Fluttershy realized it was hers.

"Why Fluttershy, what a nasty little blow!" He grinned. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Fluttershy pointed her shaking hoof at the door, trying to control her anger. "I want you to leave. Please."

Discord floated off the ground, bowing his head and raising his claw and paw palm up, giving her what she assumed was his best attempt at foal eyes. "Forgive me Fluttershy, for I have sinned. I won't bring it up again."

The fire was still there, coursing through her veins. But the look from her friend was throwing fresh ice on her anger. It wasn't put out, but it dimmed considerably. Her throat tightened. "She was my wife, Discord. She can't be replaced."

He hesitated. "I hate to be, what's the phrase, a technical trotter? She actually wasn't. She was your fiancée. Not your wife."

The ice evaporated and the flames burned hot inside her. She lifted her hoof in warning. "Stop."

"Don't look at me like I'm a monster! I get enough of that from your friends. I am simply stating a fact." He shrugged, floating closer. "You had a romance. You had plans. For all intents and purposes, they're over. But that doesn't make your suffering unique." He smiled softly. "You will survive this, I prom—"

The sound and ferocity of the blow surprised Fluttershy.

Discord was also visibly surprised, at least he looked it the moment before her hoof hit his face. Then there was only bewilderment and velocity as he went crashing into the kitchen counter. Plates and pans scattered, a metal pot landed on the kitchen table, and the draconequus was laid out over the kitchen sink. He didn't move.

Fluttershy looked at her throbbing hoof in shock, expecting to see the bigger, heavier version she saw in the mirror. No, it was still her hoof. Small and dainty and... bruised? There was a small mark on the side, the point of highest impact. Or maybe not? It seemed to fade as soon as she noticed it, and the pain went away.

But the anger didn't. She couldn't control it. She was shaking.

In the reflection of the pot lying on her kitchen table, she saw herself. Not her. The other version of her. Staring at her.

He is rude and cruel, and not welcome here.

The reflection's mouth didn't move, but that voice was unmistakably the same from earlier.

And she realized that she was so busy with herself she hadn’t bothered to attend to her friend at all.

Gasping, she flew over to the sprawled shape of Discord. “Oh my goodness, are you alright? I just lost my temper! I didn’t mean it, I promise!”

"Why Fluttershy." Discord lifted his head and rubbed his face. His voice was calm, but he wasn't smiling. He looked at her outstretched hoof. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"I'm..." She shrunk back, following his gaze, staring at her hoof. She was shaking. “I’m sorry.”

"No, no, mea culpa, as they say in the fabled land of two footed giants." He looked around at the mess. "Still, and please don't take this the wrong way, but have you been..." He waved his limbs around vaguely, "Experimenting with dark magics? Or lifting weights, perhaps?"

"No,” she whispered, re-taking her seat at the table. “But I think something happened last night."

"Sounds ominous." Discord snapped his claw, and the pots and plates floated off the ground and began to quietly stack themselves in the sink. His voice continued to be even in tone, but it felt forced. She could hear the strain to sound nonchalant and casual. "Pray tell, what? A disagreement with that bunny about his carrot intake?"

She shook her head. “Angel’s still in the hospital. His cough came back. I’m supposed to visit him later today.”

“I wondered about the general increase in civility around here.” He clicked his tongue. “A bar-room brawl is too much to hope for, but perhaps some late night voodoo with Zecora?”

“I don't remember," she said, stealing one glance at her reflection before his magic took the pot away. The other 'her' was still glaring, still judging. She disappeared behind her mane and tried not to cry.

Discord didn't notice, or pretended not to notice. "I see. Something happened, but you don't remember?" He snapped his claws again. The sink filled with soapy water and the pots and pans began to scrub themselves. He didn’t even spare them a glance as he balanced a stack of teacups on his nose playfully. "Well, that's helpful."

"All I can remember is being so... angry."

"Because of her? Oh look, the snow stopped."

Fluttershy shook her head, peeking out from behind her mane. The snow had stopped, but the sun would still not show her face. She frowned. "Because of everything."

He floated the tea cups off his nose and they began marching into the cabinets. "Again, helpful. Anything else?"

She paused, nervously scanning the room for a reflective surface or mirror. She saw none and exhaled. "Um, no."

He turned off the faucet and hung his head. She looked at him, waiting for his next aside or question. But none came. He stood still, back to her. She waited. A silence bloomed between them.

"I just hope what happened... is not what I think has happened." He turned his head, and his smile wasn't a happy one.

She shifted uncomfortably. "What do you mean?"

"We'll know soon enough." He shook his head. "But I just hope it's not that."

The knock at the door turned both their heads. It was loud and official, and unlike how most of Ponyville asked for entry. They looked at each other.

"Expecting company?" he asked.

She thought hard. Yesterday remained a fog. "Other than you? Um... I don't think so."

The knocking continued, more insistent. Discord glanced at Fluttershy. "Do you want me to get rid of them?"

She shook her head and stood up. "A little animal probably needs my help." She headed for the door, legs still wobbly.

Discord called out as she walked away, "Technically, Fluttershy, that's always true."

Given the state of her bedroom, it was a relief that the front part of her house was still standing and in relatively good shape. None of her critters were roaming around, but that wasn't unusual, given the hour. The beaver family were early risers, and even though Discord had sent them away she was used to waking up after they had left the house. The two parents and their cubs had taken refuge with her since...

Howling wind and horizontal rain filled her memory. She couldn't move, she was barely awake. The water turning the earth to mud, the mud running into her mouth. And a sopping wet, half metal Rainbow Dash kissing her forehead.

I love you.

The knocking continued and roused her from her waking dream. She briefly considered asking who it was, but dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. After all, she thought as she reached for the door, if they're this persistent, they must really need her help; but they're knocking, which means they must be frien—

"Oh! Oh hello."

Two utterly unamused royal guard stallions stood outside her door, staring her down. The one on her right was a dark blue Pegasus, old and covered in scars. Most were on his front legs, although one particularly big mark stood out over his right eye. On her left, a younger gray earth pony stood, scarless but strong, his plate metal polished to a mirror shine. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and her muscles turn to mush. They were intimidating enough staring straight forward, but staring right at her made her want to disappear.

After a few moments of silence, she heard herself say, "Can I, um, help you?"

They opened up on her in rapid fire, the older Pegasus first:

"Are there any threats to the Princess in this house?

"If we searched, would we find weapons or magic objects in here?" said the younger.

"Is the creature known as Discord present?"

"Answer us, directly."

"And truthfully. Lying or refusing to cooperate with a royal guard is an Equestrian Offense."

She stared at them open mouthed. Whatever struggles she had had with their stony silence, this was much worse. She caught her reflection in the younger guard’s plate metal. ‘She’ looked back at her, the other version of herself.

‘She’ wasn’t happy.

After a moment, a familiar voice behind the two colts called out, "Oh for goodness sake, you two, stand down already.”

They parted and in-between walked Princess Twilight Sparkle. She wore a saddle bag with the official Canterlot seal, and a tired expression on her face. “I’m so sorry to be bothering you this morning, Fluttershy.”

The older pegasus frowned. “Princess, please let us do our job. The area is not secure.”

“I’ve known Fluttershy for years, Sergeant Knocks. I’ve only just met you.” Twilight glowered at Knocks, then turned to her friend. “Fluttershy, the Princess has sent me to investigate a troubling matter. Are you alone?"

A theatrical sigh erupted behind her. Discord floated towards the door with a bemused expression on his face. "Don't worry, Fluttershy, it's for me. It's always for me. Very well, gentlecolts, I'm not sure what the charges are but I'm sure I'm guilty of something. Should I go quietly or do you want me to to make it... interesting?"

Fluttershy caught the younger guard flinch at the word 'interesting'.

Twilight smirked. “Easy, Officer Steady. He's just having some fun with you. We're not here for you, Discord.”

Fluttershy scrunched up her brow. "Then, what are you here for?"

Twilight cleared her throat and looked down and away, face slightly flushed. It was the same expression she wore whenever Fluttershy had seen her deliver bad news. Fluttershy felt a weight travel down her throat and settle in her stomach. The last time she had seen that face, Twilight was moments from telling her that Dash had been lost in the storm...

"Actually, I’m here for you, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy blinked. "For me?"

"But I'm sure it's all just a misunderstanding!" Twilight added, a little too quickly. "It's just that, well, Scootaloo was attacked by Timberwolves last nights and she's in Ponyville General..."

The weight in her stomach started to bubble, and anxiety shot through her veins. "No! Is she okay? Can I see her?"

Twilight hesitated. "She's fine. She will be fine. Given the size of the wolves, it's a miracle she survived. They want to keep her for a few days under observation."

"Oh thank goodness. I'll go visit her! I'll pack a get well kit and—"

"No, that's not a good... Not right now." Twilight looked away again. "It's best if you don't see each other right now."

"Oh." Fluttershy drooped. "I see. She doesn't want to see me."

"Just the opposite, actually, but. Listen." Twilight closed her eyes and rubbed the side of her head with her hoof. "We're trying to figure out what happened to her, and her version of events makes no sense. I think she's still in shock."

"And what does the adorable little flightless foal say?" Discord grinned. "Did Daring Do sweep down from the clouds and pull her from their snapping jaws?"

Fluttershy glared at Discord. "Be serious, Discord, just for a moment. Of course that's not what happened."

Twilight frowned. "Actually, he's half right. She says that, well, you are the one who saved her from the wolf attack."

Fluttershy's jaw dropped open. "M-me?"

"Right?" Twilight laughed. “It sounds crazy, I know."

Officer Steady eyed the side of the house with the hole in it. "Yeah. Crazy..." he muttered. Sergeant Knocks gave him a death stare.

"Look I think we can settle this right now." Twilight's horn lit up, and the side of her saddle bag opened. A small necklace floated out of it, tangled up with a scroll.

Fluttershy gasped. It was the necklace. Her necklace. With Dash's butterfly. Stained, muddy, but unmistakably hers.

Twilight was distracted, trying to untangle the chain from the scroll. "I know this looks similar to your necklace, but "

"My necklace! Oh my goodness, where did you find it?" She reached out her hoof. "I thought I had lost it!"

Twilight's expression changed, distraction fading to concern. She slowly turned to face Fluttershy, her eyes reflecting a new set of worries. "You're sure this is yours?"

She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her. Discord gently touched her shoulder, and she was vaguely aware of the advice he was trying to give. But she was too weak to deny her heart's overwhelming joy at her recovered treasure. "Yes, of course. That's the engagement gift Dash gave me. I lost it last night." She smiled widely. "Thank you so much for returning..."

The necklace floated back into Twilight's bag. She spoke with deliberate calm, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."

She opened her mouth and found Discord standing in front of her. "Asking, or ordering, Princess? My friend has had a rough few weeks, I don't know if you've noticed? Death in the family and all."

"I am asking. Do not make me order, because I have that authority." Twilight snapped at Discord. She shifted her attention to Fluttershy, her voice reverting to a kinder tone. "Please, Fluttershy. Please come with me voluntarily."

Fluttershy’s heart finally caught up with what her brain was seeing: Twilight's face was a mask, worried or even scared eyes behind a frozen grin. She looked at the guards, their eyes filled with suspicion. She caught her reflection in the younger guard’s plate armor, and the other ‘her’ shook her head.

You are being lied to.

"It's going to be fine," Twilight added.

She looked back at Twilight, her mouth curving into a frown. The anger from earlier began to cloud her vision. It was interrupted by a whisper from behind.

"Please ask me to get rid of them." Discord purred. "I can. In fact, it would be my genuine pleasure."

"I haven't done anything wrong..." she said, haltingly but loud enough for all to hear. "This is a mistake."

Her reflection in the guard's plate looked right at her.

If we've done nothing wrong, why are we being arrested?

She frowned at her reflection. "We're not under arrest!"

A few moments ticked by and she realized she had spoken those words out loud.

"That's right..." Twilight said, slowly. "Fluttershy, I promise we're going to sort this out."

"The road to Tartarus is paved with such promises," Discord muttered.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight’s face and came to a decision. She turned to Discord. "I have a request."

"Anything."

"Wait for the beavers to return? Make sure they have enough to eat. Then check up on Angel Bunny at the hospital. He's expecting his fancy carrots. They're in the basket in the kitchen." She wrinkled her nose. "Probably."

He sighed. "Ah yes, spending the day waiting for varmints, then in a hospital with an elderly, demented lapine. Oh, what fun it is to be your friend.”

She nodded. "I appreciate it. Angel will too. And the house, um, if you don't mind?"

He bowed. "As you command, Princess Fluttershy."

She smiled. "Thank you, my friend." She turned to Twilight. “Okay, Princess. Let’s go.”

Twilight paused, looking skyward. The snow had picked up again. She turned towards the road and gestured with her hoof. "Let's take a walk." Fluttershy nodded and trotted forward, and the two guards followed behind her.

“Wait!” Discord called. He floated up to her, holding up a saddle bag. “Can’t forget your travel kit, my friend.”

She smiled and lowered her head. Discord put the bag over her shoulders and on her back. He whispered, “I left a note in your lunch bag.”

Fluttershy blinked. He disappeared, and popped back into existence by the door-frame of her cottage. “Go, I’ll wait for your precious beavers!” he shouted.

She looked back at her cottage, watching Discord stand in her doorway, his expression grim. The hole in the side of the house was visible, but thanks to the distance and the snow, it didn’t look so bad. After a few minutes, she glanced back again and couldn’t see the damage.

A few minutes after that, she turned her head one last time. She couldn’t see her cottage at all.

II: Lies

View Online

STRONGER:

by Einhander

II: LIES

Fluttershy bit her lip as she walked down the path towards Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity by her side. Her black veil shielded her face from any prying eyes as they walked through town, although she realized now that if she didn’t want ponies looking at her, she shouldn’t have worn her diamond butterfly brooch around her neck.

It didn’t help that Rarity was wearing a large black hat that demanded attention, complete with rainbow streaks on each side of the floppy brim. She had been filling the air with words ever since they met up to walk together. They were full of volume, but missing any of their usual music.

For most of their walk, Rarity had been going on and on about... something. But now, she had stopped. Fluttershy tensed. Silence usually meant an answer was needed.

"Um... Oh yes, Rarity."

Rarity blinked. "Yes what?"

Fluttershy folded. "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening."

Nodding with a small smile, Rarity said, "Not to worry, dear, I understand everypony deals with this awfulness in their own way. Personally, I find that talking about other things, pleasant things, makes all the sad leave me for awhile." She sighed. "Of course, there’s only so much small talk in the world. Forgive me?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "Nothing to be forgiven for, Rarity." She tried to smile. "What was your question?"

"There were several, but the most pressing to me is why little Scootaloo wasn't at the funeral."

Fluttershy's smile fell.

"Apple Bloom was there,and my sister of course. Practically everypony in town, even ponies I didn't recognize. But no Scootaloo. I thought they were cl— oh my!"

Fluttershy stumbled, body going limp. She would have fallen over had she not leaned in Rarity's direction. Magic flowed over her as Rarity tried to steady her, but what happened to her physically meant little to her in this moment. Rarity's words had already done the real damage.

"Oh my goodness. That poor little pegasus. Dash was her..." Sobs started coming. Rarity held her tight. "I didn't even think, I haven’t reached out, I haven’t done anything."

"There, there..." Rarity cooed, voice cracking as she wrapped her friend in a hug. "It's not your fault."

"But it is!" Fluttershy cried.

"No, darling!" Rarity held her tighter. "Celestia told us! That storm is to blame, the worst she's seen in decades. It's a miracle you survived."

Fluttershy wiped her tears and broke the hug. "It was no miracle." She shook off the magic and stood up straight, staring ahead. "I’m alive because she died."

"Yes…” Rarity hesitated. “But that was her choice. She give her life to save you, for love."

Fluttershy turned to her friend with a grim face and glassy eyes. "That's the point, Rarity. If I had loved her better, she wouldn't have had to." Rarity's mouth dropped open, but no words came out. "And if she didn't have to, then Scootaloo would still have her hero. And... well."

“But then those little, er, creatures. The ones staying with you now. They would have died in the storm, yes?”

A different kind of guilt flooded through Fluttershy. Of course, the beavers she had gone out to save. Had she not gone out in the storm they would have surely perished. On the other hoof, had she asked for Dash’s help and not told her to stay behind…

If Dash hadn’t become half metal, with that red eye staring at her, so alien and un-equine.

If instead she had looked at Dash’s other eye, her pony eye, pleading for forgiveness.

If, if, if.

“Oh my.” Rarity held out a hoof and looked up. “Do you feel that? I believe It’s starting to snow.”

Fluttershy stared up at the overcast sky. Gloomy atmosphere had evolved into a mild snow shower. The gray cloud cover seemed to have no end. She sighed. "Dash would have hated this."

Rarity frowned. “One does wait in vain hoping for a ray of Celestia’s light. Or at least some kind of silver lining.” She turned to Fluttershy, smiling faintly. “I agree it is a grim overture for what is supposed to be a happy event."

Fluttershy nodded. "She would have wanted something..."

"Twenty percent ‘cooler.’" Rarity finished.

It started small, a little giggle on Fluttershy’s part. Rarity joined in with a snicker. Fluttershy kept giggling, until it broke into actual laughter. Rarity was snorting in-between guffaws, and Fluttershy leaned on her for support, laughing so hard she was crying. Then she realized she was just crying.

Rarity hugged her again, and eventually the crying stopped. A silence lingered.

Fluttershy said, “I don’t want to go to this wake, Rarity.”

Rarity sniffed. “We have to go. Applejack and Pinkie have been working very hard. They need this. And Twilight asked for it to be moved so she could attend. The five of us, together.”

“But they don’t need me, do they? I don’t like, um, hard cider anyway.”

Lines of frustration started to form on Rarity’s face. “No pony is saying you have to partake in the Apple Family bacchanal, but come now. It’s a celebration of Rainbow’s life. You don’t want to be there?”

“Angel is sick, I should be with him. And, you can go for me. Say I’m sick. Say I’m still too sad.” Fluttershy looked away. “It’s not really a lie.”

And oh, how she wanted Rarity to say, You’re right, you don’t have to. Stay home, rest. I’ll go on for you.

Instead she said, “Darling, I must insist. You need this. We all need this. You’ve been staying in your house day after day. It’s not healthy. You can’t just keep waiting—”

Rarity caught herself, but not in time. Fluttershy blinked. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Fluttershy frowned. “Waiting for what?”

Rarity sighed. “Waiting for her to come home.“

Fluttershy stared at her friend for what seemed like a very long time. Then she walked on without another word.

"You’re sure don’t remember anything else?”

They had been walking on the path towards town, Twilight gently but persistently peppering her with questions along the way. Fluttershy had answered each one with a minimum of words, staring ahead and not looking anypony. Finally, she turned towards Twilight to look her in the eye and say, no, I don’t remember anything else, I would have told you if I did, and stopped.

For the first time, she noticed signs of age on her friend. Not actual lines or wrinkles, not on an alicorn. But her eyes seemed dimmer, more used to disappointing sights. Her mane, which had begun to shine since her ascension, now had a tinge of gray. Maybe it was the snow still falling on her dual-colored hair, maybe not.

She wanted to reach out and hug her. Tell her it was going to be okay. Give her that kindness in her heart, the kindness that usually flowed out of her like a waterfall.

The older guard growled. "The Princess has asked you a question, citizen."

She remembered they weren’t alone, and the waterfall ran dry. She stopped walking, held her head up high, and answered the question as formally as possible.

"That’s all I remember. We didn’t speak again until the wake." She stared up at the sky. The gray from yesterday continued despite her harsh glare. “It’s all a blur after that.”

Twilight nodded. "And the wake was at Applejack's barn, right?"

"Yes... Although, like I said several times, I don't remember much of it."

Twilight paused. “Try, Fluttershy. It’s important.”

Fluttershy sighed and closed her eyes. "It’s fragments, nothing that makes much sense. I remember faces, though? Applejack. Pinkie. Rarity. Ms. Scratch was there, and that mean griffon. Oh, I forget his name but the Wonderbolt stallion who flew with..." Her throat refused to let the name pass by her lips. She swallowed and opened her eyes. "Um, with her."

"Huh." Twilight frowned. "Nopony else? Scootaloo wasn't there?"

"I don't remember seeing her face. At least not inside the barn." Fluttershy blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "I also don't remember seeing you there, either."

"I know." Twilight coughed. "Royal business came up at the last minute."

Liar, the other voice hissed. No one else seemed to hear it, and her ears relaxed as her shoulders tensed.

They came upon a crossroads, and Twilight stopped, frowning. “So you must have seen her after the wake... It would be a good place to start..." Twilight looked to her left and then to her right, two different paths. She tapped her right hoof to her chin.

"Princess..." Sergeant Knocks rumbled to life, "If I may be so bold, Celestia did order us to return with the suspect immediately.”

The embers inside Fluttershy lit up as new life breathed into them. So she was a prisoner.

"Yes, but she also charged me with investigating the incident. Which means I should take Fluttershy to the barn and see if anything jogs her memory." Twilight closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "How am I supposed to follow two sets of contradictory orders?"

“You are our Princess, Princess.” Steady saluted with a painful earnestness. “Where you go, we follow.”

"Well then,” Twilight said with a weak smile, “Let’s go down this path." She pointed down the road to Sweet Apple Acres.

Fluttershy turned towards the way to Applejack's home. A dusty, well-trodden path lay in front of her, which would take her all the way up to the farm. She had travelled it many times, as recently as yesterday.

There was nothing worrisome or dangerous about the way to Applejack's farm. It was a twenty minute walk that was as familiar to her as the way home. Yet now...

Scenes from the Crystal Empire played in her mind. Memories of being chased through a winter wasteland. The howling wind bringing cold and the screams of a monster pony bent on vengeance. Running, running, running. Afraid to look back. Afraid to see if he was catching up...

She looked around at the grim guard ponies surrounding her, and the snow covering the carved path. In this company, under this steadily building blanket of cold, it all felt alien. Her wandering eyes crossed paths with caught the young guard's breastplate, frosted with snow and obscuring her reflection. For a brief moment she was thankful for the weather. She didn't know who was in the mirror staring at her, but she also knew she wasn't eager to see her again.

Fluttershy realized no one was speaking. The guards were glaring at her, and Twilight was looking at her expectantly. It was a familiar feeling. She relied on her usual reply.

"Um, I'm sorry, Twilight. What did you say?"

A quick jolt of annoyance ran across Twilight's face. "I said, will you come with us to Applejack's? Maybe it will jostle your memory a bit."

Fluttershy stared down the path again, this time with context. It still felt far away. "And if I don’t want to?"

"Princess Celestia is waiting to speak with you," Twilight said, biting her lip. She leaned in to Fluttershy's ear and whispered, "She's going to have questions, for both of us. I'd rather have answers before seeing her. Wouldn't you?"

Fluttershy frowned. "I don't want to see her at all. I was supposed to spend the day with my friend." She felt the embers again, although this time it wasn't a fire forced on her. It came from her heart and it choked her voice. "We were supposed to do silly things and not think about this for awhile."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Twilight’s smiles were getting thinner. "But I'm your friend, Fluttershy. At least we're spending time together?"

She stared at her friend. Her Princess. Her warden. She exhaled. "Okay, Twilight."

"Excellent!" Twilight turned to the guards. “Gentlecolts, onward.”

They began heading down the path towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight nudged Fluttershy, smiling weakly. “I bet Applejack is hurting after last night, huh? How much cider did she have?”

“I told you, Twilight.” Fluttershy stared straight ahead, steel in her eyes. “I don’t remember.”

Steady shook his head as they entered the barn. "Goddesses… What happened here?"

Fluttershy looked around with wide eyes and chose her steps carefully. Some kind of party happened last night, that much was clear. There was a piano with disorganized sheet music and a stack of pink blankets on top of it. Cups and plates were scattered on the floor. What appeared to be cake residue lined the sides of the walls. And some point, things had escalated beyond cake and punch. The barn reeked of spilled cider. Windows were shattered, broken glass and cider jugs were everywhere, and streaks of red, green, yellow and orange paint covered the walls along with torn banners and streamers. In the middle of the room was a smashed lantern, lying on top of a broken table. A stack of barrels, some of them spilled open, were stacked in the corner. And while a healthy amount of snow was blowing in from outside, especially from the open window at the top of the barn, nothing could hide the confetti that was most likely now a permanent part of the wood floors.

Twilight shook her head. "The saying goes, 'there ain't no party like an Apple Family party, because an Apple Family party has cider.' Stand back, gentlecolts." She lit up her horn and used her magic to clear a path.

Glass shards began to float off the floor and stack themselves in the corners. Fluttershy backed up, trying to avoid the floating pieces.

“Fluttershy, does this refresh your memory at all?” Twilight asked.

She closed her eyes. The smell of spilled cider filled her senses.

Fluttershy looked around the barn slowly.

The barn had set it up for some kind of party, that much was certain. Besides the assembled ponies, there were tables, balloons, cupcakes, punch the game ‘pin the tail on the pony’ set up on the wall, a microphone in a stand hooked up to speakers, and rainbow colored banners everywhere. Hoof painted signs saying 'We'll miss you Rainbow!' and 'she never left Ponyville hanging!' adorned the walls. The only touch that seemed halfway appropriate was an old piano sitting against the one part of the wall that didn’t have multicolored decorations.

Rarity looked around, her muzzle visibly tense. “I’m not sure if I’m at Rainbow’s wake or her birthday party.”

Fluttershy nodded It felt... wrong.

A gruff voice behind them barked, "What kind of bucked up wake is this?"

They turned, they gasped. She was older than when Fluttershy had last seen her, more gray feathers and scrawnier limbs poking through an ill fitting vest. But her face was as mean as ever.

"You lame-o's had like, one job to do." Gilda the Griffon, sniffed, brushing by them and looking around the square barn interior. "Figures. You all ruin Dash, then you ruin her last goodbye."

"Pinkie Pie worked very hard on this party, including the invitations..." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Which I am sure you did not receive."

Gilda gave Rarity a hateful glance and and lifted her claw. Fluttershy whimpered, expecting a blow or a scream. Instead, Gilda produced a black card from her vest, which was looking increasingly familiar. The card had the words 'For Dash' written on the front in white script.

"That... That could be anypony's invitation!" Rarity pointed an accusing hoof at her. "How do we know you didn't—"

Without another moment of hesitation, Gilda opened the flap of the invitation and a small amount of confetti shot out of it. Then a recorded voice that vaguely sounded like Pinkie Pie sang, "Hey Gilda the Griffon! We'd be super grateful if you'd come honor the memory of our departed friend Rainbow Dash at her wake, this Friday at Sweet Apple Acres! Starts at eight, don't be late!" She shrugged, and placed the invitation back in her vest.

Rarity’s face met her hoof. "Well then, I suppose that’s settled.”

Fluttershy looked at the vest again. Where had she seen that design before?

Rarity continued, “Just behave yourself while you’re visiting our home, and we won’t have any trouble.”

“Visiting? Nah. I’m sticking around for a bit.” She showed off her vest. “Heard there was an opening with the weather team.”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide. That’s how she knew the vest. It was the same pattern as Dash’s…

“No pony thought they were up to filling Dash’s hooves. And they were right.” Gilda turned to Fluttershy, and caught her gawking at the weather team vest. She stared Fluttershy up and down. “So. You’re the one, eh?”

Fluttershy blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“I heard about you, but I wanted to see for myself.” She narrowed her eyes. “I wanted to see you.”

Fluttershy nodded, and swallowed.

Gilda smirked. “And I wanted you to see me.”

“HAPPY WAKE!”

Pinkie bounced in haphazardly, knocking over a small table of blue and rainbow cupcakes. She didn't notice or didn't seem to care; she continued to bounce until she was standing in front of Fluttershy.

"Aren't you three super duper excited to be at this party?" Pinkie sang, jumping up and down. "I planned the whole thing, except for the location and the alcohol, that's Applejack. And the music, that's Vinyl. But otherwise it's all me! Games and dancing and food... Oh and somepony remind me, I've got cheese puffs cooking outside, they are her favorite. We're gonna have so much fun, right Rarity? Grindle?"

"It's Gilda," she growled.

Pinkie turned towards Fluttershy, oblivious to the growling griffon. "Right, Fluttershy?"

The decor was frustrating Fluttershy more and more by the minute. She turned towards her friend, harsh words boiling up into unpleasant mush in her mouth. However, even the mildest of reproaches died when she saw Pinkie's face. The smile was there, the exaggerated expressions. But none of the joy, replaced instead by manic energy.

"Don't you think Rainbow's gonna love it?" Pinkie stared at Fluttershy, eyes burning into her.

Fluttershy whimpered, looking to Rarity for help. She shrugged and gave Fluttershy an encouraging little hoof motion, which had the appearance of being helpful without solving anything. Fluttershy sighed. "It's... nice."

Pinkie looked from left to right, breathing quickly and tapping her hooves. "I can't wait until she gets here!"

Nopony knew what to say.

"It's a wake, you loser," Gilda said. "That's the whole point. She's never coming back."

"You don't know that!" Pinkie pointed a shaking hoof, her eyes serious as stone, "You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do. She died. There was a funeral." Gilda turned and glared at Fluttershy. "You were there."

"Yeah? Well I know that this isn't how the story ends! Dash doesn't just fly into a storm and disappear, silly filly!" The other ponies in the room were beginning to stare as Pinkie started trotting around the room, voice building in volume and speed. "She goes away for awhile, she waits. And then she comes back more awesome than ever! We all will be amazing together!" She was on top of the piano now, shouting. "What would she want us to do while she's gone? Be sad? Throw a sad party? No!" She pounded her hooves down. "No. Dash would want us to be happy, she'd want a happy wake, she was a happy pony!"

Pinkie sagged as her smile finally gave way to exhaustion, collapsing on top of the piano. Fluttershy ran over to her, her own sadness forgotten for the moment. She wanted to comfort her friend, her fellow pony in pain. But then Pinkie raised her head and caught Fluttershy's gaze.

"This is just a 'so long for now.' A seeya later, an after awhile, Rockodile." Pinkie's eyes searched hers. "Right? You know she's coming back, right?"

Fluttershy opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"Pinkie!" Rarity said, "Your cheese puffs!"

Instinct kicked in, and Pinkie abandoned the forces of gravity to gasp in the air before rushing out.

"All you ponies are crazy," Gilda said, before walking off with a huff.

Rarity paid Gilda no mind, instead frowning in Pinkie Pie’s direction. "I think I should go check up on her." She glanced at Fluttershy. "Will you be alright for a moment?"

Fluttershy nodded, looking around the room. "I'm fine, Rarity. Besides, Twilight should be..."

She turned back to see nothing: Rarity had gone.

She was alone.

A terrible noise broke through her reverie. It sounded like a lazy roar of a bored pig.

"What in the world...?" Twilight muttered. A quick review of the barn revealed no pigs.

"Princess?"

Twilight turned, and Fluttershy followed her gaze. A light blue pegasus stallion stood in the doorway, a blanket underneath his front arm. His jaw dropped in surprise, then quickly threw up a salute. The blanket dropped from his raised leg and onto the stain covered ground. His eyes shot downwards and he groaned.

"Ah, horseapples. Crud! I mean crud!" he yelped, kneeling to pick up the blanket, and blushing. "I'm sorry your highness, I meant crud."

Twilight smiled. "At ease, Mr. Soarin. I've heard worse. I've said worse. What's with the blanket?"

Fluttershy blinked from behind Twilight. Soarin. Yes, she recognized the name and the stallion from previous adventures with Dash. But there was something else, a tickle in her brain that felt like she was missing something...

"I came down this morning and when I heard this awful noise. I thought it might be a bear or something. But, uh… it wasn’t a bear."

He pointed at the piano. The roar came again, longer and more wet this time.

"Pinkie? Oh my, is that you?" Twilight asked. She pointed at the shivering pink form on top of the piano. “Was that for Pinkie?”

Soarin nodded, grimacing at the fabric in his hooves."It was, but that was before I dropped it in the muck."

"Dashie," muttered the sleeping Pinkie. "Tell the weather team to turn off the blizzard,"

"Let me see," Fluttershy said. She stepped forward and took the blanket from Soarin's hooves. After shaking it out and giving it the once over, she threw it over Pinkie's sleeping form with a nod. "Even if it's a little damp, better than nothing.”

She turned to find Soarin staring at her, slack jawed. A hot blush of embarrassment shot through her veins. "Did I do something wrong?”

“What? No, you’re cool. I'm just glad you’re alright. I mean, after that brawl last night."

Fluttershy swallowed. "Last night?"

He nodded slowly, concerned. "Don't you remember?"

She was alone.

Though it was packed with ponies, she stood by herself. Over there was the group of Wonderbolts, in the back, weather ponies with Gilda, to the side, Lyra and Bon Bon talking to Berry punch. And no sign of Twilight, or Applejack, and Pinkie and Rarity hadn't come back yet...

"Ms. Shy?"

Fluttershy turned. A light blue pegasus stood before her, wearing a smart uniform and a serious but warm expression. He had a shock of black mane and gave a salute before saying, "Soarin, at your service. 2nd class Wonderbolt."

"Oh. Um. Hello," said Fluttershy. She wasn't sure what else to say. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Very sorry for your loss, ma'am. I had the honor of flying with your fiancée. She was, for real, one of the fastest and bravest trainees I had." A crack formed in his facade, and he looked away. "She’ll be missed. She already is."

Fluttershy nodded, again unarmed in the words department. A slight memory stirred, a moment with Dash before the subject of the Wonderbolts was a sore one. The name, the name... Oh!

"She mentioned you, Mr. Soarin. She had your picture on her wall, flying with you was a thrill for her." Fluttershy tried to smile. "Especially the first day she came home from practice."

Soarin grinned. "Oh? What did she say?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "It wasn't what she said, it was how she said it over and over."

"’Ohmigosh’, right?" He winked. "She said the same thing a billion times the day she got your engagement gift. She was so excited to ask, so worried about what you'd say, and..."

Tears were rolling down her face. She was holding back sounds, but just barely.

Soarin coughed and stood up straight. "Anyway, ma'am, the point is, we don't forget our own. We don't forget the ones they leave behind. If you need us, any service, no matter the size." He produced a card and held it out for her. She took it with a trembling hoof. "You call on us. You show this to any Wonderbolt. They'll know what it means." He paused. "Okay?"

She nodded, tears drying now.

Behind them, a scraggly voice said, ""But you're the DJ, and it was her favorite song. Play it, play 'Daring'!"

They both turned to see a cyan pegasus mare wearing a uniform similar to Soarin’s, standing in front of Vinyl Scratch with a furious expression.

Vinyl shook her head. "I'd love to, babe, it's a killer track. But I got orders from Applejack: no music till the cider comes..."

“That’s horseapples and you know it! Play the song!”

He frowned. “Lightning Dust...”

She held up a hoof. “Just a sec, Soarin.” Dust then slammed the hoof on Vinyl's table, slurring her words. "And another thing. When does the cider get here!?"

Vinyl sighed, politely but firmly removing the offending hoof off of table. "Believe me, if I knew, I'd have already told you, so you'd get off my case. Just have some punch until — "

“Punch?! What the buck is this?" Dust threw a cup of red liquid down on the ground. She was snarling, eyes furious. "Where's the booze?!"

He sighed. "I apologize, I should deal with this. It's been a rough few weeks." She nodded and he saluted. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

She nodded and watched him turn around and return to his group, quickly grabbing the errant pegasus by the ear and dragging her into a corner for some whispered (but loud) scolding.

Vinyl went back to her work.

"Um, excuse me..."

Vinyl looked up and over her sunglasses.

"Pardon me, but I believe that mare was mistaken..."

“About what, babe?”

Fluttershy looked away, embarrassed. "Rainbow Dash's favorite song isn't, well, wasn't 'Daring,' it's actually—"

"Evening, y'all."

The easygoing, smooth country voice made them all turn their heads. Applejack stood in the doorway with a box of mugs on her back. "Sorry ‘bout the delay, but we wanted to make sure the barrels we got were top shelf." Applejack trotted over and placed the box on a table. Behind her, Big Mac was dragging a cart filled with barrels.

"This is the best cider in the world," Applejack announced. "Not the stuff we make every year, although it's pretty dang good. Celestia knows we sell out fast enough." There were scattered chuckles. "No this is the aged cider, the good stuff. For special occasions.” She paused. “Even sad ones like this.”

Applejack nodded at her brother. He put a mug underneath the first barrel and hit the tap with his hoof. Sparkling, golden cider flowed out of the nozzle and collected in the mug. The room watched Mac fill it up to the top, bubbles popping and fizzing. He picked it up gently and offered it to Applejack, who took the cider and looked at it for a moment.

"The first glass is hers!" She held it up for all assembled to see, "And we leave it for her, to enjoy wherever..." Her voice cracked. "Wherever she is."

Fluttershy felt a familiar stab in her heart. She cast her eyes down as Applejack placed the mug on top of the piano.

The room was silent as the mug continued it's lonely fizzing. Applejack turned, eyes misty, and made her way back to the tap. "But this next one..." She climbed on top of the biggest barrel, and opened her hooves wide to the crowd. "The next few, in fact? That’s for us. The ponies who knew her best. Come up here, Pinkie. Rarity? You too.”

Fluttershy turned to see her Pinkie made her way to the front of the room, gently guided by Rarity. She hadn’t noticed them return. Then she realized that all eyes were on her, waiting expectantly. Panic started its slow climb up her nerves. She heard a voice calling her.

“Fluttershy, darlin’?” Applejack smiled, offering her free hoof. “It’s alright. Come on up. You belong with us.”

She accepted Applejack’s hoof, and found herself pulled on top of the barrels. Pinkie and Rarity supported her as she tried to find her footing. She kept her eyes on the ground or the pony next to her; she knew the rest of the room was watching her and did want to meet their gaze.

Applejack opened her mouth to speak when Pinkie whispered something in her ear. She lowered the mug and stared down the room slowly, squinting. Frowning and shaking her head, she muttered, “She knew damn well what time this started.“

Rarity nodded. “It’s time.”

“Big Mac?” Applejack said, and her brother handed her another mug. She held it up high with a triumphant gaze.

“To Rainbow Dash, the bravest, best competitor, best friend a pony could ask for!” She took a sip, took another sip, then passed it to Pinkie.

Pinkie was shaking, but held the mug as high as she could reach. “To Dashie, the best prankster, most awesome, laugh-loving pony you’d ever meet.” She gulped down a healthy amount, then passed it to Rarity.

Rarity held it high with her magic, her gaze directed past the mug and towards the stars. “To a champion of Equestria, the pony who saved my life on more than one occasion, the most loyal friend a pony could ask for… to Rainbow Dash.” Her sip was more dainty, but a fair amount of alcohol was gone when the glass made its way to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy stared at the mug, now only a third full. She knew what they wanted to hear. She knew it was time to say goodbyes, to make toasts and thank everypony for being supportive. She knew what she was supposed to do.

“To Rainbow Dash,” she said, draining the mug without another word.

Applejack smiled. “Now, anypony thirsty?” and waved at her brother who began to pour more mugs. There was a chorus of shouts as ponies stumbled over themselves to line up for the cider. Laughing, she gestured at Vinyl before hopping off to help her brother pour. The DJ nodded with a grin.

The music dropped.

The cider started flowing.

The wake had officially begun.

"Once I was a few ciders in, if I'm being honest... I don't remember much. But at some point you disappeared, Ms. Shy." Soarin adjusted the blanket around the still snoring Pinkie. "We were worried about you."

Twilight watched how carefully he was tucking in Pinkie. "We? You and Pinkie?"

He flinched like he'd been slapped. "What? No! No, we, uh, just found her like this morning. I thought I'd get her a blanket."

Fluttershy glanced at her reflection in Steady's faceplate. The other 'her' nodded. Truth, mostly. Still, something bothered her. "Mr. Soarin, why are you here so early in the morning?" she asked.

"Uh, that is, we — you see — "

She watched him stammer, and felt an unusual sense of calm. "You keep saying 'we.' 'We' who? If you didn't spend the night with Pinkie, who did you spend the night with?"

Soarin's face lost whatever color it had, and although his mouth was opening and closing no words came out.

"Fluttershy! I'm surprised at you!" Twilight said.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight evenly. "I'm surprising myself today, Twilight." She turned back to the stallion. "Well, Mr. Soarin?"

"A g-gentlecolt never — "

"Soarin, hon?"

They all turned. The barn doors opened and a sleepy Applejack poked her head in. "I'm making breakfast and some Apple Family hangover cure. Do you want — "

She blinked at the small sea of faces staring at her.

"Twilight? Fluttershy? What are you two doin’ here?"

"I didn't tell them anything!" Soarin blurted out.

Four sets of eyes ping-ponged back and forth between the pegasus and the earth pony.

Applejack sighed and gave him a weary look. "I think you just did, sugarcube."

III: More Lies

View Online

STRONGER

By: Einhander

III: MORE LIES

Bass thumped, cider flowed, hooves pounded the floor. Ponies danced with their best friends, their enemies or ponies they just met. Rainbow's favorite songs filled the air. The barn reeked of sweat and cider.

This is how Ponyville handed death.

Fluttershy stood near the back of the room, mug of cider in her hoof, silent. She had always been invited to these wakes, and had never come. Funerals, yes, of course. But the idea of the bacchanal after had always made her frown. Funerals were a time to be sad, not to drink yourself into oblivion.

Looking around now, she saw that she was in the minority.

Ponies were slurring words, laughing too loudly, some were even kissing when they thought nopony was looking. Or they knew and didn't care.

Every few minutes or so, a pony would stop dancing and start crying. Not for long, though, and not alone.

When Flitter started breaking down mid-chorus on a classic rock song, Pinkie rushed to her side. Pinkie hugged her until the tears stopped, and provided a fresh mug of cider.

"We used to sing this, in high school..." she muttered, drinking deep of the cider. "She always got the words to the chorus wrong..."

Fluttershy watched Pinkie lead Flitter to the picture wall. Since the party began, Pinkie had been helping ponies paste photos of Rainbow Dash onto the east side of the barn. Each one had heartfelt messages scribbled on them. After a few moments of searching in the cardboard box next to the wall, Flitter found a photo of the two of them making goofy faces at the camera, and Pinkie grinned and had the paste ready.

To Fluttershy's left, another cry. Lyra was holding a shaking Bon Bon, and Rarity was hugging them both.

Bon Bon drunkenly sobbed, "Lyra, life's too short. Let's get married."

Lyra smiled, holding her tight. "We're already married, sillyhead."

"It's true," Rarity nodded, "I was there. It was a lovely fall wedding. The cake was—"

Lyra silenced Rarity with a look as Bon Bon buried her head in her wife's neck. "Let's get married again."

Lyra laughed, stroking her mane. "Okay, Bonnie. Okay."

Although neither pony asked, Rarity immediately agreed to officiate.

Fluttershy looked away, back into her cider… the smell of malted apples overwhelmed her senses...

Fluttershy sniffed at her glass and shuddered.

Applejack grinned at her as she finished pouring cider for the table. “Rough night, huh Fluttershy? No judgin’ here. Me too.”

“Really, Applejack?” Twilight frowned at the bubbling mug before her. “Isn’t it a little early to start drinking again?”

Applejack shrugged, and placed the ice-pack to her head again. “There’s a little bit of a barrel left, but not enough to re-bottle. No use in lettin’ it go to waste.” She wrinkled her nose at the smell, then took a sip. “Besides, hair of the mare that bit ya.”

“Or griffon,” Soarin added.

Applejack held up her mug. “Drink up, ya’ll.”

They had relocated inside Applejack's house. Everypony except Pinkie, who still could not be moved from her perch. They left a glass of water by her head and returned to the Apple Family Kitchen, huddled around the dinner table.

Everypony at the table took at least a sip, some (Soarin and Steady) more enthusiastically than others (Twilight and Knocks). Fluttershy had barely touched a drop, but the smell was overwhelming. She could still taste sharp sour alcohol in the back of her throat. Whatever happened last night had involved alcohol. It was a trigger for memories that weren’t pleasant.

Fluttershy pushed her mug away and looked at Applejack and Soarin. “So you two… how long has that been going on?”

Soarin coughed, and Applejack opened her mouth and closed it. They looked at one another. Applejack spoke first: “Soarin here came to help with the funeral arrangements, specific’ly the Wonderbolts part…”

Soarin scratched the back of his neck. “I actually came here to help you Ms. Shy.”

Fluttershy blinked. “Really? But, um, I only saw you at the funeral... and then not again, not until last night.”

He nodded. “You––well, they told me this, anyway––weren’t seeing anypony. Especially not a Wonderbolt.”

“‘They’? ‘They’ who?”

Taking a long sip of cider, Soarin kept his eyes firmly on the table before him.. “Somepony who was in a position to know.”

The silence blossomed as Fluttershy scanned the room at her friends, both of whom avoided her glance. “I never said that. I never said I didn’t want to see Mister Soarin. Or anypony.” The embers inside caught new flame. “What else has been going on in my name?”

Applejack glared at Twilight. “I told ya, Twi. You should’a asked—” Twilight gave her a look, and Applejack huffed and turned away. Soarin kept his eyes on the table. No one spoke.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy said slowly, glaring at Twilight.

Twilight sighed and finally lifted her head and stared Fluttershy in the eye. “I meant for the best. You didn’t want to see us, I thought you wouldn’t––”

“Well maybe I did, Twilight. How could you have known? You never asked.” Fluttershy snapped.

“I came here to help!” Soarin pleaded, and the room went quiet again. “I didn’t come to cause trouble, I swear. Rainbow Dash was one of us, and Wonderbolts take care of our own. But the Princess said you wouldn’t see me, and Applejack…” He swallowed, looking at the earth pony sitting next to him. “She told me where to go and what to do.”

Applejack nodded, “I found simple ways for him to help out, making sure food deliveries got out to you, and taking care of your critters until you were back on your hooves.”

Soarin started talking at a faster pace. “Then I wanted to stay for the wake, and that kept getting pushed back, and I needed a place to sleep, and, and—”

“We got the spare room, see––”

“I think I can piece it together,” Twilight was rubbing her forehead with her hoof, “And honestly––"

"Oooh I get it!" A silent voice suddenly filled the room, and all turned to see Officer Steady's shining eyes and aw-shucks smile. "They had a thing last night, didn't they Sarge?"

Mortification spread across the table, along with specks of cider that Soarin almost coughed up.

Sgt. Knocks rolled his eyes. "Steady, go patrol the perimeter."

"But Sarge, it's just getting good!"

"That's an order, soldier!"

Steady sighed, got up and trotted out. As one, they waited for the door to shut behind him.

“Sorry about that, Princess,” Knocks turned to Applejack and nodded, “Ma’am.”

“Actually, uh, he was right." Soarin coughed. "We got together last night.”

Applejack smiled awkwardly. “He was kinda my knight in a shining jumpsuit, I guess. Saved me from that awful Gilda.”

Soarin blinked. “That would explain why my uniform is all clawed up.” He glanced at his shoulder. “And why I have these scratches. I guess I got in a heck of a tussle.”

“You could say that, yeah.” Applejack had a sheepish smile. “Sorry I got you mixed up in my fight.”

"I have no regrets," he smiled and took her hoof. She blushed but did not let go.

Fluttershy watched them hold hooves. The embers floated in her heart again, but she wasn't sure why.

Because it once was yours, and it was taken from you.

She frowned, casting her eyes about for a mirror. She found one to her right, a cracked, little bronze piece hanging on the wall.

‘Her’ reflection, the other her, stared back at her critically. She shuddered and but could not look away. This day had been too much and too long, and it had only just begun.

Soarin piped up, "Are you not going to drink that, Ms. Shy?"

Fluttershy blinked, woken from her mirror-gazing. She shook her head and nudged the cider over to Soarin. “Go ahead, Mr. Soarin.”

"Let's focus on the task at hoof." Twilght sighed. "Your love life isn’t relevant right now. So you two are together. Fine. There was a fight?”

“There was a song,” Fluttershy muttered. Everypony turned to her. She was staring into space as memory returned to her. “There was a song, then there was a fight. And Gilda…”

The party had been in full swing for what seemed like hours. She didn't know how long she had been there, but she did know one thing: she wanted to go home.

She stood next to the west wall, alone. Ponies were dancing around her, and occasionally a pony would make eye contact and smile sadly. Some had even tried to interact with her, share a drink or story. She rebuffed them with a polite smile and a shake of her head. Eventually, there was a five hoof ring around her that no pony would cross.

Most of her friends were drunk. She wanted to ask Rarity to walk her home, but she was holding court with the Wonderbolts. Then she was going to ask Pinkie, but she was singing at the top of her lungs next to Vinyl’s speaker set-up. And Applejack… well, she was sitting on-top of the cider kegs, leaning her head on Soarin’s shoulder. Everypony was smiling, flushed faces and loose tongues.

When Fluttershy tried to drink, the warmth in her body just left her cold. It focused her more on what wasn’t there. Or rather, who wasn’t there.

She wanted to go home.

"Hey. You."

Fluttershy turned. In front of her stood Gilda, staring down at her with venom in her eyes and feathers ruffled.

“So. Fluttershy. The pony that stole Dash away. Made her almost give up flying, almost quit the Wonderbolts.”

Fluttershy felt her throat tighten. “How did you… “

“Oh, ponies talk, even to griffons.” Gilda leaned in close. Fluttershy could see every feather, every scratch on Gilda’s face. Her breath smelled of dead things. “Especially to this griffon.”

Fluttershy whimpered and tried to look away from the big, golden eyes. Trying to find any pony’s eyes to ask for help. GIlda wasn’t making it easy to withdraw, moving her head to continue to catch Fluttershy’s sight.

“How does it feel?"

Fluttershy blinked. "W-what do you mean?"

"How does it feel to be the pony who got her killed?” Gilda hissed.

A weight dropped in her stomach.

Gilda was right by her ear now, whispering so only she could hear, “Do you think you were worth it?”

"Ms. Shy, is this, is this, this griffon bothering you?" Soarin was right next to them, words slurred but glare steady. "Because if so..."

"Um, that's—"

Gilda turned to Soarin and rolled her eyes. "What are you gonna do, dweeb?” she huffed, "I'm, what? Twice? Three times your size?"

"Excuse me—"

"I haven't lost a fight yet," Soarin cracked his neck and pawed his hoof at the ground. "So why don't you leave her alone? In fact, why don't you just leave?"

“Hey… hey!” Thunderlane stumbled behind Soarin, “Leave that weatherpony alone.”

“Really?” Soarin snorted. “You’re calling her ‘weatherpony’?”

Thunderlane spat on the ground, “That’s right, stunt colt. She’s one of us. So back off!”

"Everypony, everypony! Kill the music! Raise your glasses!" Applejack yelled at the top of her voice. "Where's th'piano?"

The room quieted as Vinyl pulled the need off the record. The sudden change in atmosphere disarmed the fight before it began. Fluttershy watched Soarin and Thunderlane eyed each other for a moment, then disengaged. Gilda glared at Fluttershy, but wandered off. Whatever Applejack was planning with the piano was more interesting than the potential of a fight. She stood next to her spot on the wall, forgotten again.

"It's an old song, I know it as an Apple song, but I'm sure some of y'all know it too."

"Oh! Is it, is it, is it…” Rarity hiccuped. “The farewell song?" Rarity asked, hiccuping again and covering her mouth with a hoof.

"Tha's right, th'goodbye song." Applejack's slurring and accent began to blend. “Everypony gather around.”

The crowd parted and Applejack found her way to the piano, which was missing a player. "Music, we need..." Applejack looked around and found Vinyl Scratch. She looked at her, at the piano, then back at Scratch with pleading eyes. "I know it ain't electric, but..."

Vinyl chuckled. "I didn't go to the music academy for nothing, babe." She sat at the bench unsteadily, then frowned. "Of course I don't really know the melody."

"No worries, I got ya. Let me hum it for ya.” She cleared her throat as Vinyl readied her hooves over the keys.

Applejack hummed a few notes, and Vinyl plucked them out. Satisfied, Applejack turned to the room and shouted, “Everypony quiet down. Quiet!" The room’s dull roar quieted to a murmur. Applejack climbed on top of the barrels and looked up at the lantern attached to the ceiling, lighting up the barn like the sun. She cried out, "Raise those glasses again. It goes like this."

She paused, then let out a wail. After clearing the rafters, a beautiful, earthy voice began to sing;

"Well, my ponies

Her time was done

She lived, laughed and loved..."

She took off her hat, and turned and waved expansively with her hoof. Vinyl took the cue and began plucking out the melody, following along.

"Friends of our friend

We won’t see her like her again...

She's gone to the other side..."

The room was silent now, save for Applejack’s voice and Vinyl’s piano. Fluttershy watched and listened, the words pouring into her ears and burning into her heart.

"Goodbye, our dear friend Rainbow

All your adventures here have ended

Well, goodbye, Rainbow Dash

We sing one last time for you…”

Applejack lowered her head, shaking it, singing low: “oh whoa oh..."

The crowd had gathered around the barrels now, many ponies sniffling. Pinkie opened her mouth and sang, tentatively at first:

"Remember her to your foals...

Then goodbye, farewell, goodbye.”

Applejack turned and smiled, joining Pinkie in harmony:

“Wish her luck, you dear ponies

Now, goodbye, farewell, goodbye.”

The ponies surrounding them, one by one, began to join them in the chorus.

“Goodbye, our dear friend Rainbow

All your adventures here have ended

Well, goodbye, Rainbow Dash

We sing one last time for you…”

Rarity threw her head back and belted, “Oh whoa oh!”

“Remember her to your foals

Then goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Wish her luck, you dear ponies,

Now, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye…”

The chorus repeated again, everypony singing at full blast. Everypony save Fluttershy.

She wanted to join in. She wanted to feel that release, the helping power of song she had felt so many times before in her life

But she felt nothing. No voice left her mouth. No fire in her body. Just cold, empty coldness.

She needed to go home.

When the chorus ended, a pony next to her raised his glass and shouted: “A toast! To Rainbow Dash!

Cloudkicker raised her glass. “The best damn weatherpony we ever had!”

Lightning Dust: “A Wonderbolt, now and forever!”

“There never was a more loyal friend!” Pinkie sobbed. “Never ever!”

“She saved my life! She saved Fluttershy's life!” Rarity crowed. “All of us owe her a debt!

“To Rainbow Dash!” The voice rang out harsh, stopping everypony cold. Fluttershy turned to see Gilda staring at her from above. Wings flapping, the Griffon hovered in the air, above the piano. A mug of cider was in her claw.

Dash's mug of cider.

Murmurs and shocked whispers floated up from the crowd. Gilda silenced them with a look, then glanced back to Fluttershy." To Dash, who would still be alive if she had never heard of Ponyville!"

Ponies gasped as Gilda poured out the mug of cider. The golden liquid splattered onto the ground. Fluttershy closed her eyes, but it only made it worse, like hearing a pony vomit.

"Am I wrong, little ponies?” Gilda’s voice echoed in her mind. “If she stayed in Cloudsdale, she'd still be alive. If she never left the weather pony team, she'd still alive. If she'd never met you..."

Fluttershy opened her eyes and looked up. The mug had run dry. Gilda’s eyes met hers, and then she threw it down to the ground, smashing it to pieces. Right at Fluttershy’s hooves.

Soarin stepped forward first. “Get out.”

"Go ahead. Raise that hoof and just see what happens," she growled.

He turned and nodded, and the rest of the Wonderbolts were at his side. "I'm one of several, griffon.”

“Maybe,” Gilda grinned but her eyes were not smiling. “But can they get to me before I snap those wings right off you?”

Lightning Dust growled. "Invitation or not, you've worn out your welcome."

“Back off, flymare,” Cloudkicker slurred, poking Dust with her hoof. “The griffon is right. She'd never have flown into danger like that b'fore you all got to her. You stunt ponys got her killed.”

Rarity stumbled over to Cloudkicker and put her hoof on her shoulder, "Kicker, really! Nopony killed Dash, she died in that storm..."

"Take your hoof off of me, pretty princess..." Cloudkicker seethed.

Gilda shook her head. “Never mind, C.K. This party is lame-central, anyway. I’ll go.” She landed with a thud, and looked around the room, stopping to give an extra glare to Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. She stopped at Fluttershy, and snorted, “Just so we’re clear. You’re the reason she’s dead. And everypony knows it.”

Fluttershy stared at her, and nodded ever so slightly.

Rarity screamed, “Get OUT!”

Gilda shrugged and stomped towards the exit.

“Wait a second!”

She turned.

Applejack stepped forward unsteadily. "Just so we're clear, even if you hadn't just said those awful things t'my friend, I've woulda done this anyway."

Gilda rolled her eyes. "Well?”

Fluttershy blinked and almost missed it. In less than two seconds, Applejack turned around, shot out her back legs and connected with Gilda's face, sending the griffon reeling.

Applejack thundered, "No one pours out a dead mare's cider!”

Her hooves were shaking.

"Fluttershy, it's okay sugar." Applejack reached out and took her hoof. "We don't have to talk about any of this if you don't want to."

Twilight frowned. "Actually Applejack, I'm sorry but we do."

Applejack’s glare could melt glass. “No, we don’t.”

The door slammed open and Steady stumbled in with a yelp. He quickly turned and closed it behind him.

Knocks coughed. “Everything all right, Officer Steady?”

Steady’s eyes darted around the room, spooked. “Didn’t anypony hear that?!”

"Uh... hear what, Soldier?"

He spoke slowly, deliberately. “Sergeant Knocks, I think you need to come and take a look at uh, what’s outside.” Steady was shaking, “Like now. Right now.”

Knocks rolled his eyes. "Excuse me, Princess," he said and trotted over with a sigh.

Soarin whispered to Applejack, “You okay?”

She smiled at him. “I’m fine, darlin’.”

Fluttershy watched them hold hooves again. The fire was coursing up from hooves, filling her veins...

Do not forget who the enemy is.

She glanced back at the mirror on the wall in confusion. This is silly. Why should I be mad at them?

Her reflection shook its head. They're not the problem. The pony at this table lying to you is the problem.

She blinked, then glanced at Twilight. The Princess who was staring at her guards at the front door, deep in thought.

That’s right, filly. Your jailer.

Fluttershy swiveled her eyes back to her reflection in the mirror. The other ‘her’ nodded slowly.

Make no mistake. You are in her charge.

And Fluttershy realized that she had gone from questioning why there was another version of ‘her’ in the mirror, to asking the other ‘her’ for advice. She shut her eyes tightly.

She wanted to go home.

The Sergeant re-appeared at Twilight's side. "Princess..."

Twilight turned at the mention of her name. Sgt Knocks looked at her intently, then leaned over close to her ear and whispered.

Fluttershy couldn't catch the words, but whatever they were, Twilight's expression froze. Knocks gestured with his hoof towards the kitchen window. Following his hoof, Twilight nodded slowly and stood up from the table.

"Applejack, is the rest of your family in the house?" she asked, her voice reflecting a deliberate effort at calm.

"Uh, no, actually. I sent Apple Bloom off with Granny Smith to spend last night with relatives, and I haven't seen my brother all mornin'." Applejack frowned. "Why? What's going on?"

"Good," Twilight said, then turned to Fluttershy, "I need you to come with me."

The strain on Twilight's face and in her voice was noticeable. Fluttershy blinked. "Come where?"

"Now." Twilight's horn lit up, and Fluttershy felt her chair move back of its own accord. She yelped and jumped out of it.

Applejack stood up. "Now just a minute Twi!"

"Stay down! Stay in your chair!" Twilight shouted.

"I'm not doin’ anything until you explain yourself!" Applejack growled,

"Uh, Applejack, she is a princess..." Soarin said out of the corner of his mouth, "...maybe we should just stay in our chairs?"

"That's horsefeathers. She's my friend and she's gonna explain herself if she wants to stay that way." Applejack stomped closer to Twilight. "What's Fluttershy done? Why ya'll acting so nutty?"

"Nothing." Fluttershy muttered, shaking as she held onto the sides of the table to steady herself, "I haven't done anything..."

"Applejack please," Twilight shook her head, "stay in your chair until it's safe."

Applejack blinked. "Safe from what?"

Twilight bit her lip.

A roar shook the building and its inhabitants. Applejack ducked instinctively. Soarin yelped and jumped out of his chair, flying to her side. The guards both reached for their weapons. Twilight closed her eyes and lit up her horn.

"Fluttershy, get down! I'm calling for help!"

Fluttershy wasn't listening. The roar came again, and this time she did not shy away. She walked to the window and looked outside.

"Mister Bear?" she whispered.

Fluttershy whispered to herself, “All barn fights end eventually… all barn fights end eventually…”

That's what Applejack told her the one time she actually saw a barn fight, when Big Macintosh and Applejack's cousin Braeburn got into an argument that turned to blows. When Fluttershy asked why Applejack wasn't getting involved, she shrugged and said 'all barn fights end eventually.'

Yet here she was, under a table in the middle of a barn fight that showed no signs of ending.

A body landed on top of her table, and she yelped. Purple mane now hung off the side, blocking her view. A slurred but yet somehow still formal voice said, "oh, that's how you want to play it, dear Cloudkicker?"

"Rarity?" Fluttershy whispered. "Rarity, please help m—"

Rarity slid off the table and landed on her hooves. As she charged forward, she roared, "It. Is. On!"

Fluttershy shivered. All her friends were drunk, fighting, or both. She was on her own.

It had escalated so quickly. Within moments, the entire barn had gone from joyful sorrow to drunken rage. First, Applejack kicked Gilda. Gilda lunged to attack. Soarin got in the way, and his uniform and back paid the price. The Wonderbolts rallied to defend their captain. The weather team ponies rushed to protect Gilda. Rarity and Big Macintosh rallied around Applejack.

And Fluttershy? She hid under a table in the middle of the room, mane over her eyes.

Another pony landed on-top of her table, and she thought she heard a crack. Eyes wide, she cast about for an exit. It seemed every window was currently being used to slam a pony against, the back door was blocked by broken tables, and the main doors to the barn were being occupied by Gilda, Applejack and a host of Wonderbolts. There was no way out.

A drunken cry rang out, and she peeked her head up from underneath her table. Pinkie Pie was hanging on a lantern attached to the ceiling by a rickety chain, surrounded by two weatherponies who were trying to drag her off of it. She was brandishing a mug of cider like it was a cutlass and singing at the top of her lungs, " Giggle at the ghostly, guffaw at the grossly, crack up at the creepy, whoop it up with the weepy…”

"Come down, you idiot!" Flitter shouted, in the tone of the drunk pony sober enough to understand gravity. "You're going to hurt yourself, or somepony else!"

Pinkie gasped. "Hurt somepony? I’d never! The very idea of such a thing makes me wanna—” she started to snicker, “ — wanna... hahahaha... heh…”

Fluttershy realized two things simultaneously. One was that the window next to the lantern on the ceiling was open, and unblocked. Two was that the same lantern Pinkie was hanging from was directly above the table she currently was hiding underneath.

Pinkie slammed the cider mug against the chain, shouting, “
”Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!

It happened quickly and slowly. The chain breaking from Pinkie’s mug. Flitter shouting. The lantern beginning its descent. Pinkie leaping off the lantern like a ballet dancer. Fluttershy pushing off from underneath the table, aiming desperately for the window. Pinkie landing on top of the piano, head first. The lantern hitting the table behind Fluttershy, smashing it.

And somehow, she made it all the way to the open window, through it and then tumbled onto the ground outside. It was a rough landing, but the grass was soft enough. More importantly, it meant she was outside of the barn.

She was safe now.

"Fluttershy?" A regal voice enveloped her ears. She looked up.

Princess Celestia stared down at her. She had seen the Princess several times before, but rarely so somber, so serious.

And never so focused on her...

IV: Damned Lies

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STRONGER
By: Einhander

IV: DAMNED LIES

“Fluttershy...” Celestia repeated. “I believe this is yours.”

The diamond butterfly floated in front of her eyes, surrounded by Celestia’s magic. Fluttershy breathed in quickly. Her necklace. It must have come off during her escape. She grabbed the brooch quickly, clutching it to her neck.

“Thank you, oh thank you… I would have never forgiven mysel—”

Glass shattered behind Fluttershy, and she ducked instinctively. Wincing, she tensed her body, expecting sharp shards to rain on her back. After a moment, she realized none had come. She glanced upwards.

All she could see was white feathers, above her, around her. Protecting her.

"It appears the party has started without us." Celestia retracted her wing, shaking it off in the opposite direction of Fluttershy. She sighed, kicking away the shards of the cider jar that had broken the window. "It also appears it has already gotten completely out of hoof."

"Princess? Are you hurt?"

Fluttershy turned and saw, for the first time, two stallions flanking the Princess. They were young, proud, one white and one gray. They clucked and fussed over her wings.

Celestia's voice was sharp. "If I survived a Changeling invasion unharmed, I think I can stand a barn-burner scrape." The guards stepped away. Celestia turned back to Fluttershy. “Are you hurt Fluttershy?”

“N-no, Princess…” she whispered, “I’m okay.”

"Good. I came here in Twilight’s stead—she was called away on urgent business—to, again, offer my deepest condolences on your loss." Celestia shook her head, eyes closed. "Your betrothed was taken from us too soon. All of Equestria still mourns with you."

Fluttershy squeaked, as she felt all words leave her vocabulary. Celestia was the sun. She was her ruler. Her mane, even outside of a barn at night, flowed with vivid strands of green and purple. And although she had just closed her eyes, Fluttershy knew as soon as they reopened, they would be looking right back at her.

She felt small.

“The loss of a loved one is always difficult, but I wondered if—"

Another window shattered, further down the side of the barn. This time it was a pony that was the culprit. Fluttershy recognized it to be Cloudkicker, or rather, whatever creature had decided to throw her head-first through the window. She had a scratch on her forehead, a slight trickle of blood running down her muzzle. Her eyes were dazed, drunk. But they refocused quickly upon seeing Celestia.

"Princess?"

“... Miss Kicker?”

A hoof dragged the pegasus back through the window and into the fray.

"Enough," Celestia said, her voice betraying exhaustion, irritation. She turned to her guards. "Gentlecolts, this party is over. If you would please..."

The guards saluted and held their spears high, marching to the front of the barn.

"Good. Now." She lifted her head. "I wonder, my dear Fluttershy, if I could spare a moment of your time?" Celestia said, turning and walking. It was framed as a suggestion, but it felt like a command. "I wish to speak with you on a matter of great importance, regarding Rainbow Dash. Alone."

Fluttershy hesitated.

"Of course, if it's too much, we can speak another time..."

She wanted to say, yes, another time, and then another, and then never, I don't want to talk another pony about this, much less you...

But all Fluttershy said was, "That’s fine." She looked back down at the ground. "We can talk now."

"Good. Walk with me."

Fluttershy obeyed, following slowly. Her legs were suddenly made of rubber, and she was stumbling.

They walked in silence. Celestia lead her around to the back of the barn. "I actually enjoy watching a good barn fight, but not tonight." Celestia said, responding to a question nopony asked.

After a few moments, Celestia stopped. Fluttershy took a quick look around, realizing that although she had been to the barn numerous times she had never realized how close the back of it was to the Everfree. Before her was a clearing, only a lone fallen log disturbing the carpet of grass, and then there was the forest. Thick and intimidating trees, covered in moss and the occasional beguiling flower, made for an unsettling border between welcoming grassland and forbidden jungle.

Bad things happened there. Bad things had already happened there.

She turned away, and found Celestia staring her in the eye. "Now. I have instructed Spike to allow you to write to me as often as you wish. I don't pretend that my words are any consolation, but if you can think of any way I can help, please, do not hesitate." Celestia tilted her head slightly. "Any time, day or night. Do you understand, my little pony?"

"Y-yes, Princess."

Fluttershy looked away, shifting her hooves. What was wrong with her? Celestia's gesture was unquestionably kind, the tone in her words as warm and comforting as hot cocoa.

And yet...

She dared to glance back up, and saw those two eyes still staring down at her, looking at her. No. Watching her. Watching her every reaction. Why?

Celestia paused, then turned her gaze back to the Everfree. "I know it troubles you... that you can't remember what happened, and that your last words were spoken in anger."

Fluttershy blinked. It was all true, but... Who told her?

Celestia wrapped a wing around her. "Time will heal that wound. Words in the air are not as important as words in the heart."

A sound, a voice echoed in her memory. Wait a moment. It wasn't all true.

"I'm sure you know that no matter what words you heard—”

"They weren’t in anger."

Celestia stopped. "What?"

"My words to her were angry. But the last thing I remember her saying..." she trailed off.

"Fluttershy? This is important. What were they?"

An anguished cry. A voice in pain, but not angry. Fluttershy winced.

"'Save her.'" Fluttershy swallowed. "I was wet, I was choking. But I remember her saying 'save her.'”

Celestia sighed, withdrawing her wing. "That was what she said to Twilight. Before she went back to the Everfree."

There it was. The part of the story that made little sense. Why would her Dash leave her, so close to death?

"She didn't just save you, but many animals owe her their lives," Celestia continued.

"I just don't think it was right," a voice muttered. Fluttershy blinked, and realized it was her.

Celestia turned to her, eyebrow arched. "Oh?"

Hot, burning blush seized her face and legs. She looked away, wanting to be anywhere else. "Nothing..."

"Speak, Fluttershy."

She winced, lowered her head. "I... just wish we could have found her body."

There was a silence between them, punctuated by the muffled sounds of the barn fight. The guards’ presence appeared to have only escalated the brawl. Celestia continued to gaze at Fluttershy silently.

Finally she turned back to the forest and said, "Not many ponies know this, but we did find the part of the Everfree where you collapsed."

Fluttershy looked up, alert but saying nothing.

"Where Dash found you, and saved you. Up the river, and then a few hundred hooves to the east. A fallen log where the beaver cub was trapped." Celestia kept staring ahead, but looked at Fluttershy out of the corner of her eye. "I can take you there, if you wish."

Fluttershy opened and closed her mouth, trying to find the words. Only one successfully navigated its way to the outside. "Now?"

“No. The Everfree is too dangerous at night, my little pony. But tomorrow, perhaps? We can go together.”

The words had the crust of a suggestion. But a quick look into Celestia's eyes made it clear that it was not an offer, but an order.

"I want you to see. I want you to understand.” Celestia’s voice remained even, but her eyes were sharp and focused. “I want to make sure there are no more questions.”

Fluttershy swallowed and nodded slowly, clutching her diamond butterfly.

Another smash of glass, and this time the missile was a royal guard helmet. Celestia sighed. "We’ll speak more tomorrow. If you will excuse me…” She muttered as she trotted over to the barn door, “If you want something done right…”

Fluttershy watched her go. Then she turned and stared at the Everfree.

Up the river, and a few hundred hooves to the east…

Fluttershy opened the door to Applejack’s front yard, blinking as the snow rushed to greet her. The cacophony of growls and whines ceased as she walked out, but she still couldn't see the source of them. The flurries were big, fat and wet, and they were in her eyes. She shielded her eyes, squinted and saw…

She blinked. No. It couldn’t be. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

Creatures of all shapes and sizes, from Mr. Bear down to a pair of crickets she had helped once, had surrounded the farmstead. They stood silently in the newly fallen snow. Each one of them, big and small, had their eyes trained on her. Waiting.

For what?

“H-hello, friends…” she managed, taking a few steps out into the frosted grass. They watched her walk, expectantly. “Is something wrong? Is somecreature hurt?”

A calico bunny hopped forward, staring at her directly. It was young, a male from first blush, and it reminded her of… but no, he was in the hospital. And his coat was white. But this rabbit looked just like her Angel Bunny. And he was waving her forward.

“Fluttershy, come back inside!” Twilight’s voice rang out from inside the house. “Celestia’s on her way!”

The bunny wrinkled his nose, eyes trained on Fluttershy. Then he hopped away, and the circle of animals parted for him.

He started towards the barn, then stopped about fifty hooves away from the new gap in the wall of creatures. He turned back and stared at Fluttershy, ears twitching.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted again.

She looked back, where her friends were hiding. Then she turned towards the bunny and his piercing stare.

And with a deep breath, she took a step forward.

Fluttershy sat on the log, staring up at the cloudy sky. Luna’s moon was full, but whatever beauty there was in her hoofwork was obscured by the clouds and darkness of the forest. She wasn’t sure how long she had sat there. It didn’t matter.

Right now, nothing mattered.

She had stepped forward boldly at first, ready to defy Celestia and go into the woods herself. Each hoof towards the Everfree found herself more drained of energy and resolve, as exhaustion set in mixed with the dread of the forest at night. She only made it as far as the log.

There was a rustling of leaves, a thud, an ‘ow’ that came from behind. Fluttershy’s ears perked up. Her head and mane whipped around, eyes hard and muscles visibly tense, ready for fight or flight. Then she saw who her interloper was, and she relaxed.

"Oh, it's you."

The orange coat looked a little more dim than usual (although that might have been a trick of the moonlight), and there were strange colors on the side of her mane, but even covered in branches and leaves Fluttershy recognized Scootaloo immediately. She had something dark green clutched in her hooves, and a sheepish smile on her face.

“Us, actually.” Scootaloo held out her hooves, and Fluttershy saw a tortoise. Dash’s tortoise. Tank blinked at her slowly.

“Oh, Tank… I was supposed to bring you, wasn’t I?” Fluttershy sighed. “I’m afraid I’m not much good to anypony these days.”

Scootaloo frowned. “Don’t say that.”

Fluttershy shrugged. There was a silence. Fluttershy whispered, “I’m sorry you couldn’t come to the wake…”

“That’s okay. Didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to see… I just didn’t want to. All these ponies, saying in the same breath that she’s dead, then asking how I’m doing.” She brought Tank up to her eye level and said, “Everyone says she's dead, Tank. Rainbow Dash is dead. How should we be doing?" The words were sharp, but there was no malice behind them. She said them simply, like neutral facts that were neither good nor bad. I have five apples. Today is Monday.

Rainbow Dash is dead.

“But, I’m glad you’re here.” Scootaloo said, a slight smile on her muzzle. “You’re the only pony I wanted to see, really.”

“Oh?” Fluttershy sniffed.

“Yeah, I thought I would see how..." Scootaloo hesitated, her muzzle curdling as if she’d just eaten something rotten. “How... How you were doing. With everything."

“Oh, um…. fine, I guess.”

Scootaloo bit her lip. “You don’t have to lie, Fluttershy. Please don’t lie.” She looked away. “Nothing is fine about any of this.”

Fluttershy stared at Scootaloo, who was staring at the ground. “Why were you in that tree with Tank?”

“Watching,” Scootaloo shrugged. “Waiting.”

“Um… for what?”

She turned back up to face the sky. “For her to come back.”

There was a quick jab from her heart, a treacherous small thing ever since the death. Where there was once unlimited kindness, now there was a limit, and it was getting exhausted more and more each day. But she found a small reserve now, especially as she got close enough to see Scootaloo's face. They never had very much in common in the past, aside from having a pair of wings that didn't get much use and a deep love of Rainbow Dash. Now, Fluttershy had something else in common: they were out of tears to cry.

“I was never good at staying still, especially in trees.” Scootaloo added, turning her head to look back at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy moved to her left ever so slightly, creating just a bit more space for a pony who wanted to see that they weren't unwelcome. “Do you want to sit?”

Scootaloo shrugged, and joined her, letting Tank down onto the grass.

Glancing over at Scootaloo, she got a better look at the side of her mane. Red, blue, green, yellow... Crude streaks mingled together, most likely hoof painted in the mirror.

"I like what you've done with your..." Fluttershy waved her hoof around Scootaloo’s multi colored hair.

"Thanks. I wanted to get a tattoo but the only place in town laughed at me. This isn't even hair coloring, it's paint, like for a barn or metal. Mrs. Top got mad at me, but buck her." She winced, then shook her head, "I didn’t mean that."

Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm not going to get you in trouble."

Scootaloo laughed, or at least made a wet cackling noise. "I'm already in trouble."

"She's your, um... Mom right?"

"Foster mom. She tries, I guess. I don't know. I wouldn't know what to do with me either."

She went silent. Fluttershy swallowed, and said nothing, Scootaloo replied with nothing. The night continued its gentle symphony.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, readying herself to depart. She felt a nudge, something hot and wet was leaking onto her. She turned her head and saw Scootaloo leaning against her.

She had found more tears.

“I miss her, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo sniffed. “I just want to hear her voice again, you know? Call me squirt, teasing me.” She rubbed her eyes. “Say that I’m awesome.”

The words hit Fluttershy all over again. Muscles seized up and sagged, and she wanted to bolt, to fly away and never return. She had the will, but lacked the energy.

She wasn't strong enough.

"I loved her." Scootaloo whispered. "I know that's lame or whatever, or weird, I don't care. I loved her."

The end of tears begat tiny hiccups. Fluttershy wrapped a wing around her, holding her close. Scootaloo nuzzled into her side. The hiccups continued, softer now.

"She was my hero." Scootaloo whispered.

Fluttershy sighed. "Mine too."

Moments passed. Maybe minutes. She felt some of her strength returning, although she wasn't sure if it came from giving comfort or getting it.

Wiping her tears away, Scootaloo looked up at her. "I, uh, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

Scootaloo bit her lip, and Fluttershy could see her struggle with the words. Reaching into her bag of tricks, Fluttershy summoned her kind smile, gentle eyes, all the tools she used to comfort ailing creatures. Usually she didn't have to make it a performance, as caring for others was as second nature to her as speaking softly. But some days, the heart has nothing left and instinct and skill take over to get a pony through. Even though she cared for the little filly, today was such a day.

"You can ask me anything." Fluttershy said softly.

Scootaloo exhaled. "Why didn't you speak at the funeral?"

Fluttershy blinked. Her tool kit went into free fall. Of all the questions she had anticipated, this wasn't one of them.

"Oh, um, I thought you weren’t there?" Fluttershy asked. "I looked for you in the crowd, but I didn't see you. The chair next to your friends went empty."

It was a lie, if it wasn't for Rarity, she wouldn't have noticed at all. But it would serve as a deflection until she came up with an answer. Scootaloo looked away, her orange cheeks turning crimson.

"I chickened out at first. Couldn't bring myself to go. Carrot Top had gotten my one dress cleaned and everything. I hate that dress. Well, it's only the one, so maybe I just don't like dresses?" She sniffed, wiping her muzzle with her wet hoof, which didn't really solve anything. "Anyway. She left me at home, and after a bit, I thought, if I had died, and Dash had a seat at my funeral, what would she do? Would she hide in her bedroom? Would she refuse to wear a dress because it made her feel itchy?"

"Well, um. She probably wouldn't have worn the dress."

Scootaloo laughed, and this time it sounded real. "Yeah, that's right! But she still would have gone. So I scooted over there as quickly as I possibly could, but It had already started. I climbed up a tree and watched from there. So many ponies, all four princesses, and the speeches about her! The Wonderbolts flyover! Other than the gloomy weather, it was awesome! She would have loved it..." Scootaloo trailed off, face turning thoughtful. "... But I kept waiting for you to speak, for you to talk about her. I waited and waited, figuring, thought you'd go last. But after Celestia spoke, the Wonderbolts flew over and that was that." She turned to Fluttershy. "She was your mare friend, right? Why didn't you say anything?"

Explanations, excuses, and a few lies filled her brain. I was too sad. I didn't feel up to it. It was my fault she died. I don't like public speaking. I was ashamed. I was scared. Any of them would worked. Most would have been easy. Then she thought back to the wake, the faces ponies had, the words they forced themselves to say.

And instead she told the truth.

"Because there should never have been a funeral at all."

Scootaloo looked at her. "Yeah?"

Fluttershy muttered, “You shouldn’t have a funeral until you know a pony is dead…”

“I knew it.” Scootaloo whispered, then shouted, “I knew it!”

Fluttershy blinked,. “Um, knew what?”

“She’s not dead! She can’t be!” Scootaloo jumped up. “She wouldn’t leave us like that! Something must’ve happened, something-”

“Scootaloo, I don’t know, I-”

“Come with me!” Scootaloo grabbed her hooves, eyes pleading. “Let’s go! Right now. We’ll search for her. We’ll start from where you last saw her, right? And then we’ll-”

“SCOOTALOO!” She shrieked, quieting the filly. Fluttershy took a giant breath. “I don’t think she’s coming back, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo stared, face neutral, muzzle line even.

Fluttershy sighed, looking at the ground. “I’m upset they didn’t search hard enough, I do feel like I’m being left in the dark, but… that doesn’t change the facts. I don’t think she’s coming back.”

“How can you say that?” Scootaloo said, “You loved her. How can you—”

“I did love her, I do love her.” Fluttershy said. “But if she was still alive . . .”

The words were there, but she refused to say them.

Scootaloo did it for her. “She would have come back by now.”

She nodded. Scootaloo deflated and sank back onto the log. They said nothing more.

For a long while, Scootaloo’s head rested on her shoulder as they stared up at the sky. The clouds began to clear, and the sky was now filled with Luna’s stars and moon. Fluttershy closed her eyes, and felt a peace, a calmness that eluded her all day.

Maybe she was ready now. Sitting here, with Rainbow Dash’s number one fan. Maybe she could finally—

"Look!" Scootaloo gasped. “Up in the sky!”

Fluttershy looked up.

A bright light shot across the sky. It was a white blue streak, a comet, perhaps? It generated its own light, and for a moment it reminded her of her love. The blue wasn't quite right, but the same spirit, the same speed and majestic impression her Dash gave when speeding across the sky. As it headed away from the Everfree and towards Canterlot, Fluttershy smiled, if only for a moment. She closed her eyes and held Scootaloo close.

"Yes, I see it," she murmured. "It's beautiful."

"Uh, are you still seeing it?" Scootaloo's voice leaked nervousness.

Flutrershy opened her eyes, and felt her heart tighten.

The light had slowed and was getting brighter, and it took only a few seconds to realize it was brighter because it was coming closer. She looked at Scootaloo, who was yelling at her. The light was getting closer, she wanted to flee but her limbs would not move and Scootaloo was shouting and there wasn't time, there wasn't time—

The calico rabbit didn’t have to lead her very long. Past the barn, in the back where she had spoken with Celestia, she recognized it immediately. A single log, in a grassy field, facing the Everfree.

The bunny stopped, scratched his ear and turned back to Fluttershy.

She nodded at him, then slowly looked around her. It was different now than last night, covered in a thin layer of falling white but otherwise…

“Fluttershy, wait!”

She heard Twilight’s voice behind her, but did not turn to greet it. She was close to something, something big. Important. She sat on the log, closing her eyes, muttering.

“Fluttershy…” she heard Twilight’s hoofsteps, quick panicked breaths next to her. “What are you doing?”

Fluttershy kept her eyes closed. “Look,” she whispered to herself, “Up in the sky. What is it?”

“Fluttershy?”

She opened her eyes, and Twilight seemed to jump back at the sight of her. A voice came out of her muzzle, and it didn’t sound like her but it was her saying...

“You’ve been telling lies, Princess.”

Nothing. No sound. Nothing but Scootaloo's little ragged breaths and her own erratic heartbeat. No explosion or crash. Nothing else to hear.

But there was a light.

She could see it even though her eyes were closed. It was bright and blue and was so powerful it pierced her eyelids. Trembling, she turned her head away, holding onto Scootaloo tightly.

The filly must have been less afraid, because she felt a nudge.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh... look!" Scootaloo was poking her in her side. "Fluttershy, look!"

She shook her head, closing her eyes tighter.

"It’s her..."

She opened her eyes. She turned. And saw somepony she had been promised she'd never see again.

It wasn't exactly the same face, the same eyes. Light blue and white Metal replaced flesh. Her wings were now made of several hundred individual spikes. Her eyes, once warm pools of magenta, were now electric red. Tiny black concentric circles made for her irises, staring directly at them. Her signature smirk replaced with a neutral muzzle line. And an otherwordly white glow surrounded her, like magic but there was no horn generating it.

But metal or no, only one pony styled their mane that way.

It started at her, at Scootaloo, flapping its wings at an even pace.

It spoke.

“You cannot stay here. It is not safe,” It turned and looked to the horizon, eyes squinting. “This is the calm before the storm.”

And even though it was disguised in metal and coldness, it was Dash. It was Dash’s voice.

“Dash…” Fluttershy croaked.

It swiveled its head towards her. The metal face betrayed no emotion, but the eyes, even though they were red and unfriendly… there was a dimming, a hesitation.

She reached out her hoof.

It stared at it, head tilted.

“Dash…”

And it flew away over the Everfree, gone in a flash.

Scootaloo jumped up and said, "C'mon! We gotta help her!"

Fluttershy turned, watching her run into the Everfree. "Scootaloo, come ba—

“She’s alive.” Fluttershy stood up from the log. “She’s been alive this whole time. Changed, different. But alive. Isn’t she.”

“Fluttershy…” Twilight’s voice cracked as she looked away. “Please. You’re not well, you don’t know what—”

“Isn’t she?!” Fluttershy screamed, and Twilight’s ears bent back.

“It’s not what you think.” Twilight turned back, tears streaming down her face. “It’s complicated.”

“Is it, Twilight?” She snorted, pacing back and forth, Fluttershy was out on a limb now, but it was too late to turn back. "You lied. You all lied to us. She told me, Dash told me she was sick. But it was more than that. She was changing, right before my eyes. Celestia knew. She knew and she did nothing!” She saw the animals gathering out of the corner of her eye, watching her. But they didn’t matter. Her focus was on Twilight. “And then she just disappears? You told me she dove into the heart of the storm for me. To save me, after what I said to her, those horrible words. I wanted that to be true. But I'm supposed to believe that I turn up alive and there's no trace of her? That she went back to save more critters? That doesn't sound like her. That sounds like me. I don't think she would have left my side."

“She… she died a hero,” Twilight said, lamely, avoiding her eyes.

Fluttershy shook her head. “You called off the search so quickly, they didn't let the even Wonderbolts do a flying search! Celestia declares her dead after only three days! She can raise the sun but she can’t search for more than three days?" Blood was rushing to her heart, propelling the words out of her mouth faster than she could think. "She's a hero, she was one of the elements of harmony and now she’s something else, isn’t she?” She walked up to Twilight and forced her to look her in the eye. “Why did you lie to me? Why are you lying now? Why?!"

The last word, shouted at the top of her voice, echoed out into the Everfree. She blinked, and realized she was standing, wings extended and shaking, ready for a fight. But there was one to battle, save a shivering Twilight.

And Twilight was staring at her, horrified.

"Your eyes..." Twilight finally said, breaking the silence.

Fluttershy pawed at the ground, face hot and body tired, but still angry. "Just tell me the truth. Tell me what happened, where she is. Why she hasn’t come to see me, or Scootaloo. Please, Twilight.” The fury cooled slightly, and she felt the old kindness return. “There are things I'm not being told. I know it, I can feel it. I saw something. I saw somepony. It was her. Tell me it was her. Tell me that she’s alive. Tell me I’m not crazy.

Twilight bit her lip. “Fluttershy… it's just not that simple.”

Fluttershy's eyes turned hard. “Don’t.”

"But..." Twilight swallowed. “Believe me when I say, the Dash you knew is gone.”

Fluttershy slammed her hoof onto the log. ”No more lies!”

There was a terrible crunch, and the birds sitting on the trees near them cried and out flew into the air. The smaller, more skittish critters fled into the underbrush. She stood, panting and sweating, feeling exhilaration and exhaustion all at once. Everypony’s eyes was fixed at the ground underneath her hoof. She looked down.

The log was shattered, as if it had been thrown into the face of a cliff. There was a crack in the ground. She stared at her hoof, which was bruised and had a bloody chunk of wood embedded in it. She felt no pain. As she stared, the bruise healed, everything except for the area around the wood. Blinking, she took the wood out with her teeth, and that last bruise healed.

She looked up at Twilight.

“What’s happening to me?”

Twilight swallowed. “I don’t know, exactly. But I want—”

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

The familiar voice boomed through the forest, and whatever creatures that hadn't left before were gone now.

All eyes turned as Celestia descended through the sky and landed on the grass, shaking the ground. Magic crackled off of her wings, and her eyes were glowing. For a Princess of peace and light, she looked like a goddess of war and lightning. And, for a moment, Fluttershy saw those eyes bore into her own...

...before they turned to face Twilight.

"Twilight, I don't like to give orders, but when I do, it's for the good of all my ponies. And I expect them to be followed." Her volume was unreal, her tone unshakably commanding. "And I commanded you to bring Fluttershy to me, immediately."

"She... she didn't remember!" Twilight pleaded. "I just need more time, Celestia. She can't have done those things..."

"That's for me to determine." Celestia said. "Not you."

"She's my friend!" Twilight cried, "I was trying to help—"

"You've already done enough!" Celestia roared, and Twilight bowed her head in silence.

A few moments passed, and the glow faded from Celestia's eyes. She sighed. "I know you meant well, Twilight."

"She's my friend, Princess," Twilight whispered, looking at Fluttershy. Tears were running down her face. "You're my friend, Fluttershy, now and forever. I've already lost one, I can't lose another..." She broke down, full throated sobs, reaching out to hug Fluttershy. "I can't, I won't, I'm so sorry, I..."

Fluttershy wanted to return the hug. She even took a step to do so.

Remember who the enemy is.

"If you're my friend, Twilight..." She lowered her hooves. "Then why did you lie to me? To everypony?"

Twilight stopped, shaking. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"Because I told her too." Celestia placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Because we want to help."

"Help me? I saw her, Princess..." Fluttershy growled. "I know she's alive!"

"What did you see? A metal shape? A glowing light?" Celestia's voice was even and disturbingly calm. "Did it speak? Did it sound like Dash? Did it respond to the name 'Dash' when you called to it?"

It was Fluttershy's turn to pause. Her memories were still in pieces, but, Celestia had a point.

"I wasn't lying, Fluttershy. Not exactly." Twilight looked down. "Dash is gone, the Dash we all knew and loved. She.. it is something else now."

Fluttershy shook her head. "But, I saw her. It was her, I know it was her..."

"Things aren't always as clear they seem, my little pony. You were already danger in when I told Twilight to bring you to me to you this morning..." she turned to face Fluttershy, muzzle tight and eyes somber. "We may already be too late."

Fluttershy swallowed. "Too late for what?"

Celestia approached her, and offered her hoof. "Fluttershy. You will come with me. I will help you." She leaned down, very close now. "I will purge you of this sickness inside of you."

"Sick?" Fluttershy frowned. "Like Dash's illness? Will you 'cure' me too?"

Celestia didn't blink. "Your fiance did not follow my advice. This time, it will be different."

Fluttershy closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. Inside her mind, what she saw with her eyes closed, was a mirror. The mirror from her room. before it shattered. The other 'her' standing there, facing her. But this time, 'she' wasn't judging her. Instead, 'she' looked back at her with sad eyes. Or was it pity?

She says I'm an illness. That I'm making you sick. The other her shook her head and looked away. What do you believe?

I don't know what to believe. I don't know who to trust. I thought this was coming from Twilight but it looks like it was actually the Princess...

'She' looked back up at her. We may not agree on everything... or anything, perhaps. The old fire returned in the reflection's eyes. But I will NEVER lie to you.

Fluttershy opened her eyes. "No."

This time, Celestia blinked. "Fluttershy? What do you mean? 'No' what?"

"I decline your help. I, um. Refuse." She started to back away. "I mean 'no thank you.' I can do this on my own."

Celestia sighed. "You misunderstand me, Fluttershy. I'm not offering. I'm ordering."

With a flick of her head, Celestia's horn lit up and magic flooded the field. Fluttershy felt it envelop her, a soft pull that lifted her off the ground. She struggled, but it was deceptively strong and soothing.

Twilight gasped, "Princess, what are you doing?"

Celestia continued, "This isn't about one pony anymore, Twilight. Or even two. It's about everypony."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, but even that proved impossible. She felt control and consciousness slipping away, like being drowned in a sea of feathers.

And the last thing she heard was Celestia saying, "And I'm in charge now."