> The High Price of Kindness
>  by Bronyxy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 The Bird has Flown
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they watched the majestic white and gold carriage pull away through throngs of adoring ponies, the friends all shared a last joke and basked in the afterglow of a day that, despite a few minor hiccups, such as a changeling invasion, had gone remarkably well. They didn’t have to worry about catching the last train to Ponyville because they were all staying as guests of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in the Royal Castle, so set about getting back to the party or catching up with friends as was their choosing. 

Pinkie Pie rushed back to help Vinyl Scratch with the entertainment, while Rainbow Dash made her way straight to a group of Wonderbolts to try and get herself noticed, especially as she had pulled off another sonic rainboom especially for the occasion. Fluttershy went to check on her bird choir, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt that since all the excitement of performing at two weddings interspersed with the unveiling and defeat of an invasion, she had rather left them to their own devices.

She turned on her hooves and galloped back towards the castle, guilt and self-recrimination feeding her sense of foreboding with every hoofstep she took, fearing worse and worse scenarios for the birds’ fate. Finally she reached the throne room and sped through the open doors into the midst of a party, the guests all turning to see what the source of the commotion could be. Stopping dead, she suddenly let out an “Eeeep!”, for where the birds’ stand had been was now a table laden with a range of exotic hors d’oeuvres.

Hovering on the edge of panic, she quickly turned this way and that, desperate for some clue as to where they could have gone.

The smartly dressed Maître d’ saw the consternation afflicting his latest arrival and quickly trotted over to both calm her and reassure the other guests.
“What appears to be the matter?” he asked in his most courteous and empathetic voice.
“My birds … my birds, where are they please? There are seven of them on a black perch in front of my music stand …” she blurted, ”They will all be worried I have abandoned them, and scared they won’t be going home again. Oh, they will be so upset …”

“Actually, Miss” he began, “We had to move them as we set out the buffet. We tried to find you, but …”
“Where are they?” she interrupted abruptly, desperation burning behind her eyes.
“We moved their perch to the Royal Veterinarian’s quarters where there is a view overlooking the celebrations, so they could be free to go and join in if they wished.”
“Was the Royal Veterinarian there to look after them?” she pushed, her voice rising by an octave.
“Yes; he knew how hard you worked today and what with your having so bravely helped fight off the changelings as well, he was happy to help out.”
“Would you take me to him please?” she asked, her conscience visibly easing, Sorry, I’m just a little worried is all. They were all so excited to be at the wedding and I’ve taken such bad care of them. Oh, I will be so happy to see them all again. I do hope they will forgive me …”

“You have nothing to worry about, Miss” he reassured, “Please, follow me and I will show you the way.”
“Oh, thank you; you must think I’m so silly.”
“Not at all. It’s a privilege to serve one of the Element Bearers.”
They shared a smile and as he led her from the throne room, the conversations that had been paused while the drama played out, all starting up once more with a few embarrassed laughs.

The Maître d’ lit his horn for her reassurance and showed the timid pegasus through the labyrinth of corridors in the castle, noticing her anxiety start to melt away as a smile began slowly to replace the fear and worry that had been written all over her muzzle only a few minutes previously. When they reached a door with a distinctive snake logo that Fluttershy knew, she beamed happily and once he had knocked, she leaned in and gave him a grateful hug. 

An elderly stallion opened the door slowly, adjusting his spectacles to see who was visiting him at this hour. He stared at the primrose pegasus and once his eyes had focused, he broke into a broad grin.
“Ah, Miss Fluttershy, I presume. My name is Dr Jean-Paul Suture, welcome to my consulting room. I suspect you’ve come here to check on your birds. They’ve been delightful company, you know; so nice to have healthy animals come to visit for a change, rather than ones that need to be patched up!”

Fluttershy froze.

She counted again.

“Where’s Constance?” she asked tentatively, fear creeping back into her voice once more.
“What?” queried the elderly veterinarian.
“There should be seven birds. There are only six. Where’s Constance?” she fretted, ”She’s orange and a beautiful singer with six growing chicks at home!”

“Let’s see now” he said, turning to face the birds and moving his muzzle closer to see more clearly, counting slowly out loud, ”One purple, one red, one pink, two green and one brown. No; no orange. Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure!” she replied, spiralling into panic, “She’s missing! Oh no, what am I going to do?”

A loud trill suddenly pierced her shredded self-confidence.

“What is it, Mister Green Jay?” she asked, regaining just a sufficient veneer of composure to listen to her songbird friend.
“You say she went out with a friend? Who was that please, Sir? When did she say she would be back?”
A series of cheeps indecipherable to any creature except for birds and Fluttershy followed each of her questions.
“Oh, my” she gasped, settling back onto her haunches wearing a stunned expression.

“What is it, Miss?” asked the Maître d’, who had decided to stay in case he could help the demure pegasus.
“Apparently a cousin of hers came to see the wedding and recognised her voice in the bridal fanfare, so came back later to see if she would be free to meet the rest of his family. But now it’s late and its dark out there and I’m really worried …”
“Do you know which way she went?” he asked, giving her something positive to focus on.
A few cheeps later and Fluttershy had her answer.

She gulped.

“Into the forest” she whispered, eyes growing wide as she stared transfixed in fear.
“Perhaps some of the guards would help with a search party?” he suggested.
“Do you really think they would?” she asked hesitantly.
“After you and your friends saved Canterlot, I think they might” he said with a smile, “But, don’t you think you should close the window to stop any of the others getting out?”
“Oh, no” Fluttershy objected, ”Just in case Constance returns. I wouldn’t want her to find she was shut out. She also might hurt herself trying to get back in, the poor dear.”

“So, you’re going to go off hunting your missing orange bird then?” asked Dr Suture.
“Yes, I must” confirmed Fluttershy resolutely, “Now, my little friends, please don’t any more of you go flying off. It’s bad enough Constance is missing, and I really don’t want to lose anyone else.”
Once she had got cheeps of agreement from the six remaining birds, she turned to the Maître d’ and smiled, “I’m ready now.” 

They left for the garrison to ask a favour from the Night Guard, noticing how many ponies they passed were in a holiday spirit. She was a bit more happy, sort of; she wasn’t on the point of panic any longer and that was a definite improvement. 

She found the company of the Maître d’ to be very comforting, but even his presence did nothing to diminish the anxiety she felt for her little bird friend. The more she tried to convince herself that nothing bad would have happened to her, the more she feared all the possible scenarios that could have befallen her, from simply getting lost to being eaten by a dragon, or worse. Simply for the support his presence gave her, she reached over and gave him a little hug, just to say thank you. 

He smiled at the gesture and turned to her.
“You know, Miss” he said, “I can’t see you wanting to remain here while the guards do a search for your bird. I only met you a few minutes ago and already I know you’ll be out there with them and probably won’t return until she’s found.”
She blushed and looked up into his eyes, seeing them sparkle more noticeably than ponies’ eyes generally did.

“Yes, you’re right there” she replied, “Constance means a lot to me, but I would do the same for any of the birds or the other animals I look after.”
“I should have liked to accompany you, Miss; to keep you safe, you understand” he lamented, casting an eye mournfully over his bare back, “Only I wasn’t gifted with wings.”
“I would have liked that too” she said blushing an even deeper crimson, and finding herself somehow unable to meet his gaze.

“My name’s Silver Salver, Miss” said the unicorn.
“I’m Fluttershy” she whispered meekly.
“I know. I’ve followed the exploits of you and the other Element Bearers.”
“I’m very lucky to have such good friends” she spoke up, suddenly regaining her voice as she reaffirmed her loyalty to them.
“And they’re very lucky to have you as a friend too” he remarked, watching her blush all over again, “Anyway, we’re here now.”
“Oh, I hadn’t realised …” she trailed off looking back up into his eyes, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Miss Fluttershy” he replied, leaving her feeling quite breathless even though she hadn’t been exerting herself.
They looked at each other without saying a word, just long enough for some spark to pass between them, but not so long as to appear disturbing.

“Would you like me to knock on the door for you?” he asked, realising that such a task may be taxing for one so timid.
“Oh could you?” she replied, comforted by knowing that he was prepared to talk to the rather solidly built and heavily armoured castle guards on her behalf.
“OK, leave this to me” he said with an air of quiet command, turning to rap on the door.
“Yes?” replied an authoritative voice.


***


Silver Salver stood in front of the duty sergeant and explained Fluttershy’s concerns for her missing bird, highlighting the importance with which Princess Celestia regarded the happiness of the Element Bearers, especially as they had just saved Canterlot. To his credit, the guard took the request seriously and invited the visitors in while he summoned his senior Officer.

They waited, him looking at ease in a military environment and her, shrinking behind him as all the imposing looking guards performed tasks with clockwork precision around them.

“Miss, Sir?” came a voice from behind them, causing her to jump with a shrill “Eeeep!”
“Lieutenant Nocturne at your service” the thick set Bat Pony introduced himself, “I have been informed of your predicament and the importance that is attached to such a request for assistance, but please bear in mind we are all regrouping following the fight with the changelings earlier today and are not in a position to spare as many members of the Night Guard as I should like.”
“But you can help the lady” stated Silver Salver, not as a question, but more as a fait accompli.
“Yes, of course” he replied, “Happy to help, Sir.”

Lieutenant Nocturne perused a list of Bat Ponies on his clipboard, flipping through sheets, each of which listed the individuals in a platoon; there were far too many identified with crosses against their names for comfort, indicating they had been injured. He stroked his chin pensively with a forehoof and stared off into space, clearly performing a calculation of some kind.

“I can spare two dozen” he announced, “But no more.”
“Oh, thank you” Fluttershy gushed, as a smile spread across Silver Salver's muzzle, delighted to hear she had finally found her voice.
“Shall I leave you in Lieutenant Nocturne’s capable hooves now, Miss?” he asked.
“Thank you” she replied sweetly, “You’ve been very kind.”
“Do come and tell me how you get on, won’t you?” he said, as he turned to leave.
“Pinkie Promise” she said, flashing him a warm smile.
He stopped for a second then looked back at her quizzically.
“I’ll explain later” she promised.

“Right Ma’am” said Lieutenant Nocturne, “If you would care to come with me, I’ll introduce you to the team who’ll be working with you tonight.”
“Yes, Sir!” she replied, a hint of self-confidence peeping out from behind the obelisk of her meekness as she followed him out.

Lieutenant Nocturne stood proudly on a podium in the courtyard in front of the Night Guard chosen for the search and rescue mission; Fluttershy standing by his side, rather than completely hidden by the shadow he cast. 

The two dozen Bat Ponies stood to attention, their polished light purple armour glinting in the flickering torchlight as their mission was detailed for them, their officer leaving no doubt as to the seriousness of their duty. They all listened intently; partly out of military discipline, but also because she was a popular pin-up following her brief stint as a model, although she would have been mortified to have known that little detail. 

Her popularity meant that there was going to be some rivalry to see who would be paired up to search with her, and all paid very close attention to the details as their partners were announced and they were allocated to different areas around Canterlot. In the end, all hopes and expectations were dashed as Lieutenant Nocturne himself confirmed he would be escorting her personally.

Fluttershy then described what Constance looked like, how she sounded and even her favourite songs, in fact anything that could be useful as they looked for her. When she had finished, Lieutenant Nocturne ordered the Bat Ponies into their pairs and despatched them into their search areas, confirming that one from each pair should check in at the Royal Castle every half hour just in case Constance had been found. They saluted smartly and took off in their pairs into the deep velvet sky, following which Lieutenant Nocturne turned to his honoured guest, “Ready?”

She looked up into the night sky with more than a little trepidation. Princess Luna had raised a new moon especially for the wedding celebrations, just to make sure the stars could be seen at their brightest, and they did make a truly beautiful display. But, although the stars were really bright, the new moon provided no light at all, and that was dark and more than a little bit scary. She gave an involuntary shiver and leaned in just a little to the Lieutenant beside her. Given the choice, she would have stayed inside and been getting ready for bed, but her friend was missing, and she wouldn’t be able to rest until she knew she was safe, so looked up into his eyes and mustered all of her courage.

“Ready” she replied.

Lieutenant Nocturne flapped his powerful wings and lifted gently into the air, limiting himself to the weaker flying ability of his special guest, as he steered them towards their search area.
“Right” he said, after a brief delay ”Soon as you’re ready you can start to call to your friend.”

Fluttershy looked down over the houses where so many more lights than usual remained on at this late hour. Ponies were still celebrating the day’s events with a fervour not just borne of happiness for the newlywed Royals, but also for still being alive following the narrow defeat of the changeling invasion. 

There was no doubting that the inhabitants of Canterlot and all the visitors that had arrived for the wedding had earned their celebrations, but Fluttershy wished with all her heart they could do it a little more quietly.

The sporadic sounds of revelry from the many groups of friends set on partying through until dawn, broke like tidal waves across the streets; their raucous sounds spilling out to completely dominate the silence of the night.

Fluttershy winced as she strained to listen for Constance, imagining her trapped or injured, and summoning the last of her energy to make the tiniest of cheeps that would be destined to be washed away, unheard and unanswered.

Slowly their search took them away from the city centre and out across the suburbs towards the woods beyond. The further out they went, the fewer parties they encountered and the less were the interruptions, so the quicker they were able to cover ground.

They had only finished the first few sweeps of the woods when Lieutenant Nocturne reminded Fluttershy that one of them would have to go back and report as agreed whilst the other stayed behind, offering her the choice. She was nervous; she didn’t want to stay by herself in this creepy dark wood, but also she didn’t want to feel intimidated by all the other big guards whom she didn’t know and would have to talk with.

In the end, she hung her head and allowed one of her deep blue eyes to peep out from behind her pink mane.
“I’ll stay here” she said, struggling to keep her rising panic under control, her fear of meeting others trumping her fear of dark scary woods, but it had been a close run decision.
“Are you sure, Ma’am? “he asked, getting a timid “uh-huh” and a slight nod of her head in response before he turned and flew back to Canterlot Castle.
> 2 The Lies Begin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy was tired. The adrenalin that had been keeping her going had evaporated since she had been forced to stop the search and wait while the Lieutenant went back to report progress. She looked around for a cloud to land on, but there were none; the weather ponies had seen to that as part of the wedding planning. She really wanted to rest her tired wings, and with no clouds available, had to consider finding somewhere not too frightening to put down, just while he was away.

She looked around and saw a clearing fairly close by. The ground was obscured by a thick blanket of darkness, but she rationalised that was merely a direct product of the lack of moonlight. It did not imply anything sinister, but for some reason her fur stood up as if in warning, as she descended to rest her aching wings. 

Her hooves touched down and she looked quickly to each side before furling her wings, just in case she needed to make a hasty exit, and suddenly became aware of the darkness of the woods closing in around her. Tentatively, she closed her wings into her sides, but was not rewarded with the blissful sensation of taking the weight off them as she had hoped. Instead, her imagination conjured up images of monsters and all sorts of other scary things waiting to jump out in front of her, or behind her; it didn’t really matter which, because she was terrified of them all.

“When I was a little filly and the sun was going down ...” she sang uncertainly, trying to remember the words to Pinkie’s song, “The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown, I'd hide under my pillow … oh, that does sound a good idea …”

By now, her eyes were starting to be able to make out some of the coarser features of her surroundings, although the finer details of what lurked in the shadows could still only be made up by her imagination. Off to one side, she could see a space between the trees that suggested another clearing, possibly one that was a little friendlier. It couldn’t be worse than this one, she reasoned, so trotted off, head on the swivel just in case she was going to be ambushed.

To be as safe as she could, she gave a wide berth around the darkest shadows and scurried swiftly to the next safest looking area, but there just seemed to be less of them the further she went.

On approaching a particularly dark area, she paused for a moment to breathe deeply then screwed up her courage and sprinted forward, aiming for the open space she could just about make out ahead.

Suddenly, she tripped and screamed as she tumbled to the ground, imagining herself caught by some hideous flesh eating monster. After a few anxious breaths she realised she wasn’t in the jaws of any such monster and fought to wrestle her irrational panic under control, convincing herself it was probably nothing more than an exposed tree root or something else equally inconsequential.

While she was fighting to suppress her overactive imagination, she suddenly became aware of a sorrowful groaning sound from where she had just tripped.

“Who … who’s there?” she stammered; the terror evident in her voice showing she was close to panic.
“Oh, good” came a dejected voice, heavy with sarcasm, “A pony. My life just keeps getting better and better.”
“I’m so sorry … I didn’t mean to hurt you” she squeaked.
“Don’t bother yourself” replied the voice, “This is as good a place to die as any.”

“Are you hurt?” asked Fluttershy, her concern for an injured creature instantly eclipsing her fear.
The voice let out an ironic laugh that tailed off into a wheezing cough.
“Oh my, that does sound bad. Would you let me take a look?”
“Very well” agreed the voice, displaying no enthusiasm, “Why don’t you complete my humiliation?”

Fluttershy stepped carefully towards where she believed the injured creature to be, and suddenly noticed the enamel shine from a pair of green eyes staring unblinkingly back at her.
“Oh the irony” said the creature with the green eyes, “You’re the one they call Fluttershy, aren’t you?”
Something about the voice was frighteningly familiar.

“You sound just like Queen Chrysalis” the primrose pony giggled nervously, stepping back in surprise.
“Was” she replied, “But I fear my injuries to be terminal, saviour.”
“Saviour?” repeated Fluttershy, shocked.

Chrysalis coughed, a rasping cough that spoke of her injuries, then she let out a pained gasp as she tried to prop herself up to face the pony.
“As I expect to die, it won’t matter now if I tell you.”
“Tell me what?” asked Fluttershy moving closer, partly out of concern, but also wanting to hear more. 
“Back at the founding of Equestria” she began, “There were six ponies, each the polar opposite of the other; a self-centred unicorn and her companion who was a great organiser, an incompetent earth pony and her companion who was endowed with great common sense, and a warlike pegasus with his compassionate companion.”
“Oh, I know this story” interrupted Fluttershy.

Chrysalis coughed again, a little more deeply this time before she could continue.
“Perhaps you do, but what do you know about the kind pegasus?”
“Um … her name was Private Pansy …” she trailed off.
“Quite so. Well, the land upon which they founded Equestria had once belonged to another race that had all but died out. Private Pansy found an egg and being the kind pony she was, set about devoting herself to trying to hatch it.”

“What happened?” asked Fluttershy as Chrysalis struggled for air.
“She succeeded. What she found was the last of her race. Private Pansy nurtured her, and found this creature had the ability to assume the shape of other animals, even ponies. When she became mature, she took a stallion as her mate and started the first changeling hive.”

Fluttershy gasped, guessing what more Chrysalis was going to say, but still had to hear it from her lips.
“Private Pansy was the saviour of the changeling race, and …” she gasped for breath once more, “She is your direct ancestor.”

Fluttershy sat down on her haunches, stunned by the revelation that her ancestor had been the nursemaid to all the changelings that were to follow.

“Did you not notice when we attacked Canterlot, that although some of my changelings took your shape, none ever attacked you directly? Did you not think that odd, especially as you are the least able to defend yourself? That was out of respect for your bloodline.”

The shocked pegasus took in what her arch enemy had just told her, and it all seemed to fit together.
“You see the irony now” gasped Chrysalis, “The descendant of our saviour will be the one to see the last Changeling Queen die, and along with me, the whole changeling race.”
Fluttershy suddenly stood tall.
“Not on my watch” she announced assertively, “If my ancestor helped give you life, then I am not going to be the one to take it away.”

Fluttershy helped the Changeling Queen to her hooves, wincing as she heard the stifled gasps of pain from her former enemy, who was struggling against her injuries to get up. She ducked under the injured gossamer wing and helped nudge her broken body upright into a position that could almost be classed as standing, but the effort had clearly taken its toll.
“Oh no you don’t” commanded Fluttershy, ”You’re not going to fall down again.
“Please, just leave me to die” retorted Chrysalis, “You beat me. Claim your reward on behalf of ponykind.”

“How did you get so hurt?” asked Fluttershy, ignoring her antagonistic self-pity.
“You were there. Don’t you remember how my changeling army and I were blown out of Canterlot by that magic spell?” she coughed weakly, “I was the heaviest, so I fell first and was thrown against a tree trunk in this forest. I have no idea what's been broken, but the pain is everywhere in my body and only gets worse when I try to breathe. Don’t waste your time on me; your friends won’t thank you and you will only extend my life by a few hours at most. You can leave me here, but …”
“Yes?”

“Thank you” she said, averting her eyes, as if saying those two simple words had hurt her.
The thanks seemed to be heartfelt and quite took Fluttershy aback. She could no longer consider this mortally damaged creature to be her enemy, but instead as somepony who was clearly well on the way to being reformed, and needed her help to complete the transformation.

The caring pegasus drew close and asked sympathetically, “Can you light your horn so I can see?”
“Why not” came the reply, “Draining the last of my power will finish me more quickly.”
“Oh, no” she gasped “I don’t want you to hurt yourself any more than you are already.”
“There’s only one thing you can do if you want me to survive.”
“What’s that?” she enquired, her large blue eyes sparkling with compassion.
“Come closer. I need to feel your love.”

Fluttershy baulked briefly, understanding what this request meant, but then drew closer as had been requested.

“So … much love …” crooned the Changeling Queen as her eyes closed tight in ecstatic bliss.


***


“Fluttershy!” came a powerful male voice from some distance away.
“Who’s that?” snapped Chrysalis warily.
“It’s Lieutenant Nocturne of the Night Guard” she replied, We’re supposed to be looking for Constance …”
“If he finds me, he’ll capture me!” interrupted Chrysalis with a hiss, ”They will parade me, humiliate me and then find some hideous way to dispose of me so that the changelings will no longer be a threat to Equestria. Leave me now – I prefer to die where I lie. At least I will be free.”

Fluttershy was torn; if she left, Chrysalis would die, but if she didn't show the Lieutenant she was safe, then he would raise the alarm and the Night Guard would have to mount a massive search for her, during which Chrysalis would be discovered. Mixed emotions swirled around in her head as she heard the stallion call out for her once more. She looked back at Chrysalis, whose eyes were closed in defeat, and thought of the public humiliation that she had described. She wondered if she could meet up with the Lieutenant and pretend to have found Constance so they would call off the search, but then she worried about the little orange bird. What to do; what to do?

Chrysalis coughed weakly, the bubbling sound in her lungs confirming that she was close to death. This once powerful Queen was going to die alone, with nopony to mourn her passing with anything but relief. Why did this have to happen now, when she was so close to being reformed? 
“Fluttershy!” Lieutenant Nocturne called again, urgency creeping into his voice.
What to do; what to do?

“Stay here” whispered Fluttershy, ”I will get back as soon as I can.”
Chrysalis barely acknowledged her words as the pegasus pulled away, depriving her of the life sustaining love she needed, and leaving her to face her fate alone.
Fluttershy took one last sad look back at the enemy she had learned to fear; the dying creature whom she believed had at least earned a chance to show she could change. Then she took off and flew towards Lieutenant Nocturne who was clearly in a state of agitation.

“I’m over here” she called softly.
He snapped his head round as his sensitive Bat Pony hearing picked up her delicate voice once again, and felt a wave of relief wash over him.
“Miss Fluttershy!” he greeted, “I thought something had happened to you – thank Luna you’re safe!”
“I’m sorry” she whispered, “Only I wasn’t feeling very well, and I landed for a quick rest. I’m so sorry I got you worried.”
“Not well?” he repeated, rubbing his chin, “Would you like to go back and allow your place to be taken by another of my team?”
“Oh thank you” she said, “If it’s not too much bother.”

Lieutenant Nocturne was so relieved at finding Fluttershy he didn’t stop to consider the authenticity of her request; indeed, why should it be anything less than genuine? She didn’t have a strong constitution after all, so he had no reason to doubt her motivation.

They flew back to the garrison beside the Royal Castle side by side, although she was noticeably less chatty than she had been on the way out. He just put this down to her feeling unwell, but inside, her tummy was churning with the lies she was going to have to tell if she was going to save Queen Chrysalis.

When they arrived, Lieutenant Nocturne found a volunteer quickly enough and escorted Fluttershy to her room where he offered his best wishes for a speedy recovery before returning to the search and leaving her alone. She went into her room and waited until they had found their way out of the castle and were well on their way to the search area, before opening the window and climbing up onto the windowsill. She summoned her courage and then launched herself, heading back to the woods, watchful for signs of any of the guards.

All the way out, she kept her head moving from left to right, scanning for signs of anypony who may see her. More than once, her eyes played tricks on her and she dived down for the shadows between buildings and up dark alleyways before moving on again. Finally she returned to the woods where she knew Chrysalis to be, and tried to recognise any features of the landscape that could point her back to the clearing where her return was awaited.

She got as low as she dared and made repeated passes over the woods that still looked just as sinister as when she had flown over them before, but now the life-saving urgency of her mission served to counterpoint her own fear with a sense of mounting frustration that she couldn’t seem to recognise precisely where she was. Eventually, her heart skipped a beat as she caught a glimpse of a clearing that was beginning to look more and more familiar, and descended towards the place where she knew somepony was awaiting her return. 

She prayed she wasn’t too late.

Fluttershy’s hoofsteps carried more than their usual sense of purpose as she trotted over to a familiar dark shape, daring to hope she was still alive.
“Oh” said Chrysalis, with no enthusiasm, “You’re back.”
“Of course” comforted Fluttershy, “Although I have had to tell a few lies to get here.”
Chrysalis tried to laugh, but pain wracked her chest and the sound trailed off into laboured coughing and a struggle for breath.

“Perhaps there is more to you than I thought” she mused once the pain had subsided enough for her to speak, “Come in close please, I don’t have much strength left.”
Fluttershy did as she was bidden and snuggled up close, draping a primrose wing over her.
“We’ve got to find a way of getting you to safety before dawn” urged Fluttershy, ”Or we’ll both be in a very awkward position.”

“I just want to sleep” retorted Chrysalis, the bitterness of her rebuke fading into an amiable tone that she would have hated to hear from herself only a few hours earlier. Her eyelids grew heavy and the enamel green eyes closed comfortably.
“Oh no you don’t!” said Fluttershy, recognising that if she allowed her patient to go to sleep now, she would never wake up again, “Stay awake and think. I need your help to think of a way out. You may not care about what happens to you, but I’ve put a lot on the line to help you, and the least you can do is try to help me. If you wouldn’t mind, that is.”

Chrysalis wanted to laugh at the fluffy contradiction that snuggled beside her, keeping her warm and feeding her, but couldn’t summon the energy. The two of them lay together for a while as Fluttershy tried to come up with some way out of the mess she was in; she hoped Chrysalis was doing the same too, but deep down, rather doubted it.

“I think I may have it” she advanced tentatively. Chrysalis didn’t respond, so she gave her a soft poke earning a startled response as the Changeling Queen awoke in a place that wasn’t the hive, and with pains in her chest she had completely forgotten about whilst she had been asleep.
“You’re going to have to trust me again Chrysalis” she ventured.
“What is it now?”
“An idea” she continued, “For escape. But I'll have to go and leave you again. I will come back, I promise.”

Fluttershy extricated herself and stepped back carefully before flapping her wings and heading off into the night once more; Chrysalis looking up and following her silhouette until it was subsumed within the darkness.
> 3 Escape by Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time hung heavy over the woods as the night sky turned slowly overhead. No wind stirred the trees, but faint rustlings of leaves betrayed the presence of small nocturnal mammals scurrying about on their night time forage. Occasionally, the silence would be broken by the plaintive call of a passing owl, its hoot echoing eerily before ricocheting off into the trees to die.

If Chrysalis had been conscious, she would have heard the whumping sound of massive wings coming to land in the clearing near her. Fluttershy had returned with help, a tremor spreading through the earth just as a massive pair of clawed feet slammed into the ground.
Why, thank you so much Mister Roc” said Fluttershy politely, giving her new friend a tickle on his neck feathers, “This is the patient I would like you to carry to my cottage in Ponyville please.”

He leaned in for more tickles as he eyed his passenger’s chitinous body plating with suspicion.
“No, you’ll be fine” reassured Fluttershy, “She’s injured, like any other creature I take in. I don’t believe she’s going to make a fuss.”
His yellow eyes appeared to shine like those of an owl, even though he was by nature a hunter of the daytime. He regarded the broken shape lying partly hidden in the shadows and looked sceptically back to Fluttershy, openly questioning her judgement.
“No, you’ll be fine, and so will I” reassured Fluttershy, rubbing a particularly ticklish patch on the side of his head, “But you will have to take something with you to show you’re doing this for me; there’s no telling what Harry may do otherwise.”
The Roc lifted a wing and made to preen himself, looking all the while at Fluttershy. She watched for a moment before understanding.
“Oh, I see” she cheered at having solved the riddle, “I give you one of my feathers, and they’ll know you’re doing this for me …”

He nodded and leaned in for another tickle as a reward for coming up with the idea, then pulled back to give Fluttershy room to find a loose or damaged feather. She lifted a wing and had a rummage around, but found none that wanted to be pulled free. Then she tried the other wing and found what she was looking for; manoeuvring her muzzle into a position from where she could grasp it in her teeth and pulling gently. The primrose feather came free and she secured it in the Roc’s own neck feathers, and then proceeded to part lift and part drag Chrysalis into a position from which he could pick her up.

“OK” she said triumphantly, “Over to you, Mister Roc. Thank you, and do be careful.”
The enormous bird nodded and unfurled his wings, then walked over to Chrysalis on the tips of his claws, balancing himself with large wingbeats. Chrysalis opened one green eye, but was too weak to resist and resigned herself to her fate as she felt the enormous claws tighten about her. She closed her eye once more and felt the flapping of powerful wings as her senses told her she was flying, then she blacked out.

Once Fluttershy had seen them melt into the night sky, she took off herself, a much more genteel affair than the brute force of the Roc, and quickly turned back towards the Royal Castle before she would be missed.

“Miss Fluttershy! Miss Fluttershy!” came the concerned calls from the corridor outside her room in the Royal Castle. 
She crouched on the windowsill, terrified that the pony knocking on the door and calling her name would barge his way in and find her sneaking back into her room.

She knew she wouldn’t be clever enough to think of a good reason for being half in and half out of the window, so panicked and overbalanced, tumbling into the room, landing on the floor with a bump. She staggered, feeling slightly dazed and followed a slightly indirect line to the door as she struggled with her balance.

The calling and the knocking continued, adding to the throbbing in her head and further disorientating her. She reached out to the door handle and missed, the loud scraping sound of her hoof down the door sounding remarkably like nails down a blackboard, but at least the pony on the other side stopped and quietness reigned, if only for a few seconds. She reached for the door handle again and this time opened the door successfully.

“Miss! Miss!” blurted the guard, “Are you alright?”
“I must have gone to sleep and slept through your knocking” she lied, “But I must have woken with a start and tripped on the bedclothes. Then I guess I must have hit my head on the floor. I’m sorry I didn’t open the door sooner.”
“Oh, Miss, I’m so sorry” the guard apologised, his words tripping off his tongue, clearly very concerned, “I had orders to find you - to give you a message. I was told you were in your room and was worried when you didn’t answer that something had happened …”

“Thank you” said Fluttershy sweetly, flashing him a winning smile, “I’m sorry too, for having worried you.”
“Can I take a look at your head, Miss?” 
Fluttershy moved closer to the light in the corridor so he could see the bruise she had earned falling off the windowsill.
“Oh, that might need some attention, Miss” he fussed, “I’m so sorry I caused it …”
“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault” said Fluttershy, trying to put his mind at rest, ”So what was the message you wanted to give me?”
“Dr Suture was keen to let you know that an orange bird has joined the others in his consulting room and requests your company to confirm whether it’s your little friend.”

“Oh, Constance!” she cheered excitedly, squeezing him in a hug, “Can we go to her now?”
“Er … of course Miss” he replied, a little embarrassed at how to handle her exuberant outburst, ”Would you care to follow me, please?”

He led the way back down through the maze of corridors until they reached the door of Dr Suture’s consulting room with the familiar snake logo on the front. The guard advanced and knocked twice on her behalf, surprised to see a much younger stallion answer it than he had been expecting.
“Excuse me, Sir” began the guard, “Would you be so kind as to advise the Royal …”
His words were cut short when Fluttershy caught sight of Silver Salver standing in the doorway and rushed past the guard to give him a big hug. 

“I don’t think we should keep this delightful filly waiting, do you?” he asked, inclining his head towards the elderly veterinarian who was staggering unsteadily from his easy chair towards the door, wrestling to command the wasted muscles in his ageing legs, while trying concurrently to fix his spectacles. He beamed at Fluttershy as soon as he could bring his old eyes into focus and made happy little cheep, cheep noises in celebration.

Sure enough, Fluttershy saw the perch, now fully populated once more, and said hello to Constance, then to each of the others in turn, so none felt left out. After this, she asked how the newly returned songbird was, and what she had gotten up to during her absence.

The tuneful little chirps relayed to Fluttershy that there had been a large family gathering, but that some of her relatives who wanted to see her had been delayed because of the changeling invasion and were late meeting up. She said how sorry she was for the trouble she had caused, but was happy to be back. 

Nopony else understood the tuneful songbird’s chirping, but Dr Suture stood there enchanted at the sight of pony and bird obviously getting on so well, while Silver Salver found himself drawn in and standing close beside Fluttershy before either of them had realised what was going on. When the timid pegasus looked turned to her side, she was a little surprised to see him stood so close, and blushed while he in his turn suddenly appreciated that he had rather crossed into her personal space, and blushed brightly before withdrawing to a more socially acceptable distance. Nothing more would have been said about the matter, but Mister Green Jay chose that precise moment to let out a wolf whistle, causing both ponies to develop an even redder hue around their cheeks.

Silver Salver coughed discretely to hide his embarrassment, but Fluttershy could see his awkwardness and leaned over to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek, partly for waiting for her, but also partly because; well, just because …


***


They left the birds chattering happily with the enchanted veterinarian, who was learning their songs and dancing happily in circles.

Fluttershy and Silver Salver looked at each other, both trying to suppress a giggle at the sight of the happy old pony and edged towards the door, neither wanting to break the magic of the moment. Fluttershy gave a wave to her little friends and slid out of the door with Silver Salver following closely behind. Once in the corridor he pulled the door shut and turned the handle silently with his aura leaving it safely closed behind them.

When he turned back to face Fluttershy he found her looking up at him with big grateful blue eyes and felt his cheeks warming up once again.
“Would you care for a hot cocoa?” he offered, “The kitchen staff serve all through the night, and you look to me as if you could use one right about now.”
“That would be lovely” she replied, ”If it’s not too much trouble.”

She followed him happily, listening as he regaled her with inconsequential stories about operations in the kitchen and some of their more demanding guests. She laughed in all the right places, but soon found herself hanging on his every word, enjoying his company as something of a recovery while her adrenaline levels quietened down following her night’s intense activities.
“… So then she said; oatmeal, are you crazy?”
Fluttershy laughed again at the story and wished she could spend more time in this stallion’s company, but knew she had taken on a weighty responsibility, one that would mean her telling a lot more lies to her friends in the coming weeks. Just for now though, she didn’t want this moment to end.

They arrived in the dining hall and took a discrete two pony table rather than sitting at the Baroque formal dining table set with solid silver cutlery and illuminated with ornate candelabras.
“Sorry, I can’t join you at the main table because I’m not a guest. You can imagine it wouldn’t do my career any favours if Princess Luna were to catch me indulging when it’s my place to be looking after others.”
“That’s fine” she replied, “I rather like this one anyway.”

“And what do you think Princess Luna would do?” came a voice from behind them.
They both turned in a flash and saw the unmistakable figure of a slender midnight blue alicorn.
“Your Majesty” he bowed immediately, “I was only …”
“He’s my guest” Fluttershy interjected, ”He’s been very sweet to me. I do hope we’re not in any trouble?”

Luna broke into a warm smile, “I heard you have had a rather busy night.”
“You have?” gasped Fluttershy, suddenly seized by the guilt of knowing she was harbouring a known enemy of Equestria, and therefore by default, an enemy of Princess Luna.
“Why, of course. Lieutenant Nocturne is a very conscientious officer and briefed me on the hunt for your bird” she explained, “I believe she has been found safely?”
“Yes, thank you Princess Luna. She’s back with her friends now.”
“Good. And I see you are feeling better too.”
“I’m better for good company” replied Fluttershy, thinking about the urgency with which she had to get to Chrysalis, “But I should be on the first train to Ponyville in the morning.”
“She’s got a bad bump on her head” added Silver Salver.
“Oh, I am sorry to hear it” said Luna, “You know you are always welcome here, but if you think it best you return sooner, I shall order my chariot readied for you.”

Fluttershy looked into the warmth of Silver Salver’s eyes and didn’t want to leave him, but recognised that her obligation to a sick creature, even an enemy of Equestria, had to take precedence.
“Yes please, Princess” she decided, wrenching her thoughts away from him, “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“It is no trouble at all” replied Luna, who then turned to Silver Salver adding, ”And perhaps you may want to visit Ponyville on your day off?”
He blushed deep red and she knew that was exactly what had been on his mind.

“Very well” confirmed Luna, “I shall order my chariot readied for departure in half an hour. It will be by the main entrance with instructions to return you forthwith. Dear Fluttershy, thank you from all of us for your part in having saved Equestria from evil Queen Chrysalis and her army. I have no need to tell you how much safer we all feel knowing that she has been banished, hopefully never to return. I do so look forward to meeting with you again soon.”

Luna nodded her head in a bow of acknowledgement, but Fluttershy was transfixed, her mouth feeling uncomfortably dry. Luna put it down to her nerves, but inside Fluttershy felt awful; she had just been thanked by the Princess of the Night for having saved Equestria from the very individual she was about to rush home for, in order to nurse her back to health. Her personal code of morality had put herself in an impossible position and she felt sharp pangs of growing discomfort as she struggled with her conscience to resolve the dichotomy. Worse, she knew Luna could see into ponies’ dreams and was terrified what she would do when she found out about this dreadful secret. She started to cry and ran away as fast as she could, leaving Luna and Silver Salver staring after her.

“It has been a long day” observed Luna, “And she is a delicate soul, but the kindest pony you will ever meet.”
“And the most beautiful” sighed Silver Salver wistfully, continuing to stare down the empty corridor where she had run, “But I don’t know if I’ll ever understand her.”
“A wise stallion will never try to understand” philosophised Luna, “Just accept her for who she is.”
“Thank you Princess. I shall try to learn from your wisdom.”
“May I suggest you help the Royal Veterinarian make the birds comfortable in their transit box for the journey ahead. That will be a gesture to gain you further favour in her heart.”
Silver Salver thanked Luna again and bowed deeply as they parted company and he went to follow her suggestion to the letter.

Fluttershy ran.

Her mane fell across her face, but she didn’t care.

She was running and didn’t want to stop until she had outrun her tangled emotions.

Every word of Luna’s praise had stabbed her like a knife; she felt unworthy of such affection. Luna was right, of course; had the invasion succeeded, all ponykind would have been enslaved to provide food for the changeling hordes. But Chrysalis could be reformed, much like Luna herself or even Discord for that matter, she just knew it.

Perhaps Fluttershy was much like Twilight, standing alone against public opinion, correct in her suspicions towards the imposter masquerading as Princess Cadance? It certainly felt lonely, and she suddenly experienced a pang of guilt about not having supported Twilight when she had stood alone. The self-reproach never seemed to end!

Suddenly she felt a sharp tug to her mane and tried desperately to extend her forehoof to take the next step but failed, her hoof caught in her flowing mane, and she fell, rolling a few yards down the deserted corridor before coming to rest sprawled across the floor. She let out a groan and felt the dampness around her muzzle where she had been crying.

She pulled her forehoof out from the knotted clump of mane that had acted like a snare to trip her, and whimpered with the pain, chest heaving as she contemplated her situation. There was nothing for it; Luna’s chariot was being prepared and she mustn’t keep them waiting, no matter how bad she felt. She wanted desperately to talk to somepony who would understand, but conceded that right now, nopony would be likely to want to see anything better for Chrysalis than perpetual banishment, or worse.

She couldn’t say she was alone; she had herself-doubt and self-loathing for company, and it didn’t make for a very happy party.

Sorrowfully, she returned the way she had come, trying to find some discernible feature that would tell her where she was. As she took her first step, she felt a pain in her foreleg and knew instantly she had sprained it, so quickly transferred the weight from it to limp past the flickering torches burning in the wall sconces, her shadow mocking her with a cruelly accentuated limp.
> 4 A Prisoner to her own Conviction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the main entrance, a Bat Pony snorted and shook his head. He stood shackled to the chariot as he had been for the last hour, but neither he nor his colleague would dare to say anything about the lateness of their vip passenger. Meanwhile, Silver Salver stood patiently by the door watching the night sky reveal its mysteries to him, waiting for a chance to say goodbye to the mare he had developed such a crush on.

Finally, the door opened, and a servant emerged carrying a small bag, followed by Fluttershy who looked more dishevelled than her avid admirer remembered. He rushed forward and almost knocked over another bag carrier who was following behind her.
“Are you alright Fluttershy?” he asked, taking in her unkempt appearance.
“I’m fine thank you” she mustered.

Silence fell between them as the two bag carriers went to load her belongings into the chariot.
“No, I’m not alright” admitted Fluttershy, leaning into him and feeling a gentle foreleg around her.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked sympathetically.
“No. But I would like to see you again.”
At those few words, his heart soared. He realised he would never understand her, but at least she felt something for him, as he did for her.

“Ready?” he asked, with a lump rising in his throat.
“Ready” she confirmed, and the two walked carefully down the steps, her leaning on him for support.
He helped her up into the chariot and as she settled down, was rewarded with a beautiful smile, that dazzled as if to eclipse the moon itself.

Standing back, he waved her farewell and watched her disappear into the brightly spangled sky, already beginning the countdown as to when he could see her again. From her Royal Balcony, a midnight blue alicorn looked down at the lovelorn unicorn and spared him a knowing smile before turning to resume her duties and leaving him to his thoughts.

The night air was warm, even up in the deep indigo chariot as it raced through the darkness, but its troubled passenger didn’t notice, nor did she care. The pressure of her decision driven by her sense of responsibility was dragging her down. She was pinning her hopes on Chrysalis reforming with all the dedication and love she could give her. If she was successful, then Equestria would be safe from the changeling threat for years to come, but if she failed, then the changeling army would rise again, and it would all be her fault. As she was now committed to saving her former enemy, she could only hope she could be reformed, and swore to herself she would be unstinting to make it happen.

The charioteers’ excellent night vision allowed them to judge their landing within the confined space of Fluttershy’s back yard with precision, touching down with barely a bump. 

Fluttershy didn’t feel strong enough to offload her bags and especially the heavy transit case in which the birds had travelled, but couldn’t risk either the Bat Ponies coming into the cottage and finding Chrysalis, or the animals in the cottage helping, just in case some clue about her high profile patient was accidentally leaked. She spoke to the birds sweetly and asked if she let them out they would all go and perch on the roof of the cottage while she offloaded. They agreed immediately and she opened the front of the case, allowing them all out. One by one they fluttered their wings and hopped or sprang into the air to muster on the roof as requested. Once they were all clear, she pushed the empty transit box out of the chariot like a cuckoo pushing an unwanted egg from a nest, and winced as she heard it splinter on the ground.

“Is everything alright, Miss?” asked one of the charioteers, concerned at the sound of breakage.
“Yes, everything’s fine, thank you” she lied.
“We would be happy to help if you need a hoof” offered the other.
“No, I’ll be fine, thank you” Fluttershy repeated, pushing the heavier of her two bags out and listening to it slam onto the broken remains of the transit case. Then she descended with the last of her bags and put it down beside the partially demolished pile that constituted the rest of her baggage, and walked round to thank the charioteers for their trouble before waving them off for their journey back to Canterlot, breathing a sigh of relief as they disappeared from her sight.

She braced herself.

She now stood alone with her mission laid bare in front of her, and knew it would be demanding. She savoured the precious memories of yesterday and then straightened up, parking them to one side as she crossed the few steps to her back door with determination and resolve. She wanted to wish for help in the name of Celestia and Luna, but knew in her own mind that would have been heresy.

She was on her own.

A sliver of light appeared to one side of the back door as she approached, and a large dark paw pulled it back revealing the inside of her cottage still lit at this time of the early morning. Harry stood in the doorway and growled softly then caught sight of Fluttershy and opened his arms for a hug. She smiled and embraced him happily, but the moment was short lived as he released her to come and look at their newest arrival.

Chrysalis was laid out on the floor in front of the range, with all but the very bravest animals keeping a respectful distance. The fire was out because none of the animals knew how to start one nor tend to it once it was alight, but they all knew it was the cosiest spot to be, so had placed Chrysalis there in the hope of helping her recovery.

“Oh my” said Fluttershy as she saw the state of Chrysalis for the first time in the light.

She conducted an examination, noting the large number of serious looking impact injuries. There were blood stains over the carpet coming from abrasions and lacerations on her legs, neck and body, and even her chitinous armour had been fractured, but what worried her more was the blood coming from her mouth, pointing to internal injuries that she could not hope to diagnose. 

She had a good idea of how mammals and reptiles worked, but had never had to work on a changeling before. However, blood coming from internal organs couldn’t be good, whatever animal it was. In practice, she lacked the knowledge to do more than apply dressings and bandages to stem the blood loss, and set about her task with Harry helping turn the unconscious body over as needed. When she had finished, very little of Chrysalis was visible through the bandages, but Fluttershy knew there was now only one thing she could do to help with her recovery, and lay down, extending a protective wing over her, providing her willingly with a source of love to feed from.

Harry then turned the light out and all the animals in the cottage set about grabbing what sleep they could.

All too soon, the sun rose, and the animals awoke having enjoyed, at most, only a few hours sleep. They were all respectfully quiet as they tried to manoeuvre around those that were still asleep following a very interrupted night.
Fluttershy stirred, her wing feeling stiff from being unfurled at an awkward angle all night. She dared to look and saw Chrysalis’ chest moving with shallow, but regular breaths. She hadn’t died in the night, so she reasoned there was every chance for a recovery. Fluttershy allowed a small smile to cross her face, but knew Chrysalis was only one of the many visitors for whom she had a responsibility, and slid carefully away from her side to get up on her hooves and prepare breakfast. 

Although very tired and feeling emotionally drained, she set about her duties, all the animals choosing to be respectfully patient as they could see the difficulties she was facing; all except for one. A grim faced white rabbit stared accusingly at her as she approached and drummed his rear foot irritably, acting out a dramatic mime that emphasised his fears about dying imminently of malnutrition. Harry looked at him disapprovingly and wagged a claw, but the precocious rabbit was unrepentant and turned away, raising his head snootily, dismissing any and all criticism.

The animals all tried to help out with the chores around the cottage as best they could, but sometimes their enthusiasm to help caused more mess and actually set things back, but before long Fluttershy was free to turn her attention back to Chrysalis. She started by changing the dressings and replacing the bandages before settling down beside her and allowing her to feed once more.

Although the animals on the whole tried not to be too demanding, some of the younger ones were starting to get restless, so Harry offered to lead them on a walk where they could run off their surplus energy. He left his mistress snuggled up close to her patient, casting a final eye around for any last volunteers before tiptoeing out and closing the door quietly behind him.

Fluttershy felt herself doze off again. It had been a long night, but also she was aware that Chrysalis was drawing on her too, and as a result she was feeling much more tired than usual. She didn’t mind; there was a lot at stake after all, and a little sacrifice on her part would make Chrysalis’ reforming all the more assured. She sensed another draw on her energy, like a foal suckling on its mother, and felt comforted that Chrysalis was growing stronger, so allowed herself to drift off to sleep and allow her to take what she needed.


***


“You OK in there?” she heard, accompanied by a loud banging on the door.

Through the mists of deepest sleep, Fluttershy struggled to wake and pull herself back to reality. She recognised the country accent and gave a little “Eeeep!”. Applejack was at the door, and so probably were her other friends too. She suddenly realised that Harry wasn’t there; he would have ordinarily fielded any calls, but must still be out walking the younger ones. Now she was on her own, and she knew she couldn’t be found with Chrysalis. Her mind flew into panic and she got shakily to her hooves, heading to the window to close the drapes before anypony looked in.

Having afforded herself the barest minimum of protection, she headed for the door and reached for the handle just as Applejack banged on it again.
“No, Applejack, maybe she’s still asleep” came a more respectful voice that sounded like it had come from a lilac unicorn. Fluttershy realised she had been given a way out by Twilight’s off the cuff comment, but the downward momentum behind her forehoof was unable to stop before it hit the door handle. 

She froze, hoping that her friends hadn’t heard.
“Oh wait, she’s coming now” announced Applejack, who had heard perfectly. Fluttershy cursed herself inwardly, but very politely, of course. However, she knew there was no way out of meeting them now, so braced herself to tell them the first of many lies.

“Hello girls” she said, cracking the door just sufficiently to peer around.
“Oh hey, Fluttershy” greeted Twilight enthusiastically, “We heard you got your bird back, but you’d left before any of us had got up this morning, even Applejack, so we just wanted to see if you’re alright.”
“I’m fine, really I am, but I had a very late night and I was trying to catch up on my sleep.”
“Oh quite so. One simply cannot go without one’s beauty sleep or you‘ll get those unsightly marks under your eyes” agreed Rarity, wincing at the thought of ever being seen in public in any state that was less than perfect.
“Hey, we’ll let you get your shut-eye and catch up later, OK?” agreed Rainbow.
“Thank you for being so understanding girls” she said, letting out an exaggerated yawn.
“OK then” Twilight announced, “We’ll catch up when you feel a bit more like it.”

The friends all departed, leaving Fluttershy to heave a sigh of relief. She watched as three ponies walked back towards the centre of town, the fourth hovering above them, joining in loudly with their conversation as they recounted favourite moments from the wedding. Fluttershy was especially thankful that Pinkie Pie hadn’t been with them; her Pinkie Sense was more likely to uncover her secret than any other pony, short of an all-out frontal assault on her cottage.

She turned back and saw the pathetic form of Queen Chrysalis lying in just the same position as she had left her, only the slightest rise and fall of her chest providing any evidence that she was still alive. Fluttershy knew what she had to do and, shutting the door softly behind her, tiptoed back to her patient and lay down beside her once again so she could feed when she needed.

Fluttershy cuddled up close and considered what she was doing. She was driving a wedge between her friends and herself, and for what? - to be a wet nurse for one of Equestria’s deadliest enemies. How could it possibly be worth it? 

She felt the helpless changeling beside her, possibly the last Changeling Queen and therefore the last in her line; once she died, her entire race could become extinct. She couldn’t allow that to happen, either morally or ethically, especially as her own distant ancestor had saved the same race in the first place.

She gave up with philosophising and set about doing what she knew she had to do to fulfil her destiny, and snuggled in tighter with a contented smile on her muzzle.

Fluttershy fell into a routine of devoting herself to providing Chrysalis with round-the-clock nursing care while Harry stepped up to take on as many of her chores as he was capable of. All the animals in the cottage helped out as best they could, but Angel Bunny remained as demanding as ever. He continued to hang jealousy onto guarding as much one-on-one time as he could, even if that meant dragging his mistress away when the carrot he had been given wasn’t quite the right shape or the lettuce wasn’t as crisp as he wanted. 

Many was the time that Harry wanted to swat him out of his sight with a hefty swipe of his paw, but knew that if he did, the petulant little critter wouldn’t touch the ground until he had been propelled into the next zip code, and such an act would be unlikely to endear him to Fluttershy. Instead he limited his responses to wagging a threatening looking claw and the occasional growl.

Her friends came back, and each time she answered the door it was with another lame excuse as to why she couldn’t come out, and each time they saw her, she looked more and more haggard. They could all see that something was wrong, but Fluttershy became increasingly defensive, and the more they pushed, the more scared she became.
> 5 A Flirtation with Happiness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week after she had returned, a stranger arrived at Ponyville station and headed for the florist at the centre of town. The unicorn was clearly more of a city pony than one used to the provinces, and looked more than a little out of place due to his overly smart appearance. However the arrival of a handsome stallion was enough to impress Daisy, Lily and Rose, who were all very keen to serve him personally. By chance, Rose happened to be the nearest when he approached their stall and kept the other two at bay with a look that told them in no uncertain terms “this one’s mine”.

“Good morning, Sir” she said, showing him her best smile, “What can I do for you today?”
“Good morning, Miss” he replied with a polite bow, a reflex action from his job, “A bouquet of your finest flowers please.”
“But of course, Sir. I take it they’re for a date?”
“Why, yes Miss; as a matter of fact they are.”
Daisy and Lily didn’t know whether to giggle at his over-the-top-manners or swoon, so settled on just staring with mouths open; he wasn’t like any other stallion they were used to seeing round the town.
“And what colour fur and mane does your date have?” she asked.

He looked mildly affronted at the personal nature of the question, so she continued quickly “… You know, so I can co-ordinate the colours.”
“Oh, oh I see” he stammered, his cheeks turning pink, “Primrose yellow with a pink mane.”
“I only know one pony with that colouring round here” she commented casually as she started to select the blooms, “Do you know where you’re going to meet up, or would you like directions?”
“Oh, er, thank you Miss” he shifted awkwardly, “Her name’s Fluttershy and she lives in a cottage …”
“Thought so”, she replied cheerfully, “She’s a lovely mare. How did you meet, if it’s not too personal?”
“At the Royal Castle in Canterlot …”
At this, Daisy and Lily both let out a gasp and swooned; he was clearly a pony of breeding, and was surely some kind of royalty himself with such polite manners.

“Are your friends alright?” he asked, concerned.
“Don’t mind them” she replied with a smile, putting the final touch to the wrapping by tying a large bow around the stems, “Now, would you like me to tell you the way to Fluttershy’s cottage?”
He paid and listened carefully to the directions before extending his thanks to all three of them and setting off to meet the mare he had been dreaming of for a whole week.

He followed the winding path out of town and through the beautiful scenery that was all the more breathtaking as he was a city pony, born and bred, and unused to such delights. He stopped on the little bridge near Fluttershy’s cottage and looked all around him, taking in the views of brightly coloured flowers and tasting the scent of the aromatic blossoms as he filled his lungs with pride.
“This” he said to himself, resuming his walk, ”Is heaven.”

He arrived at the front door and knocked. There was a scurrying of activity within, and shortly the top half of the door began to open. He stepped back, having expected the door to open inwards and prepared to greet the timid pegasus, but was startled to see an enormous bear staring back at him.
“Fluttershy …?” he enquired, stepping back a little further so as to ensure he had a head start if he had to run.
Harry growled and pointed round the corner to the back door.
“Oh, OK …” he replied, both intimidated and fascinated in equal measure. Could Fluttershy really be employing a bear as a doorman? It certainly wouldn’t go without a comment in Canterlot, but he consoled himself by thinking maybe that’s how ponies lived out in the country. At least this bear appeared be friendly, although his vocabulary did seem a little limited.

He walked round the cottage to the back door as he had been directed, and found the same bear waiting for him. Slightly less shocked this time, he attempted to make conversation.
“So …” he began, not really knowing what more to say to a bear with an evident shortage of smalltalk, “Nice place to work?”
Harry grunted, leaving an awkward silence between them, his eyes not leaving the stranger’s for a second. "This bear would so not cut it as a doorman in Canterlot" he thought.

The next few moments dragged by like hours before Fluttershy made her appearance from behind her trusted assistant. The lines on her muzzle betrayed her tiredness, but at seeing Silver Salver, her eyes sparkled.
“Hello Fluttershy” he said, his heart skipping a beat as he presented her with the flowers, “It’s lovely to see you again.”
“Oh thank you; they’re beautiful” she beamed happily, then adding as an afterthought, ”Oh, and it’s so nice to see you again too.”

“So, how are you after all the excitement of the wedding?”
“Busy” she replied sadly, “I look after animals that can’t help themselves, and right now I’ve got one that needs a lot of attention.”
“Oh, can I help?”
“No, sorry” she said regretfully, “But seeing as you’ve come such a long way, I’m sure I can spare time to show you round, if you want.”
She took the flowers back into the cottage and looked down at Chrysalis who scowled back up at her.
“I’m so sorry” whispered Fluttershy apologetically, ”But he’s come a very long way and if I don’t spend some time with him, he’ll know something’s wrong.”
The enamel green eyes glowered back at her accusingly as Chrysalis turned her head unnaturally to keep eye contact, but she never said a word; she didn’t need to.

Fluttershy had no choice other than to enjoy herself for a few hours in the company of somepony she liked very much. She turned and left, tears of guilt in her eyes as she knew she was failing her patient, but tried to blot out all such thoughts as she made her way out of the oppressive gloom of her cottage and into the light. If she was going to get into trouble with Chrysalis, then this would be a nice way to do it; at least she would have some good memories that would make her love even richer for her to feed off when she returned.

Hesitant, because of a deep sense of guilt that she could not mention, she led him into town to show him the sights Ponyville had to offer, which mostly consisted of the places her friends frequented. She took him first to Golden Oak library where they had tea with Twilight, then on to Carousel Boutique, where they had tea with Rarity, but after this they both began to feel they couldn’t handle any more tea and a spot of lunch would be in order. Fluttershy had been putting off meeting Pinkie Pie in case her Pinkie sense betrayed her dark secret, and sure enough, as soon as they entered Sugarcube Corner, they heard a loud gasp, followed by a pink pony trembling and gesticulating wildly.

“Is she alright?” he asked.
“That’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie” said Fluttershy, as if that answered the question perfectly.
“Oh hi, Fluttershy! Haven’t seen you in a long time! Who’s your friend? I haven’t seen him before, and if I haven’t seen him before he must be new around here and that means …”
“Pinkie” giggled Fluttershy, ”We don’t have time for a party, at least not today. Could we have two of your special muffins please?”
“Coming right up!” replied the pink pony with a dazzling smile before disappearing to complete the order like a whirlwind behind the counter.

“These are some of my best friends” said Fluttershy happily.
“I know; I’ve read all about your adventures, but I never thought I would get to meet so many of the famous Element Bearers” he said, then added, “Thank you.”

He reached a forehoof up to stroke her mane away from her eyes, daring to make physical contact, but just at that moment, a big box containing two enormous cupcakes covered in a schizophrenic jumble of toppings was placed down in front of them, Pinkie beaming at her haphazard creativity.

“I don’t think you’re going to get the lid to go down; I’ve put a bit of all my favourite toppings on each of them, and since everything in the bakery is my favourite, I’ve covered them in everything!”
Silver Salver couldn’t help but smile at this pony’s randomness, and extended his forehoof with bits in payment.
“Nah! They’re on me” said Pinkie Pie, then added in a whisper, “They’re not really on me, don’t worry – they’re in the box!”
“Thank you” giggled Fluttershy.
“Are you gonna eat in?” she asked.
“No thanks” replied Fluttershy, ”You’re very kind, but we’ve had a busy morning, so we’ll be off to the park, if that’s alright with you.”
“Go on” Pinkie urged, “Go enjoy your date.”
They said their goodbyes and then set off to enjoy their picnic somewhere a little less manic, Fluttershy heaving a sigh of relief that Pinkie had been too wrapped up with the arrival of Silver Salver to notice anything more sinister.

She led the two of them to a lovely spot in the park overlooking a pond where they laid down together and attempted to get through all the sugary goodness that Pinkie had given them. It was the first food Fluttershy had eaten in a week, and it wasn’t long before her tiredness coupled with her freshly satisfied hunger made her eyelids heavy. She leaned against him under the warm sun and soon started to doze. He couldn’t have been happier, basking in the serenity around them and feeling her resting softly against him. It was a simple date, but it could not have been better for either of them.

All too soon, Fluttershy became aware of how long she had been away from her cottage and began to get fretful. Silver Salver picked up on the cues and escorted her home, enjoying another meandering walk with the mare of his dreams. They arrived at the back door and Fluttershy knew she would have to say goodbye, but in her heart, she didn’t want to. It was clear that he felt the same too.

“You’ve come an awfully long way to see me today” commented Fluttershy.
“It’s been worth every minute” replied the lovestruck Silver Salver, desperate to take her back with him.
Embarrassed to say any more words, she leaned across and kissed him, a soft and gentle kiss that he would remember forever. Just for that moment, she suspended her reality, and nothing mattered but the two of them. 

Nothing.

He sensed her need, but as a servant to his own duties, he understood her need to get back to hers, and softly pulled away. When he opened his eyes, he could see fresh tear streaks down her muzzle, some of which were hers, but others he knew to be his.
“I should go” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.
She so wanted him to stay, but equally knew she couldn’t allow him to share in her dark secret. She tried to speak, but a lump had risen in her throat and the most she could say without breaking down in tears was, “uh-huh”.

She watched as he turned and walked away; her hero leaving the scene without his damsel. It wasn’t the way the story was supposed to end, but here she was, staring longingly after him as he left to return to his own life, miles away.

With a heavy heart, she turned and opened the back door, dreading her reception.

Chrysalis was still in the same position, with her head twisted round at the same unnatural angle as it had been when she had left. Suddenly her green eyes sprang open.
“You’ve been gone for hours” she said, “My healing has been set back because of your absence.”
“I’m sorry” whispered Fluttershy, ”I’ll make it up to you now, if you like.”

Chrysalis patted the rug next to her, not as an invitation, but as a demand, and Fluttershy obeyed.
> 6 The Last Drop of Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After having been given the brush off one too many times, Applejack started to take a closer interest in events at the cottage, and given that it wasn’t far from some of the orchards she tended, would take to walking past at odd times. One thing she noticed was that there was never any smoke coming from the chimney, and this meant the range was not turned on and so there would never be any hot food; this gave her an idea.

She went back to the woodstore at Sweet Apple Acres and threw a few bushels of chopped firewood randomly onto a cart; it didn’t have to be a lot, just enough to get the range alight again and give her a chance to see what was going on with her friend. Slipping herself into the yoke, she gave the cart a tug and found it moved easily, setting off on the short journey back to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Applejack looked at the homely little cottage as she approached and noticed that the drapes were all still drawn as they had been for weeks. Something about not following this simple act of housekeeping made her feel uneasy, but she parked the thought, telling herself not to get over-dramatic; Rarity was the one with the reputation for being a Drama Queen, after all.

She pulled up at the front door and unshackled herself from the cart. Everything was quiet. She’d never really stopped to consider how quiet it was here before, but put it down to her not taking any particular notice; there was no reason to think it was different, was there?

She strolled the few steps and found herself at the unpainted stable door, noticing that it could rightfully do with a coat of varnish and reached up a forehoof to knock. She paused to listen, forehoof suspended in mid-air as she tried to make sense of the sounds coming from inside; she wasn’t being nosey, just didn’t want to interrupt anything was all. 

Once everything was quiet, she knocked and stepped back lest the upper half of the door swing out and catch her muzzle, or the lower half crash into her forelegs. There was no response, so she rapped again and this time she heard the unmistakable heavy footsteps of a large animal coming to answer the door. The upper half opened cautiously towards her and Harry’s face appeared, shielding his eyes from the brightness outside.

“Well howdy, Harry” she greeted, “Haven’t seen much of you lately. Is Fluttershy home?”
Harry growled softly, his eyes sparkling in recognition and looked round behind him before turning back to his guest. Applejack blinked; she could have sworn she saw a green flash from the darkened interior of the cottage, but it was over in the in the blinking of an eye, so she dismissed it since it was such a bright day. Next thing, she saw a very tired looking primrose pegasus come to the door.

“Hey there Fluttershy, haven’t seen you in a while” greeted the farmer warmly, ”I got me some firewood for your fire in case you were getting low. You wouldn’t want to run out, now would you?”
“Oh thank you Applejack. I’ve been so busy of late I think I had run out, so thank you.”
“Er … can I bring it in for you?” Applejack offered, “I’m a mite better rested than you, by the looks.”
“It’s fine” she protested meekly, “I can manage.”
“You sure ‘bout that?” pressed Applejack, “’Cos you look like you need a rest.”

Fluttershy took a look behind her to check on what form Chrysalis had taken.
“I can’t help it. I’ve been very busy looking after a poorly baby deer. It looks like she’s been hit by a cart and I’ve been nursing her while her bones mend. She doesn’t like too much bright light, so I’m keeping it as dark as I can in here. I’m hoping she’ll be ready to go back into the forest in the next week or two, but you can’t rush the healing process.”

“Oh, hey, I’m sorry” Applejack stammered in embarrassment as Fluttershy moved to one side so she could see the distinctive delicate shape of a fawn tucked up under a fluffy blue blanket, the soft brown fur still bearing a few large white spots down her back as proof of her young innocence and vulnerability.
“So sorry Fluttershy, we, er … well, I had no idea” Applejack fumbled for the right words, “Is there anything any of us can do to help?”
“No, thank you. She’s an orphan and she’s come to know me as her mother, but she’s skittish and very wary of others; I can’t begin to imagine what the poor soul has been through.”
“Oh … oh, right. Yeah, of course” said Applejack, “I’ll be sure to tell the others. Now, you sure about bringing the firewood in by yourself?”
“Yes thank you, we’ll manage. Now I must get back to my patient.”
“OK, but don’t forget to ask if you need any help.”
The two friends parted amicably and Fluttershy pulled the door closed, turning to look at Chrysalis just as she was bathed in a flash of green light.

“That was close” Chrysalis remarked, “I was barely able to keep myself in shape.”
“Yes, but you couldn’t have even done that much a few days ago” consoled Fluttershy, “You’re making good progress.”
“Thank you” said Chrysalis, beckoning to Fluttershy to come to her side and allow her to feed again, “Private Pansy would be proud of you.”
Although Fluttershy felt utterly exhausted, she did as she was bidden and limped slowly back as pain shot through all of her joints with every move. She had never felt so run down in her entire life and could no longer remember the last time she had slept. 

She hesitated and just wanted to cry, but seeing the positive healing effect her love was having on her patient, she covered her pain with the best smile she could muster.

Chrysalis patted the rug next to her impatiently, a brief frown flashing across her face. Meekly, Fluttershy complied and lay down ready to be fed off once more.


***


Later that night, Fluttershy gasped as a sudden pain gripped her chest and started to creep through her body. Her breaths shortened and she felt horribly unwell. She had nursed animals with these symptoms before and trembled with the prospect of where it could lead.

“Chrysalis” she croaked, “Please stop - I don’t feel well.”
“Yes” she replied “I suspect I have taken too much out of you too fast, but the price was worth it, saviour. Had I taken more time, the risk of getting caught would have become too high.”
“What …?” asked Fluttershy, slowly succumbing to the relentless dizziness and nausea, “What do you mean?”

“I never finished the story about Private Pansy, did I?” she continued, “You see, she nurtured the changeling she saved, and it drained the last of her love to survive just long enough to set up a hive. Tragically, Private Pansy gave the last of her love, and along with it, her life, which is why she is so revered throughout the changeling race, and why you have always been protected.”

A sudden seizure gripped Fluttershy’s chest and she reached up with her forehooves as if that could somehow prevent the final inevitable act. 

Chrysalis stood and watched impassively as the wide eyed pegasus succumbed to her heart attack.

“You have followed in the tradition of your ancestor and my new changeling hive will always honour your memory.”
Powerless to respond in any way, Fluttershy watched the newly restored Queen Chrysalis bow her head in respect as the light ebbed away from her world.

The next day, Applejack walked past the cottage on her way to the village and cast a wistful eye over to see if she could catch sight of her friend. What she saw stopped her in her tracks; her cart was still by the door and filled with the firewood she had brought round the day before; it hadn’t been touched. A quick look up at the chimney confirmed that the fire in the cottage remained unlit. 

She shook her head and tutted, ready to take charge – this time she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Filled with resolve, she pulled her hat down and set off for the cottage with a purposeful stride.
“That Fluttershy” she muttered to herself, “I just knew she was too beat to do it for herself.”

As she drew close to the cottage, she saw lots of normally shy critters bounding down the path towards her, all squeaking and looking agitated. She had to break her stride so as to ensure she didn’t accidentally kick or trample any of them as they milled around under her hooves.
“Now what in tarnation is wrong with y’all?” she asked, fully aware that none of them would be able to provide her with an answer she could understand.

When she could finally move forward without the risk of injuring any of them, she headed on towards the cottage, noting the front door to be ajar.
“Now, that’s not like Fluttershy” she commented, fears beginning to rise for her friend’s safety.
She reached the door and pulled it open, as some of the critters darted in through the widening gap.

Although it was dark when compared to the outside, she could easily make out the shape of Harry rocking to and fro with a bundle of some kind cradled in his mighty paws, making heart rending whimpering noises, the likes of which she had never heard before. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the primrose colour and her heart sank, suddenly fearing the worst.

“Fluttershy?” she asked softly.
There was no response. Every creature was silent save for Harry.
“Fluttershy?” she asked again, moving closer.
Harry looked up; his eyes red with tears.

Applejack looked down at the bundle he was holding so tenderly, and could make out a wing and a tangled mat of pink mane. She raised a forehoof to her mouth, desperately praying that what she thought she saw was a sick prank of some kind.

Harry looked down again and tenderly stroked the soft fur of the lifeless body, hot tears of anguish falling freely.

“No … this can’t be” said Applejack, stunned. Then she saw the white form of a small rabbit wrapped in her mane, hugging her tightly, and she knew what she saw was for real.

“No …” she mouthed, dropping to her knees, “No …”
Applejack took off her hat, and reached out to hug the bear and the bunny, her tears mixing with theirs in recognition of the passing of the kindest pony ever.


***


At the florist’s stall in the town, a handsome stallion with a slight Canterlot accent was chatting casually with a raspberry maned earth pony mare, while she chose a selection of brightly coloured blooms for a bouquet. He was being more fussy than usual because he had been taking stock of his life and what he wanted from it.

After much thought, he had come to the conclusion that he had seen more than enough of the city life and had experienced a personal epiphany amidst the tranquil surroundings of Ponyville. He knew now, more certainly than anything else in his life, that he wanted to be here. He had even been rehearsing a short speech all throughout the long journey to try and keep his nerves under control, and was determined to tell her just how special she was and how he wanted to make a life together with her.

Once the spray of colourful flowers had been expertly tied with a length of ribbon, he bade Rose a cheerful farewell and set off along the winding road to Fluttershy’s cottage.


***


Far away, a Changeling Queen with striking enamel green eyes set about the business of rebuilding her hive.