My Little Hero

It took all of Fluttershy’s convincing to get Twilight to let her have some time to prepare. Grudgingly, the lavender unicorn relented and told her to meet at Books and Branches within the hour before making her way there herself. Closing the door behind her, the animal keeper would turn her gaze upward finding her guest heading his way back to the first floor.

“Your needed elsewhere.” He said in a way that was most defently not a question. Slowly he turned his head to where Twilight had left.

Fluttershy looked off to the side folding her ears back as she answered none the less. “Y-yeah…”

He was quite for a few moments before speaking again, or rather asking. “So…a princess?”

She nods.

“There a King?”

She shakes her head.

“Queen?”

She shook again. “No…just a princess.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Odd.”

“H-how so?”

He folded his arms about his chest and smiled lightly. “Ah…just forget it. Anyway you had best get going before your friend starts to worry.”

The shy mare turned to face the outworlder, a question on her lips. “What about you? What are you going to do?”

“Don’t worry about me. I plan on finding heading him myself.” He closed his eyes  whispering to himself. “I have to find it…the darkness…no matter what.”

The gasp she gave would have sent him hugging her without remorse…if it wasn’t due to his iron will stopping him. “Y-you’re going alone. B-But what if…I mean you could…But you were just-“

Knights smiled lightly at her causing her to stop in her semi-panic rambling. “I can take care of myself Miss Shy.” He gave her a wink as he stuck a half cool, half ridiculous pose. “Besides I’m a guardian. It’s my job to stop him.”

Is face had grew serious as he looked away from her and out the window. “Beside …For not only your sake but mine as well.”

She looked up at him, her eyes full of concern. “I-Is he really that dangerous. I mean you were you were winning before he teleported both of you here.”

“I underestimated him. He’s more powerful then I had thought. Besides, he’s after something here I just know it.” He turned to look at her. “On that note…why would the princess call for you and that…ah…other pony? Are you two knights or something?”

The random change in the conversation caught her off guard. Her eyes widen and she blushed brightly. “O-Oh no! I’m much too scared to be any knight of any kind.” Her gave shifted toward the ground. “But…me and my friends are…well we represent the Elements of Harmony.”

“The ‘what to the who’ now?”

She looked at him oddly before realizing who she was talking to. “Oh that’s right you wouldn’t know would you.” She briefly explained how she and her friends acquired the Elements.

“I see…” He closed his eyes folding his arms about his chest. “I guess I was wrong about you being knights...” She looked toward him, seeming to say something but was cut off by his bright smiling face. “That makes you heroes!”

“Oh! N-no! I’m much to chicken to be a hero! I-I wouldn’t know what I would do if I ever met that shadow creature! That terrible, horrible, big-able shadowy thing would…Oh I can’t…I just can’t.”

Knights scratched the back of his head slowly. He was use to others freaking out around him, it came with the territory, but seeing the fear in her big bright eyes, he wasn’t use to that.

“Hey, its ok.” He placed a palm on what he believed to be her shoulder, to which she surprisingly didn’t shy away from. Her gaze met his own and despite of herself she couldn’t help but blush at what started back at her. His eyes. His big brown eyes. They were so full of kindness. Kindness so strong that it made

her heart almost skip a beat. There was something else there though. Something hidden. Something sad. She couldn’t for the life of her tare her eyes away from the outworlder for one second.

For some reason, she believed that it would be ok. She was far from being a stupid pony, and trusting others has always been one of the hardest things she could ever do, but she didn’t doubt for a second that his words were false.

Knights smiled as he withdrew his hand and stood at full height. “I promise to do all I can to find and stop that thing.” He slammed a fist into his opened palm as he smiled once again. The way he did it, it was something reminiscent to what Rainbow Dash does before she gears up for a bully beat down. “You have my word.”

She watched as he made his way toward the window in the back of her house, opening it before stepping one foot pad onto the seal. As he readied to jump out Knights looked over his shoulder and though it was hidden, she could see a shade of crimson on his cheek. “Um…by the way…”His voice had slightly cracked as he spoke to her. “You’re the one who…dressed my wounds right? Cleaned me up and everything?” She nodded. “R-right... T-thanks for that by the way…Cleaning me up that is.” His face was defiantly a bright shade of red as he jumped out of the window.

Fluttershy looked on as he vanished, wondering why he was blushing so much, but then, at remembering her face tuned a bright shade of pink as well. “W-was he…Is he…?” She shook her head, trying to rid herself of mental images of the outworlder. She had treated animals before and was used to seeing them, and when she had treated Knights she had believed he was something more but never really paid it any thought…until now. Her cheeks still bright and pink, she was just about to turn away when the outworlders head popped up with a sheepish grin.

“So…Ah…I don’t know where to go…”

~~~

Books and Branches

“About time you got here Shy.”

The tom-boyish voice cut Fluttershy to the core, causing her to advert her eyes and “epped” gently as all eyes came upon her as soon as she entered the Library. After a few quite apologizes she would fall in line with her friends standing beside the cyan pegasus with a mane like a rainbow that had called her out.

The shy pony hid her face behind her mane opting the other to roll her eyes. “Alright Egghead now that we’re all here mind telling us what the hey is going on. I’m missing perfectly good nap- I mean practice time here.”

An orange furred earth pony with blond mane and tail tipped the hat on her head as she spoke up. As well. “Yeah, Sugercube. Whats the emergency?”

“I believe I can answer that question.” Every pony (and one dragon) present gasped and turned to the source of the voice immediately dipping into a bow at the sight of a tall white pony, with both wings and a horn gracefully entering into the library. Her ever flowing mane and tail of pink green and blue swaying ever so gently.

“Princess Celestia!” Everypony (and once again dragon) said in unison.

The princess raised a hoof motioning them to rise. “Please rise my little ponies.”

As they did so Twilight stepped forward looking at her teacher with determination.  “What’s the stich your highness?”

“What’s the stich?” Spike gave Twilight an odd stare. “Really Twilight? I think you’ve been reading Mare Possible too much?”

Twilight shot the dragon a scowl as Celestia continued. “Yes…well…Ahem. I’m afraid to say that a dark shadow is looming over Equestria, the one of likes I have never seen since I was a foal.”

The cyan pegasus hovered into the sky and slammed her hooves together in a threating manner. “And you want yours truly to kick its sorry flank outta here quick fast and in a hurry right?”

Pinkie Pie bounced up and down smiling brightly. “OH! OH! You want us to throw a party for the darkness thing right? Or we can use the Elements of Harmony to turn it into the lightness that way we don’t have to worry about it anymore.” She gasped loudly. “Wait! What if it turned into stone instead. I wonder why kind of stone the darkness would turn into. Marble? Granite? OH! Maybe a bit of both marble and granite! Or maybe brick! Hang on a second.  Is brick a type of rock? I’m an expert on rocks and I sure as sugar that it has to have some qualities of rock.  I wonder what bricks are made from. Hey you know what? Now that I think about it, what if the darkness thingy changes into a tree instead. It could change into an oak or a pine or a willow or a mumph…!”

The orange earth pony stuffed a hoof into Pinkie’s mouth muffling her endless chatter. “Sorry your, highness yal’ll was saying?”

“Thank you Applejack.” Turning to the others Celestia continued. “Everypony according to the report Twilight submitted last night the light originated from the Everfree Forest which is where I had felt it as well. I can…still feel it faintly but still opposing. Luna has gone, against her better judgment , to Everfree ahead of you so I need you six to find and assit her in any way you can.”

Twilight stood proudly and puffed out her chest. “You can count on us your highness!”

Celestia smiled just as proudly at her prized student. “I know I can.” With a flash of yellow a beautiful box appeared in-between her and her subjects. “As a just in case measure I insist you take your elements.” Upon opening the box five necklaces and one tiara sat proudly inside, each relic having the mark of their respective bearers.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she looked upon the boxes contents. “The Elements of Harmony…”

“Yes my student.” Using her magic the princess levitated and latched each necklace to their respective owner. “Use them only when you feel there is no other option. They still need to regain their power after your confrontation with Discord so they are not at their fullest as of right now.”

Twilight nodded knowingly before turning to her friends. “All right girls! Let’s move out!”

Everypony whooped and yelled excitedly.

All except for one.

Fluttershy had stayed quite throughout the discussion and while that might not have been anything to anypony that knew her, the reason as to why was.

Oh no...She looked down, a worried look on her face. Knights...

FLASHBACK

The entrance to the ominous forest loomed over both the outworlder and the animal care taker. The latter doing her best to hind behind the former’s legs. With a shaky hoof Fluttershy pointed in the direction of the entrance. “T-there I-it is…E-Everfree Forest.”

Despite his calm demeanor Knights couldn’t help but feel…Something off about the gloomy woods. His gaze grew slightly harder the longer he observed the strange forest. He didn’t like it…Not one bit…”

The pull on his torn pant leg caused him to turn to the shy pony, his gaze instantly softening at the sight of ear etched into her expression.

“K-Knights…” He voice was shaky at best. “P-Please reconsider. I’m sure the girls and even the princess will be more then happy to help you. You don’t have to go in there alone…”

He reached a hand to gently pat the top of her head. The blushed she found herself with causing her to squeak slightly. The feel of his hand was warm. Inviting.

“Sorry Miss Shy.”  His tone was light as he spoke masking any true feelings. “This is my problem. My burden. I have to do this alone. Knights bent down so that he was eye level with the butter yellow pegasus. “It is for that reason that I have to ask…No…beg of you to not tell anyone else about me…unless you have no choice but to do so. I want to do this alone but I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

She looked into his eyes his kind hearted, said laced eyes and found herself raiseing a hoof to her chest. Her heart. It was beating fast. She couldn’t explain why but it was. She closed her eyes for a second before opening them, a determined, yet oddly still adorable, look making its way onto her features. She begin an odd ritual as she once again spoke.

“Cross my heart. Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.” At the last bit she raised a hoof to her head covering her eye with it.

She couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked when he was confused. Kind of like when Winnoa can’t find the ball Applejack pretends to throw. “What…pray tell…was that?”

“A Pinkie Promise.”

That answer was met with the tilting of the outworlders head, something Winnoa also does when confused.

She giggled a little before answering. “It just means that I’m not allowed to brake it…no matter what.”

He blinked a few times before nodding. “ I see…” The smile returned as he stood up. “Thank you for your trust in me Miss Shy. I’ll try to be as quick as I can.” Before she could say anything the outworlder left running full tilt into the forest.

PRESENT

Fluttershy closed her eyes tightly. How could she put so much trust into somepony she just met? How could she make a promise like that to him. He could be bad news for all she knew. He could have been lying. Nopony else was there to back up his story. So…why? She opened her eyes as she pondered those questions Her gaze staying to the ground.

“Because of his eyes…”

“What was that Fluttershy?”

The pegesus “epped” at the question directed toward her. The cyan blue pegesus was hovering beside her giving her a inquisitive stare.

“Oh-Ah…Sorry Rainbow Dash. I was just…Thinking out loud.” She looked to the side and noticed that she and the other girls had long left the library (minus Spike in tow) and were steadily on their way toward their destination.

Rainbow landed next to there and began to fall instep with her friend. “Your not cared are ya? You know you don’t have to be.” You got me to protect you from any nasty creatures we find and I never let my friends down.”

“I-Its  not that…w-well it kind of is that but its only part of it. “ She shifted uncomfortably as she spoke.

There was silence before cyan pony spoke up again.

“Well?”

“W-well what?”

“You gonna tell what the other thing is”

Fluttershy looked away from her friend. “I-That is…” Her gaze shifted upward. “R-Rainbow…Do you think it’s weird to have complete trust in somepony you just met?”

The rainbow mane pony thought for a second. “Well…I don’t know Fluttershy. I guess. Though we did trust Twilight the first day we met her so…I guess it’s not that weird.” She raised an eye brow. “Why” Do you have a met somepony or something?”

“W-well. I…I mean he…that is…”

“HIM!?!”

The sudden scream of Rarity’s voice caused both pegesi to jump with fright, though to this day Rainbow claims that she was just slightly startled. “What do you mean him?” Her eyes widen. “My dear Fluttershy…Have you fell for some pony?”

Fluttershy wasn’t expecting that. “I-I That is…I mean…” She squeaked as she hid behind her mane, her cheeks deep red with blush.

Rarity’s eyes began to glow brightly as she grabbed Fluttershy’s hooves in her own. “Oh my! You did didn’t you!? What’s he like? Is he cute? How broad are his sholders?”

“Girls!” Twilight eyed them as she spoke. “If you’ve forgotten we need to possibly save Equestria from an unknown something and I would like to do so before the world ends so…

“But Twiiiilight~” Rarity most defiantly did not whine. “Fluttershy has a special somepony and never told us about it.”

The pegesus in question was blushing brighter then ever. “B-but I never-“

Twilight stomped her hoof down. “Gha! Priorities ponies! We can deal with Fluttershy’s love life AFTER we deal with this .Now lets go!” A barely auditable squeak was heard coming from Fluttershy’s direction as the group continued toward the forest that was called Everfree.

~~~

The Everfree Forest, a place which bustles with wildlife of every shape and kind held a deathly quite tone to it this day. All animals watched as a shadow slinked its way through the jungle like forest. The shadow silently cursed at the guardian’s luck, being able to escape him the way he did. He had underestimated the boy’s tenacity in living. If he was lucky the river would finish him off for good. He didn’t need any distractions. A watery grave was just as accepted as a dirt one in his eyes.

Slowly, surely, the shadow began to morph becoming more defined. Silver fur replaced the darkness that had surrounded his body, and long flowing silky hair ran down the length of his back, reaching to his knees. The shadows that had surrounded him had morphed into a black robe fitting snugly over his tall yet slender frame.  His silver eyes caught a tear in the robe that was formed on one of his sleeves.

“Bah!” He spat out harshly. “Damn Halfbreed. Well…I guess It could be worse. Heh…I could be drowning in the river.” The silver creature chuckled slightly at his cruel joke. “Now then…” He looked toward the castle that had made its way to his line of sight. “Time to move forward with the mission…”