The Lost Shy

Connection

The Princess was walking with her guards stationed at her sides and the five mares following close behind. The air was rank with the smell of blood and charred flesh. The trees had animal skins hanging from there branches and blood painted on there trunks. The group was horrified at the scenes around them, even the Princess and her guards were affected. The closer to the camp they came the less blood, skin and smell was bombarding there senses, when they were about a hundred yards away the horrid smells had all but vanished and were replaced a sweet appetizing smell.

“What do ya recon that smell is?” Applejack ask to nopony in particular.

“It smells like stew.” Rainbow Dash said while her mouth started watering.

“The ponies were in the clearing up ahead near a fire.” Lightwing said.

The group had been traveling all day and it was well passed noon. They kept walking cautiously towards the clearing, until Pinkie yelled.

“FLUTTERSHY!” she rushed over to her surprised friend giving her a powerful hug. She gave an angry stare at Pinkie for a moment, it looked like she was ready to kill her, before she realized who it was and her face relaxed slightly.

“P-Pinkie I-I can’t breath” Fluttershy weeded out painfully.

“Sorry” Pinkie let go and took a step back while looking at Fluttershy, she looked like she was in pain. “D-Did I hurt you.” Pinkie said with sorrow in her eyes

“No you just aggravated an old injury, look.” Fluttershy said while looking at her heavily bandaged wing.

Pinkie was in shock at the damage that had been done to her. The wounds on her face had healed but were a gruesome sight on her kind friends face. The others had made it into the clearing and their mouths were hanging open.

“What’s wrong you guys look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Fluttershy said with a grin.

“W-Well until yesterday we all thought you were dead, why didn’t you come home.” Twilight said with tears in her eyes.

“I couldn’t, I don’t know how to get home from here.” Fluttershy said.

They group did not know what to say, they had let there friend live in the forest for a month because they had given up the search after finding her saddlebags. Applejack was the first to speak.

“Where’s ma sister, your note said that she was here”

Fluttershy cocked her head to one side and said “She’s right over there near the fire…” At this Applejack rushed off. “…getting treatment for her wounds from Skinner.” Applejack had missed the last part, she screamed as she came face to face a strange monster holding her sister.

“You get yer dirty paws off ma sister” Applejack yelled as she spun 180 degrees and bucked the creature right in the chest. As her hooves collided with the creature, it felt like hitting a mountain sending the shock waves coursing painfully through her body. The creature did not react or even seem to have felt the explosive kick.

Applebloom popped her head out from the creatures arms and yelled. “Sister what are you doing laying on the ground?” Applejack had collapsed from the shock waves.

“Applebloom w-what are you doing sitting with that monster.” Applejack stammered out.

“Skinner was rebinding my legs and ribs, Fluttershy said they got broke pretty bad.” Skinner was now looking at the new arrivals that he had been ignoring up to this point.

“It is good to see you both are alive and well but would you please introduce this strange creature that you have been living with.” Celestia said with a little bit of fear in her voice

“I call him Skinner, his real name is too hard to say.” Fluttershy said

“Ya he’s really nice, and he’s a good cook.” Applebloom said still sitting in Skinner’s lap.

“Fluttershy you said that you didn’t know the way home why not fly up and look for a town?” Twilight said and the others nodded in agreement.

“My wing got snapped pretty bad when the Manticore attacked, and without magic it is healing fairly slowly.” Fluttershy said while looking at her side again.

“I have a spell that will heal your wing quickly.” Celestia said to Fluttershy who looked really happy. “Twilight I will need your help with a mind connecting spell in a minute, to help us communicate with him.”

“Ok Princess just tell me what you need me to do.” Twilight said as Skinner got up and started walking to a pot on the fire. Causing the group to step back in fear. He walked over to the pot and started to scoop out portions of the liquid into wooden bowls that were stacked next to the fire.

“flegrin hapgin” Skinner said while looking at Fluttershy she smiled and said.

         “He says that food is ready if you want it.”

They looked at each other for a second while Celestia cast her healing spell on Fluttershy. Rainbow dash was the first brave enough to go for the food. He passed it to her and started to eat several types of flowers, while Pinkie came bouncing towards him. He gave her the bowl, then turned to applejack and Applebloom who were talking next to him. He turned his right clawed arm up and moved the muscles to form a bowl shape which started to fill with a strange liquid, which he then poured into one of the bowls. He turned and gave it to Applebloom who started eating without a second thought.

“What did he just pour in your food.” Twilight was the first to speak.

“Medicine that is extremely good.” Fluttershy said after thanking the Princess, for healing her wing. They all gave her a strange look. “What, its true that stuff is amazing.”

“But how did he make it.” Rarity asked.

Fluttershy shrugs and grabs her bowl. Princess Celestia was talking with Twilight at this point, about the spell to help them speak to this strange friend that Fluttershy had made.

Twilight and the Princess had finished the preparations for the spell and had tried the soup that was offered them and they loved the taste. Fluttershy had tried to explain what was going to happen but failed miserably. The group had formed a circle around Skinner and the spell started. Twilights and the Princesses horns glowed brightly and an opaque bubble formed around them. Black streams of energy stared connecting their heads to Skinners and the group blacked out.

Twilight awoke with a start, she looked around and saw her friends and the Princess were beginning to awake. “Is everyone alright.” she said while looking around. She got the nine replies then a tenth voice was heard from the center of the group. The voice was gruff and deep, it caused everypony to look for the one who made the sounds. Their eyes all locked onto the tall bipedal creature that was now standing, his crystalline eyes reflecting their shocked faces.

“Y-You can understand us now.” Twilight said

“Yes isn’t that what you were trying to do?” Skinner asked.

“Well yes but we weren’t sure it would work with your species.” Celestia said as she stood up.

“We were not even sure if were intelligent enough to comprehend basic logic.” Twilight interjected.

“I find that mildly offensive I thought the clothing, cooking and fire make would be good sings of intelligence.” Skinner said in his gruff voice. Twilight and the Princess sheepishly glanced at each other.

“I guess we were still in shock at finding our friend alive, so we overlooked those details.” Twilight said quietly.

“Might we inquire to your real name, it cant possible be Skinner can it?” Celestia asked

“I believe it is more polite to give your name first when asking for another’s.” He replied

The group gave him a strange look, almost one of horror at the way he spoke to the Princess. Celestia gave a slight smile and replied. “I am Princess Celestia Co-ruler of the great land of Equestria.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you Princess.” he gave a slight bow then said. “I am king James, Ruler of the Life Blood Alliance. It has been awhile since I last met royalty.” he finished off with a smile. The group looked at each other then back towards James, not understanding how he could be a king, there was only one country and the Princesses were in charge of it.

“You speak as if there are no other royalty left were you come from, does this hold any connection to why your in this world?” Celestia spoke while the other were still trying to comprehend what they had been told.

“You are very perceptive, the royalty from where I come from lost there crowns several thousand years ago. And no they have no connection to why I’m here, I was just getting bored on the throne and decided on a vacation and ended up here.”

“Wait you said you had met royalty, but that they lost there crowns several thousand years ago, does that mean your are over a thousand years old?” Twilight spoke up.

“Again very perceptive, I lost count of my age a very long time, I think it was 8,231 years, but that was a very long ago.” James said with a hint of sadness. Even Celestia was amazed at his age, she herself was just over two thousand years old.

“Would you mind telling us your story?” Celestia asked, now very curious about this strange new creature.