Labyrinth

Back in the forest, a grumbling stomach gave them all pause.

Rainbow Dash leaned forward to peer down at her mount.  "Is that my stomach or yours, Applejack?"

"Hungry," the manticore whined.

"But we can't stop now, not when we're so close."  Fluttershy looked around.  "Maybe we can find some berries."

The group started looking at the nearby flora, save for Pinkamena, who dragged her hooves with every step.  Finally, she tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder.  "Uh, Fluttershy."

She looked over her shoulder with a gentle smile.  "Yes?"

"Here."  She thrust the peach into the other's hoof, not looking her in the eyes.

"Pinkie!  Oh, thank you!  You're a lifesaver.  Where did you find it?"  She took a small bite.  "If everyone can get one, then...  Oh, this tastes strange..."  Her vision started to swirl and she dropped the peach.

Pinkamena flinched back.  Fluttershy looked at her, or at least at the pink blur, sadly.

"Pinkie, what have you done?"  she squeaked just before she fell to the ground.

"Oh, curse you, Discord!"  Her eyes started to gloss over with tears and she turned to run away.  "And curse me, too!"

"Everything..."  Fluttershy said with her last conscious breath.  "... is dancing..."

Fluttershy's eyes opened slowly and she found herself in the middle of a party that reminded her of the Grand Galloping Gala.  She was surrounded by ponies in beautiful attire, all wearing masks and dancing to the soft music.  She looked around in awe of the gorgeous dresses only to see her reflection in the mirror and find she was wearing the loveliest dress of all.

She blushed and tried to find an exit, but her gaze passed over somepony who, though masked, was instantly recognizable:  the Goblin King.  She tried to make her way through the dancing crowd as his voice, like velvet, sung in her ears as though he were beside her.

"There's such a sad love deep in your eyes,

A kind of pale jewel, opened and closed within your eyes.

I'll place the sky within your eyes."

The song caused her to hesitate and he disappeared into the crowd.  Her head turned this way and that.  The silver jewelry woven into her pink mane jingled softly from the movement.  When she turned around, she spied him walking away.

His voice continued to echo in her head.

"There's such a fooled heart beating so fast,

In search of new dreams, a love that will last

Within your heart.

I'll place the moon

Within your heart."

She walked out onto a balcony and gasped.  The castle she was in was surrounded by an endless sea that reflected the starry night sky above.  The moon hung low so that its reflection seemed to be a second moon.  She tore her gaze away and saw that the balcony was otherwise unoccupied, stole one more glance at the glittering sea, and returned inside.

"As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you

Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all

But I'll be there for you

As the world falls down."

It became harder to push her way through the crowd.  The ponies reached out for her and laughed, the same laughter she heard as a child when she struggled to fly, and she felt herself starting to cry.  Questions swirled through her mind.  How did she get there?  Why was there a voice in her head, singing such a sad but beautiful song?  What did it mean?

"It's falling, it's falling down

Falling in love

I'll paint you mornings of gold

I'll spin you Valentine evenings

Though we're strangers till now

We're choosing a path between the stars

I'll lay my love between the stars."

She turned and found Discord standing there.  He reached out a gloved claw to ask for a dance, his paw still holding the mask over his face.  She couldn't think of anything else to do but to accept and put her hoof in his claw.  He pulled her close and gently guided her to the ballroom floor and sung into her ear.

"As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you

Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all

But I'll be there for you

As the world falls down."

Fluttershy pulled back some to look up at him with confusion swimming in her gaze.  "Your name is Discord," she said in a soft voice that sounded as though it might shatter from uncertainty.  "You're the Goblin King..."

He said nothing, simply returning her gaze.

"Why?"  She put her forehead against his chest.  "What is going on?  What is happening?"

"My dear Fluttershy," he finally said.  He dropped the mask to stroke her mane with his lion's paw.  "Aren't you happy?  You can have anything you want in this place.  I can give that to you, if you stay with me...  Give up on your quest and stay with me..."

"My quest?"  She pulled back.  "My... quest..."  Her eyes widened as she remembered everything.  "Angel!"  She pulled away from him completely.  "How could I forget about Angel!"

Her eyes darted around for a way out of the ballroom, but all the walls had no doors, only floor-to-ceiling mirrors.  With no other choice, she picked up a chair and flung it at the mirror.  As it shattered, the room seemed to lose all sense of gravity as ponies flew in all directions before they all turned into bubbles that floated away.  Discord hovered for a moment in front of her, gaze locked with hers.  She saw a twisted smirk on his lips just before her vision went completely black.

In a junkyard, Pinkamena sat in front of a fire, all alone, tears rolling down her cheeks.  "Oh, she'll never forgive me.  What have I done?"  She sniffed.  "I've lost my one and only friend, that's what I've done."

Elsewhere in the very same junkyard, Fluttershy awoke.  "Huh?"  She looked around.  "What was I doing...?"  She saw the peach in her hoof and dropped it when a worm crawled out.  "Oh!"

"Ow!"  a dainty voice cried from beneath her.  "Get off my back!"  The owner of the voice bucked her off and Fluttershy turned to see a white unicorn standing there, brushing her purple mane with a hoof.  Beside the mare was a giant boulder.  When she saw Fluttershy looking at it, she glared.  "Why don't you keep your eyes to yourself, missy!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just going..."

"Huh?"  She blinked.  "Where were you going?"

"I..."  Fluttershy dropped down.  "I don't remember."

"Well, you can't go anywhere if you don't know where you're going."

After a moment, the pegasus looked back up.  "I was searching for something."

"Look here, darling."  The unicorn held up a pair of worn, brown saddlebags with pink butterflies on the clasps.

"My saddlebags?"  She took them and held them close.  "Oh, thank you."

"That's what you were looking for, wasn't it, darling?"

"Yes..."  The color began to drain from the pegasus.  Her eyes grew dull.  "I forgot."

"Now, why don't you come in here and see if there's anything else you'd like."

The unicorn pulls back a curtain and Fluttershy gasps as she sees her cozy little cottage.  It is run down with boards over the windows and void of the little critters running through it, but she smiled and walked inside.  She set the saddlebags down and laid on the couch.

"Oh, it was all a dream...  I dreamed it all.  But it was so real..."  She closed her eyes.  "But it was just a dream."

The unicorn walked in and started to rummage through the junk that was piled up around the living room.  "Let's see, here.  Oh, yes!  Darling, look, a little bird house.  You love bird houses, don't you?"  She began to place things around the couch Fluttershy was resting on.  "Don't forget this little parasprite.  You never wanted them thrown away, did you?  Now then, what else?"

Fluttershy opened her eyes.  She looked at the growing pile around her and her brow started to furrow.  "Wait, something's not right.  There was something I was looking for."

"Oh, don't talk nonsense!  Everything in the world you've ever cared about is all right here.  Look, here are your little pink slippers."

The pegasus reached out and picked up a round bowl with a carrot drawn on the side.  She stared at it in confusion.

"What's the matter, darling?  Don't you like your things?"

Slowly, the color returned to her.  Her eyes lifted and she frowned.  "It's all junk."  She dropped the bowl.  "I have to save Angel!"  She pushed the piles aside and ran for the door, which was boarded over.  She pulled the boards back and emerged from a pile of junk.

She heard Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Manny calling for her nearby.

"Hey, Flutters!"

"Sugarcube!"

"Fluttershy!"

She climbed to the top of the pile and smiled when she spotted them.  "I'm here!  I'm all right!"  She slid down the pile and landed by them.

Manny hugged her.  "Fluttershy back!"

Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled the manticore.  She looked at Rainbow Dash and Applejack.  "Where are we?"

"We're almost there, that's where we are!  We'd be there if you hadn't wandered off."  The pegasus pointed at the gates.  "Those are the gates to the Goblin City."

"Let's go quickly."  She hopped out of Manny's hug.  "We don't have much time!"

"Applejack, forward!"  Rainbow Dash kicked the orange pony's side.

"I've had just 'bout 'nough of this..."  Despite her complaining, the orange pony started walking.

When they reached the gate, they found it open, but guarded by a sleeping goblin.

Rainbow Dash hopped off Applejack's back and flew right up to the goblin.  "Hey, ugly!  Wake up and fight me!"

The guard continued to sleep.

Fluttershy squeaked, "Please, Rainbow Dash, for my sake, hush!"

The pegasus looked between the guard and her, then flew over.  "Am I a coward?"

"Certainly not!"

"Then I will fight anyone, anywhere, anyplace, anytime!"  She started to fly back to the goblin, but Fluttershy caught her by the tail, yanked her back, and placed a hoof over her mouth.

"We know!"  Fluttershy smiled.  "We all know.  Now, hush."

The blue pegasus scowled, but nodded in compliance.  They started toward the gates, Fluttershy at the lead, Manny right behind her, and Rainbow Dash and Applejack side-by-side.  The former hovered above the ground with her lance ready for action while the latter trotted, happy to be free of the heavy burden on her back.

"Now you keep quiet, Applejack," the pegasus scolded.

"Really?  Ya don't gotta worry 'bout me.  Just keep yer own mouth shut."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Why I do believe it is."  The orange pony grinned.  "If you can keep quiet, then I won't complain fer a week."

"You're on!"  The pegasus ran her hoof over her mouth and went silent.