No Heart Left to Break

Fluttershy was having a nice day. The sun was out, and all of her animal friends seemed to be as carefree and content as she was. There wasn't too much for her to do after she finished caring for and feeding her animal friends, which would leave her plenty of time to laze around in her cottage if she wanted to. These were the days that she really cherished the most. There were no disasters, no cataclysms, no calamities, no catastrophes and no chance of the world as she knew it coming to an end. She loved her friends dearly, but there was just something about a peaceful day alone with her thoughts and her animals that was very enjoyable for her; she loved the safe feeling and the peaceful time.

This peaceful time lasted all of a few minutes before the cottage began to shake. Fluttershy bolted her head left and right to figure out what was happening but she didn't have long to think before a quick puff of smoke and a shower of confetti announced her visitors arrival. No it wasn't Pinkie Pie; she would never be so subtle.

“Discord!” Fluttershy shouted, “What in Equestria are you doing!”

Taking a second to catch her breath Fluttershy realized she had shouted rather loudly. By Fluttershy standards that is.

“Oh, I mean um… hello Discord. What… what are you doing here?”

Discord made contact with solid ground and looked to the startled mare.

“Fluttershy! Sorry to drop in on you like this but you see I had to get here as soon as possible; I challenged Celestia to a race. Now I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes: I totally won.”

Fluttershy gave an uneasy smile and said, “Thats very nice Discord. Will you be going now?”

Discord raised his eyebrows in surprise saying, “What? Oh no no no no, the race isn't all that I’m here for. Far from that I am here on some very important business that I desperately need your help for.”

Today had started out so easy for Fluttershy. She was the biggest scaredy-pony in Equestria, yet she somehow always got dragged into some great adventure or undertaking in one way or the other. While he still lacked the basics of common courtesy Fluttershy couldn't just turn Discord away to enjoy her lazy day; for all she knew she was his closest, and perhaps his only real friend.

“Okay Discord, I’m not really sure what you want me to do, but I’ll try my best to help you out all I can.”

Discord cracked another oddly wide smile and said, “That makes me so happy to hear. You see I’ve got this problem with this pony. To be frank, he’s pretty much the worst pony to ever exist and so just a little while ago Celestia was going to throw him in the slammer for the rest of his days, but then I came in and convinced her there just might be a better way.”

Fluttershy nodded to Discord as if she understood anything that he was trying to say here.

“Alright,” Fluttershy said, “but I still really don’t see how this has anything to do with me. Shouldn't you be working on that uh… better way?”

Discord clapped his paw and claw together and said with a smile, “Thats the thing! You ARE the better way.”

Fluttershy furrowed her brow in confusion. “I still really don't understand. Could you please just tell me what you need from me?” Fluttershy said and then followed in a much weaker voice, “If thats okay with you that is...”

Discord actually felt sympathy for his timid friend, and decided to try to get as straight to the point as was possible, even if that meant it wouldn't be as fun.

“Right, so heres the story,” Discord said, “A couple days ago there was a expedition outside of the Crystal Empire that required the documentation of the surrounding area and caves. Something about being removed from history for a thousand years really kinda made coming back pretty confusing. It was supposed to happen a while ago, but you know how stabilizing a whole cities economy, political situation and social system takes time.”

Discord took a quick breath feeling slightly off topic and then said, “But you see on this expedition a few of the crystal ponies came across something that freighted them so much, they ran all the way back screaming, and not long after the pink alicorn herself went to see. She came back with a prisoner encased in crystal, whom she took to the big wigs in canterlot, which brings me back to where I was earlier. I offered your reforming services as an alternative to life imprisonment and they took it.”

Fluttershy put a hoof to her face and said, “So its like what I did for you? This pony stays here with me for a while and I try to make him better?”

“That is not a totally inaccurate description.” Discord said.

This really wasn't what Fluttershy wanted to hear today. Reforming Discord had been stressful enough, and she wasn't really sure she could do the same for this pony that Discord was talking about. Worse than that Discord was talking about leaving her with a pony that had done something so bad that it warranted lifetime imprisonment, and Fluttershy really didn't want to spend any time anywhere close to a pony like that. Even so, she had said that she’d do what she could to help. Fluttershy took a deep breath.

“Maybe I could try for a little bit. You said that this was the worst pony ever though; who is he?” Fluttershy said

“Well you should know a little bit about him already. He’s tall, dark and he goes by King Umbra.” Discord said.

At this Fluttershy went completely stiff and her eyes became the size of two small pins.

With a shaky voice Fluttershy said, “You mean King Sombra? Oh no.” Fluttershy paused, now trembling.

“Now Fluttershy I need you to-”

“No,no,no.”

“I just need you to hear me out for-”

“nonononononononononononononoNONONONONONO!”By this point Fluttershy was frantically jumping around and apparently looking for some kind of escape. “Discord, you can't ask me to have anything to do with Sombra! He is a monster.”

Once again Discord felt sorry for his friend, but he couldn't just leave the issue be. “I know its a lot to ask Fluttershy, but would it help you to know that I’m not the only one asking?”

“What?” Fluttershy asked

Practically on cue the door to the cottage opened up and in strode the princess of the sun herself. Fluttershy let her mouth hang open for a few moments before making move to bow.

“Princess!” Fluttershy said, “I-I did not know that you’d be here! What can I- I mean, what do you-”

With a raise of her hoof Celestia managed to get Fluttershy to stop and slightly calm her down. “Now Fluttershy I am a guest here in your home and you have no need to bow before me. As for my business here, I must admit that it is the same that has brought Discord here. Although we were supposed to come here to discuss this together.” Celestia shot an irritated look at Discord.

Discord kept up his trademark smile, “Now Celestia it is hardly my fault if you aren't able to keep up anymore.”

“I had just finished a magical sealing ritual when you jumped out the window saying “last one there’s a rotten Sunbutt,” and I hardly find that to be proper given the circumstances.” Celestia said.

“All thats improper here is how badly you got beat in that race.” Discord said.

Celestia’s eye twitched ever so slightly as she briefly contemplated how Discord could be so unspeakably asinine before once again writing it off as a lost cause.

“Regardless of trivial matters, there is some important business that needs to be handled here.” Celestia said focusing her eyes on Fluttershy.

“Sombra?” Fluttershy whispered, hardly concealing the terror in her voice.

“Yes my little pony. While I am immensely grateful to you for what you have done for Twilight, Discord and the whole of Equestria, I find myself in need of your assistance once again. To deal with the ex-king Sombra is indeed a great task, but I believe that you are the only chance that we have when it comes to him.”

“Really?” Fluttershy asked, “You really think that I’m the only one? Why not leave him with Twilight, or Pinkie Pie, or… anypony else?”

“While I trust my faithful student implicitly, I don’t quite believe that this task is suited to her, especially considering her history with Sombra. Pinkie Pie lives with the Cakes and it would be putting an undue burden on all of them to have Sombra stay with them. Rarity and Applejack both have sisters to look after and Rainbow Dash is… not my first choice for matters like this.” Celestia said.

Discord interjected, “Oh yes, they’d destroy each other by the end of the first day. Although that could be deliciously chaotic.”

Ignoring Discords snide remarks Celestia continued, “Aside from the elements I could not think of another pony that would be up to this challenge. You, Fluttershy have already shown yourself to be capable by reforming Discord and are our uncontested choice for this undertaking.”

That was a lot to take in. There was no part of Fluttershy that wanted to be near Sombra, there was no part of her that wanted anything to do with Sombra, and there was plenty of parts that were screaming at her to do everything in her power to avoid Sombra. Fluttershy wasn't very good at saying no to the princess however.

Fluttershy sighed, “If you believe in me, maybe I can try. How am I supposed to keep him from trying to take over Equestria if he wants to though?”

“As I said earlier I have performed a magic sealing ritual. We left Sombra with some magical connection, but his dangerous powers have all been sealed away. We’ll be checking in with you often, and if at anytime you feel like you cannot handle Sombra, or if he does something that warrants punishment, we can have him immediately removed from your home.” Celestia answered.

“And what… what if I say no?” Fluttershy asked

“Who knows,” Discord answered, “You are basically the plan, the back-up plan, the back-up for the back-up plan and so on. It is absolutely your right to say no here, but if you do then its back to the drawing board for what we do with Sombra and life in a cell might be looking pretty likely.”

Fluttershy shut her eyes tight. That was not a pleasant thought; it was either her or life imprisonment for Sombra. She really didn't like him, in fact she was absolutely terrified of him, but she couldn't help from feeling some guilt if she did say no. Fluttershy had to weigh her options between having to live with a former tyrant and possibly disappointing the princess, her friend Discord, and getting Sombra locked in the dungeon forever.

After a while Fluttershy finally opened her mouth to speak, “Okay. If you think that its best I’ll take in Sombra and do everything I can for him.” Fluttershy gave a weak smile to try to confirm her resolve.

Celestia smiled, “Excellent, I’ll have him transported here as soon as possible. Thank you deeply Fluttershy, and I wish you luck in your task to come.”

Celestia made her way out of the cottage and Discord moved to follow.

While walking out the door he said, “Have fun with the king of darkness. So long!”

Fluttershy swallowed hard. “What in Equestria have I just gotten myself into?”