The caste that binds us

"What's suicidal mean?" Fluttershy casually asks having gotten in rhythm with her living carriage.

"It means having lost or given up on the value of one's own life." Joseph's reply replacing the casual banter of the past few hours with awkward silence, "I guess without context it can leave a rather sour taste in one's mouth."

"It's...okay." her voice a little less casual, "A lot of ponies think something like that about me."

"May I ask why?" His encouraging tone keeping the door crept open a crack.

"They think it's strange that I use all my bits to take better care of my friends than myself, or that..." her voice going even lower, "..I'm not proud of being a pony." before raising in her defense, "But they're wrong! I love being a pony because it lets me help all of my friends that nopony else can understand how to."

He remains silent as his brain tries to reprocess what she said, remaining sure he's missing something important, taking care to slide extra low under a low hanging fallen tree.

"Like when they find out about you after we go back when this is all done." her voice even more firm than before, "Some will say you're dangerous and might hurt me." and confident. "But I know my friend's would never try and hurt me." Slamming her foreleg down as hard as a feather on his shoulder, "And I have some yummy fish for you when we get back so don't let me forget."

"Rather surprising since you seem like the type that others gravitate towards in friendship." He observes, taking the hint from how she interacted with the squirrel, lion, and even himself.

"Oh no. That's Pinkie Pie." She almost cheerfully corrects.

"Who?" He mentally adds the name to the list for later.

"One of my best friends." She replies with subtle pride. "Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity."

"Sounds closer to a family rather than just friends by how highly you speak of them." Looking back taking notice of the nod and ever so often cringe in her expression, "We're resting." getting hesitation before an even stronger nod. Slowing his pace instead of how he'd normally just slam to a stop, he can feel the chill rise up his legs as he bends down to let his cargo safely get off.

After a few minutes of trying different sitting or laying positions, she finally decides to just lay down with her hind legs stretched out to the side in order to give them and her flanks their much needed rest. Looking around at their current surroundings she is somewhat in awe at how different the forest is slowly becoming. "Does it keep becoming like this farther in?"

"Like what?" His own observations apparently not so observant.

"Tamer." she looks around with a smile until she looks back from where they came, and taking in what would appear like a path made by a stampede of manticores. "How do you do that?"

He looks in the same direction as Fluttershy, his reaction being a sigh and the rubbing of the back of his head.

"Oh no I didn't mean it like that." quick to notice his downed spirits, "Sorry..." lowering her muzzle.

"Don't worry." He looks about for a sturdy place to sit, finding solid foundation in a decent sized rock, "I guess you could call it my special talent." His words instantly catching Fluttershy's attention. She eagerly awaits him to say more only to tilt her head when he instead reaches down and grabs hold of two rocks that fit well in each of his hands as he called them. She watches in amazement when both are encased in a blue hue, and seemingly absorbed into his hands.

"What did you do?" She stands up and goes to inspect his hands as he leaves them open palm up.

"A good friend just told me that I can convert mass and add it to my own without increasing my volume." The quick spasm in his hands surprising Fluttershy but dismay from himself. "He was quick to make a joke that had I just absorbed mass then I'd want to stay away from spongy." his solemn stare into his hands robbing them of their laughter even if neither found it funny to begin with.

"Whats wrong?" Fluttershy steps even closer in concern. "Don't you like your special talent?"

His hands lightly flexing before taking notice of the downed look on his companion, "Complicated."

Plopping her flank down on the soft soil, "Once we get back maybe we can ask Twilight for the help of the princesses."

"Princesses?" The status chimes a not so soothing memory, "You're kind is governed by a Monarchy?"

"Well a Diarchy, and Twilight is the personal student of Princess Celestia." her ears flicking when she looks up, "Her special talent is magic." letting a warm smile adorn her muzzle, "I'm sure she will love meeting you."

Before the current theme causes him to say something that might complicate things further, "So going back to your question from earlier, let's say that you're special talent is flying." He points towards her uninjured wing, "You can fly really fast and for very long periods of time and not get tired like others." His explanation striking uncanny resemblance to someone she knew.

"Oh that sounds just like Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy notes to the surprise look from Joseph, "Her special talent actually is flying. She's the only pony I know who can do a sonic rainboom." the memory eliciting a smile across her muzzle.

"Well that just might work out then. So take this Rainbow Dash. She can fly better and faster than other ponies right?" waiting until he sees her nod to continue, "But have you ever seen her hit her limit?" continuing after another, if hesitant, nod. "She got tired and had to rest right?" The final more solemn nod comes as she never liked seeing her friend so spent.

"I didn't." His tone, returning closer to what he had used when she had first heard him talk, caused her ears to fold back.

Fluttershy narrows her eyes as she thinks back to flight academy, and what the instructors constantly warned about trying to go past one's limit. After a few moments she raises her ears and looks straight into Joseph's eyes, "How bad?"

Her answer comes in silence with the raising of his arm as he lets his fingertips lightly touch the tattered cloth across his chest.

"Let me see." she moves forward only for his other hand to lay across her back with ample pressure to impede her as his head slowly shakes back and forth in denial.

"We need to..." His words never finish as a cyan blur barely misses his now ducked head, much to his annoyance.

"Rainbow?" Fluttershy questions in surprise before the blur begins to loop back around, "Rainbow stop!"

"You better get away from her you creep!" Rainbow yells as she comes in for another pass, her front hooves stretched out in offensive as the creature tries to put some distance between it and her friend.

"Rainbow I said..." Can you fly?!" Rainbow interrupts Fluttershy before noticing the bandage over her wing, "Crap." quickly turning her head to the strangely docile and casually postured creature, "You better stay back whatever the hay you are!" while puffing out.

Fluttershy, knowing too much was on the line to risk either getting injured, trotted out from behind Rainbow and in front with her back to Joseph. "Please calm down." she keeps her eyes soft as she was never good at stern gazes.

"Calm down?" Rainbow not having any trouble as her expression becomes rigid, "Calm down?!" moving almost muzzle to muzzle, "You take off in the middle of the night into the Everfree only to be kidnapped by some strange creature that I've never seen that can cut a path through the Everfree like a train and you want me to calm down?"

"He's taking me to the flower to save angel." Fluttershy pleads with her expression in the hopes of convincing Rainbow, "He said he saw it not far from here near a waterfall and we have to reach it by nightfall or else we won't make it back in time!" her voice growing in worry and pitch by the end.

"And you believe it." Rainbow's expression burrows into her, "Just like that?"

"Yes." she replies with no hesitation.

"Why?" Magenta searches teal.

"I don't know." the answer causing Rainbow to give an exasperated stare.

"I know you're trying to protect me and I know I shouldn't of left like I did but I didn't know what to do!" Tears beginning to flow as her soft but high pitched voice quivers, "I g-got hurt and he bandaged and p-protected me a-a-and then when I told him Angel was sick he even hurt himself to get us here in time." using her foreleg to try and wipe her eyes and nose, "W-we're so close a-and..." the gentle pressure of a cyan hoof on her shoulder causing her to go silent.

"Okay." Rainbow's new tone unknowingly reinforcing what Fluttershy had said as the latter's muzzle instantly brightens, "But!" before going back to neutral, "You're on your own when Twilight goes nuts over your new animal friend."

Fluttershy looks down with widening eyes at the prospect, "Better feed him some extra fish..." her attention along with Rainbow's drawn behind them as they notice the lack of patience in Joseph's eyes. "Oh sorry!"

Joseph kneels down as Fluttershy trots over and saddles up much to the infernal struggle plastered all over Rainbow's muzzle. As both man and pony peers over to the cyan speedster she falls to the ground, almost in hysteria as she pounds a hoof into the dirt.

Joseph slaps an open palm against his face before shaking it, standing up as Fluttershy once more assumes her prior position, both failing to hide their annoyances as they start they journey once more.

"pffffff....ahhahahaha.." Rainbow struggles to her hooves before wiping a tear away, "Oh Pinkie's going to have a blast with this thing." Jumping into the air to unfold her wings and take flight, barely able to contain her snickering as she flies shotgun deeper into the Everfree.

"Ahhahahahahaa"

"Rainbow!"

Several hours later in Canterlot;

"Did you sleep well Luna?" Princess Celestia pleasantly inquires as she sits upon her throne, her horn aglow.

"No." Princess Luna not so pleasantly replies as a yawn escapes her muzzle, her horn glowing in unison.

"Please tell me you didn't stay up all day," Celestia playfully chastises, "again."

"It is not our fault that everything of interest happens in the day!" Luna almost whines.

"Oh it can't be that bad." Celestia surmises, "Didn't you have fun during night court?" forced to take a sip of tea less Luna catches the etching of her smirk. "Why today I had the loveliest time negotiating contested deed lines." almost choking on her next when her eyes catches the glare of her sister.

"We had one request." Luna nearly hisses, "On directions to the laboratory!" only to send Celestia into a coughing fit.

Taking a moment to wipe her muzzle, "Oh you know during these fall months things slow down." Celestia smiles towards her closed eye muzzle in the air sister, "Once the seasons cycle you will be overrun once more." only for green flames to pull her away.

She hesitates to open it, a small sigh escaping from her muzzle instead.

"Worry not sister." Luna leaves all misgivings behind, "We shall watch over gentle Fluttershy during her mournful nights." having known her sister, while not publicly able to show due to favoritism, requested to be informed when Fluttershy's Angel passed.

"I know." Celestia slowly unfurls the scroll, "I just wish I could do the..same..." Her eyes starting slow until they begin to zip back and forth as she steadily rises to her hooves, the change in demeanor lost to none in the throne room.

"Sister?" Luna's eyes are wide as Celestia floats the scroll over for her to read. "Three days?!" her eyes darting back towards her sister, "And now all of the bearers are considered missing having gone in after her."

"Guards!" Celestia commands with Luna trotting at her side towards the large double doors, "Ready our chariots and inform the barracks a search and rescue into the Everfree is being mounted."

Everfree;

"This is..." Rainbow leads off.

"Wonderful?" Fluttershy almost prances in place before the clump of flowers before her.

"Yeah that." Rainbow looks back to the lumbering Joseph, as her timid friend called it, with it looking very put off by being so close to the top of the waterfall's edge, "But I was thinking anti climatic!" only to notice the aghast stare of her friend, "But still wonderful?"

"I'm just thankful that we can finally go home." her ears slowly flattening with a soft sigh. They raise once more when she notices Rainbow moving awkwardly slow until she stands next to her, facing away from whom stands behind.

"Why's it hanging back to far?" Rainbow whispers to Fluttershy.

"Maybe he's afraid of heights?" Fluttershy surmises, "He isn't harming anything by standing back there."

"Not like the whole cliff is just going to suddenly crumble." Her eyes taking note of him having stopped when they passed the final step down before a long outstretch of the cliff. "Sides the heroes of the adventure are supposed to stand together like in Daring Doo." her train of thought interrupted when she turns her head back to a wide smile.

"Told you." Fluttershy's smile still rattling her cyan friend.

Rainbow only stares back at her friend as it finally dawns on her, "No."

"Whats wrong with admitting that you like him?" Fluttershy almost deadpans, "You admitted to liking Harry the Bear after all of those play dates."

"You said you wouldn't mention that around anypony!" Rainbow quickly defends with burning cheeks.

"But he's not a pony." Fluttershy innocently states.

"But he can understand what you just said!" Rainbow retorts before embarrassment mixes with agitation, "You did that on purpose!"

"Wouldn't have to if you wouldn't hold your feelings back." Fluttershy lowly mumbles as she slides off her bandage, putting to work her attempts at making something to carry all of the extra flowers in hopes of replanting closer.

Rainbow drags both of her hooves down the front of her closed eyes in frustration before flying back towards Joseph, "If you repeat anything you've heard I won't forgive you." she states with a hardened expression as her foreleg extends towards him.

Joseph, having done his best to not look annoyed at the one sided conversation, seemed rather amused at the attempt made by the cyan pegasus. Whether as some form of payback or stupidity, he reaches forward and plants his hand on Rainbow's mane and gives it a gentle rustle with a smirk across his lips.

"You're lucky nopony else is..." Rainbow is cut off as she is swung to the side before her teeth are given a jolt, she is about to erupt in anger when the deep growl of a timber wolf fills her now twitching ears. "Aw crud." before being shoved back towards Fluttershy.

"Look out!" Fluttershy barely has time to scream before a timber wolf alpha lunges towards Joseph just as he pushes rainbow back. The act costs him the time needed to try and defend himself as the alpha sinks it's teeth into the back of his neck. "No!!"

"Hey get off him you overgrown matchsticks!" Rainbow growls as she jets forward, only to be stopped when Joseph gives her a bout of insanity in the form of a disgruntled shake of his head, raising of his flatten hand towards her.

Fluttershy is able to get to Rainbow's side in time to watch Joseph reach over and back to the one biting his neck, tearing it and some cloth off. He then seems to nonchalantly rip his arm sideways through the jaws of the timber wolf trying to bite through it in futility. He stares into the darkness once behind him, slightly turning his head to speak to the only one who could understand.

"I..Oh..." Fluttershy, shaken by the situation, starts to tremble. "Rainbow he wants..." the sounds of dozens of howls only adding to her hesitation, "No! We're not leaving you behind!" her brow furrows, "Are you sure? You promise?" her deep sigh and hesitant nod signals her lift into the air by an also hesitant Rainbow.

"So whats the plan?" Rainbow inquires as she lifts them both into the air, already showing some strain in her voice, "Cause two days of flying is not making this look too good." Her height allowing her a frightful glimpse into what had been waiting in the darkness. "Fluttershy tell him...!"

"He promised." Her reply hushed under her breath as she is able to see the same. "That he'd be okay."

Rainbow pushes aside her misgivings on the promise as she takes them into the highest nearby tree she can find. She barely lands, looking back to see Joseph begin his mad dash as well for the treeline when something hits her alongside the head. "Tell me you have the flowers?!" before the look of horror erupting across her friend's muzzle instinctively causes her to take to the sky.

"Rainbow come back it's too dangerous!" her scream far too slow to catch what soars away.

Don't cramp up on me now dangit! She forces herself into a dive, her muscles having long since screamed in surrender from carrying only light cargo moments before. Whether by intention or instinct she forms tunnel vision on her target, as if she were a bird of prey.

She never intends to touch down, as she needs the speed to lift back up less her wings entirely give out on her. She barely cranes her neck, latching the pouch into her teeth as she is forced to clamp down out of pain and sudden pressure of forceful downward impact. As pressure above is traded with bone chattering jolt from below she forces herself back onto her hooves, prepared to stare down..."Why'd you come back?!"

She knew he came back to help her, and for that she was grateful, even if her new found situation left her with even fewer options. How the hay am I going to get enough lift! her frustrations grew out of knowing behind her only lay deeper into the Everfree, the washed out canyon serving only to drive her glide away, not to, safety. She is brought back as the outstretch they now stand upon starts to give way to the impact, and now pressure, of massive weight.

"Hope you got a plan dude." She jokes, out of trying to cope with the situation, before taking the pouch once more into her muzzle. She looks up, as he turns about, only for her to almost drop the pouch at being startled in fright.

Having made a mad dash back he had left his backside open as several timber wolves had latched on to try and drag him down, succeeding in only tearing and pulling off what barely kept his tattered apparel together. His upper body now bare bore several things that were all ignored. Instead, the glowing volcanic fissure like rupture going down diagonally across his chest took centerpiece.

Her muzzle tightens once more having not expected the sudden pressure against both her chest and, had in any other circumstance enraged her, buttocks after the sudden loss of any on her hooves. Her eyes widen as she is sent with surprising velocity high into the air towards the treeline from whence she had made her mad dive. Against the sudden pain and numbness, she flings her wings open and tilts to try and slow down.

"I got you!" Fluttershy cries out with hooves outstretched, cushioning the still rough impact into the tree. The distant echo of rocks impacting in the canyon below causing them both to flinch as each rings out, the loudest making the timid one's embrace tighten.

With pouch still in muzzle Rainbow reserves her efforts to trying to comfort her friend, less she give in to the severity of the yipping, scratching, and small shakes the tree they find themselves trapped in. "We're going to get out of this." She says to herself.

"Ah think ah see em!"

"Oh I ever do hope that they are...Get away from them you ruffians!"

"Pinkie, get us closer! I think they're injured...Pinkie?!"

"Take this you big meanies!"

The boom and frighten yelps below are almost enough to break up the frown on Rainbow's muzzle. "Once we save Angel I pinkie promise we'll come back and make this right." Only to receive a gentle nod alongside her neck, "I'm sure the girls will help."

"Hold on we got you." Twilight calls out as she encases them both in her magic, lifting them through the strain across her brow from the tree to the miniature semi rigid airship. No sooner are the pegasi set down are they enveloped in hugs and manes.

"Inform the Princesses that the bearers have been located!" A lunar guard loud command causes two of six to yell in surprise, where three are too tired to react against the still tightening grip of the normally chippy party pony.

"How did they get out here so darn fast?" Applejack openly wonders. "Twi was and Rainbow were both going at it nonstop and it took us days to get his far out." as the airship slowly begins to set down, with no pony at the helm. "Ah got the feeling.."

What were all of you thinking!" Princess Celestia's hard voice rings out, much to the sudden alertness of all ponies inside, "Lt., check them for injuries while Princess Luna's attachment finds their way here." only to raise it even more, "No pony is to venture out past our perimeter less in pairs. No exceptions!" her ears twitch to the distant yip of a retreating timber wolf.

The loud cackle sends any lingering predator back away from the ever growing entourage around the six bearers as they are all checked for injuries. "The Bearer of Kindness and Loyalty are injured, but not severely. The Bearer of Magic and Loyalty are also being treated for physical and magical exhaustion." The Lt. states in monotone.

"Thank you, Lt." Princess Celestia softens her voice when giving thanks, but hardens it once more. "I wish to speak to the Bearer of Kindness, alone." The tone and words causing the one in question to shrink down even at the behest of her friends trying to mount verbally in her defense, "Now." The finality of her statement gives way to Princess and Bearer moving away together.

"I'm grateful that aside from slight injury, you've been found in good health." Princess Celestia begins with a mother like softness, "But I am very concerned on the severity that your actions almost cost not only of your own, but Rainbow Dash and the others as well." slowly leading towards one of disappointment. "Do you understand what could of been lost my little pony?" ending in between.

Fluttershy hangs her muzzle while giving a gentle nod, "I know.." The display pinging against the Princess's heart as much as the thought her little ponies being lost to the wilds of the Everfree had. "..that it's my fault Joseph fell."

"Joseph?" Princess Celestia tilts her head, making sure both ears pivot towards the hushed little pony. "And what do you mean by fell?" concern lining her voice as she knew not all of their world held names like their own, "Was there another with you?"

"Sister!" Princess Luna touches down near her sister and Fluttershy, taking a moment to scan and acknowledge those present, "It appears we should be ever thankful to of found all safe and sound." before noticing the worry in her sister's eyes. "Has something happened?" trading her gaze from her sister to the utterly devastated Bearer of Kindness.

"Joseph  saved me from the timber wolves.." Fluttershy's speech, much like her mood, low and hushed. "H-he showed me the f-flower a-and Rainbow found us a-and helped." Less the all too recent memory pushes her back into a more emotional state, "But the timber wolves came back...a-a-and..." words slowly replaced by sniffing when a white wing lays over her.

"Shh, my little pony." Princess Celestia trades looks of concern with her sister over a great many implications such sparse information could mean, "We need to understand before we can properly act.." another silent nod gives way to the royal sisters touching their horns to the forehead of their subject, an act ended as quickly as it began as Celestia takes to the sky once more.

The sharp and concerned jerk of Fluttershy's muzzle upwards elicits another wing upon her in hopes of soothing what need not start, "Worry not, dear Fluttershy." Princess Luna's eyes never leaving her sister's flight, "Concern, not anger, fuels her urgency."

Princess Celestia;

Princess Celestia nudges her head back at the approach of several royal guardponies, signalling for them to not follow. While her gratitude for that which saved two of her subjects conflicted with her lack of information on why and what, she refused to ignore the facts before her muzzle. Having seen the magic it possesses, she held some hope that it might of survive the fall if her assumptions proved true as she descends to the base of the ancient waterfall.

She lands on top of the raging white water, letting her wings fold back alongside her using her magic to keep herself dry. While the violent current drowns out all noise, she cannot help but feel somewhat soothed like she had as a young filly, once more standing in her former home front. Her eyes, however, search not through the past but all around the present in the hopes of something never before seen.

She lets her foreleg slowly lift, dragging her hoof through the surface of the water in contemplation. While never one to enjoy the force that somethings had to be used, she could neither escape the the subtle enjoyment in the challenge. Letting her eyes close, her wings unfurl once more as her horns begins to rapidly increase in golden glow. I need to know.

Her eyes shoot open the moment her hoof harshly slams into the water, her magic forcing all of the water to immediately be pushed out and above. With vision no longer impaired she scans about her, ignoring the underwater cocoon as the raging river merely begins to flow over the expanded barrier. She floats down to the smoothed bedrock after he eyes catch something, setting herself down in what could only be described as a small crater.

"If you survived then where are you." Princess Celestia narrows her eyes not in contempt but contemplation as she looks all around for signs of a trail, her barrier having ignored all but the water. She levitates upwards as water rushes down, her mane still flowing as her magic wards away the raging torrent.

The slight twitch and rotation of her left ear serves her an answer, careful not to turn her head or even eyes as she weighs her options. She finally turns her body to face that which impedes her sights to further within just as she teleports one of the large first aid kits they had brought with them. Once more, as if she is actually stepping across the water, she comes just to before the spit of the vapor.

"I know you may not understand me." Princess Celestia addresses just loud enough to hopefully pass through the roar of water, swearing she can almost see the outline of the creature inside. "But I too believe in dealing out what has been dealt." using her magic to gently but firmly cast the large first aid kit into the unseen hollowed cave beyond.

She tilts her head as strange tearing noises echo out from behind the raging downward vapor, still unsure if to venture inside or wait for it to come out. Her head straightens when the vapor that concealed the creature merely annoyed it instead, having ventured forth to stand on one of the larger smooth boulders that lined the base. She couldn't help but take note that it had used the bandages not for it's body, but of tethering back together it's strangely familiar attire.

Taking care to let her diplomatic side take helm, she softens her posture, leading the same from the being before her. "While your actions have shown qualities that I do admire I am ill afforded the luxury of making proper judgement where we stand." Her hopes in understanding through the tone of her voice lost with the shrug of it's shoulders, letting assumptions fall to that of a minotaur.

Princess Celestia internally sighs before nudging her head upwards, keeping her eyes locked on the creature's. She narrows them in frustration when it just shakes it's head back and forth and crosses it's arms. She in turn nods her head up and down, lifting and pushing down with more force her foreleg. The futility of the situation comes with it using it's hand to point between them, and then crossing it's forearms in an x, before pointing back to itself and then out towards deeper into the Everfree.

Her answer comes through using her magic to illuminate an astral projection of a downtrodden Fluttershy, head muzzle held low as tears dripped down off it. She neither smiles on the outside or in, but she preferred enticing the guilty conscious of a good being over forcing it against it's will as if it was a bad one.

She takes the exasperated stare of the creature as a good indication, nudging her head upwards once more, her golden hue encasing them both when it flings it's arms out like minotaur diplomats over conceded agreements. The momentary strain her slightly widened eyes give off precede her surprise laced tone, "What in Equestria are you made of?!"