The Hermit

Dash opened her eyes to a spinning room, her vision bleary. Her wing was folded painfully under her side. She slid it free, wincing.

“Oh! You’re awake.”

Dash’s head snapped up at the soft, unfamiliar voice. It sounded like a mare. Dash rubbed her eyes, trying to make things less blurry, but to no avail.

“Where am I?” she asked. Her tongue felt numb. “Where’s Twilight?”

A blurred yellow shape—the pony who spoke, Dash figured—approached her. The other pony rested her hoof on Dash’s head and pressed something firm against her lower lip.

“Drink up,” said the gentle voice, leaning Dash’s head back and tipping the bowl against her lips so liquid touched them.

She broke away from the drink container with a refreshed gasp. A soft cloth dabbed at where the medicine had run down the sides of her mouth, courtesy of the soft-spoken pony.

“There you are. That should leave you feeling all better.”

“Thanks,” Dash said, offering her a grateful smile. Her smile faltered. “But where am I? Where’s Twilight?”

“You’re in my home,” the mare said. She put a hoof to her chin. “Twilight? You mean the other pony you were with?”

“Yeah. Purple mane, purple coat. Unicorn. Has a…” Dash shook her head, trying to clear it. “Has a pink stripe going through her mane.” The room was gradually coming into focus.

“Oh, yes. I know her. She’s resting in another part of my home. I just finished giving her the same medicine. Well, not the same. I needed to prepare hers a little bit differently.”

“Is she alright?” Dash asked, sitting up sharply. She was forced to brace herself with her hooves as a quick onset of lightheadedness struck her.

The mare put a hoof on her shoulder. “You shouldn’t try getting up while the medicine is still taking effect,” she said, gently laying Rainbow down.

Dash let out a frustrated sigh, but lay down as the other pony suggested. Her vision was nearly in focus. She could make out the mare’s wavy mane and the color of her eyes. It was then she first spotted the mare’s wings.

“You’re a pegasus!” Dash said, the words coming out partially slurred. She broke out in a grin. “What’s your name? Are you from Cloudsdale or Las Pegasus? How long have you been down here?”

The mare shrunk away under Dash’s barrage of questions. “Um, my name’s Fluttershy.”

“Cool. I’m Rainbow Dash.” Dash stood, stumbling half a step from the dizziness that followed. “So which one? Cloudsdale or Las Pegasus?”

“Cloudsdale… but I haven’t been up there in a long time.”

“Hey, I’m Cloudsdale, too,” Dash said, pointing to herself. Her snout wrinkled. “So what the heck are you doing on the surface?”

Fluttershy seemed to smile to herself. “I live in this cottage along with all my friends.” Her smile grew. “Would you like to meet them?”

Dash shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

Fluttershy looked over her shoulder and called, “Angel Bunny!”

A small, black animal came scurrying from the other side of the room. Once it drew near, Dash could make it out as a miniature rabbit. It jumped up on Fluttershy’s back and sat there.

Dash reached out a hoof towards it. It leaned forwards, sniffing her, curiously.

“He’s a sootsy little guy, isn’t he?” Dash said to Fluttershy, chuckling, causing Fluttershy to stifle a giggle. “Almost looks as though he’s been playing in the chimney.”

The rabbit bit her. Hard.

Dash winced and snapped her hoof away from it. A few drops of blood trickled down her hoof. “Hey!” she said, turning back to the rabbit to glare at it. As soon as she did though, her glare disappeared, her eyes growing wide.

Black skin. Like charcoal from a fireplace. Its eyes vacant, yet hateful.

Dash took a step back. “That thing’s darkened!”

Fluttershy glanced at the rabbit on her back, then turned back to Dash, tilting her head. “Darkened?”

“Their skin, when it’s all blackened like that, like it’s been burnt, those are darkened.” Dash licked her injured hoof before setting it down. “They’re dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Fluttershy repeated, one brow raised. “But all my animal friends are like that. They’re not dangerous.”

“All your…” Dash began, but paused when she heard a rumbling sound coming from across the room.

Blinking, she noticed for the first time that two dozen pairs of glowing eyes were watching her from the darkness. In the center of the room lay an enormous darkened bear, the source of the rumbling that was now steadily rising to a growl. Out of its paws stuck a set of long, razor-sharp claws, slowly scraping across the wood floor.

Dash’s pupils dilated, her tongue going dry.

Fluttershy rounded on the bear, scolding it. “That’s enough, Harry! Rainbow Dash is our guest.”

The bear stopped and raised its head, staring at her. Then, letting out a whimper, it rested its chin on the floor.

Fluttershy turned back to Dash with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. They sometimes get a little worked up around strangers.”

“H-how did you do that?” Dash asked.

“Oh, well…” Fluttershy crossed her hooves, rocking forward and back. “Ever since I fell out of Cloudsdale as a filly, I guess I’ve just had a way with the forest critters.”

One of the darkened, a ferret, scampered over to her, climbing up her front leg and neck before taking perch in her mane atop her head.

Fluttershy giggled, extending a hoof up towards it. It took the cue to jump onto her hoof, clinging as she brought it down beside her cheek and nuzzled it.

She glanced up at Rainbow Dash, extending her hoof and the ferret towards her. “Would you like to try holding him?”

The ferret glanced back at Futtershy, then looked at Dash. It growled.

“Oh, woah.” Dash fervently shook her head with an uneasy smile. “Nooo thank you. I’d probably wind up holding him wrong or something, and besides, animals don’t like me.”

“Nonsense, I’m sure you two will become fast friends,” Fluttershy said. Before Dash could protest, she reached up and placed the ferret in Dash’s mane atop her head.

Dash’s entire body froze as she felt the added weight. Looking up and crossing her eyes, she saw the ferret, poking down over her forehead to look at her.

“Uh, hey,” Dash said to it, forcing a broad smile.

The ferret’s lips pulled back in a snarl and it hissed. Disappearing from view, she felt it stepping on her head, its claws digging into her scalp.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Dash hissed, wincing as the ferret clawed and climbed its way down the back of her neck—and after, down her leg. It walked back to Fluttershy’s side while still growling at Dash.

Fluttershy picked up the ferret and placed it back on top of her head, smiling as if nothing happened. “Would you like something to eat?”

At the mention of food, Dash felt a pang of hunger. “Listen, I really need to get back out there along with my friend. We’re looking for two more of my friends that I got separated from.”

“You can’t go out there,” Fluttershy said, eyes wide with alarm. “It’s far too dangerous!”

Dash glanced around the cottage filled with darkened, biting the tip of her tongue to keep from retort. “That’s exactly why I need to find them. I need to make sure they’re alright.”

Fluttershy bottom lip quivered. “B-but you only just got here, and what if something happened to you, too?” She started sniffling. “I’ve never h-had any pegasi friends, n-not even back when I lived in Cloudsdale.”

Dash’s jaw clenched, her sympathy in low supply as her patience wore thin. Her frustrations welled up inside her, and she glared at Fluttershy, preparing to shout at her, but she stopped. A tingle ran down her spine, the hairs on her neck standing up straight. She glanced around the room.

All the darkened creatures gathered in the room had been watching Dash intently with eyes full of bloodlust and hate, but now their bodies had tensed, ready to tear and slash and gouge her apart.

Both the anger and the blood drained from Dash’s face. She walked over to Fluttershy post haste, resting a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey now, I-I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

Fluttershy sniffed, reaching up and rubbing one of her eyes. “You’re not?” she said, hopefully.

“Not without you, I’m not,” Dash said, giving her a grin. “Ponies of the feather stick together, right?”

Dash’s words teased a smile from the corners of Fluttershy’s lips. “Is that what they say in Cloudsdale?”

“All the time!” Dash said, nodding. “So why don’t we both go and find my friends? They’re pegasi, too, so all four of us should be sticking together.”

The smile that was starting to form on Fluttershy’s lips disappeared. She hung her head. “I can’t… I can’t walk.”

Dash’s head reared back. She glanced down at Fluttershy’s legs and then back up at her. “What’re you talking about? Sure you can. I’ve seen you.”

Fluttershy shook her head, biting her lip. “When I fell out of Cloudsdale I hurt my legs really badly. I’ve had trouble walking ever since.” She took a few tiny steps around to demonstrate, her legs shaking when she lifted them. “I can walk around my home, but I’m afraid I’m not strong enough to do much more.”

“What about your wings?” Dash asked.

Fluttershy unfurled them. “I use them to get around outside, but I’m not a terribly strong flier. I’ve never been far from my home because flying for more than a few minutes is exhausting. Besides...” She looked around at all the darkened animals in her home. “I couldn’t possibly leave all my friends alone for more than a few moments, they might get scared and confused.”

Dash sat and ran a hoof down her face, sighing. “No, I don’t suppose you could, could you?”

“Sorry,” Fluttershy said, staring at the ground and looking bashful. She raised her head, smiling. “But it’s okay. We can stay here together.”

“Can I at least see Twilight?”

Fluttershy looked up at her and nodded. Wordlessly, she led Dash to a set of stairs and they went up to the second floor. The first door they came across Fluttershy opened. Inside the room, by the door, a darkened wolf stood watch, and on the floor sat Twilight, still donned in her robe.

Dash felt a smile tug her lips at seeing Twilight alright. She ran over to her side, grabbing her by the shoulder. “Hey, Twilight.”

Twilight didn’t react to Dash’s touch nor voice, her eyes glazed and unfocused.

Dash shook her. “Hey! Twilight!”

“Um…” Fluttershy stepped forward. “She may not exactly be able to hear you right now.”

“What did you give her?” Dash asked through clenched teeth.

Fluttershy flinched at her tone. “M-medicine,” she said, looking hurt and confused. “When I brought her here she was dangerous. I’m trying to make her better.”

Dash huffed and turned back to Twilight. She lifted Twilight’s chin so she faced her, but Twilight’s eyes remained spread and unfocused. There wasn’t so much as a hint of recognition.

Dash turned to Fluttershy and stomped her hoof. “That’s it! No more of this stupid game. Me and Twilight are out of here.”

“But you can’t go! You’re meant to stay here and live with me.” She forced a smile across her her mouth, her lips trembling. She walked up to Dash, a mad sort of desperation in her eyes as she straddled the line between watery eyes and full blow tears. “Ponies of the feather stick together? Right? Ponies of the feather stick together forever. That means you’re not allowed to leave.”

Dash glanced around the room. There was a window opposite the door she and Fluttershy had come in through. In the dark of the late cycle, there was no telling what the landing would be like, especially if she had to carry Twilight.

Fluttershy followed Dash’s eyes to Twilight’s still form, the corners of her smile twitching. “Is she the reason you’re upset with me?”

Dash stepped back, standing in front of Twilight defensively. The darkened wolf in the room with them began growling.

Fluttershy’s trembling stopped. Her whole face spread into a friendly smile. “Please step aside. It will only take a moment.”

For a moment, the room stood silent and still. Dash tensed, glancing between Fluttershy and the wolf. Swift as she could, Dash reached for Twilight.

The wolf snapped its teeth and lunged across the room in two gigantic strides, fast as an arrow.

Dash halted what she was doing, pivoting as the wolf leaped. Her rear legs wound up and snapped out with all the force she could muster. She was rewarded by the sound of bones crunching as her hooves planted firmly in the wolf’s chest.

Limp as a ragdoll, the wolf sailed back to its corner, crumpling as it hit the wall.

In one quick motion, Dash lifted and slung Twilight over her back. She turned to face Fluttershy.

Fluttershy stared at the crumpled form of the darkened wolf, her chest falling and rising with quickened breaths. Turning to Dash, her eyes had dilated to mere dots. Her lips pulled back in a snarl, her teeth bared.

A terrible, bone-chilling cry came torn from her lips. It was a howling scream the likes of which Dash had never heard. Its sound froze her on the spot.

The animals downstairs all joined Fluttershy in her cry. Barking, howling, squalling. The chorus rose to a deafening pitch. Dash’s attention snapped back to her plans of escape. Bolting to the window, she jumped blindly into the night abyss.

For a few brief moments, she plummeted. Not knowing how soon she’d land, her hooves met the ground and buckled with shock. The tingling quickly wore off, however, as she heard a door slam open and animals howling after her.

She ran from the cottage, Twilight saddled on her back. Behind her there were shouts from Fluttershy’s pack of darkened animals.

Even tired, even weak, she was the fastest Pegasus Cloudsdale ever saw, flying or no. As she leaped and dodged through the trees, the howls of the darkened faded. She kept running long after their voices had faded, trying to put as much distance between her and the insane pegasus.

The forest disappeared to a blue-green sea of grass, the haunted pale of the Everfree on the other side. Dash ran out into the center of the field, then turned west, heading in the direction Zecora had told them to go.

Dash ran west ‘til her soreness stabbed her muscles with each movement. She ran ‘til her throat ran dry and her breath haggard. She ran ‘til all this, then she ran some more. If Fluttershy or her animals were searching for them, she needed to get as far away as possible.

Overhead, the moon continued to fade to new, the land steadily growing more lightless.

The river grass between the two forests seemed to stretch on forever. By the hours Dash had spent running west, she wondered more than once whether she was running on the spot. But then, up ahead, there lay a gouge in the earth, a gaping crevasse running across the river grass and well into the two forests. At the gouge the Everfree seemed to halt. Its pale, skeletal trees ran no further across the far side, instead stretching into a seemingly endless silver sea of wheatgrass.

In the crevasse there were structures built—ones Dash recognized. They were the ruins where she’d met Twilight, the ones she’d hid in after waking from the blow she’d dealt herself in escaping the darkened manticore.