Prologue - Foals and the Fluttershy Fairy tale
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.” A little brown unicorn colt with a pink mane came running up to his father with a book in his teal magical aura. His yellow Pegasus sister with a coal black mane and bunny doll flying in tow, “Please read us a story, Daddy. Me and Onyx Sunshine would like a story.”
“Hmm…” He lowered his paper, held his pipe and spoke. ”Teddy, you know the rules. Your mother will tan my hide if I don’t have the two of you in bed by the time that she returns. Believe me your mother is very tough if you make her angry.”
“But Dada, we no sweepy.” The little Pegasus spoke surprisingly clear for her age. She was looking up with her most heart tearing puppy dog eyes. “Weed like a stowy.”
“Teddy, must we do this every night?” He was suddenly getting a headache. “I do not appreciate you using your baby sister’s cuteness as a ploy to get me to read you a story.”
As he looked down, his son was using his magic to make his sister look more adorable. Lights bounced off of her coat, her eyes shining like fine crystal. His son also was doing his best job to mimic his sister, but failing horribly. Kind of hard to look cute when you have your old man’s face kiddo.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you a story. I am not reading ‘Goodnight Luna’ again for the thousandth time; Celestia knows how many times we read it. The author is a hack.” He put aside his paper and pipe, and picked up his two children. They made their way towards the stairs. “Let’s get to back to bed. Maybe I can convince your mother you had bad dream. I was calming you down with a story, got that kiddos?”
“Yay, Daddy is the best.” Teddy shouted.
“Dada is bess.” Sunshine shouted just after her brother.
“Yeah, sure, I’m the best.” Their dad rolled his eyes, as he entered to their room “I spoil you two rotten.”
He lowered his son into the bed with Power Pony sheets. Turning around Sunshine was placed in her crib and covered in a Wonderbolt themed baby blanket with rainbow stripes in the trim. Their father tucked them in, fluffed their pillows, and sat in the rocking chair that their mother used to rock them when they were newborn foals. Seeing that they were all set he cleared his throat.
“Long ago…"
Long ago, there was a butter colored Pegasus mare that lived in a cottage on the edge of a dangerous forest in a small village of ponies. She was a very kind mare that had a knack for helping animals great and small, and when a pony needed her she would help them as well. Her voice was like an angel and her form as graceful as a swan.
One day while she was feeding her chickens, a wandering wizard collapsed on the bridge over the nearby babbling brook near her cottage. She was afraid of strangers, but helping the poor old soul in his time of need was more important. Fluttershy, as she was called by those who were her friends, picked up the stranger and carried him to her couch. No pony really knew how incredibly strong she was, until she needed to be.
When the old wizard awoke and saw his savior, he whispered to the mare that he needed a glass of water. She ran to her kitchen and got the old stallion a glass of water. Upon finishing his glass of water, he asked for a daisy sandwich to eat. Fluttershy gladly crafted him a sandwich that quickly filled the stallion’s stomach. With his strength slowly returning after an hour’s rest, he sat up to talk to the young mare. He removed his hood. His face was scarred horribly; his horn was dull and cracked; his mane was as white as the driven snow over his grey fur.
“Young mare, I thank you for your kindness. I have traveled all of Equestria and never seen such kindness. I help those in need myself when I can, with wisdom and magic, yet I am afraid kindness has not been returned to this old stallion until today.” He dropped a brown pouch onto Fluttershy’s table. The wizened wizard nudged the pouch towards her.
“I know that you may refuse it, but this charm will allow you to help ponies in ways that you couldn’t before. All that you have to do is say I wish and state how you want to help a pony.” He noticed her shove the gift back towards him, and he shoved it back. “No my good mare, I insist that you take it. Consider it an exchange of kindnesses, I have lived and hoped to find another kind pony. Anyway I must be off; these old bones are always restless. I hope our paths will cross again someday.”
Before Fluttershy could even say one word, the ancient mage disappeared in a puff of smoke. After brewing some tea, Fluttershy was able to calm herself from the stallion’s sudden departure. Her eyes on the gift she had received. It was a beautiful silver hoof band that was in the shape of a heart. The ring around the heart itself had what looked like tear drops emblazoned on the metal. She had put it on her hoof after deciding it was safe, and it was fitted like it was made special for her. Helping all living things is her most cherished goal, so a ring that aided her that goal could not be evil. The wizened stallion’s words repeated in her head, and she wondered what she would wish for others. If anyone could figure out what the wizard meant it was her magically inclined friend, Twilight.
Glancing at the clock, she realized that she was going to be late to see her friend Rarity for tea. Fluttershy grabbed a basket to gather food for her animal charges, and bandages incase a critter needed her help on the way to Ponyville. After getting ready she informed her pet bunny Angel to watch the other animals, and she left.
Author's Note
Sorry that it isn't longer work sucks the life right out of me. I will try my damnedest to update this and Ponies are friends not food more often.
“Yes Teddy? What is it?” Father said slightly annoyed at the interruption, not that he would admit to his kids. Their mother had made it clear to be positive to show that the foals they were loved, and he listened to her or he would slept on the couch. He liked the couch, but the bed with his wife was highly preferable.
“Daddy, I thought we weren’t supposed to talk to strangers? Why would she do that?” Teddy asked. “Isn’t it a stranger danger?”
“Danger, Danger.” Onyx Sunshine excitedly added. She jumped out of the covers and bounced on the bed.
“Well yes son, but that is before you are grown and can use your own judgment. A black belt and Element of Harmony can handle herself too. Now we need to finish this story before your mother gets home and I am in trouble, can we keep the interruptions to a minimum?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
“Kay Dada.” The little Pegasus hugged her stuffed rabbit tight, as her father tucked her in again.
“Now where was I? Oh yes, now to get to Ponyvillle…
…Now to get to Ponyville from Fluttershy’s cottage, a pony needed to travel along Sweet Apple Acres. The orchard of apples was a major part of the Apple family property. She knew that Applejack and her brother were busy harvesting the last of the apples for apple bucking season, so Fluttershy thought it best to not go out of her way to find them. She would just be in the way, and being the kind pony that she was decided not to interrupt them.
The trees branches held the golden orange leaves, and a breeze kicked up that sent some of the leaves flying to the ground. Fluttershy thought that it wouldn’t be long before the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be trying to get a cutie mark in raking up the leaves or jumping in the piles. She could practically hear them yell “CUTIE MARK CRUSADER LEAF PILE DIVERS” on the breeze. Fluttershy’s eyes were closed in her musings as a piercing screech was approaching from above.
“Aaaahhhh.”
Opening her eyes she saw a small orange and purple pegasus flying towards her. The pegasus was really high up, but not actually flapping her wings. It wasn’t long before she heard a panicked young voice yell out to her.
“HELP!”
“S-sco-scootaloo?” Fluttershy stammered staring wide eyed at the falling filly. Snapping out of her shock, Fluttershy was up in the air. Rainbow dash would have found hard to duplicate that speed. “SCOOTALOO!”
Fluttershy strained her wings as she flew to the rescue, but Fluttershy didn’t care, the little filly was all that mattered. Scootaloo was crying and forgetting to use her wings, not unlike Fluttershy herself was known to do on occasion. That made Fluttershy move all the faster.
“Scootaloo, calm down so I can catch you.” Fluttershy remembered her friend Rarity had knocked out the Wonderbolts coming to her rescue so long ago. That’s a story for another time though.
“Okay!”
As the younger pony relaxed, Fluttershy grabbed her. She faltered under the new weight, but quickly recovered. The death grip didn’t surprise her either, knowing that feeling well. Scootaloo was balling her eyes out.
“Don’t worry, I’m here for you.” Fluttershy cooed, and the grip loosened. Scootaloo didn’t reply as they glided to the ground. Fluttershy slowly lowered Scootaloo to the grass. The filly had a strong grip for a wiry little pegasus, Fluttershy mused. Understandably, the ground was met with grateful kisses and a thankful prayer to the princesses.
“So what were you doing up in the air young lady?” Scootaloo winced at her elder’s gaze and sharp tone. Fluttershy faltered. “Oh… Um… I mean if it’s okay with you… I didn’t mean to sound so stern.”
“Oh um... You know the usual CMC business. We thought that shooting me out of a catapult would speed up getting my cutie mark or possibly getting me to fly at least. It looks like another dead end.” A sigh escaped her muzzle as Scoots touched her flank. “Anyways, thanks for saving me, Fluttershy.”
“Scootaloo, you know you can’t force your cutie mark, any more than you can force flying. I though you and Rainbow Dash were making progress.”
“We are, but I’ve been getting impatient with the slow progress. It just sucks that I can’t fly yet. I mean you were flying when you were about my age, and I see baby pegasi like Pound Cake flying.” Scootaloo paused in thought as her hoof scratched her mane. “I don’t think I can talk about it with Rainbow you know, about my body fighting against me and all. I don’t think anypony can understand their body working against them like me.”
“I know the feeling actually.” Fluttershy put her hoof over Scootaloo’s withers. “Maybe not in the same way but I can understand. I wasn’t a strong flier.”
“But you still eventually learned to fly. How can I get going when my body refuses to work?”
Fluttershy remained silent, at a loss for a solution to her young friend’s problem. There was something she was forgetting to remember. She rubbed her mane placing it over her ear, and felt the hoofband’s metallic rim touch her face. That was it! Oh, but what did that old stallion say?
"I know that you may refuse it, but this charm will allow you to help ponies in ways that you couldn’t before. All that you have to do is say I wish and state how you want to help a pony.”
“What are you doing, Fluttershy?” Scootaloo said as Fluttershy touched her wings. “Whoa, that’s a really cool looking bracelet.”
“I wish that Scootaloo could have working wings like mine.” Fluttershy closed her eyes. The hoofband began to glow in a red aura. Fluttershy’s wings began to glow, and the aura flowed from her body coming to form a red ball in the air.
“What’s happening to your wings?” The aura slammed into Scootaloo and engulfed her wings, knocking her prone. “Oof.”
Fluttershy opened her eyes, and watched as the tiny orange wings grew and strengthened. Slowly the bones stretched to the point they were almost too big for the pegasus filly. Fluttershy didn’t notice that her wings shrank to a newborn pegasus’s wingspan.
“Whoa, my wings feel funny.” Scootaloo said standing.
“Oh dear, are your wings okay?” Fluttershy felt drained and weak, but shrugged it off in concern of her young companion. “Do they hurt?”
“No. They feel full of energy and strong all of a sudden.” Scootaloo tested her wings, and gave them a flap. The wings made a slight breeze that Fluttershy felt. “What did you do? I feel like I might be able to fly.”
“Um… I just prayed that your wings would get stronger. Maybe it is an Element of Harmony thing?” Fluttershy smiled and fiddled with her hooves. “Why don’t you try them?”
“Sure, they’ve never felt this strong before.”
Scootaloo started running down the path to Ponyville. She began flapping her wings. Fluttershy watched as Scootaloo jumped into the air. Scootaloo almost hit the ground but she caught herself. Slowly ascending and gaining altitude, she swung around towards Fluttershy. Her face beaming with tears streaming down her face.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou,” Fluttershy braced for the incoming filly, and was quickly ensnared in a hug. Scootaloo nuzzled Fluttershy, mussing up the fur with her tears. “This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy patted Scootaloo on the head, and felt proud to have helped her friend. A flash of light emanated from her hoofband, and she looked at her hoof. She noticed that one of the tears etched into the silver ring had turned into a ruby.
Maybe I should go straight to Twilight, Fluttershy thought. Before this ring does anything more.
“Fluttershy?” Scootaloo frowned. “Why are you zoning out?”
“Oh, sorry, I realized I have somewhere to be.” Fluttershy started walking. “You be safe now young lady, and say hello to the other Cutie Mark Crusaders would you?”
“Oh right. They probably are wondering where I am.” Scootaloo said snapping to attention. “Bye Fluttershy! Thank you!”
The Pegasus filly ran off into the woods. Fluttershy started to walk and nearly fell over as her legs gave out. She stood still for a second, and tried her legs again. They felt oddly weaker since speaking with Scootaloo, but she powered on down the path. She had to find out what was going on with the ring.
Author's Note
I'm sorry for taking so long. Hopefully I'll finish it soon, I'd like to make more fics. Thank you for reading this chapter, and if you don't like it tell me why.
