Chapters One morning, Fluttershy awoke in her bed, feeling lazy and sleepy. She opened her eyelids gently and stretched her body under the soft white blanket.
“Today I could spend all morning in bed,” the lazy pony thought, “but I must get up, and start to prepare breakfast for Angel and the rest of the animals. They don’t know how to feed themselves, after all. They aren’t like those creepy and scary animals that live in the Everfree Forest that have to hunt and kill other animals to survive…” she realized with a chill up her spine. “Oh, and I can’t forget to prepare my own breakfast, like the last few times. Let’s get started.”
She got up and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and comb her pink mane. Then Fluttershy left the room and went the kitchen to prepare breakfast, while she whistled a melodic tune. A few chopped carrots later and a bowl filled with them, Fluttershy called her bunny.
“Angel. Breakfast’s ready”.
Silence…
No bunny was seen anywhere. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t even hear or see any animal in her house.
“Hmm, that’s strange, I wonder where are all the animals.” thought Fluttershy while checking the places where they used to sleep. “Angel, I’ve made your favorite cherry topped salad that you love so much.”
Again, silence...
Not even a cricket was heard, as they usually are in these awkward silent moments. But the small white bunny was nowhere to be seen. She went outside through the front door and called him again, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Fluttershy looked down and noticed a small single bunny track on the dirt, in the direction of the nearby trees.
“Hmm, why would Angel go to the forest alone? And he’s never late for breakfast… Oh my, and what if he’s lost in there, maybe hurt, and can’t return home by himself?” she asked herself, worried. “Don’t worry Angel, I’m coming to rescue you, no matter what dangers might lurk in the forest!” shouted Fluttershy, while she galloped to the forest. “I just hope you’re not a prisoner of a dragon, a diamond dog, or a really nasty monster.” she thought to herself, remembering the dangerous animals that use to lurk in the forest.
Fluttershy followed the track for a while and gasped when she realized that it led deep inside the woods, right into the middle of the Everfree Forest.
“Oh Angel, why did went to the forest alone?” she asked herself, as she found no other kind of animal or pony track on the trail.
Strange and creepy sounds were heard around her, while she carefully walked deeper into the forest. The light from the sun barely breached through the canopy of the tall darkened purple bark trees, with distorted trunks and branches. Fluttershy avoided looking at these trees while she tracked the small bunny paw prints in front of her, because most of the trees resembled strange and scary monsters stretching their arms to attack somepony.
“Now Fluttershy, be brave. Think of Angel, he might be lost, injured and needing your help. Remember Pinkie Pie’s song, you have to giggle at the ghostly and the scary trees will turn to normal, without scary faces or creepy branches trying to catch you.” she thought, while feeling goose bumps all over her body. The moment she finished her introspection, something, or somepony, suddenly bumped on her buttocks.
“AAAHH!” Fluttershy screamed, while she turned around to face whatever scary monster was about to attack her. “Oh please don’t eat me, I just want to find my bunny Angel and I will be out of your way, I swear!” Fluttershy cried while she washed herself in tears, knelt on the dirt.
In front of her, stood a hooded adult pony sized creature and not as scary as Fluttershy thought it would be.
“Do not worry about me eating you, my dear friend. As if I ate any kind of meat, it would be my end.” replied Zecora, in a calm and reassuring tone, as she removed the hood over her head.
“Oh, I thank dear Celestia that it’s you and not one of those big and scary monsters that wander in the dark forest!” replied Fluttershy, feeling more confident and secure. “I’m in desperate need of your help, Zecora! I believe my frail and defenseless bunny Angel is lost in the Everfree forest. And I can’t find him anywhere, as I lost his track a few minutes ago.”
“I do believe that your bunny is not the only animal missing in the forest. Since you’ve entered it, have you seen or heard any animal, even a bird, at best?” asked Zecora.
“Well, now that you mentioned it, I can say that I haven’t heard or seen any kind of animal, not even a big and scary monster. Besides those dark purple scary trees, I mean. Oh, but those aren’t animals, so I guess they don’t count.” answered Fluttershy, as she reminded her excursion to the woods.
“Then it is as I feared.” Zecora said in a worried voice. “The ancient portals reappeared.”
“But, what do you mean by ancient portals? How are they related to the missing animals?” questioned Fluttershy.
Zecora answered with a worried voice, “I do believe that when your battle with the Lord Tirek took place, an old unicorn magic technology has resurfaced with haste.”
“You mean when we used our new Rainbow powers from the magic box of the Tree of Harmony? But how do the-” asked again Fluttershy, but Zecora interrupted her questioning by raising her hoof to the mouth and then she whispered.
“Lower your voice as here in the forest, we’re not safe. Follow me to my hut and then I will tell you how all this took place.”
“Oh, you’re absolutely right Zecora. It’s better to talk in the safety of your hut than here in the middle of the Everfree Forest, with animals or scary monsters missing or not!” replied Fluttershy, without second thoughts.
***
Half an hour later, Fluttershy was safe and sound at Zecora’s hut, as her host had provided her with a hot and invigorating tea. Then Zecora took a seat and started her tale.
“This story is as old as the foundation of Equestria itself, maybe even older then Princess Celestia herself.”
“Wow, that’s really a long long long time ago, as Pinkie Pie would say… Oh, I’m sorry for interrupting your tale. Please continue.”
“Do not worry about that my dear Pegasus friend, I have time to tell this tale until its end,” replied Zecora with a grin. “It is told that even before the pony tribes were united, an ancient and forbidden magic was reignited. With this old magic some powerful ponies from the unicorn kind, could cast portals to places far beyond the imagination of your mind. And only one record of this ancient magic survived to this date, written by Starswirl the Bearded, whose knowledge was great.”
“Wait, that’s Twilight’s favorite wizard and idol,” Fluttershy interrupted again, “and she even disguises herself as him during Nightmare Night. She never forgets to mention how great he was and how his prodigious knowledge in magic had influenced young and old unicorns all over Equestria to create and perfect their own spells.”
“Well, in one of my visits to Twilight’s library, I came across with a copy of his diary. There it was written that during Pre-Equestrian times, these powerful unicorns used this forbidden magic to do their crimes. They could use it as a really fast mean of transportation, or to gather evil forces from places on the other side of this universe, or dimension…”
“That’s so nasty of them. Why couldn’t they all be kind and nice to each other? Didn’t they know the existence of the Elements of Harmony?” Fluttershy asked.
“The most likely, the location of the Elements of Harmony was not yet known precisely. But there were some limitations with this portal casting magic, as the spell could only be cast on a reflective surface, otherwise the consequences could be tragic. And this spell it is so difficult and potent, that only the most powerful (or foalish) unicorns could cast it in just a moment!” answered Zecora.
“You’re not telling me that during the battle with Tirek… the Rainbow powers from the box!” said Fluttershy surprised.
“That was the very same spell the ancient unicorns used, a Rainbow spell in its most powerful form, deadly if abused. But not all was bad with this kind of magic, because other unicorns at the service of good, could also recruit noble and righteous friends from other dimensions, as fast as they could. And this conflict escalated to full-scale wars, which reached even the Pegasi kind of yours. Starswirl referred to this period as the Portal Conflict, and little more is known as there are no more records of it!” finished Zecora.
“So, you believe that these portals are all active again because of the Rainbow spell that we cast on Tirek. But what does that have to do with the missing animals? You think that they went through the portals? But why would they…?” asked Fluttershy, confused.
“Maybe they were taken by the people from the portals that opened recently, but there is no way to know with certainty…”
“And how would this portals look like? Hmm, usually there are no reflective surfaces in the forest, it’s all dirt, trees, grass, etc. But, the spell should be possible to be cast on the surface of lakes and such. And there is only one pond in the area where the tracks of Angel ended. If he went through one of these portals, it must be that one!” said Fluttershy with a more confident voice.
“You don’t mean that you plan to-? It’s too dangerous what you desire to do!” replied Zecora surprised and suddenly uneasy.
“If Angel went through that portal, he might be in danger and needing my help. And I will stop at nothing to help my friends, even if it means to cross into an unknown dimension, or if those from the other side are whether friends or foes. I will go through that portal no matter what!” shouted Fluttershy with determination in her voice.
“Well, I can’t stop your determination, but at least you should have some help with this mission.”
“Oh, yes, you’re right, I suppose. What was I thinking? I shouldn't venture into an unknown world all by myself. But Angel is gone for so long, I fear for his safety by each minute that passes. And to rally all my friends together could take some time…” replied Fluttershy, who started to feel anxious.
“There is no need to worry about that. I have a way to warn your friend Twilight, as a matter of fact. She gave me this artifact that allows me to send her a message fast, much like the dragon magic your friend Spike can cast,” Zecora said, “You can go to the pond right now, if you must. I’ll make sure your friends meet you there before dusk”.
“Oh, that would be great. That way I will feel a lot safer crossing through that portal, with the help of my dear friends, and also six ponies have a better chance at finding Angel than only one. I will wait for them at the south margin of the pond!” said Fluttershy with a more confident voice.
“I only wish that you find your bunny friend quickly, beware that the magic that keeps the portal open might expire suddenly!” Zecora warned.
“Ok, I will keep that in mind.” Fluttershy left the zebra’s cottage, with the thought that she needed to reach that pond as fast as she could, to rescue her friend Angel.
Fluttershy opened her wings and flew upward, looking at the sky. “Well, at least the day is still bright enough to fly safely to my destination. I should arrive there in half an hour.”
Suddenly, a few miles north of her position, she saw a distant bright light. Fluttershy realized that this light came from the pond, which reflected the sunlight in an unusual way, like if it had its own sun glowing on its surface. She flew in direction of her destination, this glowing pond, flapping her wings really fast, while the thought of her dear friend being in danger in an unknown world all by himself, filled her mind.
***
Fluttershy arrived to her destination, and she landed near the south margin of the pond. Its surface glowed with a bright light, like the water itself was filled with a million stars from the sky. She looked beneath the surface, searching for something that explained the origin of this strange light. Deep below, she saw a spiral shaped object, rotating slowly around its center. It was similar to the shape of a galaxy that Fluttershy saw once in a poster on one of Twilight’s library walls.
Suddenly the surface of the water vibrated, along with the ground where she stood. The spiral in the bottom of the pond changed its shape into a dark blue ellipse with a bright red border, and emitted a strange humming sound.
Fluttershy thought to herself, “Oh my, this is starting to scare me. I wish Twilight was already here, along with the rest of my friends, so we could all enter the portal before it closes. And what if the portal closes before they get here? What if the portal never opens again? Oh, what should I do? Angel, what should I do?”
The humming sound suddenly became more intense, and she felt a strange pull on her body, like somepony pushed her in direction of the dark blue portal. Fluttershy struggled to stand her ground, but then she noticed that she didn’t have control of her body anymore. She couldn’t even open her wings to fly away. Scared as a filly in the Everfree on a Nightmare Night, Fluttershy screamed for help, shouting the name of her friends.
Her hooves were already beneath the surface of the water, the strange pulling force became stronger by the second. In about half a minute, only her head was above the surface and Fluttershy screamed once more as loud as she could.
“HELP! Please somepony HELP ME!”
Suddenly she heard some familiar voices nearby.
“Zecora said that Fluttershy was waiting for us somewhere near this pond. I just hope that she’s here. I have to warn her about the dangers of crossing the portal, especially alone!” said Twilight Sparkle worried.
“I will take a look from above, maybe I can find her faster. She must be close!” replied Rainbow Dash, while she flied upward in order to have a greater view of the pond. She took a good look at it, and noticed a glowing dark blue shape on its bottom. Rainbow Dash shouted to her friends, “I think the portal is already open, I can see it deep inside the lake.”
“Oh no, we have to find Fluttershy and fast, I hope it’s not already too late!” said Twilight Sparkle with a desperate voice.
“Already too late for what, Twilight?” asked Spike.
“If she enters the portal by herself, she cou-” Twilight answered, being interrupted by a scream above her, from Rainbow Dash.
“I’ve found her, she’s underwater and really close to the portal. I’ll dive to get her!”
“Go as fast as you can Rainbow, she can’t cross that portal alone, no matter what!” shouted Twilight.
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and dived as fast as she could into the pond, and swam rapidly in direction of Fluttershy. But she also felt the intense pull force caused by the portal. Fearing that they could both succumb to it, Rainbow Dash grabbed a nearby rock and stretched her hoof, as she tried to reach her friend. But Fluttershy couldn’t move her hoof towards her savior, not even an inch of her body, and she was being pulled even closer to the portal.
“But why doesn’t she move? If she just stretches her hoof, I could grab her and pull her away from the portal!” thought Rainbow Dash confused.
Fluttershy’s back hooves had already crossed through the dark blue void of the portal. She looked straightly to Rainbow Dash’s eyes, and saw in them the despair of being powerless to help her. Then she sadly looked down to the sandy bottom of the pond, facing the fact that not even her friends could save her now.
“You did your best, Rainbow Dash. No matter what happens to me in the other side, I will always remember you, your courage and loyalty to your friends. Goodbye, my dearest Pegasus friend!” she cried in her mind, knowing that her friend couldn't hear her underwater.
When only Fluttershy’s head was on the underwater side of the portal, Rainbow Dash realized that she needed to do something, and fast.
“Fluttershy, don’t worry. Probably you can’t move because of the force pull of the portal, but you won’t cross it alone. I won’t leave you alone, NEVER!” and Rainbow let go the rock that kept her safe from the gravitational pull of the portal and swam as fast as she could in its direction. Fluttershy had already fully crossed the portal, and it started to shrink slowly.
“Oh no, it’s already closing. I need to cross that portal NOW!” she screams to the back of her mind. The portal is already half of its original size, barely fitting the body of an adult pony. “I’m almost there Fluttershy, hold on just a few more seconds, pal. I’m coming to get you!” thought Rainbow Dash when she was just a few meters away from the closing portal.
The second that she touched the portal, an intense bright multi-colored light emanated from it, along with a loud noise, similar to the one of a sonic rainboom. A huge explosion of light and sound took place in the entire pond, and projected the water in all directions, which flooded the forest around it.
Then, only silence remained.
***
“Cough, cough… Girls, are you all ok?” asked Applejack as she tried to get up, with her body all wet from the water of the pond.
“I’m ok, thanks for asking. Although my coiffure is ruined!” said Rarity as she looked to her reflection in a small puddle on the ground.
“Wow, who could know that ponds could explode just like that, with a loud boom and a light as bright as the Sun!” replied Pinkie Pie, as her pink wet and straight hair instantly curled into its normal state.
“Girls, where are Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash? Did they manage to escape the explosion?” asked Twilight Sparkle worried, and then she galloped to the margin of the pond.
Twilight gasped as she realized that all the water from the pond was gone, along with the dark blue portal. The three remaining ponies also reached the margin and her hearts skipped a beat as they all looked at the empty pond.
“They’re gone!” exclaimed the four breathless ponies, as they gazed upon the empty place where the portal and their Pegasi friends were last seen.
Somewhere, in a distant place from the world of Equestria, an unnatural storm took place. Dark blue clouds aggregated in a particular spot in the sky, along with the occasional bright purple lightning and its deafening thunder. Small droplets of water fell over the canopy of a forest. Soon, the rain intensified rapidly and small streams of muddy water ran through the dirt paths of the forest.
Suddenly, a column of light descended from the center of the storm, into the surface of a lake in the middle of the forest, along with a humming noise. When it hit the water, a huge explosion englobed the dark dense forest into a sphere of dark blue light, along with scarce purple lightning bolts around its surface and a delayed loud boom echoed through the entire forest.
The rain stopped falling on the ground, because the sonic boom was so strong that it projected the water upwards, back into the clouds. A few seconds later, the drops hit the ground all at the same time with a deafening sound.
Back in the center of the explosion, the lake was empty, its water evaporated in thin air. And at its dried bottom, a dark blue portal appeared, emitting a humming sound. Suddenly, this sound became more intense and small objects fell off the portal, like rocks, fishes and algae.
After a few minutes, the portal diminished its size, along with the intensity of the humming noise. When the portal was almost closed, it resized itself abruptly to half of its original size.
Then, all of a sudden, the body of a miniature sized pony fell on the ground, inanimate.
***
A few minutes before, in a place not far from the forest, an inhabitant of this world looked at the sky filled with dark blue clouds.
“It looks like there’s a storm coming. However, something about these strange dark clouds tells me that this isn't a normal storm. The clouds seem to be forming only above the lake in the forbidden Furnus for-” a bright purple lightning struck somewhere in the forest, being followed by its thunder a few seconds later, “Ok, purple lightning it’s not definitely normal!” thought the inhabitant confused.
Suddenly, he saw a column of light that descended through the clouds and fell inside the forest. Shortly after, it was followed by a big explosion of light that englobed the entire forest, which caused a sound shock wave that could be heard by its only spectator, a young hermit who lived in the borders of the forbidden Furnus forest.
“That looked like a comet crossing the planet’s atmosphere, but this explosion of light doesn't look like anything I've seen before. And if it was a comet, the shock wave of its explosion would leave a big crater in the ground, leveling the forest to the ground… However, the forest it’s still intact!” he thought intrigued, “I must take a closer look at the source of this phenomenon at once. Strange weather followed by a falling star or a comet it’s a bad omen.” he grabbed his cloak, and walked in direction of the forest’s lake.
***
Present time, at the center of the explosion of light.
The body of the miniature sized pony started to move slowly. She regained her senses and some control of her body, which was really cold, wet and muddy. Her eyes opened gently, but she saw nothing. Everything was dark, but she could hear the sound of heavy drops of water that pounded the nearby ground and over her body.
“It’s really dark around here, I can’t see a thing,” - the rain fell now heavier than before - “but I must find shelter before this rain gets worse.” and the little pony tried to get up. But she barely managed to move her legs, let alone raise her body up.
The water from the rain began to form a big puddle around the little pony, which already covered her hooves. Shortly afterwards, she felt the water reaching her muzzle, “If the level of the water keeps rising like this, and I can’t even move my legs soon, I’ll drown in a matter of minutes!” she thought worried.
As the seconds passed, the water level rose above her nostrils and she held her breath as long as she could. The oxygen deprivation started to make her mind feel dizzy, “I can’t barely move my legs or wings, but if I raise my head just a little and call for help, maybe someone could rescue me in time.” and with this thought, she tried to focus all her strength in raising her head, which she managed successfully, then inhaled deeply and screamed.
“HELP!”
But no sound came out of her mouth, as the paralyzing effects from the portal also affected her vocal cords.
“Ok, I’m doomed!” she thought, then her head plunged again on the puddle of water, and this time she lost her consciousness.
***
The young hermit arrived at the margin of the empty lake, and he wondered what kind of storm could empty a lake in just a few minutes. The rain stopped suddenly and he looked down at the bottom of the lake and saw something half submerged in a small puddle of water, fifteen meters from him.
“I wonder what’s that over there, it looks like a small animal.” he said as he got closer to the inanimate body, and checked for any signal of life. “Doesn't look like is still alive but I can’t see anything with all this mud over it,” - he pulled the small motionless body out of the puddle and checked for a heartbeat or any breathing movements, after he cleaned its airways with some water from the puddle - “Good, it looks like the heart is still kicking but its breath is very weak. I have to take it to my hut and fast, before it’s too late!” he thought worried, as he enveloped the wet, dirty and frail animal in his cloak and hurried himself in direction of his home.
***
The hermit arrived to his hut, laid the body of the small and weak animal over his bed, and then heated some water in a pot. “Now, first I have to clean all this dirt of your body, I can’t even see what kind of animal you are, although you look like a small dog or a baby pony. However, it looks like someone glued a pair of feathery wings on your torso. I wonder why someone would do that.” and he heard the sound of the water in the pot boiling, picked it up and poured the hot water in his bathtub. After that, he poured half a pot of cold water in the tub, stirred it a little and checked its temperature.
“Ok, that’s warm enough. Now let’s get that body cleaned and see what the hell they did to you.” he picked up the animal from his bed, dived it in the tepid water and started to remove the dirt. He washed its body gently, as he changed the muddy water occasionally, “Hmm, your fur is so dirty that I can’t even be sure of its color. But I can’t find the seam where they glued or stitched these wings of yours.”
Then an old memory struck his mind, “Wait a minute! If they are really attached to your body, that would mean… that… they’re REAL!” he said, baffled by the thought of what the very presence of that small animal could mean, and the consequences of it.
“There’s only one way to be sure… the Mark!” and he rushed to check one of the animal’s flank. The fur was still dirty on that part and he washed it thoroughly.
After he cleared it with water, he took a good look at the flank and said astonished, “So, it is true, all the tales and legends. The stories about the talking little ponies, the mighty Pegasi and powerful Unicorns… This one is clearly a Pegasus, and as far as I can tell, it’s a “she”, but… then there’s only one question remaining!” he said worried.
“Is she an ally?” he thought, amazed by the beautiful and graceful feathery wings.
"Or an enemy?” then he looked to her hooves, that looked solid like rock, and the tail which was flexible and hard like a whip.
“Either way, I should prepare myself to question her tomorrow, if she survives the night, that is. I’ll finish cleaning her, and afterwards, restrain her somehow.” then he finished the Pegasus bath, dried her with a towel and put her inside an old bird cage.
After he covered her with a soft blanket, the young hermit thought to himself, “Tomorrow I will know if I should free you, in case you’re friendly…”
“Or kill you, if you’re a foe!”
He took a whetstone and a hunting knife from a drawer, and started to sharpen its blade, while he looked occasionally to the little Pegasus who slept peacefully in the cage, with her beautiful long pink mane that fell slightly out of the suspended bird cage and her yellow coated flank that bore three little butterflies with pink wings, uncovered by the soft blanket.
“Wake up, sleepy head.”
The pink maned filly still slept peacefully, with a low and gentle snoring, almost imperceptible.
“Wake UP!” somepony shouted again, really close to her ear.
“AAHHH!” Fluttershy jumped in terror, screaming. “Please don’t hurt me, I’ll be out of your way, I promise!”
“You silly pony, it’s me, Rainbow Dash!”
“But … what are you doing here?” Fluttershy asked.
“You didn't think that I would let you skip your first day of school, didn't you?” said Rainbow Dash said with a grin. “I came to your house a few minutes ago, and your mom let me inside and she asked if I could wake you up, so you wouldn't be late for school.”
“Oh, OK, that makes sense now. But … I don’t want to go to the new school, I don’t know nopony there, and they will laugh at me and-” Fluttershy whined with an escalating despair tone in her voice until Rainbow Dash interrupted her.
“Stop right there, Fluttershy! First, you may not know anypony at the new school, but you know ME, the coolest filly around these parts, and we’re at the same class. So I will always have your back. And second, this is an opportunity to make new friends, and to overcome your shyness.” replied Rainbow Dash with a reassuring tone of voice.
“I … know that, but … what if some bully confronts me again and you’re not there to help me this time. I don’t know if I can deal with that all by myself.” Fluttershy covered her head back again with her blanket.
“Now that’s where you’re wrong!” Rainbow Dash pushed back again the blanket, revealing Fluttershy’s head under her pillow. “You have to find the courage in you and face your fears. Don’t forget that you’re the Stare Master.”
“Stare Mast-? Oh, but that’s just a silly game we use to play. I only used the Stare with you, my closest friend, how could I use it on somepony who wants to hurt me or steal my things?” asked Fluttershy.
“Oh, believe me when I tell you that your Stare could make the meanest of bullies think twice before doing anything to you. Every time we play the Stare game, you give me goose bumps, shivers and I end up losing. It’s the only game you can beat me at, so that must count for something.” Rainbow Dash smiles, while she felt herself a little embarrassed.
“Ok, I just hope that you’re right. I’ll try to do as you say.” Fluttershy smiled, looking into Rainbow’s sweet pink eyes. “I’m lucky to have such a loyal friend like you.”
“You welcome, pal. That’s what friends are for, to look after each other. Now, remember what I’ve said and wake up.” replied Rainbow Dash.
“What? But I’m already awak-” Fluttershy replied when suddenly everything around her went black, while only her bed remained visible in the darkness.
“Huh, Rainbow Dash… What’s happening? Did you turned off the lights?” she asked worried. However, there’s no response.
“Where are you?” Fluttershy looked under her bed, finding only the same darkness everywhere.
“Wake up!” said a strange deep voice.
“Who… who are you?” asked Fluttershy frightened. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”
For a few seconds, there was only silence.
“Wake up NOW!” said again the voice loudly, as the bed shook violently, scaring Fluttershy so much that she screamed.
“PLEASE, STOP!”
***
“Wake up, you’re going to hurt yourself if you keep shaking and bumping against the cage’s bars like that!” said the hermit, while he opened the cage and held Fluttershy with his hands, keeping her from moving.
“What the… where am I?” asked Fluttershy.
“Good, you’re awake!” said the hermit relieved. “Just calm down and I will let you go now, slowly, so you can stand up back in your hooves.”
Fluttershy felt his fingers around her body, like a grip of a dozen snakes, however, they weren't overtight. “Calm yourself Fluttershy, if he wanted to do you harm, he would have done it already. Maybe it is better if you do as he says!” she thought, while her body shook vigorously.
After a few seconds, she slowly relaxed her body and shortly after, the hermit’s fingers left her body and she stood up. After that, she looked to her surroundings and realized that she was inside a small bird cage.
“But, why I am inside a cage? Are you going to eat me?” Fluttershy asked terrified, while she looked at her captor that stood right in front of her, wearing a light brown cloak and a sheathed hunting knife in his belt.
“Calm down, I just want to ask you a few questions, and if you tell me the truth and I like what I hear, then there’s nothing for you to worry about.” said the hermit, while he picked up a small journal which was on top of the desk beside him, along with a feather from a quill.
“But… does that mean that even if I answer all your questions and tell you the truth, but if you don’t like what I have to say,” Fluttershy paused, while her body trembled, “you will still eat me?”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about me eating you, my little pony, as I don’t eat horse meat.” answered the hermit, and Fluttershy sighed in relief after she heard this.
But then he said with a smirk. “But my pigs, they will eat everything I feed them!”
Fluttershy entered suddenly in a state of shock, imagining her little pigs back in her house, feasting themselves with meat and tearing apart pony corpses in a wild frenzy.
The hermit noticed the horror in Fluttershy’s face and then said quickly. “Ok, I see that I’ve crossed the line. Just relax now, I was just messing with you, I don’t even have pigs in my house. I need you to look at me now!” The hermit got a little closer to the cage and looked straight into her despaired eyes, washed with tears. “Please look at me now!” he said again, but this time with a firm and tender voice.
Fluttershy was still lost within her thoughts, while her body still shook constantly, until her mind suddenly focused only on one thing.
The sound of his singing voice.
“Calm now, don’t be shy, You are safe with me. There’s no reason for you to cry, Just look at me. ”
Fluttershy found his voice so familiar and so delightful, it reminded her of when she sang to quiet the wounded animals that she used to find in the forest, so she could treat them.
“No one will dare to harm you, They will turn around and flee. Because I am here to protect you, Just look at me. ”
Her fear vanished from her mind as she looked back to the young hermit’s eyes. They were the most sweet and mysterious eyes she had ever seen, light-brown with shades of blue and green near the borders of the iris. She felt a warm, peaceful feeling that grew inside her, while she kept looking at those eyes. I was almost like she could see right through them, right into the hermit’s soul.
“Do you feel better now?” he asked a few seconds after he finished his lullaby.
Fluttershy replied with a timid low voice. “Y-yes, I am now.”
“Now, just answer the questions, take your time and I promise that I won’t harm you,” he said with a calm voice, “even if you lie to me or if I don’t like your answers.”
“You… you promise you won’t harm me no matter what?” asked Fluttershy, while she felt a bit more secure.
The hermit looked again into her cute and gentle blue eyes and answered. “I solemnly promise to never hurt you in any way, physically or emotionally, even if you ask me to.”
“Oh, thank you for that. I-I think I can answer your questions now.” replied Fluttershy, still a little nervous.
“OK then, let’s start this. First, what is your name?” asked the hermit, while he wrote something on his journal.
“F- Fluttershy.” she answered, feeling a bit confused by the simple question.
“OK, that explains a lot. And what is the name of the world you came from?”
“Equestria. But, how do you kn-” replied Fluttershy, being interrupted before she asked him how did he know that she was from another world.
“MY questions first, then later I may answer yours. Now, in your world is there more than one race of ponies, or do they all have wings like you?”
“Well,” Fluttershy wasn't sure if she should reveal everything about her world, as she remembered Zecora’s tale about the invaders from other worlds. But something deep inside her, a feeling of trust compelled her to keep telling the truth, “there are four main races of ponies. The Earth ponies, which cultivate the land and do most of the manual labor. Then there are the Unicorns, they have a horn that can be used to conjure spells and do all kinds of magic. There’s the Pegasi, who have wings like my own and they do most of the labor related to weather control. And finally, there’s the Alicorns, they are the most powerful race of ponies, and have both wings and horns.”
“Ok. I noticed that it was difficult for you to answer that last question but don’t you worry, you’re doing great, so far. Now, the next question. How did you traveled to my world?”
“Well, it’s kind of a long story, but to keep it short, I found a magic portal at the bottom of a pond and it pulled me inside with such a force that I couldn't escape it.” Fluttershy suddenly remembered being underwater and how her friend Rainbow Dash tried to save her. At that very moment, a single tear dropped from her right eye, which fell silently on the floor of her cage.
“Hmm, I can see that it was one dreadful experience. Don’t worry, we’re almost done here. Now, the most important question and I really need you to be honest. Are you ready?” asked the hermit to a nervous Fluttershy who wondered what that question could be.
“Y-yes, I-I am.” replied Fluttershy.
“I know that you didn't enter this world just by accident, I can see in your eyes that you’re looking for something or someone. So, WHY did you come to this world?” the hermit asked, while he looked straight into Fluttershy’s eyes, like he was searching for her answer deep inside her soul.
She answered with a slightly sad tone in her voice. “W-well, I’m searching for my bunny Angel, and I believe that he’s here somewhere in this world, because he went missing just before this portal appeared.”
“Hmm, I see that you’re being honest, however, you’re not saying the entire truth. If you were searching for your bunny, and you believe that he was on the other side of the portal, why did you said that you couldn’t “escape” the pulling force of the portal? Did something or someone held you back?”
“Y-you’re right… My friends.” Fluttershy just realized how worried their friends must be, especially Rainbow Dash, who failed to rescue her in time. “We were supposed to enter the portal together, but it started to pull me before they arrived. When they reached me, it was already too late.”
“Well, I see that your friends must be very important to you. Is Rainbow Dash one of your friends?”
“But… how do you know about Rainb-” Fluttershy asked surprised, when the hermit interrupted her.
“While you were sleeping and agitated, you mentioned his name, repeatedly, like you were calling him for help.”
“Oh, yes… she’s my oldest and most loyal friend. We've known each other since I can remember, and she’s a Pegasus like me.” Fluttershy smiled after she said this sentence, as she remembered all the good and bad moments they went through since they were friends.
“Very well, it’s good to have friends like that. And that concludes my questioning, at least for now.”
“So, will you free me from this cage now? Did you… approve my answers?” Fluttershy asked anxiously.
“Well, yes I do approve your answers, but I’m still not sure if I should release you just now. Remember that I didn't promise that I would release you, only that I wouldn't harm you.” the hermit closed his journal and put it back on his desk. “I know, let’s play a game. If you win, I will release you immediately, and if you lose, I will keep you locked as long as I see fit.”
Fluttershy felt a little betrayed, but she realized that he was right. “Well, you’re not giving me any other chance. Which game is it?” she asked nervous, knowing that she wasn't not really good at games.
“Well, we will play a game that you mentioned in your dreams. The Stare game.”
“Oh, I’m not sure if I should play this game with you. I haven't play it with someone for a long time and I only use the Stare as a last resort measure.” Fluttershy then remembered her dream with Rainbow Dash and what she said about being courageous and facing her fears.
“Well then, the choice is yours!” replied the hermit.
Fluttershy suddenly realized that this was a last resort situation, and that her freedom depended if she played the game or not. With the thought of Rainbow Dash’s words of courage in her mind, she looked right back into her opponent’s eyes and asked with a slightly daring voice.
“Are you up to the challenge?”
“I’m ready if you are, Fluttershy!” replied the hermit.
“Then let’s do this!” she said with a determined look in her face.
The hermit took the chair he was sitting on closer to the cage, where she awaited the stare of his opponent. He sat, with his face looking down to the floor, and spoke. “The game starts, NOW!” and the hermit raised his face right in front of Fluttershy’s, with a blank expression and cold penetrating eyes, which could cause shivers down the spine.
But her stare was no less disturbing, as her big blue eyes became cold as ice, and she frown her face in such a menacing way that it looked like she was going to disintegrate someone only with her look.
The Stare Showdown just began.
Almost two hours have passed, and neither Fluttershy nor the hermit showed any signs of breaking their stares. However, a deep grumbling noise was heard in the room, as their stomachs complained for lack of food. A few seconds later, the hermit reached for his book and an inked feather on his desk, without breaking up his stare, and wrote down something.
Fluttershy thought, “Hmm, he has a really good concentration, to be able to write without even moving a muscle in his face. I just hope he’s about to ask to quit the stare, because I’m starving. ”
The hermit finished his writing and showed her the following sentence written in bold letters, “Let’s call it a tie. It’s lunch time. Raise your hoof if you agree.”
“Phew, finally!” said Fluttershy while she raised her hoof quickly.
The hermit saw her signal, then closed the book and said, “Good, because we still have to pick up our lunch, before it’s overcooked.”
“We? Does that mean that you’re going to release me?” asked Fluttershy.
He answered promptly, “Of course. After all, I haven’t won the game and you must be starving already, and we still have to do a little walk before we can have lunch.”
“Oh, ok but… is there a reason why you don’t you make your own food at home?” asked Fluttershy slightly confused.
“Oh no, there’s no need. I let Nature do that work for me. If you walk with me, I’ll show it how!” said the hermit with a grin in his face.
“Hmm, now you left me curious. Do the animals cook for you or something like that?” asked Fluttershy, who thought that maybe in this world, the animals prepared their own food and their caretaker’s, unlike the animals in her world.
He answered, “Nope, you’ll have to see how it’s done. Now, I’ll open your cage and help you get down from there.”
“Oh, it’s ok, I can get down by myself, thank you,” replied Fluttershy, while she recalled the uncomfortable feeling of the hermit’s huge hands that held her down against the floor of the cage when she woke up.
The hermit opened the cage’s door, waited for her to come out and then warned, “Just be careful when you descend because your wi-” Fluttershy suddenly jumped from the cage and stretched her wings to weaken the force of her fall, but she screamed in pain and retracted her wings, unable to move them.
But, in the last second before she hit the ground, the hermit caught her by her chest with his hands.
“Ouch, it feels like my wings are burning when I stretch them.” Fluttershy tried again to move her wings, only to feel a painful sting, like someone used her body as a needle cushion.
The hermit placed her gently on the ground and replied, “If you waited for five more seconds, I was going to tell you that the wounds on your wings haven’t healed yet. It seems that the mud damaged your primary flight feathers so much that I had to clip them. So you won’t be able to achieve full flight until they grow again.”
“Oh…” she examined her wings carefully and noticed that her feathers were shorter and the skin around them was bruised and reddish. “And how long does it take them to regrow? I’ve never had my feathers clipped before.” Fluttershy looked at him with a sad pair of watery eyes.
He could feel the sadness in her heart, and found it difficult to answer her question. A few moments later, he sighed deeply and finally replied, “Well, I have no idea, usually that varies from one species of bird to another, but in your case,” - he paused for a few seconds - “I just don’t know. So for a few weeks at least, you shouldn’t attempt to fly.”
“Ok, I understand.” Fluttershy looked at her wings sadly, facing the fact that she was grounded for an indefinite time.
After a few seconds of silence, the hermit spoke, “Try not to think about that now, there’s nothing you can do about it, and besides, you have other needs you need to attend to, before your belly growls again.”
Fluttershy felt a small tremor inside her, along with a small twinge. She looked up back at him with a small grin and then she replied, “Yes, you’re right. Let’s get our lunch then. I think I should deal with one problem at a time.”
“Now that’s the spirit, my little pony!” said the hermit, with a smile on his face. “Let’s get on our way then.”
He turned around and picked up a big leather bag that was beside his desk. Fluttershy was curious about the contents of this bag, which made a familiar metallic noise, like it was full of cutlery. The hermit now held the bag over his shoulder with his hand then went to the door and opened it.
“After you, my fair mare!” he said while he bowed gracefully beside the door and waited for Fluttershy to exit through it first.
She felt a little embarrassed and didn’t knew what to say, but then she replied “I, I… thank you sir, I’m not used to be treated with such… chivalry.”
The hermit smiled and then said, “You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do, after I left you imprisoned in that cage for an entire morning.”
Fluttershy smiled back and walked through the door. Outside, she could see for the very first time how this new world looked like. She noticed that she was in a huge valley with mountains filled with dark green trees. The azure sky was lightly clouded, with a yellow bright sun which gently warmed the skin of her body. At the distance, she could see a big column of smoke that rose to the sky, which faded shortly after reaching around twenty meters of altitude.
Fluttershy became curious about the origin of this smoke, because unlike the smoke from a fire which is usually grey and takes longer to dissipate, this one was white like the clouds and it faded away in a matter of seconds. She faced the hermit to ask him about this. “Excuse me sir, I… Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve just realized that I don’t even know your name.”
“That’s ok, after all, I haven’t introduced myself. I don’t use my birth name anymore, but I’m known around here as Soul Tuner. And you don’t need to call me sir. Now, what were you going to ask me?”
“Oh, ok sir… I mean, Soul Tuner. I’m curious about that big “fire” in the distance. I’ve never seen one with such a white smoke, which fades out so quickly.”
“What you see in the distance, that’s not smoke, even less from a fire. That’s the place where our lunch is being cooked,” replied Soul Tuner.
“What? But… how?” asked Fluttershy, intrigued about how it could be possible to cook something without fire, or what could be making that “non-smoke”.
Soul Tuner replied, with a grin on his face, “If you wait for, let’s say, more or less half an hour, being that the time we take to get there, you’ll see how.”
***
Twenty five minutes later, they arrive to the place where the big column of “non-smoke” originates from. Before them there was a desolate landscape, the ground was light grey, like someone mixed the dirt with ashes from a fire. There was barely any plant life, only some scattered brown bushes here and there, and the smell of sulfur was constantly in the air. Nearby, a big pond with muddy grey water bubbled intensely, which evaporated into a continuous column of white water vapor.
Fluttershy was amazed with this strange landscape, as she has never seen nothing like it. She asked Soul Tuner, “So that’s where the “smoke” comes from. Now I know what you mean, when you said that it wasn’t smoke. But why is the water so hot? And the smell! It looks like someone left spoiled food around here.” She suddenly remembered that their lunch was being cooked in this place, “Oh my, don’t tell me that our food is-”
Knowing that she was really hungry, Soul Tuner replied promptly, “No need to worry Fluttershy, the smell is caused by the abundance of sulfur in these lands, and the water is hot because of the volcanic activity in this area that causes the water in the pond to boil and spread the smell of sulfur even further.” She stared at him with a confused look, like she didn’t understand a word of what he just said. Soul Tuner noticed this and said quickly, “Just come this way, our food it’s over here.”
“Oh, ok, that’s good, I’m starving!” said Fluttershy excited, as she was finally going to eat something. But then she stopped suddenly, looked at him and smiled embarrassed, blushing a little because she had just realized that she forgot her manners, “Oh, I mean… Yay!”
He smiled back and replied, “Well, you don’t have to wait anymore, our food is right here.” and he pointed to a mound of slightly dark grey dirt.
“Huh, I don’t want to sound a little picky, but… are we going to eat dirt?” asked Fluttershy confused and with a worried look in her face.
Soul Tuner chuckled and then answered, “No, you silly pony. Our food it’s buried here, a meter deep.”
“Hum ok, but… why? Were you afraid someone was going to steal the food?” she asked, still with a confused look on her face.
Soul Tuner didn’t answer and opened his leather bag. He took a small shovel from it and removed some of the dirt from the mound. Underneath the grey dirt, there was what looked like a wooden shield. He pulled it up, revealing a hole with half a meter wide and a meter deep. A white cloud of water vapor rose instantly from the hole, along with a heat wave that warmed the nearby air temperature briefly, for a few degrees.
Next, he took from his bag a meter long wooden stick, with a metal hook in one of its ends. He put the hooked end of the stick inside the hole and then pulled hard, like he was lifting something heavy. Fluttershy watched silently, disorientated with all that Soul Tuner was doing, not understanding the purpose of it, but when she saw what he pulled out of the hole, she became perplexed. At the hooked end of the stick there was a clay pot, tightly tied up with a rope.
“Um… is our food inside that pot? That was buried in dirt, along with this… unpleasant smell?” asked Fluttershy, who felt herself a little disgusted.
Soul Tuner answered, “Oh, don’t worry about the smell and the dirt, they don’t get to the food. So, you’re ready for lunch?”
She wasn’t too sure about it but then her belly growled again. “Well, I… am, I guess,” answered Fluttershy, a little hesitant.
Soul Tuner untied the rope carefully and then removed the pot’s cover, letting out a small and hot steamy cloud into the air. Fluttershy got closer to see what was inside of the pot and her eyes almost cried with joy. It was filled with all kinds of boiled vegetables, like carrots, cabbage, yams and potatoes.
She was perplexed with the variety of vegetables, they were a feast to her eyes. “I just can’t believe how such a good looking meal could be made in such a smelly and unpleasant place like this” - Fluttershy paused for a few seconds, thinking of how hungry she was and then continued - “but I think that doesn’t matter right now.”
“Well, just help yourself. There’s plenty of food for both of us,” replied Soul Tuner.
After that, they served themselves from the food in the pot and used a nearby flat tree stump as a table.
***
Twenty minutes later, their bellies were full and now they rested on the ground, with their backs against an old dried tree log.
Soul Tuner leaned to Fluttershy’s side and spoke, “So, I take it that you enjoyed the food. Lucky for you, today’s meal was strictly vegetarian, as I assume that your kind only eats vegetables.”
“Yes, we ponies are vegetarian, although we also could eat fat or sugar-based food, like cakes and pastries, although less frequently.” Then Fluttershy remembered her friend Pinkie Pie's addiction for all things sweet. “Well, with some exceptions, I guess.”
“Well, in our world, most of us are omnivorous, but we can also survive with a strictly vegetarian diet, so it’s a matter of choice. However, in the last few years, there’s been a shortage in meat supply, because hunters and trappers have caught less and less animals in the forests, herders lost their animals mysteriously, and even farmers had their cattle safely locked in barns, only to find them empty in the next morning.”
Fluttershy remembered the morning before she went through the portal and then said, “Hmm, that’s strange. The same thing also happened in my world, as I woke up in the morning, only to find that the animals that lived in my house disappeared, including my bunny Angel. But I’ve found his tracks and followed them into the Everfree Forest, which that was creepier than usual because of its silence. I think that the animals were missing from there too.”
“Hmm, that’s a really strange coincidence. But please continue.”
Fluttershy repeated to him the same story that Zecora told her about the evil unicorns that used magic to open the portals to other worlds and how it could be related to the animal’s disappearance.
Soul Tuner became silent for a few seconds and then said, “Hmm, Zecora’s story isn’t strange to me at all. It reminds me of an ancient legend that goes more or less like this.”
“Beware the sudden storm with the purple lightning, followed by the streak of light that strikes the water.
If you hear the hum, be careful; if you see the dark blue spiral, hide with haste; if you feel the grip, hold on to something.
But if the small horned horse ever sees you… you’re doomed.
Beware not only the horned ones, some of them can fly, and others possess great strength.
They hide amongst our animals, only to vanish along with them in the night.
But not all of them are enemies and there’s a way to tell them apart.
Watch their flank for the Mark, the dark spiral. Those who bear it, beware.
But shall they have any other Mark, aid him any way you can, as he might be your ally.”
“And that’s most of it, I think. There are records of entire animal populations that disappeared overnight, in the forests. But in some cases, even people disappeared without a trace, although less frequently.” Soul Tuner paused for a few seconds and then continued, “Now you know why I had to question you this morning. I needed to be sure of who you were, where you came from and why you were here.”
Fluttershy thought for a few moments about the questions he made her that morning and then replied, “I… I understand know. But how did you know for sure that I was not one of the… Oh, I see. The Cutie Mark!”
“Yes, and also I saw the true nature of your soul, filled with kindness, compassion and also shyness. But I also see that when in need, you can be brave and face your fears, especially if the safety of your loved ones is at stake. You’re not a threat, not to me at least, but I wouldn’t dare to step between you and your friends, that’s for sure!” said Soul Tuner.
Fluttershy’s cheeks went slightly red, she isn’t used to hear someone give their opinion about her like that. “I, um… I don’t even know what to say. But how do you know all just by asking me a few questions?” she asked.
He smiled to her and answered, “Well, let’s just say that people don’t call me Soul Tuner by chance. My special talent is empathy, meaning that I have the ability to feel and match a person’s emotions. And with a little effort, I can even have a glimpse at someone’s soul, perceive its true nature, its desires and fears or even repressed emotions. That’s how I knew who you really were, even before I had finished my questions.”
“That’s amazing. I imagine that it must be a really useful talent. You could help people to identify their fears and how to face them or” - she paused briefly, like she remembered something - “Wait a minute, so that’s why you did the Stare game with me, to force me to face my fear of what you might have done to me!”
Soul Tuner nodded his head and then said, “That’s correct, Fluttershy. I only provided the path you needed to take, but only you could make the first step of accepting the challenge. Oh, and we still have to finish that game.”
She smiled to him and thought about how his words reminded her of Rainbow Dash so much. How she was always pushing her to face her fears or her words of encouragement. After a few seconds, she said, “I… thank you for doing that Soul Tuner. And yes, I’m curious to know who will win the game. But, I’m also curious about another thing. Since I arrived to this world, I haven’t seen any of its inhabitants, besides you. Do they live far away from here?”
Soul Tuner’s face changed suddenly from cheerful to slightly melancholic. “Well, there was a village not far from here, and its inhabitants used this place daily as their primary cooking spot, and they also used the water for its medicinal properties. But when the animals went missing, they all left, because meat was their primary source of food.”
“Well, I don’t agree with the killing of animals for food, when people do have a choice in their diet. That’s just… cruel! They should have stayed and changed their diet!” replied Fluttershy with a bitter tone of voice.
“Well, they still do have the freedom of choosing what to eat, I respect that. But I also believe that there were other ways of dealing with the meat shortage, like trading with other towns and using the empty pasture lands to increase the crop field area and grow more food. But no, they all choose to leave and find another place to live.”
“But that means that you are here all alone! Without anyone to talk to, or… Oh my, you must feel lonely all the time!” said Fluttershy.
“Well, I’ve lived for a long time alone in my cottage at the edge of the forbidden Furnus forest. But people talked to me occasionally here in this place, after my meals, seeking my advice or guidance.”
“But why do you live alone? Don’t you have any friends?” asked Fluttershy confused.
Soul Tuner suddenly moved his face away from her, and looked down, in silence. For the first time, Fluttershy saw him vulnerable and realized that she touched a difficult issue for him. A minute later, he said “Well, I don’t ha-”
All of a sudden, they both heard a strange and faint humming noise.
“This noise seems familiar to me. It sounds like… the portal!” said Fluttershy.
“What is THAT?” he said, with his finger pointing to a distant glimmering line in the sky.
This shiny line grew thicker by the second, as it got closer to them. Then the light changed into what looked like a rainbow wave, which moved at an extraordinary speed, passing over them.
Suddenly, a loud boom was heard, along with an air shockwave so strong that it bent the nearby trees into a steep angle, as it passed over them.
“Rainbow Dash, you’ve made it!” shouted Fluttershy, looking to the sky.
Soul Tuner turned to her and saw the tears of joy that poured from her eyes. But he also caught a glimpse of a new feeling in her heart.
Hope.
