Warriors: The Next Three: Book 1 - Different Perspective

"I see."

Starlight Glimmer took a sip of her water while Fluttershy caught her breath after the long winded explanation she gave. Starlight got up and walked to the window before seeming to ponder.

I wonder what she's thinking, Fluttershy asked herself, then shook her head. She wouldn't like me invading her privacy.

"So Twilight and the gang," Starlight began while turning to face Fluttershy, "went into a book's universe and are now cats. Twilight was the one who turned them into cats, correct?" Fluttershy nodded and Starlight sighed. "Well, they're anything but okay."

Fluttershy gasped. "Oh no! What will happen to them?"

Starlight thought it through for a second, then responded, "I'm not completely sure, but seeing as the portal was merely the gateway and not any other variable, say the things that transforms them," she paused to drink her water, "when they return to Equestria, not only will they still be in their feline form, but Twilight will be unable to deactivate the time-freeze spell." When Fluttershy looked sad she added, "Don't worry, I'll be unable to deactivate it."

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you're here!" Then a thought popped into her head. "Why are you here?"

Starlight Glimmer scoffed in offense. "I thought you trusted me! Is there a reason I shouldn't be trusted?"

Fluttershy realized how rude the remark sounded. "No, no, no! That's not what I meant, honest! I'm sorry! Do you want me to refill your cup? I will if you want me to! Oh, I'm-" she stopped as a grin slowly crept onto Starlight's face. The unicorn broke down and gave a hearty laugh. Fluttershy giggled as well.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy," Starlight said. "I didn't mean to tease you." She cleared her throat and sipped her water. "I assume you meant to ask why I'm not frozen in time?" Fluttershy nodded. "Well, I've read the spell through before coming to Ponyville, and since it affects those with a lower average magic level, I guess mine must be higher than Twilight's."

She took a moment to chuckle. "What an honor."

Fluttershy shook her head. "But Twilight's studied magic her whole life!"

"So have I," Starlight pointed out. "Without sounding smug, I think that my natural ability is higher, while the skill Twilight has is mainly taught. She has high natural magic, too, but I think mine is slightly higher. On top of that, she was a breezie once, right? Well, breezies have significantly less magic than ponies, let alone Princess Twilight. When dealing with averages, a low number among high numbers severely lowers the overall average."

Fluttershy was still uncertain, but she nodded politely. Then she thought of another question.

"Why am I unaffected?" She queried.

"Well," Starlight said while sipping the last bit of her water, "I'm guessing that she's cast a spell on you at sometime in the past to make you immune to any spells she casts on you directly or indirectly." Starlight was quiet for a moment, then put in, "Can you think of a spell she cast on you that had a negative effect?"

Fluttershy thought for a moment, then gasped. "I think I know!"

Starlight leaned forward. "Do tell!"

"Well," Fluttershy began, "I'm not sure, but a while ago Twilight was trying to fix a vampire fruit bat problem at Sweet Apple Acres. We ultimately built them a sanctuary, but Twilight's first plan was to take away their craving for apples."

Starlight blinked. "Any spell I know that takes away an appetite either makes a creature hungry for something else or projects it onto another creature. I'm curious, what happened?"

"I was getting to that," Fluttershy said with an unintended dry tone. "Twilight had me use my stare ability to hold all of the bats in place while she cast the spell. The bats' apple appetite transferred from the bats to me via my stare." Fluttershy blushed. "I don't remember much of it, but, um, I starting turning into a bat pony."

"Interesting!" Starlight leaned back in her chair. "I've never heard of that happening before! So I'm guessing Twilight cast a spell on you so that a side effect of one of her spells wouldn't happen to you?"

"That's what I'm guessing happened too," Flutteshy said. Starlight nodded.

"So, I propose that I cast the time freeze spell with a timer of 6 months and I freeze myself in time, as to not live in this frozen-in-time world," Starlight declared. "Then, when Twilight gets back, she can unfreeze me."

"What about me?" Fluttershy asked. Starlight had said that she would freeze herself, not the collective duo.

Starlight gave a blank stare. "Hmm. Well, then. This is awkward."

"What is? Starlight, what happens to me in your plan?"

Starlight gave a nervous smile. "Well, you see, I've also researched that transformation spell."

Fluttershy's eyes went wide with realization. "No, not me! I can't!"

"Well, you pretty much have to," Starlight said. "I need some one to take this--" she held up a necklace with a lit crystal ball embedded in it ,"--and give it to Twilight. It essentially stores magic for one use. With this, she can deactivate the transformation spell when necessary, then, in her pony form, deactivate the time-freeze spell. Without it, she'd be a cat in Equestria with no horn and no way of reanimating the world. Besides, you were going to the world in the first place right?"

"Well, yes..." Fluttershy admitted. "But I wasn't going to go as a cat! I was going to go as a pony! Cats eat mice and rabbits, two animal species I love dearly!"

Fluttershy realized that she was tearing up while talking about going there. Wiping her face with one hoof, she said, "Can't you go, instead?"

Starlight shook her head. "I'm sorry, there's another catch." She got up from the kitchen table and trotted over to the fridge. "If I were to go through the portal and then ultimately come back, she would be unable to use transform me back into a pony."

Fluttershy wiped a tear track down her face and sniffled. "Why's that?"

Starlight Glimmer poured herself water from a pitcher. "Well, much like the time-freeze spell, the user can only cast it on those with a lower magic level. Like we've established, my magic ability tops her's by a small amount. With no horn after coming through the portal, I would be stuck as a feline."

"Why can't you use the stored spell to transform all four of you back?" Fluttershy asked in between sniffles.

"The necklace is hers," Starlight said. When Fluttershy looked very confused, she added, "The necklace was something I found in Twilight's room. For security measures, the necklace was made to where only the pony that owns it may activate the stored spell. While I was able to load one in, I am unable to release it. Also, in case you're wondering how Twilight will be able to unfreeze me, a caster of a spell can affect anything with a direct line of sight if powerful enough of a spell.

"Fluttershy," Starlight said sympathetically, "I know how much this stinks. Of all ponies, you should be the last one to have to go to this world. But, listen," Starlight said while lifting Fluttershy's chin up, "your friends need you."

Fluttershy whimpered, thinking of everything that could go wrong. She knew she could make it through the portal; she had threw an unlit candle through the portal and, from what she could tell, it didn't bounce back and instead went through. But she would have to eat animals and actually hunt them! Twilight was going to the book's universe, so there was no doubt in her mind that the new cats would join the clans, meaning Fluttershy would have to as well. At the same time, her friends would be stuck as cats, and everyone else in the world would be frozen in time forever. She wiped away a tear and spoke as confidently as she could.

"I'll do it."

Starlight nodded, then gave her the necklace and led her to the portal.

"I'll be right here when you get back," Starlight said. "I've set the transformation spell to activate when you enter the portal." She leaned forward and gave Fluttershy a friendly hug. "Goodbye!"

She cast the time-freeze spell and Fluttershy watched as all movement drained from her. Fluttershy turned to the portal and walked through.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Good luck!"

Me and Twilight give the shout of encouragement as I watch Rainbow Dash bound off. Twilight turns her head to face me.

"So," she mews, "Now what?"

I prepare to give my answer but a yowl from closer to the camp interrupts me. I can't quite make it out, but it sounds like Petalpaw. She really should be louder! I barely heard her meow. Maybe I should give her loudness lessons! That'd be really fun! I'm pretty loud myself, and I already know that Rainbow Dash coached Fluttershy on cheering back in Equestria. I wonder what Fluttershy would look like if she was a cat! She'd probably be yellow. Or maybe pink.

I snap back from my idle wondering as Twilight runs off towards the source of the noise. I follow along, though the walk to this point's already winded me quite a bit. Panting, I follow Twilight through the forest. Geez, being slightly bigger sure gave her increased stamina!

Struggling to climb my way over a fallen log, I get my body over and fall on the ground. I quickly locate Petalpaw and she's sitting next to a black and white tabby tom. I can smell the stench of blood and I scrunch my face. The cat is wreathing in pain and I can't help but feel really bad for him.

I pad forward closer and I begin to hear their conversation louder and louder.

"--has a wound above the left heel, as well as one on the neck. Do you have any knowledge of herbs?"

Twilight nods unconvincingly. Petalpaw seems to catch it, but goes on, "I need comfrey root, some cobwebs--I think there's a bunch in the tree stump where we met--and some dock leaves." When Twilight hesitates, she adds, "Large tangy leaves; got it?"

Twilight scampers off and Petalpaw turns to me. "I don't mean to boss you around, but can you press your paw over his neck wound?"

I pad over and locate the wound. I press my paw on it and the cat winces in response.

He twists his head to look at me. "What the..." he breathes. "What kind of cat are you?"

"Don't worry," I chirp, "I'm not an enemy!"

"I meant your pelt, mouse-brain," he growls.

I shrug it off. "It runs in the family. Hey!" I shout at him as he begins to roll back over. "Let's not just talk about me, what about you?"

He flinches as Petalpaw presses down on his heel. "Where to begin?" He says in annoyance.

"Well, how about your name silly!" I really hope my good mood will rub off on him; he's really grumpy!

"I'm Nightstripe," he says, struggling to speak. Before I can open my jaws and press further, he seems to predict my next question. "What else? Let's see: both my mate and my mother died while kitting, my father died in a fire before I was born, and my son fell off of a tree and broke his neck." Nightstripe coughs out blood and continues, "Any other questions for me?"

I'm a little taken back. He seems depressed! "Well, do you have any siblings?"

"No," Nightstripe responds simply. "I have no one." He weakly lifts his head and looks at Petalpaw tending to his wound on his leg. "Why can't you let me join StarClan already? Why can't you just let it be my time?"

StarClan is where cats go when they die, right? Wait, he can't want to die, can he? I've never dealt with this before! I've cheered up plenty of sad ponies, but I've never had to talk a pony out of death!

"Well," I say, thinking of a way to calm him down, "you have me!"

"What good are you?" Nightstripe growls. "I don't even know you!"

"Pinkie," Petalpaw says, "I need you to help me by his leg."

"One moment," I tell her. I focus back on Nightstripe. "Well, you don't just have me! You have your clan, right?"

"I guess," he grunts.

"Pinkie, I need your help now," Petalpaw orders.

"Yeah, hold on," I reply. "I'm thinking about joining your clan with my friends!"

He snorts with amusement. "Really? You? I'd love to see that; you couldn't get through a day of training, let alone hunting!"

"If you'd love to see it, why not hang on a little bit longer?"

He blinks, taken aback by the sense in my words. "I can't think straight," he says at last. "Could I get some food?"

"Sure!" I drag the squirrel I caught over to him.

"Pinkie, will you please stop chatting with him and--" She stops when she sees the squirrel. "Didn't we leave that in a clearing a while ago, Pinkie?"

"Petalpaw," I say in annoyance, "will you give me a moment?"

She stares at me, then goes off in the forest, mumbling something about cats not answering her questions.

"That's your name, huh?" Nightstripe asks. "Pinkie? I guess it's safe to assume that name's from your pelt?"

"No silly, It's from my tail!" He purrs at my joke and eats a bit of the squirrel. I take a bite myself, almost missing the rich taste as I focus on what to say next.

"I caught this you know," I meow. He blinks in surprise.

"Really? You?" I nod. My paw starts to get tired from pressing it on his neck for so long and I switch paws.

"Still thinking about death?" I ask the question casually, hoping to get a casual response that he doesn't have to think about.

"Not as much," Nightstripe admits, "but I still have little to live for."

"Isn't your clan enough?"

He looks at me and doesn't answer.

"Aren't I enough?" I surprise myself with the question and silence hangs in the air until I hear Petalpaw approaching.

"Sorry for that," she mumbles through a jaw full of cobwebs. "Twilight was taking too long."

She presses cobwebs over the leg wound that I realize is still bleeding. In fact, my paw isn't helping the bleeding much either. It seems he should be getting worse, not better. I guess he has more will to live now.

Petalpaw does the same with his neck and stops for a second. She seems to shrug it off as she helps Nightstripe up.

"Thanks," he tells Petalpaw.

Petalpaw nods in response as she perks her ears.

"I think I hear my name being called." Petalpaw ran off leaving me with Nightstripe.

He ducks his head. "I'm sorry for having you talk me out of death. That must have been hard."

I purr louder than I recall to have before. "You mean you're more confident about living now?"

"Yeah," he admits. "I'd better get back to camp."

He bounds off as I reflect on what I've done. I helped someone find a will to live! I'm a firm believer that a cat or pony only lives because they want to, and I also like to believe that I helped him want to continue living.

I pad in the direction that Nightstripe went as I imagine how good of friends we'll be if I join ShadowClan! We can hang out together, hunt together, play games together. His pelt blends in a lot better to the forest than mine, so he'll be a great hunting buddy! His pelt has really handsome colors, too! Now that I think about it, he actually has a really handsome pelt. And face. And ears. And tail. And--

I stop dead in my tracks as I catch my line of thinking.

"Am I..." I mew out loud. "Am I attracted to him?"