A Shy Warrior (Built Upon Dreams, Paid in Blood)

“Are you sure, what if the ponies in town hurt her feelings, what if she gets lost? What if…!” A kiss silences Posey’s woes.

Breaking the kiss, Sun-Loch looks into her eyes, caressing her cheeks with his right hand. “Now dear, she’ll be fine. Besides she needs to see the world, I think taking her to town during the farmers’ market will be a good experience for her.” He loads up a sign in the bed of the putter-wagon.

“But she’s barely been to town… You remember what the ponies thought of our marriage, your parents!” Posey holds her son close to her chest.

“Sweetie, I know that, but that’s only a small percentage of the city’s population.” He lifts the backend of the putter-wagon, shutting it. “Honestly I could care less what those ponies think of our daughter.”

“But she’s a halfling?” Posey looks down at her son. “All of our children are halflings….”

Sun-Loch sighs and places a hand under her chin. “Not all earth ponies are displeasing of halflings. I know this war has soured some opinions of other races, but as long as we stay patriotic and loyal to Earthen, they won’t fuss over us.” Posey sighs, resting her head on his shoulder. He hums, scratching the back of her neck.

“I’m ready!” Fluttershy sings, running up to the putter-wagon. She wears a light blue jacket over her white dress. Her bonnet flops with her movements as well as her bunny doll. Her pink tail is braided with a small green bow at the end of the braid. “I can’t believe I’m going to town!” She cheers skipping up to her parents.

Posey smiles at her daughter. “You seem very excited.”

“Uh yeah, I barely get to go into town… And… And, it will be fun!” Her wings flutter from excitement.

“Well, we can’t go into town until you say goodbye to your Ma and brother.” Sun-Loch comments, getting into the driver seat of the putter-wagon.

Fluttershy hugs her mother’s leg and kisses her brother on the forehead. “Bye Ma! Bye brother!” She crawls onto the passenger seat the putter-wagon.

“You be safe and obey your Pa, you hear,” Posey states, stepping back from the vehicle, watching her husband start the putter-wagon.

“I will Ma!” Fluttershy huffs. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” She turns to her father.

He smiles. “Hush now, relax, we have plenty of time.” He shifts the wagon into drive and waves goodbye to his wife and son. “See you around five o’clock!” The putter-wagon rolls along the ground at a steady pace as he turns it onto the road leading into town.

As the putter-wagon hums along the road, Fluttershy keeps her gaze on their home port city of Cameroon that’s off in the distance. Birds fly high in the air. The winds are calm, the day is a good day to be out in about.

With a huff, she looks to her left, past her father at the Everfree forest. Eyeing a massive towering tree in the middle of the woods, its branches hanging mighty over the tree line. With a hum, she turns her bunny doll’s head to face the tree. “Look Mr. Angel Bunny, that tree is huge!” The doll’s black orbs glare at the tree with a dull expression.

Sun-Loch looks at his daughter with a smirk. “Are you two looking at that tree over there?” He asks. Fluttershy looks at her father and gives him a nod. “Well sweetheart,” He begins. “that tree out there is called ‘The King of None.’”

Fluttershy looks at her father with a curious gaze. “Why is it called that?” She holds her doll close to her chest.

Sun-Loch smiles. “Well many years ago, about three hundred years, a commander named Geyser held off the armies of Dirt during the battle of Earthen independence at the base of that tree. The final battle that determined our country’s fate.”

“Did he win?” She asks.

He looks down with a chuckle and scratches her back. “Of course, silly, if we lost that battle we’ll still be under Dirt’s rule.” He turns his gaze back to the road. “Won us our freedoms…” He tightens his grip on the steering wheel. ‘Ones that we’ll lose if we don’t end this war soon…’ He thinks to himself, staring at the road.

Fluttershy ponders her father’s expression, but not understanding it, she turns her attention back to the silhouette of her hometown. She can make out the five-story buildings mixed in with the four, three, two and one-story buildings. Numerous ships lay resting at the docks, their smokestacks,and sails blocking the horizon of the sea. The chimneys of the factories and warehouses that hug the harbor spew out black smoke. The distance sounds of the city’s busyness echo softly in her ears.

Excitement brews within Fluttershy, she can’t remember the last time she’s been in the city. The suspense of the unknowns is killing her. She looks at her father with a big smile. “You excited?” He asks.

“Yes! I can’t wait to help you sell the wheat we harvested!”

Fluttershy stands as close to her father as possible. Her eyes stare in awe and horror at all the strange sentient creatures that mull about the market.

Sure, she sees the familiar shapes of earth ponies who call the city home, but she also stares at buffalos, griffins, tabby cats, humans and minitours. She even sees a few rogue pegasi, unicorn and bat pony pirates and traders walking about. But her fascination is drawn to the halfling creatures among the crowds. They seem strange to her, almost alien, one of the halflings catches her attention, it’s a human female, her lower half is that of a pony as well as her ears.

“Hello?” A deep voice calls out, startling her. Fluttershy looks up and sees a griffin male towering over her. His eyes are golden-brown, his beak is broad and its tip sharp. His stature is two heads taller than her father’s. “Well hello, their little filly.” He speaks in a Russian sounding accent.

Fluttershy cowers behind her father.

“Sorry about that,” Sun-Loch states, looking down at his daughter. “She’s shy around new folk.” He pats her head.

“Ah, no worries, my daughter is the same way…” He lays one of his talons on the countertop of the stall. “So how many sheaves of wheat will forty-five griff-dolts give me?” He shows him the coins.

Sun-Loch looks down at the coins, pulling out a sheet from his chests pocket. “Well… let's see?” He skims the lettering on the page. While her father mumbles to himself, Fluttershy keeps her eyes on the griffin, studying him. “Ah yes, that will give you nineteen and a half sheaves, but for you, I’ll round it up.”

The griffin smiles. “Well, how about that, let me bring my cart over…” He leaves the stall, walking through the crowd. A few short seconds later he comes back and pulls the cart up to Sun-Loch’s putter-wagon.

Fluttershy watches them load up the cart from behind the stall’s counter.

“Well, that’s twenty sheaves, my friend.” Sun-Loch hums.

“And that’s forty-five griff-dolts for you.” The griffin smiles handing him the coins. Sun-Loch tilts his head as he gets behind his counter. The griffin turns his attention and smiles at Fluttershy. “You be good for your father filly.” He pulls his cart, disappearing into the crowds. Fluttershy tries to look for him, but not being able to make him out in the dense crowds, she sighs and lays her head on the counter.

Noticing her sad expression, Sun-Loch places his head next to hers. “You alright sweetheart?”

“No… I didn’t say hi… I’m too shy…” She wipes her tears away. “I want to sell some wheat!”

Sun-Loch chuckles moving her bangs from her eyes. “I’ll let you get the next one.” He kneels down, pinching her cheek playfully. “I know you can do it!” Noticing an earth pony mare approaching his stall, he stands up and offers his daughter the floor. “All yours.”

Timidly she steps up, noticing the mare approaching their stall. “Um…” She calls out.

The mare looks down at her with a flat lipped stare, raising her right brow. “Um, hello…” She looks at her father. “Is this your little one?”

“Yes.” Sun-Loch smiles. “Why don’t you say hello?”He pats his daughter on the back.

Fluttershy taps her index fingers together. “Uh… Hello Ma’am.” The mare stares with a monotone expression. Mustering up some courage, Fluttershy clears her throat. “Do… you want to buy some wheat?”

The mare huffs. “I would like three sheaves of wheat please.” She looks at Sun-Loch, ignoring the filly.

Sun-Loch’s smile disappears. Gritting his teeth, he takes a deep breath and walks up to his truck picking up the amount of wheat asked. “That will be thirty-five tokes.” Sun-Loch comments.

“What!?” The mare gives a frown. “Why in the hell did you raise the price! You’re selling three for the price of ten tokes!” She growls.

Sun-Loch gives the mare a stern glare. “Well, there is a sales tax for ponies like you.”

The mare snorts. “You’re a sexist pig!” She storms off heading back into the crowd.

With the mare gone, Sun-Loch huffs and sets the sheaves back in his wagon. Fluttershy stares at the spot where the mare disappeared into the crowd. “Why was she mad at you Pa?” She asks.

He gives her a sigh. “Some ponies get up on the wrong side of the bed.” Fluttershy frowns a bit and lays her head on the countertop once more. Seeing her sour mood, Sun-Loch kneels down next to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing Pa… Just watching different people…” Her cyan eyes stare sadly at the crowds.

“And what about them interests you?” He counts the sheaves.

“How most of them don’t have wings like Ma and I.” She huffs, looking at her father. “Pa?”

“Yes, sweetie?” He looks down at her.

“Am I a mutation?” She asks.

He frowns. “Why would you ask that?”

“Well… most of the people in town are giving me funny looks…” She points to a human pony halfling across the way next to a glassware store. “And um… creatures like him!”

Sun-Loch sighs, kneeling down beside her once more. “Well, you and others like you are seen as different from the rest.” He sees her tears. “That difference though makes you special.” He wipes them away. Fluttershy smiles. Smiling, he gets up and walks over to the driver side door of his putter-wagon. “I know standing here with me can, and will get boring for you.” He points at her with a smirk. She giggles at his expression.

“It's not that boring!” She retorts.

“Oh, trust me it gets boring.” He hands her some tokes. “Why don’t you stretch your legs and walk around the town for a bit.”

“By myself?” She asks, pointing at herself.

“Yeah, why not, you’ll be fine, shoot when I was your age I wandered these streets all the time.” He pats her head. “With them tokes you can by yourself a snack.”

Fluttershy’s ears perk up. “What kind of snacks?”

“Well, there is a candy called, cotton candy.” He hums, leaning on the countertop.

“What’s that?” She tilts her head in wonder. “And why would someone eat cotton?”

He chuckles, running his hand through his mane. “Fluttershy is not actually cotton, it just looks and feels like it. It's just a ball of airy-sugar that melts in your mouth.”

“Really?” She squeaks.

“Really!” He repeats, poking her snout playfully.

Fluttershy giggles, stepping away from her father. Her laughter dies down however as she looks over her shoulder at the crowds. “Well… I guess I’ll go…”

“Well, what are you waiting for, get going… Oh!” He clutches his chest. “Fluttershy! Please bring me some cotton candy!” He lays on his stall’s countertop dramatically. Passersby’s look on with mild interest. “I need sugar! Hurry before it’s too late!”

Fluttershy giggles. “Ok, Pa!” She runs off into the crowds in search for the treat.

Sun-loch watches his daughter fade into the crowds. “Be safe… and make some friends sweetie.”

Walking through the streets of Cameroon, Fluttershy stares at the tall brick buildings in awe. Putter-cars and putter-wagons roll on past her, their fumes assaulting her nose. She covers her snout, trying to calm her stomach from the harsh fumes as she wanders closer to the buildings.

A savory smell washes over her senses. Stopping in her tracks, she looks into the store through the window and sees an earth pony making flatbread covered in garlic butter, salty dry cheese, andfried onions. She licks her lips, watching him cut up the bread into thin slices. Feeling hungry, she walks into the store.

The bell rings, alerting the baker and patrons of the store of her entrance. Some watch her wander up to the counter with flat stares or frowns. Blushing she tries hiding behind her bangs and the crown of her bonnet. “Um… Hello Mister?” She looks up at the baker.

“Yes, little one?” He looks down at her with a smile.

“Can I have one of those… um, bread slices?” She points at the flatbread. “They look yummy.”

The baker smiles. “That will be four tokes?” He hands her the slice of bread.

With a smile, Fluttershy hands him four tokes. With a hum, she takes a bite. Enjoying the taste, she nods. “Thank you, mister.” She heads out of the store. The baker nods with a wave and returns to his work.

Stepping out of the store she walks further down the streets towards the docks.

Hearing a multitude of giggles, Fluttershy looks up from her snack and sees a group of earth pony fillies and colts running towards her. She smiles at them as she watches them run past her towards the docks. Their delightful cheers gracing her ears brings a warm feeling to her. Seeing them turn the corner, she follows after them.

Peeking around the corner, Fluttershy watches the children climb onto a docked ship, playing a game of pirates. It looks fun to her. “What do you think Mr. Angel Bunny?” She holds her doll out in front of her. Its black beady eyes stare at her blankly. Looking back at the children she frowns. ‘I want to play… Maybe I can ask?’ She slowly walks over to the group.

As she nears them, a small filly sees her and announces her approach. The children turn their attention to her, staring at her shaking wings. A brown-furred colt, with a maroon colored mane and tail, stares at Fluttershy with his amber eyes. Seeing her standing at the ship’s loading ramp, he gives her a sly smirk. “What do you want?” He asks.

“Um…” Fluttershy mumbles. “I was wondering if I could um…” She scrapes her right hoof along the gravel.

Frowning, the colt jumps down from his perch and walks up to her. “Wondering what?” He asks in a harsh tone.

He towers over her. Nervous, she holds her doll closer to her chest. “I was wondering if I could play… with you?” She responds.

The colt laughs, causing her to flinch. “Really!?” He puts his hand to her forehead. “You? Play with us!” He pushes her head back, causing her to stumble back. “Do you even know how to play pirates?”

Tears form in her eyes. “Yes…” Fluttershy nods.

The children laugh at her.

“Wait! Aren’t you that filly that lives on that wheat farm just north of the city?” The colt stares at her with a questioning glare.

“Um…” Fluttershy feels her cheeks blush.

“You are!” The colt laughs with the rest of his posse. “You’re that winged halfling freak my Ma and Pa told me about!” He pokes her forehead with his index and middle finger.

Tears roll down her cheeks. “I’m not a freak!” She sobs.

“But you’re a halfling! Halflings are not natural!” He laughs shoving her some more.

“But… I’m not a freak!... AH!” The colt pushes her to the ground, causing her to drop her doll. “Why?!” She looks up at him in tears. “All Mr. Angel Bunny and I wanted to do, is play with you…”

The colt waves his hand dismissively. “Pffth, Whatever… You still play with dolls!?” He looks down at the bunny. “HA! He’s your only friend? HA!” He laughs. The rest of the children taunt her with a chant.

Smirking he picks up the doll. “What are you doing?!” Fluttershy shouts in fear.

“Getting rid of your only friend!...”

“YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!” A squeaky southern accent shouts over the docks.

The colt, his posse, and Fluttershy look towards the road and sees a freckled orange furred earth pony filly, with a braided blonde mane and tail, staring at them with stern green eyes. Her red dress and the crown of her bonnet flaps with the soft breeze blowing over the docks.

“Why should I?!” The colt growls.

Fluttershy watches as the filly approaches.

“Because it’s not nice!” The filly huffs, getting in the colt’s face. The colt growls and raises his left hand, making a fist. “You’re going to hit a filly?” She asks, giving him a smug grin.

The colt frowns. “Yeah, I am!” He swings at her.

Dodging the hit, the filly punches him in the face. His friends gasp as they watch him fall to the ground with a thud. The colt grabs his snout, tears flooding his eyes as he stares up at filly in fear. The filly looks down at him with a menacing frown. “Now you leave her alone!” The colt nods and scampers back to his group with his tail tucked in-between his legs.

Smiling at her work, the filly looks down at Fluttershy and offers her a hand. Timidly Fluttershy accepts the offer and stands back on her feet as she grabs her doll. “Thanks for saving us.” She states, showing her doll to the filly.

The filly smiles. “No problem!” She puts her hands on her hips. “The names Applejack!” She giggles at herself.

Fluttershy giggles and copies her. “The names Fluttershy!”

They giggle at their antics. “So whatcha doing out here, by your lonesome?” Applejack asks, tilting her head to the side.

Fluttershy blushes. “Well I was looking for something, then I saw them playing and… well…”

“What were you looking for?” Applejack tilts her head to her left.

Fluttershy puts her doll up to her face. “Cotton candy…” She sighs. “I don’t know where it is.”

A broad smile comes to Applejack’s lips. With a giggle, she grabs Fluttershy by the hand and leads her back to the street. “I know where we can find cotton candy!” She proclaims.

“You do?” Fluttershy squeaks.

“Yeah, I do!” She looks back at the pegasus filly. “Come on!”

A moan of delight leaves Fluttershy. Nothing has ever wowed her this much before. The cotton candy she holds in her hands is the softest thing she has ever tasted. The sugar coating her lips sends a shiver down her spine. Looking over at Applejack, watching her enjoying her own cotton candy, she gives a smirk.

Seeing Fluttershy looking at her, she swallows her bite. “So, do you like it?” Applejack asks. Fluttershy shakes her head. “I knew yer would…” She twirls the cotton candy stick with her fingers. “How old are you?”

Fluttershy looks down at her hooves that dangle over the dock’s edge. “I’m six… you?”

Applejack takes a bite. “I’m seven, and mah brothers eleven!” She talks as she chews. “Do you have any siblings?”

Fluttershy nods. “Yes, a one-year-old brother.”

Applejack taps her chin. “Um… I know this is like really soon… But um… Do you…” She swings her legs, her tail laying over her lap. “You want to be friends?”

Fluttershy’s cheeks blush. “You don’t think I’m a freak?” She flaps her wings.

Applejack shakes her head. “Nope, I have a cousin that’s half unicorn.” She takes another bite of her candy. “Besides I think they're cool, I sometimes wish I could fly like griffins, dragons, and pegasi.”

A smile comes to her lips. “Then yes, I’ll be your friend!” Fluttershy giggles. “I always wanted a friend!”

Applejack smiles and drags Fluttershy into a hug. “YAY! I finally made a friend!”

Fluttershy gives a puzzling look. “Wait!? You don’t have any friends?”

Applejack releases her and looks at her lap in embarrassment. “Well… no… not best friends… Can we be best friends?” She fidgets with her fingers.

Fluttershy gives the biggest smile she can muster and hugs her new best friend. Both of them giving squeaks of joy. The sounds of dull splashes grace their ears, interrupting their embrace. Looking over the edge of the dock, they see their cotton candy dissolving in the ocean water below.

“Oops…” They both say in unison. Looking at each other with gaping mouths, they giggle at their own expressions.

“Looks like we’re gonna have to buy some more?” Applejack sighs, looking at the paper sticks that once held their treats.

“Yep.” Fluttershy quips.

Fluttershy and Applejack walk along the main street of Cameroon, piecing on their newly bought cotton candies. Their tails flick with their movements as they weave in and out of the crowds.

“Hey, Fluttershy?” Applejack chirps.

“Yeah?” Fluttershy looks over at her friend.

“Um… Do you want to come over to my house for a sleepover tonight?” She asks with a sheepish smile.

“Sleepover, what’s that?”

Applejack stops in her tracks and stares at her friend wide-eyed. “You never heard of a sleepover?!” She asks with a gasp.

“No…” Fluttershy mumbles.

Applejack gets all giddy and paces around her friend in a circle. “It’s when you invite your friend or friends to yer house, and you do all sorts of fun stuff, like tag, hide n’ seek, ghost stories, pillow fights and, and a whole bunch of other fun stuff!” Her walk slows as she comes to a stop in front of her friend. “Or that’s what I’ve heard…” She kicks the ground. “I always wanted to have a sleepover…”

Fluttershy begins to feel giddy herself. “That sounds like fun!” She jumps up n’ down in place. “Let’s do it!”

“Aw shoot! Really?” Fluttershy gives her a nod. “Oh, I can’t wait, let's go ask our Pas!” Applejack cheers, grabbing her hand.

Seeing her father in the distance, Fluttershy feels butterflies forming in her stomach as she nears. She notices a tall, muscular red colored stallion with a dark-chocolate colored mane and tail, wearing a brown Stetson and blue-jean overalls and a plaid polo-shirt, talking to her father.

“Hello, Papa!” Applejack sings, running up to the stallion. Fluttershy watches as her friend jumps onto her father’s legs, giving him a hug. “Papa! Papa! I’ve made a friend!” She giggles, looking up at her father with a broad smile.

“You did, who is it sugar cube?” The stallion asks.

“Her! Her name is Fluttershy!” Applejack points at the pegasus in question.

Fluttershy shyly waves as she steps up to her father. Sun-Loch proudly smiles at hisdaughter, placing a hand on her head. “So, what did you and your friend do today?”

“Well…” She looks up at her father. “We ate a lot of cotton candy.”

“That explains my daughter’s hyper-ness…” The stallion chuckles.

“Oh! And I saved her from some bullies!” Applejack hangs on her father’s left leg.

He chuckles once again, rustling her bonnet and mane. “Well shoot little missy, I bet you taught them a lesson?”

“Yeah! Fluttershy and I are best friends now!”

He smiles as he turns his attention to Sun-Loch. “Well shoot mister… uh?”

“Son-Loch.” He gives him a hand.

The stallion takes it. “I’m glad my daughter has made friends with yours.”

“I’m glad as well…”

“Core Seed.” He replies with a smile.

“Well Core Seed, I’m just glad she’s made a friend, she’s been really lonely at the farm.” He nods at her wings. “Most folks find her, well, you know.”

Core Seed waves a hand. “Ah shoot, them wings of hers don’t bother me, I have a brother who married a unicorn and a cousin who married a tabby cat.” He looks down at Fluttershy and gives her a smile. “We Apple folk at least in these necks of the woods don’t care what race or species you are, as long as you got’s a good heart.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.” He pats his daughter on the head. “Your family is welcome to come by if you want for dinner one of these days.”

“That’s a mighty fine offer, and I extend the same offer to you.”

As their fathers speak to one another, both Fluttershy and Applejack give each other smiles and silent nods. “Pa?” They both ask in unison.

Both stallions look down at their daughter, in bewilderment.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Yeah, sugar cube?”

“Can Fluttershy spend the night tonight!” Applejack asks jumping up n’ down.

“Can I?” Fluttershy whines, sticking out her bottom lip.

Both stallions stare at their daughters in confusion. They have pulled off a double whammy, a sneaky attack, cornering them in their trap. “Well, I don’t know…” Sun-Loch mumbles. Both of them are lost for words as they mull over their daughters’ pleas. As fathers of small little fillies, they wanted to spoil them, but there is an obstacle they have to face.

“I don’t know, we’re gonna have to ask your mother.” Core Seed states, earning whines from his daughter.

“But I want to have a sleepover with my new best friend!” Applejack huffs, crossing her arms.

“Oh…” Fluttershy feels defeated when she sees her father’s expression.

Both stallions look at their daughters with pained expressions. One thing that’s for sure, fathers’ hate seeing their daughters cry. Taking a deep breath, both stallions give their children a smile.

“I guess it’s alright…” Core Seed pats Applejack’s head. “You can have your friend over for a sleepover…”

“YAY!” Both fillies cheer, skipping with one another.

Sun-Loch looks at the fillies with a smile, watching them plan out their night of fun. “We’re just going to have to pack an overnight bag when we get home.” He looks at Core Seed. “Where do you live, I can drop her off.”

“Oh, just up the ways, that away.” Core Seed points over his shoulder. “But I don’t mind making a trip to your place and just taking her back to my place.”

“Well then, sounds like a plan.”