Every inch of Fluttershy’s body ached, which made sense as just she awoke to find herself on a forest’s floor. Slowly raising her sore body, she got a good look at her new location. Almost all of the trees were covered in a slick layer of moss making the roots and trunks a deep green color. A blanket of fog hung in the air making it impossible to see farther than a few feet around her. Oddly, despite waking up in a new place she felt at peace as if deep down she knew nothing would harm her here.

Fluttershy shivered rubbing her bare arms, the bright yellow sundress she wore didn’t exactly provide much in terms of warmth. Especially since she discovered that she somehow lost her shoes when arrived to this place. She slowly rose to her feet, struggling to not to slip on the roots.

In the distance Fluttershy heard a twig snap. Her gaze snapped towards the source of the noise, a young doe. This deer was unlike any she had seen in the books it had white fur. Her coat was like fresh snow on the first day of winter, completely pure untouched by other color. Even in the foggy setting, the doe’s coat seemed to glow. The doe stared unblinking at her, not moving an inch. Unconsciously, Fluttershy took a step closer to the deer to get a better look. The doe turned away from her and leaped away in opposite direction.

“W-wait!” Fluttershy shouted, taking off after her.

Fluttershy ran not caring what debris she stepped on. She had to catch it, she didn’t know why but she couldn’t be left behind. Branches tore in her dress and nicked her skin, but she continued running feeling the cold forest air chill her lungs. Every time she got closer to deer, it would always leap forward increasing her lead on Fluttershy.

“Wait! Please don’t leave me!” Fluttershy held her arm out trying to reach out for the deer.

The deer ignored her and continued its silent trek through the forest. Tears streamed down her face, her lungs burned from running and she had lost the sensation in her legs. Her vision began to darken until she could only make out the white outline of the deer amidst the darkness.

“I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE!!!”

Fluttershy shot up in her bed covered in a cold sweat. Her chest heaved quickly and her hands were slick from gripping the sheets. She ran a sweat covered hand through her slightly damp hair. Fluttershy brought her knees and rested her head on them, slowly rocking back and forth. It was just a dream her thoughts soothed. I’m safe, I’m safe. Was she though? Earlier this day, something that looked like her teacher tried to capture her. It knew her about her parents and called her “princess”. Was she really safe at home? What if it followed her? Can it change into anyone? How would she know who to trust? Are there more of them? Fluttershy felt her breathing quicken and become very shallow. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath counting the seconds before she exhaled.

This isn’t helping. I need to do this one step at a time. Panicking was only going to make things worse for her. First things first she had to tell her parents what happened. Fluttershy glanced out her window, Queen Celestia has already begun setting the sun and part of the sky was a deep blue. This meant her dad should be home and she could tell both of them at once.

Fluttershy went to the side of her bed and stood up. Hesitating for only a second she walked to her door and opened it.

“Please, there must be something else we can do.” a meek feminine voice begged. It was her mom, she sounded so close to tears.

“This is insane! It’s too early for her to leave, she’s only fifteen years old. She doesn’t even have her cutie mark yet for Faust’s sake.” a normally quiet male voice fumed. That was her dad but she had never heard him so angry before. Fluttershy walked softly heading to the stairs.

“I have my orders, sir.” an official sounding person answered curtly.

“If she were to stay here any longer, she would hunted down and killed. The Academy will both protect and teach her.” Fluttershy’s blood ran cold.

She stood frozen on the stairs. Her mother started crying, while her father arguing with the voice. They were talking about her, her life was in danger. It broke her heart not only hearing her mother cry but her father fighting so hard on her behalf. She sunk low on the stairs and tears streaked silently down her cheeks.

Eventually, the living room grew silent. An eerie and uncomfortable silence, only broken by her mother’s voice.

“Zephyr...please go wake up your sister.” her voice was shaking and barely audible but everyone in the house heard her.

Fluttershy listened the slow footsteps of her young brother until he appeared at the bottom of stairs. The siblings stared at each other neither one of them breaking the gaze. He turned to their parents and nodded to the top of stairs. Using the wall for support Fluttershy stood up and made her way into the living room. Her mother sat on the couch, clutching tissues in shaking hands her puffy eyes fixed on her daughter. Her father stood in center of room in front of a tall royal guard.

The guard was stern and built no doubt from years of service to the kingdom. His wings were covered with immaculate white feathers preened to perfection and his blonde hair was messy from his golden helmet. His eyes were a bright blue, the standard color for soldiers. All the lower soldiers of the royal guard had to change their eye color to standard blue. In the past, it was meant to make them all look the same to ensure enemies of Magicka never learned who the soldiers were. However, in modern times as the three races intermarried, the soldiers came in all kinds of skin colors. The tradition continued as a rite of passage.

With all of his professionalism, Fluttershy saw a twinge of sympathy as she came down the stairs. It came as a bit of reassurance that the guards were not the inhuman, unfeeling creatures they were portrayed as on television. She turned her attention back to her parents

“Fluttershy,” her father sighed, looking to his wife “you have to...”

“I know. I heard from the stairs.” Fluttershy couldn’t look them in eyes, it hurt too much.

Her mother jumped from the couch and pulled her daughter into a hug. Any restraint on her tears went out the window and Fluttershy began wept openly. Posey held her daughter and, despite her being much shorter, supported her fully. She apologized too many times to count. Fluttershy’s father and brother joined in the embrace and entire the Shy family cried in each other’s arms. After what seemed like an eternity, Posey broke apart the hug.

“I’ll go pack your things. We don’t know how long you’ll be gone.” Fluttershy nodded and let go of her mother, immediately feeling cold.

Fluttershy stared unblinking at the wall. The guard had begun explaining why she had to leave but his words were like white noise to her. Eventually he realized the teen wasn’t listening to him and decided to hold off on his explanation. Everyone stood up once Posey walked down the stairs, she was carrying a suitcase and Fluttershy’s light green over the shoulder bag. Her entire life fit into one suitcase and a bag. Walking without thinking, Fluttershy grabbed the bag, carefully putting the strap between her wings, and the suitcase.

Fluttershy’s dad walked to the door and held it open for the two. The guard left first, giving the family time to say final goodbyes. Zephyr ran up and hugged his sister, she felt his hot tears drip onto her shoulders. They felt like acid burning into her skin but Fluttershy fully reciprocated the hug. Cumulus gave a hug and kiss to his daughter’s damp cheeks, he gave her a smile not wanting the last thing she saw was her father crying. Fluttershy tried to smile naturally, but it looked pained and forced. Posey placed an reassuring hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“I’ll see you...later.” Fluttershy didn’t want to say goodbye. It had such a final connotation, even if it sounded weird “see you later” was of a less bitter pill to swallow.

Despite her being the one to cry first, Posey was the only one to speak.

“We’ll see you later, honey.” was her goodbye.

Fluttershy got inside placing her bags onto the back seat of the black carriage, the standard issue for carrying civilians, and closed the door. The soldier climbed into the front seat and started the magical engine. In the past, carriages were seen as a privilege for the extremely wealthy and did little more than flaunt that the owner could afford to “employ” Gaians or the occasional Skyling to pull them around. Some even used whips to “encourage” Gaians to move faster. As soon as Queen Celestia came into power, she ensured that anyone who used Gaians to pull carriages would be jailed for a hate crime. Nowadays they run on magic and could be enchanted to fly into Skyling cities, but they remain as ugly blot on Magicka’s history.

Fluttershy stared out of the tinted window watching her family hugging each other. She could tell by the way her mother’s shoulder were shaking that she was crying and her father was only holding back by a thread. As if torturing her, the guard took his time before finally pulling off. Fluttershy reached into her bag and found her phone and earphones.

“While you’re at the Academy I’m going to ask you not to talk to anyone from the outside.” the guard watched her the rear-view mirror, his blue eyes pierced into hers.

“Can I trust not to do that or I am going to have take it?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“Good.” His eyes went back to the road.

Fluttershy put in her earphones or she liked to call them a modern version of a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. She didn’t even play music, she just wanted to avoid conversation as much as possible. The night sky sat peacefully shining a seemingly infinite amount of twinkling stars. Fluttershy frowned, this night couldn’t even bother to rain or show any imperfections. Instead the moon shone proudly in sky, the only thing even close to blemish was a dark shadow on the surface and even that seemed to resembled the profile of a woman. As if even at its worst, the night was too beautiful and tranquil to even bother with the qualms of teenage girl leaving home.

Fluttershy played instrumental music just to fill the empty air but sat the entire trip in a solemn silence.

On the outskirts of Magicka

Seated on an ancient sable throne accented with fluorescent greens was a Queen. But she was no spoon-fed little royal coddled from youth to be handed the throne. No, she earned it this black, spiked crown that sat comfortably amongst her dark cerulean hair and no one in the Hive dared to disagree. The Queen had dark brown skin complimented with her cold harlequin green eyes. She wore deep ebony sleeved dress accented with blue with a generous amount of cleavage and a bright emerald green corset. Even though she was a royal, she despised idleness, even now she was communing with the generals of her army to be positioned in optimal places in her enemy’s kingdom. Even the great Sun Goddess had blind spots in her immortal watch.

Her pointed ears quirked to the sounds of humming wings in the cavernous halls of the Hive. We will continue this conversation later,Commander. Of course, my Queen. She cut off the link and turned her attention to her drone. He was pitiful to say the least. His wings were torn even by the standards for their kind, his dark brown skin was covered in dirt, blood, and heavens knows what else, and most pathetic of all he was on his knees sobbing like a newborn grub. She rolled her eyes, besides idleness she hated when people would let their emotions take over completely it made her job so much harder.

“Your report, Fang?” the Queen commanded, already knowing the answer based on his mewling.

“Forgive my Queen, I-i-i-i di-d-d-d my best! I—“

“Quit your blubbering, you cur!” she hissed exposing her fangs.

The drone mouth snapped shut. Tears streaming down his cheeks and his entire body shook in absolute terror.

The Queen rose from her great throne and made her way down the marble stairs to the floor of her throne room. Her face was cold and unreadable not that the drone even dare look her in the eye. Her heels clicked down the stairs, echoing as they were the only sound in the great hive.

“Now, your report? Where you successful in apprehending the little princess?” the Queen spat like very word left a sour taste in her mouth.

The drone didn’t answer but the Queen could feel the waves of fear oozing from his pores. Feeding on emotion made their species especially great at sensing it. She continued slow walk her heels still clicking the floor. The drone lifted his blue pupilless eyes only to be greeted by the Queen in all her glory. She was tall even from the perspective of the kneeling drone, her height was last measured at a good 7 feet.

“Please my Queen, I can still be useful...” his begging was interrupted by heeled boot to the teeth.

Blood and chips of teeth went flying as the drone fell back into the floor. He gurgled on his blood and howled out in agony.

“I beg of you don’t...” the Queen stamped her foot onto his throat.

He gurgled, choking on the pressure and the blood in his throat. The drone’s eyes went wide with panic and began desperately clawing at her foot. The Queen’s stared coldly into his eyes, watching him squirm and thrash about.

A wicked smile spread to her lips. “Hmm, what’s that? Fang darling, you have to speak up now.”

The drone’s body went continued convulsing before suddenly going limp, his eyes still frozen wide open. She stepped harder until she heard a sickening crunch. Not missing a beat she turned back to her throne.

“Clean up this mess and get me a new pair of shoes. This ones are completely ruined.” the Queen called over her shoulder.

Three drones appeared from the ever-changing halls of the Hive. Two picked up the body and carted it off to be disposed outside while the other one began scrubbing the blood off the inky gray floor. The Queen sat back on her throne and crossed her legs with fresh blood still dripping from her black glass heels. This was how a ruler stayed in power; not a little fancy name, not some great bloodline, not age. But having the conviction to make your actions match your words.

Queen Chrysalis had earned her throne and she planned on keeping it. She wasn’t going to let some grub from a long dead hive to take what belonged to her in first place. She chuckled imagining how that the “princess” would grovel at her feet all too soon.

Author's Note

This is my first time ever writing violence let me if it’s paced weird or just plain awful (I rated the story teen just in case it’s too much for some people). You probably noticed but I really pushed forward the time someone gets their cutie mark. Think of it like puberty, some people are just late bloomers. When you think about it discovering your purpose in life takes a much longer time than does in the show and some people never really find it until their forties. I think that’s my biggest fear, at 20 years old a lot people are expecting me to have my life together when like a few years ago I was asking to go to bathroom. Anyway for reference the ages of the girls; AJ and Rarity are the oldest at 16, Rainbow and Fluttershy are both 15 and Pinkie and Twilight are the youngest at 14, despite the gaps in age they’re all in the grade at school. Thanks for reading .