Fluttershy and the Hunt for the Sapphire Water Lily
Fluttershy and the Hunt for the Sapphire Water Lily
It had been a busy day and Fluttershy was way behind schedule. She didn’t really keep a strict schedule, not like her friend Twilight. She was definitely behind though. In her defense, Winter Wrap-up was right around the corner and she was behind on supplies. She had skipped lunch just to keep up with all the extra work. She might be able to enjoy an early dinner once she could finish collecting sticks for the new bird nests.
“Goodness, this is sure a bunch of work, but it’ll be worth it to see all the birds so happy”. Both sides of her saddlebag were almost full with sticks. There was a sudden snap behind her. She shrieked and hid behind the nearest tree. “Wh-who’s there,” she asked barely peaking out.
“Fluttershy, I am sorry my dear, I forgot you startle when others come near”.
The familiar voice prompted Fluttershy to poke her head the rest of the way out. “Z-zecora? Is that you?”
“Of course it me, turn your head left and you will see”.
Sure enough, as Fluttershy looked left around the tree trunk, there stood her zebra friend in her brown cloak. “Oh my Zecora! I’m so sorry to have run away from you like that, it’s just the when you stepped on the stick it scared me and,”
Zecora collapsed slightly. “Fluttershy, the truth I will not undersell,” she paused trying to stand back up. Even under her dark hood, Fluttershy could see she was sweating profusely. Zecora finally regained her composure and finish her rhyme, looking gravely at Fluttershy, “I am not well”, and with that Zecora fainted.
“Zecora!” Fluttershy dropped her saddlebag and raced Zecora into her cottage. She quickly had Zecora in her own bed. “Oh my Zecora, what’s wrong with you?” Fluttershy felt Zecora’s forehead which was clammy and drenched in sweat. Fluttershy put another blanket on top of Zecora and got a cup of water, putting it on the nightstand. “Oh no Fluttershy, you’re out of your league. I better go get nurse Red Heart, hang on Zecora I’ll be right back”. She figured she wouldn’t need a coat for the short trip so she trotted straight toward the door.
“Fluttershy…” came the weak and raspy voice of Zecora, “if you go to her… I will die.”
“What do you mean you will die? Nurse Red Heart is your best chance”.
“I cannot be help by that filly… only hope is… Sapphire Water Lily”.
“Sapphire Water Lily? I’ve never heard of that before, how’s it supposed to help?”
“It is said to… magically heal… any illness, but… of these claims… I have not bared witness”.
“Where can I find one? I don’t think Rose grows them does she?”
“Into the Everfree Forest… you must to go… in the ancient castle… a garden pond… below”.
“How do you know all this?”
“I was reading it when… chased from my home… Timberwolves on the roam”.
“T-timberwolves?”
“Fluttershy… three hours can I last… please… get back fast”. And with that Zecora passed out again, appearing to fall into a deep sleep.
Fluttershy flew from her home with all the speed she could muster, stopping at the edge of the Everfree Forest. She had been in there only a few times despite living on the edge of it. She thought about flying over it so she wouldn’t have to go through it, but the only time she had ever been to the ancient castle was when Nightmare Moon had returned. If she flew over it she’d miss key land marks that would help her find the place. She would have to travel through the Everfree forest.
After almost an hour of flying Fluttershy finally made it to the decrepit old castle. The flight through the forest had been surprisingly uneventful. She hadn’t seen any animals or monsters, which she was more than okay with since Zecora had mention Timberwolves. She knew there was nothing to fear from the Manticore, and she doubted the Cockatrice would ever try anything again, but Timberwolves travelled in packs and she wasn’t sure how she’d handle that.
Fluttershy walked up the staircase to the prehistoric fortress very timidly. It seemed even creepier during the daytime, than it had in Nightmare Moon’s short lived ‘eternal night’. The sun was getting low and the long evening shadows seemed to move and sometimes stalk her as she searched the place for a way to a basement area. Finally she found it, hidden deep within the corridors of the ancient bastion. In the heart of the castle was a well disguised staircase.
Fluttershy descended the stairs and was greeted by a long hallway the seemed to stretch to eternity. She had no choice though; this was her best and only option. Fluttershy gave a brisk trot down the passage, feeling her fatigue starting to catch up with. She knew she had to save her energy. After about five minute she saw a faint light blue glow in front of her. She couldn’t help herself, knowing she was so close, and quickened her pace.
Fluttershy stopped when the hallway did. The room she was in was radiated by a magnificent blue aura that emanated from directly in front of her. She walked slowly to the steps of a massive platform. It was easily twice as tall as her. She climbed the steps cautiously; Rainbow Dash had said before that the treasure room in every dungeon was booby trapped. In retrospect, she may just have been talking about a Daring Doo book. Fluttershy reached the final step and gazed at the perfectly still pool before her.
There it sat. The one last remaining Sapphire Water Lily, floating perfectly centered in the pool. “It’s beautiful,” Fluttershy said aloud. She continued staring for a moment before finally remembering why she had come here in the first place. She flapped her wings softly, flying out over the water. She stopped over the Sapphire Water Lily and admired its great beauty up close for a moment. She gentle took hold of the flower, lifted it from the water and looked around, waiting for something to happen. Nothing ever did. ‘I guess Rainbow Dash was wrong about every treasure being connected to a trap,’ she thought.
She had what she came for now, and time was of the essence. She estimated that she had less than an hour left. She flew down the long corridor her way now being illuminate by the magical flower in her hooves. She flew up the stairs and down several hallways only becoming slightly lost. Finally she found the room that lead to the stairs exiting the castle. She was so excited to be getting out of the place she almost didn’t hear the growling.
There guarding the exit was a pack of Timberwolves, their amber gaze fixed on Fluttershy. From there size she could tell, that even if she tried to fly over them, they could still effortless jump to grab her. None of the windows were broken enough to be able to fly through and the roof was still intact. The Timberwolves growled hungrily as the inched toward her. Grief well up in Fluttershy as the seconds ticked away. How could she have come so close only to fail Zecora? Had she failed herself? Was this the end?
‘No,’ Fluttershy thought, ‘I come to close to let a bunch of hungry puppies stop me’. “Listen here, all of you! I’m sorry you’re hungry and cold but there’s nothing I can do about that right now. I can come back later with some food but right now I need to get this Sapphire Water Lily to my friend Zecora and I cannot let any of you stop me”.
Apparently later wasn’t good enough one of the Timberwolves as it suddenly rushed toward her. Fluttershy firmly held her ground and looked the Timberwolf dead in the eyes as it ran toward her.
“Sit!” She shouted, Staring the beast down. The Timberwolf obeyed promptly planting its rear to the ground and sliding the last few feet to Fluttershy. She continued to Staring at it, until it began to whimper slightly. “Now stay,” she said firmly and turned her gaze to the rest of the pack. They all seemed to shrink and quickly began backing away from the door. Fluttershy flew to the doorway and eyed a member of the pack that hadn’t quit disappeared yet. “Don’t ever let me find that you’ve been giving anypony or zebra trouble ever again,” she said to it.
Now that the Timberwolf problem was over she had to get back to her cottage and fast. Fluttershy flew high into the sky. She didn’t quite know which way was out of the forest, but she knew that Cloudsdale was very close to Ponyville. She scanned the darkening horizon until she finally saw the rainbow dripping cloud city. Time was short, so she summed all that was still in her and raced towards it.
She could see the edge of the Everfree Forest was drawing near. She dropped lower in the sky so she could better avoid the clouds while scanning for her cottage. To her dismay she realize she was about to fly over Sweet Apple Acres. She was much farther off course than she had expected. Good news was she knew exactly where she was now. She veered to her left and began descending help herself build speed; every second counter.
Finally there her cottage was before her. Fluttershy decided there was no time to spare so she took a trick from Rainbow Dash’s book and aimed directly for her bedroom window. At the last moment before crashing into it she turned her back, folding her wings and cocooning the precious flower in her forelegs. The entry was loud enough to rouse the now incoherent Zecora. Fluttershy tumbled head over hooves backwards until she finally hit the stack of blankets she had just finish folding that morning.
Fluttershy rushed to Zecora’s side flower in hoof. “Zecora, I got the Sapphire Water Lily, now eat it while you still can!” Zecora looked hazily to Fluttershy, as if not fully understanding her words. She looked to the magical flower resting on Fluttershy’s hooves, and something seemed to click in her. She reached to the night stand where Fluttershy had left a cup of water for her. Fluttershy quickly grabbed it for her and extended both the water and the flower for Zecora to take. Zecora weakly took them Fluttershy and abruptly dunked the flower to the bottom of the cup. Fluttershy thought Zecora had lost her mind until what was left of the water began to glow the same radiant blue color as the flower. Zecora straight away downed the drink, and immediately began to get better.
Within minutes Zecora got out of Fluttershy’s bed and was walking around. Finally she turned to Fluttershy, “Thank you my friend, if not for you, I would have met my end”. Fluttershy sighed deeply finally able to relax know Zecora would be well.
“I’m just glad you’re better Zecora, what was that nasty illness you got anyway”.
“When fleeing my hut I escaped through a patch of Deathbed Thorn and not even a Timberwolf is brave enough to face its scorn”.
“That was a pretty risky move going through something that poisonous, those Timberwolves must’ve been right on your tail”.
“Yes but I had faith that you would pull through, for nopony has inner strength like you”.
Dear Princess Celestia,
It’s important to remember that when your friends are in trouble, you should stop at nothing to help them. True it may not be easy and there might even be scary things in your way, you shouldn’t let that overcome you. You use it as an opportunity to prove your inner strength and use it to drive you to help your friends all the more.
