Friendship is Magic: The Seventh Element

Somewhere outside the Everfree Forest, one can find an adorable little tree house stationed along a small creek. It is at this little residence the sweetest, most gentle pony called home. This would be Fluttershy. Now some would ask: Why would such a shy, timid Pegasus live so far outside of Ponyville? Especially near such a dangerous forest?

It all has to do with her animal friends, this way Fluttershy is never alone. For her little tree house doubles as a miniature animal shelter, where critters of all shapes and sizes visit her for food, shelter, injuries, or just to spend time with her. Of course, she has her share of permanent members of her household too.

At this moment, Fluttershy busily tended to some of the nearby animals, even spitting out some worms for the nearby birds in her trees. It was then she noticed her little bunny Angel gobbling down his carrot. Angel was quite unique compared to other bunnies. He didn’t mind trying to make himself heard and he was very smart. But at times, he was also slightly… actually very spoiled. And he had no problem showing it either.

“Not too fast now, Angel Bunny,” Fluttershy said, approaching him. “You don’t wanna get a tummy ache.”

Fluttershy chuckled to herself, as Angel stopped eating and looked at her indignantly.

“You really should eat more than that, don’t you think?” Fluttershy suggested.

Angel just looked at the carrot and took off running… or hopping in his case.

“It’s not play time yet.”

Fluttershy flew above him, just managing to catch up.

“I know you want to run but…” Fluttershy said gently, setting the carrot down. “Just three more bites.”

Angel just crossed his arms, pouting at the Pegasus mare.

“Two more bites? One more bite? Pretty please?”

Fluttershy leaned her face close to Angel’s, whose only reply was kicking the carrot farther away from him and hopped away. Fluttershy just sighed to herself, before hearing Angel coughing.

“Oh, goodness,” Fluttershy said worriedly. “Are you okay?”

Angel just coughed again.

“Are you coughing because there’s a carrot stuck in your throat?”

Angel coughed again, glaring afterward.

“Because you need some water?” Fluttershy guessed.

Angel gave a very loud, very definitive cough. He pointed a paw upwards, Fluttershy facing his direction and gasped.

“Because of that giant cloud of scary black smoke?”

The fearful Fluttershy felt the back of her head nailed by the recently kicked, unfinished carrot.

“I’ll take that as a… yes,” Fluttershy sighed, defeated.

Angel just continued to glare at her annoyingly. It is times like this Angel Bunny can truly be quite a brat.

*Deploy Theme Song here*

In the Ponyville park, several ponies conversed with each other. Just then, Fluttershy raced about trying to give warning about the oncoming black cloud in the sky.

“Help. Help! Please?” Fluttershy called out.

Unfortunately, her soft tone could barely get any pony’s attention much less any pony who can hear her.

“There’s-there’s a horrible cloud of smoke. It’s headed this way and… EEEK!”

Fluttershy shrieked when a pony suddenly popped in front of her, a ball bouncing up and down her head.

“Don’t be such a scaredy-pony,” Rainbow said, bouncing the ball. “It’s just me, future Equestria ball-bouncing record holder… three forty six, three forty seven…”

“This calls for a celebration!” Pinkie said excitedly.

“Oh no, Pinkie Pie, this is no time for a celebration,” Fluttershy said worriedly. “This is time for panic, for—”

“Ooo! I’m going to need balloons!” Pinkie continued, not hearing Fluttershy at all. “One for every pony in Ponyville!”

“There’s-there’s smoke,” Fluttershy tried to explain. “And-and where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And—”

Fluttershy’s words fell on deaf ears, as Rainbow kept bouncing her ball and Pinkie got ready to count some ponies.

“Let’s see,” Pinkie observed.

Pinkie pointed her hoof to count the ponies in the park, each one looked up at her as she counted them aloud. Many of whom Pinkie Pie is most familiar with.

“That’s one, two, three, four…”

“Three hundred fifty four…” Rainbow continued.

“… five, six…” Pinkie counted at the same time.

“Three hundred fifty five, no, wait…”

Pinkie’s counting caused Rainbow Dash to lose her concentration and she lost control of the ball.

“Seven…” Pinkie counted.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow bellowed. “Now I have to start over.”

Pinkie smiled apologetically, as Rainbow glared at her.

“We’re all going to have to start over, in a new village,” Fluttershy pointed out. “’Cause ours is gonna be—”

Poor Fluttershy couldn’t get any pony to listen to her, as Rainbow stomped away without another word.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash, wait up!” Pinkie called out.

The pink party pony followed the blue Pegasus, leaving Fluttershy behind, defeated and completely ignored.

“Oh, please, this is an emergency,” Fluttershy plead to the other ponies. “I-I need everypony to—”

“Listen up!” A voice yelled in the distance.

Every pony stopped chattered and faced the direction of the voice. There upon the bridge stood Twilight Sparkle, with Storm Shield standing beside her. Both unicorns had very serious looks on their faces.

“Smoke is spreading over all of Equestria!” Twilight declared.

“What? Oh no! That’s awful!” The ponies said worriedly.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to—” Fluttershy began.

But since Fluttershy was in the very back of the crowd, her soft voice still couldn’t be heard.

“But don’t worry,” Twilight continued, unintentionally cutting Fluttershy off. “Storm and I have just received a letter from Princess Celestia, informing us that it is not from a fire.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Fluttershy said with relief.

“It’s coming from a dragon,” Storm said.

The other ponies gasped, while Fluttershy stiffened.

“A… d-dragon?” She sputtered fearfully.

<>

It wasn’t long before the seven friends gathered inside the Great Oak Library.

“What in the name of all things cinnamon swirled is a full-grown dragon doing here in Equestria?” Applejack asked.

“Sleeping,” Twilight answered plainly.

As she shuffled through her books, the other faces faced her in confusion.

“Huh?”

Twilight proceeds to place another book into some saddle bags.

“According to Princess Celestia,” Twilight explained. “He’s taking a nap. His snoring is what’s causing all the smoke.”

“He should really see a doctor,” Pinkie told the others. “That doesn’t sound healthy at all.”

“Well, at least he’s not snoring fire,” Rarity said, trying to be positive. “What are we meant to do about it?”

“I’ll tell you what we’re meant to do,” Rainbow said. “Give him the boot. Take that. And that!”

Rainbow began to punch and jab about, nearly smashing a nearby horse-head bust Twilight positioned on a pedestal. She used her magic to move it out of harm’s way, as Rainbow tried to dive right at it. Rainbow ended up crashing upside down near one of the bookshelves. Twilight stood over the now dazed Pegasus.

“We need to encourage him to take a nap somewhere else,” Twilight corrected.

Rainbow recovered long enough to salute with a wing, as Twilight continued.

“Princess Celestia has given us this mission, and we must not fail. If we do, Equestria will be covered in smoke for the next one hundred years.”

Fluttershy gasped.

“Hmph, talk about getting your beauty sleep,” Rarity remarked.

“Like it would make a difference,” Storm muttered.

“All right everypony, I need you to gather supplies quickly,” Twilight instructed. “We’ve got a long journey ahead of us. Let’s meet back here in less than an hour.

“Okay, girls…” Rainbow replied excitedly, holding Pinkie and Rarity.

“Ahem…”

“… and extra,” Rainbow remarked, making Storm snort. “You heard her. The fate of Equestria is in our hooves. Do we have what it takes?”

Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity gave confirmation that they did, standing on their hind legs before marching out of the library one by one. Of course, Rainbow flew out and Fluttershy was the last to leave.

“Um, actually…” Fluttershy spoke nervously.

But no pony paid attention to her… except for one.

“Something wrong Flutters?” Storm asked gently.

Fluttershy gave a timid squeak before leaving the library without another word. Storm, worried about her, decided that he was going to share a word with the yellow Pegasus as soon as he could.

“Wonder what’s up with her?” He muttered.

<>

In the meantime, all the other ponies spent the time getting ready.

Rainbow headed straight for her condominium, sticking her front hooves into the streams of rainbow-colored water which flowed around her living space. She proceeded to pain her face with the smear of rainbow.

“Raah!” She cried out, striking a pose.

Applejack had her family gather supplies into her saddle bags. Big Mac helped set them upon her back. While they were heavy, Applejack was prepped for action.

“Yaaa!” She cried out, with her own pose.

Pinkie came out of Sugarcube Corner, her saddlebags fully loaded… with party streamers that made her bags pop whistle. Pinkie laughed before recomposing herself.

“Oh, I mean, grrr!” Pinkie spoke, trying her own intimidating pose.

At the Carousel Boutique, Rarity finished packing and placed an army style camouflage hat upon her head. She just walked by the mirror when she saw the hat and made a face.

“Ewww!” She muttered.

Rarity swapped it for a floppy hat style camouflage hat.

“Much better. Onward!”

Fluttershy timidly left her home wearing hockey gear. She barely opened her door and crawled outside when it slammed shut behind her. Sadly, her pose was of her jumping in complete fear.

The six girls stood side by side with a colored backdrop in their respective poses. Benath them all a speaker appeared, some pony sitting on a chasse lounge sofa, but angled so his face is completely concealed.

“Okay girls,” The voice spoke. “We’ve got a mission. Find that dragon and stop him from smoking Equestria. Good luck ponies!”

“Hold on a second!” Rainbow said, recognizing the voice. “Storm! What in Equestria are you doing?”

His angle then showed it’s indeed Storm sitting on the chasse lounge sofa using the aura of his horn to hold up a microphone.

“What?” Storm replied. “Just getting into character.”

“Who said you’re in charge of this mission?” Rarity asked. “And who said you could be in charge of us?”

“Hey! I’m not that kind of stallion,” Storm retorted. “Besides, why can’t I be the leader for once?”

“No offense, sugarcube,” Applejack added. “But you’re more of a ‘Bosley’ than a ‘Charlie’.”

The others, minus Fluttershy, snickered while Storm crossed his fore-legs indignantly.

“Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm!” Storm chuckled sarcastically. “Thanks a lot, Farrah.”

“Let’s go!” Applejack said.

She and the other girls zipped away from their backdrops, all except for Fluttershy.

“Um, let’s… not?” Fluttershy remarked, with a light squeak.

The above backdrops disappear leaving Storm pouting on his chasse until Twilight appeared beside him.

“If you’re done goofing around, we need to get going!” Twilight told him.

“I love it when a plan comes together,” Storm sighed, with an eye roll.

<>

A short while later, every pony stood packed up and ready to go. They stood side by side in formation before Twilight Sparkle.

“All right girls, Storm, listen up,” Twilight said. “I’m mapping out the fastest route, but we’ve all got to keep a good pace if we expect to make it up the mountain by nightfall.”

“M-m-mountain?” Fluttershy sputted.

She noticed a very tall mountain in the distance, the source of where the smoke was coming from.

“The dragon is in that cave at the very top,” Twilight explained.

“Looks pretty cold up there,” Applejack observed.

“You bet it is,” Rainbow said. “The higher you go, the chillier it gets.

“Good thing I brought my scarf,” Rarity said.

She pulled out a pink scarf, wrapping it around her neck.

“Ooo! Pretty!” Pinkie gaped in awe.

“Heh, oh yeah,” Rainbow replied sarcastically. “That’ll keep you nice and cozy.”

“Hence why I brought my aviator’s jacket,” Storm spoke, pulling it out.

“Ooo!” Rarity exclaimed. “A genuine Cloudsdale couture! Where’d you get it?”

“Birthday present from mom last year,” Storm answered. “It’s made for these type of situations.”

“How do you fit that big ol’ thing in yer saddle bag?” Applejack asked curiously.

“I have my ways,” Storm smirked.

He placed the jacket gently inside his bag, then pulled it back out with ease.

“Check it out, Rarity. Wrinkle free!”

“Storm, you continue to amaze me!” Rarity sighed.

Applejack and Rainbow rolled their eyes, of course that would impress Rarity.

“And I know for super-duper sure Twilight would be impressed!” Pinkie mocked.

Storm blushed and rolled his eyes while the three girls snickered. Meanwhile, Twilight was charting their course while Fluttershy gulped before attempting to voice her concerns.

“Um, excuse me, Twilight?” Fluttershy said timidly. “I know you’re busy but…”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight said. “Well, we could go this way.”

Twilight’s tone sounded as if she wasn’t really listening. Not that she meant too, but the unicorn was too focused on the map to hear what Fluttershy had to say. Nevertheless, the Pegasus kept trying.

“But if I could just have a second…”

“Uh-huh… no, we want to avoid that.”

“So, um, I was thinking that, um, maybe I should just stay here in Ponyville.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh! Good. I’ll stay here and—”

“Wait!” Twilight called out.

Realizing her mistake, Twilight saw Fluttershy trying to leave.

“You have to come! Your way with wild animals will surely come in handy.”

“I don’t think I—” Fluttershy objected.

“Oh, and don’t worry about your little friends in the meadow,” Twilight added. “Spike’s got it covered while you’re gone.”

Spike appeared next to her with Angel on his head and several tiny animals surrounding him.

“You can count on me!” Spike said confidently.

In response, Angel rudely slammed his foot on Spike’s head, making all the other animals scatter.

“Oooh! Hey! Hey! Wait!”

Seeing this display, Fluttershy was more uncertain about going than ever.

“I don’t think he’s up to the task,” Fluttershy replied nervously.

Twilight didn’t seem worried despite Spike’s display of chaos. Storm remembered that he wanted to talk to Fluttershy. He was about to speak up when Rainbow hovered next to Twilight.

“Are you sure you want Fluttershy to come along?” Rainbow whispered. “I mean, that pony’s afraid of her own shadow. She’s just going to slow us down.”

Storm looked toward Rainbow Dash indignantly.

“Oh, she’s just a little nervous,” Twilight said. “Once we get going, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Of course she will,” Storm added, in Fluttershy’s defense. “She had no problem with the Everfree Forest and Nightmare Moon. Being timid is not a bad thing.”

Then Fluttershy, seeing her shadow, squealed and dove into a nearby bush to hide. Twilight looked indignant, as Rainbow smirked as if silently suggesting she was right. Storm gave her a discreet growl at her before walking away.

Fluttershy, meanwhile, sighed sadly to herself and lowered her head to the ground. She feels a hoof around her and looked up towards the smiling gaze courtesy of Storm Shield himself.

“Don’t you worry Flutters, I won’t let anything happen to you,” He assured her. “Since we met, I’ve always thought of you as a little sister. And as your honorary big brother, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe during this trip.”

Fluttershy actually dawned a faint yet sincere smile as she looked toward Storm.

“You really mean that?” She asked.

“Of course I do,” Storm nodded.

“Alright girls, Storm,” Twilight called. “Move out!”

Every pony charged forward, with poor Fluttershy directly in their way.

“But… but…” Fluttershy stuttered.

Before anymore could be said, Fluttershy was scooped off the ground by the other five mares as they headed up the mountain. Fluttershy screamed in terror as she bounced about the top of the pony pack. She then bounced off and screamed again expecting to hit the ground.

“Oomph,” She grunted.

It was then she found she had landed on Storm’s back.

“Don’t worry Fluttershy,” Storm said, pacing behind the group. “You’re going to be okay. Big brother is taking care of you; hold on tight!”

Fluttershy whimpered before wrapping her front hooves around his neck a little too tightly.

“Easy there, big brother’s gotta breath!” Storm strained, as Fluttershy loosened her grip. “Thank you… now hang on! I’m about to pick up the pace!”

Fluttershy shut her eyes as Storm sped up a bit, zooming right past the other girls.

“See ya! Wouldn’t wanna be yah!” Storm retorted, speeding by.

“Oh, it’s on!” Rainbow said, taking off into the skies.

As they raced forward, Storm raised his head into the air and gave a sniff. He quickly plugged his nose with his hoof as if he’d smelled something terrible.

“Smell ya, shouldn’t have to tell ya!” He joked, laughing playfully.

The other ponies increased their speed as well, a little race to boost their morale before the big confrontation.

<>

After a lengthy run, the whole team arrived at the base of the mountain. Suddenly, every pony heard a loud roaring so great the whole ground rumbled. Fluttershy gasped, ducking behind Applejack.

“Whoa,” Rainbow spoke. “What was that?”

“That is what it sounds like when a dragon snores,” Twilight answered.

“A full grown dragon to say the least,” Storm added. “Spike never snored that loudly.”

Fluttershy just nervously gazed toward the mountain.

“It-It’s so… high!” Fluttershy spoke timidly.

“Well, it is a mountain,” Rainbow spoke matter-of-factly. “I’m going to fly up there and check it out. Wah!”

Just as Rainbow was about to take off, Applejack grabbed her tail.

“Hold on, now,” Applejack said, stopping her. “I think we should all go up together. Safety in numbers and all.”

“Good idea,” Storm nodded.

“Oh, all right,” Rainbow agreed reluctantly.

<>

Soon the whole group climbed their way up the mountain at a steady pace. By then, Storm Shield had his aviator jacket on in the event they’d expect cold weather during the trip. Along the way, Rarity suddenly remembered something.

“I hear the only thing that sparkles more than a dragon’s scales are the jewels they use to build their nests,” Rarity told the group. “Ooo, if I play my cards right, I might be able to convince him to part with a few!”

Pinkie Pie, who was a pace ahead of her, quickly turned around.

“Welcome to my cave, Rarity!” Pinkie replied, imitating a dragon. “Care for a diamond?”

Pinkie tried giving a menacing roar, which caused Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow to laugh in response. Twilight Sparkle pushed herself between them.

“Girls! This is no laughing matter!” Twilight retorted, pulling ahead. “Fluttershy, you’re the expert on wild creatures. What do you think the dragon will be like? Fluttershy?”

Every pony looked down only to find Fluttershy hiding in one of the bushes. Storm stood outside the bush, silently trying to convince Fluttershy to come out.

“Hey! What are you waiting for?” Rainbow shouted from above. “An invitation?”

“If you’re the one sending it, I’ll decline,” Storm muttered quietly.

“Ooo, I think I have one in my bag!” Pinkie replied.

Not even realizing the sarcasm in Rainbow’s voice, Pinkie searched for the invitation in her saddle bag. All of a sudden, Rainbow and Rarity were blasted in the face with some of her pop whistles complete with cheering sound effects.

“I-It’s so… so… steep,” Fluttershy quivered.

“Well it is a cliff,” Rainbow snarked. “You could just, oh, I don’t know, fly up here?”

Strom gritted his teeth, before releasing a long breath. The poor unicorn tried so hard to keep his temper in check.

“Come on, Fluttershy, you can do it,” Pinkie said. “Flap those wings!”

“Finally,” Storm sighed, feeling a tad better. “Some actual encouragement.”

“Oh… okay,” Fluttershy said.

Slowly, Fluttershy opened her wings and began to hover upward. She couldn’t help but release a soft cry as she slowly yet surely rose higher into the air. Suddenly, the dragon gave a loud snore. Fluttershy whined as her wings automatically closed up and she dropped down like a rock.

“Flutttershy!” Storm gasped. “I gotcha, I gotcha! Oomph!”

Storm jumped up and caught her, only for the pair to land right into a pile of bushes.

“Ugh!” Rainbow groaned, covering her eyes.

Fluttershy tried to reopen her wings, but her fear caused them to remain tucked in. Try as she might, Fluttershy couldn’t get them to budge.

“Uh, we don’t have time for this,” Twilight added impatiently.

Just then, Twilight noticed Applejack opening her saddle bag.

“What are you doing?”

Turns out Applejack grabbed Twilight’s map to examine it.

“I’ll need this if I’m going to take her around the mountain another way,” Applejack explained.

“Around the mountain?” Rainbow retorted, groaning. “That’s going to take them forever.”

But Applejack already made her way down the mountain. Storm stood by Fluttershy, who tried to reopen her wings. Yet as soon as the dragon gave a loud snore, Fluttershy squealed lightly, made a goat bleat, and passed out like a dog trying to play dead.

“Don’t worry Twi,” Applejack called, below the mountain. “We’ll be there lickety-split.”

“Um, A.J.,” Storm spoke. “I believe there’s a much better way to do this. If you’d just…”

“I’ll do this,” Applejack said firmly. “You catch up with the rest of the group.”

“But…”

“No questions asked! Now shoo!”

“Fine…!” Storm spoke, slightly irritated. “But I’m going up my way.”

Storm gave a shrill whistle, then a screech is heard from the sky. Every pony looks up as none other than Blaze himself swooped down and grabbed hold of Storm’s back. Seeing as a Phoenix can carry immensely heavy loads, carrying Storm was no problem. Blaze lifted Storm high into the air, flying directly to the top.

Seconds later, as the group of friends just arrived, Storm reclined casually against a rock reading a book when he turned toward the girls.

“What took you so long?” He teased.

A dirty glare from the mares was their only response. Storm merely chuckled, while giving the Phoenix a scratch along the head feathers. Blaze cooed affectionately and nuzzled his head against Storm’s hoof.

“Thanks for the help buddy,” He said thankfully. “You head on back to the library now; we’ll be home later.”

With another screech, Blaze immediately shot back into the sky as the ponies watched their friend fly back to Ponyville.

<>

While waiting for Applejack and Fluttershy to arrive, Rainbow cruised the air impatiently while Twilight paced back and forth in similar fashion. Storm just sat quietly alone at one spot, his hindlegs crossed and his eyes closed as if he were meditating. As they kept watch for Applejack to meet up, Pinkie and Rarity found a way to entertain themselves by playing tic-tac-toe in the soft dirt.

“Whoo-hoo!” Pinkie cheered. “I win again!”

“Ugh! That’s thirty-five games in a row,” Rarity groaned, before perking up. “Best out of seventy one?”

Just then, a rather exhausted orange pony arrived. She had tied Fluttershy’s tail around her head like a band. Poor Fluttershy was still knocked out as Applejack dragged her into view.

“We… made… it…” Applejack panted heavily, plopping onto the ground.

“Told you it was going to take them forever,” Rainbow told Twilight.

“Well, it wouldn’t have if I carried her up,” Storm said. “But A.J. insisted…”

“I… have… no… regrets,” Applejack spoke proudly, yet exhausted.

“I’m just saying,” Storm continued. “Why couldn’t you just carry Fluttershy on your back? That way it be easier than just dragging her across the dirt.”

Applejack’s eyes bugged out before she groaned, covering her eyes in embarrassment. Storm rolled his eyes before reaching into his saddle bag and pulled out a green-and-white spotted mushroom.

“Where did you get that?” Twilight asked.

“What this?” Storm replied. “I grow them myself. These babies have special healing properties, they can revive a passed out pony in a matter of seconds.”

Storm walked over and placed the mushroom inside Fluttershy’s mouth. Then the dragon snored again and Fluttershy squeaked. Storm caught her just before she passed out again.

“Easy there Fluttershy,” Storm spoke calmly. “Just keep chewing, let the mushroom do its work.”

Fluttershy just trembled but felt better knowing her ‘big brother’ was looking out for her. As Fluttershy finished the mushroom, feeling it’s magical effects, Storm turned back toward the group.

“She’ll be all right,” Storm assured. “Once Applejack’s ready, we can roll out.”

The other ponies just exchanged looks, while Rainbow rolled her eyes. Storm didn’t resist giving the blue Pegasus a death glare in return, as he held Fluttershy for comfort.

<>

Later, the seven ponies reached a particular spot which required them to cross a very steep chasm. Rainbow wasted no time showing off by jumping and using her wings to glide across with ease. Twilight and Rarity soon followed her across with no problem. Applejack and Pinkie did the same. But poor Fluttershy was too scared to even try, gulping nervously.

“You’re turn, Fluttershy,” Twilight called out.

“But… it’s so… wide…” Fluttershy stuttered.

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Twilight protested. “We should be much farther along by now.”

“You could just leap on over,” Applejack pointed out.

“I—”

The dragon’s snoring cut off Fluttershy, causing her to squat down fearfully.

“I don’t know,” She finished.

Twilight and Applejack just shook their heads.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Pinkie replied. “It’s just a hop, skip and a jump. See?”

Pinkie proceeds to demonstrate when Storm felt something very familiar.

“Oh boy…” Storm groaned, rolling his eyes. “Here we go…”

Pinkie Pie (Sings):
It’s not very far
Just move your little rump
You can make it if you try with a hop, skip and jump.

“We don’t have time for this,” Twilight groaned.

Rainbow rolled her eyes in agreement. Pinkie, on the other hoof, kept singing while hopping across the chasm again and again.

Pinkie Pie (Sings):
A hop, skip and jump,
Just move your little rump,
A hop, skip and jump,
A hop, skip and jump,
A hop, skip and jump
A hop, skip and jump,
A hop, skip and jump!

Eventually, Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, Pinkie’s little demonstration made the jump much easier than she thought.

“O-Okay,” Fluttershy said. “Here I go. A hop.”

Fluttershy did a small hop.

“That’s it,” Applejack called out.

“You’ve got it,” Twilight Sparkle spoke.

“Almost there,” Rarity added.

“Skip,” Fluttershy said.

The yellow Pegasus made a great leap, as Storm smiled excitedly.

“Just don’t look down!” Twilight shouted.

Storm flinched when he heard that. Fluttershy froze in mid-air, looked down, whined, and lost her balance and tumbled… onto the edge of the other side. Apparently, the chasm she was so afraid to jump over was merely three feet wide. While short in distance, it was still a very long drop should a pony mess up the timing of their jump. Fluttershy’s hind legs stood at the edge of one end while her front legs were on the other… and she couldn’t move.

“Ugh!” Rainbow groaned.

She got behind Fluttershy to shove her to the other side. Twilight and Rarity grabbed Fluttershy’s front hooves and pulled her forward to the other side. Since Rainbow was still pushing, she collided with Fluttershy and the yellow Pegasus ended up sitting right on top of her.

“I guess I forgot to jump,” Fluttershy said sheepishly, as Storm landed beside her.

“It’s not your fault Fluttershy,” Storm assured. “Some pony forgot the golden rule when it comes to crossing chasms and/or bridges that are high up!”

Twilight looked puzzled until she realized what Storm meant.

“Oh right, heh…” Twilight replied sheepishly. “Never… tell them to ‘not’ look down… cause… they will…”

Rainbow just rolled her eyes, as Storm helped Fluttershy off her back. They then reached a certain point along the trail as Twilight brought the group to a complete stop.

“Let’s keep it down,” Twilight whispered. “According to the map, we’re entering an avalanche zone. The slightest peep could cause a huge rockslide.”

“… I have a bad feeling about this,” Storm mouthed fearfully.

Poor Fluttershy was already terrified.

“An… an ava… ava…”

“Shh!” Twilight hissed, as Fluttershy shut her mouth.

Every pony was one edge, as they made their way down the path as quietly as they could. Applejack bumped a nearby tree causing it to release a pair of leaves. One of those leaves landed right along Fluttershy’s flank.

“AVALA--!” She jumped in shock.

Applejack shoved a hoof into her mouth, as Fluttershy’s shriek echoed throughout the area. For a few seconds, nothing happened and they all released a collective sigh. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and a few pebbles start tumbling down. Soon the rocks got bigger, as Storm felt his heart drop to his tail.

“Avalanche!” They cried out.

The ponies screamed and dashed about, while Fluttershy flew to dodge and avoid getting crushed. There were several close calls along the way. Storm used his magic to blast and smash some of the larger rocks before they could crush him or his friends. But eventually, there were so many rocks and so overwhelming he was forced to dodge. The timing couldn’t be worse for our heroes.

“Oh no! Help!” Twilight cried out.

“Twilight!” Storm shouted.

Storm tried to reach her, but the large rocks blocked his way. Then a large rock was about to fall right on top of Twilight until…

“Ooh!” Twilight grunted.

By then, Applejack pushed her out of the way to prevent the pony from becoming a unicorn pizza. Eventually, the rocks settled down and every pony coughed out all the dust in their lungs.

“Oh my!” Applejack coughed. “Every pony okay?”

“Thanks to you I am,” Twilight said.

Twilight gives Applejack a friendly head nuzzle as an additional thanks. Meanwhile, Rarity’s fur was completely covered in dirt.

“Eugh! Blech!” Rarity retorted in disgust.

The marshmallow unicorn quickly shook herself clean but got Pinkie dirty in the process. But the party pony didn’t care at all.

“Whoo-hoo! Let’s do it again!” Pinkie proposed.

“Yeah… let’s not,” Storm replied.

The unicorn helped Fluttershy to her hooves, breathing a long sigh of relief.

“Uh! This is why a girl always packs extraaccessories,” Rarity said, wrapping her scarf around her neck. “Oh, please tell me I brought the tiara that goes with this.”

“Uh, think we got bigger problems then making sure our hair bows match our horseshoes,” Rainbow said.

She pointed toward the now larger pile of dirt and rock blocking the path. Fluttershy sighed sadly, avoiding Rainbow’s death glare yet knowing this ‘was’ her fault.

“Sorry,” Fluttershy said sadly.”

“Aw, no big whoop, sugarcube,” Applejack said sympathetically.

“Yeah,” Twilight added, sighing. “We’ll just have to… climb over.”

Fluttershy followed from the back with Rainbow hovering over her. Seems every time Fluttershy slipped and whimpered, Rainbow would only roll her eyes and grunt in annoyance. Finally, Storm had enough.

“That does it!” Storm yelled angrily, stomping his hoof. “I’ve had it up with your attitude Rainbow Dash! If you’re not going to help Fluttershy, just go ahead of us! At least some pony will make sure she climbs over this hill in one piece.”

Rainbow just glared before she did fly ahead of them. Afterward, things were fairly quiet once they reached the top. Twilight had already reached the bottom, as the other ponies carefully made their way down. Storm held Fluttershy by the side to keep her from sliding down if she lost her footing. Fluttershy did slip, but not too fast for Storm to hold her back and they slid down together. They collided with Rarity and eventually Applejack before crashing toward the bottom of the hill.

“Wha! Wha…” Applejack sputtered.

“My apologies,” Rarity said.

“Not your fault,” Rainbow said, glaring at Fluttershy… again.

The yellow Pegasus whimpered sadly, as Storm growled at Rainbow, who flew over to Twilight with a sigh.

“Still think it was a good idea to bring Fluttershy along?” Rainbow asked, in annoyance.

“We’re about to find out,” Twilight answered. “We’re here.”

Before their very eyes was a large cave where the dragon was apparently sleeping. Twilight, though fearful, tried to keep a determined face.

“Rainbow Dash, you’ll use your wings to clear the smoke,” Twilight instructed.

“Mm-hmm,” Rainbow replied.

“Rarity and Pinkie Pie, you’ll create a diversion to distract the dragon if things get a little hairy in there.”

Pinkie and Rarity exchanged some smiles when Pinkie zipped away and started squeaking a rubber chicken in her mouth. Rarity just made an ‘Okay…’ face, as Twilight looked stunned before recomposing herself.

“Applejack, you’re ready with the apples in case he decides to attack,” Twilight continued.

Applejack bucked two apples toward a nearby tree trunk for practice.

“But it shouldn’t come to that, because Fluttershy and Storm will do what they need to do to wake him up, and between the three of us, we should be able to get him to understand why he needs to go. Is everypony ready?”

Fluttershy just ducked, trembling fearfully while the other ponies gave their confirmation that they were ready to go.

“Okay then, we’re goin’ in,” Twilight declared.

She headed right into the cave, walking about a few yards inside.

“So, what is the best way to wake up a dragon without upsetting him?” Twilight asked. “Fluttershy? Storm?”

She turned around finding neither of them followed.

“Oh, come on!” Twilight retorted annoyed.

She found Storm trying to get Fluttershy to come, but the poor Pegasus buried her head into the dirt and refused to move. Twilight tried to help Storm push Fluttershy forward.

“Come on!” Twilight grunted. “We have to do this! Now! Every… second longer that dragon… sleeps is another… acre of Equestria that is covered in… smoke!”

One by one, the other mares lined up behind Fluttershy to move her forward. But she held her ground. Pinkie was the last to get behind every pony, but all she did was laugh and hug Applejack at the back of the line.

“I—I—I can’t go in the cave,” Fluttershy said sadly.

“UGH!”

All the ponies behind her groaned, falling onto their backs.

“Oh great!” Rainbow grumbled. “She’s scared of caves now, too.”

“I’m not scared of caves,” Fluttershy said. “I’m scared of…”

The last word was mumbled so softly, no pony could hear her.

“What’s that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked curiously.

“I’m scared of…”

Fluttershy still couldn’t say that last word aloud.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Just spit it out, Flutters…” Storm urged. “What are you afraid of?”

“I’m scared of dragons!” Fluttershy blurted out.

Then the dragon gave another snore, blasting the seven ponies with smoke. Pinkie squealed, as the smoke made them all cough. Once it cleared, Fluttershy hid behind Applejack again.

“But Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “You have a wonderful talent dealing with all kinds of animals.”

“Yes, but they are not dragons,” Fluttershy argued.

“Oh come on!” Rainbow retorted indignantly. “We’ve seen you walk right up to a horrible manticore like it was nothing.”

“For once… Rainbow actually makes a decent point…” Storm added, not hiding the sarcasm.

The cyan Pegasus noticed, however, and snapped her head in his direction.

“You say that like I never come up with good ideas!” She argued agitated.

Storm scratched the back of his head, whistling as he slowly turned away.

“Yes, because he wasn’t a dragon,” Fluttershy said.

“Spike is a dragon,” Pinkie pointed out, behind her. “You’re not scared of him.”

“So true!” Storm agreed.

“Yes, because he’s not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite, totally all grown-up dragon!”

The dragon gave a loud snore. Fluttershy whimpered, as she shuddered low to the ground.

“But if you’re so afraid of dragons, why didn’t you say something before we came all the way up here?” Twilight asked.

“I was afraid to,” Fluttershy admitted sadly.

“Ugh!” Rainbow groaned again.

Storm could feel his temper reach its limit, knowing it could explode at any time.

“All of us are scared of that dragon,” Applejack said sympathetically.

“I’m not,” Rainbow said smugly.

Her response earned plenty of death glares from the group.

“Almost all of us are scared of that dragon,” Applejack continued. “But we’re got a job to do. So, get in there with Twilight and Storm, and show them what you’re made of.”

Fluttershy just stood still, lowering her head sadly.

“I-I-I just… can’t,” Fluttershy sighed, walking sadly away.

“Oh Fluttershy,” Twilight said quietly.

Twilight and Storm could only watch, as Fluttershy disappeared in the horizon.

“Hmph!” Storm huffed definitively. “Personally, I don’t blame her for walking away.”

All the other ponies gave Storm puzzled looks.

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked.

“As far as I’m concerned, no pony listened to her,” Storm explained. “I found out Fluttershy was in the park before us. Apparently, she tried telling Pinkie and Rainbow about the smoke but was ignored every time!”

While Pinkie looked ashamed, Rainbow just rolled her eyes at him.

“She wasn’t afraid to tell you about being scared of dragons, Twilight,” Storm added sternly. “You were just too busy discussing your brilliant plan and reading your map to listen either way. You all ignored her when she was trying to speak up and I’ll admit I share the blame since I didn’t know about this until later. But my point is: Speaking up isn’t one of Fluttershy’s strengths, but that doesn’t give any pony the right to ignore her or tune her out!”

The other ponies looked down I agreement. Yet as Storm Shield noticed, Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to care.

“As for YOU!” Storm thundered, pointing a hoof at Rainbow. “You’ve been worse! Not only do you ignore you, but you’ve grumbled and complained about her all day! You treat her like she’s nothing but a burden to the rest of us when I know for a fact you’ve known her longer than any of us! If this is how you’ve treated her all these years, it’s no wonder she’s has no confidence in herself! And they call you the ‘Element of Loyalty’!”

Rainbow, taken aback by Storm’s harsh words, turned away without saying a word. Storm breathed loudly; his anger still livid as Twilight slowly approached him.

“Look Storm, we can discuss this and apologize to Fluttershy later,” Twilight said. “But right now, we need to figure out how to deal with that dragon. Think you can calm down long enough to help me persuade him to leave? You’re the only one besides Fluttershy who has studied Dragon dialect.”

Storm released a long breath

“Okay…” He sighed. “I’m done…”

Twilight gave an approving smile, as they headed into the cave together.

“We’re going in,” Twilight said. “He… probably just doesn’t realize what he’s doing… right?”

The other ponies just agreed nervously, as they stuck their heads from the outside before disappearing.

“Love that moral support,” Storm muttered.

Eventually, the two unicorns reached their target. The dragon itself was definitely huge, and as Rarity pointed about, it used a huge collection of jewels as its nest.

“Mr. Dragon,” Twilight spoke gently.

Her only response was a rumble from him.

“Excuse me…”

“Wakey, wakey, eggs and hay-bacy!” Storm tried.

This earned Storm an indifferent look courtesy of Twilight Sparkle.

“Seriously?” She asked.

Storm smiled sheepishly, as Twilight attempted a more firm approach.

“Mr. Dragon,” Twilight called louder.

The dragon rumbled again, as he opened his eyes and glared at the two.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Twilight said. “Please allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Twilight…”

Then the Drago gave a loud yawn, as Twilight and Storm cringed in disgust.

“Where’s a breath mint when you need one?” Storm muttered, holding his nose.

“Augh! Puh! Sparkle…” Twilight continued, covering her nose. “And my friends and I are residents in Equestria. Ponyville, to be exact. We’ve come here to ask that you find another spot to take your nap. It’s just that you seem to be doing an awful lot of snoring, and every time you do you send out a terrible cloud of smoke.”

The dragon just snorted, releasing more smoke against Twilight and Storm, making them both cough.

“Anyways… Equestria simply cannot survive a hundred years in a dark haze,” Storm continued. “You understand, don’t you?”

The dragon simply sat up with a loud yawn and a stretch.

“So, you’ll find another place to sleep?” Twilight asked hopefully.

The dragon merely laid back down with a loud thump and snorted again, covering the two ponies with smoke. It sent another blast that covered the other ponies, sending every pony in a coughing fit while Twilight and Storm found their way out… well, at least Twilight came out.

“Where’s Storm?” Twilight asked, looking around.

“Alright listen up Razer!” Storm said sternly, inside the cave. “That’s your name, isn’t it? We’ve tried being nice about this, but nobody… I repeat, nobodyignores me or my friends! We’re not going to suffer from your second-hoof smoke even if you need your beauty sleep… or in you case, second-claw smoke? Doesn’t matter… either you get off your big pile of scales and find another cave… or else! You hear me?!”

The other ponies were stunned over how assertive Storm was.

“Now that’s persuasion!” Rainbow said impressed.

*BURP!*

Suddenly, the whole cave lit up.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Storm emerged with an indignant look on his face, as all five ponies cringed at the sight. The unicorn looked as if he fell atop of some pony’s rotisserie grill.

“You girls mind if I smoke?” He asked bluntly, standing before them.

“Actually, smoking is very bad for your health,” Pinkie replied. “Especially second-hoof smoke, which can cause…”

“I WAS BEING SARCASTIC!!!” Storm bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Another blast of smoke hit the group, sending the ponies into coughing fits until the smoke settled.

“So much for… persuading him,” Rainbow coughed.

“Now what?” Applejack asked, as Rarity cleared her throat.

“Obviously, this situation calls for a little ‘pony charm’,” Rarity replied. “Allow me, girls.”

The marshmallow pony entered the cave and went right up to the dragon, who opened his eyes in response.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Rarity began, clearing her throat. “But I couldn’t possibly head back home without mentioning what handsome scalesyou have. And those have to be hidden away in some silly cave for a hundred years?”

The dragon began to flex it’s scales, grinning to himself as Rarity’s words charmed him. As Rarity spoke, she walked around the jewels and starts putting some of them on.

“Personally, I think you should skip the snoozing and be out there, showing them off,” Rarity continued.

The dragon stood tall, feeling persuaded to do so.

“I would be more than happy to keep an eye on your jewels while you’re gone.”

Unfortunately, Rarity ruined the moment as the Dragon growled and pulled his jewels away from her. Rarity screamed as the dragon tried to swipe her as she dashed away. When she took off, all the jewels she wore were left behind and he grabbed them with his mighty claw.

Back outside, Rarity was most upset as she leaned against a large rock.

“I was this close to getting that diamond,” Rarity fumed.

“You mean… getting rid of that dragon?” Twilight retorted indignantly, as Storm glared.

“Oh, yeah… sure,” Rarity said passively.

Storm rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Just then, Pinkie appeared wearing a combination of a birthday package, balloons, and a horn in her mouth.

“What in tarnation…?” Applejack exclaimed.

Pinkie just blew her horn again.

“Darling, you look ridiculous,” Rarity added.

“Exactly!” Pinkie said. “Sharing a laugh is a sure-fire way to get someone on your side!”

Pinkie bounced her way inside and they could hear her say ‘Hi!’. Seconds later…

*CRASH!*

Pinkie limped out, her balloons popped, her package damaged, and even her horn was busted.

“Apparently he doesn’t like laughing, heh,” Pinkie said sheepishly. “Or sharing.”

“Well that went pear-shaped fast!” Storm muttered.

“All right, that’s it,” Rainbow spoke angrily. “We tried persuasion, aggressive negotiation, charm, and whatever it is Pinkie Pie does…”

Pinkie just blew her busted horn.

“… It’s time to stop wasting time!” Rainbow concluded. “I’m going in!”

Rainbow flew quickly inside the cave.

“Rainbow, no!” Twilight called out.

“Get back here!” Storm yelled.

But their cries fell on deaf ears, as Rainbow zoomed right up toward the dragon.

“Get! Out!” Rainbow shouted.

The cyan Pegasus bucked the dragon square in the nose. The dragon woke up, gave a light sneeze and growled at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow’s determination melted faster than a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day.

“Heh. Sorry,” Rainbow said sheepishly.

The dragon roared, sending Rainbow flying backward at a rapid speed and curled into a ball.

“Who-o-o-o-a!”

*STRIKE!*

Rainbow Dash ten-pinned every pony outside the cave. Sadly, Storm Shield was the ‘headpin’. They slowly got up, feeling rather dazed until the giant dragon loomed above them. The beast roared and every pony screamed, as they hugged each other in sheer terror. The dragon then gave another roar, sending a fast current of smoke toward them.

“No!” Storm cried out.

The stallion tried raising a shield to block the gust, but he was too late! He, along with every pony else, was sent colliding toward a nearby rock crag. The impact was so strong the crag itself fell apart, revealing Fluttershy hiding behind it. Apparently, she hadn’t gone back home but rather went somewhere to hide. Once she saw her hiding place was destroyed, she looked on in shock.

First, Fluttershy saw the Dragon itself, glaring at her and the rest of the ponies. Then she saw her friends, all dazed and bemused as they gave a loud moan from the attack. Storm opened his mouth with a loud cough, as a puff of smoke escaped his mouth. All at once, Fluttershy felt something burning inside of her… raw anger.

“How dare you…” She spoke, her face growing stern. “How DARE you?!?!”

All at once, Fluttershy’s voice got louder as she flew right up to the dragon’s nose, landing atop it. She trots right toward the dragon’s right eye, staring into it.

“Listen here, mister!” Fluttershy said sternly. “Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you get to be a bully! You may have huge teeth, and sharp scales, and snore smoke, and breath fire. But you do not—I repeat—you do not! Hurt! My Friends!You got that?”

Her tone was so stern all the dragon could do was whimper and cower before her stern glare. The other ponies, somewhat recovered, gazed in shock seeing Fluttershy so assertive.

“Well?” Fluttershy demaned.

The Pegasus hovered above the dragon, her eyes demanding an explanation like a mother scolding a child.

“But that rainbow one kicked me,” The dragon protested feebly.

“Huh… he can talk,” Storm replied.

Rainbow just smiled to herself, nodding her head proudly.

“And I’m very sorry about that,” Fluttershy replied, leaving Rainbow stunned. “But you’re bigger than she is, and you should know better. You should also know better than to take a nap where your snoring can become a health hazard to other creatures.”

“But I—”

“Don’t you ‘but I’ me, mister,” Fluttershy said, staring him down. “Now what do you have to say for yourself? I said, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Fluttershy was in full mother mode now. All the dragon could do was whimper until he began to cry. The other ponies looked on in amazement, not minding the fact they were getting wet under the dragon’s tears. Pinkie somehow pulled out an umbrella hat to shield her head.

“There, there. No need to cry,” Fluttershy said, making her way down. “You’re not a bad dragon, you just made a bad decision. Now go pack your things. You just need to find a new place to sleep. That’s all.”

The other ponies cheered as Fluttershy landed and they gathered around her.

“You did it!” Twilight said. “I knew you could do it!”

“Brave Fluttershy!” Storm said, clapping his fore-hooves. “Well done!”

It was by this time the dragon emerged from the cave, flying away in search of a new place to sleep.

<>

With their mission complete, Twilight Sparkle and her friends made their return home. And true to their word, all of Fluttershy’s friends offered their sincere apologies for not hearing her out in the first place. And though she denied it, as her tears said otherwise, Rainbow Dash had a few words to share for herself.

“Storm…” Rainbow spoke.

“Yeah?” Storm answered, turning toward her.

“I wanted to apologize for being such a pain all day.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. There’s nothing to—”

“No… I’m really, really sorry. You were right. The way I treated Fluttershy was wrong… I have no excuse for my words.”

Storm Shield nodded understandingly, if not somewhat impressed that Rainbow Dash can show a rare moment of being humble.

“To be fair, I was angry,” Storm admitted. “I’m sorry for losing my temper; I should’ve handled this better. So, are we cool now?”

Storm holds out a front-hoof toward Rainbow Dash, who looks at his hoof for a moment. Then she turns to his wandering gaze and gives a smirk.

“Yeah… we’re cool!” Rainbow declared.

She lifts her own front hoof and delivers a hoof-bump to Storm Shield. The other ponies look on silently, seeing all is good between the friends once more.

“You got to admit how Fluttershy acted towards that Dragon was pretty awesome,” Rainbow replied. “You think this means she’s finally gotten over her fear of dragons?”

Storm doesn’t answer right away. He turns back towards Fluttershy, who walked closely beside her friends. She looked up noting Storm’s attention to her, and quickly turned away with a small smile hiding her blush. Storm chuckled before shaking his head.

“Nah,” Storm replied. “Still… it’s a good start. We’ll see where it goes from here.”

<>

Meanwhile, back at the library, Angel Bunny gave Spike such a hard time. So much so, the dragon finds himself chasing the bunny around and about.

“I said come back here!” Spike snapped, finally grabbing Angel’s foot. “Ooh! How does Fluttershy put up with you furry little things?”

As Spike dangled Angel by the foot, he squirmed constantly trying to escape.

“Spike!” Twilight called out, with Storm at her side. “Take a letter.”

“With pleasure,” Spike sighed, dropping Angel on his head.

Spike proceeds to write the letter as Twilight recited aloud.

“Dear Princess Celestia,
We are happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and it was our good friend Fluttershy, who convinced him to go. This adventure has taught us to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength and can help you overcome even your greatest fears.
Always your faithful students,
Twilight Sparkle and Storm Shield.”

“Twilight! Storm!” Applejack called out.

As Twilight finished reciting the letter, Storm peeked outside to see what the commotion was about. Twilight joined him by the open window, the two ponies seeing Rainbow bouncing her ball on her head again.

“You gotta see this!” Applejack called again. “She’s just five away from a new pony record.”

“Three hundred forty-seven, three hundred forty-eight…”

*ROAR!*

“Dragon!” Rainbow shouted in fright.

The cyan Pegasus was so scared, she lost her ball, bleated like a goat, and played dead. All their friends laughed, with Storm snapping a picture of Rainbow in her frightened state.

“Now that’s a momentous occasion for the scrapbook!” Storm shouted, laughing.

Rainbow rose to her feet in panic, panting heavily.

“Why are you laughing?” Rainbow asked. “That awful dragon is back!”

Pinkie came up to her, giving another roar. Rainbow realized she had been tricked.

“Pinkie Pie, you scared me!” Rainbow retorted, realizing what she said. “I mean, uh, you… broke my concentration.”

Fluttershy hovered above her friend, giving the blue Pegasus a slight pat on the back.

“It’s okay, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy assured. “Not every pony can be as brave as me.”

Rainbow snorted, as she blew a falling leaf away from her. That leaf floated, landing right upon Fluttershy’s back end.

“EEP!” Fluttershy screamed.

With a goat bleat, Fluttershy played dead once again. The other ponies just laugh at the spectacle. But deep down, they’ll always love Fluttershy. No matter how high-strung or timid she was, they knew she could always be brave when it matters most. Storm sighs, as he turns toward Twilight and shakes his head.

“I’ll get the mushrooms,” Storm spoke, trotting for his bag.