Lost Kindnessby xXSilverLiningXxChaptersLost KindnessReconciliationSourcesSurprise VisitBeginningsEchoes of the PastSearching the DarkEpilogueSequelLost KindnessAs Rarity walked down the road, things were curiously quiet. The town seemed nearly deserted, but that was fairly normal for this time of the morning. No, it was something else. Something was missing, for the only sounds were the clop of her hooves and the purrs of Opalescence. It almost seemed as if the cat knew they were headed towards its birthday party. Strange. Rarity halted, listening to the area around her. A breeze ran through the trees, making a slight rustle. A bell chimed in the distance. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing... The birds! I can’t hear any birds! It was the strangest thing. Their nests were in the trees, yet their chicks could not be heard. The birds normally filled the air with music at this early hour. It was an oddly disturbing realization. Yet with this knowledge, she pushed her unease aside and continued down the path. Picking up her pace, Rarity thought to herself, I’m sure the birds are just busy somewhere else. The road continued for a short time, but soon enough she saw her destination. Rarity sighed as the warm smells from Sugarcube Corner’s vast oven hit her. The aroma of rising muffins and baking cake filled the air. Walking up to the doorway, Rarity braced herself and opened the door. As expected, she was barraged with her friends’ typical, uncouth greetings. Applejack ground her slimy, disgusting hoof into Rarity’s shoulder as Rainbow Dash hovered over them, casually posing. “It’s about time,” she said. Rarity glanced up, towards the annoyed comment. “Well some of us don’t get to nap all day.” A light crash came from the far side of the room as Twilight’s pile of books toppled over. As she muttered a few choice curses—hardly befitting the Princess’s personal protégé, let alone Rarity’s poor ears—Twilight trotted over, with sweet little Spike cleaning up behind her. “What took you so long?” she asked. “Oh, you know, this and that. I just finished that big order from Hoity Toity. I can’t believe he wanted more already!” replied the fashionista. But for the second time that day, she felt like something was missing. She looked around, trying to find it, before her eyes stumbled across Pinkie. Her mane had lost some of its usual luster, hanging slightly limp from her head. Soft blue eyes filled her face, staring at the door. She was unblinking, unmoving. “Pinkie, dear, are you alright?” Rarity asked. “You seem awfully quiet.” Snapped back to reality, Pinkie regained her usual smile. Her mane curled up, and her eyes returned to their usual, if still rather large, size. She looked at Rarity, genuinely confused, and said, “Huh? Oh, I’m just waiting for Fluttershy. After all, we can’t start it until everypony is here. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a party, and then how would poor Opal feel if she didn’t get her party. Y’know I haven’t seen her around here in a while. Do you think she’s alright? I hope so, ‘cause I made her favorite punch!” “Oh, I’m sure of it. She told me that she’d be a little late. Something about having to feed Angel. I think he’s sick,” said Rarity, in a desperate attempt to soothe her friend. She knew it wasn’t quite true, as she had heard this a few days ago, but given Pinkie’s reaction last time somepony missed a party, she figured it was best to be safe, rather than honest. Pinkie put a hoof to her chin, before saying, “Maybe we should head to her place. I bet she’d think it’s super-tastic!” “Are you sure? You spent so much time getting Sugarcube Corner ready. I wouldn’t want to make you clean all this up for nothing!” “Not a problem, silly. The party cannon goes in reverse!” “Wait,” called Spike, “why not just bring her back here?” Pinkie looked at him, eyes dancing in the light. “Why would we do that? This’ll be even faster!” Trotting to a corner of the room, Pinkie found the party cannon, sitting exactly where she left it. Making sure to pull the hidden switch the other way, Pinkie yanked the cord out, and watched as the cannon sucked every single decoration back into the muzzle. As her friends stared in shock, Rainbow laughed. “Pinkie, you are so random.” “Thanks! That’s a good thing, right? I mean, there are a lot of kinds or random, like the poison joke; that was not fun! There’s even more kinds too, like a two headed mongoose that shoots lasers from its ears!” Twilight suddenly stepped in, saying, “Pinkie, do you even know what a laser is?” “Nope!” smiled the pink mare. Twilight stifled her response, repeating in her head, Pinkie will be Pinkie. Pinkie will be Pinkie. “Well, what are we waiting for?” called Rainbow Dash, already flying through the door. Walking out the door, the six friends left to check on their missing companion. In their hurry, though, they forgot a certain feline. Swooping down by her friends as they walked on the path below, Rainbow asked, “So, Twilight, what is a laser?” “It’s basically a beam of magical light that cuts or hurts things. Really mean stuff, but really useful, too,” explained Twilight “Wait a second, light can hurt ponies? That doesn’t even make sense!” challenged Rainbow Dash. “Remember when we were fighting the Changelings, and Pinkie kept aiming my magic so that I could fight easier?” asked the purple magician. “Yeah, why?” “Those were lasers,” she stated. Stunned into silence, Rainbow kept on flying, pondering—in surprisingly deep thought—the implications of such a thing. Then she saw the tree. THWACK! Her vision darkened. Rainbow Dash could feel herself slide down the tree. Sound faded in and out, and she could’ve sworn she heard somepony call out to her, but couldn’t tell what was said. “What?” she groaned. “Ah said, Rainbow, y’all right?” Opening her eyes, Rainbow saw a familiar Stetson blocking the light from her face. “Oh, hey Applejack. I’m fine,” she grumbled. “Just fine.” “Well Ah’ll say! Ya nearly busted Fluttershy’s door!” exclaimed Applejack. As the two chuckled, the others began to make it over the hill. “Rainbow, darling, are you alright?” called Rarity, her voice echoing around the trees. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just went a bit faster than I meant to. That’s all,” laughed Rainbow Dash. “Ya sure can take a beatin’, can’t ya?” Applejack commented. "Yeah, I guess I can—not that I want to,” she complained. Carefully getting back to her hooves, Rainbow winced when she put weight on her left foreleg. She felt her back pop in several places, as her spine readjusted itself from the impact. Nothing too bad, but there’s definitely going to be a bruise in the morning. “Girls!” yelled Twilight, teleporting in with a brilliant flash of violet. The others were close behind her, making the extra effort seem completely unnecessary. “Rainbow, are you okay?” she asked. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” Twilight paused, her ears twitched and swiveled. “Listen. What do you hear?” “Ah don’t hear anything,” said Applejack, nonchalantly inspecting the wall. “Me neither,” said Rainbow, rubbing her flank. “Neither do I,” said Rarity, suddenly conscious of her walk over. “Well, I hear voices in my head. They talk to me, they understa—” “Pinkie!” yelled the others. “Oh, nothing!” she exclaimed. “So, why are we listening?” asked an impatient Rainbow Dash. “Where are the animals?” pondered Spike. There was silence. Dead silence. The only sounds were the leaves blowing in the wind: not a birdsong, nor a cricket’s chirp, nor a squirrel’s chatter. “Shouldn’t some o’ the critters have run out when Rainbow here hit the wall?” asked Applejack, worry straining her face. But no, there were no critters. The house looked as if it hadn’t been lived in for many years, and yet that could not have been the case, because abandoned homes were always the home for more animals. There was no life here. It had all vanished. The chipmunks and birds no longer rested on the roof. The frogs stifled their croaks in the nearby pond. Even the hen-house was empty, the gate swinging in the wind. “Come to think of it, there were no birds on my way to Sugarcube Corner,” mused Rarity. “None were tryin’ to get at our apples, neither,” Applejack recalled, putting a hoof to her chin. “We didn’t have to shoo away any critters from the clouds,” continued Rainbow Dash. “And even Gummy’s gone!” Pinkie yelled, and gasped in sudden terror. “Pinkie, Gummy is always gone. He’s never here until you find him,” declared Twilight, exasperation slowly beginning to overwhelm her usual calm. “Oh, yeah!” Pinkie said, immediately going back to her cheerful self. Suddenly, a large crash sounded out behind them. They heard wood splintering, and a large crack. Looking over, they saw Applejack, with her rear hooves stuck in Fluttershy’s door. Rainbow Dash kept laughing, but still tried to pull her out. “Applejack! Why would you do that?” yelled Twilight. Fury edged its way into her face. She was so close to losing control. “‘Cause we need to get in, and the door was locked,” The farmer replied flatly. “So you broke your friend’s door down?” Twilight asked with disbelief. “Yes! Look at the place! Nopony’s been here in a long while, and it doesn't look like she’s comin’ back anytime soon, neither.” “Well, we might as well go in now.” Twilight rolled her eyes. Trotting through the wrecked door, the ponies gasped. The inside was dark. There were cobwebs everywhere, despite it being abandoned for such a short time. The smell of animal droppings filled the air, despite Fluttershy’s best attempts to have kept them out—while she was there, at least. Hardly any light made it through the dusty windows, and what little did was a bleak gray. The air seemed choked, sad, and lonely. Twilight and Rarity lit their horns, revealing the depression around them. Many things were missing from the home. Pictures were no longer on the wall. Her saddlebags were no longer next to the door. Even Angel Bunny’s hideaway was completely desolate. Any signs of Fluttershy being there were virtually erased. The same pattern continued as they wandered through the house. There were more missing pictures, sentimentals, and supplies. The cupboards weren’t stocked like usual, and even her room was void of anything valuable. Then they saw the note. Twilight levitated it off of the bed, casting a light purple glow through the room. She blinked away the tears. This was bad; very, very obviously bad, and everypony knew it. She breathed deeply, using every meditative action she could think of. It did little to calm her but she had to be strong for the others. She couldn’t bear to look at them. She knew it would break her if she saw their faces. Twilight never saw the realization in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. She never saw the knowing pain in those deep pink orbs. She never saw Applejack’s confidence shatter, having placed so much of her own grief into the missing mare. Twilight never saw the tears readily flowing from Rarity’s eyes. She never saw fashionista’s comforting hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder, or the straight-maned mare crying into the unicorn’s shoulder. She never saw Spike’s eyes fill with fear and sympathy. He remembered when he left and how hard it had been. No, Twilight refused to recognize the grief around her, if only to be strong for just one more moment. She blinked again to clear her vision, and then she began to read aloud, “Fellow Elements of Harmony.” Twilight winced at her friend’s formality. She couldn’t see the others, but she imagined they felt the same. “Since this is the last time you’ll hear from me, I may as well not tarnish it with false emotions. The time I’ve spent with you has been the best in my life, but it can go on no longer. I am breaking off contact, not because I want to, but because I can no longer take the burden of society. Had you been paying attention recently, you would know that I’ve been fighting something within me, and to be honest, it won. This is the last thing I can do for you, my former friends. I’m going where I belong now, and no, it’s not Cloudsdale. I know you’ll look there just because I mentioned it so bluntly, but I wouldn’t go back there to save my life, or what little’s left of it. All I can do is ask that you don’t follow me, for your own well-being. Sincerely, The former Element of Kindness, Fluttershy PS. Don’t worry about Angel. He’s with me.” A long silence took hold, permeating the air. The letter fluttered through the air as Twilight lost her concentration. “Twi?” asked Applejack. Twilight was unreached, gone. She stood perfectly still, tears spilling from blank eyes. Inside her, a sea of turmoil boiled, furious winds disturbing the normally smooth currents. She could hear Applejack’s voice over the wind, but no matter how loudly she shouted, it never made it through her shattered mind. A chill claw touched her foreleg, and for a moment, the seas calmed. She remembered how every time that she had “freaked out”, or been sad, her friends had been there. They still were, but now they needed her. Slowly, she turned, facing her distraught friends. Something had to be done, but what? “We have to find her,” stated Spike. “But how?” sobbed Rarity. “I’m sure we can,” he said. “Why couldn’t I see it?” asked Twilight. “It’s not your fault. None of us could have.” “I could!” cried Rarity. “I knew she was stressed, but she just kept making excuses! I should have said something. I should have asked! Now she’s gone...” “So you would just abandon her?” yelled Rainbow Dash, as she advanced upon her friend. “No! It’s not like tha—” “That’s not what friends do, Rarity. Friends don’t abandon each other, just because they didn’t want help!” “Rainbow, are you alright?” asked Spike. “Don’t you remember all those Applebuck seasons? Remember how we had to fight with AJ, just to keep her sane?” she interrogated. “Yes, but if you would jus—” “Isn’t this the same thi—” “STOP!” shouted Spike as he threw himself in between them. “How dare you? What would Fluttershy say if she could see you now? I’ll tell you: she’d say that you didn’t care. This isn’t about some petty differences! This is about finding our friend in her time of need.” “Ah reckon Spike is right.” put in Applejack. “But we don’t even know what ‘er problem is, so how can we know what t’do? I know we need to help ‘er, but I just don’t know how. Besides, look around. We’re at least three days behind ‘er, and we have no idea where ta go! What can we do, Spike? Twi?” As the unicorn stared at her friends, she realized just how right Applejack was. What could they do to help if they had no knowledge at all? Then her eyes fell on Pinkie. Her mane had straightened out, reaching the floor, as her sad, blue eyes stared in the distance. They hadn’t heard a word from her this whole time. “Pinkie, what do you think we should do?” she asked. “I-I don’t know. Why would she leave?” sobbed the pink mare. “She said... ‘former friends’. Does she not like us anymore? Why would she leave us? Me?” It was at that moment that it clicked. Everypony knew what they had to do, but waited for the others to say it. When nopony did, they waited longer. Before they knew it the sun began to fade from the cracked windows. Twilight looked up and asked, “Do you think Celestia could help?” ReconciliationPinkie stared out the window. Her muzzle made fog on the chill glass. From her room she could see them; Twilight and Dashie were still arguing. They hadn’t stopped since—No. I can’t let myself think about that. But it was no use. Not even the baby Cakes had been able to cheer her up, and not for lack of trying. Hearing a muffled scream, Pinkie looked back up. Dashie was flying away, just like Fluttershy... Bursting into tears, she ran to her bed and flung herself down. Staring at the ceiling, she saw Fluttershy’s hammock hanging from the wall. The soft fabric had a hoof-stitched butterfly on it. All those nights that Fluttershy had lain in it, and now it was empty. What could have happened? Why would she—NO! Stop it, Pinkie. This isn’t going to help find Fluttershy, and it won’t help you either. But no matter how much she tried Pinkie couldn’t force herself out of bed. She tossed and turned for a while, but nothing could get her up. Eventually she heard a knock at her door. “Pinkie, are you alright? You haven’t come out all day. We’re worried about you.” It was Mrs. Cake, and even though she knew that she should respond, all that came out was another sob. Eventually she heard hoofsteps going down the stairs. Wait! The butterfly, of course! she thought, as sudden realization swept her mind. Her mane poofing back to its normal curls, Pinkie leapt up onto her bed, trying desperately to reach the pegasus’ hammock. Eventually, she managed to grasp it in her teeth. Bringing it down from its hangers, she frantically examined the butterfly. There wasn’t purple on here before! Everypony knows that I don’t use purple when it comes to these projects! Except on Twilight’s stuff, of course, but that’s an excep— No! Focus, Pinkie. Tucked into the stitch-work of the hammock was a small slip of paper. Barely enough to write on, but knowing Fluttershy’s writing it would have enough. Pinkie slowly opened it, afraid of what she might see. Slowly peeling the corner away, she glanced at the words... ...before quickly looking away. I can’t do it! The most important piece of paper in my life, and I can’t even look at it! Why is this so hard? Downcast, the pink mare stared back at the window. Dashie was back, and arguing, like usual. I wonder what they’re talking about. “We can’t just sit around doing nothing! Flutters needs us!” yelled Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, we have no idea where she went. Until we figure something out, the best thing we can do is put out a missing pony’s notification,” retorted Twilight, doing her best to stay calm. “And then what? Just sit here and go stir crazy? Look around you! Pinkie hasn’t left her room, Rarity already made me five dresses, Applejack’s been bucking like crazy, and Flutters is gone!” objected the pegasus. “I’m not blind, Rainbow, but I will not go on some blind mission into nowhere!” snapped Twilight. “She could be in the Everfree for all we know. This is killing me too, but for now we have to wait for Celestia’s advice. I even asked Luna and Shining. Somepony’s going to know something.” “You’re wrong. Nopony even noticed she was gone! How can you be so confident Twilight?” “Because,” she explained, “I requested to use some forbidden magic to find her. I think the Elements will protect me from any ill effects, but even so I need permission.” “Twilight... You’d risk that? Wait, what do you mean dangerous?” questioned Rainbow Dash, concern beginning to edge into her voice. “It’s a bit complicated. I’ll explain later, but I hope I won’t have use it. This is only as a last resort, for when we’ve exhausted all other options. To be perfectly honest, though, this seems like the only option for now. Maybe Celestia will be able to help us.” “Don’t count on it Twi. I know you’re scared, just like me, but don’t give yourself false hope.” “Then what was that thing you were doing just a minute ago?” Twilight retorted. Silence ruled their conversation for a few minutes. Finally Twilight broke it. “What happened to her in Cloudsdale? She sounded like she hated the place.” “It’s her parents Twi. I don’t wanna talk about it.” Pinkie shed another tear as the arguing pair hugged. This time it was of relief. It was funny how just one tear out of so many others could make somepony happy. Maybe there was a message somewhere in that, but Pinkie couldn’t care less. All she knew was that her friend was out there, probably cold and alone. I need to read that letter. As far as the eyes could see the serene lake’s waters reflected Luna’s night back into the air. The moon—especially bright—shone beams of silver through the shifting leaves. A cool breeze drifted through the air, gently carrying the broken sobs of an abandoned friend. Tears sent ripples through the pools of starlight, breaking and merging soft mixes of colors. The crickets had stopped their chirps; the owls silenced their hoots. The songs of night held a gentle interlude, letting grief permeate the now-still air. Even the wind held its breath on this cloudless night. No matter how beautiful, nor how many others were enjoying it, the air was bittersweet and stagnant. The croak of a single toad broke the silence. A twig snapped as a rabbit crawled into its den. A swift crescendo swept away the silence as night resumed its ballad. Soft and sweet, the music calmed most souls, lulling them to sleep, but even so Applejack’s stubborn heart remained unmoved. She rarely allowed herself this luxury, instead bottling her sadness, saving it for when she might be able to come here next. No matter how many people told her she had to let it out, she knew that this was her way. Showing weakness around her friends was just as bad as asking for help, and if there was anything that Applejack wanted, it was to tough things out on her own. Shaking out her mane, Applejack got up in silence, nodding her goodbyes to the one place she had found peace in all these years. Painful memories welled up, threatening to send her into tears again, but she fought back. Solemnly putting on her hat, she walked away. When Applejack arrived at her home, the lights were still on. They shone through the window and onto the grass, illuminating a small area around the house. Well that’s just not right. Granny Smith doesn’t let anypony stay up this late. As she snuck through the door, she realized all too late what she had done. Big Macintosh sat in Granny’s rocker, silently waiting for her to arrive. Waiting for the other pony to speak, Mac slowly rocked, making a creak that was sure to wake up the rest of the family. Since Applejack refused to speak, he began, “Y’know we’re worried ‘bout ya, right?” "Of course Ah know that. I'd be blind not ta," Applejack responded. "Then why d'ya keep runnin' away from us?" he retorted. "Ah ain't runnin' away. Ya should know that 'bout me!" she scoffed. Me? A coward? Hah! "Look, sis, Ah know yer feelin' really stressed right now. How could ya not be? But what yer doin' here, it just ain't healthy,” he said. “Look around ya! Granny's worried sick, and ya know Ah ain't exaggeratin' when Ah say it. Apple Bloom cries herself ta sleep every time ya leave. We need ya, and we need ta know what the hay is goin' on. Don't ya get that?" "Well whaddaya expect me ta do!” yelled Applejack. “The one pony who would actually listen ta me is gone! She was there fer me when Ma left, and... Ah can't talk about this stuff ta anypony else no more. Ah just can't." Suddenly, a creak resounded from the stairs, attracting the attention of the arguing pair. Apple Bloom stood in the doorway, staring at them with forlorn eyes. Tear stains ran down her coat, and her mane was a mess. "Why are ya fightin'? Ain't it bad 'nough already?” Dearest Acquaintances, I hope this letter reaches you in good health, but unfortunately, I cannot send this letter on good terms. I have to ask a favor, one that you may not like to do. Although I know that this will seem like an overreaction, the greater good of Equestria is at stake—not to mention the life of my friend. You may remember her: she has a yellow coat and pink mane, with a trinity of butterflies as her cutie mark. If any of your agents can find her, please inform me. I know that each of you has something to hide, and I’m afraid that if results are not met, then my tongue may grow loose. If that isn’t enough, then know this: at the moment, we are defenseless. Unless we find her, the Elements will not protect us. Please find my friend. With Sincere Apologies, Rarity Sources“Thanks again for coming, Fancypants, but I’m afraid you must go now. I have an appointment in five minutes,” explained Rarity. “That’s quite alright,” replied Fancypants. “I can guarantee that if she’s been anywhere near Canterlot, you’ll know.” “That’s a relief. Bye now!” As Fancypants closed the door, the bell let a soft tinkling fill the room. Sighing, Rarity sank to the floor. Let’s see... Fancypants, Hoity Toity, Bruce Mane, and Picture Perfect so far, so that’s just eight more to go, she thought in relief. Wait a second... No, that can’t be right. Eight more! How can I possibly sit through that conversation eight more times!? Now I know how everypony must feel about me. They’re simply pretentious! And I thought I liked high society... She felt compressed, like she had been squeezed down into a tiny gem, only to be trapped inside it like amber. The walls began to press down around her. Exasperated, she thought, Calm down, Rarity. You just need something for your nerves, that’s all. Tea. You need tea. Trudging along, Rarity slowly looked around the kitchen. It had been a disaster area since Sweetie’s latest attempt at cooking, but nopony had bothered cleaning it up. They were just too busy, not only organizing a search effort for Fluttershy, but also filling orders and requesting the various favors that Rarity had earned over the years. It wasn’t that she was doing dirty work or anything—no, far from it. The only thing Rarity had ever done to earn a favor, was give a free dress, or keep somepony’s secret. And there are a lot of secrets out there. People tell their tailors anything, rather like a barber. Even if Rarity had to use a bit of blackmail here and there, for the most part the favors were given voluntarily. Besides, with a soul as tarnished as hers, it could use a bit more, so long as it was for the greater good. She couldn’t help but remember all of those changelings, injured—and sometimes even crippled—in the name of Celestia. Yet, they weren’t entirely innocent, were they? They were invaders after all. Suddenly, her train of thought was broken by the pitched squeal of her teapot. Gently levitating it over to the already prepared cup, she poured the scalding water. She watched as a cloud of steam raised itself, and her gaze followed it until it faded away. A tinkling ring came from the door. Well that’s not right. My appointment shouldn’t have been this soon. That was just an excuse anyhow. Rainbow Dash is never on time to get her Gala dress. “Be there in a moment!” she called. Carefully levitating her tea, she trotted towards the foyer, but nopony was there. The room was just as empty as when she had left it. Strange, she thought, turning around. When she put her hoof down, she heard the soft crinkle of paper. It was a letter lying in the middle of her foyer. A bat was pressed into the wax seal. Ah, Bruce, I knew you’d come through for me! Opening the letter, she read: Dearest Rarity, I must admire your audacity, and how far you’re willing to go to get what you want. I might have to watch what I say around you, but this is exactly why I will remain a loyal customer. On another note, I have some news concerning your friend: it would seem that she is everywhere! Honestly, I haven’t seen her once, but ask anypony on the street and she was there “just five minutes ago!” I was able to confirm a few sightings, but none of them make any sense. There are so many over such a large area! There are at least a dozen in Canterlot, about 35 in Manehatten, and a few in Baltimare. You can see why such a thing would be confusing. I hope this can help, Batmane PS: I need a new cape. “Well that’s odd,” she mused, “but then again, so is he. I just hope that he’s not trying to fool me.” Rarity wrote out a quick response, and put it underneath the left column of her front porch, where she normally left her “secret” messages. Dearest Batmane, Your new cape will be ready on Monday. In the meantime, the Elements are under harsh scrutiny. If they “react”—as my friend puts it—then you will be informed. If it happens, we’ll have to assume the worst. Let us hope that it doesn’t come to that. Rarity Pinkie was stumped. The more she played with the idea, the better it seemed, but how? It was possibly the most significant question of her entire life: how do you play three-way tic-tac-toe? She’d thought that going to the park would help. Seeing everypony smiling around her did inspire creativity, but then she had remembered the letter. She still had it, in her mane this entire time, completely unread. As said mane shifted, the paper fell. She caught it, mere inches above the ground. She stared at it, venting indecision into the air around her. “Pinkie!” somepony yelled. She could’ve sworn she’d heard somepony, but she didn’t care. At that moment, that letter was her world. It was a terrible secret, the last one that a friend hides. Or maybe it was the very last present on Hearth’s-Warming Day, which you’d been saving for that moment. Sometimes it was difficult to tell. All I want to do is open it, so why can’t I? Suddenly, a deep purple mane blotted out the sun, as Rarity stood over her. “Pinkie, are you alright?” Pinkie sat there a moment, still lost in her distant thoughts. Her mind still remained on the letter. What could it say? What could she have wanted me to know? Eventually she remembered the question, and she managed to choke out, “No.” “Oh, darling.” As Rarity pulled her into a deep hug, she said, “I do have some good news, though. There have been some sightings of Fluttershy, mostly around Manehatten. I’m starting to think that she might be there.” “You think so?” “I do. Now come on. Let’s go down to Sugarcube Corner and get you a cupcake. My treat.” Pinkie felt herself perking up. She knew that sweets would make her feel better, but she just couldn’t imagine how. “Okay,” she sniffled. Stuffing the note back into her mane, Pinkie followed her friend. Surprise Visit“Ah, hello Twilight. What brings you here tonight?” Having spent the past few hours thinking about it, Twilight had gone to Zecora’s hut. Spike was worried, of course, but a sleep deprived Twilight is incredibly menacing. He couldn’t have stopped her if he’d tried, and not even the Everfree Forest at night would keep her from getting the information she required. “Well... Can we go inside first?” asked Twilight. “But of course, Twilight dear. I can assure you nopony’s here. Please come in and stay for a spell and all of your worries, do tell.” Walking in, Twilight saw the usual strange decor. There were many masks, plants, and bottles lining the walls. The giant cauldron stood in the middle of the hut, occupying the center of attention. Steam rose from it, carrying the scent of vegetable stew. Zecora, shutting the door behind her, inquired, “So what brings you out so late? Fears that I can help abate?” Glancing nervously around, she noticed that there were no other ways to see in. It would seem that Zecora had invested in curtains after the poison joke incident. The purple mare stuttered, “W-well, I’m sure that you’ve heard about Fluttershy going missing. I believe that I’ve found a way to get to her, but the only problem is that it involves Blood Magic.” “About risky magic you needn’t be told. It drains the body and corrupts the soul.” “Well that’s just it: I believe that the Element of Magic will protect me,” she explained, “but just in case I’d like to be able to alleviate the symptoms. Do you think that you can help?” “For loss of blood, that’s for sure, but for heart and soul there is no cure.” “So you can replenish the physical aspect of the magic, but you can’t solve the real problem?” “I’m afraid I cannot help you, unless the princess is here too,” confirmed Zecora. “Oh! But I did ask Celes—” “Asking Celestia was wisely done, though you should have asked the other one.” “Do you mean Luna?” she asked. “But Celestia is my mentor, and she put the ban into place, so why would I ask Luna?” “But who else, of course, has used this force?” Zecora retorted. “So... Nightmare Moon?” “Ah Twilight, so quick with wit, why must you act like a twit? The only way to get such power is Blood Magic in a desperate hour. Nightmare Moon from Luna’s mind was indeed her magical fine.” “If Luna agrees, can I count on you?” “If my help, you truly need, you shall find me a friend indeed,” versed Zecora. Twilight felt a cold prickle on her shoulder. Goose bumps trailed down her sides, driving a chill through her warm, sleeping body. A disembodied voice echoed through her dreams. “Wake up! The princess is here!” Silence filled her mind. In the distance she heard a light tinkle. Cracks of light began to shine through the void of sleep, searing her mind. Her eyes opened wide, slowly adjusting to the bright surroundings. Soon more details became apparent. The sun was in the sky, half past ten. Struggling to keep up, her sluggish train of thought puffed along, slowly recalling what had awoken her. It was something important, but what was it? Then in a burst of speed, her train of thought leapt ahead, a sonic boom that tore through her delicate reality. Dozens of scenarios raced through her mind, adrenaline fueling the unnecessary imaginings. “What!? Why didn’t you wake me up sooner? What about the book reorganizing, or helping Rarity’s search effort, or repainting the restrooms, or—” “Calm down, Twilight. She says it’s not anything you should fuss over. I’m gonna go get the others, so just stall her a little, okay?” assured Spike. “St-stall?” she gasped. “I thought you said it wasn’t important.” “I said not to fuss. Nothing says it isn’t important. After all, you invited her here.” Oh, the letter! “Please, it would be best if you report in person. I have many questions, most of which aren’t exactly appropriate for a royal letter.” “Spike, I’ll get Pinkie. No sense in not having breakfast, right?” “You sure? The Cakes might get worried, I mean, don’t you remember last time Celestia visited?” Spike looked truly worried. When is Twilight this calm? “Yes, but we’re just going to get muffins. It’ll be fine, Spike. Meet us back here ASAP.” “Okay,” Spike said, running through the door. Twilight trotted into the small bathroom, quickly brushing out her mane. While she did so, she readied her toothbrush. There was little point to it, since she was about to eat, but the princess was here so she had to be at her best. She could always brush again later, anyhow. Rinsing her mouth, Twilight quickly left the room, racing downstairs before pulling into a calm, relaxed walk. Celestia wouldn’t be fooled, of course, but it was best to show control. Mentally bracing herself, Twilight said, “Princess, I’m so sorry I slept in. Do you think we could go down to Sugarcube Corner? We have to get Pinkie and I could use some breakfast. Are you hungry?” “Of course we can go, my faithful student. I don’t want anything, but I know you haven’t eaten yet, so of course I wouldn’t keep you,” replied Celestia, her regal chuckle reverberating throughout the room. The day was fairly slow at Sugarcube corner and Pinkie wasn’t feeling quite herself. The store was entirely empty. Derpy had been in earlier—or was it Ditzy? She could never tell them apart—for her muffins, and Applejack had made a brief stop to drop off ingredients, but other than that, nopony was there. Even the Cakes were on vacation, and rather than leaving the children behind they had taken them with, so as not to burden the depressed mare. They hadn’t realized just how badly that plan would fail, but Pinkie couldn’t help but smile at the thought behind it. A timer rang out from the kitchen, and Pinkie rushed in to retrieve her newest creation. It was an experimental recipe that mixed apples and bananas into a glorious blend—at least when raw—but Pinkie had just made the first real batch so she was hoping to attract some customers with it. Placing the tray of cupcakes onto the counter, Pinkie went to open up the display window—where they always gave out samples of new recipes—but as she put her hooves to the glass panel, a light ringing came from the main room. Sighing, the pink mare made her way back to the register, saying in a fake cheer, “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! I hope you’re here to buy some super-fantastically tasty cupcakes! I just took out a fresh batch—new recipe!” Then she saw who she was talking to, and her mouth hit the floor. Her mouth, literally opened up wide enough to scrape the wooden flooring, but as surprised as she was, she didn’t even notice how this occurence contradicted common knowledge on anatomy. No, she was far more surprised that Princess Celestia, of all people, was in her shop. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Pinkie squealed, almost sounding like the mare who normally said it. “Princess Celestia! I had no idea you were coming! I’ll be right back.” As Pinkie ran into the kitchen, Twilight gave her mentor a nervous smile. Celestia winked back. Loud crashes could be heard from the kitchen, as well as a few fake curses. Just as fast as she had left, Pinkie bolted back into the room with the cupcakes on her back. They had new frosting on them, in all the golden hues of a sunrise. Sweat beaded down her face as she asked, “Princess, would you like to try my new recipe? You’ll be the first one ever!” “I would be honored, Pinkie.” Levitating a cupcake from the tray, she asked, “What kind did you say this was?” “Banana-apple with peach frosting! Can you tell me if I overdid the peaches though? I always make that a little bit overbearing. Careful! They’re still hot!” replied the bubbly pink mare. Tentatively biting into the cupcake, the princess’s eyes went wide with shock. Pinkie immediately looked down. Then she heard the princess, “Twilight! You must try this!” followed by a loud mmm. Pinkie looked up, not daring to believe. She saw them both with auburn frosting smeared around their mouths, surrounding stupid grins. Twilight said, “Pinkie, this might be your greatest creation yet!” Laughing, Pinkie managed to say, “Y-your face!” Mildly embarrassed, both mentor and student wiped off their mouths. “So, did Derpy clear you out yet, or do you have any blueberry muffins left?” asked Twilight. Beaming at her friend, Pinkie giggled, “Don’t you worry, silly filly. I never sell all the muffins!” Hopping over to the display case, she grabbed a few muffins, putting them in a bag. “Don’t you worry about these, either! On the house.” “Thanks Pinkie. Do you think we could head down to the library now? I think it’s important.” Sparing a nervous glance at Celestia, Twilight chuckled. “The others are on their way now.” “Okie dokie lokie!” Barely remembering to put up the “closed” sign, the three left the store, just as a soft meow came from upstairs. When they got back to the library, Rainbow Dash was already there. Silently bowing to Celestia, she sank down, head in her hooves. Twilight took the hint and sat next to her, waiting for the pegasus to speak her mind. Slowly the others filtered in, ending with Rarity and Spike. Finally, then, did she speak. “Everypony, I have news. If anyone else has something to say, do it now. This will take a while.” Raising her head slightly, Rarity said, “I think that she’s in Manehatten. I can’t say for sure, as my source isn’t entirely reliable. There were a few sightings near Canterlot as well. I’m thinking that she’s somewhere in between the two, camping out.” Pinkie spoke up, “And I have a letter, but let Dashie go first. I’m not ready yet.” “Okay. If everypony is done, I’ll start. You might want to find a seat for this. It’s a very long, sad story.” Taking their seats, Spike and the five mares looked at her, letting their curiosity fill their gaze... Beginnings“Before I start, I don’t know where she is. I only know why she might have run. I can’t answer when, how, or where. Anyways, it all started before she was born.” “What?!” shouted Twilight. “Trust me. It’s true.” As Fluttershy walked through the door, the first thing she noticed was the letter on the floor. Angel—who had been strangely affectionate lately—leapt down and grabbed it for her. He opened the envelope and passed her the papers inside. Awkwardly handling the wayward pamphlet in her hooves, she began to read. However, the moment she finished the first sentence, her world shattered. The letter fell to the floor, landing on the bunny. Suppressed memories swirled through her mind as her flank hit the floor. She could no longer see, her eyes blurred by tears. She didn’t see Angel Bunny looking at her woefully. She didn’t hear the animals go silent. She didn’t feel the tension in the room. She only knew two things: pain and fear. It’s finally happening. The thought, unbidden, echoed in her mind, forcing its way through the memories. After what felt like an eternity she was roused from her stupor by Angel, who pulled on her mane. The poor thing stared at her, eyes full of questions that he could never ask, and that she would never answer. She looked cautiously at the letter, as if it would harm her merely through contact. As Angel followed her gaze he hopped over to it, gingerly grasping it with his tiny paws. Fluttershy stared, not sure what to do. She could see the bunny’s tears as he read the letter and knew quite well what that meant: he knew. The one thing she had kept from everypony else, he knew. She had failed. She hadn’t been able to protect her friend, all because of one moment of weakness. She could feel tears trying to force their way from her eyes, but she held them back. He had always been strong for her. Now it was her turn. But it was in that moment that she knew she wasn’t strong—not enough, anyways. She turned and ran, feeling the patina of her past slowly spreading to the present. In his fit of emotion, Angel never saw her leave. "Unlike you guys, I remember her from before. She used to be so bold... a lot like me." "Ah can hardly imagine that," scoffed Applejack "Well it’s true. Things didn't start crushing her until they sank in a bit." As she stared at the lake, Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice how different it was in the daytime. Even though it had only been a few months since AJ had shown it to her, she couldn’t help but go here when she felt sad. It had a calming air to it, as if peace radiated from its murky depths. A soft thump came from behind her but she ignored it. The noise repeated softly, over and over. When she finally looked Fluttershy saw Angel, staring at her with concern written on his face. “Oh, Angel, what should I do?” she pleaded. Crossing his forepaws he gave her a stern look, though the concern never left his eyes. “I know I should tell them, but I just can’t.” Vigorous head shaking. “You mean I shouldn’t?” Nod. “Then, what? I can’t handle this on my own...” Angel immediately crossed over to her and grabbed her hoof, nodding as vigorously as he could. “You mean that’s it?” pouted Pinkie. “It wasn’t even her fault!” “She never thought of it that way. Believe me, I tried to convince her.” 8 days earlier... Fluttershy stared at the bags, radiating her indecision into the air around her. The stupid things were mocking her, laughing at her cowardice. “We’ve been packed for days!” they said. “When are you going to leave, chicken?” Stamping her hoof in a rare display of frustration, she glanced at her walls. They were bare. Every picture was taken down and in her bags. They might be heavy, but Fluttershy knew that she would want them. Her note had been written for days, and yet she couldn’t help but feel like she had forgotten something. She would get the bags, walk to the door, and then fling them back to the floor. Then she’d find something, anything, to do. First it was cleaning the animal habitats, then making cupcakes with Pinkie, then making excuses to Rarity, but now she couldn’t find a distraction. Her list was empty, crossed out twice. Now she had nothing left, nothing except her friends to hold her here. Could she really leave? Breaking her gaze, she lifted the saddlebags over her head, lowering them to just past the base of her wings. Finally—for the first time—she made it out the door. From the top of the hill Fluttershy stared at her house. She had done a brilliant job of making it seem abandoned. She was well aware of how easily it could be fixed, but that couldn’t be done yet. The illusion only needed to work for so long. She knew it wrong. She knew it was unkind, but she also knew she would never be kind again if she didn’t do this. Yet no matter what she did, the conflicting thoughts and emotions continued their duel, locking her in place, as had happened to Twilight so often before. Do I go back, continue my life waiting in fear, or do I abandon my friends to run from my past, my future? An insistent tapping on her back brought Fluttershy back to reality, and finalizing her decision, she walked down the road, not caring where it took her. “I miss her. I did even when she was still here. You have no idea how much it hurts to look at your best friend and realize the filly you met will never be back. I almost gave up on her, before I met you guys.” “I know that gaze. ‘Tis the same that I wear when I think of Luna.” Celestia mused. It was getting cold. Night had just fallen and yet Fluttershy would not stop. There was nowhere to stay yet. Not a single home had appeared. It was quite foalish of her, and she knew it. Angel’s shivers on her back was just more evidence towards the fact. “Don’t you worry, Angel. I’ll find us a place to stay the night.” Opening her left wing, she felt Angel climb into it before she put it against her side once more. Angel relaxed in his warm, new crib. Slowly rocking her wing in time to her steps, she sang, “Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to go to bed.” She continued the soothing motions until Angel’s breath sank into a deep, sleepy rhythm. For what seemed like hours she kept walking, until over the top of the next hill, she saw a bright light. Her hooves cried out for joy, knowing that they would not need to suffer any longer. Rushing to see where this beautiful, welcoming light came from, she saw a large manor. Nothing adorned it, but somehow “home” wouldn’t do its size justice. Somepony stood in the doorway, golden light spilling out from around them. Desperate, Fluttershy called, “Hello? Can you spare a room? I’m so ve—” She stopped dead in her tracks as she realized what she saw. Standing in the doorway was... a gryphon! “My apologies, Sister,” rang a deep voice. “From your fear I can tell you’ve had a bad experience with my kind, but rest assured: the only gryphons that may enter these doors follow the Scriptures of Orion. You will not find such hate and violence here. My name is Cleon and of course we can spare you a room.” Reassured of his intent, though still fearing his wrath, she slowly walked towards the door, rousing Angel with a shake of her wing. “Thank you. Just to get off my hooves will be a relief.” “Think nothing of it. Would you like some food? You look as if you could use some.” Hearing her stomach answer for her, Cleon laughed. “I’ll be right back, then.” It was then that Fluttershy got her first look around. The walls were plain, bearing no decoration but the beige paint. The tables were bare wood, probably hoof-made. Even the chairs were simple and unadorned. It was also then she realized that this was not a manor, but some sort of monastery. She heard of these before but—since most ponies worshipped Luna and Celestia—she had never seen one in person before. It was strange to live in such a seemingly blasphemous way and yet still be approved of by the very deities they refused to worship. Soon enough Cleon came back into the room, a platter clutched in his talons. Setting it on the table, he revealed a generous portion of apples, daisies, lettuce, and carrots. Angel, smelling his favorite treat, burst out of his wing crib, quickly grabbing the three largest carrots before he slipped under the table to enjoy his feast. As Cleon laughed, Fluttershy scolded, “Angel, no!” “It is fine, Sister. I simply didn’t expect such a small thing to have an appetite so large!” boomed the monk. “If you would like any more, I can always help.” “Oh, no. I’ve already been enough of a bother.” “Nonsense,” he said as he sat down. “Although, I am rather curious as to why you were wandering so late at night. If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear your story.” “Oh, it’s rather personal.” “I’m sorry to hear that. Anyhow, when you’re done just ring that bell and I’ll show you to your room.” Echoes of the Past“Eventually she got worse. She had night terrors, and I had to wake her up almost every night.” “What were they of?” inquired Rarity. “Memories: some of her earliest ones.” 8 days earlier... The policepony stood in the doorway, blue uniform hiding his features from the neck down. He towered above the tired filly like Celestia herself. Not knowing what else to do, Fluttershy said, “Hiya! Can I help you?” No! Not this again! But struggle as she might, Fluttershy could do naught but play the scene. “Is your mother home?” asked the somber stallion in his gravelly voice. “Sure! I’ll go get her,” she said. Fluttershy ran into the living room, calling, “Mom! Tracey! Somepony’s here to see you.” “Be right there,” her mother said, putting out a cigarette. The two mares rose from their seats. On the left, her mother’s black hair shimmered in the light, accenting her hoof-and-ear cutie mark perfectly. The earth pony trotted at an elegant pace. On the right was a unicorn. A scroll levitated nearby, getting tangled in her red mane. Silver calligraphy lined her white flank, proclaiming her literary love to the world. Both of them froze when they saw the stallion in the door. In retrospect, her mother looked nervous. Asking in her rich, heartwarming voice, her mother said, “Is there anything I can help you with, officer?” “I think there is. Can you come with me?” “Of course. Trace, would you mind staying here?” “Not at all,” assured her friend. As her mother walked out the door Fluttershy asked, “What’s going on?” “I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s fine. Here, do you want to see my newest work? I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.” In her distraction, Trace never noticed Fluttershy run to the window. Trace didn’t realize what Fluttershy had seen. The police cart drove away, a hoof and ear showing through the window. Fluttershy bolted awake, cold sweat dripping off her nose. “No!” she screamed, as the unwanted memories continued to rattle around her head. The pain, the abandonment, the cold, all came back in one surge. Suddenly a paw lightly touched her mouth. Fluttershy looked deeply into Angel’s eyes. The normally stern dots had gone soft, pleading, concerned. They said in a gentle whisper, I’m here. She felt his paws wrap around her in as tight a hug as he could manage, and somehow she felt safer. Her entire world had shrunken down to one room and the only ones in it were her and Angel. She hugged him back, streaking tears through their fur. “So what should we do?” inquired Pinkie. “What do you think? It’s not like there’s any real decision here.” “But how do we find ‘er?” questioned Applejack. “I believe I can take care of that problem, with your permission, Celestia,” stated Twilight. Celestia sighed. “You know not what you risk, but if you can find a way to divide the effects in a safe way then I will allow you.” “Good! Then we can begin immediately.” 7 days earlier... When Fluttershy awoke she did a double take. Her head was buried in soft, white fur. She slowly lifted her head off of Angel, careful not to rouse him. Quickly, she ran her hooves through her hair before looking around the room. The soft pallet that she had slept in was in the far corner. A dresser was on the opposite of the room from it, her saddlebags leaning on its side. The floor was raised on some sort of riser that started just after the doorway, elevating the room about a foot in the air. They gave a light spring to her step as she walked towards the door. When she opened the door, she was quite surprised to see the gryphon-monk, talons raised to knock on her door. “Hi Cleon. How are you?” “My apologies,” he said, his voice sounding strangely high, “but I am Brother Cyprus. Brother Cleon sent me to check on you. We heard you scream last night. Are you feeling well?” “Oh my...” she murmured. “I’m perfectly fine, bu—” “Please, do not taint these halls with lies, even if they are meant well. Either answer honestly or reject the question.” Fluttershy was shocked. On the one hoof she had been lying, but on the other she didn’t want to tell the whole truth. All it would do is worry him, and hurt her. “No. I’m not fine. I mistook you for somepony I should have recognized easily, and I had a terrible nightmare last night. I don’t even know where I am, and on top of all that, I’m hungry.” “Well,” chuckled Brother Cyprus, “I’m certain we can help you with at least three of those, although we don’t have a cure for nightmares. Come with me and we can get some food.” Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open as quickly as they had the past two days. The nightmares were back and although she was remembering how to ignore them, they continued to tear at her soul. How did I do this before? She struggled to remember. The nightmares had started in Flight School, just after the news had been given to her. She sifted through her memories. Painful as they were, she needed to know. She saw her father and her new “mother”. They looked at her, concern written on their faces. Tears lined her father’s eyes for the first time since she had been born, as he said— NO! she thought, shoving the memory away like a wet towel. If there is any day I will not relive, it’s that! I can’t take that pain—not again. Quickly seeking a distraction, she followed her routine. She rose, fixed her hair, and woke Angel. She preened her ragged feathers and walked through the door. Wait. Fluttershy paused, looking at the top of the doorframe. Set into it was a green gem that she hadn’t noticed before. It seemed to be gently sparkling. What could that be for? Fluttershy resolved to ask Cleon at breakfast and walked away. “Wait! What about my letter?” yelled Pinkie. “Well, I suppose it could help,” sighed Rarity. Caught in a purple aura, the folded piece of paper floated through the air. Twilight began to read, “Pinkie, I’m so sorry. I know that this will hurt you the most, but I had to do this. If you want to know why, tell Rainbow, ‘The Beast is out’. What could that mean?” Everypony looked at Rainbow Dash, who burst into tears. “What?” she cried. “I thought you said that was impossible!” She looked out the window and tried to imagine. How did that monster get out? Fluttershy sat at the small wooden table, carefully setting her plate down. The large room contained many such bustling tables, each with their share of gryphon-monks. This table, however, was empty save for Cleon. “Good morning,” he said. “Did you sleep well?” “No,” she replied flatly. “The nightmares are still there.” Cleon sighed. He had seen this so often before. It was classic denial, but the question was, of what? “You know, you could always just talk about it. Might help.” “Oh, no. You opened your home to me. I would hate to be any trouble. More than I already am, that is.” “I see.” “I was wondering, though: what are those gems in the door? I never noticed them before.” “Ah! That’s a good question. They go back to when our order was first founded. “You see, our founder was a rather simple gryphon, at first. He brewed cider and sold it to a bar—nothing special. One day, about two years before Luna’s descent, he tried to sell some directly to the Royal court. He was unfortunate, however, because he happened upon Luna’s shift in court—they didn’t divide the duties so rigidly then. To say the least, she treated him maliciously and he remembered that. “Over the next two years, he told of his experience to all around him. He told how no goddess would treat her subject in such a way. He told that they must have found immortality, rather than been born with it. Then The Descent came along and he shamelessly used it as proof for his theory. He quickly discovered two things, however. First, his followers tended to be strangely minded in those days, and second, there is no wrath like an alicorn scorned. “He knew that Celestia would attempt to do away with him, but he also knew the solution. He preached it to those around him, for he needed help to complete his task. He gathered a group of magicians, but it was not limited to unicorns. No, he brought in unicorns, gryphons, and earth ponies. The unicorns laid down the foundations of the spell. The gryphons supplied the element of change, in this case from sky to ground. The earth ponies used their connection to the ground to embed the spell into the gems you see today. The end result was a complicated network of gems that take outside magic and convert it into light. “Soon afterwards Celestia attempted to strike us down, but it was then we discovered a strange property of this new magic: its excess energy forms new spells, based on the strongest willpower near it. That very night Celestia had a vision of our founder. He explained to her the error of her ways and why she should not smite our order. Needless to say, his image succeeded.” “Rainbow! What does it mean?” asked Pinkie. “It means... It means I can tell you,” Twilight sighed. “I’m released from my promise.” “But didn’t ya already break it?” “Not anymore,” she replied. “But that isn’t our real problem now. We have to find Flutters, because she is out.” Searching the Dark“If we don’t have much time, then why are we still sitting here?” asked Twilight. “Let’s get started!” The purple mare trotted upstairs, the others close behind her. When they got to the second level her friends were shocked to see the diagrams strewn out along the tables, and drawn on the floor. In the center was a large circle around a six-sided star. At each tip was a smaller circle, each which was marked by a wing, a horn, or a hoof. Twilight situated herself in the farthest circle—which was marked with a horn—and indicated for the others to do the same. All but one seat was taken. “Princess, I can’t ask you to do this. Should I get a pegasus to volunteer?” “No,” she replied “I can take it. I have complete trust in you, my faithful student.” Twilight sighed. This is going to be the hardest part. Cautiously she brought her hoof to her horn, levitating a bowl underneath. Slowly she cut her ankle, dripping blood into the bowl. When it was half full she placed it in the center of the great circle, and then Twilight began to explain. “You see, I need you five to help me. In theory I could do this myself, but that would be... well, let’s not go there. The point is that the side-effects—when divided—are tolerable. Rarity, you’re going to be the magical anchor. If things go badly, you have the power to stop the spell. I might not be able to if things go wrong. “Pinkie, AJ, you two are the grounding elements. If any excess energy is put forth, it will flow through you two before going to Rainbow and Celestia, who will be a sort of storage unit. When the spell is stopped, that energy will flow out through me again. Does that make sense?” “No,” groaned Rainbow Dash, “but let’s start it already!” “Okay, brace yourselves,” warned Twilight, closing her eyes. A bright light filled the room. The chalk lines on the floor filled with a bright violet light, and small tendrils connected to Twilight’s horn. Slowly, she managed to adjust the incredible level of power, and a pulsing could be seen in the light. Twilight opened her eyes, which glowed a pure white, magic filling her very soul. Then the same tendrils began to spread towards the others. When they touched, each pony gave a harsh shudder before adding their own power into the mix. In the end the chalk was a dark red, pulsing in a strange rhythm. A voice echoed through the room. “The Beast is out.” Everypony opened their eyes and saw a ghostly image in the center. The transparent image looked exactly like Fluttershy, except her eyes were completely dark. Nothing was there save for an infinite depth. Her voice continued to echo. “The Beast is out.” Suddenly, more appeared. There were three; no, ten; no, twenty-seven Fluttershys. It quickly grew to a number too great to count, each echoing their own thoughts, and yet through the whole thing one thought was constant, “The Beast is out.” “I should’ve stayed.” “They deserve to know.” “The Beast is out.” “But then they would hate me.” “Rainbow’s already told them.” “The Beast is out.” “What if they didn’t find the letter?” “The Beast is out.” “Then it doesn’t matter.” “Of course, Pinkie would find it.” “The Beast is out.” “But what if—” “Cut the spell!” cried Celestia. “The Beast is out.” “I can’t go back.” “I’m trying!” screeched Rarity. “The Beast is out.” “I can’t hurt them.” “I’m so sorry,” whispered Rainbow Dash. Then a blinding flash filled the room. Rarity screamed. When the dazed ponies recovered their vision, they saw the circles had disappeared. Rarity was collapsed, sobbing in fear. Pinkie sat next to her, lightly stroking her mane. “What was that!?” yelled Applejack. Celestia rose, and uttered a single word in response, “Counter-magic.” Everypony looked to Twilight, expecting an explanation, but instead she merely lay there. Her eyes were distant and unfocused. Her ears twitched, as if tracking some far off noise. Her nose was scrunched in pain and concentration. Slowly her mouth formed the words, “The Beast is out.” She staggered to her hooves, feeling unsteady and off-kilter. She took slow, measured strides towards the bowl, unsure of what she might find. She peered down, examining her scarlet reflection. She saw tear streaks trailing down her face. Is this really how she feels? There’s so much pain... Then a ripple disturbed her crimson mirror. She dismissed it at first, as just a falling tear, but then the blood started to rise, slowly filling the bowl. She stumbled back, unsure what had gone wrong. “What’s going on?” asked Pinkie. Celestia sighed. “This is the problem with Blood Magic: the target pays the price as well.” From the balcony, they heard the flutter of wings. Luna stormed into the room, and screamed, “WHO DAREST USE THIS UNHOLY MAGIC? PREPARE TO DIE THOU FOALISH KNAVES.” Meanwhile... Fluttershy awoke with a start as a bright green light flooded the room. The gem in the doorway glowed with the fire of a thousand suns. Groaning, she turned over, trying to block out the light. It was in vain, however; Angel began shaking her, struggling to wake his owner. A heat slowly washed over her, drowning out other sensations. It quickly progressed to a burning that moved its way up her spine until— “Aaah!” she screamed. White lines shot across her vision. Searing pain went through her and her mind went blank. The pain overwhelmed everything, casting a harsh violet over her vision. Sweat poured down her, pooling in the sheets. Her throat went hoarse, yet she couldn’t stop screaming. Soon she lost all semblance of rational thought. Her mind was blank. Darker than night. So dark... She vaguely felt herself being moved, but it was so far away. All she knew was darkness. Darkness, and pain. Where’s the light? A deep voice echoed around her. “Sister, come back to us.” Who is that? “Come back to us.” How? Why? “The darkness is in us all, only to be banished by light.” Light... I think I remember... “Remember those you love. Run towards them, towards us.” I will. “Come back.” And suddenly she gasped for air, back in the world of light. “Allow us to understand. You gave permission to use blasphemous magic, endangering the kingdom in doing so, and then proceeded to participate in said forbidden magic?” asked a very confused Luna. “Yes, and they are not to be punished,” replied her sister. “Werest thou aware of the prices?” “Yes, although I’m not certain that Twilight was. Not anymore.” “How hast she handled it?” “I’m not sure,” the princess mused. “I’ve never seen her like this before.” “What prices?” asked Applejack. “Well,” began Celestia, “there are three prices to Blood Magic: energy, blood, and psyche. Normally there are only two prices: energy and psyche. The reason that this magic is so powerful is that it delegates some of the energy you need into the other prices, which allows for much easier casting. The downside—of course—is that using this without preparation requires the caster to pay all of the prices. “What Twilight seems to have stumbled upon was an advanced way of changing their distribution. The energy would come from us, and the blood would mostly come from the target. What she didn’t realize is that when you cast Blood Magic, there is an innate connection between you and whoever is affected by your spell. In this case it would be Fluttershy, since she’s presumably the one who transmuted the spell.” “So basically, Twilight was in her head?” summed up Pinkie. “Essentially, yes,” confirmed Luna. When Fluttershy came to, she was back on her pallet. Her entire body felt sore, as if it had been pulled apart and stitched back together in her sleep. She slowly raised her head to see where she was. It came crashing down soon afterwards. She had never felt this weak before. It was as if somepony had stolen her strength. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You need your rest.” It’s that voice. Who is it? It sounds so familiar. He sounds so familiar. What’s his name? “Cleon!” she yelled. “Yes. Who else would it be?” replied the confused gryphon. “What happened? The gem started glowing, and then... I can’t remember anything. I remember it hurt, but other than that it’s a blank.” “Well,” he began, “there were some rather mysterious spells cast recently, ones that we haven’t seen in a thousand years. It concerns us, since they were directed towards somepony in this monastery. Do you see what I’m getting at?” Fluttershy’s heart sank. He couldn’t possibly be asking her that. She couldn’t leave now! “You want me to go?” “Absolutely not! If anything, we want to protect you. The problem, of course, is that you haven’t told us why these people are trying to find you.” Fluttershy sighed. Yet another person who’s going to reject me. “Do you have time for a long story? One of darkness, families, and loss? Are you sure you want to hear the reason I fear for my friends’ safety? I can’t stay around them anymore. There’s no way that I can protect them—not anymore, if what you say is true. I can still protect you, though. If I leave now, then maybe you’ll be safe.” “Look at me,” he commanded. “As long as you are here, you are safe. We protect any and every creature within these walls as if they were The Founder himself. None shall harm you, or us.” “Then we might as well get started. Lately I’ve called this: The Saga of The Beast.” Epilogue2 weeks earlier... As Empty Sound walked through the door light filled her vision. It burned her eyes and forced her to sneeze. Tears streamed down her eyes, but not because of the sun. “You are hereby released on the condition you report for parole. You may go now.” She had waited twenty-seven years to hear those words. Twenty-seven long, hard years, with neither family nor friends. She hadn’t seen them in so long. The last visit was nearly two decades ago. I wonder if she remembers me; remembers what I look like. Her beautiful daughter probably hated her. When had it all gone wrong? Why had the evidence been so stacked against her? As far as the world was concerned, she had done all of those terrible things. She certainly had paid for them. I hope that she believes me; that she forgives me. The world would always see her as a liar and a scoundrel, but it was the least she could do to get her own daughter to love her again. The only question now was how to find her. Where have you gone, my sweet little angel? Where are you, Fluttershy? SequelAs of now, the sequel, Kindness Secluded, has been published. It's still awaiting approval, but it might be ready by now. Check by later and I'll have it updated for you.
Lost KindnessAs Rarity walked down the road, things were curiously quiet. The town seemed nearly deserted, but that was fairly normal for this time of the morning. No, it was something else. Something was missing, for the only sounds were the clop of her hooves and the purrs of Opalescence. It almost seemed as if the cat knew they were headed towards its birthday party. Strange. Rarity halted, listening to the area around her. A breeze ran through the trees, making a slight rustle. A bell chimed in the distance. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing... The birds! I can’t hear any birds! It was the strangest thing. Their nests were in the trees, yet their chicks could not be heard. The birds normally filled the air with music at this early hour. It was an oddly disturbing realization. Yet with this knowledge, she pushed her unease aside and continued down the path. Picking up her pace, Rarity thought to herself, I’m sure the birds are just busy somewhere else. The road continued for a short time, but soon enough she saw her destination. Rarity sighed as the warm smells from Sugarcube Corner’s vast oven hit her. The aroma of rising muffins and baking cake filled the air. Walking up to the doorway, Rarity braced herself and opened the door. As expected, she was barraged with her friends’ typical, uncouth greetings. Applejack ground her slimy, disgusting hoof into Rarity’s shoulder as Rainbow Dash hovered over them, casually posing. “It’s about time,” she said. Rarity glanced up, towards the annoyed comment. “Well some of us don’t get to nap all day.” A light crash came from the far side of the room as Twilight’s pile of books toppled over. As she muttered a few choice curses—hardly befitting the Princess’s personal protégé, let alone Rarity’s poor ears—Twilight trotted over, with sweet little Spike cleaning up behind her. “What took you so long?” she asked. “Oh, you know, this and that. I just finished that big order from Hoity Toity. I can’t believe he wanted more already!” replied the fashionista. But for the second time that day, she felt like something was missing. She looked around, trying to find it, before her eyes stumbled across Pinkie. Her mane had lost some of its usual luster, hanging slightly limp from her head. Soft blue eyes filled her face, staring at the door. She was unblinking, unmoving. “Pinkie, dear, are you alright?” Rarity asked. “You seem awfully quiet.” Snapped back to reality, Pinkie regained her usual smile. Her mane curled up, and her eyes returned to their usual, if still rather large, size. She looked at Rarity, genuinely confused, and said, “Huh? Oh, I’m just waiting for Fluttershy. After all, we can’t start it until everypony is here. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a party, and then how would poor Opal feel if she didn’t get her party. Y’know I haven’t seen her around here in a while. Do you think she’s alright? I hope so, ‘cause I made her favorite punch!” “Oh, I’m sure of it. She told me that she’d be a little late. Something about having to feed Angel. I think he’s sick,” said Rarity, in a desperate attempt to soothe her friend. She knew it wasn’t quite true, as she had heard this a few days ago, but given Pinkie’s reaction last time somepony missed a party, she figured it was best to be safe, rather than honest. Pinkie put a hoof to her chin, before saying, “Maybe we should head to her place. I bet she’d think it’s super-tastic!” “Are you sure? You spent so much time getting Sugarcube Corner ready. I wouldn’t want to make you clean all this up for nothing!” “Not a problem, silly. The party cannon goes in reverse!” “Wait,” called Spike, “why not just bring her back here?” Pinkie looked at him, eyes dancing in the light. “Why would we do that? This’ll be even faster!” Trotting to a corner of the room, Pinkie found the party cannon, sitting exactly where she left it. Making sure to pull the hidden switch the other way, Pinkie yanked the cord out, and watched as the cannon sucked every single decoration back into the muzzle. As her friends stared in shock, Rainbow laughed. “Pinkie, you are so random.” “Thanks! That’s a good thing, right? I mean, there are a lot of kinds or random, like the poison joke; that was not fun! There’s even more kinds too, like a two headed mongoose that shoots lasers from its ears!” Twilight suddenly stepped in, saying, “Pinkie, do you even know what a laser is?” “Nope!” smiled the pink mare. Twilight stifled her response, repeating in her head, Pinkie will be Pinkie. Pinkie will be Pinkie. “Well, what are we waiting for?” called Rainbow Dash, already flying through the door. Walking out the door, the six friends left to check on their missing companion. In their hurry, though, they forgot a certain feline. Swooping down by her friends as they walked on the path below, Rainbow asked, “So, Twilight, what is a laser?” “It’s basically a beam of magical light that cuts or hurts things. Really mean stuff, but really useful, too,” explained Twilight “Wait a second, light can hurt ponies? That doesn’t even make sense!” challenged Rainbow Dash. “Remember when we were fighting the Changelings, and Pinkie kept aiming my magic so that I could fight easier?” asked the purple magician. “Yeah, why?” “Those were lasers,” she stated. Stunned into silence, Rainbow kept on flying, pondering—in surprisingly deep thought—the implications of such a thing. Then she saw the tree. THWACK! Her vision darkened. Rainbow Dash could feel herself slide down the tree. Sound faded in and out, and she could’ve sworn she heard somepony call out to her, but couldn’t tell what was said. “What?” she groaned. “Ah said, Rainbow, y’all right?” Opening her eyes, Rainbow saw a familiar Stetson blocking the light from her face. “Oh, hey Applejack. I’m fine,” she grumbled. “Just fine.” “Well Ah’ll say! Ya nearly busted Fluttershy’s door!” exclaimed Applejack. As the two chuckled, the others began to make it over the hill. “Rainbow, darling, are you alright?” called Rarity, her voice echoing around the trees. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just went a bit faster than I meant to. That’s all,” laughed Rainbow Dash. “Ya sure can take a beatin’, can’t ya?” Applejack commented. "Yeah, I guess I can—not that I want to,” she complained. Carefully getting back to her hooves, Rainbow winced when she put weight on her left foreleg. She felt her back pop in several places, as her spine readjusted itself from the impact. Nothing too bad, but there’s definitely going to be a bruise in the morning. “Girls!” yelled Twilight, teleporting in with a brilliant flash of violet. The others were close behind her, making the extra effort seem completely unnecessary. “Rainbow, are you okay?” she asked. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” Twilight paused, her ears twitched and swiveled. “Listen. What do you hear?” “Ah don’t hear anything,” said Applejack, nonchalantly inspecting the wall. “Me neither,” said Rainbow, rubbing her flank. “Neither do I,” said Rarity, suddenly conscious of her walk over. “Well, I hear voices in my head. They talk to me, they understa—” “Pinkie!” yelled the others. “Oh, nothing!” she exclaimed. “So, why are we listening?” asked an impatient Rainbow Dash. “Where are the animals?” pondered Spike. There was silence. Dead silence. The only sounds were the leaves blowing in the wind: not a birdsong, nor a cricket’s chirp, nor a squirrel’s chatter. “Shouldn’t some o’ the critters have run out when Rainbow here hit the wall?” asked Applejack, worry straining her face. But no, there were no critters. The house looked as if it hadn’t been lived in for many years, and yet that could not have been the case, because abandoned homes were always the home for more animals. There was no life here. It had all vanished. The chipmunks and birds no longer rested on the roof. The frogs stifled their croaks in the nearby pond. Even the hen-house was empty, the gate swinging in the wind. “Come to think of it, there were no birds on my way to Sugarcube Corner,” mused Rarity. “None were tryin’ to get at our apples, neither,” Applejack recalled, putting a hoof to her chin. “We didn’t have to shoo away any critters from the clouds,” continued Rainbow Dash. “And even Gummy’s gone!” Pinkie yelled, and gasped in sudden terror. “Pinkie, Gummy is always gone. He’s never here until you find him,” declared Twilight, exasperation slowly beginning to overwhelm her usual calm. “Oh, yeah!” Pinkie said, immediately going back to her cheerful self. Suddenly, a large crash sounded out behind them. They heard wood splintering, and a large crack. Looking over, they saw Applejack, with her rear hooves stuck in Fluttershy’s door. Rainbow Dash kept laughing, but still tried to pull her out. “Applejack! Why would you do that?” yelled Twilight. Fury edged its way into her face. She was so close to losing control. “‘Cause we need to get in, and the door was locked,” The farmer replied flatly. “So you broke your friend’s door down?” Twilight asked with disbelief. “Yes! Look at the place! Nopony’s been here in a long while, and it doesn't look like she’s comin’ back anytime soon, neither.” “Well, we might as well go in now.” Twilight rolled her eyes. Trotting through the wrecked door, the ponies gasped. The inside was dark. There were cobwebs everywhere, despite it being abandoned for such a short time. The smell of animal droppings filled the air, despite Fluttershy’s best attempts to have kept them out—while she was there, at least. Hardly any light made it through the dusty windows, and what little did was a bleak gray. The air seemed choked, sad, and lonely. Twilight and Rarity lit their horns, revealing the depression around them. Many things were missing from the home. Pictures were no longer on the wall. Her saddlebags were no longer next to the door. Even Angel Bunny’s hideaway was completely desolate. Any signs of Fluttershy being there were virtually erased. The same pattern continued as they wandered through the house. There were more missing pictures, sentimentals, and supplies. The cupboards weren’t stocked like usual, and even her room was void of anything valuable. Then they saw the note. Twilight levitated it off of the bed, casting a light purple glow through the room. She blinked away the tears. This was bad; very, very obviously bad, and everypony knew it. She breathed deeply, using every meditative action she could think of. It did little to calm her but she had to be strong for the others. She couldn’t bear to look at them. She knew it would break her if she saw their faces. Twilight never saw the realization in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. She never saw the knowing pain in those deep pink orbs. She never saw Applejack’s confidence shatter, having placed so much of her own grief into the missing mare. Twilight never saw the tears readily flowing from Rarity’s eyes. She never saw fashionista’s comforting hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder, or the straight-maned mare crying into the unicorn’s shoulder. She never saw Spike’s eyes fill with fear and sympathy. He remembered when he left and how hard it had been. No, Twilight refused to recognize the grief around her, if only to be strong for just one more moment. She blinked again to clear her vision, and then she began to read aloud, “Fellow Elements of Harmony.” Twilight winced at her friend’s formality. She couldn’t see the others, but she imagined they felt the same. “Since this is the last time you’ll hear from me, I may as well not tarnish it with false emotions. The time I’ve spent with you has been the best in my life, but it can go on no longer. I am breaking off contact, not because I want to, but because I can no longer take the burden of society. Had you been paying attention recently, you would know that I’ve been fighting something within me, and to be honest, it won. This is the last thing I can do for you, my former friends. I’m going where I belong now, and no, it’s not Cloudsdale. I know you’ll look there just because I mentioned it so bluntly, but I wouldn’t go back there to save my life, or what little’s left of it. All I can do is ask that you don’t follow me, for your own well-being. Sincerely, The former Element of Kindness, Fluttershy PS. Don’t worry about Angel. He’s with me.” A long silence took hold, permeating the air. The letter fluttered through the air as Twilight lost her concentration. “Twi?” asked Applejack. Twilight was unreached, gone. She stood perfectly still, tears spilling from blank eyes. Inside her, a sea of turmoil boiled, furious winds disturbing the normally smooth currents. She could hear Applejack’s voice over the wind, but no matter how loudly she shouted, it never made it through her shattered mind. A chill claw touched her foreleg, and for a moment, the seas calmed. She remembered how every time that she had “freaked out”, or been sad, her friends had been there. They still were, but now they needed her. Slowly, she turned, facing her distraught friends. Something had to be done, but what? “We have to find her,” stated Spike. “But how?” sobbed Rarity. “I’m sure we can,” he said. “Why couldn’t I see it?” asked Twilight. “It’s not your fault. None of us could have.” “I could!” cried Rarity. “I knew she was stressed, but she just kept making excuses! I should have said something. I should have asked! Now she’s gone...” “So you would just abandon her?” yelled Rainbow Dash, as she advanced upon her friend. “No! It’s not like tha—” “That’s not what friends do, Rarity. Friends don’t abandon each other, just because they didn’t want help!” “Rainbow, are you alright?” asked Spike. “Don’t you remember all those Applebuck seasons? Remember how we had to fight with AJ, just to keep her sane?” she interrogated. “Yes, but if you would jus—” “Isn’t this the same thi—” “STOP!” shouted Spike as he threw himself in between them. “How dare you? What would Fluttershy say if she could see you now? I’ll tell you: she’d say that you didn’t care. This isn’t about some petty differences! This is about finding our friend in her time of need.” “Ah reckon Spike is right.” put in Applejack. “But we don’t even know what ‘er problem is, so how can we know what t’do? I know we need to help ‘er, but I just don’t know how. Besides, look around. We’re at least three days behind ‘er, and we have no idea where ta go! What can we do, Spike? Twi?” As the unicorn stared at her friends, she realized just how right Applejack was. What could they do to help if they had no knowledge at all? Then her eyes fell on Pinkie. Her mane had straightened out, reaching the floor, as her sad, blue eyes stared in the distance. They hadn’t heard a word from her this whole time. “Pinkie, what do you think we should do?” she asked. “I-I don’t know. Why would she leave?” sobbed the pink mare. “She said... ‘former friends’. Does she not like us anymore? Why would she leave us? Me?” It was at that moment that it clicked. Everypony knew what they had to do, but waited for the others to say it. When nopony did, they waited longer. Before they knew it the sun began to fade from the cracked windows. Twilight looked up and asked, “Do you think Celestia could help?”
ReconciliationPinkie stared out the window. Her muzzle made fog on the chill glass. From her room she could see them; Twilight and Dashie were still arguing. They hadn’t stopped since—No. I can’t let myself think about that. But it was no use. Not even the baby Cakes had been able to cheer her up, and not for lack of trying. Hearing a muffled scream, Pinkie looked back up. Dashie was flying away, just like Fluttershy... Bursting into tears, she ran to her bed and flung herself down. Staring at the ceiling, she saw Fluttershy’s hammock hanging from the wall. The soft fabric had a hoof-stitched butterfly on it. All those nights that Fluttershy had lain in it, and now it was empty. What could have happened? Why would she—NO! Stop it, Pinkie. This isn’t going to help find Fluttershy, and it won’t help you either. But no matter how much she tried Pinkie couldn’t force herself out of bed. She tossed and turned for a while, but nothing could get her up. Eventually she heard a knock at her door. “Pinkie, are you alright? You haven’t come out all day. We’re worried about you.” It was Mrs. Cake, and even though she knew that she should respond, all that came out was another sob. Eventually she heard hoofsteps going down the stairs. Wait! The butterfly, of course! she thought, as sudden realization swept her mind. Her mane poofing back to its normal curls, Pinkie leapt up onto her bed, trying desperately to reach the pegasus’ hammock. Eventually, she managed to grasp it in her teeth. Bringing it down from its hangers, she frantically examined the butterfly. There wasn’t purple on here before! Everypony knows that I don’t use purple when it comes to these projects! Except on Twilight’s stuff, of course, but that’s an excep— No! Focus, Pinkie. Tucked into the stitch-work of the hammock was a small slip of paper. Barely enough to write on, but knowing Fluttershy’s writing it would have enough. Pinkie slowly opened it, afraid of what she might see. Slowly peeling the corner away, she glanced at the words... ...before quickly looking away. I can’t do it! The most important piece of paper in my life, and I can’t even look at it! Why is this so hard? Downcast, the pink mare stared back at the window. Dashie was back, and arguing, like usual. I wonder what they’re talking about. “We can’t just sit around doing nothing! Flutters needs us!” yelled Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, we have no idea where she went. Until we figure something out, the best thing we can do is put out a missing pony’s notification,” retorted Twilight, doing her best to stay calm. “And then what? Just sit here and go stir crazy? Look around you! Pinkie hasn’t left her room, Rarity already made me five dresses, Applejack’s been bucking like crazy, and Flutters is gone!” objected the pegasus. “I’m not blind, Rainbow, but I will not go on some blind mission into nowhere!” snapped Twilight. “She could be in the Everfree for all we know. This is killing me too, but for now we have to wait for Celestia’s advice. I even asked Luna and Shining. Somepony’s going to know something.” “You’re wrong. Nopony even noticed she was gone! How can you be so confident Twilight?” “Because,” she explained, “I requested to use some forbidden magic to find her. I think the Elements will protect me from any ill effects, but even so I need permission.” “Twilight... You’d risk that? Wait, what do you mean dangerous?” questioned Rainbow Dash, concern beginning to edge into her voice. “It’s a bit complicated. I’ll explain later, but I hope I won’t have use it. This is only as a last resort, for when we’ve exhausted all other options. To be perfectly honest, though, this seems like the only option for now. Maybe Celestia will be able to help us.” “Don’t count on it Twi. I know you’re scared, just like me, but don’t give yourself false hope.” “Then what was that thing you were doing just a minute ago?” Twilight retorted. Silence ruled their conversation for a few minutes. Finally Twilight broke it. “What happened to her in Cloudsdale? She sounded like she hated the place.” “It’s her parents Twi. I don’t wanna talk about it.” Pinkie shed another tear as the arguing pair hugged. This time it was of relief. It was funny how just one tear out of so many others could make somepony happy. Maybe there was a message somewhere in that, but Pinkie couldn’t care less. All she knew was that her friend was out there, probably cold and alone. I need to read that letter. As far as the eyes could see the serene lake’s waters reflected Luna’s night back into the air. The moon—especially bright—shone beams of silver through the shifting leaves. A cool breeze drifted through the air, gently carrying the broken sobs of an abandoned friend. Tears sent ripples through the pools of starlight, breaking and merging soft mixes of colors. The crickets had stopped their chirps; the owls silenced their hoots. The songs of night held a gentle interlude, letting grief permeate the now-still air. Even the wind held its breath on this cloudless night. No matter how beautiful, nor how many others were enjoying it, the air was bittersweet and stagnant. The croak of a single toad broke the silence. A twig snapped as a rabbit crawled into its den. A swift crescendo swept away the silence as night resumed its ballad. Soft and sweet, the music calmed most souls, lulling them to sleep, but even so Applejack’s stubborn heart remained unmoved. She rarely allowed herself this luxury, instead bottling her sadness, saving it for when she might be able to come here next. No matter how many people told her she had to let it out, she knew that this was her way. Showing weakness around her friends was just as bad as asking for help, and if there was anything that Applejack wanted, it was to tough things out on her own. Shaking out her mane, Applejack got up in silence, nodding her goodbyes to the one place she had found peace in all these years. Painful memories welled up, threatening to send her into tears again, but she fought back. Solemnly putting on her hat, she walked away. When Applejack arrived at her home, the lights were still on. They shone through the window and onto the grass, illuminating a small area around the house. Well that’s just not right. Granny Smith doesn’t let anypony stay up this late. As she snuck through the door, she realized all too late what she had done. Big Macintosh sat in Granny’s rocker, silently waiting for her to arrive. Waiting for the other pony to speak, Mac slowly rocked, making a creak that was sure to wake up the rest of the family. Since Applejack refused to speak, he began, “Y’know we’re worried ‘bout ya, right?” "Of course Ah know that. I'd be blind not ta," Applejack responded. "Then why d'ya keep runnin' away from us?" he retorted. "Ah ain't runnin' away. Ya should know that 'bout me!" she scoffed. Me? A coward? Hah! "Look, sis, Ah know yer feelin' really stressed right now. How could ya not be? But what yer doin' here, it just ain't healthy,” he said. “Look around ya! Granny's worried sick, and ya know Ah ain't exaggeratin' when Ah say it. Apple Bloom cries herself ta sleep every time ya leave. We need ya, and we need ta know what the hay is goin' on. Don't ya get that?" "Well whaddaya expect me ta do!” yelled Applejack. “The one pony who would actually listen ta me is gone! She was there fer me when Ma left, and... Ah can't talk about this stuff ta anypony else no more. Ah just can't." Suddenly, a creak resounded from the stairs, attracting the attention of the arguing pair. Apple Bloom stood in the doorway, staring at them with forlorn eyes. Tear stains ran down her coat, and her mane was a mess. "Why are ya fightin'? Ain't it bad 'nough already?” Dearest Acquaintances, I hope this letter reaches you in good health, but unfortunately, I cannot send this letter on good terms. I have to ask a favor, one that you may not like to do. Although I know that this will seem like an overreaction, the greater good of Equestria is at stake—not to mention the life of my friend. You may remember her: she has a yellow coat and pink mane, with a trinity of butterflies as her cutie mark. If any of your agents can find her, please inform me. I know that each of you has something to hide, and I’m afraid that if results are not met, then my tongue may grow loose. If that isn’t enough, then know this: at the moment, we are defenseless. Unless we find her, the Elements will not protect us. Please find my friend. With Sincere Apologies, Rarity
Sources“Thanks again for coming, Fancypants, but I’m afraid you must go now. I have an appointment in five minutes,” explained Rarity. “That’s quite alright,” replied Fancypants. “I can guarantee that if she’s been anywhere near Canterlot, you’ll know.” “That’s a relief. Bye now!” As Fancypants closed the door, the bell let a soft tinkling fill the room. Sighing, Rarity sank to the floor. Let’s see... Fancypants, Hoity Toity, Bruce Mane, and Picture Perfect so far, so that’s just eight more to go, she thought in relief. Wait a second... No, that can’t be right. Eight more! How can I possibly sit through that conversation eight more times!? Now I know how everypony must feel about me. They’re simply pretentious! And I thought I liked high society... She felt compressed, like she had been squeezed down into a tiny gem, only to be trapped inside it like amber. The walls began to press down around her. Exasperated, she thought, Calm down, Rarity. You just need something for your nerves, that’s all. Tea. You need tea. Trudging along, Rarity slowly looked around the kitchen. It had been a disaster area since Sweetie’s latest attempt at cooking, but nopony had bothered cleaning it up. They were just too busy, not only organizing a search effort for Fluttershy, but also filling orders and requesting the various favors that Rarity had earned over the years. It wasn’t that she was doing dirty work or anything—no, far from it. The only thing Rarity had ever done to earn a favor, was give a free dress, or keep somepony’s secret. And there are a lot of secrets out there. People tell their tailors anything, rather like a barber. Even if Rarity had to use a bit of blackmail here and there, for the most part the favors were given voluntarily. Besides, with a soul as tarnished as hers, it could use a bit more, so long as it was for the greater good. She couldn’t help but remember all of those changelings, injured—and sometimes even crippled—in the name of Celestia. Yet, they weren’t entirely innocent, were they? They were invaders after all. Suddenly, her train of thought was broken by the pitched squeal of her teapot. Gently levitating it over to the already prepared cup, she poured the scalding water. She watched as a cloud of steam raised itself, and her gaze followed it until it faded away. A tinkling ring came from the door. Well that’s not right. My appointment shouldn’t have been this soon. That was just an excuse anyhow. Rainbow Dash is never on time to get her Gala dress. “Be there in a moment!” she called. Carefully levitating her tea, she trotted towards the foyer, but nopony was there. The room was just as empty as when she had left it. Strange, she thought, turning around. When she put her hoof down, she heard the soft crinkle of paper. It was a letter lying in the middle of her foyer. A bat was pressed into the wax seal. Ah, Bruce, I knew you’d come through for me! Opening the letter, she read: Dearest Rarity, I must admire your audacity, and how far you’re willing to go to get what you want. I might have to watch what I say around you, but this is exactly why I will remain a loyal customer. On another note, I have some news concerning your friend: it would seem that she is everywhere! Honestly, I haven’t seen her once, but ask anypony on the street and she was there “just five minutes ago!” I was able to confirm a few sightings, but none of them make any sense. There are so many over such a large area! There are at least a dozen in Canterlot, about 35 in Manehatten, and a few in Baltimare. You can see why such a thing would be confusing. I hope this can help, Batmane PS: I need a new cape. “Well that’s odd,” she mused, “but then again, so is he. I just hope that he’s not trying to fool me.” Rarity wrote out a quick response, and put it underneath the left column of her front porch, where she normally left her “secret” messages. Dearest Batmane, Your new cape will be ready on Monday. In the meantime, the Elements are under harsh scrutiny. If they “react”—as my friend puts it—then you will be informed. If it happens, we’ll have to assume the worst. Let us hope that it doesn’t come to that. Rarity Pinkie was stumped. The more she played with the idea, the better it seemed, but how? It was possibly the most significant question of her entire life: how do you play three-way tic-tac-toe? She’d thought that going to the park would help. Seeing everypony smiling around her did inspire creativity, but then she had remembered the letter. She still had it, in her mane this entire time, completely unread. As said mane shifted, the paper fell. She caught it, mere inches above the ground. She stared at it, venting indecision into the air around her. “Pinkie!” somepony yelled. She could’ve sworn she’d heard somepony, but she didn’t care. At that moment, that letter was her world. It was a terrible secret, the last one that a friend hides. Or maybe it was the very last present on Hearth’s-Warming Day, which you’d been saving for that moment. Sometimes it was difficult to tell. All I want to do is open it, so why can’t I? Suddenly, a deep purple mane blotted out the sun, as Rarity stood over her. “Pinkie, are you alright?” Pinkie sat there a moment, still lost in her distant thoughts. Her mind still remained on the letter. What could it say? What could she have wanted me to know? Eventually she remembered the question, and she managed to choke out, “No.” “Oh, darling.” As Rarity pulled her into a deep hug, she said, “I do have some good news, though. There have been some sightings of Fluttershy, mostly around Manehatten. I’m starting to think that she might be there.” “You think so?” “I do. Now come on. Let’s go down to Sugarcube Corner and get you a cupcake. My treat.” Pinkie felt herself perking up. She knew that sweets would make her feel better, but she just couldn’t imagine how. “Okay,” she sniffled. Stuffing the note back into her mane, Pinkie followed her friend.
Surprise Visit“Ah, hello Twilight. What brings you here tonight?” Having spent the past few hours thinking about it, Twilight had gone to Zecora’s hut. Spike was worried, of course, but a sleep deprived Twilight is incredibly menacing. He couldn’t have stopped her if he’d tried, and not even the Everfree Forest at night would keep her from getting the information she required. “Well... Can we go inside first?” asked Twilight. “But of course, Twilight dear. I can assure you nopony’s here. Please come in and stay for a spell and all of your worries, do tell.” Walking in, Twilight saw the usual strange decor. There were many masks, plants, and bottles lining the walls. The giant cauldron stood in the middle of the hut, occupying the center of attention. Steam rose from it, carrying the scent of vegetable stew. Zecora, shutting the door behind her, inquired, “So what brings you out so late? Fears that I can help abate?” Glancing nervously around, she noticed that there were no other ways to see in. It would seem that Zecora had invested in curtains after the poison joke incident. The purple mare stuttered, “W-well, I’m sure that you’ve heard about Fluttershy going missing. I believe that I’ve found a way to get to her, but the only problem is that it involves Blood Magic.” “About risky magic you needn’t be told. It drains the body and corrupts the soul.” “Well that’s just it: I believe that the Element of Magic will protect me,” she explained, “but just in case I’d like to be able to alleviate the symptoms. Do you think that you can help?” “For loss of blood, that’s for sure, but for heart and soul there is no cure.” “So you can replenish the physical aspect of the magic, but you can’t solve the real problem?” “I’m afraid I cannot help you, unless the princess is here too,” confirmed Zecora. “Oh! But I did ask Celes—” “Asking Celestia was wisely done, though you should have asked the other one.” “Do you mean Luna?” she asked. “But Celestia is my mentor, and she put the ban into place, so why would I ask Luna?” “But who else, of course, has used this force?” Zecora retorted. “So... Nightmare Moon?” “Ah Twilight, so quick with wit, why must you act like a twit? The only way to get such power is Blood Magic in a desperate hour. Nightmare Moon from Luna’s mind was indeed her magical fine.” “If Luna agrees, can I count on you?” “If my help, you truly need, you shall find me a friend indeed,” versed Zecora. Twilight felt a cold prickle on her shoulder. Goose bumps trailed down her sides, driving a chill through her warm, sleeping body. A disembodied voice echoed through her dreams. “Wake up! The princess is here!” Silence filled her mind. In the distance she heard a light tinkle. Cracks of light began to shine through the void of sleep, searing her mind. Her eyes opened wide, slowly adjusting to the bright surroundings. Soon more details became apparent. The sun was in the sky, half past ten. Struggling to keep up, her sluggish train of thought puffed along, slowly recalling what had awoken her. It was something important, but what was it? Then in a burst of speed, her train of thought leapt ahead, a sonic boom that tore through her delicate reality. Dozens of scenarios raced through her mind, adrenaline fueling the unnecessary imaginings. “What!? Why didn’t you wake me up sooner? What about the book reorganizing, or helping Rarity’s search effort, or repainting the restrooms, or—” “Calm down, Twilight. She says it’s not anything you should fuss over. I’m gonna go get the others, so just stall her a little, okay?” assured Spike. “St-stall?” she gasped. “I thought you said it wasn’t important.” “I said not to fuss. Nothing says it isn’t important. After all, you invited her here.” Oh, the letter! “Please, it would be best if you report in person. I have many questions, most of which aren’t exactly appropriate for a royal letter.” “Spike, I’ll get Pinkie. No sense in not having breakfast, right?” “You sure? The Cakes might get worried, I mean, don’t you remember last time Celestia visited?” Spike looked truly worried. When is Twilight this calm? “Yes, but we’re just going to get muffins. It’ll be fine, Spike. Meet us back here ASAP.” “Okay,” Spike said, running through the door. Twilight trotted into the small bathroom, quickly brushing out her mane. While she did so, she readied her toothbrush. There was little point to it, since she was about to eat, but the princess was here so she had to be at her best. She could always brush again later, anyhow. Rinsing her mouth, Twilight quickly left the room, racing downstairs before pulling into a calm, relaxed walk. Celestia wouldn’t be fooled, of course, but it was best to show control. Mentally bracing herself, Twilight said, “Princess, I’m so sorry I slept in. Do you think we could go down to Sugarcube Corner? We have to get Pinkie and I could use some breakfast. Are you hungry?” “Of course we can go, my faithful student. I don’t want anything, but I know you haven’t eaten yet, so of course I wouldn’t keep you,” replied Celestia, her regal chuckle reverberating throughout the room. The day was fairly slow at Sugarcube corner and Pinkie wasn’t feeling quite herself. The store was entirely empty. Derpy had been in earlier—or was it Ditzy? She could never tell them apart—for her muffins, and Applejack had made a brief stop to drop off ingredients, but other than that, nopony was there. Even the Cakes were on vacation, and rather than leaving the children behind they had taken them with, so as not to burden the depressed mare. They hadn’t realized just how badly that plan would fail, but Pinkie couldn’t help but smile at the thought behind it. A timer rang out from the kitchen, and Pinkie rushed in to retrieve her newest creation. It was an experimental recipe that mixed apples and bananas into a glorious blend—at least when raw—but Pinkie had just made the first real batch so she was hoping to attract some customers with it. Placing the tray of cupcakes onto the counter, Pinkie went to open up the display window—where they always gave out samples of new recipes—but as she put her hooves to the glass panel, a light ringing came from the main room. Sighing, the pink mare made her way back to the register, saying in a fake cheer, “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! I hope you’re here to buy some super-fantastically tasty cupcakes! I just took out a fresh batch—new recipe!” Then she saw who she was talking to, and her mouth hit the floor. Her mouth, literally opened up wide enough to scrape the wooden flooring, but as surprised as she was, she didn’t even notice how this occurence contradicted common knowledge on anatomy. No, she was far more surprised that Princess Celestia, of all people, was in her shop. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Pinkie squealed, almost sounding like the mare who normally said it. “Princess Celestia! I had no idea you were coming! I’ll be right back.” As Pinkie ran into the kitchen, Twilight gave her mentor a nervous smile. Celestia winked back. Loud crashes could be heard from the kitchen, as well as a few fake curses. Just as fast as she had left, Pinkie bolted back into the room with the cupcakes on her back. They had new frosting on them, in all the golden hues of a sunrise. Sweat beaded down her face as she asked, “Princess, would you like to try my new recipe? You’ll be the first one ever!” “I would be honored, Pinkie.” Levitating a cupcake from the tray, she asked, “What kind did you say this was?” “Banana-apple with peach frosting! Can you tell me if I overdid the peaches though? I always make that a little bit overbearing. Careful! They’re still hot!” replied the bubbly pink mare. Tentatively biting into the cupcake, the princess’s eyes went wide with shock. Pinkie immediately looked down. Then she heard the princess, “Twilight! You must try this!” followed by a loud mmm. Pinkie looked up, not daring to believe. She saw them both with auburn frosting smeared around their mouths, surrounding stupid grins. Twilight said, “Pinkie, this might be your greatest creation yet!” Laughing, Pinkie managed to say, “Y-your face!” Mildly embarrassed, both mentor and student wiped off their mouths. “So, did Derpy clear you out yet, or do you have any blueberry muffins left?” asked Twilight. Beaming at her friend, Pinkie giggled, “Don’t you worry, silly filly. I never sell all the muffins!” Hopping over to the display case, she grabbed a few muffins, putting them in a bag. “Don’t you worry about these, either! On the house.” “Thanks Pinkie. Do you think we could head down to the library now? I think it’s important.” Sparing a nervous glance at Celestia, Twilight chuckled. “The others are on their way now.” “Okie dokie lokie!” Barely remembering to put up the “closed” sign, the three left the store, just as a soft meow came from upstairs. When they got back to the library, Rainbow Dash was already there. Silently bowing to Celestia, she sank down, head in her hooves. Twilight took the hint and sat next to her, waiting for the pegasus to speak her mind. Slowly the others filtered in, ending with Rarity and Spike. Finally, then, did she speak. “Everypony, I have news. If anyone else has something to say, do it now. This will take a while.” Raising her head slightly, Rarity said, “I think that she’s in Manehatten. I can’t say for sure, as my source isn’t entirely reliable. There were a few sightings near Canterlot as well. I’m thinking that she’s somewhere in between the two, camping out.” Pinkie spoke up, “And I have a letter, but let Dashie go first. I’m not ready yet.” “Okay. If everypony is done, I’ll start. You might want to find a seat for this. It’s a very long, sad story.” Taking their seats, Spike and the five mares looked at her, letting their curiosity fill their gaze...
Beginnings“Before I start, I don’t know where she is. I only know why she might have run. I can’t answer when, how, or where. Anyways, it all started before she was born.” “What?!” shouted Twilight. “Trust me. It’s true.” As Fluttershy walked through the door, the first thing she noticed was the letter on the floor. Angel—who had been strangely affectionate lately—leapt down and grabbed it for her. He opened the envelope and passed her the papers inside. Awkwardly handling the wayward pamphlet in her hooves, she began to read. However, the moment she finished the first sentence, her world shattered. The letter fell to the floor, landing on the bunny. Suppressed memories swirled through her mind as her flank hit the floor. She could no longer see, her eyes blurred by tears. She didn’t see Angel Bunny looking at her woefully. She didn’t hear the animals go silent. She didn’t feel the tension in the room. She only knew two things: pain and fear. It’s finally happening. The thought, unbidden, echoed in her mind, forcing its way through the memories. After what felt like an eternity she was roused from her stupor by Angel, who pulled on her mane. The poor thing stared at her, eyes full of questions that he could never ask, and that she would never answer. She looked cautiously at the letter, as if it would harm her merely through contact. As Angel followed her gaze he hopped over to it, gingerly grasping it with his tiny paws. Fluttershy stared, not sure what to do. She could see the bunny’s tears as he read the letter and knew quite well what that meant: he knew. The one thing she had kept from everypony else, he knew. She had failed. She hadn’t been able to protect her friend, all because of one moment of weakness. She could feel tears trying to force their way from her eyes, but she held them back. He had always been strong for her. Now it was her turn. But it was in that moment that she knew she wasn’t strong—not enough, anyways. She turned and ran, feeling the patina of her past slowly spreading to the present. In his fit of emotion, Angel never saw her leave. "Unlike you guys, I remember her from before. She used to be so bold... a lot like me." "Ah can hardly imagine that," scoffed Applejack "Well it’s true. Things didn't start crushing her until they sank in a bit." As she stared at the lake, Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice how different it was in the daytime. Even though it had only been a few months since AJ had shown it to her, she couldn’t help but go here when she felt sad. It had a calming air to it, as if peace radiated from its murky depths. A soft thump came from behind her but she ignored it. The noise repeated softly, over and over. When she finally looked Fluttershy saw Angel, staring at her with concern written on his face. “Oh, Angel, what should I do?” she pleaded. Crossing his forepaws he gave her a stern look, though the concern never left his eyes. “I know I should tell them, but I just can’t.” Vigorous head shaking. “You mean I shouldn’t?” Nod. “Then, what? I can’t handle this on my own...” Angel immediately crossed over to her and grabbed her hoof, nodding as vigorously as he could. “You mean that’s it?” pouted Pinkie. “It wasn’t even her fault!” “She never thought of it that way. Believe me, I tried to convince her.” 8 days earlier... Fluttershy stared at the bags, radiating her indecision into the air around her. The stupid things were mocking her, laughing at her cowardice. “We’ve been packed for days!” they said. “When are you going to leave, chicken?” Stamping her hoof in a rare display of frustration, she glanced at her walls. They were bare. Every picture was taken down and in her bags. They might be heavy, but Fluttershy knew that she would want them. Her note had been written for days, and yet she couldn’t help but feel like she had forgotten something. She would get the bags, walk to the door, and then fling them back to the floor. Then she’d find something, anything, to do. First it was cleaning the animal habitats, then making cupcakes with Pinkie, then making excuses to Rarity, but now she couldn’t find a distraction. Her list was empty, crossed out twice. Now she had nothing left, nothing except her friends to hold her here. Could she really leave? Breaking her gaze, she lifted the saddlebags over her head, lowering them to just past the base of her wings. Finally—for the first time—she made it out the door. From the top of the hill Fluttershy stared at her house. She had done a brilliant job of making it seem abandoned. She was well aware of how easily it could be fixed, but that couldn’t be done yet. The illusion only needed to work for so long. She knew it wrong. She knew it was unkind, but she also knew she would never be kind again if she didn’t do this. Yet no matter what she did, the conflicting thoughts and emotions continued their duel, locking her in place, as had happened to Twilight so often before. Do I go back, continue my life waiting in fear, or do I abandon my friends to run from my past, my future? An insistent tapping on her back brought Fluttershy back to reality, and finalizing her decision, she walked down the road, not caring where it took her. “I miss her. I did even when she was still here. You have no idea how much it hurts to look at your best friend and realize the filly you met will never be back. I almost gave up on her, before I met you guys.” “I know that gaze. ‘Tis the same that I wear when I think of Luna.” Celestia mused. It was getting cold. Night had just fallen and yet Fluttershy would not stop. There was nowhere to stay yet. Not a single home had appeared. It was quite foalish of her, and she knew it. Angel’s shivers on her back was just more evidence towards the fact. “Don’t you worry, Angel. I’ll find us a place to stay the night.” Opening her left wing, she felt Angel climb into it before she put it against her side once more. Angel relaxed in his warm, new crib. Slowly rocking her wing in time to her steps, she sang, “Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to go to bed.” She continued the soothing motions until Angel’s breath sank into a deep, sleepy rhythm. For what seemed like hours she kept walking, until over the top of the next hill, she saw a bright light. Her hooves cried out for joy, knowing that they would not need to suffer any longer. Rushing to see where this beautiful, welcoming light came from, she saw a large manor. Nothing adorned it, but somehow “home” wouldn’t do its size justice. Somepony stood in the doorway, golden light spilling out from around them. Desperate, Fluttershy called, “Hello? Can you spare a room? I’m so ve—” She stopped dead in her tracks as she realized what she saw. Standing in the doorway was... a gryphon! “My apologies, Sister,” rang a deep voice. “From your fear I can tell you’ve had a bad experience with my kind, but rest assured: the only gryphons that may enter these doors follow the Scriptures of Orion. You will not find such hate and violence here. My name is Cleon and of course we can spare you a room.” Reassured of his intent, though still fearing his wrath, she slowly walked towards the door, rousing Angel with a shake of her wing. “Thank you. Just to get off my hooves will be a relief.” “Think nothing of it. Would you like some food? You look as if you could use some.” Hearing her stomach answer for her, Cleon laughed. “I’ll be right back, then.” It was then that Fluttershy got her first look around. The walls were plain, bearing no decoration but the beige paint. The tables were bare wood, probably hoof-made. Even the chairs were simple and unadorned. It was also then she realized that this was not a manor, but some sort of monastery. She heard of these before but—since most ponies worshipped Luna and Celestia—she had never seen one in person before. It was strange to live in such a seemingly blasphemous way and yet still be approved of by the very deities they refused to worship. Soon enough Cleon came back into the room, a platter clutched in his talons. Setting it on the table, he revealed a generous portion of apples, daisies, lettuce, and carrots. Angel, smelling his favorite treat, burst out of his wing crib, quickly grabbing the three largest carrots before he slipped under the table to enjoy his feast. As Cleon laughed, Fluttershy scolded, “Angel, no!” “It is fine, Sister. I simply didn’t expect such a small thing to have an appetite so large!” boomed the monk. “If you would like any more, I can always help.” “Oh, no. I’ve already been enough of a bother.” “Nonsense,” he said as he sat down. “Although, I am rather curious as to why you were wandering so late at night. If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear your story.” “Oh, it’s rather personal.” “I’m sorry to hear that. Anyhow, when you’re done just ring that bell and I’ll show you to your room.”
Echoes of the Past“Eventually she got worse. She had night terrors, and I had to wake her up almost every night.” “What were they of?” inquired Rarity. “Memories: some of her earliest ones.” 8 days earlier... The policepony stood in the doorway, blue uniform hiding his features from the neck down. He towered above the tired filly like Celestia herself. Not knowing what else to do, Fluttershy said, “Hiya! Can I help you?” No! Not this again! But struggle as she might, Fluttershy could do naught but play the scene. “Is your mother home?” asked the somber stallion in his gravelly voice. “Sure! I’ll go get her,” she said. Fluttershy ran into the living room, calling, “Mom! Tracey! Somepony’s here to see you.” “Be right there,” her mother said, putting out a cigarette. The two mares rose from their seats. On the left, her mother’s black hair shimmered in the light, accenting her hoof-and-ear cutie mark perfectly. The earth pony trotted at an elegant pace. On the right was a unicorn. A scroll levitated nearby, getting tangled in her red mane. Silver calligraphy lined her white flank, proclaiming her literary love to the world. Both of them froze when they saw the stallion in the door. In retrospect, her mother looked nervous. Asking in her rich, heartwarming voice, her mother said, “Is there anything I can help you with, officer?” “I think there is. Can you come with me?” “Of course. Trace, would you mind staying here?” “Not at all,” assured her friend. As her mother walked out the door Fluttershy asked, “What’s going on?” “I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s fine. Here, do you want to see my newest work? I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.” In her distraction, Trace never noticed Fluttershy run to the window. Trace didn’t realize what Fluttershy had seen. The police cart drove away, a hoof and ear showing through the window. Fluttershy bolted awake, cold sweat dripping off her nose. “No!” she screamed, as the unwanted memories continued to rattle around her head. The pain, the abandonment, the cold, all came back in one surge. Suddenly a paw lightly touched her mouth. Fluttershy looked deeply into Angel’s eyes. The normally stern dots had gone soft, pleading, concerned. They said in a gentle whisper, I’m here. She felt his paws wrap around her in as tight a hug as he could manage, and somehow she felt safer. Her entire world had shrunken down to one room and the only ones in it were her and Angel. She hugged him back, streaking tears through their fur. “So what should we do?” inquired Pinkie. “What do you think? It’s not like there’s any real decision here.” “But how do we find ‘er?” questioned Applejack. “I believe I can take care of that problem, with your permission, Celestia,” stated Twilight. Celestia sighed. “You know not what you risk, but if you can find a way to divide the effects in a safe way then I will allow you.” “Good! Then we can begin immediately.” 7 days earlier... When Fluttershy awoke she did a double take. Her head was buried in soft, white fur. She slowly lifted her head off of Angel, careful not to rouse him. Quickly, she ran her hooves through her hair before looking around the room. The soft pallet that she had slept in was in the far corner. A dresser was on the opposite of the room from it, her saddlebags leaning on its side. The floor was raised on some sort of riser that started just after the doorway, elevating the room about a foot in the air. They gave a light spring to her step as she walked towards the door. When she opened the door, she was quite surprised to see the gryphon-monk, talons raised to knock on her door. “Hi Cleon. How are you?” “My apologies,” he said, his voice sounding strangely high, “but I am Brother Cyprus. Brother Cleon sent me to check on you. We heard you scream last night. Are you feeling well?” “Oh my...” she murmured. “I’m perfectly fine, bu—” “Please, do not taint these halls with lies, even if they are meant well. Either answer honestly or reject the question.” Fluttershy was shocked. On the one hoof she had been lying, but on the other she didn’t want to tell the whole truth. All it would do is worry him, and hurt her. “No. I’m not fine. I mistook you for somepony I should have recognized easily, and I had a terrible nightmare last night. I don’t even know where I am, and on top of all that, I’m hungry.” “Well,” chuckled Brother Cyprus, “I’m certain we can help you with at least three of those, although we don’t have a cure for nightmares. Come with me and we can get some food.” Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open as quickly as they had the past two days. The nightmares were back and although she was remembering how to ignore them, they continued to tear at her soul. How did I do this before? She struggled to remember. The nightmares had started in Flight School, just after the news had been given to her. She sifted through her memories. Painful as they were, she needed to know. She saw her father and her new “mother”. They looked at her, concern written on their faces. Tears lined her father’s eyes for the first time since she had been born, as he said— NO! she thought, shoving the memory away like a wet towel. If there is any day I will not relive, it’s that! I can’t take that pain—not again. Quickly seeking a distraction, she followed her routine. She rose, fixed her hair, and woke Angel. She preened her ragged feathers and walked through the door. Wait. Fluttershy paused, looking at the top of the doorframe. Set into it was a green gem that she hadn’t noticed before. It seemed to be gently sparkling. What could that be for? Fluttershy resolved to ask Cleon at breakfast and walked away. “Wait! What about my letter?” yelled Pinkie. “Well, I suppose it could help,” sighed Rarity. Caught in a purple aura, the folded piece of paper floated through the air. Twilight began to read, “Pinkie, I’m so sorry. I know that this will hurt you the most, but I had to do this. If you want to know why, tell Rainbow, ‘The Beast is out’. What could that mean?” Everypony looked at Rainbow Dash, who burst into tears. “What?” she cried. “I thought you said that was impossible!” She looked out the window and tried to imagine. How did that monster get out? Fluttershy sat at the small wooden table, carefully setting her plate down. The large room contained many such bustling tables, each with their share of gryphon-monks. This table, however, was empty save for Cleon. “Good morning,” he said. “Did you sleep well?” “No,” she replied flatly. “The nightmares are still there.” Cleon sighed. He had seen this so often before. It was classic denial, but the question was, of what? “You know, you could always just talk about it. Might help.” “Oh, no. You opened your home to me. I would hate to be any trouble. More than I already am, that is.” “I see.” “I was wondering, though: what are those gems in the door? I never noticed them before.” “Ah! That’s a good question. They go back to when our order was first founded. “You see, our founder was a rather simple gryphon, at first. He brewed cider and sold it to a bar—nothing special. One day, about two years before Luna’s descent, he tried to sell some directly to the Royal court. He was unfortunate, however, because he happened upon Luna’s shift in court—they didn’t divide the duties so rigidly then. To say the least, she treated him maliciously and he remembered that. “Over the next two years, he told of his experience to all around him. He told how no goddess would treat her subject in such a way. He told that they must have found immortality, rather than been born with it. Then The Descent came along and he shamelessly used it as proof for his theory. He quickly discovered two things, however. First, his followers tended to be strangely minded in those days, and second, there is no wrath like an alicorn scorned. “He knew that Celestia would attempt to do away with him, but he also knew the solution. He preached it to those around him, for he needed help to complete his task. He gathered a group of magicians, but it was not limited to unicorns. No, he brought in unicorns, gryphons, and earth ponies. The unicorns laid down the foundations of the spell. The gryphons supplied the element of change, in this case from sky to ground. The earth ponies used their connection to the ground to embed the spell into the gems you see today. The end result was a complicated network of gems that take outside magic and convert it into light. “Soon afterwards Celestia attempted to strike us down, but it was then we discovered a strange property of this new magic: its excess energy forms new spells, based on the strongest willpower near it. That very night Celestia had a vision of our founder. He explained to her the error of her ways and why she should not smite our order. Needless to say, his image succeeded.” “Rainbow! What does it mean?” asked Pinkie. “It means... It means I can tell you,” Twilight sighed. “I’m released from my promise.” “But didn’t ya already break it?” “Not anymore,” she replied. “But that isn’t our real problem now. We have to find Flutters, because she is out.”
Searching the Dark“If we don’t have much time, then why are we still sitting here?” asked Twilight. “Let’s get started!” The purple mare trotted upstairs, the others close behind her. When they got to the second level her friends were shocked to see the diagrams strewn out along the tables, and drawn on the floor. In the center was a large circle around a six-sided star. At each tip was a smaller circle, each which was marked by a wing, a horn, or a hoof. Twilight situated herself in the farthest circle—which was marked with a horn—and indicated for the others to do the same. All but one seat was taken. “Princess, I can’t ask you to do this. Should I get a pegasus to volunteer?” “No,” she replied “I can take it. I have complete trust in you, my faithful student.” Twilight sighed. This is going to be the hardest part. Cautiously she brought her hoof to her horn, levitating a bowl underneath. Slowly she cut her ankle, dripping blood into the bowl. When it was half full she placed it in the center of the great circle, and then Twilight began to explain. “You see, I need you five to help me. In theory I could do this myself, but that would be... well, let’s not go there. The point is that the side-effects—when divided—are tolerable. Rarity, you’re going to be the magical anchor. If things go badly, you have the power to stop the spell. I might not be able to if things go wrong. “Pinkie, AJ, you two are the grounding elements. If any excess energy is put forth, it will flow through you two before going to Rainbow and Celestia, who will be a sort of storage unit. When the spell is stopped, that energy will flow out through me again. Does that make sense?” “No,” groaned Rainbow Dash, “but let’s start it already!” “Okay, brace yourselves,” warned Twilight, closing her eyes. A bright light filled the room. The chalk lines on the floor filled with a bright violet light, and small tendrils connected to Twilight’s horn. Slowly, she managed to adjust the incredible level of power, and a pulsing could be seen in the light. Twilight opened her eyes, which glowed a pure white, magic filling her very soul. Then the same tendrils began to spread towards the others. When they touched, each pony gave a harsh shudder before adding their own power into the mix. In the end the chalk was a dark red, pulsing in a strange rhythm. A voice echoed through the room. “The Beast is out.” Everypony opened their eyes and saw a ghostly image in the center. The transparent image looked exactly like Fluttershy, except her eyes were completely dark. Nothing was there save for an infinite depth. Her voice continued to echo. “The Beast is out.” Suddenly, more appeared. There were three; no, ten; no, twenty-seven Fluttershys. It quickly grew to a number too great to count, each echoing their own thoughts, and yet through the whole thing one thought was constant, “The Beast is out.” “I should’ve stayed.” “They deserve to know.” “The Beast is out.” “But then they would hate me.” “Rainbow’s already told them.” “The Beast is out.” “What if they didn’t find the letter?” “The Beast is out.” “Then it doesn’t matter.” “Of course, Pinkie would find it.” “The Beast is out.” “But what if—” “Cut the spell!” cried Celestia. “The Beast is out.” “I can’t go back.” “I’m trying!” screeched Rarity. “The Beast is out.” “I can’t hurt them.” “I’m so sorry,” whispered Rainbow Dash. Then a blinding flash filled the room. Rarity screamed. When the dazed ponies recovered their vision, they saw the circles had disappeared. Rarity was collapsed, sobbing in fear. Pinkie sat next to her, lightly stroking her mane. “What was that!?” yelled Applejack. Celestia rose, and uttered a single word in response, “Counter-magic.” Everypony looked to Twilight, expecting an explanation, but instead she merely lay there. Her eyes were distant and unfocused. Her ears twitched, as if tracking some far off noise. Her nose was scrunched in pain and concentration. Slowly her mouth formed the words, “The Beast is out.” She staggered to her hooves, feeling unsteady and off-kilter. She took slow, measured strides towards the bowl, unsure of what she might find. She peered down, examining her scarlet reflection. She saw tear streaks trailing down her face. Is this really how she feels? There’s so much pain... Then a ripple disturbed her crimson mirror. She dismissed it at first, as just a falling tear, but then the blood started to rise, slowly filling the bowl. She stumbled back, unsure what had gone wrong. “What’s going on?” asked Pinkie. Celestia sighed. “This is the problem with Blood Magic: the target pays the price as well.” From the balcony, they heard the flutter of wings. Luna stormed into the room, and screamed, “WHO DAREST USE THIS UNHOLY MAGIC? PREPARE TO DIE THOU FOALISH KNAVES.” Meanwhile... Fluttershy awoke with a start as a bright green light flooded the room. The gem in the doorway glowed with the fire of a thousand suns. Groaning, she turned over, trying to block out the light. It was in vain, however; Angel began shaking her, struggling to wake his owner. A heat slowly washed over her, drowning out other sensations. It quickly progressed to a burning that moved its way up her spine until— “Aaah!” she screamed. White lines shot across her vision. Searing pain went through her and her mind went blank. The pain overwhelmed everything, casting a harsh violet over her vision. Sweat poured down her, pooling in the sheets. Her throat went hoarse, yet she couldn’t stop screaming. Soon she lost all semblance of rational thought. Her mind was blank. Darker than night. So dark... She vaguely felt herself being moved, but it was so far away. All she knew was darkness. Darkness, and pain. Where’s the light? A deep voice echoed around her. “Sister, come back to us.” Who is that? “Come back to us.” How? Why? “The darkness is in us all, only to be banished by light.” Light... I think I remember... “Remember those you love. Run towards them, towards us.” I will. “Come back.” And suddenly she gasped for air, back in the world of light. “Allow us to understand. You gave permission to use blasphemous magic, endangering the kingdom in doing so, and then proceeded to participate in said forbidden magic?” asked a very confused Luna. “Yes, and they are not to be punished,” replied her sister. “Werest thou aware of the prices?” “Yes, although I’m not certain that Twilight was. Not anymore.” “How hast she handled it?” “I’m not sure,” the princess mused. “I’ve never seen her like this before.” “What prices?” asked Applejack. “Well,” began Celestia, “there are three prices to Blood Magic: energy, blood, and psyche. Normally there are only two prices: energy and psyche. The reason that this magic is so powerful is that it delegates some of the energy you need into the other prices, which allows for much easier casting. The downside—of course—is that using this without preparation requires the caster to pay all of the prices. “What Twilight seems to have stumbled upon was an advanced way of changing their distribution. The energy would come from us, and the blood would mostly come from the target. What she didn’t realize is that when you cast Blood Magic, there is an innate connection between you and whoever is affected by your spell. In this case it would be Fluttershy, since she’s presumably the one who transmuted the spell.” “So basically, Twilight was in her head?” summed up Pinkie. “Essentially, yes,” confirmed Luna. When Fluttershy came to, she was back on her pallet. Her entire body felt sore, as if it had been pulled apart and stitched back together in her sleep. She slowly raised her head to see where she was. It came crashing down soon afterwards. She had never felt this weak before. It was as if somepony had stolen her strength. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You need your rest.” It’s that voice. Who is it? It sounds so familiar. He sounds so familiar. What’s his name? “Cleon!” she yelled. “Yes. Who else would it be?” replied the confused gryphon. “What happened? The gem started glowing, and then... I can’t remember anything. I remember it hurt, but other than that it’s a blank.” “Well,” he began, “there were some rather mysterious spells cast recently, ones that we haven’t seen in a thousand years. It concerns us, since they were directed towards somepony in this monastery. Do you see what I’m getting at?” Fluttershy’s heart sank. He couldn’t possibly be asking her that. She couldn’t leave now! “You want me to go?” “Absolutely not! If anything, we want to protect you. The problem, of course, is that you haven’t told us why these people are trying to find you.” Fluttershy sighed. Yet another person who’s going to reject me. “Do you have time for a long story? One of darkness, families, and loss? Are you sure you want to hear the reason I fear for my friends’ safety? I can’t stay around them anymore. There’s no way that I can protect them—not anymore, if what you say is true. I can still protect you, though. If I leave now, then maybe you’ll be safe.” “Look at me,” he commanded. “As long as you are here, you are safe. We protect any and every creature within these walls as if they were The Founder himself. None shall harm you, or us.” “Then we might as well get started. Lately I’ve called this: The Saga of The Beast.”
Epilogue2 weeks earlier... As Empty Sound walked through the door light filled her vision. It burned her eyes and forced her to sneeze. Tears streamed down her eyes, but not because of the sun. “You are hereby released on the condition you report for parole. You may go now.” She had waited twenty-seven years to hear those words. Twenty-seven long, hard years, with neither family nor friends. She hadn’t seen them in so long. The last visit was nearly two decades ago. I wonder if she remembers me; remembers what I look like. Her beautiful daughter probably hated her. When had it all gone wrong? Why had the evidence been so stacked against her? As far as the world was concerned, she had done all of those terrible things. She certainly had paid for them. I hope that she believes me; that she forgives me. The world would always see her as a liar and a scoundrel, but it was the least she could do to get her own daughter to love her again. The only question now was how to find her. Where have you gone, my sweet little angel? Where are you, Fluttershy?
SequelAs of now, the sequel, Kindness Secluded, has been published. It's still awaiting approval, but it might be ready by now. Check by later and I'll have it updated for you.
