An Expression Of Love

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8 (part 1)
Chapter 8 (part 2)
Chapter 8 (part 3)
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 (part 1)
Chapter 13 (part 2)
Chapter 14
Chapter 15 (part 1)
Chapter 15 (part 2)
Chapter 15 (part 3)
Chapter 16
Chapter 17 (part 1)
Chapter 17 (part 2)
Chapter 18

Chapter 1

It was another day in Ponyville, and Twilight Sparkle was learning once more about love.

She was on her bed, lying on her stomach with a dictionary in front of her as she tried to uncover the feelings she had for a while for somepony close to her – feelings she once thought were just friendship, but until recently it seemed they were more.

“Love. Noun: A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another pony,” she read aloud. She realised that’s how she felt for this pony. She always wanted to be close and embrace the pony, and had begun to feel like she wanted to be near her love for the rest of her life. She lifted her head away from the book and grinned. ‘I’m in love!’

She breathed a sigh of content and rolled on her back, squealing with joy and kicking her legs in the air as if she was sprinting. She always thought that she would never fall in love with somepony, or consider the chance of being with one. Now she couldn’t hide these feelings no matter how hard she tried, and felt like screaming the name of her crush out to the world.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open as she realised something. “Now that I know what love is, now what?” She got off her bed and raced downstairs into the library, looking for any books that could help express the love she had for this pony. Normally she would’ve called Spike to go and bring her the books she wanted, but he was out helping Rarity, so she was left alone.

Half an hour later, after practically destroying the section on romance, she found nothing that could be of any use to her. She sat on her haunches, looking crestfallen as she contemplated just walking up to her crush and telling how she felt. “Oh, that’ll work wonders,” she berated herself. Her horn lit up again and with a sudden white flash, all the books were cleared away and placed back on their shelves.

She began pacing around the room, her mind a hive of activity as she tried to think of a way to find help. After a minute of pacing she stopped suddenly and a wide grin appeared on her face as she came up with an idea. If books were not going to help her, her friends might. ‘But whom could I turn to?’ At first she thought of Rarity; the mare seemed to know a bit about love, but then again she fell in love with someone she never met before and he turned out to be a not very nice pony, to put it nicely. She ruled out Rarity.

Next came Rainbow; the moment she thought of her she immediately shoved the idea away. She loved Rainbow like a sister, but the brash and slightly arrogant pegasus only ever loved one pony: herself.

Next came Pinkie Pie; she might be a pony who would be everywhere and anywhere at any one time, but Twilight knew she was extremely intelligent, and might even know how to solve her little problem. Twilight got up from the floor and made her way to the door, but stopped and groaned when she remembered Pinkie was out of Ponyville visiting her parents and won’t be back until tonight. “I’ll just have to wait tomorrow,” she said to herself. She turned around and made her way up the stairs, then sat down on a pillow and began flicking through a book on Equestrian history.

An hour later and she groaned, her head falling into the book. She wanted, no, she needed help now, and felt like she couldn’t afford to wait for Pinkie to come home. All her life she had skimmed through, going through everything as if she was walking through a light breeze, and this lack of knowing how to admit one’s feelings seemed like a large obstacle in her thirst for knowledge that now barred her way. “A walk should clear my head,” she decided. Instead of walking out the door, her horn lit up and she teleported herself just below the balcony then made her way in a random direction around town.

As she walked, she considered each of her friends again on asking them for help, but again that little part in her brain told her it wasn’t a good idea. All her friends lacked knowledge on the subject of love, which was the main reason they had a trip in Canterlot on Hearts and Hooves Day. All, except for Applejack. She skidded to a halt and berated herself for forgetting her.

Applejack was an honest, loving pony that would help a friend in need, and she already said once she had a crush on a colt when she stayed in Manehatten. It sadly never worked out but she said they keep in touch as pen pals. Applejack was perfect. She broke into a trot and changed her direction towards Sweet Apple Acres. She stopped when she realised something – Applejack might know how to help her, but would she accept such a thing? She knew Equestria doesn’t think that way about those kind of relationships since the reign of Celestia and Luna began, but some traditions don’t die easily, and a few kept to those beliefs. So what if Applejack was one of them?

“Don’t be so stupid, Twilight,” she scolded herself. “Applejack is a good friend and would help you out and accept who you are.” She walked a few more steps before stopping again. ‘What if I lose the courage to say what I wanted to say, and therefore waste my time and hers?’ Her horn lit up once more and she disappeared, startling some of the ponies around her.

She re-appeared outside the front door of her library. She raced inside, found a piece of scrap paper, and then wrote down the name of her crush. She placed it safely in her mane, and then continued on her way to Sweet Apple Acres, praying that the farm pony would accept her feelings for her crush.

Despite the hard work, the tiring long hours, and the lack of sleep, Applejack would easily say that applebuck season was the best part of the year. Rows and rows of apple trees have been nurtured throughout the spring and the Apple family have waited a long time for those apples. Now that the summer had come, they were fully ripe and ready to come down.

Applejack stood on the hill, overlooking the orchard that she’d been charged with to harvest. She smiled to herself at the responsibility she’d been given – this lot of apples were the most important on the entire farm, as they were the ones that would be used to make the cider for the cider season, and they needed to be done double time.

Applejack took her eyes off the orchard and walked up to the first tree. “Howdy there,” she greeted it. The tree didn’t reply. “You’ve got some mighty fine apples on yourself. Would ya mind if I took them down?”

Again the tree didn’t reply. “Thank ya kindly,” she smirked. She had learnt from Granny Smith it’s best to ask permission from the tree before taking down the apples, especially the ones used for the cider season. She turned around and stretched out her two hind legs, warming them up and getting them ready to buck. Suddenly she kicked out as hard as she could and with a cracking sound the legs hit the tree, the apples falling down into their appointed buckets.

“My, you’re a hard one, aren’t ya?” she said, giving her hind legs a little wiggle. Her hind legs felt like they had been through a marathon. “Still, pleasure doin’ business with ya.” She picked up an empty bucket and set it down on the next tree, ready to do the same.

“Applejack?” a voice rang out throughout the orchard. Applejack’s ears pinned upright to hear who it was. “Applejack?” the voice called out again, albeit this time much clearer and more recognisable.

“Twilight!” she called back. “Over here!”

A lavender unicorn pony emerged from the trees a moment later. “Good morning to ya, Twilight. How are ya?” Applejack greeted her with a smile. Her smile faded away into a look of concern when she saw Twilight’s face. It was laced with sweat, her breathing was quick and she looked ready to run for the hills. And all this she was hiding behind a big smile.

“Hey, Applejack. I’m good thanks. Yourself?” Twilight replied.

Applejack shook her head. She could easily tell what’s a lie and what’s not, and this, unfortunately, was the former. “Sugarcube, ya don’t look okay at all. Ya seem mighty nervous for some reason.” She gestured with a hoof for Twilight to sit under the shade of the tree. “Care to explain?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not if you’re busy. I’ll just come by later or not at all…” She was about to run away when Applejack caught her by her tail and dragged her into the shade of the tree.

“Nonsense, Twi, I have plenty of time for my friends, and ya look like you need it most,” she said comfortingly. “So tell me, what’s bothering ya?”

Twilight sat on her haunches and started playing with her hooves, not even looking at Applejack. “Well… um, well I… I wanted to ask you for some advice,” she blurted out. “Some honest advice.”

Applejack put a hoof to her chest and said, “Me? Well I’m mighty flattered ya came to me. So what kind of advice ya looking for?”

Twilight muttered something so quiet Applejack couldn’t make out. “Sorry, sugar, ya gonna have to speak louder than that.”

Twilight muttered a little louder, most of it she still couldn’t understand, but one word stuck out. Love. “You’re in love?” Twilight meekly nodded. Applejack gave her a wide grin and brought the unicorn into a bear hug. “Oh, I’m so happy for ya, sugar!” Twilight muttered something. “Sorry, Twi, what?”

“Can’t… breathe,” Twilight managed to get out.

Applejack quickly let go. “Sorry about that, it’s just that… you’re in love! Oh my goodness! I honestly didn’t expect you to be the first in our group to fall in love with somepony.” Applejack leaned in with anticipating eyes. “So whose the guy you got ya eye on?”

Twilight seemed to shrink even lower under the earth pony’s expectant gaze. After a while she muttered something, but Applejack couldn’t make it out. “Ya gonna have to speak louder and clearer than that if ya want me to help ya?”

Twilight puffed out her cheeks and was ready to say it in one big breath, but in the end she sighed and looked to the ground. “I’m sorry, AJ, I can’t say it.” She took something out from her mane and held it in a shaking hoof. “So I wrote it instead.”

Applejack took the small piece of paper from the unicorn’s hoof and opened it up, revealing the name of Twilight’s crush. Upon reading it Applejack thought her eyes would roll out of their sockets, fall to the ground, and roll away. She looked back up at the unicorn who was now shaking with fear.

“You love… Fluttershy?”

Twilight yelped at Applejack’s tone and prostrated onto the ground. She covered her face with her hooves and whimpered, “Please don’t hate me.”

Applejack looked stunned at Twilight’s shivering form, and quickly realised why she was so nervous. “Hate ya?” she said in disbelief. She lowered herself onto the ground and moved Twilight’s hooves from the face. Upon seeing her friend’s teary-eyed face she felt her heart spilt into pieces. She looked at Twilight with a loving smile and said, “Why should I hate ya for following your heart?”

Twilight stopped shivering and whimpering and looked at Applejack dead in the eyes. “You’re… you’re okay with it?”

Applejack nodded. “Why shouldn’t I be?” She opened her mouth once more to speak but before she could say what was on her mind she was gripped in a bear hug from Twilight, who was grinning widely and spinning with the orange earth pony like they were dancing.

“Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Twilight cried, spilling tears of joy. She let go of Applejack, who had nearly forgotten to breathe. “Oh you don’t know how long I’ve kept that in. It just feels sooooooo good to just say it. Well, write it but you get the point. Oooooo I love Fluttershy, look, I can actually say it!” She squealed in joy.

Applejack found herself amused by her friend’s sheer joy. “I’m glad you’re happy, sugarcube. But I’ve got a few questions.”

“Of course, fire away.”

“Firstly, why Fluttershy?”

“Oh, Applejack, why not Fluttershy!” she replied. She began dancing around the earth pony with a large, stupid grin on her face. “She’s kind, naturally gorgeous, her mane and tail must feel like silk.”

Applejack shivered as she remembered when she and the pegasus met up in the early days. When they met Rarity for the first time, the unicorn had sent Fluttershy frozen in shock and embarrassment after stroking her tail in the middle of public. To this day Rarity regretted that action.

“Her movements are always graceful and effortless,” Twilight continued throughout Applejack’s reminiscence. “Her eyes always sparkle with love and kindness. And finally, her voice. Anything she says, and I honestly mean this with no offence intended, it just wouldn’t sound just as good if Princess Celestia herself said it. But most of all, I love her heart. It has room for all of Equestria, and it will still have room for more.”

An eyebrow on the earth pony’s forehead was raised far enough to disappear under Applejack’s hat. “Wow, you’re definitely smitten, that much I can see. Now, when did you realise ya love her?”

Twilight stopped moving and looked at the ground in thought. After a while of only listening to the birds sing, Twilight responded. “Do you remember Applebloom telling you about when she and the other cutie mark crusaders stayed at Fluttershy’s?”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah I do. What about it?”

“She saved my life, Applejack,” Twilight went on. “I was frozen in stone. In all aspects I was dead. But she came, like an angel, and saved your sister and me. After that, I felt something for her I had never felt before. At first I thought it was admiration, but it wasn’t until the wedding and seeing my brother smitten with Cadence that realised I wasn’t feeling admiration. So I looked it up and I realised it was love I was feeling all this time. I’m in love, Applejack, and I love it’s feeling.”

Applejack smiled and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “So one last thing, sugar, how exactly are ya goin to tell her?”

Twilight looked towards the ground. “That’s why I came to see you. I know I’m in love, but I don’t know how to say it. I’ve gone through every book I have about love, but nothing at all to help me express it appeared!”

Applejack gave her a wry smile. “To be honest, why am I not surprised? Love is something that cannot be discovered in a book… except for a romance novel but I wouldn’t recommend those. Love is something that needs to come from the heart, Twilight. But it needs to be done delicately, and since we’re talking about the world’s shyest pony, even more so.”

“That’s what I was thinking. So do you have any suggestions?”

“Hmm, how about you take her to a fancy restaurant? Do a proper date?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Do you even know Fluttershy? A restaurant will be a bad idea; could create a big scene that I, or her, don’t want. And besides, I don’t think she would agree to it.”

“Okay, good point.” Applejack took a moment to think it over. “How about,” she said after a while, “you take her to the zoo? She loves animals so that would be great for her.”

Twilight shook her head. “I asked her to come with me once. It turned into a ten minute rant from Fluttershy about why zoos are cruel and horrible places for keeping animals locked in cages, and believe me Spike counted those minutes. So that’s a big no for that.”

“Hmm,” Applejack sat down and placed a hoof on her chin. “This is tricky.” She stayed silent for a moment, thinking it over, while Twilight stared at her with anticipating eyes. “How about,” she looked up again after a minute, “you take her somewhere.”

Twilight sighed. “But we’ve already agreed that a restaurant…”

“I didn’t mean like that, sugar. I mean somewhere like a holiday. Just ya’ll take a week or so somewhere to relax and let the days roll by. And when she’s comfortable with the place you pick, and has settled in with ya and such, then bam! Ya tell her how ya feel, and then it’s up to Fluttershy.”

“Hmm,” Twilight pondered, “that’s fine. That’s actually better than fine, that’s brilliant! The only question left really is: where to go?” The two ponies fell silent once again as the two thought about where the two could go. While Applejack put a hoof to her chin and thought, Twilight paced up and down in front of her. Suddenly Twilight’s head shot up and she had wide eyes as she thought about something – something she had read ages ago.

‘No, not that, would she really be interested? Really?’ Twilight thought. But a part of it was perfect. She and Fluttershy could spend some time together, they would be getting flowers, and they would be going out somewhere, together. It would be a date with a difference. It was perfect!

“I’ve got it!” Twilight exclaimed, stunning Applejack. “Thank you, Applejack, for your good advice. It has really helped me decide what to do.”

Twilight began trotting away, but didn’t get far when Applejack called out to her. “I’m glad I can be a help, Twi. Good luck getting her!”

“Thanks, AJ. Now if you excuse me, I’ve got to got home and plan out an adventure.” With that, Twilight galloped away from the earth pony, feeling relived that Applejack would accept her love for the pegasus, and above all be willing to help her get the girl.

“Yeah! Ya go and plan an ad-” She trailed off when she realised what Twilight had just said, and her eyes widened in horror. She moved to call Twilight back, but the unicorn was long gone. She sighed heavily and after a moment, returned to apple bucking.

The next day…

“Here you go, my little friends,” Fluttershy said cheerfully to the otters as she gave them the fish they loved so much. Once she threw them out of her mouth she spat out the foul taste of the fish, and then gave them a loving smile as she watched them eat their meals. “I hope you enjoy.”

She walked out from under the bridge, and with a little help from her wings, hopped onto the ground before the door of her cottage and walked up to where Angel bunny was relaxing, with a small carrot in his paws. “Okay, Angel, that’s the otters taken care of. What’s next?”

The bunny saluted, then brought out a clipboard from his back. He eyed it closely before shaking his head and shrugging. “You mean there’s nothing left to do? Again?” Angel nodded and then disappeared into his hutch, glad that everything was done for the day.

Fluttershy sighed sadly, and slowly walked back into her cottage, her head low and her ears flat. As she opened the door she wanted to be greeted by the birds that lived in the birdhouses, the mouse family waving hello to their carer, and the sound of the other little animals that would sometimes be here.

She sighed sadly when she saw noone. The mice had moved away when they found a massive place they could live in, Fluttershy even helped them move in. She was sad about their leaving but she knew they didn’t want to stay cooped up here forever. The birds had flown away to start their own families in nests outside of her home. The other animals had all left to raise their families also, and the otters will soon be leaving once they were back at full strength.

She hopped onto her couch and collapsed on top of it, with a heavy sigh escaping her lips. The fact her animal friends had left to start their own families, and go on adventures of their own, hadn’t left her depressed at all. In fact, she was bored – really, really bored.

With the animals all outside taking care of themselves, it left her with far less to do, and with her pony friends busy during the summer, even less. She raised herself up into a sitting position and rested her head on the windowsill, looking towards the Everfree forest.

For the past few weeks she was getting tired of the same routine that had been drilled into her for a long time. Every day ran like this: get up, feed the chickens, feed Angel, get more food, lunchtime, sit around, feed the animals, eat dinner, brush teeth and go to bed. That was what it had been like for her for the past three or so weeks, and she had had enough.

She looked to her bookcase on her left and saw the first book of the Daring Do series, while next to it where the others that Rainbow had finished and had leant to her, with Twilight’s consent, of course.

Rainbow had been the one who showed her the Daring Do series, and once Fluttershy had picked up the first book she couldn’t put it down. Once she had stopped reading and went to sleep she would dream she was on one of Daring’s adventures, or even an adventurer like Daring.

Now she just wished she could just go out there and see the world like the explorer. See incredible sights and listen to amazing sounds. Find exotic animals and become their friends, and just do something rather than being cooped up in the cottage all the time.

She felt the slight tap of a bunny’s paw on her left flank, which brought her out of her brooding. She turned around and faced Angel, who looked at her with concerned eyes. The rabbit pointed to the door, and made a swinging motion with his paws. Angel knew what Fluttershy wanted to do, and wanted her to do it, to make her happy. But what was holding her back? The animals that were left could more or less look after themselves for a while, and the cottage could cope without her for a bit. So what was really, holding her here?

It was simple. Because she was afraid to.

Fluttershy smiled at Angel and gave him a gentle stroke on the head. “Oh, Angel, it’s not as easy as that. I can’t just go wandering off into the blue. I’m a pony, of Ponyville.” She emphasised this with a raised hoof. “And as such I’ve got important matters to deal with.” She looked away from her pet bunny and looked back outside. “Besides, it’s not like an adventure is going to come knocking on my door.”

As if fate was listening, the door banged suddenly three times. Fluttershy screamed and jumped in the air. When she opened her eyes she found herself upside down, clinging onto the ceiling with her hooves. “Wh-who is it?” she called.

“It’s me. Twilight,” came the reply. At once, Fluttershy fell from the ceiling and landed on her back with a thump. She quickly got up, shook her head to rid herself of her dizziness and walked to the door.

She opened it to find Twilight standing there with a small, nervous smile on her face. “Hi, Fluttershy,” Twilight greeted her.

“Hello, Twilight,” Fluttershy replied with a welcoming smile. She cocked her head slightly to the side. “Are you alright?”

“Oh yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask? Is it my mane! Does it look untidy?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It looks… fine. It’s just you seem nervous about something, that’s all. Do you want a cup of tea? It’s your favourite.”

Twilight nodded. “Oh I would love you- love that, thank you,” she blurted out. Fluttershy didn’t notice the slip up as she trotted away from the door and made her way to the kitchen to put on the kettle.

Twilight walked in and shut the door gently behind her. She walked over to the couch and made herself comfortable. As she waited for Fluttershy to return she looked around the house. Even though she had been here about a hundred times she still loved the tranquillity of her friend’s home, but this time there was something missing. It took a while but it soon clicked. It was too quiet. No birds, no animals scurrying about. Nothing.

“Hey, Fluttershy, where’s all your little animal friends?” she called into the kitchen.

Fluttershy emerged a few seconds later with a tray in her hooves, filled with two cups and a large teapot with Fluttershy’s cutie mark on it. “I can never understand how you can do that. Hold trays or anything for that matter without a horn, I mean,” Twilight said, impressed by Fluttershy’s skill.

“Oh, it takes a while but you get used to it,” Fluttershy replied.

‘Oh darn her voice is so sweet,’ Twilight thought. ‘Sweet music to my ears it is. Why she can blather on about anything and I won’t ever get bored of listening to her.’

She came back into focus when Fluttershy spoke again. “And all the animals have left to start their own families, or go out in the world. It’s just me and Angel now, most of the time anyway.”

Fluttershy set the tray down and sat on the chair next to the couch. “Why haven’t you come over and visit then?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind her mane. ‘Darn that gorgeous mane of hers,’ Twilight thought, smiling dreamingly at her. ‘You can’t imagine her without it.’

“I’m sorry but I didn’t want to disturb you. I thought you might be busy with studies and I was worried I might get in the way,” Fluttershy replied.

Twilight smiled warmly. “You never disturb me, Fluttershy. And you certainly never get in the way.” Twilight picked up a cup and the teapot and poured out some tea for herself. She then put down hers and picked up Fluttershy’s and poured out her tea.

“Oh, thank you,” Fluttershy said as the cup of tea hovered in front of her. She caught it in her hooves and took a sip. “So what brings you here, Twilight? Not that I don’t mind you just coming over for a visit, of course.”

Twilight nearly spilled her tea. She was so focused on looking at Fluttershy and listening to her that she forgot what she was here for. “Oh yes, of course. Well…” she trailed off, unsure of how to say it.

Fluttershy leaned over and took her hoof in her own. “It’s okay, Twilight, you can say anything to me.”

‘Yeah, I wish I could say three words to you. And she’s touching my hoof, she’s touching my hoof, she’s touching my hoof!’ Twilight squealed joyously in thought. ‘Focus, Twilight, focus!’

She went back into focus upon realising that she should say something. “Well… the thing is… I’m looking for somepony to share in an adventure.”

Fluttershy tilted her head slightly in interest. It seemed as if somepony had smiled on her after all. “Um… where to, if it’s okay to ask?”

Twilight got out from behind her a small scroll and unwrapped it for Fluttershy to look at. On the scroll was a single picture of a flower, a flower that the pegasus had never seen before. Its petals were bright silver, the stem was purple, and its pedicel was blood red.

“This flower was once discovered by a explorer many years ago. But before he could catalogue it, he had a terrible accident and lost his memory. Therefore, his assistants had to take his bearings and write out where they were. However, the records were slightly jumbled and nopony has been able to truly find their actual location,” Twilight explained.

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, so what do you propose?”

“Well, I thought we could go and find the map, then use it to figure out the flower’s location. How does that sound?” Twilight knew she was taking a big chance at this. Fluttershy was a shy, reclusive pony who usually stayed indoors. Although she loved that about her, just this once she wanted her to say…

“Yes,” Fluttershy said. “It sounds lovely.” Twilight wanted to bite herself to see of she wasn’t dreaming. There was nothing about what Fluttershy just said that sounded like she was just saying it so not to offend her, or seemed not too keen. In fact, it was the complete opposite. “Have you asked any of our other friends about this?” Fluttershy asked with a small smile.

“Um…” Twilight began. ‘Well no I didn’t because I love you and I wanted this to be just you and me,’ she wanted to say. Instead she said, “I have, and they said they couldn’t make it. So if you want to come along then that would be great.”

Fluttershy looked away in thought. Sure she wanted something like this, but what about her responsibilities here, in Ponyville? “Oh don’t worry about your animal friends. Spike already said he would take care of them while we’re away.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight in surprise. ‘Wow, it’s like she can read my thoughts. Almost like we’re connected in some way,’ she thought. Even with that matter dealt with, there was still the one about the company.

Although she loved Twilight like a sister, Fluttershy would’ve preferred it if the others would come, to help them both if they got into trouble, which according to most adventure stories was most likely. She felt herself tremble as the seconds turned into minutes. She had wanted this for a long time, but now it was here, why was she hesitating? She looked at Twilight and saw the pleading yet loving eyes coming from the unicorn, and suddenly felt more at ease. She then realised that Twilight would protect her, if it came to it, and be a comfort for her, like she always has been. She eyed Angel quickly, who was nodding his head furiously, goading her to go for it. She suddenly had her answer.

“Don’t worry about giving me an answer yet, if you want,” Twilight said, getting off the couch. “You know where I live so drop on by later. Thanks for the tea.” She turned around and made her way to the front door.

“Wait!” Fluttershy called. Twilight stopped, and quickly turned back to face her. “Let’s do this,” she whispered, barely audible to the unicorn.

Twilight spun around and walked a step towards her. “Sorry?”

She looked up and nodded her head, confidence plain in the pegasus’s eyes. “Okay, Twilight, let’s do this.”

Twilight put on a huge grin, which Fluttershy could’ve sworn made an squee sound when she did it. Twilight let out a “yay” then leapt onto Fluttershy like a predator and brought her in a big hug. After recovering from the surprise hug Fluttershy returned the gesture. ‘Oh she just wrapped her forelegs around me!’ Twilight giggled.

“What are you giggling about?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh, just a joke Pinkie Pie told me a while ago,” she smirked. ‘She’ll never know, until she knows.’

They stayed in each other’s embrace for a long time, to which Fluttershy was starting to feel a little awkward, and she needed to go to the bathroom. “Um… Twilight… I’m sorry about this but would you mind letting go? I kind of need the bathroom.”

Twilight instantly let go and backed away, a small pink blush on her cheeks. ‘She looks quite cute with a blush,’ Fluttershy thought. Her eyes widened in surprise as she thought that.

“Sorry about that. I just couldn’t believe it. Well, I’ll let you get on. I’ll meet you here tomorrow and together we’ll set off for Canterlot,” Twilight said as she walked towards the door, with Fluttershy close behind to see her out.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Fluttershy said sincerely with a smile. Fluttershy opened the door, allowing Twilight to leave.

“So am I,” Twilight said. “I better get started packing. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“See you tomorrow, Twilight. Take care going home!” She gave Twilight a little wave as she watched her friend cross the bridge and make her way back into Ponyville, seemingly prancing in glee. Once Twilight was out of sight she closed the door and pressed her back against it, a small goofy grin on her face.

She noticed Angel looking at her and smiled. “Will you be alright if I go away for a while?” Angel nodded furiously, almost as if he was eager about it. “I thought you would.” She made her towards the stairs and to the bathroom. As she walked she couldn’t help thinking about why she thought about Twilight as cute. She had never thought about her like that, or any of her friends for that matter, nor did she want to.

She shook her head, clearing such thoughts, and made her way up the stairs two at a time. “After the bathroom,” she said to herself, “I’ll start getting packed and leave out instructions for Angel and Spike to follow.” She squealed in joy. “Oh, this is gonna be fun!”

Chapter 2

The sun crept slowly over the horizon, and with it the day Twilight had been waiting for since when she came up with the idea. The unicorn was sitting on her bed, with her head looking towards the window, as she watched the last sunrise she would see in Ponyville for a long time.

A grin plastered itself across her face, showing the barely contained excitement she had for today. Despite her friends’ concerns, she considered herself a genius in the plan she had. During the entire night before seeing Fluttershy, after literally turning the library inside out to look for what she had on the flower, it eventually came down to the scrolls she had: linen scrolls, elder scrolls, she looked through them all, until finally she found what she was looking for, and planned the next day to go and see her.

She had taken a big gamble on asking Fluttershy to come with her on what would essentially be a wild flower chase. Nevertheless, it paid off in the end, and now it would be her and the love of her life out in the wilderness.

It excited her and scared her at the same time. Although Twilight and Fluttershy were great friends, they didn’t spend as much time together as they should, so this would be the perfect opportunity to get to know her better, and maybe reveal her feelings for the pegasus. Although that was what she wanted, she was terrified about Fluttershy’s reaction to such news, and if it went wrong she could lose a good friend.

Now, it was morning, as she kept reminding herself, and the day she was anticipating and dreading came. She glanced at the saddlebags she had that were waiting for her by the stairs leading down into the study area. She looked back out the window and reflected on the previous afternoon, on how smoothly it went with Fluttershy, and what she did afterwards.

After getting back from Fluttershy’s, she spent the rest of the afternoon deciding on the second love of her life, and one of the toughest choices she had to make. Which books she wanted to take with her, and which ones stayed here. It was gruelling, to say the least, but in the end she picked three books: one on the flora and fauna of Equestria, a romance story that might give her hints on how to confess her feelings to Fluttershy (despite Applejack’s objections), and a simple science book on complicated physics.

The next part was getting enough bits that would allow her and Fluttershy if need be to get from one side of Equestria to the other. So once she sorted out her books she headed to the bank, and got out as many bits she thought the two ponies would need. Only one part was left – telling her friends where they were going.

It wasn’t as difficult as Twilight thought it would be. Rainbow was probably the one that didn’t like it the most. She was worried about them and wanted to come with them to make sure they would be okay. Once Twilight told her about the flower, however, she simply wished them a safe journey, said goodbye and went back to work. Pinkie promised a party for them when they got back, and Rarity jokingly berated her for making her lose her spa buddy, but wished her a safe journey nonetheless.

Applejack was another matter. “So, let me get this straight. You and Fluttershy are going to leave Ponyville to go to Canterlot, then from there ya’ll are gonna go in any direction on what is basically a wild flower chase, and with that flower ya gonna confess your feelings to Fluttershy,” Applejack had said.

Twilight nodded. “Eyyep.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Sugar, I have to say of all the plans of getting the girl of their dreams I’ve heard, that one is the most nuts!”

Twilight tilted her head slightly. “What do you mean?”

“It’s ridiculous, sugarcube, simple as that! Dangerous, mental, off the rails, coco in the loco! Seriously, I expected something like that from Pinkie but not from you.”

Twilight’s smile fell the same speed it took for a heart to beat. “Why, what’s wrong with it?”

“Well firstly, ya’ll could get lost.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I have an updated map of Equestria for us to use, so as long as we’re in Equestria we should be okay.”

“Fair enough. Second reason: there’s a big chance that Fluttershy won’t even want to come with ya on this.”

“Oh I’ve cleared it with her already,” Twilight said with a wave of her hoof. “She wants to come.”

Applejack’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really? She wants to come?”

Twilight nodded. “She seemed quite keen.”

“Okay. Third reason: are you certain that Fluttershy feels the same way about ya. And if not, what then?”

Twilight looked at the straw that covered the floor of the barn they were in. “I don’t. That’s why I’m hoping the flower will show me.”

Applejack snorted. “How’s a flower gonna show ya someone else’s feeling?”

“This flower is said to be magic,” Twilight explained. “I never told Fluttershy this when I saw her as I thought it might give the game away. According to legend, when two ponies that are meant to be together are present in the field, and when the moon is out and shining down on them, the flowers begin to sing a love song. It means that if Fluttershy is hiding the same feelings for me, the flowers would start singing.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“Then they don’t, and we’re not meant to be together,” Twilight said plainly.

Applejack smiled comfortingly and placed a hoof across Twilight’s shoulders. “Don’t ya think that for one second, do ya hear?” She put a hoof where Twilight’s heart was. “The only thing that matters is this. So follow that, and not some stupid plant who doesn’t move, talk or feel.”

Twilight looked from the ground to Applejack with a hopeful smile. “Thanks, Applejack. But there’s no point in cancelling it now. I might as well go on with it and hope for the best. And even if they don’t sing, I’m going to keep trying.”

“That’s the spirit, girl!” She patted Twilight on the back. They looked at each other for a minute in silence, and then they both wrapped each other in a hug. “If I can’t change ya mind on this, then come back safe, ya hear? Both of ya’ll. And I hope ya get her, Twilight.”

“Thank you, Applejack. And we’ll be back. I promise.” Twilight pulled away. “One more thing. Have you told anypony else about me loving Fluttershy?”

“I sure ain’t, sugarcube,” Applejack replied with a shake of the head.

“Good, because I was wondering whether you could keep it that way. I don’t want anyone to know yet. Will that be okay?”

“Don’t worry, sugar, I won’t tell anyone. Pinkie promise,” Applejack said, followed by the hoof gestures of the pinkie promise.

With that, the two had one final hug and parted ways – Twilight heading back to the library to finish off things, and Applejack back into the orchard for bucking down more apples.

With everything taking care of, all that was left to do was wait. Twilight didn’t sleep at all well last night, which was evident by the small bags under her eyes. She was too excited and nervous about today, so had to put up with Spike’s snoring for most of the evening.

Now the sun was rising, and with it the beginning of a journey. If Twilight was successful, she and Fluttershy would come back not just as friends, but also as a couple. If not… she didn’t want to dwell on that.

She looked at her clock and saw it was about nine. ‘Well, no point sitting about here. Better get over to Fluttershy’s,’ she thought. She jumped off the bed, picked up her saddlebags and trotted downstairs.

When she arrived on the ground floor, she found Spike sitting on the couch waiting for her. He looked up when he heard her hoofsteps and his face fell upon seeing Twilight with her saddlebags on her back. “You’re leaving now?”

Twilight’s ears fell flat. She never liked leaving Spike on his own; he was a baby dragon after all. However, he did have Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow and Applejack here while she was away, so he wouldn’t be alone. “Sorry, Spike, but I want to get to Canterlot by tonight at least.”

Spike stared at her for a moment, before shrugging. “Okay then,” he said, then turning around and walking back into the kitchen.

Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion. “That’s it? No pleading for me not to go? No last teary goodbyes? Nothing?”

“Well, I was sad at first,” Spike called from the kitchen. “But then I remembered I cooked some pancakes for you. But since you’re planning on going so soon I thought, ‘the more for me’.” He returned from the kitchen with a large plate of pancakes in one claw.

Twilight did a Pinkie Pie moment. She zoomed from the spot she was standing, flung her saddlebags off her back and sat patiently on a cushion, waiting in anticipation for the beautiful pancakes, the third love of her life. And all of this was done in the time it took to blink.

Spike set them down in front of her and sat opposite Twilight. The unicorn took a pancake in her magic and proceeded to devour it in rapid fashion, tearing into it like a shark would with its meal. “So you’re planning on telling Fluttershy on how you feel about her then?” Spike asked.

Twilight spat out the pancakes in her mouth and looked at Spike incredulously. “H-how… how do you know that?”

“You sometimes talk in your sleep, and most of the time you say Fluttershy’s name so I put two and two together.” He saw the panicking look on Twilight’s face and added, “Don’t worry if you’re thinking I’m going to tell everyone. I won’t. What I don’t understand is why you don’t want anyone to know?” Equestria was once a nation with traditional ways, with a belief that only stallions and mares can be together, but over time those views changed, and now same-sex relationships are celebrated just as equally as heterosexual relationships.

Twilight relaxed and brought the dragon in a hug. “Thanks, Spike. It’s not like I don’t think my friends will disagree with it. I’m sure they will. I know Applejack agrees with it. I just don’t want to raise their expectations if it all goes wrong. I promise I will tell them when we get back.”

“I know you will, and I doubt it will go wrong,” Spike counselled her. “Just be cool and calm when you do reveal your feelings for her, and be slow as well. It’s Fluttershy we’re talking about here, so don’t expect a quick answer.”

“Oh, I know that. And I’m definitely not expecting her to answer me in one day. Unless she loves me also, in which case, yes!” She then dug into her pancakes once more, with Spike following close behind.

Soon the pancakes were all gone, and Twilight let out a small sigh of content and licked her lips. “As good as ever, Spike. I’m going to miss your cooking while I’m gone. Speaking of which…” She looked at the time and sighed when she saw it was around quarter past nine.

“Well I better get going, Fluttershy might be wondering where I am.” She got off the couch, picked up her saddlebags with her magic, and moved to the door. Before she opened it she looked back at Spike with concerned eyes. “Will you be all right while I’m gone?”

“Of course,” Spike replied. “You’re leaving me with Rarity to take care of me for a while, so take your time going on your quest and coming home.”

Twilight giggled and rolled her eyes. “Oh, Spike.” They stared at each other for a moment, the sound of the clock ticking destroying the silence. After a minute, the two flung into each other’s embrace and stayed like that for a moment. It didn’t take long for Twilight to feel tears falling from Spike’s eyes and onto her shoulders.

“You take care, won’t you?” Spike sniffed. “Come back safe, and I hope you get her.”

Twilight felt a tear in one of her eyes. “I will be fine, Spike. You just take care of here and Fluttershy’s place while we’re gone. Okay?” Spike nodded. With that, Twilight broke apart from him and turned towards the door.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Spike called to her before she opened the door. “If you do start dating her, would that mean we might have to move out of here and live in Fluttershy’s?”

Twilight chuckled. “I wouldn’t think that far ahead if I were you. See you later.” She pushed the door open with her magic and walked out, not once looking back in the fear that if she did, she would never leave.

The day was a nice one, with a small breeze that cooled what would have been a hot summer’s day. Twilight took a deep breath of air and it filled her lungs with a calming feel that eased her mind for a while. She knew this trip would be fine, but if at some point it would turn ugly – and there was every chance it could – then she would defend Fluttershy till her least breath. Fluttershy wanted to come with her, and in Twilight’s mind it was her responsibility to keep her safe, and get her home.

She took another breath and turned right towards Fluttershy’s cottage, hoping Fluttershy would be in a clearer state of mind than she was.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Ponyville, Fluttershy was lying on her living room floor, with her legs tucked beneath her stomach, her eyes fixed on the front door, and her entire body was trembling with excitement, and fear. She had been waiting for about an hour now and still there was no sign of her friend, and soon to be companion on this trip, just her friends every now and then seeing her before she left. It wasn’t helping her nerves at all, so she hoped that Twilight was soon on her way. As she waited, she started to reflect back on what happened after Twilight had come to her with something she only just remembered she wanted to do for a long time.

Once Twilight had gone and Fluttershy had finished in the bathroom, she began making preparations around the house for her departure. She started by making a list for Spike and Angel to follow on what to do while she was away. Afterwards she went into town and went to the bank to get out some bits for the journey should they need it. She didn’t plan to let Twilight pay for it all; it seemed rude if the unicorn did.

Afterwards, she went home and began making food for the trip, like sandwiches and pancakes incase they got hungry. Once she had done those she went upstairs and considered what items to bring with her when she got bored or when there was a lull in their travelling. She figured Twilight was doing the same with her books, so it might be best she did as well.

After half an hour, she decided on what to take: some medicine, a couple of books, including the Daring Do book she was reading at the moment, and a brush to preen her feathers, mane and tail with.

Once that job was taken care of, she fished her saddlebags out of her basement and placed everything she wanted in them, then left them by the door. When she realised she was ready she sat on her rump and looked at the time, and groaned when she realised that it had only been an hour since Twilight had left, and the sun hadn’t even begun its descent over the horizon.

Therefore, she decided to take a long walk around Ponyville until she felt tired and wanted to go to bed. As she walked through the park, she looked around her to see mothers playing with their foals, and couples walking together, smiling beatifically at each other. Her ears pricked upwards when she heard the birds singing from the tree where she and her friends would meet at the same time every week for a pet play date, and the same one she had met Twilight Sparkle three years earlier.

‘Three years, has it really been that long that I’ve known her?’ she thought as she stared at the tree. Despite trying hard not to think about it, she couldn’t help but look back as to why she’d thought of Twilight as cute. She’d never thought about her that way before, so why now?

‘Don’t be silly, Fluttershy,’ she berated herself. ‘You shouldn’t think like that about her, or any of your friends. You promised yourself you wouldn’t.’

She shook it away once more and continued with her walk, not noticing some of the looks she received from making the motion. When the park got too crowded for her liking and comfort, she moved away from the park and moved to a hill about half a mile or so outside of Ponyville, a hill she knew was isolated from the rest and where she wouldn’t be disturbed.

The hill overlooked all of Ponyville, and had Canterlot in the far distance, which was a white speck on the large mountain it hung on. She looked from Canterlot back to the town that she lived in, which she practically grew up in. She wondered if the town she barely ever left would change while she was away. She had watched the town grow and expand since she had lived here and now she thought about it, it seemed harder to leave it behind.

She shook that thought away. ‘Getting away from it all might be nice for a change,’ she decided. The next thing she knew the sun was halfway behind the horizon and the first stars began to show themselves. She yawned and decided to head for home, anticipating and fearing the next time the sun rose.

She was brought out of her reminiscence when a sharp knock on the door made her jump out of her coat. “Fluttershy, are ya in?” Applejack’s voice called from the other side of the door. “Drat, I must be too late.”

“No, no! I’m here!” Fluttershy called out once she recovered from the shock of the sudden knock. She got up and opened the door, greeting Applejack with a welcoming smile. “Good morning, Applejack. Sorry about that, you just startled me.” She got out of the way so Applejack could come in.

Applejack walked in, wiping her hooves on Fluttershy’s doormat. “Good morning to ya as well, Fluttershy, and sorry ‘bout startling ya like that. I shouldn’t be so heavy hoofed on the door.”

“It’s okay. Now, would you like a drink?”

“No thanks. I just came over to see ya before ya go.” She looked over to where Fluttershy’s saddlebags were laid out, then walked over to where Fluttershy was sitting. “If I’m honest,” she said as she made herself comfortable on Fluttershy’s couch, “when Twilight came over to see me yesterday saying that you and her are going on this adventure, I didn’t really believe her.” Applejack’s ears fell flat. “I’m sorry I thought that way about ya.”

Fluttershy gave her a loving smile. “Oh don’t be silly, Applejack. If I’m honest I wasn’t expecting it myself. It sort of came out of the blue to me as well.”

“I’m sure it did.” Applejack suddenly glanced at the door, as if she was expecting Twilight to come knocking on the door at any moment. She looked back at Fluttershy with a concerned look, which Fluttershy returned. “Fluttershy, I know that sometimes ya do things that ya don’t like just to appease your friends, like what ya did for Rarity and Rainbow Dash those two times. I was wondering whether this is the same thing? Are you doing this just because you were worried you would upset Twilight if you said no? Or did Twilight insist you should go?”

Fluttershy brought her head back slightly in surprise at the questions. Although she found it unnecessary, she was quite touched by Applejack’s concern over her well-being. Ever since Applejack’s family took her in during those early, unpleasant days when she first came to Ponyville, Fluttershy had always seen Applejack as a sister, and with Applejack she had seen Fluttershy as an older sister. Even Big Macintosh had seen Fluttershy as a sister, and the three of them would be seen around town together many times, before Fluttershy found her hooves and bought her own place.

Fluttershy came out of her second reminiscence of the day and gave Applejack another loving smile. “Twilight never did such a thing, Applejack,” Fluttershy said. “I want to do this – more than anything.”

Applejack relaxed, glad and relieved Fluttershy wasn’t being forced into doing this. “Then if it’s okay to ask: why are you doing this?”

“Because I want to, Applejack. It’s as simple as that,” Fluttershy replied. “I’ve been getting bored here, and have been stuck indoors for Celestia knows how long. I think it’s time for me to go out and stretch my legs for a bit.”

Applejack smiled, and then before Fluttershy knew it, the earth pony had the pegasus gripped in a tight hug. “Just be careful when you go out into the world, ya hear me? Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. And if Twi tries to get ya to do something ya don’t like, tell me how many times she tries, and I will buck her that many. You know I will.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the thought of Applejack hitting one of her best friends. She didn’t want anypony to be hurt at her expense. “Um, couldn’t you just scold her instead?” Fluttershy suggested. “It’ll be nicer than hitting, don’t you think?”

“Sorry, sugar, but my mind is made up.” Fluttershy made a squeak sound that seemed like a plea to rethink it, but when Applejack pulled away from their hug, she relaxed to see the cheeky grin on her face. “Don’t ya worry, Fluttershy. I promise I won’t hit her hard. Just punch her lightly.” She chuckled again at the worried expression on Fluttershy’s face. “I’m just kidding. Seriously, Fluttershy, sometimes you’re too darn nice for your own good.”

She pulled away from the pegasus, jumped off the couch, and then headed towards the door. “How are you feeling anyway? About this trip, I mean?” Applejack asked.

Fluttershy jumped off the couch and walked alongside her. “I’m okay, at the moment. However, sometimes I have little fears go through me that make me wish to run for the hills and hide. I mean, what if I upset Twilight and she leaves me in the middle of nowhere? What if I’m no good for her as a companion? What if I make a mistake and put us both at risk?”

‘Ya know, those two are actually perfect for each other,’ Applejack thought with a small chuckle. ‘They both worry dramatically over the littlest things.’ She put a hoof on Fluttershy’s right shoulder and shook her gently. “Sugarcube, there’s no reason to think like that. In some ways you are far clearer headed and more thoughtful than Twi, so if she loses her head, you can be there to pick her up. And I seriously doubt she would just leave ya in the wilderness like that. This is Twilight we’re talking about, after all. And I’m sure you will make a great companion for her.”

Fluttershy smiled, and felt re-assured once more. Applejack was right; Twilight wouldn’t abandon her in the middle of nowhere, even if it was over the biggest and worst thing she could do. “Thanks, Applejack,” Fluttershy said.

“You’re welcome,” Applejack replied. She looked back at where the town bell tower chimed and heard it go to ten. Applejack sighed, and Fluttershy could’ve sworn she saw the earth pony’s eyes begin to water. “Well I gotta get back to work. Those apples won’t fall themselves, ya know.” She looked up again, and Fluttershy could see she was teary eyed. “Do ya know how long ya gonna be?”

Fluttershy quickly embraced the earth pony. “I wish I knew, Applejack. But I’ll have to leave that for Twilight to answer.” She pulled away and smiled lovingly at her, wiping away her tears. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got the most powerful unicorn in Equestria and a great friend by my side, so I should be alright.”

Applejack smiled, and nodded. “I know ya will. It’s just gonna be different around here without ya for a while. It’s gonna be awfully quiet.” She broke away from the pegasus and turned around. “Have a nice trip, stay safe, and I’m looking forward to hearing ya tales when ya get back.” She looked and began to trot away from town and her cottage towards her farm.

“Thanks, Applejack. And good luck with the cider season!” Fluttershy called. Applejack looked back and waved, before disappearing over the hill and out of sight. Fluttershy watched her disappear with a sad sigh. It had been odd for the both of them in the first few weeks after moving out of Applejack’s home and into her own, but she had got use to it, and the two still saw each other, just not on a regular basis than they used to.

She looked away from the hill where Applejack went towards the path leading to Ponyville, and her heart froze when she saw Twilight coming down it, determination written on her face. “Okay, here we go,” she said to herself. She waved in acknowledgement to Twilight, then hurried back inside and picked up her saddlebags, flinging them onto her back with such graceful movements.

She then quickly ran up to Angel, picked him up, and brought him in a hug. “You take care of yourself while I’m away,” she said, tightening her hold on the bunny to the point he was going blue. “I left a lot of carrots in one of the cabinets for you. And one more thing, could you make sure Damien stays safe?” She was referring, of course, to her teddy bear, one that her parents gave her when she was little.

The rabbit nodded moodily, and Fluttershy gave him a big kiss on the head for it. “Thanks.” She dropped the bunny to the ground, and turned to the door. “See you when I get back,” she said, before shutting the door behind her and locking it with her key. At that moment, she felt free. She was free to do what she wanted at any time, and it felt extraordinary. She wasn’t held back by anything now. ‘So this is what it feels like to be a animal,’ she thought.

She turned away from the house and walked up to meet Twilight, who was waiting for her at the other end of her little bridge. “Morning, Fluttershy,” Twilight greeted her, not bothering to hide her excitement. “You ready to go?”

Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around her friend in a brief hug in greeting, and for that second Twilight enjoyed it so much that she didn’t want it to end. “Morning, Twilight,” Fluttershy replied. “And yes, I’m ready to go. You?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Twilight turned around and began walking back into Ponyville, with Fluttershy alongside. “Sorry that I’m late, by the way. I left about forty five minutes ago and I kept being stopped by a whole bunch of crazy ponies asking me about where I’m going and why and they kept asking me about these problems they had and-” She cut herself off when she realised she was rambling. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be, and I was all right while I waited. All our friends came to see me and asked about where and why I was going and wished me a safe trip and all that. So the minutes went quickly by for me.” She looked at one of the meadows that laid outside her closest neighbours’ house; a beautiful array of bright yellow and dark red and lavender coloured flowers.

“Oh, I am so happy you could come with me on this,” Twilight said joyfully, almost skipping down the road as they began to enter Ponyville proper. “It’s going to be amazing. You and me going out into any part of the country, sleeping out in the wilderness with the stars above us, telling jokes, singing songs… Yeah, I’m sure it’s going to be brilliant with you. Just think, we’ll have a tale or two to tell when we come back.”

Fluttershy stopped, and looked at Twilight with a new sense of fear. “You can promise that we will come back?”

Twilight stopped, turned her head around, and gave her a re-assuring smile. “Of course we will. You have my word. I promise I will not let anything happen to you.” If it were any other pony, she would have teasingly replied, “No,” but since it was Fluttershy, and the pony she loved most, she knew she had to be careful in what she said.

Fluttershy relaxed instantly. “Shall we?” she said, gesturing with a hoof towards the street they were heading down.

“Of course.” Twilight turned around once more and broke into a trot, Fluttershy cantered at first to keep up, then slowed into a trot when she was alongside her friend. The two fell silent as they had one last good look of the town they were leaving. Although they had left the town before, it was always either to save the world, do something for the Princess, find a friend, or do all three at once. Now it was different; they were leaving at their own accord, for reasons that mattered to them, and it felt weird.

As they walked, ponies stopped what they were doing and waved to them. Twilight waved a hoof in response, while Fluttershy gave a meek nod. It was about halfway through Ponyville that Fluttershy realised she hadn’t got a clue of what they were doing. “So what’s the plan? If there is one, if you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy asked, her voice getting quieter nearer the end.

Twilight giggled. “I’m glad you asked.” Her horn lit up into its usual magenta coloured hue and a second later one of the pouches of her saddlebag opened. From it came a huge scroll with writing that went down from the top of Fluttershy’s head to the bottom of her chest. “Right. The plan is we walk through Ponyville, go to the train station, buy tickets for the train, get on said train, take train to Canterlot, get off train at Canterlot, spend the night there, next day go to the library and look up for this flower and see if we could figure out where it would be, then from there we go in any direction so any planning is useless after that,” she said in one sentence. Once she had finished she breathed in a lot of air, and then let a lot more out again.

Fluttershy looked at her friend with her mouth forming an O and her eyes wide. “Wow. That was… how long did it take you to come up with that?”

“Oh, not too long, to be honest,” Twilight answered. “Probably all night.”

“All night!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Oh my, you must feel awful.”

“Nonsense, I’m fine,” Twilight assured her. “A little bit tired but otherwise I’m fine.” She looked at the worried expression on Fluttershy’s face and giggled. “Don’t worry. As soon as we get to Canterlot I’ll get us a room and go to sleep.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, but don’t stay up all night reading a book. I don’t want you to get ill.”

“I won’t, but thanks for your concerns. At least I know I’ll be in good hooves when it comes to staying healthy.”

Fluttershy looked away, her mane covering her face to hide her blush. She glanced up again to see they were outside the train station. “Oh no,” Twilight spoke up, her voice on the verge of a panicky tone. “Oh no oh no oh no oh no, where’s the train? There should be train waiting there for Canterlot.” Twilight galloped towards the train station, her face revealing the verge of panic in her.

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said aloud, and then galloped after her, hoping to calm Twilight down before she got out of control. She stopped just beside Twilight to see her friend was reading a note on the door with a devastated face. “‘All trains to Canterlot have henceforth been cancelled’,” Fluttershy read aloud. Her eyes widened in horror.

“How is this possible?” Twilight demanded aloud. “How can they simply cancel trains to Canterlot?” She looked around for a pony who could explain this. She grinned when she saw a pony that looked like a guard, and walked up to her. “Excuse me, miss?” Twilight said, with Fluttershy close behind. “I was wondering why trains have been cancelled to Canterlot? It’s just that me and my friend here wanted to get into Canterlot by tonight.”

The guard mare gave them both a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, but there was an accident last night on one of the bridges leading into Canterlot.”

“Oh, what happened?” Twilight asked, expecting it to be a little something.

“The whole thing collapsed,” the mare replied.

The ponies’ eyes widened. “Was anypony hurt?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.

“Thankfully no,” the mare said. “But I’m afraid that the line would be out of action for a week or so until they could get it fixed. Sorry about that, ladies.” She smiled sympathetically at them once more, and then trotted into town.

Twilight looked gutted, and then began to walk in a random direction with her head down and her ears flat against her head. “Just my luck,” she muttered sadly.

Fluttershy galloped up alongside her, and with slow, hesitant movements, nuzzled her head up. “Hey, it’ll be okay. We can just try again next week. After all, Canterlot’s not going anywhere.” Twilight giggled at Fluttershy’s logic, which made Fluttershy feel happy. “Come on, let’s walk into the park and have some lunch. How does that sound?”

‘Walk?’ That one word struck out to Twilight like bright red on a completely black painting. An idea suddenly clicked in place in Twilight’s head, and her face lit up with joy. “Fluttershy, you’re a genius!” She picked the stunned pegasus up with her hooves and spun her around, grinning with joy.

Fluttershy was eventually put down. Her eyes spun around in their sockets and her mouth moved, but no sound came out. “I… I don’t think I’m a genius. I’m definitely not as smart as you.”

“Oh, you are. You know why?” She didn’t give Fluttershy the time to answer. “You just gave me the answer that just saved this trip and this plan. We’re going to walk to Canterlot.”

Fluttershy went pale. “Walk to Canterlot?” she repeated fearfully.

“Yeah. I mean it shouldn’t be too bad. If we start now and stop for a quick break we can probably get there before, or just after the sun goes down.” Twilight spun around and broke into a trot towards Canterlot, not noticing that Fluttershy was shaking in fear.

Twilight made it a few paces before realising Fluttershy wasn’t beside her. She looked back to see her friend was sitting where they were standing previously and was trembling with fright. “There’s nothing to be scared of Fluttershy,” she said, as she walked back up next to her. “There’s nothing that way that could hurt us.”

“I know that,” Fluttershy replied. “It’s just that…” She trailed off, looking down to the ground.

“Just what?” Twilight asked patiently.

Fluttershy got her courage back and looked up again. “I just don’t want to be a bad companion for you,” she blurted out.

Twilight looked at her oddly. “Bad companion?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I don’t exactly talk much, do I?”

Twilight stared at her emotionlessly for a second, and then started to laugh and brought the pegasus in for a hug. “Oh, Fluttershy, I didn’t ask you to come for your voice.” She pulled away. “I asked you to come for your company. You don’t need to talk just for my sake. By all means, you can stay silent this entire trip and you would still make a far better companion than most ponies. I just want you.” ‘Maybe she might get the message, and we wouldn’t have to even bother going,’ Twilight thought.

Fluttershy looked into her eyes, a small smile growing across her face. “Really? You mean that?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course I do.” ‘Did she get it?’

Fluttershy’s smile grew into a grin and she hugged her friend. “Thank you, Twilight. You are such a good friend.”

‘Drat,’ Twilight thought. Nevertheless, she wrapped a foreleg around her friend and returned the hug. “You’re welcome, and you are a good friend also.” She pulled away and then gestured the road leading out of Ponyville towards Canterlot. “Shall we?” she asked, giving Fluttershy the choice on whether or not to go.

Fluttershy didn’t take long to decide. She took a deep, calming breath, and then broke into a trot past Twilight and towards Canterlot, which was a bright white block at the top of the mountain. Twilight grinned, and quickly caught up with her.

Soon they were outside of the town and heading over one of the bridges that served as the town’s boundary. Fluttershy and Twilight decided on a quick stop for a breather. Fluttershy reared up on the bridge and looked down at the river, watching a few fish swim against the current, then looked up at the town, which she realised she won’t see again for a while. “Is it hard for you, Twilight?” she asked. “Leaving what has been your home for so long now? Is it hard to just walk away and leave it all behind?”

Twilight, who had sat down for a quick breather, looked up at Fluttershy, then at the town itself, deep in thought to what she was just asked. This town that she had lived in for the past three years had given her a few bad memories, granted, but were heavily outweighed by the thousands of good memories that she had to remember it by. So was it hard for her, even temporarily, to leave her home and her friends minus one behind? “It’s not as hard for me as it is for you, I imagine,” she answered after a while. “I mean it’s not like we’ll be gone forever, right?”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight and smiled. “You’re right. I know we won’t.” She set herself back on all fours and trotted over to the other side of the bridge, and began walking into the woods towards Canterlot, with Twilight close behind.

With the bridge crossed and the road now open to them, Fluttershy and Twilight felt that their adventure had truly begun.

Author's Note

Hey everypony, here's the second chapter for you, which I'm surprised I brought out quicker than I did.

It was going to be longer and end with them in Canterlot, but that's gonna serve as the end of chapter 3 instead since it was coming up at over 9000 words (and I'm being serious).

Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 3

The road to Canterlot was old – very old. Before the railways came, it was only way of getting to the capital, but once the railway was built traffic along it ceased into almost non-existence. It wiggled its way across part of Whitetail Woods like a snake, then suddenly it turned right and keeping a more or less straight path right through the woods and then finally up the mountain to Canterlot itself. Due to the lack of traffic, the road was becoming one with nature once more as plants and weeds began to sprout up from cracks along the surface.

Yet despite the weariness of the road they travelled on, the two mares couldn’t help but amazed by the woodland around them. The trees that lined the road stood proud and tall, and their leaves were a beautiful healthy green. As well as the trees, the two saw some of the animals that called this piece of Equestria their home: birds of various types fluttered from their perches or flew from tree to tree, squirrels jumped across branches above them, and other animals like deer, foxes, badgers and butterflies watched them from the shadows of the trees.

Twilight took a deep breath of the fresh, cool air that seemed to come from this place. She felt relaxed, relieved, even – for the past few weeks she had worked and studied constantly to improve herself in magic, and it left her tired nearly every day, and not feeling too good from the lack of fresh air, not to mention leaving her spending less time with her friends. This felt like the greatest cure a pony like her could have – a getaway from being the Princess’s personal student and being a simple unicorn pony for once. She looked back at Fluttershy, who lagged a bit behind, but she didn’t care, for Fluttershy was looking beautiful.

Fluttershy’s face was lit up with utmost joy as butterflies flew around her, and one perched itself on her nose for a moment – causing Fluttershy to make a funny face which Twilight giggled at – before flying away again with the others. The pegasus’s eyes were wide and her head couldn’t stay still as it darted left and right towards the animals watching them. If Fluttershy had any fears about taking this old road before, they had almost certainly washed away now.

“This place is amazing!” Fluttershy shouted, bouncing up next to her companion. “Why I don’t come here often escapes me. Remind me to camp out here sometimes and enjoy the sunset and stars in the sky.”

“Oh, mind if I join you in that?” Twilight asked, her tone expressing her delight of the idea. “I do love a good bit of stargazing.”

Fluttershy stopped bouncing and looked at Twilight with a grin. “Of course. In fact, we could invite all our friends.”

“I’m sure they would love that.”

“I hope so, as long as Rainbow Dash keeps her scary stories away then I’ll be happy.”

Twilight smiled at her, and then looked up to see the sun was now at its highest point in the sky. They had walked for two hours straight and had since lost sight of Ponyville. Twilight’s hooves felt sore and her belly rumbled constantly, protesting the lack of food. Suddenly another rumble came from beside her, louder and sounding more ferocious. She looked at Fluttershy with a thin smile, who bashfully looked to the ground and her coat was going completely red. “Was that your stomach?” Twilight asked, trying desperately hard to suppress a giggle and failing.

Fluttershy gave a meek nod in response. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten since yesterday evening.”

“Well how about we stop and have some lunch?” Twilight suggested. “I imagine we’re not going to eat at a reasonable time tonight so it might be best we have something now.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then began looking around for a suitable place to stop. Twilight did the same for a moment, but stopped and facehoofed herself hard on the forehead. “Darn it!”

Fluttershy gave her a look of concern. “What is it?”

“I just remembered I never packed myself a pack lunch,” she explained. “I thought we would be there by now. But since the railway’s down, I won’t have anything to eat at all.” Her ears fell flat and she pawed at the ground with a hoof.

Fluttershy looked at her sympathetically, then walked up to her and gave a quick nuzzle in comfort. “How about I give you some of my lunch to have?” she suggested, smiling kindly at her.

Twilight looked up at her in shock. “I can’t force you out of your own food, Fluttershy. Have your own; I’ll just stick to the leaves and grass around here.”

“Oh, don’t do that, you might get a tummy ache. Besides, I made enough food to feed five ponies, and I couldn’t eat it all myself. And I don’t like eating on my own.” She leaned her head closer and gave Twilight big, irresistible eyes that nopony could say no to.

For Twilight, it was too much. She let out a small sigh and smiled at Fluttershy. “Thank you, Fluttershy. You are too kind.” ‘And that’s one of the reasons why I love you.’

Fluttershy grinned, then looked around for a place to stop. “See anywhere suitable and out of the way?”

Twilight started looking around for a suitable place to stop for lunch. She quickly found one that lay just off the road barely visible behind some bushes. “Come on, over there.” With that, she cantered off the road and into the bushes, with Fluttershy close behind.

Behind the bushes, the place they picked sat at the top of a hill that overlooked a part of Whitetail Woods. Trees covered the vast expanse in front of them, and the mountain the six of them had to climb up to get rid of that dragon stood proud and tall in the far distance. They could see the road that the Running Of The Leaves goes through during autumn, as well as a couple of travellers that took it to go to one of the smaller villages of Equestria. “Perfect,” Twilight said. “Just perfect.” She sat down on her haunches and with her magic took off her saddlebags and let out a sigh of content.

Fluttershy set herself down next to Twilight, and began to fiddle through her own saddlebags for their lunch: pancakes and lettuce sandwiches, something that she had since she was a filly. She split the lunch in half and passed it over to Twilight, who smiled in thanks and then began digging into the sandwiches. “Would you like a few pancakes as well?” Fluttershy asked. “I made enough for the both of us.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in delight and she nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes please. How could I refuse the third love of my life?” Fluttershy took a bag full of pancakes out and passed them over with her mouth. Twilight took hold of it with her magic, said, “Thanks,” and then began sorting out her half.

“The third love of your life?” Fluttershy giggled. “No offence, but only you would organise your loves in a order.”

Twilight giggled at the realisation. “Yeah, you’re right. You know me far too well.”

“Well, I have known you for three years now.”

Twilight stopped what she was doing and looked at Fluttershy in shock. “Really? It’s been three years since Nightmare Moon’s return?” Fluttershy nodded in response. “Wow, it just feels like it’s been only two.”

“I feel like it’s been longer since then. I mean so much has happened in three years with the six of us it’s unbelievable.”

Twilight smiled and gave a light chuckle. “Indeed.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I say we should eat, and these lettuce sandwiches look most enticing.” She picked one up with her magic, and began munching away. Fluttershy picked up hers and began eating, all the while gazing at the scenery before them.

“Whoa,” Twilight said suddenly, after she took a bite out of one of Fluttershy’s pancakes. “These pancakes are gorgeous!”

Fluttershy lightly blushed. “You’re just saying that.”

“Nope, I truly mean it when I say this. These have to be the best pancakes I have ever tasted.” Twilight stopped talking and finished off another pancake, confirming her belief to be the best pancakes she’d ever had. “What’s your secret?” she asked.

“Oh, I just made them and cooked them for a little bit shorter, that’s all,” Fluttershy replied. “Nothing special, really.” She took a canteen of water out and began to drink.

“Are you kidding? You’re going to have to teach Spike how to cook the way you do,” she said, before jokingly adding, “Or I’ll have to come and live with you.”

Fluttershy pulled the bottle away from her mouth and spat out the water in shock. She looked up and gasped when she saw Twilight’s face drenched with water, with her eyes covered by the forelock of her mane. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” she cried, putting a hoof over her mouth. She looked back into her saddlebags and began looking for a towel. “Here, let me clean you up.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Twilight said, smiling and wiping her mane out of her eyes. “I think I deserved that.”

“No! Of course you don’t! Here let me dry your mane before you catch a cold.” She took the towel and began rubbing it on Twilight’s face to dry her off, muffling the unicorn’s protests. She moved the towel away from her friend’s face and began drying her mane.

“You don’t have to do this, Fluttershy,” Twilight protested, although her relaxed tone said otherwise.

“Of course I do. I made you wet, the least I can do is dry you off,” Fluttershy replied, as she rubbed the towel up and down Twilight’s mane. Eventually Fluttershy finished drying her friend off and set it back into her saddlebags. “I’m so sorry again, Twilight.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Twilight replied, smiling comfortingly. “It’s only water after all.”

“I know, it’s just I was a bit surprised you said that, that’s all. Nopony has ever considered staying around my house for longer than a night.”

“Why not? Your house is lovely and the very definition of the word ‘peaceful’. Why would anypony say no to staying there longer?”

“The animals, I guess,” Fluttershy answered with a shrug. “I don’t think most ponies could put up with them all over the place. But I would never give them up for anything.”

Twilight smiled admirably. ‘That’s another thing I love about you,’ she thought. ‘When it matters to you, you stand up for yourself and don’t take no for an answer.’ “Good. Don’t let anypony tell you otherwise,” Twilight said. She looked to where the sun was and saw it was moving out of its highest point and from now on would begin descending across the sky and towards the horizon. “We should get moving, or else we’ll have to camp here all night.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then began throwing any remaining food she had left for the animals of the woods to have, while Twilight did the same. Once done, they put their saddlebags on their backs, trotted out of the clearing and went back onto the road, leaving no trace of them ever being there. As they walked, Canterlot and the mountain it resided on moved closer and closer to them with every passing second, and every second closer gave the two mares the realisation that the climb up the mountain is going to be a tough one. Nevertheless, they needed to get up to Canterlot.

Another half an hour later, Twilight glanced at Fluttershy and saw in her saddlebags the top of the cover of one of the Daring Do books she had borrowed from Rainbow Dash. “You’re enjoying that book, then? The Daring Do book in your bags.”

Fluttershy looked at her saddlebags and saw the book in question peeking out of the bag. She took a wing out and closed the pouch so it wouldn’t fall out. “It’s all right,” Fluttershy replied. “Not as good as the last one, or the one before that, but it’s still a thrill of a read.”

Twilight’s eyes widened at the fact that Fluttershy was actually reading it. “You know, I was surprised when you came to me and asked if you could borrow that Daring Do book after Rainbow had finished with it. And now you’ve surprised me further by saying you’ve read them.”

Fluttershy looked up from a group of ants she was watching and trying not to step on and gave Twilight a surprised look. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I didn’t think you would be in to that sort of thing. That’s all action and adventure, something that you don’t like usually. Don’t take this the wrong way, but just looking at you and I would think you would be more into romantic stories, like the ones Rarity reads.”

Fluttershy giggled and shook her head. “Oh no, I can’t stand romantic stories. Too cheesy for my liking. Rarity gave me a few she thought I might like and I was glad to be rid of them when I gave them back. Don’t tell her that, though. She would be very hurt if she knew I didn’t like them.”

Seeing the ants coming into her path, she took to the air and fluttered to the other side of Twilight so not to hurt them. “Ever since I was a little filly, my parents would read me stories about a character going on a journey. Each they read me was different; some had me at the edge of my bed, and some had me begging my mum or dad to read more so I would know if the main character got out of a tricky situation alright, then I could sleep happily. When my mum and dad tried to read me a different sort of book, I always said, ‘Could you read me that one about the pony going over those mountains again please.’

“I have always loved adventure stories, Twilight: the journey, the imagery, the action, the suspense, I love it all. All because…” she trailed off, thinking of the right word to use.

“Because you love the escapism you got out of it,” Twilight answered for her, smiling in understanding.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight for a moment, then smiled and nodded in agreement. “I loved them, yet I envied so much. The characters in all of them were something that I’m not – brave, charming, strong in body and mind, and good looking. They were everything I always wanted to be. So every time I imagined the characters they would look like me and I’ll be doing all those things. Moreover, when I went to sleep I dreamed I was a pony travelling all of Terra seeing exotic animals, ancient ruins, majestic waterfalls, vast jungles, and watching dazzling sunsets. But every time I went to sleep, I knew that when I opened my eyes again, I’ll be back to the same boring, quiet, scaredy-pony Fluttershy.”

“Is that why you wanted to come with me on this trip, then? To know what it feels like to be one of those ponies you read and loved as a filly?”

Fluttershy nodded. “As well as wanting to keep you company, and because there was nothing to do at home, of course. But yes, I wanted to know how it felt for them, how did leaving their lives behind and coming back a different pony affect them. The only way I would know is doing it myself – minus the danger, of course.”

‘Well I hope that isn’t the case for you. I never want you to change at all, for you are beautiful just the way you are,’ Twilight wanted to say. “Fluttershy, I understand why you wanted to come, and I respect that, but you have got to stop being so hard on yourself. You are never boring, and you are certainly not a coward. You are brave in your own way, and I love hanging around with you. It’s just nice to be doing something more relaxing than running around after Rainbow Dash, or trying to find Pinkie in a game of Hide and Seek.”

“She hasn’t started playing that game with you, has she?”

“Oh, yes. She is impossible to find in any case, and she knows every spot in Ponyville so that makes it trickier. Did she play it with you?”

“She plays it with everypony at least once. I never managed to find her when it was my turn.”

“Same here.” Twilight suddenly shook her head. “But we’re getting off topic here. Whereas they do those sorts of things, you have little tea parties or picnics or little walks, and they are a nice change of pace compared to the rest of our friends. And don’t ever say you’re not good looking, Fluttershy. You are one of the most beautiful mares in Ponyville, and your short but extremely successful fashion career proves it.”

Fluttershy turned red once more. “You really think I’m beautiful?”

Twilight nodded, with a hint of pink on her cheeks. “I do,” she answered quietly.

Fluttershy smiled bashfully. “Ah, thank you, Twilight. You are such a nice friend. And… and you’re pretty yourself.” She looked away and saw a family of sparrows in one of the trees, not noticing the large blush on Twilight’s cheeks. Nopony had ever said she was beautiful before, except her parents but they didn’t count since they would say that. But Twilight… The unicorn was always nice to her, and was always complimenting her, but then again she complimented the others a lot as well, so maybe it was something Twilight did to make them feel better about themselves? She was right about her fashion career, though; the money she earned from that made her arguably the richest mare in Ponyville.

Twilight, on the other hoof, was thinking of a completely different matter. Fluttershy had never talked about her time as a filly, except when she met Rainbow Dash and acquired her cutie mark, but before or after was a complete mystery until today; some of it, at least. “How come you never told me before about what your parents read you when you were a filly?” she asked eventually. “We could have shared notes and made recommendations.”

Fluttershy looked at her again, this time her head was low to the ground. “I… I usually don’t like talking about myself. I get really uncomfortable when asked a personal question like my childhood.”

“Then why did you tell me about it?” A sudden fear came into Twilight. “I wasn’t forcing you, was I?”

“Oh no,” Fluttershy quickly swept her fears aside. “But I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m with you out here, alone in the wilderness where nopony else can interrupt us or listen into our conversation.”

“I think I know why – because you’ve loosened up a bit. You’re more willing to talk now about your past then you used to. Those assertiveness lessons helped you out more than you thought.”

Fluttershy shuddered. “Please don’t bring that up again, Twilight. It wasn’t exactly my finest moment, and one in particular I like to forget.”

“Sorry, but Celestia told me once to never forget our mistakes, or we’ll just make the same ones again. So learn from it, rather than forget it.”

“I know,” Fluttershy said, nodding. The two fell silent once more and picked up the pace a little by breaking into a trot. “So what was your favourite type of book to read when you were filly? If you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy said a while later.

Twilight gave her a deadpan look. “Do you even know me, Fluttershy? I loved every type of book when I was filly, and still do. If it had pages in it and a cover with a title on it, my nose would’ve been in it. In fact, thinking about it, probably every book in the Canterlot library had my nose in it at some point.”

Fluttershy giggled at an image that came into her head of a print of Twilight’s nose in every book in the Canterlot library. “But I have loved reading since a young age,” Twilight continued. “I love them for the same reasons you love adventure stories; that feeling of escape you get from a good book just makes you want to be that character, be in that world, be in that time.” She let out a little sigh. “Plus the ones where you learn new things are as much fun as fictitious books.”

“Any favourites?”

Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought. “There was one I like the most. An adventure story, to be honest. The richness of the world the writer created, and the characters he made up were so realistic that I might have shed a tear when one of them died.” She giggled at herself at doing that. “What about you? What was your favourite story?”

“Oh, well…” Fluttershy’s eyes darted from place to place as she thought about it. She didn’t take too long to answer, however. “There was this one story where this pony had to go over these mountains and face a evil dragon on this tall mountain along with some ponies who originally lived there. That story had quite an impact on me. In fact, it may be the reason why I’m so scared of dragons. But what I remembered most about it was this song that the main characters sing when they’re leaving their home. I found myself humming it nearly every day afterwards. Thinking about it now just gets that tune in my head.”

“Care to share it with me?”

Fluttershy’s head went a bit lower and she shyly replied, “I… I don’t know… I mean, I like to sing, but I don’t think I’m that good a good singer, to be honest. I don’t think I could do the song justice, anyway.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “You are a amazing singer, Fluttershy. I remember watching you soothe all those bunnies after they had panicked through that incredible song you sang. Honestly, listening to you made me want to lie down then and there and go to sleep. And don’t worry about doing the song justice. It’s just me and you out here, so noone is going to be bothered.”

“Well… if you’re sure, then I’ll sing it for you if you like.” She gave one long look around incase there was somepony else nearby, then cleared her throat and began to sing. She started with a tune at first, to help her get into the beat of it, and soon she was bobbing her head up and down thanks to it. Then she began to form words, and although they didn’t suite her voice, Twilight couldn’t care less, for she loved to hear Fluttershy sing:

“There’s a road, calling you to stray.

“Step by step, pulling you away.

“Under moon and star.

“Take the road, no matter how far.”

The moment Fluttershy started singing, Twilight instantly recognised it, and began to sing also:

“Where it leads, noone ever knows.

“Don’t look back, follow where it goes.

“Far beyond the sun.

“Take the road, wherever it runs.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight in shock when she noticed the unicorn was singing along with her, and then grinned and together they sung once more:

“The road goes on, ever, ever on.

“Hill by hill, mile by mile.

“Field by field, stile by stile.

“The road goes on, ever, ever on.”

While Twilight repeated the chorus, Fluttershy sung another verse:

“Mountain and valley, and pasture and meadow.

“Stretching, unending, for mile after mile.

“Fenland, and moorland, and shoreline and canyon.

“Bordered by hurdle and hedgerow and stile.”

Fluttershy paused for a moment, allowing Twilight to sing the next part:

“One more mile, then it’s time to eat.

“Pick some pears succulent and sweet.

“To the furthest shore.

“Take the road, one hundred miles more.”

Then they sang different bits at once. While Fluttershy sang one verse:

“The road goes on, ever, ever on.

“Moor by moor, glen by glen.

“Vale by vale, fen by fen.

“The road goes on, ever, ever on.”

Twilight sung another verse:

“See the road flows pass your doorstep, calling for your hooves to stray.

“Like a deep and rolling river, it will sweep them far away.

Both ponies raised their heads into the air, and sung the last verse together.

“Just beyond the far horizon lies a waiting world unknown.

“Like the dawn its beauty beckons, with a wonder all its own.”

The two ponies stopped singing and began laughing. The two hadn’t noticed but they were now at a trotting pace once more. “I never knew you knew that song, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, surprised but pleased.

“Of course I would,” Twilight replied. “Like I said before, my nose has been in every book in the Canterlot library. But that book the song is from, is definitely one of my all time favourites.” She looked ahead and sighed heavily. “Well I don’t know about you, but after that song I feel like galloping some of the way.” She stopped and put herself in a ready to gallop stance. “Want to have a race?”

Fluttershy looked at her hesitantly. She didn’t usually like to gallop, incase ponies saw her and laughed at her. She briefly considered saying, “I’ll prefer to walk, if that’s okay,” but the look on Twilight’s face held that back. The pony she was with was one of the few ponies that never laughed at her unless she told a joke (which is rare), was always patient with her, and always wanted what was best for her. ‘Twilight will never laugh at me,’ she thought. In fact, Twilight could be one of the few ponies she could beat at something, and still be a good sport about it.

Fluttershy backed up so she was next to Twilight, then put herself in the same stance. “You’re on,” Fluttershy said, grinning.

Twilight grinned. “Okay then. First one to tire loses. Three, two, one… go!” With that, Twilight broke from her stance and galloped forward with all her strength, laughing.

Fluttershy stood where she was, completely in shock at how fast Twilight had gotten. She remembered the unicorn was out of breath once just to get to Sugercube Corner, and that was ten minutes away from the library. ‘She’s quick,’ she thought. She grinned. ‘Now let’s see if those runs on the outskirts paid off.’ Fluttershy instantly broke into a gallop and moved as fast as her legs could take her. She soon caught up with Twilight, however, and was beginning to gain the lead. Twilight saw this and tried gaining speed. Soon both ponies were racing down the old Canterlot road, laughing as bushes and trees flew by, nearly sending some birds off their perches, but the two ponies were too busy having the time of their lives to notice.

Eventually, Twilight began to slow, until she finally stopped and collapsed onto her stomach, out of breath and panting for air. Fluttershy stopped instantly, spun around and charged back to Twilight’s side. “Twilight, are you all right?” she cried in concern.

Twilight raised a hoof in assurance. “I’m fine. Just a bit… knackered after that. I have to say… you’re much quicker than I thought you would be. Although… I imagine all those pancakes I’ve been eating haven’t done me any good. Remind me to go on a diet later.” She raised herself up and with her magic, took out a canteen of water from her saddlebags and gulped down half of it.

“You don’t need to go on a diet, Twilight. If anything you should gain some weight. There’s barely anything on you.”

Twilight smiled bashfully and looked away to hide the blush on her face. ‘Stay down, blush. You’re not welcome here,’ she told it in thought. The blush melted away and she looked back around at Fluttershy with a small smile. Before the pegasus knew it, Twilight had her in a hug. “Thank you, Fluttershy.”

“Um, there’s no need to thank me, Twilight. I was only telling the truth about your weight.”

“Not that. I want to thank you for coming with me. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time, being the Princess’s student and all. It was nice to have some fun like that, with a pony that knows how to have fun.” She pulled away from her and gave her a friendly smile. “I think I’m going to enjoy travelling with you.”

Fluttershy smiled, and placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “You’re welcome, and thanks for asking me to come. I think I’m enjoy travelling with you as well.”

Twilight’s smile grew a little bigger at that. “Well then,” she said, getting up from her sitting position. “I think we should get going. I would prefer it if we were up that mountain by nightfall.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and with Twilight began trotting along the road towards Canterlot. The road’s gradient was beginning to move up, which made them realise that soon they would be under the shadow of the mountain, and from there the road would be a steep climb up. Nevertheless, they were ready for it.

‘Yeah,’ Fluttershy thought, looking at Twilight’s contagious cheery grin, ‘I think I’m going to enjoy travelling with you a lot.’

The road up to Canterlot wasn’t as tricky as they thought it would be. Age began to show in the road as weeds and holes began to appear in it, but none of them made the road treacherous and hazardous to their health as the path became narrower the further they went up. It was, however, extremely steep at times.

By the time they had finally navigated the mountain path and arrived on a flat surface, only the top of the sun was visible over the horizon, and the moon and stars began to appear. The two ponies set their rumps onto the ground and took a moment to catch their breaths. “That was… definitely… as steep as it looked,” Twilight said, looking back down at the path they just walked from.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, unable to say anything due to being out of breath. “Do we… have any… more water to drink?” she managed to get out at last.

Twilight shook her head. “Sorry, I drunk the rest halfway up.”

“That’s okay. It’s your water after all.” Fluttershy took a deep breath, then got up and made herself ready to walk again. “Ready to walk again, Twilight? We’re not too far now.”

She was right. About ten minutes away was the front gate of Canterlot, with its drawbridge down and open to all, its gleaming white towers that shone bright even in the low sunlight, and its mighty palace, the greatest construction in all of Equestria.

Twilight nodded, then willed herself onto all four hooves. “Okay, I think I’m ready. Let’s go.” The two walked down the road towards the castle gates. Alongside the road, tall statues of ponies stood in heroic positions, with their faces gazing south towards the badlands, as if their stares would scare away any invaders.

“Who are they, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, stopping to look at one.

“Oh, well I can’t remember the names of the others but I know that one is Scribe-a-lot,” Twilight replied. “He and the others along here were the original founders of Canterlot.”

Fluttershy looked surprised at this. “I thought Princesses Celestia, Luna and Starswirl the Bearded founded Canterlot.”

“You’re half right,” Twilight agreed, walking at a small pace with Fluttershy alongside. “The original Canterlot these ponies built was a large group of huts and crudely designed buildings, with one major hall in the middle. It wasn’t even the capital of Equestria back then, which was a long forgotten town somewhere north of here. In fact, it wasn’t even called Canterlot to begin with. But life was peaceful up here, so the first ponies stayed, and started trading with the other towns and began to build up the town, creating more homes as the town’s population grew, and creating a wooden palisade to protect it.

“It did little good when a dragon appeared. You see, below the city lie huge caverns filled with diamonds that would make anypony rich. This dragon had managed to find a way in, and managed to extract the diamonds and created his own hoard for him to sleep over. He was disturbed when ponies started digging their way into his caverns, however, and saw them as a threat. So he emerged from the caverns and destroyed the town, levelling it completely and driving any survivors off the mountain. When Princess Celestia and Princess Luna emerged after defeating Discord and taking Equestria under their wings, it became apparent they needed a capital to govern the country from, so they began searching for a place to build one.

“They searched all over, until Luna suggested this mountain, where the old town used to be. They had, of course, heard the tale of what happened to the original town, but it didn’t hinder them. They made their way into the mountain to find the dragon, only to find a skeleton clinging to a large group of diamonds in the caverns below. Knowing the mountain was now safe and secure, they begun building the royal palace for them to rule, and built a castle at the Everfree forest to retire and get away from the ruling of the country. Later it soon came apparent that other ponies should live up here, so they began to extend the area around the palace to house ponies of all three species, and other forms of life. And that, Fluttershy, is how Canterlot was founded.”

She froze when she realised she had just given a history lecture. She had warned herself not to do that anymore, since the last several times she tried she found most ponies fast asleep. So now Fluttershy had probably shared the same fate they did.

“Wow. So what happened to the dragon skeleton?” Fluttershy asked, her tone stating her genuine interest on the matter.

Twilight looked back at her with a look of shock. “Did you listen to what I just said?”

“Of course I did,” Fluttershy replied, nodding. “What kind of a friend I would be if I didn’t listen to my friends? Not to mention I found that really interesting. So what did happen to the dragon skeleton?”

Twilight broke out of her shock and answered, “They buried it with all the honours a dragon receives at a burial. What that means I don’t know for Celestia and Luna never told me what they did to it.”

“Well all the same that was fascinating. I barely knew how Canterlot came about until today. Thanks for sharing that with me, Twilight.” Fluttershy suddenly shivered as a wind crept up behind her and crawled over her. “Could we go inside please? It’s starting to get a bit cold.”

Twilight nodded, still in shock. “Of course, come on let’s get out of here.” She turned around and led Fluttershy over the drawbridge and into Canterlot itself, smiling to herself. ‘I made the right call in asking just Fluttershy to come with me,’ she thought. ‘No offence to the others but they do have a shorter attention span than she does.’

The two of them were soon inside the royal palace, thanks in part to the guards merely glancing at them and letting them pass. They moved away from the open door and towards the staircase leading into other parts of the palace. “I can’t believe we actually made it,” Twilight said as they trotted up the staircase.

“I do,” Fluttershy said. “I knew we would make it in the end.” She suddenly yawned. “I feel tired, Twilight. Could we find somewhere to go to sleep please?”

Twilight yawned also. “Agreed. Come on, this way,” she said, gesturing with her head the corridor heading right from the grand stairs. They followed the corridor until they came to a T-junction. They turned right, only to stop and freeze in surprise at the rather tall pony walking towards them.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight called, a wide grin on her face seeing her teacher, and her idol.

The Princess of Equestria looked at Twilight in shock at seeing her, but that shock faded quickly and was replaced with a large grin at seeing her. “Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student,” Princess Celestia greeted her. Twilight ran up to her and gave the Princess an affectionate nuzzle, which Celestia returned. “It’s so good to see you again after a long time, Twilight,” Celestia said, grinning. “Your appearance has made my day.”

“It’s good to see you too, Princess,” Twilight replied, grinning as well.

Celestia smiled at her, then noticed with a quick glance Fluttershy sitting at the edge of the corridor looking a little nervous. Celestia smiled warmly at her, comforting her to some degree. “And hello to you too, Fluttershy.” The Princess walked up to Fluttershy and gave a comforting nuzzle, shocking the pegasus to the bone. “It’s good to see you, my dear.”

‘Okay, stay calm, Fluttershy, it’s no big deal. It’s just the ruler of Equestria giving you a little friendly nuzzle. No biggie,’ she thought. “I-it’s good to see you too, Princess!” she squeaked, a little dazed from the close contact from the Princess.

Celestia pulled away from the pegasus and looked back at Twilight, not noticing the swaying motion Fluttershy was doing and looking like she was about to faint. “So what brings you two here, Twilight?” she asked. She had a quick look around for the rest of her friends. “Is it just the two of you?”

“Oh yes, it’s just Fluttershy, and me,” Twilight replied. “And we’re here for a bit of research.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Research?”

“Yep. Research. Looking into the study of flora of Equestria and possibly beyond, and Fluttershy is a suitable assistant for the job at hoof, since she knows so much about plants and animals already. So I asked her if she could assist me on this and she agreed, so we’ll be staying in Canterlot for a bit, then setting out again.” She finished and gave her teacher a wide grin, hoping it would work and she would see through the half a lie she just told.

Celestia raised her eyebrow a bit more, not entirely convinced Twilight was telling the full truth. If Twilight wanted to do research, Celestia thought, then surely she wouldn’t be up here dragging Fluttershy about, since the library she lived in had just about everything her student needed to study with. Although she was worried about her, it appeared it was definitely about plants, so she decided to let it slide for now. “Do you know yet where you would be staying?” Celestia asked.

“Um, not sure about that yet, but we should go and find someplace soon. I feel like falling to sleep here and now after that walk.”

“Well how about I help,” Celestia offered. In an instant her horn lit up its golden hue and a dark bronze key quickly appeared and floated next to her. “I think this is yours anyway.”

Twilight took the key with her magic and stared at it incredulously. “Is this… is it really…?”

Celestia nodded in response. “It’s been left untouched since you left, Twilight. I have planned for some time to get it refurbished and such, but something seemed to stop me from doing so. Anyway I will let you two get on and get some sleep. It sounds like you need it after walking to Canterlot. Goodnight, you two.” With that Celestia turned away and trotted down the corridor towards her chambers.

“Goodnight, Princess!” Twilight called. “And thanks!” She suddenly remembered something. “Oh, Princess!” Celestia stopped and looked back. “Could you let know Spike know that we made it to Canterlot alright please? I imagine he might be worrying about me.”

Celestia smiled warmly. “I shall get to that straight away. Goodnight, you two.” With that, she turned away and walked down the corridor, disappearing from sight in the darkness.

Once the Princess was gone, Twilight looked to Fluttershy, who still hadn’t broken out of her daze and was still swaying from side to side. Twilight knew the cure for this, since she was in it once herself and her brother had to snap her out of it. She slowly walked up to the pegasus, leaned in close to her ear, and shouted, “FLUTTERSHY!”

The pegasus was gone in a yellow flash. Twilight looked up to see her clinging onto one of the chandeliers. “What happened? Why am I up here? Why does my ears ring!” she demanded.

“Sorry, Fluttershy. But you were in a ‘contact with the Princess’ daze, as my brother called them, and I had to break you out of it by shouting in your ears. The ringing should pass quickly. You can come down now.”

Fluttershy let go of the chandelier and fluttered to the ground with a shameful look. “I looked like a total idiot in front of the Princess, didn’t I?”

Twilight giggled. “No you didn’t, Fluttershy. I’ve seen stronger ponies than any of our friends fall into that daze, and they looked stupider than you did.” She patted the pegasus on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides, I’ve done it myself, and I have the photo to prove it. Anyway, I have us a room for the time we’re here.” She showed her friend the key.

Fluttershy gasped. “Where did you get that?”

“Celestia gave it to me,” Twilight replied. “And I know exactly where it is. Follow me.” With that she trotted down the corridor with Fluttershy close behind, who was confused and curious about where they were going.

Twilight led the pegasus through the palace, going right one way, then suddenly going left another, before realising she went down the wrong way and had gotten lost, so had to turn back. “Sorry,” Twilight said sheepishly after the fifth time it happened, “it has been ages since I’ve been in this part of the palace.”

Eventually, Twilight found the right way out and led Fluttershy into a part of the palace the pegasus had never seen before in her time in the capital. It was a large area of towers and large rectangular buildings that stood spaced out across a wide land of grassland with a single tree at their centres. A few ponds were dotted here and there, all of them full of amazing water lilies of various colours.

“Where are we, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, curious of this new place. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place before.”

“You haven’t. In fact, not many pegasi come here at all, so you’re privileged to be here. This,” she reared up and spread her forelegs out wide, gesturing the buildings around, “is part of the School For Gifted Unicorns. These in particular are the dormitories of the school, for those living too far away to return home after school finishes for a day.”

“So you stayed here when you were part of the school?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight nodded in response. Now all the pieces were coming together in Fluttershy’s head. “So that key the Princess gave you. That’s the key to your…”

Twilight cut her off with a nod of confirmation. “We should be nearly there actually. Ah ha! There it is.” She pointed to a tower that was at the far end of the dormitories. It was pretty tall, compared to the rest, with a long spiralling staircase that ran around it like a helter skelter, which stopped near the top and the path went under a large dome that was golden with a single, large arch window.

“That’s where you used to live?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight nodded, sighing as old memories came back to her. “Wow. I can imagine you here, to be honest. Probably lying by that pond there with a book in front of you, with other ponies like you talking about your day as they sat around you. You probably miss it here.”

Twilight visibly and noticeably winced at the last part. “You’re right about the first part, Fluttershy. The rest, though… let’s just say I preferred the company of myself and nopony else.”

Fluttershy looked shocked. “But, Twilight… you mean to say you didn’t have any friends here?”

Twilight nodded sadly. “My choice, really. Back then I thought friends got in the way of what mattered to me; being good at what I was. So I avoided social contact when I could and concentrated on my studies and my books.”

“But what about Spike? Wasn’t he your friend?”

Twilight winced again. “I never considered Spike as a friend. He was my assistant, and that was it. Well, in a way we were close, but not as close as we are today.” She looked at Fluttershy and smiled. “But that’s when you and the girls came in. You five opened up my eyes and showed friendship is the greatest thing a pony needs. It helped me out and it helped my relationship out with Spike.” She gave Fluttershy a quick, friendly nuzzle. “So thank you for being my friend.”

‘Yep, a friend you could lose if you tell her how you truly feel about her,’ a vile voice in her head told her. Twilight ignored it to the best of her ability, but it still resonated in her head like the ringing you hear after listening to really loud music. “Come on, let’s get inside and go to sleep. Big day tomorrow.” She led the pegasus, who decided to walk rather than fly, up the staircase and to the large light blue door with two hearts on its face.

Twilight got the key out from her saddlebags, then opened the door and walked inside, with Fluttershy following close behind and shutting the door behind her with a hind leg. The place was dark, but she could see the large windows across the walls of the tower revealing the night sky of outside. Suddenly a bright light blinded her as Twilight powered up her horn and for a moment the room disappeared in a flash of white light.

When the light cleared, the room she was in was lit up with candles in the corners, and she could see the beauty of this place. A stairway spiralling up to the next floor was in front of her, while to her left was what she considered the bedroom, and a room to the right of the stairs was, she guessed, the bathroom. She took off her saddlebags and left them by the door, and then walked up the stairs, curiosity guiding her every step.

When she arrived up on the next floor, she gasped at the sheer number of books that this place held. ‘Now I know why Twilight liked this place,’ she thought to herself. Along the left wall was a large bookshelf full of books ranging from subject to subject, which was strange for she always considered Twilight to be organised and would keep subjects at different parts. ‘But then again she does have a baby dragon as a assistant,’ she reasoned. ‘Spike is a sweetheart but his organisation skills are lacking.’

She looked from the bookshelves to the large hourglass by the large window that looked out across Canterlot, showing a beauty she had never before seen of the city. She looked right to the desk where Twilight used to study, and then finally above where a long row of bookshelves were on another floor. All of it, like Celestia said it was, was left untouched since Twilight had left for Ponyville. It felt like stepping back in time for Fluttershy; this world was something she and her friends had been briefly told about, but never seen.

She and the rest of her friends barely knew about Twilight’s life before coming to Ponyville. They knew she was a bookworm, and loved her for it, but Fluttershy never knew it actually blocked her from making friends. It saddened her to think that Twilight was without friends for so long, and she began to wish she had been by Twilight’s side in those times. Her and Spike as her friends. That way Twilight would’ve had friends, and so too would Fluttershy.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Twilight’s voice made Fluttershy jump out of her skin for a second and making her take to the air before coming back down onto her belly. Twilight giggled, and quickly helped her up. “You alright?”

Once Fluttershy’s heart rate slowed down, she nodded. “I’m okay, thanks. Just looking at your old home. Where did you go to, anyway?”

“Just to the bathroom for a quick wash-up,” she answered. She noticed something in Fluttershy’s eyes that looked like sadness, something she hated seeing in her friend’s beautiful eyes. “Are you sure your all right?”

Fluttershy was about to say, “Yes,” and drop the matter. Instead she said, “I wish I could have been with you, Twilight. I wish I could have been your friend back then and kept you company. It must feel horrible looking back and knowing you didn’t have anypony to talk to – except the Princess, of course.”

Twilight smiled affectionally. ‘Your kindness knows no bounds, Fluttershy.’ “To be honest I don’t really think about it anymore. It’s all in the past now.” She suddenly yawned. “Right, I’m going to bed. I hope those pillows are as comfortable as I remember. I’ll show you to your room.” She turned around and made it halfway down the stairs when she suddenly stopped instantly. ‘I don’t have a guest room, silly,’ she realised with widening eyes. ‘I don’t even have a spare bed, or a couch for her to lay on, so that means…’ She blushed to the point she thought she might faint.

“Twilight, are you all right?” Fluttershy asked concernedly. “Are you going to show me the guest room?”

“Um… you see… I-I just remembered that… I don’t have a guest room,” Twilight explained, trying to keep a reasonable composure despite the heavy blush. “And I have no couch for you to sleep on, so… so… so.” She quickly turned around and blurted out, “Would you mind sleeping with me tonight?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and a fant pink blush appeared on her cheeks. “Um… well… oh my… I…” She quickly sighed in relief when she realised what Twilight actually meant. “Um… sure. If you’re okay with it, that is.”

“I’m fine with it… and you know… that’s not what I meant…”

“I know what you meant. No need to explain,” Fluttershy quickly said, laughing awkwardly. Twilight laughed awkwardly as well, and then the two fell silent. The two stood in front of each other for a long moment in awkward silence, glancing at each other from time to time as the blushes on their faces melted away.

Finally, the silence was destroyed by a fake cough from Twilight. “Right. Now that we got that out of the way, follow me.” She led Fluttershy down the steps to the bedroom, which, to Fluttershy’s predictions, was exactly resting next to the door. It was simple in its furnishings: a large bed that was fortunately big enough for two ponies, a single light for when Twilight wanted to read a book, a small bookshelf for favourites, and a large door leading to the balcony outside.

“Pick whatever side you want,” Twilight said, gesturing with a hoof.

“Oh, I’ll have this side, if that’s okay,” Fluttershy replied, pointing to right side closest to the door. “I sometimes have to get up for the bathroom in the night. But don’t worry I’m as quiet as a fish.”

“Ah that’s goo… Wait, what? Like a fish?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “They can be surprisingly quiet when they need to.”

Another moment of silence followed. ‘I hope we don’t have many of these,’ Twilight hoped. ‘It’ll make things pretty complicated.’ “Uh huh. Well, hop on,” she said, jumping on the bed and moving to the other side. She then brought herself underneath the duvets and rested her head on the pillow, watching Fluttershy pull the duvet aside, then jumping under them as well with such elegance. “Comfortable?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy rested her head on the pillow, then moving it about to get the comforting feel of it. “Oh yes. This is comfortable,” she announced a little while later. “Thank you, Twilight. And you’re welcome as well.”

Twilight raised her head from the pillow. “What do you mean?”

“Earlier you said thanks for me being your friend, but I never got to say you’re welcome for it. I dread to think what my life would’ve been like if you and the others weren’t in it. So thank you, for being my friend.”

Twilight smiled, and rested her head back on the pillow, the feeling of sleep quickly approaching. “What are we doing tomorrow again, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, resting her head on the really comfortable pillow.

“Well, since we’re here, we’ll have a look at the books here to see if they have anything on the flower, and if not we’ll head over to the Canterlot archives. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good,” Fluttershy said in an almost drowsy tone. “Goodnight, Twilight.” She closed her eyes, let out a small sigh and fell asleep.

“Goodnight, Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered. Twilight smiled as she looked at Fluttershy’s sleeping form. She hoped one day this would be more of a common thing the two of them would find themselves in, only that time in each other’s embrace rather than separate from each other. ‘There’s still plenty of time for that, Twilight,’ her thoughts whispered to her. ‘You can still be with her.’

‘I know,’ Twilight replied. ‘But I can’t force her. I love her too much for that.’ She rested her head on the pillow and with a flick of her horn she put the light out, shrouding the room in darkness.

Author's Note

So here we go, the third chapter of the story. I just like to say thank you to all of you for favouriting this and I hope you're enjoying it so far.

For those wondering, the song Twilight and Fluttershy sing is called 'The Road Goes On', from the musical version of 'The Lord of the Rings', something that I had the privilege to see several years ago and loved every second of it.

Chapter 4

Fluttershy was running – or at least, she thought she was. She could feel herself running, but it so dark that she couldn’t see her hooves, or anything in front of her. But she kept on running, hoping and praying that she would bump into one of her friends so they could help her escape from this twisted place.

“Applejack!” she called out, hoping there was going to be a quick reply. None came. “Rarity!” she tried, again with no reply. She began to feel tears in her eyes. “Rainbow Dash!” she screamed out, only to be met with no response. She felt herself begin to shake in terror. “Pinkie Pie!” There was no response from the mare. “Twilight!” she shrieked, but again, to her dismay, nothing. Fluttershy found herself to be alone, completely alone.

“Please…” she begged aloud, prostrating herself onto the cold ground and hugging herself tight. “Please don’t leave me alone,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. “I hate being alone.” She buried her face in her forelegs and began to cry, her whole body shaking with fear and sorrow.

Suddenly, a bright magenta light flooded the area she was in, making Fluttershy shoot her head up to see what it was. She her eyes squinted as she tried to make out what caused this sudden burst of colour, and thank whoever caused it. A silhouette of a pony quickly came into view, with a halo of purple above him or her. Fluttershy was soon able to see who gave her back the light, and her eyes widened because of who it was.

“Twilight?”

The unicorn stopped so that her face was but inches from her own, and she smiled affectionally at her, looking into her eyes with love she had never seen in her friend. Without warning, she leaned forward and kissed the pegasus’s cheeks, drying away the tears that stained them, and making Fluttershy go pink in the cheeks.

“Twilight, what wa-” Fluttershy was cut off when Twilight lifted a hoof and pressed it gently against her mouth.

“Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart,” Twilight cooed gently, stroking her face with her free hoof. “I’m here now, and always will be. You will never be alone again. I will never abandon you, Fluttershy. I promise. I love you too much to do that.”

With that, she moved her hoof away, then leaned forward once more, and placed her lips against Fluttershy’s own. Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden kiss her friend was giving her, yet suddenly, and strangely, felt herself melt into it. It felt warm, cosy even, as if all her problems were washed away with the sudden contact. It felt right.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Twilight’s in return, wrapping her forelegs around her and embracing the kiss.

Fluttershy’s eyes shot open, followed quickly by a few short breaths. She quickly calmed down and looked around the room, recalling she had fallen asleep in Twilight’s bed in the first home the unicorn ever had. She glanced to her left and saw the sun’s rays beaming into the room she and her friend slept in, bringing in the dawn of a new day.

She let out a sigh of relief, glad that what happened didn’t actually happen, yet still she found herself shocked by it. ‘Twilight… kissed me,’ she thought. The nightmare of her running through complete darkness was one that has haunted her for years, and it quickly became her greatest fear, even greater than her fear of dragons. The idea of being alone was a horrible one, and it made her shiver slightly at the thought. She wrapped the duvet covering her tightly around herself.

But when Twilight came in, the dream changed. It was strange, yet something about it comforted her, as if Twilight’s display of affection showed that she would never be alone, yet the way it was displayed was a bit too much. ‘That never happened before,’ she thought. ‘In fact, I’ve never had a dream which involved kissing any of my friends.’ She felt her belly begin to growl for food. ‘I want to get up.’

She tried to get up, only to find herself pinned down for some reason. At first she feared she had slept on glue and now was stuck here for eternity – or until Twilight woke up, at least. Then she glanced to her right and saw a purple leg lying over her belly and side, and another under her, pinning her to the bed, and the faint tickle of breathing of a pony against her neck.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she realised what, or who, it was. “Oh… my.” She craned her neck around as best she could to see Twilight pressed against her back and hugging her like somepony would with a precious teddy bear. Fluttershy didn’t want to be a teddy bear, so tried to shift her off gently, but Twilight only seemed to grip around her sides harder, muttering, “It’s too early to study, Smarty-Pants.”

At that, Fluttershy looked at Twilight and smiled sweetly at her, giggling softly at her friend. ‘A friend that kissed you… on the lips, don’t forget,’ her thoughts reminded her.

‘Um, I don’t see the point in worrying about it; after all, it was just a dream. Besides, it will never happen.’ She moved a hoof up in an attempt to nudge her friend awake, but suddenly stopped when she realised what she was about to do was rude. ‘She’s too cute to disturb,’ a part of her mind said. ‘Best leave her be.’

‘You’re right, but stop thinking her as cute. She’s pretty but not cute. Cute is the romantic way.’

‘You’re the one thinking her as cute. After all, we are the same. Besides, calling her pretty is another romantic word if you think about it, which you are.’ Fluttershy screamed out in thought and stuffed her head under the pillow, hoping that would silence the thoughts she didn’t want to think. Surprisingly it worked, and she started thinking about other things like bunnies, and friends, and Twilight- “Oh, darn it!” Fluttershy cursed aloud. She put a hoof over her mouth when she realised what she just did.

Twilight suddenly bolted her head upright, her eyes half open and her head darted left and right for the culprit of the shout. “What was that? What just happen- oh Fluttershy, it’s just you.” She shook her head, brushing away a bit of her mane that covered her face, and looked back at Fluttershy with concern. “Are you all right?”

Fluttershy slowly turned her head around and looked at Twilight in shock. “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry, Twilight. I didn’t mean to wake you like I did. I just had a bad dream,” she lied, hoping it would ease any fears Twilight had.

Twilight smiled comfortingly at her. “It’s fine. I should have gotten up earlier. Thanks for waking me, Fluttershy, even if was unintentional.” She glanced down and saw her forelegs around Fluttershy’s belly, and her eyes widened. She moved them off Fluttershy’s sides as if they were on fire, and shifted herself back to give them some space. Twilight’s cheeks went a bright pink as she looked at the space between them, trying to think up a reason as to why she did it, but none came to her. “Di… did I do anything that made you uncomfortable?” she asked eventually, running a hoof across the mattress shyly.

Fluttershy shook her head, smiling disarmingly. “You muttered something about Smarty-Pants, and you held me close as if I was that toy, but that’s it. No harm done.” She got off the bed and stretched out her legs, emitting little groans as she did so. “How about I make us some breakfast, then afterwards we’ll go and find something on this flower.”

Twilight nodded eagerly; she could feel her stomach beginning to growl. She began to move out of the bed so she could help, but a gentle push from Fluttershy set the unicorn back down on her side with a plonk. “Don’t you want any help?”

“I think I’ll be okay, Twilight. Now what would you like for breakfast?”

Twilight didn’t need to think for long. “Do you think you could make some of your lovely pancakes again, please? I think there’s some stuff in the kitchen you could use to make them, if that’s okay?”

“Oui, madam,” Fluttershy replied, putting on a weird French accent that made Twilight giggle. “I shall find zees ingredients and make zees pancakes fer you.” With a quick trot she left the room, blushing in embarrassment at what she just did, leaving Twilight laughing her head off at one of the worst attempts of the accent she had ever seen.

She was still laughing when Fluttershy returned a moment later, with a small frown on her face. It grew when she saw Twilight was still laughing. “Oh my goodness,” Twilight managed to get out at last, short of breath and tears in her eyes from laughing. “Fluttershy, that has to be one of the funniest things I have seen in ages.” She wiped away her tears and looked back at Fluttershy, who looked upset.

Twilight’s grin faded instantly and she raised a hoof towards her, hoping it would provide some comfort. “I’m… I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t ha-” She stopped when Fluttershy began to laugh.

“Relax, Twilight, I was only joking,” Fluttershy said once she stopped, waving a hoof dismissively. “I know I can’t do that accent well, but I like doing it to make my friends feel happy. Ask Rarity about it. It helps when she’s down in the dumps.” She smiled at her assuredly, but that smile was quickly replaced by the frown she had before. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I can’t make the pancakes.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Why not?”

“All the ingredients for pancakes in the kitchen I can use are way pass their use by date, and don’t get me started about the condition of the milk.”

“That bad huh?” Fluttershy only nodded. Twilight sighed. “Very well, then I guess we’ll have to take extreme measures.” She jumped out of bed and quickly stretched her legs. “We’ll have a look around here first to see if this place has something on the flower, and if not then we go out and get something to eat, then go to the archives. How does that sound?”

Fluttershy’s head lowered towards the ground, and she raised a hoof as if she was in a classroom. “Um, a question: what if we do find something about the flower here?”

“Then we’ll go out anyway and enjoy our time in Canterlot,” Twilight replied. She gestured with her head towards the stairs leading up to Twilight’s favourite part of her old home.

Fluttershy’s belly growled, protesting this course of action, but Fluttershy couldn’t think of any alternative. ‘We’ll get food later. Don’t you worry, little stomach.’ Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Okay, but apologies in advance if I miss something out about it. I don’t concentrate well on an empty stomach.”

Twilight giggled. “Neither do I.” The two giggled at that, and made their way up the stairs to the large number of books that inhabit the house.

When they made it to the first floor, the two mares stopped and stared at the vast collection of books that made up this place. The fact that there were so many books between two mares made things, particularly to Fluttershy, very daunting. Twilight noticed the worry on the pegasus’s face and gave her a quick stroke on the side. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. We’ll get through this lot and still be in time for breakfast.”

“Or in this case, brunch.” Twilight giggled at that. “It’s not that. I’m just worried I’ll miss what we’re looking for.”

“Well there’s no point in worrying over that. What we don’t know can’t hurt us. Now let’s get started. You cover the high ground and I’ll cover the lower ones.” Fluttershy gave a quick salute and took to the air. As Fluttershy took off, Twilight tried to think of a way to make this more interesting. She was all up for fun, and wanted this to be as memorable as the trip they would take from here. Her face lit up with joy when she thought of a way. “Say, Fluttershy, how about we turn this into a contest?”

Fluttershy looked from the bookshelf to Twilight with a confused look. “A contest?” she repeated, fluttering back down to join her friend.

Twilight nodded. “Yep. See who finds something about the flower first. If I win, then I decide what we do afterwards.”

“And if I win, then I decide what we do next,” Fluttershy finished.

Twilight gave her a few quick nods, and then stretched her hoof for Fluttershy to shake. Fluttershy looked at it hesitantly. She considered herself never good at contests, for most of them ended up with her face flat on the ground and her rump high in the air. Being beaten at everything she had done was very off-putting, so she found herself opting to back out. Then she remembered whom she was with. She wasn’t Applejack, who might play fair but was very good at whatever she did. And she wasn’t Rainbow Dash either, who would go into some kind of sulk after losing, and would sometimes cheat to win. Twilight would always play fair, even if she did have magic.

She lifted her own hoof up and grasped Twilight’s own. Her friend’s hoof felt soft like blades of small grass, and was warm and comforting. A small part of her didn’t want to let go. ‘Careful, Fluttershy,’ her thoughts cautioned her. So, with a hint of reluctance, she set her hoof back down. “All right, Twilight, you’re on. May the best mare win!” With that, Fluttershy let go and took back to the air to begin her search.

Twilight gave a light smile as she watched Fluttershy take off, and could still feel the pegasus’s slightly warm hoof on her own. ‘Maybe one day,’ she hoped. She was taken out of her thoughts when a book landed in front of her with a loud thud.

She screamed out, startled by the sudden noise. “Oh my goodness, did I hit you, Twilight?!” Fluttershy called.

Twilight shook herself out of her shock. “No, it’s all right,” she called back up assuredly. “Just landed in front of me, that’s all.” She trotted up to the bookshelf, and then closed her eyes, channelling the great magic within her to her horn. It powered up to form its usual magenta glow, and with little to no effort, began taking the books off the shelves.

Fluttershy looked down and gaped when she the large number of books from the first four shelves leave their place, and then began to slowly spin around the unicorn. Twilight then opened her eyes and began picking a book out of the group, flick through it, and then discard it like a toy that was now considered boring to her.

Fluttershy was always impressed by Twilight’s skill in magic, and had always considered her the greatest unicorn mage she had ever seen. However, seeing her use her powers were always a chilling thing, and even now, it was giving her chills across her body. ‘Makes me wonder what she would be like if she used her power for evil,’ she thought, although she knew the idea of Twilight using magic for evil was wrong on every level.

She shook her head and went back to book searching for the book that would win her charge over the rest of the day. She grinned at herself as she thought about what she and Twilight could do. ‘We could play games like ‘shh’ and braid each other’s tails and just enjoy each other’s company,’ she thought excitedly. She moved a little bit faster, picking books that looked like they would be the one, and avoiding ones that didn’t.

Twilight, meanwhile, was also having no such luck. “No… no… no… no… no… no,” she said, scanning and discarding every book with increasing frustration.

Fluttershy gave Twilight a quick glance. ‘Five bits Twilight’s going to call for Spike,’ a part of her mind said. ‘Done,’ another part of her mind said.

Twilight let out a groan and called out, “Spike!” She quickly remembered Spike wasn’t here, so blushed lightly in embarrassment and resumed searching.

‘Someone give me a medal,’ Fluttershy thought, giggling quietly to herself. She quickly went back to searching upon noticing Twilight was looking at her with a suspicious eye. It passed after a moment, and she went back to the books, flicking through them with ever increasing speed.

An hour later, the two mares were flat on their backs, with their heads locked back to back, resting after a tiring but fruitless search. All around them, books from every shelf in the entire tower lay spread out across the floor, all in various states after being thrown around by the two mares. “Well that was a total bust,” Twilight said at last. “We searched everything: scrolls, books, parchments, the lot! But not even a mention! How can there be so little about one poxy flower?”

Fluttershy rolled over and looked into Twilight’s eyes, clouding Twilight’s vision with a mix of beautiful yellow and pink, and perfect cyan eyes that sparkled with love and kindness. Twilight calculated that Fluttershy’s lips were about two inches from her own, and all she had to do was lift her head up and lock the pegasus’s lips with her own. Fluttershy might even return the kiss, but Twilight didn’t want to take that chance – at least not yet.

“Don’t give up too soon,” Fluttershy comforted her. “We’ve still got the Canterlot archives to go to. Only if we don’t find anything there, then we could lie here looking like we’re lost.” She grabbed Twilight’s cheeks with her hooves and squished them together. “Come on, Twilight, we can do this.”

Twilight nodded after a while. “You’re right. I know we can,” she said, her voice muffled by Fluttershy’s hooves. Fluttershy took her hooves off Twilight’s cheeks, then got back up and began clearing the books off the floor and stacking them back on the shelves. “Oh, don’t worry about that, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, lifting a hoof up to stop her before she could put a single one back. “I’ve got this.”

She set herself back on all fours, then powered up her horn once more. In an instant, the room disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear a second later with every book back in their respective shelves. Fluttershy’s jaw dropped when she saw the entire room was completely clean and devoid of books on the floor. “That was amazing!” she remarked, making Twilight blush. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“No, it’s something I’ve learned only recently. I only use it when I’m alone. Makes the cleaning up afterwards a lot quicker.” Twilight turned around and made her way to the stairs. “Right, come on, then. Let’s get some lunch.” Fluttershy grinned at the mention of food, and set off at a canter after Twilight down the stairs.

The two ponies moved to the front door, picked up their saddlebags, and put them on their backs. After they had a quick look through to see if they had everything they needed, Twilight opened the door, and both ponies stepped outside. The day was another gorgeous one: a few clouds were dotted here and there, giving any traveller some well needed shade. A light breeze swept across the two mares’ faces, and the sun seemed closer than usual, for it was hot beyond compare.

The two gazed about the school grounds for a moment, before beginning the descent. Under the shade of some of the bushes, a few ponies were studying or enjoying the lull in their studies with gossiping or just enjoying the company of others. While other ponies wandered about the grounds, chatting about anything and everything.

When the two made it onto the flat, some ponies that Twilight recognised from her days at the school stopped what they were doing and stared at them. ‘Probably wondering why I’m with another pony, and not a bag full of books,’ she mused. Fluttershy noticed them too, and moved a little closer to Twilight for comfort. Twilight noticed the discomfort from Fluttershy, and shot everypony looking at them glares as sharp as daggers, prompting the ponies to forget they were ever there and get back to whatever they were doing.

As they walked towards the gate leading out of the school grounds and into the city, Twilight saw two mares walking down towards them, their tails entwined in a mix of blue, green, and orange. It didn’t take long for Twilight to realise they were a couple, but she was surprised ponies could actually do that. ‘Me and Fluttershy will have to do that if we get together,’ she thought, although the ‘if’ gave her a flicker of doubt.

Fluttershy saw the couple as well and smiled as she thought how cute they looked together. “So Twilight, where’re we going for lunch?”

Twilight took her eyes off the mares and looked back at her friend. “Uh, I’m not entirely sure. I used to know the best places, but I don’t know if they’re still open or not.”

“Well, how about I get us a third opinion?” Fluttershy suggested. She started looking around for somepony – or something – to ask. She grinned when she saw the perfect person, or more specifically, the perfect bird, to ask. A fat, grey pigeon had fluttered down from one of the towers and had landed on the grass, pecking at the various scraps of food left behind by the ponies. Slowly she walked up to it and whispered so not to startle it, “Um, excuse me? Mr pigeon?”

The pigeon’s head shot up and looked at Fluttershy with a sense of curiosity; it isn’t every day a pigeon finds a pony that could talk to animals! “I’m sorry if I disturbed you, sir, but I was wondering if you knew any places around Canterlot that makes good lunches. Me and my friend are hungry.”

The pigeon put its right wing to its lower beak as it thought. After a moment it began singing hoots and coos, as it told Fluttershy a place they could go, and giving her the directions with gestures of its wings, while Fluttershy nodded in complete understanding of what the pigeon was saying.

Nearly everypony in the grounds were looking at her as if she was mad, but to Twilight, she was amazing. ‘She’s just as mad as I am, really,’ Twilight thought, giggling at herself. ‘All our friends are mad in one form or another.’

The pigeon completed showing Fluttershy directions, and made another few chirps and hoots as if to say, “Did you get that?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yeah, I think I can remember those directions. Thanks, mr pigeon. Have a good day.” She made her way back to Twilight, while the pigeon took off with some scraps of bread it found.

“The pigeon said there’s a bakery that sells great tasting baguettes and sandwiches,” Fluttershy said. “Apparently from that back entrance of the palace we follow the main street, then take the fifth left, then take the second right, then a third left, then a fourth right, and go to the end of that street, and it should be in the corner at the far end.”

Twilight’s lower jaw was soon hanging from her face. Fluttershy tilted her head slightly at the sight, and then with a hoof clamped her friend’s mouth shut. “You always amaze me by your ability to talk with animals. I have never heard of another pony that could do it,” Twilight said, once she got her voice back.

“Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Believe me, I’ve looked across history for ponies with similar talents to me and you and the rest of our friends, and yours is the only one I can’t find that’s been done before.” The two began to trot towards the palace back entrance, which was on the other side of the school grounds and led out into the city itself.

Fluttershy noticed with a small glance around that some ponies were looking at her oddly. She inched a little closer to Twilight. “Why are all these ponies staring at me?” she whispered.

Twilight looked at her, and then to the other ponies, who saw her looking at them and went back to what they were doing. She looked back at Fluttershy, whose eyes carved into her own, pleading for an explanation. “They’re probably just shocked by just how amazing you are,” she answered at last, smiling amiably at her.

Fluttershy bashfully looked away, her cheeks going pink at the compliment, and flicking her mane across her face to hide them. The two friends were soon at the small, golden gate leading off the grounds and into the city. With a flick of Twilight’s horn, the gate opened before them. “After you,” Twilight insisted. Fluttershy bowed her head in thanks and trotted on through, with Twilight close behind, shutting the gate behind her.

The city of Canterlot was always beautiful, but with Celestia’s sun high in the sky, and the day it brought with it, the city was made to look more beautiful than usual. The white towers seemed to gleam with a faint gold from the sun’s rays, and any part of them that was gold shone bright on the ponies below, almost blinding them.

As Fluttershy and Twilight walked down the clean streets towards the bakery, they passed multitudes of ponies: some were wearing fancy clothing, some wore just top hats, and some wore just the coats they were born with. But everypony was smiling and happy, and that made the two mares happy.

After fifteen minutes of following Fluttershy’s directions, taking turns through streets varying in numbers of ponies, the two finally arrived outside the bakery. It stood on the street corner leading to another street, but a few small meadows opposite it held outside tables so ponies could eat out and enjoy the sun.

Fluttershy and Twilight quickly took their seats at the table closest to the bakery. The view beyond the field was dazzling: they were at the very edge of the cliff that Canterlot rested on, with views of most of central, western, northern, and southern Equestria. Fluttershy could barely make out Ponyville, but was able to point out to Twilight the floating sky city of Cloudsdale. “You know, I could have sworn it wasn’t there last time,” Twilight pointed out when she finally managed to make it out.

“You’re right. It wasn’t there last time,” Fluttershy said. “The city moves painfully slowly across a small area throughout the year. It being there now means it’s early summer, and when it starts drifting away from Canterlot it means winter is coming.”

Twilight’s eyebrows were high on her forehead, showing her surprise and interest on the matter. “Wow. So is that how pegasi are able to tell when new weather systems, need to be brought in, like snowstorms and such?”

“I think so,” Fluttershy replied. “Rainbow Dash told me about it, after she graduated as a weather pony. I can’t quite remember what she exactly said, but I think I got the gist of it.”

“I’m sure you have.” She would have asked about more, but the unicorn waiter moving up to their table made her start flicking through the menu. “Good afternoon, sir,” Twilight said politely. “Could me and my friend here have two teas, one with two sugars?” She looked to Fluttershy for confirmation, which she got with a single nod. “And… Oooo, I’ll have a mixed salad baguette, please.”

“Could I have the same thing, please? If it isn’t a problem?” Fluttershy said quietly.

The waiter gave her a look that said, “Are you kidding me?” then nodded, and scribbled down their orders on a little notepad. “That would be ten bits,” he calculated.

Fluttershy moved to get out her share of bits, but before she could, Twilight quickly gave him ten bits and shooed him away before Fluttershy could call him back. “Twilight, you didn’t have to do that,” Fluttershy said, shocked by the touching gesture.

“Oh it was nothing, Fluttershy. You gave me part of your lunch yesterday; it only seems fair that I pay for this. I don’t want to hear any buts from you. Understand?” she added sternly.

Fluttershy nodded meekly, and looked at the ground, thinking about what Twilight just did. Suddenly her eyes began to water, overcome by the simple yet highly touching gesture Twilight gave her, which was one in a thousand she had done.

Twilight noticed and her ears and face fell. She hated seeing Fluttershy upset, more so than any other pony. Fluttershy was a lot more sensitive than most, and would get angry, scared, or upset in less than a heartbeat, making her slightly unpredictable. She got off her cushion and gave Fluttershy a comforting hug. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Sorry, it’s silly of me, I know, but there’s nothing wrong, Twilight. Nothing at all.” She broke away from her friend and quickly wiped her eyes, and then gave her a loving smile. “You are always so nice to me, Twilight. Even when I mess things up, you’re always there to put me back on my hooves and get me to do the right thing. And when I’m frightened, you always stay by my side.” She brought the unicorn once more in a loving embrace. “Thank you, Twilight.”

Twilight wished she could kiss her or nuzzle her like a partner, but knowing if she did, she could lose Fluttershy as a friend. So the only thing she could do was pat the mare on the back. “My mother once told me once to treat others like they treat you. I was little at the time so I couldn’t understand it. Only now do I see why it makes so much sense. You always treat everypony and me with such kindness and friendliness, even with your shy demeanour. I’m just returning the way you treat me, Fluttershy. So thank you, for being a such a good friend.”

Twilight glanced to her right and saw the unicorn waiter coming towards them with their meals and drinks. She pulled away from the pegasus and went back to her cushion, licking her lips in anticipation of the meal held in the waiter’s magic.

The waiter set down the baguettes and teas in front of them, said, “Enjoy your food, ladies,” and briskly walked away.

The baguettes were about a foot long, much longer than the two mares originally thought they would be. But the smell of freshly baked baguette, combined with the sweet smell of salad cream, was too good for them both. Now, they just had to finish it all. They picked up their sandwiches and began eating, enjoying the pleasant company of each other, and the warm day they were blessed with.

“I have to admit, though, there was a time where I sometimes got annoyed by you and your antics,” Twilight confessed, halfway through their meal. “Like when you went to Froggy Bottom Bog with all those frogs and dropped one on me…”

“Or when I stood in front of all those ponies and said that Applejack was going to help me with the bunny census, interrupting you in the process,” Fluttershy finished for her, smiling in understanding. “It’s easy to know when you’re annoyed, Twilight. You begin to sound really sarcastic when you are.”

“Do I?” Fluttershy nodded, making Twilight giggle. “I never notice, to be honest. Probably because I’m so wound up I don’t notice I act like that.” She let out a sigh. “That was a while back, wasn’t it? Back then we were all pretty simple ponies, now look at us.” She spread her forelegs out wide. “National heroes, the stuff of legends. I imagine at some point ponies are going to name their children after us.”

“Oh my.” Fluttershy gasped, looking at her weirdly. “But wouldn’t that be a little weird? We’re walking about and then suddenly a mare comes up and says ‘I’m going to name my foal after you’. I don’t think I could come out of that encounter alive.”

“You would get that freaked out?” ‘Well of course she would. She is Fluttershy after all.’ Fluttershy nodded meekly. “It could be worse than that, Fluttershy. Ponies could come up to us and ask if they want to have fo-”

Before she could finish, Fluttershy leaned over the table and planted a hoof in her mouth, the colour of pink on her cheeks. “I think I know what you’re about to say, and I think I don’t want to know anymore. Okay?”

Twilight blankly nodded, even as she was contemplating on giving Fluttershy’s hoof a little lick with her tongue. ‘I wonder what it tastes like?’ she wondered. Before she could enact her master plan, though, Fluttershy pulled her hoof out. ‘Darn it.’

The rest of the meal was finished in silence. “As lovely as that was,” Twilight said, licking her lips to get the crumbs that had stuck to her face, “I don’t think they compare to your pancakes.”

Fluttershy blushed once more at the compliment. “Well you could have had pancakes if you would’ve preferred. They’re on the menu, just below the baguette.”

“They are?!” Twilight exclaimed. She quickly picked up the menu and saw pancakes, topped with golden syrup, right below the baguette she had ordered. “Now she tells me,” she said in a deadpan tone.

Fluttershy lowered her head shyly, trying to avoid Twilight’s annoyed gaze. “Sorry, Twilight. I thought you would have seen it.”

Twilight sighed and waved a hoof. “It’s all right. No point crying over spilt milk.” She got off her cushion and stretched out her hind legs, shaking each leg to rid them of the light pins and needles she was feeling. “Right, I suggest we head over to the archives and get started. If you’re ready, that is.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, I’m ready.” She got up and stretched out her hind legs, then set her saddlebags back onto her back, and then waited for Twilight to move first.

“Right then, stick close to me, for I know the way to the archives like the back of my hoof.” With that, she broke into a trot, followed close behind by Fluttershy.

‘I didn’t expect anything less,’ Fluttershy thought, giggling at Twilight’s predictability. The two trotted cheerfully down the road to the library, taking sudden turns into busy streets, and then into one that was almost empty. Twilight began to whistle a tune that Fluttershy recognised, so she began to hum.

As they trotted towards the library, Fluttershy thought back to how she was acting when Twilight paid for the lunch, and thought how incredibly silly she must have looked. There were many times when Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, or Applejack were really kind to her in a single streak, but she never nearly broke into tears like she did back there. So what made Twilight so special? Was it because she brought them all together like never before, or was it something else?

She wasn’t wrong that Twilight was always kind to her, and always loved spending time with her at every possible moment. Fluttershy loved spending time with her as well – she loved hanging out with all her friends! But Twilight…

Her brooding was cut short when Twilight gave her a little nudge. “We’re here,” she announced.

Fluttershy looked at her with wide eyes, and then looked in front of her and her eyes widened even further. The Canterlot archives was, much like the rest of the buildings that surrounded the palace, a large rectangular building with a large tower breaking out and soaring into the sky from its centre, with its walls a bright white with gold on the railings, steeple, and doors. “Wow, that was fast. I didn’t expect us to be here so quickly.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you’re with me. I know every way of getting to the archives, and know all the shortcuts for every possible route, dividing the time it takes by half to get from one end of the city to here.” She grinned, and then trotted cheerfully towards the main entrance. Fluttershy shrugged, and broke into a canter to catch up with her. The two had no problems getting past the guards that stood on either side of the entrance; they whisked them through upon recognising Twilight.

From the main entrance, the archives went two ways: one went left, with junctions leading to smaller wings, while the right led to the wings that kept hold of the more advanced spells and artefacts known to pony kind. “So,” Fluttershy asked, looking both ways, “where do we go from here?”

“Hmm, if I was a silver flower that is unnamed, is barely known, is something that nopony has yet to figure out where it is, and is special in more ways than one, which wing would I be in?” Twilight pondered to herself, tapping her chin with a hoof in thought.

Fluttershy also tapped her chin with a hoof. “Is there a wing with just books on the subject of flora and fauna and that sort of thing?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight looked at Fluttershy for a moment, incredulous that she never thought about it before. She pulled out her bottom lip in thought, with her eyes looking at the ceiling. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I usually go to the Starswirl the Bearded wing when I was here, since that was were most of my studies were held. I rarely went anywhere else.”

“Well, if you want, we could try one of the other wings down the left path, then go to the right wing?”

Twilight nodded in agreement to Fluttershy’s sound plan. “I like that. Come on let’s find that flower.” The two broke into a trot and began to head down to the closest wing. “Oh and don’t forget, that contest of ours is still on,” Twilight reminded Fluttershy.

Fluttershy froze for a second as she remembered they were competing to see who found something about the flower first. She quickly broke out it and trotted forward, quickly overtaking Twilight as her drive to win something was breaking through.

The two made it to the first wing at around the same time. Before them stood a black iron gate, while beyond it was the wing itself. At its centre was a large hourglass that went up to the ceiling, while around it, shaped around it to form a circle of sorts, aisles of books and scrolls rested together, creating a paradise for those seeking knowledge. Twilight and Fluttershy entered together, the former with eyes as big as plates, while the latter looked about with slight curiosity.

“Where should we start?” Fluttershy queried, her gaze darting from aisle to aisle.

“Well how about we split up? That way we can cover more ground,” Twilight suggested. “You start that end,” she said, pointing to the right of the room, “and I’ll start over there. That way we should meet in the middle.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then trotted away from Twilight and began looking at the various items that adorned the shelves. Twilight watched her go, then turned around and made her way through to the other side, her eyes leaping from book to scroll, and scroll to book. She picked the first one at the top shelf she came to and began flicking through. When she found nothing in it, she put it back and picked up the one next to it.

Fluttershy was much the same, except she was more hesitant in picking them out. She didn’t want to exactly make a mess like she did at Twilight’s home, so only picked out those that looked like they could have something about the flower, and avoided those that didn’t.

They continued this for an hour, until they met in the middle, having found nothing in the books. “No luck?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh well, we’ll just have to try the next wing.” The two left the wing, and proceeded down the corridor to the next wing. This one was a lot bigger than the first, and had a huge statue of Princess Celestia instead of an hourglass at its centre.

The two friends split off again, and scanned every book and scroll they could find. Twilight was halfway through her section, her face revealing her ever-increasing frustration, when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. “Um, Twilight?” She turned around to see Fluttershy hovering just above the ground with a large book in her hooves and a few scrolls in her mane, with a grin on her face that could only be defined as smug. “I think I may have found something.”

Twilight took her gaze of Fluttershy’s grin and looked at the book. It was the colour of crimson, with golden lining around the cover’s edge, and a picture of a unicorn’s head at its centre. Below the head of a unicorn was the title of the book, displayed in a large font. “‘The life and finds of Botany the Botanist’,” Twilight read the title aloud. She took the book from Fluttershy’s hooves and started looking through it. “How do you know this is it, Fluttershy?” she asked.

“Oh, go to page three hundred and fifty four,” Fluttershy answered. “If you want to, that is.”

Twilight glanced up and gave her a wry smile, then flicked the book over to the page and saw on the right was a large picture of an artist’s impression of the flower. Her eyes widened in delight. “You did it, Fluttershy, you did it!” She took hold of the pegasus in her hooves and spun her around, grinning with joy.

Fluttershy was spun around until the pegasus thought she was going to be sick. “Twilight, could you please stop? I think I’m going to throw up.”

Twilight instantly stopped and set her down, her face laced with concern for her friend’s well being. “Sorry, Fluttershy. Guess I got a bit distracted back there.”

Fluttershy shook her head, hoping that would clear the dizziness she was feeling. Luckily, it did, and she was feeling better in no time at all. She looked up and smiled at her friend, putting Twilight’s fears at ease. “It’s all right. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your hooves.” She gestured with her head to a small bench so that the both of them could go through what they had found. “Come on, let’s see if we can find out where this flower is.”

Twilight nodded, and followed her friend to the bench. Fluttershy set herself down at one end, while Twilight sat the opposite. “Say, what are all those scrolls in your mane?” Twilight asked, pointing at them.

Fluttershy looked at what Twilight was pointing at for a second, then took the scrolls out of her mane and set them on the bench in front of her. “These were in the book,” Fluttershy explained. “When I got hold of it, all these scrolls fell out. I figured they would be important if they were with it.”

“They probably are,” Twilight agreed. “Right, you go look through those, and I’ll look through this. See if there’s anything elsewhere about it in here.” With that, she lowered her head and began reading, the only movement the unicorn was displaying was her eyes darting left to right and back again.

Fluttershy opened up the first scroll and stared at it for a long time. It was a very old map of Equestria, so old that even Ponyville wasn’t where it is now. Railway lines were non-existent, and the bottom edge went as far down as the edge of the desert, showing the border of Equestria hundreds of years ago. Fluttershy set that one aside, and looked at another. Again, it was a map of Equestria, but this one had lines in different colours of ink across it, heading to different places across Equestria: Las Pegasus, Neighagra falls, The Everfree Forest, to name but a few. “Twilight, what do you think this is?”

She set the map down, and turned it around for Twilight to see. “Hmm,” Twilight pondered, her eyes going over the whole thing. “Looks to me like a key. Places that Botany went to study, and he recorded his travels on here. This could give us a clue as to where the plant is.”

“Sorry, but I don’t understand.”

“Think about it. This guy, Botany, must have recorded his travels in some form or another. I believe we may have found that way. Now, if we can narrow it down to that one line, we could follow it and go from there.”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding, then set the map aside, and began looking through the other scrolls in the hope something would come up. Twilight, on the other hoof, flicked to the next page and her eyes gradually widened as she read what was on it. “It says here,” Twilight said aloud, drawing Fluttershy’s attention, “he went after the flower after hearing it from an ancient story with so much historical accuracy he figured it had to be true.”

“Does it say what story it was?”

Twilight went silent once more as she read the rest of the page. “Nope, nothing of the sort, I’m afraid. It goes on to say, however, that he set out alone after it, and when he was seen again he had no recollection of who, or what, he was. His assistants later tried to work out his bearings, but couldn’t. It doesn’t say why.”

“I think I know,” Fluttershy put in. She put a scroll she was reading flat on the table and turned it around for Twilight to see. “I think he did it in little riddles.”

Twilight stared at the large writing that took up most of the page, and read the words repeatedly until they were stuck in her head. “This guy must have been crazy. He should have gone out a bit more.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. “I think he got out more than anypony, Twilight. It cost him his memory, after all.”

“What I mean is he should have been with friends more then plants. Anyway, the first line is: ‘Across the great flood a pony must go. To places of iron, and then yonder to places of gold’.” She leaned back on her chair and let out a sigh. “Well the first bit is quite easy, if you think about it. It’s the ocean he went to.”

“Yes, but the problem is working out which side. East or west?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” She put a hoof to her chin as she remembered her geography lessons with Princess Celestia. The eastern seaboard had the port cities of Manehatten, Fillydelphia and Baltimare, and both supplied steamships and airships full of trade to the Griffon Kingdom on the other side. The west had the cities of Las Pegasus and Vanhoover. Beyond them and into the ocean, however, was a different matter. Nopony really knew what was on the other side, with the furthest living Equestrian citizens being those of the Iron… It suddenly clicked.

“That’s it!” Twilight exclaimed, making Fluttershy fall out of her seat in shock. “The Iron Pony Islands is what Botany was talking about! He went to the Iron Pony Islands first!”

Fluttershy picked herself off the floor and back onto her chair. Her eyes widened in fear as she realised what that meant for them. “So that means he headed west, a-across the ocean… and t-that would mean…”

“We would have to go west as well… and…”

“Leave Equestria,” the two finished together. The two looked at each other in an uneasy silence. None of them had anticipated leaving Equestria; even Twilight said to Applejack that she did not intend to leave the country. Now Twilight was unsure that her master plan was such a master plan after all. As she knew from her geography lessons, beyond the Iron Pony Islands were miles upon miles of uncharted ocean, and there was no idea if there was a civilisation on the other side of it. Now Twilight wished she had gone for the safer option and gave Fluttershy some flowers and asked her out on a date.

In fact, she still could do that, if Fluttershy decides to back down. “Well, Fluttershy,” Twilight finished the silence, “I’ll leave it for you to decide.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she realised she was given the choice. “Why me?!” she protested.

“Because you’re the one that wanted to come with me in the end, Fluttershy,” Twilight answered. She paused to take a deep breath, and then continued. “Look. Fluttershy, I don’t want to treat you like somepony would with a child. As sensitive as you are, you are two years older than me, and can make your own decisions. If I decide on whether we stay or go, then it wouldn’t be fair on you either way. So I thought it might be best if you decide. Just know that I will stand by your decision, whatever it may be. So, do you want to head west, and see what’s out there, or return home?”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight for a moment, thinking of a way to counter her reasoning, but couldn’t think of any. Twilight gave her the choice out of thought of her, and that was something very few ponies did. It was meaningful, but also felt like a heavy burden.

With a small but heavy sigh, Fluttershy jumped off the chair and walked over to the window, staring out at the vast plains she could see beyond the cliffs that Canterlot rested upon. “I don’t know, Twilight,” she said after a while. “If I was a braver pony like Rainbow Dash then I don’t think I would hesitate. I would grab it with both hooves and go for it, for better or worse.” She sighed once more. “But I’m not Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight shook her head, and then got off her chair and walked up next to her. “You’re right. You are not Rainbow Dash. You are Fluttershy, and you are one of the bravest ponies I know. And besides, I think I could only take one Rainbow Dash, thank you very much.” ‘And I don’t think I would love you as much as I do if you were.’

Fluttershy giggled, then let out another sigh. “Throughout my entire life, I have been dreaming of a moment like this to come and whisk me away from my ordinary life. There’s a part of me screaming to take this chance, saying that I won’t get another like it again. However, another part is telling me to turn around and go home and jump in my closet and hide. I know I shouldn’t let my fears get the better of me, but I can’t seem to help it.” She looked down at the ground with Twilight next to her, who was unsure of what to do.

Fluttershy’s mind felt as if a thousand bees were swarming about it. Stay? Go? Stay? Go? Stay? Go? Those words were going back and forth across her mind, and were not helping at all. She quickly blanked her mind, and began thinking in a more organised manner. She considered the risks on taking this trip, and then compared them to the positive aspects of going. In a way the risks outweighed the positive side, and gave her a feeling she should say, “Let’s go home.”

Before she could utter her first thoughts, she thought back to something her father had told her one evening when she was a filly. The two of them were cuddled up on the couch, enjoying the sweet silence and enjoying the ice cream her mother had made. “There will come a time, Fluttershy,” her father had said, “when you will be given the chance to do something extraordinary. You will only have this one chance, though; for once it has passed it will never come again. When it does come, sweetheart, take it with both hooves and never look back. For better or worse.”

Fluttershy had looked up at her father with large eyes and said, “Have you ever had that moment, daddy?”

He nodded, beaming from ear to ear. “Yes. It was the moment when your mother asked me to marry her.”

Fluttershy now had her answer. She looked back at her friend with determination in her eyes, something very rarely seen in the timid pegasus. “Yes. Let’s travel west.”

“Are you absolutely certain of this, Fluttershy?” Twilight enquired, her tone expressing her absolute concern.

Fluttershy nodded. “I think I am. I might change my mind later, but for now I’m certain of this.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “Okay then.” She shut the book up with her magic, and then gave Fluttershy a wide grin, which Fluttershy returned. “Then let’s get ready.”

The two ponies set about putting back the books and scrolls where they found them, and then hurriedly left the archives and made their way back to the tower they were staying at. About halfway home, they decided on getting the stuff needed to make pancakes and a few other goods for sandwiches tomorrow. So they went to a shop and both bought an equal amount of food. With their saddlebags full and bursting with food, they set off back home.

Around them, ponies were retreating from the streets and back into their homes, as a huge black rainstorm slowly approached from the west. Pushed, Fluttershy realised, by a large team of weather ponies from Cloudsdale.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked as they walked back through the quieting streets.

Fluttershy looked from the rainstorm coming from Cloudsdale and looked at her friend. “Yes, Twilight?”

“Since you found out about the flower first, and therefore won our little contest, I was wondering what you had planned to do for us when we got back.”

Fluttershy looked at the ground as they walked, her eyes wandering as she thought of what to do. “I have a few ideas about what we should do,” she answered. “I just hope you’re okay with them.”

Twilight waved a hoof dismissively. “Nonsense, I’ll be happy to do anything you want.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, good, then I was hoping if you had any board games back at your old place.”

Twilight looked up at her brow in thought. “I’m not sure. We could have a look in the attic when we get back, if you want.”

“That’ll be good,” she said. She faced the front and again and picked up the pace a little bit, with Twilight wondering what Fluttershy had planned.

“Oh… Twilight… I… I don’t think I can hold on for much longer…”

“Almost there… I almost have it… I can just touch it… just a little bit further…”

“Well hurry up… because I think I’m gonna… I’m gonna…”

“Got it!” Twilight exclaimed with delight. She spun the needle around and watched as it landed on a picture of a right hind leg and a yellow spot. “Right hind leg yellow.”

Fluttershy looked at her with alarm. “Seriously?!” She shook her head. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“Go on, give it a go, and hurry up because my legs are starting to strain.”

Fluttershy nodded, and then looked to where her leg had to go. Twilight’s head was annoyingly right in front of it, meaning she had to lift her leg high enough, bring it over her friend’s head and down again.

The two were in a very awkward position. Twilight’s forelegs were spread out so wide that the first half of her body was forced to bend towards the ground, her left hind leg was up in air (as was the rules of this game), and her other hind leg was pressed against Fluttershy’s chest.

Fluttershy was in no easy position herself. Her head was resting on Twilight’s lower back, right next to her rump, with one of her forelegs stretched back so that it was by her belly, and another was in the air, while her hind legs were spaced out evenly, giving her some balance. Now, it seemed, she would lose her only balance.

With a gulp, she lifted her hind leg up, and with a free foreleg unable to touch the ground, it was more difficult that it looked to keep a reasonable balance. Unfortunately for Fluttershy, balance wasn’t on her side. As she starting moving her hind leg over her friend’s head, she bent her body too far to the right, and toppled into Twilight, who landed flat on her stomach with an, “Eek!”

The two laughed as they got out of the entanglement they were placed in by Twister. “Oh, that was fun,” Twilight said, once they got out of each other’s hooves. Twilight brushed down some of her coat so that it was straight and smooth again. “Gotta love Twister, the only game that puts you in awkward situations and makes it fun.”

“I know. I played it with Applejack and her family sometimes. It’s harder with more than four ponies than it is with two, believe me.”

Twilight nodded, and with a flick of her horn put the mat and spinner away. “It’s harder when you’re not allowed to use magic in it.”

“Well you could have done. I wouldn’t have minded if you did if it made things easier.”

“Nope, have to follow the rules. Sorry, but it’s how I do things.” She set the game back under the bed, then jumped up and spread herself out across it. “So what do you want to do next?”

Fluttershy grinned, for she knew exactly what she wanted to do next. “How about we play a game of ‘shh’?”

Twilight looked at her oddly. “Hmm, I have never heard of that game before. What is it about?”

Fluttershy jumped up on the bed and sat on her haunches, grinning excitedly at Twilight. “Well, it’s a game of who can be quiet the longest. If you want to play then I had better warn you, I’m the world champion of it.”

Twilight looked at her even stranger than before. “How do you know you’re the world champion of it?” she queried

Fluttershy took a small piece of paper out of somewhere, and showed it to Twilight. The unicorn’s eyes squinted as she read the small writing on what was definitely a certificate. “‘This certificate goes to Fluttershy Whisperwing, two times world champion of the ‘shh’ competition’.” She reeled back from the certificate, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Wow. Really, wow. You learn something new everyday. I never knew you were a world champion.”

Fluttershy shrugged it off. “It’s not really a big thing, I think. And I don’t like to brag about it.”

“Why not? You should be proud of your achievements, and especially that, even if it’s going to be momentarily.” She finished by giving her a wicked grin.

Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘momentarily’?”

“Because I’m going to be the one that beats you,” Twilight said, grinning with evil intent.

Fluttershy felt a smirk coming on her face. “You’re going down, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight sat upright and faced Fluttershy with determination to win. Once both mares were ready, Fluttershy said, “Three, two, one, silence!” and clamped her mouth shut. Twilight clamped her mouth shut in quick succession.

For the next ten minutes, the two mares faced each other in complete silence, blinking every now and then as if they were communicating in different means. Outside, the birds from the royal gardens sang their midnight songs, the guards of the Day’s Watch finished their duties, and were quickly replaced by those of the Night’s Watch, and a light breeze rustled the bushes and trees outside.

After the first ten minutes, the mares realised they were in a standoff, and both decided to take extreme measures. Twilight began first by sticking out her tongue and wiggling it about like it was slithering like a snake. Fluttershy’s eyes widened when she realised what she was doing, but otherwise sat still as if she was turned to stone. Once Twilight stopped, Fluttershy countered with each eye rolling in separate directions around their sockets.

Twilight’s jaw dropped as Fluttershy did that, and looked at her with a mix of amazement and disgust. ‘How does she do that?’ Twilight mused. Fluttershy stopped spinning her eyes around and gave Twilight a firm nod, as if she was saying, “Beat that.”

So Twilight did. She began twitching her nose like a rabbit, while at the same time flexing her ears back and forth. Fluttershy covered her mouth with both hooves in the hope it would suppress the giggle she desperately wanted to release. ‘She’d better stop,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘Or I’ll have to stop her.’

Mercifully, Twilight stopped when she realised she wasn’t getting anywhere. Therefore, she tried a different tactic. She lifted her hoof up, and prodded Fluttershy gently on the chest, hoping she would find a ticklish spot. Fluttershy looked down at where Twilight prodded her, then lifted up a hoof of her own and poked Twilight on the muzzle. Twilight wiggled her nose for a moment, then brought a hoof forward and tickled Fluttershy below the chin. It gained no reaction from the pegasus, who sat as if she was a statue.

Fluttershy smirked devilishly. ‘Well if she wants to play it that way.’ Fluttershy lifted a hoof up and stroked Twilight on the side of the neck, hoping she would gain a reaction. Sure enough, she did. Twilight cocked her head to the side in an attempt to rid Fluttershy’s hoof away. After a moment, Fluttershy pulled back and waited for Twilight’s turn. ‘It would only be fair if she tried,’ she reasoned to herself.

Twilight smirked, then lifted a hoof up, leaned over and rubbed her hoof around Fluttershy’s exposed belly. Fluttershy puffed her cheeks up with air, stopping the roar of laughter she wanted to unleash. She was extremely ticklish on the belly, and she knew if Twilight kept it up for long, she would lose.

Twilight finally stopped, and narrowed an eye as she waited for Fluttershy to make her move. ‘What will she do now? As long as she doesn’t tickle my sides then I’ll be fine,’ she thought.

Unfortunately, for her, that was what Fluttershy planned. Fluttershy lifted both fore-hooves and tickled both her sides at the same time, making Twilight’s eyes go wide in horror. It became too much for her. Unable to stop herself, she began to laugh. “Okay, stop it, Fluttershy, stop it, you win, just make it stop,” she got out between spouts of laughter.

Fluttershy pulled her hooves away and shifted herself away from the mare, grinning in triumph. “You did really well, Twilight. Better than most ponies I have played with, believe me.”

Twilight took another deep breath, and grinned back at Fluttershy. “That was a lot of fun, to be honest. I was wary of it at first, but when we started doing those things, it got interesting. Is that what it’s like at the world championships?”

“Oh, no, it’s a bit more dull than that. We just sit facing each other and wait until one of us can’t take the silence anymore. I wish it was more fun, though.” Fluttershy heard something clattering against the glass, and looked outside and saw the rain begin to fall. “Would you like to take part in the competition one day? I would love it if one of my friends came along.”

Twilight grinned at the offer. “I would love too.” ‘Anything to spend more time with you.’ She suddenly let out a yawn. “Well, I’m tired, and it’s getting late.” She put herself under the covers, and rested her head on the pillow. “Today has been fantastic, Fluttershy. The best day I’ve had in a long time.” She gave Fluttershy a friendly nuzzle. “Thank you for making it so memorable.” ‘Memorable in that it’s one of the few days I get a chance to be just with you and you alone.’

“Well I hope we can have even better days once we get out of Canterlot and on the road again,” Fluttershy said. She jumped off the bed. “I’m going to the bathroom quick. Goodnight, Twilight.” With a small, caring smile, she trotted to the bathroom, letting Twilight rest her head on the pillow and close her eyes, smiling at the memories of the day as they replayed in her head.

When Fluttershy returned, she smiled at the fast asleep unicorn in the bed, with her legs tucked to her stomach, and her side rising and falling peacefully. Fluttershy jumped up on the bed, and then settled down under the covers, shifting about until she felt comfortable. She then tucked her legs under her stomach and rested her head on the pillow, facing the unicorn that helped make a good day.

As her eyes got heavier with tiredness, she smiled at the sweet smile Twilight had across her lips. Today had truly been one of the best days for both of them, it seemed, and they only had to thank each other for it. ‘Twilight is such a good friend,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘It’s hard to think what my life would be like without her.’ At that moment, her eyes closed, and she drifted off into her own little world.

She was woken up hours later, by a bright flash of lightning, followed close behind by the roar of thunder. She squeaked in fright and covered her ears with her hooves, turning the loud explosion into a low rumble. She took her hooves off her ears, and waited for another. A few seconds passed, and suddenly the room she was in went bright with lightning once more, followed close behind by an angry clap of thunder. Unable to take anymore, she pulled the bedcover over her head and hugged herself tight, shaking in fear.

She didn’t mind the lightning as much as she used to when she was a filly. In fact, she would get out of bed, pull back the curtains, and watched from a safe distance as lightning struck the town before her. However, when lightning was up close like it was tonight, then it was to her mind terrifying.

Moments passed by, and she could hear the roar of thunder getting increasingly distant. She gently pushed the covers off her head, and then looked outside just to see heavy rain beginning to fall.

‘Now sleep will come easy for me,’ she thought. The rain knocking on the window always made her dreary, and wanting to go to sleep. She couldn’t understand why, though, it just did. She rested her head back on the soft, welcoming pillow, and slowly closed her eyes.

“No… please… please, don’t…” Twilight whispered next to her.

Fluttershy’s head shot back up and looked at Twilight in shock. ‘Was I really so loud?’ “Twilight, you awake?” she whispered. She received no reply, only a few more groans and mutters that sounded like pleads. Fluttershy tilted her head slightly, and then crept closer. “Twilight, are you all right?”

“No… please… don’t leave me… I’m sorry… please!” Twilight muttered, getting louder with every word. Fluttershy noticed she was reaching out with her hooves as if she was trying to stop somepony, and her eyes widened when she saw something glistening on Twilight’s cheeks. ‘She’s crying.’

Now Fluttershy was completely unsure of what to do. She didn’t know whether to wake her friend up, hoping that would stop any suffering she seemed to be in, or just let the dream play its course and go back to sleep. As soon as she thought that, she felt disgusted with herself. ‘You’re such a coward, Fluttershy,’ she said to herself. ‘You have to help her.’ But how to help her, she didn’t know.

“I don’t want to be alone…” Twilight sobbed. “Please don’t leave me alone.”

It was more than Fluttershy could stand, and it helped make her think of a way to comfort her without waking her. Gently, she brought a hoof under her friend’s side, and then brought another over Twilight’s belly. She then shifted herself closer so that her own belly was touching Twilight’s back, and Fluttershy’s head rested behind Twilight’s.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here. I’ve got you,” she whispered gently. With a hoof, she stroked Twilight’s cheek delicately, wiping away the tears that stained it. “You will never be alone, Twilight. I will never leave you, nor hate you. You are too nice a pony for that. I will never abandon you, Twilight Sparkle.” She suddenly remembered the dream she had last night, and was briefly freaked out how similar these events were. Nevertheless, she refused to let go. “So long as we are friends, I will never leave your side… expect for going home and such, of course.”

She looked down at Twilight, and smiled when she saw the unicorn had stopped squirming ages ago, and had drifted back into a peaceful sleep. “Sweet dreams.” She wiped away the tears on the other cheek, and then rested her head right behind Twilight’s, keeping her close to her chest. ‘This feels… nice,’ she thought.

Before her thoughts could reply, she drifted off into sleep with sweet and pleasant dreams filling her head, while the rain outside knocked against the glass window.

Author's Note

Phew, that's another chapter finished. I knew where I wanted this one to go, but the problem was filling in the gaps between what I wanted shown.

Anyway I hope you enjoy this one. And please let me know what you think.

Chapter 5

When Fluttershy awoke the next morning, it was to the sound of music and singing.

Fluttershy’s ears pricked up as high as they could in an attempt to pick up the source of the singing. At first, she thought it was birds just outside the tower singing their morning songs; she quickly changed her mind upon recognising the voice. She smiled when she realised it was just Twilight singing. Her friend had such a lovely singing voice, but she could barely make out what she was singing.

Curiosity guiding her, she got out of bed and hovered just a few inches off the ground, knowing she would be quieter if she flew rather than trotted. She didn’t want to startle the poor mare after all. As she left the bedroom and got closer to the kitchen, the aroma of food cooking entered her nostrils – food that they had bought yesterday for this morning and part of today’s trip. She pressed herself up against the wall next to the door leading into the kitchen, and when she peered over to see what Twilight was doing, her eyes bulged.

Twilight might have a good singing voice, but her dancing was not something she would ever be famed for. Twilight was staying in one place, shaking her flanks back and forth, kicking her legs out, her eyes shut tight and singing her heart out, “Don’t you want somepony to love? Don’t you need somepony to love? Wouldn’t you love somepony to love? You better find somepony to loooovvvvvvvvvveeeeee!” As she sang, her horn glowed its magenta colour, and some of the food she was cooking ended up on some of the kitchen units, the floor, and on her.

Fluttershy watched Twilight for a moment, and then slowly began to back away, her eyes wide in horror at what she just saw. ‘What has been seen can not be unseen,’ she thought. How can anypony dance like that and not be embarrassed, even when they were alone? She backed away from the kitchen, backed into the bedroom, climbed on the bed, and settled back under the covers, shivering, with her eyes unable to squint due to what she had witnessed. ‘I have a feeling I’ll be seeing that in my nightmares,’ she thought.

About ten minutes later, Twilight emerged from the kitchen with a few stains of food across her face and on her coat, and something gripped in her magic that smelt like it had been through a furnace. She grinned in delight at seeing Fluttershy awake. “Good morning, Fluttershy,” she greeted the pegasus cheerfully.

Fluttershy shook her head and made her face look like she just didn’t watch her friend dance horrifically in the kitchen and waving her flanks in her face. “Good morning, Twilight,” she greeted her with a small smile. “How are you this morning?”

“Oh, I’m very good, thank you. I hope you’re hungry, because I made you breakfast.” She set the plate of something that was held by her magic down on the bed in front of the other mare, and then backed away, grinning proudly at herself.

Fluttershy tilted her head slightly like a very confused puppy. “Wow…” she said, looking at the very burnt toast, a bowl of cereal, juice with bits in it, and… ‘Please tell me that isn’t egg,’ she thought, staring at the fried eggs that rested on the plate. Fluttershy looked from the breakfast – if it could be called a breakfast – back to Twilight. “You didn’t have to make this for me.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Twilight said, grinning bashfully while shrugging it off with a wave of her hoof. “It’s the least I can do after yesterday. Now, I’m going to have a shower. Cooking is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”

“You mean you never cooked before?”

Twilight shook her head. “Spike did most of the cooking for me. I did it once, but afterwards he insisted that he’ll cook in the future.”

“That was very sweet of him,” Fluttershy remarked, although she had an idea why he did it afterwards, especially if it was after that incident with him throwing up everywhere.

“Yeah, it was. Right, I won’t be long. Enjoy you breakfast.” With that, she spun around and pranced towards the bathroom, humming a little, and yet cheery song.

‘I can see now why Spike does most of the cooking,’ Fluttershy thought, gazing down at the breakfast her friend had made for her, hesitant to actually touch it. She was touched that her friend went to a lot of trouble into making her this, but she didn’t think she could stomach what was before her. Neither did she want to wait until Twilight came back and say, “This breakfast is awful. Take it back and do me another… if that’s okay?” ‘It would be very rude if I did, and I don’t want to hurt Twilight’s feelings.’ So, she went down the polite path, and decided to give it a chance. ‘It might not be so bad.’

She picked up a piece of toast with her hooves, watching as some of it broke apart in her hooves and back onto the plate in little pieces. She loosened the pressure, then brought it up to her mouth and took a quick bite out of it. She moved her mouth to give it a quick crunch, but stopped when she thought her teeth were going to crack apart. So slowly and gently she chewed on it, and felt some of it slip onto her tongue. It tasted like she was biting into burnt metal, and the aftertaste once she had swallowed would probably stay there for weeks.

She put the toast down, her appetite fading away like mist after that bite, and looked at the eggs vehemently. She hated the idea of cooking eggs. Sure, she sold them off to other ponies knowing they would be cooking them, but that was their life, and she thought it would be rude to stop it for her sake. Plus it gave her considerable amount of bits, and she had to pay her taxes somehow.

But she was unsure of what to do with them. ‘I can’t eat them, yet I can’t disappoint Twilight. She made this for me after all.’ So she decided on the only option left to her – leave them be and have something else. She looked at the bowl of cereal. “Pony flakes!” she squeaked, beaming. At once, her appetite suddenly returned. She picked the bowl in both hooves and devoured the contents of the bowl in an instant.

Once the last of the flakes had been devoured, she put the bowl back down. After a moment, she doubled over and groaned as she felt a bad stomach ache occur. She knew what it meant, and wanted to hold them in and wait until the bathroom was free, but she had no choice. She suddenly let out a series of low but long belches. Once they had passed, she clamped her hooves over her mouth and blushed furiously.

“Those sounded nasty,” Twilight commented from the doorway, smirking at a side of her friend and crush she never saw.

Fluttershy felt – and probably looked – like she wanted to melt away from here. “Um… excuse me?”

Twilight giggled. “Don’t worry about it,” she said as she walked in. “I live with a dragon that belches out letters, so something like that is not unheard of to me. And like my dad says, ‘better out than in’.” She jumped up on the bed and looked at the meal she had made. Her eyes suddenly widened when she saw the eggs on the plate. She facehoofed herself and groaned at her insensitivity. “I am so sorry, Fluttershy. I’d forgotten you didn’t like eggs.”

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. “You knew I didn’t like eggs?”

“Well, no, actually. Being an animal lover I figured you would avoid eggs. I guess I forgot about it when I started to make them; I was in such a good mood as well.” Her ears fell flat across her head. “Sorry I ruined your breakfast.”

Fluttershy quickly hugged the poor mare. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, Twilight.” She pulled back and let go, smiling lovingly. “Thank you for making me it, though. I’m just sorry I didn’t eat the toast. It was a bit burnt to my liking.”

Twilight smiled in understanding. “It’s fine, Fluttershy. Maybe I should have been less hasty than I was. I should’ve waited until you were awake, at least. Oh well, at least you ate the cereal.” She took her hooves off Fluttershy, and then looked to the ground, unsure of how she wanted to say what was on her mind.

Fluttershy noticed the unease coming from Twilight, and decided to prod her about it to help her. “Twilight, are you okay? You look like something’s on your mind.”

Twilight looked up again and nodded, while swallowing the vile lump in her throat. ‘Here goes nothing.’ “When I woke up this morning, I found you snuggling up to me. I was wondering why?” As she finished speaking, her cheeks went a bright pink as her mind drew her back to when she wake up in Fluttershy’s embrace.

It was a beautiful, yet confusing moment for her. It had never happened before in her life, so she felt a slight unease when she realised Fluttershy was clinging onto her. But after a moment, she didn’t want it to end. Yet, unfortunately, it had to. She teleported herself out of Fluttershy’s grasp, and walked to the kitchen with intention to give her friend something good to wake up to.

Her mind drifted back to the present when she saw Fluttershy blushing a light pink and giving the unicorn a sheepish smile. “Last night, there was a lightning storm that woke me up,” Fluttershy explained. “When it was over, I was about to drift off back to sleep when I heard you muttering to yourself about somepony not leaving you and that you didn’t want to be alone. Then you were starting to cry. I couldn’t leave you like that, so I held you close until you stopped and drifted back into a peaceful sleep.”

Twilight tried to bring up her voice, but found she couldn’t. “I… I… I don’t know what to say…” But she knew what to do. She gave Fluttershy a quick hug, which the pegasus quickly returned. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” she whispered.

“You are most welcome. If I may ask,” Fluttershy said once they pulled away, “do you remember what you were dreaming about that would make you do such a thing?”

Twilight’s eyes moved to look at her hooves, and she replied sullenly, “Do you remember the wedding my brother had a few months ago?” Fluttershy nodded. “And do you remember the day before it; the first attempt, at least?”

Fluttershy nodded, then her face fell into one of horror as she realised and remembered with a shudder at what Twilight was going on about. “Oh no… Twilight, you know I was so sorry for that. I… I was such a coward for following anyone else… I should have followed my instincts and comforted you… I’m… I’m so sorry.”

Twilight feared Fluttershy was about to burst into tears, so for the third time that day the two shared a hug. “Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy,” Twilight cooed softly. “There was nothing ever to forgive in the first place. I just don’t understand why I keep dreaming about it, though. It happens every now and then. I’ve tried everything to forget about it and move on, but nothing seems to be working. I don’t know what to do.”

“Maybe you need to talk to the rest of our friends about it,” Fluttershy suggested. “Maybe then that would put your mind at rest. Don’t worry, for nopony will think of you any less.”

Twilight looked in shock at Fluttershy’s excellent advice. “How do you know that?”

“Some animals come to my home sometimes having experienced dreams of past experiences that affected them. I told them all the same thing and it worked every time for all of them.” She quickly added, “It may be different on ponies, but you could at least try it out.”

Twilight gave it some thought over. “I think I will just do that,” she declared after a moment. “Just as soon as we get back from finding this flower.” She patted the pegasus on the shoulder in thanks, and then looked outside at the bright day. “Are you certain you want to do this, Fluttershy? Absolutely certain?” she asked, turning back to face her. “I will not think of you any less if you change your mind now. But know that once we leave Equestria, it will be hard to turn back.”

Fluttershy looked from the unicorn to the window, gazing to where they would be heading today. A part of her mind was telling her to take this opportunity to go home and do what she always did; hide in the closet until it was okay to come out again. But she didn’t want to be that mare all her life. She wanted to be strong like Applejack, smart like Twilight, and be brave like Rainbow. And if this was the way to do it, then it would be wrong to turn back now.

She looked back at Twilight and gave her a firm nod. “I want to do this, Twilight. More than anything.”

Although Twilight was nervous that Fluttershy wanted to do this, she couldn’t help but be relieved. “Brilliant!” she squeaked, rearing her head back and grinning in delight. “Then let’s get ready. I’ll go and make our lunch.”

Before she could leave the bedroom, a gentle hoof of her pegasus friend stopped her. “Um, maybe I should make the sandwiches and such, while you plan out where we have to go and what we have to take. Unless, you want to do something else…” she said, trailing off near the end.

“Of course!” Twilight exclaimed, planting a hoof on her face. “We need a plan! We need to know what we’re doing! Good thinking, Fluttershy. Right, you get to making lunch, and I’ll make out the plan and found out where we need to go.”

Fluttershy nodded, then jumped off the bed and began walking towards the kitchen. “Oh, and if you need any help, just shout,” Twilight offered.

“That won’t be necessary, Twilight. But thanks anyway,” she said, looking back with a thin smile. The two looked at each other for a moment, until the silence became too much and Fluttershy walked off to the kitchen, leaving Twilight to make out the plans.

“Right, ‘Operation Flower Discovery And Winning The Heart Of The One You Love’ is a go,” Twilight muttered to herself, bringing out a secret checklist she had stashed in a hidden pouch in her saddlebag and moved under her bed when Fluttershy was asleep. For the next ten minutes or so, she listed through the possible ports that could contain a suitable ship, which would take them to the Iron Pony Islands; it wasn’t a hard choice since there were only two. Afterwards, she looked at a timetable she had for the right train they needed to take, and wrote down the ones suitable, along with the times they left Canterlot.

As she did this, she thought back to the dream she had last night, the one that wouldn’t go away. She remembered with a breaking heart her friends walking out of the room, not even able to look at her. She wanted to cry out and say that she was sorry, but a part of her pride told her not to, so all she could do was raise a hoof in the hope one or all of them would return. Then Princess Celestia said some words to her, and her could hear her heart shatter like the sound of a thousand windows breaking.

But then the dream suddenly changed. It wasn’t like the other times; it was a vast improvement. Before the doors slammed shut, Fluttershy galloped back through the door, a look of regret and pity on her face, and hugged her tight. Twilight returned the hug and broke down into tears, sobbing, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorr-r-ry.”

Fluttershy had rubbed her back in little circles, cooing softly in her ear, “It’s okay, Twilight. It’ll be okay. We’re not mad, Twilight. Just disappointed – at least I am. I thought you would be above jealousy.” She hugged the poor mare tighter. “But you can still make things right, you know? All you have to do is apologise to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”

“B-but what if she doesn’t except my apology?” Twilight sobbed.

“I think she will, Twilight. I know she will. I know I would if I were in her hooves.”

Twilight pulled away, and sniffed back her tears, smiling thinly at her. “Thank you, Fluttershy. You’re a great friend. I don’t think I deserve your kindness, though.”

Fluttershy’s mouth opened, shocked at the statement. She put her hooves on Twilight’s cheeks and said, “Of course you deserve kindness, Twilight. Everypony deserves some kindness. Especially you.”

It wasn’t enough for Twilight, though. She slipped out of Fluttershy’s hold and walked to the stairs leading to the altar, her strides heavy and her ears flat. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I really appreciate what you’re doing for me, but I think I need to be alone for the moment.” She plonked her rump on the ground, then bowed her head and closed her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears pouring down her cheeks.

She heard the sound of hooves walking, and thought Fluttershy was heading towards the doors. She gasped lightly in surprise when she saw and felt hooves wrap around her neck and the breathing of a pony against her neck. “No, Twilight. I’m not going to leave you alone,” Fluttershy said softly, nuzzling the unicorn’s neck.

Twilight wanted to protest, to yell at her to go away, but couldn’t find the words. So she stayed where she was, wrapped in Fluttershy’s loving embrace, and her own misery. ‘If that actually happened,’ Twilight thought. ‘Things would have turned out rather differently.’

“Twilight, are you all right?” Fluttershy said, her tone heavy with concern.

Twilight realised she had been staring blankly at the door for a minute or so. She shook herself out of her daze and smiled assuredly at her companion. “I’m fine, Fluttershy. Why do you ask?”

Fluttershy inclined her head, her gaze unlocking from Twilight’s. “Well it’s just that… you’ve been crying.” She pointed at the unicorn’s cheeks.

Twilight put her hoof to her left cheek and felt how moist it was. She quickly dried her cheeks and wiped her eyes, clearing them of any excess tears. “It’s all right. My eyes tend to water from time to time for no reason,” she lied. “Probably all those books I read.”

Fluttershy doubted it, but she didn’t want to push Twilight any further if she was uncomfortable about it. “So have you got a plan on where we go from here?” she enquired, gesturing with her head to all the papers on the bed and the floor.

Twilight cleared her head, and then began to organise the papers in a sensible and easy to understand order. “Right, so here’s the plan. Firstly, we make our lunch for the trip today, then we see how many bits we have between us. After that we lock up the place behind us, and then got to the palace and give the key back to Princess Celestia. Then after that we head to Canterlot southern station, and board the ten thirty train to Vanhoover, and then-”

“Forgive me for interrupting you, Twilight,” Fluttershy cut her off, her curiosity wanting to be stayed, “but I was just wondering why Vanhoover? Surely Las Pegasus has a better port.”

“While Las Pegasus has a better port,” Twilight agreed. “Vanhoover has a bigger port. It has far bigger quays and docks for ships of all shapes and sizes to harbour themselves. Odds calculate there would be at least one ship there that would be able to take us to the Iron Pony Islands. Does that sound reasonable to you?” Fluttershy nodded; glad to have an explanation on the choice. “Good. Right, let’s go see how rich we are.” She jumped off the bed and walked with Fluttershy to where their saddlebags were kept.

The two began working out how many bits they had, putting them in groups of ten or twenty to make it manageable. In the end, Twilight calculated she had about five hundred bits, while Fluttershy had about eight hundred. “Oh dear,” Fluttershy said, looking at Twilight’s calculations with surprised eyes. “I think I got out a bit more than I thought I did.”

Twilight giggled. “A bit? It doesn’t matter anyway. You are arguably the richest pony in Ponyville.” She paused for a moment. “In fact, change of subject, would you like me to go over your finances at some point? I know you tend to worry if you have enough to make a living.” ‘Well, she does worry about everything.’

Fluttershy pawed at the floor with a hoof. “Well… if it’s not too much… I don’t want to impose…”

“Oh nonsense,” Twilight said dismissively, waving her hoof. “It’s the least I could do for you, since you’re coming with me on this trip and all.” Using her magic, she put her bits back in a special pouch for safekeeping, and then put Fluttershy’s away in her own bag. Once their money was away, she took out her checklist and scratched off the part about the bits. “Right, that’s one bit taken care of. Have we got lunch for later?”

Fluttershy nodded, and then took out from her mane two large bags full of food. “And I made us some light snacks incase we get peckish on the way.”

Twilight took her bag with a nod in thanks, and then stuffed in her saddlebags. She saw that Fluttershy’s bag was slightly bigger, and giggled. “You love your food, don’t you?”

Fluttershy blushed a light pink, her eyes drifting from Twilight’s. “Um, yes, I really do like food. It’s the only thing I feel I can be greedy at, and not be ashamed about it.”

“Well, just be careful,” Twilight advised. “Or you’ll start getting a pudge.”

“I thought I already had a pudge,” she said. She looked down at her belly to gaze vehemently at the little pudge she had. “I’ve been taking exercises to try and get rid of it, but it’s so stubborn.”

Twilight looked down herself and saw her friend had a little pudge, not noticeable from afar, yet still there. ‘She looks even cuter with it, actually,’ Twilight thought with a small smile. She looked back up at the pegasus’s face. “I wouldn’t worry over it, Fluttershy. Besides, you could lose it on this trip. I imagine we might have a lot of walking or flying ahead of us.” She flicked her head at her bags, her horn coming to life with colour as she did so, making the bags disappear and then reappear on her back. She sighed, and then looked back at Fluttershy. “You ready?”

Fluttershy got hold of her bags with her teeth, then threw it into the air, stepped forward, and let it land on her back with perfect precision. “I’m ready, Twilight.”

Twilight’s jaw hung loose from her mouth. “How did you do that?”

“Something I practised a long time ago with Applejack,” she replied, looking at the bags and smiling at the memory of her time with Applejack, and at Sweet Apple Acres. She looked back at Twilight with a warm smile. “Let’s get going, before I change my mind.”

Twilight agreed with a nod. She turned to face the door and, with an aura of magic surrounding it, pushed the door open. Outside, the day was mild. Although warm with a few clouds leftover from the storm last night, a quick chill swept between the two mares as Twilight locked the tower behind them and began to descend the stairs. While scattered about the fields and pavements, puddles of various sizes littered the ground, leaving it damp and hazardous.

As Fluttershy and Twilight walked towards the palace, Fluttershy was curious about something. “Twilight? What do you feel about going on this trip?”

Twilight took her gaze off their surroundings and looked at her bewilderedly. “How do I feel?” she repeated.

Fluttershy nodded. “I mean, you know why I want to go, but what about you? Why did you want to do this in the first place?”

Twilight knew she was in trouble. She knew she couldn’t just say, “Because I love you, Fluttershy, and wanted to say it in a field full of magical flowers.” It was too early for that, and she still wasn’t sure of how Fluttershy would react, and turn her worst nightmare into a reality. “It’s just that,” she answered, “I first read about this flower when I was bored and had nothing to do. It was just a fleeting passage about it, but I found myself wanting to learn more about it.”

She paused for a moment to acknowledge some guards standing by the palace doors. The two pegasi smiled at her in greeting, then with a gesture of their heads, ushered them in. “I crave knowledge, Fluttershy. Nearly everything I have been taught has come from a book, and most of my knowledge outside of Celestia’s teaching has been from books. But now I want to go one step further than reading a book; I want to see rather then read.

“So when I first read about this flower, I wanted to know more about it. So I looked through every book, every scroll in my library, and found out only one little thing about it; the fact that it is silver and was discovered by Botany the Botanist. To me, it wasn’t enough, so that’s where this little trip comes in.”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. “Okay, but what about going west? How do feel about leaving Equestria?” Fluttershy prayed silently to herself that she wasn’t being too inquisitive.

“To be honest I wasn’t expecting it,” Twilight answered instantly. “But it’s going to be strange to leave Equestria and go over uncharted ocean. A part of me worries about it, but another part of me thinks how exciting it’s going to be.” She slung a leg over Fluttershy’s shoulders, gaining an uneasy reaction from the pegasus. “Think about it. Whatever we find across that ocean, and come back home with, would never have been seen by any living pony’s eyes. We would be the first to discover whatever’s out there, and it’s going to be awesome.”

Fluttershy’s eyes glanced nervously from Twilight’s eyes to the leg now around her shoulders. After a moment, she looked back into Twilight’s eyes. “Um, but wouldn’t that mean we’ll get some attention?” she asked fearfully.

“Some attention?” Twilight snorted, pulling her leg off the pegasus. “It’ll be more than that, Fluttershy. We would become the most famous explorers in Equestria!” Fluttershy squeaked at the thought and shrunk towards the ground. At that, Twilight felt guilty. ‘You really are messing up with Fluttershy today, Twilight,’ she chided herself. ‘First you give her eggs, and now you make her scared about coming back!’ She nuzzled the side of Fluttershy’s face delicately. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Tell you what; if we are asked to do any interviews, I’ll do the talking and you don’t have to turn up at all.”

Fluttershy flicked her mane out of her face and smiled at her sweetly. “Or, we can just record what we see, and when we die then share it out to the rest of Equestria so they know what we saw. I don’t think I would mind what ponies say about me after that.”

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh, Fluttershy. So, we keep it between our friends and ourselves, yeah? Then once we die share our knowledge out to the rest of Equestria?” Fluttershy nodded frantically in response. “Fine,” she said with a hint of reluctance. “We’ll do that. But I wouldn’t worry about what other ponies say about you. I don’t think anypony could ever think of a bad thing to say about you, even if it takes them a hundred years.”

Fluttershy blushed a dark pink and covered her face with her mane, while a small smile crept across her face. ‘Why am I smiling?’ she thought. ‘It’s just a compliment. It doesn’t make Twilight special.’ But a tiny, insignificant voice in her mind said it did.

They rounded another corner to see a unicorn royal guard heading towards them. “Excuse me, sir? But we were wondering where could we find Princess Celestia at this time?” Twilight enquired.

“Oh, hey, Twilight. Good to see you again,” the guard replied, smiling. “And you’ll find the Princess in the throne room.” He gestured with his head the throne room that was just behind him.

“Brilliant! Thanks,” she replied. She bowed her head, and trotted past the guard with Fluttershy close behind, while the guard continued with his patrol.

“Um, Twilight? I don’t mean to sound bossy or anything, but back there… don’t you think that was a little, um, rude?”

Twilight stopped just before the doors to the throne room, and turned to face her companion. “What was rude?”

“Um, well, he did call you by name, yet you didn’t call him back.”

“Oh, that. Haven’t you noticed that all the guards look the same?”

Fluttershy looked from the unicorn to two pegasus guards walking by, and saw that they looked exactly alike. “Well now that you mention it…”

“Exactly! It’s hard to know and remember who’s who around here, so I just say thanks and move on.” With that, she turned around and entered the throne room, while Fluttershy lingered outside. “You know, you can come in, if you like.” Twilight said, her head peering from the other side of the door. “Celestia won’t bite.”

“Oh… okay then, I don’t want to be in the way,” she replied, getting up from her sitting position.

“Like I said before; you’re never in the way, Fluttershy,” Twilight assured her. “Come on, she’s over there.” She pointed to where the winged unicorn was sitting, her muzzle buried in a thousand parchments pressed against her face.

Twilight and Fluttershy walked alongside each other up to the throne. When they were close enough, Twilight let out a fake cough. “Princess Celestia?”

Celestia moved the parchments out of her face and grinned when she saw Twilight and Fluttershy. “Twilight, Fluttershy, so good to see you two.” The two ponies smiled in return, and prepared to bow. Before they could get halfway, Celestia stopped them with a raised hoof. “Oh, don’t concern yourselves about formalities here, my little ponies,” she said cheerfully. She nodded her head to the earth pony next to her, who stiffly bowed her head and left the throne through a back passage. “So what I can do for you today?”

Twilight opened up one of the pouches from her saddlebags and took out the house key within. “We just wanted to give this back to you, and say thanks for letting us have it for a few days.”

“Oh yes, thank you, Princess. It was nice,” Fluttershy said meekly.

Celestia took the key out of Twilight’s magic using her own magic and stored it somewhere behind her. “You are most welcome, you two.” Her smile withered just a bit. “So I take it you will be leaving Canterlot?”

“Yep,” Twilight answered, “We found what we were looking for – well, it was actually Fluttershy who found what we were looking for.” Fluttershy blushed once more. “So we’ll be heading to Vanhoover, and from there set out to search for it.”

Celestia nodded. “I see, and I take it you would be getting the train?”

Twilight and Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, Princess. There should be one in roughly half an hour that should get us there.”

“Oh, don’t take that one,” Celestia advised. “That one stops at every station, and even then it’s highly unreliable. You would probably get there by midnight!” With her magic, she cast some golden tickets, and blew them to the two ponies. Twilight accepted it with her magic, while Fluttershy jumped and caught it with both hooves. When Fluttershy looked at the picture, her heart stopped beating for a second and her eyes went wide. It was like she had just seen a ghost. The ticket had a small picture of a large steam engine; vastly different to the one they would take to Canterlot. “This one would get you there by the early evening,” Celestia explained. “It’s a none stop train that, from what I heard, is very fast.”

“Oh, I think I know this train,” Fluttershy said, smiling at a distant memory that appeared in her mind. “Thank you, Princess.”

You’re quite welcome, Fluttershy. Well I better let you both get on, before you miss it. I wish you two a safe and pleasant journey,” she wished them, smiling pleasantly.

The two ponies bowed their heads. “Thank you, Princess,” they chimed in unison. They turned around and quickly galloped out of the throne room. Celestia watched them go with a small, sad smile, then called for her secretary to come back in.

“It says here the train departs at around quarter past ten,” Twilight read the ticket. She looked around for a clock of some sort. “What’s the time now?”

“Um, I’m not sure. I don’t have a watch on me.” Fluttershy looked around also, her eyes looking at the ceiling and then at the walls.

“Miss Sparkle?” A guard stopped them. “The time is about a minute past ten.”

“Oh, thank you, sir,” Twilight said, bowing her head. Fluttershy followed suite, meekly waving at him. The guard bowed his head in return, and then walked away. “Right, so the train station the train departs from is approximately fifteen minutes away from the palace.” Her eyes widened as she realised what that meant.

“And the train departs in fifteen minutes time,” Fluttershy finished for her, her eyes wide already. “So that means…”

Twilight nodded. The two stared at each other for a long time, before suddenly breaking out of their daze and galloped towards the palace exit. They galloped past startled guards and servants of the palace, veering one way and another without thinking of slowing down; all that mattered at present was getting to the train station on time.

“Hey, Miss Sparkle, what’s the hurry?” a guard called as they ran by.

“Not now, we’re busy and running late!” she yelled back.

The guard looked confused. “Late for what?” he called before the two zipped out of earshot.

“We’re going on an adventure!” Twilight called, just before they rounded the bend and left the palace.

The two kept running until they arrived at Canterlot’s central station. Unlike the one they usually get off at when they come to the capital, this one was much bigger, and grander. There were three platforms: one heading east, the middle heading north, and the other heading west. Each platform was around forty feet in length, and was as tall as a pony. And a glass roof, held up by thin pillars across the middle of the platforms, covered the station to protect it from the elements.

“What platform is our train on?” Fluttershy enquired, looking from train to train.

Twilight looked to each of the signs stating which platform was which, and where the train currently at each platform was heading. “There!” she shouted, pointing to the one at the far end. “Come on, let’s go!” Fluttershy nodded, and then galloped after Twilight.

Before they could step onto the platform, however, a guard stopped them with a raised hoof. “Do you have tickets?” he enquired in a flat tone, expressing his boredom. Twilight showed him the tickets. He stared at them for a long time, making the two think he wasn’t going to let them board. “Enjoy your trip,” he said, giving them back to the two. Twilight and Fluttershy nodded their heads in thanks, and then moved past him.

The two then galloped down the platform, looking through the windows for an empty space so they could have some privacy. All of the five carriages were built with little compartments, so ponies could have a private conversation without anypony else listening. Twilight screeched to a halt when she saw an empty one in the middle carriage. “Fluttershy, there’s one right here!” she called, pointing to it.

But Fluttershy didn’t stop; she just kept on running, wondering if this really was the same train. She stopped just by the engine, and gasped when she recognised it. It was an apple green, and was huge. About seventy foot long, it’s wheels were bigger than her, and its boiler was round. A large tender trailed behind it, filled to the brim with coal and water. And the smell! She inhaled deeply the smell of burning coal and steam coming from the engine, and let it out again, a big smile across her face. ‘That brings back some memories,’ she thought.

“Uh… Fluttershy? Are you all right? Twilight asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

Fluttershy shook herself out of her reminiscence, and blushed in embarrassment. “Sorry. I was just trying to remember if I saw this train before.”

Twilight, although slightly confused, looked over at the nameplate that rested on the running plate, right up against the boiler. “The ‘Flying Scotsmare’,” she read aloud. “Do you remember it?”

Just before Fluttershy was about to answer, a whistle blew from the far end of the platform, signalling to ponies that the train was about to leave. In haste, Twilight opened the closest door, and nudged Fluttershy into the carriage. She quickly jumped on board and slammed the door behind her, just as the train was about to move. “Phew,” Twilight sighed in relief. “I thought we weren’t about to make it then.”

Fluttershy looked crestfallen. “Sorry I nearly messed up.” She bowed her head in shame.

Twilight lifted her friend’s head up with a hoof under the chin and smiled at her. “I’m not blaming you, Fluttershy. If anything, that ticket inspector was slower in checking our tickets were correct than you checking if you knew the train.” She gently brushed past the pegasus and began the walk through the train. “Come on, I saw a compartment we can have just down here.”

Fluttershy followed close behind Twilight, all the while thinking back to old times. After a while of jumping from carriage to carriage, they found the compartment they found earlier and got inside. Just as they did, the train began to crawl forward. A sound that seemed like an explosion followed shortly after. Fluttershy jumped a little at the exhaust of the engine; even though she knew what it was, it still got her every time. Soon the train was picking up speed as they left Canterlot station, and was going faster with every passing second.

Fluttershy reared up and pressed her hooves and face against the window, watching as the ‘Flying Scotsmare’ left Canterlot and began the long descent down the mountain. Twilight meanwhile settled onto the chair on her stomach, tucking her legs in, and began reading the romance story she’d brought along.

After half an hour or so, the train had made it off the mountain and was now charging across the fields and landscape of Equestria. “Home is now behind us,” Fluttershy muttered to herself as she watched the world pass by. “The world is ahead.”

“What was that?” Twilight asked, too transfixed by her book to look up.

“Oh, just a line I remember from my favourite book,” Fluttershy said, looking back at her. “I figured it might be appropriate for this trip.” She tilted her head slightly when she looked at what Twilight was reading. She couldn’t make out the title but could tell from what she saw of the cover that it was a love story. “I didn’t know you had a romance book with you, Twilight,”

Twilight looked up from her book to see Fluttershy gazing at it with curiosity. “Oh this? It was something I quickly picked up at the library before we left. I don’t usually read romance books but I thought I might give it a go this time.”

“So what’s it called? If you’re okay with me asking that is,” Fluttershy asked. Twilight giggled and rolled her eyes, then lifted the book up for Fluttershy to see the title. “‘The Meaning Of Love’,” she read aloud. She reared her head up from it in horror.

Twilight had seen that look before. “You’ve read it before?”

Fluttershy nodded, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. “It was one of several Rarity lent to me a while ago. I was glad to see the back of them, especially that one,” she said, pointing at it accusingly.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it, Fluttershy. I mean it’s well written, got some interesting characters, and it’s set in the past, which is always a hoof up from me. So why did you hate it?”

“It is well written, I agree with you there,” Fluttershy admitted. “But if you want, turn to page two hundred and twenty one, I believe it’s when it starts, and you’ll see why I hate it.”

Unable to quell her curiosity, and understand Fluttershy’s hatred of it, Twilight quickly turned the page over to the one marked by the pegasus, and read it quick. Afterwards, she wished that she never did. She looked up from the book, an expression of horror and disgust on her face. She slowly shut it, and then put it back in the darkest reaches of her saddlebags. “Well that killed the moment,” she said flatly. “How long does that go on for?”

“About seven pages, I think,” Fluttershy answered.

Twilight’s mouth slackened. “S-seven pages!” she stammered. “Who the hoof would write that for seven pages? Seven pages of perfectly good book ruined.” She lowered her head and pouted, sulking at the violation of a few good pages.

“Ah, it could’ve been worse, Twilight,” Fluttershy said comfortingly, patting Twilight gently on the shoulder. “At least you didn’t read the rest like I did. Some of the images I got in my head were not pretty.”

Twilight raised her head up and lifted an eyebrow. “It gets that bad, huh?”

Fluttershy nodded solemnly. “Afraid so.” She leaned closer to whisper, “Just don’t tell Rarity I said so. She idolises that book, and would be very hurt if you did.”

Twilight gave her a small grin and tapped her nose with a hoof. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Fluttershy grinned in thanks, then jumped up on the other chair and settled down with her legs tucked against her stomach. “So Twilight, what do you know of the Iron Pony Islands?”

Twilight tilted her head from side to side. “A fair amount. Why do you ask?”

Fluttershy pawed at the couch shyly. “Because I was wondering – if you’re okay with it, of course – if you could tell me about them. I’m just curious about them, that’s all.”

Twilight looked at her oddly. “They didn’t teach you about them in history class at your school? They are, arguably, the pegasi’s finest hour, after all.”

Fluttershy’s head lowered, but her eyes never left Twilight’s. “Um… I kinda missed those classes. I later tried to catch up by reading books on history, but I couldn’t understand most of the words being used to describe events, so I gave up in the end.” She bowed her head, ashamed of herself.

Twilight felt her heart melt for the pegasus. She gently put a hoof under her friend’s chin and lifted Fluttershy’s head. When the two made eye contact again, Twilight smiled at her lovingly. “Hey, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just because you have a low vocabulary doesn’t mean you aren’t smart. I usually find the ones that use the simplest words to describe things the more intelligent, and the most modest.” Her ears fell flat. “Which doesn’t count me, if I’m honest.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, shocked by this. “You are not arrogant, Twilight. Not like Rainbow Dash at least.” She leaned forward to whisper, “Don’t tell her I said that though.”

Twilight giggled. “I won’t. Now, you want to know about the Iron Pony Islands?”

Fluttershy nodded, shifting herself about until she felt more comfortable. “Oh, yes please… if that’s okay?”

“Mm hmm,” Twilight hummed with a nod. She followed Fluttershy’s example by shifting herself about. Once comfortable, Twilight began to tell the history of the islands.

“It wasn’t long after the founding of Equestria when the Iron Pony Islands were discovered. You see, Private Pansy, now General Pansy at that point, suggested to the Council of Six that they should catalogue the amount of land that surrounded their thriving kingdom. After a unanimous agreement, they sent out at least thirty explorers across the land, recording features like mountain areas, suitable places to settle, that sort of thing. One of these explorers was Commander Hurricane, who was now Admiral Hurricane.

“The good admiral had gotten bored of city politics, and the constant arguing it brought with ruling a country, so decided to go exploring to see what’s out there. Leaving Pansy in charge, she left the capital and headed west, towards the sea. She crossed the ocean for supposedly days, stopping occasionally for a quick nap in one of the clouds that clustered the sky. Eventually, she came across a group of four large islands, each of them connected by these ancient stone bridges, each supposedly as tall as Canterlot’s highest tower. The strange thing was that she had no idea how they were built, for there was no life on this island. But from what she recorded about them, they were ancient beyond belief.

“She flew back to the capital as fast as her wings could take her. Upon arrival, she told the Council of Six what she discovered. It was decided, after a long night and after drinking plenty of coffee, that the Equestrian expansion would begin. And so, thousands of ponies surged out of the capital, heading in every direction at the behest of the Council of Six. A group of ponies, however, followed Admiral Hurricane to the Iron Pony Islands, and began to settle there, with Hurricane as their first lady.

“Upon arrival, they quickly discovered the islands were cursed with huge storms battering the island from the ocean, great gales that would strike from everywhere and nowhere, and the constant danger of disease and lack of good grass on the island. Nevertheless, the ponies stayed, purely out of stubbornness than anything else. But it made them stronger than most ponies, both physically and mentally.

“Their luck changed when they found out the island was rich in iron under the ground. So, with reluctant help from Queen Platinum, they began mining out the iron ore from the ground, and shipping it over to Equestria for trade of food, gold, and especially building materials so they could build homes and great halls.

“Everything went brilliantly after that. The ponies were soon able to farm their own foods. They created defences against the elements that constantly besieged them. And most of all, the population thrived across the islands. A hundred years of peace and prosperity followed afterwards, but the seeds of doubt and arrogance began to fester in their hearts.

“The iron ponies, as they were called by those on the mainland, were beginning to see themselves outside of Equestrian rule, and began to create their own laws that faded out some of the Equestrian ones. However, they stayed as part of the kingdom for a while. Until one moment changed everything.

“The Equestrian Council, the descendents of the first founders and the current rulers, decreed that iron was becoming more and more of a needed resource for the kingdom to thrive. So they ordered the ponies of the Iron Pony Islands to double the amount of iron they send over the water. Of course, the iron ponies refused, and seized the chance that had been given to them on a silver platter. Under the governess’s orders, they separated themselves from the country, formed their own laws and ceased trading with Equestria. They became their own nation.”

Fluttershy found herself to be hanging on every word. “I take it the Equestrian council didn’t like that?”

“No they didn’t. They didn’t at all,” Twilight agreed with a nod. “As soon as word reached them, and after quite a hissy fit if the books tell it right, they summoned every able bodied pegasus and unicorn to the capital, gave them armour and weapons, and got them ready to take back the islands.”

She paused for a moment, then asked, “What do you know of our military, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy went slightly pale at the thought. “I… I thought we didn’t have an army anymore. I thought it was just the royal guard.”

Twilight grinned. “You’re right. It is just the royal guard nowadays. But back then the Equestrian army was strong – very strong. They were unmatched anywhere else on Terra. So anyway, thousands of the greatest army ever created were assembled on great warships and airships, and set out on the three-day voyage to reclaim the Iron Pony Islands.

“One morning, the iron ponies awoke to find their skies filled with airships, and their bays full of Equestrian galleys, cogs, and every other type of warship that Equestria used back then. The iron ponies attempted to defend their homeland in a massive battle across the islands. It apparently lasted for the whole day, with pegasi soaring across the sky, magic blasts happening everywhere, and the cries and whinnies of ponies.

“But by nightfall, the defenders of the Iron Pony Islands were defeated, the governess deposed and taken back to Equestria in chains, and so much of what the islands have achieved in a hundred years was gone – smashed – in a single day.” The way Twilight said it made Fluttershy think her friend was sombre about it.

“What happened next?” Fluttershy queried. “Did the islands be ever repopulated again?”

“Oh yes,” Twilight answered with a nod. “A few iron ponies were left behind by the army after the traditional few days of pillaging. They were so few and so little was left that many thought they would perish. But they did what was thought to be impossible, and thrived once more. They rebuilt, they repopulated, they re-grew; they rebuilt everything the Equestrian army destroyed in nearly a decade.

“After a while, they were pardoned by the council for their services to the country, and were welcomed back into Equestrian law with open forelegs. After that, the Iron Pony Islands have been in peace ever since. And that, Fluttershy, is the history of the Iron Pony Islands.”

After all that talking, Twilight’s throat felt dry. She took out a canteen from her saddlebags and took a good long drink. She sighed as she pulled the drink away, and then slid it back in her saddlebags. “That was… incredible,” Fluttershy remarked, her eyes wide with interest. Her eyes suddenly squinted to give her a look of sadness “I do feel sorry for them, though. Getting through all that hardship, only to go back to square one.”

Twilight nodded her head in agreement. “I do too. I think I know that feeling, actually.”

“Same here,” Fluttershy agreed.

The two ponies giggled. Afterwards, Fluttershy suddenly let out a yawn. “Oh dear, excuse me. The sleep I missed last night must be catching up to me. Would you mind if I…?”

“Of course not. You don’t have to ask permission to take a nap,” Twilight said, gesturing with a hoof for Fluttershy to lay her head down and go to sleep. She got out another book from her saddlebags. “I’ll be all right for the moment.”

Fluttershy smiled, and then shifted herself so her whole body was spread out on the chair, her legs tucked towards her stomach, and her head resting by her chest. “Thank you, Twilight, for telling me that. It was very interesting.” With that, she closed her eyes and drifted quickly into sleep.

Twilight smiled with great affection at the sleeping form of Fluttershy. Using her magic, she took a spare blanket out from her saddlebags and placed it over Fluttershy’s body. “Sleep well, Fluttershy,” she whispered. She briefly wondered if she could get away with kissing Fluttershy’s forehead, but immediately went against it. ‘I don’t think I could survive explaining it to Fluttershy if it wakes her up,’ she thought.

She decided to leave Fluttershy be for a moment, and went back to her book on complicated physics. Outside, the train rattled past woodlands and fields, and whisked by farms in the blink of an eye. Great clouds of white smoke whooshed from the chimney as it thundered along. In all, everything was going fine.

“What do you mean you can’t find the second turn crew?”

Fluttershy’s head bolted upright at the sudden sound of ponies shouting. “That’s what I just said, the second crew isn’t on the train. I’ve searched every compartment and they ain’t anywhere.”

Fluttershy glanced at Twilight to see she was too engrossed in her book to pay attention to her. She quietly got off the couch and pressed her ear against the door, listening intently to what the two ponies were saying.

“Are you sure they aren’t on the engine now?” one pony, a stallion, said.

“Positive, boss. Been there, been across the whole train. We must have left them back at the station,” the other pony, a mare, said.

“Urgh,” the stallion groaned. “This is terrible. Never in a hundred years of service has something like this happened before.” Fluttershy opened the door gently, and peered through the opening. The stallion – a light blue unicorn with a dark blue and black striped mane and tail – had his back to her, while the green earth pony mare with a yellow and orange mane and tail was in front of him. She watched as, with a sigh, the stallion slumped. “We have to stop the train. There’s no way the crew can continue the trip.” The mare opened her mouth to protest. “You know the railway regulations. Such a journey for two ponies to do themselves is strenuous to health. We just have to stop the train at the next station and give the passengers back their money.”

Fluttershy’s ears flattened in disappointment. It seems like they won’t make it to Vanhoover today after all. She was about to shut the door and tell Twilight when all of a sudden an idea stopped her. As she thought about it, the crazier it became. ‘Could me and Twilight really do that?’ she wondered. But they could do that; they’ve done more than most ponies ever could. She felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to fly about, making her hesitate. ‘Would they recognise me? It has been so long none of them know who I am, but they probably know my mother. I could get myself and her in trouble for this.’ Her mind quickly reminded her that she and Twilight weren’t the only ponies on this train. There were others on the train going to Vanhoover to visit family, see the sea, or go to the city to have fun. Her kind heart told her it would be unfair on everypony if they had to stop whilst she sat by and did nothing. And besides, it would be a chance she never got when she was a filly.

Plucking up all her courage, she opened the door and stepped out into the walkway. “Um, excuse me?” The two ponies turned to face her. “Um, I couldn’t help but overhear you don’t have a spare driver and fireman.” She quickly added, “Forgive me if I was a bit intrusive.”

The two ponies gave strange looks at each other, then back to her. “You heard right, though,” the mare said. “The spare crew that’s supposed to be on this train aren’t on the train. Therefore, I’m afraid we can’t have it go no further.”

“Well, if you want…” This was it. Fluttershy took a deep breath, and then blurted out, “I could drive it for you.”

“You can drive a train?” the mare asked.

“You can drive a train!” the stallion exclaimed.

Fluttershy nodded meekly, trying to keep eye contact. “Well, I know how one, especially this one, works, if that’s what you were wondering.”

Surprisingly, the mare looked like she was considering. The stallion, however, was shaking his head furiously. “There’s no way under Celestia’s sun that I’m allowing a civilian to go forward and drive a seventy ton steam engine!” he yelled.

Fluttershy flinched back, but refused to give ground. She decided to go for the pleading look. She gave him big eyes and drew out her bottom lip. “Oh, please give me a chance,” she said. “Me and my friend need to get to Vanhoover by tonight, and chances are so many other ponies on this train need to as well. It would be better if me and my friend do this, than you having to deal with a load of angry ponies.”

The stallion, to his credit, gave it some thought. “You’re right, Miss. But I can’t just go against regulation like that. And besides, you’re not permitted to work on an engine like this.”

At that, Fluttershy took something out from somewhere and showed it to them. “I think you’ll find that I can,” she informed them, trying her best not to sound smug.

The two ponies squinted their eyes as they read the little red card. Once they did, the stallion jumped back in surprise. “Is this real?” he muttered to the mare.

“It sure is. It’s written in the mouth writing of the mare herself. I didn’t even know she had a daughter,” she muttered in response.

The stallion went, “Hmph,” then looked back to Fluttershy with newfound interest. “You’re absolutely sure you know how to drive this train?”

“Oh yes, and my friend could help me. She might even know a bit about trains, and if she doesn’t she’s a fast learner.”

The guard looked wary once more. His assistant put a hoof on his shoulder and said, “Let’s give her a chance, boss. For once, forget regulations and rules – except the most important ones at least. She’s doing this out of the kindness of her heart, and that’s an offer we just can’t throw away.”

After a long silence, the stallion sighed and nodded in agreement. “Fine.” He pointed a warning hoof at her. “But take her steady. She’s older than any of us.”

Fluttershy beamed with delight. “Oh, thank you, sir! I promise, I won’t let you down.”

The stallion returned the smile, even if it wavered a bit. “Right, go and relieve the crew then, and I’ll tell everypony we’re slowing down due to difficulties.” With that, the stallion budged past the earth pony mare and started going through the compartments. The mare looked back at Fluttershy, mouthed, “Thank you,” and then followed him.

Grinning with excitement, Fluttershy hopped on the spot for a moment. She spun around and went back in the compartment with Twilight. The unicorn jumped with an, “Ah!” when Fluttershy shut the door. “Oh, hello, Fluttershy,” Twilight said once she recovered. “I didn’t hear you get up.”

“That’s okay, I was just outside the door.” She looked at the floor between the chairs, thinking about what to say next. “Um, Twilight? I was just wondering, if you wouldn’t mind getting hot and dirty with me in a moment?” The heavy pink blush she could feel on her cheeks made her quickly realise she should’ve given it more thought.

The book Twilight was magically holding on to fell out of her magic and landed on the ground with a loud thud. Her jaw hung open as she tried to process what her quietest friend and secret crush just said. “W-w-wh-what?” she stammered, hoping she wasn’t blushing. ‘Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Twilight, of course you’re blushing! Your whole body is going red!’

“I was hoping if you could help me drive this train to Vanhoover,” Fluttershy quickly explained.

At that, Twilight’s heart slowed down to a more reasonable pace. Her blush faded away and her horrified look disappeared, to be taken over by confusion. “What do you mean?” She didn’t wait for Fluttershy to answer, for she knew it just after she asked. “Are you saying you can drive this train?”

Fluttershy nodded. “But I can’t do it alone. I need your help. Don’t worry I can guide you on how to help, if you’d like.”

Twilight was hesitant. She didn’t entirely understand why she and Fluttershy would have to drive this train, so considered backing out. But the moment she looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, she felt horrible for even considering saying no. They were carving into her soul, pleading for her to help her in this. ‘I could never refuse those eyes,’ she thought to herself.

With a sigh, she nodded. “Okay; I’ll do it.” She jumped off the comfortable couch.

Fluttershy grinned with delight, and then gave the unicorn a quick hug. “Oh thank you, Twilight!” she squeaked. She pulled away. “Right, come on then, let’s go and relieve the crew.” After picking up their saddlebags, Fluttershy led Twilight to the front of the train, while explaining to her the circumstances that led them into doing this.

“Well it’s nice that you want to do this to help us and everypony else on this train, Fluttershy,” Twilight said as they neared the door to take them onto the engine. “But do you really know how to drive this train?”

Fluttershy stopped opening the door and looked back at her. “Of course I know how to drive this train, Twilight. I wouldn’t’ have offered otherwise.” Fluttershy’s ears fell flat. “You don’t doubt me, do you?”

Twilight shook her head fiercely. “Of course not, Fluttershy, I have the utmost faith in you. I just can’t get my head around the fact that you could actually drive one.” Fluttershy opened the door and walked on through without replying. Twilight grimaced at the thought she might have just upset her, so quickly cantered to catch up with her. “Fluttershy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you if I did.”

Fluttershy looked back at her. Instead of a scowl across her face, it was a warm, friendly smile Fluttershy usually had. “It’s okay, Twilight. You haven’t upset me at all. You’re right to be confused. Even Rainbow Dash didn’t believe it when I told her. But yes, I do know how to drive this train.” She turned around upon realising they were nearing the end of the carriage. Once they arrived at the door, she reared up and slid the door open with her hooves.

“But how do you know how to drive this train?” Twilight queried as they walked into the tender corridor.

Fluttershy looked back at her. “Because my mother taught me how.” She turned around and continued walking, not stopping to notice the perplexed look on Twilight’s face.

How was such a thing possible? As far as Twilight knew, Fluttershy had stayed in Cloudsdale for most of her childhood, with only the one time when she fell to the ground and gained her cutie mark. When Fluttershy told them all this, she made it sound like she had never been on the ground before then, so how did this happen? The unicorn was shaken out of her thoughts when she was rammed against the side of the corridor as the train went round a corner.

“Oww,” she groaned. She got up and rubbed her side better, then continued through and out onto the footplate itself.

“Ah, there you both are. I was beginning to wonder when you all would turn up,” the fireman said when she appeared. He gave her a shovel, which she took with her magic. “Have fun.” With that, he walked through the corridor with the driver and shut it behind him, leaving an utterly confused unicorn with a shovel wrapped in magic.

“Such nice ponies,” Fluttershy commented as she watched them go. She turned to Twilight, who looked a little nervous. “It’s okay to be nervous, Twilight,” she said comfortingly, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m nervous too. But we, as well as many of other ponies on this train, need to get to Vanhoover today.”

Twilight looked down at the shovel in her magic for a moment, and then looked back at Fluttershy. Her crush was right; it wasn’t just them that needed to get to Vanhoover, but everypony that was on this train. ‘She’s doing this not because she can, but because she wants to help everyone,’ Twilight thought. It seemed to her that everything Fluttershy did was to help others. And with every kind act Fluttershy did, even if things went wrong in the end, it made Twilight’s resistance to the urge of wanting to kiss her increasingly difficult.

Twilight nodded confidently. “What do you want me to do?”

Fluttershy grinned. “Right. You need to shovel coal from there into there.” she pointed to the tender, where black lumps of coal were strewn about, and then to the large door, which kept the raging inferno inside and out of harm’s way. “And you need to keep the water those glasses level with those.” She pointed to the little glasses full of water, and then pointed to a lever thingy in the right corner. “Do you think you can do all that?”

Twilight nodded with a little grin. ‘At least the coal thing will be easy.’ “Just stand back.” She jumped up on the chair by the window, and with her magic, began shovelling coal from the tender into the firebox.

‘She’s making it look like a casual chore,’ Fluttershy thought, her eyes watching the shovel as it made its way from the tender to the firebox door and back again, while Twilight sat on the chair gazing out at the scenery, her horn glowing its magenta hue. With that taken care of, she jumped up on the other chair and sat on her haunches. Sitting in the chair her mother used to sit on made her giddy with excitement. ‘I wonder what she would think of me if she saw me now?’ she mused. ‘She’ll probably find out about this later on. Being the mare in charge of the railway network would mean this won’t go unnoticed.’ It would mean she would finally get a letter from her.

Ridding the thoughts of her mother out of her head, she reached out a hoof and gently pushed the regulator down. At once, as if it knew she was there, the engine responded and began to slow down into a gentler rhythm. ‘That feels better on the rump,’ she thought. She remembered how achy her legs and rump felt when she was little after going at seventy or ninety miles per hour down the line. She peered her head out of the window and squinted her eyes, trying to make out trouble along the track.

Twilight, on the other hoof, was having the time of her life. She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face as she watched meadows, farms, villages, rivers, forests, and woodlands race by. Yet, despite the joyous feeling she had, she couldn’t help but be confused. An hour later, after settling in and getting to know how to work it, she decided to voice her concerns. “Say, Fluttershy?” she called. After a moment of no response, she realised the pegasus couldn’t probably here her over the roar of the engine. She quickly cast a spell on herself that amplified her voice, allowing herself to be heard. “So tell me, Fluttershy, when did you learn how to drive a train?” she said as she turned her head round to face her friend and crush. She did a double take when she saw the pegasus and what she was wearing. ‘Where and when did she get that cap?’

Fluttershy was wearing a driver’s cap on her head. It looked a bit too big for her, as was evident by the fact one side of it covered her left eye, but she looked happy with it all the same. Fluttershy jumped when she realised Twilight was talking to her, and then turned to face her. “Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight, I didn’t hear you for a moment!” How are you so loud?”

“A spell that amplifies voices,” Twilight replied. She cast it on Fluttershy quick. “There. Now we should still be able to talk to each other without having to move.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay,” she said. Her eyes widened when she realised how loud she sounded. She calmed down when she realised Twilight had cast a spell on her. “Did you say you wanted to know when I learned how to drive a train?” Twilight nodded. “I was a little filly when I first learned.”

“But you said once you’ve never been on the ground before,” Twilight pointed out. “And you never saw any of those animals you met when you got your cutie mark, nor could you fly well at that age.”

Fluttershy tilted her head and grimaced. “Well, that’s half the truth, I guess,” she admitted. After a deep breath, she began to tell her story. “My mother was a pegasus pony who worked on this railway since she was a little filly. She went a long way to becoming a driver, and was one of the best there was. Even after she was married to my father and got pregnant with me, she didn’t stop on maternity leave until she was about five months pregnant, I believe she said she was.

“Anyway, once she had me, and I was old enough to walk on my own four hooves, she couldn’t afford to stay at home to look after me, nor could she afford a babysitter, so she took me with her.” She stopped to smile as a memory flashed through her head. “I remember my first day going with her as though it was yesterday. She woke me up early that morning, just before the sun came up, and said that we were going on an adventure together. At first I was excited because I had never travelled too far from my home, but that excitement quickly turned to terror when we started to fly from Cloudsdale. I clung onto her back as tight as I could, and buried my face in her mane as she flew across the sky. I was too scared to look around me; I just kept my eyes closed and waited until we arrived at where we were going and safe.

“After an hour of flying, we arrived at the depot. I remember the forepony saying to my mother upon noticing me, “You should get that lump on you back checked out.” I remember my mother replying, “It’s just my daughter.” We were fine after that. Once passed him we went straight to the engine, which was ready for us.

“Once we got on the engine, I shot off my mum’s back and stood in that corner out of the way,” She continued, pointing at the corner just behind her. “I stayed there for the whole trip, peeking out of the gap to gaze at the scenery that flew by. It was so fast I couldn’t see a thing, Twilight. Didn’t see an animal, nor did I see a meadow. My mum did, though, and tried to point several critters out to me, but we were going too fast for me to see them. Even when we were at the station I stayed glued where I was, in fear that I would get lost and then stuck on a station in the middle of nowhere and would never get home and I would be st-” She cut herself off when she realised she was rambling.

“Is that why you chose the engine that night to disguise yourself?” At Fluttershy’s confused look, Twilight went on. “The night when you took a bite out of Pinkie’s cake,” Twilight said, a small smirk on her lips.

Fluttershy blushed red in embarrassment. “Um… well, yes. I did. It was something I knew I can do and nopony else knew about. I thought it would be perfect. I guess I didn’t count on you and your meddling nose.” She finished by giving Twilight a friendly grin. That grin faded. “I still feel horrible for doing that, though. It wasn’t fair on Pinkie, or anypony.”

Twilight giggled. “Don’t worry about it. Besides, Pinkie ate the whole thing there. Nopony was none the wiser. And it’s quite funny when you look back at it.”

Fluttershy gave a small shrug and said quietly, “I suppose.” She gave Twilight an apologetic look. “Listen, Twilight, I’m sorry that I never told you before about this. I guess I didn’t feel like it was something important to tell.”

“Hey, don’t worry yourself over it,” Twilight said comfortingly, smiling at her. “I know how much you don’t like talking about yourself. But I am glad you told me about it – I was beginning to get confused about it.”

Fluttershy giggled. Her concentration was quickly pulled away when she saw a signal up ahead. It was green, thankfully, but below it was a sign saying, ‘whistle’. She jumped up and down in her seat in excitement, and then move to pull the whistle chain down. Before she did, something stopped her. She looked over to Twilight, who continued to look at the scenery and what’s in front of them. She put Twilight in this predicament, the least she could do is give this to her. “Twilight?” The unicorn turned around. “Would you like the pull the whistle chain?”

Twilight’s eyes widened in delight, something Fluttershy only saw in her eyes when somepony mentioned a library. “Really? Me? Blow the whistle?” Fluttershy beamed at her, then gestured with a hoof to the chain. “Are you sure?” Fluttershy nodded again. She didn’t need a third nod. Twilight reached up with a hoof and pulled the chain down, emitting a deafening screech that echoed across the land. When Twilight let go, she giggled like a little filly. “That was so awesome!” Twilight squealed, grinning with delight.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but grin at Twilight’s giddiness. ‘She looks so cute with that grin,’ she thought. She felt her grin dissipate as she realised what she just thought. ‘Stop thinking like that, Fluttershy,’ her thoughts scolded her. ‘She should stay as a friend and keep it like that, or else.’ Fluttershy knew her thoughts were right, but another part of her mind told her otherwise. Just looking at Twilight now made her heart flutter with joy at seeing her look happy, more so than any other pony. And she looked beautiful as well; more beautiful than any other mare she had ever seen, even with some black soot on her coat and face. ‘No!’ her thoughts screamed out. ‘She’s my friend. One of the best friends I ever had. And that’s all she will ever be.’ But a tiny voice, almost inaudible to her but growing gradually, was telling her something else. ‘That voice has only gotten louder since we left Ponyville.’

“Fluttershy, look!” Twilight shouted. She pointed out the window to something, not noticing the inner conflict her pegasus friend was going through. Fluttershy jumped off her chair, walked over to Twilight’s side, then reared up and leaned her head out of the window. She gasped upon seeing what Twilight was pointing at.

Ahead of them, the city of Vanhoover was in sight, and beyond that, stretching far out to the horizon was the ocean, which glittered in the sunlight.

“That’s our destination, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. She turned to face her friend. “Do you think we could double her horse power?” She giggled at her own joke. Fluttershy could only roll her eyes and shake her head. “Get it, the term ‘horsepower’ and because we’re horses – well, we and horses share a common ancestry, but there are some differences between us like we’re smaller and-” She was cut off by a hoof in her mouth.

“Twilight, care to have some advice? Stick to being smart and leave the puns to Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy said sternly. Twilight gave a little nod in response. Satisfied, Fluttershy pulled her hoof back, then fluttered back to her seat. “Right, we better get ready to stop her, then afterwards get ourselves cleaned up and ready.”

Twilight nodded, then began to work with Fluttershy on keeping the train going. While Fluttershy kept a lookout for trouble, Twilight shovelled coal and added water with her magic while keeping look out as well. It wasn’t easy since the wind was blowing the soot and ash from the chimney into her face, turning her coat black and her eyes stinging from the ash that fell in them.

Another hour later, the ‘Flying Scotsmare’ pulled into the terminal at Vanhoover, and came to a slow and gentle stop just by the end of the platform. “Well that was incredibly easy,” Twilight remarked, her eyebrows high on her head. “You know I kept thinking something bad was going to happen. Like the whole engine suddenly blows up in our faces, or we derail and crash, or run into bandits trying to board our train.” She shook her head at herself, sighing heavily and running a hoof through her mane. “I think I need a holiday.”

Fluttershy stifled a giggle with a hoof. “We are on a holiday, Twilight. Just one quite unexpected.” She jumped off her seat and picked up her saddlebags. Twilight followed suite. “Come on, let’s get off this train.”

Twilight nodded, and together the two ponies jumped off the engine and onto the platform. “Now that we are here,” Twilight said as they walked away from the engine, “it’s probably best to lay down the next part of the plan. First, we shall go and find a ship that would take us to Iron Pony Islands, and further if possible. Afterwards we go and get a hotel for the night. Then we get washed up.” She paused to look at her stained coat. “Yep, definitely get washed up.” The two ponies giggled as they saw the state they were in; not a single spot on their coat was clean.

“Um, wouldn’t it be easier if we find a hotel, then get washed up?” Fluttershy suggested. “We wouldn’t look like two ponies that had just climbed out of a coal mine then.”

“Hmm, fair point I guess. All right, we’ll find a hotel and get washed up, then go to the port and find a ship. “Right, I think that’s the plan. Come on, let’s get going before it gets too dark.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and followed Twilight’s lead as they walked out of the station and into the city around them. Before they left, Fluttershy turned around and looked back at the engine. A flash of memories, of better times, with her mother passed in an instant. They had laughed together on that train, sang together, wept together, they did everything a mother and daughter should, just a bit differently. Her smile faded slightly as she remembered those times – times before the inevitable happened.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. Fluttershy looked away from the engine, smiled assuredly at Twilight, and then continued with the unicorn out of the station and into the city of Vanhoover.

Author's Note

I like to say thanks for everyone that has favourited and left a comment. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and next one, the two will leave Equestria and head out into the unknown...

Chapter 6

Twilight and Fluttershy could safely agree that Vanhoover was one of the most beautiful cities they had ever seen – besides the capital of the Crystal Empire, of course. Most of the buildings, the giant skyscrapers particularly that sat at the centre of the city, dominated the skyline, going up right past the clouds themselves and were a mixture of faded colours: blue, red, green, white, gold and grey. Around the centre, various types of buildings, big or small, or wide or thin, made up the majority of the city. Around the great port and by the sea lay the older buildings: small houses and shops with thatched roofs and such. While going further inland was the newer, more modern buildings, designed as if they were a piece of art.

“So many bright lights,” Fluttershy remarked, her head unable to stay still as she took in her surroundings. “And so many ponies,” she quickly added, the tone of her voice indicating her discomfort of such.

Twilight could only nod in agreement. The two had been walking around the city for a few hours, trying to find a decent hotel so they could get a wash and a place to stay for the night, yet so far they had no luck. And as they day drew on and going closer into night, the streets were becoming even more crowded, putting her crush in a rather discomforting position. ‘We have to find one soon,’ Twilight thought, her eyes peering over the growing crowds for any sign or giveaway that a hotel was near.

Suddenly, her eyes latched onto what she was looking for. A large, rather posh looking hotel painted a dark red that went about seven or nine storeys high. It didn’t look too expensive as well. It was perfect. She tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder, who was standing next to her and looking at the ground to avoid the stares coming their way; it isn’t everyday two mares covered in soot walk the city streets. “I think I just found what we want,” Twilight informed her.

Fluttershy’s head shot up, her eyes brimming with delight. “Really!” she squeaked. Twilight nodded, pointing to the building. When Fluttershy had a look at the hotel, she gulped in nervousness. “Um, would they accept us? I mean we are a bit… dirty, for such a place.”

“Nonsense, Fluttershy, I don’t think they care how dirty we are, just as long as we are able to pay. Come on, let’s get a room.” With that settled, the two ponies trotted into the hotel. Although Twilight was confident they would be given a room for a night, a flicker of doubt never left her. ‘Everything will be fine,’ she assured herself.

“Can I help you, ladies?” the pony at the desk said as they entered, not bothering to look up from the desk in front of her.

The two mares looked at each other incredulously. “Well, uh, yes,” Twilight said, “we’re looking for a room for the night and a good wash. Do you have any available?”

“We certainly do. Just the one, though, I’m afraid. A double bed but comes with a large bathtub in the bathroom and a balcony that gazes across the city.” She took an eye off what she was doing and looked at them. “You look like you certainly need it.”

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged glances. “Well,” Twilight sighed, “if that is the best you can do, then we will take it.” Fluttershy nodded as well.

The mare disappeared under the desk for a moment, to return with a key in her hoof. “Enjoy your stay, ladies.”

Twilight took it with her magic, while levitating a few bits to the mare for the night. “Thank you, miss,” the two ponies said, and then walked towards the staircase.

The mare watched them go through the doors leading to the stairs with a small smile. “Such a cute couple they make,” she muttered, and continued reading her magazine.

“Do you know what floor the room is on, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked as they climbed.

Twilight looked at the key the pony gave to her and read out the number. “Room forty three.” She looked from the key to the sign saying what floor they were on, which had a large ‘2’ on it. “If I’m right – which, to be fair, I usually am – this room would be on the forth floor and the third door to the stairway.” She trotted up the stairs at a quicker pace, eager to get a wash and a rest, while Fluttershy lagged behind, nearly exhausted after driving a steam train halfway across Equestria.

Eventually, they arrived on the forth floor, which greeted them with a large wooden sign by the door that said, ‘Welcome to the forth floor of The Hay Hotel’. Twilight opened the door, then stepped aside to allow Fluttershy through first, who looked like she was about to collapse.

Fluttershy felt like she was about to collapse. After driving a steam train, then walking for several hours across the city, and then going up four flights of stairs had put a great toll on the poor mare. ‘As soon as I get inside the room, then I have my permission to fall over and pass out,’ she thought. “Thanks, Twilight,” she said, sounding out of breath. She quickly walked through the door and looked down the long corridor, Twilight standing just behind her.

“Are you all right, Fluttershy?” Twilight queried concernedly.

Fluttershy looked back with exhausted eyes and smiled. “I’m fine, Twilight. Just fin…” Her voice suddenly faded away as exhaustion took her and she stumbled and started to fall onto her side. Before she could get halfway Twilight quickly caught her with her magic, and set the pegasus gently on her back.

“You poor thing,” she said softly, nuzzling the side of Fluttershy’s face. With Fluttershy safe for the moment, Twilight walked down the corridor until she came to a door with the number ‘43’ in bronze numbers on it. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that they had made it. Twilight put the key through the keyhole, unlocked the door, opened it and then walked inside, flicking on the lights with her magic.

The room was very spacious and luxurious. A large space was between the large bed and the door, and had a white carpet that looked more like a field of lush grass than a carpet; it felt so fluffy and soft to Twilight’s hooves. To the right was a door leading to the large balcony, which overlooked the entire city, and to her left was a door leading to the bathroom. In front of her was a bed big enough for her, Fluttershy, and maybe Rainbow Dash as well; she was a bit slimmer than Applejack and Rarity and Pinkie after all.

She jumped a little when she heard something like a cat’s purr come out of nowhere. “Hello?” she called quietly, hoping the creature would appear. The purr came again, this time right by Twilight’s ear, making her realise what, or who, it was. ‘I never knew Fluttershy snored,’ Twilight thought, looking with the corner of her eye at her friend and giggling.

As she thought about it, it seemed sad. She had known Fluttershy for nearly three years, yet barely knew anything about her. The pegasus knew a lot about her, but it was not the same way round. She knew Fluttershy got really uncomfortable talking about herself, and knew she only confided in Rainbow Dash when talking about their childhoods. She hoped, in a way, that one day Fluttershy would confide in her as well. ‘She knows I can be trusted,’ she thought. ‘She’ll tell me when she’s comfortable.’

However, that wasn’t important at present. Now what mattered was making Fluttershy comfortable for a moment. Using her magic, she delicately lifted the sleeping, snoring pegasus off her back, then carried her to the bed and laid her out gently upon it. Then came a moment of sudden hesitance. She knew she had to leave Fluttershy, even for just a second, but didn’t want to. The mare she was looking at, despite covered in soot and ash, was the most beautiful pony in Equestria, inside and out. She didn’t feel like she could leave Fluttershy alone for even a second. ‘Come on, Twilight, what’s gonna happen?’ she mused.

She gave Fluttershy’s head a quick stroke of her hoof, then quickly locked the door with her magic and walked into the bathroom, determined to have a good wash and rinse.

Fluttershy groaned when she finally peeped her eyes open. Her legs, her head, her wings, even her tail ached with exhaustion, and she groaned again, this time more loudly. ‘Still, it feels better then it did,’ she realised. She forced her head up and ran a hoof through her mane, wiping off some bits of ash that had got tangled in it. She suddenly noticed she was the only one in the room, and her eyes widened in fear.

“Twilight!” she called out fearfully. “Are you here?”

“In here!” Twilight responded quickly, giving Fluttershy’s heart a reason to slow down again. Fluttershy’s right ear twitched at the sound, making the pegasus realise she was in the room to the left of her. Ignoring the aches and pains she was feeling to the best of her ability, she jumped off the bed and walked into the bathroom.

“Hey, Fluttershy, glad to see you awake,” Twilight greeted her with a huge grin from the huge bathtub that was on the far side of the bathroom. It was more of a round swimming pool than a bathtub, wide enough for more than two ponies to sit in, yet shallow enough to stand up. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“A bit achy,” Fluttershy replied, “but otherwise I’m fine. Yourself?”

“Really good, thanks. Feel a bit cleaner now having done this.” Twilight then gestured with a hoof and said, “Come on, jump in. The water’s great!”

Fluttershy took a step back, her face revealing her hesitance. She didn’t mind sleeping in the same bed as a friend, but sharing a bathtub seemed to her a bit too much. “Oh, I-I’m sure I can wait until you’re done,” she said, slowly backing out.

“Hey, it’s all right, why not use it while it’s here. Besides, we have shared the tub at the Spa together many times, remember?”

Fluttershy stopped when she realised Twilight was right. “Uh… yeah, I guess we did.”

“Then don’t worry. Come on, it’ll be fun. Plus I can help you with cleaning out your mane. I know you sometimes struggle with cleaning it.”

Fluttershy knew she was right about that as well. “O… okay, Twilight. I’ll come in.” Swallowing down her nervousness – and her blush – she slowly clambered into the bathtub. She sighed pleasurably when she felt the warm water hit her right foreleg. She put her left one in next, sighing pleasurably once more at the amazing feeling of the water on her leg.

Seeing and sensing the water was all right, she quickly moved her body into the water till only her head was above the waterline. “Oh my,” she sighed. “This feels so nice.” She wanted to sink further in, but couldn’t for the fact the water went only up to her lower jaw. She closed her eyes for a moment, and squeaked in surprise when she opened them again to see Twilight sitting right in front of her, grinning excitedly for some reason.

“So how does it feel?” Twilight asked, never once losing her grin.

Fluttershy smiled back warmly. “It feels lovely, Twilight.” She was telling the truth. The aching feeling she had was gone like a puddle that had evaporated in the scorching sun, and the soot and ash that had stained her coat was running off her body and into the water, creating black smudges.

“That’s good, and I’m glad you’re all right as well. You gave me quite a scare when you fell over like that,” Twilight said.

“I scared you? I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to do that. I was just so tired.”

“I know you didn’t. I’m just glad you’re fine now.” She gently moved across the water to sit right next to Fluttershy, forgetting for a moment about personal space. “And I do like this hotel,” Twilight added. “The walls are so thick you can’t hear what’s going on in the other rooms thankfully.”

Fluttershy slowly shifted herself away from Twilight, giving the two some room. “Yeah, it’s lovely. Although I’ll probably have to pay for the duvet after ruining it with ash and soot across it.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. If they ask to pay for a replacement then I’ll do it. I put you on there in the first place, so it should be me that pays for it.” Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, but Twilight quickly added with a small smile, “My mind is made up, Fluttershy. Nothing you say will change my mind.”

Fluttershy quickly saw that any arguing with her would be a lost cause; besides, she didn’t even like arguing. “O-okay, Twilight. Thank you.”

Twilight smiled wryly. “You are welcome.” Then without warning, her horn flickered to life, and suddenly appearing in front of them was a bar of soap. “Now, would you mind turning around so I could clean the back of your neck?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded curtly, then presented her back to her and dipped her head down so Twilight could see the back of her neck. “Hmm,” Twilight chuckled upon seeing the state of her friend’s neck; it was as black as night. She took the bar of soap in a hoof and began scrubbing the soot and ash off, gently enough so to not hurt Fluttershy, yet hard enough to take it off. “How did we get so filthy?”

Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder and replied, “I’m not sure. Sometimes you find soot in your ears, which isn’t very nice. Or even up your nose, which is just as bad.” She giggled to herself. “You should have seen the state of me after my first day. There wasn’t a speck of yellow on me; the only thing clean about me were my teeth, so my mum said. I was grinning hard enough afterwards for her to notice.”

Twilight smiled at the image Fluttershy gave to her. ‘She probably looked so cute as a filly, and even cuter when grinning. Not that she isn’t cute, of course.’ “So, um, what do you think your mother would say about what we did today?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I’m not sure to be honest. Probably shocked would be the main one.” She then muttered to herself, “It would be nice to get a letter from her, though.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Just thinking to myself,” she said. She tensed when she felt Twilight rub a bit too hard on her neck.

“Sorry,” Twilight apologised, grimacing.

Fluttershy turned her head around and smiled assuredly. “It’s okay, Twilight. I do have a really sensitive body, you know. I do bruise quite easily.” She turned her head back around, allowing Twilight to continue cleaning her neck.

After a while, Twilight had most of the soot and ash off Fluttershy’s neck. “Would you let your mother know about what we did today?”

“Oh, no, she’ll learn about it anyway. Being in charge of the rail network would mean anything out of the ordinary would be reported straight to her.”

Twilight let go of the bar of soap and let it fall into the murky water below them. Her jaw dropped and she stared at Fluttershy with wide, incredulous eyes. “Are you saying that your mother is Velocity Whisperwing? The mareaging director of the Equestrian railways?”

Fluttershy turned around fully, her wide eyes revealing her surprise, and nodded. “Yes. Yes, that’s my mother,” she replied perplexedly. She tilted her head to the side. “You know her?”

“Know her? I admire her!” Twilight exclaimed, her face in an expression of astonishment. “When I was at school, there were times Celestia couldn’t teach me for one day due to some important business coming up and such. Therefore, she asked a couple of ponies to teach me on their special subjects whilst she was away.

“That’s where your mother came in. She used to teach me geography; I would imagine being a train driver she would know a bit about the land around her. Anyway, she taught me so much that I’m so grateful for. She made me see the difference between hills and mountains, rivers and streams, lakes and seas, and so on and so forth. She gave me a fascination with geography, and made it fun as well.” She paused to giggle as a memory flashed through her mind. “She was such a witty mare. Always had a smile on her face, a joke hidden away for the right moment, and always had time for some relaxation and playing with me when it was lunchtime.

“Even when my studies went to the next level, she sometimes appeared to talk to the Princess about the railway and improvements to be made and such. Sometimes me and her would sit and have a cup of tea and chat about ourselves. She sometimes talked about her daughter and how sh…” Her voice trailed away when she quickly reminded herself she was talking to Velocity’s daughter. She shook her head in disbelief, looking at Fluttershy with a wide smile. “And all that time, that daughter she kept going on about was you.” She ran a hoof through her mane. “Wow.”

Fluttershy was staring back at her in disbelief. “So… that filly my mum was going on about, the one that was a marvel in intelligence, she said to me one night. That was you?” Twilight nodded, her smile forming into a grin. Fluttershy felt a grin form on her face.

At once, the two ponies burst out laughing, unable to fully understand what they had just learnt about each other. Once the two had begun to stop laughing, they wrapped each other in a hug. “This is unbelievable,” Twilight said once she pulled away, grinning from ear to ear. “I mean, first we learn that all of us are connected by Rainbow’s sonic rainboom, and now this.”

“I know,” Fluttershy squeaked. “It was as if we were meant to meet and become friends.” She suddenly hugged Twilight again, startling the unicorn. “And I am so grateful for that. I am so glad to have met you, Twilight. I’m glad to have met all of you.”

Twilight patted her on the shoulders. “And I’m glad to have met you, too.” The two stayed in each other’s embrace for quite some time. ‘Go on, Twilight!’ Twilight’s mind cried out. ‘This is your chance! Say those three words, forget this business, and lead her home. You don’t have to do this!’

‘It was not my decision to go west, remember?’ Twilight retorted. ‘This is Fluttershy’s decision, and I cannot force her to change her mind now. She’ll be gutted.’ Twilight gently pulled away and gave her friend a small smile. “I think we should find that ship now, before it gets too dark,” Twilight advised.

Fluttershy looked blankly at Twilight for a moment, forgetting for a second why they were here in the first place. It suddenly hit her like being soaked in cold water. “Oh yes!” she exclaimed, her voice never going over her usual soft tone. “Oh, uh, I mean, yes, we should find a ship to take us… if you want to get out that is, I don’t want to force you…”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh, Fluttershy.” ‘Never, ever, change who you are.’ “Yeah, I think I’m ready to get out myself. I don’t think I’ll get any cleaner, and it’s best we don’t spend any more time idling.” Her horn lit up for a second, then she suddenly vanished, only to appear a second later beside the bathtub, her coat dry as if she never got in. “Am I clean enough?” She began to spin slowly on the spot, hoping she was clean.

Fluttershy’s eyes wandered across her friend’s body, seeing if there was a speck of soot on her. She shook her head when she didn’t see any. “You’re as clean as a fish, Twilight,” she announced.

“Oh, that’s good, I thought… Hang on, did you just use a fish as a simile again?”

Fluttershy nodded meekly, a few strands of her mane falling across her face as she did so. “Fish are one of the cleanest animals in the world, Twilight. They’re perfect for whatever a simile is.” Twilight’s eyebrows shot up to the top of her forehead. “Plus I like fish,” Fluttershy added, wiping away the strands of mane from her face.

After a moment of silence, Twilight sighed, and then shook her head, smiling beatifically. “A simile is when something, like a fish, is used to compare something else as a figure of speech,” she explained.

Fluttershy’s ears shot up at their highest, and her eyes sparkled with interest. “Oh, really? So that’s what it means. I never knew about that.” Her ears suddenly folded, and she looked down at Twilight’s hooves. “Sorry.”

Twilight gave her a wry smile. “There’s no need to apologise, Fluttershy. You are not the only one who doesn’t know what that word means, and you will not be the last. I can assure you of that.” She threw a towel over to Fluttershy, who caught it with her teeth and began drying her face with it. “Right, I’ll go and get ready in the other room while you dry off.”

Fluttershy nodded, then began drying her body down, while Twilight walked out into the bedroom. After flicking on the lights once more, she took hold of her saddlebags and looked through the things she needed, and the things she didn’t for this part of the trip. She took out her books, then the spare snacks that Fluttershy made.

As she sorted out her saddlebags, she couldn’t help but giggle quietly at what she just learnt about Fluttershy. ‘All this time, I knew her mother, yet didn’t know her.’ She briefly wondered what it would have been like if one day, while she was at school, Velocity took Fluttershy to Canterlot with her to try and befriend Twilight. ‘I would imagine it would be something like our first meeting,’ she reckoned.

“Um, Twilight?” Twilight turned around to see Fluttershy standing in the doorway of the bathroom, and had to control herself to not let her jaw drop. Fluttershy looked gorgeous, for her entire body seemed to shimmer like a jewel. “I was just wondering: do I look clean enough?” She began turning herself around so Twilight could check for any bits that stood out.

Twilight looked all over her, and then shook her head. “You’re fine, Fluttershy. Like you said to me: you’re as clean as a fish,” she declared with a smile. “Right, I’ve got enough money to pay in advance if we find the right pony for the job, and a map to take us to the harbour, so we’re all set. You ready?”

Fluttershy took hold of her saddlebags, flung them onto her back, and then nodded. “I’m ready.” Before Twilight could utter another word, Fluttershy trotted to the door, opened it, and began walking to the harbour.

‘Probably wants to get this out of the way so she can get back here,’ Twilight realised. ‘I don’t blame her.’ She galloped after Fluttershy, locking up their room behind her.

A few minutes later, the two were back on the streets and making their way west towards the harbour, which they could make out by some of the magically powered cranes that towered just as high as the highest buildings of the city. The streets themselves, which Fluttershy was really grateful for, were not as packed with ponies as they were when they had arrived. Most of the ponies were indoors, laughing at jokes, or dancing to music, or enjoying the night.

“You know, as you were drying off in the bathroom, I had a thought,” Twilight began.

Fluttershy looked from a city bird to Twilight with a curious gaze. “Did it hurt?”

Twilight stopped in shock, looking at her in feint offence, though the smile on her face put Fluttershy at ease. “Since when did you become so witty? That was something I expect from Rainbow Dash, but not from you.”

“Sorry if I offended you, I just couldn’t help myself,” Fluttershy said, looking at the ground and scraping at it with a hoof.

Twilight giggled. “Don’t be sorry. In fact, that was really good. You should be like that more often.”

“I would like to be, but I’m too afraid that I might say something that could offend somepony. I never want to hurt anypony’s feelings.” She shook her head quickly. “Anyway, what was it you were thinking about?” Fluttershy asked to change the subject.

The two continued trotting down the street to the harbour. “Oh, yeah. I was thinking about what might have happened if your mother brought you to Canterlot one day to meet me. I was wondering what would that have been like.”

“To be honest, I think it would have worked out the same way as it did when we first met each other,” Fluttershy giggled. “Minus Spike.”

“Oh, he would have been there, probably. So you would have been too shy to talk to me, yet you would talk to Spike?”

“Maybe. It might have been different, though, with my mother watching and all. I might have had the courage to say hello. What about you, though? Would you have tried befriending me like you did when we first met?”

Twilight’s smile withered slightly. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I may have given it a go, but I probably would have made a bad first impression. I probably wouldn’t shut up about books.”

Fluttershy gave her a wry smile. “You have never shut up about books, Twilight. It doesn’t matter, though. I like talking with you about books, especially if we talked about adventure books. I do like talking with you about anything, really.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in delight. “Really?”

Fluttershy nodded delightfully. “Of course. What else are friends for?” She quickly looked ahead of her to see they were now coming close to the entrance of the harbour.

Twilight, on the other hoof, looked at her suspiciously. Something appeared to be up with Fluttershy. Ever since this trip had began the pegasus had been more open with her, and had drawn closer to her unlike the rest of their friends. Was it because of this trip? Or, much to Twilight’s hope, was she beginning to feel something for her? ‘Oh, I hope that’s true,’ she thought hopefully.

Fluttershy, meanwhile, was thinking about what she just said. ‘Why did I say that? Granted, there are times when Twilight loses me and everypony else. But those are so few and far in between. I do like talking to her. I love talking to her.’ A sudden thought made her blood run cold. ‘Oh my. Am I falling in love with her?’

She didn’t have time to answer her own question, when the blast of a steam whistle made her scream in fright, and duck and hide beneath Twilight, with her hooves covering her eyes.

Twilight’s ears rang as the blast of the whistle echoed across the harbour, forcing her to close her eyes. When the ringing stopped and she was able to open her eyes again, she saw to her alarm that Fluttershy was no longer next to her. “Fluttershy! Where are you?” she cried.

“Under you,” Fluttershy squeaked in response.

Twilight looked between her forelegs to see Fluttershy prostrated on the ground, with her hooves covering her eyes, shaking in fright. “It’s all right now, Fluttershy,” she said softly and calmly. “You can come out now.”

Fluttershy moved a hoof off one of her eyes to look at her. “Are you sure?” Twilight nodded firmly. With that, Fluttershy crawled out from underneath Twilight, and quickly stood upright again. “What was that? I know it was a steam whistle, but I have never heard one like that before.”

“That’s because it came from that,” Twilight answered, pointing behind her. Fluttershy looked over her shoulder and gasped at the size of the ship behind them.

It was huge, and was longer than anything she had ever seen before. The hundreds of windows that dotted the hull of the ship were lit up as the sun began to go down, and the stars and moon began to appear. The four massive funnels that sat at the top bellowed thick, white smoke, and the two ponies could make out a few of the passengers on board.

It didn’t take much longer for Fluttershy to realise they had been walking in the harbour for about five minutes now.

“A steamship,” Twilight stated. “One of the largest ships that has ever been built.” Her smile fell away as she realised something. “And I bet we could have gone on that ship as well.” She shot her head around for somepony to ask. Her eyes eventually fell on what looked like a worker of the harbour: a dark brown unicorn stallion with a cutie mark of rigging. “Excuse me, sir?” Twilight asked. “But do you know where this ship is heading?”

The unicorn nodded. “It’s heading to the Iron Pony Islands,” he answered, “then it will be heading to Las Pegasus, then taking the Great Divide to get to Baltimare.”

Twilight sighed and nodded. “Thank you, sir,” she said, then walked away with Fluttershy in tow.

“We could have used that ship to get to the Iron Pony Islands,” she muttered to herself as the two walked down one of the seven stone-built piers that made up the front of the harbour. When they made it to the end, Twilight sat on her haunches and watched with sad eyes as the gigantic steamship left the harbour and headed out of the bay.

Fluttershy very quietly sat next her, looking at her with concern. “Um, I don’t mean to intrude on your thinking, but personally I think we didn’t need to take it. We are planning to head beyond the Iron Pony Islands, after all,” Fluttershy said, gesturing with a hoof beyond the harbour and out into the ocean.

Twilight perked up immediately, turning her head around to look at Fluttershy with a look of sudden realisation. “Oh yeah. I completely forgot about that part for a moment. But where are we gonna find somepony who would be brave enough to take us on such an adventure?”

“An adventure, huh? Sounds like fun,” a stallion’s voice repeated, making Fluttershy squeak in fright and shift herself closer to Twilight for comfort and protection. Twilight looked around for the speaker, only for her eyes to stick onto one of the largest stallions she had ever seen, emerging from the shadow of one of the shacks that ran along the pier.

He was as blue as the ocean, and had a mane and short tail coloured like rope. His eyes were a dark brown, and he had a cutie mark of a helm. He was muscularly built, with thick legs and a heavily muscled chest.

He would have looked intimidating, were it not for the bubble pipe he had in his mouth.

“Good evening, lassies,” he greeted them in a thin, northern Trottingham accent. He blew a few more bubbles out of his pipe, and blew them in their direction. “What are fine young lassies like yourselves doing in a place such as this?”

Twilight stepped forward, while Fluttershy lingered close to her side. “Good evening, sir,” Twilight replied kindly. She had always gone by the belief that good manners would get her anywhere. “We’re looking for a ship.” One large bubble floated in front of the two mares, which Fluttershy popped using her nose.

The stallion chuckled, a few more bubbles escaping from his pipe. “Well, we have plenty of those around here,” he said, gesturing with a hoof at the vast number of ships that made up the huge harbour they were in.

‘That seemed familiar,’ Twilight thought. She waved the thought away. “Yes, well, we’re looking for one who would be able to take us to the Iron Pony Islands…” She paused for the sake of dramatic affect. “… And then beyond.”

The stallion’s eyebrows flickered upwards in surprise. “Well, well, well,” he muttered. He removed the pipe from his mouth to fill it up again. “You two are quite the adventurers, are you not?” He smirked amiably at them, and then lifted a hoof up. “I think I can help you two out in your endeavour. Name’s Seahoof, captain of the ‘Wave Breaker’, at your service.”

Twilight lifted up a hoof and shook his, smiling politely. “Twilight Sparkle, at yours,” she introduced herself.

Seahoof let go of Twilight’s hoof, and then pointed it to Fluttershy, who accepted it quickly. She squeaked, “And I’m Fluttershy,” then quickly let go again to hide her face under her mane.

Seahoof chuckled once again, then turned to look at Twilight. “So, the Iron Pony Islands and beyond, huh? That sounds like a massive undertaking, young lass.” He put his bubble pipe back into his mouth. “What do you both hope to find on the other side of the world?”

“We’re not sure, captain,” Twilight replied. “But we are just curious to know what’s out there.” She gestured with her head at the ocean.

“Aye, it is a strange and amazing place out in the ocean. I myself have been beyond the Iron Pony Islands, but it was only for a day before I decided to turn back. ’Twas a shame, really, I would have liked to gone further. Still, no point moping about the past, eh?” He blew a few more bubbles from his pipe. “So now you have me interested, me dears. What be the cargo or passengers you have with you?”

“Just me and Fluttershy here, and some provisions we made or brought ourselves,” Twilight answered. Fluttershy nodded meekly in confirmation.

“Good, good. Now we get to the most important part – price. Normally a trip to the Iron Pony Islands is expensive, but because you are both planning to head further, then it will cost you extra; seven thousand bits – each.”

Both ponies’ jaws dropped. “Seven thousand?” Fluttershy exclaimed. She looked to Twilight and whispered, “We could get our own ship for that.”

Seahoof chuckled. “But whose gonna sail it, lass. You?”

Fluttershy looked at him for a moment, then shied away as she shook her head. “We can pay you that,” Twilight said, much to Fluttershy’s shock. “And we can pay you extra in whatever valuables and artefacts we find on the other side.” ‘If any.’

Seahoof looked at her with a new sense of interest. “You make a good bargain, Miss Sparkle. You would make a fine princess, you would.” Twilight blushed at the compliment. “A deal we have made, I believe.” He thrust out a hoof for her to shake. “You have yourselves a ship.”

Twilight grinned, then accepted it with her own. “A good deal indeed,” she said. Fluttershy’s face, however, stated her doubts.

“Right, I’ll get the crew in line and get the Wave Breaker ready for a morning departure,” he said as he turned away. “Be here by the time the sun rises, or I would gather that you have had second thoughts.”

“Wait! But what about pay?” Twilight enquired as he walked away.

He looked back at her with a grin. “We’ll think about that later.” He dipped his head at them. “Goodnight, lassies.” With that, he turned away and disappeared into the growing night.

“Um, Twilight? Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?” Fluttershy voiced her concerns. “We only have a few hundred between us, and that’s not even less than half of what we need.”

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, grinning assuredly. “I got this all under my hoof. Like I said to him, if we find any valuables or lost treasures in the lands beyond then some of it will go to him, while we will pay back a bit at a time. It’s perfectly simple.”

“But what if there’s nothing out there worth of value?” Fluttershy asked

“I’m sure there would be something out there of value they can have,” Twilight said. “But that’s not important right now. What matters is that we have our own ship now, and tomorrow we can leave Equestria and head to the Iron Pony Islands.” Twilight began to hop on the spot, squealing in excitement. “Oh, this is going to be great!”

Fluttershy would have agreed, were it not for the small amount of doubt she felt in her chest. ‘It’s just my guts telling me something is wrong but there isn’t,’ she thought to herself. Although when her guts were like this, they were never usually wrong. Her thoughts faded away like mist when a yawn threatened to burst out. She quickly stifled it with a hoof. “Oh my, I don’t know about you, but I feel tired all of a sudden. Should we head back to the hotel and come back in the morning?”

Twilight stopped hopping on the spot, and looked at Fluttershy for a moment in consideration. “Ah, yes, we should if we’re having a early start. Come on, then, let’s get back to the hotel.”

It took the two mares ten minutes to make their way out of the docks, and another ten to get back to the hotel. By the time they did get indoors, they were exhausted from walking up the hill from the docks.

“Well that could have been a lot harder,” Twilight commented as she kicked the door shut behind her.

Fluttershy didn’t answer at first; she slipped off her saddlebags, then jumped up on the bed, pulled the covers back, and flopped onto her side, facing where Twilight would lay. “Yes, it could have been a lot harder,” Fluttershy agreed. “We would probably still be searching if Seahoof wasn’t there.” She wanted to say that it was almost as if he had been waiting for them, but she didn’t want to worry Twilight just yet, so she kept silent.

Twilight slipped off her saddlebags, then jumped up and joined Fluttershy in the bed. “Are you excited about tomorrow, Fluttershy? Or nervous?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy smiled at her bravely. “I’m excited and nervous, Twilight,” Fluttershy answered. “Excited because my childhood dream is coming true, and nervous because, well… we don’t know what’s out there. There could be anything, and some of it might not be friendly.”

Twilight stretched out her hoof and touched the top of Fluttershy’s own hoof. “If there is, then I won’t let it harm you,” she assured her. “I promise you, Fluttershy, I won’t let anything bad happen to us.”

Fluttershy could feel her cheeks burn pink, but she didn’t care, for the touch made her think Twilight was telling the truth. “I know you won’t.” With that, the two mares said goodnight to each other, and fell asleep, both ponies dreaming about what the trip held in store for them once they got out of Equestria.

Author's Note

Sorry that this one took a while to get up; personal life kept getting in the way. I know I also said that this chapter would see them leave Equestria, well now it's changed to next chapter; this time for definite. Hope you enjoyed it, and constructive crit is always appreciated and helpful.

Chapter 7

Before the sun was all the way over the horizon, Twilight and Fluttershy were awake and getting themselves ready for what would be their furthest journey they have ever undertaken from their homes. Twilight was practically bouncing in excitement around the hotel room as she packed provisions, while Fluttershy sat on her haunches, her saddlebags in front of her, packing slowly.

“Right, that book is staying here. I don’t want something like that on my journey,” Twilight said to herself, with the ‘Meaning of Love’ grasped in her magic. She glanced around for anypony that might watch her, and then hid it at the back of the room’s bookcase.

“Twilight! Are you sure you can do that?” Fluttershy asked, shocked her friend would do that.

“I’m sure nopony would notice it, Fluttershy,” Twilight defended herself. “After all, it’s not like fillies or colts are going to use this room.”

Fluttershy considered what her friend just said. “Oh, I-I guess you’re right,” she admitted eventually, then started packing her pack lunch once more. As she packed, her mind went back to the gut feeling she felt yesterday when dealing with Seahoof. She didn’t trust him. She couldn’t explain why but there was something about him she didn’t like. She felt like she was going crazy. Then she remembered she had a good friend by her side to help her, so she decided to ask her about it. “Twilight,” she called, turning her head around to face her friend.

Twilight had her head stuffed in her saddlebags, with her rump high in the air and her tail swishing about as she looked for something. The sight forced a giggle out of the surprisingly easily amused pegasus. She got up, walked up to her friend and tapped her on the shoulder. “Twilight? Can I talk to you about something?”

Twilight shot her head out of the saddlebag, her mouth full of quills. Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. “Um, what’s with all those quills?”

Twilight stared at Fluttershy for a moment, then slowly looked down at the rather excessive amount of quills in her mouth. She quickly spat them back in the bag. “I was seeing if I had a considerable amount of quills incase I see something I’d like to draw, or jot down some notes.”

Fluttershy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You draw?”

Twilight nodded. “I love to draw. I would show you some of them now, but if I did we’ll be here for hours and miss our ship.”

Fluttershy quickly remembered why she brought Twilight’s head out of the bag. “Oh, yeah, about that. I wanted to talk to you about Seahoof.”

Twilight quickly shut the pouch of her saddlebag up with her magic, while looking at Fluttershy oddly. “What about him?”

Fluttershy’s ears flattened, and she made a quick glance around the room incase anypony was listening. Twilight could only roll her eyes. “I might sound rude, I don’t mean to, but, I have to speak my mind. Do you trust Seahoof?”

Twilight’s eyes widened a little. “I don’t see him as somepony you can’t trust,” she replied, shaking her head. “Why? Don’t you?”

Fluttershy nodded curtly. “I’m sorry, but I have this feeling in my guts about him every time I think of him. I don’t know why, but I just don’t like him for some reason.”

Now Twilight was concerned, as was evident by the smile on her face fading. If Fluttershy, one of the friendliest and most open ponies she knew, didn’t trust somepony, then she knew she had to be cautious. She walked up to Fluttershy and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. However, if it will make you feel safer, we will stay together on the ship at all times, never once losing eye contact with each other, until we can be sure we can trust him. Okay?”

Fluttershy gave Twilight a small smile and nod in response. “I’m okay with that.” She let out a small sigh, and then gestured with her head at the saddlebags. “Well then, I suppose we better get going if we don’t want to miss our ship… unless you’re not ready, of course, then I can wait.”

Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle at Fluttershy’s meek politeness. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’m ready as well.” With that, she levitated her saddlebags onto her back, and then levitated Fluttershy’s onto its owner’s back, much to Fluttershy’s surprise.

“Thanks, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, smiling as best she could at her, even though she was worried.

Twilight smiled in kind. “No worries. Come on, then, let’s go.” She trotted past the pegasus, who was fiddling with the straps keeping her bag closed to see if they were done up tight. Once she saw that they were, she spun around, and followed Twilight out of the door, down the stairs and into the main reception.

The mare behind the desk looked at them slyly for a moment. “Nice evening, ladies?” she queried as they trotted up to her.

“Oh, yes, it was lovely. Best night’s sleep in ages,” Fluttershy remarked. “Thank you for letting us stay.”

The sly look on the mare vanished instantly. “Oh, you’re quite welcome… I’m glad you enjoyed your stay.”

Twilight smiled at her, then levitated the key out of her bag, and gave it to the mare. “Thanks again, and have a good rest of the day, Miss,” Twilight said as she turned to the door.

Fluttershy saw her looking about to leave, said a quick, “Thank you,” once more, then left the hotel with the unicorn.

“I thought those two were together,” the mare muttered to herself. She swiftly went back to her magazine. “Never make assumptions, or you will look and feel stupid.”

The walk back to the harbour seemed to take shorter than it did the previous evening, Fluttershy and Twilight reckoned, mostly because they could make it out in the distance. Around them, Vanhoover was quiet, save for a few shoppers, business ponies going to work, or ponies having a casual get-together at one of the cafes or restaurants.

“Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy began. “I just thought of something.”

Twilight looked at her with a small, mischievous smirk. “I hope it didn’t hurt.”

Fluttershy snorted in an attempt to hide her giggle. “I deserve that one,” she said, looking at Twilight amiably. “But no, it didn’t, thank you for your concern.” Her teasing smile gave way to a more serious look. “Anyway, do you think we’ll find the ship easy, since Seahoof never told us where it would be?”

Twilight’s eyes widened as it dawned on her. “Oh yeah. He never did say, annoyingly.” Her eyes wandered across the city as she thought of a plan. “I know!” she exclaimed eventually. “We’ll head back to the pier we were on yesterday, and if he isn’t there, then we’ll begin searching the whole harbour.”

Fluttershy gulped. “T-the whole h-h-harbour?” she stammered.

Twilight nodded. “Why not? Between us we could cover a lot of ground.” Twilight grinned at herself, then looked up at the sun, to see that, to her alarm, it was just coming over the buildings. “Come on! Let’s pick up the pace or we’ll miss it!” Without a further word she galloped forward to the harbour.

Fluttershy watched her go in shock, then quickly recovered and galloped after her. Thanks to her longer legs, she caught up with Twilight quickly, and was soon galloping level with her as they raced down the hill towards the harbour.

A few minutes later, they were in the harbour itself, and they were blown away by just how big it was. Bigger than it looked yesterday. Dotted between the hundreds of huts, warehouses and other buildings, cranes taller than most towers and powered by magic lifted heavy loads from one crane to another, until the cargo was on one of the seemingly thousands of ships that packed the harbour. Steamships, cargo ships, even old warships called this place home, and helped keep it alive with bells tolling, sails blowing and the occasional steam whistle going off every now and then.

“Do you remember where we were yesterday, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked as her head zoomed about as she looked around the harbour, her eyes wide with fascination.

“Um… I think we were over there,” Twilight answered, pointing to the pier directly in front of them. Twilight proceeded to trot towards the long, stone pier, with Fluttershy quickly in tow.

It was about halfway across that they suddenly ran into Seahoof, who was leaning against a wooden shack blowing bubbles. “Good morning, lassies,” he greeted them when they came into view.

Fluttershy screamed in fright, and jumped and cowered behind Twilight, who was frozen in place by Seahoof’s sudden appearance. The unicorn quickly regained her composure, and turned to face the stallion. “Good morning, Seahoof,” she greeted him in return, trying to hide her annoyance of him at startling her friend and love.

“Aye indeed, it is a fine good morning for a day of sea faring,” he said, gesturing with a hoof out to the sea, which was as calm as the sky above it; smooth, but with a few rough patches here and there. “I trust you two are ready for the three day voyage that awaits us?”

“I think we are,” Twilight said. Fluttershy craned her head up from hiding behind Twilight to give him a nod of acknowledgement.

Seahoof blew a few more bubbles from his pipe. “Then follow me,” he said. With that, he got up and began walking off the pier to the ship. The two mares looked at each other for a moment, Fluttershy looking more wary than Twilight.

“Just remember to stick together, and everything will be fine,” Twilight assured her, bringing her head close so her cheek was touching Fluttershy’s.

The pegasus’s cheeks went pink at the touch. “I know, and I hope you are right and we can trust him.”

Twilight began to walk. “So do I.” With that, the two broke into a trot and caught up with Seahoof, who led them off the pier, down the harbour passed a few warehouses and shacks, to the furthest one at the eastern side of the harbour.

When they finally arrived, Seahoof chewed on his pipe, and stared the ship in front of them proudly. “So what do you think of the Wave Breaker, lassies?” he asked, turning his head to look at them.

Twilight and Fluttershy were left mostly speechless, for they didn’t know if they should say the ship was a pile of junk, or a rare beauty on the sea. It was a steamship, yet definitely one of the oldest ships that still sailed the ocean. Its hull, once a gleaming metal grey, was now becoming a dark rusty brown. Its bridge stood at its centre, with a single chimney belching thick white smoke protruding from the top. Its bow was mostly featureless, save for a railing that ran along the tip of the bow, and a door leading down into the lower decks. The same went for its slightly raised stern. Below the main deck, two rows of windows ran along the side of the ship, each once a bright bronze, but now rusting and nearly broken, much like the rest of the Wave Breaker.

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged nervous glances; glances, that didn’t go unnoticed by Seahoof. “I know she may look old, but she’s the gentlest and fastest ship in these waters.”

“Oh, and I’m sure she is,” Twilight said, grinning widely. Fluttershy followed suite, although it looked more false than Twilight’s. “And it looks…” She bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of a word.

“Something?” Fluttershy suggested into her ear.

“Yes! Something,” Twilight said. “A good something. And I love how… sleek it looks. Very sleek, isn’t it, Fluttershy?” She looked to her pegasus friend for help.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Oh, yes, very sleek. It’s… nice,” she said, trying to avoid Seahoof’s looks.

Seahoof blew a few more bubbles from his pipe, and then burst out laughing. “Oh, dear lassies, there’s no need to be so modest to dear old me. I know she’s a pile of junk, but the fact is, she’s my pile of junk.” He lifted a hoof up, and pointed to the wooden plank that ran from the pier to the ship. “Now, if you two are going to stop dawdling, I suggest we better get on board and get away. It’s a three day trip to the Iron Pony Islands, and the sooner we’re away, the better.” With that, he began trotting over to his ship and shouting out orders for the crew to get ready for cast-off.

“Are you certain you want to do this, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, her eyes going over the ship, while a bead of sweat trickled down her brow at the thought of so much water. “I’m not going to be mad if you don’t want to, but it will be hard to change our minds once we’re away.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight with a sweet smile. “I know you won’t be mad, Twilight. And I know it will be hard to turn back once we’re away, but I won’t change my mind.” The two began walking towards the ship. “And besides, if I do feel like turning around and running back home, I know I have a good friend with me to turn me the right way round.”

Twilight chuckled. “Yeah, although I might join you in turning around. I just hope this ship is stable enough against so much… water,” she said nervously, gulping when she looked between the gangplank and the ship, at the deep, blue water that lay below it. ‘That flower had to be over the sea, didn’t it? Blooming typical,’ Twilight moaned in thought. ‘Still, it would all be worth it if I come back with Fluttershy as a marefriend.’

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion; she had never seen Twilight act like this before. She gave Twilight a little tap on the shoulder. “Twilight? Are you okay?”

Twilight looked up, and smiled assuredly at her. “I’m fine, thanks. Just fine.” As soon as she finished speaking, her horn lit up, and she disappeared in a flash of magenta, only to re-appear on the main deck of the ship, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

‘Oh, dear,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘I hope she’s not getting homesick.’ She knew the feeling of homesickness, and didn’t want Twilight to go through what she did; crying throughout the night in her new home because she was missing her old home too much. ‘It won’t come to that. Twilight will have me to comfort her if it does.’

“Excuse me, miss?” one of the ponies on the ship called to her. Fluttershy’s eyes shot left to face him. “We’re just about to cast off. Would you like to come aboard now?”

Fluttershy blushed a light pink when she realised she was holding everypony up. “Oh, yes. Sorry,” she called as she broke into a trot over the gangplank and onto the Wave Breaker itself. As soon as she was out of its way and next to Twilight, two ponies pulled that gangplank in, while another unfastened the ropes holding it to the pier.

“We’re good to go, captain!” a pegasus mare called from the bridge.

“Then set her moving, first mare!” Seahoof called up, lifting a hoof in acknowledgement. At once, the deck shook a little as the engines began to turn at full power, and the ship began to surge slowly forward.

Fluttershy looked over to Twilight to see her hooves were planted onto the deck as though they had been stuck there by glue, and her eyes were shut as she tried to ignore the rocking of the ship. She inched herself closer so their sides were touching, and gave Twilight a brief nuzzle in comfort. “It’s okay,” she said sweetly. “Once we get going I’m sure it’ll be smoother.”

Twilight’s eyes opened immediately upon feeling Fluttershy’s nuzzle to the side of her face, and lightly blushed. ‘Oh, go away blush. You’re not wanted here.’ But it was something she felt she needed right now, the comfort and closeness of a true, true friend. ‘Hmm, that sounds like a good title for a song,’ she mused at the thought. “You’re right, Fluttershy,” she said, feeling better already. She was about to say more, when Seahoof came down from the bridge and headed towards them.

“Now, before I give you lassies a tour of the ship, is there any question first?” he asked.

Twilight lifted her hoof up in an instant. “I have one.” Seahoof nodded at her to continue. “Is there a toilet on this ship? I really, really need to go now,” she said, jogging on the spot.

Seahoof nodded, with a small chuckle escaping from his lips. “Sure. There’s one on the stern of the ship,” he answered, pointing to the back on the ship, then quietly adding, “on the poop deck.”

Twilight nodded in thanks, while Fluttershy covered her mouth to silence the giggle she wanted to release. Twilight spun around and trotted off to the back of the ship, while Seahoof and Fluttershy waited to see how long it would take Twilight to get it. The unicorn was about to round the corner when she suddenly stopped, with her head raising to its full height as she realised it. “Oh… ew,” she whispered, before trotting on out of sight.

Seahoof laughed aloud, while Fluttershy giggled quietly with a hoof over her mouth. “Gets them every time,” he muttered.

He looked at Fluttershy, who quickly realised with a fading smile she was left alone with somepony she didn’t fully trust yet. “Um… I-I should be with Twilight,” she excused herself from him. She took a single step forward, before Seahoof spoke again.

“Ah, I think she’ll be fine for a moment, young lass,” he assured her, smiling amiably. He stepped back from her, and then sat down on his haunches. “Take a fine look behind us, Fluttershy,” he said, looking over his shoulder at the harbour of Vanhoover, which was, even now, beginning to grow smaller as they moved into the massive bay. “That’s the last time you will see Equestria for a long time.”

Fluttershy took her eyes off Seahoof to gaze at the disappearing city of Vanhoover, and the disappearing sight of her home country. She thought she would be crying at this point, to be seeing everything she loved left behind her as she moved away from it all, but she didn’t see the point. Like Twilight said, they will return, whether triumphant in their discovery, or not. “Is it sad for you to leave this all behind every time you set out?” she asked, turning her head to look at him.

Seahoof nodded blankly. “Oh, aye. I love my country, lass. It pains me most of the time to see it behind me, but what else can I do?” he asked with a shrug. “But anyway, let’s not talk about Equestria for a while, let’s talk about you and Miss Sparkle.”

Fluttershy felt most uncomfortable all of a sudden. “Oh, okay, um… what do you want to know about us?” she asked, shifting herself about while trying to look away from him.

“Well, everything that isn’t too uncomfortable, really,” Seahoof answered. “You seem like such a close couple, after all, and it would be nice to get to know you two better – after all, we’re going to be together for a while.”

Fluttershy’s cheeks went bright pink once more. “Oh no, we’re just friends,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head sternly. Yet, as she said it, a part of her wished that wasn’t true. ‘Why would I think that?’ she thought.

“Really?” Seahoof looked surprised. “Forgive me for thinking so, but from the way you and her were together, you seemed really close.”

“We’re close friends, sir,” Fluttershy explained. “But we are not that close.”

‘Yeah, but you wish you were,’ her mind said to her.

‘Oh, please be quiet, brain, you’re not helping here,’ Fluttershy said. However, now that she was thinking about it, the thought wouldn’t go away. Was her mind right? Would she like to be closer to Twilight than she was now?

‘No!’ she screamed in thought. “Excuse me, sir, but I think I need to go after Twilight.” She didn’t wait for Seahoof to reply, for she got up, whisked past him and headed towards the stern of the ship.

Once she got out of sight of Seahoof, she stopped and leaned her head against the wall, and tapped her head lightly against it, as though she was trying to rid herself of the thought. ‘I can’t,’ she told her mind. ‘I could never love Twilight like that. She’s my friend, and it would be better for both of us that it stays that way.’

‘Really?’ her mind retorted. ‘To be honest, Fluttershy, I think you are lying to yourself here. You are in love with Twilight, and you have been for a long, long time.’

Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open in shock. ‘How could you, uh, I mean, I think that? You remember the promise I made to myself.’

‘Yes, we both remember it clear as day. Yet it is a foolish and ridiculous promise that we made. Moreover, for how I can say that you love Twilight Sparkle? Well, I have one example of many. Remember when Trixie first came into town?’

‘Yes, of course I remember that.’

‘Yeah, well, when she started humiliating all your friends, did you step up and tell her to stop? No. Instead, you ran off with Pinkie to organise a surprise party for her to maybe get her out of that arrogant streak.’

Fluttershy let out a sad sigh as she remembered she did run off with Pinkie at that moment, unable to watch the humiliation of her friends any longer, and too scared to do anything to stop her. ‘Yes, I remember, so what’s your point?’

‘Yes, so when Trixie comes back to humiliate Twilight, what did you do? You stood up to Trixie and helped Twilight return to Ponyville! The point is, you have had more affection towards Twilight than anypony else, and you would always defend her over everypony else should she be hurt, or comfort her when she was upset.’

Fluttershy started shaking her head in disbelief, even though she saw her mind was making complete sense. ‘No, no, no, no, NO! I don’t… I don’t…’

‘Face it, Fluttershy, you have loved her for a long time, and have been denying it to yourself for so long. You want her in your embrace, you want her breath against you, you want her lips–’

“SHUT UP!” Fluttershy screamed aloud, her hooves on her head and her eyes closed. She opened them up to look around in horror as she realised she had said that aloud. She put her hooves against her mouth, hid her face behind her mane, and started to tear up. “I don’t love her, I don’t love her, I don’t love her,” she repeated to herself, rocking back and forth.

At that moment, Twilight galloped around the corner, wanting to get to her friend as quick as she could. She stopped and gasped in horror when she saw Fluttershy sitting by the wall, with half her face covered by her mane, and looking like she was going to cry. Twilight hastily galloped towards her, and embraced her crush in a comforting hug. “Fluttershy, I heard you scream out, what’s wrong?” she asked gently, rubbing her back in gentle and delicate circles. “Shh, it’s okay, Fluttershy. It’s all okay.”

Fluttershy sniffed and wiped her eyes, and looked at Twilight with a small smile, even though she was shaking with fright. “I know, and everything’s fine now, Twilight,” she lied. It hurt her a lot to lie to one of her closest friends, but she felt it had to be done. “I was just thinking about something, and I might have thought it aloud. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

Twilight patted her on the back, and then pulled out the hug. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. So long as you’re fine, then I’m fine.” She set herself back on all fours. “Right, I suppose we better get on with this tour Seahoof wanted to give us.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then followed Twilight back to the front of the ship, where Seahoof was waiting for them. “Are you all right, lass?” he asked Fluttershy concernedly. “I heard you scream out for some reason. Was one of my crew giving ya a hard time?”

“Oh, no, it’s okay, sir. Nopony was giving me a hard time. I just thought about something from long ago, and I couldn’t stop myself from shouting it out. Sorry if I worried any of you.”

Seahoof chuckled, while a few bubbles escaped from his pipe. “It’s all right, lass. And please, call me Seahoof, and not sir; it makes me sound old.” He gently brushed past the two ponies, and stopped just outside the iron door that was just below the bridge, and led down into the ship itself. “Right, if you would follow me, the tour will begin. You have the ship, first mare!” With that, he opened the door, and stepped inside the ship.

The two mares walked slowly after. “Ooo, I hope they have a library on this ship,” Twilight whispered hopefully.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight with a wry grin. “If they do, I’ll see you when we get to the Iron Pony Islands in three days time,” she said jokingly.

“Heh, you would come down and see me, though, won’t you?” she asked, giving Fluttershy puppy dog eyes and a pleading grin.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but think how cute she looked at that moment. ‘Stop thinking her as cute!’ she raged in thought. “Of course I will,” she said, ignoring her mind’s other thought. “I doubt there’ll be anything here for me to be excited about.”

“Oh, I’m sure there will be something you could enjoy here,” Twilight assured her. “If not inside, then I’m certain something out here would suffice, like trying to spot for whales, or even dolphins.”

Fluttershy’s ears pricked up at their highest at the mention of whales, and a large grin spread across her face at the mention of dolphins. “Oh, that would be so magical!” she squealed, nearly dancing across the deck. “I have always wanted to see humpback whales the most, and see one breeching the water and then going back under again. Oh, that would be so awesome!”

Fluttershy’s excitement was very contagious, for Twilight was beginning to feel a grin spread across her face as she watched Fluttershy dance gracefully at the thought of seeing whales and maybe other sea creatures on their travels. She briefly imagined the two of them sitting at the side of the ship, close together with a mug of hot chocolate or other drink in hoof, as they watched the whales breech the water, and then disappear. ‘That would be so romantic,’ Twilight thought cheerily.

“Uh, lassies? You there?” Seahoof called from behind the door.

Twilight and Fluttershy were quickly shaken out of their thoughts at the sound of Seahoof’s voice. “Coming!” Twilight called as she opened the door wider with her magic. “After you, Fluttershy,” she said, gesturing with her hoof for the pegasus to walk through.

“Thank you, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, bowing her head, before walking through the door. Once she was through, Twilight entered next, and closed the door behind her.

“Now,” Seahoof began the tour, “I’m gonna have to keep this short and sweet, lassies, for I need to get back to controlling my ship.” He led the two ponies to the end of the corridor, where to their right were some stairs leading down to the lower decks, while in front of them was a single closed door.

“Through there,” he pointed, “is the main mess room. If you want to get a small drink, or a light snack if you’re feeling peckish, then that’s the place to go. In addition, lassies, if you want to play pool, then we have a table in there for you to play on. We have other games in there, but I am sure you could find them easily enough. With me so far?” The two ponies nodded, both thinking eagerly about playing against the other at some point. “All right, then. If you would follow me then we head down to the next deck.”

“But, what about the stairs going up?” Twilight asked, pointing to them.

Seahoof looked at the stairs, then back to them. “Ah, that’s just the bridge up there, lassies. Nothing of any interest or importance to you,” he said, grinning unconvincingly – at least, that’s what it seemed to Fluttershy.

Twilight didn’t seem to notice. “Fair enough then. Lead on, captain,” Twilight goaded him on. Seahoof nodded, then turned around and trotted down the stairs, with Twilight and Fluttershy close behind.

“All right,” Seahoof said as they arrived. He waited for the two to stand alongside each other, looking at him like puppies awaiting a treat for good behaviour, then pointed right. “Down there and through that door is the main engine room, which is out of bounds to anypony except the crew who works it. Next to it, through that door there, is the small library; we thought it might be best for ponies who like a bit of reading while at sea.”

Fluttershy groaned inwardly. ‘It was lovely travelling with you, Twilight,’ she thought. ‘I’ll see you on the other side of the world.’

The mare in question squealed in joy, and raced away from the two of them down the corridor to the door, pushing it aside and disappearing inside to have a look. “Um, lass?” Seahoof called. “Could that at least wait until we have finished the tour?”

A minute later, Twilight poked her head out the door, blushing pink in embarrassment, which made Fluttershy cover her face with her mane so she could giggle politely. Twilight trotted out of the small library with her head down, and grinning sheepishly. “Sorry about that, Seahoof. I just got a bit excited when you mentioned a library. I can get pretty distracted like that.”

“She can,” Fluttershy said. “When we were in the Crystal Empire, she ran off ahead of us after our friend mentioned a library.” Twilight’s blush grew larger, and turned pinker at the mention of that moment.

Seahoof merely chuckled. “Sounds like you’ll be just fine on this voyage, miss Sparkle. Now please, let me show the last part of the tour: your quarters.” He turned around, and trotted down the corridor, with Twilight behind him, followed by Fluttershy.

Eventually, after a few twists and turns, the three stopped outside a door that was at the front of the ship. Above them, they could hear the sound of hooves hitting the ground as the crew above went about their work. “Don’t worry about that ruckus up there, lassies,” Seahoof assured them. “Inside your little cabin, the only sounds you will hear will be your breathing, and the sound of the waves outside.” He pushed the door open, and stepped aside, allowing Fluttershy and Twilight to see where they were staying for the duration of the voyage.

It was a cosy, and quaint little cabin. Two large beds sat opposite each other against the walls. A large circular window faced the door, and showed a spectacular view of the bay as they began to leave Equestria. And a small wardrobe rested in the far left corner, big enough for the ponies to leave their saddlebags in.

“Is it to your liking?” Seahoof asked, looking at Fluttershy, then Twilight.

“It’s perfect, Seahoof. Thank you,” Twilight said first, glad she hid her disappointment that there was two beds and not the one; she had gotten used to sharing a bed with Fluttershy.

“It looks lovely, captain,” Fluttershy remarked, looking at Seahoof but not directly in the eye. “Thank you.”

Seahoof chuckled. “It’s isn’t a problem, lassies. ’Tis not like I would leave you out to sleep on the deck?” He laughed boomingly. “If ya need anything, just let old Seahoof know, and I will see to it personally. Now, I must get back to my crew; they are useless without me.” He smiled at them amiably. “Enjoy your stay, lassies,” he said, and then trotted back towards the stairs, leaving the two mares alone.

“That was the shortest tour I have ever been on,” Twilight muttered. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Right then, I suppose we have to decide on the most important part without spilling each other’s blood: who wants what bed?”

Fluttershy’s eyes flicked from the bed on the left, to the one on the right. “How about we try them both out and see which one is more comfortable for us?” Fluttershy suggested. “My back starts to ache if I lie on a hard mattress.”

Twilight smiled. “As always, Fluttershy, you know how to do this without arguing.” Fluttershy blushed at the praise. “I wish the others were more like you sometimes. The last time I had a sleepover with all of them except you, they argued over what bed to have. They were shouting and everything! Over beds! If I hadn’t intervened, they would have started hoof wrestling each other for one!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror. “Even Rarity?”

“Especially Rarity,” Twilight answered grimly.

Fluttershy clamped a hoof over her mouth. “Goodness! Luckily I wasn’t there then. I probably would have left.”

“And I would have joined you,” Twilight said. She walked into the cabin, with Fluttershy closing the door gently behind her. “Why didn’t you come again? I can’t quite remember.”

“Oh, because I had a really sick patient I had to keep a close eye on,” Fluttershy answered, her head down and her ears flat. “The poor little thing. I was really scared that she wouldn’t make it at one point, but the next morning she stabilised, and a week later she went back home with the rest of her wolf pack.” She smiled blissfully as she remembered the pack running back into the forest.

“Wow,” Twilight gasped. “You never said how you were able to save a wolf from death?”

“Oh it wasn’t a wolf – a proper wolf, I mean – it was a dire wolf. So cute and so fluffy she was, and a true lady as well,” Fluttershy said proudly. “She comes and stops by to see me sometimes, and even brings her little cubs along. I imagine they’ve grown up by now.”

She looked back at Twilight, who had gone pale at the thought there were fully-grown dire wolves in the Everfree forest. “Remind me to never walk into the Everfree forest again without you,” she advised her. She picked up her saddlebags with her magic, and then stacked them into the cupboard.

“Oh don’t worry,” Fluttershy assured her, “They won’t attack any ponies; I made sure of that, after they threatened me if I couldn’t help her.”

Twilight’s face went dark at the thought of Fluttershy being threatened by large, terrifying dire wolves. “Why didn’t you tell me this? I would have been by your side instantly.”

“I was able to take care of myself, Twilight; a quick use of the stare brought them all into submission, and I chastised them for their rude behaviour. I told them, ‘All you had to do was let me have a look at her, and I would help.’ They all backed down after that, and I took the dire wolf inside to get a proper look at. The rest you know.”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy with a new sense of admiration. “If I may ask, how dangerous can what you do be sometimes? You’ve never really talked much about what you do.”

“Oh, it’s quite dangerous, if I’m honest. The animals from the Everfree forest are the rudest, and the most violent sometimes, but they don’t harm me; I make sure they don’t harm me, and if they try, I either talk them down, or get them on their bellies and pin them down with enough force so not to hurt them.” Upon seeing the perplexed look on Twilight’s face, she quietly added, “My uncle’s a Jujitsu trainer in his spare time. He thought it might be best for me to learn some moves.”

Twilight, with her mouth agape, slowly shook her head in disbelief. “Fluttershy. You fascinate me. Do you know that?” she said when she was able to speak again.

Fluttershy, blushing pink once more, shook her head. “I don’t see it as a fascinating job, to be honest. It’s not like what you do, Twilight. Being a student to the Princess and all. That must be amazing.”

“Oh, it’s amazing, but not that amazing,” Twilight replied, waving it away.

Fluttershy looked confused. “Although Celestia is a good teacher,” Twilight continued, “and I love studying and learning new things, I admit that sometimes I get really tired and cranky from doing so much studying for her, and I do get tired of it all sometimes. I mean, you all have jobs, get paid, and have lives. I’m still a student, with a low pay and half of my life still stuck indoors surrounded by books.”

Fluttershy tilted her head even further, still confused by Twilight’s complaints. “But, I thought you loved all that?”

“Oh, I do, I love it a lot. I don’t know where I would be without my books,” Twilight said. “But sometimes I think if I did this or that, then what would my life have been like. Would it have been for the better, or the worse?”

“Well, I would say it would have changed for the worse,” Fluttershy answered instantly, much to Twilight’s shock. Before Twilight could ask why, Fluttershy grabbed her in a hug. “Because we wouldn’t have met you otherwise, nor would we have all come together like the close group of friends we are today. So don’t think about stuff like that, or it might start hurting.” She pulled away from her, and smirked playfully at her. “I can see the smoke rising from your ears even now.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror. “There’s smoke coming out of my ears?” she cried, her eyes wandering frantically to the corners looking for smoke.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “There’s no smoke coming out of your ears, Twilight. It’s just a little joke my mum said to me once when I told her I was thinking hard once.”

Twilight instantly calmed down, and began to laugh. “Oh, I should’ve known your mother would have been the one to come up with that,” she said at last. She smiled affectionally at her, making Fluttershy’s heart soar with happiness, much to the pegasus’s confusion. “Thank you for putting some sense into me, Fluttershy. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Fluttershy smiled, and dipped her head. “It’s the least I can do.” She clapped her hooves together, and then looked at each of the beds. “Now, which one do you want to look at first?”

Twilight let out a low hum as she pondered, her eyes flicking from one bed to the other. “I’ll try out this one first,” she said, pointing to the bed left of the door. She jumped up on it and set herself down onto her side, shifting about to make herself comfortable. The bed mattress was hard, and strong – perfect for Twilight. She normally didn’t mind if the bed was soft or hard, but if it helped to get through this without argument, then she would do anything.

“I don’t think you want to try out this bed, Fluttershy,” Twilight reckoned. “It’s a bit hard.”

“Is it? Oh well, then I’ll take this one then. I hope it’s okay.” Fluttershy jumped up onto the other bed, and laid out flat on her side facing Twilight. Unlike Twilight’s bed, the mattress was as soft as a cloud, and Fluttershy could feel her body sink into it. “Perfect,” she purred, sighing beatifically.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the two of them wouldn’t have to go to Seahoof to get another room because the beds were too hard. “I’m glad we came to a agreeable conclusion,” Twilight said, sitting upright again. “Now what do we do?”

Fluttershy set herself upright as well, smiling at Twilight. “Well, if you want, you could go to the library now… if you want to, of course.”

Twilight’s smile faded a little. “But what about you? Will you be all right without me for the moment?” She was reluctant to leave the pegasus alone for a while, even if they were on the same ship. ‘And,’ Twilight reminded herself, ‘I promised her I would not leave her alone until she felt safe.’

Fluttershy, to her surprise, nodded. “I think I’ll be all right, Twilight. It’s okay. I know we agreed to not leave each other’s eyesight, but when I was alone with Seahoof he didn’t do anything to me, so I should be okay.” She gestured her head for Twilight to go. “I won’t leave this room. I promise you that. Now get to the first love of your life.”

Although Twilight giggled at Fluttershy’s joke, she wished she knew the truth of that. “All right,” Twilight agreed reluctantly, getting off the bed. “I won’t be too long; I’ll just have a quick browse and come back with what I fancy. See you in a bit.” ‘My love.’ With that, she trotted out of the door and down the corridor, her face an expression of nervous excitement.

Fluttershy watched her leave with a little wave and a small smile; glad she was off to do her own thing for a while. ‘It won’t be good for the both of us if we’re always together,’ she believed. And, on the plus side, it gave her some time to think. Celestia knew she needed it.

With a heavy sigh, she flopped back onto the bed, and rolled onto her back. ‘Okay, brain, sorry for shouting at yo– I mean, me, earlier,’ she said to her mind. ‘Why do you think that I love Twilight?’

‘Oh, back to this now, are we?’ her mind teased. ‘Oh, I’m going to enjoy this. Firstly, I don’t think you’re in love with Twilight. I’m certain. Your heart flutters every time you make her smile, and the butterflies in your stomach go wild when she hugs you, or stays close to you. And finally, you always snatch at the chance to be with her, just to be in her company, like this trip you and her are taking.’

Fluttershy groaned loudly, rubbing her head with her hooves as she tried to understand what her mind was telling her. She knew she couldn’t argue with it, for it was her mind, and she knew it was a part of her, so it knew what she thought and loved. However, that didn’t mean her mind could not be confused. ‘Maybe you are right, but then again you might be wrong,’ Fluttershy countered. ‘Twilight has always been a good friend. Without her I wouldn’t be the pony I am today, nor have such good friends by my side.’

‘Exactly,’ her mind whispered. ‘All the more reason as to why you love her.’

Fluttershy could feel herself getting increasingly stressed. ‘I do not love her, brain. I will never love her more than a friend. So leave me alone!’

‘Fair enough, but if you keep denying yourself this, then you will never find true happiness.’ With that, her mind went empty with such thoughts.

“As if I need true love to be happy,” Fluttershy muttered to herself, rising from her position to look out the window. “I’ve got everything I have ever desired: my own home, loving and understanding friends, my animal friends, a good life now; a great life. I don’t feel the need to see it completed by love, so why should I?” She nodded to herself, proud to come to a conclusion. “I will keep the promise I made to myself, and nopony will ever get hurt.”

She went over to the wardrobe, opened it, then got out her Daring Do book she was reading, jumped back on the bed and opened it up to the page she remembered she had left off. As she flicked down the words, her mind began to think again. Was she truly happy without a special somepony to call her own? Was she just content to live alone for all her life, without somepony to wake up alongside, and embrace in the cold winter?

She did not know, and that realisation terrified her. Sure, there might be somepony that might come along one day that she would adore and want to be with for the rest of her life, but that hasn’t happened yet. ‘Unless I make it happen,’ she realised.

She suddenly thought how silly she sounded. Her? Going out and meeting new ponies and trying to go on a date? She would laugh out loud if she could. ‘Who would want to be with me, anyway? I’m the shy pegasus mare who frolics with animals more than being with other ponies. Nopony would want to be my special somepony.’

Blanking out her thoughts, she went back to her book, and soon became lost in the pages, a content smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Twilight trotted down the corridor with a cheery tune humming from her mouth. She turned left down one corridor, and then went right as she tried to remember where the library was. She stopped and smiled when she saw the stairway leading up to the main deck, and the library at the far end of the corridor.

She looked back once more incase Fluttershy was trotting after her, not wanting to be alone for so long. She sighed sadly that she didn’t see or hear her. ‘She’ll be fine, Twilight,’ she assured herself. ‘She’s a grown mare that is two years older than you, and she could look after herself. You’ve seen that yourself.’

‘Yes, I have,’ Twilight admitted, ‘But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need a pony to look after her from time to time.’ She blacked out those thoughts, and began trotting down the corridor towards the library, intent on forgetting about Fluttershy for a moment and just get on to the books.

Yet, no matter how hard she tried to take her out for a moment, Fluttershy was always on her mind. Every day, living or sleeping, Fluttershy always appeared, whether it was looking back at old times, or looking into the future, with her as an old unicorn who can barely get off a chair and walk. All that time, Fluttershy was there, looking as young and as beautiful as she was the day she had met her.

She giggled to herself as she thought about the day she and Fluttershy met: the awkward introduction, the moment she was sent flying by the pegasus when she saw Spike, and the walk to the library with Spike talking about his whole life so far. ‘Strange,’ she mused as she wondered about her meeting. She talked minimally to Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Yet when she met Fluttershy, the sheer beauty of the birds singing took her aback, and wanted to get to know the pegasus who made such a beautiful sound. ‘Was it the birds, though, or the pegasus teaching them to sing?’ she wondered. The thought struck her like an anvil falling on her head. What if she had felt something for Fluttershy then, but didn’t know it?

‘Possible, I suppose,’ she thought. ‘It’s not unheard of for somepony to fall in love with another on sight, but it sounds incredibly cheesy.’ Even if she did, it didn’t matter now. What did matter was that Fluttershy and her were on this trip together, and nopony, not even Princess Celestia sending her a message saying the apocalypse was nigh, would stop her from admitting her feelings. ‘Fluttershy will know how I feel about her by the end of this,’ she promised herself.

She suddenly realised she had been standing in front of the library door for a few minutes, and blushed sheepishly. Quickly looking around incase somepony found her lollygagging, she opened the door up, and slipped inside.

Although she had a look inside before, she didn’t get a proper good look as she had hoped. Now there was nothing barring her back. The room wasn’t as big as she’d hoped, but the dozen shelves that made up the room was crammed with books of different types and genres: adventure, romance, comedy, historical, science, everything a pony would want to read was here.

Twilight could feel her eyes widen in delight as she took it all in. “Wow,” she whispered, looking about as she pondered on where to begin. Eventually, she decided on going to the back, then heading forward. She knew what she was looking for; a romance book that didn’t contain any of what she had briefly read in, ‘The Meaning of Love’. Something that didn’t lead to what she had saw on those pages, something that could help her confess her feelings because, although the flower was the expression of the love she had for Fluttershy, she knew she had to say something that would confirm Fluttershy’s suspicions when the time came.

‘Would just ‘I love you’ suffice?’ she wondered. ‘Or would she want more than that, maybe an explanation as to why.’ With that thought in mind, she began rummaging through the different books, mostly looking for the ones with a romance theme in mind, yet keeping her mind open to others that had moments of love in them. She pulled one out, flicked through it to see if it was readable, then either put it on the small table in the corner, or if she didn’t like it, put it back.

Ten minutes later, she had about fifteen different books to take back to their quarters, each on a different subject, yet each had a scene where love was confessed between two characters, and each was different. “I’ll have a look at all of these, then pick out which one would work for me,” she declared to herself, giggling in thought. Once she had her confession sorted, it would be up to Fluttershy.

And, if she was honest, which she was, the thought terrified her. Although Fluttershy had opened up to her in the past few days, had laughed with her into the night, awoke to find one of them hugging the other, and talked and been closer than ever before, there was still no signal for Twilight to see how she would react to such news.

A thousand paranoiac thoughts swept through her mind, some where Fluttershy had raged at her and told her to leave and never speak to her again, and others where Fluttershy said she wasn’t interested, yet wanted to stay as friends. Twilight didn’t want any of those to happen. However, if Twilight was going to be rejected, she would take the latter than the former any day. ‘Besides, Fluttershy wouldn’t yell at me for loving her, would she?’ Although she knew her friend was a kind, sweet and friendly mare, when it came to love, she could be a completely different pony. ‘I doubt that, though,’ Twilight thought.

At that moment, she realised she had been away from Fluttershy for longer than she had said. She grabbed all the books off the table with her magic, and trotted out of the door and towards their quarters.

When she arrived back, she found Fluttershy sitting on her rump, with her back pressed to the wall, reading her Daring Do book intensely. “Hey, Fluttershy,” Twilight greeted her softly so not to startle her.

Fluttershy’s head jumped up, and let out an, “Ah!” in fright. “Oh, Twilight, it’s just you,” she said once she had relaxed. She smiled at the unicorn, making Twilight’s heart turn to jelly at the sweetness of her smile. “Did you find anything to your liking?”

“Oh yes,” Twilight replied, smirking. She watched Fluttershy’s eyes widen in surprise as she revealed her spoils from her library raid. “These should keep me occupied while we’re on board.”

“Goodness!” Fluttershy cried, her eyes going up and down from the books. “Do you think you can read all of those in a few days?”

“Depends on how long we’re on this ship for,” Twilight answered as she jumped up on her bed. She began spinning in a circle like a dog would do before settling down, then settled onto her stomach, and picked up the first book on top of the tower. “From the sounds of things, we’ll be heading to the Iron Pony Islands first, then head beyond when we are fully supplied for the journey ahead.” She looked at the book for a second, and then looked up at Fluttershy’s. “How’s that book coming along? You look like you’ve read quite a bit.”

Fluttershy put her book down for a moment, and grinned excitedly at Twilight. “It is amazing now! You know I said it wasn’t as good as the last one?” Twilight nodded. “Well I don’t think I have ever been so wrong in my life! This book is now my favourite in the series so far! It has so many characters that I adore, and Daring herself is now on top form once she got out of that university and into the desert. Oh, it is such a shame that she’s a fictional character! I would love to meet her!”

Twilight smiled. “Well, you may not be able to meet Daring, but you could meet the author. She was an explorer herself. In fact, a lot of Daring’s adventures are based on her own exploits, minus all the danger Daring goes through.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in interest. “Really? I never knew that.”

“Well it should be on the page about the author,” Twilight said, pointing to the book.

“Oh, then I’ll wait until the end. I’m worried I might read the ending unintentionally if I do that. I’ve done that before, and swore to myself never to do it again.”

“Fair point.” Twilight opened up the book in front of her, and began to read the first chapter. Fluttershy watched her for a moment, and then went back to her own book, her stare hardening as she read the book intensely.

Twilight looked up to see Fluttershy’s stare, and felt a chill crawl through her just by looking into her eyes. Those eyes, belonging to a mare as friendly as grass, bore an unhidden strength in them that, Twilight believed, was unmatched in Equestria. Those eyes had sent a cockatrice running, and brought a dragon to tears, after all. ‘Such strength, such courage,’ she thought. ‘If only Fluttershy could see herself as the brave mare she truly is.’

She looked back at her book, and became lost in the words as the world the book was based in took over her mind and let her imagination run riot.

A few hours later, when the sun was starting to descend, Fluttershy put down her book and let out a small, sad sigh. She had finished at a moment in the book where a character that Daring loved was injured, and it looked certain the stallion wouldn’t make it, much to Daring’s horror and sorrow. ‘Love just seems to hurt,’ Fluttershy thought.

She looked up to Twilight, who was still immersed into her book, and seemed to be already about half way through it. “Wow, Twilight. You’re such a fast reader,” Fluttershy remarked.

Twilight brought her eyes off the book, and looked up at Fluttershy. “Yeah, I am a bit. You find you get faster the more you read. Though I should have read it a bit slower, my eyes are starting to kill me.” She sat upright and rubbed her strained eyes.

“Well how about we get some air?” Fluttershy suggested, gesturing with her head to the door. “As comfy it is here, I wouldn’t mind some air… If that’s all right with you, you can stay here, if you want.”

Twilight giggled. “Sure, I would love some air.” She jumped off the bed, her tail swishing from side to side. “And while we’re at it, go and get some food. I’m starving.”

At the mention of food, Fluttershy’s belly growled with approval, making Fluttershy blush fiercely and Twilight laugh. “Um, excuse me?”

Twilight laughed once more. “It’s okay. Come on, let’s get out here and see what’s happening up top.”

“Not much by the looks of things,” Fluttershy said, pointing to the window. “Look.”

Twilight looked at the window, and gaped. They could only see a few feet of calm water, but then it quickly disappeared in a cloud of thick, white fog. “I’ve never seen fog move in this quickly before.”

“Or appear so suddenly,” Fluttershy agreed, her smile withering. She started to shake her head. “I don’t like it, Twilight. Could we just stay here where it’s safe?”

Twilight looked at her worriedly. “I don’t like it either, but it is just fog. It can’t harm us.” Twilight turned around, and gave Fluttershy a brief nuzzle of comfort. “I will be by your side at all times. I will not leave you, Fluttershy. Ever. Don’t forget that.”

Although Fluttershy felt afraid at the thought of the creepy fog, she knew that Twilight would never leave her side. She nodded firmly at her. “I know you won’t,” she said. With that, she jumped off her bed, and followed Twilight out of the cabin, down the corridor and up the stairs to the main deck.

When they arrived on the top deck, they could feel the tension hanging from the crew like a dangling piece of spider’s web. They all looked jumpy, and were glancing this way and that for signs of something that wasn’t there.

Twilight glanced at Fluttershy to see her legs were shaking in fear, and her teeth were rattling as she looked ready to bolt back inside. Twilight was now scared too, and inched herself closer to Fluttershy for comfort. Fluttershy quickly followed suite, and stopped until both ponies were practically hugging.

“Twilight! Fluttershy!” Seahoof called as he left the bridge and onto the main deck. “What are you two doing here?”

“Me and Fluttershy wanted some air, so we came up here to get some,” Twilight explained. She pointed at the crew. “What’s got everypony this tense?”

“This fog, lass,” Seahoof said nervously, glancing about. “’Tis not a natural fog, this. It has elements of magic in it. I can feel it in my bones.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes as she tried to feel the magic in her bones. “I don’t feel anything,” she declared a moment later.

“I don’t feel anything either,” Fluttershy concurred, shaking her head behind her mane.

“That’s because you haven’t been out here before, lassies. The magic of the sea works far differently to the magic you will find on land and air.” His head suddenly stopped as he made out a large group of rocks on the surface of the water. Twilight and Fluttershy saw it also, and their eyes widened in horror at the thought of being stranded out here.

“Oh no,” Seahoof whispered, his eyes wide in horror, though not out of fear of stranding, but of something else. He lifted his head to the air and shouted, “Get your ear defenders now, lads and lassies!” At once, the ponies on the deck began to gallop in every direction, finding small holes placed below deck and fishing out large earmuffs or any other type of ear defender they could find. Twilight and Fluttershy glanced at each other, confused about what they were all doing.

“Keep her on a straight path or we’ll be smashed by the rocks!” Seahoof ordered. The first mare nodded, and turned the helm left a bit so they would avoid rocks. “And have her slow down!”

“Um, captain?” Fluttershy asked, poking him on the shoulder. The captain shot his head around to face her. “Sorry if I am disturbing you, but, me and my friend want to know about all these ear defenders. Surely they’re not as important as trying to navigate the ship through this fog.”

“If only that would be true, lass, but like I said before: this is no ordinary fog. Right now we’re being corralled into these rocks like how dolphins corral fish into narrow waters, and the only way we can get out of this alive is by putting on the ear defenders.” He nodded to a pony who brought him a pair, and placed them on his ears.

“But I don’t understand,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Being corralled by what?”

Seahoof didn’t answer. Instead, he gave them both their own set of ear defenders – a dark green one for Fluttershy, and a light yellow one for Twilight – and trotted back up the bridge to control the ship, leaving the two of them alone to fend for themselves.

Fluttershy looked at her large ear defenders for a second, before placing them over her ears, too scared to ignore Seahoof’s warning to them. Once she put them on, she was confused. She could hear everything just fine, as if they were not there at all. ‘If they don’t work, then why is everypony so worked up to have them on?’ she wondered.

“Sir, I can’t find any ear defenders!” she heard a pony shout to another.

“Then get some from the emergency stash below the bridge!” the other called back. “Unless you want the sirens to get ya.”

Fluttershy felt her heart stop beating, and her eyes widened in terror. “Sirens!” she squeaked, the name of the creatures sending waves of fear to crawl over her like spiders in the night. She looked over to Twilight, who still hadn’t put her ear defenders on yet. “Twilight, put those on n–!” She was cut off when the ship scraped against a small rock, and sent her, Twilight and several others to the ground, with Twilight losing hold of her ear defenders.

“Somepony, check below for damage!” she heard Seahoof yell as he steered the ship away from another rock. Fluttershy scrambled to her hooves, scared out of her life and wanting her friend to hug and protect her. She quickly checked that her ear defenders were firmly secure around her ears, and then began looking around for Twilight. “Twilight, where ar–!” She cut herself off when she found herself face to face with the unicorn, and her eyes widened in horror. “Oh no.”

The unicorn wore the most blissful smile she had ever seen in the mare, yet her eyes were plain white, devoid of the intelligence she had seen in them. “So… beautiful,” Twilight slurred, taking a step forward. She began walking slowly, as though she was sleepwalking, towards the edge of the ship.

“No!” Fluttershy screamed in denial. Without hesitation, she galloped behind Twilight, wrapped her forelegs around Twilight’s neck, and pulled back with all the strength she had, gritting her teeth as she fought against whatever was pulling the unicorn away. ‘I have to win,’ Fluttershy thought. She suddenly felt herself being pulled along as Twilight relentlessly continued walking, her smile growing wider as she neared the edge.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy screamed into her ears, trying desperately to get some sense into her. Getting no response, she looked up and got herself ready to pull away to try another trick. She froze in horror when she saw them.

There were three of them, all sitting on a large rock, and staring at the ship’s crew, and her and Twilight, with lust and hunger in their white, soulless eyes. The front half of the sirens was the form of a pony, a mare, while the other was the back half of a fish. Each was a different shade of green, and all of them had long black manes that ran down their back and over their chests. And they were beautiful. Beautiful beyond words.

Fluttershy could see their mouths were moving, yet couldn’t hear their singing, to which she was thankful. She knew sirens sang hypnotic songs to lure ponies to the edge of a ship, where they would take them under the water, and then devour them whole.

She wasn’t going to allow Twilight to become a siren’s lunch. She released her grip from Twilight, then ran around to face her, and began pushing her back. She smiled a little, for she could feel herself moving forward, so she planted her hind hooves onto the deck, and pushed with all the strength she could muster to hold her back. The ship was going slowly, but it was still moving, so all she had to do was to hold back Twilight for a little longer until they were clear of the rocks, and into the open sea. ‘I will not lose,’ Fluttershy thought determinedly.

Although she was strong, she could feel herself weakening fast. Twilight began inching her way forward again, much to Fluttershy’s horror. “Twilight!” she cried, her eyes brimming with tears. “Please, listen to me! Break out of it! I know you can do it! Please!”

“It’s so beautiful,” Twilight replied absently, rearing up as she tried to escape Fluttershy’s grip. “They are just so beautiful. Just like the mare I love.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock, and her jaw dropped. ‘Twilight loves somepony?’ She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. If she was honest with herself, and she knew she wasn’t the only one to think so, she thought Twilight was completely oblivious when it came to matters about love. But now she had been proven wrong, and she felt terrible for it.

She was snapped out of her thoughts of guilt when she felt Twilight begin to push forward again, while she was loosing her grip. ‘Come on, Fluttershy, we have a friend to save!’ her mind yelled. With a burst of newfound strength she pushed Twilight right back to the centre of the deck, saving her for the moment.

With Twilight safe temporarily, she looked around for the ear defenders Twilight had held before she dropped them. She worked herself up into a panic when she couldn’t find them anywhere. She then looked around; hoping somepony would help her, but quickly saw this was her own battle to fight. Around her, everypony prostrated themselves to the ground, their hooves covering their ears as they prayed silently that they would be spared. Even on the bridge, Seahoof and his first officer were holding each other in an embrace, praying the sirens would leave them alone.

While around the ship, dozens more sirens began to land onto the rocks, adding their voices in a sweet, alluring melody that only Twilight could hear.

Fluttershy spun around slowly, looking at each of the sirens with sad eyes. She knew she could not send them back into the deep, but she knew Twilight could; she had heard the unicorn had levitated an ursa minor back to its mother once. She turned back to face Twilight, who was now spinning in a circle, confused as to which voice she should follow, and sighed. She prayed Twilight would know what to do, otherwise she would find herself in the belly of a siren. Besides, she didn’t want to separate Twilight from whoever she loved. “Forgive me, Twilight,” she whispered.

In one fluid motion, she took off her ear defenders, and placed them over Twilight’s ears. As soon as she clamped the ear defenders on Twilight’s ears tight, everything went white.

At first, all Twilight could see was white, but quickly her vision fully returned, even though it was a bit blurred. She shook her head and open and closed her eyes quickly a few times, feeling as if she had been in a heavy daze. “Wha… what just happened?” she asked the blurred pony in front of her. She shook her head quickly again, and gasped in horror when she recognised the pony in front of her. “Fluttershy?”

Yet there was something really wrong with the pegasus. At once, her pupils disappeared, leaving behind dull, white orbs, and her lips formed into a blissful smile as the sirens’ songs swept into her ears. “Fluttershy!” Twilight cried in horror. She glanced upwards, and her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the sirens. She, too had read about them, and knew the monsters that they were reputed to be. She wasn’t going to allow Fluttershy to become a meal for them.

One siren, sitting on a rock on the starboard side, seemed to be singing the loudest, because Fluttershy began walking towards it. Instantly Twilight lit up her horn, surrounding Fluttershy with a magenta glow, and began to use her magic to pull her back. The siren saw this, sneered, and began to sing louder and more endearing, making Fluttershy crawl forward as she tried to escape Twilight’s magic.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted, her voice straining as her willpower was being drained from her inch by inch. “Snap out of it! Please!”

“It’s so… nice,” Fluttershy remarked dreamingly, taking another step forward as Twilight’s magic began to fail. “It makes me feel so happy. I thought I never needed to love a pony to be happy, but it seems I was so wrong.”

Twilight’s eyes widened, and she looked at Fluttershy with confusion and sadness. ‘What did she mean by that? She couldn’t mean that she doesn’t ever want to love somepony, does it?’

‘That’s not important now, Twilight!’ her mind snapped her out of it. ‘Your friend is in danger!’

Twilight quickly shook her head, and using what little power she had left in her, forced it into her telekinetic spell she was using to hold Fluttershy back. Fluttershy was soon floating mid air, her legs walking slowly as if nothing was wrong, but she was still trying.

Even with the extra power she was using, Twilight could see it wasn’t enough. Fluttershy was still pressing forward, and several of the sirens were beginning to lick their lips in anticipation of the meal Fluttershy was going to give them. She needed to drive them away – permanently. But how?

She darted her head around, looking around frantically for something she could use that would scare the sirens away, while she hastily searched into every corner of her mind to find a weakness she knew about the creatures. ‘Come on, come on, think, think, think!’ Twilight thought. ‘Sirens are creatures that use low, quiet tones of music to lure their victims close enough for them to devour, so that could mean their ears are sensitive to hig…’ She looked up to see the thing that could send them away. She grinned hopefully to herself, and prayed this would work; she didn’t want to dwell on what would happen if it did not work, nor could she think about how to tell her friends of Fluttershy’s whereabouts.

She released her magic grip on Fluttershy, ran up to her, and hugged her tight. While the pegasus squirmed in her hold, she looked towards the whistle, closed her eyes, concentrated hard, and a beam of magenta light shot out from her horn and hit the whistle, setting it off.

The whistle released a gush of white steam, and the sound echoed across the ocean with a high-pitched squeak like a screaming mouse. Fluttershy broke out of her daze instantly, and covered her ears with her hooves and shut her eyes as she tried to endure the noise.

The sirens, however, could not endure it. They began shrieking in agony as the noise became too much for their ears. Twilight grinned as she saw the sirens begin to dive back into the water, yet some still stayed put. ‘Time to make things a little louder.’

She gritted her teeth, and increased the power in her horn, feeling the magic she had leave her and head into the whistle. The squealing sound of the whistle increased, to the point it seemed like the whistle would break apart under its own sound. Thankfully, to Twilight’s relief, it didn’t need to. She watched with a smile of satisfaction and relief as the sirens retreated into the water, until there wasn’t a single siren left on the rocks.

At once, the fog disappeared, the sun began to shine over the Wave Breaker once again, and the rocks sunk into the water, leaving the ocean calm and featureless as it should be.

As soon as the last of the sirens’ magic was gone, Twilight released her hold on the whistle, and collapsed onto her stomach in exhaustion, breathing heavily. She looked up to see Fluttershy releasing her hold on her ears, and began looking around perplexedly. “Wha… what just happened?” she asked aloud.

“I… just happened,” Twilight panted, looking at her with tired eyes.

Fluttershy spun around to face her, and her eyes widened in shock at seeing Twilight on the ground. “Oh my goodness! Are you all right?” Fluttershy cried, rushing over to her side. She bent to her knees and used her muzzle to try to nudge Twilight up.

“I’m fine, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied tiredly. “I just need a minute to rest.” She took another deep breath. “That was more exhausting than I thought it would be.”

Fluttershy relaxed a bit, then suddenly gripped her in a bone crushing hug, making Twilight’s eyes widen in shock. “Thank you, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “I knew you could do it.”

At that moment, Seahoof came from the bridge with a few other ponies, looking at Twilight and Fluttershy with awe and admiration. “How did you do that?” Seahoof asked. “How did you get the sirens to retreat?”

“I remembered that sirens have really sensitive hearing, especially to high pitched sounds like your whistle,” Twilight explained. “That’s why they sing in such low tones, because if they sang any higher, they would be hurting their own ears.”

Seahoof stared at Twilight for a moment, and then began to laugh. “My goodness, Twilight Sparkle, I am so glad to have met you. I’ll be sure to send that message back to others who use these waters.” He looked about to the rest of the crew. “Let’s hear it for Twilight Sparkle, the saviour of the Wave Breaker! Hip hip!”

“Hooray!” the crew cheered, making Twilight blush pink in embarrassment. She glanced to her right to see Fluttershy smiling broadly at her, and suddenly remembered that she had ear defenders on her before she lost conscious to the sirens’ spell. The same ones she had on her ears right now. ‘She must have given me hers,’ she realised.

“Thank you, everypony,” she said. “But I couldn’t have done it without Fluttershy here.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, making Twilight grin wryly. “Bu-but what did I do?” she asked.

Twilight put her hooves on Fluttershy’s cheeks, and gently turned her friend’s head so she and her faced each other. “You risked your life to save mine,” Twilight explained. “You gave me these ear defenders, knowing that I would be the one who would send them back into the water. You had so much confidence in me, when I had barely any for myself.” She suddenly brought the pegasus into a hug. “So thank you, Fluttershy, for having such faith in me.”

Fluttershy looked at the rest of the crew, which a few of were muttering, “Aww.” She smiled, and patted the unicorn gently on the back. “You’re my best friend, Twilight,” she said. “What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t have faith in you?”

Seahoof tilted his head, smiling sweetly at the exchange. “Let’s hear it for Fluttershy and Twilight! The heroes of the Wave Breaker!” he roared, his voice carrying across the ocean.

Fluttershy gripped onto Twilight harder as the crew let out a loud and appraising cheer. ‘I could get used to this,’ Twilight thought as the cheers died down.

Just as silence returned, Fluttershy and Twilight’s bellies growling for food quickly broke it. The two mares grinned sheepishly at each other. “Well, uh, I guess that now we have had our fair share of fresh air for the day, I think food is up next,” Twilight said. Fluttershy nodded in agreement beside her.

Seahoof nodded as well, grinning eagerly. “I agree, that is why I think that in celebration of what you have done for us, how about we have a feast of honour for them, as well as an excuse to get stuffed?” The crew shouted their approval, and began running around getting ready for such a feast.

“Yay,” Fluttershy cheered, making Twilight giggle.

‘Rainbow Dash is right. She is the best cheerer ever, and certainly the cutest,’ Twilight thought. With Fluttershy beside her, they began mingling with the crew as the feast officially began.

A few hours later, once the sun had gone down and the stars took over the sky, Twilight was resting on her stomach, with her head on her hooves and deep in thought, while Fluttershy was lying on her back and patting her belly as she could not believe how full she felt.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had so much hay fries in my life,” Fluttershy said, glancing over to Twilight.

“Uh huh,” Twilight replied absently.

Fluttershy frowned, not expecting Twilight to say such an answer. “You know I said I didn’t trust Seahoof earlier today?” Twilight just nodded. “Well I think I was wrong about that. He seems like such a nice pony, although that first mare of his kept giving me and you some strange looks during the meal. I tried to talk to her, but she kept it short, then moved on to talk to somepony else.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, much to Fluttershy’s confusion.

Fluttershy rolled onto her side to face Twilight. “Do you think the sirens will come back?” she asked fearfully.

Twilight shook her head. “Seahoof told me that we had drifted off course from the main shipping lanes, and went right into siren hunting grounds. We should be fine now that we’re back on the main shipping lanes. He said they tend to avoid it unless they’re in huge numbers, but I highly doubt they will this time.” Twilight suddenly rolled onto her back, sighing heavily.

Now Fluttershy could see that something was bothering Twilight, and it hurt her to know she wasn’t talking about it. “Twilight? What’s wrong? Please tell me what’s wrong?” she asked, moving to sit upright.

After a moment, Twilight sat upright as well, facing her with a serious expression. “Fluttershy, please don’t ever risk your life like that for me again,” she said.

Fluttershy tilted her head, confused and slightly angry at what Twilight just asked her to do. “Well what would you want me to do? Just stand there and do nothing while you jump over the side and get devoured by a hungry siren? No,” she said sternly, shaking her head, “I would gladly do that again if it meant saving my friend.” Her expression, as did her tone, softened. “Besides, I knew you would have been able to drive them away.”

“But what if I couldn’t? Huh?” Twilight demanded, her eyes beginning to water. “What if I didn’t think about the whistle in time? What if I…” She was cut off by a hoof pressed firmly against her mouth, with a teary eyed Fluttershy at the far end.

“Don’t ever think like that, Twilight,” Fluttershy said angrily. “I knew you could do it. Before I took my ear defenders off, I thought to myself that only you could have saved us.” She pulled her hoof away from Twilight’s mouth, and then tilted her head a bit more. “Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Don’t you have any faith in yourself, Twilight?”

Twilight shook her head. “It’s not that,” she said, waving a hoof dismissively. “I do have some faith in myself. But just now, I realised how close I was…” She broke off as she began to tear up. “… How close I was… to losing you.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. She looked down at her friend’s hooves to see something she rarely saw in the brave mare. “You’re trembling,” Fluttershy stated. Twilight looked down at her hooves and saw she was shaking with fear. Fluttershy lifted her forelegs up, and gestured with her hooves for Twilight to come forward. “Oh, come here.”

Twilight jumped off her bed, and wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus, trying to sniff back her tears while burying her head in Fluttershy’s chest. “You mean everything to me, Fluttershy. You, the rest of the girls and Spike,” Twilight sobbed. “I don’t know if I could ever go back home, knowing that I failed to save you if I didn’t.”

Fluttershy gently stroked Twilight’s back. “Well you did save me, and the rest of the ship as well, Twilight,” she said softly. “So please stop thinking about what might have happened? Please?”

Twilight looked up at Fluttershy, and smiled thinly. “I’ll try to,” she replied. She lowered her gaze again and sat in silence, content with listening to Fluttershy’s rapid but comforting heartbeat. As they sat huddled together, Twilight remembered something she had read about sirens whilst studying sea creatures, and their affects on their prey and such.

“Fluttershy?” she said, pulling away from her embrace.

“Yes, Twilight?”

“When I read about sirens, there was a small note saying that their victims, in their final moments, would spill secrets or other things that seemed related to the sirens’ songs from their mind. I was wondering: did I say anything when I was under the sirens’ trance?” She secretly hoped that Fluttershy didn’t know she had a crush on her yet. It was too early for her to know.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, felt conflicted. ‘Yes, you did say something. You said you were in love with a mare. So who is she then, and why didn’t you tell me earlier?’ she wanted to say, yet couldn’t make the words slip off her tongue. She knew – or hoped – that Twilight knew she could trust her with everything, yet if she was uncomfortable with talking about this crush, she didn’t want to force Twilight out of it just yet. ‘It would be rude if I did,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘She’ll tell me about it when she’s more comfortable with being around me.’

“No,” Fluttershy replied eventually, shaking her head. “You didn’t say anything at all.” The lie that slipped off her tongue felt like a spicy chilli in her mouth. It hurt so much to say it, but she felt it was the right thing to do.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness,’ she thought. ‘Try explaining my feelings to Fluttershy.’

“Um, Twilight? Did I say anything while I was under the sirens’ spell?” Fluttershy asked nervously. There were a few things she didn’t want be known about her just yet, and prayed they were kept that way.

Twilight’s small smile faded away. ‘Should I ask her what she meant?’ she wondered. A part of her told her to ask what she had meant by thinking she didn’t need love to be happy, but the majority of her mind told her to keep it silent. ‘She would probably never want to be seen again if she knew that came out,’ she thought.

“No, you said nothing as well. What they said about ponies saying secrets close to them must have been wrong,” Twilight said finally, much to Fluttershy’s visible relief. She suddenly let out a yawn, which she stifled with a hoof. “It’s getting late, and we’ve got two days to go till we get to Iron Pony Islands.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. She pulled her bed covers, and then buried herself under them, looking as snug as a bunny in hibernation. “I hope you sleep well, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, purring as she shifted about til she was comfortable.

Twilight brought her bed cover over her, and smiled at Fluttershy. “I hope you sleep well, too, Fluttershy. Goodnight.” She rolled over and closed her eyes, barely able to hear Fluttershy whisper, “Goodnight.”

As her mind shut down for the night, she wondered if Fluttershy really meant to live her life alone. ‘If she does, then I will find a way to change her mind. If there is anypony that deserves to be truly happy, it’s her.’ With that thought sticking in her head, she drifted off to sweet and thankfully pleasant dreams.

Author's Note

Firstly I would like to thank Bujin immensely for proofreading this for me, and ridding this chapter of the horrors of continuity errors, excessive word use, and other problems that I couldn't see. I'm looking forward to working with you in the furture with this story.

Fun Fact: The siren encounter was originally going to be in another story I was thinking of called 'Back Where We Began', a story that would have the mane six, plus Celestia, going to find the ruins of the kingdoms of the three pony tribes, and where Fluttershy would confess her love to Twilight. It was abandoned after a while, but some of those ideas were put into this.

Also, as of the setting of this story, it takes place during 'Sleepless In Ponyville' and 'Apple Family Reunion', because Twilight and Fluttershy don't appear at all in those episodes.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Chapter 8 (part 1)

The rest of the trip to the Iron Pony Islands was uneventful, thankfully, save a few rough moments. As the Wave Breaker made its slow trail across the ocean to its first destination, Twilight and Fluttershy kept themselves active by talking to the many crewmembers of the ship, and staying up late into the night talking about anything. They joked, sang, or just sat in their room in companionable silence as they listened to the ship plough its way across the ocean.

Despite the cheerful demeanour, the two ponies couldn’t help but feel something heavy on their chests, something they both desperately wanted to get rid of. Fluttershy wanted to ask who was the lucky mare that had snared Twilight’s heart, while Twilight wanted to ask about what Fluttershy said whilst she was under the sirens’ spell. Yet neither had the courage to ask, so they kept silent about it and tried to put it behind them. But as the days grew on, they found it increasingly challenging.

‘I’ll talk to her about it later,’ the two ponies thought. However, when they would tell the other, they couldn’t say.

Thankfully, that feeling on their chests washed away when they finally caught sight of the Iron Pony Islands.

It was the middle of the night. The two mares were in their quarters, with Fluttershy looking excitedly out the window in the hope she could hear dolphins or other sea creatures out at night, while Twilight lay out flat on her back with an open book levitated in front of her, when a cry of, “Land ho!” filled the ship. At once, the two ponies looked at each other, then scrambled from their beds and raced upstairs to the main deck.

Upon making it up on the main deck, they found captain Seahoof, with his long bubble pipe in mouth, looking with squinted eyes out at the sea beyond. He glanced to see them appear from below, and gave them both a nod in greeting. “Can you two make out the light just ahead of us?” he asked, pointing to the location.

Twilight and Fluttershy looked from the captain to where he was pointing, and narrowed their eyes. “Oh my,” Fluttershy said after a moment. “What is that thing?”

Twilight still couldn’t make it out, so Fluttershy helped her by bringing a leg right up to her face and pointing directly at it. Twilight followed the leg until she finally made it out.

It was a bright orange light, too bright to be considered a star, floating in the distance. Twilight gave Fluttershy a nod in thanks, and then turned to the captain. “I thought I heard ‘land ho’ being called.”

“Aye, you did, Twilight,” Seahoof said. He pointed to the light once more. “That is the Tower of Light. It has a fancier name but I don’t see the point of it; doesn’t make any difference when it’s saving lives. It is a huge tower with a large beacon fire at the top, which is lit every night to guide ships into the harbour of the Iron Pony Islands,” he explained. He looked upwards and called out, “Slow ’er down, first mare!”

At once, the ship began to decrease in speed, to which Twilight was grateful; the last two days when the ocean had been rough were not pleasant. “Um, excuse me? Forgive me if I sound like I am criticising your job, I don’t mean to, but why are we slowing down?” Fluttershy asked, her head low but keeping her eyes fixed on the captain. “Surely we could be there by tonight if we keep going at the same speed.”

“We would,” Seahoof agreed, “but I prefer to get in when the sun starts to rise. It’s safer then; there are far too many large rocks a careless ship can crash into coming into those islands.” He gestured with his head for them to get back inside. “We’ll be in the harbour by sunrise, so get some sleep and get yourselves ready for some exploring tomorrow.”

Fluttershy nodded submissively, while Twilight nodded acceptingly. “Thanks, captain. See you in the morning, then.” With that, the two ponies went back through the door as the old steamship moved gently through the water.

As they walked back to their cabin, Twilight giggled and bounced with excitement. “Oh, this is going to be brilliant!” she squealed in joy. “The Iron Pony Islands are apparently one of the greatest looking natural features in all of Terra, and to think we will actually be standing on them tomorrow!”

Fluttershy looked at her with sleep heavy eyes, and gave her a tired smile. “I’m looking forward to it as well, Twilight, but I thin-” She was cut off from having to yawn. “Excuse me, but I think we should wait until morning to get all excited for it.”

They soon found themselves outside of their quarters. “Yeah, I suppose,” Twilight said as she opened the door, allowing Fluttershy to enter first. “Though I hope the morning comes sooner,” she whispered to herself. She walked in, locked the door behind her, then both ponies went into their beds and fell asleep, both of them dreaming about what they will find on the islands tomorrow.

Fluttershy’s mind told her she needed to wake up for some reason. She tried desperately to block it out, but it was too strong, so she slowly and reluctantly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a bright ray of sun coming into her face, making her groan and look away. ‘It’s too early to wake up,’ she thought grumpily.

The best time to get Fluttershy in a bad mood was early in the morning when it was not time for her to get up, yet she was awake anyway.

She took her pillow, flung it to the other side of the bed, then turned around and laid out on her stomach, facing the door in the hope that not seeing the sunlight would mean she wouldn’t stay awake. She closed her eyes and willed her body to go back to sleep.

She groaned even louder when a few quick, but rather timid knocks on the door met her ears. She bolted her head upright, a fierce, unforgiving look on her face, then got out of bed and opened the door, determined to give whoever a piece of her mind… if they didn’t mind it, of course.

Her heart melted and her expression softened when she saw a small earth pony mare with a light green coat and a dark green mane and tail trying to keep eye contact with her, and looking like she was about to fail at it. “Oh dear, excuse me, miss, I’m so sorry, I should have said no and said wait until later… oh, please don’t be angry with me.” The mare finished with a squeak and tried to look away.

Fluttershy could see a lot of her in this mare, especially in her younger days. She would be lying if she said it didn’t terrify her. “No, no, it’s okay, I’m sorry if I looked angry. I guess I rolled out of the wrong side of the bed.” She smiled apologetically. “How can I help you?”

The mare straightened herself up, cleared her throat, then said, “Well, the captain said to me to tell you and your friend we’re about to dock in the islands. So if… you know, you want to get ready, then that’s fine, I guess… but whatever you want to do is fine as well.” She looked to the ground and pawed at it with a hoof.

‘Are we distantly related?’ Fluttershy thought, stifling a giggle with a hoof. She lowered her head to be level with the pony in front of her, and then smiled sweetly. “Thank you, miss. I’ll tell my friend when she wakes up.” Fluttershy tilted her head when she saw something in the eyes of the mare in front of her, something that looked familiar. It was a look of nervousness, as if somepony was meeting their idol and were too scared to talk to them. “Um, pardon my intrusion, but is there something else on your mind?”

The mare nodded curtly. “Can I ask you a personal question?” Fluttershy nodded. “Are you Fluttershy Whisperwing of Ponyville? The Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy tilted her head even more, confused by the question. “Um, well yes, I am. Why?” The moment she asked that question, the answer came to her. ‘Oh my goodness! I have a fan!’

The mare’s face brightened as a grin formed on her face. Before Fluttershy knew it, the mare had the pegasus’s right hoof in her own hooves and shaking it ferociously. “Oh my goodness!” the mare squeaked in delight. “I can’t believe I’m on a ship with the shyest, yet most inspirational pony in Equestria! Oh I saw you at the feast a few days ago after the siren attack but I wasn’t sure if it really was you and I was worried that you wouldn’t want to talk to me, but now you are talking to me, and I’m talking to you! I loved your career as a model and got all of the covers with you on my wall back home!” She stopped shaking Fluttershy’s hoof and took a step back with delighted eyes. “But what I’ve loved most is the stories of your heroics. Is it true that you made a large dragon cry and run away with its tail between its legs?”

Fluttershy wiggled her leg about until she felt like she could stand on it again. ‘Oh dear,’ she thought, looking at the ground and her mane slowly covering her face. “Well… uh, you see, I…”

“Yes she did. I was there to see it myself,” Twilight said from behind her, a small smile on her face. Fluttershy squeaked in fright and spun around to face her with a look of shock.

“Wow,” the mare oozed. “That must have looked so amazing!”

“Oh yeah, it was. The best thing about it was that she never hurt the dragon. She just shouted down at him and made him cry.” Twilight looked with a small smile at Fluttershy, who was slowly turning into a pink ball as she tried to hide herself in her mane and tail. “But that wasn’t the best thing she did.”

“She did something better?” the mare asked, her tone stating she was not entirely believing it. “What could have been better then sending a dragon running?”

“She made a cockatrice cower in fear, and saved me and three little fillies from being turned to stone – well, I was turned to stone in the first place, but she managed to get the cockatrice to change me back. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?” She looked at her companion, who by now had managed to coil her mane and tail around herself like a snake, with not a single speck of yellow visible.

“Yes,” Fluttershy squeaked from behind her hair.

The mare looked at Twilight for a moment, then to Fluttershy with wide, admirable eyes. Before anypony could stop her, she jumped Fluttershy in a hug, breaking the pegasus’s coil of hair around herself. “You are an inspiration to many ponies, Fluttershy. Especially to me. Why, if it wasn’t for you and what you have done, I wouldn’t have been able to follow my dreams of exploring and being on this ship.” She hugged the pegasus tighter, earning a squeak from her idol. “So thank you, Fluttershy. For being amazing.”

Fluttershy, with a faint pink blush on her cheeks, looked to Twilight for help. The unicorn, with a smile, gestured with a hoof for Fluttershy to wrap a hoof around her and hug her back. Fluttershy, after a moment of hesitance, nodded, and then wrapped a leg around the mare. “You’re welcome, miss…”

“Oh, I’m Green Leaf,” the mare introduced herself. She pulled herself out of the hug and backed away, giving Fluttershy some space. “Oh! Oh! I just remembered something! I’ll be back in a moment! Please don’t go anywhere… unless if you don’t want to…” Her voice trailed off as she ran down out of the room and galloped right down the corridor and out of sight and hearing.

Twilight watched her go, then looked back at her friend and crush, who’s eyes were as wide as her face, her mouth was slack, and her chest was rising and falling rather quickly. It was apparent to Twilight that she was panicking. “Fluttershy, you have to relax,” Twilight said. “Here, try this.” She put a hoof to her chest, taking a deep breath as she did so, and then let it out again while stretching her leg out.

Fluttershy watched her do it, then put a hoof to her chest while taking a deep breath, then letting it out again while stretching her leg. At once, she felt her whole body relax from its tense form. “Gosh, I can’t believe that really worked, to be honest. When did you learn to do that?”

“Something Cadence taught me when I was younger,” Twilight replied. “I sometimes had panic attacks, and she thought of that to help me calm down. I only just remembered it since I’ve started seeing her again.”

“Like that little dance you and her do together,” Fluttershy said, suppressing a giggle. “Oh, don’t get me wrong! I love it!” Fluttershy said assuredly upon seeing Twilight’s look. “It’s really cute when you two do it. It makes me wish I had something like that for me and a friend to do when we saw each other. But I only had Rainbow Dash as a friend, and she said she was too cool for that sort of thing.”

Twilight looked at her with sadness and pity. The image of Fluttershy being alone for most of her childhood was something she hated imagining, simply because she couldn’t believe it; Fluttershy was too darn nice to not hang out with. She quickly began thinking of a way to make up for something her secret love missed. “Well, how about we have a welcoming thing of our own?” Twilight suggested after a moment. “Something new, not too simple, or too complicated. Something that suits both of us.”

Fluttershy’s face lit up with unbridled joy, making it hard for the unicorn to resist the urge to kiss her. “You would do that for me?” she asked.

Twilight put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Of course, I’ll do anything for my friends.” ‘Especially you, Fluttershy.’

Fluttershy couldn’t contain her excitement, and let out a squee as she grinned from ear to ear. “Oh, thank you, Twilight!” she squealed, hugging the unicorn tight. ‘Twilight is such a kind mare,’ she thought. ‘The mare she loves will be lucky to have her.’ Yet, for some reason, that thought allowed a pang of sadness to flow through her. ‘Why would I feel like that, though?’ she mused, the smile on her face withering as she thought about it deeper. ‘I should be happy for her, and whoever this mare is.’

She would have thought further about it, had it not been for the timid knocking of somepony at the door. “Um, am I interrupting anything?” Green Leaf asked nervously, her voice muffled by something in her mouth.

The two ponies split apart instantly, looking at their hooves and blushing furiously for being caught in a compromising position. “Um, no, you’re not interrupting anything at all,” Fluttershy said. She raised her head to look eye level at the other pony, and couldn’t help but widen her eyes at what Green Leaf had in her mouth.

It was a magazine, with the front cover of her at her side looking at the camera from behind her mane. She took a step forward and leaned her head forward to be certain it was her. “Don’t you recognise yourself, Miss Fluttershy?” Green Leaf asked.

Fluttershy glanced up at her. “Um, yes, but… but I just can’t remember when this cover came out. And please, just call me Fluttershy… if you want to, that is,” she said timidly. Twilight looked away so she could roll her eyes.

Green Leaf let out a little excitable giggle. “I would love to. So… I was wondering if you could sign an autograph for me on this. If that’s okay?”

Fluttershy looked back at Twilight in the hope she would know what to do. Twilight simply gestured with a hoof for her to go along with it. Fluttershy looked back at Green Leaf, who had shrunk back at Fluttershy’s hesitant pose, and smiled warmly at her. “I would love to, Green Leaf,” she said sweetly.

Green Leaf beamed with delight. She set the magazine down on the bed, while Fluttershy took hold of a quill given to her by Twilight. With the quill in ink, she began scribbling on the magazine her signature and a small message that read, “Never stop aiming to be the best you can be, Green Leaf. Lots of love, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy spat the quill out, and then gave the magazine back to Green Leaf, who took it with shaking hooves. “T-thank you, Fluttershy,” she stammered, looking at what she wrote. “This will go in a glass case when I get back home.” She began backing out of the room. “Well I suppose I better let you both get on, and I gotta get back to work. Thanks for the autograph, Fluttershy. Don’t stop being amazing yourself.” With that, she slipped out of the room and galloped down the corridor.

Fluttershy and Twilight listened to her go with small smiles. “Well, well, well,” Twilight broke the silence, smirking at her friend. “It appears you have a fan club.”

“Please don’t tell anypony about this when we get home,” Fluttershy pleaded. “I’ll never hear the end of it from our friends – especially from Rainbow.”

“I think you’re being a bit too harsh on Rainbow. I don’t think she would tease you about it. She’ll probably praise you for it.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. She just won’t stop,” Fluttershy mumbled. She jumped up and sat her rump on the bed, sighing heavily. “I can’t believe there is actually a group of ponies out there who admire me.”

“To be fair, you did have the most successful fashion career in the history of Equestria, despite its length. Ponies were not going to forget about you so quickly. You did realise that when you did quit, didn’t you?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I never thought about it, to be honest. I was just glad I had Rarity back as a friend to think or care about what other ponies might think of what I just did.” Fluttershy leaned back till her head was resting against the wall. “How can some ponies admire me? What have I done to earn their praise?”

“A lot, from what I remember,” Twilight said sternly. She jumped up on the bed and sat on her haunches. “All those things Green Leaf said, and more. Yes, you have had some failures, but so have I, and everypony else on Terra, yet you still got back up and tried again, and that’s why many ponies admire you… why I admire you.”

Fluttershy shot her head round to face her. “You admire me?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course I do. I admire all of my friends.” ‘But not as much as you, Fluttershy.’ “You all have done so much for me, and for all of Equestria. Without you, or Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie and Rainbow, I wouldn’t be living in Ponyville; I would be stuck in Canterlot and have my nose stuck in a book for the rest of my life. In fact, I don’t think I would have come as far as I have without all of you.”

Fluttershy looked at her for a moment, and then felt a smile grow on her face. “I admire you, too, Twilight. Always remember that.” With that said, Fluttershy jumped off the bed. “Right, now that I am fully awake, I feel like exploring some islands.” She lifted up a hoof and turned it around for Twilight to accept, putting on a posh impersonation of an old explorer she had read about once. “Miss Sparkle, would you like to accompany me onto the Iron Pony Islands?”

Twilight giggled while she reached out and accepted the hoof with her own. “I would love to, Miss Whisperwing.” The two ponies giggled, then let go of each other’s hooves to pick up their saddlebags. “Do we have any food for a picnic, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked as she rummaged through her saddlebags.

“I think so, let me check… is that… ah! Yes, we do have some sandwiches to eat if you want some. They might be a bit old, though,” Fluttershy answered.

“Are they fresh? So long as they are fresh then they should be all right.”

“Hold on, let me check.” Fluttershy took out the bagged sandwiches in her saddlebags and scrutinised them carefully with narrow eyes. “Do they look fresh to you?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m not really the pony you should be asking that. I’m not the greatest chef in the world, remember?”

“Oh… yeah… Oh, what I mean is, you’re not a bad chef. You just need to practice some more, that’s all. If you want me to, I could help you make food better and with less time spent cooking it, if you want.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in delight. “You would do that for me?”

“Of course,” Fluttershy nodded. “You’re helping me with one thing, so I should return the favour with another… unless you don’t want to be taught how to cook.”

“No, no, I would love to be taught on how to. Especially from someone who actually knows how to cook, and not bake. I asked Pinkie Pie once, and… Do you remember that massive chocolate flood Ponyville had a month or so back?”

“Oh, yes, I remember that! But why do you mentio– oh.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. That’s what happens when you tell somepony to use magic to make something cook faster,” she said, shuddering at the memory. She quickly shook her head to rid the memory away. “Anyway, if we’re ready to go then let’s head up on deck. I want to see us docking.” The two ponies fastened their saddlebags up, placed them on their backs, then left their quarters and made their way up onto the deck.

“Ah, good morning to you, lassies,” Seahoof greeted them as they arrived with a wry grin, blowing a few bubbles from his pipe. The two mares greeted him with a smile. He inclined his head at them, and then gestured with a leg to the right of them. “So what do you think?”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked over his shoulder, and gasped in awe at the building they were looking at. A huge tower, made out of dark grey stone and went as high as the clouds themselves, rested on a small island in the middle of the bay where the main city of the iron ponies nestled. The two ponies could only barely make out the large beacon at the top of the tower. “Is that what we saw last night?” Twilight queried.

“Aye, that it is, lass,” Seahoof answered with a nod. “The Tower of Light, or as the iron ponies like to call it, ‘The Tower of Illumination’.”

“That’s not much of a fancier name than the other one,” Twilight pointed out.

“Does it really matter what it’s called?” Seahoof countered. “So long as it saves lives then I can call it whatever I darn well please.” He blew a few more bubbles from his pipe.

Fluttershy, however, was going pale and nauseous by looking up at it. “Oh my, it’s so… high,” she stated, pausing to swallow a lump in her throat.

Seahoof looked at her weirdly. “Well of course it’s high. Nopony could see it if it was too low to the ground, young lass. Anyway, I thought you pegasi didn’t mind heights?”

Fluttershy looked to Twilight for help, which the unicorn quickly gave. “Most do,” Twilight stepped in. “Fluttershy’s just an exception. She can get a bit scared of heights sometimes.”

Seahoof’s laugh boomed across the sea, making Fluttershy squeak in fright. “A pegasus that’s scared of heights? That’s something I haven’t heard of at all.”

“I’m not scared of heights exactly,” Fluttershy mumbled defensively, though Twilight was the only one to hear. “I’m scared of falling.”

Twilight was about to turn around and ask what she meant, but Seahoof continued. “You are a unique one, wee lass. I like that. I like that a lot. Don’t mean to poke fun at you, ’tis just something I’ve never heard off.” He lifted a hoof for her to shake. “No hard feelings?”

Fluttershy looked up from behind her mane and looked into the captain’s eyes, searching for any sign of deceit or something like that. She smiled when she saw none. “No hard feelings,” she said, taking the hoof in her own and shaking it.

Seahoof pulled his hoof away, and then turned to Twilight. “Now, I only have a day to re-supply for the journey ahead, and I only have room to supply everypony on this ship for four months. If we don’t find any land after two months, then I’m turning this ship around and heading back here. I will not risk the lives of my crew for nothing. You both understand that, right?”

Twilight gave a firm nod. “Of course we do. You’re the captain here, so whatever you say goes.”

Seahoof looked surprised. “Really? You won’t complain or protest about it?”

The two ponies shook their heads. “Like Twilight said, captain. It’s your ship, and we wouldn’t want to argue with your judgement,” Fluttershy said.

Seahoof looked genuinely surprised, and touched by the two ponies’ honesty. “Why, I don’t know what to say. Most ponies that come with me tend to protest and whine till their heart’s content if what I say doesn’t go with their ideals.” He swiftly bowed his head at them. “Thank you, Twilight and Fluttershy. You two are indeed honourable mares.”

The two ponies blushed bright pink. “Oh, it was nothing, really, we were just being honest and it’s your ship,” the two ponies muttered incoherently. Seahoof just chuckled, and then turned to face the bow of the ship once more.

“There we are,” he said. He pointed a hoof at the town suddenly appearing from around the corner. “Twilight, Fluttershy, allow me to welcome you fine lassies to the city of Skyros, the capital of the Iron Pony Islands.”

“Wow,” the two mares oozed, their mouths open and their eyes wide.

A quarter of the city of Skyros was perched above the water, with large frames jutting out of the water, keeping the old buildings fixed in place. The buildings themselves were old, with some built out of stone, and even some were built out of iron, but most were built of wood and crude brickwork. Long, old wooden bridges fastened together by rope connected the city together, giving the ponies of the island a way to get around the furthest parts of the city. Beyond the bridges and old buildings that existed above the sea, the rest of the city sat on a sloping hill that spanned across the whole bay. The buildings that made up the rest of the city were much like the older ones; large, squared, stone built homes, shops and granaries filled around the bay, with narrow streets paved in iron or stone.

“Okay, first mare, shut off the engines and bring her in slowly!” Seahoof ordered. At once, the rumble that shook the ship ended, and the ship drifted silently beneath the first half of the city. Fluttershy and Twilight looked up to see large, bulky ponies hanging over the side of the bridges, or some of the houses, watching them curiously as they floated by.

As the Wave Breaker went deeper into the city, the path the ship took was getting narrower with every second. “We’ll fit, lassies. Don’t you worry,” he assured them upon seeing their nervous looks. He was quickly proven right, for the narrow path suddenly ended, and it opened up into a small bay with a pier at the far end, devoid of ships, thankfully, yet there was a large crane at one end, shacks behind it, and a large goods-shed full of food and drink.

Seahoof left Twilight and Fluttershy to head back up onto the bridge and bring her about so they could dock comfortably. “So, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, her eyes looking over the port of Skyros, then back at Fluttershy. “What do you want to do when we get off?”

“Um,” Fluttershy pondered, sticking her tongue out a little and looking to the sky as she thought about it. “I’m not really sure. I don’t know what’s here, to be honest. What about you?”

“Well, if you don’t mind, of course, I really would like to see one of these bridges that Admiral Hurricane mentioned when she first came here,” Twilight answered, looking at Fluttershy pleadingly.

Fluttershy giggled. “Of course I don’t mind, Twilight. It would be nice to have a day of exploring.”

“Okay, then. So how about we just walk around the island and explore for a bit?” Twilight suggested. “We have got all day here, and it would be nice to get away from cities and be on our own, with nopony holding us back. What do you think?”

Although Fluttershy felt a wave of nervousness flow through her, she knew that was just normal in her case. This day was one that Fluttershy had dreamed about since she was a little filly: going to a place she had never seen before, and seeing things that had never been seen. Despite the fact that the island had probably been walked over hundreds of times, and seen at every possible angle, there was still time for Fluttershy to set her mark on something that hadn’t been seen yet. Maybe not here, but someplace else.

She looked over to Twilight, and grinned excitedly. “I would love that.” She slung a leg over Twilight’s shoulders, making Twilight rather uncomfortable for a second, shocked that Fluttershy would do such a thing. “Just me and you, painting the island red.” She gestured with a sweep of her free leg to the Iron Pony Islands.

“But we don’t have any red paint, and even if we did I doubt we would have enough to cover the whole island,” Twilight pointed out.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. ‘Way to kill the moment, Twilight.’ “It is a figure of speech, Twilight. It normally goes when you’re heading into town to do some shopping or something like that. Rarity sometimes uses it when me and her go out shopping in town.”

Twilight’s mouth formed an O as she understood. “Oh… okay.” She was about to say more, when she suddenly staggered and fell into Fluttershy as the ship bumped into the pier, and came to a stop.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw to her horror she had pinned Fluttershy onto her back, with herself resting on top of her, her lips inches away from Fluttershy’s own. ‘Oh dear,’ she thought. The two mares fiercely blushed as Twilight got up and off Fluttershy, then helped Fluttershy up as well. “I am so sorry about that,” Twilight said, not daring to look into her friend’s eyes. “It was the ship bumpi–” She was cut off when Fluttershy pressed a hoof against her lips, smiling amiably at her.

“It’s okay, Twilight. Accidents happen,” Fluttershy said, although a small part of her liked the close proximity Twilight was with her, and wanted it a bit more often. ‘Get out of my head!’ she raged. ‘How many times do I have to tell myself I don’t love her?’

‘I will stop when you realise that you do love her,’ her mind replied, before fading away again.

“Fluttershy, you okay? You look like you just zoned out there,” Twilight asked, taking a step forward and looking worried.

Fluttershy quickly realised she had been staring into nowhere for a few seconds. She looked up, and smiled assuredly at Twilight. “Sorry, Twilight. I guess I did kinda zone out for a second.”

“How come?” Twilight enquired.

‘Because I was thinking about how much I love you,’ Fluttershy thought of saying. Before her lips could read her mind and say what she didn’t want to say, she quickly said, “I was thinking about if our friends would have liked to have seen this place as well.”

Twilight smiled and nodded at her in understanding. “We can always come back with them later, you know.” She turned around to look at the harbour, and her eyes ran along the city of Skyros. “The islands are not going anywhere after all.”

Fluttershy giggled as she moved to stand beside her. “You’re right. Sorry, I shouldn’t be thinking about our friends.”

“What makes you think that?” Twilight asked, looking at her and lifting an eyebrow in confusion. “It’s okay to think about our friends, Fluttershy. I think about home all the time, hope Spike has managed to keep the library upright without me. What makes you think you shouldn’t?”

“I just thought that thinking about home and that sort of thing ruins the mood. Sorry if it did.”

Twilight giggled, then gave Fluttershy a friendly nuzzle. “Trust me. With how everything is going so smoothly at the moment, nothing can ruin the mood for me.” She pulled away, grinning. “Not even a group of hungry sirens.”

The two shared a quiet laugh. Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but was beaten to it by Seahoof. “Lassies, the Iron Pony Islands are free to you,” he announced, pointing with a hoof to the gangplank leading off the ship and down onto the docks. “Have a nice time, but watch yourselves out there. The weather has a nasty habit of changing without warning.”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked up at him, and gave him a nod. “We will. Thank you for getting us here,” Twilight said. Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

“Ah, it was nothing, lassies. It’s just a shame you both had to go through that horrible experience with those sirens. Oh well, you’re both here, and that’s what matters. Stay safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Fluttershy and Twilight waved to him as Seahoof went back inside the ship, leaving the two mares to their own devices.

Twilight looked to Fluttershy, shaking and grinning in anticipation as she thought about what they might find on the island. Ever since she was a small filly, and learning about the world under Princess Celestia, the Iron Pony Islands was one of the few natural landmarks she had the most interest in, especially for the ancient bridges that joined them together. ‘If I get a long enough time to study them, then maybe I can find out who built them,’ Twilight thought giggly.

“What are you giggling about?” Fluttershy asked, a small grin on her face as she looked at Twilight.

“Oh, I was just thinking that if I had any longer, I could try and study one of the bridges and see who might have built them,” Twilight explained.

‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’ Fluttershy thought light heartedly. Her grin grew a little wider and she shook her head. “Well there is only one way to find that out.” With a very gentle nudge of her head, she pushed Twilight towards the gangplank. “Come on, let’s do some exploring.”

Twilight pressed her hooves into the deck, determined not to get off the ship via the gangplank, which had nothing to stop her from falling into the water incase she toppled over. “Yes, yes, come on, let’s go,” Twilight said, powering up her horn. Just as Fluttershy stopped pushing her forward, Twilight disappeared in a white flash, just to appear again on the pier and dry land.

Her eyes suddenly went wide, and the grin on her face went wider as she tried to understand that she was standing on the Iron Pony Islands, somewhere she had dreamt of being on for ages. She could see it, she could feel it beneath her hooves, she could smell the aroma of the sea, and of the city around her. She had always dreamed of what it would all be like, and although the smell of it was less than pleasant, everything else was just as she had imagined. “I’m on the Iron Pony Islands!” she cheered in joy, hopping on the spot and giggling like a little filly who had got her best birthday present ever.

Fluttershy smiled as she watched Twilight dance joyfully in the knowledge she was finally here. She was glad they were here also, and could not wait to spend another day with her friend. ‘Twilight is always a great pony to hang around with,’ Fluttershy observed. ‘She’s quiet, controlled, funny, and knows so much that others could know.’

‘Careful, Fluttershy,’ her mind warned her. ‘Anypony would think you love her.’

‘I don’t love her. It was a compliment, that’s all. Now, if you excuse me, I have a friend to be with.’ She quickly spread her wings and fluttered over to where Twilight was waiting for her, shaking in uncontained excitement.

“Ready to go?” Twilight asked once Fluttershy had landed in front of her.

Fluttershy nodded. “I think so. Mind if I have a second look through my saddlebags so I know I have everything?”

“Of course not. I’ll have a look through mine while you’re at it.” The two mares dived their heads into their saddlebags, and searched them to see if they had everything.

“Right, that’s everything,” the two ponies said simultaneously as they took their heads out of their saddlebags. The two ponies’ eyes widened when they realised they said the same thing at once, and then began to laugh. Once they calmed down, they looked at each other and smiled affectionally.

“Right, come on, let’s get to seeing these islands,” Twilight said, starting to trot out of the port and out of the city.

Fluttershy smiled eagerly as she broke into a trot and walked alongside her friend, excited chills running across her body as she didn’t know what to expect.

Author's Note

Fact: Skyros is the name of a greek island in the Agean ocean, and is also the name of a pony breed that inhabits the island.

Because this chapter as a whole is currently going over 15,000 words (and rising) I have split the chapters up into two parts to make it easier to read. The next part should be out very soon.

Hope you enjoyed it, and crit is always welcome.

Chapter 8 (part 2)

About half an hour later – according to Twilight’s calculations from looking at the sun – the two ponies were out of Skyros and out in the open wilderness, following a narrow, iron-paved path into the open, hilly plains. The wind wasn’t too strong, yet was blowing in their faces, sweeping their manes across their eyes and narrowing their vision. Yet they continued, for they were not going to be deterred by a gust of wind from the expansive ocean.

Despite the wind, they were left in awe of the island scenery around them. They were beautiful. Around the iron-paved path, dark green grass that shimmered in the sunlight covered the landscape, with small, bumpy hills dotted here and there; trees clustered together like penguins were spread about in small chunks, and large groups of small, large-leafed plants surrounded the hills, with their leaves shimmering a bright green from the previous rain.

“Oh wow, Cyatheales!” Fluttershy exclaimed, fluttering over to the plants and examining them closely with a look of delight. “I have seen pictures of these, and had looked for them everywhere! But I had no luck until today!”

Twilight took her eyes off the landscape, and walked over to join Fluttershy in studying the plants. “Wow,” she said. “They look lovely.” She brushed a hoof against it. “And feel it, too.”

“I can’t believe I have finally seen one now, and I have you to thank for it, Twilight.” She gripped the unicorn in a quick hug.

Twilight giggled. “There’s no need to thank me, Fluttershy. It was you who decided for us to come this far, so you should be thanking yourself.”

“Well, I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I know that. Yet you were the one who came up with the idea to go and find this flower in the first place.” Fluttershy pulled away and stepped back. “So thank you, Twilight, for getting me out of the cottage. If I’m honest, I was getting bored to the point of death in there.” The two moved back onto the road and continued to trot down the path. As they walked, they both noticed that the iron path they were taking made the sound of their hooves hitting the ground echo across the land, making them sound heavier than usual.

“Yeah, about that,” Twilight said as they passed a small hill filled with fern trees. “I was surprised just to see how empty your place was. I always thought you were busy throughout the year.”

“Usually I am,” Fluttershy said, “but once in a full moon there’s a long lapse in how many animals need my attention. Most of them have their own things to do, like finding mates, or making their own homes elsewhere.”

“That must be quite difficult for you,” Twilight said, “watching all your little animal friends move away like that.”

“Not really,” Fluttershy corrected her, much to Twilight’s surprise. “I actually encourage them all to move away and do their own thing. There will come a time when I’m not there to help them, and they need to look after themselves. Oh, don’t look at me like that, Twilight, please? It’s the truth. Nothing more,” she said upon seeing Twilight’s face, which was one of sadness.

After a moment, Twilight sighed. “You’re right. It is the truth.” She quickly changed the subject back before they both became a bit more morbid. “So, uh, your animal friends. Do most of them hibernate in the winter, or head south?”

“Oh, yes, half go off to hibernate, while the rest head south. That’s when it gets really boring,” Fluttershy continued. “I’m lucky to know such good pony friends to go and see during that time, or else the three months wait till their return would have been agony.”

“Well even without us, I’m sure it wouldn’t have been that bad,” Twilight said. “You have your parents to go to, after all. I bet they would have been happy to see you for the holidays.”

Fluttershy grimaced at the mention of her parents, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by Twilight. Before she could question her about it, Fluttershy suddenly pointed to the left of them at something. “Oo, what’s that?” Fluttershy asked, hoping Twilight would accept the subject change. She didn’t feel ready to talk about her parents just yet. She knew there would come a point where she couldn’t keep it down, but that time wasn’t today.

Twilight looked at where she was pointing, and gasped. “Ruins!” she exclaimed ecstatically. “I love ruins!” Without a second thought she galloped away from Fluttershy and towards the ruins.

Fluttershy breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she watched Twilight go, glad she was distracted from going on about her parents, and why she was so hesitant to speak about them. ‘Twilight will remember, though,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘She has a great memory. She’ll pick up on it sooner or later. Then she’ll know me for the horrible pony I am.’ She shuddered at the thought of what Twilight might say to her when her past comes to the unicorn’s knowledge, with words of anger and contempt running through her mind in Twilight’s voice.

‘No!’ Fluttershy shook the thoughts away from her mind. ‘Twilight is an amazing, understanding pony. She would never hate me for what I have done.’ Yet, despite her encouraging thoughts, the doubt remained entrenched in her mind.

“Fluttershy!” Fluttershy shot her head up upon hearing Twilight’s voice. She quickly realised she had been standing where she was for a few minutes now, and holding Twilight up. “Are you all right?”

“Sorry, Twilight! I’m coming!” Fluttershy called in response. She quickly broke into a gallop to catch up to the unicorn, who had stopped at the top of a small mound of a hill, and looking at the ruins with wide, delighted eyes.

“There are no words…” Twilight gasped, her irises wider than her eyes. The ruins were what appeared to be the remains of a great city. From the air the keep was shaped like a rectangle, and had the skeletal remains of large squared towers at either end of the building. Around the keep were leftovers of other buildings. Most where just piles of rubble, while others were mostly skeleton structures, with only the frames left to know there was a building ever there. Only one building was entirely intact, and that was a large, round tower about a mile or so in the distance, perched on a small hill, and overlooking the whole plain.

Fluttershy was soon standing next to her, and sat on her haunches as she felt her breath get taken away from her by the beauty, and sadness, of this place. “What is this place?” she asked.

“Castamare,” Twilight replied, her eyes running across the ruins. “The first capital of the Iron Pony Islands.” She jumped off the mound and began walking towards the ruins, with Fluttershy right beside her.

“Was it destroyed in the war?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight nodded sullenly. “It was the last place to fall to the Equestrian army during the Iron War, as it was called. It managed to hold off a huge army for most of the day, before it finally surrendered to the Equestrian forces. Yet, despite the iron ponies’ surrender, the city was destroyed ruthlessly, with only a few ponies left to rebuild it, which they never did.”

She looked back to see Fluttershy was frozen in place, her eyes wide and tearful, and a hoof clamped over her mouth. “Why would they do such a horrible thing?” Fluttershy asked. “What did the iron ponies do to deserve such horror?”

Twilight nodded agreeably. “It was horrible, I agree with you. However, to the Equestrian rulers, treason needed to be punished ruthlessly, less anypony else thought about rising up against them.” Twilight turned around to face Fluttershy, looking at her with understanding.

“Were the rulers ever punished for this cruelty?” Fluttershy asked, a trace of anger in her voice and look. Twilight would be lying if she said Fluttershy’s anger did not frighten her, for it was like lightning; there one moment, then gone the next, and was vicious and unforgiving every time it appeared.

Twilight nodded. “Oh, yes. More benevolent rulers overthrew them about three years afterwards, and they forgave the iron ponies for their sudden turning, while they begged for forgiveness for what happened that day in Castamare. The iron ponies agreed, on condition that they punish the original rulers who ordered Castamare’s destruction. The rulers quickly agreed, and handed them over.” Before Fluttershy could ask what happened to them, Twilight spun around and clapped her hooves together in anticipation of this small exploration. “Right then, let’s go and have a look at this, then, shall we?”

Fluttershy quickly forgot about the events of the past, and then grinned eagerly alongside Twilight. A sudden idea had crept into her mind, something that could make this seem less solemn, and more fun. Although she wasn’t much for real fun, she felt she could have fun with Twilight easily, for the unicorn preferred doing other things than having fun, much like her. ‘We have so much in common,’ Fluttershy thought.

She slowly walked forward, and then using her tail, tapped Twilight lightly on the muzzle. “Tag. You’re it,” she said, before galloping off into the ruins, giggling.

Twilight wrinkled her nose, and then grinned excitedly. “Oh, it is on,” she said, then burst into a gallop, laughing as she did so.

The two giggled joyfully as they weaved their way through the ruins, turning this way and that as Twilight tried to catch Fluttershy, to no avail. Fluttershy was too quick and agile for her. ‘She’s a pegasus, silly,’ Twilight thought. ‘Pegasi have a lighter skeleton than other ponies, and are much more flexible. They can squeeze into the smallest gaps without problem. I need to win this through my way – magic.’

Grinning to herself as a plan came into her mind, she quickly powered up her horn, and disappeared. Everything went white for a second, before colour and shape returned, and she found herself standing in front of Fluttershy, who was running towards her and looking back to see where Twilight went.

The pegasus turned her head around to see where she was going, and skidded to a halt when she saw Twilight standing in front of her. She stopped just before Twilight, who casually raised a hoof and poked her on the muzzle. “Now you’re it,” she said with a smirk, before vanishing altogether.

Fluttershy shot her head around to look among the ruins, and kept her ears up to hear the familiar cracking sound of a pony reappearing through reality. Even though she couldn’t see nor hear Twilight, she felt a grin spread across her face as she started looking among the ruins for her. This was fun; there was no doubt about it. She didn’t feel worried, or upset that Twilight used her magic. She knew she wouldn’t be too far away, nor would she use her magic when she knew Fluttershy had an advantage over her as well. ‘Time to use my wings,’ she decided.

She spread her wings and shot into the air, until she was right above the ruins of Castamare and could see the whole sight. Once she began hovering, she looked down, and tried to make out her friend among the ruins and flora.

She didn’t take too long, for she quickly saw Twilight’s rump and tail sticking out from underneath a stone, and heard the quiet giggle from the mare. Grinning, she slowly fluttered back to the ground, and gingerly tiptoed towards the hiding unicorn, who was looking out one way, yet was unable to look behind her.

Fluttershy took to the air again, and hovered just above Twilight’s backside. Then, with a wide grin, began tickling Twilight’s sides. “Now you’re it,” she giggled.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she felt hooves run down her sides and her most ticklish area. Quickly, she scrambled out of her hiding place, and tried to run away. She didn’t make it far, for Fluttershy leapt onto her, pinned her down and began tickling her on the sides. “No… please… that really… ti-tic-tickles!” Twilight gasped between fits of laughter. Twilight felt her hoof press against Fluttershy’s belly, gaining a ticklish reaction from the other mare.

Twilight grinned when she realised Fluttershy was ticklish there. Glad she could now have the upper hoof; she began to rub her hoof on her friend’s belly in quick circles, making Fluttershy break off from her tickling spree, and laughing as she felt the tickles overtaking her. It was a good feeling.

“Give up?” Twilight asked as she got Fluttershy on her back and tickling her relentlessly on the belly.

Fluttershy nodded, her eyes tearing up after laughing so long and hard. “Yes! I give up, you win, just make it stop!” she cried through fits of laughter.

Twilight pulled her hoof away and backed off from her. Both mares sat on their haunches, and smiled amiably at each other while getting their breaths back. “That… was fun,” Fluttershy panted, her soft smile turning into a grin, and making Twilight’s heart melt.

‘Any pony’s heart would melt at such a grin,’ Twilight thought. “That certainly was,” Twilight agreed. “I’d forgotten… how quick you were… the last time… we raced.” She stood up on all fours. “I don’t know why… you don’t do something like that more often, because… being with you… is a lot of fun.”

Fluttershy stood up as well. “I’m fun to be around?” Fluttershy sounded surprised. “Wow. I always thought I was boring to be with.”

Twilight’s smile faded. “Why on earth would you think that? I certainly haven’t thought of you as boring at all since I met you, and you definitely haven’t been boring on this trip.”

“Oh, well, I guess it’s because of the others, I suppose. I don’t mean to sound mean, but compared to them, I feel boring. Yet with you, I don’t feel as boring for some reason. I don’t mean you are boring as well. You’re not. I just feel that way for some reason.”

“Well don’t think like that. Ever,” Twilight said sternly, but gently. “You’re a lot of fun to be around, Fluttershy. Like I said before, your way of fun is slower and calmer than the others, and that’s why I like hanging around with you. ‘And it is another reason why I love you.’

Fluttershy’s smile returned. “Ah, thank you, Twilight. I love hanging around with you, too.” ‘Did I just say love instead of like?’ she thought. “Um, shall we have a look at these ruins and then go to that tower?” she asked quickly, gesturing with a hoof at the ruins around her.

Twilight gave her an odd look, before recovering and nodding in agreement. ‘Why did she change the subject so quickly after saying she loved hanging around with me?’ Twilight thought. ‘Is she hiding something from me?’ If she was, Twilight couldn’t understand why she would do that. ‘She knows I can be trusted, doesn’t she?’ But then again, did she trust Fluttershy completely to reveal her love to her just yet?

Although she trusted Fluttershy with her very life, she couldn’t understand why she felt like she couldn’t trust her with these feelings. She felt awful for standing in front of the mare she cared about most, and couldn’t say three simple words, out of fear. ‘All of this would have been avoided had I been brave and trusted Fluttershy enough to say those three words,’ she thought. ‘I will tell her, though. One day, on this trip, I will tell her.’

“Um, Twilight? Are you okay?” Fluttershy queried. She waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s blank face. “You look like you just zoned out there.”

Twilight shook her head, and smiled assuredly. “Sorry, yeah I kinda did. Sorry.” She shook her head once more. “Come on, let’s take a slow walk to that tower.” She turned around, and began to walk through the ruins once more. Fluttershy broke into a trot to catch up to her, and once she was beside her, slowed into a walk.

“I thought, well, being the capital and all, Castamare would have a lot more ruins. This place seems too small to be a capital,” Fluttershy said, looking around.

“Oh, it was. Way bigger than this,” Twilight said. “Some ponies say it was the size of Canterlot timed by two.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s huge! Then, if it was that big, then what happened to some of the ruins?”

“Long after the fall of Castamare,” Twilight explained, “the iron ponies brought down a lot of the ruins, and used a lot of the old stone, and any wood that was left that was renewable, to build new homes in Skyros or wherever somepony wanted to live if the city life wasn’t for them.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “That’s good. At least the stone went to a good cause, rather than fade away here. I don’t want to imagine what it would have been like for the ponies who were forced to spend nights out in the cold without a roof over their heads.”

“I’m sure they would have managed; they are known as the iron ponies after all,” Twilight said, although she expected Fluttershy to say something like that. If the kind-hearted pegasus was around, Twilight theorised, she would probably have built the whole city herself if it meant ponies could sleep comfortably at night. ‘I wouldn’t put it past her to build a whole city,’ Twilight thought. ‘I have watched her shake apples out of trees at quite a speed, after all.’

Twilight was shaken out of her thoughts once more when she glanced at one of the stones to the right of her, lying on the ground with weeds growing around it as the stone began to be reclaimed by nature. For Twilight, that was sad. A thousand years from now, maybe more, this stone, and the others around it will be taken by the earth, and would only be remembered through history books and song. Twilight’s eyes widened at the remembrance of the song, and wondered if Fluttershy would like to hear it. She knew Fluttershy was a pony who loved music, and had quite an extensive music collection back home.

She decided to ask. “There’s a song about this place,” Twilight remarked suddenly, rubbing the stone next to her with a hoof. “An iron pony wrote it not long after Castamare’s destruction, mostly about the rains that fell for days without pause. Do you want to hear it?”

Fluttershy looked from the rocks strewn about the place to Twilight, her eyes wide with fascination. “Is it a sad song?”

“Well, it’s not exactly one you want to hear at a wedding, to put it one way,” Twilight answered with a shrug.

“Oh. Then, if it’s okay with you, then I think I’ll pass,” Fluttershy said, smiling comfortingly. “It’s not your singing I don’t want to hear, of course. You’re a great singer, Twilight. It’s just that I don’t like sad songs. I prefer the more jolly ones; the ones that want to make you sway your hips and just dance to the beat with a smile on your face.”

Twilight nodded in understanding, although she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. That disappointed feeling washed away when she saw Fluttershy’s smile. “That’s okay, I guess,” she said, smiling back. She briskly walked away from the stone and headed towards the tower, a look of curiosity on her face. Why was that tower there, and in one piece, when the rest of this place was just a ruin?

“Oh my goodness! You look so cute when you’re curious!” Fluttershy exclaimed from behind her.

Twilight halted, becoming still as a statue. She could feel her cheeks start to burn a fierce pink as her mind tried to tell her that she didn’t just imagine that. “Did you just say I’m…?” she asked as she turned her head around to face her friend and crush. Her question faded away, and her heart slowed down to a reasonable pace, when she saw Fluttershy wasn’t talking to her.

The pegasus was staring delightfully at a small red squirrel, which looked back at her with a tilted head and curious eyes, blinking every now and then. “I’ve never seen a red squirrel before. I always thought you were all extinct. Oh I am so happy you are not!” Fluttershy squealed, picking the squirrel up and hugging it tight. The squirrel, although surprised it could understand what she was saying, returned the sweet affection with a nuzzle to her chest.

“Wow,” Twilight whispered, tiptoeing up to them and looking at the squirrel with interested eyes.

The squirrel’s head shot around to look at Twilight for a moment, and then tried to break away. “Hey, it’s okay, little one, it’s okay,” she reassured it. “Twilight is a really good friend of mine. She would never hurt you intentionally. If she does…” She left the rest unsaid, but the message was clear as glass, and it made Twilight shiver in fear in doing something wrong.

The squirrel jumped out of Fluttershy’s hold and looked at Twilight with the same amount of curiosity as it did with Fluttershy. It inched its head closer to Twilight to have a proper sniff. Believing it wanted a nuzzle, Twilight inched her head closer so their noses were almost touching. ‘This is amazing,’ Twilight thought gleefully. She had wanted to get a grip with nature for a long time, and with Fluttershy, she saw a chance to be with her longer, and understand the world better. This seemed to be the start of such a journey, and it already felt magical.

That magical moment was slaughtered when the squirrel sneezed in her face and then ran off.

Twilight closed her eyes and backed away, wiping her face with a hoof, and wiping her hoof on the grass. ‘That was disgusting,’ Twilight thought, sticking her tongue out. When she opened her eyes again, she quickly narrowed them when she saw Fluttershy was hiding her face behind her mane, giggling as quietly as she could try.

Fluttershy looked out from her mane shield to see Twilight glaring at her, then quickly hid her face back behind it, giggling even louder. “I’m so sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy giggled, trying to stop. “I don’t mean to, but I just can’t help myself. That was so cute! The poor little thing. I hope that cold goes away soon.” She threw her mane back out of her face and took a deep breath to calm herself down, which worked quite well.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Adorable,” she said sarcastically. Fluttershy gave her a sweet smile, which made Twilight’s heart melt. Immediately, any trace of her bad mood was washed away under the power of that smile. ‘That smile could stop an entire army of demons,’ she thought.

“I’m sorry that didn’t go so well for you, Twilight,” Fluttershy comforted her, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “But like everything in Terra, with just a little practice, you will get better at it.”

Twilight smiled and nodded in agreement. “Great advice, Fluttershy,” Twilight remarked, making Fluttershy blush bashfully. Twilight looked from the pegasus to the sky above her, and saw that through the thin number of clouds, the sun was at the centre of the sky. “Come on, let’s get to that tower and see what we can see. Race you!” she said. She quickly broke into a sprint as she raced out of the ruins and towards the tower.

Fluttershy grinned, and then quickly broke into a gallop after her, laughing to herself as she had the time of her life. She quickly caught up with the unicorn, and kept level with her as they left the ruins behind them, and ran all the way to the tower.

When they arrived under its shadow, the two ponies stopped and fell onto their rumps, gasping for breath. “You must be getting quicker,” Fluttershy panted as they waited to get their breaths back. “I was only able to keep level with you this time.”

“Yeah, of course. We only tied because you were holding back,” Twilight said. “You weren’t using your full strides like you were in Whitetail Woods.”

Fluttershy lifted a hoof up to deny the claim, but quickly went against it. “Yeah, you’re right, I did hold back. But only because I wanted you to win for once.”

“For once?” Twilight gasped, giving Fluttershy a feint look of offence, even though she had an open smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll beat you at something.” She looked up at the sky in thought for a moment. “How about we have a game of pool when we’re back on the ship. Best of three. Deal?” She lifted her hoof up for Fluttershy to shake.

Fluttershy felt the usual hesitance that always gnawed at her when situations like this arose. However, this time it was merely fleeting. She brought up a hoof into Twilight’s own, and shook it confidently. “Deal,” Fluttershy said, surprised at herself that she would accept Twilight’s competition so quickly. ‘But then again,’ she figured as she thought about it, ‘it is Twilight.’

“Brilliant. I’m looking forward to beating you, you know,” Twilight said as she walked into the tower, smirking.

“Not unless I beat you first,” Fluttershy replied confidently, grinning in eagerness behind her as they walked.

Twilight laughed. “You know, it is quite odd to hear you so confident. Probably because I’m not used to it.”

Fluttershy’s grin instantly disappeared, and she dipped her head so that some of her mane fell over her face. “Does it? Oh, I’m so sorry if I freaked you out. I’l- I’ll tone it down if you really want me to, of course.”

Twilight giggled, then looked back. “Don’t ever apologise for being yourself, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “Like I said, I’m probably not used to seeing you like that, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t welcome.” She turned her head around to look around the tower, and raised an eyebrow and whistled impressively at the structure.

It looked fairly modern, with some of the stone used in the building looking like they have been recently put together. To her right was the start of a stairway that spiralled up the tower and to the top. While to her left was a small passageway that Fluttershy was looking down. “What’s down there?” she asked.

“Oh, well, it seems to be some sort of information board,” Fluttershy replied, her eyes going over the writing. “It says this place was built about fifty years ago as a memorial for the ruins of Castamare, so when the last remnants of the city disappear, then this tower would be a reminder to anypony that comes by this way, and wonders what was once here.” She pulled back, and turned around. “At least they’ll have some way to remember that atrocity by. It is just a shame that they have to remember it at all.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but it happened and we can’t change it now.”

“I wish we could,” Fluttershy mumbled, though loud enough to be heard, as she walked up to Twilight.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, surprised. She turned around and began to head up the stairs, Fluttershy walking alongside her. “So what would you have changed then if you were given the chance to avert the Iron War?”

“Oh, well, um… I would have apologised for being a meanie in asking for too much iron; much more than they could take out of the ground. Then I would have worked out an agreement where both parties would be happy, and nopony needs to get hurt.”

Twilight stopped for a moment, surprised at the sound plan Fluttershy had. “That… that could actually work, though it depends on whether or not they accepted your apology.” ‘But I’m sure they would have if Fluttershy was the one who said it,’ she thought. ‘You cannot stay mad at her after she has said sorry. It just seems wrong.’

“Really? You think that could have actually worked?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

“Maybe, but I’m afraid we will never find out,” Twilight said sullenly. “Sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, waving the apology away with a hoof. “I know there’s nothing we can do to change it back, it’s just interesting to see what we would have changed.” She continued walking up the stairs, prompting Twilight to start moving as well. “What about you? What would you have changed had you been ruler at the time?”

Twilight scrunched up her face in thought. “Hmm… I’m not sure, to be honest,” she answered. “I certainly wouldn’t go with what actually happened. I might have tried everything peaceful I could think of, and if it all failed, then I would have no choice but to invade the islands, and impose a martial law until a new leader is chosen among the iron ponies.”

“Well, whatever you decided, I’m sure you would have tried your best,” Fluttershy said. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she looked away as the blinding light of the sun shone onto their faces.

“Oh, goody, we’re at the top,” Twilight said excitedly. “Time to see what we can see.” She jumped the last lot of the stairs, and walked out of the way so Fluttershy could come up as well. What she saw caught her breath in her throat.

The same went with Fluttershy “What a view,” she remarked.

They could see for miles around. At the edge of the horizon in the far north was a wall of trees, while going back from it was endless plains and small hills, filled with plants of great variety, and exotic and wondrous wildlife: butterflies, caterpillars, moths, dragonflies, bees, and other small insects and mammals scurried about the plains and the ruins of Castamare. Looking east, they could make out the roofs of the buildings of Skyros, and the ocean they navigated across to get here. Westward, they could barely make out more woodlands and plains, and they could see the telltale signs of a river, coming from the ocean and making its way to the other side.

Despite the beauty of the view around them, none of it compared to what Twilight was staring at in utter fascination and awe south of them. When Fluttershy got concerned, she walked over to see what the unicorn was looking at, and when she saw it as well, her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. “I-is that what I think it is?” she asked.

Twilight only nodded, for the sight of one of the bridges that had captured her imagination for most of her childhood was in front of her, making her unable to form coherent speech, or turn her gaze away from it. It was long – much longer than Twilight thought – and stretched from one island to the other in a completely perfect straight line. Below the main structure of the bridge, around ten large arches held the bridge up, with the stonework going down into the water itself – which Twilight thought was impossible since the water was so deep anypony without proper diving equipment, would drown. ‘Whoever built these were incredibly advanced,’ Twilight thought.

“Wow,” Fluttershy gasped. “That looks so amazing!”

“Amazing doesn’t quite cut it, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “In fact, not even epic could give this bridge true justice in its magnificence.”

Fluttershy could only nod in agreement. “Are we going to go and have a closer look?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Twilight said gleefully. Just as she finished speaking, her horn started flaring, and in a flash she was gone. Fluttershy looked over the side just to see Twilight appearing at the base of the tower, before suddenly galloping off at full speed towards it.

‘I knew she would get excited about seeing this bridge, but I didn’t believe it would be at this level!’ Fluttershy thought. Not wanting to be left behind, she spread her wings and flew as fast as she could after her friend.

She didn’t have to fly far, however, for Twilight stopped just before she was actually on the bridge, as though she was too scared of touching it. While she waited for Fluttershy to catch up, Twilight looked at the bridge with wide, fascinated eyes. Sitting atop of the stone-built walls along the side, grotesques stared threateningly at her, as though stopping her from crossing with their gazes alone. These gazes continued until the halfway point, where the grotesques had turned around and stared at the other side of the island.

A frightened squeak from behind made Twilight shoot her head away from them, and looked at Fluttershy, who was shaking in fright behind her. “Those statues are scary, and very convincingly life-like,” she commented.

Twilight giggled. “It’s all right, Fluttershy. They can’t harm you. They’re just statues – wards, more like. They were carved to serve as protectors and guardians against those who they deemed not worthy to cross this bridge.”

Fluttershy gulped. “And what happens to those that are not deemed worthy to cross?” she asked nervously.

“Nothing, I’d imagine,” Twilight answered. “They’re just statues, Fluttershy. They can’t hurt anything.” Although she felt confident in her own words, she still had a bout of uncertainty. Magic was an unpredictable thing, and could easily be hidden in plain sight from unsuspecting eyes, which hers and Fluttershy’s were, believe it or not. She might be a student under the Princess of the sun, but she had yet to be taught how to look for signs of a magic trap. ‘Only one way to be really sure,’ she thought.

“Stay here,” Twilight commanded to a shaking Fluttershy.

“Okay,” squeaked Fluttershy.

With Fluttershy locked where she was, Twilight took a step forward, then another, and another, until she was standing on the bridge completely. She glanced at the grotesques beside her, and breathed a sigh of relief when she realised they were just statues.

She chuckled to herself, feeling incredibly silly all of a sudden for being scared of grotesques. “It’s okay,” she said to Fluttershy, looking back at her. “Like I said: they’re just statues. Now, shall we head over and see what’s on the other side?”

Fluttershy seemed to unfasten at the sight of seeing Twilight still alive and not burning into lavender soup by the hidden magic power of the bridge, and began to catch up to her. As she passed the first grotesques, she looked at both of them, and saw them as a beautiful piece of art, and not the ferocious monsters from legend. “I’m terribly sorry for thinking you were horrible monsters,” she said to them as she walked by.

“You’re forgiven.”

Fluttershy froze in shock, and quickly looked back to see if she didn’t just hear that. The grotesque which she imagined spoke faced the other way, and looked like it hadn’t moved at all. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at it and tilted her head, standing completely still to see if would move again.

“Fluttershy! Are you coming?” Twilight called.

Fluttershy jumped at the sound of Twilight’s voice, and quickly brought herself out of her investigation. “Coming, Twilight!” she cried as she spun around and galloped after her friend. While behind her, the grotesque chuckled, and then went perfectly still once more.

As they walked along the bridge, Twilight and Fluttershy noticed something about the bridge that set it apart from others they had seen, especially from the ones back home. “Twilight?”

“Yes, Fluttershy?”

“Is it me, or is this bridge made out of iron?”

“Hmm,” Twilight pondered, looking from the pegasus to the bridge under. She quickly tapped her hoof against it, and pricked her ears right up for the sound that echoed from the touch. It had a sort of metallic twang to it, like metal being bashed with a hammer at a forge.

“You know what, I think you’re right.” She bent down to scrutinise the bridge carefully. “Fascinating. Stone and iron formed together. I don’t think I have seen a bridge like it. Whoever built this must have been incredibly advanced in technology. Technology that vanished when they vanished.” She looked to the other side, and saw a large hill overlooking the bridge in its entirety. “I need to get a drawing of this.” She got up and galloped over the bridge and to the hill.

Fluttershy, who was looking at another one of the grotesques suspiciously, suddenly noticed Twilight was galloping away from the bridge without her. “Oh! Wait for me!” she shouted as she broke into a sprint after her. She followed Twilight off the bridge, up the hill, then off the path as the excited unicorn stopped at the edge of the tall hill, gazing at the bridge in front of them.

“Right,” Twilight sighed. “Perfect for a bit of drawing.” She sat on her haunches, and took out her sketchbook and a quill, placing it on a small, flat rock in front of her.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she remembered Twilight promised to show her some of her drawings. “Oh, Twilight?” The unicorn looked back at her amiably. “I was wondering – if you wouldn’t mind doing it – if you would show me some of your drawings now?”

Twilight’s eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face at the thought of showing somepony her work. “Of course!” she exclaimed delightfully. She gestured with a hoof for Fluttershy to sit next to her, which the pegasus quickly complied, sitting on her haunches, and taking her saddlebags off and putting them in front of her.

“You know, if you don’t mind, that is, this would make a good place to stop and have a picnic,” Fluttershy observed. “I’m starving after all that walking.”

Twilight giggled as she realised just how hungry she felt as well. “Brilliant idea, Fluttershy. You have all the lunch, right?”

Fluttershy nodded, and quickly pulled out two bags full of sandwiches and a packet of lettuce-flavoured crisps. “I found them on the ship yesterday when I was in the mess room,” she explained about them upon seeing Twilight’s odd look. “I couldn’t help myself; they just looked so tasty.”

After a moment, Twilight giggled. “I’m sure they won’t notice. Put them in the middle here so I can have a try, if you don’t mind.”

Fluttershy nodded, then opened the packet, and set it between the two of them. With that done, Fluttershy took out a sandwich and began munching on it quickly, while Twilight opened up her sketchbook to show Fluttershy her first drawing. “This,” Twilight explained, “is my first drawing from when I was ten years old.”

Fluttershy looked at the drawing, and found she couldn’t look away due to how brilliant it was. It depicted the Canterlot royal gardens, easily recognisable due to the many statues that were dotted about the field. The lining wasn’t entirely straight, as some of the statues’ plinths tended to bend this way or that, and some of the shading was a bit too light or too dark, or virtually non-existent, but it was still amazing.

“That is incredible, Twilight,” Fluttershy commented, making Twilight blush.

“Oh, not really,” Twilight waved the compliment away. “Looking back at it, this one is awful compared to the others I have done.”

“Well, you did just start out, so of course you were going to make mistakes. And who am I to judge? I can’t draw to save my life.”

“I bet you can.”

“I can’t, really. I tried it once, but I just got a bit impatient with it all, so I gave up. Anyway, what was the next one?”

“Oh, yeah. Give me a moment.” Twilight flipped the page over, while taking a crisp out of the packet with a hoof. She stopped when she felt something heavy on her hoof, which almost felt like another hoof. She glanced to her right to see that Fluttershy had tried to grab a crisp at the same time as her, and both ponies were now touching hooves.

Both ponies blushed furiously, and pulled their hooves back while giggling awkwardly. “Sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “Do you want to get your crisp now?”

“No, no, that’s okay. You go first,” Twilight insisted. Fluttershy nodded, then quickly dived her hoof in the packet, got hold of her crisp, and pulled it out again, with Twilight doing the same thing a second later. The unicorn’s eyes suddenly widened when the taste of the crisp took hold on her tongue. It tasted like lettuce all right, but sweetened down with salt and other flavours that added to the sensational taste in her mouth.

“Oh my goodness, these crisps are delicious!” Twilight exclaimed, moaning pleasurably at the taste in her mouth. “What do you think, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy put her crisp in her mouth, and began crunching on it. After a moment, her face scrunched up in disgust, and quickly swallowed. “That tasted awful,” she commented, getting out a canteen of water, and then quickly gulping it down to get rid of the taste. “Far too sweet for my liking. You can taste the salt more than the lettuce, and I never liked salt. You can have them all, Twilight. I don’t mind.”

Twilight grinned, surprised but pleased she had some of the most beautiful crisps in the world. “I’m gonna have to get some more of these when we get back home. Then we can have them at a future sleepover at some point,” Twilight said, smirking.

Fluttershy looked horrified. “Oh, please don’t do that. Maybe one or two packets for yourself, or at least have some variety for us few ponies who don’t like salt.”

Twilight giggled in response. “Relax, Fluttershy, I was only teasing. I’ll only have just one packet next time.” She took another crisp out of the packet and stuffed it in her mouth, before flicking the page over in her sketchbook. “This one I drew at my brother’s award ceremony,” she explained, smiling at the memory it opened up to her. “Shining Armor became a sergeant that day. I don’t know who cried the more at that: my mother, or me. Two years later he became the captain of the royal guard.”

Fluttershy, chewing on one of her sandwiches, leaned over to have a look, and her eyes widened again. Unlike the other drawing, this one was near enough perfect, with a few squiggly lines at certain places, but otherwise it looked like a photo. She could make out Twilight’s brother at the front, with a rather attractive mare in front of him; both of them were dressed in armour. Behind the two, in two columns, were soldiers of the royal guard, with Princess Celestia in the right corner to oversee the promotion. And around the ponies, the room she could recognise as the one where Shining and Cadence got married was decorated in the standards and banners of Equestria, with pots of flowers overhead, and other small details that made Fluttershy think she could fall into it and go back in time.

“Wow, Twilight, this one is even better.”

Twilight blushed at the praise. “Thanks, but you have seen nothing yet.” She flicked the page once more, and Fluttershy gasped at the splendour of the next one.

It was a drawing of Princess Celestia herself, sitting on the royal golden throne and talking to a pony casually, with a small smile on her face, and her mane and tail flowing in the solar breeze. If it was in colour, Fluttershy would have thought it was a photo, but it was as close to one as she could get hold of. The lining was perfect; the shading was top notch, and the ponies themselves looked as they should.

“You are such an amazing drawer, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, her eyes wide with fascination, and interest.

Twilight blushed once again. “Thank you, Fluttershy. It’s a shame, really, because this one was the last one I drew at the palace. The rest I managed to do when I was in Ponyville.”

She flicked through a few pages; passing some abandoned pieces of work, and turned to one Twilight felt particularly proud of. “This one I took when I was completely bored with nothing to do, and everypony was busy. So I decided to borrow the balloon for a while and went up into the air, to draw this,” Twilight explained. She looked back at Fluttershy to see the pegasus was left speechless.

The picture was of Canterlot itself from the front, with the road visibly leading out of the city and down the mountain, and the towers glinting in the high summer sun. “I absolutely adore it, Twilight!” Fluttershy piped cheerfully. “I love the shadowing on the side of the mountain next to Canterlot, and I love how accurate it all is. Oh, I would love to see you work and see how you do it all!”

“Well, why don’t I show you?” Twilight suggested. “I’m gonna draw that bridge; draw it as a reminder of what we have seen. You can watch if you’d like.”

“Really?” Fluttershy squeaked, her ears pinned upright and her eyes and face wide with delight. “Oh, I would love to watch. Don’t worry; I’ll be as quiet as a fish.” With that, her lips sealed tightly shut, and she inched herself closer to Twilight so she could see what the unicorn was doing.

‘Oh, Fluttershy. Her and her fishes,’ Twilight thought with a giggle while shaking her head. At once, her horn lit up to its magenta colour, and levitating in front of her was a quill with a thin point; perfect for drawing out the first rough lines. She quickly dipped the quill in a pot of ink, and began scribbling on the paper quickly the outline of the bridge, and the gap between the two islands.

As she drew, Fluttershy tilted her head one way, and then another as she tried to work out what Twilight was doing. ‘Maybe I should ask her,’ she decided. She opened her mouth to ask about why it looked so rough, but quickly shut her mouth again when she realised in doing so would be rude. ‘I don’t want to ruin Twilight’s concentration.’

“You wanted to ask me something?” Twilight asked, glancing at her with the corner of her eye.

“Oh, well, um… I was just wondering about why it looked so… rough,” Fluttershy said. She flinched back a bit as though she had been stung by her own words. “Oh, please don’t be mad at me, Twilight, I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just… oh… oh dear…”

Before Fluttershy could burst into tears, Twilight laughed aloud, settling Fluttershy’s fears. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, you have actually brought up an interesting point. There is a reason as to why it’s so rough, so let me clarify.”

She pointed to the page. “Right, what I’m doing here is creating a rough version of what’s in front of me, giving me some form to work and improve on before finishing it. Drawing with this method is like, uh… making a pony from scratch. You first make the skeleton, which is this,” she pointed back at the drawing, “and then you build over it with the muscles, fleshing it out a bit. Finally, you go onto the coat and details, adding things like a mane, tail, eyes… and other things. That’s what I plan to do when I get the muscles finished. Did you get all that?”

Fluttershy nodded, her face an expression of fascination. “Completely.”

Twilight smiled at her. “Brilliant! Now, with the skeleton complete, I have to flesh out the structure, and make it look more realistic, observe.” She took out a quill with a bigger point than the first, and began scribbling along the lines that represented the bridge, fleshing it out until it actually began to look like the bridge. After a moment, she pulled the quill away, dipped it in ink, and then started again, this time fleshing out the scenery around the bridge.

Fluttershy leaned over till she was looking over Twilight’s shoulder with her eyes wide and lips sealed into an O shape as she watched Twilight metaphorically work her magic on paper. As she watched, she couldn’t believe that she was actually watching Twilight doing this amazing thing. She didn’t even know that Twilight did it. She waited until the unicorn had pulled her quill away from the paper, then asked, “How comes you never showed us this before, or told us about it?”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy oddly, then looked at the ground between them shamefully. “I guess I didn’t want to look like I was bragging about it, that’s all. I’m sorry I never told you, or the others.”

“Ah, that’s okay, Twilight,” Fluttershy said gently, nuzzling Twilight’s cheek comfortingly, making the unicorn blush. “I know you aren’t a bragger like other ponies I know. I’m glad you told me, though. You have such an amazing talent.”

Twilight’s blush turned pinker at the high praise from the love of her life. To her, Fluttershy’s opinion meant more to her than anypony else’s, except her other friends and family. “You’re too kind, Fluttershy,” Twilight squeaked bashfully, trying to imitate Fluttershy by trying to hide her face behind her mane, but found it to be too short.

Fluttershy giggled at the sight. ‘That is too cute,’ Fluttershy thought. She looked away all of a sudden as her smile faded and she felt herself starting to stress out. Why was she thinking like this? What had happened that made her keep seeing Twilight Sparkle as cute?

‘Because you love her!’ her mind screamed. ‘You know, you can always give it a chance and see where it goes. She may even return the feelings.’

‘I can’t do that,’ Fluttershy replied. ‘I don’t want to do that!’ But what if she did? Although she had never said it to her, she had for a long time seen Twilight as a bigger sister, one she can go to when a problem arose, or to find comfort in being around when her fear became too great to handle alone. Aside from Rainbow and Applejack, who she knew for longer, she hadn’t felt this to any of her other friends. So when did she suddenly feel like that for Twilight?

Just as she thought about it, the answer came to her. It was the day she had kidnapped Philomena, the pet phoenix of Princess Celestia, and just after she had watched the bird burst into flame, and become nothing but ash. When the Princess had arrived, Fluttershy tried to tell her what had happened, but Twilight stood in the way, saying she was the one who took it, and said that Celestia would go easier on her. Although she thanked Twilight for sticking up for her, and quickly said that she was the one that took the bird, she suddenly felt something different about Twilight that she hadn’t felt before with anypony else.

Twilight was somepony who would stand up for her, and would not back down, even to the Princess of Equestria, her own mentor. Even then, after that there were many moments where Twilight would suddenly be there for her, and support her when nopony else could. She had felt something greatly different to Twilight than she did to anypony else; something that made her wish Twilight was her younger sister, somepony who was caring, gentle, wise, funny and above all brilliant company.

But what if those feelings were not of a sisterly kind? What if they really were feelings of love? ‘No! It can never be,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘Besides, somepony else has her heart.’

“Fluttershy?” Fluttershy broke out of her brooding to look back at Twilight, who was tilting her head and looking at her in great concern. “Are you okay?”

Fluttershy nodded, smiling assuredly. “Yeah, I’m fine. I thought I saw some wildlife over there somewhere, but I guess I was mistaken,” she lied. She looked down at the paper in front of Twilight. “Have you finished the drawing yet?”

Twilight shook her head. “Just have to add some details in, like the ruins of Castamare in the background, that tower, and those grotesques along the walls of the bridge,” Twilight said, pointing to each in turn. She picked up the quill with the smaller point again, and began drawing in the small details with slow, careful movements.

After a while of silence, and intense thought from both ponies, Twilight pulled her quill away for the last time, and smiled proudly at the drawing in front of her. “Perfect,” she muttered to herself. “What do you think, Fluttershy?” She looked over to the pegasus, who was staring at the bridge, deep in thought. “Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy jumped with fright, broken out of her train of thought. “Oh dear, sorry, Twilight, I was away there. Have you finished yet?”

“Yep,” Twilight answered, nodding, she gestured with a hoof at it. “What do you think? I know it may not be up to the standards of some of my other works, but I have been out of practice lately.”

Fluttershy’s eyes trailed down to the picture, then her eyes widened in fascination at the picture. It was, like the Canterlot drawing, nearly perfect. Its shading was spot on, and coherent to the position of the sun. The lining work was fantastic. In all, it made Fluttershy think she could walk through it and onto the bridge once more. “Amazing,” she whispered, making Twilight blush once more at the praise.

“So what were you thinking about just now?” Twilight enquired. “Don’t say you were just looking at the scenery. I know that look you had just now. I sometimes think I invented it.”

Fluttershy giggled wryly. “I was just thinking about our friends again. I was just wondering what they were all doing right now. I know Applejack is getting ready with the rest of her family for the upcoming Apple Family Reunion, but the others I’m not sure.”

“I know Applejack said to me she and Applebloom are planning to go on a camping trip to Winsome Falls at some point, though I can’t remember when.”

“I wonder if Rainbow Dash will join them? She would never miss out an opportunity like that to tell a scary story one night.”

“Well, knowing her love of the spotlight, she probably would go if invited. I wonder if anypony else would go, like Rarity?”

At that suggestion, the two ponies burst into laughter, and began rolling on the ground, clutching their stomachs as they tried to stop. “Oh, stop it, Twilight!” Fluttershy cried through her giggles. “That’s too funny!”

Twilight tried to respond, but couldn’t find her voice through her giggles. After a moment, the two finally stopped laughing, and sat themselves upright, taking deep breaths. “I think that was a bit mean of us,” Twilight conceded, her ears falling flat as she looked guiltily at Fluttershy. “I’m sure Rarity would be a great camper.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, her ears flat as well. “I’m sure she would. I could easily picture her camping.” She looked up to the sky, as though she was trying to imagine Rarity in front of a campfire. “Actually, I don’t think I can,” she admitted.

“Neither can I,” Twilight agreed. At that, the two burst out laughing again, and had to lean on each other as they tried to control themselves.

After a while, the two finally controlled themselves, and looked at each other with mischievous smiles. “I won’t tell Rarity if you won’t tell?” Twilight asked.

“I won’t tell a soul about we just said,” Fluttershy replied. “I’ll carry it to my grave.”

“Good,” Twilight nodded. Her horn suddenly lit up, and her sketchbook, along with her quills, was swiftly returned into her saddlebags. “Right then, are you ready to continue exploring?”

Fluttershy nodded eagerly, while finishing off the last of her sandwich. “Oh, yes,” she answered after swallowing. “Let’s get going, and see what other things we can find.”

With that settled, the two ponies placed their saddlebags on their backs, and trotted onto the path that wiggled its way deeper onto the second island like a snake, leaving the bridge and the first island behind.

Author's Note

Fun Facts: I have set this story during the events of 'Sleepless In Ponyville' and 'Apple Family Reunion' since Twilight and Fluttershy didn't appear in any of those episodes... sadly.

Also, for anyone who didn't get the Song Of Ice and Fire reference, Castamare is a pony pun for Castamere, a place in Westeros that was destoryed by the Lannisters, and the event was turned into a song as a warning to others to not mess with them, called 'The Rains of Castamere.'

Hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully it won't be too long for the third and final part of chapter eight. (this chapter has come out longer than I thought it would. Thanks to Bujin once more for finding many errors and odd sentences.

Chapter 8 (part 3)

“So, um… I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with… G,” Fluttershy said, looking back at Twilight with a grin that said, ‘bet you can’t guess that one.’

“G, huh?” Twilight hummed, looking around the island for something beginning with G. “Hmm.” She looked down at the long grass that nestled alongside the path, and smirked. “Is it grass?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Nope,” she giggled.

Twilight lifted her eyebrows up in confusion, and surprise. “Well if it isn’t grass, then what else could it be?”

“Do you want me to give you a clue?” Fluttershy asked in a singsong voice. Twilight nodded. “Well, it has grass in its name, and is commonly found in the grass. Oh, and they tend to hop around and make little noises. Oh, and they can fly. Oh, and they’re– ” Before she could finish her sentence, Twilight stuffed a hoof in her open mouth.

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Twilight said kindly, “but I think that was more than enough for me to guess on.” She pulled her hoof away, and lowered her head and squinted her eyes in the grass to make out what she thought Fluttershy was hinting at. Eventually, she smirked once more as she could make out movement among the grass. “Is it grasshoppers?”

Fluttershy clapped her hooves together. “Yay! Well done, Twilight!” she cheered. “It’s your turn now.”

“Okay, um…” Twilight hummed as she looked around. They had been walking across the second island for almost an hour or two now, and had spent the time talking, singing old songs and playing games like they were now. It was about halfway across the island when Fluttershy saw the path veering away into a large woodland area, and pleaded to Twilight to join her in exploring it.

Eventually, and seeing she had no other option, Twilight conceded, and they took the smaller path into the woods, and whatever was on the other side. Around them, the trees looked old, and the many branches on the trees looked like they were reaching down and trying to grab them. The canopy was large, and shaded the two ponies as they walked from the blaring sun that gazed directly above them, and the woods were so thick and grouped closely together that all they could see were trees, grass, and bushes.

However, that didn’t mean they couldn’t see any wildlife. Occasionally a hoot of an eagle owl was heard, making Fluttershy squeak in fright but relaxed after realising what it was. And sometimes a large, hairy black spider was on one of the logs, making Twilight gallop for the hills, while Fluttershy said hello to it.

They re-grouped a little while later down the road, where Fluttershy found Twilight cowering in an old log from an old, cut-down tree. After comforting Twilight with a hug, the two carried on, and started playing a game of I Spy.

“Hmm,” Twilight hummed once more when she got back out of her summary of what happened, looking around for something that would allow her to beat Fluttershy. “I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with… B?”

“B?” Fluttershy repeated. Twilight nodded. Fluttershy looked around for a second. “Is it a branch?”

“Nope,” Twilight replied, shaking her head.

“No? Oh, okay then, um…” Fluttershy looked around once more, her eyes squinting as she tried to look for whatever was here that began with a B. ‘But what does start with a B that’s here that isn’t a branch?’ Fluttershy wondered. She suddenly noticed a bee buzzing around a few plants that lived among the grass, and her eyes widened in delight.

“Is it a bee?” she enquired, smirking as she knew it had to be right.

“Nope,” Twilight replied, smirking as she watched the smirk on her friend’s face disappear instantly. “It isn’t a bee.”

Fluttershy now felt completely lost. “Oh, wow, you’re really good with these. Could you give me a clue or something, please?”

Twilight giggled. “Okay, just the one, then. It’s big and golden coloured, and has a great big blue wet thing in front of it.”

Fluttershy’s face scrunched up in confusion. “That sounds like a beach, Twilight, but I don’t think there’s one around here.”

Twilight giggled again. “You’re right that it’s a beach. And if you look close enough to your left, you can see it just through the trees.” She stopped and pointed through the trees into the distance.

Fluttershy followed her friend’s hoof into the woods, squinting her eyes to get a more definite look, and her eyes widened when she could just make it out. “Oh, Twilight, could we go and have a look? Please? Oh, please, please, please, please?” She finished with the biggest and cutest eyes Twilight had ever seen.

Although Twilight wanted to say no and stay well clear of the beach and water, the word, ‘no’ seemed to have disappeared from her vocabulary by just looking into Fluttershy’s eyes. ‘Darn you, Fluttershy, you’re too cute for anypony to say a negative thing around you,’ Twilight thought. ‘Actually, this is my fault. I should have just gone with the bee.’

“Okay,” she sighed. “We’ll go and have a look.”

Fluttershy squealed and bounced in joy, and gave Twilight a quick hug and nuzzle. “Oh, thank you, Twilight.” She pulled away, and took Twilight’s hoof, making the unicorn blush. “Come on, let’s go!” She started pulling Twilight by the hoof into the woods and towards the beach eagerly.

When they arrived in full sight of it, Fluttershy could feel her breath get taken away from her. “There are no words that can describe this,” she muttered to herself.

“I can think of a few,” Twilight mumbled to herself. “Messy being one of them. And wet. Mostly wet.”

The beach was hidden in a large bay with a single entrance heading out into the ocean. The bay was large, with tall, white cliffs at the far edges that corralled the beach in, and was mostly covered by water. The rest of it was covered in golden sand that shone in the sun, and was deserted, as if nopony else knew of this place.

“Right, now that we have seen it can we go now?” Twilight enquired, turning her head to look at her friend and crush. She jumped when she saw Fluttershy wasn’t there. “Fluttershy? “Fluttershy, where are y-!” She cut herself off when she saw Fluttershy flying down onto the beach. Groaning, she powered up her horn, and disappeared in a flash of white.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, fluttered to the ground with a look of pure delight on her face. When she was a young filly from Cloudsdale, she had seen the pictures of beaches in her children’s stories when she was growing up, and since then had always wanted to go and see one. Unfortunately, as she got older, and had more responsibilities thrust upon her shoulders, she found it difficult and not practical to go down to the seaside for a day or more. So she forced herself to wait until the right moment when she could find time to go.

Now that she was here, she felt that the wait had been absolutely worth it.

The sand beneath her hooves felt as soft as her fluffiest pillow, and it made her want to nestle into it and go to sleep. The smell of the salty sea filled her nostrils, and she relished it. Before she knew what she was doing, she fell onto her back and began rolling in the sand, giggling like a little filly as she gave in to her most primal instincts.

Twilight quickly appeared next to her, and looked at the water with fear. She quickly looked over to Fluttershy, and felt her heart melt at seeing Fluttershy looking so happy as she rolled on the sand.

After a moment, Fluttershy got up, and shook off any sand that attached itself to her coat. “That felt amazing!” Fluttershy squeaked in delight, grinning at Twilight. She glanced to her right, and saw the large blue sea, clear as crystal. She suddenly had the urge to go for a swim; an urge that she couldn’t control.

“Come on, Twilight, let’s have a swimming race! Bet you can’t beat me in that!” Fluttershy called. She raced up to the waterline, and dived straight in, disappearing under the waterline for a moment, and making Twilight’s heart stop beating.

Under the water, Fluttershy looked with delighted eyes at the small fishes that made the seabed their home. Schools of fish swam together in uncountable numbers, but Fluttershy could name most of them: clownfish, paracanthurus hepatus, or regal tang for short, yellow tang, Moorish idol, and blacktail damselfish were just some of the many fish she could name. She gave them all a quick wave of her hoof, before heading back up to the surface, and breathing in the fresh, salty air as she breached the water once more.

When she opened her eyes again, and looked to the beach, she saw with confusion Twilight was still standing where she had first appeared, frozen in fear of something. “Come on, Twilight, the water’s lovely!” she called assuredly, gesturing with a hoof for her to come forward.

Twilight shook her head and backed away a bit, her eyes wide with fear.

Fluttershy felt the grin on her face melt away, and she looked at Twilight with great concern. “Twilight? What’s wrong?” she asked as she got out of the sea to see her friend. She quickly shook the excess water out of her coat and mane, which stuck to her face, then moved and sat in front of Twilight, who was shaking in fear of something.

Fluttershy put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, what is it, what’s wrong?” she asked gently. She looked into Twilight’s eyes, and felt disturbed at the amount of fear she could see in her friend. Twilight wasn’t even looking at her; she was looking behind her, at the sea. A sudden fear gripped Fluttershy, making her feel selfish for coming here and dragging Twilight along with her. “Are you… are you afraid of water?”

Twilight broke out of her fearful gaze, and shook her head. “No, I like water just fine. It’s just that I… I can’t…” She wanted to force the words out of her mouth, but they kept sticking there as though she had glue in her throat.

Fluttershy gave her a quick, comforting nuzzle. “It’s all right, Twilight. I promise I won’t laugh.”

Twilight smiled at her. “I know you won’t. However, it’s just so hard to tell somepony that I can’t… I can’t…” She took a deep breath, and then said quickly, “I can’t swim.”

Fluttershy clamped her hooves over her mouth to stifle the gasp she released. She could feel her eyes beginning to water. “Oh my goodness, Twilight, I am so sorry for bringing you here,” she said as she hugged the unicorn tightly. “That was so selfish of me.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault, Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered as she wrapped a leg around her distressed friend. “You didn’t know about it; nopony does, for that matter.”

Fluttershy pulled away, a look of shock on her face. “Oh, Twilight. How comes you’ve never learnt to swim?”

“Because I’m a fool,” Twilight replied sullenly, bowing her head. “I had the chance. Plenty of them. But I always pushed the idea aside and went back to my books. My parents, Shining Armor, even Cadence goaded me into learning to swim, but I always ignored them, or went off on one to quit bugging me about it. I thought I didn’t need to learn to swim, confident that I would always keep my hooves on land. I was a fool to think that.”

Fluttershy shook her head in disagreement. “No, Twilight. You’re not a fool. You could never be a fool.”

Twilight looked up and smiled thinly, making Fluttershy’s heart surge in happiness in causing such happiness. “Thanks, Fluttershy. But it still doesn’t change what I should have done a long time ago.” She looked over to the water, and sighed. “I guess it’s too late for that.”

At that, Fluttershy’s mind went into overdrive as a radical, crazy, and outrageous plan formed in her head. Normally she would shun away from such an idea as big as this one, thinking it would be too dangerous for her to do and too silly to attempt. Yet this was for Twilight. A friend that she cared about more than she realised. She couldn’t understand why that was how she felt, but it didn’t matter presently. ‘Your friend is upset, Fluttershy,’ she thought. ‘Now you can help her, as she has helped you so many other times.’

Fluttershy put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, making the unicorn look up, and smiled at her. “Twilight, there is one thing I have learnt to stick by for my whole life, and that is that you are never too old to learn.”

Slowly, and a bit hesitantly, she took Twilight’s forehooves in her own, and slowly brought her forward towards the ocean. Twilight’s hooves felt warm and soft in her own, and she could feel them tremble in nervousness as Fluttershy took her towards the edge.

“Wait, what are we doing?” Twilight asked nervously, her eyes bouncing from the sea to Fluttershy and back again.

“I’m going to teach you how to swim,” Fluttershy replied, smiling calmingly.

Twilight’s eyes grew even more fearful, which hurt Fluttershy a little. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, how deep is the sea? How far does the shallow end go? Is it safe? What if there are sharks in there, waiting to gobble us up?” she asked frantically, her face beginning to sweat.

Fluttershy let go of Twilight’s hooves, and looked back at the sea. Twilight did have a good point. She couldn’t teach Twilight in deeper waters, not without risking both of their lives. She quickly took to the air and began hovering over the water, looking down to see how deep the water went. ‘At least the water’s clear,’ she thought. ‘It makes it easier to know how deep it gets.’

Eventually, the water went so deep she couldn’t see the seabed anymore. She looked back up, and grinned when she saw that she was closer to the mouth of the bay. She quickly flew back up to Twilight. “The bay’s mostly quite shallow,” she said. “You can see the bottom easily.” She landed in front of Twilight, smiling sweetly.

Twilight still felt unsure about this. “I-I don’t know.”

Fluttershy tilted her head a little. “Do you trust me, Twilight?” She held up a hoof for her to take.

Twilight didn’t hesitate. She quickly took it in both hooves, assuring Fluttershy greatly. “I trust you with my life. Don’t you ever forget that. But how are you going to teach me? I thought we would have to start in a shallow pool or something.”

“It would be easier if there was a rock pool or something like that,” Fluttershy admitted. “But we can do it in the ocean as well.” She sat on her haunches, and put a hoof to her chin as she thought. “How to teach you…” She thought long and hard about it, staring from Twilight to the sea. She saw that Twilight had fine, strong legs – strong enough to help her flow through the water. The only problem was keeping Twilight calm for the duration of the lesson. She knew that the unicorn was prone to panic attacks, much like herself. She needed to keep Twilight calm long enough to get her swimming right, and without close support. Yet how to get the unicorn into the sea if she was not feeling entirely brave enough now, was a question Fluttershy tried hard to answer.

She groaned when she couldn’t think of anything. “Oh, how do you teach somepony to swim?”

“Well how about you start by describing it?” Twilight suggested. “What does swimming feel like to you?”

“Oh, well,” Fluttershy pondered, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “I would say that swimming is like flying, only you aren’t high in the air, and you feel a lot safer.” Her eyes suddenly went wide and she gasped as an epiphany came to her, telling her just how to teach Twilight. “Can you levitate yourself like you do with us sometimes?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, of course I can.”

“I would like you to levitate yourself into the air… if you would like to please?”

Twilight nodded, although she was unsure how this was going to teach her how to swim. ‘No sense in arguing,’ she thought. ‘Fluttershy’s the teacher here, so what she says goes.’ She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and channelled the magic within her to her horn. She soon felt the warmly feeling of magic around her, and opened her eyes to see herself being levitated into the air. She lifted herself off the ground until she was about five feet in the air, and stopped, awaiting for whatever Fluttershy had planned.

Fluttershy spread her wings and fluttered up to where Twilight was now floating. “Okay, now, we are going to practice swimming from here, and when I think you’re ready, we’ll move on to actually swimming. Okay?”

Twilight nodded understandably, her eyes detailing her understanding of what Fluttershy had planned. ‘Very clever, Fluttershy,’ she thought. ‘Very clever.’ “Okay, so what is the first thing to do?”

“Okay,” Fluttershy breathed, taking a moment to think on what to do next. “So, uh, swimming is also like galloping. You’re pushing yourself through the water. So, um, if you want to, that is, try doing this.” She began kicking her front legs out in short bursts and bringing them back towards her, while kicking her hind legs out fully, pushing herself forward slowly across the sky. “See. That is how ponies, and dogs I might add, swim. Try it.”

Twilight nodded, swallowing down the nervousness she felt building up inside her. She suddenly looked over to Fluttershy, who was smiling at her encouragingly and gesturing with her forehooves for her to come forward, like a mother would with a foal that was learning to walk for the first time. ‘Fluttershy’s counting on you,’ Twilight thought determinedly.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she began kicking her forelegs out, then pushing them towards her, while kicking her hind legs behind her, bringing them in, and kicking out again. “Twilight, you’re moving! You’re moving!” Fluttershy declared with delight, clapping her forehooves together.

Twilight opened her eyes and looked down to see she was actually moving forward. ‘It’s working,’ she thought. She felt a grin spread itself across her face. “It’s working, Fluttershy! I’m swimming!” She began to push herself forward faster, much to Fluttershy’s surprise, and delight.

“That’s it!” Fluttershy called. “You’re doing it, you’re doing it!” She gestured with her forehooves for Twilight to keep coming forward. “Come on, you can do it!”

After a moment, Twilight found herself floating directly in front of Fluttershy, who tackled her in a hug. “Oh, I just knew you could do it!” Fluttershy shouted, beaming from ear to ear.

Twilight beamed as well. “Well I did have the best teacher to coach me,” she praised Fluttershy, who blushed. “By the way,” Twilight added, “were you goading me on like a mother would with a foal?”

Fluttershy’s blush grew fiercer, and she looked away. “I’m sorry. It was something I have always wanted to do.”

Twilight giggled, and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s all right, Fluttershy. At least I know you would make a great mother.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t think I would, to be honest. I wouldn’t stop worrying over the child if I had one.” ‘Which I won’t. I don’t really want one, anyway.’

Twilight smiled assuredly at her. “I think you would.” She quickly shook her head. “But I think we’re getting off topic here. What are we going to do next?”

Fluttershy looked back at her, and her eyes sparkled with an assuring sense for the unicorn. “Well, if you’re up for it, we can try swimming from one bit and back to the beach again.”

Twilight’s beaming grin faded a little, but she still felt a great amount of confidence that emanated from Fluttershy’s eyes. “You think I’m ready to try actual swimming?” she enquired.

Fluttershy grinned, and nodded. “You are more than ready, Twilight.” She took the unicorn’s forehooves in her own, and gently guided her back down to the ground. As soon as Twilight’s hind legs touched the ground, that aura around Twilight dissipated, and the unicorn was free from the spell. “Ready then?” Fluttershy enquired.

Twilight took a deep breath, and nodded. “Okay, let’s do this,” she announced confidently, if not a little bit nervously.

Fluttershy nodded, then swung around the unicorn so that she was hovering just over her, and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight’s neck. “Wait, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, glancing down at the yellow hooves resting against her chest.

“I’m going to help you keep your head above the water,” Fluttershy explained. “I know that sometimes when somepony’s head goes underwater on their first try then they start to panic. I don’t want you to panic, Twilight, and I’m not going to let you go in the water by yourself. You trust me, right?”

Twilight’s head shot up, locking eyes with the pegasus’s own. “I trust you immensely, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied, smiling at her.

Fluttershy smiled warmly at her, making Twilight’s heart melt at the sight. ‘Her smile can melt the sun,’ Twilight thought.

“Right, come on, let’s get into the sea,” Fluttershy said gently. Twilight nodded, and, swallowing down whatever fear she had inside her, she walked slowly forward. She could feel Fluttershy’s hooves pressing tightly around her neck, not once loosening, not once making Twilight feel in danger or insecure. In Fluttershy’s hooves, she felt like she could walk into the sun itself, and come out the other side unscathed.

She suddenly gasped out as she felt her right foreleg touching the water. “Ah, that’s cold! That’s cold!” she exclaimed.

“It will warm up, I promise,” Fluttershy said soothingly. “Now put your other hoofies in there and get ready to start swimming.”

Twilight looked up at her with a wry smile. “Hoofies?”

Fluttershy blushed once more. “Oh, sorry, did I do the foal talk thing again? Oh, I am so sorry, Twilight, I need to stop doing that. It’s embarrassing.”

“Well at least there aren’t any other ponies here to see us doing this,” Twilight observed. She had a quick look around incase any ponies had arrived while they were moving into the water, and sighed in relief when she saw nopony.

She felt her hind legs enter the water, and gasped once more as the cold feeling of the water gripped her legs and went up and across her body – except her neck, where Fluttershy’s hooves were wrapped firmly in place, as though held there by glue.

‘If I wasn’t so set on telling Fluttershy that I love her at the place of the flower, I would have told her here,’ Twilight thought as they moved off the beach and deeper into the bay. She suddenly felt the seabed beneath her hooves begin to feel lighter. She looked down, and her eyes widened when she saw her legs were about to leave the seabed, and leave her in open water. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…”

“Shh,” Fluttershy soothed lovingly in her ears. “It’s okay, Twilight. I will not let anything happen to you. I promise.”

Twilight felt her fears get washed away by the gentle smoothness of Fluttershy’s voice. “I know you won’t,” Twilight whispered. With that, she kicked her hind legs out from beneath her, giving her some forward momentum, and began swinging her forelegs forwards, then back to her as she began to swim. She could feel Fluttershy’s hooves pressing even tighter around her neck, though not tight enough for Twilight to have difficulty breathing, as Twilight began to kick faster and push herself forward.

“That’s it, Twilight, you’re doing it, you’re swimming!” Fluttershy squealed delightfully, beaming with pride.

Twilight glanced down and saw how far her legs were from the seabed, and began to laugh. “I’m swimming! I’m swimming!” she announced to the world, laughing as she began to put more power into her strokes. The water splashed into her face and surged into small waves behind her as she worked faster, and her breaths became quicker as she started to put all her energy into swimming. Her legs began to ache as she used them far more than she normally did; yet she did not care. With Fluttershy above her, goading her on, Twilight felt like she could swim back to Equestria, and still go back to the Iron Pony Islands on her own.

She didn’t feel, or notice, Fluttershy forfeiting her hold around her neck. Yet the pegasus stayed close, with her forelegs stretched out incase she had to help her friend again.

They went slowly around the bay, and then headed back to the sandy beach, with Twilight grinning with pride at herself, and Fluttershy beaming proudly for Twilight. Twilight breathed a light sigh of relief when she felt her hooves hit the seabed once more, and jogged out of the sea and onto the beach.

Once she felt the safety of the sand beneath her hooves, she flopped onto her stomach, panting heavily, and worn out, yet she felt immensely proud of herself. “I did it… I did it…” she croaked between breaths.

“Yes you did, Twilight… yes you… did.” Fluttershy landed beside her, and flopped onto her side, facing Twilight; exhausted after using her wings longer than she was used to. Despite the two mare’s exhaustion, both had the widest and brightest grins on their faces, proud of one another for their achievement today. They rested beside each other in silence, with Twilight dripping wet from neck to rump, and panting heavily as they got their breaths back. As they rested, they listened to the sound of the waves pushing up to the shoreline, before retreating, then charging up again as though they were trying to get to the edge of the beach.

Above, the seagulls hovered over their heads and called loudly, their eyes looking over the beach for scraps of food for them to fight over. The wind was thin, and the warmth from the sun felt delightful on their coats, warming them up and drying them off slowly, but surely.

“Well done, Twilight,” Fluttershy remarked once she was able to regain her breath. “I knew you could do it.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when I have Equestria’s finest swimmer teaching me,” Twilight complimented. Fluttershy’s cheeks burned pink at the praise, and she partially hid her face behind her wet mane just to hide them. Twilight giggled, then sat upright, while beads of water dripped gently down her coat from her mane or face.

Fluttershy looked at her friend for a second, and for that second, she thought that the unicorn was the most beautiful pony she had ever seen. The way the sunlight reflected on the water on Twilight’s coat seemed to make her shine like silver, and her eyes sparkled with a love she had rarely seen coming her way. The only times she had seen that look was from her friends when they saw her, and her parents, yet there was something about Twilight’s eyes that set them all apart.

‘For the last time, I do not love her!’ Fluttershy roared in thought. Even as she thought that, she felt the cracks starting to appear, and grow wider, in her mind.

“Thank you so much for teaching me to swim, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, breaking Fluttershy from further thought. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Fluttershy rolled onto her stomach, then sat upright and shifted herself about to face Twilight directly. “It’s all right, Twilight. What are friends for, right? Might I just say that you’re a fast learner? Most ponies who were just starting out would have found it difficult to go as far as we did.”

“Really, well how far did we go?” Twilight queried, her head tilted to the side and a curious look on her face.

“About the halfway point of the bay,” Fluttershy informed her, pointing out to the bay itself.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock. “I swam that far!” she shouted.

Fluttershy nodded, grinning away. “I am so proud of you for that.” She curtly got up, and shook off any excess water on her body. Twilight quickly got out of the way before she could get wet anymore, then shook herself dry to a point. “How do you feel about setting off once more, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked meekly. “I don’t mind if you want to stay here for a bit more, of course, I was just wondering if you were ready to move on, that’s all.”

Twilight giggled, then looked to the sun and saw it was lowering from the sky. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. I wouldn’t mind staying here for a little while longer, but it’s getting late, and we’ll have to find somewhere to stay for the night; it’ll be too late to make it back to Skyros, and I don’t fancy walking back through the dark.”

“Me neither,” Fluttershy agreed with a shake of her head. With that settled, they picked up their saddlebags, which had been thrown off when they arrived, and trotted up a thin path that hugged the cliff-side up and back onto the main land.

They walked for many more hours, well into when the sun was halfway over the horizon. After stepping out of the woods, they came across a vast plain that was dotted with lumps and bumps, and covered with vividly coloured flowers and plants that littered the plains. Fluttershy and Twilight chose to ignore the paths for this reason, and make their way through the fields, dancing through the flowers, with Twilight hoping the flower they were looking for might be among them. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, and they moved swiftly on.

They travelled on paths that took them to the edges of cliffs, allowing them to look down and see the ocean smashing against the cliff face, weathering it away piece-by-piece, year-by-year. “Just think, that in a few hundred years from now this cliff will no longer exist, and the coast will be somewhere over there,” Twilight said upon looking down, pointing somewhere behind them.

“Wow,” Fluttershy said in awe. They moved quickly on after that.

As well as plants and trees and cliffs and other strange things, they passed old houses that sat isolated either by the cliff edge or on one of the hills. Most of them were rectangular, and made from stone – which was probably taken from the ruins of Castamare, Twilight observed – with thin trails of smoke rising from the chimney. Although Twilight suggested they could have asked the ponies of these homes for a place to stay for the night, Fluttershy went firmly against it. “I would feel awful if I had to kick somepony out of their bed for the night,” she protested. “We’ll find somewhere to stay for the night, I promise you.”

Twilight was reluctant, but agreed, knowing that to argue with Fluttershy was a pointless endeavour. They moved on from the last home they saw, and headed further west along the island, their eyes drifting about to look for somewhere to stay. Yet the further they looked, the more desperate they were becoming as they couldn’t find anywhere.

That desperation nearly turned to panic when Fluttershy caught sight of the evening horizon, and her eyes widened in horror. “Twilight, look!” she yelled, pointing west. Twilight looked where she was pointing, and gasped in horror at the huge thunderstorm coming rapidly their way. The clouds were as black as the coming night, and every now and then several lightning bolts shot out from the clouds and hit the sea, making Fluttershy shoot up in fright.

“We need to find shelter, now!” Twilight yelled as she looked around for a place where they would be safe from the storm. Seeing none, she began to gallop in a random direction, with Fluttershy running right beside her, her eyes wide with nervousness of the coming storm.

After a while of running, Twilight and Fluttershy stopped and looked around frantically for shelter, knowing if they were exposed to the storm then they might not live to see the next day. Twilight’s eyes widened further as panic gripped her when she couldn’t find a place. The storm was getting closer by the second, and could hit the island at anytime.

“Over there!” Fluttershy shouted, tapping the unicorn’s shoulder with her right hoof and pointing with the other.

Twilight looked around, and her heart leapt in joy and relief at the sight of a cave entrance in a large hill. “Go, go, go!” she shouted, putting her head against Fluttershy’s bottom and pushing her forward gently. Fluttershy broke out of her daze and galloped towards the cave entrance, with Twilight close behind her.

They entered the cave just as the first drops of rain began to fall. Once they were inside, the two ponies collectively breathed a sigh of relief. “It was lucky you found this when you did,” Twilight said, looking outside as the first little drops of rain began to come down harder, and in greater numbers. “I don’t fancy staying out there for the night.”

“Me neither,” Fluttershy agreed with a nod. She turned around, and froze in concern when she saw the darkness of the cave. “Goodness, it’s so dark.”

“Allow me to fix that,” Twilight offered. She closed her eyes, and suddenly her horn lit up brighter than a lamp light, and they could see to the back of the cave. “Hmm, is it me, or does it continue around the corner?”

Fluttershy squinted her eyes as she could just make out the back of the cave, and the slight bend in the right corner. “I think you’re right, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. She began to shake in fear as she suddenly felt uncomfortable in being in the cave. What if this was a vicious pony eater’s home? What if it belonged to a ravenous horde of undead ponies who wanted their brains and wanted them to join their herd? As those questions and more entered and flew around her head, it made her want to step back outside and find someplace else to sleep.

A sudden flash of lightning, followed close behind by thunder made Fluttershy jump and scream in fright, and hop onto Twilight’s back for protection. Twilight grimaced and gritted her teeth as she tried to take Fluttershy’s weight. “Fluttershy, would you mind getting off my back?” she hissed through gritted teeth. “You are a lot heavier than you look.”

“Oh. O-oh, sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy stammered. She clambered off Twilight’s back and grinned sheepishly. “I was just startled by the lightening, and scared by whatever could be down there.” She pointed with a trembling hoof to the direction of the cave, and wherever it led.

Twilight looked down at the throat of the cave, then back at Fluttershy with an assuring smile. “Well let’s find out, shall we?” She began to walk down the path to whatever lied beyond.

Fluttershy watched her go slowly forward, and her mind began to battle on whether to go with her or not. Another flash of lightening from behind her made up her mind for her, and made her charge forward. “Wait for me!” she shouted.

Around the corner, the cave narrowed to the point only one pony at a time could barely squeeze through. “I hope you lost some of that pudge of yours, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, “or else you won’t be able to fit through there.”

Fluttershy sat down on her rump and looked down at her belly, sizing it up to see if it was slim enough. After a moment, she nodded to herself. “I think I’d be able to fit through. What about you?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, no problem. Let’s see what’s on the other side.” With that, she walked slowly forward, while Fluttershy waited for a moment, then started going through as well.

It was a tight squeeze, as both ponies could feel their saddlebags pressing into the sides as the walls grew narrower. Just when they thought the walls would get any narrower, they suddenly spread apart, and both ponies felt they could breathe again. Then suddenly, the walls alongside disappeared altogether, leaving Twilight stunned at what was around them. She stepped forward to allow Fluttershy to come in, while her eyes wandered across the room, her mouth open in wonder. “Oh my,” she heard Fluttershy say behind her, a gasp escaping her lips shortly after.

They were in a round room, big enough for around twenty ponies, and carved out by hoof, with cave paintings adorning every spot of the walls. Each painting was different, yet all were of the same simplistic design: ponies with no features, terrain flatly done, and bright, unrealistic colours. Despite the ton of artistic inaccuracies that would make an acclaimed artist choke, none of it took away the immense interest Twilight held for them. Some were of the island’s history, while others were of rituals of different types, one of which Twilight saw was of religious sacrifice. ‘Must have thought that ritual would keep the storms away,’ Twilight thought. ‘It probably never worked.’ She looked right of that one, and smiled a little when she saw a pony with sticks for legs running alongside what appeared to be a bison.

“These are incredible,” Twilight muttered, placing a hoof on the old work as her mind tried to work out how old they were.

“Not really,” Fluttershy remarked, her eyes unable to stay still as she took in her surroundings. “They’re not as good as yours.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, Fluttershy, but my drawings were made after a hundred ways to create art had been discovered. These, on the other hoof, date back to the time when parchment or paper never existed, or any of those techniques I learnt. In fact, I can’t even properly date them, they are that ancient.”

Fluttershy walked up alongside her, her eyes looking from the painting of the sacrifice, to one with a group of ponies dancing around a large fire. “Do you think these have been found before?” she asked softly.

Twilight just shrugged. “I’m not sure, to be honest.” She had a quick look around of the small room. “Doesn’t seem like it’s been touched for thousands of years,” she observed. “We could be the first ponies to have seen these in a long, long time.”

At that, Fluttershy burst into a yellow and pink ball of uncontrolled excitement. She began squealing like a filly who had just got their best present ever, and bounced around the room in joy. For Fluttershy, this moment was one she had wanted to do for a long time – to leave her mark on something that had never been seen before. Now that goal was completed, and she just felt she had to let it all out.

As Fluttershy hopped around the room like a mad rabbit, Twilight looked on with a raised eyebrow and a growing smile. That smile turned into giggles as the pegasus did not calm down. ‘This is too cute,’ Twilight thought, her eyes following Fluttershy’s rapid movements.

After a while, Fluttershy finally stopped, and took a few deep breaths till she felt calm and relaxed once more. “Sorry, Twilight. Had to do that. Finding something that nopony has ever seen before has always been one of my dreams, and thanks to you, I just fulfilled it.”

Twilight smiled and blushed. “You were the one to find the cave in the first place, Fluttershy,” Twilight corrected her. “I should be the one for thanking you for finding this place.” She spun around with an outstretched hoof, gesturing to the whole cave. “This is a treasure trove of history.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “And a good place to camp for the night.” She slung off her saddlebags, letting them rest just beside her, and sat on her haunches. “At least it isn’t full of scary creatures that want to eat us.”

“Yeah,” Twilight replied, nodding agreeably. She suddenly added teasingly, “They come later.”

Fluttershy slightly paled. “Oh, don’t tell me that, Twilight. I won’t be able to sleep tonight now.”

Twilight chuckled. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. And don’t worry, these islands have no natural pony eaters, just the storms like the one outside we have to worry about.” She set down on her stomach, and let out a long, content sigh. “And I imagine we’ll be fine in here.”

Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief; glad that nothing would come in the night to gobble them up as they slept. “That’s good.” Sighing once more, she settled down onto her stomach, and began to rummage through her saddlebags for her blanket. Her eyes widened when she couldn’t feel it. “Oh no, where is it, where is it?” She sat back up and dived her head into her saddlebags, while Twilight looked on worriedly, her blanket already out and covering her back.

“What is it?” she asked.

“My blanket, it isn’t in my bags!” she replied in a panicked tone. “I thought I had it with me when we left the ship, but it isn’t there!” She sat on her haunches and put her hooves to her mouth, trying to control her breathing.

Twilight could not stand to see Fluttershy like that, so she jumped up and embraced Fluttershy in a comforting hug. “Shh,” she cooed softly. “It’ll be okay.” She pulled away, and offered Fluttershy a comforting smile, which the pegasus returned. “You know, if you want to, we could… share my blanket for the night?” Twilight suggested, rubbing her hooves together and blushing faintly.

Fluttershy’s mouth formed an O, her eyes widened and a tint of pink appeared on her cheeks. She had never shared a blanket with anypony other than her parents before. It seemed something like two ponies who were in love would do. She briefly considered saying that she’ll be fine, and that Twilight could keep it all to herself. However, as she looked deep into Twilight’s eyes, the word ‘no’ disappeared from her vocabulary. Twilight’s eyes were pleading her to keep warm, for her sakes rather than her own. Those eyes brought up that feeling she felt when Twilight defended her from Princess Celestia after Philomena burned up. ‘She really is the sister I always wanted,’ she thought. Yet as she thought those words, a part of her wished they weren’t true. That small part of her wished she was more.

“Okay, Twilight,” Fluttershy agreed with a meek nod. “We’ll share it… if you want to, that is.”

Twilight beamed with delight, and brought over her blanket by magic. Before she could bring it far, however, Fluttershy put a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. “But not yet,” she said. “I don’t feel tired at the moment.”

Twilight scrunched up her face as she thought about something. “You know, thinking about it, neither do I,” Twilight said. She set the blanket down, and sat comfortable facing Fluttershy, who sat on her haunches as well, looking at Twilight expectantly. “So what shall we do now? Play a game? Tell each other stories?”

Fluttershy tapped her chin in thought. “Hmm, how about… we do that little welcoming thing you said we would do?” she suggested eventually. “I can’t think of a better time than this to try it out.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up in delight at the idea. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? But what shall we begin with?” She raised a hoof, and began tapping the side of her head in a gentle rhythm, hoping it would help flow her ideas forward. While she did that, Fluttershy rubbed her chin with a hoof, and she looked to the ground to come up with an answer of her own.

“How about we start with this?” Twilight said. She lifted a hoof up. “We’ll give each other a high hoof bump, then I’ll give you a low hoof, and then you’ll give me a low hoof bump. How does that sound?”

Fluttershy nodded, smiling eagerly at the idea. “Of course.” She lifted her hoof up above her head, and the two ponies put their hooves together quickly. The sound of their hooves touching echoed across the cave, yet they paid no heed to it. They pulled their hooves away, and Fluttershy brought her hoof down to her stomach for Twilight to bump. Twilight, grinning away, brought her hoof down and bumped Fluttershy’s gently. Afterwards, Twilight turned her hoof around, and waited for Fluttershy to bump it. The pegasus grinned, and gently slapped Twilight’s with her own.

The two ponies giggled. “Right, shall we try that again, except this time quicker?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded quickly and excitedly. “Oh, yes please!” she answered. So they tried it several times, each attempt quicker and more precise than the last. “Oh that’s brilliant, Twilight!” Fluttershy beamed after the fifth and final go. “But I can’t help but feel there’s something missing?” She tapped her chin with a hoof, while Twilight tapped her forehead as the two sunk into their minds.

“How about we high hoof each other’s tails?” Fluttershy suggested after a while, a hopeful smile across her lips.

Twilight looked up from the floor, and gave Fluttershy a grin. “That sounds brilliant!” She stood up on all fours. “Come on, let’s try it.”

Fluttershy stood up and turned around so that she was standing side by side with Twilight. The two ponies looked back, and gently slapped the ends of each other’s tails one at a time. They sat back down and giggled once they had the routine sorted. “And then,” Twilight finished, “how about we end it with a hug?”

Fluttershy giggled and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds lovely.” So the two ponies came together in a hug while oozing out, “Aww.” The two ponies pulled away, and giggled again. “Shall we try it in full?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight nodded eagerly. The two ponies did the routine one more time, while saying in a singsong tone, “High hoof, low hoof, high tail, hug.”

Afterwards, they pulled away and laughed about it for a moment. “That was brilliant, Twilight,” Fluttershy remarked. “I’m looking forward to doing that when we get back home.”

Twilight chuckled. “I do too. Wonder what the others will think of it?”

“Probably Pinkie would want to join in, especially in the hug part,” Fluttershy replied. She was about to say more, but a large yawn came out instead. “Oh dear, excuse me, I must be more tired than I think. Mind if I…?”

“Of course not,” Twilight replied, her horn lighting up to bring the blanket over to them. “I’ll probably hit the hay myself.” She draped the blanket over her, and then gestured with a tapping hoof for Fluttershy to join her. “Come on in. I promise I won’t bite,” she teased.

Fluttershy nervously complied with a shallow nod. She walked around Twilight and the blanket, then crouched low and, using her muzzle to lift the blanket up, crawled under it until her head popped out of the other side, and she was next to Twilight. “Oh my,” she said as she felt the blanket on her body. It felt to her as soft as snow, and made her feel drowsy just by its touch alone. “It feels so nice. Where did you get it?”

“My mum hoof-stitched it for me when I left to study under Princess Celestia,” Twilight replied. She ran a hoof along the blanket. “Something to remind me of home.”

Fluttershy ran a hoof along it as well. “It’s beautifully made,” she commented. The blanket was a lavender purple that matched Twilight’s coat, with a darker purple trim along the edge, and Twilight’s cutie mark on its face, with the main star stretched out so that its points hit the edges.

“Thanks, and I would like it myself, if it didn’t have my cutie mark across it,” Twilight said, looking at the face of it disapprovingly. “It’s like its saying, ‘This is my cutie mark, isn’t it more special than all of yours?’”

Fluttershy tried her best not to giggle, and failed. “So it should. You have a lovely cutie mark, Twilight, and a great talent,” Fluttershy said, blushing fiercely as she realised what she had just said.

“Thanks, Fluttershy, although I don’t know if I should be worried that you were looking there,” Twilight said, smirking wryly.

“Well, it’s not like I can help it when I see you and your cutie mark,” Fluttershy said with a shrug while her blush grew more intense. She shook her head rapidly, clearing any thoughts she didn’t want to think, and quickly changed the subject. ‘I would take any subject over looking at Twilight’s cutie mark.’ “So, um, you’ve had yours for a long time, then?”

Twilight nodded. “Yep, had it for nearly eight years now.” She looked away from her blanket and her crush, and sighed as that thought stayed in her head. “Eight years,” she chuckled disbelievingly. “Wow. Time goes by when you’re learning something new every day.” She looked back at Fluttershy, smiling amiably. “What about your blanket? I don’t think I’ve even seen it before.”

“Well, both my parents made it for me when I was younger, so that when I was in flight camp I would have something to remind me of home. They thought it would help me with my homesickness,” Fluttershy replied, her ears flat as she lamented its loss. ‘Mum would kill me if it doesn’t turn up,’ she thought.

At that, Twilight’s mind sent back to Fluttershy’s reaction after she had mentioned her parents before running off to Castamare. She could not understand why Fluttershy would react like that, especially after talking about her mother quite well before that, so what could have happened to provoke such a reaction? She wanted to sate her curiosity and ask, but found herself unsure.

On one hoof, Fluttershy could just say that they don’t meet during the winter holidays, since the pegasus wanted to do other things in that time. On the other hoof, however, she was completely uncertain what it could be. The worst-case scenario she could think of was an argument between them, yet she could not believe that would be the case. ‘Fluttershy would never hold a grudge for long,’ she thought. ‘They probably had a small one then made up soon afterwards.’ Yet, that thought didn’t give her any assurance on the issue.

‘How about we ask Fluttershy about them again, and see what happens?’ Twilight’s mind suggested. Twilight liked the idea, but was reluctant to use it. She didn’t want to hurt Fluttershy if there really was a problem the adorable pegasus was hiding. Yet sometimes, as Twilight learnt from experience, it is best to let out the pain, especially if a friend is nearby for comfort. ‘I will be there for her, no matter what happened,’ she decided.

“So, Fluttershy, about your parents. How are they?” Twilight asked, making Fluttershy’s eyes go wide in horror. “Does Velocity still make those delicious gingerbread ponies with the fruit-flavoured buttons?”

Fluttershy’s eyes shot from place to place, trying to come up with an answer that would convince Twilight. ‘Oh, Fluttershy, there’s no point in trying to lie,’ her mind told her. ‘You’re a poor liar, and always have been. Whatever you say, Twilight will see through it.’

She felt inclined to agree that she was a poor liar, but that still didn’t mean she could not try. “Um, the-they’re fi-fine, Twilight, thank you for asking. And y-yes, they- I mean, Velocity- um, I mean…” She shrank away from Twilight’s suspecting gaze, knowing that Twilight wasn’t being fooled. She looked away and closed her eyes, fighting back tears as the memories flooded back up again: the words she said, the tears in their eyes, everything. “Please… please don’t make me go back there,” she pleaded. “Please don’t make me relive those moments.”

Twilight now felt incredibly guilty for pushing Fluttershy into this. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy,” she said gently. “But maybe if you told me what happened, it might help ease your mind a bit.” She put a hoof on the pegasus’s shoulder. “I know that this will be a lot for you, but I am here and I will not leave your side. I promise.”

Fluttershy slowly turned her head to look back at her, her eyes shimmering with tears. Twilight felt her heart being crushed by the sight. “You’ll hate me for what I did,” Fluttershy said, trying hard to keep her voice strong and not burst into sobs.

Twilight shook her head. “I could never hate you,” she said softly. “How could I hate the kindest mare that has ever been produced?” She gestured with a hoof to her chest. “Rest your head on my forelegs and against my chest, and let it all out. I promise I will not move a muscle while you talk, and I will still be here when you have finished.”

Fluttershy sniffed back her tears, willing herself to stay strong for Twilight, for the sister she never had, and nodded. Twilight was right; it was time to talk about it. She had held it back in her mind for so long, she feared she could never tell anyone about it, except Applejack, who was the only one to know.

Slowly, she lowered her head until it was resting on Twilight’s stretched out legs, and shifted it until it was up against her chest. She could hear the faint beating of her friend’s heart, and found it to be as comforting as the softest melody from a nightingale’s song. She felt Twilight’s head settle on top of hers, and sighed when she realised there was no way out of it now.

“Comfortable?” Twilight asked, glancing down at her friend and crush, and feeling a blush appear on her cheeks at the close proximity of said crush.

“Very, thank you,” Fluttershy replied, looking up. “You have a wonderful heartbeat.”

That didn’t help Twilight’s blush disappear at all. “Thanks.” The two went silent for a while as Fluttershy listened to Twilight’s heart beating faster, then descending to a more calmer rhythm, while the unicorn listened to the sound of their soft breathing, and the rain falling outside. “Are you ready to begin?” Twilight asked suddenly.

She felt Fluttershy nodding her head, which felt odd since she was lying on top of it. “All right,” Fluttershy sighed tepidly. “But where should I begin?”

“Um, from the start?” Twilight suggested as she rolled her eyes.

“Oh… yeah, that might be best,” Fluttershy said giggly, blushing sheepishly. “Well, do you remember me telling you about how I got my cutie mark?”

“Oh yeah, I do remember that. I still can’t believe it, actually. Being saved by a large group of butterflies sounds amazing, yet unbelievable.” However, Twilight wanted to find that group of butterflies, and kiss each and every one of them for saving Fluttershy’s life. ‘Without them, I wouldn’t have met Fluttershy, nor would I have fallen in love with her.’

“I know it sounds it, but it’s true,” Fluttershy said defensively. “But anyway, did I ever tell you what happened after I gained my cutie mark?”

After a moment of rummaging through her memories, Twilight shook her head. “No, I don’t think you ever did. What did happen after that?”

With a small, sad sigh, Fluttershy began her tale. “After I managed to calm all the animals down, I stayed with them all until the sun was starting to go down. We danced, we sang, we talked about everything I could think of as I tried to get to grips with all these animals, and what they did and what life was like on the ground.

“Once the sun started to set, the animals and birds went back to their respective places, and I was left alone. I realised that it was getting late, and I needed to get back up or I would be late for supper, and I have never been late for supper before. So I spread my wings and tried to fly back up to Cloudsdale. I only made it a few feet, before finding myself on the ground again.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror as she began to see where this was going, with the image of a younger Fluttershy trying to fly back up to Cloudsdale, and falling back to earth each time. ‘Oh no,’ she thought.

“I tried again, and again, and again, and again, but every time I found myself back on the ground. By now the sun was starting to go down, and I was starting to panic and cry. I tried more times than I can remember, but every time was a failure, and left me exhausted to the point where I couldn’t even leave the ground anymore. I was stuck down on the ground. Alone, miserable and very afraid. I recall I cried myself to sleep that night, hugging myself tight under a tree to shelter from the rain.

“The next morning, I still didn’t feel like I had the strength to fly back up, so I began walking blindly in any direction, hoping I would find somepony who would take me back home, but I found nopony. I ate what I could find, had to go to the toilet wherever, and every step was a living nightmare as every sound around me rattled my nerves.”

Twilight lifted a leg out, up and over Fluttershy’s head, and began to stroke the pegasus’s shoulders right down to the tip of her tail. “How long were you wandering for?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I think I counted three days.”

Twilight went pale. “Three days!” she exclaimed. “You were down on the ground for three days?”

Fluttershy nodded. “It was horrible, but it came to an end eventually.” Fluttershy smiled thinly as she thought about what happened next. “At the start of the third day, I began heading east, after realising that to continue heading south would mean more forest, and I was getting sick and tired of forests. I was cold, tired, my feathers were a mess, starving; in short, all of me was a mess.

“It was about that afternoon when I came across a whole apple orchard, stretching right back as far as the eye could see, and every tree was full of red, juicy apples. I knew that these belonged to somepony, but I was desperate, and hungry. I had to have at least one; besides, I had thought, it’s not like they’re going to miss one, whoever they belonged to.”

Twilight smiled. ‘I think I know who those apple trees belonged to,’ she thought.

“I jumped up the tree, crawled across the branch, and tried to reach out with my teeth to get a really big one. I almost had it, when a cry of, ‘Hey, you!’ broke me out of my concentration. I fell off the tree and fell unconscious.

“When I came around, I was in a large bed, surrounded by a whole group of ponies, one of which was a doctor. All of them were looking at me with concerned, caring eyes, while I stared back at them with scared eyes, afraid of what would happen to me. Eventually, they all left, except for the pony who shouted at me; an orange earth pony filly with freckles and a blonde mane.”

“Applejack!” Twilight exclaimed, beaming with joy.

Fluttershy looked up with a small grin, and nodded. “Yes. Applejack. At first I was afraid to say a single word to her, yet she spoke to me plenty, and over time I managed to get out my name, and then a multitude of subjects as she sat by my – well, her bedside, really, since it was her bed. We became friends really quick after that.

“She stayed with me all night, probably because she was guilty that I fell out of the tree because of her. I apologised for trying to steal the apple, but she just waved it away. She said that I needed one, especially in the state I was in. I fell asleep not long after that, with Applejack falling asleep beside me. I had the best night’s sleep in three days.

“I stayed with the Apple Family for about a week, and they became a second family to me. Big Mac even said I was a second sister to him, while he was an older brother to me. I made myself useful as well while I was there and awaiting my parents to take me home. While they looked after me, and kept me fed and housed, I paid them back by taking care of the many critters that annoyed them, and convinced them all to go bother someplace else. Me and Applejack became an unstoppable team as we made the beavers go somewhere else, even after learning completely new words that I never want to use in my life.

“Everything was going great. I was beginning to adore the ground, and like I sang in my song, I never wanted to leave.” She paused for a moment as she felt her smile fade from her lips. “Then one day my parents came to Ponyville and took me back to Cloudsdale.”

Twilight smiled, her soft strokes never losing momentum along Fluttershy’s back. “I’m sure that was a good thing, Fluttershy. They must have been worried sick about you.”

“Oh, they were,” Fluttershy agreed sharply. “Mum wouldn’t stop crying or let go of me when we got back home, and my dad wouldn’t stop pestering me about how I got lost down there, and what happened exactly. Even Rainbow Dash, when I saw her again, was quite upset that I had gone missing, and was angered when I turned up without an excuse to my whereabouts.”

“She must have blamed herself for the fall, the poor thing,” Twilight whispered in Fluttershy’s ear, making her voice feel like a gentle wind going through Fluttershy’s ears.

“Oh yes, she was very upset. In fact, she was so wracked by guilt that she tried to stay away from me so I would never be hurt by her again. I told her it was just an accident but she would not listen. No matter how many times I tried telling her, she would not budge from her decision. It came to the point where we sort of, parted ways. We never spoke again until we were reunited in Ponyville.

“The two weeks after that went quickly. I tried to continue with the flight camp, as my mum and dad wanted me to, but I started slipping out of classes and going to see some of the birds in the park.” Her ears fell flat when she heard Twilight’s sigh of disapproval. “I know, I shouldn’t have done that, but what would you have done if every time you went into class, and all you heard were taunts from everypony? I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I started slipping away, and coming back before I was missed.

“I would have continued doing it, had my own parents not caught me while taking a stroll through the park.” She paused to shudder, and Twilight thought she would not continue.

“Fluttershy,” she goaded her on gently. “It’s best to let it all out.”

Fluttershy nodded, even as she felt the tears start to fall down her cheeks. Twilight could feel them dripping onto her chest, and her heart started to tear apart. “They took me home straight away, and sent me straight to my room with no dinner. When evening came, I came back downstairs and into the main room, where my parents were waiting for me, demanding an explanation to my behaviour. I told them about the bullies, I told them that I wasn’t a good flier, and that I didn’t like it there anymore and wanted to go into where my talent lied: with animals. But they didn’t want any of it; they wanted me to continue trying and not give up with it. It soon turned into an argument, talking turned into shouting, and then I said…” She trailed away as she began to cry, splintering Twilight’s heart with every sob.

“I’m here, Fluttershy,” Twilight cooed softly. “I will always be here.”

Fluttershy sniffed back her tears once more, and said quickly, “I said to them that I should have had better parents.”

Twilight’s eyes widened, and her hoof stopped running down Fluttershy’s back in shock at what she just heard. Although she was surprised she could imagine Fluttershy saying something like that, she felt a great amount of sympathy for her. Flying fast and doing whatever those who were taught at flight school did was something that Fluttershy could not do. Her life was one on the ground, with taking care of the animals and other critters that roamed Terra’s surface.

She broke out of her thoughts when she heard Fluttershy beginning to cry, with her shoulders shaking as she sobbed loudly. Twilight felt her heart break apart at this. ‘If there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s seeing my friends in pain like this.’ She hauled Fluttershy up onto her haunches, and hugged her tight, with Fluttershy returning the hug as quick as she could. Twilight felt Fluttershy’s tears fall down her chest and onto her belly, and she could feel tears in her own eyes, mostly out of Fluttershy’s pain that was now falling out in little droplets of water.

After a minute or so, Fluttershy’s eyes stopped spilling tears, and all that was coming out was little sniffles. “Thank you, Twilight. You were right; I really needed to do that. I feel so much better than I did before I told you it.” Her mind didn’t feel as heavy as it did before she told her tale. It felt it had been lifted from her shoulders, and taken by Twilight. ‘Twilight is truly one of the most amazing ponies I know,’ she thought, nuzzling against her friend’s chest while purring.

Twilight smiled sweetly, and then gently lifted her friend’s head with her hooves to look her in the eye. “That’s what friends are for,” she said in a hushed tone, using her hooves to wipe off the tears that stained Fluttershy’s cheeks. “Though you mean more to me than a friend, Fluttershy. You, like the rest of the girls, are like the sisters I never had, yet always wanted.”

Fluttershy smiled beamingly. “I always thought the same about you, Twilight. You are the younger sister I always wanted when I was little. Someone who I could share everything with, and not be ridiculed for it.”

Twilight’s eyebrows flicked up in surprise. “Ridiculed? That’s a fancy word.”

Fluttershy giggled. “You’ve been rubbing off on me, it seems.” The two ponies shared a quite giggle, and then went silent as they held each other in an embrace, rocking back and forth softly like a cot. As they held each other, Fluttershy never felt safer than she did now. Twilight’s hold on her was soft and gentle, almost motherly, making her feel at peace with herself and her surroundings. Twilight’s scent was like lavenders, and her coat felt like the fluffiest pillow in the world, one Fluttershy felt like falling asleep in.

“So your parents?” Twilight whispered enquiringly, breaking the silence. “What happened next?” She looked down, and smiled when she saw Fluttershy had fallen asleep in her embrace, a wing draped around the unicorn to keep her close. She leaned down, and kissed Fluttershy lightly on the head. The sweet, taller pegasus shifted a little, but relaxed just as quickly, putting Twilight’s mind at ease. “Sleep well, my love.”

As gently as she could, she lowered herself and the pegasus in her hold until they laid out on the ground, and then covered themselves over with the blanket. “Goodnight, sis,” Fluttershy muttered dreamingly, tightening her hold on the unicorn.

Twilight’s smile trembled as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She had never been called ‘sis’ before, and coming from the mare of her dreams, it was something she now felt had been missed out. ‘Yet, it couldn’t have been, ‘goodnight, my love’ could it?’ she grumbled.

‘There’s still plenty of time for that, Twilight,’ her mind reminded her. Twilight knew her mind was right. There still was time for that to happen, yet when, she could not say. It would be only when the flower is found is when her friendship with Fluttershy be changed, for the better or the worse.

With a final sigh, she lowered her head so that it was resting beside Fluttershy’s, and quickly fell asleep, the chamber going black as Twilight’s light spell faded into non-existence.

Author's Note

This is the final part of the eighth chapter, possibly the longest chapter I have ever written, but I wanted it to be that way. I planned the end of this chapter a long time ago, and as more and more stuff filled the space in-between, it just had to be as long as it is.

Hope you enjoyed this one, as much as I enjoyed making it. Once again, thanks to Bujin for editing and proof-reading it for me. Chapter 9 might be a while, and will become more adventerous as they leave Equestria far behind and head out into the unknown...

Chapter 9

The first rays of the morning sun crept into the cave, managing to snake its way down the passage, and shine on the two ponies sleeping snugly under the one blanket.

At first, Twilight’s mind was as blank as a piece of paper waiting to have something written on it. Then suddenly, the gears in her brain started to turn, and her body began to wake up. First her tail swished and twitched, like it usually did when she woke up, then each of her legs started to twitch and flex, and then finally her eyes opened slowly, her ears twitching as she rid herself of itches.

She yawned loudly, and was about to stretch her legs and get up when she felt something across her back, something light and feathery. She looked back and threw the blanket off herself to see what it was, fearing it was a big hairy spider. She relaxed and smiled when she saw a wing from Fluttershy draped over her, keeping her close for comfort after spilling out the story of her parents from her lips.

Twilight drew out a long, sad sigh, and stroked Fluttershy’s head gently with a hoof. A part of her wished that what Fluttershy had told her last night was not the truth, and it was just something that happened between them. Yet, for Fluttershy to be in such pain, it could only, and sadly, be the truth. She briefly wondered how many times Fluttershy had thought about what she had said to them, and cried herself to sleep with those words running through her head, shaming her and making her hate herself for her words.

She shook the thought out of her head as quickly as she had thought about it. ‘They all probably apologised, then kissed and made up,’ Twilight reasoned to herself. ‘It wouldn’t be like Fluttershy to hold a grudge against them and herself.’ Yet the pain Fluttershy was in last night put Twilight into doubt. The sorrow that spilled out of Fluttershy yesterday seemed to be one from a pony that had held it in for a long time, never once talking about it or had never resolved it. And, if Fluttershy kept holding it back, it would be something that would never be resolved. They would never speak again, and Fluttershy would be in a far worse state when they passed away, and she had never got the chance to say sorry, or even goodbye.

That was something Twilight did not intend to happen. If need be, she would drag Fluttershy to their front door before she would let that happen. She loved Fluttershy with all her heart, and wanted what was best for her, and make her feel better about herself as well. And she wanted to help Velocity as well, a pony that had been so kind and amazing to her when she was in school. She felt she had to return a favour to her, and that favour was to the bring her daughter back into her life.

She broke out of her brooding when she felt Fluttershy start to stir beneath her. The pegasus let out a pleasurable groan as she craned her neck forward, and flicked her head as though she was trying to get rid of something on her. Twilight lifted her head off Fluttershy’s, and looked down sweetly at the stirring pegasus. “Good morning, Fluttershy,” she greeted her warmly.

Fluttershy groaned once more, and then slowly opened her eyes. They flickered open and closed for a moment as her mind told her it was time to get up, yet a part of her didn’t want to get up. She wanted to stay here forever, with a wing over her best friend…

Her eyes snapped fully open once more when she felt one of her wings was now over her best friend, who was next to her, awake as well. She lifted her head up, and locked eyes with Twilight, while drawing her wing back to her side inconspicuously. “Good morning, Twilight,” she replied, smiling warmly at her friend while fighting her blush back. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m okay, thank you. Haven’t slept like that in ages,” Twilight responded as she lifted the blanket off them both and put it back in one of the pouches in her saddlebags. “How about you? Slept well?”

“Mmm hmm,” Fluttershy hummed with a nod. She got up and stretched out her forelegs, sticking her backside high in to the air as she did so. “I slept really well, thank you.”

“And how do you feel?” Twilight enquired with raised eyebrows.

Fluttershy grinned. “I haven’t felt this good in ages, Twilight.” It was the truth. She felt as though a great weight had been lifted off her, and now she was able to walk freely without such a burden holding her back. “Thank you for listening to me last night. I imagine what you heard wasn’t easy to listen to, but I thank you for sticking with me.”

Twilight smiled amiably. “It was a pleasure, Fluttershy. I would do the same for any of my friends.” She got up from the floor, and straightened down her mane with her hooves. “Right, I suggest we get a move on back to Skyros before we are missed.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then quickly picked up her saddlebags and set them on her back. “Okay, I’m ready, Twilight,” she nodded.

Twilight set her own saddlebags on her back, and nodded as well. “Right, come on let’s go.” Fluttershy nodded, then took the lead as she began to take the path back through the throat of the cave. Twilight had one last look around the chamber, and the incredible paintings that adorned the walls. ‘Wish I had some time to draw them,’ she thought. “Say, Fluttershy,” Twilight called to the pegasus. “Let’s say we keep this place as our little secret? Somewhere to go as a getaway if we come back here?”

“Oh, that sounds brilliant, Twilight!” Fluttershy called from the other side. “We should leave a marker or something that only we could recognise, then we know we’re not too far away from this place!”

“That sounds like a good idea! Right, are you completely through yet?”

“Nearly, just give me a moment… uh… Um, Twilight? I think I’m stuck.”

Twilight put a hoof to her face and groaned. “How can you possibly be stuck? We came through just fine, so you should be able to fit back through all right!”

“I know, but I thought I might try a different way through, and now I’m stuck. Could you give me a hoof, please?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, sighing heavily. “Just hold on. I’m coming.” She began walking through the gap to aid her friend.

“That’s all I can do,” Fluttershy called out in response. Twilight quickly found Fluttershy’s backside in her face, with her hind legs kicking out in midair as she tried to push herself out, but to no avail. Twilight leaned to the left to see what the problem was, and quickly found it.

Fluttershy had tried to jump through the gap rather than walk through it, not noticing that the gap was narrower higher up than it was at ground level. Her saddlebags were too big for the gap, and they wedged themselves in, squeezing Fluttershy between them and sticking her in midair like glue.

“Do you think you can get me out?” Fluttershy called, trying to look over her shoulder.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof as she pondered on getting Fluttershy through. “All right, and I’m really sorry about this, but I’m gonna try and push you out from this side with my hooves, okay?”

On the other side, Fluttershy felt her face flush pink. “O-okay, Twilight, whatever is easier for you.”

Twilight nodded, grateful for Fluttershy’s consent. ‘After this, I might need to use a memory wipe spell for both of us.’ “Okay, I’m gonna start pushing the moment I set my hooves on you, so I want you to start pushing yourself through as well. Ready?”

“Yes, just do it quickly,” Fluttershy said, setting her forehooves against the walls to push herself out. Twilight reared up, set her hooves against Fluttershy’s rump, and began to push hard, while Fluttershy pushed herself forward.

After a moment, Fluttershy found herself to be free, and she was sent diving to the ground, with Twilight staggering through the gap and falling on top of her. “Oh, sorry,” Twilight said as she tried to get up. “Are you hurt?”

“That’s okay, and I’m fine. Yourself?” Fluttershy asked as she picked herself up from the ground.

Twilight sat on her haunches and checked herself over. “Yeah, still in one piece. Right, come on, we’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

Fluttershy’s ears fell flat as she stood on all fours and bowed her head in shame. “Sorry I slowed us down with that stupid stunt of mine.”

Twilight chuckled. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. I forgive you. We all do stupid things like that, anyway. It’s what makes us ponies.” With that, she turned around and led the way out of the cave, with a more cheerful Fluttershy in tow.

Once they made it outside, they both breathed in the fresh, cool air that hung about like mist. Around the two ponies, the grass that smothered the landscape was covered in morning dew, which shone like diamonds in the bright, high sun. A few white, puffy clouds drifted slowly overhead, heading further into the islands, but other than that it was a clear summer’s day.

After leaving a small mark with ‘T and F’ in it by the cave’s mouth and in view of a small path, the two ponies quickly left the cave behind them, and began walking along the iron path that wiggled across the island, both of them hoping it would lead them back to the bridge and back to Skyros. “So, Fluttershy, tell me: what happened after you said what you said to your parents? You never mentioned what happened next.” Twilight quickly added, “Don’t worry if you don’t want to, of course. I was quite hard on you yesterday, and for that I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy assured her, smiling. “You were right; I should have said something about it long ago, rather than bury it in me. But anyway, do you want to know what I did next?”

Twilight nodded. “Well, okay then. Well, after I said that to my parents,” Fluttershy began, “I raced back upstairs, upset with my parents and ashamed of myself, while leaving them in tears. I must have cried for hours, for the next thing I remember was that the moon was at its highest, and my parents had gone to sleep.

“I realised at that moment that I was right, but in a different sense; I did not deserve to have better parents, but they deserved to have a better daughter. So I packed up everything that I had and needed, and ran away from home, just leaving a note saying I was going to Ponyville, and please don’t follow me.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped in shock, yet she listened intently. “How did you get down from Cloudsdale?” she asked quickly during the pause.

“I cloud-jumped my way down,” Fluttershy replied. “I dived from cloud to cloud across the sky, until I was close enough to the ground so I could use my wings and have something akin of a happy landing. I made it to the ground, conveniently right next to a sign that said Ponyville was around a mile or so south of where I was. I grinned to myself, and then began walking towards the town.

“I made it into Ponyville just before the moon was about to go behind the horizon. I wandered quickly through Ponyville, too scared to stop incase somepony might try to kidnap me or take me back to Cloudsdale, and got to Sweet Apple Acres just as the sun was rising.

“When I arrived, Applejack was confused at me returning, and I quickly told her – well, sobbed would be the more appropriate term – about what happened between me and my family. She and the rest of the Apple Family took me in as one of their own, a bit reluctantly, I might add, but I can understand that. I barged into their home, saying I had nowhere to go and pleading with them for me to stay there, so of course they would be a bit reluctant. I asked Applejack if that was the case and she said it was the truth, yet if I was willing to earn my stay, then things would be better between us. I eagerly accepted, and was quickly put to work on taking down the apples.”

She paused to giggle as the memories came back to her. “I couldn’t buck down the apples at all; my skinny legs were not strong enough to take the apples down. After a while of increasing frustration, and coming very close to giving up, I tried using my wings. At first I couldn’t fly too high up, but I kept practicing more and more until I was able to get into the tree itself, and I literally shook the apples out of the trees and into the baskets below.”

“So that’s how you learnt to do that,” Twilight said. “I’ve always wondered how you were that quick when we saved Applejack’s home.”

“It took a lot of practice, but I got there in the end. I even managed to beat Applejack with it when we raced through the orchards once, bringing down the apples on every tree we saw. Of course, she got faster and stronger in the legs later, so she was able to get better than me.” Fluttershy paused to watch a large, spotted-winged butterfly hover in front of her for a moment, before soaring away from them. “I stayed with them for about a year, during which I met Pinkie, Rarity, and started talking to Rainbow Dash again after she moved into Ponyville. I only knew the others by name until you came along, for I was too shy to walk into town by myself, so I always walked with Applejack.”

Twilight giggled inwardly. ‘She missed out the part where she turned into a fine young mare,’ she thought.

“I also began to communicate with all the animals that inhabited the town, and became good friends with them all, so much so that I decided that I would never leave Ponyville, not for anywhere else in the world. I also began looking for my own home to settle in so I could look after my animal friends and their families, and any others that came my way. I saw the cottage I now live in, and found it to be too expensive; I could have never afforded it with the money I was getting from Sweet Apple Acres.

“That was when I received a letter from somewhere – it never said who or where, but what was inside was enough to make me faint. It was a deed to the cottage, bought and paid for under my name, and insured and such by some outer party. I quickly moved in, and the Apple Family helped me settle in and repaired it and such to what it is now. The rest is pretty dull, so you probably don’t want to know about all that.”

Twilight blinked, stupefied by the story she had just heard. “That is incredible,” she remarked, yet she couldn’t help but be nagged about a few things. “Yet it doesn’t tell me about your parents. Did you ever talk to them again?”

Fluttershy folded her ears and bowed her head, ashamed of herself. “I haven’t spoken to them since our argument. I haven’t received anything from them, neither have I sent anything to them in return.”

Twilight looked at her friend in shock. “Why? Why did you never do anything?”

“I tried, Twilight. I tried, and I tried, and I tried!” Fluttershy whimpered, tears threatening to spill once more. “But every letter I tried to write ended up in my bin. I couldn’t say sorry, or thank you, I couldn’t even say hello on it, so I gave up and left it. There were times where I wanted to go up to Cloudsdale and go back to them, but even then it became so difficult for me; I wasn’t brave enough to even say hi to my own family.” She stopped and tried to sniff back her tears, even as they dripped down her cheeks.

Twilight felt a great amount of sympathy for Fluttershy. She figured she would have been disgusted by her friend’s actions, were it not for the fact that Twilight did more or less the same thing.

The last time she had spoken to her parents was at the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence a few months ago, yet that was it. She had never spoken to any of them when she was in Canterlot whilst studying under Princess Celestia and her tutors. And when she left for Ponyville, they only found out about it in the newspaper celebrating the return of Princess Luna, and the heroism of the six ponies who brought her back. She had separated herself from her family, and carried on with her own studies rather than see them from time to time.

Despite the separation from them, she felt happy about it, for she knew her family was not too far away from Ponyville, and she had a Hearth’s Warming card from them every year, so that was nice. Yet with Fluttershy, she hadn’t received even that. Twilight knew she had to help with this, and knew the only way she could was to be a friend for her.

She put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, making the pegasus shoot her head up. “You’re wrong, you know? About you not receiving anything from them since your estrangement.”

Fluttershy cleared her cheeks, and looked confusedly at Twilight. “What do you mean?”

Twilight smiled tenderly. “Did you ever try and find out who bought the house for you? Who paid for it in your name and insured it for you?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I always thought it was the Apple Family, but they’ve always denied it. I haven’t thought about looking.”

“Well it is so blatantly obvious when you think about it, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy shook her head, making Twilight roll her eyes. “Your parents bought the house for you. They saw it was perfect for you, and bought it for you to have.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped as her mind began to put together the pieces. Twilight was right. They knew she was in Ponyville, and must have seen the house was for sale. So they bought it and paid for it in full to go on her name. ‘They did that for me, even after what I said, they did it for me,’ she thought.

She slammed a hoof into her face so hard it sounded like it hurt, and groaned loudly. “I am such an idiot!” she screamed, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Twilight quickly wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus, gently stroking the other mare’s mane. “They must love you dearly, even after what you said, Fluttershy. They wanted you to be happy, they wanted to show you, to express how much they loved you.” She pulled away from the pegasus, and smiled at her. “A love that is worth more than any letter that could ever be written.”

Fluttershy looked into her friend’s eyes, and knew that Twilight was right. ‘They still love me, even after all this time,’ she thought joyfully. Even after what she said, even after losing contact with them, they still loved and cared about her, even buying her a home to live in and keep with her animal friends, while she didn’t even thank them for it, not even thinking it was them that did it. For that she felt horrible and undeserving of the Element of Kindness.

“I am such a fool, Twilight,” she whispered gently on Twilight’s neck, giving the unicorn a slight chill. “A big, massive, silly gullible fool.”

Twilight giggled while shaking her head. “Oh no. Oh I don’t think so. You just made a mistake, that’s all. But it isn’t one that can’t be fixed.” She pulled away from Fluttershy’s embrace, and placed her hooves on the pegasus’s shoulders. “I want you to promise me that you will see your parents once we get back. You don’t need to say hello, or I’m sorry, or even thank you. Just go to them. That’s all they want from you.”

Fluttershy nodded instantly. “I will do that. As soon as I return home, I will go to them. Can you come with me, so I know I won’t back out if I have somepony with me?”

Twilight’s smile broadened. “Sure, I’ll come with you, but only if Velocity has those nice gingerbread ponies she bakes,” she teased. She moaned pleasurably at the thought of them, making Fluttershy giggle and come back to her more cheerful self. “Right, shall we keep going?”

Fluttershy nodded, and together the two set off once more. “Thank you, Twilight, for being so understanding,” she said, nuzzling the unicorn gently.

Twilight smiled, and returned the nuzzle. “You are most welcome.”

The rest of the trip across the islands and back to Skyros was uneventful. The two ponies filled the journey with banter, songs and poor jokes. They passed over the bridge less than an hour later, and realised that they were not too far from the bridge at all and could have gone back to Skyros before the storm had hit. After shrugging off their silliness with a laugh, they carried on past Castamare, and back on the road towards the capital city of the Iron Pony Islands.

Half an hour later, they came into sight of the wooden and bricked buildings that hung around the edge of the city. “Ah! There’re you lassies now!” Twilight and Fluttershy halted when they saw Seahoof galloping up to them from one of the shacks, and smiled at him in greeting. “I was starting to fear that you both got caught in the storm last night.”

“We were just lucky,” Twilight explained. “If Fluttershy hadn’t found a cave out on the second island, we would have been caught in it.” Fluttershy blushed at the praise.

“Well I’m just glad you both are here and safe, and we can now start heading further west,” Seahoof said, turning around to lead them to the Wave Breaker.

Twilight giggled in excitement. “I’m looking forward to it.” Fluttershy nodded eagerly in agreement beside her. Despite her fear of the unknown, Fluttershy found the excitement carried by her friend being passed to her, and now she couldn’t help but anticipate what they might find on the other side of the world.

They quickly fell in line and broke into a trot as they followed Seahoof through the city and back to the harbour. “So, Seahoof, how did the supplying go for the ship?” Twilight asked inquisitively.

Seahoof looked back with a small smile. “It went really well, thank you, lass. The ship now has ample supplies to keep us going for four months out at sea.”

“That must have been really expensive to buy all of that food and drink,” Fluttershy observed.

“Aye, it was, lassie,” Seahoof agreed with a nod. “But in the end, so long as your crew stays healthy, then the pay doesn’t matter.” The three went silent once more as they wandered through the city. As they walked through the narrow streets, they saw the city slowly coming alive as the first few ponies strolled through the town, preparing themselves for another day of work.

‘Skyros looks and feels like me after a night of intense studying,’ Twilight thought as she saw the tired ponies around her. Eventually, they managed to break through the busying city, and arrive in the small harbour where the Wave Breaker was docked, looking the same as it did when they left it. “Would have thought they’ll use this chance to give her a paint job,” Twilight muttered into Fluttershy’s ear.

Fluttershy stifled her giggle with a hoof over her mouth. “Too right,” she agreed. She looked right and saw Green Leaf walking into the city. “Green Leaf!” she called cheerfully as she trotted over to the earth pony.

The mare jumped in shock at Fluttershy’s voice, and turned to face her with a wide smile. “Oh, h-hello, Fluttershy,” she stammered, looking away shyly. “Had a nice day yesterday on the island?”

“Oh, it was lovely, thank you,” Fluttershy replied with a small smile. “Me and my friend saw so much, and did so much together that I will cherish forever.” Behind her, Twilight blushed pink. Fluttershy suddenly noticed Green Leaf had all her possessions with her, and her smile wavered. “You’re not coming with us, are you?”

Green Leaf shook her head. “Sorry, but since I’m under eighteen it’s part of my contract that I can only go this far out from Equestria. Still, got a few months to wait for my birthday, so maybe one day I’ll see what’s out there.” She looked up at Fluttershy, and grinned at her. “But it was worth it just to meet you.” She reared up and hugged the pegasus tight. “Good luck out there, and I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

Fluttershy smiled, and patted the earth pony on the back. “Thank you, and I wish you all the best as well.”

Green Leaf pulled away, let go of Fluttershy, then turned around and walked into the city. Fluttershy watched her go with a small, sad smile. “Although I barely know her, I am going to miss her. She seemed so sweet.”

Twilight nodded in agreement, even though she couldn’t help but feel jealous of the green earth mare. “Come on, lassies!” Seahoof called from on the Wave Breaker. “We’re waiting on you now!”

Twilight and Fluttershy turned around and trotted on board. “Oh, I do hope we see some whales out there,” Fluttershy said excitedly, practically hopping as she trotted.

Twilight beamed at Fluttershy’s enthusiasm. “I just hope it’s going to be a smooth, short journey, or else my time on this ship is not going to be pleasant.”

Fluttershy looked at her friend amiably. “I’m sure it will be fine, Twilight. At least you’ll have me to look after you should you get ill.”

Twilight glanced at her friend with a wry smile and a faint blush. “I can easily imagine you in a nurse’s outfit to be honest. You would make a great nurse.”

Fluttershy blushed heavily as they moved onto the top deck. “Oh, I don’t know. I’d probably faint at some of the stuff they have to go through.”

“I doubt it. It’ll probably be like helping your animal friends, only this time it is with other ponies.”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I suppose, but I guess we’ll never find out. I’ve never worked well with other ponies, anyway.” She stopped talking when she heard something get drawn up behind her, and looked back to see the gangplank was now raised and the ropes holding the ship at the harbour were now being unfastened and thrown back on board. “Wow, I guess this is it. No going back now, eh?”

Twilight gripped her hooves on the deck hard as she felt the ship begin to drift away from the harbour, and turn towards the harbour entrance. “Yeah. No going back now,” she agreed once the ship had become steadier.

The two nodded, and watched in silence as they left Skyros and the Iron Pony Islands behind them. “Oh, Miss Fluttershy, I believe you had forgotten this on your travels!” Seahoof called to Fluttershy, holding up a large, thick yellow blanket with pink edges.

“My blanket!” Fluttershy squeaked in delight. She raced over and grabbed the blanket and Seahoof in both hooves. “Oh, thank you for looking after it for me while I was gone. I don’t know what I would do if I had lost it forever.”

Seahoof grinned and patted the pegasus on the back. “You’re welcome, lass. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to guide this ship out of here.” He pulled away and went back to concentrating on steering the ship away from the harbour.

Fluttershy nodded and quickly went back to Twilight, with her blanket draped across her back. “Wow, Fluttershy, your blanket looks lovely,” Twilight remarked, rubbing a hoof over it. It felt like the softest silk, and it made Twilight want to go under it and snuggle up to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy’s face went pink. “T-thanks, Twilight, I’m just glad it’s been found.” She let out a contented sigh. “Everything’s going to be all right from now on.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. The two ponies fell silent as they watched the Iron Pony Islands go smaller as they left them behind, then looked westward as the ship turned about and begun its either long or short voyage into the unknown.

Fluttershy knocked timidly on Seahoof’s cabin door a few times, hoping that he would still be awake. She waited a minute before the door swung open, and a tired looking Seahoof appeared from the other side. “What is it, lass?” he enquired impatiently.

‘I don’t blame him for being grumpy,’ Fluttershy thought as she fidgeted nervously under Seahoof’s gaze. ‘Trying to sleep in this condition is probably not easy for non-winged ponies.’ “Um, I am really sorry that I disturbed you at this time, but I was wondering if you had any spare anti-sickness tablets available?” She quickly added, “Don’t worry if you don’t, I’m sure we can manage.”

Seahoof’s impatient gaze softened. “Is it Twilight again?” Fluttershy just nodded curtly in response. “Give me a minute, and I’ll find some for her.” With that, he disappeared behind the door.

‘Might as well sit here for a bit,’ Fluttershy decided. She set her rump down on the floor, and waited patiently for Seahoof to return, while her mind drifted off to somewhere else.

The first five days since leaving the Iron Pony Islands were uneventful. The sea was calm and peaceful, the sky was a cloudless blue, and everypony on board had worked or relaxed as the Wave Breaker ploughed its way through the ocean.

In that time, Twilight and Fluttershy had talked increasingly to the other crewmembers on board, and it came to the point where many of them became their friends. The only one that didn’t seem to enjoy their company to an extent was Seahoof’s first mare, or Miss Grumpy Pants, as Twilight started to call her.

“She’s Wave Kicker, my wife,” Seahoof said to them when he had heard them complaining about her and her lack of friendliness. “Me and her have been running this ship together ever since we met. I know she’s not the most open pony on board; she tends to be that way, so she doesn’t have any emotional attachment towards anypony if something happens to them. When she’s away from the ship, however, she’s the most loving mare you’ll meet. Don’t take the way she treats you two personally.” The two mares nodded, and walked on.

Then, on the sixth day of the voyage, the sea turned rougher, and Twilight fell ill.

Fluttershy shuddered as she remembered standing by Twilight’s side, patting her on the back, while Twilight vomited uncontrollably over the side of the ship. The Wave Breaker rocked about like a cot constantly as it trailed over the ocean, trying to keep level even as the waves threatened to capsize it. Fluttershy, thanks to being a pegasus, was able to endure it. Most of the other ponies, however, couldn’t, and they usually ended up joining Twilight at the side.

After another four days, the ocean did not get any smoother, and Twilight was confined to her quarters. Fluttershy was asked to remove herself from the quarters, but the pegasus shred her shy personality for a moment and said, “I will never leave Twilight’s side! Not while she’s like this!”

So Twilight became her responsibility, and she did everything for her: threw out her sick buckets via the window, fed her to keep her strength up, kept her washed and clean and guided her to the bathroom. Twilight protested at every turn she could, saying she just needed some air and a piece of dry land, but Fluttershy said adamantly, “I’m not going to leave your side.” She emphasised the point by draping a wing over her shivering friend.

Now, it was the tenth day, and the ocean was getting calmer, but only by a little. Twilight’s condition had improved, but she was still unable to sleep, and kept throwing up whenever there were a few rough moments in the ocean, so Fluttershy had to keep going to Seahoof for anti-sickness tablets. ‘Hopefully tomorrow the ocean will be a lot calmer, and Twilight can actually make some good memories out of this,’ Fluttershy wished.

She looked up from the floor when she heard the door open, and Seahoof appeared with a bottle of tablets in his hoof. “These little beauties are the strongest stuff I have,” he explained. “Give her just the one, and that should make her sleep well tonight.”

Fluttershy quickly took it in both hooves. “I will. Thank you, Seahoof. Sorry to have disturbed you.” With that said, she rushed down the corridor to her and Twilight’s quarters, with the tablets secured firmly under her wing.

She soon arrived at the front door of their cabin, and raced quickly inside. When she shut the door behind her, she turned around, and felt her heart break at the state her friend was in.

Twilight was wrapped tightly in her sheets, as though the rest of her body had been placed in a sack with only her head visible. Her eyes were half open, her nostrils ran with snot, huge black bags rested under her eyes and her mane was sticking up like long grass. She groaned when she heard Fluttershy had returned. “Did you get the anti-sickness tablets?” she enquired, her voice vibrating as though her voice box was breaking apart.

Fluttershy walked up to the other pony, and stroked her head while revealing the tablets to her friend. “You poor, poor thing. Hopefully these will do you the world of wonder.”

She broke open the top, and shook out a single tablet. “Tongue, please?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight opened her mouth and rolled out her tongue, which Fluttershy dropped the single tablet on. “Now roll back and swallow,” Fluttershy instructed. Twilight retracted her tongue, and gulped the tablet down instantly, sighing when she felt it roll down her throat and into her stomach.

“Thank you so much for looking after me, Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered, unable to speak any louder. “I know I haven’t been the easiest patient to work with, but I appreciate everything you have done for me.”

Fluttershy waved it away with a flick of her hoof. “Don’t worry about it, Twilight. It’s the least I can do for you after what you did for me back on the Iron Pony Islands.” She jumped up on her bed, and made herself comfortable. “Besides, what kind of a friend would I be if I left you in such a state?”

Twilight sniffed, and a small, peaceful smiled appeared as her eyes began to close. “You’re always a great friend, Fluttershy, no matter what. And that is why I–” She cut herself off when the tablet took hold, and she fell asleep instantly, her side rising and falling with gentle movements.

“Aww,” Fluttershy said, tilting her head and smiling sweetly at the unicorn. “Sleep well, Twilight,” she whispered, before setting herself on her side and relaxing her shoulders, looking at Twilight with a feeling she had never felt before, yet knew what it was.

‘Okay, this is getting annoying. For the last time I do not love Twilight Sparkle!’ she screamed in thought, her shoulders clenching together once more as her stress levels suddenly increased. Yet the cracks were starting to show themselves, and she could see them clearly breaking apart, and revealing Twilight for what she truly is: the most beautiful mare Fluttershy had ever laid eyes on.

As she thought about it, her mind drifted back to when she was crying, and Twilight had her in her embrace, and listened as Fluttershy had told her about how she separated herself from her parents. Her friend’s touch was one of the most comforting feelings she had ever experienced. Twilight’s hooves wrapped around her body felt gentle and cosy, and she could spill out her troubles and never be ridiculed for it. It was the touch of somepony that she felt safe and secure with, more than any other.

And Twilight’s kindness to her. Even though there were a few rough moments in their friendship, Twilight had always displayed an amount of kindness that no other pony had ever given her, and had always showed the utmost faith in her in whatever they all did. Sending a dragon out of Equestria, trying to heal the Princess’s sick bird and helping the other pegasi to create a tornado that would give Cloudsdale the water they needed, to name but a few. In all those times, Twilight had showed her belief that Fluttershy could do it when nopony else could, and she never lost patience with her.

‘She cares deeply about you, you know?’ her mind, or so she thought, said to her. ‘I would go as far to say that she cares about you more than the others.’

Fluttershy drew out a heavy sigh. “I know,” she whispered. ‘Maybe there is a chance between us.’ Yet as she thought of that, she believed it would never happen. Twilight deserved better than her.

She rolled over to look away from Twilight, and closed her eyes as her mind blanked out and her dreams took over.

The morning sun shone in Twilight’s eyes, making her groan and trying to shoo it away with a hoof. “Not yet, five more minutes,” she complained, having not yet realised she was awake. It didn’t take long for Twilight to figure out that she was not going back to sleep any time soon, and opened her eyes.

She quickly saw Fluttershy’s bed was empty, and properly made and ready for another night to sleep in. ‘Must have gone upstairs for breakfast,’ she thought. At that moment, she noticed something else. Something that made her lips curl up into a blissful smile. The world wasn’t going up or down as rapidly as it had been for the last four days. She looked out of the porthole to see that the sea was once again smooth and calm, just the way she liked it, and the sky was once again blue, free of the dark storm clouds that had hung over them the past few days.

With this knowledge gained, she felt immediately better and ready with whatever was going to happen today. She sighed pleasantly, and kicked the sheets off her until she was free of their grasp. She groggily got out of bed, staggered through the door and headed towards the top deck, intent on getting some air, and some food.

When she arrived on the top deck, the most beautiful pony she had ever seen greeted her. Fluttershy was about to walk back through with a tray full of cereal and porridge on her back, when she stopped and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Twilight standing before her. “Did you miss me?” she asked weakly, a small smile on her lips.

Fluttershy’s own lips curled into a massive grin. Before Twilight knew what had happened, Fluttershy had set the tray down on the deck, then pounced on her like a predator and tackled her to the ground, wrapping her friend in a hug. “Oh I am so glad you’re up and about!” Fluttershy cried, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. “The last five days or so with you being ill has been horrible!”

Twilight let out a low gurgle sound. “Can’t… breathe,” she rasped. ‘She must have missed the well me to hug me this hard,’ she thought.

Fluttershy quickly let go and backed off, blushing furiously. “Sorry,” she said as she helped Twilight up. “It’s just that I’m so happy to see you up and about after so long. How are you feeling, anyway?” Fluttershy asked, taking a step closer to her.

“I feel much better thank you, Fluttershy. Better enough to do this.” She raised her left foreleg into the air, awaiting Fluttershy to raise her right foreleg and do their welcoming ritual.

Fluttershy grinned as she understood what Twilight wanted to do. She lifted her right foreleg in the air, and proceeded to do the welcoming ritual with Twilight, while both ponies chanted, “High hoof, low hoof, tail slap, hug.”

Both ponies giggled as they pulled away. “Oh, Twilight, I was gonna bring you some breakfast to have, but since you’re up you could have it up here with me… if you want to, of course, I wouldn’t mind if you want to go back to bed. It would be nice to share my breakfast with a friend.”

Twilight giggled. “I would love to have it out here with you. I wanted to get some air, anyway.” She picked up the tray of cereal and porridge with her magic, and carried it in front of her.

“Um, Twilight, is it wise to use your magic after being ill for so long?” Fluttershy queried hesitantly. “Ma-maybe you should let me hold onto the tray.”

Twilight looked back at her friend, smiling assuredly. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, I have complete control over my magic.” She suddenly staggered and fell to her stomach, breaking her hold of the tray. The tray shot down towards the ground, but before it could hit the floor and spill cereal and porridge everywhere, Twilight managed to catch onto it with her magic.

“Phew,” Twilight puffed. “See, Fluttershy. Total control.” Fluttershy shook her head and rolled her eyes at the statement.

The two ponies moved to the side of the ship where they knew they wouldn’t get in the way, and proceeded to eat their meals. Twilight picked up the bowl of porridge, and looked inside. She immediately wished she didn’t. ‘I didn’t know they had run out of food. That’s the only reason as to why they start using my vomit for food and pass it off as porridge,’ she thought. “What kind of porridge is this, Fluttershy?”

“Oats, I think,” the pegasus replied, her voice muffled by a mouthful of flakes. “Sweetened with sugar. It will help you to get your strength back.”

Twilight nodded reluctantly, and looked back at the bowl of porridge. She had never liked porridge, preferring cereal or pancakes or even bagels to porridge. ‘Porridge is the most disgusting looking thing ever invented since mane dye,’ she thought. Nevertheless, she was willing to try it, for Fluttershy’s sakes more than her own. ‘It might be nice.’

She picked the spoon up with her magic, and quickly chomped down on the porridge resting on it. She closed her eyes as the taste took hold in her mouth, and when she opened them again, she was a believer.

“Porridge is amazing!” she exclaimed, before diving her spoon back in and began devouring the contents of the bowl in seconds.

Fluttershy looked up from her bowl, and gave her a look that said, “I told you so.”

“Twilight, lassie, it’s good to see you up and about after a long time,” Seahoof said as he walked up to them, grinning through his bubble pipe.

“It feels good to be back up and about, Seahoof,” Twilight replied with a small, weak grin. She quickly gulped down another spoon full of porridge. “What did we go through the last five days?”

“Just some ocean storm, wee lassie,” Seahoof replied as he sat down beside them, leaning against the railing. “We’re about a hundred miles or so from Equestria now, so expect a lot of things out here that we wouldn’t normally see.”

“Captain! Starboard side! I think you want to see this!” a pony suddenly called out, a hoof stretched out and his eyes wide.

Twilight, Fluttershy and Seahoof turned their bodies around to have a look. For a long minute that felt like hours, nothing emerged from the water, much to the disappointment of Fluttershy. Just when they had given up and were ready to turn back around, the thing emerged from the ocean once more. It was too far away to know clearly what it was, but it was big, with a black back, a slight hump and a small dorsal fin. Just when Fluttershy thought she knew what it was, it disappeared back into the depths, making her pout and moan in disappointment.

Twilight patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, I’m sure more will show up,” she assured her.

She wasn’t wrong. Suddenly, the back of another one of the creatures appeared then disappeared. Then another, and another, and another, until a whole group of them were rising and diving back in to the water.

Fluttershy craned her neck up as high as she could just to make out what they were, while Twilight and Seahoof looked on curiously. “Any ideas on what they are?” Twilight asked.

She didn’t have to wait long for an answer. One more of the creatures emerged from the water before disappearing, and then no more appeared for a long time. Just when they thought the creatures had gone, one of them leapt out of the water, revealing to the ponies its black top and white belly, a large hump on its back and its white and black tail fin. It swerved about and dived into the water on its back, spraying the water high into the air and onto the ponies on board the ship.

Fluttershy could no longer contain her utter joy. “A humpback whale!” she squealed, jumping with utter delight. “An actual humpback whale! I have always wanted to see one of them and now I have and they are so awesome!” She spread her wings and took to the air. “I have got to take a closer look!” Before anypony could stop her, she flew away from the ship and straight towards the humpback whales, squealing and giggling with delight.

Twilight reared up and rested her crossed forelegs on top of the railing, watching her crush go off to make new friends with a small smile. The moment she was witnessing made this trip completely worth it. The look of joy on Fluttershy’s face as she saw an animal that she had never seen before was something Twilight could not describe. It filled Twilight with a joy she had rarely felt, and it made her wish she could fly after Fluttershy and share the experience with her.

She didn’t notice Seahoof glancing at her with a wry smile. “You know, when you two first came on board, I actually thought you two were a couple.” Twilight froze instantly, her ears pinning up and her eyes widening in shock. “I asked Fluttershy about it and she said you two were only close friends. I can see now that it is only a one-sided thought from you.”

Twilight slowly turned her head around to look at him, her eyes revealing her surprise. “Ho-how did you know?” she asked. She couldn’t deny the feelings she had for Fluttershy, for they were true and honest as Applejack was.

Seahoof gestured with his head at Fluttershy, who was dancing above the whales with sheer delight, chatting away with them as though they were old friends. “I’ve seen the way you look at her, lass. The small smile that appears on your lips at the very sight of her. The dreamy eyes you have on you now when she looks as happy as she is now. Yeah, I know that look, Twilight. It was the same one I had every time I laid eyes on Wave Kicker before she became my girlfriend – before she became my wife.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she nodded in understanding. Her eyes suddenly turned fearful. “Please don’t tell her anything, Seahoof,” Twilight pleaded. “I want this to come from me and no other, not even a letter.”

Seahoof chuckled, a few bubbles escaping from his bubble pipe. “Don’t worry, lassie, she will not hear your love for her from me. But I would like to know why she doesn’t know about it yet? And when are you going to tell her?”

Twilight rested her head on the railing, and sighed. “I haven’t told her yet because… because I’m afraid to.”

Seahoof looked at her sympathetically, and slung a leg over her shoulders. “It’s okay to be afraid about sharing your feelings, Twilight. Everypony gets scared when they admit to somepony they love them. It is a fear of the unknown, the idea that a relationship with somepony could change dramatically with just three simple words. But we need to fight past that fear, and charge forward with hooves kicking out against it. But most of all, we need to place trust in those that we love to see past those feelings, and maybe stay as friends, or become something greater.”

Twilight looked up at him admiringly. “You need to look past your feelings for a moment, Twilight, and put your trust in Fluttershy and her mind,” Seahoof advised. “You must let her know before it’s too late, Twilight, so that begs the question once more: when are you going to tell her?”

“That’s just it, Seahoof. I’m not sure when, I only know where,” Twilight replied.

Seahoof’s face twisted into a look of confusion. “Then, where are you going to tell her?”

Twilight looked up to see if Fluttershy considered coming back any moment. When she saw the pegasus was having the time of her life, she replied to Seahoof in a whisper, “Beyond this ocean somewhere there is a flower that shines silver and when two ponies that are meant to be together are present, the flowers sing. I intend to find that flower, and use its song to confess my feelings to Fluttershy.”

Seahoof clenched his lips tight as he held back the booming laugh he wanted to release. After a moment to calm down, he said, “So all of this is just to tell Fluttershy that you love her?” Twilight nodded sheepishly, a faint blush on her cheeks. Seahoof chuckled again. “Twilight, it would have been easier if you asked her out on a date, or better yet, do a serenade for her.”

Twilight tilted her head. “What’s a serenade?”

“When you stand outside the bedroom window of somepony you love, and sing a song to them that tells him or her how you feel about them,” Seahoof explained. “It’s how me and Wave Kicker started our relationship.”

Twilight nodded, even though she couldn’t see herself performing a serenade outside Fluttershy’s bedroom window in the dead of the night with all the creepy noises that came from the Everfree Forest not too far away. ‘Who would I get to play the music? Myself?’ Despite that, there was a certain appeal to such an idea. ‘I might have to hit the books to see if there is a spell for that sort of thing.’

She looked towards the sea again to see Fluttershy waving goodbye to the whales. “Thank you for listening to me, Seahoof, and for the advice,” Twilight said. “You’re a good friend.”

Seahoof reeled his head back in surprise. “We’re friends?”

“Of course we are. What else can we be?” Twilight said, smiling amiably at him. Seahoof smiled in return, and then went off to command the ship once more, glancing back at her nervously several times.

With the captain gone, Twilight turned back to Fluttershy, who landed back on the ship, shaking with unbridled excitement. “So, how were the whales?”

Fluttershy’s head drooped. “It wasn’t brilliant,” she said morosely. Twilight felt her smile dissipate at the sound of Fluttershy’s sadness. Before she could ask what went wrong, Fluttershy looked up with a grin that was wider than her face. “It was the greatest, most awesome thing ever! Not even the word epic could describe flying near them!” She squealed and bounced on the spot as she let out her joy, while the other ponies on board looked on as though they were looking at a mare possessed.

Twilight’s smile returned, and quickly developed into a grin as she watched her crush dance and hop about in excitement. This was what she wanted to see. She wanted to see the mare behind the mane, to see what Fluttershy was truly like away from everything and somewhere where she felt safe and secure. What she found made the pegasus even more precious to her than she felt before. She saw Fluttershy as someone who she could truly be herself with, as did Fluttershy it seemed; she saw someone who was kind, loving, understanding, witty and above all compassionate.

Something she knew she would lose if her confession didn’t work out the way she wanted it to go.

“Oh, and the whales were so lovely!” Fluttershy continued spinning around with a dreamful smile on her face. “At first I couldn’t understand them for they were speaking in really slow, low tones. Liiikkkkkeeee tttthhhhhhiiiiiisssss,” Fluttershy demonstrated by impersonating one of the whales. Twilight burst into laughter once Fluttershy started talking, and couldn’t stop for a few minutes afterwards as she rolled about the deck, clutching her sides as tears spat out of her eyes.

Fluttershy watched Twilight roll around with a sweet grin, chuckling despite herself. ‘That had to be the worst impersonation I have ever done,’ she thought. ‘Still, it was worth just to make Twilight happy after so long being ill.’

Twilight eventually stopped laughing, and hauled herself back to her hooves, breathing heavily. “That was truly, and utterly, brilliant,” Twilight panted, wiping her teary eyes with a hoof. “Did the whales talk about much?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “Not much, really. They asked why a large group of Equestrian ponies were so far away from Equestria. You see, humpback whales travel usually alone until mating season, that’s when they travel in larger groups. This time, however, was a major exception. They grouped together to follow us after seeing us coming this way, believing we were lost in the storm, and wanted to guide us back to Equestria. I told them that I was touched by their kindness, but we aren’t in any trouble. I told them we’re explorers on an adventure. They wished us all luck and a safe journey wherever we go, and said they wouldn’t be too far away if we needed help.”

“That’s very sweet of them,” Twilight remarked, looking from Fluttershy to the ocean where the whales had gone. “At least we have some guardian angels around us to keep us safe.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Right, now that the excitement has passed, shall we go back indoors and have that pool contest you wanted to play?” Fluttershy suggested. She added really quietly, “And lose at.”

Twilight’s small smirk said it all. “I think I’m up for it.” She opened the door leading back inside the ship, and bowed her head. “After you.”

Fluttershy bowed her head in return, and hastily trotted through the door with Twilight just behind her, both ponies grinning in anticipation for the upcoming game.

Fluttershy was hungry, as was evident by the growling noises coming from her belly. ‘Be quiet, stomach,’ she hissed in thought. ‘You don’t want to wake up Twilight, do you?’

She hoped that rubbing her belly would make the growling noises go away, but if anything it just made them fiercer than the last. She looked over to the other side to see Twilight sleeping peacefully, a small smile sprawling across her face. ‘Of course she would be smiling,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘I still don’t know how she beat me in playing pool, but she was good at it.’

She sat upright and flicked her mane out of her face, looking outside at the starless night while reflecting on her and Twilight’s game. The two mares had played pool for the rest of the morning and all of the afternoon, with Twilight beating Fluttershy three to two. It didn’t matter to Fluttershy that she had lost, for the five games they played were truly memorable, and Twilight didn’t rub it into her face that she beat the pegasus at something.

It was just after the fifth game did Twilight realise that the sun had gone down, and night had fallen over the Wave Breaker. The two ponies promptly retired back to their cabin, feeling tired and joyous over the events of the day.

That was until Fluttershy realised she hadn’t eaten anything except the morning, and now her stomach was protesting about the lack of food inside her. Twilight had mostly eaten crisps from the mess-room, so she felt quite full. ‘I better go and get something from the kitchen,’ she decided.

It was good that she knew where the kitchen was on the ship like she knew every hair in her mane, for this wasn’t the first time she went to the kitchen for a midnight snack.

With a single eye trained on Twilight in case she woke up, she firstly stretched her hind legs out, and placed them gently on the ground. Then quickly she threw herself forward and landed on her forelegs, while using her wings to guide her down gently and slowly.

After a long second, Fluttershy confirmed to herself that Twilight was still asleep. “Phew,” she sighed mutedly. Glancing at Twilight with a grimace at every sound, she crept slowly forward, standing on the very tips of her hooves as she waded towards the door. Once she was next to the door, she quickly unlocked it, opened it quietly, then slipped outside and shut it gently behind her.

She put an ear to the door to make sure Twilight didn’t call out her name all of a sudden, and when she didn’t, Fluttershy punched the air in victory. “Yes!” she cried in a hushed tone. She quickly trotted down the corridor, smiling proudly at herself and humming a little tune she and Twilight had sung before.

After a while, she made it to the front door of the kitchen, and her belly growled in anticipation of the hoard of food that must be stored in there. Fluttershy giggled. “Quiet, belly,” she said, looking down at her pudge. “You don’t want to wake up the whole ship.” She took a quick look around incase anypony decided to appear, and then hastily opened up the door and went inside, shutting it behind her with her tail as she did so.

She briefly looked back to see if the door was shut, and then looked at the kitchen, the pupils in her eyes growing large at the sight before her. The kitchen was a pretty small room, with a large oven stretching along the wall furthest from the kitchen door. On the far right corner was a small door leading to the freezer, and next to it was a large cupboard big enough to fit the pegasus in. To the left of the oven were a large number of units filled with frying pans and other kitchen tools that were used for cooking.

But none of that mattered to her, for all she cared about was getting to where all the food was stored.

She walked over to the cupboard, and opened it up to see it full of ready to use bread and spreads and other foods like olives. “Oh, I love olives,” she said to herself. She took out a jar of open olives and a half-used loaf of bread, and began to munch away on her find, feeling too hungry to actually prepare a proper sandwich.

After a while, she felt stuffed, and her belly fell silent as it was appeased by the amount of food she had. “I can actually sleep better now,” she said to herself satisfactorily. She put the bread and olives back in the cupboard, and calmly shut the door. ‘I sure hope we have enough food to last us for four months. I feel like I’ve already eaten a month worth.’ She briefly made a mental note to pay Seahoof extra for the eaten food.

She turned around to make her way to the door, but froze in horror when she saw the door handle go down and the door slightly open. ‘Oh my goodness!’ she thought in horror. The door was about to open fully, but suddenly stopped, giving Fluttershy the chance to hide. ‘If I’m caught I might be done for stealing food… again.’ Quickly and silently she opened the cupboard door, squeezed herself inside, and shut it as though she wasn’t there.

It wasn’t very comfy for Fluttershy; she could feel a jar of something press into her backside, her back was against a pile of boxes of crisps, and the walls were so tight she had to push her hooves forward to ease the pressure on her shoulders. Despite the uncomfortable position Fluttershy found herself, she had a small hole in the door which she could peep out of. She leaned down, and looked through the hole as the pony who had opened the door walked in.

Her eyes widened when she saw Seahoof come in, his face serious and yet regretful of something, while behind him came his wife, Wave Kicker. For a moment, Fluttershy considered opening the door and saying sorry for eating some of the food, but the look on both of their faces gave her pause. ‘Why are they here? Surely not to have a snack as well.’

“Were we followed?” Wave Kicker demanded seriously.

Seahoof shook his head. “No, my dear, we were not. Most of the crew are asleep, and the rest are upstairs on the top deck,” he answered.

“Good, for what I want to talk about is something I don’t want the other half of the crew to know about,” Wave Kicker said, having one last look around. “It has to be tomorrow; we can’t afford any more delays to the plan. We have to make our moves tomorrow.”

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. ‘What plan? And what moves? Is there going to be a dance tomorrow?’ Fluttershy asked herself. Her ears pinned up when she heard Seahoof sigh.

“I know we can’t delay the plan for any longer; we’re as far out at sea than anypony has ever been. But… is it really the best choice?”

The pegasus flicked up an eyebrow. “Have you gone soft for those two little land-lovers?” Wave Kicker asked harshly.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror. ‘Land-lovers? But nopony uses that term unless they are…’ She clamped her hooves around her mouth to cover the horrific gasp she released. ‘… P-p-p-pirates.’

“I haven’t gone soft on them, my love, but I just think we should try something else first rather than hold them to ransom,” Seahoof said. Fluttershy had to fight the difficult urge to shake violently in terror.

“We have tried everything else,” Wave Kicker persisted. “This is the only option left open to us. We have on board two of the greatest ponies in Equestria. Princess Celestia will pay the sum of half of Canterlot just to have her student back, and Fluttershy has enough money from her model career to buy her own ransom. Those two will make us rich beyond measure!”

She quickly looked back incase her outburst had been heard. “All right, this is what we’re gonna do. After they head up and get their breakfasts, we surround them, put that magic stun thing around Twilight’s horn, then send them back to their cabin and keep them there till their ransom is paid off.”

Seahoof reluctantly nodded in agreement, much to Fluttershy’s surprise, and dismay. ‘I… I thought you were my friend,’ she thought, tears in her eyes.

“And what if they start fighting?” Seahoof enquired, raising his eyebrow.

“Then we bind them and gag them, then throw them into their cabin to stay until their ransom is paid,” Wave Kicker answered with a smug smile.

“Uh huh, and what if they don’t want to pay the ransom?”

“I…” Wave Kicker paused as she had no idea what to do when that came to it. “I’m not sure. But I’m not gonna have them killed, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Seahoof smiled thinly. “Good, because we are not murderers, and I don’t want to be known next to a murderer. Got it?”

Wave Kicker nodded. “Perfectly,” she said. “Right, come on, love, let’s get some rest. A big day tomorrow.” She spun around and trotted out of the kitchen, a smirk on her face at the thought of tomorrow, and that made Fluttershy’s stomach churn at its presence.

“Yeah, looking forward to it,” Seahoof said, though his enthusiasm for it was strangely absent from his tone. He trotted after his wife with his head low and his ears flat, and closed the kitchen door behind him, allowing Fluttershy to breathe at a panicking pace.

After a moment to make sure they weren’t coming back, Fluttershy opened the door, ran out of the cupboard and galloped out of the kitchen and back to her and Twilight’s cabin, intent on warning Twilight of the danger they were in.

She could not believe what she had just heard. All this time, those two were planning to kidnap them and hold them to ransom. Was Seahoof lying to her and Twilight all this time? ‘They never intended to get us to the flower,’ she thought. ‘They just wanted to use us for their own gains.’ The idea made her feel like shooting up the food she had just eaten. ‘I have to warn Twilight. We both have to get off this ship.’

She made it to the door of their cabin, and raced inside, slamming it behind her. After a moment to make sure she wasn’t followed, she crept up to Twilight’s bed, and began to shake her like a rattle. “Twilight! Twilight, wake up!” Fluttershy whispered frantically, looking back at the door every so often in case Wave Kicker or Seahoof came in un-expectantly.

Twilight let out a low groan, and an eye opened narrowly. “Oh, Fluttershy,” she croaked, feeling annoyed. “Why did you wake me up? I was having such a nice dream.” She suddenly noticed the panicked look on Fluttershy’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s no time to fully explain!” Fluttershy whispered frantically. “We have to get off this ship, now!”

Twilight felt herself fully awaken in a second. “Leave? As in, leave this ship right now?” Fluttershy nodded, her eyes wide with terror. “Why? Why should we leave all of a sudden? We’re safe here, aren’t we?”

“Trust me, Twilight, we’re no longer safe on here. I was in the kitchen getting a mid-night snack–” She cut herself off and blushed when Twilight raised a questioning eyebrow. “I hadn’t eaten since morning, okay? I was starving. Well anyway, I was in the kitchen when suddenly I heard the door open. I jumped in the cupboard and shut it behind me, and watched as Seahoof and Wave Kicker came in. They started talking about us, Twilight, and what they plan to do with us.” She gripped the unicorn by the shoulders, and shook her. “They’re pirates, Twilight! Tomorrow morning they’re going to lock us back in here and hold us to ransom!”

Something in Twilight’s mind ticked, yet that was it. She was still too asleep to actually follow what Fluttershy was saying. “So you heard Seahoof and Wave Kicker outlying their plans to hold us to ransom?” Fluttershy nodded. Something else ticked in Twilight’s mind. “And that all this time they wanted to use us for their own gains?” Fluttershy nodded again, this time more quickly. This time, her mind was active with a thousand thoughts and emotions, yet out of all of them, rage was the most felt.

She looked up at Fluttershy once more, and smiled assuredly. “Don’t worry about it now, Fluttershy,” she said, trying to keep the anger of betrayal in her voice out, and found it to be working.

“Don’t worry about it now?” Fluttershy cried, looking at Twilight disbelievingly. “How can I not worry about it now?”

“There’s no need, look.” Her horn lit up, and the door locked itself. “See, if they want to try anything tonight then they can’t.”

Fluttershy had to resist the urge to slam a hoof into her face. “Yes, but how is that going to save us from an entire ship of pirates?”

“I’ll think of something in the morning,” Twilight replied. “Tomorrow, we’ll get up earlier than usual, head up top and confront Seahoof to find out if this is true. If it is, then I want to know why, and see if we can come to some other arrangement.”

“Arrangement? How can you come to an arrangement with pirates?” Fluttershy asked. “All I know about them is that they’re bloodthirsty, savage ponies who would turn on you in a heartbeat if it meant getting more money. They would never listen to us, no matter how hard we try.”

Twilight put her hooves on Fluttershy’s cheeks, and lifted her head up so she could look her in the eye. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” she said soothingly. “Just stay as close to me as you can tomorrow, and everything will be fine. I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Although Fluttershy was still panicking inside, she suddenly felt safe with Twilight’s words running through her ears, and Twilight’s hooves on her cheeks. “I know you won’t, Twilight.” She pulled herself out of Twilight’s hold, and then climbed into her own bed. “So tomorrow morning, then?”

Twilight nodded. “Yep. Tomorrow morning it is. Get some shut-eye; you’re going to need it.”

“I know. Goodnight, Twilight. I’m sorry for waking you.”

“It’s fine,” Twilight giggled. “Thank you for telling me what was going on. I’m just amazed they haven’t done this earlier.”

“Probably so not to arouse suspicion,” Fluttershy deduced as she laid out on her side facing Twilight. “I would wait a while myself if I was in their hooves.”

“I guess.” Twilight conceded. “Well, either that, or they have no idea what they’re doing.” She sighed and lowered her head onto the pillow, looking calm on the outside, but inside, she was frightened and burning with rage. “Goodnight, Fluttershy.” With that, she went instantly to sleep.

Fluttershy smiled at her friend, and threw her duvet over herself. ‘Twilight is so brave,’ she thought admirably. ‘Anypony would be lucky to have her as a lover.’

Before she could respond to that, her mind blanketed out and she was fast asleep.

Twilight felt like she was burning with anger as she and Fluttershy walked through the corridor to the top deck. Twilight’s eyes were glued ahead, narrow and a slight fire in them. Behind her, Fluttershy trotted nimbly after her, her head low, her eyes wide with fright and her ears pinned up high to pick out anypony coming up from behind them.

They had woken up the moment the first glimpse of the sun had appeared in their window. The two ponies, though slightly tired, felt ready to confront Seahoof and Wave Kicker and denounce them as the fiends they were. Both ponies felt angry with this, yet Twilight felt more angered than Fluttershy.

She had trusted Seahoof enough to come on board his ship, eat his food, drink his punch, and listened to him say cheerful words even though he was lying through the skin of his teeth. She felt betrayed by him, his wife and his crew who were probably in on it as well. She wanted to know exactly why they felt they had to do this to them, and wanted to know if she could have Fluttershy freed and have herself be the sole hostage. ‘Fluttershy’s too sensitive to be a hostage here,’ she thought as they walked through the ship. ‘I’ll arrange a deal to get her off this ship and then they could take me as a single hostage.’ She felt enraged more at the fact that they were willing to hold Fluttershy as a prisoner, even after everything the two of them have done for them. ‘Fluttershy is too beautiful and too kind to be here. I’ll do this for her.’

The two soon made it onto the top deck, and had a quick look around. “Any sign of him, or his wife?” Fluttershy whispered. She was standing so close to Twilight their flanks were touching, yet no pony cared. It didn’t feel like the right time to be embarrassed by such things.

Twilight looked up, and didn’t see him on the balcony outside the bridge. “Not there either.” She shook her head. “Let’s check the sides of the ship.” They went to the port side of the ship, looked down the side of the deck, and saw Seahoof finish speaking to one of the crewmembers of the ship.

Twilight grinded her teeth together to suppress her anger, while Fluttershy shrank back in fright. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

“This,” Twilight growled. With that, Twilight stormed out from behind the corner, and strode towards Seahoof with a murderous rage she hadn’t felt since seeing Cadence down in the mines beneath Canterlot. Fluttershy quickly followed her, hoping her friend wouldn’t do anything rash.

Seahoof turned around, and greeted the two ponies coming towards him with a nervous smile. “Ah, lassies, good morning to ya. Didn’t expect you two to be up so soon. What brings you both up he–?” He was cut off when magenta magic surrounded him, and lifted him into the air. He screamed aloud.

“Don’t. You even. Dare! Act all nice to us!” Twilight roared, before throwing her head to the left, sending Seahoof dangling above the calm water.

“No! Please, don’t do this! I can’t swim!” he cried, looking at her with pleading eyes.

“A captain that can’t swim?” Twilight said mockingly. “That’s something I haven’t heard of.” She was shaking with rage, her eyes locked onto the captain’s trembling form, not noticing the look of horror on Fluttershy’s face.

“Twilight, what are you doing? Let him down now!” she yelled whilst moving to stand in front of her friend with a look of anger. “This isn’t how we do things, Twilight! You know that better than I, so put him down!”

“You heard her, put my husband down!” Twilight and Fluttershy looked towards the bow to see Wave Kicker and around twenty other ponies behind her heading towards them, their looks venomous and foul. They looked sternwards and saw the other members of the crew on the other side, looking bewildered to what’s going on.

“ANYPONY COMES A STEP CLOSER AND I WILL THROW HIM IN!” Twilight yelled, prompting everypony to step back, including Fluttershy. “Even at my age I can throw you all in like throwing pebbles into water! So keep! Back!” At once, the ponies stepped as far away as they could go without feeling like they were losing ground.

Fluttershy remained where she was, transfixed with terror at Twilight’s rage. “Twilight, you’ve done it, now stop. Please, stop this. You’re really starting to scare me, you know? Please stop.”

Twilight glanced over to Fluttershy, and her eyes widened a little at the fear in her friend’s eyes. “Not yet,” she replied calmly. “Not before I learn the truth.” She walked up to the side of the ship, staring at Seahoof with rage-filled eyes, while eyes of pure terror stared back at her. “All right, Seahoof, I want you to tell me the truth! Have you and your wife been planning to kidnap us and hold us to a ransom?”

All eyes suddenly turned to Seahoof, who had stopped squirming and froze in horror at what he had been asked. Fluttershy looked to Wave Kicker, and saw in her eyes what Twilight had accused him of was true. She looked back at Seahoof, and watched as he hung his head in shame.

“Aye, lass. It is true.”

Everypony except for Fluttershy, Twilight, Wave Kicker and Seahoof began to talk at once. Some stating their disgust, while others supported the captain. Fluttershy could see that the ship was now divided, with some on the side of the two pirates, and probably have been since the beginning, while the other half spoke of their disgust and how they did not sign up for piracy.

It didn’t take a genius to see a bloodbath could soon be among them. Fluttershy felt her cheeks go red with anger as she watched Twilight now join in, along with Wave Kicker. “ENOUGH!” Fluttershy yelled.

Everypony went silent, and turned to look at Fluttershy in shock. “Thank you,” she said at her usual tone of voice. She briefly shot a glare at Twilight, before looking at Seahoof neutrally. “Why? Why did you want to do this to us? Did you hate us the moment you set eyes on us?” Twilight looked from Fluttershy to the captain, her look accusing and damning at once.

Seahoof looked horrified by her accusations. “You think I’m doing this out of spite? I would never do that, Fluttershy, no even to my worst enemy! No, we planned this for the money. It was always about the money.”

He let out a sigh. “Me and my wife can barely cope these days, thanks to the large cruise ships that take ponies about, where once it was little ships like ours that once dominated the ocean. Nowadays, the Wave Breaker is the only one left. But even that is being taken from us. More and more ponies decided to take the cheaper and more luxurious ships, while this began to rust away and only take the fair few that would decide to come with us. We started to lose money, and we were becoming close to losing the ship, and our way of life.

“We tried everything we could think of, yet nothing worked, and we became close to bankruptcy. It was like that, until you two came into Vanhoover, looking for a ship. You, Twilight Sparkle, the student of Princess Celestia and the bearer to the Element of Magic. And you, Fluttershy Whisperwing, the most famous fashion model that ever lived, and the bearer to the Element of Kindness. The ransom for you two would be more than enough to get this ship repaired and re-built to proper standards, and would help me and my future family.” He looked sadly to his wife, who looked back at him with worry. Fluttershy looked over to her, and saw for the first time the slight bulge around Wave Kicker’s belly.

‘She’s pregnant,’ she realised. She looked back at Seahoof, not in anger or betrayal, but in sympathy. She put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight, bring him back in, please?”

Twilight shot her head around, making Fluttershy withdraw her hoof. “Why? So they could tie us up and hold us! I’m not letting him go, not until you are safe.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened further. ‘She’s not angry about Seahoof kidnapping us, she’s angry that I’m in danger.’ “I don’t feel like I’m in danger, Twilight. Not anymore,” Fluttershy assured her. “So please put him down?”

Twilight shook her head again; making Fluttershy fear she was going to drop Seahoof in the water. Fluttershy decided to take drastic action. She stepped in front of Twilight, making Twilight lose her line of sight and break her hold on Seahoof. As soon as the aura around Seahoof was gone, Fluttershy shot through the air, and caught his forehooves before he could fall screaming into the water. “Help me!” she called to Wave Kicker.

Wave Kicker spread her wings and fluttered quickly up to them. She quickly wrapped her hooves around Seahoof’s hind legs, and helped Fluttershy guide him back on board the ship.

They set Seahoof down, and backed away from each other. “I’m so sorry if Twilight hurt you, but know that she didn’t do it intentionally,” Fluttershy said, sitting in front of Seahoof. “She was just very angry.” She looked over to Twilight with a neutral look, making Twilight’s legs quiver and look away in shame.

Seahoof looked at her in disbelief, his chest rising and falling as he tried to get some air. “Why?” he asked once his breath had returned. “Why did you help me, lass?”

“Because you’re not a bad pony; none of you are,” Fluttershy explained, looking to both of them. “You both just made a bad decision, that’s all.” She backed away from them, and looked around to address the whole ship. “You are right, Seahoof, I am the most famous model that has ever lived, and I’m certainly the richest as well. Why, I have more money than I ever need, or want. It pains me to know that there are ponies that are barely able to cope, such as you two. Which is why when we get back to Equestria, I will give you half my money; it should be enough to help you rebuild this ship.” She looked over to Wave Kicker, and smiled lovingly. “And it will definitely help you start your family.” She quickly muttered in Seahoof’s ear, “Congratulations, by the way.”

Everypony stared at Fluttershy in shock. “You would give us this money, without asking for anything in return?” Wave Kicker asked disbelievingly. She shook her head doubtfully. “You’re lying.”

Fluttershy’s kind face suddenly turned into a ferocious scowl. “I may be many things, but I am not a liar,” she growled, making Wave Kicker gulp in nervousness. She looked back at Seahoof, her face returning to its usual, loving look. “I want to help you, Seahoof, you and your family.” She stretched out her hoof for Seahoof to accept. “Would you like that help?”

Seahoof quickly stood up on all fours, and took Fluttershy’s hoof in one of them. “Fluttershy, lass, any stallion out there would be lucky to have you as their special somepony.”

Fluttershy blushed lightly and giggled. “Um, not really, since I’m more attracted to mares than stallions,” she said.

Twilight’s head shot up instantly, her eyes wide with shock. ‘Did I just hear that right?’

Seahoof chuckled. “Then I’m sure there’s a fine mare out there for you, lass,” he said, before quickly winking at Twilight. The unicorn looked to Seahoof, her face expressing guilt and interest at once. “I… I’m sorry for attempting to kidnap you, lassies. I understand if you won’t forgive me.” He bowed his head, and awaited his fate.

He didn’t need to wait long. Fluttershy jumped up and hugged him tight. “It’s okay, Seahoof,” she said soothingly. “I forgive you.”

“As do I,” Twilight added, moving to stand beside them. “And I’m sorry if I hurt you, Seahoof, and I apologise to you too, Fluttershy. I’m sorry for scaring you like I did; I just haven’t felt that angry in a long time.”

Fluttershy jumped out of Seahoof’s hold, and gently embraced Twilight. “I forgive you as well, Twilight. I know how you felt just now; I’ve been angry like that myself.” Fluttershy’s ears fell flat as her mind went back to the horror of the Grand Galloping Gala. “You just lose control of yourself when that happens.”

Twilight smiled, even though she felt like she did not deserve it. “You’re too kind, Fluttershy. Far too kind.”

Fluttershy’s smile grew wider. “I know.” She turned back to Seahoof. “Could you turn this ship back around and take us home, please?”

Seahoof looked surprised, while Twilight looked shocked. “Are you certain, lass? You might not get another chance to continue with this. I have my family to look after soon.”

“I know,” Fluttershy nodded. “But raising a child is far more important than some silly little flower.” Fluttershy and Seahoof quickly looked to Twilight for her consent. Twilight looked at them both, and nodded.

After a moment, Seahoof nodded compliantly. “Turn this ship around!” he bellowed. “We’re going home!” The crew complied immediately, and got back to work once more.

Fluttershy glanced at Twilight as she walked up next to her. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” she said sadly, putting a hoof on her shoulder in comfort. “I know the flower meant a lot to you.”

Twilight waved it away, smiling dismissively. “It’s all right, Fluttershy. And you’re right, raising a child is more important.” Her ears fell flat. “It’s just a shame we won’t see the flower.”

Fluttershy giggled, and extended her leg over Twilight’s shoulders. “I don’t know. It is a flower after all, right?” Twilight nodded. “Well, it’s not going anywhere.”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy for a moment, before bursting into a fit of giggles. Fluttershy soon joined her, and soon the two were laughing uncontrollably. Twilight knew Fluttershy was right. The flower was just a flower at the end of the day, and wouldn’t move about or be on the other side of the world in less than a year. ‘We can try again next year, or the year before that,’ Twilight thought. ‘Maybe it won’t even come to that.’

After a while, the two ponies stopped laughing, and looked at each other admirably. “You’re right, Fluttershy. You always are. I should listen to you more often, like when you said Spike feared that Owlowiscious would replace him. You were right about that, and you’re right about the flower. It isn’t going anywhere, and we can try again at some point.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “I just hope we get another chance like this. It might be quite difficult in the future to get a ship like this.”

Twilight’s mind was suddenly invaded by the words Seahoof said to her yesterday morning. ‘Seahoof was right, I need to tell her soon, or she may find herself with another pony – or, well, mare, in her case.’ “Well, maybe it might not come to that,” Twilight’s mouth said before her mind could tell her to stop.

“Hmm?” Fluttershy mumbled, looking at her weirdly.

Twilight took a deep breath. ‘This is it, Twilight, you can do it, just say ‘I love you’ and that will be the end of it.’ She looked up from her crush’s hooves, and said, “Fluttershy, there is something I have to tell you. I–” She was cut off when she and Fluttershy were sent flying across the deck, and slammed into the side of the ship.

Around her, she could hear the screams of other ponies as they fell to the deck, and even heard her love groan in pain. She looked over to see Fluttershy gritting her teeth and clutching her side. “Fluttershy! Are you all right?” she called.

Fluttershy looked up, and nodded. “I-I think so. It just hurts a bit,” she replied. She got up on her hooves and staggered towards Twilight, but before she could make it, another crash from something hit the ship, and nearly sent Fluttershy into the side once more.

Before she could hit it, however, Twilight caught her in her magic, wrapping a magenta aura around her like a shield. “We need to get away from anything that could hurt us!” Twilight yelled. Without further word she carried Fluttershy to the stern of the ship, which was large and roomier with less obstacles in the way.

When they arrived, they saw that the ocean was in turmoil. The water was bouncing up and down, making the ship sway like a cot once more. It was making Twilight feel ill once more. “Twilight!” Fluttershy rasped, through gritted teeth as the pain in her side throbbed. “Cast that cloud-walking spell of yours on yourself! It might help!”

Twilight nodded, and quickly cast the spell on herself. Sure enough, it worked, and she felt like she was standing on solid ground again. “Wow, magic really does solve everything,” she chuckled to herself. She set Fluttershy down, and stood close to her while the pegasus rubbed her side with a hoof. “Just what the hay is going on?” she wondered aloud.

She looked up at the sky to see it was a bright blue, with only a few clouds dotted across it. She looked at the ocean again, to see it was in the conditions of a thunderstorm. Waves began to sprout higher and more ferociously than before, and were coming in at all directions. “We can’t be in the middle of an ocean storm!” Twilight yelled.

“We’re not in an ocean storm, lassie, we’re in an ocean battle!” Seahoof yelled as he staggered towards them, holding onto the ship’s railings for dear life. “Look!” he pointed to the east of the ship.

Twilight and Fluttershy spun around, and felt their breaths leave their mouths at the sight before them. “What, the hay, is that?” Twilight asked, her eyes wide with fear.

It looked like a tentacle of an octopus, except it was as wide and as tall, or even taller, than that mightiest Canterlot tower. Around a dozen others soon joined the first one, each just as big as the original. Twilight and Fluttershy looked around to see groups of other tentacles shoot out of the ocean and point high into the air.

“Krakens,” Fluttershy stated, a wide, open smile on her face as she watched them in awe. Her awe of the great creatures quickly dissipated when the group of tentacles closest to them fell back into the water like a falling tower, creating massive waves that threatened to engulf the ship.

Twilight quickly raised a shield around the ship, which protected it as the wave bounced harmlessly off the shield and back into the water. However, it did not protect them from getting wet.

“Krakens!” Twilight spluttered as she moved her mane out of her eyes. “I thought they weren’t real!”

“Does it look like they’re not real to you?” Seahoof shouted. He turned his head around to address Wave Kicker. “Turn this ship around now! Get us away from these krakens as quick as you can!”

Wave Kicker nodded, and galloped back up the bridge to turn the ship around. Twilight and Fluttershy watched as the dozen other krakens threw their tentacles down, creating around a dozen or more waves larger than the ship. Twilight quickly powered up her horn again, and raised a shield over the ship. The waves crashed into the shield like a freight train, and either washed over it and fell back into the sea, or fell back upon contact with the shield. Twilight did not have the time to recover as yet more tentacles rose out from the ocean depths. “Can somepony please explain to me what are they doing?” Twilight called.

“I think it’s kraken mating season,” Fluttershy replied, a small blush on her cheeks.

“Mating season?” Twilight and Seahoof repeated, looking at Fluttershy incredulously.

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, yes. From what I read about them, kraken males usually splash large waves to impress the females. You see, the one with the bigger waves has the bigger tentacles, and the one with the biggest tentacles has the biggest–”

“I think I get the picture, thanks!” Twilight cried, her mane dripping wet as another wave washed over them. “Get this ship turned around now!”

“Everypony, hunker down and pray we get out of this!” Seahoof bellowed. At once, ponies smashed open life-jacket boxes, and began loosening the two lifeboats at the back of the ship.

Slowly, and much to the relief of Twilight and Fluttershy, the ship began to turn around, bobbing up and down like a buoy in the middle of a storm. Around them, more and more groups of tentacles appeared, each belonging to a kraken preparing to create the largest waves. Fluttershy grabbed hold of Twilight, shaking in terror. “Hold me,” she squeaked.

“Only if you hold me,” Twilight replied.

“I already am.”

“Oh, good.” She grabbed hold of Fluttershy, and the two watched with terrified eyes and shook with fear as the water, and the scene around them, turned sublime. It made the two frightened for their very lives as the krakens showed off their impressive nature.

“Fluttershy, I have something to tell you. I was going to save it for later, but now might be the best time. Fluttershy, I have a cru–”

“Twilight, look out!” Fluttershy screamed, pointing behind her. Twilight looked around, and screamed as a large wave smashed into the ship, and sent the two ponies flying.

The wave sent many ponies flying, but thankfully didn’t throw any overboard. Twilight recovered once the wave had gone, and blew a sigh of relief when she realised she was still on the ship, and the ship hadn’t capsized. That relief suddenly turned to panic when she realised Fluttershy wasn’t holding her. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy, where are–”

She turned around just in time to see the tip of Fluttershy’s tail disappear over the side of the ship, and into the water below.

“NOOOOO!” Twilight screamed. Without hesitation, she galloped as fast as she could towards the side, and then jumped over the railing and into the water. Her eyes widened when she realised what she had just done, but her determination to save her friend took away that fear.

“Fluttershy!” she cried, swimming as the pegasus had taught her to. “Fluttershy, can you hear me?”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy screamed. The tone of her voice told Twilight that she was panicking. “Help!”

She looked northwards, and saw Fluttershy thrashing about in the water, her visible eye wide with panic as the water bobbed up and down, and the currents threatening to pull her under. Twilight began to swim fiercely towards her, her every stroke aimed at saving her friend, and make her swim faster. ‘You can do this, Twilight,’ she told herself. ‘Swim for Fluttershy, swim like she told you to.’

She was barely a foot away when Fluttershy went under the water. Twilight took a deep breath, dived under, and grabbed Fluttershy’s outstretched hoof with both of her own. She then pulled hard, bringing her and Fluttershy back up to the surface.

Both ponies gasped for air. “Spit out the water!” Twilight commanded. Fluttershy did as she was told, and coughed out any water that entered her system. “Are you all right?” Twilight cried, wrapping her forelegs around her friend’s waist.

Fluttershy nodded abruptly. “I- I think so!” she shouted. Her eyes widened when she realised she was talking to Twilight. “Yo-you saved me!”

“Of course I did!” Twilight replied, offering her a brave smile. “I would do anything for you, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy smiled back, and hugged her close. “Thank you, Twilight!” she pulled back. “Now let’s get back to the ship!” Twilight nodded in agreement, and with a hoof wrapped in hers, the two swam for dear life back towards the ship, which they could see turning away from them.

“Seahoof!” both ponies called, sputtering as the water threatened to pull them down again.

The captain looked at the back, and his eyes widened in seeing them down there. “Get one of the lifeboats out there, now!” he barked. Immediately, the little lifeboat was hauled up by two cranes, thrown over the side of the ship, and dropped into the ocean.

“Hold on to me!” Twilight called. Fluttershy nodded, and swam close to her unicorn friend. She quickly powered up her horn, and the two ponies vanished, only to re-appear on the lifeboat. “Right, now take us back up!” she called.

The cranes began to haul the lifeboat back up, but before they could properly start another large wave the size of Canterlot’s walls smashed into them, breaking the chains apart and sending the little boat adrift.

Before the boat could capsize, Twilight wrapped it around with her magic, and kept it afloat, while keeping Fluttershy aboard. Once it was over, the two ponies were soaking wet, but otherwise fine. “Twilight!” Fluttershy cried, her eyes scanning the sea around them. “Where’s the ship?”

Twilight looked around, and her eyes widened when she couldn’t see the Wave Breaker anywhere. She looked behind Fluttershy, and her eyes widened even further in horror as a kraken’s tentacle smashed into the water, and a massive wave sprouted up and charged towards them. ‘I think I now know where the ship is; right behind that.’ “Fluttershy, come here!” she called frighteningly.

Fluttershy looked back, and upon catching sight of the wave she quickly scurried over to where Twilight was and hugged her tight. Twilight tried to power up her horn once more, but she was exhausted after doing the spell so many times, and even with the small shield she could conjure up, it was like sand trying to stop a wave.

The two ponies hugged each other close, and closed their eyes to fight back tears as they realised that this was their last day together. “Twilight, I just want to let you know, that being your friend… has been the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Fluttershy sniffed.

“And there’s something I need to tell you, Fluttershy,” Twilight sobbed. “I’m just so sorry I never said it earlier. Fluttershy, I love y–”

Her words were drowned out when the wave crashed into them, and engulfed the little lifeboat completely.

Author's Note

Well that's the end of the story, folks...

nah just kidding.

Chapter 10

The first thing Twilight felt was aching – severe aching all over her body. Her head felt like it was being used as a drum, with a constant throbbing on one side of her head. Her legs felt like they were about to fall off, and her mane and tail felt stiff and messy. ‘I bet they look like bushes,’ she thought grubbily.

She flickered her eyes open, and slowly and painfully raised her head, groaning. The first thing she noticed was that she stank of salty water. ‘I could really do with a fresh bath,’ she thought upon smelling herself. The second thing she noticed, that she was in a small lifeboat that looked like it had been through a terrible storm.

Twilight’s eyes widened when she saw that it was the same boat Seahoof gave to her and Fluttershy when the two of them were stuck in the ocean. The next thing she noticed was that she was thankfully on land, with a large wall of tropical trees in front of her, and between her and the trees lay bright, golden sand. Behind her, cyan blue water stretched out towards the horizon, bobbing slightly like jelly.

The forth thing she noticed, and the thing that horrified her most, was that she was alone.

She looked behind her once again to see if Fluttershy was sleeping, and felt her heart plummet when she saw she wasn’t there, or anywhere around the boat. “Fluttershy!” she called. There wasn’t even a squeak from the pegasus as a reply. Twilight clambered out of the boat and onto the soft sand, her eyes wide with worry and her heart pounding against her chest as she looked around her. “Fluttershy!” she called once more. She suddenly stopped when she felt something under her hoof – something that did not feel like sand.

She pulled the hoof back, and gasped at the sight of the single yellow feather resting on the ground, torn and withered. She quickly recognised it as one of Fluttershy’s feathers, but if it was here and not on the pegasus and in the state that it was, then that meant…

Twilight collapsed onto her knees, her eyes brimming with tears as she slowly picked up the feather with her magic, staring at it with a sense of loss. “No…” she whispered, shaking her head in the hope it would take away the truth. But not even magic could take that away from her.

Fluttershy was gone.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Twilight screamed, sobbing uncontrollably. She threw the feather away, and buried her head in her hooves, spilling out her tears wildly, almost painfully, yet she felt like she deserved that pain. She had promised Fluttershy that she would get her home safely, and she had failed that promise. The worst part was that the pegasus never truly knew how much she meant to her.

“Twilight?”

Twilight shot her head up instantly, and gasped when she saw Fluttershy standing in front of her. The mare in question didn’t look as worse for wear than Twilight did. A few strands of hair stood out like branches in her mane and tail, and her wings looked fine, with just a few feathers out of place. Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind about her state, however, for her eyes lit up with joy on seeing Twilight was awake.

“Oh my goodness, I am so glad that you’re all right!” Fluttershy cried, fighting back the urge to cry happy tears. “I was so worried when I woke up and you were not awake yet and–” She was cut off when Twilight jumped her in a bone-crushing hug, crying tears of joy.

“I though- I thought you were g-go-gon-gone,” Twilight sobbed hysterically, clutching Fluttershy tightly like a teddy bear. Fluttershy grimaced as she felt her back being snapped in half. “I sa- I saw the feather on the ground and I thought you were… that you were…” She couldn’t say anymore, so let her tears fall loudly and her shoulders spasm.

Fluttershy gently eased the pressure she felt on her back, and then wrapped her hooves around her unicorn friend, feeling like she was about to cry as well. “There, there, Twilight,” she said soothingly, patting her on the back. “It’s okay. We’re safe now… I think.”

Fluttershy looked back at the large tropical jungle behind her, and gulped. ‘Still, we could be in worse places to get stranded,’ she figured. Behind her, tropical trees lined up like a wall spanning as far as the eye could see. Inside the vast jungle, the sounds of tropical birds and other creatures unknown to Fluttershy graced her ears, bringing this paradise alive.

At least, it would have been paradise if her and Twilight had a way off.

She suddenly noticed that Twilight was still holding her, spilling out tears of joy at the fact that she was alive. “Um, Twilight? As nice as this is, could you kindly let go of me, please?” Fluttershy asked politely.

Twilight instantly stopped crying, and her eyes widened when she realised how tight she was hugging the pegasus. She broke contact, and gave the pegasus a sheepish grin. “Sorry,” she coughed. “It’s just that I thought you wer–” Fluttershy cut her off by placing a hoof over her mouth.

“It’s all right, Twilight,” she said kindly. “I know what you meant, and I felt the same when I realised you were still alive.” She pulled her hoof away from Twilight’s mouth, and sighed sadly. “I’m sorry I worried you like that, though. I didn’t mean to run off; I should have stayed with you until you were awake.”

Twilight waved a hoof dismissively while sighing. “It’s all right. I’m just glad you’re okay and safe. Where did you go, anyway?”

Fluttershy’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Oh yes!” she exclaimed. She took one of Twilight’s hooves and started dragging her into the jungle. “Come on, I’ll show you what I found – if you want to see it, of course. I don’t want to force you.”

Twilight giggled; when Fluttershy asked as meekly as she just did, it was hard to say no. “Of course I want to see. Come on, show me the way.”

Fluttershy nodded, then let go of Twilight’s hoof and broke into a trot through the jungle, with Twilight close behind.

Around them, the trees seemed to be alive. Twilight shrank down every time at the sound of some animal she and Fluttershy did not know hooted or hollered across the jungle, while the trees themselves appeared to stare down at them, daring them to step forward and ever closer into the jungle. Yet they continued, for both ponies knew that trees cannot hurt anypony unless it was by accident.

“Here we are,” Fluttershy announced. She reared up and spread her forelegs out wide. “What do you think?”

Twilight gaped at the pool in front of her. The pool was long and thin, with a small island in the middle, and a small waterfall at the far end. The thick cluster of trees kept their distance as though this was sacred ground, allowing beautiful and vibrantly coloured plants to come to life in the space between the trees and the pool. Small streams ran from the pool and into the jungle itself, with one leading towards the way they came. While overhead, parrots of different colours, toucans and other exotic birds Twilight thought she would never see in the wild flew into the trees.

Twilight slowly shifted her gaze to Fluttershy, who was watching the birds fly away with a small smile. “How did you find this place?”

“I didn’t,” Fluttershy admitted. She stretched a leg out, and a large bird white as snow and what looked like a curved unicorn’s horn on its head landed on her cannon. “This cockatoo led me to this place after seeing me looking rather lost and confused, as he had put it.” She gave the bird a quick nuzzle. “Thank you, little friend.” She thrust her leg upwards, and the bird took off, screeching a goodbye as it flew over the canopies and out of sight.

Twilight chuckled. “Been here for about a day and you’re making friends already. I swear sometimes you and Pinkie Pie are related.”

Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t see why you think that; there’s nothing similar between us at all.” She shook her head, and then gestured with a hoof to climb in the pool with her. “Come into the water with me. It’ll make you feel better, honest.”

Twilight nodded, and together the two ponies moved slowly into the water. Twilight gasped as the cold water wrapped around her hooves, but she relaxed once her body got used to the cold water. She heard Fluttershy squeak at the coldness of the water, but she soon relaxed just as quickly as she did.

Soon the two ponies were standing in the surprisingly shallow pool. “Wow,” Twilight remarked, “it looked a lot deeper from above.”

“It might look it, but it feels just as relaxing,” Fluttershy said. She set herself down onto her belly, gasping once more as the water touched her tummy. The cold feeling soon died away, however, and she felt at peace all of a sudden, with the animals around her, and one of her best friends at her side. ‘I know I should be scared, but I’m not,’ she thought to herself.

Twilight set herself down as well, and sighed contently as the water started to turn from unbearably cold to a more relaxing temperature. “How do you feel, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked after a spell of silence.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, and smiled at the unicorn. “I know I should feel scared. I mean, we’re stuck on a tropical island with no way of getting off and miles away from Equestria. Yet I don’t feel scared. I feel fine. I don’t know why, but I’m just not scared.”

Twilight smiled. “Maybe it’s the animals here?” she suggested, looking around at the numerous number of birds that appeared to inhabit the island, landing on the trees and getting a glimpse of the two newcomers.

Fluttershy shrugged. “Maybe, but maybe it’s the company as well that makes me feel unafraid.”

Twilight looked around her for somepony else. “And who’s that?” she asked, looking at her with a teasing smirk.

“You, you numpty,” Fluttershy giggled, tapping the unicorn on the chest. “I don’t think I would be able to survive here on my own.”

Twilight shook her head. “Me neither.” With that, she dipped her head under the water for a moment, then brought it back up and began to straighten her mane and tail down. Fluttershy started picking out some of the feathers that had loosened through their ordeal, and licking some straight again.

“I’m glad we got here, though,” Fluttershy said as she plucked the last torn feather out. “I don’t think we would have survived otherwise.”

At that, Twilight’s mind suddenly went back to the last thing she remembered – lying in a small lifeboat, her and Fluttershy gripping each other as a large tidal wave charged towards them, and she was about to tell Fluttershy her love to the pegasus, just before the wave crashed into them.

“Fluttershy? Do you remember what happened after you fell into the water and we were on the boat?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh yes, I remember. It was the most terrifying moment of my life. The two of us holding each other and the wave was coming towards us and we both thought it was the end and the wave crashe–”

“Yes, I know, I was there,” Twilight interrupted. “I want to know what happened next, and how we got here?” she asked, gesturing with a twirling hoof at the island around them.

Fluttershy moved some of her mane out of her face, and cleared her throat. “Well, you see, it happened like this…”

Fluttershy spat out as much water as she could, coughing another load up just to be sure. The first thing she noticed was that she was still on the boat, which was still upright. The second thing she noticed was that Twilight was in her embrace yet knocked out cold after using so much magic in such a short space of time.

The third thing was that the world around her looked like it was ending.

She shook Twilight gently. “Twilight! Twilight, wake up, please wake up!” she cried. When Twilight didn’t stir, she felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes. “No, please don’t leave me alone, Twilight. You would never leave me alone so why should you now? Wake up.” Twilight did not awaken, so she shook her harder. “WAKE UP!”

When Twilight still did not stir, she put a hoof to Twilight’s neck, and felt a faint yet quick pulse running through her body. Fluttershy relaxed a little, but she still felt frightened for the safety of herself and her friend, and the world around them.

Everywhere she turned, krakens raised their tentacles to full height, then sent them crashing down and creating more gigantic waves. They seemed a bit further away than they were, making Fluttershy believe she and Twilight were finally safe. Safe yet lost.

Suddenly, right next to the little boat, a kraken leapt out of the water, making Fluttershy’s jaw drop at the sight of it. The kraken looked like a light green blob with tentacles behind it with two black fish-like eyes and teeth like a great white shark’s on the face of it.

‘How is that even possible?’ Fluttershy wondered as she watched the kraken soar through the air for a moment, its tentacles trailing through the air, before crashing back into the water and, instead of creating a giant wave, created a suction that pulled the boat towards it.

Fluttershy braced with one hoof wrapped around Twilight, and another on the side of the boat, and she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the end. ‘I’m so sorry, mum and dad. I’m so sorry for everything.’

Just when she felt the boat was about to be pulled into the giant whirlpool, another creature shot out of the water to her right. Startled, she looked and saw with joy a humpback whale shooting out of the water, its mouth wide open and its eyes showing no fear at what is going on around it.

It took Fluttershy at least a second to realise what it was about to do. “Oh no, wait! Wait!” she screamed, yet it was too late for the whale to turn back now.

In an instant, the large humpback whale swallowed the two ponies and the boat as it dived back into the water.

Twilight’s jaw was under the waterline. “Close your mouth, Twilight, it makes you look like a purple goldfish,” Fluttershy said.

Twilight’s mouth closed with a chomp. “We were in the mouth of a whale?” she enquired. “We were in the mouth of a huge, gigantic whale!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Well, on the plus side it was a bit roomy.”

“Roomy!” Twilight exclaimed.

Fluttershy nodded cheerfully. “Oh, yes, and I admit I was a bit terrified at first, but once the whale assured me we were safe, I relaxed a lot…”

Fluttershy’s vision was completely black, yet that was because her hooves were plastered firmly against her face, while she lay prostrated on the small lifeboat and shaking violently in terror. ‘Okay, Fluttershy, just relax; you didn’t just get eaten by a humpback whale. In a minute you will wake up in the cabin of the Wave Breaker, with Twilight in the bed next to you, and everything will be fine.’

Surprisingly, her own words assured her enough to remove her hooves from her face, and look around her. She and Twilight were still in the mouth of a whale. Fluttershy screamed loud enough to awaken the dead. The boat rested on the giant tongue, keeping it firm and still. Behind her, the whale’s blunt wall of teeth barred the way between them and freedom, while the other way went down a long tube towards digestion – somewhere Fluttershy didn’t want to be today.

“Um, excuse me, mister or misses whale?” Fluttershy called aloud, hoping the whale would hear her. “Um, I thank you kindly for saving us from those krakens, but… COULD YOU PLEASE LET US OUT SO WE DON’T GET EATEN NOW?” she screamed.

After a moment of silence – making Fluttershy fear the whale didn’t hear her – the whale began speaking in its slow, tedious language. Fluttershy’s eyes wandered everywhere as she listened to the whale speaking slowly, almost painfully to her ears. “Oh, so you don’t want to eat us?”

The whale replied with a, “No.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Fluttershy sighed in relief. “Then, why are me and my friend in your mouth?”

The whale began a long reply, which dragged on and on, making Fluttershy feel tired just by listening to it. “Okay, so you wanted to save us from the krakens, and the only way you could do that was for us to be in your mouth?”

The whale replied with a, “Yes,’ followed by another long sentence.

“And you are going to take us to a place where we would be safe?”

The whale replied, “Yes.”

“So you’re not going to take us back to the Wave Breaker?”

The whale said another long, slow response, prompting Fluttershy to start tapping her hoof in impatience – a trait all pegasi shared – as she waited for the whale’s answer to end. Eventually it did, and she blew a stray strand of mane out of her face. “No? Okay then,” she said, although she couldn’t believe it took that long for the whale to say ‘no’. “Then where are you taking us?”

The whale’s reply wasn’t as long, thankfully, but its answer made Fluttershy suddenly fearful. ‘Wait and see?’ she thought incredulously, not wanting to say it aloud in case it would upset the whale. “Thank you, kind sir. Thank you for saving us,” she said. With that settled, she took hold of Twilight’s unconscious body, and wrapped the unicorn in her embrace. “We’re safe now, Twilight. Safe from everything,” she whispered gently into Twilight’s ear. She closed her eyes, and her mind suddenly went blank as fatigue quickly took her in its hold.

“And that’s all that I remember. When I woke up I was in the boat with you and on this island. I first made sure that you were all right, and then I went deeper into the island to see if I could find some help. That was when that cockatoo found me.”

Twilight nodded nimbly, her eyes expressing her interest to what she had been told. “Amazing. How did the whale manage to dump us here, though?”

“I’m not sure, but I imagine he spat us out and let us drift onto the island before setting off again. I figure he wouldn’t have been able to get too close to the island, or else he would strand himself.”

“I guess.” The two went silent for a moment, and let the birds around them chatter amongst themselves. “Did you find out anything from that cockatoo about this place?”

“Only that we’re on an island,” she replied.

Twilight sighed. “That’s it? Nothing about settlements or anything like that?”

Fluttershy solemnly shook her head. “Sorry,” she said.

Twilight smiled serenely at her. “No need to be sorry, Fluttershy, it isn’t your fault.” She had a quick look around. “I suggest we find out what we can about this place before we get too comfortable, and hope we don’t have any company that would like us as a meal.”

Fluttershy nodded, though she slightly paled at the thought of a predator on the island. “Okay, but where should we go? And are you fit enough to move?” she asked worriedly.

Twilight nodded assuredly. “I feel fine now, thank you, Fluttershy. I guess this soak in the pond has boosted my energy once more. What about you? Feeling brave?”

Fluttershy looked at her with wide eyes. “No,” she squeaked, shaking her head.

Twilight offered her a brave smile. “That makes two of us.” She stretched out a dripping wet hoof for Fluttershy to take. “Are you with me on this?” Fluttershy looked hesitantly at her hoof. “I know you are scared, Fluttershy. Scared of not seeing our friends, our home, and our loved ones ever again. But we need to put our fears to one side for the moment, and work together if we want to get off this island.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight with big, frightened eyes. She said to herself that she wasn’t scared before, but she was now. The prospect of never seeing her friends again, or her home, or her country made her want to lay down and cry with her tail as a tissue, plus the suggestion that a predator being on the island chilled her bones and made the butterflies in her stomach come to life. Yet she had Twilight Sparkle to protect her, a pony that was the most powerful unicorn on Terra, and incredibly loyal to all her friends. If there was anypony Fluttershy wanted to be stranded on an island with, it was her.

Fluttershy grasped Twilight’s hoof with her own, and nodded determinedly. “I’m with you, Twilight. Always.”

Twilight’s smile grew into a grin. “Thank you,” she said. She pulled her hoof back, then jumped out of the pool and shook herself dry. “Right, I suggest we find some high ground like a mountain or something. Then we can both find out what this island has got,” she said, looking above the trees to see if there were any sign of any high ground. Upon seeing none, she turned back to Fluttershy. “How do your wings feel?”

Fluttershy spread her wings out, and flapped any excess water off them. “They feel okay. Apart from a few loose feathers I just had to get rid of, I don’t think they were damaged when the krakens appeared.”

“That’s good. Do you think you could fly up high and see if you can spot any mountains?”

Fluttershy began flapping her wings and took to the air, her body dripping with water as she flew away from the pool. “On it,” she replied, saluting. She shot up into the sky, and brought herself into a hover just above the trees, and had a good look around. She soon found herself staring northeast at a large cone-shaped mountain, and narrowed her eyes to get an understanding of how long it would take for them to get there, and how big it was. The mountain itself appeared to be the dead form of a volcano; since she could make out a massive gash that was at the back as though it had erupted with such force it had ripped the mountainside open. ‘I hope that volcano is dead, or else we’ll be learning how to swim for a long time,’ she thought.

She relaxed her wings, and let herself fall gently like a snowflake to the ground. “There’s a dead volcano just northeast of here,” Fluttershy explained, pointing in the direction the volcano was.

Twilight looked that way and nodded. “How long do you think it will take us to get there?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I’m not sure, but at a wild guess maybe an hour, two at the most.”

Twilight nodded. “That’s fine. Right,” she sighed, “I suggest we get a move on then. Ready?”

Fluttershy nodded confidently. “Ready.”

With that, the two ponies spun around and headed northeast, through the thick jungle and towards the large mountain.

As they trotted through the jungle, the two ponies felt emotionless eyes bore into the back of their necks. “Um, Twilight, do you have that feeling that you’re being watched constantly?” Fluttershy asked, not daring to look around her to see if that was the case.

Twilight looked back, and nodded. “Yeah, I do.” she looked from the pegasus to the trees around her. They weren’t the type of tree a pony would find in Equestria. Most of the trees’ trunks looked like little blocks stacked up on top of each other. At the top of the tree, however, a whole bundle of coconuts grouped to the branches that nested just between the leaves, which looked like feathers.

“So, um,” Fluttershy said conversationally, “have you thought of a way for us to get off this island yet?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ll come to that when we get up the mountain, and see what’s around us. It might not even come to me coming up with something clever. We might be able to find a group of ponies who are willing to give us a boat, and point us in the right direction to Equestria,” Twilight answered. “Have you had any ideas about getting off?”

Fluttershy sighed sadly while shaking her head. “No, not really. I did think about cutting down some of the trees, and then making a raft out of them and use it to get back to Equestria. But like you said, we may find some ponies who are kind enough to give us a boat and let us take it back without giving them any money. I guess we just have to find out when we get to the top of the mountain.” She added a moment later, “Plus I don’t think the trees would like us cutting them down.”

Twilight nodded. “I guess.” The two fell silent once more as they wandered into the woods, their movements watched vividly by the many birds and other creatures that inhabited the island.

About an hour or so later, the two finally arrived at the foot of the mountain, and nearly let their jaws drop at the size of it. In front of them was a large stonewall, ragged and pointy at the top, and almost threatening. “This is certainly bigger than it looked from where we were before,” Fluttershy remarked, her eyes wandering up and down to take in its size.

“I’m not sure, since I haven’t seen it till now,” Twilight said. Her eyes began to search for a path they could use to get up the mountain. She groaned when she saw there wasn’t one. “I guess we just have to walk around it and see if we can find a path up,” Twilight said. With that, she began walking right to follow the mountain around, while Fluttershy backed up a bit to get a better view of the top.

“Um, Twilight, I think I can see a path at the top there,” Fluttershy said, pointing with a hoof at the top of the mountain wall. “The top seems to stretch back a bit. There must be a path up there.”

Twilight stopped, and looked back at Fluttershy with surprise. “Oh, really? Brilliant! Could you go up there and see if it’s safe, please?”

Fluttershy’s wings spread out, looking elegant and graceful as she thrust them against the ground. “Sure,” she said, before shooting up into the air like an arrow, and flying onto the path and out of sight.

Twilight’s tail twitched as she waited anxiously for her crush to come back into view. ‘Oh, come on, Fluttershy, where are you?’ she wondered as she scraped and pawed at the ground with her hooves.

After a while, the head of Fluttershy appeared over the edge of the wall, looking down at her with a wide smile. “The path’s wide enough for three ponies, Twilight!” she yelled as loud as she could; yet it still sounded quite quiet to Twilight. “Do you think you could teleport yourself up here?”

“I may be able to, but you’re going to have to guide me up there!” Twilight yelled back.

Fluttershy bit her lower lip in confusion. “Um, how am I exactly meant to do that?”

“Just tell me what the area looks like in absolute detail!” Twilight explained. “Do not leave a single detail out, or else the teleportation spell might not work, or worse send me to the wrong place!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay!” she called, and then looked around her. “Right, the path is big enough for about, say, three ponies to stand side by side! The path is covered in small, dark grey stones that grind against your hooves like rough granite! Um, is that enough?”

“I think so! Let me see!” Twilight powered up her horn, and in a white flash she was gone, only to reappear next to Fluttershy with a wide grin.

Fluttershy clapped her hooves together in delight. “Yay!” she cheered. “I knew you could do it!”

Twilight shook her head modestly. “I wouldn’t have been able to if it wasn’t for you. The spell wouldn’t have worked otherwise if you hadn’t given me that description.”

Fluttershy and Twilight smiled as they followed the path up the side of the old volcano. “So, is that how teleportation spells work? You need to see your destination to jump there?” Fluttershy asked curiously. She had always wanted to know about magic, in particular the teleportation spell Twilight frequently used, for it was the one spell she wished she could use to get around quicker.

“Most of the time, yes,” Twilight replied, nodding. “But you can use your memory also to get around, like I could teleport us from here to the beach where we started from without even looking. As well as that, I can also teleport us to somewhere randomly if we are ever attacked or something around those lines.”

Fluttershy nodded nimbly in understanding. “Do you think, I could use that spell?” she asked, her tone hopeful.

Twilight stopped, and turned her head back to look at her oddly. “Why do you ask that?”

Fluttershy shuffled her hooves on the rough ground, kicking up dust and such. “I just would like some other way of getting around rather than use my hooves or fly, someway where I can be quick and save the life of some poor, needy creature. Celestia knows how many little critters I could have saved if I was just that little bit quicker.” Fluttershy’s lips quivered as she remembered some things her eyes had seen she dearly wished she could forget.

Twilight tilted her head a bit, her eyes expressing her sorrow for the pegasus. She leaned her head close, and nuzzled Fluttershy gently on the cheek. “I’m not sure if a non-unicorn pony can learn such a spell, but there are stranger things that have happened in Equestria.” She pulled back from the pegasus. “For you, I will look it up, and if it is possible I will teach you and make you a master of it.”

The grin on Fluttershy’s face would be bright enough to re-ignite the sun if it were ever extinguished, Twilight believed. “Oh, that would be so magical if I could teleport like you!” she said excitedly as they continued up the mountain once more. “We could have teleport races, appear in each other’s houses, see who can teleport the furthest, and…” Fluttershy went on and on about what she and Twilight could do if they could teleport.

Twilight couldn’t help herself but giggle. ‘How can this delightful mare not have a marefriend yet?’ Twilight wondered as she watched Fluttershy prance alongside, looking up at the sky with a dreamy grin. Just as she thought that, her grin faded a little. Was what Fluttershy said on the ship true? Was she more attracted to other mares than stallions? She hoped she didn’t just say it to get Seahoof off her back. “Fluttershy? I have to ask you something.” Fluttershy stopped prancing and looked at the unicorn with a more serious expression. “Is what you said to Seahoof back on the ship true? That you’re a lesbian?”

Fluttershy suddenly flinched back at the use of the word as though she had been physically hit across the face with it. Twilight immediately felt sick of herself. “Please don’t ever use that word again, Twilight,” Fluttershy warned her.

Twilight quickly crushed the pegasus in a comforting embrace. “Don’t worry, it’s all right. I don’t mind, really, it was just something of a surprise to me, that’s all,” Twilight cooed into the pegasus’s ears. “I’m so sorry I offended you.”

Fluttershy visibly relaxed. “You mean you’re not bothered by it?” she asked as they pulled away from each other.

Twilight laughed aloud. “Why should I be bothered about you liking other mares? This is a world where love is free and limitless, Fluttershy. You have no reason to hide who you are, and who you love. But I must ask: why don’t you like the L word so much?”

Fluttershy shrugged as they continued their ascent. “I guess I thought it was a word some of the older families used as an offensive term towards those ponies. My family knows a few families who still stick to the old ways, and would probably find me wanting if they ever found that out.”

“Well,” Twilight snorted, “don’t ever worry about those type of ponies, for they are just stuck far up their own backsides.”

Fluttershy gasped in shock. “Twilight! Such vile language! I would rinse your mouth out with soap if I had some!”

Twilight shrugged. “I apologise, but it is the truth. They can’t see that the world is changing, and things like mare and mare relationships are becoming more common and agreeable. No, I want nothing to do with those ponies, and neither should you.”

Twilight cleared her throat quickly as she suddenly went into lecture mode. “As for the L word, it wasn’t used as an offensive term at all. It originated from an island called Lesbos that sits off the coast of the eastern continent, just above the griffon territories to be precise, and is the only pony territory that far out from Equestrian mainland.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes as she realised what was coming. ‘Here we go again,’ she thought.

“Once upon a time, well, more specifically, back at about the same time as the Third Equestrian Expansion had begun, Private Pansy, or General Pansy as she became known as, founded this small island at that point, and began a settlement there. Along with her and a few other ponies was a pegasus named Sappho, who was apparently the most beautiful mare on the island. A blazing white coat, short brunette mane and a long, flowing tail with a cutie mark of an open parchment and harp.

“She was a poet, you see, and certainly one of the best poets of the ancient world. Most of her poems had been written autobiographically, but others had been written about home, love, food and everything else that gave ponies of that time comfort. A year or so after the founding of the island of Lesbos, according to some sources anyway, she became the scribe and assistant of General Pansy for a while, and it is said that the two became good friends. Some sources even say they openly declared themselves as lovers.”

Fluttershy’s cheeks went pink as her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my, and was Hurricane all right with that?”

Twilight shrugged. “It doesn’t say, but that was the last thing written about both of them. It isn’t easy to see it as fact as well, since most of the records of the time – and a lot of Sappho’s poetry – were destroyed at some point or other, which is a pity, really. I would love to get my hooves on that poetry.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Maybe you will one day. Like you said before: strange things have happened in Equestria before. So who knows, they could turn up again at some point.”

Twilight waved her head in consideration. “Maybe.” Her attention was quickly re-directed when she felt the ground even out beneath her hooves. “Well it looks like we’re at the top,” she announced. “Time to see where we’ve been stranded this time.”

Together, the two ponies turned themselves around to see the whole island, and felt their jaws plummet to the ground.

The island was roughly twice the size of Ponyville, and was an assortment of nature. At the base of the mountain going back to around halfway down the length of the island was the jungle. Dotted sparsely within its boundaries were small clearings, with some containing small, fresh pools, and trickling streams. Beyond the woods, a great plain lush with grass and dotted with some trees made up the other half. On the other side of the mountain, they could see more jungle stretch from halfway up the mountain, and back until it reached a strip of land that resembled a quay stretching into the ocean.

“Well, I think we might have found paradise, Fluttershy,” Twilight observed with a small smile at the beauty of this place.

Fluttershy shook her head in disagreement. “I would only call it paradise if we had a way off of it.” She put a leg above her eyes to block out the sun, and peered for anything that might have been built by an intelligent creature. “See anything?” she asked Twilight, who stood next to her.

Twilight copied Fluttershy with how she looked, and soon was scanning the entire island for something that resembled other intelligent life. Minutes passed by soundlessly, and with every minute gone, the two ponies’ fear increased. If they did not find anything, they would be stuck here forever, and would never see their friends, family and home ever again. Despite their fear, they kept on looking intensely, for to see their country and everypony they knew on it drove them to keep looking and keep thinking.

“Hold on, what’s that?” Twilight muttered, narrowing her eyes as she tried to get a better look at it. She tapped Fluttershy on her side. “Have a look at that and see what you make of it,” she pointed.

Fluttershy looked down Twilight’s outstretched leg like the sight of a sniper rifle, and gasped when she could make out the outlines of what looked to be huts. “Are those houses?”

“I think so, and if there are houses here, then that means–”

“– There are other ponies here as well,” Fluttershy finished. Both ponies began jumping on the spot in joy and hugged each other, laughing in delight. “We did it, Twilight!” Fluttershy squealed as they spun around in a dance. “We now have a way off this island!”

Twilight giggled and pulled away. “And we’ll be able to see our friends again!” the two ponies stopped dancing, and looked back at the village side by side, grinning cheerfully. “How long do you think it will take us to get there, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know, and I don’t really care. I’m just glad we might have a way off this place.” Fluttershy arched her head up, and sighed contentedly. “Now I feel like I’m in paradise.”

The two ponies fell silent as they watched the island’s inhabitants scurry about the island like lords and ladies would in a castle. The two of them felt at peace, and calm with a gentle wind massaging their backs, shoulders and necks. Here, Twilight saw a place where she could tell Fluttershy how she truly felt about her, while Fluttershy felt that she could relax for a moment and not worry about anything back at home, or anything else that had happened thus far. The two of them were safe.

That safe feeling died a painful death when both ponies heard a faint hissing sound coming from behind them. Twilight immediately went deathly pale at the thought that snakes could be inhabiting this island, and silently prayed to anything that might hear her for protection.

“Please tell me that was you breaking wind,” Twilight said nervously, not daring to turn around.

Fluttershy looked incredibly embarrassed. “Um, excuse me?” she asked, a blazing pink blush on her cheeks.

“I would rather take that than knowing there could be a long, slithery and possibly quite dangerous…” Twilight gulped, “snake right behind us.”

“Oh, well, I’m sorry, Twilight, but I didn’t just fart. And yes, I think that was a snake just behind us.”

“Do you know what kind it is?”

“I can’t make out what kind of snake it is just by its hiss, Twilight, I’m not that good. I could take a quick look, if you’d like.”

“Yes, please do, and do it quickly so I know when I can slide down the mountainside,” Twilight replied, her legs shaking with fright.

Fluttershy nodded, then slowly turned her head around, and gasped in horror. Behind them, perched on the edge of the mountain with its back to them, was a creature Fluttershy had only rarely heard about. The bottom half of it was a large brown bird, similar to that of a roc, with sword-like claws on the ends of its talons, and large, powerful wings that would easily out fly any pegasi, even Rainbow Dash. That was where any resemblance for them ended, for the head of the bird was the same as a python’s head, with hair made up of around a dozen snakes, hissing at each other madly and glaring at each other with golden, lizard eyes. Some of the snakeheads had the remains of some poor birds that wanted to live being swallowed whole down their mouths, while the main head swallowed down the body of what appeared to be a large mammal of some sort.

Fluttershy quickly looked away in disgust, and Twilight could hear her friend’s breathing become quicker. “So, do you know what it is?”

“Yeah, it’s a gorgon,” Fluttershy replied, nodding.

“What’s a gorgon?”

“A bird with the head of a snake with around a dozen venomous snakes as hair on its head. It isn’t the talons with this bird you have to worry about, though, it’s the eyes. You look into even one of those snake eyes, and they turn you into stone.”

“Like a cockatrice?”

“Sort of, but much worse. While being turned to stone by a cockatrice only freezes you in stone, a gorgon’s eyes can turn you entirely into stone, inside and out and killing you outright. There’s no going back after being turned to stone by a gorgon.”

Twilight gulped. “So what do we do?”

“Well,” Fluttershy replied. “If we stand completely still as statues, we might be okay. Other than that, I don’t know.”

“Great,” Twilight sighed. “What else do you know about it?”

“Why me?”

“Because you are the animal expert.”

“Just because I’m an animal expert doesn’t mean I know about every animal on Terra. You probably don’t know every spell of magic out there, but you’re getting there.”

Twilight raised her hoof to make a point, but quickly realised she had made a fatal error. “You moved your leg, didn’t you?” Fluttershy queried, not even daring to look to see.

“Yeah, I kinda did,” Twilight replied.

“And gorgons are able to sniff out their prey just by a single casual movement like that, so that means…” Fluttershy’s voice faded away, as did her coat colour. Both ponies looked around at once, and saw that the gorgon was turning around and bringing its deadly gazes to bear. “Don’t look directly into those eyes!” Fluttershy cried as she threw a leg over her own eyes.

Twilight did the same, earning a screech of anger from the gorgon’s main head. One of the snakeheads thrust forward and snapped its jaws by Twilight’s ear, earning a little frightened scream from the unicorn, and her leg was itching to remove itself from her eyes. “Twilight, don’t you dare lift your leg away from your eyes!” Fluttershy shouted, even as she felt a snakehead hiss into her ear and by her face. “A gorgon not only eats meat, but also magic and the life-force of any one that looks them in the eye. They drain the victim they had just turned to stone of their life-force or their magic, until they are just statues.”

“So that makes us a very nice meal!” Twilight simplified. “Lovely, and I were just beginning to like this island, too.” The gorgon screeched once more as its threats were not working. Twilight knew that soon it would give up on using its eyes to kill them, and then use its claws instead to tear them apart. They had to get away, now. “How close are you to me, Fluttershy?”

“Um, let me shift closer to you.” Fluttershy shuffled painfully slowly to Twilight’s side, until she felt their flanks touch. “Okay, I’m next to you.”

“Good, because you know I said I can teleport us anywhere in case of an emergency?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy replied, sounding suddenly nervous.

“Well, as you can guess, this is one of them. Now hold onto me!” Fluttershy quickly flung her forelegs over Twilight’s back and buried her head in Twilight’s mane, while the unicorn powered up her horn, forcing the gorgon to step back in fright. It’s screech of anger died away from Twilight’s ears as she felt the ground disappear beneath her hooves, and a white light encircled her. She threw her leg off her face, and looked around to see her world, for a brief second, was white and strangely beautiful.

The white around her started to form with colour, and soon she and Fluttershy found themselves to be in the sky, a few miles from the top of the volcano. Both ponies looked down, looked back up at each other, and screamed as they fell towards the ground.

Fluttershy quickly recovered and spread her wings to ease her descent, while Twilight cast a levitation spell around herself, stopping herself hitting the ground by about an inch. She set herself upright and back onto her hooves, while Fluttershy glided down to stand on front of her, a relieved grin on her face. “That was close,” Twilight remarked.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to reply, but screeches of rage echoing across the island made her close it back up and look up. Her eyes widened in horror as she witnessed the gorgon take to the air, and start circling the island to look for them. She pushed Twilight back until the unicorn was pinned against the tree, with her back flat against it and Fluttershy right up against her. From afar, it looked as though the two were fiercely making out. Such a mental image made Twilight blush, but any thought on what they could be doing died away when the screeches of the gorgon entered her ears. ‘Focus, Twilight, focus, or else you will never get the chance to tell Fluttershy how you feel about her.’

Twilight felt the – surprisingly – fresh breath of Fluttershy against her neck, and shuddered a little as they stood completely still, praying the gorgon would not discover them. Eventually, the gorgon began to fly further up the island, making both ponies relax a little. “Um, mind if I get my back off this tree now, Fluttershy? It’s really starting to ache.”

Fluttershy looked back at her, and noticed for the first time how close she was to Twilight, and how very awkward the whole scene looked. She backed away and fell down onto her all fours, blushing while covering her face with her mane. “Sorry about that, Twilight,” she said meekly. “I just thought it would be easier if we squeezed together like that.” A part of her actually enjoyed being that close to Twilight, and wanted to do it again.

She wanted to shout out how much she did not love Twilight, but any word of protest died in her mind. The cracks were now starting to get wider, and soon they would smash apart like brittle windows.

Twilight smiled beatifically at Fluttershy, and gently brushed her friend’s mane out of her face. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. You thought quickly, and hid us from danger, so I should be thanking you for saving us.” She leaned her head forward, and nuzzled Fluttershy on the cheek. “So thank you.”

Fluttershy’s blush grew fiercer, but she smiled and nuzzled the unicorn in return. “You’re welcome.” Both ponies pulled their heads back, smiling affectionately. Hisses and screeches from above them made the two look up, and they gasped in horror when they saw the gorgon flying over them. They quickly looked back at each other in horror.

“Come on!” Twilight cried as she raced past Fluttershy, taking one of the pegasus’s hooves in her own. “Let’s get to that village; if there are ponies there, they may know how to keep the gorgon away!” With that, the two ponies broke into a fast gallop through the trees, with the gorgon flying slowly over them, as though it was playing a game with them.

Fluttershy could feel her breath sobbing as she ran in front of Twilight. She might be fast like most pegasi, but she didn’t have the same endurance as they did. She felt herself beginning to tire quickly, her legs began to ache, and she felt ready to fall over and rest for a bit. ‘Rest,’ she thought. ‘Rest sounds quite nice at the moment.’ The screeches of the gorgon made her return to her senses, and made her go just a little bit faster. She looked back to see how Twilight was doing, and gasped.

Twilight was slowing down much faster than she was; in fact, she looked as though she was going to collapse at any second. She looked up to see that the gorgon had spotted how slow her friend was going, and prepared itself to dive. Fluttershy spun around and galloped back towards Twilight, intent on saving her friend. If any of her other friends were here, she figured, she would let them save Twilight. But they were back home, safe in Equestria, so Twilight had to make do with her.

Just as she made it to Twilight’s side, she glanced up and saw with terror the gorgon beginning to dive towards them like a peregrine falcon. “Get on my back!” Fluttershy ordered sharply, feeling there wasn’t any time for pleasantries.

Twilight used up all her energy to jump up on Fluttershy’s back and wrap her legs around Fluttershy’s neck and waist. With Twilight secured, Fluttershy galloped with double the speed she had showed before, and was out of the way of the gorgon, which slammed heads first into the ground. Fluttershy glanced back to see the gorgon lift its main head up and let out a scream of rage, making Fluttershy shake violently with terror as she ran. ‘Oops, looks like I made it mad,’ she thought. ‘Good. You can be as mad as you want, gorgon, but you are not having my friend, nor me!’ She looked ahead again, and concentrated all her being into getting to that village, ridding themselves of the gorgon, which flew back into the air and began to follow them once more, and getting off this island.

Twilight could only watch with admiration as Fluttershy galloped at a speed she had never seen the pegasus run before; not even their race through Whitetail Woods was Fluttershy as quick as she was now. She swerved around one tree, and then another and another with a frightful speed that she had only seen Rainbow Dash do. “You can go at quite a speed when you want to,” Twilight commented dryly. “You should race with Rainbow on the ground a bit more often.”

Fluttershy made sure her way was clear for a moment, and then looked back at Twilight with a small smile. “I could never show up Rainbow Dash like that. She would only moan about it for days afterwards.” She looked ahead again, and smiled in relief when she saw the end of the jungle was ahead. “We’re nearly there, Twilight! Just hold on for a bit longer!”

They soon emerged from the denseness of the jungle, and found themselves staring despairingly at the remains of an old village. Twilight climbed off Fluttershy’s back, and felt her heart sink with sorrow as she looked at it. The village was in pieces. Bits of old roofs and broken timber from the very old wooden huts were scattered about the ground like toys in a child’s playroom. A few huts were still largely intact, but they were dotted around the small area like willow trees.

They walked slowly into what they presumed to be the village centre, and felt their hearts sink even further at the age of these huts. From afar, they looked quite recent, but up close, they looked as though they had been here longer than Celestia and Luna themselves. “These are old,” Twilight whispered as she looked into one of the rectangular huts. She noticed a ruined banner of some sort with a unicorn’s head on it, but she passed it by with a fleeting glance.

She looked back, and her heart melted even further when she saw Fluttershy had collapsed onto her rump, and was allowing tears to freely fall down her cheeks.

“Nothing’s here,” Fluttershy whimpered. “Why isn’t anypony here? Why are we alone? What have we done to be st-t-uck here?” She couldn’t say anymore, for she buried her face into her hooves, and cried inconsolably. She would never see her friends, her family, and her home ever again. She and Twilight were condemned to be stuck here forever, it seemed.

She looked up when she felt hooves wrap around her, and saw Twilight crying just as fiercely as herself, crying for the loss of their friends. Fluttershy and Twilight hugged each other tight as they let their tears fall heavily, comforted only by the fact they had one another as company. As they cried, Twilight thought of anything she could think of to get them away from this island, and to escape from the gorgon…

Her eyes snapped open when she remembered the gorgon, and looked right just to see the gorgon flying straight towards them, its talons reaching out for them and its hundred gazes powerful and deadly.

She looked back at Fluttershy, and braced herself for the right moment. She saw with the corner of her eye the gorgon’s wings, and made her move. She grabbed hold of Fluttershy as tight as she could, and leapt out of the way of the beast’s talons and terrifying eyes, sending the creature crashing into one of the large huts. The hut collapsed on top of it, and the gorgon disappeared under its ruined structure, with only its outstretched wings showing it was ever there.

Twilight and Fluttershy waited until the dust settled to the ground, and then scrambled back to their hooves and looked at the ruined hut. The gorgon lay unmoving in the ruins, with not even a wing twitching. “Do you think it’s hurt?” Fluttershy whispered nervously.

Twilight shook her head in uncertainty. “Stay here.” With that, she walked cautiously towards the hut, with every nerve screaming out in her body to turn back and run with Fluttershy beside her back to the beach. She shook the thought from her head. ‘Fluttershy would never forgive me if I ran now if the creature is hurt.’ She magically moved some of the debris covering the heads of the gorgon, and when she saw it she quickly looked away.

“Is it… dead?” Fluttershy asked, even if she thought asking Twilight was pointless, for she already knew the answer.

Twilight nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, it’s dead.” She turned away from the dead gorgon and walked back to Fluttershy’s side. She saw the state of sorrow in the pegasus’s eyes. “There was nothing you could have done to stop it, Fluttershy,” she said softly, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “It wanted to kill us and have us for lunch.”

Fluttershy sighed knowingly. “I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier. It was only hungry. It had to survive somehow.” She looked up at Twilight expectantly. “Now what do we do, Twilight?”

Twilight looked from the pegasus to the huts around her, and went deep into thought. The wood the huts were made out of, though old, would be strong enough to carry them across the water if put together and made into a raft. However, the only problem she could see would be to A: supply them with enough food to last them a few weeks at sea, and B: fix the wood together with something strong enough to hold it together, and endure rough weather.

She wanted to think of something for both of those problems, but her mind was at its limits, and needed to relax. She sighed. “Tomorrow, we’ll start building a raft out of these timbers, and then think of a way to hold it together, as well as forage for food. Okay?”

Fluttershy wanted to say that they should start now; that the sooner they could finish it the quicker they could get back home. Instead, her quivering legs told her to say, “Okay. Tomorrow it is.”

Twilight nodded, and then led Fluttershy back to the beach where they started.

The two ponies eyes each other narrowly, both of them planning on how to destroy the other with their next move. The battle so far had been long and fierce; with both ponies gaining and losing ground with near equal measure, and the ground between them were covered with the evidence of their struggle. Their hooves were stained with the carnage on the ground, and even though they were tired, they struggled on, determined to destroy the other and become the dominant pony on the island.

“You’re going down, Fluttershy,” Twilight growled, making a slit throat motion with her hoof.

“Not before you go down first, Twilight Sparkle,” Fluttershy growled in response, rubbing her hooves together in anticipation.

“I’m already down, I’m on my stomach,” Twilight pointed out. “So ha!”

“Well you’ll soon be lower than that. You’ll be six feet under the sand when I’m finished with you.”

“Well if you think you’re so confident, then why don’t you make the next move?” Twilight allowed, gesturing with her hoof for Fluttershy to strike next.

“Why, thank you, Twilight, I will just do that, and when I have finished it will be the end of this,” she said, a triumphant grin on her face. She lifted her right hoof up, ready to strike, and then drew a circle in one of the squares on the tenth grid laid out between them, next to two other circles.

‘Oh, bleeping bleep bleep,’ Twilight thought as Fluttershy marked a line through the three circles with her muzzle.

“Wahoo!” Fluttershy cheered, punching the air in victory. “That’s six games to four! I’m surprised you missed that one.”

“Yeah, well I guess I feel a bit tired to notice something like that. I tend to lose more when I’m tired,” Twilight said.

Fluttershy giggled. “Don’t give me that excuse,” she said, nudging her with a hoof. “You’re always good in anything, even when you’re tired.”

“I think this time it is because I’m tired,” Twilight said, rubbing an eye. “Being stranded on an island, chased across it by a gorgon, found an old, abandoned village, and then taking part in killing said gorgon does tend to tear the strength from me.”

Fluttershy giggled, and then sat back on her haunches and sighed with content. After the two had made it back to where the boat was, Twilight ripped the ruined boat up, and placed it in a heap to make a campfire that would last them the night. Fluttershy wondered if that was wise, but she quickly saw any wood from the boat to make the other one would be useless.

As Twilight got a fire going, Fluttershy rallied the birds together, who rejoiced when they heard the gorgon was dead, and asked for their aid in collecting food for a suitable dinner for the two of them. The birds eagerly went off in different directions, and soon came back with bananas, coconuts torn open for them, and other tropical fruits. “The birds all said there’s enough food on this island to last years,” she had said when she flew back, hooves heavy with fruits. “We should be fine with food on the boat once it is ready.

“That’s good to know,” Twilight said, nodding in understanding. “But all we need now is something to hold the wood together.” They decided not to think about that for now, and instead focused on eating the plenty of fruit given to them until their bellies felt full. Afterwards, they decided on a game of noughts and crosses, and they played until Celestia’s sun disappeared out of the sky and Luna’s moon took its place.

Fluttershy broke out of her reminiscence, and looked out at the ocean. It looked calm; so calm she thought they would be able to walk over it and get home. However, she knew they were not in any state to think about getting home now, for both of them were weary from the long day.

Yet, they were alive, and as long as they were alive, they would think of everything they could between them to get back home. ‘We will see our friends again, even if it takes most of our lives, we will get home,’ she thought. “So, um, what shall we do now?” Fluttershy asked as she shifted her back end about so that she was resting on one flank.

Twilight looked up at the clear night sky in thought. “I’m not sure, to be honest,” she replied. “I would suggest telling some ghost stories, but you wouldn’t like that.”

“Oh, well I wouldn’t mind if we were telling each other stories, just not ghost stories,” Fluttershy said. “Though, if you want to tell a ghost story, then by all means tell one, just let me be out of hearing range when you do,” she added meekly.

Twilight giggled. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, I won’t tell a ghost story. I was actually hoping for you to go first.”

Fluttershy rubbed her forehooves together. “But, I don’t know any stories; any good ones, or ones you haven’t heard of, at least.”

“Maybe it doesn’t have to be a fictional story,” Twilight pointed out. “Maybe it could be about yourself, or something that happened in your life that changed you in a way.” Twilight secretly had an idea on what she wanted Fluttershy to talk about, but she didn’t want to force the mare to say it. ‘Did she always know she was attracted to mares, or was it something that came out later in life?’ she wondered.

“Well, I suppose I could tell you about my first relationships,” Fluttershy said.

Twilight knew if she had a drink in her mouth she would have spat it back out. “You have been in relationships?” Fluttershy nodded. “I thought you said you didn’t when Rarity asked when we were on the train to Canterlot last Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“I just said that to get her off my back,” Fluttershy replied. “All your eyes were on me, and I didn’t like it, so I said no, and you all left me alone after that.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat at the thought of making Fluttershy uncomfortable. “I’m sorry for that,” she said. “I should have said something for them all to stop. I hate seeing you uncomfortable like that.”

Fluttershy smiled sweetly at her. “It’s all right, Twilight. Besides, it was ages ago; I had forgotten about it until you brought it up.” She shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. “Well, anyway, I suppose you want to know my first crush, huh?”

Twilight shifted herself about until she felt cosy once more, and briskly nodded. “Well, um, okay, just don’t tell the others about this, please? I won’t hear the end of it if they found out.”

Twilight nodded sternly. “My lips will be sealed after this,” she promised sincerely.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “Well, um, to begin with, my first relationship was at school. Not flight school, but school for the fillies and colts whose wings were underdeveloped. I was the oldest in my class, since I started later than most; I seized up in fright every first day before I felt brave enough to actually go inside.”

She saw Twilight smirking at the image she had just given her, and quickly continued. “Well, uh, anyway, all my relationships were in my last year, before I went to flight school. My first one was with a colt named Storm Cloud. He was quite sweet, really, a dark grey coat with a bright white mane and tail. He didn’t have his cutie mark at the time, none of us did, but I know he got a white lightning bolt as his cutie mark; he specialised in making the finest rainstorms there is.

“Well we got off quite well, even though both of us were quite shy and not very talkative, we grew quite close, and enjoyed each other’s company. He asked if I would go out with him later, and I said yes, so we became a couple. He came over for dinner with my parents, played games, had a good laugh, and when he had to go, we both hugged and parted ways.”

Fluttershy’s smile faded as she remembered that. “When I thought about it afterwards, I realised it didn’t feel right. Hugging him felt wrong, rough and weird. I couldn’t put a hoof on it, but it just felt wrong.”

She paused once more to let out a sigh. “It didn’t last long anyway. After a few days, we both split up on mutual terms, and he went off with his own group of friends, while I was left alone, with nopony to turn to but my parents.

“It was turning to spring when I found myself in another relationship – if you could call it that. He was a large colt, dark brown and with black, scruffy mane and tail. He said one lunchtime how much he loved me, and that one day he wanted to marry me. I felt so overjoyed that I skipped back to class, looking forward to seeing him afterwards.” She paused again as tears built up in her eyes. “Turns out he only did it for a laugh, and to see how gullible I was and use it to pick on me. I ran back home in tears. I have never felt so humiliated before that.”

She paused to wipe away the tears from her hoof, while Twilight patted her on her free hoof. “It’s all right now, Fluttershy. That’s all in the past,” the unicorn said softly.

Fluttershy nodded. “I know, but it hurts sometimes to think about that.” She shook her head again. “I never did see him again after that, thankfully. I heard a rumour that he was expelled from school a few days later for doing something or other, but I don’t know entirely what happened. My incident with him was forgotten, and I was left to my own devices. That was until the beginning of summer, when I met her.”

“Her?” Twilight repeated, tilting her head curiously.

“Yes, her. Her name was Snow Storm, and she was the most beautiful filly I had ever seen. She was taller than me by about half a foot, and was as white as the snow from which she was named. She had brilliant violet eyes, and a gorgeous flowing mane and tail that were the colour of sand.

“She had moved from her class to ours after getting quite good marks in all her lessons, so she was moved up a grade. She sat on the empty desk next to mine, and I became transfixed with her. I didn’t know why then, but I just was. She was beautiful, and was so lovely, with a voice as soft as snow, and a heart as big as the school.”

“I bet you’re going to tell me that she flew as gracefully as snow,” Twilight said in the pause.

“Oh, no,” Fluttershy replied, shaking her head sadly. “She couldn’t fly yet, none of us could, and she would never be able to anyway.”

“Why not?”

“She had lost one of her wings in an accident early on in her life,” Fluttershy explained.

Twilight put a hoof over her mouth in shock. “That’s horrible!”

“Oh, yes, it was, and she got picked on quite a bit for it, as well,” Fluttershy said sadly. “That’s where I came in. We both found ourselves to be the outcasts in the school, so we stuck together and became good friends.” Fluttershy smiled dreamingly as her mind flicked through those days with Snow Storm. “Those were days I will cherish always about school. The last two months of being there were certainly the best of my life.

“In that time, me and Snow Storm played together, sang songs, went to each other’s houses, and every time we had to leave each other we hugged tightly like sisters would. That’s when I started to feel something different for Snow Storm. I loved being in her embrace, making me feel safe and comfortable, and her soft touch to my coat as she pulled away from me, and her sweet, amiable smile. I wanted to be with her always, and I truly felt love for the first time.”

Twilight smiled at her. “Did you ever tell Snow Storm about your feelings for her?”

After a moment of hesitation, Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. It was the last day of school, the night of the school prom. Me and Snow Storm didn’t have a partner to go to so we went with each other, and boy did we dance! We showed everypony there how well we were together; we practiced, see, so we wouldn’t make fools of ourselves. We did the tango together, the slow dance, the barn dance, oh my it was wonderful! The slow dance, especially, for obvious reasons,” she said with a blush forming on her face as she remembered Snow Storm looking at her with a smile on her face, with one hoof on her waist, and another in her own as they twirled around the hall.

She shook her head quickly, and then continued, “Well, it was getting late, and we were both tired, so decided to walk back home together. It was then that she hit me with a bombshell; she said tomorrow she would be leaving Cloudsdale and heading to Trottingham with her family to start a new life there.

“I was devastated to say the least, yet I didn’t show it. I looked happy for her, and wished her and her family all the best when they moved to Trottingham. I don’t know why I did what I did next, whether it was an act of desperation, or just to show her how I loved her so much, but I saw other ponies who loved each other kiss, including my own parents, and I thought I should do it as well.

“I leaned forward, and lightly kissed her on the cheek…”

Fluttershy didn’t know what she had just done, her eyes were closed yet she could feel her lips put together and pressed against Snow Storm’s cheek. A wave of regret and remorse suddenly washed over her, making her wish she could go back in time and tell herself to stop it before she ruins everything.

She opened her eyes, and glanced to her left to see Snow Storm looking at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. She pulled away and stepped back, looking at the ground in shame. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t know what came over me; I just thought that if you were leaving you wouldn’t know how much I really like you and how I would want you to stay, but now that I have done that you probably hate me and won’t want to see me again,” she said quickly, tears building up in her eyes. “I’ll go away now.” She turned around, and moved to run back into her small house.

“Fluttershy, wait!” Snow Storm called. Her smoothing, motherly voice made Fluttershy stop instantly, but she didn’t look around. She heard the sound of Snow Storm’s hooves hitting the soft cloud beneath them, and as they got louder, Fluttershy braced herself for some harsh words from the other pegasus.

She nearly fainted when she felt her friend’s forelegs wrap around her in comfort. “It’s okay, Fluttershy,” she said sweetly. Those words were enough to make Fluttershy lift her head up and look at Snow Storm, who looked back at her with a loving smile.

The one winged pegasus lifted herself off her, and said, “Have you ever been hugged or kissed by a colt before?” Fluttershy bashfully nodded. “And how did that feel to you?”

Fluttershy only had enough bravery in her to say, “W-w-weird. And rough. Not gentle, like you when we hug.”

Snow Storm nodded in understanding. “And when I hugged you just then, what did that feel like to you?”

Fluttershy lifted her head up to gaze at her directly with love struck eyes. “It felt comforting, soft and tender, and so lovely I could melt in it.”

Snow Storm smiled, and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Then I’m sure you will find a pony somewhere who can make you feel like that. It just won’t be from me.” Fluttershy’s face fell. “I’m sorry, I really am, but I only love you as a friend, Fluttershy, and that’s it. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but even if I did love you it would be difficult for us to see each other. I’m moving to Trottingham with my parents, and nothing’s going to change their minds.”

Fluttershy nodded understandably, yet her eyes sung of her devastation. “We can still be friends, yeah?” she asked hopefully.

Snow Storm grinned. “I don’t see why that is a problem, Fluttershy. I will always be your friend, through anything, and…” Snow Storm paused as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I’m really going to miss you.”

Fluttershy could feel more tears coming out of her eyes. “And I’m going to miss you, too.” The two fillies hugged each other tight once more as they cried, knowing they might not see each other again. “Write to me, please?”

“I will, so long as you write to me,” Snow Storm promised. She pulled back, and wiped her eyes. “Right, it’s getting late, and I better get back home. Goodbye, Fluttershy. The last few months at school have been the best with you.” With that, she turned away and trotted down the street. “And I hope you find your Princess one day,” she called before vanishing into the darkness like a ghost.

Fluttershy waved to her until she was gone, and then sighed as she turned around and walked into her quaint, little home. Snow Storm was the only friend she had at school, so to lose her just as Fluttershy was made into going to flight camp was devastating. ‘I doubt I’ll make any friends there,’ she thought.

“Fluttershy, sweetie, there you are!” her mum, Velocity, called. The head of her mum appeared from the other side of the living room, and she came into view. “How was the prom? Did you meet your future Prince?”

Fluttershy shook her head; the last words of her friend rang through her ears like bells. “No, mum, I did not,” she said, raising her head high and looked at Velocity with a large smile. “But I know that somewhere out there I will find my Princess.”

Velocity’s eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly relaxed and grinned for her daughter. “I’m sure you will, my love,” she said, grabbing her in a hug and giving her a little noogie.

Twilight smiled as Fluttershy finished her story. “What a fascinating tale, Fluttershy,” she remarked. “I never knew somepony who decided on their preference at that age. But then again, I knew very few ponies at that time.”

Fluttershy giggled. “I know, when I look back at that I sometimes think to myself, ‘how could I make such a decision at such an age?’ But I know it is the right one, for I don’t find any stallion attractive, and my eyes always looked at the mares.” She sighed, and looked to the sea once more. “I only heard from Snow Storm a few times afterwards, saying she moved in well and that Trottingham was quite nice, but we sort of drifted apart until we heard nothing from each other ever again. I sometimes wonder what she’s up to, and if she has found that Prince she always wanted.”

Twilight looked to the sea as well. “I’m sure that wherever she is, she is happy,” she said comfortingly.

Fluttershy nodded, then looked back at Twilight. “What about you? Any relationships we never knew about?” she asked with a slyly raised eyebrow and a wry grin. She hoped that asking Twilight would be enough to coax her out of hiding the identity of the mare she had talked about while under the sirens’ song.

Twilight fiercely blushed, and looked to the ground. “Well… I may have once had a teacher’s crush on Princess Celestia,” she muttered very quietly, so that Fluttershy had to strain her hearing to make out what she said.

Fluttershy threw a hoof over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Really? Princess Celestia?” She stifled her giggles with a foreleg. “That must have been so cute!”

“Hey, it was only because I was the only pony in Equestria that had personal time with her, and it grew from there. It faded away when I grew up and realised such a relationship was ridiculous. She’s immortal and a Princess, and I’m just a regular old unicorn. That was the only crush I had; none other.”

Fluttershy smiled, though she giggled at the mental image of Twilight and Celestia cuddling up together. “How comes you never told anypony about it, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, her head tilting curiously while her eyes sparkled with sweet innocence.

Twilight flicked an eyebrow. “Really? Tell Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie that I had a teacher’s crush on Princess Celestia? I would not hear the end of it for years, and I just know Rarity would try to hitch us together!” The two ponies giggled as they knew Rarity would go that length for her friends. “What about you? Why haven’t you told anypony but me and your parents that you’re more attracted to mares?”

“Oh, Applejack knows,” Fluttershy said, “and I imagine Pinkie does as well; she knows everything about us. But tell Rarity?” She laughed. “As much as I love her, Rarity and Applejack are the largest gossipers in Ponyville.”

“Wait a second, Applejack is a gossiper?” Twilight asked disbelievingly.

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy said, nodding her head. “I pretend not to hear, but when those two are at the market place they chat about all the goings on in Ponyville. I guess now that those two are good friends, Applejack is taking some pointers from Rarity.” She shook her head. “But anyway, if Rarity knew I liked mares more, she would try and get me to date one of our friends, and I’ve already promised myself that I will never date any of my friends.”

Twilight hoped Fluttershy didn’t just hear her heart shatter like glass. “Really?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too hurt, though all she wanted to do was scream it out.

“Oh, no, I could never do that to them. They are my friends, and I prefer them to be that way.” Fluttershy tilted her head when she saw Twilight’s posture change dramatically. She looked tense, and on the verge to cry. “Are you all right?”

Twilight coughed to clear her throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. Never felt better. Guess I’m a little tired, that’s all.” She gave Fluttershy a sweet smile. “Goodnight, Fluttershy. I hope you sleep well.” With that, she settled down onto her side, and closed her eyes.

“Goodnight, Twilight,” Fluttershy said as she rolled onto her side to face the sea, and home. “I’m glad you’re with me here. You’re a good friend.” She closed her eyes, purred as she got comfortable where she lay, and fell asleep.

Twilight opened her eyes again when she heard Fluttershy fall asleep, and waited for a long time before she got up and trotted into the jungle, her ears flat and her eyes glistening of devastation.

‘So this was all a waste of time,’ Twilight thought as tears ran down her face. ‘Fluttershy wouldn’t love me back in the first place. She made a stupid promise to keep herself from it.’ She had never hated the pegasus more than she did at that moment, even if she hated herself for thinking it. ‘There has to be a reason Fluttershy would say something like that. Something to say that she wouldn’t date me or my friends.’ Did something happen with Applejack? Was there a good reason, if any? Twilight didn’t know, and that made it worse.

Unable to walk anymore, Twilight reared up and hugged the tree next to her, taking comfort in its embrace as she let out her sorrow. She knew now there was no point in loving Fluttershy anymore, for all she would do was reject her, simply because they were friends. This trip, the time they had spent together, the things they had seen and done, it was all just a waste of time. There wasn’t a point in even saying she loved her.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open. “No,” she whispered. “No!” She punched the tree in anger, her eyes narrowing with determination. “I have come too far to give up now! I made a promise to myself in Ponyville that I would tell Fluttershy that I love her, and I am going to keep it!” she declared to the jungle around her. She took a deep breath, and bowed her head. “I just hope she will still be my friend afterwards when she does reject me,” she whispered.

She set herself back down, and then walked slowly back to the camp, her mind full of ideas on how to convince Fluttershy otherwise. ‘I’m sorry I thought I hated you, Fluttershy,’ she thought to herself. ‘I only hate that promise you had made. I love you too much to hate you.’

She arrived back at the camp to see the fire dying out slowly, and the pegasus of her dreams asleep with her back to her and sleeping soundly. ‘Tomorrow,’ Twilight decided with a nod of the head to herself. ‘I will tell her tomorrow.’ It was now or never, she realised. If the boat couldn’t be built, then they would be stuck here for the rest of their lives, and at some point she would have to tell the truth. ‘After that, then we can – hopefully – continue being friends,’ she thought.

She settled down on her stomach, and rolled onto her side facing Fluttershy. She loved the pegasus dearly, and even a promise would not keep Twilight from admitting her feelings. “Goodnight, Fluttershy,” she whispered, before setting her head down, and falling asleep with her tail swishing against the night.

Oblivious to the fact that Fluttershy was still awake, and wide-eyed in horror after hearing everything Twilight had just said in the jungle.

Author's Note

Well that was fun. Didn't expect this chapter to be out so soon, but hey, a fun surprise. Hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter 11

Fluttershy was still awake when the morning arrived on the island. It was a grey start, with the sun barely visible in the sky. The ocean was serenely calm, and behind her, the birds sang and chattered amongst themselves.

Usually, the sounds coming from the jungle behind her would lift Fluttershy’s spirits immensely, but today, nothing could do that. She was still reeling over the shock of what she had learnt last night. ‘Twilight… loves me,’ she thought incredulously.

She sat upright, and rubbed her forehead roughly with a hoof. ‘Twilight loves me,’ she thought again. No matter how many times she would think it, however, the words didn’t seem possible.

Out of all the ponies Twilight could have fallen in love with, she went with her. Out of Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, even Princess Celestia or Luna, she chose timid, weak, scared of her own shadow Fluttershy. The pegasus ruffled her mane and rubbed her temples, groaning with fatigue and shock. ‘This is all wrong. This was not supposed to happen,’ she thought.

Feeling dirty and very tired, she hastily galloped away from the campsite towards the pool, hoping it would help her clear her mind and ease the shock of what she had learnt last night.

After closing her eyes last night, and just before she had drifted off to sleep, she had heard Twilight get up and walk away, trying to sound quiet but failing at it. Fluttershy brought her head up and watched her friend walk moodily into the jungle with her head down and her ears flat. Curious, and worried about what had gotten into Twilight, she took to the air and flew above the tree line. She quickly found Twilight crying against a tree, and felt the need to rush down and comfort her. She had thought that she was crying because of a hidden relationship gone wrong, but that quickly changed when Twilight started talking to herself.

When the three words that she never expected to hear came out of Twilight’s mouth, it took nearly all of her energy to keep awake and stay in the air. She gaped at Twilight for a long time, her mind racing heavily with thoughts and her heart banging against her chest. She saw the unicorn turn around to head back to camp, and quickly flew as fast as she could back before the unicorn could see her. Luckily she made it, and positioned herself so that it looked as though she had never moved. Thankfully, Twilight barely noticed her, and went to sleep soon afterwards. For Fluttershy, sleep never came.

She cleared her mind of last night when she found herself running towards the pool, and dived straight into it. She felt her tiredness fade away instantly as the water flowed around her body, but she didn’t get the pleasurable feeling she had felt from yesterday. It was missing, barren of joy, and she knew the reason as to why. She sighed as she sank into the water. How could this have happened to her? Why did Twilight have to fall for her, when there were so many better mares to go out with, her friends especially?

She looked down at her reflection in the water, and studied herself. She wasn’t strong like Applejack; brave like Rainbow Dash; gorgeous like Rarity, or carefree like Pinkie. She was scaredy pony Fluttershy with a love for animals, and that was it. She was nothing like her friends, and though she wouldn’t want to be anypony else, she couldn’t understand how Twilight saw her as somepony to fall in love with.

Neither could she see a relationship with her. ‘I have to tell her, and tell her softly and gently that I just want to be her friend,’ she thought. She rose halfway out of the water, when another thought sent her back down on her stomach. ‘What if Twilight doesn’t want to be my friend after this?’ she wondered. ‘What if she hates me so much she never wants to speak to me again?’

The thought made tears well up in her eyes. She felt like she was stuck, with no way out, other than two ways which would lead to damnation. Tears began to fall gently down her cheeks. ‘What am I to do?’ she whimpered in thought.

‘I told you, I told you this would happen,’ her mind said. Fluttershy could practically feel a smirk coming her way. ‘I told you Twilight would fall in love with you, and now you’re in a predicament, especially now that you told her about your promise.’

‘Oh, be quiet, brain, you’re not helping,’ she thought. Yet her mind was right. ‘Twilight probably does hate me now, especially since it looks like I rejected her right in her face.’ Yet that wasn’t the worst part, no. The worst part was knowing that she had broken her friend’s heart without even knowing Twilight’s love. With that, her tears began to fall like a waterfall into the pool, feeling horrible for what she had done, and feeling stuck in the middle of a battle she knew she could not win.

A shrill cry of a cockatoo broke her out of her brooding, and made Fluttershy turn around and look up. “Oh, it’s you,” she said as she wiped her eyes. The cockatoo made some more squawks as he asked what was wrong. “Oh, mister, I’m stuck in a terrible position, and I don’t know how to get out. My friend Twilight loves me, and I don’t know what to say to her. On one hoof, I could give us a chance and try, but knowing my luck that will fail, and I will lose her friendship and her love.

“On the other, though, I could say I don’t love her, but then she might not want to speak to me again, and I would lose her friendship, as well as some of my other friends.” That thought sent a terrible chill down her spine. What if the two never speaking to each other again split them all apart? More tears threatened to spill, but she was able to control herself and sniff them back. “See what’s wrong? Either way I will lose Twilight as a friend, I just know it.” She looked to the cockatoo with pleading eyes. “What should I do?”

The cockatoo flew down from the tree he had sat in, and hopped up to Fluttershy as though he was going to whisper what he was about to say. As soon as he was about an inch from her face, he began telling her in quiet squawks what to do, which Fluttershy saw as a lot of sense. She silently chastised herself as the bird spoke for not seeing the obvious. “You’re right,” Fluttershy said once the cockatoo stopped talking. “If Twilight hates me for not loving her, then she isn’t a true friend. And I know for a fact that Twilight is a great friend, someone who is loving, kind, caring, gentle, funny and just an amazing pony…” Her voice faded away as she realised what she was saying.

‘Is rejecting her the right way forward?’ her mind wondered. ‘What if there is a major chance for us to be together, and be happy about it?’ As she thought about it, she realised she had felt differently about Twilight for a while now. She couldn’t deny that her thoughts on Twilight had grown and changed since their adventure began. With no other pony to talk to, they had to go with each other’s company, and because of it their friendship grew immensely. Fluttershy loved Twilight’s company throughout, from the time in Whitetail Woods to being stranded on this island. She wished she had spent more time with her back in Ponyville, and wished she could further.

‘Maybe I should give us a chance,’ she thought. She quickly shook her head of the idea. What if it all went wrong? What if their relationship backfired, and they turn against each other just as they did when Discord manipulated their minds? She didn’t want to risk or ruin their friendship, yet it seemed like she had already done that with her stupid promise. ‘Why did I have to be so narrow-minded and selfish?’ she wondered. ‘Why couldn’t I realise that Twilight has a heart like mine?’

The cockatoo broke her out of her thoughts by squawking some more, to which the pegasus nodded to every word. “You are right, mister cockatoo. I should go and talk to Twilight about this,” she said. “Maybe if we talked about this and settled it, then we might just stay friends.” She jumped out of the pool, and shook off any excess water, getting the cockatoo soaked in the process.

“Oops, sorry, mister,” she said, looking at the bird apologetically. “And thank you for listening to me and helping me through this. I hope Twilight is a true friend, or that would make going back home very awkward.” With that, she spun around and trotted back towards the beach.

The cockatoo squawked a cry of, “Good luck,” before shooting up into the air and heading deeper into the jungle.

“Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this,” she encouraged herself. “You’re just talking to Twilight, that’s all. You’re not talking to your idol, or to the Princess, or somepony that adores you – well, okay, she does adore you, but still. You are talking to the one pony who you could have a civil conversation with.” She stopped as she thought that over. “Okay, maybe not all of the time, but still, she is one pony who you can listen to, and will listen in return. I will talk to Twilight about why I made that promise, and hopefully she will understand why I want to remain friends with her, and that will be that.”

She took a deep breath as she saw the beach just behind the trees, and the scattered remains of their little boat. “Be brave like Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy. Be brave.”

She emerged from the trees, just as Twilight began to rise. Fluttershy felt her heart quicken as she looked at her friend, and she couldn’t help but admire her body. ‘Twilight certainly has a nice body,’ Fluttershy thought, looking up and down at her as the unicorn rose onto her hooves. ‘And a beautiful mane and tail, too.’ Yet her looks wasn’t what Fluttershy liked most about the unicorn. It was Twilight’s heart she liked most, for it was bigger than any mountain in Equestria and full of love.

And right now, it was evident in Twilight’s eyes that it was broken.

“H-hi, T-Twilight,” Fluttershy said nervously, now feeling unsure on how to start this conversation.

Twilight gave her a small smile and dipped her head in greeting. “Hey, Fluttershy,” Twilight said dryly, sounding as though her spirit had been sucked out of her.

Fluttershy grimaced at her friend’s harsh tone, and had to desperately fight back tears for bringing the unicorn to this state. “Um, how are you? Slept well?” she asked, giving Twilight a pleasant smile.

Twilight smiled back as she stretched her legs. “Not too bad, thanks. I do feel like I have more energy now than I did yesterday,” she replied. “What about you?” Twilight noticed for the first time the black bags under Fluttershy’s eyes. “Rough night?”

Fluttershy nodded as she wiped her tired eyes with a hoof. “Yes, not a very nice one, to be honest. I just couldn’t stop thinking about our friends back at home, and wondering if they know we are missing out here.”

Twilight smiled comfortingly, even though Fluttershy could see it strained. ‘Does she hate me?’ she thought, fighting back more tears. Before her mind could tell her to stop, she leapt forward and crushed Twilight in a hug.

Twilight was taken by surprise by the sudden flutterhug, as she called them. ‘Fluttershy is sure acting strangely,’ she thought. She counted two moments where Fluttershy looked to be on the verge of tears, and she could make out the tearstains on her friend’s cheeks. ‘Should I ask her about it?’ She mentally shook her head. ‘Fluttershy would probably deny everything.’

“What’s this about?” she asked, a smile on her face at having Fluttershy’s dazzling coat rub against hers, her scent breezing through her nose, and her breath tickling her neck.

Fluttershy pulled away and smiled lovingly at her. “Nothing,” she responded. “I just wanted to remind you of how much of a good friend you are to me, and how much I cherish our friendship.” ‘Please don’t hate me, Twilight. If I had known of your love for me earlier, I wouldn’t have made that promise.’

Twilight smiled at her. Even though her body was screaming at her to be mad at Fluttershy and hate her, her heart and mind kept her from falling down that path. ‘Fluttershy is too nice; a soul who never wants to hurt anypony,’ she said to herself sternly. ‘I’m certain she had her reasons for coming up with that promise.’ Yet whether or not she would like that reason would be down to herself.

“I know, and I am glad to count you as a friend,” Twilight said warmly.

Fluttershy smiled widely, knowing the sincerity of what Twilight just said. She opened her mouth to tell her that she knew about the love Twilight had for her, but before she could utter a word, Twilight spoke once more. “Right, I suggest we get started on building that ship; the sooner it is completed, the sooner we can get back home.”

Fluttershy instantly forgot about Twilight’s love for her, and her face lit up with delight at the thought of seeing home soon. “Oh yes, let’s!” she exclaimed. Without waiting for Twilight she spun around and galloped towards the remains of the village.

Twilight sighed and shook her head with a small smile. “That girl can move when she wants to,” she said to herself. Chuckling, she broke into a trot after Fluttershy, who was a bright yellow dot in the distance.

As she walked and enjoyed the feel of sand beneath her hooves and the fresh sea air coming from the east, she began to ponder on how to tell Fluttershy her feelings. ‘Should I do that, though? Should I just say that when I know how it is going to end anyway?’ Her mind told her she should, just so she could get it off her chest. ‘It would give me closure, I suppose.’ She had held it back for so long it started to feel like a parasite was working into her chest and eating away at her heart. Once Fluttershy knew, she would be able to rid herself of that parasite and be able to get on with her life.

She nodded her head to herself firmly. ‘Today she will know,’ she decided. But the real question was: how was she going to tell Fluttershy? ‘Just say I love you, and then wait for the damning response of no. Have a little cry somewhere alone, and that will be that,’ she told herself. She just wanted Fluttershy to still be friends with her.

Losing her friends was the greatest thing Twilight feared. Even if she lost one of them, she didn’t know how she could continue. The five of them had become a part of her life almost as much as studying and reading had. She could no longer imagine a world without Applejack’s honesty and companionship, Pinkie’s bumbling, random self, Rainbow’s loyalty and bravery, Rarity’s selflessness and prissiness, and Fluttershy’s kindness and beauty that she could not see in any of the others. ‘I hope Fluttershy knows that as well. I really, really hope she wants to stay my friend after this.’

When she arrived at the village, she couldn’t see Fluttershy anywhere, but did see a large hole being dug, with the squeaks of the mare making it coming from within. Twilight walked over to the edge, and peered down.

Fluttershy was digging like a dog into the dirt; kicking it away and throwing it behind her in a large heap that just fell back down and created more mess. The pegasus herself was barely recognisable. She was covered in dirt from head to tail, and Twilight could see sweat beading down the back of her neck. “Fluttershy?” Twilight called, prompting the pegasus to stop and turn around with largely rounded cyan eyes. “What exactly are you doing? We’re going to build a raft, not dig our way to Equestria.”

“I know,” Fluttershy replied, shaking her head rapidly to clear some of the dirt on her face. “I just wanted to bury that poor gorgon first before getting started; I wouldn’t like it if somepony started building a ship around my rotting corpse, so I thought I should be considerate and respectful to it, and give it a decent burial.” She breathed deeply as she looked around at the large hole she had dug. “But so far I can’t make it go any deeper than this.”

“That’s because you made the hole too big and you’re digging at the centre of the hole, so none of the dirt is going to get out to the open. Here, let me help.” She began picking up some of the loose dirt with her magic, and throwing it over her shoulder.

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head a little. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Twilight. I think I can manage on my own.” The look on Twilight’s face told the pegasus that the decision was final. “Okay. Thank you, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled at her. “There’s no need to thank me. And you’re right; we should at least give that gorgon a burial first before we build a boat.” With that, the two ponies set to digging a hole to lay the dead beast in.

Eventually, they dug a hole large enough for Twilight to pick up the gorgon with her magic, and gently laid it to rest in the hole. After they had a minute of silence as a mark of respect, Twilight picked up all the dirt with her magic, and dumped it on top, flattening it down with a log until it was a large dirt patch.

“That’s better,” Fluttershy said. “Finally I can concentrate now that the gorgon has been laid to rest.” She turned around, and rubbed her hooves together as she prepared herself for more work. “Right, what should we do first?” She did a double take when she saw Twilight again. ‘How does she do that?’

The unicorn had a large leaf she had found on the ground clutched in her magic, and was using a sharpened stick as a quill to write out a checklist for what they needed. “Okay, so this is what we’ll need to survive a long and possible perilous voyage on a raft that will only be used once,” Twilight concluded, nodding satisfactorily to herself as she looked it over for mistakes.

“Okay, firstly we need the right amount of timber to create a raft big enough to support the both of us. Now, since we are using the timber from these huts, we should have a raft that would be able to support both our body weights, and have enough room to fit both of our requirements.” She looked back at Fluttershy for a moment with narrow eyes, and then began to jot down some notes. “I’m just calculating your body weight, Fluttershy,” she hastily explained, her eyes never leaving the paper.

Fluttershy tilted her head a little and smiled, falling back onto her rump as she waited for whatever it was Twilight wanted her to do. Although Twilight could work herself up in such a state, she liked that about the unicorn. It showed that she was passionate about what she did, and loved every minute of it. She admired Twilight greatly for that. ‘It’s Twilight being Twilight,’ she thought, sighing softly as she watched Twilight scrunch up her face in thought. ‘Twilight being her cute self.’

Her eyes widened. There it was again. She used the word ‘cute’ to describe Twilight. She recalled she had used that word before; firstly back at her cottage when Twilight blushed, and then several other times throughout the trip. ‘Why, though? Why can’t I just see her as a friend rather than a marefriend?’ She wiped her brow with a hoof, feeling hot all of a sudden. ‘I just want her to be my friend, is that too much to ask?’ she whimpered in thought.

‘Yes,’ her mind replied. ‘You can’t keep denying to yourself how you feel about Twilight, you know? If you do, you will look back at this day, and regret ever returning her feelings to her. You will both be forever alone, and that would sever any friendship you two had.’

Fluttershy shook her head. ‘No, I-I will find love, but it will not be from Twilight. She will be my friend, and be happy with somepony else, and I will find somepony else and be happy with her. We will all be happy.’

‘No, you or her won’t. If you think that, then you are a stubborn fool who will never find love,’ her mind said vehemently. With that, her mind retracted back, and Fluttershy was able to think clearly again.

“You okay, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy looked up to see Twilight gazing at her worriedly.

Fluttershy nodded while wiping her forehead with a hoof. “I’m okay, thanks. Just having a little argument with myself. Nothing to worry about,” she replied, giving a large, false grin.

Twilight didn’t seem convinced, and took a step forward. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about–”

“I said it was nothing to worry about!” Fluttershy snapped, making Twilight flinch back in fright. Fluttershy instantly regretted lashing out like she did. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I didn’t mean to lash out at you like that,” she stammered. She looked away in shame. “I just feel so stressed.”

She felt a hoof rest under a chin, and then gently lifted her head up to face Twilight, who looked at her with a small, amiable smile. “It’s all right, I forgive you,” she said softly, like the gentlest breeze running through her ears.

Fluttershy shook her head and looked at the ground. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness, though.”

Twilight’s smile disappeared. “What makes you say such a thing?”

Fluttershy looked to the sea, her mind racing with possible words on what to say what was on her mind. “I…” Her words trailed away when she looked at the ocean closer, and saw something that didn’t look like a cloud, or a whale breaching the water.

It appeared to be the outline of a ship.

“Twilight, look over there!” Fluttershy shouted, pointing to the ship with wide, delighted eyes.

Twilight followed Fluttershy’s leg, until she could make out the faint outline of a ship heading west. Her eyes widened in delight. “Quick!” she ordered. “Help me burn one of these huts! The smoke from the fire should be enough to attract the ship this way!”

Fluttershy nodded, and with Twilight they began building a fire in one of the largest huts. After a minute or so, the fire began ripping the hut slowly apart, and the smoke began to rise high into the sky. “Let’s a put a bit more into it!” Twilight decided.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then spun around and began finding sticks, leaves, dried grass and anything else they could use to build a fire big enough to lure the ship in their direction.

After a while, they threw the last of any flammable objects they could see into the hut, and watched as it burned and crackled in the bright flames. Although they were not too close to the fire, they could still feel its heat, and began to sweat bucket loads as they waited anxiously for the ship to make a move. “Come on,” Twilight muttered. “Come on, turn, turn…”

Her heart leapt for joy when she saw the ship grow larger and more recognisable as a ship. Twilight and Fluttershy danced and cheered around each other in joy, relieved in the knowledge that they could soon go home. “Hey!” Twilight called, waving her leg high in the air. “We’re over here!”

“Help us!” Fluttershy called out as well, a large grin on her face. ‘We’re going to be fine,’ she thought. ‘Everything is going to be just fine.’

She instantly regretted thinking that when she saw the thick plume of smoke rising from the single chimney of a very recognisable steamship. “Twilight!” Fluttershy cried as she began to slowly back away in fear. “It’s the Wave Breaker!”

Twilight shot her head around to look at Fluttershy for a moment, before looking back at the ship. “You’re right, it is the Wave Breaker.” She grinned. “Fantastic!” She trotted onto the beach, while Fluttershy waited anxiously, ready to run at a split second.

“Hey, Seahoof!” Twilight called, waving her leg again as she chuckled in joy. “I must say how glad I am to see you all!”

The ship began to turn right, and gently slowed down till it stopped, and was resting just before the shallow end of the sea. “Come on, Fluttershy!” Twilight called, gesturing with her hoof for the pegasus to join her. Fluttershy shook her head nimbly, causing the unicorn to frown. “Why not?”

“I don’t like it, Twilight,” Fluttershy answered, shivering in fear. “Something just feels off about this to me. I don’t know what, but it just does.”

Twilight was about to ask what, but a voice they didn’t expect to hear rang out. “Well, well, well,” Wave Kicker said as she stared at them from the side greedily. “Isn’t this a surprise? Two land lovers learnt to swim and found themselves an island. We thought you were both dead, my husband and me. But since you are not, I guess that means my plans for you two can go ahead.” She turned to the eight ponies beside her. “Get them. Tie them up and bring them on board.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror as the eight ponies, and Wave Kicker herself, jumped off the side of the ship and began to swim towards them with ropes in their mouths. “RUN!” Twilight screamed as she spun around and galloped to Fluttershy, who remained frozen in fear.

“Come on, Fluttershy, run!” Twilight yelled, gently hitting her on the side with her tail. Fluttershy broke out of her daze, and spun around and galloped into the jungle with Twilight beside her, and the eight ponies not too far on their tails.

“Why are they wanting to catch us again?” Twilight demanded as they galloped through the jungle, not daring to look back incase they were right behind them. “They already know you were willing to give them some money!”

“I guess Wave Kicker didn’t believe me!” Fluttershy replied. She could easily understand that. The two picked up the pace when they heard the cries of their pursuers echoing throughout the jungle. “Oh, what are we going to do?”

“Don’t worry, I have an idea,” Twilight assured her. “We just need to keep running for a little while and get them as far from the ship as possible.”

“Are you all right with that?”

“Probably not, but I don’t want to be tied up today, so I have to try my hardest.”

Fluttershy smiled at her. “Even so, I would carry you to the end of this island if I had to. I’m not going to abandon you.”

Twilight’s lips grew into a smile. “And I you.” The two raced past the pool they bathed in yesterday, and heard for the first time the sound of galloping hooves. “They’re getting closer!” Twilight stated. “Quickly, to the mountain!”

Fluttershy nodded, and began to pick up the pace a bit faster. Her breath began to sob as she tried to regain some air, but was moving too fast for her lungs to keep her supplied. She glanced behind her to see one of the ponies was at least a few feet away, with a lasso in his mouth, and began to run faster. ‘I will not be captured,’ she thought determinedly.

She suddenly noticed Twilight was no longer beside her, and looked around. She quickly saw Twilight lagging behind, and the pony with the lasso was right behind her, getting ready to throw the lasso around her neck. “Twilight, look out!” Fluttershy cried.

Twilight looked up and turned around to see the pony throwing the end of the rope in her direction, and braced herself for the strangling feeling the rope was about to give her.

It never came.

She peeped an eye open to see that the pony was being pestered by many of the exotic birds that called the island home, and several of them were pecking at the others far behind to give the two some time.

Twilight ran up to Fluttershy, who had stopped to watch the bird attack in shock. “Did you do something?”

The pegasus shook her head. “I never told them to do anything, I swear.” She looked away to break herself out of her daze, and tapped Twilight heavily on the shoulder. “But this gives us a chance to get to the mountain. Come on!”

Twilight nodded, and again the two cantered away from the scene, and headed towards the mountain once more. Behind them, they could hear the screeches of the birds fighting to keep them safe, and the curses of those ponies that were after them. It chilled the two with terror, for they couldn’t help but imagine what might happen to them if they fell into the pirates’ hooves.

Eventually, after half an hour or so of more running, they emerged from the trees and found themselves in the shadow of the extinct volcano once more. “Start flying up there!” Twilight ordered. “I’ll meet you at the top!”

Fluttershy nodded reluctantly, spread her wings and flew up, following the mountainside until she arrived at the top. She set herself down on a flat piece of land, and waited for Twilight to appear. As she did so, she looked down at what was left of the volcano.

Whilst she stood on a small, flat area where the naturally created ramp followed, the rest of the volcano went down into a large crater, with bits of rock, dust and ash strewn about at the bottom, and with what appeared to be a nest of some sort hidden between the rocks. ‘Probably the nest of that gorgon we killed,’ she reckoned sadly. She knew it wasn’t their fault it was dead, but she couldn’t hide the feeling it was.

She was startled when she heard a faint popping sound behind her, and turned around to see Twilight shaking her head to clear the dizziness. “Sorry about that,” she said, swishing her tail. “I just wanted to make sure they knew we were up here, so they could follow us up.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened for a moment. “You led them up here?” she exclaimed. Her eyes quickly narrowed in anger. “What were you thinking? We could have just let them gallop past the mountain and get to the end! But now they know we’re up here we’re gonna get cap–” She stopped talking when she felt a hoof resting on her shoulder.

“Relax,” Twilight said, an assuring smile on her lips. “I know what I’m doing, but I need you to trust me on this. You do trust me, don’t you?”

Fluttershy hated seeing Twilight so unsure on something, so she quickly nuzzled her hoof. “Of course I do, and I’m sorry I shouted at you. I don’t know what came over me.”

Twilight patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.” She looked back towards the slope when they heard voices getting louder. “Now remember, when I swish my tail, you latch onto me, okay?” Fluttershy nodded while her body shook in fright. “Okay, then let’s do this.” She turned around and watched as Wave Kicker and the eight ponies she sent after them stood in front of them.

Twilight looked back and saw Fluttershy start to shake with fright. She was frightened too, but she needed to stay strong, for Fluttershy’s sake rather than her own. She cleared her throat as she stepped forward to address them. “Wave Kicker,” she greeted the pegasus mildly.

Wave Kicker gestured for her ponies to stop, and then smirked at the pair. “Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy,” she greeted them, dipping her head at both of them. “First off, I want to know how you survived the kraken attack?”

“We got pretty lucky, that’s all,” Twilight replied, her tone stating she wasn’t going to say anymore. “What about you? What happened to the Wave Breaker?”

“And what happened to Seahoof?” Fluttershy demanded, shaking in fright and anger.

“Oh, don’t worry about either of them, they’re fine,” Wave Kicker replied. “The Wave Breaker only suffered some slight damage during the attack, but it was all fixed in next to no time. After we managed to steer clear of the krakens, and the sea became flat and calm again, Seahoof wanted the ship to turn back and find you two, alive or dead, to bring back home. I realised quickly he wanted to keep your end of the bargain, Fluttershy, and mutinied against him.”

She paused to look at the ponies either side of her. “These ponies and a few others on board the ship stood at my side, and together we put the rest of the crew on the remaining lifeboat and sent them in the direction of the Iron Pony Islands. Oh, don’t worry, they should have enough food to last them the trip, providing the sea stays calm, that is,” she said upon seeing their horrified faces.

“But why?” Twilight asked, sickened by her actions. “Why just cast out your husband like that, and try to find us again even if the smallest chances of us being still alive were slim to nothing?”

“Because all I can see in front of me are prizes; two massive prizes worth an infinite amount of bits that would help me, and my sweet child here, dearly,” Wave Kicker replied, stroking her bulging belly.

“But I said I would give you the money,” Fluttershy said. “I have no need for the amount I have. You need it more than I do, and I swear on Celestia’s sun that I am not making this up.”

Wave Kicker shook her head. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you. So many ponies came to me promising wealth and fame, but those were just empty words with no money in them whatsoever. Now, instead of just waiting for somepony to offer me money, I’m going to take it the only way I know how: by force.” She strode menacingly towards them, forcing the two frightened mares to step back. “Now, are you both going to play nice and come along, or do we have to drag you both back in ropes?”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to face Wave Kicker. “Leave Fluttershy out of this, Wave Kicker,” Twilight said, much to Fluttershy’s shock. “I will become your only hostage.”

“Twilight, no!” Fluttershy cried.

Twilight held up a hoof to silence her. “Take Fluttershy back to the Iron Pony Islands and drop her off there. I will stay on board as a hostage for you. You have my word as a Sparkle,” Twilight said, surprising herself by meaning it. Even with her escape plan set she knew there was a large chance it could fail, and put Fluttershy in more danger than she is. ‘If I can see her to safety, then that would be good enough for me,’ she thought to herself.

Wave Kicker looked at her suspiciously. “How can we guarantee that you will follow with this, and your friend here doesn’t tell the authorities about your kidnapping?”

“Isn’t that what you want, though?” Twilight enquired, shifting herself about. “Don’t you want the Princess to know about me, and demand a ransom from her?”

Wave Kicker looked at her for a moment, before spinning around to ask her followers and consider Twilight’s terms. Twilight watched them with a smug smile on her face, while Fluttershy looked at Twilight in shock.

“Twilight, you don’t have to give yourself up for me,” Fluttershy whispered, though she couldn’t help but feel flattered that Twilight was willing to give up her freedom for her.

Twilight looked back at her and smiled. “But I will,” she said. “I’m not going to let you succumb to months of misery on a ship. Remember what I said to you in the water?” Fluttershy shook her head lambently. “I said to you that I would do anything for you, for you are my friend, Fluttershy; the one friend I care about more than most.”

Before she could continue, Wave Kicker spoke up. “We have decided to ignore your request to leave Fluttershy out of this, and take both of you.” Wave Kicker turned to the two ponies with a rope in their mouths. “Get them ready for storage.”

The ponies nodded, and then one started swinging his rope ready to tie around Twilight’s neck, while another walked around the unicorn with a rope to go around Fluttershy’s neck. Twilight backed away from the pony to stand directly in front of Fluttershy, but the pony menacingly closed in on them both, while the others started to circle them.

Suddenly, Twilight swished her tail high into the air. ‘Oh, that’s the signal!’ Fluttershy thought. Without further thought she jumped onto Twilight’s back, and before the ponies could stop her, Twilight powered up her horn and disappeared in a flash of blinding light.

The world went white once more for the both of them, with swirls of purple and magenta roaming around like fish as they travelled through reality itself – or, at least, that is what Twilight thought they did. ‘Those swirls are new,’ Twilight thought as she watched them dance around her and Fluttershy. ‘Maybe I levelled up my teleportation spell.’ She giggled at the thought.

She looked at her back to see Fluttershy’s head buried in her mane, shaking with fright after seeing the swirling forms start to swarm around them. Twilight nuzzled the shaking pegasus as best she could. “It’s all right, Fluttershy,” she said gently. “We’re fine; it’s actually quite pretty.”

Fluttershy brought her head out of Twilight’s mane to have a quick peek. That quick peek turned much longer when she gawked at the dancing coloured swirls around them. “They’re beautiful,” she whispered. “But how comes we haven’t come back into the real world yet?”

“The longer the journey, the longer it takes to travel from one place to the other,” Twilight clarified. “In fact, we should be coming out of it right about… now.”

As soon as she said that, the swirls and white world disappeared, to be replaced by grass, huts, fire and smoke, trees, ocean and the Wave Breaker. It didn’t take long for Fluttershy to see they had teleported back to the ancient village they had come from.

“Excellent!” Twilight chirped. “Now hold on; we’re going on board the Wave Breaker!” she powered her horn up once more, and the two disappeared from the island again, only for a second later to appear on the Wave Breaker, with ten ponies around them.

Twilight looked around her at the different ponies, who began to advance towards them, and grinned. “Hey, you know that I said that I could cast you all into the water like throwing stones? Well, I sort of lied. But I can do this instead.” Her horn lit up once more, and before they had a chance to scream, all ten ponies vanished in a flash of light.

Fluttershy jumped off Twilight’s back, and looked around at where all the ponies should have been in shock. “What did you do to them?” she demanded.

Twilight grinned at her as she walked up to the tip of the bow. “I just teleported them onto the island, that’s all. Most should be at least an hour, but a few would be only a few minutes away. So quick, bring up that gangplank to make sure anypony can’t get back up here, and then get this ship turned around!”

Fluttershy nodded and started to move towards the gangplank, but stopped when she realised something. “Um, Twilight? How are the two of us going to crew this ship when it must take about ten at the most?”

Twilight grinned at her. “Not to worry, I’ve got this one as well.” She closed her eyes, and concentrated her entire being into casting a spell she had used once, and shuddered as she remembered how wrong it went. But that was in the past, when she couldn’t control her magic completely. Now that she was a master of magic, such a spell was child’s play.

Suddenly, the ship began to glow with a magenta light, and Fluttershy and Twilight started to feel the ship rumble as the engines began to move, and the propellers began to spin. Twilight opened her eyes just as the magic glow faded away, and she could feel the ship was now mostly alive. “There, that should help us,” she said to herself. She turned to Fluttershy, who stood in awe as she felt the ship come alive. “Could you head up to the bridge and steer the ship away from the island?”

Fluttershy, although unsure, nodded. “Sure thing, Twilight.” She spread her wings and flew up to the balcony where the bridge was, and quickly entered. “Okay, now how to work this thing?” she asked herself. She quickly saw the large, brown wheel at the centre of the bridge, and walked up to it with a curious look, as though she had no idea what to do with it. “Um, I suppose I just hold it like this…” She reared up and took hold of the wheel. “… And, I guess, turn it like this…” She began to turn it left, so that the ship started to turn really slowly away from the island. She grinned and giggled with delight as the island left her sight, and the wide ocean beckoned her onwards.

She ran onto the balcony, and grinned at Twilight. “We’re leaving, Twilight!” she called excitedly. “We’re turning away!”

Twilight grinned with her. “Great! Just don’t forget to put the helm back to the centre, or else the ship will keep turning!”

Fluttershy looked confused. “Um, but I didn’t see anything that looked like a helmet. And why would somepony have a guard helmet on here anyway?”

Twilight had to fight the urge to slam a hoof onto her face and groan. “The helm is the big wheel thingy that you turned!” Twilight explained. “Now get it straight before we crash into the beach!”

Fluttershy nodded quickly and raced back inside to turn it back until the two could feel it straighten out again. Twilight sighed with relief as they left the island behind them, yet she couldn’t help but feel guilty for leaving the pirates stranded on the island. ‘They should be fine,’ she assured herself. ‘Like Fluttershy said, they should have enough food to last them years.’ She just hoped the birds would be nice to them.

She galloped to the back of the ship, just in time to see the first pony turn up at the beach, watching in dismay as the Wave Breaker started to leave. Twilight waved a hoof at him. “Thank you for lending us your ship!” she shouted. “Tell Wave Kicker we’ll look after it, and we’ll send ponies to try and find you!”

Fluttershy fluttered next to her at that moment, watching with a hint of sadness as another pony appeared on the beach, forced to watch their ship leave them behind. “I hope they will be okay,” she whispered. “I don’t like the fact that we left them all behind like this; it feels wrong.”

Twilight looked at her and nodded in agreement. “It is wrong, I agree with you. But it is necessary. What would we have done with them all if they stayed? We couldn’t hold them, that’s for sure.” She patted the pegasus on the shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a map of the ocean and mark the location of the island. Ponies could then go and find them; besides, they should have enough food on there to last them all years.”

Fluttershy nodded, though Twilight could see it didn’t sit well on her shoulders. “So now what?” she asked as she turned around to look at the ship. “What do we do now?”

Twilight bit her bottom lip as she thought it over. “Not entirely sure,” she replied.

Fluttershy leaned her forward and waited anxiously for Twilight to continue, but she remained silent, looking lost in her own world, so Fluttershy kept quiet too. Both ponies looked up at each other for a short moment, and then looked away. It was clear to the both of them that they had something to say, yet neither couldn’t let it out. ‘Come on, Fluttershy,’ the pegasus thought. ‘Just say what you have to say and let that be the end of it.’ But she stayed quiet, afraid that what she wanted to say would have consequences that would live with her forever.

“I’m,” Twilight oozed, unable to bear the silence between them any longer, “going to check on the engines below, see if there is a good amount of coal for this to keep going. See you in a bit.” She spun around and trotted off the stern and inside through the back door.

Fluttershy watched her go with devastated eyes, wishing she would stay and encourage her to say what she wanted to say. ‘Just as I was about to say it as well,’ she thought as Twilight’s tail disappeared from view. As soon as she knew she was gone, she buried her face in her hooves and screamed out her frustration.

Meanwhile, Twilight walked down the corridor of the ship with a large frown and a heavy heart. She wanted to talk to Fluttershy, she really did, but her mind kept telling her that if she did then they would walk away from each other and she would never speak to her again. ‘By the look of things, Fluttershy’s catching on that something is wrong, yet is too scared to ask,’ Twilight thought to herself.

She stopped for a moment and smiled in sudden realisation. Fluttershy’s kindness was the soul reason she fell in love with her in the first place, for she was kind to everypony and everything, and would help them in anyway that she could, and be a good friend throughout. ‘Why do I think Fluttershy doesn’t want to be my friend anymore?’ she mused. Fluttershy was a true friend; she would not let something like love get in the way of friendship, would she?

She stopped when she saw she was by the stairs, and proceeded straight down to the engine room, thinking all the while. With the ship under their possession, what could they do with it now that they had it? Either they could go home and find the right moment for Twilight to tell Fluttershy her feelings, or continue the search for the flower. ‘The pointless magical flower that I shouldn’t bother with if Fluttershy doesn’t feel the same way,’ she thought gloomily.

Yet the scientific part of her mind told to keep going to find it, if not for love then for science and history. The flower on its own would be the discovery of the century, for it would baffle scientists, botanists and everypony everywhere for knowing who should go with who. It would prove that love is a scientific thing rather than butterflies in the stomach, and Twilight Sparkle, the student of Princess Celestia, and Fluttershy Whisperwing, a bearer of an Element of Harmony, would be the ones to find it.

She found herself at the bottom of the stairs, and standing in front of a circular metal door on the ground, with a wheel on its face. Twilight opened it up with her magic, and looked down to see a thin staircase that spiralled downwards into the infernal mouth of the ship. Twilight could feel the heat of the engines latch onto her coat, and the sound of the pistons moving rattled her ears. Nevertheless, she headed down the stairs and into the boiler room. ‘Fluttershy would be better at this than I am. She’s the one with the freaky knowledge of steam engines and how they work.’

The boiler room was long and as wide as the ship, with two massive walls breaking up the bottom of the ship, and two large watertight doors at either end. In the middle of the room, facing each other, were four large boilers, round and fierce with their doors open and spewing out flames. Beside each of them were large amounts of coal, easing Twilight’s fears that they would run out. She quickly shut the boiler doors, and walked past the boilers and into the engine room.

Upon entering, she gaped and her eyes widened into saucers. “Wow,” she whispered. In the far left corners of the room rested the main engines, connected by pipes hissing with steam from the boilers, which drove the connecting rods in a quick and hasty fashion. Between them, wheels to control the flow of steam, pressure gauges, and others pipes and gizmos were positioned everywhere, making it difficult to get close, as Twilight wished, to inspect the machines.

Twilight’s eyes wandered across the engine room, every sense she owned taking in the pinnacle of pony engineering. She wanted to stay for longer and examined how such fascinating machinery worked, but she promised Fluttershy that she would only see if they had enough coal for the duration of their trip, and that had been completed.

Twilight sighed as her shoulders slumped and her head lowered and tilted towards the ground. ‘What am I going to say to her, though?’ she wondered, scraping the floor with a hoof. She slowly turned around and made herself ready to head back to the top deck.

She suddenly raised her head and stopped slouching. “You know what? I’m just going to go up there and tell her, tell her straight and true how I feel about her. And if she hates it then she isn’t a real friend.” With that, she broke into a trot and made her way through the boiler room and headed back upstairs.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy paced up and down the deck, trying desperately to come up with an idea on what to say to Twilight when she emerged. “Okay, as soon as I see her, I am going to say to her, ‘I know how you feel about me, but I want us to stay friends… um, please?’ after I get her to calm down, somehow, then I will tell her why I made that promise. Afterwards, hopefully we can stay as friends.” She nodded to herself determinedly at the idea, yet it still filled her with worry.

Her ears flicked up when she heard the door open, and spun around to see Twilight emerge with a confident look on her face. “I need to talk to you,” the two said simultaneously.

The two ponies stopped when they were standing about a foot away from each other, and gasped. “But I need to talk to you about something,” they both said again. They blinked at each other, and then said together, “What do you have to say to me, then?” The two stared at each other for a long time, before bursting into laughter.

After a while, the laughter died down into little giggles. “Oh my goodness, it is as though our minds are connected,” Fluttershy said, a hoof on her stomach and breathing heavily after laughing so hard. She gestured a hoof at the unicorn. “Do you want to go first?”

Twilight shook her head, unable to speak properly. “No, that’s okay,” she breathed. “You go first.”

Fluttershy nodded her thanks, even though she could feel her smile fade into a frown. “Okay, you can do this,” she whispered to herself, though it was loud enough for Twilight to hear.

‘What is she going to tell me?’ Twilight wondered, her heart starting to accelerate. She looked up to see Fluttershy now standing about an inch away from her. She could feel her coconut-smelling breath tickle her face, and her eyes bore into her own.

Fluttershy took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then leaned her head forward and whispered, “I know.”

Twilight tilted her head a little, confused for a moment to what the pegasus meant. “Know what?” As soon as she said that, she knew what the answer was, and her eyes widened in horror. ‘No, no she can’t know! How can she possibly know?’

“I know how you feel about me, Twilight,” Fluttershy elaborated, looking at the ground. “I know that you… love me.”

Twilight’s breathing became hoarse as she started to panic. “How? How did you find out?” she demanded.

Fluttershy cringed at Twilight’s tone, yet stood her ground. “I… I heard you wander off in the night. I was worried about you, so I followed you from the air. When I saw you crying against the tree I rushed down to comfort you, but then I heard you talk to yourself, and I froze in horror. I raced back as fast as I could, and managed to beat you.” Twilight’s breathing didn’t relax, making Fluttershy fear she was losing her.

Fluttershy reached a hoof out and stepped forward. “It’s all right, Twilight, can we talk about this…” Her voice faded away when Twilight stepped back, looking at her in horror and panic. ‘I lost her,’ Fluttershy thought, her eyes filling up with tears. ‘She hates me now.’

Fluttershy retracted her hoof and held it against her mouth, sniffing back tears. “No…” she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. “Please, can we just talk about this and fix it…”

“What is there to talk about?” Twilight asked, looking at the deck. “I know what you are going to say to me. I know how this is going to end – in heartbreak. So why should we talk about it?”

The harshness of Twilight’s tone was too much for Fluttershy, and she burst into tears. She threw herself to the ground, buried her head in her hooves and cried. “I knew it, I knew it, you hate me now, you hate me!” she wailed.

Twilight was stunned. She thought she would be the one on the floor crying, not Fluttershy, and to see the pegasus in the state she was in made her feel miserable for being the one to bring her to it in the first place. She walked a bit closer to her, and put a hoof on her shoulder. “There, there, I don’t hate you; I could never hate you,” she said comfortingly, yet it didn’t ease the cries of the pegasus. “I’m just a bit upset, that’s all.”

Fluttershy looked up at her with eyes shining with sorrow, even as tears ran down her face. “Well you should be,” she sobbed. “I made that promise to keep my friends, not break them or upset them, and I have just done that.”

Twilight tilted her head a little, and pulled her hoof back. “You mean you made that promise for us?”

“Yes!” Fluttershy shrieked, forcing Twilight to step back. Fluttershy sniffed back what tears were in her eyes, and sat up on her haunches. “After we saved Princess Luna from Nightmare Moon, we all became good friends, didn’t we?” Twilight nodded. “Well, after the party I pranced back to my cottage, happy for the first time in ages that I had a group of ponies to be with.” She smiled in remembrance. “I danced around my cottage that night, happy that I had you, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie to go to, all of us in one group, all good friends.”

Her smiled faded. “That’s when I realised that you were all mares. A sudden thought came to me afterwards: what if I fell in love with one of you, yet it didn’t work out and we later hated each other?” Fluttershy shook her head. “I didn’t want love to get in the way of our friendships, so I made a promise to myself that I would never fall in love with any of my friends, so I can stay friends with them for always.” Her eyes started to leak tears once more. “But I never counted on you falling in love me, Twilight. I never… I was just so selfish to think about it. Please, please forgive me.”

Twilight stared at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. The pieces had fallen into place. “So, it’s not that you don’t want to love. It’s because you’re afraid to love,” Twilight concluded.

Fluttershy glanced up at her and nodded meekly, sobbing. “You are the only ponies in this world that I care about – you all and my parents. The thought of losing just one of you… is too painful to think about.” She flung a hoof over her eyes and continued to cry relentlessly.

Twilight felt stupid for not thinking about it earlier. This was Fluttershy she was dealing with, a pony who was once afraid of her own shadow, so it wouldn’t seem highly unlikely that she would be afraid to love as well. For such short-slightness, Twilight felt terrible; terrible for all the things she thought and the things she thought were going to happen. ‘Fluttershy is a true friend, after all,’ she thought. ‘And right now she needs a comforting hug.’

Twilight reared up and wrapped her forehooves around Fluttershy, nuzzling her softly with her muzzle. Fluttershy stopped crying instantly, and looked surprised. “Twilight, I–” Twilight placed a hoof on her lips, sealing them shut.

“Fluttershy, do you know why it took so long for you to know my feelings for you?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy looked up, and shook her head. “I never told you till today, because I was afraid of losing you.”

Fluttershy broke out of her hold for a moment, staring at her in surprise. “Afraid?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. Afraid. Afraid that you would hate me afterwards, and never want to speak to me again. Afraid that you would reject me harshly and curse my name or something like that. There was nothing more I feared, than losing you as a friend.”

Fluttershy shook her head slowly, and placed a hoof on Twilight’s cheek, almost at a loss for words. “You could never lose me as a friend, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “I always want to be your friend. Always. I want nothing, not even love, to come between that.”

Twilight smiled, even as tears clouded her vision. “And I don’t ever want to lose you as a friend, Fluttershy. I love you too much for that. No matter what comes between us, I will always be your friend.”

Fluttershy grinned as she sniffed back some tears. “Forgive me?” she whispered.

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus again. “There is nothing to forgive, Fluttershy,” she said, before pulling her into a hug. Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around Twilight as well, and the two stayed there for a long time, crying into each other’s shoulders.

“Thank you for staying to listen to me, Twilight,” Fluttershy whispered after a while. “I bet if we were in Ponyville one of us would have run off by now.”

Twilight snickered. “Yeah, but who would that leave you to talk to? The ship? I think the ship is a great listener, but not a great talker.” The two ponies giggled at that, then fell silent once more as they hugged each other dearly, proving to one another that their friendship was as strong as ever.

‘You see,’ Fluttershy’s mind said. ‘She wants to be friends with you, even if such a relationship goes wrong. You have a chance to prove if all those thoughts of her are indeed love.’

Fluttershy’s eyes wandered about as she thought. ‘Should I, or shouldn’t I? But, what if things happened between us later on in the future?’

‘That should not be important now,’ her mind replied. ‘Never worry about the future. Just focus on the present. And right now, a certain unicorn is expecting an answer.’ Fluttershy thought and thought about it.

Suddenly, she decided.

“So,” Twilight sniffed as she pulled away, looking at Fluttershy with demanding eyes, “I know this is a stupid question, but where does this leave us now?” She knew exactly where this will lead. Fluttershy will put her down gently and say that she wants to remain friends. Despite the fact she would be happy to still have the pegasus as a friend, she would feel devastated nonetheless.

“I… I don’t know,” Fluttershy answered, much to Twilight’s surprise. Fluttershy pulled away from her and looked out at the ocean, feeling the Wave Breaker tear through the waves beneath her hooves. “I have a confession to make to you, Twilight. One that I have been denying to myself for some time now.”

She looked at the ground in front of Twilight, and lowered her rump onto her haunches once more. Twilight could feel her heart starting to beat faster and faster, her mind racing with thoughts and ideas on what the pegasus had to say. “Recently, I have been thinking about you… differently,” Fluttershy began. “And I don’t mean differently in a bad way. No. I mean it in a good way. The best possible way imaginable.

“Being with you has made me feel better about myself. I feel stronger and braver when I am around you, I feel happier, and I feel more playful with you than I am around the others. And this trip has given me a completely different view on you. A view I wanted to hide because I was selfish.”

“Fluttershy, I don’t see that as being selfish,” Twilight said comfortingly, hating to see Fluttershy beat herself up over one little mistake.

Fluttershy looked up from her hooves, and nodded with a thin smile. “Thanks, Twilight, but I still see myself as being selfish.” She paused to let out a sigh. “Listen, Twilight, you are always so kind to me, so caring, so gentle when you hug me. It makes me feel like nothing in the world could hurt me when I’m in your embrace. You make me feel happy when I see you happy, and I could go on and on but that would make me feel all sappy, and this would get all cheesy.” The two ponies giggled.

“I don’t know whether this view on you is because of love, or because I think you’re an even greater friend than I thought you were,” Fluttershy continued, “but I don’t think I can let it slide without…” She bit her bottom lip as the words got caught in her throat. She swallowed and felt the words untie themselves, giving her the ability to finish. “Without giving us a chance… if you want us to have one, of course.”

Twilight could practically hear her heart pumping blood around her body. Her body tensed in shock, her eyes went wide; her jaw felt slack, and her mind went into a state of overload. “Fluttershy, I don’t want to force you into doing something you’re not comfortable with. I love you too much for that,” she said once her jaw unfroze.

“But you’re not forcing me, Twilight,” Fluttershy insisted, smiling assuredly. “I want us to have a chance together. I may not know so much about relationships as you do, but perhaps I can learn something on the way. I helped you learn the magic of friendship, so maybe I can learn the magic of love from you.”

Twilight felt her hind legs give away, and felt her rump hit the deck, incredulous to what she was hearing. “Are you saying that…?”

Fluttershy picked up Twilight’s forehooves with her own, and held them firmly in her grasp. “I want to be your marefriend, Twilight. If only you want to be mine,” Fluttershy answered, smiling at her.

Twilight’s mind went dead. After a moment of staring at Fluttershy with a gormless, almost dead look, her mind kick-started once more, and went into overdrive. Did what she had hoped and dreamed about for so long just come true? The smiling face of Fluttershy in front of her confirmed that belief. ‘If this is a dream, I will kill the person that wakes me up.’

She took a long, deep breath, and stammered, “I… I don’t know whether to kiss you, or just hop around the deck shouting yes repeatedly.”

Fluttershy blushed and shied away at the mention of kissing by covering half her face with her mane. “Um, well, you could kiss me on the cheek, if you want. I don’t know how I feel yet to kiss you on the lips.”

Twilight nodded, then rushed forward and kissed Fluttershy fiercely on her right cheek. When she pulled away, she shouted into the air, “YES!” and began hopping around the furiously blushing pegasus, chanting, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…!”

Fluttershy giggled as she watched her friend bounce around the ship in delight. She quickly reminded herself that she wasn’t a friend anymore. She was more than a friend. She was her special somepony. ‘My marefriend,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘My first marefriend.’

After a while, Twilight stopped bouncing and tackled Fluttershy in a bone-crushing hug, making the pegasus grimace at her new marefriend’s strength. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Twilight squealed delightfully. “I promise I will be the best marefriend you could ever possibly have and the only one you will ever, ever have!”

Fluttershy, despite the massive pressure she felt around her waist, managed to pat Twilight on the back. “I know, just don’t try too hard to be that, Twilight. I just want you to be yourself, that’s all,” she said once Twilight had let go and backed away. “I know you’ll be a good marefriend without trying.”

Twilight nodded excitedly, even though she was breathing heavily as though she had just raced the Running of the Leaves. “I… I think… I need to go and lie down… for a bit. Have a moment… to let this all… sink in.” She looked up at Fluttershy with worry. “Will you be… all right… for a moment?”

“Of course I will, now go and have a little rest, Twilight,” Fluttershy said assuredly, smiling gently at her new marefriend while gesturing with a hoof to go. “It won’t be any good if you become ill again.”

Twilight nodded, though she didn’t feel entirely happy to leave her love alone for a moment. ‘But then again, we have all the time in the world to spend on this ship together.’ She gave Fluttershy a little peck on the cheek, earning another blush from the pegasus. “Thank you, Fluttershy. Thank you so much for giving me this chance,” she said, grinning like a filly on Hearth’s Warming morning. With that, she pranced joyfully back into the ship, humming and singing with delight.

Fluttershy watched her go with a small smile and heated cheeks, feeling happy that she made Twilight happy with her decision; one that she knew would stay with her for life now, for better or worse. ‘I did it,’ she thought wildly. ‘I’m actually going out with one of my friends.’

She walked over to the side of the ship, and rested her forelegs on top of the railings; watching the world go slowly by with narrow eyes and feeling her mane blow fiercely in the wind’s direction. She let out a long deep sigh. This was something that she had tried to avoid for so long, for the sakes of her friendships. She never really thought that one of her friends would fall in love with her. ‘I was too narrow-minded to really think that. Too selfish,’ she chided herself, bowing her head in shame.

But that was all in the past now. Twilight had made her look past that, and their talk allowed her to give a relationship with the student of Princess Celestia a try. It was a feeling she had never truly felt before. A sense of weightlessness adorned her as she spilled out her most terrible promise, making her feel finally free from the shackles that held her down and pushed her back from looking for love.

Yet one small thing nagged her like she was being poked by somepony repeatedly. Now that she was in a relationship with somepony, what did she have to do? Was there some special thing she had to do with Twilight now, or would they just carry on like nothing between them happened? Fluttershy felt rather ashamed of herself for not knowing what to do. ‘How can I be a good marefriend if I have no clue on what to do?’ she wondered. Then she remembered she had Twilight to talk to, and she perked up instantly. ‘Twilight will tell me what to do, and then we’ll both be happy with each other,’ Fluttershy thought, grinning ecstatically.

She jumped back from the railing and trotted after Twilight, a small smile on her face as she mentally noticed something; a thing that should be cheering at her now, or yelling at her for taking so long. ‘My mind has finally gone silent,’ she realised. ‘We are now one.’

Twilight shut the cabin door behind her, and then began to dance recklessly, squealing with joy. “I did it, I did it, I did it,” she sang joyously. She began strutting up and down between the beds, singing, “We’re loving here tonight, oh yeah, we’re loving here tonight, oh yeah, we’re loving here tonight!” She didn’t care if Fluttershy heard her, for she wanted to let out her joy.

Despite the massive odds stacked against her thanks to Fluttershy’s stupid promise, the pegasus had looked past her friendship with her, and allowed herself to be in a relationship. Not in a relationship with any other pony, however, Fluttershy was now in a relationship with her. The two were now officially dating, or ‘going out’ as it were, and it made Twilight feel more happier than she had ever been in her eighteen years of life.

She jumped up on the bed and rolled onto her back, feeling exhausted and active at the same time. She ran a hoof through her mane, giggling quietly to herself while kicking out her free legs as she let out her joy.

After a moment, she relaxed and let her legs fall onto the bed. Now that the joy had passed, another moment of worry came over her. ‘What do we do now?’ she thought. She was so fixed on telling Fluttershy how she felt about her, that she didn’t think about what would happen after it, save for the moments when everything went wrong, which it nearly did. Her mind quickly looked through her massive memory filing system she had made up, and tried to look for the times when she had looked through the books on relationships and what exactly do ponies do together.

After a while, Fluttershy came through the door, prompting Twilight to roll onto her stomach and look at Fluttershy the way she always wanted to show her; pure, absolute love. “Hello, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, a goofy grin spreading across her face.

Fluttershy smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Twilight,” the pegasus said. A part of her told her to go up and kiss her on the cheek quickly, yet the rest of her body willed her away from doing it. ‘I don’t want to go too fast,’ she told herself. She jumped up on her bed and sat down facing Twilight, glancing at her hooves. “Um, how are you feeling now?” she asked after a moment of awkward silence.

“I feel terrific, thanks to you,” Twilight replied, grinning like a little spoiled filly. Another moment of silence followed, which allowed both ponies to gather their thoughts. “Fluttershy, sweetheart – mind if I call you that? I don’t want to embarrass you or anything.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay, Twilight, I don’t mind if you call me sweetheart,” Fluttershy said, waving the doubts away with a hoof. “I would call you a pet name, at least that’s what I think they’re called, but I don’t know one yet.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to call me anything,” Twilight assured her. “But listen, I cannot express how deeply grateful I am that you have given me this chance. Even after that promise you made, I’m really glad you looked past it for me.”

Fluttershy smiled sweetly. “What are friends for?”

“But that’s just the thing, now. We’re no longer friends; we’re more than that. We’re now a couple.”

At that, Fluttershy’s mind went back to the reason why she came down to see her in the first place. “Oh, yeah, about that. I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

Twilight shifted herself to sit on her rump. “You know I am always here to help you, sweetheart.” ‘I can’t believe I’m calling Fluttershy sweetheart!’ she thought. She giggled quietly to herself. “What is it you want to know?”

Fluttershy looked at her fidgeting hooves bashfully. “When I was upstairs, I was wondering about what is it that ponies in a relationship actually do. Could you answer that for me? If you can, of course.”

Twilight felt like she was now in trouble. She tapped her hooves together. “Well, I may not have any real experience in relationships, but most of what I know about them came from a few books I read, and a few ponies that I asked.”

Fluttershy shook her head, smiling at the unicorn. ‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’ she thought.

“But anyway, from what I gathered about them, I know that relationships are friendships taken up a level or two,” Twilight explained. “Ponies who are friends tend to have limits, like quick hugs, or a lack of touching each other unless it’s sort of playful, whereas ponies who are in a relationship can hug for longer, touch each other without feeling awkward, and can kiss each other.”

Fluttershy blushed fiercely, and quickly threw her mane over her face at the mention of kissing. “Oh my,” she squeaked. “So, um, about k-kissing, where do ponies actually kiss?”

Twilight blushed, even though she felt surprised, and sad for Fluttershy for not knowing any of this. “Well, um, ponies in a relationship can kiss on the forehead.” She quickly pointed at her forehead with a hoof. “The cheeks as well, as you know, the tip of a pony’s muzzle, and most importantly, the lips.”

Fluttershy’s pink blush went suddenly red. “The lips?” she repeated. Twilight nodded. “Why do ponies kiss on the lips? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I think it means that the two ponies are closer than ever before, but like I said, I’m not entirely sure. It might not mean anything; just a sense of passion and pleasure two ponies get from pressing lips together or putting their tongues in each other’s mouths.”

Fluttershy’s jaw dropped. “Oh my, ponies do that?” she exclaimed. Her face suddenly twisted in disgust. “That doesn’t sound very pleasurable. That sounds gross.”

Twilight nodded, the blush on her face going redder. “Yeah, I know but ponies do it. I’ve ran into my brother and Cadence snogging one too many times, and I’ve seen a few things I don’t want to see ever again.” She briefly shuddered at the memory. “We don’t have to do that, you know. I’m perfectly happy with whatever you want us to do.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Twilight, I’ll probably get around to be brave enough to do something like that. I want to try it all, as long as it makes you happy.”

Twilight reached a hoof out, prompting Fluttershy to take it in her own. “It doesn’t matter what we do, sweetheart. So long as I can call you my marefriend, then that’s all I need.”

Fluttershy’s lips curled into a smile, and she blushed at the statement. “Thanks,” she squeaked. “So, um, where else do ponies like being kissed?”

“Well, I know some ponies like being kissed around the neck, and I know some like it on the chest…” Twilight continued talking about where ponies liked being kissed, with each place making Fluttershy’s blushes go deeply redder and fiercer.

‘Stay awake, Fluttershy,’ Fluttershy told herself upon feeling faint. “Oh… my,” Fluttershy said once Twilight stopped talking. “So ponies like being kissed everywhere?”

Twilight nodded. “I think so. Seemed that way when I asked a few ponies.” Twilight quickly shook her head as if she was ridding herself of images.

Fluttershy blinked as though she had heard something she didn’t want to know. “Okay, um, what else?” Her eyes widened when an idea came into her mind. “Oh, what about cuddles?”

Twilight tapped her forehooves together once more. “I think so. That relates back to touching and hugging each other without feeling awkward. Why do you ask?”

“Well,” Fluttershy replied, rubbing her forehooves together while looking at the bed, “I liked cuddling on the couch with my parents when I was very little, so I thought it would be nice to cuddle with my marefriend.” Her eyes flicked back up at her. “Could we do that?”

Twilight’s grin returned. “I would love that.” She let out a morbid sigh. “But we can’t do it here. The beds are too small.”

“Well, I imagine Wave Kicker and Seahoof had a double bed on board, since they are – or were – husband and wife,” Fluttershy said. “So, um, if they don’t mind it, we could get in their room, and then maybe sleep together there until we reach land.”

Twilight’s grin grew a little wider. “Perfect idea.” She jumped off the bed. “Let’s grab our things and move into there.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Together, the two ponies grabbed their – thankfully untouched – saddlebags from the wardrobe, swung them onto their backs, and trotted out of the cabin and through the ship to where they knew Seahoof and Wave Kicker lived on the ship.

The two ponies were soon outside the front door of the bedroom, and had a quick inspection of the door. “Do you think it might be open?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head a bit.

“Hmm, maybe,” Twilight said. She reared up and pushed against the door. Sure enough, the door opened wide, allowing the two to gain entry. When they walked inside, they were left in awe of the size of the bedroom. It was as big as Fluttershy’s living room, with a large double bed pressed against the furthest wall from them. A white door stood next to it, with a golden trim around the side. The walls were a dark red, with dark blue waves that carried across from wall to wall, reminding them of the sea. A large wardrobe sat nicely in the far left corner, while a long draw sat along the wall to the left of them with large models of ships of different types sitting on the top.

Though Fluttershy’s eyes were transfixed on the room around her, Twilight’s were set on the door. “I wonder what’s behind there,” she wondered. She opened the door with her magic, and her jaw dropped when she saw what was inside. “Fluttershy, come and have a look at these.”

Fluttershy spun her head around to have a look. Inside, the room was thinner than a corridor, while along the three walls were racks upon racks of different ceremonial swords and axes. Twilight stepped inside, her eyes shooting from weapon to weapon. “Griffon, minotaur, zebra, these ones here are from Equestria,” she said, pointing to the wall on the left. “Those ones are from Saddle Arabia.” She pointed to the wall on the right. “There’re so many!”

Fluttershy looked at them with worry. “Are they…” she paused to gulp, “d-d-d-dangerous?”

Twilight shook her head. “These are for display purposes only, sweetheart.” She picked one up with her magic, unsheathed it slightly from the scabbard, and felt the edge of the blade. “See, blunt as a spoon,” Twilight assured her. She slipped the sword fully back into the scabbard, and then placed it back on its rack. “You know, these don’t make me feel very sympathetic to Seahoof anymore.”

Fluttershy took a step closer, her eyes stating her agreement as she looked at the weapons. “If he had sold these, he would have made a fortune,” she said. “But he was just too stubborn to get rid of them.” She shook her head. “I hope now we never see him again, because if we do I probably won’t say some nice things.”

“Same here,” Twilight agreed. She stepped out of the small wardrobe, and shut the door behind her. “I have a good mind to throw all those in the sea.”

Fluttershy stepped closer to the unicorn, and leaned her neck forward to nuzzle her new marefriend. “Don’t worry about it, Twilight. I’ll doubt he’ll ever see them again.” She pulled away, and then jumped up on the big, soft bed. “Are you going to join me?” she asked as she lowered onto her stomach.

Twilight beamed. “You don’t have to ask me twice,” she said. She was about to leap up and join her, but something stopped her. “But first I think we should change the bed sheets. Who knows what those two did on there.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror, and she quickly leapt off the bed and rubbed herself down with her hooves. “Good point,” she concurred. “Let’s get some out.” Together, the two quickly changed the sheets, and found a purple duvet with a pink and yellow margin around the edge, and large white pillows.

“There, that’s better, and cleaner,” Fluttershy said. She leapt onto the bed, turned to face Twilight and patted the sheets. “Now are you going to join me?”

Twilight’s beaming grin returned. “Gladly,” she replied She leapt up onto the bed and tackled Fluttershy in a hug, both ponies giggling like little fillies as they rolled about and then nestled next to each other, their stomachs touching and their legs wrapped around each other’s bodies. The two ponies grinned, even as they felt their faces flush pink. ‘I think I can get used to this,’ Twilight thought.

Fluttershy lowered her head and rested it against Twilight’s chest. “Oh my, you have such a lovely soft chest, Twilight,” Fluttershy remarked, nuzzling it gently and slowly. “It feels almost like a fluffy pillow.” She pulled back to look at the blushing unicorn questioningly. “Could you turn yourself into a pillow?”

Twilight giggled while stroking Fluttershy’s mane. “I could, but I don’t want to. I don’t think I would be able to turn back, and I bet you wouldn’t like that, would you?”

Fluttershy giggled as she ran a hoof down Twilight’s soft body. “Oh, I don’t know. You would make a nice pillow to sit on for tea time, I guess,” she teased.

Twilight laughed aloud. “I’ll remember that at your next birthday,” she said. “I’ll get you a nice purple pillow with my cutie mark on it, and make you think that I accidentally turned myself into a pillow as a prank.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “You? Prank somepony? That doesn’t sound like the Twilight I know. Where’s my Twilight Sparkle? I bet she’s in there somewhere!” She started tickling Twilight’s sides, making the unicorn giggle with delight as cuddling suddenly turned into a game of tickles.

Twilight managed to get a hoof on Fluttershy’s belly, and began tickling it fast and making the pegasus squeal with laughter, yet she didn’t stop. The two tickled each other relentlessly, giggling and squealing as they rubbed their hooves at the most ticklish places of their bodies.

“Give up?” Twilight asked, trying very hard not to laugh even as Fluttershy continued tickling her sides.

“No!” Fluttershy squeaked, snorting with laughter. “Do you?”

“Never!” Twilight declared. With that, the two ponies relentlessly continued tickling each other, bringing the ship to life with their laughter.

Eventually, the energy of the two ponies faded away, and they stopped at the same time, panting heavily and feeling tired all of a sudden. Yet the grins on their faces were wider than their own bodies. Quickly, they shifted themselves closer to each other so that their tummies were touching once more, and wrapped their legs around each other so that they were cuddling again.

“Twilight?” Fluttershy said, rearing her head back to look her in the eye.

Twilight reared her head back as well and looked down, grinning at Fluttershy. “Yes, sweetheart?”

Slowly, Fluttershy brought her head in closer and closer, making Twilight’s eyes go wide. ‘Oh my goodness, is she going to kiss me?’ she thought. Her eyes frantically wandered about as Fluttershy’s muzzle drew nearer to her own. ‘What do I do? Why didn’t I read a book about kissing techniques before this could happen?’

She was surprised when Fluttershy pressed the tips of their muzzles together. “Boop,” she said as she pressed her nose against Twilight’s. She pulled back and giggled at the gormless look on Twilight’s face.

Twilight quickly recovered, and giggled as well. With a quick yet gentle movement, she bumped Fluttershy’s nose with her own. “Boop,” she said with the delicacy of a snowflake. Fluttershy blushed sweetly and buried her head back in Twilight’s chest, while the unicorn placed her head on Fluttershy’s head.

‘This feels so… nice,’ Fluttershy thought dreamily as she caressed Twilight’s neck with her muzzle, while the unicorn ran a hoof up and down her back. This was what she always wanted in a marefriend. For somepony to hold her close and keep her safe, and she truly felt safe in Twilight’s hold.

Twilight felt like she was in a dream state. Nearly every night since realising that she loved Fluttershy, she dreamt of being in her embrace, and going to sleep next to her and waking up with Fluttershy’s loving smile greeting her every morning. Now it was real, and she knew when she woke up tomorrow she would have Fluttershy next to her, not as a friend, but as a marefriend. Getting Fluttershy as a lover was easy, Twilight figured, convincing her to stay as her lover would be harder.

‘Don’t think about that now, Twilight,’ she told herself. ‘Just think about the present, and enjoy it while it’s here.’ She couldn’t argue with that, so she shifted her leg till it rested on Fluttershy’s side. “Fluttershy? Sweetheart?” she whispered.

“Yes?” Fluttershy said demurely, opening her eyes and looking at her with a small smile. “What’s up?”

“I was just thinking about something earlier, once we took the ship off Wave Kicker’s hooves,” Twilight started.

“That sounds dangerous,” Fluttershy giggled.

Twilight giggled as well. “It was, trust me. Anyway, since we have the ship, I want to know what you wanted to do now. Right now we’re heading north towards the North Pole, so we can either head east and go back to Equestria, or go west and continue in trying to find this flower. I will go with whatever it is you want to go with, sweetheart, but I believe it is best we think of it now.”

Fluttershy’s smile faded away, and she buried her muzzle back into Twilight’s chest, listening to the steady breathing from her marefriend, and the gentle heartbeat she could feel pulsating through her nose. It was a tough choice she had been given, but she knew it was given with the best intentions, for Twilight knew if she made the decision, it wouldn’t be fair on Fluttershy. ‘Thank you, Twilight, for being so considerate,’ she said in thought.

As for the choice, it was a hard one. The two of them had nearly been killed at least four times by different creatures and ponies, and they still had no idea what to expect on the other side of the ocean; for all they know they could heading towards a country full of cannibalistic ponies. To turn back now would be the safest possible thing they could do, before one or both of them got killed.

If they turned back now and headed back to Equestria, they would be safe, be together as a couple – she hoped – and have their friends and families celebrate such a union. However, if they did go back, Fluttershy could see herself looking seventy years older, staring out at sea, and regretting the moment she decided to turn back, simply because she was afraid that if she continued she would never return.

Her father and mother had once told her to never turn back on something she had set out to do, for that would be giving up and becoming the failure she had been taunted as so many times in her lifetime. Fluttershy knew she was not a failure; she had made mistakes, plenty of them, but she was not a failure. She knew that with Twilight and her love by her side, they could get through anything that came their way.

Fluttershy brought her muzzle out of Twilight’s chest, and then looked up with determined eyes. “Let us go and get that flower,” she announced, a grin crawling across her face. “Let us show the world what is on the other side of this ocean, and that we’re not failures.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “You sure, Fluttershy?”

“Positive, love,” Fluttershy said, though she silently cursed herself for calling Twilight, ‘love’. ‘Seriously? Love?That’s the best you can come up with?’ she berated herself. “Let’s do this not as friends, but as a couple,” she added as she took one of Twilight’s hooves in her own.

Twilight grinned ecstatically. “Then allow me to turn this ship the right way,” she said. With that, she lifted her head up, and her horn powered up into its magenta colour. Soon the two ponies could feel the ship turn and make it’s way westward towards the unknown. “There,” she said as she set her head back down, resting her head in Fluttershy’s mane. “Now nothing to do until we reach land – whenever we find any.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and then buried her head in Twilight’s chest once more. “Could you sing me a lullaby, Twilight?” she asked.

Twilight made a face. “Why would you like me to sing you a lullaby?”

“I love your singing voice,” Fluttershy remarked. “You have such an amazing voice. I wish mine was like it, honestly. I would just like to hear you sing.”

Twilight smiled sweetly; she could never say no after hearing Fluttershy say that. “Of course I will, sweetie.” Her mind began to look through the many songs she knew, and some she had even read in a book or two. Her face lit up as one came to light. She cleared her throat and began to sing so softly it made Fluttershy think angels were coming down from the heavens.

“My featherbed is deep and soft,
And there I’ll lay you down.
“I’ll dress you all in yellow silk,
And on your head a crown.
“For you shall be my lady love,
And I shall be your mare.
“I’ll always keep you warm and safe,
And guard you with my sword.

“And how she smiled and how she laughed,
The maiden of the tree.
“She spun away and said to her,
No featherbed for me.
“I’ll wear a gown of golden leaves,
And bind my hair with grass.
“But you can be my forest love,
And me you forest lass.”

Twilight took a deep breath when the song ended, and relaxed with a small smile on her face. She always liked that song, and would sometimes sing it to herself in the bath as she scrubbed her back. “What did you think of that, Fluttershy?” she asked softly. She glanced down; only to find her marefriend fast asleep, with the sweetest smile Twilight had ever laid eyes on.

Twilight gently kissed the adorable pegasus on the forehead. “Sleep well, my love,” she whispered, before resting her head in Fluttershy’s mane, and falling asleep as well.

She did not notice the smile on Fluttershy’s face grow a little wider.

Author's Note

Well there we go, the two are now a couple, but the adventure is not over till the flower sings... at least, we could hope they reach it.

The song 'My Featherbed' is a song from the book A Storm Of Swords part 1 from A Song of Ice and Fire book series (the same series that is adapted for Game of Thrones)

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Next time, we will learn more about the flower they are after, and its dangers...

Chapter 12

Twilight felt a ray of sunlight shine directly through her eyes, and groaned. ‘We slept through the rest of the afternoon and the night? Wow, we are lazy.’ Even if the sun was out now, and the morning was upon her, she still didn’t want to move at all. She wanted to stay in bed with her marefriend cuddled up beside her and… ‘Wait, hold on?’

Twilight peeped an eye open for a moment to find that she was not holding Fluttershy. The place where the pegasus had slept last night was empty and the duvet had been folded over and the door was left partially open. Twilight raised her head a bit and yawned. ‘She must have gone to get some breakfast,’ she thought. Twilight smiled, then rolled onto her back and sighed contently, her mind on the one thing that truly mattered to her now: Fluttershy.

Yesterday afternoon when Fluttershy agreed to date her felt like a dream, the greatest dream the unicorn had ever imagined. But it was real, completely real, and it made Twilight feel something greater than the time she had been named as the protégé to Princess Celestia. The moment the two became a couple was a far greater moment compared to that.

The problem that rested now, however, was maintaining that relationship with the pegasus. Like she had thought yesterday, asking Fluttershy to go out with her was the easy part, convincing her to stay as her marefriend was going to be difficult. Like Fluttershy, she knew so little about relationships it seemed quite pathetic to her. ‘How can I know so little about something when it should be common knowledge?’ she thought. But she did know what ponies did together and such, so that put her at an advantage. The only problem she foresaw was to make Fluttershy comfortable enough to do anything with her.

‘I would love it if we could dance together,’ Twilight thought dreamily. She briefly imagined herself in Fluttershy’s hold as they twirled around the dance floor, their parents and Applejack looking on with large smiles on their faces; she could see Rarity and Pinkie Pie crying their eyes out, while Rainbow Dash looked confused about the whole thing.

Yet Fluttershy was shy, terribly shy. It would take a lot to convince the pegasus to come to a restaurant and dine with her, or do anything together as a couple. It will be a hard first few months; there was no doubt in Twilight’s mind about that. Nevertheless she had the confidence and the belief that they could get around it, and come out stronger together. ‘If we take things slow and steady, at Fluttershy’s pace, then we should be okay,’ Twilight concluded to herself.

Satisfied in her plan, she jumped out of bed and gave a quick stretch to each of her legs, and then did some magic exercises by lifting some of the model boats on top of the draws. “That should keep me going for the day,” she muttered to herself, pleased her horn had not seized up for not using magic for too long.

She briefly checked her mane and tail in the mirror on the wall, hoping she looked presentable to her marefriend when she saw her again. A few hairs stuck out in her tail, so she quickly rubbed them down with a brush, and then put it away. She nodded to herself, pleased with how she looked. ‘Now time to see my adorable girlfriend,’ she thought. She turned around and trotted out of the bedroom, humming cheerfully to herself as she walked down the corridor to head outside.

When she made it through the door to the top deck, she was quickly introduced to a strong wind blowing in her face and ruining her mane. She held a hoof to her mane to keep it down, and walked slowly with the wind blowing fiercely behind her and towards the stern, thinking Fluttershy must be there.

She made it to the other end of the ship, and quickly stepped to the side and out of the wind. “Phew,” she breathed. “That wasn’t nice.” Her ears pricked upright when she heard the sweet voice of the pony she was looking for – the only other pony on this ship.

“Oh, that’s good to know. Are you sure other ponies will find it okay?” Fluttershy asked, but to whom she was speaking to, Twilight could not see. She could quickly guess the pegasus was talking to an animal, for she was sure Fluttershy was not a pony that talked to herself.

She trotted up the small stairs, past the toilets on the poop deck, and saw the pegasus talking to a small, white cockatoo that looked exhausted from what must have been a long flight. In her raised hooves Fluttershy held a bowl of water and some seeds for the bird, which dug into the food without hesitation upon finishing to speak. “I’m glad to know they are okay, mister cockatoo. Will you make sure they get all the food they need to survive?”

The bird looked up and nodded, then dived its head back in. “I’m sure you will, and thank you and your other bird friends for saving us both. We would be on this ship in ropes or chains if it wasn’t for you all,” Fluttershy said, smiling at the cockatoo.

Twilight smiled, then took a step forward. The floorboards creaked loudly with her step; making Fluttershy jump in fright and making her send the bowl that was in her hold flying through the air. Twilight quickly acted and caught the bowl in her magic without spilling any of its contents. “Sorry about that, sweetheart,” she said, her ears falling flat in regret of making Fluttershy jump. “I didn’t know the floorboards were that creaky.”

Fluttershy quickly relaxed upon hearing Twilight’s voice, and she looked over to the unicorn with a large, bashful smile. She quickly covered half of her face with her mane. “Oh, g-good morning, Twilight,” she said through her mane. “H-how are you?”

‘Oh my goodness, stop being so cute,’ Twilight thought as she walked up to her. She leaned her head forward and kissed the pegasus on the cheek. “Very well, thank you. I feel like I am in a dream,” she replied, a large grin forming on her face. “How about you?”

“Oh, I’m good, too, thanks,” Fluttershy replied, looking into Twilight’s eyes with love and kindness that could only be expected from the pegasus, and a faint blush on her visible cheek. She quickly looked down and her ears fell flat as though she was ashamed of something. “I’m so sorry I didn’t stay in and cuddle with you longer, Twilight, but I heard some calls of a bird outside so I got up and investigated.”

Twilight wiped her fears away with a wave of her hoof. “It’s fine, Fluttershy, I didn’t expect you to stay next to me just to keep me happy. Was this the bird you heard, then?” she asked, pointing to the cockatoo.

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied, turning her head to look at the tired cockatoo. “Do you remember him? He was the first bird I saw on the island two days ago.”

“He’s from the island?” Twilight exclaimed. Fluttershy nodded. “How on earth did he manage to find us? We must be ages away from there by now.”

“Oh, we were quite easy to find, actually. The birds and the sea life help each other out, see, so mister cockatoo found out where we were heading from a party of dolphins, and he followed us up from there,” Fluttershy explained.

Twilight nodded incredulously. “Fascinating,” she remarked. She shook her head rapidly. “So what’s he doing here?”

“He just came to make sure we were okay, and to tell us that Wave Kicker and her pirates are fine, and living off from the food of the island well. Their biggest and strongest bird headed off towards Equestria to find ships that could follow her to rescue them.”

Twilight smiled a little. “Ah, that’s good to know. It at least puts something out of my mind.”

Fluttershy smiled at her, and then looked back at the cockatoo, who had finished the bowl of water and seeds and was getting ready to head back. “A-are you sure about that?” Fluttershy asked concernedly. “Are you certain that you are fit to head back? Absolutely certain?” The bird nodded adamantly. “O-okay then, but please take care of yourself, my friend. And thank you, for everything.”

The bird bowed his head at her, squawked something else that made Fluttershy blush, and then took off into the sky and flew south at such a speed Twilight thought it was impossible. She looked over to the blushing pegasus and asked curiously, “What did he say?”

“He hopes that you and me will be happy for always, and have many beautiful children together,” Fluttershy mumbled, her blush growing fiercer with every word coming out from between her lips.

Twilight stared at Fluttershy for a long time, not noticing her cheeks burning pink. “Well, um…” She looked away and coughed loudly. “That was… nice of him. I guess.” She shook her head to clear her blush, and smiled affectionately at Fluttershy. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Fluttershy nodded, and then leaned forward and nuzzled her softly. “Slept like an angel, thank you, Twilight,” Fluttershy replied. She pulled her head back. “How about you?”

Twilight grinned. “Fantastic, thank you,” she replied. She turned away from Fluttershy. “Now, how about I cook us some breakfast?” she suggested enthusiastically, rubbing her forehooves together.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, yet her eyes spoke of her horror of Twilight cooking the breakfast. “Oh, yo-you don’t have to do that,” she said. “I can cook something up for you, if you’d like.” ‘And preferably I want to live to see Equestria again.’

Twilight pouted, and she pawed at the deck with a hoof. “But I want to do something nice for my marefriend,” she said whiningly, looking at Fluttershy with big, puppy-like eyes.

Fluttershy’s ears fell flat, and she smiled at her; she was too loving to say no to that face. “Okay,” she relented. “But would you mind if I helped you? I could even teach you how to cook something to a particular standard, if you’d like that.”

Twilight nodded her head faster than a bobbing head model. “Oh, I would love that!” she squealed excitedly, nearly hopping on the spot in excitement. Fluttershy grinned at her, and then side-by-side they walked back inside the ship and through the thin corridors.

“So, um, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “You remember yesterday when we talked about what ponies in a relationship do together.” Twilight looked back and nodded. “Well, what else do couples do?”

Twilight’s eyes moved up, and her forehead creased in thought. “Well like I said yesterday, all I know about relationships are from what I have seen, read and talked about. I have no real experience in the matter, unfortunately,” she started.

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. “You know more than I do, though. So, um, what do you know, then?”

“Well, for a start, a couple is usually two ponies that love each other so much they want to see more of each other,” Twilight explained. “They go on long walks in the park, stay at each other’s houses for a day or so, or even live with one another.”

Fluttershy raised her head a little. “Would you… um, would you move in with me, if you wanted to, of course?” she asked meekly.

Twilight stopped, turned her head around, and smiled warmly. “I don’t think I would hesitate,” she answered. “Why? Do you want me to move in with you when we get back?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, no– um, at least not yet, of course,” Fluttershy stuttered. “It’s still a bit early on for that, I think. But, well, if you ever want to, you know where I live.”

Twilight smiled sweetly. “I’ll keep that in mind. And remember, if you ever need to live somewhere, my house is open to you.”

Fluttershy smiled widely at her. “Thanks,” she squeaked. The two continued walking, and turned a corner to find themselves in the corridor where the kitchen was. “Here is the door,” Fluttershy said, pointing when they came up to it. She opened up the door, and swiftly entered with Twilight in tow.

Half an hour later, after a long teaching course from Fluttershy, a short food fight and a short fire that nearly blew the ship up, the two ponies emerged from the inside of the ship, their coats stained with food from their food fight, and giggling all the while. On their backs were trays filled with perfectly toasted bread, with a bowl of cereal on Fluttershy’s and egg and pancakes on Twilight’s.

Once they moved behind a large number of crates keeping the wind out of their faces, they moved their trays off their backs, set them down, and sat on their haunches, giggling to themselves. “I don’t think I’ve had a food fight since I was little,” Twilight said as she picked up a piece of toast with her magic. “The last one was with my brother and Cadence the day before he went off to train for the Royal Guard.”

“Me neither,” Fluttershy said with a mouthful of toast. “Oh, I had one with Pinkie Pie once.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at her, forcing Fluttershy to throw up her hooves and look innocent. “She made me do it, honestly.”

The two ponies giggled, and then resumed their breakfast in a nice, companionable silence. “I have to say,” Twilight said as she swallowed the last of her toast. “That was the best toast I have ever had. I need to keep an eye on it the next time I make some.”

Fluttershy looked at her oddly. “Why don’t you keep an eye on it, then?”

“Oh, well the last time I cooked toast – discarding that time in Canterlot – I let it burn as I should do, but got so distracted by the book I was reading that I forgot about it until the smell of smoke was in the air. When I looked back, the oven was on fire – again.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, and cracked a small smile. “Well that should teach you to never read and cook at once, Twilight,” Fluttershy said.

Twilight giggled. “I know, but I still do it.” The two ponies giggled once more.

“So um, before we had that food fight, you were telling me what ponies did as a couple together,” Fluttershy recalled.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she remembered. “Oh, yes, I remember.” She set her plate of pancakes down, and put on her thinking face. “Well, ponies tend to go out to restaurants and have dinner dates, filled with good food, good company and good wine. Sometimes they go out and see things, like the zoo.” Fluttershy’s face twisted in disgust at the mention of the zoo, which Twilight noticed. “But there are other things that we can do together,” she quickly added.

“Like what?” Fluttershy asked curiously, a spoon in one hoof and a bowl in the other.

‘How she does that is beyond my understanding,’ Twilight thought upon seeing her marefriend. She tapped her forehooves together. “We could…” Her voice faded away like mist as she thought about it. “Could go out to places.”

“Anywhere in particular?”

Twilight shook her head and smiled. “Nowhere special, really.” She set a hoof on Fluttershy’s own. “As long as I’m with you, then we could go anywhere we choose.”

Fluttershy threw her mane over her face to cover her blush and her sheepish smile. ‘Twilight, you are so sweet,’ she thought; yet she was too timid to say it aloud. Her face lit up with an idea. “I could take you to Cloudsdale!” she exclaimed. “Oh, I can show you so many places there that I adored when I was a filly. I could show you the pegasi statue park; it has statues made out of clouds. According to legend, if you look close enough you could see them sway about as though they were dancing.

“Ooh, oh, and we could go to a nice café that I know of there,” she quickly added. “I used to sit outside it when I wanted to be alone for a time and have a nice hot chocolate and relax time from everything. I think you would love it there, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled. “I’m sure I will.” Her face abruptly lit up as well as an idea came into her head. “And I can show you Canterlot! I know we usually go there, but it is always to the palace and when we have business with the Princess. I could show you the palace labyrinth now that it’s been re-opened, and I could show you round the Museum of Natural History.” She emphasised it with a wink. “I’m sure you will love it there.”

“Oh, wow, I’ve heard of it, but I never had the courage to go. Is it really big?”

“It feels bigger than Ponyville. Truly, when you stand in the great hall at the entrance, and see the giant dinosaur skeleton gazing down at you, you never feel so small as you do then. There is more, much, much more to see. It would take about a day to see it all.”

“Then I’m looking forward to it already,” Fluttershy said, grinning eagerly at the image given to her by Twilight. She finished off the rest of her bowl of cereal quickly, and after a moment, put a hoof over her mouth and belched. Twilight giggled, while Fluttershy wanted to sink into the floorboards. “Oh dear, excuse me.”

Twilight lifted her hoof and said, “It’s all right, sweetheart. Better out than in, like my father used to say – and my mother. Come to think of it, my brother as well.” She giggled to herself. “I have a very impolite family.”

At the mention of Twilight’s family, Fluttershy lowered her head and looked nervously at her. “Do you think your parents will… approve of me going out with you?” she asked, rubbing the deck with a hoof.

Twilight’s heart-warming smile never faltered. “I don’t see why they shouldn’t, sweetheart. I think they will love you when they meet you,” she said, making Fluttershy smile.

After a moment, Twilight laughed as she remembered something. “I just had a thought,” she announced, much to Fluttershy’s confusion. “I wonder how your mum would react to me going out with you.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in realisation. “Of course! She might think that this is a small world, us two coming together like we have.” She paused to place a hoof on top of Twilight’s own. “But I’m sure she would be delighted to gain you as part of our family, as will my dad.”

Twilight grinned, giggling through her teeth. “I am looking forward to seeing her reaction, though,” she admitted. “Whatever it is, it’s going to be priceless. Which makes me wonder how our friends are going to react.”

“Oh, I’m sure they will be happy for us, and with us all the way,” Fluttershy said. “But I do wonder what they’re gonna say.”

“I can think of what Applejack might say,” Twilight said. She cleared her throat, and then spoke in a thick southern accent as she could create, in an attempt to mimic the earth pony. “Good on ya, girl! I just knew ya had it in ya!”

Fluttershy snorted with laughter. “Oh, and what about Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy cleared her throat, and started talking like the pegasus, trying to copy her movements as well. “Well, that’s pretty awesome, I guess. Good on ya both.” The two ponies snorted in laughter. They knew what they were doing was wrong, but they couldn’t help it.

“And then there’s Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said. She started hopping on the spot like the pink earth pony would. “Oh, oh!” she squealed, her voice as high pitched as Pinkie’s. “I can throw an awesome ‘my two best friends get together and are now dating party’ party!”

“Oh, but darling,” Fluttershy said as Rarity, running a hoof through her mane as she spoke, “that is not the way to celebrate such a special occasion as this. This must be done with poise, and calm delight, and… oh, who am I kidding, I’m so happy for the both of you, let’s have a party!” Fluttershy couldn’t say anymore, for she was laughing so hard she was forced to have a hoof clutching around her stomach. Twilight was laughing just as hard, and had to lean on the pegasus to stay upright.

After a while, the two ponies calmed down, and looked at each other with big, loving grins. “That was pretty mean of us, wasn’t it?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight shrugged, her mane flowing with the wind. “Nah, I’ve seen our friends take the mickey out of each other all the time, myself included.” She leaned forward, and nuzzled Fluttershy’s neck. “But I could never make fun of you.”

Fluttershy smiled bashfully and blushed once more. “Thanks, Twily,” she said. Her eyes widened suddenly as she realised what she just said. “You don’t mind me calling you that, do you? I don’t want to take it from your brother.”

Twilight giggled. “It’s fine, sweetie. It’s not a sacred thing me and my brother share.” She stood up and stretched out her forelegs. “Right, I suppose we better start running this ship and make sure things are running smoothly. Don’t you think?”

Fluttershy reluctantly nodded, and stood up as well. “I suppose we should. I’ll head down to the boiler room and fill up the boilers with coal.”

“And I’ll head across the ship and make sure everything’s ship-shape.” She giggled at her little pun, while Fluttershy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Admit it, that was pretty funny.”

Fluttershy shook her head, even though she had a small smile on her face. “Nope, not in the slightest.” Before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and lightly pecked Twilight’s left cheek with her lips. “See you in a bit,” she said quickly, blushing madly as she galloped through the door and inside the ship.

Twilight raised her hoof and stroked the spot where Fluttershy kissed her. “Now I know how Spike felt when Rarity kissed him on the cheek that one time. I’m never going to wash this cheek again,” she said to herself. She felt herself swoon for a moment, before she was able to regain her balance by leaning against the crates. After a minute to calm down, she sighed and let a goofy grin form across her face.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy leaned up against the wall of the corridor, breathing heavily with anxiety and panic. ‘Did I do that right? Did she like me kissing her like that? Oh, goodness, what if she thought it felt terrible?’ She groaned to herself, scared stiff that she had got it wrong, and doomed their relationship before it even began, and their friendship.

Before she decided to head down to the boiler room, she crept back to the edge of the door, inched it open, and listened out for Twilight. At first she didn’t hear anything, increasing her heart rate to the point she thought it might explode, but then she heard Twilight hum cheerfully as she trotted across the deck, looking for cracks in the ship and anything that could damage it.

Fluttershy sighed heavily in relief. ‘She isn’t mad,’ she thought. It was quite the opposite, in fact. ‘She must have liked it.’ She would have cheered to the sky if she could talk or cheer any louder, so instead she punched the air in victory. She shut the door back up, then turned around and trotted down the stairs to the boiler room, singing cheerfully, “La, la, la la la, la, la la la…”

She soon found herself in the hot, densely packed boiler room, and instantly grinned. It felt like she was back on her mother’s steam engine, sitting next to the firebox door, and feeling the heat of the flames caress her coat and her face. ‘If somepony could create a place where steam engines and animals co-existed in harmony, then I would be in a paradise,’ she mused as she walked up to one of the boilers.

She looked inside to see that the fire was going out. She quickly picked up the shovel, and began to throw coal into the boiler. As she fired the steamship, she pondered on her relationship with Twilight, and how it was going so far.

Although they started going out yesterday, and were doing quite well so far, she still didn’t feel anything special coming from being in a relationship. She thought she would feel something, as though she had been given a superpower to use. Yet she didn’t feel special, she just felt like Fluttershy.

Despite that, she knew things were good. The two were still mostly talking normally, which she was thankful for, and were laughing and doing things together. Fluttershy cracked a small smile as she remembered her food fight with Twilight, the laughter the two emitted as they chucked everything in range of their hooves or magic at each other. She couldn’t even remember how it started.

And their cuddle on the bed. Fluttershy loved cuddles, and loved cuddling anything that needed it or looked like it should be. Twilight was no exception. Cuddling with the unicorn made her feel far safer than when she cuddled with her teddy bear, and it felt like cuddling with her parents again, when she was little and exhausted from a long, tiring day.

She loved the touch of her marefriend as her hooves wrapped around her body, and her soft coat against her own, making her feel like she was in a cocoon where nothing could harm her. Fluttershy sighed as she remembered waking up with Twilight’s head above her own, and her hooves wrapped around her gently. She was annoyed that she awoke, for she wanted it to last forever. ‘I hope we get to do it again tonight,’ she thought.

She broke out of her thoughts when she heard something heavy hit the ground with a thud. She looked down at first to see a few lumps of coal on the ground, and then noticed the boiler was filled right to the door with coal. “Oh,” she said to herself sheepishly. She set her shovel down. “I guess that should keep us going till tomorrow.” She shut the door, and then filled up the other boiler with coal.

After filling up the boilers and making sure the water tanks were filled up, she emerged from the boiler room covered from head to tail in soot and ash. She shook herself rapidly, ridding herself of the worst of the soot, yet she was still as black as a panther. “I better take a shower before I go and see Twilight again.” She did not know why, but she felt her heart soar with happiness the moment she said Twilight’s name.

She shook her head, and trotted cheerfully down the corridor to the showers, which were in a small white room with tiled white walls. A single large mirror stretched across one wall, and three cubicles big enough for a pony to stand in and have a nice shower lay beside the door. Fluttershy wasn’t a fan of quick showers. She preferred a nice long bath that gave her time to look back on the day. Since there were not any bathtubs on board, however, she had to make do with the showers.

She briskly entered the room, chose the cubicle closest to the door, jumped in and turned it on. She sighed pleasurably as she felt the cold water hit her back and run down her sides and rump, calming her tense body and putting her at ease – at least for now.

She knew she shouldn’t worry about what was on the other side of the ocean, but she couldn’t help it. Throughout the night whilst cuddling Twilight, and the day when her mind went blank temporarily, she had thought of every possible scenario she could think of, from getting snatched up in large sacks by cannibals, to finding themselves in Manehatten after travelling around the entire world. All of them were just as terrifying as the last, yet she knew she would be fine, so long as Twilight stood beside her to protect her.

She picked up the shampoo bottle that sat in a rack beside the shower, and began to wash her hair. “Um,” she moaned pleasurably as she sniffed it. “Smells like lavender.” She applied it to her mane and tail, and let it wash off. As she did so, she couldn’t help but worry some more, this time about their relationship. ‘Are we going too slow?’ she wondered nervously, biting her bottom lip.

She feared she was going far too slow for Twilight, and was scared that at some point, Twilight would get bored and dump her. On the other hoof, she feared if they went too fast, they could both do something they would later regret, and hate each other for it.

She shook her head rapidly to rid herself of the thought, spraying bits of shampoo over the walls. ‘Don’t worry about that now, Fluttershy,’ she said to herself. ‘You can ask Twilight about that after this relaxing shower. You can talk to her about anything; she will understand.’ She let out a sigh of relaxation as she enjoyed the water trickling down her body. ‘I’ll have to get one of these installed in the bathroom when we get back.’

A quarter of an hour later, she finally felt relaxed enough to turn the shower off and stepped out. Her coat shined with freshness, something she needed after a long two days off the Wave Breaker, and her mane was free of entanglements and smooth as silk once more. She shook herself dry, then proceeded to head back to the main deck to see her marefriend. ‘She’s probably starting to miss me,’ she reasoned to herself.

After a few minutes of wandering about the confines of the ship, she finally found herself facing the door leading out onto the main deck. She opened it, walked through the door, and shut it gently behind her with a hind leg. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw her marefriend. “Oh… my,” she whispered nervously, her eyes wandering left and right to take it all in.

Twilight sat next to a large record player, which was playing a sweet, slow piece of classical music that was rather calming – and one that the pegasus recognised. The unicorn herself was grinning at her, yet shifted herself about as though she was nervous about something. “Hey, sweetheart,” Twilight said warmly. She looked at the record player. “Do you like it? I was looking around the ship to see what the pirates left behind, and I came upon this in one of the storerooms, along with a load of records to listen to.” She got up and walked towards the pegasus. “I always loved this song. When I could use a record player, I always listened to this piece of music to help me study, and it always worked. Do you like it?”

Fluttershy was in awe. “I don’t like it, Twilight,” she said flatly. Twilight’s ears fell flat. “I love it!” Fluttershy beamed, returning Twilight’s grin. “Oh, I didn’t know you liked this piece.”

“I forgot about it till I found it again,” Twilight explained. Her head shot up and looked at Fluttershy surprisingly. “Hang on, do you know it as well?”

“Oh, of course,” Fluttershy replied, grinning as she twirled and kicked her legs out one at a time. Twilight quickly realised she was dancing, and longed to join her. “This is my favourite piece of music in all of history. I usually play it to calm the animals if they need it. And even when they don’t need calming, I sometimes play this to dance to, so I can stretch my legs and loosen myself up without anypony judging me.”

Twilight smiled and tilted her head a little, admiring her marefriend’s graceful dancing. “You don’t ever have to worry about hiding yourself from me, Fluttershy. I think you are a wonderful dancer.”

Fluttershy stopped and looked at Twilight with pink cheeks and a bashful smile. “Oh, thank you, Twilight,” she said. She pawed at the ground for a moment as an idea latched into her mind. “Do… do couples dance with each other?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, of course they do. It’s more natural for couples to dance together than it is for total strangers, but I guess love has to start somewhere. Why do you ask?”

Fluttershy edged herself closer, took a deep breath and said hastily:

“Iwaswonderingifyouwouldliketodancewithme!”

Twilight’s smile faded, and she looked at the pegasus oddly. “Come again?”

Fluttershy willed herself to say it normally. “I was hoping… well, if you want to of course, if you would like to dance with me?”

Twilight stared at Fluttershy for a long time, letting what she had just heard sink into her mind. Once she did, she squealed delightfully and nodded her head rapidly. “I would love too,” she replied, staggering up to a beaming Fluttershy.

When they were an inch apart, the two ponies reared up and held hooves. “Do you know how to slow dance?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight looked sheepish. “Can’t say I do.”

Fluttershy smiled comfortingly. “That’s okay, we all have to start somewhere. I’ll hold your left hoof with my right, and I will put my other hoof on your waist. Is that okay with you? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Twilight blushed, but nodded nonetheless. “Of course.”

Fluttershy stretched out her right hoof and Twilight’s left hoof out, and set her left hoof on Twilight’s waist. Twilight sighed as she felt Fluttershy’s cold touch on her waist, but it quickly turned nice. “Now put your free hoof on my back,” Fluttershy instructed nicely, blushing faintly.

Twilight nodded, and placed her hoof on Fluttershy’s back. “That’s it. Now spread your hind legs out a bit so we’re not stepping on each other’s hooves.”

Twilight nodded. “Okie doke,” she replied, and spread her hind legs a bit so that their hooves weren’t in a position to step on each other or trip the other pony up.

“Ready?” Fluttershy asked patiently.

Twilight swallowed the last of her nervousness, and nodded. ‘Come on, Twilight, you can do this. Isn’t this what you wanted?’ “Yeah, I’m mostly ready,” she replied.

Fluttershy nodded, and smiled assuredly. “Hey, it’s okay. I promise I won’t be mad if you make a mistake and step on my hooves. I did the same thing with Snow Storm a few times that night, and we both laughed it off.”

Twilight smiled, then together the two started to slowly spin around the deck, with the music playing its sweet, relaxing tune, while the new couple looked into each other’s eyes with love and affection the two had rarely seen or felt for each other. The music began to relax their minds, ridding them of the thoughts of what might lay ahead. It was the two of them on a ship bound for adventure, and dancing to the most soothing music they had ever heard. They both felt at peace.

That quickly changed when Fluttershy felt Twilight’s hoof stamp down on one of her own. “Oh my, I’m so sorry!” Twilight exclaimed, breaking away from Fluttershy’s hold and setting herself back down. “I don’t know what I did wrong, but I hurt you and I am so sorry, oh please don’t hate me…” She trailed off when Fluttershy laughed.

The pegasus quickly picked Twilight from the ground and continued to dance. “It’s all right, Twily,” she said comfortingly. “I told you, it happens to all of us. I did the same thing to Snow Storm the first time when me and her danced like this, and I did not stop apologising for ten minutes – trust me she counted.”

Twilight nodded uncertainly, and set her hooves back where Fluttershy said they should be. They lapsed into silence for a moment, enjoying the company of each other, and the music being played. ‘Okay, Twilight, take it slow and steady, and keep an eye on your hooves,’ Twilight thought to herself. She knew she was panicking, but she knew also that she was having the time of her life.

Fluttershy noticed Twilight’s dreamy face, and shared it. “I was thinking, as I was having a shower, if you are fine with the speed we are going.”

Twilight’s dreamy face disappeared. “What makes you think that?”

Fluttershy’s eyes cast downward. “I was worried that we were going too slowly, and eventually you would get bored and–” Twilight cut her off with her muzzle.

“Sweetie, I told you this before, and I will tell you again. I don’t care how fast we are going, or slow. I don’t care what we do, or how we do it. All I care about is making you happy, and that you are happy being with me. So long as there is a smile on your face, then a hundred years can go by for all I care, and we can still be like this.”

Fluttershy grinned widely, and felt tears of joy building up in her eyes. “That is so sweet, Twilight. Thank you, for being so considerate.” She rested her head on Twilight’s chest, and sighed. ‘I can do this all day,’ she thought.

Twilight looked shocked, but not displeased, of the sudden move from the pegasus. “You can do that?”

“Mm hmm,” Fluttershy replied. “It’s a sign of affection, Twilight.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “So, you feel something for me, then?”

Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide, and she moved her head away to look at Twilight’s eyes. Did she? “I… I don’t know how I really feel yet. I’m sorry, Twilight.”

Twilight nuzzled her nose gently. “It’s okay, I’m not expecting you to know that you love me after the first day.” Twilight lowered her head, and rested it on Fluttershy’s chest, sighing softly. “I’ll tell you something, though. I have enjoyed this with you.”

Fluttershy smiled. “So have I.” The couple fell into silence once more as they twirled slowly and swayed like a pine tree in the wind. None of them noticed that the music stopped playing minutes ago.

Fluttershy was the first to notice the lack of music in the air, and her eyes popped open and her ears pinned up. “Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“I think the music’s stopped.”

Twilight listened out, and she realised the only things she could hear were their steady breathing, the wind howling across the ocean, and the waves hitting the sides of the ship. “I think you’re right.”

“Should we stop dancing, then?”

A silence fell between them for a second. “I suppose,” Twilight said finally. The two ponies broke off and stepped back from each other. “Wow,” the unicorn breathed a sigh of relief. “That was good. Could have been better on my part, though.”

Fluttershy shook her head in disagreement. “Oh no, Twilight. You did brilliantly for your first proper dance. You only made only one mistake, which can’t be said for many professional dancers out there.”

Twilight’s ears pinned upright in delight. “Really?”

Fluttershy nodded, then leaned forward and nuzzled her marefriend gently. “Yes, but if anyone disagrees, then don’t listen to them, for they don’t know you like I do.”

Twilight smiled, and swiftly returned the nuzzle. “I won’t,” she promised. She pulled away from the pegasus, smiling affectionately at her. “Right, what do we do now?”

Fluttershy pouted in thought. “I’m not sure. Is there anything else to do on here?”

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “I think so. We’ll do a long sweep across the ship and make sure everything’s okay.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Afterwards, she leaned back and shied away. “Was that better than the last?” she asked worriedly.

Twilight smiled, then leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy’s cheek in return. “Even better,” she answered as she pulled back. “I’ll see you in a little while.” With that, she turned away and began looking all over the ship, while Fluttershy went below deck to look around.

“Phew,” Twilight breathed as she sat down next to Fluttershy on the top deck many hours later. “I didn’t know looking after a ship could be such hard work!”

“Mm mmm,” Fluttershy mumbled in agreement whilst chewing on a mouthful of lettuce. She swallowed a part of her dinner, and then said; “Oh yes, but I don’t see it as hard as looking after a steam locomotive, though. That can really take the energy out of you if you’re on one for hours on end.”

Twilight nodded, and then looked up at the beautiful night sky. It took many hours to scour the ship and make sure everything was okay, as well as keeping it clean, tidied and making sure it can still run properly. It had taken a while for the both of them to get used to controlling it and looking after the engines, but they got the hang of it eventually.

By the time they figured there was nothing else to do, they met back up on the top deck, and then headed down to cook some dinner for themselves. By the time they made it back up, the sun had completely disappeared from the sky, and the moon was rising slowly as it began its run across the sky. The sky itself was clear of clouds, revealing a bright starry night littered with stars, and a few constellations that Twilight could make out.

She was broken out of her brooding when she felt something pressing against her side, and looked left to see Fluttershy shifting herself towards her, until their sides pressed together. Twilight felt her face begin to heat up. “You don’t mind this, do you?” Fluttershy whispered. “It’s just that sometimes I get scared of the night, and I like something warm and fuzzy at my side to keep me protected.”

Twilight smiled. “Of course I don’t mind.” Fluttershy grinned, and then rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder. “Do you know any of the constellations out there?” she asked after a brief silence.

Fluttershy looked up at the stars to admire their beauty. She knew they were undoubtedly pretty, there was no denying that, but the problem at why she was so scared of the night went back to her childhood. Being Rainbow Dash’s friend in flight camp, she had heard from the pegasus some scary tails of creatures that snatched little fillies at night without warning. So she always took precautionary measures – closing the windows, locking the doors, closing the curtains, et cetera – before going to bed.

Now, she felt safer next to Twilight than she did in her own home. ‘Those creatures, whatever they are, can try and get me. Twilight will shoo them off,’ she thought giggly. “Um, no – well, by name, yes, but I don’t know how to spot them,” Fluttershy answered eventually.

Twilight giggled. “Don’t blame you; it is hard to pick out most of them, but there are a few that are out tonight you could spot.” She pointed to three stars that were almost perfectly aligned. “See those three stars?”

Fluttershy looked to where Twilight was pointing, and duly nodded. “Yes.”

“Well those belong to Orion, and form part of what is known as Orion’s belt.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. “How comes Orion has a belt? Why does he need a belt in the first place?”

“Not sure, sweetie, but it’s shown due to the fact Orion is rearing up, neighing triumphantly after another victory. See,” she pointed, “you can see his hind legs going down from the two stars at each end of his belt, and then going up from his belt you can see his body, his forelegs and finally his proud head looking eastward.”

Fluttershy nodded, her face expressing her deep fascination for what Twilight was going on about. “You can name all of them, then?” she asked curiously.

Twilight nodded sheepishly. “Yeah. I didn’t have my hooves full with going out with friends when I was in Canterlot, so I always stayed up at night and enjoyed the stars. By the time I was thirteen I could name all of the constellations by one star alone. Is that a little weird?”

Fluttershy nuzzled her in reply. “Of course not. It just means you’re passionate about it. That’s what I love about you. Whatever you do, you give it your all, and show so much commitment to it even when anypony else would have given up.”

Twilight blushed. “Thanks,” she squeaked. She shook her head, clearing the blush from her cheeks, then looked up at the sky again. “So, uh… oh, look there!” She pointed. “That’s Sagittarius, the last centaur of Terra.”

Fluttershy leaned forward, and saw a cluster of stars that didn’t look like a centaur at all. “Why is he the last centaur?” she asked.

Twilight’s head drooped a little. “It is a sad tale, Fluttershy. Thousands of years ago, the Centaur Empire was the greatest the world had ever seen, filled with light, magic, and peace. The last Emperor was Sagittarius, who had watched his kingdom prosper unlike any other on this world for many years. In his reign, the city, his people and the entire continent thrived. But it wasn’t to last.

“It is unknown what made the centaurs change the way they did, but many started to turn greedy, violent and arrogant. And so a great civil war raged for weeks across the land, with thousands dying each day. Sagittarius wept as he watched his country burn and his people slaughter themselves, yet he knew he couldn’t allow his failures to reach the other lands. Channelling all magic reserves his country had, he made the sea rise high into the sky, and swallow the continent whole, burying it deep under the ocean. Some ponies would say the city is beneath us right now.”

Fluttershy’s mouth hung open throughout the story. “Goodness. What happened to Sagittarius?”

Twilight looked up at the constellation for a moment. “He was killed, along with his whole race. Yet, because of his selflessness, he ascended to become a constellation, one of the highest rewards given to a mortal by the old gods.”

Fluttershy still looked confused. “Why was he given that, though? He wiped out his entire race; that’s not something I would reward somepony for.”

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just a story, anyway, it doesn’t have to make a lot of sense – many of the older stories dating back before Equestria made little sense, thinking about it.”

“Oh… okay,” Fluttershy relented. She sighed as she rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder again, yet she couldn’t get the thought out of her head. ‘I’m going to have to look up more about it when we get back,’ she thought. Her eyes wandered across the night sky as she tried to look for another. “Oh, oh!” she exclaimed, flapping her leg. “Is that one there?” She pointed to a cluster of stars that, to her, appeared to be in a shape of a horse.

Twilight looked at where she was pointing, and grinned. “Yep, that’s one. That is Virgo. You have a good eye, sweetheart.” She rested her head against Fluttershy’s, and closed her eyes. A brief silence fell between them as they enjoyed the closeness of each other’s company, and the gentleness of the ocean below them. “What do you think we’re going to find on the other side of this ocean?” she asked a bit later.

Fluttershy shook her head as best as she could. “I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest. I hope something nice like a large butterfly grove, and hopefully the meadow where the flower is. Oh, I hope it’s as nice as the picture made it out to be, and I hope it smells better than most.”

At the thought of the flower, Twilight’s mind began to think drastically. ‘Should I tell her about the fact that the flower sings?’ she wondered. There was no point to keep it a secret. Now that they were together, she didn’t have any need to go after the flower anymore. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, wanted to continue after it, and Twilight couldn’t just tell her to stop; it would be unfair on the pegasus if she did.

Yet it still didn’t help her to know if she should tell Fluttershy about this. ‘What if she gets mad that I kept it from her? What if she doesn’t want to speak to me ever again because of it?’ With that thought, she decided to keep quiet.

She was cut off when a gasp escaped from Fluttershy’s mouth. “Twilight, look!” the pegasus cried, pointing.

Twilight looked up at the sky, and her jaw dropped and her brain squealed with excitement. Above them, waves of red and green danced and swirled across the sky, filling up the night with its intense beauty.

Twilight hopped from her sitting position in ecstatic delight, knocking Fluttershy gently off her shoulder. “An aurora! An actual dancing, swirling, brightly coloured aurora! Oh, I have always wanted to see one of these!” Twilight squealed, clapping her forehooves together.

Fluttershy watched the aurora dance across the sky with awe. She had never seen one as well, nor did she know much about them, yet she did not doubt that the things she saw that night were truly the second most beautiful thing she laid eyes upon – the first one was sitting next to her, squealing in delight.

She draped a wing around Twilight, and brought her in a comforting embrace. “This is beautiful, Twilight,” she whispered.

“Oh, it is,” Twilight agreed, shifting herself about till she felt comfortable in Fluttershy’s wing. Her marefriend’s wing felt like a soft mattress against her back. “But it doesn’t compare to your beauty, Fluttershy.” She nuzzled the blushing pegasus softly, and gave her a quick, cheeky kiss on the cheek. “And thank you. If it wasn’t for you and your desire to continue, I would never have seen this.” She looked up at the sky once more. “We must be a lot further north than I thought we were if we can see this. An aurora only happens in the northern hemisphere, so we should be close to the Frozen North.”

Fluttershy was about to say something, but all that came out from her mouth was a loud yawn. Twilight followed suit shortly afterwards. “Oops, sorry, Twily, I guess I’m a little more tired than I thought. I think I’ll go back to bed now.”

Twilight smiled and got up as well. “I think I’ll retire as well,” she announced. “I want to go to sleep with my marefriend in my embrace.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Me too.” Together, the two ponies went back to the captain’s quarters, and went to sleep, huddled together once more.

The next morning, Fluttershy awoke to the smell of cooked toast and fried hay beside the bed. She groaned and turned over, trying her best to ignore the smell of toast and hay. ‘I want to go to sleep, not eat,’ she thought grubbily.

She suddenly realised her marefriend wasn’t beside her, or holding her like she was last night, and her eyes opened wide in shock. “Twilight?” she called. She sat up on the bed, and quickly tidied her mane a bit as she looked around for any trace of the unicorn. Where she was, however, there was no sign.

Sighing sadly, she looked at the tray of food beside the bed, and saw a little note beside the plate of hay. Curious, she picked it up and read it quickly:

Sweetheart,

I’m sorry that I didn’t stay in bed with you longer, but when I woke up this morning I felt the ship wasn’t moving anymore. I went downstairs to see that the boilers had gone out. I quickly stoked them back up again with my magic, and cast a spell that will allow them to keep going until we reach land.

Before I head to the showers to clean up, I took the liberty of creating this breakfast for you. I hope you enjoy it.

I hope you slept well. See you shortly, my love.

Twilight.

Fluttershy giggled through her hoof as she looked at the kiss mark at the bottom of the letter. “That is cute,” she muttered to herself. She put the note to one side, and then looked at the breakfast. “Well I have never been served breakfast in bed before this trip. I might as well enjoy it while I can.” She leaned forward, picked it up and rested it across her hind legs. ‘Wow, Twilight has certainly gotten better with the cooking. I was right; she is a fast learner,’ she thought. She quickly dug into the food graciously made for her.

A quarter of an hour later, she finished her breakfast, and quickly belched while tapping her belly. “Goodness, that was good!” she declared, smiling contently. After a moment to let her meal down, she set the tray back onto the table, and then leapt out of bed with a mighty spring in her step. She felt more energetic than she did normally, and she didn’t entirely know why. Was it because she had a lovely marefriend to see every time she woke up? ‘Could it be that I am falling in love?’ she thought to herself.

She shrugged the thought away. “I’ll see how it goes for a week or so before making up my mind on whether to stay as her marefriend or not.” It seemed like a good plan to her. If she didn’t feel anything more special by the end of the week, then she could not see a future with her and Twilight as a couple. She only hoped Twilight would consort with the plan.

With that in mind, she trotted merrily out of Se– no, their quarters now, and headed towards the main deck. When she arrived, she hoped she would find Twilight already up there, having a nice breakfast and enjoying the calm sea and the fresh sea air. Yet she wasn’t to be seen. ‘Probably still in the showers,’ she reckoned. She moved up to the side of the ship, reared up and leaned on the railing, content with waiting and watching the world go by.

The sea was calm, the sky was clear with only a few clouds scattered about and moving just as slowly as the Wave Breaker was. It was peaceful, with only the soft, whistling sound of the ship breaking through the waves gracing her ears. There wasn’t a single sign of a fish, bird, whale, or even a dolphin, which was a shame; she would have liked to see a dolphin before reaching land.

Her silent prayers were, unexpectedly and surprisingly, answered, when a dolphin leapt out of the water, chatted something to her, and dived back in.

Fluttershy gasped in astonishment. “Did I just see that?” she asked herself. The dolphin appeared again, much to her excitement. “Oh, hello there, sir or, uh, madam!” she called delightfully. She giggled and jumped about in joy. “I’m speaking to a dolphin! An actual dolphin!” She looked down at the water again, to see the dolphin was now practically bouncing across the surface of the ocean, telling her something supposedly important – Fluttershy presumed so, anyway, judging by the urgent tone in the dolphin’s voice.

She leaned forward and listened intently, and with every word the dolphin said, Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh, really? How soon?” The dolphin spoke again hurriedly. “An hour away?” Fluttershy’s heart started to beat faster. “Oh my goodness, I better find and tell Twilight. Thank you, misses dolphin!”

The dolphin made some more clicking sounds as it spoke in reply, before it descended below the water once more. Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she had just heard. ‘So soon?’ she thought sadly, yet she couldn’t help but be relieved.

Her ears twitched when she heard the door to the bridge of the ship open, and spun around to greet her marefriend and tell her the news. “Hey, Twilight, I’ve got something to tel…” She trailed off when she saw her marefriend for the first time, and her jaw plummeted like an anvil falling from the sky. “What are you wearing?”

Twilight was wearing a long black overcoat with golden swirls along the edge that ran down her back and trailed behind her, with a holster around her chest carrying four toy pistols, and at her left side was a curved foam sword. An eye patch covered her left eye, and a large pirate hat sat on her head.

“You like it?” Twilight asked as she quickly looked at herself. “I found it in the wardrobe on the second deck. I thought I might try it out. Do you think it looks good on me?” She turned to her side. “Does it make my rump look big?”

Fluttershy slowly raised an eyebrow high till it disappeared behind her long mane, her eyes wandering across Twilight’s body from head to rump. “Um… it looks… great on you… I think,” she said unsurely. “It doesn’t make your rump look any bigger at all, and the pistols help compliment the pirate look very well. But, um… why have you got it on in the first place?”

Twilight grinned, and unsheathed her foam sword with a hoof. “Ah hah!” Twilight cried, waving her foam sword in the air and putting on a terribly thick pirate accent. “You have fallen for my trap, sweet pegasus. I be Captain Twilight Sparkle, the most fearsome pirate of the Equestrian seas, and you be now my prisoner… argh!”

Fluttershy blinked perplexedly, before grinning as she realised the game Twilight was playing – one of her favourites as a child. She swooned dramatically and put a foreleg across her forehead. “Oh, woe is me, to have strayed into the path of the terrible and beautiful Twilight the Mage!” She prostrated herself to the ground. “Oh, great mare, please have pity on me, for I am but a fair maiden seeking safe passage across these dangerous seas. May you please grant me this mercy and drop me off at the nearest stop?”

Twilight jumped off the balcony and walked menacingly up to the prostrated pegasus, giggling all the while. “Aye, I could do that, but what would be in it for dear old Capt’n Twilight, eh?” she asked.

“Um…” Fluttershy’s eyes wandered around the ship, thinking of something that could get her out of this predicament. “I… I could give you a hug and a kiss?” she suggested eventually, grinning widely.

Captain Twilight laughed boomingly. “A hug and a kiss will tempt the great and powerful Twily to take ya to shore? I don’t think so.” She pointed her foam sword at the pegasus’s face. “A hundred kisses will suffice!”

Fluttershy gasped over dramatically once more. “But, good lady, I do not have the strength to give you these kisses; my lips will grow sore and weary after the fifth kiss!”

Twilight laughed evilly. “Then I have no choice but to take you as my prisoner!” she declared, giggling childishly through her teeth.

Fluttershy giggled also, then got up, turned around and poked Twilight with her tail. “You will have to catch me first!” she said, before galloping away from her lover turned pirate.

Twilight giggled. “Then so be it!” she cried, before charging after Fluttershy, giggling all the while.

Fluttershy spun and galloped down the side of the ship with a huge smile on her face. She looked back to see Twilight galloping after her, giggling loudly. Fluttershy couldn’t help giggling as well. This was one of her favourite games as a little filly, being chased by her dad in a pirate costume around the garden, so to see Twilight doing it was a surprise, but it was certainly welcome. ‘I must have said something in my sleep,’ Fluttershy thought.

Twilight beamed brightly as she listened to Fluttershy’s giggles whilst chasing her around and around the deck of the ship. When she couldn’t sleep, she had heard Fluttershy muttering and giggling in her sleep about being chased by her dad dressed as a pirate. It gave her a smile, and it made her sleep better, thinking about how to make Fluttershy giggle in delight the following morning. She was glad how well the pegasus received it.

For the next ten minutes, Twilight chased Fluttershy right around the deck of the ship, from bow to stern, both giggling like fillies as they ran around and around. Twilight thought about using her magic to teleport herself in Fluttershy’s path, or use a spell to trap the pegasus, but she quickly went against it. ‘It’s more fun like this,’ Twilight thought. Again, Fluttershy spun around and galloped down to the bow of the ship, with Twilight not too far behind. “I will catch you, little filly!” she called in her dreadful pirate accent.

She arrived at the bow of the ship to find, to her surprise, that Fluttershy wasn’t there. “Ah, a little game of hide and seek now, is it?” she called out, smirking. “Just so ya know, I won every game of hide and seek with my brother when I was a little land lover. You have no chance in winning against me.”

She first looked to the door leading back into the inside of the ship, but found it to be closed. Just to make sure, she opened it up and looked in. “Not there, eh? Well there are plenty of places for ya to hide.” She shut the door back up, and looked around. ‘She must be on the top deck still,’ she thought.

She looked down to the stern, to see if Fluttershy was peeking out from the other end for her, but she didn’t see her. ‘I’ll start there in a moment, after I’ve looked around the bow of the ship first.’ Like a cheetah stalking its prey, Twilight crouched down and crawled forward, her eyes darting left and right for her marefriend.

When she nearly made it past the crates, Fluttershy jumped into her path, and poked her on the nose. Twilight stood up instantly, and put her hooves to her muzzle in an overly dramatic death scene. “Oh no!” she cried. “The dreadful muzzle poke! My mortal weakness!” She swooned and spun about as she ‘died’. “Tell my marefriend… I love her…” she wheezed, before collapsing onto her back, with her legs spread out, ‘dead’.

Fluttershy laughed to the point of tears as she watched her marefriend ‘die’ the way she did. It looked so terrible it was hilarious. When Twilight finally stopped moving, Fluttershy relaxed a bit, and then stood over her. She poked her on the chest. “Twilight? You’re not dead now. You can get up.”

Twilight replied by sticking her tongue out, and letting it hang out of her mouth. Fluttershy snickered at the sight. “Twilight? You okay?”

“I’m dead,” Twilight replied.

“Oh… oh dear, that’s not good then. Whatever am I supposed to do?”

Before she could think of something, Twilight wrapped her legs around the pegasus, and rolled her onto her back, with Twilight now above her. “Ah ha! You fell for the trap! Everypony knows the muzzle poke is my mortal weakness, so I cast a spell on my muzzle to keep it immune from even the most devastating pokes! I have you now, little pegasus! Muh ha ha ha ha! I have an evil laugh.”

Fluttershy laughed, and put a hoof to her forehead in distress. “Oh, dear, whatever am I supposed to do now?” Her face produced a loving smile as she wrapped her forelegs around Twilight’s neck. “I know. I will give her the demands she wanted in the first place.”

Twilight gasped a little, and blushed, as Fluttershy leaned her blushing head forward towards her own. ‘She’s going to kiss me – on the lips!’ she realised. Twilight smiled, then leaned her head forward, parted her lips a little and closed her eyes as she anticipated the soft lips of Fluttershy against her own. ‘I wonder what they taste like?’ she wondered.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the cries of a seagull behind them made them freeze. “Oh, come on!” Twilight roared as she turned around to see what had interrupted them, her eyes narrow with anger. “Can’t you see that we’re about to have a romantic moment together?”

The seagull started to talk in its strange language, which Twilight didn’t have a clue on what he was saying, but Fluttershy did. “What’s he saying?” Twilight asked, slightly annoyed they had been interrupted.

Fluttershy crawled out from under Twilight, and got back on her hooves, the romantic feeling gone from her. “He’s saying that we’re about twenty minutes or so from land.”

Twilight forgot she was annoyed, and her eyes widened in panic. “Land!” she exclaimed. “We’re approaching land?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I was going to tell you that a dolphin told me that we were about half an hour away from land, but I got a little distracted,” she explained. “Sorry I didn’t say anything earlier.”

Twilight sighed, and she patted the pegasus gently on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” she said softly. “It was my fault that you got distracted anyway.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Don’t blame yourself, Twily. I had a lot of fun doing that with you, even with your terrible pirate impression.” Both ponies giggled. After they had calmed down a little, Fluttershy and Twilight moved away from the crates and walked up to the tip of the bow. They visibly gasped in shock when they saw the other side of the world.

Stretching like a wall across the western horizon were steeply angled mountains, standing taller than towers and guarding the world behind it with points sharper than pikes, Halfway down the mountainside, the land extended outwards for a moment, before dropping in a sharp descent to the razor-sharp rocks at the bottom of the cliffs.

“There doesn’t seem to be any beaches for us to land on,” Fluttershy pointed out, looking along the coastline.

“Nor is there anything we could use to climb up the mountainside,” Twilight added, looking and sounding defeated.

“Well can’t you teleport us up to the top of the cliff?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes,” Twilight admitted. “But there is no way up and over the other side of those mountains.” She pointed to the mountains for emphasis. She lowered her head and sighed. “I guess we have no chance to find that flower, after all.”

Fluttershy hated to see Twilight looking so miserable, so she gave her a quick nuzzle in assurance. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’m sure we can think of something if we put our minds to it.” Just as she said that, the dolphin from earlier leapt out of the water, and said something that made the pegasus’s eyes go wide in delight.

She tapped the unicorn on the shoulder. “Hurry, Twilight, shut down the engines and make her go slower, then follow that dolphin!” she instructed quickly, and politely.

Twilight nodded, then turned around and galloped to the bridge. ‘I never thought I would ever hear ‘follow that dolphin’ together in one sentence,’ she mused. She made it to the bridge, and slowed the engines down till the ship was crawling across the ocean. “Where’s the dolphin heading?” she called to the pegasus from the bridge balcony.

Fluttershy watched the dolphin for a second, making sure it didn’t change course, before looking back. “She’s heading forward, Twilight!” she called in response. “Keep her straight!”

Twilight nodded, and with her magic made sure the Wave Breaker stayed on course. After a while, Twilight and Fluttershy were soon able to make out where the dolphin was leading them, and their eyes widened in wonder. Twilight teleported herself so she was standing next to Fluttershy once more, and asked, “I wonder where that leads?”

Fluttershy could only shrug in response. Before them was the wide mouth of a cave that tunnelled deep into the mountain, leading into the blackness and whatever lingered at the other side. “Somewhere nice and fluffy I hope,” Fluttershy said, “and not big and scary and possibly quite dangerous.”

Twilight smiled, and then wrapped the tip of her tail around Fluttershy’s. The pegasus looked back in shock when she felt Twilight’s tail go around hers, but quickly relaxed, and smiled demurely at the unicorn. “If there is something big and nasty on the other side of this cave, I won’t let it hurt you,” Twilight said.

Fluttershy’s smile grew wider. “I know you won’t,” she said. The two went silent once more as they watched the cave drawing nearer and nearer with every eye blink.

Author's Note

I know I said last chapter that this one we would be learning more about the flower they are heading after, but this chapter went on so long I decided to make two chapters instead, so we'll be learning more about the flower in chapter 13.

Fun fact: the bit with Twilight in a pirate costume was originally going to be in chapter 11, after they had escaped and once Twilight had caught Fluttershy, she would confess, the two would have the talk, and eventually agree to get together. Of course, plans change.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Chapter 13 (part 1)

Once the Wave Breaker found itself outside the gaping mouth of the cave, the two ponies couldn’t help but shiver in fear at the prospect of what might be inside. The cave entrance was wider than most houses in Ponyville, and just as tall, with jagged rocks around the top of the entrance like teeth. It almost made Fluttershy feel as though they were about to enter the belly of some beast.

“Wow, look at those teeth,” Fluttershy said, amazed yet scared of them. She inched closer to Twilight, who was next to her, and still holding her tail. It was an odd feeling, knowing her marefriend’s tail was wrapped around her own, but something that was becoming more assuring with every passing second.

“Actually, they’re called stalactites,” Twilight informed her, “and they’re formed by the desposition of calcium carbonate and other minerals grouped together into one solid mass, to put it simply.”

Fluttershy looked at her marefriend perplexedly, her face expressing the fact she didn’t get a word of what Twilight just said. Nevertheless, she nodded politely. “Fascinating,” she said. She looked back at the gaping hole in the mountain. “So, um, shall we go in?”

Twilight chewed her bottom lip. “I’m not sure.” She leaned over the edge of the bow and looked down. Once they had made it as close to the entrance of the cave as they could safely go, Twilight slowed the ship to a gentle stop with her magic. Now all they needed to know was if the ship would fit through and not get stranded, and whether or not the cave ceiling was tall enough for the Wave Breaker to fit through.

“Blast,” Twilight cursed as she set herself back onto all fours. “I can’t tell how deep the water goes from here.”

Fluttershy hummed in thought. “Perhaps…” she started, but her voice faded away into nothingness. “Forget I said anything.”

“No, go on. What was it you were going to say?” Twilight insisted.

“Well, um, perhaps if I dived in and had a look–” Fluttershy suggested, but was cut off by Twilight’s hoof when the unicorn realised what she was going to say.

“No,” Twilight said fiercely. “I want to do this without risking anypony’s life, especially yours.”

Fluttershy pushed Twilight’s hoof out of her mouth. “But how else are we going to find out how deep it goes?” Fluttershy queried, raising an eyebrow. “I’m a good swimmer, Twilight, and I have dived in some of the really deep lakes around Ponyville.”

“But this isn’t a lake!” Twilight persisted. “This is the ocean, which goes far deeper than any lake in Equestria ever could, and filled with all sorts of monsters that would gobble us up without hesitation.”

Fluttershy’s raised eyebrow rose a little higher. “Is that what you are worried about? Me getting eaten by some sea creature?” Twilight nodded sharply, which made Fluttershy laugh. “Oh, Twilight, that is sweet of you, but I can take care of myself when it comes to sharks and other sea predators.” She put a hoof on top of Twilight’s own. “Let me do this. Please?”

Twilight wanted adamantly to say no, and that she would have to tie Fluttershy up if it meant keeping her on board and safe from harm. Yet, to see the pegasus so confident in something was a rarity for her and anypony. It made her feel terrible and clingy to Fluttershy to want to keep her so close. ‘She’s two years older than me,’ she reminded herself. ‘She can look after herself in times like this.’ Despite that, she knew the pegasus needed some comfort and protection from time to time.

Twilight reluctantly sighed, and nodded. “Okay, Fluttershy. You can jump in, but please be careful.”

Fluttershy embraced Twilight in a tight hug. “Don’t worry about me, sweetie. I’ll be fine.” She gave Twilight a quick kiss on the cheek before she pulled away from the unicorn, turned around and prepared herself to dive into the water.

“Wait,” Twilight called as she walked up to Fluttershy. “I just had an idea. Something I learnt so I can keep in contact with you.”

Fluttershy turned her head around to face her. “What do you mean?”

Twilight lowered her head so the tip of her horn was touching Fluttershy’s forehead. “Like this.” Her horn lit up, and Fluttershy’s head turned magenta for a moment, before resorting back to her normal yellow colour.

Fluttershy took a step back, and shook her head to clear it of the dizziness that blurred her vision. Her head somehow felt heavier than it should, as though Twilight had placed a stone inside her head. “What did you do?” she asked.

Twilight smiled pleasantly. Can you hear me? she asked, though her mouth did not move – Fluttershy could hear Twilight’s words in her mind. If you can, speak to me through your thoughts.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in alarm. How did you get in my mind? she enquired.

A simple spell I cast that has connected our minds for a while. It allows us to talk privately while listening to others – or making it seem like we are anyway, Twilight answered. Her voice seemed to echo in Fluttershy’s mind, as though the unicorn was talking to her from another hill miles away, yet she was right in front of her. Celestia taught me this when she was bored in her meetings, and could talk to me and help me out with my studies when she couldn’t be there.

That was nice of her, Fluttershy said, her own voice echoing across the plains between them. Do you use this spell a lot, or is this time just a rare moment?

Twilight shook her head. To be honest, she admitted, I have used this spell a few times with Spike when we were all together and having a sleepover. I just did it so I could talk to him privately about matters, mainly involving Rarity on Spike’s side.

Fluttershy giggled. Everypony knew about Spike’s crush on Rarity, even the unicorn herself knew it, yet nopony seemed to tell Spike about it. Poor thing. I hope he gets the courage to tell her soon.

That’s what I’m hoping on, too, Twilight said, grinning. She nimbly shook her head. Anyway, shouldn’t you be going under?

Fluttershy’s eyes widened once more as she remembered what she was about to do. “Oh yes, of course,” she said aloud. She leaned forward and kissed Twilight’s cheek once again. “See you in a bit.” With that, she jumped over the railing of the ship, closed her eyes and dived into the water.

When Fluttershy opened her eyes again, she found herself in a large bowl that had overfilled with water, and was squished a bit so some of it could fit into the cave. She could see seaweed, and other sea plants dangling from cracks in the rocks. She looked down at the bottom of the bowl, and giggled as she watched a small red crab scurry away from the newcomer, walking sideways. ‘That always looks so silly,’ she thought.

What looks silly? Twilight asked curiously.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she felt Twilight’s voice carry itself through her mind. How did you hear that?

Oh, sorry, it’s a terrible side affect of the spell that I have to listen to your thoughts as you have to listen to mine, Twilight explained. I’ll try not to think of anything that would embarrass you.

And I’ll try as well, Fluttershy said, though she couldn’t help but be annoyed. Anyway, the water is pretty deep down here. The ship should be able to get through easily without much trouble.

On the Wave Breaker, Twilight sighed in relief. How far does it go?

Up to the entrance of the cave, Fluttershy replied. I’ll swim ahead, while you guide the ship into the cave. How does that sound?

Twilight felt her stomach begin to growl in worry once more. Can’t you come back on board now, and wait until we’re further into the cave?

But by then it could be too late, and the ship might get stuck, Fluttershy countered. I’ll swim ahead, and make sure you know where I am constantly. By the time you get the ship to move again, I’ll be ages ahead.

Twilight sighed. Though Fluttershy was usually quiet, she knew how to make a good argument when it mattered. ‘She’s a lot cleverer than most ponies give her credit.’ Her eyes widened when she realised she had thought it, instead of saying it aloud.

Oh, thank you, Twilight, Fluttershy said. But I’m not as clever as you.

Twilight chuckled. Sometimes I wonder. Anyway, take it slow, and mind the rocks; they’re a lot more dangerous than they look. Be careful, sweetheart.

Fluttershy was touched by Twilight’s care for her. I will. And you, too. She swam back up to the surface of the water, gasped a lungful of air, and then began swimming into the cave. She ignored the feeling in her guts to take up Twilight’s offer and get back on board the ship. ‘The ship and Twilight need me down here. I won’t be any use up there at all.’ She put her head under the water, and her eyes widened in horror as she saw the vast number of sea plants inhabiting the floor of the cave.

The plants of the ocean, though they didn’t look it, were far deadlier than any predator of the deep, she believed. One wrong move with a leg and she could get it tangled in weeds that could keep her down and make her unable to escape. She didn’t want to dwell on what happened after that. ‘It’s fine, Fluttershy, just keep your hooves up high and make sure you avoid any plants from the seabed,’ she thought. She quickly cursed herself for briefly forgetting Twilight could hear her thoughts once again. She shook her head, floated to the surface once more and continued to swim deeper into the cave.

Back on the Wave Breaker, Twilight’s belly growled with worry and dread as she watched her marefriend disappear into the darkness. At first she had been glad that Fluttershy seemed so confident with herself and so ready to take this on. But to hear her sounding so unsure of herself made Twilight want to dive into the water and drag her back on board. She took a deep, calming breath to keep herself together. “Panicking would not help anypony,” she told herself, “especially Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy, my sweet, talk to me. How far are you into the cave? Twilight asked, hoping she didn’t sound too concerned.

I’ve just swum around a corner, Fluttershy replied. It’s a bit too dark now; I can’t see a thing in front of me. Are you going to bring the ship forward? The water is deep enough for it to come in.

Sure thing. Just stay where you are until I can get the ship’s lights to work, Twilight replied. With that, she lifted her head high so her horn was pointing to the sky, and cast her magic until the hull of the ship glowed with a magenta aura. She heard the ship’s systems begin to kick in, and then the ship began to surge slowly forward like Rainbow’s pet turtle – tortoise! – when it was time for lunch.

She turned around and watched with anxious dread as the ship began to be cast by the cave’s shadow, and the gap between the ship’s tall funnel and the cave entrance began to thin quickly. All right, Fluttershy, I’m coming in, Twilight said.

I know you are, I can hear it from ages away, Fluttershy said. She was bobbing up and down in the water, waiting patiently for Twilight and the Wave Breaker to catch up with her. She couldn’t see much thanks to the darkness, but what she did see put her in awe. The walls of the cave glittered dark silver from the rocks. She could hear the faint sounds of water dripping from the ceiling to what she presumed to be a narrow path beside her.

Twilight, when you get here, could you shine a light left of me and see if there is a path next to me? Fluttershy asked politely.

Twilight was confused. What makes you think there is a path next to you?

Just a hunch, but I can hear water dripping down onto a flat stretch of rock, and I figured it could be a path next to me, Fluttershy replied.

Twilight was still unsure, but she nodded. Sure thing, sweetie, she said. She looked back, and gasped in horror as she finally calculated the ship’s funnel was far too tall for the cave entrance. She thought about stopping the ship and engaging the reversing engine, but quickly went against it – the ship was going too quickly to stop and go into reverse before it could hit. Either way, the funnel would collide with the tunnel entrance. She looked around frantically for something that could protect her from what would shortly be a very large piece of falling metal. Unable to see anything, she came to the best bet of survival – her magic.

She powered up her horn once more, and cast a powerful shield around herself. Just as the shield sprang to life, the funnel collided into the top of the cave entrance, the metal shrieking as it was pushed against the cave. For a moment the ship stalled, held in place by the funnel that was being pushed back relentlessly. Twilight watched in horror – and mild fascination – as the forces of nature and the creations of ponies were fighting to see which would break apart first. She knew already which would win. Nature always won in the end.

Fluttershy flattened her ears as the screeching sound of metal against rock rang ceaselessly through her brain. Is everything all right, Twilight?

Yep. Fine. Totally under control. The funnel is definitely not crashing into the top of the cave entrance and threatening to break off and fall on top of the ship, Twilight replied, trying hard to keep the panic out of her voice.

Oh, okay then, Fluttershy said, turning back towards the rest of the cave to mind her own business. Her eyes widened when she realised what Twilight meant. The funnel is going to collapse on top of the ship!

Yes, well, no, well, probably, well, okay, very likely, Twilight replied. But don’t worry; I have a shield protecting me from whatever damage is likely to occur. Just keep away and you’ll be fine. She felt the ship lurch forward suddenly beneath her hooves, making her stagger backwards. It was thanks to her rump hitting the railing on the bow of the ship that she managed to stay upright. She looked up, and watched as the top of the funnel was crushed by the thick rock, and several of the supports keeping the funnel were ripped off with a mighty twang.

The ship bolted forward again, this time sending Twilight hurtling forward. She landed on her stomach with an, “Oof!” leaving her lips. She shook her head to clear the dizziness, and then looked up in horror as the funnel couldn’t be held up any longer, and fell backwards on top of the back of the ship.

Smoke as white as a cloud billowed out of the gaping hole where the funnel once was, filling up the cave with its foul smell, as well as blinding Twilight. The unicorn’s horn lit up once more and, with a swing of her head, swept the smoke out of the cave and back outside in a powerful and magical gust of wind. “There, that will do it,” she said to herself.

With visibility restored, Twilight turned around to guide the ship, but looked in increasing alarm as she saw the ship was going too fast and about to crash into the rocks at the far corner of the turn. Twilight lit up her horn once more and tried to make the ship turn about quickly.

“Twilight, get off the ship, now!” Fluttershy yelled, knowing the ship would never make it. A small part of her wanted to be wrong, however.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t.

With a groan, the ship collided into the bank of the cave, and arched to the left as it ran up the side. Twilight was thrown about the bow like a pinball as the ship crashed. She eventually stopped and was able to concentrate at last, even as she could feel the ship wobble unsteadily from its new perch. “Twilight! Twilight, can you hear me?” Fluttershy called.

“I’m fine… I think!” Twilight replied. She looked herself over for damage, and was relieved to see she was okay. She was forced to press her hooves firmly into the deck as the ship began to keel over and fall. “Time to abandon ship, I think,” she mumbled to herself.

She galloped to the other side of the ship towards her marefriend, not noticing the ship capsizing thanks to her movements. She leapt over the railing, and landed into the water. Before she could rest, she briskly swam away from the ship as gravity finally took it, and sent the Wave Breaker onto its side. Water rushed through the hole where the funnel used to be, and through any open windows that touched the surface of the water.

The wave that was produced once the Wave Breaker had fully capsized slammed into Twilight as though somepony had hit her on the head with a hammer, and sent her under. The unicorn began to panic blindly as she tried to think about what just happened, and to get back up and get some air. She panicked even more when she couldn’t reach the surface. She looked down and saw a long piece of sea plant had entangled in her hoof, and was keeping her down. She clawed like a cat scratching a new pair of curtains as she tried to push herself free, but to no avail. Her vision started to go dark as water filled her lungs.

She suddenly felt the feeling of soft, furry hooves wrapping around her, and pulling her upwards. At first Twilight thought it was an angel taking her soul to Paradise, but when she felt the freshness of the air, and water dripping down her face, she knew immediately she wasn’t in the embrace of an angel – she was in the embrace of somepony far greater than one of them.

“Twilight, take deep breaths for me!” Fluttershy yelled, patting her marefriend’s back. The patting forced Twilight to cough out some of the saltwater that got into her lungs, and quite a bit went in, judging by how much Twilight was spitting out. After a while, Twilight stopped coughing, and tightened her hold around Fluttershy, her eyes open and looking heavy with fatigue. “Oh, thank goodness you are safe,” Fluttershy whispered, nuzzling Twilight’s forehead.

A silence stayed between them for a moment as they bobbed up and down in the water, with only their heavy breathing breaking it. “Thank you for saving my life,” Twilight whispered eventually. “I thought I was going to drown.”

“Of course you wouldn’t. I was here, wasn’t I?” Fluttershy said, stroking her marefriend’s cheek. “Come on, let’s get out of the water; it’s starting to get cold.” Gently, the pegasus began to swim towards the bank to get out of the water, with Twilight paddling like a foal to keep going.

“Hold up,” Twilight said. With a burst of magic from her horn, the two ponies disappeared from the water, and emerged on a thin path that led deeper into the cave. That didn’t matter now, especially to Fluttershy, who felt Twilight shake in her hold. Being a pegasus, Fluttershy was able to take cold temperatures. For others, especially the unicorns, it was a more frightening matter.

She tightened her grip around Twilight, and wrapped her wings around the unicorn for safe measure. “Wait, what are you doing?” Twilight asked as she looked at the two wings wrapping around her. She couldn’t stop herself from blushing.

“I’m using my body heat to warm you up,” Fluttershy whispered. “If you stay as cold as you are for long, you could catch pneumonia.” She shut her eyes tight to rid herself of the images she didn’t want to come true.

Twilight smiled thinly, and wrapped her hooves around the pegasus as well. “Good thinking,” she complimented.

“Thanks,” Fluttershy said, grinning. She slowly lowered the two of them to the ground, with Twilight resting flat on top of her. She blushed at the position they were in, but she knew it was out of necessity. “How does this feel?”

Twilight felt her cheeks go from pink to red as she felt herself lying on top of her marefriend; she started to feel warmer already. “Much better, thanks” she rattled. “Are you–?”

“Shush, Twilight, my dear, don’t speak,” Fluttershy whispered, putting a hoof against Twilight’s lips to silence her. “And to answer your question – yes, I am comfortable like this.”

Twilight nodded, and then lowered her head and rested it on Fluttershy’s chest, breathing heavily. Fluttershy rested her head back and sighed, gently stroking her marefriend’s mane. ‘An hour or so, and we should be able to get going again,’ she thought. “We’ll give this an hour before we set off, if that’s okay with you?”

Twilight only nodded in reply. With that in mind, both ponies closed their eyes and took a quick nap.

An hour later, Fluttershy opened her eyes when she felt a drip of water land on her muzzle. She wrinkled her nose as she felt it trickle down, before wiping it off with a hoof. She brought her head up, and smiled sweetly at the unicorn lying on top of her.

Twilight looked very comfortable where she was. Her head was buried in Fluttershy’s thick coat, breathing steadily, and her legs were wrapped tightly around the pegasus, keeping her down and unable to get up.

Fluttershy felt very guilty for what she was about to do, but she had to do it nonetheless; her back was starting to ache against the cold floor. She gave Twilight a gentle tap on the shoulder. “Twilight?” she said softly. “It’s time to get going.” When all she got in reply was a snore, Fluttershy nudged her again, this time harder. “Twilight? Sweetheart?”

At that, a groan left Twilight’s lips, and she slowly opened her eyes. “Huh… what?” she asked. Her eyes widened when she realised she was lying on top of her pegasus lover. She got up and hastily backed away, allowing Fluttershy to get back up. “Oh dear, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep but I was so exhausted and…” The sweet smile from Fluttershy cut her off. “I didn’t dribble on you, did I? I’m told I do that – a lot.”

Once she was on her hooves, Fluttershy shook her head. “No, Twilight, you did not. And it’s okay you slept; I had forty winks myself.” She let out a sigh. “But I think it’s best we get out of this cave and see what’s ahead.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “I think it’s best as well. It’s a shame we’re going to have to hoof it the rest of the way, now that we have lost the ship.” Both ponies turned around and saw the capsized form of the Wave Breaker. The hole where the funnel had been was under the water, and the two ponies could make out some of the crates floating beside it.

“Can’t you set it upright with your magic?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight shook her head solemnly. “I don’t think I could do that, I’m afraid.”

“But you did lift a ursa minor off the ground and back into the Everfree Forest,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Yes, but that was in an emergency, and a unicorn’s magic ability is boosted substantially when said unicorn is in danger. Here, though, we aren’t in any danger as far as I can see, so I won’t be able to do it.” Twilight sighed. “Even if I could, there is a chance that when the Wave Breaker crashed into the rocks, it tore a few holes in the hull. If I do get it upright and back on water, it probably won’t stay afloat for very long.”

Fluttershy’s ears fell flat, and she looked at Twilight with devastated eyes. “So you’re saying that…?”

Twilight nodded. “The Wave Breaker is gone,” she stated sadly. The two ponies put their heads together, and bowed in respect and lamentation to the ship that had taken them to the other side of Terra.

“Do you think it’s stable now?” Fluttershy asked when their heads parted.

Twilight tilted her head from side to side as she analysed the shipwreck’s position. “I think it is for the moment,” Twilight answered after a while. “Yet it still might slip from its perch and sink entirely. Why do you ask?”

Fluttershy spread her wings, and made herself ready to fly. “Our saddlebags are in there, and I figured I might be able to get them,” Fluttershy replied. She looked around and saw Twilight’s face, which screamed its protest. “I won’t be long, I promise.”

Twilight felt like wrapping Fluttershy in her magic and dragging her kicking and screaming if need be away from the wreck and deeper into the cave. Yet she knew it wouldn’t win Fluttershy over – the pegasus would pick the moment she had her guard down, and then make her way back.

Twilight looked away and sighed. “Two minutes, please,” she said sharply.

Fluttershy grinned, and gave Twilight a quick kiss on her marefriend’s cheek. “I won’t even be that. See you in a minute.” With that, she flew off away from the unicorn, and towards the wreck of the Wave Breaker, leaving Twilight to twist her stomach in worry.

Fluttershy felt a knot being tied in her stomach as she fluttered over the Wave Breaker, looking for an entrance. The light from outside was enough to light up the ship, thankfully, so she was able to see clearly. “Twilight!” she called over to the unicorn. “Do you think Seahoof and Wave Kicker’s cabin are on this side of the ship?”

Twilight nodded. “I think it was! If not, don’t bother about going any further, please?”

Fluttershy felt touched once more about Twilight’s concern for her well-being. She nodded. “Of course, Twilight,” she replied, before diving into one of the open doors of the ship. She spread her wings and flapped them hard, allowing her to descend at a calm pace. She eventually made it to the start of another corridor, and flew forward.

It felt weird to her flying through a ship lying on its side, but it was also, as Rainbow Dash would put it, pretty cool. She stopped all of a sudden. ‘Am I just trying to act like Rainbow Dash to make Twilight like me more?’ she asked herself. This did seem to her to be a thing the rainbow-maned pegasus would do. ‘Oh, no wonder poor Twilight looked so worried. I’m not Rainbow Dash, but I can’t turn back now. I need to get the bags and get out of here.’ She flapped her wings faster and sent her forward.

She eventually found herself outside a plain white cabin door that looked familiar to her, and tried to push it open. She silently cursed when she found it to be jammed. ‘I’ll have to find another way around,’ she thought. She recalled there was a window at the front looking towards the bow, and figured she could get through there. She turned around and flew back the way she came.

She came out once more, and flew around to what was the top of the ship. “What’s wrong?” Twilight called from her place.

“The door was jammed!” Fluttershy replied. “I’m going to try another way in!” she looked up and down the length of the ship, and eventually saw it just at the edge of the water. Fluttershy cracked a wide smile. She flew forward, and gently slid open the window, not noticing Twilight was leaning forward and preparing herself to power up her horn at any moment to pull Fluttershy away from danger.

The ship groaned loudly like an empty stomach as Fluttershy made the opening wide enough for her to slip through and get inside. She noticed quickly that the wardrobe housing their saddlebags was against the door, and tilted to the side with the door barely revealed. Fluttershy grinned at her luck, and then cautiously fluttered forward.

She made it to the wardrobe door, and anticipated her next move. Sweat poured down her face as she thought about it. She didn’t know whether to open it up quickly, snatch the bags out and fly as fast as she could out of there, or take it nice and slowly. ‘Oh,’ she moaned in thought. ‘Now what would Twilight do with this wardrobe if she was here instead of me?’

I would lift the wardrobe up with my magic and turn it the right way until it is safe enough to open the wardrobe and get the bags, Twilight’s voice replied in her head.

Oh, okay, of course she would, Fluttershy said, nodding. Her eyes bulged when she realised she had heard Twilight’s voice in her head. Are we still magically connected?

Yeah, sorry I forgot to mention it, Twilight said apologetically. Don’t worry it will be gone in less than a minute. Anyway, what’s the problem?

The wardrobe is tilting a bit against the door, Fluttershy replied. I don’t know whether to open it fast and get them quickly, or take it slow and steady. What would you do if you didn’t have magic?

Personally, I would leave it, Twilight replied. My saddlebags aren’t something for me to cry over. I can always get more, as well as the books, and I made copies of my artwork for later. But I take it the same can’t be said for yours?

Although she knew Twilight couldn’t see it, Fluttershy nodded. My grandma made those saddlebags for me after I got my cutie mark. It is the only item I own to remember her by. And that blanket my mother made for me is in there, as well as other things. I can’t just leave them here, Twilight. They are too precious to me.

Twilight nodded understandably. I know, sweetheart. Just remember that you are more precious to your parents and your grandmother than any of those things. And you’re precious to me, too.

Fluttershy went pink completely. She could see that Twilight was right, though. Even with her grandmother gone, she knew she would not approve of this, neither would her parents. She could practically hear her grandmother yelling in her colourful language at her to stop and leave them, making the pegasus giggle.

Eventually, she came to a decision. She turned around and flew out of the window, leaving it all behind, and back towards Twilight, whose heart leapt out of place upon seeing her coming back empty hoofed.

Fluttershy landed in front of Twilight, and smiled nervously while looking anywhere but in front of her. “You are right, sweetie. I am more precious to them than a few things I can replace. My grandmother wouldn’t approve as well, and I know full well what she would say if she could see me now,” she said softly, her ears falling flat. Her eyes started to brim with tears. “I’m sorry I worried you like that. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

Her words were drowned out when Twilight leapt forward and crushed her in a tight, loving hug. “Shh, it’s okay, I’m not mad,” she cooed tenderly, rubbing her lover’s back. She kissed the pegasus’s forehead, and then tightened her embrace. “Just don’t ever try anything as reckless as that again. I fell in love with you for other reasons; your recklessness was not one of them. Promise me you won’t?”

Fluttershy pulled back and looked into Twilight’s loving eyes. “I won’t do anything like that again. I pinkie promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my ey– ow!” she said with the gestures, but only forgetting to close her eye before placing her hoof on it.

Twilight looked away so she could snort and snigger. “Sorry,” she said upon noticing Fluttershy’s glare. “It’s just I made the same mistake myself one time, and boy, didn’t that hurt!” She stood straight and cleared her throat to calm herself down, then turned around to look ahead. “Right, feel up for a bit of adventuring?”

Fluttershy stood beside Twilight, and wrapped her tail in the unicorn’s own. “I’m ready, Twilight,” she replied, blushing a little. “And my eye is fine, thanks for asking.”

“You’re welcome,” Twilight replied, grinning. “Right then, let’s go.” With that, Twilight’s horn emulated a bright light, illuminating the path ahead, and the couple started to walk deeper into the cave.

“So, um…” Fluttershy hummed, looking around the cave, about a quarter of an hour later. “How should we pass the time until we get to the other side?”

Twilight looked at her marefriend for a moment, before turning her head away in thought. Around them, the cave glittered wetly in the light coming from Twilight’s horn, and grew wider the deeper they went in. Above them, stalactites pointed threateningly at them with tips sharper than a spear’s. On the other side of the cave, beyond the narrowing river, the walls flowed like waves across the ocean, creating a beautiful pattern in the process. Twilight knew they were flowstones that were formed by water flowing down from the cave ceiling to the floor, but she didn’t care – they were beautiful, just like the pegasus next to her.

And right now, the pegasus was still awaiting an answer. “Oh, uh, sorry, sweetheart, I got a bit distracted for a tic. I don’t know what to do to pass the time. I would suggest a game of I Spy, but I can already guess the answers every time.”

“Um, I don’t know, let’s try it and see,” Fluttershy said. She looked around for something to play as the river suddenly ran dry and a small pool appeared next to them. “Oh, I spy with my little eye, something beginning with–”

“Is it a rock?” Twilight butted in.

She was surprised when Fluttershy started laughing. “Nope, something beginning with D,” she said as she stopped walking. “That would teach you for butting in.”

Twilight halted as well, and looked at her marefriend in shock. “But there is nothing around here that starts with a D!”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Fluttershy said, looking at the ceiling while scraping the ground with a hoof. “I can see something that is technically named with a D around here.”

Twilight’s brow creased in surprise. “So we’re going to be using the technical names for rocks, then?” A large smirk appeared across her lips. “This is going to be good.” She darted her head left and right to look for something Fluttershy had noticed. Being the bookworm she was, she knew every type of rock in a cave. ‘Fluttershy probably knows that as well,’ she thought.

Seeing nothing on the walls, or on the cave floor, she looked to the pond, and grinned when she saw the oddly shaped rocks that, from afar, looked like little balls of fluff huddled together. “Is it those dogtooth spar rocks over there?” Twilight asked, turning her head slowly to smile wryly at the pegasus.

Fluttershy nodded excitedly. “Yay!” she cheered, her cheer echoing across the cave. “To be honest, I am surprised you got that as quick as you did.”

“That’s what happens when you read a book about rock formations in a cave on a rainy day,” Twilight replied, smirking. The two set off down the path once more, their tails still attached together. “And if I am honest, I’m surprised you knew about them. I was right earlier – you are a lot smarter than most ponies give you credit for.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Thanks, Twily, but I don’t think I’m that smart,” she said modestly. She sighed and bowed her head. “How can I be considered smart if I don’t even know what love feels like?”

Twilight looked at her beloved concernedly. “Is that what’s been bothering you?”

“On and off,” Fluttershy replied, nodding. “It’s just that, I’m annoyed with myself that I don’t know my true feelings for you yet, and I don’t want to make a decision that will end poorly for the both of us.”

Twilight nuzzled her face gently, and then looked ahead again. “To be fair, sweetheart, I don’t think anypony truly knows what love feels like. Some ponies say that you get butterflies in the stomach when you look at the pony you love, or you start to think differently about your crush, or get tongue tied when you’re around them. It varies from pony to pony, I think.”

“So, um, how did you know you were in love with me?” Fluttershy asked, raising her head a little with a look of curiousness in her cyan eyes.

Twilight lowered her head a bit. “I didn’t,” she admitted. “Not for a while, at least.”

Fluttershy really wanted to know now. “How long?”

Twilight chewed her bottom lip. “About… three years ago, I think? Maybe less.”

Fluttershy’s eyes nearly fell out. “Three years?” she repeated incredulously. “But, that’s since we’ve known each other. You mean to say that you have had this crush on me since we first met?”

Twilight shook her head. “I think it more came about after you saved me from that cockatrice. After I left you with Rarity, I could not stop thinking about you: what you did for me, how you have always been a good friend to me, even when I don’t deserve your kindness, and how loyal, trustworthy and honest you are. It was only after the wedding of my brother did I realise what I was feeling for you was love.” Twilight’s ears fell flat and she looked at the ground. “Sorry I never told you earlier.”

Fluttershy walked forward and wrapped her neck around Twilight’s, gently nuzzling her back. “Don’t you ever be sorry about that, you hear? You didn’t know how I would react to such news.”

Twilight smiled and returned the loving nuzzle. “Thank you,” she said. They pulled their heads away and continued walking through the cave. “How would you have reacted had I told you about it?” she asked.

Fluttershy shrugged. “I… I don’t really know. Freaking out would have been the main one, I think. Sorry, but it’s true. I would have never expected it, especially from you.” Her brow creased for a second as they moved out of the large area and into a smaller passage. “What did it feel like? Knowing that you loved me?”

Twilight stuck the tip of her tongue out. “When I realised that I love you, I felt more happy than I did when I became a student to Princess Celestia. The feelings, though… that was a difficult one. When I saw you, I wanted to sit next to you and be next to you always. Even on a gloomy day, seeing you always brought a smile to my face, and it always brightened up my day when you came round for tea or a chat. Even long after those talks, I always remember them over the talks I had with our friends, for our little chats just seemed more special to me than anypony else’s.” She hung her head as though she was ashamed of it. “Does that seem weird to you?”

Fluttershy shook her head briskly, smiling sweetly with a faint blush on her cheeks. “Not at all. I think that’s sweet, if I’m honest.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks.” She looked ahead. “How do you feel, though? Being next to me and holding tails with me? Does this make you feel anything different to me?”

Fluttershy looked at the ground, deep in thought. “I’m… I’m not sure,” she said sadly, drooping her ears. “Oh don’t get me wrong, I do like us holding tails. It feels strange, but I suppose it is something I will get used to over time. And I adore our cuddles. They make me not just feel safe and secure, but loved as well. However, I just don’t know. Maybe if I had more time, then maybe I will know.”

Twilight chuckled. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. You have all the time in the world.” The couple went silent for a bit as they continued down the long dark tunnel. Halfway down, Twilight started to laugh. “Look at us?” she said, much to Fluttershy’s confusion. “We’re together as a couple, and not one of us knows what to actually do in a relationship. Something that should be common knowledge, and the both of us are terrible at it.”

Fluttershy shook her head rapidly in disagreement. “I don’t think so at all. So what if we cuddle and play games together and just be by each other’s side a bit more rather than doing anything else? I like it, and I don’t care what other ponies say or think about it.”

Twilight grinned. “That’s the spirit, girl!” she exclaimed delightfully. The two grinned at each other, and then continued along the path.

After a few minutes, they emerged from the passage and entered a large, domed-shaped chamber with two or three huge stalactites hanging from the ceiling. They could see a large pool in the far corner, connected by the other one by a thin stream that trickled with water. The two ponies continued walking for a moment, but then stopped when they saw a problem. Ahead of them were two perfectly formed tunnels, each heading in a different direction.

“Okay, which one shall we take?” Twilight asked, her eyes wandering from tunnel to tunnel.

Fluttershy let go of Twilight’s tail, and plonked her rear down on the floor for a bit. “I have no idea,” she replied as her eyes wandered from tunnel to tunnel as well. Both didn’t give any hint or clue of which one led where; they couldn’t feel even the slightest breath of air coming from one of them.

“How do we know which one to take?” Fluttershy asked. She looked to Twilight for answers. “Can you think of anything?”

Twilight started to pace up and down, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “Give me a moment to come up with something,” Twilight said as she paced. She looked around at the chamber around her. “There must be something here that could show us the way out.”

Fluttershy’s eyes slowly wandered the chamber as she searched as well. After a moment, she realised her bum was getting wet from sitting on the ground and stood up straight. “Be careful with the ground, Twilight,” she warned her marefriend, shaking her rump dry. “It’s pretty wet.”

Twilight waved a hoof in acknowledgment. “Will do,” she called. She froze all of a sudden when Fluttershy’s words hit her in the back of the head. ‘The ground is wet?’ she thought. She looked at her hooves, and was surprised to see how wet her hooves and the coat hair on her lower legs had become. ‘But I dried off from the water ages ago. How can my hooves get all wet now?’

She looked up at the ceiling, closed her eyes, and sent the glowing orb hanging from her horn into the air like a pegasus doing a fast take-off. The orb exploded in a blaze of white light, blinding the two ponies for a second, then it calmed down to glow like the sun veiled by misty grey clouds.

“That did the trick,” Twilight remarked as she looked around once her eyes returned to their normal size. The cave was lit up as though Twilight had ripped down the ceiling and brought the light of day in. The rough, uneven cave walls glowed in a dark, golden colour, which Twilight knew was limestone, and the pool rippled as waves of light pulsated from the orb and bounced across the surface of the water.

“Twilight, look at this!” Fluttershy called, beckoning her over with a flapping hoof.

Twilight ran over immediately, and once she was beside her marefriend, gasped at what she was seeing. Along the cave wall the couple faced, once hidden by the dark but now revealed to all, were the remnants of a cave painting. Most of it was destroyed, with limbs of ponies missing, and huge gaps between it where the water had washed some of it away. Nevertheless, it was still recognisable as a long line of ponies marching together, heading off to a journey unknown to the two ponies looking at it.

Twilight inched closer, and ran a hoof gently over the faded image of a pony. “These are incredible,” she whispered. She moved back to Fluttershy’s side, who looked at the painting with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“Any idea how old that is?” Fluttershy asked with a flick of her head at the paintings.

Twilight shook her head in puzzlement. “Not a clue,” she answered plainly. “But what I want to know is who made it, and why?” She put her hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders and shook her excitedly. “Isn’t this brilliant? The possibility that we may have found the remnants of an ancient breed of pony!”

Fluttershy nodded, a wide smile forming on her lips. “Oh, it is, truly brilliant.” She looked back at the painting, and her smile faded. “But what happened to the rest of it? Surely they didn’t start it and then not finish it.”

Twilight shook her head. “I think the water must have destroyed most of it, sweetheart,” she replied. She looked around at the cave, nodding to herself as she came to a conclusion in her mind. “The cave must get flooded by water when the tide comes in. Over time the water from the ocean just wipes away most of it whilst the tide stays up. When it recedes, another piece of history is taken away with it.” She pointed to the cave painting. “I reckon in a hundred years or so, there will be nothing left of this.”

She didn’t notice Fluttershy going pale yellow. “Did you say the tide comes in and floods this place?”

“Uh, yeah, I did. Why?”

“So when does the tide come in next?”

“Well that depends on the place really. One part of Terra may experience only one high tide, while another may experience two high tides a day. Even then, one would be in the morning and the other in the evening.”

“But doesn’t that mean we should get out of here before the sun starts to set?”

Twilight’s face fell into a look of horror as she realised what Fluttershy was getting at. “Oh.” She hastily looked back and forth between the two tunnels. “Quick, pick a number between one and eleven!”

“Um, how about five?”

“Five, great number! That was the age I stopped drinking my mother’s milk!” Fluttershy looked at her as though she had heard something she didn’t want to know. “Okay, let’s do this.” Twilight started pointing at both entrances one at a time, silently muttering to herself, “One, two, three, four, five.” Her hoof landed on the one on the left, where the cave painting went into. “We’ll go down that one,” Twilight concluded. She brought the light floating above the cave entrance back onto her horn, and galloped down the passage with Fluttershy just behind her.

‘I hope I picked the right number,’ Fluttershy prayed as she caught up with Twilight. The two exchanged nervous grins, then looked ahead once more as they rounded corners at a fast pace, and avoided cracks and large rocks that could trip them up.

Fluttershy felt her hoof connect with a large piece of rock sticking out of the ground, and felt herself fall forward. Before her face could plant itself onto the ground, Twilight wrapped her magic around Fluttershy, and levitated the pegasus back to her side. “Are you hurt?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy looked down at the hoof, and saw a faint chip along the edge. “I’ve chipped my hoof, but other than that I’m fine,” she replied, smiling calmly.

“Let me see your hoof,” Twilight asked. Fluttershy lifted her leg up and showed the chipped hoof to Twilight. The unicorn leaned down and gently kissed the place where it was chipped. “Better?”

Fluttershy blushed crimson red and nodded. “Very much so,” she squeaked through her mane. She cleared her throat, and gestured to the passage ahead. “Shall we?”

Twilight blushed pink in embarrassment, and nodded. “Of course.” With that, the two broke into a gallop, with Fluttershy taken shorter strides now that she had a chipped hoof.

As she ran, Fluttershy thought back to that moment. Despite Twilight’s lack of sense of hygiene, she found the gesture touching. Her parents had done the same thing when she had injured herself as a filly, and it always made her feel better. ‘Does that mean what I feel for Twilight is not love, but a longing for a parent figure other than my real parents?’ she wondered.

The thought sounded, and seemed strange, yet even with its weirdness, it could be true. Even though Fluttershy was two years older, Twilight was wiser, stronger, more confident, and could be a great parent someday than the pegasus could ever be. She was the one most ponies turned to when a situation arose, and Fluttershy always went to Twilight for help before anypony else. ‘Does that make me want her to be the bigger and better sister I always wanted?’ she thought.

“Fluttershy, look! Twilight cried joyfully. Fluttershy looked up, and her face widened in delight when she saw light. Not the magic light coming from the tip of Twilight’s horn, however, but natural light from the sun.

“We’re nearly there!” Fluttershy chirped. They pushed themselves to their limits as they rounded the bend and came onto a long straight that ended with a wall of white light. With the thought that the end through the cave was in sight, they galloped even faster, and finally found themselves out of the cave.

When they emerged, they found themselves at the bottom of a long canyon that stretched around a sharp bend. “Oh, that feels good!” Twilight yelled, sighing as she breathed the fresh, sea air in, and felt the sun’s warmth massaging her body.

Fluttershy nodded as she felt the rays of the sun stroking her back and shoulders. “It does,” Fluttershy agreed, grinning at Twilight. She looked ahead, and her mind came up with a thousand possibilities to what could be around the corner. “Shall we see what’s around the bend?”

Twilight nodded agreeably. “Certainly.” She hopped excitedly on the spot as the couple started walking. “Oh, this is so exciting! I feel like I am Daring Do on one of her great adventures! And right now we are possibly about to find the ruins of a lost civilisation, or a great jungle. Oh, what could be around the corner?”

Fluttershy wished she could share the same excitement as Twilight did. Her belly started to rumble with dread, and every step closer made her want to take thirty steps back.

Twilight sensed this, and walked forward and latched her tail around hers. “Remember, sweetheart, if you are ever afraid, just hold on to my tail. I promise you, as long as you want me to, I will never let go,” Twilight said angelically.

Fluttershy felt her stomach calm itself down, and her legs did not want to turn her around anymore. The simple expression of love from Twilight wanted her to keep going and see what is out there, knowing no harm would come to her so long as Twilight’s tail was attached to her own. She wrapped her tail tightly around Twilight’s, and smiled serenely. “Thank you, Twily. Thank you for your kindness.”

Twilight smiled pleasantly. “You are most welcome, my love.” She looked ahead as they rounded the bend, and felt her heart start to freeze over. On one hoof, she was as excited as a filly on Hearth’s Warming morning. On the other, she was petrified of what they could find. Her mind, like Fluttershy’s, came up with every possible scenario she could think of, and each one was just as terrifying as the last.

Suddenly, the corner ended, and they soon find themselves staring at a wide bay covered in deep, bright blue water, and sparkled like crystals in the bright sunlight. Despite the beauty of the bay, it didn’t compare to the golden city on the far side. “Oh… my… goodness,” Fluttershy gasped, her eyes growing in wonderment. Twilight’s jaw dropped as she looked.

The massive city stretched out across the other side of the bay and went back over a large rise, and was shaped like a pincer ready to snap shut. The front of the city was a large harbour, its quays and docks full of long, wooden sailing ships, with each ship’s main sail emblazoned with different creatures: basilisks, griffons, minotaurs, winged unicorns, winged bulls, four-headed dragons, krakens, to name but a few.

Behind the main harbour, the many houses, shops, and towers that made up the city were densely packed together, with little space between them. The buildings they could see were largely squared, rectangular or rounded buildings with flat rooftops and walled with the colour of sand as it shone in the low sun. None of the smaller buildings, however, compared to the two largest buildings that dominated the skyline: one that sat at the far right of the city was a large golden roundhouse with a domed ocean blue roof, while the other one rested at the centre of the city, and dwarfed the Crystal Palace in its height.

“Do you think it’s populated?” Fluttershy asked, looking from the city to Twilight.

“I’m not sure,” Twilight replied, shaking her head. “But if it was abandoned, those ships are in excellent condition after a long time of being neglected.” Twilight took a step closer, her eyes squinting as she looked at it in awe. “This is incredible. I never knew there was a civilisation out here.”

“Neither did I,” Fluttershy said nodding. “But how are we going to get there?” she asked, looking around the wide bay. “There’re no paths from here that leads into the city.”

“And we have no ship to take us over there,” Twilight added. They looked left and right and saw the steep cliff faces that towered above them; they continued until halfway around, where they eased into gentle slopes right up to the city itself. “We need to get to that city today, but how?”

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin as her mind went into deep thought. The more she thought, the more choices came up, and were quickly put down. They couldn’t swim across the bay; they were too far away from the city to make it. They couldn’t walk across, and neither could they wait until tomorrow, or else they would find themselves asleep underwater. ‘I wouldn’t want to rest up on the cliffs as well,’ she thought. ‘There could be anything living up there that could snatch and eat us while we slept.’

There seemed to be only one option left to them, and although Fluttershy feared she wouldn’t make it, she knew she had to give it a shot, for Twilight’s sake more than her own. She walked ahead of Twilight until she stood by the edge, and then looked back to Twilight as she slowly spread her wings, ready to take off. “Hop on to my back,” she said nicely, gesturing with her head at her back.

Twilight looked at Fluttershy’s firmly straight and strong back, something she rarely noticed before, uncertainly. “Are you sure you can fly us both to the city?” Twilight asked worriedly. “I know I’m not the lightest pony on Terra, nor am I the heaviest, but will you be able to take me and yourself to that city?”

Fluttershy gave Twilight a brave smile. “I know I’m not as strong a flier as Rainbow Dash is, but for you, I will give it a shot.” She flexed her wings and shook her backside, making Twilight blush as she watched. “Come on, hop on.”

Twilight nodded reluctantly, and jumped up on Fluttershy’s back. Though she had been on Fluttershy’s back before, she didn’t notice how soft it felt against her stomach. She felt as though her body was melting into it. “How thick is your coat?” Twilight asked as she wrapped her legs around Fluttershy’s neck.

“Um, it’s not that thick,” Fluttershy replied. “But it is thicker than any other ponies due to the weather we pegasi had to endure in our infancy.” She spread her wings wider, and brought them up, ready to flap down and send herself into the air. “Hold on,” she said, before flapping her wings as hard as she could.

Twilight tightened her hold around her marefriend’s neck, and pressed her hind legs into Fluttershy’s waist. At first, they didn’t get very high up, as Fluttershy struggled to keep herself up and move herself forward at once. Twilight, for one of the rare moments on her life, felt powerless as Fluttershy relentlessly flapped her wings and sent them higher into the sky. ‘Come on, Fluttershy, you can do this. I know you can,’ Twilight thought.

Fluttershy looked down for the first time and saw how high they were. ‘That should be high enough,’ she thought, her breath sobbing as she felt her wings were being used to the point of exhaustion. ‘Don’t give up. Think about Twilight.’ She began to kick back with her legs and flapped her wings behind her, sending her forward very slowly, stopping and then moving again. After a moment of uncertainty, she made up a rhythm, and began to fly more calmly, as though she was swimming.

“You okay, Twily?” she asked in a rasping tone, glancing over to her marefriend.

“I’m fine,” Twilight replied. “I’m just annoyed I can’t help you now. Gah, in times like this I could really do with a pair of wings.” She chuckled to herself. “Can you imagine that? Me with wings? The idea sounds ridiculous.”

“Oh… I… don’t know. I think you… would look lovely… with wings,” Fluttershy said breathlessly as she began to tire. “In fact… I think they would… suit you.”

Twilight smiled. “You think?”

Fluttershy nodded as best she could. “And even if… they don’t… I wouldn’t stop loving you… because of them.” She suddenly dropped as her wings started to get tired from use they weren’t familiar to. Twilight felt her insides leave their places and grip themselves onto Twilight’s back as Fluttershy tried to keep them in the air, but to no avail.

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy whispered, before her wings gave up flapping. They both fell like stones.

Twilight’s mind whirled about as she tried to come up with something, even as the world started to spin and fall. She felt Fluttershy leave consciousness as the pegasus went slack in her hold. Twilight shook Fluttershy as best she could, but got no response. She didn’t notice the water was coming up fast. Without thinking, her horn lit up in its magenta glow, and the world stopped spinning.

Twilight peeped an eye open, and grinned when she saw herself and Fluttershy floating above the water in her magic. With them safe for the moment, she nuzzled the back of Fluttershy’s neck. “Fluttershy? Fluttershy, can you hear me?”

After a minute or so with no response, Fluttershy let out an exhausted groan, and could barely lift her head. “Twilight?” she mumbled, much to the unicorn’s relief. “Did I just kill us?”

Twilight shook her head and stroked the side of Fluttershy’s neck. “No, my sweet, you did not.”

Fluttershy groaned as she lifted her head, and for the first time noticed they were floating in Twilight’s magic. She suddenly remembered that Twilight had used the same spell before at the Iron Pony Islands, when she learnt to swim. “I suppose you are wondering why I am doing this when I could have done so ages ago and made sure you didn’t strain yourself,” Twilight said guiltily.

Fluttershy looked around with a little glare. “Yes I was, actually.”

“Yes, well, you recall what I said about unicorns saying their magic is boosted in an emergency?” Fluttershy nodded. “This was one of them.”

“Yes, I understand that bit, but why didn’t you do it earlier like when you did it back on the Iron Pony Islands?” Fluttershy asked, a bit too harshly than she would have liked.

Twilight’s ears fell in regret. “Because, in my mind’s mind, that moment was an emergency. I was scared of what might happen when it was time to go into the water, and my mind sensed that fear and saw it as an emergency so it boosted up my magic abilities and allowed me to levitate myself, supposedly out of harm’s way.” She nuzzled Fluttershy’s neck softly. “I would never let you strain or injure yourself because I was too lazy to use my magic, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy’s harsh gaze softened, and she returned the smile while mentally cursing herself for thinking that Twilight would do that. ‘She is far too loving for that,’ she reminded herself. “I know, and I’m sorry if I sounded a bit too harsh.”

Twilight smiled, and then lightly kissed Fluttershy’s neck as she levitated them both towards the giant city. “It’s okay, I would feel the same if I didn’t have any magic.” The two went silent as they floated calmly as though they were both on a cloud towards the great city.

As they drew closer, Fluttershy pointed to a quay that stretched out further than the seven or so others that adorned the front of the harbour. “Land there, if you want to, of course,” she said politely.

Twilight looked at where her marefriend was pointing, and nodded agreeably. “Hold on, we’re going down.”

She started to gently descend down to the quay, while Fluttershy looked out for signs of any life that could be around the harbour. She was surprised to see no sign of movement at all. ‘This city can’t be abandoned,’ she thought, looking at the ships and the buildings. Like Twilight said earlier, the ships looked recently re-painted and brand new, as did the quays. None of the buildings she could make out in detail looked as though they were falling apart; in fact, they appeared to have been recently built or giving a re-design. If this city looked so new, then where was everypony?

She was brought away from the thoughts about the city when she felt her hooves touch the planked quay. “That was close,” Twilight said as she clambered off from Fluttershy’s back, sighing in relief. She staggered and fell onto her side, breathing heavily. She felt tired and exhausted after levitating the both of them to the city at quite a distance, something she had never done before till today.

Fluttershy rushed to her side instantly, her face expressed with worry. “Oh, Twilight, I’m sorry I didn’t help,” she said, stroking her mane. She could feel the unicorn’s mane was soaked in sweat, but she didn’t care.

Twilight patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. You needed the rest,” she said comfortingly.

Fluttershy quickly dashed to the edge of the quay, leaned down and dipped her hoof into the water. She ran back over to Twilight and ran her hoof over Twilight’s face, mane, neck, back and sides, cleaning up the unicorn and making her smell a bit better.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock as she felt Fluttershy’s cold hoof running along her face, but soon relaxed, and even began to enjoy it. ‘Fluttershy gives a good massage,’ she thought as she felt Fluttershy’s hoof run up and down her back this time, moaning quietly and pleasurably. ‘I should give her a call sometime when she isn’t busy killing bears.’

She pouted when she felt Fluttershy’s hoof move away, never to come back. “Could you do that again?” Twilight asked, grinning cheekily and wearily.

Fluttershy flicked an eyebrow up in confusion, and her cheeks started to go pink. “Um, maybe later,” she said. She lifted a hoof up for Twilight to take. “Need help getting up?”

Twilight took Fluttershy’s offered hoof, and the pegasus walked back while pulling the unicorn onto her own hooves. She let go once Twilight was steady enough to stand on her own. “Thanks, sweetheart,” Twilight said, smiling.

Fluttershy smiled in reply. “You’re welcome,” she said. She moved to turn around. “Right, I suppose we better do some… exploring…” Fluttershy trailed off as her eyes widened in surprise and fear. She instinctively took a step back, while her marefriend watched her in puzzlement. “Twilight, look.”

Twilight looked around, and gasped at the line of earth ponies barring their way into the city. There were about a dozen of them, and all were darkly coloured in coats of brown, black, tan, chestnut, bay and grey, which were barely visible under the bronze and dark blue armour they wore. Long, scruffy manes hung over one eye, with a forelock of hair running down between their eyes, and their coats were thick with hair as though they had winter coats.

With the armour and the spears they held, and their unfriendly gazes, they would have looked intimidating, had they not been smaller than the average teenage filly or colt.

The two Equestrian ponies looked at each other oddly, and then looked back at the group of very little ponies. “Heh, hello there,” Twilight said cheerfully, waving at them amiably. Fluttershy waved meekly. “Lovely day, isn’t it? The sun is out, the birds are singing, and ponies are dropping from the sky likes stones. That bit is slightly weird, isn’t it? But hay, can’t be helped if we would like to ‘drop’ in for a bit.” Behind her, Fluttershy facehoofed and groaned at the joke. “I take it this is your city, then?” she asked casually, pointing to it. “It’s a lovely city, isn’t it, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, yes, a very lovely city. Very golden, too. I do like that large building over on the right,” she remarked, pointing to the domed structure. “It looks… big.”

“Yes, hehe, very big,” Twilight said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck as the stares they were receiving from the tiny ponies did little to comfort their nerves. A moment of awkward silence followed, with the two groups staring at each other as though anticipating which would strike first.

“So, um, where is the leader of this great city?” Twilight asked eventually, grinning widely and blinking disarmingly. “We would like to visit him–”

“Or her,” Fluttershy added.

“Yes, or her, and find out a bit more about your city, and hoping he, or she, could help us. Do you think you could take us to your leader?”

The little ponies looked at one another for a while, before one finally stepped forward until he was about an inch from them, and removed his helmet. “You are ponies, yes?” he asked roughly, as though he wasn’t familiar with speaking in Equestrian.

Fluttershy and Twilight glanced at each other for a second, then looked at the mini pony and nodded. “Why yes. Yes we are. I am Twilight Sparkle, and this is my marefriend, Fluttershy.” The pegasus waved timidly in reply. “We’ve come from a place far, far away from your borders, on a quest to explore strange, new lands. To seek out new life, and new civilisations. To boldly go where nop–”

“Um, Twilight, as epic as that sounds, it isn’t why we set out in the first place,” Fluttershy muttered in her ear.

Twilight’s ears fell flat, and she pouted at Fluttershy. “But I have always wanted to say that when we do find a new place,” she moaned.

Fluttershy smiled sweetly, and gently patted her on the shoulder. “Another time, sweetie. Another time.” The two looked back at the group of mini ponies, to watch as one of their group galloped urgently into the city, hopping a little like a rabbit. “Oh my goodness, they look so cute when they run,” Fluttershy remarked, giggling in delight.

The other group of ponies gasped in horror, and then lowered their spears at the two ponies. Fluttershy and Twilight sank onto their haunches and raised their forehooves in a gesture of surrender, their eyes wide in alarm. “Oh my! Was it something I said?” Fluttershy mumbled to Twilight.

“Just this once, I think it was,” Twilight replied, nodding curtly. She turned her head to look back at the group of ponies, and gulped. “Whatever it was my friend said, she didn’t mean anything by it,” she said calmingly. The group didn’t look convinced, however.

Two of the little ponies ran around the two, and poked their backsides with the tip of their spears. It felt as though they had sat on a pin, but it was enough to get them up on their hooves. “Okay, okay, we’re moving!” Twilight shouted, glaring at the ponies behind her as they were forced to walk ahead. Fluttershy followed close beside her with her head low and a look of shame on her face.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight,” she whispered, eyes glistening with tears. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

Twilight quickly nuzzled her marefriend. “Don’t be sorry, Fluttershy. Whatever you said that upset them must have meant something entirely different to them than us. We just have to be careful with our words from now on.”

“But what if we say something like ‘hello’, which means something else in their language?” Fluttershy queried. She looked back at the two ponies behind them, and shuddered in fright. “I don’t want to get on the pointy side of them again.”

Twilight shrugged. “Well, then we just stay quiet until we get to their leader. And once we do, hope he or she is understanding and merciful.”

“And if he or she isn’t?”

“Come up with a miraculous escape plan which involves an daring dash through a hostile city like Daring Do on one of her adventures,” Twilight replied, chuckling. “Oh I can imagine the look on Rainbow Dash’s face when I tell her that.”

They were interrupted when the pony that had run off into the city returned, and said something in their language to the leader. After he stopped speaking, the leader nodded, and turned to the two Equestrians. “Merchant Prince will see you personally, big ponies,” he said. He pointed threateningly at the two. “But say something nasty again, and we will muzzle you both. Clear?”

The two ponies nodded. “Very clear,” they said together. The leader of the group nodded, and gestured with his head for them to follow him. “By all means,” Twilight said, “lead the way.” With that, the two ponies were led off the quay and into the harbour itself. As they walked through the harbour, they saw another group of little ponies working on a new ship, which was halfway done. The ponies stopped and looked at the two newcomers with curious eyes.

“You know what, I think you’re right. They do look pretty cute,” Twilight said as she met the gazes of the ponies looking at her. The group stopped suddenly and gasped in horror once more as they heard what Twilight said.

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at the disgusted looks on their faces, and gulped nervously. “I don’t think they like the word cute, Twilight,” Fluttershy noted, much to the ponies’ increasing anger.

Twilight looked back with an exasperated glare. “Really? What gave you that idea? The fact they’re pointing spears at us, or their glares?” Twilight asked with a raised hoof and eyebrow. The two inched closer to each other in fright as the group of mini ponies closed in on them.

Author's Note

Hello everybody, welcome to the first part of the thirteenth chapter. The second part should be here same time next week.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you all for getting this far.

Chapter 13 (part 2)

Well that could have gone better, Twilight said as they were led through the streets of the city, flanked on both sides by guards. Despite the cold reception and poor start with the locals, she couldn’t help but be impressed with the city around her.

The wide yet nearly empty streets were paved in concrete stone tiles made to look like sand. The buildings and houses around them had looked featureless and plain from afar, but up close, markings or paintings decorated the concrete stone-walls beside the front doors, representing different creatures from birds, fish, reptiles and other mammals.

Each one must act like the colours of a banner, Twilight reckoned as she looked at them, or as a ward to hold off evil spirits and keep the family inside safe. What do you think, Fluttershy? She looked at the pegasus beside her, who looked terrified and wanted to scream, yet couldn’t thanks to the knitted muzzle clamped around her mouth.

Twilight wished she could comfort her with spoken words, yet couldn’t thanks to the muzzle on her mouth as well. It felt tight against her mouth, as though it was trying to suffocate her, but there was enough space for her to breathe through her nose. She hoped it wasn’t the same with Fluttershy. Maybe it’s the ward theory? Fluttershy suggested, her voice echoing through Twilight’s mind.

Before the muzzles had been clamped onto their mouths, Twilight had quickly cast the mind spell on Fluttershy to keep in contact with her, and make sure she doesn’t start to panic. When the ponies came to put them on, Twilight willingly had hers clamping her mouth shut, while Fluttershy started to panic in fear she would not breathe properly with it, and therefore suffocate. Once Twilight calmed her down, the little ponies allowed the muzzle to be fitted with enough space so that Fluttershy could breathe through her mouth, yet not enough to speak.

So far, Twilight had done her best to keep her marefriend’s spirits up, saying they would be free of the muzzles as soon as they met the Merchant Prince, as the ponies guarding them called him, but the more times she said it, the less it sounded assuring. How does it feel, anyway? Twilight asked. The muzzle, I mean?

Fluttershy’s eyes looked down at the knitted brown thing covering her nose and mouth, and then looked up at Twilight. It’s okay, I guess, she replied. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be, but I still feel like a rabid animal with this on.

I know. This feels so degrading, Twilight agreed. She looked up to see a few ponies that were smaller than foals looking down on them from a window with big, curious eyes. How were we supposed to know that the word cute was offensive to them? Twilight asked bewilderedly. It’s not like we’re going to know their language the moment we set hoof on their soil.

She looked at Fluttershy again when she didn’t reply, and saw her shaking in fear. What’s going to happen to us, Twily? Fluttershy asked. Could we be executed for this?

Twilight wrapped her tail around Fluttershy’s, and moved her eyes to sparkle with assurance. That will never happen so long as I can use my magic, sweetheart. I promised you I would get you back to Ponyville, and I will, even if I have to stay behind for you to get home.

Fluttershy wished she could smile at her, but instead she wrapped the remaining end of her tail around Twilight’s. That is sweet of you, Twilight, but I will not leave without you, she said. How could I live with myself if I knew I left you behind when I could have saved you?

Twilight wished she could smile at that. I was right about another thing – you are far stronger than what anypony else says. Twilight could see a faint blush appear on Fluttershy’s cheeks.

“Halt!” the lead pony commanded. At once, Twilight and Fluttershy stopped, and looked around them, while the little pony walked up the steps. They found themselves in a large courtyard built out of large stone slabs, with a line of several small trees beside them, their bark smooth as though furnished and stripped bare of leaves. At the far end of the courtyard stood the largest building the two ponies had ever laid eyes on – the same one they saw from the other side of the bay. That is certainly bigger than the Crystal Empire’s castle, Twilight commented, pointing at it.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. The palace – so they presumed it to be – was a long rectangular building with thick iron doors the size of an average Ponyville house, and like the rest of the city, the colour of sand. On the doors’ faces, large red dragons stood rearing up and facing each other with their wings spread out and their mouths open, ready to spit flames. Above the doors was a large circular-shaped stained-glass window, with a spread-winged eagle coloured like of the ocean stretching across it. The roof was barely viewable from where they were, but they could make out the distinctive arch with a smaller stained-glass window between the two ends on either side.

“Proceed in,” the leader pony ordered after a moment of confirmation with one of the guards at the door. The two ponies nodded, and walked cautiously forward with their heads held high and trying hard not to show any fear.

I wonder how old the palace, or even the whole city is, Twilight said absently, her eyes wandering across the golden structure. Because, nothing here tells me how old this place is. Did they just spring out of holes in the ground or something?

Fluttershy shrugged, her eyes staying on the dozen or so pony guards who were pushing one of the groaning doors open. I imagine they aren’t that old, or else we might have heard of them by now. They definitely have sailing capabilities, so they could sail to Equestria.

Yes, but remember, the only way those ships can leave here is through that cave and through a lot of dangerous rocks, Twilight reminded her. It would take somepony with a quick reaction time to navigate a ship like theirs through there. Even then, they could get lost on the ocean. We nearly did.

Fluttershy tilted her head left and right. I suppose, she conceded. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat as they found themselves under the shadow of the palace, and by the doors leading into the interior. Guess this is it, Twilight. Love you. Fluttershy felt her heart race the moment she thought those words, yet couldn’t understand why.

Twilight’s eyes glistened with joyous tears. I love you too. The two ponies looked ahead as they entered the cool, fresh interior, and then looked around as they walked further in.

A long blue carpet, wide enough for two ponies to walk side by side, covered the otherwise stone floor right up to the throne at the far end of the hall, where a pony sat awaiting them. Flanking them, cast high along the walls, banners swayed in the faint breeze coming into the throne room, each decorated with the images of rearing creatures: griffons, ponies, horses, dragons, wyverns, bulls and drakes. Flanking the throne at the end were two great bronze statues of rearing ponies, their teeth bared and their hooves lashing out at an unseen foe.

“Hold here,” the lead pony ordered, holding out a hoof to stop them. The muzzled couple halted, then looked up at the black throne, and their eyes widened in surprise at the pony sitting on it.

He was a light grey stallion with black spots running down his neck and behind his thick, rough-looking golden mane. Across his back and around his chest was a light green toga that draped back across the stallion’s rump and down onto the floor. His bright yellow eyes shone with knowledge and wisdom beyond his years, and on his head was a unicorn horn, which betrayed his Equestrian birth.

What is an Equestrian-born pony doing here? And why is he ruling over a group of ponies that are smaller than him? Twilight wondered to Fluttershy, who looked just as shocked. She secretly hoped he wasn’t a tyrant, or else their stay would be brutally cut short.

I don’t know, Fluttershy replied, but I think we are about to find out. She gestured with her head to the throne as the pony on it stood up. Across the room, the many ponies walking across it instantly bowed, prompting the couple to bow their heads as well in respect.

His eyes bore into their own for long time, before turning to the leader of the group. “Why are they muzzled, Captain?” he asked. His voice was strong like stone, yet there was a hint of benevolence in it.

“They call us cute, Prince,” the Captain replied. “They be mean to us. We demand apology.”

Instead of yelling at him like any tyrant would, the Prince laughed joyously. The two ponies looked at each other in a mix of confusion, and relief. “I’m sure that where they come from, the word cute means adorable, or sweet, Captain. They did not mean any harm.” He gestured with a hoof wave at them. “Now remove those ungodly muzzles immediately. They are guests under my roof, and shall be treated as such.”

Instantly, two ponies galloped up to Twilight and Fluttershy, and removed the muzzles from their mouths. The two took a moment to rub their lower jaws and open their mouths wide to get rid of the feeling of having them on. “That feels better,” Twilight muttered.

“Indeed, I can talk and breathe properly again,” Fluttershy mumbled. The two ponies looked up as the Merchant Prince started to walk from the throne towards them.

“My apologies, my ladies, for the way you have been treated,” the Merchant Prince said as he descended from the throne down the steps.

Twilight and Fluttershy bowed their heads. “No, sir, thank you for having those things removed,” Twilight said kindly.

“And thank you for not having us butchered on sight,” Fluttershy added, much to Twilight’s shock.

The Merchant Prince chuckled loudly. “You are most welcome, young pegasus,” he said. He lowered his head to make himself eye level with Fluttershy. “So what is your name, fellow Equestrian? I have to say it is a pleasure to see a pony of my breed after so long.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened when she realised he was talking to her. She took a step back and covered half of her face with her mane. “Oh, m-my name is Fluttershy…” she replied, though not loud enough to hear.

“I’m sorry, but can you repeat that?” the Prince asked, tilting his head to hear a bit better. Twilight couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she remembered the same scenario happening next to her played out with her three years ago.

Fluttershy took another step back, and looked away shyly. “I-I’m F-Fluttershy,” she said inaudibly.

“Didn’t quite catch that,” the Merchant Prince said, smiling patiently. Fluttershy squeaked in fright and took another step back.

Twilight hated seeing Fluttershy so uncomfortable, so she stepped forward. “Pardon me, sir, but please forgive my friend. She is just very shy when it comes to meeting new ponies. Right, Fluttershy?” The pegasus looked through her mane and nodded in confirmation.

The Merchant Prince nodded. “Fluttershy? What a lovely name,” he complimented warmly, making Fluttershy blush. He turned to Twilight with a friendly smile. “And your name, miss?”

“Oh, I am Twilight Sparkle, your highness,” she introduced herself, bowing low.

The Prince chuckled, then gestured with a hoof for her to rise. “There is no need of that here, Twilight Sparkle. Here and now, I am just an ambassador for my people.” He bowed his head. “So let me be the first to welcome you both to Esperius.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock, and her mouth opened a little. “You mean the ancient Golden City of Esperius?” she asked.

The Prince nodded. “The very same,” he answered.

Fluttershy flicked her head back and forth between the two, confusion etching across her face. “You know this place, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

“Not by memory, sweetheart, but by legend,” Twilight replied. “Once upon a time, a great golden city used to exist in Equestria, a city of light and beauty nopony has ever seen the likes of which since. Its streets were the cleanest, and its riches were beyond count. However, over time the ponies ruling the city became greedy and wanted to keep the gold all to themselves. So, using great magic, they managed to rip a huge chunk of the continent, and then carried it across the ocean so nopony could get hold of their wealth.”

Fluttershy’s eyebrows disappeared under her mane in disbelief. “That sounds… uh… ridiculous,” she said.

The Merchant Prince chuckled once more. “It is very ridiculous, and basically impossible, even for the most gifted mage,” he said. “No, I am afraid the city is known by less conventional means. I could tell you about the history of this city right now, but you both must be tired after a long voyage. Come, I shall walk you two to your rooms.” He turned around and headed towards a door to the left of the throne.

The couple looked confusedly at each other. “Um, excuse me, sir, but um…” Fluttershy said quietly. The stallion stopped and looked back. “Could we just have one room? It’s not that we’re ungrateful you’re giving us accommodation, we are very grateful, but since, well, we are sort of, um…” She latched her tail around Twilight’s, and draped a wing across her marefriend’s back, bringing her in closer. Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise when she felt Fluttershy’s wing drape over her back, but quickly relaxed and smiled as she started to enjoy the wing hug.

The Merchant Prince’s eyes widened in surprise, and his jaw slackened as he took what the pegasus was implying. “Oh, of course! Forgive me, but I didn’t think you two were together that way. Come then, I will take you to your room.” He turned to a small brown fluffy pony beside the throne. “Take care of any problems for me in my absence, won’t you, Welara?”

The pony named Welara nodded with a grin. “Sure thing, my lord,” he said in an excellent Equestrian tongue. With that settled, the two smiling yet cautious ponies followed the Merchant Prince through the door and headed left down a long corridor with arched windows looking out at the vast city beside the Palace. On the left of the corridor, hoof-knitted tapestries with various creatures upon them and different colours hung loosely along the golden walls.

“Please forgive my soldiers for putting those awful muzzles on your faces,” the Merchant Prince said as they walked. “The word cute to them is something very offensive – so offensive that I dare not say it aloud. You two were lucky you weren’t killed on sight after saying that; they don’t take such offence lightly.”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other with wide eyes. “I suppose we were very lucky then,” Twilight said, “and I suppose we have you to thank for that, your majesty.”

“Oh please, call me by my real name,” the Prince insisted. “I am Grey Spot, Merchant Prince of Esperius, and ruler of the forth kingdom of Abyinisia.”

“Oh, um, excuse me, Mister Grey Spot, if you don’t mind me calling you that,” Fluttershy said politely. “But, uh, about that, being a Prince I mean. If you’re an Equestrian like us, how did you become–”

“The leader of little ponies like them?” Grey Spot finished off. Fluttershy nodded meekly and lowered her neck as though she expected him to shout at her, which, if she was honest, she was. However, much to the two ponies’ relief, he laughed. “It’s a good question, Miss Fluttershy, and one everypony asks me when they come from outside Esperius. You see, in Esperius, we believe that every one of us is capable of rising to greatness, regardless of their age, or background.”

He stopped and pointed to a large area of densely packed buildings to the east of the city that lay hidden behind the domed structure. “See that? I was raised there, in the slums of Esperius, with very little food to live on and little warmth.”

Twilight and Fluttershy walked up to the window, and looked down in horror at the state of the slums. Even from their position, they could see it wasn’t a good place to live in. “That must have been horrible,” Twilight said.

“Oh, I hope everypony is okay down there,” Fluttershy said, fidgeting in place.

“I’ve been ordering a restoration plan on the slums to make them look as good as the rest of the city,” Grey Spot answered, smiling proudly at himself. “I’ve been giving the ponies that live there better homes, and a better chance of living longer. However, it will be a long time before they can be no longer viewed as the slums of Esperius.”

The three ponies broke away from the window and continued walking. “When I was ten,” Grey Spot continued, “I started a cleaning job here at the Palace. From a cleaner, I went on to a cooking job, and became the best chef in the palace – I was so good, that the old Prince came down and thanked me personally for the food.

“After a few years of going through jobs, I moved up in the world as one of the Royal Guard of the Prince. When he realised how intelligent I was, I became his personal advisor. And when he died five years later, he passed his Ring of Authority to me, saying I was the son he never had. At just twenty-five, I became the youngest pony ever to become the Merchant Prince of Esperius. Have been doing this for nearly ten years now. Does that answer your question, Miss Fluttershy?”

The two ponies looked at Grey Spot with wide, astonished eyes and open mouths. “Wow,” Fluttershy oozed. Her look of surprise gave way to a smile. “That must have been something to tell your parents.”

Grey Spot’s smile faded, and he bowed his head in sorrow. “Not really, for they died a year before I got the job at the Palace. The only reason I kept going at the jobs I was made to do at the start was because I had nothing left behind me.”

Fluttershy covered her mouth in shock, while Twilight looked at him with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Grey Spot,” Twilight said gently. “That must have been hard on you.”

“Oh, it was, very hard, but look at where I am now. At the head of the richest city on the continent,” Grey Spot said, grinning like a spoiled child. He paused as they turned a left corner to see the corridor split into two ways. One side led up to a long flight of stairs, while the other continued down the corridor, then veering off in two different ways.

“Follow me,” he said, and then he sprinted up the flight of stairs. Fluttershy and Twilight looked at each other for a second, before sprinting after him in a rush. By the time they got to the second level, both were breathing heavily, and their knees felt weak from a long day of running, swimming, jumping, flying and walking. “Are you two okay to carry on?” he asked with a tilted head.

Twilight looked up, breathing heavily, and nodded. “I think so,” she said. “What about you, Fluttershy?”

The pegasus leaned against Twilight for support as she breathed heavily, her eyes speaking of her exhaustion. Nevertheless, she nodded. “Okay then, let’s go,” Twilight said. With Fluttershy leaning against Twilight for support, the couple followed Grey Spot right from the stairs and made their way down another long corridor, this one with plain golden walls and several bronze chandeliers suspended above them by iron chains, flickering with light.

“Anyway, enough about my country and myself, let’s talk about you two,” Grey Spot said as they walked. “Tell me of your adventures and how you both came to be here.”

With a nod of confirmation from Fluttershy, Twilight began to tell Grey Spot about their encounters with sirens, krakens, pirates, gorgons and how her and Fluttershy came into a relationship together.

“You make it sound like you had one heck of a journey,” Grey Spot said as Twilight finished, his eyes wide in surprise as they turned a corner into another corridor, this time shorter than the last.

“Oh, it wasn’t as bad as what I make it sound like. I do tend to exaggerate things a bit,” Twilight said.

Fluttershy looked at her marefriend, and smirked. “Really? What gave you that impression? Enchanting a doll and making a town fight itself so you could write a letter about friendship, or turning the library inside out so you could be ready for a little test?” she teased.

Twilight looked at her with narrow eyes, and a small smile. “You know, you are not old enough to be free from a smack bottom.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t, would you?”

Twilight arched an eyebrow, making Fluttershy take a step away from her. It wasn’t much longer until Twilight broke into giggles. “You are right, I wouldn’t…” Her eyes narrowed flirtatiously, a mischievous grin crawling across her lips. “Unless you want me to.”

Fluttershy’s jaw dropped and a fierce blush spread across her cheeks. “Oh my,” she gasped.

“If you two have finished flirting with each other, we are outside your room,” Grey Spot said, gesturing with a hoof to their door. It was an arched iron black door with golden bolts running diagonally along the edges of the door, and a rearing red eagle spreading across its face.

The two ponies looked sheepishly away from the Merchant Prince and blushed in embarrassment. “Sorry about that,” Twilight muttered, rubbing her foreleg. “I just think you look really cute with a blush. I would never smack you. You know that, don’t you? I just remembered reading that line in a book a month back.”

Fluttershy nodded, a warm smile on her face as she glanced at her marefriend. “I-I know, and I forgive you. And Twilight? Do not ever take lines from a romance book. Ever.” A fake cough brought the two ponies away from each other and to Grey Spot.

“Shall we?” he asked. The couple nodded. The Merchant Prince reared up, pressed his hooves against the door and pushed it open with a great creaking sound that echoed across the entire palace. “Please, enter,” he offered first, gesturing inside as the door opened. Upon looking in, the couple gasped in wonder.

The flooring was a tiled marble that shone in the light of the single chandelier that filled most of the ceiling. A large, double bed lay in the far right corner of the room, with a shining golden coloured duvet neatly covering it. Left of the bed, beside a large drawer, was a glass door leading out to a balcony that viewed the entire northern side of the city, and in the centre of the left side of the room was a large round bathtub that reminded the two of the spa tub back at Ponyville.

“This room is lovely,” Twilight remarked as they entered. She looked back at Grey Spot with grateful eyes. “I wish we could pay you for this hospitality, but we don’t have any money on us.”

Grey Spot discarded the thought with a wave of his hoof. “Do not worry about it, Twilight Sparkle. Though you had a rough start here with my soldiers, the ponies of Esperius are mostly welcoming and friendly to all – it is how me and my parents managed to survive here when we first arrived.”

At that, Twilight’s smile faded a little. She was curious as to why a pony from Equestria came to be in Esperius in the first place. ‘It seems strange as well how he didn’t use magic to open the door. Any unicorn can open doors with their magic, no matter how powerful they are.’ She considered not asking in fear of upsetting him and having them both thrown into prison, but she quickly remembered how he reacted to Fluttershy’s question, and decided to ask. “Um, excuse me, Grey Spot, but I am a little curious.”

Grey Spot stopped before he reached the door of the balcony, and then turned his head around. “About what?”

Twilight pointed to his horn. “I don’t mean to cause any offence for asking this, but why didn’t you use your magic to open the door?” Fluttershy tilted her head, curious as to the reason why as well.

Grey Spot’s ears fell flat, and he bowed his head in sorrow. “I can’t use magic, Twilight,” he replied, to the other unicorn’s horror. “And I have never been able to learn magic.”

Fluttershy stepped closer, fighting the urge to comfort him. “But why?” she asked gently.

Grey Spot looked at her for a long moment in silence, before getting hold of his toga in his teeth, and taking it off. “Because of these,” he answered, revealing his body to the two mares.

Fluttershy stepped back in shock, while Twilight could only stare at the blunt stump on his visible side where a wing should be. “I… I’ve heard of something like that happen before,” she said after a moment of silence, “but never have I thought I would see one for myself.”

“So you know how much of a freak I am, then,” Grey Spot said solemnly.

Fluttershy gave in to the urge she had been fighting back for so long, and leapt forward and hugged him tight. “Oh, no, you are not a freak at all,” she said soothingly. “You are a pony, not a freak, and everypony looks different from each other. Isn’t that right, Twily?”

Twilight nodded sharply in agreement. “Fluttershy’s right, Grey Spot,” Twilight said amiably. “Having stumps on your sides doesn’t make you a freak at all. Did… did you have wings as well, or…”

“I was born with these stumps,” Grey Spot answered. “My mother was a pegasus and my father a unicorn. It was thanks to both of their genetics being muddled up and confused that they couldn’t decide what I’ll be, so I had a bit of both worlds. Does that sound right to you?”

Twilight nodded serenely in agreement. “So how did you come to Esperius?”

Grey Spot lowered himself onto his stomach, while the two mares sat side by side. The sight made Grey Spot smile. “Just look at you two. Completely inseparable,” he muttered, making the two ponies blush. “Well anyway, my dad was a historian, and my mum was a geographer, so when dad came up with the idea to explore the western ocean, my mum quickly agreed, and they took me along as well, as I had no other family in Equestria to care for me.

“We funded the whole expedition ourselves, and bought a ship big and strong enough to take the voyage. Once that was done, we headed out to sea, and sailed for about two weeks, until we came to the mouth of a cave – the same one you both probably took to get here. Our ship navigated through the cave system, and we came out into the bay with a sinking ship. We were rescued before the ship finally sunk, and taken before the Merchant Prince, who granted us permission to stay in Esperius until we could buy a ship to take us home. Of course, you know the rest.”

Twilight and Fluttershy sat in silence, their mouths slightly open and their eyes wide in wonder. “That must have been quite an experience for you,” Twilight said, “and quite sad to know you wouldn’t ever see Equestria again.”

Grey Spot shrugged. “Not really. I don’t think I would have ever risen as high as I have done here had I stayed in Equestria. And I live a great life here; one I could never replace if given the chance.” He shifted himself about until he was sitting on his haunches. “Now, I think it’s best if we move onto business, concerning you two.”

The couple looked at each other, and then back at him. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“I was wondering what brought you both this far out from Equestria. It must have been pretty important for you two to risk life and limb over,” Grey Spot answered.

Twilight nodded in agreement. “It is, I believe. I can show you if you’d like.” Grey Spot nodded his consent, and Twilight took out from her mane the scroll with the drawing of the flower. She quickly levitated it over to Grey Spot, who caught it with his teeth.

“You’ve kept that scroll in your mane all this time,” Fluttershy whispered to Twilight as Grey Spot unravelled the scroll, her tone indicating her surprise.

“My mane is the safest place I could think of to hide such things, sweetheart,” Twilight replied, grinning wryly. “It was either my mane or my tail, and I don’t like to put stuff in my tail, as I learnt one time involving the toil–”

“Okay,” Fluttershy sang, stunning Twilight into silence, “I think I’ve heard more than I should have.” She quickly gave the pouting unicorn an affectionate nuzzle, giggling softly. “Try to keep that sort of thing to yourself, sweetie. It’s not something a lot of ponies would like to know.” Grey Spot coughed loudly to get their attention once more, and they both looked at him, to see he was staring at them with wide eyes, and a small bout of fear.

“What interests have you in this flower?” he asked, his eyes wandering from Twilight, and then to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy looked to Twilight for answers. “It’s mainly academic,” Twilight answered. “Because, you know, such a flower has never been seen before.”

Grey Spot nodded in agreement. “Indeed, the Aphrodite Flower is one of a kind, especially a flower that can sing. But I imagine you two already knew that, didn’t you?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise, and then she looked to Twilight with a look that asked if what they had just been told was true. ‘Oh drat, she knows I didn’t tell her the full truth,’ Twilight thought, shrinking her head a little. The unicorn looked back at Grey Spot, and nodded. “Yes. Yes I do.” Fluttershy’s mouth parted in shock.

The Merchant Prince nodded. “Then take it from me that this plant must be avoided at all cost,” he warned them grimly. “For if you two look upon that flower, it will only give you madness in return.”

Fluttershy looked back at Grey Spot with fear on her face. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Is it dangerous?”

Grey Spot shifted his back end about, and nodded firmly. “It is a long tale, slightly similar to the tale of the creation of Hearts and Hooves day. Do you want to hear it?”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other for a moment, and then nodded. “Please, Grey Spot, continue,” Twilight said, gesturing with a hoof for him to tell.

“Very well,” Grey Spot said. He shifted himself about until he looked comfortable, and then began to speak. “A long time ago, there was a stallion mage, whose name has long been forgotten in the pages of history. He was one of the most powerful unicorns of his people, and he was in love with the most beautiful and fairest mare he had ever laid eyes upon. Her name was Aphrodite, the head priestess of an old cult of ponies many years ago. He longed to be with her, and for her to love him. So he tried everything to be with her and to win her affections, yet everything he tried ended with disappointment. Frustrated with his failures, he turned to sorcery, and fusing magic with botany he created the Aphrodite Flower.” He pointed to the picture of the flower. “This flower, to be precise.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “He fused magic with nature?”

Grey Spot nodded. “Yes. He decided to play with two different elements, and it cost him – dearly.”

“How?” Fluttershy and Twilight asked.

“After the first creation was successful, he created thousands more just like it and planted them in a great meadow in a valley somewhere, and left them to grow and fester. After a month or so, he came to Aphrodite again, and asked her to accompany him to see a magical flower he had been studying. The mare agreed, and followed him to the valley where these flowers reside.”

He paused for a moment to breathe. “What happened in this valley is not known to this day, but what is known is what happened to them. They were found wandering the wilderness with blank expressions on their faces, with no memory of who and what they were – it was as if the flowers had ripped the memories of the two ponies from their minds.”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at Grey Spot in horror. “Many ponies from across Abyinisia – and even beyond – have tried to find that valley; some came back with their minds and hearts dead; others came back fine but with no success, and others didn’t come back at all.”

Fluttershy clamped her hooves around her mouth in shock. She couldn’t believe it. ‘Was all of this just a suicide trip?’ she wondered. She looked over to Twilight, who expressed genuine shock on her face at what the flowers could do. ‘Did she know that they did that?’ she wondered.

“But how, and why would they do that? That doesn’t make any sense,” Twilight complained, scratching her head in the hope she would think of something.

“Many ponies from across the five kingdoms theorise that the flower can only sense true love – love between two ponies that is both strong and true. Anypony that doesn’t go together, or feel strongly for one another, has their minds erased. How the flower erases their minds, and to what purpose, nopony knows,” Grey Spot replied grimly.

“So what if… what if there are two ponies that are meant to be together in the valley? What happens then?” Fluttershy asked.

Grey Spot smiled. “According to legend, when two ponies that are meant to be together are present in the valley, and the moon is high above them, the flowers start to sing a song for the two lovers, a song that could only be listened by those in love with one another,” he answered.

He stood up straight, prompting Twilight and Fluttershy to stand up also. “Well, if you excuse me, it is getting late and I must retire for the evening. I shall call you two in the morning for breakfast.”

Twilight and Fluttershy bowed their heads. “Thank you for your hospitality, Grey Spot,” Twilight said happily.

“It is nice of you to give it to us for free,” Fluttershy added.

“Think nothing of it, ladies,” Grey Spot said. “Here in Esperius, we help each other out, and you two need some help now that you’re stuck here. We’ll talk more in the morning. Sleep well, Twilight, Fluttershy.” With that, he walked to the door, opened it and walked out, not noticing the pleading looks on Twilight’s face for him not to leave her alone with Fluttershy, knowing that she would have to face the consequences of staying quiet.

‘Okay, Twilight, just tell her straight and explain to her why you never said anything about the flower singing. You got yourself into this, and now you have to get yourself out.’ She took a deep breath, turned her head around, and was surprised to find Fluttershy sitting in front of her, looking at the ground between them with eyes that spoke of confusion, and anger. “Oh, Fluttershy, I–”

“Did you know?” Fluttershy asked, not wanting to look up. “Did you know that the flower was dangerous?”

Twilight shook her head disarmingly. “No. I did not know that the flower was dangerous at all. I only knew that it sings,” she answered truthfully, raising a hoof to emphasise the point.

“Yet were you going to tell me that the flower sings at all?” Fluttershy asked, her tone turning harsh by the second. She didn’t want to be angry, but she felt as though she had been lied to by Twilight. ‘No, she didn’t lie to me, just didn’t tell me the full truth,’ she corrected herself. Yet that seemed to her just as bad. ‘I thought we trusted each other to tell the truth now.’

She was brought out of her mind when Twilight sighed. “I wasn’t, no,” she admitted. “But I do have my reasons as to why.”

“So why did you not tell me about this in the first place? We are partners in this, Twilight, we are supposed to tell each other everything.”

“Because if I told you that the flower sings a song of love, I thought it might give the game away as to why I wanted to find it in the first place,” Twilight answered calmly, and sadly, her ears folding flat in shame.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she realised what Twilight meant. She looked up at the unicorn. “So, this whole adventure, everything we have done together, everything we have seen, everything we faced, was all to get to this flower so you could tell me that you love me?”

Twilight bowed her head shamefully, and nodded. “I never intended for us to go this far, though,” she said quietly. “I thought we would only stay in Equestria, but you wanted to go west and I… I couldn’t say no.”

Fluttershy turned her back to the unicorn and sat down, disbelieving of what she had just learnt. ‘Twilight would go this far, for me?’ She couldn’t blame Twilight for this – at least not totally. ‘I am just as responsible as she was. She came up with the idea to find it, yet I was the one who brought us here, and endangered both of us.’ Yet, the whole adventure was just for Twilight to confess to her. She could feel a smile coming, and something coming up from her heart. ‘Why does that seem so like Twilight?’

Twilight sat in silence, waiting for Fluttershy to say something that would help her and give her a reason to breathe normally. ‘Did I just doom our relationship?’ she thought. She looked up when she saw Fluttershy’s shoulders heaving briskly, and thought for a heart-skipping moment she was crying. “Oh, Fluttershy, I am so sorry I didn’t tell you, I just didn’t wan…” She trailed off when Fluttershy turned her head around, and saw she wasn’t crying, but laughing.

“Oh, Twilight, you could have just asked me out on a date, yet you decided to go down the most difficult route possible,” she said through her laughter. She clutched her stomach as the laughter became too much for her to bear. “That’s very you, to be honest.”

Twilight’s heart relaxed a little, and she got up and walked around the pegasus towards the bed. “I did give going on a date with you some thought – even Applejack thought it was a good idea when I asked her about it, but I didn’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position, so I left that out.”

Fluttershy finally stopped laughing, and her wide smile withered a little. “You thought about it, right down to the last option?” she asked, touched by the trouble Twilight went through.

Twilight nodded. “Yes. I went through everything I could think of that wouldn’t put you in an uncomfortable position, and this one seemed the most logical option – well, if you could call it logical, considering what we’ve been through.”

Fluttershy’s eyes and face softened into the sweetest look Twilight had ever seen. “Twilight, that is the sweetest thing anypony has ever done for me. I don’t think anyone, barring my parents, has ever taken my feelings into consideration as much as you have.”

Twilight jumped up on the bed, turned around until she faced Fluttershy once more, and settled down onto her stomach. “You mean everything to me, sweetheart. I can’t stand to see you so afraid or so uncomfortable. It kills me every time I see fear in your eyes. I just want you to be happy, and have that loving smile on your face like you usually have. That’s why I couldn’t say no to heading west; I didn’t want to see you frown.”

Fluttershy’s beaming smile returned after Twilight’s words, yet she could think of no words to say of her own for a long time. Finally, she said, “Thank you, Twilight. And I’m sorry I acted harshly at you. I was just annoyed that you didn’t tell me earlier.”

Twilight smiled. “I forgive you. And from now on, I am not going to keep any secrets from you.”

“Nor me from you,” Fluttershy said, grinning. She lowered her head a bit and rubbed her leg as though she was ashamed of something. “Did we just have a fight? Would you call that a fight?”

Twilight shrugged. “Probably a little one, something couples do every now and then. Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” The two fell silent for a brief moment. Outside their room, the sky began to fade into twilight, and the moon started to rise over Esperius. “So, what do you want to do now?” Twilight asked.

She looked up, and started to grow nervous as she saw a predatory grin spread itself across Fluttershy’s face. Twilight leaned back and her eyes widened in fear of whatever the pegasus was planning in her mind. ‘Whatever it is,’ she thought frightfully, ‘it can either be very good or something I am not ready for yet.’

“Cuddles!” Fluttershy proclaimed as she leapt through the air and pinned Twilight to the bed beneath her.

When the unicorn gained her senses, she noticed Fluttershy was lying on top of her, nuzzling her chest and wrapping her legs around her, and blushed. “Cuddles?” Twilight repeated.

Fluttershy looked into her eyes and nodded. “Yes, cuddles. You know how much I love cuddles, and I love cuddling you most of all,” Fluttershy said, grinning. She leaned forward and kissed Twilight on the cheek. “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you for everything.”

Twilight smiled, and gently rolled herself over so she was lying on her side facing the pegasus. “You are most welcome,” she said softly. She kissed the pegasus on the forehead, and after a while of giggling and nuzzling each other, they fell asleep in each other’s soft, loving embrace.

Author's Note

The name of Esperius is a another name for a breed of pony; I do tend to take pony breed names for this story, mostly due to how good some of them sound.

Also, Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love; a perfect name for a plant.

So now they know how dangerous the flower is, will Twilight and Fluttershy abandon the adventure and head for home, or put thier love through the ultimate test and set off after it?

Thank you all for favouriting, and I hope you are still enjoying this story.

Chapter 14

Twilight was the first to awaken, thanks to short but sharp banging on their bedroom door.

The unicorn’s eyes snapped open, and then let out a groan as she rubbed her tired eyes. The knocking on the door persisted, agitating Twilight further. ‘Can’t two mares get a doze?’ she yelled in thought as she brought her head up to gaze at the door with such a glare it would pierce metal if it could – or at least she hoped it would. ‘At least it hasn’t woke up Fluttershy yet.’ She ignored the knocking for a moment and looked at the pegasus sleeping soundlessly next to her, and smiled tenderly.

Fluttershy looked cuter than a sleeping rabbit kitten. Her long, silky pink mane covered most of her face, yet Twilight could make out a thin smile across her lips as she dreamt something the unicorn wished she knew. Her breathing was relaxed and steady through her parted soft, yellow lips – lips, Twilight just wanted to touch with her own. ‘No, Twilight,’ she chided herself. ‘Let Fluttershy make the first move when it comes to that.’ She didn’t mind the waiting; she was a pony born with the word patience as a birthmark.

Something that ponies didn’t have in Esperius, it seemed. The knocking on the door persisted, this time more fiercely than before, prompting Twilight to teleport herself out of bed to appear in front of the door. She opened it quickly and just missed a hoof coming from the Captain of the Esperian Guard swinging forward to knock again. “Can I help you?” she asked as nicely as she could, even though to her ears it sounded grating.

“Merchant Prince requests your presences at breakfast,” the Captain replied roughly, his eyes narrow as he stared at Twilight. It was obvious to the unicorn he hadn’t forgiven her for calling him cute. “He asks you and your marefriend to be there in ten minutes or less.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you, sir. I will wake my marefriend at once.” Before the very little pony could reply, she slammed the door shut in his face, and went back to the side of her marefriend. ‘May Celestia forgive me for what I am about to do,’ she thought. She had learnt many things about her marefriend in the time she had known her, and one thing in particular stood out like a pink pony on a sandy beach – never wake Fluttershy up in the morning, unless you want to leave her side without your head still attached.

Twilight hesitantly lifted a hoof, and pressed it gently against Fluttershy’s side. “Sweetheart?” she whispered delicately.

The pegasus in question stirred, and groaned while trying to push the offending hoof away with one of her own. “But school is off today, mummy,” she murmured. “Can I get a little bit of time for myself?” She rolled away onto her other side, and relaxed.

Twilight tilted her head a little, and smiled sweetly. “Fluttershy?” she said, prodding her back repeatedly. Fluttershy groaned something once more, while her eyes were trying to open. Twilight jumped up on the bed, and poked her belly. “Fluttershy?” she sang again, hoping it would be enough to calm her down.

Finally, Fluttershy groggily opened her eyes, and rolled over to gaze at Twilight with a stare that was so intense Twilight feared it would shoot lasers at her. “Listen, sweetheart, I am really sorry about this, but Grey Spot asked us to be ready for breakfast in ten minutes,” Twilight explained to the pegasus, who was between sleep and awake.

Fluttershy’s stare vanished, and her face lit up in delight. “Breakfast!” she repeated ecstatically. Her head shot up, nearly bashing Twilight’s face as she did so, and looked around frantically while sniffing the air. “Where’s breakfast? I’m so hungry I could eat a whole cake!” Her belly rumbled to prove the statement.

Twilight giggled, and nuzzled her gently. “Good morning to you, too. And I think breakfast is somewhere else in the palace. We’ve got to be ready in ten minutes.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she blushed in embarrassment, feeling incredibly silly for forgetting her manners. “Oh, oh dear. Sorry. Good morning, Twilight,” she said, nuzzling her marefriend. “Did you sleep well?”

Twilight grinned and returned the affection with another nuzzle. “Lovely sleep, thank you. Did you sleep well?”

“Like an angel, thank you,” Fluttershy replied, grinning. Her belly rumbled again, making the pegasus blush once more. Twilight’s belly rumbled quickly afterwards, making the unicorn blush as well, and Fluttershy giggle. “I think our bellies want something to eat.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said, nodding as she felt her blush dissipate. “Right, I better go and have a shower… or whatever they have here.” She jumped down from the bed and trotted over to where she presumed to be the bathroom. Before she entered, she looked back at Fluttershy and smiled. “Care to join me?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock. She looked anywhere but at Twilight as she felt a fiercer blush form on her cheeks. “Oh, I don’t know, Twilight, it’s just that seems–”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Twilight interjected, smiling patiently. “Just a quick wash together. That’s all, nothing else.”

Fluttershy relaxed quickly, and she smiled and nodded. “Oh, well, okay then.” She jumped off the bed and trotted up to Twilight with a warm smile. “But no funny business,” she warned as she walked past.

Twilight smiled honestly and shook her head. “None at all.” The two smiled widely at each other, and walked inside the bathroom side by side.

A few minutes later, after a quick wash in an early version of a shower, and a thorough cleanup, the couple emerged from their room with their coats sparkling and their manes and tails glistening like metal in the low sunlight. The Captain of the Guard looked at both of them with nothing but contempt. “Follow me,” he ordered sharply, before turning right and heading down the corridor.

The two larger ponies looked at each other, before briskly following the little pony. “He can sure move quick for such a little guy,” Twilight whispered in Fluttershy’s ear.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Oh, I know. It’s as almost as if he has roller-skates instead of hooves.”

Twilight looked at her marefriend for a moment. “You know, for a second there I actually thought you were going to say something inappropriate just now.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “Like what?”

“Are you two following me or chatting between yourselves?” the Captain asked harshly, glancing over his shoulder to look at them with a glare. Twilight and Fluttershy instantly went quiet.

They followed the Captain until they came to the stairs they had taken yesterday. “Keep going until you reach end,” he instructed, pointing to the open door in front of them. “Dining hall is through door at far end. Can’t miss it, even for dumb ponies like you two.”

Twilight’s face etched itself into the definition of rage. “Right, that does it, you little piece of–”

Before she could go any further, Fluttershy slammed a hoof into her mouth and started to nudge her forward. “Thank you very much, sir. We will be on our way now. Thanks again, and have a good day! Bye!” She nudged Twilight’s backside with her head through the door so they could hastily get away from the Captain.

When they were through the open door and in the corridor, Fluttershy stopped and spun Twilight around on her shoulders. “What were you thinking just now?” she yelled angrily. Twilight flattened her ears in regret. “What good would have come out of attacking him? Nothing, that’s what!”

Twilight’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking back there. I just felt so angry about how he said you were dumb, and you are far from stupid. I…” She let her voice get carried away by the wind, and allowed her head to fall. “I was the stupid one.”

Fluttershy’s glare gradually softened until it didn’t exist. She put her hooves on Twilight’s cheeks, and raised her head up to look her in the eyes. “Sweetie, don’t let anything like that get to you,” she advised. “It will only bring you down and make you miserable. Something I learnt from the tornado duty a year ago.” She kissed Twilight’s forehead. “Besides, anypony saying you are dumb are stupid themselves. Your head has more knowledge than most libraries in Equestria.”

Twilight blushed at the compliment, and a thin smile crawled across her face. “Thanks, Fluttershy. And thanks for saving us from my foolishness.”

Fluttershy smiled kindly in reply. “You are welcome.” She pulled away and positioned herself by Twilight’s side. “Shall we continue?”

Twilight nodded eagerly, and set herself ready to continue walking. “Of course.” With the little incident behind them, the two ponies walked side by side once more, and admired the bronze coloured, stone corridor around them. “The palace seems so gothic in structure. It reminds me of the Crystal Empire a little bit.”

“Oh yes, I do like gothic architecture,” Fluttershy said. “I think it is because they look older than they are.” She looked up at the high ceiling. “And very tall as well.”

“Yes, and that concerns me a bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Does it not bother you about how big this place is compared to the ponies owning it?” Twilight asked. When Fluttershy only looked at her oddly, she continued. “Look at this place. The corridors are wide enough for around a dozen of them to walk side-by-side, yet just big enough for us and our friends to walk together in a row.”

Fluttershy tilted her head even further. “What are you saying?”

Twilight stopped, reared up and leaned on the window, looking out at the vast city around them. “And yesterday, as we went through the city, the houses looked so big for them yet just the right size for us. And finally, the age. Though they all look brand new, there are some things across the city – the gothic architecture, the house designs to name but a few, and other things that give the game away to how old they really are.

“Remember what Grey Spot said yesterday. He said he had started a renovation project on the slums of the city. That could have meant that the slums were the last part of a massive renovation project that affected the entire city.”

Fluttershy joined her in looking out at the city. “I still don’t get what you’re on about.” She quietly added, “Sorry.”

“I’m saying that these little ponies didn’t build Esperius,” Twilight claimed, gesturing with a hoof at the city and the few inhabitants they could see going about their business. “Somepony else did long ago, before these ponies even existed or became a sentient breed. I would do anything to know the origins of this city.”

Fluttershy bit her bottom lip in thought. “Perhaps Grey Spot might know about it,” she reckoned. “He did say yesterday that he could talk about the history of the city all day, so he must know something about it.”

Twilight’s face lit up delightfully in thought. “Of course!” she exclaimed. She jumped off the side of the window and began to trot towards the end of the corridor. “Let’s go and see him, and have breakfast.”

Fluttershy stepped back and fell onto all fours, and then cantered after Twilight. “Oh, Twilight, can I talk to you about something? About Grey Spot, I mean.”

Twilight looked back at her in puzzlement. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”

Fluttershy looked down the corridor for a moment to see if they were followed, and then whispered, “Do you trust him?”

The question forced Twilight to stop and scrunch up her face in thought. “Well,” she said with a shrug, “he seems like a nice enough pony. He gave us accommodation without asking for anything in return, and he did warn us about the flower, so–”

“But, do you trust him?” Fluttershy asked again.

“Nope, and I will probably not in a million years,” Twilight answered, shaking her head. The two continued walking. “He seems nice, but he just seems too nice, if you know what I mean. It’s as if he is trying to win our trust very quickly for some reason. Do you trust him, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy quickly responded with a shake of her head, which surprised Twilight. “I know I may seem horrible thinking that. But like you said, it is as if he is trying to win us over quickly for a purpose only he knows. And after the incidents with Seahoof, I wouldn’t want to trust somepony that is so quickly trying to win it.” She looked at the ground between them. “Does that mean I’m a bad person for not trusting him?”

Twilight stopped walking, prompting Fluttershy to do the same, and shook her head. “No, it does not. It means you are cautious, and you have every right to be wary,” she replied comfortingly. “We’re in an unknown city, surrounded by ponies we have no idea who they are or what they want, and no other friends to back us up. Just each other.” She placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “While we’re here, we will not leave each other’s sight, until we can be sure Grey Spot is genuinely trustworthy. Okay?”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Of course, though I don’t think I could ever leave your side when we return home.” Her eyes widened when she heard herself say that. ‘Of course I have to leave her side at some point!’ she yelled at herself. ‘I have my own home to go to, as does Twilight, and we both have our own job–’ She was cut off from yelling at herself by something hugging the air out of her, and raising her into the air. She looked down to see Twilight squeezing her tight like she would with her teddy bear when she was scared.

“That is the sweetest thing you have ever said to me. Ever,” Twilight said, sounding as though she was on the verge of tears of joy. She set the pegasus down, but didn’t remove her forelegs from around Fluttershy’s body. “But we can’t stay at each other’s side forever; if we do, we will only start fighting more and more. I never want to have an argument with you, Fluttershy. That is the last thing I want.”

Fluttershy broke her forelegs out of Twilight’s hold, and then wrapped them around her marefriend’s neck while nuzzling the tip of Twilight’s nose. “And I don’t want to have a fight with you, either. But like you said yesterday, it is something that all couples go through, even if they are little ones. I know it is something my parents went through some times when I was a filly. It scared me to the point of tears every time I heard their voices rising with anger. Did your parents fight?”

“Oh yes, sometimes frighteningly bad,” Twilight replied sadly, shivering a little at the memories. “I was really scared that one day their arguments would turn into actual fights. Luckily, I had my B.B.B.F.F there to comfort me, and Cadence when he was not around.”

Fluttershy smiled a little. “You were lucky to have them. I didn’t have any brother or sister to go to when frightened; just my old teddy bear.”

“Well not anymore, sweetheart.” Twilight pulled her in closer. “You have me now.” Though Twilight didn’t see it, Fluttershy’s little smile crept further up her lips.

“Oh, there you two are. I was beginning to wonder where you both had flown off,” Grey Spot said from in front of them. “Oh, is this a bad time, because, I can go and gi–”

“No, no, don’t worry,” Twilight said, breaking off from her marefriend and making herself look presentable, as did Fluttershy. “Good morning, Grey Spot,” she greeted him amiably, hoping silently that he didn’t hear their conversation about him.

From the look of his face, however, their talk had stayed between themselves. “And good morning to you both, too,” Grey Spot replied cheerfully. “And a beautiful morning it is, as well.” He gestured with a sweep of his hoof to the morning, which held a bright blue sky, with a golden edge as the sun crept over the mountains.

“That it is,” Fluttershy agreed. She opened her mouth to say more, but her belly beat her to it as it rumbled like an earthquake. She blushed intensely as the two ponies beside her giggled. “Um… oh dear, I think we should head for shelter from the earthquake.”

“The only cure for an earthquake like that one is a good breakfast,” Grey Spot proclaimed. He turned around and started to walk. “Follow me, and once we’re in and seated you can eat to your heart’s content.”

Fluttershy very much loved the sound of eating to her heart’s content, so trotted after him with Twilight close behind. “I still don’t trust him, if that’s what you are wondering,” she whispered back to the unicorn. Twilight smiled and shook her head.

They were led into a large hall, with six pillars of white stone holding up the high roof, a lush red carpet staining the floor, a large hearth at one end, and in the middle was a long table of smooth, varnished wood, and around a dozen red and brown chairs.

Yet it wasn’t the room that concerned Fluttershy. It was the table, which was covered in plates of food of various sorts from salads to cheeses. The pegasus felt drool drip from her mouth and drop onto the floor. “Fluttershy!” Twilight gasped. “Watch your manners!” Fluttershy gasped in shock at herself and crouched down in the hope the floor would eat her.

Grey Spot just chuckled. “It is all right, Twilight Sparkle,” he said warmly. “Manners do not trouble me; you two should see the way the Esperians eat sometimes.” He shuddered as if remembering something. “To this day, I cannot understand how they manage to miss their gobs.” He moved up to the chair at the end of the table, jumped up and sat on his haunches. “Please, take a seat – anywhere you like.”

The couple complied and sat on chairs next to each other. “Wow, these chairs are comfy,” Twilight said, shifting her rump about as she got used to the softness pressing into her backside.

Fluttershy sat on her haunches, and then moved her tail around to wrap around Twilight’s, which was hanging along the side. The unicorn’s eyes widened in surprise when she felt something wrap around her tail, but relaxed and smiled when she saw it was only Fluttershy’s tail coiling around hers like a snake. “They are most comfy,” Fluttershy agreed. “And I am surprised that they are big enough for us.”

“Oh, that is because when I became the Merchant Prince of Esperius, I had this table built for me, and yet could be shortened to take the Esperians’ size as well,” Grey Spot answered as he leaned forward and brought a plate-full of lettuce towards him. “Please, dig in, and help yourselves to some wine.”

Fluttershy and Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wine?” they repeated. They looked observably at the table once more, and sure enough, four jugs of wine lay out in a line across the table, each surrounded by around half a dozen plain silver goblets.

The two ponies looked warily at each other for a second, before shrugging. “I don’t see any problem with that,” Twilight said, grinning disarmingly. She took hold of a jug of wine with her magic, set it down in front of her, then got hold of two goblets and started by pouring out her wine. “If I drink this and fall asleep, drop your goblet and run like the wind,” she murmured to Fluttershy as she poured wine in the pegasus’s cup.

“That’s enough for me, thank you, sweetie,” Fluttershy said, raising a hoof to stop her. She looked in her cup, and saw the wine along hugged the bottom of the goblet. Without hesitation, she brought it up to her lips and drank it down in one gulp before Twilight could stop her.

She tapped her lips together like she had seen ponies do at posh restaurants, her look thoughtful as her eyes wandered the ceiling. “It’s nice,” she remarked, nodding thoughtfully. “Very nice.”

Grey Spot grinned. “I’m glad you like it. That wine there is the best in Abyinisia, and all the five kingdoms trade it about like it is a currency – some would argue it is a second currency for this continent.”

Twilight and Fluttershy chuckled awkwardly, and started digging in to their breakfast greedily, as though their stomachs controlled them. They didn’t have time to taste the food or get a feel of it all, for they were just too hungry to care.

Ten minutes later, after some small talk with Grey Spot about Equestria, and eating a lot more than she was used to, Twilight leaned back and sighed contently as she finally felt full. Fluttershy, however, was still going, gobbling up plates in just a couple of seconds. ‘Fluttershy could really give Applejack a run for her money,’ she thought as she watched her marefriend eat. She hoped her lover didn’t get fat after this. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she chided herself. ‘Although she would look quite cute if she was a bit chubbier, she probably has a high metabolism rate so she can’t get fat.’

Yet she was still cautious about the wine. Twilight knew that wine was the perfect drink to drug somepony with, and though Fluttershy had drunk a bit, she still didn’t show any signs of falling asleep, which was good. ‘The wine must be all right, then,’ she thought. But she still didn’t touch hers.

“Twilight?” Grey Spot said. “Are you going to drink your wine?”

Twilight looked over to Fluttershy, who gestured with her head to go for it. “I will do in a moment,” she said. “I’m just not thirsty at the moment.”

“Of course, take your time,” Grey Spot said warmly, smiling. “Say, I have been meaning to ask you two something since coming here. Is Princess Celestia still in charge of Equestria?”

Twilight picked a plate of olives, and stuck one in her mouth. “Why yes. Yes she is, along with Princess Luna now that she has returned, and Cadence now she’s old enough to make decisions,” she replied after she had swallowed. “And she’s quite well, too, despite being a pony over two thousand years old.”

“I would really like to know her secret,” Fluttershy muttered to herself as she rolled what was left of her food about her plate. Twilight heard her and giggled quietly to herself.

“Wow,” Grey Spot said, looking surprised. “Do you two know her quite well, then? You must do, since you know that much about her?”

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied. “I would have never met Twilight if it wasn’t for her allowing my Twily to stay in Ponyville, and she was very lovely when she came to visit us once or twice.”

At Grey Spot’s look of confusion, Twilight said, “I am her personal student, see, and–”

Grey Spot’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re the Princess’s protégé?” he asked incredulously. Twilight nodded proudly. Grey Spot laughed. “Goodness gracious,” he whispered, a grin forming on his lips. “I never would have thought I would meet somepony as special as you two. To know the Princess of Equestria so well must be a great honour.”

The two ponies blushed. “Oh, it is a great honour,” Fluttershy answered, nodding. She bowed her head a little and started playing with her hooves. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, of course, does the ponies of Esperius know of her at all?”

Twilight flicked an eyebrow up in wonderment. It was a very good question, and one that could – she hoped – lead to the creation of the city. “Ah, yes, the ponies of Esperius revere her as a goddess,” Grey Spot replied. The couple raised their eyebrows in surprise. “According to Esperian legend, she came across the sky in a blaze of golden light, so bright and powerful yet the little ponies did not need to squint their eyes or look away; the light was alluring to them, like a navigator looking at the north star. Celestia landed in the bay where this city resides, and with her bright light, formed the buildings, palaces, and lakes that make up this city. She created Esperius, and told the little ponies to thrive.”

Twilight’s jaw was on the table. Fluttershy leaned forward, and gently set Twilight’s jaw back up, closing her mouth. “How comes she never told me she built this city?” Twilight pondered aloud, scratching her head.

The Merchant Prince chuckled. “Because she didn’t,” Grey Spot answered. “It’s just a story, like so many other legends.”

Twilight turned on Grey Spot with questioning eyes. “Then who did? It’s obvious the Esperians didn’t build this city. The houses are too big for them and the streets are too wide. If a pony like these Esperians built this city, then they would have constructed it accordingly to their size.”

Grey Spot stared at Twilight for a long time, before sighing and setting down his goblet. “This city wasn’t built by Esperians,” he admitted. “Though don’t tell them I told you this, they wouldn’t want to admit it. Ponies like you and me built this city, and when they disappeared, the Esperians moved in.”

Twilight blinked perplexedly. “That’s it?” she asked. “Come on, Grey Spot, there’s got to be a lot more to that story.”

“I’m only speaking the truth, Twilight Sparkle,” Grey Spot said honestly. “I do not know any more about it, and I would share it with you if I knew.” The two went silent as Grey Spot finished off the last of his meal.

“Um, may I ask a question?” Fluttershy asked, raising her hoof.

Grey Spot and Twilight collectively turned to face her, and both ponies smiled. “I cannot say no to such politeness,” he said warmly. “What is it you would like to ask?”

“Well, I was just wondering about the flower – the Aphrodite Flower, you named it, right?” Grey Spot nodded, his expression shifting a little. “Well, um, I was wondering if you ponies had a possible location to where it might be… I just thought that since you know the continent well, you could possibly have a theory to where it might be… you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…” Fluttershy explained, her voice getting quieter and quieter with each sentence.

Twilight tightened her grip on Fluttershy’s tail, smiling serenely. “That was very brave of you,” she whispered. The pegasus blushed bashfully and tried to cover her face with her mane.

“Well, we don’t usually disclose such information to outsider’s,” Grey Spot answered. “But since you asked so nicely, and that it wouldn’t really matter, I suppose you both can know of its location.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in anticipation, while Twilight picked up her goblet of wine and prepared to drink. “Then, where do you think it is?” the pegasus asked.

Twilight started sipping her wine. “We theorise it is located in a valley, just west of the area that was once the original territories of the three pony tribes,” Grey Spot answered.

Twilight spat all her wine out of her mouth, miraculously into the goblet without spilling a drop on the carpet. When she recovered from her shock, she slowly brought her head up to look at Grey Spot. “The original territories of the three pony tribes?” she repeated slowly. The Merchant Prince nodded. “You mean the earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn kingdoms where our ancestors used to live in?” Again, Grey Spot nodded. “You mean to say, that the answer to the blank page of history, has been on this side of the continent all this time?”

Fluttershy scrunched up her face in confusion. She tapped the unicorn on the shoulder to get her attention. “Um, I’m sorry, Twilight, but the what page of history?” she asked.

“The what page of history?” Twilight repeated, looking at Fluttershy with a surprised look. “You know, the blank page? The one blank page to befuddle them all? The uncharted piece of history? The empty but desperately wanting to be filled history pie? The–”

“Okay, I think I get it,” Fluttershy said, shushing Twilight with a hoof against her lips. “What I don’t understand is: what is it about?”

The unicorn pulled Fluttershy’s hoof away from her mouth. “Don’t you remember that Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant we put on a year or so ago?” Twilight asked. “The one about the founding of Equestria?”

Fluttershy’s mouth formed an O as she remembered. “Oh, yes, I remember it well. It was fun but pretty scary to act in front of all those ponies.”

“Yes, I know, I was the one who dragged you on the set by the tail.”

“Oh, don’t lie and pretend you didn’t like that.”

“All right, I did quite enjoy it,” Twilight teased, smiling flirtatiously. “Did you?”

“Ahem,” Grey Spot interrupted them before they could go any further.

“Oh, yes, right, sorry,” Twilight said, blushing sheepishly. “Well, you remember in the play that the scene changed just after we left our respective homes, and then it went to Spike who said that we encountered many adventures on the way, and then it cut to us finding Equestria?” Fluttershy nodded. “Well, that scene change wasn’t there to save time. It was there because nopony knows what happened to them all between leaving their homelands and finding Equestria. That’s why it is referred to as, the blank page of history.”

Fluttershy’s mouth opened wide as she took it all in. “So, does that mean they crossed the entire ocean just to get to Equestria?” Twilight nodded, her smile growing wider by the second. Fluttershy could not imagine the excitement in Twilight’s mind at the moment. A part of history that had been lost and unrecorded was being rediscovered, and Twilight was the one finally putting it together.

“Let’s piece this together, shall we?” Twilight said excitedly, her mind racing with all the unusual stuff they had seen along their travels finally coming together like pieces of an engine.

Fluttershy nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes, let’s!” she squealed delightfully, clapping her forehooves together. Grey Spot shifted in his seat and watched as Twilight looked around the room.

Twilight grinned ecstatically when she saw what she needed. She picked up a bowl of lettuce and set it down beside Fluttershy. “Pretend, that this bowl is the area of the original three kingdoms.” She picked up a large tray full of small bowls of olives and onions, and set it to the left of herself. “And this is Equestria, with the space in the middle the ocean separating the two continents.”

Grey Spot watched the scene with a blank expression on his face. “Didn’t your mother tell you not to play with your food?” he asked, finally able to lift an eyebrow.

“Hush, now, history is being written here,” Twilight said, holding up a hoof to silence him, and forgetting that he was the Prince and ruler of a whole kingdom. She picked up three differently coloured cups – a white one, a blue one and a green one – and set them in a line facing Equestria. “Now, the three groups left their respective kingdoms and headed east, as it is known.”

“It is known,” agreed Fluttershy.

“Now, they continue for some way until they come across their largest obstacle: the ocean.” Twilight moved the three pots to what she made out to be the edge of the ocean. “Of course, they couldn’t swim or fly across, so they had to build little boats that would take them there, or the earliest versions of cloud ships for Hurricane and Pansy.” She moved the pots across the ocean, whispering, “weeeee,” as she did so, before setting them down in ‘Equestria’.

“And according to history, Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie and Private Pansy defeated the windigoes, freed their leaders, united them together and formed Equestria, and that is the end of that. But not for long,” Twilight continued as she turned her attention back to ‘Abyinisia’, “as we still have hundreds, if not thousands of ponies still stuck here and dying slowly from the winter the windigoes and the ponies have created.”

She brought another empty bowl from down the table to represent the mass of ponies leaving the three kingdoms, not noticing the look of admirable fascination from Fluttershy. The pegasus smiled as she watched her marefriend go to work, and doing what she did best all the while with a happy grin on her face. ‘Twilight is so adorable when she is like this,’ she thought.

“So begins a mass exodus of the three states. After leaving everything behind that they didn’t need, they move eastward, and stop at this point.” She brought her bowl down at the western edge of the ‘ocean’, and looked up at Grey Spot. “Exactly where this city stands.”

Fluttershy’s jaw dropped. “So you’re saying that our ancestors built Esperius.”

“Not necessarily the entire city, sweetheart, but most of it, yes,” Twilight answered, nodding. “They needed a place to stay and be comfortable while they built ships safe enough to travel in, and here was perfect: a natural bay, mountains flanking either side, and a single entry point through a valley, making it easy to defend in case of attack.

“With the place in mind, they built the harbour to hold the ships, and started cutting down trees at an alarming rate to build said ships, while building houses big enough to shelter, um… two to three families, I think. The houses were made to accommodate ponies for a long period of time, for this wasn’t going to be a quick trip back and forth and Bob’s your uncle you’re done. This was an operation that would take decades, and many would probably not make it to the other side.

“Of course, once they built these ships and got ponies on board, they wouldn’t have enough provisions for them to last the entire trip, so they started searching for a place to land for a day or so, so they could gather and refresh their supplies. One ship – probably the first ship built – went out, and found an island that had enough food to last years–”

“The same island we were stranded on!” Fluttershy squealed delightfully, grinning widely.

Twilight looked at her and beamed brightly. “Exactly!” she replied. “I thought I recognised that flag in one of the huts when I saw it. It was the same one the unicorns had when they were still ruling their own kingdom. So, they would come to this island, refresh their supplies, and continue until they reach Equestria. And the cycle continues over and over again until finally everypony is taken out of Esperius, put on a ship and sent to Equestria.

“Of course, it doesn’t end there. They wanted to remember that this is where they came from, so before the tide came back in the remaining ponies made a cave painting that represented the ponies leaving. Unfortunately, the water washed a lot of it away, but it is still recognisable as our ponies journeying to our home.” Twilight leaned back and puffed out some air, the grin on her face wider than anything Fluttershy had ever seen before. “This. Is. So. Awesome!”

“Oh, that it is,” Fluttershy said, a large grin on her face as well. That grin faded a bit. “I just don’t understand how this large piece of history was lost from the pages of the elder scrolls.”

“Well, that’s easy. During the reign of Discord, a lot of the documents recording the exodus were destroyed when he took over; I believe many of them were supposedly eaten,” Twilight replied, rubbing her hoof. “But the fact remains that we have managed to uncover and put together what happened here thousands of years ago.”

“I gotta hoof it to you, Twilight,” Grey Spot said, his face unable to disguise his admiration for the young unicorn, “you made that pretty clear for even the slowest mind to understand.” His expression changed as he stared into Twilight’s eyes. “I might not be psychic, but I know what is going through your mind right now. So let me tell you, it is a place I highly recommend you both to stay away from.”

Fluttershy looked at Grey Spot, not failing to notice the slack she felt in Twilight’s tail. “Why?” she asked, tilting her head a little. Twilight’s large grin disappeared, and her whole expression turned to fear.

“Because, the castle of the unicorn king is haunted by wraiths, the old earth pony settlements are infested with goblins, and there is a tale that says that a wyvern nests in the place where the pegasus soldiers used to train; a vast network of gorges formed together,” Grey Spot answered.

Fluttershy paled. “A… w-w-wyvern?” she repeated shakily. She knew wyverns were the friendlier version of dragons – albeit missing two legs and were much smaller – they were still draconic creatures, and should be feared and left alone.

Twilight looked confused. “Wait, no windigoes?”

Grey Spot nodded. “Yep. Once the ponies left the kingdoms there was nothing for them to feed off, so they went off to someplace else and left it alone; nopony knows where they went, though some argue they fled deep into the wintry tundra of the Frozen North. The area is no longer covered in snow, but it is grown over and the original cities are just ruins, with many hostile creatures calling the area their home now. If you two want to see Equestria again, do not go there.”

Twilight and Fluttershy jumped in fright when a bell clanged from behind the Merchant Prince. “Oh, really, is that the time? Sorry about this, ladies, I must return to my duties now.” He pushed his chair back. “Thank you both for the lovely company, it has been a real pleasure to have somepony to talk to for one of these breakfasts. Please, enjoy the sights of the city, and be sure to go to the amphitheatre tonight. Can’t miss it, it’s large, round and has a domed roof.”

Twilight and Fluttershy pulled their chairs back and prepared to jump off. “Thank you for the meal, Grey Spot,” Twilight said. “And we’ll be sure to come to the amphitheatre. Right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded meekly. “Oh, yes, we’ll be there. And thank you for the breakfast; it was delicious.”

“You are most welcome. Would you both like an escort back to your room?”

“Thank you kindly, but that won’t be necessary,” Twilight said. “We can find our way back.” At once, the two ponies jumped off and started to walk to the door. “Thanks again, and see you tonight.” With that, the two ponies made their way through the door, looking back and waving goodbye to Grey Spot, who waved back delightfully.

When they were back in the corridor and out of Grey Spot’s hearing, Twilight said, “So what do you think, sweetheart?”

Fluttershy looked back to make sure he wasn’t watching, and then looked around and said, “He seemed friendly enough to me. And that food was delicious; I don’t think I could eat another bite for weeks.”

Twilight looked at her, blinking suddenly. “That’s good, but that’s not what I meant,” she said. “The fact is, somewhere out there are the ruins of our ancestors’ homes, unexplored, undiscovered and unrecorded.”

“Oh, right, that,” Fluttershy said, her ears falling flat. She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know, sweetie. On one hoof, it would be amazing to see it all, but on the other, is it worth risking our lives? You heard what Grey Spot said back there, those places are dangerous now. We could both lose our lives over it, and it would be all for nothing.”

When they reached the staircase, Fluttershy put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and stopped her. “What about you, Twilight? Do you want to see the ruins of our ancestors’ homes?”

Twilight looked at her marefriend for a long time, before sighing and shrugging. “I don’t know,” she replied. The two continued walking. “Like you said, it would be amazing to gaze at where Clover the Clever used to study, or see where Commander Hurricane used to do drill practice with Private Pansy. But then again, I don’t think it would be worth risking our lives over.” She sighed once again, and after a while, shook her head. “No. I don’t think we should do it. I think we should just go home and leave it at that.”

Fluttershy didn’t know why, but she felt disappointed. Whether it was on Twilight’s behalf, she could not say. “Are you sure about this, sweetie?” she asked. “You’re going to pass the opportunity of a lifetime, here. Surely you should give it some more thought, first.”

Twilight shook her head adamantly. “Nope. I made up my mind. And besides,” she paused to nuzzle her marefriend, “I know this is going to sound really cheesy, but going out with you is the only opportunity of a lifetime that I would dare not pass by.”

Fluttershy’s face went pink, and a warm smile formed on her lips. “Thanks, Twily,” she squeaked shyly. ‘I should really start getting used to the cheese in our relationship,’ she thought, grinning to herself. ‘There’s enough of it to feed a mouse for years.’

“Oh look, we’re here,” Twilight said, pointing to their door. Fluttershy broke out of her thoughts and looked up, and sure enough, they were outside their bedroom door. Twilight quickly opened it, and bowed her head low and gestured with a hoof for Fluttershy to enter first. “After you, my dear.”

Fluttershy bowed her head, and then lifted it high and proud, throwing her mane back behind her ears. “Thank you, Twilight, my love,” she said in a classy Canterlotian accent, with a faint giggle behind it. She nimbly trotted inside, while Twilight walked in and shut the door behind her. “So, um, what do you want to do now?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight stopped and tapped her chin in thought. “I’m not sure,” she replied. “We could have a break here for an hour, rest our stomachs and let out breakfast go down, and then go out and see the city; Grey Spot did say we can explore at our own leisure.”

Fluttershy’s face lit up in excitement. “Does that mean we could relax and cuddle together?”

Twilight grinned at Fluttershy’s look of pure love and innocence. “Sure,” she replied. Without warning, she lit up her horn and disappeared, only to reappear a second later on the bed sitting on her haunches.

Fluttershy squealed in joy, and then jumped up and sat next to Twilight while throwing her forelegs around the unicorn. After a moment to get comfortable on her haunches, she rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder and sighed. “You have a very comfy shoulder, sweetie,” she said, nuzzling it. “Not as bony as I thought it would be.”

Twilight chuckled, and wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus’s waist, while resting her head on Fluttershy’s. “Thanks. I hope that is a compliment and not saying that I’m fat.”

“Oh, no,” Fluttershy denied, even with a cheeky grin on her face. “I wouldn’t say you’re fat. Maybe on the podgy side, but not fat.”

Twilight’s mouth opened wide in shock as a gasp escaped from between her lips. “Oh, you are one to talk… tubby.”

Fluttershy gasped and leaned back, even with a wide smile on her lips. That wide grin turned into a cheeky one. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am a bit tubby.” Twilight tilted her head, confused and unable to see where her lover was going with this. “But I can’t help myself; I just love to eat things. And right now, I am hungry again.”

“But you’ve just eaten. How can you possibly be hungry again?”

“I don’t know, I just am. And I know what I would like to eat.” She leaned forward, grinning predatory at Twilight. “Lavender ear!” she exclaimed, pouncing on her marefriend and nibbling on Twilight’s left ear, mumbling playfully, “Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom!”

Twilight burst into laughter as she felt her marefriend’s lips tickle the tip and edges of her ear. “Ha ha, no! Please! That really tickles!” she yelped through her laughter. Fluttershy grinned through her nibbling, and continued, this time nibbling up and down and licking Twilight’s ear with her tongue.

Twilight’s laughter soared as she felt the tip of Fluttershy’s tongue tickle her relentlessly. ‘Time for some payback,’ she thought. She brought one of her hind legs under Fluttershy and pressed her hoof against the pegasus’s belly. She began rubbing it in circles, grinning as she watched Fluttershy’s expression change from shock to ticklish glee.

After suppressing it for so long, Fluttershy finally caved in, broke away from Twilight and laughed boisterously as she fell onto her back to get away. Twilight didn’t want to let her go so easily. She jumped up, fell on top of Fluttershy, and started tickling her belly once more, all the while looking into her marefriend’s eyes and grinning at her.

Fluttershy grinned back, and her eyes shone with love brighter than the sun.

After a while, Twilight collapsed on Fluttershy’s belly, thoroughly exhausted and her right foreleg ached; she thought she could feel it throbbing. She rested her head on Fluttershy’s chest, and let the pegasus stroke her head while both rested after laughing and playing.

As they rested and listened to the comforting sounds of each other’s breathing, Fluttershy’s mind thought deeply about the flower, the very reason they went to this side of the ocean in the first place. Though she knew the flower was dangerous and should be avoided, her more reckless side wanted to go and find it. And she was listening to it intently.

She wanted to find that flower. She wanted to see its magical beauty, and hear its song flow through her ears like the alluring song of a siren. And most of all, she wanted to know if it would help her to understand her feelings for the unicorn lying on her. She was set on finding it, but the question was: is Twilight willing to go after it as well?

“Twilight?” Fluttershy said after a deep breath, her eyes looking at the ceiling.

“Mm hmm,” Twilight replied. She looked up and smiled. “What is it, sweetheart?”

Fluttershy brought her head up. “Do you think our love is true?” she asked.

Twilight’s smile evaporated. She shifted herself across Fluttershy’s body and brought her head closer. “What makes you say that?”

Fluttershy leaned her head back onto the bed. “I was just thinking about the Aphrodite Flower again. I was thinking, if what Grey Spot says is true, and the flower can really sense true love, then maybe…” She trailed off, knowing that Twilight would take the hint.

Twilight blinked perplexedly. “You still aren’t certain of your feelings for me, then?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, I’m not, but maybe if the flower can really sense love, then maybe it would tell me.” She sighed heavily, her stomach rising and falling. “I just don’t know how or what I am supposed to feel, and it’s driving me nuts.”

Twilight brushed Fluttershy’s cheek gently with her hoof. “Hey, it’s okay, sweetheart, I told you this already, I am not in any hurry for you to make up your mind. It will come to you in time – don’t worry, I have a lot of patience.” She pulled it away. “But to answer your question, I don’t think I could take such a big risk. This flower is dangerous and if we’re not to a standard it requires, then we could both lose everything.”

Fluttershy looked up, her eyes expressing her doubt. “Does that mean that you think our love isn’t true?”

Twilight put her hooves on Fluttershy’s cheeks and kissed her on the forehead. “I do not need some stupid, brain-damaging flower to tell me that my love for you is true. I know it is true,” she said firmly. “And you don’t need it, either. All you need are your friends. And me.” She let go of Fluttershy’s face, and allowed the pegasus’s head to fall back on the bed. “I might be your marefriend first, but I am your friend second, and I want to help you understand yourself, and to realise how you feel for me.”

Fluttershy brought her head up again, her eyes stating her delight. “You would do that for me?”

“Of course I would,” Twilight replied, setting her head down on Fluttershy’s cushiony chest. “I would travel through the nine circles of Tartarus if it meant being in your loving embrace.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “Do you think they might have a cheese knife around here?” she enquired, looking around the room for anywhere there might be a cupboard to house knives and such.

Twilight looked confused. “Why would you want a cheese knife?”

Fluttershy looked up at her marefriend. “Because I might need one to cut the cheese we have between us,” she replied giggly.

Twilight’s eyes wandered the room for a moment, her mind trying to understand what Fluttershy was going on about. A minute later, she got it, and her face lit up in understanding. “Oh… oh, I think I get it.” She shook her head deplorably, even though she had a small smile on her face. “That was not funny.”

Fluttershy giggled through her hoof. “I thought it was. Now,” she wrapped her forelegs around Twilight’s neck, and brought her in close. “Enough chit-chat. Let’s cuddle.” With that, Fluttershy closed her eyes, leaned back and sighed.

“Um…” Twilight muttered, shifting uncomfortably in Fluttershy’s grasp. “Mind if you let go for a moment?” she asked, now squirming in place. “I really need to use the bathroom.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock, and a blush of embarrassment formed on her cheeks. “Oh.” She took her forelegs away from Twilight’s neck. “Of course.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said, before dashing off into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. Fluttershy giggled to herself, and fell back flat on the bed and closed her eyes, sighing contently as she let her mind wander while she waited for Twilight to return.

Yet, not matter how far it wandered, it always went back to Twilight Sparkle. Her dazzling eyes, her mane and tail that flowed like a mighty magenta waterfall, her perfect smile, and most of all, her large heart. A heart big and patient enough to love Fluttershy despite her faults, and the fears that constantly gnawed at her. ‘If it was anypony else I was going out with, like Rainbow Dash, they would probably be annoyed by now that we’re going this slowly,’ she thought.

She thought the idea was horrible, but couldn’t see it as anything else but the truth. Rainbow was a pony who liked her relationships fast and awesome, like herself. That was something Fluttershy could not do. ‘I can’t be as quick as her. I can only go as quick as Twilight wants me to.’ She smiled dreamily to herself. ‘Twilight doesn’t mind we’re going this slowly. She is the most patient and kindest pony I know.’

Yet, even with that assurance in her mind, it still didn’t take away her greatest fear. Twilight might be patient most of the time, but she still had her limits. ‘What if she starts getting frustrated over our speed? What if she turns snappy at me and we get into fights?’ She put her hooves across her face and groaned.

“Fluttershy?” At her name being called the pegasus looked up, and smiled as she watched her marefriend coming towards the bed with a look of concern. “Are you all right? You looked like you were having a fight with your hooves.”

Fluttershy waved the concern away with a hoof. “It’s fine,” she said, shaking her head. “Just having an argument with myself.”

Twilight tilted her head a little, and put her hoof on top of Fluttershy’s own. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.

Fluttershy smiled disarmingly. “It’s all right, sweetie. It’s something I do all the time.” ‘I’ll have to, no, I need to face this myself.’ She patted the bed. “Now come on, hop up so we can cuddle.”

Twilight grinned, and then leapt through the air and into Fluttershy’s welcoming embrace. After a moment, they nestled into each other’s comfort and drifted off to sleep.

Twilight and Fluttershy were roused at the same time, by short, light and amiable knocks on the door. “Oh, that’s the second time in one day that this has happened,” Twilight complained, banging the back of her head on the bed. “Let’s just pretend we’re asleep and they’ll go away.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Now, Twilight, that’s not very nice. At least they are knocking on the door and not barging in like some ponies I know.” She shuddered briefly as the image of Rainbow Dash flying into her house and finding her in bed naked stained her mind.

Twilight puffed out some air. “I suppose. But I’m not going to answer the door; it could be the Captain again, and I don’t want to face him alone.”

Fluttershy sat up, and took one of Twilight’s hooves in her own. “You don’t need to, sweetheart. I’ll be right beside you. I promise,” she said, smiling her sweetest grin.

Twilight knew that when Fluttershy made that smile, everything would be all right with the world. She sat up and rested on her haunches, smiling kindly at her pegasus marefriend. “Then let’s go and see who is bothering us now,” she declared.

Together, the two ponies jumped off the bed and walked side by side to the door. They didn’t fail to notice how their hoofsteps were perfectly harmonious with each other. ‘Okay, that’s just spooky,’ Twilight thought as she watched Fluttershy’s left legs follow her own, and landed on the ground at the same time.

When they made it to the door, Fluttershy lifted a hoof up, wrapped it around the handle, and gently pulled it open. Who was waiting on the other side surprised them. “Ah, good afternoon, ladies,” the pony greeted them kindly, bowing his head. “I am sorry if I interrupted anything or disturbed you, but Grey Spot said you were planning on seeing the city, and requested me to advise you.”

Twilight and Fluttershy glanced at each other, before looking back at the pony. He was around the same size of every other pony in Esperius. His coat was a dark brown, like the colour of the bark of an oak tree, and was thick with long, shaggy hair. His chestnut orange mane and tail were long and rough, looking more like a wig made out of hay, and his crimson eyes shone bright with intelligence and cheer.

He looked back and forth between them, his face clearly one of expectance for an answer. “Um…” Fluttershy started, fidgeting in place. “That’s very kind of you, mister, um…”

The pony’s eyes widened as he realised he hadn’t introduced himself yet. “Oh yes, of course! Please forgive me I should remember my manners. I am Welara, personal advisor to the Merchant Prince of Esperius,” he introduced himself, putting a hoof to his chest and bowing low.

Twilight’s face lit up in realisation. “Oh, yes, I remember now. You were the pony Grey Spot spoke to when we first arrived.”

Welara nodded. “Yes, that’s me, the little ball of fluff in the corner. I’m surprised you noticed I wa- whoa!” he cried out when Fluttershy leapt forward and squeezed him in a hug. “This is new,” he rasped.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight gasped. She wrapped the pegasus in her magic and forced her to reluctantly break off from him. “Forgive her, sir, she just likes hugging things.”

She looked right to see that Fluttershy had regained her senses, and was looking deeply ashamed of herself. “I’m sorry, sir, but I couldn’t help myself. You are just so adorable!” she squeaked out the last word. She looked to Twilight with an expectant grin. “Oh, I hope they have little plushies like them for sale somewhere, or else I would have to take one home with us.”

Twilight looked back to Welara nervously, and then chuckled while patting Fluttershy on the head. “Don’t worry, she didn’t mean that. Didn’t you, sweetheart?” she growled, glaring at her.

Fluttershy regained her senses once more, and shied away. “Oh, um, yes, of course I didn’t mean it. It was the adorableness overtaking me,” she said, glancing between Twilight and the ground. “Sorry,” she added squeakily.

Twilight’s glare faded away, and smiled; she couldn’t stay mad at Fluttershy for long after that. “You’re forgiven, but try and control yourself – other ponies won’t be as forgiving.” She turned back to Welara, who was looking rather dazed by the contact. “Now, you said something about advising us on places of interest?”

Welara’s eyes widened as he came back to it. “Oh yes! Yes I did, didn’t I?” He rubbed the back of his neck as though it would help him remember. “Well, there are a few places worth visiting around here, like the Green Labyrinth, the largest maze in Abyinisia; that’s a great place to have a run around and have fun, as well as building up your team working skills.”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other, and then collectively nodded in agreement. “That sounds brilliant. I think we can do that easily,” Twilight said. “Anything else?”

“Well, at the harbour, you can look around at all the ancient ships put on display there, including one of the greatest warships of our age: The Golden Wave,” Welara answered. “If you’re both fans of history, then you’ll love it there.”

Again, the couple nodded at each other, though this time more eagerly than before. “That sounds relaxing and interesting at once,” Fluttershy remarked. “I would love to do that.”

“As would I,” Twilight agreed. “Anything else this city holds?”

“Uh, let me think,” Welara said, rubbing his chin. “Ah ha!” he exclaimed, making Fluttershy jump at the sudden exclamation. “If you both like reading then there’s the library to go to. That holds maps and other items of interest.”

Fluttershy grimaced as she knew what was coming. ‘Oh dear, he said the L word around Twilight,’ she thought. She glanced over, and saw Twilight practically shaking with delight. She figured it wouldn’t be long before the unicorn shot into the air and exploded like a firework in happiness.

However, the unicorn didn’t explode in the air or jump around like a deer. Instead, she leapt through the air and brought Welara into a bone-crushing hug. “This is going to end in tears,” Fluttershy mumbled to herself. From the look on the little pony’s face, she was right.

“Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Twilight squealed, nuzzling the poor stallion. “I didn’t think I would be so close to a book for a long time, but I am, and you are going to take me to my second love!”

Welara, even for his size, pushed Twilight back and forced her off him. “Yes, well, um, sorry, but I cannot do that,” he said as he brushed down the hair on his coat. “I have other commitments around the palace, I’m afraid. But the library isn’t so hard to find. It is just west of the harbour from here, a large round building with a large book above the door. The maze from here is in the south west corner, in the park.” He sighed when he saw their blank faces. “Would you both like a map?”

“Yes, please,” they both answered at once. When they realised they had said the same thing at once, they looked at each other weirdly. “Okay, now this is getting weird,” Twilight said. “We should both stop doing this.”

“I know. Oh, why don’t we just tap each other’s muzzles if we say the same thing?” Fluttershy suggested.

“That’s a good idea. Like this?” Twilight raised a hoof and gingerly tapped the tip of Fluttershy’s muzzle, squeaking, “Honk!” as she did so.

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been around Pinkie too long.”

“I know. I think I might need a psychiatrist soon to help me cope with her.”

Fluttershy patted Twilight comfortingly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetie. It’s something we all go through after meeting her. Even today, I still get withdrawal symptoms once she’s gone home after a day with her – I love her to death, but she can tire you out.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. They were interrupted when Welara cleared his throat, and presented them a folded piece of paper, which the couple took to be the map of Esperius. Twilight took it in her magic, and spread it out to have a good look of the city. “I took the liberty of marking out all the places of interest in red on the map,” Welara said proudly. “Any other questions, feel free to ask.”

Fluttershy peered over Twilight’s shoulder, and had a good look of the map. Twilight noticed her head coming in, and snuck a quick, cheeky kiss on her cheek. The pegasus squeaked at the sudden contact of lips on her face, and blushed fiercely. “Twilight, not when other ponies are looking,” she muttered bashfully, bringing her head away.

“Let them look. I just want to show them how much I love you,” Twilight replied. She looked back at the map, giggling. “Uh… nope, I think everything is okay. Thank you, Welara, for the map.”

“You are most welcome, ladies. And I suppose I should thank you for the hugs. It’s not every day an Equestrian mare hugs me.” He rapidly shook his head. “Anyway, I better get on with something else. Enjoy your day.” With that, he turned away from them and trotted down the corridor, around the bend and out of sight.

Twilight watched him go, and then turned to Fluttershy with a very large, uncomfortable-looking grin. “So where would you like to go first?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy bit her bottom lip and her eyes wandered the ceiling as she thought about it. “Um… I’m not really sure. The maze sounds nice and a bit of fun for us, but a walk through the harbour sounds really relaxing – I can smell the sea air even now.” She looked back at Twilight. “What do you want to do first?”

Twilight looked at her with a flat look. “Really?” she said flatly. “You’re going to ask me where I want to go first between the choices of a harbour, a maze and a library? Come on, Fluttershy, I thought you know me by now.”

“I do. I just didn’t want to presume you wanted to go to the library first,” Fluttershy explained, idly rubbing her foreleg. “I take it you want to go to the library, then?” Twilight nodded so fast it looked like it hurt. “Okay,” the pegasus sighed, “but can we not stay for long, please? I do want to see the harbour and the ships before we have to go to the amphitheatre tonight.”

Twilight smiled assuredly. “Of course. I doubt I’ll be able to read any of the books in there, anyway.” She turned around and began walking towards the stairs.

Fluttershy trotted after her. “Then, if you know you won’t be able to read any of the books, then why do you want to go?” she asked, adding a moment later, “I don’t mind, really, but I was just curious.”

Twilight looked back at her, and grinned wryly. “Because I don’t just love the books, sweetheart. I love libraries in general,” she answered. “The smell of old books that flows through the air, the large shelves and aisles that seem to stretch on forever, and of course, the vast amount of knowledge and entertainment they hold.” She sighed pleasurably. “Yeah, they’re the best things ever created since pancakes.”

They made it to the stairs and started walking down. “Would you like me to leave you and the library alone for a moment?” Fluttershy asked with a witty smile. “I don’t mind, really.”

Twilight giggled. “Oh, stop it, you make me sound like a weirdo,” she said.

They made it to the bottom of the stairs, where Fluttershy nuzzled her marefriend’s neck. “You’re my weirdo, Twily,” she said. “And I love you for it.”

Twilight leaned her head away, gazing at Fluttershy with surprise. “You know, that’s the second time you have said you loved me. Are you sure you don’t know how you feel about me?”

“Positive, Twilight, but I thought they sounded like the right words to say. That’s all,” Fluttershy said, looking away.

Twilight giggled. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I was only joking; I’ve already said there is no rush.” She nuzzled her marefriend’s cheek. “And I love you, too.”

Fluttershy’s face lit up pink. She looked back at Twilight and smiled. “Thank you,” she squeaked. They fell silent as they left the corridor and found themselves in the main hall and the palace’s throne room.

Along the edges, soldiers armed with spears stood tall with their heads held high, and their eyes glued to the space in front of them. Other than the guards, the hall was empty of other ponies. The throne where Grey Spot sat was empty, as was the space Welara stood yesterday. “Strange, I thought Grey Spot would be busy with day-to-day problems,” Twilight pondered as she stared at the throne. “I wonder where he is at the moment?”

“And where is Welara?” Fluttershy added, looking at the spot he occupied yesterday.

“Probably busy with something,” Twilight replied as they veered away from the throne and towards the main door, where six guards were waiting to open it. “That reminds me. Welara had very good knowledge of the Equestrian language, and could speak it in flawless Equestrian dialect. I wonder how?”

“Maybe Grey Spot taught him?” Fluttershy suggested. “It would make sense if he was Grey Spot’s advisor. Both needed to be taught both languages, so they turned to each other.”

Twilight hummed in agreement. “That makes sense. Though I would like to know how they managed to teach each other, and learn some of the Esperian language myself.”

Fluttershy moved her mouth to speak, but before she got the chance, a groaning sound ahead of them made her squeak in fright and jump back. She slowly relaxed upon realising it was the door being opened for them.

Twilight stopped beside her, and wrapped her tail around the pegasus’s as the door parted, and they were forced to shield their eyes from the sun as it glared in their faces. After a moment to allow their eyes to adjust to the sun’s light, Twilight turned to her adventuring companion-plus-marefriend, and grinned. “Ready to see the city?”

Fluttershy straightened up, tightened her hold on Twilight’s tail, and nodded confidently. “I’m ready. Let’s go and see the city,” she replied.

Twilight nodded, and together the two ponies stepped out of the palace and into the exotic city.

Author's Note

The idea of the three original pony kingdoms was part of another story I came up with that was scrapped, called 'Back Where we Began', which would have ended with Twishy. This took its place, and ditched the rest of the mane six for just Twilight and Fluttershy.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you all for favourting and reading.

Chapter 15 (part 1)

To any of the ponies of Esperia that had never seen the Merchant Prince, and for that matter had never seen an Equestrian pony, seeing Twilight and Fluttershy walking through the streets would look as though goddesses were walking among them, or the pony giants of legend.

Fluttershy could not keep her head still as her eyes and mind took in the city around her. ‘So much to look at,’ she thought rapidly. So much to look out and so little time to see it all, it appeared to the pegasus sadly.

All around her, the city teemed with life. They passed street after street, each with a various number of ponies occupying them, and each had impressive sand-coloured buildings of varying shape and size with different creatures painted beside each door.

Birds of all sorts: seagulls, pigeons, sparrows, robins, blackbirds, crows and magpies, fluttered about from building to building and picked up scraps of food on the roofs and the ground. Fluttershy’s eyes lit up with interest as she watched them all fight over the food and a place to rest. ‘Nature is so fascinating,’ she thought.

They swiftly turned into another street that gently sloped downhill, and trotted past several houses terraced together, each with an array of potted plants on a balcony on the second floor. Fluttershy wanted to ask the owners what kind they were, but Twilight kept her moving, believing if they stopped and stared, they might get into trouble.

They soon came across a large area formed into the shape of a pentagon, with five cobbled paths heading in different directions, and a stone well in the middle with its crank in place and a few buckets around it. The two ponies stopped for a moment, and had a look down each of the paths in the hope they could see the library from where they were.

However, they had no such luck. “How much further is it to the library?” Fluttershy asked, the worry in her heart apparent in her voice. “I thought we would be there by now.”

“Let me check,” Twilight said, sounding quite agitated at the fact they hadn’t arrived yet. She took the map Welara gave to them out of her mane and spread it out on top of the wall of the well. The map itself was intricately detailed, with a compass in the far left corner, the places of interest circled in red ink, and every street viewable.

In short, only an idiot could get lost with it, and Twilight and Fluttershy were not idiots. “Okay, so I think we’re here,” Twilight said, pointing to an area of the map shaped like a pentagon. “And we need to get to here.” Twilight trailed a hoof to the circle building that was undoubtedly the library. “So we need to take…” She twirled around with a raised hoof, ready to point at the right path to take. “That one, I think,” Twilight announced, pointing to the path heading south and towards the harbour. She looked back at the map to be sure of her claim.

Fluttershy inched herself closer to her marefriend and examined the map as well. She quickly made out where the library was, just east of the harbour. ‘Wait, hold on.’ “Um, Twilight, didn’t Welara say the library was in the west? So why is it east of here?”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy for a second, and then looked at the map once more. “Ah, I know. Because Welara said it was west of the palace, and this map is drawn with the palace in the north, making the library technically east. But if you want to look it from the palace looking towards the sea, then the library would be west.”

Fluttershy tilted her head from side to side as her mind processed it, though it still sounded terribly confusing. “Oh, okay, that makes sense… I think.” She went silent for a moment as her eyes returned to the map. “Um, sweetie… well, if you want to, of course, but… wouldn’t it be easier if we go to the harbour first, have a slow walk through there, then head to the library? It would seem silly just to go to the library, then head back to the harbour, and then go to the maze.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes questionably at her marefriend for a moment, and then looked at the map once more. After a while of listening to the little ponies trotting past them, chatting in their own language, and the wind whistling through their ears, Twilight’s face went a little sheepish. “Ah. Yeah, I guess you’re right. That would be a little silly if we did that, and a little impractical as well.” She rolled the map back up, and secured it in her mane. “Let’s get to the harbour, have lunch and a slow walk there, then head to the library.”

Fluttershy nodded, and together the two set off down the road towards the harbour. As they walked down the street, ponies stopped and stared in horror as the two giants walked swiftly by; one pony screamed and ran away from them as though they were monsters coming to eat her.

“Sorry about keeping you from the library for a bit longer, sweetie,” Fluttershy said a little later, hanging her head low in shame.

Twilight chuckled, and then nuzzled Fluttershy’s neck. “Don’t be sorry, Fluttershy,” she said. “You’re right, we should go to the harbour first. I guess I let my excitement of a library get to me, so I should be sorry.”

Fluttershy shook her head in disagreement. “Oh no, you shouldn’t be sorry at all. It’s just you being you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Twilight smiled daintily. “I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you in the first place,” she said softly. She looked ahead again, and her eyes widened in surprise as the wide streets broke away from them, and they found themselves just outside the boundaries of the harbour, which was separated from the rest of the city by a wide road made of cobbled sandstone. “Wow. That was fast.” She turned to Fluttershy. “So what shall we do first?”

Before Fluttershy could say what it was she wanted to do first, her belly spoke for her by rumbling loudly. Twilight stifled her giggles with a hoof, while Fluttershy fell onto her stomach and covered her face with her mane, hoping she wouldn’t be noticed. She felt a hoof brush her mane away from her face, and glanced up to see Twilight looking at her with love. “I agree,” Twilight said. “Lunch sounds really nice right about now.”

Twilight hauled Fluttershy back to her hooves, and then together they walked into the harbour, passing through a wooden gate with a sign on the top written in the language of the Esperians. “I wonder what that says,” Fluttershy pondered, gesturing to it with a head dip.

“I could hazard a guess,” Twilight said.

“Oh, please don’t do that. That could be very dangerous,” Fluttershy joked, grinning teasingly at her marefriend.

Twilight stuck her tongue out at her. “Too bad, I’m guessing anyway. I think it might just say, ‘Welcome to the harbour of Esperius’.”

Twilight looked left, and giggled when she saw Fluttershy with her mane covering her face as though it would protect her from something horrible. “Is it safe to look out now?” Fluttershy enquired.

Twilight used her magic to brush Fluttershy’s mane behind her ear, and smirked when she saw the teasing grin on her marefriend’s face. “Ha, ha, ha,” she said flatly, giggling a little. “Yes, it is safe to come out. Now come on, let’s get some food.” Her eyes widened as she realised something. She facehoofed herself and groaned loudly. “Oh no!”

Fluttershy tilted her head a little, confused by the sudden outburst. “Um, excuse me, sweetie, but what’s the problem?”

“I just remembered we don’t have any money to pay for lunch,” Twilight replied, rubbing her forehead. Fluttershy’s ears fell flat as she realised the same thing. “Oh, this is turning into a disaster pretty quickly,” Twilight said, collapsing onto her rump.

Fluttershy smiled comfortingly, then walked up to Twilight and nuzzled her cheek. “Don’t think like that, sweetheart,” she said kindly. “Though things might not be going the way we want them to so far, I still don’t think this is a disaster.” She pecked Twilight’s cheek quickly, her own cheeks blazing pink afterwards. “We’re still together, and that’s what matters.”

Twilight slowly looked up at Fluttershy with wide eyes. A smile slowly crawled across her face. “You’re right,” she said, nodding. “Being with you is all that matters to me.” Her head and ears drooped again. “I would kill for some food, though.”

Fluttershy kept her smile, even though she disliked that term. “Maybe if we find out what currency the Esperians have, we can go from there.” With that, the pegasus began looking around the harbour front. She soon spotted what she presumed to be a café of sorts, with two little tables outside in front of the window. “I won’t be a minute,” Fluttershy said. She walked up to the shop, and peeked inside.

The pony at the counter froze in horror as a large yellow and pink head appeared at the door, and started to tremble in fear as Fluttershy entered with a warm smile. “Oh, um, hello,” Fluttershy said kindly, waving with a hoof. “Um, me and my marefriend were wondering about what the currency is for this place. We are both really hungry, see, and would like to get something to eat.”

The pony’s eyes widened in terror as the pegasus closed the gap between them. In an instant, the pony leapt through the back door with a scream leaving his lips. Fluttershy watched with a raised eyebrow, and craned her neck as if it would give her a better view on what the little pony was doing. Eventually, he reappeared with two bags, which had something inside of them that smelt very good. He threw them at Fluttershy, who squeaked in fright and shielded herself with a hoof as they came flying at her. They were stopped in their flight by Twilight’s magic.

Fluttershy watched as Twilight floated the two bags to her, then looked back at the pony. “Um, would you like us to pay?” she asked pleasantly. The little pony’s eyes bulged once more. He let out a scream of fright and galloped through the back door once more, this time not looking back.

Fluttershy turned to Twilight with a perplexed expression on her face. “What was that all about?” she asked.

Twilight shrugged casually. “Beats me, all I know is that we have lunch to snack on. Come on,” she said. She turned around and sauntered out of the café with the bags floating above her.

Fluttershy followed shortly after, a confused look still on her face. “Um, shouldn’t we at least give them something in return?” she asked. “It doesn’t feel right just taking whatever they made without offering them anything in return.”

Twilight looked back at her, and smiled comfortingly. “It doesn’t sit well with me either, sweetheart. But like we said earlier, we don’t have anything to give them. Besides, they may even have this free anyway.”

Fluttershy thought about it for a moment, before sighing and nodded. “I suppose,” she conceded, yet it still didn’t go down well with her. ‘How are they supposed to earn money if they give stuff away freely?’ she wondered. She shook her head, and then looked behind her at the city grading up the hill. ‘This place is so alien to us.’

“Sweetheart?” Twilight called concernedly.

Fluttershy whipped her head around, and smiled sweetly at the unicorn. “Sorry, Twilight, I was miles away there. What did you just say?”

“I asked if you wanted to sit on the beach to have our lunch,” Twilight repeated patiently, gesturing with a pointing hoof at the large sandy beach in front of them, flanked on both sides by a large wall of rocks and separated from the rest of the harbour by the heightened concrete path.

A grin formed on Fluttershy’s face. “Oh, that would be lovely,” she said. With the fact they took the food without paying forgotten, Fluttershy joined Twilight’s side once more, and together the two jumped off the edge and walked along the beach, which was empty of other ponies. Something that Fluttershy was very grateful for.

“Bet they don’t like the beach as much as we do,” Twilight reckoned aloud, looking at the beach around. She stopped abruptly, and felt the ground by pressing gently with her hooves. It reminded Fluttershy of how a cat would act before it made itself comfortable. “This would do nicely,” Twilight announced, and slammed her rump into the sandy ground.

Fluttershy giggled as she set her bottom down as well beside the adorable unicorn, wrapping her tail around her forelegs to shield her light yellow socks from the sun. “You looked so cute when you were just doing that thing with your hooves,” she remarked, making Twilight blush. “You reminded me of a cat.”

“Heh, it’s something of a habit of mine,” Twilight said sheepishly as she shifted her rump into the sand. “When I was little, and before I joined the school and became the princess’s student, the family had a long-haired black and white cat named Miss Tinkles.” She paused to giggle at a memory. “I swear that cat gave me evils every time I said her name. Anyway, when I went to my room to study, she would join me and rest on the pillow next to me, pressing her claws into the pillow to make sure it was comfortable for her to lie down on. I just liked it so much I started joining in with her. Done it ever since.” Twilight giggled once more, shaking her head. After a moment, her grin shortened bit by bit as she stared at the ocean. “I do miss her, you know. She was there for me when nopony else was; she even helped me study and pick out books before Spike was born.”

Fluttershy knew that feeling. She had experienced it over a thousand times in her short lifetime, and it never got any easier. She flung a leg over Twilight’s shoulders, and pulled her in close, giving her a comforting nuzzle on the face. “I know, sweetie. I know that pain, the loss of a loved critter. Did you know that I had about three other bunnies before Angel?” Twilight shook her head, surprise etched across her face. “Well, yes, I did. And when each one died, I was always left heartbroken. Yet do you know what always made me move on?” Again, Twilight shook her head. “Remembering the good times I had with them all.”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy for a long time, before breaking out a smile. ‘She is right,’ she thought. ‘Just remember the laughs I had with her, and it will all be fine.’ She nuzzled Fluttershy’s muzzle with her own. “Thanks, sweetheart,” she said. She pulled away from the pegasus and looked down at the bags in front of her. “Now,” she said as she turned, “let’s eat.”

Fluttershy nodded excitedly in agreement, and watched as Twilight magically lifted one of the brown, paper bags and set it down in front of her. “Thank you,” she said, before splitting the top open and peering inside. “Oh my.”

Inside the bag were about a hundred long, thick golden sticks. They weren’t hay fries; Fluttershy could tell quickly they were not, and the strong aroma of salt and vinegar whiffed through her nostrils and eyes, forcing her to pull her head back. She picked one up with a hoof and looked inquisitively at it. “Do you know what these are, Twilight?” she asked, turning her head to see Twilight digging into her bag without a problem.

Twilight stopped eating and faced her with puffed up cheeks. “Oh, these?” she asked, her tone muffled by the amount of the stuff in her mouth. “They are called chips, and they are the best thing to come out since pancakes.”

“Chips?” Fluttershy repeated, the name rolling over her tongue. She scrutinised the chip in her hoof once more. “I’ve never seen a chip before.”

“That’s because they’re only exclusive to Trottingham and Hoofington,” Twilight replied as she chewed. “Oh, and here, obviously.” She stuffed a few more in her mouth, and hastily swallowed. “They’re made of potatoes and fried in sunflower oil. Try them, they’re delicious,” she goaded the pegasus.

Fluttershy looked at the chip hesitantly, unsure whether to try it or not. Fluttershy was a bit of a fussy eater; if she had never tried anything before, she feared she might not like it and have the bile taste in her mouth until the end of time. The same went with the chip. She looked over to Twilight once more, and watched with a smile as she saw her marefriend devouring chips mercilessly. ‘If Twilight loves chips, then I might love them as well. We both do like the same foods, mostly,’ she thought.

She closed her eyes, threw the chip into her mouth and started to chew and let the pieces roll across her tongue, giving her the taste. Her eyes widened as the taste went to her brain, and she found to be so tasty. It was crunchy, and she could easily taste the potato inside. She didn’t just like them. She loved them.

Fluttershy quickly started taking out a mouthful at a time, while a perplexed Twilight looked on. ‘Fluttershy does have a bit of a greedy side when it comes to food,’ she noted. ‘It isn’t difficult to see how she was so easily swayed by the MMM a year or so ago.’ “Are they that good, sweetheart?” she asked.

Fluttershy took a minute to stop, and nodded vigorously. “They are the best!” she squeaked delightfully. “How did you come by such gorgeous creations?” She quickly stuffed her face with more chips.

Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head with a small smile. “When I was with Princess Celestia in Canterlot,” she began, “we would both go out of the palace and the school on day trips to other places. One of those excursions was a two-day trip to Hoofington and Trottingham. While we were there, I had a first-hoof experience in the main delicacy of the cities, and their pride and joy: chips. Needless to say I loved them, but I haven’t been back to either town ever since.”

Fluttershy gulped down the last of her chips, and then looked thoughtful as she stared out at the lake. “Perhaps, when we get back to Equestria, maybe we should go up there sometime?” the pegasus suggested shyly. “Just me and you… or, you know, we bring the other girls as well but leave them to their own thing.”

Twilight grinned, prompting Fluttershy to grin also. “It’s a date,” she said gladly. She devoured the last of her chips, then fell onto her back and let out a content sigh, rubbing her full stomach. “It’s so nice here.”

Fluttershy fell onto her back as well, and shifted herself left so that their sides were touching. “It is lovely here,” she agreed. “And so peaceful. There isn’t a seagull crying, or another pony’s foal running about and ruining the peace.”

Twilight glanced at Fluttershy with an odd stare. “I take it you don’t like foals.”

Fluttershy’s tongue rolled out, stating her disgust. “Ugh. I hate them. They are adorable when they’re little, but when they are between three and seven they become nothing but pests.” She let out a sigh as she rested her head against the sand. “I love it here.”

Twilight smiled serenely, and rested her head against Fluttershy’s. “I love it here, too. I love it right here, with you at my side.” The two went silent as they took a moment to enjoy the sun on their tummies, the sound of the water rushing in and out, and the sound of ponies walking calmly across the harbour behind them.

After a quarter of an hour or so, Twilight let out a reluctant sigh. “As lovely as it is here, I think it’s best if we get going, if we want to catch the play or whatever is happening at the amphitheatre tonight and still do all the stuff we have planned.” She sat up and looked to Fluttershy. “Ready to move on?”

Fluttershy gave a reluctant nod in reply. “I suppose we must.” She rolled onto her hooves, and shook off the sand in her mane, tail and coat. “Come on, then. Let’s head to the library.” She turned around and jumped back onto the stone path.

Twilight looked confused. “Wait, the library? I thought we were going to see the ship.”

Fluttershy looked back with a sweet smile. “We are, but we’re also heading in the direction of the library, so we will pass the ship anyway.”

Twilight teleported herself to Fluttershy’s side, and when she arrived smiled widely at the pegasus. “Like I said before, I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you.” With that, Twilight trotted ahead, while Fluttershy lingered behind, her mind going over what the unicorn just said to her.

‘She had reasons to fall in love with me,’ Fluttershy thought. Her face lit up as an idea passed through her head. ‘Maybe if I knew what her reasons were for falling in love with me, then maybe I can look for things that I love about Twilight, and go from there.’ Fluttershy clapped her forehooves together. ‘It’s the perfect plan.’

She broke into a canter till she was beside her marefriend, and then slowed herself down so she kept level with her. “Um, sweetie, mind if I ask you something?”

Twilight turned her head and smiled. “Of course, sweetheart. You don’t ever have to ask for permission to ask me something.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, thank you. So, um, I guess I want to ask you is, um…” she slowed herself down as she thought of the right words, while Twilight walked slowly ahead. “Why?” she asked finally.

Twilight halted abruptly, and spun her head to look at Fluttershy with a confused gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Why me?” she asked, placing a hoof to her chest. “Why did you fall in love with me when you had all our other friends? You could have gone with Rainbow Dash, or Rarity, or Pinkie Pie, or Applejack, yet you went with me. Why?”

Twilight’s sweet smile never faltered. She turned around and walked slowly towards the pegasus. “Because you are everything they are not,” Twilight replied. She stepped closer to Fluttershy, who felt her cheeks begin to warm up as she looked into Twilight’s loving eyes. “You’re more beautiful than Rarity.”

Fluttershy shook her head disagreeably. “Oh, I’m not,” she said bashfully, looking away as she felt the blushes intensify.

Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy’s right cheek, and gently moved her head so they could look each other in the eyes. “No, you are,” Twilight insisted. “Rarity is beautiful, but she tends to use makeup a lot to make herself more beautiful. You, on the other hoof, are naturally beautiful, inside and out. Your coat looks as soft as snow, your mane and tail looks as gentle and smooth as sand, and your gorgeous heart is bigger than all of Terra.” By now, Fluttershy’s face was turning as pink as her mane. “You’re the kindest pony in all of Equestria; you are willing to help anyone, even if you’re afraid. And that makes you one of the bravest mares I know.”

“Oh, I-I’m not as brave as Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy protested, though it sounded to her like it was a mumble.

“No, Fluttershy, you are not,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “You are far braver than her. Rainbow Dash isn’t brave, she’s reckless, and tries to stand up to terrifying things because she thinks she is awesome enough to do so. You are braver because you stand up to your fears, no matter what they are, and try to overcome them. And you know what?” Twilight rubbed her forehooves against Fluttershy’s. “You always succeed in conquering another fear. You are definitely a different pony to the one who couldn’t clearly say her name to me three years ago.”

Fluttershy’s neck started to go pink. ‘Stay awake, Fluttershy,’ she thought. “You really think so?”

Twilight nodded. “I do, without a doubt. And throughout this trip you’ve shown yourself to be an honest and really funny pony to be around.” She paused to nuzzle her marefriend’s cheek. “And one I absolutely adore.”

Fluttershy felt herself swoon in place as she realised just how hot she felt. “Oh my,” she said weakly, before she felt herself begin to fall.

Twilight squeaked in alarm, and quickly caught Fluttershy with her magic before she fell over. Twilight carried her over to the side, out of the way, and set her down, her face contorted with worry. “Fluttershy, are you all right? Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!” Twilight cried, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, and saw how blurry everything was. She shook her head rapidly, clearing her vision, and smiled kindly at Twilight. “Oh, I’m fine, thank you. I was just, um… surprised, by what you said to me. Do you really mean all of that?”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief, and grinned as she caressed Fluttershy’s cheek with a hoof. “I meant every word I just said, sweetheart. I Pinkie Promise.”

Fluttershy stared at Twilight for a long time, before cracking a smile. She suddenly flung her hooves around Twilight’s neck, and brought her closer. “You are so sweet, Twilight. The sweetest pony I have ever known. Thank you.”

Twilight smiled as she felt her marefriend’s soft hooves around her, and quickly wrapped her own around Fluttershy. “You are most welcome.” She helped the pegasus up to her hooves. “Ready to continue?”

Fluttershy nodded excitedly. “Oh yes, let’s get going.”

Twilight led the way, her eyes wandering about the harbour, and the many old boats stranded on the beach, never to be used again by any sailor, only by ponies who considered the wood useful for other means. A small smile graced her face as she thought about what she had just said to her marefriend, and how well Fluttershy had taken it. ‘Maybe she does love me after all,’ she thought. But she could not understand why she was so hesitant to admit it. ‘Is she afraid of something? Or does she even know that she’s feeling love?’

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was deep in her own little world. ‘Was what Twilight just said about me the same as what I think about her?’ she wondered. She glanced conspicuously at Twilight for a bit. She couldn’t deny that Twilight was beautiful: the colour of her coat, her flowing mane and tail, her amazing eyes and most importantly her caring heart. She was smart, too, and always knew what to do and how to solve a problem effectively – once she knew what was wrong, of course. She was funny and witty, always knowing what to say to lighten a situation, and how to be gentle and comforting. And most of all, she was kind, and fiercely loyal to her friends and her lover.

‘Maybe I am in love with Twilight!’ Fluttershy thought delightfully, a grin crawling across her face. She was about to hop on the spot and yell how much she loved Twilight Sparkle, when more thoughts came flying through her mind that made her stop in her tracks.

All of her friends were beautiful; she couldn’t deny that at all. They all looked different but they were all so very pretty. They were all very funny as well, and smart, kind, comforting and loyal to one another, as good friends should be.

‘Curse you, over-thinking brain!’ Fluttershy screamed in thought. She sighed frustratingly as she rubbed her forehead while walking. Maybe she loved Twilight like she did all her other friends. The fact Fluttershy thought she loved Twilight romantically might be because of their time away from the others. The two had rarely been together before their adventure began; the only times they really saw each other was with the rest of their friends. ‘The only way to be sure is to go home and think about it,’ she decided.

She broke out of her line of thought when Twilight gasped in astonishment. “Whoa,” the unicorn remarked, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging limply open. Fluttershy looked at where her marefriend was looking, and let her own jaw drop at the sight of the old warship.

Raised on a high platform to keep it out of the reach of water, it was long – the length from her cottage front door to the Everfree Forest, Fluttershy figured – and had three main decks, each deck with around seven flaps on the side for ballista shots. At each end were two raised decks, the forecastle and the sterncastle – Fluttershy remembered their names from her early history books. Each castle had a tall sail, which were as tall as Twilight’s library, while at the centre of the ship rested the main sail, which was taller than the mayor’s office in Ponyville. The ship itself was trimmed with gold and blue; a colour combination the whole city took, it seemed to the pair. And on the main sail, glistening in the afternoon sunlight was a large, golden manticore with three heads and huge, leathery bat wings.

“I take it this is the Golden Wave,” Twilight said as her eyes worked their way across the ship. “Not exactly golden, is she.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “I think it might mean the manticore on the sail, sweetie,” she said, pointing to it. “Though I don’t get the wave bit.”

“Might be used as a sort of boast,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “Maybe it means it could move faster than anything else on water at its time.” she craned her neck forward to have a closer look. “Though I doubt it will get far now. Look at the hull.”

Fluttershy had a closer look, and saw how rotted and broken the hull was. Bits of planked wood had broken off and fallen to the ground, left to rot like the fallen leaves of autumn, leaving great holes big enough for the two ponies to stick their hooves through. “Oh dear,” she gasped. “How comes nopony has bothered to fix it? This is a piece of Esperian history. Not exactly the finest piece of history a country wants to be remembered by, but still.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m not sure, sweetheart,” she replied faintly. As Twilight stared at the ship, she felt a pang of sadness flow through her. Like Fluttershy said, it was a piece of history, and should be treated with respect like every other artefact kept for historical reference. “I think I will talk to Grey Spot about this later,” she announced. “I can’t just stand by and watch a piece of history crumble away like it is nothing.”

Fluttershy smiled proudly, and moved to stand closer at her side. “And I will support you all the way,” she said determinedly. “And I will cheer you on, too. I’m getting better at my cheering. See? Yay,” she said so quietly it was almost inaudible to the unicorn.

‘Stop being so cute,’ Twilight thought as she gazed at her marefriend with a giggle. “I would love that.” She looked back at the ship. “We’ll save you, Golden Wave, even if nopony else can be asked.”

She sighed, and then turned to face Fluttershy once more. “Library?” they both said at once. Instantly, they pressed each other’s noses, giggling as they exclaimed, “Honk!”

“I agree, the library sounds good right now,” Fluttershy said, fanning herself with a hoof. “It is starting to get a bit hot out here.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Come on, then. This way.” With that, she started trotting away from the pegasus, who watched her go with raised eyebrows.

“Um, sweetie, it’s that way,” Fluttershy said, pointing to the opposite direction Twilight was going in. The unicorn sheepishly turned around and trotted past Fluttershy with her head down and a fierce blush on her cheeks.

‘She is so adorable,’ the pegasus thought. She swiftly followed Twilight, moved to walk beside her, and then draped a wing over the unicorn’s back.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed when she knew what it was, and even felt the aches in her back go away.

“You don’t mind this, do you?” Fluttershy asked. “I’ll take it off if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Twilight looked up with blazing pink cheeks and a warm smile. “Of course I don’t mind. In fact, it’s quite comforting,” she said happily. The pair fell into a peaceful silence as they trotted to the Esperian library.

There were few times in Twilight Sparkle’s life where she was left utterly speechless. Looking at the Esperian Library with a wide-open mouth and bulging eyes could easily be added to that list.

The library was a large, round building built out of sandstone, looking as though it had been raised from the ground and formed from the mound like it was a sculpture. Running around the building in the middle sat perfectly carved grotesques, with their eyes gazing out at the city and bat-like wings locked at their sides. The roof was a shining blue dome that glistened like the ocean in the sunlight. And above the main iron door was a large sign written in Esperian with an open book below it. ‘Probably welcoming ponies to this gorgeous place,’ Twilight reckoned.

She suddenly felt her whole right side lifted off the ground by something pressing into it. Just as it came, it went again, sending her back onto all fours. “Um, Twilight? Sweetie?” Fluttershy called concernedly, tapping her again to be certain she was still in the material world. “Um, I don’t mean to rush you, but um… do you want to go in?”

Twilight shot her head around to stare at the pegasus with a wide grin that said, “Don’t even ask.” It made Fluttershy feel very uncomfortable for some reason.

“Sure, let’s have a look,” Twilight said excitedly. She hopped across the space between her and the vast amount of delicious knowledge that was sure to be inside, Fluttershy following close behind, and opened the door with her magic. When she stepped into the cold interior, she was taken aback. “There are no words…” she whispered, her eyes going wide with delight even as she felt her own voice fade.

Inside, the library had about five different floors, each with a range of subjects for the pony to easily find their way around. The small aisles – about as tall as Fluttershy was – pointed towards the centre, with tables built for the little Esperian ponies at the centre of the large room for reading. Paintings adorned the walls behind the aisles, each ranging from subject to subject: one had tiny little ponies flying around a large hydra, while another was a large pony with wings and a horn shrouded by a golden light, while the ponies around it shied away or squinted their eyes.

Twilight’s head spun around from spot to spot as she tried to take it all in, yet her mind was unable to comprehend the scale of the library around her. Fluttershy, however, was taking it rather well. Though she was quite fascinated by the library, she wasn’t as much by Twilight’s standards. She still thought it was most impressive. Certainly beat the little library back in Ponyville, though she would never admit that aloud.

The two ponies made their way to the centre, and when they stopped, they looked up through the hole in the floors and stared in awe at the painting that covered the bottom of the roof. It was massive in scale. Over a hundred little ponies teemed across what was a cloudy bright blue sky, with one pony with his forelegs spread out wide as though embracing them all, while tiny ponies fluttered around him with stares of awe and joy.

“This is… this is…” Twilight tried to say, to find a way to express her joy, yet nothing she could think of would give this place justice.

“Um… amazing?” Fluttershy suggested, unable to tear her gaze away from the painting above.

“Yes, that’s a good word, but not what I was looking for,” Twilight replied. She started rubbing her chin as if that would help her situation.

“Epic?” Fluttershy suggested again.

Twilight brought her head up for a moment, before nodding. “Yes, epic is about right as well, but again I don’t think it fits this place.” She started rubbing her head for a moment, before setting her leg back down again and sighing. “Nope, can’t think of anything that would fit this place well. So let us just go with fantastic, okay?”

Fluttershy nodded numbly. “Um… okay, I guess.” She took a deep breath, and then looked around her. “So, um, what are we going to do here, then?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m not sure. Thought I might have a look around, see what this place is like.” Her face lit up as a thought came to her. “Welara did say the library held maps of the continent and the surrounding kingdoms, didn’t he?”

“Why yes, I did,” a voice said from behind Fluttershy.

The pegasus jumped and squeaked in fright at the sudden miniature pony’s voice behind them, then grinned amiably when she turned her head and recognised Welara. “Oh, hello, Welara, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, it is,” Twilight concurred, yet her eyes showed her suspicions. “I thought you said you were busy with other things around the palace.”

Welara smiled and shrugged. “Well that was true, but since I’ve done most of my chores I thought I might as well go to the library and have a look through at what they got. I’m surprised to find you both here, to be honest. I thought you would both be long gone.”

“Well, that’s my fault, see. I realised going to the harbour first then the library would make things a bit easier for us, rather than having to go back and forth between places,” Fluttershy explained shyly.

“Ah, that’s some good thinking there, Fluttershy,” Welara commented amiably, making the pegasus blush. “It isn’t everyday a pony thinks rather logically about these sorts of things.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “So, uh, I suppose you both want to know where all the maps and such are kept.” The two larger ponies nodded. “Right, then if you would follow me,” he said, gesturing with a hoof for them to come with him. The couple nodded, then together they set off after him. They passed the aisles to the flight of stairs at the back of the library, which were bordered by golden railings and had light grey steps with small, dark grey spots on them.

They reached the stairs and started walking up them. Twilight and Fluttershy were forced to go slowly as Welara’s little legs couldn’t keep up with them. “Oh, Welara, I have been meaning to ask you something, if it’s okay of course,” Twilight said, walking tediously beside him.

Welara looked up with a small smile. “Well ask away, Twilight Sparkle.”

“How is it you can speak such fluent Equestrian?” she asked. “I don’t think I have seen any other pony apart from the Captain of the Guard, Grey Spot and yourself that can speak our language.”

“Ah, well it’s a long story, really,” Welara replied. “But I’ll leave it short. When Grey Spot first started working in the palace, he needed somepony to teach him how to speak Esperian. Of course, as payment, he started teaching me Equestrian. Me and him have been friends ever since, and when he became the Merchant Prince, he offered the role of advisor to me, promising that when he died, I will be the next Merchant Prince.”

Twilight and Fluttershy smiled. “He must mean a lot to you,” Fluttershy remarked.

Welara looked back and grinned. “Oh yes, he does mean a lot to me. And I mean a lot to him as well.” Before the two ponies could ask what he meant, they noticed that they had made it to the second floor. They found themselves standing in front of the balcony of the hole that dropped to the ground level, and on either side were two large rooms full of aisles stacked with books and scrolls.

“This way,” Welara said, pointing to the aisles on the left. The couple followed for a moment, but abruptly halted when they heard the sound of voices singing in a language none of them understood.

They looked on the other side of the walkway, and saw to their surprise about a dozen ponies dressed in long, crimson robes, their hoods covering their faces with only their mouths visible, heading towards the aisles in a tediously slow march, chanting all the while. In the leading pony’s mouth was a long candle pointing up to the roof, its fumes spreading themselves out like an aurora across the first floor.

Fluttershy breathed some of it in, and found to her surprise how well it smelled, even as she felt her other senses dim rapidly. “Smells like the sweetest honey on a wet but lovely spring morning,” she remarked dreamily, her body swaying about as the fumes made her light-headed.

Twilight and Welara both raised an eyebrow at the entranced pegasus, and then turned to look at one another. “Who are those ponies?” Twilight asked, pointing at the ponies as they disappeared behind the aisles.

“They are the Keepers of the Word, or the Book Priests as some like to call them,” Welara replied, watching the procession with fascination in his eyes. “They are essentially the librarians of this place, and make sure every book is in immaculate condition, and is ready to be read by anypony.”

“Oh, that sounds like a job you would adore, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, prodding the unicorn relentlessly. “You have a very firmly muscled body, by the way. Do you exercise a lot?”

Twilight turned to look annoyingly at the pegasus prodding her, and gasped as she looked into her marefriend’s eyes – they were light and dreamy, and looked as though they were about to wander in every direction. “I think the fumes from the smoke have addled her brain,” she said as she picked the drowsy pony up with her magic. “I better take her outside and get her some fresh air. Sorry, Welara,” she said as she turned to leave.

“Hey, that’s fine,” Welara said with a dismissive wave of his hoof. “And if you want, I can get you the maps you wanted to see and take them to your room to look at later. If you’re not coming back here, of course.”

Twilight gave it a bit of thought. Though she could stay in the library and live off the vast knowledge it had – once she figured how to speak Esperian, of course – she knew it wouldn’t be fair on her marefriend if she did; besides, they still had so much to do and see before the night closed in.

After a minute of thought, Twilight smiled and shook her head. “I think I’ve seen what I wanted to see. That would be great, by the way. I would love to see some maps.” She turned around and trotted towards the stairs, a galloping Fluttershy still gripped in her magic above her. “See you later, Welara.” With her final goodbyes, she skipped down the stairs.

When they made it outside, Twilight set Fluttershy down on a bench and said, “Take a deep breath for me, sweetheart.”

Fluttershy did as she was told, and inhaled a lungful of air. As soon as she did that, her head felt as it should do, and her vision was no longer cloudy, as were her senses. She brought her head up, and her eyes glistened with tears as she saw Twilight staring at her with relief. She lowered her head to look away from Twilight’s gaze, ashamed of what she had done in front of another pony; she could remember poking Twilight, but couldn’t remember anything else. “I… I am really sorry if I embarrassed you with what I did back in the library, Twilight,” Fluttershy muttered, though it was loud enough for the unicorn to hear.

Twilight set her hooves on Fluttershy’s cheeks, and lifted her head up to look into her eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart,” she said warmly, her smile growing inch by inch. “You didn’t know that the fumes would affect you that way, and neither did I.” She paused to kiss Fluttershy’s forehead, making them both blush. “Besides, you are very cute when you say something like that.”

Fluttershy got off the bench she was on and stood next to Twilight. “Saying what?” she asked, gazing at Twilight oddly.

“Oh, nothing much. Thanks by the way, for the compliment,” Twilight teased as she turned and trotted away, giggling to herself.

Fluttershy caught up with her. “Oh please, tell me what compliment is it that I said.”

Twilight giggled again as she trotted ahead, mostly to hide the blush on her face. “Oh, something about my body that you really liked,” she explained.

Fluttershy looked worried all of a sudden. “Oh please tell me I didn’t compliment your… posterior,” she said pleadingly, her cheeks burning pink.

Twilight laughed boisterously. “Oh no, you didn’t do that at all. You just said I have a very firm body, that’s all. I’m surprised you don’t remember it.”

“Oh, I must have breathed in more than I should have,” Fluttershy said, looking ashamed of herself once more. “I am sorry if I embarrassed you with my remark,” she said, quickly muttering afterwards, “Though it is true.”

Twilight chuckled, then leaned her head forward and nuzzled Fluttershy’s cheek. “It’s all right. Nothing to apologise for,” she said sweetly. She pulled away from Fluttershy, and then spun around, her mane and tail swishing as she spun, and looked up at the hill towards where the gardens and the maze should be. “Right, if we leave now, we can get to the gardens, look around and make our way back to the amphitheatre before nightfall.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go,” she said, giggling in excitement at the thought of seeing the gardens of Esperius.

Twilight grinned widely at seeing her marefriend’s excitement, and then started to trot around the library towards the gardens. “Oh, and um, you do, too,” she said when she looked back, her eyes flirtatious as she stared at her mate. “And very nice curves as well.” With that, she looked away and continued trotting briskly with a happy smile and a low hum leaving her closed lips.

Fluttershy followed close behind, her face burning pink while her brow furrowed in confusion. ‘What did she mean when she said I had nice curves?’ she wondered. ‘The only place I can think of on my body that is curved is my… Oh my.’ Her face went bright pink. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and then cantered after Twilight.

An hour later, after getting lost within the confines of the city and being attacked by a family of seagulls who thought Fluttershy’s yellow-feathered wings were some sort of butter delicacy and Twilight’s horn was a hay sausage, the two arrived out of breath on the outskirts of the city gardens.

“Did we lose them?” Twilight asked, scared of looking back in case the evil creatures were upon them.

Fluttershy looked back and peered for any sign of anything that had a white coat and wings. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw nothing coming their way. “I think we lost them back at that street where we passed a restaurant of some sort,” she said. Her ears fell flat and she allowed her head to fall and her shoulders slump. “I can’t believe my words had no affect on them.”

Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder and gently rubbed it in circles. “Don’t let it get to you, sweetheart. I bet they were just too hungry to listen.” She briefly checked her horn for damage by rubbing it. “Can you see any nips in my horn?”

Fluttershy brought her head close and looked closely at Twilight’s horn. “It’s okay, I don’t see any damage.” She stepped back and spread her wings. “Can you see any tears on my wings?”

Twilight looked at both of her wings, and felt a grimace crawl across her face. “You’ve got a few feathers that look a bit out of place on both wings.” She inched closer and raised a hoof. “If you hold still I could–” Before she could get close enough, Fluttershy stepped back, bringing her wings back to her sides.

“Oh no, I’m sorry but you cannot do that just yet,” Fluttershy announced, looking rather bashful. “Sorry,” she weakly added.

Twilight looked confused, and upset. “Why not?”

“Oh, it’s nothing personal, Twilight, believe me. It’s just that, well, preening is a rather special thing for pegasi, and, um, when somepony else preens one’s feathers, it means, um, they’re sort of a couple…” Twilight still looked perplexed. “A married couple, Twilight,” Fluttershy elaborated.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she finally understood. “Oh, of course, I should have known, since my brother is married to a pony with wings and all. Though my brother told me he preened Cadence before he got married.”

“Oh, well, the laws for that sort of thing aren’t as strict as they used to be,” Fluttershy explained, rubbing shyly a foreleg. “But once upon a time, it was law that a pegasus would only be preened by another pony if they were married. It was abolished some time ago, but a few stick to it, like my family and myself. Sorry, but I believe a pony who wants to preen my wings has to be really special to me, and has to be committed to spend her life with me.” She meekly added, “Please don’t hate me for it.”

Twilight nodded serenely as she understood. She smiled warmly, then leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy’s forehead. “I could never hate you for your beliefs,” she said warmly when she pulled back, easing Fluttershy’s fear. “I applaud you for still holding to them, actually. Though our world is changing, it is nice to keep to some of the old ways. Sorry for trying to do something you weren’t comfortable with.”

Fluttershy smiled sweetly. “Oh, it’s okay,” she said, batting the apology away with a hoof. “You didn’t know any better. And… I think if I was a little less strict on preening, I wouldn’t have any other pony but you to do them.” She turned around and gestured with her head to the gardens, missing Twilight’s blush and wide smile. “Shall we press on?”

Twilight moved to stand beside Fluttershy, then wrapped her tail around hers. “Let’s go,” she said. With that, the two began trotting through the gardens, gasping with joy or in awe as they observed their surroundings.

The Esperian Gardens were made up of around a hundred large squares, each split apart from the other by gravel paths that were as straight as a ruler, and crunched like cereal in a pony’s mouth beneath the ponies’ hooves. Each of the large squares was different, in what was in them and how they were arranged. One square the couple swiftly past was bordered by a large hedgerow, hiding whatever was inside. Another had a large fountain with little angel ponies holding up the top bowl with their forehooves, while one proudly stood on its hind legs at the very top of the fountain, with its forehooves reaching for the sky.

They went down another path, passing the fountain, to find one square that was bare of anything; not even a piece of weed grew out of the perfectly trimmed grass, which was a bright green. Another square had a single oak tree at its centre, with a few ponies lying in its shade as they laughed and read books that rested at their hooves. ‘Probably students,’ Twilight thought, smiling as she pictured herself among them.

“This place is incredible,” Fluttershy whispered, too amazed to talk any louder. She looked at another square, which was surrounded by hedgerows, but could make out through the arches the several statues of ponies within. “I wonder who built all this. Our Equestrian ancestors, or the Esperians?”

Twilight’s nose wrinkled as she thought about it. “I would imagine the Esperians built this place,” she reckoned. She stopped for a minute and pointed to another fountain, one that was made of bronze and shone brightly in the sunlight. “See that one? No rust whatsoever. It looks as though it was built yesterday.”

“But that doesn’t mean ponies don’t look after their ornaments,” Fluttershy pointed out.

Twilight’s mouth opened and closed as she tried to come up with an argument against that, but found none in her mind or at the back of her throat. “Point taken,” she conceded. The two walked on, their heads darting about to look for this maze. “Where is it?” Twilight wondered aloud. Fluttershy merely shrugged in response.

The couple eventually stopped at a crossroads, where a four-headed sign rested in the corner. Each sign was pointing down each road and was, obviously, written in Esperian. “So…” Twilight sang as she looked down at each path except the one they were on. “Which path shall we take?”

Fluttershy chewed her bottom lip in thought. “Um… I’m not sure. Want to try eeny meeny miny mo?” she suggested.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How will that help?”

Fluttershy bowed her head shyly. “I always find it helps, and I only rarely get it wrong,” she said proudly. “Could we try it? Pretty please?”

After a minute to think about it, Twilight sighed. “Fine. Go right ahead,” she said, gesturing with a hoof for her to step forward.

Fluttershy giggled delightfully, then took a step forward, sat on her haunches, and looked at each road carefully. From where they were, there wasn’t a sign of the maze – unless there was on the signpost next to them – in any direction. All they could see were the small squares that divided the garden up. ‘If signs fail us, we have to rely on our intelligence, and our luck,’ Fluttershy thought. She gulped worriedly. ‘If this doesn’t work, we could be stuck wandering this place until nightfall.’

She covered her eyes with one hoof, then pointed to each road with the other, chanting, “Eeny meeny miny mo. Catch a tiger by the toe. If it pounces, let it go. Eeny meeny miny mo.”

When she removed her hoof from her eyes, she saw her other hoof was pointing to the path on their left, which graded gradually down a hill. Fluttershy stood up, and then gestured to Twilight with her head to move. “You ready, Twilight?” she asked.

Twilight took her place by Fluttershy’s side, then after a brief exchange of nodding, they set off down the path. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Twilight said as they walked.

Fluttershy grinned nervously. “Me too,” she replied. The couple had a companionable silence as they walked.

When they found themselves staring down the hill, the two ponies gasped in surprise. “Look!” they both shouted at once. They looked at one another, then poked each other’s noses, shouting, “Honk!” as they did so. When they finished their little ritual, they stared back down at the maze again in delight.

It was stretched out across the flat at the base of the hill, and was possibly bigger than the Esperian palace, with around a thousand different paths to take, leading eventually to a giant rock at the centre with a shining blue gem at the top. The hedges bordering the paths were a dark green, and were neatly trimmed and faultless, so nopony could cheat and cut their way through.

Thought that wasn’t a problem for two ponies that could fly and use magic. “Before we go down there, let us agree on one thing. I am not allowed to use magic of any kind, and you are not allowed to fly,” Twilight said. “Sounds fair?”

Fluttershy nodded agreeably. “Of course. It wouldn’t be fair on the Esperians that we win that gem by our wings and magic.” Fluttershy lowered her front end down, spreading her legs out as though she was prepared for a race. “Want to race down there?” she asked, grinning cheekily.

Twilight smirked in kind, then made herself ready for racing as well. “You might have beaten me the last few times we raced, but this time, you’re going down,” she declared.

“I know I’m going down. We’re racing downhill.”

“Very funny,” Twilight said flatly. She licked her lips, and then said rapidly, “Three, two one go!” Before Fluttershy knew it, Twilight was off down the hill faster than a fleeing rabbit.

Fluttershy silently counted to five, before sprinting forward and galloping after her marefriend, laughing joyously as she did so. It didn’t take long for Fluttershy’s longer and more powerful legs to place her next to Twilight. Soon the two ponies were vying for first place, with Twilight inching herself forward slightly, before Fluttershy counted and pushed herself a little faster. ‘Goodness,’ the pegasus thought in admiration, ‘she certainly has gotten a lot faster.’

She was so fixed on watching Twilight run, that she missed the large rock in her path until it was too late. With a squeal of alarm, she found herself falling and rolling forward, knocking Twilight off her hooves in the process and sending her tumbling down the hill with her as one big wrecking ball.

The world stopped spinning for both ponies when they finally made it to the flat, groaning and aching in several places. Fluttershy lay sprawled out on her back, her eyes spinning in their sockets, while Twilight lay on her stomach, groaning as her head wobbled in place.

Fluttershy was the first to bring herself around, shaking her head rapidly to clear her vision. “Ouch,” she groaned when she felt her sides and legs ache, especially the leg which tripped over the rock. She sat up, looked around, and then squeaked in alarm when she saw Twilight groaning next to her, her eyes disorientated. “Twilight!” she cried. She jumped up and shook the unicorn. “Sweetheart, speak to me! Are you all right?”

Twilight’s vision slowly started to clear, and she could hear Fluttershy’s smoothing voice running through her ears. “Uh… Fluttershy?” She looked up, and saw at least three Fluttershys staring down at her with looks of fear.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry about that. I didn’t mean to trip you up; I tripped on a rock up there and went down,” Fluttershy explained, her tone sounding ashamed of herself. Her eyes started to brim with tears as she slowly wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend and hugged her close. “You know I didn’t mean to trip you up. I would never do that, not even to the pony I hate the most. You know that, don’t you?”

Twilight’s mind soon put itself together once more, and it hastily explained to her what had happened and what Fluttershy had just said. At first, her mind said Fluttershy did it because she was jealous Twilight was getting faster, but quickly swatted the horrible thought away. That was the part of her mind that told her she didn’t need anypony, no friends, and no lover. Only her books, the library and Spike to be her company. Even after three years, she still couldn’t get rid of it.

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend, and brought her even closer. “I know you didn’t, sweetheart,” Twilight replied softly, resting Fluttershy’s fears. Twilight pulled away and examined Fluttershy’s body.

Apart from a few bruises here and there, and a roughened mane and a dirty tail, she looked okay. “Do I look okay?” Fluttershy asked, too scared there might be something wrong with her to see for herself.

Twilight looked all over her body, then brought her head eye level with Fluttershy’s and smiled assuredly. “You’re fine, just a few bruises here and there, and a rough and dirty mane and tail. Other than those, you’re fine.” She spun around on the spot. “How do I look?”

‘Like an angel that has fallen from the heavens,’ Fluttershy wanted to say, even though she had no idea where that came from. So instead she opted to say, “You look okay. Just a few bruises and red spots, but other than that you’re fine.”

Twilight audibly sighed in relief. “It’s good we’re okay; one of us ending up with a broken leg is not how I want to end this journey.” She rubbed her forehooves together in anticipation. “Right, let’s go and have some fun in the… maze,” she said, spinning around on the spot, only to feel as though a large anvil of disappointment was crushing her heart once she was looking at it. She didn’t fail to hear Fluttershy’s groan of annoyance.

The maze looked splendid from afar, but up close, the hedgerows only went up to the bottom of their necks, leaving the two giant ponies to have perfectly good view of the paths leading to the centre of the maze.

Twilight’s head fell as she puffed out air, while Fluttershy could only stare incredulously at the tiny maze. “How is that a…” the pegasus said her voice trailing away as she found herself unable to form words.

“I should have known,” Twilight said grumpily. She sat down and rubbed her temples. “I should have known being in a city of little ponies everything here would either be too small for us or incompatible to us.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “That’s a big word for something like this,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“It’s the only word I can think of!” Twilight snapped, making Fluttershy flinch back in fright. Twilight felt her eyes brim with tears when she saw her marefriend’s shocked face. “I’m… I’m sorry, I…” she said, shaking her head and looking away just as she felt the tears starting to fall.

She suddenly felt the comforting, soft hair of Fluttershy’s legs wrap around her neck in a delicate hug. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m disappointed, too. But I don’t mind it that nothing here is going all right.” Fluttershy kissed both cheeks, drying them of stained tears, then softly pecked Twilight’s forehead. “So long as I am with you, then I am happy.”

Twilight slowly brought her head up, and looked into Fluttershy’s loving and kind eyes. ‘She’s right,’ Twilight thought, feeling a smile crawl across her face. ‘I’ve been too focused on enjoying the city, that I’ve forgotten that I should be enjoying my time with Fluttershy.’ Her eyes narrowed lovingly. “I really want to kiss you right now,” she stated, feeling a blush on her cheeks as she felt the words slip off her tongue.

Fluttershy felt her cheeks starting to burn once more, but her gentle smile remained. ‘Maybe if I do kiss her, then I might know for sure how I feel for her,’ Fluttershy realised. She hesitantly leaned her head forward, tilting it a bit so she wouldn’t hit Twilight’s nose. “Then let’s,” she whispered, her breath brushing against Twilight’s muzzle.

Twilight’s eyes widened for a second, before slowly narrowing again and her smile turned dreamy. She found herself leaning her head forward to meet Fluttershy’s own, and could feel Fluttershy’s hot breath on her face as they closed in. Twilight wanted to keep her eyes open so she could watch their lips connect, but quickly remembered it was considered rude to do so, so she allowed them to close and let Fluttershy’s breath guide her forward. In her head, Twilight squealed delightfully.

The pair’s lips were an inch apart from each other when the sound of a seagull braying jolted them apart in surprise and fright of another attack. “Oh, for crying out loud!” Fluttershy cried. She got up and stared angrily at the seagull circling over them. “Why can’t you just let me know my feelings for Twilight?” she bellowed. “Why can’t I kiss my marefriend without some stupid bird getting in my way!”

The seagull, frightened by the sudden outburst from the shy mare, spun around and flew away faster than it was supposed to do. Fluttershy sighed heavily and allowed her head to fall lowly. “Feeling any better?” Twilight queried calmly.

Fluttershy nodded nimbly, feeling her whole body shake with anger. “A little, thank you,” she whispered.

Twilight inched closer. “Do you want to try that again?” she asked.

Fluttershy wanted to, she really wanted to try it again, but the feeling she had as she had leaned forward was gone, taken by the seagull as if it was a snack for its supper. She looked up at Twilight, and solemnly shook her head. “Sorry, Twilight,” she said quietly.

Twilight smiled warmly, though a part of her wanted to scream at the pegasus to make up her mind. ‘I shouldn’t,’ she chided herself. ‘It would break us apart.’ Instead, she walked up to Fluttershy and gently nuzzled the side of her face. “It’s all right, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it. Just tell me when you’re ready to try again.” She calmly added, after a brief silence, “And if a seagull interrupts the next time again, I will learn how to cook a griffon delicacy that could be given to your bear friend: roast seagull.”

Fluttershy giggled cutely, her normal, cheery self returning at quick velocity. “Oh, I don’t think Harry will like that,” she said. “He’s a strictly vegetarian bear.”

Twilight stared at Fluttershy strangely as they turned away from the maze to head back up into the garden. “How can a bear be vegetarian? They’re meat eaters, meaning they eat anything with muscle and bone in it.”

“Oh, they are actually omnivores, but not poor Harry. He’s an exception. His fellow bears ridiculed him because of his reluctance to eat meat. That’s why he stays near me these days, for protection,” Fluttershy explained sadly.

Twilight’s ears drooped at the thought. “That’s horrible.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I know, but he’s happy now, and I look after him and keep him safe from other bears. That’s all I can ask for.” Before Twilight could ask what Fluttershy meant, the pegasus sighed and looked behind her. “What do you want to do now?”

Twilight licked her lips upon feeling how dry they were, then looked up at the sun. Judging from its position, the sun was about six hours away until it would begin to set and night would come upon them. ‘Six hours to kill, and we’ve already done everything,’ she groaned. She did not particularly want to go back to the library, which was surprising even to her, nor did she want to go back to the palace, where the Captain of the Guard was likely to be. Unable to come to a conclusion, she turned to Fluttershy. “What do you want to do?”

Fluttershy smiled. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind just relaxing under a tree with you and cuddling until we have to move again… that is, if you don’t mind doing that, of course,” she answered.

Twilight grinned at the thought; why didn’t she think of that before? “I would love to do that,” she replied.

Fluttershy grinned as well, visibly delighted that her idea was approved. “Then let’s go and find a tree,” she said, skipping merrily ahead.

Twilight’s grin broadened as she followed her marefriend’s movement. She was just about to join her, but stopped when she saw the rock Fluttershy had tripped over. As soon as she laid eyes on it, her heart skipped a beat.

She picked it up with her magic, and narrowed her eyes at it suspiciously. ‘This rock is far too big compared to all the little ones,’ she thought. The path was made up of small, smooth pebbles, and the rock in her telekinetic grip was not any of those things. It was rough, dark, and had a sharp tip. ‘That was no random accident,’ she surmised, the fear in her eyes plain for all to see. ‘Somepony wanted us to be lamed with this thing, or even to…’ She dropped the rock with a thud as the thought swept through her head like a fierce hurricane. ‘K-k-kill us.’

The thought made her feel queasy, and her heart started beating faster with every second that passed. ‘But who would want us dead or injured to the point we would be stuck here for a few more days?’ She looked around for any sign of anypony that had come this way before them, but there wasn’t any hoofprints other than their own, nor was there any on the grass. Despite the lack of evidence, it was obvious somepony was out there to do them harm, and Twilight knew she would not let her guard down so long as Fluttershy was in danger.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy called cheerfully, naïve of the danger Twilight now felt all around her. “Come on, I can see a tree we can rest under!”

Twilight smiled assuredly, and then broke into a trot after her marefriend. She swiftly decided to keep the danger to herself; she didn’t want to disturb Fluttershy with her own fears. ‘Besides, I might just be being paranoid,’ she assured herself, though she knew it was a lie in her own head.

She soon made it to the safest place she felt in the city – at Fluttershy’s side. Then together in perfect harmony, they trotted over to the tree the pegasus had spotted.

Author's Note

Hello, everyone, this story is not yet dead. Sorry about the wait for this one, but this part and the second are a pain to do, really. Hopefully now that I made it to a certain bit it will be easier to finish.

A big hearty thank you to Bujin and now DieSmiling for the editing on this one. And I hope you liked this chapter.

Chapter 15 (part 2)

The hour for the pair went by quickly, thanks to the serenity of the gardens, and the warm and gentle sun shining on their coats. Twilight and Fluttershy were lying on their backs, with their heads locked back to back, and were staring up at the vast number of branches and leaves the oak tree they lay under had, whilst coming up with the most ridiculous questions they could think of.

“Ah, how about this one. If you had to choose a Princess to go to dinner with, which one would it be?” Twilight asked.

During the peace, and the long wait until the play or whatever was happening later began, the two decided to play a game where they asked each other questions, and had to come up with an answer. It did not sound like fun compared to Rainbow’s standards, but it was interestingly fun, and revealed much about each other’s thoughts that they wouldn’t normally share as friends.

Before they had begun, the two had agreed that they could ask anything they would like.

“Wait, does this mean it can be a friendly thing, or can it…?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly. Even with their agreement, Fluttershy still had problems with some of the questions asked.

“It can be whatever you like, sweetheart,” Twilight replied kindly.

“Oh. Okay, well, um…” Fluttershy mumbled. She tapped her chin in thought for a long time. “I barely know Princess Luna, so it should be her just so I could get to know her better. However, I would have to say Princess Celestia. She was just so lovely when I met her at the brunch at Sugarcube Corner, and I will never forget the kindness she showed me after I kidnapped Philomena that day. Who would you go for, sweetie?”

Twilight rubbed her chin as she pouted thoughtfully. “Yeah, I think I would go with Princess Celestia as well. If it wasn’t for her, I might be some magical monster who levels entire cities without a care in the world. And she is so nice.”

“Nice as in, kind nice, or nice as in…?” Fluttershy asked slyly.

“Kind nice, Fluttershy, kind nice,” Twilight answered rapidly, a blush blazing on her cheeks at the thought. “Now you think of something.”

“Um… okay, uh…” Fluttershy thought, her eyes wandering the length of the branches above for something to help her. “Oh, I think I know one. Out of our friends, who do you think has the biggest plot?”

Twilight laughed. “Oh that’s easy. Applejack has, by miles.”

Fluttershy looked surprised. “Really?”

“Uh huh. Have you seen Sweet Apple Acres from the air? Applejack’s land covers an entire hill, sweetheart. A hill. She has about three of the seven orchards the farm has in her care. She certainly is the winner by far.”

“Oh, of course, I forgot about all the orchards. I was thinking about the main farmhouse, mostly. Um, why don’t we try that again, only this time without Applejack?” She could feel Twilight’s head move to nod. “Okay, so who has the biggest plot of land? Rainbow Dash, Rarity or Pinkie Pie?”

Twilight didn’t really need to give it much thought. “Again, it’s still an easy question to answer. Pinkie Pie only has the top floor of Sugarcube Corner. Rarity’s boutique has a wider area around it, but you still cannot go about twenty paces in any direction before you run into another building. Therefore, that leaves Rainbow Dash’s house. Her cloud home is situated over a large meadow miles outside of Ponyville, with not even Cloudsdale close by to keep it company. So to conclude, Rainbow Dash has the largest plot.” She craned her head up to look at her marefriend. “What would your answer have been?”

“Hmm, I think it would have been Rarity, actually,” Fluttershy replied, much to Twilight’s surprise.

“Why do you think that?” Twilight enquired.

Fluttershy casually shrugged. “I don’t know. Every time I go to hers for tea or to try on a new dress she’s made for me, I always see it when I leave my home and it never seems to get any closer.” She paused to breathe deeply, her belly rising and falling heavily as she did so. “Okay, what’s your question?”

“Hmm,” Twilight hummed, tapping her chin in thought as she crossed her hind legs. “Ooo, I know one. If you couldn’t live in either Ponyville or Cloudsdale, where would you go to live?”

“Oh my, that is a good question,” Fluttershy commented, looking perplexed as she didn’t know the answer. Ponyville had always been the one and only place she would live, and she never wanted to move away and go someplace else. Where would she have gone?

“Um…” Fluttershy started tapping her chest in thought. “My first choice would have been Canterlot, for the gardens, but after the Grand Galloping Gala, I wouldn’t pick there. I guess I would have to say Neighagra Falls Nature Reserve. It has plenty of animals to make friends with; it’s out the way from any main city, I wouldn’t have any problems with food and water as there would be plenty of both around me, and I would have great views of the sunset and the night sky.” She let out a dreamy sigh as she perfectly imagined all of it. “Maybe I should take a holiday up there for a week, just to see what it looks like.”

Twilight smiled at the thought as well. “Would you mind if I join you on that? I wouldn’t mind seeing the falls myself. Go and research some of the exotic plants that make up the reserve, you know.”

Fluttershy smiled as she reached out a hoof for Twilight to hold. Her smile grew wider when she felt Twilight’s hoof make contact with her own. “I would love the company, thank you,” she said. She arched her head back so she could look at her lover. “Where would you have gone if you wouldn’t have been sent to Ponyville? Or if you decided to leave Canterlot?”

Twilight pondered briefly before answering. “I would have to go with either Trottingham or Hoofington. One, I don’t think I could live without chips ever again. Two, both cities have some of the largest book collections known to ponykind. And three, they are just so amazing to look at. Every street is narrow and old, with ancient cobbled paths, and the houses are all attached together, giving the sense of claustrophobic feel to those walking around it – well, it did to me anyway. But they were lovely cities to walk around, and had great parks to relax in and read a good book, kinda like what we’re doing now.”

They fell silent for moment as they heard the sounds of birds tweeting deep in the canopy of the tree above them. It didn’t take long for both of them to realise they were baby birds being fed by their mother or father. Fluttershy smiled sweetly at the sound, and almost felt at peace.

Almost.

“Okay, Fluttershy, your question to me,” Twilight said, sounding quite excited of their little game.

Fluttershy’s smile vanished, and she rolled onto her stomach to look at Twilight grimly. “Why are there ponies out to kill us?”

Twilight stared in shock at Fluttershy for a minute, before bursting into nervous laughter. “Wha-what? Don’t be silly, sweetheart, nopony is out to kill us. Wherever did you get that ridiculous idea from?” she said assuredly, grinning to ease Fluttershy’s mood.

Fluttershy, however, stared bemusedly at her marefriend. “Twilight, you know how much I hate being talked to as if I am a fool,” she said.

Twilight’s ears fell flat. “Sorry, Fluttershy,” she said, rubbing her foreleg nervously. “I just didn’t want to worry you with what I thought.” She rolled onto her stomach, and then sat up onto her haunches, staring at the ground between them. “But yes, I think there might be ponies out there that want to do us harm, or worse, kill us,” she answered gravely. She looked up at the pegasus. “Why do you think that?”

“As we walked up the hill I saw the rock again, and I noticed how big it was compared to the rest of them. I knew instantly that rock was placed there deliberately to trip us up and hurt us,” Fluttershy replied, looking at the ground between them. She looked at her marefriend again, and asked, “The same reasoning?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. The same reasoning.” She brushed at the grass before her. “I must admit, you’re taking this better than I thought you would be.”

Fluttershy smiled bravely, shaking her head. “Oh, no, Twilight, inside I’m trembling with terror. Yourself?”

Twilight smiled as well. “Terrified,” she replied quietly.

That instant, the two flung themselves into each other’s embrace, and started to shake with fear as the situation started to dawn on them. “Why does somepony want to harm us, sweetie?” Fluttershy asked, her voice shuddering with fright as she tightened her grip on Twilight. “What have we done to any of them?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart, I just don’t know,” Twilight replied, rubbing Fluttershy’s back to calm her marefriend down, even though she felt terrified herself. “They might be scared of our size, or maybe we insulted them someway like…” She trailed off as her mind came to a conclusion. Fluttershy thought the same thing as well, as her eyes went wide with realisation.

“Like the Captain of the Esperian Guard!” the two bellowed out at once. This time, they didn’t poke each other’s noses and shout, “Honk!” Their situation was too troubling to have a bit of fun. “He’s the only one I can think of that might hold a serious grudge against us,” Twilight said. “After all, we did insult him and his band twice by saying they’re cute.”

“And if Grey Spot said it was the worst insult a pony of Esperius could make, it might have had some affect on him,” Fluttershy concluded. She hugged Twilight harder, whimpering. “Oh, what are we going to do about him, sweetie?”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed in determination. “We will tell Grey Spot about what happened earlier, and tell him that we think the Captain tried to hurt us.” Another thought abruptly came to her. “We will also tell him that we want to take a ship as soon as the tide comes back in and we can leave. Hopefully he will take action on both subjects.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Leave? As in, head back to Equestria?”

Twilight nodded. “We’ve come further than any other explorer has ever dreamed, Fluttershy. We have re-discovered a city and a continent, found out where the ancient ruins of our ancestors are, and have discovered more about the flower than what was originally documented. Isn’t that enough to revel in?”

Fluttershy dipped her head a bit, her ears drooping. “I guess.”

Twilight could smell the reluctance of leaving oozing from Fluttershy’s body like it was a bad stench. “Why do you want to go after the flower so badly, Fluttershy? We talked about this earlier, I thought we had agreed to go home now.”

Fluttershy whimpered as she clung to Twilight. “I know, sweetie, I know we must have gone over this several times already, but even now… it’s hard for me to accept. Remember when we left Ponyville? Remember why we set out in the first place, or at least, why I set out in the first place? We set out to find this flower and see it for ourselves. See it, Twilight, not come so close to it yet never taking the brave step forward. What would be said that we came back without laying eyes on it? Others would see us as failures, and I don’t want to be seen as a failure anymore.

“I was always thought of as a failure, by all those at school. Throughout this trip, I wanted to prove to myself that they were wrong. I wanted to say that we did it, that we found this incredibly rare flower that sings about love and shines in the moonlight. I wanted to say that we saw what nopony else has ever laid eyes upon, sweetie. I want to say that I did something worthwhile for once.” Twilight started to feel tears running down her shoulder. “Please, Twilight, please don’t take that opportunity away from me.”

Twilight clung to Fluttershy harder, her eyes staring forward intensely. “Fluttershy, let me start by saying that you are not a failure in anyway at all,” she said sternly after a brief period of silence. “How many ponies in history can say they stared down a dragon, or a cockatrice, or even Cerberus like you have done? You have achieved so much and more than I imagine anypony in your old class has ever achieved in the space of two years! Nopony can boast as much as you and the rest of our friends about how we saved Equestria together! Twice!”

The two pulled away from each other, and pressed their forehooves together while their eyes were fixed on one another. “I know the plan was to see the flower to the end, but that was before we learned the flower, and the road leading to it, was dangerous. I care about you a lot, sweetheart, and if anything happens to you, I would have to deal with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, and I know that will not end well for me. As far as I am concerned, you have succeeded in my eyes, and, I’m sure Rainbow Dash will agree with me on this, you have proven yourself as a greater adventurer than Daring Do, and that’s saying something.”

Twilight smiled demurely. “I know it is something that you feel is important to you, but I want you to realise that it shouldn’t be. That should never be important to you, for you have already done all of that in the eyes of your friends, family, and especially me.”

Fluttershy looked at the ground between them, finding herself at a loss for words. Yet, through the thin veil she felt that clouded her mind, she could see the reasoning behind Twilight’s words. She had done all of those things Twilight had pointed out, and more besides them. With her friends, she had saved Equestria from eternal night and chaos and ruin. She had saved Equestria as well from the dragon that had snored smoke across the country, but she considered that little compared to the other two.

She looked up at Twilight, and felt a small, demure smile crawl across her face. “Do you really mean all of that?”

Twilight kissed her forehead. “I meant every word, sweetheart. Like I said earlier, you are the bravest mare I have ever known.”

No more needed to be said. Fluttershy flung herself at Twilight, pinning the unicorn to the ground, and wrapped herself in Twilight’s embrace. “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you for believing in me when I can barely believe in myself.”

Twilight freed her legs out from Fluttershy’s body, and then gently wrapped them around Fluttershy’s shoulders and waist. “You are welcome, Fluttershy.” The two nestled into each other’s coats and relaxed, forgetting in their contentment that ponies that wanted to kill them targeted them earlier.

When Fluttershy opened her eyes once again, she found to her shock that the sun was going down. She sat up on the unicorn’s lap and shook Twilight by the shoulders. “Twilight, wake up!” she shouted. “We need to get going or we’ll be late to the amphitheatre.”

Twilight stirred groaningly as Fluttershy shook her again, then opened her eyes and stared narrowly at the pegasus. “What is it, Fluttershy? I was having a really good dream involving you and–” Before she could finish, Fluttershy pressed her lips closed with a hoof.

“I really don’t want to know what you dreamed about me, and I am so sorry about that. I just woke up myself and saw the sun was going down. I didn’t want us to be late to the amphitheatre tonight, so I woke you.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she remembered that they were meant to be at the amphitheatre before the sun fell. “The play!” she exclaimed. She teleported herself off the ground and reappeared a foot away from Fluttershy, who fell onto her backside unceremoniously with an, “Eep!”

“We should get moving if we’re going to make it in time!” Twilight said rapidly, jogging on the spot to show she was panicking. “Oh, what if we don’t make it in time? What if Grey Spot has us imprisoned for our impudence?” Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion as she watched Twilight starting to pace. “I mean, he made it sound as though it was important to him that we are there when it starts. If we’re not there when it starts, doesn’t that mean we did not follow an order from the Merchant Prince of Esperius? Does that mean we–” For the second time that day, and undoubtedly in Fluttershy’s mind it would not be the last, she pressed her hoof against Twilight’s lips to silence her.

“Sweetie, I don’t think for one second that Grey Spot will put us in prison for turning up late at a play,” Fluttershy said assuredly, smiling whilst shaking her head. “And secondly, I doubt he’s even going to notice we’re late.”

Twilight sighed calmingly, and then smiled elatedly. “You’re right, as always, but let’s not give him a reason to think poorly of us.” She grabbed Fluttershy’s hoof with her own, then started cantering towards the amphitheatre with the pegasus being dragged along behind.

The first stars of the night sky had started to appear by the time Twilight and Fluttershy arrived in the courtyard that surrounded the amphitheatre, out of breath after running non-stop through the streets and avoiding wooden stands, pot plants, and restless seagulls among other things.

Twilight leaned on Fluttershy as she got her breath back. “I don’t… think I’ve ever… run as fast as that… since that hydra,” she rasped.

Fluttershy leaned her head against Twilight’s, not paying attention to the stares coming their way from the little ponies walking through the giant archway that led into the heart of the giant roundhouse. “I know. I’m just surprised how long it took us to get here,” she said. She didn’t realise that she sounded in better shape than Twilight was. “Do you want to go in?”

“No, not yet,” Twilight replied, waving her hoof in gesture. “Give me another minute.” Fluttershy nodded, and allowed Twilight to lean up against her to regain her breath. As she waited, Fluttershy had a look at the amphitheatre.

In the fading light, the elegantly round building had walls with the colour of the clearest ocean, with a dome-shaped roof like the colour of the setting sun. Statues of wyverns sitting on their haunches with their tails wrapped around their legs ringed around the mid-way point of the building in finely constructed arches, and their heads bowed as though looking at the hundreds of ponies walking in. The main entrance itself was a large archway with two red wyverns flying towards the tip. ‘This place has a fascination with wyverns,’ Fluttershy noted.

“Okay,” Twilight sighed as she pushed herself off Fluttershy and onto her hooves once more. “I’m ready to go in. You?”

Fluttershy looked back and nodded. “I’m ready, sweetie.” With smiles of encouragement for one another, the two ponies walked slowly into the amphitheatre, flanked on all sides by hundreds of little ponies. Fluttershy felt her heart quicken at the sight of so many, so inched herself closer to Twilight for safety. The unicorn smiled, and then wrapped her tail around Fluttershy’s to comfort her.

It had the right effect the instant it started twirling around Fluttershy’s tail. “So um, if we get the chance to see Grey Spot, are we going to ask him about a ship and what happened earlier?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight nodded, though she looked surprised that Fluttershy wanted to go for it. “I hope so, and I hope he’ll say yes. Do you want to go back home now?”

Fluttershy nodded slowly. “I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier, and you are right. I have been thinking too much about going after the flower that I failed to think about the dangers that lie before it, and thinking about others that I haven’t spoken to in five years when I should have thought about those I know closest to me. I have been a fool. We’ve come this far together and that is something I think I can be proud of, especially if I’m coming back home with a lover.” She leaned her head closer to Twilight’s so their cheeks were touching. “I think I am ready to go home now.”

Twilight smiled, and then affectionately nuzzled her marefriend’s cheek. “So am I,” she said. They pulled away when they felt the world start to turn colder as they disappeared into the blackness of the tunnel on the other side of the archway.

Fluttershy shivered in fright as she felt little ponies brushing past her, yet it was too dark for her to see them. Her nerves were at breaking point. Ever since they had suspected themselves to be the targets of assassination, Fluttershy had found herself suspicious of every street, every pony that passed them by, every window and every dark patch like she was in now.

She knew the pony that had tried to harm them was out there, and as long as he or she was free to roam, they would always be in terrible danger. She knew also that she would be freaking out and wanting to get back to the sanctity of their room in the palace by now, but for a reason she knew already, she wanted to see the play.

The reason was Twilight Sparkle.

Being at the unicorn’s side was the safest place she could think of, and she knew Twilight would feel the same way about her. ‘We’re completely dependent on each other, at least I think we are,’ Fluttershy realised, her eyes widening at the discovery. ‘Does that mean I really do love her?’

Before she could answer her own question, she could feel the warming touch of light on her coat, which forced her to look up and stare at the interior of the amphitheatre.

Hanging from the ceiling, half a dozen great chandeliers that glittered with light from their candles lit up the large chamber, arrayed in a large circle so they covered the whole interior. At the centre of the room was a large white circle, barren of anything and elevated from the rest of the floor on wooden stacks so those watching from far away could see what was happening. Surrounding the circle was at least a hundred raised seating benches that went up right to the top of the building. And along the walls, resplendent in eternal colours, were massive paintings that breathed life into the amphitheatre.

Twilight and Fluttershy craned their necks and looked around to find a place to sit. However, with so many ponies taking up seats across the chamber, it was difficult for them to find one. “Oh, I see free seats over there!” Fluttershy announced, pointing to the other side of the stage where space wide enough for the pair of them to sit were available.

Twilight grinned when she saw them as well. “Then let’s get them quick before other ponies sit there,” she said as her horn started to light up. In a flash, the two ponies disappeared, only to reappear on the seats on the other side of the stage. “Perfect,” Twilight said happily, lowering her backside onto her haunches. “And a pretty good view, too.”

Before Fluttershy could agree, she received a hard shove on the back from a pony behind her. She looked behind to see that Twilight and herself were obscuring the views of about twenty ponies behind them, who were hissing at them in their rough language. “Oh my. I’m so sorry,” she said loudly, much to Twilight’s confusion. She turned to Twilight and whispered, “I think we should move; we’re blocking everypony’s view.”

Twilight looked back and her eyes widened at seeing loads of angry ponies glaring down at them. She grinned sheepishly at them, before glancing at Fluttershy. “Hold on tight,” she said as she powered up her horn again. The two ponies disappeared once more in a flash of white light, only to reappear on the other side of the amphitheatre about twenty seats up from the stage.

“There,” Fluttershy sighed contently as she made herself comfortable once more, “I think this is better, don’t you?”

Twilight nodded. “Mm hmm,” she said as she pressed her hooves into the hard stone bench like a cat.

Fluttershy giggled at the sight. “Never ever stop doing that, Twilight,” she whispered. “It’s so cute.”

Twilight blushed when she realised her marefriend was watching her. “Um… th-thanks, I guess,” she said.

Fluttershy nuzzled Twilight’s cheek gently. “You’re welcome,” she said. She looked back at the stage. “How much longer do you think we’ll have to wait until the play starts? I hope it’s not too long; I might get restless.”

Twilight frowned wryly in thought. “Hopefully not much longer. Maybe until all these ponies stop com– hey!” she shouted just as something light tapped her on the back of her head. She looked around to see more ponies glaring at them for obscuring their view. She returned their gazes again with a sheepish grin of her own. “Sorry,” she said. She turned to Fluttershy, who looked back at her with a worried look. “Okay, I can see where this is going. We’re going to go right around this place to find more seats only to be blocking the views for the ponies behind us. And this will only continue until we make it to the top of the amphitheatre, where we will have the poorest view.” She sighed exasperatingly. “I should write a comedy novel, because that would earn a few laughs.”

Fluttershy smiled politely, though she already thought the situation was quite funny. “Okay, um, so should we head straight to the top and avoid any more trouble?”

Twilight nodded as her horn lit up for the third time and, in an instant, the two ponies disappeared once more. They quickly reappeared in the material realm on the highest bench, where only a few other ponies occupied the benches. “You know, this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Twilight said as she pressed her back against the wall behind her. “We get back rests, and still have a really good view of what’s going on down below. The only way this can go wrong is–” The moment she said the word ‘wrong’, a drip of water that leaked through the roof tapped her on the nose, followed shortly by another one, then another.

Twilight stared intensely at the drops of water hitting her muzzle, while Fluttershy looked away and sniggered quietly with her hoof over her mouth. After a moment, she calmed herself down enough to start shifting down the benches. “Come on, sweetie, let’s move up,” she said.

Twilight sighed as another drop hit her, before taking Fluttershy’s good advice and following her marefriend down the benches. They eventually stopped after going about ten feet or so away from the leak, and even from that distance, Twilight could still hear the agitating sound of water hitting the stone bench. “Somepony should have fixed that leak by now,” she muttered.

Fluttershy smiled comfortingly. “Oh, don’t let it get to you, Twily,” she said soothingly. “A little bit of water doesn’t hurt anypony.”

“Unless you’re Rarity or an evil witch pony,” Twilight countered with a grin, which made Fluttershy snigger with laughter. “Seriously, I have never seen anypony panic like her when rain starts. She literally runs for the hills the moment a drop of rain is spotted.”

“Maybe she is a witch,” Fluttershy giggled playfully, earning a giggle from Twilight. She poked Twilight’s side. “Maybe you’re a witch as well.”

Twilight gasped jokingly. “Oh no,” she said dramatically, “you have discovered Rarity and my self’s secret. I will have to turn you into a newt to keep you silent.”

Fluttershy laughed as she tilted her head to the side. “A newt?”

Twilight shrugged casually. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll get better in no time.”

“Not that, I was just wondering a newt. Why a newt, of all creatures?”

Twilight shrugged once more. “I read it in a book somewhere, I think. Quite a good one, too. I should lend it to you sometime. But back to the subject, if Rarity is a witch, what shall we do?”

Fluttershy tapped her chin in thought, giggling constantly. “Oh, I know. We have to see if she weighs the same as a duck, and if she does, then she is a witch.”

Twilight snorted with laughter. “A duck? Of all the things to test a witch on, a duck is not one I ever expected.” The two laughed for a long time, as the image of Rarity sitting on one scale with a duck on another was too good for them to take it out of their heads.

After a minute, the laughter died down, and Fluttershy rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, feeling slightly ashamed of herself for making fun of her friend like she did. “Do you think Rarity has felt a cold shiver down her back while we talked about her like that?” she asked worriedly.

Twilight chuckled. “I’m sure she didn’t feel a thing,” she said assuredly. “The most she probably felt was a raindrop falling on her head.” The two laughed once more, which promptly faded away as ponies began to clap their hooves together. “Oh, looks like it’s starting.”

Fluttershy squinted her eyes to get a proper look at the stage. At the centre of the stage was a large pony with a golden mask covering the top half of his head and wore a golden toga that covered his entire body. The pony twirled around on the spot, bowing his head as he did so, while the whole amphitheatre exploded into further applause.

Even from the distance between her and the stage, she could tell that the pony was Grey Spot. “Oh my,” she gasped. She nudged Twilight. “I think that’s Grey Spot down there.”

Twilight leaned forward and squinted her eyes as well. After a moment, they widened in recognition. “That is Grey Spot,” she said, sounding surprised. “I didn’t expect him to be actually taking part in whatever is going on down there; I just thought he would have a special balcony for him to watch it all.”

“So did I,” Fluttershy concurred, nodding. “I thought he wanted us to be with him watching the play.”

“I even thought out what the seating arrangement would have been,” Twilight said. “I would be at the far side, you would be in the middle, and Grey Spot would be next to you.”

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed, and then she gave Twilight an odd stare. “Why would I be next to Grey Spot?”

Twilight looked at her marefriend expressionlessly for a long time. “It’s taken me a while, but I think I figured it out. Have you ever noticed how friendly he is to you and not to me?” she asked.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight aghast for a second, before looking back at the stage, just as Grey Spot was talking in Esperian, welcoming everypony and thanking them for coming, she figured. As she thought about it, Grey Spot did seem to act differently to her than he did to Twilight. The things he said, like saying her name was beautiful, or answering a question he felt uncomfortable with. Nopony else would do that unless… Oh dear.

Fluttershy felt her heart skip a beat. “He likes me romantically?” she gasped incredulously.

Twilight nodded, even as she felt a smirk coming across her face. “I think so,” she replied. Silly mode engaged, she started swaying from side to side, singing, “He wants to love you, he wants to hug you, he wants to kiss you, he wants to…”

She trailed off and shivered when she saw the darkest glare she had ever seen from Fluttershy. “Say anymore, and I will personally end you,” she growled, even as she felt a faint blush on her cheeks.

“Sorry,” Twilight squeaked, her eyes wide with regret.

Fluttershy found she couldn’t stay mad at that face for long. “I forgive you,” she sighed, her angry look fading away, to be replaced with a heavy frown. She pulled back and rubbed her forehead in confusion. “How can he fall in love with me? What have I done to gain his affections?”

Twilight chuckled. “To be honest, I don’t think you need to do anything for a pony to fall in love with you. Especially you, sweetheart. You’re just, well, you. How can anypony not fall in love with you?”

Fluttershy felt her cheeks heat up once more as Twilight’s words sunk into her mind. “You’re taking this pretty well, since you’re my marefriend,” she noted.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Are you considering returning his feelings?”

Fluttershy shook her head rapidly, ridding Twilight of the small stain of doubt that always lingered. “Of course not. I’m attracted to other mares, not stallions.”

“Then why should I be worried this time?” Twilight asked, smiling assuredly. That smile withered a bit like an aging flower when Fluttershy stared at her explanatory. “That was always my greatest worry, you know. I feared I would wake up and later find out you had a coltfriend, or a marefriend. I once had a terrible nightmare about that; it was enough to make me cry myself awake.”

Fluttershy suddenly felt terrible for even considering saying ‘no’ to returning Twilight’s feelings. She slowly and hesitantly flung a foreleg over her marefriend’s shoulders, ready to take it off at a moment’s notice. When Twilight didn’t react, Fluttershy gently pulled her in, until the unicorn’s head was resting against her shoulder. She smiled and nestled her head in Twilight’s mane. “That would never happen, Twilight. Not ever,” she assured her. “I don’t think I haven’t told anypony else this, but a few months ago I asked Applejack if she would help me find a marefriend.”

Twilight looked up, unable to bring herself to move away thanks to Fluttershy’s relaxing heartbeat. “Really?”

Fluttershy nodded. “She asked around to see if anypony else wanted to give being with me a try, but none of the mares Applejack asked were interested, or were in the middle of their own relationships. Nopony wanted to be with me, Twilight, so you had nothing to worry about.”

Twilight frowned. “That’s not true, though. Somepony did want to be with you.” She leaned her head down and nuzzled Fluttershy’s chest affectionately. “Me.”

Fluttershy blushed, but kept her smile and didn’t say a word. The two stayed comfortably silent as the lights started to dim, and the play began in earnest. It started off with Grey Spot singing in Esperian a narration about the events the play was about to portray; in the darkness she could see the other actors and actresses beginning to form up, ready for their turn on the stage.

“Doesn’t Grey Spot have such a good singing voice?” Twilight said as she listened intently, trying to understand what was going on.

Fluttershy nodded, finding herself almost entranced by the deep, operatic voice Grey Spot had. “He’s not as good as you, though,” she said cheerfully. “You have an amazing singing voice.”

Twilight blushed. “Thanks, but I don’t think I sing as well as you,” she remarked, making Fluttershy blush bashfully. “You can make a bushel of rabbits fall to sleep with your voice, whereas I can only send them running for the hills. How are you such a great singer?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I’m not sure, really. My mother and I used to sing on the train a lot when we were together; it passed the time, but I wasn’t very good at it. My mum’s fireman was a singer, though, and a very good one, so during breaks he would teach me how to sing and use the full potential of my voice. He told me to avoid the more modern rubbish music and go back to the classical ways of singing and such. I’m glad he did, cause I can’t get enough of this kind of music.”

Twilight smiled serenely. “Neither can I. Though I have to admit, Rainbow Dash’s collection of music is starting to get to me. Once I caught myself humming one of those awful-sounding tunes she has.”

Fluttershy gasped in horror. “Oh dear! We must exorcise you before her vile music takes you over!” she cried, grinning and giggling teasingly, which looked and sounded so cute it made Twilight start to giggle with delight.

Twilight put a hoof to her forehead, swooning. “Oh no, what can save me from this dreadful peril!” she gasped dramatically.

Fluttershy looked away from her marefriend and began rubbing her chin in thought as she pondered a way to ‘exorcise’ her marefriend of Rainbow Dash’s horrible taste of music. Her face lit up when an idea sprung to the front of her mind. “Doctor Fluttershy has come up with a solution!” she proclaimed.

“And what has Doctor Fluttershy come up wi– oh, hello,” Twilight said as Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs and her wings around her marefriend, bringing her in close and tickling her with the pegasus’s feathers.

“The power of hugs compels you!” Fluttershy shouted quietly, nuzzling Twilight’s neck with the tip of her muzzle. “The power of hugs compels you!”

Twilight giggled as she found herself getting comfortable with her newfound position as a large plush. “You know, if this was the cure to getting rid of Rainbow’s vile music, then I should have been cured weeks ago thanks to your hugs.”

“Mmm hmm,” Fluttershy said as she sunk into Twilight’s coat. “And is it working?” she asked.

Twilight smiled, then relaxed in Fluttershy’s loving but tight embrace. “Of course,” she replied as she freed her hooves from the pegasus’s iron grip and wrapped them around her marefriend’s back. The two fell into a peaceful, companionable silence as they watched the play unfold, not knowing what was going on, but not really caring.

They were together, and that was all that mattered.

The next two hours flew by quicker than Rainbow Dash ever could. Various ponies, all dressed in clothes – from rags to the finest dresses that would make Rarity envious – came up to the stage, sung to the audience, sung to each other, and then departed from the stage as the applauses deafened the hall. A few seconds later, two or four more appeared and sang or fought one another for the affections of a mare or stallion, with one winding up dying over-dramatically to the point he fell off the stage.

As Fluttershy watched with a small smile, she found herself glancing over to Twilight, who was still nestled in her super hug, as she called them, and admiring her beauty from time to time. The way her eyes followed every movement on the stage, her sweet, content smile, and finally the way her ears flickered and twitched with every sound and every note coming from the ponies’ voices. It all added immensely to the beauty of the pony she could proudly call her marefriend.

‘So why can’t I just say I love her?’ she wondered agitatedly. She sighed sullenly, which did not go unnoticed by Twilight. Fluttershy thought she was pretty, sweet, loving and caring, but could not understand why she couldn’t say the three words Twilight desperately wanted to hear. Was she scared that if she said them, something bad would happen to them both? Or was it something else?

“Everything all right, Fluttershy?” Twilight whispered concernedly.

Fluttershy looked up at her with sad eyes. “Are you absolutely sure you’re okay with this? Me being so hesitant in saying I love you and feeling like I really mean it, I mean.”

Twilight smiled as she began to run a hoof up and down Fluttershy’s back. “Of course I don’t mind it. It’s you, after all. I honestly didn’t expect you to say you loved me back the first time you learnt about my feelings, or even expect you to say those words for a long time.” She nuzzled the side of Fluttershy’s face delicately. “So don’t worry about it.”

Fluttershy did not look convinced, however. “But you must be feeling impatient by now, surely.”

Twilight shook her head. “You do know it took me almost a year to realise my true feelings for you, right?” Fluttershy nodded attentively. “Well, before then I knew I thought of you for something else, but until my brother’s wedding I could not understand why I thought differently of you. These feelings didn’t come sporadically to me; they grew over a long period of time.”

Twilight leaned her head lovingly against Fluttershy’s. “Love isn’t something that comes instantaneous to us like friendship does, at least in our cases. It grows in us like a flower, rising from the ground until it blooms with colour and beauty. Though it may not come to you in a week, or even a few weeks, but it will, if you really do love me. You just have to be patient, and you must always listen to your heart.”

Fluttershy stared at Twilight for a long time, before breaking out a smile. “You are sweet, Twilight,” she said softly. “I wish I could share your patience.”

Twilight chuckled. “No offence or anything, but isn’t impatience a common trait among pegasi?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I guess so, though some express it more than others. I think I’m more in the middle,” she said. Fluttershy fell into silence as she listened to the singing below her, and the alluring scent of Twilight’s mane billowing through her nostrils.

Another hour or so later, the lights began to brighten again, and the room exploded into applause as the play finished. Fluttershy covered her ears with her hooves as the noise deafened her. Twilight noticed her discomfort and wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend to keep her close. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” she whispered soothingly. “Nopony is going to hurt you so long as I am around.”

Fluttershy relaxed a bit within Twilight’s comforting hug, and she nestled into it. “I know, and I am sorry about this. I just don’t like loud applauses like that. It’s very uncomfortable to my ears.”

Twilight smiled. “No need to be sorry, sweetheart.” She looked around and noticed ponies were getting up and starting to leave the amphitheatre in an orderly fashion. “Right, now that the play is over, shall we go and see Grey Spot about earlier?”

Fluttershy swallowed down the lump in her throat, and then briskly nodded. “I guess we should,” she replied as she got up, releasing Twilight from her feathery prison. “I hope he hasn’t already left, though.”

Twilight got up as well. “I doubt he has. It must take ages to take clothes off without magic,” she said. She pointed to a door that was just right of a small flight of stairs leading onto the stage. “Let’s go through there and see if we can find him.” Her horn lit up suddenly, and in a flash of light the pair was gone.

The couple reappeared just outside the door, avoiding anypony as they all tried to use the ways closest to the exit. Twilight knocked on the door. “Hello? Grey Spot, are you in there?” she called, knocking again.

The door opened slightly, revealing the smiling face of the Merchant Prince of Esperius. “Ah, hello, Twilight, Fluttershy, if I am honest I didn’t think you both were here; I’ve been looking for you throughout the night.”

“Ah, we were at the top there,” Twilight explained, pointing behind them. Fluttershy nodded meekly in agreement. “That was a great play as well,” she added happily. “A great way to end the day, despite the fact we couldn’t understand a word that was being said.”

Grey Spot smiled. “You two are most welcome,” he said. He pulled the door open a bit more to look at them both. “So what can I do for you two?”

Twilight looked to Fluttershy for approval, which the pegasus gave with a few nods of her head. “You see, we would like to talk to you about some things,” Twilight said, pawing at the ground with a hoof. ‘Please say yes,’ she thought.

Grey Spot’s smile fell. “Um, can’t this wait until I get back to the palace?” he asked, glancing back every now and then. “I’m kinda busy with something at the moment. Something really important.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat, as did Fluttershy’s, but she kept her smile. “Oh… okay, then. We’ll be in our room at the palace if you want to find us. See you there.” They bowed their heads at the Prince, then turned around and trotted around the stage and into the black tunnel dejectedly.

“I was so sure he would talk to us,” Twilight said agitatedly as they left the darkness of the tunnel and into the cool night air. The sight of the stars dotting the sky above them gave them a peaceful feeling, despite what happened a few hours ago.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetie,” Fluttershy said comfortingly. “We’ll still get our chance to talk to him. It’s just been held back for a bit later, that’s all.”

Twilight smiled. “I know, but I would have liked to get it over with.” Her face lit up as an idea came into her head. “How about we wait here until he’s done with whatever he’s doing, then we can tell him on the way back?” she suggested.

Fluttershy frowned nervously, even as she felt her heart starting to beat faster at the thought of staying out in the open for so long. “Oh, um…” she started hesitantly, but when she looked into Twilight’s loving eyes, she felt safer already, and found she had the courage to finish. “Okay, sweetie, but we’ll stay for a little while, and then head back to the palace.”

Twilight nodded assuredly, and then plonked her rump onto the ground, sighing contently as she looked at the stars. Fluttershy moved to sit beside her, and then lowered her head until it rested on the unicorn’s shoulder. She looked up, and giggled a little when she saw Twilight’s mouth hanging open, making her look like a fish. Gently, she lifted a hoof up and closed Twilight’s mouth, jolting the unicorn out of her gaze.

“Oh, sorry, sweetie, but I didn’t want any flies to fly into your mouth,” Fluttershy explained giggly. “They might get hurt.”

Twilight glanced down at her marefriend, and smiled widely. “They might get hurt! What about me? I might choke on them,” she said.

Fluttershy giggled as she stretched a wing out and started caressing Twilight’s back. “Oh, I don’t know, they migh–” She cut herself off when she glanced movement to her right, and froze in horror. “I think there’s somepony out there,” she squeaked fearfully, inching closer to her marefriend.

Twilight stood up immediately, and moved to position herself in front of Fluttershy while she thought of a spell that would defend them from any attackers. She scanned the streets and the area around and even above her, but couldn’t see any ponies or anything that might potentially harm them. “Stay here,” she whispered as she plodded forward.

Fluttershy squeaked a reply, nodding her head bubbly. “Just be careful, sweetie,” she cautioned, her eyes wandering frantically around her.

Twilight looked back with an assuring smile. “I’m always careful,” she said, just before something heavy hit the top of her head, and sent her falling to her side like a tower of bricks.

“TWILIGHT!” Fluttershy screamed in horror. She sprinted towards her unconscious marefriend, but before she could get far, another thing hurtled towards her and slammed into the side of her face. She cried out in pain as she fell to her side, her vision clouding over as she felt herself go numb.

The last thing she saw before darkness took her was a group of little ponies appearing from the shadows, and marching menacingly towards her…

Twilight groaned agitatedly as her head throbbed, and she could feel her body ache with mild pain. “Wha… what happened?” she wondered aloud, as she rolled onto her stomach, a hoof clutching against her head as she tried to remember what brought her out.

All she could feel, however, was the drumming pain in her head, and she gritted her teeth together to try to fight it back before it could bring her into darkness once more. “Urgh,” she groaned. “Fluttershy, what happ…” She trailed off when she saw that she was in the courtyard just outside the amphitheatre, right where the pair was standing before she went out cold.

Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.

Twilight felt her heart skip a few beats as she looked around for her marefriend. “Fluttershy?” she called fearfully. When she received no reply, her heart began to beat like a fast drum. “Fluttershy, sweetheart, talk to me!” she called as she got up, the pain in her head put to the back of her mind. There was still no response from the pegasus; Twilight could feel her heart stopping altogether. “Fluttershy!” she cried again, tears beginning to fill her vision.

When she did not hear a squeak from her marefriend, Twilight’s hind legs buckled beneath her and she collapsed onto her rump, sobbing loudly as terror began to strangle her. ‘Who would have taken her?’ Twilight thought through her tears. It was obvious to her that the ponies who knocked her out wanted them, but took only Fluttershy, but who would have done that? ‘Who could do such a thing to her?’

She looked out at the city, heaving back tears as she felt her heart strengthen into stone. She couldn’t wallow in misery, not now. Her marefriend was out there somewhere, alone, in peril, and undoubtedly very afraid. Twilight stood upright once again and took deep breaths, not just to keep herself calm, but to control her growing anger as well. “I will find you, Fluttershy,” she said aloud. “Even if I have to turn this whole city upside down, I will find you!”

“Twilight?” The unicorn spun around upon hearing her name being called, and gasped in delight when she saw Grey Spot emerge from the amphitheatre, along with the Captain of the Guard and a few other soldiers at his side. “What are you doing out here?” Grey Spot asked.

Twilight ran up to him and brought him in a hug. “Oh, good, you were still in there. That means I haven’t been out for very long,” she said as she pulled away, though it was more to herself.

“Haven’t been out long, what are you talking–?” Grey Spot cut himself off when he saw the spot where a rock or something hit her on her head. “What did that?” he shouted.

“There’s no time! Whoever did this to me has taken Fluttershy!” Twilight yelled, staring into his eyes pleadingly. She set her hooves on Grey Spot’s shoulders. “Please! You have to help me find her!”

Grey Spot’s eyes widened as he stared at Twilight for a long time, before narrowing them in determination. “If Fluttershy has been kidnapped, then I will do what I can.” He turned to his retinue. “Send word to all battalions. Start searching the city for Fluttershy. Turn Esperius upside down if you have to, just find her!” he commanded.

At once the soldiers nodded, then split off and galloped swiftly into the city. “Thank you, Grey Spot,” Twilight whispered, feeling slightly better with his quick actions. ‘Though I would feel much better if Fluttershy was here with me,’ she thought sullenly.

“You’re most welcome, Twilight Sparkle,” he said amiably. He turned to the Captain. “You start searching, as well, Captain; you know this city more than anypony, you know who’d have her.”

The Captain nodded. “Yes, my lord,” he said roughly, saluting.

Grey Spot nodded, then turned back to Twilight. “Get back to the palace and head straight for your room. I’ll come to you with news when I hear some,” he ordered kindly, gesturing with his head at the great structure in the distance. “If the kidnappers are out there still they might try and get hold of you again.”

Twilight bobbed her head. “Thank you for your concern, but I would rather look for my marefriend,” she said.

“I assure you, we will do everything we can to see her safe and sound,” Grey Spot said, smiling kindly at the unicorn. “Now, if you excuse me, I must return to the palace to conduct the search. Captain, you know your orders.” With that, he galloped down the street towards the palace.

Twilight watched him go, and then glanced back as the Captain skulked away, who was looking back at her with a small sneer, which did not look friendly at all. The unicorn narrowed her eyes suspiciously as he turned a corner and disappeared down a street. ‘What is he up to?’

Twilight lit up her horn and cast her teleportation spell, disappearing in a flash of light and appearing at the end of the street the Captain went down. She saw him walking along slowly, looking left and right every now and then as mice scurried from their hiding places to get away. Judging by the little pony’s movements, he didn’t look as if he was searching for Fluttershy; he looked like a pony extremely pleased with himself.

Twilight, now highly suspicious, teleported again, this time ending up on the rooftops above the Captain as he turned into a narrow street. Twilight followed him slowly as he walked, taking great care not to cause too much noise as her hooves touched the tiled roofs. As she followed the Captain further down the road, and further from the palace, her suspicions grew more and more. As well as the attempt on their lives a few hours earlier, did he have something to do with Fluttershy’s kidnapping? ‘Let’s see if our suspicions were true,’ she thought, smirking as a plan came together in her head.

She watched as the little pony turned into a darker street below her, then teleported herself to the ground and beside him. Before the Captain could react, Twilight pushed him to the ground, disarming him of his weapon with a flick of her magic, and stood over him triumphantly. “All right, pal,” she growled, poking him in the chest. “It’s time to own up and tell me the truth.”

The Captain growled at her, trying to rise but against Twilight’s larger body and strength he had no chance. “What truth? I tell you no truth.”

Twilight picked him up with her magic and threw him against the wall of a building heavily. “You should learn that it’s not a very good idea to lie to me, especially if one of my best friends is in danger,” she threatened, snarling with rage. “Now, tell me a few things. Earlier, back in the gardens, did you or did you not put a rock in Fluttershy’s way that caused her to trip up, with intent to hurt or kill us?”

The Captain didn’t look as though he was about to say anything. “You won’t talk, huh?” The Captain shook his head. Twilight looked at her forehead in thought. “You know, a few weeks back I learned a new spell that could make parts of a pony grow back, like a leg, a mouth or maybe an ear. I also learned it was reversible, meaning I can take them away as much as give them back; it was used as an early method of torture in the first age of Equestria. I didn’t want to test it out on my friends or any other pony from my town, in case I got it wrong and did something horrible, but I guess you would make a good volunteer.” The Captain’s eyes widened with horror as he stared at Twilight’s manic grin. “Now, what shall it be first? The leg, your muzzle, your ears, or your eyes?”

“Yes!” the Captain blabbered out frantically. “I put the rock there! I’d been following you all day so I could get a good chance to take you down! When I saw you two heading for the maze, I moved ahead and placed the rock there! Please, don’t take my eyes!”

Twilight’s teeth grinded against each other loudly. “And under whose authority did you do that? Your own or somepony else’s?” She dropped the little pony to the ground, and lit her horn up once more. “Now think really carefully before you lie to me.”

“Grey Spot ordered me to do it!” he replied. “He told me if that didn’t work, then pick some ponies I know and trust to knock you both out and take your friend away!”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror and disbelief. ‘Grey Spot… betrayed us?’ she thought perplexedly. She turned back to the little pony cowering in front of her. “Why? Why did Grey Spot ask you to hurt us?”

At once, the Captain relaxed and sneered devilishly. “Oh no, not you. Her.”

Twilight’s eyes slowly bulged in fright as the pieces came together in her head. ‘I had it all wrong,’ she thought. She shook her head of such thoughts for the present, and then looked down at the Captain with nothing but contempt; the Captain seemed to shrink a few inches under the unicorn’s gaze. “Where did you take her?” she demanded.

“To the palace!” he replied, shivering in place. “To await whatever Grey Spot wants done with her!”

‘No wonder he was in a hurry to get back to the palace.’ Twilight nodded determinedly, then spun away. “Then I better hurry,” she said as she trotted away to the palace.

“You’re going to go against the entire palace?” the Captain asked incredulously.

“I will go to war with the whole of Esperius if I have to!” Twilight declared. “Fluttershy means the world to me, Captain, and not a singly pony in this city will stop me from freeing her from this place and heading home in my embrace.” She didn’t feel afraid, or nervous at the prospect on taking on an entire city. She was angry, and if anypony from Equestria other than Fluttershy were with her, they would know full well to keep away from her until she cooled down. ‘It’s a shame none of my other friends are here with me,’ she thought as she trotted down the street. ‘I could really have them here to kick some flank.’

“Oh wait, I almost forgot something!” she announced before she made it to the end. She turned around and, staring at the Captain, who was picking himself off the floor, cast a spell. At once, the Captain’s eyes widened in horror as his lips disappeared from his face. He began to scream as he tried to feel around for them. “Oh don’t worry, the spell will wear off in a couple of days; it is illusion magic, after all,” Twilight assured him. “But that should teach you to never call Fluttershy dumb, not when I am around.”

With that, she spun away from the screaming and crying Captain, and began to gallop down the road, with fury in her heart and her eyes lit up with anger as she weaved down one street into another as she charged towards the palace. “I’m coming to get you, Fluttershy,” she whispered to the sky. “And not a single pony is going to get in my way!”

Fluttershy’s eyes shot open as she felt her body switch itself back on. The moment she felt her eyes were open, she closed them again tight and groaned loudly as she felt a bump the size of a molehill on her head. “Ouch,” she moaned. She gently set a hoof on it, only to instantly pull it back as pain shot out of the bump like a cannon and flowed around her body. ‘At least it isn’t bleeding,’ she thought thankfully upon inspecting her hoof for blood.

“Twilight, what happen…” Fluttershy trailed off when she looked around at where she was, and felt her heart skip several beats.

She was in a cell of some sort, with dark, damp walls leaking water, a single wooden door with no window on it, and only a small candlelight on the corner beside a stone bed with no pillow or duvet.

Worst than all of that, though, was that she was alone.

“Twilight!” she cried out, spinning around as she looked for a window, an opening, anything to make her see her marefriend. Yet there wasn’t any, and there wasn’t a peep from the unicorn as well.

Fluttershy felt tears begin to build up in her eyes as panic started to set in. “Twilight, sweetie, please say something!” she yelled. But there was not a word. She looked to the door, and then ran up to it and knocked repeatedly on it hard. “Let me out!” she yelled. “Please, if anypony’s there, please open this door!”

Nopony replied, so she continued banging against the door. She continued to do it until her leg began to ache, and she couldn’t see a thing thanks to the tears running down her face. As far as she knew, she was alone, and worse, she did not have the loving embrace of Twilight to hold her comfortingly and her soothing voice telling her that everything will be all right.

With that thought, Fluttershy rested her head against the door and cried inconsolably, her heartbeat going faster than a train yet feeling it crack from being apart from Twilight. “Plea-a-a-se,” she sobbed, tapping at the door. “I just want to see my marefriend again.” When there was no response, she continued to cry.

After what felt like ages crying against the door, she heard the sound of the bolt forming the door lock loosening. She stopped crying and backed away towards the bed, particularly towards the candle in case she had to use it to defend herself. ‘I would rather not, but I will if I have to,’ she thought to herself as she glanced at it. A sudden hopeful thought came to her. ‘What if it’s Twilight coming to rescue me?’

She broke out of her thoughts when the door opened, and from the other side Grey Spot emerged, walking into the cell with a serious expression on his face. Fluttershy felt her hopeful smile fall a bit. ‘Sloppy seconds, I suppose.’ “Grey Spot?” she said as he stood before her, though the look on his face wasn’t very amiable.

Grey Spot bowed his head nimbly to the pegasus. “Fluttershy,” he greeted her dispassionately. “How are you feeling?”

Fluttershy stared at Grey Spot with a narrow eye, feeling wary by his presence. ‘Something’s not right,’ she thought. ‘Grey Spot should be a lot friendlier to me.’ “Um, I’m okay, thank you. My head aches a bit, but I’m sure it will get better soon,” she replied amiably, hoping it would be enough to rid Grey Spot of his stern look.

It did nothing of the sort.

Fluttershy looked over his shoulder, and saw from the door two guards peeking in from the other side. “Um… are you here to rescue me?” she asked, sounding moderately hopeful.

To her horror, Grey Spot shook his head. “Nope. I’m just here to see how my latest prisoner is,” he answered casually.

Fluttershy opened her mouth in shock, and could feel terror creep across her body like a snail crawling across a leaf. “Prisoner?” she repeated. She looked around her again in confusion. “Then, where am I?”

“You’re in the palace dungeons. Just below the throne room, to be exact,” Grey Spot replied, looking at the ceiling.

He looked back at Fluttershy again, who stared at him in horror and anger. “Why am I here, Grey Spot?” she asked when she felt angry enough to talk. “Why have you done this to me? I thou… I hoped we could be friends.”

Grey Spot sighed sadly. “I am sorry it had to be this way, Fluttershy,” he said. “But you were simply in my way. It was either this, or get rid of you completely, and I couldn’t do the latter.”

“But why do you want me out of your way in the first place?” Fluttershy demanded. “What have I done to earn your hate?”

Grey Spot looked at the ground beside them. “It isn’t what you have done that causes me to do this. It is what you have earned that grieves me. Something that should be mine.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in confusion. ‘What have I earned?’ she wondered. Her eyes started to wander the cell, trying to think of what she had that Grey Spot wanted. ‘My wings?’ She inwardly shook her head; Grey Spot already said he liked himself the way he is. ‘My Element of Harmony?’ Again, she didn’t think so; he probably didn’t know what the Elements of Harmony were to begin with. ‘Twilight’s aff…’ Her mind trailed off when the answer came to her.

Fluttershy looked up at Grey Spot in shock. “So… it isn’t me you loved after all, was it? It was Twilight all along,” she said incredulously.

Grey Spot nodded. “I love her more than this entire city, Fluttershy,” he said. “She is like the bright light in the closing night. The last bastion of intelligence and kindness in this sick world.”

‘How poetic,’ Fluttershy thought, rolling her eyes. “I am sorry, Grey Spot, but I don’t think you have a chance. Twilight loves me and no other. I do not think she will dump me for you, I’m afraid.”

Grey Spot grinned wickedly. “We’ll see about that,” he said, as he turned back to the door.

Fluttershy felt uneasy all of a sudden, though it was not for herself but for her friend. “What are you going to do to her?” she yelled.

“Nothing she will not remember in due time,” he replied.

“Like what?” Fluttershy demanded, advancing towards him.

Grey Spot stopped and then turned back to face Fluttershy menacingly, sending the pegasus backwards in fright and cowering behind her mane. “Nothing that concerns you, Fluttershy. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you want to be fed and kept well in your stay here, then you will be a good little girl and keep your mouth shut. Understand?”

Fluttershy nodded meekly. “A-and how long will my stay here be?” she asked timidly as she got up again, shivering in fright under Grey Spot’s gaze.

Grey Spot turned around once again and continued to walk away. “When Twilight doesn’t even remember what you look like,” he replied. “And trust me, that might be sooner than you think.”

Fluttershy felt anger in her she had not felt since her assertive lessons went awry a year or so ago. It made her want to charge Grey Spot and beat him senseless with her bare hooves, and then go and find her marefriend covered in his blood. ‘Okay, that bit’s sick,’ she thought, shaking her head to rid herself of the vile image. But it was true, nonetheless.

Yet, she knew if she did do that, the guards outside would kill her, and Twilight as well when she turned up to rescue her, then her friends would have to mourn both of their losses. ‘All I can do is to sit tight and pray that Twilight will find me,’ she decided. The warming thought of Twilight finding her – to see her face light up in delight – sent a warm feeling in her stomach. ‘Maybe that’s what love feels like,’ she wondered.

She looked up once more as Grey Spot started to leave. “I am sorry, Grey Spot,” she said solemnly.

Grey Spot stopped suddenly, then looked back with a questioning smile. “Why are you saying sorry for?”

Fluttershy’s solemn look hardened into a narrow stare. “Because I won’t be there to stop Twilight from whatever she is going to do to you,” she answered gravely. “You give my friend less credit than you should. She is smart and cunning, kind but ruthless to those who do us wrong. By now, she should have realised that you have a part in this, and she will be coming for you. My advice? Run.”

Grey Spot stared at her for a long time, visibly going pale at the seriousness in Fluttershy’s tone, before chuckling. “I don’t think so. I have gained her trust by now. She won’t suspect me in any of this.” He turned back and continued to walk out of the cell. “Oh, and don’t worry, Fluttershy, I’ll keep her nice and warm for you.”

Fluttershy snapped.

She screamed in rage and charged him. Grey Spot leapt through the door, laughing as he shut it behind him, locking it in place. Fluttershy collided with it just as it locked, sending her staggering backwards and her eyes spinning around in their sockets. She regained her senses quickly thanks to her thick pegasus skull, and then charged at the door again, punching it fiercely with a hoof to the point the spot she was hitting started to crack.

She slammed her hoof into the door one last time, and snorted with rage. “You better hope Twilight goes easy on you, Grey Spot! Because when I get out of here you will wish she hadn’t been!” she bellowed, her voice easily carrying itself down the hallway outside, and reaching Grey Spot’s ears.

Fluttershy realised how angry she really was, and immediately regretted it. ‘Oh my. I’ve never threatened anypony like that before,’ she thought, gasping in horror of herself as she felt the anger in her slide to the back of her mind. “Um… sorry, Grey Spot!” she yelled. “I’ll be quiet now!”

She backed away from the door, spun around and stared at the cell, huffing slowly. “Now what to do?” she asked herself. Until Twilight broke the door down, she was stuck in this cell. “I could have at least been given a book to read,” she grumbled as she walked over to the uncomfortable-looking bed. “I might not be able to read it, but at least it would help pass the time.”

She walked up to the horrible-looking bed, then jumped up and lowered herself onto her side, pressing her back against the wall behind her while tucking her legs under her stomach. Once she felt a bit comfortable, she slowly tilted her head back until it rested against the wall. The pain in her head, now amplified thanks to running into the door as it closed, made it awfully difficult to make her head comfortable; it felt like she was placing her head in the roaring fire of a furnace, or at least against one.

After a few minutes or so, she couldn’t take it any more and lowered her head against the bed. To her surprise, it felt so much better resting on her chin than the back of her head. She could feel the pain melting away like ice, and felt surprisingly comfortable where she was.

But for all of that, she still felt her heart beat quickly with worry. ‘What if Twilight hasn’t figured out where I am?’ she wondered. ‘What if I am going to be stuck here until Grey Spot does whatever he planned to do with her?’ The thought made her grind her teeth together in anger. How dare he! By what rights did Grey Spot think he could take Twilight for his own without taking the unicorn’s thoughts into consideration?

The thoughts flowing through her head made her begin to think about what happened earlier, when she screamed in rage and charged Grey Spot with murder on her mind. “What made me lose myself that bad?” she asked herself fearfully. “I’ve never been like that before.”

The answer was more straightforward than she thought.

She wanted to protect Twilight, like the unicorn had protected her on so many other occasions. She felt obliged to charge forward and protect her marefriend when the need arose, and found herself willing to face anything if it meant Twilight would continue to smile and laugh with her.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as the answer sunk and forged itself into her head. ‘Is that what love really feels like?’ she wondered. ‘The feeling to protect the one I love so much I would face any evil that stands in our way?’ She knew already that Twilight meant a lot to her, a lot more than she originally thought. Would she be willing to face, say, a dragon if it meant saving Twilight?

A dreamy smile came onto her face as she imagined herself standing in front of a dragon, with Twilight behind her, staring at her in shock, as the pegasus berated the dragon for harming her marefriend. She could imagine the dragon’s look of terror and regret on its face as it listened, and then it started to fly away, crying its eyes out. ‘Twilight makes me feel stronger, because she believes in me,’ Fluttershy thought, her dreamy smile growing wider. ‘And if she believes in me, then I can do… hang on, what’s that trickling sound?’

Fluttershy looked into the furthermost corner of the room, and saw to her horror water leaking into the cell. “Oh bleep,” she said as the floor started to turn damp and dark from the water. She jumped off the bed, ran to the door and started banging against it. “Um, excuse me, but the cell is leaking water, so would you mind opening the door and putting me in a less leaky cell please?” she asked.

There wasn’t a word from the other side of the door. Fluttershy knocked again, this time harder. “Um, I know this might take some of your time, but could you let me out so I don’t drown in here!” she called. When there was no reply, Fluttershy pressed her ear against the door and listened intently.

There was no sound of hooves running up to the door to release her, or the murmuring of ponies talking. Nothing. It was as if there were no ponies out there at all.

That was when it hit her. She walked away from the door and crouched to look at the hole where the water was coming out. Even in the darkness, she could make out a white pipe channelling water into her cell in the hole. ‘Grey Spot doesn’t want me alive,’ she realised in terror, tears leaking from her eyes as she stared at the hole. ‘This is not a cell. This is where I’m going to die.’

She weighed her options quickly as she felt the water begin to build up around her hooves, and realised that she only had one option open to her. She charged to the door once more, and began banging her hooves against the wood in desperation. “PLEASE!” she screamed frantically, looking back every now and then as the water began to rise steadily. “SOMEPONY PLEASE LET ME OUT!”

She smashed her hoof against the place she had hit it earlier, splintering the door to the point it began to buckle under her kicks. Thinking she almost had it, she spun around and with all her strength in her hind legs she could muster, bucked the door.

The door cracked, but it was not enough to break it down fully.

Fluttershy screamed in distress and collapsed against the door, the strength in her all gone and tears cascading down her face as she wailed in sorrow. Behind her, the water streamed around the bed and began to swallow the tip of her tail. She figured it would only be less than twenty minutes before the water filled up the entire cell, and then after that she would only have a minute or less to live.

“Twilight,” she sobbed as she looked up pleadingly at the door. “Please hurry. Please find me. Please save me…”

Author's Note

Well that's the second part of chapter fifteen. It was going to only be two parts but due to its length and on my editor's advice I split it into three parts. Besides, I thought that was a good moment to stop.

Also, I hope you all got the Monty Python references and the Exorcist references. Poor Rarity; she's gonna have some terrible shivers later on.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the third part will be released next week.

Chapter 15 (part 3)

Twilight Sparkle charged up her horn with tremendous power when she found herself galloping up the stairs to the doors of the palace. She could see two guards standing by the doors, ready and waiting to open them when necessary. She didn’t need them tonight, oh no; she was going to make her own way in.

“Stand aside!” she roared as she lowered her head and prepared to fire. The guards, even though they probably didn’t understand a word she had said, took her demeanour to be hostile. Instead of staying like a loyal guardspony should, however, they dropped their spears and ran in opposite directions.

Twilight smiled as she watched them go. ‘Good,’ she thought. ‘They know at least to get out of my way when I am ticked off.’ Besides, she didn’t want other ponies’ lives on her hooves – save one. Grey Spot.

She knew that Grey Spot could not be trusted, and she was upset to find her predictions were correct. She wanted him to be a good friend that, together, might start trade with Equestria, and possibly open up a bright future with the two nations working together. What wonders the two countries could make together if they were allied? What knowledge and power they could gain if they worked together?

Now, with Grey Spot’s attempts on Fluttershy’s life, and now kidnapping her, there would be no negotiations with anypony. It was either give Fluttershy back alive, or bring the whole might of Equestria’s air force down on Esperius – she was not afraid of making that choice herself if she had to.

With that thought, she made it to the top of the stairs and charged at full gallop. Once she was in range, she lit up her horn to its full power and, with a mighty neigh escaping her lips, loosed her magic against the doors in a large beam of magenta light.

The doors did not stand a chance.

The blast ripped them from their hinges, and sent them flying through the palace and crashing against the steps leading up to the throne with a noise that sounded like a severe thunderstorm.

Though it was worse than a thunderstorm, Twilight mused; it was Twilight Sparkle in a state of rage.

She walked slowly through the smoking ruins of the once amazing doors, and stopped and stared in increasing rage at the throne where Grey Spot sat, staring in horror at the devastation before him. ‘If he has so much as harmed a hair on Fluttershy, I will do some very unpleasant things to him,’ she growled in thought as she gazed at him.

The thought sent a chill up her spine, and nearly brought her on the verge of tears. What if he had Fluttershy killed while she was busy being distracted by the Captain? What if he had other unspeakable things done to her marefriend while she had galloped to the palace?

She nimbly shook her head to clear such thoughts, and then looked up at Grey Spot again with her heart burning with rage and her head filled with worry. “I have a question, and it is a question that I want answered now!” Twilight yelled. Slowly, she advanced towards the throne, and the now shivering Grey Spot. “Where. Is. My. Marefriend?”

Grey Spot stared blankly at Twilight, as though he didn’t understand a word she had just said; in the darkened corners, soldiers gathered to take her down on Grey Spot’s command. “Don’t give me that blank look,” Twilight said sternly as she advanced further, eyeing her flanks briefly for sudden movement. “I know you know where she is, so tell me where you’ve taken her so I can go get her and then we’ll be on our way.”

Grey Spot continued to stare oddly at the unicorn, though Twilight could see the sweat of a poor liar creeping down his face. “I have no idea what you–”

“Liar!” Twilight screamed, sending a bolt of magic hurtling past the throne and into the statue behind it, destroying it and hurling polished stone across the palace hall; some ponies screamed and left the hall in rush to escape the enraged mare, while a few were knocked unconscious by the fall of rubble. “I know you have her, Grey Spot! So tell me where she is!”

Grey Spot shook his head. “How could you say I have her, Twilight?”

“Your loyal Captain told me how you ordered him to trip us up in the gardens, and how you ordered him to ambush us outside the amphitheatre and take Fluttershy away,” Twilight explained as she reached the stairs leading up to the throne, and the now shaking Grey Spot. “Now I am not going to ask you again. Where! Is! Fluttershy?”

Grey Spot stared at Twilight for a long time, before sighing and staring at the clock above the doors, which just struck quarter past one in the morning. “You’re too late. The cell she’s in should have filled up with water by now, and she should be dead.”

Twilight stared at Grey Spot for a long time, something akin to a solemn whimper leaving her mouth once the Prince’s words sunk in. ‘Fluttershy… dead?’ The terrible image of Fluttershy’s drowned corpse floating in a cell forced her onto her stomach, her eyes covered with her hooves to fight back her tears, which relentlessly streamed down her anguished face. ‘I’m so sorry, Fluttershy,’ she thought. ‘I am so sorry I failed to save you.’ She did not fail to notice Grey Spot’s soldiers closing in around her, but she didn’t care; nothing else mattered now. ‘The world will never be the same without her.’

“Um… excuse me, but would you mind if I report a leak in one of your cells?”

Twilight shot her head around in an instant and gasped in joy to see Fluttershy standing by a hallway, soaking wet and panting heavily, yet a beaming smile on her face at the sight of her marefriend.

Twilight jumped up and galloped straight over to her marefriend, gasping and crying in delight as she leapt the final gap between them and embraced Fluttershy in a tight hug. Fluttershy returned the hug just as, if not tighter, than Twilight. “Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked softly, tickling Twilight’s ear with her breath.

‘Typical Fluttershy,’ Twilight thought happily. ‘Always others before herself.’ “I’m… I’m better now, now that you’re with me again,” she replied tearfully. She clung to her harder, kissing her neck, cheeks and forehead. “I thought you were… that you were…”

“And I thought you were gone, too,” Fluttershy whispered. “As the water started to rise to the door, I feared Grey Spot might have taken you and held you someplace else.”

Twilight’s eyes and face hardened as the name of a pony she hated rang through her ears. In an instant, she spun around with a look of murderous rage at the Prince, her horn lighting up as she prepared to inflict great woe to the Prince. Grey Spot paled incredibly and cowered on his throne. “I will make you PAY for what you have done!” Twilight roared as she lowered her head, ready to fire one of the many military spells she had learnt at the School for Gifted Unicorns.

Fluttershy, however, spun around the unicorn and blocked her path and her line of sight. Twilight stared at Fluttershy in shock for a long time, before narrowing her eyes again. “Out of my way, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, gesturing with her head for Fluttershy to move herself.

“No,” Fluttershy replied with narrow eyes locking onto Twilight’s. She gently set a hoof on Twilight’s cheek and caressed it. “Sweetie, I know how you feel. If I am honest, I want to hurt Grey Spot as well for hurting you and for lying to us. Nothing would be more satisfying to me than to kick him in the face and watch teeth fly. But then I think, ‘What does that make me? Does that make me better than him, or worse?’ I think we both know the answer to that, don’t we? You are stronger than him, Twilight, and you do not need to prove that by beating him senseless; you already did that when you stormed in here to rescue me.”

Twilight stared at Fluttershy for a long time, her face revealing nothing to what she was thinking. Suddenly, her lips blossomed into a smile, the aura of magic on her horn dissipating with her rage. “I love you, Fluttershy,” she said.

As if to prove it, she leaned her head forward and pressed her lips against Fluttershy’s.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock as Twilight’s lips made contact with her own. ‘Wow,’ was all she could think of. Twilight’s eyes widened as well when she realised what she had done, and pulled back as she had quickly leaned forward, blushing furiously. For some reason, Fluttershy felt disappointed. ‘I didn’t even get a chance to know what it feels like.’

“Uh… sorry about that,” Twilight said, unable to look at her marefriend out of shame. “I just got carried away, and I was so happy I coul–”

“Oh, there’s no need to be sorry for that, Twilight,” Fluttershy said assuredly, smiling bashfully while flicking her mane over half her face to hide her blush. “That was, um… nice, if not a bit brief. But, um, if you don’t mind, could we have a proper first kiss later in a more romantic setting?”

Twilight nodded, the blush on her face melting like snow. “Agreed,” she said.

“If I might interrupt this wondrous reunion,” Grey Spot said, prompting Fluttershy to turn around and face him coldly. “But I have to ask. Fluttershy, how could you have possibly escaped the water cell?”

Fluttershy smiled smugly at him. “Key,” she simply replied.

Grey Spot looked befuddled. “But how? There are only three ponies that have a key for that cell: myself, the Captain and We…” His eyes widened in horror and pain as the answer came to him.

Fluttershy felt her smug smile vanish at the pain in his eyes then, using her tail to tap Twilight’s shoulder, both ponies stepped aside to reveal Welara standing quietly behind them, his thick coat shimmering with water, and part of his wet mane covering one eye. “Hello, Grey Spot,” he said as he stepped closer.

Grey Spot took a step forward, the hurt in his eyes plain for the two Equestrians to see. “You… betrayed me,” he said softly.

Welara shook his head. “No, Grey Spot, you betrayed this city with your selfish actions. You betrayed the trust of these two amazing ponies, and worse, you betrayed my love for you,” he said angrily. “Did the love we once shared for each other mean anything to you?”

Fluttershy and Twilight spun their heads to look at Welara, and then looked back at each other. “Grey Spot and Welara are lovers?” they repeated simultaneously.

“Were lovers,” Welara explained bitterly. “Until today, that is. I stomached your betrayals so many times in the past two years, and now you have gone too far for your own desires.” He gestured a hoof at Fluttershy. “How could you possibly consider killing this kind mare so you could be with Twilight?”

Twilight stared up at Grey Spot coldly, almost hatefully. “I know now why you wanted Fluttershy dead or out of the way. It’s because you love me, isn’t it?” Grey Spot didn’t say a thing, but his look and eyes gave her an answer. “But how? How could you possibly fill the place Fluttershy has in my heart?”

Fluttershy turned to face Twilight, a blush on her face from Twilight’s words. “He wanted you to be his wife, so he had me imprisoned and tried to kill me so then he could be with you,” she explained.

“I know that bit,” Twilight said.

“But the fact is, he feared you would never get over Fluttershy’s passing, so he concocted a memory potion from a book that came from the library. This potion would over time erase any memories of Fluttershy and your old life, so you would be free to love him and marry him,” Welara finished. “That was why I was at the library earlier today; I wanted to know what he had taken this morning.” Welara turned to look at Grey Spot again. “Isn’t that right, my lord?”

Grey Spot stared at the group for a long time in eerie silence, before nodding. “Yes, it is true,” he said. “When I first laid eyes on Twilight yesterday afternoon, I was instantly smitten. I realised then I could not have you because of Fluttershy, so I tried to arrange events that would lead to Fluttershy’s death to look like somepony else was responsible, leaving me innocent of the crime. After that, I would woo Twilight with my charm and then she would be mine.”

“TWILIGHT IS NOT SOME THING TO BE OWNED, YOU CREEP!” Fluttershy roared, her eyes red with rage, forcing everypony to step back in horror and surprise. “She is a pony, and an amazing pony at that! A far better pony than you will ever be! Who do you think you are, thinking you can take ponies’ lives like you nearly took mine without a second thought? Your parents would probably be ashamed of you if they saw you now!”

Grey Spot’s eyes widened in rage at the insult. “How dare you!” he yelled, yet Fluttershy did not stand down. He turned to his guards. “This conversation is over. Guards, escort Twilight to one of the cells. For Welara and Fluttershy… kill them both.”

Fluttershy broke out of her anger the moment the guards started advancing with their spears and halberds lowered, and stepped back in fright, swallowing her fear down her throat. Twilight jumped between her friends and the guards, her horn lighting up as she prepared to fight. “I will not let you take me anywhere, Grey Spot,” she growled, “nor will I allow you to harm my friends. If you want to do that, then you will have to kill me, too.”

“But Twilight, you could have such power if you stayed with me. Such riches if you became my queen, such knowledge would be yours, if only you decide to be my wife,” Grey Spot said, smiling lovingly. He reached out a hoof. “Choose me, or death.”

“I would rather die with the mare of my dreams beside me, than live a hundred years at the side of somepony like you,” Twilight spat, staring at the Merchant Prince vehemently.

Grey Spot looked hurt as he retracted his hoof, but he nodded nonetheless. “Very well.” Then he said echoingly, “Kill them all.”

The guards advanced again, their spears and halberds lowered menacingly as they surrounded the small group. Fluttershy shook fiercely in fright as she inched herself as close as she could beside Twilight. “Feel ready to fight, Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered as she powered up her horn once more. “I need you.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight with a paling face. “Fight?” she repeated shakily. She shook her head rapidly. “I-I’m not sure if I can do that.”

“Well I need you to fight beside me if we want to have a chance to get out of here alive,” she said sternly, her eyes glazing at the fifty or so soldiers surrounding them all. “I can’t take them all on my own.”

“You did manage to take on an army of changelings by yourself,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“That was a bit different. That was when a very magical comet was flying overhead and my magic was at its most powerful,” Twilight explained. “Unfortunately there isn’t a magical comet like that expected to come over for another hundred years, and I don’t think these guys want to wait that long to give us a fair chance.”

“There’s no need for you two to fight at all,” Welara whispered assuredly, smiling calmly. The two ponies watched him curiously as he turned his head to face the guards to their backs, and shouted, “Guards!”

On command, the thirty or so ponies behind them lunged forward. Fluttershy covered her face with her hooves in the hope it would ease the pain. She heard them charge past her, but felt nothing piercing her body. ‘I didn’t expect to die so quickly,’ she thought happily, pleased her death felt so painless. When she looked up, expecting to find herself in Paradise, she was surprised to find herself still in the palace of Esperius.

And the thirty ponies that were behind them were now in front of them, facing the opposite guards and protecting the couple.

“What is the meaning of this?” Grey Spot demanded in shock.

“You forget that I have command of about half the guard in the city,” Welara explained as he stood imposingly, which was surprisingly good, despite his size. “You have abused your powers for far too long, Grey Spot. Though you have done some good to this city, your crimes of kidnapping, attempted murder, attempted manipulation of the mind and forced marriage have forced my hoof into action. I hereby declare that you are unfit to rule Esperius, and thus request you should remove yourself from the throne and imprisoned to await a fair trial.”

“I will do no such thing!” Grey Spot hissed. He pointed at Welara with an accusing hoof. “Kill him! Kill those traitors! Kill them all!”

The group of ponies under the Prince’s command charged forward, thrusting their spears and halberds into the group protecting Twilight and Fluttershy. The group under Welara’s command charged forward at the same time, and soon the main hall of the palace became a large brawl as more soldiers loyal to both Grey Spot and Welara arrived into the palace to know what the commotion was. They soon joined into the fight, while others galloped out of the palace to let others know what was happening.

Very soon, the entire city would know of the uprising.

Welara stared grimly at the scene in front of him, then turned back to the couple behind him, who stared at the scene in horror. “Now, time to get you both out of the city,” he said, as he walked casually away down the corridor behind them. “Come along, this way.”

Fluttershy and Twilight glanced at each other, then at the raging battle before them, before galloping into the corridor, with two of Welara’s followers protecting their rear. They did not fail to hear Grey Spot’s screams of rage as they departed the main hall for the last time.

“How long have you been planning this?” Twilight asked. “Now don’t say this was all improvised on the go. Everything that just happened back there was planned to a T, and don’t you deny it.”

Welara chuckled. “Yes, well, I cannot deny that some of it was arranged ahead, like the soldiers turning up like that – I did send out messages for my troops to mobilise after I rescued Fluttershy, after all – but most of it was improvised, young Twilight,” he answered, smiling wryly. His smile faltered. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I really do.”

“You still love him, don’t you?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes displaying her sadness for him.

Welara looked back and nodded. “Yeah, I do love him still. He used to be a great stallion, someone you could talk to about your problems, and to keep you warm at night. Only recently, however, he began to realise just how much power he had, and he started using to get to everypony he could, and use his powers to control ponies’ lives. We started to grow apart, and the love we once had begun to shatter. Only now do I realise that any chance of us being together is gone.” He sighed sadly.

Fluttershy frowned deeply in sympathy, then walked a little bit quicker until she reached his side and nuzzled the side of his face. “I am sorry that it came to this,” she said.

Welara smiled warmly. “Don’t be sorry, my dear. Don’t be sorry at all, you two. You have no blame in what is transpiring.”

“I kinda feel as if I do, though,” Fluttershy said softly, turning her gaze away. “If we hadn’t come here, then this might not have happened.”

“Don’t think like that, you hear?” Welara said sternly, and yet soothingly at once. “This was in the making months before you two showed up. It was becoming obvious that the events this evening would take place, so do not think your arrivals changed anything; it only brought about the inevitable. And that’s something I can thank you for.”

After a few minutes or so, they turned left from the main corridor and headed past the stairway leading to the top floor of the palace. They didn’t go too far when they turned right again, to find themselves in a thinner corridor than the last, and in the company of four other ponies bearing spears that rested on their shoulders.

“Soldiers,” Welara greeted them, bobbing his head at each of the soldiers in turn, and in reply, the soldiers did the same. “What news do you all have for me?”

Twilight and Fluttershy watched in fascination as the soldiers told Welara things they couldn’t understand. When Welara’s face fell, Fluttershy crept closer to Twilight to the point her coat brushed against the unicorn’s. Twilight smiled comfortingly, and then wrapped her tail around the pegasus’s. “You know those moments where your parents tell you that everything is going to be fine, and you know that they’re lying?”

Fluttershy nodded briskly. “Oh yes. They said that before they dropped me off at Flight Camp,” she answered.

“Good. Well, everything’s going to be fine,” Twilight said, her eyes wide and trying her very best to look hopeful and assuring. Fluttershy didn’t look very convinced.

“Right,” Welara said suddenly, turning their attention away from each other. “As the new Merchant Prince of Esperius, it is by my decree that I banish you both from this city, never to return after this night.” He sheepishly rubbed his foreleg. “I’m sorry, but after this is over, many might think you two were to blame for this happening; it would be safer if you both never returned.”

“That’s perfectly fine by me,” Twilight said with an assuring smile.

“Um, me too,” Fluttershy agreed, looking at the ground. “Um, as nice as your city looks, it isn’t my cup of tea, to be honest. I really don’t want to return after all this, anyway.”

Welara smiled, his eyes giving away his surprise at how well they took it. “Good, though it would be nice to hear from you from time to time.” He looked back at the two soldiers behind them, and briefly nodded his head. The two ponies nodded in turn, and then carefully lifted a tile from the floor and set it aside.

“I do apologise for the way you both will have to leave this city,” he said as he pointed with a hoof down the hole. Twilight and Fluttershy stepped closer and saw a flight of stairs make their way down into the darkness. “These stairs lead into the sewers that run below the palace. Once you reach the bottom you will need to turn right and follow the tunnel till you reach a T-junction. Turn right, and then turn right again once you come up to that tunnel. Follow that tunnel to the very end, then turn left and then right once more. You then turn left at the next tunnel you see, and then turn right. The exit should be directly ahead of you. Once you get outside, you will find yourself outside the western entrance of the city and in the valley.”

Twilight and Fluttershy stared at one another in shock. “That seems okay,” Twilight said. She looked back at Welara. “But that’s not the way home.”

“I know, and I am sorry about that,” Welara said, his ears falling flat. “I’m afraid you can’t go home through the harbour.” Fluttershy and Twilight’s faces fell. “Word has just reached my ears that the fighting has escalated into the city, and right now soldiers loyal to Grey Spot have taken hold of the harbour,” he explained.

Twilight’s forehead creased. “That was fast,” she said.

“Yes, and that’s what worried me,” Welara said thoughtfully. “I fear he has acted quickly just to stop the pair of you from leaving the continent.”

Fluttershy felt her heart start to beat faster as panic set itself in. The world started to mute, and she could feel sweat pour down her face and neck. ‘Oh no, not now,’ she thought as she started to inhale air faster than normal.

Just as Welara stopped talking, another soldier appeared from around the corner, his face stained with sweat and blood from the cut across his forehead. He began speaking to Welara alarmingly, and with every word falling out of the stallion’s mouth, Welara’s face fell even further. “Drat,” he cursed. “Get some soldiers together, try and stop more from being released.” The soldier nodded and turned away.

As he galloped away, Welara turned to the two mares. “I’m sorry, but things have just got harder for you two,” he informed them grimly. “Grey Spot’s forces have taken hold of the dove coop, which we use to keep our carrying doves. We train them to take messages across the continent. From what I was told, letters have been hastily written and dispatched stating your immediate capture and execution should you turn up within the other territories, with a nice reward on top. From the sounds of things, four have already been dispatched and flown away. From dawn tomorrow, you two will be the most wanted ponies in Abyinisia.”

Twilight felt her chest rise and fall rapidly as the news sunk in. If doves were being sent as they spoke, stating their capture, then they could not simply get a ship from one of the other kingdoms and set sail for Equestria. With the harbour of Esperius blocked to them for the time being, and the neighbouring kingdoms waiting for them, they were in affect trapped in this now increasingly hostile place. ‘Now what do we do?’

Twilight looked over to Fluttershy to ask her opinion on the matter, but when she saw her marefriend, her eyes widened in horror. Fluttershy’s eyes were wide with terror, her breathing was rapid and quick and a hoof clutched her chest where her heart was. “Fluttershy!” Twilight instantly forgot her own panic as she spun to stand in front of the pegasus, then wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy’s waist and brought her in close. “Shh, shh, it’s okay, sweetheart, it will be okay,” she cooed hastily, running a hoof gently down her back; she could feel Fluttershy’s heartbeat banging against her own chest.

“Is she all right?” Welara asked concernedly.

“No, she’s having a panic attack,” Twilight said, glancing over her shoulder. “Just stay back and give us some air.” The unicorn turned her attention back to Fluttershy, while Welara silently ordered his guards to disappear around a corner. “Fluttershy, listen to me, you need to slow your breathing down,” she said. She lifted her marefriend’s head up, locking the pegasus’s beautiful but panicked eyes with her own. “Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart. I promised you that didn’t I? I promised I would get you back home and I will do that no matter what happens on the way.”

With one hoof she stroked Fluttershy’s cheek, and with the other she caressed the place her mate’s heart was. “Shh,” she cooed softly, smiling assuredly. “If it helps, don’t focus on anything else. Just focus on me. Keep your eyes fixed on me and ignore everything around you. Can you do that?”

By now, Fluttershy’s breathing began to ease, and the wild panic in her eyes was slowly but surely drifting away. She could see and think clearly again, and found herself staring into the eyes of the pony who’d brought her back. “I…” she said quietly, almost inaudibly. “… I think so, Twilight. I just…” She paused to take another deep breath to calm what nerves she had left. “I just need a minute.”

After a quick minute, she felt a lot calmer again. She looked up at her mate once more, and smiled lovingly. “Thank you, Twilight.” She wrapped her hooves around her. “Thank you for doing that. Nopony else has ever done that before.”

Twilight smiled, sighing quietly in relief as she patted the pegasus on the back. “What would you expect me to do? Just sit there and watch helplessly until you pass out or calm yourself down? I couldn’t do that, and I am glad you are better now.” She sighed again, this time more audibly. “I’m glad that actually worked, to be honest. I don’t know what I would have done if it didn’t.”

Fluttershy’s smile grew a bit wider. “I’m glad it worked too,” she said. She looked over Twilight’s shoulder to stare at Welara, who waited patiently for them to finish. “But, if our way home is blocked, and we can’t go into the other kingdoms, where are we supposed to go?” she asked, shaking in fright again as the gravity of their situation sunk into her mind again.

Welara’s ears fell flat as he stared sadly at the pair of them. “To the one place where nopony will dare follow you,” he said quietly, glancing between them. “To the one place where you will almost definitely have a chance. The very reason you came to this continent for.”

Twilight and Fluttershy stared at Welara for a long time in shock, before turning their heads back to face each other, silently talking with their eyes and looks. They knew the risks from talking to Grey Spot, and were once resolved to set for home and leave it all behind. But now, as if the creatures that controlled fate itself had weaved it, their path seemed to be heading straight for that once more, and they had little to no choice but to follow it.

Twilight turned back to look at Welara skeptically. “Are you sure there’s no other way?” she asked, her tone showing her fear. “Are you sure that not one of the kingdoms might just ignore the letters and let us go?”

“I’m afraid all of them care about money, and since there’s supposedly a big bounty on your heads, they will turn your heads in, no matter how much you two plead to keep them,” Welara responded sullenly. “As for the route itself, I know the risks. I looked at the map, and read the records of those who have dared to enter that valley. I know it won’t be easy for you, but…” He sighed as he looked at them, and smiled warmly. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. I’ve seen the way you talk, laugh, point fun at each other, cuddle and nuzzle. I have never seen a greater love than the one you two have for each other. When that unicorn created the Aphrodite Flower thousands of years ago he thought the flower was intended for him and his beloved. I think only now the truth has been revealed. That flower’s song is for you two to hear. In other words, you both are meant to see it.”

“But what of the dangers leading to there?” Fluttershy asked. “All those scary creatures that infest the land.”

Welara chuckled. “I don’t think you should be scared of them. I think they’ll be scared of you,” he assured them with a smile. Fluttershy and Twilight couldn’t help but smile back at his soothing words.

He pointed to the stairs with an outstretched leg, just as cries of ponies began to flood the corridor. “I think we have dawdled long enough here. Right,” he explained quickly, “the walk through the valley should take at least two days. After that, you will come across a large woodland area, and eventually an old dirt path turning right. Follow that path and it will lead you over the mountains and into the ruins of the old kingdom. You will go through the city of the earth ponies first, then the castle of the unicorns, and finally the training grounds of the pegasi.” He took a wrapped up scroll with a dark red ribbon around and gave it to Twilight, who took it with her magic and set it in her mane. “That’s the map of the old kingdoms. Follow it to the training grounds. The valley where the flower resides is on the other side, after a steep climb. You cannot miss it.”

Twilight nodded. “I think I’ve got all of that,” she said. She turned to Fluttershy. “Go down there. I’ll join you in a second.”

Fluttershy nodded, and after a quick kiss on the cheek to Twilight, hugged Welara goodbye, thanking him for saving her life, and walked briskly down the stairs. Once she was out of sight and safe, Twilight walked up to the stairs nervously. “Are you sure this is the right course of action for us, Welara?” she asked quietly. “I just don’t know if I can go through with it, knowing that around every corner could be Fluttershy’s death.”

Welara raised an eyebrow. “Do you love her, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight stared blankly at him; shocked after hearing the dumbest question she had ever heard. “Of course I love her.”

“More than anything?”

“Yes.”

“Then show her that love and protect her from what you will face. And I am sure she will do the same for you. I’ve seen what you can do – and by the way, I have never been as scared as that moment when you brought the doors of the palace crashing down – and I know what you two are capable of; you both are Bearers of the Elements of Harmony after all. If I were any of the creatures you will undoubtedly face, I would run in the other direction if I knew your powers.” He gestured with a tilt of his head to the sewers at the bottom of the stairs. “Now go. Your marefriend is waiting for you.”

Twilight nodded, and then brought him into a gentle hug. “Thank you for saving her, Welara. I will never forget what you did,” she said gratefully. “Thank you for saving us, and I wish you luck and a quick end with this uprising.” She pulled away, took a steady breath and placed her hooves on the first step of the stairs. “I hope you make this city a better place.”

With that, and a final nod of farewell from Welara, she proceeded to walk down the stairs, and as she reached the bottom to join Fluttershy, the sewers were encased in darkness as their way back into the city was covered up.

Fluttershy took hold of her tail with both hooves, and dripped any water that refused to leave out of it like she would do with a towel. ‘One of these days is not going to end up with me getting wet,’ she groaned in annoyance. She threw her tail down and did the same process with her mane. ‘I would very much like to stay dry from now on.’

The walk through the sewers was mostly uneventful. Thanks to Twilight’s light spell, and her fantastic memory, they made it through the mucky sewers quicker than they thought they would. Along the way, they encountered rats and puddles of raw sewage. Fluttershy was able to make the rats leave them alone, and Twilight teleported them to the other side of the puddles.

When they made it to the other end, they found themselves at the end of a long tunnel that jutted out of a cliff face, and below was a large, rounded lake that bordered the cliffs. Beyond the lake, the land graded upwards until it evened out with the top of the cliff. Since Fluttershy couldn’t get the momentum and did not have the space needed to lift herself and Twilight out, and Twilight could not see too far to teleport them safely, they both had no choice but to jump in.

Now, Fluttershy grumbled irritably as she watched the last drips of water in her mane trickle out. ‘I really hope I don’t catch a cold after this,’ she thought. She got up and shook her coat as dry as she could possibly get it. When she finished, she saw to her amusement her coat was sticking up, making her look a bit like a thin-coated yellow sheep with wings. ‘I wonder if Twilight likes it,’ she giggled to herself. She looked around, and frowned when she couldn’t see Twilight anywhere.

“Twilight!” she called concernedly, her heart beating a bit quicker than it should in worry. ‘Please don’t tell me she’s been taken.’

“Up here!” Twilight called in response. Fluttershy looked up and saw through the darkness a glimpse of Twilight’s dark blue and pink and purple tail dangling off the edge.

Curious, and worried about her marefriend, Fluttershy began to slowly trek up the slop and around the hole to reach her. ‘What’s gotten into her?’ she wondered in worry. Since leaving Welara and Esperius behind, Twilight had been eerily silent, only exchanging nods, smiles, and talked when it mattered, not casually, like they used to before tonight.

It worried and hurt Fluttershy a lot to see her like that. She felt, as a friend and a marefriend, that it was her responsibility to know what was ailing her, and help her through it. ‘Twilight would do the same for me, as she has done many times before. It is time to repay the favour.’

She soon made it to her marefriend’s side, and sat down quietly next to her, her eyes never leaving Twilight’s body. “Twilight?” she whispered softly. “Are you all right?”

The unicorn didn’t answer. Her eyes were fixed in horror at what she was staring at, and her ears flicked back and forth. Fluttershy turned her head to what she was staring at, and her mouth fell open in horror.

About a hundred or two hundreds yards away, the city of Esperius burned brightly. Great grey clouds of smoke and ash rose menacingly into the sky like smoke from a volcano, blotting out the stars and the moon. She could see the amphitheatre burn, the palace beginning to throw flames and ash into the air; but worst of all were the cries and whinnies of thousands of ponies echoing from within its tall, golden walls.

“Did we just start a civil war?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight responded absently, “I think we did.”

Fluttershy brought herself to look away, shaking in fright as she felt a few hot tears crawl down her face like candle wax. “I never wanted something like this to happen,” she wept quietly.

Twilight patted her calmly on the back. “Neither did I,” she responded. She slowly drew her hoof away. “But what’s done is done, and nothing we can do is going to change it.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, sniffing back a few tears before they could escape. “I know that, but… why did such a thing happen when we were there?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart. All I know is that this was in the making for a long time, as Welara said, anyway,” Twilight said sadly. She brought herself to turn her back to the city, and stare out at the wide valley before them. Fluttershy ceased her silent crying, and sat quietly beside Twilight to stare at the valley as well.

Flanked on both sides with mountains with pointed caps, it started to close in on itself until it became more of a gorge than a valley. The land between it was a large tundra: filled with hills, both rolling and pointy, flat, featureless plains, withered and thriving trees, and streams, lakes, swamps, all connected by fast rivers.

Twilight knew her marefriend and herself had to pass all of that, but after that, they had to go somewhere they were once set in not going. “I’m scared, Fluttershy,” Twilight said suddenly.

Fluttershy’s head shot around to stare at her in shock. “Twilight?”

Twilight turned to face her, revealing the fear in her eyes to the pegasus. “I am so scared, sweetheart,” she said again, her eyes glistening with fresh tears. “I know where we have to go, and I know we have little choice in that matter, but I don’t want us to. I want to hide out here, wait until it is over and find a way home that way, but knowing our luck, if we do that then Grey Spot will win, and then he would find us and we will be caught and executed.”

She shook her head at herself. “I want to think of something that will get us home, but I can’t think of anything. I don’t know what to do, Fluttershy. For the first time in my life, I don’t actually know what I have to do to keep you safe.” She looked at Fluttershy’s hooves, and set her own hooves on top of them. “I’m not scared for myself. I’m scared for you. I am scared that I don’t have the power or the ability to protect you from whatever we are going to face there. But most of all, I’m scared that I won’t be able to keep the promise I made to you when we left Ponyville.”

Twilight’s lips trembled as she fought back her tears. “I don’t want to do this, Fluttershy. I don’t want to lose you.”

Fluttershy flung herself into Twilight and wrapped her legs around her; Twilight buried her head in Fluttershy’s mane and cried in terror, which the pegasus could feel coming from her marefriend’s trembling body.

Fluttershy would be lying if she said seeing Twilight in this state didn’t unnerve her. Her marefriend was one of the bravest ponies she knew, so to see her feeling and looking so helpless and fragile sent a rusty spear through her heart. ‘I have to do something,’ she thought. It didn’t take her as long as she thought it would to figure out what.

“I’m scared too, Twilight,” she whispered, once the sniffles and tears from the unicorn began to subside. “I know I was once keen that I wanted to go to the valley and see the flower. However, to be doing it under these circumstances breaks my heart and fills me with dread whenever I think about it. But do you know what makes me think we can do it? That we can actually get through whatever is thrown our way and get to that valley?”

She pulled back, picked up Twilight’s forehooves and set hers against them, her kind and loving smile never faltering. “You,” she said. “You give me a strength I never knew I had in me. Your faith and love for me drives me forward to do things I would once shy away from, and that same love you have for me wants me to protect you and be by your side against anything that comes against us.”

She giggled at something. “That seems to be something else we have in common, sweetie. We barely have any faith in ourselves, yet we have faith in each other. So let’s put our faiths in one another to see this through, to show ourselves that we do have what it takes, and to show how much we really mean to one another.”

Twilight was surprised to find herself listening intently to Fluttershy’s pep talk, and even more surprised that Fluttershy was giving her one to begin with. Nevertheless, she listened, and as her marefriend continued, her words brought a trembling, joyous smile to Twilight’s face. To know her mate had such unrelenting faith in her lit a fire in her heart, and gave her a reason among the many, the strength she needed to stand between Fluttershy and the monsters and fight for her.

“You really think we can reach it?” she asked a minute after Fluttershy stopped speaking.

Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t think we can make it. I’m certain we can. And, um…” A blush stained her face as she looked at Twilight’s chest. “I don’t think I would ever do this with anypony else.” She looked up shyly. “Just you.”

That was all Twilight needed to hear. With a gentle sigh, Twilight leaned her head forward until their foreheads locked together. “You are undoubtedly the bravest mare I have ever known,” she whispered, looking deep into Fluttershy’s gorgeous eyes.

Fluttershy smiled back. “And I don’t think I’ve met anypony else as brave as you,” she replied. Her smile withered just a bit. “Are you ready to get moving?”

Twilight sighed once more, then pulled her head back and looked at the city for a while. “Yes I am,” she said. “Let’s go get that flower.” With that, she got up, gently brushed past Fluttershy and started walking downhill. Fluttershy spun around and caught up with her, then latched her tail to Twilight’s and draped a warming wing over the unicorn’s back.

They soon made it down the hill and onto an old road made of tiled concrete that clearly revealed their age through several cracks. It weaved through the tundra like a river right up to the large gap in the mountains that connected the city and neighbouring kingdoms together.

Twilight took the map out of her mane with her magic and ripped the ribbon off it, before unrolling the scroll to view. “According to this map,” she said after analysing it carefully, “it should take two days for us to go through the valley and make it to the woods. However, since we’re two Equestrian ponies whereas this map was planned out with Esperian ponies in mind, we might just make it through the valley in a day.”

“If we keep a good pace, that is,” Fluttershy pointed out, the fatigue she felt in her body plain in her voice.

Twilight thought on Fluttershy’s words for a bit, before conceding with a nod. “I suppose,” she admitted. She looked back at the map quickly again. “After that we turn right into the mountains, until we reach the first city of the earth ponies.”

Satisfied, she rolled it back up and secured it in her mane once again, then looked to Fluttershy with a loving smile. “You know, Welara said back there that he knew we were Bearers to the Elements of Harmony, but I don’t recall you or me telling him or anypony else about it. How could he have possibly known?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “Maybe it was magic,” she guessed.

Twilight hummed in response. “Maybe, but then again, would he know magic? Could he possibly learn magic? I suppose we’ll never know.” She went silent for a bit as she looked around. “And I’m still concerned about how we’re going to get home from the Valley of the Flower.”

Fluttershy gave Twilight a quick nuzzle. “We’ll think about that when we come to it, sweetie,” she said. “Let’s keep our minds focused on what’s up ahead and not what we’re going to do afterwards.”

Again, Twilight found herself very surprised by Fluttershy’s words of wisdom. “That’s some great advice right there,” she remarked highly.

Fluttershy’s cheeks burned at the praise. “I just think it’s what Daring Do would have done,” she said. “But, um, thank you for thinking so, sweetie.”

“You’re welcome, and please call me sweetie more often. You sound so cute when you say it.”

“Oh… okay. But what if you and Sweetie Belle are in the same room and I want to talk to you but Sweetie thinks it’s her I want to talk to?”

“Um, well in that case, just say my name,” Twilight replied.

Fluttershy nodded but kept her lips sealed. She rested her head against Twilight’s neck and sighed contently. “I’m glad you’re with me, Twilight,” she said softly.

Twilight looked down at her marefriend and smiled sweetly. “I’m glad you’re with me, too,” she replied, before turning her gaze forward to look at the mountains to the east of them.

The final leg of their journey was before them, and they were going to do it together.

Author's Note

And so we begin Journey's End...

This bit was a pain to do, but I was glad to finally get it done, and now we get to the final part that's been mostly planned out since the beginning. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and see you next time for the next one.

Meanwhile, in Ponyville...

Chapter 16

Applejack grinned to herself as she looked at the picture for what seemed like the thousandth time that week alone. ‘Oh, Apple Bloom, you can be a mighty silly filly sometimes,’ she thought. In the photograph, Apple Bloom and Babs Seed, along with several other colts and fillies, were running around a tree and making themselves dizzy in the process.

When Granny Smith had tasked her with the organisation and preparation of the Apple Family Reunion, Applejack had thought of improving some of the old traditional games her family had played together. One such game involved the fillies and colts of the family playing the six-legged race, which Applejack ‘improved’ upon by adding new but mostly pointless obstacles for the young ponies to overcome if they wanted to win.

Applejack chuckled to herself as she remembered glancing at Apple Bloom and Babs Seed spinning discs on their muzzles while muttering some nonsense she had made up on the spot. ‘At least they tried to do it,’ she thought. Chuckling again, she turned the page over once more, and her smile grew wider as a result.

It was the original copy of the family photo, taken just after they had raised the family barn and repaired it after her foolishness destroyed it. She was in the middle, lying on her side with a wide grin on her face and a hoof in the air. On either side of her was her family, looking very happy with themselves after they managed to re-build the barn. ‘I’m still not sure how we managed to build that in a few hours and one song, but hay, who cares?’ she thought. All that mattered to her was that the Apple Family Reunion was a great success, and everypony that had come went away with happy memories.

Applejack tore her gaze off the photo album on her lap, and looked out at the day. The sun was just rising over the horizon, heralding a new day, and goading the earth pony into a new day of apple bucking. ‘Suppose I better get back to it. Those apples ain’t gonna come down all by themselves.’

She flipped the pages back to close the book, when a brief look at a picture that made her heart skip a beat made her want to look at it a bit more. She stopped the others falling on top of it with a hoof, pushed them back, and looked at the photo with heavy eyes and a small smile.

At the centre of the photo was Applejack, sticking her tongue out and looking down at her nose, while on either side of her was Twilight and Fluttershy, each with a foreleg around her shoulders and pulling funny faces for the camera. ‘I remember that,’ she thought, sighing. When the winter had come last year, and it was too snowy for Twilight to go and see her parents, Applejack had invited her and Fluttershy over for the weekend with the family, and they had the best Hearth’s Warming ever.

Though she loved all of her friends dearly, and valued their company completely, Twilight and Fluttershy were something else to her. She had known Fluttershy for many years, and had become akin to a dear sister to her. Though she hadn’t known Twilight for as long as she had known the others, she saw her as one of the greatest friends she could ever have. ‘She is always there for me, always willing to give me a hoof and tell me straight when I am wrong,’ she thought. She fell back onto her bed, her belly beginning to growl with worry and her smile fading away. ‘She was always there for me, yet I’m not there for her or Fluttershy.’

“Soup’s up, Applejack, so move your caboose!” Granny Smith called from the kitchen below her.

Applejack sighed, then flipped herself onto her hooves and walked slowly out of her room and down to the dining table. Before she left her bedroom, she looked out at the window one last time with a heavy frown. “Where are you, girls?” she wondered aloud.

It had been over two weeks – maybe more, Applejack had lost count of how long it had been – since Fluttershy and Twilight left Ponyville and set off on their journey together, with the pegasus intent on finding the flower, and the unicorn determined on admitting her feelings of love to her companion. The day after they had left, Spike sent word around saying they had made it to Canterlot safely, and Applejack’s heart leapt in relief.

However, since then they hadn’t received anything from them. No letter, no postcard, not even a photo of anywhere they had been together and – Applejack hoped – Twilight and Fluttershy kissing each other. Not only was she deeply worried about them, but also she was worried about how Fluttershy would take the news of Twilight’s affections, and if she would accept them. ‘I just hope they are right for each other,’ she thought as she clogged down the stairs. ‘They better be, after the effort I went through before Twi came along.’

Nopony else knew it, but Fluttershy had confided in Applejack and told her how desperately she wanted to find a marefriend. The earth pony was surprised, but agreed to help her, and so she started asking around and seeing if there was any mare in Ponyville that liked animals and loved classical music and a bit of quiet time. The response back was unfortunately timid. None of the very few ponies Applejack found were interested in pursuing a relationship with the shy mare, or were in the middle of their own relationships.

She was close to giving up on finding her friend a soul mate, when Twilight Sparkle came to her saying that she loved Fluttershy. On the outside, Applejack looked confused and bewildered by the sudden declaration, but inside, she was ecstatic. Her two best friends could be together in the bonds of a romantic relationship rather than a platonic relationship they had once all shared. At that moment, she swore she would help Twilight out and get them together, even if it killed her.

Unfortunately, Twilight had other plans, mainly involving Fluttershy in a wild flower chase across Equestria in a quest that could endanger both of their lives. Applejack felt frustrated that she was forced to stay behind while her best friends went out into the unknown, without a guide or anything other than their wits to protect themselves should they be attacked. Equestria might be a place of love, but it had many dangers for those that went astray.

She shook the thought away. ‘Twi will protect her, and Fluttershy will protect Twi when she can’t protect herself,’ Applejack reminded herself. Twilight was without a doubt the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, able to lift up an Ursa Minor with little sweat. And even though she would never say it to Rainbow Dash, for she knew the pegasus would disagree, Fluttershy was certainly the strongest – maybe not in muscle but in heart and soul. As well as compassionate and caring to even the greatest and most beastly carnivore, she was able to look down into a dragon’s eyes without fear and able to stare into a cockatrice’s eyes without breaking sweat. Put the two together… and Applejack would feel really sorry for whoever crossed their path with intention to do them harm.

At the thought, Applejack felt her belly begin to calm itself. The two were more than perfect for one another; she did not know the right word but she knew they were made for each other, like they had been moulded together and were separated later so they could find each other again. They would have each other’s backs, and protect one another when nopony else could or would.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts temporarily when she made it to the main floor at the bottom of the stairs, and then turned left to find herself looking into the large dining hall. Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith were all sitting in their seats around the main table, and were waiting for her to take her place; it was tradition for the family to wait until the whole family was present before eating.

“Applejack, you look more distracted than a moth around a lantern,” Granny Smith observed, her face expressing her concerns. Her two siblings shared the same looks, too.

Applejack smiled assuredly at her family. “I’m fine, Granny,” she said with a bat of her hoof. “Just thinking ’bout stuff.”

“Well stop the thinking for a bit and have some breakfast,” Apple Bloom said, shifting in her place to show how uncomfortable she was. “I’m starvin’, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are coming in a mo to help with our latest attempt at getting our cutie marks.”

Applejack raised her eyebrow as she looked at her younger sister. ‘Oh dear,’ she thought. “What ya got planned this time?” she asked, calmly adding, “and please do it out of the way so ya don’t destroy another barn; ya already took out three this year with ya antics, one of which was with a stick. A stick!”

Apple Bloom looked sheepish. “It was a very strong stick,” she muttered.

Applejack glared at her little sister for a long time, before letting out a hearty chuckle; her sister’s defences were usually the cutest things she would ever see. “Ah, take it easy, lil’ sis. I ain’t angry ’bout that any more.” She jumped up on the chair, and shifted about till she felt comfortable. “Now enough chit chat. Let’s eat! I’m starved!”

With the wisest words ever spoken said, the Apple Family started digging into the apple soup Granny had effortlessly prepared for them. Applejack started licking the sides of the bowl, to have the colder and more edible areas of the soup in her belly, before diving her tongue in and lapping up the soup with increasing vigour.

As she ate, she took more time to think about Twilight’s plan, and the idea of leaving Ponyville behind. The more she thought about it, the more it sounded like the greatest plan imaginable.

She could practically see what would have happened if Twilight decided to stay in Ponyville and try to confess to Fluttershy that way rather than the big adventure route she went with. At some point, the others – Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity and herself – would try and help, and subsequently intervene in attempting to get Twilight and Fluttershy together. A lot of running around town would happen, followed by a cyclone of misunderstandings and arguing, and probably some tears would be shed to boot.

Nevertheless, in the end, Twilight and Fluttershy would come together as a couple, everypony is forgiven for whatever they did wrong, and everypony lives happily ever after. ‘I should write a novel if I can come up with a story like that,’ Applejack thought, chuckling to herself. She made a quick mental note to start writing it later.

Though they all meant well, and loved them dearly, she would confess that the others and herself would almost definitely have intervened and get in the way of Twilight’s relationship problems at some point should they stayed. With them together and out in the wilderness, however, they only had each other to depend on, and never having to worry about internal conflicts, such as other ponies arguing or contending with each other.

In all the time Applejack had known them, she had never seen Twilight and Fluttershy fight or argue as heavily as the rest of them do. They usually resolved their matters by discussing them calmly or, especially in Fluttershy’s case, conceding that Twilight was actually right – which in most cases, she was. It was refreshing for her to see that sort of friendship. It made her wish she was the same as them, to be more calm in an aggressive situation unlike she was most of the time with Rainbow Dash when they argued. Half the arguments she had with the brutally brash pegasus came really close to her knocking some sense into Rainbow.

But then again, she considered, stuff like what those two are probably going through can bring out the best and the absolute worst in anypony.

Twilight was usually a charming, kind and thoughtful soul, but when in a foul mood she could get terribly sarcastic, she wasn’t scared to speak her mind, and could turn aggressive quickly. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was most of the time sweet and endearing, but when she was in a bad mood, it was best to keep away from her, for her temper was like a volcanic eruption – loud, angry, and violent.

Those two were stuck together until they could find a way home, and Applejack started to fear they were going to be coming home separate. ‘What if they have a full-blown argument about somethin’?’ she feared, sweat trickling down her face. ‘What if they leave each other in the wilderness, or work together only to never speak again once they make it?’ If that happened, then nopony would be able to help them.

Applejack sighed drearily. ‘Why didn’t I go with them? I would not have got in the way of Twi’s plans. I would have been there just to see that they’re safe.’

“Applejack, dear, are you all right?”

Applejack brought her head up at the sound of Granny’s voice, and smiled assuredly when she saw the look of worry from not just her grandmother, but from her siblings as well. “I’m fine, Granny. I’m just stuffed, that’s all.”

“But you barely ate a mouthful,” Apple Bloom noted.

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh agreed.

Applejack looked down and saw that she had only eaten at least a quarter of the soup. “Well, I had a big dinner with some of the girls last night. I guess that’s still digesting,” she lied, patting her stomach. In truth she had only a few mouthfuls with Rainbow and Pinkie; she had barely eaten a thing since they had left. “Um, Granny, do ya mind if go out and get some air?”

Granny Smith eyed her worriedly for a minute, before letting out a sigh and nodded. “Of course,” she replied.

Applejack pushed the chair back. “Thanks,” she said, hopping out of her chair. Without another word, she trotted hastily out of the dining room, through the living room and headed outside.

She breathed in deep some of the fresh, cool air that hung around, enjoying the relaxing feeling in her chest it was giving her. It was a shame it was only temporary. ‘Come on, AJ, you are just being paranoid,’ she chided herself as she started to pace. ‘Twilight and Fluttershy can work together just fine and you know it. They will help each other out and go through anything; even through a bunch of unexpected krakens during kraken mating season.’

But what if they couldn’t? That terrible little voice plaguing her with doubts was now yelling at its highest voice. What if Twilight and Fluttershy were unable to work together due to Twilight confessing her feelings too early, and Fluttershy didn’t like it, said no, so they argued and had a falling out? Applejack’s belly growled even more, so much that she collapsed onto her rump, a hoof clutching her belly. ‘Oh, come on, girls, give us something! Let us know that you are both okay!’

“AJ?” The younger earth pony spun her head around, only to quickly look away when she saw Big Mac coming out of the house, a heavy look of concern on his face. “You should take the day off, sis,” he advised.

“No!” Applejack yelled adamantly, glaring at her older brother. She looked away with a sigh and rubbed her forehead. “No, that’s not necessary, Big Mac. I need something to keep my mind occupied. Need to stop thinking about such things.”

Big Mac sat next to his sister, and then wrapped her in a one-legged hug. “I know you’re worried about Twilight and Fluttershy. I’m worried about them, too, Applejack. Fluttershy is like a sister to me and Twilight is a good friend. But though I may not know those two as well as you, I know for certain that they are just fine, cause they’re together, and they will work together, no matter what comes their way.”

Applejack sighed, hearing the same words she had tried to assure herself with a few minutes earlier. For some reason the words did not sound as comforting when they came from her. When they came out of her brother’s mouth, however, she felt a little bit better. Big Mac rarely spoke wrong about anything, so to hear him sounding so confident in their abilities made her feel happier than she was originally.

She looked up at Big Mac, and smiled. “Thanks, Big Mac,” she said. She broke out of her brother’s hug, leaping out like a deer, then spun around with a more genuine, cheerful grin across her lips. “Come on, let’s get some bucking done!” With that, she spun away and galloped into the orchards. “Race ya to the orchard!”

Big Mac guffawed, then took off and charged like an elephant after her. Applejack grinned when she glanced behind and saw her big brother racing after her. ‘Today’s gonna be a good day, I just know it. A full day of apple-bucking to look forward to,’ she thought, as Big Mac shot past her, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake and momentarily blinding Applejack.

“What do ya mean we’ve done them all?” Applejack yelled in surprise an hour later.

“All the trees are empty, AJ,” Big Mac repeated, wincing at the sound of his sister’s raised voice. “There are no more apples to take down. We’re done for the year.”

Applejack planted a hoof on her face and groaned. She had hoped that she would have a full day of bucking apples and feeling the soreness of her hind legs later before dinner, which would keep her mind off her two best friends being out in the wilderness. However, to her dismay, there was only an hour’s worth of work behind Big Mac in their largest cart, and it was not even lunchtime yet.

“Are ya sure there’s no more work to do?” Applejack asked desperately, sweating as her unoccupied head started to come back and haunt her with troubled thoughts of her friends.

Big Mac shook his head. “I’m sorry, sis, but that’s all for the day,” he said sadly.

“But why don’t I sell the apples in the market this afternoon instead of you?” Applejack questioned hopefully. “I know how much ya hate doin’ that.”

Big Mac tilted his head. “Nice of ya to offer, AJ, but I want to do it today,” he said.

Applejack’s eyes bulged in wonderment; it was all she could do to stop herself from screaming. “Why today?” she asked curiously.

“Cause I… Well, I…” Big Mac trailed off, a pink blush on his cheeks as he looked away.

‘Hmm, I was right, red ponies can blush. You owe me fifty bits, Rainbow Dash,’ Applejack thought, slowly smirking. “Oh, I see. Well if ya want to do it today then ya gotta tell me who the girl is,” she demanded, surprised and ecstatic her brother was finally meeting his special somepony.

“Oh… well, she’s…” Big Mac murmured a name so quietly Applejack could not hear it. Before she could ask who it was again, Big Mac exclaimed, “Behind ya!”

Applejack spun her head around in alarm. When she saw nothing, she turned back with a grunt, only to discover a cloud of dust where Big Macintosh had once been remained. She looked right and saw the large earth pony galloping through the orchards, intent on getting away from his sister.

Applejack chuckled as she watched her brother gallop into town, the dust from his hooves and wheels shooting into the air before falling gently like snow to the ground. ‘It is quite funny to see him all flushed like that,’ Applejack mused. Her smile faded slowly like evaporating rain when she realised Big Mac had just run off with the apples, leaving her with nothing to do – not even any chores to do around the farm. “Oh nuts,” she cursed, kicking the ground lightly in irritation.

Realising that moping around the farm would do no good to her mind or her body, she decided to turn away from Sweet Apple Acres, and began trotting. She didn’t care where her path took her, or her ultimate destination – she just wanted to trot and enjoy the day without worrying.

She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of birds cheeping in the trees around her, and the calming breath of the wind brushing against her coat as she trotted. ‘Fluttershy would love this,’ she thought, her smile fading a bit as she thought about the pegasus. When Fluttershy had stayed at the farm when she was a filly, she and Applejack would take an hour or so walking together around the farm and enjoying each other’s company with small talk, and listening to the birds singing blissfully around them.

When Fluttershy moved into her cottage, the pair stopped having their walks, finding themselves too busy with new responsibilities and jobs to get together. ‘Oh, how I miss those,’ Applejack thought, sighing sadly.

That’s when it hit her. Though she was worried about them, she missed their company even more. The laughs they shared, the quiet, peaceful moments where they settled down, and the times they talked and cried – something she could never have with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, or even Rarity – she missed them more than anything, and she felt terrible for it. ‘Shouldn’t I love all of my friends equally?’ she wondered briefly.

She broke out of her thoughts when she found herself just in front of the familiar little bridge leading to Fluttershy’s cottage. Even with its owner away, it still looked like a place of tranquillity, a place a pony could stop and reflect on life, or just relax and let the day go by without a care in the world.

Applejack would not say she was jealous of Fluttershy’s home; she would say she was envious of it. ‘Aren’t those meaning the same thing?’ She shook the question out of her head when she felt herself walking over the bridge without command and towards the front door of Fluttershy’s cottage.

She quickly saw the familiar form of Angel Bunny, standing prone on the other side of the window and gazing into the distance for Fluttershy to come bouncing home with a carrot for her favourite little rabbit. ‘I really don’t know what Fluttershy sees in him sometimes; he can be a right little pain in the backside to her.’ Nevertheless, she found herself relating to the little fella. ‘He wants her home, and I don’t blame him; we all want them back.’

“Howdy, little fella,” Applejack greeted Angel politely, tipping her hat in his direction. Angel didn’t respond; he continued to stare blankly into Ponyville with those cute little black eyes of his. “Um, so, has there been any letters come by for Fluttershy?” Angel simply pointed to the letterbox, his gaze never shifting from the road leading into Ponyville.

Applejack started to think this was getting a little awkward. ‘A little? I’m talking to a rabbit, for goodness sake. It’s not crazy when it’s Fluttershy, but me, then that’s a whole other story,’ she chastised. “Much obliged,” she said, tipping her hat again in thanks.

She walked over to the letterbox, opened it up, and began rummaging through the various letters. “Bill. Bill. Bill. Hmm, a letter from Cloudsdale. Who could that be, I wonder?” she asked herself; she certainly did not recognise the sender address, and there was no name to go with it. ‘Probably a letter from a fan.’ She put that one behind the others, and then continued looking. “Bill. Bill. An advertisement, and that’s it.”

Satisfied, she found the key she knew Fluttershy kept as a spare under the mat, opened up the cottage and chucked them onto the floor, only taking a second to realise that it smelled terribly in there. She slammed the door shut again, a hoof over her nose to keep the smell out of her nostrils. ‘Looks like Spike hasn’t been cleaning out the house like he promised he would,’ she thought. She turned away, waving goodbye to Angel as she walked over the bridge again and towards Ponyville. ‘Better go and remind him.’

It did not take her too long to find herself outside the library, with the branches filled with tasty green leaves and the familiar buzzing of the bees that made their hive perched on the highest branch. She could also hear the sound of Spike cussing loudly in frustration for some reason, prompting her to speed her trot up to find out what the issue was.

“Howdy, Spike,” she called as she opened the library door and stepped inside. She opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped and let it drop when she looked around. “What in tarnation is goin’ on here?” she whinnied.

The library floor was covered in mountains of books going as high as the ceiling. The little dragon himself was too busy diving into the book pile that he failed to notice the earth pony standing there. He reappeared a second later with a large purple book in claw, then got up, walked over to the only shelf with a few neatly arranged books on them, and set it along the line.

He spun around to find the next one, only to jump in surprise when he saw Applejack standing perplexedly in front of the door. “Applejack!” he exclaimed. “You could have at least knocked!”

“Uh, thought I didn’t need to,” Applejack objected, gesturing to the door. “That door creaks louder than a haunted house. Thought ya would have heard. Anyway, what are ya doin’ with all these books lying around?”

“Oh, these?” Spike asked, pointing at the piles around him.

‘I don’t see any other book mountains in Ponyville,’ she wanted to say, but bit it back before she could utter it. “Yes, Spike, these. I expected this sort of thing from Twilight but not from you.”

“Ah, yes, well, you see,” Spike stammered as he bent over, dug his arm into the pile and fondled for a book. “I thought about doing this for ages. I wanted to get all the books off the shelves, then put them in their correct categories and put them in assembling order, oldest to newest from left to right. That way, ponies would be able to find a book a lot easier, and Twilight would find her books quicker as well,” he explained as he ran to the shelves with another book, and then set it beside the growing line.

Applejack chuckled as she watched Spike work. “Twilight will be mighty impressed when she comes home,” she said proudly.

Spike chuckled as well. “If I can get this all done before then,” he said. He stopped suddenly, his ears drooping sadly as he let out a sigh. “Applejack?” He looked up imploringly. “When will they come back?”

Applejack shook her head numbly. “I don’t know, sugarcube. I really don’t know,” she said. She sighed. “I take it ya haven’t heard anything from them, then?”

Spike shook his head. “No, I haven’t. I’ve been thinking, should I write a letter to Princess Celestia to see if she can find them?”

Again, Applejack shook her head. “I don’t think we should waste her time, Spike,” she explained regretfully. “Though it would be nice, I doubt she could personally take any kind of action. Sorry.”

Spike waved the apology away. “No, it’s okay, you might be right,” he said, though his tone stated he wished that she were wrong. He turned away and began rummaging through the piles once more with a sigh. “Better get back to this.”

“Don’t ya want some help?” Applejack asked, not wanting to leave Spike alone sorting out a ton of books.

“Nah, it’s okay,” Spike replied, shooing her away with a claw. “I don’t want to waste your time with something as tedious as this. Go on, I’m sure you have something else to get on with.”

Applejack tried to come up with an excuse to help, but with him busy with sorting out the library, then she was able to go and clean up Fluttershy’s cottage before it stunk like a skunk. “Al-all right, Spike,” she said, turning away towards the door. “I’ll be at Fluttershy’s if ya need me.” She opened the door and walked out. “Catch ya later, Spike.”

She closed the door behind her, and sighed. ‘That’s a shame. I was hoping something would be heard from them.’ She shook her head of the thoughts before they could entrench themselves, and then started to trot back to Fluttershy’s cottage. ‘Better do something ’bout that place.’ She just hoped it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was.

An hour later, Applejack smelled fresher than a ripe apple after a deluge. ‘I really should change our bath for one like Fluttershy’s,’ she mused as she trotted through town.

When she had arrived, the cottage smelt as though something had died. Thankfully, nothing had died – Fluttershy would never forgive herself if that happened – but a lot of mess stained the chairs, the floor, the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. It took a while, with a lot of cussing and pushing out animals that had returned in Fluttershy’s absence, but the earth pony was able to clean it all up and make it look as though its owner had never left. Afterwards, she had a quick rinse in Fluttershy’s bath, and after clearing it up and washing the towels, she left the house clean and tidy – just how Fluttershy would have left it. ‘I will have to pay her for a new shampoo bottle, though,’ she reminded herself.

Ponyville was unusually quiet today, she noticed upon having a look around. She passed the street where the market was usually held, which contained just about two-dozen ponies walking around and conversing with others. She quickly walked by, not sure where she was going but feeling eager to get there. The street outside Sugarcube Corner, which was usually full of ponies eager to get one of Pinkie’s delicious snacks, had only several at best. Above, a few clouds were being pushed into position by several weather ponies, and Applejack could make out a rainbow trail race across the sky, heading to the western side of town.

She turned a corner and trotted into another street flanked by large thatched-roof cottages, and stopped when she saw at the far end the Hay Café she remembered Twilight used frequently to practice her magic. Looking closer, she saw Rarity sitting regally on one of the haystacks outside with a cup of tea in her magic. Delighted at seeing a good friend, Applejack started trotting over.

Rarity appeared to notice her before she could speak a word, for she set down her cup, turned to look at the earth pony and waved her over, grinning sincerely. Applejack mused silently that the grin of her face was once as false as her eyelashes when it came to Applejack; it was no secret that the two never got along before Twilight came. “Good afternoon, Applejack,” Rarity greeted her delightfully as the earth pony sat down on the opposite haystack. “How are you feeling?”

“Not too bad, thanks,” Applejack replied, shifting her hind end about until she felt comfortable. “How about yourself?”

“Oh, I am feeling fabulous, thank you, darling. I think I have to be after what I’ve been through.”

“What do ya mean, Rarity?”

“Well, do you remember those awful shivers I had back on our little camping trip, and again when I was helping you prepare for your Apple Family Reunion?” Applejack nodded. “Well, yesterday afternoon I had some terrible shivers. The worst I had ever felt. I thought for a second I might have to go to the hospital, but after a while they stopped and I felt better.” She shrugged as she daintily sipped her tea again.

Applejack slowly raised an eyebrow, before letting out a low chuckle. “I told ya before, it’s only a little thing,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes at the unicorn’s over-dramatic response.

“Yes, I know, but you know how much I worry about something I never felt before,” Rarity defended herself. She sipped her tea once more. “So anyway, I haven’t seen you since your family came around. How did your little reunion go?”

Applejack shrugged. “Eh, it was okay.” She proceeded to tell the unicorn about the day’s events, and how the main barn was destroyed because of her foolishness.

Rarity placed her hooves over her mouth in shock when Applejack came to that moment. “Oh my goodness! I hope nopony was hurt.”

“Everypony was fine, sugarcube,” Applejack assured her with a wave of a hoof. “The only thing that was injured was my pride. But hey, we got the whole barn back up and in mint condition before dinner time, so that was something to remember.”

Rarity widened her eyes in surprise. “Oh, really? How did you manage to get that done so quickly?”

“Ya would be surprised by what the power of singing can do,” Applejack replied with a wink. “Oh, and, uh, thanks for lending me your sewing machines and the fabric. They came in quite handy.”

“And did you get your quilt done by the end of the day?” Rarity enquired.

Applejack shook her head, chuckling. “No, Rarity, we did not. But that, along with everything else that happened, taught me a lot about family and… well, making up some fun activities without losing the fun part.” She let out a breath of fresh air, followed shortly by Rarity as they maintained a companionable silence. While around them, ponies trotted past and continued their everyday lives.

“So what about you, sugarcube? Been up to much?” Applejack asked, shifting in place. She sniffed the air, managing to catch the sweet aroma coming from Rarity’s refreshed coat. “Cause it smells like ya been to the spa.”

“Why yes, I have, darling. I had a few big commissions to finish and when I finished the last one last night, I felt simply horrendous. I just had to go for my usual,” Rarity explained. She took another sip of her tea. “I couldn’t dream of turning down my weekly trip to the spa, even without my favourite spa buddy in tow.” After a short pause, Rarity sighed as she set her cup down. “I am missing them, you know. Fluttershy and Twilight. I miss our little conversations, our gossiping times, and most of all their company.”

“As do I, Rarity,” Applejack said, resting her head on the table and her ears flopping. She looked up at Rarity again with wide, worried eyes. “Do ya think that they’re all right?”

Rarity licked her lips nervously, her eyes slightly narrow as she tried to think of an answer to what Applejack had asked. After a moment, she sighed calmly. “I think they are just fine,” she said soothingly.

“But how can ya be sure of that, Rarity!” Applejack pleaded desperately. “I keep thinkin’ that they are fine, and then another minute I fear they’re in a worst-case scenario! I don’t think I could go on without hearing a thing from them,” she said, the tears in her eyes starting to show.

Rarity stared at the earth pony sympathetically. “Oh, darling,” she said daintily as she leaned forward and softly hugged the earth pony. They remained in a hug for a long time, knowing that they should have parted by now, but none of them cared – they had been friends for too long and had been through so much together to consider each other as just friends.

“Do you believe in them, Applejack?” Rarity asked, gently pulling away from the frailly earth pony.

Applejack’s eyes bulged in shock from the sudden question. “Of course I do.”

“There you go, my dear,” Rarity said as she settled back down on her stack, smiling demurely. “Twilight and Fluttershy are intelligent, strong of heart, and when thrust into something difficult they are determined to see it through to the end, and if you want examples then I can give you plenty. They will see wherever they are going to the end, no matter what gets thrown in their way.” She chuckled before she sipped her cooling tea once more. “And besides,” she added, “Twilight will not let any harm come to Fluttershy – she would defend that pegasus with her life if she had to.”

Applejack felt her heart beat a little quicker at the suggestive tone in Rarity’s voice. “What do ya mean, sugarcube?”

Rarity giggled cheerfully, possibly relishing the bit of gossip Applejack knew already. “Well, it has taken me awhile and a lot of thought. But I think I have managed to discover the truth.” Rarity leaned forward to the point their muzzles were merely inches away, and then hissed loudly, “Twilight has a crush on Fluttershy!”

Applejack leaned back, a knowing look on her face. One which Rarity did not fail to notice. “Oh, so you know Twilight has the hots for Fluttershy, then?” she huffed, visibly deflating a bit. “Seriously, did everypony in this town know about it except me?”

“Um, no, actually, it’s just you and me at the mo,” Applejack said, chuckling at the pouting face the unicorn was pulling. “I only knew about her crush on Fluttershy when Twilight came to me about it.”

Rarity’s head shot up from her moping. “Twilight told you and not me?” she yelled. Applejack nodded calmly, prompting the unicorn’s jaw to drop. “Now why did she tell you about her feelings for Fluttershy and not me?” she whined.

Applejack raised an eyebrow at this. “Tell me, Rarity, how many relationships have ya been in throughout your whole life?”

Rarity pressed her lips tightly together in thought, and then looked up at Applejack with wide eyes and a bright smile as an answer came to her. After a second, the face went away as Rarity shook her head and pondered once more. After a minute, the cheerful answer face came up, only to go back to the pondering face once more. Applejack shifted about and rested her head and hooves on the table, waiting patiently for the unicorn to answer as she switched faces about a dozen times.

After a while of pondering, Rarity replied meekly, “None.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and sighed as the answer finally came. Although if she was honest to herself, which she was since she bore the Element of Honesty, it was not the answer she had expected. “There ya go. While you and the rest of our friends had no experience in true relationships, I have had one relationship in Manehatten when I lived down there for a bit,” Applejack explained. “Twi knew this and decided to come to a pony who knows what that feels like.”

“Ah, yes, I see. Good point,” Rarity conceded, pointing at her. Despite the newfound knowledge, it still didn’t do much to lift Rarity’s pout from her face. “I’m still upset about why she didn’t tell me for the sake of it.”

“Cause ya a gossiper and would spit it out the moment you feel like it,” Applejack said, smirking wryly.

Rarity huffed and looked away. A minute later, making the grin on Applejack’s face grow longer, she looked at the table and sighed. “I suppose,” she admitted. She then pointed accusingly at Applejack. “But you’re a gossiper, too, you know! All those neat little things you have heard around town, you passed on to me.”

“Yeah, but were any of those about our circle of friends?” Applejack queried, tilting an eyebrow. After a moment to think about it, Rarity reluctantly shook her head. “I would never throw gossip around about our friends, no matter how sweet it is. It might damage our friendships with them.” She shook her head again, and swiftly turned back to the subject at hoof. “So anyway, how did ya figure out Twilight likes Fluttershy the romantic way?”

“Oh, a lady never reveals her secrets when it comes to the affections of other ponies,” Rarity replied with a hoof wave.

Again, Applejack raised a bemused eyebrow. “Care to clarify?” she asked flatly, her tone clearly stating she was not going to leave until she knew.

Rarity giggled. “Oh, darling, you are no fun at all. As for you question, it became so blatantly obvious after a while,” she replied, before gulping down the rest of her tea. She let out a pleasured sigh as she set the cup down, and then pushed it to the side. “At first, I didn’t notice any change. Though Twilight tended to see Fluttershy more than she used to after the dear had that dreadful experience in the Everfree Forest with that cockatrice, I saw nothing different in how Twilight acted around her.”

“Well it is Twilight, I mean, she is pretty good at hiding her true feelings,” Applejack pointed out.

“Yes, but only when she needs to. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! It was not until our little trip to the Crystal Empire that I finally saw Twilight’s feelings for Fluttershy. Do you remember after we went around and asked a few of the crystal ponies about the place and how we can defend it?” Applejack nodded briskly. “Well, when Rainbow and me appeared and told her we found nothing, she looked so down, the poor thing. Then Fluttershy came along – or, well, Pinkie in a Fluttershy costume – and I saw her face brighten up almost instantly at the sight of her.

“Even though that was not the real Fluttershy, the very sight of her eyes, her mane, her wings, her tail, just Fluttershy in total was enough to put a bright smile on Twilight’s face. Only a pony in love can create such a reaction, so it didn’t take me much longer to finally figure it out.”

Applejack looked at Rarity with amazement. “Yeah, that’s pretty spot on,” she said, remembering the feeling the young colt she had gone out with as a filly gave her when she met up with him.

Rarity sighed dreamily and rested her forehooves on the table, lowering her head to rest it on top of them. “Oh, I do hope Twilight tells Fluttershy of her affections, for those two would be simply adorable together.”

Applejack sighed; she guessed it would not hurt a little if the unicorn knew a bit of the truth. “That’s sort of why Twilight and Fluttershy are gone, Rarity,” Applejack confessed, prompting Rarity to bring her head up again in surprise. “Ya see, Twilig–”

She was cut off when she, and Rarity, by the look of it, heard the sound of heavy panting and the little patter of running dragon feet. The pair looked left to see Spike racing towards them with a panicking look on his face. At the sight, Applejack felt her heart lodge itself into her throat.

“Spikey Wikey, you should slow down or you might get ill,” Rarity warned him playfully once he got into hearing range.

Spike skidded to a halt, and looked between them with worried eyes. “Doesn’t matter. You both have to come to the library right now! Something’s happened to Twilight and Fluttershy!”

Spike hadn’t finished his last sentence before Applejack was up and galloping with all the speed she could muster towards the library. She barely heard Rarity getting up and following her, Spike trying to keep up behind her.

For some reason, it felt more difficult for Applejack to run, as every breath heaved out from between her lips and every stride ached, telling her to stop even as she pushed herself faster. While inside, her belly and head was screaming in fear. ‘What has happened to them? Are they okay? Oh Celestia, please tell me they’re okay!’ she thought, tears in her eyes at the images coming into her head.

It did not take much longer for her to get to the library, with the front door wide open in Spike’s haste to get the rest of them. Applejack pushed the door further open, nearly breaking it off its hinges, and galloped into the room. She stopped just short of crashing into the main table when she saw the pony she least expected to see at the far end of the main room. “Princess Celestia?” she gasped.

The majestic winged unicorn had obviously been pacing up and down the library before Applejack arrived, for her left foreleg was up and ready to walk onward. When she saw the honest and faithful earth pony standing before her in shock, the clearly worried look on her face turned to relief. “Oh, thank goodness you came so fast, Applejack,” Celestia said as she turned around to face her.

“I could not walk ’ere casually when Spike comes up to me telling me something like that,” Applejack said as she marched up to Celestia, her ears flat across her head. “Please, Princess, tell me what’s wrong? Are Twi and Fluttershy safe? Are they alive?”

The worried look on Celestia’s face came back. “For the moment they are still alive,” she answered with a shake of her head. “As for their safety, I am not sure.”

“Not sure!” Applejack repeated in a screech. She could see her worst fears coming true.

Celestia nodded. “I’ll add more detail when the rest of the Bearers gets here,” she said as she continued to pace.

Applejack collapsed onto her rump and wiped her cold face with a hoof, breathing heavily with worry. ‘You fool, Applejack! You should have gone with them!’ She could feel tears emerging from the corners of her eyes as regret washed over her.

Her breathing calmed a little bit when she felt a leg drape itself across her heaving shoulders. “Shh, it’s all right, Applejack,” Celestia said softly, draping her wing around her for good measure. “It’s all right.”

“Is it?” Applejack asked. “I should have gone with them, Princess. I should’ve put my hoof down and gone with them no matter how bad their reactions were. Now they’re in terrible danger out there, and with nopony to help them.”

Celestia tilted her head a little. “That is not true, Applejack. They have each other, and they will need each other if they’re going to survive.”

Before Celestia could elaborate, Rainbow Dash shot through the main window, did a loop, and landed heavily in front of the two ponies. “I came as soon as I heard,” Rainbow explained quickly, her eyes wide with concern as they flicked between the two ponies. “Are they all right? Where are they? Are they safe?”

Before Celestia could answer her questions, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Spike raced through from the other side of the door. They hastily came in and shut the door behind them, prompting the Princess to release her hold of Applejack and began pacing once more. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” she said amiably, smiling bravely as she gazed at their anxious faces. “I assume you all know what this meeting is about?”

The four ponies and one dragon nodded. “What’s happened, Princess?” Spike asked imploringly. The looks from the four ponies beside him shared their anxiousness for news.

“Please tell us that they’re okay,” Pinkie said quietly, looking more deflated than the rest.

Celestia sighed, and brought out from behind her a rolled up scroll, the golden ribbon once binding it together now dangling in the air. She unfurled it and gave it to Applejack. “Just this morning, I received this letter from a dear friend of mine, who lives on another continent on the far side of the western sea,” Celestia explained as Applejack’s eyes trailed along the lines.

By the look of the writing, it was done hastily with no care about grammar or other formalities usually found among letters between friends. Yet, the writing was clearly in Equestrian, and Applejack was able to get most of it and what it was about.

After reading through it again to be sure, Applejack cleared her throat and read it aloud to the others:

‘Dear Princess Celestia

‘I am sorry that I have not written to you for so long, and that this letter is only to be a bearer of bad news. Nevertheless, I believe that I must inform you on this matter. I am afraid I have to leave this short; war is everywhere, and I do not have much time to write this and deliver it to you before I must move again and help bring about peace.

‘Two days ago, two of your subjects, Fluttershy Whisperwing and Twilight Sparkle, arrived at our fair city and were treated warmly and accommodated a room at the palace. However, after an unfortunate number of events due to the Prince’s desire for your student, and the war now escalating here, they have been forced to leave the city and venture further west to continue and finish what they had started.

‘I wish I could do more for them, but all of my efforts are now solely fixed on bringing about peace once again. All I could do is to send this letter to you in the hope you would act, and to ask you for this one simple request.

‘Save them, Princess. Their very lives depend on the swiftness of your actions.

‘Sincerely,

‘Welara, Merchant Prince of Esperius.’

Applejack stopped reading, allowing the echo of the last few words to flow around the library. She slowly turned her head towards her friends, who all stared back at her with confusion and concern. After a moment of silence, Applejack turned back to gaze at Celestia, who started to pace once more.

“Welara is one of the most magically gifted ponies I have ever come across, mostly for the fact that he wasn’t born with a horn,” Celestia explained. “When he first started sending me letters, he told me that when the last Merchant Prince of Esperius came to power, he forbade magic in all its teachings.

“Welara, however, believing that such power should not be forgotten, taught himself in secret, and later sent me a letter through the powers that he had learnt. I was surprised at first, if not a little bit scared, but after a while I mustered up the courage and replied, and after a few introductory letters explaining himself and who he was and how he knew who I was, we started talking through these letters.”

Celestia smiled. “Finally, I had somepony to talk to as if we were equals. We talked about everything, from events in Equestria as well as in Esperius, and I even mentioned your names and the Elements of Harmony, to random subjects such as what we like and our favourite hobbies. He became the friend I have always longed for.”

Celestia paused to let out a sigh. “After a while, though, the letters stopped coming. I feared that he had been discovered and put to death for the use of magic.” She looked at the letter in Applejack’s hooves with sullen eyes. “I only wish this latest letter were a bearer of goodwill and well wishes. Not… that.”

Rainbow Dash looked confused. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down for a second, please? Firstly, Twilight and Fluttershy are on the other side of the planet? What the hay are those two doing there? And finally, what the heck is Esperius? That’s no city I have ever heard of before.”

“Oh, oh, I know, I know!” Pinkie exclaimed, hopping on the spot. Without an explanation, she rushed over to the bookcase with the books starting with M, picked out a book with a wide grin, and then tossed it to Rainbow. “‘Myths and Legends of Terra’. Page one hundred and twenty two,” Pinkie explained as Rainbow caught it with her hooves.

Rainbow snorted. “Yeah,” she chortled as she opened the book up, “as if this is gonna have something like a legendary city in a…” She trailed off when, sure enough, a two-page article about the ancient city appeared in front of her, along with artist’s depictions of the city.

Applejack turned to a beaming Pinkie with a baffled look. “Let me guess, did your Pinkie Sense find it?”

Pinkie frowned at Applejack. “Don’t be so daft,” she said, much to Applejack’s confusion. “I just tend to borrow that book a lot and read about all the myths and legends in it. It’s a good read, I should lend it to you sometime.” She finished with a squee grin.

Applejack continued to stare at Pinkie strangely. “Thanks, Pinkie,” she said, before turning to Rainbow and Rarity, who were reading the book with parted lips.

“Oh, now I remember this legend,” Rarity said suddenly, pulling away with a surprised look on her face. “I heard it is a city made entirely out of gold, and beneath it lay the largest gems a pony could lay eyes on.” She pouted once more. “Now I am jealous of those two.” She collapsed onto her rump and crossed her forelegs over her chest. “They get to go to a legendary city full of riches and I have to stay here making dresses.”

“The city of Esperius is not as grand as the legend dictates, Rarity,” Celestia said serenely, though it did little to raise Rarity’s spirits.

“But it says here that Esperius is just a legend,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, poking the book. “How can it be real?”

“Every legend ever created has at least a seed of truth within it,” Celestia replied with a wink. “I knew about the city for a long time, and was there thousands of years ago when the Esperians were re-building the old city into their image. It’s been a while since I visited it again.”

“But why is it in a book about myths and legends?” Spike asked as he looked at the pages over Rainbow’s shoulder. “Why is it not on the map of the world?”

Celestia frowned, and then looked out the window facing westward. “Because relations between Esperius and Equestria cannot be fully realised just yet. Though generally peaceful, the Esperians are frail in the mind and would immediately take threat to anything that they have never seen before, including me. Not to mention the sea journey to Esperius is too risky beyond the Iron Pony Islands. The safest way to begin trading with them is to use airships, but so far the designs to keep vessels in the air with so much weight has not been fully finalised yet.”

“But Fluttershy and Twilight have managed to get across safely,” Pinkie pointed out. “Surely it must not be so bad.”

“Well for starters, they are Twilight and Fluttershy; of course they’re going to be fine getting over,” Spike replied.

“Um, hello, is everypony missing the main question here?” Rainbow demanded as she hovered above them, swinging her forelegs widely. “Why the hay are Twilight and Fluttershy all the way on the other side of the planet when Twilight said they are going to stay in Equestria?”

Celestia shook her head lightly. “I do not know, Rainbow Dash. That is why I came to you girls,” she explained. “You are all Twilight’s closest friends. Surely she must have told you all where she and Fluttershy were heading, and what was their goal.” Celestia did not seem to notice Applejack look up at this.

“Didn’t she tell you, Princess?” Rarity asked, cocking her head a bit.

Again, Celestia shook her head. “No, Rarity, she did not. Apart from saying Fluttershy and herself were off to study flowers, I know nothing about their ultimate destination.”

“Well, she came to us all about them leaving to go on a journey, but she did not tell us much,” Rainbow Dash replied. She turned to Spike questionably. “You were with her last, didn’t she tell you about where she was going?”

Spike looked at all of their questioning gazes with worried eyes. “Hey, don’t look at me, she talked to Applejack about this more than she did to me,” he quickly replied. Applejack shot him a scale-piercing glare when she heard her name being mentioned.

Applejack wilted upon seeing all of their gazes fixed on her. She returned her composure and sighed deeply, looking at the floor before her. “Well? Come on, then, Applejack, spill the beans so we can get over there and save them!” Rainbow demanded. “Why the heck have they gone to the other side of the ocean?”

“I’m not sure why they’re both on the other side, Rainbow,” Applejack responded. “Twilight told me that they would be staying in Equestria only. But I do know why they’ve gone and… it’s a bit hard to explain.”

Celestia sat next to her, and quickly draped a wing over her back. “I just need to know the basic details, Applejack. Nothing too fancy,” she said softly. She shook the earth pony in her winged embrace gently. “So please tell us, why did they leave?”

Applejack sighed as the words finally came to her. When she felt ready, she blurted out quickly and clearly, “Twilight came to me because she loves Fluttershy and she thought the only way to show that love is to take Fluttershy on a journey to find this flower that sings a love song in the full moonlight and shines silver!”

Probably for the first time in its existence, the library was deathly silent. Pinkie Pie stared at Applejack with her lower jaw on the ground and her eyes bulging out of their sockets. Rarity simply stared at her for a long time, her lips not giving way to shock or joy, but her eyes began to sparkle with delight. Spike stood casually, looking around at them all as though he knew all along.

Rainbow Dash broke the silence by coughing awkwardly in her hoof. “Um, I don’t know if I have misheard or something, but I swear you just said that Twilight loves Fluttershy.”

Applejack looked up at her with deadly serious eyes. “That’s what I just said, sugarcube,” she said quietly.

Rainbow fell from the sky and onto her rump, her eyes wide as she tried to take the information in. “Wow. I mean, I knew Fluttershy was a lesbian, but I didn’t know Twi was as well. I always thought she was more into books than other ponies.”

Applejack ignored the blunt comment from her brash friend, and looked at Princess Celestia once more. “So that’s why they’ve gon–” she stopped when she finally noticed Celestia’s paling coat, retracting wing and horrified eyes. “What’s wrong, Princess?”

“Applejack, are you absolutely certain that this flower shines silver and sings in the moonlight?” Celestia asked hastily, as though she were eager to get away but also wanting to know the facts.

Applejack took a minute to recollect the conversation between her and Twilight, and then nodded. “Yeah, she did say that.” She tilted her head, her eyes widening in worry. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Celestia took a shrilling intake of breath as she shook her head in disbelief, backing away from the five friends, who exchanged worrisome looks. “I have to find them,” she said, more to herself. Without a thank you, a good bye or even an explanation, Celestia raced past the group and galloped into Ponyville.

“Wait, Princess, come back!” Rainbow called, bringing up a hoof to stop her. But the Princess was already out of earshot. “Blast,” she muttered, and then turned to the group. The ponies and dragon traded looks at each for a moment, before fixing their gazes knowingly at Rainbow Dash. “You really don’t think I am gonna sit on my rump and let Celestia go on her own, do you?”

Applejack nodded. “We know, partner. That’s why I’m coming with you,” she said, making Rainbow smile. She turned to the others. “How about it, ya’ll?”

“Oh, of course I’m coming too, darling,” Rarity said.

“Me three,” Spike said determinedly.

“Me four!” Pinkie exclaimed, jumping on the spot. “But I’d better go and get a photo in case Twilight and Fluttershy have forgotten who we are and what we all look like.” The group collectively sighed and rolled their eyes.

“Um, guys, shouldn’t we be going after Princess Celestia before she leaves us in the dust?” Spike asked.

“Oh, Spikey Wikey, I don’t think that is probable,” Rarity said as she started to walk out of the library. “Though she is the Princess of Equestria and raiser of the sun, I do not think her… physique, is built for quick running. We’ll catch her up, you’ll see.” With that, she went through the door and galloped down the street. The others shrugged, and quickly went after her; Spike leapt onto Applejack’s back to keep up with the others.

True to Rarity’s word, the group found Celestia sitting by the corner of a street, gasping for air. Thankfully, there were no ponies aside from Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Spike nearby to see her in such a state. “Are you all right, Princess?” Rainbow asked.

Celestia’s head shot up and turned to face them with a look of surprise. She smiled when she saw the dedication in their eyes, the determination to find their friends as much as she wanted to. “I’m fine, thank you, Rainbow Dash. I just need… a quick stop… phew… I should really run around a bit more.”

“I take it you eat more than you run, huh, Princess?” Pinkie asked blatantly.

The others shot her aghast looks. “Pinkie!” they yelled.

Celestia chuckled, much to their surprise. “No, Pinkie Pie is correct, I don’t run very often. I eat cake more than run.” She took another deep breath, and then got up and carried on galloping, this time slower than before. The others followed close behind. “I take it I can’t dissuade you all from joining me?”

“Sorry, Princess, but orders or no orders we are going to get Fluttershy and Twilight with you,” Rainbow said, flying beside her.

Celestia smiled proudly at her. “Twilight and Fluttershy are lucky to have friends like you.” Celestia’s smile quickly faded to a large frown. “We need to move fast if we have any chance of reaching them before they make it to the flower. If we fly west from here and keep going at full speed, we could make it to the gates of the valley before they even reach it.” She paused to whimper in worry. “I just hope we get there in time.”

“Why so, Princess?” Applejack asked. “Is it about the flower? What’s the problem with it? Is it dangerous?”

“The flower is said to have been created by a powerful unicorn who wanted to express his love to a mare named Aphrodite,” Celestia explained. “Unfortunately, the flowers failed to create a love song as he had hoped, but instead wiped both of their minds clean of their memories. When I first heard of the flower, and what it can do, I ordered to have any piece of information about it brought to me, and when enough was gathered I personally destroyed them.”

“But why would ya do that, Princess?” Applejack asked, shocked the Princess would take such action.

“Because I care, Applejack,” Celestia replied. “The flower is dangerous and should never be found or seen by anypony, less they lose everything they hold dear.”

Applejack looked at the ground as the information sunk in, and when it did, she felt angry – angry that Twilight would take such a selfish risk and drag Fluttershy along with her. “Would Twilight have known about this?” she asked through gritted teeth.

Celestia shrugged. “I do not know, Applejack,” she answered sullenly, sounding annoyed that even she did not know the answer.

“I surely hope she doesn’t know, or I am going to say a few unpleasant things to her,” she said, mostly to herself. “Oh what the heck, I’m just gonna shout at her anyway for dragging Fluttershy across the sea and endangering her life.” The others heard her, and grunted and nodded in agreement, all except for the Princess. If Celestia felt the same way, she didn’t express it.

A quarter of an hour later, the group of ponies and one dragon moved onto a large meadow just outside of Ponyville, and were standing in front of the largest airship they had ever seen. If Applejack could guess, the ship was about two hundred feet long, and looked like one of the ancient Mare O’ War sailing ships that once defended Equestria’s oceans and her international interests, with about four decks riddled with windows, a large forecastle and sterncastle at each end and was coated in a bright white. The air envelope itself was painted like a giant blue whale, though the whale was a golden sun colour amidst a background of white and blue.

“This is my personal airship, the Serenity,” Celestia explained, smiling as she saw their stunned faces. “It is the fastest way for me travel around; certainly better than that chariot, no offence to the guards that pull it. When I read the letter the first time I just knew I had to get it ready for flight.”

Applejack looked up at her and grinned. “Own up, Princess, ya just wanted to bring us along, didn’t ya?”

Celestia stared at Applejack blankly for a long time, making the earth pony feel as if she had done and said something wrong. Suddenly, the Princess of the Sun let out a hearty chuckle. “Okay, you got me. I knew it wouldn’t be fair if you were all kept behind, so I had to find you all, let you know what had to be done, and then let you decide. I am glad you chose this, if I am honest.” She walked forward a bit more, and called out in a thick pirate accent, “Bring down the plank, me hearties!” She giggled girlishly, blushing in embarrassment when she caught the perplexed gazes of the four ponies and one dragon. “I always wanted to do that.”

At once, as if waiting for her voice, the ramp came down with plonk against the ground, spraying up bits of mud from the rain that had hit the town a few nights back. Afterwards, the group except for Rainbow formed an orderly line and walked up the ramp and onto the ship; Rainbow scoffed and simply flew up onto the top deck, where about half a dozen pegasi and unicorn guards saluted her upon landing. “Uh, thanks, I guess,” she said awkwardly.

Not much later, Celestia, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack and Spike arrived on the top deck. The guards on station bowed before the Princess, which Celestia simply replied with a fickle hoof wave to get them back up. “Are we good to go, captain?” she asked, turning to a large orange earth pony dressed in battle armour.

“On your orders, your Highness,” he replied.

“Then head west immediately, double time,” Celestia commanded quickly. The earth pony dipped his head, and then spun around and bellowed orders to the rest of the crew. With a low roar of the magically powered engines at the bottom of the ship, the Serenity launched itself up into the air and moved rapidly westward, flying over Ponyville with speed and grace accustomed to the ships of the Equestrian air fleet.

Applejack sighed as she looked down at the town she called her home, and then looked westward where two of her best friends were. At least, one of them was. She didn’t want to believe Twilight would pull off such a selfish and possibly dangerous action just to win Fluttershy’s affection. However, she couldn’t believe Fluttershy would make such a choice herself, so it had to have been Twilight that made the choice. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to say when I see them again, but I’m not sure if speaking to Twilight will be pleasant.’

“Oh, Applejack, I have been meaning to discuss something with you for a while, but I have not had the right time to do so,” Celestia said as she walked up to her. “About one of your letters, to be more specific.”

Applejack gulped as she knew exactly what letter Celestia was going on about. “Uh… well, you see, the thing is, Princess, I–” She was cut off by the soft sounds of the Princess laughing through her hoof.

“Oh no, Applejack, I just wanted to thank you for giving me quite a laugh when you delivered it to me,” she said warmly. “That was a horrible morning for me, so seeing that letter really brightened up my day and allowed me to go through the afternoon with a grin across my face.” she lowered her head and nuzzled Applejack’s cheek. “Thank you, my little pony.”

Applejack felt her cheeks blaze as Celestia pulled away, chuckling as she looked at the earth pony’s expression. “I, well, they, her, him, them, I…” she stammered. She abruptly stopped blabbering and let out a sigh. “You’re welcome, Princess.” Applejack’s smile faltered as she looked westward again, where two of her best friends were.

Behind her, she could hear the others talking about what they were going to say to Twilight about her actions and putting the meek pegasus in harm’s way. Despite the angry and happy words that were going to be said, she knew they were going to bring them both home, no matter what.

‘We’re coming for ya, girls,’ she thought. ‘Just hang on tight.’

Author's Note

Well, here it is, just an ordinary day in Ponyville... or is it? Now that the gang are on thier way, can they make it to the two lovebirds before they get to the flower?

This chapter has been part of the plan all along, though originally it only involved Applejack and Celestia. But that felt wrong, so I added the whole gang into the throng as well. I also wanted to do something where Celestia actually does something rather than let the others do it alone. I believe that Celestia made a promise to Twilight's parents that she would protect her and make sure she stays away from harm. Over the years, she relaxed a bit upon seeing the young unicorn able to take care of herself, but felt the need to jump in when she sure she needed to. This moment is one of them.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you will follow the story in its final few chapters, as I have only four or five more to go before journey's end.

Chapter 17 (part 1)

Twilight staggered forward a few feet and fell flat on to her back, panting heavily as her chest rose and fell quickly, while her body ached with exhaustion from the rather tiring experience she had just gone through. Despite the aching she could feel in her legs and her heart pounding against her chest like a rapid drum, she regretted nothing.

A few seconds later, Fluttershy fell on her side beside her, panting as well, and feeling herself ache with fatigue, too. “Wow,” Fluttershy rasped, finding herself unable to say any other coherent words.

Twilight looked at her and nodded. “I know,” she said, breathing deeply. “We did it. We actually did it.” She rolled onto her side facing Fluttershy. “I can’t believe I was able to do all of that in such a short space of time.”

“So do I,” Fluttershy admitted bashfully, rubbing her hooves together. “I really thought after so many days and nights awake that we wouldn’t be able to do it. But I am glad we did, for it was the best thing I have ever done.”

“And the best thing is,” Twilight added happily, “we did it together.”

Fluttershy smiled beatifically, and then placed her forehooves against Twilight’s. “I wonder what our friends would say if they saw us just now?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m not sure. I imagine Rainbow Dash would be impressed we kept it up for so long. Rarity would be astonished. Pinkie would want to throw a party for us. And Applejack… well, I’m not sure what she would do, but I bet she would be happy for us.”

“I hope so, too,” Fluttershy said. She squealed in happiness. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell them what we did together.”

Twilight took another deep breath, and nuzzled her marefriend. “Neither can I,” she said, grinning. “I can’t wait to see the look on their faces as we tell them…” She jumped up onto her hooves, and looked down at the steep incline they had just climbed. “We climbed the tallest mountain in Abyinisia in just under half an hour!” She punched the air in victory. “Try doing that, Rainbow Dash!”

Fluttershy jumped up onto her hooves as well, and stood closely to her marefriend as she stared proudly at the sloping ground before them, while smaller mountains, plains and valleys stretched out from around the goliath’s base. ‘Anypony sent after us will never catch us now,’ she thought gladly. ‘They’ll be too scared to come up here.’ She swallowed her growing worries back down when she felt them crawl up her throat. ‘Does that mean that we’re the bravest ponies on Terra, or the most foolish?’

It had been at least two days of endless walking since they were forced to flee Esperius, and were sent forth on their quest to make their way through the three kingdoms and get to the flower. But the travel was uneventful and the view was breathtaking throughout. Large, solitary trees stood vigil over great, rolling plains, where molehills and burrows were scattered amongst the tall grass and colourful plants. Tiny streams crossed their way through the main road, joining to a larger river that ran along the right edge of the valley, miles from the two ponies. And here and there were forgotten houses of broken stone and timbers, their frames angling slightly to reveal how close they were to collapse.

After making their way to the end of the valley as Welara had instructed at the dawn of the first day, they had found a thin path hidden among the woods clustered around the valley exit, which slithered through the forest and clung to the mountain on the other side, spiralling up to its peak.

“Do we have to go up that?” Fluttershy had asked, shaking in fright.

“We have no other choice,” Twilight replied tiredly. “We either do this, or go back to Esperius with an execution block to greet us. Which one would you pick?”

Though the idea of climbing a mountain was scary and possibly very dangerous, Fluttershy could not deny that it was more comforting and less risky than going back to Esperius to be at the mercy of Grey Spot. She replied with a nod, and with that the two ponies galloped ploddingly through the trees, following the path placed before them.

By the time night fell, the couple had made it through the woods and to the base of the mountain, where they huddled together and set up camp for the night within the shadow of a great pine tree, a small fire going to keep them warm till they fell asleep. Few words were exchanged between them, but the words that were spoken were those of comfort and love.

The next day, the sun was barely in the sky by the time they set off again, this time ready to head up the first mountain that led into the mountain range, which was but the first gateway into the old kingdoms. Both ponies knew as they started up the path that there would be more climbing to do before the end. A lot more.

By midday, they made it to the very top of the mountain, and found themselves staring at the largest mountain range they had ever laid eyes upon. Rows and rows of mountains, connected by thick ridges of ragged and sloped rock, spread themselves out from their view and right back to the horizon, with vast wells between the pointed behemoths that plummeted into darkness. ‘Not even a goblin could live in those,’ Twilight thought as the pair made their way along one ridge, with the unicorn using the map to follow the route.

The ridge was as thin as an alley in Ponyville, and several times did Twilight and Fluttershy place their hooves in the wrong place and nearly paid for their mistakes with their lives. Once, as they crossed a rather thin stretch, Fluttershy slipped and fell tail-first down the side and towards a large bottomless chasm, screaming, before Twilight caught her with her magic. After pulling her back to the top, they took a moment to catch their breaths and their nerves in each other’s embrace, before moving slowly on again.

A few hours later, the adventurous couple made it to the end of the widening ridge, and fixed their eyes on the largest mountain they had ever seen; about halfway up, it disappeared into the cloud cover, with no hint as to how high it went up, while the base gradually faded into darkness.

“According to this map,” Twilight had said as she looked at the map floating in her magic, “that is the tallest mountain in Abyinisia by literally a mile.”

Fluttershy turned her head to look at her oddly. “How can you know that?”

Twilight prodded the map. “Says it right here in Equestrian,” Twilight replied cheerfully. “Welara must have added it when he planned out our departure.”

“Aw, how considerate of him,” Fluttershy said, smiling at the image of Welara writing the Equestrian translations rapidly. She looked up at the mountain again, and gulped. “So, um, I take it we have to go up it?”

“Yep,” Twilight said as she tucked the map safely away in her mane. “And once we’re up there, we follow it around until we come to the entrance of the city of the earth ponies.” With that said, Twilight walked ahead once more, leaving a very confused Fluttershy.

“The entrance?” Fluttershy enquired as she caught up with her marefriend.

Twilight turned her head and smiled in response. “I’ll tell you about it when we settle down for the night.” She looked right and saw to her shock that the sun was only starting to set. “Which will be sooner than I thought.” With that, she looked back and gave Fluttershy a grin. “Race you to the top!” she shouted, before galloping off the ridge and to the top of the mountain. Fluttershy, despite her exhaustion, grinned and ran after her.

Fluttershy smiled at the memory as she pictured Twilight in front of her, laughing without a care about what they were possibly about to go through. The thought made her smile fall a little. Before, in Esperius, she felt determined to go up the mountains, past the strange and terrible creatures that dwelt before the valley, and then see the flower and learn of the truth of her feelings for Twilight – or not, depending on whether they would lose their memories to the flowers’ power.

Now that they were up here, and with the choice to turn back now lost to them, her guts began to tell her that this was a bad idea. ‘Is this worth the risk?’ The worst part of the question was that she did not know the answer. She knew she would have thought that she should have turned back when she had the chance, but she wasn’t thinking straight then, and she surely didn’t feel like thinking straight now. ‘What is wrong with me?’ she wondered as she turned away from the edge.

“Ready to go on so soon?” Twilight asked surprisingly as she watched Fluttershy head away from the edge.

Fluttershy stopped when Twilight spoke, and then turned around to look at her with a small smile. “Oh, um, yes, if you don’t mind, sweetie.” She glanced behind Twilight, and her eyes widened in alarm. “I think it might be best, judging from that storm coming in.” She pointed to the closing mass of vicious black clouds coming slowly towards them.

Twilight looked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened at the sight of the oncoming storm. “Then let’s keep moving and find shelter before it hits us,” she said, before looking around and observing their surroundings.

The top of the mountain was not exactly the very top; the rest of the mountain in front of them was a large, ragged cone with no other way up. The pair stood on a large space with what looked like a pathway jutting out of the rock face to their right and running around the mountain and out of sight. “Come on, this way,” Twilight said as she walked towards the path.

Fluttershy, however, looked hesitant. “Um, are you sure that’s the right way to go? It doesn’t look very… safe, if you ask me.”

Twilight stopped before she could set her hoof on top of the path, and scrutinised it carefully with narrow eyes. ‘It has to be; there’s no other way around. But just to be sure…’ After a moment, she pulled her head away and set her hoof on the path, pressing all her weight onto it to be sure. She did not notice that Fluttershy had both of her hooves over her mouth and was shaking in worry.

After a moment, nothing happened, prompting Twilight to press her weight on her hoof and take another step forward with the other. “See Fluttershy? Totally fin– whoa!” she screamed as a part of the path beneath gave away and she fell forward and off the cliff edge.

She closed her eyes and tensed for what she knew was going to be a heavy landing further on down, when suddenly something latched onto her tail, leaving her dangling over the edge. Twilight opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Fluttershy with her tail in her mouth, struggling hard to keep a firm hold on it. “Hold on, give me a minute!” Twilight called, her tone indicating her panicked state.

“What do you think I’m trying to do!” Fluttershy yelled through gritted teeth. She tried to walk back and haul Twilight to safety, but the unicorn’s weight was keeping her from gaining the grip needed to bring her back onto the ledge. In fact, she could feel herself begin to slip towards the edge and fall along with her. ‘Whatever you have planned, Twilight, you have to do it fast!’ she thought as she felt Twilight’s tail slip from between her teeth and her body being slowly dragged towards the edge. ‘I can’t hold on much longer!’

Twilight took a deep breath to calm her ever-tarnished nerves and to think straight, and with her eyes closed to envision where she wanted to go and a burst of magic from her horn, disappeared out of Fluttershy’s grasp, only to re-appear beside the exhausted pegasus. Fluttershy, in surprise of Twilight’s disappearance, fell forward and nearly went over the edge herself. Quickly, Twilight caught her with her magic, and lifted her through the air and away from the edge.

When she was away from danger and beside the unicorn, Fluttershy leapt into Twilight’s embrace. “I thought I was going to lose you for a second,” she whispered as she held Twilight close.

“No you weren’t,” Twilight assured her, rubbing her lover’s back comfortingly. “I would have remembered my levitation-on-caster spell… sooner or later.” She gently kissed Fluttershy’s forehead, making the pony blush. “Thank you for catching me, though. It’s nice to know you will be looking after me.”

Fluttershy smiled, gently stroking Twilight’s mane, which sent amazing tremors across the unicorn. “You would do the same for me, sweetie, so why shouldn’t I do the same for you?” She pulled away from Twilight, got up and stared at the path they had to take with wary eyes. “I’ll go first,” she blurted out, surprised to hear that coming from herself.

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror upon hearing her, and opened her mouth to usher a protest. Before she could say any coherent words, however, Fluttershy shot her head around and glared her into silence. “I don’t suppose you’ve noticed, though you may have done and I am sorry if this sounds like bragging, but I am lighter on my hooves than you are, so I can find the weaker elements along the path and prance over them. Oh, and I have wings,” she said, emphasising the point by spreading her wings out and flapping them.

Twilight opened her mouth and raised a hoof to make a valid argument against her, but any that might have made the pegasus change her mind vanished from her brain completely, leaving a blank space. ‘Thanks a lot, brain,’ Twilight thought, sighing in defeat. ‘No morning cereal for a week for you when this is over.’

“Fine,” she replied, making Fluttershy grin. Before the pegasus could begin to cross, however, Twilight pointed a warning hoof at her. “But I’ll be right behind you at all times, and I will hold you magically by the tail so if you fall, I will catch you. And no heroics, okay?”

Fluttershy’s grin grew wider as she hugged Twilight. “Of course not, sweetie. You know me.” After giving Twilight a quick peck on the cheek, she spun around and walked up to the edge of the path.

“I know; that’s what worries me,” Twilight muttered under her breath. She followed Fluttershy until her chest was against her tail. Twilight’s eyes widened as she felt her coat come into contact with her lover’s tail, and immediately considered backing off. However, suddenly Fluttershy’s tail began to tease the unicorn by stroking her chest, making Twilight lose her breath to its feel. ‘Oh, Fluttershy’s tail feels like silk,’ Twilight thought pleasurably as the tail that was entrancing her swished and swayed gracefully before her.

She was brought out of her mind before it could go into more vulgar thoughts when Fluttershy stepped onto the path with one hoof, and then leaned forward and rested her other hoof on the other side of the gap created by Twilight. The tip of Fluttershy’s tongue appeared from between her lips as she pressed her weight down on the other hoof, until she was leaning on it with all her weight.

Thankfully, the rock under her hoof did not budge. “Phew, that’s good,” Fluttershy muttered to herself as she slowly leaned forward and placed her other hoof another foot or so ahead.

She looked back at Twilight to see her waiting patiently, though her eyes seemed to be focused elsewhere. “Watch my hooves, missy,” she said sternly. Twilight blushed and groaned in embarrassment, prompting Fluttershy to giggle before looking at the path once more. She set her hoof down, and felt how sturdy the rock was as she pressed her weight down. Feeling more secure, Fluttershy pushed herself slowly forward, with Twilight right behind her and her magic wrapped around Fluttershy’s tail in case the path broke away again and she suddenly fell.

A quarter of an hour later, which felt longer due to the amount of times they had to stop and wait to see what happens before moving on, the pair had made it to the other side of the path. They found themselves standing on a large triangular ledge, with the path continuing around the mountain on the other side, and against the rock face was a large circular entrance to a cave inviting them into the eerie darkness.

“Ar-are we going to go in there?” Fluttershy asked fearfully as the pair gazed into the entrance, just as the first rain drops started to fall on their bodies.

“Not yet,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I want to be sure that it’s empty first. I can imagine any caves in these mountains are seldom occupied,” she said, her tone stating her concern of such a possibility. Swallowing down her nervousness, she took a few steps forward, lowered her head and powered up her horn. While she was busy with that, Fluttershy crept around so she was standing directly behind Twilight, and lowered her head so the unicorn would protect her from anything big and nasty that could potentially be lurking inside.

Suddenly, a bright light shot out from the tip of Twilight’s horn and hurtled into the cave like a javelin, bringing up the narrow passage of the cave and lighting up the interior. Fluttershy peeped over Twilight’s shoulder, and when she saw that the cave looked free of scary and predatory creatures, she broke into a trot and prepared to enter.

Before Fluttershy could get past Twilight, the unicorn held up a leg and stopped her. “Not yet,” she advised. “If there’s anything in there, they might be hiding somewhere, waiting for whoever it was that created that to come out and show themselves. If we go in there too early, whoever’s in there may strike.”

Fluttershy saw sense in Twilight’s words and backed away once more, shaking in fright. “So how do we know that it’s empty? As nice as the view is,” she said with a swift sweep of her hoof at the mountainous region around them, “I don’t want to go to sleep wet again.” She began to shiver lightly as the rain started to come down harder.

Twilight bit her bottom lip and her ears folded at the sight of seeing her marefriend look so cold, yet she had no way to warm her up or dry her off. ‘Times like this I could do with some wings. That’s all I’m saying. Wings. A nice lavender-coloured pair of feathery appendages to wrap around my marefriend and keep her warm.’ Fluttershy had done that several times to her in the past few days, so she felt annoyed that she could not return the favour.

“We’ll give it another few minutes, sweetheart. Then we’ll go in,” she said. She looked up at the sky with a thoughtful look, and quickly cast another spell, this time creating a small shield in the shape of an umbrella over Fluttershy to keep the rain away. “I may not have wings to keep you warm with, but I think this is a quite appropriate alternative. Don’t you think?”

Fluttershy stared up at the rain battering against Twilight’s shield like glass, and looked to her and smiled. “It’s better than anything a wing could do. Thank you, Twilight.” She nuzzled the side of Twilight’s face affectionately.

Twilight smiled, and swiftly returned the nuzzle. “It’s the least I could do for you,” she said lovingly. She pulled away, then walked out of the umbrella, through the heavy drizzle, and cautiously into the cave.

“Um, Twilight, I know this might not seem like such a good time, but do you happen to have a spell that makes food?” Fluttershy enquired with a hopeful tone.

Twilight looked back, and saw Fluttershy’s hopeful eyes and her cute little smile boring into her heart like a sword. It felt painful to her to know the answer, and that she had to say it to the one pony she hated disappointing the most. “I’m sorry, but there isn’t any spell I am aware of that does something like that.” She winced when she saw Fluttershy’s smile fade away. “Sorry. I wish there was, though. I know I wouldn’t go hungry ever again if there was such a spell.”

Fluttershy waved the apology away with a hoof. “No, it’s okay, I’m sorry I asked. I was listening more to my belly than my head. Come to think of it, I don’t think we’ve eaten since we left Esperius.”

Twilight paused a few feet from the cave entrance when she realised Fluttershy was right. They had not eaten a thing. Since departing from the city, the pair had only stopped for rest and a chance to cuddle together. They had not risked eating any of the grass or the flowers along the way, in case they became ill or worse because of them. Now with the valley behind them, and up in the mountains where the valleys and plains that made up the three kingdoms ahead, she doubted they could get a lot of food.

However, the thought of having food in their stomachs wasn’t her main concern. She wondered how many creatures that now inhabited the three kingdoms wanted them in their stomachs. She knew the goblins were not a major problem; they were vegetarians that preferred to rob and use intelligent creatures for slavery only to later release them than kill and eat something. She was thankful about that – it gave her the idea of starting to come up with escape plans should they fall into goblin hands – but, other than the things Grey Spot mentioned, what else could they find down there?

“Twilight?” Fluttershy called worriedly, her head tilting as she looked at her marefriend, who was staring into the cave blankly. “Is everything all right?”

Twilight sighed, breaking out of her reflection of what might happen. ‘Trust Fluttershy to come and give me a suitable distraction.’ “Everything’s fine, sweetheart,” she called in response. “I was just thinking about stuff, that’s all.” Without waiting for the pegasus to reply, Twilight ventured further into the cave.

She soon made it to the main chamber, and strengthened the power of her light to have a better look around. The cave was spacious in size, with enough room for about her friends, her family and the Princesses. Two columns, or stalagnats, as they were technically called, stood at each end of the chamber, as though they were holding the ceiling with their fat fingers. A small pool rested in the far left corner, and a small hole was above it leaking water in. And to its right, encased in darkness, was the entrance of a thin passageway leading deeper into the mountain, with some ancient writing etched into the rock above it.

Twilight could only stare at the path ahead with wide, fascinated eyes and an opening mouth. ‘Could this really be the…?’ she wondered.

“What you looking at?” Fluttershy abruptly asked, gazing curiously at the passageway beside her.

“Whaa!” Twilight squeaked and jumped in fright, nearly banging her head against the ceiling in her alarm. She came back down to earth with a heavy crash and an “Oomph!” leaving her lips.

Fluttershy gasped in shock, and quickly helped her up. “Oh my goodness, are you all right?” she asked as she hauled the trembling unicorn onto her hooves. “I’m so sorry, sweetie, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I thought you would have heard me come in!” She squeaked in fright and back away once Twilight was able to stand by herself, shielding her face behind her mane. “Sorry. Please don’t be mad at me.”

Twilight shook her head to clear her dazed vision, and then turned to Fluttershy with a neutral gaze; a look that made Fluttershy feel awful. “I thought I said you should wait outside until I knew it was clear.”

Fluttershy whimpered from behind her mane. “I know you did, but I was getting wet since your umbrella spell broke and, well, I don’t want to get wetter than I did in Esperius. And, um, I could see that the cave was all right when you came in; it’s quite slim, if you think about it.”

Twilight looked around once more, and saw her marefriend was right. Other than the passageway before them, there were no dark corners for carnivorous beasts to hide in, wait until they slept and then gobble them up in one bite. She felt safe enough to sleep in the cave with her marefriend cuddled up beside her. Even so, the two entrances needed to be guarded; just because nothing predatory was in here now didn’t mean there wouldn’t be later. “You are right, as usual,” she relented, prompting the pegasus to come out of her hiding place. “But I better put some guards up just so we won’t get interrupted.”

With a quick flash of her horn, two magenta shields as thick as the strongest glass appeared on the entrances at each end of the chamber, keeping the two ponies safe from any would-be attackers and preventing the increasingly powerful rain from coming in and flooding the place.

Twilight looked to each shield with a smile of satisfaction. “There. That should be enough power to keep the shields up till dawn,” she said. She turned around, and brought her head back in surprise when her eyes fell onto Fluttershy. She tilted her head and smiled daintily. “Comfortable?”

Fluttershy was resting against the wall; her legs tucked under her stomach and her right wing pointing to the ceiling, ready to grab a certain unicorn with its feathery fingers. “Very, thank you,” she replied, grinning mischievously. “But, um, I would feel better if a certain mare was cuddling here beside me.”

Twilight giggled as she cheekily looked around. “Hmm, she doesn’t seem to be here. Guess I have to go in the other corner and be all on my lonesome tonight,” she teased as she gestured with her head to the corner furthest from Fluttershy. She moved to turn, but was stopped when Fluttershy’s adorable giggles played sweetly through her ears.

“I meant you, silly filly,” the pegasus responded, fluttering her wing. “Now come on, get under here so I can keep you warm with my wing.”

Twilight saw no reason to complain; she didn’t want any reason to complain. She crouched down beside her marefriend until her back was against the pegasus’s belly, her legs tucked under her stomach and her head resting on Fluttershy’s shoulder. Once she was comfortable, Fluttershy draped a wing over her, and sighed contently.

“This is nice,” Fluttershy whispered, as she let her head rest against the wall of rock, while feeling Twilight’s breath lightly tickle her neck.

“That it is,” Twilight agreed, swiftly nuzzling the pegasus’s neck.

The two fell silent for a while as they heard the rain begin to pound against the rock outside, and the sound of rolling thunder echoing across the valley, making Fluttershy jump a little in fright and tighten her grip on Twilight. “Shh, it’s all right, Fluttershy. The storm can’t hurt you in here,” Twilight cooed softly, nuzzling her when she realised she could not use her hooves.

Fluttershy relaxed a little, and loosened the grip on her wing. “I know. I just get jumpy even after so long when it comes to thunder and lightning. Sorry.”

Twilight chuckled as she used her muzzle to push some of Fluttershy’s mane back into place. “No need to be sorry,” she whispered, and rested her head on Fluttershy’s shoulder once more. The pair went silent as they listened tentatively to the rain outside and the high mountain winds howling like wolves across the region.

“Twily?”

“Yeah?”

Fluttershy glanced over at the passageway behind them with nervous eyes. “What do you think is down there?”

Twilight sighed, and then brought her head back to look her lover in the eyes. “It’s just a hunch at the moment, so I could be wrong, but I believe that passage leads directly into the capital city of the earth ponies: Eareskay, the city under the mountain.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise as the name of the city went through her ears. She looked back at her lover confusedly, licking her lips. “Hold on, the earth ponies had their main city built inside the mountain?” she asked, her tone stating her disbelief.

Twilight nodded. “Yep. You see, according to the earliest recorded story known about Eareskay, when the earth ponies first came to this part of the land, they wanted to find a suitable place to settle down and live, while having ample space outside to farm crops efficiently enough to feed themselves. Therefore, when they found that this mountain was hollow, they were ecstatic, to say the least. They soon got to work constructing the buildings out of the rock itself, until they finally had a huge city literally hugging the undersides of the mountain and connected by huge viaducts of stone that were suspended over a deep chasm, which was also mined for whatever valuables could be found in the rock.

“Since the founding of Equestria, ponies have been trying to find the city again and relieve it of its riches, as well as the possibility of reviving it to become an actual settlement. Obviously, none of them were successful, which would make us two the only ponies to lay eyes on it in over a millennia.”

Twilight paused to let out a dreamy sigh as she let her head fall on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Oh, what it must have looked like back in its heyday? Strong two-storey houses made of never-aging stone. A great, towering palace of shining white stone that yells the power and strength of the earth ponies, and amazing statues of the finest legends among the earth pony tribe lying around the outskirts as though protecting the city, or on sparkling fountains in the many gardens and courtyards that made up its wide spaces.”

Fluttershy cracked a small smile at seeing the dreamy look on Twilight’s face; the unicorn was always cute when she looked simply delighted about something. “Um, forgive me if this sounds a little silly, but I thought the earth ponies had settlements outside of the mountain?”

Twilight nodded, though it was an affectionate nuzzle as well as she rubbed her face against Fluttershy’s chest. “That’s not a silly question at all, sweetheart. And you would be right, too. The earth ponies were the only pony tribe to have multiple settlements around the area. Most of them were large farming communities that could support the main city, but when the pegasi and the unicorns demanded food from them, then the earth ponies started building more and more settlements to keep up the demand. Needless to say they were not too happy about the increase in tithes.”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. “I see. So, um, how is it the earth ponies had to leave their city once the windigoes began their attacks?” She turned her gaze away, frowning. “I know it sounds silly, but well, I thought…” The air carried her voice away when she heard light-hearted giggles from the other mare.

“Again, that’s not a silly question,” Twilight said assuredly. “In fact, it is quite a good one. Why would the earth ponies abandon their finest city when they could have hunkered down in there and waited for the winter outside to pass? Well firstly, there was the problem of food; supplies were out and the stocks were empty when Chancellor Puddinghead and Smart Cookie left to find a new land. Secondly, according to some accounts, the winter storm was said to cast itself over the city inside the mountain, covering the city in snow and freezing buildings and ponies wherever it spread.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the mention of frozen ponies, and began to shiver as an unwanted thought crept into her mind. “Could we… I mean, is there a chance we might find any…” Her shivers grew fiercer as the words were caught in her throat. “Frozen ponies down there?”

Twilight stuck out her tongue as she gave that a little thought. She knew that once ponies started to freeze inside the city, the ponies abandoned it and made their way into the other settlements. The last time ponies were recorded to passing through the city was on the long exodus to Equestria, and even afterwards there wasn’t a recording to what had happened to those frozen by the windigoes’ powers. Did they die after being encased in ice for so long? Or are they down there now, waiting to be released and shown a new world?

“I don’t know, to be honest,” Twilight replied, shaking her head lightly. “I seriously hope we won’t find anything like that, though, because I wouldn’t know what to do. Do we release the pony from the ice, or leave him or her be?”

Fluttershy tilted her head at an angle. “Now why would we leave the pony frozen in ice for? That sounds awful.”

“I know, I know, but… think about it, what would he or she say if a unicorn and a pegasus, two of the earth ponies’ most hated enemies at that time, were the ones to free him or her from ice? And how would they react to the fact that their ancestors abandoned them to whatever fate was given to them should there be any living ponies still down there?”

Fluttershy hadn’t thought of all of that. It was true that any earth ponies still frozen down there would most likely welcome their appearance aggressively, and again it would take a long time to get used to a world that has moved on and progressed since the Time of Strife. They might even find a pony with a cutie mark of a talent that had long since died out! What then? However, if she knew something about history, she knew ponies, no matter how bad the situation was and how long it would take, would and could eventually adapt to anything.

“That’s all true,” Fluttershy agreed. “But then again, when the windigoes left, the ice encasing the ponies might have melted, so they might have simply followed the other ponies in the Great Exodus.”

Twilight smiled at the hopeful tone in Fluttershy’s voice. “I hope that was the case. But we’ll have to wait and see tomorrow morning.” She shifted about in her position, and sighed as she let her body start to fall asleep.

‘That’s the best plan I’ve heard all day,’ Fluttershy thought as she felt Twilight drift to sleep. She rested her head on top of her hooves, and very slowly started to close her eyes. “Good night, sweetie,” she whispered.

“Good night, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied drearily. “I love you.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to reply, but stopped short when she heard faint snores coming from the unicorn. “I love you too,” she whispered, smiling softly, before allowing her eyes to close and following her marefriend into the realm of dreams.

Fluttershy was awake even before the dawn started to shine through the cave entrance. She let out a wide, quiet yawn, and then wiggled out from under Twilight, while taking great care not to awake her marefriend by using her wing to lower her to the ground.

With Twilight safely on the ground and still snoring quietly – a sound that Fluttershy could not help but giggle at – the pegasus fluttered into the air and flew out of the cave and to the tip of the ledge. She set herself down onto her rump, and took a deep breath in and out at the fresh, morning air. ‘What a lovely morning,’ she thought cheerfully.

A huge blanket of white clouds covered the small mountains, hills and valleys that surrounded the giant mountain they were on, with only a few peaks tearing through. Above the clouds, the sky was a dark, morning blue with a fast but fresh breeze running around the mountain and sending shivers down Fluttershy’s spine. It still howled like a wolf, but that was understandable; they were so high up it was only natural the wind was fierce.

Fluttershy took another deep breath, smiling thinly as the few clouds that were not with their brothers glided briskly through the air like dolphins across the waves. Ever since she was a filly, Fluttershy always loved mornings like this one. They were always serene and peaceful; a time to make her feel relaxed before the scary stuff happens.

Fluttershy sighed as she glanced over her shoulder to the cave entrance. She did not doubt that they would encounter the goblins reputed to be within the ancient city, but she was worried about how would they react to them. She knew from many books on the subject that goblins were cowardly, weak and puny creatures that lived in the Badlands south of Equestria as well as other mountain ranges across Terra.

If the goblins felt threatened by them, they would kill them on sight. If they found them wanting, however, then they would be captured and taken prisoner, to be used as slaves for whatever purpose they would put them to. Either way, she knew they could soon be running for their lives once more, and that’s what scared her. ‘What if one of us falls behind?’ she wondered worriedly. ‘What if Twilight decides to stay behind and give me time to get away?’

Though she didn’t think Twilight would do that, she knew the unicorn would certainly guard her with her own life. ‘Do I mean that much to her, if it meant she would put herself in harm’s way? And if so, would I put myself in harm’s way if it meant she would live?’ She shook her head to rid herself of the thought. ‘I really hope she doesn’t. I could never forgive her if she did, and I could never forgive myself for letting it happen.’

Even though she utterly despised them, she had read many romance stories as a younger, more naïve mare where the two lovers would meet, and in one of every five she had unfortunately read, one of the lovers would give his or her life to defend the one they love. It sounded quite sweet to give one’s life for the one they loved, but at the same time it seemed terribly selfish. The lover that survived would have to live in grief for the rest of his or her life, not to mention the emotional trauma such an act would create.

If Fluttershy believed anything from romance fiction, it was that. If Twilight died on this journey and she lived, she would have to live in grief for the rest of her life, and wonder why it had to be Twilight to die and not her. She knew she would feel pathetic and useless, and her friends and Twilight’s family might think the same thing once they found out.

For that reason, she felt compelled to stop cowering and confront whatever beasts they would face by Twilight’s side. ‘We need to get through this together, and the only way we are going to do that is by working together,’ she thought, smiling bravely at herself. Celestia knows she needed to be brave. Not just for Twilight, but for herself.

The familiar groan of somepony waking up brought her out of her brooding. Smiling to herself, Fluttershy turned away from the edge and walked back into the cave to greet her marefriend. She smiled when she saw Twilight still lying on the ground and stretching her legs out, groaning pleasurably as she did so. Afterwards she rolled onto her stomach, and twisted her neck with a few cracking sounds as stiff joints were loosened.

“Good morning, Twilight,” Fluttershy greeted her warmly as Twilight slapped her lips together and groggily opened her eyes. “Did you sleep well?” She leaned forward and nuzzled the side of her face.

Twilight’s eyes snapped open to their widest when Fluttershy’s cheek rubbed against her, but she relaxed, smiled, and quickly returned it. “I slept very well, thank you,” she said sloppily. She giggled at herself as Fluttershy pulled away. “Sorry about that. I haven’t slept that good in ages that I don’t think my mind wanted to wake up just yet.”

Fluttershy giggled too. “I wish we didn’t have to, to be honest. I would rather sit in here and wait until help comes.” Her smile faltered. “But that won’t come, will it?”

Twilight frowned, and threw a foreleg over Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Try not to think about that at the moment, sweetheart. Like you told me when we set off from Esperius, let’s try and concentrate on what we have to face first.” Her eyes glanced over to the passageway beckoning them deeper into the mountain. “Like going through there first,” she pointed.

Fluttershy took another deep breath to calm her nerves as she followed Twilight’s gaze and pointing hoof to the tunnel. “I guess we’re gonna have to go in there soon, right?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “Yeah. Soon.” She pulled away from Fluttershy, sat up and turned to the cave entrance. “I’ll be ready in five minutes and then we’ll go in.”

Fluttershy nodded, and with that, Twilight trotted outside and out of sight.

A few minutes later, Twilight returned to find Fluttershy sitting in front of the passage entrance and shaking nervously. Twilight rushed over to her side in an instant and wrapped her forehooves around her neck in comfort. “Hey, sweetheart, what’s wrong? You look as though you have just seen a ghost.”

Fluttershy glanced at her marefriend. “I’m fine, really,” she replied timidly, “it’s just my nerves getting to me at the moment. I’ll be fine once we’re in there and out the other side.”

Twilight withdrew a hoof to pat Fluttershy on the back. “Then let’s not waste any more time and get this over with,” she declared determinedly, though her voice cracked near the end, stating her nervousness. Fluttershy nodded in agreement, a shrilled breath escaping her lips.

Slowly and carefully, as if she would stand on something that would explode in her face, Twilight took a step forward. She moved to make another step, but before she could, Fluttershy set a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. “Not yet. I want you to promise me something first,” she said.

Twilight turned her head to face her with an inquisitive look. “Promise you what?”

Fluttershy’s look turned serious as she slowly retracted her hoof from Twilight’s shoulder. “I want you to promise me that you will not sacrifice your life for me for whatever reason,” she requested. “I want you to promise that you will not endanger yourself just to keep me safe. Please, Twilight? For me?”

Twilight knew what Fluttershy was going on about. The idea of sacrificing your life to save the one you love was an ideal that had existed for thousands of years, and it was one of those beliefs that many ponies blindly believed in. Twilight, however, was not one of those ponies. Though it seemed to be the greatest act of kindness – to know your marefriend would live – she shuddered at the thought of the consequences the poor pony who lived would have to go through later.

Twilight spun about and placed both her hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “I will promise you that, but only if you promise me this.” Her marefriend’s ears pinned upright, giving Twilight their full attention. “I want you to promise me that you will help me face whatever is down there, and anything else we might face beyond the mountain. I want you to promise me that you will guard my back, as I will guard yours.”

She moved her forehooves onto Fluttershy’s cheeks. “I know you are scared, sweetheart,” she said softly, caressing the pegasus’s puffy cheeks in slow circles. “Believe me, I am scared, too. But when I am scared, I try to remember something about fear my brother told me after he underwent a tour of duty a few years ago. True courage is not charging in recklessly, but is acknowledging that fear, and yet still facing whatever creates it. And I know you are braver than anypony else.” She leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy’s bowed forehead. “Do you promise?”

Fluttershy didn’t take too long to think about what Twilight had asked of her; she had expected such a promise from her, and was prepared. “I promise I will do what I can to help you, and I will guard your back, as I know you will guard mine,” she said, and meaning every word of it. She smiled sweetly. “Shall we promise together?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course.”

The pair sat down facing each other, and then simultaneously chimed, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” complete with the moves.

The couple giggled as they set their hooves back down. “At least you didn’t poke yourself in the eye this time,” Fluttershy guffawed.

Twilight giggled also. “Yeah, thankfully, that wouldn’t be a good start to the journey, would it?” She looked up at the ceiling with a pondering face. “At least I would get to wear an eye-patch for a time again if I did.”

Fluttershy giggled as she walked past Twilight and towards the passageway. “Did you like wearing that eye-patch, then?” she asked, remembering when Twilight wore an eye-patch for a whole week after the time spell incident.

Twilight broke into a trot until she was beside her marefriend. “Oh yes. I don’t know why, but I felt a lot cooler with it on.”

“But it must have been awful to only be able to see out of one eye?”

Twilight shook her head. “It’s not that bad, actually,” she corrected. “Sure you lose a bit of your eyesight, but I got used to having a single eye for a long time, till I was able to take it off, of course.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, well that’s good, then,” she said. She stopped suddenly and her eyes widened in realisation. “Twilight?”

Twilight stopped and turned to face her. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“I didn’t realise we were in the tunnel until now.”

Twilight’s eyes bulged as she stared at her marefriend, and then looked around at the jagged walls around the pair. “Ah. No wonder it was getting dark in here quickly,” she said. With a subtle flick of her head, the tip of her horn lit up with a bright light. “That should help.” She turned to Fluttershy, who began to shake in fright, and held up a hoof. “It’s all right, sweetheart.”

The four small words were all Fluttershy needed to hear. She took a deep breath and took Twilight’s hoof with her own. “I’m okay,” she assured her, though it seemed to encourage herself more. “Really. I’m fine.”

Twilight nodded, then wordlessly led Fluttershy through the passage, their path lit up by the light of her horn. “How far do you think it goes?” Fluttershy asked suddenly.

Twilight shrugged. “I’m not sure, to be honest. It could be a few minutes, maybe an hour or twelve, or possibly days before we reach the other side. We’ll just have to wait and see, sweetheart.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she realised she wanted to talk to Twilight about that. “Oh, um, Twilight, about that, um, little pet name you’ve given me… or is it a pet name? Oh I don’t know, but, um–”

Twilight’s eyes widened in fright. “Oh? Have I been using it too much?” Just as she asked, her mind showed the innumerable times she had called Fluttershy by ‘sweetheart’ alone. “Oh, what am I saying, of course I’ve been using it too much!” she exclaimed, before facehoofing herself and groaning.

Fluttershy looked away as her eyes wandered around the walls. “Well, yes, you might have done,” she admitted quietly. She lowered her head sheepishly. “But personally, I didn’t mind.”

“Oh, I am so sorry about that, swee- I mean, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, bowing her head in shame. “I was just so excited and delighted about being able to call you my marefriend after so long of holding it in that I… I couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry. I won’t use it as often, promise.”

Fluttershy giggled as she nuzzled the side of Twilight’s face. “There is nothing to forgive, sweetie,” she said softly. “It’s just you being you at the end of it. But that’s not what I wanted to say, really.” Twilight brought her head up again, giving her full attention to Fluttershy. “Why sweetheart, exactly? You could have gone with many other things, yet you went with that one. Why?”

Twilight smiled lovingly. “Because you are a sweetheart,” she replied, making the pegasus blush.

“I-I’m not really one, but, um, thank you for thinking so,” she said. She broke into a nimble trot in the hope it would cool down the heat she could feel on her cheeks.

“Why not?” Twilight asked as she caught up with her. “You have a heart of gold, the one pony anypony can go to if they feel down and need a hug and some great advice. You are a good pony.”

“But I’m not, though,” Fluttershy countered, her ears falling flat across her head. “I have done so many terrible things in the past: I kidnapped the Princess’s pet phoenix, I yelled at two of my best friends because I was so stupid, I ate a cake I shouldn’t have because I was too greedy, and I… I hurt you before your brother’s wedding.”

Twilight stared at her lover for a long time in shock, her ears copying Fluttershy’s movements. “Hey, now,” she said softly, nuzzling her. “If we are going to judge ourselves by our failures alone, then I would be considered the greatest monster of them all.”

Fluttershy shot her head about to face her. “Don’t you ever call yourself a monster!” she said sternly. “If you are thinking about the ‘Want It, Need It’ spell then that was just a mistake.”

“And so were all the things you have listed out to me,” Twilight said plaintively, smiling as she watched Fluttershy’s expression change. “We all make mistakes, my love, big and small ones, and no matter how old we get we will still be making mistakes; it’s all part of growing up, after all.”

Fluttershy smiled wryly at Twilight’s wise words, though she saw she wasn’t the one who originally made them. “Did Princess Celestia tell you that?” she asked casually.

Twilight blushed as she rolled her eyes. “Well, maybe,” she oozed ponderously. She giggled. “But it is still true. Even the Princess admits to have made many mistakes in the past.”

“I know it is,” Fluttershy giggled, as her tail wrapped around the unicorn’s. “But it sounds better coming from you than from her.” She rested her head against Twilight’s, and sighed contently. “You would be my favourite Princess if you were one.”

Twilight blushed again, this time more fiercely than before. “Well I might be one day.”

Fluttershy giggled again. “I hope so, too, but I think you need a few things to be a Princess first.”

Twilight eyed Fluttershy curiously. “Like what?”

“Well, um… you might need some wings.” The pegasus flapped her wings for emphasis.

“I’ll stick some on with wood glue,” Twilight replied, grinning teasingly.

Fluttershy snorted loudly like a pig, prompting the pegasus to cover her face in embarrassment, while Twilight turned her head away and stifled her laughter through her hoof. “Um… fair enough, I suppose,” Fluttershy said once she had recovered, grinning happily. “So, um, what about that necklace thingy Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wear on their chests? Oh! And a crown?”

Twilight shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Eh, I just make some out of paper or something,” she replied.

Fluttershy tilted her head, raising an amused eyebrow in Twilight’s direction. “You’re not taking this seriously, are you?”

Twilight rapidly shook her head. “Nope. Sorry, but I don’t think I will ever be a Princess of Equestria, and I don’t know whether I want to be one or not; I prefer being a librarian like my dad.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Well we all think that yo–” She bit her bottom lip tightly to stop herself, drawing a bit of blood.

Twilight threw a studious gaze at Fluttershy. “You all think, what?”

Fluttershy sighed; she knew it was best to let out now. “When you were in Canterlot for a weekend, the rest of the girls and me gathered at our favourite café. You know, the one on the edge of Ponyville?” Twilight nodded. “We started talking about you – oh, in a good way, of course, not a horrible one! And, well, um, we all concluded together that you…” She looked up and stared into Twilight’s eyes. “That you are being trained by Princess Celestia to become a Princess.”

Twilight felt her eyes widen to the point she thought they would fall out of their sockets. She wanted to argue with Fluttershy and say that was not the case. However, as she thought about it, the more truth she could see in her friends and Fluttershy’s words. And it scared her, as was evident to the pegasus. “I… I don’t think I…” Twilight stammered, paling.

Fluttershy’s wing reached out and caressed Twilight’s back and shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay, we were only suggesting what might happen at the end of your time as a student. It does not mean we are right, and it would not be the first time we were wrong.” Fluttershy’s wing wrapped around Twilight’s back and belly in comfort.

“But what if you all are right, though?” Twilight enquired fearfully. “What if I do become a Princess, and Princess Celestia makes me leave Ponyville to live in my own castle? What if I never get to see any of you again?”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “I highly doubt that, sweetie,” she replied. “When Princess Celestia saw how upset you were about having to leave after we defeated Nightmare Moon, she gave you the task to study friendship from Ponyville. I don’t think she would force you to leave after that; she cares about you deeply, we all can see that, and she puts your feelings and wishes before anything else. You give her less credit than you should.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat when she realised Fluttershy was right. “Oh, you’re right, as usual,” she conceded. “I don’t know why I fear her like this, though. I’ve known her long enough and she has always treated me like a daughter first and a student second.”

“It’s probably because you have rarely seen her angry with you,” Fluttershy reckoned. “Your mind doesn’t know how she would react to when you do something bad, so it comes up with the worst fears imaginable. It’s how I felt when I knew I was going to get into trouble with my parents.”

Twilight nodded, seeing sense in Fluttershy’s words. “Like when you were found skipping school?”

Fluttershy nodded rapidly, her ears falling flat in shame. “Yes. Like then.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat once more, annoyed of herself for letting Fluttershy feel bad about that. Luckily, however, she knew just what to say, and chuckled in remembrance. “Would you be surprised to know that I skipped school loads of times when I was just a filly?”

Fluttershy’s head sprung up from its slow descent, her eyes expressing her disbelief of the suggestion. “Yes. Yes it would. Why would you do that, though? I thought you loved school.”

“Oh, I did when I first started,” Twilight replied. She sighed ruefully. “But then I started getting bullied badly at school because I was so clever and the way my mane is cut, and the teachers kept going onto topics that were repeated over and over again throughout the years. Eventually, I grew tired of it all, and simply took walks from the school to the main Canterlot library and began looking up the topic I loved most and yet was barely put into detail: magic. Before the day was out I would sneak back into the school yard and make it look like I had been there all day.”

Fluttershy nodded attentively, though she felt her teeth press together in rage at the image of Twilight being taunted by other fillies because of her mane cut. ‘I love her mane, and if anypony else disagrees with it then they can go somewhere else.’ “Were you ever caught?”

Twilight bit her lower lip and shook her head. “I came clean to my parents after I began to feel terrible for doing it. I was lying to them all, and it was starting to hurt me really, really badly,” she replied. She shivered lightly as they turned a corner.

“I take your parents were none too pleased?”

Twilight chuckled. “I still shudder every time I remember their looks of utter disappointment,” she replied, shaking her head at herself. “But after they discovered why I kept skipping school and what I had been doing instead, they enrolled me into Princess Celestia’s school for Gifted Unicorns when they saw I had a talent in magic.”

Fluttershy smiled as Twilight finished her tale. “That was a lovely story, Twilight,” she said. “How is it you never mentioned it before?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I just didn’t find a right moment to tell anypony,” she answered. “Something like that would be a conversation somepony like Pinkie Pie would come up from out of the blue, but not me.”

Fluttershy tilted her head away, nodding in contemplation. “Good point, I suppose,” she conceded. She abruptly shivered as a cold chill swept around her. “Is it just me, or is it getting a bit chilly in here?”

Twilight stopped, prompting the pegasus to do the same, and after a moment took a step forward to feel a breeze of cold air coming from a sharp turning ahead of them. “I think we’re approaching the end,” she said, earning a frightened squeak from the pegasus mare. Twilight was nervous, too, but at the same time excited to find what was beyond the corner.

She backed up until she was by Fluttershy again, and tapped her with her tail. “Ready, love?” she said encouragingly.

Fluttershy nodded as she gingerly wrapped her tail tight around Twilight’s own. “I’m ready now,” she said confidently, earning a grin from her unicorn lover. Together, the pair walked to the end of the tunnel, and rapidly rounded the corner.

They soon found themselves in a large chamber as high as the building the Elements of Harmony were kept in, with glistening dark grey walls of smoothed-down stone and based along the edges with boulders of varying size. However, the focus of their attentions was the arched doors barring their way. They were massive in size, easily the height of Ponyville’s town hall, and were connected to two pulleys with levers attached to them by ancient but giant chains, which were connected to the door by giant O-shaped hooks attached to large hinges at the top. The doors themselves were made of grey stone, with no murals or anything meant to make them stand out; for gates to a great city, they were quite boring.

Nevertheless, the plain, boring doors did nothing to quell Twilight’s growing excitement. ‘The doors might not reveal what awaits us on the other side, but I am quite happy it doesn’t actually,’ she thought, nearly hopping as Fluttershy and herself walked further into the chamber, their eyes wide in wonder.

“Hmm?” Twilight pondered as her eyes wandered between the two pulleys in front of her. “I take it we have to pull each of these levers to get inside?”

Fluttershy stopped looking around and examined the pulleys and chains along with her marefriend. After a moment, she nodded in agreement. “I think so. But do you think these doors will open after so long?” She pointed to the chains. “They might be brittle and break up if they haven’t been used since an age ago.”

Twilight briefly considered Fluttershy’s words, and shrugged. “The only way to be sure is to open them both at the same time and pray that the space they create is wide enough to squeeze through.” She backed away from the pulleys and when she was at a certain distance, spread her legs apart and prepared to use her magic to its full potential. “I pull on this one, while you pull or push on that other one. Sounds fair?”

Fluttershy nodded, though her eyes stated her uncertainty of ever pulling something like these. “I’ll try,” she said nervously. She fluttered into the air, and spat on her hooves and rubbed them together.

Twilight stared incredulously at her marefriend as she watched the pegasus rub her hooves together. “You did not seriously just do that?”

Fluttershy stopped what she was doing with a squeaky, “Eep,” leaving her lips, and turned to face her lover with a sheepish grin and embarrassed blush. “Oh, well, yes, sometimes I find it easier to get a grip onto things when I do that; makes me feel stronger, too.”

Twilight slowly raised an eyebrow as she took what Fluttershy had just said in, before letting out a hearty chuckle. “Fair enough, I suppose. Just wash your hooves afterwards.”

She turned her attention back to the pulley, and licked her dry lips. “Right then, let’s not waste anymore time and get this over with. On the count of three. One.” Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around the lever. “Two.” Fluttershy slowly flew backwards until she felt herself stopped by the weight of the lever, while Twilight attached her magic to her own lever. “Three!”

Both ponies pulled with all their might, and with slow, groaning movements, the levers followed their orders. Twilight glanced at Fluttershy to see the sweat pouring down her face as she pulled, using her wings and her hooves to give her better leverage. Twilight stepped back and reared her head up, her magic struggling to get it to budge.

“I’m nearly there!” Fluttershy yelled as she pulled it back a little bit further. She glanced over to Twilight, and smiled encouragingly at her. Twilight saw it, and smiled back, before putting all her power into pulling. Fluttershy followed with putting her all into it, until finally the pair heard two echoing clicking sounds from below the levers.

“We did it!” Twilight cried as the sound of the levers locking into place echoed across the chamber. She looked over to Fluttershy, who fell back to the ground sharply, panting furiously. “Are you all right, sweetheart?” the unicorn cried as she rushed over to her lover’s side.

“I’m fine,” Fluttershy replied, as she took Twilight’s offered hoof in her own. She parted her lips to speak again, when a whiny groaning sound echoed from the doors, and ancient dust began to fall from the ceiling.

Fluttershy and Twilight backed up from the levers and watched in awe as the axels began to turn clockwise and wrap the chains around themselves. Then, with an oozing groan that sounded like a call of a whale, the doors that had not been opened for centuries began to slowly part from each other and reveal the city on the other side.

When the doors finally opened, and the world returned to silence, Twilight turned her head to face Fluttershy, and grinned. “High hoof!” she exclaimed, throwing her hoof up into the air.

Fluttershy stared at the offered high hoof for a second, before grinning and slamming her own hoof against Twilight’s. “Bump cha!” she squeaked. She smiled sweetly at Twilight once more, which the unicorn returned, then looked at the open doors. “Shall we go in?”

Twilight stared at Fluttershy for a moment, before grinning and taking Fluttershy’s hoof. “Let’s make history,” she stated, before breaking into a gallop past the pulleys and towards the doors, dragging Fluttershy behind her; the pegasus recovered quickly and took to the air, smiling at Twilight’s infectious enthusiasm.

They raced through the doors, onto a large ledge the size of Fluttershy’s garden – and even showed signs of a beautiful garden once displayed there – and came to a sudden stop when they made it to the edge of a cliff. Twilight let her jaw drop as her eyes took in her surroundings, while Fluttershy dropped to the floor and moved to stand beside the unicorn, her eyes bulging in fascination. “Fluttershy,” Twilight said hoarsely. “I would love to introduce you to Eareskay, the city under the mountain.”

The city itself was split into two halves, with both halves – each side was the size of Ponyville – resting on opposite sides of a giant chasm, as though it were carved from the rock-face itself. Both sides of the city were mostly situated on elevated platforms going right to the top of the cavern, with many of the bigger and heavier houses built on stone ledges carved from the rock-face, while the smaller cottages and shops rested on great timbers of oak wood. Between the two sides, connecting them together via two long ledges was a huge arched bridge of bricked and polished stone, with a cylindrical column connected beneath it and spiralling down into the darkness. Above and around the old bridge, hundreds of little wooden ones, suspended by giant but aging rope, connected houses together as though keeping contact with old friends.

Twilight’s head flicked one way and another as she tried to take it all in. “This place is amazing,” she whispered, finding herself unable to speak louder.

“That it is,” Fluttershy agreed, though her eyes spoke of her confusion. “How is it the city is in such a miraculous condition? I would have thought that some of it by now would have been destroyed.”

Twilight stopped in her excitement, and after a brief pause to let it sink in she tapped her chin in thought. “That’s a good point, actually,” she conceded. “Why is it that the whole city is standing after centuries of neglect?” After a minute to think about it, she shrugged. “We’ll go through and have a look around. Maybe we’ll find something within the ruins.”

Fluttershy nodded, then looked around at the area around them. “So, uh, which way do we go from here?”

Twilight instantly fired two bolts of light, both in opposite directions, where each rocketed into the air and exploded above the cavern, showering the entire chamber in light.

Twilight firstly looked left, and could see halfway round that the path suddenly broke away and collapsed. ‘If that area is gone, then who’s to say the rest of that path is unstable?’ she thought. She then looked right, and saw the path veered around the cavern, and entered the right side of the lower section of the city. “We’ll go right and try to find out how we get out of here.”

Fluttershy nodded, and then tilted her head a bit. “You mean, you don’t know how to get out of here?”

Twilight nodded enthusiastically, only for it to turn sheepish as she saw the aghast look on Fluttershy’s face. “Well, yes, I don’t have a clue on how to navigate through here. But!” she quickly added, “I am sure we’ll find something that would give us a clue on how to get out of here.” She spun around, and began to follow the path at a trot. “Let’s keep moving while my spells are giving us light!”

Fluttershy broke out of her shock, and trotted hurriedly after Twilight, wondering how on earth the pair of them were going to get out of this huge cavern. “Where should we start looking for a way to get out?” she asked, as she slowed down upon returning to Twilight’s side.

Twilight’s eyes wandered as she thought of something. “We could try getting to the top level and see if we could make out the path leading out of here,” she said as they passed the remains of a great fountain. Half of the stone statue that had sat on top was gone, and the walls around the main bowl were broken up and its remains scattered across the floor.

Fluttershy nodded, her eyes not leaving the broken fountain as they walked around it. “That’s a… good idea, I guess,” she said. She looked around as they entered the right section of the city proper.

The buildings on the lower levels were mostly houses built on weathered but tall wooden platforms, held up by pillars as tall and as wide as a pony. The houses themselves were mainly two-storey homes made of stone, with an open frame for a door to sit in, and two rectangular spaces for windows on either side. The second floor was just two windows on the face, and one on each side.

“I wonder what they are like inside,” Fluttershy wondered aloud as she stared at one. Cautiously, she trotted up the creaking wooden stairs onto the platform, and peered inside the old house. She was surprised, and a little bit disappointed, that there was nothing inside to show what this place was like once. No beds, sofas, paintings or anything a house would usually have. Nothing. “They must have taken it all when they left,” she realised, her tone revealing her disappointment.

She turned away and fluttered back down to the stairs to join Twilight, who was waiting for her by the base of another flight of stairs; these ones, however, were made of stone, and went up through the different levels to the highest one.

“Found anything interesting in there?” Twilight enquired when Fluttershy came within hearing distance.

Fluttershy shook her head. “No. There was nothing in there at all. They must have cleared it all out and taken it with them when they left.”

Twilight’s ears fell, but she kept her brave smile on. “That’s okay. I’m sure we’ll find something up there,” she said, pointing to the stairs she stood beside.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as though she had only seen it for the first time, and then slowly followed the stairs as she began to shake nervously with fright. “It looks very… dark, up there,” she pointed out.

Twilight grinned. “That’s where I come in,” she said boastingly. “Come on. Keep your voice low and your steps quiet, too. Maybe then our presence here will go unnoticed.”

Fluttershy nodded, giggling quietly to herself. “You don’t have to worry about my voice being loud. My hooves, on the other hoof… let’s just say I can be like an elephant sometimes.”

Twilight giggled as she led the pegasus up the stairs, their hoof trots echoing across the chasm loudly, and causing the unicorn to grimace. “So much for being quiet,” she muttered to herself.

They quickly made it to the highest level of the old city, and briefly looked around. The dozen or so buildings on the high level stood on the long ledge sticking out of the underside of the mountain, and were three storeys high and built of stone. The first two floors were the same size with similar structure to the other houses below. The third floor, however, was split up with a small square-shaped room, and an outdoor platform to watch the city from.

Twilight snorted as she looked at the better-looking houses, and then back at the ones below. “Even with the earth ponies’ talk of freedom and equality, there were still those that lived better off than others.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, even as her ears fell. “Shame really. Maybe they weren’t so different to the pegasi or the unicorns,” she said, as she looked towards the other side of the city. “Hey look!” She pointed. “I think I can see the way out of here!”

Twilight turned away from the house she was looking, and followed Fluttershy’s outstretched leg. As she looked, a plan started to form in her mind. They had to cross the old bridge, then make their way up to the middle level of the city, and then turn right and follow the path through a tunnel and back into the open. ‘That should be easy enough, shouldn’t it?’ Twilight thought.

She immediately regretted conjuring that thought.

“Right, then I suggest we head down there and over that bridge as quickly as possible,” Twilight said. Upon Fluttershy’s nod of agreement, Twilight’s horn began to light up. “Hold on.”

“To what?” Fluttershy asked, before disappearing in a flash of light.

A few seconds later, the pair reappeared in the space between the city and the bridges, which was guarded on either side by two rearing earth ponies, their ears pinned back, their teeth snarling in rage and their forehooves kicking out to any unwanted visitors. “I doubt those will do anything, right?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight shook her head. “Nah, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she assured the pegasus. With that, the pair began to walk. “Now let’s get over this bridge and – ah!” The pair screamed as a piece of hidden rope wrapped itself around one of their hind legs, and flung them into the air.

Fluttershy continued to scream as she covered her face with her hooves, and felt herself stop mid-air, only to feel herself plummet back to earth again. ‘I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!’ she thought frantically as she felt her insides break out from their places and force themselves up as she dropped. Just as she thought she was about to hit the ground and die, she stopped again, and felt something slam into her side like a hammer.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight cried, gritting her teeth in pain. Fluttershy peeped over her hooves to realise it was the unicorn who had hit her. “Fluttershy, are you all right?” she yelled again, her tone indicating her shame. “I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to ram into you like that!”

Fluttershy removed her hooves from her face and inspected her body and her surroundings. Despite being suspended upside down by a long piece of rope wrapped around her hind leg with her marefriend – creating a rather uncomfortable feeling as Twilight’s bony hind leg pressed itself into her own – she felt fine. Well, as good as she can be with the whole world around her now the wrong way around. ‘Oh dear,’ she thought, as she started to feel nauseous.

“I’m fine,” she replied, looking around her nervously. “Well, as good as I can be considering the circumstances.” She looked up again, and quietly sighed in relief when she saw her tail fall down between her hind legs and down her belly. ‘Priorities, Fluttershy, we need to get out of this.’ “Are you all right?”

“I think so,” Twilight answered, rubbing the side of her head. “Just a bit achy where I slammed into you.” She shook her head again, and looked up at the rope trapping them there. ‘Too easy,’ she thought, giggling to herself. “Well, I think I’m done ‘hanging’ around here, aren’t you?”

Fluttershy stopped squirming to release her leg, and threw incredulous glares at Twilight. “Oh, you did not just go there!”

“Hehe, oh I went there all right, baby,” Twilight replied, grinning devilishly and offering a wink. She stuck the tip of her tongue out and began to channel magic to the tip of her horn. “Give me a minute and I’ll have us teleported out of here.”

“Okay, and don’t call me baby ever again,” Fluttershy replied, wincing as if the word had punched her. “It sounds wrong coming from you.”

Twilight stopped casting her spell and faced Fluttershy with a wry grin. “You didn’t complain the first time I said it to you.”

The pegasus’s mouth formed into an O as she remembered Twilight calling her that not long after she discovered Philomena was in her cottage. ‘I should have noticed,’ she chided herself upon realising how long ago the signs showed how much she actually meant to Twilight.

“Okay,” Twilight said, as magic began to glow around her horn again. “And we’re…” She didn’t have time to finish her sentence as the pair disappeared from their entanglement, leaving a rope dangling from the ceiling.

“Free!” Twilight finished as she reappeared on the ground and before the bridge, with Fluttershy popping up beside her a second later and looking rather dizzy. Twilight turned to face her marefriend. “See, I told you we’ll be fine.”

Fluttershy rapidly shook her head to clear her vision and thought, and then turned to face Twilight. Before she could open her mouth to agree, her eyes widened in fear and she took a step back. “Y-you might want to rethink that, sweetie.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed agitatedly as she looked at her lover. “There’s a goblin on the bridge and coming towards us, isn’t there?”

Fluttershy swallowed a lump on her throat. “I thi-think so,” she replied, her legs quivering in fright.

Twilight turned to look at the creature, and immediately backed up until she was beside her marefriend again. There was no doubt in her mind to what the creature was. It was definitely a mountain goblin.

The creature somewhat resembled a pony that stood hunched over on its hind legs, and a muzzle resembling a pony mare and a stone grey coat across its whole body. But that was where any resemblance ended between the two races. The goblin was as bald as a poodle’s backside and had two dragon-like claws where the forehooves should be and hooves on its hind legs; its eyes were a bright yellow and cat like in their appearance, and the rotting teeth they could see on its grinning face was as blunt as a spoon.

The goblin stopped when it was a couple of feet from the trembling pair, and crouched low, ready to pounce with its small axe made from a stick and sharpened rock in one claw. Twilight and Fluttershy looked behind them upon hearing screeches and such, and saw to their horror that more goblins appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. “Oh gosh! Where are they all coming from?” Fluttershy whispered, her tone raised to a squeak in her fear.

Twilight shot her head around, and watched as another goblin appeared from below the ground. ‘Trap doors; tunnels built right under the city,’ Twilight theorised. “They must have realised we were here when we activated their trap,” she whispered back to Fluttershy as the goblins surrounded them. “Don’t worry, I can teleport us out of this.”

Fluttershy began to shake even harder as she looked ahead. “I don’t think you should.” She pointed to the bridge with a shuddering hoof. “Look.”

Twilight looked to where she was pointing, and saw more goblins waiting on the other side of the bridge, blocking their escape. She looked up to find an alternative route, but found that more goblins armed with bows were on the high ground, arrows notched to their strings and ready to loose at a moment’s notice.

Twilight gulped in fear as she realised they were trapped by the goblins, which waited patiently for them to make the first move. She nodded briskly to herself as an idea, though a terrible one, came to her head. “Follow my lead,” she whispered to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder. “And do what?”

“Try your best at looking intimidating. They might get scared and back away; goblins are cowardly in nature and will back off if they see their opponents are stronger,” the unicorn explained. With that, Fluttershy faced the goblins once more, lowered the front of half of her body, and spread her wings out, her eyes narrowing in mock anger.

Twilight, meanwhile, stepped forward and lowered herself into a fighting stance, her horn glowing faintly as she prepped a few combat spells if she had to use them. She knew the pair of them couldn’t defeat so many goblins on their own, so they had to rely on intimidation to win and get through. “Goblins!” she yelled, her voice echoing across the cavern with great authority.

The goblins took a step back in fright, but mostly they held their ground. “I am only gonna give you this one warning. Go back to your homes and leave us in peace. You might be thinking you have numbers on your side, but you haven’t met my friend here or me. The pair of us has fought hundreds of changelings, and we both came through on top. We crossed a great ocean ripe with danger, sent a dragon fleeing from its home in a mountain, and have defeated gods and goddesses!

“So think on that before you charge in on us! Think about what I just told you all, and then, do the smart thing and– hey!” She was cut off as a goblin picked her up by the tail and dumped her into a huge sack in the goblin’s claws. The goblin pulled a piece of string and closed the sack up, trapping the unicorn inside.

“TWILIGHT!” Fluttershy screamed in horror, as she watched the unicorn try to escape. She rushed forward to push the goblin down and free her marefriend, but felt herself fall to the ground as something grabbed her by the tail. She looked back to see another goblin had her, and struggled to get free. “Let me go! Please!” she yelled.

The goblin sneered, and with such strength, picked her up by the tail and dropped her into another sack. Fluttershy scrambled to get up and stop the goblin from trapping her, but before she could reach a hoof out to stop it, the goblin pulled a string and sealed it, encasing Fluttershy in darkness.

Fluttershy felt herself being lifted into the air and then went, “Ow!” as she felt her body make contact with the goblin’s back. When she felt the goblin begin to scurry along with the rest, her breathing began to quicken in her panic. ‘Oh no, oh what’s going to happen to us?’ she fretted, her hooves over her mouth as she curled into a frightened little ball. She peered through the small hole in the sack to see where they were going, but she couldn’t see much other than a long dark tunnel. ‘What would they want with us?’

They obviously didn’t want to kill them, as they would have done so when they first appeared, so that would mean they were needed for slave labour. But what? ‘Twilight probably knows,’ she thought as she looked through the small hole, gazing at the tunnel and their only route of escape disappearing from sight. She couldn’t see the sack Twilight was in, but she knew she was close and still in her sack, even when she could have teleported out ages ago. ‘She doesn’t want to leave me alone,’ Fluttershy realised, smiling thinly. That smile faded when she felt a sharp bump on her side, rudely reminding her of her current position. ‘But first, we gotta think of a way to get out of here.’

Thinking of nothing else to do – she didn’t see the point of struggling to get out, for she knew there was no hope now that she was in a sack – she relaxed and closed her eyes, praying that Twilight was okay as well as coming up with a remarkable escape plan.

Author's Note

Sorry about the wait for this one. This chapter as well as the entire scene under the mountain has been a pain to do, and admittedly I have been kinda reluctant to go about finishing this story; I'm not sure why, but I think it is that I don't want it to end, even though I know the end is coming up which I hope leaves everyone satisfied. I'm reluctant to see a story I have adored writing come to its inevitable conclusion, and it's hard to let go.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thanks to everyone for reading it, favouriting, commenting on it and liking it. Thanks again.

Chapter 17 (part 2)

Fluttershy’s eyes opened upon feeling the goblin carrying her stop, and tensed herself for whatever was about to happen. Whatever was beyond the sack she was contained in, it wanted her marefriend and her, and she needed to be ready to jump out, save and re-unite with Twilight, and then do what they were best at: running for their lives.

She didn’t expect to be suddenly turned over so she was now lying on the sealed top of the sack. “Uh oh,” she whispered, her eyes widening as she realised what was about to happen.

“Going down, little pony,” the goblin said in a high-pitched and crackly voice. With that, he pulled open the sack, and allowed Fluttershy to drop out. Instead of hitting the ground with a thud as she had expected, however, she was greeted by a long fall into the darkness of a chasm.

Fluttershy screamed as she fell, her wings flapping uselessly and her legs flailing about as she tried to slow down her descent. All it did was make the goblins watching laugh, and direct her fall towards the side. She felt a sharp pain against her side as she banged into the wall, and cried out. She screamed once again as she began to scrape against the side of the wall like a stone bouncing across the water of a lake, feeling her belly get cut open by the sharp rocks.

She managed to push herself away from the wall, only to start spinning like a falling tree trunk. Through the spinning, she barely made out the ground closing fast. Squeaking in fright, she closed her eyes and braced as she slammed face-first into the ground, knocking her out.

She groaned into the mud when she felt herself coming around once more, feeling a thumping pain in her sides, head and muzzle as she lay on the ground. ‘That hurt. A lot,’ she thought as she lifted her face out of the ground. She shook her head, wiping away some of the mud staining her head, and sat onto her haunches, gasping for air.

She looked down at her body and saw to some relief that she only suffered a few heavy bruises, some minor cuts along her sides and a few out of place feathers. She quickly licked her feathers back in place, and sorted out her ruffled mane and tail. ‘That could have gone better,’ she thought. ‘But that could have been a lot worse.’

But she felt thankful that she was still alive. The only question that remained unanswered was: where was Twilight?

She didn’t have too long to wait for the answer, as she heard a familiar scream coming from above. The pegasus looked up and her eyes widened to see Twilight falling towards her, bouncing across the walls of their prison like she had done, and shouting, “Ow!” every time. Fluttershy could only wince and look away when Twilight slammed bottom-first into the ground, her eyes watering on impact, and then fell onto her back with her eyes circling their sockets.

Fluttershy rushed over to Twilight’s side in an instant, lifted her onto her rump and held her in her forelegs. “Twilight, speak to me, please!” Fluttershy shouted, shaking her lightly and causing the unicorn to moan. “Are you all right?” The pegasus mentally slapped herself. ‘Of course she’s not all right, silly. She just dropped a good twenty feet or so.’

Twilight’s mind was a blur. Everything ached like she had been pushed heavily around in the schoolyard, and her nerves were a haze of panic as she remembered being thrown into a sack and carried heavily about the place like potatoes. She groaned once more as her vision finally came into focus, though it came slowly like an approaching light. When she saw the blurring form of Fluttershy, she breathed a little more calmly. “Fluttershy?” she moaned. ‘Thank goodness she’s all right,’ she thought.

Fluttershy smiled, sighing lightly in relief. “Yes. It’s me.” She slowly helped the unicorn back to her hooves. “That’s it. How are you feeling?”

Twilight groaned again and kept her head low, rubbing her forehead as she felt a headache coming along. “Could be worse, but then could be a lot better,” she replied. She looked up at her lover, concern written across her eyes. “What about you?”

Fluttershy nodded, backing away once she was sure Twilight was able to sit on her own. “The same,” she answered. “Just a few bruises here and there.” She slowly spread her wings out. “And a few feathers were out of pla– ah!” she cried out agonisingly as her wings stretched out at their fullest, but felt a sharp and searing pain slash their way through her right wing and along her body.

She tucked her wings back to her side and collapsed onto her stomach. “Fluttershy!” Twilight cried as she jumped to her marefriend’s side. She gently set a hoof along the pegasus’s wing, but quickly pulled it back when Fluttershy squealed in pain again. “I think you might have sprained your wing,” she said quietly.

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Fluttershy snapped, gritting her teeth in pain. Twilight took a step back, her ears drooping across her head as she stared sadly at her marefriend. Fluttershy sighed and looked away in shame upon seeing what she had done. “I’m sorry, I-I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. It just hurts so much.” Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut and pressed her teeth together as she could feel the pain receding, but it was fading so slowly it was still an unbearable feeling.

Twilight looked to the ground as she pondered on what to do, though quickly realised she saw no sense in thinking; she knew she could not help. ‘How can I help her when I have no bandages to wrap around it?’ she thought sadly. She started sniffling as tears came to the forefront of her eyes.

Fluttershy looked at her upon hearing Twilight’s sniffles, and could only stare in horror and shame. ‘Oh no. What have I done?’ She painfully got up and delicately stepped forward. “I’m so sorry, Twilight, I mean it. I didn’t mean to snap like that, I really didn’t. Oh, please don’t cry, please…”

“It’s not that,” Twilight sobbed, as the tears started to fall down her cheeks. “I just feel so useless right now. You’re in pain and I have no way of treating your wing or keeping the pain away, and neither can I get us out of here.” She looked at the rough walls of rock around her with teary eyes.

Fluttershy felt gutted that she did not have the power to make Twilight feel useful. “Are you sure you can’t get us out?” she asked carefully. “You’re an amazing pony, Twilight, I’m certain in that amazing brain of yours there’s an idea waiting to be used to get us out of whatever this thing is.”

Twilight shook her head numbly. “Not this time,” she replied. “Firstly, this is an oubliette, a prison designed into a pit with only one entrance and exit: the top.”

“Yes, I remember the last time we fell into one,” Fluttershy reminded her. “But you managed to teleport us out of that one, so you can surely do it again.”

Again, Twilight shook her head morosely. “When I was in the sack, I had no holes to look out and see where we were going, so I couldn’t see anything to give me a clear image on where I would like to teleport. Moreover, I don’t know how far the top is from here, so–”

“In other words, we’re stuck down here,” Fluttershy finished, finding herself not in the mood to hear the unicorn’s long explanations. She sighed wearily and fell onto her rump. She looked up again to read Twilight’s expression, and saw shame for getting them into this mess. “Before you start, just know that this isn’t your fault. None of us could have prevented this.”

Twilight’s head lowered further, her eyes spilling enough sadness to make Fluttershy’s heart break. “I wish I could have done better. I could have, I really could have. But I didn’t, and because of my hesitance we are now stuck here.” She lowered herself onto her stomach and rested her head on her crossed forelegs, groaning in sorrow.

‘She’s giving up,’ Fluttershy realised in horror. She shook her head pitifully at her lover. “I didn’t take you for a quitter, Twilight,” she said bluntly. Twilight didn’t reply, but whimpered powerlessly once more. Fluttershy ground her lower teeth against her lips; she was so sure that would get Twilight up. ‘Very well. If she can’t do anything about this, then I will have to.’

Fluttershy spun away from her marefriend and looked up at the pit. Above them was darkness like a starless night, with no indication as to how high it went up or if there were any goblins up there. But she knew they were there, guarding the top and listening to them as they lost all hope.

Just because she was shy did not mean she was an idiot.

“Goblins!” she yelled as loud as her voice could fly. Twilight’s head shot up in alarm as the pegasus began to pace around the oubliette, looking at the darkness above them. “I know you’re up there listening to us! I know that you want to hear us whimpering like this! That feeling of hopelessness! Well it’s not going to work!”

“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” Twilight demanded, rising from her place to stop her if she could.

“Getting us out of here,” she whispered, glancing at her. “Just be quiet for a bit and I’ll do the rest.” She looked up again, and yelled, “We want to know why we are being kept in the darkness like poor, defenceless rodents, and what use you have of us!

“Now, I know we are all intelligent creatures; you need something you cannot get, and we need to get to the end of the valley! So, why not help each other? We help you with whatever you need us for, and then you can show us the way out!” She waited for a minute to hear a reply, but none came. “What say you?”

Twilight’s ears flicked as she looked into the darkness, waiting just as desperately as Fluttershy was for a reply. The seconds turned into minutes, and a voice did not come down from the night sky above them. The unicorn sighed and lowered her head again, and then turned to Fluttershy, who looked morbidly depressed. She set a hoof on the pegasus’s shoulder, rubbing it in a circle. “Hey, now, that was great. A star for effort, certainly, but did you really think the goblins would listen to anything we say?” she asked gently.

Fluttershy shook her head sadly. “No. But I hoped they would,” she answered. “We needed to do something, though; we’ve come too far to give up now, not when we are so close to the flower.”

Twilight knew the pegasus was right. They had come further than any pony before them, and had seen sights that no living Equestrian – except maybe Celestia – had ever gazed upon. To end up here where they may stay until they are needed as slaves or when they are dead… it was something Twilight could not stand. ‘We have come so far now. Further than I had ever dreamed.’ She started to mentally tap her brain to get it to work and come up with a brilliant plan.

“We…” she slurred eventually, prompting the pegasus before her to raise her ears and smile hopefully. “We could just wait until your wing gets better, and then one of us takes us up halfway, and then the other takes us the rest of the way.”

It was not exactly the escape plan Fluttershy wanted immediately, but she was certainly happy to have one regardless. “That could work,” she said, nodding. “But wouldn’t that require the pair of us to have…?” She pulled out her undamaged wing ever so slightly, emphasising the fact Twilight didn’t have any wings.

“You forget that I can use my levitation spell on myself to lift us into the air,” Twilight reminded her.

“Oh,” Fluttershy oozed. She lightly smacked her head. “Of course you do. But, um, why don’t you use it now? Not that I’m forcing you to, but if we want to get out of here quickly then…”

Twilight chuckled, though it was a sad one other than a happy one. “I don’t think I could lift us both as high as we need to go, or have the ability to carry the pair of us for what might be a long time; I do have my limits, you know.”

Fluttershy nodded, feeling like an idiot for thinking it. “Of course you do. Silly me,” she chided herself. “So, how about you use it to get yourself out of here?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow bemusedly. “And leave you here all by yourself? No. I could not do that, not even for a second,” she answered.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile, knowing that Twilight would stick to her word. She looked at the ground and saw Twilight’s shivering hooves. “You’re cold,” she gasped.

Twilight looked down at her hooves and noticed how cold she was. “Yeah. Just a little bit, though,” she said, as the rest of her body caught up with her hooves and started to shiver.

Fluttershy could not let her marefriend go cold; Twilight wouldn’t let her. She shuffled forward until her knees were touching hers, and gingerly wrapped her forelegs around the unicorn. Then, ever so gently in case the other one hurt, too, she brought her left wing out and wrapped it around Twilight.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock as she felt Fluttershy’s kind warmth spread across her body and fill her with a heat no fire ever could. “How are you doing this?” she asked quietly.

“Just being a penguin for the day,” Fluttershy replied, giggling at the image of her and Twilight looking like king penguins, complete with coat colours, manes, and tails. “In a cold blizzard, penguins huddle together to keep warm as the temperatures drop dramatically to the point not even a lone penguin can survive the cold.” She slowly started to caress Twilight’s back with her hooves and wing, her eyes narrow and staring lovingly into her lover’s. “Is it working?”

‘If I didn’t know any better,’ Twilight thought, ‘I would have thought Fluttershy was flirting with me with that look.’ If she was, it was working incredibly well. “Very much so,” she replied, grinning ecstatically.

Fluttershy smiled but kept her silence. Silently, Fluttershy leaned forward and rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder; a bit later, Twilight did the same. They stayed huddled together for a long time, with only their steady breathing keeping the silence back.

“Back when we were in those sacks, I realised you could have used your magic to get yourself out, and sometimes I thought that you did. Now I see that you didn’t, and it makes me wonder,” Fluttershy said, many minutes later. “You could have teleported out at any time and saved me later. Why didn’t you?”

“For the same reason I am not heading up there now,” Twilight replied, smiling. The unicorn pulled away, her smile growing a little wider at the sight of her marefriend. “I care about you so much, sweetheart, and I couldn’t bear to abandon you, not even for one second. That, and I was scared I would never find you again in the numberless caverns around here.”

Fluttershy stared at her marefriend incredulously for a long moment, before breaking into a wide grin. She shyly looked away and blushed as a thought crept to the forefront of her mind. “Um, I know I said so, and you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but, um, I was wondering…” Her voice trailed off into soft little nervous whimpers that were adorable to Twilight’s ears.

Twilight cupped her marefriend’s chin and smiled encouragingly. “What is it you want to say?” she asked patiently.

Fluttershy smiled, even as the blushes on her cheeks grew fiercer. “I know I said that we should have our first proper kiss in a more romantic setting, like when we discover the flowers or somewhere better. But, um, I thought, since we might never leave this place, we could… share our first kiss together here? Now?”

Twilight’s cheeks suddenly felt hotter than the rest of her body did; yet the largest, most gleeful grin ever recorded was plastered across her face. “I would… love that,” she whispered, and slowly inched her head closer, her lips ready to make contact with Fluttershy’s.

Fluttershy showed off her squee grin, and slowly brought her head forward to kiss Twilight. ‘Oh, I hope this time it goes all right,’ she thought wonderingly. ‘Are my lips clean? Is my breath okay? Maybe I should back out of this and wait until I’m ready.’ No matter how many times she argued with herself to get out of it, she did not back up; her head slowly inched closer until she could feel Twilight’s breath against her lips. ‘This is it.’ She closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a large groan parted the two ponies in shock, and they looked up to see where it was coming from. ‘Oh for goodness sake! Does anything on this planet want me to kiss my marefriend?’ Twilight yelled in thought, staring angrily at the darkness above them.

Fluttershy backed away from Twilight a few paces as the groaning continued, followed by a squeaking noise, like the sound of one of Applejack’s pulleys in her barn. “What is that?” she wondered aloud.

Twilight, oblivious to the fact that Fluttershy wasn’t looking at her, shook her head. “I have no idea, but it’s coming down here,” she said, her eyes wandering across the darkness to look for the cause of the groaning.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, the thing emerged. It looked like a great wooden lift from below, and was wide enough for around two dozen ponies to stand on. Fluttershy rushed over to Twilight’s side, shaking in fear of what could be coming down. Twilight glanced over and saw her fear, and inched closer so that her coat was brushing against hers. “It’ll be all right,” she whispered.

Fluttershy smiled bravely, but her trembling did not stop. The two looked up again when they felt the thing’s shadow fall upon them, and their mouths parted in wonder as they finally had a good look at what it was.

It was a cage of some sort – empty of any goblins – with a thin door on the side closest to them, and thick metal bars running around it. The cage landed on the ground with a thud, pushing up a cloud of dirt and dust, which flew through Fluttershy and Twilight’s noses, sending them into a coughing fit.

Twilight shook her head and neck, shaking some of the dust off her, then sneezed the rest out. “I think some got onto my tongue,” she spluttered, spitting out dust between words.

Fluttershy spat her mane back out of her mouth, which sent the dirt that had landed on it to fly away once more, and stared at the cage before them. “What are we meant to do with that?” she wondered.

“Have a staring contest with it, I think,” Twilight replied teasingly. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as if Twilight stated the obvious, to which the unicorn simply groaned. “We’re meant to get in it, silly.” She proved her statement by trotting inside the cage. “Come on,” she said as she entered.

Fluttershy sheepishly followed, feeling a bit silly once more in thinking that Twilight was right. ‘I must have hit my head hard on the ground to think that,’ she thought as she entered the cage. “Sorry,” she said, moving ploddingly to stand beside Twilight.

Twilight chuckled as she looked around, using her magic to shut the door of the cage. “Don’t be,” she said kindly. She looked back at Fluttershy, who was staring at the ground, and smiled softly. “You are cute when you are like that, though.”

Fluttershy looked up, a thin colour of pink on her cheeks. “R-really?” she asked bashfully.

Twilight nodded, then leaned forward and nuzzled the side of her face. “You are always cute and you know it. So don’t act all surprised,” she said.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to retort, blushing furiously, when she suddenly stumbled backwards as the cage lurched. “What’s happening?” she yelled as she tried to retain balance.

Twilight groaned as she removed her back from the bars. She moved to look down and see what just happened, but the groaning from above was enough to give her the answer. “I think we’re moving up.”

Fluttershy spun around to look at the ground, and saw to her alarm that Twilight was right. The ground began to move away from them, shrinking into the darkness as the cage was lifted steadily up.

Even with the speed it was going, the ride was not comfortable at all. Fluttershy stumbled across the floor of the cage, her face turning green as the cage began to sway. Twilight was surprisingly okay, though her face slowly began to turn a darker shade of green than her marefriend’s.

“Ooohh, I do not like this at all,” Twilight moaned while she pressed her hooves against the floor, trying desperately to think straight to cast a spell.

“Me neither,” Fluttershy slurred, her whole head now a grassy green. Despite being a pegasus, and with her mind still wobbly from the fall and her injuries playing up, she didn’t feel right to be going up a swaying cage. She stopped and her eyes widened as she clamped a hoof around her mouth. ‘Oh my,’ she thought, before running over the side and throwing up through the bars.

When the rocking of the cage subsided for a little bit, Twilight shook her head to clear her mind, and closed her eyes and ignited her horn with magic. At once, an aura of magenta magic surrounded Fluttershy and herself, and the world suddenly felt a bit straighter, even as the rocking began once more.

Fluttershy froze in place when she realised she did not feel sick anymore, and brought her head up to look behind her. A faint cloud of magenta magic surrounded her body like a dress, keeping her body firm and stable and allowing her to take the rocking cage. She looked from her body to Twilight, and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, sweetie,” she said.

Twilight smiled and bowed her head. “You are most welcome, my love,” she said, before looking up as the top of the pit began to appear. “We’re almost at the top.” Fluttershy looked up as well and saw that she was right. She took a deep breath and steadied her nerves as she prepared to face whatever they would find up there.

When the cage stopped at the top of the oubliette, they were met by four goblins: three of them were armed with crude bows and arrows and were pointing them at the couple, and while the forth goblin had a broadsword sheathed across his back, his criminalizing gaze alone was enough to instil dread into the two ponies.

Twilight’s gaze shifted between the three goblins with their aiming bows and the goblin with the sword, before leaning her head closer to Fluttershy so she could whisper. “Do you know what fascinates me most about goblins?”

Fluttershy looked at the goblins for a bit then glanced at Twilight. “I don’t know. What?”

“The fact that they all look alike. Seriously, same height, same structure, same colour of the skin. The only differences are battle scars, eye colour and body hair.”

“Ew,” Fluttershy said, grimacing at the thought. “In a way, they are like us. Think about it, we ponies more or less have the same body structure.”

“That’s true, and–” Twilight stopped talking and squeaked in fright as the leading goblin reached over his shoulder and rapidly drew his sword. He pointed it at the two trembling ponies, sneering, before lunging forward.

Fluttershy clung to Twilight in fear while the unicorn wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus to keep her safe, closing her eyes and tensing up as the sword came down. To her surprise, she heard it clang against metal, and then there was silence. Twilight peeped an eye open to see that not only had the goblin smashed his sword to pieces, but had also ripped the door off its hinges and sent it sprawling to the ground.

Twilight let go of Fluttershy and took a step forward. “You know you could have opened up the door, right?” she asked. “It was unlocked after all.”

The goblin shook his head. “You took too long. Needed to get it open quickly,” he replied. His voice sound like the poor thing had a very sore throat, but due to its low tone, it was very intimidating. “Come on, get up so we can get a move on.”

“Um,” Fluttershy spluttered, trembling in place. “I would love to, but my legs don’t work because of… because of the…” The sweet pegasus trailed off into squeaks and whimpers as she glanced at the three goblins aiming arrows at them.

The goblin noticed her fear, as well as Twilight’s, for with a swift wave of his arm the goblins lowered their bows. “There. Better now?” the goblin asked exasperatingly.

The two ponies straightened up and politely smiled. “Very, thank you,” they said at the same time. The couple stared at each other, and giggled quietly, not paying attention to the looks of confusion from the goblins thrown in their direction.

“Come on!” the goblin snapped, throwing the two a step back in fright. “The Master’s waiting to see the pair of ya.”

Twilight grunted disapprovingly. “All right, all right. Goodness, so impatient, these creatures,” she muttered as she leapt out of the cage and onto the firm ground. She turned around and with the magic of her horn, lifted Fluttershy off the ground and set her down beside her. Twilight’s heart cracked upon seeing the fear in Fluttershy’s eyes. “Be strong,” she whispered, leaning forward and ticking the pegasus’s ear with her voice, before kissing her cheek.

Fluttershy smiled bravely, and wrapped her tail around Twilight’s. At that moment, even though she felt battered, bruised, hungry and thirsty, she felt like she could take on the entire goblin kingdom, all because of Twilight’s faith and love for her. “I am now,” she said confidently.

Twilight grinned, then turned to face the goblin with the broken sword. “Take us to your leader,” she said, giggling afterwards. Fluttershy raised a bemused eyebrow in her direction, which Twilight sheepishly grinned in response. “That’s another thing I have always wanted to say.”

The goblin bobbed his head, then turned around and walked slowly down the tunnel. “This way, then. And keep up or else we’ll force you to!” the goblin called.

The two ponies took the threat seriously, as behind them the three archers fell in line and trained their bows on the couple. At once, the pair broke into a canter and followed the leading goblin, while the other goblins slowly followed them, their arrows drawn and ready to loose at a moment notice.

“Do you think you could teleport us away from here before they could shoot us?” Fluttershy asked, glancing over her shoulder at the three archers.

Twilight looked back with a scrutinising eye, and then subtly shook her head. “I don’t think so. Those archers could bring those bows up within a second, way before my teleportation spell is fully cast, and could shoot us just as we could get away. Sorry, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” she explained.

Fluttershy nodded sadly, averting her gaze to follow the clean walls of the tunnel, which were no bigger than the main gates of Canterlot. “Had any thoughts of escaping yet?” she whispered.

Twilight sighed. “No, not yet. What about you?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No. Other than improvise and wait for the perfect opportunity, I’ve got nothing,” she answered.

Twilight sighed, her ears falling a little, yet she refused to lose hope just yet. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.” The two stayed silent as they were led further through the tunnel.

After half an hour or so of moving through a tricky network of passages and crossings in silence, the pair found themselves staring at a massive cavern. Taller than Canterlot itself, the ceiling of the cavern was supported by hundreds of natural stone pillars that varied in size and shape across the rocky chamber. To the left, a large waterfall cascaded down the under-mountainside and fell into a great lake that covered the lower floor of the cave. On the right was a sloped path that curved up the cavern and led to the higher levels, which the two could just make out crudely built homes and small caves for the goblins to dwell in. And in the middle of this lake was a large island, connected to the mainland by a large wooden bridge that led into a cave carved into the island itself.

The goblin was waiting for them at the end of the bridge, staring at them impatiently to get a move on. “Keep up, will ya? The Master doesn’t have all day!” the goblin bellowed.

Twilight snorted disdainfully at him as they began to cross the bridge. “I am seriously getting tired of his b–” She cut herself off when Fluttershy stopped and squeaked in pain, her whole body tensing up. “Oh my gosh, what’s wrong?” she whispered, gently rubbing the pegasus’s back.

“It’s my wing,” Fluttershy replied in a hiss. “It keeps playing up every now and then, but this time it’s worse. I don’t know what to do.” She tried to take another step forward, but the pain became too much and she stumbled to the side. Twilight quickly caught her with her forelegs and wrapped her in her embrace.

“What’s the hold up?” the goblin snapped as he walked to them, a new longsword in his hand.

“Fluttershy’s injured, thanks to you!” Twilight yelled, glaring at the goblin with a look that would annihilate if it could. She looked back at her pained lover, feeling her heart crack at the pain in her eyes. “And I don’t have any way of helping her.” She sighed as she turned to face the goblin once more. “Please. Help her.”

The goblin huffed impatiently, and then turned around and ran into the cave. Twilight watched him go, and then turned to face the other goblins behind, who looked ready to loosen an arrow into her marefriend to speed things up. “Touch her, or so much as aim at her, and there won’t be anything left of you or your arrows when I am done,” she growled. The goblins took her threat seriously and backed off a little, turning their aim on her instead.

With them a bit scared, Twilight turned back to comforting her lover. “Just take your time, sweetheart. We can move when you feel ready to,” she said, holding Fluttershy close and stroking her mane.

Fluttershy nodded briskly. “I will. Thank you, Twilight,” she whispered, shaking in fright and pain. Her wing was better than it was before, but now it was a throbbing feeling that flared wildly every now and then. ‘Why did I have to be born with such sensitive wings?’ she thought begrudgingly of herself.

She broke out of her thoughts when the sound of running across a planked bridge whistled through her ears. She looked up and saw to her surprise the goblin running back to them with a handful of bandages around one arm. He stopped before the two ponies and stretched his arm. “Here, take these and make it snappy. The Master’s getting impatient,” the goblin said.

Twilight carefully took the bandages off the goblin’s arm with her magic, and quickly began to apply them around her lover’s sprained wing. “Thank you, I suppose,” Twilight muttered. Fluttershy looked up and nodded gratefully, but quickly bowed her head again as pain shot through her every time Twilight wrapped a piece around her wing. The unicorn grimaced every time Fluttershy let out a squeak of pain.

Finally, Twilight used up the last of the bandages, then got up and backed away from her, a hoof still in Fluttershy’s. “There. How does that feel now?” she asked worriedly.

Fluttershy stretched out her bandaged wing, and apart from a numbing sensation she could feel across her wing, it was manageable now. She set it back to her side, and smiled thankfully at Twilight. “It’s better now, thanks to you,” she said.

Twilight blushed, casting her gaze to the floor. “I’m just sorry there’s no more I can do,” she said. “And it will mean you won’t be able to fly for a long time, probably not for the rest of this trip.”

Fluttershy nodded understandably as she, with Twilight’s help, hauled herself to her hooves. “I know, and that’s fine if it means I can stay closer to you,” she said before she could stop herself. “Um,” she quickly added, leaning forward. “What do you mean, the rest of this trip? We could be stuck here for a very long time.”

Twilight wrinkled her nose. “Oh, don’t worry, we will be continuing this journey one way or another,” she whispered. With Fluttershy confused, Twilight turned back to the leading goblin. “Lead on, please.”

The goblin snorted, and quickly limped over the bridge, beckoning the two ponies to follow him. They swiftly complied and trotted after him, followed not too far behind by the archers.

Twilight smirked wryly to herself, looking around as a plan came together in her head. Above them, hundreds of goblins ran across the passages through their city, their eyes following the trespassers as they made their way to what was undoubtedly the residence of their ‘Master’. ‘This is getting easier by the minute,’ she thought cheerfully, watching the goblins’ movements and seeing how far they were from the main entrance, as well as the distance of the archers and calculating the time of their arrows reaching their targets.

The more she thought about it, the easier it was to just go with the plan now and get away from here before something bad could happen. Yet, and she knew this was her worst weakness, the desire for knowledge on goblin kind was telling her to keep going and keep learning. ‘Besides,’ her mind told her, ‘if we do anything rash, then we put not just my own life at risk but Fluttershy’s as well.’

Twilight looked to her marefriend, and saw not just the fear in her eyes, but also the determination to get away from this place and continue with their journey. ‘She has great spirit,’ she thought, ‘and I love her for it.’

The pair made it to the end of the bridge, and swiftly walked through the cave entrance and down a thin passage no bigger than the average pony door. As they walked, Fluttershy’s fear began to rise, causing her to tremble violently. ‘What will they do to us? What if they separate us?’ Her tail latched onto Twilight’s tighter at the thought. ‘They will not take my Twily from me!’

Fluttershy’s thoughts stopped, and her tail slackened its hold. ‘Goodness, I sounded so clingy there. What does that mean?’ She must love Twilight to sound so clingy, surely? Or was it because of the want of a good friend to be by her side?

She didn’t have much time to think about it, as soon the couple were herded around the corner and found themselves staring at a peculiar sight. “Well… this is not what I was expecting,” Twilight remarked. Fluttershy could only nod in agreement.

Before them was a great feast laid out on a long table that was unlike anything the two ponies had ever been to. The table was covered in large bowls of lettuces, carrots, cabbages, onions both green and red, celery – Twilight’s favourite – olives and tons more flowers awaited them, complete with bowls of water.

There wasn’t a single goblin sitting on the benches around it, however, as the fifty or so of the little creatures that made up the large chamber stood around the edges, watching the two ponies or chatting amongst themselves around large barrels of what was probably wine and fresh produce. Fluttershy shied away from their gazes and turned her attention towards Twilight, who looked regal in her pose, almost like a true leader should. ‘She’s so brave,’ she thought, smiling at her.

“Well? You’re gonna just stand there and stare? Come on, come in! There’s plenty to eat and share!” the voice of a male said joyously and in a singsong tone. Twilight and Fluttershy looked from the dinner to the goblin they had completely missed sitting at the far end of the table – probably because he was too busy sticking his entire face into a bowl of pickled onions.

The goblin was much like the others, but taller and wider with a belly the size and shape of a cauldron. His eyes were a dark, menacing blue, his skin was a pale colour, like a pony that had its coat shaved off, and ragged black hair ran down the back of his head to his shoulders. But despite his size and what he was, he wore a cheerful smile as he dug into the dinner left for them.

The Goblin Master stopped eating for a moment, and stared wonderingly at the two ponies. “So how about it then? You’re just gonna let me have all of this, cause if you are then how kind of you!” He laughed loudly, clutching his belly as he hollered.

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. This didn’t seem like they were prisoners, but more like welcome guests to a great and ancient town. Then she remembered her mistake. The last time they were ‘guests of honour’ was in Esperius, just before Grey Spot ordered to have her killed and have Twilight manipulated into becoming the Prince’s lover.

It didn’t work last time, and it certainly wasn’t going to work this time, either.

But she was so hungry, and the food looked delicious. ‘Oh, I’m sure a few bites won’t hurt,’ she decided eventually. Slowly, she walked forward, ignoring the cheers from the goblins, and stopped before the bowl of carrots.

She looked back at Twilight quickly, and saw that she was looking at her in horror. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but I am so hungry,” she said ashamedly.

“See? The winged pony gets the idea!” the Goblin Master said cheerfully. “Go on, dig in, if it all doesn’t go then it goes into me.” He chuckled, then pointed to Twilight. “You too, horny one.”

“Beg your pardon?” Twilight asked, shocked she had been called such a thing. She could see with the corner of her eye that Fluttershy was trying really hard to keep a straight face. She glared at her into looking away.

“Come and take a few bites,” the Goblin Master beckoned. “Put up your hooves and fill up your belly. You certainly look as though you need to.”

Twilight sighed inwardly. Although she didn’t like a bit of it, she had to admit that the food looked tasty, and her stomach was rumbling continuously in anticipation. However, if the goblin thought that he could convince them that he was friendly, then he was wrong; Fluttershy and herself knew better than that now. ‘If he’s trying to trick us into thinking he means no harm, then he has another thing coming,’ she thought darkly.

She looked back to Fluttershy and saw how much she was stuffing in her mouth at once, all the while being goaded by the goblins around her. “Fluttershy, you have to slow down!” she hissed as she sauntered up to the pegasus. “This food might look nice but it could have some darker undertone to it. How do we know that the goblins haven’t poisoned it, wanting to watch us choke and die slowly while betting who will be the one that dies first?”

She jumped back in fright when the Goblin Master laughed. “Poisoned? Why, horny one, you have wounded this old goblin’s heart,” he said, setting his large, bulging hand where his heart would be. “The food’s perfectly fine. Picked from across the old farms that were once used by the quadrupeds of old. Fresh, of course, as we tend to those farms when we can.”

Fluttershy saw the sincerity of the Master’s words, and turned to stare insistently at Twilight. “Come on, Twilight, eat up so we can feel full once more.” After a minute, she leaned forward and added in a whisper, “And try not to look so suspicious.”

Twilight’s mind instantly discovered what Fluttershy was doing. ‘Oh,’ she oozed in thought. Hesitantly, and ignoring the cheers from their captors, she sat on the bench next to Fluttershy, close enough so that their sides were touching, and began to devour whatever was in front of her.

“There, that’s it!” the Goblin Master cheered. “Enjoy, little equines, for later we chat.” With that, he began eating greedily and noisily what was before him.

Twilight eyed him with disgust, before drawing her gaze to Fluttershy, who ate with the grace and dignity she had always seen in the pegasus – before the adventure began, at least. “You really think this will lose their suspicions?” she asked quietly.

Fluttershy swallowed a large piece of lettuce before nodding discreetly. “Yes, I do. If they see we’re following on, then they might lower their guard and be more… Oh, what’s that word? When they are slow to act as we escape?”

“Sloppy?”

“Maybe,” Fluttershy replied thoughtfully. She eventually nodded. “Yes, that sounds about right. If we simply do as we are told, they might lower their guard and be slower then usual, giving us a chance to get away from here when the right moment comes. Besides, they might think we won’t be able to run far on a very full and bloated stomach.”

Twilight thought about Fluttershy’s words for a bit, before leaning forward and pecking her on the cheek. The pegasus’s face lit up pink in response. “I love it when you’re like that,” Twilight said.

“Like what?”

“Being an amazing genius, that’s what. An adorable genius,” Twilight purred, nuzzling the side of the pegasus’s cheeks, turning the heat on Fluttershy’s cheeks to maximum. Twilight giggled as she pulled away and resumed eating, leaving Fluttershy in a state of shock and embarrassment.

“What I don’t get, though,” Twilight said a little while later when Fluttershy had recovered and was able to eat again, “is why are they giving us all of this feast?” she asked, gesturing with her hooves at the massive amount of food before them. “I thought we were prisoners.”

“Why, yes, you are, but I can’t allow my prisoners to starve to death now, can I?” the Goblin Master said cheerfully. “I used to do that when I was a younger king, but that was a dumb mistake; they all tended to die after a few weeks! Now, being older and wiser, I know I should not starve them but stuff them silly, let them work it off, and fill them up again! Brilliant plan, eh?”

Fluttershy and Twilight stared at the Master in shock, then glanced at each other with dread writing across their faces, and finally back at the Master with large, fake grins. “Oh, yes, it is a very good idea,” Fluttershy said first.

“Yep, totally, truly, one of the best plans to have ever been conceived, your Excellency,” Twilight said, before stuffing her mouth full of anything her hooves and magic could get hold of.

The Goblin Master chuckled. “Oh, please, none of this formality stuff between prisoners and king. To you, simply call me Krull, the Master of Goblasia.”

Twilight and Fluttershy collectively nodded in understanding, before resuming the silence and began eating again. “Okay, so we got a ‘benevolent’ slave master that likes stuffing ponies silly with grub, and hundreds of goblins that wouldn’t hesitate to put an arrow into us right now around us,” Twilight observed quietly. The couple faced each other, and smiled wryly. “Just an average day for us, then.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, before tucking into the food before her, though slowly so she would not get a tummy ache. Twilight followed shortly after, her ears flicking as the goblins started to sing in their own coarse language, and using the top of the barrels for drums and anything else they could use to create music. ‘Hmm, kinda catchy, if you think about it,’ she thought, as she felt her body start to bob up and down to the tune.

After a while, the two ponies leaned back, pushed their empty plates away, and sighed happily as they rubbed their full bellies. “Why do ponies rub their bellies anyway?” Fluttershy asked curiously. At Twilight’s odd look, she explained. “It’s just that, I see loads of ponies do it, and yet it never seems to do anything.”

Twilight merely shrugged, watching as goblins scurried about and took away their empty plates and whatever food was left. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I think it came about from one of the pony kingdoms east of Equestria. A sign to show how pleasant the food was and such,” she answered.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask something else, but stopped when she felt a thump from her left. She shot her head around to see Krull had jumped off his chair and was moving ploddingly to a large throne just behind him. The throne itself was wooden and crudely misshapen, with mismatched armrests and a weirdly shaped backrest. ‘Well… that’s a different throne to what I’m used to,’ she thought, tilting her head at the thing.

“Now, then, let’s get a little closer and have a nice little chat,” Krull said, gesturing with a finger for them to come closer.

The couple jumped off the bench, and made their way to sit in front of the throne. Twilight looked behind to see the four goblins that had escorted them to this place had now moved away from the entrance and were now on the far edges flanking them. ‘I have to time our moment of escape perfectly, or else we’re in trouble,’ she thought, before fixing her eyes on Krull.

“Right, then, now that dinner is out of the way, let business commence,” the Master said. He leaned forward and eyed them curiously, tapping his fingers together. “Now, I have seen other equines before, but you two are not like those Esperians from that golden city. Who are you, and why are you in these parts and within my kingdom, may I ask?”

Fluttershy bowed her head and leaned back, trembling with shyness. Twilight shuffled closer so that their sides were touching, and wrapped her tail around Fluttershy’s for comfort. “We are ponies from Equestria,” she answered. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn, and this is Fluttershy Whisperwing, a pegasus.” Fluttershy glanced up shyly and waved.

The Goblin Master raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Equestria? What is this ‘Equestria’ you speak of? It is something I haven’t heard of before.”

“That’s because it is far across the sea,” Twilight answered as politely as she could. ‘And too far away for your grimy paws to harm.’

Krull leaned back in his chair, seemingly satisfied with Twilight’s answer. “Ah, I see, so you are both foreigners in these lands, yes?” Twilight and Fluttershy nodded. “And I take it those ponies in Esperius didn’t warn you about us, did they?”

“Oh, they did mention you a little bit,” Fluttershy answered quietly, “but, um, they weren’t very specific on the details.”

Krull merely chuckled. “They usually aren’t,” he said. “It’s as almost as they want those that wish to travel this far to go through these places, only to be caught and enslaved.” He chuckled again, seemingly not noticing the pair’s shared glances of fear. He shifted so that he was leaning on his left side. “Anyway, enough of such formalities. How about this. We ask each other a question on anything, the questioned answers, and then the questioned takes a turn to question. How about that?”

The two ponies shifted in place to get comfortable. ‘We might be here a little while,’ Twilight thought. Not that she minded, considering she could ask anything about the goblins she desired. “Okay, then, so who is going to go first with these questions?” she asked.

The Goblin Master bowed his head respectfully. “Why don’t you go first, horny one,” he said.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight growled, briefly hearing the quiet snort from Fluttershy. She looked to her and whispered, “You have such a strange mind, Fluttershy.” The pegasus blushed and kept her silence, prompting Twilight to turn back to Krull. “So, I have a question: when and why did goblins start living in this mountain, and just below the old city of the earth ponies, for that matter?” She turned her head a bit and raised an eyebrow. “Was it a coincidence?”

Krull shook his head. “My dear, I’m afraid not,” he replied. He took a deep breath, telling Twilight that there was to be a long reply. “We have been here since before the quadrupeds that have dwelled in that city left. My ancestors saw the great use the homes and farms outside had to my thriving people, so we snuck in and built this little community below, waiting for the right moment to jump up and take the city from them.

“Eventually, as our numbers grew into the thousands, we started digging the tunnels that are now across the city so we could sneak around the city without being noticed. Finally, when the last of the tunnels were completed and our numbers were over a million, we launched our attack.” He paused to laugh. “What a waste of time that was! As soon as the first goblins jumped out of their hideouts they realised that nothing lived in the city anymore; it had been abandoned for almost a hundred years. We simply stole what was left, set up traps and warning signals to capture anyone that trespasses or tries to get through the city, and farmed the remaining fields outside for food to keep alive with.” He leaned back with an almighty sigh. “Does that answer your question, horny one?”

“Yes, it does, thank you, and it’s Twilight. Sparkle,” she growled, her eyes turning red with rage. Fluttershy raised a hoof and calmly caressed her from the top of her neck to the base of her tail. The effect calmed the unicorn greatly, and she let out a sigh of relaxation. “Thank you, my dear,” she breathed.

Fluttershy smiled softly. “You’re welcome, Twily,” she said. She looked back at the Goblin Master, hoping that he would allow her to answer her question. “Um, excuse me? So, uh, who asks the question now? Me, or…?”

“I ask the next question, tweety,” Krull replied, causing Fluttershy to slump in her place. “Now then, my question is this: are you both a couple?” he asked bluntly.

The question was enough for the pair to lurch their heads back in surprise. “Oh, well, yes, we are in a relationship,” Twilight replied, placing her hoof on top of Fluttershy’s.

“Yes, though we’re just getting to know how a relationship works and see how things go from there,” Fluttershy added, blushing faintly at Twilight’s touch. She leaned to the side and nuzzled Twilight’s neck. “I don’t regret it, though. And I never could.”

Around them, the goblins let out one large, “Awww,” which was silently cut off by Krull’s look in their direction. “I see. Never heard of such a relationship before, so I find such a thing weird to see,” Krull said.

Fluttershy’s ears shot downwards and she flinched back at the use of the word. It was a horrible word to be compared to, and it made her feel like an inferior. She looked up to stare into Twilight’s comforting and loving eyes, and those thoughts were instantly washed away. ‘I’m not an inferior. I am a pony, born and bred in Equestria, Terra, like many other ponies and creatures,’ she reminded herself.

“But anyway, back to the questioning, if you two don’t mind?” Krull asked, with a voice that told them he was getting a little impatient.

Twilight and Fluttershy both shook their heads at their captor. Twilight turned to Fluttershy, awaiting her question to be asked. The unicorn gave her an encouraging nod, which the pegasus returned. ‘Just take your time, Fluttershy,’ she told herself. She looked up at Krull, and carefully asked, “Why are we here, Krull? What do you want with us, and when are you going to set us free?”

The Goblin Master let out a quiet laugh as he slumped back in his seat. “Ah, so you are one that likes to get down to business, eh? I like that. I like that a lot. Well, you two are required for one particular thing that we goblins cannot create and use ourselves.”

Twilight sighed annoyingly, which was noticed by Fluttershy, who threw a light glare at her. ‘Oh, I was hoping to learn a bit more about them. Thanks a lot, Fluttershy,’ she thought. Her right ear twitched. ‘No, I shouldn’t be annoyed. It is something else to learn about them, and we don’t want to be here all day.’ She looked up apologetically at Fluttershy, who smiled in forgiveness before turning back to facing Krull.

“And, um, what is that, exactly?” Fluttershy asked, dreading the answer.

“Well firstly, let me ask you two something: what do you know of farming?” Krull asked.

Twilight averted her gaze and stared at her hind hoof, while Fluttershy rubbed her foreleg sheepishly. “I don’t actually know anything on farming,” Fluttershy answered eventually.

“No, me neither,” Twilight replied a bit later, much to Fluttershy’s shock. “I thought I did, but everything just seems to have left my mind.”

“Ah, well it doesn’t matter anyway, since what I have in mind for you two is but a simple task,” Krull said, smirking as an idea came together in his head. “There is a simple and effective way on growing plants and vegetables than just simply water. A source of nutrients that would be most useful and needed for the plants to grow.”

“Like what?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Fertiliser,” Krull answered, smirking.

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror, while Fluttershy stared oddly between the pair of them. “Um, forgive me if this sounds a little stupid, but uh, what is fertiliser exactly?” Fluttershy asked timidly, her head low as she already dreaded the answer.

Twilight leaned to the side and whispered in Fluttershy’s ear what fertiliser was exactly. At the explanation, Fluttershy went green. She drew back to stare at Twilight in horror. “You mean, fertiliser is–?”

“Yep.”

“So all that food on that table was–?”

“Indeed.”

“So they want to use–?”

“It seems that way.”

Fluttershy wobbled in her place, her face a dark shade of green. “Oh, now I don’t feel so good,” she slurred.

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy and let her head rest against her chest, calming the pegasus by allowing her to hear her heartbeat. “So, you want us to do what exactly?”

The Goblin Master shifted in his seat, the throne creaking under the strain of his weight. “You will both be given very large meals daily, which you will be required to eat all of it. Then, once a week, the amount of fertilizer you both create will be taken to our farms to serve as nutrients for our seeds and grow more food.”

“And how long will you need us to do that for?” Fluttershy asked, glancing at the Goblin Master from her place on Twilight’s chest.

“For as long as you are both alive,” Krull answered. At their looks of horror, he explained. “Farming is a never-ending cycle, ponies, and it needs to be continuously cared for.” He got off his throne and threw his arms out wide. “You will be here forever!”

Fluttershy and Twilight jumped back in alarm. “Forever!” they repeated.

“Forever!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her head popping out from one of the barrels.

The couple stared incredulously at the earth pony, while the goblins stared with looks of bafflement as Pinkie looked around. When Pinkie’s eyes locked onto Twilight and Fluttershy, her eyes widened. “Oh, hey girls!” Pinkie called, grinning ecstatically at seeing them again. “Bye, girls!” she exclaimed, before shooting back into the barrel and out of sight.

Twilight and Fluttershy blinked incredulously, their mouths parted, even as the goblins slowly approached the barrel their earth pony friend emerged from. “Please tell me I had just imagined that,” Twilight said.

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, I don’t think you did. I shouldn’t be surprised, really, it’s Pinkie Pie, after all,” she said. She looked around to see that the goblins were still staring at the barrel. She gently nudged Twilight in the ribs. “Hey, sweetie, I think this is our chance.”

Twilight looked around, and saw to her delight that the goblins were now crowding around the barrel, looking within for the pink pony that had appeared. With her magic, she flung Fluttershy’s hooves around her waist, wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy’s neck, and then began to cast her teleportation spell. “Well, thank you, Krull, for the lovely feast and the invite to stay here, but I’m afraid we have to decline the rest of your hospitality.”

“Well, you are most welcome, horny one, for… hold on, what do you mean?” Krull asked, turning back to look at them.

Twilight grinned, and her and Fluttershy’s body began to glow white with teleportation energy. “Hold on, we’re out of here!” she yelled to Fluttershy.

“Stop them, they’re escaping!” Krull yelled, pointing to the couple. Four of the goblins recovered from their shock of Pinkie’s appearance and moved closer as they drew their bows back, aiming for Twilight.

Fluttershy felt the magic wrap around her, before pulling her in to the magical realm. The last thing she saw was a goblin appearing in front of them before she closed her eyes.

The last thing she heard before a popping sound was a twang of an arrow being loosed from its string.

Author's Note

Hey, all, sorry for the long silence without updates; I haven't given up on this story nor do I plan to. I have just been taking things a lot slower now I am approaching the end.

Anyway, the moment with Pinkie Pie was just something random and silly I came up with when I first started this story and I didn't want to let it go. At first it was quite long, with the couple knowing that they were on thier way, but was shortened to this as suggested to keep them completely surprised if they run into them again.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next one is coming along slowly, and will be thier escape from Goblin Town *starts singing Down, Down to Goblin Town from The Hobbit*

Chapter 18

For a short moment, darkness clouded Fluttershy’s eyes. Her ears rang with the echoes of the screeches of the goblins that had wanted them to become nothing but farm animals, but they soon faded in the long seconds between the real world and the magical one.

Just when she started to think that they were dead, a bright flash greeted Fluttershy’s vision before disappearing once more. The pegasus instantly closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with a hoof, groaning as though she had suddenly dropped from the sky. Once she felt better, she opened her eyes and curiously looked around.

She was in a small chamber about the size of her living room, and shaped like a balloon with three entrances to narrow tunnels: two headed left and right at the front of the chamber, while the third tunnel formed at the bottom. Her right ears flicked at the sound of Twilight’s hooves shifting about, getting comfortable.

“Where are we, sweetie?” Fluttershy asked, looking up at the ceiling and at the small, bat-sized hole she could see in the corner.

“Somewhere in the tunnels that we went through to get to Krull’s throne room,” Twilight replied, looking around as well. She turned around to face Fluttershy with a smile. “Well done for spotting that, my love. You have a great pair of eyes.”

Fluttershy turned to face her with a grin, but stopped short and slowly turned it into a look of horror. “Twi… Twilight,” she gasped, her coat paling along with her soul.

“What?” At Fluttershy’s point, Twilight looked to her chest to see an arrow embedded deep into it, and blood running profusely around it. Twilight’s coat began to turn white as the shock came to her like a freezing temperature. “Oh… my,” she whispered, before tumbling to her side.

Fluttershy rushed to Twilight’s side in an instant, her eyes wide with fright as the unicorn’s face contorted into pain. ‘Oh, what do I do, what do I do?’ Fluttershy screamed in thought. An idea suddenly hit her. She spread out her wounded wing, and began to unravel some of the bandages that stuck to it.

Twilight noticed what she was doing, and her eyes widened. “Fluttershy, what are you doing?”

“Giving you some of my bandages!” Fluttershy yelled as she unwound some more, before stopping and ripping it off with her teeth. She ignored the pain she could feel on her wing from the ripping, but instead took a deep breath to keep herself calm and controlled; she needed to be if Twilight was to live. “All right,” she said quickly, as she moved to take the arrow out, “now I’m gonna take out the arrow and then apply pressure onto the wound, that should stop the bleeding and then I will put these bandages on and then you’ll be fine.” Fluttershy choked back a sob as she stared at the arrow, hesitantly reaching towards it. “Oh, please be all right.”

Twilight rested her hoof on top of Fluttershy’s, wincing in pain. “Fluttershy…” she whispered, feeling her body go weaker by the second. “I think the arrow has punctured my heart. Even if you take out the arrow and stop the external bleeding, I will surely die from the internal bleeding. Either way, I will die.” She added in a low whisper, “If this doesn’t work, anyway.”

Fluttershy felt her heart ripped asunder as Twilight’s words sunk in. “Wha… what can I do? There must be something I can do, anything!” She gently wrapped her hooves around Twilight, not daring to let her die without feeling the comfort of the one she loved most. “Please, Twilight. Name it, and I will do it.”

Twilight took another long, shuddering breath. “Just… just stay by my side and look after me,” she said quietly. “I need some time to think and prepare, so I… I would just like to be kept company.”

Fluttershy could feel the fear coming from Twilight’s voice, but also a bit of hope, too – though she wasn’t sure why. With a nod, the pegasus set herself down by Twilight’s head, then gently lifted her marefriend’s head and set it on her lap, the unicorn’s eyes fixed into her own. “Now, yo-you just look into my eyes, Twilight, and you will be fine,” she said encouragingly, though she could feel tears in her eyes and her voice crack.

She began to stroke Twilight’s mane. “Oh, and keep thinking. Yes, that’s right. If you keep thinking, then your body stays alive. Think about anything: your family, your friends, our adventures together… y-your love for me…”

Twilight’s eyes widened at the words coming from Fluttershy’s mouth. ‘Love? Love! Of course. Now what Celestia taught me makes sense,’ she thought, smiling a little. She closed her eyes, feeling the power within her beginning to grow.

Fluttershy smiled, and felt an ear twitch to the sound of something behind her. She turned around, and gasped in horror at the sight of a goblin standing behind her, a sword raised in the air. “NO!” she yelled, her eyes fixing onto his own, becoming ‘the stare’. She set Twilight’s head down, got up and turned to walk towards the goblin, his eyes locked in terror as he stared at her. “You will not harm Twilight!”

Twilight watched with awe as Fluttershy, unarmed and injured, was staring down and driving back an armed goblin with ease. She could feel her heart growing fonder for Fluttershy than it already did, and her magic building up to the point she thought it might bring her to explode. ‘Maybe this is love that I am feeling? True love,’ she wondered.

“Ever since we’ve come into this kingdom, we have been shot out, threatened, captured, thrown into sacks, humiliated, injured and now the love of my life has been wounded,” Fluttershy continued, her eyes widening. “But no more! I will not take it any longer! So if you would kindly go away and leave us in peace until my marefriend gets better, then that would be most appreciated by both of us. If not, then you will have to deal with me.” She spread her wings wide, putting her in a defensive position. “Do you understand me?”

The goblin didn’t reply, but simply dropped his sword and ran back through the tunnel, looking over his shoulder with terrified eyes, as if the pegasus would leap after him and strike him down. As soon as he had disappeared, Fluttershy took a deep breath to calm herself down, and ran a hoof through her mane. “I am so sorry you had to see that, sweetie,” she said, looking at the ground. “I was so… so angry with them for what they did to you.”

Twilight smiled comfortingly, though the pegasus couldn’t see it. “Don’t be, sweetheart. It could have happened to any one of– urrgh,” she hissed in pain as she felt something throb within her. ‘That’s magic,’ she realised. ‘It wants to break out. It’s ready.’

Fluttershy spun around at the sound of her marefriend in pain, and leapt forward to help her. “Hold still, let me–”

Twilight raised a hoof to stop her. “There’s nothing you can do for me now, sweetheart,” she muttered quietly. With that, she let her hoof fall to the ground, and then slowly let her head fall to the ground, sighing in content.

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves to stop the shriek of sorrow from escaping her lips. She shook her head as she leaned forward and began to stroke Twilight’s face. “No… no, you’re going to be just fine. You hear me? I’ll make you all better and we can live together and grow old together, just like we wanted…” She closed her eyes and sobbed as the tears started to fall, one of which landed on Twilight’s cheek. “Just stay awake, for me, please?”

Twilight smiled bravely, though there was a hint of fear behind it. “Hey, now, I’ll be all right,” she said softly, raising a hoof to caress Fluttershy’s grief-stricken face. “I know now that I will be fine.”

“How?” Fluttershy sobbed. “How can you say that? You’re… you’re badly hurt,” she said, unable to bring herself to say she was fatally injured.

Twilight smiled thinly, and then closed her eyes as her horn began to shimmer with magenta-coloured magic. The magic suddenly grew brighter and brighter, until it turned into a whitish gold. Fluttershy inched back, watching with surprise as all of Twilight’s body began to glow with a warmly golden colour.

“Hold on,” Twilight whispered, before jumping up, wrapping her hooves around Fluttershy and shrouding them both in a cloud of magenta magic. The cloud suddenly turned from magenta to white, and then turned golden as it shot out like an explosion, covering the entire chamber in golden light.

After a moment, the light faded, and the world around Fluttershy returned to the dark and grey colours she had been slowly getting used to. Her head spun and her vision was a blur, so she shook her head rapidly to clear her senses. “Twi… Twilight? What was that? What did you just do?” she asked. She looked to where her marefriend was, and gasped in shock.

It was all she could to stop herself squealing loudly with joy.

Twilight stood before her, smiling and uninjured, with the arrow that had fatally wounded her broken in half and at her hooves. All the other bruises and scratches that she had suffered on their journey were also gone, leaving her looking as though their adventure had only just begun.

Fluttershy took a hesitant step forward, a hoof lifted and pointing towards the unicorn. “You… you are okay,” she whispered. She prodded the spot where the arrow had been, and saw that not even a pink spot where the arrow had torn off a part of her coat remained. “I… I don’t believe it,” Fluttershy said, amazed, delighted, but also terrifically confused. “You’re all better again.”

Twilight grinned, then lifted a hoof up and gently removed the bandages around Fluttershy’s wing. “And so are you, my love,” she said lovingly.

Fluttershy looked over to her wing to see that Twilight was in fact correct. Her wing was in its proper shape, with all its feathers accounted for and looking as though that had the most amazing wing massage ever. She looked to her side and saw that the scratches and other injuries she had suffered were also gone.

But how was this possible? Not that she minded, of course, but still, it would be nice to know.

She looked up at Twilight again, who giggled at the confusion on her marefriend’s face. “How?”

“It’s what I call the Deus ex Machina spell,” Twilight joked, giggling at the perfect use of the name. “It has a more complicated name, but I like to call it that one; suits it for some reason. A neat little trick Celestia taught me that can only be used once in a lifetime, which annoyingly means I cannot use it ever again.”

She stopped talking when the pair heard cries and shrieks from the goblins coming down from the third tunnel. Twilight felt her eyes bulge when a faint glow of torches began to appear. “I’ll explain a bit more as we move. Now run!”

With that, the two ponies turned about and galloped as fast as they could go back down the tunnel whence they came, followed close behind by the sounds of angry goblins.

“So, um,” Fluttershy asked, as they left the turn and fled down a long straight, “would you kindly explain to me how you couldn’t use that spell earlier to heal my wing?”

“Because the spell can only be used when the caster is mortally injured, sweetheart,” Twilight explained rapidly. “When a unicorn is dying, the magic within them starts to build up a separate energy force that tries to keep the pony alive for as long as possible, giving the rest of the body time to heal even the most grievous injuries. Now, Star Swirl the Bearded managed to triangulate both the magic of the unicorn and this energy to create a spell that would heal not only the dying unicorn, but those around the caster, as well.”

Twilight grimaced as they left the large tunnel and veered sharply into a small tunnel, which went straight for quite a distance. “Of course, the spell does come with some unfortunate side affects.”

“What affects are they?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Well, other than never being able to use the spell ever again, I won’t be able to use magic for one whole day now,” Twilight replied.

“ONE WHOLE DAY?” Fluttershy screeched.

Just as Fluttershy had said that, a tall goblin jumped out from a small hole in the tunnel wall, and raised a large, two handed axe into the air. “This way!” Twilight cried, grabbing hold of Fluttershy’s hoof and dragging her down a tunnel to their left. The goblin hissed and chased after them, its axe raised and ready to take them down if needed.

Twilight and Fluttershy lowered their heads and put as much of their strength into their legs to gallop faster. But the goblin, despite running on two legs, was able to follow them and worse was catching up to them. ‘We need to outwit them,’ Twilight thought, glancing over her shoulder to see the goblin was not far behind.

She looked ahead and saw another tunnel coming up to their left. “Down here!” she yelled, veering left down another tunnel. Fluttershy saw where she was going, and spun sharply into the tunnel. Twilight, still galloping looked back and silently hoped that the goblin thought they had fled along the straight still. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the silhouette of the goblin coming down the tunnel towards them, and looked ahead once more to gallop faster. ‘We need to lose him. Now,’ she thought.

They were about to pass another tunnel, where a goblin suddenly leapt out of, stepped in front of them to block their path, and swung a large battle-axe at the couple. Fluttershy and Twilight dodged by veering away from each other and around the goblin, who tried to get his battle-axe out of the ground, while other goblins appeared from the tunnel and chased after them.

“Oh, how are we going to lose them all now?” Fluttershy whined in dismay, feeling the tiredness in her legs creep into her mind. She looked up and saw a large number of stalagmites hanging from the tunnel ceiling. ‘That’ll work,’ she thought, grinning to herself.

She stopped, spun around and kicked the wall of the tunnel with as much force as she could muster. Fluttershy winced as she set her legs back down, her hindquarters now feeling sore. ‘I’m not sure how Applejack manages to kick all those trees and still walks straight,’ she mused as she set off after Twilight once more.

She stopped thinking when she felt the tunnels begin to rumble, and looked back to see the stalagmites tingling from their places. The goblins noticed, too, and instantly stopped, stared at the pieces of rock, before slowly retreating down the tunnel. They began to leg it as the rocks finally gave way and began to fall on their heads, giving a few several nasty bumps on the head.

Twilight grinned ecstatically as she watched the rocks begin to fall, blocking the goblins’ route. “That was amazing, Fluttershy,” she remarked, causing the pegasus to blush. She looked back, and smirked as she saw the path was now completely blocked by rocks, hisses and curses coming from the goblins on the other side. “That should get them off our tails.”

The ponies rounded a bend into a tunnel that wiggled this way and that. “Yes, but not for long. They know these tunnels better than we do, they will surely know a way around to catch up with us,” Fluttershy pointed out, glancing over her shoulder every now and then. “So how do we make sure they stay off our tails?”

Twilight bit her bottom lip as she thought about it, her eyes kept ahead as they galloped down a long straight, with only the torches on either side giving them a chance to navigate the tunnels safely. “I’m not really sure, but as soon as we see another tunnel, then we go in there,” she said. Fluttershy nodded, though her face could reveal she wanted a better plan than that, and Twilight did not blame her.

Eventually, Twilight saw another tunnel coming up to their left, and prayed that they were not out of luck. ‘Oh, please be somewhere in there that we can hide,’ she hoped. She flicked her head towards the tunnel. “Through there!” she ordered. Fluttershy had a quick glance at the tunnel, looked back at Twilight, and nodded.

The pair turned sharply into the tunnel, and then to their surprise saw another tunnel – a much smaller one that was only big enough for a pony to crawl through – rested discreetly against the side of the tunnel wall. Their ears flicked when the sound of goblin screeches echoed through the tunnels. “Quickly, get in there!” Twilight hissed, pointing to the hole.

Fluttershy saw no reason to argue. She crouched down and squeezed through the gap, while Twilight used her head and hooves to help push her in. It felt weird having Twilight’s hooves and head on her backside, but it was of no importance at the moment, especially with their freedoms at stake. ‘Priorities again, Fluttershy,’ she thought as she finally felt herself squeeze through and out the other side. It wasn’t big enough to stand up in, so she continued to follow the route by crawling along her belly.

When Twilight saw her marefriend’s tail disappear, she wedged her own tail between her teeth, and rapidly crawled through the gap and wiggled her way through and out the other side, leaving no trace of her or Fluttershy ever being there.

The unicorn quickly spat out her tail and let it fall back to the way it was originally, and then looked ahead to stare at Fluttershy – or more specifically, Fluttershy’s bottom. “Are you all right, my sweet?” she whispered.

Fluttershy reared her head up to look over her shoulder, and gave her marefriend an assuring smile. “I’m all right, thanks,” she whispered. She wiggled her rump around to get into a more comfortable position, but all it did was make Twilight blush. “It’s a bit tight in here, but I think I’ll survive.”

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but shut it again and covered her muzzle with her hooves as the goblins ran past the small cave. Fluttershy also clamped her muzzle closed and clenched her eyes shut, praying that they wouldn’t be found; they could easily drag Twilight out if they got hold of her tail, and in her position she would be powerless to stop them.

Thankfully, however, the goblins simply ran past the hole without so much as glancing at it. Twilight’s eyes opened as the sounds of the goblins’ running faded from her ears, and picked her head up when silence reigned once again. She glanced back to see if the goblins knew where they were and were now waiting for them to come out. To her relief, though, she could not see a distinctive shadow waiting for them. ‘Nevertheless, it might be better if we headed down a different path,’ she thought.

She looked back at Fluttershy. “Can you see if there’s a way forward?” she whispered.

Fluttershy looked through the veil of darkness, squinting her eyes just to see how far this little tunnel went. Unsure, she leaned forward and started using her hoof to poke at the ground, crawling forward little by little when she felt brave enough to do so. “I think it might go on for quite a while, Twily,” she replied quietly. “Do we follow it or go back?”

Twilight shook her head. “We can’t go back. We might run into more goblins,” she replied. “The best thing we can do is to follow this way and see where it leads.”

Fluttershy nodded, and began to crawl forward cautiously through the cave. Twilight watched her go along, trying really hard to keep her eyes on the back of Fluttershy’s head, and not avert her gaze to elsewhere. “Besides, it might be the way out of this mountain,” Twilight added, trying to keep herself focused on one thing. It was harder than it sounded. ‘Keep focus, Twilight, and be polite. We might see each other all the time like… that, but you have been taught that it was rude to look,’ she thought.

Fluttershy looked over her shoulder, and stared confusedly at Twilight, whose eyes were drifting between her head and her… ‘Oh my. She isn’t… Nope, she is.’ She looked away again and fiercely blushed, covering her cheeks with her mane. Though she felt embarrassed by Twilight’s staring, she also felt… flattered, that Twilight considered her good-looking enough to be stared at from behind.

But did she think the same about Twilight? She never really wanted to stare at other mares’ bodies sometimes, but there were times when she couldn’t help herself and look at their curves, manes, tails, the graceful way a mare moved. She had seen this in a load of mares, but due to the stupid promise she made, she never admired her friends’ bodies the way she did others. Including Twilight.

Now that they were dating – if going on a daring adventure fraught with peril could ever count as a date – she considered having a look at Twilight a bit more. ‘Maybe that might help get me to decide.’

She shook her head to clear out her thoughts, and thought of something to change the subject. She didn’t have long to think. “So, um, you said you can’t use magic for one whole day. Are you sure you can’t?” she asked.

Twilight stopped for a bit and tried to conjure up a quick spell. To no surprise, her horn did not even sizzle. “Nope. Nothing. Not even a chance to levitate. Sorry, sweet,” she replied.

Fluttershy looked back as she crawled along with a warming smile. “Oh, don’t worry. It’s not your fault you can’t use your magic now. But, um, I was just wondering, if you know the answer of course, why is it that you can’t use your magic afterwards?”

“That’s because when I performed the spell, I used every ounce of magic within me to create it and cast it successfully,” Twilight explained. “You see, every unicorn has something like a second stomach in their bodies that allows a unicorn to store and use magic from.”

Fluttershy saw the ceiling of the tunnel begin to lower, forcing her to set her head against the ground and slow her crawl. “I see. So, if you used all your magic in your, um, ‘stomach’, wouldn’t that mean you can’t use your magic ever again?” she asked, her tone indicating her worry for Twilight; she knew how much her marefriend used and loved magic, and also knew how devastating it would be for the mare if she could never use it again.

“No, no, I’ll be able to use magic again,” Twilight said assuredly, much to Fluttershy’s relief. “You see, a unicorn’s second stomach is replenished frequently by the magic that exists all around the earth. But due to the vast amount of magic I used in that spell, I will have to sit through a full twenty-four hour cycle just to have it replenished; I’ll know when I can use magic again.” She tilted her head in curiosity. “Did I make that easy enough to understand for you?”

Fluttershy hummed in response. “Oh, yes, I think you did,” she replied. “It just doesn’t help us in getting out of this horrible place.”

Twilight nodded in agreement, even though Fluttershy could not see it. “I know. We just have to bang our heads together and come up with something clever to get out of here.”

Fluttershy glanced behind and nodded, though she didn’t like the idea of banging her head against Twilight’s; it seemed a bit too violent for her tastes. She looked ahead again, and stopped for a moment to be sure what she thought was ahead of her was real. She squinted to have a better look. “Twilight.”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“I think the exit is just ahead,” Fluttershy informed, pointing to what appeared to be the end of the tunnel, and the rocky wall of a cavern on the other side.

Twilight craned her neck to peer over Fluttershy’s shoulder, and saw that the pegasus was right. She grinned excitedly, a faint squee sound emitting from between her lips. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s get in there,” she said.

Fluttershy nodded, and quickly began shuffling forward once more, with Twilight close behind.

Once they made it to the exit, Fluttershy stopped before actually leaving the tiny tunnel, and craned her neck forward to look around the cavern. It was rectangular shaped, no bigger than the Canterlot hall where the Elements of Harmony were kept, with hundreds of wine barrels stacked neatly together across one side of the chamber. The other side had massive crates stacked into towers of threes or fours, forming a path that ran along the middle between the two piles, with large arched tunnel entrances at each end.

Fluttershy swung her head left and right to look for any signs of goblins, her ears pinned high to help her. Yet there wasn’t a single distinctive shape of a goblin’s footprint, or a harsh bark of their cries filling the chamber. “I think it’s clear,” she declared quietly, before wiggling her way through the tunnel and jumping onto the ground below.

Twilight, seeing her marefriend leap out of the hole and disappear out of sight, quickly shuffled forward until she was able to see Fluttershy get up, dust herself off and step out of the way for Twilight to get out. The unicorn leapt out of the hole, and landed on her hooves beside the pegasus.

“Now that we’re here, I suggest we stop now and bang our heads together to come up with a plan that would get us out of this place,” Twilight said, her eyes wandering around for any signs of enemies.

“Okay, but let’s keep the head banging part out of it, please?” Fluttershy asked. “That sounds like it would hurt.”

Twilight giggled at Fluttershy’s naivety. “I didn’t mean we literally bang our heads together, Flutters,” she said. “We just put our minds together and come up with a solution out of this mess.”

Fluttershy’s lips squashed themselves to form an O shape. “Oh,” she oozed, falling onto her rump. Her eyes suddenly widened when she realised what Twilight had called her. ‘She called me Flutters. Nopony has called me Flutters in ages,’ she thought. “I see. So um, how are we going to do this? How are we going to get past hundreds of goblins who are out to turn us into simple farm animals?”

Twilight followed Fluttershy and fell onto her rump, tapping her chin with a hoof as she pondered. “Hmm,” she mumbled, looking at the ceiling, and then at the ground with eyes that could melt the ground if they could.

Her eyes lit up in sudden delight, and her mouth curled up into an ecstatic smile. Before she could utter a word, however, the unicorn’s ears twitched at the sound of running footsteps coming towards them. “Quickly, hide!” Twilight hissed, taking cover behind a crate and pointing for Fluttershy to do the same.

Fluttershy squeaked in fright and jumped behind another crate, shivering in fright and trying to keep her voice in check. Twilight saw her shaking, and offered her a comforting smile. ‘She needs it, the poor thing,’ she thought. Fluttershy looked up, and after a moment to stare at her, smiled in reply.

Twilight knew that smile of Fluttershy’s could melt a windigo if given the chance. That smile, always so assuring, so kind and caring, that it made her feel like she could take on anything. And her marefriend, the Bearer to the Element of Kindness and the greatest pony she had ever met, would always be at her side to support her. And right now, that support was all she needed into thinking of ways to get out of the kingdom.

She pressed her head against the crate and closed off her thoughts when the sound of running feet were so loud she figured the owner was right on the other side of the crates. The running suddenly stopped, and was soon replaced by a wheezy breathing sound, as though the creature had gone through a few too many smoke machines.

Fluttershy began to shake violently with fright, her head covered between her hooves in the hope she would sink into the ground and never be seen. The goblin was so close to them, it could probably smell the fear oozing from her body. ‘What is it doing?’ she wondered, relaxing a little as her fear was replaced with curiosity. ‘Surely it should have run off by now.’

She looked over to Twilight with eyes telling her to have a peek. Twilight, as though knowing what she was saying, nodded, then turned around, moved on the tips of her hooves to the edge of the crate, and peered over the other side to have a look. To her surprise, the goblin was standing a few feet away with its back to her, staring idly at the vast number of barrels stacked along the other side. She quickly noticed the sword sheathed at its hip, and hastily came up with a solution.

Twilight moved away from the crates, tiptoed up to Fluttershy, and whispered in her ear, “I have an idea. When the goblin walks along this side to get to the other end, you stretch you leg out and trip him up.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and she brought her head back from her marefriend in disgust. “Why do I have to trip him up?” she demanded. “Why can’t you trip him up?”

“Because I will be the one to pin him down afterwards and relieve him of his weapon,” Twilight replied. She gave Fluttershy a pleading look. “Please, Fluttershy, I need you do this so we can escape.”

“But…” Fluttershy hesitated. “I don’t want to trip up anything, even a meanie goblin; that’s just too rude.”

Twilight hated to do this, but she saw no other alternative to convince the pegasus. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again they were the infamously adorable puppy dog eyes. “Pretty please?” she begged, pulling out her bottom lip for assurance.

Such an assault against the eyes was far too much for Fluttershy; the mare looked too cute to say no to. She sighed. “Oh… darn. All right, I’ll do it. But only for you,” she whispered.

Twilight’s puppy dog eyes disappeared to eyes of delight, and a wide grin stretched across her face. “Oh, thank you, Fluttershy!” she whispered loudly. She leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy’s cheek, causing the pegasus to blush, before spinning around and trotting back to the other side of the chamber.

She made it without causing a sound, then peered around the corner to see that the goblin was no longer there, yet his feet were still plodding hard against the ground, showing that he was still moving. Twilight crept down the small gap, and peered through the corridor to see that the goblin was now at the far end, and was about to turn around to head up the other side. ‘We’ve got him,’ she thought, smirking.

She hastily walked backwards out of the confines of the crates, and once she was free turned around and waved to Fluttershy, signalling her to make a move.

The pegasus nodded, swallowing down her nervousness as she did so, and crept on the tips of her hooves through the gap between the crates until she was near the edge. She started to shake violently as the goblin walked closer and close to the place she was hiding. Could she do this? Could she really commit such an act?

But then she remembered the promise she had made to Twilight in the morning. The promise that she would help her in whatever way she could, no matter what. It wasn’t a promise she had made just to get Twilight off her back, but one she had meant to uphold. ‘How could Twilight continue to love me if I don’t hold the promises I make, especially to her?’ To not do anything would be not only condemning them to a life of slavery, but she would lose the trust Twilight had on her.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, took a hesitant step forward, and stretched out her leg, just as the goblin was merely inches away. ‘I hope he could forgive me,’ she thought, bracing for the impact.

She felt one or both of the goblin’s legs touch her leg, which was followed by a shriek of alarm as the goblin tripped up and fell forward. Fluttershy opened her eyes just in time to see the goblin smash its face into the ground, the sound of a breaking nose echoing across the chamber. Fluttershy gasped in shock. “Oh my!” She stepped out from the crates and began looking at the goblin’s long and pointy nose, which was bending upwards at a heavy angle. “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to break your nose!” she exclaimed.

Twilight, meanwhile, rolled her eyes and jumped out of her hiding place to see the goblin groaning and struggling to get up and away from the pegasus. She raced over and set a hoof on the goblin’s head, pinning it down. “You’re not going anywhere,” she said. She looked up to her marefriend with a smile. “Good work, Fluttershy. Now, if you don’t mind, could you take the goblin’s sword and keep watch?”

Fluttershy nodded, though Twilight could practically feel the reluctance behind it. “But what about you? What will you be doing?”

“I’ll be asking our new friend here if he would give us some directions to the city and out of the mountain,” Twilight replied, patting the goblin heavily on the head and probably giving him a greater headache than he probably had.

Fluttershy nodded, then leaned down and with her teeth, nimbly pulled the sword out of the scabbard and walked past Twilight, staring at the back of the chamber with the longsword gritted in her teeth. She had always hated weapons, seeing no need for them in an age where few to no enemies existed. They were merely an excuse of power now – the power over life and death.

But at that moment, with the weight of the sword flowing through her and its hilt between her teeth, she felt like a little filly playing Knight, the Princess and the Dragon, and she was the brave knight. “Don’t worry, my fair and beautiful lady, for Lady Whisperwing is here to save you from the terrible fiend!” she whispered to herself, giggling and swinging her sword as she pretended to fight the evil dragon. She soon lost herself in her vast imagination, and started to swing her sword as though she was fighting a dragon.

Twilight paid little attention to the pegasus dancing and laughing with a sword, and looked down at the goblin pinned by her hooves. “All right, you can make this very easy, or very, very difficult for yourself,” she warned, gently pushing the goblin down as he tried to get her off him. “Tell us how to get out of here, through the city and out of the mountain, and no harm will come to you. I promise. If not, then things will get quite complicated between us.” Her eyes narrowed darkly as she leaned her head forward. “So, what’s it going to be?”

The goblin squeaked in terror and pointed down the corridor behind him. “Follow that tunnel down and keep going until you reach a path breaking off at a slope. Go up that path and at the end is a cellar door. Open it and you will find yourself at the top of the eastern side of the city,” the goblin hastily explained.

Twilight’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh,” she said. She drew out her bottom lip and nodded; she hadn’t expected to get her answer that quickly. ‘Do I look that intimidating?’ she thought. She shook her head of the thought, and looked back at the goblin below her. “Thank you,” she said, before raising a hoof and knocking him out with a single punch to the face.

She shook her hoof as she felt it throb with soreness. “Ouch, that hurts,” she groaned, seeing it go red. “I think I need to kick a few trees with Applejack when we get back.” She looked over to Fluttershy to get her to move once more, but tilted her head when she saw the mare dancing gracefully and pretending to fight off hordes of enemies. Though she knew she should be angry with her for not paying attention to the tunnel, the sight of the pegasus acting like a filly forced a smile across her face. “Having fun?” she asked, cocking her head a bit.

Fluttershy instantly stopped playing, squeaked in fright, dropped her sword and covered her face with her mane, blushing fiercely in embarrassment. “Oh, uh… um, yes, I did, sort of, I mean, no, I was keeping wat… oh my,” she squeaked, falling onto her belly.

Twilight giggled as she moved to Fluttershy’s side. She raised a hoof and calmly stroked the pegasus’s back. “I don’t mind, really. I know I should be angry, but how could I when you looked so happy? Besides, I actually enjoyed watching you move for a little bit,” Twilight said gently. She turned a little, gesturing with her head to the tunnel entrance closest to them. “Right, as nice as this chamber is and we could probably live here for a bit, I think it might be best that we move on.”

Fluttershy brought her head up, and flicked her mane out of her face to gaze expectantly at her marefriend. “Do you know the way out?” she asked.

Twilight nodded, and gestured with her head to the tunnel behind them. “We go through there and keep going until we reach a path going uphill. We go up there and–” She cut herself off when the shrieks of goblins coming from the tunnel in front of them flowed through their ears.

Fluttershy jumped to her hooves in an instant, her eyes wide with terror. “They’re coming,” she stated, as the shrieks grew louder. “They’re coming!”

“Then let’s run!” Twilight yelled, spinning around and breaking into a gallop towards the tunnel.

Fluttershy moved after her, but suddenly stopped and turned back to stare at the tunnel. As the shrieks of the goblins grew louder, it didn’t take her long to figure out – at a guess – how far away they were and how long it would take them to catch up. ‘We’ll never reach where we need to go in time,’ she realised.

She looked over to the barrels on the other side of the chamber, and cocked her head, pulling out her bottom lip in wonderment. ‘I wonder what they contain.’ She walked up to one, and nudged it a little with a heavy push of her hoof. To her surprise, and utter delight, the sound of sloshing flowed through her ears. She grinned. ‘Perfect.’

Twilight was out of the chamber and galloping as fast as her legs could take her through the tunnel, when she realised she should be hearing the sound of her lover’s hoofsteps either behind or beside her. She stopped and turned just in time to see Fluttershy turning around and picking up the sword with her teeth. ‘Is she mad?’ she yelled in thought, her jaw dropping at the sight. ‘She’s going to take on the entire Goblin Kingdom by herself?’

Twilight galloped hastily back into the chamber, gritting her teeth in anger to suppress the harsh words she wanted to say. “Come on, Fluttershy, we need to get moving!” Fluttershy pretended not to hear her; instead, she spread her wings and hovered just off the ground. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a rather large group of goblins making their way here, and there’s nothing I can do to stop them. Can we please get a move on? And why are you carrying that sword anyway? I thought you hated swords!”

Fluttershy stopped and stared for a second, before swinging her sword around so that it dangled on the right side of her face. “I do hate swords. I just want to use it for this.” With that, she swung her sword down, and slammed the edge into the bottom of the barrel.

‘I hope this works,’ Fluttershy thought, sweating with nervousness. She pulled it out, to be met with a shot of red wine sprouting out of the crack in the barrel. Some droplets landed on her face, which she licked off with her tongue, but most of the wine spilled onto the ground creating a large and rather slippery puddle.

Fluttershy squealed in delight, ecstatic her plan had worked, and started swinging her sword into more barrels along the line, breaking them open and spilling their contents across the floor to create an even larger puddle.

Twilight stared in growing wonder as the puddle grew larger. “Fluttershy, you are a genius!” she shouted, before spinning around and slamming a hoof into another barrel, smashing a large hole and spilling out even more wine. As she worked, Twilight had the largest grin across her face. ‘I fell in love with a genius. Guess there is a pony for each of us after all,’ she thought, chuckling.

Very soon, though, the pair had made it to the end of the chamber, and looked at their dirty work. The wine from the barrels had spilled out, and in some cases still was, creating fountains of wine, and created a small lake, making it slippery for those incautious to go slowly – Twilight had tested it and sure enough, she was over and on her side in a heart beat.

Twilight re-joined with her lover and was about to speak praises for Fluttershy, when the sound of heavy feet caught Fluttershy and hers attention. They looked to the other side of the chamber, and watched as a large group of goblins charged out of the tunnel and into the chamber. For a second, Twilight thought Fluttershy’s plan did not work, but suddenly a goblin tripped and fell face-first into the ground. Another fell over, and then another, and another, until most of the goblins that charged through were on their noses or on their backs, and struggling to get back up.

“I don’t think anypony, not even Princess Celestia, could have done any better,” Twilight remarked with a wry smile, earning both a giggle and a bashful blush from Fluttershy. She gestured with her head to the tunnel behind them, flinching as an arrow hit the cave wall behind her; Fluttershy jumped up and back when another arrow landed at her hooves. “Now let’s get out of here!” the unicorn cried, stepping back as the goblins prepared to launch more arrows at the couple.

Fluttershy nodded, and after dropping her sword the pair spun away from the chamber and galloped hard through the tunnel, their ears pinned up to hear for any approaching goblins and their eyes wide open. The tunnel itself was wide – big enough for a fully-grown dragon to fit in, definitely – and along the sides were braziers filled with torches, covering the tunnels in a sombre mixture of black and fiery orange colours. The passage itself had them going uphill, then downhill, turning right and left at a quick notice, yet not once did the ponies lose their momentum; they were galloping not only for their lives, but also for their freedoms.

As they ran, Fluttershy’s mind turned naughty again. Ever since she realised that Twilight was checking her out, as Rainbow Dash had called it when she caught her looking at a mare one time, she wanted to do the same. And with Twilight just ahead of her, galloping for her life, the time just seemed right. ‘It’s all right, it’s just checking somepony out, after all. It is not wrong, we do it all the time,’ she encouraged herself. She took a deep breath, looking at her running hooves. ‘Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this. Just lift your head up and stare.’

She lifted her head up to stare at Twilight’s behind, only to see in horror that Twilight had stopped and was looking at something or other. Before she could stop herself, she ploughed straight into Twilight’s backside, throwing both mares to the ground. Fluttershy groaned as she felt her eyes roll. ‘When I said I wanted to check Twilight out, this isn’t what I had in mind,’ she thought flatly.

Twilight shook her head to clear her dizziness, and turned around to see Fluttershy’s head pressed up against her bottom. ‘Oh dear,’ she thought, grimacing even as she could feel herself flush in embarrassment. She pulled herself away from Fluttershy, allowing the Pegasus’s head to fall to the floor, panting for air. “Are you all right?” Twilight asked, gently stroking Fluttershy’s head.

Fluttershy flicked her head and blinked rapidly, stopping her eyes rolling around her sockets, and hauled herself to her hooves. “I’m okay, I think,” she replied, wriggling her nose to get that odd feeling off her muzzle. “I am so sorry about that, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Twilight smiled knowingly. “I noticed,” she said flatly, raising an eyebrow.

Fluttershy blushed, ashamed of being caught. She looked up once more to stare questioningly at her. “Why did you stop anyway?”

Twilight flicked her head to the path ahead of them. “The goblin said that there should be two paths, with one leading off from the main one and heading upwards. Instead, there are three, and none of them go up like I expected,” she stated worriedly. She bowed her head and growled, “That goblin lied to us.”

Fluttershy stepped to the side, and gasped when she saw Twilight was right. The path on the left veered left and went straight down, the one in the middle kept going then turned sharply left, and the path on the right went straight then turned sharply right.

Fluttershy felt her heart beat faster in worry and her face begin to sweat. “Now which way do we go? How do we get out of here?” She shrieked in fright when she heard the cries of goblins echoing from behind. “Oh, what are we going to do?”

Twilight rubbed her face with a hoof. “I don’t know. Just be quiet for a bit and let me think,” she said. With Fluttershy silenced, though still fidgeting in place, Twilight walked slowly across the forked road, analysing the road for tracks. ‘If I am right, then I have to find the track with the most number of prints heading in and out. That can be the only one where the goblins gain entrance into the city and exit it again,’ she thought, spinning from spot to spot and walking quickly to gain a closer look.

“Any luck, sweetie?” Fluttershy asked, hopping on the spot as though she needed the bathroom and looking as anxious as ever.

Twilight stopped to answer, but her gaze fell upon the number of tracks running to and from the right path, and grinned. “Fluttershy, it’s this one!” she answered, pointing. The shrieks of the goblins coming from behind, and getting closer and closer, made both ponies jump. “Quickly, run into the other tunnel, then stop and fly back to me!”

Fluttershy nodded, and galloped into the left tunnel. Before she disappeared into the darkness, however, she stopped and spun around, spread her wings, and flew faster than Rainbow Dash across the gap between her and Twilight.

When she made it to the other side, she landed and gripped Twilight in a hug. “I’m sorry I nearly lost my cool back there,” she whispered.

The unicorn grinned and returned the hug, before parting and smiling at her. “It’s fine. I was beginning to get nervous myself.” More shrieks emanated from the darkness behind them, prompting the two to start galloping deeper and deeper into the tunnel. This time, there were few braziers and torches to light up the passageway, making it difficult for the pair to not collide with the walls and the sudden turns that made it up.

Finally, after the fiftieth time Twilight had bumped into the wall, creating another bruise on her side, she saw a torch resting in a holder attached to the wall. She took the torch out and, once she was sure it was firmly between her teeth, she broke into a gallop after Fluttershy, who had raced ahead but had slowed down so that she could keep up.

After a while, the pair had made it to the start of a steep climb, where at the top they could just make out the silhouette of the door just above, and the movement of a goblin below it. Fluttershy turned her head to look at Twilight, and nodded. “Ready?”

Twilight nodded determinedly. “Ready,” she said, though it was muffled by the torch in her mouth. With that, the pair broke into a charge up the slope, their eyes focused on the door ahead of them, their way out of this place.

A quarter of the way up, Fluttershy’s ears flicked as a sudden groaning sound came from above, and stopped in her tracks; Twilight stopped too. ‘That wasn’t my stomach,’ she thought, ‘and that certainly wasn’t Twilight’s.’ She looked up in fear. “Was that an earthquake?”

Twilight heard the groaning sound as well, and looked up just to hear the sound of something heavy rolling towards them. She dropped her torch in shock. “That, my love…” She turned her head to face her. “… Was a trap.”

As if they were waiting on queue, a large number of perfectly rounded rocks appeared out of the darkness, and were racing down the hill towards them at a rapid speed. Twilight and Fluttershy screamed, then spun around and raced back down the hill.

Twilight glanced behind to see a smaller boulder race past the others and threaten to trip her up. She veered to the side, watching as it rolled past her. She watched as Fluttershy jumped away from a larger boulder, only to do it again as another came up from behind her, nearly crushing her tail. ‘We can’t let these rocks chase us all the way down,’ she thought, even though she kept on running.

The same thought entered Fluttershy’s mind, too. These rocks would not stop chasing them until they reached the end of the tunnel, and they would be right back to square one with them in goblin sacks. ‘Twilight may not be able to do anything about these rocks, but I certainly can,’ she thought bravely.

Fluttershy dodged another boulder with a swift veer to the side, then spread her wings and took to the air, barely avoiding a larger boulder that seemed bigger than the tunnel. In a flash, she dashed after Twilight, her wing flapping so fast it made her look more like a hummingbird than a pegasus pony. She sped up when she saw a large boulder, bigger and wide than the others, roll after Twilight with a menacing speed. ‘She’s not going to dodge that one in time,’ she realised in horror. With renewed effort, she flapped her wings even harder.

She made it to Twilight just in time, and scooped her up with her hooves and lifted her into the air and out of the path of the boulders. She made it to the ceiling, and put all her strength into keeping her wings going on long enough until the onslaught of boulders stopped. ‘Come on, wings. Don’t let me down now,’ she thought.

Twilight watched as the boulders rolled below her with wide eyes, then looked up to see the most agonising look on Fluttershy’s face. Her face was sweating buckets worth of water, and her wings were flapping so rapidly she could be mistaken for a bee. To see her marefriend working so hard and without aid crushed Twilight’s heart. ‘I should do something to help her. But what?’ she asked herself, ashamed she didn’t have the power anymore to help her marefriend or herself.

Finally, after a long time of straining for their lives, the heavy numbers of boulders rolling down the slope began to slow into a trickle of rather small ones. Fluttershy noticed this, and began to relax her wings from their relentless flapping. But she dared not to fall to the ground just yet in case more boulders suddenly streamed down from the darkness once more; the goblins were cunning, and could wait for them to appear again.

The last of the boulders rolled down the tunnels and into the darkness, and for a long minute, the only sound that existed was Fluttershy’s flapping wings. Twilight looked up the slope and squinted her eyes to look for any more boulders. Seeing and hearing none, she looked up at the strained and sweating face of her lover. “Fluttershy?” she said delicately, fearing a slight distraction would send them both spiralling to a rather bumpy landing. “You can stop flapping your wings now.”

At once, Fluttershy’s wings stopped flapping, and the pair plummeted to the ground like stones. Twilight slammed into the ground first with an, “Oomph!” followed by Fluttershy falling flat on top of her. ‘Ow,’ Twilight thought, groaning into the ground.

Fluttershy blinked rapidly to clear her vision, and noticed to her horror Twilight below her, groaning into the ground. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” she whispered tiredly, feeling the pain in her wings.

Twilight nodded. “It’s all right,” she said, pulling her head out of the ground. “I should have been prepared for it.” She looked back to stare at Fluttershy with concern. “Are you okay?”

Fluttershy nodded, though her face revealed how unsure she was of her own answer. “I think so. My wings hurt a little, but I think I’ll be all right. I just don’t know if I can fly again for a bit.” She smiled a little and nuzzled the back of Twilight’s neck. “Sorry for landing on you again, sweetie. For what it’s worth, you make a lovely pillow.”

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at that, and leaned forward to nuzzle the side of Fluttershy’s face. “Guess I should try to find a spell sometime to change me into one, after all.”

Fluttershy guffawed and lifted herself off Twilight’s back. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I would rather have you to snuggle against than a pillow.” She shook her body like a dog ridding its body of water, throwing off dust that had stained her coat, then turned and took a step towards the slope. “Do we need to go up there?” she asked.

Twilight got up as well, and looked to where Fluttershy was staring. “Yes. Right up there is our only way out of the underground and into the city,” she answered. She looked to Fluttershy again, with concern across her face. “Are you ready?”

Fluttershy swallowed the fear crawling up her throat, and nodded. “Yes. I am ready.”

Twilight nodded, then broke into a gallop up the hill, “Then charge!” she yelled, sprinting rapidly towards the end. Fluttershy shrugged and charged after her, hoping she wouldn’t do anything rash when they made it to the top.

Shortly enough, after a gallop without incident, the pair made it to the top to be greeted by a goblin atop of a platform supported by pillars digging into the ground with a throwing spear in its claws. The goblin screeched and flung a spear at Twilight, who veered to the side and dodged it. The goblin sneered, then picked up another javelin and flung it at Fluttershy, who stopped and stared in growing horror at the projectile coming at her.

“Fluttershy, get out of the way!” Twilight yelled in horror.

Fluttershy immediately broke out of her fear, and jumped to the side, the spear digging into the ground at an angle. Twilight sighed in relief, and changed her course to get to the platform the goblin was on and take him out. ‘Nopony flings a spear at my marefriend,’ she thought.

The goblin saw the threat she possessed, and flung another spear at her. It landed with a thump inches before her. Twilight veered around it and picked it up with her mouth, before breaking into a charging gallop to the platform. She leapt up the stairs and swung her spear wide, throwing the goblin off its hooves and onto its back. Just as it lifted itself onto its rump, Twilight spun around and kicked it in the face with her hindhooves, knocking it unconscious.

Twilight breathed a heavy sigh of relief, spat out her spear, and turned to see Fluttershy on the platform on the other side, staring puzzlingly at three leavers. “Which one’s to release the door and which one’s for the rocks?” Fluttershy called.

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know. Try them all!”

Fluttershy threw her a look of worry. “But, wouldn’t that possibly throw more rocks down the hill?”

“Most likely, yes. But that shouldn’t matter since we’re up here and out of the way!” She looked down the slope in case goblins were approaching, and luckily there weren’t any for now; they would soon come down the tunnel to look for their crushed bodies. “Just hurry, before more goblins arrive!”

Fluttershy nodded, seeing the panicky tone in Twilight’s voice, and looked back at the three levers. “Okay,” she said to herself, “now which one do I go with first?”

She hurriedly made up her mind and went with the lever on the right. She reared up, wrapped her hooves around the end, and pushed it forward, the lever giving way with a heavy groan. Once she had pushed it to the other end, there was the sound of a click as the lever was locked into place, and she looked to the door in the hope it would open.

After a few seconds, nothing happened. “Try another one, quickly!” Twilight called.

Fluttershy nodded and rushed to the other one, pushing it quickly with all her might. With a sudden jar, the trap door blocking them from the city fell and smashed into the ground, showering the cavern with light from Twilight’s illumination spell shining through like a beam of sunlight.

Twilight beamed in delight at the sight, and quickly galloped towards the exit. “Come on, let’s go!”

Fluttershy bounced off the platform and galloped after her, grinning with joy. She glanced down the hill one last time, and was relieved to see nothing coming up to stop them. With a renewed effort, she continued to gallop through the trap door and out onto the other side.

When Fluttershy appeared from the trap door to stand beside Twilight, she gasped in horror as she looked in the direction her marefriend was facing. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Twilight muttered, her ears falling flat in despair.

They were standing at the top of the city, not far from where they had been before teleporting down to the bottom and running into the goblins, and staring at the other side where they needed to go. Across the city, goblins were running across the bridge and over the city’s many levels, seeking them out.

Fluttershy’s legs began to shake in terror at the sight. “H-how are we going to pass all of them?” she asked.

Twilight nimbly shook her head, feeling dread and fear run through her. “I’m not sure.” Her hind legs failed and she collapsed onto her rump, sighing. “I really don’t know.”

Fluttershy looked at her marefriend with concern, before inching closer to her and throwing her wing around her shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay, don’t feel like you and you alone should be coming up with an escape plan. I can’t think of one myself, but I know we will both come up with one together.” She nuzzled the side of Twilight’s face affectionately.

Twilight’s ears pinned upright at Fluttershy’s touch, and a low warmth spread across her face. ‘We’ll probably be blushing at each other’s touch until we’re about ninety,’ she thought. But the contact with her marefriend was what she needed. ‘I shouldn’t be wallowing here. I should be helping my marefriend get through this and get out of here.’

She smiled at Fluttershy, who smiled back with the same, cute smile she always wore, and then looked around. Several derelict buildings stood proudly, as they had done when they were standing here before, upon rotting, wooden platforms. Twilight turned her head again to look right, and saw the path veer to the left, ending on a sharp turn that went down to the next level. ‘That must be the same with other levels below. Stairs for single ponies, and ramps for carts and such,’ Twilight theorised.

Twilight’s eyes suddenly widened as an idea formed into her head. “We need to find something big that can run down that ramp at an unstoppable speed. With it, we can clear the way and give us a safe passage over the bridge,” she said, indicating with a hoof to the path heading left and with the other towards the bridge.

Fluttershy followed Twilight’s hooves at the different places. “O… kay,” she said, turning back to face Twilight with a questioning eyebrow. “But where are we going to find something big enough for us to use?”

Twilight shrugged. “That’s what we gotta look for,” she replied, her eyes wandering around for anything that could roll and be turned. Her eyes caught something at the end of the street – something large and possibly, judging by what light she had, moveable. “I think we may be in luck, my dear,” she whispered, walking over to the object. “Let’s take a closer look.”

Fluttershy watched Twilight walk off and trotted after her, wondering what she had seen. ‘Oh, I hope it is something we can use. I don’t know about her, but I am starting to feel claustrophobic,’ she thought.

The pair soon made it to the object, and Twilight gasped in delight at the sight of the cart. “It’s… its perfect,” the unicorn whispered, striding around it, looking at every joint for any faults. Twilight made her way back to Fluttershy, who stood at the side and watched her as well as the road behind them for any signs of goblins coming after them, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Too perfect. A cart like this shouldn’t be looking as brand new as this one.”

Fluttershy felt inclined to agree with Twilight. The cart was in immaculate condition. Its wheels were finely shaped, its joints were shining new, and the harness at the front wasn’t rotten at all. “Maybe the goblins renovated it just so they could use it to bring food in from their farms,” she suggested.

Twilight slowly nodded her head in agreement. “But what adjustments have they made to it for them to move it better?” she wondered aloud. She jumped up onto the cab seat, and stared admiringly at a smaller wheel set in the middle. “They’ve attached a steering wheel of some sorts to the front wheels to make it turn easier.” She leapt out of the cab in joy. “We’re in luck, Fluttershy, we can use this!”

Fluttershy grinned as well, but that grin faded as a shriek of alarm echoed across the city. The cries of hundreds more goblins followed in its wake, their cries so loud the pegasus feared the ceiling would crack apart and fall on them. She didn’t need to look down to know why they cried out like that. “They’ve seen us,” she whispered in terror.

Twilight cantered around the cart. “Get on, Fluttershy, we’re getting out of here!” she declared determinedly. Fluttershy nodded and jumped onto the cart, sitting behind the wheel. With her on board, Twilight reared up, pressed her forelegs against the cart, and began to push it forward.

It was heavy, much heavier than she thought it would be. She wanted to take into account the fact that there was a pony with a bit of a pudge on board, but then that would be saying that Fluttershy was fat, and her marefriend was not fat – just a little pudgy, that’s all. ‘She looks cute with that pudge, anyway,’ she thought, smiling to herself.

She threw herself out of her thoughts when she felt the cart slowly begin to move on its own accord, and threw herself into the back. Fluttershy looked back and stared in wonder at her. “Um, if you’re not pushing the cart, then who is?”

“Gravity, my love,” Twilight replied with a wink, even as she felt the cart gradually start to build up speed. “The city levels are going at a downhill slop, small enough to be unnoticeable, but going down enough for gravity to take over and give us the force we need.” She pressed her legs into the cart as their escape vehicle began to move even faster. “You drive the cart around the corners, while I’ll try and keep any goblins from getting on board. Ready?”

Fluttershy nodded as bravely as she could. “Ready,” she answered, and turned around and put her hooves to the wheel. To be certain that it was working properly, she turned the wheel right. Sure enough, the wheels responded and the cart veered slightly to the right. She tried it by turning it left, and the wheels responded in kind. Fluttershy grinned to herself. ‘Now I’m ready,’ she thought, her eyes narrowing in determination.

Her eyes widened suddenly when a large horde of goblins appeared around the corner, and were charging blindly at the cart. “Please get out of the way!” she called, gesturing with a hoof to make them move. The goblins halted at the sight of the moving cart before them and collectively squealed in horror. Some jumped out of its path and cowered under or inside the houses, while others dropped their weapons, spun around and ran in the other direction, flaying their arms about and screaming like little girls.

Twilight craned her neck and watched as goblins squealed and ran for their lives, and could not help but snigger. ‘Not so intimidating now, are they?’ she thought.

She changed her mind when one managed to jump onto the back of the cart with her, sneering venomously and brandishing a large sword. The goblin lunged forward and swung its sword from over its head. Twilight squeaked in alarm and jumped back, missing the sword strike by a few inches. She spun and kicked the goblin in the face with her hind legs, throwing the goblin off the cart and throwing other goblins that were trying to jump on to the ground. Another goblin clung to the end, trying to haul itself into the back.

Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder to watch Twilight step on the goblin’s fingers and throw him back to the ground, then looked ahead again to see to her horror that the sharp turning to the lower level was ahead. “Hold on!” she squealed, and yanked the wheel to the left.

Twilight screamed as she felt the world spin for a bit, and she landed on her back with a thump. She then felt herself drift to the side of the cart, just as it began to rapidly turn around the corner and begin the descent to the next level. She took a deep breath and got back onto her hooves, ready to fight again if she had to.

Fluttershy felt her heart hammer against her rib cage, as she repositioned herself after the turning. ‘I gave that a bit more than I should have,’ she thought. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and put her hooves on the wheel once more, feeling terrified, and yet, at the same time, tremendously excited. The cart was going rapidly, allowing her mane to fly through the air like a kite, and she could feel the air rushing against her face. She barely suppressed the thought of squealing with joy, despite the many goblins trying to get onto the cart and failing. ‘Why am I loving this so much?’ she wondered.

Her excitement died in her heart and her stomach when she looked ahead and saw goblins armed with javelins spread across the road, and preparing to hurl them at her. “Duck!” she screamed, and took cover as the first goblin threw its javelin.

Twilight looked confused. “Why would a duck be in this city?” she asked herself, just as she saw the javelin sailing through the air towards her. “Ah!” she cried, before leaping forward to take cover behind the back of the seat. The javelin slammed tip-first into the cart, spraying splinters of wood across the cart. Twilight threw a hoof up to her face to protect herself from one splinter, which scratched at her leg and fell to the floor in front of her.

She rolled out of the way of another as it came crashing down towards her, landing in the spot she had previously occupied. She saw another coming down, heading right towards Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, look out!” she screamed.

Fluttershy heard her warning and looked up, then shrieked in fright at the javelin coming down like rain towards her. She leapt into the back of the cart with her marefriend, feeling a pinch of wooden shrapnel hit her hind leg as the javelin destroyed the wheel and punctured through into the back.

Twilight stared at her prostrated marefriend for a second, then looked to the goblins standing in their way with murderous rage. ‘Right. Time to give them a taste of their own medicine,’ she thought. She stood up, and picked up one of the fallen javelins with her hooves. As she tried to get it straight and in a throwing position, it occurred to her that very rarely did she hold things with her hooves – she had always relied on her magic to keep things aloft. Now, she looked extremely awkward with it.

Yet, she would endure it for her marefriend’s sake.

She finally got it to point to the air, and with an almighty throw, lunged it at the goblin line. The javelin sailed through the air for a few inches, before diving back down and landing at an angle just in front of the wheels of the cart.

“Um… They got us, Fluttershy! Time to abandon cart!” Twilight screamed. She took Fluttershy by the hoof, and leapt off the back of the doomed vehicle, landing in a crumpled mess together on the ground.

Fluttershy was the first to raise her head, and looked behind to see what was about to happen. The cart slammed into the javelin, but instead of crushing it or a wheel breaking off, the cart simply rolled its right wheels along the titled javelin, which sent the cart onto its side.

But the cart did not stop.

It began to spin and break apart, throwing large planks of wood everywhere and even throwing wheels. The goblins owning the javelins jumped to the side of the road, some missing a few pieces but others being hit across the head and chest with pieces of wood or metal. In the end, the cart stopped at the end of the road and exploded into a million pieces.

As the goblins gathered themselves from the floor, Twilight and Fluttershy sprung to their hooves, and Twilight looked around them for anything that could give them a hasty escape. ‘There must be something to get us out of this,’ Twilight thought, looking at the debris scattered around her.

Fluttershy, meanwhile, was looking at something else. Her eyes, wide with horror, watched as several goblins on the level above them moved large ballistae into position, their bow-shaped fronts bent down so that the bolts nestled in the middle were aiming at the two ponies. The pegasus looked left and right, and saw goblins racing towards them with a look that curdled her blood. She finally looked down the other levels and saw more goblins running up the stairs to cut them off and take them prisoner – again.

As far as she could see, they were trapped.

Twilight, however, saw a way out; three large pieces of debris from the cart, nailed together and looking more like a sled than a part of a cart, resting just a few inches from the pair. She poked Fluttershy’s shoulder with a hoof, and with the other pointed to the pieces. “You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked, grinning maniacally.

Fluttershy knew from Twilight’s look what she was intending, and she dearly wished she didn’t. “Um, that it might be best we surrender and hope to escape some other day?” she ventured, grinning sheepishly.

Twilight’s grin disappeared to be replaced by a disappointed frown. Then, in a whirl of motion, Twilight grabbed the planks, turned it around so that it was facing the stairs, and stepped on the front; the goblins watched with curiosity. “Put all your hooves around my waist, spread your wings out, and hold on tight,” she ordered, sitting on her haunches.

Fluttershy quickly complied, and stepped onto the sled with a frantically beating heart. She threw her forehooves around Twilight’s shoulders, and wrapped her rear hooves around Twilight’s waist. “I’m ready. Go,” she squeaked, clenching her eyes shut and burying her head in Twilight’s mane.

Twilight nodded, though she began to feel the nerves of what she was about to do fill her heart. She lowered her body closer to the wood, and with her forehooves pushed towards the stairs. “Hold on,” she said, before giving a final push over the edge and down the stairs.

Twilight could feel the air of the cavern rush past her face, tingling every nerve, every hair on her coat, and every bump they hit as they went down, making her eyes water at the speed they were going. She could hear the cries of alarm from the goblins they had just left behind, as well as those in front, especially the terrified screams of her marefriend directly behind her, sending painful ringing into her ears.

She suddenly heard another sound – one that was neither screaming nor cries of alarm, but of utter destruction. She looked left, and her eyes widened in horror as a ballista bolt fired by the goblins had shot straight through a part of the frames keeping a house level against the mountainside, and the house was falling after them.

“Keep hold of me, sweetheart!” Twilight yelled, and suddenly swerved left off the stairs and back onto the winding road, missing another ballista bolt as it slammed into another house, throwing parts of rock into more goblins trying to catch up to them.

The pegasus watched the building fall apart and disappear down the side of the mountain, possibly crushing some goblins. Fluttershy turned her head away, sickened by what she had seen. ‘Such a pointless waste of life,’ she thought.

A thundering thud beside her brought Fluttershy out of her lamentation, and turned just to see a large bolt land beside their makeshift sled. They quickly left it behind. Another smashed through a house’s stands in front of them, slowly throwing the ancient structure to the road and the two ponies. “Go right!” Fluttershy yelled, pointing to the intended direction.

Twilight saw the house’s structure beginning to break apart, and instantly tilted her body so that the sled veered right. Thankfully, the sled complied and began to move towards the edge. The unicorn sighed quietly in relief, and then looked back at the building ahead of them. To her horror, the house was beginning to collapse faster than she had calculated, and was now sliding rapidly down the short length of hill and towards the path. ‘We’re doomed,’ she realised.

Fluttershy saw the potential collision course as well, and immediately started to think. ‘Come on, Fluttershy, think, think, think,’ she thought, mentally tapping her head. ‘We need to go faster than we are now, or else we’ll be crushed by that thing. We need a boost of some sort, something like… wings.’ She looked back at her wings, which fidgeted excitedly at her sides, and smirked.

With a rapid spin, nearly knocking Twilight off the sled, she firmly set her back against Twilight, wrapped her hooves around the unicorn’s belly, and regally spread her wings out. With her teeth gritted together, and a prayer to keep her strong, she pulled her wings back slowly, and once they were as far back as she could put them, thrust them forward.

Twilight felt a massive surge of speed beneath her, and pressed her hooves into the sled even harder to keep herself on. ‘How is this possible?’ she wondered. She looked back, and her eyes widened and her mouth hung open as she watched Fluttershy flap her wings forward and send them going faster and faster. ‘She really is the pony for me,’ she thought, smiling. She wordlessly looked ahead again and concentrated on avoiding the building breaking apart ahead of them, as well as the many ballista bolts being hurled at them from above.

Twilight swung the sled to the left as a piece of the house rolled in the front of her, the noise it made with its rolling sounding like thunder. Twilight didn’t have time to celebrate, as an even bigger piece was coming down and heading straight for them. “Faster, Fluttershy!” she yelled. She lowered her body down to make the sled faster and more streamlined.

Fluttershy heard her, and began to flap her wings even faster, putting her all into forcing the two of them to slide faster. Luckily, her wing power was just enough to get them away from the falling building and away from other debris that rolled or flew down the hillside and slammed into other houses, smashing them asunder and joining the mass landslide that was now happening across the city.

Fluttershy could only stare in horror at the sight before her. Thousands of years of history, a city created before she was even thought of, was coming down the hill like an avalanche, throwing goblins off their feet and crushing them, and all of this caused by the goblins themselves – well, they too had a part to blame for this destruction since they were the ones being shot at.

Fluttershy’s ears flickered at the sound of quiet sniffing, and turned her head to see Twilight staring ahead, her face a mask of concentration, yet nopony could miss the tears building up in her eyes. “So… much… history… gone,” she whispered excruciatingly, trying not to look back out of fear that she would be wailing at the knowledge being destroyed.

Fluttershy stared at her sympathetically, and gently gave her back an affectionate nuzzle. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “It probably wouldn’t have lasted much longer, anyway. Just concentrate on guiding us out of here, like getting us past that turning there.”

Twilight’s eyes snapped back to full attention, and saw to her alarm that a turning was coming up. “Hold on!” she called, and tilted her body to the right as they entered the turning. Fluttershy tightened her hold on the mare as pressed her hooves into the sled, praying she wouldn’t slip off.

Yet, even with the pressure she was adding to the sled, it didn’t seem to be enough.

Just as the two rounded the bend and about to go onto the straight, Fluttershy felt one of her hooves slip off the sled and drag across the ground. She tried to lift it off the ground and back onto the sledge, but it caught against a rock, pulling her off Twilight. With a scream, she fell forward and rolled off the sled.

Twilight felt the lack of pressure against her hips, and looked back. She could only stare in horror as Fluttershy rolled to a stop, and as another house began to fall towards her. “FLUTTERSHY!”

Fluttershy looked up at the scream of Twilight’s voice, and then turned right as the building began to rapidly fall towards her. ‘Time to go,’ she thought, gulping in fear. She leapt to her hooves and began to gallop after Twilight, paying little heed to the ballista bolts being fired blindly in her direction. One landed just by her side, throwing up patches of dirt. Another sailed over her head and smashed its way through another building, sending a whole corner of the house into piles of rubble.

Fluttershy breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then looked up once more at the houses coming down. To her horror, more and more buildings were now starting to join the mighty avalanche that was raining down on them; she could make out several goblins trying to escape the mindless destruction their brothers were causing, only to disappear into the dust clouds. Though she considered them enemies, she didn’t wish any serious harm on any of them. ‘I hope they managed to get out all right,’ she thought. She looked back at the buildings and saw that she would never escape the majority preparing to roll onto the path ahead of her. ‘Time to think of something else.’

She saw another building coming towards her, and, with her wings, brought herself to a halt. She waited like a pony would wait at a level crossing for a train to pass as the building tumbled down the hill, across the path and down the other end. Fluttershy puffed out a breath of air, before galloping after the rolling building.

Twilight, meanwhile, was doing her best trying to avoid the ballista bolts being fired at her, while also trying to veer past the loose debris of the city as it collapsed around her. She swerved the makeshift sled left as a bolt slammed into the ground, and crouched low as a piece of debris hopped and flew over her head. ‘This is getting crazy,’ she thought, her eyes widening as she watched a whole house fall down the hill ahead of her. ‘Oh, I hope Fluttershy’s okay.’

She wanted to stop and wait for her marefriend to catch up so that the two could escape together, but secretly, she knew it would be a terrible idea to stop. Not only would it risk them being captured once more, but it would risk one if not both of their lives, especially if one decided to stay in one place and wait for the other to catch up. It was a logical thought, but one that Twilight hated herself for bringing up. ‘I’m sure Fluttershy has thought of something to catch up with me,’ she assured herself.

She looked back to be sure, and her eyes widened further than she had ever thought they would. “What in the world?” she shrieked, her mouth hanging open like an inviting cave.

Fluttershy was galloping across the tops of the houses as they fell down the hillside. Her wings were spread out, as though she was ready to fly at a moment’s notice. Her eyes were fixed ahead into a concentrated stare, wandering every now and then to look for something she could stand on. Yet she didn’t look afraid that she might be crushed by heavy rocks, or miss or get a calculation wrong. She just looked like it was a normal day for her.

It reminded Twilight of how a panther would get around by leaping from branch to branch on trees in the jungle regions of Terra. And she couldn’t have been more amazed by it. ‘Knowing her, she probably had practice with a few of her animal friends,’ she thought, imaging Fluttershy running through the jungle with a group of panthers behind her.

The slamming of a ballista bolt beside her forced Twilight to look ahead again, and concentrate on getting to the bridge below. ‘Just one more level to pass through and then it’s over the bridge. Keep going, Twilight.’

Fluttershy had almost forgotten the last time she had jumped from tree to tree like a kitty cat in the jungle. Yet as she pressed her hooves into the stone, concentrated as her life and her love depended on it, the memories and the training came back to her. ‘Just watch for any opportunities, calculate the distances carefully, and jump and pray you can make it,’ she reminded herself.

She watched as a smaller piece of city building slid down the hill at a rapid rate, and saw her opportunity. She leapt from the building, tucked her legs in and glided after the smaller piece. Fluttershy smirked thinly as she soon caught up with it, and landed gracefully on the top. Her weight slowed down the debris, but not by much, which she was surprised about. ‘Surely I must have lost a lot of weight since we started this adventure,’ she thought.

She put that thought to one side when she saw a group of goblins on the road ahead, aiming their bows at Twilight, who was coming down the path at a rapid speed. Fluttershy knew she had to act fast. “GOBLINS!” she bellowed.

The goblins instantly turned at her call, and their eyes widened at the sight of more of the city coming down at them. They instantly turned their aims to her, and loosed. Fluttershy could hear Twilight screaming at her to get out of the way, but the pegasus was prepared. Just before the arrows could hit, she jumped back, landed on the ground and slid down the hill on her bum, using her wings to keep herself steady.

Fluttershy heard a screech or two emitted from the other side of the rock, followed by the sound of rock smashing into flesh. She looked left and right, watching as goblins were thrown to the ground like bowling pins. “Sorry!” she called to them, even as she could see their eyes rolling in their sockets.

She made it to the flat, and set herself back on all fours while looking at the city around her. Most of the eastern side by now was destroyed, with many of the buildings of the higher levels crashing into the homes on the lower levels. Thanks to them, most of the avalanche was stopped, but a few buildings’ remains had made it to the bottom and were now blocking the bridge. ‘I guess we will have to climb over all of that,’ Fluttershy realised, slouching a bit.

She suddenly felt something akin to a hoof holding her own, and looked up just in time to see Twilight whooshing past her, her hoof still holding onto her own. “Uh oh,” she whispered, before screaming in alarm as Twilight dragged her behind the sled. She quickly recovered, however, and lifted herself into the air to the point she was gliding like a kite.

“Are you all right, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, glancing back at her with a look of concern and, to the pegasus’s surprise, awe.

“I’m fine, thank you,” Fluttershy replied, trying her best to reply normally with the speed they were going. She looked ahead, and her eyes bulged in fright. “Look out!”

Twilight shot her head around to look ahead once more, and squeaked in fright as they entered the turning too quickly, and heading straight for the wall. “Jump!” she cried, and quickly pushed herself off the sled, skidding across the ground and bruising her belly. The sled itself smashed into the wall, shredding itself into a thousand pieces.

That didn’t matter to Twilight now. It did its job. They had made it to the bottom of the city.

Fluttershy fluttered to the ground, her hoof still in Twilight’s hold, and gently hauled her up. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, the familiar sound of a ballista bolt being loosed from its machine filled her ears.

“Get down!” Twilight yelled, and instantly pushed Fluttershy and herself to the ground. A bolt glided over their heads, threatening to take their manes with it, before crashing into a small stone hut situated by the side of the canyon. The top half of the hut disappeared into the canyon, leaving only the crumbling bottom half dangling over the edge.

Fluttershy was the first up, panting heavily from her run from building to building, and quickly looked behind to see the goblins racing down the hill towards them. “Twilight, get up, they’re coming down!” she yelled, shaking the unicorn.

Twilight instantly brought her head up, her mouth forming an O in horror. “Come on!” she shouted, taking her marefriend’s hoof and breaking into a gallop towards the bridge, which was now just on the other side of a pile of rubble, the height of a house and the length of a garden wall. “That was amazing, by the way, you leaping from building to building. How did you do it?” she asked as Fluttershy raced ahead.

“Ask me again when we get out of this,” Fluttershy replied breathlessly. She leapt onto the pile of rubble and began to climb up, little caring of where she put her hooves but with freedom first and foremost on her mind.

Twilight followed seconds later. She could feel her limbs shake and ache heavily with fatigue, to the point she thought she might collapse from the strain she was putting them through. Yet she carried on, for freedom’s sake. And her marefriend’s.

She glanced to her right, and saw to her horror a group of five goblins were now level with them, and preparing to loose their bows at the pair. “Leap up!” Twilight cried, just as the goblins loosed their arrows.

Fluttershy heard her and without thought, she leapt forward, only to find herself on the other side of the wall with only a straight drop below her. She yelped as she made the short drop to the ground, landing on her belly with a squeaky, “Ow!” She glanced to the top of the wall behind her, and sighed in relief when she saw the large number of arrows resting where she had been standing previously. ‘We survived that. Now we have to get over the bridge,’ she thought, the image of fresh air and wide-open spaces pleasing her greatly.

A low grunt of pain to her left swung her head around, and she frowned worriedly as Twilight got up, rubbing her belly. “You okay, sweetie?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight looked her way and smiled assuredly, nodding. “I’m fine, thanks,” she replied. She broke into a gallop, just as another arrow slammed into the ground between them. “Now let’s get out of… here,” Twilight said, her confident grin fading into a look of horror as she stared ahead.

Fluttershy followed her gaze, and nearly screamed in fright at the sight of Krull and an army of goblins armed with spears, swords and bows barring their way over the bridge. She could even see the one that had given Twilight the bandages by Krull’s side, brandishing a massive broadsword. Krull himself held around his fat fingers a large one-headed axe, rusty and as fat as its owner was.

Twilight turned around to try to find another way past them, only to find more goblins had positioned themselves on the high ground, aiming sharp and rusty arrows at the couple. ‘We’re trapped… again,’ she realised, slumping in defeat. Fluttershy inched closer to Twilight, her coat rubbing affectionately against hers.

“Why must you consider fleeing from us, ponies?” Krull asked pleadingly, taking a step towards them. The goblins behind bent their knees and prepared to attack. “Can’t you see that we only want to keep you safe? Cause if you plan to head that way, and leave this mountain,” he pointed towards the bridge, “then only death awaits you both.”

Fluttershy began to shake in fright as his words sunk in. Twilight, however, seemed unfazed by the thought, and defiantly stepped forward. “I would rather die by my own choosing than forced to live my life as a slave to a bunch of greedy goblins, all but forgotten by everypony I have ever loved,” she declared, taking another step forward.

“But surely that is better than the short life you will surely have if you leave this mountain?” Krull queried. He threw his arms into the air. “If you stay, the pair of you will be hailed as gods! Givers of life, food, and goodwill to the goblins under my reign! You will even be allowed to wander the mountain as you both see fit, even see the farms that you will help provide!” Krull’s voice lowered into a gentler tone. “You can both be married here, too. Wife and wife, free to wander the range and watch as the years pass by, free of the strife that plagues the civilised world. Here, you will only find peace.”

Fluttershy’s eyebrows slowly went up through Krull’s speech, until they were at the top of her forehead. ‘You gotta admit, he makes a pretty good argument,’ she reasoned to herself.

Twilight still didn’t see the benefits of staying, however, and slowly shook her head. “We will still be prisoners here, Krull. Cages or none, we are still bound to the mountain and the space around it, unable to leave, never to see our home nor our friends and family,” she replied. “No matter what you do, we will still be prisoners to your mercy, and that is something I cannot go through with.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and moved herself to Twilight’s side. “Neither can I,” she said, keeping her head held high. Although Krull had admittedly made some good points, she knew that Twilight made the most sense. To stay here would mean they would still be prisoners, and that’s what they had been running to escape from since their first encounter with the goblin king.

Krull snorted, his hold on his axe tightening. “So you still refuse to surrender?”

Twilight lowered her head, snarling, and prepared to charge like a bull. “Yes. We will not – we cannot surrender,” she responded, willing and ready to fight if she needed to.

Krull made no move to attack, yet he did back down. He simply stood there, his eyes wandering between the two ponies as though judging by which to strike first. Fluttershy instantly took a step and moved to stand behind her marefriend, whimpering in fear. Around her, goblins trained their bows on Twilight, knowing she would be the one to give them the greater resistance.

However, they should not have forgotten the strength the pegasus knew she had in her. All she needed to do was to bring it forward and show the meanies that she meant business… but then again, judging by the arrows aiming their way, she was perfectly happy just standing where she was.

Twilight chose to ignore her fidgeting marefriend for a moment, and instead locked her gaze with Krull’s, waiting for the moment that he would strike and Fluttershy and herself would be locked in a vicious battle for their lives. [i[‘We should attack first. We have surprise on our side, for they will never expect two ponies to attack a king and his army of around two hundred goblins first, cause we will be killed instantly. You know what, forget surprise,’ she thought. So she simply waited.

She didn’t have much longer to wait.

Krull let out an almighty roar, the sound of which caused the mountain above them to tremble slightly, then charged for Twilight, his axe head over his shoulder. He only made a single step before stopping once more, and made no move afterwards, his face locked in a fierce struggle.

Twilight took a step back in shock. ‘What’s happening to him?’ she wondered. She could see from the goblins behind the king that they had little to no idea what was happening as well. She looked back into Krull’s eyes, and her coat hairs stood up on end as she saw flashes of dark green and black race across the goblin’s vision.

‘No… it… it can’t be.’

Fluttershy noticed the growing look of horror on Twilight’s face, and moved to comfort her. “Twilight? Twilight, what’s wrong?” she asked, setting her hooves on the mare’s cheeks. Twilight didn’t even look away, prompting the pegasus to stare at Krull. ‘What is she even looking at?’ she wondered, tilting her head left and right to decipher what had her lover so terrified.

Before she could really understand what it was, Krull blinked repeatedly, the darkness shrouding his eyes disappearing and showing the blue of his eyes a lot clearer than they just did, and he staggered forward, throwing the head of his axe to the ground. The goblins behind rushed forward to help, but he raised an arm up, ordering them to stop.

“Twilight, what the heck just happened?” Fluttershy whispered, swinging her body round so that that her side rubbed against her marefriend’s. Twilight did not reply, but continued to stare at Krull as he brought himself upright, staring menacingly at the two ponies.

For a long moment, silence reigned across the ruined city, save for the sounds of clinking armour, shuffling hooves and swords being partially drawn from scabbards. Twilight and Fluttershy glanced at one another, wordlessly telling themselves to be ready to fight, and together they prepared to break through with hoof and teeth if need be.

Finally, the Goblin Master spoke. “Fine,” he wheezed, clearly wounded by whatever happened to him. “If you two so wish to die in the wilderness, then I will not stop you.” He straightened his back, raised a claw to the air and yelled, “STAND DOWN!”

Twilight stared incredulously at Krull, disbelieving of his words, and then looked around at the army surrounding them. A few goblins reluctantly lowered their bows, rested their spears and sheathed their swords, but most of them appeared to be just as confused as she was, keeping their weapons aimed at the ponies yet looking around with raised eyebrows. ‘Why is he doing this?’ she wondered, looking back at Krull.

“I said stand down!” Krull yelled once more, the sound of agitation plain in his voice. “And clear the city! I want everyone back underground right away! Do it, or there will be no rations for those who ain’t underground in less than half an hour!”

At once, the ponies seemed to be all but forgotten by the mention of rations. The goblins rested their weapons and fled into the darkness, each of them shoving their way towards the nearest entrance to the goblin caves. Fluttershy, stunned by the sudden turn of events, could only stare with wide eyes and an open mouth as the goblins all but abandoned the city.

Finally, all that was left of the goblin army was Krull, twenty of his followers, and the ruined eastern side of the city. “If you both should ever return to this city, then I will not be so merciful with you as I was,” he warned, causing Fluttershy to inch closer to Twilight, trembling in fright.

Twilight snorted, her eyes narrow with anger. “You can try,” she stated disdainfully.

Krull sneered, but did not say a word in response. He bobbed his head to the pair, then turned around and led his close followers to an open trap door waiting for them. Krull went through first, followed one after the other by his followers. Eventually, the last one went through, and the trap door closed, leaving Twilight and Fluttershy standing alone and before the bridge.

Fluttershy’s eyes wandered the now desolate city, her breathing loud and heavy and her eyes wide. She couldn’t believe it. After all of that, after Twilight was fatally wounded, and subsequently healing herself minutes afterward, running from a horde of goblins and avoiding a few chances of death, the goblins had simply given up and gone home.

‘What… what just happened?’ she asked herself. Was it a trick? Surely it was a trick. The goblins couldn’t have simply given up like that. She looked up at the slopes of the city above her, checking for any sign of movement, or at least a ballista being cranked into position. But not even one of those caught her ears or met her eyes. They were all gone, as if they were not ever there.

“Fluttershy?” The sudden gentleness of Twilight’s voice caused the pegasus to shriek and jump in fright, only to quickly calm herself when she remembered she wasn’t alone after all. “Are you all right?” Fluttershy gave a few rapid nods in response. “Then let’s get out of here before they change their minds,” Twilight stated, before throwing one hoof forward.

For some reason she was not sure why, Fluttershy felt compelled to stay where she was. “But what about the go–?”

“There’s no time to think about that,” Twilight replied quickly, almost rudely. “We have to go. Now.” With that, she broke into a gallop towards the bridge. “Come on, sweetheart!”

At the sight of her marefriend crossing the bridge without her, Fluttershy’s legs freed themselves from their prison and she began to walk forward. “Wait!” she called after her, breaking into a hasty gallop. As she made it onto the bridge and over the black ravine below, Fluttershy briefly wondered what had Twilight so worried. ‘It has to be something about what happened to Krull,’ she reasoned to herself, just as she was catching up to Twilight. ‘I will have to ask her about it when we get out of here.’

With the pair free from the goblins, and the way opened to them, the ponies galloped over the bridge, through the city, and on the road out of the mountain.

The river before her was wide, faster than the stream she had outside her home, but like that, there was a crossing for them. A large group of rocks were clustered together and sticking out of the river like a group of fingers from a hiding dragon, ready to clench around its prey and eat them in one bit.

Fluttershy shook her head at the thought of a dragon, and took a deep breath to calm the sudden growth of fear she had felt rising in her chest. ‘Try not to think about a dragon,’ she told herself.

She soon felt as calm as she could be again, and took a good look around. Covering the ground, the edges of the river, even some of the mountainsides that she could see, were a large amount of pine, oak, acorn, and an assortment of other trees she could name. On the other side of the river, a dirt road, barren of prints of any shape or size, veered into the forest and out of sight. Beyond the forest, two great mountains stood like guard towers at the end of the valley, parts of their sides sticking out like balconies to a great castle.

“I take it we have to go between those mountains there, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, pointing with half a leg raised. She looked behind her, and nearly screamed in shock when her marefriend was nowhere to be seen. “Twilight?” she asked timidly, looking around for any trace of her. “Twilight!”

“I’m here!” Twilight yelled in reply. “I’m all right, I’m just, uh… busy.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh,” she whispered. “Okay. Sorry if I disturbed you, I should have realised. I’m just here, if you need me at all. Don’t let me stop you.” She turned back towards the mountains, humming a cheery tune to herself and scraping an idle hoof against the ground. ‘I hope she doesn’t take too long,’ she thought. She sat on her rump and looked at the sky, which had a bright orange glow just above the edge of the horizon as the sun started to disappear, reflecting on the events that brought them here.

Once the pair had made it out of the mountain, they found before them a long, steady slope heading down the mountain and into a valley. Bigger than the Everfree Forest and Whitetail Woods combined, a ring of mountains surrounded the valley, with a single gap in the northern edge to form a pass. Within the valley were two large forests, divided by a single river that ran through the middle and into the pass beyond. And here and there were large clearings, where the ground was tended to and a few small huts with smoke flowing out of the chimney were situated.

“I guess those are the goblin farms Krull wanted us to ‘help’ with,” Twilight guessed, creating little quotes with her hooves to emphasise the word ‘help’.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “We better avoid those if we want to get out of here,” she said.

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Should be easy enough, so long as we stick to the main road.”

“What main road?”

“The long brown thing running down there,” Twilight replied, pointing at the bottom of the mountain where a dirt road wound its way through the forest, passing by the farms as though they didn’t exist.

Fluttershy followed the road right until she couldn’t see it anymore, and nodded. Silently, the two ponies began the exhausting trek down the mountainside, straining to hold themselves steady and not slip and fall the whole way down. Fluttershy slipped several times, but thanks to quick thinking and her wings, she was able to steady herself a bit later and continue as if nothing had happened. And with her in front, Twilight was able to keep steady and not tumble as well.

After they had made it to the bottom of the mountain and began the walk through the valley – intending to make it to the very end before the night set in – they passed ancient ruins of old earth pony huts that used to dominate the landscape, but were now the home of creepy crawlies, or cuties as Fluttershy liked to call them. The buildings themselves were just a small square with an open roof, or had part of a roof but it was covered in vines and such; the floor of the houses were covered in weeds, plants and grass that was growing through cracks.

‘The world’s taking back this place,’ Twilight had thought, staring solemnly at the ruins they passed. ‘And soon nothing of our ancestors’ homes will be left for ponies to find.’

The melancholy nature of Twilight did not go unnoticed by Fluttershy, who found herself glancing back at her every so often to be certain that she was all right and still following her. ‘Come on, Fluttershy, ask her what’s wrong and help her. It’s what you are meant to do, being her marefriend and all,’ she thought. But every time she was about to ask her, she turned her head away at the last second, too afraid of what might happen if she did. ‘I shouldn’t pry like that. She probably has enough on her mind to think about. I don’t think she would appreciate having little old me barge in on her business.’

That was nearly three hours ago. Now, the solemnity coming from Twilight was starting to affect Fluttershy, and it was annoying her. ‘I can’t keep going on like this. I should ask her straight and firm what’s bothering her, and seal the deal with a hug,’ she thought. She nodded to herself, a smile growing on her face at the thought. A hug would be perfect for something like comforting a girlfriend.

When Twilight finally emerged from the bushes, her tail flickering, her strides heavy, and her lips formed into a deep frown, Fluttershy leapt forward and wrapped her forelegs around the unicorn, nuzzling her neck affectionately. Seeing her looking that miserable was something Fluttershy could not stand. Not anymore.

Twilight’s eyes widened and her mouth opened at the feeling of the hug, and she instantly shivered as she felt Fluttershy’s coat hairs rub against her own. “What… what is this for, sweetheart?” she asked, hesitantly moving a hoof around her partner’s back in return.

“You looked as if you needed one,” Fluttershy replied, humming as she nuzzled the back of Twilight’s neck with her face. The pegasus pulled away, never letting her hold of the unicorn go, and smiled worriedly. “What’s wrong, Twilight? You haven’t been acting right since we left the goblin kingdom. Aren’t you happy that we’ve escaped?”

Twilight smiled assuredly. “Of course I am. It’s just that…” she tried to think of what to say and explain it to her, but nothing easy to understand came to mind. Instead she sighed, closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s nothing. Really. It’s nothing.” She let go of Fluttershy and walked around her, staring towards the river. “I take it we need to follow the river out of here?”

Fluttershy, however, wasn’t buying the change of subject, and she didn’t want to let it slide. She cantered past Twilight and blocked her path once more, glaring at her. “Don’t shut me out, Twilight. We promised we would never hold secrets from one another from now on.” Twilight looked away, ashamed of herself. Fluttershy continued. “I know you. Something has you worried and thinking more than you like to.” Fluttershy’s glare softened, allowing the unicorn to once more look at her marefriend without shame. “Please, tell me what’s wrong. I only want to help you.”

After a moment, Twilight subtly nodded. “I know.” She began to walk slowly, gesturing with head for Fluttershy to follow. “I suppose you noticed that Krull acted strangely before he let us go?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment, taking the time to watch her steps for sharp rocks as they crossed the river. Once they reached the other side, their legs dripping wet and leaving a trail in their wake, she nodded. “Yes, I did. Before he gave the order, he sort of froze in place. It was as if something else was in his place.”

Twilight nodded, glancing ahead of her as they walked up a small incline and deeper into the forest. “Yes. So did you notice anything strange in his eyes at that moment?”

‘In his eyes?’ Fluttershy repeated the question in her head, noting the strangeness of it. This time, she shook her head. “Sorry.”

Twilight giggled. “No need to apologise for it, my dear. I imagine you couldn’t see it due to its nature. Even most unicorns can’t see it, save the most powerful, like the Princess, Star Swirl the Bearded said he did, and…”

“And you?” Fluttershy finished, gazing at her admirably.

Twilight felt her cheeks modestly turn pink at Fluttershy’s flattery. “Well, yes, that could also mean me, but I don’t think so. I don’t believe I could ever surpass Star Swirl’s abilities in magic. But anyway, I’m going off topic.” She shook her head rapidly, and her face returned to its grim frown. “I believe what I saw going through his head was negative magic, or ‘dark’ magic as it is better known.”

Fluttershy visibly paled at the words coming out of Twilight’s mouth. “Dark magic?” Twilight nodded. “You mean like Discord’s magic?”

Twilight shook her head, lessening the pegasus’s fears. “Not exactly like Discord’s, my love. You see, magic is divided into three casts by philosophers who study it: Positive magic, negative magic, and chaos magic. Chaos magic, strangely, is neutral, as that can help benefit ponies as well as hinder them. Though Discord was a nuisance, and a tyrant, he used his powers to create a playground for himself, which never ultimately caused everlasting harm.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, before Twilight continued. “Positive magic is created through the thought of harmony, like love, kindness and the want to help without any self-gain. This involves healing, levitation, and most magic used across Equestria, come to think of it.”

Fluttershy nodded, though she could feel a mild headache coming on about all the different elements of magic. ‘Why couldn’t magic be just one simple blob like Play-Doh?’ she thought. ‘Learning it would be much simpler.’ “I see, I think,” she said aloud. “So that once in a lifetime regeneration spell you used on yourself. Does that count as positive magic?”

Twilight nodded, grinning. “Now you’re getting it,” she said. She looked ahead again. “Yes, any type of healing, no matter how powerful, are born from positive thoughts or emotions such as love.” She lowered her head and bashfully muttered, “Like the love I have for you.”

Fluttershy squeaked and spluttered bashfully upon hearing Twilight, her cheeks – her whole face, actually – burning pink. Though bashful about it, she was ecstatic to know she had helped Twilight in willing the spell to be cast.

Twilight merely giggled and looked away, deciding to keep silent for a bit. The pair stayed silent for a while, taking a moment to enjoy the scenery around them and the stillness of the valley. Above them, the moon was already up, a dull silver sphere in the twilight sky, even as the sun was halfway under the horizon.

It was when they entered a rocky and hilly clearing did Fluttershy break the silence between them. “So what about negative magic, if you don’t mind me asking? How does that work?”

Twilight’s smile gradually faded into a solemn frown. “Negative magic is a terrible power, Fluttershy, and is unfortunately the most powerful of the three forms. The three Princesses are the only ones I know of these days that can wield it as well as the two casts of magic. You see, negative magic is born from thoughts of hate, fear, ambition, aggression, that sort of thing. It was the power that corrupted King Sombra when he took over the Crystal Empire, and what nearly took hold of Trixie when she possessed the alicorn amulet. It was that power running through Krull’s mind, my love. It was that power, the power of another being, which allowed us to escape the goblin kingdom.”

Fluttershy’s mouth parted in growing horror, yet her mind was settling into mild confusion. “But… how is that possible? Wouldn’t we have seen the caster?”

Again, Twilight shook her head solemnly. “Not entirely, my love. Like I said earlier, negative magic is born and created from negative thoughts and emotions. When magic is cast, it gives out a shockwave of power, like an aftershock, that if powerful enough could encircle the entire world. The same with negative magic, except that if their hate or whatever is strong enough, the cast will be more powerful, and could mildly influence other ponies’ behaviour.”

“Mildly? You mean, negative magic users can corrupt ponies from the other side of the ocean?”

Twilight hesitantly nodded. “Only the most powerful negative magic casters could do that, and not even Sombra was capable of such a feat.” Twilight turned away, almost to mutter to herself. “So for Krull to be corrupted and influenced the way he was, the caster must be extraordinarily ancient and powerful to do that, and must have a source somewhere in this area for him or her to cast that type of power.” Twilight’s face hardened into a concentrated stare. “Whatever’s happening around here, I will find out what.”

Fluttershy could only mutter to herself, “I am so confused,” as the pair trundled on out of the clearing and back into the clustered woodland.

Hours later, as more and more stars began to appear and light the sky up like beacons, the couple finally made it in the shadow of the mountains, and the gateway leading out of the valley and into the other kingdoms.

Though it wasn’t the flat and wide space between the mountains that they were expecting, however, but a massive wall of rock about the height of Twilight’s library. “Must have been a giant rockslide that caused this,” Twilight said aloud, her eyes wandering across the many rocks that piled on top of one another.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, her legs shaking under her weight. “Twilight… I don’t think I could go on any further… I’m… I’m exhausted…” To prove the statement, she took another step, then fell forward.

Twilight instantly jumped forward and caught her in her grasp, whooshing out a breath of air as Fluttershy’s body fell onto her. “Shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” she whispered, softly stroking Fluttershy’s mane. She looked above and beyond the wall, and to her delight saw an entrance to a cave just on top of the wall. ‘Perfect for the night, at least,’ she thought.

After throwing the exhausted pegasus on her back and making sure she was comfortable, Twilight began the climb up the rockslide and to the top. It was easier than it looked, with ample places for her to set her hooves firmly in place, and even better the rocks did not shift in place; it was as if they were glued together. ‘Could it be a wall the earth ponies built to keep unicorns and pegasi out of their valley?’ she wondered. If it was, then there was even more evidence that their hatred for one another was more than just one-on-one squabbles and the like, but all-out war.

But the weary unicorn put any more thoughts about the world around her and her girlfriend back for the moment, as she was too knackered from so much thinking, running, healing, dying that she didn’t want to think again. ‘Tomorrow. When I am fully recovered, then I can think again.’

She soon made it to the top with no difficulty, and sloppily walked towards the cave. Once inside, and no longer feeling the cold wind against her coat and face, Twilight took a good look around. The cave itself was long and narrow, with a large space at the far end with a single pillar holding the ceiling up, and surrounded by jagged walls. As she walked further in, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no potential places for predators to hide and snack on them later.

“This will do,” Fluttershy said quietly, letting out an adorable yawn when she finished. “Won’t it?”

“It will do just fine, my love,” Twilight whispered, falling to her knees and allowing Fluttershy to get off and land on her side, panting for breath. After that, Twilight dragged herself over to the pillar and set herself along it. Once she felt comfortable, the unicorn let out a sigh of relaxation. “Come here, Fluttershy. We can stay together to keep warm,” she said gently, patting the spot in front of her.

Though Fluttershy was exhausted, she couldn’t turn down a time to cuddle with her marefriend. With little effort, she dragged herself to Twilight, until her side was resting against her; Twilight’s head was resting on top of hers, and the unicorn’s hooves were wrapped around her, caressing her gently.

For a moment, the two simply enjoyed the pleasure of feeling each other’s presence, and the sound of their content breathing. It was when the darkness of the night finally shrouded the pair did Twilight finally speak. “That was amazing, by the way.”

Fluttershy opened her eyes and glanced behind her. “What was?”

“You jumping over the buildings as they collapsed and fell around you,” Twilight replied. “How on earth did you learn such a thing?”

Fluttershy blushed. “Oh, well, before I met you and we all became best friends, I would sometimes go to other places and see and help other amazing animals. Well, once I went to the jungles south of Equestria, and that’s where I came across a panther and his family.

“They were awfully sweet to me. They protected me from other, more fearsome creatures, showed me their world, and even taught me how to run through the jungle like them. I thought the techniques would apply to the falling buildings as well as frozen trees.”

Twilight was glad that it did, or else she wouldn’t have someone to hold tonight. “I’m glad, too,” she whispered. She suddenly let out a yawn. “Well, I guess we should get some sleep. We got a long day or two tomorrow.”

“Or five,” Fluttershy said, smiling. She rested her head back on the ground. “Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Goodnight, Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered in response, continuing to caress her lover’s body. She allowed her head to gently fall on top of Fluttershy’s, and slowly closed her eyes, her hoof caressing her lover’s body beginning to slow.

Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open upon feeling her marefriend’s hoof stop its soothing caresses, and she could feel her cheeks start to burn. “Um, Twilight, sweetie?”

Twilight hummed in response, nuzzling the back of Fluttershy’s neck and drearily opening her eyes. “Yeah?”

“Is that your hoof on my, uh… cutie mark?”

Twilight’s eyes shot open as well, and she glanced down her shoulder to see that her hoof was now resting on Fluttershy’s flank, right on top of her three butterflies. ‘Eep,’ she thought. She quickly pulled her leg away and set it around the pegasus’s barrel once more. “Sorry.”

Fluttershy smiled widely as her eyes fluttered shut. “It’s all right. I should have expected it, really. You are the ‘horny one’, after all,” she said, giggling in remembrance.

Twilight merely grumbled in annoyance, while Fluttershy continued to giggle quietly before she went to sleep, feeling safe in the warm embrace of her lover.

Twilight finished her grumbling and looked down at her marefriend, feeling a faint smile spread over her face at the sight of her sleeping partner. ‘How can I grumble at such a cute little thing like her?’ she asked herself. She lowered her head on top of Fluttershy’s once more and closed her eyes.

Before long, she was away in dreams of the future, dark and bright, sad and happy, yet no matter what it was, Fluttershy was always there for her.

Author's Note

First off, I am so, so, so sorry that it took this long to finish. If you haven't realised, this was a real pain to complete. As well as getting a new laptop to write these on after my other one wouldn't want to turn on (that was a chilling moment, believe me), I had to suffer writer's block in getting Twilight and Fluttershy to the end, even having to use the Deus Ex Machina a few times.

Still, I am glad I got this done, and I hope you all enjoy it. Next chapter is the pair making their way through the valley's, under the ancient city of the pegasi, as well as encountering some of the beasts that call this place their home...