Harmony Lost

Fluttershy needed a breath of fresh air, but couldn’t go outside. Her cottage usually was the home to various woodland creatures, but now they used it as a sanctuary from the darkness of the night. She had lost so many of her animal friends the previous night to things she didn’t even want to imagine. The very thought of what could be so cruel and scary had made her want to bury her head in the sand. The birds crammed the rafters, a family of squirrels were living in her kitchen cupboards, a seal was even living in her bathtub! The smell was almost unbearable. She was thrusted back into reality by a knocking.

“Angel, stop it. You need to learn to share space for a while,” she responded. The little bunny was not happy about having multiple roommates until the crisis was resolved. He went around knocking on walls in an act of childish rebellion.

Fluttershy felt a thump on the back of her head. She turned around to see it was Angel. Just as she was about to scold him, she heard the knocking again, this time more frantically than before. She was looking right at Angel, so he could not be the culprit. The knocking repeated itself and Fluttershy heard a voice calling out from the door.

“Hello?! Can you let me in?! I need sanctuary!” it pleaded. The voice was male and had an educated ring to it, almost like Rarity. Whomever was outside had studied at a high level.

 Fluttershy immediately rushed to open the door. The pony who knocked had a snowy-white coat and black socks. He had a pack tied around his flank, which hid his Cutie Mark. The way he held himself seemed to ooze class in Fluttershy’s mind.

He smiled a warm, grateful smile to Fluttershy. “Thank you madame, most other ponies would have left me out in the cold.” He moved to enter, but Fluttershy blocked him.

“I don’t know if I should let you in. I don’t know who you are, and you might harm my animal friends.” She was more worried for the safety of her dependents than her own safety. Even though he looked harmless, Fluttershy knew that looks can be deceiving.

“Do I look like I would?” asked the classy earth pony.

“No, I guess not, but if you hurt them...” Fluttershy menaced.

“Noted.” Fluttershy stepped aside allowing the visitor to enter. “Hoo, that smell,” he commented.

“Sorry, but I had to bring all of them all inside so they wouldn’t be slaughtered. It is unfortunate for them, but what can I do?”

“A better job!” the visitor blurted, his eyes widening and jaw dropping.

“What?”

“Perhaps we should talk about this over a glass of wine. Have you glasses for red?”

“Yes I do, but I don’t keep wine in my cottage,” answered Fluttershy. She was getting a bad feeling that she was not going to like what this stranger had to say. In her experience, ponies only drank when they could not bear to talk sober.

“I do.” The visitor pulled an expensive looking bottle of crimson red wine out of his pack. He set it down on the coffee table then sat down.

Well, if it is his wine and he is willing to share. Fluttershy fetched two wide wine glasses from the kitchen and put them on the table. She popped the bottle and poured the visitor a full glass of the vintage. She was about to pour herself one when the visitor stopped her.

“Woah! You may not want to do that! This is blood wine, and the alcohol content is very high! A full glass will have you passed out drunk. Pour half of mine into yours.”

“Blood wine?” Fluttershy repeated. Was I right to invite him into my home? He drinks blood wine, but what is blood wine? Is he here for me or my animals?

“Oh, you needn’t worry. Blood wine gets its name from the grape it is made from. The blood grape is a very rare vine that bears sweet, crimson red fruit. The juice of the grape does not lose its vivid colour during fermentation,  resulting in a potent, sweet wine that looks like blood. Take a sip.”

Fluttershy very cautiously sipped from her glass. It was strange to her that her guest seemed to have read her thoughts. He had said everything right to convince her to at least sip the wine.

Oh, that is sweet, but also smooth; it’svery easy to drink. “Not bad, but why did you have a bottle with you?” she asked. Fluttershy was never a drinker, and already the alcohol had as much effect on her as half a beer.

“I had just purchased it for myself, but since I am your guest in this dark hour, I figured I should share it with my host. You like?” Fluttershy nodded. “I am glad,” he continued, “but now I must tell you something. From what I can see, you are the woodland creatures’ caregiver. You are doing a horrible job! The number of small animals I tripped over to get here was, disturbing, quite frankly! Do a better job,” the visitor stated bluntly. His tone was insulted Fluttershy.

“How dare you-” she began, but got cut off.

“How dare I tell you your work is subpar when it is? Is that what you were going to say?”

“I care for all my animal friends!” Fluttershy retorted. She had drank half the wine that was in her glass and the alcohol was making her bold.

“I beg to differ! Let’s go for a walk to do a little performance review.”

“Ok then!” yelled Fluttershy. She got to her feet and out the door with the visitor close in behind her. They started moving in mutual silence towards the grove that surrounded Fluttershy’s cottage.

Not doing my job. Ha! What in Tartarus does he know! He doesn’t know me or what I do. All my animal friends are safe and cozy back home; this is probably noth- Oh sweet Celestia! Why, what creature could do that!

“This is doing your job?” inquired the visitor solemnly. The scene was awful; two dead squirrels, a rabbit and a pony were all laid out as if they were discarded as scrap.

“What do you think did this?” the visitor whispered in her ear. Fluttershy knew what did this, and what she would do about it.

To hell with a curfew! These animals and that pony were slaughtered as prey.  Ponyville needsa protector, a monster slayer. I will protect Ponyville.

Fluttershy took off and left her visitor alone in the clearing; she pursued the creature which had violated her reality, and had awoken her to the severity of the situation.

Left alone in the clearing, the white-coated pony laughed as wings appeared upon his back and a horn appeared upon his head, and his coat started to match his black socks.

“That was far easier than I thought! I could have probably done it without getting that mare drunk!” He started laughing again. “I guess I will leave her the bottle. It is the least I can do, and I think she really enjoyed it.”

A soft rustle came from the brush behind him, causing him to turn around suddenly. A cool blue pegasus emerged to greet the black alicorn.

“Having fun?” she asked in a cool voice.

“You’re not?” he replied playfully.

“Yeah, I just want to thank you in advance for enticing that mare into hunting my kind. You really pulled for us there,” she said sarcastically.

“It is all part of the game, my dear Serenity. Did you tag the farmer like I asked?”

“Yeah, but I still think it would have been easier if you let me-”

“I told you that your way was too messy and has a greater chance of failure,” the stallion cut in sternly, “now you have your new assignment. Go, feed. You did well tonight.”

“I guess a fresh kill will take my mind off this throbbing headache,” the mare stretched her wings, “Oh, by the way, I ran into one of your wraiths on the way here. He-it wanted me to tell you that there is more activity in the north, whatever that means. Anyhow, I’m outta here.” The mare took off leaving the dark stallion alone with his thoughts.

        “So he is trying it...” he mumbled. The alicorn pushed this revelation to the back of his mind, for he had more pressing matters to attend to. He needed to find a way to clip the flyer’s wings, and think of a way to tag the pink one with the marks.

Author's note: A rewrite of this story is in progress. This has been sitting here unpublished for a week so I'll post it. Chapters will disappear and be replaced soon.