The Darkest Fire

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

Fluttershy’s cottage was full of life and noise as the critters scurried about, eating up all their lettuce and berries. The canary yellow pegasus knew just what each animal loved to eat for dinner, and she flew back and forth, setting down all of their favorites. She worked her hardest to make sure that every animal was happy. Harry the bear loved salmon for example, and even though she didn’t really care for the consumption of it herself, she went out and gathered some from the river anyway. Harry thanked her for the fish with one of his famous hugs.

She was looking over the animals when she spotted one in particular that was not munching on some fruit, her grumpy rabbit Angel, who was tapping his foot and crossing his stubby little arms in defiance of the food he was given. Angel was a very picky eater, and would usually stomp about angrily until he got what he wanted. Fluttershy expected this, however, and got something special for the little guy.

“Oh, Angel bunny, look what mama got for you!” She sang while moving out a delicious, crunchy, 8-inch carrot from behind her back. The white rabbit yanked it out of Fluttershy’s grasp and began chomping on it with glee. Satisfied that every critter was full, she left the kitchen to check on her less healthy patients. In particular, a squirrel she had taken in a while back. She had found the poor thing right outside her cottage, and simply had to make sure she was alright.

She trotted over to the tiny hammock where the sickly squirrel lied. She was a small, grey forest squirrel named Berry, and she had recently gotten a nasty virus the likes of which the animal caretaker had never seen. She often fell into coughing fits, and she could hardly eat. Luckily, her natural remedies and kindness were stemming the spread of the disease, and no other animals had been infected. But her worries resurfaced when she saw the state Berry was in.

Her fur was starting to fall out in clumps, showing the pink skin beneath, her eyes had sunken into her skull and she was violently shivering. The pegasus swiftly grabbed her thermometer, and placed it in Berry’s mouth. It didn’t look good, the poor squirrel’s body temperature was still rising, and she started coughing uncontrollably. Her natural mother instincts kicked in and she extracted the thermometer and placed a tiny ice pack on the critter’s forehead instead. Berry smiled warmly at the caretaker’s gesture, but continued coughing a second later, her whole body convulsing with each tiny breath.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened with panic as she reached for a book she had picked up on rodent care. She flipped through the pages as fast as she could, but nothing was listed that bore any sort of resemblance to this. The whole cottage grew deathly silent as Berry fell into yet another fit of violent coughing, when her body finally lay back on the sheet, blood was dripping down her mouth. Her eyes dilated in fear and her heart started beating madly inside her chest. Fluttershy wrapped the sickly animal in the make-shift hammock and through on her saddle packs, placing her friend gently inside. Fluttershy ran to the front of her home before she turned around and looked at Angel. He looked genuinely concerned for his animal friend, and he looked his owner right in the eyes.

“Angel, honey, I’m going to find Zecora; she will know what to do. I need you to watch over the cottage while I’m gone, okay?” Angel tied a cute little green bandana around his forehead and gave his master a salute, giving him the appearance of a small, cuddly, furry mercenary. “Good boy, Angel, make sure everypony gets to bed on time. I will be back as soon as I can.”

Fluttershy checked on Berry one last time before leaving her home. She had stopped coughing for now, but her breaths were slow and ragged. As Fluttershy ran into the Everfree forest, she looked up at the sun. It was about to set, and there were only about 2 or so hours left before the nocturnal hunters woke up. She doubled her pace; she had to get to Zecora’s hut before nightfall.

*****

Thankfully, Fluttershy knew the layout of this forest inside and out, so she had little to no trouble at all clearing through the undergrowth and vegetation. Leap over a rock there, a fallen tree just up ahead, a fork in the road, always take the left path. She had to slow her pace however, when a pack of thorn bushes appeared in the path that was too thick for her to run in. She carefully picked her way through the vines and thorns, steadily moving forward. She thought she was making steady progress, but she could not see the sun at all from behind the canopy of leaves, so time seemed to blend in with the darkness.

Fluttershy crouched very low to the ground to move underneath the brambles. She had to stop very often to make sure that the thorns would not tear her saddlebags and injure Berry, slowing her movement to a snail’s pace. In the process, she was poked and jabbed numerous times, and by the time she reached the end of the bramble patch, she was covered from head to hoof in small cuts and scrapes.

As she steadily rose to her full height, finally free of those bushes; she heard a rustling sound nearby. Her ears swiveled outward and she darted her head back and forth, trying to find what had made that sound in the inky blackness. She saw nothing, but faintly heard a sort of…panting. Like Applejack’s dog Winona does when she gets too hot. Fluttershy tugged her saddlebag closer to her side, and began inching along the path; Zecora’s hut should be only 10 minutes or so ahead…..she hoped.

*****

Something was wrong; she should have reached the hut by now. Was she wandering in circles? Fluttershy thought she saw that same rotting log 4 times already. Fluttershy had no way of telling which way was correct in the murky darkness, even with her prior experiences in this dreaded wood. She merely continued in the direction she thought was true. The path here was narrow, with tall trees standing almost trunk to trunk on either side, creating a natural archway out of their branches. The moon’s light was just barely shining through the leaves, casting a series of eerie shadows on the path around her. Had the forest not been filled with deadly monsters and poisonous plants, this would surely have been a popular walking trail.

She heard a twig snap behind her, and her eyes immediately widened and she turned her whole body around in fear. She thought she saw something dart between the trees. It looked like a thin, wispy tail topped with an arrow, but it was so dark that she couldn’t truly make it out before it vanished from sight. She kept staring curiously at the spot that she saw the tail, waiting for something to come out. The background noise of the Everfree melted away as all of her focus became concentrated at one spot in the darkness.

………….
………….
………….
“CAW!!”

A raven fluttered its wings flew off its perch, scaring the poor mare further. Fluttershy scanned the trees for any other animal that might be hiding, her eyes frantically darting back and forth. Berry fell into another coughing fit inside the bags, snapping Fluttershy out of her trance. Realizing that Berry did not have much time left, she quickly got moving again, straining her eyes to see the path in the dim moonlight.

*****

She continued down the path, walking slowly and constantly swiveling her head around like a cornered mouse in an attempt to look out for oncoming danger. She started to lose faith in her travel, for no matter how hard she searched, the murky depths of the Everfree forest did not yield a single familiar landmark. Fluttershy’s breathing became shorter and sharper when it dawned on her that she may never again see the light of day. Her eyes moved down to follow the road, but to her horror, the dirt path had vanished entirely, she must have wandered far off the trail somewhere in the dark. She kept searching for the safety of the path but she stopped when she noticed something very, very wrong.

The Everfree forest lay completely still. No creature made any noise, not even the crickets were chirping. Fluttershy started hyperventilating, and she checked the inside of her bags again. Berry had fallen unconscious, but she was still alive. The nurturing pegasus sighed in relief, but her breath was cut short when she felt that she was being watched. She felt a jolt of pure adrenaline race down her spine, making her fur stand on end and her wings extended against her will. She slowly turned her head and was greeted by a pair of glowing, green eyes.

The orbs of luminescent green glowed brightly enough for Fluttershy to realize just what she was looking at, a Timberwolf. It moved its wooden jaws and growled at its prey, tree sap drool hanging off the beast’s canine teeth. Fluttershy was frightened beyond belief, fear pulsing through her mind. She tried to lift her legs, her mind begged for movement, but her hooves refused to respond. The creature took a step forward, and as it towered over the yellow mare, her eyes widened and her ears fell flat against her head. The Timberwolf turned its wide muzzle and sniffed at Fluttershy’s body, making her blink in confusion. When her squirrel friend coughed more violently then before; the wolf snapped its jaws at her saddlebags, tearing them off of her body.

“NOOO! You leave Berry alone you big bully!” Fluttershy ran underneath the Timberwolf at full force, using her wings to propel her at her target. Her eyes that had just seconds ago been filled with fear radiated with courage and determination. The monster blinked and moved its head underneath its chest to follow her movements. Taking advantage of the wolf’s confusion, she flapped her wings and in one fluid motion, propelled herself off the ground and upper-cut the creature directly in its jaw bone. Her front hoof made solid contact, a loud crack echoed through the forest as the wood splintered under the force of her punch. The Timberwolf reared back in shock and brought a paw up to its shattered muzzle. It gave the splintered wood a soft push, and the bottom half completely fell off, releasing her bags in the process.

Before Fluttershy could take advantage of the clear shot she had at rescuing her squirrel, a fallen tree next to her gained a spooky green aura. The Timberwolf willed the tree closer to it, blocking the pegasus’ path. She watched in horror as the wolf broke a sizeable piece of the trunk off with no apparent effort and carved out a new jaw with its claws and attached it back into place. With its newly constructed mouth, it growled at her and once again scooped up her bags, intent on having its meal.

Fluttershy jumped onto the fallen tree and then into the air above the wolf. She then fell back hooves first in an attempt to strike with a downward kick. The wolf jumped out of harm’s way just before the pegasus’ hoof could connect. Landing softly, Fluttershy took to the air again and dive-bombed her foe, her face filled with rage. Before she could react, the timberwolf tossed her bag into the air and opened its jaws, waiting for its meal to come falling down.

Without a second to lose, Fluttershy rocketed herself toward her saddlebags. The wind pressure lashed at her face, making her eyes water as she focused solely on saving her friend. No matter how many monsters she faced down, no matter how many times she had been brave for her friends, nothing could prepare her for what happened next. Her squirrel friend, still wrapped in her blanket, fell out of her bags and plummeted straight into the Timberwolf’s hungry jaw.

The agonizing sound of bones being crushed and teeth mashing together echoed all over the forest, burning them forever into the memory of the horrified pegasus. The squirrel’s tiny muscles and intestines were ground into a pulp by the creature’s powerful jaws, and each time its maw opened, she could see a clump of fur or a leg bone sticking to the creature’s teeth. Her wings failed her and she fell to the ground like rock, her scratched body tumbling a few feet in the dirt. Having finished its light snack, the wolf snatched up her bag and shook his head like it was tearing off a piece of meat. Fluttershy tried to rise to her hooves, but her bones quivered and she collapsed under her own weight. The sounds of cloth ripping filled her ears as the rest of her bag was torn to ribbons by the jagged teeth of the predator.

She spat out a clump of dirt and looked at the monster that just brutally murdered her animal friend, and was now probably going to eat her. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed in despair, her wails echoing all throughout Everfree. As the last shreds of her saddlebags fell softly to the ground, she saw another object fall along with them. She and the hungry wolf both watched as the furry remnants of Berry’s bushy tail fell right in front of the mare’s face. The Timberwolf took a lumbering step that shook the earth, and lowered his head to the crying pony. Even through her tears, she could see small droplets of blood leaking out the side of his mouth as it opened wide. Fluttershy accepted her doomed fate, curling into a ball and awaiting the inevitable.

“I’m so, so sorry Berry. I couldn’t save you. I-I-I tried…b-but I wasn’t…..strong enough.” She sobbed again. Suddenly her mind was filled with the thoughts of her other animal friends. Angel bunny stood in front of them all, standing before a gravestone that read, “Here lays Fluttershy, Element of Kindness.” The realization dawned on her, if she died, who would look after them? Her friends would surely do their best, but their abilities would be needed elsewhere. Only Fluttershy could possibly take care of all those animals by herself. She opened her eyes with new-found hope. Fluttershy was not going to die, not tonight.

Just as the Timberwolf’s jaws came close to her head, she rolled away and stood up, not looking back before she took off running. It angrily barked and began charging at its fleeing meal. It chased her through the undergrowth, dogging her every step. Fluttershy always heard the creature’s breath on her back, and pushed back her earlier tears. She decided that Berry could be mourned later, if she lived through this night.

The panic-stricken pegasus raced through the forest with the teeth-gnashing wolf right on her tail. She forced her legs to move far beyond their normal limits and though her muscles begged for rest, she pushed on anyway. Her body screeched in pain as tree branches and barbs cut into her fresh wounds and even made new ones that started trickling small streams of blood. Ducking and weaving through the twigs and fallen trees, she ran ahead, always aware of the thunderous sounds of the massive wolf crushing every obstacle in its path. Seeing a faint light through the shrubs, Fluttershy galloped with all her might out of the thicket. She burst out of the tight, constricting corridors of the trees and found herself in a moderately sized clearing.

There was a steep cliff that rose out of the ground before her, forming a solid wall. The forest surrounded it in a half-circle of densely packed trees that scraped the sky with their branches. Their leaves did not reach over the edge of the tree line, allowing the full moon to cast its haunting glow over the clearing. There was not a single shrub or bush in this clearing, the forest ended utterly at this place. The earth here was also unnaturally smooth, as if somepony had cut the grass very recently. She only had a few precious seconds to wonder where she was, however, before her attacker came crashing into the clearing as well. Fluttershy turned around and started backpedaling from the monster as it closed the gap between the two. The pegasus suddenly felt something cold on her back, and gasped in horror when she realized she had become literally trapped.

With the cliff behind her, and the timberwolf inching ever closer, there was not enough room for her to extend her wings to fly away. The canary yellow mare’s eyes darted back and forth, trying desperately to find a way out of her predicament. Unfortunately for her, the only path of escape had been cut off by a massive, bloodthirsty Timberwolf. She tried reaching out with her feeble voice, shaky as it was, to the monster that towered over her in the full moons light.

“Um, m-m-ister Timberwolf? I-I-I know that y-you must be…be…” She gulped loudly as it licked its lips greedily. “Hungry. But you don’t really w-w-want to eat m-me. I’m such a small meal.” She pointed at her small stature, pointing out how unappetizing she must look to a predator of that size. Her choice of words resurrected the image of the wolf devouring Berry, and Fluttershy lost control of her tears. Compared to her own body, her poor squirrel friend was hardly an appetizer for this beast. And it looked even more ravenous now than it did before the chase.

The wooden beast looked at her with its huge, empty eyes for a minute before it took two steps back and sat on its rear end. Fluttershy sighed in relief; until the fear came back a hundred-fold when the creature raised its head up to the full moon and cried out long and loud.

“AAAAWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” It howled, sending ripples through the trees that surrounded the clearing, rustling the leaves and forcing the pegasus’ heart to race inside her chest. All was silent for an antagonizing while, just her and the wolf, staring straight at each other, neither one making a move. The wolf’s ears suddenly perked up, and a few seconds later, four more Timberwolves emerged from the bushes, each one hungry and ready to feast.

Fluttershy wondered to herself how it had come to this. All she wanted was to help one of her animals. She always offered every creature her kindness, but these beasts could not be reasoned with. Her thoughts drifted to Rarity, her posh unicorn friend. If she were here she would probably say that this was the worst possible thing. Fluttershy chuckled slightly in spite of herself; this was no time for jokes. She would die here, in this forest clearing. Trapped between a rock and four sets of razor-sharp, bone-crushing teeth, tears started streaming down her face as she sobbed in defeat.

One of the wooden monsters took a step closer, and the terrified mare curled herself into a yellow ball of fur. She hugged her wings around her defenseless body in a pathetic attempt to hide. She prayed for Rainbow Dash or any of her friends to save her, but she knew it was futile; nopony is awake at this hour, and she was too far from Zecora’s hut to expect help from her. The four Timberwolves stepped forward her and howled in unison, signaling their joy at finally hunting a decent meal for a change, instead of starving. They stopped dead in their tracks however, when their howl was returned across the clearing.

“AAWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!” Something howled back to the predators. Fluttershy suddenly found herself shivering and her teeth rattling against each other, as though all the warmth in her body had been forcibly taken. She briefly wondered what creature had created this new howl. It was unlike the cry of the Timberwolves, it was much more subtle, almost spectral in its softness. Like a ghost crying out in the dead of night. The fear that this new cry brought with it was not the fear of a hungry carnivore about to eat; but of the grim reaper standing at your doorstep. Whatever it was, she was stuck between being horrified and grateful that the very sound was able to strike fear in the hearts of Timberwolves.

Unable to move from her spot, she stared straight at the wooden wolves. The way they were growling and yipping back and forth, they almost seemed to be arguing. One kept looking around the edge of the clearing, searching for something. One had its tail between its legs and would most likely have fled if it had not been for the leader snapping at it. At the urging of the alpha male, the four wolves regained their composure. The apparent leader of the wolves growled at Fluttershy and continued to approach her, though more cautiously this time. It took another step forward, but pulled pack its paw when the ghostly howl returned again.

“AAWWOOOOOOOO!!” At this last call, all of the wolves craned their necks upward to the top of the cliff. There, outlined by the pale light of the full moon, was the harbinger of their doom. Fluttershy tried to look straight up the cliff, but she could not see from her current position what was frightening them so. Regardless, she silently thanked it for prolonging her life this much further. The creature the Timberwolves eyed steadily suddenly leapt from its vantage point atop the cliff and landed gracefully in between the hungry animals and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy had never seen a creature of this kind before. It was a canine of some unknown breed, no taller than her, and not even close to the size of the mighty Timberwolf, though their fear of this creature was unmistakable. Its pitch black fur made it ideal for hiding in the darkness, and it eyes glowed red like hot coals. Its body was coursing with sinuous, lithe muscles that the animal expert recognized as signs of an agile predator.

At the top of this creature’s head were two horns that raked harshly back and looked like they had been whittled down in combat to a formidable sharpness. She thought it was wearing a collar, but she came to the morbid realization that the white formation around its neck was made of bone. Something about this creature seemed familiar, and she gasped as she realized the similarities. She instantly remembered the tail of this creature; it was long and snakelike, topped with an arrowhead. Had this dog been following her this entire time? Had it known that she would need rescuing in this dangerous place?

This new creature made no move, standing perfectly still before the hungry wolves. The lead wolf glared at it fiercely, and its pack soon followed its example. They had finally found food, and nothing would stand in their way, not even this dark beast. Fluttershy whimpered in fear again, and the new creature turned its head back at her. The two shared eye contact for the briefest moment, but she could understand the creature’s desire. It wanted nothing more than for Fluttershy to be safe. And it would do all in its power to protect her. Fluttershy still did not understand the reason why this dark dog wanted to save her, but she was grateful nonetheless.

“Thank you.” She uttered softly. With that, the black dog turned back to the Timberwolves and lowered its head. It barred its sharp fangs, widened its stance and released a low growl to intimidate its opponents. Fluttershy thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, because she could almost see small embers escaping the creature’s throat as it growled. The leader, unimpressed with the minimal display of force, began charging headlong at Fluttershy’s savior. The wolf bounded forward with its teeth bared and merciless eyes piercing Fluttershy’s soul. In response, the black dog brought all of its feet together, raised its head high and took a deep breath.

Fluttershy will never forget the events that unfolded next. As the wolf approached at lightning speed, the demon dog lowered its head and unleashed a massive column of bright red flame from its maw. The fireball enveloped the Timberwolf, setting the entire creature aflame. It howled in pain as the fire consumed its organic body. The stream of fire blew past the Timberwolf and towards the remaining pack. The others leapt out of harm’s way, and the flamethrower collided with the trees surrounding the clearing. The creature halted its attack, and Fluttershy watched in shocked silence as the entire clearing turned into a field of fire.

The fire spread all along the forest perimeter, racing up the trunks of the trees and the foliage between them; forming an impenetrable wall of death from which the remaining Timberwolves could not escape. Grey and white smoke rose high into the sky like a pillar of clouds. Fluttershy stared at this creature in terror. What kind of demon was this? It breathed fire like a dragon, but it was no bigger than she was! A pathetic whimper drew her attention back to the ball of fire that was the Timberwolf. Its body had been burned to a dark black, and its limbs were falling apart at the seams from the heat of its personal inferno. The wolf toppled over onto its side, but its body burned away to ashes before it even hit the ground. Only four wolves remained, and they cowered in fear of the devil hound.

The black dog raised it head once more and unleashed another blast of flame. The wolves dodged again, the flames licking at their heels, unrelenting and merciless. One of the trees came crashing down on top of one wolf, pinning it down whilst turning its body to charcoal. It cried out in pain, struggling frantically to escape from the weight of the tree. The others turned to help their fallen friend, but the black dog jumped onto the burning tree, startling them. Seemingly not suffering from the flames that surrounded its body, it growled at it last three victims. The one under the tree was now completely consumed by fire, with only seconds of life remaining. In its last moments, it pawed at the scorched earth feebly, before turning to ash as well.

The remaining wolves turned tail and fled from their foe. The black dog targeted one and jetted after it. The creature’s thin frame allowed for very swift movements and it blended into the fire as it raced along the ground. Catching up to its prey in a matter of seconds, it coated its fangs in a blanket of flames and lunged at the wolf. The hound’s jaw clamped down on the Timberwolf’s neck, crushing the wood with ease. The wolf lost its balance and tripped over its, paws steadily catching fire as it and the dog tumbled. The massive Timberwolf turned to a pile of burning dust on top of its killer. Seconds later the dog rose from the ashes like a phoenix, staring down the last two wolfs.

The black dog blasted another wall of fire that utterly consumed one wolf so fast that it could not even recognize that it had been hit before it disintegrated. The wall of flame burned so intensely that it distracted itself from the sole surviving wolf. The grass of the clearing was ignited by the blast and the demon looked around at the sea of fire. Its ears perked at the sound of a feminine shriek. It turned its attention back to its target; and saw that the last wolf had run over to Fluttershy in desperation. It knew there was no way out, so it might as well eat one last time. The black dog's eyes widened in fear and it charged at the Timberwolf from behind.

The horned demon blew out a short trail of flame, this one thin and controlled rather than the massive columns it used before. The fires reached the Timberwolf’s tail and rapidly set the entire creature aflame. Fluttershy felt the sweat evaporate off of her face as the creature’s face ignited inches away from her own. It reared up on its back legs and fell on to its back as the hell hound’s fire claimed its life, turning to ash just as its brothers had.

The blast of fire was too strong however, and Fluttershy watched in horror as it reached up and scorched her thigh below her cutie mark, sending an agonizing wave of pain through her body. The fire stream attached itself to her fur and she was left shrieking in pure agony as her skin shriveled and split from the heat of the flames. She frantically beat her smoldering coat with her hooves to put out the fire that was inching up her leg. She tried rolling onto her side, and smothered the fire with the dirt beneath her. Though the fire vanished, the searing pain lingered on her thigh, and her screams soon died off as her throat became too sore to even speak.

Her eyes filled with tears of pain, she looked at the field around her. The smoke that rose from the inferno around her turned the air into a toxic gas and Fluttershy coughed and wheezed to get some oxygen into her lungs. The whole area glowed bright red as the unnatural fire continued on its destructive rampage. Trees, bushes, the grass; nothing was spared from the hell hound’s onslaught. That very beast that started it all was now standing in the center of the destruction it had wrought. To Fluttershy, it looked like a monster that had escaped from the fires of hell as it howled at the full moon amongst the inferno of burning wood. The pain became too great, and against her will, her eyes closed and her mind drifted into unconsciousness.

*****

The black dog stood alone in the burning field, listening to the crackles of the trees as they burned was soothing to its ears, and it felt at peace. A gust of wind blew across the clearing, lifting the ashes of the Timberwolves into a swirling cloud. The dog stood still as the ashes blew past its muzzle, it had no empathy for such merciless killers. With a flick of its tail, it turned back to Fluttershy.

Noticing that the pegasus had collapsed, the black hound walked silently over to her. It lowered its head down to her chest and propped a pointed ear against her fur. Amongst the snaps and crackles of the fire, the dog could hear a faint heartbeat. It looked along her body for any damage the wolves might have done. Her yellow fur was stained red with blood from her many cuts and lacerations, but there were no major slash or bite wounds. Feeling happy that it had succeeded, the demon pawed at her disheveled pink mane a little, feeling how soft it was as a reward for its good work. When it was content with its fun it continued the injury inspection. Its ears drooped and it whimpered when it saw her burns. A sizeable chunk of her fur, including part of her cutie mark and flank had been seared off. The charred skin was splitting in several places, showing the glistening muscle underneath. When she woke, she would feel unbearable pain. The dog had not intended this, and called out softly to her unconscious mind in sorrow.

The dog moved its neck underneath Fluttershy’s limp body and hoisted her onto its back, struggling slightly to hold her weight. It turned its head westward and stared into the burning trees that blocked their path out. It closed its eyes and summoned a protective field around Fluttershy. Confident that she was safe, it slowly carried her through the smoldering trees. The fires bounced harmlessly off the shield, sparring her any more pain than she would now have to endure. After passing through the flames, the shield fell, and the hound walked on in utter silence, the snaps of the fire echoing through its mind.

Chapter 2

Fluttershy floated weightlessly in a cozy hammock between two oak trees. The rolling fields of green grass created a natural calming aura that relaxed her weary soul immediately. The air was thick and hazy, giving the field the shimmering appearance of a mirage. Her mind was at ease at last in this personal paradise. The wind was cool and refreshing on her fur, and the broad leaves of the trees blocked out the sun. Her body rocked gently back and forth, like she was floating on a pool of water.

A gust of wind blew across her face, bringing with it the faintest aroma of roses. She inhaled through her nose, savoring the scent. Her eye lids softly draped over her eyes like a thin blanket, and she exhaled a mighty sigh as her muscles unwound. Her ears twitched and she picked up the sounds of little birds chirping in the trees.

A warm sensation spread over her body, like she was lying next to an open hearth. The faint smell of charcoal suddenly rose into the air, steadily getting thicker. Fluttershy coughed from the heavy smoke and opened her eyes to find her precious dream swimming in a sea of fire. Fluttershy screamed as the demonic face of the horned dog burst out of the fire and growled at her.

Her hazy dreamland was replaced with the field that the Timberwolf attacked her in, covered in pure, blazing red. The black dog rose from the inferno and gazed apathetically at her. With a flick of its arrowhead tail, two tendrils of fire snaked up at the creature’s sides. Fluttershy’s lip quivered and she soundlessly mouthed out “No.” She brought her hoofs out to shield her face as the fire streams shot themselves at her body, covering her in white hot flames. Horrible, unrelenting pain washed over her entire body. Her fur burned away, leaving her skin, which split and peeled off of her body.

Her throat unleashed a bloodcurdling shriek as she was burned alive by the one thing that tried to save her. The creature she thought would do her no harm; that only wanted to protect her. The vision kept resurfacing in her mind, the demon hound would be standing in a field of fire. The flames swirled around it, grazing its legs and chest, but never harming it. If anything, the flames touching its fur empowered it. She continued screaming as the dog howled at the moon, oblivious to her suffering. She writhed in the flames, begging the creature to save her.

“Please! Please help me! Help me! It hurts! Stop the fire, I’m begging you! I don’t want to die! Help me! Please! It hurts!” The dog turned and ran through the flaming field, leaving her all alone. She tried to cry in pain, but her tears evaporated before they could form in her eyes. Fluttershy screamed again as the fire slowly consumed her, leaving only a pile of ashes.

“PLEASE! STOP THE FIRE! THE FIRE! HELP ME! SOMEPONY, ANYPONY HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!”

*************************

Fluttershy bolted upright and beat at her coat furiously to stop the fire that seared her flesh. Her hooves pounded on her yellow fur again and again and again, leaving behind bruises that began to swell. She raised her hoof once more to suffocate the flames, but something caught her leg. Startled, the hyperventilating mare turned her head and her vision was blocked by a striped monochrome face.

Fluttershy blinked in confusion, slowly gathering back her wits. Zecora released her hoof, and Fluttershy looked down at her body again. She moved her arms up and down her face and chest, sighing in relief when she realized that she was in fact, not covered in flames. She suddenly gasped with excitement and grabbed Zecora’s shoulders.

“I’m so glad I found you Zecora! I went into the Everfree forest to get some of your medicine for one of my animals, but I got lost and-and then I was attacked by the Timberwolf….. And then….. Berry was……Oh no…….Berry…..She was……I couldn’t…… Not fast enough.” Her happiness shattered like glass, and Fluttershy felt her tears burst forth as she recalled her failure. She sobbed loudly and held her face in her hooves; her natural body heat was sucked away by the bitter cold fact that Berry was still dead. She soon felt a set of arms wrap around and hug her tight.

“Say no more, I understand. Your travel did not go as you planned.” Zecora gently moved her hoof through Fluttershy’s pink mane, and in turn was embraced by the yellow pegasus. The two remained intertwined for a while as Fluttershy sobbed into Zecora’s shoulder, dampening her fur with her endless river of tears. Eventually Zecora broke the embrace, and offered her friend a cloth to dry her bloodshot eyes.

After dabbing her eyes dry, she leaned back against the wooden wall behind her, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath through her nose. She inhaled the thick scent of incense and herbs that hung in the air of zebra’s hut. She opened her eyes again, and looked around the humble home. She was in a small bed, covered in a thin blanket decorated with tribal paintings of birds.

Her eyes drifted about the room; there was a small window next to her bed that she could peer out through without having to stand. She looked outside, and noticed that rain was cascading down like a hurricane. The rain chilled the air of the hut, and she found herself shivering underneath her blanket. She wondered how long it had been raining, and if the forest fire had been put out yet.

Zecora poured some tea into a small cup, and placed it beside the pegasus’ bed. Fluttershy took the cup and politely sipped it. The hot liquid rushed down her parched throat and warmed her soul as it poured into her stomach. She cleared her throat with a cough but the effects of the tea were short lived, and it came out as a dry gasp. Zecora wordlessly refilled her cup, and this time she drank greedily from it. Zecora almost flinched in shock; she had not realized just how thirsty her guest was. Zecora knew that Fluttershy had many questions to ask, so she spoke first to clear the air.

“Many events occurred last night, in the clearing under the moon’s light. You were attacked by creatures most foul, and rescued by an unfamiliar howl. To protect you with its righteous fire; was this being’s one and only desire.” Fluttershy nodded silently, and Zecora continued. “The black dog that saved you, Houndoom is its name, a creature born from the darkest flame.”

At the mention of the word, Fluttershy cringed, and a discomforting pain resurfaced on her hind leg. The memory came back; her leg was burned by that creature’s fire. The pain lingered, granting her the knowledge that she had not lost her leg. Each attempt to use it in any way resulted in a bolt of pain rushing up her spine. She stopped moving, but the pain remained.

It was not a searing pain like when her fur had actually been on fire, but it was still agonizing. She looked down, but her lower body was obscured by the blanket. Zecora and Fluttershy exchanged glances. Fluttershy showed curiosity and fear; Zecora returned a look of pity. Zecora stood up and left the room, returning moments later with two small jars of unknown substances and a stack of white bandages. Fluttershy fought back the rising lump in her throat, her face turned pale, and beads of sweat ran down her forehead.

“How bad is it, Zecora?” she asked, shaking with anticipation. The shaman did not respond verbally; instead she grabbed the blanket with her mouth, and pulled it off the bed. Fluttershy felt her heart skip a beat when she saw her leg covered in blood soaked bandages. Gulping audibly, she slowly began to unravel the bandages. She cautiously lifted it off of her legs, and almost vomited.

Most of her soothing, yellow fur was missing, replaced with oozing boils and leathery blisters. The burned flesh and scar tissue started at her ankle and crawled up her thigh to the bottom of her cutie mark. One of the blisters suddenly ruptured, expelling puss and blood onto her irritated skin. Fluttershy stared at it in horror, her eyes grew wide as saucers, and she honestly wondered if she would ever walk the same way again.

Zecora completely removed the soaking red bindings and tossed them aside, bringing Fluttershy’s attention back to the healing elixir beside her. Fluttershy realized her intentions; the wound had to be cleaned out before new bandages could be placed. The zebra handed Fluttershy a rather thick, fresh vine, motioning for her to bite on it. She did as instructed; cleansing injuries was not a pleasant experience, after all. Gripping the vine in her jaw, she nodded for Zecora to start cauterizing the wound. Zecora set to work, and Fluttershy’s went wide and she chomped down with all her might. Her muffled shrieks echoed through the hut, and tears rolled down her face. After a few agonizing seconds, Zecora had cleaned the burn for the moment, and she retrieved the second jar.

“These special mixtures will help your wounds heal, but the fire’s sting you shall forever feel.” The shaman scooped out a dollop of the solution and placed it on the burned flesh. Fluttershy spat out the vine and sobbed. She then took a moment to calm down before responding through her weary throat.

“What do you mean by that? The fire is gone, how can it still hurt me?”

“There is no remedy that will work for sure, for a Houndoom’s burn has no cure.” She replied softly as she rubbed the white cream over the injuries. Fluttershy winced now and again as the balm worked its way into what was left of her skin, but she allowed the zebra to continue. After exhausting her elixir, Zecora rewrapped Fluttershy’s leg with fresh, sterile bandages. With a sniffle, she looked absently at the floor and traced her hoof in small circles on the bed, the lingering pain of the burn slowly crawling its way back.

Fluttershy clenched her jaw, sucking in air through her teeth. Sure, her flesh would heal, at least enough to walk again, given time and care. But the ever-present pain lingered in the back of her mind. Her chest heaved in fury. If she was going to suffer from this burn for the rest of her days, then this was a fate worse than death. She could picture her revenge in her mind, beautifully thought out and executed perfectly. If she saw the Houndoom again, if she could find the creature responsible for this endless torture, she would…would... She sighed in defeat; anger was never the right answer. Even when she had all the reason to hate this creature, she could not bear to do it. She looked back out at the pouring rain, venting the hatred out of her system with a few deep breaths.

“Oh Zecora, I just can’t stay mad at the poor thing. And even if he did…” She waved absently at her disfigured appendage. “This to me, he still saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it weren’t for him and-wait, how did I get here anyway? Did you find me Zecora? The last thing I remember was that massive forest fire, and then…nothing?” Zecora shook her head and offered Fluttershy another cup of herbal tea.

“I was awakened in the night by a fearsome bark. It seems the Houndoom carried you here in the dark. With its pith-black fur and menacing glare, I assure you it gave me quite a scare! I saw you lying limp on its back, and I quickly let him into my shack. His face showed great concern, for your injuries and terrible burn. After I placed you softly into this bed, he rose on his tall legs and fled. I tended to your burns, you were in so much pain, and then at last; it started to rain. Not much later and here we are, listening to the storm through the window ajar.” The two sat in silence for a while doing just that; listening to the calming pitter-patter of the water on her wooden house. They enjoyed each other’s company, drinking tea and enjoying the silence. Fluttershy broke the silence, setting down her cup and looking down-trodden.

“Zecora, how long will it take for my burns to heal? As much as they will, that is. I need to get home and care for my animals. They need me.” She was not very optimistic of her chances at recovering after the zebra’s statement on the burn having no cure. She smiled warmly.

“This burn is quite severe; to recover from this you must persevere! Your skin will heal as good as new, but only if you do what is best for you. Don’t worry about your animal friend, to them, a message I will send.” Zecora grabbed her worn, brown cloak and wrapped it around her neck. She then reached for a bag of berries and nuts and placed it down beside Fluttershy’s bed. She smiled warmly as she opened the door to her hut, staring at the pouring rain that formed large puddles all across the forest floor.

“I will return, do not fear. So eat, sleep and rest my dear.” Fluttershy nodded and ate a few nuts and berries. After so long without eating, it was great to have something fill her stomach. Watching Zecora close the door and run out into the rain, she placed her weary head back on the pillow, searching for a dream that did not include horrid faces of death and fire.

*************************

Fluttershy did not dream that night. She was thankful for this, for it meant no chance of a nightmare. But on that same token, there was no chance for a good dream either. She slowly opened her eyes to find a blue jay perched on top of her nose. It rustled its feathers, and she sneezed, startling the bird. Fluttershy sleepily followed its movements as it flew out the open window. A quick glance outside told her that it was no longer raining.

She heard the sounds of birds chirping cheerfully. Even though very little light ever penetrated the thick forest ceiling, her natural instincts told her it was early in the morning. Smacking her lips, she felt a yawn surge through her lungs, and she stretched out her legs to prepare for another day. She instantly regretted that decision as her burn screamed at her to stop.

Cringing in pain, she sat up and searched for the jar of healing balm that Zecora had used the other day. Conveniently, it was resting right beside her bed. She picked it up, but placed it back down; it was empty. The pain started rolling back in like the tide, and beads of sweat ran down her face.

“Zecora? Um, are-are you there? I need more of that ointment, if it isn’t too much.” The zebra poked her head out from the side of the room seconds later with a warm grin, and a bowl of steaming soup.

“Ah Fluttershy, awake at last. I told you I’d return; I travel fast!” Fluttershy happily accepted the soup and was handed a spoon to drink it with. Fluttershy drank in silence while Zecora checked her bandages again. As expected, they were drenched in blood. Discarding them, she retrieved more balm and fresh bandages. Zecora hummed softly as she applied the balm again. Even though it hurt much less than the disinfectant, she still clenched her jaw in pain. Fluttershy tried her best not to move as Zecora set to work.

“Did you tell my animal friends that I would be away for a while?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Was Angel behaving like a good bunny?” She asked with the overly pampering mother voice she used whenever talking about her precious rabbit. The zebra paused for a moment to place the cream down and return with the new bandages.

“Your little rabbit is doing well, at least, as far as I could tell. When I arrived the animals were being fed, and then quickly sent off to bed. The rabbit also wrote you a letter; you should read it, now that you are better.” Fluttershy smiled as Zecora finished her duties and went to get the letter out of her bags. Fluttershy placed the now-empty wooden bowl on her lap and looked down at her leg, now bound with fresh white bandages. Thanks to Zecora, she could feel the skin healing already.

“Here it is, my words are true; a letter from Angel to you.” It amazed her that Angel could write at all; he never seemed interested in books and writing. Fluttershy took the small scroll from the Zebra’s hoof and propped herself against the wall. She had to hold the small paper up to her face to discern the characters. The writing was crooked, messy, and very, very small.

Dear Fluttershy,

Zecora told us all what happened to Berry. It had been really quiet in the cottage since you and Berry left, but when we heard that Berry wasn’t coming back, it just got gloomy. Like a raincloud is always hanging over our heads. It wasn’t very hard to get the other critters to follow my lead once that heavy news set in, but we all worry about you. Even though Berry was only around for a short time, she really left an impression on us. She really was the life of the party until she got sick. Harry spends all of his time crying because he thinks you will get eaten by a timberwolf too. I know you are smarter than Rainbow Dash but still, don’t do anything reckless. And don’t try to come back until your burns heal up! Please come back home safely.

Love: Angel Bunny

She scanned the contents of Angel’s writing over and over; she never truly realized how much all of her animals cared about her. She treated the animals with kindness because they needed it, not because she expected that kindness to be reciprocated. The letter brought those feelings to the surface, and Fluttershy felt invigorated. There were critters back home that needed her, that depended on her, and she would never let them down again.

“Don’t you worry, Angel, Momma’s coming home soon…..Oh, But first I need to hold a funeral for Berry…..” She rolled the letter back up and placed it down beside her pillow. Another sigh escaped her mouth. “I just wish I could talk to her one last time. I need to tell her how much she meant to all the critters, and to me.” Zecora closed her eyes and rubbed her chin in deep thought. After a minute, she gave a short, “Humph!” and spoke again.

“I have some good news to share, if you wish to stay in my care. A week’s rest is all you need, to get back home with all due speed. If instead, you should remain, I may have a way for you to see Berry again.” Ignoring how she incorrectly stressed “again” to make it rhyme, Fluttershy started grinning ear to ear.

“Do you mean it? I can really talk to Berry again?” Zecora nodded.

“This is a spell that once applied, lets one cross to the other side.”

“What other side?” She cocked her head while raising an eyebrow.

“The spirit world dear Fluttershy, the place all beings go when they die.” Fluttershy’s face beamed with joy and she would have jumped up and down had her wounds not hindered her movement. She still carried regret for not being able to save Berry, and now she could have a chance to ask for forgiveness.

“How soon can we go there? I want to see Berry again as soon as possible! I…I need… to….apologize.” She closed her eyes and hung her head, letting her pink mane fall over her face. Zecora placed a caring hoof on her shoulder.

“Please my friend, do not despair. For that attack, you could not prepare.” She exited the room once more and returned with a thick, ancient book. The cover was tattered and devoid of any writing save for an illegible title. The whole book was written in some foreign zebra language and the pages had yellowed and cracked with the passage of time. The shaman opened the book and flipped to a certain page, pointing her hoof to the spell they would use. Fluttershy brought her gaze to the ancient hieroglyphic under the spell.

“What in the name of Equestria is that thing?” She gazed at the oblong shaped creature. It appeared to be a deity of some sort, for it was surrounded on all sides by zebras kneeling in reverence. Unfortunately, the picture was ancient, and many parts of the creature’s body were faded beyond recognition. Zecora grinned and began to explain the spell.

“They say it is impossible to enter the spirit world in stride. Unless of course, one has a guide”

Chapter 3

Fluttershy’s eyes remained fixated on the mysterious figure in Zecora’s book. It was completely alien in every sense of the word. The fact that some parts of it had faded into obscurity through the years only heightened her curiosity of what it truly looked like. And yet, even though it was merely a drawing, the strange way it was depicted hovering over the Zebras as they knelt in reverence sent shivers down her spine. She swallowed the rising lump in her throat and turned her head to Zecora.

“Do we really need this creature’s help?” She asked, fear creeping into her voice.

Zecora nodded. “This creature is the only one that knows the way to enter the world where spirits lay.”

Fluttershy’s thoughts drifted back to Berry. If she had to face this creature to see Berry again, then she would. She looked out into space and heard her subconscious trying to boost her spirits.

Be brave, Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s bold nature spoke up from the depths of her heart. You faced down tougher things than some spooky spirit and lived!

“Yes, but all those times I had my friends with me. I don’t know if I can do this on my own.” She replied meekly to her inner conscious.

What about that cockatrice? You were all alone then!

“Yes, but Twilight and those children were in direct danger! I just…lost control of myself. That wasn’t bravery, that was luck.” Fluttershy said as she felt her confidence reach an all-time low. Her counterpart continued undaunted.

You have to stop doubting yourself so! You can do this! I know you can! Besides, if you want to say goodbye to Berry, you’re going to have to face that thing. What would your friends tell you?

Fluttershy thought about that for a long time. What would her friends tell her to do? Well, Rainbow Dash would probably tell her to face her fears head on. Pinkie would tell her to…

“I just have to giggle at the ghostie.” Fluttershy whispered as she stared at the ancient picture. “Yes, that’s all I need to do. Just giggle at the ghostie and everything will be all right. I can do this.” Her confidence came back to her like a rush of wind, rekindling her spirit. She inhaled deeply through her nose, held it for a few seconds and exhaled through her mouth, relaxing her tense muscles. Fluttershy then turned her head back to her caretaker. “All right, Zecora. What do we need to do to summon this thing?”

Zecora placed a black hoof on the text and began following the words silently. She came to the spot she was looking for and said, “To perform this ritual, Fluttershy, the moon must be at its peak in the sky.”

“So all we have to do is wait until midnight? That should be fine. It’s not like we can do much else in the meantime.” She said with a low sigh.

Zecora continued reading until she came across another requirement. She pointed Fluttershy’s attention to the circular pattern underneath the Zebras in the ancient picture. “The circle here, we must retrace. But it is quite large; we will need plenty of space.”

Fluttershy placed one hoof under her chin and propped her elbow up on her other arm as she thought. The two mares bounced ideas back and forth for a time, trying to find an ideal location for the ritual.

The ritual ground needed to be in a flat, open space where the moon could be seen and the transmutation circle could be drawn. The obvious answer then, was to perform it out in the open fields near Ponyville. There was one problem that was made immediately clear, however. They couldn’t leave the forest, not until Fluttershy’s leg healed enough. But that would take at least two weeks, and Fluttershy could not bear to wait that long. The two sat in silence, struggling to think of a suitable location, when Fluttershy felt her fur on the back of her neck stand on end as the realization crept into her mind.

“The clearing.”

Fluttershy’s miniscule voice was barely audible at all, but Zecora’s highly tuned ears picked it up anyway. She turned to face Fluttershy with heightened eyebrows, waiting for her guest to repeat herself.

“The clearing where I was attacked would be perfect. I could easily see the moon from there, and it was quite spacious. There should be plenty of room to trace this circle.” Zecora’s face lit up with joy, but Fluttershy’s hoof stopped her from speaking. “Unfortunately, I don’t remember how to get there. I had no idea where I was before that Timberwolf appeared, and I was unconscious afterwards. How can we use the clearing if we can’t even get there?”

Fluttershy’s face drooped gloomily and she stared at the blankets covering her hind legs. Zecora grinned warmly and put a hoof under the pegasus’ chin, bringing it up so they made eye contact. Fluttershy’s watery eyes soon dried when she saw the warmth of Zecora’s smile. It wasn’t a big, toothy grin like Pinkie always had. It was a smaller, less noticeable display of happiness, but Fluttershy felt it all the same.

“I know a friend who can help us here, and make this problem not so severe.” Zecora said as she removed her hoof from under Fluttershy’s chin and closed the book, placing it on a nearby shelf. She rose from her seat and left the room. Fluttershy leaned forward as she heard some slight clamor from somewhere else in the hut. Zecora returned after a minute with a jar of some strange, syrupy liquid.

Fluttershy’s curiosity took hold as she asked, “What is that for?”

Zecora opened the jar, letting the relaxing fragrance filter through the air and arrive at Fluttershy’s nose. She inhaled the rich scent deeply, trying to figure out just what this solution was.

“Oh my, that smells wonderful. Could you tell me what it is?” Zecora scooped out a dollop of the sappy liquid and smeared it around the window near Fluttershy’s bed.

“The aroma from this jar will call my friend be he near or far.” Zecora called back as she put away the jar and cleaned off her hoof with a cloth. Zecora trotted back over to Fluttershy’s bed and sat down beside her.

“What can your friend do? Is he another forest cri-AAAH!” Fluttershy cried out as the pain in her leg flared unexpectedly. She bit her lip and whimpered softly until the pain faded into a dull throb. Zecora rubbed her back and shoulders in a motherly way until the pegasus regained her composure.

When the pain had subsided, Zecora released her and replied, “You will like him, just wait and see. He is small and furry and cute as can be!”

Fluttershy smiled as the last comment reminded her of her sweet Angel. Fluttershy closed her eyes and pressed her head back onto her pillow, a sigh of content escaping her lips as she did.

Zecora silently rose from her seat once more and returned with some more food and water. She opened her mouth to speak, but Fluttershy was already fast asleep. She placed the food and water beside the bed and watched over her in silence. Zecora couldn’t help but notice the way Fluttershy rested there; eyes closed, her chest slowly rising and falling with each soft breath, it was…mesmerizing. The zebra felt an urge to slide next to the yellow mare and rest with her, but she fought it down. Too much contact with the burn would prolong the healing process, and Fluttershy would not be pleased with that. Without making a sound, she returned to the center of her hut, where she began preparing the powder that they would trace the transmutation circle with.

****

Fluttershy was floating on a cloud of pure bliss. The scent of the syrup over her head had sent her body into such a deep sleep that she had completely forgotten about the pain in her leg. She yawned and stretched her sleepy limbs, careful not to move her leg too much. She drearily wondered how long she had been asleep, and if Zecora’s friend had arrived yet, but those thoughts soon vanished as the syrup’s scent came back to her again. Loving the fragrance, she took another deep breath, her body almost melting as she sank even deeper into relaxation. She almost felt herself falling back asleep when she felt something hot push against her face; like somepony was breathing right in front of her.

She tried several times to open her eyes, but her eyelids were still very heavy. She felt another gust of hot air blow past her face and she finally managed to pry open her eyes, blinking several times as she tried to register the world around her. Still mostly asleep, it took Fluttershy a good minute to realize that her view of the ceiling was blocked by Houndoom standing over her.

She blinked several times as her brain started turning its gears, processing the creature inches away from her face. Still uncertain if she was hallucinating, she blinked again. Sure enough, the black dog was still there, panting with its tongue rolling out of its mouth. Right as she opened her mouth to scream in terror, the Houndoom lowered its muzzle onto her face and gave her a big lick. Fluttershy was caught completely off guard by the hell hound’s sudden display of affection, and could not move an inch when he began licking her face relentlessly. Against her better judgment, the dog’s hot tongue tickled her fur, and she started laughing.

“Hehe, sto-stop it, please, that ticklessss-hehehe.” Fluttershy coughed and sputtered to get the dog saliva out of her mouth. “Okay boy- *bleh*, that’s enou-*cough* Stop i- *sputter* Down boy, DOWN!” She moved her hooves to push the dog away from her face. Moving its head up, it looked her straight in the eyes.

“WOOF!” He called, and hopped off of the still-giggling mare. It walked to the side of her bed, sat on its rump and began waving his pointed tail back and forth like Winona does when she wants to go for a walk. It barked again as Fluttershy regained control of her giggling. She wiped the dog spit off of her face as Zecora walked in with a saddle bag that was stocked with the supplies they would need for the ritual.

“It seems the syrup’s smell was stronger than I thought, for an extra guest its scent has brought.” Zecora said as a tiny animal wriggled its way between her legs and began moving around the room with its nose always pressed into the ground. It would move for a few seconds, find something, eye it curiously, sniff it, then it would move away to find something else.

Fluttershy followed its movements with confusion; everywhere it went, it moved in a zigzag pattern. It never moved in a curve, it was always short, sharp turns. Fluttershy noticed its fur and tail also had a peculiar pattern to it. It alternated with white and brown layers of bristly fur. Because the layers ended with jagged edges, it looked very much like the zigzag pattern it moved in. Fluttershy desperately fought the urge to swoop down and cuddle the cute little raccoon into submission. She turned to face Zecora, who was rubbing the tiny raccoon’s head with her hoof.

“Is this the friend you were talking about Zecora?” Fluttershy asked. “The one with the strong sense of smell?”

Zecora nodded and walked into the room. As she moved past the Houndoom, it stopped panting, perked its ears up and eyed her as though it was expecting something. Zecora walked over to a nearby shelf, retrieved a dried bone, and walked back to the dog. She lowered her hoof down to the dog’s muzzle to offer it the bone. Houndoom sniffed it cautiously, before taking it in his mouth and moving to another room of the shack. With the Houndoom out of the way, the two ponies could finally talk in peace.

“This raccoon we must follow, if the forest clearing is where you still want to go.” Zecora said.

“Of course I still want to go!” Fluttershy shouted as loud as her quiet voice would allow. Upon hearing the shout, Houndoom rushed back into the room with the half chewed bone in his jaws. Fluttershy took a deep breath to calm down before continuing. “I still want to go, but how will you get me there? I still can’t walk.”

Fluttershy felt a soft push on her arm and turned her head to see Houndoom; his eyes burning with determination. The two looked on at each other for a while before Fluttershy gasped softly.

“Do you want to carry me there like you brought me here?” Fluttershy asked, surprised.

Houndoom nodded his head in affirmation. Zecora and Fluttershy exchanged glances and nodded. Zecora asked if she was absolutely ready, and made sure Fluttershy was aware that once they left her shack, there would be no turning back. Fluttershy did not dwell on the question for very long. The zebra walked beside Fluttershy and removed the blanket from the bed entirely. Afterwards, Fluttershy braced herself as Zecora, with effort, lifted the pegasus and placed her as gently as she could on Houndoom’s back. Fluttershy whimpered as the pain in her leg surged. Houndoom craned his neck to look back at her, and Fluttershy meekly told him that she was just fine.

The raccoon, Zecora and Houndoom all left the hut together. Once outside the house, Zecora asked the raccoon to guide them to the clearing. The raccoon nodded happily, and set to work. He sniffed at Fluttershy’s mane to familiarize himself with her particular aroma, and then he pressed his nose into the ground. He walked all across the forest floor in that peculiar zigzag pattern until he found her trail. When he did, he yipped in a sharp voice to the other two, and they followed him into the forest, leaving the hut farther and farther behind them as they were swallowed up in the murky darkness of Everfree.

****

Though the setting sun barely illuminated the dense forest, it provided enough light for Zecora to follow the white fur of the zigzagging raccoon. The tiny animal scurried left and right underneath thick plant leaves and through tangled tree roots as it guided Zecora and Houndoom through the forest. Fluttershy tried her hardest to stay awake; but she was still very sleepy, and the gentle rocking of Houndoom’s body soon forced her to nod off into slumber. The rest of the group continued on in silence as best they could in an attempt to not wake her.

The zigzagging raccoon suddenly stopped in the middle of its tracks. It stood on its two back legs, and it, along with Houndoom, perked their ears up and listened intently to the sounds of the forest. Crickets were chirping rather loudly, so Zecora figured that the moon had replaced the sun in the sky. They had not been walking for so long that it would be too late to start the ritual, but they still had to hurry. The raccoon sniffed at the ground again and darted through a pack of dense bushes, leaving Zecora and Houndoom all alone.

Zecora pushed her way through the thick tangle of branches, leaving her with several cuts when she exited. Houndoom followed shortly after, having erected another field to protect Fluttershy from the sharp branches. Zecora began walking forward again when something caught her eye. She turned to the right and noticed a tree stump. Unlike the rest of the fallen trees that she had seen over the years, this one did not appear to be suffering from termites or some other fungus. This tree had been burned down.

Houndoom pushed past the zebra and took the lead as the two walked through the increasing number of charred plants and burned trees. Zecora looked at the woods around them in shock; how could the fire of this one creature do so much damage? Before long, they passed through two trees that were so burnt they might as well have been thirty foot tall pieces of charcoal, and arrived at the clearing.

Compared to what the clearing looked like before, it was not much different now. The trees still tightly surrounded the perimeter of the clearing, and the steep cliff was still there. The only real differences were the grass—what remained of it—was dried out and crumbled to dust underneath the zebra’s hooves. Houndoom brought its stomach to the ground so Zecora could lift Fluttershy off and place her on her side.

As Fluttershy was being jostled around, her eyes opened slightly and she called out in a weak, tired voice, “Zecora? Did…did we make it on time?”

Zecora looked directly up at the sky; the moon had not risen above the high tree line yet, so there was plenty of time to start the ritual. She looked back at the sleepy mare and said quietly, “We made it here with time to spare, and now for the ritual we must prepare.”

Fluttershy smiled at the good news and let her head rest on the ground until she could clear the grogginess out of her mind. Zecora stood up and moved to the center of the clearing. There she removed three things; the ancient book, a jar full of white powder, and a smaller bag that contained five candles.

Flipping open the book, she arrived at the instructions for tracing out the transmutation circle. Using the stars to read the book, she calculated how large it would be. After deciding on an appropriate size, she began slowly tracing out the pattern with her hoof. She walked backwards, dragging her hoof to make the grooves in the ground, and then sprinkling it with the powder. At certain spots on the circle, she would make an indent in the soil, place a candle down, and surround it with some powder. She planted the last candle as she connected the two ends of the circle. Having finished the perimeter, she returned to the ancient book in the very center. She scanned the pages several times to make sure she did not mistranslate some of the text.

Zecora turned away from the book and drew a smaller circle around it, making sure it was large enough for Fluttershy to lie down in. Afterwards, she made a straight line from each of the candles to the inner circle. When she finished that, she reread the final steps of the circle’s formation.

There was a cryptic phrase written in an ancient Zebra language that needed to be repeated all along the outside of the larger circle and the inside of the smaller circle. Zecora set to work, chanting the ancient words as she drew them out in the dirt and sprinkled them with powder. By the time she had finished, the moon had almost reached its peak and she had used up every last speck of the ceremonial powder.

Zecora walked back over to Fluttershy, who had woken up and watched as Zecora created the summoning circle. Fluttershy shakily rose to her feet and took a step forward to meet the zebra halfway, but she placed too much pressure on her leg and collapsed. Zecora and Houndoom each stood by her side and helped her along as she limped to the center of the circle. They were careful to not step on the painstakingly drawn lines as they came to the center. Zecora let Fluttershy down in front of the open book and gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

“Fluttershy, from here on out, my guidance you must go without.” Fluttershy said nothing in response; merely watching on as the zebra crossed the edge of the circle.

Zecora began walking around the circle, taking a match and lighting up each candle. It did not really help Fluttershy see any better in the dark, the flames were so small, but they were necessary for the ritual. After she lit the last candle, Zecora stood still at the edge for a moment before turning around and leaving the clearing through a pair of charred trees.

Fluttershy looked to her left and saw Houndoom sitting silently beside her, gazing intently at the Cliffside. Fluttershy looked up at the night sky, noticing how close the moon was to being at its peak. Whatever was going to happen, it would happen very soon.

Fluttershy took this moment to talk to Houndoom. She turned her head to face him and said, “I just wanted to thank you again. You saved my life, and even though I don’t know why you did, I am still grateful.” She draped a wing over Houndoom’s back and tried to pull him closer. Houndoom offered no resistance and happily sidled next to the Pegasus, the fire burning inside him warming her body.

“Hold on Berry, I’m coming for you.” Fluttershy said quietly. She looked up at the moon and waited as it slowly inched its way up the sky. She gritted her teeth and steeled her nerves as the moon finally reached its peak.

As soon as the moonbeams hit the summoning circle at just the right angle, the ancient book began glowing with a mysterious black aura that flowed freely from its pages and across the clearing. The dark fog reached up to the five candles and snuffed the red flames atop each one, turning the entire clearing pitch black. Fluttershy started to panic, for not even the stars in the sky were visible anymore. Fluttershy saw a glimpse of light out of the corner of her eye, and looked down at the ground beneath her in awe.

The runes Zecora had traced around the inner circle had started glowing, the white powder magnifying the shine a hundredfold. After the letters were illuminated, the actual circle itself became bright, with the glow moving its way from the inner circle to the candles and then to the outer circle, the glow intensifying as it progressed. As the entire transmutation circle lit up, it became so bright that Fluttershy had to shield her eyes.

After a while, the light dimmed enough for her to see what was happening outside the circle. She could feel the glow of the runes getting fainter and fainter, and when she looked down she realized why.

The runes were fading from the circle beneath her and reappearing on the cliff wall. Fluttershy shook her head in confusion as an exact replica of the summoning circle appeared on the slab of rock in front of her. Each character was removed from the clearing floor until Fluttershy was left standing in the bare circle.

The ancient words on the cliff wall began glowing brighter as the rest of the circle vanished from the ground and reappeared on the wall. The replica summoning circle illuminated the entire cliff side with its mysterious glow. The outer circle maintained its brightness as the inner circle began to fade, leaving a visible outline of a black void.

Fluttershy stared with a mixture of confusion and fear at the void in the wall. It was perfectly smooth, unlike the craggy rock that was there moments ago. She felt her fur stand on end as the pool of darkness began rippling.

A small wave moved from the center of the portal and outward until it reached the edge, where it bounced back with less force and did not quite make it back to the center. Then another wave appeared, and another, and another, each one getting faster and larger than the ones before it, until the black portal was constantly undulating. Fluttershy shook in horror as she wondered why it was moving so much. Her question was answered when she saw something move inside the portal.

A single menacing, red eye suddenly appeared in the center of the rippling portal. It moved left and right across the clearing, scanning the area before falling on Fluttershy herself. As its gaze fell on her, the timid pegasus felt her breath leave her lungs as she froze in absolute terror. The red eye dilated and constricted several times before blinking. Once it blinked, the portal stopped undulating and became perfectly still.

“For what reason do you seek to disturb the souls of the dead?” The eye’s voice shocked Fluttershy out of her state of fear. Its voice was deep and powerful, rumbling across the clearing as it spoke.

Fluttershy truly defied her name as she looked right at the red eye and boldly proclaimed, “I want to see Berry again.” She held her ground, holding her head high and throwing her fears to the wind.

The red eye constricted and squinted curiously at her. “Berry? That is an unusual name for a pony.” The voice chuckled softly before continuing, “Was this Berry a friend?” He asked almost condescendingly, “Or a relative perhaps?”

Fluttershy shook her head before answering the creature’s question. “No, Berry was not a pony. She was a grey squirrel. I would like to see here one last time so I can say goodbye.” She stood bravely under the creature’s gaze as she waited for it to speak again.

The red eye narrowed its gaze on the yellow pegasus as it processed this information. She seemed absolutely sincere in her claims, as unusual as they were.

“You interrupted me in the middle of my duties for this?” The eye grew increasingly frustrated as it spoke. “Do you know who I am? Have you even the slightest idea of how important my time is? I am the sole being responsible for the shepherding of souls to the afterlife. Do you know what happens to souls when I am unable to bring them to their eternal resting place?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, sir, I don’t.”

“They sit in PURGATORY!” The voice roared, startling the poor mare. “Hundreds of creatures die on this planet every second. That means thousands of souls that deserve their peace are being deprived of it because you called me out here to have me open the gates to the spirit world just to say farewell TO A SQUIRELL?!” The entire forest seemed to shake as his booming voice crashed around the clearing.

Fluttershy looked directly into the monster’s soul-piercing eye and said, “Yes.”

“…..”

“Very well then.” The voice called out.

“Huh?” Fluttershy found herself at a loss for words as the red eye disappeared from the portal. She turned to show her look of confusion to Houndoom, who did not respond. Seconds later the portal began rippling as fiercely as before, and Fluttershy felt her heart leap into her throat as something emerged from the portal.

A large, grey hand began reaching out of the portal, followed shortly after by the creature’s head. It slowly oozed its way out of the portal before floating down to hover above the ground. In all of Fluttershy’s life, she had never seen anything that could compare to the eldritch monstrosity that was floating in front of her.

This creature had a strange genie like tail at the bottom of its ghostly body. Its chest had a yellow zigzag pattern with two almond shaped “eyes” above it. Its head was shaped like a cylinder with a yellow protrusion at the top and had no facial features save for its single, unwavering, blood red eye.

It broadened its shoulders, spreading its arms clenching its hands into fists. “Prepare yourselves.” It called out.

“Yourselves?” Fluttershy sputtered, “But I’m the only one that wanted to-”

*click*

The yellow zigzag on the creature’s chest suddenly snapped open like a jaw, revealing a dark void. Before Fluttershy could blink, she felt a horribly strong force rip her off the ground and suck her into the creature’s gaping maw.

Author's Note

I'm very, very, VERY sorry that this took so long, I really am. The good news is, there are only a few chapters left, and I promise you won't have to wait as long to see it.

Chapter 4

Fluttershy’s head was swimming. She tried to remember what had happened, but the raging vortex of her mind refused a single thought to form. Sprawled out on the ground, she could not find the strength to move her legs. She attempted to open her eyes, but that, too, proved to be a fruitless effort. Until she could pick herself up, she decided to lie on the ground and rest.

She listened to the world around her as she cleared her head, but she could not hear a sound. That struck her as odd. Even in the dead of night there was always something making noise. It might be a cricket’s chirp, an owl’s hoot, or a wolf’s howl, but there should be at least a few stray noises. Instead she could hear nothing. She tried to think of a reason why the noises would vanish, but she kept drawing blanks. At the very least, the pure silence helped clear her mind.

Feeling her head calm down at last, she tried to open her eyes again, and though they may as well have been made of lead, she finally got them open. Her eyes were misty, probably from having woken up only a few moments ago. She blinked several times to clear away the mist, but after a few minutes, it was still there.

It was then that she realized that her eyes were not playing tricks on her. She lifted her head, and surprised herself with how easily she was able to move it. Her legs were not as cooperative, refusing to move an inch. Instead, she sat up by heaving her chest up and flapping her wings for balance. After some effort she was sitting upright in the mysterious mist. She swiveled her head left and right to figure out where she was.

She was sitting in a surreal, swirling white fog that reduced visibility to near zero. The fog was all around her; above, beneath, behind, everywhere. It was so thick she could almost choke on it, yet she could not feel it against her fur. There was also no visible source of light, everything was simply white. It was unnatural; nothing glowed or reflected any light at all. She stared straight into the slowly swirling mist for what felt like an hour, mesmerized by the bizarre nature of this place.

Then it dawned on her; she was completely alone. Neither Houndoom nor the spirit guide was with her. She franticly spun her head around searching for her companions.

She stopped turning and called out in her meek voice, “H-hello? Is somepony there?” Her voice echoed around her for miles, but nothing responded.

Her mind panicked as she tried to see through the fog, but her body did not respond. This only served to send her further into disarray. Why was her mind racing while her body was calm? She thought about running away, but she remembered her leg and shot the idea down. Her best bet was to wait here until something found her. She took a deep breath to calm herself and stared into the mist.

***

Time did not seem to pass in this place. Fluttershy felt like she had been sitting and waiting for days, but for all she knew it could only have been a few minutes. Sighing deeply, she tried for the hundredth time since she began waiting to call out for help.

“Hello?” Her voice carried far, but nothing happened. “Houndoom? Spirit guide? Are you there? Anypony? Please answer…”

After waiting for three entire minutes, she released a dry sob from her throat and cried into her hooves, though her body produced no tears.

“So you are awake at last.”

Startled by the sudden sound, Fluttershy whipped her head around so fast that her neck should have snapped. She found the grey spirit guide floating inches away from her, his arms crossed and his eye looking down at her curiously.

“And here I thought you were planning on starting your eternal sleep early.” The spirit chuckled softly at his clever remark as Fluttershy gathered a huge amount of air in her lungs.

“KYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Fluttershy’s sudden shriek made the spirit cringe.

Fluttershy sprang to her hooves faster than she ever had in her life and turned to flee from the horrid monster, but just as she did a thought streaked through the front of her mind like a bullet, freezing the blood in her veins and halting her in her tracks.

Fluttershy craned her neck to see her leg. She was both relieved and disturbed to see that, though her leg was still burned as before, it did not hurt in the slightest to move it. Staring at her limb, she kicked it a few times to test it out. Each kick brought absolutely no feeling to her body, as if it wasn’t even there. She turned back towards the spirit guide.

“You must be wondering why your terrible burn no longer pains you.” The spirit asked. Fluttershy nodded silently and the creature continued, “Your physical form is back at the clearing, the form you currently reside in is a spiritual manifestation of your physical being. Thus, you feel no pain, you cannot shed tears, and adrenaline or other bodily compounds will not affect you.”

Fluttershy continued looking over her spirit form as she asked, “Then why was it so difficult to move when I first woke up here, but now I can move without a problem?”

“Your soul was still adjusting to this realm. The process always takes some time to get used to. Rest assured, though, that your body should not come under any harm while your soul is here.”

Fluttershy cocked her head. “How can you be so sure of that?”

“Because I placed your body under a safeguard, it will remain undetected, even in that open clearing, until I remove it.”

Fluttershy sighed in relief before returning her gaze to the ghost. “Thank you for finding me, mister. I was afraid I would be lost in this place forever and…” Fluttershy looked left and right into the white nothingness, but still nothing emerged. “Pardon me for asking, mister…”

“You may call me Dusknoir.” The creature replied with a nod of his head and a small dignified bow.

Fluttershy made a soft “oooo” at the sound of the creature’s name. It was ominous, but not hauntingly so, and it was strangely fitting for his role as a guide for souls. She shook her head.

“Right, Dusknoir, where am I?” She asked innocently.

If Dusknoir had an eyebrow, he would certainly be arching it.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” He asked as if he were tutoring a foal in basic algebra. He spread his long arms apart and gestured to the infinite void that surrounded them. “This is the spirit world.” Fluttershy looked less scared and more confused at Dusknoir’s remark.

“But how can this place be the spirit world?” Fluttershy asked, “All the stories say that the spirit world is supposed to be an eternal paradise or something like that.”

Dusknoir did not answer her; instead, he held his right hand in front of the yellow pegasus and created a small blue fire that burned softly in the misty dreamscape. Focusing his concentration on the ball of fire, he held his open palm high above his head. As he did, the fire expanded violently into a massive fireball that burned like a beacon throughout the spirit world. Fluttershy stared at the ominous fire in silent wonder when Dusknoir’s voice called her back.

“There he is.” He stated while pointing a finger out to a seemingly random direction.

Fluttershy turned to face the same way and saw Houndoom walk out of the mist and towards the fire. The black dog kept walking until he was right in front of Dusknoir and Fluttershy. Once the three were all together, Dusknoir reduced the size of the flame until it was just large enough to fit comfortably in his palm.

Fluttershy trotted over to Houndoom and tilted her head slightly. “Why are you here Houndoom?” She asked, “Do you want to see Berry too?” She did not think that that was the real reason and the demon dog confirmed this with a shake of his head. “Oh. Then, why did you come here? Was there-” Fluttershy was interrupted as Dusknoir cleared his (throat?) rather loudly, bringing the other two’s attention back to him.

“If there are more questions that you wish to ask, you can do so as we travel.” He turned away from her and held the flame by his side so Fluttershy could see it. “Please follow me.” was the last thing he said before moving into the mist and out of sight. Even when his body disappeared into the void, the mysterious fire was clearly visible, and Fluttershy and Houndoom made haste to catch up with it.

****

The three had been moving side by side through the void for a while now, and the pegasus was starting to wonder if they were making any progress at all. Dusknoir was not one to begin a conversation it seemed, so they walked, or rather, he floated and she walked, in silence. Fluttershy decided to begin her questions, since there was no telling how long they would be walking. She tried to ask Houndoom why he had come here with her, but she stopped her line of inquiry immediately when she saw his face.

Houndoom’s entire body was a conflicting clash of emotion, leaving Fluttershy at a loss for words to directly describe his mood. The way his shoulders sagged with weariness made it seem as if he had been on a long journey and was almost home. At the same time, his walking pace was also a bit faster that Dusknoir’s. The way his muscles were tensing, she could tell that he was fighting back the urge to abandon them and sprint off blindly into the void and chase down whatever he was after. Deciding not to interrupt Houndoom’s thoughts, she walked closer to Dusknoir instead.

She turned her head to face the spirit, who did not seem to acknowledge her presence. “So, Mister Dusknoir,” She began nervously, “I thought the afterlife was supposed to be one big paradise where everything you could ever wish for is right in front of you, not this big empty wasteland.” She waved a forehoof at the void to emphasize her statement.

“This is a place for spirits to find peace, not joy.” Dusknoir stated curtly.

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion and asked, “But what about all the stories I heard as a foal about the endless green fields and the crystal clear water and the singing birds and the nice breeze and Angel bunny and the-” Fluttershy cut herself off once she realized that she had been rambling, and waited quietly for the spirit’s answer.

The spirit spoke out without turning his head, “I can tell you how those fantasies came to be.” Fluttershy perked her ears and listened intently as Dusknoir explained. “Once I bring souls here, I find them a place to rest, and they enter their eternal slumber. When they do so, they dream. They dream about whatever their mortal heart desired when they were alive. Whether that is a mountain of money or a beautiful view of the lake at night, or the constant presence of their friends, each soul sleeps forever in their own personal paradise.

“The stories of the spirit world being an eternal paradise were started long before your time. Thousands of years ago, when my mistress lent the zebras the power to summon me,” He was rudely cut off by Fluttershy asking another question.

“Your mistress? Who’s that?” Fluttershy chirped innocently.

Dusknoir felt a tear of nostalgia well up in his eye as he remembered his mistress, though he did not allow Fluttershy to see this.

“My mistress is the one who gave my existence reason.” He continued, “It is because of her that I am able to make sure each and every soul on this planet is given its chance at eternal slumber.”

“You seem very fond of her.” Fluttershy commented.

“Yes, I am.”

“What was she like?” Fluttershy’s ears opened up as she eagerly awaited his answer.

Dusknoir slowed his movement as he remembered the past. “She was… kind to me.” His tone was weighed down with nostalgia as he spoke. “My first memories begin abruptly, once upon a time I awoke to find myself as a spirit. Not with a spiritual form as you can see now, but simply a… conscience. I do not know what my life was before then-if I even had one. All that I knew… was that I was alone.

“I could think clearly, and though I lacked a physical body, my consciousness could move, so I traveled to the first settlement I could find. Eventually I found a small tribe of zebras in the southern plains. I knew what they were called as soon as I saw them, but I could not remember how I knew such a thing. Their language and way of life came instantly to me as well, and it tormented me. I longed to be with them, to talk with them, with something, anything. Unfortunately, as I was a simple mass of awareness, they could not see me, feel me, or hear me.

“I raged against the heavens above, cursing the gods for cursing me with this form. Why? I asked, why me? What had I done to deserve such torture? What was my purpose for being here? I begged and pleaded with the gods for an answer.” Dusknoir clenched his fist in rage, startling the mare walking beside him.

“I never received an answer. It seemed that, as the mortals below could not hear me, neither could the gods above. That is where I found my determination. If they would not grant me an answer, then I would find it myself. I left the zebra tribe that day and moved into the distance.

“I do not know how long I travelled. Time did not register with me as my mind was overrun with thoughts and questions. I traveled over mountains, under the oceans, through dense marshlands, watching the seasons change and the creatures die. I saw griffons soar on the high mountains, dragons sleeping in the darkest caves, and buffalo stampede across the endless plains.

“Their languages and cultures came to my mind effortlessly as well, and I could cycle through any language at a second’s notice. Though as I said earlier, it did me no good, and my ever expanding knowledge was useless in every way. I spent an eternity in thought, wandering the world, oblivious to everything around me, until someone broke my concentration.”

Fluttershy skipped lightly with anticipation as she asked, “Who was it?”

“In some forest, I heard the lamentations of a mare.” Dusknoir’s movements slowed even further as the memories came rushing back, until he stopped completely. “I followed the sound of her voice until I saw her sitting alone in a small clearing. Her fur was such a deep shade of blue that one would mistake it for the black of the night sky, and her mane drew me closer as it somehow twinkled with the light of a million stars.”

Fluttershy covered her mouth and gasped softly. He must be talking about the princess! She tried to speak up but the spirit was lost in his memories and his voice overpowered hers.

“I moved closer to her and was shocked to see both a majestic horn and a pair of angelic wings on her body. In all my travels across the world, I had never seen anything as beautiful as her. A diamond tiara rested behind her horn, giving me the impression that she was a royal of some sort. As I listened to her captivating voice, this thought was confirmed. She droned on about how her sister was the only one the citizens of the kingdom appreciated, that they only loved her sister’s sun, and not her moon. She would slam her hooves on the ground in despair, asking why she was always forgotten and left all alone.

“I instantly felt a connection between us. Neither of us had a purpose, existing all alone and being ignored by everything and everyone around us. Although I had long accepted that I could not speak with the living, I felt compelled to comfort her in any way I could. I reached out with my voice and reassured her that I appreciated the beauty of the night, and she thanked me, startling both of us.

“Against all odds, she could hear me, and sense my consciousness. I told her of my plea; how I longed to be with the living again, to talk with them and interact with them and share their emotions. I told her that I wanted a purpose but I was trapped in this ethereal form with no way of escape. Sensing that I was sincere, she offered me a deal.

“She told me that she would construct a body for my consciousness to reside in and grant me a purpose under one condition; that I would forever be her loyal friend and servant.”

“And did you accept?” Fluttershy asked softly, leaning in as she awaited an answer.

Although Dusknoir lacked a mouth, his face moved in such a way that the Pegasus could see that he was trying his best to smile.

“Of course I did.” He said proudly. “Using powerful magic with the likes of which I had never thought possible, she created a vessel for my soul out of the purest shadows. The moment my soul entered that empty husk, my life was changed forever…forever…for…ever.”

Dusknoir suddenly started convulsing and he clutched at his stomach as though it was fit to explode. He doubled over as the antennae on his head overloaded his mind with electric currents. He groaned in agony and his red eye faded from his socket, leaving his body an empty shell as his vision turned to black.

****

His eye suddenly snapped open, revealing the pure white of his spirit world. He looked down and saw the yellow pegasus standing in front of him, waving a hoof in his face and asking, “Are you all right?” Dusknoir was surprised that she was genuinely concerned about his wellbeing, despite him being a complete stranger. He assured her that he was fine, and shook his head to rid himself of the horrible after-image that plagued his thoughts.

“What happened mister Dusknoir?” Fluttershy asked softly. “You were about to say something about your mistress and then you just passed out.”

“I am perfectly fine, truly.” He replied shakily. “Suffice to say that though my lifetime with my mistress was wonderful, there are some things I would rather forget.” He reached his hand up to inspect his antennae for any damage and after assuring himself that nothing was wrong, brought his gaze back to Fluttershy.

“Um, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay. I don’t want to do anything if you don’t want to.” She traced a circle in the ground with her hoof and looked away sheepishly as she said, “We can talk about something else instead, if that would make you feel better.”

“I appreciate that, thank you.”

Dusknoir turned to Houndoom, who was getting very antsy waiting for the guide to regain his composure.

“I apologize for my momentary lack of control.” He summoned forth the blue ball of fire once more, and repeated his earlier statement, “Please follow me. Our destination is not too far away.” He glided forward. Fluttershy trotted to his side and threw him a warm smile. He nodded and asked, “What were we discussing before?”

“You were saying that zebras used to summon you a long time ago.”

“Ah yes!” He replied, eager to return to the previous topic.

“The zebras would frequently ask to speak with their dead relatives, who would tell them of how wondrous a place their dreams in the afterlife were. As the years passed and I was summoned less frequently, the exact details started to slip through the cracks, and soon all anyone ever knew of the afterlife was some beautiful paradise.”

Fluttershy looked innocently at Dusknoir as she asked, “But I thought you were terribly busy with transporting souls here, how did you have the time to let all those zebras visit their relatives?”

Dusknoir at last tilted his head toward Fluttershy, giving her a minimal view of his face. If she stared hard enough, she could almost see the tiniest hint of a blush on the spirit’s face.

“That was a ruse.” Dusknoir said, sounding like a magician finally revealing the secret of his tricks.

Fluttershy slowed down her walking speed as she tried to comprehend that statement.

“What do you mean?” She asked, remembering how scary he had been as he yelled at her in the clearing. He sounded so serious when he said how busy his schedule was, why would he lie to her?

The phantom slowed its pace so as to not leave Fluttershy behind. Houndoom slowed his pace too, though he clearly showed signs of impatience with this delay, walking a few feet ahead, turning his head back and whimpering. Ignoring him, Dusknoir continued, “Time does not flow here the same way it does in the mortal realm. Here, I am omnipotent; I have as much time as I wish to make sure each and every soul finds its resting place.”

“You make sure every single soul of every single creature finds its own place to rest in this infinitely expansive world?” Fluttershy asked.

The ghost nodded.

“By yourself?” She added with disbelief.

“Yes. This is my eternal duty. To shepherd the souls to this realm, and ensure they are at peace.”

“But don’t you ever get lonely?”

As the words breached his consciousness, Dusknoir stopped moving for a second time. Staring off into space, the word reverberated inside his mind. Loneliness… How could he possibly forget this feeling?

“I am always alone. Even when I am surrounded by countless faces, I am alone.” He faced Fluttershy again and she saw that his face was twisted in sorrow. “When my mistress left me so many years ago, she left a void in my chest, a void that no amount of souls could fill. It pains me, even now, to continue on without her. But I made a promise to her, and no matter what happens to me, I will uphold that promise.”

Fluttershy sounded like a child begging their grandparents to tell them a story when she asked, “What did you promise her?”

“There is a small story behind this promise, so we must continue on while I tell you.” Dusknoir turned and beckoned for the other two to follow him. Fluttershy quickly returned to his side, but Houndoom was indifferent to the story.

“I told you before that I am the creature responsible for bringing souls to the afterlife, correct? Well, whose duty was it before me?”

Fluttershy shook her head and guessed, “Luna’s?”

Dusknoir showed his quasi grin again and said, “Correct. She told me that she was busy with so many duties; raising the stars and moon, attending night courts, filling paperwork, and on top of all that, she had to take the souls of her subjects to the afterlife.” He moved the hand containing the purple fire closer to Fluttershy, so her attention would be focused on it. When he had her attention, he threw the ball of fire into the air in front of them. The fire stayed the same distance from them, even as they trekked through the spirit world.

As the spirit spoke, the flame began curving upward like the rising sun, growing slowly brighter as it did until it peaked above them. “When the sun dawns on their lives, they are under the elder sister’s watch. But when the sun sets on their mortal lives,” The burning light faded as it began its descending arc. “The younger sister takes her place and keeps them safe.” The fire found its way back into Dusknoir’s broad palm and he stared at it solemnly.

“With so much work for one mare to do, she told me that she was overworked and stressed. She had grown quick to anger and agitation around her servants and subjects, and so they rejected her. She was always tired and depressed. I hated to see her suffer, so I offered to take the souls to the spirit world myself. That way, she might have more time to gain the admiration of her subjects, or at least rest more.

“She agreed to pass on the duty to me, but there were a few problems. For one thing, only she could open the gate to the spirit world. So we created a system, she told me to find some lost souls during the day, and guide them back to the spot in the forest where we first met. That first night, I only found one soul, a recently deceased unicorn stallion named…”

Dusknoir slowed his pace as he wracked his brain for an answer. He rubbed the side of his head as he ran through his memories. “I know there was a Star in his name somewhere. Was it Star… whirl? No, that’s not it.” Dusknoir forgot about the pegasus as he mumbled to himself.

Fluttershy thought recognized that name, so she looked through her memories as well. Who would know about old unicorns? Twilight probably would. Yes! Twilight told me about him once! She said his name was…

“Star Swirl the Bearded!” The two shouted at once. They stopped moving and looked at each other silently for a moment.

“You recognize his name?” Dusknoir asked. “It was such a long time ago; I thought his teachings had been lost.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh I don’t really know anything about him, but my friend Twilight showed me this book of unicorn history once, she said he was really important.”

“Indeed he was,” the spirit confirmed, “you see, he was the first unicorn to-”

“WOOF! WOOF!” Houndoom’s shrill call pierced the air of the conversation like a javelin. When they turned to face him, he began growling menacingly, lowering his head and pulling his lips back into the most gruesome snarl Fluttershy had ever seen. His anger was clearly aimed at the spirit alone, but she could not help but be intimidated by the dog’s unexpected ferocity.

Dusknoir rolled his eye sarcastically and called out, “Oh you mortals are all the same,” He casually pushed the snarling dog aside, causing it to yelp in surprise, and began moving forward again. “Impatient!” He added with a loud huff. Houndoom glared at the ghost for another moment before bouncing back into the lead. Fluttershy trotted back beside him and reminded him of the more important story. The spirit apologized for getting off track and continued his tale.

“As you could guess, one spirit a night was not a sufficient speed for the shepherd of souls. Not to be discouraged, she told me to keep trying, granting me powers to locate souls and to gather them more efficiently. Progress was slow but steady and enjoyable.

“We would meet at midnight in the clearing every night. I would show her my collection of souls, she would tell me of her day, and we would talk as we brought the souls to rest. Over time, as I became more and more skilled at my task, the bond between us grew ever stronger.

“One night, however, something changed.” Dusknoir’s tone became dour as the less savory memories resurfaced.

“She arrived on time, but without her usual look of joy. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she had gotten into another fight with her sister. She told me that none of her plans to become closer to her subjects had worked, and that they still shunned her.” Dusknoir’s shoulders sank as he recalled the terrible news.

“In fact, she lamented that the situation had gotten worse. She had even overheard some ponies talking of an evil demon they called Nightmare Moon that flies to the middle of the forest every night at midnight to feast on the souls of the dead!”

Fluttershy gasped and most likely would have fainted if her spirit form allowed it.

“I still do not know who or what started those horrible rumors,” Dusknoir clenched his fist in rage, “But after we laid that night’s souls to rest, she told me that it was the time for action. I told her that no matter what happens, I would always appreciate her night above all else. She thanked me, but told me that it was too little too late… A week passed before I saw her again.

The spirit’s eye narrowed and his movements slowed once more, to the annoyance of Houndoom, who whined with impatience. Dusknoir ignored him completely.

“When she finally returned she looked almost unrecognizable. Her fur was the color of perfect darkness, her eyes gleamed like a dragon’s, and her teeth had grown into vicious fangs. She was fitted with diamond plated armor and she was noticeably taller. I wanted to ask why she looked like she was prepared for war, but she did not allow me to speak as she gave me her last orders.

“She told me that she had spent the last week planning to overthrow her sister. She would eliminate the day, and force her subjects to bask in her glorious night for eternity. I thought that she had lost her mind, but she proved me wrong.

“She explained that she had written down a spell to summon my specific soul into a book and given it to a zebra tribe leader that was loyal to her. This way, even if she should die, her magic and knowledge would not be lost.

“She also told me that if she should fail in this attempt, that there would be no other way to enter the spirit realm and uncountable souls would be trapped in a state of unrest. Even in her current, twisted state of mind, she did not wish such torture on her subjects, and gave me her cloak. She told me that she had imbued it with her most ancient and powerful magic. Simply being near the cloth nearly overwhelmed my being.”

Dusknoir stopped moving altogether and said softly, “In fact, I still have it with me.” Fluttershy felt her blood freeze as a familiar *click* echoed into her ears. Dusknoir’s body cracked open like before, and this time Fluttershy wished she could faint at the horrifying sight.

Using its long arms, the spirit reached inside its own stomach. The arm’s length disappeared inside the infinite void of its zigzagged mouth, and Dusknoir was left hunched over as though he were trying to rip his own heart out. After a terribly long time, he began pulling his arm back out. As his hand became free of the jagged jaws, they snapped shut, and Fluttershy almost thought she saw the pseudo face grin at her.

Fluttershy looked on curiously as the spirit held the princess’ cloak before her, or rather, what was left of it. It seems that even with the upmost care and protection, material things do not last, for all that remained of the regal cloak was a tattered, rugged piece of cloth. Despite its appearance, it was evident by the way the spirit gently held it that it carried a huge importance for him. Though why he would carry it inside himself was beyond her understanding.

“She warned me that whether she failed to overthrow her sister or not, that there would be a great number of pony souls to bring to the afterlife, far too many to bring all at once. She told me to take the cloth’s powers and bring every last soul to the other side. She told me that the powers imbued in the cloth would allow me to enter the spirit world of my own free will.

“I accepted, and the horrific power of her cloak became my own, transforming me into what you see now.” He stretched his arms wide to display himself. “As I was awestruck by my newfound powers, she made me promise her something.” Dusknoir closed his eye and envisioned his mistress standing tall before him. Even the thought of her humbled him and he fell into reverence. “She made me swear that no matter what happens that night that I will always fulfill my duty as the guide to the spirit world.

Dusknoir erected his spine and crushed the fireball into his palm, setting his whole fist on fire. He held his flaming fist in front of his eye and his voice overflowed with passion as he spoke. “I promised her that I would always fulfill my duty. Until the end of all things I promised to make sure that the souls of all living creatures large or small, intelligent or ignorant, herbivore or carnivore, find their peace in the spirit world. She looked at me endearingly one last time and took off.”

The fire vanished from the phantom’s grip and his gaze returned to the remnant of Luna’s cloak. He sighed deeply, “I never saw her again.”

Author's Note

aren't monologues fun?

Chapter 5

Dusknoir remained dead quiet after his story was done. He did not move or speak in the slightest for a very long time. He simply floated there, staring lovingly at the small cloth held tenderly in his hand. Fluttershy and Houndoom looked at each other in concern before looking back at Dusknoir, silently waiting for the spirit to reawaken from his trance.

“Um, mister Dusknoir?” Fluttershy asked quietly, shifting uneasily on her hooves. “Shouldn’t we get going?”

“There is no need.” The phantom emotionlessly replied.

Fluttershy felt her heart stop from shock. Her eyes widened as she stuttered feebly, “Bu-b-but why not?”

“We are already here.”

Fluttershy and Houndoom looked equally surprised at the announcement, but the spirit paid neither of them any mind. Once again, the phantom’s stomach opened. Using his long arms, he reached inside the void of his body to gently place the cloth back. After his body shut with a familiar click, he conjured up his fireball again and sent it flying into the void.

As the purple glow disappeared from sight, Dusknoir turned to Fluttershy and said, “You should think about what you want to say before she arrives.”

Fluttershy snapped herself out of her shock, nodded silently and took a deep breath. A jolt ran through her mind as she realized that she had been so focused on getting here that she never gave any thought to what she would actually say.

I finally have my chance to speak to her again, but what should I say? Berry I’m sorry? Berry I… Berry… As she tried to think of something to say, a horrible thought entered her mind. What if she doesn’t forgive me? A lump formed in her throat as uncertainty and fear threatened to crush her. What if she hates me for what happened?

Her mind halted when the luminous glow of the fireball returned. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks and heart leap into her throat when she saw the tiny creature that trailed behind the flame.

Berry looked like the picture of death. Her fur was missing in patches, her clouded eyes were sunken in to her skull, her pale skin was taut and her ribs were clearly visible beneath it. The gangly squirrel waved its bony arm in her direction to beckon her closer. Fluttershy quickly brought a hoof to her mouth and dry heaved violently at the repulsive creature before her.

Dusknoir crossed his long arms and shook his head at the poor mare. “Do not be surprised. In this world, spirits manifest themselves as the form they had at the moment of their death.”

Distraught, Fluttershy turned to the spirit and screamed, but she choked on her voice and only a strangled gurgle escaped her lips. Hearing the faint sound of paw steps, she turned to the squirrel once more and watched in horror as it approached her. Berry scampered over to her tail and touched it gingerly. The two met each other’s eyes, and Fluttershy knew that it had to be her. She tenderly gathered the squirrel in her hooves and sat on her rump, hugging her tight.

Berry looked into her blue eyes, silently searching for something to say. Eventually she settled for a soft, “Hi Fluttershy, are you-”

“I’M SO SORRY BERRY!” Fluttershy embraced her friend as all of her sorrows came crashing out. “I’m sorry I let you die! It’s my fault! If I was faster, I could have had the medicine on time, and you would have gotten better and-and then… you, you would…” The rest of her words became trapped in her throat as her sobs wracked her body. She searched for something to say, but could only blubber like a child. Giving up on a verbal approach, she hugged Berry tighter instead.

Berry patted Fluttershy’s coat softly and squeaked, “It’s all okay, Fluttershy, I’m here.”

Fluttershy wanted to cry, to release all of her sorrow in a torrent of tears, but she knew that she could not. That only served to drive her despair further, and she wept dryly and gripped her friend like her life depended on it.

As the pegasus sobbed in the company of her friend, Dusknoir turned his back to her and faced Houndoom instead, who was sitting patiently beside him. He raised his hand up and said, “Now for you.” The spirit conjured up another fireball and hurled it into the abyss as well, and the two waited in silence for it to return.

Berry chirped again to help her friend regain her composure.

“How did you find me?” She asked calmly.

Fluttershy coughed and eased her hug on her friend. She placed Berry on one hoof and held her up to her head so they could see eye to eye and said, “A…after you… died I--” Her voice was seized by a harsh coughing fit, but it quickly faded. “I ran away from the Timberwolf as fast as I could. I thought I could get away but, a whole pack came and…Houndoom rescued me.” She cleared her throat and began to speak more clearly. “He fought the whole pack by himself.” She remembered how determined he was to make certain that those wolves died. “I can’t think of a creature brave enough to attack a whole pack alone, but he did.” She shivered as she remembered the fierce battle. “Houndoom was merciless- like a monster- as he burnt them all to ashes. He also… burned me.” She pointed to the scar and sighed, “I don’t blame him though. He saved my life. Without him, I would never have made it to Zecora’s hut. She took care of my burn, and was more than willing to help me find you.”

Fluttershy felt her heart warming up as she thought about all the two did for her. “Zecora and Houndoom both went so far out of her way to help me get here, just so I could say goodbye to you. She and Houndoom walked me back to the clearing, helped me summon Dusknoir, and she even went back to my cottage to check up on Angel for me.” Her ears and smile drooped as she thought about her other animals. “Angel Bunny and the rest really miss you, Berry. And even though you were only with us a short while, we won’t forget you,” Fluttershy brought Berry in for another hug, “No matter what.”

Berry beamed with happiness through her sickly smile. “I didn’t realize you guys cared about me so much.” As the information was processed, she felt at peace. It was strange; that she would receive so much love from such a large group of strangers. Overcome with happiness, she patted Fluttershy’s fur and nuzzled her cheek. In return, Fluttershy brought her arms back around the squirrel, and hugged her again. The two remained there; content to be wrapped in each other’s embrace until the end of time.

But they knew their time together was limited. Fluttershy cradled Berry in her hooves the way a mother cradles her child as a small grin grew on her face. She was never one for pranks, but just this once, the mood needed to lighten up, and she knew just the way. She began rocking her arms back and forth to lull the squirrel into a light sleep. Once Berry closed her eyes, Fluttershy brought her muzzle to the critters stomach and blew a raspberry, eliciting a shriek of delight from the startled squirrel. Berry squirmed out of the pony’s grasp and scampered into her mane, disappearing from sight. Fluttershy felt her tiny paws crawling all around her head until they found their target. This time, it was Fluttershy’s turn to giggle and squirm as Berry tickled the back of her sensitive ears. The giggling mare fell on to her sides as she gasped for air, but Berry scampered to her exposed belly and began tickling that as well.

They continued to play and take turns tickling each other. Without speaking, they decided to make their last memory of them together a happy one, so they frolicked in the misty dreamscape, laughing and hollering and squealing with joy.

After a time, they lay down to catch their breath. Fluttershy rested on her back while Berry sat on her belly. Slowly rising and falling with each breath the pegasus took, she spoke quietly, “Fluttershy, I appreciate more than anything that you went through so much trouble to talk to me again, but I have one last question to ask. Will you be able to get past my death? Can you move on?”

Fluttershy inhaled deeply and petted her friend softly as she said, “As a promise to a friend, I will move on.” She carefully rose on to her hooves and placed Berry on the misty ground. “It may take some time, and I know it will hurt, but I have my friends and Zecora to help me.” She shut her jaw tight to stop her lip from quivering and stared at the small critter.

Fluttershy brought the squirrel in for one last hug. She patted what was left of her fur and said, “No matter what, I will always remember you. I’m sure the rest of the critters will too.” As she released her grasp on her friend, Berry scampered back down to the ground.

Berry’s face widened into a grin that stretched from ear to ear and said, “You don’t need to worry about me. In this world I have the most wonderful dreams. It’s always so nice; the perfect day, every day. There are acorns as big as a house and I can eat all that I want and never get full! I can even sleep away from the shade of the tree branches without worrying about a hawk or wolf coming around the corner. It’s paradise, and I’m happy here, even though you’re gone. So I want you to be happy, even though I’m gone.”

Once more, Fluttershy wished she could cry, and once more, no tears came. Her lip quivered as she held back her sobs. Before her throat closed up completely, she managed to wrench out a single word, “Okay.”

With a final wave goodbye, Berry turned back to the void and scampered out of sight.

When the grey squirrel vanished, Fluttershy straightened her back and inhaled deeply through her nose, closing her eyes and trying her best to not break into hysterics. Her body shook as her sorrow threatened to burst out, but she held fast. Slowly, she conquered her emotions, and her head felt clear from negativity.

Her thoughts returned to the letter that Angel had written her earlier. Berry was gone, but she had other animals that depended on her too, and that filled her with the resolve she needed to get back on track. Rising to her hooves, she turned and called out for Dusknoir, “Mister Dusknoir! I’m ready to go--” She stopped abruptly as she registered the sight before her. “…home.”

Dusknoir was still there, as was Houndoom. Only… there was two of him. The two were right beside each other, with one lying on his side while the other rested its head over his neck. The way the two were entwined with one another, it looked as though they were about to go to sleep.

Careful not to make a sound, Fluttershy moved toward the pair as softly as a feather, but her path was blocked by Dusknoir’s thick arm. She turned to speak but his voice preceded hers, saying, “You had your moment of peace, let them have theirs.” She strained to extend her neck past the spirits’ arm, but he pushed her back. He did not act with malice or frustration, but rather with tenderness and tranquility. Fluttershy steadied herself and Dusknoir’s long arm moved back to his chest to fold in with the other.

Fluttershy eyed the new creature studiously and notice a few differences in their appearances right away; the second Houndoom was smaller in stature and had noticeably smaller horns that curved gently back, as opposed to the others’ whose horns raked sharply back like a spear. She concluded from these observations, and the way the two were entwined, that this new Houndoom was female.

She heard a heavy sigh escape Dusknoir’s body and turned to find him looking at Houndoom with pity, the way one might pity a bird that broke its wing. “Fate can be a cruel mistress,” his shoulders sagged and his voice was weighed down with sorrow as he spoke, “but her will cannot be undone. It was with a heavy heart that I shepherded their souls here, for their time came far too soon.” He narrowed his eye on the male and solemnly said, “He has suffered through pain incomparable even to my own.”

Fluttershy looked at the female curiously before turning back to Dusknoir, “What do you mean by them? They can’t both be dead, Houndoom was just with me.”

“Look closely and you will understand.”

Fluttershy nodded silently as the two dogs began to move.

The female picked her head off the ground and nibbled at the male’s neck. He moved out of the way but she persisted. Eventually he got up and playfully grabbed her muzzle with his own. She tried to get away but her movements her sluggish. He quickly placed his paw on the side of her head and pushed her back to the ground. Once he let go she snapped at his ear and tugged on it hard enough to send him on to his side. Before he could right himself, she placed her forelegs around his neck and climbed on top of him. She went limp like dead weight to pin him down and watched with glee as he squirmed to get free.

As Fluttershy watched their “battle” continue, something clicked in her mind and her face lit up like a candle with her revelation. “They must be mates! Of course! That would explain why he wanted to get here so urgently, but...” She stopped herself and stared into the mist, “But that doesn’t explain how she died...” Hoping for another answer, she tried asking the spirit but he did not reply.

After a while the male stopped struggling and lay perfectly still. The change in behavior caused the female to drop her guard, providing him with the perfect opportunity to escape. He rolled away and began circling her. She tried to stand, but her wobbling legs could not support her weight. Once he entered her blind spot, he pounced back onto her, grabbing her muzzle again and pinning her back to the ground. She whined in defiance and pawed at him but his grip was too strong. After a moment she gave up and relaxed her body. He released her jaw and howled triumphantly while she rolled onto her other side to face away from him, revealing her backside to the Pegasus.

With a clear view, Fluttershy saw to her horror that the female had jagged gashes all over her body, including several deep punctures on her back that looked like something had tried to bite her in half. There was only one creature Fluttershy could think of that made such marks on its prey, a Timberwolf. She furrowed her brow as she thought, But, there’s no way a Timberwolf killed her! If she can breathe fire, how could she have died?

When he saw this his ears and tail drooped and he whimpered as though to apologize. The female continued to ignore him, so he walked back over and placed his head over her neck like before. He snuggled up close to her and cooed softly into her ear, and she responded by licking his nose and entwining her tail with his, creating a helix that brought the two even closer together.

As Fluttershy observed their play like a faithful sentinel, she thought back on what Dusknoir had said, It was with a heavy heart that I shepherded their souls here.

“But what could he have meant by that?” Fluttershy furrowed her brow as she continued to think, “They are mates. And of course, having a mate leads to…” Her blood instantly froze in her veins as another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “No...no there is no way that could have have happened. Please, anything but that.” She tried to dismiss the thought, but no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise, there was no escaping this terrible truth. The female’s sluggish movement, the Timberwolf scars, it all made sense now. The revelation shattered her bearings like a boulder dropped on a fragment of glass and she collapsed in the mist as the spirits comment echoed endlessly in her mind, for their time came far too soon.

The memory of the battle in the forest clearing came rushing back as Fluttershy pieced everything together. The Timberwolf leader’s reaction to Houndoom’s howl, Houndoom’s unstoppable fury, everything made sense. He may have saved her from the wolves, but now she understood that that was not his initial plan. His ferocious fire was not born from a desire to save her, but for revenge. And even though she could never condone such an act, she was even more confident in his compassion. He felt guilty for the consequences of his revenge, and did everything in his power to make it up to her.

“Don’t worry Houndoom,” Fluttershy slowly rose back to her hooves and smiled softly, “I forgive you.” She wanted to tell him personally, but after seeing him resting so peacefully with his mate, she decided against it.

“Now then,” Dusknoir called to get her attention, “If you are ready, we will depart from this world.”

Fluttershy steeled her nerves and took a step forward, but turned back to Houndoom and asked, “What about him?”

“It is up to him to decide when he is ready to leave. But knowing what he has gone through, I believe you will understand if he does not wish to return to the world of the living.”

“What will happen if he does decide to stay here forever?”

“If he truly has no regrets and wishes to remain in the spirit realm, then I will return to the world of the living and destroy his physical form. Once a soul decides to begin its infinite sleep, there is no going back. Now, I will ask once more, are you ready to depart?”

Fluttershy nodded and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the events that she knew were coming. With a familiar click, the zigzagged mouth opened wide and the white mist fell away into nothingness as she was plunged into the infinite depths of the spirit’s core.

*****

Fluttershy opened her eyes as the now-familiar dizzying aftermath of Dusknoir’s unique transportation began to fade. Clearing the fog from her vision, she found she was lying on her side in the clearing, just as she had been before the spirit arrived. A quick glance up at the sky told her that some time had passed while she was unconscious, for though the stars still gleamed against the black curtain of night, the moon had descended below the treetops.

As she brought her gaze down from the stars, she locked eyes with Dusknoir, who was floating slowly towards her. His simple presence here immediately raised a question, but after looking around the clearing she saw, or rather didn’t see, Houndoom. Not a trace remained of the demon hound, so Fluttershy detached her concerns for him; he was in a better place.

As Dusknoir grew closer, Fluttershy notice something strange about his otherworldly cyclopean visage. The previously emotionless countenance was so twisted she thought she was looking at his reflection from a funhouse mirror. However, once he had gotten within arms reach, she realised that the peculiar, crooked grimace was the closest thing to a smile the phantom could muster. She was happy to return the affection and displayed one herself.

Dusknoir trembled like a child as he was overcome by sensations that eluded him for a millennia. The frigid, desolate winter that froze his emotions away melted into the warmth of spring as his heart beat once more. Blood and courage coursed through his veins and ignited the fire of passion he thought had long since burned out.

Dusknoir eventually wrangled his wild emotions together long enough to say, “Thank you, Fluttershy.”

“You’re thanking me? But why? I should be the one thanking you, I never did anything.”

Dusknoir’s ghoulish grin grew, “For the chance to talk. After all, you are the first creature to hold a conversation with me since the Zebras stopped summoning me some seven hundred years ago.”

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side to the side, “Huh? But what about all those souls you escorted, didn’t they-”

“The recently deceased are not ones for idle conversation. Even if they were, I am not the most pleasing visage to chat with am I?” Dusknoir pointed to his blood red eye and blinked playfully.

Fluttershy giggled at the unexpected display of humor.

Dusknoir continued, “My task of guiding lost souls and putting them to rest is rather tedious. After the Zebras stopped summoning me, I was all alone again. Without anyone or anything to talk to, I had plenty of time to think; reflect on my past. I had been holding on to those thoughts and memories for a very long time. But then you came along.”

Dusknoir lowered himself down to speak eye-to-eye. “I thank you from the bottom of my soul for giving me a chance to release the pent up emotion of my story. I feel as though a great burden has been lifted from my chest, and now I am free to think as I please without those memories anchoring me to the past.” He bowed deeply and lay his hands out before Fluttershy’s hooves. “I am in your debt, Fluttershy. If there is anything I can do to assist you, don’t hesitate to call.”

Fluttershy blushed and tried to hide behind her mane from the spirit’s reverence, “Um, it was nothing, really.”

Fluttershy gazed awhile into the night sky before looking to the forest and then to her leg. When she turned her attention back to Dusknoir, he was still bowing to her. Hesitantly, she bit her lip and said, “Uh, actually, there is one thing…”

Dusknoir did not move.

“W-well, do you think you could, um, bring me back home? I mean, it’s dark and I don’t actually know the way back so...”

“As you wish.” At this, Dusknoir quickly erected himself and moved right in front of Fluttershy.

Fluttershy made a quick “eep!” as Dusknoir brought his large hands under her, gently lifting her off the ground with the care of a proud father. He held Fluttershy close to his chest, cradling her like an infant and began floating to the edge of the clearing and into the dark forest.

Fluttershy rested her head on the spirit’s chest as he silently navigated the forest. She closed her eyes and relaxed in the spirit’s embrace and when she opened them again, her cottage was in sight, just beyond the edge of the trees. As the cottage came closer, the first few rays of the sun’s light crept up from the tree tops, showering the dewy grass and leaves with a golden warmth that penetrated the cold of night wrapped around her like a blanket.

When they reached her porch at last, he placed her down and bowed honorably. Fluttershy shifted on her hooves and blushed a bright scarlet at the display of devotion. She looked up at him with teary eyes and choked, “So, I guess this is where we say goodbye?”

Fluttershy’s head sagged as tears streamed down her face, but Dusknoir lifted her head back up and wiped away her tears; a gesture that was both heartwarming and futile as more tears quickly replaced them. “Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow,” he said softly. However, that parting need not last forever.”

As the sun rose higher, Dusknoir began to melt away into the shadows, but his voice remained, “Should a parting last forever, or only a short time, that is for you to decide. If ever you wish to return, come and see me.”

Fluttershy stared on as his body faded away completely, leaving her all alone on her porch. She stood immobile for a moment until the sounds of birds chirping snapped her back to focus. As the morning radiance bestowed a tranquil glow on the small cottage, she inhaled deeply and open the door.

“Good morning everyone, Mama’s home.”