Fluttershy and the Isilithians

Chapters

The Staff of Men
The birth of a Legend
Into the West
The Bag
Mushroom picking

The Staff of Men

Flutter saw a clearing. Well that was were she was now. In a clearing in the forest but it was covered in tents. In her short time of having the bag off her head she counted almost twenty tents, all with the odd 6ft creature walking around doing their duties such as collecting wood, practicing arcery and chatting. Fluttershy continue to look around her, not daring to move when she heard three loud clicks near her ear. She turned towards the source to see one of the creatures crouching in front of her clicking with weird snake like things on the end of his flat hoof.

'Hello Elf...What brings you to our lands?'

Fluttershy was shocked, not just to see the odd creatures bearded face, his odd snake like tumors coming out of his deformed hooves and how she had been foal napped and brought here but by how sweet the creatures voice sounded, it was not harsh or disturbing like the diamond dog's voice was, nor was his face a mess of fangs and scars. His face was majestic with deep beautiful eyes and smooth features and with a voice like a sweet lullaby.

It took a few more clicks from the creature to bring Fluttershy back from her dazed stance.

'Why are you here elf?' It asked again carefully as not to scare the pegasus to much.

'.....What is an elf...Please...I just want to go home!'

The human sighed and stood up towering over the pegasus.

'Clearly it has been too long. I'll go get Isilith.'

He then walked off to one of the tents in the clearing making Fluttershy curl up in fear shaking.

What if Isilith is a torture weapon! Or a torturer...or maybe its a sword!

After about ten torturous minutes the previous creature came back with another human, this human was different.

He was not wearing a ranger's cloak like the others, nor did he had a bow strapped to his back. Instead he wore almost kingly clothes with a sword tied to his waist. As he approached Fluttershy closed her eyes tight wishing it was all a dream.

When this king finally approached he gently stroked Fluttershy mane making her raise her head in surprise.

She opened her eyes slowly and saw the king. She could not hide her surprise making the king chuckle.

He had long, brown, fair hair with majestic features, Fluttershy may of not known these creatures but she could tell that he looked very young.

The king smiled kindly and rubbed her mane carefully making Fluttershy feel much calmer.

'Awwwww...Fluttershy...The element of kindness....I knew only an elf would by an element of kindness...You remind me of the Grefin. The queen of the elves...But that was oh so long ago....'

Fluttershy frowned and her eyes started to flood with confusion.

How does he know my name and destiny? Who's Grefin? Who are elves!?

The handsome king smiled as retracted his hand.

'You are confused? I can see it in your eyes?'

He chuckled looking to his companion sighing happily.

'We have been gone far to long.....'

He then looked at his friend carefully.

'Get the staff.'

The friend looked very surprised but soon nodded walking into the distance.

The king turned back towards the pegasus who was slowly becoming more relaxed in his presence, her wings were now no longer stuck to her sides and her legs were slowly moving away from the fetal position.

'It will all become clear soon Fluttershy.....Oh by the way...My name is Isilith..I am the leader of the Isilithians...Or men for short.'

At the end of this sentence the other man came back carrying a long carved wooden staff in two hands. Isilith smiled as he took it into his hands smiling as she gestured Fluttershy to come forward. Fluttershy finally got off her back and got back unto her hooves and sheepishly put her head forward. The large staff had carved levels on it with ponies, humans and what looked like griffons on it, it also had carvings on buildings, she could only recognize one of them which was the crystal palace.

'This is the staff of man. On it is the story of the rise and fall of man. And i think it is the best way to show you why your here.'

Isilith smiled encouragingly at Fluttershy.

'Want to continue?'

Fluttershy nodded slowly.

Isilith began.

The birth of a Legend

'I was born many many years ago in what is now the crystal empire. It surprises me how little the city has changed from all those years ago. It's been almost four thousand years and yet the city has barely changed.'

Isilith stopped when he saw Fluttershy looking in awe at the mention of his age. She would of thought Isilith to be about middle-aged. Not four thousand years! Isilith chuckled as he saw the gobsmacked pegasus looking to his comrade.

'Age is almost un-noticeable for me now. Well of course it is when I look at some noticeable features of this land. Why I remember when the mountain Canterlot was built apon instead bore an ugly black tower in which changelings poured out of like ants.'

Apon seeing Fluttershy's face contort due to confusion he stopped again chuckling. He pointed to the staff carefully to the third level in which there was a carving of the crystal palace, outside it there were carefully carved humans outside, however the most striking feature were the ponies. They were not smiling, nor where they involved, in fact from the carving they were shoved in the background and one of the houses in which two ponies stood outside of looked like a slum.

'The crystal city was the first settlement in Equestria. Though ponies and humans lived there ponies were second rate citizens condemned with no education, skills or way of escaping the caste they were set in.'

To that he pointed to a house near the palace.

'Until I was born. Originally inter species marriage was banned and ponies were not allowed to take positions of power in the city. However I was born into an educated and strong family. I wanted to give the ponies and chance. So I helped them.'

He then pointed to the next level of the staff in which a carving of a fair haired man was wielding a hammer in front of a group of ponies next to an anvil. Fluttershy still looked confused as she looked back at Isilith in sheer desperation to understand what was going on. Isilith smiled at the beautiful mare and stroked her cheek.

'This is where the magic starts. Touch the level with your hoof.'

Fluttershy was unsure of whether she should listen to Isilith but his soft voice and convincing eyes persuaded her to do as she was told. She gingerly placed her hoof on the level and suddenly her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she felt her limbs turn to jelly. The world around her melted like ice cream in the sun and was soon a swirling puddle. Suddenly it began to come back together and reformed what looked like a forge and soon ponies and the fair haired man from the staff were in front of her.

******

'This is a hammer everypony. Now you can use this with the anvil to shape the metal. Now! You get the metal used for the shaping from the furnace.'

Isilith instructed as he pointed to everything in the forge to the ponies. Fluttershy raised a hoof as if to reach out to them but she saw and felt nothing.

Was she a ghost?

Isilith was in front of the scorching furnace as it drbbled liquid metal into a shaped mold making him sweat considerably. Though Fluttershy would normally find the work of a smith boring or at most scary, she could see the pure excitment of the ponies around him just from their faces. As Isilith showed the amazed ponies the filled mold some of them even burst into tears hugging each other with joy. Fluttershy as she wandered through the crowd could slowly see why. They were finally useful now. By knowing how to cast metal they could finally be respected in this town. One pony was exempt from this shared joy however

As Fluttershy wandered through the crowd she saw one pony who looked almost angry. Fluttershy examined her closely and saw a white mare, almost like Rarity with deep blue eyes, but instead of the over the top fake eyelashes that decorated Rarity's face there were small almost majestic laces without a dot of makeup. Her mane was in the fasion of almost a stallion reminding the Pegasus of Applejack;s cousin Braeburn. Her green mane harbored a tall horn, a horn that Fluttershy had only seen the like of on the princesses and Fancy pants.

While Isilith was teaching the ponies how to fuel the furnace the mare spoke directly to him loudly above the excited chatter.

'Why are you only teaching us metal work? Do you plan to use us to make weapons for our own oppressors? Do you intend to make us surrender our culture and intellectuals for steel and hammers?'

Everypony turned toward her backing away slighty, their faces displaying sheer shock, FLuttershy was shocked too. How could anypony question Isilith's generosity?

Isilith turned slowly to face her, however he did not look angry, only surprised. The surprise only grew however when he gazed apon the mare. Even Fluttershy could tell that he was slowly being lost in her gaze, was he falling for her?

'I asked a question Isilith.' She said tapping a hoof.

Isilith shook his head slowly trying to regain his bearings.

'I taught you metal working first so that you can all get easy to get jobs. I do not expect that my fellow colleagues will except pony intellectuals straight after they have learnt how to write.'

He then gazed straight into her eyes again and Fluttershy could tell the mare's stubborn stance shake.

'What is your name my lady?' He asked kindly ignoring the hushed conversations going on among the other ponies.

'Dido....Dido Heart Song.'

Isilith observed her cutie mark as he slowly approached her causing the previously aggressive mare to blush. It was a heart, one side being pure black the other a light red. When the man approached he bowed slowly to her.

'It is a pleasure to meet you Dido.'

She continued to blush and murmured.

'Indeed it is.....'

Isilith smiled as he moved back to the furnace.

'Now! On the subject of intellectuals tomorrow we will be doing reading and writing! Could all of you bring feathers to that session please? Thank you.'

All the ponies began to leave the forge, all except Dido. Isilith turned to leave but was soon licked on the hand by the mare. Fluttershy watched in awe as Isilith turned towards the mare and stroked her neck slowly, going on one knee for her.

Fluttershy couldn't understand it, how could this all be happening so quickly? Before she could think another thought Dido pushed over Isilith playfully and began giggling as she then sat on his chest.

'I thought you humans were supposed to be tough?'

She said teasingly as she poked his nose with a hoof. He chuckled lightly as he stroked her mane.

'You're just really heavy.'

She blushed and giggled again before doing the unthinkable. She closed her eyes tight as if to pretend she was in paradise and kissed Isilith. His eyes widened but he did not resist leaning into her, embracing her.

Before the embrace could continue Fluttershy's world dissolved again and before she knew it she was staring back at the staff that she held in her hoof. Isilith smiled back at her encourgignly

'How was that?'

Fluttershy reached a hoof to touch him in case he was part of the staff's magic. Obviously he was not causing him to chuckle.

'What....What was that? Why did you show me that?'

Isilith smiled back at her before stroking her cheek with his hand causing her to redden.

'I need you to understand. The history of the Isilithians. Or else you will fail in your task ahead.'

Fluttershy squeaked worried. She did not like the idea of a task.

'Task!? What task!? I don't like tasks!? Unless it's getting Angel carrots or gromming my wings or buying vegetables or getting fertilizer for Appleja-'

Before she could continue her ramble Isilith placed a finger on her lips chuckling.

'It will become clear. What you saw was the time I met my future wife Dido. It would be controversial you see. Men could not marry ponies. Yet I would carve the way for pony kind to be excepted. I had six children with Dido. Six beautiful foals.....Until that day....'

Isilith's eyes watered slightly but he soon closed them shaking his hand vigorously.

'Touch the staff again....I do not want to repeat what happened.'

Fluttershy was worried. What would worry Isilith so badly? But she did as she was told. She placed her other hoof on the staff again and her eyes rolled back, and the world melted.

Into the West

Fluttershy appeared to be in a bird's eye view of a street in the Crystal city this time. She recognised the street as the one in which she had questioned ponies during the King Sombra incident though it looked oddly nicer but Fluttershy could not tell how, as if when the city had been ponified it had lost some sort of magic that made the streets gleam a certain way. Fluttershy's gaze was focused onto the street where she saw Dido. Behind her were six foals however what was odd about them was their colours, one was orange, another purple, another red, one pink, another blue and the last one was a darker pink. Fluttershy identified with the colours, especially the soft pink but was unsure why. Suddenly her vision was focused to the two ends of the street, four men on either side were approaching the group at speed. Fluttershy could see the alarm in Dido's face but the children remained ignorant, still playing with each others manes or tails.

Suddenly out of the corner of her vision she glimpsed something glittering infront of one of the men. Soon Fluttershy realised with horror it was a knife. Soon his comrades on both sides pulled out knives and ran at her preventing all chance of escape.

Fluttershy wanted to cover her sight but she had no hooves in this view and saw it all, the blades slashed down onto the family again and again as blood sprayed. Dido tried to fight but the sheer number of men overwhelmed her and she herself was slaughtered.

The blood covered humans soon ran from the crime, the corpses soaking the street with their blood. A few moments later another human came across the grizzly site and sounded the alarm. As the town bells rang the vision ended.

Fluttershy wheezed gripping the ground tightly with her hooves, close to vomiting from the experience. She had thought animals giving birth was bad let alone the brutal murder of Isilith's family. She eventually lost her willpower, and her breakfast. Isilith and his companion watched worried.

Fluttershy breathed heavily trying to get the foul taste out of her mouth and tears flowed from her eyes as she sobbed. She soon felt Isilith's hand on her back gently stroking her and pulling her away from the pool of vomit.

Fluttershy turned to him slowly, her eyes soaking with tears before she suddnely hugged him, crying into his chest. Isilith's eyes widened in surprise before softly patting the pegasus's head.

"It's alright...I'm here...It's over now.."

Fluttershy slowly looked up at him, her face still wet with tears.

"Why...Why did you show me that?"

Isilith sighed softly before looking deeply into her eyes, Fluttershy did not know why but she began to feel a soft fluttering in her chest.

"Because you need to know why I had to leave.."

Without warning Isilith replaced Fluttershy's hoof onto the staff, she tried to pull away but before she could, she felt her hoof ignore her brains commands, and soon the world around her melted.

Her view was now onto a shining crystal throne, which she soon recognised as the one that Cadance had sat apon during the Sombra incident. Though instead of a flat piece of comfortable carpet surrounded by beautiful crystals it was instead constructed like a chair, where a now weeping Isilith sat. He held in his hands a note which trembled in his shaking hands. Suddnely he stood up and walked out of the room, the guards around looking shocked beneath their helmets as they watched their leader leave in such distress. Fluttershy 'spirit' followed him, through the palace, through the streets and out of the city. Isilith was running away.

Fluttershy did not know how long she watched him walk through changing landscapes, from woods to plains, from wilderness to small hunting camps, it could of been days, maybe months. Finally he could walk no more as he reached a beach on the far west of Equestria, he looked down at the golden beach that irritated his sore, shoe less feet, his royal clothes now ripped and torn and his skin being just as bad from his time in the open. His countenance was expressionless, he turned slowly to some trees that were scattered along the beach.

Fluttershy's vision was soon changed to him pushing out a makeshift raft, himself thigh deep in the water. Fluttershy had no idea how long it had taken him or how he had constructed it. Now Isilith had clambered onto it and lay there in the sourching sun, drifitng out to sea. Fluttershy realised now that this was his way of dealing with his grief, he would die at sea.

Fluttershy was soon brought back to the real world where she now lay in a hammock with was tied carefully between two oak trees, a knitted, wool blanket lay across her as well as a mug of soft cider below her. Gingerly she grasped it with her hoof and took a drink, watching the Isilithians around their fire, it was now quite late and the sky had grown dark.

Isilith was talking to a what appeared to be a ranger, it was a man draped in a dark green hood with a bow in his hand, with of course a fine leather quiver on his back, what he was saying was clearly distressing Isilith, his limbs back agitated and his face, though far away was noticeable annoyed. During his annoyed movements he spotted the now awake Fluttershy sipping her mug of cider, he put on his best fake smile and walked over to her, not wanting to look rude she put down the mug slowly.

Though Isilith did look like he had wanted to speak first Fluttershy looked at him almost sternly.

"What was going on over there?"

She raised her eyebrows slowly causing the male to roll his eyes.

"It's about...Well you actually..>The search parties are out earlier than expected..Our agent Lyra was unable to delay them-"

"Woah woah Lyra!"

Fluttershy squeaked quite out of character. Isilith blinked causing Fluttershy to blush. Isilith finally smiled before letting off a chuckle, only he seemed to make her feel at ease that quickly.

"It's nothing......Do you want to know what happened next?"

Fluttershy nodded, taking back her mug of cider whilst sipping quietly. Isilith leant over to tuck her in, letting off a giggle from her before sitting down next to her.

"I eventually had fallen asleep on that raft. When I awoke....I was washed ashore. Not on any land Equestria knows of. It was blinding, bright light alluminating of white shores. I remember the sand felt like silk. As I stood up I remember someone watching me. I had turned to face it, only to see not a man...But a equine....An alicorn....3 infact...Two of them you know rather well."

With that Fluttershy let off a gasp of surprise.

"Celestia? Luna?"

The Bag

Fluttershy had been taught a technique to teach her how to deal with panic by Zecora when she almost had a heart attack from seeing Zecora singing to a skull. Zecora claimed that by thinking on your situation you can deduce either what to do, or how silly it is to panic over.

Being carried away by a creature who is 6ft is very scary and quite hard to see as ridiculous to be scared of. So she thought of what to do.

Maybe I can talk to them....I am sure there just like a bear...Big and scary but with a heart of gold.

Then again a bear had never kidnapped her.

Maybe I can give them my mushrooms

They could just steal them.

I could say I taste bad

They probably don't care.

She whimpered in the bag and said aloud.

'Please don't kill me.'

She was expecting to be hit for such 'rudeness' but instead she heard a weird sound like gentle cooing and felt herself being...petted.

After about what felt like hours of carrying she is suddenly but gentle dropped. She feels the bad being loosened and soon her eyes are blinded with light. She closes them tightly scared and then slowly opens them.

She could not believe what was infront of her eyes.

Mushroom picking

'I will be back soon Angel. I'm just going to get some food for you and all the other critters.'

Fluttershy said softly to the outraged rabbit standing in front of the door, angrily blocking her path. The rabbit refused to move and shook its head vigorously.

'Oh come on Angel. Unless you want to starve you've got to let me out.'

The Bunny continued to shake its head and refused to budge even through Fluttershy's begging. Fluttershy used a trick that was the next best thing before the stare. The So cute you think your head is going to explode look. Angel started to break.

'Come on Angel.' She said in an emphasized kind and motherly voice. Angel stood his ground.

'I'll get you some of those organic carrots!' She said in a sing song voice. Angel finally moved out of the way with a start and Fluttershy nuzzled him lovingly.

'Thank you Angel.'

She said cheerfully as she trotted out of the house to go do her groceries.

'What do you mean you're out of mushrooms....' Fluttershy muttered sadly.

'I'm sorry.' The grey earth pony behind the marketplace remarked matter of factly. 'I ran out about two minutes ago.'

Fluttershy started to whimper, her lip shaking vigorously. The grey pony winced and changed his tone.

'I am really sorry....Next time I will bring more to sell.'

Fluttershy could not stop her lip wobbling as she stuttered.

'You don't understand.....I...I...I..I! I will have to go to Everfree now! Do you know how scary it is!'

The Grey pony would of laughed had it not been for the heartbreaking look branded on Fluttershy's face.

'It's not that bad.'

Fluttershy closed her eyes tightly as she trotted away.

The grey pony sighed as he put two mushrooms in his mouth.

'Like heck I was going to sell them to her!'

Fluttershy was already deep in the forest by the time she wanted to turn back.

'Oh why did all my friends have to be busy.' She whimpered as she trotted further into the forest and soon she wanted to turn back. Just as she wanted to turn back she saw the goal. The mushrooms.

She praised Celestia as she trotted over and picked the mushrooms carefully while placing them in a basket. However she grew scared, she heard rustling and felt that she was being watched as she felt a weird tingling on her back. When she finally finished her picking she felt a tap on her shoulder making her blood run cold.

She turned slowly closing her eyes tight. When she opened them again she gasped as she saw the dog brandishing the knife.

'Why hello little pony?' It growled creepily. 'What are you doing in our woods?'

Fluttershy could not believe it, what was a diamond dog doing in the woods?

The dog refuses to leave and grins at her, tilting his head menacingly making Fluttershy almost burst into tears. The Diamond Dog raised the knife a little higher getting closer. Fluttershy's heart threatened to come out of her chest as fear was replaced with panic, she was going to die.

She tried to move her wings but as usual they were locked to her body from fear.

'Please....Don't hurt me.' She croaked as tears rained down her cheeks.

The dog cackled evilly as it got closer to its prize.

'Oh don't worry pony..we're going to have some fun with you.'

But just as the dog was about to seize the pegasus an arrow flew into it's paw. it howled in pain as it dropped the knife. It was about to strike Fluttershy with it's unmaimed paw but another arrow sent it running further into the forest.

Fluttershy fell back, barely believing she was still alive. Her green eyes looked back and forth: wanting to see her savior but no one came. She closed her eyes tight to try and recollect what had happened. It had only been for a few moments but when she opened them again, the sight she saw was unreal.

She saw a......creature, standing about 6ft... Standing upright. It wore a hooded cloak and was walking over to a tree where the second arrow was now embedded. Fluttershy could not bear the sight of the monster and gasped. It turned to her and she whimpered, its face unrecognizable due to the darkness of the hood. It approached her, getting closer. Fluttershy backed away with her bottom hooves but she was too slow for the being that strode towards her. It took a bag from under its cloak and in an instant had it placed on Fluttershy's head. Her vision went black and before long she felt herself being carried.

This beast was taking her with it.