Author's Notes:

I'm glad that people like this story. It was a random idea I had, but it seems to be responding pretty well.

If you like my work, and want me to be able to keep being able to keep writing this sort of content, become a supporter of my Patreon, please. Just a dollar will help me support myself.

Kindred Spirits

Applejack took Twilight and Rainbow Dash to the outskirts of Ponyville, near the White Tail Woods. At first Twilight was nervous coming out here, but Rainbow Dash assured her that Ponyville was usually the safest place in the world. There was nothing in the White Tail Forest that would harm her.

“Right here is good,” Applejack said stopping. She turned to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, Twilight looking down while Dash looked at Applejack seriously.

“What's this about, AJ?” Dash asked.

“Ah'm sure Twilight knows why Ah'm here, right?” Applejack asked Twilight, who nodded slowly.

“You want me to be your strategist, right?” Twilight asked softly.

“Wait, you were serious about that?” Dash asked.

“She was a big help ta us,” Applejack stated.

“Yeah, her talents saved our flanks last night, but she's not one of us,” Dash said. Twilight wasn't sure how she felt hearing Dash defend her like this. The only other person to ever defend her on this level was Spike.

“Dash, she's the chosen pony,” Applejack said.

“All the more reason why she needs to stay as far away from the labyrinths as possible!” Dash retaliated.

“Look, Ah know this is strange, but Ah have this feelin that we need her. 'Sides, one of the things me, Rarity, an' Fluttershy have trouble with is teamwork. We're jus' so different, in both personality an' power,” Applejack walked over to Twilight, placing a hoof on her shoulder, “But you were able ta make the most of our powers. We wouldn't have won that fight without ya, even with Dash awakenin ta the magic of harmony. The nightmares are getting stronger, an' soon we'll need ta find the last Element, but Ah think if we had a brilliant strategist like you on our team we'd be good fer at least a while.”

“Applejack... I...” Twilight started, “I didn't come here to help anypony... I'm here to protect Spike...”

“Ain't that reason enough ta help us?” Applejack asked, “Like Ah said, we want the same thing as Spike, an' Ah wouldn't be urgin ya ta do this so much if Ah didn't think this was a good idea.”

Dash looked at both Applejack and Twilight before putting a hoof on Applejack's shoulder, “AJ, we gotta give her some time.”

Applejack sighed, “We don't know when the next one's gonna appear.”

“I know that, but I also know that we're asking a lot from her. Yeah, she's the chosen pony or whatever, but she's also a regular unicorn who's life has been turned upside down.”

“It's not that I don't want to help,” Twilight said suddenly, “It's just.... I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you.”

With that she turned and left, going back to Ponyville. Maybe she was being a coward, and maybe Princess Celestia would be disappointed in her, but she wouldn't have wanted Twilight to put herself in harms way, would she?

But what if Spike went back there? He'd disappear. Could she prevent that by helping Applejack?

“Tact, AJ,” Dash scolded, “Something that you really need to learn, especially when dealing with a pony like her.”

“Ah guess Ah screwed that one up, huh?” Applejack asked disappointed. Rainbow Dash sighed.

“Just give her some time and space,” Dash said, “Whether or not she is the chosen pony, we can't force her to do anything.”

“Yer awfully protective of her,” Applejack said, “Not that it's a bad thing, Ah'm jus' not used ta it.”

“I promised someone I'd keep her safe,” Dash said, her gaze going back to Twilight as she walked back to town, “She does have an intense fire within her, but she's so fragile it's hard to ignite it.”

“We do need her, Dash,” Applejack said, “Ah here what yer sayin, but-”

“I know, and ultimately she may have to step up, but not right away. Let's just give her time to process things, okay?”

Applejack hated it, but she knew Dash was right. She also knew that she probably wasn't being fair to Twilight, and that it seemed weird, but she had her reasons. Reasons that were all to personal.

Reasons that would ruin everyone's image of her if she told them the truth.

Fluttershy was a private pony. Many ponies thought she was just shy, and that may have been true to a degree, but she had her own reasons for keeping out of everyone's way. Besides, she felt better being around the animals of the Everfree Forest. She was a wild beast herself, after all.

However, she felt an odd pull toward Twilight. She felt it ever since she laid eyes on her the first time. There was something about her that felt familiar, like they had something in common. Fluttershy never reached out to ponies on her own; the whole reason Rarity was her friend was because she made the first move. That was about to change though.

She needed to know Twilight.

She exited her cabin far out of town and flew into Ponyville. It was night, so she figured Twilight would be inside at the moment. As she flew, thoughts of the lavender unicorn invaded Fluttershy's mind.

No one really payed much attention, but she had spoken to Twilight briefly after the last fight. Applejack didn't pay it much mind, nor did Rainbow Dash, and Twilight didn't know Fluttershy well enough to know why that was significant, but Rarity did ask her about it. At the time, Fluttershy didn't have an answer for her friend, nor did she have an answer now.

Maybe if she spoke to Twilight, she'd have an answer.

“What are you doing to me?” Fluttershy asked, an odd feeling in her chest as she thought about Twilight, who apparently was her new charge. She always thought it was odd how someone like her became an Element of Harmony, and of all the elements, Kindness.

She wasn't kind. She was terrifying, horrible, a monster. No one knew what went on inside of her head, but if they did they'd want to run away, far away. She was pretty on the outside, but inside she was hideous.

Yet she was chosen to represent the Element of Kindness. Why? Did the Elements of Harmony see something within her she didn't? Did God still have a plan for her? Or was this all some sick joke?

She landed near the fountain. Before going to search for Twilight she decided to go there to clear her head. It was her favorite spot, as not a lot of ponies gathered there at night. However, when she arrived there, she saw that someone was already there, and she was torn with wanting to praise God or curse God and her luck for who it was.

Twilight...

“You really do enjoy torturing me, don't you?” Fluttershy asked God. As devout as she was to God, she'd describe her relationship with God as a long marriage. They loved each other, but they fought a lot.

He kept her safe in her darkest times, but she felt that he also put a lot of crap her way, like making her an Element of Harmony.

For a while she just stayed at a distance, staring at Twilight. She seemed so sensitive and lost. It was like how children were when they wandered into her forest. She was a lost child. Funny, because she could tell that Twilight was a little younger than her.

You need someone to guide you out of the darkness.

So this was what God wanted her to do. Well, now that she knew her mission, she stepped out of her hiding spot and walked over to Twilight. She didn't say anything to her, so when Twilight noticed her she jumped.

“Oh, you're... Fluttershy.” Twilight said. Fluttershy smiled warmly.

“I'm happy you remembered,” Fluttershy said, “We haven't had much contact with each other, so I'm surprised.”

“I remember names easily,” Twilight said, “And you sort of stood out to me, so I remembered you.”

“I stand out?” Fluttershy asked, “How so?”

“I don't know, but there's something about how quiet you are. I'm sorry if that offends you Miss-”

“Not at all,” Fluttershy said shaking her head, “And please, just call me Fluttershy. I get the feeling we're not that far from each other in terms of age.”

“Sorry, you just seem so mature, I thought,” Twilight sighed and shook her head, “I'm just going to stop talking now before I say something that makes you hate me.”

She was somewhat awkward, but sweet in her own way. Fluttershy could tell that she really wanted to open up to others. She just didn't know how. They were just alike.

“May I sit with you?” Fluttershy asked, “If you wish to be alone, then I can leave, but I-”

“No!” Twilight said suddenly, catching herself immediately after, “I mean, please stay with me for a bit.”

Fluttershy bowed to Twilight and walked over to the fountain, elegantly sitting next to Twilight, who breathed in and then smiled.

“Wow, that's really pleasant,” she said softly, “You must live in the spa.”

“Oh no, you have me confused for Rarity,” Fluttershy said with a laugh, “I use a lot of natural fragrances when I'm in the shower, and I burn a lot of incenses when at home. They help calm the animals.”

“You work with animals?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy nodded.

“They're more pleasant to be around than other ponies,” Fluttershy admitted, “They're quieter, they don't judge, and they won't ever hurt or betray you.”

Twilight sighed looking down, “Yeah, that's the reason I don't have any friends other than Spike and the Princess. I think Rainbow Dash is my friend but-”

“What does she know about your problems?” Fluttershy added, “I feel the same way about Rarity actually. She's nice to me, and I appreciate that...”

“But you're not used to anyone being that nice to you for no reason,” Twilight continued, “Everyone has a reason.”

“Everyone wants something from you,” Fluttershy said, “and they're only going to be nice to you for as long as it takes to get it.”

“And when they do get it they'll kick you to the curb,” Twilight said, “So you're just waiting for that day when she finally shows her true colors.”

“And abandons you like all the rest,” Fluttershy said darkly.

They were silent for a while, just taking in each others presence. Fluttershy could feel it, even if the circumstances and the way they handled things were different, this unicorn was had gone through the exact same pain as her.

“So, who hurt you?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy had debated on whether or not to tell anypony about her past, but she felt that she could trust Twilight with a bit of it.

“My father,” Fluttershy said, pulling her long mane back a bit revealing the red scar at the side of her face to emphasize what he did.

“My God...” Twilight said, putting her hoof over her mouth, “Did anyone try to stop him?”

“My mother was afraid of him too, and I didn't have any siblings so...”

“That's way worse than me...” Twilight said looking down again, this time in shame.

“Don't say that,” Fluttershy said, “Pain is relative to the pony who feels it. What one may brush off as a minor issue can crush someone else. Tell me, who hurt you?”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy for the longest time, and then closed her eyes, “Her name was Trixie. She and I were best friends when we were younger. She was the one friend I had that I reached out to, but when we hit our teens, she...”

“She betrayed you,” Fluttershy said for Twilight, who was clearly having a hard time with this memory.

“It doesn't matter. She showed me something about the world,” Twilight said, turning to look in her reflection in the water, “The only ones I can truly trust are Spike and the Princess. Even Applejack wants something from me.”

“Applejack? What does she want?” Fluttershy asked.

“She wants me to help you guys fight the nightmares,” Twilight said, “Like how I did the last one.”

“I see. But you don't want to?”

“I do... but at the same time I...” Twilight turned to Fluttershy earnestly, “Why should I fight for the world when the world hasn't fought for me?”

Fluttershy was wide eyed for a second, but then regarded Twilight with a warm expression, “So that's what it is. You need a reason to fight, don't you?”

“I have a reason, but I don't know if it's enough,” Twilight said, “He doesn't feel the same way I do, so...”

“But he's precious to you, isn't he?” Fluttershy asked, knowing who she was talking about, “ You know, I don't fight for the world.”

“You don't?” Twilight asked, a little taken aback when Fluttershy shook her head.

“Truth is, I hate ponies,” Fluttershy said simply. Twilight gasped in shock.

“But... aren't you the Element of Kindness?”

“Yes, I am. But nowhere does it say that I have to love everything around me,” Fluttershy explained, looking down with a serious expression, “Ponies are flawed creatures. They're selfish, manipulative, they have to use magic to control everything in nature from how the grass grows to the weather, and anything they touch gets destroyed. In my opinion, ponies are the worst thing that could have come to this planet.”

They were silent for a few seconds, and Twilight couldn't take her eyes off the pegasus sitting next to her.

“The reason I fight,” Fluttershy continued, “is for the Everfree Forest, and the life that lives there. They haven't hurt anyone, and they can't defend themselves from the nightmares. I also have a fondness for children, as they're untainted by the darkness of this world, so I guide them out of the forest when they get lost, and I act as a guardian for the animals.”

“So, it's okay if your reason to fight is selfish?” Twilight asked.

“That's the best reason to fight,” Fluttershy stated, “If your reason is selfish, then you'll fight at your hardest for it. No one can tell you anything as long as you're still fighting,” Fluttershy turned to Twilight and smiled, “I like you a lot, Twilight. I'd love it if we could become friends too.”

“I'd... like that too actually,” Twilight said smiling, “You're really cool, Fluttershy.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, bowing to her rather than hugging her. She had heard off hoof that Twilight had a fear of being touched, and she could tell she was trying to keep a few inches between them. She wasn't going to force contact on her.

“My house is right next to the Everfree Forest,” Fluttershy continued getting up, “Follow the road south of here and you'll see it. I'd love to have you over sometime.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said, “I'd love it if you came to the library to visit me sometime too.”

“It's a date then,” Fluttershy said, giggling when she saw how red Twilight's face got, “Salute', Twilight.”

With that, Fluttershy flew off back to her cottage. That went better than she thought it would. For a second, she thought she might have scared Twilight off, but it looked like Twilight actually warmed up to her.

“I'll protect you Twilight,” Fluttershy said to herself, “There's no reason for you to end up like me.”

As Twilight made her way back to her library, she found herself smiling thinking about the moment she had with Fluttershy. She was a little scary, but Twilight could tell that she was actually a really nice pony.

Though Twilight had to admit that there was something oddly dark about that pegasus. She wanted to elaborate more on what happened to her, but she was sort of afraid to ask her. Not for what it would do to Fluttershy reliving it. Oddly, she was more afraid for herself. Was it common to really like someone, and be absolutely terrified of them at the same time?

Looking into Fluttershy's eyes, Twilight could tell that something was missing. She felt... like an animal herself almost.

She was sort of lost in her own world, so she didn't realize until it was almost too late who turned the corner coming from the library.

Twilight was face to face with Rarity.