The story ended. Fluttershy sat back as memories overwhelmed her thoughts. Pain. Violence. Secrets.

She hadn’t told them the truth. Not nearly close to it. Only the exciting parts, only the triumphs.

The room was silent as every animal absorbed the tale Fluttershy had told them. She had ended with Sombra’s defeat after the climactic battle with Discord and the fireworks. She had left out his words to her, skipped the moment in the cottage. Just as she had skipped over many other parts in the story.

The other animals in the room, the ones not spellbound by Fluttershy’s story were silent. They knew the unspoken moments she hadn’t told her resurrected friends. The carnage of the Pinkies, the failed assassination attempt on Discord the near-complete annihilation of the animals that had died fighting Sombra; these truths were too heavy to tell the others. Perhaps Fluttershy would tell them. Someday. Or maybe just Angel.

The rabbit was very still and quiet in Fluttershy’s lap. Uncharacteristically so; he had listened to her entire story without doing much more than shift in her lap or look around the room. Now he looked up at her.

Expectantly.

The story wasn’t completely over. Fluttershy sought for more words as her friends waited for more tales, or at least an ending. There was more to tell of course; almost a…season’s worth in truth. But Fluttershy was growing tired. The pain of memory was just too much. So she summarized and lied.

“Sombra couldn’t stand up to the power of the Crystal Heart. I watched his horn break apart and vanish before my eyes. That was the day Twilight became an alicorn and the Princess of Friendship; the day after I returned to Ponyville she was coronated in Canterlot.”

Fluttershy glanced up at Fake Fluttershy, still sitting at the very furthest corner in the room. She had been there. Fluttershy had not. Or at least, she hadn’t been on that balcony.

----

Fluttershy listened to Twilight speak from the back of the crowd. A heavy woolen cloak hid her face from the crowd. Not that anyone had eyes for a nondescript pony in the shadows anyways. Every eye was on the new Princess of Friendship.

“I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with all of you.”

Twilight turned and beckoned, and five ponies came to stand next to her. Four ponies, rather. One imposter.

“Each one of you taught me something about friendship, and for that, I will always be grateful.” Twilight bowed to the other Elements of Harmony.

Fluttershy’s heart hurt. She should be up there. She should be. But. She couldn’t smile.

Twilight continued, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria. Thank you, friends. Thank you, everypony!”

At her words every pony in the crowd burst into wild cheering and applause. Fluttershy watched Twilight walk back into the castle. The ponies around her kept cheering, and a certain feeling stole into the air.

Twilight exited the castle, riding in a couch pulled by two guardsponies and followed by the other Elements of Harmony.

Life in Equestria shimmers

Life in Equestria shines

And I know for absolute certain

Twilight hopped off the couch and walked along the road her friends as every pony burst into song.

That everything

Yes, everything

Yes, everything is certainly fine

It’s fine!

Fluttershy listened to the music and watched as Twilight soared into the sky on her newfound wings. The song should have touched her. She should have sung along. But.

“Yes! Everything’s going to be just fine!” Twilight’s voice echoed down from above.

“Not always,” Fluttershy said quietly.

----

Fluttershy closed her eyes for a single second.

“It was a lovely ceremony,” she said instead with a smile. “And it certainly kept us busy for a while, dealing with Twilight’s new position.”

The animals chattered excitedly. They had been just as happy to hear of Twilight’s new position as every pony. The old animals might not have known Twilight as they knew Fluttershy, but they understood friendship.

There was something simple and good about their happiness. Fluttershy let them chatter excitedly to each other for a few minutes and then cleared her throat. Silence fell almost at once.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to arrange a chance for you all to see Twilight soon enough. But continuing on with the story: not much happened for a few days. There was an incident with a magical mirror – a pony called Sunset Shimmer – I’m not sure how relevant that is to the main story. Regardless, it wasn’t anything that I could deal with. The next and only real crisis we had that threatened all of Equestria occurred a week or so later when the Everfree came alive.”

Fake Fluttershy cringed backwards even more into her corner. The newly resurrected animals – Fluttershy thought of them as the old animals – didn’t notice. But Longfoot’s cheerful expression froze a bit and her animals looked away or at the floor. They remembered.

----

“The Summer Sun Celebration is over. The Everfree Forest is at rest. And the Elements of Harmony have been returned to the Tree of Harmony.”

Fluttershy sat at her table, pressing a bag of ice to the side of her face. Around her animals sat stitching wounds closed or applying bandages. The cottage was a chaos of quiet movement around her. Her animals said little; they were too disciplined to make noise. They were soldiers and relaxed in the aftermath of battle.

Only one creature in that cottage wasn’t a soldier, and she stood in front of Fluttershy. Fake Fluttershy faced Fluttershy as the latter readjusted the ice pack on her face and looked at her imposter.

“Vines tougher than iron, and brambles sharper than swords. Clouds that can’t be broken. Poisonous plants capable of knocking out an alicorn. And you want me to believe this was just one of Discords’…pranks?”

“It was an old trap he set long ago.” Fake Fluttershy shifted uneasily from one foot to another. Fluttershy’s piecing gaze never left her face. “I believe he would have canceled the magic if any pony was in true danger. B-besides which, the vines didn’t do that much damage—”

“They nearly consumed all of Ponyville!” Fake Fluttershy ducked as the ice pack smashed against the cottage wall and exploded into shards of ice. “My army fought for four hours and barely managed to slow their advance! Discord could have destroyed all of Equestria if it hadn’t been for the Elements – which you gave away!”

“It-it was necessary!” Fake Fluttershy backed up a step but still kept talking. She answered back too frequently these days. She was becoming more assertive more…like Fluttershy. “Besides which, Discord is still m-our friend! He won’t cause trouble!”

“It’s not Discord I’m worried about. The Elements are the only line of defense Equestria has against enemies, and now it’s gone.” Fluttershy’s hoof smashed into the table, cracking the wood slightly. “Our most valuable war asset! How could you let that happen!?”

“The Tree of Harmony needed the magical power back! Without it we wouldn’t have gotten rid of the vines. The Elements were a necessary sacrifice. They’re only—”

“They’re a sign of friendship!” Fluttershy shouted. She stood up and advanced on Fake Fluttershy. “Without them our bond as the Elements of Harmony is worthless! And they were not yours to give away!”

“The Elements aren’t what make us friends!” Fake Fluttershy stood up to Fluttershy, legs trembling slightly. “They may have given us the power to defeat Nightmare Moon and Discord, but they’re symbols, nothing more. When we’re together we—”

Fluttershy’s hit Fake Fluttershy hard enough to send the other pony flying across the room. Fake Fluttershy made an incoherent shriek of sound but it was cut off as Fluttershy landed on her.

“‘We?’” Fluttershy’s voice was a hiss of rage. “‘Us’? You are not a pony. You are not Fluttershy. You do not make the decisions here. I do.”

“But you weren’t there! You don’t understand!”

“Shut up!” Fluttershy was inches away from Fake Fluttershy’s face. “Hold your tongue!”

“I won’t! You’ve forgotten what it means to be the Element of Kindness! If you don’t remember—”

Fluttershy struck Fake Fluttershy across the face with one hoof. The pegasus’s head cracked against the floorboards. But still she kept speaking.

“Kindness is—”

“Silence!” Fluttershy hit Fake Fluttershy again. The other pegasus’s face smacked against the ground and she was still for a second. But then she twitched and moved. And the instant she had recovered enough of her to speak, Fake Fluttershy looked at Fluttershy with those same eyes.

Eyes full of defiance. Rebellion. Opposition. Disloyalty.

Kindness.

“If you—”

“Shut up!” Fluttershy hammered Fake Fluttershy’s face into the floor. “Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up—”

Longfoot and a squad of beavers tackled Fluttershy from one side. She roared and tried to throw them off her, but the animals pinned her desperately to the ground.

Fluttershy struggled and snapped at the animals but couldn’t break free. Eventually the blood rage left her and she stopped madly thrashing. Even so, it was several more minutes before Longfoot signaled the others to let her go.

Slowly, carefully, the animals let Fluttershy go. Longfoot and the beavers stood to attention. They were clearly ready to jump at Fluttershy if she made a sudden move. Fluttershy got to her feet and looked around.

Fake Fluttershy was huddled on the ground, head beneath her hooves, trembling uncontrollably. Her look of defiance – kindness – the look in her eyes was gone. Fake Fluttershy looked up at Fluttershy once with eyes that couldn’t focus correctly on her face and then flinched away. Her head was bleeding and Fluttershy was sure she had a concussion or even fractured skull.

Fluttershy took one step towards the shivering pegasus and the animals tensed. She stopped and looked at Longfoot. The rabbit was watching her. Not as a leader, not as a friend. But as one watches a wild animal, with wariness in his eyes.

Fake Fluttershy flinched as Fluttershy’s hoof came down hard on the floorboards. She looked up and began shaking as she saw Fluttershy’s eyes on her.

“Get out.” Fluttershy had never heard her own voice so cold.

Fake Fluttershy bolted for the door. She slammed into the wooden barrier, scrabbled for the handle and threw herself out of the cottage. Fluttershy could hear her crying even as her hoofsteps rapidly disappeared from hearing; a choking, muffled whimper that faded into nothingness.

Silence reigned in her absence. Slowly and without a sound the beavers edged towards the door as well. Only Longfoot remained as the beavers filed out, still watching Fluttershy.

Silence. Fluttershy couldn’t meet Longfoot’s gaze. But the rabbit’s eyes demanded something.

“I—” Fluttershy broke off. Was she ashamed of her actions? Longfoot’s gaze pierced her soul.

“It was—an error in judgement.” Fluttershy spoke into the silence. “It will not happen again. But she was wrong. This is the only way. Kindness cannot stop evil alone.”

She couldn’t meet his gaze. Spots of blood lay wet on the floor boards. Blood in her cottage. War in her home. But the words came out again, a chant that had to be said.

“She was wrong.”

----

The same gaze.

Fluttershy looked up and saw Longfoot staring at her. The same look. But more had happened since then. His shoulders and Fluttershy’s had carried far heavier sins since then. But the memory remained.

Fake Fluttershy shivered in the silence. Only Fluttershy had eyes for her, ignored behind the animals. She had changed since that day. Become quieter, far more timid. Just as she had been at the start.

It was for the best. That was what Fluttershy told herself. Her decisions were hard enough without the changeling’s input, without that nagging voice. Besides, Zecora’s magic had fixed Fake Fluttershy’s injuries more or less. It was in the past.

But the past haunted the present. And the words left unspoken filled the room.

She had to continue. Fluttershy cleared her throat.

“Discord had laid a magical trap attacking the Tree of Harmony, from which the Elements of Harmony come. We fought back the Everfree Forest and the Elements were given back to the Tree of Harmony, restoring the balance of magic in the forest and creating a strange box with six keyholes. We had no idea what it was of course and it resisted all attempts to be opened, so we left it alone. There were more important things to do.”

Fluttershy paused for a moment and the animals sat forwards. In her lap Angel looked up in curiosity.

“Peacekeeping in Ponyville and Equestria – no, it’s more like firefighting. I don’t know how to explain it fully, but our role was to deal with incidents as they occurred. We couldn’t anticipate the first incidents like when we found out Daring Doo was real, but we could make sure they didn’t happen again.”

----

Fluttershy landed in front of her cottage and opened the door. The lights were still on, and she saw Fake Fluttershy sitting at the dining table, chatting with Longfoot. Then the pegasus looked up and sprang to her feet. She backed away from Fluttershy and trembled violently.

Fluttershy ignored her. Stepping over to the kitchen table she addressed Longfoot.

“All quiet?”

Longfoot nodded his head once. His eyes flicked from Fluttershy to Fake Fluttershy but he made no comment.

“There’s no sign of Ahuizotl or his minions.” Fluttershy sat in her customary chair and put her hooves together as she talked. “Daring Doo’s house will be monitored but her conflicts with him seem to take place outside of Equestria. As such, I have no interest in her. Besides which, she’s too observant. Even my bird scouts attract her attention and she never drops her cover.”

Longfoot nodded again.

“That just leaves the issue of how the Elements of Harmony were allowed to engage him in the first place.” Fluttershy looked up and glared at Fake Fluttershy. “Explain.”

Fake Fluttershy shook so hard Fluttershy thought she would fall over. “U-um. I-it it was an accident.”

“An accident?”

“A m-mistake. Rainbow Dash wanted to read more Daring Doo and I thought it wouldn’t be that d-dangerous so I didn’t tell anyone and, and—”

“The next time there is even the slightest chance of danger, you will inform Longfoot or myself and bring a squad with you.” Fluttershy cut Fake Fluttershy off brusquely. “The next time you fail, you will suffer. Is that clear?”

Fake Fluttershy shook like a leaf and refused to meet Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Clear,” she whispered.

“Then get out.”

Fake Fluttershy ran for the door. Fluttershy waited for it to slam shut behind her before she looked at Longfoot.

“One chance. That’s all I’ll give her. Even if she’s not a soldier, she will still do her duty.”

He met her eyes squarely and nodded.

Negotiations completed, Fluttershy sat back in her chair. Longfoot hopped onto the table.

“Very well. I want more bird squads sent out in the area around Daring Doo’s house. It’s a long shot, but we might find Ahuizotl in the area. In that case inform me immediately and…”

----

“Really, the biggest problem was finding the numbers to deal constantly protect the other Elements of Harmony and monitor potential threats. Despite our best efforts, sometimes they had to fight for themselves.”

Fake Fluttershy flinched again. Fluttershy saw Angel’s head turn as the rabbit looked at the shivering pegas—changeling. She kept on talking, though she saw Longfoot’s expression change as well.

“Oh, after that, there was trouble with an enchanted comic book Spike bought. No pony was hurt, but it was a mistake.”

----

“You failed.” Fluttershy advanced on Fake Fluttershy as the pegasus tried to press herself into the wall. “I told you to warn me if anything dangerous happened.”

Fake Fluttershy was hyperventilating. She tried to say something, gulped more air desperately, and swayed on her hooves. Her pupils were dilated to an extreme, and sweat rolled down her face as she met Fluttershy’s eyes.

Fluttershy reached out with one hoof and Fake Fluttershy suppressed a scream. What she would have done if they were alone—but Longfoot was there. The rabbit was always in the cottage when Fake Fluttershy was there these days.

Longfoot nudged Fluttershy and made a face when she looked at him. She scowled at him, but he tapped his foot and spread his paws. Fluttershy ground her teeth but relented.

“Very well. The star spiders tell me you arrived on the scene just as Spike opened the enchanted book and was dragged in. Since it was an unexpected event, I’ll overlook this. Once.”

Fake Fluttershy collapsed in relief at Fluttershy’s hooves. “Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou—”

“Shut—” Fluttershy raised one hoof and Fake Fluttershy leapt away. “Just get out. Do you job and stop interfering in mine.”

----

“…But I believe the only real disaster we suffered was the fruit bat incident at Sweet Apple Orchards.”

This time her animals looked directly at Fake Fluttershy. The pegasus cringed to the floor. Angel blinked up at Fluttershy in confusion.

“To cut a long story short, fruit bats invaded Sweet Apple Acres and began destroying Applejack’s apple crop. Twilight tried to make them stop eating apples with a spell, but it backfired and instead made Fake Fluttershy into…Flutterbat.”

Angel blinked at Fluttershy. She shrugged helplessly.

“I didn’t make up the name. It wasn’t that big a deal; all she did was act like a fruit bat and fly around the orchard. The other Elements of Harmony took care of it. But, ah, our job came afterwards. Twilight’s spell wore off in a few days, so we had to negotiate with the fruit bats first.”

Negotiate. The word burned on Fluttershy’s tongue, a dirty lie made out of fire. Angel must have sensed it, because he glanced at Longfoot suspiciously. The other rabbit tried to look innocuous, but his ears twitched. He was a good at deceiving ponies when he had to act like Angel, but not other animals.

“After the Flutterbat incident was dealt with, I went to the orchard with a welcoming committee for the fruit bats. And we—” Fluttershy stopped and chose her words carefully. Angel was looking at Longfoot’s face, and Fluttershy feared what he read there.

“—Made sure that they didn’t cause any more trouble.”

----

Night was the best time to act. Fluttershy knew that in her bones. The light of the day had shadows to hide in but nothing could match the covering darkness of the night.

Particularly on nights such as these. Overhead the clouds obscured the moon, making the darkness almost complete. It was perfect time for ambushes, night raids, assassinations. Covert activity could be taken with impunity if the individuals were trained well enough in stealth.

Wind rustled through the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres. This too was ideal. In the heart of the orchard where Fluttershy stood, the rustling of the branches would mask any sounds she and the animals with her made. Applejack and her family would sleep soundly without waking. Yes, wind was useful as night.

It masked the screams.

Fluttershy pressed her hoof down harder. The fruit bat let out another high-pitched shriek, so shrill that it was nearly inaudible.

Fruit bats. Fluttershy lifted her foot a fraction and the bat beneath her flapped desperately to get free. But it was pinned and far too weak. Fruit bats had soft hollow bones and not much muscle. Like birds, their beaks, or in this case, teeth and claws were their only weapons.

Weak. Fluttershy’s hoof came down and the fruit bat screamed hoarsely. Behind him and in the apple tree the other fruit bats wavered, too afraid to attack the pegasus that had seized one of their kin, yet unable to simply abandon their own.

The fruit bat’s shrill screaming trailed off at last, and the creature panted desperately in agony.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I’m doing this.” Fluttershy addressed the watching fruit bats calmly. “It must seem strange to you – I suppose that’s because you met my imposter first and not me.”

The fruit bats shifted in confusion. Fluttershy nodded and lifted her foot again, enough so the fruit bat could breathe. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Fluttershy, and I protect Ponyville and the Everfree. Every animal in the area reports to me and follows my instructions. In return I train them, protect their families, and make sure nothing threatens Ponyville. It’s a good system, but sometimes interlopers like you come along.”

Fluttershy waited for the bats to digest this information. They exchanged glances, stared at Fluttershy, but made no move to attack. Good. Confusion was an exploitable trait.

“Let me lay it out for you very simply.” Fluttershy’s voice was friendly now, and she eased up on her hoof. The fruit bat under her hoof could breathe fully now and even move a bit. It did so now, wriggling very slowly and cautiously, trying not to attract Fluttershy’s attention as she spoke.

“I know you had trouble with Applejack, and I know you were only hungry when you ate those apples.” Fluttershy’s voice was soothing, especially to animals. Against their will the fruit bats began to settle down, relax as she went on, “but I can’t have you eat the apple crop. They’re what ponies and animals rely on in the winter, and so tomorrow I’ll have Applejack section off a small part of the orchard for you to live in. It won’t have a ton of food, but you’ll be able to survive there quite nicely. If you don’t cause trouble, you’ll be welcome here in Ponyville, okay?”

There was a susurration among the fruit bats at that. Fluttershy watched them glance at each other and nod slowly.

“I’m so glad you agree.” Fluttershy gave the fruit bats a big smile. The fruit bat under her hoof had nearly worked its way free. “There’s just one teensy, tiny little detail I need to make clear, though.”

The fruit bats regarded Fluttershy with a mixture of scorn and impatience. How quickly do they forget.

“Those who do not follow orders suffer. Those who cause trouble suffer. And those who endanger my friends in any way—” Fluttershy’s hoof ground into the dirt and the vampire fruit bat screamed as its bones broke, “—die.”

Silence again. This time the fruit bats were completely still in horror. Fluttershy lifted her hoof and showed them the broken bat. It would live, but for not it was paralyzed by pain.

“See this? This is punishment. Not much punishment; you’re new here so I’ll go easy on you. But you caused trouble, you see? This is what happens when you do. Now, I’m sure you won’t be causing any more trouble in the future, will you?”

The fruit bats hesitated, then shook their heads vigorously. Fluttershy smiled again. “Good.”

They relaxed again. Another mistake.

“But your lesson isn’t done just yet.” The fruit bats looked up in sudden panic.

Fluttershy’s smile was cold and hard on her face. “You hurt my friends.”

There was a movement from above. Birds, the night predatorial owls and larger hawks landed on the branches. The fruit bats huddled together, parents clutching their young.

The birds closed in, cutting off every avenue of escape. Fluttershy leaned forwards. She addressed the trembling fruit bats.

“I will have you pay for your crimes. All of them.”

The fruit bats had looked into the crazed eyes of Flutterbat, a natural predator of apples without mercy or remorse. In her gaze they had seen the natural extension of their nature, yet darker, more vicious.

That was nothing to what was in the eyes they stared into now. The fruit bats trembled as one, and the eyes stared into their souls and found them wanting.

“No one escapes their sins.”

----

The fruit bats in the cottage shuddered as one as every eye turned to them. They were clustered at one window on the far side of the cottage and drew even closer together as the other animals looked at them.

“Community service.” Fluttershy patted Angel on the head and gave the fruit bats a friendly smile. “That’s what we decided on in the end. Each fruit bat labored for eight hours to repay the cost of the apples they ate, flying patrols, building nests, doing night reconnaissance and so forth. After that they were pardoned of all crimes and we put them in a special section of the orchards.”

Angel blinked up at Fluttershy for a few moments. He looked over at the fruit bats. He looked at Fluttershy. He scratched his head.

“It’s a lot more effective than simply punishing them,” Fluttershy explained. “And we needed extra hooves…wings for all our operations. We are all pieces of this army; if we all fulfill our roles we succeed. If not, we fail.”

Fluttershy’s animals hooted, chirped, or tapped the floor in agreement. The older animals didn’t look as convinced; only a few nodded and several wore frowns.

It was still hard for Fluttershy to understand them. The way she understood animals was such that she sensed the collective opinion of the older animals; they would certainly not have tolerated a bunch of rude fruit bats in their community. Moreover, she also understood that they didn’t agree with what she had said.

They weren’t soldiers. They had fought, but they weren’t under command. It was…odd to see so many animals that thought that way for Fluttershy.

There was a difference in the room. Fluttershy felt it now. Her animals were shifting, the weight of memory falling on them. But they had endured. They made little noise and let Fluttershy tell her story.

The old animals were so…noisy. They chattered as Fluttershy spoke, and ate noisily the after-dinner snacks of nuts and grains. They lacked discipline.

“Ahem.” Fluttershy cleared her throat and the room quieted a bit. Still, the animals fidgeted and there was more noise than usual. It shouldn’t have, but it bothered Fluttershy.

“Besides dealing with minor incidents like the fruit bats, our operations were mainly based around containment. We did not engage with any foes in any significant way; if threats did appear we monitored them rather than fight.”

----

On a hill at the very edge of Equestria grows a flower. Some might call it exquisite. To most though, it was a completely average flower. It had pink petals. It had a dark green stem. It was over a hundred feet tall.

It was also a deadly trap, at least to any pony unwise enough to uproot the flower. Why they would want to do so in the first place was a mystery, but the flower’s guardian was a worry in itself.

On another hill several miles away from the innocuous flower a number of small figures crouched or wandered around the arid hilltop. These were animals. A group of mice and two squirrels sat with a pair of binoculars trained on the hilltop with an equal number of birds. They were unarmed.

This would have been quite normal with most animals, but in the case of these animals it was somewhat unusual. But it was appropriate. They weren’t here to fight. There was nothing around for miles, at least, nothing aboveground.

Fluttershy knew this because she had just spent an hour flying around the empty wasteland that was Equestria’s border. Nothing was alive in this desolate place. Now she flew down to the squad of animals who looked up as she approached. They stood to attention and saluted as she landed.

“Do you have the hilltop in sight from here?” Fluttershy asked the animals. “The target is extremely large, so as long as you can make out the hill it should be fine.”

The squirrel in charge of the group nodded. He offered the binoculars to Fluttershy, but she declined.

“I trust your judgement. Supplies will be airdropped in a few days; send a bird if you need more. Just watch out for movement and report if the worm surfaces anywhere nearby.”

Fluttershy gestured to the cluster of hills around the flower. “It’s habitat could stretch for miles. We could be standing above its lair for all we know, so I want you to be alert. However, it does seem as though it lives in conjunction with the flower, so watch that closely.”

The animal squad nodded as one, seriously. They were all small creatures, without even one of the more capable fighting animals among them. The mice were too small for most battles and the squirrels Fluttershy had chosen were capable, but equally small.

“If it doesn’t move from its position after another week has passed we’ll assign it to the neutral category. This far from any village or town it’s no threat, and I’m not risking contamination with whatever Discord caught by trying to kill it.”

Another nod; she had already briefed the animals before the mission, but Fluttershy wanted to reiterate her orders.

“More importantly; stay safe. If the worm emerges, take cover immediately. If for whatever reason a bird cannot lift you into the air, head towards rock instead of loose ground.”

Fluttershy pointed towards the foot of a mountain in the distance. “The worm most likely can’t tunnel through stone. If you sense any vibrations underfoot, get out of the area at once. Take no risks – your jobs are only to scout. Am I clear?”

The mice and squirrels saluted as one. They were so very young. To a normal pony they might seem like any other animals, but Fluttershy knew she was looking at a group of children.

The squirrel in charge of the group chattered at Fluttershy and held his salute. He was the most capable and had worked hard under her training. But he was young, and hadn’t taken part in any of the battles before now.

So young. So passionate. He had volunteered to take this mission. In his eyes the light of determination shone like a beacon. Equally strong was his trust in Fluttershy.

An image of a headless squirrel smoking from a magic blast imposed itself over Fluttershy’s eyes. She blinked once, and patted the young squirrel on the head. Too young for combat, but this mission was safe enough.

Should be safe enough.

“Good work soldier,” she told the squirrel. “Keep it up. I’m relying on you.”

He practically puffed up with pride and stood even straighter, if that was possible. Fluttershy nodded to the robin hovering at attention. It was older, a veteran of the Pinkie encounter. It would reign in any foolish attempts.

“I’ll see you all in a week.” Fluttershy took off and winged into the air. The animals below her saluted until she could no longer see them.

It would be a long flight back to Ponyville. Fluttershy flew steadily, choosing an aerial route that would take her away from any cities or towns. It was quiet in the empty skies, and left her alone with her thoughts.

The worm was a threat. Fluttershy knew this. Twilight had told her how it had tried to kill her and Cadence. It was also a biological hazard; the disease Discord had caught could have spread to countless ponies.

She should kill it. Fluttershy knew it.

But the cost was…

Fluttershy imagined taking down the worm with her army. It could be done. With tooth and claw and lots of weapons, they would first secure the worm and then cut into it. The casualties of such an operation would be enormous. But the worm could be killed.

It was too risky. What if the worm escaped? What if the animals caught the disease? What if…

What if they all died?

The squirrel saluted Fluttershy, young and full of pride. It would insist on being part of that battle. And if it did fight—

She walked among the dead, weeping.

They lay around her, lifeless dolls, puppets with cut strings. Their empty eyes stared at her. Their expressions begged for mercy, relief that never came. They looked at her, the origin of their suffering.

Fluttershy closed her eyes. But the vision continued, and a voice whispered to her.

“You see? The Crystal Heart knows your sin. You, who would sacrifice your friends for victory.”

She shook her head. The whispers faded. Fluttershy flew on through a darkening night sky.

No, it wasn’t necessary to fight. Not in this case. The worm…was not a true threat. Only Discord’s idiocy had provoked it in the first place. The scouting group would complete its mission and that would be that.

It was lonely being so high in the sky. Fluttershy flew as night fell and felt not the cool breeze nor saw the brilliant stars in the sky. Instead she walked among corpses and gore and a dark voice whispered in her ears.

A squirrel saluted her, full of pride. Yet something was wrong. Something was wrong.

It took Fluttershy the entire flight back to Ponyville to understand what was wrong. Only when she had returned to her cottage and was slipping off to sleep at her dining room table did she realize what was missing.

The squirrel saluted her, the animals stood straight and offered her their lives. They saluted.

But.

They weren’t smiling.