In her cottage, Fluttershy sat alone.

In years past, well, even a few months ago, this would have been the strangest of circumstances. Fluttershy was always surrounded by her animal friends, and could barely go a day without their company. But things had changed.

Fluttershy sat in the silence, which was broken only by the ticking of her one clock. It was dark and cool in the cottage. That made her feel a lot better. Despite the brightness of the day, Fluttershy had no intention of going outside. The light hurt a bit too much at the moment.

Yes, she was hurting. Or perhaps she had hurt so much it had become part of her. Burning. Pain. Memories.

But more than that, Fluttershy was tired. Dead tired. Tired to her bones of fighting, of war. An endless war against the world. Well, perhaps war was the wrong word for it at that. You had to be fighting something to have a war, but Fluttershy’s enemy changed day to day. Call it a struggle, then. An endless struggle to do what was right.

Protect her friends. That one thought was the shining beacon of light Fluttershy clung to, the one truth in her world. Protect. Don’t let anyone die. Because she had failed before, and the failure had hurt more than anything.

That was her mission, and Fluttershy knew she’d die trying to fulfill it. And yet sometimes and today in particular, she just needed time to be alone.

Longfoot understood. The rabbit had cleared out the other animals from the cottage, pulling back to their secondary camps in the Everfree and posting only a few watchers outside in case of an emergency. He was a wonderful second in command.

Fluttershy smiled briefly. Yes, she’d trained him well. But he’d risen to the task; there was more to it than just teaching someone what to do and expecting them to succeed. It was about the individual, and Longfoot was one in a million. She’d never met any rabbit like him.

Except of course, for Angel. Fluttershy’s smile disappeared. Of course Angel was like that too. She’d forgotten about him for a second. Again. It was, the thing was—

They were memories of kinder times. Fluttershy knew it. That was why they were so hard to recall. Memories of her laughing, being with her friends – they just didn’t fit with the current Fluttershy. They were old and stale, parts of her that had died in battle long ago.

The pegasus shook her head. Where was she? Oh yes. Longfoot. A trusted subordinate, and a friend. Fluttershy would have to keep him away from the front lines from now on. She couldn’t lose him. She couldn’t lose any of her friends, of course, but he was invaluable.

The same probably went for Fake Fluttershy. Even the thought of the annoying changeling made Fluttershy grit her teeth, but the annoyance went hoof in hoof with a grudging admission that Fake Fluttershy was essential. She played her part perfectly, and without her Fluttershy would be hard-pressed to continue managing her army.

But still. The changeling played its role a bit too well at times. The memory of it arguing with Fluttershy about Trixie’s fate, as well as that of Lightning Dust and the timberwolves was a thorn in Fluttershy’s memory. That might be unavoidable, however.

From questioning the changelings, Fluttershy had learned that taking on pony’s appearances didn’t just run chitin-deep. The changelings also copied parts of the pony’s personality, and could lose themselves sin that transformation. That explained how Chrysalis had copied Cadence so well, but it was also a trap. Fake Fluttershy was timid, hesitant, and weak.

Perfect, in other words. Fluttershy could use that memory of what she had been. Not all the time of course, but it was a useful brake on her impulses.

Still, she was trusted, at least a little. Fluttershy could trust the changelings; of that she was certain. Not because she thought they were particularly loyal or not; that could be an act. But they had nowhere else to go. You could trust that kind of desperation, but it only lasted as long as she proved to be a strong leader.

Even so. Fluttershy was tired. She was glad her copy was with her friends. Today she just needed to be alone.

Idly Fluttershy traced on the table with her hoof. Tired. She should sleep. She’d been getting – what? – four hours of sleep every night? That couldn’t be healthy. But ever since the…timberwolves, sleeping had been difficult. She woke up screaming if she dreamed, so she only took short naps. She couldn’t wake up her friends again when they worked so hard every day.

Hm. Maybe she could sleep now, then. Fluttershy looked longingly towards her staircase, and beyond it, her bed. Yes. That sounded like a wonderful idea. A few hours, or maybe more would make everything just right…

Fluttershy’s hoof was on the first stair when a frantic rapping at her window made her start in alarm. She turned and saw a bird at the glass, pecking frantically for Fluttershy’s attention.

Her heart, which had been resting, began to pound rapidly. Fluttershy stepped quickly towards the window and unlatched it, letting the bird into the cottage.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked, holding out a hoof for the bird to jump onto. “Trouble?”

The sparrowhawk nodded and began squawking quickly. Fluttershy heard more wings and birdcalls as other birds that had been on patrol began converging on the cottage. She tried to listen to the bird as she kept her ears open for more sounds from outside.

“Slow down. You’re hard to listen to—what? Celestia? What about her?”

The sparrowhawk tried to explain.

“Okay. Start from the beginning. Twilight was with the others – Fake Fluttershy was with them too, right? No?”

The sparrowhawk shook its head.

“What? Where was she—the beavers built a dam and flooded the orchards? Those idiots. I’ll—”

The sparrowhawk shrilled desperately, flapping its wings. Fluttershy froze mid-rant.

“Say that again?”

The sparrowhawk desperately squawked. Fluttershy stared at it.

“Discord?”

Her cottage door burst open. Fluttershy and the sparrowhawk turned as Longfoot dashed in, a squad of armed animals at his back. They immediately took up positions at the doors and windows, weapons at the ready.

“One more time.” Fluttershy’s hoof trembled as she brough the bird up to her face. “Why did Celestia bring Discord to Ponyville?”

The sparrowhawk trembled and chirped a hesitant reply. It took one look at Fluttershy’s face and took wing, escaping out of the window.

“WHAT!?”

The birds who had been shrieking alarm calls from outside the cottage took wing in alarm. Inside the cottage Longfoot and the other animals held their ears and their breath as Fluttershy strode around her living room.

“That empty-headed, clouds-for-brains, arrogant marshmallow with wings wants to do what!? Does she have any idea how dangerous Discord it? He can’t be trusted! And trying to reform him? With Fake Fluttershy – I mean, me? Impossible!”

Fluttershy’s heart was beating a million times per second. She strode back and forth, muttering to herself as Longfoot watcher her anxiously.

“We’ve got nothing. Nothing! I’ve been developing strategies to use against immortals like Sombra, not Discord! Hell, if it were windigos we’d be fine but—”

Fluttershy caught herself as she saw the expression on the animal’s faces. Calm. She had to be calm. A leader never showed weakness.

She turned to Longfoot. “Rally everyone you can find. Any animal not on surveillance duty I want in the Everfree armed and ready for battle. If it comes to it. That’s our last plan. A pitched battle is too big a risk unless everything goes wrong. A better idea is using the Elements on Discord, but we have to make sure he can’t somehow hurt the other Elements before we return him to stone.”

Longfoot nodded and shouted at the other animals in the cottage. Several dashed out the door. Fluttershy breathed out. Already some of the tension was leaving her. Command. No need to worry if they were the right orders yet, just give them.

“I want multiple eyes on Discord and the other Elements at all times. Pull our birds off of patrol and assign multiple pairs per each Element and at least ten on Discord. Don’t get too close.”

More flurries of orders. Fluttershy watched birds begin to soar away.

“I still can’t believe Celestia would do something like this. Does she have any idea of the risk?” Fluttershy shook her head. Something was nagging at her.

“And why Fluttershy – I mean, me? Kindness isn’t exactly a good leash for chaos. Generosity or Loyalty would be just as effective. I mean, it’s not as if he’s a wild animal.” Fluttershy continued pacing back and forth. She’d just made it past her dining room table when a thought stopped her dead.

“She’s entrusting Discord to Fluttershy? But that means—”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. Longfoot looked up in alarm. Fluttershy glanced towards the cottage door. Was that voices she heard coming up the dirt road?

“Everyone out! Now!”

----

The cottage was empty of all the animals as well as the other pony named Fluttershy when the six ponies and one draconequus entered. In point of fact, the five Elements of Harmony and Fake Fluttershy used the door. Discord just teleported inside.

Only one animal was in fact present in Fluttershy’s cottage, much to his displeasure. Angel, or rather, the rabbit the others thought was Angel scowled at Discord and made a rude gesture at the god of chaos.

Outside her cottage and from high up, Fluttershy peered down through a canopy of branches at Discord. The canopy of leaves in the tree she was hiding in perfectly hid her from sight, and the window she had left partially ajar let her hear everything that was being said.

Crucially, it also let Longfoot see Fluttershy from certain points in the cottage. He glanced quickly up towards Fluttershy only once before pretending to be shocked at Discord’s appearance.

Fluttershy sighed quietly. She hadn’t wanted to leave any animals near Discord, but they needed someone besides Fake Fluttershy for the coming operation, and Longfoot had volunteered.

He was playing the role of Angel Bunny for all he was worth, tugging at Discord’s feet, shouting angry rabbit obscenities the other ponies couldn’t understand while they conferred quietly with one another.

Fluttershy watched Discord casually kick Longfoot across the cottage with dark thoughts racing through her mind. Something rustled next to her and she turned to see a changeling move into the branches, stealthily avoiding making too much noise. A falcon landed on the branch above Fluttershy, pretending to preen itself as it eyed the cottage.

“Report,” Fluttershy hissed at the bird. “Is the army ready to go?”

The falcon cawed quietly. Fluttershy nodded. Every animal was in the Everfree, armed to the teeth. If it came to it, Fluttershy could call an thousand animals into battle in a moment, for all the good it would do.

“And how many changelings?” Fluttershy looked at the changeling warrior.

It hissed and buzzed, making her frown in annoyance. But she got the message. Five changelings were currently in Ponyville in various disguises, not counting the one here. The others were still away on a mission. Not optimal, but Fluttershy had the feeling even the best-trained warriors wouldn’t make a difference here.

That was fine. But then the falcon cawed again.

Every animal in Ponyville had been alerted, and except for the pets they had made it to their rally points in the Everfree and were accounted for. However, every beaver in the area had failed to report in. Not a single one had made it to the rendezvous locations specified.

That stirred the hairs on the back of Fluttershy’s neck. “Send out birds to find them,” she ordered. “Start in Sweet Apple Orchards. That’s where Applejack was having trouble with them earlier. If they’re not responding I want to know why. Discord might have a hand in it.”

The falcon saluted with one wing and flew off. Fluttershy turned her attention back to the cottage while the changeling moved lower down in the branches to see as well.

The scene inside Fluttershy’s house was about what she’d expected. Discord was already causing havoc, reclining in on the couch as he casually taunted the others.

Fluttershy listened carefully.

“You big liar!” Rainbow Dash was shouting angrily at Discord.

“Now look who’s a liar,” Discord huffed in mock indignation. “Anyone can plainly see that I'm not big at all.” In an instant he was tiny.

Longfoot jumped onto the couch and leapt at Discord. In an instant, Discord returned to his natural state, sending the rabbit flying. A lamp behind Discord tumbled from its stand and smashed onto the ground.

Fluttershy ground her teeth and Fake Fluttershy winced.

“Oops.” Discord rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers. In a flash of light the broken pieces of the lamp was gone and a mismatched lamp in the shape of Discord reappeared in it’s place.

“There. All better!”

Fluttershy eyed the remade Discord lantern. “I want that thing smashed first thing after we get rid of him.”

The other Elements of Harmony left the cottage in disgust. Twilight however lingered to talk with Fluttershy. Their conversation was exceptionally hard to hear at this distance. Fluttershy had to concentrate intensely to hear the words.

“You sure you're okay with this?” Twilight asked Fluttershy as Longfoot tried to chase Discord around the cottage.

“I know it's not gonna be easy,” Fake Fluttershy said, “But Princess Celestia's counting on me. And I think I actually know what to do.

“You do?” Twilight looked hopeful.

“She does?” Fluttershy looked incredulous.

“I think the key is to befriend him. Being kind to him and letting him be my house guest is probably the best way to do that.”

Twilight looked unconvinced. Fluttershy slapped a hoof to her forehead.

“And you really think that'll work?”

“I think it's worth a try,” Fake Fluttershy said.

“Okay, but if you need us, all you need to do is whisper "help", and we'll be back here with our elements.” Twilight glared at Discord and raised her voice. “So watch that goat-legged step of yours, pal!

Discord was holding Longfoot in the air and poking him with one hand. At Twilight’s words he instantly disappeared and reappeared in the same place with a top hat, suit, and cup of tea in his paws. Longfoot glanced down in confusion at the cup of tea he was holding.

“What? Look at me! I'm practically reformed already.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and left the cottage. Fake Fluttershy closed the door as Fluttershy tried not to tear her mane out.

She's really alright with him staying there? Rarity asked incredulously.

Twilight sighed. “That's what she said.”

“Personally, I think we should come up with a backup plan, in case this whole ‘befriending’ business doesn't work out.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Rainbow Dash is right,” Rarity said. “This is Discord we are talking about, girls. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have another trick up our sleeves.”

Twilight thought for a second and then looked up with a smile. “And I think I know just the trick.”

The other Elements of Harmony started trotting back towards Ponyville, Twilight in the lead. Fluttershy nodded to one of her birds. “Go after them. Let me know what Twilight’s plan is – probably a spell of some kind. The instant she finds it, alert me.”

The birds nodded and flew off.

Fluttershy turned her attention back to the cottage. “Keep watching,” she instructed the changeling. “If Discord had a weakness or a plan, I want to know what it is.”

It nodded seriously and redoubled its focus on the cottage. Which one was it? Changeling…32443 if Fluttershy remembered. The one that hadn’t wanted to eat Trixie. She was starting to be able to tell the changelings apart.

That wasn’t important. Focus. Fluttershy looked back just in time to see Fake Fluttershy reappearing back in the cottage.

Fake Fluttershy stuck her head into the living room. “Discord?”

The dragonequus was lounging on the couch Fluttershy was going to burn later, holding a bowl what seemed to be strange beige leaves. Both Fluttershy and Fake Fluttershy frowned at the sight.

“Oh, there you are. Listen, Discord, I just want to make sure you know that if there's anything I can do to—”

Fake Fluttershy broke off and looked at Discord’s bowl. “Uh, um. Are you eating... paper?”

Discord nonchalantly gulped down a fragment of what indeed seemed to be parchment. “Am I? Huh, how odd of me.”

“Why is he eating paper?” Fluttershy turned to Changeling 32443. It shrugged helplessly. She glared at Discord. “That makes no sense. He’s—horseapples. That’s the spell, isn’t it?”

Discord munched down another fragment of paper with a smug grin.

“Well, um... I'm just heading out, so you just make yourself at home while I'm gone.” Fluttershy walked towards the door.

Discord saw Fake Fluttershy off waving in a pink bathrobe. “Buh-bye, have a nice time!” He called after her. “Everything is fine here. Bye bye…bye bye…”

As soon as the door was shut Discord turned to Longfoot and grinned.

“You like carrots, Angel?” He taunted the rabbit. “I'm playing your owner for a fool!” He laughed and pulled a carrot out of Longfoot’s ear. The carrot morphed into Discord’s face which laughed. “How d'ya like them carrots?”

Longfoot shrieked and tossed the carrot away. Discord chuckled and put the carrot back in his mouth where it became his tooth again.

Fluttershy watched the chaos god’s actions with a thunderous frown. That frown only deepened as she saw Fake Fluttershy making her way around back of the cottage.

“Tell me you have a real plan,” Fluttershy hissed at Fake Fluttershy as soon as she got in sight. “Friendship and kindness is not going to work on Discord.”

“B-but I don’t have any other ideas!” Fake Fluttershy pretended to be staring at the tree roots while she spoke loud enough for Fluttershy to hear. “I’m just doing what Celestia wanted. Besides which, Discord isn’t causing too much trouble.”

“No, he’s just tormenting Longfoot and replacing all my furniture with twisted mockeries of himself.” Fluttershy scowled down at the cottage. Discord had abandoned scaring Longfoot and had resumed eating the scraps of parchment.

“Um.” Fake Fluttershy flinched as Fluttershy looked down at her. “What do you plan on doing?”

“What do you think? I’m going to kill Discord.”

“Uh, how? I mean, I know Discord’s evil, but we’re trying to reform him. If you give me some time, maybe I can—”

“Your way?” Fluttershy had to resist the urge to jump out of the tree and stomp Fake Fluttershy into the ground. “Your way is letting Discord cause as much trouble as he wants. He’s already destroyed the spells Twilight was planning to cast. If we leave him alone, who knows what damage he’ll do? No, we do this my way.”

Fluttershy nodded to the changeling. “Send the signal.”

The changeling nodded and carefully pulled a mirror out from between the branches. Carefully, it poked the mirror out into the sunlight and angled so the light reflected into the cottage. Once, twice.

Discord glanced up from his bowl of paper curiously, but by then the changeling had already withdrawn the mirror back into the tree.

It was a brief signal, designed not to attract Discord’s attention. But Fluttershy knew Longfoot had seen it. She watched the rabbit hop very quietly back towards his hole in the wall and rummage inside of it while Discord munched down another four fragments of spell paper and burped loudly.

“What’s he—” Fake Fluttershy broke off with a gasp as Longfoot withdrew a kitchen knife from the hole and concealed it behind his back. Slowly, the rabbit edged back towards the couch, moving behind Discord and keeping the blade hidden.

“Longfoot will begin the attack,” Fluttershy said calmly. “He’ll attempt to do as much damage to Discord as possible while we launch a simultaneous attack.”

As Fluttershy spoke more animals emerged from the Everfree. A flock of birds settled on the cottage from above while various animals Matilda included crept down to the cottage.

The changeling slipped out of the tree and landed with barely a whisper on the ground. Five other changelings emerged from the forest and flew down to the cottage, keeping out of sight of the windows. They took up positions at the front doors, and each window on the ground floor. All the changelings were armed with wicked knives and they motioned their readiness to Fluttershy.

“But,” Fake Fluttershy looked up desperately at Fluttershy. “J-just wait! It’s too dangerous! If Longfoot is discovered, or Discord’s only hurt, who knows how much damage he’ll cause!”

“That’s a risk we have to take.” Fluttershy didn’t glance down at Fake Fluttershy. All her focus was on the cottage. “Longfoot volunteered for the mission, and he’ll carry it out. He’s nearly in position.”

The rabbit had indeed edged right up to the back of Discord’s couch, and the chaos god still hadn’t noticed him. This was the moment. He glanced out the window towards Fluttershy and waved his readiness.

Fluttershy’s hoof raised, but Fake Fluttershy flew up desperately. “Wait! If you just give me another chance—”

“Get out of the way!” Fluttershy snarled and struck Fake Fluttershy out of the air. The changeling pegasus tried desperately to interpose itself between Fluttershy and Longfoot’s view from the cottage, but Fluttershy hurled her aside. She motioned to Longfoot and the rabbit nodded.

Discord finished his bowl of paper and tossed it aside. The bowl disappeared before it hit the floor as the draconequus stretched. Then he settled back down and closed his eyes.

Longfoot crept closer. The knife was now in the rabbit’s hands, an oversized blade for the animal, but balanced so finely that he could still carry it with relative ease. Fluttershy knew the blade had been honed until it could cut flesh like butter. Longfoot moved closer, closer.

“Please!” Fake Fluttershy was swooping around Fluttershy’s hiding spot. “Please don’t! It won’t—”

Too late. The rabbit was in position, balanced on the edge of the couch as Discord napped. Even as both Fluttershy’s watched, the rabbit lunged forward and strike.

Fluttershy watched Longfoot stab Discord from behind. The knife sunk deep into Discord’s side, right below his bat wing. Not a killing blow. But it should hurt—

Longfoot twisted the knife in Discord’s flesh and flipped backwards off the couch, landing in a crouch ready for anything. Fluttershy waited with baited breath for Discord to scream or thrash or—

Discord yawned and turned over, the knife still buried in his side. Even as Fluttershy watched slack-jawed, the blade slid from Discord’s side and landed on the ground with a clatter.

The god of chaos woke with a start and looked around. Before he could look down, Longfoot dived forwards and snatched the knife, hiding himself below the couch.

Idly, Discord stretched and yawned before looking around. “What was that sound?”

His quick glance around the cottage revealed nothing, as Longfoot quivered beneath the couch with the kitchen knife. “Fluttershy returning, perhaps?” He glanced towards the door and then away. “Hm. How odd.”

His side was completely untouched. Discord scratched at it, idly. “Funny. I could have sworn I felt something just then.” He glanced down and patted himself with his bear paw hand. “Oh well. I guess it was my imagination.”

Fluttershy signaled wildly to the other animals. Distraction. Now.

A trio of birds flew through one window and began chirping loudly. They circled around Discord’s head, causing the immortal to frown in annoyance.

“Honestly, the wildlife here is simply unbearable. Pardon the bear of course, but I just can’t see how Fluttershy puts up with all the noise.”

Discord clicked his claws and the birds suddenly froze in midair, wings still extended mid-flight. Two glowing vertical bars appeared next to them.

“Ah, that’s better!” Discord grinned toothily and stretched out in his chair. He was holding a long flat object with lots of buttons in one claw. “Nothing like a good universal remote for the useful functions in life. Maybe if I mute Fluttershy I’ll be able to get a good nap in.”

He stretched out on the couch as Longfoot edged away with the knife behind his back. Discord closed his eyes, but only for a moment before snapping them back open.

“But why bother with sleep when there’s so much more fun to be had? Let’s see how she reacts if I…hmm…”

Longfoot desperately dragged himself away as Discord began chuckling and eyeing the entire cottage. He dashed towards the hole in the wall and hid himself inside of it.

Fluttershy watched Longfoot disappear with a heavy feeling in her stomach. She felt sick. She glanced down at Fake Fluttershy, who was staring at Discord with large eyes.

“Did you know that would happen?” She asked.

“I uh, I didn’t.” Fake Fluttershy looked up. “But, um. I suspected. Otherwise why would Celestia have needed to turn him to stone in the first place?”

“He really is immortal.” Fluttershy put her head in her hooves. “That’s…we can’t do anything about that.”

“Um, I think he’s probably not immune to magic.” Fake Fluttershy volunteered. “He wouldn’t have destroyed Twilight’s books if he was.”

“Fat lot of good that does us without any unicorns,” Fluttershy snapped. “No. This operation was a complete failure.” She stood up from her hiding place and crossed her hooves. At her signal the changelings and animals began to withdraw back towards the forest. “Our last shot is the Elements of Harmony. If that fails, not even a full-scale assault is going to hurt him.”

“Then what should we do? Twilight’s still in Ponyville. Do you want me to get her or…?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy said after a moment’s thought. “Fetch her and the other elements. We need to convince them that Discord must be sealed. At the very least, I want them nearby. Now, I—”

She broke off. Fake Fluttershy turned to see what Fluttershy was looking at and gaped as well.

Fluttershy’s small cottage rested on a hill. It was a wonderful house with solid foundations. Those foundations were now rising into the air, and the cottage itself began to rotate slowly in midair.

“What the—?” Fluttershy caught herself. “He’s trying to provoke you, I mean, me. That’s bad. If he’s getting bored, things will keep escalating.”

Fluttershy was just about to send Fake Fluttershy off for the other elements when alarm calls from overhead made her look up. A trio of birds met in midair and swooped down towards her, chattering quickly and urgently as they did.

Fake Fluttershy glanced uncertainly at Fluttershy, who felt like tearing her mane out.

“Get down there and stall him,” Fluttershy ordered. “Do whatever it takes to keep him from causing havoc. I need to sort this out.”

Fake Fluttershy nodded and winged down towards the cottage. Fluttershy turned to the birds.

“This had better be good,” she began.

The birds chattered in panic. Fluttershy listened and frowned in disbelief.

“They’re doing what?”

One of the birds pointed with its wing towards Sweet Apple Orchards.

“They’ve flooded the entire orchard?” Fluttershy cursed. “It must be Discord.”

She glanced at the rotating cottage in the sky. Fake Fluttershy was at the door, trying to open the spinning blood of wood. Eventually she gave up and went in through a window. Fluttershy looked from the birds to the cottage and made a rapid decision.

“We can’t do anything until the other Elements get here. Let’s mitigate the damage at the orchard first. Lead the way.”

She motioned, and the changelings and other animals fell in behind her. They set off through the forest towards the Apple family farm while Fluttershy’s cottage turned around through the sky and furniture fell out the windows and doors.

----

Fluttershy looked down at the flooded orchard and thought of five different ways she could kill the beavers.

“What is the meaning of this?” She snapped at the nearest beaver, who was busy piling more sticks upon the massive dam that now blocked the entire river running through Sweet Apple Orchards. “Have you lot lost your minds? Get rid of this dam immediately!”

The beavers ignored Fluttershy and continued building the dam. All of the beavers in the area around Ponyville seemed to be here, working on the dam and ignoring all attempts to shift them.

Fluttershy ground her teeth. She knew Discord was behind the beaver’s strange actions somehow, but she didn’t have time to deal with this.

“I told you to stop.” Fluttershy reached out and tried to pull the beaver away.

The beaver turned and lashed out with his claws. Fluttershy jerked back just in time and the beaver missed her hoof. The furry animal shrieked with anger and leapt at Fluttershy, large teeth seeking her throat.

Longfoot leapt into the air and slammed the beaver out of the sky. Both animals fell into the water where they thrashed and struck at each other.

“Longfoot!” Fluttershy turned and kicked two more beavers off the side of the dam. She reached down and fished the rabbit out of the water. He came up spluttering and wet.

“Engage!” Fluttershy ordered as the beavers abandoned their dam and started to attack. Her animals and changelings raced across the tightly-packed sticks and crashed into the beavers, sending them flying into the water. The beavers fought back, biting, scratching, having seemingly forgotten how to use knives or more dangerous weapons than sticks.

Fluttershy few away from the dam and set Longfoot down on a part of the orchards not yet flooded. “Go to the cottage,” she ordered the rabbit. “Get the Elements and warn them what Discord is doing! We need him to reverse this magic, or to seal him away before this get any worse!”

Longfoot saluted and dashed off.

Grimly, Fluttershy turned back to the animals and beavers battling for control of the dam. Her forces were faced with a problem; they couldn’t use deadly force on the beavers, just hurl them back into the water. The beavers on the other hand had no such inhibitions and simply swam back to the dam and hurled themselves as the defenders again. Only their lack of any weaponry had avoided this conflict turning bloody.

Delaying action. Fluttershy glanced in the direction of her cottage. Discord and the others would arrive shortly, and then they could resolve this. Twilight would force Discord to undo the magic he’d cast, or they’d turn him to stone.

And if the Elements failed? Fluttershy had no plan. She turned back to the dam and flew towards the beavers, scattering them and throwing them into the lake one by one. She had no plan, no idea what to do. She needed to think. She needed to figure out a way—

She had no plan.

----

Battle. Things were simpler in battle. When the blood was flowing and combat raged all around, thought could be simple. Things like long-term strategy and plans faded away when it came to the simple algebra of hoof and claw, tooth and nail.

Fluttershy lead her animals against the possessed beavers, throwing the overgrown rodents into the water and trying to dismantle the dam as they fought. But the beavers were relentless, and the dam had been built well.

Still, they wouldn’t ever break Fluttershy’s forces. Her animals and changelings fought as one unit, smoothly intercepting the crazed beavers and forcing them back. Fluttershy managed her line of defenders with ease, directing them so that no gaps or weak spots emerged in their formations. That was simple.

And yet she had no plan. No grand idea, no clue how to solve this situation. And her problems were only increasing.

Across the lake Discord was cavorting, laughing with childish glee as Fake Fluttershy argued with a few beavers not currently fighting Fluttershy’s forces. In the end she gave up and went back to confer with the other Elements.

Fluttershy ducked as a beaver leapt at her and shoulder-charged it off the dam and back into the lake. She was trying to fight and listen at the same time, but was helped by the fact that Fake Fluttershy was arguing with Discord quite loudly and angrily.

“This is Applejack's home, and it's being destroyed by innocent creatures who would never be acting this way if it weren't for your reckless behavior.” Fake Fluttershy was telling Discord. “You need to fix this.”

Discord was drying himself off with a towel. At Fluttershy’s words he looked at the pegasus. “Oh, yes, very well, I will fix it. I only ask one thing in return.”

“Yes?” Fake Fluttershy looked hopeful.

“I ask that you never use your Element of Harmony against me.” Discord grinned. “As a sign of our friendship.”

Fluttershy growled. “What?”

Fake Fluttershy glanced back towards the other Elements of Harmony. They all shook their heads desperately at her.

“Longfoot! Get over to her and tell her—” Fluttershy broke off in horror.

Fake Fluttershy looked up at Discord. “I will never use my Element of Harmony against you,” Fake Fluttershy said.

“What does that idiot think she’s doing? Fluttershy tossed beavers off her left and right. She can’t—” She paused in realization. “She can’t use the Element!”

Longfoot started in realization. He looked at Fluttershy desperately.

“I have to get…over…there!” Fluttershy struggled against the mass of beavers. “The Elements won’t work without me—!”

She fell into the water and surged for the far side of the lake. The beavers lunged at her, but Longfoot and the birds swarmed them. The changelings formed a living wall and Fluttershy used the moment to swim furiously. She tried to stay of sight of her friends and Discord and the paddling Apple family, but she had to hurry.

The shore was only a few feet away. Fluttershy reached out with a hoof and pulled herself out of the water—

Click. Across the lake the capering Discord snapped his claws.

Fluttershy felt a terrible chill flash through her body even as her momentum stopped. She was halfway out of the water, both hooves on the shore, but her lower body was stuck.

In the frozen lake that now covered all of Sweet Apple Acres.

“There, much better! I do prefer ice skating to water skiing! Don't you?”

Across the ice the animals were frozen in horror. The controlled beavers didn’t move but stared mindlessly as Discord capered around on the ice. Fluttershy struggled to pull herself free of the ice, but it was impossible. Her lower half was rapidly going numb, but she had to get free. Fluttershy struggled madly.

Fake Fluttershy ran towards Discord. “Discord!” She shouted angrily. “That's not fixing it! Why, I oughta...”

Fake Fluttershy tried to slow down, but slid right past Discord on the frozen lake.

“Where are you going? What's wrong, pal?” Discord grinned at Fake Fluttershy, who was looking unusually angry. That anger was nothing compared to the rage in Fluttershy’s heart, though. She struck the ice, trying to break it but the water was a single solid block. She couldn’t even chip it.

“Don't call me your pal!” Fake Fluttershy glared at Discord.

“Oh, pfft. Come skating with me, and we'll let bygones be bygones. Discord created ice skates and offered them to Fluttershy.

Spike dashed forwards on the ice and held out Fluttershy’s Element of Kindness to Fake Fluttershy. “Here you go Fluttershy! Game on!”

From across the exit Twilight shouted, “He fixes this or he goes back to being stone! Princess Celestia will understand!”

Fluttershy saw Fake Fluttershy hesitate. The imposter took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then she looked up.

“I made a promise not to use my element against him, and I'm going to keep it.” She took the ice skates from Discord and walked away from him.

Fluttershy raged. She struck the ice madly, she fought to get free. That fool she’d free herself and use the Element against Discord. She’d—

Discord laughed and pointed gloatingly at the other Elements.

“You see? She wants to have fun with me because we're friends. She can't use the elements against me because we're friends. I'm free forever!

No. Fluttershy fought to get free of the ice. She tried to lift herself with all her strength and her skin cut itself on the sharp edges of the ice. Fluttershy ignored the pain. She had to get free. She struggled harder, and blood began to flow from the cuts opening on her side and around her hooves. Fight. Harder.

Discord was laughing, rejoicing. Fake Fluttershy’s expression snapped. She raised the ice skates and threw them away.

“Not. Your. Friend!”

“Who cares? I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm Discord, the master of chaos!”

Fake Fluttershy ignored Discord and began walking away across the ice. Discord’s expression lost its cheer. He walked after Fake Fluttershy.

“You think you can boss Discord around? You think I'm just going to turn all this back because you say so? Because if I don't, I'll lose the one friend I ever had?”

Discord paused. An expression of terrible realization played over his face.

“Oh. Oh.” He glanced towards the abandoned skates lying on the ice. “Well played, Fluttershy. Well played.”

Slowly, Discord skated over to one of the apple trees submerged protruding from the frozen lake. He seated himself on top of it and clasped his hands together.

A wave of magical energy flowed from Discord, engulfing the orchard and the entire frozen lake in light.

Fluttershy looked up in disbelief. The frozen ice holding her disappeared in a moment as did the water that had flooded the orchard. The beaver’s dam also disappeared, and the confused animals looked around as the magic released them.

Cheering. Fluttershy looked around. The other Elements of Harmony and Spike was cheering, running towards…

Fake Fluttershy. She stood modestly in the center of the orchard as her friends surrounded her, cheering.

Slowly. Fluttershy moved behind a tree. Very slowly. Her legs and hooves ran with blood. She was bleeding badly.

Motion. Fluttershy looked up. Longfoot was running towards her, the beavers, changelings, and other animals with him. They didn’t even bother using the trees for cover. Sloppy. It was fortunate that the celebrating Elements of Harmony and Discord didn’t notice them.

Fluttershy raised one of her hooves and looked at it. Blood ran down her fur and turned it red. The rabbit was shouting something, and the changelings were running, dashing through the trees for…something.

Time was slowing. Fluttershy saw the changelings reappear with strips of white cloth in their mouths. Angel grabbed it. No, Longfoot. He wounded the bandages around Fluttershy tightly. She let him do it. All of Fluttershy’s attention was elsewhere. She watched the Elements of Harmony celebrating, Spike grinning.

And Discord. The monster. Smiling.

He wasn’t doing anything dangerous. He bowed before Fluttershy, and the group returned to Ponyville. He wasn’t causing chaos. He was…

Safe.

Fluttershy closed her eyes. Longfoot was shaking her, and the animals were trying to move her. She let them. But she had to…Discord. Fake Fluttershy. It was hard to think. She was just a bit tired.

Fluttershy was carried away by strange animals and changelings. Her blood ran into the river and the waters washed it away.

----

Only later did Fluttershy come back to herself a bit. She didn’t die. Longfoot fussed over her, but Fluttershy forced herself to remain awake, to remain standing. She stood on a hill overlooking Ponyville, staring down towards the town as the rabbit redressed her wounds and removed the bloodstained rags.

The frozen ice had cut her skin as she fought to get out. Longfoot held the bandages over her bleeding wounds, pressing hard to stop the blood. But Fluttershy had no feelings to spare on her cuts. Instead, she stared at the figures standing in Ponyville.

An alicorn princess. A draconequus. Six friends. A baby dragon. Smiling. Laughing.

A pegasus was with them, standing next to the draconequus. She had a bright pink mane, soft tan fur, and a small smile as she watched her friends laugh. Fluttershy remembered.

Slowly, she raised her hooves to her face. Longfoot let go of the bandages and stepped back. Fluttershy’s fur was torn and ripped. Bloody gashes circled her legs.

Slowly, Fluttershy turned and walked back to her cottage. She did it quietly, letting the animals around her scatter to their patrols, away.

The cottage was dark and dim when Fluttershy pushed open the door. Longfoot hesitated at the entrance. Fluttershy waved him away. Reluctantly, the rabbit closed the door, and Fluttershy was left in the darkness.

Once. Fluttershy saw a rabbit holding open the door, smiling. She saw a room full of birds and rodents, and a bear grinning happily in the corner.

There was a small mirror next to the entranceway. Fluttershy looked into it. A pegasus stared back at her. Her mane was tangled, her tan fur discolored with dirt. Blood dripped from open wounds. She had no smile on her face.

Fluttershy lay down in the center of her living room. She wasn’t tired any longer. She wasn’t hurt either. Both feelings had gone away, and she was just empty. So she lay there a while, bleeding onto the floorboards as evening faded into night.

Remembering.

----

Night had fallen by the time Fake Fluttershy could tear herself away from her friends and head back to her cottage. Discord had left with Celestia, and her friends had retired to their homes.

The night was dark and quiet, yet the road to Fluttershy’s cottage was safe. Fake Fluttershy had no fear of the darkness and walked confidently back to her home.

But her hoofsteps grew much less sure when she reached the door to the cottage. Longfoot was waiting there, leaning against the side of the cottage. Unlike Angel, the rabbit was very quiet and introspective when he didn’t have to act around other ponies.

When he saw Fake Fluttershy, Longfoot straightened. Without a word he pointed one paw towards the cottage.

Fake Fluttershy halted, uncertain. She glanced again at Longfoot, who nodded and gestured again. Then he hopped away, towards the Everfree. Most of the animals made their camp there, now. It was more efficient, as they could keep the army’s weapons close by, but it left Fluttershy’s cottage mostly deserted.

But there was always one inhabitant there.

Fake Fluttershy’s hoof trembled, and then she pushed open the door. It swung wide, but no light spilled out of the cottage. The inside was just as dark as the night outside. No. Darker. The moon couldn’t reach inside the cottage’s walls.

It took a little bit for Fake Fluttershy’s eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when she did she saw that the furniture had been moved. Instead of the circle of chairs Fluttershy normally kept for all her friends, there were only two chairs placed in the center of the cottage around the dining room table.

And some one was sitting at one of the chairs. It was impossible to see them in the darkness, but Fake Fluttershy knew who it saw.

The pegasus approached the chair in the center of the living room. She hesitated, but Fluttershy said nothing. Cautiously, Fake Fluttershy took a seat.

Silence. The cottage echoed with it. Fake Fluttershy sat quietly, not fidgeting. She looked at the other seated figure, but the darkness was too complete. Only a ray of moonlight shone through the windows, onto the dining table.

The silence lengthened. The figure in front of Fake Fluttershy shifted, and moved after a while. It sat up straighter, sighed. Then it spoke.

“Well done.” Fluttershy said it so quietly that only the absolute silence made the words audible.

Fake Fluttershy’s eyes widened. She looked up and saw a pair of eyes staring at her across the table. They weren’t narrowed or wide as they usually were ; these eyes were just tired, an eternity of exhaustion captured in a single glance.

“Well done,” Fluttershy repeated again. “You saved Equestria today. If Discord had been allowed to run free, he might never have been captured. At the very least, you saved us from having to turn him back to stone with the Elements.”

More silence. Fake Fluttershy didn’t know what to say. But Fluttershy didn’t need a response. She continued.

“My tactics were...flawed. I failed to realize how dangerous Discord really was, let alone have a plan for defeating him. If it had just been me, Discord would have won. So for finding a way to stop him: thank you.”

Fluttershy leaned forwards, and finally her face came into the faint light from the moon. Fake Fluttershy flinched back. The pegasus’s eyes were bloodshot, and her mane was a mess. She stared unblinking at Fake Fluttershy. Something cold was in the depths of her pupils. Something cold and tired.

“You have his friendship. You have his trust.”

Fake Fluttershy nodded slowly. Fluttershy stared at her. Intently. Quietly.

“I don’t trust him. I never will. I think he’s a monster.”

Slowly, Fluttershy raised her hoof and placed it upon the table. Her fur was broken by a ring of dried blood, the dark red wound beneath still fresh.

“A monster is still a monster no matter how much times passes. Regardless of time or friendship, they’ll always be monsters in the end.”

Fake Fluttershy was silent. Fluttershy continued.

“But to protect Equestria, I will pick up any weapon I can, use any tactic no matter how underhanded.”

Fluttershy’s eyes were the only points of light in the darkness. They held the single ray of moonlight and glittered, fragile diamonds on the edge of breaking.

“There’s still another immortal out there, and I won’t risk his return. Making plans and building defenses was foolish. We need to destroy the enemy before they can threaten anyone.”

Fluttershy pushed herself away from the table. Fake Fluttershy tried to speak then, but was cut off.

“I’m leaving you in charge while I’m gone. Four days from now, I’m going to the Crystal Empire. The changelings I’ve sent have reported a dark shadow lurking in the blizzards outside the capital.”

Fluttershy stood up. The imposter sitting across from her was trying to protest, but she paid its words no heed. Her heart was cold, her body was tired. She had a mission.

“I’m going. Longfoot will remain here with you. If I don’t return, keep up the act. If I do return, it will only be when the enemy lies dead.”

Slowly, Fluttershy walked to the cottage door. She look back only once. Fake Fluttershy was still sitting in her chair, staring at her with eyes full of…what? Pity? Sadness? Fluttershy looked away.

It needed to be said. She took a deep breath, and spoke into the silence of the night.

“I’m going to kill Sombra. Permanently.”

And then she was gone.