After Twilight left, Discord had got her to take a bath, him waiting outside the door. It was mostly to wash off the glitter.
She dug her nails into her arm to keep herself awake.
When she got out and opened the door, she stumbled, him catching her.
She was too out of it to care that he picked her up and carried her.
He put her in her bed, sitting at her feet.
"Maybe I should ask you when you wake up."
"I was drugged. Twilight was...she was gonna watch my drink. I jus' wan'ned somethin' cold on my throat. I'm jus' happy I could stay normal enough to...help...I think I threatened the slime guys. Then I jus' wan...na hear yer voice. I been drug worse..." Fluttershy slurred. She was already half asleep, just staying awake enough to tell him.
She was unaware of his eyes glowing, his face scrunched in a rage he hadn't felt in a long time, as he gripped her blanket in his fists, his knuckles white. He forced himself to get up and leave, a rumble in his chest and energy crackling off him like dangerous static.
Fluttershy slept in a drug-induced deep rest as the door slammed open then closed. The door startled Sombra and Chrysalis, but they quickly ignored it and went back to bed.
Discord was in such a rage at what had happened to someone he cared for. It wasn't the first time he'd lost someone to drugs and he had no intention of letting it happen again.
Though with her it was unwilling, and she was safe and okay now, she wasn't like that, it still stirred up memories he would rather not acknowledge.
Each step he took outside lit the earth in colorful veins. He had to burn off the anger.
Even without the voices in his head giggling, yelling and whispering, he knew he could have a temper.
If only he could've seen who did it to her, then he could have someone to release his anger on.
A powerful surge was released on a hard step, at a particularly nasty memory, illuminating the earth for miles and miles, small critters and plant life becoming altered in the process.
The magic fueled by rage seeped into the air and deep into the soil, disrupting the roots, the bugs, the rocks, even the water was changed.
A few days later and Discord hadn't been heard from. Fluttershy had tried getting a hold of him. He was an adult, though. He had no obligations to them. He didn't need to tell Fluttershy where he'd be.
Her phone rang and she saw it was Rainbow, Fluttershy had been sipping a cup of blood Chrysalis left on her way out. She smiled, remembering her conversation on the street.
The night of the party was a bit hazy but she did remember most of it. Twilight not watching her drink, or at least for a bit, enough where they could slip something in. She knew she talked to Rainbow. She talked to Discord on the phone then Twilight went home with her to get her thing and that was all she really remembered. She didn't remember walking to the mansion with Twilight, or anything after. Even then, the conversations were fuzzy.
"Hey, Rainbow. Haven't heard from you in a few days. What's up?" She grinned.
"Hey, Shy. Twilight said Dean Celestia wanted to talk to us. I'm near your place so wanna walk together?"
Rainbow sounded happy.
Fluttershy raised a brow at that news. Why would Dean Celestia want to see them? Something clenched in her belly. She had a bad feeling.
"Uh, okay. Let me get changed though. I'll try and hurry. Just wait out on the porch if you get here before I'm out."
She heard Rainbow hum. "Alright. Still don't know why I can't come in. They know I'm one of your friends."
Fluttershy sighed. "I'll talk to all you girls about it later. Okay, I'm hanging up."
She went to get changed and put her hair up. Summertime was brutal when one had thick long hair.
She glanced at her phone when she grabbed her purse. Something was nagging her.
Chrysalis was at work, that was normal. Sombra was at the library at this time. Again, normal.
Derpy, work, getting ready for a long vacation for the anniversary of her husband's passing. A new event, but apparently a yearly thing she did.
She couldn't help the anxiety at not knowing where Discord was. Or if he was safe. She was so scared he'd disappear or be taken and-
Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Rainbow saying she arrived.
As she walked down the hallway, she had decided to try and call Discord. She'd grown more confidence at knowing she could.
She dialed as she walked.
It rang.
Ringing.
Ringing.
It kept ringing.
Voicemail.
Panic was crawling up her body. She tried again. Really, she shouldn't be worried. He was a large man.
She still tried again. Worse comes to worst she could apologize.
It rang again.
Again.
The click she needed to hear!
"Dis-" she began, but was cut off from a male voice that was not Discord.
"A girl's voice? Who might you be, little lady?" He sounded young and she swore she could see a cat-like grin through the voice alone.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I called Discord. I...must've not..." she pulled the phone away from her ear but it was Discord's contact number.
She heard him snicker. "You're looking for Discord? I could tell you if you give me your name."
She went to reply, not with her name, but to ask politely for Discord to be put on, when she heard him squeak and the familiar voice she was hoping for began talking. "Capper, you fuckfaced feline, what have I said about touching my shit? Hm? Who are you calling? I swear if you're using that to call Chrysalis again-"
Fluttershy couldn't help the giggle that escaped. Capper scoffed and she could hear his mock offended tone.
"I have called no one! There is a sweet sounding lady on the phone. Not Chrissy, unfortunately."
She heard Discord snort and movement. Discord must've taken the phone. "Fluttershy, everything alright?" His voice held concern and she couldn't help her heart swelling at hearing his voice clearly.
She nodded but realized he couldn't see. "I'm fine. I just...hadn't heard from you. Which is fine! You can do what you want...it's just, uhm...my memory of that night is fuzzy so I can't remember much. I didn't upset you did I?"
He sighed, his voice suddenly soft. She heard footsteps. She liked when his voice got soft. It made her belly warm. "Of course not, Fluttershy. I've just had work. The shifts have been long so I've been bunking here. I'm sorry to have worried you, dear. I should be back by the end of the week. I do have an idea you might like, but it's a surprise until I see you again."
She felt sad he wasn't going to be back soon, but she was curious about the surprise. "That's...okay. You know you don't have to surprise me. But, Discord. Before you hang up, can you maybe try and call me when you can? It can be tomorrow or the day after, I just...worry and I...I miss you." She blushed.
He was silent for a bit. "How're you feeling? Do the other two know of the incident?" He said the last word like venom.
She really wished he was there. "I don't...think so. I'm fine now though. Can I tell you something?"
He hummed. "Of course, my dear."
She took a deep breath, feeling it lodge itself. "I've been drugged worse than that. That's why I could be as coherent as I was. A lot is still fuzzy, but it's better than the days where everything was...Just please be safe. I can hear Rainbow at the door. Dean Celestia called us in for some reason."
It was quiet for a bit, but she could hear his breathing. "You're going to have to tell me that another time, Fluttershy. About the...drugging. As for Tia, don't trust everything she says. She's not as all compassionate as she leads her students to believe." She could hear the hatred in his voice and she hoped one day she'd never be on that end.
"Okay. I won't listen if I get a bad feeling. As for storytelling, maybe we can sleep in my bed this time? Heehee, be warned now, though. When you get back, don't be surprised if your room smells like me." She giggled hearing him make a noise of surprise.
"I thought I locked my door." He sounded as if he was thinking.
She giggled. "I kinda-might've- perhaps- lock picked it and went in?" She blushed. It was more embarrassing saying it out loud. And she realized how wrong that probably was. She broke in to a adults room to sleep there.
She was brought out by his laughing. He cackled and let out a couple snorts. "You win, you win, my dear. I miss you too...but don't tell anyone that. Gotta get back." He whispered that last bit and sighed.
He hung up. Her face felt like it was on fire.
She opened the front door, Rainbow tapping her foot. She looked to Fluttershy with a brow raised. "Took you long enough. Why's your face red? Not a summer cold is it?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "Sorry. And no, not a cold, just something I heard on the radio last night was an embarrassing story."
Rainbow nodded, but then jolted up. "Oh, did you hear? It was all over the news! Two seniors from our school had died the night of the party, or at least early morning the next day."
Rainbow was obviously interested.
Fluttershy'a eyes widened. "What? How?" She gasped. She could only guess it was the slimy guys, but she didn't want them dead...did she? If it was them, then they had to follow through with her threat. She...didn't know she could command people.
Rainbow faced her, walking backwards. "Well, one, had jumped off his family's roof and broke his legs, but the bones severed his big artery and he died of blood loss. No one found him till his dad left for work the next morning. The other one was found in the park. He was bruised and naked with a lot of needle marks. He overdosed. There hasn't been word yet on what he overdosed on. No one, not even his friends didn't know he did drugs. A runner found him on her morning walk. Freaky, huh?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah. Freaky. So, do we know what Dean Celestia wanted?" She tried veering the topic.
Rainbow shook her head. "No. Kinda sucks, why does our Dean want to see us on a summer break?"
Fluttershy only nodded.
Fluttershy and her friends were at a lunch table that was set out in a gym area, but it wasn't a gym. Just a small tiled area that took up space right when you walked in.
There was a spot at the end for the Dean to sit.
Fluttershy was facing Twilight, the order they sat was coincidental.
"Uhm, Twilight? Why are we here?" She asked.
Twilight looked to her. "Dean Celestia said something about our group being the only one with people she could trust to do what she needed us to. She's our Dean and has done so much for us, I figured of course we could help."
Fluttershy deadpanned, almost raising one brow.
Dean Celestia came out with an old, jeweled wood box with intricate patterns carved into it, along with some papers in a file.
"Hello, girls. Thank you for coming today and I know this is going to sound very strange, but first, do you trust me?"
Twilight nodded surely, the others as well, though not as enthusiastic. Fluttershy didn't nod nor shake her head. Looking at the box made her uneasy.
Celestia smiled and put her hands together. "Good. This box has some things that have been in my family for generations and they've chosen you six to be their bearers. It's said they should only be used in a time where a great danger, an apocalyptic danger, is upon us. Strange things have been happening all around. Wildlife has been showing odd signs, the weather is erratic in some areas. Some deserts have turned to seas, disrupting the ecosystem. These have been acting up as well." She lifted the lid to reveal six jewels. One looked like a deep pink starlight, there was an orange apple, a deep violet diamond, a cerulean blue ballon, a red thunderbolt and a light pink butterfly. They looked old and dusty. She could feel the magic containing them. "They are called 'The Elements of Harmony'. You might not believe me, but they contain something called magic. It's very powerful. Go ahead. Once you touch the one meant for you, it's said something will happen." Celestia held out the box to them.
Twilight reached and grabbed first. The deep pink starlight.
The others, though a bit skeptical, reached.
They all spoke, their words jumbling as they wondered what to do with the small jewels that they all seemed drawn to.
Her friend's jewels glowed, magic warping around them and turning them. Twilight's a crown, the others turned to having gold necklaces with their jewel in the middle. The items moved themselves and latched onto her friends. They were all awe struck, whispering amongst each other excitedly and with amazement.
Fluttershy was the only one hesitant. She didn't want to reach for it. She knew it was just a small butterfly shaped gem, but she was scared. Something told her to ignore it. "Don't touch it." It warned her.
"I think they've chosen wisely. Twilight, your's is the Element of Friendship. Pinkie, laughter and fun, Rarity, generosity, Applejack, honesty, RainbowDash, loyalty.
Fluttershy, your's is kindness. Go ahead."
Celestia spoke like a smart but kind adult.
"I...I'm sorry. I can't accept it." Fluttershy said, putting her hands up in a placating manner.
Her friend's gasped.
"Why not?" Pinkie asked.
"It isn't going to bite you, darling." Rarity said with a flip of her wrist.
"C'mon now, Sugarcube. We all took ours." Applejack tried to assure her.
"Can't you trust us this once, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, a bit concerned and confused.
Fluttershy visibly bristled. Trust them?! Why can't they trust her for once?
"Fluttershy. Dean Celestia is an adult and she'd never lead us astray. She knows what's best for us. I mean, saving the world? Wow, it's a scary thing, but to be trusted like that to save everyone?
She has to know what she's doing. Plus, as your friend's you know if we did it you should too. You won't leave us hanging will you?" Twilight said, an awe to her voice that made Fluttershy want to puke and she bristled further.
"Fluttershy, how're things back at Ms. Hooves' place? I haven't heard from you about it in awhile." Dean Celestia butt in.
Fluttershy didn't mean to, but she fixed her glare on Dean Celestia. She heard Twilight whisper shout to her about what she was thinking making that face.
"Everything's fine, Dean Celestia. Thank you for asking."
Celestia hummed, though she frowned a bit. "You've never been like this in all the years I've taught you all. Are you sure everything is going well? 'He's' not having a bad influence on you, is 'He'? Twilight has told me more about your living conditions."
Her other friends gasped, but obviously too curious to stop it.
Fluttershy was confused. What did Twilight know? And why would she tell Dean Celestia? Fluttershy tried taking a deep breath.
How she worded it made it sound bad. Made it sound like she wasn't being cared for so dearly.
She put on a forced smile to their teacher.
"I assure you, Dean Celestia, everything is fine." She wasn't going to bring up the "He" comment. That was between herself and the Dean. NOT her friends.
Dean Celestia sighed, smiling that wise adult smile. Fluttershy knew it was strained. "Please take the Element, Fluttershy. They can't do it without you. The Elements have to work together to work."
"Don't be scared, Fluttershy. Nothing happened to us." Twilight said, pushing the box more towards her.
She wasn't scared. She was uneasy. She's felt both and this was not fear. She didn't care for magic much. She still wasn't sure how she became a Vampire but she was starting to suspect it was magic. Magic complicated things.
She didn't need complications.
Maybe she could grab it and once out of sight, toss it?
She gulped, reaching for it and held it in her palm. It was cold. She almost sighed in relief that nothing happened.
She could feel it pulse in her palm weakly. She hid it by closing her hand. She wondered if something was wrong but she kept it to herself.
"Thank you, Fluttershy. No harm done." Dean Celestia said.
"So what is the threat, Dean Celestia?" Twilight asked, sitting to attention.
Fluttershy rose her brow. They should've asked that BEFORE taking the gems.
"That's why I have these. They're old papers, again passed down, saying what the threat could be if signs similar to this show." She pulled out papers, some with drawings, others in beautiful hand written ink. "It's not much, but there's three magical signatures you need to watch out for. The first, The Red Smoke of Knowledge. The one wealding this is strategic and always hungry for more knowledge no matter the kind. If they can use it to their advantage, they will. Second, is The Green Static with Many Faces. They will be a master of camouflage. Using that to deceive and manipulate as they can mimic any body, any voice and any action a loved one could have. Thirdly, most dangerous of all, is Erratic Chaos. It's very unpredictable but usually the one with it holds a lot of rage. There isn't much written or known about it either. Hence part of the erratic nature of it. The only way to find them would most likely be individually or when they cause an issue. Simply because they can easily hide. I hope you can all find them before they cause any damage. I think that was all. I have a meeting with the new sponsor for our school here soon. You all are dismissed. I hope you'll inform me of any clues. Good luck and be safe."
With that large amount of information dumped on them, Dean Celestia turned to leave.
Her friends stood first and began chatting. Pinkie and Rarity were talking about outfits and how cool it would be, like in movies and shows.
Applejack was more cautious, Rainbow was all for it, saying she'd be a hero.
Twilight stayed quiet, probably trying to think of how they could find them.
Fluttershy was petrified. She didn't have to be a genius to figure out who the "prophecy" was speaking about. She'd seen all their powers and the color the magic associated with them.
But they weren't a danger! Dean Celestia's papers HAD to be WRONG!
When she looked over towards Dean Celestia's office, about to go and speak with her about not asking about Discord, she stopped.
Inside the office, Dean Celestia was greeting and shaking the hand of Him. He must have been the sponsor.
She felt a chill. She knew He was rich, had power, but why would He fund a school?
She couldn't deal with them now. So far, he hasn't caused any suspicious ruckus. So, she could focus on her roommates.
Before she could do that, though, she wanted to get the talk with them over with. One less thing weighing on her chest.
She gripped the gem tightly, feeling it crumble, her eyes widened and she looked at it.
The gem kept crumbling until it turned to dust, then it did something unexpected. The dust crawled up her arm, under her shirt, and she could feel it burn slightly and settle into her back, near her shoulder blades.
She didn't like it! She couldn't toss it now. Wait...
'They only work if it's together.'
That's what Dean Celestia said. So... that could mean it wouldn't work anyway, or, as long as Fluttershy doesn't help, it won't work. She sighed, feeling that weight off her chest and she almost smiled.
Now, the last thing she had to deal with was the talk with her friends. Fluttershy took a deep breath then let it out.
"Girls! Wait up! I need to talk to you!" Fluttershy ran up. She hoped they weren't too mad. She was still annoyed, but she figured, she had to set boundaries. She hoped they'd understand.
They all stopped and waited. "Will it take long, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, looking at her watch.
The others nodded, seeming they were busy as well. Fluttershy frowned.
"Not really. Just a few things. Can all of you, you know, not just waltz into the mansion at anytime or if I don't pick up? It's not like with my...my family. Even though they know you're my friends, it's still rude because they live there too. Also...Twilight?" She looked to the violet haired girl, who was writing in a journal.
Twilight looked up for a second. "Yeah?"
Fluttershy got a bit closer. "I just wanted to know what exactly you've been telling Dean Celestia? On that note, do all of you think it's right to be doing this? Just...doing what an adult says and accepting that she's putting our lives in danger for something that could possibly not even be real?"
"Like she said, if we can get them before they do damage then we'll be safe. This is for the world, Fluttershy. As for what I've told her, it was only because I wanted her advice. We're worried about you in that place with adults none of us know." Twilight put her hand on Fluttershy's shoulder.
Fluttershy let out a breath. "I do understand your concern, but I've known Derpy since I was a child since she was friends with my parents. So I'm fine. She wouldn't let me near adults if they were bad people."
Twilight didn't look convinced. "You've been staying as far from Chrysalis as you can right? I'm worried she's a bad influence on you."
Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. She thought it was going to be an easy talk. Just let them know not to waltz in, see exactly what Twilight was telling Celestia and set that right or inform her she was fine, then done. She could go back to the house and fix up a great dinner.
"What are you getting at, Twilight?"
Twilight sighed. "I mean, I saw the other night how that big guy held your face and you let him. I'm just worried you're gonna..."
Twilight didn't need to finish for Fluttershy to know what she was implying. She smacked Twilight's hand away. "He held me to make sure I was okay, because I was drugged."
The others gasped and Twilight'a eyes widened.
"WHAT?!" Rainbow shouted, but judging by Fluttershy's body language, didn't get any closer.
They began to ask if she was okay, what happened, yadda yadda, same conversation from different mouths.
Twilight tried reaching for her again. "When did that happen?"
Fluttershy felt the lump in her throat. She hated being drugged. She hated the fuzzy memories, the vivid recall of touch. "I asked you to keep an eye on my drink."
Twilight looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry, Flash was showing me something. It was just for a moment. I thought it'd be fine there."
Fluttershy forced a small smile. "Well it's fine now, isn't it? I'm not drugged, they didn't get to do whatever thing they wanted to, we got the gym cleaned up, and I'm fine now. Accidents happen."
Twilight looked almost offended. "If that's how you feel, then you shouldn't have brought it up. We have a bigger problem to focus on."
Fluttershy smiled but it was a forced one. "Ah, of course. We have to do whatever Miss Celestia says. Risk our lives and fight for no reason. How do we know the "prophecy " is even real?"
Twilight was getting upset. "It's DEAN Celestia and she knows what's best. Plus, these things are magic! Actual magic! What she said has to be true. Why're you fighting this so much?"
Fluttershy crossed her arms. "If it's an issue, let her deal with it. I have to put my foot down, Twilight. I'm not risking mine nor my friend's lives for this."
Twilight glared, crossing her own arms. "I'm doing this to protect my friends and family. Sacrifice has to be made. I'd rather risk my life than lose hundreds. That's why their doing it too! They have family and loved ones to protect against these forces out there bringing on the end of the world."
Fluttershy's nostrils flared. "Sacrifice has to be made? Do you even know the meaning of that? This isn't a game, Twilight! But you know, I've kept you guys long enough. I have things to do." She went to turn, seeing Rainbow was going to follow.
She heard a scoff. "I do know because unlike you, we have families we have to protect. But do you even know the meaning of that anymore?" Twilight said, the insult bitter in her tone.
Fluttershy's breath stopped. She kept walking. They had no idea what she had to sacrifice, only for it to be in vain.
She stopped when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She thought it was Rainbow but when she turned her head, it was a mad Twilight. Fluttershy could feel the heat from the gem on the crown.
"Don't walk away from us, Fluttershy. Friends don't walk away like that."
Fluttershy turned so fast Twilight's eyes widened. She grabbed Twilight's wrist with her other hand and yanked her out, letting go after. "Unless you want a fight, Twilight, leave me be, at least for now and I can assure you. You will lose the fight."
She heard Twilight scoff, highly doubting it. Fluttershy didn't say anything else and walked away.
She just needed to cool down. They both did.
She hoped.
When she got back, she smiled, she enjoyed and put up the front of being fine as she made dinner with Derpy and when she knew Chrysalis would be back, she prepared a bath with relaxing bath salts for her. She packed away a great meal and good snacks for Sombra.
She was calming down. She was laughing and smiling.
So why did she still feel the lump in her throat? She never fought with them.
She curled under a thick layer of Discord's pillows and blankets in his hammock and tried breathing.
She had to warn them when Discord got back. The whole magic powers bit, was much more complicated that they originally thought.
The mark from the gem on her back burned, though little. She wondered if that was a good thing.
She needed a vacation.