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Duty
May 20, 2012 9:35:09 GMT -5
Post by Nightbow on May 20, 2012 9:35:09 GMT -5
[45th of Summer, daytime, after Harmony eclipsed. Mainly for Twi and Flutter, but you may ask to join in.]
The lithe yellow pegasus had never truly felt abandoned. At least not in this sense. She couldn’t put her hoof on it, everything was slipping away. Princess Celestia counted on her to keep everything together but how could she, the dewy-voiced spirit of kindness, ever hope to accomplish such a task? The feeling lingered with her like a bad dream. Rarity had followed Pinkie Pie in order to make arrangements for the party and Rainbow Dash had blasted off to the forest with AJ close behind.
Fluttershy’s place was here, with Twilight Sparkle in the Library of Neighathorn. Bookshelves upon bookshelves lined the walls. She was soaring by the higher levels of the huge shelves, disturbing a fine layer of dust from the ancient lather bound volumes. Not that the Pegasus would think to browse through any particular of these big books, their titles merely making sense her. Of all her friends, Twilight seemed to need her the most at the moment. Even if the modest mare didn’t want to disturb the deeply focused unicorn she had to make sure that she was okay. Fluttershy’s feathers were ruffled as a creeping realization came over her. She steered back down onto the floor, rounding a corner where she last had seen Twilight, but her friend was not where she had left her. Fluttershy kept walking, her pace coming to a trot, but she could neither see nor hear Twilight. “Twilight? Twilight, where are you?”
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Duty
May 21, 2012 2:29:21 GMT -5
Post by Spitfire on May 21, 2012 2:29:21 GMT -5
"Huh?" Twilight, who had had her nose burried deep in an ancient leather-bound volume, was jerked out of her concentration by the sound of a familiar voice calling her name, and the unicorn winced, for a moment looking for all the world like she wanted to physically sink into the open book so that Fluttershy wouldn't find her. The lavender girl still felt beyond awful about what she'd lead her friends into, and no-one's words had yet been able to convince her otherwise. Even if she couldn't have prepared more, letting her friends fall to buy herself time to try the spell that had only caused more damage weighed heavily on Twilight's conscience.
How could she have done that, after all the friendship lessons she'd learnt? What kind of friend did that make her?
Hoping that Fluttershy wouldn't have noticed her, for Twilight felt incapable of facing any of her friends right now - even if they forgave her, that would be just as painful as if they were mad at her - the unicorn turned her attention back to the books. So far, it had proven a futile search. "There's no mention of this Eclipse in anything other than old pony tales, and those things never hold a gram of truth," she complained aloud, forgetting right then that her voice alone would be enough to alert the pegasus to her presence.
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Duty
May 23, 2012 11:43:14 GMT -5
Post by Nightbow on May 23, 2012 11:43:14 GMT -5
Fluttershy was close enough to believe herself to hear something when the unicorn stirred. After all her hearing was keen and alert to the smallest of sounds, being roomates with a bunny. The sound reminded the mare of her friend, and with a strand of guilt she convinced herself that the cranky Angel would be okay just a little longer on his own.
The sun-coated pony tiptoed towards its source, skipping into the air with her chest galloping as Twilight broke the ghastly silence. Fluttershy took a couple of deep breaths to still her beating heart, then descended once again and approached her friend. As she drew near, the look on the unicorn’s face rapidly filled the little mare with concern.
“Are you okay, Twilight?” She inquired shifting her weight awkwardly, eyes beaming valiantly towards her in this time of need. The Pegasus pony simply had to maintain a positive posture.
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Duty
May 23, 2012 15:00:05 GMT -5
Post by Spitfire on May 23, 2012 15:00:05 GMT -5
Twilight winced, reluctantly turning to face the other pony. She really didn't want to talk to any of her friends right now, but she wasn't about to just ignore the pegasus on those grounds when Fluttershy was so clearly intent on talking to her. Trying to collect herself, Twilight flipped the book closed, depositing it carefully atop the pile of volumes she'd already searched and found nothing useful, before turning to face the pink-maned pony. The unicorn felt as though she didn't deserve any of the concern she could read in Fluttershy's expression, and she frowned uncomfortably at the question.
"I failed, Fluttershy," she finally replied, not meeting her friend's gaze and addressing her hooves instead. "The princesses were counting on me, and not only did I let them down, I gambled all your lives on a chance to win the battle that didn't even work. I'm an awful friend." Unable to face even Fluttershy's hooves right now, Twilight hurriedly turned away, pulling an especially old volume down from the shelf, showering herself with dust in the process and setting herself coughing.
Once she'd blinked the dust from her eyes, Twilight looked at the book she'd brought down. "'Ancient History of Equestria'?" Her hopes rose a little. This one might actually have something useful within its pages! Hurriedly, Twilight flipped it open, scanning through the pages for some mention of Eclipse or the myseterious Opaque, still watching out of the corner of her eye for Fluttershy's response.
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Duty
May 27, 2012 2:06:01 GMT -5
Post by Nightbow on May 27, 2012 2:06:01 GMT -5
”Oh? Um …” Focused on her task, Fluttershy had been positive that Twilight would, too. Certainly, Twilight being the ever faithful student had surely covered an impressive amount of books during these past hours and Fluttershy felt for her, but the little pegasus had not expected Twilight to blame herself for what had lead up to this.
Images of Eclipse suddenly flashed back to her mind, memories scattered like a mosaic of puzzle pieces. She remembered Twilight brave feat, an attempt to seal off the wickedness, but before that could happen some of the ponies – no, all of them – had fallen. She had just not been there. She could see one or two of her friend’s seemingly lifeless figures hitting the ground before she was flung into a wall and everything faded from view.
Supressing a soundless whimper, Fluttershy violently shook her head. As her azure eyes regained their focus, she found her way back to the Twilight Sparkle who now stood before her. Clearly this nightmare of an event haunted all of them. The unicorn pony could not focus properly on her work, having a weak moment. But that’s what I’m here for, Fluttershy figured.
“Faced with an unknown evil I think you handled the situation bravely. I mean, if it had come to the worst … um, you know … we still did our best. We’re all okay, and that is what matters.” Since they had all to Fluttershy’s relief survived the encounter, she failed to see why Twilight would beat herself up about it. She was confident that they would with the guidance of the princesses make it out okay of this one too. Then again, the look on Celestia’s face had brought the Pegasus discomfort.
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Duty
May 29, 2012 2:57:26 GMT -5
Post by Spitfire on May 29, 2012 2:57:26 GMT -5
"How can you be okay with this?" For the first time since the horrific battle, Twilight looked straight into the eyes of one of her friends, trying, trying to comprehend how the pegasus could possibly not see how awful a friend that situation had proved her to be.
"I should have tried to protect the rest of you. I know a few shielding spells, I could have - should have - used them to protect you so we could have used the elements." Now, once more, she wrenched her violet gaze away from Fluttershy's, staring back down at the book she'd just opened without really seeing what she was looking at. "Instead... I didn't even check that any of you were still alive. I was so sure I knew what I was doing..." her voice dropped almost as low as Fluttershy's with shame. "I allowed myself to believe defeating Eclipse was more important than any of your survival. That even if one or two of you had fallen, that if I could beat her, it would be okay...
"And I failed." Twilight seemed to be wishing she could sink into the floor again, to get away from any of those she'd failed, but kept on speaking anyway. "It was only pure luck that no-one did die." She forced her eyes closed, feeling tears burning behind her eyelids at the thought of what she'd been prepared to sacrifice - her best friends.
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Duty
May 31, 2012 14:55:49 GMT -5
Post by Nightbow on May 31, 2012 14:55:49 GMT -5
At Twilight’s outburst the Pegasus could feel her heart sink, wings springing aflutter with a start. Fluttershy’s face went blank as the unicorn’s eyes pierced her, trying to force sense into her. Wings, ears and stance then slowly sunk back down with submission. She was just about to reassure her friend that the blame wasn’t hers to take, but Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth again, and Fluttershy was left in silence.
They were in it together. Who needed protecting was not important. Twilight believed she could seal the evil in and all of them aided in an effort to make it so. They … they trusted her. Fluttershy shook her head slowly.
Twilight was falling apart. Fluttershy slipped up to side with her, curving her hoof over her friend’s shoulders. She could feel her pain. She wanted to say something comforting, but couldn’t muster more than a soothing hum. It took another moment for the words to reach her maw.
“No Twilight. You didn’t fail. We failed.” Everything they had done, they had been through together. Even now they had to keep staying strong. What more could they do, than focusing on the task ahead of them? Everything would be okay… Fluttershy could no longer shut out the images of her mentally scarred friends gathered this m morning in this very room. How right over there, Princess Celestia had been in a frantic battle with herself and how Princess Luna had to step in for her.
“Twi…” A whimper rose. Crystal blue eyes refused to shut out the tears. ”I’m so scared.”
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Duty
May 31, 2012 15:58:15 GMT -5
Post by Spitfire on May 31, 2012 15:58:15 GMT -5
Twilight wanted to keep on arguing. She wanted to protest that it had been her fault, not that of any of the others; she'd been the one who'd come perilously close to sacrificing them all, as if every lesson of friendship she'd learnt had meant nothing - because truthfully, the fact that Fluttershy (in fact, most of her friends, as far as she could tell) still trusted her after such a grievous mistake on her part was harder for the unicorn to deal with than if they'd all blamed her as much as she herself did.
She couldn't, though. Couldn't keep protesting against Fluttershy's continued support of her once she'd caught sight of the tears shining in the pegasus' eyes. Guilt still twisted in Twilight's gut, but to keep on at her friend now would just be particularly insensitive, not to mention ungrateful. Fluttershy needed her comfort now, not her criticism of her willingness to forgive. Feeling none the less uncomfortable for that, Twilight stepped away from the book she had opened and towards her friend, wondering what she could even say anymore.
"I am too," she confessed. She still didn't know all that much about this Eclipse, but she was different than anything they'd faced before. Nightmare Moon, the Changeling Queen, even Discord, paled in contrast to whatever powers this newcomer to the scene could wield. No matter how much Twilight might feel that her friends' continuing trust in her was misplaced, they needed each other more than ever now. If any of them - her included - tried to go it alone, they'd be dooming them all to faliure.
Which meant that Fluttershy - that everyone - was right; she had to get over her last faliure or they wouldn't get anywhere at all, although that was easier said than done. "I suppose all we can do is stick together and trust the Princesses to lead us through all of this," she added softly, wishing she could think of something that would allay the yellow pegasus' fears more than the words she'd just spoken would.
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Duty
Jun 1, 2012 9:01:02 GMT -5
Post by Nightbow on Jun 1, 2012 9:01:02 GMT -5
The yellow little pony wiped the tears of her face with her hoof - the best she could, for little droplets still kept coming glistening down. "Yeah..." She breathed, voice trailing off. She wanted to believe it. They had to believe it. "We will make it together." She took a deep shivering, cleansing breath. There was no other option.
Fluttershy's gaze trailed from Twilight pile of books to the huge arching window that cast light between the rows of bookshelves. The sun, well past zenit now, was starting to tint the horizion with its golden glow. It reminded Fluttershy of the princesses. Was the answer even to be found in this library? Not that she doubted the highnesses, but even they seemed uncertain. Fluttershy's tear-stained face was then turned back to her friend. "How do you suppose the others are doing?" Fluttershy's fear made her feel more distant separated from her friends more now than ever.
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Duty
Jun 5, 2012 15:54:08 GMT -5
Post by Spitfire on Jun 5, 2012 15:54:08 GMT -5
Twilight wished she could think of more words to add to reassure Fluttershy as she couldn't help but notice the watery droplets still glistening in the pegasus' eyes, but Twilight's own concerns, fears and continual self-doubts were making it hard for her to think of anything that would help the situation. In truth, she wasn't sure that they'd all make it, even together - how could the magic of friendship help them where even the Elements had failed? -, but what else could they do but hope that those words would still prove true in the end?
"Better than I am, I hope," she spoke, in answer to her friend's question. Rarity and Pinkie had been tasked with doing practically what they were best at, and while Applejack and Rainbow's own jobs had the potential to be more dangerous, Twilight knew both ponies could take care of themselves - and their tasks had a success rate that was much easier to measure than her own. And speaking of her own... Twilight returned her attention to the book she'd been browsing.
Her eyes lit up for a moment as amazingly, unexpectedly, the violet orbs fell across a mention of the name she'd been looking for, Eclipse, then dimmed as she reaslised that the information on the enemy was barely more than a few sentences. A look somewhat akin to deperation crossed Twilight's face. How could the library fail her at such a crucial time as this?
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Duty
Jun 9, 2012 10:18:18 GMT -5
Post by Nightbow on Jun 9, 2012 10:18:18 GMT -5
Fluttershy looked solemn. It was probably true - the girls were fine, only underlining the fact that the peg wasn't doing a good job at keeping Twilight's spirit up. She watched in silence as the unicorn turned back to her tome, and had to hover a decimetre over the ground in order to eye the (from her point of view) up-side down font.
"...It's not in there, is it?" Fluttershy landed ungracefully, wings flinging to her sides and nostrils flaring with alarm. The pegasus cursed herself for uttering such disheartening words as her sapphire gaze sought amethyst, head slightly lowered in shame. Perhaps there were truth to her words. The 'old ponies tale' about Night Mare Moon had been true, but how old was Eclipse? Actually ...
"Do you reckon this evil is actually ... older than the princesses themselves?" She had the form of an alicorn, and her might was great enough to scare even the adamant princess Celestia. Fluttershy adjusted her stance, hiding behind her rosey veil of a mane, eyes clouded with deep thought.
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Duty
Jun 20, 2012 2:21:20 GMT -5
Post by Spitfire on Jun 20, 2012 2:21:20 GMT -5
"No, it isn't," Twilight finally admitted. The tome she had open right now had practically been her last hope, and now the unicorn was fresh out of ideas where else she could look. She'd been at this all day... "I barely know anything more about this Eclipse than when I started," she moaned, flipping the volume closed with a loud thump. "What Celestia said about her this morning told me more than anything I've seen here." Other than a collection of old pony tails that gave this threatening figure many more powers than she could possibly really be able to wield, so Twilight didn't even bother counting that one.
She looked back up at Fluttershy, poor, scared Fluttershy, and realised there was nothing she could say to reassure the pegasus. "It must be," she replied blankly, a feeling of despair creeping over her. "You heard Celestia this morning; Eclipse was her elder sister." The changeling queen might have been able to defeat Celestia - once - but what chance did the six of them have against an Alicorn older and more powerful still, even with the Elements? Twilight wanted to stay hopeful, but the task before her, before all of them, seemed nothing short of impossible. She didn't voice the words, but they still hung in the air between the two mares, unspoken.
'We might all be doomed'.
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Duty
Jul 18, 2012 8:10:33 GMT -5
Post by Nightbow on Jul 18, 2012 8:10:33 GMT -5
Time might as well have frozen right there and then, for the two mares where locked in an exchange of despairing gazes, courage flailing as terror crept upon them. Fluttershy lingered. And then, finally, took a trembling breath of air. It felt chilly. Was the sun already sinking?
The colour returned to her cheeks. In a moment of sudden inspiration the sunny pegasus folded her wings around Twilight's shoulders, holding her close like a helpless lost critter. The silence had become unbearable. "We'll think of something. I just know it. The princesses believe in us." She stood back, cerulean eyes carrying a glimmer of hope although her stature wouldn't smile with her. "I believe in you."
The little pony started to assist her friend in putting the volumes back in their places, especially targeting those that an earthbound pony would require the ladder to put back. "Come on Twilight. Let's see how Rarity and Pinkie Pie are doing." Celestia knew even they could use a distraction at this hour.
[Sorry if I'm pushing this along at a bad pace or something. Starting to feel the need to move on here. ;P]
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Duty
Aug 6, 2012 14:14:52 GMT -5
Post by Spitfire on Aug 6, 2012 14:14:52 GMT -5
Twilight almost stiffened, the physical contact entirely taking her by surprise, but then after just the briefest of moments, allowing her body to relax to a degree, letting her friend's wings envelop her, soothing the unicorn's taut nerves, which had been stretched even tighter over the last day alone. She didn't try to break the heavy silence between them, just letting Fluttershy's embrace soothe her, although was relieved when the pegasus did speak.
Fluttershy meant that. In spite of her faliures of the day before, the pink-maned pony really did still believe that she, Twilight, was fit to lead them, that they'd be able to beat Eclipse, and that fact both relieved Twilight, and weighed on her conscience more heavily than ever.
"I don't know what to say," the lavender unicorn admitted, finally pulling back from her friend and turning her attention to replacing the heaviest volumes by means of her magic. "I can hardly believe you still trust me after I let you all down." Her eyes flickered down to her hooves, almost as though blinking away tears, and then back up to Fluttershy. "Thanks."
She gave a nod to her more brightly-coloured friend's suggestion swallowed once as though the action could help surpress her roiling feelings. "That's right, they were preparing for the celebration," she recalled. Princess Luna had been right, she was starting to realise, they did have to take their minds off what they were expected to do, at least for a little while. "You're right, we should check on them."
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