//------------------------------// // Promises (EDITED) // Story: Friendship isn't just Magic, it can heal hearts too // by Raumo //------------------------------// I breathed in the fresh morning air as I jogged around Ponyville. Then I took a second breath. Something is different. I cut my route short and headed to the library. I looked up at the slowly lightening sky. Hmm...should've been brighter by now. It seems… hazy. I walked into the library to see Twilight pacing around. "You're up early, and you're pacing. Don't you do that later in the day?" She looked at me. "Alex, there you are. On your run, did you notice anything different?" "Sure. The air smells different. It's supposed to be lighter by now than it is, and the air seems a bit hazy." "I thought so." She looked out a window. "Oh no! There is thick black smoke coming here. Spike! I need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia." As she ran to wake Spike up fully, I went to the bathroom to shower and change. As I came out, Twilight ran out the door with Spike on her back. Guess I'm not finding out till she comes back. I then noticed a scroll left with the Princess's seal on it. Or I can read the scroll. I opened it. So, not a fire. A dragon? Napping? For 100 years, apparently. She wants Twilight and her friends to ask it to move. Sounds simple. I let out a dry laugh at that thought. Yeah, nothing is ever simple in my life. *sigh* Time to pack for the trip. I moved to get some of my stuff when Twilight and her friends walked in. She explained the situation. I studied them as I packed. They all seemed brave and confident, except for Fluttershy. I watched Fluttershy pause at the door. Seeing as I was packed, I jogged up to her. "Hey Miss Fluttershy, would you like some help to pack?" "Um, well, you see, I don't want to go." She said quietly as we walked to her home. "I thought so, but I think Twilight wants you to come because of your way with animals." "Maybe, but it's a big scary dragon." We went through her door. "Twilight told me you faced a manticore. What's the difference between the dragon and that?" I sighed as she put on sports protective gear. "Fluttershy, that is not going to help you." She looked at me then sighed, taking the gear off. "That was Manny Roar, and I saw he was in pain, so approached him to pull the thorn out. This mean dragon chose to sleep near us and clog our skies with smoke. He is a big bully. I don't know how to deal with a bully." "I see." She finished packing and walked back to the library. As Twilight outlined the plan and studied the map, Fluttershy tried to get out of the trip. As Rainbow asked Twilight if she was sure Fluttershy should come, I was a bit saddened. Don't you have faith in your friend? Sure she is quiet, and frightens easily, but sometimes it's the quiet ones that end up being the most courageous. We arrived at the base of the mountain. You've got to be joking. That's like a 45 degree angle cliff face. Then a deep loud growl noise sounded out. So that is a dragon snoring? It sounds funny actually. Fluttershy hid in a bush. The others began climbing the mountain. "Fluttershy, you need to climb the mountain." "It's so… steep." "Yes it is. I have to say I am amazed your friends can climb it so easy. You can fly though, remember?" "Oh yeah." She then tried to flap her wings and fly up. Right then, the dragon just had to snore. Her wings snapped shut in fear, and I caught her as she fell. "Well, not quite what I planned." I gently set her down then turned to where I last saw her friends. They were all watching me. "Hey Miss Sparkle. I thinks it's best if I take her a different route. May I have your map?" She levitated it over to me and I quickly memorized a route. I turned to Fluttershy who froze as the dragon snored again. "Don't worry, Miss Sparkle, we'll be there as fast as we can, okay?" She nodded. I poured a bit of water on Fluttershy. It shook her out of her daze a bit. She was still terrified though. "Okay, well head on up together. I'm going to carry you, alright?" She nodded. I knelt down with my back to her. "Now put your front hooves around my neck and I'll support your back ones with my arms." She did so, and I carried her up the path I had memorized. "I'm sorry I'm being such a burden. It's just so scary and we're facing a dragon." She sounded sad as well as fearful. "You're not a burden. I've carried things about your weight before, and further than we're going. It's natural to be afraid, you know." "The others aren't afraid." I was on a particularly rough patch so I couldn't answer. "See, even you agree. I am the only one who is terrified, but I can't help it. It's a dragon." I got to a smoother patch, so I could talk again. "Okay, three things. One, can you walk now?" I felt her nod, so I knelt down so that she could slide off. She did so."Two, your friends are afraid. They are just so determined to do what is asked of them that they aren't showing it." We began walking quickly the rest of the way. "And three, Spike is a dragon, why are you not afraid of him?" "Spike is a baby dragon. Not a full grown dragon, with big fangs, horns, and can eat me in one bite like the one we're going to face." She had stopped walking and was shivering again. My heart wrenched a bit. Why is she so afraid now and not of the manticore Twilight told me about? Or even the wild animals she takes care once in awhile? "You take care of wild animals. You faced a manticore. What's the difference between now and then?" "They weren't dragons!" Even yelling, she was quiet. Now that's a feat. I gently set my hand on her shoulder. "Do you remember when I promised that I would never intentionally hurt you?" She nodded. "Did you believe me?" She nodded. "So I want you to believe me when I promise this. I will be with you every step of the way. As we finish climbing, when we reach the top, and especially when we face the dragon." She looked at me wide-eyed. "I'll do everything I can to protect you and your friends." *sigh* Somehow I went from protecting just Twilight, and in proxy somewhat the other four, to protecting this one too. There is just something about her though...I wonder if this is what it would've been like to have a little sister. I slammed that into a mental box labeled Later. I'll analyze that later. Much later. She leaned against me in gratitude. We continued on, and met the rest later than I had expected, but it was worth it to see Fluttershy a bit more confident. I glared at Rainbow Dash as she made a comment to Twilight. Unfortunately she ignored me, so it had no effect. When me came to a gap we had to jump over, she looked at me. "Just keep looking ahead, I'm right behind you. She smiled and jumped easily. As Twilight mentioned an avalanche hazard, Fluttershy moved closer to me. I hesitantly set my hand on her head and she leaned into it, so I kept it there. Again, one side of me is saying run, but I'm inclined to listen to the other side, and take a chance with this one. My heart beat in fear and hope. I saw Rainbow Dash brush against a tree and leaves fall. Carefully I steered her away from them. In her state, I don't know what could set her off. We passed the danger zone safely. As we came to the summit, I felt Fluttershy start to shake. I stopped and knelt. "Remember Fluttershy, I'll be right there." "What if Twilight's plan doesn't include you coming with me?" "Well, I'll have to disobey orders then. I made you a promise, and I'm going to keep it, okay?" She smiled at me, "Okay." We walked to the group as Twilight outlined her plan. "Miss Sparkle," I spoke up. She looked at me. "I'm coming with you and Fluttershy. I said I'll stick by her, and I will." She stared at me. I stared back showing the determination in my eyes. She huffed in an irritated tone, "Fine." We walked in. Twilight trying to be reassuring of the situation. We ran into the dragon, Twilight doing so literally. "Okay, Fluttershy. How do we wake him up?" "I don't know. I've never had to wake up a dragon before." I looked down at her where she was glued to my side. "How do you usually wake up your animals?" "Well, um, vocalizing." Hmm, that actually makes sense for some reason. Twilight was about to say something when the dragon eye's opened. "Oh good you're awake." Fluttershy and I moved back a bit. As Twilight tried to be a diplomat I noticed the dragon wasn't listening. "He is pretty rude." I commented to Fluttershy. I felt her nod under my hand. As he purposely snorted more smoke at us, we left the cave. As the others tried their hoof at persuading the dragon, I knelt to Fluttershy's level again, "You did good." She shook her head. "Maybe nothing was done with the dragon, but I meant about facing your fear." "Only because you were there." "Sometimes we need help facing our fear. Sometimes we get a major push that motivates us past our fear. When that happens, I know you'll do the right thing." I then moved us near Twilight. I may have promised to protect Fluttershy, but I also promised to protect Twilight. Keep them closer together, easier to move them if something happens. Something did happen in the form of Rainbow being flung out of the cave. We went down like bowling pins. We quickly got up, and they huddled in fear. I quickly grabbed Twilight and Fluttershy and went off to the side just as the dragon shot a stream of smoke at the others and slamming them against a rock. I felt Fluttershy shake again, but I looked at her and realized it wasn't in fear, but anger. As she flew up told off the dragon I smiled. Knew it. The quiet ones are always the ones that surprise you when a push comes to a shove. Of course Rainbow just had to hit a big fire breathing lizard. Wow, Fluttershy actually made it cry in remorse for choosing the wrong spot to sleep and attacking her friends. As she flew down and her friends gathered around her I nodded in agreement to Twilight's words, "I knew you could do it." Fluttershy smiled. We then traveled back to Ponyville. Twilight walked into the library to write a letter. I leaned against the tree as Rainbow Dash tried to break a record. After the slight scare from a leaf, Fluttershy walked over to me. "Guess I'm not totally brave yet." "You are when it counts. Besides, the rest of the time, take baby steps. Don't try conquering everything at once." "Were you afraid?" "Indeed. Not so much of the dragon though. I knew Princess Celestia wouldn't send her most faithful student into a hopeless situation." "What of then?" I hesitated. "Something I have feared for 10 years. Losing the ones I have begun to care about." "You care for us?" "Yes, and that scares me." "Why?" "I fear losing Twilight for a number of reasons, but the main one is that she greeted me with warmth when I first met her, and it's made me protective of her. Her friends, because they are important to her. You're different though." She looked at me in confusion. "I see you as a little sister. To lose them would haunt me, to lose you would shatter me. I'm already broken with the pieces put back together incorrectly, I don't know what I would do if I shattered." It was such a huge risk to open up to her like this, but I was tired of fighting to stay detached. It was a losing battle. In just 3 months these ponies had galloped into my heart and made a home there. "You won't lose us. I'm honored you see me as your little sister. I can definitely see you as a big brother. You won't lose me, I make that promise to you." She hugged me tightly. I flinched at first, then relaxed into the first contact in years that hadn't resulted in pain. Oh Fluttershy. I just hope you can keep that promise. I really do. If you can't, something is going to be destroyed.