Pony and the Beast: chpt 2

Pony and the Beast

Chapter Two

Hostage

~*~



They couldn't find Lord Maurice that night. They searched again in the day. Fluttershy didn't sleep a wink, but that didn't matter. All she wanted to do was find her father, even if it meant not getting a moment's rest or sitting down to eat.

"We've checked the route he was on while going through the highway," pointed Lance on the map. "So far, we haven't seen any clue of his whereabouts. We saw hoof prints, though they began to fade out as we tried to find more."

"We must keep searching," said Fluttershy. "If we looked through the trails a little more and see what turns up, I'm sure we'll find him. We have to keep looking."

"Of course, milady," said Lance, rolling up the map. "My men are looking on it as we speak."

The captain of the guard trotted away. All who were left in the room was Blueblood and Twilight Sparkle, the general's daughter.

"Dearest Fluttershy..." began the colt. "Times like these are so distressing. If you need anything, I'm always here for you."

A faint smile was on the filly's face, looking towards the table. Twilight and Angel gave Bluebood a firm look, indicating they wanted to be alone. Once the bothersome youth left, Fluttershy began to show her true emotions.

"This is terrible, Twilight..." began Fluttershy, beginning to cry. "What if my father really is gone? After mother died, all we had were each other, but now..."

Twilight began to coo. "Don't say that, I'm sure your father's alright... Maybe he just got lost along the way. I'm sure he can take care of himself, he's a self-sufficient stallion."

Fluttershy sniffled, drying her face. She leaned into Twilight's frame. Angel hugged her flank as he sat on her back.

"Thank you... I'm so glad you're here with me."

"Rarity's helping, Rainbow Dash is helping, Spike is doing his best..." began the unicorn. "Applejack and Pinkie Pie are just servants, though they can cook up the best dish in the entire town! Speaking of which, you need to eat. You didn't even had breakfast...!"

"No, it's alright, Twilight, I'm too worried and upset to even eat...!"

"You need your strength! Besides, I think a little food will help you cheer up."

A servant brought in a dish of baked apple crumble roast. Once Fluttershy began to eat, her moods began to turn up, she even felt like smiling after the few bites of the crumble. Once meal time was finished, it was back to finding her father.

She opened up another map. Perhaps they were searching in all the familiar areas and the parts where they supposed Maurice trotted on, maybe they didn't search for the unusual places. Fluttershy tried to find the name of the forest she saw on the map.

Timberwolf Forrest.

"Twilight, what do you know of the Timberwolf Forrest?"

A look of mild dread was upon Twilight's face.

"The forest had been uncharted for so many years for a reason," shook Twilight. "It's full of curses and old magic even I dare wouldn't learn... Not to mention the timberwolves..."

Fluttershy's brow narrowed. Perhaps her father wasn't lost during his journey. Maybe he was kidnapped. Where else hide a poor defenseless lord than in the most abandoned part of the country? If Maurice was in there, it was worth the risk. She needed her father back, no matter what the cost.

"I'm going there...!"


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The night was cold. The night was grim. Fluttershy had to thank Twilight for bringing along a lit lantern to guide their way. Angel also came, hiding beneath the warmth of her cloak.

"We should have come during the day..." said Twilight, eyes wide from pure terror. "Why didn't we ask the guards to come with us?"

"They wouldn't come anyway," began Fluttershy. "They'd all be too scared, I'd left Captain Lance a note anyways to know we were going on without him."

"Though why do we have to leave now?" asked Twilight. "We should have waited for everyone else."

"Waiting won't help save my father!" Fluttershy turned to Twilight. "He could be dead by now, Twilight, who knows where he could be? He could be lost, cold, starving!"

A tear drop left her eye. Twilight was her friend. She shouldn't have yelled at her like that.

"I'm so sorry..." The fillies went in for an embrace.

Twilight broke the silence. "As long as we're together, we'll be safe... Let's keep looking."

They trekked on what felt like days. Angel was fast asleep in her cloak. Twilight began to yawn, though the red in Fluttershy's eyes didn't stop her from falling asleep. Suddenly, a rustle in the trees was heard.

"Did you hear that?" Twilight prepared her hoof.

Fluttershy nodded. She wrapped Angel in a bundle and placed her on the root of a tree. The fillies grabbed the nearest thick branches they could find for weapons. Fluttershy prepared the lantern. On cue they turned around and screamed their best war cries.

A high pitched screech sounded from Blueblood.

Both fillies eyes widen in surprise.

"Lord Blueblood..." began Twilight. "What are you doing here so far out in the middle of the night?"

"I could ask you the same thing..." said Blueblood, breathing from the shock. "Captain Lance saw the note you fillies both wrote and said someone should go after them just in case, so I came."

Fluttershy froze. Out of all the people in the kingdom, why did it have to be Blueblood who had to be with them at this moment?

A smile came across the stallion's face as he saw Fluttershy.

"Milady..." he nodded.

She nodded in return. "Blueblood..."

He had the decency to come out and help them, even if he was an idiot. She had to give him that. If she wanted to avoid the nunnery, maybe Blueblood was her salvation to avoid a life of nun's habits and constant prayer.

She picked up a sleeping Angel and turned over to the trail. "We still have a lot of ground to cover. My father could be anywhere. We must press ahead."

More miles later they found tall iron gates and walls. In the dark, they seemed so much more threatening. A ghost of a manor was seen from the gates. Inside, Fluttershy was shivering in their magnificence, though finding her father was her top priority.

A strong gust of wind blew at their legs. Angel woke up from her sleep. A ghastly roar was heard, and what appeared before them was a great shade with yellow eyes. Blueblood, Angel and Twilight screamed. Fluttershy's brow still wavered in seriousness.

"Who dares enter my domain?"

The voice of the shade traveled on through the wind.

"My name is Lady Fluttershy of Feathercomb," she began, her face still unwavering. "This is Twilight, daughter of General Hoovesbane, Angel, and Lord Blueblood nephew of Queen Celestia."

"Do you have my father, Lord Maurice?"

The shade took a while to answer. "And if I do have him?"

Her brow furrowed deeper.

"I demand you set him free!"

The shade again took a long pause. "Rest assured... he is alive."

Magic sparkled in midair, and presented a moving tapestry, revealing Lord Maurice in a jail cell in the manor...

"Father!" Fluttershy's insides just about screamed.

He was alive, thank the stars, though what did he do to make himself imprisoned by this mysterious figure? She needed him right here, right now. The portal the shade made then disappeared.

"Bring him back!" shrieked Fluttershy. "What did you do to him? If you so much as hurt him, I will-!"

"He entered my mansion and took something that wasn't his..." his voice rasped through the air. "Therefore, he must stay as a prisoner forever until the end of his days."

"You can't do that!" shouted Fluttershy, tears streaming from her eyes. "He's my father, he's supposed to live with me at home, he's the only living parent I have!"

"He should have thought of that before he made his own child parent-less."

More tears rolled down Fluttershy's face. How dare this creature take away the most important person in her life? If he had a solid form, he'd be in for a beating of his life. From the portal he made, it looked like her father wasn't well from the cold.

"Can't you see he's sick?" cried Fluttershy. "He's not as young as he used to be...! ... If I stayed in his place, would you set him free?"

Fluttershy might as well have cursed in front of Lady Hertfordshire. Through the wind, the faintest needle might have been heard.

"No, Fluttershy, don't...!" Both Blueblood and Twilight said from behind her.

"... And if you do," began the shade. "You will have to stay here until the end of your days."

Fluttershy breathed. To stay here until the end of her days... That meant she would not return home. No more court life, no more father, no more picnics with Angel and the rest of the animals. She wouldn't see Twilight, and everyone else back home. Stars be praised, maybe she'll even miss Blueblood.

Lord Maurice was dying. He was hurt and ill from the cold. Any sacrifice was necessary in order to keep him safe.

Her answer was ready. She looked into the eyes of the shade. "If that's what it takes to save my father... It's the risk worth taking. His life is more important than mine."

"Fluttershy, what are you saying?" boomed Blueblood. "You can't go with this... beast!"

"Fluttershy, there is another way!" cried Twilight. "You don't have to do this, we can get your father out of here and can all go home, please, don't go...!"

She turned to her friends, tears flowing in her eyes.

"My father's dying... I can't let him die. I have to do this, Twilight, it's the only way I can save him. All my life, I've been meek Fluttershy, quiet Fluttershy, not-so-good-with-socializing Fluttershy... This time I can finally do something brave once and for all. It's my own decision, and I have my own say in this. Do you want my father to die?"

Tears rolled down Twilight's face. "As long as your alive... Just make sure you can take care of yourself while you're with him."

They both reached in for a hug, a hug that would probably be their last.

"You know I can..."

She turned over to Blueblood and felt herself embracing him. She would have squirmed in that embrace, though circumstances being what they were, every hug mattered.

"I swear, Lady Fluttershy... I will come for you, you have my word!"

A smile came through the tear in her eye and she chuckled. For an idiot, he may not be half bad. Perhaps she was quick to judge him and shouldn't have been so uncomfortable during their friendship.

"Thank you..."

She turned to face the shadowy beast, Angel on her back. Even though she wouldn't see anyone else around, even her father, at least she'll have Angel. It would make her stay at the Beast's haunted manor less gloomy.

"I've agreed to the bargain you made, now where is my father? I want to see him."

"Only you.

Angel levitated, squirming in horror and landed on Twilight's back.

"ANGEL!"

No, not Angel! Her faithful friend and companion ever since she was a little foal! Why, why couldn't she bring Angel?

"Remember our deal, pegasus!"

"Twilight, take care of Angel, please...!"

Darkness clouded her. She heard the echo's of her own screams, falling in the complete nothingness. Once she felt she wasn't falling, she could hear herself quietly sob. Even though she couldn't even see her own hoof, she knew she was completely and utterly alone.

She didn't even get to see her father, one last time...