My Little Pony 1. Peaceful Ponyville

_**To my 'My Little Pony Friendship is Magic' followers, I sincerely apologise. This story, or at least its first chapter, was uploaded onto Fimfiction a short while back and I forgot to upload it to here until now. On the good side of things though, this story is here now, I present to you the... follow up to Magnetism. Any of you reading this who are unaware of my previous story Magnetism, worry not, a reading of the previous story is not needed to fully understand this here story, which is why I hesitate to use the term sequel. Surely, a reading of Magnetism helps, but references to the previous story are for the most part, just references, and the aspects that follow on from the previous story are easy to enough understand here without prior knowledge.**_

_**Enough of that though, I now present to you the first chapter of The Shy Knight and the Rainbow Princess. I hope you'll enjoy it.**_

* * *

**The Shy Knight and the Rainbow Princess!**

Chapter 1: Peaceful Ponyville

Serene was the forest in the early time of daybreak, the faintest rays of sunlight trickling through the thick leaves and foliage to announce day to the area. The nocturnal animals had nestled well into their sleep and the animals of day had risen, having come out of their dens and started their search for food. The air was calm, and aside from bird song the place was quiet; tranquil would best describe the forest at that point and it would have amazed any pony that the much feared and dreaded Everfree Forest could ever have such a moment.

Then a sound disrupted that serene, calm, quiet tranquillity. It was a buzzing sound but not a loud one like that of a chainsaw's, but soft, as if the sound was far away and muffled. Along with the sound though came another disruption, an array of vibrant yet sickly colours appearing on a tree. The colours of dull green and dull yellow and dull every colour of the rainbow swirled upon the tree like a whirlpool, the plant life seemingly unaffected by this occurrence.

Then from the swirl of colours came darkness. Three large figures of contrasting sizes cloaked in black cloaks came forth. The shortest figure walked ahead on all fours and proceeded to gaze around the area swiftly, taking in every surrounding, every angle, and every other bit of the landscape in. The tallest figure walked out of the portal but soon stopped and looked around briefly, before turning its attention to its cloaked companion. The third figure stepped forth slowly with each of its eight legs, and then stood rigid; it's full attention on display to the seeming leader of the group.

The shorter figure slipped a scaly claw into its cloak's pocket, pulled out a photo, and presented said photograph of six colourful and happy ponies to the group. The tallest member of the three pointed with a black finger to the pony in the middle, on the bottom row, but received a shake of the head as a response. The leader of the trio pointed instead to the pony on the far right of the photo, top row, and shook its head. Putting away the photo, the trio then began to move out, heading towards a small cottage on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest.

* * *

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a kingdom ruled by cute little bunn-Eek!" The reading pony yelped as a bunny rabbit landed upon her open book, startled her and caused her to jump back.

Jumping back onto her hooves however was not entirely successful for the clumsy pegasus and the motion of her backwards jump propelled her to fall and roll backwards. Laying instead on her back, she had to roll back onto her hooves, and blow a wisp of her pink mane that had fallen over her eyes in the tumble. This pony, Fluttershy, looked ahead to her 'cute little bunny', who stood upon her book with a frown upon his face.

"O-oh, I'm sorry Angel, I was just reading my book and… do you need something, Angel Bunny?" Fluttershy apologised as she moved closer to her pet and began to rub her face against his.

Angel pushed his fussing owner away from him, pulled out a pocket watch from behind him, and pointed to it. Fluttershy was going to ask whether Angel wanted to be a clock, but an irritable scowl from Angel reminded her that she had already asked this question of Angel from this particular charade once before.

"Um, was I going to meet up with any of my friends today?" Fluttershy asked, pondering on what she could have had planned for the day. Something was on the tip of her tongue, something she did often but had arranged differently, yet the memory eluded her.

Angel wasted no time in performing another flurry of motions to convey his message. Throwing his arms up into the air, he pretended to wail at the air with large teary eyes, and acting as over-dramatic as possible.

"Oh, um… Rarity? Rarity! The Spa!" Fluttershy proclaimed, finally remembering what she had arranged for the day. "Oh I remember now. I had asked Rarity if we could have our spa day earlier, and I asked Pinkie if she could come too."

Fluttershy was now fluttering about the room, checking if everything was in place and shifting through her head for if there was anything else she had forgotten. Mostly her thoughts turned to her regular animal caretaking duties, ensuring she had tended to all the critters she needed to for that morning. There were many disputes she needed to settle and many sick critters she needed to ensure had taken their medicine; so many things that when distractions came up it was like the world was pulled up from under her hooves.

"Thank you for reminding me Angel. What would I do without you?" Fluttershy complimented her pet, fussing him once more.

Angel looked around first, and seeing none of the other animals about, decided to let his owner run her hoof across his head, an action he expressed his joy from by stomping the ground with a foot. He always did love receiving attention, but never expressing it, at least when the eyes of others were about; he had a tough bunny image to maintain after all.

"Now I think I've got everything sorted but if you get chance to could you please do a double check on the others for me?" Fluttershy asked as she turned around to head for the door, "Goodbye, Angel."

A loud thud sound caused Fluttershy to be startled once again and she quickly spun around back to Angel. The little rabbit of surprising strength had picked up her book and smacked it back down onto the floor and pointed repeatedly to it.

"Oh, I don't need to take my book with me Angel." Fluttershy's statement was met by a shake of the head from her pet, who continued to point towards the book with a scrunched brow and a scratch of his head. "Are you interested in this book?"

Angel was a rabbit, and like most rabbits had no interest in reading pony stories written in pony language. He was however interested in why his owner was reading the book, so he nodded all the same.

"Well then, this book is a very special book… to me at least." Fluttershy walked over to said book and gently glided a hoof over its open pages, "For this is a book I wrote myself."

Angel looked to his owner with a small measure of surprise. Hearing his owner had written a book was not a shocking thing, it was a peaceful hobby that suited his owner well, but his owner had never told him before that she had written a book.

"I was still in school when I wrote this, and it's just a short children's book, but it was fun. And just earlier I was sorting through my things when I happened to find it and… well, I couldn't help but read it." Fluttershy finally explained, patting Angel on the head one last time before getting up and walking to the door, "You can read it if you like Angel, have fun."

The rabbit waved goodbye to his owner before turning back to the book. He looked at its old yet colourful pages, vibrant crayon colours having made the various pictures of bunnies within, and thick clear black ink making out the words to be read. Then he was bored of it, choosing to flip the book to a close, and inspect its cover instead. Looking to the title, while not in his own language per say, he could tell it read out as 'The Rainbow Knight and the Shy Princess'. A scowl formed upon reading those words, which only deepened when he inspected the cover image. On the cover were two rabbits, one dressed up as a princess, with a tuff of hair shielding her face, clearly a rabbit version of his owner. The other rabbit was clad in armour, but from the rainbow hair and snarky grin upon the rabbits face, Angel could tell this was a rabbit version of one particular pony.

Hopping away from the book and up to the window sill facing the front of his house, Angel watched as his owner left for the spa. Angel was worried now, his owner had been reading a book from a time he was not a part of her life, a time instead when that rainbow jerk was dominant. Now she was leaving to the spa to talk with two ponies that consistently conspired to throw Fluttershy into the Rainbow jerks rough hooves. Nothing about this bode well to the bunny, and he dread to think of why his owner had arranged to meet up with the two.

* * *

"Please stop trying to help me with Rainbow Dash!"

Fluttershy's outburst would have been heard by all those within the bathing room, through the hallways of the spa, and have been unintentionally heard by many patrons of the spa, but this was Fluttershy's outburst, quiet in comparison to a normal pony's, and so was heard by nopony outside the room. It was however barely loud enough to be heard by Rarity and Pinkie, whom stopped their idle chatter, and turned towards their friend surprised.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Rarity inquired with a fake smile cropping upon her white coated face.

"Yeah, what makes you think we were helping you get all lovey-dovey with Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asked as she splashed about in the spa's hot tub.

Fluttershy gave her two friends a deadpan glare. First turning towards Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy began to lay down her accusation, "Pinkie Pie, only you would help Rainbow Dash jump out of a cake to surprise me."

"It was all so perfect, Rainbow Dash would jump out of the cake and into your hooves, she'd have some frosting on her lips and you'd lick it off and then oh mumma… but no! You had to faint. How could you Fluttershy?" The prankster dramatized, all to a still very unamused Fluttershy.

Turning then towards Rarity, the unicorn already trying to hide her smile, Fluttershy continued, "And Rarity, how could you? You know that I have a weakness for… bunnies, and I don't even know how you managed to convince Rainbow Dash to wear… that."

By this point the yellow accusing pony had managed to turn a delightful shade of red, her face blushing brightly, all to which Rarity took note of as she replied, "It did take a lot of convincing, and a favour or two but it was worth it. After all, you seemed to enjoy it."

"I-I-I did not," Fluttershy whispered as her face became warmer and warmer.

"Oh, really dear, don't you remember just how cute Rainbow Dash looked with her little bunny ears and small cotton tail?" Rarity said with a sly, almost seductive tone.

"Well… yeah," Fluttershy could not help but admit as she thought of that time when Rarity had invited her to the boutique and her first sight was of Rainbow Dash dressed up in a bunny mare outfit.

"The royal-satin pressing tightly against her flank," Rarity added, and from the flapping of outstretched wings she could tell that Fluttershy was indeed remembering.

Seconds passed and Fluttershy, who had been lost in her memories, realised her body's embarrassing reactions. She reached for her energetically flapping wings with her hooves as best as she could, and clamped them back down to her body. Afterwards she turned towards the two giggling shippers, and tried to bring the conversation back to her point.

"A-As I was saying, I would like for you two to stop helping me… please."

Rarity shook her head as she asked, "Now darling, why in Equestria would you want us to stop helping you?"

"Yeah, don't you want to be lovey-dovey with Rainbow Dash?"

"I-I do but it's just… too soon," Fluttershy explained, though from the looks on her friend's faces she could tell they wouldn't accept that alone as the answer, "I mean, Rainbow Dash and I only became as close we are a short while ago and um… I don't want to rush things."

"Fluttershy, in a couple of months it will have been a year since you 're-fell' in love with Rainbow Dash." Deadpan was Rarity's response as she looked to Fluttershy.

"Any longer and you'll both be old mares with walkers complaining about how things aren't like they used to be back in your day. You need to get in 1st gear and confess already!" Pinkie added with various engine noises.

"Oh, I don't know… it still feels too soon, what if she doesn't like me that way, what if it hurts our friendship and… and, what would other ponies think?"

The unicorn and earth pony across from her could not help but look at one another in amusement before turning back towards Fluttershy, "Please dear, if it's what other ponies will think then you need not worry… everypony in Ponyville already thinks you're a couple."

"What!" Fluttershy yelled out, and her shocked brain made words stumble from her mouth "How? Who? Wha-Where-She-You-How? Eep!"

A giggle from Pinkie Pie and the mare added, "An before you even thinky-dinky it, Rarity and I had nothing to do with it… well, maybe just a teensy bit to begin with."

"Yes, at first we were encouraging the notion, pointing out to ponies how close you were now, how you let Rainbow Dash race your pets through the Ghastly Gorge, and how she came for you and you alone at sunrise simply to get some cider." Rarity boasted her accomplishments to Fluttershy, whose jaw remained wide open in dismay. "But after that hurricane incident, why, we didn't have to do a thing."

"Yeah, just watch this, actually, just listen to this." Pinkie said as she leaped out of the hot tub, zoomed out of the room, and into the hallway.

"Hey there, I have a question for you," Pinkie said loud enough to be heard even from the hallway as well as loud enough to call out to a pony within the hallway, "Do you think Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash make a cute couple?"

Fluttershy eeped at Pinkie's question and eeped even more as the unidentified stallion replied, "Those two pegasus who helped get the water to Cloudsdale? Of course I do, doesn't everypony? I mean, you must have read at least some of the news about it, they're adorable together. I was really worried when it appeared they were going through some relationship troubles, but then after the hurricane they must have sorted things out as they were hugging and making out on the clouds. Why'd you ask?"

"No reason." Pinkie giggled as she re-entered the hot tub room and leaped back into tub, a large splash soaking the other two ponies.

"Pinkie!"

"Sorry Rare." Pinkie Pie turned towards Fluttershy and asked, "So now you know."

Fluttershy did not reply. Aside from her quivering open jaw she barely moved, her eyes having a distant gaze at this revelation. Just as Pinkie and Rarity began to worry for their friend she burst back to life, yelping out, "Oh dear, oh dear, I wish it were true but it's not. I've got to clear up this misunderstanding right away."

As Fluttershy began to pull herself out of the tub, Pinkie quickly swam over to her and pulled her back in, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there missy."

"But I can't have everypony spreading these rumours, believing them when they're not true!"

"Ah, but Fluttershy dear, those rumours will soon be true," Rarity said as she swam on over and placed a reassuring hoof on Fluttershy, "If you confess and get together with Rainbow Dash, then you won't need to correct anypony."

Fluttershy tried to stammer out a response, but Rarity was quicker. "Now Fluttershy, I understand why you're having cold hooves about confessing to Rainbow Dash."

"Y-you do?" Fluttershy murmured, no longer struggling from Pinkie's grip.

"Yes, you lost your friendship with Rainbow Dash once and it took a long time for you to get as friendly as you are now. Anypony would be afraid of risking that sort of friendship," Rarity began, waving her hoof in the air as if to emphasise her point, "But you shouldn't worry about that. Pinkie and I think you'd be a great couple, just about everypony else already thinks you are a great couple, and I'm sure if you confess to her the two of you will be a great couple."

Fluttershy looked to her friend with appreciation, slowly asking, "You really think so?"

"I know so darling," Rarity gave her friend a hug, with the nearby Pinkie joining in because hugs are fun, "So what do you say?"

"…I'll do it, I'll confess to Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy's hesitant response erupted cheers from her two friends, and a smile spread on her own face at their happy reaction, "After all, what could possib—" A pink hoof rushed up against Fluttershy's mouth, halting any further words.

Pinkie Pie looked to Fluttershy with utmost serious and whispered, "Whatever you do, don't say that phrase."

* * *

Rainbow Dash—future Wonderbolt, element of loyalty, performer of the legendary Sonic Rainboom, and all-round incarnation of awesomeness—stared bleakly at her unexpected foe. She could not have fathomed how one of her most difficult of all tasks could come in such a form. This would be because she chose to think of herself first as 'future Wonderbolt, element of loyalty, performer of the legendary Sonic Rainboom, and all-round incarnation of awesomeness' before she thought of herself as weathermare of Ponyville.

"Aww, do I really have to stick to this?" Rainbow Dash moaned at the piece of paper, a schedule on how long she should sleep, train, and hang with her friends on days when important weather meetings were being held, "There doesn't even appear to time for napping on this thing."

"No time for naps! I've given a 20 minute leeway on just about every appointment because of your constant naps!" Twilight snapped, having endured the pains of writing a list as relaxed and undefined for too long, "The reason you got in trouble and were late for your meeting was because you overslept, you need to cut back on it."

Rainbow huffed, throwing out her wings and saying, "I can't just cut back on sleep. You know how much energy flying takes up, I need that sleep."

"Well in that case," Twilight trailed off as she levitated a book from one of her library shelves over to her, ready to look up information if she needed to further her point, "You should just start eating more. I've read that's the other way pegasus retain energy for flight."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, throwing a hoof up into the air as if she were making a proclamation, "No can do Twilight. As a future Wonderbolt I stick to a strict, nutrition balanced diet… which is really hard when you live in the same town as a constant party throwing and sweet treats baking pony like Pinkie Pie."

Applejack hummed at this remark and mused aloud, "Mah apple pie sales to these Wonderbolt do say otherwise."

"Soarin' is an exception."

Rainbow Dash then continued to look at the list but eventually conceited, sighing at the schedule that she'd have to follow if she wanted to keep her job… or at least not get demoted into poverty. Snatching up the list, Rainbow Dash bid adieu to her friends, "Thanks for the list Twilight, I guess…"

As Rainbow Dash stepped out of the library she could hear Twilight call out to her, "And make sure you follow it!"

Rainbow grumbled at the reminder but was far enough to not be heard. Ironically, while she had just obtained a schedule, it said nothing about what to do on the days where she had no meetings to attend to, and at that current point she had no other obligations to attend to.

"Huh, guess I could take a nap," Rainbow thought aloud, the talk of her schedule being a constant reminder that on some days this would be harder to do, "or I could hang with Fluttershy. I didn't see her yesterday and tomorrow is her spa day so now would be a good time."

Unaware of Fluttershy's own change of plans, Rainbow Dash set off for Fluttershy's cottage. With a flap of her cyan wings the flight loving pegasus took to the skies and flew forth at great speeds. In less than a minute she was already slowing down to prepare for landing at Fluttershy's cottage. Luckily for her, one of Fluttershy's windows was open and so she flew straight on into the cottage and into Fluttershy's bedroom.

"Hey Fluttershy, wanna hang out?" Dash called out into the room and by extension the rest of the house, but no reply was heard. "Huh, maybe she's out back with her animals."

Rainbow Dash started heading towards the stairs, ready to look for Fluttershy, but this was delayed by her stepping and slipping on something. Lightly falling to the floor, Rainbow was barely dazed, having suffered far worse crashes in her flights and within Fluttershy's household. Still, the first thing she did upon getting to her hooves was complain, "Ugh, what in the hay did I just-a book?"

Noticing a book upon the floor, the very thing she had tripped on, Rainbow naturally walked towards it, looking to and reading it's cover, "'The Rainbow Knight and the Shy Princess by Flutter- Fluttershy!"

Dash held the book with her hooves, gazing at it as if it were some foreign alien object she had never laid eyes on before, "I never knew Fluttershy wrote a book."

Curiosity, and nowadays a love of reading adventure stories, led Rainbow Dash to sit down and open the book up. It was bright, it was colourful, and it was filled with bunny rabbits; totally not her thing. This wasn't too surprising, it was written by Fluttershy after all, and it was this fact alone that led Rainbow to continue reading the book. With the experience of reading every single book within the Daring Doo series, Rainbow Dash had learnt to read remarkably well in her head, though she was however still slow. So even with the children's book before her, Rainbow Dash took her time with the story, devoting her complete attention to it.

"R-Rainbow Dash!"

Only a couple of pages from the end of the book, Rainbow Dash's attention was pulled away from the story and towards the stunned pony in the doorway; Fluttershy. Speaking of said stunned pony, Fluttershy was unsure what to think. She had come home to see Angel hard at work on some sort of plan outside—she always liked how hard of a worker her beloved pet was—and had walked up to her silent room to unexpectedly stumble upon her best friend and crush awaiting her. Then she noticed that her best friend and crush was reading her book.

_"R-Rainbow Dash is reading my book! Rainbow Dash is reading my book about bunnies, and us as bunnies, and us as bunnies falling in love,_" Any confidence Rarity and Pinkie had managed to spur up in her to confess flew away as her mind became a mess of jumbled thoughts, "She read my book, she knows, she must know, what do I do, what do I do!"

"Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said, looking worryingly to the visibly shaken Fluttershy, "I'm sorry for reading your book without permission. Are… are you okay?"

Fluttershy screamed in panic and ran away. To this, Rainbow Dash could only stand frozen to the spot, dumbfounded. Once her brain took in all the events that made little sense however, she did the only thing that did make sense; chase after her friend. Flying down the stairs she went, speeding out the front door and landing on the cottage porch. Not too far off in the distance she spotted the fleeing yellow pegasus, her bobbing pink tail an easy thing to notice.

"Fluttershy, come back!" Rainbow Dash called out after her friend, spreading out her wings and preparing for take-off.

But she didn't.

Instead Rainbow Dash was assaulted by a rabbit slapping her across the face and pulling on her ears. For you see, just a few seconds earlier, when Fluttershy ran out of house screaming like a mad-mare, a very concerned Angel Bunny watched her do so. He had no clue as to what could have caused his owner to act like this. Then he saw the rainbow hothead come out the door. Leaping to his obviously true conclusion that his owner's distress must have been caused by the rainbow jerk he sprang into action, and began to attack.

"Gah! Get off me you little brat!" Rainbow wrestled the scratching and gnawing rabbit off of her, throwing Angel to the side, and then looking up for Fluttershy. Considering how un-athletic and slow her pegasus pal was, Rainbow was quite astonished at how far Fluttershy had gotten. Clearly out of earshot, Rainbow would have to fly forth and catch her as planned, and so she began to do so.

Then Rainbow Dash was blasted by water.

The water pushed her to the ground, rolling against the grass, but she made a quick recovery and scrambled to her hooves, pushing her soggy mane out of her eyes.

"What in the hay was that?"

Rainbow Dash turned in the direction of the blast of water, expecting to find that accursed rabbit yet again, but instead she saw a complete stranger. At least she judged the figure to be a complete stranger; taller than any pony, draped top to bottom in a dark cloak, and standing within the stream was somebody unknown.

Then the ground began to shake.

"E-earthquake!" Dash said in shock, leaping up into the air immediately as the ground tore open where she stood.

Rainbow Dash could not believe her eyes as another shrouded stranger came out of the chasm, eight clawed limbs pulling the figure out into the daylight. Rainbow Dash knew not who these two were, but from the initial attack she could tell they were bad news.

"I don't know who you flightless bozo's are but I'm not sticking around to find out." Rainbow Dash teased her would be attackers and began to fly off.

Then she was punched. Worse, she was invisibly punched. Rainbow Dash's fall ended quickly thanks to a speedy recovery, a flap of her wings allowing her to regain altitude. Still she was in shock, and looked around wearingly for the unknown, 3rd assailant.

"Wha-What?!" Rainbow yelped out in fright, shaking off her shock from the blow to lift her hooves up and try to block another invisible punch.

She succeeded in blocking it, but the strength of it disrupted her flying, and when struck by another punch she was knocked with such force she fell back down to the ground. Rainbow Dash had no intention of staying down, but when water somehow wrapped itself around her hooves and tied them together she didn't have much choice.

"W-what is this?" Rainbow Dash yelped at what she could only reason was magic.

A shadow then overcast her as the second, digging figure loomed over her. It lifted up one it's arms, a clawed fist clenched.

"W-wai"-Dash did not get to finish her sentence as the blow to the head knocked her unconscious.

The multi-limbed figure continued to look down at Rainbow Dash as it waited for its companions to gather. The apparently magical figure waded in from the water, and with the sound of something landing on the ground by them, the previously invisible, flying figure materialised.

"A shame, I was hoping for more of a challenge." The flying figure scoffed.

"With the three of us attacking at once you couldn't have expected this pony to pose much of a chal—"

The magical figure suddenly winced in pain, and looked down to its tail, finding a white rabbit attached.

Angel bit repeatedly, and when the figure tried to grab him he hopped out of the way, hopped onto the magical figure's head, and then kicked off its head to lunge at the multi-limbed figure. Angel began stamping on its head, though the multi-limbed figure merely looked up at the rabbit curiously. Angel turned to the flying figure and leaped then towards him; teeth bared to attack, but was grabbed mid-lunge.

"It's the bunny rabbit our boss told us about." The multi-limbed figure said each word slowly, and only after saying this turned his direction to the bunny now within the flying figures talons.

"Dumb animal," The attacked one moaned as it stroked its bitten tail.

"Shut it, it's just a rabbit bite. You'll live," The flying figure snapped as it forced the struggling Angel to look him in the eye, "I would eat you, but I need you to do something for us."

Throwing Angel to the ground while its cohorts stuffed Rainbow Dash into a sack, it ordered, "You go find your owner and her little pony friends and tell them that if they ever want to see Miss Skittles over here that they'll come back to this cottage. A letter will be waiting for them, follow its orders."

Angel glared at the trio with his utmost hatred. He absolutely despised being bossed around and yet, even though it was the life of the rainbow mop head at stake and not anyone he actually cared about himself, he knew his owner did, and so with no other choice, he looked to the ground, and nodded.

* * *

Angel ran as fast as his four little paws could go, turning his head constantly. He imagined his owner must have calmed down after whatever the rainbow jerk must have done to spook her as he could no longer hear her panicked voice. Whilst looking to the side though Angel had the misfortune of bumping into someone, his world going topsy-turvy as he fell onto his back.

"Uh, hello there Angel Bunny, whatever's got you in such a hurry?" Angel looked up, ready to shake his paw in frustration at whoever had gotten in his way, only to see the apple bucker, one of his owner's friends.

"What do you want, rabbit?" Angel heard grunted, and saw that the one he had bumped into was Spike, the dragon he hated for some reason he couldn't quite explain.

"Are you looking for Fluttershy?" Angel felt a chill run up his spine as he saw and heard that the mad mare was also there, naturally accompanying her dragon.

Pushing aside his fear of dissection from the unicorn, Angel nodded his head, and then began to perform charades. Running on the spot and flapping his arms like wings, he tried to inform them of Rainbow Dash. Then he put on a sinister face, tried to make himself look big and menacing, and started throwing out punches. Then he leaped onto his back, placing his arms and legs together as if they were tied up, and pretended to cry out for help.

"Running, body building, and a backstroke?" The mad mare asked, and for the supposedly smart one of the group Angel showed nothing but a frown to.

"You tryin' out for the Equestria Games?" The apple bucker suggested, and Angel shook his head, amazed that both were going with this train of thought.

"Peagasus, tough pony, punching, and being tied up?" Spike murmured aloud, scratching his scaly cheek, when Angel's charades added up in his head and he yelled out, "Fluttershy's been beaten up and foalnapped!"

"What?!" The two mares cried before turning to the bunny rabbit, "Is this true?!"

Angel shook his head and the two mares gave a sigh of relief. He then however began flapping his arms like before, and then combed back the hair on his head, crossed his arms, and tried to look stereotypically cool.

"Rainbow Dash? What has Rainbow… Rainbow Dash has been beaten up and foalnapped!" Spike yelled out in alarm, and this time Angel nodded his head.

"What?!" The mad mare and apple bucker said in union once again, with Twilight then asking, "How did this happen?"

Angel did not bother to answer, feeling he had wasted enough time conveying his message to them as it was. He needed to find his owner, inform her and so he sprang off to resume his search. The other three, not wanting to be left in the dark on this supposed incident, followed him with the utmost haste.

* * *

"Now Fluttershy dear, are you sure you've calmed down now?" Rarity inquired as she kept her reassuring hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.

"Y-yes, I'm… I am alright now," Fluttershy said with a couple of deep breaths in-between, "Um, a little embarrassed though."

"Now, now, I'm sure anypony would go completely 'cray-cray' if they accidentally told their crush that they loved them," Pinkie said as she ruffled Fluttershy's mane, and then proceeded to bounce up and down in excitement, "Oh but you should have stayed put. Dashie's sure to have said yes and then the two of you would hug and kiss and be married by the end of the week."

"Oh yes, Fluttershy, now that you've calmed down please do tell us how Rainbow Dash reacted when you let slip your undying passion for her?" Rarity asked, her voice dripping with an insatiable curiosity.

It was within the park that Rarity and Pinkie both reassured Fluttershy and pestered her about Rainbow Dash, not normally the place they'd chose to talk of such things but it was not normal for the two of them to bump into a rampaging panicked Fluttershy. This was what happened though, and it happened within the park, so the two concerned friend's took their distraught friend to a more secluded area of the public park, sat her down on a bench, and began to calm her down. With their friend calm though, it was time for them to inquire about Fluttershy's romantic situation, something they were perfectly delighted to do.

"W-Well, I didn't confess or… or accidentally say I loved her." Fluttershy began to mumble, immediately drawing uncertain expressions from her two friends.

Pinkie stopped mid-bounce and asked, "So let me guess this straight, you didn't say you love her by mistake?"

Fluttershy fidgeted about where she sat and replied, "N-no, you see, Rainbow Dash was reading my book and—"

"Rainbow Dash was reading your diary!" Rarity shouted out, aghast though not totally surprised that Rainbow Dash would invade somepony's privacy in such a manner.

"Oh no, no, no. It wasn't my diary she was reading, it was a foal's book I had written." Pinkie and Rarity looked to Fluttershy with utmost confusion as they waited for her to explain, "When we were young I wrote this book about us, as bunny rabbits and it's um, got romance in it…"

Fluttershy's voice became quiet as she grew more and more embarrassed about discussing her foalhood creation, so it was unknown whether Pinkie Pie was aware she was cutting off her friend when she asked, "So you didn't, upfront and without any possibility of her misunderstanding, say you love Rainbow Dash… to Rainbow Dash."

"Ummmm, no," Fluttershy answered, unsure where her friends were going with the conversation.

The unicorn and earth pony shippers looked to one another with quivering expression, uneasiness to their smiles, and lowered brows forming frowns upon their faces.

Rarity placed both her hooves on Fluttershy's shoulder's, looked her in the eye, and asked, "Fluttershy, are you telling us, having once been effectively handcuffed to Rainbow Dash for almost two weeks straight, that she is aware of romance to the point she can deduce you love her from reading a book?"

Fluttershy did not reply at first, seemingly lost in thought; however after a minute of silence she murmured, "Oh."

"That was what I thought dear."

"Then that means everything is okay," Fluttershy cheered, a smile rising up on her face, "Rainbow Dash did not find out I love her."

"Yep, and now it's the perfect time to tell her you do."

"W-what?"

Rarity nodded to Pinkie's suggestion and added, "She's right, dear. Rainbow Dash is probably worried about how you reacted, and she will demand answers."

"Meaning all you have to do is tell her the truth about why you went cray-cray and tell her you love her," Pinkie said with a sing-song voice, "Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, make sure you don't get it in your eye, cause squeezy lemon stings, stings, stings."

"I know I said I would tell her my feelings, but today? Today-Today?"

"Fluttershy, I know it's a little sudden but this I can say is the perfect opportunity to confess."

Just then Angel burst out of the bushes, frantically waving his little arms about and leaping for Fluttershy's attention. Before Fluttershy could even ask what the matter was, Spike came out of the bushes, followed shortly by both Twilight Sparkle and Applejack.

"Wh-what's the mat-"Rainbow Dash has been foalnapped!" Spike, Twilight and Applejack all yelled.

Fluttershy looked towards Rarity in silence, the latter merely replying, "Or maybe not."

* * *

Eyes alert, and with a unicorn scanning the very area with a life detecting spell, the ponies, dragon, and rabbit approached the cottage. They moved cautiously around the large hole in the ground, taking note of it and, after Fluttershy told them she had no gophers, moles, or badgers of such a large size, wondering what kind of creature could have made such a hole. Continuing on, none of the party could spot a single sign of Rainbow Dash or her foalnappers still being within the area. They could however tell that said foalnappers were an aggressive bunch, spotting Fluttershy's cottage door laying in the river, and her doorway exposing the insides to her house.

Once inside the cottage, Pinkie decided the time for silence had passed. "Hello, mean foalnappers, can we have Dashie back please?"

No response.

"Ah don't think there here anymore," Applejack said, but remained on guard.

Spike meanwhile was listening, or rather watching Angel Bunny. "Angel says they left a letter."

"Oh, those ruffians! Foalnapping ponies, vandalising properties, and they don't even have the manners to hoof us the letter in pony," Rarity scoffed as she looked around for this supposed letter.

"Well I don't see any letter," Twilight said before walking out the front door, "I'll check the letter box."

"Hey, maybe one of us is standing on it," Pinkie suggested as she looked to the ground, "Well what do ya know? I am standing on it! And so are you Applejack! And Rarity! And…"

Pinkie trailed off as she and all her friends took several steps back from the envelope they had been standing on. Twilight Sparkle had come back to the cottage upon hearing Pinkie's discovery, but did not enter for fear of stepping on the envelope that lay on the floor. The seven of them looked to the envelope bigger than each and every one of them.

"That is one big letter." Pinkie commented as Rarity carefully used her magic to open the envelope while Twilight carefully used her own magic to remove the letter from it. Twilight then laid the letter onto the floor so all of them could read it.

_Dear Flutturshi,_

_ I hav com back fore my revenge and capturd ur colorful luvur. If u onet im back, ull hav 2 get 2 my cassel and fight me fore im. All u hav 2 doo iz follow de fairee and shell take u 2 me. R u a bad enuff dude 2 resque ur luvur?_

_Sincerely, ur Arch-Nemesis._

_P.S. Pleeze dont tell ur princessis, dey scare me._

"Oh no, it's a letter from my arch-nemesis!" Fluttershy yelled out in horror to the sound of dramatic thunder.

Silence ensnared the room at that point. As Angel left the room, heading outside, the rest of the group looked at Fluttershy, at the letter, at each other, all in disbelief over the events that had occurred. Fluttershy nervously fidgeted on the spot, waiting for somepony, or anyone, to say something.

"This pony's spelling is atrocious!"

"Yay, adventure time!"

"Oh I can see it now; clearly a bitter rival of love has taken to drastic measures to take Rainbow Dash all for herself."

"Now how in tarnation did you get yourself an arch-nemesis?"

"Um, well, he's not a pony an-and—"

"Well he forgot to add an 'e' to the ends of the words 'have' and 'come'."

"Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to adventure we go!"

"Perhaps an enemy from your fashion model days? Some of them can get so jealous."

"No, Ah need to know how somepony as kind as you 'ave yourself an arch-nemesis."

"It's a long story, I'm sure you don't want to have to listen to it all right now."

"Colourful has a 'u' in it, Rainbow Dash is a 'she, and how do you misspell castle as 'cassel'?"

"Rarity, grab your diamond sword, you'll need it for the giant crabs."

"P-pardon?"

"Actually ah think ah'd like to hear tha' there story, it's unusual."

"I-It is? Oh my, I'm sorry; I thought everypony had an arch-nemesis."

"Hey look, a fairy." Spike stated, and immediately every conversing pony stopped their conversation.

Looking in the direction of Spike, and then to where the little dragon pointed, they saw a small glowing ball floating by the door-less doorway. Then the group looked back down to the letter, reading the line 'All u hav 2 doo iz follow de fairee'. The fairy giggled, flittered about in the doorway, and then began to fly away.

"After that fairy!" Twilight ordered as she and her friends chased after it.

Outside the house, by his own little bunny house, Angel was assembling various tools and blueprints. He was in the midst of wondering how he would fit the chainsaw in his small rabbit sized bag when he heard the sound of a small stampede. Spinning around Angel saw his owner and her friends chasing after a flying ball of light, all of them heading towards the Everfree Forest. Shaking off his confusion, Angel put on his bag, grabbed hold of the chainsaw and… failed to move at all. Sighing in disappointment, Angel grabbed a smaller saw of the non-chain variety and ran off to join his owner in the chase.

Fluttershy would have greeted her bunny as he hopped onto her back with a saw in his paws but her breath was currently being taken up by running. Twists and turns around trees and over hedges, the fairy took delight in not making things easy for the group, giggling louder and louder with each stumble, fall, and bump they took.

"Hold it!" Twilight yelled out, her horn glowing with magic as she attempted to telekinetically grab the fairy, yet nothing happened, "My magic doesn't work on it!"

Giggling continuously, the fairy's pace increased as it stopped flying around in circles and instead charged straight towards a tree with a dull multi-coloured swirling vortex in it. The fairy went straight for the vortex and disappeared.

"Stop! Stop!" Twilight yelled out as the group tried to break, tried to not head straight into the vortex.

It was too late. They all made contact with the vortex, disappearing into it, and leaving the forest calm, quiet, and serene.

* * *

**Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a kingdom ruled by cute little bunny rabbits. The rabbits worked hard but played plenty and they all lived peacefully under the rule of their Bunny King. Now this beloved Bunny King had a daughter, and she was called the Shy Princess.**

**The Rainbow Knight and the Shy Princess, by Fluttershy: Page 1.**

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**I do not - nor do I claim to - own any characters or artwork I use in this story unless otherwise stated - they belong to their respective series and owners.**

**So then, my new fanfic... I'm not sure where to begin when talking about it. I've already covered the fact that it is set within the same universe as Magnetism and follows on some time after the events of that story. Said previous story tells of how Fluttershy came to fall in love with Rainbow Dash as she is currently as well as a few other bits of character development or factors you'll see in this story but once again I address the fact that reading the previous story isn't necessary; it may help though.**

**The Shy Knight and the Rainbow Princess has both romance and comedy elements like its predecessor. It also has though a huge adventure element to it, furthermore the romance element will play out differently in this story than that of Magnetism. The main ship of course is FlutterDash, though with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash constantly apart (so the opposite of Magnetism where they were together through it all) and a lot of self-reflection goes on. Included also in this story, though to smaller degrees, should be SpArity (Spike X Rarity) and TwiPie (Twilight X Pinkie Pie). It all depends on how things go but I hope to include small bits of focus on these pairings as well.**

**Finally, as for this chapter, when compared to the planning stages little has changed about it. The current opening with the three figures is new, I didn't plan for that but after writing the chapter I knew it needed a better opening so I started things off mysteriously. Also, when Fluttershy comments about Rarity getting Rainbow Dash to wear a bunny suit I had originally planned to have Fluttershy flashback to the scene, show it to you, though I feared that would break the stories flow and immersion. If all goes well though, I should come to a point where I will be able to show you this scene in all its humorous glory. I've gone on long enough though so now I say thank you for reading, feel free to comment and criticise if you wish to, and I hope you all had an enjoyable time. Cheerio!**


	2. Campfire Chat

**Well now, this might seem like a quick update but in actuality I just took forever to upload this story in the first place. This 2nd chapter comes later than scheduled on Fimfiction, which itself was uploaded later than I'd have liked. I'm really not doing well with these updates. Thankfully most the Christmas shopping is out of the way and I'm needed very little at my on and off job at the moment so hopefully you can look forward to better updates times for the next couple of chapters. Anyway, I'll end now to let you read this chapter, enjoy!**

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Chapter 2: Campfire Chat.

Born from simple sparks, the crimson flame feasted upon a fuel source of leaves with an insatiable hunger. In doing so it rose with strength, its fires growing more and more intense. Its heat spread warmth to the chilled ponies huddled around it, the blaze's presence bringing calm to their worried state of minds. The body of flame that sprung forth at first as but a small ember even fought off against the surrounding darkness, and with an ever present victory bestowed light to the ponies. Within the dead of night, within the unknown woods, within enemy territory, the campfire was the greatest gift of all. It was also perfect for roasting marshmallows with.

At this exact moment, Pinkie Pie was awaiting for her marshmallow to roast as she stared eagerly at the stick. She was also attentive enough to keep an eye on her friends' marshmallows, their attentions cast elsewhere. Fluttershy and Rarity were comforting one another, troubled by entirely different reasons. Fluttershy worried for Rainbow Dash. Rarity worried about keeping up her appearance without even a comb.

Spike and Angel were arguing over who could collect the most sticks and leaves for shelter. This argument felt like a repeat of an argument the two had previously, though back then their arguing had been over who could collect the most sticks and leaves for the fire.

Finally, Twilight and Applejack were interrogating a fairy.

Well, 'fairy' had been the only thing they knew the creature by when they had first chased it. Upon chasing it down and trapping it within a wooden cage, paw-crafted by Angel himself, they realised that the creature wasn't exactly a fairy.

"Now then, we are going to go over everything one last time," Twilight stated, her eyes focused on the 'fairy' they had caught, "Just reply yes or no, got it?"

From within the cage a small pony, the 'fairy', not even the size of Angel, raised her head, looking to Twilight with her bulging eyes as she gently flapped her Parasprite-like wings. She smiled, and in a voice high pitched and sickeningly sweet she replied, "Yep, yep, yep."

"Okay then, let us begin." Twilight cleared her throat, then stared eye–to-eye with their captive, "Your name is Parapony, correct?"

"That's what I told you it was."

Twilight and Applejack scowled at Parapony's reply. Unthreatened by their stares, Parapony merely sighed, before dully informing, "Yes."

"An' you're a pony an' a Parasprite combined, right?"

"Yep."

Applejack was circling around the caged Parapony, making sure there was no way for the hybrid to escape. Twilight was supposed to ask the next question but was instead pondering on the existence of the pony and Parasprite hybrid before her.

"An' you mean to tell us that you were 'created'?" Applejack asked slowly, her eyes narrowed.

Yet again though Parapony nodded her head and confirmed with a "Yep."

"How is that even possible?" Twilight muttered under her breath, but pushing aside her curiosity she got back to demanding answers. "Furthermore, you mean to tell us that this whole place, this… land, was created by the same guy?"

"Yep! My father's amazing isn't he?" Parapony squealed, flapping her wings with glee.

"Your father?" Twilight and Applejack both asked in union.

"Yep! He made me, thus he's my father, right?"

Parapony stared up at the two with large puppy eyes… at least as puppy like as insect-equine hybrid's eyes could get, and soon Applejack uncertainly replied, "Ah guess."

Parapony began to giggle once more, a seemingly consistent habit of hers, but was interrupted by the sounds of a rumbling belly, "Oh oh! Food food! Can I have some food?"

"Here you go!" Pinkie Pie said as she instantly appeared beside Twilight and Applejack, and passed through the cage a marshmallow.

"Yay!" Parapony squealed before devouring the marshmallow in typical parasprite speeds.

Twilight and Applejack turned their prior scowls to Pinkie, whom simply answered back, "What? We can't let her go hungry can we? She's just a little filly."

"More pwease?"

The two interrogator's expressions softened, while a still smiling Pinkie added, "Oh, and you two should probably eat your marshmallows before they burn."

Following Pinkie's suggestion, Twilight and Applejack turned to the fire where there marshmallows awaited them. While Applejack picked up her stick-stuck marshmallow, Twilight telekinetically moved the caged Parapony into view, ensuring that the group would be able to see her.

"Oh lookie here, I can't escape from this cage but nope, nope, nope! Need me in sight," Parapony remarked with a sing-song voice.

"I'm just making sure," Twilight said, and then proceeded to eat her roasted marshmallow. Giving herself a few seconds to swallow the roasted treat, she returned to asking questions, "Now then, just to confirm, you were sent here to guide us to Rainbow Dash?"

Fluttershy perked up at this point, and with Twilight, Applejack and the fairy now closer to the rest of the group, the others also started to pay more attention to the on-going interrogation.

"Guide you where colourful pony is? Yep yep yep!" Parony giggled further but before added on the side, "Though I was actually asked to bring just Butterfly Butt to the boss. You're all extra's father wanted to have come along."

Pinkie Pie snorted with barely supressed laughter at Parony's nickname for Fluttershy, Fluttershy gulped at the mention of being brought to 'the boss', and alarm bells began to ring in Twilight's head. "Wait, your father isn't Fluttershy's… arch-nemesis?"

Parony shook her head, with Fluttershy adding, "I-I know it's been a while since I last saw my arch-nemesis, but I really can't see him creating a fairy… not that I don't think he couldn't if he tried really hard."

"Well, if the spelling of your arch-nemesis is anything to go by dear, I don't think I could imagine it either."

"So just to be clear, what exactly were your orders again?" Twilight asked.

"Um… To wait until Butterfly Butt has read the letter, then take her to the boss so he can have his revenge. Oh, and if anypony else is there, if they are not princesses then take them along too, we have surprises for them along the way."

"Ooh, I love surprises." Pinkie jumped into the conversation whilst jumping over to Parony.

"Yeah, about these 'surprises:' how about you tell us about them," Applejack asked only to see two shaking heads.

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise, silly," Parony and Pinkie Pie said in union, including the 'tut-tut' they added afterwards.

Veins practically bulged from Twilight and Applejack's heads as the synchronised speaking duo of Pinkie Pie and Parony chatted away, already dubbing one another as 'Frenemies'. Applejack gritted her teeth and asked, "Okay then, next question—"

Parony then yawned loudly, interrupting her interrogation.

Rubbing her eyes and looking to the interrogating duo, Parony announced, "I'm sweepy. Good night."

"You're in the middle of an interrogation! You can't just go to sleep!" Twilight shouted out in frustration but any further yells were put to a stop by pink hoof placing over her mouth.

"Twilight! She's just a little filly, she needs her sleepy time." Pinkie whispered in a manner that was somehow both friendly yet stern. "Besides she's not going anywhere, we have her in a cage."

Twilight looked to the 'serious faced' Pinkie Pie, then to the already snoozing pony-parasprite hybrid captive of theirs, and then back to Pinkie. With a sigh, Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head. "Okay, okay, we can ask her more questions when we begin travelling tomorrow."

With their job of interrogation put on hold, Twilight and Applejack attempted to relax by the fire. The campsite was not loud nor was it silent; Pinkie Pie munched away at her marshmallows, Fluttershy and Rarity chatted away to one another, and Spike and Angel were still running about collecting sticks and leaves. Little sounds were a constant. With nothing to put her mind to, Twilight just stared absently into the fire, its bright blaze reassuring in their current, unplanned situation. Twilight eyes followed the waving flames, and gradually her eyes grew weary, shut them, and tried to sleep.

"Fluttershy, Ah really think you need to explain somethin' to us all first." Twilight eyes snapped open at Applejack's statement, and her eyes shifted towards Fluttershy, much like everypony else's did.

"W-what do you mean Applejack?" Fluttershy stuttered, her ears flattening as she spoke.

"Well for starters, how in the hay did you get yourself an arch-nemesis, sugarcube?" Applejack's tone was harsh at first—though not intentionally—and she softened her tone as she continued. "Ah mean, this nemesis of yours busted up your house, foalnapped Dash, and built a world in a tree! How did a pony like you get into such trouble?"

"I must admit darling, I couldn't have imagined you'd get on someone's bad side to the point they'd foalnap a pony." Rarity added in, though keeping a hoof slung across Fluttershy's shoulder.

As if sensing his owner's nervousness, Angel had arrived back at the groups camping ground. Spike soon followed, whilst the little rabbit laid down his collected sticks, walked on towards his owner, and snuggled in her forelegs. Fluttershy looked her animal friend with a smile, proceeding to fuss his head as she replied, "It's a bit of a long story."

"That's okay! Stories are fun and there's nothing else to do!" Pinkie Pie said as she pulled out another bag of marshmallows. "Except eat marshmallows, of course."

"We're all ears Fluttershy," Twilight said before turning to Pinkie and whispering "Why do you have so many marshmallows with you?"

"Pinkie sense: it told me to bring marshmallows; lots and lots of marshmallows."

Fluttershy waited until Twilight and Pinkie finished their conversation, as well as until Spike had sat down. With a now silent and attentive audience before her Fluttershy readied her words. She thought back to the time, the time she met her arch-nemesis, the time she met her Angel Bunny, the time she came to Ponyville. Fluttershy looked back to these memories and all the feelings she had experience and once ready, then began to tell her tale.

_The events that led me to meet my arch-nemesis happened only a few years ago, before I had met all of you and when I had arrived in Ponyville for the very first time. In a way, it feels like a really long time ago._

_I had just left school and had already brought my first house. I was amazed at how cheap it was; I never would have imagined I'd have been able to buy a house so quickly._

_"Wow," I remember uttering, looking with awe at my tree cottage, though back then there was a tad bit more foliage._

_"I can't believe this cottage is only twenty bits," I said as I turned around to the property salespony, "It-It's not haunted, is it?"_

_"Nope, not haunted ma'am," I remember the pony replying, though thinking back, I'm sure he whispered something under his breath about the house being next to the Everfree forest._

"Ah remember the town talkin' 'bout that, we all thought some courageous, fearless knight had come to live in Ponyville." Applejack chuckled.

"That, or some crazy pony that thought living by the Everfree Forest was a good idea," Rarity said with a snicker, as she too remembered the gossip about Ponyville that day.

_Y-yes, I found that out, in one of my first trips into town. Upon getting my house, I was quite content to just greet all the animals that had taken shelter within it and let them know I would be living there from now on. We became friends quite quickly and they were fine with me setting my stuff up. I even bought some bird houses, cut out the holes a bit more for the mice, and made sure I knew where each animal was staying._

_Eventually though, I needed to go down town, I needed food, supplies, and a job. Thankfully the tax was low on the house thanks again to it being by the Everfree Forest, so I didn't have to worry about needing one for a while. That said, simply the thought of meeting the townsfolk for the first time was terrifying! I had chosen to live in Ponyville because it was the only place with a house I could afford and I had no idea what the ponies were like there back then._

_After about four days of having been set up in my house, I ventured down town and, well, realised my worries were for nought … and that I was very lucky._

"Come to think of it, what actually is your job?" Twilight asked, having waited for the moment Fluttershy would pause, "I mean, you care for all those animals but it's not like you run a pet store or are a vet."

"My job is… a little different. I'm actually just about to get to that," Fluttershy said before continuing.

_When I got into town, it was a lot busier than I expected. Ponies were out and about in either groups or pairs, all talking loudly with one another. A lot of them sounded angry and this just made me even more worried: I didn't like talking with ponies when they were calm, let alone when they were angry._

_But while searching for a job something unexpected happened._

_"Hello little blue bird," I called out to a bird that flew fast past my head, "How are you—"_

_It was then that a pony ran into me._

_I was really dazed at first, but I could sort of see and hear what the other pony was saying. "No! Don't go back into the house! Don't go back into the house!"_

_I could just make out the sight of the blue bird flying into a house, and the pony that had bumped into me began to stomp the ground. I must admit, with the bird being involved I was curious as to what was going on, but I knew it was none of my business and so tried to walk away._

_"Sorry about bumping into you." I heard the pony say, and I flinched when she addressed me._

_"Um, uh… T-that's okay, I-I… eep!"_

"Wow, you're practically a social butterfly compared to how you were back then." Pinkie said with a giggle as Fluttershy humbly smiled.

_"Ooh, while you're here, I don't suppose you could lend a hoof?" _

_"Um, I—"_

_I tried to protest but it was no good. The other pony grinned with a "Thanks," and pulled me over to her house._

_"Now, I need your help getting these birds out of my house," The pony said as she pointed to her house. Through it's open door, I could see a small family of blue birds perched on a table, "When I rush these birds out of the house I need you to close the door. Then, I need you to distract them while I get back into my house."_

_"Um, h-have you tried to… tried asking them to leave?" I suggested, only to be given an incredulous look from the pony._

_"The birds? I've tried to shoo them out but they just keep flying back in."_

_"No, that's not what I meant, let me just trying asking them," I said as I walked on into the house._

_I was sure to walk up to the birds slowly and quietly. Even from a distance I could tell they were nervous and agitated, ready to fly around the room and out of reach if I made any sudden movements. I called out to them as I approached, "Hello there. How are you all doing?"_

_The birds fidgeted, clearly taking notice of what I was saying. Still, the group of four birds looked at me wearily and I noticed that their feathers were tattered. Whatever had happened, the birds had been having a rough time._

_"Oh you poor things, why, whatever happened?" The birds didn't reply, but I continued to talk to them. "I think I see what's going on. You came here for shelter, but I'm sorry to say the pony here doesn't want you living here with her. It is really inconvenient for her."_

_The birds squawked at this, so I added, "But I would love to have you back at my place, you can stay with me if you want. I promise to care for you and help you get food if you need me to. All I need you to do is leave this pony's house, okay?"_

_The birds were not moving, but they had stopped fidgeting and I could tell that they were considering my proposal. I decided to raise and reach out my hoof towards them. After a short while, the biggest of them hopped over to me. Tepidly, it touched my hoof with its wing, pulling it back at first, afraid I was going to do something, but seeing as I wasn't it allowed its wing to touch my hoof once again._

_I walked on outside with the birds in tow, and as soon as I came into view, the homeowner gasped, "H-how? How did you… oh thank you!"_

_"O-oh, it was nothing, I'm happy to help out whenever animals are involved," I remember replying._

_The pony then chuckled and remarked, "Best you not be telling other ponies that. They'll all be having you help out with their pest problems."_

_"Pest problems?" I asked, looking about the town on the lookout for any other animals._

_"Yeah. Recently this whole town's been overrun by animals. They keep coming into ponies' houses and stealing food. Why, they made a real mess of the local boutique the other day."_

Rarity shuddered and muttered, "Rats, so many filthy rats."

"Huh. I didn't know Ponyville suffered a pest problem before," Twilight stated, looking to the others with a scrunched brow.

"Ponyville's always had a problem or two with the critters on account of bein' right by the Everfree Forest 'n all," Applejack explained.

"Though this time it was far worse. The animals were coming out of the forest in droves and wrecking everything," Rarity continued on from Applejack's explanation and then remarked, "Well, everywhere but Sugarcube Corner."

"I wonder why. I threw them a party with balloons and cake and everything, but none of them came," Pinkie added, looking back to the lack of animal guests with a set of downcast eyes.

Leaning over to Twilight, Applejack whispered to her friend, "Ah reckon the pet alligator and the loud canon had somethin' to do with that."

The fire crackled loudly at this point, drawing the ponies' attention to the dying flame. Upon noticing the weakened campfire, they became aware of the lack of warmth they had previously and so with haste they gently tossed some wood for the fire to feast on.

"May I continue?" Fluttershy asked, and upon seeing a series of nods, did as such.

_After that little incident and kind of getting involved with many more throughout my time in town, I was soon approached by Mayor Mare. She and the council had been trying to sort out the animal problem for a while now, but they hadn't had any luck. Apparently seeing how I was able to communicate with the animals, they then decided to ask if I could solve the problem. I told the Mayor that I would love to let all the animals stay at my place, but I hadn't found a job yet and without that I had no means to care and feed all of them. I was surprised when Mayor Mare gave me a job there and then._

"Wait, so you're employed by the town council?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. I am employed as Ponyville's official Animal Manager and Everfree Forest Border Control Officer," Fluttershy stated with a smile, then adding. "Originally, they had me down as their Pest Control Officer, but I didn't like my title referring to the animals as pests."

"So you're paid by the town council to take care of animals."

"It's the best job in the world," Fluttershy announced with joy. "Although, there is a bit more to it than that."

"And so that's the story of how Fluttershy got a job.," Pinkie Pie said as she bounced in place, a smile on her face the entire time.

The atmosphere of merriment turned to silence, then to awkward silence, which led to Applejack asking, "So what does this have to do with your arch-nemesis?"

Further silence ensued before Twilight mentioned, "That's right, what does any of this have to do with your arch-nemesis?"

"It does have something to do with him, it just takes a while to get to that point," Fluttershy reassured her friend. Clearing her throat out once again, she continued. "Now let's see, I had just taken up my job as Ponyville's Animal Manager."

_It did not take me long to gather all the animals from Ponyville and find them somewhere else to stay. Many of the animals had decided to stay with me, and thanks to the funding from the town council, I was able to buy them all the things they would need. Thanks to having so many animal friends, I was never lonely, despite being new to Ponyville, and I worked hard to ensure they were all happy._

_As weeks passed though, more and more animals started to come from the forest. More worrying was how many of them kept coming to me with injuries. All sorts of animals, from the small ones to the big ones, were visiting me with bruises and scratches and even broken bones. I could tell that a lot of these injuries weren't accidental; something was hurting these poor animals._

_"Oh dear, oh dear. How did you hurt your paw again, Mr. Fox?" I asked my patient, but he turned his head away and refused to answer._

_This was the case with all the animals I would tend to. I'd ask them who were hurting them, but they would all refuse to reply. Eventually I saw more hurt animals than I could bear to stand and so decided to investigate._

_I told my animals about what I was going to do, I swore that I would find out who was hurting them, and readied myself to venture into the Everfree Forest. It, um, took a few days to build up the confidence though._

_"Okay Fluttershy, you can do this." I would say to myself, bags packed and standing in front of the forest entrance._

_Looking into the ever-expanding darkness of the Everfree Forest—the area seemingly swallowing up any light and making it seem as foreboding as possible—I would freeze. Eventually I'd make up an excuse and return home, continue to tend to the animals. Eventually—partly because of a few more injured friends—I finally urged myself into the forest. In fact, only a few short steps in, and I already witnessed my culprit in action._

"Ah, I get it now; this pony bullying the animals must be your arch nemesis," Twilight concluded, with a smile and a nod.

"My, I never knew there was somepony responsible for causing that pest problem back then," Rarity commented, turned to Fluttershy, "Go on dear, reveal to us your great and bitter enemy."

_Before my eyes I saw a squirrel struck down, by a simple slap to the face, by…_

"Ooh, ooh!"

_A bunny rabbit._

No response came from the listening ponies and dragon. Stunned silence followed, appropriate for this stunning revelation. Then it was followed by equally appropriate laughter.

"Are you saying Rainbow Dash was foalnapped by a bunny rabbit?" Spike asked amidst chuckles, falling on his back.

"Oh no! Not the bunnies! Anything but the bunnies!" Pinkie added with mock horror as she too feel on the ground, roaring with laughter.

Fluttershy meanwhile couldn't fathom the reaction she was getting, "Um, I think you may have made a mistake, my arch-nemesis isn't a bunny rabbit."

Laughter died down quickly from Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity, but lasted much longer with Pinkie and Spike. Even as they heard the correction, the sheer thought of Rainbow Dash being held captive by a bunny rabbit amused them to no end.

"So why bring up the bunny then, we really, really want to know about your archy nemesissy." Pinkie complained, waving her hooves in the air like they were made of rubber.

"Because this bunny is very, very important," Fluttershy explained, Angel not being able to help but smile.

_"Stop that!" I immediately yelled out as I dashed over to the two animals._

_The rabbit thankfully stopped, but then jumped past me and started to flee. I first checked on the squirrel, a quick inspection telling me that little harm had been done, but I still wanted to apprehend the bullying bunny. I flew on after the rabbit and out of the Everfree Forest. I was able to follow him for a while but he was far too fast and I… wasn't very good at going fast, or flying, or flying fast. In the end I had to stop, exhausted, and the rabbit had gotten away._

_I asked my fellow animals if the bunny rabbit has been the one who had been bullying them. They shook their heads and told me no. Maybe I had just stumbled upon a fight between two of the animals, likely over food, and so I decided to leave it at that._

_Having once been into the forest, I was a little braver next time and was able to venture forward the day after. I had only managed to venture a little further than I had before when I encountered the same bunny. He was hiding in the bushes near a badger and looking straight at me. It was as if he wanted me to see him and when he had my attention he ran on over to the badger and began stomping the poor animal on the head._

_"Stop that this instance!" I yelled out just like last time, and just like last time the rabbit ran past me._

_Everything we did was just as before, I checked on the badger, saw he was okay, tried to chase the rabbit, who ran of the forest, then failed to catch him._

"Sounds like you needed to get in a work out. Ooh, do we get a training montage?" Pinkie added in enthusiastically.

_Um, no, next time I went into the forest with a plan. I had my doubts that it was the bullying bunny who was causing the injuries to all the animals—he was just one adorable little bunny rabbit—but I knew I had to catch him and tell him off regardless. I next saw the rabbit tripping up and attacking a bear._

_"Um, Mr bull-I mean Mr rabbit sir, over here," I called out to the rabbit and he turned around to face me._

_I then put my cunning plan into action; I threw a carrot to the ground and readied a net to catch him. He looked to the carrot, just as planned, he moved to the carrot, just as planned… then he threw the carrot at me, that wasn't planned. The rabbit got away that time but that did not stop my resolve to catch the culprit._

_Each time I entered the forest I would see the rabbit. He'd begin picking on an animal, and I would chase after him out of the forest. I once tried to trick him into slipping on some honey; he ended up jumping over and pushing me into it. I set up a net between the trees; he undid and used to trap me instead. I tried so many things but each time he'd escape and I'd end up chasing him out of the forest._

"Hmm, it seems to be that there is a pattern with this story of yours." Rarity mused, the others nodding their heads in agreement.

"You mean how the rabbit kept leading me out of the forest?" Fluttershy asked, a group of nods answering her. "Well, I happened to notice this after a while as well."

_A couple of weeks later, after another failed attempt to stop the rabbit, I chose not to chase after him. He ran off out of the forest while I decided to venture further in. I really don't know how the Everfree Forest can be so spooky, even in the day time, but it made me skittish and jumpy. Every crack of a twig, every rustle of the bushes, every sound that I could not recognise, they all startled me._

_I then heard a tremendous crashing sound, and with it a great yell of pain. "W-w-what was that?"_

_Birds flew from the trees in panic, the ground trembled, and I shook with fright. Even after everything had settled down I was frozen to the spot, worried about what could have possibly made such a noise, but when I heard faint groans of pain, I could not help but rush over to the scene._

_"H-hello," I called out as I waded through the trees, and for the first time, met my arch-nemesis._

* * *

Rainbow Dash groaned in pain, attempting to stand up. The world around her swayed about due to her disoriented state. It also literally swayed about as a result of the swaying floor she was on. These two factors combined made the task of standing a futile one, and her shaky legs gave way for her to fall. On the plus side she at least wasn't the type to get motion sickness, something that no doubt would have made situation even less enjoyable.

"Okay Rainbow, charging into steel bars wasn't the best plan you've ever had." The fallen pegasus groaned as she looked to the bars of the cage that entrapped her.

With time the cage stopped swinging and her head stopped rattling, allowing Rainbow Dash to leap back up onto her hooves. She eyed the cage with both hatred and intent, having been trying to find a way to get out its accursed confines since awakening inside it. So far bucking hadn't worked, biting hadn't worked, and head-butting definitely had not worked. To note, Dash now had sore hooves, jaw, and head.

"Who even keeps a giant bird cage anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked aloud in irritation, looking around at the hanging cage, "And where the hay is anypony? Don't I at least deserve to have a guard to yell at?"

It seemed Dash's demands were somewhat answered as she could then somepony approaching… that and she could feel somepony approaching as her cage and the very room shook and trembled.

"W-what in the…?" Rainbow Dash asked aloud, her voice itself unable to withhold the slight worry she had as the massive red doors of the room burst open.

* * *

Coincidentally, as Rainbow Dash began to see the one who ordered her capture, Fluttershy was describing to her friends the very same guy, the arch-nemesis of hers she had met so long ago.

_He appeared to have fallen down a hole, a pitfall trap, but his belly was quite, um… I mean, he was quite big so he couldn't quite fit down the hole._

* * *

Rainbow's mouth hung agape as the towering green skinned creature, at least as tall and wide as an Ursa Minor, waded pass the doors.

* * *

_He was trying hard to get out, using his four fingered hands to claw at the ground around him in an attempt to free himself._

* * *

Rainbow Dash eyes bulged as within the creature's huge hair covered hands, being dragged along into the room was a large steel club equal in proportion to its thick muscular arms.

* * *

_Eventually he began to make a little leeway, pushing off against the ground with his broad arms was enough to begin lifting his body out of the hole._

* * *

Rainbow Dash gulped as with each step the creature before her took, the room trembled more and more.

* * *

_Out of the hole I could see him in full view, his dark green skin, his head riddled with protruding bumps…_

* * *

Before her Rainbow saw the creature's large jutting teeth, and his dark, violet eyes...

* * *

"Now Fluttershy, dear, are you sure that this is what you saw?"

"Yeah, it doesn't sound like any pony, or zebra, or even griffon."

"It sounds more like a big ol' monster."

"Y-yes, and it kind of sounds like you're describing a… well a—"

_Now girls, I've said before, my arch-nemesis isn't a pony. Unless he's turned into one now, who I saw that day was without a doubt…_

* * *

Rainbow Dash had the hulking figure before her in full view. Despite being inside a huge hanging cage, the creature still looked down to her. She could see his large grin, displaying his yellowed rotting teeth and letting out his ghastly breath.

"Oh snap..." Was all the usually unintimidated pegasus could say, for towering before her was…

* * *

_…An Ogre._

* * *

**The princess of the bunny kingdom was very kind, very polite, but most of all, very shy.**

** "H-Hello," the Shy Princess would whisper, but no bunny would hear her. She couldn't make any bunny friends because she was so shy and her father was always busy running the kingdom. As such, the Shy Princess was very lonely.**

**The Rainbow Knight and the Shy Princess, by Fluttershy: Page 2.**

* * *

**I do not - nor do I claim to - own any characters or artwork I use in this story unless otherwise stated - they belong to their respective series and owners.**

**The character Parapony is my OC.**

**Now then I guess there are only two things to address with this chapter. First off, as you obviously notice from this author note and the story, there shall be OCs of mine in this story. When planning it out this was unavoidable, there was neither enough characters to fill all the roles nor were there many characters suitable for the various roles. I hope to craft for you though depth filled and enjoyable OC's whom you will be able to appreciate, even when they are made for the purpose of being disliked. Two OC's are thus introduced in this chapter, the adorable guide for the Mane 6 Parapony, and Fluttershy's arch-nemesis whose name shall be revealed later. Both are characters I have so far enjoyed writing and whom will have a lot of interaction with the mane 6. I hope you'll come to like them as much as I do.**

**The other thing I feel is worth mentioning is why, only within the 2nd chapter, have I started a flashback. There are two reasons for this, the first being is that I always wanted to use this particular style of narrative I guess you could say, within a story. By that I mean the way in which Fluttershy is telling the group about the experience but it is being presented to you readers as a flashback, they key difference between it and a normal flashback being the occasional interruptions from the group. I tried this out for a one-shot once, yet sadly I never finished said one-shot as I could not create a satisfying ending for it. As to why this flashback is occurring so early on in the story; well it kind of just made the sense. In a situation such as this I'm sure the first thing people would demand is an explanation, and if someone their had answers, then in the first opportunity where they could receive answer then the group demand that answer. So it is shown here, Applejack asks Fluttershy for an explanation of how their current situation came to be and so Fluttershy gives the answer the moment she can sit down and answer properly.**

**Well then, that is all I needed to say regarding this chapter. I hope to be able to upload chapter 3 on the 30th November or 1st December but you best wish me luck for that, I haven't had a successful record so far with this story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and cheerio.**


	3. Campfire Chat Continued

**... To be fair I also uploaded this chapter a week late on FimFiction so it's not like you readers are getting the short end of the stick like last time. Anyway, I apologise once again for the late chapter, this one has been real tricky to write. Also my regular proof-reading, Ugugg, wasn't available to edit this chapter so it has instead been edited by NintendoGal55. Just thought I should mention that before letting you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Campfire Chat Continued!

"An ogre! I can't believe we're going to be facing an ogre; this is insane!" Twilight moaned and hollered, cradling her head in her frightened panic, "We're doomed, doomed I tell you."

"Now Twilight, there is no need to be so over dramatic about this." Rarity advised.

"Talk about the pot callin' the kettle black," Applejack muttered under her breath, but clearly not quietly enough as she received a stern look from Rarity, "Ah mean, come now sugarcube, it can't be that bad."

"Have you even seen an ogre before?" Twilight snapped back with a strained smile, her worries beginning her usual decent into madness, strands of her mane already springing up.

Fluttershy raised a hoof, quietly inputting the answer 'yes' into the conversation as Applejack asked in retaliation, "'Ave you?"

"No," The worrying mare said calmly, relaxing, and then panicking once more, "but I've heard about them, Princess Celestia has told me all about them. She would tell me about how they're strong, brutish and big. They could reach the size of even the largest of whales and their simple minds and tough skins make them resistant to all kinds of magic."

"Oh, I know what will cheer you up then; Big told me he's not as big or strong as other ogres." Fluttershy added, helping to soothe Twilight a little.

"He's not as big as other ogre's and he's called 'Big'?" Pinkie asked with a grin, already feeling a funny moment coming.

"His parents thought calling him that would help him grow bigger." Pinkie Pie laughed and fell onto her back at Fluttershy's explanation.

The shy mare then continued going on to help soothe Twilight some more, "There's nothing to worry about, he's nowhere near as big as say… the dragon we saw, at least half its size."

"Only about half its size huh." Twilight Sparkle then grabbed a stick telekinetically and began scrawling in the dirt.

"What ya' writing?"

"The inscription for my headstone."

"Come now Twilight, I'm sure we'll figure something out, perhaps Fluttershy knows something about this ogre we can use to our advantage," Rarity calmly added, waving a hoof toward the current storyteller.

Twilight sighed, rubbed a hoof against her head and conceded, "Maybe you're right, please continue telling us about your arch-enemy, we need to know all you know about him."

Fluttershy nodded, ready to continue from where she left off, but stopped upon seeing Pinkie raise a hoof, "Um, Fluttershy, just wondering, is Dashie going to be safe?"

Applejack grimaced and added, "Yeah, Rainbow Dash bein' captured by an ogre of all thin's is cause for concern."

Worry passed through the group's minds, fears of Rainbow Dash being thrown about by the beastly creature, at its mercy, and in some thoughts, at its hunger.

Fluttershy thought on this for a second, think back to her arch-nemesis, "Well…"

* * *

Rainbow Dash looked up at the still, menacing ogre before her with shock, awe and horror. The Ogre's pure violet eyes stared down at Rainbow Dash, focusing intently on the pegasus. The Ogre gnashed his teeth together, grinding them for a brief moment, as if it were a habit done when thinking. The Ogre ground its teeth, then continued to grind its teeth, then did so louder and louder until…

"Will you stop doing that already!" Rainbow Dash yelled out in aggravation.

"I'm tryin' to think how ta introduce myself! Wait a bit!" The Ogre yelled back, the sheer force of the yell sending Dash flying into the back of her cage, and losing her footing.

Sitting up, Rainbow rubbed the back of her head, and looked back to the now mumbling Ogre. Due to how loud said Ogre was it was not hard to hear that he was mumbling about his introduction, mentioning things such as making sure he was as scary as possible.

"You could start with your name," Rainbow Dash suggested, still with aggravation in her voice.

The Ogre looked to Rainbow Dash perplexedly, put a grimy finger to his lips, licked said finger, and then decided that Dash's suggestion was a good idea, "I am Big Boss!" Big Boss roared, Dash's cage trembling from the volume and the pegasus had to take flight to avoid being shook about.

"And you," Big Boss announced, pointing towards Rainbow Dash, "are my prisoner."

This statement of fact did not sit well with Rainbow Dash, who glared back at Big Boss, and snapped, "Yeah, and why is that?"

"Well you see," Big Boss began as he dropped down onto his hind, causing the room to once more shake, "I needed you to get to lure my arch-nemesis here."

Rainbow Dash touched down on the floor of her cage, briefly grimacing at how cold it felt, and then looked to Big with confusion, "Your arch-nemesis?"

"That's right."

"What in the hay do I have to do with your arch-nemesis?"

Big Boss's eyes widened, he leaned in closer to the cage and asked somewhat quieter than before, "You don't know? Hasn't she ever told you about me?"

"I don't even know who you're talking about and I've never heard of you before." Rainbow Dash retorted.

Big Boss frowned and breathed out heavily. Then he grasped both sides of the cage and began shaking it furiously, all while yelling, "Why didn't she tell anyone! How could she not tell anybody about my scariness? Why!"

Rainbow Dash ping ponged about the cage; grunts and swears slipping out of her mouth each time she banged against one side of the cage to the next. After a few seconds of this, Big Boss stopped rattling the cage, huffing and puffing, leaving Rainbow Dash to fall down onto the cage floor with her world spinning.

"Wait!" Big Boss blurted out as a thought struck him, "What if she was so terrified of me that she never mentioned it to anyone, for fear they'd be unable to sleep. Yes, that's it, that's it."

"Y-yeah, sure buddy," Rainbow Dash groaned as she continued to lay on the floor, not even attempting to stand at this point, "Now who are we talking about?"

Big Boss turned towards Dash, and with much dramatic flair answered, "Why, my arch-nemesis is only the most strong, the most scary… Fluttershy!"

"Wha…?" Dash mumbled, looking to Big Boss with disbelief… and then bursting out with laughter. "F-Fluttershy is your, is your arch-nemesis!"

"It's true, it's true, that magical eyed pony is my arch-nemesis!" Big Boss refuted, believing Rainbow Dash's laughter to be a sign of disbelief.

Rainbow Dash reigned in her laughter, chuckles still escaping from her lips as she inquired, "So you foalnapped me in order to lure Fluttershy here to…"

"Have my revenge!" Big Boss answered with enthusiasm, stroking his club and laughing heartily, "Foalnapping her coltfriend was the easiest way to get her to come here."

As Big Boss continued his laughter, Dash sat up and snapped, "Coltfriend! I'm a mare!"

Stopping his laughter, Big Boss stated questionably, "But Fluttershy is also a mare… mares can love mares?"

Rainbow Dash went to blurt out her answer but then paused and instead slowly replied, "Yeah, they can, but what does that have to do with me and Fluttershy?"

"Cause you're lovers."

Rainbow Dash blinked. Big Boss's statement drifted into her ears, floated about her head, and then was processed. Rainbow Dash blushed.

"W-Wha-What?" Rainbow Dash stammered out, her jaw dropping and hanging agape.

"I have a real smart guy working with me and he came up with the idea. The villain captures the damsel and the hero follows to rescue her." Big Boss said aloud with a grin, ignoring Dash's stupefied expression. "I'll be able to have my revenge on Fluttershy and none of those scary princesses or her friends will get in the way."

"H-Hey, me and Fluttershy aren't-"

"That reminds me," Big Boss continued, undisturbed by Rainbow Dash's attempts to correct him, "I need to talk to Zeb about those friends."

Big Boss took a few of his heavy ogre steps to the open doorway, started to exit the room and close the giant double doors before him, but then turned around and called back to Dash, "Don't you go anywhere now."

The doors were closed, and Rainbow Dash was left trapped in the room once more, "Yeah, no worries about that."

* * *

_I stood still, frozen on the spot, and unsure what to do. Before me was the scariest creature I had ever seen. He had big teeth and big hands and big everything. That and he was frowning, his eyes were all menacing, like he was really mad at something._

"_Gyahh!" He yelled and began stomping all of a sudden._

_I yelped out in fright, hanging onto a nearby tree to stop myself from losing my balance; his stomps seemed to make the whole world shake._

"_None of this seems all that encouraging Fluttershy," Twilight announced, her hooves shaking at the thought of this ogre._

"_That wabbit tricked me again!" He bellowed, throwing up his arms into the air, which um, let's just say he could of done with a bath._

_Covering my nostril and mouth as best I could I blurted out, "The rabbits been tricking you too?"_

"Well Ah'll be that was awfully brave of you Fluttershy." Applejack complimented.

_I realised immediately that I had stupidly blurted out my question. The ogre turned towards me, saw me and… screamed. Then I screamed. Then he continued to scream. Then I leaped into a nearby bush and tried to hide. Then he toppled over… and got stuck into the hole again._

_I peered out of the bush, terrified of him approaching me, only to see and hear him calling out for help, "Aw, I'm stuck again!"_

_I stayed in the bush, my fear of him preventing me from coming out, but seeing him flailing his legs and arms, calling out for help, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I reasoned to myself that he wasn't that scary. He wasn't a dragon._

_The group looked back to Fluttershy with bulging eyes and slightly gaping mouths. The idea that a pony was scared of dragons: perfectly understandable. The idea that a pony wasn't scared of an ogre: not quite so understandable._

_So I crawled out of the bush and called out to him, "H-hello, d-do you need some help?"_

_Straining his neck to look past his uh, moderate sized belly, he looked at me with bemused eyes, "A talkin' animal."_

"_Actually, I'm a pony," I replied as I fidgeted on the spot. "All ponies talk."_

"_They do?! Wow!" Big drawled out and whistled before going quiet for several seconds, "Can you get me outta hole pony?"_

_I nodded, flew up to his outstretched hand, grabbed a hold of it and pulled._

"An you pulled him out of the hole!" Pinkie blurted out, then leaped on over to Twilight and slung a foreleg around her shoulder, "Worry not Twilight, Fluttershy can pick up an ogre. She'll beat down this guy with her mountain lifting abs of steel."

"Actually pulling on his hand didn't help at all."

_Try as I might I couldn't lift him out of the hole. So I had another idea instead, I'd try and push his feet down to the ground wherein he could push off against it and get out._

"Hold a second here." Pinkie interrupted as she raised her hoof politely, "If his feet aren't stuck in the hole… and you said earlier he was flailing his legs and arms… then that would mean…"

Pinkie Pie burst into laughter, "His heiny got stuck in the hole this time!"

"I… um, didn't really consider that important enough to point out but yes."

_Anyway, I flew on over and began pushing down on his foot. It took a lot effort but I managed to get to touch the ground. He immediately dug into the earth with his toes, the floor cracking as soon as he started to put force into it. I flew out the way as he suddenly lurched up, free from the hole, and fell forth onto his knees._

"_Ooh, ma toes hurt," He said as he turned towards me, "Thank ya pony."_

"_Oh, t-that's okay."_

_The ogre then stuck his hand out at me, showed me a large grin and said, "I'm Big."_

_I backed away from his hand, looked him up and down through my mane and replied, "Y-yes, you are very, very big."_

_The big fellow before me let his jaw hung, his jutting teeth quivered, as he looked around at his body, "No I'm not, I'm small."_

_As I only measured up only to the size of his foot and had to look up to see he was as tall as most the trees in the Everfree forest, this confused me. "N-no, I assure you. You're big."_

"_I am Big but I'm small."_

_I tried to work this all out in my head but it wasn't until I look to his still stretched out hand that I realised what he meant. I put my hoof forth tentatively, "I-I'm Fluttershy."_

"_An I'm Big! Hello Fluttershy." Big the 'small' ogre said as he touched my hoof with a finger._

_Big pulled back his hand and looked around the forest with fast shaking head. He stopped only to grumble, shake his clenched fist and moan, "Oh, that wabbit got away again."_

"_Oh my, are you talking about a mean little rabbit?" I asked._

_He turned to me with wide eyes and bellowed out his following question with such force it blew me over, "You know of the mean wittle wabbit?!"_

"_Um, yes." I squeaked out, scrambling to my now unsteady feet. "He's been bullying the animals so I've been trying to stop him."_

"_He's been picking on me too." Big informed me, showing off some small but recent cuts and scratches. "I was just playing with the animals and he started pickin' one me."_

"_Oh you poor thing," I noted as I saw his injuries, "I've got some band-aids back at my house. Would you like me to get you some?"_

_Big stared blankly at me, slowly opening his mouth. He raised his brow, his open mouth slipping to the side, and he leaned forth like an eager puppy. "You'd… you'd do that for me."_

_I nodded. He grinned. Then he leaped up, dancing on the spot giddily._

"_Yes please. I'd like that."_

_That was how I made my first non-animal friend since Rainbow Dash._

"That is ever so sweet Fluttershy," Rarity cooed but her happy expression quickly grimaced, "though in hindsight with him becoming your arch-nemesis, maybe not."

"Yeah, how did ya'll end up as enemies?" Applejack inquired with bleak eyes and a downcast smile.

Fluttershy mirrored Applejack's expression, "I'll… I'll get to that point in a bit."

_From then on Big and I would often meet, working together to track down the mischievous rabbit. I'd spot the rabbit as usual, picking on a poor defenceless animal and then trying to lure me out of the forest. _

_Of course I would instead go into the forest and visit Big. I'd often find him in the very spot I first saw him, or around the area. It was a nasty place to be really, filled with all kinds of traps. Yet when the rabbit would pick on Big, this is the place he'd run back to. Surely it was there that the rabbit had his hideout. After discussing where the rabbit had been, as well having to help Big out of any trap he'd fallen into that day, we'd split up and look for clues._

"You went traversing about the Everfree Forest on your own?" Rarity questioned.

"Oh, it was only during the day. The Everfree Forest is slightly less terrifying during the day."

_Sometimes we'd never spot him. He was just one little rabbit, a crafty one who knew all the best places to hide, so spotting him was never easy. An then when one of us did spot him it never went to well._

_I noticed him hopping from one bush to the next, poking his head out from time to time and looking about the place with a paw above his eyes. As I slowly and quietly snuck around, he kept on the lookout, even as he snacked on a small carrot. I thought I was doing my best to keep quiet, I thought he hadn't noticed me, but a carrot hitting me kind of told me otherwise._

_He began to run away so I asked, "Please stop, rabbit."_

_He didn't stop. I didn't think he would have but it would have been nice if he did._

_I ended up chasing after him, which was even harder to do far into the Everfree Forest. In comparison to chasing him closer to the edge everything more untamed, darker, and dangerous. I slipped through and around trees, constantly outmanoeuvred by him. I took one wrong turn and ended up walking into many low hanging vines._

"_Oh no! Oh dear." I gasped, trying to pull myself away from the bundle of vines but only getting more and more tangled up in them._

_I tried to move out of the vines carefully at first but as they wrapped around my hooves I got more desperate. I began to flail my legs, resulting in the vines binding my legs, hugging against my body tightly… and tighter and-_

"Fluttershy!" The shouted at mare snapped her eyes open to audience of ranging emotions.

Pinkie and Rarity smirked, hooves to their lips, whereas Applejack shifted on the spot with her hat over her eyes. Twilight looked back sternly, her eyes narrowed and her hooves remained pressed against Spike's ears.

As Spike called out for Twilight to stop covering his ears and how he wanted to hear what Fluttershy was saying, the canary yellow pegasus of the group turned a tomato red colour, whispering, "Sorry."

_When I realised there was no way I was getting out on my own I called out to Big for help. I kept calling until, well, until I spotted all the spooky creatures about the place. I thought it would be best to wait in silence for Big to find me, to which thankfully did not take long. _

"_Bunny Wabbit?"_

_I sighed, "Bunny rabbit."_

_Big reached along and snapped all the vines off the trees they were hanging from. He then lifted me down safely to the ground, where it was easier to start trying to untangle myself._

"_Fluttershy?" Big asked as he sat down, nudging any loose vines away from me._

"_Yes Big?"_

"_Why'd you want ta catch da wabbit?" I stopped trying to push the vines away and instead looked up to my wide eyed ogre friend, "Da wabbit is picking on me. That's why I want ta catch him but he ain't picking on you."_

_I thought on how to explain things to him, I wondered if I even should, but seconds passed and I mumbled, "I… I don't like bullies, that's all."_

_Big didn't say much at first. He wedged his finger under one of the vines and tugged, giving me room to squirm out of its bindings._

"_I was bullied," Big mumbled. "It's not nice."_

_I couldn't imagine anyone as big or as terrifying as Big being picked on, other than the daring bullying rabbit, so I stammered out "You mean… by the rabbit?"_

_Big shook his head solemnly, "By the ogres back home. They'd always tease me because I'm small."_

_I looked my gargantuan friend up and down in disbelief. He seemed to notice this added, "For an ogre."_

_I didn't say anything else as I removed the vines from me. He didn't either, just sat there in silence, dragging away any vines I got off. Once all the vines were off I looked at him, then looked to my wings, flapping them a couple of times to ease them out of being bound for so long._

"_Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can barely fly." I muttered, receiving a naturally bewildered look from my friend, "T-that was what, what the bullies would taunt. I-I'm bad at flying… for a pegasus."_

_Big smiled, and quickly mentioned with an almost light hearted tone, "Big can't lift, Big can't lift."_

_I reflected Big's small smile with a small one of my own and replied, "They'd also call me Klutzershy."_

"_Tiny Mouse."_

"_Dirt lover."_

"_Big can't lift."_

"_Um, you've already said that one Big."_

"_Ogre's aren't good at coming up with words, even insults."_

_It was strange. We regaling of our experience of being bullied, telling one another of all the mean words thrown our way, the nasty glares and the cruel pranks. Yet we smiled. We laughed. Letting it all out, telling it all to someone who understood, made the unpleasantness… soothing._

"A pony became friends with an ogre over being bullied. That certainly isn't something you hear often… or at all." Twilight remarked.

"It wasn't just because we had been bullied that we became friends, Big also liked animals." Fluttershy explained.

"See Twilight, this ogre isn't so scary. He seems silly, is teeny tiny and likes animals." Pinkie assured with several hard pats to her friend's back.

"Yes, yes. The ogre isn't as scary as I thought." Twilight admitted, comparing what little she had heard about ogres to what Fluttershy had just been telling them.

"At the time I had never seen him with any animals. He said he kept them safe at his place in the Everfree Forest but had been unable to play with them much since the bunny started picking on him."

The time of night having been long since set, the youngest awake member of the group felt its passing and a yawn emanated from the dragon. Spike brushed his eyes as drowsiness tried to take him to a land of slumber, shifting in place in order to keep awake.

"I'm assuming it's pretty late. Perhaps you should get some rest Spike." Twilight said, casting one eye of concern to Spike and an eye of wonder to the fake night sky above.

"Yes, perhaps we should all think about getting some beauty sleep." Rarity suggested as she gently brushed her mane with her hoof, pondering how she'd style it in the morning with no comb nor brush in possession.

"Oh come on, can't I at least listen to the end of the story."

Spike's pleas were answered by Fluttershy's reassuring response, "Well, it shouldn't take much longer to finish telling it."

Twilight looked to her grinning assistant, rolled her eyes and relented, "Fine, it it's almost finished."

As the owls hooted in the night and howls of wolves could be heard in the distance, Fluttershy continued her tale.

_Over the course of a couple months Big and I would continue to meet. From that day onwards it was not just to try and track down the rabbit bully but to also chat as friends. It had been an awful long time since I had a non-animal friend and I was still too scared to talk long with any of the ponies back in Ponyville._

"Yet not to be speaking to an Ogre in the Everfree Forest?" Applejack said with a tinge of amusement, raising light chuckles from everyone in the group.

_During that time the injured animal situation was beginning to trouble me more and more. More of the animals were coming to me with their cuts, bruises and even broken bones. They'd literally beg to stay and oh, I couldn't resist letting them._

_I was really beginning to wonder how the bunny was managing to hurt so many creatures. I wouldn't see the bunny bullying the animals all the time, though I heard from Big that the bunny would lure him into traps more frequently, and I doubt he could have hurt so many of these bigger and more ferocious animals. I came to the conclusion that it must have been the traps he were using, it was how we managing to hurt Big so surely it was how we was managing to hurt the bears, boars and Manticores._

_Thankfully though, mine and Big's efforts of trying to catch the bunny were eventually met with success. I was chasing after him as per usual, though in recent days I had acquired a small cage to trap him in. So far I had been unable to catch him in but that day…_

"_Stop, Mr. Rabbit!" I cried out, running after the rabbit that dipped and dove around the trees, heading in the direction of my cottage and out of the forest._

_It was then that I tripped, the cage I had been carrying flying out of my hooves. He must have heard my fall, as he stopped and turned around to check. Miraculously, the cage that had been flying through the sky landed right on top of the little bully, open door first. The cage rolled about, stunning the animal. So I seized my chance and leaped to the cage, locking its door before the rabbit could get out._

"_Ah-hah!" I shouted out as loud as I could with triumph, holding the caged bunny in my hooves. "Look here you mean rabbit, I've finally caught you."_

_I held the cage down to my face to see the rabbit up close. He didn't look any different from most rabbits. His fur was a beautiful snow white and he had long perky ears and a cute button like nose. They real difference was the scowl on his face, as he crossed his little paws and 'huffed'._

"_Now then, are you going to behave yourself from now on and stop picking on all the animals around here?" I tried to demand of him but he didn't respond._

_I asked once more and got a response, a small sigh and a slow, nod. He didn't look at me as he nodded and I could tell he wasn't putting his heart into it. Luckily I knew just what to do to make him understand how much he'd been hurting everyone._

"_Just to be sure I'm going to have you apologise to everyone you've been picking on, understand." Again he didn't bother to look at me as he nodded._

_I strapped the cage to the side of my saddle and set forth deeper into the forest. Shortly after beginning though I heard the cage rattle incessantly. I looked down to my captured rabbit, who raised an eye and pointed back to the direction of my cottage. _

"_Oh, don't you worry, I'll be taking you back to apologise to all the animals you injured soon." I explained to him as I continued along my current direction, "But I'm also aware that you've been bullying a friend of mine in the Everfree Forest and I'm going to have you apologise to him first."_

_The confused expression of the rabbit continued, even as I looked away from him. He kicked against the cage some more, grabbing my attention, with his set expression still on his face._

"_Oh you know the one, that poor, um, little for his kind, ogre that lives in the forest. We're going to see him and you're going to apologise for all the picking on him you've done."_

_I felt the cage lurch at the moment. The previously irritated but calm rabbit had turned rabid, shaking the cage about as much as possible. I looked back to him to see him looking as alarmed as he was acting, constantly bashing about inside the cage._

"_Oh, I see now, you thought you could just pick on him without worries; always sure you could run away from him and not pay the consequences. Well now you'll have to face Big and pay for what you've done."_

_This probably wasn't the best thing to say as the rabbit still didn't calm, continuing to hit and scratch and bite at the bars of his cage. I was certain the cage would hold and that the rabbit would soon tire out so I continued onwards undeterred._

_I eventually made my way to mine and Big's usual meeting spot, only to find him not there, "Big. Big, where are you?"_

_The rabbit stopped rattling his cage to snicker and ensure I heard his relief._

"_Now look here mister, I'm not letting you out of this cage until you apologise to Big as well, understand?" I said back to the trapped rabbit._

_Continuing to look around and call out for him, I saw no sight of Big. It's not like I could miss him, ogres tend to be pretty easy to spot. After waiting at the spot for a few more minutes, looking about the area, something caught my eye._

_I walked on up a row of tree's that lead away from the spot and deeper into the Everfree. They were bent and leaning outwards, like a large creature forced its way through them day after day… like an ogre._

"_If Big isn't here then," I looked around me at the foreboding creepiness of the Everfree Forest and then back to the rugged worn path, "I'll just have to find him myself."_

_It wasn't difficult to track Big. I just had the follow the most trampled on routes, the tree's that had regularly been pushed aside and his… distinct smell. I was actually a little worried I was going into some large Everfree monster instead but the smell, thankfully, told me I was going the right way._

_All throughout I was happy to hear that the rabbit was no long causing so much noise. He was teething a little as I could hear his little nibbles against the metal bars, but it was nothing to worry about._

_Throughout the Everfree Forest I had seen many spooky things. Things that made me want to run back home immediately. I needed to see Big though so I went on, hiding whenever necessary. I was really quiet so nothing seemed to notice me and nothing seemed to approach me, but I had seen many horrifying things. The worst though was when the trail was coming to an end._

_I gasped the moment I saw the poor injured lovely little fox. It was limping about, it's leg clearly injured. I immediately tried to approach but it shied away, frightened. Still it was injured and as such unable to get away. I placed my hooves, sung soft words, all to calm the shaking fox as I did my best to bandage its leg, try to straighten it as best I could._

_The moment I finished the fox unsteadily scampered off. I figured it wasn't anything to be too concerned about, the poor dear may have just gotten into a fight with another animal, but it unnerved me all the same._

_I walked onwards a little to find myself in a rather open area. The tree's had been uprooted and pushed to the side, leaving a lot of space for whatever creature lived in the cave just up ahead of the clearing. Well, rather who, I was sure that this would be where Big lived._

_I felt the cage rattle some more, the rabbit getting more frantic, "Now, now. Big may look scary but he really is a sweet thing. I'm sure he won't be mad once you apologise."_

_I started to slowly make my way into the cave. Knowing my friend was sure to be in there kind of relieved me, I wasn't scared of going in. It also helped that the moss inside the cave was glistening; it was so bright that I could see everything. I could see all the cracks in the walls, the rocks on the ground… and the animals in cages._

"Wait, back up one second. Did ya say animals in cages?" Applejack blurted.

Fluttershy nodded but didn't speak. Her hooves twiddled around one another and her mouth opened several times but no words followed.

"Yes," Fluttershy eventually said, having found the choice of words she was looking for. "I found inside the cave numerous animals in cages."

"_Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" I mumbled, running up to the large cage filled with animals._

_The size of the cage, many times bigger than myself, was the only relief to be found. Squirrels and bears, mice and snakes, bats and blue jays, all sorts were within the single cage looking down and miserable. The poor creatures were all scrawny, their coats bleak and lifeless, all signs of their lack of food and time spent within the dark._

"_Don't worry animals, I'll get you out." I cried out to them as I pulled my hardest on one of the cages large log bars._

_It came out. It came out so easily in fact that it almost fell on top of me, unable to hold up its weight all on my own. Regardless of how easy it was, it didn't matter to me. What did matter was that the animals could now get out of the cage._

"_C'mon little ones, you can get out now." I ushered to the animals, who one by one, slowly came towards me._

_Then from further back in the cave came a large thud. Then more thuds, each one louder and louder. Each thud getting closer and closer._

_The animals that had been moving to exit the cage did so, grabbed a hold of the log bar, got back into the cage and put the log back into place._

"_Wh-what are you doing? You need to get"- I stopped talking as I heard the thudding noise right up by me. Felt it too as it lifted me off the ground._

"_Animals! You aren't trying to run away again." I heard a familiar voice yell and looked up to see Big, who looked down to see me. "Fluttershy? You came to visit me?"_

_I did not know what to say. Of course I had gone to this cave believing Big to be there. I shouldn't have been surprised to see him. Yet seeing the caged and injured animals, knowing that whoever lived in this cage was most likely responsible… I had just immediately put thought of my friend being in the cave out of my mind at that point. I didn't want to make the connection._

"_Fluttershy, what's that you got there?" Big's question snapped me out of my thoughts and brought my attention back to him, "Is that a cage?"_

"_Um, yes." I said, remembering the very reason I had come to see him, presenting it before him, "I caught the bullying bunny."_

"_Ya caught the wabbit!" Big yelled with joy as he leaped up and down and terrifying the entrapped animals._

_Big lowered his hand, one of his four fingers pointing up to the caged animal I held. I could tell what he wanted from the gesture and so reluctantly placed the contained and fuming rabbit into Big's hand._

"_Speaking of catching animals…" I began to say as I looked towards the caged creatures within Big's cave, "What are all these animals doing in that cage?"_

"_Oh, those?" Big asked as he held up the rabbit and inspected him closely. "Those are my pets. They keep running away from me so I put them in that cage."_

_I looked to the miserable and hurt animals, whose eyes begged for freedom, were begging me for it, "Um, an where did all those injuries come from."_

"_Ah said, they kept running away." Big explained as he placed the rabbit down onto the floor, to whom was still gnawing at his cage. "So I catch them, sometimes ah have wrestle with them. They bite back so I have ta scold as da ogres would back home."_

_I kept looking at the animals, conspiring how Big's methods, even if were a mere slap, would be terrifying for any of these animals, "Big, I really don't think you should-What are you doing!"_

_I couldn't help but scream as I saw Big raise his giant foot high above the bunnies cage. I never had sprung forth so fast in my life, flapping my wings for acceleration, grasping the cage and sliding out of the way of Big's heavy stomp. I held the bunnies cage close to my chest, panting for the suddenness of the action._

"_Fluttershy! You have to be careful, ah almost squashed you."_

_I pulled myself off the ground, flew up to talk to Big face to face and snapped, "Big, what were you trying to do?"_

"_Squish the bunny." Big said in such way as you'd say you were having breakfast or going for a walk._

_This just… that just made me mad. I… I couldn't help myself but the way he said it and he tried to do just made me so very mad._

"_Why would you squish him?" I asked him._

_I'm sure Big could tell I was upset, his voice seemed to soften but his expression was of confusion, "Cause he's been picking on me. I squash him and he won't pick on me no more."_

"_You-you can't do that! It's not right." I yelled back, my throat already feeling hoarse from how much I had been yelling._

"_Not right? It is right!" Big shouted out loud, stomping his foot down this time in frustration, "I was happy just playin with my animals when they just kept on disappearing. I tried lookin for them but when I did the wabbit started attacking me. He stopped me finding ma animals!"_

_Something Big has said struck me, something that sounded familiar and to which I thought upon as he continued to say, "Now that I've got the wabbit I'm gonna squish him. Then I can go find where he hid ma animals and put them back where they belong."_

_I looked to the caged animals. The bruised animals, the beaten animals, the animals that now feared to run away… the animals with injuries that couldn't have been caused by something as small as a rabbit, only by something as big as an ogre._

"_Big, did you… did you scold these animals?" I asked quieter than normally, even for me, and it was only thanks to Big's big ogre ears that he heard me._

"_Ya, I have to do that with a lot of the animals. They don't listen to you at first until you give em a whack, just like an ogre." Big answered and then of all the things he could he laughed._

_It may be he was laughing at something back home, something to do with the ogres who have a disciplinary method I don't at all agree with, but at the time I could not help but link that laughter to the hurt of animals. Each bellow of laughter seemed to come with the thought of an animal being slapped about by a large, green, ogre hand._

"_Sometimes they're really quick and, and small. This morning I had a fox in the cage but he escaped. I hit him but he still got to the trees and through the plants and I just couldn't find him after that. With that wabbit no longer able to hide em I'm sure I'll… are, are you crying Fluttershy?" Big stopped his regaling once I had started to tear up._

"_N-no," I managed to say as my eyes watered, "No I'm not all right."_

"_H-how come? Are you hurt? Hungry? I suppose I could let you eat one of the mice if you need to-_

"_No!" I remember screaming out, "I'm not all right because I've found out that my friend is a big, mean, bully!"_

_Big gasped, reeling back at my words, "I-I am not a bully."_

"_Yes you are." I cried out, pointing a hoof towards 'his pets', "You've been taking these poor animals from their homes, locking them up in cages and beating them!"_

"_I already told ya why I do that!" Big shouted back. "The real bully here is that wabbit. He's been hidin ma animals."_

"_No he hasn't. I have!"_

_Big didn't respond to that. I couldn't tell what expression he had on his face. I was looking down to the ground, trying to wipe the tears out of my eyes. As I did so I heard no sound from him, not until I looked back to him at least._

"_Wha-Why would ya"-_

"_The animals, they came to me." I rudely interrupted him to say, "They came to me injured. I help them out, helped nurse their wounds and since then they've refused to leave my cottage."_

_Big's jaw trembled, his two jutting fangs bobbing up and down as he smoothly suggested, "Th-then, you can give em' back right?"_

_I looked him in the eyes and said "No Big. I… I won't give them back to you if you're going to treat them like this."_

"_B-but…" Big started to babble before flailing his arms in the air, jumping up and down in a tantrum. "But they're mine. Ah caught them, I beat them so they're mine."_

"_Which is exactly why I can't let you have them. You're bigger and stronger than them and so hurt them very easily. You can't just boss them around like that." I tried to tell him but it was hard to even hear myself over his jumping._

"_I'm the biggest and strongest around here. That means I'm the boss. It was the same back home and it is the same here!" Big hollered as slowly stopped jumping, huffing and puffing. "Now I'm telling you, give me back my animals."_

"_No!"_

_I was filled with confidence at that point. Then Big roared. That dampened my confidence. Then he raised his large arms high up. That unnerved me. Then he swung them down. That blew me away, as in literally blew me away. _

_I was blown backwards to the ground around the same time as his fists hit the ground, the earth flying up from the heavy impact. I was dazed by the sudden fall and with the small quake making everything in the cave shaky, unable to get up onto my hooves. I could see though Big approaching me, the before friendly ogre making me as scared of him as when I first saw him._

"_Give me the animals back Fluttershy!" He demanded, his hot breath slipping through his teeth._

_I shook my head. Then Big roared again, sending shivers down my spine._

_All of a sudden though Big stopped roaring. The noise of the angry ogre ceased and instead I heard a single clanging sound, that of something metallic hitting the ground._

_Big turned around, his foot kicking aside the small cage I had been carrying and what I assumed had just been thrown towards Big. Looking past Big though I spotted the previous captive of the cage, the rabbit bully, by the entrance of the cave. He smirked, blew a raspberry and ran off._

"_Wabbit!" Big hollered out, falling down to all fours and charging at the escaping bunny rabbit like a bull seeing red._

_The sound of Big's rampage grew fainter and fainter as he chased the rabbit further and further away. The absent of the sound and the anger within the air made everything feel a little better, more soothing. The atmosphere helped me to stand up in a way, made me feel that I wouldn't be falling down again anytime soon._

_I made my way to the log cage and removed one of its bars once again. The animals, although nervous, smiled to me. I didn't need to usher them out of the cage. I simply smile backed and they came out, one by one exiting the cage and one by one exiting the cave._

_I let out a sigh. I had no idea what to do. Earlier I had just done things in the heat of the moment, argued back because that was what came to me. Then though, in a sudden calm moment where I had time to think of what to do, I had no idea. I looked down to the small cage, the cage to which I had used to trap the bully rabbit. It got me thinking, if the rabbit was not responsible for all the injured animals then why had I seen him picking on them? I thought back to the events involving the rabbit. How he'd wait for me to see him, how he'd lure me away from the forest, how he'd been picking on Big and then it all clicked. I understood now what had been going on._

_I heard a crash. That of tree's being flung aside and knew that in the distance Big was still chasing the rabbit. Of course I had no idea what to do still. There was no way I could help after all. But in thinking on all that the rabbit had done for me; how he'd been stopping Big from finding out where all the animals had been going, how he tried to stop me from entering the forest and encountering Big, I knew I had to do something._

_I flew out of the cave and headed straight for the sky. Then I looked down below, witnessing the carnage that had been wrought and following where said carnage was continuing to go. A little ways ahead I saw a patch of the Everfree Forest where the rocks rose up higher than most of the trees. It was towards this area that more and more trees began to tumble down and bellows of anger could be heard._

"_Okay Fluttershy, you can do this." I reassured myself as I flapped my wings as hard as I could and sped off in the direction of the rabbit and ogre._

_By the time I could see Big, cornering the rabbit up against the rocks, I was exhausted. My lungs hurt, my wings hurt, yet I only flew faster. Faster as Big laughed and faster then as Big raised his arm._

"_Wabbit goes squish now!" Big bellowed, while I flew under his legs and landed in front of the rabbit._

_Big's descending fist stopped and he moaned, "Fluttershy! Stop getting in ma way!"_

"_No, Big." I replied back as I felt myself growing more and more determined, once more flying up to meet him face to face, eye to eye, "You stop."_

"_Wha?" I heard Big mutter as I opened my eyes… and then I heard him yelp with fright._

"_You listen to me right now!" I guess this was when I first learnt how to use the Stare. It must have been as the large and terrifying ogre before me stumbled backwards and fell over, his whole body shaking. "You have been a bad ogre."_

"_But"-_

"_No but's mister. You have been picking on animals, using your size and strength to bully them around, to hurt them. An worse of all you don't think there is anything wrong with that." I scolded him as his eyes diluted, unable to pull away from my stare, "To top it all off you made me think you loved animals. You made me think that a bunny rabbit was picking on an innocent ogre. You made me think we were friends."_

_Big started to sit up, his jaw opening ever so slightly as he tried to say, "We are fr"-_

"_No Big! You hurt all these poor animals. Now either say you're sorry and promise to never hurt or order these animals around again…" I started to demand of him, my stare unflinching, "or leave and never come back!"_

_I couldn't hear much of anything after that. The forest was silent. There was no wind, no animal noises, no monstrous sounds that had no explanation. I only heard my thudding heart and deep breaths._

_I then watched as Big scrambled to his feet, kicking up huge heaps of dirt. He turned his back to me and then ran. It seemed like he ran on forever, or rather I watched him run on forever. I flew on the spot and watched as my 2nd non-animal friend left._

_I dropped down to the ground, disheartened by it all. I had just lost a friend, even if I found out he was a meanie, it hurt all the same._

_I didn't want to dwell on it any longer. I turned my attention instead to someone who needed my help there and then, "Um, bunny rabbit."_

_I was startled to see the rabbit lying down on the ground, unmoving. Rushing up over to him I was relieved to see his chest rising ever so slightly._

"_Poor guy, he must be exhausted." I said to myself as I picked up the rabbit and headed on home._

_I thought to myself about all he had done. Tricking me to think he was the bully so I wouldn't track down the real culprit, leading me away from the Everfree Forest, protecting me. I couldn't help but the pure white rabbit was like a guardian angel. It was at that moment I thought up the perfect name for him. A name fitting for a beautiful rabbit that worked hard to protect me and the animals._

_I named him Angel Bunny._

While nightlife began to make some noise throughout the rest of the forest, it was quiet where the ponies sat. Fluttershy finished her tale but no one decided to speak, instead allowing themselves the time to take all of the information and think it over.

The fire flared up once or twice, a small spark and crackle sound coming forth. Light mumbles within her sleep came from Parapony and Fluttershy looked left and right to each of her contemplating friends. While her friends continued thinking Fluttershy decided to remove the now asleep Angel Bunny from her head, placing him carefully on the ground. Fluttershy then unfurled her wing and rolled her pet closer to her side, who even whilst asleep, instinctively rested his head against her.

Turning back to her friends Fluttershy was unnerved that they had still not spoken, "Oh, I don't like this silence at all. Please could somepony say something."

"Ta think that an ogre was why all them pests invaded Ponyville." Applejack mused, her interjection of conversation into the uncomfortable atmosphere allowing Fluttershy a sigh of relief.

"Truly surprising, I wouldn't have even dreamed that was the cause." Rarity added with a huff, "The damage those rats caused to my Boutique. I'll be sure to have a word with this arch-nemesis of yours when this whole trouble is sorted out."

Fluttershy looked to and fro with worried eyes and proceed to say hesitantly, "S-so you're… you're not mad at me?"

All the ponies present looked to one another in confusion before Pinkie asked, "Now why would we be mad at you?"

Fluttershy fiddled her hooves and hung her head as she mumbled out, "Well I… I kind of made Big my arch-nemesis when I made him leave the Everfree Forest and now… now he's foalnapped Rainbow Dash and I've gotten you all involved…"

"Fluttershy, there's no way we'd be mad at you for that." Twilight said with a small smile growing on her face. "You did the right thing back then and none of us here blame you for anything happening now."

"Yeah, you can't help it if you found out some ogre was a meanie, told him off, and then he decided to be a big jerk about it, become your arch-nemesis and foalnap Dashie." Pinkie explained with several hoof motions and facial expressions, just to emphasise her point.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded and this smile of gratitude spread to the rest of her friends. Soon a silent feeling of merriment spread to the circle of ponies, whom all enjoyed the happy moment.

Then Spike yawned. The young dragon fell down onto to his belly as he tried hard to keep his eyes open.

"Spike, I'm really sure it's time you get some rest." Twilight instructed her non-objecting assistant and then turned towards the others to say, "In fact, I think we could all do with some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us."

"That seems like the sensible thing ta do. Nighty-night ya'll." Applejack announced as she hoofed up some dirt.

The other ponies scrambled to get themselves and their already sleeping companions underneath their small Diy shelters comprised of mere sticks. Wrapping themselves up in blankets fashioned from the least prickly foliage they could find, the others bid Applejack goodnight. That being her signal, Applejack threw the dirt over the fire. The flames and its accompanying light were snuffed out, leaving the ponies in the dark.

An leaving Applejack to try to find her way back into the shelter.

"Ow! Not my face, not my face!"

Whilst failing to avoid stepping on the ponies already within the shelter. She wasn't successful at this part.

* * *

**One day, when the Shy Princess was playing on her own in the gardens, two mean bunnies came along and began to pick on her.**

"**Neh-neh, neh-neh, cry-baby princess! The two bullies, Bell and Hops, would sneer as they pushed and shoved the Shy Princess.**

"**P-please, please stop!" The Shy Princess would say but Bell and Hops continued.**

**It was then, out of nowhere, that a bunny with rainbow hair appeared.**

******The Rainbow Knight and the Shy Princess, by Fluttershy: Page 3.**

* * *

******I do not - nor do I claim to - own any characters or artwork I use in this story unless otherwise stated - they belong to their respective series and owners.**

******The characters Parapony and Big Boss are my OCs.**

**Now then, I guess we best discuss this here chapter. With this chapter I present to you the backstory of Fluttershy within my 'Truth' series of fanfiction. Those of you who have read Magnetism and paid close attention to chapter 6 will notice that quite a few things tie together. Chapter 6 of Magnetism even starts off with a flashback from Angel's perspective, right after the events you see within the 3rd chapter's flashback. With my upload of chapter 3 you've probably also noticed why I split _Campfire Chat_ into two chapters, I suspected it was going end up quite long and I was right.**

**Now this story, one of the first MLP fanfic ideas I ever had, has always run off the basis that Rainbow Dash is foalnapped by Fluttershy's arch-nemesis to whom she had. Originally I had no plans as to what this villain would be like. When I saw the synopsis for _Putting your hoof down_ I began to consider using the as yet to be revealed Iron Will in the villain spot but with how he turned out I decided I was left with no choice but to make my own. I went with an ogre because of how I wanted to depict an ogre and this depiction of ogres contrasted greatly with ponies and Fluttershy in particular. Big is not too bright and incredibly strong, but I wanted to make a connection between him and Fluttershy so I made him weak for an ogre, as Fluttershy is considered a poor flier for a pegasus. Anymore than that I can't reveal for the moment except for two things. The first of which is that something I hope to be a big part of the fanfic and to whom I've already enjoyed within _Campfire Chat Continued_ is the interactions between Rainbow Dash and Big Boss. The second thing is that Big has a rather unusual inspiration for his design, particularly inspiring as to what I imagine his face to look like, and that inspiration happens to be the Pokémon Exploud.**

**With all that said I'm glad to have gotten this chapter finished and hope you had an enjoyable time reading it. I've been terrible with updating this fanfic so far so rather than say I'll get the chapter out by 21st and 22nd December like I hope to, I'll instead advise you to look forward to the 4th chapter sometime December.**


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My Little Pony, Adventure, Romance