If the Nightmare Came True Chapter 3

Chapter 3
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Fluttershy
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Where could she be? Rainbow has never been gone this long before. She always comes back before it's time to go to bed again. What if she's hurt or captured? I should go look for her, but she told me to stay here... I flap my wings in uncertainty and look out of the hole in the cloud layer that serves as the entrance for our home. Whenever she's gone, I can't keep myself from worrying about her. And Rainbow Dash has always told me how dangerous it is for her to go out to Cloudsdale... but if she needs help, then I need to go look for her! But what if she comes back after I go to look for her?
I look around wildly, knowing that we don't have anything that I could use to write a message, but hoping otherwise. Oh Fluttershy, you're such a silly pony. You can just manipulate the clouds to write a message, I think when the obvious realization hits me. I carve out, "Rainbow Dash, if I'm not here when you see this, I've gone to look for you. I'll come back every now and then, so please just stay and wait for me."
I start to tremble when it actually hits me that I'm about to go to Cloudsdale. I remember Rainbow telling me, "Fluttershy, don't ever go to Cloudsdale, it's just too dangerous!" whenever I told her that I could go to get us food. Somehow, she turned into my protector, even though I'm older than her. You were her protector once, though, and now she might need your help! She's always been there for you, so now you need to see if she needs you to help her!
Taking a deep breath, I fly slowly out of our home and head towards the city. I had hoped that I would never return to Cloudsdale after escaping from the orphanage with Rainbow Dash. But it was a selfish hope, because I let her return time and time again for me. I'm just a scared, selfish pony who relies on somepony else to just survive. Even now, fear courses through me as I fly towards the city.
I catch sight of two guards flying out of the corner of my eye. I drop to the cloud layer and cower down, hoping that they will just fly by without noticing me. Like everypony except for Rainbow Dash, I've always been afraid of the guards. They can arrest you for whatever they want to, even if it isn't really illegal. And it was illegal for us to run from the orphanage. That's why Rainbow always told me to stay away from Cloudsdale. What if they're still looking for us? I'm shaking violently and hyperventilating as the seconds crawl by.
I let out a yelp of fright when I see that the guards have landed several feet in front of me, and attempt to hide myself in the clouds.
I hear a gruff voice bark, "You were flying, weren't you?"
I raise my head and drop it back quickly when I see the anger in the guards' eyes. "...yes," I whisper fearfully.
"What was that?" the other guard yells. "I couldn't hear you!"
I force myself to answer more loudly, "Um, I was."
"Don't you know about the no fly order?" one of the guards yells.
Rainbow Dash never mentioned anything about it. Maybe it was imposed today...
"It went into effect last week!" the other guard shouted. "let's just arrest her now."
I hold back tears when I hear this. Rainbow Dash thinks I'm too weak to know about something like that. But I am, and that makes it even worse.
The guards grab me, and one of them asks, "What's your name?"
I freeze in panic. Rainbow Dash was always reminding me how awful it would be if they knew what my name was. What should I do? I stare down at the cloud layer and mumble, "Um, I'm, um..."
"Wait a minute," one of the guard says, recognition audible in his voice. "That other pony that was brought in a little while ago, didn't they suspect that she was living with an old friend? One whose description pretty much matches this pony's, if you adjust for the age difference?"
"Yeah, I can see that. Pale yellow fur, pink mane and tail, moderate cyan eyes, and three butterflies as a cutie mark," the other responds. "Is your name Fluttershy?"
Oh no! They must have captured Rainbow Dash! And now I can't help her. I'm so weak... I begin to cry, which the guards seem to take as an affirmative.
They  pull me along with me as they fly into Cloudsdale. I keep my head facing steadily downward as we move past other ponies. I'm absolutely terrified by what's happening to me.
The guards drag me into a building where numerous other guards are milling about. I slump even lower to the ground and try to block out the barrage of sound and fear that assaults me. I'm not sur how long I'm there before I hear the sound of hooves on the tiled floor and look up in fear. I see a large Royal Guard and a purple unicorn with a baby dragon riding on her back. Oh, he's so cute!, I think, managing to distract myself from my terror for a second. But how is a unicorn in Cloudsdale? Only pegasus ponies can walk on clouds.
"It seems that my guards believe you are Fluttershy," the guard says sharply. "And I have to say, I for once agree with their conclusion." Turning to one of the guards that brought me in, he orders, "Bring her with us. There's somepony I believe she'll want to see." An evil grin that sends shivers running down my spine crosses his face as he turns away.
They bring me to a jail cell where I see Rainbow Dash chained to a chair. "Rainbow Dash!" I cry out, both glad to see a friendly face and hoping to be able to offer her some comfort. "I'm so sorry, I should have listened to you, but I was so worried about you!" I notice that a splint is bound to her left hind leg and exclaim, "Oh, what happened to your leg?"
For a second, she seems angry at me, causing me to recoil in shock. She buries her face in her hooves before looking up at me and saying, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine.  I'm gonna get us out of this."
"As sorry as I am to cut this touching reunion short," the guard who seems to be in charge says, "we have some business that we must see to."
The purple unicorn says with a satisfied tone, "So Rainbow Dash, you said you hadn't seen Fluttershy since you escaped from the orphanage? What else have you been lying about then?"
My heart falls when I hear this. Even after she was captured, Rainbow Dash had been trying to protect me, and I had thrown that all away. You're such a loudmouth, Fluttershy. Why couldn't you just not talk in front of these other ponies?
The head guard turns to the unicorn and says, "Twilight Sparkle, thank you, but I believe your services will no longer be necessary. You may go now."
She objects, "Captain Nightstrike, Nightmare Moon put me in charge here. I'm not going anywhere."
I let out a gasp of fear. This unicorn was sent here by Nightmare Moon? Whoever she is, she must be very dangerous.
"Very well," he growls, but he seems surprised that somepony challenged his authority. Turning to Rainbow Dash, he spits, "Answer the question!"
"I've told you the truth!" she shouts back angrily. "You haven't even told me what you think I've done!"
Twilight Sparkle asks, "How do you expect us to believe that?"
Rainbow stares back at her and says slowly, "Because it's the truth, not that you care."
She looks offended by this and retorts, "Our top priority is finding out the truth! You just haven't done anything that proves your honesty!"
Captain Nightstrike sighs, "I had hoped you'd be a bit more co-operative. Oh well, there are other ways to find out what we want." His eyes land on me, and he moves closer to me, sinisterly whispering, "Other ways indeed."
"Wait!" Rainbow Dash cries out. "I did it, but she wasn't involved!"
Something snaps inside me, and suddenly I'm no longer afraid. I angrily say, "No, you don't have to lie to protect me!" I look directly at Captain Nightstrike and tell him, "How dare you treat her like this! And how could you consider threatening a pony somepony cares about to get them to confess to something they didn't do? You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
He backs up before breaking eye contact and taking a deep breath. "Get her inside that cell," he orders. "Nopony except for Twilight Sparkle or me is to approach her. Am I understood?"
He is visibly shaken by the way I just acted, and I myself am surprised. I never knew I could act like that before. I glance at Rainbow Dash, whose jaw is hanging open. She shakes her head and closes it, regaining her composure.
The other guard gulps nervously and nods. He opens the cell door, pushes me past it, and slams and locks it before hurrying away.
I continue to stare at Captain Nightstrike, but he keeps his eyes averted. "Now then," he says, struggling to regain his composure, "I'll give the two of you a moment to decide whether or not you want to tell us the truth. It will be easier for all of us if you just answer our questions honestly." Turning to Twilight Sparkle, he says, "Come, I believe you expressed interest in the Weather Factory?"
She looks at the dragon on her back in surprise and confusion, glances back at us, and follows him as he walks away.
"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaims. "I can't believe that you stood up to him like that!"
"Oh, um," I mumble, looking away. "How's your leg?"
She sighs and shakes her head before answering, "Honestly, I'm fine. I just had a small accident. But you should have stayed home!"
"I just wanted to help," I say softly.
Her face softens and she says, " I know. Um, how did they catch you?"
I answer, "I was flying towards Cloudsdale."
Rainbow hangs her head and mutters, "I'm sorry. I should have told you about the no fly order, but I didn't want to worry you."
We fall silent after that, just hesitantly glance at each other every now and then. I need to think of something. This time, I'm going to help her. I just don't know how yet. Rainbow always tells me that the key to her success is observing what other ponies are doing around her. Captain Nightstrike and Twilight Sparkle don't seem to get along very well, which could be useful. I shiver slightly thinking about the unicorn. She hadn't seemed very threatening, but if Nightmare Moon sent her, then she must be capable of terrifying things. This is followed by a slight pang of guilt that I'm considering turning ponies against each other. Pull yourself together, Fluttershy. It's not like you're going to do anything really harmful to them, and it's just to get us out of here. But I have no idea how I can actually do anything.
I look over at Rainbow Dash and say, "I'm sorry..."
She looks back and answers, "You already apologized."
"No," I shake my head. "I mean for making you take care of me when it should have been the other way around."
Rainbow sighs, "I never minded needing to get us food or protecting you. So, just don't worry about it. Things will work out. Besides, what you did today was incredibly brave."
She smiles at me, but I can see that she's really afraid with no idea of what to do. Just like me.