Further Introductions
Chapter 3: Further Introductions
Pinkie Pie led Rarity and Flaxseed to one of the few empty tables remaining in the bakery. The three of them settled down and Rarity opened the bag and began to levitate out the contents.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, "Pinkie, I had no idea you still had any of these left."
The bag had been filled with several of Pinkie Pie's special creations that she usually reserved for extremely special occasions, such as the fundraiser she'd thrown to raise money to fix Scootaloo's home when the orange filly had smashed one of the walls. There were crystalberry scones, Geldic cream eclairs, along with a few others, including her infamous brownies.
"Actually, I still had some ingredients leftover from when I made those big batches for the bake sale," explained Pinkie, "I wasn't sure what to do with them. But last night, I had a wormy feeling in my tummy and that's my Pinkie Sense telling me that somepony really needed a special treat to help them feel really good so I decided to make some smaller batches and I didn't even realize it was Flaxseed until you and him came in the door and started talking because Flaxseed looks like he could really use some nice treats."
Pinkie stopped and sucked in a large breath. While Rarity was nodding in polite agreement, Flaxseed was simply staring at the pink mare, his mind reeling, partly from the strain of trying to follow her rapid-fire manner of speaking and partly from attempting to follow the logic of what he'd actually managed to pick up from the avalanche of words that had spilled from Pinkie's mouth. Pinkie Sense? What the hay is that?
Rarity sighed and slowly slid a hoof across the table, making sure that Flax could see the motion. She gently patted him on one foreleg. "It's alright dear. Trust me when I say that it's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie." She levitated a scone to Flaxseed. "Go ahead and try them, they're simply divine."
Somewhat reluctantly, Flaxseed did as he was told. As he got his first taste of Pinkie's baking, Flaxseed's eyes widened. A few minutes later, there was nothing left of Pinkie Pie's treats but a few scattered crumbs.
Flaxseed leaned back, smacking his lips. Rarity hadn't been kidding about Pinkie's food. These had to have been some of the best baked goods he'd ever tasted. They completely outmatched anything he'd ever tried before. He was sure that, in a big city like Manehattan, Pinkie could have charged a small fortune for her products. It was very nice of her to share so freely. The stallion came to the conclusion that, while a bit outside of his comfort zone, Pinkie Pie was a perfectly nice mare and one he wouldn't mind getting to know better, once he'd gotten used to her antics.
But, he thought, seeing her grinning widely as she bounced up and down, It's gonna take a while to get used to her.
Rarity looked on with a pleased smile, glad that things had gone so well. While there had been a few wrinkles in introducing the jumpy stallion to Pinkie, the party pony had at least not managed to ruin her first impression. Well, with the most difficult one of the bunch out of the way, at least we can be sure that all the other meetings I have planned will run smoothly.
After bidding farewell to Pinkie Pie, Rarity led Flaxseed through town to their next destination. "Now then," she said as they walked, "I think that this next pony will be much easier for you. She's the gentlest, least-frightening pony I've ever known." So long as you don't get on her bad side, which was an exceptionally difficult task, to say the least.
Rarity was glad that Fluttershy had already told her about when she and Dawn were moving into Caramel's house. She would have hated to lead Flaxseed all the way out of Ponyville only to find an empty cottage and have to backtrack into town. It also had the advantage of shortening the trip, as it was just a few minutes until they reached Caramel's rather unassuming home. Hoping that the timid pegasus was in, Rarity knocked softly on the door.
She was soon rewarded by a cheerful, albeit slightly nervous, "H-hello," as the door opened and Fluttershy peeked out. She relaxed when she saw Rarity waiting there, though she still mostly hid behind the door from the unfamiliar stallion.
"Flaxseed, this is Fluttershy," said Rarity, gesturing to the pegasus, "She also happens to be Dawn's mother. Fluttershy, this is Flaxseed. He's my guest for the time being and he actually happens to be one of the ponies with the same condition as Dawn."
Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Oh! Really?" She began to inch around the door to get a better look at Flaxseed, who simply didn't know what to make of the unassuming mare. Fortunately, he didn't find her threatening in the slightest.
Rarity coughed and Fluttershy, realizing that she was simply letting her visitors stand on the doorstep, gasped and stepped back so that she could open the door all the way. "Oh! Where are my manners? Come in."
In a few minutes, they were seated around the table in Caramel's kitchen as Fluttershy made them some tea. As she worked she answered a curious Flaxseed's questions about Dawn and about living with the colt.
"He doesn't scare you at all?" asked Flaxseed, wondering how the mare could have gotten used to Dawn's eyes so easily, especially as his never seemed to revert to the eyes of a normal pony.
"Well, I was surprised the first time I saw his eyes," said Fluttershy, her voice barely above a whisper, "But he had just saved my life and he looked so sad and lonely." She smiled fondly. "Dawn is actually such a kind and gentle boy and he's always trying to help others." She sighed. "But, there are times I'm afraid for him."
Rarity nodded in agreement. "I have to admit, all else aside, Dawn has a gift for making you fret."
"Why?" asked Flaxseed.
"Well," said Fluttershy, "He's gone off twice now on very dangerous trips. The first time, he went to Cloudsdale and, just a couple days ago, he went to Diamond Mountain because some viscountess had taken a mare hostage."
"Huh?"
"It's complicated," replied Rarity, "There's a bit of a story behind it..." She related the tale of the government agent who came down to evaluate Fluttershy's fitness to be a mother and how a member of the nobility had been manipulating things behind the scenes.
"Wow," said Flaxseed when the story was finished, "So he really is strong."
Fluttershy nodded. "Very much so. In fact, he's more than capable of completely leveling the town if he wanted to."
Flaxseed gave her an incredulous look. And you're still not scared of him?
Rarity giggled at Flaxseed's expression. "Fluttershy, darling, I see Caramel and Dawn are out."
"Oh yes," replied Fluttershy, "They're both at their jobs. They should be back in time for dinner."
"It must be so much nicer to have them this winter," said Rarity, "I always worried about you, living in that cottage by yourself, with all of your animal friends gone for the season. It's wonderful that you've found somepony to spend it with."
Fluttershy giggled and nodded eagerly. "It's also nice because now it's easier to visit everypony," she added.
Rarity nodded in agreement. One of the major problems they had with Fluttershy's cottage being outside of Ponyville was that, during the winter months, the journey to and from the cottage became cold and difficult. What made for a pleasant stroll in the spring and summer turned into a chilly slog during the winter. To make matters worse, because her cottage was so far off the beaten track, it was also out of the way for the ponies who shoveled the streets and kept them clear during winter. The winding path to Fluttershy's cottage was the last to be cleared, if it ever got cleared at all, often accumulating a thick layer over the course of multiple snowfalls.
It was slightly easier for Fluttershy to come and go, seeing as she was a pegasus and could simply fly over it all. However, she wasn't any more fond of the cold than most ponies. Pegasi were a little more resilient to the cold, which came with them usually living at higher altitudes. But, just as she preferred living on the ground, Fluttershy was less acclimated to chilly weather than the rest of her winged brethren.
"I certainly hope we'll get to see more of you this year," said Rarity, "This makes it so much easier for us to make our weekly spa appointments."
Fluttershy giggled. As Rarity eyed the yellow mare, who already seemed very much at home in this house, her smile turned sly. "And how are you enjoying your stay so far, hmm? I trust your host has been a perfect gentlecolt."
Seemingly oblivious to Rarity's teasing tone, Fluttershy let out a blissful sigh. "Oh, it's been wonderful," she said, "It's such a nice house. Dawn loves it here. Caramel's so warm and it's so nice to snuggle up to him in the morning and-Eep!" Fluttershy's voice trailed off into an inarticulate squeak as she realized what she'd just said. She opened her mouth to correct herself, but any words she was going to say died on her tongue the instant she saw the grinning, predatory look on Rarity's face.
"Oh! What's this now! Have you two been sleeping together?" Rarity's grin threatened to become a passable imitation of Pinkie Pie's as she began leaning in. "This is so exciting! You have to tell me everything! I want details!"
Fluttershy squeaked, shrinking back from Rarity's manic expression. "Um...Rarity, we shouldn't r-really be talking about this n-now..." She pointed to Rarity's side.
Looking over, Rarity realized that, in her excitement over trying to wheedle out the details of Fluttershy's love-life, she had completely forgotten about Flaxseed. The stallion was currently sitting back, simply staring at Rarity as she and Fluttershy prepared to lose themselves in girl-talk.
"I'm so sorry," said Rarity quickly, "I just got so excited for Fluttershy. Please forgive me."
"I-it's no problem," replied Flaxseed, with the feeling that he'd just dodged a bullet. He had to admit, he'd been feeling very comfortable. Compared to Pinkie Pie, there was absolutely nothing frightening or upsetting with Fluttershy and, whenever the yellow mare smiled, Flax felt his heart seize up just a little. She's adorable. It's a darn shame she already has a coltfriend.
"So...this is your coltfriend's house then?"
Fluttershy nodded with a happy hum. "Caramel's out at the candy shop right now. But he's invited me and Dawn to stay with him for the season."
"That's nice," said Flax, envying the absent Dawn for his luck at finding such a wonderful pony to stay with, "And he's okay with your son's eyes."
Again, Fluttershy nodded, her smile widening. "He's even started to call Caramel 'dad' now."
Rarity's eyes widened. "You mean to say he's doing that now! Oh Fluttershy! I'm so happy for you. This is the. Best. Possible. Thing!"
Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at Rarity's enthusiasm. "Yes, everything's going well for us. What about you, Mr. Flaxseed? How do you like Ponyville so far?"
"It's really nice," said Flaxseed, "It's been a while since I've been this relaxed." It was true. While visiting Pinkie Pie had been a bit harrowing at first, he had to admit that he couldn't bring himself to dislike her, especially not since she was such a fantastic baker and so willing to reach out to an unfamiliar pony like him. And now, sitting in the kitchen with Rarity and Fluttershy, he'd never felt more at ease.
"That's good to hear," said Fluttershy, giving Flaxseed a smile that nearly made him melt, "You're always welcome here. So please, don't hesitate to come see us. I know that Dawn certainly appreciates having somepony around who's shared his experiences."
Flaxseed nodded. The fact that Dawn was here, the fact that the colt existed at all, was the only thing that kept the gold-colored stallion from suspecting that this was all some elaborate setup to get him to let his guard down.
They made polite conversation a little while longer. Fluttershy asked Rarity about her work. Rarity answered by talking about the Nightmare Night costumes she'd been working on, while asking about what Dawn wanted his costume to be. The whole back and forth was very soothing to listen to. Flaxseed was simply content to sit back and listen to the two mares gossip while he enjoyed his tea.
After bidding a fond, albeit reluctant farewell to Fluttershy, Rarity and Flaxseed set off to visit the fashionista's next friend. Rarity led Flaxseed through the roads, heading towards Ponyville's market district. As they approached, the number of ponies out and about began to increase. Flaxseed looked around nervously, feeling more than a little exposed.
"It's alright dear," said Rarity consolingly as she sidled a little closer to the stallion, "I'm right here. You've got nothing to worry about."
Flax nodded, but gulped nervously as they began to make their way down the streets. They stepped around a corner and Rarity saw their destination clearly. On one side of the street was a cart, loaded down with baskets and bushels of apples, supplemented by various apple-based treats: tarts, dumplings, pies, and so on.
However, Rarity was disappointed to not see her friend at the apple cart. Instead, the Apple Family's stall was being manned by a relaxed Red River, the azure stallion smiling politely as he conducted various transactions with his customers. There was a a decent line in front of the stall, indicating that he was doing a brisk business and many ponies were probably walking away with more than they'd probably intended on buying. Rarity couldn't help but admire the layout of everything and was sorely tempted to do some shopping herself. She reined in the impulse, but remained deeply impressed with Red's skill at arranging his goods, She dearly wished she could get Red to apply his skills to the Carousel Boutique's showroom.
"Good afternoon," said Rarity, bypassing the line and approaching the azure stallion directly.
"Ah, Ms. Rarity. It's so good to see you," said Red as he made change for his latest customer. He looked over Flaxseed. "And this is...?"
"This is Flaxseed. He's in town to help Twilight with her 'studies.'" Rarity gave Red a meaningful look, which Red was easily able to interpret.
"Oh, I see," said the azure stallion. He looked over at Flaxseed, who was shifting nervously. "Welcome to Ponyville. I'm sorry we can't talk more. But, as you can see, I'm a bit swamped right now." Turning back to Rarity, he said, "I presume you're looking for Applejack."
"That's correct," said Rarity.
"Well, she and the rest of the family are back at the farm, setting up for Cider Season. It sounds like this is going to be the best year for cider yet, so they're getting prepared for all the sales."
"I see," said Rarity, "Thank you for telling me. We'll see you later then."
"I'm sure," replied Red with a friendly nod. He turned back to his line of customers as Rarity led Flaxseed away from the market stall.
"Why did you tell him about me?" asked Flaxseed, "I know that's what you were referring to when you introduced me. But he wasn't one of the ponies you meant for me to meet, was he?"
"No, he wasn't," replied Rarity, "However, Red River is a pony who needs to know about such things. You see, while he works for the Apple Family, that's not the real reason he's in town."
"And the real reason is...?" asked Flaxseed nervously.
"He's one of two mercenaries that were hired by Twilight's brother. They were assigned here to help keep the town safe from any 'problems' that might follow Dawn in. Should anything like that occur, you would be under their protection as well."
"Oh..." was all Flaxseed could say, amazed that they had gone to such lengths simply for the sake of a single colt. He let his eyes wander, taking in the scenery as they left the town proper and the streets and buildings gave way to rolling hills, populated by row upon row of trees. He was sure that, most of the years, said trees presented a beautiful sight with their greenery. But, right now, they were devoid of either leaves or fruit. Their path took them along a fence, which led up to a gate. From the gate, Flaxseed could see a path winding on, meandering up to a picturesque farmhouse situated by a large, red barn.
A group of ponies were working by the gate. A pale-yellow filly was working with the help of a massive red stallion to set up a large millstone that was linked to what looked like a treadmill. Nearby, an orange mare wearing a worn-looking stetson was lifting barrels out of a cart and setting them down into a pile on one side of the large mechanism. Standing nearby was an aged, green mare, who was calmly directing the work.
"Good afternoon Applejack," said Rarity cheerfully as she cantered up to the gate, "It looks like the Cider Season setup is going smoothly."
"Smooth as can be," agreed the orange mare, taking a brief respite from her work and trotting over to the fence, "Granny's makin' some changes. She's ordered a whole bunch 'o them spices from Arkenstone so that we can whip up some batches 'o mulled cider. That's sure to be a hit with everypony."
"And what about the quantity?" asked Rarity, "Will you have enough for everypony this year?"
Applejack nodded, her expression getting a little stern. "Eyuup. We're puttin' a cap on it too so Pinkie Pie won't buy it all up. Ah'm gonna be darned if Ah let Rainbow go her last Cider Season in Ponyville without gettin' any." Her emerald eyes turned towards Flaxseed. "Who's yer friend?"
"Ah, this is Flaxseed," said Rarity, gesturing to the gold-coated stallion, who nodded politely to Applejack, "He's come to Ponyville to be examined by Twilight."
Applejack's eyes widened and she gave Flaxseed a shocked look that made the stallion take an uneasy step backwards. "Ya mean he's one 'o them..."
Rarity nodded. "The very same. He's experienced no shortage of harassment because of it."
"A-Ah see..." said Applejack, tilting her hat back, her eyes darting around.
Flaxseed shifted nervously. Applejack's reaction to what Rarity had told her worried him a fair bit. However, as he looked closer, he noticed the uneasy expression on Applejack's face. At first he thought that it might have been because she was wary of him. But he soon realized that Applejack's expression was one of guilt.
"Well, Ah've gotta get back to work and all," said Applejack, stepping back from the fence, "Lots to do and all that. Have yerselves a nice day."
She turned and trotted away from the fence as fast as she could without being rude, casting a forlorn look over her shoulder as she went.
"Well, that could have gone better," observed Rarity. She began to lead Flaxseed down the path back to town.
"What was that all about?" asked Flaxseed, glancing at the working farmponies as they left.
"Um...again, that's a bit of a complicated story," said Rarity, "You see, Applejack's father was a member of the Cult Solar, you probably know them as the Order of Celestial Light..."
Flaxseed shivered as he remembered some of the ponies that had pursued him from town to town. At times, the members of the Order seemed to be everywhere. They were friendly and welcoming enough until, inevitably, something happened to bring Flaxseed's condition to the surface. Sometimes they turned on him immediately, running him out of town, screaming threats and insults at the top of their lungs. But even worse were those who put on a friendly face, who pretended that his condition didn't matter to them. They would try to get him to lower his guard or lead him into some secluded spot and then...
Rarity observed the expressions passing over Flaxseed's face and carefully edged closer to the stallion, gently pressing against his side. Flaxseed started and looked over at her, but Rarity only gave him a friendly smile, prompting the stallion to relax somewhat.
"Anyway," continued Rarity, "Though she was never initiated into the Order itself, her father raised her on the group's philosophies, including telling her stories about the Eyes of Nightmare. When Fluttershy first took Dawn in and Applejack found out about him, she..." Rarity looked away. "She attacked him...twice. The first time, she was trying to drive him out of Ponyville. The second time, she was going to..." Rarity gulped, the implication of her words settling in.
"Anyway," she continued, "The second time, she managed to buck Dawn in the side, breaking his wing and some of his ribs, putting the poor boy in the hospital."
Flaxseed paled and began to shake.
"It's alright," said Rarity, "Dawn made a full recovery, otherwise he wouldn't have been at the teahouse for you to meet him yesterday. In any case, after that, Princess Celestia herself came down and had a few words with Applejack. She and Dawn managed to overcome their issues. She knows better than to believe the Cult Solar's tripe now."
"A-are you sure?" asked Flaxseed. If there was one thing he had learned, it was that fanatics did not part from their delusions easily, if at all.
Rarity nodded. "I most certainly am. Some other members of her family are apparently part of the Cult, but she tried to keep them from finding out about Dawn when they came to town. So have no worries. You can trust Applejack."
"Then why was she so upset?"
"She likely feels guilty about what she put Dawn through. I'm afraid that learning you have the same condition maybe brought those feelings of guilt back to the surface. When I mentioned how you had been harassed because of it, I think she remembered how she had hounded Dawn when she first learned about him." Rarity sighed. "It might be unpleasant for her, but I still needed to introduce you."
"If you say so," said Flaxseed, "Was there anypony else you wanted me to meet?"
"There is one more," said Rarity, "But she's hard to track down at this time of day. She's Ponyville's Weather Manager you see, for now at least."
"What do you mean by 'for now?'" Asked Flaxseed, glancing sidelong at his companion.
"She means that, come spring, this Weather Manager's gonna be off on her first tour as the newest member of the Wonderbolts."
"Gah!" Flaxseed jumped nearly his own height at the sound of a pony speaking right into his ear.
Rainbow Dash would have broken down laughing. However, the first guffaws had barely left her mouth when Flaxseed's magic wrenched a rock out of the ground and hurled it straight at her head.
The cerulean mare dodged the throw with a startled yelp. She turned to glare at the gold-coated stallion and admonish him for trying to hurt her, but was cut off again when she saw Flaxseed frantically pulling another, larger rock from the ground.
"Flaxseed!" cried Rarity, "Please stop!" Unable to think of what else to do, she seized the small boulder in her magic, doing her best to keep Flaxseed from launching it at Rainbow, who was beating her wings to gain some distance. However, Flaxseed's panic was making his magic surge and he yanked the stone out from Rarity's magical grip, launching it at Rainbow Dash in the same instant.
Rainbow easily dodged the large projectile, which wasn't even moving as fast as the first one. "Hey! Knock it off! You could kill somepony doing that!"
"Stay away from me!" screamed Flaxseed, backpedaling frantically, his eyes already searching for the next piece of ammunition. At the same time, Rainbow noted that their color and shape had changed.
"What the hay?" It took a few seconds for comprehension to dawn on her. But when it did, Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Oh..."
If anything, the look of shocked recognition Rainbow was wearing only served to further aggravate Flaxseed as his magic tore a tree stump from the ground. Soon, that too was rushing through the air at Rainbow.
Rarity was shouting, desperately trying to break through Flaxseed's panic. But he was too carried away to even hear her. While he didn't stand a chance of hitting Rainbow with anything he might throw, certainly not when he didn't have the sense to use his magic to guide the trajectories of his projectiles, there was still the chance that somepony else might be hurt. Rarity thanked her lucky stars that they were still outside Ponyville proper, or there would be plenty of bystanders around to end up on the receiving end of Flaxseed's wild attacks. As it was though, the last thing Rarity wanted was for some random passerby to get tagged by one of the stallion's shots.
However, in his panicked state, Flaxseed was too irrational to respond to most attempts to get through to him. He wasn't so much as trying to listen to her desperate pleas. The only other means of getting Flaxseed to stop could involve hurting him, which was the last thing she wanted to do.
There was one thing Rarity could try. It had worked in Sugarcube Corner when Pinkie Pie had set Flaxseed up, it might work now. However, Flaxseed was in a much worse state than before, so the chance that he would simply snap and attack Rarity instead was all too real. Still, she thought, I have to try.
Tensing, she leapt toward Flaxseed and threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly, just as he was about to tear up a section of Sweet Apple Acre's fence for his latest projectile. Even as she held him, Rarity could hear the crack and snap of wood. She didn't have much time. She was certain that she would be the target of Flaxseed's next attack. She needed to calm him now!
Rather than shout, Rarity instead placed her mouth as close to his ear as she could get it. "Shhhh darling, calm down," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "It's alright. You're safe. Nopony's going to hurt you.
The fence rail parted from one of its posts with a loud snap. Wood crackled as Flaxseed's magic tried to twist it free of the other one.
"Everything's fine," Rarity said, repeating her assurances like a mantra, desperately trying to keep her voice calm and in control, though she was desperately afraid for herself, Rainbow, and the stallion in her care. "Please calm down. Nopony's going to hurt you."
In spite of her fears, Rarity began to feel Flaxseed's muscles relax beneath her forelegs. The cracking noise of wood breaking was fading as well as Flaxseed's magical grip on the fence rail began to slacken. Rarity began to gently rub her hooves across Flaxseed's barrel and along his spine, whispering more assurances into his ear, keeping her voice level, calm, and soothing.
Finally, she heard what she had been waiting for. "R-Rarity..."
"Yes, I'm here," said Rarity, continuing to rub the stallion's back, "Everything is going to be just fine."
Finally, the fence rail broke, not because Flaxseed had pulled it off the fence entirely, but because his magic had released it, resulting in the length of wood breaking under its own weight. The stallion's body relaxed completely and he slumped in Rarity's grip. Rarity was nearly dragged down by Flaxseed as his body went limp, but managed to catch him with her magic and keep him from dropping unceremoniously to the ground. The stallion had passed out completely.
"I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Rainbow, not lifting her head off the ground as she held herself prostrated in front of Rarity. Rainbow's wings were spread, but held flat against the ground.
"That's enough groveling," said Rarity curtly, doing her best to rein in her temper. In all honesty, she wanted to scold Rainbow Dash as though the cerulean mare were a misbehaving filly that should have known better. The problem was, Rainbow hadn't known any better. She'd had no idea who Flaxseed was, much less anything about his situation. What she had done couldn't even have really been called a prank by ponies who had been less traumatized. The most her acts might have elicited would have been little more than a jump and a startled yelp.
But Flaxseed's condition and his experiences had made all the difference. His nerves were a box of bone-dry tinder and Rainbow's actions had been like a spark. The results had been dramatic and nearly disastrous.
"Rainbow!" snapped Rarity, her sharp tone finally cutting through the pegasus' dramatics, "That's enough!"
"Sorry!" squeaked Rainbow.
"I accept your apology," said Rarity, "Now I need you to calm down. Flaxseed could wake up any moment now and the last thing we need is for you to set off another panic attack."
"Okay," said Rainbow.
"Thank you," said Rarity with a sigh as she turned her attention back to the stallion. She'd situated Flaxseed so that he was resting up against her. His chin was resting on top of one of her forelegs, whilst her other reached up so she could gently stroke his mane with her hoof. It had been several minutes since the stallion had collapsed. Rarity had carried him to a nearby tree so that they could rest beneath it, though the tree didn't supply much shade, seeing as its leaves were gone and shade would have only made the late-autumn day all the colder. Thus, she was resting on the side facing the sun, taking solace in the feeling of the tree's bark against her fur.
Slowly, Flaxseed began to stir. He's coming to.
"Rainbow," said Rarity gently, "I need you to back up."
"I said I was sorry," protested Rainbow.
"I know," said Rarity, "But he may panic again if you're too close. So back up and give him some space and we'll introduce you properly this time."
"Okay," said Rainbow, a little bit reluctantly. She inched backwards as Flaxseed's eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Wha?" he rasped, raising his head.
"Are you feeling better?" asked Rarity softly, trying to keep from startling the stallion. She lowered the hoof that had been stroking his mane as well.
"R-Rarity?"
"Yes."
Flaxseed let out a shuddering sigh and relaxed against her, prompting Rarity to smile as she resumed stroking his mane. "I'm so very sorry about that darling," she said, "I understand she frightened you, but please forgive Rainbow Dash. She didn't know any better."
Flaxseed looked around and his gaze alit on the cerulean pegasus, who averted her eyes guiltily. Rarity felt Flaxseed tense up against her. But when Rainbow failed to do anything threatening, Flaxseed relaxed again.
"I'm so sorry," said Rainbow, not budging from her spot, "I didn't realize..."
"It's...it's alright," said Flaxseed after a moment's pause.
Rarity huffed lightly. "Well, this wasn't the smoothest of introductions, but this is my dear friend, Rainbow Dash."
"It's...uh...nice to meet you," said Rainbow more than a little awkwardly.
"L-likewise," said Flaxseed. He still felt uncomfortable. What Rainbow did had brought back too many memories of previous experiences where ponies had "surprised" him. Still, she was genuinely sorry. Taking a moment to fight down the flashbacks of his past, Flaxseed began to recall what Rainbow had said to him right as she'd dropped in. "So...you're gonna be a Wonderbolt?"
Rainbow's melancholy faded and she drew herself up into a sitting position, puffing out her chest dramatically. "Not gonna," she said proudly, "Already am. I even made my debut flight."
"Really?" asked Flaxseed, leaning forward.
"Indeed," agreed Rarity, tittering at the stallion's enthusiasm, "We were there for her induction and she actually flew as a member during the Harvest Festival."
"Yeah, it was pretty awesome if I do say so myself," said Rainbow, puffing up even more than she had before.
"That is amazing," said Flaxseed, "I once got to see a Wonderbolts show when I was a little colt. It was incredible. I've never thought I'd actually get to meet one."
Rainbow laughed. "Well then, you've been missing out, 'cause the Wonderbolts are even more awesome now than when you were a kid. I'll try and score you some free tickets so you can see for yourself."
"Um...you mean like tickets...for an actual show?" asked Flaxseed, twitching strangely.
"Uh yeah," said Rainbow, tilting her head to one side as she regarded the stallion curiously, "What kinda show did you think I was talking about?"
"Um...nothing..." said Flaxseed, lowering his head slightly, "Really...you don't need to trouble yourself."
Rainbow's eyebrows went up. "You'd turn down free Wonderbolts tickets."
"That's enough," said Rarity quickly, jumping in before the conversation could progress any further. She had an inkling of the reason behind Flaxseed's reluctance and certainly didn't want to make the stallion any more uncomfortable than he already was. "It's starting to get late and Flaxseed and I should be returning to the boutique. I'll talk to you later, Rainbow Dash." Rarity gave Rainbow a pointed look that practically screamed at her to shelve the conversation for the time being.
"Uh...okay," said Rainbow, "I guess I should really be getting back to work anyway. We're moving in some additional cloud cover in to lower the temperature a little more. Make sure you dress warmly when you go out later, okay."
Rarity nodded. "Thank you for the warning Rainbow."
The cerulean pegasus nodded and spread her wings. With a single beat, she shot into the sky in a rainbow streak, not even bothering to stand up before she took off.
"Wow," said Flaxseed, watching her go, "I can see why she's a Wonderbolt."
"Indeed," agreed Rarity, "I'm sorry about that part at the end there. Even before she joined, Rainbow was a very serious fan of the Wonderbolts. Sometimes she forgets that not everyone is as serious about them as she is and that some ponies have their reasons for not wanting to attend a show."
"Um..." Flaxseed averted his eyes, looking a little ashamed. "To be honest, I'd love to see another show but..."
"I think I understand," said Rarity as she began to lead the way back to the boutique, "It's the crowds isn't it? You've frequently been on edge around other ponies, so the idea of being surrounded by them is rather intimidating."
"Yeah," said Flaxseed, his ears drooping.
"Don't worry dear," said Rarity, gently brushing up against him. She moved slowly and carefully so that Flaxseed would have time to react. The stallion flinched, but didn't try to pull away from the contact. "My friends and I will all do our best to help you. Just remember, you have nothing to fear from any of us."
"Alright," said Flaxseed, giving her a half-hearted smile of his own.
Rarity could see that the gold-colored stallion still held some reservations about staying with her and in Ponyville in general. It wasn't too hard to understand why. After all, being at ease around other ponies could easily be equated to lowering one's guard. Flaxseed had probably dealt with such problems before, ponies who had pretended to be his friends or pretended to want to help him, only to attack him when he was vulnerable. Yes, they still had a ways to go before he could fully recover from the trauma he'd experienced. But still, she thought as his soft coat rubbed against hers, Even a little progress is still progress. With that encouraging thought in mind, Rarity led the way home.
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Congrats to your sister.
Great chapter! I was wondering who would set Flaxseed off. I wasn't thinking RB.
Dawn...and cider? Hopefully Red River is around for this. I sense unintentional drunken martial arts coming!
You're not gonna make Dawn a "Drunken Gale King Master" now, are you?
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Goddam it Dash. Perhaps almost being killed is a good thing, as you won't do this again!
S'cuse me got to go and get paper for the SHITSTORM THAT IS BREWING with that cider
5142635 Drunken Hooves Style! (I honestly don't know which anime that came from, as I do not watch anime)...
~Crystalline Electrostatic~
is your cider what Americans call hard cider (the one with alcohol) or the none alcohol one? cause the potential for comedy from a drunk dawn would be amusing.
5142635 That would be the BEST. POSSIBLE. THING.
Don't worry too much about making us wait. Things like that are something that shouldn't be missed for anything short of an apocalypse when it's someone you know. My best wishes for the newlyweds!
Flaxseed's reactions to the rest of the group (and Red River) were spot on. Fluttershy would be the easiest to calm down around, though that does make me wonder how Flaxseed will react when she goes into 'mama bear' mode. She's easily the most vicious member of the Mane 6 when she has a good reason to be.
His reaction to Applejack seemed to be a minor detail compared to her reaction to him. It makes sense that she would still feel guilty about that and mix that guilt in with what the Cult Solar has done to Flaxseed. Now I guess I'll have to wait a while before these two have a proper conversation.
Now for Rainbow Dash. It makes sense. She's easily the second most tactless person in their group, only being beaten in that regard by Pinkie Pie at times. Pinkie got warned about surprising Flaxseed, but Rainbow didn't. I suppose things were going too well anyway. Writing rule #8, whenever things are going too well for your main characters, throw a wrench in the works. At least that prompted that cute little scene between him and Rarity.
It may have only been in a single passing sentence, but it still has been brought back to my attention. Consider this to be a poll of some kind. What does everyone think Dawn's Nightmare Night costume will be? I originally imagined it being Nightmare Moon because his eyes and coat color matched, but I have a new idea. I place my bet on him dressing up in a purple, wide-rimmed hat, a purple eye mask, and a coat of the same color as a show of respect for his fallen master.
In short, this was another great chapter. The reactions all fit in with the characters' personalities and a few lingering issues have been resurfaced, most likely to give further closure to them later. I look forward to the next update.
alrighty everyone i can see the beginnings of a beautiful shit storm on the horizon
5142686
to answer your question they probably sell both but the alcoholic cider can't be made on demand like in the show it takes time to ferment it (to give it its alcoholic kick) the stuff they made in the show was virgin cider with no alcoholic content it takes at the least two weeks to make a proper hard cider so if dawn gets drunk it will be due to a mix up of barrels the way i see this scene playing out
Applebloom go grab another barrel from the barn make sure its one of the barrels on the left side ok sis suddenly a wild distraction appeared and apple bloom says to (insert crusader here) can you grab a barrel of cider from the barn and take it to ma sister
Great story so far and I was glad to see 2 chapters when I did my daily(ish) checking on your home page. Figured i would wait till chapter 3 to leave my thoughts. As for how this story will go I'm glad it's centered around another pony who'll hopefully get to see some good fights (hmmm hmmm) and hopefully FimFic will let you update.
5142635
Yes, please!
Who thinks there will be forecast of thundersnow in Ponyville this winter?
I liked the chapter.
I think it would be more accurate to say:
Next chapter: Dawn discovers BOOZE!
Next chapter: Dawn discovers cider!
There is no way that this could end well. It'll be funny, but it won't end well.
It throws me off that near all y'all assume it's going to be alcoholic cider.
5143255
Well, the cider in the show always foams, and only the alcoholic kind foams. So, yeah.
Congrats for your sister, may she have many decades of happy memories. As for Dawn,
! Oh! I can see him getting blitzed on endorphins, and I wonder how awesome it'd be for him.
5142833
I love thundersnow!
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They grow up so fast...
5143322
It could also be carbonated cider
Witch is a thing
Don't you always say so yourself?
5143673
Huh. Didn't know that.
Does he get drunk?! That be awesome see a colt with Gale King being all drunk!
Late updates are better than no updates
I can't believe I blasted through all six prior stories in just two days. I would have finished it sooner, but...yeah...sleep
In all seriousness though, in a word this world you've constructed is absolutely captivating. Your folding of your OC's into the MLP world is nearly seamless. I especially like the intrigues on the part of the nobles, all trying to gain favor fro Twilight through any means necessary. Although I worry that if they go too far, Dawn would be the least of their worries
That being said, I'm soooo looking forward to what you've got planned next. Excellent job.
5145021
This can't be too good....
5142758 and the lolz would start. I see what ya mean though I didn't think of the fermentation time.
5143322
What if that's just inaccuracy though?
That seems like something that could easily slip by due to simple research failure. Especially since different countries call different versions just cider.
I really wish someone would have said something along the lines of "oh, there are several ponies here who could stop him." THAT would get his attention.
Happy Belated congrats on your sister's wedding.
Rainbow Dash! Ugh filly, can you at least look before you leap?!
As much as I would not want to experience it, it would be interesting to know what my reaction to such trauma would be.
I know enough self-defense to get by, and I do have an extensive knife, axe, sword, spear etc. collection with the knowledge of how to properly use them.
7308671
Of course not, otherwise she wouldn't be rainbow dash
That is like asking why are you not scared of Celestia or Luna they could level the planet!
9006451
The difference is that their acts are non-combative in nature (in a long enough amount of time that no living pony knows about it if they were). And their public appearances are ones that are more benevolent. For Celestia she comes across as everyone's mom, the public sweet heart with 100% approval rating. And Luna for the most part is beloved by foals everywhere.
Moving the Sun and Moon, while big. Just doesn't have the Oomph and scarey factor of a fighter who has a reputation of surviving dangerous battles. Like Dawn has. And I'm talking about modern history. I'm sure that way in the past they had that scary factor as well. But no one alive has seen what they can do in a fight.
I am Rarity in this scene
Poor Rainbow and Flaxseed. That was a horrible start. Oh well, glad they got past it