Chapter 19: Winging It
One of the biggest assets an athlete could possess in any competition is a calm, focused mind. Getting nervous only leads to careless mistakes, and one tiny error could easily mean the difference between a narrow victory or defeat.
Natalya liked to think that she held such a trait. Sure, she knew that she might lose her temper every now and then, but when the time called for it, she could remain calm in the most harrowing of situations.
Now was not one of those times.
Natalya was never good at sitting around, and waiting on an exam table in a hospital room was no exception. Restless, she kept on fidgeting around while her eyes frequently flicked over to the clock on the wall as she cursed the tardiness of the usually-punctual doctor. Her movements constantly crinkled the sterile paper that covered the table, and her talons nervously tapping on the furniture only added to the cacophony.
The day had finally come. The day Natalya had been waiting for what seemed like eons. She was finally going to have the splint removed from her wing. That is, if there was nothing wrong, hence her anxiety. She was grateful that her recovery time was vastly shorter than her initial estimate, but it also meant her burning urge to fly again was compacted into the shortened duration.
A few more minutes of agonizing waiting passed before there was a knock on the door, and to Natalya’s joy, Doctor Horse and Nurse Redheart then stepped into the room.
“Hello, there, Natalya. Sorry for being late to your appointment,” Doctor Horse apologized. “Today’s been hectic with one delay after another. I’ve been playing catch up with my appointments all day.”
“You know, you would save a whole lot of time if you skip right to removing my wing splint, doc,” Natalya suggested.
Doctor Horse chuckled. “I’m afraid that’s not how things work. I know that you’re eager to have your wing back again, but we still have to check you over. I assume that your foreleg has not been giving you any troubles?”
Natalya sighed, disappointed her suggestion was turned down, even if it was a long shot. “Nope. Foreleg is pretty much all back to normal.”
“That’s good to hear,” Doctor Horse replied with a nod. His horn glowed with magic, and the x-ray machine that Natalya had become familiar with moved toward the griffon. “Then let’s move onto what we’re all here for. You know the drill, Natalya.”
Natalya nodded. She had returned to the hospital for several x-rays since her foreleg had healed, so she promptly hopped off the table and stepped behind the machine without any further instructions. After raising her right wing and stepping forward on her right foreleg, she held still.
The machine soon started up with a soft hum. Natalya felt a faint tingling sensation as magic and technology got to work in making a picture of her insides.
“And there we go,” Doctor Horse proclaimed a moment later, sliding the machine away from Natalya and then turning it so that everyone could see the skeletal image.
“So, how is it, doc?” Natalya asked, trying not to sound nervous as she analyzed her own image.
“Hmm…” Doctor Horse trotted closer to the machine, his face inches away from the skeleton Natalya’s right wing.
Natalya held her breath in anticipation. As far as she could tell, there were not any broken bones in her picture, but that did not mean there was no abnormality a medical professional like Doctor Horse might find.
To Natalya’s immense relief, Doctor Horse eventually turned to her with a broad grin and nodded.
“Good news, Natalya,” Doctor Horse declared. “Your wing looks to have healed up just fine. We can remove your splint now.”
Natalya let out the breath she was holding, unable to stop a grin from forming. “That’s awesome to hear, doc. I don’t think I could have taken another day stuck on the ground.”
“While it’s true that you should be able to fly again, I’m afraid I must reel in your excitement a tad. You see, I am aware of your rigorous flying regime, so I must ask you to wait at least a few more days before you go back to that routine. Your wing needs some time to regain its strength, and we don’t want you to risk overexerting it and injuring it again.”
Natalya sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I kind of already expected that. Don’t worry, doc, I’ll take it easy. I’m just happy to not be grounded anymore.”
Doctor Horse nodded in satisfaction. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, I’m afraid that I have other patients to attend to. Like I said, I’m extremely busy today. Nurse Redheart will take over for me and see to your splint removal.”
“Don’t worry about it, doc. As long as I get my wing back, I don’t care what you have to do.”
Doctor Horse chuckled. “Thank you for your understanding. I’ll let Nurse Redheart get started right away. Goodbye, Natalya, and congratulations on your recovery.”
Redheart, who had been silently standing by the entire time, stepped forward while Doctor Horse made his exit. “Now, Natalya, let’s get that thing off you. Please lie down on the table so that we can get started.”
Natalya hastily got back on the table while Redheart made a quick trip to a nearby cabinet and then came toward the griffon with a medical shear in her hoof.
“So, Rainbow is still up in Canterlot?” Redheart asked as she started to carefully snip away at the bandages covering Natalya’s wing.
“Yeah, for another few days,” Natalya answered.
“Shame. I suppose I won’t be seeing her around anytime soon. Well, at least until she gets into her next inevitable crash.”
“Gonna miss harassing her?”
“Yes, in fact. Annoying Rainbow has become something of a guilty pleasure for me, not to mention a fantastic way to blow off some steam.”
“I would say that you have a problem if the stuff you do to her didn’t amuse me so much. Still, aren’t you a bit worried that Rainbow might retaliate with another prank one of these days?”
“After what happened with the last one, I very much doubt she would be so impudent to try and target me again. Combined with the numerous times I’ve taken care of her as a patient, it’s why she lets me get away with the things I do to her. At least I have the courtesy to keep things mild.”
“What did Rainbow do to you anyway? I recall something about maple syrup.”
“I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say things had to be shaved…” Redheart stopped for a moment, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. “Many things…”
Deciding it was best not to press any further, Natalya merely nodded and allowed Redheart to resume dismantling the splint in silence. It did not take much longer before Natalya felt her renewed wing be freed from its confines.
“There we go. All done,” Redheart announced, removing the last piece of the splint. “How is it?”
Natalya turned her head to inspect her healed wing. Other than needing a good wash and some preening, everything seemed to look fine. She felt a slight soreness when she slowly opened and closed her wing, but it was overshadowed by her joy that she will be able to fly as soon as she got out of here.
“It’s a bit stiff, but otherwise fine,” Natalya commented while she continued to flex her wing.
“Not a surprise, considering it had been stuck in the same position for a whole week,” Redheart reasoned. “But there’s no pain, right?”
“Nope.”
“Then that leaves one final check before I let you go.”
Natalya groaned. “Another test?”
Redheart smiled in amusement. “Oh, don’t be like that. It’s something that I’m sure you won’t mind at all.”
“And that is?” Natalya asked skeptically.
“A short test flight outside. We have to make sure your wings are functional now.”
Natalya snorted. “Okay, you’re right about me not minding. Let’s hurry up then. I’m really itching to get into the air again.”
“Just remember to start off slow, alright?” Redheart reminded.
Natalya mumbled her agreement while she jumped off the exam table and exited the room. She hurriedly made her way through the hospital, not caring if Redheart was lagging behind. As soon as she stepped outside, Natalya spread her wings and leapt up into the air.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Natalya relished the rush of air around her body as she soared through the sky. Beating her wings and rising higher and higher, she felt free and strong. She had sorely missed this sensation, and it felt like everything was right in the world again.
However, after a few quick laps around the hospital’s airspace, Natalya’s giddiness petered out, and she noticed that she was nowhere near the extreme speed she usually achieved. What's more, her wing was starting to ache, prompting her to end her flight.
“Looks like you’re able to fly well enough, even if it’s not for too long,” Redheart commented when Natalya landed in front of her, having had observed the griffon from the hospital’s entrance. “I’m guessing your wing was starting to act up?”
“Yeah, it was getting uncomfortable, but nothing major,” Natalya reported.
“That should go away by itself over time. You can help speed things up by lightly exercising your wing, emphasis on light. Do that, and you’ll be back to your old self by the time Rainbow returns.”
Natalya nodded. She had already lost a good chunk of time because of her crash, and she really needed to get her Sonic Rainboom training back on track. She could not wait for Rainbow to come back.
“So everything seems to be in order with you,” Redheart remarked. “If you don’t have any issues or concerns, you are free to go.”
“Nope, I got it from here. See ya.” Natalya bent her legs to launch herself into the air, but she paused for a second before standing up straight. “Oh, and, uh, thanks for the help, Redheart.”
Redheart smiled. “It was my pleasure, Natalya. Remember to not push yourself too hard. Oh, and on the off-chance that you do manage to wind up back here, do remember to bring Rainbow with you.”
Natalya snorted in amusement. “I’ll be sure to do that.”
Natalya waved one last goodbye to Redheart and then took to the air. However, she did not fly for long before she remembered that besides getting her splint removed, she had not planned on anything else for today. Since Rainbow was still in Canterlot, her options were limited, so Natalya parked herself on the roof of a nearby house and pondered what she should do for the rest of the day.
Now that she could fly again, albeit at a temporarily, reduced capacity, she had no interest in returning to her room and reading more Daring Do. The books had been a good distraction, and she would not be opposed to delve further into the series, but that would have to wait for another time.
Making some bits from doing odd jobs was an enticing thought. Natalya knew that more than a few new jobs had been posted at Town Hall since her accident. However, she soon decided to shelve the idea a bit longer. All of her limbs might be functioning now, but she still was not a hundred percent recovered yet, and she did not want to risk getting injured again.
Natalya then wondered if maybe she should hang out with any of her other friends.
Scootaloo was the first to come to mind, but unfortunately, it was a school day. Not only that, but Natalya recalled the filly mentioning that she was spending the next few days doing Cutie Mark Crusader stuff.
Natalya quickly decided against spending time with Twilight and Spike. The two of them tended to busy themselves with books and paperwork, things that Natalya were trying to avoid at the moment. Plus, she already saw them every day, considering she was living in their castle.
Gilda and Pinkie were working at Sugarcube Corner as usual, but even if they were free, Natalya had little desire to see the pink pony. Natalya did like Pinkie, but the strange pony was better enjoyed in small doses. She was also aware that Pinkie wanted to throw her a party once her wing was healed, and Natalya preferred to deal with that later rather than sooner.
Applejack was going to be occupied with apple-related stuff, and since Natalya was avoiding doing anything strenuous today, it probably was not a good idea to visit Sweet Apple Acres. Even if she did not get roped into helping out with the chores, Natalya doubted that her standing around and distracting Applejack would be good for productivity.
That left only Fluttershy.
Despite the whole apology ordeal, Natalya knew that Fluttershy was still slightly skittish around her. It was not like she had done much to remedy things since she did not have much in common with the animal caretaker. And yet, despite their limited interaction, Fluttershy surprised Natalya when the pegasus visited her in the hospital and gave her a quilt, along with plenty of well wishes.
While the shy pegasus was not Natalya’s ideal choice to spend time with, Natalya did want to try to at least stay on friendly terms with Fluttershy, who also happened to be Rainbow’s oldest friend. She was not sure what exactly she was going to do once she got there, but she should be fine with winging it.
Concluding that it was worthwhile to pay a visit to Fluttershy, Natalya left her rooftop perch and started flying straight for Fluttershy’s cottage.
The flight over to Fluttershy’s place had a few minor complications. As Doctor Horse and Redheart had warned, Natalya’s right wing still needed time before it was fully restored. She already had a taste of her stunted flying, but now she was experiencing how much it was affecting her.
The wing was still stiff and was quick to tire, forcing her to fly at a sedate pace. She even had to stop for a break a couple of times. It did not help that the hospital and Fluttershy’s home were on opposite sides of Ponyville.
Eventually, Natalya arrived at Fluttershy’s home, but her journey had put her in a bit of a cranky mood. With her sluggish speed and several pit stops, she had probably taken five times as long to get here as it would have before her injury. She really hoped that seeing the yellow pegasus would be worth it, and she was not looking forward to the eventual trip back to the castle.
Wanting to immediately get some rest inside the home, Natalya landed right in front of Fluttershy’s door and raised a fist to knock. However, a sudden, loud roar from somewhere behind the house made her freeze for a second before instincts kicked in, prompting Natalya to make her way toward the noise.
Wait, what am I doing? Natalya asked herself, stopping at the side of the house. There was a good chance there was some sort of wild, angry animal in the backyard, and she should be flying away from it, especially since she was not in any condition to put up a decent fight. So why had she been going toward the scary sound instead?
Natalya racked her mind for a few seconds and then let out a groan when a yellow pony came to mind. Whether or not it was because she knew how distraught Rainbow would be if anything happened to her oldest friend, Natalya actually found herself being concerned about Fluttershy’s safety. She was actually putting herself at risk for Fluttershy.
Stupid pony morals.
Still, it did not mean she had to do anything crazy; she just had to carefully check the backyard and go report to someone if there was anything dangerous.
Pressing herself against the house’s wall, Natalya quietly moved forward and then peeked around the corner, into the backyard.
A towering brown bear more than twice her size was stomping around the wide open space behind Fluttershy’s home. Its roars were even louder up close, making Natalya wince from the thundering volume. Fortunately, from the looks of it, there was no immediate danger. The beast was flailing wildly, but it did not seem to be actually heading toward the house. As long as no one got close to it, Natalya figured that she could get help before any damage could be done.
Then Natalya saw Fluttershy walking right up to the bear.
What is that mare doing?! Natalya knew that Fluttershy was an animal caretaker, but there was no way the demure pegasus could calm a rampaging bear down. Natalya hastily tried to think of a way to get Fluttershy out of danger, but her time suddenly ran out when the beast noticed Fluttershy and unleashed a fierce roar right in front of the pony’s face.
Natalya sprung out of her hiding place to try and rescue the reckless pony, hopefully without being horribly maimed. After a few steps, however, she quickly skidded to a halt when Fluttershy leapt into action, moving faster than Natalya ever thought the delicate pegasus could ever do.
Fluttershy charged right between the bear’s legs, and before the confused animal could react, the pegasus flew up into the air and delivered a devastating hoofkick to its back with enough force to send it toppling forward. The bear did not even touch the ground before Fluttershy grabbed the beast’s left leg and braced her hind legs into its back. When they hit the ground, Fluttershy pulled on the held leg, making Natalya cringe as the bear was forced into a painful ‘C’ shape.
After a few moments, Fluttershy released her hold, her opponent’s lower half falling to the ground with a heavy thud. However, the animal barely had a moment’s respite before Fluttershy began jumping up and down, stomping her hooves into her victim’s brutally-battered, brown back.
Natalya was beginning to actually felt sorry for the animal, and she thought she spotted a few tears escape the bear’s eyes. Just as she wondered if she should intervene, Fluttershy grabbed the poor bear’s neck, and with a bloodcurdling warcry, she viciously twisted it, filling the air with the sound of breaking bones.
As the bear lifelessly slumped to the ground, Natalya was left speechless. It took her a few moments to realize that her beak was hanging wide open, probably since Fluttershy started her assault. In about twenty seconds, Natalya had witnessed Fluttershy violently subdue a hulking beast without breaking a sweat. She recalled Rainbow mentioning that Fluttershy was tougher than she looked, but Natalya had dismissed the idea.
Oh, how wrong she was.
As she pondered what she could do to stay on Fluttershy’s good side, Natalya noticed the pegasus gently land on the bear’s back and began rubbing her hooves into the corpse. Only, it was not a corpse, because the animal’s eyes opened while it started to make grunts of contentment.
“Oh, Harry. You really need to take better care of yourself,” Fluttershy softly chastised while her hooves continued to knead into the bear. “You have some tense muscles here that’s going to take a while to massage through.”
“Wait, you were giving that bear a massage?!” Natalya cried out incredulously.
Fluttershy yelped from the outburst and promptly fell off Harry, landing behind the bear. Her head slowly peeked out from behind Harry, and upon seeing the griffon, Fluttershy got up on her hooves. “Oh, um, hello, Natalya.”
“Hey. Uh, sorry for startling you,” Natalya apologized, taking a few steps toward Fluttershy but still maintaining a healthy distance from Harry.
“Um, that’s alright. I was just surprised since I was busy with Harry here.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” Natalya glanced over at Harry, noting that the animal did not seem to be in any pain. “So, uh, all of that crazy stuff you did was some sort of massage?”
Harry softly mewled, as though begging for something, and pointed at his back.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Harry.” Fluttershy hastily climbed back onto her patient and resumed digging her hooves into him, causing Harry to adopt a goofy grin as he emitted satisfied grunts.
“So, um, yes, Natalya,” Fluttershy said while she continued the treatment. “I’m just giving Harry here a massage. You actually had the same reaction as Twilight when she first saw this, so I know that it may have looked a little extreme.”
“A bit extreme?” Natalya repeated flatly.
“Well, Harry is a bear, plus he does get kind of cranky when his back acts up. This isn’t the first time I had to be a bit stern to properly treat an animal.”
“Well, massage or not, those were some very impressive moves, Fluttershy,” Natalya complimented.
Fluttershy’s cheeks grew red, and she tried to hide it by keeping her head down and focused on Harry. “Oh, um, thanks…”
Seeing Fluttershy’s embarrassment, Natalya decided to remain silent and allow the pegasus to finish her business. It still boggled Natalya’s mind to find out that Fluttershy knew moves that could subdue a bear, despite the non-lethal intent, and from the sound of it, the pegasus did this kind of thing on a somewhat regular basis. If Fluttershy ever applied those techniques to actual fighting, the seemingly harmless pony would be a frightening force to be reckoned with.
Natalya was really glad that she had apologized to Fluttershy.
“There you go, Harry,” Fluttershy announced eventually. She leapt off her patient, but was picked right back up in a bear hug. “Oh, you’re welcome, Harry,” she said with a giggle while the bear gently rubbed his cheek into Fluttershy’s. “Just remember to do your yoga exercises, alright?”
Harry replied with an affirmative grunt and slowly set Fluttershy back down. Waving goodbye the beat wandered off into the nearby trees, leaving Natalya and Fluttershy alone.
“So, um, sorry for making you just stand there, Natalya,” Fluttershy apologized, turning to her griffon visitor. “I hope you weren’t waiting around for too long.”
Natalya shook her head. “No, not really. It was actually pretty interesting watching you. I actually just arrived at your door when I heard Harry roar. Of course, I didn’t know what was going on at the time, so I rushed out here looking for you. Guess I got worried over nothing.”
“You were worried about me?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Er, yeah. Friends are supposed to watch each other’s backs, and we did agree we were friends, right? You even gave me a quilt when I was in the hospital. Thanks again for that, by the way.”
“Of course we’re friends, Natalya! I’m sorry if I made you think otherwise.” Fluttershy sighed and bowed her head in shame. “I know that we haven’t really talked to each other, and I admit that Rainbow even had to prod me to visit you in the hospital. I suppose that I’m still kind of afraid of you.”
Fluttershy whimpered. “Oh, you must think I’m such a bad pony. Here I am, too afraid to treat you like a proper friend, especially since you’ve worked so hard to be nicer.”
Feeling awkward, Natalya looked away and rubbed the back of her head. “Uh, it’s alright, Fluttershy. It’s not like I did much to help either. But that’s kind of why I’m here. I was thinking we could try to improve things between us since I have some time, on account of me still having to be careful with my wing.”
“Oh, that is such a great idea!” Fluttershy cheered with a hopeful smile. Her brow then furrowed in confusion. “Wait, your wing?” Her gaze drifted to Natalya’s side, and she gasped softly. “You got your splint removed. Congratulations, Natalya!”
“Er, thanks.” Natalya could hear the genuine cheer in Fluttershy’s voice. “Just came from the hospital where they took it off, actually. I can fly again, but not like normal yet, which kind of sucks.”
Fluttershy smiled sympathetically. “Rainbow has been in your situation a few times, and she gets very antsy knowing that she could fly, but not up to her usual standards. You, however, have been taking things very well.”
“Never been one to waste much time worrying. Besides, I at least can do something about it. The hospital says I can lightly exercise my wing, which should get it back to full strength when Rainbow returns.”
“That’s wonderful, Natalya. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.” Fluttershy paused for a second before shyly dropping her gaze to the ground. “Um, actually, if you want, I could help you out by giving your wing a massage. It should help it recover faster.”
“Uh, is it going to be like Harry’s?” Natalya asked cautiously. If Fluttershy was planning to give her the same treatment, Natalya was sure that her wing would just end up being broken again, along with every other bone in her body.
“Oh no, of course not. I know how to do massages for ponies as well. Er, and I guess griffons too, in this case. If it helps, I sometimes give a massage to Rainbow whenever she strains her wings.”
“Well…” Natalya shrugged. She was here to waste time, and if Fluttershy’s treatment was good enough for Rainbow, it was good enough for her. “Alright, why not? Just be careful.”
Fluttershy smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
Natalya followed Fluttershy inside. She had caught a few glimpses of Fluttershy’s home when she had apologized to the pegasus, but this was the first time she had actually been inside.
The living room was humble, lightly decorated with simple furniture. Unsurprisingly, true to Fluttershy’s dedication to her work, the animal caretaker had set up a number of birdhouses and animal basket-beds in the room. What did surprise Natalya was how neat and tidy the place was. Despite being a hub for many sorts of animals, there was hardly a speck of dirt on the floor, and everything seemed to be neatly arranged with nothing out of place.
“Alright, lay down and spread your wings please,” Fluttershy directed, leading Natalya to a green couch near the front window.
Natalya let out a satisfied sigh as she lay down on her stomach, just now realizing how tired she was. Apparently, the flight over here took more out of her than she thought, and she was glad to be able to relax her tired body on the comfy green cushions. Her respite was momentarily interrupted when she opened her wings, and she winced slightly from her still-sore right wing.
“Are you alright?” Fluttershy promptly asked, noticing Natalya’s discomfort.
“Yeah, just my right wing is all stiff and sore. Think you can do something about that?”
“I’ll try my best. Now, just relax, Natalya.” Fluttershy got up on her hind legs and moved to stand right beside the couch. Slowly, she placed her forehooves on Natalya’s right wing.
Natalya flinched from the touch, but she quickly relaxed as Fluttershy’s soothing rubs seemed to ease the soreness in her.
“Okay, you might feel a tiny pinch,” Fluttershy warned a moment later.
“Go for it. A tiny pinch is nothwaaaaaugh…” Natalya did indeed feel the tiny pinch, but what followed it could only be described as pure bliss. She let out a guttural moan, and her face flopped into the couch cushion.
“Oh my,” Fluttershy uttered with both surprise and amusement.
The next few moments were a blur as Natalya was not able to process anything, other than the heavenly feeling Fluttershy was applying to her wing. It was like a great weight had suddenly been released from her, leaving her weightless and suspended in a state of ecstasy.
Natalya was not sure how long her brain had shut off from the sensory overload, but she eventually descended from her euphoric high to regain her ability to form a coherent thought.
“Dude, where did you learn how to do this?” Natalya asked, humming in satisfaction while Fluttershy dutifully continued her ministrations.
“I picked up some basics to help treat animals, but I owe a lot to the ponies down at the spa,” Fluttershy answered. “Rarity and I go there almost every week, and I picked up all sorts of techniques from them over time.”
“You mean that they might be able to do something better than this?” Natalya asked with disbelief. She was having a hard time imagining what would happen to her if she dared to get a massage done by professionals.
“Well, you could visit the spa, and you probably should, since they’re so nice there. I just don’t think your next massage would provoke such a, um, dramatic response, since I’m helping you now. I can tell you haven’t gotten one for a long time, if ever. It’s no wonder you’re so…”
“Uptight?”
“Um, more like tense.”
“Whatever you say. But seriously, Fluttershy, this feels awesome. You’re right about me not getting a massage. I can’t even recall if I ever did get one, and now I kind of wish I’ve treated myself to some.”
“I’m actually quite surprised you haven’t gotten any, since I know that you would use anything to give you an edge in competitions. Massages can have all sorts of health benefits, many of which can help your flying.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t really believe that. I thought massages were just another one of those frou-frou pampering things, and I think it’s pretty obvious I don’t care much for those.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Rainbow had the same response when she got her first massage from me.”
Natalya rolled her eyes. “Plus, it’s not like we have this sort of thing in Griffonstone, and even if we did, I wouldn’t trust anyone there to touch my wings.”
“And here you are letting me touch them. Thank you for trusting me, Natalya.”
“Er, yeah, no problem. Friends are supposed to trust each other, right?”
“Yes, they do, and I’m glad we’re friends.”
Natalya mumbled an agreement, but other than that, their conversation came to a rest as Fluttershy continued her massage. While the initial burst of pleasure had subsided, Natalya was still relishing the soothing treatment Fluttershy was giving her. Her eyes were actually starting to droop from the relaxing treatment.
“You know, Rainbow really likes having you around,” Fluttershy suddenly uttered quietly, waking Natalya back up.
“Uh, thanks?” Natalya replied.
“And you really like doing stuff with her, right?”
“Yes?” Even though Natalya did not turn her head to Fluttershy, one of her eyebrows went up in curiosity. “Is this leading to something?”
“Oh, sorry. I just thought… Since you’re here and all…” Fluttershy paused to take a breath. “I just want to say that I’m happy for you two.”
“Uh… Thanks?” Natalya repeated lamely.
“I’m making things awkward, aren’t I?” Fluttershy asked, even though it sounded more like a statement.
“A bit, yeah.”
“Sorry.”
“Well, we got time now,” Natalya pointed out. “Tell me why you’re suddenly asking about me and Rainbow.” A thought came to her a moment later. “I mean, if you feel like it.”
“I don’t mind.” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “You know that Rainbow, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and I are quite different from one another. And yet, we’re the best of friends. In fact, I think our differences actually help make our bond stronger. That said, it’s also nice to have friends who are more similar to you.
“The thing is, we all cherish Rainbow’s friendship, but there are times when it’s hard to keep up with her. Applejack can kind of do that, what with all the competitions they get into, but she can’t follow Rainbow into the air. Twilight and I could fly with Rainbow, but we can’t match her speed. Well, Twilight technically can, but that’s if she uses her magic.”
“So I’m a good friend for her because I got the flying skills to keep up with her?” Natalya clarified.
“It’s just one of the things. You two actually have so much in common, like how you’re both so athletic and love to compete. It’s no wonder you two became such good friends despite, um, first impressions.”
“Yeah, okay, I get what you’re saying,” Natalya agreed. “Once Rainbow and I got past the phase where we were almost biting each other’s heads off, it was nice to have someone who understood my need to be the best so that I could crush my competition.”
“Um, how about other stuff like how you’re both brave, direct, and when you set your mind on something, you both don’t let anything stop you? Oh, and how it’s so adorable that you both dote on Scootaloo so much.”
Natalya could feel her cheeks redden. “Hey, uh, can we maybe hurry up and move on to the point of this talk?”
“Oh, right. Sorry. Well, the thing is, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Ah, so there is a price for this massage.”
“What? Oh, no!” Fluttershy cried out aghast, her hooves rushing to her mouth in shock. “I didn’t mean to sound like I’m only giving you a massage to get something from you! I really do want to help you get better.”
“I’m kidding, Fluttershy. I doubt you’re the type to try and extort stuff out of others. Now, you mind?” Natalya pointed at her wing, which were missing a pair of hooves tending to it.
“Oh, sorry,” Fluttershy hastily apologized, swiftly resuming Natalya’s massage.
“No biggie. So, what’s the favor? I’m not promising anything right away, but I at least owe it to you to hear what you need.”
“Oh, um, thank you. So, do you remember what happened with Gilda’s last visit to Ponyville?”
“You mean how she was a big jerk and almost ruined her friendship with Rainbow forever?”
“Er, yes, exactly. The thing is, Rainbow was alright at first after Gilda left, but a day or so later, it began to really sink in to her that one of her oldest friends was gone…” Fluttershy sighed and shook her head with melancholy slowness. “She was devastated. For a while, Rainbow was coming to my place almost daily to let me help deal with her distress, since I was the only one who really knew Gilda besides her. We spent a lot of time talking about how she spent so much time with Gilda back at Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, and she constantly wondered if she could’ve done things differently in a way that might have kept Gilda’s friendship.”
“Did any of the others help?” Natalya asked.
“Rainbow actually made me promise not to get our other friends involved. I think she just didn’t want to worry them, especially since Gilda left such a bad impression on them.
“Rainbow did get somewhat better eventually, but her grief turned into resentment for Gilda. I’m pretty sure Rainbow’s opinion on all griffons soured as a result, and I heard she was very much against visiting Griffonstone with Pinkie. When she did end up going and saw Gilda again, the two of them didn’t want anything to do with each other. Thankfully, with Pinkie’s help, they talked things out and got together again.”
“Well, thanks for telling me all this,” said Natalya. “I knew that the whole Gilda thing was pretty rough for Rainbow, but I didn’t realize it sucked that bad for her. I’m guessing she’s alright now, since you’re able to talk to me about it.”
“Um, she didn’t exactly say that I could tell other ponies about that phase. In fact, she doesn’t know that I’m telling you this.”
Natalya’s eyebrow went up. “But I thought she had you promise not to tell her friends. I know that I wasn’t around at the time of the promise, but I think that it still includes me.”
“I promised not to tell Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, or Spike.”
Natalya smirked. “Oh, ho, ho! That’s quite sneaky of you. You’re surprising me a bunch today, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, um, sorry.”
“It was a compliment. Anyway, I’m guessing that this special insight is related to your favor?”
“Yes, Natalya. Yes, it is…” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “I want you to be careful, Natalya. You got an idea of how upset Rainbow got when she almost lost Gilda, and well…”
“You think that I’m going to ruin my friendship with Rainbow someday?” Natalya inquired.
Fluttershy whimpered and bowed her head in shame. “I-I know that there’s pretty much no chance of that happening, and I’m a horrible pony for implying such an awful thing, and you can hate me if you want, and… and…” She stopped and took a long, slow breath. “Just… Just don’t let Rainbow go through something like that again… Please?”
Natalya remained silent, staring straight ahead and hardly registering that the massage had stopped while she processed Fluttershy’s request.
“N-Natalya?” Fluttershy quietly asked a few moments later. “Are you alright? Are you… are you mad at me?”
“No, Fluttershy. I’m not,” Natalya replied evenly. “The old me would have. Then again, the old me wouldn’t be in this situation because of a lack of friends. Look, Fluttershy, I get what you’re worried about, but you’re getting worked up over nothing. I seriously doubt that I’ll let things fall apart like that.”
Natalya closed her eyes and sighed. “For the longest time, all I cared about was competing. Winning thrilled me, not to mention the prizes it usually brought were nice. Everything I did was to improve my chances of winning, and I did not tolerate having any distractions, which included friends. I thought I had my life figured out back then.”
“And then Rainbow showed me how much I have been missing. You know how much I resisted at first, but Rainbow was just so stubborn, which I guess is part of why I like her. She kept badgering me until I finally gave friendship a try. Gotta admit, it lived up to the hype.
“It’s been nice to be able to hang out with others, ones who actually care about you and do stuff for you without ulterior motives. Despite some annoying stuff, I don’t think I would want to go back to my old ways. So to sum things up, I’m happier, and a lot of is because of Rainbow. Honestly, she’s probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, so ruining our friendship is the last thing I want to happen.”
“Oh my…” Fluttershy uttered softly.
Natalya's eyes shot open, as though she was pulled out of a daze. “Er, too much? Not sure where all of that came from, to be honest. Maybe it’s the massage, or something about you making me feel more comfortable talking.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, that was…” She smiled. “That was beautiful, Natalya, and I’m very happy to hear all of that. Rainbow is pretty special to you, huh?”
“You could say that. She is my first real friend, after all.”
“Then I really don’t have anything to worry about,” Fluttershy declared. “You really do care for Rainbow, and even if you two do happen to get into a fight, I’m sure that the both of you will be able to get through it. The two of you have grown so close in just a few weeks, and after what you just said, I’m sure that your friendship with Rainbow won’t be stopping anytime soon.”
“That’s good to hear. I have no intention of letting things end with Rainbow.”
Fluttershy nodded in approval. “So how’s your wing? I didn’t want to overdo it, so I stopped while we were talking.”
Natalya slowly opened and closed her wing. The stiffness was almost nonexistent, and there was only a faint trace of the soreness that had been plaguing her earlier. “Wow, it feels great,” she uttered in amazement. “Thanks a lot, Fluttershy.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad that I could help.”
“You certainly did help, a lot. You’re a miracle worker,” Natalya commented, still happily testing her wing.
Fluttershy partially hid behind her mane as she blushed. “It’s not that big of a deal, but if it starts bothering you again, feel free to come back again.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” Natalya was not just interested in the massage. Fluttershy had a shy, but caring nature that Natalya was starting to find endearing, but behind the meek demeanor was an almost frightening amount of strength, which only made Natalya’s respect for the pegasus grow even more.
All in all, Natalya deemed her visit with Fluttershy a great success and would certainly not complain about meeting with the pegasus again.
“So would you like any tea or a snack, Natalya?” Fluttershy asked. “I’m sure that today has been quite tiring for you.”
Natalya shook her head. “I’m good, Fluttershy. I’m actually thinking of heading back to the castle now.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind if you want to rest here more.”
“I really want to test out my flying after your massage. Besides, I likely still need some extra time to get back anyway, what with possible wing issues, so I might as well get an early start.”
“Well… I suppose that’s a good point. Just make sure to not push yourself too hard and get plenty of rest,” Fluttershy directed, her motherly, caring nature coming to the forefront.
Natalya chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, the hospital told me the same things.”
As Fluttershy walked with Natalya to the door, she added, “Before you go, Natalya, I’m very grateful that you took the time to come and talk to me. I’m sorry again for being nervous around you, but your visit has helped so much. I’m also very happy that I don’t have to be concerned about you and Rainbow.”
“Yeah, I’m glad that I did as well,” Natalya agreed, stepping outside the home. “It was a nice chat, and your massage was just the thing I needed.”
“Happy to be of service. Oh, and one last thing, Natalya. We talked a lot about caring for Rainbow, but I also don’t want you to forget to take care of yourself as well. Not just your body, but your feelings as well.”
Natalya gave a genuine smile to Fluttershy. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll see you around, Fluttershy.”
With a beat of her wings, Natalya took to the air and was elated to find that Fluttershy’s massage had indeed helped. Her right wing was easier to move around, and even though there was still some discomfort as she flew, it was only a fraction of what she experienced on the trip over.
As she flew back to the castle, Natalya’s thoughts soon went to Rainbow. The talk with Fluttershy had only renewed her fondness for Rainbow, and Natalya was eager to spend time with the pegasus again, and not just for training purposes.
Natalya could not wait for her best friend to return.
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Shipping not involving Tempest Shadow eh? Captain Celarno doesn't seem to have many ships...
8559908
Has there been any real ship fics for anyone else besides Tempest because of the movie?
8559925
I saw one for Capper.
Lucky Discord wasn't there
Awww, Natalya really does seem to be missing Rainbow Dash
And it's a good thing she walked in on one of the rare few moments where Fluttershy is being hardcore
. Perfect timing. There's nothing quite like seeing Fluttershy lay the smackdown on a bear to decide not to screw around with her.