The Truth About Girls (Vol. 1)

by TheMareWhoSaysNi

Summertime, while the cat's away... (part 5)

Author's Note:

On general request... Here comes the Part 5! (I don't really like it, but if you do like it, this is all that counts)

And yes, a new chapter will be published on Monday

Hard to face the sun when its rays came down directly into the eyes. It undoubtedly had been easier under the shadow of a huge sunshade, lying on a gorgeous beach. And this, even when this paradise had been hell for some days, when obliged to see the loved one slipping through your fingers over and over again.

Now Fluttershy could understand how her big brother felt each time he was in front of Rainbow Dash with Soarin.

All week long, Zephyr had been nervous to know he was close to the one he’d his heart set on, with another boy to learn surfing with her, dancing with her during the parties, clinging her bottles of beer… And all week long, Fluttershy had suffered to be so close to Big Macintosh without being the one he would hold the hand of, or would cover with kisses on the forehead, like Rarity and the surfing instructor.

On the way back, she had traveled with Applejack’s brother again, and had been able not to burst into tears. It was thanks to her friend she had gained back a bit of courage. Indeed, she had explained her why maybe everything wasn’t over.

“Ah know him fine. Sometimes he just needs time. If he ain’t sayin’ he hates ya then it means ya still can hope.”

He hadn’t told her he hated her. Conversely, he only had nice words about her. It wasn’t easy to accept she wasn’t his type of girls, but she also could reassure herself by thinking people rarely fell in love with a type. It happened to be seduced by a person because she is this person. Zephyr never lost hope despite his many failures, for once in his lifetime, and so for once in her lifetime, she took a leaf out of his book.

After these two weeks of laziness on the beach, it felt really odd to be back to the uproar of the city. The heat was way more hard to bear here than by the ocean. Most importantly, they all had the strange impression everyone they knew were looking at them curiously.

“Is it me or the mood around here feels… mystical?” Rarity asked while dragging her suitcase behind her.

“I can feel it too”, Twilight answered, wrinkling her nose.

“Bah, you’re imagining things!” Rainbow Dash delivered, shrugging.

She pushed the door of the Sugarcube Corner where they all had decided to stop by in order to have a milkshake before going back home.

The idea of taking a bus after this very long ride in a car had pleased none of the girls concerned, and by common consent, they’d decided a small break wouldn’t be a bad prospect at all. Rarity had offered them to stop at her boutique, but they all knew what would happen if they accepted. Their friend would force them to help her unpacking.

They barely had the time to reach the counter and greet the Cakes that the Flower Trio came their way and blocked it. Conversely to the latest times, they didn’t seem to be wound as tightly as a spring. They rather displayed the same baffled and confused faces than the other acquaintances they’d met.

“Rainbow Dash!” Daisy cried while hanging at her arm in a desperate way. “I thought I’d never say something like that, but… I’m so glad you’re alright!”

After this, the young woman fell into her arms, and started to cry her eyes out. Lily and Rose followed in their friend step and held her against them as well.

They couldn’t make head or tail of it. The Flower Trio were part of the people who liked Rainbow Dash the least, and not only because they knew Zephyr was in love with her, but also because they hated the way she always tried to draw attention, and her boasting way of speaking. And here they were crying because she was safe and sound, like bridesmaids from a romantic comedy.

It seemed as if they would never let go of her and explain all this mess. None of the six girls were able to understand. Not even to begin to understand. How could they tell? They all had been absent for two weeks and the Flower Trio weren’t any part of their close friends… except maybe for Pinkie Pie, who liked to say she was friend with everyone.

“Dang, is there someone to explain what’s going on?!” Twilight asked suddenly, since she wasn’t famous for liking mysteries that remained shady for too long.

“Oh, it traumatized you so much you’re now in a denial phase” Lily whined while drying her eyes.

“I say, what should we be traumatized of?” Rarity questioned.

“Well, you know, Lightning Dust and Trixie…”

“Lightning Dust and Trixie?!” Pinkie Pie stormed. “Is that a bad joke? Because that’s reallyyyyyyyy bad!”

“We hoped that too”, Rose intervened. “Unfortunately…”

Rainbow Dash put her hand on her forehead. This dark story she didn’t understand anything of was starting to give her a migraine. It seemed that, since everyone thought they knew something they ignored because they were all in Fillydelphia, no one wanted to tell them what the hell was going on in this city.

If Applejack had been there, and hadn’t directly gone back home, with her famous honesty, she would already have had the three young women spill the beans. It was unbearable.

“Well, we don’t have until tomorrow. So now, tell us what those two dimwits could have done that’s so awful.”

“Well… C’mon, you know well… The fight, the hospital, the Grand Rue’s control, and all… By the way, I’m glad you don’t seem to have any scars…” Daisy finally confessed.

“What’s that?” Sunset Shimmer said, taking part in the conversation as well. “We were in holidays in Fillydelphia the whole time.”

“WHAT?!” Rose screamed into Rainbow Dash’s ear, who pushed her with an irritated grin.

“It’s true”, Fluttershy said in a whisper, hiding behind Twilight. “In the Apples’ secondary house.”

“But… But…” Lily replied. “They’ve told everything they’ve fought against you and Applejack for the Grand Rue’s control, and that they’ve won.”

With this complementary piece of information, everything became clearer. Because no one had seen them for two weeks long, the two teenage girls had the necessary time on their hand to give body to that little rumor of theirs. Everyone probably had thought they both had been knocked down, injured so seriously they were too embarrassed to show up, which explained the surprise as they’d seen them safe and sound in the streets.

All this… What for? The Grand Rue’s control? It was gangs who made this kind of nonsense… They weren’t there to control anyone, since they were nothing but a bunch of friends amongst others, who liked to have fun together.

It probably was a way to get a revenge for what they had tried to do respectively to Twilight and Pinkie Pie. How they had met and agreed, no one knew. But if one of them had seen them on the day they left near the railway station, she could have stirred up a scheme and search for a partner in crime that dishonest conspiracies didn’t bothered.

Of course, they wouldn’t stand it. It wasn’t the fact they had said they’d been able to beat her and Applejack that put Rainbow Dash beside herself, though it seemed to her as highly improbable. No, it was the final goal of the plot that made her veins pulsate inside her temples.

It was insane to think that even when away from the troubles of High School they couldn’t be left alone. Maybe Twilight had been right when she had said they were problems magnets.

“Alright… Where are they?”

“On the Grand Rue, of course”, Lily answered. “They’re busy racketeering those who want to question the Mouth of Truth.”

“This is unforgivable”, Pinkie Pie mumbled.

“I agree”, Rainbow Dash answered. “Let’s go!”

As soon as the angry teenage girl, along with the bunch of friends, with Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer at the front, went out of the tea saloon, all the students from Canterlot High who were hiding in Sugarcube Corner followed them on the run.

Everyone wanted to see this with their own eyes. Each time something happened, even those who said they only minded their own business, couldn’t help but listening to the rumors, and to pass on the latest rumors from CHS. It was a bit like reading the news column about stars, except it was about persons you could meet on a daily basis. No one could escape it, but of course, it always was juicer when it was about popular students.

The gang quickly found Lightning Dust and Trixie, standing at the very spot. As soon as they saw them in their field of vision, the proud smile they displayed melted down. Obviously, they ignored that today was the day they were back from holidays.

All those queuing for the Mouth of Truth left the line, and came to hide among the curious onlookers piled up all around. Even tourists, unaware of what it was all about, had stopped and taken their phones in order to film the scene.

“So… I heard you’re controlling the Grand Rue because you beat the shit out of me and Applejack? How strange I don’t even remember.”

“It was her idea”, Trixie immediately said, pointing at Lightning Dust.

“Hey! I’m not the one who’s picked you up, as far as I know!”

Nice spirit of mutual aid, the girls of the group immediately thought. It appeared like they hadn’t consulted each other about what to do once they’d be discovered. If they had done something like this, they wouldn’t be here, blaming each other. It didn’t matter, anyway. They would both pay for this…

“Applejack would never fight to control a street”, Pinkie Pie claimed, brandishing her fists. “She’s not like that.”

“And so isn’t Rainbow Dash”, Fluttershy said softly.

“Had to say we had beat the crap out of the tougher ones to be respected. We wouldn’t make up a story with the two feebler.”

“Are you a moron or what?!” Lightning Dust yelled at her. “You’ve just confessed we made it up.”

“Seriously”, Rainbow Dash intervened. “As if we needed to know… It’s obvious none of you is able to beat anything out of me. And let’s not even talk about Applejack.”

This wasn’t hot air, words to scare them. She sincerely meant it. The way Trixie had run away as fast as her legs carry her at the prospect to fight against her was a good example. Although she was a braggart of a higher level, she knew she was out of her league. As for Lightning Dust… Sister of a former gang leader or not, she didn’t scare her.

It was more than clear that provocation wouldn’t calm things down, and Rainbow Dash didn’t rely on this. There were a lot of witnesses, among which most of them were busy recording their exchange. The result of all this could end up on Internet, and she took delight in the disgrace that was about to happen.

And just like she had planned, one of the two girls answered to her devious invitation.

“Do you really believe in what you say?” Lightning Dust answered, taking a step forward. “You goddam fool!”

“You’re the goddam fool. I’ve practiced boxing for seven years, I could deck you two seconds flat. It’s been a while since it itched me, with what you dared doing to Pinkie Pie… It’s going to be extra sweet, especially in front of everyone.”

As if she suddenly realized she wasn’t on her own, Lightning Dust looked all around you. The crowd had thickened, and quite a number of smartphones were up in the air, along with whispered. Behind Rainbow Dash, she could see determination in Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer’s eyes, which meant they were ready to come as a backup if necessary. Even the “feebler ones” she had ridiculed earlier by calling them with this degrading nickname looked like a pack of lionesses in front of two gazelles around a watering hole.

When she looked beside her, she realized Trixie had flown away, this time without a grandiloquent declaration nor cotton-candy flavored smoke that choked everyone. She should never had trusted this egghead hiding behind her big mouth to make believe she was a tough cookie.

On her own, she would probably had risen to the challenge, but if the other girls intervened… she’d be up the creek without a paddle. And everyone would delight in this. She’d be the laughing stock of the passerby, of CHS people and of former Crushlotters. It was something she couldn’t allow.

“We’re even for today. But I’ll have my revenge, I swear!” she said with her jaw clenched and fire in her eyes.

The she left the crowd of onlookers at full throttle, shoving a few shoulders on her way. A lot were disappointed the brawl hadn’t happened. A fight would have feed conversations for two weeks at least. Nevertheless, for the small group, it was a battle won. This kind of things easily put you into troubles and transform your reputation in a bad way.

There was one last clarification to do anyway. An important clarification, if not essential. In order to convey the message, Rainbow Dash walked to the center of the gathering, and waved to her friend so they would join her. They looked at each other, uncertain of what the young woman had in mind, but they followed.

Fluttershy kept her head low, a distraught pulse from all those eyes on her, and this, although through her friend’s provocation, she’d felt ready to prove she had nothing of a feeble.

“Listen! Listen to me, everyone!” Rainbow Dash claimed. “The Grand Rue belongs to no one, and especially not to us. This is a free space, where every Canteloters have the right to move as they see fit. If anyone tells you they’re controlling this street, or any other street, make them know these are not Equestrian rules. It’s everyone’s duty!”

“And long live to parties!” Pinkie Pie screamed, before leaving in bounces.

Shortly after, all the curious ones left as well, all with a memory of this very special day. Rainbow Dash was rather proud of herself. This intervention would boost her reputation as any sports exploits would do, and with it, the message she had to convey was crucial. It wasn’t only about her, it was about every inhabitant of this wonderful city, which she loved more than any other place – included beaches with pink sand.

Her craziest wish? That her father could see. Maybe then, he would realize she no longer was a fragile little girl who could crumble at the least pressure, and who needed to be surveyed, controlled, locked up… Green Haven was far behind her. Although it wasn’t a hundred percent true.

On the bus driving her home, Fluttershy, as far as she was concerned, thought about what she had seen today, as well as about what the end of her holidays had been like. She had hopes again about Big Macintosh, and thought maybe he could love her eventually.

However, she thought she finally understood what he liked about girls like Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash – since she was sure something had happened between them. They were able to display a strength that could have various shapes, something that belonged to them. Their energy came from this strength, though they didn’t obviously realize. Inside of them burned the lights of a special kind of determination, something that made them exceptional.

And she, Fluttershy, hadn’t found this strength within yet. Deep inside, she wasn’t sure she knew who she was, and what she wanted to learn about herself. If she wanted to be loved by someone else than family and friends, one day, even if it wasn’t Big Macintosh, she would have to discover who she was inside, and to love herself with every of the weaknesses, strengths, flaws and qualities she possessed.

It started right now.

Comments

[PinkDiamond67]

Amazing Chapter, I love the last part about Fluttershy and her fears

[Dusk_Writer]

I liked the chapter, there's bit of growth for Fluttershy. Glad you decided to publish it!