Little ponies go through endless scenarios. And by "endless" I mean "one hundred".
... keeps the writer's block at bay!
This is a collection of short pieces done as a challenge to myself to write more often. I'll write a little something, even if that little something is really a tiny something, or maybe even a teeny something, until I reach one hundred prompts. Even the little things can count in practice after all!
To start we have: Fluttershy and Applejack cuddle. Twilight tries to have a lazy day. Rainbow Dash crashes into Rarity's shop. And more!
Applejack blinks and scrunches up her nose. In turn, Fluttershy just giggles, tapping a dainty hoof to AJ's cheeks.
"Uhhh... Sugarcube? What in Equestria are you doin' there?"
Fluttershy giggles again, something so soft and sweet, and then gently rubs her snout into one of Applejack's dimples.
"Hee hee. Oh, I was only counting all of your freckles, Applejack," she says. She sighs dreamily, her warm breath flowing down her neck. It's enough to get AJ blushing up a storm, but if anything it just spurs her marefriend on. Fluttershy wraps a wing around Applejack and hugs her tight. Applejack can feel the pegasus' hummingbird heartbeat right up next to her own so very warm. "There's just so many..."
Fluttershy yawns and buries her rosy nose into AJ's mane.
"And they're so beautiful..."
Applejack chuckles, yawns while she gingerly pats one of Fluttershy's wings, and then the night is quiet.
Twilight sighs out into the emptiness of her castle, a book cracked open on the desk in front of her. A few more sit in a stack at her side, smelling of dull ink and dust, but she doesn't worry about those for now. Nope! No projects or assignments, no organization, just a peaceful day of contemplative study. Spike even made her tea! From that special packet of jasmine in the back of the cupboard!
Oh, this is just great. Now Twilight just has to kick back, relax and--
Twilight's door smashes inwards in a tremendous smash -- all around her the bookshelves wobble, and the book in front of her muzzle shuts on its own, as if it were scared. Twilight squeaks and tries to blink, but then in a split second there are hooves clasping her cheeks, shaking her in a panicked fervor.
"Twilight! Quick! Where did I put my concrete mixer?!"
"I-- Pinkie?? What--"
Pinkie gasps and grabs Twilight by the shoulders. "Oh, you're right! I should have checked Gummy's hiding spot first! I mean, of course he would have put it under that secret cave under Town Hall."
"A-- there's a what underneath--"
Twilight squeals as Pinkie Pie suddenly dips her down. Twilight's mane cascades to fall gently against the crystal; Pinkie Pie glides a gentle hoof down the side of Twilight's face, and rests it hotly at the center of her fluffy chest; Pinkie whispers something so quiet, so soft, so sultry in Twilight's ear.
In Prench. Twilight doesn't know any Prench.
"Anyway, thanks, Twilight! I mean, who knows what would have happened if I didn't have my concrete mixer?"
And... apparently Twilight is sitting on the floor now? How... how did she...
Pinkie giggles. The door closes.
Yeah. Well, that's... that's Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, all right.
...Yeah........ You know, Twilight's just gonna... lay on the floor for a while...
Rainbow Dash collapses onto the linoleum. Her muscles twitch and she heaves out raspy pants through her nose and mouth.
Now, normally Rarity would simply not let this go; surely Rainbow had a better place to rest than in the front room of a refined lady's dress shop! That sweat and its... rather unfortunate smell, would drive away even the most forgiving of customers.
But today? Today hasn't been a... well, let's just say Rarity was feeling quite... low. Or perhaps: tired. Obsolete, anxious, as if her newest customer walked into her shop just a few hours ago, ripped her still-beating heart out of her chest, and then promptly stomped on it. Yes. Yes, that last one certainly did fit.
So today, when she called upon Rainbow, and the pegasus told her she'd be across the world in a matter of minutes, well...
Rarity laughs and boops her and Rainbow's noses together.
"Oh, Rainbow Dash, thank you. It has been a dreadfully drab day, but... maybe a little relaxation with a friend would be good for the both of us, hmm?"
"Heh," Rainbow pants. "Well of course, Rarity. You think I'm gonna let some snobby stallion pick on one of my friends without bucking his front teeth out?"
Rarity smiles, rolls her eyes, and tosses a towel over Rainbow's sopping wet mane.
Fluttershy wipes Twilight's eyes and cheeks with a warm towel, while using one downy wing to fan the alicorn. The poor dear is still shaking, and her eyes are still a little dull. The erratic breathing has slowed down, at least.
"Twilight, goodness, are you okay? You just seemed so distraught when I came in..." Fluttershy gingerly grabs one of her purple hooves and strokes it. "Would you like to... talk about it? Oh, you don't have to, of course. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, but it usually helps me if I talk it through with Rarity at the spa."
Twilight looks at Fluttershy hard for a while, and then blinks to clear away the red in her eyes. Her mane is stringy, falling over her forehead in a waterfall of spidery cords, and their are bruise-purple bags under her eyes. She sighs, and it almost makes them more apparent.
"Really, Fluttershy, I'm fine. I... I'm not sure what happened to me. One minute I was just organizing the bookshelves, and then... and then that happened. I'm okay now though. At least, I think I am. Now I'm just feeling kind of...."
Twilight's eyes glaze, and she wiggles around her hooves in front of her. She twitches her mouth, and even opens it a few times, but after the third try she just furrows her brow. Twilight sighs again.
"Crazy?" Fluttershy offers. "Detached?"
Twilight blinks. "I... yeah. Actually, that does sound right. I--"
"It sounds to me like you might have had a panic attack, Twilight. I've been fortunate enough to be able to work through them with my critter friends, but I still know how-- how awful it feels. You poor thing." Fluttershy lets that hang in the air for a bit. She would hug her friend but... oh, she's not sure Twilight would appreciate physical contact right now. Things like this have made Fluttershy herself feel just a little bit fragile afterwards.
"I know what they are; I've even done some researching into mental illnesses like anxiety and panic disorders before," Twilight rasps. "After all, it... I..."
Fluttershy nods. "This isn't the first time this has happened... is it, Twilight?"
Fluttershy blinked at her mirror. Her reflection blinked back, and when it did Fluttershy could tell how tired it looked. With the way her muscles sagged, it seemed odd that her reflection was shivering; even shaking used up so much energy, after all.
-- She winced. She remembered earlier that day when she tripped in the market and everypony looked her way.
Oh, they must think I'm such a foal, something said. Something deep and cutting and rough around the edges. She tried to think of that morning instead, when she had successfully patched up that poor little mouse, but the thought stabbed back into place like a serrated blade. They think I'm a foal, I am a foal, I am a--
She jerked away, but the thought followed. Then she remembered that day a couple years ago, when... wh-when she said all those awful things to Pinkie Pie and Rarity, when she--
"No," Fluttershy whispered. She wrapped her wings around herself and gently wiped her tears away. She looked into the mirror and tried to smile, but it came out lopsided, wavering. "My friends were so kind and un-hic-derstanding about the situation. I did make a mistake, but everypony does at some point or another. I am lucky to have such supporting friends who understood and forgave me and--"
I shouldn't have done it in the first place. Oh goodness, I'm an awful pony, I--
"No!"
Fluttershy furiously shook her head, but it just kept going, repeating, adding; it wouldn't stop it-- it wouldn't leave her alone, and even when it did she could just feel herself spiral again, and there was something else in its place she--
She felt like she was going crazy.
Fluttershy sobbed into her reflection. She watched her own face as it twisted up and shook, and that made it worse, she thought.
She tried to stop crying but that made her whole body shiver, and her chest and head pound in stabbing aches. She coughed and sobbed into her chest, curled up into a ball, and smashed her hooves into her crying eyes.
Angel Bunny found her like that half an hour later.
Applejack responded by jutting out her chin and chest, and stuffing the helm over her head. The armor on her hooves clacked dully against the stone floor, and the overhead lights bounced off of it with a purple shine. She kept her hard green eyes trained on Twilight's frown while she slid into a sturdy pose, and tapped a hoof to the lavender insignia on her chest.
"Nope."
Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes, but AJ couldn't miss her twitching lip, or the way she wrung her one good hoof into her blankets. The mare's limp wings twitched, and her singed tail flicked back and forth as if bothered by flies. Applejack tried not to look at her... horn...
"Applejack, this is ridiculous," Twilight whinnied. "I told you, what happened was an isolated event; there's no way the group will try it again -- and that's only assuming Celestia and Luna didn't weed them all out already. Which they did!"
Applejack didn't move to take her armor off. She arched an eyebrow and snorted. When she breathed in afterwords, the world smelled like rubbing alcohol and magic.
Twilight sighed, and then mewled: it was high-pitched, angry, begging. "Out of all our friends, I thought the Element of Honesty was supposed to be the most reasonable," she groaned. "Really, I... Please, I may be a princess, but I'm still Twilight. Applejack, as far as I'm concerned, you're my equal. I'd rather you just play a game of cards with me, not... wear that thing--"
"Yup," Applejack barks. "I intend to. Got a pack a cards with me, in fact. Plus Rainbow had me bring some of yer Daring Do books, Rarity brought you some materials to learn some basic sewing, Fluttershy got you about a dozen stuffed animals, and Pinkie..."
Both mares turned to look to the left of the cold white room, where a rickety little concrete mixer sat in the corner.
"Surprised the mare got the nurses to let her bring in that thing, and I ain't too sure about the reasonin' behind it, but," Applejack shrugged, and felt the metal scrape her shoulders. "Figure it'll come in handy sometime today. Somehow."
AJ paused for a few seconds, then looked at Twilight and continued, "What I was saying is this, Twilight: I ain't doin' this, and I ain't wearin' this, because yer my Princess. I'm doin' it because--"
"Ugh, Applejack, this is what I was really afraid of. What happened wasn't your fau--"
"You saved my life when you flew me outta there, Twilight," Applejack stated. She stomped her hoof. The resounding clack echoed off the walls, trembled in AJ's chest. "I ain't no little filly no more; I know that none of that was because of me. But the fact of the matter is, you went and saved my life and got hurt for it. So the least I could do is protect the life you put in jeopardy for my sake."
She watched as Twilight nibbled on her bottom lip.
"Ain't about the armor, and it really ain't about the symbol on it -- not that I mind wearin' something with my friend's Cutie Mark on it none, but this was just the closest thing that castle of yours had in it. I'm just tryin' to look after you until everything calms down a bit... and until I can stop being such a big worrywart." Applejack winked along with a smirk, and gently booped Twilight's nose. Twilight wrinkled her snout at the cold of the metal, but couldn't hold back a little smile, no matter how hard AJ could see her try. "This suit here just lets me do it and keep the both of us as safe as possible. Heck, maybe if them ponies do come and see me dressed up like this, they'll be so scared of me they'll run off with their tails between their legs."
Twilight stared at her for a long while after that; she wrinkled up her brow and twitched her eyes across the patterns on the floor, her uninjured hoof wiggling and tapping away. Applejack figured the gal would be levitating things around, what with that focused expression, but with her horn the way it was...
She just tried not to stare at the gnarled, blackened mess on her forehead, and instead at Twilight's frown.
Eventually, Twilight let out a long sigh through her nose. She looked up, and her crystalline eyes looked just a little bit more relaxed.
"Okay. Applejack, if you're sure you're comfortable doing this, then I won't object. But remember, you can take that stuff off any time; Celestia's guards outside will still be there," Twilight said.
Applejack smiled and nodded, and Twi gave a tiny smile back. She wiggled her hoof towards the door where Applejack had sat down her little bag of gifts.
"Now come on, Applejack. You can finally teach me how to play poker!"
Applejack tried not to groan and laugh at the same time.
Applejack grinned when she saw Pinkie Pie bouncing closer with a cake balanced on her behind; she blinked, extra long for the old mare to work her magic, and then when she opened them up again she was faced with a pure wasteland of color. Like magic itself exploded, and left behind the reddest balloons, the yellowest of party hats, a turquoise party blower as bright as Celestia's sun. Or maybe that was just her eyes. Goddess knows she'd been having a hard time reading the paper lately -- just went and made those letters so darn tiny.
Least it was quiet, so she could leave her magical hearing device turned up without it ringing on her. It was nice of Pinkie to do that; gal was still so obsessed with partying, AJ was surprised she didn't walk in to see a whole parade.
"Happy birthday, Applejack!" Pinkie cheered. She laid the cake down on the table -- it was frosted a brilliant green, with little tufts of frosting and bits of cut fondant forming into a picture of home. She made a little barn out of graham crackers, and in the center she had crafted a darling mock-up of Bloomberg.
The candles stuck out from his branches. A cartoony one, zero, and one, in that order.
Pinkie Pie put a party hat on her own head, and then Applejack felt a strap go around her chin.
"Aunty Pinkie Pie made you one red velvet cake, on the house! And look, I even made Bloomberg! Have you seen him lately? He's gotten so big since we last visited, you know."
Applejack just snorted, "Thank you, Pinkie, but I don't think I can get away with callin' you no Aunty of mine; I'm two years older than you, Sugarcube! Or was it three? Uhhh.... four, was it?"
Pinkie Pie giggled, pulled herself up a chair (which was now suddenly covered in paper confetti) and brandished the cake-cutting knife. Was there a proper term for that knife? Applejack swore she remembered there being one. Eh. After Pinkie lit the candles on top with the strike of a match, Applejack leaned forward and blew them out. Smoke curled up from their tips in a sweet-smelling spiral, and lingered gray into the air until Pinkie waved it away.
She pulled off the little Bloomberg and cut the cake into pieces. Well, mostly. She cut one half of it into pieces, and then Applejack figured she was leaving that whole extra half for herself, gingerbread barn and all. After that Pinkie, bouncing up and down with a soft hum, went jumping to and fro around the table. Napkins, forks, spoons, tub of ice cream, cookies, other tub of ice cream.
When she finally sat down again her pink and gray mane sagged just a bit to her shoulders, and Applejack heard every crack and tick in her joints. They both pretended not to notice.
"I'll say two for your big day, AJ, but after that it's back to four again! I wanna be a little filly just a teeny-weeny while longer."
Applejack chuckled and held out her hooves to receive her plate loaded down with cake, some vanilla oat ice cream, and a single cookie with an apple frosted on it. "Psh. I don't think you'll ever be anything but, Pinkie Pie. I've have been watching you hop around like a newborn foal since the day you walked into Ponyville, and you ain't slowed down none since."
They look so happy over there. Rainbow and Gilda are smiling and laughing, laying on their backs and staring up to the open sky yawning above them. The sun is dying away, leaving streaks of fiery gold and red as the world slowly succumbs to the blue-black of night -- but they don't notice. They're laughing and... and talking about going to parties and wowing the Wonderbolts. About moving in together. Things Fluttershy isn't sure she'll ever get, now that her two best friends are moving on without her. She means, h-how are they so excited, and not scared?
She wonders what that would feel like. To feel prepared. Maybe she should ask.
"Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy says.
"Are you kidding, Gilda? Of course we're going to Canterlot -- we already agreed, and that's only where the Wonderbolt's themselves visit most often. How are they gonna see how awesome I am at flying if they don't see me?"
"I dunno, maybe in the annual competitions we already go to, and a that stupid academy or whatever? Look, I know I said yes, Dash, but that was before I... you know, thought it through. I mean think about it; all that town is made of is a bunch of snobby, stupid unicorns who want to bring us down. If we went flying around too fast they'd probably tell us we were being 'uncivilized'. What we need is... someplace else. And maybe even somewhere where... I don't know, Dash, maybe somewhere where even those stupid Wonderbolts aren't. All this freaking hero worship is bad for you."
"What? Gilda, you said you would help me train this season. In Canterlot. You can't just bail on me for no reason, G."
"Umm, Rainbow Dash. Um, not to bother you but... but, I uh...."
"Hey, cool it, Rainbow Dash! I never said I was bailing on you or whatever. All I'm saying is that there's like, no guarantee that lame flight team is gonna let you in."
"Oh, Gilda, that... that wasn't very nice. Maybe you should, uh, a-apologize? Maybe?"
"What the hay is that supposed to mean?!"
"Hey! I said to cool it! I'm not saying I don't believe in you or any junk like that, you know, like I already told you once. Like I said, that Canterlot place is just filled with snobs who want you to be in some elite class, and I bet you anything that those Wonderbolt guys aren't going to be any different. You really want to turn into some frilly pansy, Dash?"
"Gilda, you know I've been trying to get into the Wonderbolts for years; it's why I went to flight camp and met you in the first place! The Wonderbolts are the premiere fliers of--"
"Oh yeah, yeah, the greatest, most totally radical and super-cool ponies on the whole planet. Yeah, you've fed me that barf before, Dash. At least a million times."
"Hey! That's not any way to talk to a friend, G-Gilda! Rainbow Dash is very p-passionate about--"
"Oh, shut it, Fluttercry! As if I need somepony like you telling me what to do; you couldn't even get up to this stupid cloud by yourself. You-- you see, Rainbow, it's this stuff I'm talking about! You always idolize these frilly wimps who probably don't even give a flying feather about you; they need you to do everything for them, but you tell yourself they're these virtuous spirits who are the best at everything."
"I... I don't need her to do everything for me. I... just recently I started flying to the ground, and categorizing the animal life present there. My therapist told me that I was doing really well lately and--"
"Uh, excuse me, but did you not hear me tell you to shut it?! Don't you get it: Rainbow Dash and I don't want you here. It's ponies like you and that stupid team that are just dragging us down. And if Rainbow could figure that out and ditch every last one of them, we could go down to Manehatten and actually have a little fun. You hear that, Dash? Or are you just gonna stand up for her again?"
"I... uh. I mean, come on, Gilda, this isn't--"
"..... R-Rainbow, is what she said.... is what she said true? Do you really not want me around?"
"Aw, Fluttershy. I. I--"
"I'm sorry for wasting your time."
"Wait, no! Fluttershy, come back! Gilda, why the hay did you have to say that stuff? She didn't deserve it!"
"Listen, all I said was the truth, Dashie. We both know you're better off without her anyway. That pegasus can barely jump, let alone fly in a show."
"We don't know anything. You don't know anything about me and Fluttershy. You're just jealous because I have another friend to hang out with now instead of you!"
"Oh yeah?! I don't need you, Rainbow; you're the one who needs me to keep you in line. You'd be a wreck and a dweeb if it wasn't for me teaching you how to get with the right ponies. Besides, I don't see you flying after your so called 'friend'. Face it, you're afraid to leave because-- because -- h-hey! I was talking to you! Dash! Get back here and finish this , Rainbow Dash. Or-- Or should I say Rainbow Crash?!"
...
"Hey! Come on! You won't make it big without me, not in Canterlot!"
...
"Rainbow Dash?" ...
"Fluttershy?"
...
"Auugh, come on, you know I didn't really mean it. I just get frustrated sometimes. I just say things, you know? It's not like it's a big deal or anything."
...
"Girls...... please? I- I'm sorry, I guess..."
...
Fluttershy cries later, but it's okay. She should have known that Gilda didn't need her.
They sure look chipper over there. Rainbow and Fluttershy are smiling and laughing, standing at the airbus station and staring up to the open sky yawning above them. The sun is dawning once more, leaving streaks of soft yellows and pink as the world slowly succumbs to the blue-white of day -- but they don't notice. They're laughing and... and talking about getting dumb jobs and eventually wowing the Wonderbolts. About moving to the same town, to pursue their own interests. Things Gilda isn't sure she'll ever get, now that her two best friends are moving on without her. She means, h-how are they so excited, and not scared?
She wonders what that would feel like. To feel prepared. Maybe she should ask, or apologize. Maybe both.
"Rainbow Dash?" Gilda says.
"Are you kidding, Gilda? As if we're gonna talk with you after what you did!"
"You were awfully rude, Gilda... if you don't mind me saying that..."
...
"Tch. W-Whatever. I was just coming over here to tell you how big I'm gonna get without you. You just wait, Rainbow; you're gonna see my name up in lights and--"
"Actually, Gilda, me and Fluttershy were just talking about you."
"Yeah, we were. It was a nice conversation... b-before you interrupted it with your loud mouth, I mean....... Oh, Rainbow Dash, was that too rude? I know she said nasty things to me, but I feel awful saying--"
"Wow. You lameos planned this. Oh yeah, that's typical. You just can't function without me there, huh? I told you this would happen, Dash, but you just didn't listen, did you?"
...
...
"Listen, Gilda... we could stand here and argue all day, but I have some training for the weather team I've gotta do, so I'll get to the point: Fluttershy and I don't want you here."
"Yeah, yeah, that's rich. Use my own stupid line against me. I bet you feel real nice about yourself for that one. What, one of those unicorns in Canterlot teach you that one. Come on, Fluttershy, so I said some 'mean words' to you. Who cares? It's not like you guys really don't want me around... right?"
"Guess again. Call back when you decide to be a loyal friend, Gilda. Come on, Fluttershy."
"Are you kidding. Dash. Cool it and just talk it through. We can get through this."
...
"... Sorry for... f-for w-wasting your time Gilda, but. But I...."
"Hey, Fluttershy it's alright. Let's just fly to Ponyville."
"Oh, okay. I promise I won't slow you down much. And... bye, Gilda. Maybe one day we can be friends again."
...
"Wait, no! Rainbow, Fluttershy!"
...
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mess it up like this again. I-- p-please!"
...
Gilda cries later, but it's okay. She knows she never needed them in the first place.
It took Applejack weeks to realize she had a crush on her friend Fluttershy. She learned slowly, over the course of an entire friendship, and it didn't all come at once. It was something gradual. Almost crawling. She knew despite all of Fluttershy's anxieties, there wasn't anything that would keep that pony from trying to be a dependable, loyal friend -- every time AJ asked her for help with an infestation on the farm she would be there, and every time something attacked Equestria, there she was. She was kind and loving. She tried harder than anything to get herself out that door every morning, and had been learning every day how to better stand up for herself. She was confident, and passionate and open with Applejack the more she came out of her shell; her eyes would light up with life every time AJ brought up conversations about animals, and she trusted Applejack enough to cry on her shoulder one night, when Angel had found her crying alone in front of her mirror. And so much more than that.
Fluttershy was kind, and dependable, and beautiful, and persistent, and every now and then she knew how to tell Applejack when she was being foolhardy.
It took her weeks to start feeling butterflies every time Fluttershy got close.
It took Applejack months before she brought up the courage to finally ask her. Months of ducking away from Fluttershy lest she slip up and give her secret away, of watching Fluttershy walk off the farm without ever having asked her what she invited her over that day for. Months of hiding and lying to herself, of Granny shaking her head at the way she was acting and telling her to mare up. But there AJ was now, finally picking her head up and standing at her door.
Fluttershy's cottage was as quiet as usual; that is to say, mostly quiet if not for all them critters squeaking and chirping from inside the door. It was warm, humid, and the world sang with the birth of wild flowers, of the pollen drifting from place to place in its harmonious dance. The edge of spring, the cusp of summer, where everypony was becoming anew again. Times for change, and times for action.
If only Applejack could get herself to stop mumbling about nature and actually knock on the door. Now, Applejack wasn't no coward, and if you dared call her one she'd set you straight faster than Rainbow Dash could fly. She was just... nervous. Hadn't, uh, had a marefriend or anything for... well, for a great while. So! So she had to, um-- prepare! She couldn't just go askin' one of her friends to go romantic with her without some sort of explanation, could she? No, really -- could she? Was that okay, or would Fluttershy get too nervous about that? Wouldn't want to spook the filly.
Oh, Applejack could feel her face go red. How in tarnation was she supposed to tell the prettiest pegasus in all of Equestria that... well, that she was the prettiest pegasus in all of Equestria?
Fluttershy opened her door ten minutes later, a watering can in her teeth, to find Applejack hopping up and down on her welcome mat and looking like a racehorse in need of an outhouse.
Horseapples.
"Oh, hello, Applejack! It's been a while, hasn't it? Is, um... is everything okay? You seem a little tense. And red."
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh...
"Goodness, you're not overheated are you? It's so hot for the spring, Applejack; you just mustn't overwork yourself. Um, oh-- here!" Fluttershy gasped. Her pretty eyes narrowed in concern. She dropped her watering can and lifted up a wing to quickly fan Applejack's red sweaty face.
Well, this was a disaster. She had already gone and made Fluttershy worry for her, because she was too nervous to speak her mind. Applejack sighed, and then breathed in deep through her nose. Nope, she couldn't keep doing' this to herself, and she certainly keep doing this to 'Shy. Already this week Applejack had been avoiding her and making up excuses for not facing her fears. No, she had to own up and deal with this, for both their sakes.
"Actually, Fluttershy, I'm fine. I was just wondering if I could ask you a question before I went on back to the farm," AJ said.
Some animals hopped to Fluttershy's hooves, and she gave all of them a friendly pat before she grinned up at Applejack again. The pegasus lowered her wing with a blush, scooted her watering can to her side, and nodded.
"Oh, of course, Applejack. I suppose it --hee-- was silly of me to jump to conclusions. What was it that you needed?" She smiled, but then gasped again. "It's not Rupert again, is it? I told that beaver that he was being rude, but he still seemed... well, a little rowdy."
Applejack gulped, hard in her throat. Her hooves and face tingled. "Nope, it ain't. Ain't had a lick of trouble from that critter since you talked some sense into them. I was just..."
Applejack paused, too long; Fluttershy tilted her head, and the bunnies at her hooves wiggled their noses.
Come on there, Applejack, she's the kindest filly you know, and she ain't gonna make fun of you or nothin'. Left that behind years ago, when you were still a foal. Just be honest.
"Fluttershy, Sugarcube, I was wondering if you would go out on a date with me, and give me the honor of being your special somepony."
Applejack's heart was beating out of her chest, pounding in her cheeks. She stared and watched Fluttershy's face so blank, and the animals all around her cottage fitfully stir. Fluttershy's smile fell, replaced by a contemplative nothingness -- and replaced by a blush. She sat there, her hooves beginning to tremble and her wings fluffing cutely at her sides, until Angel Bunny hopped up. AJ watched with her pulse in her throat as that darn bunny sized her up, up and down her frame... and then gave Fluttershy's legs a little smack with his ears.
Fluttershy gasped, but then the two were silent again. The pegasus mare blinked a million miles a minute, until everything seemed to go calm again. Fluttershy looked at her with red cheeks and a growing nervous smile.
"Oh... Oh, Applejack!" She said, finally. It broke the dam to Applejack's lungs, if nothing else. "Goodness, I had no idea you felt that way. Is... o-oh my, is, um, is this why you've been avoiding me lately?"
Applejack didn't lie: "Yup. And I can't say I'm too proud of it either, Sugarcube."
"Oh no!" Fluttershy preened. "It's no trouble at all. I thought maybe you were busy that's all! And Applejack, I... oh..." Her face turned rosy, and she ducked her snout to her chin. "I... oh my... Applejack, you-- you really are wonderful. And-- a-and about your, um, question..."
Applejack perked up. A thrill of something shot up her spine.
"You're such a dependable friend, and you're oh so patient with me," Fluttershy muttered. "I don't know what I would have done a lot of times, if you weren't there to stand beside me; like with that dragon's mountain, and all those adventures we went on. You're so honest and loyal and so very, very kind and beautiful, Applejack! Any mare or stallion would be lucky to have you! And, I-- you asked me if I would be your special somepony, and, like I said, you're wonderful."
AJ couldn't believe her ears. Fluttershy was complimenting her! Fluttershy, the pretty mare she had her eyes set on for all this time -- she was talking her up like nopony's business! She finally asked Fluttershy to be her somepony, and here Fluttershy was blushing and chatting up a storm. Applejack could dance she was so happy; she had a chance!
Applejack smiled wide, wider than everything, while Fluttershy blushed and hoofed at the ground. She ducked her red face behind her waterfall of pink mane. The critters at her hooves fell into an explosive fervor, until the cottage itself shook with the force; Fluttershy paid them no heed, and instead set those turquoise eyes so heavily into Applejack's own. Then Fluttershy opened her mouth:
Pinkie stops dead in the air. Half-way through her jump she just falls back down, heavy as a rock. Her smile lessens. Her eyes widen and gloss over.
Usually Pinkie Pie is always thinking about things -- she means yeah, of course she is! She has so many fun things to prepare for, after all. There are birthday parties and welcome parties and goodbye parties, plus she has to talk to all of her friends everyday and let them know just how important they are, plus she needs to remember to feed Gummy so that naughty little reptile guy doesn't nibble on the Cakes' nice curtains. Superplus she has to play with the twins, and feed them, and change nasty diapers, and give them stuff to chew on. Specifically those cute little plastic ring thingies she chills in the refrigerator.
So when her mind goes blank, she knows it's bad. Her Pinkie Sense doesn't even go off, because it doesn't need to. She can already feel it. She's a little wrong, a little off. But... but this isn't too bad...
It only takes a few seconds for it to really start.
Everything is too quiet. She's seeing and feeling the things around her, but she can't really see or feel. She tries to think but she can't. Her eyes feel too big inside her head, her body goes heavy, and she--
"Oh no," she hears herself say.
Because she-- she's doing it again it's happening again, it's--
No! No, silly filly, she just has to list things around her like Twilight told her to! She flicks her eyes around the kitchen with a smile. There are bowls on the counter. There are spoons too. The counters are pink, and the floors are white. She smells cake.
It doesn't help.
Somewhere, someplace, Pinkie Pie starts to shake but-- but she doesn't want to, she just wants to bake those cupcakes and smile and sing a song-- b-but she also doesn't want to?! She should a-and she needs to and she would like to but she can't, it's all too heavy, her hooves don't feel like they're her own, she feels like she's in somepony else's body and the world feels wrong and--
She wants to lift her hoof. Pinkie Pie wants to lift her hoof. She thinks that to herself, and her body does it, and it doesn't feel real. But it happens, and she lifts a hoof to her neck where her pulse is. It's fast. Way too fast. Pinkie thinks she's breathing hard; her chest is heaving, and her lungs hurt, and her visions getting those funny splotches in it. But it feels... muted... far away...
Pinkie Pie whimpers, she thinks. And it must have been loud, because her body watches Mrs. Cake walk around the corner.
"Pinkie, dear, is everything okay in here?"
Pinkie's body slowly shakes it's head, and her face smiles (Keep your head up, Pinkie; remember what Granny Pie used to say!) but stays silent.
"Oh my, Pinkie. It's happening again, isn't it? Now don't you worry; I'll run on down to get the Princess as fast as I can," Mrs. Cake says. She grab's Pinkie's hoof, and gently pushes Pinkie's body to the floor. Her eyes blink. "You just lay hear and relax, alright honeybunch?"
"Okay, Mrs. Cake," her mouth says. "Thanks a whole bunch!"
Mrs. Cake frowns, mewls something soft and concerned, and pecks Pinkie on the forehead, before she rushes out to the front of the store. And then Pinkie is alone. Like Mrs. Cake was never even there. Maybe she wasn't and none of that was real? Maybe Pinkie isn't even here? Her friends always do say that she has a wild imagination... She... sh-she doesn't know for sure, a-and...
It's okay, something tells her, somewhere. Twilight will get here soon, and she'll have you up and baking again lickety split!
"Oh, you're right," Pinkie answers, smiling. "I can always depend on Twilight!"
The world is silent. Pinkie blinks. Nopony is here. Nopony was there to tell her that. It feels like she's dreaming, but she doesn't know. It feels like she's going crazy, but she doesn't know.
Pinkie's body puts its head in its hooves, and shuts its eyes.
"Hey, what's up, Fluttershy? It's spring isn't it? What's wrong with him? Oh no-- is he sick?! Is he never gonna wake up?!"
"Oh, of course he'll wake up, Rainbow Dash. I assure you, this is a natural and healthy process, and he'll wake up in a bit just fine. I think he's just taking a little while, that's all. After all, he is -- hee-hee -- well, a tortoise!"
"Oh. Oh good. Yeah."
"Um... well then, I'll just leave you two alone then. If you need anything at all, don't be afraid to ask, Rainbow Dash. I'll just be a little ways ahead, greeting all of my little friends for the spring."
"Alright, thanks Fluttershy."
And so Rainbow Dash sat down in the wet grass. The sun, shining bright in the sky, fell over the world for the first time in what felt like years. The weather was calm. Rainbow Dash was still wearing her Wrap-Up vest, which protected her from the wind that still managed to be nippy, but was calming down now after a day of managing the weather.
The Winter Wrap-Up had gone fine. Moved the clouds, sang the songs, blah blah, Rainbow knew the rest. Plus with Egghead around they got it done faster than ever, so Rainbow could actually get to the important stuff.
Rainbow Dash whinnied and stared down at Tank: head and feet ducked in, and just the tiniest bits of snow still on his shell. She fidgeted on the grass, tossing Tank's little propeller in her hooves back and forth for seconds. Minutes. Hours.
Until eventually, when the birds sang and the world smelled of warmth, and Tank finally stirred.
The tortoise shell wiggled and twitched in the grass, and from inside came a quiet, long, moaning echo. The snow resting atop it shimmied and fell, floating away as ice crystals in the wind, as a tiny stumpy foot began to poke it's way out of the shell's front. It moved around and stretched in the sunlight for a few seconds, and then another foot popped out, followed by a second set; once all four were free they stood the shell up slowly, achingly slowly, to stand wavering within a golden ray of sun.
A nose emerged from the shell, green and shaky.
Rainbow Dash gasped and shot forward, throwing herself to the ground. This was it! Th-There he was! After all this time, and the both of them managed to not let this hibernation thing kick their tails. They could go out and get to flying again in no time flat! She could finally have Tank back to have pet playdates with, and talk to, and-- she means, and and to be completely and totally cool with. Yeah. You know that she and Tank will totally be off training him in how to steer his propeller; he's got to get some intense training in after sleeping for, like, months.
...
Aw... who was she kidding?
Rainbow Dash wiped her stinging eyes.
"T-Tank?" Rainbow wavered. "Hey. How'd you sleep, you big lug?"
Tank poked his head out of the shell in a flash, faster than Rainbow had ever seen him move. His tiny eyes were wide, and he was smiling with his dopey mouth open, and--
And he leaned forward, nuzzling his scaly nose against Dash's cheek.
Rainbow Dash crushed her friend into a hug for the first time in a long, long winter.
Fluttershy shakes her head vehemently -- or maybe that's just her body. Sh-she has been sh-shivering for a while now, after all... Oh! But, oh dear, there's no need for all of her little critter friends to be concerned; probably just a quick magical cold, or a passing mild case of the feather-flu. Just... just a few minutes to lie down, and then she can get right back to work. Yes, she needs to feed all her darling birdies... and check on Mouser's leg... and...
Fluttershy yawns and tries to stand, and her world spins. Her vision swims, her body topples into a puddle of sweat on her sheets, and when she blinks her head feels heavy. But that's no bother. Fluttershy only needs to--
Angel Bunny glares at her from across the room. He has Fluttershy's softest, warmest blanket (a wonderful gift from her friend Rarity) in his little paws. His frown is so intense, he might just burst into flames.
"Oh Angel, sweetie, there's--" she sneezes, "N-No need to be alarmed. I'm perfectly fine and..."
He wiggles his nose in the most furious, terrifying little wiggle Fluttershy has ever seen, and hops up onto the bed. He raises his paw to push Fluttershy to the sheets, but by the time he touches her she's already collapsed again anyway. In one swift motion the rabbit lifts his stubby arms and raises the blanket.
"Really, Angel, wouldn't you like your salad? I can go prepare it for you if you'd like; a darling bunny like you shouldn't have to make it yourself."
Angel shakes his head, throwing the fabric over Fluttershy's wings and tucking it to her chin. When the pegasus yawns, he snuggles his downy head to tickle the underneath of her chin, and pats her flushed cheeks in gentle taps. When he hops away after another quick snuggle, he draws a tiny finger over his throat, and then angrily, angrily jabs his finger to the bed. Stay put.
"Sleep? Oh no, I couldn't do that, sweetie. Why, I was supposed to monitor Cheddar's progress today and-- a-and--"
Angel lets out a little chuckle as Fluttershy's voice wavers; he now sits on top of her head, nuzzling sweetly into her mane and brushing her forehead. The petite mare's breathing evens, her head lowers, and her flushed face softens into a gentle and quiet smile.
"Oh..." Fluttershy sighs. A couple of squirrels scamper to her sides, and kiss her wings. She grins wider, and her body sags into her mattress. "Maybe... maybe I will rest... b-but just for... for a little while..."
Angel Bunny lays there until her stuffy breathing turns to snores.
Rarity flopped upside down on her fainting couch and lifted up a pale hoof to her forehead. She blinked wildly and grunted to the high heavens in a high-pitched whine, before she turned her damp crystalline eyes up to Twilight. With a sniff, Rarity thrashed her forelegs out in front of her, and wiggled her hind hooves in the air.
"No, Twilight. You simply mustn't look at me. Why, I am truly a mess; what with my very heart crumpled in my chest and the stress of the evening laying down on me, I have been reduced to a shell-- no! A husk of what I... I..."
Twilight stared at her.
"Oh, you're right, dear," Rarity mumbled. The shine in her eyes disappeared, and her forelegs stilled. She sank down in the cushions. Her face drooped, her eyes falling into purple bags. "You know, after such a rough day I thought I could pick myself up with a small flair of drama," she sighed. "I suppose not."
Twilight stared at her longer. The alicorn sighed herself, and laid her heavy eyes to the floor.
"I wasn't here to judge your coping mechanism, Rarity," she said. "I was... actually hoping you'd scoot over?"
The friends' eyes locked in a pregnant pause, a sharp dance... and then Rarity fitfully wiggled to the side.
Twilight sat down on the couch with a 'fwump', and the two of them curled into a cuddly ball. There, among the soft cushions, they shared a silent, heavy weight.
Twilight sighs and stares heavily across the table. Mrs. Cake only sighs back, gently rocking a sleeping Pumpkin Cake in the crook of her foreleg.
The bakery closed a bit early today, and Mr. Cake is off on a delivery. Soft sunlight filters through the open windows, and brings in the distant cheerful screams of children at recess; a warm sweet wind curls around empty tables and chairs, some of them still dirty and covered in crumbs. Usually Pinkie Pie would be bouncing about, sugary drinks and pastries balanced on her flank while she stocks the cake display. But now... if somepony were to listen hard enough, they'd be able to hear her snoring upstairs.
Twilight doesn't think she's ever seen Sugarcube Corner this empty before. Or this quiet.
She sighs again.
Mrs. Cake grimaces and fitfully taps the table with a hoof. The noise echos through the whole room.
"Well, deary? How is Pinkie?"
Twilight smiles just a little, but then it's gone again. "For right now I think she's fine. She's asleep, at least, and she seemed pretty calm and stable before I left the room."
There's a pause. Mrs. Cake gives her a sour smile and waves her free hoof in the air. "But...?"
"That's just the thing," Twilight mutters, rubbing her aching temple and staring at the table. "I'm not entirely sure. I've been monitoring Pinkie's progress for a while now, taking notes, scouring the books in the Royal Library. At first I thought her symptoms might indicate some sort of magical backlash, possibly from our use of the Elements, or maybe with just how much Pinkie pushes her magic every day. When that fell through I looked through curses, enchantments that could have been held in any type of object she comes in contact with daily, and even whether it was just Pinkie's body... being stressed out."
Twilight pauses but doesn't give Mrs. Cake a chance to ask questions; that should come... after all of this.
"And then... when it seemed obvious that it wasn't anything magical, or even physical... I thought to actually ask Pinkie how long this has been happening to her. She..."
Twilight stops again; she wrings her hooves together atop the table, flicks her tail limply on her chair, and struggles to keep her plumage from fluffing out too much. After breathing deep and rubbing her tired eyes, she looks up to Mrs. Cake. The older mare is concerned now, and is biting her bottom lip. Twilight doesn't know if that makes her feel better or worse.
Outside, there's the faint toll of the school bell.
"Pinkie Pie asked me to promise not to tell anypony, but I refused... and eventually she let me tell you, Mrs. Cake. And only you, for right now."
Mrs. Cake gasps and gently folds her hoof over Twilight's. "My! Whatever could be wrong that Pinkie wouldn't want to tell her friends?"
"She told me that she's been dealing with these symptoms... well, for as long as she can remember. Since she was a little filly, she thinks. Only now, they've only been gradually getting worse and worse over-- o-over the course of years," Twilight whinnies. "That certainly rules out magical influence as far as I know of... and that also complicates things."
Twilight stands up from her place at the table, and her chair clatters back against the linoleum. "I... I don't think I can help Pinkie Pie anymore than I already have, Mrs. Cake. At least, not in the way that you probably want me to. After studying her symptoms one last time and weighing them against textbooks in the castle, I think I might know what's wrong with her... but I'm not sure. I can't be sure! And even if I was, I don't think I would know how to help her, and I'm certain I'm not qualified, even if I am a Princess."
Twilight's body sags. She sighs, and sends a tired smile to Mrs. Cake and the stirring baby in her forelegs. Her eyes firm and her smile trying its best to be soft, Twilight pulls a list out of the saddlebag on her back. The scroll is covered in Spike's handwriting: names, addresses, and methods of contact.
"I haven't talked to Pinkie about this yet; what with her being asleep and being so stressed. And I plan to! But with her reluctance to speak to me about her symptoms, and how torn up she seemed earlier, I thought it would go better if she had another loving friend to talk to her about it," Twilight says. "Pinkie Pie is going to be fine. But it's imperative that she seeks help from a mental health professional."
"Hey, Twilight, what's wrong? You're not still bummed about the whole Moondancer thing are you? I mean, she has friends now, and it was all because of your help!"
Twilight gazes out over the balcony, the hard crystal cold against her hooves and the wind tickling her face. The air is chilled and smells like the faraway humidity of summer, and that... makes it kind of worse, actually. It reminds Twilight of last summer, when she sat underneath an old apple tree with her friends; they had lemonade, and her glass had one of those curly straws in it, striped like a candy cane. Considering Pinkie Pie gave her the cup, it might have actually been some sort of weird candy cane.
Twilight smiles and sighs again: happy and bitter.
"It's nothing, Spike," she says. Down in Ponyville she sees Roseluck packing up her stall for the day. "I was actually just thinking about... well, me. Seeing Moondancer today made me realize just how far I've come... just how much I've changed..."
She twitches her wings without meaning to. Spike must see them flick, because he grimaces and pats her right wing softly. When Twilight then swishes her tail and fitfully adjusts her crown, his grimace grows into something ugly, before he walks forward to sling an arm around her neck.
"Twilight, come on, we've talked about this. Just because you're an alicorn princess now doesn't mean you're not the same old Twilight! Trust me," he chuckles. "You're still just as strict about how the library should be organized, at least. And about when and where I can eat my gems, and about how I need to get along with Owlowiscious, and how I need to make those checklists just right and--"
Twilight snorts and bops him on the nose; Spike just giggles and smirks. She leans down to nuzzle his scaly cheek with a grin, and then she shakes her hoof dismissively. "I mean, this time it's not really even about my status. I suppose it is a part of it, but I really mean more about how far I've come personally. How far my friends have come in such a short amount of time."
Spike gives her a confused glance and waves her on.
"I used to be just like Moondancer, Spike," Twilight sighs. "It was with the help of my friends that I was able to change, and to get to where I a now. I actually talk to ponies now, I go out of the library, I-- I'm a princess with political responsibilities and a protege under my care. Over the course of the past few years it's like I've grown to be a whole different pony. And I'm not the only one. Rainbow Dash is less cocky, and she's achieving her dream of being with the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy is battling her anxiety and making real progress. Rarity has her own boutique in Canterlot like she always wanted... even the Crusaders have finally gotten their Cutie Marks!"
Spike scratches dully at his chin. "Uhh... and this is a problem... why?"
Twilight lifts her hooves to the balcony railing and snorts. "It's not a problem, Spike. That's not what I'm saying at all! I'm proud of my friends and myself for achieving such successes, and for coming as far as we have." She turns her eyes over the expanse of Ponyville; the crystalline splinter of her castle is not the only change Ponyville has seen, even if it is the most sizable one -- buildings have different coats of paint, that roof was repaired a while back, that one over there has been renovated completely at least twelve times after a slew of adventures. "It's just... well, it's a lot."
Her dragon companion hums and looks over the balcony himself, staring over Ponyville with sharp eyes; he picks up on the same things Twilight did, if his sigh is any indication. And when his tail drags on the crystal, he jerks it back as if burned, like he has since it sprouted.
"Yeah. Yeah, Twilight, I guess it has. But it's not like everything is totally different now! The changes really haven't been... too drastic... I mean, your friends are still your friends, right? And the biggest changes is one of the best ones; you have more friends than ever now!"
"Yes, I know," Twilight smiles. "And I'm so. So very grateful for that. For them. There's not a problem, and-- and I'm not really sad, Spike. I... suppose that so much has happened in only a few years... and I've just now given myself a few moments to really let all of it sink in. I'm not exactly sad, but... nostalgic, I guess."
There's a quiet silence after that. It hangs in the air, but not heavily, and at the push of the breeze it's carried off. Spike taps his claws on the railing with little 'tinks', listens as Twilight breathes in the familiar smells of Ponyville, and...
When Twilight looks down at him, he's staring to the ground and lightly clutching his chest with a sweet smile.
"I get it," he breathes. "We have had a lot of good memories here in Ponyville, huh?"
The alicorn rest her head gingerly to the crystal, and listens to the distant laughs of ponies going in for the night. There's a flash of memory -- Twilight and her friends giggling as they walked out of Pony Joe's on the night of their very first Gala together -- and Twilight almost feels like crying. She's not exactly sure why, but it feels... both heavy and warm in her chest.
"Yeah. We have," Twilight says. "And I'm excited to make more new memories. Genuinely, I am. But sometimes... sometimes I can't help but miss first coming to Ponyville. When I was first getting to know some of... some of the best ponies in all of Equestria. I miss those first parties, that horrible Gala... I... I especially miss when I would write Celestia about what I'd learned, about how my friends taught me to grow into who I am today. I know I shouldn't, Spike, but..."
Spike sighs. He leans on her side and warmly nuzzles his cheek into her shoulder. "But you do?"
"Yeah."
Birds chirp. Streaks of gold and orange slowly dull into the purple and black palette of dusk. From up here, in this castle, you can faintly hear and see ponies -- friends -- bundling up together in loving groups, laying down picnics and staring up at the sky. It dots with stars, with swirls of Cosmos that are all Luna. Twilight remembers when she set up her telescope, and she and her friends watched that meteor shower.
Eventually, Twilight wrenches her eyes away and looks at Spike. Spike looks back at her.
"Twilight?" he asks.
"Yes?"
"You wanna go look at those memory crystals again? Oh, and then we can call up Pinkie and our other friends for a late night party! You know, just like old times."
Twilight sighs. Twilight smiles. And then she chuckles, affectionately rubbing her assistant's spines with a hoof.
"Hee hee. Why not? I did say I was excited to make new memories... and something tells me Pinkie Pie would be more than happy to oblige."
She screamed. All around her the world spun and swam, blurring into a horrifying singularity of blue. She pumped her wings, flapped them like whips at her sides, but at one side it lagged-- the hollow bones screamed in pain, and her right wing went limp. So she plummeted, her breath being ripped away from her aching lungs, the wind tearing through her ears and mane, the ground spiraling closer.
And then she stopped.
Rainbow Dash stopped. She gasped as her momentum died and she smashed into something meaty in the air. At first -- Oh, Celestia! -- she thought she had crashed right into another pegasus and was about to take them down with her. Oh, wouldn't that be cool, just great, one of the Wonderbolts-in-training just falling out of the sky and hurting ponies...
And then she looked up. At yellow hooves, at a yellow body, at a gasping yellow face.
"Oh, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy sobbed. "I-- I-- s-saw you fall from my cottage... it was so a-a-awful. I tried to catch you, and--"
What? What the hay? That didn't make sense. Fluttershy's cottage was pretty far away and -- Rainbow dizzily looked down -- and she was still pretty far up. If Fluttershy were to make it to her in time she would have... she would have had to go so fast. Like, faster than she had ever seen that mare go before, than she thought was even physically possible for her.
Fluttershy panted and cried and held Rainbow close. Rainbow could feel how fast Fluttershy's heart was beating, and how much sweat clung to her shaking yellow feathers. The mare's leg muscles twitched under Rainbow's body.
But still, Fluttershy held her and didn't let her fall.
She smiled at Rainbow Dash, tired but happy. "And I made it..."
Applejack kicked a tree. An apple fell out, ruby red and shining, into her basket.
"Nope. Ain't talkin' about it."
"Oh Applejack, darling, please. We simply wish to help you... get through this."
Applejack walked past Rarity, turned her tail, and bucked another tree. The bark wobbled, but no apples fell out. Just leaves. At that, Applejack snorted and ground a hoof into the dust.
"Ain't nothin'--" smash! "--to get through. I'm just doin' my work, and then I'm gonna hang up my hat for the night and sleep."
Rarity whinnied, and tapped in place while her tail flicked wildly. Her head tilted to the side, her wide eyes drooped down low. "Applejack, you can't make this more difficult than it needs to be. You would willingly just... sleep the day away?"
A leaf landed on Applejack's head. She whipped it away with a twist of her neck, and then she smashed her hind hooves to the wood behind her in a resounding snap of noise. No apples. Simply leaves. Yellow and orange ones, frayed at the edges; unusual for the summer air, but there they were.
"Yup. I would, and I will. And ain't no fussin' about it is goin' to stop me either."
Beside the two of them was a guttural groan. Rainbow Dash, bobbing in the air, smacked her forehead and growled -- something deep in her throat, in her chest. When Applejack only rolled her eyes at the noise, Rainbow snorted. Her wings stopped, and Rainbow landed on the ground. She cleared her throat, her eyes thinning to menacing slits, and forced herself toward Applejack. One step and Rarity could hear Dash's angry breath. Two steps and she could hear Applejack's.
By the time the two of them were nose to nose, it looked as if Applejack was ready to snap the pegasus in half.
"Applejack, come on, girl," Dash whinnied. "So what if somepony said no to you? There's always going to be more mares. Plus, like half of all Ponyville has a major crush on you; you could just walk out the door and go find Golden Harvest. I don't see what your problem is."
"Rainbow Dash, please!" Rarity sighed. She folded a hoof to AJ's withers, and dutifully ignored the way they twitched as if shaking away flies. "Applejack has just experienced rejection! It's our job as our friends to comfort her, not to question her emotions."
Rainbow Dash scoffed sourly as she snaked her tail over the grass, beating up dust. "Yeah, and I'd be totally down for that if not the fact that she's lying!"
"I am not lyin', Rainbow Dash," Applejack ground through her teeth. She butted her shoulder forward, her forehead smashed up against Rainbow's. Their manes whisked together in a cruel knot, and the two mares stabbed each other with their eyes. "I was rejected by a mare and that's that. No buts about it."
"Yeah, but you're hiding something. You haven't even told us who it was yet, and now you're just... just pushing us away!"
"'Cause it ain't any of your business who I hold affection for. This don't concern you, Dash!"
"How do we know that?"
"Because I'm asking you to trust me! There ain't..."
Applejack sagged, just slightly. Rainbow's gaze bore into her, and the green in the earth pony's eyes shone just a little more. "There ain't... I..."
Her eyes hardened again, but she gulped and tilted at her head. "Well, all right. This might affect you girls too; or... it might have. But it is done with now, and I ain't goin' to let myself get hung up on it... no matter how much my friends keep pokin' into my business."
Rarity didn't well know what to say. Rainbow Dash said nothing, simply standing firm at her glaring spot -- a hot snort blew out of her nose, and the two friends in front of Rarity went stock still. They stared and stared, Rainbow calm but strict in her gaze, and Applejack slowly growing more frenzied. Her mane frizzed out in a frustrated shiver, her mouth and nose twitched as a bead of seat rolled down her cheek, and her face grew to a volatile red flame. Eventually, after full minutes, Applejack backed away. Slowly. Stiffly.
Above her another orange leaf fell from the tree.
"Fine," she muttered. "If you've gotta know, it was..."
She sighed and stirred her hoof into the dirt. Rainbow softened her gaze when Applejack's face drooped. Rarity picked herself up like a dignified lady, as one should, and offered a gentle pat to Applejack's neck.
"It's alright, Applejack. Say it... but only if you'd like. I didn't want to get in the middle of your spat, but I'll say this now," She turned tail and gave Rainbow an admonishing raise of an eyebrow. "Rainbow Dash, while you had our friend's best intentions in mind, you shouldn't have pushed Applejack like that. Why, the mare is heartbroken; she needs calm words and... and more gentle goading, please. Or none at all -- this is a delicate matter of the heart and should be treated as such. Not with... bullying."
When Rainbow lowered her head ever so slightly, Rarity nodded, adjusted her billowing mane, and faced AJ with a small fragile smile.
"Now! Darling, if you feel ready, there's no pressure. You and I could always just stop by the Boutique if you'd rather speak in private there, or if you just wish to relax... though, I do think it would be helpful to get your feelings out there."
Silence. A final, lone, orange leaf floated down. A few seconds after a yellow leaf followed it, but instead of joining its counterpoint it was caught up in the wind and tumbled away. More silence.
Applejack sighed and shook her head. She looked down at the ground and took off her hat to hold it to her chest.
"It was Fluttershy. I went and asked Fluttershy to be my special somepony... and she said no."
Gasps. Then silence.
Silence.
More silence.
And then Rainbow Dash barked out a single bitter laugh.
Pinkie Pie smiled, the grin practically eating her face. Twilight offered her a smile back, but it was smaller, softer... nearly crumbling but not.
Twilight Sparkle rolled her shoulders, and felt the way the fabric of her dress clumped up at her wings and bunched beneath her haunches; with a flare of her horn the cloth was straightened again, into a delicate silk prison. When the alicorn tilted her head down to sip the tea cup in her hooves, her stringy mane and tiara slipped down into her itchy eyes. With a huff she pushed those away as well -- just in time to see Pinkie Pie fidget.
Pinkie Pie's smile flickered at the corners but didn't dare die. Instead, it only exploded into a beam, before it disappeared behind a tiny cup. Her mane was puffier than normal, her ears twitched, and her eyes were just a bit filmy.
Neither of them said anything about it. They should have. But they didn't.
When the sun came up and Spike walked in to make breakfast, they both did their best to act completely, totally, absolutely normal.
Twilight shimmied in the chair, and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, Rarity tutted her and gently poked at the alicorn's nose.
"No no, darling, I shan't hear it," Rarity doted. She yanked out a nearby desk drawer and plucked out a series of brushes and paints, while making sure her friend stayed still, as to not wrinkle the fabric of her new gorgeous dress. "You have been so stressed lately, Twilight; why, if you'll forgive me for saying it, you look like you haven't slept in days!"
Twilight Sparkle only sighed and flicked an ear. "That's because I haven't. I guess I just got so caught up in my research that I haven't even thought about myself."
Rarity tutted again, twice sharply through her teeth, and then fitfully turned about her Boutique. Drawers were yanked open and rummaged through, papers and fabric were tossed to the side, hefty kits of beauty care products were levitated from their places. The unicorn took a moment to daintily blow the dust from the tops of some of the boxes which were stored in the back of her collection, and then Twilight had a makeup brush pointed at her snout.
"So!" Rarity said, twirling the end of the brush into Twilight's cheek. "We simply have to change that. Now, Twilight, I have a job for you: you sit there, relax, and be an absolutely gorgeous canvas!"
Twilight stared at her... then rolled her eyes... then smiled. Relaxed, if only slightly. "I think I would like that, Rarity."
Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack were arguing. Loudly. Screaming, in fact, to the point that none of them could really even tell what the other was saying anymore. It was just a cacophony on noise, of muddled voices overlapping each other, of hooves colliding with the crystal floor. They snorted and whinnied as they bickered back and forth, their tails flicking the stone with sharp flaps that just added to the sound, and everypony struggled to be louder than the others, to be listened to.
Pinkie Pie walked in and saw this. She frowned, then smiled.
Bouncing away, she swung along to a silent song, and shimmied her way into the knot of ponies. She bumped past her friends, slid up along their sides, and gently shoved right into the center of the tight circle unnoticed.
Pinkie took a deep breath. And then she took another and another. Finally she rasped in the breathiest breath of her life, until her cheeks bulged and her lungs felt like they were going to burst right open. She opened her mouth and,
The gray world lit up. Slowly, so slowly, a little ball of candlelight broke out over the dirt. It was small, and it was pale, and it was weak. But for the first time in years, it was there. Sweet rays of sunlight pooled over the earth, showing how dark it was, how dead it was. Mangled shadows curled across rocks.
Rainbow Dash felt the heat on her face. Beside her, Rarity's lip trembled.
In front of them both, their Queen, their Goddess, lay broken on the ground. Blood pooled around her cold legs. Her diamond eyes were glassy.
Rainbow thought that she should probably be glad. Didn't have to take orders from her anymore. But her wings-- no, not her wings. These-- these freaky slabs of leather and cold skin-- still itched like mad. Her hooves felt heavy. Something hot and volatile burned her lungs, her throat, her eyes. All of this time, all of these years, and Nightmare Moon was gone. And Rainbow Dash couldn't feel anything but anger, still.
Rainbow Dash screamed.
Rarity flinched at the sound, and her cold eyes watered even worse. That was... one reaction, she supposed. She couldn't blame Rainbow Dash. Even when the pegasus smashed her hooves onto the warming ground and kicked up dust, even as she smashed her hooves onto the Nighmare herself.
Rarity looked up to the sky again. When she did, she felt that squirm in her heart. Oh... dear Celestia... she could go home. She could finally... she could finally find Sweetie Belle again.
Rarity cried.
The both of them screamed and cried, and felt the sun on their faces, for seconds. Minutes. Possibly an hour. They drank in the sweet warmth, and the taste of a new day.
Eventually, on the horizon, they saw a shape. A lumbering, limping shape trudged in the sunlight. It was too bright, and their eyes hurt, and so the two friends couldn't see who was coming until she was closer.
Celestia's shadow, once so big and imposing, was tiny now. It fell over Rainbow and Rarity's faces, but just a bit. The alicorn's downy white feathers spread wide over the little ponies, parting the sunlight and breaking it into grapefruit-pink rays. In the pose she was standing in, she should have been tall. She should have been powerful, and loving, and motherly, and the symbol of Equestria.
But she wasn't.
Princess Celestia looked at her two little ponies, smiling softly. Then she looked down, where Nightmare Moon's corpse chilled under the alicorn's shadow.
Rainbow Dash stopped screaming.
Rarity stopped crying.
The two of them bowed.
And then Celestia collapsed, sobbing, over her sister.
When Pinkie Pie wakes up everything is still a little blurry, but she knows that she must have had that happen again, because her tummy hurts and so does her head, and her stomach and head only ache when that happens-- oh! or when she drinks a lot of coffee. Hmm... did she drink coffee? Maybe she did, and she's really fine. She can't remember.
While mulling over her possible coffee-drinkage, Pinkie Pie rolls over on her bed (which doesn't have any crumbs in it this time, and is weirdly pristine), and--
Oh no. It's Mrs. Cake. A-And she looks worried. Oh no, oh no, it really did happen again-- and Twilight really did tell her!
But... but that's okay! No, really, that's super-duper, 'cause there's nothing wrong with Aunty Pinkie Pie, no ma'am! She's... she's just Pinkie being her normal quirky Pinkie self! Nothing else.
There can't be anything else.
"Pinkie, honey, are you feeling okay?" Mrs. Cake asks her.
"Oh, um-- yup! I must have just partied too hardy, Mrs. Cake. Isn't that crazy? I mean, the last time I partied too hard, it was when Cheese Sandwich was around, and even then I didn't get too tired; I just--"
"Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie Pie wipes the sweat off of her forehead, and ignores how tired her eyes feel. She just smiles those ghosties away and... and...
"Please, honeybunch, Mr. Cake and I are worried about you. And so are your friends, like Princess Twilight. Please. You can tell me and Mr. Cake anything, you know that."
Pinkie's lip doesn't tremble. No, it doesn't. She smiles, and wiggles around under the blankets, and starts to get up from bed. She's got two little foals who desperately need those cold plastic-ring-thingies for their developing teeth!
When Mrs. Cake put a hoof to Pinkie's chest, Pinkie's smile drops. It's hard to bring it back. When Mrs. Cake sniffles, and her tears gently drip to the floor...
Pinkie's tears join them. She... she didn't want to make anypony sad... she's supposed to make them smile, not... and especially Mrs. Cake...
"Oh, Pinkie," the old mare breathes. "Pinkie Promise me that you're okay."
Pinkie can't. She shakes her head slowly.
"Then Pinkie Promise me that you'll let Princess Twilight and her friends help you, sweetie."
Fluttershy is... put out. Sad. If Rarity dares, it seems as if she's even... moping.
And that won't do.
Her own marefriend, in a dreary mood, sighing about the place and looking as if she's moments from uttering a sob?! No, no. Her sweet Fluttershy deserves only the best, and deserves only happiness -- the darling is always so kind!
When Rarity hugs her marefriend, and gains only a small blush and a tired smile in return, she steels herself. Well. She shan't let this happen. Rarity will simply have to go in... for the kill.
When Fluttershy is out of the room, Rarity goes to work. She yanks open drawers, pulls out boxes from under her bead, tears away spools of fabric to reveal hidden treasures. And at the end of her search, she's gifted with several capped tubes of expensive, beautiful color.
Rarity sits down in front of her vanity, applies a generous layer of lipstick, and deviously giggles to herself.
"Oh Fluttershy..." she sings. "Could you come in here for just a moment?"
"O-Oh yes, Rarity," she hears, mumbled from somewhere in the Boutique. "I'm coming!"
When the pegasus comes in, frazzled and her eyes covered in those dreadful bags, Rarity dramatically turns to her with a flick of her neck. One hoof held daintily up, and her eyelashes batting wildly, she gives her Fluttershy a winning smile.
Fluttershy relaxes and giggles behind a hoof. "Oh," she breathes. "That's a very pretty color on you, Rarity. Is that what you wanted to show me?"
"Thank you, Fluttershy. And no, not quite. You see, I happened to find all of these," She levitates the tubes in front of Fluttershy's face, and fans them out like a delicate deck of cards. "And I thought that I just had to try them out. Would you mind being a palette for a while, darling?"
Fluttershy flicks her sagging shoulders, picks up her drooped ears. Her dimming eyes light up just a bit. "Sure, Rarity. That could be... fun."
"It will be, dear, it will be."
Fluttershy yelps as Rarity grabs her in her telekinesis and shoves her to sit in the vanity chair. The pegasus (still with that dreadful dead flick to her tail and wings) fidgets on the chair, tapping her hooves and chewing her lip. She watches, mutely, as Rarity uncaps one of the rouges... and then puts another layer of it onto her own lips.
"Um... Rarity," Fluttershy mumbles. "I thought you were planning on putting it on me?"
Fluttershy blinks just in time to miss Rarity's smirk, but has her eyes open again when Rarity gives a heavy smolder. Or what she thinks is a smolder; she could be smiling too wildly for that.
"That was the plan," Rarity purrs.
Fluttershy blushes, gulps, and then Rarity is playfully tackling her to the floor.
Somewhere between the shower of pecks and smooches, Rarity hears Fluttershy let out a laugh. A real laugh, a happy laugh. The firt one she's heard from her all day.
When Rarity pulls back and looks over Fluttershy's smiling face, smeared with pink and red...
She laughs too. "Oh yes, that color does look quite dashing on you. But what about this one?"
Fluttershy laid down in the grass. The blades tickled at her belly, and the warm winds of the Everfree curled around her cheeks. She unfurled her wings to rest them to the ground, and giggled as her feathers ruffled and fluffed in the breeze. Then she sighed.
The hole in front of her screamed in its silent emptiness.
... Until she filled it. Giving a wan smile, she gently lifted a cold box, gave it a shaky kiss, and lowered it into the ground.
Some ponies might think that she should have been crying, as she folded dirt over that box. That she should have been crying, and grieving, and missing that spark of life. Of course, she did grieve, and she did miss Mr. Acorn, but she didn't cry. After all...
Fluttershy sniffed, and looked from the grave to the sky. She could hear birds and chipmunks in the trees, and the world hummed in green liveliness.
They look so angry. Rainbow Dash and that stallion are just bickering with one another, while the world around them echoes in the friendly clatter of market stalls. Rainbow is snapping and getting in his face, while the stallion snaps back. He looks nervous and frustrated... and maybe even a tiny bit afraid?
She knows what that feels like. To feel nervous and frustrated. And oh, she supposes what that stallion said to her wasn't... too nasty and mean... and it didn't make her want to cry too terribly much... m-maybe she should stop this?
"Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy says.
"You wanna repeat what you just said to my friend?"
"You wanna remind the brat that she should get outta ponies' ways in the street?"
"Oh! R-Rainbow Dash, no! Wait!"
"What, Fluttershy?! Don't tell me you're gonna stand up for him or something! He was a jerk to you!"
"I... Goodness no, I'm not, and he was... but, um, shouldn't we be putting our best hoof forward? Everypony has bad days, after all, and I'd just hate to get everypony in a bad mood..."
"Yeah, listen to the girl; let me get the hay out of here and go bucking home."
"Grrghh. Why I aughtta--"
"Excuse me sir, but that was extremely rude. We were-- w-we were in the middle of a very important conversation and, um... and about earlier when, wh-when I--"
"Fluttershy, you don't have to explain anything to him. He insulted your honor, Fluttershy! And plus your tail, or whatever. Are you really gonna just let him go without apologizing to you or anything?!"
"Pfftt. As if I would apologize. I told the truth, filly. She's a spineless, pathetic, inconsiderate-- aghh!! Ow ow ow ow ow--"
"Yeah, and you deserve it. You better think twice before you mess with one of my friends, creep! Especially when the two of us are the Elements of friggin' Harmony! Good luck getting Princess Twilight to buy you another pair or teeth after you just insulted her best friends."
"Mff. Hey! Hey, you, don't you mares just--"
...
...
"....... Thank you, Rainbow Dash."
"Aw, it was no biggie. But next time, just remember: You're better than all of those guys. Don't let them get you down."
...
Fluttershy doesn't cry later, because she's okay. She knows that Rainbow Dash will never let her down.
Applejack stared up outside the train window; it was streaked with cold rain, which pitter-pattered across the glass with glee. The starlight swirled within the water, refracted at strange angles and looked almost blurry.
But AJ could see two stars up there just fine.
She huffed, and sighed harshly, and tapped her hooves to the cot. Then she looked down, to where a little pile of ribbons had been squirreled away at her front. They were crumpled and bent, to the point that she couldn't read the script sewn into the fabric -- but she didn't need to see those numbers to know that none of them had a '1', and that none of them were even close to blue.
But that would be okay.
She looked up at the stars. She looked back along the train tracks, to a faraway Ponyville.
Whenever ponies came to that side of the castle, the side with the statues and the portraits and the detailed biographies, they all saw the same thing. Proud and courageous heroes with their heads held high, who put their lives on the line for the sake of Equestria. Glittering stained glass, which poured out warm and loving colors that pooled over the little foals faces, puddled around their hooves and painted them in the shadows of the friendliest ponies to ever live. They all heard of accomplishments, of magical powers beyond normal equine understanding, the fairy tale adventures of the past... All of those ponies who took tours in the Castle of Friendship saw its Princess at the end, a lavender, gorgeous alicorn who embodied the happiness which bound all friendly lives together. They saw her stature, and they saw her crown.
All of them. Every single one of them. They all saw a half-truth.
Not a lie. Not close to one. But... but the thing is, they would see that half-truth, and they would think it was the whole truth, and they would think they knew everything about Twilight and her friends. But they didn't. They weren't there to see it. To experience it.
Maybe they thought they knew, genuinely actually believed that. Those ponies saw Twilight as some all-knowing Goddess, and her late friends as these larger-than-life heroes out of books. They stared at what remained of their history, through colored glass and the perky narration of a teenager reading off of a card. And from that, they got the word 'legend'.
But really...
Spike chuckled as he walked downstairs. Even now, Twilight was still at it. Asleep on a pile of books, drooling all over her own hair, while her guards stood around and argued about how they were going to move her. Apparently, last time she had panicked and almost poked an eye out with her horn. And the time before that she'd nearly turned one of them into a smoking crater.
Spike laughed again, and waved off the guards. He was a big dragon now; he could carry Princess Twilight just fine! Plus, his scales could handle any spell that she threw at him in her sleep... or at least he hoped... Aw, he would be fine!
He picked up Twilight and carried her to her room. When she mumbled something, he tucked a book underneath her hoof, which she snuggled into with a sleepy sigh.
Rainbow Dash's vision exploded into stark white, and hot pain blossomed across her entire body in a shocking crack. It all dulled to a faint blackness as stabs of that pain ebbed up into her head--
--And then she was back.
Rainbow groaned and shakily stood while her legs screamed at her to stop. Her wings -- one of which was probably broken -- hung limp and lifeless at her sides, while her broken feathers drifted to the ground. She scowled, snorted, and spat out something which tasted of sour copper.
She glared up at the sky. The beast, with its million razor-sharp teeth and six blood-red eyes, screeched something monstrous and glared back.
Somewhere inside, Dash could hear something whimpering; an instinctual urge to run away, to back off from those carnivorous teeth and never look back. Maybe from some weird magic this thing had, she could practically hear something in her head tell her that she should go belly-up and submit.
Rainbow Dash just snorted. Rarity and Fluttershy were hurt, and it was this thing's fault. As if she was going to let it hurt anymore or her friends! Besides... it had been a good long while since she was able to kick some serious monster tail.
With a wicked grin, Rainbow Dash shook the blood off her wings and shot back into the air like a rocket. This thing was going down.
Pinkie Pie stared down at her plate with a frown. A confused one. A few times she shook the plate around, picked it up to look under it, and looked underneath her chair for a secret hidden plate. But nope.
No sugar. No candy. Just... green.
Pinkie smiled anyway, but she was pretty sure that smile came out looking more like a wince. Listen, old Pinkie Pie loved broccoli as much as the next pony-- except no she didn't. Not at all. One time in fact, after doing this one super party as a filly, this nice lady had given her some; Pinkie thought they were cute because they were like tiny trees, and of course anything cute was also absolutely delicious and sweet, because look at all the candies ponies munched on! Except they didn't taste or smell like anything she'd eaten before, and they didn't even taste like trees -- Pinkie Pie would know.
They were just... gross.
Pinkie looked up from her plate, because obviously this was some silly mistake, since Mrs. Cake knew she didn't like it--
She stopped dead in her tracks.
The two foals, sugar and frosting still stuck in their manes from earlier, were leaned forward in their seats. Staring at her. And then looking down at the green on their plates like it was some terrific monster here to conquer Equestria. You're our role model, their itty-bitty round eyes said.
Then Pinkie looked to Mr. and Mrs. Cake. The two of them were firmly and harshly chewing their carrots and greens, their heads shaking. You're their role model, their tired, strict eyes said.
Pinkie sighed. Pinkie put on her best smile. Pinkie put her forkful of green stuff into her mouth.
What followed was a chaotic explosion of noise and action which can't be explained with mere words. Well, maybe with one word: puke. Oooh, or you could use vomit! Oh! Or two words: toss cookies! Pinkie liked that one better since it mentioned cookies, and that helped to kinda take the sting out of the experience. There was also upchuck, barf, blow chunks--
While Pinkie Pie rambled on, her face in the toilet, Mrs. Cake could only sadly shake her head.
Because downstairs her children were screaming, demanding, wanting something with sugar in it.
The sunlight died away into a thick and inky blackness. It was almost too much, almost too swallowing, until stars blinked into the sky. The night brought cold winds that tousled the grass, and made Twilight's mane stir around her chilly cheeks. Crickets sang their same old song, and along the breeze came the faint sound of chatting ponies and playing, laughing foals. The blanket under Twilight's stomach was thin but soft, to the point where, if she shifted enough, she could tell that it rested upon smashed blades of grass.
Her friends' warm, comforting coats surrounded her and heated her cold skin. Spike sat tucked beneath her chin, those smooth scales hot by his inner dragon fire.
As the first meteor arced across the sky with a magnificent shine, Twilight snuggled into them, and she smiled. Unfolded her wings and laid them softly over her closest friends. Hugged them close.
Something told her he wouldn't forget this moment for as long as she lived.
The rock that Twilight had been chipping at was almost a pebble now. Still, she tapped it with her hoof. Over and over again. It broke into smaller pieces, and when they lodged in her fetlocks or in the sensitive frog of her hoof, she just shook them off with a whinny. With a sigh. Then another sigh.
Eventually, she broke the rock into dust. If her calculations were correct, then she was actually becoming more efficient at locating the stones' weak points, as the last two rocks -- both of similar size as the others she had done this to -- had both been broken much more quickly. Or maybe she had been hitting them harder. She also thought she had been controlling her strength quite well over these experiments, but...
... But the sound of the river behind her was... distracting her.
Twilight shook her head, sadly sighed, cleared the ground in front of her, and put another small rock in its place. Then she chipped at it, for minutes. Possibly hours.
Until finally, when her head was starting to spin, she was interrupted.
"Twilight, darling, please."
Twilight gasped as a shock flew up her spine. Throwing her hooves and wings out, she jerked around. Her heart slammed against her throat, and something warm and familiar settled into her chest before she could even see who it was. She knew that pony.
It still didn't prepare her for when she saw her.
It was... oh, Celestia, it really was one one of her very first best friends...
Rarity was exactly like Twilight remembered her -- even after all this time, Twilight could place the delicate off-white coat, the magnificent lavender mane which framed her face in a swooping curl. Her diamond blue eyes sparkled in the golden sunlight here, and her beautiful tail stirred in the wind. She was young and bright and lively, even when she was impossibly old.
Rarity gave her a tired smile, but also gave her a frustrated stamp of her hoof.
"What in Equestria has possessed you to sit here and do this? You've been out here for absolute ages, Twilight!"
But Twilight couldn't think about that. She just let that old spark fill her up to her eyes, and let herself spring forward to wrap her hooves and wings around her old friend. Twilight smiled.
"It's so good to see you, Rarity! You have no idea how happy I am to get to talk to you again."
Rarity chuckled and patted Twilight's withers. "Oh, me too, Twilight. Trust me, we have all been aching to see you since we parted. But--"
Rarity backed up and held the alicorn at hoof's reach. "That doesn't answer my question. Twilight, why have you been out here for so long? Why haven't you tried to get on the boat? Or gone back out to go... to go live your life?"
"What about you? Rarity, how are you here? I... why did they let you back across the water? Is it not... you know..."
"Please," Rarity snorted. "Yes, dear, it most certainly was my time. It was years ago, after all, and quite a few of them if you'd remember. And there was no mistake when I took the boat. In fact, Twilight, I've got something incredibly important to do for you, but you have got to answer my question first!"
Twilight was quiet for a while after that. She fidgeted on her haunches, the grass tickling at her skin through her coat, and dragged her tired hoof through the pile of dirt and dust she had amassed. She... what was she supposed to say? It had been so long... and Twilight still wasn't sure if she was making the right decision or not. What if she wan't ready, or Equestria wasn't ready, or if her feelings were just all off with this. Maybe she didn't age like other ponies, but she was getting old-- what if this foreign emotion and physical ache, one which settled into the very pit of her soul, was just some fantasy from her getting a bit kooky in her age? Just a fluke?
The alicorn's ears twisted nervously on her head, her tail snaking through the mud behind her.
But... maybe if she told Rarity? Her old friends always did help her when she needed them most, after all.
"It's just," she started, "that I don't know if... well, if it's my time, Rarity. I'm an alicorn and I don't age, and as far as I know there have been no other alicorns to pass over-- Celestia, Luna and Cadence certainly haven't. But I am thousands of years old by now, and... and I'm feeling it. The others aren't, and I can tell, but with me... it's like there's this calling, this song that's in my chest, telling me that, even though I can live forever, I shouldn't. Not because I'm sad, but--"
"But like it's simply natural?" Rarity asked. Her face looked just a little bit older at that.
Twilight jumped up. "Yes! Yes, exactly. Only, as I said, no other alicorns have attempted to cross these waters. I don't know if it's possible, or if it's even what I'm supposed to do. I'm still a Princess, and a powerful defender of Equestria... but I'm also an old mare. A really old mare, who... who kind of feels like it's..."
Twilight sighed one more time, so heavy and sharp and hot out of her nose. With her ears drooping and her mane flapping in the warm winds, she turned her eyes back to her mound of dust. Should she go back? Or go forward? She couldn't just stay there breaking rocks forever, but... but she--
Twilight turned to Rarity with watery eyes. "And truthfully, Rarity? I... I'm scared. You'd think I'd be prepared, but I'm not. There's something calling me in there, something so real, but I'm kind of afraid to make the hop, skip and jump. And what if that's some kind of sign that I'm really not ready?"
There was a silence after that. Behind the two mares, water trickled and sloshed at the riverbank. The world, so very quiet and so very soft, screamed in its silence-- enough to the point that an unheard song stuck itself back into Twilight's ears. It all whispered, and the endless clearing around her warmed to a Summery heat. The breeze stopped. The sound of the water became ever louder.
Twilight hadn't noticed that Rarity was wearing saddlebags -- something told her that she really hadn't been before just then -- until she lit her horn and opened one of the gem-studded flaps.
"No, no, no, Twilight! I understand your hesitation and confusion, but that's no reason for a good mare like you to lay out here for so long! Twilight, whether you've noticed or not, you've been lying out here for days, just staring at those rocks. And you don't deserve that, darling, trust me!" Rarity said.
But then she perked back up. "So! Lucky for you, Twilight, I have answers to all of your questions!"
Before Twilight could say anything, Rarity's horn was glowing-- and then something was hovering right in front of her nose.
There, shining blue in Rarity's magic, was a single gold coin.
Rarity smiled at her. Rarity gently grabbed Twilight's hoof. There was another gold coin floating beside her head.
The sign by the dock, the one with the painted picture of a bit, swayed in the wind.
"Come on, darling. The others -- including all of those lovely friends you've made through the years -- would love to see you again. It's time to go."
And as that silent song in Twilight's chest rose to a mighty crescendo, a boat neared from that clear, clear water.
Her skin tingled and wavered as her vision returned, as if her body was a mist that was just starting to reform back into a pony. The wasteland around her, filled with so much nothingness, was a sparkly blue which swallowed her whole. The abyss sparkled with stars and lights and faraway voices that she couldn't make out.
Then she landed, but didn't. She felt something underneath her hooves, something solid, but when she looked below her it was just more of that endless spacial ocean. Then she looked up and around, and she was met with purple.
Twilight Sparkle smiled at her and held out a hoof, and Starlight thought she should say something, but... it just didn't feel right. Not here. She just quietly took Twilight's hoof in her own, and the two of them silently strolled down the beautiful catwalk of light and color...
Starlight woke up screaming. She shrieked into the dark and leaped out of bed, her body slicked with a cold sweat. She was shaking, she couldn't breathe, her ears were ringing, everything was hot, too hot--
She could barely handle being in charge of a single party! She couldn't possibly be put in charge of more than a few ponies, and certainly not as royalty. Maybe she was getting better, maybe she saved ponies, but what if she messed it all up again?! She couldn't be a--
"Woah woah woah, Starlight!" came Spike's voice. He came barreling into the room, the crystal door swinging behind him with a heavy thud. Immediately he was at Starlight's side, a gentle claw on her foreleg.
Starlight couldn't breathe, her lungs felt like they were full of hot needles-- but Spike was here. Clearly that was just... just a dream. She was fine, and she hadn't been put in charge of an-- she gulped against her dry, tight throat-- an entire town, or even an entire country. Spike, her friend, was here.
"Are you okay, Starlight? What, was it another one of those nightmares again?"
"I... yes," she smiled. "I think so, Spike. But I'm fine now. Really."
Spike gave her another wan (unbelieving) smile back, and comfortingly stroked down her agitated fur. "Well, if you're sure. If you need anything though, you know just the dragon to call! You could always talk to Twilight too, of course. She'd be happy to help."
Starlight nodded, and then there was a pregnant silence between the two of them. She thought of saying thank you again, or maybe sending him off to bed, but before she could...
... Her heart sank. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been overturned on her spine. Everything dropped away, and all she could hear was her own frantic pulse. She could feel the blood rushing in her ears and horn. She thought she might puke. She thought she might collapse. Everything hurt.
Because Spike stared at her back, and then he patted her, right on her-- right on where there hadn't been anything before, but--
"Especially now. Alicorn magic is really finicky, and it will be kind of weird with your emotions and stuff for a while. At least, that's how it was for Twilight."
Starlight gasped. Starlight stopped breathing.
"Hey, uh, Starlight? Starlight?! Oh my gosh, what's happening to you? Do you need Twilight? Starlight?"
And Equestria's newest Princess broke down sobbing where she stood.
Fluttershy landed on the ground with an audible pop of her joints, and wiped away the murky sweat pooled on her forehead. In front of her, a shaking lamb, its hide pink and bare, was pushed back into the center of a crowded corral; sheep of all shapes and sizes, also skinny from lack of wool (as well as a lack of... well, anything else...), laid in the dry dirt. In just a few moments the frightened little critter went mewling into the crowd and was lost in it. Behind it, Fluttershy swung the wooden gate closed with a squeak of finality.
She was so tired.
Fluttershy adjusted her wrinkled, dirty clothing and wiped some more mud from her face, before turning around with a sigh. When she did, she looked around at the busy ranch surrounding her, now calming down for the day as the sun kissed the earth goodnight. Hot rays of sun finally cooled, and the night air chilled Fluttershy's aching body. Stars danced their place into the sky in a cheery display; one last show of defiance, to be seen by all those in Equestria and beyond.
It would have been so beautiful, Fluttershy thought, if everything wasn't so gray.
But, oh, it wasn't her place to complain. This war was absolutely awful for everypony in Equestria, and she was lucky to have so much. The Crystal Empire, the army made up of all those poor twisted ponies... from some ponies, they had taken everything. Fluttershy should have been happy that she was fed and clothed, and had the glorious opportunity to work for her country and its Cause. That's what everypony said, and that was what Fluttershy should believe-- what she did believe. Truly, she did.
She sighed again. Behind her, the poor animals snorted and sniffed. She thought about petting them, or perhaps saying some sweet words to get them through another hard, anxiety-inducing day tomorrow, since all those dears were so scared and tired these days.
It would have been the kind thing to do...
--But in front of Fluttershy, the gray world was darkening. As soon as it began to brighten in the morning, she would have to get up and get going for the better of all Equestria, and for the better of herself. Even if that meant just mindlessly giving feed, and cleaning, and corralling, and sheering, without giving a single moment of precious time towards love and affection.
Fluttershy coughed. When she did, some of her mane fell loose from the rest and fell over her forehead, soaking wet and ice cold. The dirt ground into her hooves made them ache deep into the centers. All around her the gray world kept being torn apart in ways she couldn't see right now, in ways she would never want to see. It would be too awful, and Fluttershy wasn't sure if she... if she could handle it...
Maybe the kindest thing to do... was to just do her job.
Despite the odd tingle in her Cutie Mark, and the frustrated tears welling in her eyes, Fluttershy walked away.
The cell was cold and hard. The crystal below her was harsh and cutting, a clear glass-like gem with harsh edges and a messy red stain forever caught in the cracks. It scratched her raw skin and stabbed into the still-bleeding cuts littered all over her body.
It didn't matter.
Underneath her cyan fur, her pink skin throbbed with a dull ache, and was dyed with heavy purple and blue bruises. It hurt to breathe, like hot knives rattling around in her lungs and eviscerating her tight dry throat. Whenever she moved her muscles would scream at her; then again, she couldn't move much, not with the strangling cold touch of the heavy chains wrapped around her itchy hooves.
It didn't matter.
Her left wing, the metal gleaming even in the dark, was a shattered mess. Mangled bits of metal hung off of it by dripping threads; tiny sparks popped off inside of it, a mixture of technology and magic that hissed at her side and turned that side of her torso into a constant thrum of energy. It twitched on its own, the hinges screaming in protest, and when it spasmed too wildly, the metal plates would shift and dig scabbing trenches into her withers. Her right wing was numb. Just completely numb. She couldn't move it, couldn't feel it, and it simply splayed out beside her in an oozing puddle.
It didn't matter.
Because those crystal ponies outside of this room didn't know who they were dealing with. So they beat her up and threw her in a cold room. So they broke her wings and tied her up. Big deal. What? Did they expect her to just go belly up and suddenly surrender, to sell out all her friends and family? She was Rainbow Dash, and she wasn't going to give up any of that. Not for anything. And if those ponies out there thought she would?
Rainbow Dash shivered. She gulped and coughed around the pain.
Sombra and his whole army could kiss her flank, for all she cared.
The wind gently flies across the farm, rustling the leaves and carrying sweet and comforting smells. The sun hangs high over the earth; beams of golden light filter through gaps of the trees. The world around her is like a painting, with so many vibrant greens and reds and browns, with so many smells and sensations.
It doesn't feel right. It hasn't since... well...
So... Applejack nods and keeps walking. No matter what anypony says, she ain't too young to be doing this. Her Papa took her out on longer trips than this when she was just a foal. And now that he's gone, that they're gone... Applejack is an adult herself, now, the mare of the house (excluding Granny, of course). She's free to make her own decisions! Granny and Mac said so themselves!
And right now?
Applejack sighs as she looks around her home. Or, the place that should be home, the place that she's lived her whole life in.
After what's happened, nothing feels right. It's frustrating and it hurts and it ain't fair and-- and Mama always told her not to wallow, so she ain't gonna start now. No, if this place don't feel right, if who AJ is right now don't feel right?
Applejack can hear Mac and Granny trot up behind her, but she just looks to the sky with a hopeful smile.
She'll just have to go find out where she really belongs.
Celestia raises the sun that morning with a giant grin on her face, with a lightness inside her chest that threatens to choke her up. Celestia cancels all her meetings for that day and evening, and makes sure that the castle is bustling with activity, preparing and working constantly. Then she walks to the end of the hall, to her grand room, while everything comes to boil to the surface and she's forced to blink back tears. She opens that door with a careful expression-- one that folds and explodes when she sees what's inside.
Luna is still there.
Worn and tired, maybe slightly terrified, but there. Laying on her bed, curled up and sound asleep. Finally, after a thousand years, Luna has returned to her.
Twilight tiptoed around her new castle, every small hoofstep echoing off the walls in a too-loud boom. The crystal walls, all blue and all cold, imposed over her. When she reached a window down the hall, she pushed it open and looked around with a sigh. She bit back tears, the tired nostalgia aching in her chest.
The burnt remains of the Golden Oaks library still smelled like smoke.
Twilight got up from bed with a yawn, fluffing out her cramped wings and opening her eyes bright. As soon as she did the sun glinted off the crystal, blinding her, but once her vision had recovered... It was a little better, now. The crystal was warm from the sun. Her room, newly redecorated with some of her old things, as well as some knick-knacks from her friends, smiled back at her as she got up for the day.
Downstairs, she knew that her silly dragon was already wide awake and making her breakfast... and maybe sneaking some gems. She knew that her friends would come to see her later today, and that Owlowiscious was probably still having a field day in that huge library. And she knew that the gift her friends had given her, the remaining part of her old home filled with all their memories, was still there.
Maybe the library had burned, but Princess Twilight Sparkle had the best friends a pony could ever ask for.
With a smile, she figured that was all she really needed.
She woke up, her vision hazy and her world spinning, to two pegasi creaking her door open.
"Girls, you shouldn't be here," she croaked tiredly. "I'm still highly contagious!"
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash just shook their heads as they walked through the door. Fluttershy, a colorful basket clenched in her jaw, shook at her wings and hummed, then placed the goodies at the side of Twilight's sick bed. Rainbow Dash had a couple jars -- one filled with applesauce and the other with honey -- which she sat down next to the basket.
She shrugged. "Listen Twilight, being in this room for like two seconds isn't going to make us sick. And even if it does, we're... kinda more equipped to handle it than you."
Fluttershy nodded. "She's right, Twilight. We've both had the feather flu before, and be know how to deal with it by now. You don't have to worry about us."
Twilight blinked, and everything canted to the side. It was blurry, and her throat hurt-- and then Fluttershy was gently petting her mane.
"All you need to worry about is getting better."
"Yeah, which is why we brought you this stuff. Figure Spike can give it to you whenever you're feeling a little more up to it."
Another hoof joined the other (Twilight was getting tired... well, more tired... somehow...) and somewhere far away Twilight swore she could hear some distant chuckles. Her eyes closed on her own, her eyelids were so heavy-- she needed to get up and sort out more books from the new library, but...
"I hope you feel better soon, Twilight. I know how awful it can be the first time."
"Yeah, don't work too hard. Leave that to us."
And if Twilight had fallen asleep before they made it out of the door, that was perfect.
Twilight Sparkle curled up onto her bed, fat tears streaming silently from her cheeks. Her wings were shivering and agitated, her head hurt, and- and she didn't know what to do. What had she done?! What in Equestria had the other Princesses allowed her to do? Did... did Celestia really value her opinion in these matters so highly? And if she did, what would she think later, to learn that her opinion shouldn't have been valued, and that now... her pupil, her friend had been hurt so very badly. Beyond words.
Twilight croaked a sob into the crook of her foreleg. As soon as she did, Spike came charging into her room, a somber look on his face, and slowly padded over to her side of the bed. Hesitantly reaching a claw out to her back while she coughed some more tears into her hoof, he softly patted her and looked up at her with a wince.
Twilight almost wanted to jerk away from his touch; did she deserve to be consoled, after what she'd done? She didn't, though, and nether of them said anything for a while.
Eventually, Spike gave a fragile smile and said, "Aw, c'mon, Twilight. She's calmed down now. And, I mean, you couldn't have known--"
"Yes, I could have, Spike! I should have!" Twilight shouted. She threw her hooves over her head and yanked at her mane while she screamed. "She was my student and my friend; as a Princess and a responsible friend, I should have known how terrible this would be for her! She was terrified to throw a party, Spike! And now..."
Twilight buried her face in her hooves. She shivered. How could she have been so blind and terrible, to possibly force this onto some pony just because-- because of--
"I knew Starlight wasn't prepared for this, and now I've-- forced it on her anyway. This isn't like Starswirl's spell, Spike. I could never believe that this was just a test. There's no spell to reverse this; Starlight is stuck like this... f-forever. She'll never forgive me, and I don't think I want her to. I ruined her, Spike."
Spike hummed in his throat, like he always did when he was nervous. The next time he patted Twilight, he wasn't smiling.
"Alright, Twilight. So you messed up and hurt Starlight. And okay, maybe she won't ever forgive you--"
Twilight flinched, but he kept going.
"But just because you made her an alicorn when you shouldn't have doesn't make her a Princess. Like, maybe there's some laws or something I don't know about, but as far as I'm concerned, Starlight Glimmer is just Starlight Glimmer. Nopony is going to make her a Princess if that's not what she wants, or I'll have something to say about it. Twilight, you may have made a mistake, but this doesn't ruin her whole life."
Twilight just sniffed and lifted her head. That was supposed to make her feel better, but... but Twilight knew what she had done. Why she had done it. And... and what Spike had said about defending Starlight, it--
She wasn't sure what she was feeling. All she knew was that her chest was hot. She forced a smile onto her face anyway. Brought Spike into a small half-hug, because she knew in her heart that that's what she would have done if his words hadn't inadvertently hurt her.
"Thank you Spike," she whispered. "I'm so sorry for what I've done. I know that you must be angry at me, but you're so prepared to protect both Starlight and me. You're a good friend, Spike."
After that, there was another lapse. Twilight gently nuzzled Spike, and tried not to wince when she realized that he wasn't doing the same to her (It wasn't his fault. It was her who had hurt another one of his friends). When she let go and leaned back, her eyes still blurry with tears, Spike just stared at her for a while. His green eyes bore into hers, and she didn't dare look away from him.
So Twilight saw the exact moment his expression turned from hesitant to hurt and slightly angry.
"There's just one thing I don't get, Twilight," Spike said, and Twilight's heart dropped at the same time Spike narrowed his eyes at her. "You never even said anything to me or your friends about Starlight's ascension-- only Princess Celestia. And-- and earlier, you said that you knew that Starlight wasn't ready, but you did it anyway."
Twilight could feel herself spiraling. Her head spun and her stomach churned.
Spike narrowed his eyes further, but held out his claws in a placating gesture.
"I wanna help and defend you and everything, Twilight, but... but why did you do it? And why didn't you talk to me or your friends... or hay, especially Starlight?"
And there it was.
Twilight's throat constricted as her entire body locked up. A chill went down her back and a new wave of guilt washed over her. She nearly broke down again-- but she forced herself not to. She wanted insist that she had simply misspoken earlier, or teleport away to hide-- but she forced herself not to. No. Even if... She shivered and fought the urge to vomit. Even if what she had done was abhorrent, even if it felt to hurtful to confess...
She looked at Spike. He and Starlight had gotten close. Of course he would ask, and of course so would her friends, eventually. Starlight would. And they all deserved to know why she made such a horrible choice. She owed that much to them.
So she blinked away her tears, sighed, and looked Spike in the eyes.
"Because Celestia did the same thing to me," she said.
Fluttershy's vision swam with tears as apple-green magic crawled across her body. It pricked and bubbled, popped against her skin and replaced it with a hard shell. It shined, a tar-black carapace gleaming with mucus, and sapphire blue wings which sparkled in their translucence. And all over her she felt the cramping, the devouring angry heat which pooled in her stomach; it wanted more, needed more, desperately demanded to be satisfied if only for a moment.
She blinked, and Rainbow Dash was in front of her, her eyes wide. She should have been panicking, she should have been apologizing for being such a horrible friend. It was just terrible to lie to your friends for so long, after all!
--But the craving tore up her throat, and all she could do was lick her fanged jaw, stalk forward, start to cast a spell...
Fluttershy opened her eyes with a quiet gasp. She was crying and shaking and her hooves felt more solid than she should have ever allowed them to be when she was so close to her animal friends or anypony or anything--
-- but then, with a relieved sigh, she saw a hint of her reflection in her mirror. A candy-colored shell of a body smiled back at her, looking cheery and harmless.
That was right.
With a twitch, Fluttershy turned back. But she didn't feel so guilty anymore.
After all, ever since Thorax came along and showed everychangeling a way to finish their transformation into these new friendly forms, she had nothing to fear. Surely even if her friends did find out, she didn't have anything to worry about and they'd understand. They wouldn't be so frightened if they saw the real her. Not anymore.
She gulped hard at her reflection -- it felt like swallowing dry glass -- and stared at her violently shivering body. Spike had helped, he had, and she wasn't as scared anymore... but Spike could only help her so much. She had that thought a few minutes ago, had tried to dismiss it, but now she knew that it had to be the truth. Spike couldn't get her through this with friendship alone, unfortunately, no matter how magical Princess Twilight tried to tell her it was. Or maybe that was just a lie, a test, some convoluted punishment for what she had almost done to Equestria.
Anyway, it didn't matter. She would just have to fix this herself.
She lit her horn-- but then she stopped with a strangled gasp. Oh, Celestia, could she? Should she? She didn't want to make this decision-- Twilight, all of her friends, they had told her why what she had done was wrong. She knew herself that what she had done to the ponies in Our Town was so awful, that blaming magic and Cutie Marks just wasn't the way. Cutie Marks didn't cause inequality, didn't cause pain.
But-- but maybe they were wrong! Maybe they were all wrong! Twilight was wrong about her, after all! She couldn't... handle leading, couldn't handle being an alicorn. It wasn't right for her to be above anypony else, and she knew that, but...
...maybe that just meant nopony else had that right either...
No! No, Celestia wasn't like her. She didn't... didn't impose her rule over ponies, didn't force them into some fate or destiny because that's what she thought was right, not like Starlight had before--
-- Not like Twilight had.
Starlight felt something dark curl in her stomach, saw herself glare, clench her jaw in a brutal smile, light her horn with practiced ease...
Her stomach churned, she gagged, and then she bit a sob into her chest. No! She couldn't... couldn't do that to Twilight, this wasn't her fault, it was-- it was Starlight's! It was her own fault! It always had been! So...
She gasped in a shaky breath. She could feel vomit bubbling in her throat. Tears dried around her eyes.
She wasn't okay, but she would be. And it would be fine. It would be fine, right? If she was just... doing it to herself?
Starlight didn't think about it anymore. She just gathered the magic -- so familiar, so hot, so sickening but just so tantalizing -- and then folded it in. Onto her Cutie Mark, and onto the new wings sprouted on her back.
As the cold gray magic washed over her, leaving her heavy as stone, she thought that this was how it was meant to be. She didn't deserve to be above anypony, as royalty or as a powerful alicorn, or anything else. Maybe it was wrong of her to even be a magically gifted unicorn, to place herself on a pedestal like that. Whatever Twilight Sparkle told her, she knew this was right.
The stars on her hide were stripped from her skin in a savage rip. Two strict black bars took their place, imposing and cold and final. With a twitch she flung those stars away, and they were gone. She didn't know where she sent them to. She didn't care.
No matter what she looked like, or what magic she had in her body, it wouldn't matter. Not anymore. Now she would be everypony's equal, like she always should have been.
Her coat turned a muted gray. Her wings fell heavy and limp. Her horn was drained in a second.
Starlight Glimmer smiled brokenly at her reflection.
When those bullies challenged Fluttershy's honor, Rainbow Dash stood up for her and entered that race. It was an easy one, one she would beat no problem; it was only Dumbbell and Hoops, there was no competition!
When she lost because of some weird unicorn lady, she just got back up and challenged them again. Seriously, something inside her told her she had been this close to something so totally awesome--
When they refused her, she tried to do that cool thing her heart was telling her about anyway.
She crashed into the ground and broke her left wing in three different places.
When she recovered and went back to school, she told everypony she had broken her wings trying to catch Fluttershy, obviously, because... b-because it was cool to do that, and totally lame to crash because she lost a stupid race, and she already heard ponies talking about her behind her back.
When Fluttershy ratted her out, Rainbow Dash stopped talking to her.
When Fluttershy went home crying every other day, Rainbow didn't follow her, and instead went to go hang with Gilda.
When Fluttershy moved away because the bullying was so bad, Rainbow Dash tried to tell herself it was the filly's own fault.
That night, she wrecked her room and punched herself in the face, because that's what Fluttershy should have done to her before she left.
When they were teenagers and Gilda finally crossed the line, Rainbow Dash ran away from home to a dumpy little town called Ponyville.
When some weird ponies started talking to her, she figure they were all right and started a sort-of friendship with them, no matter what the hay Gilda would probably have to say about Rarity, and no matter how frilly that "Applejack" mare was.
When the two of them butted heads and made it awkward, Rainbow Dash didn't feel bad about ditching them for the weather ponies she was trying to get in good with.
The weather ponies hated her, and she lost her new job three days after she got it.
When Nightmare Moon returned, Rainbow Dash tried to defend everypony, because even if they thought she was a jerk, she couldn't just flake on a whole town!
When Nightmare Moon shot her down, she got back up.
When Nightmare Moon shot her down again, she got back up.
When Nightmare Moon ran off to the old castle, Rainbow Dash followed after her alone to end this madness.
Nightmare Moon nearly strangled her to death, and Rainbow Dash stayed down.
When the Empress threw her into a cell, Rainbow Dash smashed into the bars in desperation and rage, until who knows how long and she eventually passed out.
When the Empress took an interest in her afterwards, Rainbow Dash spat in her face.
When the Empress offered her a place in the Shadowbolts, Rainbow Dash hesitantly said no, because as far as she knew, they didn't really exist.
When the Empress beat her, mocked her, starved her, told her that the only way to live was to join her Night Guard and not care about anypony else... Rainbow Dash thought about it, but said no.
Later she saw Applejack being dragged off screaming to see the Empress, contrasted with the mighty Night Guard (who looked strangely familiar, with that yellow coat and the teal eyes) lifting her wings and carrying off that prisoner with so much freedom and strength... and suddenly she had made her decision.
Rainbow Dash sobbed in pure agony as her wings stretched and changed into weighty, scaly, bloody slabs of meat at her sides.
When the Nightmare mockingly soothed her through the painful process, Rainbow Dash thought about how terrible this was, about how she was giving up on everypony in Ponyville for some freedom and some power, and she tried to fight back again, if only just once.
It didn't work.
When she had a moment, she thought about Fluttershy as she trained; as she caught glimpses of a unicorn she may have known once; as she learned to fly again; as she polished her armor; as she attacked towns and dragged away prisoners and stood guard at her Empress's side.
Until she didn't anymore.
When a weird alicorn came crashing into the palace, Rainbow Dash thought for a moment -- a single, solitary moment about helping her and everypony else within these walls.
When she saw that mare's Cutie Mark, she felt a tingle on her blankflank, she heard something inside her screaming, telling of her of loyalty and friendship, of a better world, and she almost followed that song inside of her.
She didn't, though.
That night she shouted at caged ponies, sharpened her spear, and went to bed. She didn't feel bad about it. That's just how you survived, around here.
The other ponies could learn that and submit, or they could face whatever punishment the Empress saw fit.
Ever since Pinkie Pie joined the resistance against the changelings, she had made it her mission to make everypony there smile. After all, when she was a little filly she never knew what fun really was, and then even as an adult she hadn't-- not until Celestia finished off that meanie Nightmare Moon one day and released this big rainbow. It was so big and impressive and pretty, and it made something inside of Pinkie tingle, like it was familiar and right. Like it should have happened differently. But really it didn't matter when it happened, because it did, and all those colors and the relief that spread after the Nightmare was vanquished showed her just how happy somepony could be!
And when Princess Celestia fell into such a terrible sadness after that, and when Discord made ponies sad before he too was slain, and when the Changelings came back and ruined so many of those happy smiles... Pinkie Pie figured out what she was meant to do. What she was meant to be. It was her duty, her destiny to bring those smiles back some day, one happy face at a time, and she had the Cutie Mark to prove it.
When she joined the resistance, she then had the Changeling-vanquishing weapons to prove it.
Then there were all the members who saw all kinds of bad stuff happening to ponies everyday, which gave her even more of a job to do; she had to get all of those ponies giggling and friend-making!
It was hard.
It was hard, so hard, to get them to see the positive side, to hear even a single chuckle. Everypony was just so serious all the time, for good reason, and sometimes it felt like they didn't really want to be happy. Which was ridiculous! Yeah, there were all kinds of nasty things happening, but that was why they had to keep their heads up high and spread good cheer! But they all just kept on ignoring her, and seemingly not knowing how to smile, just like Pinkie Pie used to be before she saw Princess Celestia get rid of Nightmare Moon. So it was hard. And tiring. And maybe a little soul-crushing.
Especially when it came to Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie had been trying everyday for months to become Fluttershy's friend, or make her feel even the tiniest bit better, but it ever worked. Fluttershy continued to grumble, to sigh, to cry herself to sleep at night when she thought nopony was listening. To snap at Pinkie Pie, tell her how annoying she was being, say to her, "You can't trust anypony anymore. You never could. When I was a filly all they would do was say awful, t-terrible mean things and mock me for not being able to fly. Now I'm surrounded ponies who could be Changelings in disguise, and ponies like you, who-- wh-who pester everypony with their trivial, dumb passions that nopony gives a flying feather about! Leave me alone!"
Hearing that just made everything worse. Seeing Fluttershy everyday made it all feel so heavy. But she couldn't stop trying. For some reason, ever since she saw Fluttershy for the first time her Pinkie Sense had been going off like crazy, with her Cutie Mark tingling and that aching song in her chest telling her that Fluttershy was special. They were meant to be friends, Pinkie Pie could feel it! Her Sense just kept on dizzying and doozying about it, so of course it was true, and--
Pinkie Pie couldn't give up. Not for anything. Nopony was happy in Equestria. Nopony laughed. Nopony smiled. Laughter was gone, everypony was a little less kind, and it was so sad because Pinkie Pie felt so very deeply in her soul that it could be different. If only everypony tried.
So Pinkie Pie got up every morning, did her patrols, set her traps, and then she went back to her hut and planned: parties, dances, songs, jokes, any little shred of possible happiness she could plan. She talked to Fluttershy every day, let Fluttershy scream at her until her throat was scratchy and Pinkie Pie could feel herself crying, could feel herself almost believing what this awful mean toxic poor hurting mare had to say, but not quite. She saved ponies from monsters, chased away changelings, kept her head up. Pinkie Pie smiled. She laughed. She tried, even when it felt like she was going to break.
And at the end of the day, she didn't end it all. Not when she really wanted to. Not when Fluttershy got mad and told her to.
Pinkie smiled instead.
Because she couldn't let the Laughter die forever, not when something so beautiful was surely on the horizon.
There's nothing here. Not anymore. Nothing but gray and brown, the washed out remnants of a world that's no longer alive. Once, long ago, a unicorn and an alicorn touched down here, squabbled and screamed over the fate of their own world. But they're not here anymore either.
All there is, is the statue.
Among broken and gnarled trees, barren lands littered with rocks, the sickly sky, nothing of value has remained. No buildings, no paintings, no writings-- unless you dig for the long-buried remnants under this never-ending dust, you'll find nothing to show that ponies ever lived here. Except for it. Sequestered somewhere far off into the barren land, sheltered by the only enchantment to not break immediately as the final cataclysm shook Equus, there stands a giant statue.
It's just as gray as everything around it, but no dust touches it, nor a small radius around its base; the spell also kept it from breaking or chipping or wearing in any other possible way, so while it's small and unnoticed here, it is pristine. As perfect and lifelike as the day the artist created it. The mare's body is shy but loving, drawn in on herself and sheepish. Her round eyes and chubby cheeks are cute, the dark mane surrounding her face shrouding her wan grin and nervous eyes. On her flank is her cutie mark, shining and bright in the harsh sunlight which barrels hotly down to the surface. Three purple orbs, gemstones like fine sparkling glass, are set into the stone. They glimmer and swirl with magic, like fishbowls turned onto their sides and housing the most iridescent life imaginable. The only gentle light, warmth and liveliness to be seen on this dead Equus.
At the bottom of the statue is an engraving: "Marble Pie. Remember her as she was."
"No! No no no no, this wasn't supposed to happen!" Twilight screamed over the noise. A cacophony of action and noise blurred together around her in a savage whirlwind, everything tilting and shaking. The unicorn shivered in her skin, her horn sparking and smoking, and she curled up into herself. "That was supposed to be it!"
Beside her, a tiny dragon clutched at her mane, desperately held onto her to keep from being swept up. Over the wind, Twilight barely heard him ask, "What do we do now?"
She shook her head. Below the two of them the ground shook; it was like the earth rippled in a brutal wave, with sparks of pure black magic that flashed at the edges of everything holding this spot together. There was a guttural noise: something far below grumbled and clicked as its eyes opened for the first time.
"I... I don't know, Spike! That was our last chance. I was hoping that the Elements would work even without five other bearers, but now..."
She stumbled with a whinny as everything smashed to the side, the only thing keeping her and her friend standing being the shoddy enchantment she placed a few minutes ago. It would break soon, and they didn't have much time! They had to think of something else!
"Maybe you just need somepony else. Anypony else!" Spike yelped. His claws dug into the flesh of her withers, digging trenches into her skin as he fought to hold on. "Could you teleport back to Ponyville?"
"I--" her voice broke. What could they do?! "I can't, Spike. We can't! Ponyville is probably gone by now, and none of those ponies seemed to fit the Element Bearers' description. Our only chance is if..." She gasped as Spike's claws came loose with a scream; with a spark of her horn she held onto him, crushed him to her front for as long as she could.
She looked into his eyes. He frowned back.
"Spike, maybe you could try it. You're the most loyal and generous dragon I know!" It was a last ditch effort, but it was all they had. Around them, dust and dirt kicked up into the air, never to fall back down. The sky turned black with soot. Her enchantment was falling apart. Now, the little protected space of land around them was crumbling in on itself.
Twilight flared her horn, picked up the Elements, levitated them towards Spike--
The beast beneath them rolled, the ground and sky boiling with its magical screams. The ground shattered into pieces, everything went deathly silent as all sounds turned into a singular unidentifiable roaring, fire and debris showered down from exploding spells above.
--Twilight Sparkle's enchantment failed.
She and Spike never even got the chance to notice.
Little Miss Chicken chirped and crooned, gently nuzzling against Fluttershy while the mare tenderly patted her chicks. The tiny birds, itty-bitty bits of yellow fluff that hopped and strutted around most of the time, were being so well behaved today. They didn't try to get out of the pen once, and instead hung around their momma's side like good little chicks. Oh, and now the dears were being so very cute, snuggling their fuzzy wuzzy mini heads up against Fluttershy -- she wondered if maybe they thought she was a chicken, since her fur was yellow and soft, and their eyesight wasn't too good yet. The thought made her giggle.
One of them gave her a playful little nip, and after giving it a teasing pat on its little footsies, she went back to counting. She had to count the new chicks and make sure they were accounted for, count all the hens so she knew the darlings weren't being scared off by the mischievous fox babies she'd seen playing around, count all the roosters to make sure they were there and calm (they could get pretty ornery sometimes. Not that Fluttershy blamed them. It must be so tough and stressful being a chicken...). Oh! And she also had to count--
With a gasp and a paranoid twitch of her hoof, she jerked her head around. But... oh, she shouldn't have worried. They were still right where she left them, kept covered up so the chickens couldn't get at them.
She sighed, something that she couldn't tell if it was happy or not. It felt more bitter than anything. She wasn't complaining though -- of course not! She just wished that she wouldn't have to do this in secret... that if she told her friends... th-- that she was a good friend and didn't keep such terrible secrets, and that they wouldn't be so scared and angry at her for what she was doing...
Not that she didn't understand! After the dreadful wedding day, she completely did, but...
She sighed again. In the corner, a wiggling group of hard-shell capsules glowed green. It painted the inside of the coop a sickly apple color, one that the shadows killed off before it could reach the outside.
She couldn't just leave them when they hadn't been integrated into the hive yet. The poor dears would be so lost!
No, she'd just have to stick to her plan, n-no matter how secretive and rude it was to her friends. It would only be for a little while anyway, right? Just for a bit, and then the little grubs would hatch (and they would be so adorable and squishy!), and then she would shed her disguise -- just for a little while! -- and return them, and then she could come back. No harm done.
And then she'd only have one huge lie to keep up with.
The flames jumped in a silent dance, in frayed ribbons of the most elegant reds and vibrant yellows. Bubbling beneath the surface was the subtle glint of white, a heat that curled and twirled and bled away into blues and greens. It was almost pretty. It would have been beautiful, in fact, if it wasn't destroying the planet.
Six ponies and a dragon stood staring out the circular window. Behind that giant porthole, inside a giant shaking metal behemoth, they all watched Equestria and everywhere else be eaten up. Devoured and turned to ash.
None of them said anything, until Fluttershy gave a shaky sob. Then Spike buried his head into Twilight's mane, and everypony else took their first breath since the launch.
Twilight Sparkle put her hoof to the glass. Despite the raging fireball, it was cold. Already that fireball was getting smaller and farther away. In a few minutes they'd have traveled so far that it would look like an orange marble.
"I don't understand," she muttered. "The Elements! They were supposed to..."
She didn't finish her sentence. After a while she put her hoof back to the floor with a metallic ting.
Then seven friends huddled together. In front of them, a red pinprick burned like a star.
Six ponies stared at each other across the crystal table. All of them stood tense, silent, and solid against the thick blanket of anger smothering the room. Outside, a blistering cold barreled against window panes and buried the ground with pure white. Even through the closed door, Empress Twilight Sparkle could hear ethereal whinnies crashing through the sky like thunder.
She didn't care. Not much. After all, what did she really have to hope for?
Still, she cleared her throat. Might as well give it a shot.
"Look, none of us want to do this," she bit. Her coat was gray.
"You're right," Fluttershy sneered. Of course she did. "I don't."
"But we have to, for Equestria. Whether we want to or not."
Rainbow Dash only rolled her eyes with a scoff, tapping her hooves to the crystal table. Her wings, twitching and fluttering, nearly took her buzzing off the floor, but didn't. Twilight figured that the only reason she was still here is because she didn't want to get cold -- she'd rather mooch off of her and her free fireplace for a little while, then leave when the embers died.
"What? You scared?" Applejack snorted at her. "'Cause I ain't. Not one bit. I bet you I could take on ten of those Wendigos-- why, back when I was a filly, I... I watched my pa take on about five of 'em!"
Everypony ignored her. The filthy liar. Fluttershy didn't even bother mocking her.
Rainbow Dash whinnied again. "Why should we do this again? I mean, what has Equestria ever done for me?"
From across the room, Rarity, sparkling and bright, brought a glittering hoof to the crystal tabletop. With every movement the bangles layered across her forelegs jangled and clicked, the jewels glistening even in the dull light of the castle. She might have been pretty, beautiful even, if Twilight didn't know exactly how she got all that jewelry.
"She cleared her throat and said, "Yes, I don't see why we're bothering with all this, my--"
Rarity stopped, sent a bat of her eyelashes Twilight's way. Twilight only growled back.
"--darling, wondrous Empress, who I would serve without a single doubt. Why I could take on all the Wendigos myself, just for you! For... the right price of course." She giggled. "Or, better yet, don't bother at all! Surely without so many mouths to fill, the royal family -- and of course, their most trusted most loyal advisers -- would be rich!"
Pinkie Pie grumbled when Rarity was done, making them turn to her... but then nothing. She was just grumbling.
Empress Twilight Sparkle could only sigh, heavy and bitter.
Maybe, Rarity was right, but for the wrong reasons. There really wasn't any point to this was there? Trying to get ponies to help, trying to save Equestria? It was all pointless. They didn't have competence, or magical defense, or even any guards left. Not even Spike. No. All she had were these last five ponies, these last dwindling souls who weren't frostbitten or dead or run away. All Empress Twilight Sparkle had was this room of useless ponies that she used to know, once upon a time, that she had ordered to be here now.
All she had was a room full of ponies she hated.
With a sigh, she figured that she was probably better off with nothing.
The pegasus didn't land. She crashed. As she thumped down with a slosh into the mud, her breath was smashed out of her in a burning cough. Her body stung. She was cold. For a while she just laid there, her wheezes wracking her body and the rainwater drenching her to the bone.
Still, Fluttershy got up. She hobbled up onto shaking legs, then looked off into the distance. If you looked past all of the yellow grass and gnarled trees, you could see the sun just barely starting to rise.
With a gasp, Fluttershy opened her wings and forced herself to keep moving. She would find her friends.
Fluttershy had always felt a connection to the butterflies. They had saved her, after all. When nopony was there to save her, the butterflies, so nice and gentle, had lifted their wings in a gesture that saved her life. They let her find nature, and animals, and her talent, and so many other things. And since the fateful day of the Pegasus Race, she had three beautiful butterflies etched onto her skin forever. She was bound to them, through respect and gratefulness. Through fate and kindness.
So she couldn't let them down now. She couldn't give up on her friends, or anypony, or any critters. She had to do this.
With a pang she looked back at her flank, faded to a blank yellow emptiness.
She would get them back. She would get them all back.
"Sorry, kid," the old dragon rumbled. Her black pelt, covered with crystalline scales, glittered as she patted him roughly on the head.
Spike only shook his head with a smile. It was crooked and wormed up on his face like a dead slug, but... no. Eh. It was fine. That just meant more adventures, right? And he'd had a lot of fun with this one so far -- he couldn't wait to tell Twilight about that crazy glowing carving he'd found, she'd love that! Plus there was all kinds of other cool stuff!
He clenched his fist around his latest treasure. He proudly didn't flinch when it jabbed his palm.
It would be fine.
He told the old dragon so, but she just snorted out a cloud of smoke as he left.
Spike sighed and laid the scale down. It was hard and cold, like a shiny piece of charcoal. Next to the others, it barely even stood out. Not when that one shone a gorgeous aquamarine, and that one had a fine matte-green finish, and that one was shaped like a brutal spade. But Spike knew the difference. Between all of them. All twenty of them.
That one came from a golden dragon, who was more interested in her gems than a little drake. That one over there had been roasting a manticore when he waltzed in. That one didn't even talk to him, just roared, and Spike had felt a little guilty when he picked up a shed scale when she looked away. This one, this newest one... she just thought he was annoying.
None of them were his mom.
Spike dragged a clawed finger down one of his treasures, then smiled tight. He loaded all the scales into his little bag, and then he stood up.
It would be okay. It was okay. After all, he was getting warmer. He had to be.
Flying always made her feel like she was dying. Ever since she was a little foal and her weak wings made it hard for her to get around, she hated it; when she did fly it was a cacophony of whipping wind, of a sickening blue that swirled in her vision. Other pegasi enjoyed the push, the ravage pull of gravity and of the wind. The two forces made your stomach drop and your blood boil in the freedom of adrenaline. You knew that at any moment the sky could deny you space, throw you from its graces to smash you against a mountain or the ground; you knew that at any moment it could choose today to end you, but the magic of the whole situation is that it wouldn't. Because you were the one with wings, and you were the one who told the sky what you wanted it to do.
Fluttershy never held that control for very long. She couldn't, and she didn't want it in the first place.
But sometimes... sometimes the sky was so beautiful. And as long as she stayed low and stayed slow... she found something she could really appreciate.
The baby cow scrambled across the field on shaky legs, running up to its mother with aplomb. At once the dam turned to her calf with a nuzzle, and the rest of the herd turned to watch with watery eyes as she did so. Rosie's birthing had been a rough one, and for a while the other cattle thought that she and Aster wouldn't make it, at least not together. But thanks to those ponies...
"Aw," Petunia cooed, pawing a hoof into the dirt. "Why, I've just got to thank that little Fluttershy again. If it wasn't for her, oh, Rosie, I don't know what would have happened."
Rosie nodded. Below her, Aster started to suckle, and despite her exhaustion from the past few days, she looked so very happy. "Yep, don't I know it," she laughed. "This li'l one nearly went early, he did. Don't know how I could have gone on without that girl savin' him, like."
A couple feet away, a few more cattle stared at the pair.
"Those ponies sure do take care of us, don't they?" one of them said.
"Always taking care of us, and all."
"And keeping us safe from predators."
"And letting us graze, don't forget about that!"
"Making sure we don't starve is a big one, yess'm. I've heard stories about them cows that go off on their stampedes and don't get corralled back in. Get lost and don't know what to do with themselves. Fate's sealed by mornin', it is."
"Yes," Rosie agreed. She nuzzled her baby once more when he was done feeding, and then gave a grateful smile. "We're lucky to have gotten such a good farmer like Applejack."
Applejack leaned on the fence and stared at her livestock, and tried to smile.
The uncomfortable twist in her gut was just the jitters about having a new baby in the herd. Or at least that's what she told herself.
Rarity sighed, dropped the spoon, and picked up a rag. She shook her head wearily while wiping at the foal's mouth.
"Really, Pinkie Pie, must you eat like that in front of her? I'm trying to teach Marigold proper manners," she snorted.
Rainbow Dash scoffed at her, "Uh, Rarity? She's a baby. You really think she's going to know what you're talking about?"
"Well... no-- maybe! Perhaps, if you didn't have your elbows on the table--"
"Oh, um... R-Rarity, the, um... I think little Marigold is starting to get a little... creative."
"What are you talking about Fluttershy, she couldn't have-- wh-what?! But I-- I've been sitting here the whole time and-- aaaooooooooooh what is in my mane?!"
"Ahh look at that! Wow Goldie, I think that's the prettiest-- um-- goldfish?-- I've ever seen!"
"Please don't encourage her, Pinkie. Could you... just get this out of my hair?"
"Here, I got it. Yup. Just like Apple Bloom. Turn yout back for a second 'n she's makin' a mess. Didn't you help with Sweetie, Rarity? Figured you'd be used to this by now."
"Yes, but... well, it's been a while. I'd forgotten about how messy it all was."
"Snrk. H-Hey guys, speaking of a mess--"
"Oh my! T-Twilight, when did this happen!?"
Across the table, Twilight sighed into dusty parchment, her eyes marked with black bags and her mane messy. The book in front of her, titled How to Deal With Things When You've Accidentally Made a Baby (Specifically With Magic), was cracked open to page two-hundred. And it was covered in peas. So was Twilight's nose. And her front hooves. And her... everything...
"Gradually over the past twenty minutes. A while back you all blinked for too long and this happened."
...
Surprisingly, Twilight was the one to crack up first. Or maybe that was just her choking on the mashed peas. It was hard to tell. Either way, by the end of dinner, there were six tired-but-content ponies, a dragon giggling at Twilight's green coat, and a well-fed Marigold.
And really, thought Twilight with a smile, that was all that mattered.
Flowers burst out on the hills, pops of vibrant color against an ocean of wavy green. Petals, leaves and stems sway in the breeze, billowing the hot sweet scents of pollen. All kinds of animals and insects bounce around the horizon; butterflies drink in golden nectar; bees buzz a morning song; iridescent beetles sparkle in the sunlight. All around is a flood of lush life, so beautiful and free...
Spike would probably like it if his allergies weren't actually, literally murdering him. Like, right at this very moment. And if he didn't have to wipe his eyes and nose every two seconds. And if it didn't feel like his body hated him for existing.
But as it stands? Yeah. This sucks.
Spike practically buries his face into Twilight's mane and hopes she gets done exploring the dragonsbane fields soon.
Apple Bloom walked into the old house silently. It had been a long time. There was a part of her that almost expected, after all of these years, for it all to be... different. Unrecognizable different. After all, some different ponies had been born to this place while she was gone. Some others had left. In cases like that, things got moved around, rooms were painted different colors, things got broken and replaced...
But for the most part, it was the same. A few new pictures, new decorations... but it still smelled like home.
As she stepped in, she looked to the right, to the side of the doorway they'd always put nicks into to measure their height. All of them were still there, along with a collection of new ones, with different letters carved beside them. One newer one, Jonagold, managed to make it all the way up to her knee. More impressively, there was another one that lined up perfectly with her line of sight, a few inches below the top of her head; Big Macintosh, year 35, it read.
Apple Bloom chuckled, and looked down -- way down -- at the last mark she had made in this house, the last time she was here. Now, it barely reached her barrel.
Huh.
She looked back at the mark on her flank, and then again to the nicks lining the door frame. Guess Applejack was right. She was a late bloomer. In more ways than one.
As she wandered quietly into the kitchen, that familiar room wafting out smells and the sound of Applejack's voice, she wondered if Scootaloo would look like an ant to her now.
Applejack stared at the screen, her jaw set and hoof tapping with a tinny little clack against the metal. None of this stuff made any sense to her -- it was just a scrambled mess of green words thrown willy-nilly onto a black screen -- but Twilight always knew what she was talking about. Even if "what she was talking about" was just another long-winded and confusing jabber that didn't make even a lick more sense than the machine, but basically boiled down to "the soil's not right". Especially then, actually, because unfortunately the soil was bad just about darn everywhere.
But today? Today had to be it. How long had they been cooped up in here with nothing but those rations? Applejack could get by and she wasn't complaining... really. After what happened to get them all here... she was more than grateful, sincerely. But they couldn't fulfill the wishes of the Princess and her family if they didn't find some place to settle down. And no matter how pretty some place was, it just wouldn't do if the soil wasn't right. They needed plants, and plants they could rely on as being healthy.
She had a good feeling about today.
Applejack snorted as Twilight waved a hoof in her face, whipping her head around and blinking wildly at the blur in front of her muzzle.
"Applejack? Are you... okay?"
"Oh! Uh, yeah! Sorry there, Twilight, just got a little lost then. Go on and tell me what you said again."
Twilight opened her mouth to speak-- before Applejack realized the horrible mistake she'd inflicted upon herself, and waved her hoof in panicked flurry.
"-- But dumb it down again for me, Twilight. You know I'd love to let you say all the details of it, but we've all got other important chores we've got to take care of. You can brief me on it later, Sugarcube."
Twilight blinked, then pouted, then pouted even more... but then her expression dropped all together. Her frown calmed, but went tight and somber on her face as she bit her lip. Her ears and withers sagged. Her tail flicked.
Applejack's heart dropped. She physically felt her little bit of hope crumble.
"It... It's no good, is it?"
"No. I'm afraid not. I had suspicions when I saw the toxic flora around, but..."
And that meant more days on this ship. More days scanning the empty horizon, looking for little orbs dotted with green. More days floating around and tying herself down to sleep so they could conserve magical power. More walks onto hopefully-hospitable planets hoping for miracles-- water, magic, good soil, animals, maybe other ponies or other folks entirely.
More days spent waiting, looking out that big old porthole window, remembering flashes of fire and ashes and the little planet underneath all of those things. The planet that used to be her home.
Applejack sighed. Disappointment hung in her chest. Disappointment and pain. For a hot second all she wanted to do was scream, but...
But... it would be okay. She couldn't let herself get down about this. Not when Twilight looked so crushed. When everypony except Pinkie Pie (more like especially Pinkie Pie) were feeling so down. She still had friends to support, and a mission to follow through with.
For her family. For her friends. For herself. For all of them she needed to keep her chin up and be the dependable pony she'd always been.
She sighed again.
"It'll be all right, Sugarcube. We got plenty of food in the meantime, and you know we can get through this. Now come over here."
As she yanked Twilight into a hug, Applejack smiled.
Fluttershy giggled as she gently placed the box down on the ground. Inside, the cardboard was rattling and she could hear the scritches of excited little critters raring to play and explore. Her wings fluffed and she giggled, and oh she could barely contain herself. This was one of her very favorite parts of winter! All of the newcomers were always so excited to see snow for the first time, so they always ran around and kicked up powder, and dug holes and trenches, and bit at it, and frolicked!
Fluttershy was always so confused when ponies asked her if she got sad and lonely during the winter since all of her animals were sleeping. And yes, she did miss many of her friends so very much while they hibernated... but not all of them did. She was surrounded with love!
Other kinds of ponies seemed to equate winter with both death and rest-- to them it was a quiet, mourning time of year of nature, where the land withered away and rested until the new rebirth of spring came along. Fluttershy definitely agreed with that somewhat, and it was a beautiful thought. That everything was ending, but also getting ready to begin anew.
But anypony who thought it was quiet and dead had obviously never seen fourteen puppies rolling around in the snow simultaneously.
With a bright happy laugh, Fluttershy opened the box. "Now make sure to stay clear of the dens," she warned. "Our friends are still sleeping."
There was an explosion. An adorable, fuzzy explosion. And then there were fourteen puppies loudly gallivanting through the dead of winter, an elated pegasus following in their wake.
Rarity stomped through her house like a mad mare. Her mane was an absolute mess-- no! A wreck! Yes, a wreck seemed much more dramatic and also much more applicable to the absolutely abhorrent state her mane was in then, right then, at that one singular moment, as she stomped around her house. And not only that but her usually immaculate makeup was smeared-- and it really must be stressed that usually it was one hundred percent immaculate, and never in the name of all that is well and good in Equestria would she allow it to not be so unless she was entertaining Applejack or otherwise was in a state of complete crisis. Which she was. In a state of complete crisis, that is.
After all, how could she possibly not be? Everything was terrible. Everything was awful. Never before in her life had she been so very distraught as she was at this one singular moment, stomping around her house like a mad mare, her mane a wreck (specifically a wreck), and her usually immaculate makeup smeared. It was so very unbecoming, and yet! She couldn't help but fall to the whimsy of the moment, of the unbridled explosive emotion that was panic and rage and frustration and-- well, yes, it was a lot of emotions actually! Not only that but--
Oh. What was this?
...
Dear Rarity,
You seemed kind of grumpy this morning. Did something bad happen yesterday? Because I heard dramatic sighing from your work room and that usually means you ripped a fabric or something on accident. I hope your dress-making goes better today. Really, because you're kind of dramatic when things happen. And last time you got like this, you were brushing my mane and went all spaced-out while you were talking and I think you over-groomed me. I have a tiny little bald spot, but I guess it's okay because actually I think that might have been there before and I just never noticed it? It was way in the back, and really I only saw it because I was scouting for damage. Anyways I forgive you.
Oh and I left you cookies in the fridge, so if your sad maybe they can help.
Your bestest sister in the world, Sweetie Belle. 💙
Oh. Oh goodness.
...
...
Rarity stomped to her kitchen like a mad mare. As her life crumbled around her, as it all spiraled into an endless abyss of pity and self loathing-- she ate the cookies. She ate those cookies like a good sister should! And as she choked on the burnt, ashy corpse of what used to be flour and eggs, tears stinging her eyes, her heart swelling, she realized!
"Twilight, do you ever think about the fact that our eyebrows really aren't attached very well?"
"I... I... what? No I haven't-- what--"
"Because, I mean, I know I have them. I see them all the time in the mirror. Except only sometimes. I used to think they were under my mane, but my mane is way up on my head so it would just be silly for them to be there. Then I'd just looked surprised all the time! And, I mean, I am surprised by a lot of things but that's just ridiculous!"
"Pinkie."
"And... you know, now that I think about it......... oh my gosh Twilight! Twilight where are they? Look, they're not on your face right now. Are they on my face?"
"Uh, I-- um, yeah? But-- Pinkie--"
"You see! I'm making a surprised face and so you can see my surprised eyebrows-- oh, and now you're making a semi-confused-semi-concerned face, and so your eyebrows showed up and they're doing that thing where one of them is curved up and one of them is curved down! And that's just it. When we're just sitting around it's like they disappear, but I know they have to be there because when you get all semi-confused-semi-concerned they do that. Oh, and a couple of times you and Applejack have done that smug, sassy, raise one eyebrow thing, and so have I-- watch, I'll do it now. Hhhhhmmmmm. See? Totally sassy and cocky! Did you see them? Because I felt them, except now they're gone!"
"Pinkie Pie it is three in the morning."
"Oh I know. But what are we going to do about this?! Don't you want to do science and magic and find the truth?...... Twilight? Twilight are you sleeping? At a time like this?!"
"Ugh. Pinkie. We'll talk about it in the morning. Just-- get out of the castle and go get some rest, okay?"
"..... Okaaaay. I understand you're sleepy. I'll go now."
...
...
...
"She took a ladder up to my window and jumped inside, didn't she?"
...
"Yes. Yes she did. PINKIE! PINKIE, PLEASE DO NOT FALL DOWN!"
"Got it!"
"Applejack, do you ever think about the fact that our eyebrows really aren't attached very well?"
Rainbow Dash sat on the park bench. She sighed and stared at the birds. She tried to fluff her wings. Then she only sighed again, when nothing moved. Not that she really expected anything to, but still.
So much for the big tournament next month, huh? Or the show at the Games next year. Or--
Rainbow smashed one of her hooves to the bench with a snarl. Look, this isn't what she came out here for! Yeah, she could sit around being sad or whatever, but-- but hay, she'd already done that. And Twilight said it would probably be good to just take walks now and then to clear her head, and so he was trying. If only her stupid head would calm down... Hay, maybe if this kept going on it would be better to run over to AJ's or something. At least she could still run a race. Plus, it was always nice to walk the old Running of the Leaves trail with her, like old times. Then--
"Rainbow Dash?"
The voice was tiny. Well, not as tiny as it used to be, but still. Rainbow sighed a little, but there was a smile on her face. She knew who it was. If she was being honest, she... kinda hoped that she would walk by the park today like normal. It was always cool to see Scoots.
She turned around. Scootaloo looked a little rough. Like, emotionally rough. At least now she'd been getting some sleep, since she wasn't watching Rainbow to make sure she didn't need a nurse in the middle of the night or something. Well, Rainbow figured she was anyways, and her eyes didn't have circles as black as the pit of Tartarus under them anymore so that was cool.
"Hey squirt. Ah, I'm just sitting around. Taking in nature or whatever Twilight said," she shrugged, "It just seems kinda boring, but it's not like I have anything better to do. What's up?"
Scootaloo gave this weird little smile that looked like it would belong more on Fluttershy's face. She tucked her head, buzzed her wings. Her tiny wings. The same wings that hadn't grown any since she was a kid.
Rainbow couldn't help but stare for a second. Really stare and really look. Her mouth went a little dry.
She... well, Rainbow Dash guessed that she really got it now. And Celestia, this sucked. Scootaloo was stronger and had more awesome willpower than she ever realized before. Had she ever told her that?
Rainbow nearly socked herself in the mouth. Nah, she hadn't. She was too busy having an emotional breakdown in the hospital. And before that, well, she, uh... wasn't the best at comforting or anything, leave it at that. She tried, but until now? All her attempts were sincere, but they never really seemed as real as they did now, you know?
Rainbow was about to compliment her until the sun went down, but then she noticed that Scootaloo was pulling up her scooter behind her. The filly rocked it back and forth on its wheels, and played with her long spiky mane for a while until she looked up at Rainbow with a smile. And yeah, that smile was kinda shy, but it was also full of so much passion and fury she hadn't seen in Scoots for a while. That one look, like she was the best and most badass pony in existence, and was so happy because she was about to do something super awesome. She usually got that look when she knew a piece of Wonderbolts trivia that she knew Rainbow didn't, because Scootaloo was a cute little brat who learned how to be a sore winner from Equestria's best pegasus.
Now though?
"So, Rainbow Dash. Are you ready to get training?"
Rainbow snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Um, what?"
Scootaloo faltered for a second, but then she was puffing her fluffy chest out like a goober again.
"My wings have never worked," she said, and Rainbow's heart dipped, but Scootaloo was still going, "but I still get off the ground. If you think I'm gonna let you mope around, and not teach you the world's most exciting, gnarliest scooter tricks, then you're not Rainbow Dash."
There was silence for a second. Rainbow couldn't help but laugh a little.
Scootaloo sagged. "I mean-- only if you-- you don't have to, if you're still upset about--"
Then she pulled Scootaloo into the tightest hug in the world.
"Okay, okay," Rainbow said, "it'll be nice to get some wind again. Just take it easy on me, huh, Coach? I don't know if I'm ready for the," she snorted, "gnarliest scooter tricks this side of Equestria yet. I don't know how to ride one of these at all, and you're throwing all these advanced drills at me? Show some mercy!"
Scootaloo puffed out her little blushing cheeks-- but then she was smiling and rolling her eyes.
"Whatever, Rainbow Dash. I expect at least one quality trick by the end of the week" she paused and raised an eyebrow, "or are you not the most skilled, versatile pegasus in all of Equestria? If the pressure's too much, then I get it."
"You know, Coach... that almost sounded like a challenge."
She'd have to tell Scootaloo how unbelievably amazing was after she was finished getting her butt kicked by a scooter.
The birdhouses swayed softly in a silent breeze. Ferrets curled up underneath piles of cloth, all curled around each other. Mice let out itty-bitty snores from their dens. Angel, as well as the other rabbits, were either off to burrows or buried under blankets. It was serene. Calm. Almost silence.
And then Pinkie started giggling like crazy.
"Um, Pinkie Pie? What is it? Did I snore funny again?"
"Snort. No! I was-- I was just thinking-- earlier--" she broke off into little laughs. She tried to hind them behind her hoof and under their blankets, but it was no use. Her eyes were already watering and her cute face was going pink-er than normal. "When I pranked Rainbow Dash and-- and she looked back at me and she had that look on her face--"
She broke off into another peal of laughter. When Pinkie started snorting at the ends of her giggles, Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh too. Still-- hee-- she couldn't be too loud or else she would wake the animals, so it was best to just let Pinkie settle down until the sleepiness caught up with her.
With a fond sigh, Fluttershy cuddled up to her giggly friend until she calmed, and everything was silent once again.
"So," Applejack said as she plopped down in the chair next to Rarity. "You feelin' like you were just stepped on by a thousand manticores too, or is it just me?"
Rarity flinched away from the stink of sweat rolling off of Applejack, but didn't do much other then tilt her nose in the other direction. After all, it wasn't as if she smelled much better either... and even if she did, she just didn't have the energy to move. If resting a bit meant sacrificing some of her space and comfort, then so be it. She sighed, held her nasty unwarranted comment about hygiene, and slumped even farther against Twilight's dinner table. Applejack deserved her rest as well, not to be heckled for something she couldn't help.
"Well, that's not the exact analogy I would have used, but I suppose it fits. Out of all the times that horrible monster had to come around..." she sighed again, "it had to be when I was in the middle of a very important project."
Applejack laid down her head with a quiet 'thud'. "You're tellin' me. Things were already gettin' tough on the farm since we had that swarm of bug come through. Then comes this monster. Kicks my tail and leaves me an' Mac with even more work to do than before."
Both of them sighed once more.
...
"Hey, Rarity?"
"Yes, Applejack?"
"How about, once I'm done cleaning up this whole mess, I come down to model for your dresses? I know I don't know much about the fashion business, but maybe I can help you get them done faster somehow."
"You..." Rarity gaped, fishing for words, as a little smile curled onto her face, "Well, I would certainly appreciate that. Of course that means I would help you clean up the farm as well."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Really? You know that big thing we just fought covered half the orchard in some stinkin' goop, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. I realize that it will be... messy. And dirty. And on the whole unpleasant. But if you've got to deal with it, and are adamant about helping me in my endeavors, then I don't see why I shouldn't share that burden with my friend. Have you forgotten that we just slayed a monster together?" she laughed, "Should I have Twilight summon it back here so you can be reminded?"
Applejack rolled her eyes with a little chuckle, and playfully batted Rarity on the withers. Or at least that's what she tried to do. Her forelegs were a bit weak, so all she really succeeded in was throwing her hoof over Rarity's back. With a yawn, Applejack slumped further into herself, and as she shifted so did Rarity.
"Ah please, Rarity," she said with a wink, "some prissy frou-frou pony like you takin' down a monster like that again? It was a surprise the first time."
Rarity giggled, then snorted, then tutted at her. Her eyes were fluttering now, feeling like lead weights on her face. Rarity yawned and leaned further into her friend's side. Something told her she should be worried about the sweat, or the dirt, or the lingering awful odor of that foul creatures goop... but to hay with it. Applejack was her friend. A respected and loved friend, who just so happened to be extremely fuzzy and huggable.
"Well, I'd certainly do better than a brutish farm-pony like yourself. Surely you'd just rush into danger and get yourself even filthier."
The two of them laughed together, then melted into a cuddly pile.
When three other ponies shuffled in, groaning and whimpering, they didn't even budge.
Twilight walked into her dining hall, bags under her eyes and her mane frizzed. Her hooves were like led, her saddlebags felt as if they were weighted with sand, and the snoring Spike on her back made her feel like she was carrying Sisyphus' burden. She assumed that if she tried to use her horn it would either do nothing but smoke, or explode into a wonderful shower of magic and pain.
But it didn't matter now. She had finally sealed off the monster's escape for good. Now it was just time to tell the others they could go home since they didn't have to wait for approval of the seal anymore...
Oh.
Twilight blinked.
All her friends were... cuddling. Practically on top of her dining room table (scratch that, Pinkie Pie was actually curled up on top of it). All in a big pile, with Rarity and Applejack and Rarity in the middle. A big, cuddly, soft, warm pile.
She could wake them up... but oh Celestia, that looked inviting.
Yawning and cracking a smile, Twilight picked up Spike in her hooves and gently laid him down next to Rarity. Immediately one of Rarity's hooves encircled him to clutch him to her front like a teddy bear, and Spike grinned softly through a snore. She stared at that mess of adorableness for a second, looked around, wondered ow she would do this... then said 'buck it' and bellyflopped onto her table beside Pinkie Pie.
She happily excepted the pink hooves that wrapped around her tummy, and looked around one last time at her friends. The castle was safe. Pinkie Pie was hugging her. Rainbow Dash had sat down in a chair and fell asleep drooling all over Applejack, and Fluttershy had, at some point, curled up like a cat in Rarity's lap.
The last thing Twilight noticed before she gave into cuddly sleepy oblivion, was that Rarity and Applejack were positively beaming in their sleep.
Fluttershy's sigh was swallowed up in a cacophony of rumbles as she drove the machine farther into the Everfree. The metal behemoth underneath her left shallow markings in the soft soil paths; its rattling tore up her hooves while she pulled levers and pushed buttons; its noise scattered birds all around.
At one point, the size and loudness of the machine had been so... gulp... s-scary. It had sounded like a monster, and sometimes it still made her so nervous. The smoke that came out of it almost reminded her of a d-dr-dragon... Still, she'd mostly gotten used to it. After she'd gotten used to her itchy uniform, her little button adorned with the letters "FF" that would poke her uncomfortably sometimes, and the noise this thing made, after countless hours working -- well, it wasn't so bad. After all, she didn't have to talk to many ponies, and some of the places she went were pretty. In fact, they were gorgeous! For a little while, at least.
As Fluttershy rumbled up on her machine, a small white rabbit darted out across the trail-- with a shrill squeak, Fluttershy broke hard. The bunny was fast, thankfully, and so it got away without being smashed. After it bounced off, Fluttershy couldn't help but stare at its retreating form. Its ears stuck straight up and its legs bound away as quickly as the little critter could manage. It had seemed... scared, hadn't it? Just as scared as Fluttershy felt when she first heard that awful, loud noise...
Fluttershy wondered what it would be like to hold that bunny and tell it that she knew how it felt. To hug it close and get rid of all of its fears. To protect it and understand it.
Her blank flank tingled for a second -- but then the tingle died away.
She sighed again. There was no point fantasizing about something so silly, especially when her bosses and all kinds of other ponies depended on her to do her job. It would be rude and cruel of her to shirk her duties, no matter how much she wanted to. Besides, she did need the money.
So she drove her machine over to the nearest marked tree, and pressed her hoof to the giant orange button on her control panel. As the giant hungry claws on the front of the machine roared to life, and shredded the tree in a horrific screech of metal and wood that echoed through the entire Everfree, Fluttershy pretended she was okay. She pretended that this machine didn't scare her, or sound like a monster. She pretended that seeing the Everfree Forest slowly destroyed didn't hurt her in a deep way she couldn't understand, in a way that made her heart and soul and blank-flank hurt.
Most of all, she pretended she didn't see that little bunny in the distance, its body locked up in pure terror.
Twilight was reeling. Some kind of numb shock had lodged in her throat. She just didn't understand.
"Twilight. Geez, are you all right? I-- oh man, I tried to catch you but you were-- do you need to go to the hospital?!"
"No. No Rainbow Dash. I'm fine."
She had been practicing her flying with Rainbow Dash, just like any day. Seeing as Twilight was more stable, and had showed off lots of promise in her recent fight with Tirek, Dash thought she was ready to move on to tricks, if she wanted. Twilight agreed-- that would just mean more time with her friend, right?
Apparently, Twilight had gotten too eager. She-- She couldn't remember now, it was hazy and the confusion was choking her, but she flew up high. Extremely high. Something had happened, and she fell. Hard, and so very fast that Twilight panicked and forgot to teleport. And it wasn't as if she hadn't fallen before, or as if she hadn't taken a particularly nasty crash before -- but while equine bodies were very tough, it still hurt to fall. Even from a shorter height. After all, Rainbow had injured and broken wings before.
The spill Twilight had just taken? It was not a "shorter height". Not even close. Not to mention she had landed on her neck.
"Are you sure?! I-- you-- Twilight, you scared me! I've never-- I mean look at you, are you sure?! By the looks of you, looks like you landed all right, but you're all cut up and... wait... Are they disappearing?!"
But there was nothing wrong with her.
If Rainbow Dash fell like that she'd be dead, but... Nothing. No pain. Her wings were fine. She had cuts, but they... they weren't even bleeding. She suspected that in a second, there'd be no trace of them.
"Like I said. I... I'm all right, Rainbow. I'm perfectly fine."
She felt like she should be happy. After all she-- oh Celestia, she nearly died but because of her alicornhood she didn't. But...
Twilight put a hoof to her temple. The world was swaying.
"... Twilight? That's some freaky stuff. I mean, a crash that bad, and then that is a lot. Are you..."
"No, no, I'm really okay. It's just," she sighed, "a lot to take in."
Ever since they were little, Twilight had smelled like ink and old paper. She had shampoo and soap and stuff, but it changed throughout the years, so it was the sent of her books and letters that stood out most. She lived in a couple of different libraries throughout her life, so that wasn't much of a surprise. It was comforting though, in the same way that opening a book and smelling that page-paper was.
Applejack was kind of a mixed bag. She was a farmpony, right, and so she worked a lot. So a lot of the times she smelled like sweat, but at least then it wasn't bad, and nobody minded it much. Especially since it was usually covered up with the sweet, tart smell of apples and desserts. It just depended on the day really.
Of course, Pinkie Pie just smelled like pure sugar. Cakes, cupcakes, candy, entire bags of actual pure sugar, the mysterious stuff she always kept stashed in her mane right by her ear-- it all melted together into this over-bearing sweetness, like that pony was a candy factory personified. Sometimes it was nice, but other times it was almost too much. You got used to it though.
Fluttershy... okay, no offense, but Fluttershy stank. A lot. Which was surprising since she was always so well-groomed. It wasn't, like, rank or anything, but she was constantly surrounded by animals. Not that she was dirty -- she bathed more than regularly, and you could definitely get a whiff of soap hidden in there somewhere -- but there was always this heavy, gamey smell that followed her around. It was gross, but not too bad if you pretended you were hugging an old dog or something.
It was kind of impossible to describe Rainbow Dash's scent. As in, it was so many piled on top of each other it was hard for your nose to keep up. She showered using this one really strong soap, and then on top of that you could tell she used like three kinds of hair gel and some kind of body spray. Plus then she went flying and working out so there was sweat in there, on top of the rain and ozone and burny-smell of lightning... it was a mess. Not a bad mess, just... It kinda made your nose confused, is all.
And Rarity. Sweet, beautiful, flawless Rarity. She smelled like heaven, and flowers, and perfume, and everything pretty in Equestria, and all the best gemstones, and--
N-Not that Spike would know! Not like he would know-- a-any of that. Because to know any of that he would have to really pay attention when one of them was hugging him or patting him on the scales, and he didn't do that! That was sappy girl stuff! A-And it's not like he got so used to their smells that his superior nose could sense them before his eyes did, or anything, because that would be weird... wouldn't it? Gosh, you know, now that he thought about it, this sounded kinda creepy, didn't it?
...
...
... Nah. It was kind of a dragon thing, he thought. And he guessed that if he told Twilight or anypony, they'd just think it was cute. Bleh.
...
...
Now what was he saying about Rarity again? Oh yeah, she smelled like freshly-picked strawberries and...
Applejack limped across the path. Her mane, still unbelievably long tied up, swung dangerously close to the ground whenever her body would dip. The top of her head was bare. Her right ear had a tear at its tip. Whenever her metal hind leg met the dirt, it gave off a heavy thud and kicked up dust.
But none of that mattered anymore. After all, they finally slayed that beast. It was over now.
She dragged herself up the trail to the farm house, that old wooden house like a beacon, a life preserver just almost in her reach. She could almost imagine the Rainboom from so long ago, leading her here, telling her that this was home. Coming back, after... after all that time away... it felt just like that.
She only hoped things hadn't changed too much since she left. Though years would change anypony, she reckoned -- so she just hoped she hadn't missed anything too important. And that they hadn't written her off as dead when she disappeared on them.
With a sigh, Applejack reached the door. Inside, she could hear hooves clacking against wood, and the muted conversations between two faraway voices -- one was that old drawl, but deeper and slower now, and the other... well, she could hardly recognize it. It almost sounded like her mother, but Applejack knew better.
Something squirmed inside her chest. She felt a heat sting at her eyes, and she could hardly contain herself as she lifted her hoof and knocked on the door. It had been just so darned long without seeing them, and now she was finally getting that chance again. The chance to go home.
When Apple Bloom opened the door, Big Mac not far behind her, she smiled through her tears.
Twilight blinked. Her tea had gone cold and her breath had fogged the window.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's just... well, I just don't know what to do now."
Rarity ignited her long spiraled horn, and levitated her mane out of her face. Her long mane. Her long mane that now billowed softly against the downy wings at her sides.
"Well, I suppose it's up to you. You are the Princess after all, and this was just one mistake. A-- A simple one at that! Yes," she laughed waveringly, her plumage fluffing. "Why, you should see all of the dresses I've ruined in my time at the boutique; all of that thread wasted, all of those customers disappointed with the product. Absolutely dreadful! Compared to me you're golden, darling."
"I--" Twilight started. She scoffed, hot and heavy, then snorted through her nose to stop herself. She... she couldn't get mad at Rarity, she was only trying to help. "No Rarity, I'm really not. This wasn't just a simple mistake. In fact, I don't know if it's a mistake at all! But if it is-- I have to reverse it, Rarity. I have to, somehow."
Rarity just swirled her tea and dipped her new horn around. She wouldn't look at Twilight, and had this look on her face. A hesitant business-smile that Twilight couldn't really place. She had a few ideas though. After all, she had seen Rarity's eyes sparkle as she changed into a stunning alicorn.
Eventually, Rarity cleared her throat. "Well, maybe it wasn't. This is a gift you've given, Twilight! Just think of how secure Equestria will be now, of how many disasters will be averted, of how many villains shall be stopped in their tracks! And look how beautiful we all are!"
"Think of how dangerous it would be once one of those villains figures out that they can blow up mountains during a power surge."
Rarity's tea had gone cold a while ago too, but Twilight didn't comment on it. Just watched Rarity's face go sour after she took a sip out of politeness, or awkwardness, or need to fill the silence.
"Hmm. That is troubling. But surely the others would step up now that they have the power to. Surely! In fact, you could enact some sort of law-- after all, you are the Princess!"
Twilight rubbed the fog on the window away with her hoof. Outside, Roseluck and Lyra Heartstrings zoomed off on twinkling wings, their horns lit with mirth. Little foals, born earth ponies and pegasi, lifted objects with wavering telekinesis that popped and sparked. The entire town, the entire country, droned with waves of powerful new magic. With fleets of newly-made alicorns.
The sky was blue. So unbelievably blue, and soft, and bright. Inside of it, swimming around in that ocean of clouds, was the sun. It was hot, and it warmed Fluttershy's skin.
She stood up shakily, her leathery wings quivering. With one hoof, plated with dark armor, she lifted her ratty mane away from her face.
Why... why, this didn't make any sense. One second she was following around animals in the forest, looking for game for her Mistress. And then there was the alicorn that made that portal, so she followed her through it to try to stop her- she wouldn't want to shirk and make her glorious empress angry at her at all, that would be awful! So she followed the alicorn and-
Fluttershy closed her eyes. The light burned hot against the skin of her eyelids, painting the backs of them red. A comfortable wind rolled past, billowing at her tail and the curls of her unshorn fetlocks. In the distance, she heard the singing of birds. The chatter of ponies. The calm, gentle laughter of ponies who weren't afraid all the time. Not like Fluttershy was.
She opened her eyes again. The sky was a baby blue here. The sun shone. The day, glorious and comforting, had finally banished the night. After so long...
For the first time in five years, Fluttershy smiled.
"My faithful student, whatever is the matter? You always seem so troubled when you visit me these days. Are you having friendship problems back in Ponyville?"
"I-- oh, no! Of course not Celestia, I've explicitly detailed all of recent problems in our Friendship Reports. Anything that's come up has been solved by now."
"That's always good to hear, Twilight. You've certainly made bounds of progress in your studies. So why is it that you seem so... unhappy?"
"Well... I- I mean, I'm not unhappy, Princess. Why, I'm better than ever. I have good friends and a library and-- yes! Yes, I've never felt better!"
"... Twilight... you know you can talk to me. If this issue is bothering you, is so upsetting that you can't bring yourself to speak to your friends about it, I promise you that you can trust me. You know I love you, my little pony."
"I... I know, Princess Celestia... I know that you care about me. And I... I promise, it has nothing to do with my friends. That's... kind of the problem."
"How so? I'm all ears, Twilight."
...
"Okay. O-Okay, well. It's just that, lately, I've been feeling so-- empty. And that doesn't make any sense! Now I have friends, ponies who care about me and liste to my problems, and who I love with my whole heart. In a way, I'm more fulfilled and content than I've ever been. I sincerely like the ponies I met in Ponyville, Princess Celestia. I like to spend time with them, talking with them makes me feel so happy-- but I'm not happy. Not... entirely. And it has nothing to do with them. It's just... me.
It feels like there's this weight inside of me wherever I go now. Well- I guess it's always kind of been there, now that I think about it. I was always just so focused on my studies, on filling my head with knowledge, that I was able to push past it. But over the past couple weeks it's been bothering me. A lot. No matter what I do, how "happy" I am, there's this emptiness that follows me at every hoofstep. Just last week Spike caught me staring off into space and crying. I can't even remember why I was crying! I just... I feel so sad, Celestia. Some days I don't even want to reshelve the books or study the new tomes that were just donated. It all seems like so much and-- and it doesn't make me feel as giddy as it used to. Other days I'm normal, but most times... I feel like there's something broken inside of me, or like somepony put a curse on me or something ridiculous like that. Of course right now the impact is minimal, but that hex is spreading over me, over everything. Every step I take, every time I breathe, every time I talk to a friend, there's this shattered thing inside of me whispering that none of it matters. And-- And sometimes I believe it, Princess Celestia, I--"
...
"Oh Twilight... I wish I knew of a way to take your pain. All I can say to you, my faithful student, is that you are not broken. You are a powerful, smart and kind mare, one who has slain evil with nothing but the love she and her friends have in their hearts. If you're hurting now... Twilight, we can find a way to help ease that hurt. I will, personally. And I'm sure that if you told your friends about this, they would be there to support you at every turn."
...
"Twilight? You've done a very powerful thing. You've come to a friend for help when something hurt you, when something inside urged you to turn to isolation. I know that's not easy, my little pony. I know from experience. A thousand years of it. Now please, Twilight, look at me."
...
"You matter. Your life matters, and not only because of what you've done for Equestria. Because you are a wonderful young mare, and you have so many who love you. That love, Twilight Sparkle? It is no mistake. Do you understand?"
...
"I... I don't know if I do, Princess. But I promise you, I'll talk to my friends. And... and thank you. Thank you so much. For listening to me."
At around six in the afternoon, Barley and Sugarpop crashed into the house, shaking and screaming. Sugar's hooves were covered in dirt and muck, and she just kept screaming that she'd dug something up. She was playing out by the river like she always did, was just looking for frogs, and she found something. Something, except then she saw a face--
When Oak Branch called in Streusel and the two of them managed to calm the children down, Barley only started crying. Through a wavering voice, he managed to say,
"I think we found a dead body."
There were sirens everywhere. Voices. Fuzzy pictures flicking past her eyes. But it was... distant, far away, as if she was under a thousand different weights, under the rush of mucky water.
As if she'd been buried alive.
Through her eyelids, which were heavy and wet with something cold, a sudden light burned red. All of her senses fell away to the color stinging her eyes-- so she opened them.
There were gasps and murmured voices, and there was a face in front of hers.
Twilight thought that face looked a lot like Applejack.
Cinnamon Apple looked back and forth between the pony on the hospital bed, and her own body. Between the muted peaches and whites of her own coat, and the explosive pop of that purple. The stone-cold blankness of her own flank, and the star etched onto the fur and skin. All of that was probably just a fad, some dye and ink-- but that didn't explain the rest of it.
Above her mouth, which was stuffed with a tube, and her gently closed eyes, was a horn. On her back, broken and bent, lay two feathery wings. The mare didn't even look like a pony anymore. More like a twisted mix of a horse, rhinoceros and a bird.
Not to mention that she'd been under that riverbank for a while; long enough that her lungs and stomach had been completely full of muck.
--And yet she was still alive.
Cinnamon felt like she was going to faint. She'd think herself crazy if all those other ponies hadn't seen this mare too. As it stood, she just didn't know what to think. The only explanations she had were that maybe some ponies had bred with some other things, or this was a genetic mutation, or she was some experiment escaped from a lab somewhere.
Somehow though, she knew that wasn't true.
The hospital window, fogged over with the dark of night, revealed a rolling landscape of asphalt, tall buildings, and technology Twilight had only seen a few times before. This almost seemed like the Canterlot High universe, especially since that "Cinnamon Apple" mare reminded her so much of Applejack. Maybe there was another mirror? She couldn't remember.
She only wished that her throat wasn't so itchy.
Twilight collapsed back into aching sleep before she could pry out the tube.
They all stared at her. Twilight blinked again. Her eyes still hurt, and she was confused.
"Wha--" Cinnamon started. "What did you say your name was?"
"I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, of Equestria. Please, tell me... where am I? Do you know what happened to my friends?"
None of them answered her.
Sprinter, an earth pony that looked too much like Rainbow Dash only without the "rainbow" part, laughed in her face.
None of them believed her until she ignited her horn with a crackle of magic-- then, in a moment of flurried panic, ponies ducked and collapsed to the floor, their faces white.
It would be a few days before they then brought her the book.
This was, Twilight learned, Equestria.
She gasped breathily, her hooves shivering over the tome at her lap. The pictures, painted accounts of alicorns and fantastical magic-users, should have been beautiful. For the other ponies in the room this should have been tale of mysticism and sorcery, of grand wizards which used nonsensical powers to vanquish evil. For Twilight, they should have been familiar, if hyperbolic, scenes from her home.
They should have been. They would have been, if not for all the blood and gore depicted. The paintings of ponies being murdered.
This was Equestria, and a lot had changed in the last ten thousand years.
It dripped off of her in a putrid slop. The ooze, so beautiful until it mixed together into a green-brown, smeared out of her, down her entire body, onto the ground. Rainbow Dash watched as her coat turned a slate gray, her mane leaking away its hues into a jiggling puddle. The pale pink of her skin was gone, rolling down her hooves in bright rivulets.
When it was all done draining away, Rainbow Dash was left a specter of black and white, ghostly pale and shaking. On the ground, a globby mass of what used to be her color shivered in place.
"Uh, Twilight?! What in the hay was that?!"
Twilight, gasping in panicked air and desperately flipping pages as fast as she could, shook her head. "I-- I don't know! I didn't even cast it on you, I cast it on the--"
The two of them went silent as a wavering, hissed laugh wormed its way through the air. At the back of the castle, Discord's friend the Smooze lay on the crystal, shimmering with the purple light of Twilight's magic. She had been hoping to do experiments, starting with just figuring out what he was made of, but...
"I think the Smooze is having an adverse reaction to my magic," she said as she searched through the book. "Maybe the material his body is made of somehow reflected his properties onto you? Onto your colors? Oh, I don't know Rainbow, this just doesn't make any sense. But whatever it is, I'm sure we can--"
She stopped cold. A drop of purple liquid dripped onto the page she was reading.
At the same time, the Smooze shivered. So did the mass of Rainbow's colors on the floor.
Twilight twitched as more of her purples, blues, and pinks started to pour down her body like a waterfall. As she did so, she flipped another page on accident--
On it was a picture of a cold gray Equestria, smothered under a giant blob of color.
All of Fluttershy's critter friends had already lain down their heads tonight. Not that she blamed them of course. They'd all had a very busy day today, so it made sense that they'd tuck in early.
It's just... she didn't think she'd ever be used to the silence anymore.
For a while Fluttershy sipped her tea. She stretched her aching wings, kneaded the strained muscle in her right foreleg, rested her head on the table. After a little bit of that, she turned her sights to the right side of the room.
She knew that there was a picture in one of those kitchen cabinets, turned upside down with the glass frame broken. She knew that it was of her and an old friend, smiling and hugging each other. She knew it was taken a long, long time ago.
Most importantly, she knew that Discord would never come back.
Nope. She wasn't going to do it. Wasn't going to happen.
His mouth creaked open like an old rusty door, his smile getting even bigger.
No. If-- If he wanted grapes then he should have eaten his greens first.
His right eye sparkled, shone in the light. His lest eye eventually caught on and did the same. It almost looked like fake tears were welling up, but to be fair it was hard to tell. An hour or two from now, a single tea might roll down his slimy cheek. Still, Tank tried to sell it anyway. He made a... whimpering sound? Could tortoises make those? Rainbow Dash wasn't sure, but it sounded like he was whining.
And-- And hay, if he was whining then he deserved it even less. He should be a good tortoise and eat his collard greens... oh, but now he was toddling towards her. He would probably cuddle her leg eventually... Aw, but-- Well, it was only a few grapes, and tortoises could eat those, surely he could have some. He hadn't had them in a few feedings now...
Tank made it to Rainbow Dash's leg. Then, like she knew he would, he nuzzled her. Slowly. Adorably.
Aw Celestia.
"Uuuuuuuugggghhhhhhh, fine. But only this one time, got it?!"
Tank just ate his grapes like the conniving, cute little tortoise that he was.
Glitter Glue stopped dead in her tracks. And then she gasped. She breathed in the breathiest breath of her life and thn she had to blow out her cheeks like a fish because if she didn't then she would scream, and the other ponies got mad at her the last time she did that.
Because she just felt a pang. A warm, sparkling, wanting pang all the way down into her glittery soul. And she felt that pang after looking at a certain pony.
The pony, a black unicorn mare with a soft pink man, trotted down the street with a little yellow dragon on her back. She had this look on her face, and her eyes kept going wide when she looked up at the broken-down crystal castle in town.
It was Twilight Sparkle, and Glitter Glue-- no, Pinkie Pie-- knew it. Well, maybe she wasn't Twilight now, but Glitter was absolutely, positively, super-duper sure that she was. She didn't know when or where she had been Twilight Sparkle but she just had been, the same way Glitter had been Pinkie Pie.
Glitter Glue started dancing. A full on throwing-her-body around dance. Later, she'd have to go back to her studio and dance in there too, and then paint a picture about how happy she was because she was just that happy because-- because-!!
She'd been waiting for so long. Since she was a little filly. Since before she was a little filly, when she was a pegasus colt named Astonish, and before she was Astonish, when she was a unicorn named Happy Pop. And probably a lot more "before"s than that. She didn't know, it got fuzzy after a while-- but it didn't matter.
Twilight Sparkle, or whoever she was now, was here. With her. Which meant now, after so long...
They would all be together again, at least for one more lifetime.
The wind whistled softly against the tall coarse grass, sending it whipping against your legs. It itched. Pieces of it broke off and flew into your socks, so you dug at your ankle with the tip of your shoe mindlessly. The cold clung to your skin like a wet blanket, and the air cut you down to the bone with how chilly it was.
The darkness hummed. Your ears rang. Everything around you sang in a numb nothingness, still except for the muddied shadows of swaying trees. There was a road to your left, but no cars passed.
You stared ahead. Like you had been for a while now.
You saw teal eyes blink in front of you.
Your pulse had been racing for what felt like hours now. The thing in front of you wouldn't move. By now your eyes had adjusted, and you saw that it was what looked to be a horse with wings. Its feathers ruffled. Its chest rose and sank with hushed breath. Steam rose from its nose.
It hadn't blinked in a long, long time. Neither had you.
Eventually it opened its mouth and more steam puffed into the air, rolling off of its tongue.
Now that you looked harder, and now that its whipping hair moved just the right way, the thing looked like it had a giant bump on its head. Like a spike.
It waved around, looking deathly sharp and too close to you, as the horse spoke.
"You can't escape," it said. "No matter where you go, it will follow you."
You said nothing.
"It will hang over you like a shroud."
You said nothing. The horse stepped closer.
"You'll live with it for the rest of your life," it said.
You didn't answer. Your mouth felt tight. You tried to open your lips but couldn't.
"Do you know why?" the horse asked.
With shaking hands, you watched as it came ever closer.
"Because I said so. Because I decided so. Because these are the types of things that never truly go away."
Your face felt strange. You wanted to say something or run away, but your legs weren't moving. So you tried to say something again. Nothing came out. You didn't feel your face move at all, even though you were trying so hard.
"The fear shall be a constant," the horse laughed. Its horn was getting closer. You didn't know what was wrong. Why did your mouth feel so numb?
You lifted your hands up to your face.
There was nothing there.
The horse smiled at you. Her teeth were brutally sharp.
"It's always missing here," she said.
You were scared.
"Good," she said.
You wanted the nightmare to end.
"Another one will come. Don't you understand, you little fool?"
You didn't.
"I am the Nightmare. And the Nightmare shall last forever."
You woke up covered in sweat. The blankets were hot, so you kicked them off with shaking legs. There were tears rolling down your face and collecting at the edges of your lips. You wiped at your cheeks and nose with the back of your hand.
You couldn't remember the nightmare anymore.
After a few moments, you collected yourself and blinked irritably at the clock. Of course. Yet another night spent tossing and turning , of waking before your alarm. And of course this had to continually happen on the nights you most needed your sleep.
You turned off your alarm seconds before it was set to go off.
You laid in bed for a few more minutes until there was a knock on the door.
"Luna?" your sister asked. Of course she was well-rested. She probably already had her suit on. "Are you awake?"
"Yes, sister," you said. You rubbed your eyes again. Then you got up for the day.
As you ate breakfast and thought of the students you would see today, you felt strange.
Rainbow froze. She whipped around, her ears folded back, and then grimaced as a few flecks of mud splashed onto Twilight's face.
Speaking of Twilight, she had only been out on a quiet night jog to stretch her legs and take in the sights of Ponyville (she was still trying to get to know her way around; yeah Ponyville was tiny compared to Canterlot, but there were also a lot of hidden vistas that she would hate to miss out on) when she passed through the middle of town and saw... Rainbow Dash. Standing completely caked with mud and furiously trying to clean her wings. In a birdbath.
Twilight had come to expect some crazy things from these ponies, but this seemed more like something Pinkie Pie would do.
"Oh!" Rainbow chuckled, scratching at the back of her neck with a hoof. Her cheeks were dusted pink. "Just, you know. Taking a quick bath."
Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"You mean you're taking up the space of the poor birds?"
Rainbow Dash blinked owlishly, her tail flicking, and looked up. Standing at the edges of roofs and mailboxes, dusty birds sat chirping like mad.
"Well-- I mean- I got here first! And I needed to clean my wings," Rainbow squeaked, flicking the muddy feathers for emphasis. "What was I supposed to do?"
Twilight raised her other eyebrow. Then she looked up and around at the twinkling night sky, and quickly pointed to a nearby cloud that seemed full enough with rain.
"Oh. Uh, well-- I mean--"
Rainbow sighed. It was one of the most defeated sounds Twilight had ever heard come out of her mouth. For a second she just stood there with a frustrated scowl on her face and swirled a hoof into the shallow basin of water.
"Look, I crashed, okay? It was a pretty nasty one too, so my wings are kind of sore and I can't make it into the sky right now. I at least wanted to clean up before I barged in on somepony and asked if I could stay the night."
Twilight giggled just a little (she didn't want to hurt Rainbow's pride too much, after all), shook her head, and then gently held a hoof out to where Rainbow was still pouting.
"I'm sorry to hear that Rainbow, and I hope you're not too badly. But you know the library isn't too far from here, and I always stay up late to study. You could have just asked to use my tub."
"Yeah, yeah. I wasn't thinking, alright?" Rainbow snorted, but still accepted Twilight's hoof. Gingerly, she hopped down from the birdbath and gave a tiny shake to her hooves and the tips of her feathers. "But um... is that offer still open? This mud is getting kind of cold."
Twilight giggled again, then started a slow trot back towards Golden Oaks. "Of course, Rainbow Dash. And don't worry..."
She flashed a sneaky little smirk back at Rainbow, who blushed and grimaced.
"This whole thing will be our little secret."
"Thanks, Twi. You have no idea how much AJ would rub this in my face if you told her. I'd have to prove I was the better athlete ten times over before she's stop calling me birdbrain! Heh, I mean, not that I'm not the better athlete..."
"Twi, sugar... how have you been holding up? You've been locked up in here for a while now, and I know you're sore about it, what with your special talent and all. Are you... doin' okay?"
"I don't know anymore, Applejack. Am I? Are we? What about your farm? A-and with what happened to Cloudsdale, I... goodness, AJ, I don't even care about my magic. What about everypony who... Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's family's are-- gone, and I'm supposed to care about some stupid horn?!"
"Now don't be like that Twi, t'ain't fair to yourself. I know you're hurtin' about all the tragedies that have been happening, but that doesn't mean you have to pretend losing your magic ain't affecting you. You need to be honest about everything going on in your head."
Silence.
"Furthermore, don't you fret none about my farm, sugarcube. Might be a bit hectic for a while, while we figure everything out the way it is now. And 'course we have some emergency bits saved up. And as for RD and Fluttershy, they... well, I..."
A sigh. It sounded wet and heavy.
"Shoot, they'll get through this. Won't be easy. But they're tough girls, you know that. And they'll have us with them the whole time. Magic of friendship, right?"
"I..." another sigh, this time from Twilight. "Yes. I suppose you're right. Even if everything is-- even if it all seems so broken now, we... I know that the magic of friendship shines within all of us still, even if nothing else does. We just have to stick together. Right?"
"Eeyup. Like we always have. It'll all be okay in the end, sug, trust me."
"I would never doubt you, AJ. I guess we just have to keep moving forward."
On her absolute best days, Rarity saw her dresses as pieces of fine art. As those models strutted down the stage, hips alight with flaming color as the sheen fabric fell about them like water, her heart would pump with something... so very beautiful. Respectful. Her awe-filled eyes would gaze at the fashion before her as if she herself had not made it - that was impossible! Surely, surely, this had to have been made by somepony, some one, some thing far more smart than she, some goddess above who crafted every seam and stitch with effortless clarity. It was that easy for her to produce such results. That gorgeous. And the audience? Well, they agreed of course.
Today, Rarity looked at her finished work and felt nothing. It was fabric. Just fabric. Draped over a mannequin like a ghost, a pale image of what could have been, if only she had done a better job. Been better. Been...
Normal. How she used to be. As good as she used to be. But she wasn't, not any more. She hadn't been for a very, very long time.
Now, Rarity wasn't one to wallow in self pity without good reason, not after that incident with her friends' frightful Gala dresses ages ago, but this was altogether another beast. Sure, from the outside it must seem to other ponies like just a slump or art block, as any creative type goes through every once and awhile, but she knew better. She wouldn't be lying on the floor in her dank and dusty workroom feeling sorry for herself if this were just a small bump in the road. No, she'd be kicking herself in the tail and getting back to sketching until she'd worked it out and once again gotten back to her usual grace. Or at least she would go see her friends, and maybe even ask Coco Pommel or Sassy Saddles for advice. But this was different. She could feel it.
Deep in her bones, this ache tore at her. Heavy, an anchor tied to a balloon above her head, ready to fall and crush her the moment she picked up a sewing needle. More than a slump. More than sadness.
The public didn't know just how long she'd spent pushing out rehashes - their eyes weren't trained enough, and even if they were they couldn't possibly know. They didn't know how many days she had tried, again and again, to feel anything but this awful, clinging, rotting apathy that ate away her very bones, very spirit.
At least twenty-four months by now, she'd wager. Twenty-four months of churning out pieces that meant nothing. Just sitting here. Feeling so lost.
Earlier today she had given it one more chance, a real college try, as they say. The sewing needle wobbled in her magical grip from disuse, and she tore at the fabric clumsily from how out of practice she was, but she did it in the end, and she hoped that now, after all this time, she would be able to move on and once again create her art and feel that spark of pure happiness it once brought her.
Rarity looked at her finished product, her makeup a mess, her mane clumped up and frizzy atop her head.
She saw nothing. Only fabric. It was in the shape of a dress, of course, and her clientele would surely be unable to see a difference. But she knew better.
"Oh, Spike, why aren't you more excited? Aren't you glad to see our friends again?"
Spike, his bulky arm hanging limply out of the sky carriage, looked over. Twilight, tall and thin and effervescent in a way S;pike still hadn't really gotten used to even after all these years, was looking at him like he'd spat on her hay fries or something. The only time she stopped giving him the confused half-death-glare, half-concerned-motherly-gaze, was to fiddle with her uncomfortable regalia and pretend that she wasn't thinking of throwing it off the side of the cart.
Spike rolled his eyes. "Of course I am, Twilight. Just... I wouldn't get your hopes up You remember how Celestia's Ponyville visits always went, we're totally gonna get called off to some more boring paperwork or something."
Twilight just tutted at him. Ran a hoof through her ethereally flowing mane, and nudged his side. "Come on, Spike, you can't know that. Besides, you know I triple checked my list! With any luck, and barring any national disasters, we're having a Pinkie Pie party tonight!"
"Don't jinx it."
Finally, finally, the Great Bejewled Swamp-Beast of Old crashed mightily to the ground. The entirety of Ponyville shuddered at the impact. Houses wobbled, windows shattering in their frames, flowers whipping wildly in planter-boxes. With a huff, the magical smoke oozing from the swamp-beast's mouth stuttered and stopped. The choking fog lifted. Ponies, dragons, gryphons and more began tentatively poking their heads outside their splintered doors. Li'l Cheese blew a raspberry at the monster out of spite, but also because he thought that raspberries sounded funny. Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich joined in after a few seconds, of course.
After that all was silent for a moment. The day was saved.
Then everypony started groaning in pain as they realized they did, indeed, just get their butts kicked for a good few hours before the magic of friendship saved them at the last minute. Again.
Sighing, Twilight lit her horn and lifted her friends as well as her previous students in her telekinetic grip. Thy floated gently to their hooves and feet, all the while rubbing at wounds and groaning. Yona (who -- oh wow -- was much bigger since the last time Twilight had seen her) had her thick coat knotted with clumps of some sort of goop, and Rarity was trying her best to make sure that nopony could see her inching away from the pile of Rainbow Dash's singed hair on the ground.
Spike was still lying a crumpled, groaning mess on the ground. He didn't even try to get up, just flopped his injured arm to the side and ignored the way the skin beneath that spot of scorched scales was stinging like crazy.
Moondancer scowled down at the book on her desk. She dutifully rolled the written word over and over in her head, and definitely didn't think about the fact that she'd already read this book seventeen times before. She didn't shiver uncontrollably at the chill leaking in from below the door, nor sniffle at the dust wafting around, or rub at her eyes because it was so dark and she didn't have enough energy to even relight her candle. She ignored the faint giggles of Canterlot fillies going out for a night at the town, and she read.
Her stomach churned with hunger, her throat rasped with dryness, but she ignored those things as well. She hadn't felt like going to the market for groceries today, meaning her larder was almost bare, and even if it wasn't she didn't want to eat right now anyways. Her stomach growled and ached for food, but nothing else inside her did. Same for water. She felt the discomfort but... honestly, she didn't care too much. She hadn't for a while. Plus she was going to the library tomorrow anyways, like she always did, so she could just buy some tarts and drink from the fountain there, so it would be fine. It didn't even matter.
The only thing that mattered was the book. She knew what happened in it, already, of course, but she had found her mind drawn back to magic theory again, and this afternoon she'd had a craving to reread this old beat up copy of Starswirl's manuscript she'd gotten from Twi--
-- somepony gave it to her a long time ago. Didn't matter who. She'd wanted to read it, is the point, and so she was.
It didn't matter that the emptiness in her stomach had spread to the rest of her body, leaving her body heavy and numb and her heartbeat speeding just a bit too fast. Or that her eyes were aching and twitching from straining them. Or that her behind had gone numb from this chair, that the numbness brought pain shooting up her back and neck, that she broke her glasses this afternoon, that her house was cluttered and dusty and falling apart, that there were noises of ponies outside her window so close and so very very far away--
She didn't think about it. She didn't think about how, if she really tried, she could go outside and say hello to those ponies and go out to that restaurant with them and chat with them about her favorite line in this very manuscript. Or at least stand up, stretch her legs, and buy herself something to eat so this awful cramping would go away. She didn't. Because it didn't matter. It wouldn't ever matter.
Because she had already tried, okay? She'd given friendship a shot. It didn't work out, and it never would, because she wasn't like those fillies outside trotting off to have a fun night. She never had been and never would be, because ponies never liked her for a reason. She got too attached and smothered ponies to death until they plucked her off like the leach she was then threw her away- and so then she would look at every other pony around her who did somehow like her for some reason, probably because she'd somehow tricked them all into thinking she was normal, and then she shoved them off of her so they wouldn't get to really know her, because if they really know her then they would leave too. She was just saving them a step, right? Moondancer wasn't stupid. She knew it would happen, and she knew Celestia-damned well it would be her own fault, too. So it was better for her - and for those ponies she would inevitably leech off of - if she just went through the motions and followed her routine, and never tried. Not again. It didn't matter if she was hungry, or thirsty, or bored, or crushingly lonely, or currently sobbing into page one-hundred thirty-seven of the copy of the book her first friend, her first heartache, had given her ages ago.
The only thing that mattered was the book itself. Because maybe, oh Celestia maybe, if she reread these words and let them roll around in her head and settle fully into her heart once again, then some sort of thrill would swell through her soul once more. Maybe she would red it and it would fill her with that understanding, that "aha!" moment, that strength that it had to the first read-through, and she would be able to do it. She would be able to smile tonight, and get up and at least force herself to choke down a scoop of peanut butter and a sip of water, and to rinse her mane under the sink, instead of flopping uselessly down into her sweaty bed and laying there for twenty hours before she dragged herself to the library again, and again, and again. Dear Celestia, it had to, because if it didn't...
With a blink, Moondancer realized. It didn't matter if this book didn't make her happy anymore, either. Because even if it did, Celestia knows that tomorrow would be the same. She wouldn't talk to anypony except the librarian, then she would waste away her hours researching everything and nothing. She would check out some books, read them, and then the cycle would start all over again. So she would break out this book one more time, give another broken prayer to the Goddesses above to please let this fix her, let her feel something, anything, for once- and it wouldn't. And even if it did, Celestia knows that the next day would be the same...
She was a race horse, circling and circling, running herself ragged across that track, except there was no glory, no trophy, no crowd to watch her struggle. There wasn't even a finish line. Her reward for running a lap was the fact that she was alive, and so she was able to run another. And it was her own fault. She'd made the track herself, and one day she would collapse on it.
So Moondancer closed the book. She didn't bother looking around the house and seeing what a mess it was. She didn't lock her door, or take off her disgusting sweater, or clean her glasses, or even take a sip of water.
She laid down in her bed and stared at the ceiling until she made relative, numbing peace with the fact that she would be this way until the day she died. It was better if she excepted it and moved on.
In her dreams, Luna at least let her feel something. Sleep was fleeting but peaceful enough.
Then she woke up, and got ready to go to the library. She went. She picked out some books. She brought them home. She read.
--There was a knock at her door. She had been on page two hundred this time.
Somepony punched a whole through the rotting wood with a hoof.
Twilight Sparkle was standing outside.
And the track Moondancer had been running on for ages now finally, finally, had a checkered flag.
Pinkie Pie had a party to plan today. It was going to be a big shebang with all the works, and she'd even gotten hold of that super delicious chocolate fountain for an extra special surprise! There was going to be singing and dancing and the liveliest music to ever grace Ponyvilian ears and everything was going to be so supertastically fun! Pinkie knew that. But today...
Well, you see, usually when Pinkie planned her super big parties she would pump herself up, make sure she was full of vim and vigor and vinegar and all sorts of other "v" words, so that everypony who attended would have the greatest time in the world. And usually it was so easy to do that, because she would think about those smiling faces, and the way the birthday foal's eyes would light up when the streamers popped from the ceiling and turned the floor into more of a confetti ocean, and she would be so super-duper excited. But today she wasn't. Today she felt... well, pretty terrible, actually.
Pinkie hummed into her crossed hooves, smooshed her head further into her fluffy pillow. Everything felt heavy. Her hooves were bricks, tying down the party balloon in her heart, or something like that. Twilight always was better at those metaphor thingies than she was. The point, though, is that Pinkie felt awful and sad and hollow, and she shouldn't. She couldn't! Because she was the element of laughter and little Toola was counting on her to throw this big bash with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. But Pinkie.... she just-- she didn't--
There wasn't even a reason! There was no reason for her to feel this way, right? So it was just silly that she had cried so much in the last hour. Except not the fun ha-ha type of silly. Stupid silly. "You're letting everypony down and now they'll know you're broken and won't love you or want to be your friends anymore" kind of silly.
It felt like a boulder to the chest. Pinkie would know. It hurt so bad and weighed her down, this invisible anchor with no name. And yet the apathy wouldn't let her care enough to try to fix it. So instead Pinkie Pie had shut the lights off and closed the blinds and pretended that she was just doing super secret planning, when in reality she'd just laid here feeling like a blob of wet flour for the last little while.
Pinkie sighed. Then she sighed again, her chest pinching so tight, when she saw Gummy toddle up to her bedside because -- no! Nopony, and certainly no gators, were supposed to see her like this. Now Gummy would either think she was being a dummy, or he'd feel guilty, or-- or--
Gummy hopped up onto the bed. Pinkie didn't have the energy to shove him away.
He gently, gently, chomped down on her cheek. And by chomped she meant more "placed his tiny gator gums so softly to her face and squeezed in a little baby nibble". It was like a cute little kiss.
He nibbled and nommed on her cheek some more. It was drooly, but warm. When Pinkie held her hooves out, Gummy curled into a scaly ball at her chest, and then gave a nip to her muzzle. Right on her little pony nose.
"Oh, Gummy," Pinkie wavered. A few tears crawled down her face and dripped onto his hide. He just kissed/chewed on her more in response.
She snuggled into his touch, and gave her first smile of the day. It was tired, and heavy, and looked broken under those tears, but it was a smile.
Maybe Pinkie Pie could get through today, after all.
It sizzled as it met the bubbling oil; steam and smoke rose from the cut as the outside crisped and blackened slowly. A heavy, hearty scent rose from the hunk of meat, something carnal and bloody and full of spice.
When it landed on a plate before Rainbow Dash’s muzzle, her cheeks were already tinged green.
“Hah! I knew it, Dash,” Gilda snorted from atop her stool, as she elbowed Rainbow in the gut. A sneer wormed up her face, “You talk a big game, but you ponies are just too chicken to–”
A knife and fork split the skin of the meat, carved it into a large, heaping chunk. Fluttershy popped the hunk into her mouth.
There was the grinding of flesh against bone as Fluttershy chewed at the gamey piece with her flat teeth, then after a moment… she hummed. Smiled and rubbed a skinny hoof to her chin.
“Oh, um, well,” she started, “I’ve only had fish before this, but I actually think this is pretty good. Um, aren’t you going to try it, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash just gaped at her. Gilda laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
“Oh, don’t worry, Rainbow. I guess not everypony can be as brave as me.”
Gilda knew she kept Fluttershy around for a reason.
Applejack didn’t really know how to feel about the stained glass.
She cocked her head at it as her friends trotted (or in Pinkie’s case, hopped) ahead through the castle, chattering all the way. Normally Applejack would be pleased as punch to join them in their talk, but something about this hallway – the sun pouring like apple jam through the depictions of her friends’ adventures – always got under her hide. She wouldn’t lie: even though he was sort of her friend now, or at least pretty darn close to becoming so, part of those jitters came from the memory of that first meeting with Discord. The shape of him moving unnaturally across the colorful glass like a snake in the grass, it just sent shivers down her spine thinking of the way she abandoned her Element and her friends soon after.
But mostly it was her. That little picture of her on her hind hooves, front hooves in the air like she was just raring to go off and save Equestria one more time.
Of course, it wasn’t as if she regretted it none. She was proud to fight beside her friends, save the nation she called her home. It was just…
Applejack gulped. She brought her hoof up and brushed the rim of her beloved hat.
Why, she was just a humble apple farmer. Giving a helping hoof to the ponies in town, being known as the most dependable pony in Ponyville, that was one thing. She loved helping ponyfolk, and it would be a lie to say she didn’t like at least a little of the attention it garnered her. But to be a national hero? Galavanting off and vanquishing magical demons and whatnot?
It was… she gulped. It was just a lot for a little pony to take in sometimes, that was all.
“AJ, come on! Put a move on, cowgirl!” RD called to her from down the hall.
Applejack shook her head of these silly thoughts. Overwhelming or not, the changes in her life had also given her some of the best friends in the whole wide world, some gals she would consider close as kin. And that meant more to her than some silly stained glass mural ever would.
So she buried the squirming feeling in her chest, let a smile replace her grimace, and trotted after Rainbow Dash.
Sweat rolled down Rarity’s mane, sopped into her coat cold and clammy. The metal rod in her mouth pinched at the edges of her lips, enough that the taste of rust seeped over her tongue. Still, she didn’t stop; she only threw her mane back as the sound of wood scraping against blazing fire filled her ears. Her magic manipulated the wooden block, her mouth and tongue deftly twisted the metal rod back and forth, and in another bolt of levitation there was a cane of gooey, viscous blue liquid trickling over her creation.
It had been hours, and still she didn’t stop to rest. As soon as this piece was done, breaking off the rod with a twitch of her neck and the delicate tink of a job well done, she simply floated it to stow away in the magic annealer and continued on.
This time, for this piece of the project… She hummed as she gazed out over bags of colored sand, dowels of hardened color in neat stacks. After a moment she whinnied in triumph, and picked out a simply darling shade of aqua. Now she just had to–
Rarity’s heart leapt into her throat as her hoof caught on a stray wood block on the floor. She stumbled, and as her magic fizzled and died, her instruments and ingredients tumbled out of the air all around her. With a squeal, she threw her hooves out in a desperate attempt to catch them before they hit the concrete–
They were all grabbed in a massive, meaty purple claw.
Spike, poking his gargantuan head and arms into the workshop, tutted at her, his finger extended to offer her tools back. Smoke rolled from his nostrils, layering on the heat thick and solid in the air.
“Careful, Rarity, you don’t have much of that color left. Are you sure you don’t want to take a break?”
Rarity primly grasped the offered elements in her magical grasp, snorting at him and gently stomping a hoof. Take a break? She shook the sweat from her mane in a shower of droplets, then trotted back to her work area. She was far too close to perfection for that.
And they all said that glass-blowing would be too “hooves-on” for the likes of her, especially at her - ahem - 'advanced age'. Ha! She would show the art world of Equestria and beyond what Mistress Rarity could really do when she set her mind to it.
“Nonsense, Spike,” she tittered, before mopping at her brow delicately with a handkerchief. “Now, be a dear and use your fire breath to reheat the kiln, would you?”
