//------------------------------// // Interlude // Story: Other // by andrizzi //------------------------------// *Sniff* “Come on… it’s not that bad.” “Yes *sniff* i- it is.” With her arm already wrapped around Fluttershy’s shoulder, Rainbow Dash gave another soft stroke to her friend. Then, Fluttershy used her hand to wipe out the tears from the corner of her eyes and everybody resumed walking. They had been following that routine for a while now. Walking in silence, Fluttershy getting emotional and tearing up, stop walking, Rainbow Dash supporting her, and resuming to walk in silence. And in all this, Applejack could only stare them by the other side of Fluttershy. She had tried to reach her too, but every time she stretched an arm towards her friend in need she hesitated. And every time, that hesitation would make her avert her eyes and blush in shame. This situation continued for several minutes until they reached a café and Applejack pointed to it, saying, “Hey, why don’t we get ourselves a milkshake there? My treat?” Rainbow Dash perked up her head. “Woho, your treat? Of course I’m gonna–” Rainbow’s words stuck in her throat when she saw Applejack glaring at her, and she looked down to Fluttershy with a nervous smile when she understood why Applejack was annoyed. “I mean, if that’s ok with you, Shy?” she asked, turning to Fluttershy with a sheepish smile. “Sure,” answered Fluttershy in her typical mouse-like voice, without even looking up. Rainbow entered the café as Applejack held the door open for them, and the three of them immediately had to face the end of a really long queue of customers delimited by a line of tape poles. “Aw, crap,” snapped Dash, “looks like we’ll have to wait.” Still looking to the ground, Fluttershy quietly mumbled something unintelligible in response. Dash couldn’t stand it. Just watching Fluttershy’s mood was enough for her to feel her own expression frowning. She diverged from Fluttershy and took a step backward, looking around, thinking of something that could use as a distraction and, hopefully, to cheer Fluttershy up. Her eyes found Applejack, and an idea hit her. She only had to catch her attention surreptitiously. “Psst. AJ.” Applejack heard her and spun her head. Now, it was time to code speaking. Rainbow Dash held the eye contact. Then pointed her eyes towards Fluttershy, who was right next to both them. Looking back, she understood from Applejack’s blank expression that somehow she hadn’t got the very explicit message. Rainbow Dash repeated the motion, but working more on the eyebrows this time. It was impossible to miss the meaning of that. Applejack just opened her mouth in snarl. “Eh?” she mimed. Dash looked up in annoyance, cursing her dull friend. This time, she slightly tilted her head towards Applejack, and then towards Fluttershy. But looking back to AJ, she only found the same puzzlement as before. Dash tilted her head again, pretending to cough. “Ahem.” Applejack, still confused, cocked an eyebrow. Rainbow Dash impatiently shifted her head completely towards AJ –Ahem– and then towards Fluttershy. “Mh.” Applejack stared at Rainbow Dash for a short moment, until her eyes started to widely open in understanding. Dash let out a satisfied breath and nodded, looking between Applejack and Fluttershy one last time. Slowly but steadily, Applejack pupils shrunk as her eyes went wide and the corners of her mouth sunk down. Tired of waiting, Dash tilted her head between AJ and Fluttershy. Applejack hastily shook her head in response. Dash shifted her head again. “Mh. Hm!” Applejack zapped Dash with a glare and shook her head again. “M-hm!” “Girls…” Fluttershy’s meek voice froze the heart of Rainbow Dash, who smiled nervously and quickly took a casual position. To her relief, Fluttershy had only started to turn over them, so it wasn’t like they were busted. “Is it ok if I go sitting at one of the tables?” she asked, trying to hide behind her hair. Rainbow Dash brought a hand behind her head. “Oh, sure,” she said. “Do you want me to come with you?” “No, please. Help Applejack with the milkshakes,” answered Fluttershy, slowly dragging herself away. Rainbow Dash extended an arm towards Fluttershy, in an attempt of comforting her friend, but she wasn’t fast enough and left it hanging in thin air. She puffed in a silent complaint and turned towards Applejack, finding a death glare on her friend’s face. “Have ya gone nuts!?” she said, hissing. “AJ, you have to tell her,” said Rainbow Dash, with no hesitation. Applejack pumped her fists downwards and raised her voice. “Oh heck no! What–” looking around her, Applejack realized that she was harassing the customers around them and lowered her voice. “What in tarnation is wrong with you?” “What’s wrong with me?” quietly asked Dash. “What’s wrong with you! Now is a good time to tell her about–” “Now it’s the worst time, Ah recall.” Rainbow Dash snorted from her nostrils and spun her head towards Fluttershy. Her friend had found an empty table and was now sitting with her arm crossed over it. Dash felt her own face softening just by seeing her so sad. “Look at her,” she said to Applejack. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do everything you can to cheer her up.” Applejack’s snort of anger morphed into one of disbelief. “Wait… you want me to tell her my secret just to make her feel better?” “Yup.” Applejack scanned all over Dash’s face, pondering in silence for a long moment. A really long moment. “You’re an idiot,” she concluded. Dash casually raised a fist ready for a light strike, but Applejack held a hand between them and spoke again. “Just think. For once, use that dense head that ya have stuck over your shoulders and tell me… What would happen if Ah told Fluttershy that Ah…?” Rainbow Dash saw a strong flush appearing over the freckled cheeks and so she didn’t wait for Applejack, who couldn’t manage to finish the question, to answer. “Well, if anything she would be distracted, and not think about Sunset. And maybe, knowing that somebody else cares about her that way would make her feel… ya know, loved. I think she needs it right now and, who knows, she could even get over–” Dash hesitated for a second, then she discreetly pointed the self-pitying Fluttershy “–that.” “Okay,” said Applejack, “let’s say all that happens. Ya really think that would be good?” “Yeah, of course.” Applejack gave Dash a harsh look. “No, that ain’t anythin’ good.” “Why not?” “Sugarcube, do you want Sunset and Fluttershy to break up?” “Huh?” Rainbow Dash startled for genuine surprise. “N- no, I…” “Because, in your best case scenario, that’s what’s gonna be.” For the few seconds before Applejack explained, Dash stared her friend in bewilderment as she was sternly glared back. “Look, Sunset just found out that all her childhood was basically a big lie. Everyone would be more than a little edgy in her situation. And you saw her earlier, there was madness in her eyes. And Fluttershy got a slice of it shoved rightly in her face. She could even think that Sunset doesn’t lover her anymore.” “Yeah, that’s why you should step in. I don’t want Fluttershy to dump Sunset, but this isn’t good for either of them. On the other hand, if you told Fluttershy about your feelings things could go well and you could both be happy.” Applejack closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. “You’re unbelievable. Dash, they’re both under a hecka lot of stress! They ain’t in shape of reasonin’. And Ah’m not gonna risk their happiness because they had a bad day.” Rainbow Dash spun her head away and looked upwards, deadpanning. “Such a happiness…” Applejack shot her another glare. “They are! Just not now.” Rainbow Dash puffed her cheeks, more discontent than before, and focused on the line. A few customers had just been served, creating an empty space that the two girls were fast to close. In that little pause Dash had enough time to think of a way to retort. “What about your happiness?” Caught off guard, Applejack gave a little glance of dismay to Rainbow Dash, but she recoiled quickly. “Right now, that’s far from the important matters,” she said, but Rainbow Dash noticed how that question had caused Applejack to startle. Dash puffed again and, driven by frustration, softly kicked the nearer pole. Applejack, Fluttershy, and even Sunset were all in a difficult situation now. And not only was she caught in the middle, but she also had no idea how to help them out. Far from it, every time that she tried to do something things would only get worse. “Maybe I didn’t think it through,” she admitted. “Mmhm,” agreed Applejack, both the girls remaining focused on the line. “But you’ll have to tell her sooner or later.” Applejack stayed quiet for a while before replying to that. “Perhaps.” And with that, they waited quietly for some minutes until they reached the counter. While taking the order, Applejack was assaulted by a doubt and turned to Rainbow Dash. “What’s Fluttershy favorite flavour?” Rainbow Dash didn’t even have to think about it. “Chocolate.” “Ya sure?” “Of course I am.” Once settled, their orders were soon ready to be taken away. Carrying two chocolate milkshakes and one caramel apple flavored milkshake, Rainbow Dash and Applejack moved to Fluttershy and sat down. Rainbow Dash sat in the middle between Applejack and Fluttershy, who were crossed on the table, and started sipping from her milkshake. Applejack leaned over the table and offered Fluttershy her milkshake. “Here, sugarcube. Chocolate, your favorite.” Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow and returned the eye contact. “But that’s Dash’s favorite.” Rainbow Dash almost choked her drink. ‘What?’ she thought. ‘I thought it was hers, too.’  She was about to question Fluttershy, but Rainbow Dash felt the glare that Applejack was giving her through her skin. She spun her head and, indeed, Applejack looked quite displeased. Rainbow Dash offered a sheepish smile in return. After a roll of her eyes, Applejack attempted to enjoy her drink. Rainbow Dash took example and sipped her milkshake as well, while Fluttershy merely stared at hers. The sound of their sipping were the only noise stronger than the surrounding murmurs. They went on until Rainbow Dash’s patience no longer allowed it. “Come on Fluttershy,” she said, putting her drink down, “you can’t beat yourself up like this.” “M- maybe I should.” Fluttershy let out a sniffle and rubbed one corner of her eyes. “I- it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have told you…” Rainbow Dash leaned closer to her friend, firmly grasping her shoulder and looking her right into the eyes. “Ok, Shy? You know that I love you –not that way– but that’s nonsense. You didn’t do anything wrong.” “Dash is right,” agreed Applejack in her calm tone. “It was us who made a mistake. We just assumed that Sunset would have needed us all to support her, but it was an impulsive decision. And we all gave her a reason to be even more mad.” Applejack leaned back on her seat and looked up, crossing her arms over her chest. “If Ah could go back of an hour, Ah would kick myself. We only added more wood to the fire. For how it went, we might as well have flaunted ribbons with ‘your girlfriend cheated on you’ written on them.” Fluttershy whined out loud, lowering her head as Applejack bolted upright in her chair and clenched her teeth in fright. Rainbow Dash was fast to lower her head at the same height. “Nonono wait wait. She didn’t mean it like that. You did the right thing.” “That’s true,” hastily said Applejack. “Ah just meant that we should have understood it wasn’t our place, stood back, and waited for you to make sure that we could actually do something.” Dash nodded quickly as she pulled Fluttershy up. “Exactly as she said. See, Fluttershy? It wasn’t your fault. At all. And I bet that Sunset knows that too, she just needs some time to–” The look that Fluttershy shot her was enough to make Rainbow Dash recoil. Hidden under the pink hair, there were the mirrors of a lot of sadness and even more anger. “But have you seen her?!” she growled to them. “Have you seen how she was looking at me?! I hurt her!” With her heart pounding, Rainbow Dash caught a quick glimpse of Applejack. They both were frozen in fear in front of Fluttershy’s angry stare. It lasted long enough, but eventually all the anger vanished and left room only for the sadness. “I hurt her…” faintly repeated Fluttershy as her posture deflated. Crossing her arms in front of her, she started crying as her front head reached the table. Rainbow Dash hesitated only for a second before coming close, putting a hand over the Fluttershy’s shoulder again. “Hey, maybe it’s not that bad,” she said with unusual sweetness. “Ah agree,” said Applejack. “‘Sides, Rarity and Pinkie have remained to comfort your babe and Ah’m sure as heck positive that they’re gonna turn all this situation into better. They could even be sittin’ into the living room, friendly talkin’ all about their feelings and stuff.” Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were sitting in a deathly silence on the steps of CHS’s front entrance. Each one of them seemed lost, gazing into their own nightmares that only they could see. They were too frightened to speak them aloud to the others, and the others were too busy with their own for realizing that they were needed from their friends. Pinkie Pie and Rarity had reached Twilight shortly after their... confrontation with Sunset. Useless to say, Twilight was on the verge of tears after everything that had just been thrown at her. So they all walked side by side, with Rarity and Pinkie trying to cheer up their mutual friend. But soon, realizing that words were useless, the three young girls found themselves simply walking in silence for the rest of trip. Getting past the many buildings, the several streets, and one particularly annoyed citizen who was yelling about some punk smashing his car’s window. In the end, they arrived at the CHS and sat on the front stairs, still without uttering a word. They just remained there, lost in their thoughts with depressed frowns on their faces. After a long while, it was Rarity the first to realize they were just wasting time and to speak up. “It’s nice to see you, anyway,” she said to Twilight with a warm smile. Twilight turned her head slowly and looked soberly to Rarity. “Was that sarcasm?” Rarity frowned in dismay. “Darling, of course not.” Pinkie grunted loudly and leaned with her back against the stairs. “Boooy, we are bad at this.” “I just meant that I’m happy to see you, with all the time that you spend away.” Rarity bit her tongue the same moment she finished speaking and looked Twilight with aghast. Meeting a flat look, Rarity’s smiled sheepishly. Twilight kept on blankly staring at Rarity. “Well, that was sarcasm.” Pinkie clicked her tongue. “Nah, I think that’s more irony than anything.” Rarity looked up and grunted. “I was trying to be nice!” Twilight averted her eyes and sighed. “I know...” Turning her eyes down and her posture deflating, Twilight embraced herself and said, “But... I really think she’s right. About me. What kind of friend gets away from you the same minute after she offers you friendship? Maybe for the first time in your life?” She paused and her eyes got moist, her voice became bitter when she resumed to talk. “If you think about it, all the good that I ever did for her was a consequence of fighting her. Such a great Princess of Friendship I am.” That display brought sorrow into Rarity’s heart, who immediately embraced her friend over the shoulders. “Twilight, we all know that you did what you could.” Pinkie Pie leaned forward, popping into Twilight and Rarity’s view. “Yeah, Twi. And it may have been little, but it was exactly what she needed. And it’s not like you just dropped her where she was, you introduced her to us!” “Exactly,” said Twilight. “I literally dumped her on your shoulders, leaving all the work to you.” Rarity shook her head. “Nonsense, my dear. You didn’t just make her a boulder for the next guy around. You entrusted her to us. That’s because you knew that you were leaving her in good hands.” Rarity came closer and slightly tittered. “Did you not?” Twilight returned the eye contact for a second before looking down again. “Thanks, but...” Rarity waited for a bunch of seconds before asking, “But what?” “She doesn’t see it that way.” Twilight sighed again. “She was so angry... and she even talked about Princess Celestia like that…” “Now, dear,” said Rarity, “I dislike foul language too of course, but you’re just being silly.” Pinkie Pie giggled and pressed herself over Twilight. “Really now, you shouldn’t be so affected by just a bad word.” Twilight looked up to Pinkie in confusion. “I shouldn’t?” Rarity coughed. “Well, I mean, it’s not like the first time that someone –pardon, somepony– said...” Twilight’s look was quite explicit about the answer. “Really?” asked Rarity, bewildered. Pinkie Pie jumped in front of them. “You’re kidding me. We humans say that like–” she started counting off the fingers of her hands, soon running out of them “–a whole lot more than we should here.” Twilight simply shrugged. “I’ve never heard it aloud before. Even our dictionary says it’s a word in disuse.” Rarity barely held a snort. “You really are a pony princess from a land of magic little horses.” “Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?” asked Twilight, tilting her head. Rarity turned her eyes upwards and said, “Well… nevermind that. All I’m saying is that Sunset just wanted to be mean, and she might have gone heavy because she was angry.” “Or she could have meant it,” said Pinkie Pie, scratching her chin, “I mean that would make sense to her now that–” Rarity shot a hard glare to Pinkie, cutting her off, and hoarsely uttered, “Not. Helping.” Silence returned among them as Rarity and Pinkie looked with concern at Twilight. Their friend seemed just as mopey as before while she kept gazing under herself. At last, Twilight stood up and took a few steps to the portal. “I’m sorry that I can’t stay,” she said, “but during these days I’m arranging the meeting with Rutherford, prince of the kingdom of Yakyakistan. It’s very important that everything goes smoothly. “I don’t know how she may have behaved before I arrived, but can I ask you, once again, to be there for Sunset? Even in my stead?” Rarity didn’t answer right away. After how she had been treated, part of her was hurt and didn’t want to see Sunset ever again. But it was a feeble part. Rarity took a deep breath. “I need to sleep over it for a night,” she conceded while looking away. “Then yes, I’ll be there for her.” Rarity watched her friend Twilight turning her head towards her and muttering a faint thank you. They both smiled at each other with affection. Then, Twilight walked through the statue and disappeared. Finally, Rarity felt allowed to stop forcing herself smiling. She had tried to play strong for Twilight, but all she wanted now were her couch and some time to rest. She set off for her home and Pinkie Pie walked along with her. Their walk was way more silent than what a trip with Pinkie Pie was supposed to be. Her friend wasn’t even hopping like she was used to, opting instead for a dull common pace. But Rarity didn’t really pay mind to it. Actually, Rarity didn’t think about her at all. Until Pinkie Pie said, “You didn’t take what that baddie said at heart, did you?” Rarity startled as she broke free from her gloomy thoughts. Her eyes went immediately in search of her friend and found out that Pinkie was looking her with concerned eyes. Eyes that Rarity tried instantly to avert. “Rarity,” resumed Pinkie with a considerate voice, “she was just trying to hurt you.” “Yes, but those words had to come from somewhere, huh?” Rarity heard that her own voice was broken for the pain. But it was like she had just popped a plug, she couldn’t stop now. “Besides, it’s true that I can be insufferable at times. After all, how many times did Applejack snarl because of my modes? And I push Dash’s patience on the edge as well. And…” Rarity felt a hand caressing her shoulder, followed by the chirpy words of Pinkie Pie. “Oh, but that is just part of our way to be! You know we actually like it deep-deepy down.” But Rarity still wasn’t convinced. “I always thought so.” “And you were riiight,” said Pinkie. “Besides, it’s so much fun to have you around.” Rarity finally returned the eye contact. “So, you don’t think of me just like an ambulant dress shop?” “Well.” Pinkie looked up and furrowed her front head in thought. “I did do that analogy sometimes.” Looking back to Rarity, Pinkie saw the deadpan eyes she was getting. “I said sometimes.” Rarity scoffed. “Hurray for sincerity.” “Hurray!” said Pinkie Pie, closing her eyes throwing her hands into the air. It took her a moment for looking to Rarity with a glint of doubt. “Sarcasm?” “You’re getting better,” said Rarity, giving her friend a light pat on the back. “Aaanyway,” said Pinkie as she rolled her eyes, “as I was saying, you’re far from being a giant wardrobe that spits up dresses. What you give us is something beautiful and unique.” “Of course,” said Rarity as it was blatantly obvious, “they’re free dresses. And of good quality, too.” Pinkie Pie held her abdomen with both hands and laughed. “Ha! Rarity, none of us is interested in wearing good-quality dresses.” Rarity abruptly stopped on the spot and gave her friend an incredulous look as an indignant sensation rose inside her. “Well, thank you very much,” she retorted before starting to move away. But Pinkie grabbed her by her shoulder and stuck on her side. “Wait, wait. I said that we don’t care about dresses, but we still love that you keep giving them to us.” Rarity stopped again for looking her friend. If it had been somebody else, Rarity would have labeled her interlocutor as an incoherent fool. But she had already learned that Pinkie Pie wasn’t such a thing. “Ok, why?” “Because you made those dresses!” brightly exclaimed Pinkie. “You chose the design, the fabric, the colours. You always do everything. And most important, you do all that based on how you see us. I really don’t know how you do that, but you have a special talent that helps you finding everything that shines inside everything and everyone aaand you do what you can to bring what’s on the inside out into the light.” “So, what you’re saying is that it’s not about the gift, but what the gift means?” asked Rarity with a pleasurable warmth growing inside her chest. “I was trying to say that you make us feel beautiful… but yeah.” Rarity felt a smile making its way over her face. “Oh, Pinkie Pie. I’m touched.” “You should.” Pinkie wrapped an arm around Rarity with a gentle smile exclusively for Rarity. “Your generosity is quite touching if you ever stop thinking about it.” Rarity vividly returned the embrace as they kept walking, an indescribable satisfaction overwhelming her. It felt so good knowing that somebody valued her work and appreciated it so deeply. “Thank you,” she said. “You’re welcome, as your door mat says.” Rarity tilted her head, puzzled by the randomness of the subject. “My…” She was cut off when Pinkie spun, dragging her right in front of her door and, therefore, her mat. Indeed, the word ‘WELCOME’ was visibly embroidered in it. “Oh!” Rarity hadn’t realized that they had already gone so far from the school. “Byyye, Rarity!” chirped Pinkie from the distance while she went away. Rarity couldn’t stop smiling as she opened the door and entered her home. Pinkie Pie had indeed succeeded in cheering her up, the petty nastiness that Sunset had throw to her sounded now hollow. Walking through the living room, Rarity almost felt silly for having allowed Sunset’s words to have shaken her so much. Furthermore, she knew that the poor dear acted like she did only because she was suffering. Rarity knew that she couldn’t allow herself to turn her back and leave her friend alone, even despite that outburst that she had with her and… Suddenly, Rarity’s eyes opened wide open and she stopped to move. A dreadful doubt crept into her thoughts. She tried to convince herself that she was wrong, that Pinkie was above a trivial thing such pique, but she still had to admit that she had been too self-absorbed to check on her friend. She grabbed her phone from her backpack and opened her messenger, writing a text to Pinkie. Thank you for cheering me up. :) np, LOL(lot of love) XD Good, the reply had come instantly as usual. Rarity decided to press forward. How are you feeling? :| A minute after, only the check mark with the ‘message read’ notification appeared. Rarity bit her lower lip and fiddled with her phone. I just want to know if you’re feeling alright after what happened. Rarity sent the message and, as she waited, she went in the other room in order to proceed with her matters. Among the other things, she still had the homework inside her backpack to do. Empting her backpack, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly when she pulled out Sunset’s torn jacket. The hours passed, and once she wasn’t busy with her duty anymore, she checked her phone again. Still, there was no reply. After that, she occupied her mind with her own projects until dinner. For when she tucked herself into bed, Rarity had already stop fretting about it.