Fluttershy relaxed onto the plush mat. The warm, heavy air was tinged with the scent of flowers and rain. She let out a long sigh and stretched out further. She had been taking these spa sessions for granted. Now that her body was strained in almost every possible way, she appreciated the massages and gentle oils more than ever before.
"My, you seem more…enthusiastic than usual, dear. Is something weighing on you?"
Fluttershy blinked one eye open and looked at Rarity. "I guess you heard about Rainbow and me?"
"I've heard whisperings," Rarity said. "But I'd much prefer to hear from the horse's mouth, as it were."
Fluttershy dropped her head back onto the mat and groaned. "Ponies are already talking?"
"Oh, no. Not really. Applejack mentioned something about the two of you on a cloud." Rarity hesitated for a second. "And… well, you know Rainbow Dash. She isn't a quiet pony."
Fluttershy thought back to the disastrous open court a few days before. "No, she isn't."
"I must admit, I'm surprised that she said yes," Rarity said.
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that I asked her and not the other way around?"
"Ah, ehm…" Rarity bit her lip. "Rainbow may have been… very loud."
Fluttershy squinted at her for a moment, then her eyes widened. "She went to you for advice."
Rarity slumped onto her own mat. "Don't worry, it looks like she didn't follow any of it." There was a note of bitterness in her voice.
"You told her to say no?" Fluttershy could understand why, but it still sounded mean.
"I told her to be direct about it!" Rarity swung a hoof dramatically. "She said that she couldn't accept, so I advised her not to beat around the bush." She sighed. "But I suppose it has worked out for the best."
Fluttershy felt like she should say something, but none of the right words came to mind. She decided to change the subject.
"Have you heard anything from Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. "Are we giving up on her open court idea?"
"She's busy. It seems that nopony realized she was more than just a unicorn with wings before now. I had to make an appointment just to ask how she was doing."
An appointment to see Twilight? "How many ponies could possibly want to see her?"
"Pinkie Pie said about a quarter of Ponyville, not including visitors and tourists."
Fluttershy winced. "Is this our fault?"
"Our fault?" Rarity snorted. "You mean Rainbow and Applejack's fault, of course." After a second she sighed and shook her head. "How did none of us realize that we're unsuited for such an important position? We're smart ponies. Why did Twilight, or you, or Applejack, or even I not point it out immediately?"
Fluttershy buried her face into the soft, warm mat. "I was mostly just thinking about myself at the time," she admitted, guilt rising in her chest.
Rarity frowned, then nodded. "Yes, I recall being mostly preoccupied with my own work schedule. In our defence, it was Twilight's idea, and she should have thought of every possible problem long before she gathered the rest of us."
There was a gentle knock on the door, and muffled voice said, "Miss Rarity, Miss Fluttershy? Your appointment is nearly over. Would either of you care for some touch-ups before you go?"
Rarity glanced at Fluttershy, who shook her head. "No thank you, Aloe. We'll be on our way," Rarity said.
They disrobed, paid, and said their goodbyes before stepping outside. The spring air was sharp and refreshing after the steam room, and Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief as she took a few steps and stretched her legs. The ache in her ankle had finally gone away.
Rarity stepped out behind her, and they started down the street. "So," Rarity said, "I must ask. How have the two of you fared so far?"
"You mean Rainbow and me?" Fluttershy asked, glancing to either side in case anypony might overhear.
"Of course, dear. I have long anticipated the day that one of us would find love. Forgive me for saying so, but I never imagined you would be the first."
They passed the castle. Ponies stood in small clusters around the entrance, some silent, others shouting and gesturing wildly. Fluttershy hoped that Twilight knew what she was doing.
"So…" Rarity said, breaking the silence once again. "Is it all that you hoped it would be?"
"It's… nice," Fluttershy said after a moment. She was bad with words, and wasn't love supposed to be hard to describe anyway?
"Nice?" Rarity repeated, pursing her lips. "You went on a date together last Saturday, right?"
Fluttershy nodded and kept walking.
"Where did she take you? Was it romantic?" Rarity sounded worried for some reason. Fluttershy hoped that Rarity wouldn't be this curious about every part of her and Rainbow's relationship. "Please tell me that Dash took you to a decent restaurant at least."
"We went to The Bean and Green for lunch," Fluttershy muttered, "and then we went flying."
Rarity facehoofed. "She dragged you out to go flying? Did she make you watch her newest routine as well?" she said, sarcasm enwrapping her words.
"Oh, no," Fluttershy said. Rainbow had shown a few of her new tricks, but only to point out the similarities between the complicated stuff and what Fluttershy was almost capable of. "She taught me some of the easy ones."
Rarity's face quivered, poorly masking a smirk. "Ah, so is that why you were limping this morning? I was worried that the two of you were taking things very fast."
Fluttershy may have been shy, but she wasn't that naïve.
"Rarity!" Fluttershy squeaked.
Rarity's control broke, and the smirk spread across her face. "And Rainbow does like to go fast, does she not?"
"It wasn't like that!"
"Of course not." It took a few seconds more for her smirk to fully fade. "Did you enjoy Rainbow's little lesson?"
"It was nice."
"I see." Rarity stared at her for a second. "Well, I'm very happy for you."
The conversation kind of died after that, although Rarity kept glancing at her as they walked to the edge of town where the path to her cottage began. Fluttershy took the time to reflect on their conversation.
Fluttershy had suspected that Rainbow was going to reject her, but now Rarity had confirmed it. Maybe that should have hurt, but for some reason Fluttershy felt strangely detached from… well, just about everything before last Friday. Since that flight in the storm. She had heard that ponies sometimes feel that way right after big life changes, and dating Rainbow certainly qualified.
"Well," Rarity said, coming to a stop, "if you have any questions about romance, or simply need a pony to talk to, you can rely on my ears to listen and on my lips to be discreet."
Fluttershy giggled. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Don't you think you're being just a little bit over-dramatic, though?"
Rarity smiled. "I was under the impression that this was your first experience with romance. Eventually there will be a crisis for one reason or another, and I just wanted you to know that I'm here to help when it comes."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Fluttershy replied dryly.
Rarity blinked. "Pardon?"
Fluttershy winced. She was getting used to slinging sarcasm at Rainbow, and the words just slipped out. "I-I mean, thanks, Rarity. It means a lot."
"Of course," Rarity continued to squint at her for a moment. "Well, enjoy the rest of your day, dear," she said, then turned and walked back into town.
Fluttershy sighed and headed down the path toward her home.
The last two days had been almost quiet enough to make up for the excitement of the weekend. The Wonderbolts did the bulk of their training in the spring, and Rainbow was determined to put as much time into preparing and exercising as she could, so they had planned to meet again next Saturday. Obviously they wouldn't be able to date at all while Rainbow was training at the academy, and then she would be touring in the summer, further limiting the time they could spend together. Once fall came though… nothing would stop them from being around one another every single day. Fluttershy wondered if she should be doing some personal training of her own just to survive what would surely be daily flight sessions. And on the topic of autumn, Rainbow would definitely want to do the Running of the Leaves. Would Fluttershy have to participate in that, too?
But in the meantime, everything was manageable. None of her animal friends were sick or hurt. The bits from her brief stint as model were still rolling in—not fortunes, but enough to maintain her house and to buy food for both her guests and herself. Ponyville seemed to have already forgotten the embarrassing open court that she and her friends had held, and all of the dubious questions of impartiality along with it. The crowd gathered outside the castle door was a good sign, really. Twilight was a princess, and sooner or later ponies would have to recognize that.
A few animals came out to greet her when she neared her house. For once, Angel wasn't among them. He'd been strangely quiet for a few days now. Fluttershy made a mental note to keep an eye on him. There were a few things that could make a rabbit anti-social—that is, even more antisocial than usual—and some of them could be dangerous if left untreated.
She made her way through the cottage, setting out food and water, sweeping up the tiny pawprints of dirt that streaked over her kitchen floor, and checking in with some of her newest guests who had come looking for shelter during the storm. Even after all that, she still saw no sign of Angel. She poked her head into some of his usual hiding spots, then gave up. Spring was a busy time for rabbits, after all.
She was engaged in an interesting conversation about acorns when somepony knocked at her door. Fluttershy apologized to Jess the Squirrel and went to answer it.
She opened the door to reveal the warm, friendly face of Cloud Kicker. The pale blue mare leaned against the door frame and extended a hoof. "Fluttershy! Is this a good time?"
Fluttershy lifted a hoof and cautiously returned the hoof bump. "Cloud Kicker? A good time for what?"
Cloud Kicker nodded, then straightened and started forward into the living room. Fluttershy instinctively backed up to give her space. Cloud Kicker settled onto the couch, and Fluttershy closed the door and followed, feeling miles behind.
"Nice place you've got here," Cloud Kicker said, looking around. "I mean, I know you like animals, but this is something else."
Fluttershy nodded.
Was this normal? Did ponies just show up at other ponies' homes and walk in like they owned the place? She hoped not. It wasn't a nice feeling. "Um, not to be rude, but…why are you here?" She bit her lip, then quickly added, "Not that you're not welcome, of course, but…"
"You're with Dash now, right?" Cloud Kicker asked, kicking her feet up onto the arm of the couch.
Fluttershy nodded, feeling a strange mix of elation and irritation. She was happy that everypony knew she and Rainbow were together. It made their relationship seem more…real, almost. On the other hoof, how did everypony know they were together? Ponyville wasn't that small. Was it because they were element bearers? Or, worse, because of the open court? She gulped, the familiar terror of being the centre of attention rising in her gut. "Y-yes, we started going out last weekend."
"That's great. Good for her. Did you know that I was the first pony she met in Ponyville?"
"I didn't," Fluttershy replied. Rainbow Dash had always said that Applejack was the first pony she met in Ponyville.
"Well, I was. I helped her get onto the weather team and everything. I admit, I was a bit annoyed that she got captain before me, but I guess she was the best flier. Heck, I almost miss having her in charge, you know?"
Fluttershy didn't know.
Cloud Kicker chuckled good-naturedly. "Anyway, I'm captain now that Dash is busy with her Wonderbolt stuff. It's a tough job, weather captain. Tougher than I expected. There's parts of it that you wouldn't expect."
Fluttershy got the distinct impression that Cloud Kicker didn't want to talk about Rainbow Dash at all. "Such as?" she asked bluntly.
Cloud Kicker blinked, and her eyes opening wide in shock for a moment . She quickly regained her composure. "Did you know that the weather captain needs to manage the department's budget? And that part of managing the budget is convincing the mayor that we need that budget?"
Did… was Cloud Kicker asking her for money? For the weather team? "Rainbow used to complain about the paperwork, but never anything specific."
Cloud Kicker studied her for a few seconds. "Yeah, well. Anyway, it's a bit of a bummer. Especially this year. I bet you noticed that the storm on Friday got way out of control, right?"
Fluttershy nodded. It had seemed a bit unusual, but she was no weather pony, so she hadn't put much thought into it. "I'm treating some raccoon kits who were caught outside."
In an instant, Cloud Kicker's casual demeanour was replaced with frantic energy. "Oh no!" Cloud Kicker brought a hoof to her mouth. "I hope they're okay."
The false empathy made Fluttershy's insides twist. "They're fine."
"Thank goodness," Cloud Kicker said, leaning back and letting out a huge gasp. "I'd feel terrible if our storm hurt any little critters. Please believe me, we did everything we could to keep the storm on course, but we just don't have enough pegasi to handle systems that big."
Let me guess, Fluttershy thought. "Because of your budget."
Cloud Kicker nodded gravely. "We can't afford to hire pegasi from out of town, or to train any of our cloud pushers to handle storms. But we need to maintain Cloudsdale's weather schedule, no matter what." She slumped a bit and sighed. "It's a shame. Just twenty percent more funding and things like this wouldn't be a problem."
They sat for a while in silence, Cloud Kicker gazing around with a wistful expression on her face, Fluttershy intensely focused on the floor, her brow furrowed.
She didn't have any kind of relationship with the mayor, or anyone else at town hall. There was Twilight, of course, but…
Twilight.
"So, uh, was an animal hurt in the storm somewhere?" Fluttershy asked.
Cloud Kicker jolted. "I don't know. Isn't it your job to keep track of animals?"
"I mean…" Fluttershy did her best to soften her next words, but even her patience had limits, "why are you here? What do you need?"
"Well, I think we can all agree that the weather team needs more funding, but me personally? I just came over to chat. Are you busy? I can leave if you've got things to do."
After a pause, Fluttershy nodded, and Cloud Kicker stood.
"All right then, I'll leave you to it. Let me know if there's ever anything I can do to help, or whatever. I mean, I've got to follow the weather schedule for the most part—" Cloud Kicker winked, "—but I might be able to manage something to help you or your animals. You know, as a favour to a friend." And with that, she trotted out of the house and took to the air, leaving the front door wide open.
Fluttershy got up and closed the door, then walked to kitchen and put on the kettle. Tea was nice after sudden intrusions. She poured a cup and retreated to her bedroom. The living room felt too open right then.
That was strange. She and Cloud Kicker had never shared more than a quick hello before. Still, if she was really worried about the weather team not having enough ponies to handle storms, then Fluttershy understood. Rogue storms could really devastate small towns like Ponyville, and, as captain, Cloud Kicker was responsible for any unnecessary destruction.
In fact, maybe Fluttershy should talk to Twilight, or maybe even the mayor. This whole situation was an accident, after all, since everypony knew how important it was to keep pegasus magic consistent. Natural storms could be left to run their course, but pegasus-produced systems? Those had to be carefully monitored. Of course Fluttershy knew that, but maybe Twilight didn't? Twilight had wings now, but that didn't make her a pegasus. And Mayor Mare? Fluttershy would be surprised if the mayor did know.
Maybe Cloud Kicker was too nervous to talk to Twilight, so she'd come to Fluttershy instead. She supposed Twilight could be a bit scary when she was annoyed. Cloud Kicker hadn't seemed nervous, but nopony ever seemed nervous when they were talking to Fluttershy. She squeezed her eyes closed and took a sip of tea, the warmth doing wonders to combat the shivers that assaulted her as she thought of what she had to do.
She had to go and…talk politics.
She finished her tea in one big gulp.
How badly could it possibly go?
After what had definitely been hours of extremely successful flight practise and absolutely not a series of embarrassing and self-image damaging crashes, Rainbow flew over to Sugarcube Corner, careful to fly high enough that her coat blended with the sky. She was on a mission of utmost secrecy. She landed around back, rapped on the basement door that nopony ever used, and waited.
Five minutes later, she knocked again.
Pinkie would be a terrible secret agent.
"Oh, hello, Rainbow Dash. Can I get you something?" Mrs. Cake asked as Rainbow trudged through the front door. The bakery was all but empty.
"Is Pinkie in?"
Mrs. Cake pointed at the ceiling. "Her shift just ended."
Rainbow flew up the steps and pounded a hoof against Pinkie's door. "I thought we agreed to meet out back?" she said.
"Rainbow?" Pinkie said, pulling the door open and poking her head outside. "Oh! The party. I totally forgot!"
"Seriously? You forgot about a party?" Rainbow moved forward, sweeping past Pinkie and nudging the door closed as she passed. "Whatever. Do you have the thing?"
Pinkie nodded, then crossed the room and fished through a drawer of her nightstand, eventually retrieving a small vial of pale blue liquid. "Twilight seemed kinda…busy, so I stopped by Zecora's. She said it lasts for two days."
"More than enough," Rainbow said. She turned back around and opened the door. "You coming?"
Pinkie paused and fidgeted for a moment. "It's just…are you sure this is a good time for a party?"
"Uh, yeah?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie was questioning the need for party? "What? Is something up?"
Pinkie blinked, then shook her head, her smile barely faltering. "I…uh…" She looked at the floor, then out the window. "No, I guess not." She trotted past Rainbow and out into the hall.
Rainbow started to follow, but something made her pause. She took a few steps further into the room and glanced out the window. Pinkie's room had a good view. She could see the whole town from here. Well, everything except the stuff behind Twilight's castle. But the castle was more interesting to look at than anything behind it, probably.
Wow, they were still there, and it looked like the head-count had more than doubled since morning. The lineup of ponies snaked back and forth, covering every spare inch of courtyard, and then winding back around the castle once before disappearing behind the block. Rainbow wasn't completely sure, but she didn't think there were quite that many ponies in all of Ponyville. The fact that she hadn't noticed them from the air was testament to just how sneaky she had been. It was harder to pay attention to stuff when you were sneaking.
Pinkie was waiting for her outside of Sugarcube Corner. She danced on her hooves and stared off into the distance, a very un-Pinkie Pie expression on her face.
"Don't you need, you know…stuff? I don't have any of it at my place," Rainbow said as she trotted over. "I didn't see any in your room, so I figured—"
"Don't worry, I've got stashes everywhere," Pinkie said, slowly turning to focus on Rainbow. "They've got everything I need."
Rainbow blinked. "I live in a cloud."
"Yep."
Pinkie started off down the street. Rainbow trailed after her. "But how does—"
"In case of party emergencies."
Rainbow gave up and kept walking.
Neither of them said anything for a while. It was the kind of quiet that she was pretty sure was normal. Ponies walked beside each other without talking all the time. Rainbow just didn't walk very much, and nopony really liked to fly with her, so she wasn't used to it is all.
"So…what's it like dating Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked suddenly. "I've gotta admit, I never saw it coming, but I guess matchmaking stuff is Princess Cadance's business!"
Rainbow laughed and did a little jump. "Oh, it's awesome! I never expected Fluttershy could be so…I don't know, cool. She's really cool."
Pinkie rolled her eyes. "I coulda told you that," she said. "Of course Fluttershy's cool."
"Maybe it's because I knew her when we were foals, you know?" Rainbow said, nodding. "Everyone seems less cool when you know them really well."
That was just was basic psychology. Even Rainbow knew that.
"But now that you've known her even longer…" Pinkie said, stretching out the last word, "she's cool?"
Rainbow shrugged. "I guess? I dunno. I'm not a psychologist."
They crossed the little bridge on the edge of town and stopped beneath the shadow of Rainbow's house.
"So have you told her about the party yet?" Pinkie asked.
Rainbow shook her head. "Nah. I want it to be a surprise."
"Rainbow…" Pinkie narrowed her eyes. "You know that Fluttershy doesn't like surprises."
"Uh huh." Rainbow spread her wings and turned so that Pinkie could clamber onto her back. "I also know that Fluttershy doesn't like flying fast, and that she always talks all quiet and polite. Ponies can change, Pinkie."
Pinkie jumped onto Rainbow's back, her hooves landing in exactly the right places. She squirmed for a moment, then pulled her legs in tight, laying against Rainbow like a well-fitted sweater. "If you say so," Pinkie said.
Tingles rose along Rainbow's spine, something warm spread through her body, and she was glad that her wings were already spread. What was Fluttershy doing this week, again? Maybe they could fit in another flight session. Maybe she'd let Rainbow take her on another ride. Fluttershy was a lot lighter than Pinkie, her coat a bit softer. Fluttershy's hooves had been so much more hesitant around Rainbow's neck, and when Fluttershy had spoken right next to her ear, it made her throat tighten and her heart race.
"Pinkie, get off for a second," she said, her voice a bit choked because of Pinkie's hooves around her neck.
"What's the matter?" Pinkie said, her voice laced with concern. She slid off Rainbow's back and onto the ground, then turned to face her. "Did I hurt you?"
"Hurt me? N-nah." Rainbow bit her lip, her heart still pounding. Why was her voice quivering? "I just…uh…messed up my shoulder this morning. Heh, this new Wonderbolt routine, it's a real killer."
Pinkie frowned. "Oh, okay." She glanced around, then up at the clouds. "So…how am I going to get up there?"
Rainbow swallowed. "Can't you just tie yourself to some balloons?"
"Balloons? Are you crazy? Balloons can't lift an adult pony, Rainbow. I'm way too heavy."
Rainbow finally managed to coax her wings back against her sides. "But I've seen you do it. Right up to my house."
"Silly filly, you probably saw it in a comic book or a cartoon or something and got confused," Pinkie said, waving a hoof dismissively. "Hmm, maybe we can find another pegasus to fly me up."
"N-nah." This was dumb. Rainbow gave her friends lifts sometimes. It was no big deal. "Just, uh, here."
Rainbow jumped up and flapped a few times, hovering just above Pinkie. "Now rear up a bit, so I can grab you."
Pinkie kicked her forehooves into the air and balanced for a split second on her rear legs. Rainbow wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie's shoulders and pulled her off the ground with a single powerful downstroke. She ascended quickly in an attempt to reach her house before her legs got tired. Her wings were in the best shape they'd ever been, but maybe she should start running with Applejack again: get her legs back in condition.
It had always baffled Rainbow just how well Pinkie took to the air. Other earth ponies had a tendency to flail and panic, and unicorns weren't much better, but Pinkie just hung there, gently kicking her dangling rear legs and looking as comfortable as ever.
She went in through one of the third story windows. Pinkie's legs dragged through the window sill and spread faint white trails into Rainbow's bedroom. Oops.
"Pinkie, the potion?" Rainbow prompted.
"Oh right." Pinkie squirmed, her mane tickling Rainbow's nose and poking her eyes. She heard a cork pop free, and then Pinkie swallowing. "Hmm…you know, with a bit of spice, this would be really tasty…"
Rainbow dropped her, and Pinkie thumped audibly to the floor. That was kind of impressive. Clouds didn't usually make noise no matter how hard you hit them.
"I forgot how comfy this stuff is!" Pinkie said, laying on her back and staring at the ceiling. "Do you think Zecora could show me how to make the potion?"
The thought of Pinkie learning magic of any kind sent a chill down Rainbow's spine. "I think you've gotta be a zebra." She started for the stairs. "You said you've got supplies stashed around here?"
She heard a rustle behind her, and then Pinkie trotted past with dozens of balloons bobbing above her and three large boxes balanced on her back. "Don't werry 'Ainbow Dash," she said past the balloon strings in her mouth. "I'be gob everything I need." She hopped down the stairs and disappeared around the corner.
Rainbow had set up parties with Pinkie before. Hopefully she could convince Pinkie to go home when they were done. She had a habit of getting a bit too wrapped up in decorating, baking, and planning. But the party wasn't until Thursday. They had time.
She walked down the stairs and found Pinkie already well underway. Rainbow reached into a box and pulled out a wad of streamers.
This was going to the best party Fluttershy had ever seen.
The castle of friendship. The largest structure in Ponyville by two hundred yards or more. The residence of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the seat of her council. Over the last few days, it had earned another prestigious distinction.
The location of the largest crowd in Ponyville history.
Fluttershy sat on the roof of a nearby building and watched the throng of ponies shuffle forward. The bright green grass in front of the castle was completely obscured by the mass of pastel coats that trampled the poor vegetation. A handful of guards did their best to keep the crowd organized. Fluttershy looked to the sky. It was a beautiful, clear blue day. Thanks to the weather team. She hunched her shoulders and bit her lip. She could do this.
After apologizing to the pony whose roof she'd borrowed—he was very forgiving about it—she took to the streets and walked a few blocks over. Not many ponies knew just how many entrances there were to the castle. There were probably many that even Fluttershy didn't know of, but she had long ago picked up the habit of using side and rear doors whenever possible, since they were usually less crowded.
As Fluttershy approached the castle's west side, her confidence soared. Away from the crowds, nestled between two protruding crystals, was the little, one-pony-wide door she used whenever the castle's front entrance was busy.
Which she supposed it never really had been before. Fluttershy had a low tolerance for crowds.
She wrapped her hoof around the door handle and pulled. It didn't budge.
This door was never locked. Even at night.
She gave it a few more tugs, then slipped her hoof free and glanced around. There was another little door on the castle's opposite side, but if this one was locked, surely it's twin would be as well. The stairs leading to the council chamber were off to the side of the main entrance. Only Twilight and the other element bearers were allowed to use that door. It wouldn't be crowded, but she would be very visible. She could picture it. Fluttershy, climbing the empty steps to the unlocked door, hundreds of ponies watching from below. And they knew who she was. Almost every pony in Equestria knew who she was.
She tried one last, futile pull on the door. She even tried pushing it, in case the hinges had been quietly reversed in the last two days. When that failed, she set her shoulders, gritted her teeth, and walked to the front of the building.
Some of the ponies on the edge of the crowd noticed her, but the stampede she dreaded never happened. A young stallion in ill-fitting armour galloped up to her, producing a loud rattle with every step.
"Miss Fluttershy," he said, dipping his head. Not quite a bow, but still more than Fluttershy was comfortable with. "Are you here to meet with the princess?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I wanted to ask her a question about the weather team, but…" she ran her eyes over the winding line of ponies, "I don't think I can get inside."
The stallion hesitated. He said, "I'm afraid we have specific orders regarding the princess' friends."
"About me?" she said. She hoped those orders were 'send any of my friends right up to see me.'
"Yes. I'm afraid Princess Twilight asked that nopony be permitted into the castle without being approved and declared by the royal assistant."
Was that what ponies were calling Spike? Fluttershy couldn't help but smile at the thought of all of these ponies crouching down and treating the little dragon as a member of the royal staff. "Oh, that's no problem, mister. I'm sure Spike will let me in right away." She turned and stretched her neck, trying to see over the crowd at the castle's front entrance. "Is that him at the table over there?"
The guard pawed at the ground with one hoof and glanced away as he said, "The official policy is 'first come, first serve'." He finally looked back up at her, his eyes wide and scared. "If you want to talk to the princess, you've gotta wait your turn." He pointed a hoof at away from the castle at where the line disappeared behind Sugarcube corner. He inhaled through his teeth. "It might be a while."
She stared at him, aghast. "H-how long?"
"A day. Or two…" He started inching away. "Probably."
Fluttershy turned to look at the castle. She imagined that through the highest window she could see Twilight pacing. Worried. Scared. None of them had expected this. She turned back to find that the guard had disappeared. Her nose wrinkled. Even Twilight's staff wasn't on her side, not really. She turned back to the castle.
Her imagination had conjured a pacing Twilight, but the open window was very real. She parted her feathers and peered at the crowd. Mostly unicorns. A few earth ponies. Only one or two pegasi.
Hopefully Rainbow's theory about ponies looking up proved true.
Fluttershy had always believed that windows were meant for the ponies inside a building, not passing pegasi. However, in times of crisis, she was willing to conform to stereotypes.
The winds blew favourably, thermals wafting her into the air and a slight tailwind propelling her toward the castle, as if nature herself wanted Fluttershy to succeed. She approached from the south in case anypony below cast their eyes to the sky in boredom, soaring over houses and streets like a normal pegasus. Maybe dating Rainbow was beneficial in more ways than she…
There were no open windows on the southern face of the castle. She jerked to a halt in mid-air—a manoeuvre Rainbow had spent hours teaching her—and did her best to hover as she examined the stark crystal before her. This was crazy. She was trying to break into Twilight's home like some kind of…rude pony. Somepony like Rainbow Dash.
She settled onto the only balcony on this side of the castle and pressed a tentative hoof against the closed door. It didn't budge. There was no doorknob, so she gave it a solid buck with her hind hooves and only managed to hurt her ankle. Definitely locked. She sat back on her haunches and peered up at the castle.
This wasn't a fortress. It was Twilight's house. It might as well have still been a library. Ponies broke into libraries all the time, right? Or… well, they probably didn't, actually. Ponies who broke into buildings all the time usually weren't interested in reading. She glared at the door, trying to discern its weaknesses. There were no hinges on this side, and no lock. Maybe a unicorn could use their magic to open it from the inside, but unless she invented the magic of social anxiety and ascended into an alicorn on the spot, her options were pretty limited in that regard. She tapped a hoof against the bottom of the door in frustration. Think, Fluttershy, think. She glanced at the floor.
She blinked.
There was a gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. About half as wide as her hoof. The door to her cottage had a similar gap. She'd made sure that it was big enough for her more diminutive friends to squeeze through. Particularly for when they were running from one of her slightly-less-diminutive friends.
She turned and peered down into the tall grass that surrounded the castle's base. An excellent hunting ground.
A squeak, a quiet click, and the door swung open.
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Mouse!" Fluttershy said, stepping inside and scooping up the little creature in a hoof. "Would you like a ride back down?"
The mouse leaped from her grasp with a series of squeaks and disappeared down the hall. Fluttershy winced. Hopefully the library was already pest-proof. She gently closed the door behind her and glanced both ways down the hall. Several doors lined both walls, all closed and quiet. There was nopony in sight.
Where would Twilight hold meetings? There were multiple office-like rooms on every level of the castle, and twice as many sitting rooms. She wouldn't be in her personal study or her bedroom. She probably wasn't in the throne room. Twilight had never liked that place. Too grandiose.
A faint clanking noise started somewhere past the hallway wall. Fluttershy pricked her ears. The sound grew louder, and her heart rate sped up in turn. The castle never used to be patrolled by guards. Before that day, Fluttershy had assumed that there were only two guards in all of Ponyville.
She gave the door directly in front of her a push. It swung open, and she ducked inside, closing the door behind her. The clanking got louder.
Why was she hiding? She was an element bearer. Former element bearer? She was an important pony, sort of. And this was Twilight's castle.
She held her breath as the clanking sound passed right by her, inches from her face, and then stopped completely. Fluttershy squeezed her eyes closed.
A mare's voice rose from beyond the door. "Is that a mouse?" she said.
Fluttershy brought a slow hoof up to her face and covered her eyes.
The mare in the hall groaned, and then the clanking redoubled, along with rapid hoofsteps, heading away from the door. "Get back here!" the mare shouted.
Fluttershy relaxed against the door, dropping her forehead against the smooth wood. This was colossally stupid. Twilight probably knew about the weather team already. She was probably just too busy to do anything about it. With the lineup outside, she was probably too busy to do just about anything other than meet with the next pony in line.
What did all of these ponies want, anyway? Twilight had said herself that she mostly couldn't do anything with Celestia and Luna's permission. Had they really come just to talk?
A scraping noise sudden reverberated from all around her.
Click.
The door swung out into the hallway, and Fluttershy went with it, spilling onto the floor in a jumble of hooves and feathers. She heard somepony shriek, and for once it wasn't her.
"Fluttershy?" Spike asked, peering down at her. "What are you doing in there?"
She'd never seen Spike from this angle before. It wasn't particularly flattering. She pulled herself back together and rose to her hooves, leaning heavily on the doorway as she waited for her heart to slow a bit.
"I was… looking… for Twilight," she said between sharp inhales. "Weather team…"
He squinted at her. "The weather team? I guess you didn't notice—somehow—but Twilight's kind of in the middle of something right now. Can it wait?"
Fluttershy bit her lip. Normally she'd say no. The weather team was important for keeping Ponyville safe. But given the circumstances… she said, "I guess it can't be as important as all of those ponies outside."
Spike sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Yeah. That's basically what Twilight keeps saying." He paused, then glanced both ways down the hall. "How'd you get in here, anyway?"
After a momentary pause, she said, "I flew."
"Oh." He raised a hand and rubbed his other arm. "So… are you going home now? Cause let me tell you, Twilight hasn't slept in almost thirty hours, and the line isn't getting any shorter."
"I'm next," Fluttershy said, her mouth suddenly dry.
"What?"
She swallowed, then continued. "I waited in line, and I'm up next. I just got lost on my way to see her."
"You waited in line?" Spike raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh? You got lost? You've only been in the castle, what, hundreds of times? Maybe thousands?"
She put on what she hoped was a convincing grin. "It all kind of looks the same. You know, crystal there, crystal here…"
After a moment, Spike's face fell and he sighed. "She's on the ground floor. You know the room with the orange rug and the fireplace?"
She nodded.
"I'll go and—you were lying about being next in line, right? I'll go and delay Amethyst for a bit. That'll give you some time before the next ponies go in."
"Amethyst?" Fluttershy asked.
Spike nodded. "Yeah, Twilight decided that I shouldn't have to sit outside and let everyone in for hours at a time, so she got Amethyst Star to do it instead. She seemed happy about it."
"Twilight or Amethyst?"
Spike squinted at her. "Huh?"
"You said 'she seemed happy.' Do you mean Twilight or Amethyst Star?"
Spike snorted and turned, starting off down the hall. He called back over his shoulder, "Trust me, Twilight's not happy about any of this."
Fluttershy stood in the grand hall of the castle and stared at the door to the room with the orange rug and the fireplace. At least, she hoped this was the right room. She raised a hoof and knocked.
Twilight's voice answered, "We've still got five minutes. Is it an emergency?"
Fluttershy flinched, her lungs refusing to cooperate with her mouth.
"Is that a no?" Twilight asked. She sounded tired. "Okay, I'm going to assume that's a no."
Fluttershy shuffled over to one side of the door, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes. She could wait five minutes.
Sometimes it felt like, of the six of them, Fluttershy's life had changed the least since they all met. Except for Pinkie Pie's, she supposed. Or Applejack's. And Rarity's business probably would have been just as successful if she'd never met Twilight. Same with Rainbow Dash, really: she'd always had the raw ability to join the Wonderbolts.
The point was, Fluttershy's life hadn't changed at all since that one Summer Sun Celebration.
Other than her brief run as a fashion model, of course. That wouldn't have happened if not for Rarity. And she probably wouldn't have found that fine line between standing up for herself and being a bully without her friends. Not to mention, the Fluttershy of a year or two ago would never have had the courage to ask Rainbow Dash on a date.
Fluttershy rocked the back of her head against the wall and sighed.
Okay, so maybe she'd changed more than most of her friends. But for Twilight Sparkle, everything had changed. She'd uprooted herself from Canterlot and moved to Ponyville. She'd learned things about friendship that every adult pony knew, and taught the five of them so much more. Then she became an alicorn, her house was destroyed and replaced with a giant crystal palace…And Twilight's life was still changing, as the lineup outside demonstrated.
Given how long alicorns lived, Twilight's life probably wouldn't stop changing for a long time. Fluttershy shivered and wrapped her wings around her torso. Her favourite thing about wings was how warm they were on cold nights. Her face burned pleasantly at the thought of how warm two pairs at once might be.
She popped one eye open to make sure nopony was looking. She'd rather avoid any misunderstands that might arise from being seen blushing outside Twilight Sparkle's door. She still wasn't sure how she felt about ponies gossipping about her and Rainbow; she'd rather not spark a second, less accurate rumour on top of it.
The door beside her swung open, and Fluttershy stumbled aside to avoid being caught between it and the wall. A portly old unicorn stallion trotted out and headed for the castle doors without a single glance back.
Fluttershy peered out at the courtyard. Nopony seemed to be headed her way. She swallowed, then stepped around the door and into the room.
Twilight sat in a chair by the fireplace, her legs tucked in and her head hanging, her eyes staring vacantly at the empty chair across from her.
Fluttershy closed the door as quietly as she could, then walked over and slid onto the empty chair. She waited.
Twilight continued to stare for a few seconds, then a puzzled look crossed her face. "Fluttershy?" she asked, as if in a daze. Her eyes were glassy, like she was looking at something a mile away. Her eyes slid closed, too slowly to be called a blink. "Wh-what…how can I help you?"
Fluttershy shifted on the chair. "Are you okay, Twilight? You seem…" she squinted, taking in every aspect of Twilight's appearance. "Tired. You seem tired."
Twilight laughed, then broke off abruptly. "Tired? I spent entire weeks without sleep back in school. I'm fine." Her eyelid twitched. "Everything's fine."
"How long have you been—"
"Oh, not long…not long. Ponies started lining up on Sunday, and they only started filling the courtyard yesterday." Twilight almost managed a normal looking smile. "Speaking of that queue, we've only got nine minutes and fifteen seconds left to talk, approximately!" She screwed up her face in thought. "Or…hmm, I usually lose time at a rate of two second per hour, and it's been two days since I last looked at a clock, so…"
Fluttershy winced and said, "I wanted to talk to you about Ponyville's weather team, but—"
"Oh, funding? Flitter already brought it up a few hours ago." Twilight sank back into her chair for a moment, a small groan escaping her muzzle. "I'm sorry you waited so long for nothing."
"But," Fluttershy repeated, "when I heard how busy you are, I was more concerned about you, Twilight." She glanced at the closed door. "Where did all these ponies come from?"
Twilight wrinkled her brow. "All over Equestria. Why?"
"But…how? And why now?"
"The open forum," Twilight said. "Other than smiling and waving at a few public events, this is the first time I've stepped into the public eye."
"What do all of these ponies want?" Fluttershy asked.
Tilting her head, Twilight said, "Oh, they just want to meet their newest princess, of course." She wrinkled her nose, then added under her breath, "Among other things."
"Other things?"
"You know, the same things that ponies kept asking during the open forum," Twilight said. "It mostly boils down to requests for 'government funding', or attempts to weasel their way around laws that I have no authority to change." She sighed, then plastered a smile back on her face. "I'm sure the same thing happened to Celestia and Luna."
"Oh, Twilight! Please tell me you asked them for help!" Fluttershy said, perking up. If anypony could help, it would be the other princesses.
Twilight scoffed. "If I can't handle this little mess I made myself, then how can I be trusted to solve anypony else's problems? Luna and Celestia have more than enough on their plates without having to bail me out of my own castle."
"So what are you going to do?"
Twilight straightened and twisted her chin until her neck let out a resounding crack. "I'm going to sit here until I've dealt with every single individual pony in Equestria if I have to. Those ponies out there think that because I'm the youngest princess they can slip things past me, especially now that I'm tired and frustrated. I'm going to prove them wrong."
"Every single one of them?" Fluttershy asked, her mouth falling open. "Twilight…"
"Alicorns don't need much sleep anyway," Twilight said in a comforting tone. The deep creases beneath her eyes said otherwise. "And I will take breaks. Just not until things slow down a bit."
"And what about us?" Fluttershy asked, already kicking herself.
Good job, Fluttershy. Ask Twilight to decide between her friends and Equestria. That definitely wouldn't be a painful choice.
"I mean, I know your princess duties come first," Fluttershy added, "but the guards outside told me that I couldn't even come and visit without waiting in that awful lineup!"
Twilight winced and buried her face in a hoof. "Right. I told them not to let anypony…" She lifted her head and squinted at Fluttershy. "You waited in line? For how long?"
The slow crackling of the fire filled the silence.
Fluttershy exhaled. "I didn't."
"B-But…" Twilight's eyes widened. "That means that somepony is out there waiting for—"
"Spike's keeping them busy," Fluttershy interrupted. "I think he's worried about you too."
"Spike?" Twilight pursed her lips and glanced at the door. "Look, I'm grateful that everypony's so considerate, but really, I'm fine. Something like this was going to happen eventually."
"But it's our fault!" Fluttershy said, pressing a hoof to her chest. "We all acted like foals during your open forum."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "You're also acting like foals right now!" She paused, then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I just need all of you to trust me. I've got this."
Fluttershy sighed and hung her head. "Okay. Just…please don't forget to take care of yourself. There's still a lot of ponies outside."
A ghost of a smile crossed Twilight's exhausted face. "Don't worry. I've got plans for tomorrow, and nopony in Equestria could keep me away."
"Plans? Really?" Fluttershy asked hopefully. "What kind of plans?"
Twilight smirked and said, "Sorry, Fluttershy. I made a pinkie promise not to tell. Don't worry, I think you'll find out for yourself really soon." She blinked. "Oh, and we've only got three minutes left. Is there anthing you want to—"
There was a knock at the door. "Sorry, Twi'," called Spike, "but time's up." The door swung open to reveal the little dragon, an egg-timer in hand.
"What?" Twilight said, aghast. "But…three minutes!"
Spike held up the timer. "I guess your mental clock needs some tuning." He turned to Fluttershy and said, "The next pony's on her way."
She stood up and trotted over to the door. "Sorry for wasting your time, Twilight."
"It wasn't wasted, just poorly timed," Twilight said with a hint of humour. "See you tomorrow."
Fluttershy waved goodbye, then followed Spike out of the entrance chamber. He led them back to the hallway where they'd bumped into each other. He stopped next to the balcony door she'd mouse-picked earlier and turned.
"Did you get through to her at all?" he asked.
She sighed. "I don't think so, but at least now she knows we're worried."
Spike nodded and stepped back. "Well, thanks for trying." He kicked a foot and grumbled, "More than anypony else is willing to do."
She considered him for a moment. "Maybe she's right."
"Seriously?"
She flinched. Her nerves hadn't gotten as assertive as her mind. "Spike, who are we to tell Twilight that she's wrong? What do any of us know about politics?"
He frowned and said, "I don't need to understand politics to know this isn't gonna end well." He sighed. "I hate it when she stays up days at a time. Makes me feel guilty for sleeping."
They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Fluttershy inched toward the balcony door and laid a hoof on the handle.
"I'm sure you've got lots of important work to do," Fluttershy said, "so I'll head on my way."
"Yeah, I guess. See you tomorrow," he said, starting off down the hall.
Tomorrow? Just how many ponies was she seeing tomorrow?
She pulled the door open, jumped into the air, and headed for home.