//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Seeking Harmony // by Maran //------------------------------// Celestia returned to Canterlot with mixed feelings. She was overjoyed at finding two more Bearers, but disheartened that they weren't automatically friends. All this time, she had assumed that as soon as the Bearers saw each other, they would experience the same instant connection that she, Celestia, felt toward them. But that was turning out not to be the case. And Twilight did not make friends easily. What if she never formed bonds with the other Bearers? Then, if Luna did not change her ways, Equestria would be doomed. To distract herself from these gloomy thoughts, Celestia matched the Bearers to their Elements, based on her limited information. Obviously, Twilight's raw power and fascination with spells exemplified Magic. Rainbow Dash was ecstatic after her best friend was rescued, and also idolized the Wonderbolts, so she exemplified Loyalty. Pinkie Pie, who smiled 99 percent of her waking hours despite being raised in such a serious family, exemplified Laughter. Rarity pouring her heart and soul into creating beautiful costumes for other ponies exemplified Generosity. And Applejack made up for her sister eating the roses and got Celestia to open up to her more than she would have for other ponies, so she exemplified Honesty. That left Kindness. Celestia still had a hunch that it would be Fluttershy, but she could not be certain until she saw her. As the Best Young Fliers' Competition once again drew near, Celestia wrote a letter to Rainbow Dash. Two days later, she received a letter from her parents stating that their daughter would absolutely participate in the competition, win all the awards, and be the most amazing pegasus ever! The letter had a lot of exclamation points. So, during their next session, Celestia asked Twilight if she had any plans for the last weekend of summer. “I don't think so,” answered Twilight. “Why do you ask?” “Because I'd like for you to come with me to Cloudsdale when I judge the Best Young Fliers' Competition. You'd get the perfect chance to try out the cloud-walking spell,” Celestia added to tempt her. “That does sound exciting. And dangerous.” Twilight raised her hoof to her cheek. “What if the spell doesn't work?” “You've never failed at any spell you've tried yet. I have full confidence in you.” “Thank you, Princess. When you do go, my parents can watch Spike for you. Did I tell you they bought a basket for him to sleep over?” “Oh?” Celestia blinked. “No, you didn't mention that.” “Yeah, I told them he'll probably just outgrow it soon, but they got it on sale, and they said they'll find another deal on a bigger bed when the time comes.” “Oh! Well! They certainly seem to have grown fond of Spike.” “They really have! I would never have expected it, but my mom and dad go on and on about what a sweetheart he is and how easy he is to take care of compared to unicorn foals.” Her student shrugged. “I don't really understand it, but I haven't spent much time with baby unicorns.” Celestia chuckled. “No, you haven't. It's good to know that Spike has a home away from home.” A week later, Twilight had news for Celestia. “You know how you're always telling me I should spend more time with the other foals? Well, Minuette invited me to her birthday party. I was thinking I should go this time, but it's the same weekend as the Cloudsdale trip. So do you not want me to go to the party?” She gazed up at Celestia, asking her to help her choose. Celestia sighed. She had always told Twilight to have fun with the other foals outside of school. On the other hoof, it sounded like Rainbow Dash would actually compete this year, and Celestia wanted Twilight to at least see the other Bearer. But what if Twilight didn't feel a connection with her? What if Rainbow Dash didn't like Twilight? It was so nerve-wracking to think about, now that she had evidence that this was possible. “I cannot tell you what to do,” she said after a moment of silence. “You will decide what is best.” And so Twilight elected to go to the party, and Celestia arrived at Cloudsdale without her. When she landed just outside the Cloudiseum, Celestia was greeted with the sight of not one, not two, but three sets of rainbow manes and tails. There was Rainbow Dash herself, a bit lankier with two years of growth. Standing near her were two multicolored stallions who had to be her close relatives, as well as a blue mare with an orange mane and tail. The mare made up for her deficiency of natural color by wearing a vivid windbreaker and having Rainbow's cutie mark painted on both cheeks. “Princess Celestia!” exclaimed the stallion with the stubble on his face. “I'm Bow Hothoof and this is my wife, Windy Whistles! And you already know our daughter, Rainbow Dash.” “We framed your letter and everything, your highness. We are so honored that you recognized our Rainbow Dash for the awesome little pony she is!” said Windy Whistles. “I'm not with them,” said the clean-shaven stallion, holding out a foreleg's length between himself and Bow. Rainbow stared up at him with her brow furrowed. “What do you mean, Uncle Spectrum?” Spectrum looked from Rainbow to Celestia with a grimace. “I'm not really her uncle, I'm just like, uh, her mentor.” “Stop kidding around, big brother, we're family!” Bow slid over to Spectrum and threw his foreleg around his shoulders. “We used to take baths together!” “That's it, I'm done.” Spectrum flung his brother's arm off and stalked away from him, swishing his tail as if to shoo off a fly. “What's with him?” asked Rainbow. “Oh, he's just not a team player.” Bow waved his hoof airily. “But he's coming back, right?” The filly creased her brow. “Don't worry, champ, I'm sure he'll be back to watch you win first prize. He just needs a little time to cool his head.” She sighed. “I hope so. I really want my family cheering me on. And Fluttershy cheering me in spirit.” “Cheering in spirit?” Windy Whistles snorted. “What does that even mean?” “I don't know, but Fluttershy says it's a thing she does,” said Rainbow, shrugging. “Is Fluttershy your friend who was lost in the woods?” Celestia asked as casually as possible. “Yeah, she was. For some reason she really liked it. She wants to move there someday. She's here, but she's hiding in the crowd right now.” The filly glanced around her as if hoping to catch sight of her friend. Then she shook her head. “She won't come around as long as you're with us. No offense, princess!” She held up her forelegs in a gesture of surrender. “She's just very shy about talking to strangers, especially strange grownups. And you're as grownup as it gets.” Celestia's mouth quirked up in amusement. “That is true. But I hope Fluttershy isn't in the habit of getting lost.” “Well . . .” Rainbow gazed upward and rubbed the back of her neck. “We're working on that.” “Oh, look at the time!” Windy Whistles said suddenly. She pointed at the giant clock above the stands. “We only have half an hour to find good seats!” “Okay, Dashie, we'd better go now. You know what to do.” Bow ruffled her mane. “Leave all the other ponies eating my contrail!” replied Rainbow. “That's my girl!” “We'll be cheering for you!” added Windy. “I know. See you in the winners' circle!” She turned toward Celestia as her parents flew away. “I need to start warming up soon, princess. But first, um, I wanna thank you for the letter.” The filly rubbed her front hooves in circles together. “I guess I was afraid of not being able to create another rainboom. I thought I'd already peaked so why bother to push myself anymore? But then you wrote in your letter that I should believe in myself because – because you believe in me. That really means a lot.” Her ruby eyes wavered. “So I'll keep doing my best for you and all the ponies who care about me.” Then she beamed. “Besides, I know I'll at least fly better than all these slowpokes here.” “I have every confidence that you will, Rainbow Dash.” The filly cheerfully zipped away to join the other young athletes in warming up. Celestia glanced at the clock and saw that she had 28 minutes to search the crowds for Fluttershy. She could not waste this rare opportunity. The challenge was that there was a large crowd outside the arena, and pegasus crowds tended to be more three-dimensional than earth pony and unicorn crowds. She went over what she knew about Fluttershy. The filly would be ten years old by now, yellow with a pink mane and tail, and she had social anxiety. Such a pony would stay at the edges of the crowd. It didn't narrow down Celestia's search all that much, but it was a start. Nodding to herself, Celestia soared toward the periphery of the crowd. Several times, her heart leaped as she caught a glimpse of yellow or pink, but none of the ponies turned out to be the final Bearer. As the time grew closer to the start of the competition, though, the crowd became thinner and thinner, making it easier for Celestia to scan both outside the Cloudiseum and into the rows of seats inside the arena. As she continued her search, something unusual caught her eye. It was a small, gray bird with a long tail. Just seeing any bird besides a pigeon was rare in Cloudsdale. This bird was too little to be a pigeon, although it was somewhat similar in shape. Celestia was fairly sure it was a dove. Curious, Celestia followed the dove at a distance until it landed on the dense cloud-grounds near two ponies. One she recognized as Spectrum, and the other . . . The other could only be Fluttershy. She was tall for a ten year-old filly, with a long, pink mane and tail, and upon her flank were three butterflies the same hue as the Element of Kindness. At long last, the set was complete. Celestia did not want to scare Fluttershy, but she had to at least attempt to speak with her. She landed softly on the cloud about forty feet away from the filly, and inched closer to her, all the while aware that she was running short on time. She observed Spectrum and Fluttershy conversing. “Yeah, well, at least your little brother isn't here to embarrass you,” said Spectrum. “You think my brother would embarrass me?” asked Fluttershy. Spectrum raised his eyebrows. “Have you met your brother?” “He's not that bad, except when he acts weird around Dashie,” said Fluttershy. “And Mr. Hothoof isn't bad either. He always has something nice to say.” Spectrum sighed. “His heart's in the right place, but why does he have to be so over-the-top about everything? He never knows when he crosses the line, and Windy is no better.” The dove flew up and perched between Fluttershy's wings. “Oh, look, your little pal's back,” said Spectrum, breaking into a smile. “Hello, Fred,” she said, turning her head to look over her shoulder at the bird. Then her eyes met Celestia's, and her pupils shrank. “What is it?” Spectrum followed her gaze and spotted Celestia. “Oh.” He bowed as Fluttershy moved to hide behind him. Celestia figured she might as well approach the two ponies. “Hello again, Spectrum. And you must be Fluttershy.” “You, um, y-you know who I am?” stammered Fluttershy. She seemed perfectly capable of conversing with ponies once she got to know them, but introductions proved to be a hurdle. “Rainbow Dash told me about you.” Celestia lowered her head to the filly's level. She'd learned over the years that some ponies felt more at ease when she did this, while others were put off by the condescending gesture. In this instance, Celestia decided to try it. Fluttershy peaked out one eye from her hiding place behind Spectrum. “Oh – oh, my. Um, oh dear. . .” Fred the dove cooed. Whatever he communicated seemed to fortify Fluttershy. She drew a steadying breath and took a step out from behind the stallion. However, she still did not look directly at Celestia's face. “Um, what did she say?” asked Fluttershy. “She said that you are her best friend. She also said that you were lost in the woods, and you liked it so much that you want to move there.” “Oh, yes, it was wonderful.” Fluttershy's face warmed in a genuine smile. “That's where I found out that my special talent is communicating with animals and helping them. There aren't as many opportunities to do that here in Cloudsdale.” She ducked her head as if realizing that she'd said a great deal more than she had intended. “Um, your highness.” Celestia successfully held in a laugh. “I can imagine. Only birds can come up here, and not very many species stay here.” “Yes, exactly, princess!” She blushed at her own outburst and hid her face behind her mane. “You should visit Ponyville sometime. There are all sorts of animals there, like rabbits, squirrels, and frogs, and I'm sure there are fish in the brook and pond.” “Actually, I did go down to Ponyville last time Cloudsdale blew over there to help out with their Fall Finale. I saw many different creatures and different kinds of ponies, donkeys, and cattle. It was – it was a little overwhelming.” “Ah, I see. That's understandable. Could you see yourself staying there longer?” asked Celestia. “I guess I could get used to it, if it meant helping all the animals there.” “I'm glad to hear it.” Celestia turned her head toward Spectrum. “I'm sorry for excluding you from the conversation, Spectrum.” Spectrum waved his foreleg. “That's all right, princess. In fact, I was never here.” He reached into his pannier and withdrew a curly brown wig and tail extension of the same color. “Hey, maybe I can sneak into the Cloudiseum without Bow – I mean, certain other ponies noticing.” He put them over his mane and tail, only partly covering his bright hair. “Um,” said Fluttershy, “Mr. Spectrum, some of your hair is sticking out.” “Whew, thanks,” said Spectrum, tucking his mane and tail completely under the false brown hair. “No one will recognize me now! See you later, Fluttershy.” He waved at her before flying into the arena. “He didn't cover his cutie mark,” observed Fluttershy. Fred the dove cooed in agreement. “I'm sure he'll figure that out sooner or later,” said Celestia with a smile. “Are you going to watch your friend compete?” “Yes. Um, that's why I'm here.” “Would you like to sit in the box with me?” Fluttershy's eyes widened. “What? Oh, no, I couldn't. I wouldn't dare!” Fred cooed longer and more loudly than before. “You want to sit up in the box with me, Fred?” The girl gazed at the dove on her back. He nodded. “But everypony will stare at us.” Fred cooed again. “Yes, I suppose they will be staring at the ponies racing.” The dove let out another coo. “Well, when you put it that way . . .” Fluttershy turned back to meet Celestia's eyes. “Thank you for inviting me, Princess Celestia. I would like to sit with you. That is, if Fred can come too.” “Of course. Follow me, Fluttershy.” Celestia lifted off into the air and looked over her shoulder to make sure Fluttershy was following her. The filly hesitated for a moment while the dove flew toward Celestia. Then she took a deep breath and flapped her wings, rising above the cloud ground. Celestia gave her an encouraging nod and flew slowly, allowing the girl to catch up to her. Fluttershy flew closer, keeping pace under Celestia's right wing. She looked up at Celestia with a nervous smile. Celestia returned the smile and led her to the box seats. She settled in somewhere between the competition coordinator and one of the other judges, but there was plenty of empty space left in the box. “Oh, good, you're just in time for the contest to start, princess,” said the coordinator. Fred the dove landed on the bench next to Celestia. Nopony else seemed to notice him. Celestia glanced up at Fluttershy hovering uncertainly above the box. She beckoned the filly with her foreleg. “Fillies and gentlecolts, the Best Young Fliers' Competition is about to begin!” said the announcer, his voice magically amplified. “Please be seated so that everypony has a good view of the athletes in the air.” Fluttershy let out a squeak, barely audible over the announcement, and swooped down to land next to Celestia. After a pony sang the Cloudsdale anthem, the competition began. The contestants were judged based on speed, agility, and the nebulous category of style. Celestia did her best to pay attention to each young athlete, but she kept thinking about Rainbow Dash and wondering how she would perform. Every so often she glanced at Fluttershy out of the corners of her eyes. The Bearer silently gazed up with interest, her expression a bit wistful. Finally, it was Rainbow's turn. “WOOOOO!” Celestia couldn't see Windy Whistles, but she could certainly hear her. “Rainbow Dash! You can do it!” screamed Windy. “Go Dashie! Go Dashie!” chanted Bow Hothoof. The filly beamed, and then furrowed her brow as she scanned the crowd. “Is she looking for somepony?” asked Fluttershy. “I believe she is looking for you, Fluttershy,” said Celestia. “Oh.” The filly's eyebrows tilted upward. “I guess she expected me to sit with her family.” The two ponies lapsed into silence as they watched Rainbow begin zooming around the arena. She seemed to be going for agility rather than speed, which was not what Celestia anticipated. As she flew through a cloud ring, her wing clipped the edge. She grunted softly. “Go Rainbow! Best flier ever!” cheered Windy. Rainbow bumped the inside of another ring. Then Fluttershy's eyebrows lowered in determination. She reared up on her hind legs and spread her wings and forelegs. “Come on, Rainbow!” she almost yelled. It was the loudest Celestia had heard her speak, at any rate. “You can do it!” Rainbow's eyes lit up as she looked down at Fluttershy. Then she turned her head back to focus on the track and picked up speed, clearing each ring in perfect form. Rainbow Dash ended up placing fourth, but she was the youngest flier in the competition, so all things considered, she performed very well. She did not even attempt break the sound barrier, because, as she explained, she knew she did not have time to gain enough height to go into the long dive that would boost her speed. But her parents were as proud as they would have been if she'd won first prize and generated another sonic rainboom.