As the sun rose over the trees of the Everfree Forest, the residents of Ranger Fluttershy’s Home and Rescue center woke up. Next to the cottage that has been around for decades and was built by the previous tenant was a yurt that was just as big if not bigger than the Ranger’s home. A large form emerged from the yurt, a sleepy growl leaving its mouth as it ambled on over to the mailbox.
Designed by the mare’s friends, the mailbox was rather unique in the fact there were four different mailboxes for the residents, each one representing the four animals on Fluttershy’s Cutie Mark faced in different directions.
The top mailbox was shaped like a heart with a pink design and blue butterflies over it and contained the mail sent through the Ponyville post office. The one on the right is shaped like a pumpkin, blue with pink bats, and received mail from the Nocturne tribes like notices and flyers were sent, either by a Nocturne post-pony or through the use of the special runes etched into a sapphire on top of the mailbox, allowing any mail addressed to the pegasus to appear through magic.
The largest mailbox was on the left in the shape of a beehive with a yellow design and pink and blue stripes on it apart from the pink bear paw print on the front. It was also located on top of a barrel-shaped dropbox and had a similar design to the Nocturne mailbox, though both Ponyville Post can also be delivered to it like packages.
Last but not least was shaped like a lantern, and where the pegasus received all mail from her family, including her sisters, two of which were in Ponyville.
The other one was somewhere but still sent the mail.
A squeaking sound caught the bear’s attention, dark eyes looking down the path where a gray pegasus was pulling along a mail cart, humming cheerfully underneath her breath as she approached the cottage.
“Hey Harry!” the pegasus stopped, waving at the bear as she detached herself and took out several envelopes and a package, flying over to put them in the respective mailboxes, dropping the box directly in the bear’s waiting paws.
“There you go, been waiting for that one huh?” she asked as the animal eagerly tore into the box and pulled out a large jar of honey, “Well, I have to go, see you later,” the bear grunted, mouth already in the honey and giggling, she returned to her cart, checking the glasses over her eyes before flying off.
“Oh shoot, I missed her,” despite being muzzle deep in honey, Harry looked at the unicorn who was staring after the pegasus in dismay, “I meant to catch up with Derpy to make sure those glasses are still working and charged, I’ll have to check on her later,” blue eyes glanced at him and she smiled, amused, “Enjoying your honey Harry?” pulling his muzzle out, he licked the honey off his nose, nodding towards her, “That’s good, heard you guys had a rough night,” he lifted a paw in a so-so motion and she sighed, “Well, I’m going in to speak with your Ranger,” she saw the gems glowing on the mailbox and bit her lip, “Is it alright if I bring her mail into her? I promise not to open any,” that got her a searching look before the bear turned and went back into the yurt, no doubt going back to sleep till Fluttershy wakes him.
Rarity stared after the animal before taking a deep breath.
Right, she’ll take that as a yes.
Using her magic, she opened all four boxes and retrieved the mail, making sure not to mix the envelopes as she walked towards the cottage, trying to steal herself.
She’d been putting this off too long, and after some thinking, she decided out of the three, Fluttershy was the one most likely to hear her out.
And maybe not bite her hair off.
The door opened once she was within knocking distance, slit blue eyes meeting her own, the owner’s pink mane tied back by three barrettes to keep her long hair out of her eyes on both sides. Each one had its design, one with a balloon, the second with a lyre harp, and the third one by itself on her other side with a jeweled egg.
The bat-winged Pegasus gave her a blank look, not revealing her thoughts to Rarity’s presence, which made the unicorn sweat.
“Rarity,” the simple greeting had her swallowing, lips drawing back into a nervous smile.
“I’m sorry for coming in unannounced, but I would like to talk to you about something, as you’ve probably heard earlier,” it was easy to forget the mare had hearing as good as any natural-born Nocturne.
Then again, having been classmates with several creatures with exceptional hearing, Rarity should not have been surprised.
A white bunny hopped pink mane, beady black eyes staring at her, paws crossed over the green vest the animal was wearing.
“Good morning Angel,” she greeted. The bunny huffed and hopped off Fluttershy’s head, disappearing somewhere as her fellow bearer stepped aside to let her in. Bowing her head in thanks, the fashionista entered, spotting an open North Star magazine on the Ranger’s dining table. She also spotted previous issues all stacked together on one of the two bookcases in the living room.
The second bookcase was filled with books on animals and emergency first-aid, with the bottom shelf containing the Ranger rule book and regulations. In between the two cases were a wall of framed photos, newspaper articles, and Fluttershy’s Diploma from Veterinary school. There was even a certificate giving her the authority to be a Ranger and Rarity saw the date of renewal was a few years from the present.
“I’m surprised that none of your awards are here,” she’d seen plenty of articles praising the pegasus for her Ranger work and of the various misadventures she’s been in with the other three of the SpicySweet Quartet.
She still doesn’t know who came up with that name.
Fluttershy cleared her throat, looking embarrassed,
“I did not want to show them off, so my family took them and are displaying them in their own respective homes,” Rarity hummed, spotting a few ribbons pinned to the side of the bookcases and could not help but laugh.
“I see you did the same with theirs,” the fact Pinkie won a Baking competition did not surprise her, neither did Lyra’s music award. Even Trade Wind’s Spicy Eating contest ribbon was on there and she snorted.
Everyone who knew the scholar was aware of her spice tolerance, as well as her insistence on mixing spice with sweet.
The chocolate curry buns the Cakes produce resulted from that, and to everyone’s surprise, were quite the hit.
Granny Smith ended up eating five before Applejack found out and tried banning her from them.
Even though the Cakes themselves did mild to deathly spicy and provided complimentary milk with the buns.
The Apple family matriarch gave them up, though Rarity was sure the old mare got her own little smuggling thing going on with Pinkie Pie, and was even eating meat without her grandchildren knowing.
Fluttershy relaxed, looking at the ribbons, and touching her hoof on one with Zephyr’s name, it was one he’d won at one of those Martial Arts tournaments, and below the ribbon was a skateboard ribbon with Frost printed on it.
“Yes, some of them may be silly, but it’s fun to have, what did you want to talk about?” she directed her to the dining table and used the fingers at the end of her wings to pick up a steaming teapot and pour it into two cups.
Placing the mail in a pile on an empty chair, Rarity took her seat and held the cup in her hooves, enjoying the warmth the hot tea gave as Fluttershy took her seat.
“I was wondering if you’d heard from Trade Wind,” the pegasus paused in picking up her own cup and furrowed her brow.
“May I ask why?” Rarity tried to reassure herself it was Fluttershy and let out a breath.
“Well, as you know, the rest of the first class of Western University just graduated, and while she never expressed her post-graduation plans, Trade Wind herself seemed like she would disappear off some long trip to an as of yet undiscovered cave, or find ruins to explore and restore. Considering what recently happened, I was hoping to get her advice, well, her expertise on magical artifacts,” Fluttershy looked down at her mail and picking it up, sorted through it, but her ears were pointing towards her, so Rarity continued, reaching into her saddlebag, “I also received this in the mail, and I know she’s on the board, but I wasn’t sure if she was going to be there,” pulling out a dark blue envelope, she turned it over, revealing a wax seal with a crescent moon on it.
Fluttershy looked up blinking from an orange envelope in her hooves, turning it upside down and three envelopes fell out, one a light blue with Trade Wind’s Cutie Mark, a red one with a Crescent Moon and three stars around it, while the last one was a complete replica of the one Rarity had.
“Oh, you have an envelope as well,” Fluttershy looked confused,
“But I thought only graduates and those who buy the tickets receive these envelopes,” Rarity gave a helpless shrug.
“I’m still surprised I’m considered a graduate despite everything,” the Kindness bearer frowned at her.
“Rarity, you deserve your Diploma, and Fancy Pants himself offered to let you return to the school anytime,” Rarity smiled bitterly.
“I didn’t want to return while a certain student was still there, and it was either create a scandal forcing them to leave or just leaving myself,” she’d been so stupid in school, letting herself get carried away by the glamor and promise of rising high into the world.
And she crashed so hard she was still in shock over it two years later.
“Trade Wind’s forgiven you Rarity,” her shoulders stiffened at those words and she was surprised to find tears rolling down her cheeks and into her cup.
“Oh, I’m sorry I,” a handkerchief pressed itself against her cheek, wiping away her tears as a warm wing wrapped around her shoulders.
“Your okay Rarity,” Fluttershy’s voice was warm and the unicorn found herself almost breaking down but she held herself back.
She wasn’t here to cry dammit.
“It’s fine, I’m fine, thank you, darling,” the wing didn’t move but she didn’t ask the pegasus to remove it either, “Anyways, I don’t suppose that letter says whether she’s visiting?” Fluttershy grabbed the letter and opened it, Rarity waiting patiently as she took a sip of tea.
A soft ‘oh’ made her place it back down and she saw Fluttershy grabbing the red envelope, slit it open, and reading that letter.
Then she looked at Rarity, eyes wide,
“Princess Celestia contracted Trade Wind to restore the Castle of the Two Sisters,” Rarity almost fell off the chair.
“Really? Does that mean she’s moving to Ponyville then?” she didn’t know whether to be nervous or excited.
Fluttershy took another look at her sister’s letter and her face fell.
“No, she’s staying in Canterlot because of another job and will only be coming down for one or two nights every week,” Rarity sighed.
“Well, that’s better than not coming at all, isn’t it? What does the red letter say?” “It’s from the representative of the group she’s sending down, a recent graduate of Celestia’s School for Unicorns whose good with magic and research. Oh, she’s going to be here tomorrow morning and is asking for a guide around Ponyville so she could meet with Mayor Mare to arrange accommodations,” Rarity furrowed her brow.
“What’s this mare’s name?” Fluttershy scrolled to the bottom.
“Moondancer.”
The moment the front door closed, Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and glanced at the ceiling,
“You two can come out now, she’s gone,” a shimmer appeared on the ceiling before a green unicorn dropped to the ground, while a pink figure wiggled out of one of the bat houses she had in her cottage.
“Hehe, how did you know?” Lyra asked, cringing at her look, Pinkie hiding behind her to avoid Fluttershy’s disapproving look.
Pointing a wing at her ear, Fluttershy left them with that realization, going back to the table and sighing,
“Why don’t we do our morning tea and talk before Twilight gets here,” Lyra blinked.
“Uh, why is she coming here?” their party sister giggled.
“She’s been spending a day with each of us to get to know us better! I was yesterday, Rainbow Dash was the day before, and Rarity was first, I think. Fluttershy is today and Applejack is tomorrow!” the unicorn looked taken aback, before shaking her head.
“Wow, that’s more than she did in Canterlot,” if she sounded bitter they did not point it out, taking their seats and looking at the letters that were sent.
Fluttershy retrieved the letters and gave them a Look.
“Are you two giving Rarity a hard time still?” Lyra avoided her gaze while Pinkie Pie shook her head.
“Of course not! I just check on her now and again to make sure she’s doing okay and offer one of my special cupcakes!” the unicorn shrunk when Fluttershy turned her full attention on her.
“W-well, I m-might be turning her fabrics a different shade now and then, but that’s it!” she insisted, compared to two, technically three years ago, she’s left the other unicorn alone!
“Stop that,” Fluttershy ordered, looking stern, “Rarity is doing what she can to maintain her shop with her fellow owners, and they work as hard as they can to maintain their client base with Suri Polomare giving them issues,” Lyra grimaced.
“Okay, I will, it’s just, what happened in University,” Fluttershy cut her off.
“Trade Wind forgave her for her actions, and we have no right to punish her for something we weren’t there to witness. None of us chose to attend WEU with Trade Wind, remember?” Pinkie Pie slumped over her teacup.
“Yeah, it wasn’t a fun decision, but Limestone attended, so it all turned out okay,” Fluttershy hummed in agreement.
“Zephyr enjoyed his time there as well, but anyway, I am surprised Rarity only came here to ask after Trade Wind,” the other two got what she meant and frowned.
“Yeah, I was kind of hoping she wanted to talk about what happened with the Elements,” Lyra shivered, remembering that night.
No one apart from her sisters might not have known she was there, but she was, and she saw what happened that night.
“Should we tell Trade Wind?” she questioned, getting their attention, “You know how worried she was about the Elements not working, if we tell her what happened, would she take it the wrong way?” Pinkie Pie sighed.
“I know, but shouldn’t we tell her anyway? She kind of implied the fact we’ll need them again in the future,” Fluttershy winced.
“We’ll just have to wait for her to come to Ponyville before talking to her then,” Lyra wanted to ask something but the pegasus waved her hoof, shushing them, ears twitching towards the door.
“Twilight’s here,” she walked to the door as a knock appeared, and the two went upstairs to avoid being seen.
Lyra was still a bit miffed with the fact that Twilight Sparkle was putting far more effort into her friendships here in Ponyville than she did in Canterlot.
Then again, she might never have considered her classmates friends, and Lyra was surprised at the hurt she felt.
Oh well, maybe she could actually hang out with Twilight as friends now that the mare knows how important friendship is.
Whether the mare realized how strained things were between her new friends would be something to think about in the future.
Because next time, the Elements of Harmony might not even work let alone activate.
And the last thing Lyra wanted was Trade Wind thinking it was her fault and leaving to hide from the ‘plot’.