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“I-I won!” Rainbow Dash panted as she stopped in a cloud of dust that settled outside Fluttershy’s cottage.
“Nuts to that!” Applejack snorted as she pawed at the air in front of her. “Ah did!”
Rainbow flapped her wings, trying to clear the dust so they could see each other properly. “Sounds to me like you’ve had one too many apples fall on your head. I beat you by a mile!”
“Ah was here first!” AJ maintained, waving her own hat to clear the air.
Then a familiar, hesitant sounded voice spoke up. “Well, technically if you want to go by which pony arrived first, then I guess I won.” The two racers turned just in time to see the dust clear away, revealing an immaculate Twilight Sparkle who didn’t have so much as a speck of dust on her coat or a hair out of place in her mane.
Applejack felt her jaw drop. “How’d you do that?”
Twilight’s horn flashed in answer. “Oh, I teleported.” She said as it were the simplest thing in the world.
“From all the way back there?” Rainbow Dash tossed her head, indicating the path behind them.” Twilight blinked.
“…Yes?” She said hesitantly, as if afraid she did something wrong.
Applejack whistled. “Whoo-ey! Ah guess you weren’t exaggeratin’ none when you said you had some powerful magic!”
“I never actually said that but…why would you think that I was?” The lavender unicorn asked innocently.
“No reason…heh, guess I’ve been hanging around with this ‘un too much.” AJ chuckled, indicating Rainbow Dash.
The pegasus in question, raised her head and, deciding to take the high road, stuck her tongue out at Applejack. None of them noticed the door behind them opening up or the teal eyes that ever so slightly peered around them. That is, not until a certain white rabbit applied his fuzzy foot to the rump of the cream colored pegasus who owned said eyes, knocking outside. “Eep!” She squeaked, drawing attention to herself.
“Fluttershy, hey…what are you doing on the ground?” Rainbow asked.
“Oh, um, nothing. That is, unless you want me to be doing something. It’s nice. The grass I mean.” She shrunk down.
Rainbow Dash trotted over, shaking her head. “Fluttershy, seriously? You know me and you saw these ponies at the party, remember?”
“W-well, yes, um but I don’t really know them. I’m sure they’re really, very nice but ponies I don’t know make me a little bit…nervous.” She squeaked. “Sorry.”
Groaning, Rainbow helped pull Fluttershy to her hooves. “A little, huh? Well, this is Applejack and Twilight Sparkle.”
“Oh yes, I know Applejack.” Fluttershy scuffed the ground with her hoof. “I do check ups for her dog, Winona and sometimes I talk to the animals on her farm so they don’t eat too many apples.”
“Darn good job you do too.” AJ nodded approvingly. “You’re always welcome to stop by but ah swear you like talking to them little varmints better than you like talking to ponies.” Her tone was light but Fluttershy flinched.
“Oh no! I mean, well, yes I do but it’s just that animals are much easier to talk to—but I’m sure you’re easy to talk to also, it’s just….I don’t know…” She curved into a little squeaking ball, utterly tongue tied.
Applejack kneeled down in front of her. “Steady there pardner, it’s okay. Ah was just funning ya.” She took on a calm even voice, the kind she used to try to settle a panicked sheep or cow to prevent them from stampeding.
Rainbow Dash nudged Twilight. “Go on, say hi.”
“Um, hello?” Twilight said, smiling nervously.
“…Hello.” Fluttershy returned. The two spent a moment shyly looking at everything but each other. Rainbow Dash swore she could actually taste the awkward. She subtly poked Twilight in the side with her wing.
Leaping a little in shock, Twilight shook her head and that seemed to clear the cobwebs. She coughed. “So Fluttershy, we’re here to see how the music is coming for the Summer Sun celebration? I hear you’re performing?”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she shook her head quickly. “Oh no! I mean, I’m not…but my birds are.”
“Your birds?” Twilight was confused.
“Oh yes.” The canary yellow pegasus’ eyes lit up. “Would you like to meet them?”
She seemed so excited that it was impossible to refuse her “…Sure.” Twilight agreed amiably. Applejack and Rainbow Dash nodded as they followed Fluttershy around to the back of her house. There they saw what could only be described as a menagerie of every type of animal imaginable. Rabbits, cats, dogs, mice, ferrets, ducks, a dozen types of birds, badgers, moles, otters and more.
“Oh wow…” Twilight’s eyes widened. “This is really incredible!”
“Hate to have to clean up after them.” Was Rainbow Dash’s ever appropriate nugget of wisdom. AJ nudged her but didn’t say anything.
Fluttershy, well, fluttered over a tree where several of the birds had gathered on the branches. “These are the birds who will sing for Princess Celestia…they’re so wonderful!”
“Cool!” Rainbow Dash flew up quickly, nearly startling the birds (and Fluttershy) into flight by her sudden appearance. “Mind if we get a sneak preview?”
“I-I don’t know…” Fluttershy’s smile withered. “I just get so nervous in front of other ponies…”
Rainbow was nonplussed. “Then…how are you going to conduct or whatever your birds in front of Princess Celestia and the town?” Fluttershy led out a strangled squeak as her wings locked to the sides of her body and she fell to the ground, landing on her back. She didn’t budge. Sheepishly, Dash hovered over her. “…I’m guessing you really didn’t think about that before I just said it, huh?” She took Fluttershy’s ‘eep!’ as a yes.
“Way to go Rainbow Dash.” Applejack grumbled, walking over to the prone pony. “There now, no need to get upset sugarcube. No need to get stage fright.”
Fluttershy let out a little gasp of pure horror. “T-there’s going to be a stage? No pony said anything about a stage!” She squeaked.
Rainbow Dash quickly shoved her hoof in Applejack’s mouth. “What she means is that everypony will be watching Cel—I mean PRINCESS Celestia!—as she comes out. The birds will be there for, like, background music. They probably won’t even notice that you’re there.”
Cautiously, Fluttershy lifted her head up off the ground. “Really?” Her voice was tinged with hope.
Winking, Rainbow helped pull Fluttershy up. “I’m positive!”
Fluttershy smiled as her wings started beating. “Oh, that’s good! Um, do you think we could practice that?”
“….You mean us practicing paying attention to the birds singing instead of you?” Applejack checked. The pegasus nodded. She shrugged. “All right sugarcube, if that’s what you want.”
With a delighted squee, Fluttershy flew over to her birds. “Okay, let’s take it from the top!”
Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Applejack watched as Fluttershy led a dozen different birds and somehow manage to make it sound like a harmonious whole. When she was done, all three of her visitors applauded politely—making sure their applause was soft and that their eyes were on the birds.
“Woohee, that was something else!” Applejack proclaimed. “Ah’d wake up to that kinda singing any day!”
“See, what’d I tell you Fluttershy?” Rainbow smiled. “Nothing to worry about!”
Twilight meanwhile regarded the whole display with awe. “You must’ve studied a lot of books to get so good with training them!”
“No, I don’t really train them. I just ask them nicely. They’re my friends.” Fluttershy rubbed her cheek against the head of a cardinal.
The unicorn’s face fell. “Oh. That’s…certainly something.”
“Why the long face?” Applejack asked.
“Our faces are always long, it’s part of pony anatomy…” Twilight started before finding Rainbow Dash’s hoof in her mouth. After giving her a cock eyed look, Dash withdrew her hoof. After wiping her mouth to get the taste of hoof out of it, Twilight flushed. “Oh, you um, meant that metaphorically. It’s nothing.”
“Didn’t sound like nothing. C’mon now, what’s up?”
Twilight squirmed. “I guess I’m just finding it a little…I don’t know, disconcerting to see just how many ponies just have these natural talents that don’t require any studying. Like you and apples, Fluttershy and her animals, Rainbow Dash and her flying…I have to work and study and practice in order to master my talents. It makes me wonder…”
“If there’s something wrong with you?” Rainbow Dash finished, making a face. “Oh come on, didn’t we just go over this? Just because there isn’t a book about how to make birds sing or be awesome or…apple-y,” she gestured vaguely in Applejack’s direction, “Doesn’t mean that we don’t practice or work hard, even if it is our natural talent.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Rainbow Dash is right. I may be able to communicate with animals but that doesn’t mean I always knew just how to take care of them or help them when they’re sick.”
“Really?” Twilight looked a bit hopeful.
“Oh yes! Even after I started talking with the animals I still needed to earn their trust. That took a lot of time. But it was all worth it.” A pair of birds landed on her shoulders and rubbed their beaks against Fluttershy’s cheeks.
Twilight couldn’t resist cooing. “Aww…how’d you figure out that you could communicate with them?”
“There’s not much to tell.” Fluttershy looked down shyly. “It was my first time on the ground and I was amazed by all the bunnies and squirrels and all the other animals.” Rainbow Dash’s wings subtly twitched, knowing what Fluttershy had chosen to omit. “But when they were startled away by this loud noise I went after them. I wanted to tell them that it was okay and it was safe…and they understood!” Fluttershy let out a quiet squeal of glee.
It was impossible not to smile at her adorable enthusiasm. “That’s really amazing.” Twilight smiled, coming out of her shell slightly. She reached out to gently pat one of the birds…only to have them squawk loudly and take to the air, flapping about her head. “Augh!” Twilight flailed her hooves and ran back and forth. “Get them away!” She shrieked, panicking the rest of the birds as they flew this way and that, pecking at the loud angry purple thing.
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. Please, calm down…” Fluttershy softly called after the birds.
Rainbow Dash shook her head, mentally reminding herself to tell Shining Armor about this. “Twilight! Can’t you just teleport away?”
“Y-yes!” Twilight gasped as she closed her eyes and focused. She vanished in a flash of light…only to reappear inside Fluttershy’s chicken coop. “Aaaah!” She burst out covered with feathers and followed by a half dozen angrily squawking and pecking chickens. Rainbow Dash was rolling on her back, holding her belly and laughing.
“P-please, stop…” Fluttershy went unheeded. The chickens drove Twilight across the yard until she tripped over a tortoise and found herself face to face with a foalhood fear. “S-snaaaakes!!” She screamed as she leaped a good five feet in the air and started running as fast as she could, not stopping until she ran smack into Applejack.
“STOP!” Fluttershy shouted, almost reaching a normal speaking voice. She looked at the birds, chickens, snakes and other agitated creatures. “I need you all to calm down.” She gave each of them a certified Look. Rainbow Dash, who was busy looking at the shivering Twilight, only saw it in the corner of her eye. But even that was enough to make her shiver to the tips of her wings. It was like the look of a dozen Princess Celestias and mothers combined and focused at a particularly naughty foal. Within seconds, each and ever critter made their way back to their habitats, homes, coops or whatever as they sat in petrified silence.
Then like a sudden summer storm, it passed as quickly as it had arrived. Meek, shy Fluttershy was back. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened…” She hid her face behind her mane as she regarded Twilight. “It’s okay now…d-do you need anything?”
“Can you spare a cup of dignity? I’d really like that.” Twilight groaned from her place behind Applejack, idly rubbing her hen-pecked rump.
“S’okay sugarcube, I’m sure they were just a mite peckish…er, no pun intended.” AJ said comfortingly. “C’mon, why don't you and Rainbow Dash get a bite to eat while I help Fluttershy feed these critters? We’ll meet back at the farm for dinner, okay?”
Twilight nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.” Rainbow said. “Let’s go Twi.” Her eyes glinted in humor. The mortified unicorn groaned as she realized that she would never hear the end of this.
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“A-and then when you appeared in the chicken coop?” Rainbow Dash fought down her giggles as she tried to get through the story. “I thought I was gonna molt my feathers, I was laughing so hard!” She hugged herself with glee as she grabbed another hayfry.
“Yes, Rainbow, I know. I was there.” Twilight’s voice was pure deadpan. “It was ten minutes ago and you’ve spent the last five reliving it point by point.”
With a cherubic smile, Dash swallowed her hayfry. “Heehe, sorry. You’re a real riot Twilight Sparkle.”
“Thanks.” Wow, did it just get cold out all of a sudden?
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m just kidding. Hanging out with you has been pretty cool.”
“It has been kind of nice.” Twilight admitted. “Until the whole animal fiasco anyway.”
Rainbow Dash shrugged her wings languidly. “I’ve seen worse.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Twilight waited but no elaboration seemed forthcoming. “Would you care to--?”
“I would not.”
“Oh.” Twilight took a bite out of her daisy sandwich while Rainbow Dash mentally relived why racing through the Canterlot Gardens with Philomena had not been one of her better ideas. They ate in silence for a while before Twilight had something else on her mind she wanted to ask. “Are you ever going to tell anypony here about you and Princess Celestia?”
“Hay no!” Dash said, spraying crumbs across the table. After taking a drink to wash the remainder down, she continued. “Why would I? You, Ditzy Doo, and Fluttershy already know. I’m only staying until the Summer Sun Celebration and that’s the day after tomorrow. Who else would I tell?”
“Well, there’s Applejack and her family, Rarity, Pinkie Pie…”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with such vigor that she almost passed for Ditzy’s twin. “Are you kidding? The ponies in this town are…are…”
“Crazy?” Twilight offered helpfully.
“I was going to go with completely feather-pulling, headache-inducing, bizarre, annoying, random mental patients, but yes, crazy will also do.” The cyan pegasus sat back in her chair.
“I think they like you.” Suggested Twilight hesitantly. Rainbow didn’t have an answer to that.
“…I guess.” She finally allowed. “And they were pretty fun. But how fun do you think they’d be if they treated me like royalty? Applejack probably wouldn’t race me anymore and Pinkie’s parties would all become boring fancy tea parties and Rarity…okay she’d probably act the same. Maybe even become worse.” She shuddered.
Twilight took a sip of her water. “I guess I can understand that. You don’t want ponies treating you like you’re different or super special?”
Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry. “Heck no, that’s not it! I AM different, I am special! But I’m not special because Princess Celestia is my teacher. She’s my teacher because *I’m* special, you know?”
“Wow.” Twilight nodded. “You are just, so modest I can’t comprehend it.” Her voice became snarky.
Dash didn’t deny it. “Hay, if you aren’t willing to sing your own praises, nopony else is going to do it for you. Especially not in Canterlot. Not unless there’s something in it for them.” She said a touch bitterly.
Twilight fidgeted. “That seems a bit…cynical.”
“Which one of us has spent more time being shown around the high society types, you or me?” Rainbow made a face. “I know what I’m talking about with them. And at least I’m *honest* about it. You would not believe how many rich ponies do something like donate money to an opera or a museum or something just so they can get some recognition for being a ‘patron of the arts’” Rainbow made quotations in the air with her wing tips. “Then they’ll put on this fake modesty bit while fishing for even MORE recognition! Fake modesty is usually a mask for an even bigger ego.” She half climbed out of her seat, her hooves pressed against the table as she leaned over. “So if you want to call me egotistical for sticking up for myself, go right ahead!”
It wasn’t until she had finished her rant that she realized that she was essentially looming over Twilight Sparkle, who had shrunk down in her seat attempting to not be seen.
“I’m…” Twilight choked out, her eyes shiny. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean it, I—”
Rainbow Dash winced as if kicked in the belly. “Oh…oh geeze. No, I’m sorry Twilight.” She forced herself back into her own chair. “I just let those…creeps work me up so much sometimes…I didn’t mean it.”
“R-really? You’re not just saying that?” Twilight asked, sounding almost pathetically hopeful.
Nodding fiercely, the Pegasus held up her right hoof. “I swear, I’m really sorry. If you want to, you can go ahead and sock me one.” She tilted her head to the side. “Go head, give me one.”
“Rainbow Dash!” The poor unicorn was horrified. “I would never hit anypony!”
“Go on, it’s no big deal. You know how many ponies would love the chance I’m offering you? Only, could you be sure not to get my good side?”
“I—no! No I’m not hitting you!”
“Oh.” Rainbow Dash made a show of wiping her forehead in relief. “That’s a relief. I’d hate to get on the wrong side of such a *great* and *powerful* unicorn as you.” Twilight colored at her companion’s over the top antics.
“Rainbow Daaash…” Twilight laughed. “You are so strange!” Dash just winked and poured some of her hayfries onto Twilight’s plate as a peace offering. Unable to think of anything else to say she couldn’t help blurting out “Which side is your good side anyway?” She almost chipped her teeth as she crammed her own hoof into her mouth, hoping Rainbow didn’t hear her.
No such luck. The pegasus laughed before taking on an exaggerated look of offense. “You mean you can’t tell?” She put a hoof against her chest as she fanned herself with her other, doing a fine impression of Rarity. “Why don’t YOU tell me which side you think is my good one?”
“I don’t know….” Twilight started, feeling flustered by the smug look on Dash’s face as she took a sip of her drink. A mischievous thought crossed her mind as she thought of a perfect comeback. “You’re probably sitting on it.”
Rainbow sputtered, spilling her drink down her front. Twilight laughed at the gobstruck look on her face. “You—I—what?”
“Just the sort of eloquence I’d expect from Princess Celestia’s student.” Twilight giggled as Rainbow Dash dabbed herself dry with a napkin.
It wasn’t long before she thought of her own comeback. “Soo…you’ve been checking out my backside? Can’t say I blame you.” She leered as Twilight’s face reddened.
“That isn’t…I mean—it was just a joke!” Twilight frantically waved her hooves in front of her.
“I think you’re protesting too much.” Dash teased as the unicorn only got more flustered. She laughed. “Heh heh…wow this conversation took a weird turn.”
Twilight grumbled inaudibly how Rainbow Dash took a weird turn…presumably at birth, but was smiling as she said it. “Y-yeah. I…I never acted like this before! I mean, Shining Armor and I tease each other sometimes but never like this!”
“Hey, it’s what friends do.” Rainbow Dash reminded her, giving her a gentle shoulder punch. “
“You know, back before—well before, I thought you were going to say how you hated how ponies tried to act nice to you in order to get favors with the Princess.” Twilight said softy.
“Well...don’t get me wrong, that is really annoying. But it doesn’t take long for the high-brow types figured out that they were barking up the wrong cloud when they pull that with me. By the time I’m finished they usually don’t want to have anything to do with me. And if I want to really wow anypony, I’d just show off some of my fantastic flying. They’d be eating out of my hooves in…well, you know.” Rainbow smirked, flexing her forelegs.
“So modest.” Twilight quipped, her eyes light with humor. Her companion did give a weak nod.
“Yeah well…okay, maybe I DO brag a little too much…”
“A LITTLE?” Twilight said incredulously, but Rainbow spoke over her.
“But if I was super-modest and stuff the Wonderbolts would never look at me twice!” She took a sip of her water. “I mean, don’t you have any dreams that you want to fulfill?”
“Yeah, everypony has dreams.” Twilight admitted.
“Well, go on: what is it?” Rainbow leaned forward.
Twilight looked from side to side before lowering her voice. “I-I always wanted…” Rainbow leaned forward even more. “To read every book in existence!”
“…” Rainbow Dash facehooved only to regret it as she promptly face planted onto the table when she overbalanced. “Ow…” She rubbed her nose. “Seriously, that’s it? That’s your greatest dream?”
Confusion reigned on the unicorn’s face. “What do you mean?”
“…Never mind.” Rainbow Dash groaned. She was saved from further queries by the clip clop of tiny hooves on the ground. The two mares look up just in time to see a purple-gray unicorn filly with a blond mane run up to them. “Dinky?”
“Hi Rainbow Dash!” The filly waved. “Who’s your friend?”
“Dinky, this is Twilight Sparkle. Twilight, this is Dinky Doo. She’s Ditzy’s daughter.”
Dinky waved. “Hello! You’re really pretty!”
“Awww, hello Dinky!” Twilight cooed. “Nice to meet you.”
“What’s up squirt?”
“Momma was wondering if you wanted to come over for muffins and milk.” Dinky peered up over the table. “She said she ran into Applejack and she’s there waiting for you.”
Rainbow Dash gave her a look. “Ran into Applejack huh? You sure it wasn’t the other way around?”
Dinky giggled. “Maaaybe.” Rainbow mussed her mane before she got up.
“Come on Twi. If you’re not gonna be a nerdy shut in anymore, you’ve got to learn how to play with foals. Maybe we can round up AJ’s little sister and make it a proper play date.”
Twilight bit her lip. “Um, well I don’t know, I’ve never really--” Dinky looked up at her with big pleading eyes, her lower lip jutting out in the slightest of pouts. Twilight didn’t stand a chance. “Oh okay.”
“Hooray!” Dinky cheered.
Rainbow Dash grinned as the enthusiastic filly bounced around Twilight, asking her all sorts of unicornish stuff about magic. She was really starting to like Ponyville. As annoying as some of the ponies could be, at least they were…genuine. Besides, who could turn down free muffins?
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