//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Tea for Three // Story: What She Doesn't See // by Carnelian-Fox //------------------------------// Chapter 2: Tea for Three Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash held their embrace for several long moments that, all the while, passed them by too quickly. The mutually assured fortification of their hug had left them oblivious to the distractions of everything outside of their bond, giving them the freedom to think about nothing at all and feel everything, to live in the moment. It wasn’t until Angel Bunny started rapidly poking Fluttershy in her butterfly-adorned flank that either of them had snapped back into reality. Still holding onto her rainbow-maned friend, Fluttershy adjusted her gaze to meet the eyes of her beloved pet. Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask Angel what he wanted when she noticed that he held her personal calendar in his paws. The white lagomorph shoved the calendar toward her face and Fluttershy’s eyes scanned it before focusing on the current date. She let out a flustered gasp. She exclaimed, “Oh, goodness!” “What is it?” Rainbow Dash asked in concern. “I forgot that I’m supposed to have Discord over today! I don’t have any snacks prepared and he’s coming early today! I don’t have much time…!” Fluttershy panicked. She always aimed to please, so the thought of disappointing somepony was devastating to her. Her eyes moved from Angel to Rainbow Dash, then around the kitchen, and finally back to Rainbow Dash as if the answer to her situation was written beneath her bangs of warm colors. “Earlier than when you two normally have your tea parties? Why?” Rainbow Dash asked in confusion. “He has an appointment with the College of Chaotic Cardinals during our usual time,” Fluttershy explained, causing even greater confusion for Rainbow Dash. The shy Pegasus went on to elaborate, “I think they’re worshippers of chaos deities. High priests, even.” “Great,” Rainbow Dash muttered, her voice steeped in copious amounts of sarcasm. “The Lord of Goofy Happenings has a cult now.” “Oh, don’t be like that, Rainbow. They’re not liable to do anything bad. He would never allow it,” Fluttershy assured. Her eyes told Rainbow Dash that she was still worried about preparing for the tea party. “Well,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “it looks like you could use a helping hoof. I’m more than willing to lend one! After all, I think I kind of held you up.” “Oh, no, no, Rainbow, I couldn’t ask that of you—” Fluttershy began to object. “You’re not asking; I’m offering,” Rainbow Dash pointed out with a wink. Fluttershy smiled brightly, a gleam of a mix of appreciation and relief sparkling in her eyes. “Just start spouting orders, sous chef! Hey, Rarity’s fancy words came in handy!” Fluttershy let out a giggle and instructed, “Alright, can you please get some lettuce from my garden? Oh, and some tomatoes, too! That is, if you don’t mind.” Saluting, Rainbow Dash replied, “Yes, ma’am! Right away!” With a rainbow vapor trail, Rainbow Dash zoomed out of the cottage and landed amidst the vegetables. Fluttershy gazed out the window and fought the urge to swoon. Getting out some whole wheat bread, a knife and a chopping block, Fluttershy carved the middle of the bread out from the confines of the crust for six slices. Having the help of somepony so bold and outgoing was something akin to a miracle in Fluttershy’s mind. It was something for which she would have prayed to the Alicorns, had she not felt like it would have been a bothersome and silly thing to pray for. Fluttershy felt that, over the years, Rainbow Dash’s courageous demeanor had been rubbing off on her in small, gradual doses. Yet, in all of her exposure to that rich, potent bravery, she never had enough to tell Rainbow Dash how she felt. “Just one head is enough, right?” Rainbow Dash called from the doorway, pulling Fluttershy out of her contemplative state. “Fluttershy?” “Y-yes! That’s perfect, thank you,” Fluttershy called back, a rosy blush suddenly on her face. Rainbow Dash closed the front door, which Fluttershy hadn’t even heard open, and entered the kitchen with a head of lettuce under one wing and four tomatoes tucked under the other. She set the vegetables down and eyed the de-crusted bread squares quizzically. Fluttershy, making not of the questioning gaze out of the corner of her eye, explained, “He likes crust.” “Ah…” Rainbow Dash said thoughtlessly. She didn’t mind Discord and actually grew to admire him as an individual, but still kept him at more of a foreleg’s length than Fluttershy had. “You know, I find his reformation very symbolic. Chaos isn’t necessarily good or evil. It’s inherently capable of being either or!” Fluttershy pointed out as she began slicing the tomato on the chopping block. “I never took you for the philosophy type, Fluttershy. That’s deep,” Rainbow Dash commented as she let her companion’s words sink in. “Oh, I’m not a philosopher by any means. It’s just a conclusion I came to after spending so much time with Discord. Just like how I learned from you that there’s nothing more trustworthy than a loyal friend,” Fluttershy replied as she finished with one tomato and moved onto the next one. “But I’ve barely scratched the surface with that. Chaos is unbridled and absolute freedom. It promotes free, individualistic thought, but can be taken advantage of and create a hierarchy of strength. That’s why order exists. Order provides safety and structure, but it can suppress individualism and free thought if allowed to take a form of absolution. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t talk so much.” “N-no, you’re fine. I just…wow. You should write a book,” Rainbow Dash said, awestruck and unsure of how to respond to such a deep and complex analysis. “I bet it’d be a best seller!” “It’s no Daring Do,” the yellow Pegasus replied, finished slicing the second tomato. She paused and let out a soft sigh. “Sometimes, tending to the animals can be so thoughtless that my mind starts to wander. Nopony would want to read something like ‘The Midday Thoughts of the Animal Pony’. Not to mention the last time a book with my name in it was published…” “Oh, yeah… That was a living nightmare while it lasted,” Rainbow Dash recalled. Perking up, she suggested, “C’mon, we’d better finish with these snacks and get ready before Discord pops in.” “You’re right. Um, Rainbow, would you…like to stay? For the tea party, I mean. I’d be happy to have you and I’m sure Discord won’t mind,” Fluttershy proposed, beaming hopefully at Rainbow Dash. “I… I don’t know… I don’t want to intrude—” Rainbow Dash replied hesitantly. “It’s no intrusion; I’m offering,” Fluttershy giggled. Rainbow Dash let out a small laugh, seeing how the tables have turned. “Well, you’re somepony who’s hard to refuse! That’d be great, Fluttershy! Thanks!” Rainbow Dash thanked her dear friend, trying to curb her enthusiasm at the thought of spending more time with Fluttershy. The two female Pegasi worked together to prepare a variety of snacks and brew the tea just in the nick of time. About as soon as they finished up, three pronounced, curt knocks resounded from Fluttershy’s front door. Rainbow Dash went to answer the door as Fluttershy pulled one of her cushiest chairs up to the coffee table. When Rainbow Dash opened the door, nopony was there. Then, Rainbow Dash heard a unique sound from behind that she knew was attributed to teleportation magic. “Why, hello, Fluttershy! Oh, and Rainbow Dash! Now, this is a surprise. And it’s not even my birthday!” exclaimed the personification of the concept of chaos itself. “Hi, Discord!” Fluttershy greeted. “What was the point of knocking if you were going to literally pop in?” Rainbow Dash asked with an arched brow. “Elementary, my dear daredevil! I may be spontaneous to a point that would make Pinkie Pie blush, but I certainly am not impolite. Even a draconequus has to show some sort of class,” Discord explained as a red bowtie appeared into existence around the base of his long neck and a white mustache grew on his face in the blink of an eye. Using his lion paw, he held a monocle up to one of his vermilion eyes. “Huh… Never would have pegged you for the courteous type,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I hope you don’t mind, Discord, but I asked Rainbow to join us today! She was a very big help getting ready for this and we’re just so happy that you’re going to meet with your fans later!” Fluttershy giddily informed Discord, who wore a look of neutral surprise on his face, as though he had opened a birthday present and wasn’t sure what to think of what was inside. “O-of course, I don’t mind. It is your home, after all,” Discord responded, trying to make his response as immediate as he could. He glanced at Rainbow Dash, unenthused, and mumbled, “Three’s a crowd.” Rainbow Dash silently agreed with the draconequus. Even if she was comfortable enough, she wouldn’t have confessed her feelings to Fluttershy in front of Discord. That would have put the shy Pegasus pony under a much unwanted spotlight. Fluttershy looked at the coffee table and the three spots were set up perfectly. She had gotten the snacks out while Rainbow Dash answered the door and was now taking a moment to admire the hoofwork that the two Pegasi had put in. Then, when a loud whistling was heard, Fluttershy gasped, “I’ve got to get the water!” “I’ll get it!” Rainbow Dash volunteered and immediately zipped into the kitchen, Fluttershy gazing after her in admiration. Discord did not go unaware of Fluttershy’s infatuated stare and asked, “What brings Rainbow Dash to this neck of the woods, my dear Fluttershy?” “Hmm? Oh!” Fluttershy turned to face Discord once his question registered in her distracted mind. “She wanted to hang out. It made me so happy, too. She is my oldest friend, after all. I can always count on Rainbow Dash.” “You know you can count on me, too, right?” Discord asked with concern and perhaps a pinch of envy in his voice. He snapped his eagle claws and the tea bags seemed to come to life, catapulting each other into the empty tea cups, guerilla warfare style, and awaited being drenched in boiling hot water. “And never mind me. What about your other friends?” “What? Of course, I know that, silly. I know I can count on all of my friends. Rainbow Dash is just a great example. She’s loyal enough to put herself on the line for anypony she loves, brave enough to take on the heavens themselves and tactful enough to do it all with a confident, goofy grin,” Fluttershy elaborated as images of the mare she admired flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes and smiled contently. “That grin that melts my troubles away.” “That’s poetic. Why, it almost sounds like you depict our rainbow-maned friend as a knight in a fairy tale,” Discord replied observantly. Fluttershy’s eyes shot open and her muzzle turned rosy. She let out a small squeak and Discord raised an eyebrow. Rainbow Dash returned, holding the tea kettle filled with boiling water in her teeth. Hovering, she craned her head over Fluttershy’s teacup and began to pour. Her rose eyes met Fluttershy’s teal ones and she smiled, causing the tea kettle to shift in her teeth and pour a steady stream of boiling water onto her left foreleg. The sudden, unexpected pain caused Rainbow Dash to scream, the kettle slipping from her mouth. She fell onto her haunches on Fluttershy’s floor, the yellow Pegasus immediately at her side. The kettle hung in midair above the two ponies as Discord had quickly freed it at the water inside from the confines of gravity. “Oh, Rainbow, I’m so sorry! I’ll go get you a towel so you can dry off!” Fluttershy exclaimed in panic, running to a linen closet. “Ah, that hurt…” Rainbow Dash winced under her breath. She raised her voice. “I’m so sorry, Fluttershy! I don’t know what got into me.” “Oh, nonsense,” Fluttershy insisted as she gently rubbed the towel on her friend’s foreleg. “Even somepony as awesome as you can have moments like this.” Rainbow Dash felt herself blush at the words of the pony she admired, and she grit her teeth at the friction of the towel on her wet coat and stinging skin. Even a touch as gentle as Fluttershy’s had some level of consequence here. Letting out a heavy sigh thick with guilt, Rainbow Dash mumbled, “I really screwed up this tea party, huh? Fluttershy, Discord, I… I’m sorry.” “Now, now, Rainbow Dash, it’s not like you to cry over spilled water,” Discord piped up, a pang of sympathy in his voice. He smiled cheerily and continued, “The party is still young. Come on, now. Wake up, get up, get out there!” “Who’s crying?” Rainbow Dash growled, shooting a fiery glare at chaos incarnate. Discord smirked and replied, “Now there’s the Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy described to me mere moments ago.” “Wha…?” Rainbow Dash uttered as both Pegasi blushed a deep shade of crimson. Discord chuckled in satisfaction and gripped the tea kettle’s handle, restoring it to the laws of physics. He poured the water into his cup and Rainbow Dash’s before topping off Fluttershy’s. Then, he picked up a square of bread crust and popped it into his mouth. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and said, “Thanks, Fluttershy. I think I’m—” “I’m not done,” Fluttershy flatly cut her off. “I’ve got some ointment for first degree burns that I want to apply to this. That’s why I dried you off first.” She got up and headed into her bathroom. Rainbow Dash heard the medicine cabinet open and reflected, once again, on what a kind and genuine pony Fluttershy was. She was quiet, and her assertiveness was work in progress (though getting better all the time), but if there was one thing she had always taken a firm stand on, it was the well-being of living creatures. Fluttershy returned with a green tube of ointment in her mouth. Taking it into her hooves, she uncapped it with her teeth and then spun the tube around. She squirted a large spiral of off-white ointment onto the light cerulean foreleg and began to rub it in, making sure the ointment would sink into the burned skin. It stung Rainbow Dash at first, but before long, a cool wave of relief washed over the area Fluttershy tended to. Fluttershy was focused and mindful. “Fluttershy…” Rainbow Dash softly spoke. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome,” Fluttershy responded quietly and warmly. “Are you feeling better?” “Yeah. Thanks,” Rainbow Dash thanked her. She climbed back into the seat Fluttershy had gotten for her. The remainder of the tea party was dominated by Rainbow Dash and Discord telling Fluttershy magnanimous tales of their distinct exploits, as if they were competing to see which one of them was more capable of leaving the yellow pony awestruck. Fluttershy, however, remained unaware of any tension or competitive atmosphere between her friends. She was simply overjoyed that Rainbow Dash could spend time with her and Discord. The stories would range from the Sonic Rainboom to alternate worlds to moving so fast that other ponies saw double and got whiplash, and Fluttershy had been impressed with all of it. Eventually, the time came for Discord to leave and meet with the College of Chaotic Cardinals. The draconequus stood up and graciously bowed to his hostess before opening the door and walking out. Fluttershy made a noise riddled with confusion and contemplation, “Hmmm…” “What is it, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked before taking a sip of her tea. “Well, it’s just… He used the door… I mean, it’s not unheard of, but…he doesn’t usually do that. And he walked. I hope everything is okay…” Fluttershy responded with concern. Rainbow Dash could see that Fluttershy had had a point. Abnormal was Discord’s normal. With a shrug, Rainbow Dash assured, “I’m sure he’s fine. He might just be flustered about being worshipped or whatever.” “I hope you’re right,” Fluttershy replied worriedly. Outside, Discord sighed and said to nopony in particular, “I never thought I’d say this, but perhaps I should ask Twilight for advice later. Maybe I really am out of my league…” With that, he teleported away to meet with the College of Chaotic Cardinals.