//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Fluttershy’s House // Story: Rarity has Dyed // by Unwhole Hole //------------------------------// It only took a matter of seconds for Rainbow Dash to cross Ponyville, leaving a path of tears along the way. Crossing from the train station to the largely unpopulated outskirts of town was a trivial task for her, and in seconds she arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage. Rainbow Dash wiped her eyes and tried to put on a strong face. It was her duty to explain the news to all of her friends, and with Fluttershy, she knew it would be especially important to be as sensitive as possible about it. That was hard, though; Rainbow Dash was barely holding herself together herself, and the news would probably shatter Fluttershy completely. But it had to be done. “Fluttershy?” choked Rainbow Dash. She knocked hard on Fluttershy’s door. “Fluttershy, it’s me, Rainbow Dash!” The door immediately opened and Rainbow Dash was struck by a hot blast of air that smelled exactly like one would expect from a house were numerous wild and domestic animals were kept. She had already been choking on her profound sadness, but the smell made her choke worse. It was apparent from the pungency of the aroma that Fluttershy had adopted a few additional cats. Fluttershy appeared in the door. Rainbow Dash looked her in the eye. “F…Fluttershy. It’s Rarity, she- -” “She died. I know. I read the paper before I chop it up for bedding.” Fluttershy stepped back and opened the door farther. “Please come in, if you don’t mind. You look like you could use some tea.” “I could use some more cider,” grumbled Rainbow Dash as she stumbled into the cottage. “Tea doesn’t help me deal with my problems.” “If you don’t mind me saying, neither does the cider.” Fluttershy pushed the door closed, and then locked the numerous deadbolts that lined it. “Sit,” she said, pointing to her couch. Rainbow Dash looked at it and watched as a number of mice, rats, and at least one nutria scurried away from the seat, taking their game of cards with them. Rainbow Dash then did as she was told. She had known Fluttershy long enough to know that it was a bad idea to disobey her. Fluttershy approached and sat down as well. As she did, a large bear approached. Rainbow Dash recoiled slightly, but the bear lowered a tray filled with tea. “Thank you so much, Harry,” said Fluttershy, taking a cup. She stared at Rainbow Dash, waiting for her to do the same, and Rainbow Dash did. Harry then nodded and departed. “So…is he you’re butler or something?” “No. He’s a bear.” “Oh. Yeah. That makes sense.” They both sipped their tea. Rainbow Dash almost gagged. She despised tea. It tasted like leaves, and not the good kind. What bothered Rainbow Dash more, though, was that Fluttershy’s disposition seemed to be completely ordinary. “You’re not very torn up about this.” “About Rarity dying? No. Why would I be?” Rainbow Dash gaped. “Because she’s our friend! Or- -or was…and now…she’s dead…” “Yes. That happens. Only alicorns live forever, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy sipped her tea. “Huh. I suppose that will make things hard for Twilight. I think I’ll have to write her a nice card before I go.” “How the heck are you so calm!? Aren’t you supposed to be the Element of Kindness or something?!” cried Rainbow Dash, nearly spilling her tea. She stood up, prepared to start a tirade or perhaps a rant, but Fluttershy turned her cold blue eyes toward her and Rainbow Dash immediately froze. “I am calm because this is natural. Rainbow, do you know how long animals live for?” Rainbow Dash paused, thinking it was an odd question. “Um…no…” “The answer is not very long.” Fluttershy sighed and looked to her hordes of familiars who had gathered around her to watch the conversation unfold. “A dog gets at best fifteen years, a cat twenty. A new-world mouse? Five. An old-world mouse only gets two. Some butterflies only last a matter of days.” Fluttershy’s eyes met Rainbow Dash’s. “And the lifespan of a pony is almost a hundred years. Longer for unicorns. Much longer for Tartarans…” “Where the heck did you meat a Tartaran?” Fluttershy did not answer. She looked at her animal friends. “I have presided over the births and deaths of many generations of dear friends. Death is not new to me, or the sadness that comes with it. But it’s part of the cycle. And that doesn’t even take into consideration obligate carnivores.” “Obligate…what?” “Such as cats. Cats cannot survive on a vegetarian diet. And I have to feed my cats. But that’s not the point.” “Then…what is?” “The point is that the only way to control death is to be the one who brings it.” Rainbow Dash laughed awkwardly, and she looked to the door, immediately wondering why Fluttershy had so many deadbolts and chains- -and why she had taken the time to close them all. “Drink your tea,” said Fluttershy. “I mean, if you want to. It will get cold.” “O…okay…” Rainbow Dash did as she was told, or at least pretended to. “Rainbow,” said Fluttershy. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m sad. But if Rarity was anything like me…” She sighed. “Even though I know she wasn’t. She was pretty and well-loved, and smelled nice. But if she was even a little tiny bit like me, she was ready for it.” “How can you say that? Fluttershy, nobody’s ready for it!” “I am!” She stared unblinkingly at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash had never felt so uncomfortable talking to Fluttershy before; this conversation was turning out to be a lot more disturbing than she had anticipated. “Every day when I wake up, I take precautions. In case I get out of bed wrong and break all my legs and starve to death on my floor. Or trip over a feed bucket and snap my neck. Or if the wind closes my door on my torso and I bleed to death internally. When I go outside, I’m always careful not to fall into holes hidden in the grass. And then there’s the possibility I could get ponynapped by brigands and sold into slavery or as sausage for griffons. I could cut my hoof on a piece of paper and bleed to death. Or end up going down the drain with the bathwater. I’m prepared, Rainbow! Every single CELESTIA-DARNED DAY!” She gasped. “Oops! Oh my! I got carried away! Please forgive my language!” “Not…not a problem…” “But either way, I’m prepared. And I’m okay with it. That’s why I have them.” Fluttershy gestured upward, and Rainbow Dash looked to where she was pointing- -only to see a horde of vultures and crows staring hungrily back at her. “Were those always there?” she squeaked. “Like I said. I have to be ready. Because the whole world and everypony in it is trying to kill me. Why, if it weren’t for friends like you I’d probably never leave my house. It’s just so scary out there.” “Yeah…out there…” “But I actually wanted to talk to you. I can tell this is affecting you. Do you want to talk about it?” “No. I just wanted to let you know. I- -I need to get going. Back to work and all.” “Which is Rainbow Dash for ‘I’m too tough to grieve over my best friend dying’.” “I didn’t say that! And she isn’t- -w…wasn’t- -my BEST friend!” “Rainbow, we’re all best friends. All six of us. Well, five now.” “I know, I just…” Rainbow Dash shook her head violently, trying to clear the thoughts from it. “I don’t know. I just feel…bad.” “Which is understandable and natural. Go on?” “It’s like, every time I think about her I get sad. Really, really sad. I mean, don’t get me wrong. She was a jerk sometimes. Self-centered, overly demanding, annoying, arrogant, ridiculously prissy…and really, really pretty…” Rainbow Dash sniffled, and Fluttershy looked somewhat confused. “I guess that is a way to describe her?” she suggested. “Um, not the BEST one, but…” “I mean, I didn’t even like her that much. If it hadn’t been for Twilight I’d probably never even have talked to her. But there’s just something about her…like, there was something I always felt but never really said. I didn’t think I’d ever have to. I didn’t WANT to. Didn’t want to give her the darn satisfaction…but now…now I’ll never get the chance!” Rainbow Dash burst into tears. Since there was nothing more pitiful than watching a Pegasus cry- -something Fluttershy knew well, as she spent almost as much time crying as she did planning to avert her impending demise- -Fluttershy set down her tea and hugged Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash, now bawling, hugged her back with so much force that she released a compression squeak. This continued long past the time at which it began to become awkward, but Fluttershy understood that this was important. After a few minutes, she was soaked in tears- -again, not unusual for her but this time different in that they were not hers- -and Rainbow Dash’s wailing had been reduced to simple sobbing. Fluttershy assumed that was a good sign; she was either recovering or had broken completely. Rainbow Dash looked up at Fluttershy. “F…Fluttershy?” “Yes, Rainbow Dash?” Without warning, Rainbow Dash puckered her lips and leaned in toward Fluttershy. Decades of work with venomous snakes immediately kicked in, and Fluttershy reflexively blocked Rainbow Dash by putting a hoof on her forehead. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Um…” Rainbow Dash blushed heavily. “Well, you were comforting me, so I thought…you know…” “You were going in for a kiss.” “Well…yeah…” “No.” “But- -” “NO.” “Fluttershy, come on- -” “No means no, Rainbow Dash. Don’t make me beat you.” Fluttershy stood up. Rainbow Dash sat back and sniffled, crossing her front legs in annoyance. “You couldn’t take me.” “That’s kind of the point. But you wouldn’t be able to fight back. I mean, I’m Fluttershy. Do you really think you could hit me?” Rainbow Dash frowned, but then sighed. “No. Darn it, when did you get this assertive?” “I’ve been taking lessons. And I’ll let this one slide just this once because you’re really sad and also full of cider. But here. This might help.” Fluttershy picked up a heavyset beaver and set it on Rainbow Dash’s lap. “Try hugging it. Hugging a furry friend always makes me feel better. I think it will help you too.” Rainbow Dash looked down at the beaver, and it spread its arms for a hug. Rainbow Dash groaned. “Fluttershy, I can’t kiss a beaver.” She paused. “Or can I…” “Then maybe a goat?” Fluttershy pointed to one of several that wandered the inside of her house.” “Eew! I can’t make out with a goat either!” “Why not? I have.” “I- -” Rainbow Dash nearly dropped her beaver. “Wait, what?!” “Come on. Who hasn’t? They’re almost ponies.” “No they’re not!” “Don’t yell, you’ll agitate the Bruno!” Fluttershy pointed at the beaver. “Besides! I’m not the only one! Big Mac is literally dating a sheep! Which I guess is better than the alternative.” “The alternative? What’s that?” Rainbow Dash hugged Bruno the beaver. “Beavers?” “No. Dating Applejack.”