//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Actions Speak for Themselves // Story: What She Doesn't See // by Carnelian-Fox //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Actions Speak for Themselves Rainbow Dash watched for several moments as Fluttershy comforted the little filly they found. What had Seabright’s father done to get taken away? Did he owe the gang money? Did he challenge them? Did he challenge the mayor’s lack of actions? Rainbow Dash’s eyes shifted back to Town Hall. The municipal building was much larger and more delicately detailed than the one she knew well in Ponyville. “What does your daddy do for work?” Scootaloo asked Seabright softly. “H-he’s a manager at the weather factory,” Seabright sniffled. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy glanced at each other. The irony, and yet it made so much sense. The use of the cloud machines to create fog in order to cover up violent activities was a heinous and abusive use of one of the most important regulators in Equestria. Seabright’s father must have been a noble hearted stallion to stand against such abuse of the weather factory, in spite of the powers that be being stacked against him. Fluttershy knew that the weather factory was large and had diverse branches for different types of weather phenomenon. Her own father, until fairly recently, had spent his entire career in the cloud production wing. She wondered how he was taking the Cloud Crusher Crew’s use of the fog. He was likely shifting between seething on the inside and spells of somberness. Both of her parents were very mild mannered, but her father took pride in the making of clouds and wouldn’t ever stand for this use of the factory had he not retired. “Did you go to the police?” Scootaloo asked. Bursting into tears, Seabright explained, “Thanks to the mayor, their hooves are tied…” Rainbow Dash’s brows furrowed and she bit her lip in anger before a curse could slip out. Fluttershy began lightly humming into Seabright’s ear. The sea green filly seemed to settle down some, her cries softening and her body gradually becoming lax. The thought of Fluttershy being a mother, a good one who would unconditionally love and educationally discipline her foal, made Rainbow Dash grin. The light cerulean mare blushed when she realized what she was thinking. Then, another thought struck her. She called out to Seabright, “Hey, kid, you like the Wonderbolts?” Seabright gave a shy nod. Rainbow Dash instructed, “Well, imagine some blue and gold spandex and a pair of goggles with these colors.” Slowly, those big, purple eyes widened as the filly recognized the mare as the rookie Wonderbolt with the striking rainbow mane and tail. Scootaloo chimed in, “Pretty cool, right?” “Yeah…! It’s really you! It’s really Rainbow Dash!” Seabright exclaimed. She looked up at Fluttershy and blinked in a lack of familiarity. “Are you a new Wonderbolt, too?” “No, I’m not. I’m just a friend of Rainbow Dash’s. They call me Fluttershy,” Fluttershy introduced herself, smiling softly. “The best friend a pony could ask for,” Rainbow Dash quickly added. Fluttershy’s face went scarlet, but her smile brightened in spite of herself. The praise was more than just praise to her. It was enlightenment. Rainbow Dash was a pony of well-earned pride and outspoken talent, and her words made Fluttershy feel like an equal. Her words showed respect and appreciation. “They’re awesome!” Scootaloo attested, bouncing in place and beaming. Her excited bouncing was much more contained than Pinkie Pie’s bouncing, but the smile was just as sincere. This was also a romance factor involved in her barely-controlled enthusiasm. She really wanted to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy become special someponies. “Rainbow Dash is the best big sorta-sister a filly could ask for and Fluttershy’s the nicest pony ever born, hooves down!” “Well, I don’t know about that,” Fluttershy modestly responded. “Even I have my limits…” “Everypony has limits! That doesn’t mean that you’re not a kind pony. I mean it when I say everypony could learn a thing or two from you,” Rainbow Dash chimed in eagerly. “Well, Dashie, I’ve definitely learned from you. I learned how to be strong by my own terms thanks to you,” Fluttershy informed her dear companion. This mission would put that found strength to the test. Returning her attention to the town hall building, she took a deep breath and marched inside, not giving herself a moment to reconsider. “Whoa,” Rainbow Dash commented with a whistle, watching Fluttershy strut into Cloudsdale Town Hall like she owned the place. “I like the way she walks.” “C’mon, Seabright! If we talk to the mayor, I’m sure we’ll get your dad back!” Scootaloo encouraged and ran inside, the sea green filly following swiftly. Rainbow Dash shook her head and reined her thoughts into the present moment before zooming in, catching up to Fluttershy and the fillies in a multicolored flash. “Can I help you?” a secretary asked as the four ponies approached a desk preceding the mayoral office. She subtly scanned their faces, finding herself quizzical about the two fillies before her, but also having a pang of vague familiarity about the two mares. “We’re here on behalf of the Princess of Friendship to discuss, uhh…friendship business with the mayor,” Rainbow Dash reported, Fluttershy agreeing with a pronounced nod. Flashbacks of Miss Harshwhinny lecturing her about professionalism eerily crept through her mind. “We’re also looking for the father of this little filly,” Fluttershy added, wrapping a wing around Seabright. “You should try going to the police about that. As for the mayor, I’m sorry to say that you just missed him,” the secretary said matter-of-factly, not an inkling of the mentioned sorrow in her voice. “He went to meet up with an inspector at the weather factory, or so he said…” Under her breath, she mumbled, “‘Inspector’, my plot…” “Well, thanks anyway,” Rainbow Dash said hurriedly, ushering Scootaloo out, Fluttershy doing the same with Seabright. “Well, we know where to look now.” “Yeah, he would go to the weather factory,” Fluttershy agreed, “to meet with his…associates.” She was tempted to say ‘friends’, but this wasn’t a friendship between the mayor and the gang. It was a transaction at the expense of the citizens of Cloudsdale. It was a political and sociological travesty. It was a friendship disgrace. “Do you think my daddy’s there?” Seabright asked hopefully, those purple eyes beaming. “I’m certain of it!” Fluttershy assured. “But I don’t think it’s safe for you to go, Seabright… Do you have any family you could stay with nearby?” “No…” the filly glumly replied, shaking her head. Fluttershy felt her heart sink for her. Seabright’s father must have been the only family she really knew. Fluttershy, not unlike many ponies, tended to forget what a stroke of good luck it was to have her mother, father and brother, not to mention so many wonderful friends that were basically family to her. Not everypony had that, and that seemed to be the case for Seabright. Fluttershy’s eyes wandered over to Scootaloo. Had it not been the same for her before meeting Sweetie Belle, and then Apple Bloom? “You’re gonna ask me to not go, too, right?” Scootaloo asked miserably. “Not at all,” Rainbow Dash denied, ruffling the filly’s purple mane with a hoof and catching her by surprise. “This is your mission, too, and I want to teach you something here without looking like an egghead. I will tell you to stay out of harm’s way, though, if push comes to shove.” “Aww,” Scootaloo groaned. “Hey. Don’t give me that; it’ll be like a front row seat or something!” Rainbow Dash pointed out, instantly lifting the filly’s spirits. When her attention returned to Seabright, an idea struck her. “Zephyr can watch her!” “My brother?” Fluttershy responded questioningly. “He’s finally found a job in a mane salon, right? Maybe Seabright here can discover her special talent and your brother can take on a little extra responsibility,” Rainbow Dash suggested with a wink and a confident grin. Leave it to Rainbow Dash to boil an idea down to its simplest terms and have unwavering faith that it would work. Fluttershy let a stifled giggle escape her lips, and then she beamed at the light cerulean Pegasus in awe. “Can’t I go with you to rescue Daddy?” Seabright pleaded. Fluttershy gently pulled the filly into a hug and shook her head. Brokenhearted, she asked, “But why not? He’ll be so happy to see me, won’t he?” “Not if something happens to you, kiddo,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I promise that after we drop you off, the next time you see me will be with your dad.” “Promise?” Seabright questioned earnestly. “Pinkie promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Rainbow Dash promised, covering her right eye with a hoof. Seabright looked at Rainbow Dash skeptically, not understanding where that particular promise came from. It had occurred to the Wonderbolt at that point that she wouldn’t have understood, as she had never met Pinkie Pie; she probably hadn’t even heard of Ponyville’s premier party pony. Seabright’s confusion faded and she smiled shyly, willing to instill faith in Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo spoke up, assuring, “If Rainbow Dash says that the next time you see her will be with your dad, you can count on it!” Fluttershy watched as Rainbow Dash made that promise, knowing that she had barely thought once about it, let alone twice. Wow, what a mare! That kind of promise wasn’t one to be taken lightly. Those words weren’t empty. Rainbow Dash knew that, but had no hesitation nor intention to back down. “Thank you…!” Seabright squeaked as tears of gratitude welled up in her violet eyes. The kindness that these strangers were showing her, Fluttershy suspected, meant more to her than the two Elements of Harmony and the Cutie Mark Crusader would ever be privileged to know. That was a problem with trying to lead a life of virtue, though one she certainly didn’t mind so long as she did her part. “What was the name of that salon he works at? It’s something stupid like ‘Cloud Socks, Soft Sheets’,” Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy, finding whatever the name of the salon was to be long, bland and tedious; a recipe for something that was the polar opposite of awesome. “‘Cloud Soft, So Chic’,” Fluttershy amended matter-of-factly. “It m-may not be a conventional name, but it’s one that boasts a lot of, um, skill…” “Well, he’s getting paid and it’s in a safe area. Right?” Rainbow Dash sought confirmation. “Safe as anywhere, given the circumstances…” Fluttershy pointed out, mumbling. “Seabright will be safe, I know that much…” “Will your brother make my mane as pretty as yours, Miss Fluttershy?” Seabright curiously questioned. Fluttershy was caught off guard by the question, not expecting praise for her mane. Feeling a warm blush rise to her cheeks, the mare giggled and replied, “I suppose he could if he put his mind to it.” “Come to think of it, you have a really thick mane,” Scootaloo noticed, getting close to Seabright to examine the blue mane. “It would look so pretty if you grew it out!” “You really think so?” Seabright asked, backing up a bit to give herself some space. “Totally! And I don’t really know anything about fashion, so if I think so, it has to be an obvious fact!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly. Rainbow Dash chuckled in amusement. The longer she hung around Scootaloo, the more of herself she saw in her. That filly would go on to do great things. Rainbow Dash’s attention shifted Fluttershy again, Seabright’s comment stoking the flames of passion that Rainbow Dash felt about the beauty of Fluttershy’s mane, one of the many things that had the cerulean pegasus infatuated. It flowed so elegantly and so naturally, bearing the hue of cherry blossoms in the peak of their bloom. “Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy called out her companion’s name, successfully capturing her volatile attention. “Are you okay? You looked like you were deep in thought.” “Y-yeah, I’m fine. I, uh, I was just thinking about…” Rainbow Dash began, but stopped herself. “It’s nothing. Let’s go to that mane salon.” She didn’t want to admit that she was thinking about the flow of Fluttershy’s mane. Even though the two Pegasi had kissed just the night before, it would have been an embarrassing admission. On top of that, they had a more important task at hoof. They had to break the iron-clad death grip that the Cloud Crusher Crew had over Cloudsdale so it could become the beautiful city that they had grown up in once again. “A-alright, if you’re really sure,” Fluttershy stuttered softly. The fillies stood at attention, ready to follow the two mares. Rainbow Dash was looking expectantly at her, and then the reason why occurred to Fluttershy. “Oh, right! It’s on Mane Street, at the corner of Halo Road.” “I remember Halo Road! Boy, that was a fun place to do some crazy tricks,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed nostalgically. “Lead the way!” Fluttershy’s expression, once Rainbow Dash punctuated her exclamation, was akin to that of a Pegasus that had flown straight into a brick wall and was just about to go into a dizzy spell. “Y-you sure? I-I’d love to, if you don’t mind, that is,” Fluttershy stammered shyly. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and approached, and then began nudging the Pegasus towards Mane Street. Taking the nudging as her cue, Fluttershy swallowed what timidness she could and began to lead her crush and their two filly charges to Mane Street and looked both ways, orienting herself to the surroundings. Rainbow Dash had passed along an opportunity to claim the limelight and lead to her. It was a gift, one Fluttershy would never take for granted. “Let’s go.” Fluttershy mumbled with a small smile. Her hoofsteps became firmer, stronger and more lively. A surge of motivation rejuvenated her in body, mind and soul. She heard her three companions’ hooves trotting behind her, keeping pace with her, though it sounded like Scootaloo and Seabright were putting in extra effort to stay within close proximity of the older Pegasi. Rainbow Dash picked up the pace a bit so that she could trot next to Fluttershy. She smiled brightly at her, happy to see a sudden burst of pep in her trots. Fluttershy smiled back, beaming with gratitude. “I think they like each other!” Scootaloo rasped to Seabright not-so-discretely. Rainbow Dash’s smile morphed into a flustered grimace and Fluttershy’s face turned a burning shade of scarlet. “R-really? You mean they’re not special someponies?” Seabright asked timidly, apparently under the impression that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been dating up to that point. “Nope, not that I know of! And Rainbow Dash and I tell each other everything! She’s basically my big sister at this point!” Scootaloo exclaimed, having great difficulty in preventing herself from sounding boastful. “Well, I wouldn’t say I tell you everything, squirt,” Rainbow Dash countered after taking a deep breath, resetting her emotions from Scootaloo’s prior comment. Hopefully, someday soon… Fluttershy thought to herself, sparing Rainbow Dash a longing glance. She wanted to tell Rainbow Dash how she felt outright, but the task at hoof was their priority. She couldn’t allow herself to think selfishly when Seabright had nopony aside from her captive father. “Hey, there’s the corner of Halo Street!” Rainbow Dash called out, reining Fluttershy from her daydreams. On the left, just across the street, was the salon. Cloud Soft, So Chic. For a mane therapy salon with a name implying grandeur, the building itself was relatively plain. It was a dull off-white color, cubic in shape and a bit over a story tall, likely having high ceilings on the inside. “So that’s where my brother’s job is,” Fluttershy observed aloud. “Well, let’s go see him. Hmm?” She let out a small squeak when she felt Seabright press her little body up against her own. Fluttershy smiled. Had she really managed to earn the filly’s trust in such a short amount of time? “It’s alright. Come on, you’ll get along just fine with Zephyr.” “Is he nice like you?” Seabright asked timidly. “Not exactly. He’s nice like him,” Fluttershy replied, hoping that she could be reassuring. Rainbow Dash, having learned her lesson from her first practice as a Wonderbolt, looked both ways before crossing the street. The other ponies followed her. Rainbow Dash pulled open the door with her teeth. Fluttershy and Seabright bowed their heads graciously as they clopped in, Scootaloo shortly behind them. Rainbow Dash herself then entered the salon. It was quiet; only two patrons were having their manes treated. One was getting a trim while the other was getting her mane washed. Fluttershy approached the counter, on the other side of which a bored looking laurel green Pegasus mare with an imperial red mane reading a magazine. Looking up, the mare flatly asked, “Hi. How can I help you?” “I-is Zephyr Breeze here?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “Do you have an appointment?” the mare asked, marginally more interested now. “I’m his sister,” Fluttershy informed the stylist at the counter. The mare had a look of contemplation on her face for a moment of silence before saying, “I’ll be right back.” Within a matter of minutes, Zephyr Breeze had come into view and loudly greeted, “Sis! And Rainbows, too? Well, what brings you two around here?” “Hi, Zephyr. It’s kind of a long story, but,” Fluttershy began as her younger brother approached, “could you please do me a really big favor?” “Name it, Fluttershy. I owe you and Rainbows a lot,” Zephyr said, gaze shifting to Rainbow Dash. “How about dinner?” Letting out an exasperated scoff, Rainbow Dash sighed and said, “Damn, I knew it would come to this. Zeph, I gotta tell you that…you’re not really my type.” “How would you describe your type then? Be honest, I might knew tons of them,” Zephyr slyly asked. “Mares,” Rainbow Dash answered coolly and nonchalantly, something of a triumphant smile taking respite on her face. Zephyr Breeze’s eyes widened in shock, his slyness washed away by Rainbow Dash’s coming out. Chuckling sheepishly, “Well, ehehe, I know plenty of those… Yeah…” His disappointment was very poorly hidden. “I’m sorry, Zephyr, but I can’t change that,” Rainbow Dash informed him, sympathy taking the place of triumph. “Nopony can. Besides, your special somepony is out there.” “Yeah… Thanks, Rainbows. I know that telling me that couldn’t have been easy to just announce like that,” Zephyr replied sincerely. He smiled a warm, congratulatory smile. Fluttershy stayed silent until a moment after her brother and Rainbow Dash had had their exchange. She cleared her throat and said, “So, about that favor…” “Right, right. What did you need?” Zephyr asked as his attention returned to his big sister, only to then shift to the little filly next to her. “Who do we have here?” “This is Seabright. I’m sure you know a lot has happened in Cloudsdale recently—” Fluttershy began to elaborate. “Don’t I know it! Business has been tanking!” Zephyr explained. “It’s like this city’s chakras are all out of whack just because the mayor got too close to his ‘pals’. Totally not a good breeze.” “Sweet Celestia, you sound like Tree Hugger,” Fluttershy mumbled in awe before shaking her head and continuing to explain the situation. “So Dashie, Scootaloo and I were called here on Twilight’s behalf as missionaries of friendship, only to realize that the friendship problem in Cloudsdale essentially is Cloudsdale—the dynamic is skewed against the ponies here. We spent the night with Rainbow Dash’s parents and had a really nice time before setting out to Town Hall when we met Seabright. Say hello, Seabright.” “H-hello,” Seabright timidly greeted. “Her dad was taken away in last night’s fog raid, so we stormed into the mayor’s office, but the mayor wasn’t there, so his secretary told us he’s at the weather factory and he’s probably with his pals in the organized crime syndicate, and I don’t want Seabright to get caught in a skirmish—nopony does; she’s a sweetheart. Would you mind watching her for us?” Fluttershy hurriedly finished her explanation, took a deep breath and gave her younger brother a big, pleading smile. Zephyr was stunned. He was vaguely aware that his sister and Rainbow Dash played an integral role as Princess Twilight Sparkle’s close friends, but he had no idea that they were so deeply entwined with friendship in Equestria as a whole. On top of that, he hadn’t thought of Cloudsdale’s problems with gang violence as a friendship problem before; nopony had. How could they? Like Fluttershy had said, the dynamic between the mayoral power and the general populace was terribly skewed. Seabright’s big, violet eyes melted Zephyr’s heart, though, and his mind was no longer frozen. Fluttershy could see it. Her brother’s kindness. When the situation called for it, Zephyr Breeze would have an inviting warmness about him that was easily observable in his eyes. Though it was often muted by his outgoingness, his efforts of being sly and his lack of dedication to any particular task, Fluttershy had witnessed this presence about her brother more than enough times to detect it in a heartbeat. Seabright pulled away from Fluttershy a bit and took a meek step forward, looking up at the tall, slim stallion with a glint of curiosity in her eyes. She asked him, “Can you make my mane and tail pretty like your sister’s?” With a soft chuckle, Zephyr replied, “I can give it my best shot. You may need to spend some time growing them out and taking care of them. I can teach you some things.” “Really? You mean it?” Seabright excitedly asked. Fluttershy felt the heat rise to her cheeks once again. Were her mane and tail really that nice? Their thickness and length did open her up to a broad array of stylistic options, but as it was? “Yeah,” Zephyr assured, rubbing the filly’s head with a hoof. “You got a good mane for it. Though, it does look like you got a lot of pent up stress.” “I guess Daddy getting taken away has been a lot for me…” Seabright mumbled. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked at each other and then back at the filly. ‘A lot’ was the understatement of the moon cycle at least. Seabright’s mild mannerisms were an excellent mask, if anything, for the confusion that must have been eating at her since the terrifying night before. “I bet,” Fluttershy mumbled. She tried to limit her thoughts on the filly’s situation; internalizing it too much would lead her to feel a hazy gloom inside her. Seabright had nopony aside from her hardworking father. How lonely… How could anypony be so lonely and go on? Fluttershy imagined herself in the filly’s hooves. How isolating… how maddening… how hollowing… Not a smiling face or a glimmer of hope in sight. Life in a bland, ongoing stasis. Such a scenario would drive her to… “You okay?” Rainbow Dash muttered to her yellow friend, gently nudging her with a cyan wing. “You looked kind of down for a second…” “I…I was just thinking. I’m okay…” Fluttershy mumbled, doubting she sounded assuring to Rainbow Dash or even herself. She wanted to believe it, but her thoughts had rattled her nerves. Was it because they weren’t in Ponyville? Was it because of the twisted and mangled state of Cloudsdale society? Or were all of her efforts to keep depression at bay just ways of biding her time? “If you want to talk in private…” Rainbow Dash began to offer, but she was cut off by Fluttershy shaking her head in declination. “You sure?” “I wouldn’t really know what to say anyway, but thank you, Rainbow…” Fluttershy whispered, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and met the face of a concerned Rainbow Dash, smiling. “For now, don’t worry. It’s okay. I’m happy to know that we’re making a difference here.” “Yeah, okay…” Rainbow Dash conceded, finding it best not to prod. Fluttershy’s admission to her depression was something Rainbow Dash had minimal knowledge on. She would have to visit Twilight one day and borrow a book from her. Not a Daring Do book, but a (likely boringly dry) psychology book. Rainbow Dash felt like such a book wouldn’t be much fun to read, but she remained hopeful that it would be and would bear it regardless. For Fluttershy more than anypony else, Rainbow Dash was willing to buckle down and utilize methods that were neither her forte nor her interest. “Besides, I know we’re doing a good thing because of the Cutie Map. Every time somepony completes a task from the Cutie Map, the ponies in the assigned area wave us off with big smiles and changed lives. Our actions speak for themselves and we’re connecting with all sorts of creatures! The world’s truly happier that way, don’t you think?” Fluttershy asked, her smile more relaxed. Rainbow Dash took a moment to take Fluttershy’s words in, thinking back to the times when the Cutie Map called her. The first time was with Pinkie Pie, and they had been sent to Griffonstone. They had learned about how devastating poverty can be to a community and how every griffon kept as much as they could to themselves because they each wanted to survive and thrive as much as they could. They were desperate, but that didn’t make them immoral. That was why Gilda had been so cruel until Pinkie had opened her eyes in a way only Pinkie could do. Gilda certainly seemed…happier when Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had left. She had even tried gentler approaches to interacting with the other griffons. Rainbow Dash had felt light and airy inside, feeling like her bond with Gilda had been rekindled. It was a feeling she was thankful for, as though she had regained a dear confidant. The next time the Cutie Map had called on Rainbow Dash was the time she had Twilight were called to the Wonderbolt Academy. They had brought light to the truth behind the friendship of Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail—two cadets who had a lot of promise in their own ways. They had made that friendship stronger in the end. It was satisfying to see that bond-strengthening in action. Some of her best moments in life were moments when she helped or advocated for others. Relating her own experiences to Fluttershy’s, Rainbow Dash felt that she was doing more than just acknowledging why the timid Pegasus treated every creature with compassion. She felt like she really understood her crush on a fundamental level since embarking on this mission. “Shouldn’t we get going?” Scootaloo spoke up, seizing the attention of the older Pegasi. “The sooner we stop the bad guys, the sooner we can get Seabright back to her dad.” “That’s the spirit, kiddo!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, suddenly remembering where she was and why she was there. Fluttershy beamed at the filly, and Rainbow Dash caught an enamored glance at the inspired gleam in her eyes. “Be safe!” Seabright pled as she ran over to Fluttershy and hugged her right foreleg. Wrapping her free foreleg around the filly, Fluttershy promised in a motherly tone, “We will.” Fluttershy found the sweetness of the filly calming, not to mention impressive given the circumstances. Rainbow Dash rubbed Scootaloo’s mane with a hoof, rose eyes meeting lavender. The mare said to her filly protégé, “You know, squirt, you’re gonna go on to do some pretty cool things. You’re already cooler than I was at your age.” “What? Cooler than you were? No way!” Scootaloo responded in disbelief, beaming at the older Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was practically her big sister, so hearing that was nothing short of a shock. “It’s true. You’ve got a good heart, little buddy,” Rainbow Dash encouraged, grinning proudly.