Note: This happens right after the former chapter.
part 2 and made from the episode "Hurricane Fluttershy"
Along with the animals, Heavy began to train Fluttershy better her flight and fear of a judging crowd. It took a lot out of Fluttershy, many times she would break down in tears and Heavy had to give her several supporting words before they could return back to training.
Over time she slowly began to ignore the pony masks there would remind her of the crowd and focus on getting faster. Heavy would train her with the speed by running at her side. At first, he was the fastest, but as days passed by, she began to pass him and at week's end, she left him in the dust, even though all his running has made him a bit faster too.
Now way more confident in her flight, Fluttershy flies over a field filled with dandelions, easily blowing their white seeds off. Her animal friends and Heavy cheer on her from the ground. Certain she can join the others in the tornado now. Fluttershy lands back on the ground, looking up to Heavy there asks her with his rumbling, but no longer scary for her voice. "You ready?" She nods confident and they head back to the training field.
There, she steps over to the starting line, does freezes up a bit when everypony look at her.
"Believe in strength." Heavy reminds her, she nods, takes a deep breathe and takes off, flying as fast as she can.
When landing, she sees the anemometer's number and is horrified. "2,5? That has to be some kind of mistake! I worked so hard!" She exclaims tearfully that even with all that training, she did not get up to ten.
"Fluttershy, that's a huge improvement!" Twilight praises her, it may not be 10, but she sure has gotten better over the week.
Rainbow Dash flies over and pat Fluttershy on the back. "You did awesome, Fluttershy."
"No, I didn't." Fluttershy objects, after all this training... it was all for nothing. "I thought I'd gotten over my nerves, but they still got the best of me!" She backs away, feeling utterly humiliated by this huge failure on her part. "There's no way I'll fly with 10.0 wing power tomorrow!"
"So you won't fly with 10.0 wing power. Every bit counts!" Rainbow objects back, right now all she cares about that Fluttershy joins them and perhaps gets her confidence up. But that is not how Fluttershy feels about this as she asks her hard:
"How would you feel if everypony else was flying with 10.0 wing power and you were flying with 2.5?"
Rainbow has no words for this, she didn't think it like that, less so when she is the fastest flyer in Ponyville. "Well, uh... I'd feel... um... "
"Exactly! Humiliated!" Fluttershy exclaims between her sobs, she leaves the training ground. Along with her animal friends. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, I just can't do it!"
Heavy quietly follows her as well, sad that she cannot see that she has improved. Just not as far she thought.
He follows her back to her cottage, where he knocks carefully onto her door.
"Please... just go away..." He hears her sobs from inside. But like when Medic is in a bad mood but needs company, Heavy stays where he is, waiting for Fluttershy to be ready for him. And he can wait all day if that's what it takes. He does wait for about an hour, and when she opens the door, she finds him having all her pet birds nesting on him. Fluttershy has to cover her mouth not to laugh at what Heavy guess must be a funny sight of a big scary pony having a bunch of small birds sitting on him. Gently shaking the birds off. "You ready for talk?" He asks.
Fluttershy lets him inside.
"You didn't have to stay out there all this time."
"No, but I want to help."
"So... um, why didn't you knock again?" Fluttershy asks him a bit confused, before asking unsure. "Do- Do you drink tea?"
He nods he does and while she is making tea, Heavy explains why he didn't knock again. "Medic do not like when others force into his room without his say so. So when I feel he need talk but not aware himself, I wait until he do." He eyes the yellow pegasus, musing."You are same way."
She doesn't know how to respond on that. So all she does is giving him the tea, Heavy thanks her and extremely carefully holding the small cup in his large hooves, he starts to drink the tea. After several minutes of silence, Fluttershy says weakly. "You sound close to Medic."
"I am." Heavy replies without a second thought.
"How long have you been friends?"
Heavy opens his mouth to answer, but has to stop himself to think how long it was before they started to trust one another as friends would? Well, they are friends, and yet they are not. He trusts Josef with his life, and the doctor trusts the same with him. It's not entirely friendship it's more... the trust- the partnership a couple has to one another. Yes, they love each other, and yet even though they both know it and no matter how much they want it. They have never taken their relationship to the point they want because of the world they live in does not allow men like them. Their relationship is complicated that's for sure, and he wishes it could be simple but fear for what others do not understand is a dangerous thing, they both know that from hard experience. "Few years." Heavy replies slowly. He and Josef did not speak the first time they met on the team. Like anyone else, no one felt right that they had to work side by side of people there once were the enemy. He and Medic felt the same, but unlike him and Soldier there spend the first year killing one another before settling their differences. Medic did his best not to start a fight. In fact, they avoided each other in the start, only began talking when they realized they could do the most damage to the other team when working together. Not long after that, Medic asked him if he would allow operating the ubercharge implant into him. Heavy must admit that they were far from being friends there, but it was the starting point where they would begin to speak with one another and slowly form this deep-rooted trust they now have. "Slow building, and hard many times. Our country are enemies, we should be enemies."
"Why?" Fluttershy asks confused of what Heavy has told her.
"It is very long story." Heavy muses and he does not think he can explain it properly about the anger and vengeance Russia feels towards Germany nor what Germany did to Russia to earn such anger. "Maybe doctor can tell you. Might not, past very hard on him." He has lost count of how many times Medic has lost sleep thanks to his nightmares. It's such a relief that the nightmares have stopped, the improvement on Josef mood is quite something, it's good to see him so relaxed.
Fluttershy can relate to that. "I understand." Taking a sip of her own tea, Fluttershy feels she has to say this. "I'm sorry, all the work you did to help me... and it was all for nothing."
"No."
Fluttershy blinks, she meets Heavy's eyes, the huge pony gives her a firm look. "Little pony step is small and slow." He empties his cup, remarking. "You set goal too far. Someday you reach it, but not today, not tomorrow but one day in future."
It takes a moment for Fluttershy to realize that his harsh words do have a lot of kindness in them, an encouragement that if she keeps trying, she will reach her goal. In other words: "Baby steps."
Heavy smiles amused on how they are using his former insults on others as an encouragement. "Baby steps." Fluttershy is kinda like a baby at the moment, but like any baby, she will grow up with each step she takes.
"Thank you Heavy."
"It no problem." Heavy turns his gaze to the outside of the window, watching a few birds flying past and he thinks that even though she won't have the strength or courage: "We should go and watch tornado tomorrow."
Fluttershy squirms of the mere thought. "But—"
"Little pony does not fly if you do not want. Still good go and be there for comrades."
... She can see a point in his words. "You're right, I might not be able to help... but," She pets Angel over the head, silently thanking the rabbit for his own support towards her. "I can at least offer Rainbow and the others moral support." Heavy nods in agreement.
***
The next day, Heavy and Fluttershy head toward the reservoir where the tornado soon will be created. On the way they encounter Medic.
Heavy blinks when noticing that the doctor is trotting around as if he's dealing with something tedious and that often puts him in a bad mood. "Doctor!" He calls, getting the light grey unicorn's attention, he heads over to Medic, asking him. "What is wrong?"
Correcting his glasses from running around for one stupid book about this pony sickness the hospital currently is dealing with— which has been a pain in the neck by the way. "Eight pegasi are currently dealing with a Feather Flu— it's like a nasty flu but only pegasi can get it." Medic explains Heavy, checking the medical book he has been reading none stop to get a proper grasp on this pony sickness. "It is very contagious towards pegasi, and with Ponyville's whole pegasi population gathered in one place, it wouldn't surprise me if the whole hospital got flooded with the Feather flu... lucky me."
"Sounds annoying." Heavy remarks, for Medic does not look the least interested in this pony sickness as he has with other things in this world.
"Oh, you have no idea, mein freund." Medic sighs loudly, the only good thing he gets out from this is that all the sick ponies sleep most of the time but: "Their coughing is driving me off the wall! So I am trying to find- and learn a spell to fix that." He did highly consider replacing their lungs but he did promise pretty much everyone that he wouldn't do such things while being here. Besides, doing magic is quite fun too, so he can deal. "But aside from my eventful day. How is your day going?" He asks, and before either can reply, Medic asks Fluttershy. "Have you tried out the bird seeds I suggested?"
Fluttershy nods. "Yes, they like it much better than what I gave them before." But before they get too deep into that subject, she asks about the sick pegasi, for if eight of them are sick then. "Will the rest be able to make the tornado?"
That is a good question, Medic has heard about the tornado to give the factory of Cloudsdale the water it needs to make rain from the local ponies- especially from Scout. "Hm, let me see. With eight ponies lacking, and if all of them has 10 wing power, giving the remaining speed from the others.... nein, they wouldn't make it." He replies the yellow pegasus. Much to her horror.
"That's terrible!" She gasps.
Heavy takes a step toward Medic, asking. "What if team with wings join?"
"Soldier is one of those struck by the Feather Flu- had to knock him out when he tried to leave. But with the three others... " Again after some calculation, Medic replies. "They might, but only if they all fly as if they got chased by the Horseless Headless Horseman." Heavy nods while Fluttershy gives him an utterly confused look of what he spoke about. "Long story frauline Fluttershy." Medic says and adds to both. "I have to leave you for now, those pegasi won't get quiet on their own." and trots back to the hospital so he can use this new spell to give both him and the other medical ponies some peace and quiet from all that irritating coughing.
Heavy and Fluttershy eye one another and without a word, they hurry over to the reservoir. They arrive and Fluttershy has to use Heavy as a wall just not to get blown away by the heavy wind created by the tornado. Heavy is fortunately only mildly struggling against the strong wind, getting them both slow but steady over to where Twilight and Spike are.
Noticing their yellow pegasus clinging to Heavy's left hoof for dear life, Twilight calls. "Fluttershy! What are you doing here?!" She asks through the roaring wind of the tornado.
"If I couldn't help Rainbow Dash with the tornado... the least I could do was offer moral support!" Fluttershy replies back, she too has to shout just to get her voice through the roaring wind. She and Heavy reaches the way bigger anemometer, only there Fluttershy lets go of Heavy's strong leg and instead clings to the machine.
Heavy, struggling but standing firm on the ground tells Twilight what Medic told them. Twilight nods their doctor pony got that right. "It will be hard but Rainbow Dash went through it! Cloudsdale need that water!"
The three watches the tornado getting stronger, slowly the water starts raising but then, something went wrong and the pegasi making the tornado get flung out and the water splashes right back down into the reservoir. Rainbow crashes not far from them but has still so much speed that she gets flung off the ground and ends head-first into the nearby tree.
Scout, Engineer, and many other pegasi crash into the water and Sniper rolls a few times over the ground, unlike the ponies he recovers in mid-roll and lands somewhat gracefully on the ground. Startled and relieved he only ended with some bruises he sure gonna feel tomorrow from the crash. Sniper looks around to check on the rest and spots Rainbow limping lightly out from the small glade of trees. "You alright there Dasher?" He calls.
"I'm fine." She replies, limping past Twilight there says in a sad tone. "Oh, you were so close to the eight hundred wing power minimum! I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash..." But Rainbow Dash refuses to let this stop them. Ignoring the pain in her left front hoof, she says determent. "We've got to try again!" and takes to the sky, but Twilight stops her by her magic, telling her hard "But you've pushed your crew to their limit already!" Forcing the pegasus down to the ground and points at the others. "If you break apart again, somepony could get really hurt! You should quit, it's not safe!" First there Rainbow sees that most of them are exhausted and several of the other pegasi got bumps and bruises from the crash. Engineer, who seems to have lost some of his wing feathers is currently helping ponies up from the water, Scout shakes the water off himself but his dark pelt cannot hide the large bruise on his leg he got from crashing into the water in such a high speed.
Sniper, one of the few more or less fine turns to her, giving her a serious look she thinks is him telling her that they might not get off this lucky if they break the tornado again. Is he asking her to quit? "No!" She shouts out loud, both to Sniper and Twilight suggesting they should give up after this. "One more time! I've gotta know we gave it our all!" She tells them both hard, she refuses to give up after a defeat. It is not in her nature! "If I'm going down, I'm going down flying!" and she takes to the sky, calling for everyone again "Come on, ponies, let's make this happen!"
The ponies, although battered and bruises are encouraged by her. Rainbow eyes Sniper and smiles seeing him giving her an encouraging smirk, the sign he is with her. She expects nothing less from her partner of the Element of Loyalty. Spike blows the horn once again and everypony again starts to form the tornado, this time Rainbow refuses to let them crash, for if that happens, it will be over. The look from Sniper sure indicated to that. She commands every flyer to stay in position, to flap their wings faster, not to give up even though they are exhausted.
"Seven hundred and fifty wing power!" Twilight calls through the roaring wind.
Spike, using Heavy as the shield against the strong wind tells everyone worried. "They fell apart right after this!" Heavy, standing firm as ever narrow slightly his eyes while watching the pegasi struggling to keep the tornado going.
He does break his intense gaze with the tornado when he hears Fluttershy cry somewhat scared. "Oh, I'm too nervous to look!" He must admit he too is a bit nervous. This is very unlike the war games, those battles did have little meaning other than getting paid, but this tornado— like when he got his family out from the gulag, this is incredibly important. Something that needs to succeed.
"Seven ninety-five! We are so close!" Twilight says and calls to the yellow pegasus covering her eyes from the nerves. "Fluttershy, they need you up there!"
But what can a weak flyer like her do? "I won't make a difference! My measly 2.5 wing power is not enough...!" Fluttershy cries fearfully. Twilight steps over to her, telling her through the roaring wind. "You can make a difference!"
"Fluttershy."
Fluttershy opens her eyes and turns to Heavy, he keeps his grey eyes firmly locked with her scared blue. "You is no baby. Remember, you is strong when time call for it." She stares at him for several seconds, she wants to deny it, but she knows he is right. Gulping she nods and takes the goggles Twilight is offering her. Before going over, she asks Heavy scared through the roaring wind. "But what I fail?!"
"You get up and try again." Heavy replies with only slightly louder voice, and with that he nods towards the roaring tornado.
Scared out her mind, Fluttershy still heads over to the tornado. She hesitating puts her hoof inside and yelps when she gets sucked into the vortex. She gets flung around a few times but does get a hold on herself and starts flying in formation along with the others. She gets beside Rainbow and Sniper, Rainbow gives her a happy smile while the griffin simply smiles encouragingly and also regretfully to her. Fluttershy returns it with her own that she forgives him for attacking her. She now knows that he wasn't himself when that happened. They nod to one another and all three fly as fast as they can. She isn't really bothered by Sniper, Rainbow and Scout passing her, Fluttershy knows they are way faster than she'll ever be. But when other ponies start to pass her with ease, she presses herself to fly faster but can't.
Fearfully Fluttershy starts hearing the foals back at flight school taunting her inability to fly, like any other time when hearing them, she starts to panic. But then, she remembers everypony there has been supporting her. "NO!" She screams, refusing to let her bullies get the better of her, let her true friends' support be for nothing! She pushes herself harder than ever, passing the other ponies, although she did not notice it. All her mind is set on is proving her bullies that she is not weak and she fly!
She did not notice that when she proved she could fly faster, it encouraged the others to press past their limit and that made the tornado reach the 800 wing power needed.
A huge geyser of water burst out from the tornado, arching and landing right into Cloudsdale factory. Heavy steer, roaring out a victorious battle cry of this huge victory for the pegasi and especially of the team's shy yellow pony.
Twilight and Spike hold each other's claw and hoof, jumping up and down in this grand victory. "She did it! They did it!"
and with the last drop of water send to Cloudsdale, Spike blows the horn, signaling the pegasi that the job is done. The tornado steady disappears as the tired but very proud pegasi break away from the formation, all cheering of this huge victory.
Looking up, Derpy notices the pony causing this victory and starts stomping her hooves onto the ground as an applause, the other pegasi swiftly follow suit, cheering for Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash flies up and stops the still flying around yellow pony, stopping her with a cloud. "Whoa, girl, take it easy." She grins to her friend not realizing that it is over.
"Whuh, what? Did we do it?" Fluttershy asks confused and exhausted. She is quite caught off guard when Rainbow hugs her, telling her grinning. "Yeah, we did it! You did it!" and encourage her to slap their wings together, Fluttershy does, very happy she did it. But that smile does quickly drop when she and Rainbow land onto the ground, did for a moment fear getting bullied again when one of her former tormentor in form of Flitter says. "Great job, Fluttershy, that was awesome!" and her twin sister adds beaming. "Yeah, we couldn't have done it without you." Fluttershy smiles weakly at the praise, never expected this. And not at all when Rainbow says after Spitfire from the Wonderbolts has praised her for her guts. "Thanks, but if you wanna talk guts, then you've gotta give it to my number one flyer, Fluttershy!" Fluttershy waves weakly to the Wonderbolt, to then freeze up and fear the worst when Rainbow calls out to everypony. "Let's hear it for Fluttershy!" She finds herself getting thrown up and down by a crowd of ponies. It takes her a second to hear that they aren't mocking her.
"Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can really fly!"
They are praising her! Fluttershy heart beam of the greatest praise she has ever gotten in her life. She may not be the best flyer but it seems even a little can make a huge difference.
After the other pegasi have let her down, Fluttershy walks over to the pony there taught her of this inner strength. She smiles up at him and Heavy returns it while offering her his hoof. She puts her own onto his, blinks when a light emerges from her and when it fades, a silver necklace is around his neck, having a pink crystal in form of what she guess is a fisted dragon claw. Fluttershy can't stop smiling at this and she is very happy and proud that this kind yet tough pony has been chosen as her partner.
***
With the day's ending and everyone heading back home for a good night rest, Heavy does not return to the library just yet, instead he heads over to the hospital and when spotting the turned human he is looking for. "Doctor." he calls, getting Medic's attention. "Let us go for walk."
Medic smiles and follows Heavy away from the closing hospital, noticing the object around the big horse's neck and can make a good guess who Heavy has become the partner for. "I figured you would get the Element of Kindness." He remarks and is sort of happy Heavy got that particular element. Behind that tough exterior is an extremely kind man, one Medic has seen many times over the years.
Heavy smiles widely. "Yes, others say they feel bond with their partner."
"So the moment you felt it around Fluttershy, you knew." Medic smirks back.
Heavy nods and tells Medic simply. "She need protection, like you doctor." Medic laughs, but Heavy do catch the hint of bitterness in his tone. Heavy can't help but smile of this. "Do not worry." He nuzzles Medic lightly and swiftly, not daring to show his true feelings out in the open for too long. "I still belong to you."
Medic smirks up at him, replaced with a softer one as the light grey unicorn says knowingly. "Like I belong to you mein liepe." Before changing the subject as Heavy is not the only one a bit fearful what will happen if anyone finds out about their true relationship. So he starts complaining about the sick ponies he had to deal with. Heavy of course listen with very few words but does chuckles once and a while from this doctor's ranting.