//------------------------------// // Pegasus // Story: A Beautiful Night // by MrNumbers //------------------------------// Pinkie put out Twilight’s favourite cereal and drew a smiley face on it. If Pinkie wasn’t going to be here to wake her up, whatever she cooked was just going to get cold. But just putting the cereal out would look... what did Rarity call it? Passive aggressive? Twilight was just going to be in the kind of mood where she was going to find any reason to get angry at herself and just work harder, so it was best to cut that off if she was going to head out and not be able to deal with that either. She didn’t want Twilight getting cold either. It was really easy to find Fluttershy’s cottage from the Everfree forest. All Pinkie had to do was follow the birdsong. You knew you were close when it seemed like the air was made of chewtoys going off at you. Fluttershy was outside with a lantern, surrounded by fireflies, looking up at the trees with a very thoughtful expression. It wasn’t intense like Twilights would get. Like, Twilight worried with her whole body. Fluttershy just looked like she was somewhere very far away. “Hi, Fluttershy.” The tether snapped back and Fluttershy became alive again, moving. Blinking and gentle smiles, not just big eyes and slow breaths. “Oh, hello Pinkie. It’s nice to see you again.” “That’s what I was wondering about,” Pinkie did her best to imitate her grandmother, wasn’t really very good at all but it was a lot of fun, “You don’t visit, you don’t write, not even a lettah. You got your dear old Pinkamena worried sick about you.” Fluttershy didn’t laugh like Pinkie Pie had hoped she would. Just looked thoughtful again. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I think that would be a bad idea.” “What? Why? We miss you!” The birds screamed to be heard over each other, a war everybody seemed to be losing. “Well, looking after the animals is getting harder. Some of them just aren’t adjusting as well as I would like. Oh, the animals that used to hibernate for the winter are having a great time, and the nocturnal animals think this is the best thing that’s ever happened,” that thought made Fluttershy smile genuinely, and then even that was gone, “but these birds usually migrate for mating season, and... they’re getting a tiny bit confused.” “Is that why they’re all shouting so much?” Fluttershy blushed, actually blushed! Ah! It was so cute! Pinkie wanted to smush her cheeks. “Actually, while they’re not building nests, or going to their... usual places...” Fluttershy explained, slow and patient tones, “they still have... urges.” “Urges?” “Well. They might not know to go raise a family, but they still want to... find a mate.” Pinkie looked around at the surrounding treetops. So they were all... oh. “Oh.” Fluttershy unlocked the front door of her cottage and gestured inside, where normal candles were burning and making it feel that much more homely. “Would you like to come inside, since you’ve come all this way? It’s... much quieter.” “Yes, please.” Pinkie sat down on a couch. Maybe Twilight was right; Maybe two years ago, she’d have jumped onto it, done a neat twist in the air and land down comfy on her back. But something about Fluttershy’s mood gave her pause. “So when the birds are doing... well, other things again,” she started with while Fluttershy was quietly putting a kettle on the burner, “you’ll start visiting again, right?” “Do you want tea?” “Oh. Uh, yes please?” “Green or black?” “Black, two sugars, lots of milk, please?” “Same as it always used to be then.” “Well, some things don’t change!” Pinkie laughed. “I suppose...” Fluttershy said more to the kettle than to Pinkie. “Some things do, though.” Oh, no. No, no no- “You’re not coming back, are you?” Pinkie jumped off the couch. Fluttershy was hiding from her in the kitchen, just staring at the kettle as it boiled. “I’d... rather Twilight didn’t visit either. We’re still friends!” Fluttershy was very quick about that, “but...” Pinkie wanted to grab Fluttershy in the long pause and shake her and yell her and panic... but if she had the patience to not jump on the couch, she had the patience to not jump on Fluttershy, “it’s too dangerous, now.” “Too dangerous? I go from here to there every week for groceries, it’s fine, I’ll show you. You used to do it too!” “You know that’s not what I mean,” Fluttershy scolded. The kettle screamed, and she removed it from the heat, “It’s not the Everfree I’m worried about.” “It’s Nightmare Moon. Why now, though?” “Because there are less things to distract her. She’s paying more attention. Applejack’s right, it’s not safe anymore.” Fluttershy put a scoop of black leaf-litter looking stuff into a teapot and filled it the rest of the way with boiling water. The tea smelled really nice and earthy and a little spicy, and it was relaxing, but not relaxing enough. “Applejack?” “She says it’s better if we stay out of it. Twilight doesn’t really have anything to lose, but... the animals need me now, more than ever. And Applejack has her family depending on her...” Pinkie took deep breaths like Twilight taught her when she was getting too worked up. Every deep breath inhaled a lot of tea-smell, so that helped a lot. “But all of Equestria is counting on us.” “Equestria’s... it’s not good, but it’s okay, Pinkie. We’re surviving.” Fluttershy poured the pot out into two mugs. “It won’t be the end of the world if we don’t help. But it might be the end of my world if I get caught helping.” She added the two sugars, and the milk, and was very gracious in handing Pinkie Pie her tea. It was really nice and calming tea which helped her not be angry. “But if you help, it means that you don’t have to worry about getting caught anymore, and you don’t have to work as hard. Everything could be so much better.” And Fluttershy gave her a smile that really hurt Pinkie, because it showed how hard Fluttershy was trying to be patient with her too. “Only if it works.” “It’s still gotta be worth trying, right?” “Blow on it first, it’s hot.” Fluttershy warned. Pinkie paused with her mug at her lips. Blew on it a lot before taking a sip. Oof, she would have burned her tongue... “Thank you.” Fluttershy bobbed her head in acknowledgement. “It’s gotta be worth trying though, right? Or at least helping. Or at least showing up. Or at least being there for your friend who is trying.” “Do you really think me doing such a little bit of good is worth taking such a lot of risk?” Fluttershy asked it like a question, but it was obvious that she thought there was only one correct answer. “Well, what if I talk to Rainbow Dash, too? So you know when it’s totally safe to go and help out? Just so Twilight's not totally alone dealing with this all by herself.” “But she’s not alone, Pinkie. She has you, doesn’t she?” “Yeah, but I’m not enough anymore!” Pinkie took a fierce sip of her tea for emphasis, and regretted it immediately. “Ah!” “Careful!” Fluttershy scolded, pushing Pinkie around the kitchen until she’d had a glass of tap water pressed into her hooves. “I warned you.” “Sorry.” “What do you mean, ‘you’re not enough’? Pinkie, you’re a wonderful pony.” “Well. Thanks. Owch.” Pinkie sipped the tap water and that helped a bit. “It’s just... when it feels like nobody else is with you, it feels like everybody else is against you. Even if they aren’t. Like, you want to help, don’t you?” “I think it’s the right thing to do,” Fluttershy agreed. “It’s the good thing.” “It’s just scary?” “It’s terrifying.” Fluttershy agreed, sipping her tea. “What’s scarier to me is... doing nothing.” Pinkie admitted, sitting up on the kitchen bench. The couch might have been comfier, but this was the kind of conversation you had where you only moved when it finished. It had to stay in one place to hold in your mind. “At least when I’m with Twilight, it feels like we’re fighting. Like we haven’t already lost.” “But Pinkie,” Fluttershy reminded her gently, leaning back against the fridge holding her tea in front of her, “we have already lost.” Pinkie sighed. “I guess that’s why you stopped trying to fight, huh?” Fluttershy shrugged uncomfortably. “I know I can help the animals. They need me more right now, and I won’t get in trouble for helping them.” “Right...” Pinkie downed the rest of her tea. “is there anything you can do?” Fluttershy thought about that a moment. “If Twilight just needs another friend... well, do you think a pet would help?” Pinkie thought about that, and yeah, it would. “Sometimes she just needs the company, but I’d just be bothering her. An animal friend would be really nice.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and offered an apologetic smile. “Well, do you think she’d uh... do you think she’d like a bird?” They both tilted their heads up and listened to the lusty roar of thousands of horny birds. “Something smart. And nocturnal?” Fluttershy nodded again, but this was all confidence and certainty. “I think I’ve got just the thing.” Twilight’s surprised yelp echoed around the library. “G’agh! Pinkie! Why is there an owl in here?” Owlowiscious had landed on Twilight’s reading table right under her nose, and she hadn’t noticed until he’d hooted at her less than a foot from her face. It spooked her really good. Pinkie couldn’t stop giggling. “His name’s Owlowiscious, and he’s your new friend. Did you know owls can fly completely silently?” “I may have just learned that for myself, yes. He’s - he?” the owl nodded, “He snuck up on me.” She accused the owl. The owl hooted mischievously, which was another thing it could do apparently. “Why do I need an owl friend?” Pinkie stared at Twilight. “Twilight, think about that question?” “You’re right. How silly of me,” all deadpan and snarky, “how could I not want an owl friend?” “I know right?!” Twilight looked at Owlowiscious thoughtfully. Her annoyance seemed to be melting out of her, now that she was over being surprised. “You wouldn’t happen to be a good listener, would you?” Owlowiscious hooted loyally. Twilight raised an eyebrow at it. “You’re not going to go gossip about me, are you?” The owl crossed its heart with a wingtip, shaking its head solemnly. “Hrrm. I already know you’re good at keeping quiet, too.” The owl laughed in a an owlish way. Twilight nodded and went back to her book, seemingly satisfied. “Alright, we can be friends. Thank you for introducing us, Pinkie.” Twilight looked back at Owlowiscious and pointed a highlighter at him accusingly. “I didn’t get a cooked breakfast today over you. So we’re going to have to get along famously to make up for it. Think you’re up for it?” The owl hooted thoughtfully. “Oh, yes,” Twilight nodded, “A very good breakfast. Pinkie is an amazing cook.” Owlowiscious jumped up from the table, and flapped a little frantically until he was perfectly balanced on top of Twilight’s head. He started shifting around a little bit and Twilight’s eyes went from ‘confused indignation’ to crossed and unfocused in a second, her mouth hanging open and a groan rattling up from her throat. “Ooh. Head scratches from a bird. I guess he has nice claws, huh? Worth not getting pancakes for?” Twilight just kept groaning. Owlowiscious did the owl equivalent of a chuckle, and kept working at it. Pinkie took that as a yes. “Okay, well, I gotta head back out. You two have fun getting to know each other. You look like you’re going to be besties.” Owlowiscious snapped off a smart salute, and Twilight tried to at least mumble her goodbyes as Pinkie ran back out. She was going to get a lot of balloons if she planned on visiting Rainbow Dash today. The Wonderbolts had become the Shadowbolts when Nightmare Moon won the war. They were always kind of sort of a military group anyway, like they were the rapid responders and if war broke out they were supposed to be Equestria’s elite fliers, but they were mostly just for show. Well, shows. They did really good shows, back then. Now they were kind of like... when ponies disappeared in the middle of the night, it was because of them. And it was always the middle of the night. Rainbow Dash had always wanted to be a Wonderbolt, always. It was kind of a bitter victory to become one now, but she still did it. Which also meant she’d stopped visiting too, but it also meant she might, like, know when it’d be safe for Fluttershy to visit, or to make Applejack less mad about stuff. Pinkie drifted over to the Shadowbolts offices in Cloudsdale, since they didn’t have any surface offices. It only took fifty seven party balloons this time -- she’d lost a little bit of weight. All the walking must have been good for her. Or maybe it was the kale? “Pinkie?” Oh, Rainbow had snuck up behind her this time. Maybe she didn’t need to go to the offices after all. That was good, they were scary. “Hey, Rainbow! It’s great to see you!” Rainbow spun her around and hugged her tight around the balloon strings, careful not to mess with any of them. “It’s been ages! You’re looking great.” “Yeah I needed, like, five less balloons than last time.” “Awesome! If you ever want a gym buddy, you know who to look for?” Pinkie grinned wickedly. “Applejack?” Rainbow slugged her in the shoulder, but it didn’t hurt at all. They were both laughing. “Seriously though. What are you doing up here?” “I came to see you, silly! It’s been forever.” “Yeah, it’s been like... I dunno, months, I guess. Maybe that’s why I’m so surprised?” “Well. Your new job’s kind of scary, isn’t it? And you’re kind of busy. I didn’t want to bother you.” Rainbow was wearing her black jumpsuit, and the dark goggles hung around her neck. Her mane was longer than it used to be, and she wore the fringe low over her eyes. She looked fierce. “I guess I’m kind of scary now, too, huh?” Pinkie nodded a bunch. “Figures. Sorry about that.” “It’s okay!” They both sort of floated in the sky outside Cloudsdale. It was really dark so it was kind of like being at the bottom of a deep ocean, too, only dry. The stars were really clear up here. Pinkie hugged Dash back. “You free to hang out?” “Not really. I’m on duty right now. I was actually coming to investigate the not-a-pegasus that was sneaking silently up on Cloudsdale. I was kinda hoping it was you.” “Aww, did you miss me?” Rainbow nodded, grinned. “We could get away with so many more awesome pranks in times like these. It’d be great.” “So many great places to hide too!” “Did you really just come up here to hang out though?” Dash just sounded curious, but Pinkie still felt really bad that the answer was ‘no’. “Fluttershy’s been too worried to visit Twilight anymore. I was hoping you could tell her it’s safe?” Rainbow’s grin died, like the happiness behind it just up and dropped off her face. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I can’t, because that’d be a lie.” “What? Really?” “Yeah.” Rainbow nodded sadly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Since the resistance gets more and more beaten down, we’ve got the resources to patrol places like the Everfree a lot more than we used to. Be hard not to notice.” “Huh. Wow, that sucks.” “It’s a nice patrol, at least.” Rainbow smiled again, reassuring Pinkie that looked more like she was trying to reassure herself, “I’m the only one out there some nights, and I’m not turning my friends in, but... well it’s not like she knows when that’s going to be.” “Can’t you tell Fluttershy that? On those nights?” “I can’t jeopardize what I have going here, or I’m not going to be able to stop something really serious.” “But every time you don’t do something like that, you’re just helping them!” Pinkie frowned. “Yeah,” Rainbow agreed, gritting her teeth and looking everywhere but Pinkie, “but I can’t afford to be rash anymore, you know? Charging in to stuff. If I push boundaries and get fired over something small, I’m not going to be able to get fired ruining something really big.” Pinkie hated how much sense that made. It felt wrong, and bad, but... it obviously made Rainbow feel worse for having to do it, and she was still doing it. “Do you think other ponies would do little things, too, if somepony were brave enough to let them know they could?” “I dunno, Pinkie. I probably would, if they did.” “So what if you all want to do it, but you’re all too scared to be the first?” “Only way to find out would be to test it. And thing about tests is you can fail them.” Rainbow blew her mane out of her eyes. “You can’t really tell a pony’s true colours ‘til you really test them.” The confusion and stress that Fluttershy’s tea hadn’t melted away bubbled back to the surface. “Why? Why would anypony be okay with this? Or turn on their teammates?” “Because the money’s good. And if you turn a pony in, you get promoted, which is really sweet.” Rainbow scowled, furious, still unable to look at Pinkie, “And the ponies who get into the Wonderbolts tend to be pretty... I dunno, what’s that word that means ‘arrogant’ and self-centered and stuff, starts with an ‘n’?” “Narcissistic?” “Yeah, that one. Thanks. Narcissistic. You gotta believe you’re the best, and want everypony to tell you. I guess. And narcissists tend to value self-preservation over anything else.” “And... you’re not a narcissist right?” And finally Rainbow looked back at Pinkie with a brave grin, and she was either going to laugh or she was going to cry. “I tell myself I just haven’t had a good enough test yet. Having a healthy ego isn’t the same thing right?” “Right,” Pinkie agreed, “I still think you’re a good pony.” Rainbow looked really hurt by that, and it was funny how Rainbow punched her before and it didn’t hurt at all, and Pinkie didn’t punch Rainbow and it hurt a ton. Apparently. “That means a lot. Listen, I need to go back and tell the others it was just an earth pony, they’ll get a laugh out of that. Don’t fly back to Ponyville. Go land out in the Whitetail Woods and walk back, okay? Be safe, and make sure nobody follows you.” Pinkie thought about that. “Do you trust me?” “Yeah, Pinkie, of course.” “If I don’t get caught on the way home... can you get me an appointment with Rarity?” Rainbow grimaced. “You really still want to talk to her, after everything?” “Yeah. Kind of? You don’t have to come with me.” “No, no, I gotcha. I’ll get you cleared, and drop all the papers off with Fluttershy, I’ll tell her we talked. Just... be careful. I had nothing to do with anything if anypony asks, got it?” “Don’t get fired until you can ruin something really big, okay?” “Yeah, it’s gotta be worth my time right?” Rainbow laughed, hugging Pinkie one last time. “Right.” Pinkie agreed. Rainbow stormed off, her rainbow contrail long replaced by a black, thundering stormcloud. It came with the job, apparently. Pinkie sighed and wiggled herself into the crossbreeze that would carry her back to Whitetail Woods. It’d be a long way home, and she hoped Owlowiscious was still good company. Maybe she should pick up something nice for dinner tonight? Maybe burgers. Twilight liked burgers.